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History of Kane County, IL, Volume I
KANE COUNTY HISTORY	,453
two for riot and three for larceny. The rioters were fined $5 and costs each at the following September term. Much of the business of this grand jury and of the first term of court was with claim jumpers and house burners. A couple of these worthies were in examination before the jury and one of its members, Mr. Van Nortwick, became so disgusted with the testimony that he impatiently blurted out, "Gentlemen, you can think what you please, but I believe these fellows swear to a d—d lie, both of them !" It was a favorite scheme with some of these claim jumpers to come from somewhere down the river, engage to do a job of plowing for a settler, and after having plowed two or three acres drive off and sell the claim to another party. These rascally proceedings did not always result healthfully for the perpetrators. The following from the diary of Captain Thomas H. Thompson, of Dundee, is an illustration of the above subject, and good evidence of what the settlers were forced to go to law about :
"Fence put up Friday, September 15, 1836; commenced drawing logs to build house 16th ; 18th, finished drawing logs and put up body of the house; the same day Benjamin Bell came on the premises and swore that Sutfin should not build, for he (Bell) was going to build and both of them could not stay on the claim; at night the logs were taken down, put in a pile and set fire to; l0th, more logs drawn, the house raised, the roof boards put on; 21st, 22d, 23d, work putting in gable ends, making door, chinking, hewing down the walls and mudding; evening of 23d, roof torn off; 24th, at daylight, Benjamin Bell and James Robinson came to the house ; 25th, at night, house set on fire."
At this term of court Mark W. Fletcher was appointed clerk in place of Hubbard, who resigned after the first day. It is said that not a single lawyer was then living within the limits of Kane county. Alonzo Huntington was the state's attorney in attendance on the court. Selden M. Church had been appointed clerk originally, but removed to Rockford before court was held, and Mr. Hubbard received his appointment from Judge Ford September 21, . 1836. This first term of court lasted three days, during which time there were five jury trials, four changes of venue granted,, fourteen judgments rendered amounting to $5,400, twenty suits continued and five dismissed. Therefore it seems the pioneers dabbled quite extensively in legal proceedings, and usually for cause. It is recorded that Jacob B. Mills and H. N. Chapman were at this term granted the privilege of practicing as attorneys in the court. On the second day John Douglass, by birth a Scotchman, renounced his allegiance to the British government and swore fealty to that of the United States.
In September, 1837, the second term of the court was held by Judge Thomas. Most of the settlers attended the terms of court, it is said, either as jurors, parties to suits or witnesses, or merely as spectators. Beside the suits brought on account of conflicting claims to lands there was much trouble and litigation over prairie fires carelessly kindled. These were, in the language of an eminent member of the bar and formerly a practitioner of the Kane county courts, "an annual terror," and caused great destruction of property. When Mark W. Fletcher was clerk of the courts he had a Bible
Title History of Kane County, IL, Volume I
Description '"Illustrated with portraits and views." Running title: Kane County History, Includes bibliographical references and indexes. Published by The Pioneer Pub. Co: Chicago, IL. Highlights communities and history of numerous villages, cities and townships of Kane County. Some blank pages were omitted. (868 pages; 1.35 GB)
Transcript KANE COUNTY HISTORY	,453 two for riot and three for larceny. The rioters were fined $5 and costs each at the following September term. Much of the business of this grand jury and of the first term of court was with claim jumpers and house burners. A couple of these worthies were in examination before the jury and one of its members, Mr. Van Nortwick, became so disgusted with the testimony that he impatiently blurted out, "Gentlemen, you can think what you please, but I believe these fellows swear to a d—d lie, both of them !" It was a favorite scheme with some of these claim jumpers to come from somewhere down the river, engage to do a job of plowing for a settler, and after having plowed two or three acres drive off and sell the claim to another party. These rascally proceedings did not always result healthfully for the perpetrators. The following from the diary of Captain Thomas H. Thompson, of Dundee, is an illustration of the above subject, and good evidence of what the settlers were forced to go to law about : "Fence put up Friday, September 15, 1836; commenced drawing logs to build house 16th ; 18th, finished drawing logs and put up body of the house; the same day Benjamin Bell came on the premises and swore that Sutfin should not build, for he (Bell) was going to build and both of them could not stay on the claim; at night the logs were taken down, put in a pile and set fire to; l0th, more logs drawn, the house raised, the roof boards put on; 21st, 22d, 23d, work putting in gable ends, making door, chinking, hewing down the walls and mudding; evening of 23d, roof torn off; 24th, at daylight, Benjamin Bell and James Robinson came to the house ; 25th, at night, house set on fire." At this term of court Mark W. Fletcher was appointed clerk in place of Hubbard, who resigned after the first day. It is said that not a single lawyer was then living within the limits of Kane county. Alonzo Huntington was the state's attorney in attendance on the court. Selden M. Church had been appointed clerk originally, but removed to Rockford before court was held, and Mr. Hubbard received his appointment from Judge Ford September 21, . 1836. This first term of court lasted three days, during which time there were five jury trials, four changes of venue granted,, fourteen judgments rendered amounting to $5,400, twenty suits continued and five dismissed. Therefore it seems the pioneers dabbled quite extensively in legal proceedings, and usually for cause. It is recorded that Jacob B. Mills and H. N. Chapman were at this term granted the privilege of practicing as attorneys in the court. On the second day John Douglass, by birth a Scotchman, renounced his allegiance to the British government and swore fealty to that of the United States. In September, 1837, the second term of the court was held by Judge Thomas. Most of the settlers attended the terms of court, it is said, either as jurors, parties to suits or witnesses, or merely as spectators. Beside the suits brought on account of conflicting claims to lands there was much trouble and litigation over prairie fires carelessly kindled. These were, in the language of an eminent member of the bar and formerly a practitioner of the Kane county courts, "an annual terror," and caused great destruction of property. When Mark W. Fletcher was clerk of the courts he had a Bible
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Controversial Pastor O'Neal Dozier's Scheme to Enrich Africa
Stefan Kamph
Stefan Kamph | August 16, 2012 | 4:00am
"We are here today to reorder your thinking," Robert Beatty said, his careful pronunciation banishing doubt with every word. The meticulously dressed, gray-haired publisher of the South Florida Times, an African-American newspaper, stood behind the lectern of the Worldwide Christian Center Church in Pompano Beach.
Behind him sat an unlikely assortment of people: O'Neal Dozier, the church's ultraconservative pastor; two members of a small but extremely wealthy indigenous tribe in South Africa, wearing jackets and ties; a former consultant to the World Bank; and several business owners.
The Anglican archbishop of Cape Town, South Africa — the successor to Desmond Tutu — was scheduled to make an appearance by video.
O'Neal Dozier
High on the wall, a red, light-up cross hung above the gathering.
"God wants all his children to have abundance," said Beatty, who was serving as the MC of this event, the "Winds of Change Economic Leadership Conference," on the morning of February 18.
In the audience were a few middle-class, mostly black families and individuals, all potential investors. Dozier, the pastor, had been hinting in his services that a new opportunity was coming, that his parishioners could soon make a profit while also helping their brethren in Africa. They could skip one meal a month, perhaps, and use that money to invest in the future of a continent. Though he didn't get into specifics, he had suggested they would soon be able to purchase shares of a new, international project. The churchgoers were waiting for the archbishop to unveil the details.
The archbishop of Cape Town, the Most Rev. Thabo Makgoba, is a spiritual elder in the Anglican and Episcopal churches and an influential figure throughout Africa. Much of his power is left over from Tutu, the human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner who helped end apartheid in segregated South Africa. Now, Makgoba hopes to make his continent a dominant player on the global stage, replacing economic isolation with development and free trade.
The African men up by the altar — a public-affairs man and an investment manager, both short-statured in jackets and ties — didn't look like stereotypical tribesmen from the bush. They hailed from the Royal Bafokeng Nation, a tiny region in the South African countryside that is half the size of Broward County. Its population of 150,000 people speaks mostly Setswana, with English as a second language. The Bafokeng, an indigenous tribal group, are unlike many Africans in that they are financially thriving.
Many African nations have become dependent on foreign aid, which can serve as a set of golden handcuffs for poor countries. When donor countries expect to be paid back in their own, stronger currency, a fluctuation in exchange rates can mean ruinous debts for the poorer country. Tom Cochran, the former World Bank consultant, came prepared with a speech on this problem and on how banks were just starting to learn to lend in a country's local currency.
The Bafokeng, through careful management of funds and several protracted lawsuits, have managed to retain control of their natural resources, whereas other indigenous groups have seen theirs exploited by foreigners. From lucrative mining royalties, they have created a multibillion-dollar sovereign investment fund. The Bafokeng manage all this wealth with a secular, Western attention to the bottom line: Nowhere in their business literature is there a mention of God or divine mandate. They are simply looking after their own worldly fortune.
Their representatives were poker-faced as Beatty got religious.
"Through spiritual economics, we will deprive the locusts of the rich natural resources of Africa," he said, paraphrasing Exodus.
The crowd hushed as the archbishop appeared on two giant video screens on either side of the altar. Surrounded by foliage somewhere on a Cape Town hillside, the kind-faced figure beamed down at the audience, wearing his Anglican shirt and collar.
"In my opinion, Royal Bafokeng Holdings is the most successful group in the world," he said. He introduced "Winds of Change," a new investment plan, and explained that the Bafokeng would serve as a model. He hoped to round up capital not just from black-owned companies but from African-Americans around the world who are looking for a meaningful and lucrative connection to their ancestral home.
The pastor, O'Neal Dozier, had signed on as the project's North American president. Far away from the archibishop and the Bafokeng, he would be the public figurehead representing this bold and vague new initiative, using the power of his words and persuasion to do the archbishop's work. It was an appointment that showed great confidence. "We will launch the initiative on June 19, when I come to the United States," said the archbishop on the screen. "Until then, you are in the good hands of Dr. O'Neal Dozier."
It was, in some ways, an incongruous partnership: the archbishop — an activist and diplomat, who was known for his spirit of inclusion and had even pioneered discussions of welcoming gays into the church (a radical concept in Africa) — partnering with Dozier, who in 27 years of preaching has offended gays, Muslims, whites, and blacks. Although Dozier is disarmingly kind and attentive to his parishioners, his politics are somewhat to the right of the guy who burned the Qur'an.
"We're going to preach the bishop's plan across all of North America," Dozier told the crowd. "This is an exciting time."
To Dozier, this was the golden opportunity he had long been waiting for, a chance to take his Worldwide Christian Center Church truly worldwide. He wants to be on TV in Africa before he dies and to let the whole world know that every word written in the King James Bible is good and true. And all of that requires money.
Travel the rolling farms and low-slung neighborhoods around the town of Phokeng, in South Africa's North West Province, and you'll come across a strange vision: a 45,000-seat stadium on the horizon. If you watched the 2010 World Cup, you have already seen it: a small tribal nation's prosperity made visible to the world.
Royal Bafokeng Stadium belongs to a modern-day tribe with a curious history. In the late 1800s, black people in South Africa were not able to own land; that was a privilege reserved for whites. Young Bafokeng men traveled on foot to the newly opened diamond mines at the continent's southern tip. When they returned home, the Bafokeng king collected a portion of their earnings and passed it on to a sympathetic Lutheran priest, who agreed to buy large tracts of farmland on the Bafokengs' behalf. After the priest died, the land was transferred to the state to be held in trust for the Bafokeng, as it remains today.
The Bafokeng turned out to be sitting on top of one of the world's largest platinum reserves, which was discovered in 1920. Companies swooped in for a piece of the treasure, but Bafokeng leadership fought for a share of the profits, paid as royalties. In 1999, the Bafokeng reached a court settlement with South African mining giant Implats, granting the community a 22 percent royalty from all proceeds and a stake in the company.
The income is invested into a sovereign wealth fund, Royal Bafokeng Holdings, which today has assets of nearly $4.5 billion. The king, Leruo Molotlegi, looks like an average Western businessman, and government employees pass out business cards embossed with a sleek logo. The Bafokeng are part owners of the telecommunications company Vodacom, shipping company DHL Express, and many mining interests. Profits go back to the government and are reinvested in community services like schools and roads as well as the shiny stadium. It's contemporary capitalism for the benefit of a monarchy whose policies seem fairly socialist.
When the archbishop saw the Bafokeng stadium during the World Cup, inspiration struck.
Thabo Makgoba, 52 years old, had been looking to build a legacy as archbishop that would measure up to Desmond Tutu's. By now, though, the evils of enforced colonialism and apartheid had been largely vanquished. Instead of battling apartheid or colonialism, the inequality that Makgoba chose to fight is economic.
He has indicated that he wants to allow indigenous people to profit just as much as the diamond companies and oil companies that stake their claim in African soil and send the profits off to America, Russia, or China. The world has advanced through global free markets, and if Africa wants to stop being the victim, it will have to participate.
The archbishop met with King Molotlegi and other officials and introduced his plan: The church and the government could partner with private interests to guide new businesses in local communities and help them take advantage of natural resources like timber and minerals. He envisioned indigenous people working at all levels of business and profits being reinvested locally.
The king agreed to work with him. But to replicate the Bafokengs' success elsewhere, they would need guidance, capital, and experienced managers who knew about global financial markets. For that, they would look to America.
Through a mutual acquaintance, the archbishop met a large, commanding American businessman from Jacksonville, Florida: Julius Jackson Sr. Jackson had proved himself adept at finding wealth in the midst of great poverty. In 2002, President Bush unveiled a plan called the Millennium Challenge Corp., which provides large-scale grants to poor countries. Jackson, who had done business in the former Zaire in the mid-1980s (before it became the Democratic Republic of the Congo), saw opportunity and created Millennium Group Worldwide, a faith-based, for-profit company.
Jackson says his company organized many infrastructure projects funded by the grants, including the construction of fuel-distribution and fire-suppression systems in Angola around 2008. "We put an emphasis on ultimate [African] ownership of the enterprise," he says. "We get a development fee, but they have ownership in the long term."
One corporate filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission reveals a 2008 draft contract between Millennium Group and the governor of Bas Congo, a province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It calls for a new partnership to control mining and all natural resources, promising that Jackson's company will "help to convert, whenever possible, the resources... to a form that maximizes the benefits to Bas Congo and the region." However, Serge Tshamala, an economic counselor at the D.R. Congolese embassy in Washington, D.C., says he is unaware of any such partnership ever taking effect.
Once Jackson met with the archbishop and with officials from Royal Bafokeng Holdings, he offered up a new Jacksonville-based company, African Business Development Group, to carry out the business end of the archbishop's plan on the ground in Africa.
A member of O'Neal Dozier's church suggested to Jackson that he meet the pastor, who might be able to round up investors. Dozier says he initially turned down the invitation. But Jackson called him again and put him in touch with the archbishop. Eventually, he accepted, buoyed by the prospect of making money and spreading his gospel message to Africa and beyond. Now he had a new title, one that could enable his dreams of acquiring both money and global influence.
"I am the president," Dozier said recently in his trademark slow diction, touched by a Southern twang. "My official title is 'President of the North American Sector of Archbishop Makgoba's Economic Development Initiative for Indigenous Africans and the Diaspora..." — he paused for a breath — "and the Friends of the Diaspora.'"
The walls of Dozier's church office tell a story of his life. In one corner are pictures of him in college football uniforms and later, Army uniforms. Next to them, a certificate of honorable discharge. Books from his law-school days. A collection of anti-Islam writings and a plaque from an anti-abortion group. On the desk is a metal sculpture of Atlas, lifting the world on his shoulders. On a shelf: a tall-masted model sailing ship and a TWA jet, poised for takeoff.
Dozier, tall and lean, relaxes in a chair as he talks. He's wearing black slacks and a white T-shirt, translucent over a tank top. His giant hands are adorned with rings and a gold watch. His head, small for his gym-toned body, appears youthful, although the hairline of his flat-top has crept improbably backward. He is wearing sunglasses indoors.
He has been in the blue-collar town of Pompano Beach, originally an agricultural center, for most of his life. He arrived here, he says, "on a migrant farm bus" from South Carolina in 1955, when he was 7 years old. His family moved into a nearby migrant workers' camp. At midcentury, Florida was deeply segregated, and the prospects for black farmers' sons were dim.
"I had a choice to go the way of many of the people I grew up with," Dozier says. "But I decided not to go that way. I do not like poverty."
At nearby Blanche Ely High School, he played football and basketball. He moved on to play football in college, then professionally for a stint. He earned his J.D. from John Marshall Law School in Atlanta. He was drafted to serve in Vietnam, he says, and then volunteered to go back for a second tour with the Army in Germany. While overseas, his official church biography adds, "he competed in and won several European bodybuilding contests."
The law degree was prestigious, but Dozier says he found his calling to serve God. In fact, his looks and demeanor make it hard to imagine his doing anything else. Dozier opened his church 27 years ago and started scaring people away with his sermons until the only ones left were those who would truly listen to every word he had to say.
"My granddaddy used to tell me, 'One who will not tell the truth when they know they should tell the truth is a liar,'" says Dozier. Thus, burdened with knowing that the sinners would be punished, he felt compelled to warn his congregation and began mixing sociopolitical issues into his homilies. He dwelled on the passages of the Bible that have been glossed over by pastors more tolerant of gays, Islam, abortion, Democrats, or women's liberation. When other black churches were celebrating the election of Barack Obama, the pastor was there to, as he puts it, "quench the fire." A typical sermon at Dozier's church may include a rousing, hand-clapping celebration of the scriptural verse that says a woman should be meek and obey her husband. He once held a public funeral for an aborted fetus.
His conservatism and relentless networking have earned him friends in high places. A wall in the office is covered with framed pictures of the pastor meeting dignitaries, religious leaders, and politicians: Dozier with Jeb Bush. Dozier with George W. Bush. Dozier blessing Charlie Crist, dark-skinned hand pressing down upon the white-haired head. When Jeb was governor, he named Dozier to a judicial nominating committee, where the pastor helped choose judges who would support conservative and religious principles. "Jeb befriended me," he recalls fondly. "He saw me as an asset."
For every friend Dozier has made, there are people who despise every word that comes out of his mouth. And that's just the way he likes it: Jesus, he says, was also hated and feared in his lifetime. So Pastor Dozier plays chicken with the world.
In January, when then-presidential candidate Rick Santorum named Dozier as an adviser to his campaign and visited the church, national media outlets dug up the pastor's old quotes on homosexuality. In particular, his statements at the Reclaiming America for Christ Conference that homosexuality is an act so nasty and disgusting that... well...
"I said that in the eyes of God, homosexuality is an abomination. What does that mean? Something very nasty and disgusting in the sight of God. What is the effect of something nasty and disgusting? It gives you the feeling of wanting to vomit." So, forever after, this is a man who says gay sex makes God want to vomit.
In his typical mode of preaching, he takes a short passage from the Bible and spends many minutes dissecting it into its component parts, reaching back to Hebrew translations in search of an undeniable and unambiguous Truth. When this leads him to say outlandish things, so be it. It's right there in the book.
Dozier believes that churches should play a role in supporting the poor, and he continually raises money for victims of natural disasters and the homeless. But he's also a staunch free-market capitalist who is tough on those who don't help themselves. To those who depend on government assistance, he asks, "How much more do you want from us?" He reads Matthew's Parable of the Talents, in which a traveling aristocrat entrusts his servants with his savings and rewards those who trade and increase their holdings, as a straightforward argument that the rich who invest should get richer than the poor who don't.
For Dozier, a focus on working to make money can erase even racial prejudice. "America only sees money. It doesn't see color," he says. He claims he has never once been discriminated against because of the color of his skin.
Dozier says his controversial remarks have cost him a larger audience. He could be preaching to thousands every Sunday morning, amplified across a megachurch, he says, if only his message were a little softer. But the attraction of admiring masses isn't the kind of power that Dozier wants, not after all these years of shrugging off liberals and failures and pretenders. He's after something stronger.
"I'm someone who fears God more than man," he explains. "I've pretty much been kicked out of everything I've been in. When a man embraces me, he has to be ready for the part of me that doesn't compromise."
As the months passed after the February conference, Dozier prepared for the archbishop to visit his church. He imagined a scene: the archbishop wearing his ceremonial robes and hat and all the members of his church wearing traditional African attire. Dozier said meeting the archbishop was "highly important" to him, maybe "even more so than being involved with the president of the United States." He predicted that the archbishop, through his initiative, would "end up being more recognizable and famous in the long run than Tutu."
But in June, there was a change of plans. The archbishop would now visit Jacksonville and be hosted by Jackson, not Pompano Beach, hosted by Dozier. So Dozier was left to book a flight north to meet the archbishop in person.
On the evening of June 18, the Most ReverendThabo Makgoba entered a squarish building in a Jacksonville office park off I-95 to hold a news conference and make the official American announcement of the Winds of Change initiative. He walked down the second-floor hallway, past a table of refreshments, to a conference room. Wearing a purple silk shirt and clerical collar under a pinstriped suit, he entered the room leaning forward, gently beaming, shaking hands with the businessmen gathered to greet him.
The small room was set up with 25 chairs in rows. Pine trees swayed in the sun outside the window. A couple of TV cameramen set up their cameras. There was a podium at the front of the room, bedecked with the heavily Photoshopped Winds of Change logo: a globe, flags, the outlines of America, South Africa, and Florida.
The office belonged to Environmental Services Inc., a consulting firm headed by Isaac Rhodes Robinson Jr., a rotund Southerner with a mop of gray-white hair. Robinson is Julius Jackson's longtime partner, and his company specializes in helping builders meet environmental standards while plowing ahead with their projects. Through a process called mitigation, developers are often given permission to build on one land so long as they conserve another, comparable land at another site. Some developers just buy mitigation credits, paying someone else to do the conserving. Environmentalists say it's essentially a shell game, but it is totally legal. For all the talk about spiritual kinship, Robinson and Jackson — like any smart businessmen — simply take advantage of the opportunities before them.
Environmental Services is behind one of the first deals to go through under the Winds of Change banner. Robinson did not respond to interview requests, but in the conference room, he revealed a few details: They were moving a million acres of tribal-owned forested land onto the global carbon-credits market to make money for the landowners. Carbon credits work like mitigation credits: Companies that emit large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere can "offset" them by buying carbon credits; the money is ostensibly used to preserve tracts of forest in some other locale.
To date, this is the only Winds of Change project that has been disclosed in detail. Jackson told the crowd that investment opportunities would be announced as they became available and that the global accounting firm Deloitte & Touche had been retained to oversee every dollar that goes in and out, to maintain transparency.
"This moment will be a turning point," the archbishop said as he took the podium. He again quoted the Exodus verse about driving the locusts out of Africa. He said he was committed to making sure the project was well-administered: "As an archbishop, I have to be unashamedly ethical and be a good steward. We want Africa to thrive. That is my vision. That is my dream."
After leaving the podium, he explained why he had chosen Dozier to lead his economic mission.
"He is a pastor who is close to some of the people we're working with," he said, adding, "He can articulate the biblical values of transparency, honesty, and showing 'love your neighbor.' Sometimes I do not agree with him in terms of content, but he is speaking where it can be heard."
Eventually, the executives led Makgoba back down the hallway, where he paused to answer a final question. Would his initiative take him to other places like this around the world, to partner with other businesses? Was Jacksonville, Florida, just one stop of many?
"No," said the successor to Desmond Tutu, smiling warmly. "This is our home. It is our Bethlehem." With that, he followed his hosts downstairs and rode off to dinner in a silver Chevy Tahoe.
Dozier missed the news conference. His delayed flight was just touching down as the event ended. He would meet the archbishop at dinner. But if anyone had noticed his absence, no one had made a big deal out of it.
"They didn't even mention me," said Dozier, back in his church a week later. He sounded frustrated: His controversial past had started to worry the project's organizers.
Dozier had believed that the archbishop knew what he was getting when he signed him up. "The archbishop was looking for a partner who would have the combination of being conservative — very conservative — and involved in the political struggle."
He pulled up a printout of an email Jackson had sent to all of his partners, including Dozier, the Bafokeng, and the archbishop. It urged them not to speak directly to the media.
"Please don't give the media the opportunity to get information that, as we know, they can spin in a way that does not edify the archbishop's cause," Jackson had written. "We want this to maintain a media focus of what can be accomplished in Africa, and not about the roles of the individuals or companies involved."
Dozier realized that Jackson was nervous about the fate of the endeavor. "I think Julius is afraid something's going to nip it in the bud," he said. Some more of Dozier's old quotes, dug up, rehashed, and associated with the archbishop, would not "edify" the cause. But he was still confident, denying that he was a liability: "It would be so easy for the archbishop or Julius Jackson to say, 'You know what? Reverend Dozier is bad for this project, so let's dismiss him.'"
If the archbishop and Jackson had wanted a less-controversial pastor to spread the word about the Winds of Change, they would have had some willing volunteers. The Right Reverend Leo Frade, bishop for the Episcopal church in Miami and Southeast Florida, had been watching the archbishop's plan with interest as a fellow member of the Anglican Communion. Late last year, he even thought he might be asked to help. But then he learned that Dozier had been appointed.
"It disconcerted me," says Frade, who had already heard more than he cared to of the pastor's right-wing talking points and knew they conflicted with the archbishop's public role as a peacemaker. "But I don't think I'm in a position to question the archbishop. I'd say he wants to reach out to all kinds of people, not just the liberal types."
John and Jean Comaroff, two sociologists living in South Africa who have studied the Bafokeng, religion, and African economies, put it a little more bluntly. People in South Africa watch the archbishop's moves very closely, said Jean Comaroff, and "if there's the slightest smell of antigay, it's not going to fly... I think the archbishop is well-intentioned but underinformed."
Of the Bafokeng, she said, "I'm very surprised they're involved [with Dozier]. I can't imagine this fitting into [the king's] idea of theology at all. He's not antigay."
After receiving Jackson's email, representatives of the Royal Bafokeng Nation were reluctant to talk. "It is still very much at the conceptualization stage," said Mpueleng Pooe, the public-affairs director who had visited Dozier's church in February. "There's not a whole lot that we want to be discussing until we have very solid and concrete structures in place." Pooe would not comment specifically about Dozier. But inquiries from New Times seemed to raise concerns about how the small, unlikely tribe would be represented across the ocean.
On July 1, Bernadette Morris, a public-relations representative hired to represent Winds of Change, contacted New Times and said that the Bafokeng leadership did not want to be mentioned in a story that painted the initiative in a negative light. "I think the problem is they're not used to American reporters," Morris said. "It's a very private operation."
Two days later, she called with a follow-up: The winds had indeed changed. Dozier was gone. "The archbishop and some of the other organizers, namely Julius, are shifting around some of the roles in the leadership," said Morris. Dozier was "stepping down" from his role of North American president. A news release said he didn't have enough time to devote to the project.
The preacher was as cordial as ever when reached by phone the day he was dismissed and denied that his departure would affect things much. "This is about the archbishop," he said, "and not about the things I say..."
He paused and gave God the last word.
"... which are in the Bible."
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Daring Rebellion agent Jyn Erso from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story gets the stylized Funko POP treatment in this new fgure! Jyn Erso appears holding her blaster on a pedestal base. These 3 3/4 inch figures are just the right size to display on a desk or shelf -- or, if you prefer to keep them sealed, in their window box.
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Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TUTCM)
天津中医学院 Tiānjīn Zhōngyī Xuéyuàn
Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine was established in 1958 and is one of the earliest Traditional Chinese Medicine institutions in China. The University has served as an inspiration for many professionals both Chinese and foreign to learn the traditional teachings of Chinese Medicine and take it to countries around the globe. For students that are looking for university degrees in China, it is wise to look into the Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine for a niche of study that is unique and in demand in many sectors of healthcare.
Notable Campuses & Programs within China
Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine has five distinct areas of study to include: Medical, Science, Management, Arts, and Engineering. In total, the University has 18 different M.D. programs, 25 Master's programs, 18 Undergraduate programs, and 3 Post-Doctoral fellowships. In addition, there are 6 affiliated hospitals where students can gain valuable professional experience. Currently, there are more than 12,000 students enrolled in the University.
In terms of teaching hospitals, the First Teaching Hospital of the Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine have incredible national drug research centers along with over 2,000 patient beds and 16 clinical teaching/research offices. The Second Teaching Hospital focuses on the Integration of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western Medicine along with focused research on Gynecology and Encephalopathy. This hospital has over 6,000 out-patients that they serve each day.
An impressive sub-division of the Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine is the International University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (IUTCM). This center was created in 1992 and has become the national center for foreigners that would like to study Traditional Chinese Medicine in Mainland China. Every year, the International University of Traditional Chinese Medicine has over 2,000 students from at least 40 different countries learning about Traditional Chinese Medicine. In addition, the International University of Traditional Chinese Medicine has partnerships with research and medical institutions from over 50 countries.
Due to the current movement to progress more towards Traditional Chinese Medicine or holistic practices in Medicine in general, it is no surprise that foreign student immediately look to China for educational opportunities. Traditional Chinese Medicine has been effective and in practice for centuries. It is known for treating the root of the medical problem rather than the symptoms, which is a focus of Western Medicine. Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine has a superior reputation for training both Western and Eastern Doctors viable ways to treat patients that are far healthier than Western Medicine.
Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine offers a spectacular opportunity for foreign and Chinese students that are looking for a prestigious Traditional Chinese Medicine Degree. The University also offers a fantastic potential network for students to benefit from in terms of internships and professional networking that can provide them specialized employment both within China and abroad. If you are considering becoming an expert in Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine is an excellent place to consider studying in Mainland China.
Type of Room
(prices per room per day)
under six months
and short term students
six month or
half year payment
yearly payment
Single Room (floors 3-11)
Double Room (floors 4-11)
Suite (floors 3-11) Double Room
Suite (floors 3-11) Triple Room
Small Standard Room (floors 12-14)
Standard Room (floors 12-15)


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SINGAPORE THROUGH THE GLASS / re:mix with FOO SAY MING / Review
SINGAPORE THROUGH THE GLASS
re:mix with FOO SAY MING, Violin
Esplanade Concert Hall
This review was published in The Straits Times on 28 April 2015 with the title "Singapore's colourful seasons".
There was once a trend to perform Vivaldi's Four Seasons in juxtaposition with Piazzolla's Four Seasons of Buenos Aires. Violinist Foo Say Ming was the first in Singapore to attempt that tandem, and he later added the Singapore Seasons by four Singaporean composers to that mix.
This concert by crack string ensemble re:mix, in conjunction with the SG50 celebrations, now couples the Singapore Seasons with four short films by local directors, interspersed by movements of Philip Glass's American Four Seasons in its Singapore premiere.
Glass's second violin concerto does not present anything new from his earlier output. He has truly created an artform besides making a fortune by generating repetitive patterns based on triads, rehashed endlessly to please his legions of fans. Each of its four movements began with a neo-Bachian violin solo, which Foo stated and shaped with coherence if not always in perfect intonation. The main body of strings later joined in for the movement proper, which resembled his film music by way of conjuring moods and emotions.
Putting down his violin, Foo then led the ensemble in Kelly Tang's Spring! with Zen Yeo's film of dynamic Singapore in alternating fast and slow sequences projected on the biggest screen ever erected in Esplanade Concert Hall. This visual and aural treat was made more special as the film closely paralleled the musical tempos. The music was cheery, based on Chinese-styled themes, while the film built on the premise that Singapore's rapid and inexorable progress was built upon the grassroots of hardworking women (and men).
Clearly the stars of the show were to be the local segments, with the Glass movements serving as interludes. The variety of each film and the feelings evoked by the music and images within far outstripped the static and often-limited material offered by the American, and soon one longed for the latter to end and the former to begin.
Denise Lee's Barely Restrained, was nervous and edgy in its pacing, and Idzwan Othman's film with close-ups of body parts, foliage and scurrying insects, focussing on the nation in a micro level, seemed totally apt. Likewise, Derek Lim's Weep was a funereal dirge in the best tradition of musical mourning, and one turns to Beethoven, Richard Strauss and Hindemith as plausible antecedants.
The imagery in Ler Jiyuan and Yap Teng Wui's film was haunting, of sandcastles washed by lapping waves, abandoned HDB apartments, cemeteries and long-forsaken landmarks. Lim wrote, in his notes, about his grandmother's funeral procession, and this most moving episode was about nostalgia and a seemingly futile yearning for a past that will never return.
Interestingly, as the Singapore Seasons got darker in colour and mood, Glass's Seasons began to gain in pace and vibrancy. The last of which provided soloist Foo with many a virtuosic turn, supported by his players to the hilt, which in turn was heartily applauded by the audience.
The final Singapore film by Shawn Lee Miller shot the nation by night, an almost ambiguous statement that portrayed an LRT ride and seamy Geylang in the same light. Chen Zhangyi's Ariadne's Lament had similarly shadowy intentions, with an impassioned viola solo by Janice Tsai as the final word in a cycle which ended in an eerie quiet.
To cheer things up, Foo and his charges played two encores, and the mood once lightened with Kelly Tang's surefire arrangement of Tian Mi Mi, with the melody of Dayung Sampan dressed up as "The Simpsons meets Pizzicato Polka". Could there be anything more Singaporean than that?
Labels: Chen Zhangyi, Denise Lee, Derek Lim, Foo Say Ming, Kelly Tang, re:mix, Singapore Seasons


Thomas John is an internationally regarded psychic medium and clairvoyant, as well as a published author and life coach, who has conducted hundreds of readings around the world. Known for his accuracy and detailed readings, Thomas John has provided evidence of the survival of consciousness to clients ranging from doctors, lawyers, Wall Street moguls, several high-profile celebrities including Jennifer Lopez, Courteney Cox, Jenny McCarthy, Sean Young, Sonja Tremont-Morgan, Ramona Singer, Sanaa Lathan, Gabriel Soto and Eva Pepaj, as well as noteworthy individuals such as Lynne White, Donny Deutsch, Magee Hickey and Judy Licht.
Thomas John had his first psychic experience at the age of four, when he described to his parents, in vivid detail, a conversation he had with his late paternal grandfather, who died 10 years before Thomas John was born. Thomas John described things about his grandfathers life that only his grandfather and parents would have known, and revealed the exact location of his grandfathers missing wrist watch his best friend Jack had it.
Growing up south of Boston in an Italian, Catholic household, Thomas Johns gift was not immediately understood or accepted. Sensing the need to discover the world outside of his suburban neighborhood, Thomas attended the University of Chicago, where he received a Bachelor of the Arts in Human Development, with Departmental Honors. In his post graduate years, Thomas pursued several research positions in medical and hospital settings, which included internships at Massachusetts General Hospital and Yale University. As a result of his research efforts, Thomas has produced three peer-reviewed publications in major journals, including a ground-breaking paper on postpartum depression which appeared in the Journal of Affective Disorders. In addition, he pursued a brief career in the performing arts.
Thomas John regularly contributes to HollywoodLife.com and has been featured by top media outlets including The Wall Street Journal, Travel Channel, OK Magazine, New York Post, The Jenny McCarthy Show, HollywoodLife.com, The Hollywood Reporter, The Trisha Show, Yahoo Voices and VIBE.com. He is also a regular guest on 103.9 WFAS FM and 77 WABC AM.
Thomas lives in New York City with his dog Brady, named after the New England Patriots' quarterback. In his spare time, he enjoys travel, family gatherings, meditation, and garage sales.


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Woman And Her Beloved Dog Survive Six Days In The Wild
A 71-year-old woman and her beloved dog remarkably survived six days in the wilderness in Washington.
After the passing of her husband a few months ago, Sajean Geer wanted to honor him by scattering his ashes in one of his favorite places on earth. So, on July 18th, Geer took a urn with her husband's ashes along with her precious Chihuahua and Terrier mix Yoda to Olympic National Park in Washington. She had planned to spread her late husband's ashes at Obstruction Point located on the premises of Olympic National Park.
However, when she was looking for a place to lay her late husband to rest, Geer told KIRO 7 News that she had gotten so overcome with emotion that she became disoriented and soon she realized she had gotten lost.
"I couldn't find my car, I couldn't find the road and I got really disoriented," Geer said.
The self-described experienced hiker did not lose hope just yet though. She remembered reading outdoor survival books that said to keep a positive mindset and a fighting spirit in order to survive.
So, Geer decided to fight to survive with her pooch right beside her. She built a shelter made made out of moss and logs to keep both her and Yoda warm. The pair found a stream and would go to the stream at least three times a day for water. She even ate ants to survive as she remembered watching on television that ants are acceptable to eat.
After six days, Geer was going to fetch water when she saw an Olympic National Park Service search team in a helicopter. Geer was reported missing by her friends and family and when her vehicle was shown on the news, a park employee reported seeing the car at the park.
Once Geer and her pup Yoda were rescued, they were examined and treated for dehydration and fatigue. Both are doing well today. The force was certainly with Yoda and her owner as they fought to survive together.


Apples, with the skin, provide pectin, 5 grams of fiber and a heaping dose of flavonoid antioxidants. Apple fiber helps lower cholesterol and keeps you regular. And the powerful flavonoids reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke and cancer. A medium apple is a delicious snack and only contains about 80 calories. Eat the skin for a high dose of fiber: both soluble (the type that helps lower cholesterol) and insoluble (it keeps you regular). In addition to meeting 15 percent of your daily fiber needs, an apple is a great source of antioxidants.
Bananas are a great source of potassium which helps lower your risk of high blood pressure and stroke and plays a key role in muscle function. Bananas are delicious and sweet to eat, making them a terrific sugar substitute and natural energy source. The fiber in bananas helps restore normal bowel action.
Blueberries are rich in antioxidants, which help fight cancer and prevent macular degeneration and high blood pressure. Like cranberries, they contain compounds that can protect against urinary tract infections.
Cantaloupe is loaded with Vitamin C, potassium and carotenoid antioxidants. Cantaloupe can help reduce inflammation, prevent cancer and cardiovascular disease, boost immunity and help protect your skin from sunburn.
Cherries are very high in iron and disease-fighting flavonoids. They also have potassium, magnesium, C and E, folate and heart-protective carotenoids. Cherries can significantly reduce inflammation, arthritic pain, bad cholesterol and cancer risk.
Ounce for ounce, kiwis contain more than twice as much vitamin C as oranges, plus they may lower the risk of cataracts and could even protect DNA from damage.
Red wine isn't the only source of resveratrol, a powerful antioxidant that could help fight heart disease. You get nearly as much resveratrol in a cup of dark-colored grapes as you do in a five-ounce glass of Merlot. Red grapes contain iron, potassium, fiber and an abundance of powerful disease-fighting antioxidants. Although red wine gets most of the publicity, dark-colored grapes are the original source of the flavonoids, anthocyanins and resveratrol, which have been shown to help prevent heart disease and cancer.
A single orange gives you almost a full day's vitamin C, plus potassium. The opaque membrane around each wedge has hesperidin, which may lower cholesterol. It has even been said that the scent of an orange is relaxing and helps you relax.
Papayas contain papain, a substance that helps improve your digestion. Papayas also provide a lot of vitamin C and are a good source of folate.
Strawberries are an excellent source of dietary fiber and Vitamins C and K. They are a very good source of manganese, pantothenic acid, vitamin B1, and iodine. Strawberries also contain folic acid, biotin, and vitamin B6. Strawberries also contain high levels of antioxidants, which can decrease the risk of chronic disease. A handful of strawberries help control type 2 diabetes and stave off heart disease and inflammation. Strawberries are also an excellent source of vitamin C and other antioxidants.


Creative New Zealand offer a range of funding opportunities to help New Zealand artists, arts practitioners and arts organisations to create and distribute their work.
to those projects that will give the greatest benefit to the people in the Trust's region.
We are an Invercargill based non-profit Foundation, distributing grants to the community of Invercargill from the proceeds of gaming machines operated in Invercargill Licensing Trust hotels and taverns situated within the city of Invercargill, New Zealand.
The Invercargill Licensing Trust and the ILT Foundation are major funders of community projects in Invercargill. We provide donations and grants totalling around $8 million a year to over 500 organisations.
The Lion Foundation is one of New Zealand's oldest and most respected charitable trusts. In the past 25 years, it has returned over $540 million back to the community, supporting thousands of good causes right around New Zealand.
To operate a responsible and profitable service in the hospitality industry for the benefit of the community.
Gaming machines in our member hotels and taverns raised $31,743,095.07 in donations in 2015/16 – those funds support hundreds of community organisations all over New Zealand in the great work they do in their communities.
Each year NZCT give around 2500 grants totalling between $40 and $45 million. Whilst the bulk of their grants go to sport, NZCT also provides funds for charitable purposes such as rescue and life-saving services, education, health, the arts, cultural and community groups.
NZCT funding goes back into the communities from which it was raised. NZCT has set up a number of Regional Advisory Committees around the country. These groups of reputable local people help with advice about recipients of funding in their area.
The Council is involved – directly or indirectly – with many types of community funding.
Meridian's community fund Power Up supports local projects in the areas where we have wind farms and hydro stations. It's one of the ways that we recognise the importance of local communities to our operations.
The CNZ Creative Communities Scheme (CCS) helps to fund local arts projects.
Each year Creative New Zealand provides CCS funding to city and district councils throughout New Zealand to distribute in their area. The scheme supports more than 1,800 projects every year.
The Asia New Zealand Foundation administers a cultural grants programme and assists artist residencies and exchanges. Through Museums Aotearoa, they also offer the Asia New Zealand Foundation Museums Award which provides incentive support to museums and museum professionals for project and professional development.
The Big Idea's focus is "helping New Zealand practitioners, organisations and businesses in the creative sector to find the resources crucial for their long-term viability". Their weekly e-bulletin features jobs, funding opportunities, interviews and news about arts events across New Zealand.
AMP Scholarships are available annually to talented and determined Kiwis who can prove they're passionate about pursuing their dream. Almost anyone can apply – there's no age limit.
Central Lakes Trust was established to grant funds for community charitable purposes.
The Trust plays a pivotal role in producing sustainable outcomes that enrich lives, enhance assets, and build resilient communities.
The Trusts Community Foundation Limited (TTCF) is a national not-for-profit company primarily established to distribute funds generated from Class 4 gaming machines operated in some Licensing Trusts outlets, privately owned Hotels and a Bowling Club throughout New Zealand.
Community Internship Programme (CIP) which funds hapū, iwi or community groups to employ skilled professionals to work as an intern with the community group for three to six months.
promote social, economic and cultural equity.
Community Development Scheme (CDS) supports community, hapū, iwi, Pacific and ethnic groups to work together, generate their own solutions to local issues, and work towards becoming more self-reliant and resilient. Grants are available to employ and support a community development worker to carry out the project and/or to contribute towards project costs and organisational overheads that relate to carrying out the project.
Pacific Development and Conservation Trust which distributes grants to groups and individuals in the South Pacific for a range of development and conservation projects.
Established in 2004 to distribute grant funding from the proceeds of licensed gaming machines. Our machines are operated under our Class 4 gambling licence, as authorised under the Gaming Act 2003.
We are based in Rotorua. Eligible organisations and community groups can apply to First Sovereign Trust for funding to support their objectives.
The New Zealand Oral History Awards offer financial help for the recording of interviews relating to the history of New Zealand/Aotearoa and its close ties with the Pacific.
encouraging cultural practices and leadership. The growth of tribal cultural capacity is essential to protect and preserve our culture for the future.
Haere Mai, Welcome! The Tindall Foundation is a Philanthropic Family Foundation working throughout Aotearoa New Zealand.
The Southern Victorian Charitable Trust Inc (the Trust) is a non-profit charitable trust, licensed by the Department of Internal Affairs to own gaming machines.
Funds are distributed on a regular basis to the community from the proceeds of gaming machines. The Trust supports a wide variety of organisations which benefit the community in the areas in which the funds are raised.
This fund provides grants to researchers and writers of projects relating to New Zealand history. All historical areas are eligible, but priority is given to projects that significantly improve our understanding of New Zealand's past.
The Ministry of Education provides funding for Learning Experiences Outside the Classroom (LEOTC). This is provided through a limited and contestable funding pool for community-based organisations. The experiences must be aligned to the national curriculum and provide authentic, interactive experiences that complement classroom learning. Providers of LEOTC include zoos, museums, historic parks, art galleries, performing arts, science and outdoor centres. LEOTC programmes are provided in the following learning areas: the arts, health and physical education, social sciences and languages, science and technology.
National Services Te Paerangi works with museums, galleries, iwi and related organisations to enhance museum services, supporting these to become self-sustaining. National Services currently offers two grant programmes: Museum and Iwi Development Grant and the Helping Hands Grant for small museums. Please see the website for more information.
The New Zealand Book Council represents and promotes New Zealand writing and writers. As well as producing a regular magazine and hosting a large database of New Zealand writers, the Council manages opportunities such as Writers in Schools and a regional touring programme.
The New Zealand Film Commission provides development and production finance, as well as participating in the promotion and marketing of New Zealand films.
Lottery Community Facilities for cultural facilities.
Lottery Environment and Heritage for cultural heritage projects, including capital works, development of education centres in museums, exhibition materials to enhance the understanding of collections, costs of conservation of movable cultural property, marae and waka conservation projects, waihi tapu research projects, publications.
Lottery Youth – for developing young people's awareness of cultural identity and skills development outside the school environment. Lottery Youth defines young people as those under 25.
Lottery General for one-off projects of regional and national significance and those outside the scope of other distribution committees. Arts and film projects other than capital works projects are not usually funded.
The New Zealand Music Commission is committed to growing the NZ music business both at home and overseas.
This organisation works to be the main representative for authors in New Zealand. Services the society offer include a mentoring programme, manuscript appraisal, assessment services and information on literary awards, grants and fellowships.
NZ on Air funds programming on both radio and television.
Tour-Makers. This national touring agency offers support and management of medium to large-scale touring in New Zealand.
PANZ represents book, educational and digital publishers.
Authors to attend international literary festivals or other promotional international events or activity.
Travel for publishers to international book fairs.
Working with Education New Zealand, PANZ also offers travel for educational publishers involved in export initiatives.
This international website hosts information on over 400 international arts residencies. The information includes residency criteria, the value of a residency, residency facilities and application deadlines. Reports from previous residents may also be available.
Te Māngai Pāho allocates funding to stimulate the growth and development of Maori language and Maori culture through quality broadcasting.


Hi all--a thought that occurred to me. Do you think that having a job as an instructor with Manhattan Prep would boost your b-school resume? They accept instructors based on teaching experience and top 1% test scores. Would having an instructor role with them make a candidate more attractive to a business program? Or would it not make any difference?
Why would it make any difference when your test score already shows you're in the top 1%?


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Lim Chul-Ho es un deportista surcoreano que compitió en taekwondo. Ganó una medalla de bronce en el Campeonato Asiático de Taekwondo de 2008 en la categoría de –58 kg.

Palmarés internacional

Referencias

Lim Chul-Ho

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


A view of a city clicked on a clear winter day.
What change, big or small, would you like your blog to make in this world?
Change is something inevitable. And those who adapt to the changes survive. This has been the rule of this world since ages. However, change cannot and should not be imposed on anyone. Different situations and circumstances demand different rules.
Talking of this world and its people, a change is brought about by someone who thinks different. And those who think different will either be followed or criticised. Had we the power to change this world, we probably would not have been blogging here. We do not blog to bring about any change.
Yes, we have followers here in WordPress. They are our followers by their choice. They are those who probably like and enjoy our posts or get lost in the photographs we share. We love our followers because that gives us a sense of satisfaction, that we exist. This is a platform where we can be what we are- eccentric, stupid, crazy!
We are just like anyone else living in this world, with innumerable imperfections. We make mistakes and learn from our mistakes. We are here to share our life; the good and even the bad, but trying as we do, to add a touch of positive vibe to make life look as simple as possible. We are one among those, struggling to create a life comfortable and suitable to live. We are here to make us feel good. We are glad to be part of the blogging community, learning everyday as we share our posts.
We are not here to change this world through our blog. We are here to change us and be the change.
The first thought that crossed our mind when we read about the topic for this week's Cee's Black and White Photo Challenge:Open Topic was that, we can select any topic of our choice with no restriction. But then, this is just one way of looking at this topic. The word "Open" carries other profound meanings as well.
This is indeed a challenge!
Photo shops can easily create a black and white picture. What we preferred to bring to our viewers was something original. We finally collected some of our photographs that were in Black and White and that could be related to the word 'Open'.
The photographs we have shared were not edited and are in their original form.
Enjoy the real and original beauty of Black and White as we make an effort to relate it to the Open Topic.
Clouds give a passage to the final rays of the Sun to reach the Earth before dusk.
This photograph was taken in Bhimtal, Uttarakhand, India. An evening in Bhimtal. Very light shades of the blue and orange is also visible.
Sunrays unfolds and spreads out as the Earth starts a new day.
This photograph was clicked in a cloudy morning, from Almora Uttarakhand, India. We could not resist sharing this picture. Observe how a red ball of fire can open itself turning white and spreading light. Cannot think of a better way to represent 'Open'.
We are open minded when we have the courage to face the truth or accept the truth. So, what is the truth about life?
This photograph was taken in Munsiyari. The sun is seen rising behind the Panchachulli peaks. It was an awesome view as we observed the Himalayan peaks turn black as the Earth was giving way to sunshine.
This is a view of a beautiful evening of Connaught Place, New Delhi, India. Many of the buildings in this area are white and the evening makes it a perfect view of black and white. The Sun is visible as a white ball.
Black mountains and White patches of clouds in the sky with the white ball makes a perfect picture for The Open Black and White Challenge !


I'm SOOOO excited to share this senior session with you. This girl totally rocked her session! It was one of those sessions where I couldn't wait to get home and start editing because I knew we had some really amazing portraits.
As a Quad Cities Senior Photographer, I've had the amazing opportunity to photograph high school seniors from several different schools. One thing always remains consistent with these sessions…the girls always tell me they aren't good at posing and don't know what to do. Well let me tell you girls, you do know what you're doing, and you're amazing in front of the camera! With a little bit of guidance in posing and a few tweaks to the pose, we can capture some really amazing shots without making you feel awkward or uncomfortable.
Senior sessions are one of my favorites as we have all the trendy styles of outfits, great hair, and awesome makeup packed into one session with several different looks and locations. I love to help seniors by providing guidance on their outfit choices and the locations that reflect who they are. I also love to help them with posing so they feel comfortable and confident in front of the camera.
Most seniors think they need to go to several different locations to get a wide variety of looks in their images. I have found some really great spots around the Quad Cities that offers tons of variety all within one location that's all within walking distance. It's also helpful to shoot at different angles. It's amazing how just adjusting angles can completely transform an image into something totally different while the senior is in the same spot. Just these two things alone allows us to get way more shooting time in.
With all that being said, please take a look at some of my favorites from this senior session. This girl was a total rock star for her session. Everything from her outfit choices to her hair and makeup was right on point for a very polished and flattering look. She is absolutely a stunning person on the inside and outside, and I really enjoyed the opportunity to work with her. I wish this young lady the very best in her very bright future, and thanks so much for selecting Amanda Oakes Photography to capture this amazing time for you! Best Wishes!
If you're interested in finding out more about a senior session, please click here.
Amanda Oakes Photography is a Quad Cities senior photographer, who also specializes in newborn and family photography, children photography, engagement and wedding photography, and maternity photography. This includes photography services in the Moline, IL, Rock Island, IL, Davenport, IA, Bettendorf, IA, Muscatine, IA and the greater Quad Cities area.


Goes against the norm of folding knives.
This Terry Lee Renner-designed futuristic looking everyday carry defies convention. The titanium nitride finished two-tone handle is uniquely angular yet surprisingly comfortable to hold. Meanwhile an IKBS ball bearing pivot system makes it easy to deploy the tanto tip blade anywhere. Mars, for instance.


Bläddra i vår katalog över " Windows Photo Gallery" - fel och lär dig hur du snabbt och enkelt åtgärdar dessa Runtime- fel. Today I will be showing you how to download Photo Gallery and Movie Maker in your Windows 10 computer. Sorry if I don' t have an intro right now beca. This thread is locked. You can follow the question or vote as helpful, but you cannot reply to this thread. Printer 7660 Errror Messages DLL Files xrxscnui. dll imagingengine. dll EXE Files eqnloop. Save hours of searching online or wasting money on unnecessary repairs by talking to a 6YA Expert who can help you resolve this issue over the phone in a minute or two. Best thing about this new service is that you are never placed on hold and get to talk to real repairmen in the US.
Windows 7 Forums is the largest help and support community, providing friendly help and advice for Microsoft Windows 7 Computers such as Dell, HP, Acer, Asus or a custom build. Windows live photo gallery has been replaced by the new version windows photo gallery, Click on the Blue file button and click on About photo gallery, 16. 728 is what you should see. accessing Windows Live PHoto Gallery gives error code 0x8007007e. When I try to access Windows Live Photo Gallery, I get an error code 0x8007007e message. Paint has definitely worked for me! I tried to in WLPG ( open with paint) then shot and recorded in the paint. It is automatically changed in WLPG. Windows Update" is a module which used for upgrading the windows system, with it, we can upgrade the system, expand the system functions, make our system more supportive for softwares and hardwares, and keep a more stable system environment. For various PC problems, we recommend to use this tool. This tool will repair common computer errors, protect you from file loss, malware, hardware failure and optimize your PC for maximum performance. TechnologyMadeBasic 922, 714 views 9: 55 How to Fix Windows Installer Problem Repair Windows Installer Windows 10 Forbes Viki 5, 066 views 2: 40 how to First, click on the you have to run even Microsoft Fixit tools which is given above on this article. The error code 0x8000000a usually appears after you had loaded an SD card containing photos and then Windows Live Photo Gallery opened followed by the code. Scott Hanselman is a former professor, former Chief Architect in finance, now speaker, consultant, father, diabetic, and Microsoft employee.
He is a failed stand- up comic, a cornrower, and a book author. Browse our directory of " Windows Photo Gallery" errors and learn how to fix these Runtime Errors quickly and easily. Windows XP Service Pack 3, Windows Vista, Windows 7 If you have the above version of Windows, verify that Windows has been completely updated to the latest version by downloading and installing the software update from Microsoft. Hello, I am unable to save corrections on pictures when trying to edit photos, with Windows Photo Gallery with two photos I scanned. The photos are not commercial just ones that were developed through a Kodak Film Processing Lab over 20 years ago. Similar Questions. Windows Live Photo Gallery 0x88982f72 error code. When I change a photo in Windows Live Photo Gallery ( WIN 7 OS), I get the 0x88982f72 error code. Home > windows photo > windows photo gallery install error Windows Photo Gallery Install Error. a Question Ask for Help Receive Real- Time Help Create a Freelance. Windows XP Automated System Recovery The last resort for troubleshooting Windows Stopp- Code zeigt an, dass die Registrierung beschädigt wurde. then Windows http.
Hello, For your inquiry if Photo Gallery is still part of Windows, yes, Photo Gallery is part of Windows Essentials. It is an optional program that you can download and install in your Windows operating system.


Where Should Attendees Eat At Your Event?
With the incredible amount of planning that goes to an event, most organizers feel they've considered every action and reaction to their decisions. There will, of course, be ever-changing trends and standards that they have to adjust to but, in the grand scheme, they've covered it all. Determining where attendees eat at your event is no different.
How much time and effort goes into planning what the attendees are going to eat? With recent trends erring to healthy food preferences, there has been a renewed interest in providing the right kinds of food to attendees. But, there's a factor that seems steadfast that we really should consider more often. Where are the attendees going to eat?
There are two main options for the location of food services during tradeshows, exhibitions, and conferences: in the exhibit hall or outside the exhibit hall. These two different locations both have benefits to the vendors and attendees but have certain disadvantages as well.
Which way is right? Well, we would tell you to consider both! However, we dug a little deeper to provide you with the potential pros and cons of both.
Vendors want to maximize the amount of time they have to interact and communicate with attendees. Therefore, the fewer reasons they have to leave the exhibit hall, the better. A large point in the argument for having lunch within the exhibit hall is that removing food from the exhibit hall reduces the amount of facetime that vendors have with the attendees.
Serving food in the exhibit hall requires attendees to traverse the show floor to get their food. If there's something that's going to get attendees moving, it would be lunch. Once there is foot traffic through the exhibition hall, it is then the vendor's responsibility to attract attendees.
Considering how you can facilitate the relationship-building opportunities between attendees and vendors is a large part of a successful event. We all know that food is a universal language that encourages social engagement and we think you should take advantage of it.
We recently heard that Proef Media BV in the Netherlands, executed their lunch in a new way at a recent event. The event held a session in the morning and the exhibition floor was open the remainder of the day. Lunch was then provided at the exhibitor booths, where the hosted buyers found lunch supplied at the exhibitor booth. The connection was made based on their preferences for visiting the exhibit floor. Incorporating new ways to connect attendees with vendors through lunch services is a highly effective and innovative way to foster communication, networking, and relationship-building.
Other professionals argue that eating within the exhibit hall and trying to visit with vendors is too distracting, and suggest having lunch in an alternate area. Providing a separate area for dining allows attendees to network with other attendees they might otherwise not have the opportunity for. When there is time to focus strictly on networking and conversation, they will offer more attention to the vendors as well (instead of looking around to see who else is at the event).
Some professionals believe that providing food within the exhibition hall causes crowds and bottlenecks to develop that are difficult to manage. Also, a janitorial service must be available to help clean up accidents, spills, or misplaced trash. Maybe consider a small driver to bring the guests back into the exhibition area after lunch? With an afternoon of sessions or people to talk to, attendees need their caffeine boost. In this case, we'd suggest having desserts, sweets, or a coffee bar within the exhibition hall to gear the focus back to that area.
Consider the option of having a sit-down lunch to help foster a more intimate atmosphere. These opportunities can help lay the foundation for strong business relationships by allowing more time for uninterrupted conversation. Further potential revenue streams for your event and offer more exposure for the vendors by providing packages to sponsor a "break-out" lunch event. In an alternate location, vendors who are interested can sponsor lunches and provide presentations, information, and speakers during the meal.
There are other times when this type of opportunity can prove valuable as well. Offer vendors the option to provide "break-out" or VIP sessions for breakfast and coffee breaks, pre-dinner cocktails, etc.
Once you decided on whether to serve lunch in or outside the exhibit hall, decide what kind of food to provide and how to serve the food, whether it is a sit-down lunch, high-top tables without seats, or grab-and-go type foods, you're finally ready to think about the most important part; the attendee experience. When events are packed with a full agenda and an attendee spends half of their lunch waiting in a line and the other half trying to find somewhere to eat, they're going to leave rather unimpressed.
Professionals recommend that food be placed around the entire hall, allowing for more free-flowing traffic and less wait-time in lines. Avoid placing food near entrances, as they cause bottlenecks. Another tip is to considering the size of the eating area. Larger areas will help promote networking, but will also allow for more time to linger (thus decreasing their time within the exhibition hall). You have to consider both the attendees and the vendors and find a common ground that can please both. However, if you choose to serve lunch within the exhibition hall make sure to supply enough waste cans to collect trash and avoid messes.
Where Should You Provide Dining?
No matter where you choose to place your dining area(s), just remember that whatever you choose will have differentiating effects on the foot traffic and attendee behavior. It's best to consider those attending the show and what their wants and needs are. Is it a multi-day event? Can you switch it up to mix the offerings up a little?
Just remember that your role is to provide the best experience to those involved. If you're catering to a group of attendees that typically eat on-the-go (restaurant industry, perhaps?) they most likely wouldn't mind multi-tasking. We don't have a magic formula, but we can at least bring a stronger consideration for not only what food is provided, but where it is within the event.


Back to School Night will be Tuesday, August 14th at 6:00 p.m. at Pine View Middle School. Students, I'm looking forward to meeting your families and showing them the exciting things we will be learning this year!
I'm having a wonderful time getting our classroom ready for the new school year!! Get a good night's rest, and I'll see you all in class on Monday.


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By Olga Zurawska
Michael Louis
On the Day of the Homeless Count: a Question for the Homeless Industrial Complex
Where Is the Oversight and Accountability for Santa Monicans' Tax Dollars?
Over the past two years eight lawsuits have been filed by clients and former employees against the City's sole provider of homeless services, The People Concern. A current lawsuit by a former employee, a case manager, alleges that her supervisor repeatedly asked her and her co-worker to sign various forms and/or applications on behalf of the organization's homeless clients. These forms included budgeting forms, low-income housing forms, compliance forms, policy and procedure forms and income qualification forms.
According to the complaint, the plaintiff was ultimately terminated from her employment after she protested such requests and developed a stress-related medical condition. The plaintiff alleges that her employers "derive actual and significant monetary benefits by and through one another's unlawful conduct, and by using one another as the funding source for their own personal expenditures." Further, the plaintiff alleges that, "Employers (...) hide behind Defendants to perpetrate frauds, circumvent statutes or accomplish some other wrongful or inequitable purpose."
Another lawsuit by former employees of The People Concern states, in pertinent part, "Defendants created and maintain a lawless, unhealthy, and dangerous environment for both the homeless people they serve, and for front-line dedicated employees such as the Plaintiffs, who were harassed, retaliated against and ultimately discharged for standing up for their right to a workplace free from health hazards and harassment based on race and sex."
Over the past two years current and former clients of The People Concern, have attempted to alert the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, the Santa Monica City Council and multiple city commissions about the poor quality of the services they had experienced. These individuals testified multiple times about how housing case management exists mostly on paper instead of practice, and about rampant civil rights violations, including disability discrimination. They testified that grievances and formal complaints filed by both clients and advocates were ignored. They reported abuse and retaliation by staff through withdrawing of vital services such as temporary and permanent housing, filing of false records and police reports, and slander.
The People Concern and the City participate in the cover up of these facts.
In 2017 a journalist attempted to obtain the number of unduplicated homeless individuals served by The People Concern's Access Center in recent years from Executive Director John Maceri. The journalist did not receive an answer. A Santa Monica resident was told by staff that these figures could be found on their official website, which was in fact not true. The City department handling media inquiries was embarrassed to tell the journalist that they were unable to obtain the requested information.
Poor accountability and lack of proper oversight in social service programs is a concern of all the residents of Los Angeles County. The following is a disturbing example of the joint powers homeless services authority of the City and County of Los Angeles — LAHSA, which funds some of the services in Santa Monica:
"A recent audit of the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority "found that, despite having more than doubled its staff of outreach workers in the last two years, the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority missed seven of nine goals during the 2017-18 fiscal year and five of eight last fiscal year. (...)"
Los Angeles City Controller Ron Galperin said the audit which began in 2018, took months to complete,
"(...) partly because getting accurate and consistent numbers from LAHSA has been a challenge. (...)
"(...) The audit also faulted a report by the Authority that it placed 21,000 people into permanent housing last year. Not only did the number include placements made by other agencies, such as the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, it included duplicates by counting individuals or families that fell in and out of homelessness during the year, the audit said." (Los Angeles Times, August 28, 2019)
Galperin called those results "shocking."
Following the audit, a Los Angeles Times poll found that the broad majority of Los Angeles County voters say taxpayer money on homelessness is not spent effectively.
On December 2, 2019 Executive Director of LAHSA, Peter Lynn, announced that he was stepping down from his position, amid allegations of deep operational failures within the agency.
As part of the County of Los Angeles, Santa Monica City staff is on record passing the buck to LAHSA in regard to monitoring the performance of the providers. The staff claims that there is no need to monitor the performance because LAHSA is already doing the monitoring.
When advocates brought to the City's attention the poor results of the LAHSA monitoring review of The People Concern, Santa Monica's sole homeless services provider, the City just shrugged it off.
At the January 22, 2019 Santa Monica City Council meeting, City Manager Rick Cole admitted that there were problems with The People Concern. Mr. Cole once again conveyed that Santa Monica was following LAHSA's lead:
"We rely primarily on LAHSA… and yes, they identified discrepancies, problems, issues; and for them to give additional funding to OPCC, they have to beat those findings. Now, if the Council wants us to undertake either in-house or out [of] house additional investigations, we can do that. I understand that sounds like a great idea. And if you want to do that, you want to do that. (...) LAHSA has not cut them [The People Concern] off, and we have not cut them off. (...) Can we do better? Absolutely. If you want us to spend more money on investigations, we will spend more money on investigations."
Mr. Cole then proceeded to come up with elaborate excuses to dissuade the Council from authorizing investigations. And it worked. No action was taken.
City Manager Rick Cole is essentially saying: LAHSA allows The People Concern to severely under-perform while collecting generous public funding, so we will allow it too.
This is the go-to excuse for The City of Santa Monica not taking responsibility for its own affairs. Except now, it has come to light that LAHSA has profoundly disturbing problems of its own.
Santa Monica Human Services Manager Setareh Yavari during the April 2019 meeting of the Social Services Commission, admitted that City staff does not conduct annual assessments of Human Services grant programs.
Staff merely collects unverified data that is self-reported by the providers, rubber stamps it, and then just writes a check for another grant cycle funding. With no added conditions or expectations whatsoever.
This is despite the fact that the Human Services Grant Agreements state the City will monitor the performance of the providers.
For example, the 2015-2019 grant agreement between the City and The People Concern states, under "City Review of Contractor's Performance:
"The City will monitor, evaluate, and provide guidance to the Contractor to ensure proper performance of this Agreement, and Contractor shall fully cooperate in such activities. The City's provision of guidance shall not limit or diminish the Contractor's responsibilities."
Input from the community, including the indispensable input from clients, is not sought by the City. Any critical input that manages to reach the City level is ignored, discounted, rejected, or covered up.
In December 2019 the Santa Monica Social Services Commission asked the City Council to remove the Municipal Code requirement for the Commission to perform annual assessments of social services. We are informed that no assessments have been prepared by the Social Services Commission since 1982, the date of the law's inception. This is based on responses to our public records requests and on public statements made by commissioners. The Commission had been violating the law and no-one cared until advocates brought it to the public attention.
Now the Social Services Commission seems to believe that shifting the responsibility for regular ongoing assessments to City staff is a good idea, even though the staff already admits that they do not conduct annual assessments. Staff claims to be performing professionalized data collection. This is not equivalent to conducting regular assessments.
"Data is not information, information is not knowledge, knowledge is not understanding, understanding is not wisdom.
– Clifford Stoll
The Commission's ongoing failure to comply with the spirit and substance of this Municipal Code has contributed to both City staff and program providers harboring a culture of deliberate neglect and lack of accountability. Maladministration and professional misconduct have endangered the health and well-being of clients. Far too many clients have been harmed (and tax dollars squandered) from easily preventable measures that would have come from public annual assessments.
This lack of transparency and accountability is unacceptable. As taxpayers we must demand that the City create a realistic mechanism for annual assessments of social service programs and agencies. This is necessary to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse of public funding, and prevent harm to clients.
A citywide petition to the Santa Monica City Council entitled "Demand Assessments + Accountability for City Funded Social Services Programs" is currently online at change.org. Please sign the petition by SaMo Residents here:
https://www.change.org/p/santa-monica-city-council-we-demand-assessments-accountability-for-social-services-programs-in-santa-monica
Drug Price Controls: Right Objective, Wrong Solution
Throwing Money at Schools Won't Help: SMMUSD Needs to Get Back to Basics of Education
Santa Monica Flexes Muscles Yet Again with Threat to Cut Off Power to "Party Houses"
SMCLC Opposes The Plaza Development on Legal and Environmental Grounds
Rioters Are Stealing Free Speech Rights from Protestors - Not the Government


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by Melissa de la Cruz Melissa de la Cruz
Hardcover-$17.09 eBook-$8.99 View All Available Formats & Editions
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This twisty, ripped-from-the-headlines thriller will stun readers long past the last page as they slowly uncover what happened to influencer Amelia Ashley following her sudden disappearance while on a European vacation with her boyfriend. Going Dark is a timely read perfect for fans of true crime podcasts or YA mysteries like A Good Girl's Guide to Murder.
"An intense rollercoaster of a thriller and a searing indictment of which victims get our attention and sympathy."
–#1 New York Times bestselling author Marie Lu
In this ripped-from-the-headlines Gone Girl meets A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, #1 New York Times bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz weaves a white-knuckle YA thriller about a beautiful young influencer who vanishes after going on vacation with her boyfriend.
#WhereisAmeliaAshley
Amelia Ashley shares everything with her followers – her favorite hole-in-the-wall restaurants, her best fashion tips, and her European trip-of-a-lifetime with her hot boyfriend.
The Boyfriend
Josh has no choice but to return home without Amelia after she abandons him in Rome. He has no clue where she went or how her blood got in his suitcase. Why won't anyone believe him?
The Hacker
To Harper Delgado, Amelia Ashley is just another missing white girl whipping up a media frenzy. But with each digital knot she untangles about the influencer, Harper wonders: who is Amelia Ashley?
The Other Girl
Two years ago, another girl went missing, one who never made headlines or had a trending hashtag.
Amelia's disappearance has captured the world's attention. What comes next? Watch this space…
Told through a mixture of social media posts, diary entries, and firsthand accounts, Going Dark is a gripping, suspenseful thriller about all the missing girls who fall off the radar, perfect for true crime fans and readers of One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus.
Union Square & Co.
Melissa de la Cruz is the #1 New York Times, #1 Publishers Weekly, and #1 IndieBound bestselling author of Isle of the Lost and Return to the Isle of the Lost, as well as many critically acclaimed and award-winning novels for readers of all ages. Her books have also topped the USA TODAY, Wall Street Journal and Los Angeles Times bestseller lists and have been published in more than twenty countries. Today she lives in Los Angeles with her family.
Computers and digital media->Teen fiction
Girls->Diaries, journals, letters, and social media ->Teen fiction
Psychological thrillers->Teen fiction
Amelia Ashley, a college student and social media influencer, goes mysteriously missing while on vacation in Italy with her photographer boyfriend Josh Reuter in this absorbing mystery by de la Cruz (the Blue Bloods series). After the two argued at the end of their trip, an angry Josh returned home to California without Amelia, only to be implicated when she was declared missing. Following a media frenzy—spearheaded by her 1.5 million Instagram followers making the hashtag #WhereIsAmeliaAshley go viral—one of Amelia's friends hires hacker Harper Delgado to gain access to Amelia's online information. Instead of clarity, however, Harper unearths more questions about Amelia's everyday life and the reality of her relationship with Josh. Through social media posts, private diary entries, and firsthand accounts, Harper unravels the mystery while bringing to light a seemingly connected past disappearance. De la Cruz combines familiar thriller beats with a socially conscious narrative to deliver a breakneck story that outpaces its ripped-from-the-headlines influences to establish its own labyrinthine twists. This timely work gratifyingly interrogates the core question of what determines whose disappearance gets taken seriously and whose gets ignored. Amelia and Josh cue as white; Harper is brown-skinned. Ages 14–up. (Jan.)
[T]he book will draw readers in through its engaging storytelling and compelling characters they can't help but care about. The novel probes questions of the types of victims who garner public sympathy and those who are overlooked. An edge-of-your-seat thriller with a deeply satisfying ending and a message that lingers." —Kirkus Reviews
"De la Cruz combines familiar thriller beats with a socially conscious narrative to deliver a breakneck story that outpaces its ripped-from-the-headlines influences to establish its own labyrinthine twists. This timely work gratifyingly interrogates the core question of what determines whose disappearance gets taken seriously and whose gets ignored." —Publishers Weekly
"[T]he perfect blend of ripped-from-the-headlines drama and insightful writing." —Forbes
"[S]et to be one of the buzziest YA thrillers of early 2023." —Paste Magazine
"This fast-paced thriller has plenty of shocking reveals and shady characters, as we follow the story of a missing influencer who seems to embody the Missing White Woman scenario, but may have been more complex than the media is interested in portraying." —Crimereads
"An intense rollercoaster of a thriller and a searing indictment of which victims get our attention and sympathy. Melissa de la Cruz is a master of her craft—she cuts you to the quick and makes you love it." –New York Times bestselling author Marie Lu
A gripping mystery that addresses deeper social issues.
American college students Josh Reuter and Amelia Ashley had a wonderful European adventure—or they should have, but they got in a fight, and at the end of the trip, Amelia never boarded the plane in Rome to head back to California. On top of his girlfriend's abandonment, implied White Josh is dealing with lost baggage. Meanwhile, attractive blond foodie influencer Amelia's nearly 1.5 million Instagram followers are saying that she's missing, and the hashtags about her disappearance are going viral. With questions piling up, Josh becomes the prime suspect even in the eyes of his friends, and he must prove his innocence to the police as evidence against him starts appearing. One of Amelia's friends asks Harper Delgado, a brown-skinned San Diego State sophomore and well-connected hacker, to search for Amelia in ways the police can't. Harper scours Amelia's online content for clues and finds a disturbing unlisted video that puts her on the right track for discovering the truth about the couple's relationship. Playing with different points of view and narrative tools, including prose, descriptions of videos, blog posts, and diary entries, the book will draw readers in through its engaging storytelling and compelling characters they can't help but care about. The novel probes questions of the types of victims who garner public sympathy and those who are overlooked.
An edge-of-your-seat thriller with a deeply satisfying ending and a message that lingers. (Mystery. 14-adult)