text:
Business Summit for HR. Future of Skills. Employment 2030
Teodora Blanariu October 15, 2018 BlogLeave a Comment
For a while now, buzz words like automation, artificial intelligence or bots have invaded our news feeds. There is a sense of uncertainty that pervades conversations about the future labour market and that comes with many questions. What will happen with my job? Will a robot replace me? What I am supposed to know, to learn, to remain relevant in my field of work?
We felt that the Romanian HR community might have some answers, as HR professionals are among the main curators of the talent market. For the fourth edition of the Business Summit for HR held in Bucharest, Romania (4th October 2018) we invited HR and business leaders alike to share with us their views and solutions regarding the world of work in 2030, with focus on the future of skills and employment. The result was a rich conversation between professionals who change the game in their field and have the ability to foresee and transform the future.
Roxana Mocanu, Chief Game Changer Noosfera and the host of the event opened the day with a summary of 2030 forecasts and provided context for the conversation. Up to 375 million workers might need to switch occupational sector by 2030 with some of the highest demand being in health care, educational, tech and creative sectors.
The role of HR in this context is to foster the human element in organisations, to be a companion of employees by supporting their professional development and fine-tuning it to business objectives. In this sense we learned about concrete projects from HR leaders in diverse organisations.
Our guest speakers came from both not for profit (CIPD, Ashoka Romania, Kleine Schule) and corporate sectors, in banking (BRD Societe Generale, OTP Bank), consultancy (KPMG Romania), telecom (Anritsu Romania), debt collection (APS Romania). And the insights were a plenty.
Labour deficits can be covered by empowering vulnerable groups to enter the labour market, as the social innovators network of Ashoka fellows are doing through their projects, with global reach and impact;
In order to cope with volatility and paradoxes of the future, HR professionals should focus on values such as collaboration, autonomy, patience, emotional resilience and trust, as Diana Misa (HR Director, OTP Bank Romania) shared from her reflections and experience;
Technology can be used as an ally to enrich organisational roles, relieving employees of repetitive tasks and allowing them to hone their soft and social skills that are essential for the future, as Laura Ciobotaru (KPMG Romania) illustrated in her presentation;
We will be facing more and more sophisticated employee profiles and in order to find the perfect match, we should not dismiss classic solutions. Denisa Homoc (Anristu Romania) found that a Job Rotation project could help the organisation match the right people with the new work by directly involving employees in redefining and enriching their roles;
For Sorin Voicu (BRD Societe Generale) and Mihnea Spătaru (APS Romania) a good preparation for the future begins with investing in university students, supporting them to kick-start their career through tailor-made trainings, company visits, mentoring, internship, career counselling. All of this backed by a coherent and business-aligned Employer Branding and Learning & Development strategy.
A highlight of the Business Summit for HR was celebrating this year's CIPD students that completed their study with Noosfera in a special ceremony officiated by CIPD's Ciprian Arhire. It was a real joy to witness the Game Changers cohort – professionals who proved their mastery in the art of learning and business conversations with an impact, dedicated to investing in their professional future.
Not only was Ciprian the master of ceremonies, but he also offered Noosfera's HR community the privilege to be the first to learn about the new CIPD international standard for the people profession, ahead of the official launch, at the CIPD annual conference that takes place in November. We are looking forward to exploring it in more detail.
A novel contribution came from Steven D'Souza, co-author of the bestseller "Not Knowing: The Art of Turning Uncertainty into Opportunity". Steven encouraged us to try and experience "The Power of Not Knowing": hold on to what we know (knowledge and experience), but in the same time make space for curiosity and questions.
The conference ended on an interactive note, in the form of a panel. The conversation focused on the challenges brought by automation, reskilling, and the role of HR leaders in supporting employees to build their own career path, taking into account the uncertainty of the future.
At the end of the day, we cannot know entirely what the future has in store for us, but there is a good energy coming from the HR community, who is making steps in actively seeking solutions to make work more attractive, but also to bring roles closer to the people, with the direct involvement of HR leaders who thus become change ambassadors.
Check all the photos here
Noosfera (HR Enterprise Balkan) has been a CIPD Award centre in Romania for 12 years, promoting the CIPD standard and values and fostering an HR learning community of over 1500 professionals.


text:
Elliot Diringer
Executive Vice President at the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, an American think-tank
Elliot Diringer on KCRW
Climate Talks in Warsaw as Philippines Gets Relief from Typhoon
Typhoon Haiyan devastated the Philippines and that's raised a challenging question this week at a little-noticed conference on climate change being held in Warsaw: should…
Nov. 14, 2013 from To the Point
Impeached again
Jan. 15 from Left, Right & Center
Why it takes so long to get unemployment in California
Hundreds of thousands of California workers have applied for unemployment benefits, are eligible to receive them, but still haven't been paid.
Jan. 5 from Greater LA
KCRW Exclusive: George Clooney says Trump's 'name will now forever be associated with insurrection'
George Clooney exclusively told KCRW that President Donald Trump and his family will be put "into the dustbin of history" after a Trump-supporting mob besieged the Capitol building on…
Jan. 8 from The Business

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Aviation & Aerospace > Military aviation > Missiles, munition
After nuclear test, S Korea fires long-range missile
North Korea may be getting ready to launch a long-range ballistic missile following its fourth nuclear test early this month, Japan's Kyodo News reported.
Satellite imagery analysis in recent days indicates preparations for a possible launch, Kyodo said, citing an unidentified person in the Japanese government. Both Japan and South Korea declined to confirm the report.
The regime in Pyongyang fired a long-range rocket before each of its previous three nuclear tests, which all resulted in a tightening of international sanctions. In 2012, North Korea put a satellite into orbit via a rocket, which the US and South Korea called a test of ballistic missile technology banned under United Nations Security Council resolutions.
"As a government we are very interested in North Korea's motives regarding the missile, and we are gathering information and working to analyze it as usual,'' Japan's deputy chief cabinet secretary Koichi Hagiuda said at a regular briefing Thursday. ''But I decline to comment on the nature of the details of this specific information."
South Korea is worried North Korea may conduct a surprise launch in a follow-up to its 6 January nuclear test, Defence Ministry spokesman Kim Min Seok told reporters in Seoul.
International trade bans on arms and luxury items have not convinced North Korea to halt its development of weapons of mass destruction and return to disarmament talks that broke down in 2009.
On a trip to Beijing on Wednesday, US Secretary of State John Kerry failed to secure China's support for tougher sanctions against North Korea over its latest nuclear test, with the countries agreeing in Beijing only to pursue a new UN Security Council resolution. China wields a veto in the council and supplies most of North Korea's food and energy imports.


We would like to welcome you to the Castellon de Bédar website. Our names are Shane and Clare and we have lovingly converted Castellon not only into our home, but also into a luxury Bed and Breakfast and Workshop, where Clare will be offering daily, weekly and private Jewellery making classes.
Castellon de Bédar sits high up in the picturesque village of Bédar in the province of Almería, which is a wonderful part of Andalucia in Southern Spain. It is well known for being an "Artists Haven", with the unique light and tranquil and beautiful scenery, it lends itself to something very special indeed.
As soon as you walk through the gates of Castellon, you will feel that special sense of atmosphere, relaxation and a peaceful and welcoming environment. This is something that we want you to enjoy; whether you are the creative sort looking to explore that side of yourself, by attending our Jewellery Workshop courses, or whether you are simply escaping from the busy, fast World and just need to shut the gates behind you and "Lock the World out".
As we only offer the one exclusive suite which is situated on the third floor of the property, your stay with us will be very private and intimate and it can be tailored exactly to your own personal requirements, as we want you to enjoy your stay in every way. We are able to provide breakfast, snacks, lunches and evening meals upon request, which can be served to your own private quarters, on your private balcony with magnificent views of Bedar, the Old Church with the crooked spire, the moutain range, Mojácar in the distance and the blue sea beyond... Just breathtaking, or better still, enjoy sitting in a King-sized bed sipping Cava and looking out over all of that beautiful view. Life at its best!


text:
import {AmpEvents} from '../../../src/amp-events';
import {TextMask} from './text-mask';
import {iterateCursor} from '../../../src/dom';
import {listen} from '../../../src/event-helper';

const SERVICE = 'inputmask';
const TAG = `amp-${SERVICE}`;

export class AmpInputmaskService {
  /**
   * @param {!../../../src/service/ampdoc-impl.AmpDoc} ampdoc
   */
  constructor(ampdoc) {
    this.ampdoc = ampdoc;

    /** @private {!Array<!TextMask>} */
    this.masks_ = [];

    /** @const */
    this.domUpdateUnlistener_ = listen(
      this.ampdoc.getRootNode(),
      AmpEvents.DOM_UPDATE,
      () => this.install()
    );
  }

  /**
   * Install the inputmask service and controllers.
   */
  install() {
    const maskElements = this.ampdoc
      .getRootNode()
      .querySelectorAll('input[mask]');
    iterateCursor(maskElements, (element) => {
      if (TextMask.isMasked(element)) {
        return;
      }
      const tm = new TextMask(element);
      this.masks_.push(tm);
    });
  }

  /**
   * Remove the inpumask service and controllers.
   */
  uninstall() {
    this.domUpdateUnlistener_();
    this.masks_.forEach((m) => m.dispose());
    this.masks_ = [];
  }
}

AMP.extension(TAG, '0.1', function (AMP) {
  AMP.registerServiceForDoc(SERVICE, function (ampdoc) {
    return new AmpInputmaskService(ampdoc);
  });
});

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


28 Jan Out With The Old & In With The New…New & Improved 5-hour ENERGY® Shots!
16 Jul Enter by July 31st to Become Our Next Social Media Race Reporter, Before It's Too Late!
Contains caffeine. Click here for more information.
‡ Individual results may vary.
Provides a feeling of alertness and energy. Does not provide caloric energy. Nor proven to improve physical performance, dexterity or endurance. Not a substitute for adequate hydration.
Regular Strength 5-hour ENERGY® contains caffeine comparable to a cup of the leading premium coffee. Extra Strength 5-hour ENERGY® contains caffeine comparable to 12 ounces of the leading premium coffee. Limit caffeine products to avoid nervousness, sleeplessness and occasional rapid heartbeat.
Regular Strength 5-hour ENERGY® Protein shots contain caffeine comparable to a cup of the leading premium coffee. Extra Strength 5-hour ENERGY® Protein shots contain caffeine comparable to 12 ounces of the leading premium coffee. Limit caffeine products to avoid nervousness, sleeplessness and occasional rapid heartbeat. †Contains: Whey protein isolate (milk). Notice: Use this product as a food supplement only. Do not use for weight reduction.
Get notified about new 5-hour ENERGY® flavors, products, contests and other news before everyone else.
You do not own or have any ownership interest in any Brand Asset.
Downloading or possessing a Brand Asset file does not give you any ownership to the Brand Asset.
I have read and agree to the license terms.
You are leaving the U.S. site and being directed to the 5-hour ENERGY international website. The international site is independently controlled an operated by our authorized distributor.
Click OK to continue to 5hourenergyintl.com.


Blue Spruce Farm is the Audet family's third generation dairy farm whose herd of 1,500 cows (mostly registered Holsteins) produced over 4.3 million gallons of milk in 2014. The family is one of the 1,200 dairy farm owners of the Agri-mark Cooperative, makers of internationally recognized Cabot cheddar cheese. Blue Spruce was the first Green Mountain Power Cow Power farm project in Vermont, and currently turns manure and other agricultural products into methane gas to produce enough renewable electricity to power more than 400 homes.
Recently the Audet's worked with GMP to add a 100-kilowatt wind turbine to their renewable energy portfolio. The turbine, manufactured in Vermont by Northern Power Systems, generates enough electricity to power more than 20 homes.
Learn more about Blue Spruce Farm.
Ashley Farr, a third-generation farmer, and his wife Erin, milk 60 cows at their farm in Richmond. The Farr's are one of a growing number of Vermont farms to embrace new robotic milking technology. In 2012, they purchased a Lely A3 Robotic Milker, which allows their cows to determine their own milking schedules. The robots are fully automated. Cows walk into the machine on their own, and once inside lasers guide the suction apparatus to their teats. Each cow wears a transponder around its neck, which syncs with the robot and monitors the cow's milk production.
The Farrs say the robot has provided them with a more flexible schedule, which is helpful because their growing family keeps them very busy with 4-H, school sports, and activities.
Learn more about Farr Farm.
Pioneering artisan cheesemakers and organic farmers Marjorie Susman and Marian Pollack have been producing outstanding farmhouse cheeses from their herd of seven Jersey cows since 1982. They produce just 7,000 pounds of their hand-crafted waxed and cave-aged cheeses each winter, and run a thriving organic vegetable farm every summer.
Learn more about Orb Weaver Farm.
Rock Bottom Farm in Strafford, Vermont is home to Strafford Organic Creamery. Owner, Earl Ransom grew up milking cows on this 600-acre farm. He and his wife, Amy Huyffer, carry on his family's tradition of managing the land organically, with no herbicides, pesticides or chemical fertilizers.
With mostly Guernsey cows, their herd of 50 grazes on rotational pastures for the entire growing season. Everything done at Strafford Organic Creamery, from the crops they grow for them to the gentle routines of milking, is focused on the cows' comfort and well-being, and helping them create super-tasty milk and cream.
Strafford's line of ice cream is made in small batches, one day each week. They separate fresh eggs by hand, handpick the mint and black raspberries, grind the coffee just before we brew it into the milk and basically work their tails off to make the best ice cream on the planet.
Learn more about Strafford Organic Creamery at Rock Bottom Farm.
Since 1984, Beth and Bob Kennett have offered farm vacation experiences to guests from around the world on their beautiful valley farm in Rochester, Vermont. The family, Bob and Beth (parents); David (son) and his wife Asia along with their daughter Ella manage the 220-acre farm to produce milk and accommodate their guests.
They milk from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. so the guests can observe the milking after breakfast and again after dinner. David is their "cow man". Tom is their "crop man" and is in charge of growing the feed and feeding the cows.
The farm is also Vermont's first certified "Green" agritourism enterprise. They have installed various energy-efficient initiatives in the barn including a heat exchanger to heat hot water, and a variable frequency milking system that reduces energy consumption. In addition, they have worked on a number of environmental stewardship initiatives with stream bank restoration projects, erosion control, and land conservation. The guest business has qualified as a Green Hotel in Vermont and is a member of the national Green Hotel program.
Learn more about Liberty Hill Farm.
Monument Farms milks about 460 cows and manages approximately 2000 acres in the lower Otter Creek river watershed.
The long term investment in the processing and bottling allows Monument to serve as a direct wholesaler of Vermont milk to many regional outlets. Monument strives to be environmentally conscientious, believing that, to be sustainable, every decision must be made with an eye to the long term benefits and impacts to the land.
Monument Dairy has been following a nutrient management plan for several years and strives to exceed the state's regulations regarding water quality. Best management practices are in place for all aspects of the farm's waste management systems. The farm continually rotates crops to lower soil erosion, applies manure based on calculated agronomic rates, maintains buffers on all fields along waterways, and continues to look for ways to improve on its overall soil fertility.
The James and Rooney families take a great deal of pride in producing some of the finest dairy products in the state in a sustainable manner, ensuring that Vermonters have a long-term supply of fresh local milk.
Learn more about Monument Farms.
The Foster Brothers farm began its dairy operation in 1941 and incorporated in 1971. Today, the farm covers 1537 acres in Addison County. The dairy has a herd of more than 630 cows, of which more than 370 are milked. The herd produces over 10.8 million pounds of milk each year.
During the energy crisis of the late 1970's, Foster Brothers Farm started producing more than milk to keep the family business going strong. They began producing electricity from cow manure (and continue to do so today). This electricity is used to provide power for the farm and the excess is sold to the local utility. To produce the electricity, the Fosters built an anaerobic digester which uses bacteria to break down the manure into methane gas. The methane gas is used as a clean burning, environmentally safe source of fuel for electrical generation.
Not satisfied with simply recovering energy from the manure, the Fosters used their "Yankee ingenuity" to take the process of digestion a step further. The Fosters began composting in 1989.
Learn more about Foster Brothers Farm and Vermont Natural Ag Products.


You can play along with the video using the C version! Practice, practice, practice those lovely diminished chords!
This is the first song I learned to play when Mark bought me a ukulele for my birthday/our anniversary! It seemed so appropriate. I love all Sophie Madeleine's songs!


Jozetta Louise Cameron once again impresses readers with her inspirational poems – this book is the highly anticipated follow up to her first collection of poetry.
Jozetta Louise Cameron's new book, Thy First Love: A Collection of Inspirational Poetry, ($14.99, paperback, 9781498424813) uses poetry to encourage the true church – the Body of Christ, who are Biblically born again – to continue to keep the faith and to never forget their first love, the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. She emphasizes her theme particularly in the midst of a world that is becoming increasingly ungodly/evil – persecutions, the cares of this life, and the overall countless distractions that each person encounters. She believes that one must be steadfast in faith while following the Great Commission. The book tells about the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus Christ, and that salvation is available for anyone who will repent of their sins and believe in Jesus' death on the cross, burial and resurrection. Along with the message of seeking and serving the Most High God and Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, this book emphatically urges true believers of Jesus Christ, to witness by sharing the Gospel to lost souls.
Jozetta Louise Cameron is a graduate of Jackson State University with a Bachelor and a Master of Arts Degree in English. She is a Christian writer/poet, whose devotion to God and dedication to her writing have continued to inspire her to encourage the church and to share the Gospel. Her fear (reverence) of the Lord and obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ has given her an urgency and boldness to witness not only in her daily life but also in her writing/poetry. This book is a follow-up to her first successful collection of poetry, Divine Revelations: Inspirational Poems.
Xulon Press, a division of Salem Media Group, is the world's largest Christian self-publisher, with more than 15,000 titles published to date. Retailers may order Thy First Love: A Collection of Inspirational Poetry through Ingram Book Company and/or Spring Arbor Book Distributors. The book is available online through xulonpress.com/bookstore, amazon.com, and barnesandnoble.com.


eharmony Relationship Advice» Dating» The pros and cons of dating someone who has been divorced. The pros and cons of dating someone who has been divorced. by eharmony. Dating.
During my two-year separation and divorce, my heart has yearned for I am a man who is trying to not repeat this dating cycle again until he.
Dating someone and entering their social circle comprised of people who have seen and interacted with their ex can be both nerve-wracking and excruciating. You might find yourself being judged a.
Dating a Man Who Is Separated but Not Yet Divorced? that process will occur until they either wear each other out or find someone they'd rather invest in. As a woman who has been.
I am dating someone who is divorced (because his ex-wife refused counseling) and who would like to get married. Can you give me a Biblical answer on remarriage? I have married a number of people who have been divorced, but hopefully these have fallen into the categories I have described above. In each case, I have pointed the couples to the.
I dated someone who was divorced once. Even though his children were grown, he was always going over to his ex's house to visit them. If we had plans and one of his kids suddenly "needed a ride," he would give them a ride.
What is it like to date someone whose parents are divorced? Update Cancel. Answer Wiki. 3 Answers. Quora Answered Apr 15, · Author has answers and k answer views. You will be dating someone who has witnessed and understood one of the many many ways love can fail. Knowing how a successful relationship works, assuming a.
"Anyone who is in the process of a divorce is still married, and a woman dating or falling in love with a man who is in this space runs the risk of.
In most relationships when you break up with someone, you can easily move them out of your lives. When a woman begins dating a divorced man, it's natural instinct to be curious about his.
4 reasons to date someone who's been divorced. Jenna Birch. Contributing Writer. March 27, In writing my book on relationships, I learned a ton of.
Dating a person who is divorced when you yourself have never been married is a challenge and can stir up a lot of discomfort, leeriness and loss of self-confidence. Dating Someone Who is Divorced- Six Mistakes To Avoid. Home / couples therapy, Dating, separation counseling / Dating Someone Who is Divorced- Six Mistakes To Avoid. Previous.
7 Things You Must Know Before Dating a Divorced Woman. Earning her Become a supporter and enjoy The Good Men Project ad free. 2.


On March 19th and 20th, we were in Wai-o-tapu, close to Rotorua, the famous region that smells like rotten eggs due to geothermal and volcanic activities.
We first went for a bathe at 'The bridge' in a natural pond where a hot spring and a cold river meet. We could smell sulphur, but it was nothing compared to the hot springs that we tried during our Far North trip. The bathing was very pleasant, especially as there were not a lot of people around. This place is pretty well known and apparently there is often a lot of people but probably later in the afternoon or in the early evening. Anyway, if you are around Wai-o-tapu, you have to go there!
Then we went to Waiotapu Thermal Wonderland (32,50$ per person). This is a thermal area, declared scenic reserve. You can see craters, cold and boiling pools of mud, water and steaming fumaroles.
The area is associated with voclanic activity dating back about 150 000 years. The Wai-o-tapu stream forms an integral part of the drainage system which ultimately flows into the Waikato River and out into the Tasman Sea. Boiling springs and volcanic gases introduce numerous minerals into the water which account for no fish life in the stream.
Every day at 10:15am, you can go watch the Lady Knox geyser not too far (you have to take your car after purchasing your tickets at the reception). It is a natural geyser, the erupt is prompted daily for tourists. In 1901 the first open prison in New Zealand was established at Waiotapu, its object to accommodate some of the better behaved prisoners from around the jails of the Rotorua Lakes District. It was a gang of those prisoners who first discovered the clearing in which the geyser is situated and that the spring could be made to erupt by adding soap, discovered when they first added soap to the hot water to wash their clothes.
Then you can discover more crazy landscapes by having a walk. There are three possibilities: 30 minutes (1.5 km), 40 minutes (2 km) or 75 minutes (3 km). We chose the longest one to see as much as it was possible, especially as time and distance were reasonnable.
It is a New Zealand must do, although very touristic this place is really unique.
Bravo, c'est absolument Géant !!!!
Quels paysages fabuleux et inoubliables !!!!!!


text:
New study says most people let attention wander during conference calls. Eating, surfing Web rank high on list of distractions.
Can't focus on the teleconference? Join the club
by Guest Contributor in CXO
on December 17, 2004, 7:11 AM PST
Stay on top of the latest tech news with our free IT News Digest newsletter, delivered each weekday.
Automatically sign up today!
By Alorie Gilbert
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
Workers are sharpening their multitasking skills–but the boss might not be so happy about how they're using them.
Ninety percent of people who participate in conference calls find things to keep them busy besides following the discussion, according to a new survey from audio and video conferencing company Raindance Communications.
Topping the list of distractions: doing unrelated work and looking for materials being discussed on the call. A full half of respondents said they read and write e-mail and instant messages during such calls, while just more than a third said they take the opportunity to fill their stomachs. Twenty-seven percent say they surf the Web during conference calls, while a third said they are guilty of pressing the mute button to talk privately with others.
A smaller number of people said they've used their time during conference calls to nap (1 percent), change their clothes (4 percent), prepare meals (2 percent), and drive (12 percent). Dialing in on a mobile phone obviously provides a broader range of diversions. Several respondents said they'd participated in conference calls from the beach, swimming pools and gas stations.
The survey included responses from 385 businesspeople.
The problem, as Raindance executive Brian Burch sees it, has to do with the ever-blurrier line between work and personal time.
"People are expected to be always on," Burch, Raindance's chief marketing officer, said. "Given that everyone is asked to do so much, and work hours have expanded so much, if material presented in the meeting doesn't allow for fast decision making, people will tune out."
Advances in video conferencing may aid the situation. Eighty percent of respondents said they'd goof off less if conference calls included a video component. Perhaps a new cure for attention deficit disorder would also help.
Published: December 17, 2004, 7:11 AM PST Modified: June 18, 2007, 6:41 AM PDT See more CXO
Share: Can't focus on the teleconference? Join the club
Contact Guest Contributor
See all of Guest's content


How do I set up customer pricing?
The Onsight app allows you to configure per-customer prices for each product. This is ideal for managing prices for different groups of customers. For example, you can set different prices for wholesale versus retail customers.
To set up per-customer pricing you first need to create a new customer group for each group of customers you would like to give a specific customer price to.


text:
The Mystery of the Wisemen: Who Were they?
If you grew up in church like I did, the wisemen have always been a part of the way you think about the Christmas story. If you were one of the lucky ones, you even played a wiseman in a Christmas drama. The rest of us were stuck wearing bathrobes, wrapping towels around our heads, and watching our flocks by night. Regardless of your role in the Christmas pageants of your youth, you are probably like me—you probably have a few questions about these wisemen. During this season, I'm writing a series of articles to address four of the most important questions regarding the wisemen. First, who were they?
In the middle ages (oh, the middle ages), the wisemen were numbered at three, named Balthazar, Gaspar, and Melchior, and even sainted! There is, however, no historical or biblical data to back up this medieval speculation.
Matthew introduces the wisemen with a simple statement,
behold, wise men from the east . . .
Biblical speaking, that's all we know about them. Well, that's almost all. The word translated wisemen in the ESV, CSB and KJV is the Greek word magoi, which is why the NIV simply translates the word as magi.
Magi, or wisemen, were known throughout the first century world and were present in the court of almost every ruler. They were highly esteemed royal advisors whose role was part astrologer, part magician, and part priest. When the king had a difficult decision to make, he would call the wisemen together to help him discern the signs in the stars or the will of the gods.
The word "magoi" is only used one other time in Scripture. The Greek version of Daniel chapter 2 lists King Nebuchadnezzar's advisors as "magicians, enchanters (magoi), sorcerers, and Chaldeans." In fact, Daniel was a part of this group of advisors although he did not participate in some of their sinful practices (like discerning God's will by reading the stars). Eventually, Daniel ascended to the top of the pecking order of Babylonian/Persian wisemen.
It's possible, and perhaps likely, that Daniel wielded such great influence that even after his death, the wisemen of Babylon continued in his tradition, waiting for the arrival of the Messiah, and scurrying to Jerusalem at the appearance of the star; but it is important to clarify that any such assertion is speculative. Even still, it is my favorite personal speculation regarding the wisemen. It is also possible, however, that the wisemen of Matthew 2 came from the court of another capitol city. Almost every ruler's court had wisemen. It is possible that wisemen in many different places were influenced by Jewish people, the Hebrew scriptures, and the messianic prophecies as the Jewish people were scattered across the Assyrian, Babylonian, Persian, Greek, and Roman empires.
Without speculation, all we can definitively say is simply what Matthew tells us—they were magi from east of Jerusalem. If we press any further, we might end up numbering them, naming them, and sainting them!


FLIR Systems, Inc. has announced that it has been awarded a contract by the French Defense Procurement Agency (DGA) to support the French Operational Pocket Drone (DrOP) programme. The contract, which has a ceiling value of $89 million, will see FLIR Systems provide its FLIR Black Hornet 3 nano-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and personal reconnaissance system (PRS) in support of operations undertaken by the French Armed Forces.
The Black Hornet PRS is, according to the company, the world's smallest combat-proven nano-unmanned aerial system. Currently deployed in over 30 countries, the device enables defence personnel to maintain situational awareness, threat detection and effective surveillance no matter where they are. It is equipped with electro-optical/infrared sensors and a flight time of up to 25 minutes.


text:
Join a guided tour of the URA Special Exhibition on Autonomous Vehicles
by Outreach Team
Tue, 18 Jan (12:00 PM) [Sold Out]
Tue, 18 Jan (1:00 PM)
Thu, 20 Jan (12:00 PM)
Thu, 20 Jan (1:00 PM)
Tue, 25 Jan (12:20 PM)
Sat, 29 Jan (12:00 PM)
Sat, 29 Jan (1:00 PM)
Sat, 29 Jan (1:40 PM) [Sold Out]
Tue, 8 Feb (12:00 PM)
Tue, 8 Feb (1:00 PM)
Sat, 12 Feb (12:00 PM)
Sat, 12 Feb (1:00 PM)
Tue, 15 Feb (12:00 PM)
Tue, 15 Feb (1:00 PM)
Thu, 17 Feb (12:00 PM)
Thu, 17 Feb (1:00 PM)
Singapore City Gallery
45 Maxwell Road The URA Centre, 069118
Singapore, Singapore 069118
Learn about the exciting field of AVs and how their proliferation may change the urban planning of Singapore in the future!
Thank you for your interest in joining a community tour on the special exhibition "Reimagining Urban Mobility with Autonomous Vehicles".
Led by URA volunteers, this approximately 25-minutes guided tour will provide you an introduction to Autonomous Vehicles (AVs), how they work, what Singapore is doing to facilitate their roll out, and how the proliferation of AVs may change urban planning in Singapore in the future.
Guided tours are offered on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and alternate Saturdays every 20 minutes from 12:00pm to 1:40pm (6 tours per day), from 18 January to 29 March 2022. Tours are conducted in English and recommended for participants aged 16 and above.
For your safety and in view of prevailing safe management guidelines, we are currently accommodating up to 5 persons per tour (excluding guide). All participants must be fully vaccinated, have recovered from COVID-19 within 180 days, or certified medically ineligible for vaccination. URA reserves the right to reject an individual without the necessary verification.
Please select a tour date from the list and complete the registration to book your slot. Do note that each registration is valid for one individual. If you are visiting in a group of more than one, separate registrations are needed for each individual. Availability is on a first come, first served basis.
In addition to the special exhibition on AVs, if you are interested in guided tours for the Singapore City Gallery (conducted at 11:00am and 12.30pm broadly on the same days as the AV exhibition tours) do click here or scan the QR code below to sign up.
For enquiries, please email us at URA_Outreach@ura.gov.sg and we will get back to you within 3 working days.
Thank you and we hope to see you here!
*photos and videos may be taken during the tour for publicity purposes.
Central Singapore Events
Things to do in Singapore
Singapore Tours
Singapore Science & Tech Tours
#av
#autonomousvehicles
#ura
#singaporecitygallery
Organiser Outreach Team
Organiser of Join a guided tour of the URA Special Exhibition on Autonomous Vehicles
Join a guided tour of the URA Special Exhibition on Autonomous Vehicles at Singapore City Gallery
45 Maxwell Road The URA Centre, 069118, Singapore, Singapore 069118, Singapore


text:
How to Distinguish Electrolytes from Nonelectrolytes
How to Use Empirical Formulas to Find Molecular Formulas
The Common Types of Chemical Reactions
How to Make Unit Conversions
How to Convert between Units Using Conversion Factors
Electrolytes are substances that conduct electricity in the molten state or when dissolved in water. Nonelectrolytes are substances that don't conduct electricity when in these states.
When an ionic compound such as sodium chloride is put into water, the water molecules attract both the cations and anions in the crystal and pull them into the solution (see the crystal shown in the figure). The cations and anions get distributed throughout the solution.
The crystal structure of sodium chloride.
You can detect the presence of these ions by using an instrument called a conductivity tester. A conductivity tester tests whether water solutions of various substances conduct electricity. It's composed of a light bulb with two electrodes attached.
The light bulb is plugged into a wall outlet, but it doesn't light until some type of conductor (substance capable of transmitting electricity) between the electrodes completes the circuit. (A finger will complete the circuit, so this experiment should be done carefully.)
When you place the electrodes in pure water, nothing happens, because there's no conductor between the electrodes. Pure water is a nonconductor. But if you put the electrodes in the NaCl solution, the light bulb lights, because the ions conduct the electricity (carry the electrons) from one electrode to the other.
You don't even need the water. If you were to melt pure NaCl (it requires a lot of heat!) and then place the electrodes in it, you'd find that the molten table salt also conducts electricity. In the molten state, the NaCl ions are free to move and carry electrons, just as they are in the saltwater solution.
Scientists can get some good clues as to the type of bonding in a compound by discovering whether a substance is an electrolyte or a nonelectrolyte. Ionically bonded substances act as electrolytes. But covalently bonded compounds, in which no ions are present, are commonly nonelectrolytes.
Table sugar, or sucrose, is a good example of a nonelectrolyte. You can dissolve sugar in water or melt it, but it won't have conductivity. No ions are present to transfer the electrons.


All of my designs are original, and begin in my sketchbook with a pencil and a LOT of erasing. Once I have tweaked it and messed with it and erased some more, it is time to move to the second scariest part - tracing my design in pen. (Fingers crossed I don't mess this up!) Thanks to my favorite Micron pens (05 and 02), my design turns into a black and white sketchbook masterpiece. I then pull the design into Adobe Illustrator, where I digitize it and move to the biggest most scariest part - adding color. (There are literally MILLIONS of options.) After I've gone through a superfluous number of color schemes, I size the files and send them off to my favorite local printer - Harold at Southside Printing on Manchaca. He even has a 'Claire' setting on his massive printer, with my favorite paper and everything. From there, it's time to package and frame!
For my magnets and buttons - those too, start in my sketchbook. These are really fun to make, because I can dream something up, sketch it, trace it, digitize it, and bam! I print it at home and stamp them into buttons in seconds with my handy dandy button maker.
My cards are also - you guessed it - hand drawn in my sketchbook first. They are digitized and colored, just like my prints, and sent off to a magnificent printer in the northeast by the name of Catprint. I love them because they have exceptional quality, and they love animals, too.
My temporary tattoos are all hand drawn as well (noticing a theme here?), and these are printed by a temporary tattoo specialist in Arizona. It took many trial prints from different printers to find the best quality, but by goodness, I've done it.
Things that led to me becoming a hand letterer, the long story.
1. My grandfather and father were both traditional calligraphers, so my sister and I were both signed up for traditional calligraphy classes at our local library. I was 7. And I didn't really get it. But I really liked the pens, and the rhythm of copying letters.
2. My friend bought me a vintage 'Hand Lettering the Alphabet' book in college, because I often ditched my friends on the weekends to stay in and craft. This became my new go-to source for lettering on handmade cards and even what to carve into my pumpkin.
3. My mom and dad both have the expectation of receiving handmade cards for every birthday, and... well... my 'roses are red' poems kept looking nicer and nicer.
4. I took a Layout & Design course in college to fulfill my technology credit, and to avoid taking more Digital Audio classes. Turns out, it was the best decision ever, and I got a true introduction to Adobe Illustrator, my new best friend.
5. I took a Handwriting Without Tears workshop as professional development for my teaching career, and they taught us how to teach cursive. I've hated cursive since I was a fifth grader, but all of the sudden, I started practicing during the workshop, and I fell in love. I challenged myself to write all of my notes in cursive.
6. Shortly after, my mom asked me to make her some thank you cards to use for her friends. With my new obsession for cursive, I got to work.
7. My mom bought me a Zentangle book for Christmas, complete with a Micron pen. I haven't gotten into zentangling yet, but damn - that pen is the BEST!
8. I tried a 30-day lettering challenge, with a focus on the names of food. I think I lasted 10 days (I got really hungry), but it forced me to practice practice practice.
9. And then... I made my first Etsy sale, and it was like... alright, well now I have 3 days to figure out how to print, package, and mail these things!
10. My friend Jessie invited me to share a booth with her for an Austin FLEA show. Boy was I nervous. But it was fantastic, and I've been hooked ever since.


**NOTE: You must generate a new keystore by following this process. If you try to install a new certificate to an old keystore your certificate will not work properly. Backup and remove any old keystores if necessary before beginning this process.
You will be prompted to choose a password for your keystore. You will then be prompted to enter your Organization information.
After you have completed the required information confirm that the information is correct by entering 'y' or 'yes' when prompted. Next you will be asked for your password to confirm. Make sure to remember the password you choose.
Your keystore file named your_site_name.jks is now created in your current working directory.
Type the keystore password that you chose earlier and hit Enter.
Your CSR file named csr.txt is now created in your current directory. Open the CSR with a text editor, and copy and paste the text (including the BEGIN and END tags) into the web order form. Be careful to save the keystore file (your_site_name.jks) as your certificates will be installed to it later.


text:
Now, resurrection Ndola prophet locked up
CHISHALA MUSONDA, Ndola
AS THE story of a woman claiming to have risen from the dead in Ndola rages, police have now locked up a clergyman who is alleged to have prophesied her "resurrection".
The woman at the centre of the storm is reported to have died one year seven months ago.
Bishop Boniface Chamanyonga of Bethany Apostolic Church in Ndola was detained after undergoing police interrogations at the Ndola Central Police Station on Saturday.
Copperbelt commissioner of police Charity Katanga said Chamanyonga was questioned at the weekend and is being held in police custody for his safety.
"He is under police protection. We have not arrested him. He can only be arrested and charged once the DNA results are confirmed," Mrs Katanga said.
Police in Ndola last week sent six human samples, including one from the remains of a dead woman, for Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) testing at the police headquarters in Lusaka READ MORE
Tagslocked up Ndola prophet now Resurrection
Researchers push for massive cassava production
China's top political advisor visits Republic of Congo to further ties


text:
Beyonce Photoshoot 2021
Beyonce, a cultural icon who is famous for her music and acting skills , has also been an artist who pushes boundaries. Queen Bey was given the name "Queen Bey" and is one of the most well-known and successful artists of all time.
During Beyonce's early life she showed an interest in dancing and music. She enrolled in an exercise class at St. Mary's Montesorri in Houston, Texas. She also participated in a variety of competitions. She started singing at age seven. She was put in a group known as Gyrl's Time. Beyonce auditioned at age eight for an all-girls entertainment company.
Beyonce was shy initially and avoided the stage. Her parents were shocked when they saw their daughter perform on stage. Luckily, she made an impression. Beyonce was a popular actress and singer. She also worked as a producer. She has released a number of solo albums of her own. Beyonce is a Grammy Award winner and has sold more than 300 million records. She is also the top selling female artist of all time.
Beyonce's maternal grandparents are French and African. She has distant Breton heritage on her mother's side. She has an uncle who is an Xerox sales manager, and a mother who is a hairdresser. She is the mother of three children. She was born on September 4, 1981 in Houston, Texas.
Beyonce has always been true to her African American roots throughout her music career. Beyonce has incorporated numerous influences, from blues to newwave to electropop. She has also stayed away from the commercial demands of the mainstream. She is among the most well-known artists of the 21st century.
In her early years, Beyonce won several local singing contests. She later joined two classmates, LeToya Luckett and LaTavia Roberson to form the adolescent vocal group Destiny's Child. They signed with Columbia in 1997. After the group was eliminated from the Star Search talent show, they were removed from their recording contract.
In 2003, Beyonce debuted her first solo album, Dangerously in Love. The album debuted at #1 on the album charts and was sold for more than four million copies in the U.S. It also featured the hit singles "Crazy in Love" and "Formation". It was also nominated for Best Contemporary R&B Album at the Grammy Awards.
Beyonce also appeared in The Fighting Temptations in 2003, a film directed by Cuba Gooding Jr. In 2008, Beyonce was a star in Cadillac Records, playing Etta James. She also appeared in the photorealistic remake of The Lion King.
Time with Destiny's Child and Time with the Kids
Beyonce and Michelle Williams remained close friends despite the separation of Destiny's Child. They have performed with each other at least three times since their breakup. They have also reunited for an appearance at the Super Bowl XLVII halftime show.
Beyonce has had a successful solo career. Dangerously In Love her debut solo album, was praised by critics. She also starred as Carmen: A Hip Hopera which was a TV-produced film. She also starred in The Pink Panther and Goldmember. She is also a wife and mother of three children.
Beyonce and Destiny's Child won numerous awards, including a Grammy Award as well as two MTV Video Music Awards. They also were awarded a star on Hollywood Walk of Fame. They have been named the ninth most successful artist of the 2000s. They have won the award for the best R&B performance by either a duo or group that has vocals. They've also been nominated for fourteen Grammy Awards.
The group was also nominated to win Best R&B Album and Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals. Destiny's Child has sold 60 million records worldwide. They have been awarded platinum certification from the RIAA.
Beyonce Knowles, a singer best known for her powerful voice is one of the most successful artists of all time. She is widely recognized as the top contemporary pop music artist with more than 430 awards. She also has one of the highest incomes for an artist.
Beyonce was born in Houston, Texas, USA on September 4 1981. Her father is a talent manager and businessman. She has three siblings, including a younger sister Solange Knowles.
Beyonce began her music career at an early age. She was the winner of numerous local talent competitions and took part in numerous singing shows. She also was a performing arts student. She graduated from Elsik High School, Houston, Texas.
Beyonce was the lead singer for Destiny's Children and had an impressive career. She was nominated for a variety of awards including the Grammy and MTV Video Music Awards. She was also featured in a variety of films and made several appearances on TV shows. She was nominated for Golden Globes.
Beyonce is the most famous celebrity on the world. Her net worth is estimated to be over $160 million. Her wealth is derived from cash she has earned from endorsement deals, the properties she owns, and her other side hustles.
In Beyonce's nine Grammy nominations is an Album of the Year nod for her latest album, Renaissance. Her record of nine nominations is tied for the highest number in Grammy history with her husband Jay-Z.
Beyonce is also nominated for the category Dance/Electronic, which is her first nomination. Song of the Year is her hit song "Break My Soul".
Beyonce's husband Jay-Z also has five Grammy nominations this year. Kendrick Lamar is next with eight nominations. The Weeknd decided not to submit work that was eligible for submission. The other artists who submitted eligible works are Brandi Carlile, Future, Harry Styles and Omar Apollo.
In addition to the Album of the Year nod, Beyonce was also nominated in the R&B category for her hit song "Be Alive" from King Richard. The song is also nominated as the top song written for visual media.
Beyonce will attempt to break Sir George Solti's record of 31 Grammys next season. She also hopes to break Frank Sinatra's record for the total number of year-end nominations.
Beyonce is a smart money-maker, whether she's an actress, producer or producer, or a recording artist. Beyonce is a star in the music industry , and her endorsement deals and concert tours have helped to increase her net worth.
Beyonce has made millions of dollars since 2001 when she released her self-titled debut. She has sold over 118 million albums which earned her the title of the most successful female artist of all time.
Since becoming an actress, Beyonce has earned money from films like A Star Is Born, Austin Powers: Goldmember, and The Gift. She also co-founded Chime for Change, which is a non-profit group that raises money to defend girls' rights around the world.
She also starred as a model in an Giorgio Armani ad, which brought her $250k. Beyonce also created her own line of fragrance called Heat which has sold 400 million worth of perfume across the world.
In 2013, Beyonce signed a major endorsement deal with H&M. She also launched her own clothing line, Ivy Park. The line was well-loved, earning Beyonce the title of the top-selling collection at Nordstrom.
Beyonce Knowles is a performer and songwriter. She also owns several properties in the US. The largest is the house she and Jay-Z reside in Bel Air, California. The house is about 3000 square feet, and it has eight bedrooms with eleven bathrooms and a recording studio.
Jay-Z and Beyonce also have a mansion in the Hamptons and a house here in New Orleans. They also own a house in Miami Beach. They also have an Calabasas mansion which is currently available for sale.
Jay-Z and Beyonce have the most expensive home The Beyonce's House. The mansion is located in Bel Air, CA and comprises six buildings. The house is constructed from steel, marbled limestone, and glass. It also features recording studios and bulletproof windows. It was purchased for $88 million.
Despite their success, both Beyonce and Jay-Z are both fond of spending money. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Beyonce earns $2 million for each concert and Jay-Z earns $1.5 million per concert. They both are trendsetters and Hollywood royalty. They are also healthy parents. Their average annual salary is $100 million. They have been in the spotlight since the early 2000s. Both have had their fair share of problems in the past However, they are both very talented musicians.
Topshop has also teamed up with them to design an athletic streetwear collection. The line will be available in the autumn of 2015. It is expected that the company will be part of the Arcadia Group.
They also have launched three perfumes. Beyonce is the highest-earning female singer of all time. In the three years that she has been singing she has earned over $50 million. Despite their success, they have had problems in the past, including divorce and marriage.
Beyonce has had a few unexpected and controversial releases throughout her career. In her debut album, Lemonade, she mixed contemporary R&B with electronic music. In 2013, she released her self-titled fifth studio album, which was recorded in New York City. She was criticized for her lyrical and musical naivete. However, in her latest album, RENAISSANCE, she is tackling a new style of music that has a different message. Beyonce's newest album, RENAISSANCE, is an expression of celebration and celebration of queer and dance cultures. Songs pay homage to Black and queer music icons.
Beyonce has been performing music for more than two decades. Beyonce was influenced by Black artists, such as Donna Summers, who popularized dance music during the 1970s. She composed songs about her own escapism and freedom for her new album. She also wrote about wanting to release an album free of judgment and perfection.
Beyonce's Renaissance album is a love letter to Black queer pioneers in dance music, is a heartfelt tribute to them. It's a joyful, sexy and uplifting album. It's among the most explicit albums she's ever released. It features explicit and Black musical icons, and mixes post-1970s Black music styles. There are also drag-themed songs by Moi Renee.
Beyonce's first single off the album, "Break My Soul", was a club hit. But it's also the only song released by Queen B from the album. It's a dancehall influenced track that features Beyonce in a neo-dancehall-like form that is commanding. It also features an extremely slinky wood-block groove, and Beyonce moves into pockets of marching drums in a truly cool way. The album is available on Tidal and Spotify. You can also purchase it on limited-edition vinyl.
Beyonce's Renaissance album also features the song in honor of her gay uncle. Uncle Johnny passed in the last year due to complications from AIDS. Beyonce says her uncle inspired her to make music. The album is also dedicated to her "fallen angels" in club culture. It also includes Honey Dijon, a New Orleans DJ, as well as Kevin JZ Prodigy, an electronic DJ. The album pays homage to Beyonce's love of West African music. The album closes with "Summer Renaissance" an upbeat and slinky track that pays homage to Black and queer music icons.
While the Renaissance album is an ode to dance music It also has an emotional connection to Beyonce's personal life. Her uncle was a gay man who raised her as a young girl. This album is dedicated to his memory.
The Renaissance album was also criticised. People were skeptical about whether Beyonce would release music videos for just one track. But she did release the video for "Freedom," the album's title track. It's actually the album's most popular song.
While the Renaissance album is an affectionate tribute to dance music and queer culture but it also has an emotional connection to Beyonce's life. Although she was heavily influenced by her uncle's music, she also fantasized about adventure. She wanted an album that wasn't influenced by judgment and that reflected Black and queer musical icons.
Beyonce Ig Captions
Beyonce Intuition Video


34 For I will defend this city, to save it, for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake.
The thing that moved me so profoundly about that last line was the fact that this was spoken to Hezekiah, king of Judah, 300 years after David's death. What was it about this one man David that would cause the almighty creator of the universe to honor him as such that hundreds of years later He continually mentioned him by name and continued to bless his descendants on his behalf? How was David different than everyone else in Judah's history? David was by no means faultless, having committed adultery with Bathsheba and then killing her husband to cover it up. And even later in his life–a life filled with polygamy and violence (the latter keeping God from allowing him to build a temple for Him)–David's arrogance caused 70,000 Israelites to be slain. Yet throughout the books of the Kings God refers over and over to David as His servant, a man after His own heart, and "perfect in heart." What was it about David that was so great that it overshadowed all the evil he had done and then put him on a pedestal for everyone to model after?
It all goes back to why David became king in the first place. Unlike all the kings after him, he was not from the royal line–becoming a king simply because he was born into it. There was no royal line yet.
1 Samuel 13:13 And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the Lord thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the Lord have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever.
14 But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the Lord hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the Lord hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the Lord commanded thee.
Saul was a tall, handsome, respectable man and fit the image of "The King of Israel" more than anyone else, but his heart wasn't perfect. Now God looked throughout all of Israel to find one whose heart was perfect, though he might not fit the image of "The King of Israel".
1 Samuel 16:6 And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the Lord's anointed is before him.
It turned out that of everyone in Israel the LORD could have chosen, He single-handedly selected the youngest and least likely of Jesse's sons to be king. Instead of a tall, noble, robust man like Saul He chose a young, humble boy who was merely in charge of looking after his father's sheep while his older brothers prepared for war.
Here was a young boy, alone with his sheep each day, amazed by the majesty of God in nature, and singing and playing songs to praise God. Through the years he came to know and love God intimately, and was unashamed of his love for God, singing it at the top of his lungs for all to hear. It was in those fields that God established his faith, delivering him from the wild beasts that preyed on his sheep, showing him who his shepherd was. Of everyone in Israel, the LORD had a special, intimate relationship with this boy, and He knew this was one who had the makings of the perfect king. A king who would be unashamed of his love for God, dancing for Him in the streets for all to see, yet worshiping alone in the house of the LORD. A king who loved reading and meditating and proclaiming the word of the LORD — not just the exciting stories in the Bible, but also its rules and decrees (he actually sang songs about the Law and how wonderful God's decrees were!). A king who would trust in God for protection and success, not in armies to kill giants. A king who would follow the Law of the LORD with all of his heart, not even willing to defend himself against his enemy, Saul, because God had anointed Saul as king. And so the LORD gave all the kingdom of Israel to the shepherd boy David overnight through Samuel's anointing.
Oh that I could live a life like David, and make such a mark on God's heart that hundreds of years later God would still refer to me by name and bless people for my sake, even though I'm dead!
I think about 1 Kings 18:20 So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel.
22 Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the Lord; but Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men.
In all of Israel there was only 1 prophet of the LORD? And of all Israel gathered there, not one person would say they followed the LORD?! It's sobering to realize that based on the way I sometimes dance around the subject of God in public, I myself would probably fare no better than the Israelites here if put to an intimidating test like this. And I can't help but wonder if when 2 Chronicles 16:9 says, "For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him," if the LORD's eyes would stop on me, and say, "Now, here's a man after my own heart." When the standard of men like that is set to Elijah and David, I know I don't make the cut, and that grieves me.
What changes do we need to make in our lives to be men and women whom the eyes of the LORD will not pass over? What is stopping us from living reckless, kamikaze lives of faith like David–going up against a giant with only a slingshot and boasting about it to him?
After a series of evil and mediocre kings in Judah, all of the sudden came along 25 year old Hezekiah, of whom 2 Kings 18 says, "And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that David his father did." What a stir would that cause (actually living like David did) in a country where immorality and "tolerance" had become the norm of society? Imagine a president showing up all of the sudden and reforming all of our laws to be more strict morally, and less tolerant of religions besides our country's founding religion, and outlawing everything that goes against the Constitution and the original intentions of our Forefathers? That would take some serious guts. Hezekiah did what he knew God wanted him to do regardless of what everyone else thought; he was unflinchingly courageous in his faith and love of God. So what became of a man that lived like that?
2 Chronicles 30: 26 So there was great joy in Jerusalem: for since the time of Solomon the son of David king of Israel there was not the like in Jerusalem.
2 Chronicles 32: 29 Moreover [the LORD] provided him cities, and possessions of flocks and herds in abundance: for God had given him substance very much.
30 And Hezekiah prospered in all his works.
And when he was confronted with war he never even had to lift a sword, for indeed the battle was very real, and against the strongest of enemies, but The Lord Himself fought for Hezekiah (as referenced in the scripture at the beginning of this post). Oh that I could be a Hezekiah who when presented with the worst letter imaginable (a letter from the Hitler of the day saying he's coming for you next!), takes the bad news and, before doing anything else or consulting anyone, brings it into the house of The LORD to lay it before Him and ask for His help. Outrageous faith and devotion to God is accompanied by outrageous blessings of God. Whereas in the past God would bless the kings in battle by allowing them to defeat their enemies through their own swords, for Hezekiah God sent out an angel to destroy the Assyrian army, while he and everyone stayed safely inside Judah [See 2 Chronicles 20 for a similar story with righteous king Jehoshaphat]. And even on his death bed, when he cried out to God to remember how he had served Him wholeheartedly, God heard his prayer and gave him 15 extra years of life. Oh that we would live likewise and give God a reason to do amazing supernatural things!
So how can I become like that shepherd boy that God blessed so much? I believe that years before Samuel anointed David as king, David's heart was open and surrendered to God, and so through the years God gave David more opportunities for his love and trust to grow. Until finally David was "perfect in heart" and then, being ready, God raised him up to do amazing things he would have never guessed. David didn't love God so that he could one day be king, he loved God because God is more worthy of our love than anything else, and he would have been content to live the rest of his life in those fields with God, his treasure, the most important thing in life. What more of a blessing could David have been given than a life in the wilderness, with great amounts of time to spend with his loving God? Certainly not armies and kingdoms and women and riches.
I have to love the LORD my God with all my heart and mind and strength. Of course that can only be done by the grace of God, so I have to ask for the grace of God — for God to open my heart and mind that I can love Him as David did. It's really not as intimidating as it sounds; it's actually so simple. God's not asking us to drain our energy and finances in service to Him, or even to make the biggest impact possible. God's just asking us to love Him right now, as much as possible. That's it. Then, to keep loving Him as much as possible in the next moment and the next. As long as it is right now. And in that love, God will show His love for us more clearly and give us experiences to grow our relationship and trust until we love Him intimately and publicly without embarrassment, and trust Him unrealistically. And when our hearts get to the point of being perfect God will zap us wherever He wants us to be, even if it makes as much worldly sense as a shepherd boy being anointed as king overnight.
So for me personally, am I willing to give up everything that makes sense to simply love God with all my heart? Am I willing to give up my ministry and my giftings and callings and all the ways I think I can make the biggest impact with my life to be seen as a fool for God? Or am I hiding behind my so-called ministry, so I have an excuse not to do something embarrassing? Am I really willing to dance before the LORD with all my might in public and worship Him intimately in the lonely wilderness? Willing to do embarrassing, corny, cliche things like talk about how much I love Him around people that don't even believe in God? Maybe God won't call you to do that, but would you be willing to if He wanted you to? If for no other reason than He just felt like asking you to do it, and He is worthy of it? I'll do it. Whatever You want. Not because it makes sense, but because I love You and care about You. Here am I, Your servant, Your instrument; send me. I know that whatever You want me to do, You will enable me to do it.
Why don't we believe that if we love and trust God with all our heart that everything will be alright, and indeed better than just alright? What's the worst that can happen? We experience pain. And then it's over. Are you okay with something bad happening to you?
And while you should never even entertain this thought, just for a moment let's entertain it: What would actually happen to you if you took a risk and trusted God despite the circumstances? What if you choose to trust God despite the circumstances and he doesn't come through like you want? Well, really, what's so bad about that? What if you go down in history as the person whose life fell apart and he died, but he trusted God until the very end? Isn't it true that we will never see all the things God is doing before we die? Why not trust God regardless of how things turn out, if for nothing more than being obedient to God who has commanded us to trust in Him?
And as the LORD Himself put it in Joshua 1:9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.
God is pleased so much by our ACT of faith, our CHOICE to obey Him by believing, regardless of the circumstances, regardless if they measure up to the world's standard of being realistic. The supernatural by definition isn't natural, therefore it's unrealistic, thus God is unrealistic. And hallelujah that He is unrealistic!!! Because that means He does unrealistic things like coming through for us in our times of need. Is it realistic that the almighty, infinite Creator of our world would choose to become a helpless baby, born in a stable, raised in the ghetto, later become homeless, and finally tortured and killed as a criminal? No, we serve an interesting, unique, mysterious God, who isn't the kind of God we would make up if we tried. We serve a God who would rather dwell in a tent than a golden palace. He has his own personality. And why would you want anything different? Not only do I love You, God. I like You. I like who You are and the way You do things. You are an amazing, cool God.
I know this is true personally. Since having this revelation and living life like David lived it day by day, all of the sudden God has come out of the woodwork: putting the right people into my path at the right time, giving this shy introvert an unabashed passion to worship him publicly with tears (not caring what anyone else thinks), hope and peace in the midst of dark circumstances (valleys of the shadow of death) where normally I'd feel afraid and doomed, and an authentic desire to seek out opportunities to proclaim my loving relationship with God to friends and neighbors and anyone God gives me the opportunity to.
We only live once. Why not go all out, taking risks to serve God with all our hearts, even if we die? Live the kind of life that would make someone name their child after you.


What do you do if you're a company that makes all its money from selling operating systems and a competitor springs up and offers its operating system to phone makers for free? Well, if you're Microsoft, you'd try to get all phone manufacturers to give you $5-$15 for every Android handset they sell. So far, the strategy is working. Microsoft has signed deals with four companies, including HTC, in the last few weeks guaranteeing broad patent protection from Microsoft in exchange for an undisclosed number of dollars for each Android handset sold. Microsoft's next target: none other than Samsung.
According to Reuters, Microsoft is demanding that Samsung pay $15 for each Android smartphone it sells due to software patent infringement by Google's OS. Samsung may need some patent protection too. The company is embroiled in a bitter lawsuit with Apple, which alleges the South Korean company copied its iPhone.
It's speculated that Samsung may accept a lower dollar amount ($10) if Microsoft gives it a discount on manufacturing Windows Phone handsets.
Though its Windows Phone OS has yet to take off, Microsoft is getting quite crafty and will soon pull in more revenue from Android devices than its own smartphone efforts. Like a mafia leader, Microsoft is both forcing manufacturers to pay it through threats of lawsuits and assurance of broad protection under its army of patents should a licencee get sued by another company–something that happens more often than you'd think in the mobile world. It's costly $4.5 billion victory against Google in the recent Nortel patent auction will only bolster this strategy, we assume.


There's a distinct possibility that last Saturday you weren't at the Millennium Harvest House hotel enjoying the IPAs and IPA variations of 35-plus breweries. That's okay, but only this once—because you seriously missed out.
I'd like to preface this by saying that I don't particularly like IPAs. I avoid bitter foods including, but not limited to: straight espresso, celery and super dark chocolate. At breweries I generally enjoy sours, fruit beers, malty beers, crisp and refreshing beers, and porters/stouts. So, yeah, pretty much anything that isn't highly hoppy and with preferably low IBUs.
That said, the Jul-IPA festival put on by West End Tavern and featuring live music, tons of games and heaps of beer was a great time. There are enough non-traditional IPAs to keep someone like me happy (think the sweeter, higher alcohol Imperial IPAs, like Odell's Treeshaker or Avery's Maharaja, or a variety of experimental ales). And my guest, an IPA fiend (he hates Raspberry Wheat beers, Stouts and Pilsners, which probably means he's a cyborg without capacity for human feeling) was literally frolicking from booth to booth.
All of that goodness was served chilled to the sounds of an awesome chick-led rock band that slayed a cover of Rush. Yeah, I'm sold.
Keep your eyes peeled for the next Jul-IPA Festival next July!


text:
Kościół Światła (jap. 茨木春日丘教会, transkrypcja: Ibaraki Kasugaoka kyōkai – kościół w Ibaraki-Kasugaoka lub: 光の教会, transkrypcja: Hikari no kyōkai – Kościół Światła) – kościół położony w Ibaraki (prefektura Osaka), należący do protestanckiego Zjednoczonego Kościoła Chrystusa w Japonii. Zaprojektowany przez japońskiego architekta Tadao Andō i zbudowany w 1989. W 1999 do kościoła dobudowano tzw. szkołę niedzielną.

Historia
Japońska wspólnota Zjednoczonego Kościoła Chrystusa w Ibaraki zwróciła się do architekta Tadao Andō z prośbą o zaprojektowanie prostej świątyni, której charakter odpowiadałby słowom Jezusa ...gdzie dwaj lub trzej są zgromadzeni w imię moje, tam ja jestem pośród nich.. Kościół Światła został zbudowany w dzielnicy mieszkaniowej Kasugaoka.

Architektura

Z zewnątrz jest to prosta betonowa konstrukcja składająca się z dwóch brył na planie prostopadłościanu, przecinających się pod kątem 15 stopni, zbudowanych z ciężkich ścian, odlewanych na miejscu z betonu. W jednej z brył mieści się właściwy kościół, a w drugiej szkoła niedzielna, dobudowana w 1999. W miejscu przecięcia się ścian znajduje się wejście. Kościół Światła to niewielka sala modlitw o powierzchni 113 m². Przestrzeń wewnątrz jest ascetyczna. Nagie, betonowe ściany nie mają żadnych ozdób, które łagodziłyby wrażenie surowości. Wnętrze zdominowane jest przez świecący krzyż z przodu nawy, utworzony przez dwie przecinające się szczeliny o szerokości 20 cm. Szczelina pionowa rozciąga się od podłogi do sufitu, a pozioma biegnie pomiędzy przeciwległymi ścianami. Dzięki takiemu rozwiązaniu osiągnięto silny kontrast pomiędzy światłem i cieniem. Promienie światła wpadającego do wnętrza przesuwają się po betonowych ścianach zgodnie z ruchem słońca. Mrok panujący we wnętrzu świątyni jest dodatkowo podkreślony przez ciemną i surową fakturę drewnianych desek, z których wykonano podłogi i ławki. W przeciwieństwie do mrocznego kościoła wnętrze szkoły niedzielnej wykończono drewnem jaśniejszym, o gładkiej powierzchni. Pomieszczenie szkoły jest wykorzystywane do spotkań kongregacji.

Kościół Światła był realizowany jako przedsięwzięcie niskobudżetowe, w ramach którego surowość wnętrza stanowiła nie tyle wybór estetyczny, co konieczność. Gdy fundusze na jego budowę wyczerpały się, wykonawca przekazał w prezencie konstrukcję dachu, zaś ławki kościelne wykonano z drewna pozostałego z desek użytych do szalunku.

Kościół Światła jest przede wszystkim miejscem kultu; jego zwiedzanie (indywidualnie lub w grupach) jest możliwe jedynie na podstawie uprzedniej rezerwacji wizyty.

Założenia estetyczne
Projekt Ando to architektura minimalizmu i dwoistości – podwójnego charakteru (ko)egzystencji: ciała stałego i próżni, światła i ciemności, siły i spokoju. Z tego względu wnętrze kościoła pozbawione jest ozdób, a zderzenie lekkości z solidnością budzi u użytkowników świątyni poczucie kontrastu pomiędzy sacrum a profanum. Betonowa konstrukcja jest pozbawiona jakiekolwiek odwołań do tradycyjnych chrześcijańskich motywów i estetyki, a jedynym religijnym symbolem jest tu krzyż wycięty we wschodniej ścianie. Poza nim na kościół składa się betonowa powłoka, a beton przydaje jego wnętrzu ciemności, tworząc z niego jeszcze bardziej pokorne i medytacyjne miejsce kultu.

Przypisy

Linki zewnętrzne
 Strona kościoła

Kościoły w Japonii
Ibaraki

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


I just love this time of the year. The sad thing is that I have to be at school and not in a pool with a piña colada in my hand, as I would love to. I still can't believe that in a month I'm going to graduate, time really flies.
Amo esta época del año. A pesar de que tengo que estar en la escuela y no en una alberca con una piña colada en mi mano. Todavía no puedo creer que en un mes me vaya a graduar, de verdad que el tiempo vuela.
oh wow, love the first photo!
Such a stunning outfit, love the bright orange, and those shorts are amazing!
Sofía, porque sé que eres de México, porque sino te diría que esas fotos están hechas al lado de casa de mi madre!!
Un saludo desde España guapa.
me pero encantan estas fotos Sofia!
Congrats on being close to graduating!
I really love the layout of this photo. Your outfit pops and it's just an overall beautiful scene.
Thanks for stopping by my blog and I hope to see you there again!
P.s. love the clever title of your blog.
Super cute look! Love the color of your tops and those shorts are great! So fab!
Sofi hermoso look! Me encaNtan tus shorts y ese naranja esta increible! Y muchas felicitaciones por tu graduacion, que emocioon.
Estás guapísima con este look, el color del blazer te favorece muchisimo, y el short es muy original, te sienta fenomenal. Los zapatos son una maravilla.
Love this outfit! I think I saw shorts like that at F21 and I needed them! They're so cute.
Love those shorts! You look amazing as always!!


text:
TinyML SaaS to become a billion-dollar market by 2030
By Gaurav Sharma
Wed, 21st Sep 2022
As TinyML vendors continue to democratize Machine Learning (ML) at a rapid pace, global technology intelligence firm ABI Research forecasts that TinyML Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) revenue will exceed US$220 million in 2022 and become an important component from 2025 onward.
While total revenue will be dominated by chipset sales, as TinyML device shipments continue to grow, the TinyML SaaS and professional service market have the potential to become a billion-dollar market by 2030, ABI Research adds.
ABI Research is a global technology intelligence firm delivering actionable research and strategic guidance to technology leaders, innovators, and decision-makers worldwide. The above findings are from ABI Research's TinyML: A Market Update application analysis report, which is a part of the company's AI and ML research service.
The TinyML market has come a long way since ABI Research first analyzed this market back in 2020.
The TinyML Foundation, which gathers most of the prominent vendors in this space, has substantially expanded in recent years.
Similar expansion has been in the applications of TinyML; with forest fire detection, shape detection, and seizure detection among some of the most spectacular use cases.
Moreover, given how central environmental sensors are to TinyML, the possibilities are extensive.
Nonetheless, ambient sensing and audio processing remain the most common applications in TinyML, with sound architectures holding an almost 50% market share in 2022. Most of these applications employ either a microcontroller (MCU) or an Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC).
The personal and work devices sector will be the most significant increase in the near future.
"Any sensory data from an environment can probably have an ML model applied to that data. Some of the most common applications include word spotting, object recognition, object counting, and audio or voice detection," explains David Lobina, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Research Analyst at ABI Research.
With the myriad possibilities, there are also potential pitfalls, but for which ABI Research believes there are well-identified solutions.
"The physical constraints on TinyML devices are genuine. These devices favour small and compact ML models, which call for innovation at the software solutions level for specific use cases. And software providers will be the most active in the TinyML market," says Lobina. Software providers in this space include Edge Impulse, SensiML, Neuton, Nota, and Deeplite.
In addition, considering the vast number of use cases, vendors must concentrate on those applications that TinyML has a clear value proposition worked out before production.
"The role of software is crucial, and vendors must develop software tools to automate TinyML itself. Finally, new technology will be required to bring about ever more sophisticated TinyML models. Neuromorphic computing and chips, along with the corresponding technique of Spiking Neural Networks, would bode well for the future," adds Lobina.
Experts say ZTNA market to reach $7b in next two years
Yubico extends subscription programme, raises prices
Why graph analytics is the "next big thing" for data
Why cloud-based resources still need effective backup
M-Files top technology predictions for 2023 and beyond


While it's perfect for pencils and school supplies, this pencil-ISH pouch is also great for lots of other uses. Perfect for art supplies, school supplies, makeup brushes - anything that needs just a bit more length. It opens wide for easy access and it's made of sturdy canvas outer and lining (all organic, of course!). The best part is it's machine washable - just throw it in the wash on a gentle cycle and let air dry, and it will be as good as new! Accent fabric designed by the famed, mid-century artist Charley Harper.
*Please note that pattern placement will vary. This print has a number of birds and each pouch will be unique.
Pouch will ship 5-7 days after purchase.
Click here to see a selection of our other pouches.
Original pattern is by Anna Graham of noodlehead.


text:
Worldswalker
Words and Ideas by Erik Scott de Bie
How to Book!
Blind Justice: A Novel of Hellmaw
Scourge of the Realm
Justice/Vengeance
The World of Ruin
Shadow of the Winter King
Shield of the Summer Prince
Mask of the Blood Queen
Ghostwalker
Shadowbane Series
Buy A Book!
Persona RPG
The Magician: Jimmy Calendar
Posted on June 3, 2018 by erikscottdebie
Jimmy Calendar is a PC in my Persona tabletop game, played by my friend Jose. If any of my players are reading this, possibly some light spoilers ahead, but I'm going to try to keep this surface-level enough that you can read it all right.
This is the first of my character write-ups for my Persona-H campaign, based on the popular and fascinating Shin Megami Tensei: Persona series. I'll probably be jumping around with these, since the PCs have yet to meet every NPC of every Arcana in the game, and the PCs themselves–Jimmy, Wayne, Zach, and Uki–are of the I. Magician, VII. Chariot, XI. Strength, and XV. Devil Arcana respectively. We're going to start with the lowest card first, and go from there.
I'll be posting a page to provide links to all the write-ups as well. 🙂
The Magician: Jimmy Calendar Artist unknown (?)
A high school sophomore (15 going on 16), cis heterosexual (mostly), he/him, dark-haired, warm complexion, maybe Mediterranean in origin, Jimmy Calendar is your classic Magician Arcana character.
He's not very academically inclined (read: he doesn't study and is widely considered the class dunce), enthusiastic, eternally optimistic, and constantly joking, even if no one's laughing. He has an eye for the ladies, though they typically ignore him or groan when he's around, and he's constantly bragging about his romantic skills though he's never had a girlfriend or been on an actual date.
Seriously, it's bad. Whenever a new female NPC shows up, he falls head over heels in love with her on sight. It is rare that Jimmy can turn down a suggestion or request from a female character, which Uki has used frequently to her advantage to put him in embarrassing situations. (She has the pics to prove it.)
Jimmy possesses that most Magician of qualities—self-confidence—and he has it in spades. Despite clear indications that he's in over his head or that he's messing something up, he still perseveres in his goals because "well, it'll all work out." Generally, he seems like a jokester bro type, but there's interesting depth to his character. He demonstrates strong loyalty to his friends, and he's always there to cheer everyone up with a joke or a smile. He keeps a cool head under pressure and has proven to be quite resourceful.
Like most Persona Magician characters, he frequently allows his enthusiasm and youthful energy to run away with him, and he isn't always capable of reeling it back wen he goes too far. Which is often.
In Jungian/Tarot terminology, the Magician represents the animus, or the iconic male force of energy. And I think that works pretty well for Jimmy, who is a bubbling geyser of male energy.
He's adopted, being raised by two somewhat eccentric Japanese émigrés who've settled in Seattle for work in the Aerospace industry. His dad, Tatsuya Suou, is an engineer who loves tinkering with motorcycles, while his mother, Maya, teaches Jazzercise, Zumba, and other such exercise classes. Jimmy retains very little of his life before being adopted as an infant: only his name. He's never met his biological parents.
Awakening and Persona
Despite his immaturity and occasionally cringe-inducing antics, Jimmy possesses a strong urge to help people and protect those in danger. His Persona, Batman, first manifested in the metaverse of Darkest Seattle (a 1950s era gothic reimagining of Seattle, which resembled Gotham City more than anything else), wherein his newfound teammates were about to be gunned down by his arch-nemesis, Timothy Brothers as the Jester (a combination of the Joker, Kefka from FFVI, and Pennywise the Clown from It).
Why Batman? Because Batman is a figure of wit and resourcefulness, who is capable of going it alone but is always at his best when working with others. He represents complete and utter confidence in himself and his abilities, as well as the drive to get done what needs to get done by any means necessary. Also because he's just so dang KEWL for a nerd like Jimmy.
Batman, art by David Finch
In Persona-H, everyone has a weapon that is also a gun. In combat, Jimmy uses kinetic gloves that are also shotguns. (Picture Yang's weapon from RWBY.)
Shadow and Fear
In Persona-Heroic, the main challenge the characters must overcome is fear, which is slowly leaking into the world, threatening the downfall of civilization and an apocalyptic event. (Because this is Shin Megami Tensei, after all, and that's how these things go.)
Jimmy's fear is the fear of being alone. Of being ignored. Of being on the outside looking in. Of being forgotten. Though he'd prefer to be liked, he doesn't mind people disliking him, so long as they have some opinion of him. Though he frequently claims to be "just fine" on his own, he's also driven by an overwhelming urge to form connections with people. To have friends. Because ultimately he can't go it entirely alone, and needs to be able to rely on others just as he needs to be relied upon.
Every character in my games has a social link of their own, to reflect their particular Arcana. It associates with another character of the same Arcana who is involved in their lives in some way, and progressing the social link often involves acting in accordance with their Arcana.
In Jimmy's case, the Magician social link relates to a girl at his school named Mei, a shy transfer student who exudes that kind of guileless charm and appeal that is basically exactly his type. He fell pretty hard for her at first glance, and developing a relationship with her and providing a stable, confident, reliable support shoulder for her to lean on. It turns out that Mei is an orphan and has a very dark secret, and dealing with that secret will require Jimmy to grow up and exercise his full wit and character.
Persona is BIG on self-referential inclusions, and you get plenty of crossover and references to other games in the series. This is also the case in my game, which assumes that all the main numbered Persona games (1-5) have occurred in the universe of the game, at least in some form.
Those of you familiar with the Persona series may have noted the names of Jimmy's adoptive parents, Tatsuya Suou and Maya. Tatsuya is the lead character of Persona 2: Innocent Sin, wherein Maya is an important supporting character and potential love interest. Then the dynamic is flipped in Persona 2: Eternal Punishment, Maya is the main character and Tatsuya a key supporting character. Persona 2 took place nearly twenty years ago by the time of my game, so these characters are in their late 30s/early 40s. Jimmy is not their biological son, obviously, but they play an important role in the story.
This entry was posted in Uncategorized by erikscottdebie. Bookmark the permalink.
3 thoughts on "The Magician: Jimmy Calendar"
Pingback: The Devil: Uki Uehara | Worldswalker
Pingback: The Strength: Zachary Beathan | Worldswalker
Pingback: The Chariot: Wayne Iori | Worldswalker


Cancer. We'll talk about it once and never mention it again.
Why is a woman like a hollyhock?
A fourth journal entry for Folk Magazine with love and understanding.
Where she goes on and on about beaches and children and red roses.


WHY SHOULD YOU CHOOSE US TO CHARTER A YACHT?
Passionate and professional, Silver Star Yachting is one of the more prominent luxury brokers on the international market. The loyalty and word of mouth referrals from scores of our clients are proof of our high standards. Here's why you should trust us when chartering a yacht.
Rosanna Arcamone and Nicola Iacono – founders of Silver Star Yachting – are prominent professionals of the luxury yacht market. They founded Silver Star Yachting in 2008. Ever since, the increase of clients has been steady, as has the requests for charter management services for luxury boats. In a short time, SSY has made a name for itself as one of the main brokers of the Mediterranean, whether renting a yacht as an experienced seafarer or a first-time charterer.
We believe that the relationship with those who approach us to hire a yacht is very important. Our choice of more than 1400 luxury boats would give anybody a moment of pause! Relying on us means trusting our expertise in selecting the best possible yacht. The relationship with the clients is essential to addressing their needs in the right and most efficient way, providing the best advice on the itinerary and satisfying their every need.
We are always available and ready to respond to our clients: these are two of the qualities with which we have always distinguished our service. We put our clients' needs first: they can contact us via email or on the phone at any time. We care that they know they can put their trust in us, even with last minute requests or in case of unexpected events. Silver Star Yachting means having qualified professionals by your side before, during, and after the yacht charter.
Over time, Silver Star Yachting has acquired an expertise on each boat and their crews. We have personally viewed and selected scores of yachts, experienced the chartering industry and nurtured relationships with the crews first-hand. This knowledge helps us to direct clients to the boats that best fit their needs and yacht charter expectations. When we cannot count on first-hand knowledge, we secure the best references for a safe charter.
Because the Mediterranean is our home, we can provide the most exciting itineraries for our clients with interesting stops that alternate between relaxing and exciting. From Sardinia to the Amalfi Coast, Greece and the Balearic Islands, we always recommend the best destinations to our clients. Exclusive restaurants, secluded natural treasures, the best moorings and, thanks to a handpicked network of qualified partners, we take care of any land-based services our clients might need when renting a yacht.
As soon as a client selects a yacht to rent from our choice of sailboats and motorboats, we negotiate the right price with the ship owner. Always on the side of the clients, we act as if we were organizing our own charter: we carefully attend to every issue and beyond. Our relationship of trust with the ship owners is proof that we offer our guests the best possible conditions when renting a yacht.


text:
Alturi » News Items » Europe » Ireland » Ireland 'still on' for gay-hate preacher Steven Anderson after Dutch ban
Ireland 'still on' for gay-hate preacher Steven Anderson after Dutch ban
05/05/2019 | Suday Times
An American preacher who says homosexuals should be executed, and who was banned by Dutch authorities last week from entering the Schengen area, still plans to visit Ireland as part of a speaking tour this month. Steven Anderson, founder of the Faithful Word Baptist Church in Arizona, has been widely criticised for the contents of his sermons, which have included denying the Holocaust happened and claiming that LGBT people should be stoned to death. He has also praised the 2016 Orlando nightclub shooting, in which 49 people were killed and 53 others wounded when a gunman opened fire on the Florida city's Pulse LGBT bar.
COUNTRIES: Ireland, Netherlands, United States
REGIONS: Europe, International, North America


The CPO CommEd team supports and contributes to the development of a wide range of projects, products, and partnerships designed to promote public climate literacy. Information about these resources, and where to go to learn more about them, is summarized below.
Click the image above to access an interactive Web page that describes the details of ten key climate indicators.
CLEAN, the Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network (CLEAN) Pathway, was launched in November 2010 as a new National Science Digital Library (NSDL) Pathways project. It is led by the science education expertise of TERC, CIRES, NOAA, and SERC. CLEAN builds on the efforts of the Climate Literacy Network and the establishment of the Climate Literacy: Essential Principles of Climate Science.
Science On a Sphere® is a large visualization system that uses computers and video projectors to display animated data onto the outside of a sphere. Said another way, SOS is an animated globe that can show dynamic, animated images of the atmosphere, oceans, and land of a planet. NOAA primarily uses SOS as an education and outreach tool to describe the environmental processes of Earth.
Science Writer & Editor, CEE, Collabralink Technologies Inc.
Meteorologist, CEE, CollabraLink Technologies, Inc.
Data Visualization Coordinator, CEE, Collabralink Technologies Inc.
Web Administrator/Developer, CEE, Collabralink Technologies, Inc.
Data Visualizer/Production Artist, CEE, CollabraLink Technologies, Inc.
Communications Specialist, CEE, CollabraLink Technologies, Inc.
Engagement Specialist, Collabralink Technologies Inc.


We've only had to do this once so there many be more options out there that I am not aware of, but here's what we did. We spoke to the concierge desk a few days in advance and were told to come back the day before the meal where we needed early transportation. The afternoon before the meal in question I went back to the concierge desk with my reservation number and time, and they asked me about our party size. The man then told me where to be the next morning, and what time to be there. The morning of our breakfast we went to the designated spot and there was a Cast Member with an SUV waiting to drive us to our destination! I had planned on taking a taxi so I was very pleasantly surprised!
Again, this may not be the norm. I'm not sure what is 'typically' arranged for transportation when the buses and monorails are not yet open, but this was my experience. And a very nice one at that!


Budget Septic and Drain Services provides extensive plumbing services that are ideal for any property. Our contractors handle the simplest plumbing services from drain cleaning and water line installation to the most complex septic system services the industry can handle. Swing by Budget Septic and Drain Services today and we'll show you all the services and resources we provide so that you can have perfectly working plumbing for your property.