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Analysis: Alex Anthopoulos Is the Right Choice
5 Comments November 13, 2017 November 13, 2017 Tommy Poe By: Tommy Poe
The rollercoaster that has been the Braves' General Manager search – triggered by revelations of improper practices under the leadership of John Coppolella – might end before news of whatever punishment Major League Baseball hands down is announced. First broken by the New York Post's Joel Sherman and confirmed by multiple sources after, the Braves have picked their new GM. His name is Alex Anthopoulos. Between Coppolella, Anthopoulos, and Mike Foltynewicz, my spell checker just gave up and went home.
While the preference appeared to be Dayton Moore since Coppy stepped down, Moore didn't seem to want to deal with Atlanta and the issues that were developing there. It's worth mentioning Jim Hendry. According to Sherman, that was the preference of John Schuerholz. There was concern that the figurehead talk involving Schuerholz might be found to be false should the Braves hire Hendry. To go further down the rabbit hole, there existed a chance that Hendry would represent a mentor for Jonathan Schuerholz – something the older Schuerholz was reportedly interested in. None of that came to pass. Thankfully
Back to Anthopoulos. Apparently, he was John Hart's choice. That brought its own problems because if Hart's name was further stained by the investigation into the Braves under Coppy, Hart could be forced into early retirement. Further, even if that didn't happen, Liberty Media could sack Hart just to hold someone accountable. All of that seems unlikely to happen if the Braves are hiring a GM who Hart preferred.
What kind of GM would Anthopoulos be? What's his history? Let's dive in.
Before Landing The GM Job in Toronto
Anthopoulos's rise through the game mirrors in some ways the man he will replace should the hiring go official. After graduating with an economics degree from McMaster University in Canada, he landed an unpaid internship with the Expos. Coppy got an offer from Intel to work for them. Anthopoulos got one from Fidelity. Both chose baseball.
Within two years after joining the Expos, Anthopoulos was the club's scouting coordinator and soon earned a promotion to Assistant Scouting Director. In three years, he impressed the organization enough to take him out of the mail room all the way to a position that helped to oversee a small army of scouts.
The Montreal-native left the Expos after the '03 season concluded and moved to Toronto to become their scouting director for two seasons before moving up to Assistant General Manager. From the end of 2005 until the conclusion of the 2009 season, Anthopoulos served as J.P. Ricciardi's right-hand man. They acquired Troy Glaus from the Diamondbacks, traded him for Scott Rolen, and then sent Rolen to the Reds for three players including Edwin Encarnacion. They also acquired Jose Bautista for nothing. Both were underachievers, but the Jays saw more in them.
The New GM
As the final days of the 2009 season came to an end, the Jays announced a change. Ricciardi would be fired and Anthopoulos, just 32-years-old, would take over. In the span of a decade, he had gone from sorting fan mail addressed to Vladimir Guerrero and Jose Vidro to a major league general manager. There probably is a movie script ready to be written about that. Did I mention he's Greek-Canadian and can speak fluent French?
The Jays had finished a dozen games under .500 in 2009 with the sixth-most runs and the fifth-most runs given up. That first winter, Anthopoulos signed Alex Gonzalez, but the biggest moment of the winter came on December 16. With just one year left on his contract, Roy Halladay (RIP) had to be traded. The Jays couldn't go through what promised to be a tough year in 2010 and lose Halladay for nothing. The previous summer, Ricciardi and Anthopoulos tried to find a trade for Halladay but failed. Finally, the young GM found a trade that he could agree to. Philadelphia sent Kyle Drabek, Travis d'Arnaud, and Michael Taylor to Toronto. Taylor didn't last a day before being sent to the A's for Brett Wallace. It was the first of many big deals Anthopoulos would make.
The deal ultimately didn't really work out so well for the Jays. Expected to develop into a solid #2 workhorse, Drabek has thrown less than 200 innings in the majors since the trade with a 5.26 ERA. Wallace would later be traded for Anthony Gose while d'Arnaud also would be traded. We'll get to that later.
The 2010 Jays improved to 85-77 with a surprising 54 homers from Bautista. The pitching staff continued to struggle and a later trade of Gonzalez and two other prospects to the Braves for Jo-Jo Reyes (along with Yunel Escobar) didn't help.
The next offseason, Anthopoulos added a few nice hitting talents in Rajai Davis and Brett Lawrie via trades. They also kept Encarnacion after he hit free agency. The result was a 2011 season where the Jays won as many games as they lost. They had gained a reputation as a team that could hit plenty of homers and score some runs, but couldn't keep the other team off the scoreboard enough. More of the same followed in 2012.
Finally, after 2012, the Jays decided enough was enough. The organization was too stagnant and needed a shake-up. It got that in the form of two mega deals. The first came just a few weeks after the offseason began. They acquired Mark Buehrle, Josh Johnson, and Jose Reyes – among others and cash – from the Marlins for a collection of secondary talent including the former Brave, Escobar. Less than a month later, they packaged d'Arnaud with Noah Syndergaard for the reigning NL Cy Young, R.A. Dickey. The Jays were going for it.
The problem with going for it…sometimes, you come up short. Johnson would miss half of 2013 and when he did pitch, Jays' fans wished he was on the DL. Dickey and Buehrle were dependable innings-eaters, but the staff still finished 12th in the AL in run prevention. Meanwhile, the offense was a constant disappointment. Anthopoulos had failed to put together a winner. Or had he?
Anthopoulos stayed quiet the next offseason, refusing to change the course after just one year. The offense rebounded to finish fourth in the AL in runs in 2014 while Buehrle and Dickey were better their second year in the AL. The rotation was also getting younger. Drew Hutchison was still not established, but Marcus Stroman had arrived. The Jays won nine more games than they had in 2013 and were back on the rise.
In 2015, everything appeared to be coming together. Anthopoulos signed Russell Martin to give the team a dependable option behind the plate while offseason moves to acquire Devon Travis, Josh Donaldson, and Marco Estrada gave Toronto new blood. In late July, the Jays were underachieving, though. Their run differential on July 25th was the best in the AL, but they were only a game above .500 and a handful of games out of first. They needed another shakeup. Three days later, they got it as they acquired Troy Tulowitzki. Two days later, they added David Price. Not finished, they traded for Ben Revere the next day. No team would play better after the Tulowitzki trade was made and the Jays would roll to the AL East title by winning 43 of their remaining 61 games. For the first time since 1993, Toronto was in the playoffs.
The Jays beat the Rangers in five games to advance to the ALCS. They would fall behind early in that series against the Royals, losing in six. But considering how long it had been for the Jays to get that far, it was a major accomplishment for Anthopoulos.
Leaving Toronto
What happened next…is confusing.
Just a week after Toronto lost to the Royals, Anthopoulos would step aside as general manager. It was shocking that the native Canadian would leave the Blue Jays when it seemed like they were on the cusp of even more greatness.
It wasn't about money, Anthopoulos said. Or how long the Jays were offering him a deal. Instead, it came down to the power structure in Toronto. Anthopoulos, who was named the 2015 Executive of the Year in the AL, was offered a contract that promised around $10 million but took away final say on personnel moves. For Anthopoulos, that was too much. The Jays had brought in former Indians GM Mark Shapiro to be the organization's president. As Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star said, "The insulting responsibility offer to Anthopoulos was akin to the man who built a business being asked to come back as an executive assistant."
It was a stunning decision. Shapiro had joined the Jays in August – about the time that the postseason threat Anthopoulos built was thrashing opponents each night. Why would the Jays have brought someone in? Were they trying to neuter Anthopoulos? Whatever the case, Anthopoulos left the position that seemed like his "dream job."
Months later, he landed a job as the VP of Baseball Operations for the Dodgers. Just a few weeks ago, that team was a game away from winning the World Series.
Moving to Atlanta?
If the reports are accurate, Anthopoulos's next home will be in Atlanta. Let's dive into what that means.
1. Such a decision probably means John Hart won't have much of a say and the whole "Dayton Moore won't come to Atlanta without full control" angle ultimately wasn't that important. Anthopoulos already left one job because it would have created a convoluted power-sharing setup where the general manager was neutered by someone a step above him. Anthopoulos wants the kind of autonomy general managers have enjoyed for years. To entice him to move away from the west coast despite hesitations to do so for previous open GM spots says to me that Anthopoulos was given the right amount of assurances that he wouldn't be second-guessed and overruled by some "President."
That leaves Hart as more of a figurehead who will help Anthopoulos get settled in for a year. It's not exactly the same approach the Braves once tried with Coppy when the latter spent a year under Hart as the Assistant GM, but it's kind of a similar idea except Hart retains less power.
2. Anthopoulos is the "right kind of guy." Everyone in Toronto was fond of Anthopoulos – not just the media and fans like was the case with Coppy. Anthopoulos is a hard worker who treats everyone with respect. He's aggressive, but not overbearingly. He's creative but has the wisdom to not believe his own press. Further, he has the scout's background while also embracing analytics. In many ways, Anthopoulos is Coppy without some of Coppy's worst qualities.
Anthopoulos has also shown a willingness to trade prospects – something that both scares Braves fans and should excite them. The probable new GM steps into a very exciting job. While the MLB investigation could lead to some punishment down the line, it is unlikely to wreck one of the best farm systems in baseball for the short-term. That means Anthopoulos will have a farm system that includes a number of excellent starting pitching prospects and a cadre of low-floor, but high-ceiling position prospects. The Braves simply can't and shouldn't keep all of them.
In Toronto, Anthopoulos showed a willingness to go for it. It didn't always work (2013) but it also worked like gangbusters (2015). Anthopoulos was willing to make the kind of moves to take the Blue Jays from also-ran to contenders. In Atlanta, he might not be as aggressive as first – the MLB investigation, mid-October hiring, and state of the major league team might lead the Braves to spend a year seeing what they have first over packaging prospects for established talent. At some point, though, Anthopoulos's willingness to make the kind of moves needed to take that next step could lead Atlanta back to the playoffs.
3. The Braves made the right move. It's not that Anthopoulos is the perfect candidate – that doesn't exist. But he was the right candidate. The Braves flirted with the idea of a crusty old GM types like Dan Jennings, Dan O'Dowd, and Jim Gendry – guys who were pushed from major league GM jobs because the game had passed them by. But Anthopoulos is young, hungry, and even proven. He's respected, likable, and of the highest integrity. In short, with everything going wrong since the season ended, this is the first sign of hope the Braves have had.
Now, there's still the business with Major League Baseball. There remains the chance others could be sacked as MLB's investigation comes to a close. Further, Anthopoulos's style breeds loyalty and with that, assistants and scouts from his time in Toronto may come to Atlanta. But this offseason was stalled completely without a GM. It's now able to truly begin and despite the weather getting more and more dreary, things don't seem as dark in Atlanta.
Bob Long says:
I'm so relieved that GMDM, and his type, isn't the new GM, I could cry! I was so afraid that the Braves were going to hire another 1990's Shuerholtz clone. It's 2017, folks, let's get with the program!
I'm not really sure what AA will do but I'm willing to be open to all the possibilities. The future looks a lot brighter for Braves fans, now.
Benedict Emanuele says:
Is AA a believer in the new analytical statistics that have changed the way we look at baseball?
Tommy Poe says:
Oh, yeah. He expanded the analytics department with the Jays, turning them into one of the top analytics-driven teams in the AL. He then went to the Dodgers, one of the most progressive-thinking organizations in baseball – something he pointed out in his press conference. He doesn't negate his scouting department – in fact, expect him to expand it. That said, he listens, embraces, and wants to utilize analytics.
Paul Lentz says:
While a HUGE FAN of Coppy's Rebuilding efforts with Atlanta, I'll hold off judging how I feel about our new GM, AA, until after I see what direction he takes The Braves this offseason.
I maintain all along that we simply DO NOT have enough info regarding our young starting pitching…in addition to this being a WEAK FREE AGENT CLASS….to harbor any UNREALISTIC expectations for competing in 2018. Use the reduction in payroll in 2018 to eat whatever of Markakis' last year ($10.5 owed) and trade him….as well as whatever we have to eat of Kemp's final year after The 2018 Season (Atlanta will only owe him $18.5 mil).
We'll be rid of any bad contracts..and if Acuna, Albies, Swanson, Fried, Newcomb, Gohara (along with possible promotions in Soraka, Allard and any other prospects who may be better suited for The Bullpen) all show that they are MLB worthy….then with Freeman and Inciarte (and if Flowers and Suzuki both show that they have another productive season in the tank)….I feel we'll be PRIMED to go after BOTH Manny Machado AND Bryce Harper and offer EACH of them $35 mil a year type long term contracts!
Those two hitters in this lineup (other than Acuna..we simply DO NOT have much for legit power prospects in our system). Using money to go after difference makers in Free Agency to help Freddie power our lineup (along with the top of the lineup table setters in Albies and Acuna)…would have us playoff contenders for YEARS TO COME!
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Court Grants Union Coalition's Request to Stay Implementation of Pension Changes
pbpacontact posted on May 14, 2014 17:36
(May 14, 2014) The Sangamon County Circuit Court granted a temporary restraining order (TRO) and a preliminary injunction, as requested by the We Are One Illinois coalition and its plaintiffs, halting the implementation of Senate Bill 1 (Public Act 98-599).
This stays the legislation in its entirety so that the pension systems and other defendants are enjoined from implementing or administering any provisions of the act until further order of the court or the court issues a final ruling on the merits of the act's constitutionality.
The court found that plaintiffs have shown a likelihood of success on their contention that Public Act 98-599 violates the Pension Protection Clause of the Illinois Constitution.
"This is an important first step in our efforts to overturn this unfair, unconstitutional law and to protect retirement security for working and retired Illinois families," said Michael T. Carrigan, president of the Illinois AFL-CIO, on behalf of the coalition. "We are pleased the court prudently chose to halt implementation of these sweeping changes, which have caused so much fear and uncertainty and are likely to be overturned."

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Sway Cubeecraft : You Ain't Got the Template, Ye…!
Watch Sway's response to his Kanye interview.
Release Party for "STONES THROW" Documentary Film.
"STONES THROW" is the great hip hop label from West Coast. They sent good artists one after another to VISION. This time, the party is for the release of label documentary film "Our Vinyl Weighs A Ton". The label owner, Peanut Butter Wolf will come to Japan since 2 years ago. He will show us the new audio x visual live performance "Video DJ" for the first time in VISION. Also, DAM-Funk who will release collaboration album with SNOOP DOG before the end of year. Experience the original sound scape of "STONES THROW".


My very favourite thing to do in the summertime is relax on the patio with family and friends.
Barbecued burgers. Chilled drinks. Fresh cut fruit. Cold desserts.
If that's not a slice of heaven, I don't know what is! And the best thing about summer entertaining is that it doesn't have to be complicated or costly; simply assemble a few tried-and-true staples, give them an unexpected twist, and voila! You've got the perfect recipe to make summer great.
Here are three easy steps to summer barbecue bliss.
Step One: Chip, Dip, Repeat. Remember, the most memorable barbecues are the ones that serve simple foods that everyone loves. To start, grab classic ripple chips and fresh veggies, and serve them with this to-die-for (trust me!) Creamy Taco Dip.


The real Shohei Ohtani seems to have materialized in the first 11 days of the season, and he has been a sight to behold.
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Los Angeles Angels manager Mike Scioscia says there was a plan to Shohei Ohtani's spring, and now we're seeing the end result of it.
That plan was clearly to lull the rest of baseball into a false sense of security.
After arriving from Japan amid enormous hype, the two-way star promptly deflated expectations by taking a spectacular pratfall in the Cactus League. He batted .125. His ERA was a laughable 27.00. Questions arose about whether he would make the team or start the season in the minors.
It was just a show, hey.
The real Ohtani seems to have materialized in the first 11 days of the season, and he has been a sight to behold.
Of course, he's only been in the major leagues as a player or manager for 32 years.
A week after Ohtani earned his first major league win by holding the Oakland Athletics to three hits and three runs over six innings, they had another shot at him and came up empty. As in no runners and 11 strikeouts over the first six innings, conjuring thoughts of a rookie throwing a perfect game in his second major league start.
It didn't happen. Marcus Semien's one-out single in the seventh ended the suspense in what wound up as a 6-1 Angels victory, and Ohtani settled for seven brilliant innings of one-hit ball, with one walk and 12 strikeouts.
At one point, Ohtani retired 33 of 34 Athletics between the two starts. He has struck out 18 and walked two while yielding four hits.
The rest of the league is on notice.
"If he's hitting his spots, they're going to have a really hard time with him,'' said A's outfielder Matt Joyce, who accounted for Oakland's only run with a ninth-inning homer off Felix Pena but went 0-for-3 against Ohtani.
Oh yes, there's that other part of the game at which Ohtani has been pretty good so far this season. In becoming the only Angels rookie ever to homer in his first three home games last week, he took over the team lead in batting average (.389) and on-base plus slugging percentage (1.310) while sharing top honors for home runs (three).
Friday's shot was a 449-foot blast that landed in the fountain part of the artificial rock formation well beyond the center-field fence.
It bears mentioning that Ohtani has only 18 at-bats, which is not just a small sample, it's tiny. And because the Angels don't want to lose the designated hitter in his American League starts, and he sits on the day before and after he pitches, Ohtani doesn't figure to hit more than four times a week.
Plus, his two starts have come against an Oakland team that, while stocked with power hitters, has finished last in the AL West each of the last three seasons and is projected to bring up the rear again.
But suddenly, Ohtani's quest to become the first major leaguer to pitch and hit regularly in nearly a century doesn't look so quixotic.
The so-called Babe Ruth of Japan can already claim equaling the Bambino in one regard: He's the first player to homer in three consecutive games during a season in which he made a pitching start since the Babe in 1930.
That wall came hard and fast at Ohtani early on. Despite his batting practice exploits, he managed no extra-base hits in 32 Cactus League at-bats. So during the Freeway Series exhibition games against the Los Angeles Dodgers at the end of March, he unveiled a different hitting style, ditching the leg-kick he employed during his whole career in Japan for a toe-tap that has allowed him to time pitches better.
It's the kind of major change that may take some hitters months to implement, but Ohtani — while also tending to his pitching duties — put it into practice in a matter of days or weeks, a sign of the analytical mind Scioscia has noticed.
When Ohtani decided to try his hand at the major leagues, the scouting reports from Japan indicated he had a better chance to succeed as a pitcher, considering his repertoire includes a fastball that touches 100 mph, a wicked splitter — the pitch Oakland hitters flailed at much of Sunday — along with a tight slider and change-of-pace slow curveball.
But the A's, who have seen him more than any other opponent, are not so sure now which part of his game is more advanced. They marvel at both his pitching and hitting.


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La Cúpula del Invernadero Tropical de Yumenoshima (en japonés: 夢の島熱帯植物館, Yumenoshima Nettai Shokubutsukan) es un invernadero y jardín botánico que se encuentra en Kōtō, prefectura de Tokio, Japón.

Localización
Se encuentra ubicado en 3-2, Yumenoshima, Kōtō, Tokio, Japón.

Está gestionado por la asociación metropolitana de parques de Tokio y se abre diariamente excepto los lunes; se paga una tarifa de admisión.

Historia
El invernadero fue establecido en 1988 en Yumenoshima Koen (parque ideal de la isla), en un antiguo vertedero en la bahía de Tokio y unos terrenos ganados al mar.

Colecciones
 Sala de vídeo donde se proyecta una película sobre los ecosistemas tropicales de 15 minutos de duración en doble función.
 Grandes invernaderos, la instalación consta de tres cúpulas, resaltando el gran invernadero central, en las que se albergan 1,000 especies de plantas tropicales y subtropicales.. Sus temperaturas están mantenidas todo el año con agua caliente alimentada por la planta de incineración de Koutou adyacente.
Cúpula A, con un ecosistema de selva tropical con helechos y una cascada.
Cúpula B, un pueblo tropical con palmeras.
Cúpula C, contiene vegetación de las islas Ogasawara (小笠原諸島).
Entre las especies que se incluyen en las cúpulas se encuentran palmas, orquídeas, acuáticas, Pandanus, Hevea brasiliensis, Samanea saman, Barringtonia racemosa, Satakentia liukiuensis, Cyathea lepifera, Cyathea mertensiana, Cyathea spinulosa, y Dicksonia antarctica.
 Invernadero de plantas insectívoras
 Galería de información
 Habitación de los bloques (Kapla): la construcción de bloques de juguete diseñando una formación divertida
 Salón de eventos
 Salón de té, los ventanales dan vista a los invernaderos.
 Jardín de Hierbas

Referencias
 Yumenoshima Tropical Greenhouse Dome (japonés)
 Descripción de la zona de Tokio
 Blog de un visitante del Japón
 Página descritiva en el BGCI

Yumenoshima
Kōtō

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


It most cases, it is recommended that you use a carrier oil when using essential oils. Carrier oils allow you to dilute the oil, but the oils themselves can have many benefits. If you find that you have reactions when using straight essential oil, try using one of these carrier oils. Here is a great list of the best carrier oils to use with essential oils.
There are so many benefits to using sweet almond oil as a carrier oil for essential oils. The oil is easily absorbed into the skin due to it being a light oil. This means that you'll get more benefits from your essential oils. Sweet almond oil also has vitamin E, which is well known for being amazing for your skin. The oil has a very light, nutty scent.
Chances are you know that coconut oil has literally thousands of uses. One of those uses is as a carrier oil for essential oils. Like almond oil, coconut oil has many health benefits. While many people recommend unrefined oil, you want to get refined oil for this purpose. The reason is that unrefined oil is too thick to use. Coconut oil, of course, has a coconutty smell that you may or may not enjoy. This oil can also be on the pricey side.
Argan oil is used in a number of beauty products and with good reason. It's a natural moisturizer and adds nutrients to the skin. The scent of the oil can vary, depending on when it was harvested. The scent is sweet and mixes well with a number of oils. Unfortunately, it is very expensive.
Jojoba is another oil that has a nutty scent. A great benefit of it is its long shelf life. It also has a non-greasy texture that absorbs well into the skin. This is a great carrier oil to add moisture to skin and hair.
One of the biggest benefits of olive oil is simply the fact that it's very inexpensive. With that said, it's also wonderful for the skin. It can have a strong odor, which some people find unpleasant. However, olive oil has minerals, nutrients, and vitamins that make it a great carrier oil.
There are a number of carrier oils on the market that are great for essential oils. The one that's best for you depends on what you need from an oil and what your budget is like. Remember to buy the best quality carrier oils that you can find. These oils are being absorbed into your skin and the last thing you want is to add something potentially toxic to your body.


text:
if [ -z "$QPID_HOME" ]; then
    export QPID_HOME=$(dirname $(dirname $(dirname $(readlink -f $0))))
    export PATH=${PATH}:${QPID_HOME}/bin
fi

# Parse arguements taking all - prefixed args as JAVA_OPTS
for arg in "$@"; do
    if [[ $arg == -java:* ]]; then
        JAVA_OPTS="${JAVA_OPTS}-`echo $arg|cut -d ':' -f 2`  "
    else
        ARGS="${ARGS}$arg "
    fi
done

# Set classpath to include Qpid jar with all required jars in manifest
QPID_LIBS=$QPID_HOME/lib/qpid-all.jar

# Set other variables used by the qpid-run script before calling
export JAVA=java        JAVA_VM=-server        JAVA_MEM=-Xmx1024m        QPID_CLASSPATH=$QPID_LIBS

. qpid-run -Xms256m -Dlog4j.configuration=file://${QPID_HOME}/etc/perftests.log4j -Dbadger.level=warn -Damqj.test.logging.level=info -Damqj.logging.level=warn org.apache.qpid.junit.extensions.TKTestRunner -n PQBT-TX-Qpid-01   -s[1000]   -c[1]                   -o $QPID_WORK/results -t testAsyncPingOk org.wso2.andes.client.ping.PingAsyncTestPerf   persistent=true  pubsub=false uniqueDests=true  numConsumers=0   transacted=true  consTransacted=true  consAckMode=0   commitBatchSize=1   batchSize=1000   messageSize=256   destinationCount=1  rate=0  maxPending=0  ${ARGS}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
E20: Making Courage More Than a Concept
Steph's Book
3000 Questions About Me
"The Next Right Thing" from Frozen 2 (Official)
Should Episode
Caller Question
If you were going to write a book, what would the title be?
Each episode we offer you a few prompts to think about how that day's conversation applies to you. You might pause the podcast and answer them right then and there, but if you keep a journal (Steph and Beth both do), you might find one of these PDFs useful. Choose the orientation that fits best in your journal.
What is something you've always wanted to do but not yet accomplished? What's stopping you?
Have you ever thought about writing your life story? What might you gain from writing your story and what might others gain from reading your story?
What is one area of your life where you think you could use more courage?
Questions For Reflection E20 (Landscape)
Questions For Reflection E20 (Portrait)
Beth: 00:03
Steph: 00:06
Where we have honest conversations about things that make us different. I'm Steph.
I've been in recovery for 13 plus years and I'm the author of Discovering My Scars, my memoir about my mental health struggles, experiences, and faith.
Beth and I have been friends for six years, have gone through recovery program together and when I wanted to start a podcast, she was the only name that came to mind as co-host.
I didn't hesitate to say yes because I've learned a lot from honest conversations with Steph over the years.
That's why we do this! And why we want you to be part of what we are discussing today. What is our topic, Steph?
Today we are talking about how to make courage more than a concept.
Okay. I love this because I think that it was courageous of you to write your book. Do you think that was a courageous thing to do?
I never looked at it that way, but the only time I started looking at that way was when I read, I was reading my book and I read the foreword and I was like, "Whoa."
I wrote the foreword. That's so exciting.
The one part of my book that I did not write—you talked about that and I was like, "Oh, am I courageous? I don't know." I can't answer that. You can answer that better than I can I guess. But to me it felt like it just, the reason I wrote the book is because I felt like it had to come out of me and the best way to do that was in written form in my mind. And yeah, so it was like I had to.
But there are a lot of steps between, I have to write this down and all of the work that it takes to turn those written thoughts and those written words into a book, right? I mean, you didn't just write it and then, Oh, first draft, perfect. It's done. And now I'm going to have this published.
Yeah. I mean I'll give you a little secret into the book publishing world. Writing the book is the easy part. I'm really glad I didn't know that when I was writing the book because it felt like the hard part, it really did. It was a lot of work. When I started writing it though. I always knew I wanted to get it out in a public way and so that's why I put so much work into writing it because I just felt like I've shared this story with people in my life, trusted people, friends, family, things like that. But I felt like the story could have an impact in a greater community, people that I don't know, people that might need to read the story. And so I wrote the book knowing I wanted to share it with the public. I didn't know how it was going to happen and didn't know if it would get to that point. My first step was writing it and once I wrote it, I pursued the publishing of it, and that was hard. And that was like, it was not a comfortable spot for me to be in. It definitely did take courage to send. That first email of sending my manuscript to my publishing company, it just like, this is me. I just took my heart out, put in an email and said, "Here, this is all of me, the everything of me." And so that was hard. And I've been learning through the whole book process that every step takes freaking courage. Every step, there's a step that I'm like, "Oh, that's hard. Oh, I don't, I don't think, I don't know if I want to do this step."
Well, and that's where courage comes in is doing that next hard thing.
Actually doing it. Yeah.
Yeah. Actually doing it. So if we're talking about how to make courage more than a concept, one of the things that I hear you saying is that it almost helped to not know at the beginning everything that you were getting into because it allowed you to focus on just what had to be done in that moment, right?
Yeah. For me it helped to not have everything planned out; just to have the first step planned out. And actually I just saw the, you know the movie Frozen Two?
It came out recently. I've seen it three times. Great movie. Totally recommend it. It's the best thing in the world.
Wow. The best thing in the world? Wow!
Well, in the Disney animated world, we'll say that. But one of the things that I really took from it was there's a time, no spoilers, but there's a time when some bad stuff happens and Anna has to do the next right thing. And there's a song called "The Next Right Thing" and it's very, she has a ton of courage in just taking those next steps. She could just sit where she is and just fall apart. And just not move forward. But she even through her pain in her sadness and her struggle, she takes that next step and takes that next step and she gets to where she needs to go and everyone's saved and alive and happy in the end.
This is a Disney movie.
I was like, that's an amazing story of a fictional character having courage because I think maybe it's a little bit easier to write a courageous story.
But I think it's courageous for the, as much as, I mean it's Disney, obviously, it's Disney and it's a cartoon, but I really applaud the filmmakers for putting a scene like that in that movie because it is a good visual. Have you seen the movie?
No, I haven't seen it yet.
Okay. You don't know the brilliance yet then. It's a great visual. Kids need to see this. Adults need to see this. It's actually seeing what, when you're at this super low place and where it all seems lost, how to take each of those steps. It's a character actually doing that and obviously you know it's going to be happy and fine in the end.
But I thought that was important. Seeing that they didn't have to put in kids would have seen the movie otherwise. And kids probably, it's a hard scene for them. I think that's a good visual of what it takes to be courageous. Courage doesn't mean you're standing there with your armor and your sword and you're going to battle with so much energy and excitement, courage can be I'm super low and I'm not sure about what's next, but I'm just going to take that next step and take that next step. Even though I'm not a 100% confident in it, I know this is where I need to go and I'm just going to take this step.
So moving forward, even in the face of an obstacle or even in the face of fear, which can be an obstacle or moving forward in spite of ... moving forward even when you're not in the right mental space and even though you don't have all the answers and you're not super confident, you could still be courageous and move. I was never 100% confident that ... and I am still not confident that every, I don't think everyone's going to love my book. I am confident on that. Not everybody's going to be receptive or love it, but that doesn't stop me from moving forward and releasing it and putting it all out there.
Yeah, so you wrote the manuscript that was something that you had to do. And then instead of thinking, okay, well I'm going to get this published and some people won't like it. That wasn't the next step. The next step was I'm going to send it to the publisher. And then the publisher said, "Great, now you need to edit it." It was not one round of edits. You don't get from manuscript to finished book in one round, right?
After it was accepted for publishing. Then I did a complete new rewrite of it because the structure was really bad and so I completely restructured it and then I had a line edit done and then I had to go through everything the line editor did to kind of review it all. And then I had a proofreader and had to go through that again. And yeah, so I was in that book a lot. There were a lot of steps.
Yeah, step-by-step.
And so I just took that next step, not the ... when I was in the middle of the line edit, I wasn't working on the cover because that was step 20 and I was on step five. So I stayed at each step because trying to move too fast meant I would not finish the early steps. I would've just gotten too caught up and discouraged and not been able to move forward.
What do you think it was that propelled you from step to step? Like what was the source of your courage? What was your why? Right. In order to really dig deep enough to take the next step, we have to know our why, don't we?
Yeah, I agree. Definitely the why was very important and that was what kept me going and for me the why wasn't necessarily one beautifully written line on a sheet of paper on my dream board. It was more of a feeling. I felt like this story needed to be in the world and I felt like there was teaching moments and there was healing moments, and there were parts of my story that I don't know how they could potentially help someone else, but that they had the potential to do so. And it helped me as much as it could help other people by me getting these words out. But in this type of way, it was even another healing element for me as well. So for me, the why was more of a feeling, this story needs to be part of the public world. It needs to be part of the conversation of mental health and not the shadows of it.
That's kind of my ongoing why of continuing to promote and push the book. It's not because I want to sell books because there's really no money in books. Spoiler alert. My why is I want this story to get out to the people that need to read it and the only way to do that is to talk about it and is to get into the hands of people that need to read it or know the people that need to read it. And so that's why I continue to push for it because I want mental health to get out of the shadows and to be part of the normal conversation.
I mean, I would think that with every single edit of the book you relived the trauma that you were describing. That takes courage. To continue to do those edits and to take the next steps. That does take courage even if you don't want to, even if you don't see it as courageous. I can tell you as someone on the outside looking in that that is courageous.
Yeah. I mean I'm not going to deny, Beth, I'm not going to deny. Yeah, I can see where there seems like courage. And it was, I think as much as it was courage there was also self-awareness. A lot of self-awareness when I read the book, especially every section there's something that's a little bit challenging. There's maybe like one section that's like there was nothing challenging here, but everything there's something that's challenging to read. And even when I read the audio book, I had to read everything over again. So being self-aware of knowing myself and knowing when to take breaks and knowing when to, like if I'm getting frustrated, when I was reading the book, if I was getting caught up in my words, okay, take a break.
And I wouldn't work past a certain time. I knew my working hours and I knew my limits. So that was part of, I guess how I was able to have courage was to also know myself and know I don't do well if I'm not fed three times a day and if I don't have enough water. So those things is knowing those things about myself really helped.
The care and feeding of Stephanie Kostopoulos. So I think I've heard a lot of people say, I mean, just sort of anecdotally, just socially, I think I've heard a lot of people say that they think they have a book in them. And another thing that I hear people say a lot is that they really wish they could work for themselves. Right? And so these are two things that you've done that a lot of people think they want to do or could do or should do, even though we try not to use that word on this podcast.
And yet, every episode we do.
Every episode I manage to work it in. You're welcome. So what about that? What about moving from, this is something that sounds like a good idea to me. Something that I want to do or something that I think I need to do to actually making it happen?
Well, as we've talked about in our Should Episode, we'll put a link to that in the show notes if you're like, why don't they keep talking about this Should Thing? Yeah, I hear a lot of people will, when I tell them what I do and I have my own business and I make online content, I have a lot of people saying, "Oh yeah I should do that. I mean I go to X, Y, Z a lot. I could just take video of that. I should do that."
Yeah. I think everybody has the opportunity to do that. And if you want to, go for it, but that's my big thing is if you think you should, it's not sustainable. Do you want to? Do you want to share the projects you're working on? Do you want to share the trips you go on? Do you want to do those things? That's the biggest thing that you have to figure out, because it's a ton of work. Working for yourself, it sounds great and it is great. I mean, I'm not going to deny it. But it's a lot of work. Everything starts and ends with you. And it's not for people that want an easy, I'll be from at home, so I can get so much stuff done.
Well, no. You're going to, it's not what you think.
Yeah, one of the things that I have found in the periods of my life when I would have described myself as self-employed is that then you just don't have a boss to blame, right? And you don't have a business to blame. And you don't have office issues to blame. It's like, I didn't get anything done today because I'm completely distracted and unable to focus on what I need to do.
Yeah. I mean, and being self-employed really makes you examine self. There's a lot of self that you have to figure out and that because there is no one to blame and if you kind of observe, take a day and just observe how many times you blame something on someone else, and it easily could be someone else or some other whatever. I was late to work because of the traffic. Okay, well is that really what happened or did you leave late?
I don't know, observe how many times we put it on something. And when you work for yourself it's, you can still sometimes put it on people like, "My kid was sick so they stayed home, whatever." But you have to really, it all ends with you. So if you slept in an extra hour, you got less than an hour of stuff done. And like for me, if I did that, there's some mornings I wake up, I'm just like, I want to watch TV. You know what, that's okay. I'll allow myself to watch TV. I will still get everything I need to get done, but I can kind of move around where that is. So I try not to be too rigid but also know that—well I make a schedule and that's my biggest thing.
Schedule is key in my life is knowing like what I need to get done today. So at the end of the day I can check them all off and be like, "I feel good. I feel accomplished. This was a good day." Even if I didn't finish everything to like 9:00 PM, because I was taking some breaks in the day. That's how I can kind of judge this was a good day.
Yeah. It's not that some, it's not that you have a boss or another team at work that's waiting for this work to get done. So you know that you have to get it done by a deadline. You have to have self-imposed deadlines, which gets us back to, I think you got to know your why. Why is it important that I create these deadlines and follow these deadlines. And why do I want to work for myself? Why do I want to be my own boss? I think knowing your why is really ... is one of the key steps in making courage more than a concept.
Well I'm curious, Beth, you have made a lot of different career moves in your life and right now you are currently almost done with pastor school, right? Is that what it's called, pastor school?
No, it's called seminary.
Seminary. Okay.
And I have just three classes left, just one semester, and then I'll have my Master of Divinity.
Wow. So my question for you is what's your why? Why are you spending so many hours in Pastor school? I mean, seminary. And what's your why?
My why goes back several years because this is a long process to get started in this. You'd have to think back to your why about why you first started writing this, writing your story down when you did, right? You have to kind of trace back to understand the genesis of the idea and the genesis of the longing or the genesis of the idea of what you want to do.
So I was in a place as a mom where I felt like I could go back to work. I had put a pin in my legal career and my kids were older and so it was like, okay, I have time where I can think about myself again. What do I want to do? And I was in a really spiritually rich season and so I started asking instead, "okay God, what do you want me to do?" My husband and I had gotten used to just being a one income family at that point. And so I didn't have to do something to earn an income. And amazing as that is, it's an incredible opportunity. I know that it's not an opportunity that everybody gets. I don't take it for granted, but it is also the kind of opportunity that can be sort of paralyzing because it's like I could do anything. What do I do? So when I started to ask not what do I want to do, but what does God want me to do, it really felt like that I should be serving others in a different way, not in terms of a legal career. So my why always goes back to that.
I realized that I not only have some gifts that enabled me to kind of help people, but I also have the freedom to do that. So how do I really integrate that opportunity and the way that I understand I am created and who God has gifted me to be? How do I integrate those two ideas into one thing? And that became, at first, it was blogging and teaching and then that kind of became specifically Bible teaching, but then that really requires some more education. And so it all kind of has built on itself.
But the ongoing why is: to not live just for myself.
So what I heard was God told you to. That's why you're a pastor. God made you, is that true? Is that what you said?
I mean, I think that that is true. And I know that that sounds crazy. And I, not all that long ago, had someone tell me like, "God doesn't talk to people." And I'm like, "God doesn't talk to you. And that's okay."
He doesn't talk to you.
You're not hearing that. And that's okay. It doesn't mean that I don't.
That was one of the hardest things for me was when, in my book I talk about the first time I actually talked to God. And that was one of the toughest things for me to write about because it's so personal. And so, if you have never experienced talking to God, people think you're crazy. And I had struggled for so long thinking I was crazy. Crazy in the mental, the term people use for people with mental illness, which I don't like. But that's, I struggled with, I'm crazy. I deal with self-injury, I am depressed, I'm crazy. And I was in a mental hospital. And they put me there because I was crazy. So when I talked to God for the first time I thought, "Oh no, are people going to think I really hear voices in my head and I call them God?"
And so I really struggle with that, with in my book, putting it in the book, because the original draft did not have that in there. The original draft was just really me in the hospital and I was like, good, the story was actually originally called Nicole's Place, and that was my book. And then my publisher said, "I feel like the story is not done."
And I said, "Yeah, there's a book two." She's like, "Well, I think it's part of book one." So that's when I wrote the stuff that was even scarier to write because it was so personal and so true. And when I talk to God, it's something that I can't even really put into words. I try my hardest putting it in the book. And if you think I'm crazy, I finally come to the place where I'm okay with that. If you think I am, that's okay. You're allowed to have your opinion. But I put my truth in this book.
I think that people get sensitive about that phrase, "my truth," because I think they hear us saying that truth is flexible. And I just want to be really clear that that's not what we're saying. What we're saying is, I'm not going to argue with you about what I know to be true. I know that God told me that I should go to seminary. That is the truth. I'm not going to argue with you about whether or not you believe that's the truth. So when I say, "My truth," that's what I would mean.
Yeah. I know that people struggle with the term, my truth. I've never really struggled with it. To me, it means, and it's all over my book. So if you struggle with it just block those parts out, I guess. But for me it was, for most of my life, I didn't know fully what had happened in my life. There was parts of my brain that shut down and had said, "No, this is too much for you to handle and I'm not going to have it in your conscious mind. When I talk about my truth, I am really saying it was something that I had to learn and discover and not make up.
It was always there. It was always true, but it was something that I had to want to learn and discover and understand and be willing to accept whatever the harsh reality of it was. And so that's how I use the term, my truth. But I know it can be used in a way of like, this is how I see the world. This is my truth. Even though it's obvious that it's something different. I don't know. I think that's how sometimes it's used.
What we were talking about is not alternative facts. That's not what we're saying when we're referring to "my truth."
It is fact in my life, this is truly has happened. There is no fiction in my nonfiction book.
It's my life, my story.
So to circle back to the idea of being self-employed and how that takes courage, I think that it takes courage not only to step out and to become your own boss and to build your own business, but I think that it takes ongoing courage because you have to do hard things like self-promotion and you have to do hard things like negotiating contracts and you have to do hard things like knowing your value or knowing your worth.
All of those things I think take courage. And so it's this, I guess, the point that I'm getting to is courage isn't just a one time thing. So how do you make courage more than a concept? I think you have to do it again and again and again and it's always by taking the next step. And knowing your why. I think those are two essentials.
Well, what I loved is as you were saying, each of those items, I, every time you said one of those items, I did an internal cringe and thought of an example in my life where I had to self promote and it was hard. And when I had to negotiate, it was hard. How I didn't know my worth and it was hard.
So I think, yeah, you're right. Courage is something that is not just one and done. I go slay the dragon and I'm good kind of thing. You can have courage still in the face of fear. I think there's, I still fear things and I still am afraid to, I'm not, I don't love contacting companies and telling them about me and working with them. But I do it because I believe in that company and I want to work with that company, and I feel like we have value to add to the conversation of that product or that thing. And so even though I'm fearful and it's not a comfortable place for me, I still move forward with that. And I guess that would be the courage that we're talking about and actually putting into action.
So you know the movie The Wizard of Oz?
Which apparently it was a book before it was a movie. No, I'm kidding. Of course, it was a book before it was a movie. But everybody knows the movie version, right? So who was the character in the Wizard of Oz who needed courage?
The lion.
Yes, the Cowardly Lion.
Yes. The Cowardly Lion. It was in his name.
We never call him the Courageous Lion, right?
He's always the Cowardly Lion. And all through the movie he does these things that are brave, but he never sees himself as brave until the wizard gives him the stuff to drink, right? The liquid courage, I guess.
I don't remember how that ends. I just remember him being very scared of everything.
Yeah. But even when he's scared, he still is doing things that display courage and that prove him to be brave, but he doesn't see it in himself, right? And then there's like once that switch flips and he can see it in himself than he is transformed.
Interesting. Yeah.
So maybe part of making courage more than a concept gets back to that self-awareness of knowing that you are courageous or knowing that being courageous doesn't mean you're not afraid. If you weren't afraid, you wouldn't need courage. So I wonder if there's a healthy tool that we can access, kind of like what the Cowardly Lion receives from the wizard. Is there something that we can, is there a tool that we can access that will help us transform how we see ourselves?
Besides alcohol?
Okay. I was just clarifying because now that you were saying the liquid courage thing, I'm like, "Oh yeah, that's what people use alcohol for a lot of times."
Here, hold my beer. No, we don't mean that.
So, yeah. So you mean how do you get courage without being under the influence of anything?
Yeah, a healthy tool.
A healthy, healthy. Oh, yeah.
A healthy tool.
I see, Beth. Okay, yes. I'm following with you. I think part of actually taking action behind courage is self-awareness, is knowing yourself, knowing your limits, and spending time with you and knowing that you are worth spending time on. Being an introvert, that comes more natural to me because I like being alone, but I do have to spend time turning off the noise and just being with myself and talking with myself and figuring out, like I said in a past episode, that book that asked me 3,000 questions. I find that so interesting because it helps me think in different ways and it helps prompts me to kind of observe myself and my thinking.
So this might be a reflection of our introvert and extroverted characteristics, but my, the step that came to mind for me was, well you've got to tell somebody about it. Because you got to be accountable to someone other than yourself about these steps that you're going to take, right? If you had never told anyone that you felt like you had to write this book, it might've been easier to just not do it.
That's true. Yeah.
100%, I agree, self-awareness. But maybe just because I'm an extrovert that I'm like, but then also you've got to talk about it to somebody else.
I agree. No, accountability for sure is saying it out loud. I mean, there's so much power in just actually saying the words and having another human observe those words. I mean, that's a big part of therapy is just talking. So yeah, I think that's a big step in courage is saying those things to someone else and asking them to hold you accountable. Asking them what you, tell them what you need from them.
Yeah. When I was feeling like I was called to vocational ministry, called to be a pastor, I actually set up lunches with a few people and I said, "This is what I think I'm hearing from God and I'm wondering if you see any of those qualities in me." And that actually was a way for me to be accountable but also open to direction or correction, if I needed it. And they were all encouraging and affirming and it was a great experience.
But it was hard to say it out loud because it was such a big pivot. But I think saying it out loud was important.
How do you know when you're being courageous? How do you know?
I think sometimes you know when you're doing something that's hard because sometimes you know this is the hard thing to do, but it's the right thing to do. When I left my law firm, someone said that to me. One of the male partners said, "Sometimes the thing that feels hardest to do is the right thing to do." And in my case, he also said, "Spending time with your kids is never going to be the wrong thing. And so since you can you, I understand why you want to."
But also I would say that I don't think you always know when you're being courageous and it might be one of those things that in hindsight it's like, I can't believe that I did that next step, right? Or somebody else might have to tell you. You know, Steph, it was really courageous to write a book. It was really brave to let all of us learn from this experience. It was really courageous to analyze your own self, to understand that you used self-injury as a way to try to reconnect your brain with what you were feeling. That does take courage to sit and analyze all of that. A lot of people would just self-medicate away or find a way to avoid thinking about those things.
So you might not always know that you're being courageous. Somebody else might have to point it out to you.
Do you think you're courageous for doing this podcast?
I think that we together are courageous for doing the podcast. I don't think either of us would do it without the other, and I do think that we get into some heavy subjects, and also it takes courage to put your thoughts and ideas and voice and words out there for them to be received however they're going to be received.
And to not have control over how they're going to be received.
Yes, I really like having control.
I would much prefer to have control over everything.
Yeah, I love control as well. And I feel like everything in my life, God keeps testing me on all these things. You never wanted to work with yourself, guess what? You're self-employed. You want to have, be able to control the whole narrative. Guess what? You can't. And I feel like those things test me more than anything. And every time we do a podcast, I love the concept and I am so happy we're doing them. But it's a lot. It's like I'm putting my heart into each of these podcasts. There's a piece of my truth, my true self in each of these episodes. And it's tough because I sometimes just wait like, "Oh no, what is someone going to say? What is someone going to say?" But I have to say, knock on my wood table. Oops, Mac thought someone was at the door. Sorry. No one's at the door. I don't think I've had anyone say anything negative to my face or comment. It will happen. I know it will, but people have just, if they don't like it, they haven't told me.
Well, if that happens, just shield me from it because there's no way I can take it.
Okay. I won't tell you if someone says how much they don't like it.
You know, Steph, I think what you just hit on is why it's hard for people to have honest conversations. I mean, that's the whole idea behind this, right? Is that we are having an honest conversation about things that if we weren't intentional about it, we might not talk about, and we're hoping that this is encouraging other people to have honest conversations. But maybe that takes courage because it requires vulnerability and it risks rejection.
So you have to be courageous. And how do you make courage more than a concept? Well, you've got to know, here's what I have heard us say in the course of our conversation today, that you've got to know why. Why you're going to take the next step. You have to know what the next step is. Not 10 steps from now, but just right now, what can I do, what do I need to do right now to get one step closer? And you need self-awareness.
And being vulnerable, I think is a big part of it as well. And allowing, being okay with that.
Yes. I think that is essential to having honest conversations. And to being courageous.
So Stephanie, your book is officially out now and if folks want to-
... it's in bookstores, so you can find it in bookstores. I don't know what section of the bookstore it would be in. Maybe like self-help or self-something.
But you can just ask the people working in the bookstore for Stephanie Kostopoulos' book. And we're going to put a link to it.
I think it would be in the self-help section, because that's what's on the book thing, the bottom label.
The book thing, which would be the back of the book.
That back of the book.
The bottom left of the book.
I think self-help, personal growth. It will be in one of those sections.
And the book is called Discovering My Scars: Learning to Take A Giant Leap Forward While Taking Two Steps Back.
And my foot's on the front cover.
And the cover is Stephanie taking a step forward.
And you can see her tattoo on there.
It's real.
Which is a cross that is scarred.
Yeah, it's a skin rip tattoo or ripped skin tattoo. I always reverse those, because I'm dyslexic. But yeah, so it kind of looks like it's under my skin, which is a tattoo I always wanted. And I finally got in 2012. And I love my tattoo so much. So I was so excited when my photographer had the idea to use that in the picture.
So I would definitely encourage you to pick up a copy of Steph's book, Discovering My Scars. I learned a lot from reading it. I mean, I say it in the intro to the podcast, but it's really true that I just learn again and again. I learn things from Stephanie's own self-awareness and from her courage to dive into understanding herself and understanding her own story and finding her truth. So I would definitely encourage you to pick up that book and we'll put some links to it in the show notes.
We do like to try to have a caller question in every episode and we've gotten some phone calls back recently from some of those questions. A while back, we asked for you to tell us if you were a PC person or a Mac person, and of course, we like all kinds of people, whether you're a PC person or a Mac person.
Or a typewriter person.
But Stephanie--
... but you're probably not listening to the podcast if you're a typewriter person.
Probably not. Although, typewriters are cool.
They're back. I know. I really want one, but I have no use for one.
Yeah. Stephanie is such a Mac person that her dog is named Mac, which you might've picked up on if you've listened to some episodes. So she's definitely a Mac person. I'm more of a PC person, but like a PC person with an iPhone and an iPad. So, what does the voicemail say?
Hi, guys. This is Laurel. I'm actually an old friend of Stephanie's mom. I used to live in Tallahassee but now I'm living in Athens, Georgia. I hope the audio is okay because I'm currently sitting in my car trying to get it unfrozen to go to work.
Oh, no.
But anyways, regarding the question you guys had about Mac versus PC, I just wanted to share a quote that a friend of mine did. He worked IT, and so he had to work with both. And he said, "I like PC because of freedom and I like Mac because of stability." I think definitely there's this whole thing where there's a lot more control on a PC. You can set it up exactly how you want it. Whereas on a Mac, everything's more running in the background and you kind of have to know what you're doing. Personally, right now I'm a Mac person, except for the fact that there's programs I cannot run on a Mac.
Except. Except.
So I have to keep a PC around me. So that's kind of my response to the question. Have a great day, bye.
I wonder if she's going to school in Athens. Isn't there a big school in Athens, Georgia?
I don't know if she's still in school. I'll have to look it up.
Well, if you're a college student, good luck and thanks for calling in. We really appreciate it.
And I hope your car is not still frozen.
Oh my goodness. That would be such a bummer.
I loved what she said though because that is so true. Like what she said about PC versus Mac. I felt like that was a really good, a really good example. Also though, I want to just let you know, Laurel, that you don't have to keep your PC around because you can install windows on a Mac, you can install it using Bootcamp or you can install with software like parallel software where you can virtually run your windows software while you're running your Mac. I'm just putting it out there.
Or you could just continue to use a PC and guess what you get when you have a PC. This is amazing, y'all.
Viruses.
Mac people will not understand this, but you have a control key, a control key on the PC.
We have a control key. It's the command key.
And you can just, like when you're word processing, control C to copy things.
Command C on a Mac. Are you kidding me? Do you not know that?
The command button [crosstalk 00:35:56].
Command C, copy. Command V, paste. Command X, cut. Command Z, undue. Command A, select all.
Are you done? The command key is in the wrong place. The command key is two keys too far to the right to be useful.
And you are two keys too ...
That is my feedback for all of you Mac people.
Man, I can't believe this discussion is still going on. I don't know why Beth's still trying to convince everybody. Wow, that was the lamest argument I have heard. A key placement?
Excuse me. This is my truth. That's it.
Okay, now you've used it in the wrong way. Now you've just ruined the whole episode. We just had this whole great discussion. Beth was giving you a great example of how my truth has gotten watered down and that's not how we were using it earlier in the episode. Thank you Beth for a great example. What is our question today, Beth?
So today's caller question is: If you were going to write a book, what would the title be?
Well that's a good one.
My mom needs to call in because she always has the best titles for things. Mom, if you're listening to this episode and if you're not, why aren't you? I was required, I would like you to call in because she just had three really good titles yesterday.
And what's the number that they would call in?
You can call or text, actually.
You can call or text our number and that is 850-270-3308 and it is a Google Voice number so we don't answer but we will get it when you leave a message.
At the end of each episode, we like to end with Questions for Reflection. These are questions related to today's show. And Beth will pause between each one for you to pause the podcast if you want to answer them in your car to yourself or you can print out a PDF copy on our website.
Number one, what is something you've always wanted to do but not yet accomplished? What's stopping you? Number two, have you ever thought about writing your life story? What might you gain from writing your story and what might others gain from reading your story? Number three, what is one area of your life where you think you could use more courage?
This has been the Discovering Our Scars podcasts. Thank you for joining us.


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(12/P118) TRENTON - The Department of Environmental Protection is advising residents and outdoor enthusiasts in New Jersey's "bear country'' that black bears are preparing for winter and are now actively foraging for food as they prepare for the denning season. The DEP urges residents to strictly adhere to guidelines for eliminating or securing potential black bear food sources to reduce potential problem encounters with bears this fall, said Commissioner Bob Martin.
Feeding bears either deliberately or unintentionally by carelessly leaving out food or garbage can have serious consequences. Bears that learn to associate food with people readily become a nuisance and are more likely to damage property or exhibit aggression, which may lead to the bear's destruction in order to protect the public.
Most of New Jersey's black bears live in the northwest portion of the state, particularly Morris, Sussex, Warren and northern Passaic counties, and portions of Hunterdon, Somerset, and Bergen counties. However, as the bear population in New Jersey has grown in recent years, black bears have been sighted in all 21 counties, and bear-human encounters have occurred more frequently in places outside of traditional bear country, including more heavily populated suburban areas of the state.
To deal with this issue, a New Jersey Comprehensive Black Bear Management Policy was developed by the state's Fish and Game Council and approved by Commissioner Martin. That policy emphasizes managing black bears through research and monitoring, non-lethal and lethal control of problem bears, public education on co-existing with bears—including trash management, and includes an annual controlled hunt.
Reducing conflicts with bears is a community effort. It only takes several households with unsecured food to create a nuisance bear that could affect an entire neighborhood.
Invest in bear-proof garbage containers. If not using bear-proof garbage containers, store all garbage in containers with tight fitting lids in a secure area such as a basement, the inside wall of a garage, or a shed.
Use electric fencing to protect livestock and beehives.
Put garbage out on collection day, not the evening before.
Wash garbage containers with a disinfectant at least once a week to eliminate odors. Draping ammonia or bleach soaked cloth over containers will help to eliminate odors.
Do not place meat or sweet food scraps in compost piles.
Feed birds only from December 1 to April 1, when bears are least active.
If you feed birds when bears are active, suspend birdfeeders at least 10 feet off the ground.
Clean up spilled seeds and shells daily.
Feed outdoor pets during daylight hours only. Immediately remove all food scraps and bowls after feeding.
Clean outdoor grills thoroughly after each use. Grease and food residue can attract bears.
Do not leave food unattended while camping or picnicking.
Store all food items in coolers inside vehicles where they cannot be seen or in bear-proof food storage lockers at State Park facilities.
Never feed a black bear. It is dangerous and against the law.
Report bear damage or nuisance behavior to your local police department or to the Division of Fish and Wildlife at (877) 927-6337.


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I dont want to put it into a thrifts saving plan or roth ira or 401k. I know the post office but anywhere else like cvs, walgreens, the gas station. This is one of those hard to figure situations. Youll see the lump reducing in size. Ron Hubbard, the man behind the The Keepsake: A Rizzoli & Isles Novel of Scientology, was still is a controversial figure. Mountains will become seas and new land masses will form in the matter of minutes.They are listed as hoaxes. Get out of the rat race today. good luck questions, Entertainment Music,Movies Mr. Darwin concluded that if earth can change, life must change in order to adapt.
THAILAND IS A BIG COUNTRY AND WHAT PRICES YOU PAY DEPENDS ON WHERE YOU ARE STAYING – try www. – Recently, when reading this book called, "Male The Keepsake: A Rizzoli & Isles Novel – Pleasure, Power, and Transformation" by Kerwin Kay (2000), I came across this chapter about a this guy and his experience of going to a specialist and trying to use The Keepsake: A Rizzoli & Isles Novel technopsychology (involving biofeedback) to change his sexual orientation from gay to straight. We dont have one. Even SBA does NOT give out grants. Is her lover secretly zombie Thomas Cromwell. I had to make a diorama of the apartment. There are 6 books in the series and the last one comes out at the end of this year. Thank you, dear God, for your mercy and guidance; in Jesus name.


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I'm interested in learning more about 30545 NW 306th PL North Plains, OR 97133.


The MCUA of Australia Incorporated has been established to provide Australians a collective voice to challenge outdated opinions and attitudes concerning the Cannabis plant, and to educate and inform policy-makers of the abundant existent scientific evidence that the cannabis plant has proven medicinal and therapeutic value, as well as nutritional and dietary supplemental benefits.
We ultimately seek cannabis law reform throughout Australia and our activities are focused on lobbying Australian governments at all levels and all sides of politics to that end.
1. To collect and distribute information about the benefits of medicinal cannabis treatments, specifically that they provide other OPTIONS, as opposed to conventional pharmaceuticals, for the treatment of many human ailments, diseases and illnesses, and that they can offer better patient outcomes in terms of less side-effects and an attendant better quality of life.
2. To educate Australians about the benefits of consuming fresh "raw" cannabis and organically grown hemp seed foods, and to publicly propagate the reasons why they should be included in a healthy diet to prevent illnesses and relieve their symptoms.
3. To advocate for safe, reliable, compassionate, and uninterrupted supply options for people who are in need, NOW.
4. To lobby for cannabis law reform throughout Australia that allows the lawful use of cannabis and its derivatives. Our goal is to obtain legal access to fresh Cannabis and access to safe cannabis manufactured products - at affordable prices - for the greatest number of people who may benefit - sooner rather than later - by utilising the knowledge bank and personal experience that already exists here in Australia and internationally.
Cannabis Law Reform is well overdue and patients and carers who are using home grow methods now, should be exempt from prosecution under the Drug Laws of each state or territory if medical use can be proven.
any businesses or companies that advertise online and professes to sell safe, legal and cost effective medicines – especially cbd only – which is currently classed (by internationally based companies) as a dietary supplement but classified as S4 requiring a precription by a doctor and importation through the TGA in Australia.
the hypothesis that "home grown medicine is dangerous or harmful because we don't know exactly what is in it". Home growing eliminates these worries. Plants can be grown from stable seed stock in consistent ratios and we know exactly which extraction methods and growth promoters have been used.


text:
Суходо́л (до 1972 года — Кангауз) — река в Шкотовском районе Приморского края России.

Старое название Кангауз (правильно Кангоуцзы) китайского происхождения, что значит «высыхающая речка» (кан — сухая, гоу — речка, вода, цзы — суффикс), «сухая падь» или «сухая долина». По одной версии происходит от того, что после бурного весеннего половодья сильно пересыхает летом. По второй версии названо китайцами за отсутствие в одноимённой бухте и её долинах морских туманов, свойственных летом для Уссурийского залива. Переименована после вооружённого конфликта за остров Даманский.

Река берёт своё начало на юго-восточном склоне горы Туманной, хребта Большой Воробей, расположенного в южной части горной системы Сихотэ-Алиня. Течёт в западном направлении и впадает у села Речица в бухту Суходол Уссурийского залива. Длина реки 45 км, падение — 617 м.

Основные притоки: Смолянинка (длина 25 км), Кишмишовый Ключ (11 км), Ловага (26 км), Гамаюнова (23 км).

Населённые пункты на реке, сверху вниз: село Анисимовка, посёлок Новонежино, железнодорожный разъезд 53-й км, село Романовка, село Речица.

Примечания

Ссылки

Реки, впадающие в залив Петра Великого
Реки Шкотовского района


text:
Daily Dish
Black Flight
By The Daily Dish
by Chris Bodenner
The WSJ examines how U.S. cities such as Atlanta, DC, and San Francisco are reversing historic trends by becoming more white -- both because white professionals are gentrifying blighted areas and because black middle-class families are moving to the suburbs. In other words, white flight has given way to "African-American out-migration."
In Washington, a historically black church is trying to attract white members to survive. Atlanta's next mayoral race is expected to feature the first competitive white candidate since the 1980s. San Francisco has lost so many African-Americans that Mayor Gavin Newsom created an "African-American Out-Migration Task Force and Advisory Committee" to help retain black residents.
"The city is experiencing growth, yet we're losing African-American families disproportionately," Mr. Newsom says. When that happens, "we lose part of our soul."
Ta-Nehisi Coates pounces:
Oh no, not our soul! A black church actually trying to attract white members, a white guy actually running for office in Atlanta, and a big city mayor who has to fight to keep black people. Race war, indeed. Sometimes, there really is no way to win with media. Part of the reason cities like Atlanta are becoming white is because black folks (like myself) who grew up caged in cities want their taste of the stereotypical American dream and thus are leaving. But there never is any black agency--to be African-American is to be an automaton responding to either white racism or cultural pathology. No way you could actually have free will.
(Newsom is trying to keep blacks from leaving through affordable housing, and to lure them back with cultural institutions, such a jazz center. Hanna Rosin examined how Memphis tacked in the opposite direction -- using Section8 vouchers to bring poor African-Americans out to the suburbs -- with disastrous results.)


"Oops, I missed a step" Salvation.
Romans 8:26-29 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
I was saved at the age of five. To be honest I do not remember a time that I did not believe Christ paid the price of my redemption through His Blood. (Having Godly Missionary parents, and learning to read from the Bible tends to have that effect.) So to be more accurate; At the age of five I made my profession known. And then at the age of 16, I confirmed that faith by being baptized at Gilead Baptist Church in Owosso, MI.
Philippians 2:11-13 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.12 Wherefore,my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and todo of his good pleasure.
I bring this up to tell you that the greatest question I had as a child and as a young man was "Did I miss a step?" This question never came about from an unbelief in Christ or the Bible but from a strong desire to do all that I could to follow as closely as possible God's words for my "salvation".
Also, each process is fully backed up by random verses which promote their process with a additional caveat that if you ascribe to any other model then you are not correct and are now bound for Hell! If their model is not popular among other Christians they will add the fact that Christ said "few there be that find it".
Matthew 7:13-15 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14 because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.15 Beware of false prophets,which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
On one small point I appreciate the Catholics because they are honest and say it is all part of a "process of salvation" but for many Baptist (because they play gymnastics with words and separate the process in our minds) will pay lip service to "faith in Christ alone" but then doubt a person's salvation if they failed to complete a "process of sanctification" to which many unconsciously ascribe and link to saving faith.
Acts 15:1 And certain men which came down from Judæa taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses,ye cannot be saved.
Many say some things are needed before true faith can "become available" Some say a various level of repentance or sorriness for your past sins is needed before salvation. Another relies on various levels of hearers knowledge or the presenters accurately voicing the truth; they have to understand the events correctly as presented in the correct bible (1611 KJAV Pure Cambridge Edition only for English speakers or it won't work).
Now we come to the "Free Gift" hopefully you chose the correct "pre-approval process. At this point you have three options (but be careful because if you chose wrong you don't understand salvation and will have to start over or go to Hell!)1. "Ask for salvation" by prayer. 2. Just acknowledge Christ work but don't say anything or it proves you do not believe Romans 3:19. 3. Be baptized by immersion before believers to show your belief.
Now you are saved but you we're not really saved you did not give God Lordship authority or do not do these following things in six months/rest of your life or when we all discover a mistake in our model.
By this time you understand what I'm getting at through my exaggerated examples and may even ascribe to a milder form of one or two points my intent is not to prove or disprove anything but to also share the model I used for salvation. Look. Believe. Follow. Simple desire of the heart words.
John 1:33-37 And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God. 35 Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples; 36 and looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God! 37 And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.
What I learned as a young man is that while information, knowledge, physical actions, etc can help me better understand Christ redemptive work and to grow in faith and wisdom, there are no steps, no process, no "things" I can do to pre-approve myself mentally or verbally.
Genesis 4:26c then began men to call upon the name of the Lord.
Romans 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord [from the heart's true desire] shall be saved.
Acts 11:15-17 And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning. 16 Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost. 17 For as much then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God?
At this point many out of concern will perhaps wish to present a step we must keep in mind or risk leading a sinner down a wrong path. Remove that link to head knowledge and let Christ work in the man's heart. Lift up Christ and let Him worry about the steps and you might be surprised that a few extra lost people find the narrow way into heaven without all our extra steps and sign post.
We need to learn that: People "being saved" require a process and teachers but people which are saved required only a Saviour.
Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; [not head] and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
John you went to great links but, the only requirement I'm aware of is Romans 10:13, which I might add you did list. However, it must be applied in the context of the proceeding verses.
Couldn't read the OP. It is one long scroll of one letter on each line. Scrolled down to second post. Second post is normal. Not sure what's going on???
Fine for me on the phone.
Might it be related to your visibility settings?
I have the same problem. I'm on my laptop.
Loaded fine for me on phone and laptop. Try refreshing the screen.
I would say it is not a "requirement" but rather a natural outcome of yielding to the Spirit. It is the man's sudden Faith in Christ which saves Him and causes him to call out to the Lord. The heart is claimed first then the mouth is witness to the fact; As the Context of Romans 10 clearly shows.
Human Faith conceives with the Spirit of God to create the baby which cries out. The crying is not what created the child but rather it is the natural result of a new life already created.
One long line for me too--on three different PCs.
Dell PC (laptop), one long line yesterday. Computer was shut down for drive home and not restarted till an hour ago -- still one long line.
I've not seen this, but I only use a desk-top computer.
Can I suggest the obvious?
That once the issue with this particular thread is resolved, the thread be cleaned up?
There needs to be the feedback so BroMatt can deal with it, but it distracts from the point.
I KNOW it is obvious but maybe stating it will put John's mind at rest with it.
Sounds like a rendering issue. Make sure your computer and browser is completely up to date. Also the crome browser is the best.
At times this will happen when you copy and paste your text. What you copied it from may have had a "table" in it and the forum may not recognize it as a table. Those who have done any web design will know what I mean. Many times different computers and browsers will "see" things differently than others..
I think that is probably the issue.
I tried to get rid of some of the copied formatting that may have been causing the problem in the post. Does it appear properly now?
Salvation requires a process - knowledge & conviction of sin, repentance, realisation that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sin, & prayerful acceptance of him as Lord & Saviour. It is just not a simple once-for-all "Say this salvation prayer." Though it could appear to be. And it must include a commitment to a changed life, walking humbly with our Saviour-God.
Whatever the process that leads to salvation - & I've heard & read some highly involved testimonies - salvation is a simple faith in the our Lord Jesus Christ as both Lord & Saviour, & a committed walk with him.
We all have different "steps" in our testimonies, but there is no required formula, no missing steps, as long as the resultant present experience is that living relationship with our Saviour-God evident by our walk with him.
I see no where in scripture, that men call upon the name of the Lord to get saved.
Now show a verse where a person did this to get saved.
Romans 10:13 says, and I quote here, "shall be saved" not "will get saved".
Only one who already is saved will call on the name of the Lord.
Unless I miss your meaning?
Scripture seems to say what it says, not what you say it says.
True belief saves but also causes you to cry out. The two go hand in glove because some people will believe but not enough to call out to him or confess his name to others. Your faith which God is looking for cannot be just one of silent consent but must be the type which causes you to act.
Matthew 12:35-37 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.
That is just because people may be believing a tradition rather than the clearly written words here.
The 'common' tradition is - when men call upon the name of the Lord they get saved; and the scriptures teach clearly that it is 'believing with all your heart' that gets one saved. The result of that 'believing with all your heart' being a 'relationship' between God and man, is that 'communication' flows between the two.
Calling upon the name of the Lord down through biblical history has always been prayer.
And always been by those who believed in the Lord, pre-Christ and during the 'human-birthed' life of Christ, for Jesus Christ was God before his physical body.
Maybe that was a little more clear?


Chalcroft Construction, specialist in new-build and refurbishment projects in the food sector, has started work on the third phase of a project that will complete the expansion of a food production facility.
Bakkavör-owned Wingland Foods, in Sutton Bridge, Lincolnshire, first called in Chalcroft in 2005 when it embarked on an expansion programme aimed at increasing production of deli style salad items for a well-known high street premium supermarket.
The latest project sees Chalcroft working on a high-care facility, complete with insulated white walls, kerbs and resin floor. It also sees alterations to a blast freezer, upgrades to existing plant and the installation of an innovative air-handling system.
Edward Getley, who heads up Chalcroft's Food Projects Division, commented: "A growth in demand for its products has seen Wingland Foods embark on an expansion programme that will mean it can continue to fulfil its potential.
"The work we are currently carrying out at Wingland utilises every aspect of our knowledge and experience in this sector, particularly with the construction of a high-care facility that is adjacent to an existing production area."
Special pods have been created around the doors that will eventually lead into the extension, with work scheduled to be complete in early May.
Jonathan Fowler, from Wingland Foods, commented: "We've been pleased with the attention to detail, flexibility and partnership ethos demonstrated by the Chalcroft team on the project here at Wingland Foods.
"This project has been a case study in planning and logistics to ensure that there have been no interruptions to production and to make sure that when the extension opens, it fits seamlessly into use."
Chalcroft has worked with the Bakkavör group of companies for a number of years, with one of its most recent projects being an extension to the premises of Bakkavör-owned Isleport Foods, in Highbridge, Somerset.