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Shock in Fine Gael as Bill O'Donnell opts not to seek Limerick council re-election
Donal O'Regan
Not seeking re-election in 2019: Fine Gael councillor, Bill O'Donnell
CLLR Bill O'Donnell will not contest the next local election, the Limerick Leader can reveal.
Hailing from a political dynasty that stretches back to his great-grandfather Foxy Tom O'Donnell, the news will shock the Fine Gael party and members in County Limerick.
Cllr O'Donnell, a solicitor, said he had further opportunities in the legal profession that he wishes to pursue and "I cannot do this while serving as a councillor".
"I am making this announcement at this early stage because under the present constituency set up Fine Gael will need to select at least three additional candidates in the Cappamore-Kilmallock area to contest the local elections with Cllr Gerald Mitchell, who I expect will be on the field.
"This process will begin with the branch AGMs which will take place throughout the constituency during the next three months and I want to give members of Fine Gael every opportunity to consider suitable candidates," said Cllr O'Donnell.
The Herbertstown man with strong links to Bruff and Athlacca is a nephew of former minister and MEP, Tom O'Donnell.
His great-grandfather Foxy Tom O'Donnell was a founding member of Limerick County Council; granduncle Dick O'Connell was a TD from 1924 to 1932 and grandfather Bill Condon was a councillor in the 1930s.
Bill O'Donnell has been a councillor since 2009 and ran for the Dail in 2011
"I would like to thank my colleagues in McMahon O'Brien Tynan Solicitors for their support in facilitating my council commitments over the past number of years, however the new combined city and county council is a lot more time consuming than the previous county council and being a councillor is slowly becoming a full-time job," said Cllr O'Donnell, who added that he has enjoyed his time in the council and will continue to fulfil his mandate "to the best of my ability for the remainder of my term of office".
"I wish to extend my appreciation for the commitment, dedication and cooperation of my fellow councillors and of the management and staff of Limerick City and County Council during my time as an elected member. I would also like to sincerely thank my family, friends and supporters who have helped me in very many ways over the years and also the Fine Gael party who have afforded me the privilege of representing the people of Limerick as a councillor. I will continue to take a personal interest in the economic and social advancement of Limerick and the Mid-West region and to participate in any way that I can to ensure continued progress," said Cllr O'Donnell.
Senator Kieran O'Donnell said his relation will be a "major loss to politics.
"He has made his decision in terms of his own career in the legal profession which is a very successful one. I think he very much enjoys the role as a councillor but it shows the difficulty of combining both. Bill will be a huge loss to politics and would have continued to have had a great career in politics.
"Bill is a very intelligent fellow, very straight, very independent of mind – Bill calls it as he sees it. It is a good trait in any person and something that I would admire in Bill.
"People will be shocked with the decision because he is seen as a very good public representative and is immensely popular," said Senator O'Donnell.
Leader of the Fine Gael party in the council, Cllr John Sheahan said the O'Donnell name is synonymous with politics in east Limerick. "We will be sorry to lose such a valued member and he would have had a lot to contribute had he stayed in politics," said Cllr Sheahan.


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Vaccines are changing consumer behavior: what we know so far
Chris Beer
Since rollouts began in earnest in the New Year, a handful of countries have pulled ahead in the vaccine race.
Within our 47 tracked markets, the current leaders are the USA, the UK, Israel, and the UAE. Each of them holds potential clues as to what life after lockdowns might look like, but we're particularly interested in Israel and the UAE.
Not only have they led the charge in vaccinating their citizens, they also had fewer lockdown restrictions at the time of research – giving us a better insight into what you might call the "post-vaccine mindset".
As Coca-Cola and Pepsi's new ads show, there are lots of different takes out there about how consumers will feel as vaccines usher them back to something approaching normality.
Through the themes we've gathered below, we can use data to get clearer insight into how these vaccine leaders are adjusting to their new reality.
1. Consumers are keen to get back out there – even more than before.
To best understand what's at stake now, we need to rewind to Q2 2020, when the full impact of COVID became apparent in our global research.
With a big chunk of the world's population under lockdown at the time, it came as no surprise that any data points related to being out and about – whether it was taking public transport or going to the cinema – all dropped significantly.
What was more surprising (and at the time, perhaps more worrying) was the drop in interest for being out and about, particularly around live events and culture.
The question was, with long periods of time under lockdown, would consumers become fundamentally disconnected from these activities?
Judging by the vaccine leaders' example, this interest will return, and return in spades.
These countries didn't actually see the same initial decrease the rest of the world did, but interest in live events, museums, and others have still grown sharply – indicating a strong post-vaccine bump.
Interest in cultural activities is now bigger in those places than it was even before COVID.
It's a similar story with eating out. Here there was a dip in Q2 2020, followed by a recent uptick driven by vaccines and unlocking of their hospitality industries.
We should point out, however, that interest in cooking hasn't dropped from its pandemic increases. The extra time consumers have spent in the kitchen appears to have left an impression.
2. Successful vaccination programs are stimulating travel demand.
The other place to look for evidence of wanting to get out there, and one that has billions riding on it, is in travel planning.
Here, the impact of vaccines is obvious. Globally, there are signs of a tentative rebound, but in countries with accelerated vaccine rollouts, this is much more defined, with intent to buy travel tickets up 19% in our latest research wave.
Based on our most recent research, all countries that had administered a first dose to at least 25% of their population were seeing travel interest rebound strongly.
And this interest is returning to both domestic and foreign trips. With more international travel possible, consumers are still looking at options within their own countries.
A year of COVID and lockdowns has also had some impact on why people want to travel. Year-on-year, the fastest growing travel influences in these countries are:
Being able to visit friends and family (up 24%)
Having a once-in-a-lifetime experience (20%)
Ease of traveling (19%).
Each of them makes a lot of sense in the post-COVID context. Consumers want to see close contacts they've been held back from, and, after a pandemic, they're keener to make the most of life by seeing unique things – so long as they avoid too much hassle in the process.
It's harder to find a clear story on what's become less important in inspiring travel, but a significant one is reduced interest in special offers and deals. Consumers still want value for money, but the amount consumers they're willing to invest, and the return they expect, is likely increasing. Which brings us to…
3. Vaccines drive consumer confidence and reduce thrift.
In Q2 2020, consumer confidence crashed around the world. At the peak of global lockdowns, consumers' belief that their personal finances, or their countries' economy, would get better in the next 6 months plummeted to a degree almost unprecedented in the history of our research.
The UAE and Israel were actually fairly insulated from this original shock, but even so, consumer confidence is increasing.
56% are confident about their country's economy in Q1 2021, compared to 46% in the same period last year.
As consumer confidence has risen, attention to cost in purchase decisions has fallen. Cost incentives have become less important across the board, whether it's in the use of vouchers and coupons, loyalty programs, or advocating a brand for financial rewards.
Our take is that a year of lockdown and financial uncertainty made frugality more necessary, but consumers are now becoming less price-sensitive. Marketing campaigns will likely be able to place more focus on encouraging spending than promoting thrift through 2021.
4. Some lockdown favorites will stick around.
As vaccines have given the world a glimpse of life after COVID, there's been some interesting shifts in popular culture. Some commentators have been keen to gently mock old lockdown favorites and leave them in the past – as Jack Whitehall, host of this year's BRIT Awards, put it: "No more puzzles, no more Zoom quizzes".
But not all aspects of lockdown life will be thrown out. We've already seen hints of this in our Zeitgeist research in the UK and U.S., but we can now see it across a broader selection of data points.
An obvious one is ecommerce, the convenience of which continues to make it a real winner for consumers. It's trending across a number of categories in countries with advanced rollouts, but one of the most notable spikes is for buying groceries online. This has left a real impression with shoppers and continues to tick up and to the right.
Livestreams have also emerged during the pandemic as an alternative source of entertainment.
Even in countries with more in-person activities available, they're climbing in popularity. They were less popular in those countries to begin with, so it's possible they're just catching up. But in these early stages, it looks as if consumers will look for virtual events to continue in parallel with in-person ones.
Vaccines bring more peace-of-mind.
Consumers are likely to emerge from COVID with different perspectives on life. Those in countries with accelerated vaccine rollouts look to be diverging from the rest of the world in two important ways. They're less likely to feel prone to anxiety, and less likely to feel overworked.
It's a good sign – as things open up again, people feel more content and relaxed in their own mind. But it also suggests treating consumers with care, steering clear of any post-vaccine, back-to-normal, messaging that promotes a different kind of social anxiety.
Many will be feeling apprehensive about coming out of lockdown, either due to a lack of social interaction, or trying to adapt from a year of being in "fight-or-flight" mode.
Consumers are looking to go out and have fun, but peace-of-mind will be a key part of it.
In trying to reflect the world and headspace consumers are heading into, marketers would be wise to remember it may be a slow adjustment for many, and avoid trying to create FOMO, or other kinds of social pressures.
Another important thing to remember is with vaccines rolling out at different speeds around the world, countries will be split into separate tiers for some time. Some countries will see COVID as largely a thing of the past. But for many, it will remain a threat and a worry.
For most of 2020, we've been able to make general statements about consumer attitudes based on the fact that, in the absence of vaccines, most people were in the same boat.
But this is no longer the case.
Countries will diverge depending on how close they are to collective immunity.
Variants are also a potential wildcard. Even if they don't cause issues on a global scale, they could well have a profound impact in individual countries.
Cautious optimism
In some ways understanding the consumer mentality and post-COVID trends is simple – consumers can now do things they haven't been able to for months.
But there's another side to it. Many people have used the past few months to reflect and make new priorities.
From Israel and the UAE we're seeing signs of consumer confidence and the increased appetite to spend and to travel that many businesses are so desperate for.
But from this early data, we also get the sense that the "back to normal" messaging should avoid being too celebratory, or create new pressures for consumers whose mental state may be fragile. Vaccines may be rolling out at lightning speed, but consumers' collective mindset may take a bit longer to settle.
Chris is a Data Journalist at GWI. Starting out his professional life in a recording studio, he now spends his time listening out for consumer trends on the horizon.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Xander Ford shocks, delights netizens
Count Marlou Arizala as one of those who does not believe in the old adage "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me."
He started out as the oldest member of Hasht5, a dance group of five teenagers. The Hasht-5 member who first got noticed after viral lipsync "papogi" videos, and got his biggest break when he was asked to guests in "Gandang Gabi Vice," got sick and tired of being called ugly when he was younger.
So he decided to undergo plastic surgery and morph into the handsome Xander Ford with the clear skin, aquiline nose and fuller cheeks.
The transformation was so amazing, Marlou and Xander Ford became the number two trending topic worldwide.
Netizens are having a field day describing his transformation from that of a pinipig to a classy magnum ice cream. Up high in the list of most well-loved comments is how "words could affect a person either physically or mentally."
Netizens who support Marlou say it's just right for him to change his looks if it makes him happy. Another says that Marlou's experience proves that poverty can make one look ugly.
Now that Marlou is dead, and Xander Ford has taken over, the man of the hour, his parents and growing number of fans agree a brighter future awaits him.
During a recent appearance in "Rated K," the camera showed how Xander Ford's fans, waving banners with his name printed on them as they chanted his name over and over.
His parents, Aniceto and Merly, who were present at the studio, shed tears of joy. They went on stage to hug him and show their happiness over his new look.
Xander Ford told the audience he can now finally work seriously as an actor to help his parents. He now talks and moves with more confidence, and his stylist can come up with various types of clothes Xander can wear with ease and composure.
Xander has also become a photographer's delight as he changes his poses every now and then to look more interesting before the camera.
The "Rated K" episode featuring the transformation of internet sensation Marlou Arizala into Xander Ford proved to be a big winner not just on social media but also on TV.
On Sunday, the episode became a trending topic on Twitter in the Philippines and all over the world. It also defeated its rival program on GMA-7 in the ratings game on television.
According to data from Kantar Media, "Rated K" scored a national TV rating of 26.4% versus "Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho," which had a rating of 18.2%.
For weeks, Ford teased fans with his new look but it was only on Sunday that he revealed his new look.
Aside from having his nose and chin altered, Ford also had his teeth, eyebrows and lips fixed.
"Natupad na po 'yung pangarap ko," he said.
Meanwhile, aside from "Rated K," other ABS-CBN shows ruled the weekend programming.
Star Image Artist is managing Xander Ford.
M. Ranoa-Bismark, PS
Canada, 38 other countries call for end of drug war killings in Philippines
Tech Millionaire and Adventure Journalist Garrett Gee Inspires Students to Follow their Passion


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Atlanta Falcon Charged With Cruelty to Animals
Published February 23, 2007 by PETA. Last Updated January 11, 2018.
Jonathan Babineaux, defensive tackle for the Atlanta Falcons, is facing felony charges in Gwinnett County Court, stemming from his alleged February 18 fatal attack on a dog. Evidently, after arguing with his girlfriend, the 286 pound lineman inflicted blunt force trauma on her dog, Kilo. According to news sources, Kilo vomited blood en route to an emergency vet clinic, and was pronounced dead there.
We're calling on the Falcons to suspend Babineaux without pay until the courts can do their thing, and if he is found guilty we have asked the Falcons to release him from the team. But as if this case isn't disturbing enough, there have been repeated instances of animal abuse by NFL players in the past. In December, six pit bulls belonging to the Chicago Bears' Tank Johnson were said to have been the subject of public and official concern in Illinois. Leshon Johnson, who played running back for three NFL teams, faced felony charges with 21 others in 2004 stemming from their alleged involvement in a massive dogfighting ring. Former Eagles' safety Damon Moore was accused in 2001 of abandoning his puppy in a soccer field in New Jersey, and former Eagles' running back Thomas Hamner was twice convicted of beating his dog.
Given the seeming pattern of abuse here, we've also written to Roger Goodell, Commissioner of the NFL, asking him to implement a strict, clear no-tolerance policy on players' abuse of animals. Surely this issue deserves as much attention from the league as any other illegal or violent player activity, which he swore to crack down on in a recent press conference.
At least there are some NFL players who get it. Check out Giants lineman Michael Strahan's ad here.


Abstract : Despite the great number of Systems of Systems (SoS) being developed, building them still remains hard and difficult. Currently, there is a lack of methods capable of supporting architects for building an actual SoS. In this paper we introduce an original method called GAMBAD for developing an SoS from a practical point of view. Our method guides the development of SoS on top of a multi-agent layer supported by ontologies. We tested GAMBAD by building an SoS in the domain of Health Care. Early results show that by using our method, architects can develop an SoS faster and more accurately.


More than one year ago IBM signed a partnership with the startup Desktone to implement a 1,400 seats VDI architecture powered by their technology at the Pike County Schools.
That move cleared the IBM plan to become a Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS) cloud provider which became a reality at the end of last month.
Two weeks ago in fact IBM announced the upcoming availability of its new Smart Business Desktop, a IaaS architecture powered by VMware, Citrix, Desktone and Wyse products.
The company website doesn't clarify which vendors will provide which components but it's pretty easy to guess (Citrix helped with a specific announcement): VMware will provide the hypervisor (ESX) and management layer (vCenter), Citrix will provide the connection broker (XenDesktop) and remote desktop protocol (HDX), Wyse will provide the thin clients and Desktone of course will glue the whole thing with its self-service portal for customers and policy manager for the cloud provider.
IBM plans to launch the Smart Business Desktop offering in October 2009 with a subscription model.
For the very first time a hardware virtualization architecture will be an alternative to the web-based architectures that Google represents so well. Hopefully virtualization.info will be able to access the IBM cloud and report about it after some extended use.


Summer vacations are just around the corner. In the excitement of packing, planning and the general festivities that revolve around a holiday, do not forget to include skincare essentials. The skin you meticulously pampered each day for months can be ruined by the parties, late nights, irregular diets and alcoholWhile you are enjoying your holiday, you may not have the time to keep up your skincare routine, and the weather may also affect your skin.
Here's the SOS your skin needs when travelling.
The biggest sabotage to skin during vacations is the dry, arid, re-circulated air in flights. Even if it is a short flight, you step out of the plane with visibly duller skin. Stay hydrated by drinking lots of water. You could also carry a face mist that will help you hydrate you skin.
Don't forget your CTM routine while travelling. A good cleanser and moisturiser will take care of your skin requirements during the journey. The cleanser will get rid of the impurities and sebum, and makeup, and the moisturiser will supply your skin with necessary emollients and provide a barrier against environmental factors.
Keep your makeup routine as basic as possible, since you won't have the time to do your regular routine and probably won't be able to carry your full arsenal. For instance, try a blush-highlight duo stick that can be applied directly on your skin. You could use lipstick as blush, and just a matte BB cream in place of foundation and powder.
Multi-task the products you have in your makeup kit. Do away with makeup removers by carrying pre-moistened makeup wipes. These can be used to quickly take makeup off after a night of heavy partying, or can be used on the flight to freshen up. The added bonus is, while a makeup remover is considered a liquid and may be subject to flight restrictions, makeup wipes don't!
The skin on your lips is fragile and thinner than on the rest of the face. So the first area to take the hit in terms of dryness is the lips. Keep your lips hydrated and kiss (or pout) worthy with your trusted lip balm.


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Monday, May 8, 2017 10:38:00 AM
Apeer's West of Ireland Sales Rep, Damian Rogers, completed a tough 24 hour endurance event recently, all in the name of charity. The event, called 'The Race' supports the Gorta Self Help Africa Challenge, and collectively raised an impressive £65k for the worthwhile cause.
The unsupported endurance event covers 250km of rugged landscape across North West Donegal, and has been described as Ireland's toughest endurance challeApeer's West of Ireland Sales Rep, Damian Rogers, completed a tough 24 hour endurance event recently, all in the name of charity. The event, called 'The Race' supports the Gorta Self Help Africa Challenge, and collectively raised an impressive £65k for the worthwhile cause.nge as well as being listed as one of the top ten endurance challenges worldwide. The Irish event is made up of a number of stages including 64km of road and trial running, 15km of kayaking, 166km of cycling and 5km of mountain running.
"It's the ultimate test of endurance." Damian explains. "Having run the race in 2016 and pulling out due to injury, I was determined to get back on the horse and complete the event this year. With training from anything between 8-20 hours each week in the winter months leading up to the event, and a 2am prep start on the day itself, it's certainly not for the faint-hearted, especially when you add the unpredictable March weather!"
All proceeds from the event go to The Race's charity partner, Gorta Self Help Africa. The vibrant and worthwhile organisation works with rural communities in South Africa, supporting them to grow more food, diversify their farm production, develop new off-farm enterprises and sell their surpluses.
Having completed The Race in an impressive 20 hours and 37 minutes, Damian hasn't been put off doing the race again: "I may look to do it again in 2019, but for now, am taking a well-earned rest to spend time with my support team at home!"
Find out more about The Race by visiting www.therace.ie or visit www.selfhelpafrica.org for more information or to support the Self Help Africa charity.
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Home > Learn More > Perelandra Voices > Voices: Processes
Processes & Nature
Perelandra Processes: The July 1st Invasion
We moved to Water Weasel July 1st, three years ago today. The 28 acres had been pretty much left to itself for many years. We fixed up the cabin so we could live in it and fenced in a large area for our four cats, for their safety and the safety of the wildlife. A year or so after we moved here I discovered Perelandra Essences and processes. I began doing regular energy cleansings for Water Weasel and working with Nature to create a garden, finding harmonious ways to work with country creatures, working with MAP, MBP, and doing healing and balancing work for the cat society. Nature responded by providing me with surprises of flowers and plants here and there in the garden that I hadn't put in, lots of happy birdsong, better health than I've experienced for two decades, and four happy cats.
Two days ago, on Tuesday, we got a call from a police detective asking if he could go through the property to look for a dead body. Evidently the previous owner, who up and left suddenly five years ago, had a visitor who became a "missing person" around that same time. The detective suspected the visitor's body was buried here. He would be bringing four dogs and 8 to 12 people to scour the land on Thursday at 9 a.m. They were hoping to complete the scour within 8 hours.
I quickly e-mailed Perelandra for help. I didn't have a clue how to communicate with Nature to co-creatively prepare for such an invasion. The whole thing was totally opposite what we were doing here. And I had told the land years ago that no dogs would be invited here, that this was to be a safe and benign sanctuary for all wild creatures.
My head was swimming with all the worst case scenarios: dogs howling in the canyon, racing through the brush tearing up growing things, tossing crawlies and creepies here and there; deer terrified, squirrels quivering, the Nature Sanctuary outside of the fence trampled by people and dogs, our cats terrorized hiding under beds and inside closets, and me an emotional wreck imagining, watching, hearing all of this.
I received this e-mail from Sandra the next afternoon:
If you haven't already, check to see what is needed for yourself first in light of the "invasion." (Calibration, telegraph test your emotions about it, etc.) Then let nature know what is happening. Connect with Pan and the nature spirits connected to your land. Tell them that people may be coming through the nature spirit sanctuary, and let them know when. Also connect with the Deva of your land and the devas of all of the wildlife on your land and let them know what is going to happen. Ask if any troubleshooting is necessary to prepare the land, animal population or nature spirit sanctuary for the people coming through. After they are finished with the search, check for troubleshooting again.
I empathize with your feelings about this, but be open to the possibility that you may need to do only minimal work, or none at all. The balance of your land may hold just fine.
I was relieved by her loving support. She gave me some guidance, the first being "check to see what's needed for yourself first," then she gave some specifics of how to work with Nature. She suggested that possibly there wouldn't be much, if anything, to do, and that "the balance of your land may hold just fine."
She was absolutely right: most of the work was for me. I used telegraph testing for my three big emotional reactions: fear of the whole circumstance, anger with the intrusion into our sacred space, and concern/sorrow for the creatures and growing things. I needed lots of essences for each, and not just once yesterday, but three times today, too. All I had to do for Water Weasel was a simple Calibration Process, finishing with a few balancers and stabilizers. The cats needed nothing. I found that after I had completed this work I was more relaxed about the pending invasion. I slept well last night. I got up early so I could feed the kitties, let them run around outside, and put them back inside before the arrival.
The detective came to the door 45 minutes earlier than expected. He looked very gentle and caring. He immediately told me he had decided to only bring three dogs with the three women who work with the dogs. He also said they would probably only be working around the creek area, since the rest of the property was too steep to consider carrying a dead body. We had a good connection and I felt calm about their work here. I went to locate the cats. The two fuzzy girls were sound asleep upstairs, and the two boys were outside. Shortly my oldest furry friend came inside asking me all about these visitors, "And, Mom, what about those dogs down by the creek?" I assured him all was okay, and he stayed inside near me, near the window, making sure we were going to be okay. The other furry guy was under the back deck, listening, and I couldn't coax him out. Later, the detective told me they needed to check the backyard, so I stayed near the deck to assure small fuzzy everything was okay. A while later, he came in, big-eyed, a bit skittish, so I gave him half of a homeopathic remedy (he tends to be extremely nervous).
In two hours the detective came to the door. They were done, and they didn't find anything. And, by the way, the "missing person" was last seen 5 years ago on this day, July 1st. The four cats were asleep, and I was calm.
There is no doubt in my mind that the benign result of this event was the work of Nature. There is no doubt at all. And I am once again so grateful for this co-creative work and the wonderful Perelandra Essences.
M.H., Oregon


Just for a day. I want to see those blonde curls bouncing across her chubby little cheek. I want to see that popsicle stained mouth and wash those sticky hands again.
I want to hear her giggle as I push her for the hundredth time on that squeaky swing in the park by our house.
I want to go on another walk with her baby brother strapped to my chest as she rides in the little red wagon. I want to sit with her on that pink princess rug and sip pretend tea with her favorite doll.
Take me back to those summer days when the kids would run through the sprinklers wearing nothing but a soggy diaper. When the driveway was an amusement park of chalk drawings and four-wheeled ride-ons. When the days were nothing more than books and snacks and an occasional Thomas the Train show playing while I regained my sanity and a much needed shower.
I know those days were long. I know there were plenty of tears. I know the whining made me crazy and nap time was a coveted prize. I know those days were full of thankless work for tiny, helpless people you would literally give your life for. And you do. Every single day.
These were the days that the sink was always full and the floor was lined with puffs. Your day attire consisted of a robe or stretchy yoga pants. Maybe together.
I remember how tired I was. I remember thinking that there would never come a day when I wouldn't fill another supply cup or kiss another boo-boo. I couldn't fathom a time when they wouldn't need me to test the bath water or help tie their shoes. It was exhausting. But I didn't realize how much it meant to be needed and trusted.
Don't get me wrong, the tantrums made me insane. The sibling fights made me want to hide in the bathroom and pray for Jesus to take me to heaven or eat a dozen Oreos behind a locked door. Bathroom spaces are sacred places. Even with little toes peeking under the door.
My heart hurts when I look at the old pictures. When I think about how fast time goes and the moments that got away.
Memories are a funny thing. They can be full of regret. But they are more often full of grace. They tend to give us amnesia over the hard stuff. Memories can be a gift.
They are also a gentle reminder to seize the moment. Capture the opportunities and learn from the past. Every day holds the possibility to love with more intent, forgive without reservation and live with purposeful joy and thankfulness. Even in the mess. Maybe because of the mess.
Embrace what is before you — the sick days, the late nights, the meal times, the carpools, the pizza parties, the road trips, the goodnight kisses, uncontrollable tears of the toddler and the attitudes of hormonal teens trying to figure out their changing bodies and how they fit in.
Someday, you will look back. You will understand the journey of parenthood with a different perspective. You will have regrets. You will wish you had put your phone down, listened with greater attention, asked more questions and taken more time. You'll wish you had trusted God more and let Him take all your worries, guide your decisions and carry your burdens.
But don't regret the past. Guilt is too heavy a burden to carry. Lay it at the cross.
Those little hands may be small, but their hearts are big and have the capacity to extend a greater grace than we realize. Grace demolishes guilt. Let it.
Mercies are new every morning. Seize the day. Smile and look into the eyes of those around you. Etch the conversations, laughs and even the struggles into your heart. You'll appreciate them down the road. You'll see how God works everything for good.
You'll look at that old picture and you'll realize that you had a lot of influence, but not nearly as much control as you had imagined.
You'll thank God that, although you aren't there to tuck them into bed, calm their fears, drop them off for school or brush their hair at night, you still get to do what matters most. You get to turn them over to God. You get to pray for their hearts. You get to appeal to the One who loves them more than you do.
No, You weren't perfect. No one is. But you showed them that they need Jesus and so do you. You showed them the gospel. You showed them that love is unconditional. You modeled the forgiveness and grace of God.
That little curly, blonde haired girl will remember that. She didn't want the perfect mom. She wanted you, sweat pants, stretch marks and all. She wanted the mom who did her best, made mistakes but realized that's she needed to lean on God.
She will remember that. She will one day be there too. And she will look back and be thankful for the hard days, the sacrifices and the good memories that were gracefully tattooed on her heart. She will even be grateful for your imperfections.


An award winning artist, Constance Fahey has been a painter and illustrator since 1960. Her fine arts education is from the College of William and Mary and the University of Miami. Her artwork is featured in private collections throughout the United States and worldwide.
Constance Fahey is a Resident Artist, Founding Member and Executive Director of The Artists Gallery at Virginia Beach Art Center. She maintains a working studio at the gallery and welcomes visitors and clients as well as the daily contact with fellow resident artists.


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International Brain Bee
The Neuroscience Competition for Teens
2022 Championship
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The International Brain Bee is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, incorporated in 2018.
The IBB is governed by six international neuroscience and educational organizations and supported by hundreds of volunteers across the globe. Each year, the IBB brings together National Champions for a multi-day competition and social program in conjunction with one of the world's premier neuroscience conferences. We depend on donations to support our educational programs. To make a donation please use the following button:
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To discuss partnership opportunities, please contact Astrid Eberhart, Executive Director of the International Brain Bee, at astrid.eberhart@thebrainbee.org.
You can also support us by making your Amazon purchases after activating Amazon Smile, which will result in 0.5% of the shopping price be donated to the IBB at no additional cost for you.
To motivate students to learn about the brain and to inspire them to pursue careers in neuroscience so they can help treat and find cures for brain disorders.
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Delphi Energy Corp. Announces Completion of Recapitalization Transaction
November 26, 2019 5:51 AM Globe Newswire
CALGARY – Delphi Energy Corp. ("Delphi" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the completion of its previously announced recapitalization transaction (the "Recapitalization Transaction"). The Recapitalization Transaction was implemented pursuant to a plan of arrangement (the "Plan of Arrangement") under the Canada Business Corporations Act (the "CBCA").
The Recapitalization Transaction included the following components:
The existing issued and outstanding common shares of the Company ("Common Shares") were consolidated on a fifteen (15) for one (1) basis.
Delphi completed two brokered private placements (together, the "Private Placements") of subscription receipts raising gross proceeds of $46.5 million. Pursuant to the Private Placements, Delphi issued an aggregate of 18,81,818 equity subscription receipts ("ESRs") at a price of $1.65 per ESR (the "ESR Price") for gross proceeds of approximately $30 million and 22,000 note subscription receipts ("NSRs") at a price of $750 per NSR (the "NSR Price"), plus accrued and unpaid interest from October 15, 2019 to the date of issuance of the NSRs, for gross proceeds of approximately $16.5 million. Each ESR is convertible into one post-consolidation Common Share and each NSR is convertible into $1,000 principal amount of Senior Secured Notes of Delphi due 2023 ("NSR Notes"). Affiliates of a pooled investment vehicle of Luminus Management, LLC subscribed for 16,778,306 ESRs for gross proceeds of approximately $27.7 million and 16,933 NSRs for gross proceeds of approximately $12.7 million under the Private Placements.Under the Plan of Arrangement, one-third of the ESRs and NSRs today converted into Common Shares and NSR Notes and one-third of the proceeds from the Private Placements are now releasable to the Company. The remaining proceeds from the Private Placements will be held in escrow pending the satisfaction of certain escrow release conditions which are described in Delphi's management information circular dated October 11, 2019 (the "Information Circular"). Delphi will use the proceeds of the Private Placements to further develop its reserves and fund capital expenditures.
The trust indenture governing Delphi's Senior Secured Notes due 2021 (the "Existing Notes") was amended and restated (the "Amended and Restated Indenture") to, among other things, extend the maturity of the Existing Notes from July 15, 2021 to April 15, 2023 (the "Amended Notes"). The NSR Notes and Amended Notes have identical terms and will trade under on the TSX under the ticker symbol DEE.NT. The Amended and Restated Indenture governs the NSR Notes and the Amended Notes.
Each holder of Existing Notes today received 700 transferable Common Share purchase warrants (the "Consent Warrants") for each $1,000 principal amount of Existing Notes held by such holder. Each Consent Warrant is exercisable at any time until April 15, 2023 for one fifteenth of a post-consolidation Common Share at an aggregate exercise price of $2.23 per whole post-consolidation Common Share (equal to $0.149 per Common Share on a pre-consolidation basis), representing a 35% premium to the ESR Price. The Consent Warrants will be listed on the TSX under the ticker symbol DEE.WT.A and will commence trading within the next two to three business days.
Delphi was continued under the federal jurisdiction of Canada and the CBCA prior to implementation of the Plan of Arrangement.
Pursuant to the Plan of Arrangement and the final order of the Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta granted on November 18, 2019 (the "Final Order"), claims relating to, among other things, the Recapitalization Transaction and the CBCA proceedings have been released as against the Company and the other parties set out in the Plan of Arrangement on the terms set out in the Plan of Arrangement and Final Order.
Pursuant to the Final Order, defaults resulting from, among other things, the Recapitalization Transaction and the CBCA proceedings, have been waived on the terms set out in the Final Order.
The Recapitalization Transaction is more fully described in the Information Circular.
The share consolidation completed as part of the Recapitalization Transaction reduced the number of issued and outstanding Common Shares to approximately 12,369,813 (prior to taking into account the issuance of the Common Shares underlying one-third of the ESRs) and 18,430,418 (after taking into account the issuance of the Common Shares underlying one-third of the ESRs). The Common Shares will continue to trade on the TSX under the symbol DEE and are expected to commence trading on a post-consolidation basis within the next two to three business days.
As a result of the share consolidation, the Company's warrants that it issued on June 15, 2016 ("Existing Warrants"),which trade on the TSX under the ticker symbols DEE.WT, will be amended such that each Existing Warrant will be exercisable for one-fifteenth of a post-consolidation Common Share at a price of $21.00 per whole post-consolidation Common Share. As of November 26, 2019, there are 14,700,000 Existing Warrants outstanding.
Raymond James Ltd. and AltaCorp Capital Inc. acted as financial co-advisors to Delphi in connection with the Recapitalization Transaction.
About Delphi Energy Corp.
Delphi Energy Corp. is an industry-leading producer of liquids-rich natural gas. The Company has achieved top decile results through the development of our high quality Montney property, uniquely positioned in the Deep Basin of Bigstone, in northwest Alberta. Delphi continues to outperform key industry players by improving operational efficiencies and growing our dominant Bigstone land position in this world-class play. Delphi is headquartered in Calgary, Alberta and trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol DEE.
Advisories & Contact
DELPHI ENERGY CORP.
2300 – 333 – 7th Avenue S.W.
T2P 2Z1
Telephone: (403) 265-6171 Facsimile: (403) 265-6207
Email: info@delphienergy.ca Website: www.delphienergy.ca
DAVID J. REID
Forward-Looking Statements. This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. These statements relate to future events or the Company's future performance and are based upon the Company's internal assumptions and expectations. All statements other than statements of present or historical fact are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of any of the words "expect", "anticipate", "continue", "estimate", "may", "will", "should", "believe", "intends", "forecast", "plans", "guidance", "budget" and similar expressions.
More particularly and without limitation, this release contains forward-looking statements and information relating to use of proceeds from the Private Placements. The forward-looking statements and information contained in this release are based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by Delphi. The following are certain material assumptions on which the forward-looking statements and information contained in this release are based: the stability of the global and national economic environment, the stability of and commercial acceptability of tax, royalty and regulatory regimes applicable to Delphi, exploitation and development activities being consistent with management's expectations, production levels of Delphi being consistent with management's expectations, the absence of significant project delays, the stability of oil and gas prices, the absence of significant fluctuations in foreign exchange rates and interest rates, the stability of costs of oil and gas development and production in Western Canada, including operating costs, the timing and size of development plans and capital expenditures, availability of third party infrastructure for transportation, processing or marketing of oil and natural gas volumes, prices and availability of oilfield services and equipment being consistent with management's expectations, the availability of, and competition for, among other things, pipeline capacity, skilled personnel and drilling and related services and equipment, results of development and exploitation activities that are consistent with management's expectations, weather affecting Delphi's ability to develop and produce as expected, contracted parties providing goods and services on the agreed timeframes, Delphi's ability to manage environmental risks and hazards and the cost of complying with environmental regulations, the accuracy of operating cost estimates, the accurate estimation of oil and gas reserves, future exploitation, development and production results and Delphi's ability to market oil and natural gas successfully to current and new customers. Additionally, estimates as to expected average annual production rates assume that no unexpected outages occur in the infrastructure that the Company relies on to produce its wells, that existing wells continue to meet production expectations and any future wells scheduled to come on in the coming year meet timing and production expectations.
Commodity prices used in the determination of forecast revenues are based upon general economic conditions, commodity supply and demand forecasts and publicly available price forecasts. The Company continually monitors its forecast assumptions to ensure the stakeholders are informed of material variances from previously communicated expectations.
Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements and information are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking statements should not be unduly relied upon. Since forward-looking statements and information address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Delphi's actual results, performance or achievements could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements and, accordingly, no assurance can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur, or if any of them do so, what benefits Delphi will derive therefrom. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks. These include, but are not limited to, the risks associated with the oil and gas industry in general such as operational risks in development, exploration and production, delays or changes in plans with respect to exploration or development projects or capital expenditures, the uncertainty of estimates and projections relating to production rates, costs and expenses, commodity price and exchange rate fluctuations, marketing and transportation, environmental risks, competition from others for scarce resources, the ability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources, changes in governmental regulation of the oil and gas industry and changes in tax, royalty and environmental legislation. Additional information on these and other factors that could affect the Company's operations or financial results are included in the Company's most recent Annual Information Form and other reports on file with the applicable securities regulatory authorities and may be accessed through the SEDAR website (www.sedar.com).
Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. Furthermore, the forward-looking statements contained in this release are made as of the date of this release for the purpose of providing the readers with the Company's expectations for the coming year. The forward-looking statements and information may not be appropriate for other purposes. Delphi undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws. The forward-looking statements contained in this release are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement.
Delphi Energy Montney


We are moving to Perth is September, at the moment we are not sure exactly where. My 7 year old daughter currently is a member of a Acro-gymnastics club in U.K. and is keen to continue with this. Can anyone offer advice of good acro clubs around as it may help up pin point an area to relocate to.
Where is the best pub for after work drinks near Willeton?


Despite the advances in medical sciences, why we are not healthy.
With all the technology at our disposal, why condition of our rivers continues to deteriorate.
Ever wondered if there is any connection between river health and our health….
Here is a short clip on the subject..
Of the total pollution load in the river, Domestic wastewater contributes about 70% or more!
What pollutes Domestic wastewater mostly?
The toxic chemicals in most of the various domestic products we use daily!
Domestic products like toothpaste, soap, shampoo, detergents, cosmetics etc. contain toxic chemicals like Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Triclosan, Sodium Fluoride, Cocamide diethanolamine, Monoethanolamine, Triethanolamine Isopropyl Alcohol, Carmoisine, Benzalkonium chloride etc.
Domestic wastewater carrying these toxic chemicals is discharged daily in sewers, subsequently mixing with rivers and other water sources as also the soil.
Rivers have a self-cleansing property. But they are not equipped to cleanse or treat these toxic man-made chemicals.
The contaminated river water is used to irrigate farms and grow crops. The toxic chemicals in this water are thus absorbed by the crop plants thereby entering the natural food chain harming living organisms and landing on our food plate as well.
These toxic chemicals are linked to cancer, stomach disorders, skin diseases, respiratory diseases etc.
What is harmful to the rivers is harmful to us!
Since as much as 70% of river pollution is due to Domestic wastewater, it also means it is in our hands to eliminate as much as 70% of river pollution right from our homes!
All we need – albeit gradually – is a change in lifestyle!
The river flows from source to sea providing water to all life along its course. Nature has a superb mechanism in which the river has the capacity of self-cleansing its waters along its course.
Now, we divert this flow of clean water from the river through our homes and release it back into the river after using. But the nature of the water that we release into the river from our homes is far from clean – in fact it is such that it cannot be treated / cleansed by the river.
So all we need to do is – release such wastewater that can be treated / cleansed by the river!
By using bio-degradable toxin-free domestic products! And therein lies the lifestyle change!
Instead of using toxin-ridden domestic products, we need to switch back to using time-tested non-toxic and bio-degradable ones!
By consuming such products, we not only safeguard our health but also automatically conserve our rivers and the environment in turn!
And our wise forefathers had thought of exactly this aspect. They have already done the research and have brought into use such products that are best suited to our environment, using locally available, natural material.
What are these products and from where to procure them?
Jeevitnadi has put together an 'Eco-friendly Family Starter kit' with options for toothpaste, bath soap, shampoo, detergents, household floor and toilet cleaners.
The idea is to get you started rightaway!
The kit caters to the daily basic cleansing needs of a family and as the name implies, it is a starter kit. You can buy from the market later or prepare the kit items at home with the DIY-Do It Yourself- recipes we have given.
Alternately you can buy the kit or individual items directly from Jeevitnadi volunteers or send us a mail to order or order online/on mobile with the Sustainable Living InstaDelight application. Details are provided at the end.
You can also explore other bio-degradable options available in the market – and let us know too so we can upload them on our website for everyone's benefit.
Or – experiment away and come up with your own bio-degradable products that ensure both personal health and the health of our waterways!
Let's move towards a 'Toxin-free Lifestyle'!
Let's Rejuvenate our Rivers & Safeguard our Health….!
All details are given at the end.
1. Cleaner not to be used on marble floor. It may cause corrosion or leave white marks.
All the kit items are natural, bio-degradable and non-toxic.
Store all items in a cool and dry place in an airtight container to avoid contact with moisture.


WASHINGTON – A hacking group linked to the Russian government and high-profile cyber attacks against Democrats during the US presidential election likely used a malware implant on Android devices to track and target Ukrainian artillery units from late 2014 through 2016, according to a new report.
The hacking group, known commonly as Fancy Bear or APT 28, is believed by US intelligence officials to work primarily on behalf of the GRU, Russia's military intelligence agency.
Both the CIA and FBI believe that Fancy Bear and other Russian hackers were responsible for hacks during the election that were intended to help President-elect Donald Trump defeat Hillary Clinton, according to two senior government officials.
Russia has repeatedly denied hacking accusations, and Trump has also dismissed the assessments of the US intelligence community.
The malware used to track Ukrainian artillery units was a variant of the kind used to hack into the Democratic National Committee, CrowdStrike co-founder Dmitri Alperovitch said in an interview. That link, in addition to the high rate of losses sustained by the type of Ukrainian artillery units targeted by hackers, creates high confidence that Fancy Bear was responsible for the implant, he said.
"This cannot be a hands-off group or a bunch of criminals, they need to be in close communication with the Russian military," Alperovitch said.
The implant leveraged a legitimate Android application developed by a Ukrainian artillery officer to process targeting data more quickly, CrowdStrike said.
Its deployment "extends Russian cyber capabilities to the front lines of the battlefield", the report said, and "could have facilitated anticipatory awareness of Ukrainian artillery force troop movement, thus providing Russian forces with useful strategic planning information".
Downloads of the legitimate app were promoted on pages used by Ukrainian artillery on vKontakte, a Russian social media website, CrowdStrike said. There is no evidence the application was made available in the Android app store, limiting its distribution, the firm said.


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PRAISE 107 RADIO
Praise 107 News
Bluegrass Planet Radio
The Goodfellers - "Dirty Laundry"
The Goodfellers are by any standards a bunch of 'good fellers' who came together to play music. As a result, an epic band was formed whose musical influences span a multitude of genres from New Grass Revival to The Eagles. When it comes to covering some of the most popular songs of our time, The Goodfellers know how to deliver.
The Goodfellers have done it again with their latest release, "Dirty Laundry". Suffice it to say, The Goodfellers have put a Bluegrass spin on one of Don Henley's most iconic signature songs and one that Henley should be proud of. It's not just a good rendition of the famous tune, but it proves once again that when Bluegrass artists cover music from other genres it not only works but does it justice in ways that would give most genres a run for their money.
If there ever was a time for a re-release of "Dirty Laundry" it is now given the state of affairs in our country and world. When Henley penned the song, he was ahead of his time. The song's inspiration was borne out of the ongoing and intrusive press coverage of the untimely deaths of John Belushi and Natalie Wood as well as Henley's own run-in with the law. The lyrics speak to the calliousness and dishonesty of news reporting as told in the 1980s. Little did Henley know back then that one day a certain President would coin the phrase 'fake news'.
The Goodfellers saw a perfect opportunity with this song and its release could not be more timely. The band is the best in the business for taking a previously released song and making it their own. Check out The Goodfellers' brand new video below for "Dirty Laundry".
Becky Buller - "Distance and Time"
The Sharp Flatpickers - "Sundrops on the Water - Reflections"
The Infamous Stringdusters - "Dust the Halls"
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© 2020 by Bluegrass Planet Radio. All Rights Reserved.


These heavily-armored, insectoid creatures about the size of a small human scuttle through cave systems in search of food. Their biology remains unstudied, as their diet appears to be random. One day they'll eat fungus, and the next ignore it. One galthak might leap at an adventuring party, spitting acid and devouring its members in huge bites, while the next might behave in an entirely docile and even trainable manner (a fact circuses often exploit with "wild" galthak acts).
Thankfully, galthak are rarely encountered in groups. Even when they do prove dangerous, their behavior is sufficiently erratic they're not difficult to distract and at least run from.
I want the galthak to have a relatively high CR for a standard low-level adventuring party, so I'm going to base them on the CR 7 stone giant. I'll give it the same base stats, tweaking its skills and swapping the stone giant's rock attack for an acid spit. I'll also swap the stone giant's catch ability with a more flavorful spider climb.
Spider Climb. The galthak can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.
Multiattack. The galthak makes two melee attacks, of which only one can be bite.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 16 (3d8 + 3) piercing damage.
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 19 (3d8 + 6) slashing damage.
Acid Spit. Ranged Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 16 (2d10 + 6) acid damage plus ongoing 2d10 acid damage (DC 17 Constitution save to end).


We welcome you to our spacious turn-of-the-century colonial home nestled in the Lancaster Amish and Mennonite farm countryside near cultural and performing arts attractions. A wrap-around porch welcomes you to our Inn and once inside features chestnut woodwork and pocket doors. Our accommodations include four guest rooms, each with a private bath, with king and queen beds. The house is furnished with central air and heat. Each guest room features complete temperature control year round. We are close to the popular shopping outlets centers, specialty/craft shops, railroad museums and rides, the American Music, Sight & Sound theaters, biking roads, covered bridges, and other major attractions. Beth serves a three course breakfast using products from Amish and Mennonite farms as well as fruit from the orchard at the inn.
Each of our charming rooms with modern amenities is uniquely appointed to complement the style and era of the house.
Begin each morning with a three-course country breakfast made with local produce and finished off with DESSERT!
Lancaster County is diverse in its rich history, vibrant city life, and idyllic Amish farmlands.


What is the Logic Behind Typical Interview Questions?
Ever been to an interview and wondered why interviewers ask specific questions?
This infographic by SampleQuestionnaire.com answers just that.
Why are manhole covers round? – asked to see whether you have deductive reasoning.
Why should I hire you? – asked to see how confident you are.
Tell me about yourself – asked to see how well you can present yourself.


The Fresh Start for Families Program has received a $75,000 grant from HELP USA, the organization that operates the homeless shelter where Fresh Start is provided.
Fresh Start for Families is a program developed by the Ackerman Institute's Center for Work and Family. The Center provides programs for families living in homeless shelters, including families surviving domestic abuse and recent immigrant families. The Director of the Center is Dr. Peter Fraenkel. "Fresh Start helps poor mothers cope more successfully with the challenges of homelessness, life in homeless shelters and making the transition from welfare to work," Dr. Fraenkel explained. The program is offered at HELP Harbor, a domestic violence shelter in Manhattan, administered by HELP USA, well-known as one of the primary providers of housing and support services for the homeless in the United States.
In the Ackerman Institute – HELP USA partnership, HELP operates the homeless shelter and its employment, social service support and housing placement programs, while the Center for Work and Family provides the family support program and research evaluation. The partnership was initiated after HELP USA discovered that parent-child relationship difficulties often impede the ability of mothers in shelters to take full advantage of housing and employment services. Distracted by difficulties managing their own and their children's behavioral and emotional problems, the women often did not complete job readiness courses, job training or placements, missed crucial meetings with social service staff and did not follow through with housing appointments. Fresh Start was designed to fill a critical need for family emotional support and parent guidance.
In addition to helping families, Fresh Start provides a unique opportunity to train the next generation of mental health professionals in community-based work with underserved families. During its 12 years, the program has been staffed by more than 100 Ackerman students and alumni, and graduate students in counseling and clinical psychology at The City College of New York, where Dr. Fraenkel is an associate professor. An upcoming article in the American Family Therapy Monographs by Dr. Fraenkel and his staff describes how students learn important skills and develop greater appreciation of the challenges and strengths of highly stressed families.
If you would like to support the Fresh Start program, click here, and select Center for Work and Family from the drop down box on the Donations Page.


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Mediation: The Alternative to Costly Litigation
Why Co-Mediation?
Our Philosophy and Our Team Approach to Mediation
What Can I Expect if I choose A Smarter Divorce Mediation Services?
Can I Use Mediation Even If I Have a Lawyer?
Douglas Cohn has practiced family law for over thirty years and believes, after representing hundreds of clients, that mediation is the best way to deal with divorcing or separating couples. He believes that through mediation, the parties are heard, respected and able to reach the best outcome despite the unpleasant nature of the situation. Since graduating from the University of Maryland ('80) and Vermont Law School ('84), Douglas Cohn has concentrated his practice in family law matters. He was appointed by then Governor Howard Dean as a Family Law Magistrate in Vermont dealing with issues ranging from custody and child support to alimony and division of property. He has served on various family law panels as well as taught law as a member of the faculty at Woodbury College in Montpelier, Vermont. He is trained in both mediation and collaborative law.
Joan Weiss strongly believes that mediation is the best method available to help couples make the transition from the uncertainty of separation to the security of a fair and effective settlement. After earning an undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia ('79) and a law degree from George Washington University ('83), Joan Weiss served as a judicial law clerk and as a prosecutor in the District of Columbia. Since then she has spent her legal career helping separating families resolve their disputes through mediation, negotiation and, when necessary, litigation. She acts as a Family Law Facilitator for the Circuit Court of Montgomery County, Maryland and is trained in mediation and collaborative law.
© 2009 - 2023 - A Smarter Divorce, All Rights Reserved


iOS 13 rumors are starting to emerge which means it's time to look into our crystal ball and give you a look at the future.
Apple is still focused on improving iOS 12. The company recently released iOS 12.2 and it's also working on a new milestone upgrade.
The company's iOS 12.3 update will bring new features, fixes and enhancements when it arrives. We expect it to touch down sometime in May.
iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch owners should remain focused on iOS 12 though we won't blame you if you start thinking about the next version of iOS, especially now that iOS 13 rumors are in the air.
iOS 13 is the next version of Apple's mobile operating system. The company hasn't confirmed the software, but a report has outlined the first batch of details as we push toward the update's inevitable release later this year.
With the first iOS 13 details come the first questions about Apple's next version of iOS. We're getting queries about the iOS 13 update's features, release date, and beta.
We don't have all of the answers but Apple's a fairly predictable company so we can fill in some of these blanks ahead of time.
Today we want to take you through some things to expect from the iOS 13 update. This guide takes a look at what we know about potential features, what we think we know about the release date and beta, and a few things you shouldn't expect from Apple and iOS 13.
This walkthrough will help average users and those who maybe haven't followed previous iOS releases get comfortable ahead of the iOS 13 roll out.
One of the first questions we always get (from readers, friends, and family) when the first batch of iOS rumors emerge is: "When will Apple announce iOS?"
Unless Apple drastically changes the way it handles iOS releases, it will announce the first official iOS 13 details this summer at its annual developer conference.
Apple's confirmed the WWDC 2019 dates and the conference kicks off on June 3rd in San Jose. June 3rd is the date to circle on the calendar if you're interested in iOS 13.
On June 3rd we expect the company to outline its plans for iOS (iPhone, iPad, iPod touch), macOS (MacBook), and watchOS (Apple Watch) in 2019.
Look for Apple to spend quite a bit of time highlighting key iOS 13 features but don't expect the company to reveal iOS 13 in full saving some announcements for the fall.


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The Trump tariffs aren't working
A year and a half into President Donald Trump's aggressive experiment with tariffs, it's worth assessing whether they've accomplished what Trump said they would.
The answer, unsurprisingly, is no.
Before explaining why, it's worth asking a question: Does anybody recall the point of the tariffs Trump has imposed on imports from major trading partners — worth hundreds of billions of dollars?
It's not to hurt the Chinese economy, or to boost the economies of other low-cost producers such as Vietnam or Mexico. Both of those things are happening, and Trump is bragging about them— but neither development does anything to help Americans.
The stated purpose of Trump's tariffs is to force more production in the United States, by making imported products more expensive. And with a meaningful amount of data now available, there's little evidence the Trump tariffs have spurred substantial U.S. production.
'Paltry' job creation
Moody's Analytics recently analyzed the effect of the Trump tariffs on steel and aluminum, which went into effect Jun 1, 2018.
Trump levied a 10% tariff on about $17 billion worth of aluminum imported annually, and a 25% tariff on $33 billion worth of imported steel. Trump hoped that making imported metals more expensive would boost U.S. production and employment in the protected industries.
It didn't. U.S. steel production was rising before the tariffs, and it rose by about the same rate after the tariffs went into effect, before flattening out in recent months. Aluminum production ticked up after the tariffs hit, but then flattened out as well.
Employment in the protected industries was rising before the tariffs, and those industries have added 16,730 jobs during the 13 months' of tariffs. Yet Moody's Analytics calls that number "paltry," in a total labor force numbering 151 million.
In Gary, Indiana, the city most dependent on steel, only 250 jobs were gained during the 13-month period. Owensboro, Ky., which is most dependent on aluminum, gained just 60 jobs.
An Alcoa aluminum plant in Alcoa, Tennessee, U.S. is seen in this April 8, 2014 file photo REUTERS/Wade Payne/File Photo
Industry stocks tell a more troubling story, with Nucor (NUE) down 15% during the last 12 months, AK Steel (AKS) down 52% and US Steel (X) down 59%. The S&P 500 Index (^GSPC) was up 6% during that time. As for aluminum producers, Alcoa (AA) and Century Aluminum (CENX) are both down 52%.
"The tariffs did not do much for protected industries," Moody's Analytics economist Maria Cosma wrote in the July 17 report. "The largest impact has been retaliation from U.S. trading partners, which has particularly hurt agricultural producers."
China, in particular, has slashed purchases of U.S. soybeans, pork and other farm products, with that trade dispute escalating this year. That has hurt US farm income and threatened Trump's political support in key rural states.
Trump has boasted about all the revenue taken in from the tariffs. But government figures show the Trump administration has dispersed more in aid meant to compensate farmers for trade difficulties than the government has taken in from tariffs.
There's a bit of better news. The tariffs also have not dramatically harmed industries that have to pay more for materials because the Trump tariffs have pushed costs up. That includes automakers, who must pay higher prices for steel, aluminum and other newly tariffed products.
Tariffs have also not generated higher than normal inflation, as some analysts predicted. So on the whole, the Trump tariffs have hurt U.S. farmers, who have gotten federal bailouts, without causing much additional harm or good, so far.
When does the winning begin?
The Democrats need better villains


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Mike and Sandy are finally feeling settled at their new apartment at Viamonte in Walnut Creek. They sometmes miss their guest bedroom, but don't really have many overnight visitors. And the visitor Covid-screening check-in is annoying, but that's government regulations for you. Everything else is working out great. Viamonte is an upscale apartment building, but much more than just that. It's strictly for seniors, so it features a set of activities and amenities that would make a "Sun City" proud, plus an a la carte menu of Assisted Living services that can come to your apartment in the future if and when you have need of any of them. There's also a wing of the building with memory care services, should that need arise down the road. The location can't be beat -- within easy walking distance are 3 grocery stores, a Post Office and a UPS store, an Ace Hardware, a dry cleaners, a nail salon, and dozens of restaurants.
Here's a series of pictures showing a bit of Viamonte. There are two big courtyards, surrounded by the 4-story building. Our cars live comfortably side-by-side in the secure basement garage. Our apartment is on the top floor, with a great view of Mt. Diablo right out all of our windows. (OK, we also can see the roof of our neighboring Safeway store, but tilt your head up a bit!)
There's a great fitness center and pool, and various private rooms we can use when an invited group is a little too big for our apartment. The whole place reminds us somewhat of our days on Holland America cruise ships, whose hallways were always filled with art and decorations, just as Viamonte is.
And we've taken a few pictures of some of the rooms in our apartment.
With Covid slowly receding from the headlines, restaurants are opening up, and that means we can resume celebrating birthdays! Here's son-in-law Blake, taking the guest of honor seat, surrounded by his wife Ginger (Mike's oldest daughter), and Mike and Sandy. They are at Vic's, one of the better known restaurants in Martinez.
There's nothing like a small child (or a puppy!) to take over everyone's attention. Sandy's Great-Great-Grandson Kaiden did just that when he turned one. (Kaiden was Sandy's birthday surprise last year, as he was born on her birthday!)
It's true Christmas was a bit odd last year, with social distancing, masks, etc., but 3 year old Addie thought things seemed pretty normal!
And in another branch of the family, Sandy's niece Erin, down in the Los Angeles area, had a 1 year old birthday party for her son Dylan. Both the birthday boy and the dog were tired of waiting for the cake!
Mike and son-in-law Blake have gone on lots of adventures, including riding Segways in Golden Gate Park, but recently did something more leisurely -- a visit to the Disney Family Museum on the parade grounds at the former Presidio of San Francisco Army Base, overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge. Who knew a little mouse could have lead to this huge empire!
You can see more here about previous Mike and Blake adventure trips.
It's easy to see that Mike and Sandy are getting a little older, as this holiday season, they only went to one big party, and even stayed home on New Year's Eve. This picture was at the Blackhawk Women's Christmas event, which had a theme of "An Evening In Paris."
Great grand kids Addison and big brother Colby got dressed up for Halloween just before Covid arrived, and had a great time!
Some 15 years ago, a group of ladies volunteered to buy and assemble "gift bags" which are delivered along with the meal on the birthday of Meals on Wheels receipients. Sandy is now the head of this group, which so far this year has put together over 1000 bags. Here's Sandy with some of her helpers at a recent work session at the MoW offices.
A few years ago, Mike and son-in-law Blake tried a different sort of adventure, this time riding around Golden Gate Park on Segways! (They booked to be part of a group of 7, but the others didn't show, so they got a private tour with their Segway-riding guide.)
Mike and friends Marv and Jesse recently toured the HUGE Amazon "Fullfillment Center" in Tracy. In addition to seeing the massive building, and learning how they operate 24X7, we learned about their robots and quite unconventional inventory system. (On "Prime Day" last July, this particular warehouse shipped over 14 million packages -- that's about 165 packages per second over the 24 hour day.)
Mike has volunteered for a University of California-Berkeley study of how older people's brains change over time, with one of the goals being to figure out how to predict dementia before it strikes. Part of this involves doing various sorts of tests while inside an MRI machine. Mike talked the experimenters into letting him snap a picture of the computer monitors of his scans one recent morning after some testing.
The second study at UC Berkeley that Mike is participating in involves monitoring your brain functions while you are sleeping. Mike spent two nights in a make-shift bedroom in the UC Psychology Building wired up to the EEG machine. Of course all these wires and tubes complicated sleeping at all! Here's the front and rear view just before bedtime.
Grand-daughter Trisha had a birthday recently and is now moving to a new, higher level job, so congratulations were in order. Three of Mike and Sandy's 5 great-grand-children were present at the dinner.
Blackhawk as usual did Fourth of July fireworks, and Mike hiked up to the top of the hill to see it all. Great Grandson Colby was busy this year, so it was just Mike and friend Marv.
All this cellphone talk about 5G is nothing compared to this 4 G(eneration) picture, showing Sandy, her son Mark, his daughter Trisha, and her soon-to-be-2 daughter Addison.
Sintaro Village, roughly in the middle of Ethiopia, is really poor, and Mike & Sandy's church is more than half-way through a 10-year project to help. A new well, storage tanks, and a fresh-water distribution system have greatly improved health in the village, and kids are showing amazing growth in school. The first building the project built was for grades K-4, and a second, for 5-8, has now joined it. The village doesn't have electricity, but some solar panels on the school roof and a few LED lights for evening adult classes are amazing villagers, most of whom had never before seen an electric light. Mike & Sandy are providing a scholarship for two boys now in the school.
Skipping the big New Year's Eve events at the end of 2018, Sandy and Mike enjoyed a quiet dinner with some friends in the neighborhood. While the men talked about cars, sports, and politicians, the wives talked about something else (maybe their husbands ?).
Great Grandson Colby turned 8, so it was party time, and cup cakes are the latest party thing. Colby worked on blowing out the candles while everyone held their breath!
Mike and Sandy joined several dozen others from their church on a 6-boat flotilla up the Sacramento River for an over-night stay in Old Town. Sunday morning they gathered on a beach along the American River for services before heading back down stream and home. (Mike is easy to find, wearing his bright red baseball cap.)
While Sandy was focused on plans for her 80th birthday family gathering at Sun River, Oregon,
Sneaky Mike quietly worked for months organizing a big surprise party/brunch for her. (Yes, everyone there said 80 WAS hard to believe!) More than 60 attended, including neighbors, church friends, high school class mates, former Walnut Creek neighbors, friends from Sandy's charitable work, etc. And the giant chocolate cake was delicious!
Sandy and Mike were thrilled to be at the wedding of their Great Grand-Daughter Kerri and Alex recently. The newly weds moved to Guam, where Alex was serving in the Navy.
Mike and friend Marv have ridden their bikes onto the new Bay Bridge before, but now the bike path is finished all the way to Yerba Buena Island, so another adventure was in order. Here they are on the Island with the new bridge's tower behind them.
You can see pictures of some other adventures Mike and Marv have tried here.
Great Grandson Colby traveled with Mike up to Jamestown, where they rode the old steam train, and saw all the old trains in the round-house maintenance shop.
When Mike and Sandy's youngest Great Grand-child, Addison, had a BIG one-year birthday party, it wasn't clear that she understood the symbolism of everything, but really easy to tell she liked the birthday cake!
Mike and friend Gary went to the top of Mt. Umunhum near San Jose for amazing Bay Area views. This peak has a massive concrete building which housed a huge Cold War radar installation, plus the modern day radar site for the Weather Bureau (the images you see on the TV news weather reports come from here).
Mike and Sandy traveled to the Palm Springs area to see the big remodel job wrapping up at son Rick's condo, and to visit with friends who live nearby. In addition to touring the big windmill power generation operation out by the Interstate, they took in the Palm Springs VillageFest, a weekly street fair. Here's Sandy and son Rick.
Grandson Jon lived with his Dad in Roseville for a while so they had more opportunities to do some travel and adventures together.
Mike hasn't skied in about 10 years, but when his jury duty was cancelled, he decided to head to the mountains for a day of Spring skiing. Here he is at Boreal Ridge summit. And no broken bones!
Mike's daughter Patty is now settled in at her new apartment in Concord, and enjoying being closer in to town than at her previous digs.
Grandson Ryan had a birthday, but why stick with a traditional birthday cake when you can enjoy Grandma Sandy's famous cheesecake? Here's the birthday boy, with Dad Mark, sister Trisha, and nephew Colby looking on.
Son Rick continues his hobby of skateboarding (even though he could be called a "senior skateboarder" from several perspectives). Here he is at a friend's house, who has a swimming pool-shaped skate bowl in his backyard.
Mike went to Mexico for a week camping out with 210 teenagers (and some other adults) from Mike & Sandy's church to build new houses for 14 poor families. The project was in a "shanty town" area east of Tijuana. Here he's showing how wall framing is done. You can read more about the project, and see some pictures, here.
Grandson Ryan Darius recently married Courtney, expanding our family. The newly-weds just bought a house in Martinez, and like new home-owners everywhere, are repainting and tailoring it to their needs.
Well at least Sandy got into the Halloween spirit! Here's she's in costume heading out to a bridge group event.
Sandy's son Rick bought a 2nd home in Kernville, in the mountains east of Bakersfield, where he is a river rafting guide many summer weekends. Sandy was invited down to admire the new house, and Mike was invited dow to fix some things on the home inspection report. Here's Sandy and Rick overlooking the nearby Kern River.
Grand-daughter Trisha was the host for the Christmas morning brunch two years ago, giving Sandy a break. Son Mike and Grandson Jon, up from Bakersfield, got the "longest distance traveled" award. Here's everyone, except for Mike the photographer.
Son-in-law Blake chose an Italian restaurant to celebrate this year's birthday, maybe because of the yummy deserts they offer (which somehow got slid over in front of Mike).
Son Rick has a day job, but one of his loves is being a guide on river rafting trips. Here he is coming through the Grand Canyon on a recent Colorado River trip.
Mike convinced Sandy it would be great fun (just once!!) to join the New Year's Eve crowd in New York's Times Square. Here they are about an hour before the ball dropped, and the view down the street -- asupposedly about 1 million people there -- cold weather, but no snow. Along with friends Buzz and Doreen, they also took in the 9/11 Memorial, the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes, and other New York sights.
You can see more here.
Sandy is a regular performer in the Assistance League's "Show on the Road" troupe, which visits assisted living facilities around the area. In past shows, Sandy has appeared in many roles, including a "flapper" in a Roaring 20's production, in a "Grease" -type show, as one of Snow White's dwarfs, as a lion, etc.
Mike was a volunteer for the complete rebuild of the San Francisco City Academy building, a major project of Sandy and Mike's Danville church. This took almost 3 years of work, and almost $1.4 million in fund-raising. The Academy, a Christian K-8 school, is very successful, with over 100 students now enrolled.
You can see some pictures of this big project, Mike's work there, and a little of its history, here.
Mike and Sandy recently joined a family party which saw Sandy and all 3 of her sisters together, a fairly unusual event, as the four live in different towns, hundreds of miles apart. Here's Sheila, Barbara (since deceased), Sandy (the oldest), and Carla, in a rare picture.
Sandy and Mike owned a lake house for six years. You can see a few highights of the good times there here.
Mike likes to laugh, and usually knows a few jokes to tell. Cartoons are fun, too.
Want to know more about Sandy and Mike? You can read their "bios" here , or you could read more about their grand-kids here.


Half of all Americans (49%) believe that non-dairy brands should not be allowed to use the term "milk" on their product labels because they are often less nutritious than dairy milk, according to a poll conducted on behalf of the National Milk Producers Federation, Arlington, Va. However, half of Americans (47%) also believe that allowing companies to use the word "milk" on non-dairy beverages, despite a policy that restricts imitation dairy foods derived from plants from being labeled as a type of milk, has no effect on their confidence in food labeling.
A little less than half said it made them less confident in U.S. food labeling, while a small minority said it made them more confident. When informed that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration currently defines "milk" as the product of an animal, but doesn't enforce the labeling rule, most respondents (61%) said they believe the FDA should restrict non-dairy beverage companies from using the term "milk." A smaller number (23%) believe that the FDA should not restrict non-dairy beverage companies.
The findings stem from a poll conducted by Ipsos, France, on Jan. 4-7, on behalf of the National Milk Producers Federation. For the survey, a sample of 1,005 adults 18 and over from the continental United States, Alaska and Hawaii were interviewed online in English.
rounding. The precision of Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the poll has a credibility interval of +/- 3.5 percentage points for all respondents. Ipsos calculates a design effect (DEFF) for each study based on the variation of the weights, following the formula of Kish (1965).


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The extant sources we have concerning Apollonius of Tyana are not only sparse but somewhat historically unreliable. The most important biographical work written about him is "The Life of Apollonius" by Philostratus. Bowie has shown that, although this work is composed of a great deal of fictional material, there is also convincing evidence to suggest that Philostratus had access to reliable oral tradition. But those aspects of Philostratus' story which probably have no basis in historical reality are still of great worth in our attempt to illustrate the ways in which historical figures came to be conceptualised as various kinds of divine mediator figure.
There is considerable evidence to suggest that Apollonius was seen as an "exalted patriarch" in some sense. Emperor Alexander Severus was said to have divinised Apollonius, along with other examples of famous divine men including Abraham and Jesus, in one of his temples. Philostratus also depicts Apollonius as a man who after his death was said by his followers to be immortal.
Apollonius also resembles Davila's "charismatic prophet" type. He performs miracles, exorcisms, prophecies and healing and there is evidence that he had a considerable following (or at least there is some evidence that there was a cult of Apollonius in existence after his death). In addition, factors such as Apollonius' attitude towards the Roman empire as recorded by accounts such as Dio of Prusa give us good evidence that Apollonius was a political agitator who operated as a peripheral intermediary (I.M. Lewis's typology). I argue that within Davila's type of a charismatic prophet we must further forge classificatory categories such as shamans, magicians, spirit-possessed healers, mediums and exorcists.
Apollonius fits Davis's legacy pattern very convincingly. His reputation for having manufactured magical effects, talismans, spells and the like flourished in Antioch, Ephesus, Cilicia and Byzantium and continued right through to the medieval period. He was thought in magical tradition to have employed a powerful demon to assist him in his trickery. Lucian wrote that a certain Alexander was the heir to Apollonius' medical and magical legacy since he had been taught by one of Apollonius' original followers. Apollonius' legacy is embodied by Philostratus' biography of him which portrays him as a tremendous sage whose wisdom was something more than human and who by and through his life revealed to all humankind the true purpose of existence.
However there is also proof that Apollonius was seen to mediate in the present - and thus follows Davis' "Intervention Pattern." Philostratus mentions a young man who claims to have been visited by the sage in a dream. Apollonius in this example takes on the definite persona of a divine omniscient being who can intervene of our space-time continuum at any moment. The real question is whether this story actually is only a microcosm of some real form of Apollonian worship. Did the disciples of a so-called Apollonius cult really worship him in a day-to-day sense of man-God relationship or was Apollonius merely their past hero and founder? There is certainly evidence of there having been a shrine to Apollonius at Tyana (which was financed by Caraculla) as well as references by Lactantius to the cults of Apollonius.
Since Apollonius in his own lifetime functioned as a Man > God intermediary he strongly can be seen to fit what the class has coined as the "intercession pattern". Throughout Philostratus' account there is mention of Apollonius' mediatorial role, which most certainly contains some truth. But what kind of intercessor was Apollonius? The anthropological material I have used in my paper attempts to answer such questions.
I have examined Apollonius through the interpretative lens of the typologies of Stevan Davies, I.M. Lewis and Winkleman. I concluded that he possesses some shamanistic traits, but as Jim Davila points out we have to establish to what extent these traits are purely coincidental or have a more structuralised basis. Certainly Apollonius was an exorcist who operated on the periphery of society despite Philostratus' watering down of Apollonius' anti-Roman polemic. As regards spirit-possession, Apollonius was seen at several points to have been the incarnation of a series of Gods. Winkleman's shaman/healer seems to fit Apollonius at this point, since this is a figure who is seen to be sporadically spirit-possessed but most of the time performs his feats through his own means. However, as with Jesus, an attempt to paint a clear picture of the historical Apollonius lies within the realms of near impossible tasks since we cannot formulate conclusions on the basis of what our sources don't mention concerning his characteristics and likewise we cannot take what our sources do say about him as the complete and encompassing facts about the man without considering the possibilities of what the author may have omitted or ignored.
The similarities between Jesus and Apollonius of Tyana are significant and don't warrant Evans's scornful dismissal. Although both men came from different religious, economic and social backgrounds, the fact of such startling similarities in how they came to be conceptualised as divine mediator figures cannot be put down to coincidence or conceptual plagiarism. Since both men were contemporaneous with one another it is likely that the ways in which both figures came to be perceived was consistent with an underlying subconscious schema imbedded within the first century East Mediterranean mind set. The quest for the historical Jesus should not neglect to compare and contrast Jesus and his traditions with enigmatic and fascinating figure of Apollonius of Tyana.


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