Num. 1:1, 2; 7:1-3, 89; 8:1-7; Gal. 5:22-26.
I have in mind to engage your thoughts with two principles which are as true in the New Testament as they are in the Old, revelation — from God to men, and response to that revelation — from men to God. The revelation that God has made in this dispensation is greater than anything He had made known to men in former times. It must be so, for what God has declared of Himself today in Christianity has reached us through the Son, His last and greatest communication, as we see in Hebrews 1. Moreover, in the power of the Holy Spirit of God we are enabled to answer to that revelation, giving a living response to it for the pleasure of God. Through the gospel God has drawn us to Himself and by so doing has delivered us from this present evil world. If the light which has shone into our souls holds us in our affections, no attraction in this world will turn us aside or draw us back into that state of things where men are going on to perdition. These typical passages in Numbers together with the one in the New Testament will, we hope, give us some light on this matter.
The book of Numbers is the book of experience, but it may be of help to see its setting in the Scriptures. It is preceded by two other books, so far as the history of the nation of Israel is concerned. Their history as a nation begins in the book of Exodus, the book of redemption, where we have the first outstanding type of the shed blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. This appears to be the first offering of sin offering character in the Scriptures. Typically it would suggest the moment when we first apprehended and appreciated what Peter calls "the precious blood of Christ," when in the need of our souls we turned to Christ and gladly accepted Him as our Saviour. There can be no progress at all in the things of God unless we begin there, of that we are assured. Then in the latter half of Exodus we have the interesting details of the construction of the tabernacle, God dwelling amongst the people He had redeemed and brought to Himself. These appear to be the two outstanding features of that book.
Then follows the book of Leviticus, where the great thought is approach to God. Only redeemed people can know what it is to draw near to God without fear. In that day it was representatively in Aaron, but the response of the people in drawing nigh to God is clearly seen there. The book opens with the statement that God spoke "out of the tabernacle of the congregation," and He immediately gives instructions as to how and when His people could draw nigh to Him. We have details of the offerings which describe for us in type the service and sacrificial work of our Lord Jesus Christ. In answer to this have we not in our souls the consciousness that, as the fruit of the work of Christ which has put away our sins for ever, removing every question which stood between our souls and God, we can now draw near to God in the faith of our souls. Exodus is thus the book of redemption and Leviticus the book of approach.
In the book of Numbers we have the record of the experiences of the people of God in wilderness conditions, a people who have been redeemed and brought to God. In the first ten chapters we have the setting of the whole camp and the service of God connected with it; first the ordering of the host in detailing to each tribe where they were to camp; then the selection of the tribe of Levi in view of service in the tabernacle. We have read of the leaders, the princes of the tribes, those whom God ordained to take a lead amongst His people. We have also read of Moses the mediator of the whole divine system, and of Aaron who sustained it as representing the people Godward, and all this is connected with the people of God in wilderness conditions. We need to take account of these features if we are to be in our true place and to move in this world as pleasurable to God.
A sad feature of this book is the continuous failure of the people, and there may be the tendency with us to be so engrossed with the failures of the people of God that we miss the grandeur of what is in them in spite of the failures. I have noticed that one hundred and ten times in this book the tabernacle of the congregation is mentioned. Does it not seem that God was indicating His presence with them in spite of their many failures? He never abandoned them, and His desire to meet with them never altered, for the cloud of glory overshadowing the tent would ever indicate that He was still in their midst. That is where we need to fix our eyes, not on the failures. Do not think I minimize the failures, far from it, but I have found that people who constantly talk about failures make very little progress in the things of God. God is still with His people and His resources are still available for those who desire to answer to His mind and who seek to walk before Him for His pleasure. It is this we are seeking to press at the moment, God made known and dwelling with His people, and their answer to that in responsive affection.
"And the LORD spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tabernacle of the congregation, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they were come out of the land of Egypt," ch. 1:1.
Note these two prepositions — in the wilderness, out of Egypt. Beloved, there is no wilderness in Egypt nor can we have Egypt in the wilderness. It is idle to talk about being in the wilderness unless we are morally out of Egypt. Can you really say from the depths of your soul, what a grand thing it is to be out of this world? If we have appreciated the call of God as we ought to have done, we shall be able to speak so. Do we value the manna above the fish, cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic (Num. 11:5)? The wilderness is a place where there is no path, and the desert is a place where there is no provision. Both terms are used of the wilderness of Sinai and would shew us that we are entirely shut up to God. If the call of God has turned this world into a wilderness for us, why should we be looking for a path there? Why should we be looking for food there? We have every resource in God, with the daily manna and the cloud to guide continually. The path for us is clearly outlined in the Word of God, and Christ is our food. If we wish to know experimentally what it is to walk in communion with God in the power of the Spirit and enjoy to the full the wonderful salvation of God, we must needs turn our back upon this world and accept wilderness conditions with God Himself ever at hand. There was no tent of meeting — the real meaning of the tabernacle of the congregation — in Egypt, but God is ever near to those who are in practice out of Egypt and in the wilderness.
In Num. 7 we read "And it came to pass on the day that Moses had fully set up the tabernacle, and had anointed it, and sanctified it, and all the instruments thereof, both the altar and all the vessels thereof, and had anointed them, and sanctified them," verse 1. We pause to consider this remarkable picture. The word "fully" means completely. Here then we have a complete divine anointed system, a picture of Christianity in all its details as available to us in the power of the Spirit of God, and all established in Christ at the right hand of God in glory. We may well thank God for the gift of the Spirit, for we could not understand one whit of this apart from the Spirit of God. A spiritual order has come into being today, completely established and anointed in the power of the Spirit of God, and by the grace of God we have all been brought into it. Moreover we read, "and sanctified it." The wilderness is characterized by disorder and defilement with its bones and its dead bodies, yet in spite of that there was a sanctified sphere in which God dwelt with His people in infinite grace. In spite of the corruption around us on every hand there is a new spiritual order into which we have been brought apart altogether from the corruption, and this is what we have in the wilderness to sustain and guide us. May we avail ourselves of it at all times!
In this 7th chapter we see that the first people to move towards the tent of meeting were the princes, the leaders of the people. There is such a thing as leadership among the people of God, and if we are to make progress in our souls we need to pay attention to this. We read there were twelve princes, the heads of each of the tribes, so that not one tribe was without leadership. The answer to this for us would be, "Obey them that have the rule over you" or "Obey your leaders," Heb. 13:17 (N. Tr.). We are wise if we acknowledge such leaders, for they watch for our souls. I do not think gift is leadership, that comes out more in relation to the Levites further on as we hope to see. Leadership is local, and we do well to recognize those definitely enabled of God to maintain in the gatherings the truth which God has given to us. What is put to their credit in this chapter is, they brought gifts to sanctify the altar. The claims of God are represented by the altar, and the first thing said of these princes is that when the tabernacle was completely set up, they had regard for the rights of God. Let us thank God for those who have both the light and the energy necessary to promote what they know to be due to God in the gatherings, and who seek to preserve the saints from the corruptions around us on every hand, knowing that if these things have place in the meetings they will rob us of the liberty which is ours and the enjoyment of the things of God.
In the end of Num. 7 and the beginning of Num. 8, we have two outstanding things brought to our notice, the voice and the light. "And when Moses was gone into the tabernacle of the congregation to speak with Him ( i.e. God) then he heard the voice of One speaking unto him (i.e. Moses) from off the mercy seat that was upon the ark of the testimony, from between the two cherubim; and he spake unto Him," Num. 7:89. Why did Moses go in to commune with God? It was to receive these divine communications to pass them on to the people. He received them in the immediate presence of God, within the veil and from the throne of God from between the two cherubim, and the voice of God gave to him orally the instructions He would have passed on to His people. Here again we have a beautiful picture of our Lord Jesus Christ through Whom, as we read in Hebrews 1, the voice of God has reached us. Greater than Moses indeed, for through this wonderful Person God has spoken Son-wise. He was ever in the immediate presence of God, and coming forth from that presence into Manhood has spoken in divine authority, and has brought into being the divine, heavenly, spiritual system we now belong to.
Who would have us there at home."
Moses is a type of the Lord Jesus, One Who is in living communion with God, co-equal, co-eternal with God, and Who has come forth from the immediate presence of God to give to us divine communications for our enlightenment and guidance. Thus Moses, communicating what he heard by that voice, evidences the feature of revelation, while Aaron with the lampstand in the next chapter represents the side of response. Together they typify "the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus," Heb. 3:1.
At the beginning of chapter eight we read that the first communication which Moses received was to instruct Aaron in regard to the lampstand. "Speak unto Aaron, and say unto him, When thou lightest the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light over against the candlestick," Num. 8:2. We find a footnote by J.N.D. in the New Translation to the effect that the phrase "lightest the lamps" really means "caused to ascend." This term is also used in relation to the burnt offering and also to the incense on the golden altar. In each case it is "caused to ascend," and conveys the thought that what is being wrought is first of all for the pleasure of God. Let us seek to keep that before us in our service for God; causing it to ascend first of all, consciously seeking the pleasure of God, and it will give character to service as nothing else could, and will deliver us from serving only for the brethren to see. It is recorded of Ishmael that before he was born the angel said to Hagar his mother "he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren," Gen. 16:12. Again it is recorded of him, "he died in the presence of all his brethren," Num. 25:18. Abraham did plead with God, "O that Ishmael might live before Thee," but Ishmael did not live before God, he had no secret history with God, but died as he lived, "in the presence of all his brethren." In our service for God let us do what He wants us to do, and do it for His eye first, not merely to produce an effect with the brethren — cause it to ascend.
Aaron is instructed to light the lamps and so cause the light to ascend in the holy place. Typically two features are seen in relation to the oil. As the anointing oil it is indicative of power, but in the lamps it is indicative of light in the holy place. We need both these things in our service for God. Light without power would leave us helpless to answer to the light; power without light would leave us in perplexity as not knowing what to do; but power with light enables us to go on intelligently in the service of our God. The Holy Spirit dwelling in each member of the Christian company gives guidance and power to all who seek to serve God and move in the wilderness for His pleasure, but while speaking of each individual we must keep in mind that there is to be unity in this service. There were seven lamps (seven conveys the idea of perfection or completeness) but there was only one light, not seven lights. If our service for God is right it will not clash with others, but will blend with them in a united service in the light of the holy place. One answer to this seven branched lampstand is found in Isa. 11:2 where seven qualities are seen prophetically blended together in our Lord Jesus Christ, forming one light in its perfection. Moses then gives the instruction, and in answer to it Aaron lights the lamps that the light might ascend. Here we have the two thoughts of our subject brought together; revelation seen in Moses, response in Aaron.
Aaron received through Moses this divine communication — "And the LORD spake," and in Num. 8:3 in answer to that, "Aaron did so." He was obedient to that communication. Be assured of this beloved, it is useless talking about response if we are not obedient to the voice of God. One has said "That which is light becomes law to us," and that is very true. If we do not answer to the light God gives us we shall not receive more. If we ignore His voice and refuse to walk in obedience to that which God communicates to us, we need not wonder if we are not progressing in the things of God. That which Moses said to Aaron became a commandment to him for we read, "And Aaron did so; he lighted the lamps thereof over against the candlestick, as the LORD commanded Moses," verse 3. The communication became to him a command, and in obedience to God he did as he was commanded. This is the path of true progress.
We further read in verse 4, "And this work of the candlestick was of beaten gold, unto the shaft thereof, unto the flowers thereof, was beaten work; according unto the pattern which the LORD had shewed Moses, so he made the candlestick." In this word "shewed" we have the thought of "illumination," and this is the main thought connected with the light. Moses was the one to whom the pattern was shewn, but it is connected with the other two matters mentioned earlier in this passage. That which begins as a divine communication (verse 1), becomes a command (verse 3), and leads to illumination (verse 4), light in our souls. In its application, first we hear what God has to say to us, then through grace we answer to it, and so we grow in the knowledge of God as Paul prayed for the Ephesian saints, "being enlightened in the eyes of your heart," Eph. 1:18 (New Trans.).
It is of interest to note that the voice and the light, revelation and response, precede the account of the cleansing of the Levites, the opening verses of which we have read together. They are called to serve God in relation to the "tent of meeting," and thus typify those who are gifted to carry on the service of God. If we read Eph. 4, we find all are in this matter. All are not apostles, or prophets, or evangelists, or pastors, or teachers, but all have some gift, some spiritual impression from Christ, as we read in verse 7, "But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ." Each has something of spiritual value formed in the soul by the Spirit, something which is needed amongst the saints of God. Let us not neglect it but rather guard it in secret history with God, and we shall then find how and where it can be of most use to the saints of God.
If gift is to be of real use in the service of God we must observe certain conditions, and these are described for us in this account of the cleansing of the Levites. "Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them," verse 6. There must be practical sanctification if we are to rightly serve in regard to a sanctified tent of meeting, and we read here how that is brought about. "And thus shalt thou do unto them, to cleanse them; Sprinkle water of purifying upon them, and let them shave all their flesh, and let them wash their clothes, and so make themselves clean," verse 7. Moses first sprinkled the purifying water upon them, but the rest of the actions in this verse were done by the Levites themselves, "let them shave . . . let them wash . . . make themselves clean." The water of purifying is indicative of being born again and is seen no doubt in John 3, where the Lord tells Nicodemus, "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." The first right desires we had after God began when that work had been effected in our souls, a work done for us by the Spirit; but that was to be followed by a work done by us as we clearly see in this typical passage. To shave all our flesh means in New Testament language, "let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh" (2 Cor. 7:1); to wash our clothes means separation from the circles in which we once moved ere the grace of God reached us, as again we read, "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord," 2 Cor. 6:17. First the razor on the flesh, then external cleansing from defiling associations in which once we walked. Only as obedient to these exhortations can we take up service for God in relation to a sanctified sphere. Only as we judge ourselves in the light of the cross of Christ shall we be prepared to sever ourselves from all external defiling influences.
In closing we turn to the verse we read in Galatians 5:22-26. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance; against such there is no law." This is the ninefold fruit which ought to characterize us as sanctified, and it will do so if we have acted upon the next verse. "And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts." Here is an example of the meaning for us of the razor on "all their flesh." Certain things connected with the flesh appeal to us while other things horrify us, but in the power of the Spirit of God we crucify the flesh with its appealing things as well as its corrupt things. We live in the Spirit and are exhorted here to walk in the Spirit. A sad catalogue of the works of the flesh is given to us a few verses earlier in the chapter, but as walking in the Spirit we shall be characterized by the fruit of the Spirit. This is how we respond to the revelation which God has given to us; He has given us of His Spirit that we may do so.
May we truly answer to these things, and thus shew that we do appreciate the movement which God has made towards us. By so doing we shall receive increased light into our souls, and be a help and blessing to our brethren, while at the same time enjoying more fully all that God has called us into by His infinite grace.


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RentRedi Heeds the Digital User Experience in 2020
RentRedi has set its sights beyond digitizing the road to securing an apartment and is now focused on deploying technology that would make renting as easy as ordering food or a rideshare.
By Mariah Brown | December 04, 2019 at 08:00 AM
NEW YORK CITY– Real estate technology start-up RentRedi has set its sights beyond digitizing the road to securing an apartment, and is now focused on deploying technology that would make renting as easy as ordering food or a rideshare. Ease of use is top of mind for the company entering 2020, Ryan Barone, RentRedi's CEO and chief technology officer tells GlobeSt.com.
The New York-based start-up just closed a $1.4 million venture funding round that TIA Ventures lead, which included well-known investors Andy Appelbaum, co-founder of Seamless and David Hirsh, former managing director at Blackstone, as well as RiverPark Ventures, who served as a major investor in the round.
Mariah Brown
Mariah Brown is the New York Bureau Chief and Real Estate Reporter for GlobeSt.com, covering the New York Metro area, Northeast region and national real estate trends. She is responsible for producing multi-media content, including articles, podcasts and video. Before joining the GlobeSt team, she served as a New York Times fellow, reported for the Associated Press in New York and Philadelphia and several other New York City-based outlets.
GlobeSt. APARTMENTS SPRING 2021Event

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Headquarters Security Forces - Jaffna (SF-J) organized a pompous ceremony on Sunday (22) to welcome Kajenthini who arrived in home after a successful heart surgery at a private hospital in Colombo.
With auspices of Commander SF-J Major General Mahinda Hathurusinghe, 511 Brigade at Atchelu and 512 Brigade at Ariyalai organized this reception at Civil Affairs and Public Relations Office Jaffna.
Krishnakumar Kajenthini was accompanied in a procession from the Vembady Junction up to Civil Affairs and Public Relations Office where she was garlanded by the Commander 511 Brigade Colonel Wijendra Gunathilake who took an enormous pain from the beginning to see this innocent girl be soon cured.
Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon of Asiri Hospital Dr. Vivek Guptha who conducted the surgery, Mr. Kirubananthan who lavishly donated Rs. 400,000/= to buy valves needed for the surgery and Clinical Director of Asiri Heart Care Centre Dr. Anil Perera arrived all the way from Colombo to attend the function on invitation of Headquarters SF-J.
Dr. Guptha addressing the gathering expressed his extreme satisfaction on the successful surgery and appreciated Army�s charitable work for civilians. He further stated that Asiri should perform at least 100 of such surgeries to Jaffna heart patients free of charge with coordination of the Army in future.
Dr. Anil Perera during his speech mentioned that he could be happy to be a partner of this worthy course coordinated by the Army.
Commander SF-J Maj. Gen. Hathurusinghe, who extended all assistance such as arranging free air passage for Kajenthini and her mother from Palaly to Katunayaka, was the Chief Guest of the event, �Welcome Kajenthini�. Maj. Gen. Hathurusinghe addressing the crowd said that 27000 troops in Jaffna have been reduced to 16000 and will be further reduced taking security situation into consideration in future. These soldiers are now committed to assisting the government effort of enhancing living standard of Jaffna people through many projects for civilians.
�This is only one such event out of many that we are carrying out for the people of Jaffna. On behalf of the Army, I wish to extend my heartfelt gratitude to Medical staff of Asiri Surgical and Asiri Heart Care Centre and the Lions� Club in Jaffna for successful operation conducted,� SF-J Commander further said.
Continuing his speech, Maj. Gen. Hathurusinghe said that Army will built a house for Kajenthini�s family and find a decent job upon her recovery.
He made a special note on the benevolence shown by Mr. Kirubananthan by offering necessary financial assistance for the surgery and said it is a good example for Tamil Diaspora that are trying to make divisions among communities.
Kajenthini and her mother who expressed their gratitude to the Army in public with wet eyes were too emotional to continue their speeches.
Dr. Ketheeswaran, Regional Director Health Services Jaffna delivering vote of thanks reminded the services that Army is rendering for the improvement of the health sector in Jaffna.
Buddhist priest of Jaffna Sri Naga Vihara Ven. Meegahajandure Siri Vimala Thero, Nallai Adeenan Srilasri Somasundara Deshika Paramacharya Swamihal, Director Teaching Hospital Jaffna Dr. Bhavani Pasupathiraja, Coordinator to the Governor o the Lions� Club Dr. V. Thiyagaraja, distinguished guests and a large crowd representing Jaffna Health sector and family members, relatives and neighbours of Kajenthini were also present.
Krishnakumar Kajenthini, the 20 year old girl from Erlalai, Kadduvan in Jaffna who was admitted to Colombo Asiri Surgical (Pvt) Hospital by the Army for an urgent heart surgery is now reported out of danger after a successful surgery on Friday (30), hospital reports said.


Pre Camp 9 weeks long broken into a 6 week and 3 week session. Camp day is 9:00 – 2:00.
A truly unique program, Pre-Camp was founded in 1966 with the commitment to offer the Tom Sawyer experience to pre-school age children. This is an especially important age for children to learn the joys of sharing outdoor adventures with friends without the restrictions of fences, noise levels, and clean clothes. A Tom Sawyer Pre-Camper experiences the fun of exploring secret territories with their group and builds their confidence by learning to ride our horses and developing swimming skills. Campers are able to develop an open and confident mind, a healthy and well-coordinated body, the ability to cooperate with their peers, and an enthusiastic spirit.
Each child participates in a coed group of 12 children led by a Senior, an Assistant, and a Junior counselor and receives swimming and horseback riding instruction. Campers arrive at camp at 8:55am and leave at 2:00pm, ready for a long nap.
Campers must be potty trained and 3 years old by June 1 to attend camp.


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AAP is Animal Farm
Those who have read George Orwell's Animal Farm will know what I mean by AAP is Animal Farm. In that novel beasts of England and Ireland are called to revolt against a man. Beasts of Manor Farm revolt and drive out the man and establish the rule of animals. They change the name of the farm to Animal Farm. They have their rules of equality and so on but they get diluted over time. There is fight between two leaders for control of animals. One is victorious.
AAP began with principles and high promises. It comprised of members who were part of India Against Corruption and wanted ombudsmen; Lokpal at Centre and Lokayukta in states. They contested Legislative Assembly elections in Delhi and won 28 out of 70 seats. Congress extended it outside support. Arvind Kejriwal became chief minister. The government lasted 49 days. Congress did not support AAP's Lokayukta Bill and Arvind Kejriwal resigned.
AAP expected dissolution of Delhi's Legislative Assembly and elections along with Lok Sabha elections. That did not happen. AAP went to Supreme Court against non-dissolution. The case dragged on for many months.
Principles of grassroots democracy and no high command culture were given up during Lok Sabha elections. Local members had no say on who their candidate should be. There were no primaries. People in Delhi decided who should be candidates. It was high command culture. In Lok Sabha AAP contested more than 400 seats. It won 4 seats in Punjab. It did not win any seat anywhere else including Delhi. BJP won all 7 seats in Delhi and led in 60 Assembly segments.
Shazia Ilmi quit AAP. She accused Arvind Kejriwal of working against her. She said there was sabotage when she contested from R. K. Puram and Ghaziabad.
Arvind Kejriwal wrote to Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung not to dissolve Delhi Assembly for a week. He wanted to form government with Congress support. Congress did not support him.
BJP was confident of winning in Delhi. Legislative Assembly elections took place. Shazia Ilmi and Kiran Bedi joined BJP. Kiran Bedi became BJP's chief ministerial candidate. There were questions about some AAP candidates who had joined from other parties. AAP won 67 seats. BJP was reduced to 3.
Arvind Kejriwal had talked against VIP culture, ministers occupying bungalows, security, red beacons. Now he wanted a bungalow and got one. He had security when he went to Bangalore. Traffic was stopped for him. He did not pay toll. He said all this was as per protocol.
He wanted Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav out of Political Affairs Committee. There was no place for dissent against party supremo. He succeeded. After that Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav were thrown out of National Executive. These two were founder members and had done great service to the party.
Anjali Damania quit AAP. Medha Patkar quit AAP.
AAP Lokpal Admiral Ramdas was sacked though some months were there to complete his term. Arvind Kejriwal who had talked and agitated for Lokpal for India and had resigned for not being able to pass Delhi Lokayukta Bill had sacked his party's Lokpal. He constituted three-member Lokpal.
Prashant Bhushan was removed from disciplinary committee. New members were brought in.
Some AAP leaders held Swaraj Samwad on 14/4/2015. Prashant Bhushan, Yogendra Yadav, Anand Kumar and Ajit Jha received notices for that and were expelled from the party on 20/4/2015. Dharamvir Gandhi who was sympathetic to Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav was removed as AAP leader in Lok Sabha.
Finally, Arvind Kejriwal who did not want security and had been accessible to journalists wanted Delhi police to provide security to him from journalists during his farmers' rally on 22/4/2015. Delhi police replied he has no threat from journalists. However police were present during the rally which made more news because of a farmer's suicide. BJP and Congress blamed AAP for continuing the rally. Arvind Kejriwal said they repeatedly appealed to police who are not under him to save the farmer but they did not save him.
AAP talked of transparency, inner party or internal democracy and of allowing dissent. That has disappeared. After becoming Delhi CM for the second time he could have quit as national convener. He did not do it. During Delhi elections someone had said "AAP is Arvind Kejriwal. Arvind Kejriwal is AAP." For many in India and abroad AAP had brought hope and expectations of clean politics, end of corruption, participatory democracy and so on. That hope is shattered. In its place there is disappointment, disillusionment, dismay. India's common man looks around to see whether any good politician is left. There is no one left; no, not even one.
Updated: April 23, 2015 — 7:45 am
Mitalee
Great.That is exactly the fault with mankind. They forget that we are part of creation, and as such not capable of ruling themselves. Actually this is what Adam chose for us in garden of Eden, independence from the Creator, falsely labelled as freedom with self rule, but lawlessness in reality. What disastrous results this decision has brought to whole mankind is manifested everywhere!
CONCLUSION-Only the rule by the Creator, that is Kingdom of God, will fulfil the right expectations of mankind, not imperfect humans.


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Dairy & Cyst Acne
Vegetarians & Acne
A Dairy-Free Diet for Acne
Acne & Insulin Resistance
Why Is My Face Suddenly Breaking Out in Acne?
Can Ice Cream Cause Skin Breakouts?
Calcium & Acne
By Kay Uzoma
Calcium is a mineral that plays several essential roles in your body, including building strong bones and teeth, helping to regulate muscle function and maintaining healthy blood vessel dilation and contraction. Certain food sources of calcium may make acne worse for some people. However, more research is needed on the link between calcium and acne, so consult a dermatologist for more information.
The Western Diet and Acne
Some of the most common sources of calcium in the Western diet are dairy foods, such as milk, cheese and yogurt. One cup of fat-free or skim milk contains 299 mg of calcium, according to the USDA National Nutrient Database. The daily recommended amount of this nutrient for adults ages 19 to 50 is 1,000 mg; after 50, you should consume between 1,200 and 1,500 mg of calcium daily, notes Leslie Beck, a registered dietitian and author of "The Complete A-Z Nutrition Encyclopedia." But while calcium-rich dairy foods may be good for your bone health and other functions, they may also aggravate acne due to their hormone-disrupting effects.
Dairy and Acne
Dairy foods increase levels of the hormone insulin, which elevates inflammation that contributes to acne, according to Mark Stengler, a naturopath and co-author of "Prescription for Drug Alternatives." Your acne can be further aggravated if you get calcium from dairy foods produced by conventionally farmed cattle, which are typically fed hormones. These hormones can trigger increases of the wrong types of hormones in your body and lead to side effects such a increased oil production in your skin, which is one of the primary causes of acne.
If you get your daily dose of calcium primarily from dairy foods and you notice that they make your acne worse, choose more skin-friendly sources of calcium. These include beans, sardines, broccoli, bok choy, kale and Swiss chard. Unlike dairy foods, these calcium-rich choices help to stabilize insulin levels — as they are low in calories and rich in fiber — and thereby keep inflammation under control. Canned sardines and salmon are also good calcium choices and contain anti-inflammatory omega 3 fatty acids.
If you have a medical problem, such as osteoporosis, do not change your dietary sources of calcium without consulting your doctor first. If you're not getting enough calcium in your diet, your doctor can also recommend a good supplement to take. Also, if you've been treating acne unsuccessfully with dietary changes and over-the-counter remedies, such as benzoyl peroxide products, it's time to book an appointment with a dermatologist. Acne can take a toll on your skin, self esteem and social life — but with the right treatments, it doesn't have to.
Office of Dietary Supplements: Calcium
"Prescription for Drug Alternatives"; Mark Stengler, N.D., et al.; 2008
"The Complete A-Z Nutrition Encyclopedia"; Leslie Beck, R.D.; 2010
USDA National Nutrient Database: Milk, Nonfat, Fluid, Without Added Vitamin A and Vitamin D (Fat Free Or Skim)
University of Wisconsin-Madison: Acne
Colorado State University: Western Diet Found to Influence Acne...; Jennifer Dimas; December 5, 2002
Kay Uzoma has been writing professionally since 1999. Her work has appeared in "Reader's Digest," "Balance," pharmaceutical and natural health newsletters and on websites such as QualityHealth.com. She is a former editor for a national Canadian magazine and holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science from York University.
Face Blemishes After 60
Calcium Content of Potatoes
Can Excess Calcium Cause Dizziness?
Cocoa and Acne
Is Calcium Good for Gout?
Acne Due to a Hormonal Imbalance


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New Community Key Partner Program
The non-profit community organisation, Canberra Southern Cross Club today announced the new Community Key Partner Program for the year 2017/18.
The new Program encourages collaboration with not-for-profit organisations to optimise charitable work and welfare for the Canberra community.
The Canberra Southern Cross Club sponsors over 350 community organisations with contributions of over $1.5 million every year. The Canberra Southern Cross Club has always provided community funding through programs such as Community Welfare, Community Grants, Community Sports Sponsorship, and in recent years, the innovative Community Rewards Program.
The Club is proud to announce the introduction of our fifth funding program, the Community Key Partner Program.
The Community Key Partner Program will commence in July 2017. This program will provide the successful applicant up to $50,000 per annum over a three year term, comprised of up to $40,000 cash, and $10,000 of in-kind services.
Not-for-profit charities who work in the ACT and surrounding districts are invited to apply. The Community Key Partner guidelines and application form are available at cscc.com.au/community with submissions closing on Friday 14 July 2017.
In announcing the new Program, Club president John Lewis commented "The Canberra Southern Cross Club is introducing the Community Key Partner Program not only to assist the wonderful work done by non-profit organisations, but also to highlight their efforts in providing services to the people of Canberra."


Look what we have! New lulu mypinkturtle canvases! Woo Hoo!
Lulu's canvases continue to make me happy. Today I am obsessed with Catnip Party, duh! and Las Flores de Muerte. Tomorrow it may be different canvases but you really can't go wrong with any of them. I love that I can do fun stitches on them and never get bored!
You can see the entire lulu collection here.
I'll be teaching the wonderful zecca 5 Lotus Redux classthis weekend while Megan is at the wholesale market. Check back for photos. I really love how the lotus are developing.
Love Catnip Party and Frida Mermaid, Fun!!!
Let's get the boys together for a cat nip party!! Can't wait to see lotus!


Whether they are of traditional style or rather modern and to taste young, we always produce terroir wines. This may seem contradictory, but it's possible, thanks to the cooperation of the wine grower, who brings the grapes to perfect ripeness, and the wine maker who fully controls ageing and blending.
As a result of ongoing observation and reflexion, we combine Burgundy's way of highlighting origin and terroir to vinification techniques from Bordeaux. We blend wines of a single variety but from different "climates".
Like an echo to nature and the never-ending motion of the wine, we constantly evolve ourselves. Our profession is an ongoing creation; much like the philosophers of nature, we experience every day in astonishment, investigation and learning.


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Civil War Era Drum and Fife
Lot 173:
Civil War Era Drum and Fife Drum has military motif stenciled on side, complete with all tensioners. Includes a set of drumsticks. Rosewood fife with silver fittings and 9TH Maine Infantry markings.
Realized : $1,265
Cowan's Auctions: Cincinnati, OH, USA
Auction Date: April 28, 2010
at December 23, 2010 No comments:
1824 ELI BROWN LABELED TIGER MAPLE PARADE SNARE DRUM
Lot 93: 1824 ELI BROWN LABELED TIGER MAPLE PARADE SNARE DRUM
Auction House: The Gallery at Knotty Pine
Auction Location: West Swanzey, NH, USA
Auction Title: Antiques & Decorative Arts Auction
Auction Date: November 1, 2009
Description: 1824 ELI BROWN LABELED TIGER MAPLE PARADE SNARE DRUM - STRONG TIGER MAPLE DRUM IN NATURAL FINISH W/ OXIDIZED BRASS TACKS DECORATION, RED PAINTED COLLARS, LEATHER TABS & CORDAGE W/ INTERIOR LABEL "ELI BROWN DRUM MANUFACTURER HAS CONSTANTLY FOR SALE BASS & SNARE DRUMS & TAMBOURINES MADE IN THE NEATEST & BEST MANNER WINDSOR CT 1824 -#1395" & RED, WHITE & BLUE DRUM STRAP/SLING W/ BRASS DECORATED LEATHER TAB & IRON CLIP (18 3/4" T X 19" DIA.)
Condition: DRUM HEAD SKINS DAMAGED, RIM WEAR, SMALL LOSSES, SOILING, IMPERFECTIONS
at December 23, 2010 1 comment:
The Green Drum
From The Arlington Historical Society Archives
The accession page reads: "Drum carried by Jos. Dickson, 1862, Civil War. Donor George H. Shirley."
This was written by Doreen Stevens. Posted on Friday, August 6, 2010 to ARLINGTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY BLOG, OFFICIAL BLOG OF THE ARLINGTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY, ARLINGTON, MA
This beautiful drum, from The Arlington Historical Society archives, pictured here, is a lovely soft green with blue undertones. Wooden bands of a soft, sad red anchor the main green body of the artifact on either end, held together with neat rows of rivets. Emblazoned on one side is a painting of a ship and a sunrise. This circular central motif on the drum's exterior is the 1784 New Hampshire seal—a ship, flying American banners, resting on wooden supports, with a rising sun. The scene celebrates New Hampshire's role as a major ship-building center during the Revolutionary War period. The seal is surrounded by laurel leaves and the Latin phrase: "Sigilium Reipublicae Neo Hantoniensis." (the commonwealth of New Hampshire). Inside, written in a neat hand is the number "23" set at an angle. We are on solid ground interpreting the drum's physical attributes. But, who owned this beautiful thing; who used it, and why?
The Dickson family has deep roots in Puritan Cambridge and Charlestown. There were Dicksons on Brattle Square in the 1640's, and Jason Russell's mother was Elizabeth Dickson. Although the accession information states that Joseph Dickson carried the drum in the Civil War, there is no conclusive evidence that an Arlington man owned this artifact.
Like the drum itself the chain of evidence circles in on itself: Arlington Vital Records contain one entry for "Joseph Dickson," stating that he married Phebe L. Russell in 1833. That life event would make this Joseph quite old to be a Civil War "drummer boy" in 1862. In the 1865 census for West Cambridge, there is one Joseph Dickson listed: male, white,72 years old, born in Massachusetts, and (sadly) with an asterisked line adding a one-word description of "Idiotic." Civil War records show a "Joseph Dickson" to have served in the Civil War from Massachusetts, but I haven't yet been able to track down his hometown—most probably Charlestown. There are no "Joseph Dicksons" listed in New Hampshire Civil War records. But why would a Massachusetts boy—from West Cambridge or Charlestown– be carrying a drum with the New Hampshire state seal on it?
Hints on Tucking a Drum Head
George Kubicek wrote with the URL
to this information in Vintage Drum Forum.
How an 1827 (no. 1582) Brown Drum Got to Montana
Jim Doolittle of Montana wrote to us recently with these photos of his family's 1827 Eli Brown drum. He included some family history:
The Doolittles settled in the Milford-Woodmont area of Connecticut in the late 1600's to early 1700's. Early family members were farmers, ice "harvesters" and deliverers and general handymen.
Jim's grandfather, Trubee Doolittle, was a banker in Woodmont from the late 1800's until about 1955. (There is a Trubee Doolittle Park in Woodmont. Also, see Families of Early Milford, Connecticut By Susan Emma Woodruff Abbott.)
Jim's father, Charles Doolittle, was born in Woodmont in 1921, attended Columbia University Medical School, graduating in 1952, and moved to California with his wife Nancy.
When Trubee died in 1974 the contents of his home on Mark Street were distributed to family members and/or auctioned.
Charles Doolittle acquired the Brown drum at that time from Trubee's estate. Jim reports that the drum has been in his family for more than 100 years. He does not know, however, how the drum came to be in his family.
When Charles retired in 1963 and moved to Florence, Montana to be near his son Jim, he brought the Brown drum.
Jim reports that the heads and ropes were replaced by Drum Brothers in Arlee, Montana using deerskin (not exactly traditional but easily corrected) and hemp.
Jim inherited the Brown drum from his father when he passed in October, 2009.
Restoration of a Mid-19th Century Field Snare Drum
I received this article today from Randolph ("Randy") Davis, a drummer and drum refurbisher. Compare some features of Randy's drum with those on my "Drum by John Lowell," this blog, March 5, 2008.
My New Player
Article Contributed by Randolph Davis
Having just now tied off the drag rope, I'd like to share my newest toy which I bought at the Baltimore Gun Show last year (2009). There I found a cracked shell and counterhoops form a mid-19th century drum, and some old heads sans flesh hoops artfully displayed across the open ends of the shell. The shell had a crazed unidentified surface finish, and all-in-all, it looked like hell. I decided I wanted it, so my friend, Jim Kochan, lent me the cash to buy it. I recall it costing $250.00 (after a $50 talk-down). It is now sturdy player of which I am very proud.
I gave the shell a quick surface clean with a damp cloth and found several cracks spanning the length of the shell along the grain, one spanning the entire length of the shell. That was bad news for a drum that I wished to transform into a player.
I bought some 1/8" white oak strips, soaked them in water for about ½ hour, bent them around the shell to dry, and then I glued them across the cracks on the inside of the shell using Old Brown Glue. That stuff is a truly amazing organic hide glue with urea added to lengthen the working time. A simple warming makes the glue workable for several hours. This stuff is heaven, and I can recommend it without hesitation. I also used it to reglue the shell support hoops and loosening scarf joints on the counterhoops. It worked to great effect and, as advertised, simply bonded with the old glue. Other than a little spotting from the iron traces in Baltimore tap water reacting with the tannic acid in the oak (which I was able to correct with oxalic acid), there were no real issues.
View of oak reinforcement strips through vent hole.
Next I scraped the surface finish off using a water-based varnish remover which worked well after two applications. I used a flexible plastic putty knife because I wanted to retain the planer marks on the outer shell. I gave the shell a denatured alcohol bath and it cleaned nicely. I first attempted to shellac the drum, but I felt that this would not be a sufficiently sturdy finish for an outdoor drum. (I have since learned that the Noble Cooley 150th anniversary drums are using shellac and apparently this is the historic finish for Noble Cooley drums.) So I removed the shellac and hand rubbed the shell (first with my bare hands and then with the grain, using 0000 steel wool) using a 50/50 refined linseed oil/turpentine finish. I applied about seven coats which did a nice job to create a slurry to fill the cracks and other imperfections. I used Gamblin refined linseed oil which is said to use a refining process that is 150 years old. The final touch was wheat pasting a hand-made label inked by my good friend Fred Rickard.
Compare an original label that reads "John Lowell, Manufactor and dealer in all kinds of Musical Instruments No.[1] 4 Maine St Bangor
Reproduction label, reads "Randolph Davis Manufactor and dealer in all kinds of Musical Instruments No. 2105 Hargrove Alley Baltimore".
With the shell and counterhoops complete, I ordered rope, heads, snares, strainer, and custom cut and bent flesh hoop blanks from Cooperman Drum Company. I sized flesh hoops to the shell, and glued them using the same Old Brown Glue. I nailed them with carpet tacks based on contextual examples in my own collection. I tucked the heads and dyed the rope overnight in a batch of strong English breakfast tea (Cooperman sells a sort of bleached linen rope.) The Cooperman linen rope is four strands, as is typical for drum rope on American drums of the period. Unfortunately, it is not spun as tightly as other original rope I have seen, and I wanted "drum rope". I have heard other drummers speak favorably of hemp linen rope available in Eastern European markets, but I don't know of any four-strand rope of this type, and I felt that the tea-dyed linen rope was the right decision for this restoration.
I made the ears, copying an original example on another drum in my collection. I used an antique pinking iron to punch the ends, and seven-cord hand waxed linen thread to tie the ears.
I mounted the Cooperman reproduction Civil War style strainer. But after roping the drum together, it occurred to me that this design would not work, for the rope hole was too close to the strainer side snare gate. There was no room for the upright thumbscrew to function. This posed a problem that might have prevented the result I wanted. But not so! I inquired with Noble and Cooley, who is embarking on a reproduction drum project in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the war, concurrently with contacting the one and only George Carroll of Carroll's Drum Service. George gave me a different but common style (of which I have a couple on drums in my collection) counterhoop-mounted hinge-style strainer, which works excellently in the above mentioned situation. His casting apparently comes directly from an original dug at Brandy Station battlefield. I came to find out that Noble and Cooley is using the same strainer supplied by George for their restorations.
So I soaked and mounted the snares, and plugged a few small holes in the counterhoops where previous appliances had been mounted (a carry on the batter counterhoop, and previous strainers on the snare side). That was an afterthought, but something I could do without dismantling the drum.
And just a listing of my friends who helped me along the way: my wife for dealing with insanity on a regular basis; George Carroll for keeping this fife and drum business alive south of the Mason Dixon, and reproducing this strainer; Jim Ellis at Cooperman, who is the embodiment of kindness and sage; George Hardy for his magical tea-dying recipe; Jim Kochan for spotting me the money initially; Fred Rickard for the best label any drum ever had; and Al Saguto for teaching me now to make thread.
So there you have it. And it sounds great!
One Man Band - Drum Kit by Lyon & Healy
Tompkins' (uncompleted) Drum #5 Surfaces on eBay
BEFORE LIGHT CLEANING:
Note the beautiful grain pattern resulting from an oblique slice through the wood stock causing otherwise circular growth ring patterns to appear somewhat elliptical.
The two (of six) drilled holes in the bottom counterhoop were made to accommodate one of three short legs when the drum was converted to a small table.
Whether as a result of luck or care, the grain pattern partially lines up nicely at the glued seam. (Tompkins could have chosen the portion of the exterior veneer blank he used so as to cause the grain pattern to line up so well, at least partially, at the seam.)
This hole is one of three on the inside of the top counterhoop and was made to accommodate a circular tabletop that was screwed into the top counterhoop.
Not sure what happened here. It's a gradual thinning of the interior veneer such that the exterior veneer is exposed on the inside of the shell. That may have been a or the reason that this drum was never completed. Tompkins may have been concerned that the drum's thickness, being non-uniform, would lead to structural failure at that location.
Note the number "5" in handwritten in pencil on the inside of the shell
Note the number "5" in handwritten in pencil on the inside of the counterhoop
Note the strong construction evidenced by two-ply manufacture and reinforcing hoops top and bottom.
The grain runs vertically on the inside layer of the shell, and horizontally on the outside layer of the shell, for improved, cross-grain strength.
The counterhoops show no sign of ever having been used to tighten down the drum. No depressions in the top edge that would have been made by roped hooks under load.
AFTER LIGHT CLEANING:
eBay seller emilysattic ( 412) put this beauty on the market and it escaped my attention until my friend, George Kubicek, emailed me with about 3 hours left in the auction. I was glad he did. I placed my bid and waited patiently for the auction to close at about 7 minues past 7 o'clock in the evening while I was attending a business meeting (watching the clock count down on the auction during the last few minutes).
Final sale price was only $305 but there is alot missing. What I bought was just the shell and the hoops. They are characteristic of the work of William S. Tompkins, whose drums are featured in other articles on this blog (search above left for Tompkins). My guess is that this drum, marked #5 on the inside of one of the reinforcing hoops and on the inside of the shell (see photos), is one of Tompkins' early drums.
The drum had been used as a table. Three short legs (probably not period) accompanied the drum. They were screwed into drilled holes through the bottom counterhoop. A circular wooden top (probably not period) was affixed to the other counterhoop by small angle brackets screwed to the inner surface of that counterhoop.
There was no trace of any flesh hoops, skin heads, ropes, tugs or snare mechanism. Moreover, there was no evidence of any snare bed depressions in the shell. And there weren't any notch cutouts in either of the counterhoops to accommodate snares such as are seen on drums even older than this drum.
Drums manufactured prior to and even during the Civil War can be found with or without snare mechanisms. However, the field snare drums that I have seen that lack snare mechanisms had some sort of design feature to accommodate and allow the snares to be pulled through to the outside of the shell and kept tight against the snare head.
The shell of this drum has no such features. There are no bearing surfaces for the skin heads to smoothly transition from horizontal to vertical. Both shell edges are square to the shell surface. And, there is no vent hole. You can't have a good-sounding drum without a vent hole. There is no evidence of scratching to indicate damage caused by a flesh hoop. The hoops lack the telltale marks of rope hook depressions on the outer edges, and the shell lacks any evidence of vertical scratching caused by leather tugs moving up and down the shell. It's anyone's guess why that is, but I have mine.
I think that the drum was never completed and never used as a drum; that it was made to be a drum, but then set aside. Perhaps the drum was imperfect and not of the quality for which the maker wanted to known. That is, of course, merely a guess. Imperfections in the outermost circle of inlaid diamonds would be consistent with that hypothesis. Those diamonds, while attractive, are not set out along the circumference of the circle with the clock-like exactitude for which Tompkins' later drums are known. See, e.g., drum #22 from my collection.
Tompkins Drum #22, Hand-signed and Dated 1862
(Collection of Ellis Mirsky)
Tompkins drum #5 stands, perhaps, as a record of what a Tompkins drum look liked partway through the manufacturing process. It is, essentially, an uncompleted drum, apparently taken out of manufacture prior to finishing. It shows us the precision with which the surfaces were made. It's a real treasure in that regard.
The seller described Tompkins drum #5 as follows:
Up for auction is a Rare Antique 19th Century William S. Tompkins Burl Wood Civil War Drum Shell. This beautiful antique burl wood Civil War Drum Shell has a inlaid circular pattern with a center-concentric star, five-pointed stars and diamonds design with red, white-wood color, & blue hoops. The burl wood (shell-outside) has a natural & interesting design, and thought it was Birch at first, Maple or Ash ? I purchased this drum shell as a small antique side table, knowing-seeing it was a antique drum, (added later) with a antique spinning wheel top, three simple carved old oak legs, carefully placed. The top was attached with 3 simple L brackets-measured-spaced out, on the inside, holes going thru inside edge top-not going thru top R,W,B top hoop, and the simple carved oak legs, measured-spaced out, were carefully-neatly drill, thru R,W,B hoop-shell, legs were notches out-to fit on inside back, screw attaching thru the front-tighten by legs. (have to mention, is part of the condition)
Overall it is in good, restorable, condition, nice(original) patina with crazing-expected wear, inlay all present-intact, center concentric star-inlay has a vertical age split-indentation inside shell-not seen from front-seen before in other examples I have seen, 2 -3 age splits from age, hoops are strong-condition mentioned above. Signed 2x in pencil-number 5, inside of shell and inside support-hoop, measuring approximately: 17 1/4 inches wide by 13 1/4 inches high, please see pictures. I do not see any Vent Hole?
William S. Tompkins, born 1812-Drum Maker & Craftsmanin in N.Y., is known for his inlaid circular patterns of consentric stars, five-pointed stars and diamonds with red, white-wood color, & blue hoops, and why I am attributing this drum to him. (information provided by a good site on the internet [www.FieldDrums.com, of course])
Labels: Civil War, table, Tompkins


Have you ever noticed that some people seem naturally able to give a great speech or presentation? It can sometimes seem as though these people, such as Steve Jobs or Martin Luther King, have an innate natural ability to orate and sell their ideas. Maybe you've experienced a great speaker in action for yourself during your own career, and been stirred into action?
There are numerous reasons why you might want to improve your public speaking persuasion skills. Perhaps you're the leader of an organization and you need to rally your team around your strategic vision? Maybe you're a middle manager trying motivate your team to achieve an objective? Perhaps you're a team leader trying to convince your team to hit a deadline? If any of these scenarios are familiar to you, then having a process you can go through to construct a persuasive argument will be useful to you.
When people first start learning about organizing a presentation or speech, they will often come across the "Tell Them What You Told Them" technique, first articulated by Aristotle. In this technique the idea is to, "tell them what you are going to tell them, tell them, and then tell them what you told them".
In your organization you've probably come across this presentation structure hundreds to times, where the presentation begins with what's about to be covered, then moves on to the main body of the presentation, and then summarises the key points.
It's a good technique, being easy to remember and obviously widely used, but it's not exactly useful for motivating people. This is where Monroe's Motivated Sequence comes in.
The audience: the audience are interested in their favourite topic, and it isn't the contents of your presentation! They are only interested in themselves. By building your presentation using the Tell What You Told Them technique you're constructing your presentation around your content, rather than your audience and what is of interest to them. Is it any wonder that they look glassy eyed?
Suspense: it's really difficult to keep people's attention when your methodically ploughing through facts and figures. Why? Because there's no suspense. There's no promise of a revelation, so there's no reason for them to keep listening. Is it any wonder that they're secretly checking their email?
Monroe's Motivated Sequence is a process for structuring a presentation or speech that addresses both of these issues.
Alan H. Monroe was a professor of Communication at Purdue university, and underpinned by the power of human psychology, he created Monroe's Motivated Sequence in the 1930's to help people create a compelling and persuasive argument in 5 steps.
The motivated sequence derives its name from the fact that it motivates and inspires your audience to care about what you are speaking about. Monroe's Motivated Sequence is widely used to structure and organize presentations and speeches for maximum impact. It is summarized in the diagram below, and described below the diagram.
Use your imagination here. You're basically looking for a way to get your audience sit up and pay attention. Make your audience realize that you have something very interesting to say.
In general people have very short attention spans, so once you have their attention you need to move on quickly.
Note that this attention grabbing step doesn't completely replace the introduction to your presentation, instead it is part of your introduction. You still need to establish your credibility as to why you're speaking to them, state your purpose, and let your audience know what to expect.
In this step you need to convince your audience that there is a problem. In step 1 you captured the audience's attention. Now you need to maintain it, so state the problem clearly, and back this up by creating a sense of urgency.
What you're trying to do here is create a sense of dissonance, dissatisfaction, or discomfort. This will lead your audience members to seek a solution, or resolution. You can create this discomfort by clearly stating either the problem or the opportunity.
Back up any statements you make by using statistics or other proof.
Talk about the consequences of keeping things as they are and not changing.
Show how the problem directly impacts your audience. Does it impact their health, their happiness, their job security? Appear to their instincts of either fear or greed.
Essentially, in this step we're painting a picture to really get the audience to understand and feel the need for the change. By the end of this step your audience should be primed and eager to hear your solution or recommendation.
In this step you have created need. The audience understand the problem and its impact, and the NEED a solution.
Now that you have created the desire and urgency in your audience to want to solve the problem, it's time to delve into the heart of your presentation, and propose your solution.
Introduce your solution or plan. Try to keep this complete but concise and avoid going into too much detail. You've worked hard to get people to this point and you don't want to lose them now.
If it's going to take a significant amount of time to explain the plan, summarize your information from time to time at logical points as you work your way through it.
Bring your solution to life using examples and stories.
Pre-empt objections by laying out your counterarguments to likely objections.
All you're trying to do in this step is leave your audience with a clear understand of your plan. At the end of this step your audience will obviously understand your plan, and will be wondering what's in it for them (remember: their favourite subject is themselves).
In this step, now that the audience understands our solution, we need to intensify their desire for it by showing how it will make their lives better. This step is often called the projection step because it visualizes forward into the future.
The are three techniques you can use for visualizing the future.
Positive Method: Describe how the world will look if your plan is adopted. With this method you're trying to inspire your audience to want this better version of the future.
Negative Method: Describe how the world will look if your plan isn't adopted. In this step we paint a negative picture, focussing on how the world will look if nothing changes. One straightforward way to use the negative method is to take the most undesirable fact from your need step (step 2) and extrapolate into the future, creating a bleak picture.
Contrast Method: Begin by describing the negative picture, and then introduce the positive picture by describing and visualizing as eloquently as you can what what the world would look like if your plan was implemented.
Although you want to be as vivid as possible, remember that your visualization of the future must also be realistic. If it isn't, then you run the very real risk of losing your audience.
At the end of this step your audience should be enjoying thinking about how the future will look if your plan is implemented. Now is the time to motivate them to take action, now!
In this step you want to turn the desire you've created in your audience into action. Tell them exactly what you want them to do. In some cases you might simply be asking them to do nothing – essentially by not objecting they are implicitly agreeing with you plan and you will take the next steps to move it to implementation.
Conclude by giving a final rousing appeal that encourages you audience to take action right now!
In this example we're going to consider a middle manager trying to give a rousing speech to get their team to deliver an important project on time.
In the first step the speaker opens with the shocking fact that the project is likely to fail.
In the second step the speaker makes it personal by elaborating how a late project will impact the lives of the team.
In the third step of Monroe's Motivated Sequence, the speaker shows a way for the team to avoid the negative consequences laid out in step two.
In the fourth step, the speaker shows what's in it for them by taking the course of action they are proposing.
In this final step, the speaker tells the team what they need to do right now to start taking the course of action that is being proposed.
This is obviously a somewhat contrived example, but hopefully it provokes some ideas as to how you could use Monroe's Motivated Sequence to structure your own presentations and speeches.
We've described Monroe's Motivated Sequence as Monroe himself laid it out. Some people find it much easier use the terminology in the diagram below rather than the original as described by Monroe.
Whether you're a natural presenter or new to giving persuasive speeches, Monroe's Motivated Sequence can help you structure your presentation so you increase the likelihood of stirring your audience into action. It can take time to master the sequence, but once you've tried it a couple of times your confidence will increase and so too will the power of your speeches.
The 5 steps of Monroe's Motivated Sequence are: grab the attention of your audience, establish the problem in their minds, present your solution, visualize a future with or without your solution, and finally provide a call to action to let your audience know what to do next. It's a sequence that's been used since the 1930's and it's sure to still be in use a long time from now.


For the latter half of 1st year Hebrew, and for second year Hebrew (as well as for 2nd year and above Greek classes) it is extremely valuable, although not absolutely required, to have Accordance Bible software's package, at a minimum the Original Languages Collection, or the more extensive Essential, Advanced, or Ultimate Collections.
Gesenius' Hebrew Grammar, Gesenius & Kautzsch (trans. Cowley), P15 (pgs. 56-61) is required reading on the accents.
A Grammar of Biblical Hebrew, Paul Joüon & T. Muraoka, P15 (pgs. 58-63) is required reading on the accents.
A Treatise on the Accentuation of the Twenty-One so-called Prose Books of the Old Testament, William Wickes Useful chart on the prose accents on pgs. 10-11 and other useful information. Warning: Wickes has a non-preservationist, rationalistic view of Scripture which should by no means be accepted or adopted.
A Treatise on the Accentuation of the Three so-called Poetical Books of the Old Testament, William Wickes Useful chart on the poetical accents on pg. 12 and other useful information.
Genesis 2:1-3, the Ten Commandments, and Saturday or Sunday Sabbatarianism: Exegetical and Theological Thoughts A study to read in conjunction with the translation of Genesis 2:1-3 in the first semester of Hebrew. It is an assigned reading, but it MUST only be read AFTER translating the passage and answering the exegetical questions on that text.
Introduction to the Massoretico-critical edition of the Hebrew Bible, C. D. Ginsburg warning: Ginsburg has a non-preservationist, secular view on the preservation of Scripture which should by no means be accepted or adopted.
It is possible to take the class without watching the lectures live. The cost for the three-credit course (1st semester) will be $150. The class can be audited for $75. The class lectures will be posted on the Internet and can be viewed online for free, but only those registered for the course will be able to ask questions, engage in classroom interaction, take tests, etc. Scholarships for those who are genuinely unable to afford it (e. g., some who wish to learn Hebrew in very impoverished countries in Africa) are available. To register for the course, use the registration form below and send it to Mukwonago Baptist Church. More information is also found here. The second semester will follow, Lord willing, after the first semester credit hours are completed. The course content and class dates for 1st semester are found in the course outline above. You can pay for the course by sending a check to Mukwonago Baptist Church or by using the button below. If you use the button, be sure to also very soon afterwards use the contact us link and provide us with registration information so that the person paying and the person who gets registered are both the same individual. Please tell us the exact date and time that you paid for the course with the Paypal button.


This post is ahead of the final voting tally of the Mediawiki Foundation to add CC-BY-SA licensing to the Free-Doc FDL license on Wikipedia and other wiki properties. This proposed change to dual licensing, and the ability to leverage FDL licensed content into a CC-BY-SA license seems eminently reasonable. In the spirit of this, I am changing my private licensing regime to CC-BY-SA.
I live in Thailand. For my Thai-speaking friends there is a handy Thai language translation and interface to the Creative Commons Licenses. This is something the FDL never actually pursued.


text:
Coronavirus in UK live blog: Boris Johnson says UK are past the peak of the virus
Follow the latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak in our live blog below
By Finlay Greig
Thursday, 30th April 2020, 7:59 am
Updated Thursday, 30th April 2020, 5:55 pm
We will be providing live updates until 6pm this evening.
A soldier from 2nd Scots Royal Regiment of Scotland takes a test sample at a Covid-19 testing centre at Glasgow Airport (Photo: Andrew Milligan-WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Coronavirus live blog, April 29
Last updated: Thursday, 30 April, 2020, 17:55
Show new updates
Thursday, 30 April, 2020, 17:55
That concludes today's daily press briefing and today's live blog.
We will be back at 8am tomorrow with live updates on the coronavirus pandemic in the UK.
A question from the Stoke Sentinel asks why some key workers are required to make an 80 mile round trip to take a test.
Johnson says thank you the key workers in Stoke.
He says the issue will be raised with the NHS.
Says there is a massive way to go on testing and that "we're massively ramping up". Says we're doing as much testing as anywhere in Europe.
On trials in Stoke, Whitty says it's extraordinary how many have volunteered. Says a huge thank you on behalf of future patients. Vallance echoes the sentiment.
On Remdesivir, a drug which has been touted as a potential preventative treatment, Vallance says that two studies have been conducted on the drug.
Vallance says its a promising treatment as it binds the virus and inhibits it, but its not a magic bullet.
Whitty says you should always see the published data before over interpreting the verbal report.
Combinations of drugs could provide a considerable additive affect.
We will have a significantly better treatment in the future, according to Whitty.
The PM is asked if he has been impacted by living with Covid-19 himself and whether it has changed his approach.
Johnson says "I was very lucky", and says thousands have been less fortunate.
He says objective is to save lives and that has been their objective from the beginning.
The trio are now asked what a suitable level of R would be.
Johnson says people need to understand that "driving down the R is our collective endeavour".
Vallance says at the moment we are using a calculated R, says it is right, but has a range. In London he says it is probably about between 0.5 and 0.7. Vallance says it can't be absolutely precise.
On face masks Johnson says that as part of coming out of the lockdown face coverage will be useful, as it will give people confidence in going back to work.
Notably the Prime Minister isn't allowing follow ups at today's press conference.
The trio are asked if those living with cancer will get the treatment that they need.
Whitty says that there is concern that those with emergency illnesses aren't coming forward. He says that NHS can definitely cope.
Johnson adds that its very important that those with urgent conditions must seek help.
Johnson is then asked if we should expect a second era of austerity.
The PM says that his instincts are that we will bounce back and this government will encourage the bounce back in all kind of ways.
He said he never liked the term austerity and it won't be part of the government's approach.
Whitty adds that learning the lessons once you've gone through something is vital.
Cites a Guardian article that explains difficulty in comparing death rates.
You can read that here.
The trio are asked about the UK recording one of the highest death tolls in Europe.
Johnson says international comparison is "bedevilled with difficulties".
Only real comparison is going to be possible at the end of the pandemic when you look at total excess deaths.
Lockdown put in place earlier in the curve than in France, Spain Italy. "Right measures at right time".
Very demanding thing to ask a population to go into lockdown, when you look at suicide rates and other factors.
"We're learning lessons every day".
We were looking at a situation where people would not get ventilated beds, no access to ICU's. Nation came together to save lives.
The PM is asked does the economy need to wait.
Johnson says the government have made a huge effort to protect workers.
"Doing everything we can", pays tribute to Rishi Sunak.
He says if we're to bounce back it's vital that we don't have a second spike.
Must not only "unlock the economy gradually", but suppress the disease.
Asked what the R is, Whitty says they are entirely confident that the R is below 1 as there is no exponential growth.


This stainless steel pearl chain necklace Made with polished 316L stainless steel, PVD black color.
2.3mm width, 18″~36″ lenegth. Size can be customized.
The chain can be wear as a necklace or hang up with pendant and charms.
the chains with lobster clasp, Perfect as a gift or to add to your own collection.


D&D Technologies' products are a revolutionary breakthrough in latching security for gates around homes, businesses, playgrounds, and swimming pools.
Made from advanced engineering polymers with stainless steel components, D&D gate latches and hinges are made to hold up over time and against all of the elements. Each D&D latch and hinge is backed by a limited Lifetime Warranty.
One of the key benefits of D&D hardware is adjust-ability. Gates will naturally fall out of alignment over time due to ground settling or children "riding" the gate. D&D latches and hinges are easily adjusted (self-closing tension, vertical and horizontal) which ensures critical gate latching. These gate latches and hinges are made to last and to work well continuously.
D&D Magnetic Gate Latches come in many different designs and specifications. There are latches for home and residential needs, apartments and commercial applications as well as industrial uses. Whether you need a cost-effective, general-purpose latch for the garden gate, chain link gate latch for your home fence, or a high-security latch with self-locking capabilities, there's a D&D latch that meets your needs.


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Q: Probability questions with balls in a vase Can anyone help me to solve this exercise ?

A bag contains six white and four black balls
a) You take two balls out. What is the chance for two white balls ?
b) You take three balls, and you don't replace them. What is the
chance for two white balls ?
c) You take three times a ball and put it back. What is the chance for
two white balls now ?

All solutions appreciated. Thanks
My solution
a) 6/10 x 5/9 = 5/15
b) 6/10 * 5/9 * 4/8
c) 6/10 * 6/10 * 6/10
I would like to know is that correct ?

A: In total we have $10$ balls in which $6$ are white.
The chance for picking first white ball is $6/10$ Now if we take it out we have a total of 9 balls in which 5 are just white so the chance for another white one is $5/9$ which means in total we have $6/10 * 5/9$
Can you continue from here?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Liminal Dreaming is a method of working with hypnagogia and hypnompompia, those floaty and sometimes uncanny trance states we pass through as we fall into sleep at night and climb towards waking in the morning. Such hypnagogic and hypnopompic visions—together called hypnoidal dreams—surf the line of consciousness, and they also emerge during delicious naps and delirious fatigue.
My interest in liminal dreaming arises from my own incredible explorations of these spaces. Over my fifteen years of working seriously with dreams, I discovered an ability to dream while still physically awake. The experience lies somewhere between thought and hallucination, as the meandering mind rehashes and remixes abstract ideas and memories while slipping in and out of the visionary animation of the dream. In this edge realm between conscious and unconscious, there's the possibility of encountering our own visionary mind without the heavy hand of the ordinary ego, but also without simply reacting to whatever unusual things happen in the fully dreaming world.
Hypnoidal dreams happen during flux periods in the nervous system, when brain waves jump around from one settled state (Alpha, Theta, REM) to another as we fall asleep or wake up. Betwixt settled states lies the liminal dream and its host of hypnoidal mind states: the strange faces seen as we slip into sleep (hypnagogia); the thoughts that drift across the border into dream and back again while you slowly wake (hypnopompia); involuntary jolts of the body (called myclonic jerks); remarkably realistic and uncanny auditory experiences; the bizarre thrills of sleep paralysis when your still waking mind realizes it's in a paralyzed and dreaming body.
Liminal dreaming is about exploring this crepuscular space, and it is a practice that can be cultivated. Much like lucid dreaming (but considerably easier to learn), liminal dreaming has a rich history. From Tibetan Buddhists to Salvador Dali to August Kekulé, who discovered the benezene ring in hypnagogic dream, liminal dream practices have been developed and used across time and cultures.
If you're interested in pursuing extraordinary states of mind, experimenting with your own wondrous consciousness, please click here and give my liminal dreaming exercises a try.
Write and tell me about your experiences!


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Home Entertainment Bollywood Soon singer Badshah to debut as an actor
Soon singer Badshah to debut as an actor
After regaling fans with several chart toppers in recent years, singer-rapper Badshah will soon be seen in debutant director Shilpi Dasgupta's upcoming film starring Sonakshi Sinha.
The yet untitled project is being produced by Bhushan Kumar, Mahaveer Jain and Mrighdeep Singh Lamba and is being written by Gautam Mehra.
The cast has already started shoot in Punjab from January 25.
Badshah, who will be essaying a character close to his real self, said, "I am extremely nervous however I have taken the leap. This year I have undertaken many firsts, with my debut as a producer and now as an actor. Bhushanji and Mrigh both kept convincing me on how perfect the role is for me. It's a film which is so unique and different, whenever I think of it, brings a smile to my face. The added advantage is working with a super talented bunch and also my buddy Sonakshi who is very dear friend and the others like Varun Sharma."
He adds, "The character is basically who I am in real life – a singer-rapper from Punjab who is happy go lucky, likes humour. All this and after lots of convincing I gave in and have agreed to do the role. The team has started shooting for the film in Punjab, I will join them today."
The cast of the film includes Sonakshi Sinha along with Varun Sharma, Annu Kapoor, Kulbhushan Kharbanda and Nadira Babbar. The film is supposed to hit theatres on August 2.
Shilpi Dasgupta
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LABOR candidate for Tweed Craig Elliot has made an eyebrow-raising claim about the music festival scene in his electorate.
Mr Elliot, who could become the next member for Tweed in the NSW parliament has accused the government of putting musical festivals at risk of moving interstate.
In a media release distributed by Live Performance Australia - in conjunction with a number of other associations - quotes attributed to Mr Elliot say "the electorate of Tweed is... Australia's music festival capital".
However the Tweed electorate hosts no large music festivals, with the nearest festivals being Falls Festival and Splendour in the Grass, held in the electorate of Ballina.
Arguably one of the largest music festivals held in the local government area of the Tweed Shire, the Murwillumbah Festival of Performing Arts, falls in the seat of Lismore.
The Tweed Daily News contacted Mr Elliot over the comments, where he confirmed again he believed the Tweed was the musical festival capital of Australia.
Referring to Falls Festival and Splendour in the Grass, Mr Elliot said these events benefited his electorate's small business.
"It drives local jobs and it drives local accommodation," Mr Elliot said.
The media release sent out by the Live Performance Australia said this weekend's election in the Tweed was "a crucial opportunity to send a message to the NSW Parliament about the future of the local music industry in NSW".
One of the other associations involved in this media release, Australian Festival Association, has a number of festivals registered with them - none are in the electorate of Tweed.
Current Member for Tweed Geoff Provest told the Tweed Daily News he believed his political opponents needed to do better research on his government's policy.
The Nationals MP said the major festivals, including Falls Festival and Splendour in the Grass, were not going to be affected by legislation.
"None of the events they are talking about are not high risk and will not incur any extra costs and doesn't affect their business model whatsoever," Mr Provest said.


Want Cheaper Car Hire in Budva? Compare discounted rates for SUV, MPV & minivan rental in Budva, Montenegro.
Cheaper car hire for Budva can be booked here. Budget & Hertz are you can book with in Budva through our site. The advantage of doing so, is that they both discount their normal prices to encourage you to book early.
This helps them to manage their fleets better, especially for the summer, so book today or soon.
Budget have a depot in the town, whereas seems Hertz will deliver to your hotel. Mileage is included in the price, as is excess reduction and all that needed with any rental.
Despite being a major tourist resort, there is no longer an airport at Budva, so you need collect your car in the town, if not already got one at either Tivat (the nearest) or Podgorica Airport.
You can do one way hires, if not need a car for your whole trip.Need to do a one way to another country, or just stay in Budva? No problem, as both national and international one ways are possible.
So if you want to go from Montenegro to Serbia, from say Budva to Belgrade, then try here.
This is one of the oldest cities on the Adriatic and continues to pull in the highest number of tourists going to Montenegro. Apart from a quaint city on the sea, it has lots of beaches for chilling out on.
Outside of Budva, there is much to see and do, by way of the mountains that climb above the city, or travelling along the coast to admire places like Sveti Stefan, which is small city on a small island linked to the mainland.


Romanenko was selected as a cosmonaut candidate at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center Cosmonaut Office in December 1997. From January 1998 to November 1999 he undertook his basic training course. In November 1999 he was qualified as a Test Cosmonaut. He served as the backup to Oleg Kotov as the Commander of Soyuz TMA-10 and Fyodor Yurchikhin as Commander of Expedition 15.
On May 27, 2009, Romanenko was launched into space as the commander of the Soyuz TMA-15 spacecraft from Site 1/5 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. He was part of the Expedition 20 and Expedition 21 crews and was the third second-generation space traveller after Sergey Volkov and Richard Garriott. Romanenko served as a Flight Engineer aboard the ISS during the two long duration missions.
After spending 187 days and 20 hours in space, Romanenko returned to Earth along with astronauts, Robert Thirsk and Frank de Winne on December 1, 2009.
On April 19, 2013 Romanenko completed his first spacewalk with fellow cosmonaut Pavel Vinogradov, a 6-hour 38 minute EVA to conduct repairs to the ISS.


There's ONLY two rounds left of the 2016 Challenge GP (CGP) Season!
It's never too late to join in on the action. Seasoned veterans and rookies alike are welcome in any round. With the racing heating up indoors, we are seeing some chilly weather outside. Race over to your local K1 Speed by 6:30pm on Sunday, November 6th to register. Even if it's your first time racing in the CGP, you can still experience the thrill of competition with some of the best racers in your area.
NEW FORMAT – ONE SEASON, 12 RACES, BIGGER PRIZES!
REGISTRATION AT 6:30 PM. RACES START AT 7:00 PM.


Dotted Black & Bronze Table Runner – Curate + Co.
These beautiful table-runners will add a splash of personality to your decor and dining experience. Hand-painted on off-white linen. Make a statement with bold coloring, a clean layout and classic circular shapes.


Samsung has not released Android 5.0 Lollipop update for its Galaxy S2 model. The Galaxy S2 devices are still running on Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean operating system. But users need not worry. You can install Android 5.1 Lollipop on Samsung Galaxy S2 via custom firmware.
Yes, using the Nameless ROM you can install Lollipop on Galaxy S2. Nameless ROM is a custom firmware which is not officially provided by Samsung. So, installing the ROM on your device will void the manufacturer warranty. If you wish to install Android 5.1 on Galaxy S2 I9100, do follow the below prerequisites to safeguard your personal data and to ensure successful flashing of firmware.
It is vital to check device model number before rooting/unlocking/flashing process to ensure flashing compatible files on the device. The device model name should be Samsung Galaxy S2 I9100. If the device model number doesn't match with mentioned one, do not attempt the tutorial.
To install custom ROM's/Firmware the Galaxy S2 I9100 is to be rooted and should be installed with Clockworkmod recovery. Perform this step if not done previously.
Step 1: Download Nameless Lollipop firmware and Google apps to your PC.
Step 2: Connect Galaxy s2 to PC, Copy and paste the previously downloaded packages in Galaxy S2 memory. Make sure you paste them in root and not in sub folders.
Step 3: Now disconnect the phone from PC and turn it off.
Step 5: Once the device enters recovery mode, you can see a list of options which could not be found in stock recovery. Among the available options, find and select wipe data/factory reset(Use Power button to select and Volume buttons to navigate).
Step 6: After completion, perform a complete cache wipe by selecting wipe cache partition.
Step 7: Once done, get into advanced and select wipe dalvik cache.
Step 8: Now you can get into firmware installation step. In the main menu, select install zip from sdcard, browse and select the previously download Nameless ROM package from the memory. Confirm the installation in next step. Don not interrupt the installation process.
Step 9: After completion follow the Step 8 and select the Google apps package now. Wait until the installation completes.
Step 10: Next to completion of installation, select reboot system now.
That's it! You've successfully installed Android 5.1 Lollipop on Samsung Galaxy S2 I9100. Your device now boots up running Android 5.1 Lollipop.
If you face any issues while following the above tutorial, let us know through the comments section. We may help you out.


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NJ Woman Flung From Moving Boat Dies by Propeller Strike; Driver Charged
Published July 25, 2019 • Updated on July 25, 2019 at 6:59 am
New Jersey state police say a woman who was ejected from a moving boat has died after she was struck by the propeller
The man driving the 18-foot Beachcraft boat has been charged with boating under the influence
Authorities say 39-year-old Iesha Thies, of Mays Landing, was ejected from the boat around 7:30 p.m. Sunday. She suffered "major injuries"
New Jersey State Police say a woman who was ejected from a moving boat has died after she was struck by the propeller.
And the man driving the 18-foot Beachcraft boat has been charged with boating under the influence.
Authorities say 39-year-old Iesha Thies, of Mays Landing, was ejected from the boat around 7:30 p.m. Sunday. She suffered "major injuries" and was pronounced dead at a hospital a short time later.
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It's not clear what caused Thies to be ejected.
The boat's driver, Arthur Lesbirel III, is charged with boating under the influence, while another passenger, Robert Pruchnicki, is charged with allowing Lesbirel to operate the boat. It wasn't known if either man has retained an attorney.
The accident remains under investigation.
New JerseyattorneydriverState policeJennifer Vazquez


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Melodifestivalen: The Irresistible Allure of Sweden's Biggest Pop Competition
It might seem totally incredible, but the biggest pop competition on the globe is yearly held not in the US but in Sweden and is called the Melodifestivalen. Also known as "Mello" or "Melfest" it lasts for a totally gruelling six weeks and is a search of sorts for the entry that will represent the Swedish people at the one and only Eurovision Song Contest.
The culmination of the search, with around half of the citizenry tuning in to the grand finale. The cyberspace and Twitter especially are chock-full of hashtags, tweets, gif's and such like that either seek to promote one competitor over the other or provide a way for fans of the show to both have fun and let off steam.
Melodifestivalen features the glitz of such top shows like the X Factor but differs in such notable ways as the total lack of adverts, silly sob stories, or cover versions that make your ears bleed. It is a music competition in the strictest sense of the word, where pop is worshipped and the usual panel of judges full of gremlins with razor-sharp tongues are thankfully absent.
Unsurprisingly, unlike most of the other talent shows, the talent here is spectacular and if you care to tune in you are bound to be frantically filling up your playlist with most of the songs the contestants came up with. With such outstanding quality, the contest has garnered an enviable fan base that stretches across most of the globe.
The contest has also been much improved lately by the addition of excellent streaming options and the wholehearted support of the LGBTQ+ community across the globe. The latter has incidentally been quite vocal in their support on the social media scene.
Melodifestivalen showcases the best of Scandinavia to the world, is produced to a world class standard, enlivened by funny scripts and audio that's good enough to make the angels weep. The show can be accessed by anyone anywhere. All that's needed is a rock-solid internet connection, a bucket of chicken wings and another bucket to collect the tears of joy that your tear ducts will be busy churning out, as wave after wave of performers sings their hearts and souls out.
Among the performers tipped to walk away with the top prizes are Margaret, who could be another Rihanna. Then there's Samir & Viktor, as well as Rolandz. With the latter being a parody dance band of all things that glitzy, classy and bent on making your ribs throb from an overdose of laughter!
Regardless of the sort of music you prefer, Melfest has everything for all tastes. Think of it as a buffet of fabulous proportions where you can take a pick of the delish dishes that appeal to you and gorge yourself on their sinfully sweet goodness.
Why not tune in to the show and give your soul and senses one hell of a generous treat playing some of the entertaining and thrilling games such as Rainbow Riches, Online Roulette, Genie Jackpots and much more to explore at online gaming site and grab amazing welcome bonuses!
FöregåendeSveriges första globala århundrade
NästaHur har spelindustrin utvecklats?


Amphipoli in a sentence. The word Amphipoli in example sentences. Amphipoli dictionary definition. Amphipoli pronunciation.
The word "amphipoli" in a example sentences. Learn the definition of amphipoli and how to use it in a sentence.
How to use amphipoli in a sentence. Amphipoli pronunciation.
The capture of Eion, on the Strymon, with its Persian garrison, by Cimonon, led to the settlement of Amphipolis by the Athenians; and the fall of the cities which the Persians had occupied in Thrace and in the various islands of the Ægean increased the power of Athens.
It fell into his hands, as well as Stageirus, and he was thus enabled to lay plans for the acquisition of Amphipolis, which was founded by Athenian colonists.
But Amphipolis was lost by the negligence of the Athenian commanders.
Brasidas, after the fall of Amphipolis, extended his military operations with success.
The war party triumphed, and Cleon, by no means an able general, was sent with an expedition to recover Amphipolis, B.C. 422.
He succeeded in taking Torone, but Amphipolis, built on a hill in the peninsula formed by the river Strymon, as it passes from the Strymonic Gulf to Lake Kerkernilis, was a strongly fortified place in which Brasidas intrenched.
He was obliged to remain inactive at Eion, at the mouth of the river, three miles distant from Amphipolis, which excited great discontent in his army, but which was the wiser course, until his auxiliaries arrived.
The battle of Amphipolis was decisive; it led to a peace between the contending parties.
By the provisions of this treaty of peace, which was made for fifty years, Amphipolis was restored to the Athenians, all persons had full liberty to visit the public temples of Greece, the Athenians restored the captive Spartans, and the various towns taken during the war were restored on both sides.
Athens returned the captive Spartans she had held since the battle of Sphacteria, but Amphipolis was not restored, from the continued enmity of the Thracian cities.
But Iphicrates did not recover Amphipolis, which was a free city, and had become attached to the Spartans after Brasidas had taken it.
The Thebans and Macedonians now united to protect the freedom of Amphipolis against Athens.
But he made peace with Athens by yielding up Amphipolis, for the possession of which the Athenians had made war in Macedonia.
The Athenians, however, neglected to take possession of Amphipolis, being engaged in a struggle to regain the island of Eubœa, then under the dominion of Thebes.
One of the first things he did after defeating the Illyrians was to lay siege to Amphipolis, although he had ceded the city to Athens.
Amphipolis had long remained free, and was not disposed to give up its liberties, and sent to Athens for aid.
The neglect of Athens was a great mistake, for Amphipolis commanded the passage over the Strymon, and shut up Macedonia from the east, and was, moreover, easily defensible by sea.
The capture of Amphipolis by Philip was, of course, followed by war with Athens, which lasted twelve years.
In the spring of 334 B.C., his army was mustered between Pella and Amphipolis, while his fleet was at hand to render assistance.
M525 Consequences of the battle of Amphipolis.
M1114 Persecution of the Christians.
The first ten years of the Athenian hegemony or headship were years of active warfare against the Persians.
He soon became master of the surrounding territory.
Brasidas, with a large force, including seventeen hundred hoplites, rapidly marched through Thrace and Thessaly, and arrived in Macedonia safely, and attacked Acanthus, an ally of Athens.
Encles and Thucydides, the historian, to whom the defense of the place was intrusted, had means ample to prevent the capture had they employed ordinary precaution.
Athens, discouraged and baffled, lost all the prestige she had gained.


Thanks to Artefuse and Two Coats of Paint for stopping by my studio and the mention!
I am excited and honored to announce that I have been selected as a recipient of the Peter S. Reed Foundation grant for 2017. I'm looking forward to making a new body of work with the generous help of the foundation.