Corruption and Capitol Hill
DANIEL SCHORR reporting:
There is this line from Aesop's Fables, I believe. The mountain was in labor. It gave birth to a mouse.
GONYEA: NPR's senior news analyst, Daniel Schorr.
SCHORR: Our Congress has been in labor for about four months, since the lobbying scandal broke, centered around super-lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Congress is trying to clean up its act, or at least look as though it's cleaning up its act.
The Senate passed a bill last month placing some curbs on gifts and meals from lobbyists. The House failed to act this past week on a Republican package that Representative Chris Shays, a Republican moderate, called weak and getting weaker. The bill is now expected to come up for a vote this week.
There's been painfully little in the way of real reform so far. Representative Randy Duke Cunningham took $2.4 million in bribes from defense contractors. He's going to jail. But outright bribery is a matter for the courts, not Congress, and not much in the way of ethical reform has yet come from Congress.
There is this practice called earmarking, not a felony, though maybe it should be, that is designating in an appropriations bill a certain amount of money for a pet project, like that infamous bridge to nowhere in Alaska. The best Congress has been able to manage on earmarking is a requirement that earmarks be made public.
Then there are the ways that lobbyists buy favor with such devices as free trips to nice places, like a golf course in Scotland. The best the House could manage for free travel and amenities was to require twice a year reports on funded travel.
The mystery is why public outrage has not propelled the Congress into more sweeping reform. A Pew Research Center poll said that 68 percent of Americans say corruption is important in deciding how they vote. But some members of Congress say they're not feeling much pressure from constituents on the subject of the lobbying scandal.
Lawmakers say the big issues for their constituents are in the first place soaring gas prices, then immigration, then the war in Iraq.
I am reminded of when I lived in Europe, where corruption in government in countries like Italy was simply taken for granted. I hate to think that corruption in Congress is a given, but if there is any popular passion to reform our Congress, I can't find it.
This is Daniel Schorr.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by Verb8tm, Inc., an NPR contractor, and produced using a proprietary transcription process developed with NPR. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.


Page 41: of Marine Technology Magazine (April 2019)
Ocean Energy: Oil, Wind & Tidal
Swire Seabed’s user interface.
Photo: Swire Seabed
Norway has announced it will follow the Cooke Isles example of issuing licenses to quali? ed subsea mining companies.
Ocean Minerals’ quali? ed offshore process involves low- ering pipe bound to nodule-harvesters on the seabed. Nod- ules are collected, screened, separated and concentrated for transfer via lift pipe to a production vessel as seawater slurry.
Another pipe adjoining the lift pipe returns seawater back to the ocean. So, deepsea mining combines the tech and experi- ence of offshore oil and gas (risers, umbilical, surveys and “drones”) with the experience of dredging; nearshore dia- mond and gold mining and the land-based mining industry. “It is a relatively small industry sector at the moment, but with potential to grow,” says Richard Mills, Kongsberg Mari- time’s director of Marine Robotics sales. While its clear that
Kongsberg’s payload-rich, torpedo-shaped AUVs will be valuable as pre- and post-exploitation survey vehicles, there might also be a subsea mining role “in association with the excavators” for the company’s uncannily eellike Eelume ROV.
Meanwhile, Swire Seabed and associates Ocean In? nity are understood to have over a dozen HUGIN AUVs in service, and they ran the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate’s miner- als cruise. HUGINS doing survey work might always take the lead offshore in the preparatory stage of subsea mining. “We are not always aware of what our customers do with the ve- hicles,” Mills says.
Once the mining begins, it’ll be ROVs and HROVs like the
EVA or TURTLE. The latter is INESC TEC anticipating the future costs of seabed mining: the versatile TURTLE robotic lander doesn’t need specialized launch equipment, it relocates autonomously and can come to the surface for maintenance without expensive vessel support.
Marine Technology Reporter 41
MTR #3 (34-49).indd 41 4/10/2019 4:30:07 PM


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One box and family to be featured on the cover of Hollywood Gazette
Little Free Libraries are a global phenomenon. The small, front-yard book exchanges number more than 75,000 around the world in 85 countries —from Iceland to Tasmania to Pakistan.
Hollywood Gazette is challenging Hollywood home owners to construct and install a Little Free Library in their neighborhood by December 15 for a chance to be featured on the cover of the Hollywood Gazette’s January 2020 issue with the story of the family who constructed it.
“The Little Free Library movement is aligned with our mission to connect the community,” says Hollywood Gazette publisher Jennifer Love. “It’s our hope that this Little Free Library challenge will bring neighbors together and create communities of readers.”
The Little Free Library nonprofit organization has been honored by the Library of Congress, the National Book Foundation, and the American Library Association, and Reader’s Digest named them one of the “50 Surprising Things We Love about America.”
Each year, nearly 10 million books are shared in Little Free Libraries. To learn more, please visit littlefreelibrary.org.
Enter your Little Free Library in the challenge below by December 15.
Where can I place the library?
While the City of Hollywood does not require a permit, the following general guidelines should be considered before installation:
• Should not be located within or overhang the public street right-of-way or any public easement;
• Should not obstruct vehicular, bicycle or pedestrian traffic, either physically, or by a person utilizing the Little Free Library;
• Shall not obstruct access aisles or paths utilized by persons in wheelchairs or for ADA accessibility;
• Should be placed in a front yard (area between the front wall of a building and the public street right-of-way);
• Enclosures should be sized and arranged such that no person or child is able to enter;
• Should be anchored to the ground or otherwise securely attached to something having a permanent location on the ground.
Contact your neighborhood association or HOA if you’re unclear about the permissible placement of a book-sharing box in your community.

domain: library


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Increase federal funding for research
Scientific research is the most powerful tool we have against disease. Incremental discoveries made in the lab today are vital in developing new treatments for cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and other conditions affecting our community. Researchers at Indiana University are actively working to find cures for these diseases.
Federal funding fuels research in Indiana. In 2014, the state received $210 million from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), $145 million from the National Science Foundation, $30 million from the United States Department of Agriculture, and $28 million from the Department of Energy Office of Science in research grants.
Scientists, students, and support staff rely on these funds. Their efforts yield new discoveries and train our most highly skilled workers. But limited funding could hinder scientific advances. When adjusted for inflation, the NIH budget has declined by nearly 25 percent in the past decade. This jeopardizes our country’s global leadership in science and technology.
I urge Indiana’s congressional delegation to complete its work and pass a 2016 spending bill that includes increases for federal science agencies. If Congress doesn’t act, critical research will be disrupted, and those who are waiting for cures will pay the price.
These views are my own, and are not intended to necessarily reflect the views of Indiana University.
David B. Burr
Associate Vice Chancellor for Research (IUPUI)
Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology
Indiana University School of Medicine

domain: health


Click image for full-sized view.
Still, the Samsung 256-GB SSD drive is priced to move. Based on prices of SATA II SSD drives at NewEgg.com as of May 18, the $499 Samsung 256 GB is selling for $1.49/GB; the Kingston SSDNow V+100E ($569) costs $2.22/GB; and Corsair's P256 ($699) costs $2.73/GB. By the way, the Corsair drive incorporates a Samsung storage controller.
Samsung's drives also are economical in terms of power consumption when compared with the competition. When active, the Kingston drive consumes between 2.8 and 3.3 watts, and the Corsair uses 1.5 watts. Samsung's drive reportedly uses just 0.24 watts, according to materials provided by the company for this review. And when idle, the unit sips just 0.14 watts, roughly on par with Corsair's rated consumption of 0.14. Remarkably, Kingston's drive uses just 0.052 watts when idle. The Corsair, Kingston and Samsung models all use MLC NAND flash memory, offer a rated MTBF of 1,000,000 hours, are rated to withstand a shock of 1500G, and include a three-year warranty on parts and labor.
Add one to the list of things Samsung does well; its monitors, laptops and mobile devices all have found favor in the CRN Test Center. Its SSD drives are economical and perform well, and Samsung's partner program forms a product trifecta for the reseller. When rugged, low-cost, high performance solid state storage is required, the CRN Test Center recommends the 470 Series from Samsung.
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Item description for The Rose of Singapore: An epic tale of love, loss and sexual awakening in 1950s Malaya & Singapore by Peter Neville...
For young aircraftman Peter Saunders, Singapore in the early 1950s holds all the promise of the Orient: exotic surroundings, unusual customs, and mesmerizing women. Peter soon meets and falls in love with a local Chinese girl but only later does he learn she is not all she seems. This historical romance blockbuster unfolds amidst Communist insurgency in colonial Southeast Asia.
Promise Angels is dedicated to bringing you great books at great prices. Whether you read for entertainment, to learn, or for literacy - you will find what you want at promiseangels.com!
Studio: Monsoon Books Pte. Ltd.
Est. Packaging Dimensions: Length: 1.25" Width: 5" Height: 8" Weight: 1.05 lbs.
Release Date Mar 15, 2006
Publisher Monsoon Books Pte. Ltd.
ISBN 9810517270 ISBN13 9789810517274
Reviews - What do customers think about The Rose of Singapore: An epic tale of love, loss and sexual awakening in 1950s Malaya & Singapore?
The Rose of Singapore is a delight Oct 15, 2006
The Rose of Singapore is a delightful book. Based on a true story, it is a window into Singapore life in the 1950's. It is at the same time exotic, nostalgic, poignant, humorous and innocent. I recommend this book to anyone who likes a romance in an exotic setting.

domain: literature


As you have known, I am currently watching a new Korean Drama called "Her Private Life," starring Kim Jae Wook and Park Min Young. There are only six episodes so far and I am very impressed with the story as well as the chemistry! Not to mention, they have fascinating quotes you can learn from!
1. "Fangirling isn't something that's created. It's something you're born with."
Boy, does this quote mean a lot! Fangirling is a gift that shouldn't be something to be looked down upon. Fangirling is what makes a person happier and more motivated in life. In fact, it unleashes the inner child in you, regardless whether you're an adult. And I think fangirling is a gift that everyone should make use of.
2. "It's easy to talk about value with just reputation and price. But recognizing the true value of an art piece is not something anyone can do."
The value of art shouldn't be measured by popularity. I know some things that are considered popular can be very overrated. Even the favorite movies I like are the ones that are not so popular as what people are into these days. And these days, people are appreciating the Disney live actions more than their 2-D animated predecessors, which I find very sad to believe. Up to this day, I prefer watching Disney animated films over their live-action successors. Like the quote says, recognizing the true value of an art piece is not something anyone can do.
3. "People can always betray you, but money never does."
I cannot disagree any less. Yes, there will be people who will stab you in the back and there will be even friends who talk behind your back. But money is always there to back you up. Whenever you're sad or having a bad day, go spend some of that hard work on something you like and cheer yourself up!
4. "Art may be great but it can't be greater than a living human being. I'm still greater than those paintings that are hung on that wall. Because I am a living being and I will continue to live."
This is such a powerful quote. There is indeed a huge difference between art and a living human being. Even though art can get a lot of praise, it can never live up to a living human being who has so much experience. As a living human being, we learn to embrace the sad and happy things in our life. That is to say that we have the strength to endure all that, which is something we should be very proud of. Living human beings are very strong!
5. "If you want to hold someone's hand or if you don't want to let it go, I'll let you borrow my hand."
There is so much kindness in this quote! Doesn't this make your heart touched? Don't you want to be that friend who lends a hand to those who need it?
Do these quotes leave you inspired? If they do, try out watching "Her Private Life!" It's definitely worth your time!


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Hello there people, our newly posted coloring image that your kids can use with is Belle And A Bucket Of Flower On Disney Princesses Coloring Page, listed under Disney Princesses category. This below coloring image dimension is around 600 pixel x 788 pixel with approximate file size for around 90.56 Kilobytes.
For much more image relevant to the sheet right above you, your kids can explore the next Related Images widget at the end of the site or simply surfing by category. You could find other enjoyable coloring picture to work on with. Enjoy the fun!

domain: artistic


ES 201/AM 231 is a course in statistical inference and estimation from a signal processing perspective. The course will emphasize the entire pipeline from writing a model, estimating its parameters and performing inference utilizing real data. The first part of the course will focus on linear and nonlinear probabilistic generative/regression models (e.g. linear, logistic, Poisson regression), and algorithms for optimization (ML/MAP estimation) and Bayesian inference in these models. We will play particular attention to sparsity-induced regression models, because of their relation to artificial neural networks, the topic of the second part of the course. The second part of the course will introduce students to the nascent and exciting research area of model-based deep learning. At present, we lack a principled way to design artificial neural networks, the workhorses of modern AI systems. Moreover, modern AI systems lack the ability to explain how they reach their decisions. In other words, we cannot yet call AI explainable or interpretable which, as a society, poses important questions as to the responsible use of such technology. Model-based deep learning provides a framework to develop and constrain neural-network architectures in a principled fashion. We will see, for instance, how neural-networks with ReLU nonlinearites arise from sparse probabilistic generative models introduced in the first part of the course. This will form the basis for a rigorous recipe we will teach you to build interpretable deep neural networks, from the ground up. We will invite an exciting line up of speakers. Time permitting, we will provide a model-based pespective of the building blocks of modern language and image generative models.


Velodyne Encourages Government and Industry Collaboration to Advance Vehicle Safety
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Velodyne Lidar Debuts Alpha Prime™, the Most Advanced Lidar Sensor on the Market Alpha Prime Delivers Unrivaled Combination of Field-of-View, Range, High-Resolution, Clarity and Operational PerformanceNovember 21, 2019
Velodyne Lidar, Inc. today introduced Alpha Prime™, the next generation lidar sensor utilizing Velodyne’s patented surround...
LeddarTech is Recognized as a CES 2020 Innovation Award Honoree for The Leddar Pixell, a Cocoon LiDAR Recently Released for the Autonomous Vehicle MarketNovember 19, 2019
CES announced the winners of the Innovation Awards on November 7th, 2019 in New York. LeddarTech...
LeddarTech Partners with Acal BFi for the European Delivery of Mobility and Specialty LiDAR Sensor Solutions in ADAS/AD ApplicationsSeptember 24, 2019
LeddarTech®, an industry leader in LiDAR technology who provides the most versatile and scalable auto and...
LeddarTech Launches the Leddar Pixell, an Exceptionally Dependable and Durable Cocoon LiDAR for Autonomous VehiclesSeptember 13, 2019
This 3D solid-state LiDAR cocoon solution is specially designed for autonomous vehicles such as shuttles, robotaxis,...
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Karma Bead K0044-130-16
The fortune-promoting Natural agate bead is enthralling with its elegant, gently-shimmering surface. It reveals its elegant sheen when combined with exquisite 925 Sterling silver beads and is believed to have a positive influence on its wearer.
Height approx. 1.00 cm (0.39 Inch)
925 Sterling Silver

domain: design


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Defined benefit (DB) pension funds are “working against” the UK government’s productive finance agenda, according to Pieter Steyn, head of GB clients at WTW, speaking at the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association (PLSA) annual conference in Manchester this week.
Steyn highlighted that the government’s agenda is driven “very much by its economic growth agenda”.
He said: “There is a strongly held view in government that if pension funds were to invest more of their assets in what they call productive finance assets, then that will act to stimulate economic growth. That has been driving much of the consultations over the summer.”
In July,cChancellor of the exchequer Jeremy Hunt announced a number of consultations referred to as Mansion House compact aimed at unlocking up to £75bn of additional investment from defined contrition (DC) and local government pension schemes (LGPS) to help grow the UK economy and deliver benefits to savers.
Productive assets are “assets that create productive capacity” and make a difference to the real economy and generate a return every time, Steyn explained.
He added that these assets are typically illiquid and while DB pension funds have in the past invested in these assets, they have “now stopped making allocations to these assets”.
He said: “Not only have they stopped, but they have also actively reduced their allocations.”
He acknowledged that the majority of schemes are in surplus and therefore in the process of de-risking, becoming more liquid and funnelling into the insurer’s regime.
Steyn added that it will require some time for the funds to get into the insurance regime to be reinvested in productive finance.
As a result of this, he said that the DB pensions industry is “working against the productive finance agenda, not deliberately, but because the DB industry has a different incentive”.
Read the digital edition of IPE’s latest magazine

domain: politics


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Vidya Balan and Preneet Kaur at YFLO's 'Annual Young Women Achievers Awards' on April 16, 2010.
Vidya Balan bags best actress award for movie 'Paa' at the 16th Annual Star Screen Awards 2010 held at MMRDA grounds in Mumbai on January 9, 2010. (Pic: Viral Bhayani)
Vidya Balan during the Filmfare awards in Mumbai.
Vidya Balan at the Producers Guild awards 2008 function.
Shah Rukh Khan, Vidya Balan and Saif Ali Khan at 53rd Fair One Filmfare Awards at Yashraj Studios in Mumbai on February 23, 2008.
Vidya Balan receiving the Filmfare female debutante award for 'Parineeta' in Mumbai on February 25, 2006. (BCCL Photo)
Vidya Balan with Filmfare female debutante award for the film 'Parineeta' and Sony Fair One Face of the year award in Mumbai on on February 25, 2006. (Photo/Deepak Salvi)

domain: entertainment


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Little Millet Idli or Samai idli is a very nutritious idli without rice recipe. I got introduced to various types of millets at a millet fair in Bengaluru. Since then, I have been cooking different recipes with millets. Finger millet or ragi was commonly used in my house. But now the other types of millets also gained a placed in my pantry.
Today’s recipe is Little Millet idli or samai idli. You can make these for breakfast or even pack it in the snack box.
Idli is a comfort food in most South Indian homes. I used to hate idlis in my childhood. But after I shifted to South India, I started loving them specially idli dunked in lots of sambar. Idli is also healthier compared to other types of breakfast recipes as they are steamed and does not require oil. Whenever I fall, I have idlis as they are nutritious and light on the tummy too.
Preparation of millet idlis is similar to preparing rice idlis. But millet idlis are healthier compared to rice idlis. Also millets are good for diabetic patients. In India, people fast on various religious days. Millets can be eaten during those fasting days. Also people who want to lose weight, should incorporate millets in their diet. Do consult your doctor if you are planning to switch completely to a millet diet.
To prepare little millet idli, soak the little millets and urad dal (black gram lentil) separately in sufficient water for minimum 4 hours.
Grind it as per instructions in the recipe, mix both the batters and keep it aside in a warm place for fermentation.
Time taken for the batter to ferment depends on the weather conditions. In winter, batter takes more time to ferment. In summers, the batter ferments faster. After fermentation, you can pour spoonful of batter in greased idli molds and steam them in an idli steamer. If any extra batter remains, refrigerate it and use it within 2 days.
Steaming little millet idlis in idli steamer:
Serve millet idlis with sambar or chutney. Serve the idlis while they are steaming hot. You can even pack the idlis in the kids snack box or in your lunch box.

domain: food


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You have something that takes priority in your life. We all do. It changes our schedules, captures our passions and causes sacrifices. We defend it. We fight for it. We claim it. What comes first in your life? For the Christian, God should come first. He should capture our passions. His worship should change our schedules. His work should cause us to sacrifice. We should defend Him and proclaim Him!
Sadly, for most Christians God has a small place in their lives. He is low on the priority scale. They feel as though they do God a favor by going to church an hour a week. Others may attend church regularly, but act very differently outside of church. Even those that are faithful to church rarely tithe 10% of their income or read their Bibles daily. Work, recreation, and rest often come before God. This should not be.
Matthew 6:33 “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
God should be first in your life. If you seek God first, He will take care of all the other areas of your life. The first priority of a child of God should be to spend every day making sure God is preeminent in life. This is not easy. The world, the flesh and the devil will conspire together to keep God low on your list of priorities. You must fight for Him.
Let me be clear. The Bible doesn’t mean you should SAY that God is first in your life. It means to LIVE with God first. You are seeking His Kingdom and putting Him first by your decisions and deeds. Lip service only deceives self. Your love for God is proven by your actions. I John 2:3
How do we put God first? What does that life look like?
Give God the First Hour of the Day.
Psalm 63:1 “O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: My soul thirsteth for thee, My flesh longeth for thee In a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;”
Mark 1:35–37 “And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed. And Simon and they that were with him followed after him. And when they had found him, they said unto him, All men seek for thee.”
Spending time alone with God in prayer, Bible reading, and meditation is essential. During this time you center your mind, heart and soul around God. Your inward man is renewed and grace is given for the day ahead.
Don’t make the mistake of waiting until the evening. By that time you will have been beaten up all day and come weary to God for rejuvenation. I’m all for that, but how much better would your day have gone if you had started the day with God as well. Give God the first hour of your day.
Give God the First Day of the Week.
Revelation 1:10 “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,”
1 Corinthians 16:2 “Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.”
Hebrews 10:23–25 “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”
Sunday is called “The Lord’s Day” for a reason. It is not your personal day of rest and recreation. It belongs to Him. We worship on the day of His resurrection to start the week with God and live the rest of the week in His power. If you skip church and ministry time on Sunday, your entire week will suffer for it.
I recommend you attend church at least 3 times a week. I know… take a breath. We live in a day when many churches are canceling services. Before a growing trend of people seeing how little God had to impact your schedule, people built their lives around the church for thousands of years. I realize in Bible times they didn’t go three times a week. But before you think that statement proves your point, you should read the Scripture. They assembled every day!
Every activity offered on Sunday is a worldly alternative to God’s House. Build your life around God’s family. Give God the first day of the Week.
Acts 2:46 “And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,”
Give God the First Consideration in Every Decision.
Proverbs 3:5–6 “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; And lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, And he shall direct thy paths.”
Seek God’s direction. What does the Bible say about it? If there is no verse that specifically addresses your situation, find a principle that applies. Seek advice from godly people who know the Bible. Pray about your decision with a submissive spirit and ask God what He wants you to do. Then do it.
Stop making decisions with no thought of God. It is pride and self-trust. Stop trying to figure it all out yourself. Trust God. He is in your life to stay and will direct your steps to a greater life than you can imagine. Give God the first consideration in your decisions.
Psalm 37:23–24 “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: And he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: For the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.”
Give God the First Portion of your Pay.
Leviticus 27:30 “And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD’s: it is holy unto the LORD.”
Proverbs 3:9–10 “Honour the LORD with thy substance, And with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, And thy presses shall burst out with new wine.”
Matthew 23:23 “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.”
Yes, tithing is in the Bible. It’s in the Old Testament and the New Testament. Jesus said you should do it. No, most pastors are not money hungry monsters trying to steal from you. Now stop trying to find all the reasons why your money belongs to you. Giving is a test. God doesn’t need your money. He wants your heart and there are few things that people value more than money. Do you love God more than money and things? Your tithing record is the answer.
Your first check written after you deposit your paycheck should be to the local church you attend. Yes, you can afford it. Truthfully, you can’t afford keep God’s tithe. You’ll never get out of debt and save money if the first thing you do each week is rob God. Give God the first 10% of your pay.
Matthew 6:19–21 “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
Matthew 6:24 “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”
Give God First Place in your Heart.
Proverbs 4:23 “Keep thy heart with all diligence; For out of it are the issues of life.”
Proverbs 23:26 “My son, give me thine heart, And let thine eyes observe my ways.”
Matthew 22:37 “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.”
This is the purest measure of God’s place in your life. Are you living in happy submission to the Lord? Would you go anywhere and do anything that He asked of you? Does He have first place in every area of your life?
Too many have given first place to a job, a person, a cause, a pleasure, a sport, a dream. You are robbing yourself of life’s most fulfilling purpose – to live for God.
What a blessed life when the first thoughts of your morning and the last thoughts of your night are sweet meditations of God! Your heart is a kingdom and He is the King. Every thing He asks of you is an honored privilege instead of a resented command. When He has first place in your heart, nothing else on this list will be a problem! Give God first place in your heart.
Perhaps God was first in your life at some point, but that is no longer true. You have placed something or someone else on the throne of your heart. Other priorities crept in. The deceitfulness of sin seduced you. Pride filled your heart. You are miserable because a child of God can never be happy in rebellion to His Father. You can change that today. Repent of this sin and make God first in your life again today. Return to your first Love!
Revelation 2:4–5 “Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.”
Put God First Today!
If this post blessed you, please share it so others can be helped as well. Every like and comment also helps get this material to others. Thank you!
You can listen to the Sermon of the same title at HERE.


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FYI: The following is a portion from the book “The Te of Piglet”. (Pages 49-51)
Excellent book by the way…well worth the read.
“Little piglet-held back by imaginings and fears, yearning to be Someone-is the last animal one might expect to accomplish anything of importance. And yet piglet is the material from which heroes are made. Beneath the stalwart exterior of most any Courageous Rescuer, Gallant Fighter, or Great Achiever, a Piglet can be found, if one looks closely enough. So it has always been, as history clearly shows; and so, we’re sure, it will always be.
“In many ways, Piglet may appear the least significant of the Pooh characters. Yet he is the only one of them to change, to grow, to become more than what he was in the first place. And in the end, he does this not by denying his smallness, but by applying it, for the good of others. He accomplishes what he does without accumulating a Large Ego; inside, he remains a Very Small Animal-but a different kind of Very Small Animal from what he was before.
“For now, though, he hesitates and dreams. He has a good deal to go through before the Great Storm at the end of The House at Pooh Corner, which changes his life forever.
” ‘How would you sum up Piglet’s situation at this point, Pooh?’
‘With a song,’ said Pooh.
‘Wonderful. I was hoping you would.’
Animal so shy and small,
dreaming you were Bold and Tall-
You hesitate, all sensitive,
Waiting for a chance to Live.
Time is swift, it races by;
Opportunities are born and die…
Still you wait and will not try-
A bird with wings who dares not rise and fly.
But that You you want to see
Is not you, and will never be.
No one else will ever do
The special things that wait
inside of you.
You can be a guiding star,
If you make the most of Who You Are.
And the sensitivity
That you’re now ashamed to see
Can be developed ever more,
So you can find the hidden doors
To places no one’s been before,
And the pride you’ll feel inside
Is not the kind that makes you fall-
It’s the kind that recognizes
The bigness found in being Small.
‘Thank you, Pooh. That was excellent.’
‘Well,’ said Pooh, ‘it was better than I’d thought it would be.’ “
Peace, Love and the inner Piglet.


Public officials must be term workers and co-operate with each other and with other departments. They must not try to score points off the other fellow. It is only the principle of public responsibility that requires the public administration to keep elaborate records and accounts of their actions and to make public the activities of the public servants so that the people may know what is being done by the Government and in what manner so that they may control their activities by their criticisms and may be in a position to offer suggestions for improvements in administration. Private administration does not have any great responsibility towards the public. Though we cannot say that it is not responsibility to the public, yet it is not responsibility to the public in the sense in which the public administration is. A private administration would be regarded as quixotic if it is allowed any considerations other than that of its own ultimate, if not; immediate profit.
Thus, while public administration is directly responsible to the people to a very great extent, private administration is only responsible to the people indirectly and that too also to secure its own ends and not for the welfare of the people.


text:
International Solidarity Movement
6 July 2010
An Nabi Salih
The Friday protest in An Nabi Salih was passionate and vibrant as ever. Israeli Army jeeps pre-emptively invaded the village, setting up a roadblock at the main crossroads. Dozens of villagers, joined by a handful of international and Israeli activists, marched down the main street to meet them. The number of protestors soon grew as most of the people in the village came out into the streets to demonstrate against the soldiers.
The An Nabi Salih demonstration is specifically against the expansion of the nearby Halamish settlement, annexing An Nabi Salih’s land. But there is also a strong message against the Occupation in general.
Crowds of women and children in particular assailed the soldiers, singing and clapping. Chanting went on for almost two hours, with the soldiers still refusing to leave the village, until some local youths began throwing a few stones down the main street. The Israeli soldiers responded with disproportionate violence, firing volleys of tear gas canisters up the street at head-height, making a mockery of this supposed crowd-dispersal technique.
Skirmishes between soldiers and local youth went on almost until sundown, with the soldiers making forays deeper into the village but failing to capture any of the stone-throwers. Two Israeli activists were detained, however, for no other reason but criticising the soldier’s illegal invasion of the village. Both were later released without charge.
After some five hours of confrontation, the soldiers left An Nabi Salih, to the joy and relief of the villagers.
This Friday, as every Friday for over two years, the villagers in Ni’lin together with international activists gathered to protest against the illegal annexation wall.
The demonstrators gathered in the olive groves outside the village after noon-day prayers, then marched towards the wall. When the march neared the wall the Palestinians chanted and waved their flags. Some shabaab (Palestinian youths) threw stones against and over the wall. Surprisingly there was no reaction from the soldiers on the other side, besides taking pictures of the shabaab. After about half an hour the protest ended and the protesters walked back to the village.
At the Bil’in weekly demonstration about 150 protestors carried a message to the Palestinian leadership, expressing the need for unification. A large banner showed a picture of Arafat and Yaseen together. The Israeli army was waiting on the other side of the Wall, responding with tear gas and stun grenades which set fire to several olive trees. Soldiers then charged through a gate in the Wall, chasing protestors back towards the village. Soldiers continued to fire on the retreating crowd, though luckily there were no injuries.
Heat from tear gas canisters and sound grenades set fire to the dry ground in several places, with smoke and gas forcing the people of Bil’in further back. Ammunition starting fires is a serious problem this time of the year, when the ground is dry. Many olive trees have been severely damaged, resulting in fewer olives for harvest this year.
A few dozen Palestinians, Israelis and Internationals walked Friday at noon from Wadi Rahal to the site where Israel plans to build the illegal Apartheid Wall. There was plenty of energy, chanting and drumming (local and Israeli drummers). The army did not allow passage, and tried to push the demonstrators backwards. After a long non-violent struggle (i.e. the demonstrators acting non-violently) the soldiers started shooting tear gas and sound bombs, the first landing on a little boy’s leg. Two Israeli activists were arrested, illegally, for participating in the non-violent protest. The demonstration went on in a schoolyard nearby, still with great spirit and energy.
Some 50 villagers from Iraq Burin gathered for the regular Saturday afternoon protest this week, supported by five ISM activists. The Israeli Army attempts to completely close off the village each week, clearly hoping that the disproportionate violence of their behaviour will be invisible outside Iraq Burin. Activists are forced to take extraordinary measures to reach the village and document military violence.
On arrival in the village, ISM activists met with a local man, 22, who was detained and beaten after last week’s protest. He confirmed that he was punched and kicked repeatedly in police custody; he now walks with a pronounced limp and has constant pain in his back. He will not be able to continue his regular work for at least three months, and will have no income for that period.
After noon-day prayers, the protest group marched up a hill, across village land that is threatened by settler violence. As usual the group was met by a unit of dozen soldiers waiting at the top of the hill. There was some chanting against the Occupation, and a tense stand-off for a few minutes, the two groups standing about 50 metres apart. One of the Palestinian youths threw a single, small stone at the soldiers, falling well short of their group. Soldiers responded by firing tear gas at the Palestinians and internationals, aiming their canisters directly at the demonstrators, at head height. Some canisters narrowly missed hitting both Palestinians and internationals, and there were a few minutes of panic as the protestors retreated across the rocky, open ground, desperately hoping not to be hit.
Lighter skirmishes followed, until the soldiers left the village land after about an hour, bringing the demonstration to an end.
On Saturday around two hundred Palestinian and International protesters gathered in the Old City of Hebron to protest against the illegal settlements and the closure of Shuhada street. Speeches were held by politicians from different parties, including Mustafa Barghouti. A massive amount of soldiers attempted to intimidate the participants and block their way into the Old City. But the demonstrators resisted non-violently and despite persistent violence from soldiers successfully paraded the Old City.
On Sunday in Beit Jala some 30 protesters marched through a street that leads to the Apartheid Wall’s construction site. To the sound of the working bulldozers nearby, the march was stopped by a group of soldiers and a barbed wire they had installed earlier. The protesters demanded to go through to the Palestinian land being annexed and destroyed by the wall construction, and some touched the barb wire to show their contempt to the occupying army.
The soldiers soon launched an assault with sound bombs and then tear gas canisters, which were shot at the populated street far beyond the protesters. One person was treated for heavy tear gas inhalation. At a different spot the army incursion was met with stone throwers. The army then began terrorizing a main street in Beit Jala, traumatizing passers-by and the entire population of the area.

domain: sociology


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Anna: Born to a Greek mother and British father and raised in the heart of the Ottoman Empire, Mari Sinclair doesn’t owe allegiance to anyone. A shot exploding above her head convinces Mari to cease spying for the British and return to her work as a naturalist. The British government, however, refuses to let her go and instead blackmails her into continuing. To make matters worse, they saddle her with Major Bennett Prestwood, an overbearing, battle-weary soldier, ordered to ensure she fulfills her part of the bargain. As her assignment progresses, it becomes clear that her identity has been compromised. Yet even once that fact is certain, she’s given one last task—to draw the specifications of a new Ottoman fort in the heart of an area so perilous two agents have already perished in the attempt. Despite Bennett’s claims to be her protector, he demands her cooperation. When passion flares between them, Mari must decide if she can trust her heart to man who obeys orders at all costs…even if the ultimate cost is her life.
After fighting Napoleon for twelve years, Major Bennett Prestwood knows that without duty, life would be chaos. Yet when he’s ordered to travel to Constantinople to protect a spy, he hesitates. Too many family obligations await him in England to waste time protecting a foolish woman who cares nothing for her own safety. But a good soldier always obeys orders, and he accepts the mission. Despite his expectations, Mari Sinclair tempts him to look beyond his assignment and pursue her for himself. When the full extent of the danger toward her is revealed, he must call upon all his expertise to discover the person behind the plot against her life before it’s too late. As always, duty must take precedence over his wishes. But what if that duty forces him to sacrifice the life of the woman he loves?
A Secret in Her Kiss is a steamy, sultry read, but not over-the-top hot. It’s 384 pages.
Ing: I really enjoyed getting to know Bennett Prestwood the hero of your novel. His character is downright yummy. Can you tell the readers a bit more about Bennett? What in your opinion do you think will draw the readers in and make them love Bennett? What are his weaknesses and strengths?
Anna: Bennett is such a big sweetheart. He’s a tough warrior, but there’s a sensitive side to him I think readers will love. He’s always willing to put the heroine’s needs before his own, which I think is very sexy in a hero!
Bennett’s a younger son, so he knew from childhood that he’d be destined to join the military. Even though he secretly yearned to be a poet, he did his duty without complaining. Duty and honor are how he defines himself. They make him a strong and noble man, but he’s clung so tightly to duty that it has become a shield, a way for him to justify the horrors he was ordered to do as a soldier. That makes it doubly hard for him to give up and for him to understand how my heroine, Mari, might not see things the same way. But I think readers will also come to understand that he’s a man who cares deeply. He won’t let anything hurt the ones he’s sworn to protect.
Ing: I adored Mari Sinclair, your heroine. She is not your traditional historical heroine and I really liked that. Can you tell the readers a bit more about Mari? What in your opinion do you think will draw the readers in and make them love her? What are her weaknesses and strengths?
Anna: Mari is an incredibly strong heroine, a situation forced on her when her father became addicted to opium when she was young. She’s had to rely on herself for so long that it’s a bit difficult for her to rely on anyone else. But I think readers will see right away her complete loyalty to her friends, family, and the cause she believes in. Also, she’s never one to wait on the sidelines, if there is a problem she will be the first one trying to solve it.
Ing: What was a scene that stood out or was memorable for you when writing A Secret in Her Kiss? Why did this scene stand out for you?
Anna: I love the scene later in the book where Bennett finds out Mari has read his book of poetry. Even though he regards his writing as an embarrassment, he can’t resist trying to find out what she thought. I love this little bit of vulnerability from such a strong, decisive hero!
Ing: I loved the setting of this book. Not too many historical romances are set in the exotic Ottoman Empire, Constantinople. I would love to hear the back story of how this book came to be set here. Did you pick the place first and then the story came along or was it the other way around?
Anna: I think it was some combination of both. While I was researching information for an earlier manuscript, I came across the letters of Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, wife to the British ambassador to Constantinople. Her descriptions of the city were lush, witty, and exotic. I fell in love with the Ottoman Empire through her eyes. As I read the plot of A Secret in Her Kiss emerged in my thoughts. While it may not be a typical setting for a Regency, as I developed my plot, it became clear Constantinople provided the ideal combination of colorful intrigue and dangerous deceptions—a perfect backdrop for Mari and Bennett.
Ing: What else can we look forward to from you for the rest of 2012? Will we get a story for any of the other secondary characters in this book? Could you give some details on these upcoming projects?
Anna: In June 2012, readers will be able to see what happens to Bennett’s younger sister in her own e-novella. Sophia Prestwood is just rediscovering her own strength, but it’s a knowledge she must quickly claim as she faces off with a maddeningly handsome magistrate who thinks she’s guilty of murder.
Then, in August 2012, my next novel, Sins of a Virgin, will be released. To secure her future, former spy Madeline Valdan announces she’ll auction the one thing no one suspects she still possesses—her virginity. But Madeline’s no fool. She won’t entrust her precious commodity to just anyone. She hires Gabriel Huntford, a Bow Street Runner, to protect her virginity until it’s properly paid for. Although the passion Huntford inspires is unlike anything she’s ever known, Madeline knows better than to give herself away for free. She also knows the man she hired is hiding a dangerous agenda of his own.
Ing: Now on to questions about you. We want to know more about Anna Randol. Who are some of your auto buy authors that you read now?
Anna: I love Joanna Bourne. She has an amazing ability to have her French characters speaking English and yet still sounding French. I also love Sarah MacLean, Eloisa James, and Julia Quinn.
Ing: What was the first romance book you ever read? Do you still have the book on your shelf?
Anna: I wish I could remember! My older sister started reading romances before I did, so I would sneak books from her collection. The first romances I remember getting from the library were Georgette Heyer novels because they were hard back and I could look for them without being seen at the paperback romance shelves.
Ing: What was the best advice that you ever got from anyone in the writing industry that has stuck with you?
Anna: Just keep writing, you can always fix it later. I think is helps me immensely to remember not to get stuck on a scene that isn’t working out. Usually by the time I come back to it, I know how to tweak it until it’s the scene I envisioned.
Ing: If you could be one of your heroines for a day, which one would you be and why?
Anna: I would love to be Madeline Valdan in my August release, Sins of a Virgin. In real life, I’ve never been the type of girl who has men falling over at her feet. I think for one day that would be a blast.
Ing: If you had a dinner party and could only invite 5 characters from any romance book out there including yours who would they be?
Anna: Major Bennett Prestwood (A Secret in Her Kiss), Gabriel Huntford (Sins of a Virgin), Sebastian Ballister, the notorious Marquess of Diain (Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase), Sir Mark Turner (Unclaimed by Courtney Milan), and Lord Ian Mackenzie (The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie by Jennifer Ashley).
What? No one said I had to share my dinner guests…
Ing: Anna thanks so much for stopping by today! Let me just say that I loved your debut novel and look forward to more of your upcoming work. And OMG I love the cover of A Secret in her Kiss. That cover model is so yummy! Anywhoo—thanks again and I wish you much success. Do you have any last words or questions you would like to pose to the readers of this blog?
Anna: I love my cover model, too! So if you were writing a romance, who would you pick to be on the cover yours? (One lucky commenter will receive a signed copy of A Secret in her Kiss!)
A rare beauty, raised in the exotic heart of the Ottoman Empire, Mari Sinclair knows it’s time to end her career as a British spy when she narrowly avoids a brush with death. Unfortunately her employers think otherwise—and they are not above using blackmail to keep Mari in the Game.
Saddled with a handsome, duty-obsessed “minder” to ensure that she completes—and survives—one last mission, Mari is incensed…for her guardian, Major Bennett Prestwood, is simply too dedicated, too unbending, and too disarmingly attractive. But in the face of dark secrets and deadly treacheries, as the true peril to Mari is slowly revealed, loyal soldier Bennett realizes that, to save and win this extraordinary woman, he will have to do the unthinkable and break the rules—rules that passion and desire have suddenly, irrevocably changed.
Don’t believe it? See for yourself!
Anna currently lives with her family in Southern California, where she loves eating chocolate, making plans for remodels she never intends to do, and drawing pictures in the sand at the beach to baffle future archaeologists.
- Open to US & Internationl residents where book depository ships to
- TWO copies up for grabs. One copy courtesy of Anna and one copy courtesy from me. Loved this book so I want to spread the love! 🙂
- MUST answer Anna’s question: Who would you choose be your cover model on your romance novel if you write one?
- MUST leave e-mail address in comments
- Giveaway ends Feb. 8th


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The American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) is pleased to announce a new program promoting digital scholarship in the humanities.
ACLS Digital Extension Grants, made possible by the generous assistance of The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, will support teams of scholars as they enhance existing digital projects with the goal of engaging new audiences across a range of academic communities and institutions.
The Digital Extension Grant program builds upon the successes of ACLS’s recently concluded Digital Innovation Fellowship program, which over ten years funded 60 scholars pursuing computationally sophisticated approaches to humanistic research. In recognition of the collaborative nature of much digital scholarship, ACLS has designed the Digital Extension Grant program so that it provides flexible support at the level of the digital research project as opposed to the individual scholar.
ACLS Digital Extension Grants may:
• Extend existing digital projects and resources with content that adds diversity or interdisciplinary reach;
• Develop new systems of making existing digital resources available to broader audiences and/or scholars from diverse institutions;
• Foster new team-based work or collaborations that allow scholars from institutions with limited cyberinfrastructure to exploit digital resources;
• Create new forms and sites for scholarly engagement with the digital humanities and new ways to document and recognize participant engagement.
ACLS will award up to six Digital Extension Grants in this competition year. Each grant provides up to $150,000 in funding, supporting a range of project costs, for terms of 12-18 months.
Proposals must be submitted through ACLS’s online application system, which will begin accepting applications October 15. Further information about the program and eligibility criteria is available online at www.acls.org/programs/digitalextension/. The application deadline for the inaugural competition of the Digital Extension Grant program is February 2, 2016.
ACLS, a private, nonprofit federation of 73 national scholarly organizations, is the preeminent representative of American scholarship in the humanities and related social sciences. Advancing scholarship by awarding fellowships and strengthening relations among learned societies is central to our work. In the 2014-15 competition year, ACLS awarded over $16 million to nearly 350 scholars worldwide. Recent fellows’ profiles and research abstracts are available at www.acls.org/fellows/new.


text: I was just wondering if you guys think that prostitution should be legal? I'm, personally, for it being legalized and regulated somehow. We all know it's not because of "health" reasons, because you can legally go around and have sex with as many people that you want as much as you want, you just can't get paid for it. Which leads me to believe that it's strictly because of money that it's illegal, since the government isn't making any money from taxes or anything. But then, on the same note, wouldn't doing odd jobs or baby sitting be illegal?


text:
Tucked behind Sauchiehall Street and the city centre’s Royal Concert Hall, the Holiday Inn has a bounty of attractions on its doorstep including the Pavilion Theatre and Theatre Royal. Buchanan Bus Station is also 100 metres away, as is Cineworld, the city centre’s flagship cinema multiplex.
Having undergone a £1.5 million refit, the 80 standard rooms are small but functional and have LCD TVs, retro-fitted A/C, mirrored wardrobes and tiny bathrooms. Its eight feature rooms are a distinct improvement and have alcove window seats decked out in green and lime cushions – perfect for whiling away a rainy afternoon. Pick of the bunch, however, are the three top floor suites Renoir, Monet and Degas, which feel like you’ve walked straight into the pages of a Jane Austen novel. Located in a renovated attic, they include vintage fittings, glass drinks cabinets (including complimentary brandy), potpourri pots and luxurious bedspreads. I can easily imagine Elizabeth Bennett and Darcy cavorting under the covers.
The small reception opens out into the La Bonne Auberge restaurant, where breakfast and drinks are served. Public phones are also available in the lobby.
Eating and drinking
Decorated with numerous art deco prints from the Moulin Rouge and Parisian World Expo, La Bonne Auberge, the Holiday Inn’s French bistro and brasserie, is its trump card. Concealed behind original brick work and wrought iron lattices, the restaurant is one of the oldest names in the city and would sit perfectly in Paris’ Montmartre or Pigalle. Rather unexpectedly, it also houses some of Scottish sculptor George Wylie’s finest work – including an archaic gramophone and a flying Frenchman on Le Tour Eiffel. A two-course pre-theatre menu is available from £14.95.
Around the clock service with a slightly Scottish-Polish accent, this franchise is one of the Holiday Inn’s best rated hotels in Europe.
Who stays there
Popular with concert goers and shopaholics, the property predominantly caters to the leisure market. Apparently, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa stays over when she’s in town.
Free WiFi is available and discounted parking is on offer directly across the road.
- Business Centre
- High-Speed Internet
- Room Service
- Culture vultures
- Families with younger children
- Mature travellers
- Seasoned travellers
- Live entertainment
- People watching
Pros & Cons
- Super central location
- La Bonne Auberge restaurant
- Small standard rooms

domain: travel


The US is set to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (Thaad) system in South Korea "as soon as possible" amid heightened threats from North Korea's nuclear programme. Pyongyang conducted its fifth and most powerful nuclear test under the supervision of leader Kim Jong-un earlier in September, and is said to be ready to conduct the sixth test anytime in the coming days.
Daniel Russel, assistant secretary of state for East Asia, reportedly told a congressional hearing on Tuesday (27 September) that the Thaad deployment was a "done deal" and that the timing of the deployment was a Pentagon matter. He, however, added that considering "the accelerating pace of North Korea's missile tests, we intend to deploy on an accelerated basis. I would say as soon as possible".
Commander Gary Ross, a Pentagon spokesman, declined to give a specific timeline for the deployment, but said it would happen "as soon as feasible".
The decision to deploy the powerful anti-missile mechanism was taken by the US and its ally in early July. The nations had first finalised Seongju County as the location for installing the system, but following protests from the people of the area, Seoul agreed to consider alternative locations. The countries have not announced any new location so far.
China and Russia had expressed security concerns over the US-South Korea joint mission, but the US had said that the deployment in the Korean peninsula was solely targeted at North Korea and no other third party will be affected.
North Korea's latest nuclear test followed by a ballistic missile test has irked the US and the United Nations, who are now considering options to stop North Korea from pursuing the banned nuclear programme.
Russel told the congressional hearing that Washington was in talks with international partners, including the European Union, on tighter sanctions for the North and on cutting access to international banking services.
"We are in discussions with our partners, including the EU, about tightening the application of sanctions and pressure, including and particularly to deny North Korea access to the international banking infrastructure," Reuters quoted him as saying.
He also said that there had been "a very constructive and honest candid set of ongoing conversations" with China — an ally of North Korea — on new sanctions and "I hope you will see, as one of the products of that, real headway in the discussions".


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VOLKSWAGEN COMMERCIAL VEHICLES TO UNVEIL NEW CAMPER VAN AT THE 2018 CARAVAN SALON
Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has taken the 2017 California XXL concept vehicle and developed it into a camper van ready for full production.
HERE COMES THE SUN! VOLKSWAGEN COMMERCIAL VEHICLES WELCOMES SUMMER WITH EXCLUSIVE CALIFORNIA EDITION MODELS
With summer (hopefully) just around the corner, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles is getting into the holiday spirit with the launch of a new Edition version of its iconic California camper. New to the California range, the Edition is available on both Beach and Ocean models and combines a new design and equipment package with the exceptional...
world premiere in dusseldorf: the new california xxl provides a look into the future of motorhomes
The California is the most popular camper van ever. With its systematically thought-out interior and an absolutely unmistakable design, the Bulli ' with its pop-up roof ' became an icon for motoring globetrotters and camping enthusiasts.


text:
Monterey Senior Session
Annjo and I met at Colton Hall in Monterey for her senior photos. From there we had plenty of beautiful arches, doors and close access to the beach as a backdrop. She brought three different outfits and changed as we moved location to location. We had so much fun cat walking and chasing the light. I cant wait to see what AnnJo’s future holds.


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We’ve had a sneak peek into Debby Ryan‘s closet and we know she loves shoes and definitely has an eye for fashion. Debby has decided to take that love of fashion and turn it into a webseries titled “Ryan Style”!
The very first episode will premiere Thursday, August 30th on Debby’s YouTube Channel. The first series will have a fun back to school theme, which is just perfect right now! We can’t wait to see it.
Here’s a little more info from the gal’s at Clevver TV:
Disney’s number-one it girl, Debby Ryan, is sharing her style skills with her fans in new series of videos titled “Ryan Style.” Debby has proven herself as a stylista time and time again and in the first episode of her new series, called Fashionscool, she’ll introduce smart trends and show her viewers how to make them their own. It’s all about looking out for the hottest trends and kicking your style just in time for back to school. The episode launches on August 30th over on Debby’s personal YouTube channel, just in time for last minute back to school shopping and great Labor Day sales. Look out for Debby to focus in on colored denim, the big red trend and her go-to shoe, loafers.


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Download Toscana (2022) Movie Dual Audio (Hindi-English) 480p & 720p. This is a Hollywood movie and available in 480p and 720p qualities. This Denish movie is based on Drama, Romance. This is a English movie and now dubbed in Hindi. This movie is available in MKV format. Download links are below.
When a Danish chef travels to Tuscany to sell his father’s business, he meets a local woman who inspires him to rethink his approach to life and love.
- Genre: Drama, Romance
- Stars: Andrea Bosca, Cristiana Dell'Anna, Lærke Winther, Sebastian Jessen
- Duration: 90 min
- Director: Mehdi Avaz
- Country: Denmark
- Quality: WEB-DL
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Travel to the past to save the present in this classic Dragon Quest adventure that has been completely remade from the ground up for Nintendo 3DS. The world has been rebuilt, the characters have new 3D models and the story has been completely re-localized. Even customize your party with over 30 classes and rank up in turn-based battles to learn new spells and abilities.
Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past
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GENEVA (AP) -- Swiss antitrust regulators said Thursday they are investigating a subsidiary of Japanese camera maker Nikon Corp. on suspicion of anticompetitive practice.
The Competition Commission said the probe started Wednesday and that regulators have searched a home.
They are examining whether Swiss subsidiary Nikon AG was preventing other companies from importing some of its photography products.
A statement didn't provide further information.
Nikon AG confirmed that the commission opened its investigation, and that officials obtained information from the company's headquarters near Zurich on Wednesday.
"Nikon cooperated in every way and helped collect the necessary documents for them to take," said spokesman Hans Klaus.
He said the company couldn't comment further because it has yet to learn the details of the investigation. It will know more in the next three to six weeks, he said.


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If you’re a low maintenance, budget traveler then you are probably well aware of the hoops you usually have to jump through when booking an inexpensive flight with RyanAir. If you are an impulsive person, then you probably find yourself reading these articles a lot more than you had wished but do not fret! Getting to Barcelona from the GRO airport in Spain is actually very simple. Girona Airport is still considered a small airport. However, with RyanAir now using it as a popular destination, the numbers of travelers passing through GRO to go to Barcelona numbers in the millions.
RyanAir flies into Barcelona and also Girona–Costa Brava Airport, which is typically where you will end up if you’re flying with RyanAir. Although the airport is roughly 100 km from the city center of Barcelona, there is little to no hassle to get there. There are train, bus, and car options to get from point A to point B, but the most affordable is the bus option.
Price: 25 euro round trip
“Barcelona Bus” is not affiliated with RyanAir, but they work together to run at convenient times when the flights come in and leave for travelers. A round way trip is only 25 euro and can only be bought in person at the ticket kiosk with cash, debit or credit card. There are also one-way options that are affordable.
Travel time: 1.5 hours one way
The bus will leave from the Girona- Costa Brava Airport but it’s important to be sure to arrive at the “Estacio d’Autobus Barcelona Nord” which is their main bus terminal station and vice versa when returning for a departure flight. This is the best way to get from GRO Airport to Barcelona. You'll find yourself amongst may other savvy travelers that are in the know on budget travel secrets.
Spain is conveniently located inside of the Schengen Area, so US citizens are allowed to travel here or any member state for up to 90 days without a visa. This means that with a valid passport traveler's can enter countries such as Spain, Greece, France, and Germany with only a valid passport to travel as a tourist. So once you are ready to leave Spain, catch that next cheap flight out and maybe you'll end up exploring those famous Italian beaches.

domain: geography


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Each week, the My America blog series will introduce you to one of the writers featured in our new exhibit My America: Immigrant and Refugee Writers Today, opening November 21, 2019. The exhibit is designed to elicit thoughtful dialogue on a wide array of issues with contemporary immigrant and refugee writers delving into questions about writing influences, being multilingual, community, family, duality, otherness and what it means to be American. Check back every Wednesday to learn more about these writers and their thoughts on these themes, as we highlight select quotes from the exhibit as well as reading recommendations. Today, we’ll focus on Julissa Arce, a contributor for CNBC, a bestselling writer, and a staunch advocate for social justice.
When asked to describe an object that is meaningful to her as an immigrant, Julissa Arce went a different route. For her, it is the absence of an object, specifically a family photo with her entire family. “I have searched in my mom’s house back in Mexico, I have searched in my sister’s house in San Antonio for a picture of my mom, my dad, my two sisters, my younger brother and myself, and that picture doesn’t exist—and it says a lot to me about why it doesn’t exist. We’ve never, all of us, lived in the same place at the same time. We’ve always been separated by the border.”
Arce moved from Mexico to San Antonio when she was 11 years old and at the age of 14 her visa expired. She only found out her visa had expired when she asked her parents about going back to Mexico for her quinceañera, something she always wanted after seeing her sisters’ parties, but they said it wasn’t an option. Arce turned to writing during this time, keeping a journal to express her thoughts and feelings. “It was the only place where I could really be honest because I was undocumented when I was young here in the U.S. and I could never really tell anyone the reason why I did certain things. But in my journal I could be very honest with myself about why I was feeling a certain way or why I was doing things a certain way.”
Twenty years later, in 2014—after rising to prominence as a Wall Street executive while undocumented—Arce officially became a U.S. citizen and now advocates tirelessly for social justice, immigration rights, and education equality. She co-founded the Ascend Educational Fund, a college scholarship and mentorship program for immigrant students in New York City, regardless of their ethnicity, national original or immigration status. She has written two memoirs, one for adults and one geared toward young readers so they may envision a happy ending to their immigration stories like hers. “I don’t want young people now to feel like their experiences don’t matter, like they’re not important.” Julissa Arce will read her work and discuss her story here at the American Writers Museum on January 23, 2020. Learn more and RSVP here.
Selected Quotes from My America
On Representation in Literature
“When I was growing up in Texas I never read a book that was written by a Latina or a Mexican, or that talked about undocumented people. And that experience made me feel really lonely…Later on in my life I discovered Sandra Cisneros, and Reyna Grande, and Erica Sánchez, and they are not only writers that I admire, they’ve become friends and they’ve become mentors, and they continue to inspire me so much…And hopefully we’re showing young Latinas that they too can be writers, and that their stories are important.”
On Trying to Belong
“Recently I’ve really been thinking a lot about the damage that [assimilating] does to people of color, the damage that it did to me, because I always felt like in order to belong I had to be something else. I had to speak English better, I had to stop listening to Spanish music or I had to lose weight, I had to have lighter skin or lighter hair. And now I sort of have tried to take all of that back and have tried to piece myself back together so that I know that who I am is enough and that I don’t have to change anything about myself to belong.”
“In some ways my mom and my dad felt like strangers to me because I didn’t grow up with them. From the time I was three to the time I was eleven I lived in Mexico and they lived in the U.S., and they came to visit me every once in a while. But I didn’t live with them. So this idea of family is something that I’ve had to redefine over and over again, about what it means to be family…Family is much more than just your DNA.”
On Defining “American”
“This question about what it really means to be American, I don’t think we’re ever gonna find one right answer for it. I think that each of us needs to figure out who we are, and whoever we are also means to be American.”


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Made by Fullsteam Brewery
Fullsteam Brewery is a craft brewery located in Durham, NC. Check out Fullsteam brewing's list of beers, contact info and more.
A classic India Pale Ale with a western (Carolina) sense of place. Malted barley from Riverbend keeps it local, while rustic, piney hops -- Simcoe, Eureka!, Citra -- point to North Carolina's official state tree.


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Naga Chaitanya’s Saahasam Swaasaga Saagipo is running successfully in the two Telugu states and in the US. The film is directed by Chay’s mentor Gautham Menon. In his latest interview, the director said that he is considering Chay for his ambitious multilingual project.
It is well-known that Gautham Menon has been planning a high budget adventurous movie in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam and has reportedly roped in leading stars from the respective film industries. Going by his statement, Chay seems to have made the cut from Tollywood.
Gautham Menon also said that Chay is his favorite actor in Tollywood and that he wants to launch him in Kollywood very soon.
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This two hour Acro Dance workshop with Mirabelle Gremaud was a mix of physical endurance, coordination and floorwork taking elements from dance, circus and physical theatre. The workshop started with an intensive warm up, then moved to continuous movement patterns using strength, explosivity, flow and flexibility. The idea was to challenge the body and the mind, never stop moving and enjoy the power of our bodies! The second part of the workshop explored floor-work, hand-balancing and acrobatics.
Mirabelle Gremaud is a performer with a background in circus, dance and physical theatre. She trained at the Accademia Teatro Dimitri in Switzerland. Mirabelle plays young Nora Chance in Wise Children.


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Featuring special guests Russkaja and Vandoliers
Tickets on sale Friday, Dec. 17 at 10 a.m. PT at grandsierraresort.com
RENO, Nev. (Dec. 13, 2021) – Celtic punk band Flogging Molly will take the stage at Grand Sierra Resort and Casino (GSR) on Sunday, March 20, 2022. Special guests Russkaja and Vandoliers will join the Irish-American superstars inside Reno’s acclaimed Grand Theatre at 8 p.m.
Tickets for Flogging Molly at GSR go on sale Friday, Dec. 17 at 10 a.m. and start at $29.50, plus additional taxes and fees. VIP artist presale tickets will be available beginning Tuesday, Dec. 14 at 10 a.m. PT through Thursday, Dec. 16 at 10 p.m. PT. Infinity Rewards members will have access to presale beginning Thursday, Dec. 16 from 10 a.m. PT through 10 p.m. PT. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit grandsierraresort.com or call 1-800-648-3568.
Flogging Molly is comprised of Dave King (lead vocals, acoustic guitar, bodhran), Bridget Regan (violin, tin whistle, vocals), Dennis Casey (guitar, vocals), Matt Hensley (accordion, concertina, vocals), Nathen Maxwell (bass guitar, vocals), Spencer Swain (mandolin, banjo, guitar, vocals), and Mike Alonso (drums, percussion). Starting out as the house band for Molly Malone's in Los Angeles and building a loyal following through endless touring, Flogging Molly has become a staple in the punk scene over the past 20 years, kicking off with its raucous debut showcase, Swagger, and continuing through it's five additional studio albums. With numerous late-night television appearances under their belt, its sell-out Salty Dog Cruise through the Caribbean, and yearly St. Patrick's Day Festival in Los Angeles, the band is currently working on the Rise Records follow-up to its latest LP, Life Is Good. Recently, the band reissued Swagger with exclusive tracks, an Irish traditional set, a 60-minute video feature, and exclusive merch in a collectable box set.
On top of this, Flogging Molly have a special event planned for 2022 that will give fans an even more engrossing live experience. Next year, the Celtic punk band will set sail on March 28 to April 1 for the sixth Salty Dog Cruise. Joining them aboard the boat will be their friends Descendents, The Distillers, Frank Turner, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, Broilers, Möngöl Hörde, Authority Zero, Dave Hause & the Mermaid, Thick, and others. Find out more at the Flogging Molly cruise website.


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Impress your guests with a plateful of moreish Christmas canapés. These simple sweet potato tots are made from crumbled goat's cheese, chives and potato, with a kick of warming paprika. Serve with garlic mayonnaise for dipping. See method
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Place the 2 jacket potatoes in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15-20 mins – the potatoes should still be a little firm in the middle. Allow to cool.
Peel the skin off the potatoes and coarsely grate into a large bowl. Add the grated sweet potato, goat’s cheese, cornflour, paprika and chives. Mix together until well combined. Shape tablespoons of the mixture into small cylinders with your hands.
Fill a large frying pan with 2cm oil, and heat over a medium-high heat. Fry the tots in batches for 3-4 mins until golden and crisp. Serve immediately with some garlic mayonnaise for dipping.
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