I'm pleased to introduce to you a fantastic young entrepreneur whose hugely successful and rapidly expanding business in frozen yoghurt is taking the US by storm. Meet Natasha Nelson of Yogurtini – Natasha and her popular and creative company are based in Southern California, the perfect location for an entrepreneur who best describes herself as "a true beach girl" and who is constantly inspired by the youthful and creative culture of the south west's famous beaches.
Natasha and the company are a persistent advocate for good ingredients and good causes, including helping out in the Haiti earthquake. She also took care of her terminally ill mother in Arizona and still found time to work at night. Honored in the "Top 35 entrepreneurs under 35" by the Arizona Republic & AZ Magazine in March 2010, a keen traveler and always pushing forward with a drive to learn, innovate and lead the market.
Enjoy the interview and let us have your comments.
I have always been an entrepreneur since I was a child. I think it is in my blood, my mom was also an entrepreneur. I love creating a business that focuses on something I am passionate and excited about, watching it grow and working with my staff to create fun and motivating projects for everyone. Business can be an art. One friend calls me the "business artist". I love that!
I can't honestly say that money doesn't motivate me, but not for all the reasons people may think. I just returned from Haiti after the earthquake with 40 doctors, nurses and EMT's. After a trip like that your heart changes. Money can go a long way in a third world country, especially after a disaster. My sister and I have a heart for Haiti, Sudan and many parts of Africa. Yogurtini has worked with the community and many philanthropic companies and raised thousands of dollars from everything to Parkinsons research to raising funds for prosthetics for an ASU student who lost her leg in Haiti when a building collapsed on her, she now is rock climbing with her new prosthetic.
I'm always inspired by my sister's perfectly cool blend of funky style with a combination of being the brainiest and having the keenest street smarts that would be completely obscure to any stranger that meets her…and most importantly, God's grace when you know you have really messed up.
1) You founded self-serving frozen yogurt company Yogurtini – what drew you to this unusual niche market?
My sister and I have been frozen yogurt fanatics since we were kids. We were both living in CA but in different cities, we were always visiting different yogurt shops and texting each other when we would find a new flavor we liked. When we would return home to Arizona to visit family and friends we were not satisfied with the choices we had. We had the same idea at the same time, which we often do. So, I wrote up a business plan, we started researching, became yogurt experts after a year and Yogurtini was launched.
2) Yogurtini is expanding across the U.S. – with a healthy profit. What has allowed you to grow so quickly in such a short space of time?
We were surprised how quickly we were profitable. It always comes down to having the best yogurt in town, we hear it over and over. After 944 Magazine readers voted us "Best place to chill", College Affair voted us "Best Sweet Spot" and we were nominated in The Phoenix New Times for "Best Frozen Yogurt" we knew we had hit the mark. Our reputation was spreading like wildfire and within a few months we had many offers from investors who saw potential in our business and people asking about franchising. After about 9 months of going through the franchise registration process we have hit the ground running.
3) What next for Yogurtini? Where do you see the business in say 5 years time?
Our franchising program has started off so well I honestly wouldn't be surprised to see us with 100-300 stores in the next five years nationally. We have the team, inspiration and personal drive to make this happen.
4) Yogurtini is about fun and eating. I notice that there's also a big focus on healthy eating. How do you and your team keep on top of fashion trends in this industry?
I've always considered myself a newshound and no one can beat me at Trivial Pursuit's Pop Culture edition. I read the Wall Street Journal and Teen Vogue. Been doing it since I was 14 and my mom got me a subscription for both.
I also keep my nose in the yogurt gossip and believe we have created some of the trends that some of the other larger shops are following us on. My sister has made some amazing flavors partnering up with companies like Sambazon who brought the Acai' berry from the Ambazon. Soon after, we saw Acai' yogurt being offered by our competitors. We have a few new things up our sleeves as well, which I can't share with you yet! We also like to get CRAZY. Sriracha hot sauce and yogurt covered pop rocks are two of our most popular toppings…you aren't gonna find that at TCBY, Red Mango or Pinkberry.
5) Do you have any recommended strategies for getting customers who buy once to come back and buy from you again – other than of course good service?
Yogurtini is almost a lifestyle. Our brand reflects the lifestyle of those who want to eat healthy, have fun, want to create their own treat and most of all get away into a fun environment for a few minutes, enjoy your yogurt and listen to some great tunes. When you find a favorite, you keep coming back.
6) How does your physical shop market itself online? I see you're a Twitter and Facebook user; how important is it to use these sites to reach your audience?
If you aren't using Facebook and Twitter you are way behind. Our "Twitter Tuesdays" have become somewhat infamous at our Tempe location near Arizona State University students. I am always working on the next online marketing tool. Study, study, study.
7) Do you have any suggestions for coping with set-backs, negative experiences?
Get up, dry your tears, move forward, lose the baggage and learn from your mistakes; and my personal favorite "fake it 'til you make it". All easier said than done…but sounds good, huh? That is what I try to do.
8 ) How do you keep your business focus – Do you have any suggestions for entrepreneurs who are experiencing challenging times?
It's not easy for me right now, just like everyone else. I have a lot of distractions in my personal and professional world. I don't rush what I don't have to; I work when I have the motivation and that next "big idea". Sometimes I am not able to focus for a week…then the next week I wake up in the middle of the night with an idea and I can't stop working on it for a month. Is that manic? I don't know if it's healthy but it works for me. I have worked for myself for almost seven years now. I think a lot of entrepreneurs go through that. Most of my friends and family work for themselves, so I'm surrounded by other entrepreneurs with similar experiences.
9) What people do you look up to and model yourself on?
That is easy, my mom. She was a workaholic. I am not, but she taught me a good work ethic. There wasn't a day she didn't work on something while I was growing up whether it was her career, her masters degree or her other businesses she started. She had a very level head when it came to business. I try to be more like her everyday and find myself thinking "What would my mom do?" – I can't leave out my father, he has such a great demeanor with people and engaging people in a conversation where you feel like the only person in the world he cares to listen to at that moment, there is no one who doesn't like my father. I like to think my business partners and employees enjoy me as a person as well, if they do, I owe that to my dad.
One of my first bosses when I worked for an Advertising and PR agency deserves a shout out too, Shawn Buckley. He was young and likeable but we had a respect for him and just a wee bit of fear. I never missed a deadline working for Shawn. I also never missed a party he would throw. He taught me a lot on how to manage people without losing your temper but getting a big point across you wouldn't ever forget. I also knew I could knock on the door and talk to him as a friend. Plus, he had class. I hope my employees and partners say that about me one day.
10) Do you have any favourite business or related books that you can recommend to other entrepreneurs?
I love to read but it's not always the business books that inspire me. For instance, I just read one of Chelsea Handlers books and it was hilarious, it put me in the best mood. I felt creative and so motivated after that read! I read 'Gone With the Wind', my classic favorite I try to read every few years, and suddenly took on the spirit of Scarlet, she had gusto and a no holds barred, "I won't take anyone's crap attitude" – But, if I need to know about a specific subject I do my research. If I am hiring a consultant, you bet I want to speak their language and sound like I know what I am talking about. I am also a huge advocate of public relations and publicity. The best book I read on that was 'The Fall of Advertising and Rise of PR' by Al Ries. Every entrepreneur should read that one. I have a few other books that have helped me in the yogurt industry but those are on my secret shelf.
11) What is the best advice you have ever been given?
Personally, a prayer my father gave me during a hard time about accepting things I cannot change and changing the things I can. I believe it is called the serenity prayer. In business, my mom always repeated "don't let them cheat you". Maybe that was from a bad experience she had and my sister and I would roll our eyes, but we always remember she probably knows better so we check, check, check. Check your books! Check backgrounds on people you work with!
12) You've had a difficult 12 months out of the business. Based on your experiences, what advice would you give to a anxious Young Entrepreneur starting their first business today?
We haven't had many difficulties to date but my best advice is to find people who will be honest with you who have experience…and use their advice. If your first business fails, try again. No one is a winner every time. Accept that before you even start.
It's fast and immediate; I can create my own brand and impression I am in control of.
If someone posts something on your FaceBook you don't want anyone to know about it and it goes out to all of your friends and family…also accidentally seeing all your exes with their new girlfriends, ick!
I want Yogurtini to grow into something bigger than my family ever imagined when we first had the original idea for one shop. I want to create a business atmosphere of fun and growth with my employees. I love the team and family feel a good leader can create.
Personally, that is easy. I'm still a girl looking for true love, aren't we all? And yes, the beach house in my secret spot in Hawaii is right underneath that. Learning, understanding and working on sustainable ways to help impoverished countries is on my list too. I currently work with Transformational Development Agency ( http://www.tdaafrica.com ) in my free time and went with them to Haiti. An entrepreneur can use their skills for empowering change globally as well. That is what I would like to be remembered for and would love to work on that with my sister in the future. Yogurtini will be the just a blip on my obituary I hope.
Great story and inspiring. The first time I met Natasha was in the airport with TDA on our way to Haiti. I enjoyed her enthusiasm and laughter in a hard place. She is always encouraging and has a heart for God. I believe she will go a long way personally and professionaly.
This is great info by Natasha. I think a good book to add is Rework by 37signals. It has help our business rethink the way of doing business.
Wow, excellent interview here Michael!
Natasha is a cute and a clever business woman!
A huge inspiration to me and others.
Change the things in your control and don't worry about changing things you have no control over. That is such great advice.
And I agree when she says she is still looking for true love. That is a rare thing these days for sure.
What an inspiration you are Natasha..I don't think there are many people who can handle and succeed at so much.
Natasha has clearly identified a need for change and has done something about it. She has the heart of an angel and perhaps that's what has greatly helped her to succeed in her business. Just like everyone else, she has her ups and downs and most importantly, she has the right attitude and drive to succeed. She's truly an inspiring entrepreneur. How is she?
On the side note, I thought I'd inform you about the error (making it inaccessible) in your IncomeDiary link. "E" is missing, just so you know.
Well done on the interview Michael. You sure know which questions to ask!
It's always an inspiration to see other young entrepreneurs living their passions, and still finding the time to contribute to causes greater than themselves. Thank you for the wonderful interview!


News: Halo TV Series on ShowTime, Halo Mash-Up, Destiny Beta, Halo 5 Open World?
Round up of Halo news/rumors with a little Destiny. Halo TV Series by Spielberg deal with Showtime, Destiny Beta announced for July, Halo 5 Open World Rumors, and Halo Mash-Up pack for Minecraft announced.
This entry was posted in Destiny 1, Halo 5: Guardians and tagged Destiny, Destiny Beta, Halo, Halo 5, Halo on Xbox One by Chief Canuck. Bookmark the permalink.


text:
Fahire Fersan (1900 – 3 January 1997) was a Turkish female classical kemençe virtuosa.

Private life
Fahire Fersan was born to Faik Bey and his spouse Şem'inur Hanım in Istanbul, then Ottoman Empire in 1900. Her father was the chamberlain of Ottoman sultan Abdul Hamid II (reigned 1876–1909). Her sister Faize Ergin became later a tambur virtuosa.

She married Refik Fersan (1895–1963), a Turkish classical music composer and tambur virtuoso. She gave birth to two sons Hayrettin, İmran and three daughters Melek, Firuzan, Emine.

Fahire Fersan died in Istanbul on 3 January 1997. She was interred at Zincirlikuyu Cemetery following the religious funeral service held at Levent Mosque.

Musician career

She started her musician career at an early age by taking classical kemençe lessons from Tamburi Cemil Bey (1873–1916). After her marriage, the couple went to Switzerland, where she had to interrupt her musical education. She resumed her musical lessons following her return to Turkey, and continuing until the death of Cemil Bey.

She played the classical kemençe long time with her husband at the state-owned TRT radio in Ankara. Later, the couple performed at TRT Radio Istanbul, where they gave also lessons. She worked at the Istanbul Municipal Conservatory and at private radio stations as well.

She made many gramophone records along with her husband. She also accompanied Turkish classical music singer Münir Nurettin Selçuk at numerous concerts and recordings. She was a notable virtuosa, and was praised by poet Yahya Kemal Beyatlı as "All Istanbul starts to talk in her kemençe".

References

External links
Listen to 100+ Fahire Fersan Songs for Free on Neverending Playlist (Fahire Fersan "Reşit Çağın Arşivi 633 Refik Fersan: Lavtacı Andon'un Hüseyni Saz Semâisi)

1900 births
Musicians from Istanbul
20th-century Turkish women musicians
Musicians of Ottoman classical music
Musicians of Turkish makam music
Turkish classical kemençe players
1997 deaths
Burials at Zincirlikuyu Cemetery
20th-century classical musicians

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Home Indiana News Buffalo Street business looking to get a makeover
Buffalo Street business looking to get a makeover
An artist's rendition of the proposed improvements to the south-facing wall at 212 S. Buffalo St., Warsaw. (Photo supplied / Times Union)
There are only a few noteworthy eyesores in downtown Warsaw, and one of the biggest might soon get a makeover.
The owner of Glam, a women's boutique at 212 S. Buffalo St., as well as the building's owner, Mike Dennie, are seeking to paint the south side of the large, two-story exterior wall.
The upgrade seems consistent, said Michelle Ledrew, owner of Glam, since much of the downtown has seen various upgrades, including a $100,000 alley enhancement one block to the north and the emerging popularity of outdoor seating in front of several restaurants.
The 200 block of South Buffalo has seen vast upgrades over the years with storefront improvements involving Giverny Fitness Studio, Expressions Salon and Day Spa, The Repurpose Room, Jerky Shop and Kosciusko County Community Foundation headquarters.
"We don't want to be the eyesore on the corner," Ledrew said. "We've had a lot of success here and we don't think that translates."
Given the size of the wall and the fact it faces northbound motorists coming off Ind. 15, it also represents an image issue for the city.
"There's so much traffic that comes from that direction, it's really the first thing they see when they come downtown," Ledrew said.
With no money available in the city's alley enhancement fund, officials began eyeing money in a facade program controlled by Warsaw Community Development Corp. There is $10,000 remaining in this year's facade budget, but the Glam proposal doesn't conform to the facade guidelines since the side wall is not part of the facade.
As a result, Rob Parker, executive director of Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce who oversees Warsaw Community Development Corp., is working with the city council to see if money from the facade program can be used for the wall.
Council is expected to discuss the issue when it meets Monday night.
The facade program can provide up to $5,000 per proposal, Parker said.
Parker also mentioned the wall's appearance.
"It just doesn't look as good as it should," he said.
An old, somewhat rickety stairwell that had been enclosed has been removed from the wall, which also includes several boarded up windows. Gold metal stars affixed to the wall are showing their age and a rusty residue has stained part of the wall below.
Ledrew had an artist's rendering prepared to illustrate what the wall might eventually look like.
The proposed color scheme would be consistent with Glam's other signage, using a black background with pink stars and white lettering for the business name. Ledrew said the use of the stylistic font for the name probably depends on the overall cost.
Previous articleBid deadline for Warsaw Fire Station 3 extended
Next articleState grant lifts Delphi trail safety funds to $176,000

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text:
See All Events to Buy Tickets
Mr. Cooper Group Lobby Gallery Exhibitions
Exhibition: Locally Sourced
Exhibition: Texas Sculpture Association Member Showcase
Exhibition: Contemporary Handmade Quilts
Exhibition: 100-Mile Exhibit
Exhibition: Hindsight is 2020
Exhibition: Foresight
Exhibition: Shades of Green
Exhibition: Through The Lens
Exhibition: Solo
Exhibition: CISD Faculty
Exhibition: Blue
2022-23 Center Presents Season
Theatre Coppell
Theatre Coppell Season Tickets
Try Something New
Box Office and Purchase Policy
This Week at the Arts Center
Concessions at the Center
Old Town Coppell
Resident Art Groups
Coppell Arts Center Foundation
The Coppell Community Orchestra: Summer Chamber Classics
Tickets are $20 for Adults, $5 for Students/Children
Event Starts
Tickets are $20 for Adults, $5 for Children/ Students
Coppell Community Orchestra: Summer Chamber Classics
Sunday, June 26th at 3 pm in the Main Hall
Coppell Community Orchestra presents Summer Chamber Classics, in partnership with Prime Music Institute.
This concert features incredible world-class musicians who are coming together for a rare one-time performance just for Coppell & to support the Coppell Community Orchestra.
Featured Musicians: Dr. Yinhui "Stacy", Dr. Monica Rodriguez,
Emmanuel Kwok, Seowon Lee, Francis Ku, and Eldred Marshall. All proceeds for this event will go toward supporting our Coppell Community Orchestra.
Click Here to learn how to donate to the Coppell Community Orchestra today.
The Mr. Cooper Group Lobby Gallery opens 1 Hour prior to the performance starting, and the Main Hall doors open 30 Minutes prior to the performance starting. Concessions will be open before the performance.
The Coppell Community Orchestra Organization
The Coppell Community Orchestra is a non-profit organization that provides educational opportunities for musicians and patrons in and around Coppell. Starting their fifth season, this young orchestra is always looking for musicians, sponsors, and volunteer staff. You can learn more at their website CoppellOrchestra.org.
About the Performers
Emmanuel Kwok:
Tsun-yuet's wide knowledge of cello technique and repertoire will be a wonderful resource……
His work ethic will without a doubt inspire all those around him."
Christine Lamprea, Artist-Teacher of Cello, Longy School of Music
Native of Hong Kong, Tsun-yuet Emmanuel Kwok has appeared as soloist in Europe, Asia, and the United States, and has also performed over 30 world premieres of contemporary music. Kwok currently holds the position of principal cello at McKinney Philharmonic Orchestra and has previously played with orchestras including the Dallas Chamber Symphony, Plano Symphony, Irving Symphony, Hong Kong New Philharmonic, Collegium Musicum Hong Kong and Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra. He played solo and chamber recitals both in Asia and in the States, and solo appearances with orchestras including Mesquite Symphony, Mansfield Philharmonic, Coppell Community Orchestra, Collegium Musicum Hong Kong, Hong Kong Academy of Performing Art Academy Orchestra and Hong Kong Baptist University Symphony Orchestra. He has received awards including 1st prize in the Hong Kong Music Festival and 2nd prize in the National Competition of Asia. In addition to his classical performance, he worked with worship ministries and pop singers in Southeast Asia, recording more than ten albums as solo cellist; in 2021, he also worked with RedSeaMusic (CA, USA) to produce music videos.
Kwok began cello study at the age of 6 in Hong Kong under Ms. Tung Hiu-lo, later he has finished his Master of Music in cello performance with Professor Ray Wang at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. He is currently a doctoral candidate (ABD) at TCU School of Music, majoring in Cello Performance with cognate in Music Theory. In the U.S. his primary teachers included Jesús Castro-Balbi and Eugene Osadchy. He also had the privilege of coaching by Johannes Moser, Lynn Harrell, Steven Isserlis, Bagram Saradjian, Dmitri Atapine, Maja Bogdanovic and Li-Wei Qin. As musician and scholar, Kwok holds memberships of Pi Kappa Lambda International Music Honor Society and Golden Key International Honor Society, and is a regular member of Mu Phi Epsilon Concert Series.
Kwok currently served as faculty of Prime Music Institute and Greenville Suzuki Strings, and was appointed as assistant to artistic director of the Texas Cello School in 2021. He had served as faculty of Clear Creek Music Festival (OR), TCU Summer Cello Academy, Greater North Texas Youth Orchestra and Fort Worth B Sharp Youth Music Program; he also serves as teaching assistant of international renowned cellist Jesús Castro-Balbi, as well as assistant director of TCU Cello Ensemble during his time at TCU. Kwok believes in Authentic Christianity and the philosophy of Authentic Music Performance.
Francis Ku: Francis Ku, from Hong Kong, is currently a doctoral candidate in Orchestral Conducting at the Louisiana State University. He holds a Master of Music in Orchestral Conducting and a Certificate in Violin Performance from the University of Texas at Arlington. Mr. Ku was recognized as a Scholar of the College of Liberal Arts for exceptional academic accomplishment. He embarked on his conducting career after being inspired by Francis Kan, conductor of the Macao Orchestra. His conducting mentors include Clifton Evans, Robert Gutter, Ovidiu Balan, Charles Gambetta, Niels Muus, Scott Terrell and Damon Talley. He has also participated in masterclasses of Craig Kirchhoff, Diane Wittry, Jahja Ling, Mark Gibson and Mikko Franck.
In 2017, Francis Ku was selected as the winner of the fourteenth annual International Conductor's Workshop and Competition in Atlanta and appeared as the guest conductor in a performance with the Gwinnett Symphony Chamber Orchestra. In January 2018, Mr. Ku was named Outstanding Academy Conductor by the International Institute for Conductors. The award included a professional engagement with the Bacau Philharmonic in Romania.
Besides performing as a conductor, Mr. Ku is also an active orchestral violinist and violist. Violin was his primary instrument during his undergraduate study at the Hong Kong Baptist University and he obtained the Licentiate of Trinity College London in Violin Recital. During his study at the University of Texas at Arlington, he served as Assistant Conductor, Concertmaster and Viola Principal of the symphony orchestra. His violin and viola mentors include Gibert Sak, Martha Walvoord and Cathy Forbes.
Dr. Monica Rodriguez, Violinist: Monica de la Hoz is a native of Brazil. She holds a Doctoral Degree in viola and violin performance from the Louisiana State University and two Masters' Degrees, in violin performance from The University Southern Mississippi and in viola performance from University of New Mexico. During her time spent in New Mexico, she also received the Certificate in Suzuki Philosophy and Violin Teaching Long Term Training under Professor Susan Kempter.
Monica took part in numerous international music festivals and masterclasses with artists as Roberto Diaz, Nadja Salermo, Erick Friedman and Manfredo Kraemer. As a soloist, she gave solo and chamber recitals in Brazil, USA, Panamá, Slovakia, Germany and Italy, and is the winner of the Louisiana Viola Society Competition (2011). She currently settled in Texas and is a violin faculty of A&M Texas University in Commerce and Greenville Suzuki Strings. Besides teaching, Monica also holds position as a violist of Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra in Baton Rouge Louisiana, as well as arranger and electric string player position with the rock band Epic Unplugged base in Dallas, Texas. In 2021, she received the "Bow Rehairing" Professional Development and Training under the professor Lynn Hannings.
Seowon Lee: Seowon Lee has participated in many competitions throughout Korea. She won First Prize in the Korean Symphony Orchestra Competition and was Bronze-Medalist in the Korea- Germany Brahms Association Competition. She also won the Baroque Ensemble Chamber Music Competition. Seowon has soloed with the Jinju Youth Orchestra, Kyung-Nam Arts High School Orchestra, and Ewha Women's University Orchestra. She has performed in music festivals in the United States and Korea and participated in master classes with Miriam Fried, Paul Biss, Alex Kerr, Kirsten Yon, and Lin He. Ms. Lee received her bachelor's degree from Ewha Women's University, where she was concertmaster of the Ewha Symphony. She then came to the United States where she received her master's degree and performance diploma from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music studying with Ik-Hwan Bae. She was the recipient of Artistic Excellence Awards in 2010-2013 at Indiana University. She recently earned a Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of North Texas where she was a member of the Bancroft String Quartet. She has served as Principal second violin of the Richardson Symphony Orchestra and section violin of the Las Colinas Symphony Orchestra.
Dr. Yinhui "Stacy" Li, Pianist:
Dr. Li started piano lessons at five and performing in public in China at seven. She earned her master's degree in Piano Performance at Bowling Green State University after graduating from Sichuan Conservatory of Music of China with a bachelor's degree in Piano Performance. She further obtained a Doctor of Music degree in Piano Performance from Florida State University under the instruction of Dr. Robert Satterlee, Dr. David Kalhous, Ian Hobson, and the late Steinway Artist Joel Hastings.
Dr. Li was a prize winner of the TOYAMA Hong Kong Piano Competition and the 2016 Florida State University Annual Piano Competition winner. She has appeared internationally as a soloist and chamber music musician throughout the U.S. in Pittsburgh, Charlotte, Tallahassee, Dallas; Sulzbach and Rosenberg, Germany; Corfu, Greece; Shanghai, Chengdu, Chongqing, and Guiyang of China.
In 2012, she played a series of duo concerts in Sichuan, China, to support Smile Angel Foundation, sponsored by a hospital to treat more cheilopalatognathus patients. Each of those concerts had more than 500 audience members. Besides all those performing experiences, Dr. Li also worked as a visiting professor at the Piano Department of Sichuan Conservatory of Music.
Dr. Li's repertoire widely ranges from the Baroque period to contemporary music. She appeared at the biannual Ligeti Études concert at the 17th New Music Festival at Florida State University where she collaborated with a rising young composer Fernanda Navarro at the 18th New Music Festival. Among the other projects, she has also performed one of the most representative minimal piano works " Phrygian Gates" written by a living American composer John Adams ( b. 1947) in Tallahassee, Florida.
As a versatile individual, Dr. Li has had the opportunity to assume different professional roles, including being a private piano lesson instructor and a music camp organizer. Through these experiences, she has been fortunate enough to educate a diverse group of students aged from pre-kindergarten to college. All students became capable of playing the piano and acquired a deeper understanding of music, making their musical journeys more meaningful.
Dr. Li founded Prime Music Institute in 2021, and currently serves as the Director and a piano faculty member at PMI. Dr. Li is a Steinway Educational Partner.
Eldred Marshall, Pianist:
The Press Enterprise (Riverside, CA) hailed his "dazzling technique" and his "clean, tidy approach." Music critic Laurence Vittes described him as an "illumination in music," and said of his all-Beethoven recital: "Marshall presented a recital so full of musical thrills and beauties, and so in identification with the composer's own persona, that, for a few hours, it was as if he were communing across the centuries to conjure up a rare and magical musical spectrum." The Telegraf Online Constanta (Romania) reported that Marshall "captivated the audience" in Mozart's Piano Concerto no. 20, which he conducted from the piano.
Eldred Marshall began studying the piano at age six and played in public by age seven. His prodigious and inquisitive mind allowed him to master large swaths of the piano repertoire quickly as well as consistently win top prizes at the competitions he entered as a child. By 16, he debuted with orchestra, playing Brahms's Piano Concerto no. 2 in B-flat Major with the Victor Valley Symphony Orchestra. Before entering into Yale University, where he graduated with honors with a B.A. in Political Science, he had already performed all over the United States.
The critically-acclaimed pianist has performed internationally: Spain, Italy, the Republic of San Marino, Belgium, Germany, Romania, Bulgaria, the Ukraine, the People's Republic of China, and Canada. He has performed the entire cycle of 32 Piano Sonatas of Beethoven in public, from memory, as a concentrated series, twice: once in Portland in 2007 and in San Francisco in 2008. He followed that project with a full West Coast (US) tour of Bach's Goldberg Variations in 2008 and 2009. In the 2015-2016 Season, he toured extensively through Texas with two all-Bach piano recital programs, one of which included the Goldberg Variations. In 2018, he toured the United States and China, performing Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1, from memory. Upcoming engagements in the 2021-2022 season include a tour of Beethoven's Diabelli Variations, and debut appearances with the Symphony orchestras of Las Colinas, Arlington, and Garland (TX) in Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 24 in C minor, K. 491.
As an orchestral conductor, Marshall has led several international ensembles: The Ukrainian State Academic Orchestra (Kiev, Ukraine), the Kharkov Youth Symphony (Kharkov, Ukraine), the Pleven Philharmonic Orchestra (Pleven, Bulgaria), the Vidin Philharmonic Orchestra (Vidin, Bulgaria), the Filharmonica Oltenia di Craiova (Craiova, Romania), and the Constanta "Black Sea" Philharmonic Orchestra (Constanta, Romania).
Marshall earned his Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano Performance degree from the University of North Texas (UNT) in 2018. Additionally, he earned three Master of Music degrees from Southern Methodist University (SMU): piano (2011), organ (2012) and orchestral conducting (2013). Institutions at which he has taught include Texas A&M Commerce, UNT, SMU, and North Texas Central College. His doctoral dissertation topic was on the art of conducting piano concerti from the piano – performance practice, discipline and whether or not it is "real conducting."
Presently, Marshall serves as the Artist-in-Residence/Associate Director of Music at the First United Methodist Church of Garland, where he is the founder and curator of the West Avenue B Community Concert Series. Additionally, he is the Artistic Director/Conductor of the Mansfield Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Music Director/Conductor of the Music Ministry Conservatory Choir.
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text:
title: DCGS-BJ6
layout: post
author: bryn.jones
permalink: /DCGS-BJ6/
source-id: 1Sijg-P8zoc4Dm-ZylxvaNBGRVssRt0y3SGgaK8rIGgQ
published: true
---

    Title
    DCGS-B6
    Date
    25/06/18

    Starting point:
    A fully functional blog page.

    Target for this lesson?
    Create a border for my blogs

    Did I reach my target? (add details to "Lesson Review")
    Yes

    Lesson Review

    How did I learn? What strategies were effective?

    I sat alone so no-one distracted me and I could get on with my work and complete it. I also tried just focusing on me and my work which helped.

    What limited my learning? Which habits do I need to work on?

    Searching for too long. I need to be more decisive with backgrounds and avatars.

    What will I change for next time? How will I improve my learning?

    Work faster so I can get everything done and focus more intensely to improve my work.


As the queen of lunchboxes and healthy meals in a hurry, I wanted to create a range that helped you to stay healthy even during the busiest of timesIn my new range you can find; a lunchbox, a reusable coffee cup, a water bottle with a built-in infuser, a spice and herb rack with all my essentials, a seed mix for a quick boost of healthy fats and protein to any meal, and a mason jar for your overnight oats and smoothies!
the perfect gift for those always on the move. Complete with delicious peppermint tea bags, this double-walled tumbler will keep your tea nice and hot while out and about, whether you are commuting to work or on a leisurely Sunday morning stroll.
Put one tea bag in to the cup, pour on boiling water and infuse for four to five minutes. Can be served with a little honey or sugar to taste.
A great little aluminium lunch box with a clip top lid – ideal for storing your packed lunches to take to work, school, or on picnics.
The perfect water bottle to keep hydrated on the go! This handy bottle comes with a built in infuser too – simply add any chopped fruit of your choice (try lemon, strawberries, or orange) for a delicious drink.
A great gift for those who love to start their day with a delicious and nutritious breakfast – even on busy days. This set not only comes with it's own little wooden spoon, it also includes chia seeds and oat flakes to get you started with creating the perfect overnight oats. The jar is also marked with handy measurements, enabling you to prep your breakfast quickly by just filling the jar up to the marked lines with your chosen ingredients.
A trio of seed toppers. 3 generously sized glass jars filled with pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and flaxseeds (also known as linseeds). These lovely little seeds make a great addition to granolas, and smoothies, or to top soups, stir fries and more!
4 little spice jars with a handy holder ready for any recipe – sweet or savoury. The set comes with earthy cinnamon, herbaceous basil, smoky paprika, and aromatic rosemary.


Is it good for you to be lonely?
Or maybe you'd rather be alone than to be with dumb one.
What have you found to be good for your heart?
Is there is only one option and that's to militarize North Korea because all it takes for evil to succeed is for good men to do nothing?
Is it easier for you to remember the bad stuff from your past rather than the good?
Would you be a good samaritan and invite a dirty bum to your house for dinner?
Is it really sane to be just happy for what you got?
The reason I really like _______ is because it is good/healthy/fun/exciting for me! What word (s) can you use to complete the sentence?
Is it possible for someone to be goodlooking with a big nose? and if so, do you know anyone?


CAPTIVA HOME CARE, LLC has been set up 5/15/2014 in state FL. The current status of the business is Active. The CAPTIVA HOME CARE, LLC principal adress is 15654 LIGHT BLUE CIR, FT MYERS, 33908. Meanwhile you can send your letters to 15654 LIGHT BLUE CIR, FT MYERS, FL, 33908. The company`s registered agent is CONROY MARLA 15654 LIGHT BLUE CIR, FT MYERS, FL, 33908. The company`s management are A, M, B, R - Conroy Marla. The last significant event in the company history is ADMIN DISSOLUTION FOR ANNUAL REPORT which is dated by 9/23/2016. This decision is take in action on unknown.
CAPTIVA HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC. CAPTIVA HOMES, INCORPORATED CAPTIVA II LLC CAPTIVA IMAGING, L.L.C. CAPTIVA INCORPORATION COMMITTEE, INC. CAPTIVA INN, INC.


text:
Gwen Stefani opens up about her new beauty gig and reveals her New Year's resolution
January 04, 2017 - 17:02 GMT hellomagazine.com The singer is Revlon's new Global Brand Ambassador.
Gwen Stefani kicked off 2017 with news of her latest project. The singer has been named Revlon's latest Global Brand Ambassador and will soon front campaigns featuring the beauty brand's empowering Choose Love message.
"Love has been a muse for my songwriting," said the singer, adding, "Revlon's CHOOSE LOVE message is an important one, and I'm very excited for the opportunity to partner with Revlon and continue spreading this message of positivity and love."
The singer has been named Revlon's Global Brand Ambassador
The 47-year-old joins fellow beauty queens Emma Stone and Halle Berry in representing the iconic American company. It's easy to see why the brand selected the GRAMMY winner, given that the very things that she loves about Revlon are the same things that her fans love about her. "When I think of Revlon I immediately think of amazing women, iconic colours, incredible products and to me it's beauty, inspiration, creativity dreams and love," adds Gwen.
Gwen's new campaign will kick off later this month
It's an exciting time for the mother of three, who in addition to being blissfully in love with her longtime boyfriend Blake Shelton is set for a return to the coaches' corner on the hit singing competition series The Voice. Gwen will join Blake, Adam Levine and Alicia Keys for the show's 12th season in February.
And while she has a lot to look forward to in the coming year, Gwen says that her New Year's resolution is grounded in the short-term. "One of my resolutions is to try to stay present and just enjoy every single moment."
More about celebrity beauty
Holly Willoughby's wedding-inspired nails are an ideal bride-to-be's manicure
Mrs Hinch is a big fan of the Skinny Tan range - and you can buy it in Superdrug
Hailey Bieber gives a sneak peek of a new beauty product at the Golden Globes after-party
Keep your lips looking luscious, even when the heat is on
Gal Gadot is Revlon's new Wonder Woman
The magical makeover marvel for truly fabulous feet…
Ciara revealed as the new face of Revlon cosmetics
London is getting its first-ever 24hr beauty salon - but there's a catch
Hair's to you mum: Kingston and Gwen sport matching quiffs at her fashion show


text:
EDDC_CMYK_reduced size_with keyline
Housing repairs line experiencing high levels of calls
EDDC's housing repairs line is experiencing high levels of calls, nearly double than normal, meaning phone waiting times are higher than expected.
You can also report a repair by emailing repairs@eastdevon.gov.uk, or by contacting your mobile support officer (if living in supported accommodation).
EDDC would like to thank you for your patience during this busy time.
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Become a Parish or Town councillor
What does a Parish or Town Councillor do?
Guide Become a Parish or Town councillor
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What is a Parish or Town Council?
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Will it cost me anything to stand for election?
3. What does a Parish or Town Councillor do?
Most people's impression of what a Councillor does is just attending council meetings. However it is the ordinary day to day contact with local people that Councillors experience in their own community that us the most important part of being a local Councillor.
Councillors are there to consider the information gathered and make a group decision. No one Councillor is responsible for any single decision.
As a councillor, you will need to:
Listen and be a voice for your community: the single most important task is to listen to the views of the people in their community. By doing this, Councillors gain important information about the concerns and aspirations of the people they represent. It is for this reason that many public bodies turn to the Parish or Town Council for information about the services they provide. For example, the District Council consults the local councils on planning applications which affect their area. Local councils act as a voice for their communities, responding to other authorities and drawing attention to issues which concern the community.
Act as an ambassador for your community: Parish and Town Councils also make representations at other local government meetings (District and County Councils). Councillors are often appointed to sit on local bodies and organisations whose work affects the whole community. Councillors may be asked to serve on certain groups or attend functions on behalf of the council. Parish and Town councillors act as ambassadors for their community, keeping everyone aware of local needs and concerns and reporting back on district, council and regional matters. Councillors represent the voice of their community as a whole, whilst being aware of, and considerate to, specific minority needs.
Attend meetings: when elected, Councillors agree to attend all meetings that they are summoned to (if reasonably possible)
Attend ceremonial functions: there will be times when Councillors are asked to attend civic functions as part of their duty to the community. This may be remembrance services, civic dinners and attendance at public events such as the local carnival and other events through the year.
Your fellow Councillors will be there to give you the benefit of their experiences.
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A Pelham industrial business will be featured in an upcoming episode of the "World's Greatest!" TV show this month.
ProcessBarron, which deals with the design, manufacturing, installation, and repair of air, gas, fuel, and ash handling equipment, will appear on an episode scheduled for Monday, Jan. 21 and Monday, Jan. 28. "World's Greatest!..." is a 30-minute program featuring companies, people, products, and destinations in the world. For showtimes, click here.
How2Media, producers of the show, approached ProcessBarron last June and visited the company in September. They filmed interviews with executives, toured the facilities, and filmed employees at work.
Josh Kessler, the show's production manager, said the company was chosen because its clients operate all-day, everyday, all-year.
ProcessBarron Vice President of Sales & Marketing Ashley Doyal said the television crew observed the company's design, manufacturing and fabrication processes.
Begun in 1981, ProcessBarron works with the pulp and paper, biomass, cement, lime, steel, and power industries.


text:
Opinion|Blindly Into the Bubble
Opinion | Op-Ed Columnist
Blindly Into the Bubble
Paul Krugman DEC. 21, 2007
When announcing Japan's surrender in 1945, Emperor Hirohito famously explained his decision as follows: "The war situation has developed not necessarily to Japan's advantage."
There was a definite Hirohito feel to the explanation Ben Bernanke, the Federal Reserve chairman, gave this week for the Fed's locking-the-barn-door-after-the-horse-is-gone decision to modestly strengthen regulation of the mortgage industry: "Market discipline has in some cases broken down, and the incentives to follow prudent lending procedures have, at times, eroded."
That's quite an understatement. In fact, the explosion of "innovative" home lending that took place in the middle years of this decade was an unmitigated disaster.
But maybe Mr. Bernanke was afraid to be blunt about just how badly things went wrong. After all, straight talk would have amounted to a direct rebuke of his predecessor, Alan Greenspan, who ignored pleas to lock the barn door while the horse was still inside — that is, to regulate lending while it was booming, rather than after it had already collapsed.
I use the words "unmitigated disaster" advisedly.
Apologists for the mortgage industry claim, as Mr. Greenspan does in his new book, that "the benefits of broadened home ownership" justified the risks of unregulated lending.
But homeownership didn't broaden. The great bulk of dubious subprime lending took place from 2004 to 2006 — yet homeownership rates are already back down to mid-2003 levels. With millions more foreclosures likely, it's a good bet that homeownership will be lower at the Bush administration's end than it was at the start.
Meanwhile, during the bubble years, the mortgage industry lured millions of people into borrowing more than they could afford, and simultaneously duped investors into investing vast sums in risky assets wrongly labeled AAA. Reasonable estimates suggest that more than 10 million American families will end up owing more than their homes are worth, and investors will suffer $400 billion or more in losses.
Paul Krugman Credit Fred R. Conrad/The New York Times
So where were the regulators as one of the greatest financial disasters since the Great Depression unfolded? They were blinded by ideology.
"Fed shrugged as subprime crisis spread," was the headline on a New York Times report on the failure of regulators to regulate. This may have been a discreet dig at Mr. Greenspan's history as a disciple of Ayn Rand, the high priestess of unfettered capitalism known for her novel "Atlas Shrugged."
In a 1963 essay for Ms. Rand's newsletter, Mr. Greenspan dismissed as a "collectivist" myth the idea that businessmen, left to their own devices, "would attempt to sell unsafe food and drugs, fraudulent securities, and shoddy buildings." On the contrary, he declared, "it is in the self-interest of every businessman to have a reputation for honest dealings and a quality product."
It's no wonder, then, that he brushed off warnings about deceptive lending practices, including those of Edward M. Gramlich, a member of the Federal Reserve board. In Mr. Greenspan's world, predatory lending — like attempts to sell consumers poison toys and tainted seafood — just doesn't happen.
But Mr. Greenspan wasn't the only top official who put ideology above public protection. Consider the press conference held on June 3, 2003 — just about the time subprime lending was starting to go wild — to announce a new initiative aimed at reducing the regulatory burden on banks. Representatives of four of the five government agencies responsible for financial supervision used tree shears to attack a stack of paper representing bank regulations. The fifth representative, James Gilleran of the Office of Thrift Supervision, wielded a chainsaw.
Also in attendance were representatives of financial industry trade associations, which had been lobbying for deregulation. As far as I can tell from press reports, there were no representatives of consumer interests on the scene.
Two months after that event the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, one of the tree-shears-wielding agencies, moved to exempt national banks from state regulations that protect consumers against predatory lending. If, say, New York State wanted to protect its own residents — well, sorry, that wasn't allowed.
Of course, now that it has all gone bad, people with ties to the financial industry are rethinking their belief in the perfection of free markets. Mr. Greenspan has come out in favor of, yes, a government bailout. "Cash is available," he says — meaning taxpayer money — "and we should use that in larger amounts, as is necessary, to solve the problems of the stress of this."
Given the role of conservative ideology in the mortgage disaster, it's puzzling that Democrats haven't been more aggressive about making the disaster an issue for the 2008 election. They should be: It's hard to imagine a more graphic demonstration of what's wrong with their opponents' economic beliefs.
David Brooks is off today.
A version of this op-ed appears in print on , on Page A39 of the New York edition with the headline: Blindly Into the Bubble. Today's Paper|Subscribe
Macroeconomics, trade, health care, social policy and politics.
Deficit Man and the 2020 Election JUL 18
Racism Comes Out of the Closet JUL 15
Goldbugs for Trump JUL 13
The New Plot Against Obamacare JUL 11
Trump and the Merchants of Detention JUL 8


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Global Scaffold Free 3D Cell Culture Market Is Relaatively Concentrated
Global Info Research Releases
New report published by Global Info Research which offers insights on the global Scaffold Free 3D Cell Culture market.
3D cell culture is an artificially-created environment in which biological cells are permitted to grow or interact with their surroundings in all three dimensions. Unlike 2D environments, a 3D cell culture allows cells in vitro to grow in all directions, similar to how they would in vivo.] These three-dimensional cultures are usually grown in bioreactors, small capsules in which the cells can grow into spheroids, or 3D cell colonies.
Click to view the full report TOC, figure and tables:
https://www.globalinforesearch.com/global-scaffold-free-3d-cell-culture-market_p43391.html
Global Scaffold Free 3D Cell Culture Market: Forecast by Type / Application / Region
Scaffold-free 3D cell culture offer many advantages over other 3D cell culture technologies, foremost of which is the completely native nature of cell-cell interactions driving assembly of the microtissue. The absence of scaffold material also facilitates a greater number of downstream assays and imaging options.
This report studies Scaffold Free 3D Cell Culture in Global market, especially in North America, Europe, China, Japan, focuses on top manufacturers in global market, with sales, price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer, covering: InSphero, N3d Biosciences, Kuraray, Hamilton Company, Synthecon, Qgel Sa, Reprocell Incorporated, Global Cell Solutions and 3D Biomatrix.
Split by Product Types, with sales, revenue, price, and market share and growth rate of each type, can be divided into: Common Cell Culture, Stem Cell Culture and Other.
Split by applications, this report focuses on consumption, market share and growth rate of Scaffold Free 3D Cell Culture in each application, can be divided into: Scientific Research, Biopharmaceutical and Other.
The global scaffold free 3D cell culture market is relatively concentrated; the sales of top nine manufacturers account about 68% of total global sales in 2015. The largest manufacture of scaffold free 3D cell culture is InSphero, its sales is 6730 Unit in 2015. The next is N3d Biosciences and Kuraray.
North America is the largest consumption region of scaffold free 3D cell culture in 2015. In 2015, the sales of scaffold free 3D cell culture is about 12742 Unit in North America; its sales proportion of total global sales exceeds 32%.The next is Europe. China has a large growth rate of scaffold free 3D cell culture.
There are three types of scaffold free 3D cell culture in global market; now Common Cell Culture is the largest consumption type in 2015; its sales proportion of total global sales exceeds 79%.
Ask for Discount on Research Report and Request Sample Copy of Report@
GlobalInfoResearch is a report publisher, a customer, interest-based suppliers. Is in the best interests of our clients, they determine our every move. At the same time, we have great respect for the views of customers. With the improvement of the quality of our research, we develop custom interdisciplinary and comprehensive solution. For further development, we will do better and better. GlobalInfoResearch will with excellent professional knowledge and experience to carry out all aspects of our business. At the same time, we will thoroughly look for information, to give a more comprehensive development.
United States Scaffold Free 3D Cell Culture Market 2018 Forecast to 2023
Europe Scaffold Free 3D Cell Culture Market 2018 Forecast to 2023
North America Scaffold Free 3D Cell Culture Market 2018 Forecast to 2023
Asia-Pacific Scaffold Free 3D Cell Culture Market 2018 Forecast to 2023
China Scaffold Free 3D Cell Culture Market 2018 Forecast to 2023
EMEA Scaffold Free 3D Cell Culture Market 2018 Forecast to 2023
Global Scaffold Free 3D Cell Culture Market 2018 Forecast to 2023
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text:
Friday 30 October 2020 12:46 pm
Marriott International fined £18.4m over customer data breach
James Warrington
Marriott has been fined £18.4m over a cyber attack on the Starwood hotel chain ()
Marriott International has been handed an £18.4m fine by the UK data watchdog over a data breach that compromised the personal details of millions of customers.
The fine relates to an attack on the Starwood hotels chain that exposed records belonging to 339m guests worldwide.
Read more: Marriott International hit with London lawsuit over huge data breach
The cyber attack began in 2014, before Marriott took over the chain, but went undetected until September 2018.
Names, email addresses, phone numbers and passport details were among the data impacted by the breach.
The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) today said Marriott had failed to put appropriate measures in place to protect customer data.
While the cyber attack dates back to 2014, the fine only applies to the breach from May 2018, when new GDPR laws came into force.
"Millions of people's data was affected by Marriott's failure; thousands contacted a helpline and others may have had to take action to protect their personal data because the company they trusted it with had not," said information commissioner Elizabeth Denham.
"When a business fails to look after customers' data, the impact is not just a possible fine, what matters most is the public whose data they had a duty to protect."
The £18.4m fine is significantly lower than the £99m penalty originally proposed by the ICO. The data watchdog said it had considered the steps Marriott took to mitigate the incident and the impact of Covid-19 on its businesses before setting the final amount.
The company is also facing a group legal action in London on behalf of millions of customers in England and Wales who were affected by the breach.
The hotel chain said it did not intend to appeal the decision, but made no admission of liability relating to the decision or underlying allegations.
Read more: ICO fines British Airways £20m for data breach
It comes after the ICO fined British Airways £20m for a 2018 data breach that affected more than 400,000 customers.
The two fines are the largest to be handed down by the watchdog for failures to properly protect customer data.
"Given the dramatic fall in revenue that the travel and leisure sector has experienced during the coronavirus pandemic, these fines send a very powerful message to organisations that they must invest in keeping their customers' data secure," said Chris Combemale, chief executive of the Data & Marketing Association.
"Otherwise they will face penalties that could prove far more costly to the business."
Tags: Data protection


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About Events Topics Resources
Acton Institute Powerblog
Acton Commentary: Government Health Care — Back to the Plantation
by Anthony Bradley • November 12, 2009
Black leaders constantly remind Americans of our racism. Should not these same leaders protest the expansion of government control contained in the health-care reform bill currently working its way through Congress?
Here's why. Notwithstanding their rhetoric of freedom and empowerment, many prominent black leaders appear content to send blacks back to the government plantation—where a small number of Washington elites make decisions for blacks who aren't in the room. Why do minority leaders not favor alternatives that demonstrate faith in the intelligence and dignity of people to manage their own lives?
In a sermon at Howard University, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright reminded university students that, "Racism is alive and well. Racism is how this country was founded and how this country is still run." During the presidential campaign, Wright explained to his parishioners that America is "a country and culture controlled by rich white people." But if racists and "rich white people" control America, why do those sympathetic to Wright assume that those same people will look out for the health of blacks?
If Princeton religion professor Cornel West was right in his 2008 book, Hope on a Tight Rope, that "the very discovery that black people are human beings is a new one," then shouldn't blacks raise questions about centralizing health care decisions in a bureaucracy peopled by officials who are only recently cognizant of minorities' humanity? "White brothers and sisters have been shaped by 244 years of white supremacist slavery, 87 years of white supremacist Jim and Jane Crow, and then another 40 years in which progress has been made" but "the stereotypes still cut deep," West wrote. He admits "relative progress for a significant number of black people," but warns that there has not been "some kind of fundamental transformation" in America. Dr. West asserts that "white supremacy is married to capitalism." If that is true, then why would we want to set up a health-care system that strengthens the government sanction of health-care provision by businesses?
If Georgetown University sociology professor Michael Eric Dyson is correct about the current racial and structural injustice impeding poor blacks, then there is cause for concern. In response to Bill Cosby's "conservative" reflections on black America in 2006, the Rev. Dr. Dyson wrote, "Cosby is hell bent on denying that race and structural forces play any role in the lives of the poor." He continued by saying, "The plane of black progress lifts on the wings of personal responsibility and social justice." If race and structural forces are at work against blacks, why not promote personal responsibility and justice by liberating them from dependence on those structures and putting them in a position to call their own shots?
If CNN analyst Roland Martin was right on February 18, 2009, when he said, "while everyone seems to be caught up in the delusion of a post-racial America, we cannot forget the reality of the racial America, where African-Americans were treated and portrayed as inferior and less than others," then shouldn't blacks be concerned about centralized health care, which will tether them ever more securely to a fundamentally corrupt political system? We cannot hope for change, after all: Martin insists that "the realities of race" are "being played out in our communities each day," and had earlier reminded us that when it comes to white racism blacks should "accept the fact that some people will not change" (September 10, 2008).
Many black leaders seem confused on this point. If America has a race problem, then it will manifest itself in both public and private sectors. Expanding Medicare and Medicaid only subjects poor blacks to more government control. Economic empowerment and returning health decisions to black people are the only way to eradicate concerns about structural injustice. When health-care providers compete for their patronage, blacks are empowered and control their own destinies. Economic freedom in health care is a moral and civil-rights issue because for too long blacks have suffered the indignity of having political structures make surrogate decisions about their bodies.
Black leaders should encourage policymakers to make health more affordable by giving individuals absolute control over their earnings with concomitant power to choose their own health plan. Instead, they are conspiring with Congress to lead us back to the plantation.
Anthony Bradley, Ph.D. is Professor of Religious Studies at The King's College in New York City and serves as a Research Fellow at the Acton Institute. Dr. Bradley lectures at colleges, universities, business organizations, conferences, and churches throughout the U.S. and abroad. His books include: Liberating Black Theology: The Bible and the Black Experience in America (2010), Black and Tired: Essays on Race, Politics, Culture, and International Development (2011), The Political Economy of Liberation: Thomas Sowell and James Cone of the Black Experience (2012), Keep Your Head Up: America's New Black Christian Leaders, Social Consciousness, and the Cosby Conversation (2012), Aliens in the Promised Land: Why Minority Leadership Is Overlooked in White Christian Churches and Institutions (forthcoming, 2013). Dr. Bradley's writings on religious and cultural issues have been published in a variety of journals, including: the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Detroit News, and World Magazine. Dr. Bradley is called upon by members of the broadcast media for comment on current issues and has appeared C-SPAN, NPR, CNN/Headline News, and Fox News, among others. He studies and writes on issues of race in America, hip hop, youth culture, issues among African Americans, the American family, welfare, education, and modern slavery. From 2005-2009, Dr. Bradley was Assistant Professor of Systematic Theology and Ethics at Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis, MO where he also directed the Francis A. Schaeffer Institute. Dr. Bradley holds Bachelor of Science in biological sciences from Clemson University, a Master of Divinity from Covenant Theological Seminary, and a Doctor of Philosophy degree from Westminster Theological Seminary. Dr. Bradley also holds an M.A. in Ethics and Society at Fordham University.
Posted in Acton Commentary, News and EventsTagged black america, black church, Cornel West, health care, jeremiah wright, Michael Eric Dyson, roland martin
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text:
Q: How to get next in static enum public enum Planet {
    MERCURY(false),
    VENUS(false),
    EARTH(false),
    MARS(false),
    JUPITER(false),
    SATURN(false),
    URANUS(false),
    NEPTUNE(false);
}

    public boolean isCurrent;

    Planet(boolean isCurrent){
       this.isCurrent = isCurrent;
    }

    public static void next(){
    if(planet == VENUS){
        VENUS.isCurrent = false;
        EARTH.isCurrent = true;
        MARS.isCurrent = false;
        JUPITER.isCurrent = false;
        SATURN.isCurrent = false;
        URANUS.isCurrent = false;
        NEPTUNE.isCurrent = false;
    }
    if(planet == EARTH){
        VENUS.isCurrent = false;
        EARTH.isCurrent = false;
        MARS.isCurrent = true;
        JUPITER.isCurrent = false;
        SATURN.isCurrent = false;
        URANUS.isCurrent = false;
        NEPTUNE.isCurrent = false;
    }
...
}

i found this solution,
private enum Planet { MERCURY, VENUS, EARTH, MARS, JUPITER, SATURN, URANUS, NEPTUNE;
    public Planet getNext() {
        return this.ordinal() < Planet.values().length - 1
            ? Planet.values()[this.ordinal() + 1]
            : null;
    }
}

but i'm unable to use this cuz this enumeration is imported as static in other classes;
For now i use follow construction:
 public static Planet setNewCurrent(){
    for(Planet planet : Planet.values()){
        if(planet == VENUS){
            VENUS.isCurrent = false;
            EARTH.isCurrent = true;
            MARS.isCurrent = false;
            JUPITER.isCurrent = false;
            SATURN.isCurrent = false;
            URANUS.isCurrent = false;
            NEPTUNE.isCurrent = false;
        }
        if(planet == EARTH){
            VENUS.isCurrent = false;
            EARTH.isCurrent = false;
            MARS.isCurrent = true;
            JUPITER.isCurrent = false;
            SATURN.isCurrent = false;
            URANUS.isCurrent = false;
            NEPTUNE.isCurrent = false;
        }
...
    }
}

Does anyone know some convenient way to getNextPlanet() like this
planet.getNext().isCurrent = true;

A: That's not the right way to use an enum. You should not have a boolean isCurrent on each enum constant.
Instead, have a Planet currentPlanet variable in one place (not on the enum):
Planet currentPlanet = Planet.MERCURY;

When you want to get the next one do:
currentPlanet = currentPlanet.getNext();

A: I hope you do realize that you could just have something like the following:
public enum Planet {
    MERCURY, VENUS, EARTH, MARS, JUPITER, SATURN, URANUS, NEPTUNE;

    public Planet getNext() {
        return this.ordinal() < Planet.values().length - 1
            ? Planet.values()[this.ordinal() + 1]
            : null;
    }
}

private Planet planet;

public void someFunction()
{
    planet = Planet.MARS;
    planet = planet.getNext();
    if(planet != null)
    {
        doStuff();
    }
}

And of course, you can just use a switch-case statement with the enum based on whichever is selected in the field variable: Java using enum with switch statement
A boolean variable to determine which one is "currently selected" isn't necessary at all.
EDIT: Based on your comment, you want a singleton instance of Planet. Luckily enough, you can use the enum itself for that:
public enum Planet {
    MERCURY, VENUS, EARTH, MARS, JUPITER, SATURN, URANUS, NEPTUNE;

    private static Planet currentPlanet = MERCURY;

    public static Planet getCurrentPlanet()
    {
        return currentPlanet;
    }

    public static boolean setToNext() {
        boolean retVal = this.ordinal() < Planet.values().length - 1;
        currentPlanet = this.ordinal() < Planet.values().length - 1
                ? Planet.values()[this.ordinal() + 1]
                : Planet.values()[0];
        return retVal; //returns false when it was the last element of the enum
    }
}

public void doSomething()
{
    Planet planet;
    do
    {
        planet = Planet.getCurrentPlanet();
        //do things with planet, like write out their names
        System.out.println(planet.name());
    }
    while(Planet.setToNext());
}

A:     public enum Planet {
        EARTH,
        MARS;

        public static Planet current = EARTH;

        Planet() {
        }

        public Planet getNext() {
            return values()[(ordinal() + 1) % values().length];
        }

        public static void setNext(){
            current = current.getNext();
        }

        public static Planet getCurrent(){
            return current;
        }

    }

import static com.test.Planet.*;

    public class Main {
        public static void main(String[] args){
            getCurrent();
            setNext();
        }
    }

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Kamaliya — Who's Gonna Love You Tonight — Official Video
This song was not released as a single when the album «ClubOpera» was out in 2013. But the song was so catchy that fans all over the world wanted it to be a single. In October 2017 with a slight change in the music, it was released. Then they asked for the video. Here it is- a New Year gift to Kamaliya's fans worldwide. Enjoy.


Most modern Pit Bulls are believed to be descended from European bull dogs and different breeds of mastiffs that were once used in farm work. The mastiffs were known for their strength and power William Yarbrough USA Jersey , so they were primarily used to help farmers with their bulls when it was time to bring them in from the fields.
The mastiff became known as the bulldog. The dog?s main purpose was to protect the farmer from being gored by an enraged bull. The dog usually accomplished this task by biting onto the bull and hanging on until the bull relented. Since these dogs were used for protection from angry bulls, they had to have tremendous strength in their jaws and bodies. They also had to be stubborn enough to hang onto a stampeding bull, no matter what the bull did to them, to protect the farmer they worked for.
As time passed, these dogs started being used in bull and bear baiting. During this time it is believed some bulldogs were also bred with terriers to help make them better suited for these sports. By mixing with the terrier breed Walker Zimmerman USA Jersey , the dogs were smaller and a great deal more agile than the regular bulldog. They also had more muscular bodies, which helped to enhance their damage producing ability. These sports were most popular in England around the early nineteenth century. In the year 1835, English Parliament banned the sports of bull and bear baiting, stating that it was much too cruel to the animals involved. The sport lost popularity, and eventually died completely out after a few years.
Dog fighting soon took the place of the previously banned bull and bear baiting sports. Breeders began trying to produce dogs that were geared to be excellent fighters. They tried to enhance the dog?s agility Ventura Alvarado USA Jersey , strength, and musculature to make them more formidable opponents. Breeders also tried to breed the most intelligent dogs, so they would be less likely to make mistakes in fighting, and also so they would only be aggressive toward other dogs, not humans they may encounter. One of the rules of dog fighting was that the owner of the dog had to be able to enter the ring during a fight Timothy Chandler USA Jersey , pick his dog up, and take it completely out of the fighting ring without the dog biting him. If the dog bit the owner during this time, the dog was immediately killed.
Also in the 1800?s Pit Bulls started becoming popular pets, not just for dog fighting and farming. The dog became a mascot during World War 1 and could be seen on many war posters, which helped to increase its popularity. They were popular because of their high intelligence and devotion to their masters. In the early 1900?s pit bulls began being used in movies as well.
The Pit Bull is a dog with a very detailed history Tim Ream USA Jersey , and is still quite popular today. The breed does receive a lot of negative criticism, but with the right owners, still make terrific pets.
JOHANNESBURG, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- South Africa's ruling party,the African National Congress (ANC) Tim Howard USA Jersey , on Thursday suspended thechairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Public Service andAdministration, Makhosi Khoza, for indiscipline.
This was announced by the Office of the ANC Chief Whip in astatement on Thursday.
Makhosi, an ANC member of parliament, publicly attackedPresident Jacob Zuma and called on to step down.
Makhosi said she supported the vote of no confidence againstJacob Zuma Steve Birnbaum USA Jersey , a stance seen as against the party constitution and theparty caucus.
"The irretrievable breakdown of relations arises from her publicutterances preceding the motion of no confidence vote in PresidentJacob Zuma and her continued public attacks on ANC leadership andmembers of her ANC caucus who voted against the motion on August 8,2017," the statement said.
"She remains an ANC Member of Parliament pending the outcomes ofdisciplinary action taken against her by the organization," itadded.
"The erosion of trust in her as a chairperson has also led toacrimonious verbal exchanges between her and members of the studygroup in meetings and on social media," the statement said.
ANC members of parliament on Tuesday boycotted a meeting of thePublic Service and Administration Committee chaired by MakhosiKhoza. The party is in the process of disciplining those whoboycotted.
In a glowing and glitzy place like Singapore Sebastian Lletget USA Jersey , attracting customers is very much important for any business venture. Due to the heavy competition among companies to attract clients and customers and to keep up in the huge consumer market, it would be wise to adopt short, low cost and economical means to make the message reach across to the consumers. While the print and electronic media seems to be blatantly used by almost all companies, the effective means of large format printing Singapore is nowadays being relooked by many people.


text:
Motorcycle Safety Strategies for Avoiding Panic Braking or Swerving
By the time you recognize the danger, you have two seconds or less until impact. A motorcyclist, no matter how skilled, is more likely to stay upright if he learns how to avoid instead of how to react to dangers on the road. One of the authors of the famou
When motorcyclists talk about safety and how to stay alive on the road, it's usually some variation on how to brake or—even worse—how to lay 'er down. The problem is that relying on emergency braking to get you out of trouble on your motorcycle is usually a really lousy strategy. Don't get me wrong—learning how to use your front and rear brakes effectively is a critical skill every rider should develop and practice. And when all else fails, there's no substitute for having a good DOT-qualified helmet on your head.
But relying on emergency braking or swerving to save your bacon is, I think, a dumb way to stay out of a crash. If a rider allows a situation to deteriorate to the point that he has to take emergency evasive action, he's probably toast.
Here's why: After detailed investigations of 900 motorcycle accidents in Los Angeles, the Hurt study (formally titled "Motorcycle Accident Cause Factors and Identification of Countermeasures") reported that the average time from the event that starts the collision sequence (such as a car beginning a turn across a motorcycle's path) to the actual impact was 1.9 seconds. A nearly identical research project just finished in Thailand reported the time at 2.0 seconds. In both studies, three-fourths of riders had less than 3.0 seconds between the start of the accident sequence and the crash. And keep in mind that riders don't always detect a problem the instant it begins. It may take anywhere from a quarter-second to a couple of seconds before something attracts the rider's attention.
Once the rider's attention is caught, reaction time begins. Most human-factors experts put average reaction time to traffic hazards at about 1.0 to 2.0 seconds, averaging around 1.5 seconds. If you swerve, add another half-second for the time delay due to countersteering and developing the correct lean angle before your motorcycle begins to head in the desired direction. Those delays leave little or no time for evasive action to succeed. About 30 percent of riders in the Hurt study took no evasive action at all, often because there was too little time. Even highly skilled braking usually won't do that much to delay your arrival at the crunch point.
Here's an example: Let's say you're going down the boulevard at the 35-mph speed limit when Joe Numbnuts turns left across your path. With reaction time and all, you've got one second left, so you do a highly skilled stoppie, bringing your speed down to 15 mph in that second. Your average speed during that one second was 25 mph, and you braked for 37 feet. If you hadn't braked at all, you would have covered that 37 feet in 0.72 seconds. So your highly skilled stoppie and nerves of steel delayed your arrival at the crunch point by about a quarter of a second compared to doing nothing at all. Is that enough time for Joe to clear his big SUV out of your way? Usually not. And few riders have as much as 37 feet in which to brake. Even worse, when faced with death or a world of pain seconds away, most riders do a miserable job of braking and swerving.
The Hurt Report found that riders with formal training (mostly California Highway Patrol and LAPD motorcycle officers, who had very demanding training and tons of time in the saddle) were no more likely to use the front brake than Melvin who learned to ride from his Uncle Clem. Or taught himself. Nor were trained riders less likely to slide out or highside when trying to avoid a crash. The point: No matter how good you think you are, don't count on overcoming the Pucker Factor when you're caught by surprise and think you're about to meet your Maker.
Instead of thinking you're going to save yourself with your lightning-fast reflexes and well-honed skills, you'll probably avoid a lot more trouble by working to prevent the situations where you have to rely on those skills.
1) Do all you can to make it easy for car drivers to see you. Probably 90 to 95 percent of car drivers who screw up say they never saw the motorcycle. Car drivers don't want to hit you. Honest. But some of them need extra help to know you're there. Do all you can to make it easier for them to see you. Use your high beam during the day. High beam is more conspicuous than low beam. Trading that cool-looking black leather jacket for something bright wouldn't hurt, either. (The only intentional crashes we ever saw in the Hurt study were marital disputes on wheels, with one spouse on the motorcycle and one in the car. You figure the rest.)
2) Freeways are good; surface streets are bad. Areas around shopping districts are the worst. Limited-access roadways such as freeways are good because car drivers can't turn across your right-of-way, so use freeways as much as you can.
3) In busy urban traffic, stay in the mix with the cars. Not out ahead of them; not behind. When you go through intersections where cross-traffic wants to use the pavement you own, stay right next to a car's front fender so you're not in the driver's blind spot and use the car as a shield. This is especially true at night because it's even harder for car drivers to distinguish a motorcycle from nearby traffic. Many riders who get picked off are the ones 30 yards ahead of a big clot of cars, or 20 yards behind.
4) Move away from potential hazards. If you're alone when you come up to an intersection where a car is waiting to cross your path, the more lateral distance you put between your path and the other guy's starting point the better. For example, if you're nearing an intersection where a car coming from the opposite direction can turn across your path, move to a lane closer to the curb. It'll make it easier for the car driver to see you, and give you more time to react, which is probably even more important than skilled braking.
5) Never assume the other guy has seen you. Keep your eye on a vehicle that's positioned where it could violate your right-of-way. When you've decided the other driver has seen you and you start looking farther down the road, that's the moment he'll choose to turn.
6) Take it easy when you're out carving canyons. As you approach a turn, pick out which rocks and trees look good to hit, because you don't want to hit the unfriendly ones (which, actually, are all of them). If you need a little extra time to run through this mental drill, let off the gas. And remember that if you hit a post-and-rail barrier, which is used to decorate the outside of a lot of curves, it will probably break every bone in your body.
7) No booze before riding. None. Ever. Your risk of causing your own crash skyrockets when you drink and ride. Riders with more than one beer in their systems are about 40 times as likely to crash as sober riders. And a drinker's favorite way to crash is by running off the road, which has a higher fatality rate than any motorcycle-car crash except head-ons because there are so many rigid fixed objects waiting to, uh, welcome you. Trees, fire hydrants, parked cars, culverts, the list goes on and on.
8) Split lanes on the freeway. It's safer than trusting the guy behind you not to rear-end you. In the Hurt study, more riders on the freeway got nailed from behind while staying in their lane than riders who crashed while lane-splitting. But don't go too much faster than the traffic flow and be really careful when coming up to a car with an open space in the lane next to it, especially if the lane with the space is moving faster than the one with the car.
9) Be patient with lost and distracted drivers. In residential neighborhoods, you should understand that the idiot in the car in front of you, the one who's poking along at 15 mph, is looking for an address. Cool your jets and hold back, because the second you try to pass him, he's gonna turn across your path into a driveway. The five or 10 seconds you lose waiting for this car to get out of your way is a lot less than the time you'll lose waiting for the cast to come off your leg.
10) Don't lay it down. You lose only about 8-10 mph every second you spend sliding on the ground while giving away your perfectly good skin. If you do a good job using both brakes, you can lose 15-20 mph every second you brake and save on band-aids, too. About the only time to put yourself down on the pavement is if you're on an elevated curve (like a freeway interchange) and you're about to hit the low outside wall. The wall is usually high enough to save your motorcycle but not high enough to keep you from flying off into the wild blue yonder. I've never seen a rider survive that fall. The government ought to raise those concrete retaining walls to at least chest-high.
11) A loud exhaust is not safer. By the time you're close enough for a car driver to hear you, he's already in your path. In fact, you run the risk that the driver will be so alarmed he'll stop dead in your path. On the other hand, loud exhausts sure work wonders for pissing off the people behind you and making 'em hate motorcyclists. If you're serious about staying out of an accident, make yourself seen, not heard. If you just gotta have a loud exhaust, find another excuse for it.
Lucky for me, I learned these things from seeing thousands of other people's crashes, because I think some of these strategies have helped me stay out of trouble on the road. This is fortunate, because I learned in my dirtbiking days that my own collision- avoidance skills usually suck. Seems that when things get really ugly I have this bad habit of puckering up.
Motorcyclist Jim Ouellet is one of the authors of the famous Hurt Report, "Motorcycle Accident Cause Factors and Identification of Countermeasures," and has been studying motorcycle accidents since 1975. He has examined more than 2500 crashes, testified in the U.S. Senate and various state legislatures, helped train investigators and supervised the Thailand study of 1082 motorcycle crashes. He is on the staff of the Head Protection Research Laboratory. He can be reached at jim_ouellet@yahoo.com.
_For more information on safe-riding equipment, strategies, techniques and skills, see the _ Street Survival section of MotorcycleCruiser.com.
Illustration by John Breakey


text:
Join the Food Movement!
Help us grow the food movement and reclaim our food.
Public Interest Groups, Farmers File Lawsuit Challenging Monsanto's Toxic Pesticides
https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/files/spraying-herbicide-000019257784_large_87993.jpg
Illegal approval of dicamba use on engineered crops will harm farmers, environment
WASHINGTON—Farmers and conservation groups filed a federal lawsuit on Friday challenging the Environmental Protection Agency's approval of Monsanto's new "XtendiMax" pesticide. The approval of the pesticide company's latest version of the older weed-killer known as dicamba permits it to be sprayed directly on Monsanto's genetically engineered (GE), dicamba-resistant soybeans and cotton. The decision greenlights a more than 10-fold increase in use of the toxic pesticide, increasing risks to farmers, community health, and the environment. Because these same crops are also engineered to withstand applications of Monsanto's Roundup, the overuse of that pesticide (containing the active ingredient glyphosate) will continue at current high levels.
"Federal regulators have abandoned the interests of farmers, the environment, and public health," said George Kimbrell, of the Center for Food Safety and counsel in the case. "We won't allow our food to be dragged backward into a pesticide-soaked nightmare – not without a hell of a fight."
Dicamba is linked to increased rates of cancer in farmers and birth defects, while glyphosate was recently classified as a "probable carcinogen" by the World Health Organization. Farmers are extremely alarmed by dicamba's propensity to drift and damage neighboring crops, while conservationists are concerned about its impacts to biodiversity. Dicamba drift threatens plants that provide nectar for pollinators and habitat for animals, and it is frequently detected in surface waters.
"Monsanto's Roundup Ready crops created an environmental disaster by causing infestation of tens of millions of acres of farmland with herbicide-resistant weeds and spurring an enormous increase in pesticide use," said Earthjustice attorney Paul Achitoff. "Planting more GE crops and dousing them with more noxious chemicals isn't the answer. The Environmental Protection Agency should be protecting health and the environment, not Monsanto's profits."
Farmers in 10 states have already reported that much more limited dicamba spraying associated with Monsanto's new dicamba-resistant crops has caused widespread damage to thousands of acres of their crops. And last fall, a dicamba drift dispute between an Arkansas and a Missouri farmer even resulted in one farmer being shot to death.
"Monsanto's dicamba-resistant crop system will drive up sales of this outdated pesticide, spur more superweeds and damage vulnerable crops. Monsanto's solution is expensive, inadequate, and reckless. If Trump's administration wants to serve farmers, it will invest in healthy, long-lasting solutions to farmers' needs, not pander to corporate greed," said Marcia Ishii-Eiteman, PhD, PAN senior scientist.
The huge increase in dicamba spraying will trigger an outbreak of dicamba resistance in weeds, just as massive use of Roundup on first generation GE crops created an epidemic of weeds immune to glyphosate. While Monsanto spins its new dicamba crops as a fix to the current weed resistance problems its own Roundup Ready crop system caused, many scientists, and even the U.S. Department of Agriculture, predict the opposite: the rapid emergence of more superweeds, resistant to both herbicides. The evidence on the ground already indicates EPA's weak weed resistance "management" plan will make the problem even worse, both because it lacks limits on dicamba use, and because it primarily relies on Monsanto for its implementation and enforcement.
Margot McMillen, NFFC board representative and Missouri organic farmer commented: "The whole system of genetic engineering threatens plant and animal health. Because of cross-pollination, the original non-GMO and wild weed genomes are fast disappearing, while the fight against weeds requires more and more potent chemicals. These new crops and their unintended consequences were predictable and avoidable, but the safe and healthy alternative offered by sustainable and organic agriculture has been ignored."
Despite admitting significant risks to dozens of endangered species, the EPA still refused to consult with the expert federal agency in charge of endangered species, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
"Once again the EPA is allowing staggering increases in pesticide use that will undoubtedly harm our nation's most imperiled plants and animals," said Nathan Donley, a scientist with the Center for Biological Diversity. "Iconic species like endangered whooping cranes are known to visit soybean fields, and now they'd be exposed to this toxic herbicide at levels they've never seen before."
The plaintiff organizations bringing the lawsuit are National Family Farm Coalition, Pesticide Action Network, Center for Food Safety, and Center for Biological Diversity, represented jointly by legal counsel from Earthjustice and Center for Food Safety.
Bayer + Monsanto: A Poisonous Combination
When we think about seeds, the images we most often conjure are simple, comforting and tangible – planting vegetable and flower gardens in the spring, spitting watermelon seed…


His parents owned Sharky Burger, the favorite restaurant of the sailors working in the Clint City docks. As a result of hearing so many stories about pirates and treasure, Hawkins left the family restaurant to join the crew of a merchant ship, then after many an adventure, joined forces with the Piranas.
If Hawkins wins the fight, the number of Pillz of the player controlling the opposing character will be reduced by 2 Pillz, or up to a minimum of 1. If the number of Pillz of the player controlling the opposing character is lower than or equal to 1, then the ability will have no effect.


Look beyond the price when buying a home!
As a home buyer, you may focus too much on a home's sale price. Before you begin the home search, make sure to consider other factors such as your own credit.
As a home buyer, you may focus too much on a home's sale price – whether it meets your budget or even if it's a lucky number. Before you begin the home search, make sure that you take into account other factors such as your own credit. When you pay off outstanding loans and reduce debt before beginning the process of looking for a new home, you can significantly impact the interest rate you will pay and whether or not you qualify for a loan.
Mortgages themselves commonly involve additional costs you may forget to account for, such as mortgage insurance. Other notable expenses include the property size, location, and condition of the home. These are some of the factors which determine property taxes and maintenance expenses for the upkeep of your home. While a home in good condition may have few repair costs at first, any home is a sufficiently large and complex structure and repairs are inevitable.
Focusing too much on sale price of a home can also lead you to make an unwise decision based on your personal needs. You may become so focused on jumping on a good deal that you overlook whether a home is right for you. If you have a growing family, take into account the need for more space in the near future. In contrast, be aware that a large home for a good price may be larger than you can reasonably use.
You may want to have your real estate agent show you homes within your specified price range without telling you each individual property's list price. This can help you make an unbiased assessment of the home and help you avoid a hasty decision for or against a property simply because of price.
When it comes time to negotiate and close a deal, keep in mind the closing costs and the cost of moving into a new home. These additional expenses might include renting a van, hiring movers, buying new furniture, replacing old items and limited repairs to rooms like the kitchen or bathroom.
Closing costs cover administrative fees, title searches, and in some cases, initial homeowners' association fees or inspection costs.


Pastor Gollo, Horacio, Jay, and Marin headed out Monday morning to Oaxaca where Martin spent some time serving while he was Bible School there. They will be working with the children, youth, men, and pouring a floor for the children's ministry room. Please pray for their trip as they are driving through the night a distance of more than 24 hours away.
UPDATE: Tuesday the truck broke down and they will have to sleep in front of the mechanic's place in the truck and wait until Wednesday when the parts arrive to get if fixed. The alternator failed and a fan belt broke. They are in Pinotepa Nacional where the 5.8 earthquake was in the morning (no relation to the break down).
UPDATE (4/3): The men have returned from their trip and have some very good stories to tell of how God watched over them and used the travel mishaps for His Glory. Many of the people (policemen, mechanics) who they talked and prayed with were needing someone to share with them. Lives were touched through circumstances that we wouldn't expect (God seems to do stuff like that a lot!).
Gollo was pulled over in Acapulco amongst the chaotic traffic with malfunctioning stoplights. He tried to "fit-in" with the rest of the drivers but didn't get away with it. Twice he was pulled over and twice he was let go. The second time ended with praying for one of the officials who was a Christian and in need of someone to pray with him.
The truck broke down about 1/2 mile before a town where the mechanic offered his bathroom to wash up, and a place to park the truck for them to sleep. This mechanic is a prodigal son of a Baptist preacher. The men were able to minister to him and pray with him before they left. WOW.
Once the men arrived to their destination on Wednesday night, they held Men's meetings, children's meetings, poured floors for the Sunday School, visited jails, and spoke during the Sunday service. Amazing testimonies of how God used these guys. I've only talked with Pastor Gollo and Horacio, I haven't heard Jay's and Martin's stories yet. Should be good.
Thank you for your prayers during their trip.