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The new face shield comprises a lightweight polypropylene browguard with a 5GW green welding visor.
Separate Replacement 5GW green welding visor also available.
An ideal product for gas welding. It gives all around vision while you work.
Replacement 5GW green welding visor for Green Welding Face Shield also available separately.


According to a new report, the K9 Car Fence provides a way for dogs to ride in the car safely and conveniently. The prototype was a contraption of bungee cords that drew strange looks from neighbors, but now it has reportedly been refined for production. Devices like these are becoming increasingly important, considering that some places, such as New Jersey, now institute fines on people who don't properly restrain their animal while driving. The inventor of the device hopes to make Car Fences for cats and big dogs.
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Dolly Parton answered questions Monday from one of her biggest fans: Gov. Bill Lee
The Tennessee governor recalled listening to Parton as a teenager while gazing at her photo.
Dolly Parton answered questions Monday from one of her biggest fans: Gov. Bill Lee The Tennessee governor recalled listening to Parton as a teenager while gazing at her photo. Check out this story on Tennessean.com: https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/politics/2019/08/05/dolly-parton-tennessee-gov-bill-ncsl-legislative-summitt/1904505001/
Natalie Allison, Nashville Tennessean Published 4:06 p.m. CT Aug. 5, 2019 | Updated 8:28 a.m. CT Aug. 6, 2019
Dolly Parton at the NCSL Legislative Summit at Music City Center
Dolly Parton laughs as she speaks with Governor Bill Lee at the NCSL Legislative Summit at Music City Center. Monday, Aug. 5, 2019, in Nashville, Tenn. Larry McCormack / The Tennessean
Dolly Parton sings a couple of songs at the NCSL Legislative Summit at Music City Center. Monday, Aug. 5, 2019, in Nashville, Tenn. Larry McCormack / The Tennessean
Dolly Parton speaks with Governor Bill Lee at the NCSL Legislative Summit at Music City Center. Monday, Aug. 5, 2019, in Nashville, Tenn. Larry McCormack / The Tennessean
Dolly Parton receives a check for $25,000 for the Dollywood Foundation at the NCSL Legislative Summit at Music City Center. Monday, Aug. 5, 2019, in Nashville, Tenn. Larry McCormack / The Tennessean
On stage in front of thousands of state lawmakers and legislative staffers from around the country, Gov. Bill Lee on Monday made a joint appearance with one of his favorite Tennesseans: Dolly Parton.
At the National Conference of State Legislatures' annual convention held at Music City Center, Lee held a question-and-answer with Parton to kick off the gathering, which lasts through Friday.
While the discussion started out focused on Parton's Imagination Library, a program that provides free monthly books to children, the content briefly shifted to content that was more PG-13.
During questions about growing up in Sevier County as one of 12 children, Lee joked that Parton's parents "knew about the birds and the bees," referencing a comment Parton had made earlier.
Dolly Parton speaks with Governor Bill Lee at the NCSL Legislative Summit at Music City Center. Monday, Aug. 5, 2019, in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo: Larry McCormack / The Tennessean)
Parton replied that she had at times been asked if her family was Catholic, based on the larger than usual number of children her parents had.
"We're just horny hillbillies," Parton said, receiving laughs from the audience and a blushing Lee.
Lee acknowledged that he had been a longtime fan of Parton, recalling listening to her album "My Tennessee Mountain Home," a favorite of his, as a teenager and gazing at a photo of her while it played.
The two also talked about Parton's faith as Lee asked her to elaborate on her "God core," a term she has used to talk about "the part of us that is divine."
"My heart and my soul is anchored in a greater purpose," Parton said. "I always talk to God about everything I do. I ask him to lead me and guide me and to uplift people and glorify him."
Lee replied, reiterating the importance of his own faith.
"We share that, you and I do," he said.
He asked her what she wanted people to say about her 100 years from now.
"I want them to say, 'golly, don't she still look good for her age?'" Parton said, again receiving laughter from Lee and the audience.
She clarified.
Search Assets "That I was a person that did care," Parton said. "I want them to think I was someone who wanted to give back, and tried to make the world a little better than it was when I lived in it."
Parton ended the opening session by playing and signing two songs, including "Coat of Many Colors," which she had earlier talked about writing as a way to process her own pain from being bullied for being poor as a child.
Dolly Parton receives a check for $25,000 for the Dollywood Foundation at the NCSL Legislative Summit at Music City Center. Monday, Aug. 5, 2019, in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo: Larry McCormack / The Tennessean)
Lt. Gov. Randy McNally and House Speaker-select Cameron Sexton also appeared on stage to present Parton with a $25,000 check from the legislature for the Dollywood Foundation, which funds the Imagination Library.
NCSL is a bipartisan organization that provides research and other assistance to state policymakers around the country, around 6,000 of whom are in town for the week to attend the annual convention.
Reach Natalie Allison at nallison@tennessean.com. Follow her on Twitter at @natalie_allison.
Want to read more stories like this? A subscription to one of our Tennessee publications gets you unlimited access to all the latest politics news, podcasts like Grand Divisions, plus newsletters, a personalized mobile experience and the ability to tap into stories, photos and videos from throughout the USA TODAY Network's 109 local sites.
Read or Share this story: https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/politics/2019/08/05/dolly-parton-tennessee-gov-bill-ncsl-legislative-summitt/1904505001/
Which train route out of Nashville do you want?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


China's president Xi Jinping follows a grand strategy when he talks about a multipolar world and reform of global governance, according to former Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd. In a lecture in Berlin, Rudd recently described China's efforts to push for change within the United Nations and through the creation of institutions such as the Asian Infrastructure and Development Bank (AIIB). Beijing was more actively involved in UN institutions than ever before, Rudd said, describing the new approach as a clear break with the famous dictum by Deng Xiaoping: "hide your strength, bide your time." Rudd, who served as Australia's prime minister from 2007 to 2010 and again in 2013, is a seasoned China expert, who is fluent in Mandarin and has met Xi Jinping several times.
He's currently president of the New York-based Asia Society Policy Institute. He was speaking at the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences at the invitation of MERICS.Rudd said, China's new approach was partly a result of the country's growing confidence and global integration and partly an active attempt by Beijing to reduce the influence of the United States. However, Beijing wasn't just interested in working within the existing order: "China is in the business of changing international institutions." Yet the precise roadmap towards multilateralism with Chinese characteristics and the exact content were still unclear.
Xi Jinping himself is the driving force behind China's new foreign policy. Rudd described him as a strong and confident leader. Unlike his predecessor Hu Jintao, Xi would not lead by committee but would take important decisions himself to achieve his goal of turning China into a respected global player. But like his predecessor Xi knows that his own and China's future will not be decided on the global stage but much closer to home.
Rudd reminded his audience that Xi's core interests were to stay in power, preserve the unity of China and secure the future and credibility of the Communist Party. Foreign policy came further down on his list of priorities. As a man steeped in history, Rudd said, Xi Jinping was well aware that good emperors keep the empire together, bad emperors let it disintegrate.


May 1, 2015 – Indianapolis – Hoosier Sports Legends Lou Holtz and Quinn Buckner took top honors at the tenth annual Brady Sports Achievement Awards at the Indiana Roof Ballroom on April 16, 2015. Buckner, who captained Indiana University's un-defeated 1976 NCAA basketball champions, and Holtz, who coached Notre Dame to its last football national title in 1988, received lifetime achievement awards. High school and college athletes were also honored with Brady Comeback Awards along with 13 high school scholar-athletes who received the IHSAA's C. Eugene Cato Memorial Scholarships.
The event sponsored by Physician Rehab Solution, benefits the Methodist Sports Medicine Research and Education Foundation's fellowship program.


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Behold, I Make All Things New
with Esther Fleece Allen | May 4, 2020
Abandoned by her abusive father when she was young, and her mother several years later, author Esther Fleece Allen only began to understand what a real, godly family looked like after being taken in by a family at her church.
Find resources from this podcast at https://shop.familylife.com/.
Esther Fleece Allen
CNN has called Allen one of "Five Women to Watch in Religion," USA Today has named her one of the "New Faces of Evangelicalism" and Christianity Today has called her "one of the 50 women shaping the church and culture." Allen is a graduate of the Oxford Center of Christian Apologetics and is currently in seminary. Her favorite new names are "wife" and "mama" as she is thankful to have a new home with them.
With Esther Fleece Allen
Bob: Hard times—times that Esther Fleece Allen refers to as seasons of lament—we should not be surprised when these are a part of our experience as followers of Jesus.
Esther: I think lament is going to be part of our language here, as Christians. Every single one of us, even non-believers, will lament; but for the Christian, lament is never our final language, and it's not our final song. I can say, coming through a prolonged season of suffering/a prolonged season of abandonment, I can say that God never left me in a lament; and there is great hope in that.
Bob: This is FamilyLife Today for Monday, May 4th. Our hosts are Dave and Ann Wilson; I'm Bob Lepine. You'll find us online at FamilyLifeToday.com. Do you know how to lament well before God?—how to go through hard seasons and find God in the midst of those? We're going to talk today with Esther Fleece Allen about that. Stay with us.
And welcome to FamilyLife Today. Thanks for joining us. I just feel like I'm done for today; like I am not going to ask any questions. [Laughter] We have somebody here with us today—
Ann: We have a great friend here with us today.
Bob: You have known her since—how long?
Dave: —she was a little girl.
Bob: Introduce to our listeners who this is.
Ann: This is our friend Esther Fleece Allen. She grew up where Dave and I grew up—
Bob: She was Esther Fleece when she was growing up, right?
Bob: Yes, right.
Ann: She started coming to our church. She's an impact person; wherever she goes, she makes an impact. She's strong; she loves Jesus. God has really taken her on a beautiful, but hard, journey. She's shared about it; this is her second book, and we're going to talk about her second book.
Dave: Yes, I actually can remember walking out of the Silverdome™ tunnel, after a game, with players; Esther would be usually with the Ellis family. I did not know all of her backstory until her first book, No More Faking Fine, when she sent me an advance reader copy. I texted her and said, "This is one great book/unbelievable book." It was in that book I read her backstory, which happened right under our noses, and didn't even know what was going on.
Bob: Before we dive into your story, what can you tell us about Dave and Ann Wilson that maybe we don't know?
Dave: Oh, boy!
Esther: Well, the good stuff or the unedited version? [Laughter]
You know, the truth is, I've been a believer for decades. There's a lot of criticism that goes around about the church, but there is a lot of beauty that happens in the church. It says in the Book of Psalms that God places the lonely in families, and the Lord did that in my life. When I was being abandoned by my biological family, the church that Dave and Ann were leaders of—are leaders of to this day—stepped in. I lived with families from the church; I went on mission trips with the families of the church; they discipled me. They became, really, my first spiritual family. That's where the healing that I went through took place; the forgiveness that I was able to extend and also receive from the Lord happened at their church.
I love Dave and Ann; they're really spiritual parents to so many people of my generation.
Bob: Some of our listeners are still back on hearing you say, "I was abandoned by my biological family."
Esther: Yes, that's never an easy story to tell. My biological father had several mental illnesses—to this day, I don't know what—but it made him very unstable to live with. Unfortunately, he took a lot of his anger out towards my biological mother; so growing up, I saw a lot of violence and kind of my family fall apart as I knew it.
But you know, whatever home life is like, it's your normal.
Esther: So I just did the best to function; and from the outside, we looked like everything was going okay. My father had a successful business. My mother ended up getting remarried shortly after their divorce; that stepfather ended up having an affair that I found out about; and then my mother left me shortly after. I was 13/14 years old and really had to find family on my own; I was left to fend for myself.
Bob: She left you—why?
Esther: I don't know; and I never could know the motives of anyone, right? The Lord searches our motives. I think that, when we have experienced so much brokenness, we pass that on. I think she was deeply wounded, like any woman would be in those circumstances, and was unable to mother me in those years.
Bob: Is it fair to say you were a handful as a child?
Esther: You know, that's a great question. I think any teenage girl probably is; but no, I actually hid my grief and my emotion through achievement, and so—
Ann: I was going to say, "Esther, you've always been 'the good girl.'"
Esther: I was. I really was the good girl, and I think that's what was confusing. I would try to perform: I was the class president every year from sixth grade up until college; I played three varsity sports; I served every opportunity that I could at the local church. I kept trying to perform my way out of the abandonment that I was experiencing and out of the abuse. It was like, no matter how hard I worked, I still was going through suffering.
Ann: You went through a pretty monumental hurt as you sat in a court room as a young girl. Take us back to that, when your parents were going through a divorce.
Esther: Yes; I was in and out of the court a lot in my elementary-school years, and even into middle school. A lot of that, I was called as a character witness. My father was not mentally well: he was in and out of jail; he was losing his businesses. He just wanted to see me; because there were restraining orders, he was no longer allowed to see me.
He would call me as a character witness—even criminal trials—things that I was not privy to information of having; it was very traumatic. There was one instance in particular that I start the book, No More Faking Fine, with. I was ten years old, sitting on the witness stand, and my mother and father were on opposite sides of the aisle. My father took out my diary, and they brought it up as Exhibit B and asked me to start reading out of my diary in front of the courtroom. I was just devastated; I felt publicly humiliated/publicly violated. I didn't understand why neither my mom or dad would stand up for me in that moment.
In a moment [that] I really needed a defender or protector, the judge told me I needed to suck it up; he said, "You need to answer the line of questioning." I thought that that's how God wanted me to deal with pain. I thought, "Man, I really was a good girl,"—I wanted to respect authority—"so this authority figure told me to suck it up,"—I just thought—"Well, God doesn't want my emotions; my parents don't want my emotions. I'm supposed to be strong at all times." I lived that way for the next two decades.
Ann: Which is basically why you titled the book/your first book No More Faking Fine—
Esther: Yes.
Ann: —which, when I read that title, I thought, "Oh!" I kind of sat back and thought, "This is so good in that so many of us fake being 'fine.'"
Esther: We do, and so many of us can even take Christian language—and even Scripture itself—and use it to support that notion that's not in Scripture. Nowhere does God say, "Fake it till you make it." Nowhere does God say, "Fake it and you will be strong."
Instead, it's actually: "Come to Me if you're weary," "Come to Me if you're burdened, and I will give you rest." Actually, when you are at the end of your rope is when God shines and God makes Himself known. But I didn't know that. I thought that God wanted my performance; and I thought I was supposed to just suck it up and fake fine until, as my family fell apart, I did my best to just achieve and not be a burden to anyone around me.
Bob: Tell our listeners who you wound up living with during your teen years.
Esther: One of the families that took me in—I was actually on a FamilyLife® broadcast, honoring them, years ago—their names are Luther and Rebekah Ellis. I say a little bit about how we met in my new book, Your New Name.
They are a wonderful family. Luther is a very well-respected former NFL player; and I was serving in the church nursery with their two-year-old son, so I got to know them. They came up to me after a Wednesday night service, and I was in the lobby. I had just been kicked out the day before. I truly did not know where I was going to sleep. They came up to me in the lobby and, I believe being led by the Holy Spirit, said, "Is there anything you need?" I was actually really defensive, because I didn't know how to communicate my needs. I didn't know it was okay to have needs, so I brushed it off and faked fine.
Rebekah said: "Are you okay? Is everything okay? Do you need anything?" Rebekah's an introverted woman; so for her to really press in, it was a holy moment that took place in the church lobby. They said, "Why don't you come over for dinner tomorrow night?" Luther follows that up with: "Do you need a job? Do you need a car? Do you need a place to sleep?"
The only way I can explain it is that the Spirit of God saw that I was in need and used His people to help meet my need; so overnight, I went from a nanny, really, of five children to one of their spiritual daughters. This family—I mean, I saw a godly marriage; I saw how to love and cherish children in the home. Even though I was a 17/18-year-old girl, they re-parented me and showed me an unconditional love that has shown me the love of God to this day.
Dave: You know what's really cool—I mean, sitting here, listening to you tell this story, Esther is—you know, when Luther came to the Lions as a first-round draft pick, Luther comes in our locker room; and he's not coming to chapel/not coming to Bible study. As the chaplain, my dream is to be able to share the gospel with every player in that locker room.
I remember walking up to Luther—he's 6'6", 300-and-something pounds; big huge guy—and we started talking about God. I could sense he's playing the game; you know: "I know God; I've come from a church family, but I'm in the NFL now." Luther says in his testimony that I looked at him and said: "So, when are you going to get off the fence and get real with Jesus? When are you going to surrender your life?" It was that day he gave his life to Christ, in front of his locker!
Ann: His wife, Rebekah—they had one baby at the time—she's 21; she's never been to church in her life. She comes to my Bible study; we had been talking about John 4 and the woman at the well. Afterwards, she said, "I have never heard any of this. Is this for real?"
Rebekah and I started working out together, early in the morning before our kids went to school. I remember sharing the gospel with her, because I shared with her how I had shared all of this with our youngest son—sharing the gospel—wanting him to know Jesus. It was in that time, she said, "It was the first time I really heard the gospel and understood and gave my life to Jesus."
Since that time, not only have they had their own biological kids—how many?
Esther: Five.
Ann: And now, they have 12 kids—
Dave: —adopted.
Ann: —and Esther is then number, really, kind of 13.
Esther: Yes; well, it's amazing how one person can have impact that affects generations. Dave and Ann discipling this couple, Luther and Rebekah Ellis; and then, immediately, Luther and Rebekah Ellis [saying], "Well, we want to live the gospel. Well, if we're adopted/if we were adopted into Christ's body, then we want to start adopting," and how that's exactly what I needed in that moment.
Bob: How long before you let them into your drama and your trauma?—because you're stoic and, "No, I don't need anything"; and they're saying, "No, come stay with us." When did you let the walls down with them?
Esther: Honestly, Bob, I was still in my 20s—and working at a large marriage and family organization, Focus on the Family®, and I had a great career with them—but it was people that I worked with at the ministry that said, "You were abused." I mean, I had to have other people bring this to my attention.
Dave: —identify.
Esther: Yes; because I still, even when I was living with the Ellises—I mean, they knew that there were hard things that went on—but I didn't know how to put voice to those memories that I had.
Bob: Talk to our listeners; because some of our listeners are still in that—"No, everything's okay,"—they're still faking it.
Esther: Sure.
Bob: What changes in a person's life when they own up to their past; and they put names to it; and they say, "This is what really happened to me"? What's the spiritual impact on that in someone's life?
Esther: Well, it's generationally, to begin with; but I think we have to look at Scripture to say that nowhere does God ask us to minimize our story. Somewhere along the line, we've thought, if we minimize what we've gone through, it's somehow going to bring God more glory. We kind of sanitize our stories; we make them sound prettier than they really are.
We've seen the opposite in the gospel message. Not only that, but there are laments, which is really a cry of grief or anguish or disappointment. There are laments in every single book of the Bible. Can you imagine how thin our Bibles would be if we took out all of the laments that are in Scripture? Yet, I see that there are so many of us Christians that walk around, and we want to remove the laments from our vocabulary. We want to make things sound pretty and look pretty, because we think that somehow it reflects Christ or brings Him more glory. But really, minimizing our story does not bring God more glory.
It was a hard awakening for me. I kind of explain my healing process in my 20s as more difficult than the initial abuse; because I think the initial abuse and the initial abandonment, I could numb myself and I could move forward, and fake fine, and achieve. But God loved me enough to want to go deeper; God wanted to heal those areas, and God wanted to meet me in those areas. I kept Him out of those areas, and not even intentionally, a lot of it was subconsciously.
What has been the fruit of that is I believe I am a healthier individual, emotionally and spiritually. I now can embrace people in a lamenting season and not try to fix them, or change them, or think that there's something wrong with them in the relationship with God.
Ann: I would agree with you. Because of the sexual abuse that I went through, growing up, you don't know what's not normal; so you just kind of tuck it away in the recesses of your life, and in your mind, and in your heart. I remember, even before Dave and I got married, I had told him about it, without really acknowledging the pain or the hurt that it caused, because I hadn't acknowledged it myself.
When we got to seminary, we started taking classes on how to counsel people that have been hurt. I'll never forget, for the first time, acknowledging and admitting that I had been sexually abused and letting it sink into my heart. I cried for weeks.
Ann: I would agree with you; that pain was so much greater than actually what had happened years and years ago. It was grieving and lamenting about what had happened and what I had lost.
I don't think Dave really knew what to do with me.
Dave: I thought we were going to counseling class to learn how to counsel others, not realizing God needed to deal with our wounds first, to say, "I need to heal you so that you can be a healer."
Esther: Yes, right.
Dave: You know, we didn't really grow up as much in the church; but we learned, very quickly as we got involved in the church, that that was a place you hid your stuff. That was not a place you talked about your stuff; it was sad, but you just didn't.
Ann: I don't think I learned that; so I would just talk about it from the stage—or if someone was talking or interviewing us—I would just let it all out. I think they were like, "Ahhh! What is she doing?!" I think some people were kind of aghast, like, "Why is she talking about this?"—which, then, I felt great shame—like: "Am I not allowed to talk about it? Should I not talk about it?" Yet there were others that would come secretly and say, "Thank you!"
Have you found that even in your own life—even as people have read No More Faking Fine—kind of that "Thank you"?
Esther: Absolutely. I think, you know, I was wanting to give people the permission to lament in the church. I mean, really, when you look at the Book of Psalms, they were a songbook for the Jewish people; and the majority of the psalms are laments. But yet, when you go to a worship service nowadays, it's really hard to—you don't really hear lamenting songs.
I've heard from even pastors and worship leaders—that they've incorporated a time of lament in their services—because there are families all around us that are hurting; there are marriages that are hurting; there are children that are hurting. We have to allow that space in our Christian walk: both for the celebrating with those who celebrate but also weeping with those who weep.
Dave: When you weep with those who weep, or when you allow yourself to lament or even create a space for others, where does that lead?
Esther: Well, it's always, I would say, difficult. It's not like the majority of us like sitting in brokenness. It's always a little bit uncomfortable, and you normally want to get people out of that season sooner than, probably, God does.
What I have found is that God is deeply attracted to us in our brokenness. It says that "He saves those who are crushed in spirit"; it says that we're blessed when we mourn—that He comforts us—so there's the deep intimacy that takes place with a lamenter or hurting person and God.
Now, I look at it like I don't want to rush people out of that. You know, if God's going to meet them and speak to them in their brokenness, I don't want to just pray the brokenness away. I want God to meet them in that/transform them. That's the thing: there's not a one-size-fits-all that come through lament; God speaks so personally and individually to each [person].
Some laments you see they start crying out to God and then they end in praise; that's beautiful. Some laments, like Psalm 44 and Psalm 88, begin and end in darkness; and there just has to be this element of faith. You know, some laments say, "Surely I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living," and there's this hope that that won't be the end of their story.
I can say, coming through a prolonged season of suffering/a prolonged season of abandonment—and then later stalking, which I share about in the first book—I can say that God never left me in a lament. I think lament is going to be part of our language here, as Christians. Every single one of us, even non-believers, will lament; but for the Christian, lament is never our final language, and it's not our final song. There is great hope in that.
Bob: After you wrote No More Faking Fine, you followed it up with this book you've just written called Your New Name. Are they connected, the two books?
Esther: You know, they are. I don't think you have to read No More Faking Fine in order to understand Your New Name. What I've found was there's a Scripture in
Psalm 40, verse 3, that says that God gives us a new song/a hymn of praise. That word, "new," means He has done something that we can now testify about that we could not have previously sung about. When you come through a season of lament, there is going to be a new testimony that God births in you.
We talk about a lot of news—you know, we talk about the New Testament, the new covenant—but no one's talking about the new name that God gives us. We become a new creation. He's constantly doing new things in our lives that we can testify about; and many times, that new thing is going to be on the other side of a lament.
Ann: Esther, what would be some steps/some first steps? How do we begin the lament process?
Esther: In the Book of Genesis, after Adam and Eve had sinned, God said, "Adam, where are you?" He was asking Adam to identify where he was at. We see a similar pattern with Jacob—after Jacob was running—he had stolen Esau's birthright; he was running from God. God asked Jacob, "What is your name?"
There is this pattern that we see in the Bible, that God asks us where we're at. I think we need to stop pretending, and wherever we're at—whether it's full of faith, full of doubt, full of fear, full of insecurity—we can answer honestly to God where we're at. That is an entry point for Him to come in and to do His work.
Bob: And the recognition, in the midst of that, that God is doing and will continue to do a new work—a new thing/a new name—all of that is a part of the hope that we find in the midst of that difficulty. This is something you talk about in your new book, which is called Your New Name: Saying Goodbye to the Labels that Limit; and it's something you talked about in your first book, which is called No More Faking Fine: Ending the Pretending.
We have both of these books in our FamilyLife Today Resource Center. I think these are both books—if you struggle with your sense of self, having a biblical understanding of your worth and your value before God: that you're created in His image, that He loves you, that He values you, that you are His child/all of these things that are true about us—if these are things you struggle with, get copies of Esther's books, No More Faking Fine and Your New Name. Go to FamilyLifeToday.com; there's information about the books available there. You can order both of them from us, online, at FamilyLifeToday.com; or you can call to order: 1-800-FL-TODAY is the number. Again, our website is FamilyLifeToday.com; or call 1-800-358-6329 to get your copy of either of Esther's books: 1-800-"F" as in family, "L" as in life, and then the word, "TODAY."
I think a lot of us would have to acknowledge that the last several months have been months where we have maybe spent more time in more regular prayer than normal. The circumstances of life—the circumstances we've been going through as families/in our country—have driven us to our knees, and that's a good place to be driven to. Yet, often, we find ourselves needing help to know how to express what is on our heart before God.
Barbara Rainey has just written a new book on the subject of prayer; her book is called My Heart, Ever His. This month, we're making that book available to those of you who can help support the ministry of FamilyLife Today. In this challenging season, we want to equip you with resources that will strengthen your relationship with God/your relationship with each other, and Barbara's book is a great resource to that end.
Of course, our financial needs, as a ministry, during this season are very real, as I know they are for many families in America and for many churches. We want to ask you to be as generous as you can be during this time; and if you're able to help support the ministry of FamilyLife Today, just know how grateful we are for that support, and know how many tens of thousands of people are being affected because of your investment in the ministry of FamilyLife Today. They're being impacted by this radio program, by what they find available to them online, the resources we're able to provide. You make that possible every time you donate. So thank you for your financial support.
You can donate, online, at FamilyLifeToday.com; or call 1-800-FL-TODAY to donate. Be sure to ask for a copy of Barbara's book; it's our thank-you gift to you when you donate to support the ministry of FamilyLife Today.
Tomorrow, we're going to hear about the new name that Esther Fleece Allen got when she got married. It's a great story; it's a part of her decision to end the pretending. I hope you can tune in for that.


Fix Ctrl+X and Ctrl+C in non-Latin keyboard layouts (Forkest).
Update Scintilla to version 3.7.3.
Add Arduino custom filetype (SukkoPera).
Updated translations: de, es, fr, it, lt, pt.
We are happy to announce a new version of the combined Geany-Plugins release -- Following the Geany 1.30 release, Geany-Plugins 1.30 is being released.
GeanyPy: Sync with upstream project.
A more complete list of changes can be found at NEWS.


We're happy to announce that we have a new partner for this season! Welcome onboard pept.fi and thank you for the support! We met Andre from pept at the Hot Rod & Rock show in Tampere where our car was on show and he sure had some great stories about partnerships. Have a look at some pictures from the show.
Previous post: Camber, caster, toe what?


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William Warren Bishop
January 13, 1932 ~ December 25, 2021 (age 89)
William Warren Bishop, age 89, passed away peacefully at the home of his daughter on Christmas morning. Born in Durham, NC, he was the son of the late William Warren Bishop, Sr. and the late Mary Thompson Bishop and husband of the late Bonny Rutledge Bishop. Warren was retired from the Girl Scouts of Coastal Carolina, Inc. as their Property and Development Director. He was a member of the First Baptist Church in Goldsboro where he served as a Deacon, a charter member of the Exchange Club of Goldsboro and a charter member of the Waynesboro Model Railroad Club. Warren received a Master of Divinity Degree from Duke University and served as a United Methodist Church minister at fifteen different churches in Chatham, Caswell, Durham and Pitt counties. He was also the former Continuing Education Director at Wayne Community College.
A service to celebrate Warren's long and well lived life will be held on Wednesday at 11:00 am at the First Baptist Church with Dr. Glenn Phillips officiating. The family will greet friends in the church fellowship hall from 10:00 until 11:00 am. A committal service will be held on Wednesday at 3:00 pm at the Ayden Cemetery in Ayden, NC.
Warren is survived by his daughters, Ellen B. Guffey and husband, Allen; Mary R. Rich and husband, Jim; his son, William W. Bishop, Jr. and wife, Mary Beth; his stepson, Charles M. Whitehurst, Jr. and wife, Gloria; and his stepdaughter, Emily W. Miller and husband, Charles; nine grandchildren and eight great grandchildren; and his special friends, Pam Boyer and Shelby Skelton.
In lieu of flowers, Warren requested memorial contributions be directed to the National Exchange Club Foundation, 3050 W. Central Ave. Toledo, OH 43606-1700 for the prevention of child abuse; to the First Baptist Church, P. O. Box 1538, Goldsboro, NC 27533; or to the Waynesboro Model Railroad Club, 118A W. Mulberry St, Goldsboro, North Carolina 27530.
Shumate-Faulk Funeral Home is serving the Bishop family and online condolences may be directed to www.shumate-faulk.com.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of William Warren Bishop, please visit our floral store.
125 S John St
Goldsboro, NC 27530
Ayden Cemetery
221 West Ave
Ayden, NC 28513


You can also donate via our Paypal button.
Through the efforts of Intactivist organizations the average rate of male genital cutting has decreased from approximately 80% in the 1980's to approximately 50% today but there is still much to be done to combat the cultural conditioning that permeates families and the medical field. Approximately 3,000 baby boys are still cut everyday in the USA. One baby saved today automatically translates into future generations of intact boys.
Postage costs to mail educational materials to expecting parents, medical organizations, etc.


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Song Premiere: Nashville Session Ace Guthrie Trapp Unveils "Commodity"
By Damian Fanelli 13 February 2018
(Image credit: Greg Vorobiov)
Nashville-based touring guitarist and in-demand session cat Guthrie Trapp will release his star-studded second album, Life After Dark, March 9. The disc features contributions from blues master Jimmy Hall, the McCrary Sisters and bluegrass legend Sam Bush, not to mention actual country-music royalty—Vince Gill and Paul Franklin.
"I'm super fortunate to be able to make music with people of this caliber—and even more grateful to call them my friends," Trapp says. "I know it will always be a fun hang as well as great music. That energy translates directly to the music. If you put on 'Got My Mojo Working' while you're in the car, you're probably going to start driving faster."
Besides rollicking covers of "Got My Mojo Working" (the blues staple made famous by Muddy Waters) and George Jones' "You're Still on My Mind" (which features Gill), the album includes six original tunes, including "Commodity," a mighty instrumental jam piece that shows why Trapp is tapped—time and time again—to play on A-list sessions. You can check out "Commodity" below.
"I play by feel and by ear, and I believe the music on Life After Dark reflects that," Trapp says. "My playing has always been very 'shoot from the hip' and cliffhanging. Music is meant to be taken extremely seriously without being overthought; I think good music has a life to it that you can feel and be truly moved by. We've recorded an album that sounds spontaneous because we recorded it in the studio like a live performance. Everybody was in there playing all at once."
Trapp earned his Music City stripes in his early 20s performing nightly at Robert's Western World on Nashville's Lower Broadway. Robert's, a honky-tonk in the shadow of the Ryman Auditorium, has—for ages—served as a launching pad for singers and musicians.
Since arriving in Nashville in 2002, Trapp has worked with scores of top artists, including Garth Brooks, George Jones, John Oates, Steve Cropper, Alison Krauss, Earl Scruggs, Phish's Mike Gordon and Dobro master Jerry Douglas. And that's just scratching the surface.
For more about Trapp and Life After Dark, visit guthrietrapp.com.
Guthrie Trapp
Taylor updates its Grand Theater offering with new 800 and Koa series acoustics
Ibanez refreshes Joe Satriani, Steve Vai and JB Brubaker signature guitars for 2021
10 best guitar tuners 2021: chromatic, polyphonic and strobe guitar tuners
Supro soups up its existing product line and introduces all-new Delta King tube amp collection
Blackstar gives its Studio 10 6L6 a Surf Green makeover


The Internet of Things Security Foundation (IoTSF), a collaborative initiative aimed at addressing concerns regarding the security of IoT, launched publicly in London this week.
The Foundation was created as a non-profit, technology neutral body and is not a standards body, thoug it plans on collaborating with existing standards and will initially target technology providers, systems adopters and end users.
"The formation of the Internet of Things Security Foundation has been through a rigorous process to make sure it is fit for purpose. With so many concerns and a new complexity of security in IoT, it is important that we now start the necessary work in earnest to address known, yet not always addressed, and emerging vulnerabilities," John Moor, VP Segment Development at NMI and IoTSF Director said.
"The scale and scope of the issues are formidable and as such they require a formidable response. This can only be achieved effectively by working together, so I am delighted to announce IoTSF is open for business and invite organizations to back the mission and join us. Together we can raise standards and make it harder for criminals, adversaries and rogues of all denominations to exploit us," he added.
IoTSF is funded by a low-cost membership model,, but the organization also accepts donations from entities interested in supporting its mission. Membership is now open to stakeholder organizations worldwide.
The organization also announced plans for its inaugural conference, scheduled to take place on Dec. 1 at the recently refurbished Savoy Place in London.
The IoT market is still in its infancy and, as it grows, it opens all companies around the world to new security risks, as Agiliance's Torsten George explains in a recent SecurityWeen column. According to an HP study, 70% of IoT devices are vulnerable to digital attacks.


Last week (August 9th) I sowed cover crops on a vacant lot in the city. The goal is soil-building; both the addition of biomass above ground, and the decomposition of demolished homes below. So I selected three different cover crops, mixed their seed, and sowed them equally across three test plots of different growth mediums.
"Guerilla Gardening in Philly, Stage 1" explains the crops and plots.
After seven days of extreme heat and diligent watering, we have green. Both the tilled dirt and the added compost plots have germinated what looks like all three cover crops. The unaltered grass plot seems to have very few sprouts, although it's difficult to tell this early.
Germination on plot #1, tilled.
Germination on plot #2, cardboarded and composted.
Also without germination is a 30 square foot rectangular area that spans all three plots. Here I experimented with covering the ground with clear plastic, for retaining both warmth and moisture, to hopefully assist with germination. It seemed to have the opposite effect, possibly sterilizing the soil with extreme heat. Lesson learned.
A failure of a test plot is a success in the testing process.


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It was also announced in the summer that the show is coming to an end after its 11 year run on Channel 4.
The show returns to UK airwaves on Monday, October 17 with new episodes from the current series, including newly taped shows from different locations across the country, outside of the iconic Dream Factory. Noel will bring his red boxes to venues and landmarks for a special farewell tour to the series. Below are some pictures we found online of where Deal was filming. Take a look. Hopefully we get some big winners and more exciting moments to close out the show. If they do occur, we'll make sure to share it with you.


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Top 10 Superpower Anime Movies [Best Recommendations]
5:00 PM June 11, 2017
Honey's Anime
Anime Recommendations [Article Category]
Action Anime, Adventure Anime, Supernatural Anime, Superpower Anime [Genres]
The biggest films in the movie industry right now have at least one major thing in common: superpowers. Star Wars has made a comeback to the big screen, Marvel has been dominating the box office for almost a decade with their heroes, and DC has finally started building their own cinematic universe. It seem that superpower movies aren't going away for the time being, and for good reason. Likewise, superpowers in anime aren't going away anytime either.
A lot of the anime TV shows and movies that are the most accessible are ones where characters with special abilities are involved. Regardless of whether they differ in tone, setting, or purpose, any anime film that has characters with superpowers seems to attract an audience. This is especially true for established TV anime franchises, as most of the biggest superpower anime movies tend to be separate adventures of said TV characters. Keeping that in mind, here are the Top 10 Anime Superpower Movies.
10. K: Missing Kings
Genres: Action, Super Power, Supernatural
Aired: Jul 12, 2014
This movie is a bit unique in the sense that it continues off the K anime series, which focuses on a young boy named Yashiro Isana and his involvement in a psychic war between 7 "Kings", or individuals gifted with special powers. Missing Kings focuses on how certain characters deal with the repercussions and consequences of these Kings' actions, which is quite a lot. If you have not seen the 13 episode anime series that leads into this movie, then it may not be as impactful. However, if you have, then you will certainly appreciate the character interactions more and what is at stake as the investigation into Shiro's disappearance continues. Certainly a unique take on superpowers embroiled in a giant mystery.
9. Yu Yu Hakusho: The Movie
Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy
The Yu Yu Hakusho series focuses on Yusuke Urameshi, a 14 year old kid who seems destined to amount to nothing until he unexpectedly sacrifices his life to save a young boy. This was so unexpected that not even Heaven or Hell were prepared to take him, resulting in Yusuke getting a chance to return to life. In the case of this movie, the person responsible for helping Yusuke return to life, Koenma, is kidnapped and held for ransom in exchange for the Golden Seal of King Enma, Koenma's father. It's up to Yusuke and his new allies to somehow rescue Koenma before things get out of hand. This movie seems to take place early on in the series, so while Yusuke and his friends don't have a wide display of powers to showcase, they still have their go-to techniques as well as their wits to rely on when they fight. If you're a fan of superpower fights where the heroes are in the early stages of their training, then this is a solid movie for that concept.
8. InuYasha the Movie: Affections Touching Across Time
Genres: Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Historical, Romance, Shounen, Super Power
Aired: Dec 22, 2001
One of the aspects of the InuYasha series is dealing with the consequences that arise due to the Shikon Jewel shards being spread out all over Japan, and this movie is all about that. Despite InuYasha having mastered the ultimate attack of the sword Tetsusaiga, he must fight and defeat a demon brought back to life by one of the shards along with Kagome, Shippo, Sango, and Miroku. In addition, the demon had been sealed by InuYasha's father, meaning that InuYasha must overcome his father's power in order to defeat the demon and set things right again. With InuYasha's skills with Tetsusaiga in full display along with the abilities his friends possess, it certainly delivers on the powers front. There are, however, a lot of different moods throughout the film, as comedic moments occur as well as romantic ones. If you're into the idea of superpower films being about more than just the powers themselves and focusing on aspects such as character dynamics, then this would be a good film for you to watch.
7. Blue Exorcist The Movie
Genres: Action, Demons, Fantasy, Shounen, Supernatural
Born as the son of Satan, Rin Okumura isn't your typical kid by any means. It's a good thing his brother Yukio and their friends fight along right beside him against various demons, and this movie isn't any different. A possessed train, or Phantom Train, falls under Rin's responsibility to keep suppressed, which doesn't go smoothly for him as a festival held once every 11 years is taking place. Plenty of action sequences display the unique exorcism techniques utilized by the characters, especially to kick off the movie, and the characters themselves keep the story interesting, especially when Rin and Yukio begin to clash a bit. Definitely a must watch if you are a Blue Exorcist fan, as it strengthens the relationships of the main cast of characters in addition to showing off their powers.
6. Bleach the Movie: Fade to Black
Genres: Action, Comedy, Super Power, Supernatural, Shounen
Arguably the best Bleach film, Fade to Black focuses on the disappearance of Rukia after she is erased from everyone's memories except for Ichigo (who only forgets for a brief time) and an Underpod Mod-Soul named Kon (who helps Ichigo remember). It's up to Ichigo and Kon to find Rukia and set things back to normal, even if it means fighting against Ichigo's friends in Seireitei. What makes this movie is interesting are not only the classic techniques we see Ichigo and Rukia display, but also the fact that we get to see a fair amount of the secondary characters show off their powers as opposed to their minimum displays of their powers in the show. Not to mention certain characters going up against each other that we don't often see. All in all, Fade to Black is able to execute an interesting concept while at the same time showcase a fair amount of superpowers as well.
5. Hunter x Hunter Movie: Phantom Rouge
Genres: Action, Adventure, Shounen, Super Power
Aired: Jan 12, 2013
One of the things that Hunter x Hunter stands out with in the TV series is the fighting that takes place in addition to the unique techniques and power system used, and Phantom Rouge is no different. Seen as a side story in relation to the TV series, Phantom Rouge focuses on Gon's friend Kurapika and his mission to get revenge on the Phantom Troupe, the group responsible for executing Kurapika's clan for the red eyes they possess. While there are plenty of comedic moments (especially provide by Gon and Killua) as well as darker moments, there are plenty of fights that showcase the unique powers Gon, Killua, Leorio, and Kurapika possess in addition to those of the Phantom Troupe. Definitely a movie where you will get more out of it if you have seen the TV series through at least the Yorknew City arc, but if you haven't, Phantom Rouge is still a superpower movie you can enjoy.
4. Dragon Ball Z Movie 07: Super Android 13
Genres: Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Shounen
If you're trying to think of an anime movie with superpowers in it, Dragonball Z should be one of first to come to mind. In this particular movie, Goku and his friends are enjoying their time together shopping when 2 androids of Dr. Gero's creation, Androids 14 and 15, begin wreaking havoc in an attempt to find and kill Goku. As the battle drags on, a 3rd android shows up, eventually boiling down to whose technique is stronger: Goku's or Android 13's Of all the DBZ films released thus far, 7 ranks among the best in terms of the various superpowers displayed. You have the transformation that take place not only by Goku, Vegeta, and Trunks into Super Saiyans but also by Android 13 absorbing components from Androids 14 and 15. You have the various energy attacks used by almost all the fighters. Most importantly, you have the classic energy techniques such as the Kamehameha and the Spirit Bomb on full display. Movie 7 may not have the best movie villain or the best movie superpower, but if you're focused on seeing a lot of different superpowers utilized in a balanced approach as opposed to just one specific move or the strength of one hero or villain, then this DBZ movie would be the one worth checking out.
3. Gurren Lagann The Movie: The Lights in the Sky are Stars
Genres: Action, Mecha, Sci-Fi, Space, Super Power
Aired: Apr 22, 2009
7 years have passed since the infamous battle of Teppelin, and since that time, humans have reclaimed Earth's surface and celebrated an era of peace. That is, until the appearance of the mysterious Anti-Spiral, whose power leaves humanity utterly powerless to fight back. Only through the reunification of the members if Team Dai-Gurren can peace be restored once again. Since this is the 2nd Gurren Lagann movie, it helps to be somewhat familiar with not only the events of the TV series but the 1st movie as well. That being said, the 2nd hour of this movie is phenomenal in terms of the various powers used in multiple battles that result in numerous explosions and casualties in their wake, especially the final battle. If you're looking for techniques that cause destruction and go head to head against other techniques Justas if not more powerful, then this movie won't fail to deliver.
2. Boruto: Naruto the Movie
Genres: Action, Comedy, Super Power, Martial Arts, Shounen
Aired: Aug 7, 2015
A lot of the Naruto films possess an aspect in their battles where it seems that whoever pulls off the biggest jutsu is the winner. That may be somewhat disappointing in terms of storytelling somewhat, but it also means that witnessing the powers on display by the characters can be impressive. This particular film somewhat falls under this category. The story itself focuses on the conflicting relationship between Boruto, Naruto's son, and Naruto, as Naruto is particularly busy with his duties as Hokage and Boruto resents not spending enough time with him and instead receiving mentorship from Naruto's Longie rival, Sasuke. More importantly for this list, however, are the jutsu techniques on display in the fights that occur, and they are pretty well animated as well as possessing some intellect as to how they are used, particularly the final battle. Yet another example of the fact that if you enjoyed the Naruto series and the other films, there is no reason as to why you won't enjoy this one.
1. One Piece: Strong World
Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Shounen
It's pretty obvious that when it comes to superpowers in anime, One Piece is the most popular, and a good example of this can be seen in one of the best and arguably the best One Piece film, Strong World. Most of Luffy's crew have either eaten a Devil Fruit or have a unique superpower of some sort, and with the main villain possessing the ability to make non-living objects float once he touches it, you've got a variety of superpowers being used not only in combat, but also in various situations to overcome certain obstacles. This is most prevalent when Luffy's crew is separated on Shiki's giant floating land mass and are trying to regroup. The story may be pretty simple in terms of saving the damsel in distress and defeating the giant bad guy, but at the end of the day, if you're in the mood for just plain simple fights that use cool superpowers and escalate into some awesome techniques, then Strong World delivers on that concept and then some.
Although anime superpower films are pretty different compared to the mainstream superhero films, the basic premise of using superpowers against an opponent will never change. Hopefully there will be more anime films with original stories that convey superpowers in their telling of the story in addition to adapting separate adventures of some of the most popular TV anime shows with superpowers. These 10 anime superpower films may not be nearly as well-known as Iron Man, Spiderman, Batman, and Superman, but that doesn't mean they don't deliver in terms of the characters and their abilities. But what do you guys think? Is there a better Naruto, DBZ, or Bleach film that should have been chosen? Is there a film missing from this list altogether? Post your thoughts in the comment section below!
Author: Ian Williams
Hi, my name's Ian. I grew up in the United States, but I've traveled to and lived in many different countries, including Scotland, Japan, and New Zealand. Some of my hobbies include reading, writing, chess, running, playing video games, and watching anime. I started getting more into anime after watching Dragon Ball Z on Toonami as a kid, and have been hooked by the amazing stories and characters in anime ever since.
Top 5 Anime by Ian Williams
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What Constitutes a Super Power Anime? [Definition; Meaning]
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Follow @honeysanimeEN
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AHA, BHA, PHA ingredients help to keep clear and bright skin.
It clears old dead skins and waste and normalize turn-over cycle of skin.
Two layered serum each with vegetable oil and natural originated essence balance moisture-oil proportion of skin, moisturizes.
After arranging skin texture with toner, Apply one full drop to cheeks and forehead and spread to absorb.


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Monkhouse & Company
Prescription For Growth
Podcast March 17, 2020
Elevate performance and working remotely with Robert Glazer
With more people opting to work remotely, particularly in light of the current health issues surrounding Coronavirus, today's guest couldn't be better timed.
Robert Glazer is the founder and CEO of Acceleration Partners, a partner marketing agency that helps brands with a form of marketing also known as affiliate marketing.
What sets his marketing agency apart from the competition? He built his business to be remote from day one – all 175 members of his team are based around city hubs, but all work entirely remotely.
Which has led him down many interesting different avenues, not least writing a book, starting a podcast and authoring a truly fantastic and #1 newsletter on LinkedIn.
"I am obsessed with people sort of living up to their ability both inside and outside of work that's become a universal thing. For me, I think one of the biggest shame is not living up to your own potential or capacity."
This is a really wide ranging conversation, covering how to work remotely (including the cultural implications), the genesis of Acceleration Partners, how (and why) he started his newsletter and what has driven his personal high performance as a business leader and entrepreneur.
On today's podcast:
Acceleration Partners and affiliate marketing
How his team of 175 people work remotely
How to recruit for remote working
The core values that drive him
The newsletter that started as an email
Why meetings should be held in the afternoon, not the morning
The elevate podcast
Friday Forward (newsletter)
How to work remotely with Robert Glazer
Robert Glazer is the founder and CEO of global performance marketing agency, Acceleration Partners and he was ranked #2 on Glassdoor's list of Top CEO of Small & Medium Companies in the US.
From the word go, Robert has had his entire team work remotely, and now that team numbers 175, how does he manage it? And what are his recommendations for anyone looking to make their team remote? Particularly in light of the Coronavirus?
How to work remotely
Video, keep a routine and schedule are Robert's top tips for successful remote working.
Keep a routine. Just because you're all working in separate locations doesn't mean you should all change how you work. Keep your meetings, keep your calls, keep your routine, schedule the stuff you want to do. Just because you have the freedom and flexibility to do what you want, doesn't mean you should drop everything and take advantage of being in charge of your own time. Being able to actually go and do what you want causes issues for people. So schedule it in.
Schedule work. When you're at home and trying to work, there are all manner of distractions that can prevent you from being productive. So pick a place that you're going to work from and have it be different to the rest of your house. Shut down your phone and make a conscious decision to move from home life to work life. Just because you aren't physically leaving your house, doesn't mean you can't change your mindset from home to work.
Thirdly, make everything video by default. Don't have phone calls, don't message – have video calls. Meeting in person is the best way to communicate, but when you work remotely that option is available to you. On phone calls you can't see someone's face or read their body language, and text messages or emails are too easily misconstrued. A video makes communication more human.
Who suits remote working?
"It's interesting … from a behavioural standpoint people that have done it and thrived in it, like that's one checkbox. But we're not necessarily getting people who are looking for remote [work] or maybe it's their first time. So we've learned to screen for the things that would make someone thrive in that environment."
Because the thing is, not everyone is cut out for working remotely. Robert prides himself and his company on having spent the last 13 years figuring out who the 1% of people are that will thrive working remotely.
Those people who like to work remotely really value the flexibility that remote working affords them.
"They have family, they have kids, they live somewhere where it's a long commute. They're a competitive athlete, they like to travel, like that's a really important part of the equation for them. If they'd rather be in the office and they're kind of a raging extrovert, then we're probably not the right choice for them."
Acceleration Partners has core values that attracts the top tier of talent that might not otherwise be available to them. They want people who actively have other interests outside of work. They want people who work hard, who get stuff done, and are results orientated. But work can't be the be all and end all for them. They have to have other interests.
"I am obsessed with people sort of living up to their ability both inside and outside of work, that's become a universal thing. For me, I think one of the biggest shame is not living up to your own potential or capacity."
One thing that Robert is adamant on is that when they hire, they have to recruit face to face, that is part of their hub strategy.
So even though all of their employees will work from home, they still hire around their city hubs, because although they may not have a dedicated workspace location, they still all meet for events and so all employees need to be able to get into town occasionally.
"Our leadership team will come meet with everyone in our city and we're able to literally touch the whole organisation in a week visiting all of the hub cities."
And when it comes to making decisions as to who to hire, Robert insists on every final round interview being face to face because there are social and emotional cues that you can only pick up on from someone when you meet them in person, when you share a meal, break bread with them.
Elevate – Robert Glazer
When – Dan Pink
The Miracle Morning – Hal Elrod
Mistakes Were Made (but Not by Me) – Carol Tavris
Essentialism – Greg McKeown
Atomic Habits – James Clear
Tim Ferriss Show
If you liked that...
Blog March 20, 2020Are Your Teams Working Remotely? Communicate Better | The Melting Pot Newsletter | #79
Blog December 20, 2019Top 10 business podcasts of 2019
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Kerry to Visit Slain Diplomat's Parents
Stopping in Chicago during return from Japan
By Matt Cantor, Newser Staff
Posted Apr 15, 2013 5:33 AM CDT
This undated photo shows Anne Smedinghoff. (AP Photo/Courtesy of Tom Smedinghoff)
John Kerry will today meet with the parents of Anne Smedinghoff, the young diplomat killed earlier this month in Afghanistan while carrying textbooks from a military base to a school. The secretary of state is making a stop in Chicago as he returns from Japan, the AP reports. Smedinghoff was "wiped out by terrorism—the worst kind of nihilism. ... It doesn't stand for anything except killing people and stopping the future," said Kerry, who had met the 25-year-old two weeks prior to her death.
"And so we're not going to be deterred. We're going to be inspired. And we're going to use Anne's idealism as another motivation," he added, in remarks made in Tokyo. The AP notes that Kerry declared the protection of American foreign service officers his No. 1 priority when taking on the job in February; Smedinghoff's death is the first of an American diplomat since Ambassador Chris Stevens died in Benghazi. (Read more John Kerry stories.)


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the cut on tuesdays Mar. 26, 2019
Sally Rooney Tells Us About the Books That Shaped Her
Author Sally Rooney says that when she was a teenager, she resisted classic literature: to her, anything from the nineteenth century and earlier seemed like it was "uncool," "boring," and merely "people in period dress." Today, though, the Irish novelist behind the critically acclaimed Conversations With Friends and the soon to be released Normal People, finds inspiration in the books she later learned to love in her 20s. Rooney spoke with Molly Fischer, the host of The Cut on Tuesdays, about the books and literature that shaped her — from the Marxist and feminist theory she read in college to Henry James and J.D. Salinger. Here are some highlights.
On finding her identity as a reader:
It's funny because when I read about other writers, so often they're incredibly precocious from a really young age and they're inhaling Tolstoy and Virginia Woolf when they're like 12, and that was not my experience at all. I was a really disorganized, unsystematic reader right up until the point where I got to college. I loved reading and I loved being with books but I had no real idea about literary history, and I was also extremely intellectually lazy, so I didn't really care to find anything out.
I didn't have any real identity as a reader until I got to college, and then I started to learn how to read. So throughout my whole teenage years, I was reading totally on the basis of my own impulses and intuitions, and my pre-existing biases and prejudices about what was cool and what wasn't.
I thought J.D. Salinger was very cool. Raymond Carver, I thought, was cool. I think I read a little of Joyce Carol Oates … 20th century American writers were cool to me. Anything British I was not interested in.
On reading literary theory in college:
For me, one of the big gateways into reading differently was a course that I took in first year of college. I think it was called Theories of Literature … We started with maybe the New Criticism and then we moved through feminists, Marxists, psychoanalytic readings of literature, and into post-structuralism, Foucault and Derrida.
That unlocked a lot; a lot of the intellectual world opened up for me at that point. So definitely, stuff as basic as going to lectures about feminism or learning about Freud or reading The Communist Manifesto and then thinking: Okay, I can take this and go back to the stuff that I read previously and it will mean something different, or I'll be able to unlock something new about it.
Conversations with Friends: A Novel
$17 now 24% off
Photo: Penguin Random House
$13 at Amazon
On reading Sheila Heti's How Should a Person Be?:
I look back on it and I think about the substantial content of the book— like I think about the relationship, the female friendship that's depicted, and how gratifying and fulfilling I found that depiction, and how much it spoke to me. But really I think what it was, was the style, the way that the sentences were constructed, and the construction of the prose.
And the whole shape and form of the novel, that just felt like I had not read anything like that before. It felt like it had stripped away everything boring about a novel and just lets in the stuff that was actually good. And it was really like: Oh my God. We don't have to write the boring bits. Like, you don't have to write the joints and the connections, you can just do the things that are interesting. That felt really exhilarating for me as a reader.
On a book she loved (and also stressed her out):
I remember reading Chris Kraus's novel, I Love Dick, and at the time when I was reading it, I think I was just really frustrated with how my work was going. It felt like: I just can't break through a barrier with the book that I'm writing, which I think at that time was Conversations With Friends … I had hit a snag and I couldn't move forward, and I was really starting to question whether the project had any value, or it was just structurally flawed and it wasn't gonna work out.
And it was partly that experience of like: No, I don't want to be reading this. It's really good. And I can't get to that level, like I can't make my work work the way that this does. It was like an experience of frustration, even while I was enjoying the book and felt excited by it, I was also feeling kind of crushed.
$23 at Bookshop
On what she's currently reading:
I'm in London at the moment, and I live in Dublin, so when I was packing I put in my suitcase A Sentimental Education, the Flaubert novel, which I've never read. I definitely feel like I have a big backlog of books that, like I say, I have to read.
And there's an Irish writer, called Nicole Flattery, who has a collection of stories coming out very soon, called Show Them a Good Time. She and I actually know one another in real life and we both used to exchange work before we were published. She's someone who I definitely have the productive envy for … whenever I read her sentences I get that little thrill of like: Oh, I want to do what Nicole is doing, even though I know that's what she does, and I have to do what I do.
On a book that made her cry:
I think I was in Boston, or maybe a Barnes and Noble in New York. And maybe like it was the fact that I was in America that made me think: Oh, I should read Henry James. I just picked it [The Portrait of a Lady] up and read it. I actually ended up reading it really voraciously.
I was on the plane home, and it was like the middle of the night, and everyone around me was asleep. I find it hard to sleep on planes sometimes, and I was reading the scene where Ralph Touchett dies, where Isabel is in the room and Ralph is dying. And I was just crying, like I was sobbing, inconsolable tears … It really, really affected me, so I was very grateful, it made me feel very grateful to feel this sort of connection with books that I feel.
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the cut on tuesdays


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In the majority of instances, the egg retrieval is a relatively painless procedure with side effects including mood swings, abdominal pain and fainting. The medical procedure can, however, in rare instances lead to further complications and potential future infertility in donors. Unfortunately, that is a risk [no matter how small] that I am unable to take at this stage in my life.
As such, I will not be moving forward with the process. I am sorry for any trouble that I may have caused, and hope that you will understand my decision. I feel so terrible, but I am afraid to move forward. I want to have a family of my own one day. Moving forward, I wish you the best of luck finding an egg donor who will be able to assist you. Here is a link to an article that I read that really resonated with me. I am sorry for letting you down. This was never my intention.


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What are the options for the table ashtray?


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Q: Lint check "RemoveWorkManagerInitializer" fails, how to fix that? My App class implements Configuration.Provider.getWorkManagerConfiguration, and regarding this article: https://developer.android.com/topic/libraries/architecture/workmanager/advanced/custom-configuration#on-demand
I switched default initializer with this string in my AndroidManifest.xml:
<provider
    android:name="androidx.work.impl.WorkManagerInitializer"
    android:authorities="${applicationId}.workmanager-init"
    tools:node="remove" />

The code works as I need - no default initializer calls, but the only Configuration.Provider.getWorkManagerConfiguration.
If I run lint check I still see the error: Remove androidx.work.impl.WorkManagerInitializer when using on-deman initialization.

*

*Android studio 4.1 beta 5

*Gradle plugin: 4.1.0-beta05

*Work manager:  2.3.4

Any thoughts on how to deal with it?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Sold To Telefonica For $207M In 2009, Now-Neglected VoIP Provider Jajah Is Shutting Down
Ingrid Lunden	@ingridlunden / 7 years
Chalk up another casualty in the consolidation of Internet voice services. Nearly four years to the day after getting acquired by Telefonica for $207 million, VoIP provider Jajah has announced that it is shutting down, effective January 31, 2014. Registered users of Jajah.com (its web-based service that provides a price-reducing VoIP bridge between two landline or mobile numbers) and Jajah Direct (which assigns local numbers to international contacts) started to receive notifications of the closure this weekend, with details of where to apply online for refunds.
We're embedding a copy of the note below, which is also posted on its website.
The note doesn't explain why the service is shutting down. We have reached out to Telefonica for more clarification (which we have now recieved, with the update below, noting that while Jajah is closing, the backbone is alive and kicking.)
My guess is that it was probably due to a couple of reasons. The main one is that the service simply was not growing — not in terms of new products, nor new users.
The second one is that Telefonica has been pursuing other ways of using VoIP to pick up more users, namely with mobile apps like Tu Go. That left the consumer-facing part of Jajah more or less neglected and underdeveloped.
Just how ignored was Jajah? Most pages on Jajah's site now redirect to an announcement of its closure. But if you go to its corporate blog (at least at the time of this writing), it's still live, and frankly surreal.
The last two months of entries, from March to May 2013, provide a nearly-daily run-down of a hole for a parking lot(?) getting dug next to Jajah's Mountain View headquarters. Yes, a hole in the ground.
The entries have mundane headlines like "Very substantial activity" and "Looks like one more level down" with equally dull pictures to match. (The one I've used to illustrate this post was called "More reinforcing", which seems particularly ironic when you consider that the exact opposite appeared to be happening to Jajah itself.)
The message: nothing of any interest whatsoever going on at Jajah, and no one seems to notice or care that that's the case.
The entries prior to that record a couple of employee trips to South America. Before that, the last product announcement was from 2011, when Jajah released a mobile app with Facebook calling features.
It's a whimper of an ending for Jajah. Founded originally in 2005 by Roman Scharf and Daniel Mattes (who then went on to found payments company Jumio), it was backed with $33 million from the likes of Sequoia, Intel and Deutsche Telekom's T-Venture.
Jajah was once viewed as a real competitive threat against the likes of Skype and Vonage. Part of that was because Jajah actually offered VoIP alternatives that easily integrated with what people already used to make calls. While Skype required users to download an app — and then it worked within that app, with Jajah, users only had to go online to enter their number, and that of the number they were calling. That then provided a VoIP bridge between two basic landline (or mobile) numbers, reducing the price of the call in the process.
Hype and interest in Jajah ratcheted up further in 2009, after Google acquired its competitor Gizmo5. Rumours swirled that Telefonica, Microsoft and Cisco were all eyeing up the company for a price between $200 million and $400 million, with reports of some 25 million subscribers and growing. (Interestingly, Microsoft did get its VoIP service in the end with Skype.)
Ultimately, the sale to Telefonica was at the low end of that range, and for what turned out to be 15 million users. And the spin on the deal was not so positive. At the time, we wrote:
"The sale was not a happy affair for everyone involved, however. The deal was largely driven by Jajah's investors, particularlySequoia. We hear CTO Amichay Oren has left the company because he and his engineering team in Israel didn't get treated the same as their counterparts in the U.S. In these types of deals, not everyone ends up winning. Jajah turned out not to be the next $1 billion company in Sequoia's portfolio."
Still, it seemed like a strategic fit for Jajah to go to Telefonica. And on Telefonica's side, it looked like a bold move by a staid, incumbent carrier to propel itself into the future of telephony. Alas, perhaps Telefonica wasn't really ready to take such a disruptive leap at the time, or perhaps the tech wasn't really there for that leap, or perhaps something else.
The bigger picture is that today, Skype is enormous, and there are dozens of other alternatives out there that do things like connect your voice calling up seamlessly with people who you message. And besides all that, we all now get hundreds of minutes thrown in with our mobile phone plans.
As is customary when a telephony service shuts down, its users have the right to put in an appeal to the Federal Communications Commission. The FCC needs to authorize the discontinuation of the service, "unless it is shown that customers would be unable to receive service or a reasonable substitute from another carrier or that the public convenience and necessity is otherwise adversely affected."
Given that there are a number of other VoIP as well as non-VoIP services available today, offering this option to customers seems like more of a formality than an actual possibility to keep the service going.
Dear Jajah Customer,
You are receiving this email because you have registered a Jajah.com
or Jajah Direct account.
As of January 31, 2014, Jajah will no longer offer any Jajah.com or
Jajah Direct services to its users in the United States or elsewhere.
This means that, as of January 31, 2014 you will no longer be able to
make any calls through Jajah's website or using any Jajah Direct
numbers you have set up.
You will be able to continue using your account in the normal way
until this date however it is important to note that as of January
31, 2014 it will not be possible to add new funds to your account or
make any calls or send SMS.
Users who wish to apply for a refund of any balance remaining on
their account prior to the service closing may do so by submitting a
request at the support page,
http://cts.vresp.com/c/?JAJAH/551ca0a5b7/35a2c774f9/f5d348227d.
After requesting a refund, your account will be closed and refund
processed within 30 days.
If you do not receive a refund you may contact Jajah at
JajahVoice@jajah.com no later than January 31, 2014 and, if
necessary, you may be asked to provide PayPal account information to
which Jajah can post the credit.
Jajah will not be responsible for providing refunds except as
Thank you for having been such a valuable Jajah.com user.
200 West Evelyn Ave,
Note Regarding FCC Application to Discontinue Domestic Service
The FCC will normally authorize this proposed discontinuance of
service unless it is shown that customers would be unable to receive
service or a reasonable substitute from another carrier or that the
public convenience and necessity is otherwise adversely affected. If
you wish to object, you should file your comments as soon as
possible, but no later than 15 days after the Commission releases
public notice of the proposed discontinuance. Address them to the
Federal Communications Commission, Wireline Competition Bureau,
Competition Policy Division, Washington, DC 20554, and include in
your comments a reference to the § 63.71 Application of Telefonica
Digital, Inc., d/b/a/ Jajah. Comments should include specific
information about the impact of this proposed discontinuance upon you
or your company, including any inability to acquire reasonable
substitute service.
Update from Telefonica:
Jajah's technology and expertise continues to represent the core of Telefonica's communications capabilities. Fully integrated into Telefonica Digital, Jajah is the key VoIP network platform for the Group and its engineering teams are behind innovative products such as TU Go, International Favourites, International Extras and Global Friends. Since the acquisition in 2010, we have significantly invested to grow and reinforce the Jajah team in Israel by over 70% and earlier this year it was re-named Telefonica Digital Israel.
As part of a re-focusing of resources to support future products we will be closing Jajah's legacy direct to consumer services, including Jajah Direct and Jajah.com. Customers can continue using the services until January 31st 2014 or can request a refund of any credit on their account. The closure will ensure that all of the Jajah capabilities and resources are focused on developing and supporting the new communications services we plan to bring to our customers.
The closure of Jajah Direct and Jajah.com has no impact on communications services offered by Telefonica Operating Businesses, such as TU Go or Global Friends, and it has no impact on our presence in Israel which continues to represent the bulk of our communications engineering capabilities.


Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, everyone! Lots of fun updates coming in the next day or two, with huge progress to report along with a few new lessons learned and shared.
Meanwhile, may all of your Journeys and Dreams be richly blessed on this beautiful day! I'm really looking forward to another year of "let's see what happens now" as we move forward together.


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A rapturous reception filled the House of Blues Anaheim at the Andy Grammer's Art of Joy concert on Wednesday night, March 2nd. I have to be honest, I have never seen an Andy Grammer concert so I didn't know what to expect. While waiting at the pit and testing my SLR, I chatted with some audience members behind me and saw this cute little girl whose name is James. I asked the mom how old James was and she replied "She is seven." I mentioned how nice that she brought along her daughter and asked her "Is this her first concert?" The mom replied, "Oh no! She has seen Andy about seven times already. She started when she was two." I also chatted with two ladies (roommates), one is from Newport Beach and one is from Brazil. They mentioned that this time (around 9 pm) it's already past their bedtime as they get up at 4:30 am to work out. But of course, they love Grammer's music so they didn't mind getting home at almost midnight. Grammer's audience members are from different age demographics from a seven-year-old to baby boomers. That goes to show that his music genre is universal from pop-rock to soul to country-pop.
James and mom.
The "Keep Your Head Up" singer known for his positive messages and feel good lyrics sported a plaid pants and varsity jacket with the word "Integrity" on the back. As soon as he appeared on stage Grammer sat on the couch and delivered a poem which was totally impressive followed by the song "Back Home".
Trinity at the pit of Andy Grammer's concert "Art of Joy Tour" House of Blues Anaheim
Andy also covered one of today's top hits Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber's "Stay," and showcased his creativity by combining Earth, Wind, & Fire's "September" instrumental version while singing his smash hit, 'Honey, I'm Good" and boy that was really good!
Towards the middle part of the concert he did a tribute to his mom and said, "When I hear Billy Joel's sing in the world anywhere, that's her waving at me from wherever she's at. I lost my mom when I was 25. I hear it in interesting situations. I hear Billy Joel throughout my life oh I'm crying now….."
Before performing the inspiring "Love Myself" Andy shared about writing the song, "For the first time in my life I sat down on my piano. I've written love songs for so many people and I did a super awkward process of writing myself a love song. It was sweaty, awkward and I cried …. I dare you to sing it to yourself…. If you have compassion for yourself, I know you won't believe it when you sing it, here you go."
As the show quickly comes to a close, Grammer sang his debut single "Keep Your Head Up" and throngs of excited fans religiously chanted the lyrics
Grammer concluded the show with "Don't Give Up" where fans screamed the lyrics.
There were no ostentatious set design nor grandiose stage production just Andy Grammer's strong stage presence, his ebullient self and mellifluous and soulful voice and backed by stellar band.
Overall it was a tour de force performance. Grammer put his heart and soul into every song. The fans were completely taken by the infectious energy of Grammer and his group of musicians. I would definitely see him again and bring my family next time.
Audience members chanted to Andy's feel good music
Set-List
Back Home – Singers
85 – Horns
Some Girl – Singers
She'd Say
Love Myself
Honey (September) – Horns
Fresh Eyes – Singer
New Money Poem
GTBA
Lease On Life
Save My Life
For more info about Grammer's Art of Joy tour, click here.
Special thanks to Carina.