tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14975486835895671562024-03-08T04:57:15.433-08:00College of the DesertWelcome to the College of the Desert. College of the Desert provides excellent educational programs and services that contribute to the success of the students.viechuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14199790489024389348noreply@blogger.comBlogger58125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1497548683589567156.post-11890767793624432012012-06-26T01:24:00.000-07:002012-06-26T01:24:07.365-07:00The Eldorado Polo Club a Golden Stop in the California Desert<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://blog.hmcarchitects.com/wp-content/gallery/public-safety/1hi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="http://blog.hmcarchitects.com/wp-content/gallery/public-safety/1hi.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Polo came to America at the turn of </b>the 20th century and the sport a millennia years old took root in America. In the west it first became popular in the San Diego area where it was played on Coronado Island. The desert became a popular destination for many famous Hollywood celebrities and others beginning 20 years earlier when known to only a few that La Quinta had become popular in it's own right.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">By the early 1950's Polo in Palm Springs had begun to attract the interest of Polo players from around the country. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, with whom my mother and I had the honor and pleasure of sharing a moment with him and Mrs. Eisenhower in his limousine, truly brought fame and attention to the desert.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The original fields were located much closer to Palm Springs near the location of today's Palm Springs International Airport. Then, because of urban sprawl and rising property values the Club was forced to move and the next stop was Palm Desert and from there to it's third and present location in La Quinta where I visited for the second time. Once again because of the hunger for development and the same rising property values surrounding the Palm Desert location, now the Vintage Club, had happened twice before as is typical for any activity which requires a large amount of land and attracts a lot of people and interest.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The occasion of my visit was the 1986 U.S. Open Polo Tournament hosted by the Prince of Wales, Prince Charles who attended the festivities, played valiantly and hosted a magnificent gala as a tribute to the progress of the Eldorado Polo Club as well as the U.S. Open as he did several times thereafter. More recently Prince Harry, Harry Wales as he's known to his Special Forces comrades in the Royal Maines and third in line to the throne of England, hosted and played in a charity tournament at the Club. The Club plays host to many additional charities not the least of which is the College of the Desert located in Palm Desert for which the Club raises tens of thousands of dollars annually. Perhaps the most well know of these charities is the Barbara Sinatra Skins Polo Game which supports charities for neglected and abused children.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">My most recent visit to the polo fields, which incidentally is a mere two hour drive from Los Angeles and a half hour from Palm Springs, was an eye opener. On my first visit to the Club as a child there were only two playing fields and a few players. Now, as the nations winter capital of polo, due significantly to the weather there are twelve fields, ten owned by the Club and two leased from the nearby Empire Polo Club, and during my visit there were twenty-nine teams playing consecutively in three formats, low score, medium and high scoring events with an eclectic groups of players, it's truly a "players" club, as it was from the beginning and includes all members of the family including children. All in all my recent visit to the California desert reinforced my interest, appreciation and love of the "paradise in the desert" and I know you will as well whether playing or watching.</div>viechuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14199790489024389348noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1497548683589567156.post-86748551463163242272012-02-24T09:10:00.002-08:002012-06-26T01:36:07.644-07:00Fun Board Games for College Students: The Eurogames<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7098/7397957356_3b7b4f6e31.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7098/7397957356_3b7b4f6e31.jpg" border="0" height="400" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7098/7397957356_3b7b4f6e31.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><b>College students who like to play</b> fun board games often enjoy the style of board game sometimes called the Eurogame, or German style or designer board game.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">A Eurogame is not necessarily from Europe though many have originated in Germany. The term Eurogame generally refers to a genre of board games that share similar characteristics.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Eurogame Characteristics</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Player conflict and competition is not often head-to-head as in a war game. Instead it involves gaining resources and accumulating victory points.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Players are rarely eliminated part of the way through the game, as they are in Monopoly. The winner is often unknown until the very end of the game when scores are calculated.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">If there is any randomness, such as that introduced by dice, it can be offset by other facets of the game including the player's skill.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The game's artwork and components are chiefly cardboard and wood and are often quite lavish and detailed.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">There is a theme to the board game, such as life in a Medieval castle or maneuvering through a desert, but said theme seldom has much to do with actually playing the game. When it does, players consider it a real bonus.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Eurogame Designers</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Eurogames are often closely connected to their designers, several of whom are very well-known in gaming circles. Of particular note are Reiner Knizia, Wolfgang Kramer, Uwe Rosenberg, Klaus Teuber, and Bruno Faidutti. Fun board games by these men are among the most highly rated in the 1990's and 2000's.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Settlers of Catan</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Possibly the most well-known Eurogame to date is The Settlers of Catan created by Klaus Teuber. Using a game board that changes from game to game, resource cards - wood, brick, sheep, grain, and stone - and a single die, you build roads, cities, and settlements to earn victory points. Do so more quickly and efficiently than your opponents and you're likely to win.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Puerto Rico</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Puerto Rico is one of the most highly-ranked games of all time. You play the role of a plantation owner on the island of Puerto Rico. Grow your crops - corn, indigo, sugar, tobacco, and coffee - build your business, and ship your products while paying close attention to what your opponents are up to.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Carcassonne</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Carcassonne is a very popular tile-laying Eurogame that uses meeples. Meeples are little wooden game bits that vaguely resemble tiny people. They are placed on tiles to indicate ownership of roads, cities, and fields. Finish off roads and cities to score points and reclaim your meeples for reuse on more construction projects.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">El Grande</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">El Grande is the grandfather of all area control Eurogames. Deploy your caballeros (wooden cubes) in the regions of old Spain to maintain a majority rule so that when one of the 3 scoring rounds comes, you get more points than your opponents. Wise use of power cards, which determine turn order, and careful choice of action cards, which determine caballero placement (among other interesting things), are key to winning this fun board game.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Agricola</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Agricola, by Uwe Rosenberg, is a game about farming. You don't have to know anything about farming to play this fun Eurogame however. This is a worker placement game in which you start with a farmer and his wife in a 2-room wooden hovel. You job is to improve your farm and its pastures and fields. Hundreds of improvement and farmhand (loosely speaking) cards aide you over 14 rounds.</div>viechuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14199790489024389348noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1497548683589567156.post-25253933103429079162012-02-24T09:09:00.002-08:002012-02-24T09:09:27.135-08:00The Desert Botanical Gardens in Phoenix, AZ<div style="text-align: justify;"><b>You should be able to find several indispensable</b> facts about The Desert Botanical Gardens in Phoenix, AZ in the following paragraphs. If there's at least one fact you didn't know before, imagine the difference it might make. <br />
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It's really a good idea to probe a little deeper into the subject of The Desert Botanical Gardens in Phoenix, AZ. What you learn may give you the confidence you need to venture into new areas. <br />
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The Desert Botanical Gardens in Phoenix, Arizona are located in Papago Park. The gardens are home to a large collection of desert plants. The 50 acre, 63 year old collection is one of the world's largest and contains plants that are considered to be endangered species from around the world.<br />
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Numerous educational programs are held at the Desert Botanical Gardens in Phoenix. Whether you are a preschooler or senior citizen you are bound to find a program of interest. The Desert Landscaper School is a very popular program especially for those who have just built or purchased new homes and need some help with their curb appeal. It is also appealing to those who currently work as landscapers or may be seeking employment in the landscaping field.<br />
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The Botanical Drawing courses are also popular. There are three levels of the class with the first level teaching the art of using graphite for simple drawings. The second level uses pencil. The third level combines graphite and pencil and teaches the students how to illustrate botanical concepts such as plant pollination and reproduction. Other courses offered include botanical watercolor, color theory, drawing butterflies and scientific illustration.<br />
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The Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix also has pavilions and courtyards that may be rented for weddings, social and corporate events. A "Desert Sunset Ceremony" will make your wedding an unforgettable event for all in attendance! "Jazz in the Gardens" and "Music in the Gardens" are also popular events. If you are feeling up to an evening stroll you will appreciate the "Free Flashlight Tours."<br />
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Almost daily there are numerous field trips to the gardens. There are special field trip packages designed to please those of any age. The gardens can accommodate field trips for students from preschool to adults. There are also different themed field trips which are also open to adult groups. The garden is currently working on a field trip which is geared towards those students who are currently home schooled.<br />
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Numerous organizations offer garden memberships which range in price from $65 per year to $1250 per year. Each organization includes numerous free events in the yearly membership price. The more expensive yearly membership prices include family memberships which admit two adults and children to almost all garden events.<br />
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The Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix is open seven days a week. It is closed for the observation of the Fourth of July, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas. From October through April the gardens are open from 8AM to 8PM. From May through September the gardens open at 7AM and remain open until 8PM. Keep in mind that some tours are not available after dark.<br />
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Admission is $10 for adults and $9 for seniors. Students from 13-18 and college students are $5 with identification. Children from 3-12 are $4 and children under 3 are free. If you are planning to be in the Phoenix area the Desert Botanical Garden is a great pastime.<br />
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Sometimes it's tough to sort out all the details related to this subject, but I'm positive you'll have no trouble making sense of the information presented above.</div>viechuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14199790489024389348noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1497548683589567156.post-87217211917587764932011-09-23T10:20:00.002-07:002012-06-26T05:16:38.705-07:00Health and Nutrition - The dangers of sugar in your diet and some sweet
substitutes<p style="text-align: justify;">All human nutritional needs can be met in full without having to take one tablespoon of white or brown sugar or raw.<br/><br/>The late Dr. John Yudkin - Sweet and Dangerous, Wyden, 1972, Queens College, London<br/><br/>We all know that excess sugar is very bad for our health. As a result there are plenty of natural sugar available for purchase at grocery stores, health food stores and online. With so many choices, what to choose<br/><br/>Our body needs sugar as glucose, especially the brain, which needs glucose to function properly. Sucrose is a disaccharide that is two sugars that are divided into two simple sugars, glucose and fructose. Blood glucose provides energy. There are different sugars on the basis of the food we eat, for example, fructose is the main sugar in fruit, maltose, a sugar grains such as barley and a sugar lactose in milk.<br/><br/>One of the sugars that have been announced as one to replace white poison or also known as table sugar or sucrose white ... is Agave (ah vay Gah). Sometimes known as agave syrup or nectar tastes like honey, but not thick. Undoubtedly agave is a much better option than artificial sweeteners should be avoided at all costs - the key is in the artificial name!<br/><br/>The agave is a plant that resembles a cactus and is found in desert areas in places like Mexico. When the agave plant extracted sap is extracted and heated at a low temperature and then break down carbohydrates into sugars. Agave is available in both light and darkness, the darker it is, the less time it has warmed and filtered.<br/><br/>Party Peter pure raw food is the question is Agave good for you<br/><br/>Sugar is sugar is sugar is sugar<br/>The ages sugar<br/>It causes the immune system failures<br/>It is an anti-nutrients<br/>It rots your teeth<br/>It causes diabetes<br/>The sugar ferments in the blood cells<br/>Sugar is a food for candida, cancer, viruses, bacteria, yeasts and molds<br/><br/>There are many people who suffer from sugar addiction, some people are aware of that others are not. If someone gives up of sugar for whatever reason, are only the elimination of tablespoons of visible sugar breakfast cereal or in tea or coffee, but there are many foods, including natural foods like fruits, which contain a form of sugar. Processed foods have so much sugar that we now have a sugar crisis in our health service in the form of type 2 diabetes and a variety of degenerative diseases.<br/><br/>Peter suggests Many people would have us believe that this and this new form of sugar is not the case okay.That. Even the honey, by far the best of all sugars, must be limited. The dates and fruits also for the case<br/><br/>My experience is that people step forward for the incredible health for themselves by simply lowering the main culprits sugar - all grains and cereals, bread, pasta, cereals, rice, barley, buckwheat, quinoa, beans, lentils, maize, potato and refined foods (preferably dried fruit as well).<br/><br/>Why grains and beans lentils for the first time Simple - you may not eat 2 cups of honey once, but you can eat two bowls of rice (for example).<br/><br/>Sugar in all its forms is only part of a transition diet as people lower their sugar addictions (with some rare exceptions of athletes who burn lots of sugar).<br/><br/>The only exception to this, if there is some magic sugar is stevia - which is an herb that tastes sweet, but not sugar.<br/><br/>Stevia (STEE v h), or sweet grass, harvesting in places like South America and Asia as an alternative sweetener can be purchased as a lplant, liquid or powder. The Japanese have been using stevia successfully for many years and do not have the same health and weight have in Western culture, unless, of course, eating a Western diet! Stevia is much sweeter than sugar so you do not use or need too much of it as a sweetener with natural grass.<br/><br/>Alternatively Xylotil natural sugar that looks and tastes exactly like sugar and tastes horrible chemical sweeteners linked to so many. Xylotil has fewer calories and carbohydrates than sugar and, therefore, is slowly absorbed into the body and causes a rise of a rise in insulin is best for people with diabetes. Xylotil can be used in cooking to replace refined white sugar, but as all the sugar you need to identify the amount of sugar in your diet, especially all the hidden sugar pound batteries, and empty calories time is bad for you.</p>viechuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14199790489024389348noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1497548683589567156.post-4150826871392427392011-09-23T10:20:00.001-07:002012-06-26T05:16:38.705-07:00Green Lighting - Information for Children of Solar Energy<p style="text-align: justify;">Learn about solar energy from the Department of Energy It's a little cloudy<br/><br/>Interest in solar energy as an energy source rises and sets, along with tax credits that promote their growth. Because I am basically a kid at heart, I visited the website of Child's Energy Energy Information Administration to learn more.<br/><br/>Energy Information Administration (EIA), created by Congress in 1977, is a statistical agency of the U.S. Department of Energy. Our mission is to provide policy-neutral data, forecasts and analysis to promote sound policymaking, efficient markets and public understanding regarding energy and its interaction with the economy and the environment.<br/><br/>Children's Home Energy begins in a friendly in a way that even I could understand<br/><br/>The sun has produced energy for billions of years. Solar energy is the sun's rays (solar radiation) that reach the Earth.<br/><br/>Some of this solar energy is converted into heat, which is used to heat water and interior construction.<br/><br/>So far, so good.<br/><br/>Solar energy can be converted to electricity in two ways<br/><br/>Photovoltaic (PV devices) or solar cells - change sunlight directly into electricity. Photovoltaic systems are often used in remote locations not connected to the mains. They are also used for watches, calculators, and lighted signs roads.<br/>Solar Power Plants - indirectly generate electricity when the heat from solar thermal collectors to heat a fluid which produces steam that is used for power generation. Of the 15 units known solar electric generating operating in the United States in late 2006, 10 of them are in California, and 5 in Arizona. No statistics are being collected on solar plants that produce less than 1 megawatt of electricity, which can be small solar power plants in a number of other states.<br/><br/>With childlike wonder, I pressed further, wanting to learn energy efficiency, renewable solar energy can help reduce fossil fuel generated electricity (half of which comes from burning coal, which in turn creates the 104 tons of mercury each year we have the pleasure of breathing, eating and drinking).<br/><br/>So they dug in Section Photovoltaic. Without warning or adequate disclosure, the boy Energy page sent me back to college for a doctorate in electronics. (Guys Seriously, do you really think your kid's page is kid-friendly)<br/><br/>With quick search on Google, I found an online university and enrolled, studied day and night for four weeks, I have my doctorate, and now I'm happy to give this kid-friendly explanation of solar energy.<br/><br/>We will shed light on the PV and the three types of solar power plants.<br/><br/>Photovoltaic Solar Energy<br/><br/>Photovoltaics is the conversion of sunlight into electricity. A photovoltaic cell, commonly called a solar cell or photovoltaic technology is used to convert solar energy directly into electrical energy. The solar cell is a nonmechanical device usually made from silicon alloys.<br/><br/>Sunlight has photons. Photons have energy. The solar cell crashed by photons and absorbs some of them. Other bounce right off, such as basketballs or pass through as ghosts.The absorbed photons hit electrons out of place. The electrons are the things that electricity is made. The electron bubble to the surface of solar cell.This movement to the surface creates an imbalance. When connecting a cable from the solar cell to an external battery, you create a path that electrons follow. That flow is battery power.<br/><br/>A single solar cell will power the calculator and curiosity, but not much else. In 1 or 2 watts, it is necessary to connect a lot together to get some real juice flow. This is known as a matrix, and can include as many cells as you can afford. Certainly, a case the more you spend, the more you save.<br/><br/>No Stick It Where the sun do not shine<br/><br/>Sunlight is constant - the clouds and fog are not. Weather conditions have a significant effect on the amount of solar energy received by a photovoltaic generator, and turn performance. PV modules most current technology are about 10 percent efficiency in converting sunlight. Further research is underway to increase this efficiency to 20 percent.<br/><br/>AC DC Conversion<br/><br/>The battery includes direct current (DC). You need to alternating current (AC) flowing through the light fixtures. Solid state devices called inverters convert DC power to AC. Problem solved.<br/><br/>Summary of Energy Photovoltaics, or solar photovoltaic cells absorb the slings and arrows of outrageous photons from the sun, which pushes the electrons to the cell surface, where the shops making it flow through a wire to a battery. To break with the investor to make usable energy from the battery. However, the 10% efficiency, which suck big in poorly lit areas constantly, as in Sweden in November to January, when almost dark and light your way with grease seal candles and lamps Ikea accent.<br/><br/>The next step, children (and I'll keep it friendly)<br/><br/>Solar thermal power plants<br/><br/>Solar thermal power plants use the sun's rays to heat a fluid that is put into the water and turns into steam. The steam drives a turbine that drives a conventional generator which generates electricity. Solar thermal power generation works essentially the same as that from fossil fuels, except that instead of using the steam produced by burning fossil fuels, steam is produced by the heat collected from sunlight. Solar thermal technologies use concentrator systems due to the high temperatures needed to heat the fluid.<br/><br/>In short, replace fossil fuels with solar energy to run the turbines that generate electricity.<br/><br/>The three main types of solar thermal systems are<br/><br/>1. parabolic trough<br/>2. solar disk, and<br/>3. solar tower<br/><br/><br/>Parabolic trough<br/><br/>The most common type of solar power plant, parabolic trough collectors are used in most solar energy installation in the world located in the Mojave Desert at Kramer Junction, California. This facility has operated since the early 1980 and represents the majority of solar electricity produced by the power sector today.<br/><br/>A parabola is U-shaped The parabolic trough is like a magnifying glass it takes sunlight and focuses it a point to warm it. That point is in a tower, surrounded by all the parabolic trough. The place is heated to 400 degrees Celsius. The parable can follow the movement of the sun during the day in order to maximize sunlight.<br/><br/>The place is filled with heated fluid. This fluid flows to heat water and generate steam. The steam drives a turbine that drives a conventional generator which generates electricity. The liquid to cool slightly and returned to the point of the tower to be heated to 400 degrees.<br/><br/>The plant is usually designed to operate at full rated power using solar energy alone given sufficient solar energy. However, all plants are hybrid plants solar fossil with a capacity of fossil fuels that can be used to supplement solar radiation during periods of low solar energy. This goes against the purpose of generating renewable energy, but scientists think they know what they are doing.<br/><br/>The solar dishes<br/><br/>A solar dish engine system utilizes the concentration of solar collectors that track the sun in two axes, concentrating the energy at the focal point of the dish (the box, which protrudes from the center of it) as always is pointed at the sun.<br/><br/>Solar antenna ratio of concentration is much greater than the solar trough, typically over 2,000, with a working fluid temperature over 750 degrees Celsius. The power generating equipment used with a solar disk can be mounted at the focal point of the antenna, making it suitable for remote operations or, as in the parabolic trough, power can be gleaned from a series of facilities and electricity becomes a central point.<br/><br/>The engine in a solar dish engine system converts heat into mechanical energy by compressing the working fluid when it is cold, heating the compressed working fluid, and then expanding the fluid through a turbine or a piston to produce work . The engine is mated to an electric generator to convert mechanical energy into electrical energy.<br/><br/>Solar Power Tower<br/><br/>A solar power tower or central receiver generates electricity from sunlight by focusing concentrated solar energy in a heat exchanger mounted on the tower (the receiver).<br/><br/>This system uses hundreds of thousands of flat sun-tracking mirrors called heliostats to reflect and concentrate the sun's energy onto a central receiver tower. The energy can be concentrated up to 1,500 times the energy from the sun. The thermal energy loss energy transport are minimized solar energy is directly transferred by reflection from the heliostats to a single receiver, rather than being moved through a transfer medium to a central location, like parabolic trough. Power towers must be large to be profitable. This is a promising technology for large power plants connected to the network. Though power towers are in the early stages of development compared with the technology of parabolic trough collectors, a number of laboratories have been built worldwide.<br/><br/>What we learned today<br/><br/>We learned that solar energy can be used to heat water and interior.<br/><br/>Then we learned that solar energy can be converted into electricity using photovoltaic cells and solar thermal power plants. Photovoltaic cells take in photons, pushing aside the electrons. Electrons, seeking a new home, travel en masse through a cable to the new land called the battery. Solar thermal power plants work by focusing sunlight to heat a fluid and the liquid converts water into steam, which runs a turbine, the turbine is the engine to run an electric generator.<br/><br/>And most importantly, we learned that no matter what the label something as being designed for children, does not mean that it is. I think we should call the Department of Commerce for enforcing the Truth in labeling with the Department of Energy's Energy kid's page, one of the most hostile websites for children known as humanity. And now I'm going downtown to file a claim for reimbursement of my tuition expensive line of the thesis I had to just understand this page Children of Energy.</p>viechuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14199790489024389348noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1497548683589567156.post-36568666907549839612011-09-23T10:20:00.000-07:002012-06-26T05:16:38.706-07:00Ghana Ready For the Upcoming Oil Boom<p style="text-align: justify;">The traditional wisdom in African proverbs is beyond compare. Listen to this common one If you see your neighbor's beard in flame, you must quickly run and fetch water near your own.<br/><br/>Ghana is a blessed country in the true sense of the word! Ghana is a very fortunate nation not only in Africa but on the entire planet Earth. In fact, nature is so kind to Ghana that everyday the benevolence and the benediction of the Divine Intelligence are always pouring on her like showers from the heavens. The whole of Ghana is like the Garden of Eden. Delicious fruits, magnificent flowers, beautiful birds, singing melodious tunes in praise of the Creator from dawn to dusk non-stop. It is a land of queens and kings majestically dancing in palanquins from January to December. Ao! Ghana is a country every human being must visit at least once in one's life!<br/><br/>The only sad thing about Ghana is that, some times, Ghanaians themselves do not seem to appreciate these blessings, let alone place any premium on them. Otherwise, how on earth will any citizen of Ghana dream of walking from Africa through the Sahara desert en route to Europe Another African proverb admonishes us When the treasure is in the sitting room, you don't need to go to the bedroom looking for it there.<br/><br/>Ghana is also a very smart country in Africa indeed! In June 2007, when Ghana was at the zenith of her Golden Jubilee Celebrations, God sent his angel to bring a special message to the people of Ghana. That message was simple. The Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) and its partners including Kosmos Energy of the US and Tullow Oil of the UK broke the news of the discovery of oil in commercial quantities in the offshore TanWest Cape Three Points Basin in the Western Region of our beloved country.<br/><br/>Strategies<br/><br/>From the day the oil discovery message was delivered to the number one citizen of the land, in the person of President J.A.Kufuor at the Castle, Osu in Accra, the Government and people of Ghana have never gone to bed to sleep. In other words, Ghanaians are not sitting on the fence with their arms in their laps with their mouths gaped towards the blue skies waiting for the honey to drip onto their tongues. (Kpaooo! Daaabida! Waalaaii)!<br/><br/>Ghana Government has ever since embarked on some public education strategies such as campaigns, seminars, fora, symposia, newspaper adverts etc. to alert the citizenry about the discovery of oil and what Government was doing and what was expected of every citizen so that the oil find becomes a blessing and not a curse as is the case in some neigbouring countries in the West Africa sub-region.<br/><br/>In fact a high-powered ministerial committee under the chairmanship of the Chief Advisor to the President at the office of the President was set up to supervise the activities of the oil exploration in the country. Other ministries of that committee include Finance and Economic Planning, Local Government, Rural Development & Environment, Defense, Attorney General's Department, Fisheries and Harbours and Railways. Besides this committee which is advisory in nature, there is also a technical committee made up of experts from various sectors of the economy including GNPC, Environmental Protection Agency, and Council for Scientific and Industrial Research Institute, the Ghana Navy, the Internal Revenue Service and so on.<br/><br/>The first major event Government embarked upon in this regard was what was dubbed, the broad-based consultative initiative on Ghana's oil and gas industry forum. This maiden forum was officially opened by President Kufuor at the Ghana Institute of Public Administration (GIMPA) on Monday, February 25, 2008, Accra.<br/><br/>Conscious of the fact that Ghana is novice in oil and gas industry, experts were invited from all over the world including Mr Erik Solheim, Minister for Environment and International Development from Norway, to share their experiences with Ghana. A Ghanaian proverb says, Wisdom is like a baobab tree, one person cannot embrace it. And another famous Adinkra symbol of Ghana places value on knowledge so much so that it says A person who does not know can learn to know. As a matter of fact, the African University College of Communications, (AUCC) founded by a very simple and humble but wise son of Ghana, in the person of Mr Kojo Yankah has adopted the above-stated symbols as the emblem of the AUCC.<br/><br/>On Saturday, 19th July 2008, this writer happened to have witnessed the graduation ceremony of that University at their new City Campus at Adabaraka in the heart of Accra. And I bet you, reader, besides the founder of that University, the original African brains with unadulterated African wisdom behind it, you don't need to be an astrologer like the three wise men of the Christian Bible from the East, to see the star and foretell that an African saviour has been born in Ghana, (not in Israel) to deliver Africans from a mental slavery. The Creator made sure that everything needed to develop scientifically and technologically is right here in Ghana and Africa. (Sorry for the digression.)<br/><br/>As I was saying, since the announcement of oil discovery in Ghana, Government has not been sitting down for manna to fall from heaven for Ghanaians. At the first oil and gas forum, it came to light that petroleum exploration activities actually started as far back as in the 1890s in the Half Assini area in the same Western Region of Ghana. Records show that there was a small production in the offshore Half Assini area just at the beginning of the World War II. Then in the early 1970s, during the Busia regime, the Saltpond field was also discovered but did not prove commercial enough. In spite of this, it was not abandoned and it is currently producing 600 barrels of oil per day. This was President Kufuor speaking at that oil and gas forum at GIMPA.<br/><br/>After that forum, the Oil and Gas Ministerial and Technical Committees had embarked on nation-wide tours where similar workshops were held in all the ten regions of Ghana, collating and collecting people's views and opinions as to how Ghana must manage the oil in order to make life prosperous for every Ghanaian citizen regardless of socio-economic, political and cultural status and geographical locations.<br/><br/>I remember vividly that at one of the fora held at Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region or so, someone was reported to have suggested that a special Oil Fund should be established for the welfare of the indigenous people on whose land the oil was discovered. That a special package must be prepared for them; their children and children's children so that their eyes shall see poverty but their feet shall never step in the land of the poor souls for ever and ever. (Do I hear somebody say Amen ) This strategy of listening to ordinary down trodden views to be embodied in a National Oil and Gas Policy for Ghana is commendable to say the least. This explains why this writer thinks that Ghana is a very smart country. This gesture on the part of Government is one of the fruits of democracy and good governance. Wo mpe woyiaa, wope den To wit - if you don't like this, what do you want - Common Ghanaian idiom!<br/><br/>Frankly, what actually motivated this author to write this piece was the fact that, besides those official workshops and seminars, which Ghanaians adore and enjoy to the brim, the Management of the Ghana Petroleum Corporation has been serialising a very comprehensive and educative document in the national dailies, namely, the Daily Graphic and the Ghanaian Times for some time now. I find these pull-outs on the oil industry titled THE UPSTREAM PETROLEUM INDUSTRY IN GHANA - Oil and Gas Exploration, Development and Production, very, very, timely and fantastic indeed!<br/><br/>With this educational material, anybody, especially a journalist or media practitioner who is desirous of writing about the oil and gas industry can educate himself or herself so as to communicate intelligibly about this highly scientific and technological sector of the economy. For instance, it is through this document that this writer got to know the basic difference between Upstream and Downstream Petroleum Industries. Upstream Petroleum Industry simply involves the Exploration, Development and Production of petroleum resources whilst when you talk of Downstream, you are referring to the refiningprocessing and distribution of petroleum products. All of these measures are indicative of Ghana's readiness for the forthcoming oil boom in the country.<br/>Rewrite<br/></p>viechuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14199790489024389348noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1497548683589567156.post-85392677303548788272011-09-22T17:21:00.000-07:002012-06-26T05:16:38.706-07:00How to benefit from Lance helped me learn the basics of SEO<p style="text-align: justify;">I'm a bit of myself as an amateur willing to try anything I can get my hands on. This past month I have tried to create my own web blog to publish some of my thoughts and outputs as well. I learned that I can make something of it and some people have earned as much as $ 1,000 per month from a single advertiser. But a few months after I first created my blog, I have grown quite frustrated because my blog was really as dry as the Sahara desert. It's as if nobody is interested in reading it at all.<br/><br/>Then I found something called SEO or Search Engine Optimization. It is a process that aims to increase website traffic search engines. If the site appears high in the pages of the results will be more likely to increase the volume of visitors.<br/><br/>I was very excited, but unfortunately, I have no idea how it works and how I can use SEO to increase the number of real human beings visiting my site every day. I found aa site that promises to give me the training they need to learn internet marketing. Although not usually join sites like this, I was curious and desperate enough to try. I have to say, I never once regretted the move.<br/><br/>The site is called profit lance. It is a system of income on the Internet, but what difference is that they have never given his word to the promises that can not meet. The site promised me that you will learn how to maximize my site for showing that the market and based on checks that I have been receiving monthly from my advertisers, I have to say that it is successful.<br/><br/>How I can do to benefit the Lance training anyway<br/><br/>Once you are a member of this site, you can access the numerous resources and updated, it will really be useful in their decision-making. They have a lot of e-books and videos that serves as a manual and at the same time, they have tools that can be done to see if you actually learned all the lessons. Unlike when you have to go to a university in the city has to appear on certain days and time of your class, you can continue where you left off at a time that is convenient for you.<br/><br/>Although I am not an expert on the subject, I can say now that I have the basics of search engine optimization. I feel that I am more effective after they learned, the more money and checks coming does not hurt either.</p>viechuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14199790489024389348noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1497548683589567156.post-40591533800618399352011-09-22T10:02:00.001-07:002012-06-26T05:16:38.706-07:00Against this [Chapter 1 and 2and a poem]<p style="text-align: justify;">Harvest of Bavaria<br/>[Augsburg, Germany]<br/><br/>Charming rivers, fertile land with the decline;<br/><br/>Its picturesque cathedral, misty weather;<br/><br/>Its citadel worn watches - Bavaria time;<br/><br/>The city is a source of real design;<br/><br/>Its ancient walls, thick Roman origin;<br/><br/>Their houses of pleasure, with tinge of red lights;<br/><br/>Its cemetery, where we all put in the time;<br/><br/>Your beauty lost and hidden indefinitely.<br/><br/>Their schnitzel houses, guest houses + of beer;<br/><br/>Its rural collectors used old potatoes.<br/><br/>(Ah, Augsburg Ay, yo! Its texture, its coverage.)<br/><br/>His festival tents, with birch taste -<br/><br/>I feel your medieval songs, his golden harvest<br/><br/>Past, but still present in my soul.<br/><br/>Originally published in the book<br/>The other door,<br/>Poetic Exhortations , © l980 by dlsiluk<br/><br/>Looking East<br/><br/>1<br/><br/>In the beginning<br/><br/>[Augsburg, Germany, l970] was an unsettling moment, back in the late 60's and early 70's the Vietnam War was going on, like the interior of the warhead Rolande, slowly end. Love has a name in my story, although it has side effects, both for those involved. Love as we knew it was the wealth that gave us, so it was worth at that time, the two think they forgot to look at ourselves, it was important to seize the moment by our own personal reasons, or profits. It was perhaps what he wanted, however, necessary, and maybe that was the best combination of the whole thing. Perhaps this was an issue, yes, that's exactly what it was, more than one issue, yup. But I prefer living in the river of truth, and placing it in the space between two people as growing pains. She was twenty years old, was twenty years.<br/><br/>2<br/><br/>A vision of<br/><br/>East<br/><br/>(Christopher Chavez) The street was narrow - an army compound, with its imposing concrete wall, in western Germany, towered above my head, while walking along the narrow sidewalk if you are serious about walking - and in the distance we could see the emerging city as it began to circle. Towards the end were the guard towers, trees, and streets. At night, while returning home along this walk, the lights always seemed to be crooked, but then I was rarely sober.<br/><br/>Until the great wall arose, the compound is completely hidden, so until then the element of surprise was maintained. New recruits, assigned to the military base rarely dare to look over this point of view the long side of the compound in the fear of not finding their way back, I think. They were young and mostly decoded, his contempt for being in this foreign land and the city of Augsburg, and even to be assigned to a compound of small and Reese had no limits on deception.<br/><br/>The water tower at the rear of the compound could see over the concrete walls could be big as some of the trees as he walked steadily along the side of the tower wall is on the street as the VW and Mercedes happened to me. Very knife thought in any case - for surely the Second World War, the Nazis could have used, in part, by espionage, but the more I think, I guess they use more sophisticated means, and spy on them, it<br/><br/>The area around the complex had a kind of Gothic look, medieval, not like the barracks inside the enclosure. Green barracks and patched with red and brown there was a dull and rustic feeling, if not a flat affect in the mind. I never liked the colors, but I'm not a fan of decorating anyway, it will.<br/><br/>His countless windows with iron and rotting wood had never seen a new defense against any new war of the 60 or 70 years because I am sure that their painful memories of the Nazi era fill their spaces. On the four sides of the cabin doors were so heavy as the doors of the church in Augsburg, in the center of the city is with its iron parts, like an old fire escape. This iron went to the top and bottom of the doors.<br/><br/>The rooms were small men, four to a room, and in some, two men to a room, and, if part of the Force Security Police, as I am, one to one room but the room was like a prison cell one could say that it was a fine site, not more than 12 feet long and six feet wide. Thank God it was not claustrophobic.<br/><br/>There were rooms above this three-story barracks, full of stairs on each side of the building, and in the middle of it, as if he were to exercise constant [therefore, which means to make the soldiers running].<br/><br/>The windows were dark at night, just a lifeless light could be seen from a distance, our sergeant test bed could be seen walking through the steps alone on the night with his flashlight to check each room and see what was missing from the twelve midnight. He was a stupid one, who loved to put people in the ass as they walked down the stairs, I often said to myself, 'No, do not you dare. I think he read my mind, the son of a bitch who never played me.<br/><br/>Now that I think, looking back at the building over the wall, you could think of a Peeping Tom, looking out the windows and see the glow of light on the stairs leading to second floor, one can somehow crazy old image with a toothless mouth, looking through the door as a guard in a prison cell to think about escape.<br/><br/>As I continued walking down the street, smoking a cigarette, walked along the wall, I walk almost every day, my mind will produce these visions, I went ahead with the enthusiasm that he knew he would be ahead Me just the excitement of a privet like me, there is nothing to wake the dead. The bar scene is coming, the good German dark beer, girls, and some friends can be in one of the bars, that was my excitement. I knew that walking, not hide in the room damn I survive this adventure, solitude, suffering, sometimes, I'd get there, and the night began, which would make me focus on the here and now not fuck life in the Army.<br/><br/>And I did just that, kept walking, looking forward, ever closer to reaching my life adventure of the night.<br/><br/>The very air seemed fresher over me now that I had left the compound with its military madness. I find there ski gall, or be there, most likely there in the guest house, ie, several blocks northeast of the compound. He just put up with military service, his head was somewhere else always seemed to me, wondering why he was here, right here at Reese [ie the military complex] Germany, I guess! I thought the way of acting was as if in some expensive vacation, is separated from the royal army, mentally anyway - as the Army of the Navy.<br/><br/>As I looked at my watch, I realized I was making good time, I do when I talk to myself. Now I was away from the big walls of my assigned military complex, my home away from home, out of sight, out of mind. This is how a recruit thinks that I think. Or I wonder if they just act the way I think people expected to act sometimes just do not know. It seemed that half the people in the Army he joined the Army, not knowing why, but the other half as I was drafted. You know that those who come to college, or married before l965, a court date someone came to him. They have all these rules so they can find out who is expendable and who is not. I was one who was expendable guess. But so was Elvis, everyone here seems to like, which are the Germans in particular. I think the U.S. Government Elvis tried to get rid of so they could return to the old forms of music and thought, was certainly a rebel of his time, and if someone changed America, it was him. It is established now something I heard.<br/><br/>I can see the guest house from now where I am now catching crosses beamed through the sides of the guesthouse as an x-neglected, always looks so medieval fort, and on the sides and the front of the property is the path that seems deserted, however, only 800 pm, at the beginning of the nightlife, just wait, it will soon swing Christopher ...</p>viechuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14199790489024389348noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1497548683589567156.post-2903593087338476492011-09-22T10:02:00.000-07:002012-06-26T05:16:38.706-07:00Another way of understanding the most important parenting tip of all<p style="text-align: justify;">The most important parenting tip not drain your wallet, but is expensive.<br/><br/>It takes years of parental education, but is actually quite instinctive.<br/><br/>The most important parenting tip is simple, but profound. You can start using it today and expect almost immediate results.<br/><br/>After more than two decades of experience as a parent, I can say that the most important parenting tip I have discovered is simply "being there". "Being there" has become my most fundamental concept of parenting.<br/><br/>- Be there when ... are just babies and need to be embraced for the umpteenth time in a day.<br/><br/>- Be there ... then they are young children and the need to read a book of them, calmly, so they can settle into bed.<br/><br/>- Be there ... when preschoolers and fall down the slide on the playground.<br/><br/>- Be there ... when they are in elementary school and his three best friends desert them at once.<br/><br/>- Be there ... when they are in middle school and some the damage can not fix themselves.<br/><br/>- Be there ... when they are teenagers and need to talk at 10 pm three nights a week.<br/><br/>- Be there ... when they are college age, and sometimes just listen to mom or dad's voice, because nothing goes as planned.<br/><br/>Just being there.<br/><br/>Being there physically, mentally, emotionally, financially, spiritually, and relational.<br/><br/>Be there because it works.<br/><br/>A word of warning about this parenting tip. Your children can tell when you're "being there" with them or when their attention is wandering. If you need to be doing something else, then I say, and do it. But when you're with them, be with them. The child who feels he or she is special enough to be important for at least a human being is a child who grows well established and secure in a stable environment. (For more tips for parents on the basis of "being there", see the resource box following this article.)<br/><br/>Being there is a costly strategy in a world distracted. Your children and you know your time is valuable and that says a lot about them when they see that you put aside your own needs and give their time and their own place.<br/><br/>And please, I'm not talking about spoiling your child. This is not to give each of its demand for attention, time or money. Not at all.<br/><br/>I'm talking to assume its responsibilities as a parent. Even when it is inconvenient. Even when you're tired. Especially when it means sacrifice.<br/><br/>I'm talking about doing the right thing.<br/><br/>That's another way of understanding the most important parenting tip of all.<br/><br/><br/><br/><br/></p>viechuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14199790489024389348noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1497548683589567156.post-23887958544790361292011-09-21T22:19:00.001-07:002012-06-26T05:16:38.706-07:00How Can We Re-Train Americans If We Are Cutting 100s of Classes in Our
Community Colleges<p style="text-align: justify;">BWhat if you can't get the continuing education classes, units, or credits you need, or are required to get, keep, or advance in your job This is beginning to become a real dilemma indeed, and a growing and vexing problem. I think by now we've all seen that famous YouTube video; Did You Know In that video it paints a picture of the present and the future as our society speeds forward into the information age. Many of the jobs that people once held for 20 or 30 years, have become obsolete in the last decade, with many more to follow in the next 5 to 10 years.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">There was an interesting article recently in our local community college newspaper The Chaparral not too long ago (May 16, 2011 edition) - the article was a very well-written and brilliant piece by Erik Jenkins, Jr. (section editor) titled; Students, Faculty, Brace for Drastic Budget Cuts at COD - 300 More Classes Cut, Adjunct Professors Laid Off, and Administrators Fired as College of the Desert Finds Way to Make Up for Massive Budget Shortfall - and the article stated that the college was raising tuition, cutting 300 classes, laying off teachers, and the waiting lists are long.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">The local college will have to cut at minimum $1.8 million to $2 million and it could be as high as $5.5 million. Indeed, I wanted to follow up on this and some of the Starbucks employees I talked to are also part-time students and they can't get all the classes they need to graduate on time and transfer to a 4-year college. Now then, this begs the question which must be answered;</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">How can we on one hand say that we must re-train our workforce for the new jobs of this century, while we are cutting classes left and right, and preventing folks both students and continuing education adults from taking the instruction needed to get a stable and decent job If unemployment is truly our main consideration in our society, and if we really believe that we need to retrain our workforce, then we need to make sure that the institutions which help with retraining are alive and strong. Tearing them down now will have repercussions for decades to come.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">We cannot retrain Americans if we are cutting hundreds of classes at all of the community colleges throughout our country. We cannot retrain Americans if our federal regulatory agencies are attacking pay for colleges or cutting them off from student loans. We need to rethink our strategy here because whatever it is that we claim that we are for, we obviously are not following that up with action. Indeed I hope you will please consider all this and think on it.</p>viechuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14199790489024389348noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1497548683589567156.post-56392890948661742712011-09-21T22:19:00.000-07:002012-06-26T05:16:38.706-07:00Holy Faith, Santa Fe - History and Applications of the Name<p style="text-align: justify;">Over 50 geographic sites or features worldwide are called by the phrase holy faith Santa Fe. The same name also appears in historical expeditions, music, movies, books, churches, and even on naval ships. Some applications of the name have become famous landmarks, while others leave one wondering if the user gave any thought to the meaning of the phrase. The majority of the usage occurs in North and South America and is the result of local language interpretation of the religion of Catholic settlers and conquistadors. The Portuguese and Spanish languages render the name as Saint Faith, while the French version is Sainte-Foy.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">Famous Places</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">o The Church of the Holy Faith, Santa Fe, stands in the city it is named after in New Mexico, USA. The church has been a landmark of the city for over 130 years and is a part of the Episcopal Diocese of the Rio Grande.<br/>o Disneyland Resort Paris opened a hotel of the name in France in 1992 that features Pueblo design and landscaping to recreate the desert Southwest.<br/>o Located in Mexico City is a major business district bearing the name. It features the largest shopping mall in Mexico and three college campuses in addition to numerous high rise office buildings.<br/>o A province and capital city so named in Argentina has experienced recent steady economic growth due to its suitability for growing soybeans. It is also the location of a major Argentinean sea port.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">Historical Uses</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">o San Diego, California, originally called its bus and train depot holy faith, Santa Fe Depot. It was rededicated in 1919 with the well-known name Union Station.<br/>o Both the United States and Argentina have commissioned multiple naval vessels bearing the name. One such US ship saw extensive action in the Pacific during World War II, and an Argentine vessel was captured during the Falklands War by the British.<br/>o The years 1940, 1951 and 1955 saw American movie releases under the name and starring some of the most famous Western actors of the time including Randolph Scott.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">Odd Applications</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">o If the name means holy faith, Santa Fe is an odd title for a nude photo book. Apparently, Rie Miyazawa didn't think so when she released her pictorial.<br/>o A tobacco company of the name produces Natural American Spirit cigarettes. Certain American groups have lobbied to stop the use of the cigarette brand because some people misunderstand natural as meaning healthier, which we know cigarettes are not.<br/>o A Cuban band bearing the name performed on Spain's Mision Eurovision contest. Ironically, the leader is a rap artist, and one of the band's most well-known songs is Fruto Prohibido, or Forbidden Fruit, about passion and sex.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">Gary Pearson is an accomplished niche website developer and author.</p>viechuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14199790489024389348noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1497548683589567156.post-10756249335195675132011-09-21T17:56:00.000-07:002012-06-26T05:16:38.706-07:00101 Tips to save money for your wedding<p style="text-align: justify;">Congratulations! You are engaged! Planning a wedding can and should be a joyous fun event. However, the effort of planning and budgeting can make even the calmest bride a little crazy. Sure, you want a beautiful wedding, unforgettable, but maybe you can not afford to splurge on every detail. The following are some tips to save money and help your wedding budget.<br/><br/>Categories<br/><br/>A. Food<br/><br/>1. Use expensive ingredients like lobster and shrimp hors d'oeuvres rather than main course.<br/>2. How does it affect the price dinner is served. French service and regular service of the board are more expensive options. They offer family-style meals or buffet style dinner for cost savings.<br/>3. Consider breakfast, brunch, lunch, snack or cocktail reception style. They are shorter in length and the fare is lighter and less expensive. With the exception of a cocktail reception, guests tend to drink less, early in the day.<br/>4. Ask your provider for seasonal dishes. Order dishes that use ingredients that are in season, not only save you money, but will also be fresher and taste better too.<br/>5. Check with your provider if there is a price guarantee. You want to make sure the price you sign today will not increase if the price of certain foods increases.<br/>6. Consider a signature drink, or create a specialty drink (s) and serve instead of having an open bar. The cost of having a full bar can be quite expensive.<br/>7. Limit choices of alcohol to wine and beer, which will satisfy most guests. Limit little champagne to toast the bride and groom first.<br/>8. Instead of buying wine through its provider reception room, consider buying in bulk wine. Many companies offer discounts on large number of cases purchased. Some wines are available in magnum size, which reduces the cost per ounce of wine. If you decide to buy your own wine, talk to the provider the amount of the corkage fee is, but it is likely that even with the corkage fee, you will pay much less to buy wine directly from your provider.<br/>9. If the lease allows it, shop around for a local baker. Your provider can charge a cake cutting in this way, but it is more likely to spend much less in general. If the food service does not allow it, do not take the additional option of the desert and serve only black coffee and cake for dessert.<br/>10. There are several options to save on costs of cake. You can order a small cake, with an elaborate ornament cake cutting and a second sheet cake is cut in the kitchen for the guests. Or, only enough cake for the guests, with large sections on the bottom ice cream made from Styrofoam. (No one will notice the difference, and you have the tall cake for photos!)<br/><br/><br/>B. Flowers<br/><br/>1. While the most popular wedding flowers are available year-round, some are seasonal. Talk to your florist in cost savings options in the season. It will be very expensive (and possibly hard to find) if you need a flower arrangement that is in season.<br/>2. Make your flowers do double duty. Design parts to the ceremony can also be used in the reception tables.<br/>3. No economic Mix floral decorations with flowers and bouquets to fill centerpieces. Check with your florist as to what is available and look better with flowers.<br/>4. Think simple. If you want a fancy bouquet, maybe your bridesmaids can have something simple - like a rose or a few daisies tied with a simple loop.<br/>5. Instead of floral arrangements on reception tables, group is in favor of a tower at the tables. With so many options for packaging very available, surely you can design a centerpiece to remember.<br/>6. Candles single column or an array of votive candles projects a feeling of calm, peace in the tables. Check with your reception hall first though - some ordinances do not allow candles because of fire safety.<br/>7. If you have a friend who has a talent for crafts and decoration, you can make it go to a local market on the day of the wedding and hand selecting seasonal flowers and the arrangements for you.<br/>8. If you are planning on using rose petals for your wedding, consider using freeze-dried petals (which are the real thing) or high quality silk rose petals. Either of the two options that will save you money - and last longer than fresh rose petals. Both keeping a possible slip and fall (real rose petals are slippery) and non-staining.<br/>9. Do not overlook standbys flowers such as carnations and daisies. They are available all year round, are usually very affordable and, when he organized a group of beautiful appearance.<br/>10. Bulbs in a transparent vase hurricane stones can provide for an elegant central. This is something you can do with a little advance planning<br/><br/><br/>C. Ceremony<br/><br/>1. Instead of hiring a band quartet, harpist or string to play at the ceremony, to see if they allow pre-recorded music.<br/>2. Ceremony programs are not always necessary, some couples without.<br/>3. If you want a ceremony program, print your own or have a calligrapher only cover design and print the inside pages and attach yourself.<br/>4. Check with the place of the ceremony that the decorations (if any) that will at the time of their wedding. Depending on the season and the area - who already have decorations in use (as a church during the Christmas season)<br/>5. Ask your flower girl throw silk rose petals instead of the real. This will save on costs, is less slippery and easier to clean.<br/>6. Decorations aisle or bank are not required for the whole church or place - only used to reserve seats for important guests in the front of the location.<br/>7. Rate ceremony location. If you are not married in a traditional religious environment, shop around for prices. A yard or park setting can be as romantic and cost less.<br/>8. If you're hiring an officiant, get several estimates. If you like an officiant, in particular, to see if you can negotiate prices.<br/>9. For his quest for votes around the quote and love poem sites to inspire you. Writing your own vows rather than hiring someone to do it.<br/>10. See if your reception room or area can accommodate a ceremony as well. You can save on transportation costs and decorations can be moved quickly and easily to the ceremony to reception site.<br/><br/><br/>D. Music<br/><br/>1. Instead of hiring musicians separately for the ceremony and reception, to see if they can accommodate.<br/>2. DJ may be less expensive than bands. You will be able to have different styles of music - something that few bands can not be duplicated as a real DJ.<br/>3. Check out local cover bands. Although not your typical wedding band, cover bands are doing covers, and can perform as well as a more expensive wedding ring traditional.<br/>4. Look at the local high school or college bands. You may be able to make a great discovery - both in price and musical style.<br/>5. Look for DJs who are new to the market. Beginners usually start with new equipment such as computers and digital music devices - which have hundreds and thousands of songs. If you do not have their songs, you can find it for you. Beginners will also offer better rates than more established businesses DJ.<br/>6. Auditions - or choose the lot, or make an offer to play in the event.<br/>7. If the reception area has the ability - to use your stereo. Many stereos these days will play through dozens of CDs in a row for the music lasts for hours. Make CDs of recorded music and simply press play. An alternative is to make playlists on MP3 device and just connect the player to the sound device. However, this requires a little maintenance during receipt, so be sure to designate someone to perform this task.<br/>8. Check local ads and magazines girlfriend. Some companies offer discounts and bands.<br/>9. Consult the reception site, some have DJs or bands to work with and offer packages.<br/>10. References from friends and family. Maybe you do not personally know a band or DJ, but maybe not someone you know. Ask around, you can get a reference and a price of family and friends.<br/><br/><br/>E. Transport<br/><br/>1. When hiring a limousine company check local newspapers and magazines. Many companies offer discounts.<br/>2. Ask if they have wedding packages. Many limousine companies with standard packages that include limo for a certain number of hours, red carpet service, champagne and or drinks.<br/>3. Some companies may offer cheaper rates in low season and on Sundays. Limo companies can often book all or most of their limousines for Friday and Saturday nights, and therefore can not offer discounts on those days.<br/>4. Skip the Bentley or horse-drawn carriage. Ensure that they be capricious, but if you're looking to reduce costs, there are two things you can live without it.<br/>5. If you are looking for drinking, while with the driver and to see if you can bring your own liquor or wine of Champagne. Purchase through the limousine company more than likely be more expensive to bring their own drinks.<br/>6. Using a personal vehicle to and from the desk and ask a friend to drive.<br/>7. Do not buy the limo for the day. Payment of Fees per hour of waiting for hours limo driver is not only expensive - but it is a waste of your wedding budget. The contract to go to the ceremony will take you to the location shoot, and leaves you at the reception. If necessary, can arrange to pick you up after the reception in a sleek black car.<br/>8. Before signing with a company, review the contract of their overtime rates. Make sure you stick within the time purchased, or even 15 minutes of extra time can be costly.<br/>9. If you find a great price with a company that is a little out of your area before signing a contract with them to ensure that no extra charge per unit of time to get to and from your event.<br/>10. Decide what type of limousine to fit your wedding without going overboard. If you can go with a smaller limo instead of a stretch of more do so. Or it could be cheaper to fit everyone in a big bus limousine hire several smaller ones.<br/><br/><br/>F. Clothing Accessories Clothing<br/><br/>1. Accessories borrowed friends and family. This can provide your something borrowed<br/>2. Find a designer dress sales, trunk shows and outputs. Browse chain stores, vintage shops, consignment stores and sales of the sample can also provide an economical solution.<br/>3. Consider using her mother's gown. The cost of cleaning and alterations will be much cheaper than buying a new one.<br/>4. Accessories and online comparison-shop. You may hit a good deal.<br/>5. Consider tux rental centers offering free tuxedos to rent, x number of tuxedos.<br/>6. Unless you plan on showing your feet, consider a simple convenient way under her dress. Nobody will notice much on the heels as it slides out of the league.<br/>7. If your wedding is not considered too formal bridesmaid dresses or evening gowns.<br/>8. If you have a design in mind, a local seamstress can often design something similar to fit perfectly with the body without the expensive designer label.<br/>9. If your budget is $ 2,000 then you have to look at the dresses in the $ 1,000 to $ 1,200. You will need the extra money for the rest of their set and alterations, which can be quite expensive.<br/>10. Replica jewelry may seem authentic without the expensive price tag.<br/><br/><br/>G. favors gifts<br/><br/>1. Homemade Favors can be as attractive as store bought favors. Think of sweets, chocolates, soaps and candles.<br/>2. Comparison shop online. If you see a favor or a gift in a store, browse online for the item - with retailers for many out there, you can find a better price.<br/>3. Ask a talented friend to make cookies or other edible favors and treats. Cookies should be baked in a week of service, so if you choose this route, do yourself, chances are you will not have the time to do just before your big day.<br/>4. Favors Purchase left the previous year. Sure you may have seen that the cap of the bottle before, but last year's designs can be a little different than the same favor in a different style package marketed as new to the season. Prices tend to fall into the oldest favors like the new styles are released.<br/>5. Skip the luxury package. Wrap your favors or gifts in a simple and elegant with a tulle, organza, or white on white wrapping paper.<br/>6. Choose wedding gifts wholesale. Maybe you can get them engraved photo frames for the entire party with a quantity discount.<br/>7. Search and settlement or make purchases at retail outlets. If you are thinking of giving an item such as Mikasa crystal, see if there is an outlet in your area.<br/>8. Instead of giving someone a favor, consider a favor per couple. However, if the favor that you are considering is sold as a set, such as mountains, are a game in pairs. The elements laid down must not be split to save costs, after all, you would not go to a store and buy just a shaker or a coaster for you.<br/>9. Limit the bridal party. Attendees only bridal party gifts again have to buy.<br/>10. Scouts free shipping, low price guarantees, discounts and coupons.<br/><br/><br/>H. Invitations Stationary<br/><br/>1. Although invitations are the first thing your guests see, they are probably the last thing I remember. Although the invitations should look and feel good, do not have to cost a fortune.<br/>2. Look at print your own invitations. Many companies sell complete do it yourself invitation kits at a fraction of the cost.<br/>3. Go thermography ink style if you're getting the invitations printed professionally - is a profitable and very popular. Jump in the engraving.<br/>4. Some couples jump on response envelopes - saving costs and expenses of sending the invitation. Rather, ask your guests to make reservations online, by email or by phone.<br/>5. Go to save the date cards. Although quite popular these days, it's just an additional expense. Instead establish a line of wedding free website and announce to your friends and family of the date.<br/>6. Cut the guest list. This will save in many areas - from catering companies, which favors the cost of the invitation. Rather than invite all your co-workers, neighbors and children - only invite those who mean the most to you.<br/>7. In this digital age, most people are online. Jump invitations all together and create an e-card.<br/>8. Perhaps you or a friend are lovers scrapbook - design and make their own invitations. Guests receive an invitation you are one of a kind.<br/>9. Surf the Internet - many shops to work with the same print providers - and some are competitively priced - often saving you 25% or more off the sale price.<br/>10. Postcard invitations is a unique way to invite guests to a destination wedding. In the front, a beautiful beach picture in the back, the details of the wedding. Han RSVP online or by email. You can save on costs of printing and mailing of postcards cost less than a mailing envelope.<br/>11. Colored ink and lined envelope can greatly increase your invitation budget. Black ink on a simple invitation white or cream may seem simple, elegant and classy.<br/><br/><br/>I. Photography Videography<br/><br/>1. Hire a videographer for the ceremony only work through the first dance rather than for the entire wedding.<br/>2. Place disposable cameras on tables wedding reception rather than the photographer take pictures at each table.<br/>3. Consider hiring a photographer who is in his final year at art school or have graduated recently.<br/>4. Some companies offer photography and videography as a complete package. A package can save money instead of hiring two separate companies.<br/>5. Lose fingerprints and digital technology. Proofs costs money - that the photographer does his tests available in digital format, you can save money<br/>6. Go to a photo studio for their engagement photos taken. Some department stores offer photo service, and usually offer coupons or packages.<br/>7. Reduce the number of hours you hire the photographer. Instead of having to run after you while you get your hair and nails, have one of your bridesmaids to do instead.<br/>8. Build your own wedding album. Depending on the photographer and the number of images you can save hundreds to assemble their own albums.<br/>9. Choose a photography package instead of buying separate images. If anything is included that do not necessarily want to see if you can change it for something else.<br/>10. If you have a trusted friend or family member who is good at video editing software and know how to use a video camera, consider letting it take over the wedding video<br/><br/><br/>J. General Planning Tips<br/><br/>1. Fridays, Sundays and weekdays are cheaper for most services. Planning your wedding in those days, if possible. Winter weddings are cheaper than summer.<br/>2. Negotiate, negotiate, negotiate. When you find the service or provider you want, negotiate the best possible price.<br/>3. Give priority to aspects of the wedding are most important to you. By compromising in some areas, can afford to splurge on others.<br/>4. Pay costs with a credit card that earns rewards or frequent flyer miles. Just be sure to pay the bill in full each month, comes in. You can make your honeymoon flight, and maybe even a hotel room, just for using their credit cards for your wedding expenses.<br/>5. Think outside the box. Perhaps your wedding can be held in a non-traditional. Try to think of places that are different, but significant. Gardens, museums, parks, zoo, planetarium, aquarium, an amusement park, 50 retro-style restaurant, although a large yard of a friend could be potential sites.<br/>6. In some states, for a small fee, a person can become a officant wedding. Check your rules of each state.<br/>7. Be realistic in planning a budget. If you are not receiving financial support from your family for your wedding, look to the future. It is a downpayment on a house is more important You're paying a large debt wedding several years ago along with you and your boyfriend<br/>8. Make a list of all the things you, your family or friends can make or do yourself. Perhaps the greatest part of the wedding can be prepared without obtaining professional help.<br/>9. If your wedding is a year or later, start buying the items you have extra money to spend.<br/>10. If you're considering a winter wedding, buying your accessories and other items at the end of the winter season the year before their wedding. Wedding vendors are looking to make way for the elements of the new season, and save yourself some money.<br/>11. Plan ahead, making lists, and keep good records. By writing everything, you know exactly how much you spent, and the amount still needed.</p>viechuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14199790489024389348noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1497548683589567156.post-5595587963588060992011-09-21T17:02:00.000-07:002012-06-26T05:16:38.707-07:00A little information about divorce<p style="text-align: justify;">Divorce is the final dissolution of marriage or termination. In essence, it overrides the responsibilities and obligations between the parties. The legal aspects of the process often include topics such as child support, custody, alimony and property distribution as well. In most countries of the world divorce should be sanctioned by a court or other lawful authority and unless specified, the consent of both parties is necessary.<br/><br/>In the United States, like marriage, is a province of state governments and federal agencies. The purpose of the act is to dissolve the bond between two people who no longer wants to marry and allow them to freely enter into relationships with others. Although laws vary from state to state solution, most require interested people to first enter a pre-separation period, provided that neither party is at fault.<br/><br/>Basically, there are two basic types of separations in the United States lack and without guilt. Most state courts take the types and other details when deciding on the results of the dissolution of marriage.<br/><br/>There are no arrangements or fault occurs when parties need a reason for the dissolution of their marriage. In essence, it just means there was no wrongdoing, such as issues, abuse or neglect on either side. California was the first state to legally recognize the separation does not fail in 1970, with New York is the last in 2010.<br/><br/>In solutions of failure are the cases that are the result of domestic violence, abandonment, or situation. Before the seventies, in the arrangements of failure were the only types and couples who wish to dissolve their legal relationship had no choice but to separate only if not at fault. Mounting a legal defense against a decision calling partner is very difficult and expensive, in fact most lawyers will try only under certain circumstances.<br/><br/>Simple arrangements, summaries is also called, are available for couples who meet the following requirements personal property under a certain threshold, the children do not share, no property or mortgage, and a marriage of less than five years. The simplicity of these situations allow their key issues to be resolved quickly or agreed to in advance. Many times, this arrangement does not even require a lawyer.<br/><br/>According to the National Center for Health Statistics, more than seventy percent of marriage dissolutions are initiated by women. 1998 only slightly higher than sixty-five percent. Before marriage, couples interested in reducing their risk of future problems can statistically overcome the legal separation. College-educated couples have a twenty five percent chance of staying together as partners do to wait until at least twenty years of age to marry. Reduce the chances of another thirty percent if the child is conceived within seven months of the wedding day.<br/><br/>In 2010, several studies concluded that the marriage could be in serious trouble between the American middle class. Trends in lower middle-class couples tend to look a lot more fragile relationships of people with lower incomes, while higher educated middle class is much more stable and is being strengthened, essentially creating marriage gap 'to increasing.</p>viechuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14199790489024389348noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1497548683589567156.post-77548966775389463822011-09-21T00:26:00.000-07:002012-06-26T05:16:38.707-07:00Omaha -- Top 5 Places to Visit When You Are in Town For the NCAA
College World Series<p style="text-align: justify;">Omaha, Nebraska is home to the NCAA College World Series, and is a great place for kids and adults alike. If you are planning on visiting for the College World Series, but would like to get out and enjoy some of Omaha's finer spots, here are a few. 1. The Henry Doorly Zoo - one of the largest zoos in the country, is easily a day's worth of fun. It boasts an indoor rain forest, a desert dome that is one of the largest of its kind, a narrow Gage steam engine, a world class aquarium with an underwater tunnel, and the newest addition is a butterfly house with over 1500 butterflies. 2. The Durham Western Heritage Museum - This museum displays the rich history of Omaha, with an extensive exhibit of trains, and a partial display of Byron Reed's massive coin collection.3. Lewis and Clark Landing - with great restaurants, visitors can enjoy a leisure walk along Omaha's expanding waterfront development. 4. Mahoney State ParkAir and Space Museum - just a short 20 minute drive to the west of Omaha, beautiful views abound, and the air and space museum boasts one of the most educational experiences for kids. 5. Joslyn Art Museum - One of the nicest art museums in the Midwest. Saturday mornings before 1200pm, admission is free. Large collection of regular exhibits, and a traveling exhibit that changes monthly.These are some of the most popular things to do in Omaha any time of year, but out-of-towners will enjoy them no matter what the weather. Enjoy the ball park and getting to know the great city of Omaha.</p>viechuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14199790489024389348noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1497548683589567156.post-40201523357759549662011-09-20T10:07:00.003-07:002012-06-26T05:16:38.707-07:00Arizona Technical School<p style="text-align: justify;">In Arizona, Grand Canyon, one of the Seven Wonders of the World exists among flourishing desert landscapes, clear waters and magnificent mountain peaks. From small communities to one of the fastest growing cities in the United States, Arizona offers a unique experience filled with entertainment attractions, adventure, and amazing. Capital city of Arizona, Phoenix combines with the neighboring cities of Chandler, Glendale, Mesa, Paradise Valley, Scottsdale and Tempe, among other cities, to form the Sun Valley, a thriving mecca of diverse experiences.<br/><br/>Not only is there much to do in Arizona, but for people with good education there are great opportunities. Arizona is growing and growing fast. As a result, so is the labor market. Arizona colleges and trade schools, not only offer great career training, but also have many partnerships with major employers in the area of ??Arizona. Not only can you get a quality education, but is given the opportunity to climb the corporate ladder, while completing their education.<br/><br/>An Arizona school technique has the advantages of shorter duration, targeted programs, easier admission standards, flexible schedules, certifications are not necessarily offered in 4-year colleges, and hands on training.<br/><br/>If you have a specific career or educational goal in mind, an Arizona Business School may be the way to make your dream career a reality.<br/><br/>As with any big decision, the decision on an Arizona school technique should be investigated thoroughly. Be sure to check the size of the campus, have class, state of the art laboratory facilities and support services Do teachers and staff seem to care about your success Is the school accredited and licensed Can you talk with students and alumni Is there assistance in seeking financial aid Is there help available in the placement of graduation</p>viechuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14199790489024389348noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1497548683589567156.post-50599057462791922882011-09-20T10:07:00.002-07:002012-06-26T05:16:38.707-07:00Cemetery<p style="text-align: justify;">Detroit, Michigan is a historic American city. From its humble roots as a French trading post in the eighteenth century, which grew to become one of the largest cities in the United States. It burned almost to the ground by fire in 1805 and was razed by the flames of racial unrest in 1863, 1943 and 1967. During the twentieth century, his fate has changed with the rise and fall of the U.S. auto industry. However, despite its hardships, the city has shown resilience and had witnessed a comeback of sorts in recent years with the renewal of its downtown and riverfront areas, at least before the financial crisis large 2008.<br/><br/>A cemetery is a place where the bodies are buried the dead physically. This is its literal meaning. However, the cemetery of the word also has a figurative meaning. It is a place where you store or obsolete equipment or objects worn. Its meaning can be expanded to include a think tank worn. In this latter sense, recent events have conspired to make a cemetery in Detroit. The city serves as a reminder of many ideas exhausted, defeated and discredited.<br/><br/>Among them are the idea that for African-Americans of the North represents an improvement in the conditions prevailing in the south, the idea that U.S. corporations are the engines of economic growth and prosperity for the masses of working people, the idea an inherent radical Islamic threat challenges the hegemony of a militarized state in America, and the idea that extremist Islamic violence can possibly ensure nothing good for Muslims and their causes.<br/><br/>The myth of the Promised Land<br/><br/>Many African Americans saw the North as a mythical promised land. Racist terrorism of the Ku Klux Klan, the Red Shirts, the White League and similar groups, which was almost ubiquitous in the South, was absent from the big northern cities. In addition, working in a factory promised relatively high paying jobs, free from the vagaries of oppression in the South Farms, where work, in many cases amounted to legalized slavery. For many black people, Detroit summarizes the promise of the North. They found abundant labor in factories springing up around the growing automotive industry in the city. As a result, through the middle decades of the twentieth century, a growing black middle class gradually make an impact in the broader social, cultural and political development of the city.<br/><br/>Detroit's black middle class contribute intellectual giants like the Rev. CL Franklin to fight civil rights in America. People such as boxer Joe Louis, the daughter of Franklin, Aretha, and many recording artists of Motown Records Berry Gordy became American cultural icons. The prosperity of the black middle class Detroit in 1940 and 1950, was symbolized by Paradise Valley and its dozens of black-owned establishments like the elegant Hotel Gotham.<br/><br/>However, the vast majority of black people who migrated to Detroit has found heaven in the north. They found hell. They were housed in filthy slums, in ruins, as racial segregation as any other neighborhood in the south. Fluctuating economic cycles and the gradual exodus of manufacturing jobs led to high unemployment rates could exacerbate tensions between the newcomers and more established white workers. Tens of thousands of people never find meaningful employment or housing.<br/><br/>The harsh economic reality of life in the North were exacerbated by the harsh social reality. Crammed into ghettos degraded, isolated from the safety net of extended family in the south, denied access to higher education was available in schools and historically black college that was established in the South, Howard, Morehouse, Fisk , Tuskegee, etc .- many of them sought refuge in the available drugs such as heroin or cocaine and alcohol.<br/><br/>Roads built in the early 1950-the construction of the Interstate 75 led to the demolition of Paradise Valley, facilitated the mass exodus of whites between 1950 and 1960 from Detroit to the suburbs far away now accessible. Another flight, the black middle class areas of the downtown to the neighborhoods abandoned white, rendered in the city of Detroit's poorest neighborhoods and more dysfunctional.<br/><br/>These events, culminating in destructive riots of 1967 (more than 2. 500 structures were destroyed), Detroit provided a symbolic cemetery Promised Land, an idea that had attracted so many people in Northern black. Their graves are the building blocks and houses burned to the ground. Many of these areas have been abandoned and are parts of downtown Detroit's appearance in Berlin or Tokyo after the bombing of cities.<br/><br/>The obituary has been written that dream twice, both in Detroit, in July 1984 and a decade later, in August 1994. First, by the death of the Rev. CL Franklin, who had fallen into a coma after being shot during a robbery at his home five years ago. Second, when Rosa Parks, whose heroic challenge was even more on the heroic struggle of African civil rights, was robbed and beaten at her home in Detroit. The dream was deferred no longer represents. In Detroit, he was dead.<br/><br/>As GM goes, so goes the nation<br/><br/>Detroit's automotive industry represents a different type of sleep by another group of people the white middle class. Karl Marx posited that capitalism and the bourgeoisie that benefited disproportionately, would collapse in the face of a massive worker or proletarian revolution caused by the systematic expansion and impoverishment of the working class and the equally systematic reduction and enrichment of the ruling class.<br/><br/>The rise of the automobile industry in Detroit in the early twentieth century, catapulted by the management and production techniques introduced by Frederick Winslow Taylor and Henry Ford, would lead to skill levels and scales of production that facilitates the popularization of cars easily accessible and unimaginable benefits. During the middle decades of the twentieth century, more and more comprehensive benefits find their way into the pockets of workers, due in large part to the organizing efforts of the AFL-CIO (AFL-American Federation of Labor, and CIO Congress of Industrial Organizations) and her sister sometimes strange, the UAW (United Auto Workers).<br/><br/>The automotive industry is unionized, largely white electorate served, you never know the kind of revolutionary upheavals of Marx and others had predicted. The white middle class emerging in Detroit not only escaped the planned Marx collective misery for workers, but the automobile and the mobility of its partners, the lifestyle and the restructuring of urban and rural space, led to the creation of a totally different and attractive deceptive life in the suburbs.<br/><br/>Not coincidentally, the suburbs, and the highly fragmented, alienated lifestyle encouraged racially segregated would be more surprising is illustrated in the vicinity of Detroit, the birthplace of the auto industry driving the white flight across the country. Whitetopia, a mythical land where home ownership, having become the signal indicator to achieve the American dream, where poverty is threatening black people, and real or perceived crime, races, was a distant reality to left for others to cope, and where the passions consumerism, driven by wage workers endowed by decades of organizing, can be freely engaged for the first time in malls covering the suburban landscape, and the second in large self-contained mega-malls.<br/><br/>Unfortunately, the work would be short-lived victory. The automotive industry, in collusion with big oil companies, which pay little attention to fuel efficiency. When the world economic situation led to an exponential increase in fuel prices, large gas consumers in America could not compete with the fuel much more efficient and getting better foreign made cars, especially Japanese. The growing strength of Japanese car industry and European slices growing U.S. and global markets, they were able to beat their American rivals led to declining profits, and the numbers of the acceleration of layoffs and plant closures in the United States.<br/><br/>During the years 1980 and 1990, the unions were forced to return many of the hard-earned benefits he had obtained for workers. Workers still had jobs in the automotive industry were struggling to make ends meet. Meanwhile, automakers based in Detroit, lured by false infusion of wealth in the U.S. financial system during the 1990s and early twenty-first century, following the liberal policies of Bill Clinton, personified by his political gut the Glass-Steagall Act, opted for the popularity of energy inefficient, but highly profitable sport utility vehicles (SUV). However, due to fuel prices rising steadily since 2003 and the 2008 financial crisis, both the demand for SUVs, and an industry already hampered U.S. automaker, collapsed.<br/><br/>The collapse of two, automotive and financial, severely crippling the Whitetopia around Detroit. Thousands of homes fell running or were sold at a loss as to their owners packed up and headed south, ironically. Many of these properties were left to greedy banks encouraged to purchase through the levels of manipulation and deceit that have not been seen in this country since the era of the robber barons of the nineteenth century.<br/><br/>With the collapse of Detroit's auto industry, and the refusal of a government which has given billions of dollars to rescue the banking and financial sectors to save it, the idea that large companies would be pushing the engine of prosperity American region, mostly white, middle class is dead. Like the African American dream of the promised land, the cemetery is in Detroit. One of their graves is the oxidation in factories around the city, surrounded by acres of abandoned parking lots that resemble blacktopped lonely deserts. Another is the empty, dotted with puddles, unfinished concrete foundation and brush filled with a lot of distant suburban development began in the heyday of the housing bubble in 2005-2006, now presumed dead.<br/><br/>The threat of 'Islamic' Terrorism<br/><br/>Detroit is also the graveyard of the idea that the Islamic enemy threat. That there is a threat of a tiny percentage of alienated, angry Muslim suicide or simply participating in acts of senseless violence that threaten the life of an even smaller percentage of Americans is undeniable. However, the idea that there is a strategically important Islamic threat that has all the important resources that can translate into the kind of energy needed for a challenge militarized America or its global financial empire is a baseless fiction.<br/><br/>The murder of Imam Luqman Abdullah, a Muslim activist in one of the poorest neighborhoods in Detroit states that fiction. Imam Luqman was allegedly the leader of a radical, separatist-minded Muslim whose potential risk justifies the infiltration and surveillance of their mosque, trapping in an elaborate scheme in stolen property and, finally, the scene of the ambush and brutal slaughter Imam.<br/><br/>The entire operation exposes the emptiness of a fictional character and the Islamic threat. While it is true that Imam Luqman was known for engaging in fierce anti-American rhetoric, which did the actual capabilities that he and his followers have His mosque, one of the poorest of Detroit, is badly damaged and in danger of foreclosure. The state of the mosque only requires that one wonders, How could a group so poor he could barely afford to operate a small mosque in one of the poorest neighborhoods of America's overthrow of the U.S. government or to establish a independent state anywhere on American soil The answer is obvious exception of those whose minds are so poisoned by their narrow and selfish agenda that can not see reality as it is.<br/><br/>Therefore, when the Imam Luqman was killed by a hail of gunfire unleashed by officers against him, the true nature of the threat was exposed. Even if he possessed a single firearm, as supposed, threatening what they represent in the face of the array of high caliber fully automatic in the hands of the forces of bullets created, arranged numerically superior against you ! Little or nothing extrapolate from that situation to the global confrontation between the U.S. and radical Islam and who understands the true nature of Islamic threat.<br/><br/>With the brutal murder of Imam Luqman, Detroit is once again a symbolic cemetery. It buries the idea of ??the existential threat of Islam. Their graves are small mosque of Imam Luqman handcuffed once headed and cold stores near Dearborn, where he was shot to death and then left to die with less dignity than the government's dog shot was evacuated by helicopter the scene.<br/><br/>The Glorious Jihad<br/><br/>Finally, Detroit is a graveyard of the idea that Islamic terrorism can not guarantee any benefit to the Muslim people. That idea vanished as surely as the bomb that supposedly hidden in the underwear is Farouk Abdul Mutallab skies failed in a spectacular Detroit untapped, however, absolute disaster.<br/><br/>Following that event we are left to ask, What benefits have accrued to the Muslims who had bomb exploded, killing 300 innocent passengers, innocent in U.S. airspace on Christmas Day Nothing at all! In contrast, an exponentially larger number of poor Muslims, innocent of the experience already American-style justice would be bombs and rockets falling on their cities, villages and towns. A number of innocent Muslims exponentially greater than those already locked in cells all over the world would be dragged off to be tortured, beaten and humiliated.<br/><br/>Ordinary Muslims with no connection with problems abroad to work relentlessly in your name or with your permission, nor their lawyers are left to bear the consequences of his act of enlightened self-denial. The noble deeds of those people resisting occupation of their lands, the usurpation of their resources, and annoyed the murder and the humiliation of their countrymen and women would be cruelly dismissed as nonsense terrorism. In addition, patience Americans, even sympathetic, was insensitive to the action in cold blood of a clearly disturbed individual would have been seriously questioned.<br/><br/>There are more questions one can ask about the nature, objectives, timing and effectiveness of the violence of the so-called Jihad movement, but we will leave for another time. For now we will just say that the idea of ??a benefit accruing to Islam, as a result of Islamic terror died December 25, 2009 on board the flight to Detroit 253 Northwest. His tomb is in the Detroit area Farouk Abdul Mutallab jail has been released to.<br/><br/>Conclusion<br/><br/>So what is the connection between these disparate ideas buried in the Cemetery of Detroit Afro-Americans, most of whom are still waiting for the deposit of the funds to cover the evil Dr. comprobarRey refers in one of his speeches, the white middle class, whose houses, pension funds, employment and the sense of security have been stolen by the barons of the last days, and Muslims, along with others whose lives and land have been or will be soon wiped out by the U.S. war machine They should be made to see that they are being abused by the same forces globalized corporate. That being the case, they must find ways to unite if their resistance to the forces going to have some efficacy.<br/><br/>For example, African Americans, Latinos can not see that they are stealing all the jobs as the enemy. They must understand that the system that forces farmers off their land by unjust and inequitable agricultural policies and sends them to flow northward desperately is structurally the same system that marginalizes and criminalizes young African Americans and the profits of his imprisonment.<br/><br/>Deprived of their rights as whites must understand that Islam is neither the enemy nor a threat to their existence more than Vietnam in the 1960s, leftist organizations in Latin American in the late 1980 or coconut tomorrow, whoever he is. All our enemies of the Day are just desperate people trying to the extent of their understanding and ability to retain their land, culture and resources against the voracious appetite of a global empire. The white middle class understand that it is Muslims who have closed their factories, their jobs eliminated, stealing their retirement funds, devalued their homes and care for their children with a mountain of debts for the rescue of the banks, insurers and finance houses.<br/><br/>Moreover, the white middle class has to stop playing the silly game of political musical chairs, blaming the party in power, whether Democrats or Republicans, from the ravages of a morbid. The problem is not that Democrats or Republicans when both parties have sold out to corporate interests whose army of lobbyists flood Capital Hill shelling out money to the collaboration of both parties, who in turn sell to voters who so hypocritically seek to serve. The problem is a system that facilitates a pernicious sham.<br/><br/>The mounting frustration of white middle class against the failures and excesses of the political system will not resolve the protests of the Tea Party or group of hapless scapegoats like Muslims and Latino immigrants. Only united and focused policy of nonviolent action that works to destroy the oppressive structures that move as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. called the triplets evil of poverty, racism, militarism and lead to a change sustainable in this country. The white middle class, or its surviving traces, must be an integral part of the action.<br/><br/>For their part, Muslims must have the wisdom, insight and wisdom to realize that today's wars to be seen on the Muslims are not evidence of an American or Jewish crusade led against the faithful, like the Vietnam War , the first Iraq war or the invasion of Panama and Grenada are the Crusades, despite the existence of a rhetoric that conveys that impression. They are all powered by a geostrategic conflagrations outdated Machiavellian logic that ultimately transcends religion.<br/><br/>Muslims also must realize that in some cases poor people in America are treated brutally by the police, prison guards, ICE agents and other agents of the state in ways that make many of the slums of America microcosm the occupation of Muslim lands. The validity of this comparison is reinforced by the image of the Blackwater mercenaries on the streets of New Orleans to keep the refugees in check in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.<br/><br/>Muslims should also understand that there are many U.S. groups and individuals, including Jews, who are working tirelessly to reverse the policies that demonize Muslims and direct bombs and missiles to their land. On the other hand, Muslims must understand that only by forming bonds of solidarity with oppressed groups in the U.S. and elsewhere will gain the critical mass necessary to begin to address their grievances and alleviate their suffering.<br/><br/>There is a group, the only one who can undo the dangerous policies and politics of a global empire in many respects, it threatens the very existence of our planet. Oppose the oppressive force will require a global resistance that has the ability, as transnational corporations and their surrogates, which transcend national boundaries. That the resistance must have the idea of ??participating in a deep level of analysis that goes beyond superficial categories presented by companies sponsored experts and ideologues see the causes of our collective problems, the structures that unite the disparate groups suffering as a result of policies that facilitate corporate dominance of the world, and strategies that will be needed to move forward.<br/><br/>If Detroit Cemetery can teach us anything, it is the degree to which our lives have become intertwined. Whites, African Americans and a large number of Arabs, many of them Muslim Lebanese, Iraqis, Yemenis, Syrians and others living around Detroit. The globalization of economic forces that brought them together, and despite periodic traumas and great tensions that threaten to separate them have been able to form a civic community, which had started before the 2008 financial crisis, come together to start rebuilding their city. If these communities are able to regroup and cross the lines that separate them, perhaps their example will inspire a world in desperate need of a new direction, and the cemetery of Detroit can become a symbol of rebirth.</p>viechuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14199790489024389348noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1497548683589567156.post-2010904328168428422011-09-20T10:07:00.001-07:002012-06-26T05:16:38.707-07:00Avila offers a quiet Escape Beach CA<p style="text-align: justify;">About half-way between Los Angeles and San Francisco - and about half way between a wild and frenetic beach shores, for example, Orange County - you will find an idyllic stretch of sand that will undoubtedly worth stop next time you're driving the 101. Located just around the corner of Pismo Beach Avila Beach is a small but popular beach ideal for a getaway with your partner to come.<br/><br/>Not that children would be unwelcome - Avila is a playground for all ages. But the new Avila Village Inn has brought this fate on one or two for those seeking a romantic beach getaway special. The inn has pulled everything possible to attract couples who want to pamper themselves as much as enjoy the natural beauty of the central coast of California.<br/><br/>About seven miles north of Pismo Beach on Highway 101 sign directs travelers to Avila Beach via a winding road that follows San Luis Creek down into a ravine woodland. About a mile before reaching the beach are Avila Village, a new development of condominiums, shops and next to the creek, the Avila Village Inn.<br/><br/>While not actually on the beach, wooded setting of the inn property gives a quiet, lonely. The developers of the hotel use the word fine to describe the details and amenities that have been built in the 30 rooms. And our impression was that, in fact, this is one of those hotels where you can enjoy the taste of the luxurious accommodation as well as experience the beach and other natural environments.<br/><br/>This property has incorporated many design features now seen in the new luxury homes. Mini bar, granite counters and fireplaces in each room, while marble is used extensively in the shower and bathroom area. The pillow-top king beds both look and feel comfortable with pillows, blankets and quilts. We especially enjoyed the private spa 103 degrees ahead of us in the balcony stream.<br/><br/>If you're so inclined, each room or suite has its own DVD player and guests are encouraged to watch DVDs for free at the reception. Those who are a bit more active will welcome the gym that is across the parking lot of the inn - perfect for work outside of sandwiches, cakes and snacks provided to its customers both a welcome basket and a basket of breakfast the next day.<br/><br/>Other details like tasteful art, mission-style furnishings and a grand staircase, sweeping the lobby area was added to a sense of privilege - which, of course, is what is important when spending money for enjoy quality time with your loved one.<br/><br/>A couple of minutes down the road from the inn is Avila Beach, a half-mile area of ??beach that is growing in popularity because of its more exclusive, almost Mediterranean feel. Some hotels are higher near the beach, close to some stores that are scattered by the small downtown area. There is evidence of new construction was necessary to hear from some oil leakage in the area, but the beach and businesses along the beach seems unaffected.<br/><br/>Avila Beach has three pillars, including two that are public. It's fun to walk to the end of the pier where we enjoyed watching the surfers and fishermen in the spring while enjoying spectacular views of the coast. There were only a few visitors enjoy the wide beach during our week visit January 1. Most people visiting seemed to be couples or college students from Cal Poly in nearby San Luis Obispo.<br/><br/>From what we see, Avila is perfect to get away from people - although one suspects that may change on weekends and during the summer months. But even with mild climate of 75 degrees, we felt like we had stumbled upon a small town, little known beach somewhere in the Mediterranean. It was abandoned so it was difficult for us to imagine that more than 28,000 people live in Avila Beach. All I can understand is that most have to live well outside the few blocks adjacent to the beach.<br/><br/>A larger, busier beach is just south of Avila in Pismo Beach. The views from Pismo Beach are spectacular and this horseshoe-shaped beach seems to stretch for miles and miles. Clearly this is not the kind of beach where all you do is sit back and enjoy the sun, rent ATVs and bicycles are popular, such as sea kayaking and surfing. You can ride horses or play golf here - this area is a favorite of retirees to ensure that the golf course to get good and used - while fishing from the Pismo pier is also popular.<br/><br/>A little further up the pier is the center of the city - much bigger than the commercial center of Avila Beach - where you can find a collection of shops and a variety of restaurants. Beyond this tourist area, Pismo Beach takes on the appearance of most any other city, although a high percentage of households that house and probably once used as a vacation getaway. Driving around Pismo we discovered several points of access to the beach, each with its own set of views. These are good places to see the power of nature, during our visit, the surf along Pismo was beating so hard it seemed as loud as a freight train.<br/><br/>You will also want to visit the nearby city of San Luis Obispo. We made a point of visiting the city center and found an excellent selection of shops and outdoor cafes, however, a sense of home in the city that made for a comfortable afternoon of sailing and exploring. San Luis Obispo is found Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa, one of California's historic missions. You can visit the residence of the Fathers, which is now a museum.<br/><br/>San Luis Obispo is actually the center of this area - a diverse region, which has an incredible 100 wineries all within walking distance, and of course the beach communities. There are actually two different regions of wine in this area - the region of San Luis Obispo, where the cool climate and marine sediments are favorable for growing Chardonnay grapes, and in the north, the Paso Robles region, where hot summers and limestone help grow the best Zinfandels and Rhone varietals.<br/><br/>But again, many visitors to the central coast of California are content to keep a low profile, perhaps traveling to the beach and a good dinner before returning to a cozy fireplace and soft music. These visitors are certainly found in Avila Beach and the new Avila Beach Village Inn, especially rewarding.<br/><br/>AT A GLANCE<br/><br/>WHERE Avila Beach is about 200 miles north of Los Angeles and north of Pismo Beach.<br/><br/>WHAT Avila Beach is an alternative to expansive beaches and has a quieter, more exclusive feel. Only a few hotels in the immediate area, although many more are in nearby Pismo Beach.</p>viechuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14199790489024389348noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1497548683589567156.post-19888905505136584292011-09-20T10:07:00.000-07:002012-06-26T05:16:38.707-07:00Atlanta is a very good tourist destination also<p style="text-align: justify;">Atlanta city is known for its diverse attractions, museums, parks, sports equipment and entertainment. This region, where this beautiful city is located today was originally Creek and Cherokee Native American territory. Atlanta is the capital of Georgia and is also the most populous city. Being considered as the economic engine of South America, experiencing urban development, population growth and commercial development which is a common case study for college students studying urban geography of the world.<br/><br/>Hosted the Summer Olympics in 1996 after the International Olympic Committee selected Atlanta as the place where many felt 1990.Though Athens, Greece, should have been the right choice, because it was the 100 th anniversary of the Games Olympics. Atlanta thus became the first American capital city to host the Olympics. Due to the Olympic Games, Atlanta built large buildings to beautify city parks, sports facilities, and transportation.<br/><br/>On the city<br/><br/>Atlanta has a humid subtropical climate, with generally hot, humid summers and mild winters by the standards of most U.S. In winter weather systems, sweeping southern Canada through the Midwest, temperatures can reach 15 degrees Fahrenheit a few times a year.<br/>More and more people have moved to Atlanta to play therefore a population of 3.5 million dollars. Always has something special to offer for everyone. There are impressive and unique things, so many of the city has to offer. The largest museum dedicated to puppetry is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Atlanta. You can spend hours admiring the museum there in all things and there are also puppet shows that all young and old loves.<br/><br/>Atlanta is known for its rich culture. It has the oldest continuously running ballet in the country and the performances are simply breathtaking. There are many other shows for you to see and enjoy. Atlanta is one of the most prosperous cities in the United States and is one of the largest cities in the southeast of economic importance.<br/><br/>Places of interest<br/><br/>Some of the few attractions of Atlanta are<br/><br/>Atlanta Botanical Garden This is a garden of 30 acres in the heart of Atlanta with breathtaking gardens, woodlands and more. It has a kindergarten. You can find one of the largest permanent orchid world, shown here along with rare and endangered plants from tropical and desert regions. This garden has several exhibitions throughout the year. There is a gift shop and a cafe to relax. Explore this garden and broaden their horizon.<br/><br/>Apex Museum Here you can visit the Yates and Milton Drug Store, one of the first Black-owned businesses in Atlanta. The road is an experience in itself. You can hear all about the pioneering African Americans in Atlanta and learn about the powerful Black Families that have contributed in making what is now Atlanta. Inside are artifacts, photographs and multimedia presentations on the African continent the American cultural experience both past and present. There is also a trolley room, where there are video presentations of African experiences in Latin America. And the Hall of achievements, donated by BellSouth, where students with information about the American community.<br/><br/>Georgia Aquarium This is the world's largest aquarium, with more than 100,000 copies in tanks representing 500 species from around the world, holding approximately eight million gallons of water.<br/><br/>World of Coca Cola This museum tells the story of the famous soft drink brand that was developed in Atlanta. It is an interesting place to be. You can also taste various formulas of soft drinks around the world in the tasting room.<br/><br/>Underground Atlanta This is a historic shopping and entertainment located in the streets of downtown Atlanta. This is the place to buy your souvenirs Atlanta. There are also festivals that take place during the spring and summer.</p>viechuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14199790489024389348noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1497548683589567156.post-68524360479946538942011-09-19T22:18:00.001-07:002012-06-26T01:30:40.948-07:00Fun Board Games for College Students The Eurogames<p style="text-align: justify;">College students who like to play fun board games often enjoy the style of board game sometimes called the Eurogame, or German style or designer board game.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">A Eurogame is not necessarily from Europe though many have originated in Germany. The term Eurogame generally refers to a genre of board games that share similar characteristics.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">Eurogame Characteristics</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">Player conflict and competition is not often head-to-head as in a war game. Instead it involves gaining resources and accumulating victory points.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">Players are rarely eliminated part of the way through the game, as they are in Monopoly. The winner is often unknown until the very end of the game when scores are calculated.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">If there is any randomness, such as that introduced by dice, it can be offset by other facets of the game including the player's skill.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">The game's artwork and components are chiefly cardboard and wood and are often quite lavish and detailed.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">There is a theme to the board game, such as life in a Medieval castle or maneuvering through a desert, but said theme seldom has much to do with actually playing the game. When it does, players consider it a real bonus.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">Eurogame Designers</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">Eurogames are often closely connected to their designers, several of whom are very well-known in gaming circles. Of particular note are Reiner Knizia, Wolfgang Kramer, Uwe Rosenberg, Klaus Teuber, and Bruno Faidutti. Fun board games by these men are among the most highly rated in the 1990's and 2000's.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">The Settlers of Catan</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">Possibly the most well-known Eurogame to date is The Settlers of Catan created by Klaus Teuber. Using a game board that changes from game to game, resource cards - wood, brick, sheep, grain, and stone - and a single die, you build roads, cities, and settlements to earn victory points. Do so more quickly and efficiently than your opponents and you're likely to win.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">Puerto Rico</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">Puerto Rico is one of the most highly-ranked games of all time. You play the role of a plantation owner on the island of Puerto Rico. Grow your crops - corn, indigo, sugar, tobacco, and coffee - build your business, and ship your products while paying close attention to what your opponents are up to.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">Carcassonne</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">Carcassonne is a very popular tile-laying Eurogame that uses meeples. Meeples are little wooden game bits that vaguely resemble tiny people. They are placed on tiles to indicate ownership of roads, cities, and fields. Finish off roads and cities to score points and reclaim your meeples for reuse on more construction projects.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">El Grande</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">El Grande is the grandfather of all area control Eurogames. Deploy your caballeros (wooden cubes) in the regions of old Spain to maintain a majority rule so that when one of the 3 scoring rounds comes, you get more points than your opponents. Wise use of power cards, which determine turn order, and careful choice of action cards, which determine caballero placement (among other interesting things), are key to winning this fun board game.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">Agricola</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">Agricola, by Uwe Rosenberg, is a game about farming. You don't have to know anything about farming to play this fun Eurogame however. This is a worker placement game in which you start with a farmer and his wife in a 2-room wooden hovel. You job is to improve your farm and its pastures and fields. Hundreds of improvement and farmhand (loosely speaking) cards aide you over 14 rounds.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">There are hundreds of great Eurogames that college students can explore. Sharp wits and wise choices are not only encouraged but often required do play well and win these board games. Check them out today - for yourself or a college student you know. You'll be glad you did.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">Before you play or purchase any more board games, you should definitely check out httpFunBoardGames.org where Gary Sonnenberg welcomes you to learn more about fun board games to play with friends and family. Board game reviews, game descriptions, and gaming techniques abound.</p>viechuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14199790489024389348noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1497548683589567156.post-65471132622855638202011-09-19T22:18:00.000-07:002012-06-26T01:30:40.948-07:00Feeding the Hungry - Nourishing the Soul<p style="text-align: justify;">It is indeed true that many of us may spend our entire lives searching for a religion, philosophy or spiritual leader to guide us upon our lifelong journey. Yet few people realize that the answer to many of the questions that challenge us, could be quite so simple.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">For Les Stott, for example, the decision to open Kampuchea House became an answer to a question that would change his life forever.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">In his own words, he says Äfter many years I finally decided to put my own teaching philosophy into practice. I was always telling my students what should happen but not doing anything about it myself.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">I also looked at other organizations working with children and I found them to be less than ideal. As I reflect upon my own life, I believe I have developed the ability to identify problems and to implement pragmatic solutions to facilitate constructive change. Some of this ability has come from a process of trial and error.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">As Les is about to reach his sixtieth birthday, he recalls that as a teenager during the 1960's, Australian society was experiencing a dramatic social upheaval that had had a tremendous impact upon many of the people of my generation. In many respects, we were isolated from the vast majority of other cultures of the world. At that time, there was a mass migration from the Mediterranean region, namely Italy and Greece. I can still remember the xenophobic reaction of white Australia to the newcomers. At the time, I really didn't know what to do about it. But it didn't sit well with me.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">Shortly thereafter, after completing high school, Les obtained a diploma in primary education. As an idealistic young elementary school teacher, he focused upon the fundamentals of primary school education to promote opportunities for a group of Australian school children that was continuing to grow in ethnic diversity. At this point in time, his experience as an elementary school teacher allowed him to satisfy his own expectations about the person he was expected to be. Yet he always felt a need to break out of the traditional mold and achieve what he was capable of doing.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">Les recalls that although the experience was quite fulfilling, I continued to feel the need to do something else. On the positive side, I found it very satisfying as many of the children were from diverse ethnic backgrounds. Allowing the children to share their experiences in a supportive environment proved to be an invaluable experience for everyone involved.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">After twenty years of teaching at the primary school level, it was however, time to try something new. Les accepted a position at Wesley College, a private secondary school in Melbourne.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">It was at Wesley that he became involved in student exchange programs with high schools from China, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. This experience allowed him to become immersed in the diverse cultures of the region.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">Les says, the cultures were so different from what I had experienced in the past, it was a real eye opener. It was also an experience that affected my students on so many different levels.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">Not long thereafter, his position at Wesley College set the stage for a specialized interest in child welfare, children's rights and child development in Southeast Asia. This interest has continued to this day. More importantly however, Les attended a history and geography conference in Hanoi in 2004. A short trip to nearby Angkor Wat proved to be a turning point in my life. It provided me with an opportunity to visit Cambodian orphanages. It also allowed me to understand where the money I had been raising was and wasn't going.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">I also underwent surgery for skin cancer. This gave me the impetus to stop talking and start doing.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">Since that time Les resigned from teaching. He purchased land in Siem Reap and began construction at Kampuchea House. At this time, there are fifteen orphaned or deserted children under the care of his staff.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">They are now in the process of completing their third Cambodian house. As funding becomes available Les hopes to accommodate more children in need. A library is currently under construction and plans have been made to add a fence for security purposes.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">Les says, I feel tremendous satisfaction when I see happy healthy children. For many of the children, it is the first time that they have had the opportunity to attend school on a regular basis.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">When I think about my own personal philosophy I think about an ancient proverb that was recently called to my attention.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive.</p>viechuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14199790489024389348noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1497548683589567156.post-36144871878039450182011-09-17T22:23:00.000-07:002012-06-26T01:30:40.948-07:00How To Maintain A Healthy Diet While In College<p style="text-align: justify;">The bags are packed and the car is loaded. You are finally leaving home for college. The time consumed by going to class, meeting new friends, and socializing can be stressful frequently results in your diet taking a back seat. If you follow a few tips you can maintain a healthy diet despite your busy schedule.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">Eating at your college cafeteria is a good choice if you have that option. It provides a selection of healthy options, if you choose wisely. If the school has a buffet style cafeteria try to chose one thing from each major food group. Try to limit your intake of processed foods, cheese, dressing, and greasy fatty food. Eating from the desert bar can be a great reward after a long day or hard test. Try not to eat desert everyday to help maintain a healthy diet.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">The time that you schedule to eat during the day is also important. When you register for classes, look at the day with meals in mind. You should have enough time in the morning to get ready for the day and grab a quick breakfast, either in your dorm room or at the cafeteria. Make sure you take time for lunch sometime during the middle of the day. Try to have dinner before 7 p.m. to avoid late night eating. You should also take time to have a nutritious snack such as fruit and granola, during the day.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">The weekends can be very challenging for college students because of the pressure to go to parties. The usual food and drink is pizza, chips and salsa, and beer. If you are planning to go out for the night and unsure if there will be healthy food choices available, grab a light meal before you leave and avoid greasy calories. The popular foods, among college students, such as pizza, buffalo wings or tacos, are fine once in awhile, but if they become a weekly event, your health may suffer.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">Excessive consumption of alcohol is also a great way to ruin a diet. Beer and mixed drinks have a lot of empty calories, and so skipping them altogether is a great idea. If you must drink, choose diet sodas for mixing your drinks, red wine if it is available, or drink light beer. An occasional alcoholic beverage may be fine; however, drinking alcohol daily or even weekly will make you gain weight. The risk of liver disease, alcohol dependency and addiction should always be in the back of your mind.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">Remember drinking alcohol and driving could cost you or someone else their life if you are involved in an accident. The legal ramifications could affect you the rest of your life. The risk of liver disease, alcohol dependency and addiction should always be in the back of your mind. If you are going to drink always have a designated driver, walk, or call a cab.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">If you follow a few simple tips and use common sense you should be able to maintain a healthy diet, and enjoy your college years. Your health twenty years from now will be affected by the habits you develop during your few years obtaining your education.</p>viechuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14199790489024389348noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1497548683589567156.post-68985475551892659482011-09-17T22:18:00.000-07:002012-06-26T01:30:40.948-07:00Fast-Forward the Recession on a Homestay<p style="text-align: justify;">I've got this friend, Greg. His story is not unique, especially in the recent months. He graduated college last June with a new degree in business and decided immediately to inject himself into the job market and build a nice foundation for his career. It was all planned out, just like the high school guidance counselor said. Greg made no mistakes; worked hard; excelled; had a set of goals. He was a lean, mean, job-candidacy machine. Unfortunately, the job market was nothing but a hole. The job hunt was like walking through the desert, and swiping your hand in a futile attempt to catch the delusion-induced mirage in front of you. By winter, most motivation was gone. It was like all the jobs were in a little box and no matter how long you clawed at the lid there was no way to break it open. For the thousands of recent graduates in the same circumstance, there may be no other alternative to insanity than to hide from the economy.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">Though the first instinct that may kick in after that sentence is to sit on your couch with a carton of New York Super Fudge Chunk Ben & Jerry's, and flip the channels between Maury and World's Strongest Man, it won't give you anything to look back on. In fact, you will probably be much worse off than before (jobless with 15 extra pounds). There is, however, an option that can release you from the burdens of unemployment and reveal a brand new world of experience and learning. A homestay abroad might be your answer. Tons of hosts around the world are ready to accept students into their homes to provide free housing in exchange for a few work hours a week. Cultural immersion will allow you to learn more than you ever would on an ordinary vacation. An extended hotel stay will cost thousands of dollars, and what you get is nothing more than that - a tiny hotel room. It leaves you isolated from the cultural, social, and financial opportunities outside.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">A trip like this doesn't allow you to grow as a person because you are not really living in the culture. On a free homestay you save all the money you would otherwise be spending on housing, commuting, utilities, and groceries. You can be free to search for a rewarding job abroad (in most place native English speakers are in high demand) without dealing with the headaches or the financial burden that comes with the logistics of living abroad by yourself. While you may be teaching English lessons to your host family as part of the payment, you will be naturally getting a free education in their language, as it is all you will hear during your stay.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">Every interaction you have will force you to learn, and learn quickly. Of course, whenever you are in a new country, there will be the period of awkwardness, discomfort and culture shock; but with a host family by your side, you have a home base to fall back on and support you - much better than a hotel bed. So under all the stress and pressure that comes with an economic meltdown, and with all the frustrations that come with hopeless unemployment, don't you wish you could just press fast-forward Traveling with a host family can be the escape that you're looking for, and you will find opportunities that never would have come about otherwise.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">Lidia Nash, CPA, CITP is the Founder of Host & Care - a global community that connects students, singles, unemployed and travelers looking for free accommodations with families and seniors looking for care. Young people provide few hours of free child care, tutoring, elderly or home care in exchange for free accommodations.</p>viechuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14199790489024389348noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1497548683589567156.post-11414663858692958402011-09-15T21:33:00.001-07:002012-06-26T01:30:40.949-07:00Faith in the Workplace<p style="text-align: justify;">Are YOU part of this Movement</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">Have you ever been part of a movement If you've taken part in the Brown Bag Bible Studies series in Stephenville, Texas, you have now.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">Laura Nash, a Business Ethicist at Harvard University, said, Spirituality in the workplace is exploding. Fortune Magazine, 2001, reported that, ... a mostly unorganized mass of believers--a counterculture bubbling up all over corporate America--who want to bridge the traditional divide between spirituality and work. Historically, such folk operated below the radar, on their own or in small workplace groups where they prayed or studied the Bible. But now they are getting organized and going public to agitate for change. The article continued People who want to mix God and business are rebels on several fronts. They reject the centuries-old American conviction that spirituality is a private matter. They challenge religious thinkers who disdain business as an inherently impure pursuit. They disagree with business people who say that religion is unavoidably divisive.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">Hear that They're calling you a rebel.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">IS THIS MOVEMENT SCRIPTURAL</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">Indeed, as with first-century Christianity, it all begins in the marketplace, where the disciples of Jesus daily rub shoulders with the lost. - Bill McCartney of Promise Keepers in his book, Anointed for Business</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">Where's the Biblical precedent for such a movement</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">In the New Testament, it's recorded that Jesus made 132 public appearances. Of these, 122 were in the marketplace, not the synagogue. He spent half of His adult life as a carpenter until age 30 before taking His ministry into the workplace. Stands to reason. After all, that's where most people spend the majority of their lives.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">Jesus could have built His ministry team around clergymen, but He chose 12 working men instead. Of His 52 parables, 45 had a workplace context. In the Book of Acts, of 40 divine interventions recorded there, 39 occurred in the marketplace. Someone did the math and determined that 54% of Jesus' reported teaching ministry arose out of issues posed by others in the scope of daily life experience. Let's face it, when a person has issues at home, they bring those issues to work. Jesus met them where they were.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">MIXING SECULAR WITH SACRED</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">The spiritual manifests itself in a life which knows no division into sacred and secular. - Oswald Chambers, Author of My Utmost for His Highest</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">The truth is, Work is Worship. The Hebrew word avodah is the root for the word from which we get the words work and worship. Work, in its many various forms, is mentioned over 800 times in Scripture. That's more than all the words used to express worship, praise, music and singing combined!</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">Some of the most well-known ministers in the western world are recognizing the legitimacy of this Faith at Work movement. Dr. Billy Graham said, I believe one of the next great moves of God is going to be through the believers in the workplace. His son, Franklin, of Samaritan's Purse Ministry, put it in the present tense God has begun an evangelism movement in the workplace that has the potential to transform our society as we know it.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">Henry Blackaby, author of Experiencing God, meets regularly with CEOs of Fortune 500 companies to discuss what it means to bring Christ into the workplace. He states I've never seen the activity of God this deeply in the business community as I do right now....God is marshalling his people in the workplace as never before in history. God is up to something. The next spiritual awakening could take place in the marketplace.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">Dorothy Sayers, writer and theologian, put it wonderfully. She says, In nothing has the church so lost Her hold on reality as in Her failure to understand and respect the secular vocation. She has allowed work and religion to become separate departments, and is astonished to find that, as a result, the secular work of the world is turned to purely selfish and destructive ends, and that the greater part of the world's intelligent workers have become irreligious, or at least, uninterested in religion. But is it astonishing How can anyone remain interested in a religion which seems to have no concern with nine-tenths of life The church's approach to an intelligent carpenter is usually confined to exhorting him not to be drunk and disorderly in his leisure hours, and to come to church on Sundays. What the church should be telling him is this that the very first demand that his religion makes on him is to make good tables.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">Respected researcher, George Barna, in his book Boiling Point, writes Workplace ministry will be one of the core future innovations in church ministry.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">COUNTERING THE CULTURES</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">Societal transformation is high on God's agenda and the chief catalytic force to bring it about will be Christians ministering in the marketplace. - C. Peter Wagner, Chancellor, Wagner Leadership Institute</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">Christianity is not merely another sub-culture; it's a counter culture. It's not merely another religion; it's a relationship. A relationship with Jesus is the ONLY way provided for human beings to secure that relationship with their Creator. We, as Christians, are part of a Kingdom of priests and Kings, Most of us just don't know it yet.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">Land Cope of YWAM hit the nail on the head with these words We have more Christians today per capita with less impact on the culture than ever before. We are big and we are weak.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">As I read and hear reports about the nations of China and India and how committed they are to taking the lead in this global economy, I see opportunity for well-equipped, savvy Christians to boldly declare, Bring 'em on! I don't know about you, but I can't get to China and India to minister to them and shine the light of truth. God, in His infinite wisdom, is bringing them to US instead! Come West, young men...women, too! I recall a minister in Bible College who had spent years in South Africa speaking prophetically to his class, warning us that Islam was on the rise. I remember taking it with a grain of salt. I don't even know anybody from the Middle East, I said to myself.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">God's bringing them HERE. What are we going to do with the opportunity</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">The Christian business community should take note. Bill Pollard, Chairman of ServiceMaster, wisely said In today's global community, the greatest channel of distribution for 'salt and light' is the business community... the marketplace.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">Poultry producers, Pilgrim's Pride, reportedly spends hundreds of thousand of dollars annually on Workplace Chaplains to come into the plant and minister to their 35,000 employees. Cliff Butler, vice chairman of the company, says Although it's intangible, we feel we've had a good return on every dime we spent [on workplace ministers]. We believe there's a payoff, and it's not always with dollars, It's with the feeling of gratitude of the employees to us.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">WHERE DOES MY CHURCH FIT INTO THIS MOVEMENT</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">Workplace believers seldom feel served by their churches in their jobs and careers on issues of faith and biblical ethics. - Pete Hammond, Intervarsity Christian Fellowship</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">Is workplace ministry part of most local churches today Sadly, no. In many cases, where it CAN be found, it's merely as another bolt-on evangelism program that isn't taken too seriously by leadership. Personally, though I've spoken in my share of churches across denominations, I've yet to see one workplace ministry.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">Consider this statement by Doug Sherman, author of Your Work Matters to God. Our surveys reveal that 90-97% of Christians have never heard a sermon relating biblical principles to their work life. Most church members have never been trained, equipped and released into the workplace by their church leaders, the one place where they spend 60-70% of their waking hours. The problem is that the teaching Christians DO receive is often not relevant for what most Christians need in order to impact their workplaces.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">Workplace ministry can change the world.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">One employee at a time.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">THE ROLE OF CHURCH LEADERSHIP IN THIS MOVEMENT</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">I believe pastors will be the last to really embrace this movement because it is such a new paradigm. However, ultimately, they will be the instruments God will use to make the greatest impact in the movement because of their influence in so many people's lives. - Os Hillman, Director, International Coalition of Workplace Ministries</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">The most common self-inflicted put-down is 'I am not a pastor--I am just a layperson.' This is all part of a clever satanic scheme to neutralize apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers along with the entire army of disciples, already positioned in the marketplace. - Ed Silvoso, Anointed for Business, Harvest Evangelism</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">The world needs ministers and leaders to equip their people to be effective where they spend the majority of their time the workplace. In order to do this it has to be intentional, long term and foundational to the church. Church leaders must buy into the concept completely.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">Pastor Dick Halverson once said, There is a distinction between church work and the work of the church. Church work is what you do for the organized institution of the church. The work of the church is what is done between Sundays when the church is scattered all over the metropolitan area where it is located - in homes, schools, offices, on construction jobs, in market places.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">Os Hillman wrote, The church in the workplace is the purest form of the body of Christ today due to its diversity. Workplace believers are less prone to denominational differences because they have a common goal of representing Christ in their workplaces. The movement will break down denominational barriers that have been held in the past.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">Finally, there's this wonderful comment by Dallas Willard in The Spirit of Discipline There is truly is no division between sacred and secular except what we have created. And that is why the division of the legitimate roles and functions of human life into the sacred and secular does incalculable damage to our individual lives and the cause of Christ. Holy people must stop going into church work as their natural course of action and take up holy orders in farming, industry, law, education, banking, and journalism with the same zeal previously given to evangelism or to pastoral and missionary work.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">IS IT A MOVEMENT</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. - God Almighty, from His Book, The Holy Bible, Isa. 4319</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">Is God doing something new</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">Is the cloud moving</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">You decide.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">If you're a minister and need help getting this message across to your congregation, ask me. We'll make arrangements.<br/>If you're within driving distance, load up the company van or church bus and head my way. We'll talk.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">If you want help, it's available. Books, tapes, CD's abound on the subject where once there was none. Get online and Google Workplace Ministry, Faith at Work, something like that.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">Right now, here in Stephenville, I'm facilitating the Brown Bag Bible Studies at noon on Thursday's. we began Feb 23rd, 2006. It's 8-weeks long and lasts 45 minutes. We completed Week 2 today and it was awesome. Jump in ANY time! A man named Bill Bunce, Assistant to the Chairman of the 700 Club (Pat Robertson) was our first week's speaker. Powerful! Today, a local businessman named Ed Dupas, and his wife, Marlene, spoke and left us spiritually touched (Randy Bachman - of Taking Care of Business fame, ironically - mentions Ed several times as having taught him the guitar). Ed led us in a wonderful song to close today. Many had moist eyes as we parted ways.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">John 216 reveals Jesus telling His disciples, ...Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.. Consider what was happening here</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">1) They were working; doing their usual jobs as fishermen.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">2) They were STILL doing their same ol' job when Jesus suggested they fish on the OTHER side. Not much changed...but their perspective.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">3) The simple act of obedience ultimately resulted in a miracle, increased their faith in Him as they began to know him as Lord experientially.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">So, get on board with what God is doing.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">Could it be we've been strategically placed</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">Could it be we were born for such a time as this</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">ABOUT THE AUTHOR<br/>Michael's mission is to bring Discipleship and Encouragement to the Body of Christ. Since 1999, he has broadcast over 300 hundred inspirational articles and a dozen booklets on subjects that will interest the thinking Christian, all designed to accelerate the process of spiritual development in God's people. He is the founder of t.e.a.m. ministries (team1min@aol.com). An Author, Pastoral Counselor and Teacher, his eMail broadcasts, known as Your Town for Jesus are reaching millions around the globe WEEKLY. Write team1min@our-town.com if you'd like to SUBSCRIBE.<br/>A licensedordained minister, a Certified Workplace Chaplain, and a Professional Member of NIBIC, he has ministered in Methodist, Pentecostal, Charismatic, Baptist, Disciples of Christ, College and Cowboy churches. He is also a Speaker on the Christian Speaker Network and may be available to speak to your church or Christian group.</p>viechuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14199790489024389348noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1497548683589567156.post-54981252192057729462011-09-15T21:33:00.000-07:002012-06-26T01:30:40.949-07:00Experiencing College Weight Gain These 4 Bad Habits Are Increasing Your
Waistline!<p style="text-align: justify;">A lot of students experience College weight gain when they move away from home to go to school. Have you put on a few pounds since you left home Do you know what to do about it I am a recent College grad, and during my time at school I identified several bad habits that students fall into that inflates their waistline. Are you making any of these mistakes If you are, you need to identify and reverse your behavior so that you can get the body that you want! Here are 4 bad habits that could be causing you to experience College weight gain</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">1. Making the wrong choices in the cafeteria. In my cafeteria, there was a soft-serve ice cream machine available, as well as a desert tray. I saw some people who would eat two deserts per day, one with lunch and one with dinner. Packaged deserts got smuggled up to dorm rooms in bulk for later. It's no wonder people are experiencing College weight gain with habits like these; and this is just the deserts. The waffle bars, bagel bars, etc. are also killers. Pick a diet plan and stick to it when you're in the caf. There are plenty of healthy fruits, veggies, proteins, complex carbs, etc. to choose from. Look over the menu the night before so you can plan what to eat the next day and then stick to it when you are there.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">2. Eating out late at night. Up late I always was is school, and the caf isn't open. So what are you eating Pizza Subs Burgers You can really ruin a decent diet with this one meal, so pay attention to what you are ordering. Once again, try to stick to something that will be on your diet plan.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">3. Relying on unhealthy snacks. This is a similar story to number two, because it's based on your lifestyle. You're moving around to several buildings throughout your day, and all of them have vending machines or snack counters with unhealthy snacks. During a long day away from home, you're bound to get hungry and reach for one of these snacks to satisfy you. It's a lot better idea to pack your own snacks that conform to your diet plan.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">4. What are you drinking No, I'm not talking about your weekend activities. I'm referring to the fact that sugary sodas are available everywhere on campus, such as vending machines in buildings and dorms, unlimited supply from the caf, and fountain pops from snack counters or party stores. If you switch to diet, or drink water instead, you'll cut out a lot of unwanted calories.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">The good news is that you can fight College weight gain, but you have to identify your bad habits that are the causes. Once you do, you can make a plan to get the body you deserve!</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">I invented the Freshman 15 Challenge to help students like you reverse College weight gain. I go through solutions that are tailored to your unique lifestyle.</p>viechuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14199790489024389348noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1497548683589567156.post-41623579184224334602011-09-13T21:33:00.001-07:002012-06-26T01:30:40.949-07:00Embracing the Wilderness - The Way to Spiritual Maturity<p style="text-align: justify;">Why do we prefer slavery in Egypt over following God in the wilderness?</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">In more practical terms, why do we tend to gravitate back to former sins or unhealthy situations rather than draw near to God through the hard times of life?</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">Why do we try to take control of life by digging our own cisterns (broken ones) instead of submitting to God and letting Him lead us through life?</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">Why do we resist God's way of purifying us through pain and hardship and turmoil? Instead, we often choose to do our own thing which actually delays our maturity and STILL leaves us feeling empty, lonely and beaten down.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">I cannot speak for the Christians abroad as God has not taken me onto the mission field at this point. However, I have lived my entire life in and around the American Church. I grew up, the son of a preacher and elder. I preached my first sermon around the age of five. I attended five years of Bible College and, later, another five in Seminary. I've preached in several churches. I've attended several churches. I've been blessed to counsel hundreds of Christian people. Truly, God has put me in and around the American church for my entire life. And I am left to wonder, as I ponder the Church and ESPECIALLY my life...why don't we just embrace the deserts that God puts us in?</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">I know many of the answers to this question:</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">o Because the desert is barren and hard<br/>o Because the desert leaves us dry and thirsty<br/>o Because we lean towards what is comfortable, whether it is healthy or not<br/>o Because we are NOT good at waiting and that is often what the desert is about<br/>o Because the desert forces us into uncomfortable places<br/>o Because the desert reveals the worst parts of who we are</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">I know these answers. In fact, I don't just KNOW them, I have thought about them. I have LIVED them. The desert is no fun. Let's just be frank and admit this truth. The wilderness of life is difficult. Wilderness times steal our laughter, break down our confidence, and brings out our anxieties over how we are going to make it through life. The wilderness leaves us worrying about our bills, our future, and our families. Most of all, it is in the wilderness that we often wonder the most about God...and maybe that is the main point.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">Doesn't God use the wilderness to test our limits? To find out if we'll trust Him even when things look hopeless. Moses outlined some of God's reasons for "wilderness-walking" in Deuteronomy 8 in talking to the Israelites, right before they entered the Promised Land:</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">"Remember every road that God led you on for those forty years in the wilderness, pushing you to your limits, testing you so that He would know what you were made of, whether you would keep His commandments or not. He put you through hard times. He made you go hungry. Then He fed you manna, something neither you nor your parents knew anything about, so you would learn that men and women don't live by bread only; we live by every word that comes from God's mouth. Your clothes didn't wear out and your feet didn't blister those forty years. You learned deep in your heart that God disciplines you in the same way a father disciplines his child."</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">Wow.......why can't we GET it? Why can't I get it? God's purposes in the wilderness are to:</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">o Push us to our limits: Hard? Yes........but the only way for us to grow.<br/>o Test us to see what we're made of: He is refining us.....making us stronger for our journey.<br/>o Test to see if, even in the wilderness, we will keep His commands or go our own way: OUCH! I can't begin to mention the times I have gone my own way, whether turning to sin for escape or just trying to "grab the bull by the horns" instead of being patient so God can do His work in my life.<br/>o Put us through hard times only to then provide what we need. The Bible says that God humbled the Israelites by MAKING them hungry.....only to show His provision by giving them manna; feeding them. See, God wants us to rely on HIM for our needs, not our own strength. Why can't we LIVE in this?<br/>o To teach us to trust Him and Him alone. I love where Moses reminds them that their clothes never wore out and they didn't even get blisters on their feet. In other words, God took care of them even in the wilderness.<br/>o To discipline us: God wants to teach us lessons, just like a father does a child. Lessons about trust, humility, pure living, waiting, and so much more.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">And so, as I reflect on the wilderness, my spirit cries out, "I embrace it God! I WANT to grow in You, mature in You and be the man You want me to be" while my flesh screams, "God, why have you forsaken me??? Why are things here so hard? Why can't life be easier? Why are finances so tight? Why is marriage so difficult? Why is parenting so painful? Why can't I just WORK my way out of this wilderness?"</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">And God answers, "Because you're my son and I love you. I love you too much to leave you to your own passions and ways. I love you too much NOT to pursue you and hone you and humble you. Because, Aaron (place your own name here), I don't want you to settle for the pleasures in Egypt (sin and self-reliance) where slavery also abounds. I want you to be READY for the Promised Land....for what I have in store for you that is infinitely better than you could imagine. But you must wait, and endure, and learn to trust in Me.....not in your own strength."</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">So, my goal is to EMBRACE the wilderness. It is a goal that I fail in more often than I succeed. And yet, that is my goal. See, I know that the pleasures and luxuries of this world offer nothing in the long run. They are a dead-end street. So, what I really want is to see the Promised Land, whether that is here or in the world to come...or both. I want to learn to trust, even when my bank account is overdrawn, even when I fight with my wife, even when my kids push me to the point of insanity...even when life is hard. I want to learn what it means to lay it all at God's feet, not just in word but in action, so that I can see the ways in which God shows up, so that I can let God's hand mold and shape me into who He designed me to be, so I am ready for whatever He has in store.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">So, that is my challenge to you as well. Instead of fighting against the deserts that God puts us in, instead of complaining to Him about how hard everything is, instead of taking matters into your own hands before the Lord gives you the go-ahead......EMBRACE the wilderness. Set your face like a flint and move forward, turning your eyes to God instead of your own ideas. Embrace the lessons God wants you to learn:</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">o Trust Him instead of you<br/>o Be humble instead of proud<br/>o Be alert to how HE shows up and provides</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;">Most of all be malleable to the blows of His hammer. Bend to the shape He wants to make of you. Rest on the anvil of His work, trusting that He is preparing you for the joys that lie ahead. I promise you, HIS land of milk and honey is WAY better than the pleasures and slavery of Egypt. Don't you agree?</p>viechuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14199790489024389348noreply@blogger.com