lol thats a damn long middle finger lol... i was hoping there was more swearing, but nah, you fine... also, sucks about the club thing, they deserve the finger and up in the wrong places too.
Well that sucks a big one!!!! I can't believe that. I dont think your an ass so dont worry about it too much!
Mark whatever his name is is a PUNK BITCH. I'm sorry this happened to you. But on the plus side, you look awesome in your video and excellent background music. Take On Me. Awwwww, yeah.
I'm so sorry they turned out to be assholes! Props to you for keeping it real and telling it like it is. I love that Nemo came up in the background. I miss him!
I know this is an old story, but... I am sorry that they used you to further their cause - giving you the option to be a part of the deception, or not, would've been the only fair thing to do. However, your comment that, "It's a viral marketing gimmick to get the word out on something that isn't worth your time," seems really heartless. Providing water to children w/o clean drinking water through UNICEF/Tap Project is bad?
Any cause - whether it be for children OR adults - that uses deception as their way to prmote themselves is not worth my time, and I'm not going to promote them to anyone else, either.
If I'm going to give my hard-earned money to a charity for children, it's going to be to one that I trust.
“We fell in love, we got a house, we got married, we started to plan a family, and we got pregnant. I didn’t believe a bad thing could happen to us until the day we went for the scan. On the way to the hospital we were looking at crèches and schools; choosing which one would be the closest and the best for us, but after the visit, everything changed. They told us that our baby had a condition that would inevitably end its life before it even had a chance to begin. They told us that the brain and the skull of our unborn child simply didn’t form.
The doctor told us there was nothing he could do in this jurisdiction, besides support us through the pregnancy. He did not give any other options or information. At that time there was no Google and it was very hard to find information on the internet, but we found a geneticist in Northern Ireland who we could talk to. He referred us to the nearest hospital where a doctor agreed to take care of us.
That day will stay with us forever. It was still dark when we arrived at the border, and an army checkpoint stopped us asking where we were going and why. The procedure was illegal in Ireland and although it was legal in England, we still felt like criminals. The whole situation made us feel unsupported and very alone. We didn’t know who was safe to talk to. We couldn’t bring our son’s body back home, so we had to cremate him there and send it back by courier. We couldn’t have a funeral or a proper grieving process. We couldn’t talk to people around us. All of this made the whole situation even more difficult to deal with. Worst of all is that this happened 15 years ago and the legal framework here is still the same today and even more restrictive in Northern Ireland. There has been no change at all here. We would like to reach out to people with similar experiences, and tell them that they are not alone and that they need to stand up and speak publicly about their experiences in order to make a change.”
‘Humans of the Election’ is a collaboration with the Newstalk 106-108 FM, highlighting the real people behind the issues we face in Ireland today (1/7).
“I was 15 when we left our home in Aleppo in Syria. We didn’t want to, but the war was just around the corner and the army wanted to take me and my brothers. My dad left for Egypt to make some money. He works as a musician at weddings and parties and it took him about six months to make enough money, about 7000 euros, to pay the smugglers to get us to Turkey. We spent three years in Turkey, we stopped studying and started working. I was working in a plastic factory 12 hours a day, 6 days a week, but Dad had a plan! He wanted to take us to Germany for a better future. We became very poor as we had to save every penny. We all applied for visas but for some unknown reason, mine was rejected. My brothers had to leave without me and my parents. My dad and my mother stayed with me until we figured out how I will make it to Germany. We all knew that I would have to try to go alone. It was a hard decision for all of us as it was not guaranteed I would make it. I tried it on land twice but I failed both times. They caught me, beat me up, and threw me in jail for weeks. I could hardly get back home. All my belongings were stolen or destroyed and there were times when my parents didn’t hear from me for days. When I finally arrived back home, I waited a few weeks before I decided to try by sea. My father helped me find smugglers, it was a really hard decision for him but he knew there was no other option. That was the first time I saw my father cry, I wanted to cry too but I didn’t want him to see me as weak. I wanted him to know that his son is a grown man now and that he can trust me. That was actually the last time I saw them…”
It took Mulham two more attempts to get to Chios island in Greece by boat. He has been on the island for 18 months now but next month will get his visa to Germany and see his family again. For the first time in nearly two years, the whole family will be together again. He is very excited!
This is only a short version of his story, but the audio file of the full interview is available below.
“I kept Crissy with me every day for the first four years of her life,” Anita said as we chatted recently at the counter of the local hardware store.
Anita was our next-door neighbor in my early years. Crissy, was her oldest daughter and my very first best friend.
Crissy and I spent long hot summer days making mud pies in the yard and pretending to be Charlie’s Angels with our friend, Shannon, from across the street.
As a blonde, Crissy always got to be Kris Monroe. Shannon and I had to take turns being Kelly. No one wanted to be Sabrina. In retrospect, I feel kind of bad about discriminating against her like that.
Anita and Crissy were on their own in the beginning. And, while it wasn’t absolutely unheard of to be a single mom in the early 1970’s, it was a stark contradiction to the nuclear families found on most blocks.
To survive, Anita worked at service stations. She took Crissy with her every day to work, placing her in a play pen behind the register.
Eventually, she changed to a night shift so Crissy could sleep in a makeshift bed in the cabinet below the register. Anita said she received some strange looks from customers hearing strange noises from there.
As a working mother with three children, I have considered just about every option when it comes to day care.
When my first child was born almost 19 years ago, we were living in Newton and working in Wichita. At that time, there were few day care center options available locally. Newton Community Child Care was only for hospital employees.
My children have been in licensed day care homes, preschools, day care centers and latchkey programs.
So, when I returned to the community in 2012 with an infant in tow, I was pleasantly surprised to see how the local capacity had grown.
While the purpose of this column is to highlight the programs funded by Harvey County United Way, it is important to point out there are many caring, quality licensed day care homes in Harvey County.
In fact, one of those day care providers, Christie Spillane of Wee Be Tots, is also a member of our board of directors. Christie passionately works to carry out the mission of the organization, doing everything from volunteering her time at KidFEST, to organizing the Classroom Wish List project and encouraging her family to donate via payroll deduction.
For parents seeking center-based daycare, Harvey County United Way currently funds day care scholarships for families in need at:
And, for families wanting a preschool experience for their children, Harvey County United Way funds Community Playschool on the Bethel College Campus.
Supporting access to care for children from infants to elementary school is in line with the mission of Harvey County United Way on multiple fronts.
EDUCATION – Parents report that children enrolled in the early childhood programs are more likely to be prepared for kindergarten, arriving with the social and educational skills to aid in a successful transition.
A four-year old at Sunshine Academy entered the pre-Kindergarten program noticeably behind in developmental assessments. The center staff worked with the parent, grandparent and pediatrician to diagnose and treat the child with ADHD. The child then entered Kindergarten knowing her ABC’s, colors, shapes, and able to count to 50.
HEALTH – Centers provide healthy meals and snacks, outdoor play and health education such as dental care and safety. In addition, latchkey services ensure school-age children are cared for in a safe environment instead of being home alone.
At last year’s grant meeting, we heard the story of a young boy lost after school. The principal was engaged in the search, and fortunately the boy was found safe. His worried mother then learned about the scholarships available, and enrolled him in latchkey.
INCOME STABILITY – Day care scholarships help offset the cost of care, bridging the gap for low-income families and ensuring all children have access to the same standard of early childhood education.
Of equal importance, local employers are directly impacted by lessened absenteeism and lost time due to employees without reliable day care.
Eventually, they will be benefitted by a workforce of children entering kindergarten ready to learn, which we know ultimately leads to high school completion.
I think back to Anita’s ingenuity as a single, working mother. Crissy turned out great! There are many parents in the community just like her. If we can help in even a small way like a day care scholarship, ultimately we are LIVING UNITED.
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TORONTO — Scrolling through my Facebook feed at this time of the year always floods me with a rush of nostalgia. However, seeing happy high…
Pascal is from the beautiful town of Irvington, NJ. He attended Essex Catholic High School his freshmen year, then transferred to Irvington High School where he was a scholar athlete and completed his high school career. Pascal went on to William Paterson University where he played football, became a member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. and was a member of the Haitian American Student Association. It was here that he found a love for education and saw a window to give back to the youth, especially young black men.“I love spending time with my family and friends, they are the reason I grind and the reason I keep coming back to help those in need. Aside from that, I enjoy working out, and playing football. I can always go for a TV show or two.”
I am still a History/English teacher at KIPP NCA. This is my second year and although it’s a grind, I’m happy to be serving the kids that I do. YMSG, has been working diligently behind the scenes. This is to make sure that before we resurface, all of our T’s are crossed and I’s are dotted. Managing a nonprofit organization is hard work, we aren’t just trying to do it, we are trying to do it right.
I would’t say directly, but it did. Receiving this award was such a wonderful experience for me. I’ve never won anything like this, lol, getting this award just gave me the extra push I needed to continue striving for greatness. It came at such a pivotal moment in my life because a few months later, I turned 30.The simple fact that people noticed my work and my dedication was such an honor. The opportunities that came were a result of me actually turning the knobs on a few more doors.
I would love to collaboration the Help Us, Help Us Community Feed program. YMSG has done a coat and blanket giveaway for the last two years. We’ve been thing of incorporating a food element to it, and this would be dope for us to do. Driving down McCarter Highway and even my school’s neighborhood breaks my heart every single time, this would be a major event for the community.
“I am because you are”. This entire means of existence stems from cause and effect. No matter your religion, background, socioeconomic status, you are who you are because of someone else.
When asked what my strength is, I always say that I have a big heart. Then when asked what my weakness is, I either say “I just told you” or I’ll also say that I have a big heart. I devoted my life to uplifting young men because coaches, teachers, family, friends, and pastors all took the time to “give” to me. I “took” only because I now “have”, which enabled me to “give” again. The cycle will always continue.
-What advice or encouragement would you give to this years nominees, or those looking to be nominated in the future?
Man Listen, this is one of the awards that are given not because of how good you are, or how brave you are, it’s given because of what you’ve done. I’m not “good” at giving back to the hood, I just end up giving the hood everything I got. Yes, I could be doing more. The biggest advice I can give is to do it with no reward in mind, and as you climb, lift someone else to keep the cycle going.
-Lastly, what's the next move for you, Pascal Faustin? What or where can people look to see you getting involved with next?
I’ve been having the same dream for over 2 months now and I think it’s time to step the game up. While I won’t say this particular goal, but just know that our young men and mothers are going to benefit from this tremendously. My CEO, Jason has just opened his own massage recovery place in Kenilworth, NJ, @restnrecover. On the other hand, I am going to be launching @leshommesbeardoils this upcoming fall season. YMSG got big things up our sleeves, and I can’t wait to make a bigger impact on the Irvington/Newark area.
The majority of R-rated action films with notable leads have lately been great successes. John Wick with Keanu Reeves, Ryan Gosling with Drive, & Denzel Washington with The Equalizer are all perfect examples of that statement.
I loved The Equalizer, so I was a bit skittish about The Equalizer 2, since most sequels aren't as great as the first. And although it was a bit flawed, it was still a very good sequel. The film follows Robert McCall (played by Denzel Washington), who now works as a Lyft driver while still doing his vigilante work. Also, with help from his former FBI colleagues, Susan (played by Melissa Leo) & Brian (played by Bill Pullman) Plummer, he helps the less fortunate out. Also, McCall has taken somewhat of a mentorship to Miles Whittaker (played by Ashton Sanders), a young man with a passion for art but has a troubled life.
One day, Susan & McCall's former colleague, DIA operative Dave York (played by Pedro Pascal), go to Brussels to investigate a supposed murder suicide. After completing the investigation, Susan goes to her hotel room. She is followed in by two assailants who attack her. Although she fights back, she is killed by them.
When McCall hears word of this, he will stop at nothing to discover what happened to his old friend. But he may not like what he finds about what happened to her.
The cast is excellent. Denzel Washington shows again that he is a force to be reckoned with, & shows his commanding presence once again. Ashton Sanders also does a great job, showing more of the promise he showed in Moonlight.
Antoine Fuqua's direction is amazing. Fuqua shows a lot of great command over the spectacular action sequences, & is able to keep a strong hold on the tone of the film.
Richard Wenk's screenplay is good. Although the plot is formulaic, the strong characters & sharp dialogue help build up the screenplay.
And Oliver Wood's cinematography is superb. Wood perfectly captures the hectic atmosphere of the film with strong camerawork, including some great wide-angle shots.
This is a very good action sequel. Although it doesn't match the first, it still has enough to make it better than most action sequels in recent memory.
The Equalizer 2 was seen by me at the MJR Universal Grand Cinema 16 in Warren, MI on Saturday, July 21, 2018. It is in theaters everywhere. Its runtime is 121 minutes, & it is rated R for brutal violence throughout, language, & some drug content.
Flip through this year's British Arrows sponsorship film, out of The Mill's Design Studio and directed by our Carl Addy.
I love this quote and although I can say it’s almost impossible to not be too tired (at times), I love the sentiment behind this and agree with it whole heartedly. It reminds of me of how important friendship is but also how friendships can change when you become a mom. While we can strive to do all these things, being a mom is what really puts these values to the test. Becoming a mom also affects the friends we choose to keep and I’m starting to think I know why.
I was sitting in a restaurant the other evening with a friend. There we were, both our families enjoying Pizza Night: our big kids playing, babies gurgling at each other, husbands catching up over a beer while we sipped our wine. And while we did what mothers do on restaurant play dates (ran after kids, fed babies and gulped down wine) it occurred to me just how special she has become to me. We have often spoken about how we feel we are kindred spirits who met far too late in life.
It’s as if we were meant to meet in high school or university or long before kids entered the picture anyway. It’s as though I have known her my whole life. She would have been the girl I sat next to on the playground at nursery school and shared my sandwich with. The girl I would tell about my first crush in high school. The girl whose shoulder I would cry on after my first heartbreak. I would have been drawn to HER. And I know she feels the same. The fact that we are the same age with two boys only intensifies the depth of our friendship and how quickly it has grown. Our friendship seems a very compatible and easy one. Everything about it makes sense.
But the reality is that it’s not always like this. Connections are not always instant. Friendships are not always magnetic and life is never without its mystery. And this got me thinking how motherhood in itself has proven to be the glue in many of my friendships. You see, the bond of motherhood, I believe, is so strong that it can bring the unlikeliest of people together. There are some friendships that I know would probably not exist if it weren’t for the very real and common fact that we both have kids. And not only is there nothing wrong with that, there is something quite beautiful about it. You see, it forces us open our eyes and give people a chance. To share parts of our lives with people we typically would not have thought twice to let in.
It teaches us to not judge a book by its cover or be too concerned with common interests. The fact that we are both raising kids is common interest enough. Does it really matter what background you have or what you studied after school? Does it make any difference what clothes you wear or the places you have traveled? Who cares how many awards you have won or promotions the other has had.
What really maters is that we understand why the other has her t- shirt on inside out or why we have lost our keys for the fourth time in one day. And we understand its normal to occasionally find them in the freezer. What matters more is knowing what the other is going through and knowing what the other person may need.
I look at my very diverse circle of mommy friends and I feel a swell of pride. I have made so many new friends in the last few years since becoming a mom and I’m blessed to have these women walk beside me on this very bumpy and exciting road. Some of these girls I may not have chosen to my BFF in high school but I would do anything for them now. I would fight tooth and nail for their children and I know they would do the same for mine. I have learnt to share my heart with these women, show vulnerability and ask for help. I have learnt to offer mine. I have started to realize there is something quite extraordinary that happens when we become mothers. And it forces us to change.
The reality is we HAVE changed. We have grown up. Dropped our guards. We have grown from being silly schoolgirls who thought we knew everything to young woman who openly admit we are still learning. We genuinely want the best for each other, in every area of our lives. We are no longer so competitive nor are we threatened by each other’s success. We are more honest about the finer details of our lives and turmoil’s of our hearts. And yes this is largely due to the fact that we have matured, but it’s also because our children remind us that we are human and indeed very fragile. The pretending to have it all together becomes too much. The desperate need to balance it all and have the perfect life, crumbles into tiny pieces as we are forced to face the facts. Life with kids is hard and we realize we don’t need to pretend it isn’t. With the right friends, you start to see the freedom in surrendering these things and relying on each other for words of wisdom and encouragement.
We are all mothers now, who relate to a world that can be stressful and frustrating. We understand each other without having to explain ourselves. But we try anyway, just to get it off our chests. We know what it feels like to fall short of the impossible idea of a perfect mother and we will admit our failures to each other more easily than to our own husbands. We sympathize with each other without always trying to find a solution. We understand not being able to always fully commit as our children take priority and plans can change in an instant.
We can commiserate over countless cups of tea without feeling like broken record. In essence we have become a support group during a time when we need it most. A time we can love and hate all at the same time.
And yes our lifestyles have changed and this is ok. I may still call a friend in the middle of the night but not because of a fight I had with my boyfriend but because my baby just vomited on our last clean sheet. I may not stop by unexpectedly to share a bottle of wine to celebrate a promotion, but I may land up at her door in a flood of tears because I’m going mad at home with kids or because my husband is on his 3rd business trip in a month (and is currently in New York eating a bagel and doing some shopping while I’m at home dealing with puke and tantrums.) We may not speak everyday but when we do I know I’m going to say goodbye after a broken telephone conversation with a smile on my face that maybe wasn’t there before. We learn to do friendship differently. We learn each other’s love languages.
And so I will say it again, friendship is about the most important thing in life, and our kids in all their gorgeous chaos can often be the glue that binds us. Because although I may not have hand-picked all of these friends prior to becoming a mother, I have no doubt I am meant to be friends with them now and will be long after my children have grown up. Because lets face it:. Who else will understand the crazy stories we will live to tell?
So beautifully written! I have also met one of my best friends through having a baby and now I can’t imagine life without her.
A technology that allows users to perform sophisticated data analysis on typically large amounts of enterprise data to gain insight on the information it contains.
Examples of analysis include financial modeling, budget forecasting, production planning, and determining broad sales and distribution trends.
A query issued in an online analytical processing (OLAP) system could be, “What would be the effect on sales over the next three quarters if the cost of widgets went up 5% while sales dropped 15%?” OLAP systems primarily focus on queries that ask “What if…?”
In other words, OLAP systems are designed for making predictions, modeling scenarios, and supporting decision-making.
The database for an OLAP system is structured to allow for efficient retrieval of information. The database can be a data warehouse. A data warehouse is a database that contains static data on a particular subject, drawn from various sources. Queries issued against data warehouses tend to focus on queries that ask “What was…?” or “Who did…?” and are useful for analyzing past sales and growth figures. For example, “What were the total sales for the five largest subsidiaries in the first two quarters of last year?” OLAP systems and data warehouses thus constitute two complementary tools for analyzing and interpreting business data in order to make smart decisions.
An OLAP system is typically based on a multidimensional model, which allows users to easily select, explore, and view the data. An OLAP system generally provides the technology for creating and managing the databases. An OLAP system can have tools to discover relationships between data items by comparing the results of various OLAP queries.
Microsoft SQL Server version 7.0 includes a number of tools for data warehousing and online analytical processing, including Data Transformation Services (DTS) Designer and SQL Server OLAP Services. You can use DTS Designer to specify the workflow steps and transactions for combining multiple heterogeneous data sources into a data warehouse. You can then use OLAP Services to analyze the data, preaggregate data into multidimensional cubes for frequently asked queries, model data, create new views, and perform ad hoc sets of calculations.
You many have seen #UAAmazing as a caption to a photo of a white pickup monstrosity, complete with vanity plates and an Alyeska Hotel decal on the tailgate parked, almost miraculously, in three parking spots in the West lot on campus. Maybe the ironic hashtag was at the end of a tweet complaining about the costs of tuition, posted by a recent South High graduate, who’s wearing Uggs and True Religions in her profile picture. You’ve definitely seen it on a Facebook post regarding the Wi-Fi on campus, which seems to run at a glacial pace. The point being, #UAAmazing has been taken over by students as an ironic way to point out their grievances with the university.
In 2013, the University of Alaska Anchorage launched the campaign “Amazing Stories Being Written Every Day.” The campaign, which highlights notable student stories, was launched alongside UAA’s social hub, The Howl. The Howl’s website uses four created hashtags to highlight the UAA brand and content from around campus. One of these hashtags The Howl uses is #UAAmazing.
“We wanted to use a hashtag that reflected the brand and also embodied what we know to be true—our faculty, staff, students and alumni are doing amazing things,” Kristin DeSmith, Assistant Vice Chancellor for University Relations, said. “#UAAmazing is used by both the university and our community to share examples of those things on social media.”
The hashtag is used on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, and promoted during special campus events such as Kick-Off, Commencement, Gala and Winterfest.
In addition to promoting the university, the hashtag is commonly used by students ironically when posting complaints or irritants on campus.
Occasionally the university will respond to students complaints in an attempt to relieve a specific issue, but more often than not it is a way for students to vent about campus life. So, what began as a hashtag to promote UAA student success, the hashtag is now synonymous with irked students speaking freely about university annoyances.