We Are Augustines

We Are Augustines

Stories

Bharat Bhise HNA – Why it is Important to Support Local Clubs

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When Bharat Bhise HNA first came over to see me in the UK he wanted me to take him to some sporting events so that he could get a taste for how we do things here. The first thing that he noticed however was the significant lack of support which we give to our local sports teams. In the USA people turn out in bog numbers for little league teams, college teams and local teams, yet here in the UK we shun the little men in favor of the bigger teams. Bharat was absolutely right about this and he spoke to me at length about the importance of doing so, something which I know understand. If you are guilty of not supporting your local team, here is why you should.

They Need It

Local teams do not have thousands of people buying replica shirts or clothing, they do not have league money and they do not have huge gates which boost their takings. These clubs, be they rugby, cricket or soccer absolutely depend on the money which they take on match days, from food, drinks and admission to survive. These clubs need our support or they just won’t be around for long enough.

Starting Out

We have to avoid these clubs not being able to afford to continue, or else where will the youngsters learn their trade. Every footballer, rugby player and athlete has started at one of these locals clubs, and began to work their way up the ladder in their sport. If these clubs don’t exist then the youngsters will have fewer opportunities to get on.

Passion

Last year I ent to watch Gateshead play in front of 2,000 people, a far cry from the 50,000 which Newcastle pack into their stadium on a Saturday afternoon. The biggest difference here however was not the quality of the football or the noise of the stadium, but the passion which was on display. Most of those players will hang up their boots at the end of the day, and start getting themselves ready for work on Monday morning. The men and women playing for local clubs are doing so as a labor of love, not because they are making big bucks, but because they just want to play. When the money comes in, many players lose that edge, this is not so with local teams.

Community

Sport is at the center of a community and through our support of smaller clubs we can help to bring the community together as one. Over the last couple of decades the spirit of community has been greatly lost and the consequences of this are very dangerous indeed. It may only be a small gesture but in attending games and events at your local team, you can play your part in helping to bring the community back together.

Why not give it a try this weekend? Get out and see your local team play.

6 Top Criteria to Choose a Paper Writing Service Capable Of Providing Academic Assistance of High Quality

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Are you trying to pick the right content writing services but don’t know how to pick out the best from the crowd?

You just found the right place to get your problems solved!

In this educative piece, we are outlining great tips that would help you pick the most reliable paper writing service provider that would provide you with academic assistance of the highest quality.

Before you master the art of picking out great content writing service providers, you must develop your skills and be able to write amazing short stories.

Do you need help sharpening your short story writing skills? You’ve come to the right place. If you want to improve your writing skills, writing short stories are your best bet to do that. Short stories help you work on your writing skills generally and improve your general writing skills and also to try out your creativity.

In this article, you will learn how to improve your writing skills and craft short stories with ease. There is something you have to know before going into the main content.

Short stories are usually writings with 10,000 words or less. There are micro-fictions which are 500 words or less. There are also short stories that contain up to 20,000 words.

Most well-celebrated authors you know all began their writing careers with writing short stories. You can get your long awaited break into the literary works by mastering the short stories writing process. Another thing is that you can start building your audience from this stage.

A good number of readers opt for short stories to long stories because they are very easy to read. Thus, working on short stories gives you’re an opportunity to make a good impression on your audience.

A mastery of short story writing skills will help you develop your skills generally and get you ready for other complicated projects.

Short stories don’t follow the traditional writing process for a novel.

Thankfully, with short stories, there is no need to go through the process of outlining all the minor and major details in a story. You don’t have to develop the character profile step to step; neither will you have to go through the process of outlining the minor events in the story. A short story is best for a quick writing project.

Most of the events in a short story will happen instantaneously and will be full of surprises until the end of the story. That doesn’t mean you don’t plan for your project. What you need to create is just a few events and a few characters to generate a flow. The amount of work and creativity required to write a short story is less than the one needed for a long story.

Now we have the less important stuff out of the way, let’s get down to writing a short story like a professional.

Write in a sitting

Once you start writing a short story, your goal is to write the draft as fast as possible. It is possible to write a short story in a sitting and three months or less to write a novel. As long as you have a good storyline, you don’t have to bother much on your plot.

When writing your draft, assume yourself to be an archeologist looking to discover a city buried under the earth and that the draft is your first discovery.

Good dialogue is vital

Good dialogue is very vital in any creative writing. It is only when you have an in-depth knowledge of your characters that you can effectively write like a professional dialogue. Each of your characters in your short stories must have a distinct voice.

You can effectively assign a different voice to your characters if you ensure that their dialogues are a direct representation of who they are.

When starting a dialogue, use the tags ‘he said’ or ‘she said.’ As much as you can, try to avoid words like ‘she announced’ or ‘she spoke intensively.’

Write about Death

Death is a natural occurrence and death should be included in any good story. Most good short stories have death as part of its theme. One other thing is that death theme makes your story stand out from death. Check out the likes of The Lord of the Rings and The Hunger Games.

Include suspense and drama

What makes your readers continue reading your story is suspense. Suspense grabs the reader’s attention and makes the reader eager to read through. To achieve great suspense, the fate of the protagonist must hang in the balance. Try not to reveal the next scene or happenings to your readers.

Edit like a professional

Most professional writers have to go through three or more drafts to get content that is good enough for the public. As you continue to edit, you publish out some of unwanted or extra scène and plot.

Share your work

After the editing process, you need to share your story with the public. The aim of writing in the first place is to get readers and build an audience. So try to share your content as soon as possible.

With these skills, you can see when a content writing service provider is about to rip you off and do something about it.

Lottery Myths, True Or False

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According to Smithsonian, the first recorded lottery was held back in 1446. But there’s evidence that it’s far from the actual first lottery which might date back to Caesar. Independent of when it actually started, there are a number of myths surrounding lotteries.

Odds of getting hit by lightning are higher than winning a jackpot
While it sounds good, and to be honest, even quite reasonable if we think about huge lotteries with tens of millions of people playing them, it might actually just be a myth. Iowa Lottery Commissioner Ed Stanek mathematically debunked that claim. Based on statistics, in 1996 1136 people won $1 million dollars or more plus another 4500 won $100 000 or more in North America Lotteries. And only 91 people were killed by lightning the same year. Then again…91 people were killed, but how many people were actually hit by lighting? I’ve heard of people who have been hit by lightning twice in one evening and lived to tell the story. So I guess, if we would actually only talk about huge Jackpots, not just big enough wins, and keep in mind that the number of people being hit by lightning is way higher than number of people killed by lightning, the myth still might hold some water.

Lottery is mainly being played by low income people
According to a Washington Post survey, it’s far from truth. It’s actually the middle income Americans who play the lottery the most.

Millions of dollars every year go unclaimed
Obviously this is true. Reasons vary, but sometimes people forget to check their tickets, or forgot they bought the ticket in the first place, sometimes people simply lose their tickets or end forgetting their tickets in their pockets before washing their clothes. If you want to be on the safe side, you better be smarter and play the powerball lottery online – that’s the only way to make sure that if you do manage to beat the odds, you’ll actually be able to benefit from it. According to CNN roughly $2 BILLION in lottery prizes go unclaimed every year, including more than 100 prizes worth $1 million or more.

The Life and Fame of Buck Reed

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A lot of people have heard of Buck Reed. He is a true mover and shaker who has had a tremendous impact on the world of sales and business. He is known for creating systems that can easily be duplicated, enabling people to manage and increase their own productivity, particularly if they work independently. But Buck Reed is about far more than that as well.

Getting to Know Buck Reed

Buck is from the Midwest of the country. He comes from a large multicultural family and lives happily with his wife and five children. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his wife and kids, taking them boating on the lake. He is a self-made millionaire and has worked incredibly hard for everything that he has.

At a young age, in his teens, he started his own business mowing people’s lawns. He worked hard at it and was able to develop his one man lawn mowing operation into a hugely successful landscaping company. At that point, he was making ends meet but he always knew that he wanted more. Never one to stand still, he continued to run his company but also started to take part in various self-development classes. By his early 20s, he became a mentee in sales classes and felt he really found his calling.

Buck spent several years working in sales. During that time, he found that his real passion lay in teaching others how to achieve success. He focuses on both marketing and entrepreneurship, the two key things that enabled him to put his passion and drive to good use himself and start such successful operations.

Buck dreamed of becoming a corporate trainer, mentoring others to become the best they could be. Several years after he started with this work, he earned his first million. However, things didn’t stop there for him. He moved on to becoming a trainer and mentor in the direct sales industry and he continues to be highly sought after today. His personal specialization is the psychology of sales. He has a track record of successfully mentoring sales representatives and his system, which is so easy to duplicate, is now found in sales organizations all over the world.

The Future for Buck Reed

Buck believes in living the good life, but he also believes in working hard for everything that you get. Hence, while he, his wife, and kids now have it very good, he continues to deliver training and to help develop others. He wishes to impart this life lesson on his children as well, who have nothing handed to them on a plate but have to work for things themselves.

Buck is nothing short of inspirational. Thousands of people the world over have been motivated by his work, achieving things beyond their wildest dreams. It is hoped and expected that Buck Reed will continue to deliver training for many more years, as this is where his true passion will always lay.

A Glance into the Personal and Professional Life of Ryan Grigson

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The Cleveland Browns Senior Personnel Executive, Ryan Grigson served the Indianapolis Colts as the General Manager from 2012 to 2016.

Early life

Ryan was born on 23rd February 1972 in the locality of Highland in Indiana. He was the child of Juanita and Jeff Grigson, went to Our Lady of Grace Catholic School and finished his higher education at Highland Senior High. He was a football player in high school but his college injury refrained him from playing football for a year. He returned back in 1993 and showcased his footballing skills.

Professional Football career

In 1995, Ryan was drafted to be in the Cincinnati Bengals in the 6th round and was bound under a contract – but was released in the final cuts. He was then signed by the rival team Detroit Lions and played the NFL 1995 season with that team. He was released from the Detroit Lions team in 1996 and then went on to play for Toronto Argonauts in 1997. But following that year Ryan got a major injury, which never allowed him to play again, thus, retiring very early.

Executive and Manager Career

In 1998 after his retirement, he started as pro Scout for Saskatchewan Roughriders and served as assistant coach for McPherson College. Ryan had been part of St Louis Rams as the national scout in NFL in the year 1999. He then joined Philadelphia Eagles in 2004 as the Western Regional Scout. After serving for two years as Western Regional Scout, Ryan was promoted to be the Director of College Scouting and then as Director of Player Personnel in the year 2010.

In the year 2012, Ryan was signed by Indianapolis Colts as the General Manager and this helped their team to improve and win several matches. Because of his guidance and mentorship, the team played really well and he went on to win Executive of the year award and Mental Toughness Award. The Colts under Ryan’s mentorship even made an NFL record of having a longest winning streak against any division after having their 16th consecutive win over the AFC South opponent. In 2016, Colts announced the contract renewal of Ryan with them till 2019.

But due to not able to pick good drafts and other concerns, in the year 2017, Ryan was released from Indianapolis Colts. He was then signed with Cleveland Browns as their Senior Personnel Executive. He replaced Lake Dawson who joined Buffalo bills serving as the assistant director of college scouting.

Personal Life

Ryan is a happily married man to his beloved wife Cynthia. They were college sweethearts and met while studying at Pardue University. After dating for several years, they finally got hitched in 2001 and are blessed with 6 children. Ryan is a firm believer in Catholic. He loves all his children and love to spend time with his family. After his father’s death, he understood the responsibilities of a father and wants to imbibe good things in his children too, which his father did.

Conclusion

Ryan was a great footballer but due to his career-ending injury, he had to retire. His executive and manager career has several ups and downs but still, he managed to provide wins in whichever teams he had been attached to.

4 Valentine’s Day Gifts You Can Make with Yarn 

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You don’t have to get an expensive bouquet of red roses or a heart-shaped box of chocolates to show your affection to your loved ones. Instead of shelling out money for these expected presents, you should use your creative skills to put together adorable gifts — all you will need are some craft supplies, some time and lots of yarn.

Love Bugs

This crocheting craft is easy to do and only requires colourful yarn, stuffing and two black beads for little eyes. The website Yarnspirations will have the love bug pattern available, along with other fun crochet patterns to use for projects in the future. The website will also have most of the supplies that you need to complete the craft—you can get high quality yarn delivered to you within days after browsing through the amazing selection.

Pompom Flowers

A bouquet of these flowers will be even better than red or pink roses — they won’t be as expensive as any flowers priced around Valentine’s Day and they will never wilt. Forget about temporary blooms and make a pompom bouquet instead — you will need a handful of simple supplies like yarn, scissors, twigs, ribbon and a hot glue gun. The pompoms should be made with a chunky yarn instead of a fine fiber so that they end up looking as thick and fluffy as possible. For additional details, you can paint the twigs green and add ribbon leaves to make them look like real stems.

Cup Cozies

A cup cozy is a great gift for a friend or co-worker who just can’t seem to get enough coffee in the morning. To put together your DIY cup cozy for Valentine’s Day you will need knitting needles and pink yarn—you can sew on a decorative heart made of white felt embroidered with kind messages. This practical present will make someone’s cup of coffee a little warmer and their morning a little sweeter.

Spools of Yarn 

This is a simple gift that will be perfect for someone who enjoys crafty activities like knitting and crocheting. All you have to do is get some spools of yarn in holiday colours like red, pink and purple, along with crochet hooks. Then tie the spools together with ribbon, slip the hooks inside and add a fun message — try some wordplay like I’m hooked on you, I yarn for you or I need-le you to be mine. This present is great for those who find themselves too busy to knit or crochet an item, but still want to share their love of crafts.

Whether you hand these Valentine’s Day gifts to your coworkers, to your friends or to your significant other, they will be appreciated for their uniqueness. While it’s always nice to receive chocolates and roses, it will be much more impressive to receive these handcrafted gifts that come from the heart.

5 Of the Top News Stories from 2017

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It should come as no surprise that most of the world is glad to usher in a brand new year as in 2017 a multitude of negative events rocked the world. To discover 5 of the top news stories from 2017, simply continue reading.

5 of the top news stories from 2017:

Donald Trump’s inauguration divides a nation

On the 20th of January, Donald Trump was sworn in as 45th President of the United States, an event which divided a nation. While Republic fans flocked to DC to witness Trump’s inauguration thousands of disgruntled citizens took to the streets to protest Trump’s election win. Trumps presidential win also concerned the international community, with over 2 million individuals worldwide protesting Trump’s inauguration.

Terrorists target an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England

On the 22nd of May, terrorists bombed an Ariana Grande concert held at the Manchester Arena. In total, 23 individuals were killed and over 500 spectators were injured as a result of the terrorist’s explosions. Amongst the fatalities of the bomber Salman Ramadan Abedi’s violent act of terrorism, there were several children who lost their lives as a result of attending Grande’s concert.

White supremacist runs over and kills a protestor

On the 12th of August, a white supremacist plowed his Dodge Challenger into a group of citizens who were protesting a public white supremacist rally which was held in Charlottesville, Virgina. As a result of the man’s act of hate, one woman ultimately lost her life and several others will seriously injured.

Further blood was shed at the Unite the Right rally with multiple brawls taking place and the police declaring a state of emergency. To add further fuel to the fire, some Unite the Right members decided to turn up to their rally wearing military-style uniforms and carrying loaded guns.

North Korea threatens the USA

North Korea’s supreme leader Kim Jong-un spent the year testing a wide variety of illegal nuclear weapons, which he threatened could be used against the USA. Although the United Nations condemned North Korea, the United Nations failed to stop North Korea from continuing to test illegal nuclear weapons.

Later in the year Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump, waged a war of words on Twitter, a social media platform. With individuals around the world, left puzzled at the current political climate, where international leaders have taken to insulting and threatening each other on popular social media platforms.

The US gets hit by not 1 but 15 serious natural disasters

In 2017 alone the US was hit by 15 serious natural disasters which are estimated to have cost the federal government 180 billion dollars in damages. Examples of some of the natural disasters which shocked the US include Hurricane Irma, Hurricane Maria, and Hurricane Harvey.

As a result of the torrential storm which took place during Hurricane Harvey parts of Texas were flooded and 82 Texas citizens lost their lives.

Whatever 2018 may bring, global citizens hope for less destruction, death, division, and devastation as 2017’s top new’s headlines were flooded with tragic new stories.

 

5 of the Best Music Releases Coming in 2018

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If you’re always on the lookout for new music to add your smart phone’s playlists, simply continue reading to discover five of the best upcoming music releases in 2018. And if you want to keep up-to-date with monthly music releases, the team of music bloggers at Upbeat Geek summarise the best music every month. Which include music from up and coming talents such as Zayn Malik and Charlie Puth as well as albums from world renown artists such as Justin Timberlake and Moby.

5 of the best music releases coming in 2018:

1. Azealia Banks

Azealia Banks is set to release her second studio album “Fantasea II: The Second Wave”, in March 2018. Which will be the first album which Banks releases under her own record label Chaos & Glory Recordings.

Banks is world renown as one of the world’s leading female rappers and her debut album “Broke With Expensive Taste” which featured dance rap and dance pop was packed full of hits. Examples of which include “Yung “, “Heavy Metal and Reflective”, “Ice Princess” and “Chasing Time”. “Broke With Expensive Taste”, featured on the US Billboard 200 chart and “Fantasea II: The Second Wave”, is expected to feature multiple successful singles.

2. Justin Timberlake

Justin Timberlake’s new album “Man of the Woods” is scheduled for release on the 2nd of February. Timberlake is set to perform several tracks from his fifth studio album at the much-anticipated Superbowl halftime show two days later, on the 4th of February. One of which is rumored to be “Filthy”, Timberlake’s first single off “Man of the Woods”, which was released in January and features vocals from Timberlake’s wife actress Jessica Biel.

Timberlake who is famous for tracks such as “SexyBack”, “Rock Your Body”, “Suit & Tie” and “Mirrors”, claims that “Man of the Woods” is influenced by his country roots growing up in Tennessee.

3. Zayn Malik

While Zayn Malik created a name for himself as a member of the teen boy band “One Direction”, Malik has already proven his solo talent by releasing a plethora of hit solo tracks. Examples of which include “Pillowtalk”, “Still Got Time” and “I Don’t Wanna Live Forever”. The latter of which Malik released with pop princess Taylor Swift for the film “Fifty Shades Darker”. Malik’s second studio album is predicted to achieve phenomenal success and is described by Malik as being more personal and more optimistic than his first solo album.

4. Charlie Puth

Charlie Puth’s upcoming album “Voicenotes”, is expected to drop during May, 2018 and is set to feature “If You Leave Me Now”, a single which features the iconic band Boys II Men. To date, Puth has already released two successful singles from “Voicenotes”, “Attention” and “How Long”. Both of which have received critical acclaim.26-year-old Puth debut studio album “Nine Track Mind” was released back in 2016 featured two extremely successful chart-topping singles “We Don’t Talk Anymore” and “One Call Away”.

5. Moby

Moby is set to release a new album, “Everything Was Beautiful, and Nothing Was Hurt”. With the very first track to debut being released in January, peaking at number 37 on the highly regarded US AAA chart.

So it’s well worth keeping an eye out for each of the albums listed above, which are set to be released over the coming year.