View allAll Photos Tagged SelfLess,
Through a selfless act of courage, the beautiful and strong-willed Belle is confined to the castle of a terrible Beast. Always the epitome of grace, Belle is enchanting in her golden silk gown and brings hope for a curse Prince who did not have love in his heart. And in a tale as old as time, Belle and Beast each learn acceptance, understanding and the meaning of true love.
Romantic curls swept back, revealing golden gemstone earrings. Off-shoulder embroidered bodice and opera length gloves,
Satin gown with subtle ornate print, embroidered gemstones, luxe shirring and gathering, plus lace underskirt.
Handsome velvety coat with golden embroidery, piped trim and golden buttons. Matching printed waistcoat.
from Disney Store Europe
Hooray for Jen! What a good sport and Congratulations on such a selfless act! More information will be forthcoming in the MCAS Flyway. Stay Tuned!
In a pure and selfless act of love, I got my partner a fancy new ice cream/gelato maker and a few books to go with it for his birthday. :))
To all the brave & selfless men and women who have put on a uniform to defend freed, please accept my sincerest thanks.
In memory of my great-grandfather and his 3 brothers who selflessly gave their lives during the First World War.
A highly stylised photo of a single common poppy. Over saturated the red, and de-saturated the blue sky.
I made it! I turned 26, and I finished this project on time, fulfilled by letting out all these thoughts I like to believe I learned over my last 26 years of being an inhabitant of this earth, living the wonder of life.
With my last picture, I give you this last lesson of mine. I am amazed that after my thirty last days of being 19 project, my last lesson there, and my last lesson here remain under the same topic: love.
I did not even intend for it to be like that. But I realized, after going off the path in the beginning of my 20s, how the Universe had always been silently pushing me onto the path of love again and again.
For there is no higher law for me than that law.
Love above all.
I mean, let's put down the world's biggest issues to a certain question. What is lacking? Why is the world filled with all these problems?
There is a lack of several things. Let's name a few: Empathy, forgiveness, respect, selflessness, kindness, willingness to share, willingness to put your neighbor first, openness, generosity, care, honesty, humbleness, gentleness, compassion... I could go on forever.
Now, what could we say is the source of all these attributes?
Simple... it's love.
So, ask yourself behind every action you do in your life. Am I being the most loving person I can be? Is love the source behind this action of mine?
Imagine if every person on this earth would do the same. That all these attributes would be the norm. There'd be no trouble. There'd be no pain, no fear, no conflict. We'd be complete and as wonderful with each other as we can (and are supposed to) all be.
Let's try to be the best we can all be. Let's make love our highest ideal, let's do our best everyday. It starts within us.
This is a creative commons image, which you may freely use by linking to this page. Please respect the photographer and his work.
The North Carolina Museum of Art has a large display of sculptures of French artist Auguste Rodin (1840-1917). This is my favorite. When I was there, the late afternoon sun coming in made every photo almost impossible. Neither the color nor the black and white convey the full impact of this masterful depiction of anguish. I never realized how much emotion can be conveyed in bronze. This viewing experience has enhanced appreciation of sculpture in general and of Rodin in specific.
Edward III, King of England, claimed authority over France at that time. In 1346 he began an 11-month siege of the port city of Calais in an early battle in the Hundred Years’ War. Unable to take the city by attack, Edward decided to starve the city into submission. His plan succeeded. He would spare the lives of the citizens of Calais if six of its prominent leaders would come to his encampment; they would be barefoot and without headwear, nooses around their neck, and hand over the keys to the city and beg for mercy. Six burghers ultimately volunteered in this act of selfless heroism. They expected to be executed but were saved through the intervention of England’s pregnant queen, Philippa of Hainault. She feared the killing of the burghers would be a bad omen for the birth of her child. Pierre de Wissant is one of those six burghers.
To honor this act of self-sacrifice, the city of Calais commissioned Rodin in 1885 to execute a monument. His finished work was The Burghers of Calais (Les Bourgeois de Calais). Rodin used the head of Pierre de Wissant alone in a larger-than life sculpture. The modeling of the head was done in 1884-1885 and enlarged in 1909. The figure in the North Carolina Museum of Art was cast in 1980 by the Musée Rodin.
The bust shows Pierre de Wissant with parted lips, eyes nearly shut, head leaning slightly to the side, and an elongated neck—all features contributing to the pathos of the situation of self-denial and sacrifice. His features reveal the emaciation resulting from the effort to starve out the city. His decision shows in the facial agony to sacrifice his life for his fellow citizens. Rodin remarkably creates a human being in flesh and blood using only bronze.
See also www.flickr.com/photos/universalpops/5714783308/ and www.flickr.com/photos/universalpops/5714221433/
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License
**Consider yourself tagged if you see this picture. Sorry if I missed anyone, just considered yourself tagged :)**
1.)Favorite Disney Princess: Belle! She is intellectual, Selfless and Doesn't care what other people think about her.
2.)Favorite Disney Movie which includes a Princess: Beauty and the Beast!
3. Which Disney Princess, not included in the official Princess cannon, should be added? Kida. To be honest I'm not a huge fan of Atlantis, but her I loved her as a character. Her design, her character, her personality.
4.) 4. Favorite Disney Princess song: "I Wonder" and "Part of Your world" (Reprise).
5. Which princess are you most like and why? Hm. I'd have to go with Cinderella. Most of childhood and youth I was always the one cleaning and doing chores while my step brothers (seriously) would just bully me and make me do even more work, while still making me feel crappy. Then, I finally met my Fiance, and after a few years, we finally moved in together and I was finally free from that turmoil.
6. Which princess dress is your favorite? Belles Ballgown!
7. If you could have any of the princess side-kicks in real life, which one would you want? I'm not a sidekicks person. I honestly prefer to do things on my own.
8. What ethnicity or country would you like to see the next Disney princess from?
I'd love to see a Hawaiian Princess. Especially since they truly existed. But At the same time not, because I know disney wouldn't be ballsy to tell the true tales of our Hawaiian Princess'.
9. Would you go see a Gay/Lesbian Disney Prince/Princess movie?
Yeah, but hopefully not to the point of in your face stereotyping. Media isn't always that great with same sex characters. Some are, like Laika and Dreamworks, but Disney has yet to be very subtle about it.
10. Favorite Princess Sequel?
This is hard because the sequels are awful. Mostly because the characters are written horribly and doesn't even pass a candle to how the story and characters were written. Beauty and the Beast Enchanted Christmas is kinda guilty pleasure. But I despise how they wrote Belle and Beast.
11. Which Princess do you think had the best home life/childhood? judging from all their upbringings, Belle.
12. Which Princess would you most want to look like?
I'm a guy, but I've done that kinda thing. So, Aurora.
13. Most attractive Prince?
The Beast. No, not his human appearance.
As mentioned in my first post, the gentleman in photo is my garden manager of some 15 years. He is due to retire shortly and I've yet to see him cross or complain. In fact, he always has a smile on his face. His favourite saying, especially when you give him a very hard task, is "a job is a job". He has given of himself selflessly in my service and for the benefit of others. A sterling gentleman indeed!
NORTH HOLLYWOOD - The selfless efforts of an a observant plumber and other motorists helped save the life of a despondent teen precariously perched on a Hollywood (SR170) Freeway overpass on December 28, 2012. © Photo by Mike Meadows
GOVERNOR TOMBLIN DELIVERS
FAREWELL ADDRESS TO STATE LEGISLATURE
CHARLESTON, W.VA. (January 11, 2017)-Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin today
delivered his farewell address to the West Virginia Legislature in the House Chamber at the State Capitol Complex after serving six years as governor and a total of 42 years in public service in the Mountain State.
Information on Gov. Tomblin's accomplishments during his six-year
administration can be found here.
See below for the speech as prepared for delivery:
Mr. Speaker, Mr. President, members of the Board of Public Works, justices of
the Supreme Court of Appeals, members of the Legislature, distinguished guests, and my fellow West Virginians, I stand before you today, after six years in the Governor's office and 42 years in this grand statehouse, with a deep sense of gratitude and reflection and an equally profound hope for West Virginia's future.
Public service has anchored my life's work-from a young 22-year-old in this very House chamber, to a desk across the hall in the State Senate, the Senate President's podium for 17 years and now as your 35th Governor.
It has been the greatest honor-and the greatest reward-to serve the people of this state that we all love. Together, we have put West Virginia first and moved our state forward-even in the midst of tough times, including far-reaching economic shifts, budgetary challenges and historic natural disasters.
West Virginians are strongest in the toughest times. We come together. We lift each other up. And we don't just hope for a better future; we fight for it.
ECONOMIC DIVERSIFICATION & JOB CREATION
Working hard is exactly what we've done over the past six years to create new economic opportunities for the Mountain State.
We have all seen the dramatic impact of the coal industry's decline in our state. We've seen thousands of jobs lost. Families and communities struggling. People beginning to lose hope.
But I believe in-and have fought to reach-the light around the corner.
Shortly after becoming Governor, I pledged to go anywhere and meet with anyone to grow our state's economy. Across West Virginia, the country and the globe, we have succeeded.
Last year, global giant Procter & Gamble announced it would build its first U.S. manufacturing facility since the 1970s right here in West Virginia in the Eastern Panhandle. This will ultimately be a half-billion dollar investment in the Mountain State and result in hundreds of new jobs.
P&G chose our state after an exhaustive search of many others. And as numerous companies have discovered, I know they will find it to be the best decision they've ever made.
Toyota Motor Manufacturing West Virginia, which recently celebrated its 20th anniversary, has expanded continuously-nine times, in fact.
Today, Toyota employs more than 1,600 people. And the company has invested $1.4 billion since 1996.
Manufacturing jobs, like those at P&G in Martinsburg and Toyota in Buffalo, will be among the most critical to our state's economic future.
In my time as your Governor, I have fought for jobs like these and many more. From Amazon in Huntington and Macy's in Berkeley County, to Bombardier Aerospace manufacturing in Harrison County-which just in November announced an expansion of 150 jobs.
Companies are finding that when they invest in West Virginia, it pays off.
In fact, since 2011, West Virginia has seen more than $15 billion in new investments, spanning 275 projects. We have welcomed more than 60 new companies and secured 215 competitive expansion projects.
Over the past six years, investment projects have reached 22 industries and provided West Virginians with more than 12,000 good-paying jobs.
Right here in the Kanawha Valley, we have one of the best examples of that remarkable progress.
Gestamp has grown beyond the bounds of any of our expectations. Since opening in 2013, Gestamp has tripled production and more than doubled its workforce, now employing nearly 900 West Virginians.
I know that one of the fundamental reasons behind their growth has been our ability to transform workforce training in West Virginia for the better.
STRENGTHENING WORKFORCE TRAINING & EDUCATION
For example, the Learn and Earn program which we launched in 2012, gives our community and technical college students classroom instruction and hands-on work experience simultaneously. These students earn a competitive salary while giving employers a cost-effective way to recruit and train new employees.
Joe Atha is one of these students. A former coal miner, Joe is now a student at BridgeValley Community and Technical College where he is also supporting his family by earning a wage through the Learn and Earn program at Gestamp.
Joe is here today with his wife, Rita. Please stand to be recognized... along with Dr. Sarah Tucker, Chancellor of our Community and Technical College System.
Through forward-thinking programs like this, we can make a real, lasting difference for West Virginians.
That's why I personally convened the West Virginia Workforce Planning Council, which has helped us break down bureaucratic silos and better align classroom learning with the workforce needs of our businesses and industries.
We've even started that process in high schools through the Simulated Workplace program.
Today, our career technical education classrooms have been transformed into businesses. Medical classes are now clinics. Hospitality programs are now catering businesses and restaurants.
And instead of just going to a welding or carpentry class, our students are now part of a construction company, complete with job foremen and safety inspectors.
Just last month, we celebrated a heartwarming moment as a result of the hard work of more than 2,000 of these students from 12 high schools across the state.
Together with the Department of Education's Career Technical Education division, the West Virginia National Guard and our Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, we presented keys to tiny homes that were designed and built by these students for survivors of the historic floods that hit our state last June.
REBUILDING FROM NATURAL DISASTERS
Time and again, in the aftermath of this tragic flooding we have seen the selflessness of West Virginians make a difference for one another.
The "Big Hearts Give Tiny Homes" project was a shining example of that West Virginia spirit-one that made an overwhelming difference for 15 families impacted by the flooding, including Brenda Rivers from Nicholas County, whose home was a total loss in the flooding. Brenda now lives in a new tiny home built by students, including Chance Ballard from Spring Valley High School in Wayne County.
Please join me in welcoming Brenda and Chance ... along with Dr. Kathy D'Antoni ... whose visionary leadership at the Department of Education has made Simulated Workplace the success it is today.
Working hand-in-hand with the federal government and local officials, our immediate response to the flooding was quick and effective. We were able to expedite federal assistance to our communities and families in need. And over the past seven months, we have been able to shift our focus to long-term recovery.
Through a public-private approach, we launched the RISE West Virginia program, which in total has provided nearly $2 million to 230 small businesses in the flood-impacted counties-funding that is helping them reopen or continue operations and keep fueling our local economies.
I would like to thank, once again, West Virginia native and champion Brad Smith-the CEO of Intuit, one of the world's leading financial software companies-and his wife Alys for their family donation of $500,000, which gave the RISE program its first, needed boost.
West Virginia has experienced more than its share of disasters during my time as your Governor-this historic flooding, the Derecho, Hurricane Sandy, Winter Storms Thor and Jonas and the water crisis.
Through it all, we have grown stronger, we have improved our emergency response capabilities and we have strengthened public safety.
Adversity demands resilience. That's what we have shown in these challenges and many more-including one of the most trying epidemics I believe the Mountain State has ever faced-with the sharp rise in substance abuse and addiction.
FIGHTING SUBSTANCE ABUSE
That's why in 2011, I issued an Executive Order to create the Governor's Advisory Council on Substance Abuse, made up of representatives of substance abuse prevention, behavioral medicine, law enforcement, child and adolescent psychology, the legal system, residential treatment facilities, the public school system, the faith community and health care.
My vision for this Council was a community-driven, ground-up approach to tackling this epidemic. Through community-based task forces in six regions across the state, we have made significant progress and enacted life-saving reforms.
We now look at substance abuse as an illness-not a crime.
We have decreased the number of meth labs across the state as the result of making it more difficult to obtain pseudoephedrine.
We have expanded access to the life-saving drug Narcan to first responders and family members of those struggling with addiction. Last year alone, hundreds of lives were saved as a result.
We have substance abuse prevention services in all 55 counties. We have expanded and improved community-based treatment options and recovery services. Across the state, we have 188 crisis detox beds in residential treatment facilities with more sites under development.
We have 118 beds designated for youth and postpartum treatment as well as short-term and long-term residential treatment. And we have over 1,000 beds for those seeking help and support through peer and provider recovery homes and facilities.
We are working closely with our prisons and correctional facilities to ensure all West Virginians are provided access to substance abuse rehabilitation.
In fact, the Division of Corrections operates nine residential substance abuse treatment units in correctional centers across the state and we have expanded this model to our regional jail facilities as well.
And-through Justice Reinvestment-we have successfully worked to address substance abuse, which is the root cause of many crimes.
Because of that work, we have expanded drug courts, substance abuse counseling and greater supervision after release.
And ultimately, we have better controlled incarceration rates, which prevented our state from having to build a new $200 million prison that was projected to be needed because of our previous rising prison population.
Just this week, we announced the news that West Virginia reached settlements with two additional drug wholesalers totaling $36 million, which resolves allegations by our state regarding the distribution of controlled substances in West Virginia.
This brings the total amount of drug settlement money paid to our state by drug wholesalers to $47 million, which will expand our efforts even further for more law enforcement diversion options, more treatment recovery services and many more efforts to fight this epidemic.
I am also deeply proud of the work we have done in creating the state's first 24-hour substance abuse call line, 844-HELP-4-WV, which has received nearly 8,500 calls since it launched in September 2015.
The help line provides referral support for those seeking help and recovery services. It's an opportunity for people who are struggling to talk with someone who cares, get connected to treatment options and begin the road to recovery.
No caller is ever placed on hold and they are immediately connected with treatment staff representing the best and most appropriate treatment options for them.
Administered by First Choice Health Systems of West Virginia, the help line is staffed by certified professionals, many who have overcome addiction themselves and want to help others turn their lives around as well.
One young gentleman I met did just that because he picked up the phone.
A.J. Walker, a recovering alcoholic and addict, was given the help line number by his brother.
A.J. said when he called, he was treated like a person-not like a drug addict-and he found hope. They got him into a detox facility and into recovery, and the help line staff called and checked in on him every step of the way.
Today, A.J. is employed by the treatment facility that helped him and he's in school studying to become a substance abuse counselor.
A.J. is here today with his brother, Andrew, and Vickie Jones ... Commissioner of our Bureau of Behavioral Health and Health Facilities.
A.J. we are so proud of you. And today ... you are giving hope to so many.
When I hear stories like A.J.'s, I am incredibly optimistic for West Virginia's future. With economic changes, job losses and families struggling, we have to seize every opportunity before us to become stronger as individuals and as a state.
One such opportunity lies in Boone and Lincoln Counties, where I believe we have the chance to revitalize Southern West Virginia and make the Mountain State stronger.
EMBRACING THE FUTURE
It was here in this chamber, one year ago during my State of the State Address, where I announced plans for the largest development project in West Virginia's history at the former Hobet surface mine site.
Since last year at this time, we have worked every day and we have made tremendous progress on this project, which is now known as Rock Creek Development Park.
We have worked with local landowners, who are generously donating land that will result in more than 12,000 developable acres for Rock Creek, which is the size of the city of Huntington.
The West Virginia National Guard-Rock Creek's first tenant-is on the ground with newly-expanded operations for maintenance work and training.
And we have a long-term strategic plan now in place, which looks at demographics and market trends to help us identify the best investment opportunities for Rock Creek.
For generations, our coal miners, workers and their families have kept West Virginia strong. Now, it's our turn to help them.
By realizing the full potential of Rock Creek Development Park for job creation and economic diversification, we can build up a region of our state hard hit by the downturn in the coal industry.
My vision for Rock Creek started many years ago as I rode my four-wheeler around the hills of Southern West Virginia and saw the possibilities that such an enormous site-with such a great amount of flat land-could have.
Embracing opportunities like this takes careful thought and planning, and this public-private project will require some investment by the state. But I believe wholeheartedly that the returns will vastly exceed our investment.
That isn't something I say lightly.
Throughout my 42 years in public service, fiscal responsibility has been at the heart of every project I've undertaken, every policy I've fought for and every decision I've made.
GOVERNING RESPONSIBLY
As a result of much hard work, over the years we have decreased taxes, embraced responsible spending, made great progress toward paying off the state's unfunded liabilities and controlled growth of the state's budget.
We have realized milestone tax reforms, including progressive elimination of the food tax, saving West Virginians $162 million each year.
We have gradually eliminated the state's business franchise tax and decreased the corporate net income tax-changes that make West Virginia more attractive for business investments.
As a result of responsible reforms, last year the National Council on Compensation Insurance filed the 12th reduction in workers' compensation premiums in 12 years. And West Virginia employers have seen a savings of more than $352 million since we privatized the program in 2006.
We addressed our Other Post Employment Benefits by dedicating $30 million annually to pay off the $5 billion unfunded liability, which was caused by previous promises that became too expensive to maintain.
As I did last year, I present to you today a budget that is balanced, but a budget that requires difficult decisions and thinking about the next generation rather than the next election.
I continue to be proud of the fiscal responsibility we have shown not just for the past six years, but over the last generation. Our commitment to paying down our long-term liabilities has not wavered and we have responsibly reduced taxes on both our employers and our employees.
Because of our improved fiscal policies, we have been able to refinance bonds that pay for schools, water and sewer lines, college campus improvements and roads to save more than $100 million in the past six years.
So when people ask me why I'm so concerned with maintaining our Rainy Day Fund and our bond rating, that's why. It means more schools, more roads and more homes with clean water.
As part of tough decisions during tough economic times, we have cut more than $600 million from our budget in the past five years. While we all continue to hope that the coal industry will rebound, that hasn't happened quickly and it likely won't ever return to the levels that we once saw.
We continue to work to diversify our economy and I know the improvements we've made will pay long-term dividends in job growth and investment.
But we're not there yet, and part of being fiscally responsible means making sure that we can pay our bills without taking the Rainy Day Fund to dangerously low levels or cutting services to the point where we cannot care for our people or educate our students.
Therefore, the budget I present to you today includes a 1 percent increase in the consumer sales tax to raise $200 million and elimination of the current sales tax exemption on telecommunications services-a move that would make our system the same as 80 percent of the country.
I understand these taxes will not be easy, but asking people to pay a few dollars more now is a far better choice than seeing PEIA cards not accepted by medical providers or going back to the days when we couldn't finance school and road improvements, or even pay the gas bill at the Governor's Mansion.
I urge you to consider these responsible actions to balance the budget until the brighter economic picture that we all expect comes into focus.
CLOSING
I believe the thing that compelled each of us to public service is our love for West Virginia. And that is the very thing that should compel us to work together.
When I became your Governor, I said that we must put West Virginia first.
That's what we have done. And I encourage you to continue working together out of that deep devotion to our beloved state-in the coming year and beyond.
I am proud of the work that we have accomplished. I look forward to the leadership of Governor-elect Jim Justice and I thank all of you who have worked with me over the years.
I thank my cabinet members and agency directors. And I thank my dedicated staff members who have worked every day-not for me, but for the people of West Virginia.
It has been the honor of my life to be your Governor-to be West Virginia's Governor. Joanne and I thank the people of West Virginia for your abiding trust, counsel and support.
And we look forward-with the greatest hope and optimism-to an even stronger West Virginia.
Thank you. God bless you. And God bless the great state of West Virginia.
###
Photos available for media use. All photos should be attributed “Photo courtesy of Office of the Governor.”
GOVERNOR TOMBLIN DELIVERS
FAREWELL ADDRESS TO STATE LEGISLATURE
CHARLESTON, W.VA. (January 11, 2017)-Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin today
delivered his farewell address to the West Virginia Legislature in the House Chamber at the State Capitol Complex after serving six years as governor and a total of 42 years in public service in the Mountain State.
Information on Gov. Tomblin's accomplishments during his six-year
administration can be found here.
See below for the speech as prepared for delivery:
Mr. Speaker, Mr. President, members of the Board of Public Works, justices of
the Supreme Court of Appeals, members of the Legislature, distinguished guests, and my fellow West Virginians, I stand before you today, after six years in the Governor's office and 42 years in this grand statehouse, with a deep sense of gratitude and reflection and an equally profound hope for West Virginia's future.
Public service has anchored my life's work-from a young 22-year-old in this very House chamber, to a desk across the hall in the State Senate, the Senate President's podium for 17 years and now as your 35th Governor.
It has been the greatest honor-and the greatest reward-to serve the people of this state that we all love. Together, we have put West Virginia first and moved our state forward-even in the midst of tough times, including far-reaching economic shifts, budgetary challenges and historic natural disasters.
West Virginians are strongest in the toughest times. We come together. We lift each other up. And we don't just hope for a better future; we fight for it.
ECONOMIC DIVERSIFICATION & JOB CREATION
Working hard is exactly what we've done over the past six years to create new economic opportunities for the Mountain State.
We have all seen the dramatic impact of the coal industry's decline in our state. We've seen thousands of jobs lost. Families and communities struggling. People beginning to lose hope.
But I believe in-and have fought to reach-the light around the corner.
Shortly after becoming Governor, I pledged to go anywhere and meet with anyone to grow our state's economy. Across West Virginia, the country and the globe, we have succeeded.
Last year, global giant Procter & Gamble announced it would build its first U.S. manufacturing facility since the 1970s right here in West Virginia in the Eastern Panhandle. This will ultimately be a half-billion dollar investment in the Mountain State and result in hundreds of new jobs.
P&G chose our state after an exhaustive search of many others. And as numerous companies have discovered, I know they will find it to be the best decision they've ever made.
Toyota Motor Manufacturing West Virginia, which recently celebrated its 20th anniversary, has expanded continuously-nine times, in fact.
Today, Toyota employs more than 1,600 people. And the company has invested $1.4 billion since 1996.
Manufacturing jobs, like those at P&G in Martinsburg and Toyota in Buffalo, will be among the most critical to our state's economic future.
In my time as your Governor, I have fought for jobs like these and many more. From Amazon in Huntington and Macy's in Berkeley County, to Bombardier Aerospace manufacturing in Harrison County-which just in November announced an expansion of 150 jobs.
Companies are finding that when they invest in West Virginia, it pays off.
In fact, since 2011, West Virginia has seen more than $15 billion in new investments, spanning 275 projects. We have welcomed more than 60 new companies and secured 215 competitive expansion projects.
Over the past six years, investment projects have reached 22 industries and provided West Virginians with more than 12,000 good-paying jobs.
Right here in the Kanawha Valley, we have one of the best examples of that remarkable progress.
Gestamp has grown beyond the bounds of any of our expectations. Since opening in 2013, Gestamp has tripled production and more than doubled its workforce, now employing nearly 900 West Virginians.
I know that one of the fundamental reasons behind their growth has been our ability to transform workforce training in West Virginia for the better.
STRENGTHENING WORKFORCE TRAINING & EDUCATION
For example, the Learn and Earn program which we launched in 2012, gives our community and technical college students classroom instruction and hands-on work experience simultaneously. These students earn a competitive salary while giving employers a cost-effective way to recruit and train new employees.
Joe Atha is one of these students. A former coal miner, Joe is now a student at BridgeValley Community and Technical College where he is also supporting his family by earning a wage through the Learn and Earn program at Gestamp.
Joe is here today with his wife, Rita. Please stand to be recognized... along with Dr. Sarah Tucker, Chancellor of our Community and Technical College System.
Through forward-thinking programs like this, we can make a real, lasting difference for West Virginians.
That's why I personally convened the West Virginia Workforce Planning Council, which has helped us break down bureaucratic silos and better align classroom learning with the workforce needs of our businesses and industries.
We've even started that process in high schools through the Simulated Workplace program.
Today, our career technical education classrooms have been transformed into businesses. Medical classes are now clinics. Hospitality programs are now catering businesses and restaurants.
And instead of just going to a welding or carpentry class, our students are now part of a construction company, complete with job foremen and safety inspectors.
Just last month, we celebrated a heartwarming moment as a result of the hard work of more than 2,000 of these students from 12 high schools across the state.
Together with the Department of Education's Career Technical Education division, the West Virginia National Guard and our Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, we presented keys to tiny homes that were designed and built by these students for survivors of the historic floods that hit our state last June.
REBUILDING FROM NATURAL DISASTERS
Time and again, in the aftermath of this tragic flooding we have seen the selflessness of West Virginians make a difference for one another.
The "Big Hearts Give Tiny Homes" project was a shining example of that West Virginia spirit-one that made an overwhelming difference for 15 families impacted by the flooding, including Brenda Rivers from Nicholas County, whose home was a total loss in the flooding. Brenda now lives in a new tiny home built by students, including Chance Ballard from Spring Valley High School in Wayne County.
Please join me in welcoming Brenda and Chance ... along with Dr. Kathy D'Antoni ... whose visionary leadership at the Department of Education has made Simulated Workplace the success it is today.
Working hand-in-hand with the federal government and local officials, our immediate response to the flooding was quick and effective. We were able to expedite federal assistance to our communities and families in need. And over the past seven months, we have been able to shift our focus to long-term recovery.
Through a public-private approach, we launched the RISE West Virginia program, which in total has provided nearly $2 million to 230 small businesses in the flood-impacted counties-funding that is helping them reopen or continue operations and keep fueling our local economies.
I would like to thank, once again, West Virginia native and champion Brad Smith-the CEO of Intuit, one of the world's leading financial software companies-and his wife Alys for their family donation of $500,000, which gave the RISE program its first, needed boost.
West Virginia has experienced more than its share of disasters during my time as your Governor-this historic flooding, the Derecho, Hurricane Sandy, Winter Storms Thor and Jonas and the water crisis.
Through it all, we have grown stronger, we have improved our emergency response capabilities and we have strengthened public safety.
Adversity demands resilience. That's what we have shown in these challenges and many more-including one of the most trying epidemics I believe the Mountain State has ever faced-with the sharp rise in substance abuse and addiction.
FIGHTING SUBSTANCE ABUSE
That's why in 2011, I issued an Executive Order to create the Governor's Advisory Council on Substance Abuse, made up of representatives of substance abuse prevention, behavioral medicine, law enforcement, child and adolescent psychology, the legal system, residential treatment facilities, the public school system, the faith community and health care.
My vision for this Council was a community-driven, ground-up approach to tackling this epidemic. Through community-based task forces in six regions across the state, we have made significant progress and enacted life-saving reforms.
We now look at substance abuse as an illness-not a crime.
We have decreased the number of meth labs across the state as the result of making it more difficult to obtain pseudoephedrine.
We have expanded access to the life-saving drug Narcan to first responders and family members of those struggling with addiction. Last year alone, hundreds of lives were saved as a result.
We have substance abuse prevention services in all 55 counties. We have expanded and improved community-based treatment options and recovery services. Across the state, we have 188 crisis detox beds in residential treatment facilities with more sites under development.
We have 118 beds designated for youth and postpartum treatment as well as short-term and long-term residential treatment. And we have over 1,000 beds for those seeking help and support through peer and provider recovery homes and facilities.
We are working closely with our prisons and correctional facilities to ensure all West Virginians are provided access to substance abuse rehabilitation.
In fact, the Division of Corrections operates nine residential substance abuse treatment units in correctional centers across the state and we have expanded this model to our regional jail facilities as well.
And-through Justice Reinvestment-we have successfully worked to address substance abuse, which is the root cause of many crimes.
Because of that work, we have expanded drug courts, substance abuse counseling and greater supervision after release.
And ultimately, we have better controlled incarceration rates, which prevented our state from having to build a new $200 million prison that was projected to be needed because of our previous rising prison population.
Just this week, we announced the news that West Virginia reached settlements with two additional drug wholesalers totaling $36 million, which resolves allegations by our state regarding the distribution of controlled substances in West Virginia.
This brings the total amount of drug settlement money paid to our state by drug wholesalers to $47 million, which will expand our efforts even further for more law enforcement diversion options, more treatment recovery services and many more efforts to fight this epidemic.
I am also deeply proud of the work we have done in creating the state's first 24-hour substance abuse call line, 844-HELP-4-WV, which has received nearly 8,500 calls since it launched in September 2015.
The help line provides referral support for those seeking help and recovery services. It's an opportunity for people who are struggling to talk with someone who cares, get connected to treatment options and begin the road to recovery.
No caller is ever placed on hold and they are immediately connected with treatment staff representing the best and most appropriate treatment options for them.
Administered by First Choice Health Systems of West Virginia, the help line is staffed by certified professionals, many who have overcome addiction themselves and want to help others turn their lives around as well.
One young gentleman I met did just that because he picked up the phone.
A.J. Walker, a recovering alcoholic and addict, was given the help line number by his brother.
A.J. said when he called, he was treated like a person-not like a drug addict-and he found hope. They got him into a detox facility and into recovery, and the help line staff called and checked in on him every step of the way.
Today, A.J. is employed by the treatment facility that helped him and he's in school studying to become a substance abuse counselor.
A.J. is here today with his brother, Andrew, and Vickie Jones ... Commissioner of our Bureau of Behavioral Health and Health Facilities.
A.J. we are so proud of you. And today ... you are giving hope to so many.
When I hear stories like A.J.'s, I am incredibly optimistic for West Virginia's future. With economic changes, job losses and families struggling, we have to seize every opportunity before us to become stronger as individuals and as a state.
One such opportunity lies in Boone and Lincoln Counties, where I believe we have the chance to revitalize Southern West Virginia and make the Mountain State stronger.
EMBRACING THE FUTURE
It was here in this chamber, one year ago during my State of the State Address, where I announced plans for the largest development project in West Virginia's history at the former Hobet surface mine site.
Since last year at this time, we have worked every day and we have made tremendous progress on this project, which is now known as Rock Creek Development Park.
We have worked with local landowners, who are generously donating land that will result in more than 12,000 developable acres for Rock Creek, which is the size of the city of Huntington.
The West Virginia National Guard-Rock Creek's first tenant-is on the ground with newly-expanded operations for maintenance work and training.
And we have a long-term strategic plan now in place, which looks at demographics and market trends to help us identify the best investment opportunities for Rock Creek.
For generations, our coal miners, workers and their families have kept West Virginia strong. Now, it's our turn to help them.
By realizing the full potential of Rock Creek Development Park for job creation and economic diversification, we can build up a region of our state hard hit by the downturn in the coal industry.
My vision for Rock Creek started many years ago as I rode my four-wheeler around the hills of Southern West Virginia and saw the possibilities that such an enormous site-with such a great amount of flat land-could have.
Embracing opportunities like this takes careful thought and planning, and this public-private project will require some investment by the state. But I believe wholeheartedly that the returns will vastly exceed our investment.
That isn't something I say lightly.
Throughout my 42 years in public service, fiscal responsibility has been at the heart of every project I've undertaken, every policy I've fought for and every decision I've made.
GOVERNING RESPONSIBLY
As a result of much hard work, over the years we have decreased taxes, embraced responsible spending, made great progress toward paying off the state's unfunded liabilities and controlled growth of the state's budget.
We have realized milestone tax reforms, including progressive elimination of the food tax, saving West Virginians $162 million each year.
We have gradually eliminated the state's business franchise tax and decreased the corporate net income tax-changes that make West Virginia more attractive for business investments.
As a result of responsible reforms, last year the National Council on Compensation Insurance filed the 12th reduction in workers' compensation premiums in 12 years. And West Virginia employers have seen a savings of more than $352 million since we privatized the program in 2006.
We addressed our Other Post Employment Benefits by dedicating $30 million annually to pay off the $5 billion unfunded liability, which was caused by previous promises that became too expensive to maintain.
As I did last year, I present to you today a budget that is balanced, but a budget that requires difficult decisions and thinking about the next generation rather than the next election.
I continue to be proud of the fiscal responsibility we have shown not just for the past six years, but over the last generation. Our commitment to paying down our long-term liabilities has not wavered and we have responsibly reduced taxes on both our employers and our employees.
Because of our improved fiscal policies, we have been able to refinance bonds that pay for schools, water and sewer lines, college campus improvements and roads to save more than $100 million in the past six years.
So when people ask me why I'm so concerned with maintaining our Rainy Day Fund and our bond rating, that's why. It means more schools, more roads and more homes with clean water.
As part of tough decisions during tough economic times, we have cut more than $600 million from our budget in the past five years. While we all continue to hope that the coal industry will rebound, that hasn't happened quickly and it likely won't ever return to the levels that we once saw.
We continue to work to diversify our economy and I know the improvements we've made will pay long-term dividends in job growth and investment.
But we're not there yet, and part of being fiscally responsible means making sure that we can pay our bills without taking the Rainy Day Fund to dangerously low levels or cutting services to the point where we cannot care for our people or educate our students.
Therefore, the budget I present to you today includes a 1 percent increase in the consumer sales tax to raise $200 million and elimination of the current sales tax exemption on telecommunications services-a move that would make our system the same as 80 percent of the country.
I understand these taxes will not be easy, but asking people to pay a few dollars more now is a far better choice than seeing PEIA cards not accepted by medical providers or going back to the days when we couldn't finance school and road improvements, or even pay the gas bill at the Governor's Mansion.
I urge you to consider these responsible actions to balance the budget until the brighter economic picture that we all expect comes into focus.
CLOSING
I believe the thing that compelled each of us to public service is our love for West Virginia. And that is the very thing that should compel us to work together.
When I became your Governor, I said that we must put West Virginia first.
That's what we have done. And I encourage you to continue working together out of that deep devotion to our beloved state-in the coming year and beyond.
I am proud of the work that we have accomplished. I look forward to the leadership of Governor-elect Jim Justice and I thank all of you who have worked with me over the years.
I thank my cabinet members and agency directors. And I thank my dedicated staff members who have worked every day-not for me, but for the people of West Virginia.
It has been the honor of my life to be your Governor-to be West Virginia's Governor. Joanne and I thank the people of West Virginia for your abiding trust, counsel and support.
And we look forward-with the greatest hope and optimism-to an even stronger West Virginia.
Thank you. God bless you. And God bless the great state of West Virginia.
###
Photos available for media use. All photos should be attributed “Photo courtesy of Office of the Governor.”
water....
when we look water it always go down wards it doesn't climb up....
It is selfless and knows no how to be hurt..
It cleanses the dirty bodies of animals ,men and it cleanses everything though they themselves become dirty as long as others became clean..
Therefore we must possess that kind of heart who is selfless and knows no pride..
"Lord Jesus, your grace knows no bounds. You give freely to the humble of heart and you grant us freedom to love and serve others selflessly. May my love for you express itself in an eagerness to do good for others." Www.Dailyscripture.Net
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Image in use at;
~ www.christianitydaily.com/articles/6390/20151009/survey-7...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Filename - DSC_8281 Valley Center Sunset 2015 paint net CS tag
Bloggers are welcome to use my artwork, please let me know in the comment section and link back to the images you use, thank you...
Art4TheGlryOfGod Photography by Sharon
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Faith, Hope & Love in daily Art meditations...
FaceBook ~ www.facebook.com/Art4TheGlryOfGod
Twitter ~ twitter.com/Art4ThGlryOfGod
Flickr (complete portfolio) ~ www.Flickr.com/4ThGlryOfGod
Pixoto (awards) ~ www.pixoto.com/4thegloryofgod/awards
Music Videos (from my Art Photography) ~
Breastfeeding your new born: Give your baby the best start in life!
“Motherhood is a miracle that manifests and magnifies itself through the common languages of boundless love and selfless care" – Nita M. Ambani
Each newborn baby gives birth to a mother! While it is a divine experience in itself, it brings a mountain of responsibilities which only a mother can truly follow. To help your baby grow in front of you is a noble opportunity.
Mother’s milk is in fact the best start in life that a mother can give to her newborn baby. It contains the correct mix of all essential ingredients which your baby needs in order to grow well. It is entirely safe, free of cost, non-allergic, and will protect your baby against common infections and obesity.
Breastfeeding is a good habit for the mother too, as it helps her in shedding the extra weight, and protects her from diseases such as diabetes and certain cancers. Beyond these health benefits, it gives the mother an immense sense of satisfaction and nurtures a deep sense of bonding with her young one for a life time.
Having a correct idea about how to breast feed is absolutely important to avoid confusion and potential problems. It needs to be started soon after birth and should be continued exclusively as demanded by the baby till 6 months of age, following which should be complemented by semisolid feeds to support the increasing nutritional requirements of your baby.
Following a correct position, good latching-on technique, and a relaxed and unhurried approach is essential for ensuring adequacy of breast milk. A baby who is breast fed will grow well and has been shown to have superior intellectual abilities.
Even when mothers resume work, breastfeeding can be continued with the help of a supportive family. The mother can express her milk which can be safely stored and given to the baby on demand. Especially in places where good hygiene and safe drinking water cannot be assured to prepare safe formula feeds, breast milk goes a long way in avoiding infant mortality.
As the entire world has realized the enormous benefits related to breastfeeding, every mother needs to overcome any preconceived notions or prejudices, and accept it enthusiastically to maximize its benefits.
Come, let us all make a pledge to encourage and support breastfeeding and safe motherhood!
Visit our Paediatric Surgeons in Mumbai at Sir H. N. Reliance Foundation Hospital and Research Centre
Join us on FACEBOOK
Join us on GOOGLE+
Join us on TWITTER
Join us on PINTEREST
Join us on INSTAGRAM
Join us on STUMBLEUPON
Join us on YOUTUBE
Join us on FLICKR
Join us on MYSPACE
Visit us on WIKIPEDIA
“Joy has no name. Its very being is lost in the great tide of selfless delight — creation's response to the infinite loving of God.”
— Evelyn Underhill quoted in Finding Deep Joy by Robert Ellwood
From the Wikipedia article:
"At the south-western side of the Circus, moved from its original position in the centre, stands the Shaftesbury Monument memorial fountain, erected in 1892-1893 to commemorate the philanthropic works of Lord Shaftesbury. It is topped by Alfred Gilbert's winged nude statue, sometimes known as The Angel of Christian Charity. It is popularly known as Eros after the mythical Greek God of Love, although he is intended to be Eros' twin Anteros. The statue has become a London icon, and a graphical illustration of the statue is used as the symbol of the Evening Standard newspaper and appears on its masthead.
The use of a nude figure on a public monument was controversial at the time of its construction, but it was generally well-received by the public. The Magazine of Art described it as, "...a striking contrast to the dull ugliness of the generality of our street sculpture, ... a work which, while beautifying one of our hitherto desolate open spaces, should do much towards the elevation of public taste in the direction of decorative sculpture, and serve freedom for the metropolis from any further additions of the old order of monumental monstrosities."'
Technologically ground-breaking at the time, this statue was the first in the world to be cast in aluminium. The statue originally pointed its bow to the north, up Shaftesbury Avenue. However, during the Second World War the statue was removed for safe keeping, and when it was returned its bow was fixed pointing in to the south, towards Lower Regent Street.
The winged figure on the fountain is generally called Eros, is often supposed to be The Angel of Christian Charity, but was intended to be Anteros, a brother of Eros, and is recorded as such in the records of Westminster City Council. The sculptor Alfred Gilbert had already sculpted a statue of Anteros, when commissioned for the Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain, and chose to reproduce the same subject, who as 'The God of Selfless Love' was deemed to suitably represent the philanthropic 7th Earl of Shaftesbury. Gilbert described Anteros as portraying 'reflective and mature love, as opposed to Eros or Cupid, the frivolous tyrant.' The model for the sculpture was a 16-year-old Italian, whose name appears to have vanished from history. The fountain, when originally placed, was meant to have Anteros pointing his bow towards Wimborne Saint Giles in Dorset, which was the Earl's country seat.
When the memorial was unveiled, there were numerous complaints. Some felt it was sited in a vulgar part of town (the theatre district) and others felt that it was too sensual as a memorial for a famously sober and respectable Earl. Some of the objections were tempered by renaming the statue as The Angel of Christian Charity, which was the nearest approximation that could be invented in the Christian pantheon for the role of Anteros in the Greek. But the name never became widely known, and the original name came back, under the shortened form Eros, signifying the God of Sensual Love; quite inappropriate to commemorate the Earl, but just right to signify the carnal neighbourhood of London, into which Soho had developed.
The iconography deteriorated to the level where the memorial came to be seen as the lustful, half-naked Eros burying his shaft up Shaftesbury Avenue, absolutely typifying degenerate Soho. During his life-time Gilbert had already said of his sculpture 'There is more than £3,000 worth of copper. take it down, melt it, and turn it into pence and give it to the unfortunate people who nightly find a resting place on the Thames Embankment, to the everlasting shame and disgrace of the greatest metropolis in the world'."
long way back from exile
"All this is flashy rhetoric about loving you.
I never had a selfless thought since I was born.
I am mercenary and self-seeking through and through:
I want God, you, all friends, merely to serve my turn.
Peace, re-assurance, pleasure, are the goals I seek,
I cannot crawl one inch outside my proper skin:
I talk of love --a scholar's parrot may talk Greek--
But, self-imprisoned, always end where I begin.
Only that now you have taught me (but how late) my lack.
I see the chasm. And everything you are was making
My heart into a bridge by which I might get back
From exile, and grow man. And now the bridge is breaking.
For this I bless you as the ruin falls. The pains
You give me are more precious than all other gains. "
~ CS Lewis
What would Christmas be like without a update from the most famous reindeer of all. I am sure you will remember that Rudolph is on the Dakotas/Manitoba route as he tries to work himself back to a top tier route out of the North Pole. I asked him about this photograph and what is happening there. You will remember Rudolph believed that he would get a "better" route this year as a result of his selfless performance in the area where he has flown the last three years. Rather than state the questions, I will simply let you here from the Red Nose himself.
"They brought in Dasher for the promotional photograph because he is a white tail himself and we did not want the kids asking why there were two different reindeer on the sled. The Santa here was so excited to see a "real" reindeer from the top North Pole sled that he practically peed on himself. Of course, the kids here are not like city kids, they knew we were not real reindeer, but they kept their comments to themselves. They have been better since I told that wise ass kid last year that we would dump his toys in the middle of the prairie if he didn't stop asking why there were deer instead of reindeer on our sled team.
Dasher was a professional and did not make any jokes about my red nose or drinking. He was never a p---k like most of the rest of them at the North Pole. He did note that he had never seen a flying pig before, and I told him that the pig hoped to be on a North Pole sled some day. Dasher laughed and said we get diversity memos every week about how the North Pole is committed to diversity, but you look around at the sleigh teams and all you see are reindeer and the occasional white tail.
Rudolph said that he expected to be in Chicago this year but that the best that Santa could do was to get him on a overflow flight. If there are too many gifts or the delivery sleigh teams are too slow, there has to be other teams to make the delivery. We don't get extra time. it all has to be done in one night.
I asked him about if he was fitting in any better. The complaints flowed freely. You can see for miles here as if there was anything to see. I cannot count how many pick-up trucks and John Deere caps I have seen. I would drink more if I could find a decent bar. Everybody knows everybody so it is almost impossible to cheat on your girlfriend. Not only do they know everybody, they are related to each other. I came home from the last training camp, and my girlfriend had my stuff in boxes on the front porch. I managed to convince her that I was in that bar with that other girl to discuss promoting a meet-the-reindeer event for the local kids. Of course, then I actually had to plan such an event and get the pig and other team members to show up. I had to buy them all drinks for three weeks after that.
Rudolph did say that the team is ready this year and for the kids not be worry about delivery. If you don't get it, blame your penny-pinching parents and not me. He also said that if you are going to leave this Santa a drink that a shot of bourbon is better than milk. He also said that cookies are good because they all like sugar. He complained that to even get to Chicago to handle any overflow that he and the pig would have to finish all their trips and then fly to Chicago to handle any needed deliveries. Rudolph wishes everyone a Merry Christmas and requests that you email Santa at the North Pole and request that he get his old ride back.
Not after someone cut it off.
N.B. The point of this branch was a mere 6'5" above the trail (1840mm).
The Oblation is the monument and main symbol of the University of the
Philippines. It depicts a man with arms stretched wide and face turned upward,
symbolizing selfless offering of one's self for one's country.
The Oblation is the masterpiece of first National Artist for Sculpture Guillermo Tolentino. In 1935, Guillermo was commissioned by then University President Rafael Palma to craft a monument that would express in visual form the second stanza of Jose Rizal 's "Mi Ultimo Adios " ("Last Farewell"). The concrete statue painted in bronze stands 3.5 meters high (to represent the 350 years of Spanish colonization of the Philippines ) on a pile of rocks symbolizing the islands of the Philippines. Funding for the statue was raised through a two-month fund campaign that garnered P2,000.
The model for the statue has been widely rumored to be Fernando Poe, Sr.,though there are sources that claim that the real model was Tolentino's student apprentice Caedo.
The original Oblation was unveiled in 1939 in Ermita , Manilaby Gregoria de Jesus de Nakpil, widow of hero Andres Bonifacio. On the occasion of the university's 40th anniversary, the Oblation was moved from UP Manila to UP Diliman along with the administrative offices.
The Oblation located at the end of University Avenue in the UP Diliman campus is merely a replica of the original one located at the 3rd floor of the UP Diliman Main Library. Several replicas of the Oblation have been made for the different campuses of the University
This is my best friend Lauren. She is probably the most giving, selfless people I know.
On Black | Facebook | Formspring | Listen