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‘Wop3 serious relationship nanso first date woa winam 80gh’ is a guy’s status update and this message was meant for one innocent lady and padiman has posted it on his status for all of us to see. Oh Bra! I still don’t understand why people do whatsapp statuses and expect that nobody views them. Some feel good and proud when someone views their statuses. Me, when I’m feeling bored I go on people’s whatsapp statuses and watch short short videos o but I do well not to view some people’s statuses. They are the people who feel too important when you view their statuses and knowing them, I wont even go there. I recently accidentally flipped into somone’s space and I know the peron’s mind will be like: ‘who asked me to view my status’? So in order to avoid such My senior friend, Issa Money has such interesting status updates that I love watching a lot. There is so much to learn from his updates. Some are educative as well as informative. Others are simply pure humour. I have personally not started doing status updates and I still don’t know why I should. It’s the best way to expose one to the world, positively or negatively. If it is positive, you are likely to make some frenemies sad with your updates and they will devise ways and means to ‘drop’ you from your joy. If it’s negative, they rejoice. Update your status with filthy things about yourself and you will not be a target and they would have no plans to harm your future. At best stop insinuating by not updating at all. I have observed that many of the lady friends on my whatsapp contacts who activate their statuses are those who are unfortunately having relationship challenges. Ablavi, my ex-side eyi is the one whose updates on her status I watch a lot because it’s a whole industry. She can actually post: ‘I am going to take my bath’. If she is in high spirits, she will post things like: ‘It’s been God since day one’. It’s a lie. A married man, Mr Mensah is her side-man who is also her god! But anyway, if Mr Mensah is not blessed by God, he cannot take care of Ablavi, so that’s fine. Ablavi is such that from the day she enters a new relationship, everyone must know what is happening. It’s like a product life cycle. From the beginning she would post things like: ‘my heavenly better half’, ‘my Baby’ even if this baby is her grandfather’s classmate at Ashalley Botwe HSH. Hahahahaha! So Klabotwe lost the NSMQ er. They are too red! Better luck next time when you lose again to Osramany SHS. I’m glad Achimota made it to the semi-finals. That school er, ooo…great great great! I nearly posted it on my status. Hahahaha! Engineer Ben Ahuno of GRIDDCo will not stop teasing his Klabotwe friends on his whatapp status. Akora, I greet you o. Ha! When the relationship is growing and the problems start, you are likely to see on her status: ‘I love the woman I am becoming’, ‘if you don’t treat people well, karma will judge you’, ‘people will hurt you and then act like you hurt them’. After that, she would put a candle celebrating a friend’s birthday with the caption: ‘the love is deep; my fighting girlfriend, have a blast on your birthday’. Time dey! After a while, the status goes blank. Wait for another two days and the status bounces back and reads: ‘self-love’. At this stage when you call her to advise her against such posts as people will read meanings into such posts, she will often sound indifferent and defensive: ‘but it’s nothing o; I just saw it somewhere and felt like posting it’. It’s another lie. She has communicated what exactly she wants to say. Next moment. The post is often short: ‘the woman in me; you will regret the day you treated me like this’. ‘when people treat you like you’ve got no value, act as if they don’t even exist’. My dear Ablavi, if they don’t exist, why would you post something and expect a non-existing person to read and be advised? Hmmm! Next will be: ‘all men are the same’. Then you should know that the product’s life cycle is plateauing. And often, for the unlucky ones, the product life cycle takes another cycle and comes back after the initial excitement. This time, Ablavi is in a new relationship and, you are likely to see posts such as: ‘all this while I’ve been wasting my time on pepper (referring to me). Welcome on board, my tiger-nut; you are God sent’. ‘God clears the id*ot for the angel who has just arrived’. (The id*ot she is referring to is me, I know) Time still dey. Then the next moment, the post will change to: ‘So e bi so you dey?’ or: ‘Fake guy’. ‘I thought love is blind but as for this one di33333, thank God I can see creary’. ‘After all, you are even mormorni. You know yourself…U U U…I mean U’. Ablavi, why don’t you just call the person and give it to him well well and stop this mass attack of only one person? The next moment is an update that will blow your mind: ‘hand bags for sale; dm me for cool deal’. The next post after this one is almost automatic: ‘free delivery available. Call dispatch on 052….’! here, you may be angry at the several images of handbags on display in her status. Give her two weeks. It will change to: ‘Status closed for repairs’. It is very easy to tell if the new person in Ablavi’s life is an ex simply by just seeing the following status update: ‘Sometimes God sends an ex back into your life to see if you are still a st*pid!’ You would know Ablavi is in trouble again. Ablavi is a very pretty lady o but she is unable to tell a man what she does not lie in the face but would prefer to make it public on status updates. ‘Life is short, spend it with people who make you laugh and feel loved’. Really? I believe this applies to only 2 week old relationships. When you see a status update like this, you can be sure someone is making Ablavi unhappy again and instead of her telling the person in the face, she would rather use it to author a book on status for everyone to read! When the man in the relationship is stingy, trust me, the following post is most likely: ‘the best exercise for women is counting money as it relieves them of joint pains headaches and blood pressure including stroke’. Ablavi, stroke is not a subset of blood pressure o; it is a condition precipitated by high blood pressure. You are always rushing to do harm to grammar. Haaba! Ablavi. Ablavi’s 8 year old girl’s picture is often displayed with the caption: ‘God’s gift from above’ and this message is often done with the hope that the ‘irresponsible’ father of the girl will read it. So Ablavi on her own gave birth to God’s gift and would not give credit to the father of the girl but she is ready to take pride in her child. Hmmm! Abeg, status video producers and status hungry friends, we have seen enough of what is happening to you at any given time. If all of us want to share what is happening in our lives, some of us need facebook live broadcast! Everyone has one thig or the other going for him or not going for her. Keep quiet on your status small wae. I am often put off anytime I see statuses displaying excessive gospel videos. They are often long and eat data roff roff as if tithe is being paid indirectly. If the gospel music is of Ghanaian origin and it is not Jo Mettl or Bethel Revival or Daughters of Gloroius Jesus, I will skip to where I will see interesting videos like Issa Money’s interesting ones. ‘If you are too good, it’s a shame; if you are too bad, it’s also a shame’. I can assure you that somebody will pick this to update his or her status without understanding indepth what I mean here. Ao! Hmmmm! The Writer, Mawuli Zogbenu, is an Insurance Practitioner, Communicator and the Weekly Author of the INSURANCE BAKERY Column in the Graphic Business Newspaper. He is also the weekly Author of the humorous page ‘USELESS COLUMN’ published in the Business & Financial Times newspaper and on myjoyonline.com. - I am not aware of any meeting with Privileges Committee – Adwoa Safo - I will fail my ministry if I fail to be the best mum – Adwoa Safo - Exclusive: Adwoa Safo speaks on family, NPP, absence from Parliament - ‘I will never do that, I did not come to this country to do that’ – Education Minister denies misapplying $1.2 million - Come and account for Covid-19 expenditure – Bagbin directs Ofori-Atta - I will return when issues with family are resolved – Adwoa Safo - Osinachi’s husband charged with homicide - Today’s front pages: Friday, May 27, 2022 - Privileges Committee fails to meet Henry Quartey - Special Prosecutor commences investigations into aspects of Sir John’s will WHO sees no reason for alarm over monkeypox Bagbin and Annor-Dompreh disagree over claims Parliament is broke Football action in GPL and UCL reaches final Number 12: Sannie Daara cleared off wrongdoing, GFA directed to re-appoint him Private sector in Africa should lead the charge for sustainable economic development – CEO of The Tony Elumelu Foundation GNAT engages National Security on ‘See Something, Say Something’ anti-terrorism campaign Actor Morgan Freeman permanently banned from entering Russia Return or resign – Dome-Kwabenya constituents to Adwoa Safo Latif Abubakar tackles child labour, trafficking with Christmas-In-May Revive once vibrant town council for a better, clean environment – Volta NADMO Boss urges Putin says he will open up grain and fertilizer exports if the West agrees to lift sanctions Privileges Committee has formally written to Adwoa Safo; we are yet to get her response – First Deputy Speaker Criss Waddle breaks long hiatus with new single ‘Take Me Back’ featuring Stonebwoy Silver Society households on the increase: Future-ready bathrooms with the new Grohe Eurosmart Forestry Commission to plant 3.7 million trees in northern Ghana

To encourage more adopters to give a wild horse or burro a good home, the Adoption Incentive Program provides up to $1,000 to adopt an untrained wild horse or burro from the BLM. The goal of the program is to reduce BLM’s recurring costs to care for unadopted and untrained wild horses and burros while helping to enable the BLM to confront a growing over-population of wild horses and burros on fragile public rangelands. The Adoption Incentive Program allows qualified adopters to receive up to $1,000 up to 60 days after title date. The incentive is available for all untrained animals that are eligible for adoption, including animals at BLM facilities, off-site events and on the Online Corral. A $125 fee applies at the time of adoption. Which animals are eligible to participate in the Adoption Incentive Program? All untrained animals offered at any BLM off-range corrals, online corral events, satellite events and any BLM approved events and locations are eligible to be adopted through the Adoption Incentive Program regardless of species, age, sex, color, herd management area or the number of times the animal has been offered for adoption. Animals purchased through the Sales Program are not eligible. As a Trainer Incentive Program trainer, am I eligible to receive an incentive? No. TIP trainers are not eligible to receive the incentive. Are animals trained through a BLM training program or the Mustang Heritage Foundation’s training programs eligible? No. Trained animals are not eligible for an incentive. Can I receive an incentive for purchasing a wild horse or burro through the Sale Program? No. Only adopted animals are eligible for the incentive program. Can I retroactively receive the incentive for an animal I adopted prior to March 12, 2019? No. Only animals adopted on or after March 12, 2019 are eligible for the incentives. Do I still have to pay an adoption fee? Yes. A minimum fee of $125 is still required at time of adoption. How will I receive the incentive? Adopters will receive a Title Eligibility letter in the mail within 12 months after the adoption date. Title Eligibility letters for animals adopted through the Adoption Incentive Program must be signed by a veterinarian or a BLM authorized officer in order to receive the incentive payment. The incentives will be deposited at your preferred financial institution. You must authorize electronic funds transfers in order to receive the incentive. (See Example) Is there a limit to the number of animals for which I can receive an incentive? The BLM may allow each adopter participating in the incentive program to adopt and maintain a maximum of four untitled animals annually; however, as each participating animal is titled, the BLM may allow an adopter to adopt additional animal(s) (up to a maximum of four untitled animals at any one time) through the Adoption Incentive Program. Can I combine the Adoption Incentive with other incentives offered by the BLM? The Adoption Incentive Program replaces all previous incentive programs, such as the Buddy System and the $500 incentive for horses four years and older common in the New Mexico region. Are BLM employees, contractors or partners eligible to participate in the incentive program? BLM employees, immediate family members (spouse, domestic partner, cohabitant, child, stepchild, grandchild, parent, stepparent, mother-in-law, father-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, grandparent, great grandparent, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, or first cousin (that is, a child of an aunt or uncle), sibling, half-sibling, stepsibling, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, including adoptive relationships) of BLM employees, and individuals or organizations receiving BLM funds either through a contract or agreement and their immediate family members are NOT eligible to participate in the Adoption Incentive Program. Adoption of excess wild horses and burros is a vital component of the Wild Horse and Burro Program and of how the BLM manages healthy lands and healthy herds. Since passage of the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971, the BLM has regularly removed excess wild horses and burros from the range to address herd overpopulation. BLM has placed more than 270,000 of these animals into private care. Before an adopter takes home their wild horse or burro, they must certify, under penalty of prosecution, that they will not knowingly sell or transfer the animal for slaughter or for processing into commercial products. Additionally, to ensure adopted animals go to good homes, the BLM limits adopters to assuming title to a maximum of four animals within a 12-month period and does not allow the transfer of title for at least 12 months from the adoption date. During the adoption period, the BLM conducts compliance inspections on animals while in private care prior to title transfer. When the BLM is notified about a freeze-marked wild horse or burro being offered for sale, BLM officials identify the animal in the database to determine its disposition (adopted, titled, sold, transferred, or deceased). The agency investigates any possible violations of the Prohibited Acts and takes appropriate administrative or legal action. This could include returning the animal to BLM care, barring the adopter from participating in the adoption program in the future or referring the case to U.S. Attorneys for possible prosecution. If the animal is titled, BLM will provide a letter to the requestor confirming its status. In an effort to constantly improve our management, the BLM plans to continue to analyze the program as it takes the following actions to provide further oversight and protection of adopted wild horses and burros: Action: Continue to work with partners and other stakeholders to evaluate potential improvements to the Adoption Incentive Program, consistent with relevant laws and regulations. The BLM values the informed engagement of stakeholder groups with an interest in helping advance the goals of the Wild Horse and Burro Program, including increasing the placement of animals into good homes. The agency commits to continued engagement with groups and individuals as well as the National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board. Update (1/26/22): Public input continues to be important to the BLM. Moving forward, the BLM plans to host roundtable sessions with various stakeholders to consider non-cash incentives that could further benefit adopted animals CONSISTENT FORMS LANGUAGE Action: Ensure all adoption applications and agreements clearly and consistently state that the adopter must provide humane care and require the adopter to certify that they will not knowingly sell or transfer ownership of an adopted animal to any person or organization that intends to resell, trade, or give away the animals for slaughter or processing into commercial products. The BLM recently issued revised adoption application and agreement forms that contain clear and consistent language regarding the prohibition against adopting a wild horse or burro with the intent of selling or transferring it for slaughter or processing into commercial products. The new application and agreement forms are currently in use by the field and available online. BLM will be updating the Title Eligibility Letter with similar consistent language in the near future. Update (1/26/22): The BLM has updated the Title Eligibility Letter with similar consistent language regarding the prohibition against adopting a wild horse or burro with the intent of selling or transferring it for slaughter or processing into commercial products. SCREENING OF APPLICANTS Action: Improve the screening of adoption applicants to better ensure that ineligible individuals are identified and excluded from participating in the adoption program, consistent with relevant laws and regulations. The BLM commits to solutions that will better enable field personnel to verify when potential adopters are not eligible to adopt under existing laws and regulations. The Wild Horse and Burro Program System – the central database that contains information on all animals and adopters – flags individuals who have been deemed ineligible to adopt due to a previous violation of Prohibited Acts outlined in the regulations (43 CFR 4770.1). The BLM will consider ways to make this database more readily accessible to specialists in field environments. Action: Conduct an inspection of wild horses and burros adopted through the Adoption Incentive Program within six months of adoption date, rather than twelve months. Under current BLM policy , a BLM official conducts a compliance inspection of adopted wild horses or burros within one year (prior to the issuance of title). As a practical matter, most inspections are completed within six months of adoption. BLM will clarify policy to identify the earlier inspection time frame for animals adopted under the Adoption Incentive Program. Update (1/26/22): Updated policy issued January 2022 now requires compliance inspections of animals adopted under the Adoption Incentive Program to occur within six months of adoption, rather than twelve. VETERINARIAN CERTIFICATION OF TITLE APPLICATION Action: Have a veterinarian certify all title applications for wild horses and burros adopted through the Adoption Incentive Program (AIP). The BLM requires certification of proper care and treatment by a veterinarian, extension agent, local humane official, or other qualified individual. For animals adopted under the Adoption Incentive Program, BLM will limit that certification to a veterinarian (or BLM authorized officer) is required to receive incentive payments. Update (1/26/22): Updated policy issued January 2022 now requires title applications for animals adopted under the Adoption Incentive Program to be signed by a veterinarian or BLM Authorized Officer for the adopter to receive the incentive payment. FEDERAL LAW NOTICES Action: Increase posting of warning notices at livestock sale facilities, highlighting criminal penalties for illegally selling untitled wild horses and burros. BLM mailed copies of the Federal Law Notice to over 750 livestock sale facilities throughout the United States in 2018 and is resending notices again in August 2021. Facilities are encouraged to post the notices in a visible area to inform sellers and buyers of their legal responsibilities should they come across a freeze-marked horse or burro. The notices are sent with samples of a Certificate of Title and Bill of Sale so operators can confirm the legal status of any animal that comes into their facility. REFER VIOLATIONS TO US ATTORNEYS Action: Continue to refer cases to relevant U.S. Attorneys for potential violations under 18 USC 1001 for making false or misleading statements on adoption and title applications and agreements. When BLM is presented with evidence suggesting that an individual may have provided false information to the agency on an adoption application or agreement, agency law enforcement conducts an investigation and may issue citations or refer cases to the appropriate U.S. Attorney to determine if prosecution is warranted. Action: Evaluate changes to federal regulations that strengthen protections for adopted wild horses and burros. Current regulations governing the Wild Horse and Burro Program were last updated in 1986. A rule-making process begins with the publication of a notice of proposed rulemaking in the Federal Register, and the process includes an opportunity for public comment. The BLM remains committed to managing wild horses and burros pursuant to the Act and subsequent direction from Congress.

What is acid reflux or GERD? The stomach makes acid to help you digest food and remove bacteria. This is a natural process. In some people, the stomach makes too much acid, which can cause discomfort. When your stomach makes too much acid, you may have symptoms like: - Burning in your chest - Regurgitating (bringing up) acid into your throat and mouth - Sensing a lump in your throat when swallowing - Burping, bloating, or a feeling of “fullness” in your stomach - Chest pains These symptoms may mean you have acid reflux and heartburn, which can usually be relieved by antacids and no medical treatment. If symptoms become serious and happen more than once a week, it could mean you have gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). If that’s the case, your healthcare provider may suggest changes to your diet and lifestyle. What lifestyle and diet changes can I try? For many people, simply changing your diet and lifestyle is enough to relieve symptoms. This may include: - Removing foods from your diet that could trigger symptoms of heartburn and/or acid reflux. To name a few: - Spicy Foods, black pepper - Acidic foods (tomatoes, tomato-based foods, citrus fruit) - Greasy and high fat foods (such pizza, French fries, hamburgers, deep-fried chicken) - Not eating 2-3 hours before bedtime - Finding positions to sleep in that help reduce acid from reaching your throat. Elevating your head and upper body with pillows or a wedge-shaped support pillow can help. - Quitting smoking - Losing weight, if needed If diet and lifestyle changes are not enough, your healthcare provider may put you on a type of medicine called proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). What are proton pump inhibitors (PPIs)? PPIs are a type of drug used to ease the symptoms of acid-related conditions. Some of these conditions include serious acid reflux/heartburn, GERD, peptic ulcers (a sore in the lining of the stomach), and Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, a condition in which tumors in the pancreas cause the stomach to make too much acid. PPIs work to lessen the amount of acid made in the lining of the stomach. When PPIs work, the symptoms of severe heartburn, acid reflux, and GERD bother you less. Depending on your diagnosis, your healthcare provider may give you a PPI for only a few weeks, or you may need longer treatment. What are the types of PPIs? There are many types of PPIs. Some need a doctor’s prescription. Others can be purchased over-the-counter (OTC, sold in drugstores without a doctor’s prescription). After looking at your diet and lifestyle, and depending on your overall health, your symptoms and how often you have them, your healthcare provider may recommend one of the following: |Generic Name||Brand Name| |Esomeprazole||Nexium, Nexium OTC| |Lansoprazole||Prevacid, Prevacid 24 hour| |Omeprazole||Prilosec, Prilosec OTC| |Omeprazole/Sodium Bicarbonate||Zegerid, Zegerid OTC| What are the side effects of PPIs? PPIs are considered safe and effective in most people. But depending on your overall health and how long you have to take your PPI medication, there can be different health concerns and side-effects. It is important to go over these with your healthcare provider to make sure this is the best type of care for your symptoms. As with any medication, you should consider both the benefits and risks. Here are some risks and issues that have occurred in some people: - Increased chance of chronic kidney disease: It has not been proven that PPI use causes chronic kidney disease, but some studies suggest there is an increased risk of chronic kidney disease in individuals who have normal kidney function before using a PPI. This does not mean that everyone who uses PPIs will get chronic kidney disease, but it is important to know that there may be a risk. Studies did not include individuals who currently have kidney disease, so it is not clear if PPI use can make kidney disease worse. - Acute interstitial nephritis: This is a condition that causes swelling of the inside the kidney. This usually happens due to an allergic reaction, typically to medicines you may be taking, like PPIs. Swelling of the inside of your kidney can cause damage, and, if left untreated, can cause serious health problems. Using PPIs may increase the risk of developing acute interstitial nephritis. If caught early, the condition can be treated and leave no signs of damage to your kidneys. - Increased chance of heart attack(s): Using PPIs for long periods of time (many months to years) may increase the risk of a heart attack. It is not clear why this may happen, but studies suggest that PPI use may increase this risk. Additionally, those who have had a heart attack and are on blood thinners like clopidogrel (Plavix), can have a repeat heart attack. This is because some PPIs can reduce the function of the blood thinner. It is important to talk about any history of heart disease with your healthcare provider before using PPIs. - Nutritional deficiencies: Use of PPIs may make it hard for your body to absorb or keep certain nutrients needed for good health, like magnesium and iron. - Iron. Your body needs iron to make red blood cells, but PPI use may decrease your body’s ability to absorb iron. This is especially important for people who have anemia (low number of red blood cells) that is caused by not enough iron, or people with kidney disease, which affects your body’s ability to regulate iron. - Magnesium. Magnesium is needed to form healthy bones and teeth, and for normal nerve and muscle function. But PPI use can change the way your kidneys remove extra magnesium from your body, causing you to lose too much. Magnesium depletion is more common when you use both a PPI and a diuretic (a medication to remove extra water from your body). If you are taking PPIs and have magnesium depletion, ask your healthcare provider about a different class of medications known as H2 blockers (such as famotidine, ranitidine, or nizatidine) - Increased chance of bone fracture and bone loss (osteoporosis): It is believed that PPIs can lessen the body’s ability to absorb vitamin B12 or calcium, which can lead to wrist, spine, and hip fractures. This increased risk is especially true if you are on PPIs longer than a year and are age 50 or older. Also, if you are on a type of medication to reduce your chances of hip fracture (bisphosphonate medication), PPI use may interfere with this medication and increase your risk of hip fracture. If you have kidney disease and use PPIs, you should talk to your healthcare provider about the increased risk of bone fracture. - Increased chance of dementia: In older patients, there is a concern for an increased association of PPI use and dementia (a group of symptoms that affect your memory, thinking, social abilities, and daily function). This is mainly thought to be caused by the fact that PPIs are in the blood that goes to the brain, while also interfering with B12 absorption in the body. These two effects have led some researchers to believe there is an increased association between PPI use and dementia. - Increased chance of infection(s): Infections can be a concern when using PPIs. Since there is a decreased production of stomach acid, which would help fight against infection, viruses and bacteria can stay in your system and infect other parts of your body. You may be at higher risk for infection if you have asthma, lung disease, decreased immunity (because of HIV/AIDS or diabetes, for example), or are older. Specifically, taking PPIs can increase the risk of the following two types of infections: - Community-acquired pneumonia: When PPIs work to reduce the acid in your stomach and digestive tract, there may not be enough acid in the digestive tract to help with fighting against bacteria that come into your system through food. The bacteria that stays behind finds other places to ‘live’. These bacteria may then cause a serious infection in your lungs called community-acquired pneumonia. This usually happens within the first few weeks or months of taking PPIs. If you have kidney disease and are on dialysis, it is important to talk to your healthcare team about the increased risk of pneumonia with PPI use. - Increased chance of infection from Clostridium difficile(C.diff): A less acidic environment that is created by the use of PPIs can cause different types of bacteria to stay in your digestive system. Some of these bacteria can be harmless, and others can increase infections that upset your digestive tract. One bacteria of main concern is C.diff. This bacteria leads to diarrhea, fever, and other symptoms of digestive illness which, if left untreated, can cause other major health concerns. What if I have kidney disease or kidney failure? Before taking any antacids or PPIs, you should talk to your healthcare provider. There may be limitations on what you can take and how often you should take it, especially if you are on dialysis. Most importantly, you should not self-treat your symptoms with items bought from a drugstore or pharmacy. Any treatment should always come with the instruction of your healthcare provider. What else should I know? For most people, the use of PPIs is generally considered safe and effective. In fact, some experts believe the risks associated with PPIs are very small, while others are more cautious. However, many people can treat heartburn successfully with lifestyles changes alone, so experts encourage trying that first. If your healthcare provider has prescribed an antacid or PPI, be sure to follow the instructions carefully, and do not take them longer than suggested. If you have concerns about PPI use, talk to your healthcare provider.

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Cross Section from the Summit View Church of Christ By Kevin Jensen For the Summit View Church of Christ community, Cross Section offers a mix of faith-based stories about experiences that have shaped our lives as followers of Jesus, brief and inspiring messages from the Scriptures, dives into topics related to Christian living, and each week’s sermon (in case you missed it). Sunday Sermon — May 15, 2022: David's Broken Spirit Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — David, who never seemed to do anything small, sinned big. He took another man's wife, then killed that man so he could marry her. He tried to hide his sin, but God knew what he had done and sent Nathan the prophet to confront David. David was immediately broken by his sin, and he repented wholeheartedly. He still had to face the consequences of his sin, but God did not leave him; God forgave him, just as God also forgives us when we turn from our sin and seek him. Texts: 2 Samuel 11-12, Psalm 51 May 16, 2022 Sunday Sermon — May 8, 2022: The Woman Who Rescued David Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — David, furious, his honor offended, pursued bloody revenge—until Abigail stepped in to assuage his wrath, undo the offense, and keep him from sinning. Each of us needs an Abigail in our lives—someone who is both a wall to keep us from proceeding into sin and a peacemaker to help repair our broken relationships; and most of all, to help us do what is right in the sight of God. Text: 1 Samuel 25 May 09, 2022 Sunday Sermon — May 1, 2022: The King's Clothes and Undeserved Honor Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — David, pursued by King Saul, had a chance to kill the king, free himself from the threat of death, and take the throne God had promised him. But he didn't; he merely cut off a piece of the king's robe, and then felt guilty for that act. David provides us with a lesson about trusting in God when we're angry or afraid, waiting for God to do what we need at the right time and in the right way. Texts: Psalm 57, 1 Samuel 24 May 02, 2022 Sunday Sermon — April 24, 2022: David and Goliath Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — There were surely many Israelite warriors mightier and better-trained than David when Goliath appeared and threatened Israel—but none had more faith! The story of David and Goliath calls us to ask ourselves, "Will I, like David, put my faith in God today?" Text: 1 Samuel 17 April 25, 2022 Sunday Sermon — April 17, 2022: The Other Exodus Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — Like ancient Israel, Jesus experienced an "exodus": God gave him escape from the power of sin and death. By his death and resurrection, Jesus offers us an "exodus" too, setting us free from sin and the fear of God's judgment and leading us to the promised land of life in God's kingdom. Texts: Luke 9:28-36 and selections from Luke 23-24 April 18, 2022 Sunday Sermon — April 10, 2022: Seek Ye First Sunday Sermon by Jim Mendenhall, Summit View Church of Christ — Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus, so he climbed up a sycamore tree to spot him over the crowd. Like Zacchaeus, if we will seek the Lord, God will let us find him. Texts: Matthew 7:7, Luke 19:1-10 April 11, 2022 Sunday Sermon — April 3, 2022: The Importance of a Spiritual Mindset Sunday Sermon by Jim Mendenhall, Summit View Church of Christ — Guest lesson on the importance of keeping a spiritual focus as we follow Jesus. Text: Matthew 16:1-12 April 11, 2022 Sunday Sermon — March 27, 2022: Choose for Yourselves Whom You Will Serve Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — In his final address to Israel, Joshua challenged Israel to choose whom they would serve: the Lord or some other gods. But then he warned them not to serve the Lord! Why? Because the commitment to serve God is a demanding commitment. The apostle Paul similarly calls Christians to a high level of commitment to God, giving up whatever sins we must put to death in order to follow Jesus. Texts: selections from Joshua 24:1-28, Colossians 3:1-17 April 01, 2022 Sunday Sermon — March 20, 2022: They Were on the Lord's Side Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — When Joshua asked the strange man with his sword drawn, "Are you for us or for our enemies?" the answer was, "No." Is God on our side or our enemies' side? That's the wrong question. The better question is, Are we on God's side? Text: selections from Joshua 2 & 5-6 March 21, 2022 Sunday Sermon — March 13, 2022: Hear, O Israel Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — In Deuteronomy, Moses' final addresses to Israel, he calls Israel to love God with all their heart, soul, and strength, and to obey God's commands because they love him. We love God, too, and out of love for him who has been so generous to us we obey him, remember him, and tell the story of all he has done for us. Text: Deuteronomy 6 March 14, 2022 Sunday Sermon — March 6, 2022: Everyone Needs a Talking Donkey Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — Through a talking donkey, God confronted the hidden motives of Balaam's heart, changing his life that day. To help us keep our motives pure, we all need a talking donkey. Text: Numbers 22 March 07, 2022 Sunday Sermon — February 27, 2022: Joshua, Caleb, and the Art of Trusting God Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — Of all the twelve spies sent to explore the promised land, only Joshua and Caleb trusted God to lead them into that wonderful but dangerous place successfully. What made them different from the other ten spies? They kept their focus on God, remembering all he had done for Israel. Text: Numbers 13-14 February 28, 2022 Sunday Sermon — February 20, 2022: How to Be a Priest Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — The apostle Peter writes that we who follow Jesus are a holy priesthood in service to God. What does it mean to be a priest in God's kingdom? Instructions for Israel's priests in the book of Leviticus give us insight into our holy, priestly calling. Texts: 1 Peter 2:4-12, selections from Leviticus February 21, 2022 Sunday Sermon — February 13, 2022: The Water and the Mountain Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — The two most profound, defining moments of Israel's early history—at the water and the mountain—point us to our two most profound, defining moments as followers of Jesus...for we, too, share in the water and the mountain. Text: Exodus 14:5-31 & 20:1-21, Hebrews 12:18-25 February 14, 2022 Sunday Sermon — February 6, 2022: Here Is Your God Sunday Sermon by Jim Mendenhall — In this time of difficulty, we need to know God: the God who forgave Israel, the God who is far greater than all idols, the God who comforts us, the God who gives us strength. Text: Isaiah 40 February 07, 2022 Sunday Sermon — January 30, 2022: But Why Send Me? Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — God spoke to Moses at the burning bush and sent him to lead Israel out of slavery in Egypt. But Moses didn't want to go! God sent him anyway, and gave him a promise that encourages us, too, when God sends us to do his work: God would be with him. Text: Exodus 3:1 to 4:17 February 01, 2022 Sunday Sermon — January 23, 2022: Awkward Reconciliation Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — Joseph's reconciliation with his brothers was not easy. But God always works to bring people back together, and his people do the same. So Joseph forgave his brothers and worked out a clever plan to find out if their hearts had changed so that he could indeed be reconciled to them. Text: selections from Genesis 42-45 January 24, 2022 Sunday Sermon — January 16, 2022: No Good Deed... Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — Whatever Joseph did, it seemed to be answered with unjust suffering. He obeyed his father and was betrayed by his family. He served and honored his master well and resisted temptation, and was thrown into prison for it. Sometimes it seems like "no good deed goes unpunished." But God was with Joseph, and he is with us—and will lift us up in due time—when we suffer for doing good. Text: selections from Genesis 37-41 and 1 Peter January 16, 2022 Sunday Sermon — January 9, 2022: Abram Believed the Lord Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — Abraham (Abram) and Sarah (Sarai) were people of great faith—eventually. Like us, they had to grow in faith. Sometimes, at first, their faith was wobbly. Yet in time they came to trust God completely. We do well to grow in faith as they did. Text: selections from Genesis 12-22 January 10, 2022 Sunday Sermon — January 2, 2022: The Mystery in Prayer Sunday Sermon by Jim Mendenhall — There is a great mystery in prayer. As we ask, God gives us wisdom. He helps us understand his ways. And he sometimes says "No" to our requests. But in every situation, as we pray, God gives us his peace and helps us. Texts: Proverbs 2:1-8, Habakkuk 1-2, 2 Corinthians 12:1-10 January 03, 2022 Sunday Sermon — December 26, 2021: Do Not Be Afraid Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — Sometimes it's scary when God calls us to join him in his glorious and meaningful work in the world. It was certainly scary for an older man, a young woman, and a group of guys at work when God called them to share in his work and joy of bringing Jesus into the world. But angels told them, "Do not be afraid"—and they worked through their fear and shared in one of God's most glorious accomplishments. Text: selections from Luke 1-2 December 26, 2021 Sunday Sermon — December 19, 2021: How We Should Think about Death Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — It's difficult to think about our mortality. But Jesus, who is God in human flesh, was born to die for us so that he could defeat the power of death by his resurrection. And God promises to also raise those who follow Jesus. This gives us perspective and hope in the face of death. Texts: 1 Corinthians 15:1-26, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, Hebrews 2:14-15 December 20, 2021 Sunday Sermon — December 12, 2021: The End of the World Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — How should we think about one of the scariest things in human existence: the end of the world? Jesus foretold that heaven and earth will indeed pass away, and Peter prophesied that the heavens and the earth will be destroyed by fire on the day of the Lord, when Jesus comes again. But we actually look forward to that otherwise terrifying day, because we know what comes next. And so we live for God as we await that great day. Texts: Luke 21:25-36, 2 Peter 3:3-14 December 14, 2021 Sunday Sermon — December 5, 2021: How We Should Think about the Judgment Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — People who believe in our God often fear the Judgment Day, and rightly so. How does God want us to think about the final judgment? First, he calls us to accept its reality and take warning that it is coming. Then he urges us to turn away from our sin, so that we will be ready when the judgment comes. Finally, he reminds us that if his love is perfected in us, we do not need to fear the judgment, because we are living like Jesus. Texts: Hebrews 10:26-31, 1 John 4:16b-18 December 06, 2021 Sunday Sermon — November 28, 2021: Run After His Kingdom Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — When we're afraid that we might not get the things we need in life, we tend to either become greedy and grab more than we need or worry about whether we'll have what we need tomorrow. Jesus warned us against both of these responses and called us to fix our eyes on God, so that we don't run after the things of this world—which God will provide as we look to him—but after his kingdom. Text: Luke 12:13-34 November 29, 2021 Sunday Sermon — November 21, 2021: As Far as the East Is from the West Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — We tend to fear our sin—what it says about us, and how God might condemn us because of it. How should we deal with our fear of sin? Psalm 103 models how we should think about our sin: by remembering God's vast love and how he forgives us if we reverently fear him and obey his commands. Text: Psalm 103 November 22, 2021 Sunday Sermon — November 14, 2021: I Am With You Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — What do you do when you are afraid? In a moment of national crisis, King Jehoshaphat turned to God, leading his nation in fasting and prayer. God responded with a promise that he would be with his people—and his presence made all the difference. Text: 2 Chronicles 20:1-30 November 15, 2021 The In-Between — Section 8-O: The In-Between Around Jesus' Crucifixion This episode covers the fourteenth segment of Section 8 (The Spiritual Realm in the Time of Jesus). Glimpses of that in-between realm between human beings and God appeared shortly before and after Jesus' crucifixion: angels, holy people who had died but now returned to life, and the question of what Jesus himself experienced after he died and before his resurrection. Recording date: October 27, 2021 November 09, 2021 Sunday Sermon — November 7, 2021: What It Means to Fear the Lord Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — What does it mean to fear the Lord? In Scripture it is clearly more than merely trembling at God's wrath. It also means obeying God, honoring him, and even loving him. Text: Deuteronomy 6 November 08, 2021 The In-Between — Section 8N: Jesus on the Prince of This World This episode covers the thirteenth segment of Section 8 (The Spiritual Realm in the Time of Jesus). Jesus, speaking to his disciples, calls Satan "the prince of this world." Why? And what does it mean that Satan entered into Judas Iscariot before Judas betrayed Jesus? Recording date: October 20, 2021 November 05, 2021 The In-Between — Section 8M: Jesus on Angels and the Spirits of the Dead This episode covers the twelfth segment of Section 8 (The Spiritual Realm in the Time of Jesus). Jesus, in teachings about the end times, speaks about angels, especially the role they will play when he comes again. He also speaks about the spirits of the dead, particularly in regard to a question about the role of marriage in the life to come. Recording date: October 13, 2021 November 03, 2021 Sunday Sermon — October 31, 2021: Bad Fear, Good Fear Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — Some fears are healthy, others are unhealthy. And to have no fear at all can be dangerous! Jesus taught us not to fear human beings and what they might do to us, but to fear God—and he also assuaged our fears by teaching us to have confidence in God's love. Texts: Luke 12:1-12 & Philippians 4:4-7 November 01, 2021 Sunday Sermon — October 24, 2021: With All Boldness Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — At the close of the book of Acts, Paul suffers a shipwreck, a snakebite, rejection by many of the Jews in Rome, and continuing limitation of his freedom as a Roman prisoner. Yet, as throughout the book of Acts, every time time (and the church overall) is beaten down by Satan, God lifts him (and them) up! This God is also our God, who demonstrates his power by continuing to work through us and lift us up in spite of all the devil's attacks. Text: Acts 28 October 25, 2021 Sunday Sermon — October 17, 2021: From the Power of Satan to God Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — God transforms our lives. Phil Robertson (of "Duck Dynasty" fame) lives as an example of God's transforming power. The apostle Paul's life is an even greater testimony to the power of God, by which he brings us out of darkness and into his light, turns us from the power of Satan to God, and gives us forgiveness, hope, and direction. Text: Acts 26 October 18, 2021 Sunday Sermon — October 10, 2021: Resurrection, Judgment, and the Good News of Jesus Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — Paul, on trial, presented his defense speech to Governor Felix, mixing into it a brief introduction to the good news of Jesus. Felix, intrigued, met with Paul again, but was afraid and cut off the conversation when Paul spoke of the proper response to the gospel, and of the coming judgment. Many today are like Felix—interested in Jesus, but afraid. And sometimes we are like Paul—longing to share the message of Jesus. How can we best minister to those who might follow Jesus, but are hesitant or afraid? Text: Acts 24 October 11, 2021 The In-Between — Section 8L: Power Struggle: Satan vs. Jesus, Part 3 This episode covers the eleventh segment of Section 8 (The Spiritual Realm in the Time of Jesus). Once again, Jesus and his disciples drive out demons, dealing a blow to Satan. In this lesson, we cover four texts from the gospel of Luke, including two stories of Jesus' power over demons and Satan, Jesus' teaching on why angels in heaven rejoice, and the parable of the rich man and Lazaurs, which hints—maybe—at what happens to our spirits when we die. Recording date: October 6, 2021 October 06, 2021 The In-Between — Section 8K: Power Struggle: Satan vs. Jesus, Part 2 This episode covers the tenth segment of Section 8 (The Spiritual Realm in the Time of Jesus). As Jesus' ministry continues, the Jews are confused about who he is. Is he really from God? Or is he actually possessed by a demon? As he responds, Jesus gives us some of our most insightful teaching about the character of the devil. Recording date: September 29, 2021 October 05, 2021 Sunday Sermon — October 3, 2021: The Power of the Name of Jesus Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — The name of Jesus is powerful. It changed the city of Ephesus when Paul proclaimed the good news of Jesus there. It changes our lives. It changes our communities. It changes our world. Text: Acts 19:1-41 October 04, 2021 The In-Between — Section 8J: Demons, Guardian Angels, and Children This episode covers the tenth segment of Section 8 (The Spiritual Realm in the Time of Jesus). What does the Bible say about guardian angels? Do children—or any other people—have guardian angels? Do demons still possess people today? We cover these questions and more in this study of a few more miracles and teachings of Jesus that impact our study of the in-between realm. Recording date: September 22, 2021 September 30, 2021 Sunday Sermon — September 26, 2021: Revealing the Unknown God Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — How do you begin to share the good news of Jesus with someone who does not yet know our God? The apostle Paul did just that while he was in Athens: he introduced the Athenians to a deity they knew only as "The Unknown God". From his example we learn five techniques for sharing the gospel with a friend who needs to know our God. Text: Acts 17:10-34 September 28, 2021 Sunday Sermon — September 19, 2021: Filled with Joy: The Jailer Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — When the jailer saw the power of God, the mercy of God, and the exceptional character of the people of God, he believed in God and was filled with joy! What is it about God that fills us with such joy as we come to know him? Even in our most difficult times, his power and mercy and the transformation he works in us amaze us, help us, and give us hope. Text: Acts 16:1-40 September 20, 2021 The In-Between — Section 8I: Power Struggle: Satan vs. Jesus, Part 1 This episode covers the ninth segment of Section 8 (The Spiritual Realm in the Time of Jesus). In this lesson's texts, Jesus drives out more demons and actually calls two of his disciples "devil" and "Satan". Why would he do that? What can we learn from these stories about Jesus and Satan? In these texts we also get two hints about the situation of the spirits of the dead as they await the great resurrection. September 15, 2021 The In-Between — Section 8H: Demons, Pigs, and Jesus This episode covers the eighth segment of Section 8 (The Spiritual Realm in the Time of Jesus). This week we dive deeply into the story of the demons who called themselves "Legion," who controlled a man until they encountered Jesus and then fled, with Jesus' permission, into a herd of pigs. Recording date: September 8, 2021 September 14, 2021 Sunday Sermon — September 12, 2021: When the Church Argues Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — A dispute in the church led Paul and Barnabas to travel to Jerusalem, where they met with the apostles and elders there about the issue. The way the church handled this argument models how we, too, should deal with disagreements and arguments in the church: first by always seeking the will of God, then by working to guard and affirm our relationships with one another. Text: Acts 15:1-35 September 13, 2021 The In-Between — Section 8G: Three Parables Involving the Devil and Angels This episode covers the seventh segment of Section 8 (The Spiritual Realm in the Time of Jesus). In this lesson we examine what Jesus tells us about the devil and angels in three of his parables. Recording date: September 1, 2021 September 09, 2021 The In-Between — Section 8F: More on the Devil and Demons This episode covers the sixth segment of Section 8 (The Spiritual Realm in the Time of Jesus). We look at more that Jesus says about the devil and demons, what demons are, and a little bonus material about angels on the day of judgment. Recording date: August 25, 2021 September 07, 2021 Sunday Sermon — September 5, 2021: Full of Joy: A New Church Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — The apostle Paul helped to launch a new church in the city of Pisidian Antioch. When persecution came, it could have crushed the new disciples of Jesus—but it didn't. Instead, they were filled with joy! Why? Because of God and all he had done—as Paul explains in his first recorded gospel sermon. Text: Acts 13:13-52 September 06, 2021 The In-Between — Section 8E: Jesus' Disciples in Relation to Demons This episode covers the fifth segment of Section 8 (The Spiritual Realm in the Time of Jesus). It examines connections between Jesus' disciples and demons: some had been possessed by Jesus, then healed; others were given power to drive out demons. This lesson was recorded August 11, 2021. September 04, 2021 The In-Between — Section 8D: The Effects of Demon-Possession This episode covers the fourth segment of Section 8 (The Spiritual Realm in the Time of Jesus). What does demon-possession look like? What can demons do to the people they possess? Is demon-possession actually merely an old name for mental disorders? We discuss these questions in light of Jesus' encounters with demon-possessed people. September 03, 2021 Sunday Sermon — August 29, 2021: Peter at the Door Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — The church prayed diligently for Peter, and God saved Peter from prison. Even so, as this story reminds us, prayer is difficult: even when we pray, we don't know exactly what God will do. Yet we pray, trusting that God will do what is best, and confident in his power. Then, having prayed, we wait expectantly, ready to receive God's blessings when he sends them. Text: Acts 12:1-24 September 02, 2021 Sunday Sermon — August 22, 2021: God Does Not Show Favoritism Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — Through an angelic message to a Gentile, a mysterious vision, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, Peter learned that God does not show favoritism to Jews or to any other people, but accepts—and cleanses—all those who fear him and do what is right. Text: Acts 10 September 01, 2021 Sunday Sermon — August 15, 2021: The Soils of the Human Heart Sunday Sermon by Jim Mendenhall — Jesus described the human heart in terms of soils of varying quality. The kingdom of heaven is in your heart—but is the soil of your heart well-prepared to receive the seed of God's kingdom? Text: Matthew 13:1-23 August 31, 2021 Sunday Sermon — August 1, 2021: The Key to Spiritual Health Sunday Sermon by Jim Mendenhall — Thoughts on the theme of thanksgiving in Paul's letter to the church in Colossae. Text: Colossians August 30, 2021 Sunday Sermon — July 25, 2021: Lessons from a Prophet, Part 2 Sunday Sermon by Jim Mendenhall — Another lesson from the life of the great prophet Elijah. August 29, 2021 Sunday Sermon — July 18, 2021: Lessons from a Prophet, Part 1 Sunday Sermon by Jim Mendenhall — A lesson from the life of the great prophet Elijah. August 28, 2021 The In-Between — Section 8C: Demons Encounter Jesus This episode covers the third segment of Section 8 (The Spiritual Realm in the Time of Jesus). In this lesson, we consider the first recorded encounters of demons with Jesus as he began his ministry, including discussion of what demons are and do. Lesson date: July 7, 2021 August 27, 2021 The In-Between — Section 8B: The Devil Tempts Jesus This episode covers the second segment of Section 8 (The Spiritual Realm in the Time of Jesus). We examine the story of the devil tempting Jesus, with its implications for our understanding of the devil himself, how he works, and how we should respond to his temptations. Lesson date: June 30, 2021 August 26, 2021 The In-Between — Section 8A: Angels at the Birth of Jesus This episode covers the first segment of Section 8 (The Spiritual Realm in the Time of Jesus). In it, our Senior Adults and Friends Bible Study considers the appearances of angels surrounding the birth of Jesus. August 26, 2021 Sunday Sermon — August 8, 2021: And They Praised God Because of Me Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — Our God is able to do more than we can ask or even imagine, and he did the unimaginable when he transformed Saul from persecutor of the church to proclaimer of the Christian faith, and when he called Ananias to courageously go to Saul to assist with his transformation. Like Saul and Ananias, we who follow Jesus must also believe God can do the unexpected and more, put our faith in him, and respond in obedience when he calls us to join him in his amazing work. Texts: Acts 9:1-31, Galatians 1:21-24 August 14, 2021 Sunday Sermon — July 11, 2021: The Ethiopian's Joy Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — We don't know his name, but God did, this man to whom God sent Philip the Evangelist. Though the man was a foreigner and to some degree an outcast, God loved him and wanted him in his family and kingdom. God knows our names, too, and wants us in his family and kingdom whether we are foreigners or natives, insiders or outsiders, near to God or coming from a place far from him. Text: Acts 8:26-40 July 12, 2021 Sunday Sermon — July 4, 2021: Joy in Samaria Sunday sermon by Kevin Jensen — When Philip proclaimed Jesus in a certain Samaritan city, that city was full of joy! The message of Jesus fills us with joy as it connects us to God. But to keep that joy, we must keep our faith sincere, focused on pleasing God rather than ourselves. Text: Acts 8:4-25 July 05, 2021 Sunday Sermon — June 27, 2021: Jesus Was There Sunday sermon by Kevin Jensen — The first movement of the story of Stephen, the first Christian martyr, is all about the terrible evil in this world, the evil that brought about Stephen's death. But in the second movement, Jesus was there! And Jesus' presence when Stephen was killed made all the difference. Text: Acts 6:8 to 8:4 June 29, 2021 Sunday Sermon — June 20, 2021: The Seven Sunday sermon by Kevin Jensen — When the first ethnic division arose in the early church, the apostles appointed seven men to address it—men who were prototypes of deacons, who in turn help the church and its elders carry the glorious, heavy burden of church leadership and ministry. Texts: Acts 6:1-8, 1 Timothy 3:8-13 June 21, 2021 The In-Between — Section 7F: More Angels in Zechariah and Psalms This episode covers the sixth and final segment of Section 7 (The Spiritual Realm During and After the Jewish Exile), exploring a few final references to angels as we wrap up the Old Testament portion of our study of The In-Between. June 18, 2021 Sunday Sermon — June 13, 2021: Gamaliel and the Art of Making Peace Sunday sermon by Kevin Jensen — Jesus said peacemakers are blessed, for they will be called children of God. In a tense moment, the great Jewish teacher Gamaliel was a peacemaker, speaking up to warn the Sanhedrin against executing the apostles. God calls us to be, like Gamaliel, people who act out of wise humility to bring peace. Texts: Acts 5:27-42, Matthew 5:9, James 3:13-18 June 15, 2021 The In-Between — Section 7E: Angels and Satan in Zechariah 1-6 This episode covers the fifth segment of Section 7 (The Spiritual Realm During and After the Jewish Exile). We examine appearances of heavenly beings, sometimes in surprising forms, in the prophetic visions of Zechariah 1-6, including an appearance of Satan in Zechariah 3. June 11, 2021 The In-Between — Section 7D: Angels in the Book of Daniel, Part 3 This episode covers the fourth segment of Section 7 (The Spiritual Realm During and After the Jewish Exile), studying appearances of angels in Daniel 6, 10, and 12. Of special interest in this lesson are an angel's involvement in the story of Daniel and the Lions' Den, glimpses of spiritual warfare at the national and international level, and the Bible's first clear prophecy of the resurrection of the dead. June 10, 2021 Sunday Sermon — June 6, 2021: On Obeying God and Government Sunday sermon by Kevin Jensen — When should Christians refuse to obey the government? When should they submit and obey? This study explores the New Testament's basic teachings and principles that help us determine how best to respond to government authorities in a way that brings honor to God. Texts: Acts 5:12-42, Romans 13:1-7, 1 Peter 2:11-17, Mark 12:28-31 June 08, 2021 The In-Between — Section 7C: Angels in the Book of Daniel, Part 2 This episode of "The In-Between" covers the third segment of Section 7 (The Spiritual Realm During and After the Jewish Exile), studying mysterious angelic beings—and a bizarre appearance of a human hand—in Daniel 5 and 8-9. June 07, 2021 The In-Between — Section 7B: Angels in the Book of Daniel, Part 1 This episode of "The In-Between" covers the second segment of Section 7 (The Spiritual Realm During and After the Jewish Exile), studying angelic appearances and involvement in Nebuchadnezzar's dream in Daniel 4 and in Daniel's 7 in Daniel 7. June 03, 2021 Sunday Sermon, May 30, 2021 — The Acts of the Apostles Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — The Bible's book of Acts is often called "The Acts of the Apostles," but perhaps it would be better titled "The Acts of the Holy Spirit." The Spirit drives the action in Acts, building God's church, guiding it, spreading the good news of Jesus, convicting people's hearts, and growing God's kingdom. This same Holy Spirit who worked so powerfully in the time of Acts still works powerfully in God's church today. Text: Acts 2:1-21 and selections from Acts June 01, 2021 The In-Between — Section 7A: A Guardian Cherub and an Angelic Guide This episode covers the first segment of Section 7 (The Spiritual Realm During and After the Jewish Exile). It focuses on two sections of Ezekiel: one (from chapter 28) that describes a "guardian cherub" sometimes thought to be Satan, and another (from chapters 40-47) in which an angel serves as a sort of tour guide for Ezekiel through a vision. May 27, 2021 Sunday Sermon — May 23, 2021: Our Actions Today Are in Recognition of God's Eternal Purpose (Guest Speaker: Jim Mendenhall) Guest lesson by Jim Mendenhall — A lesson on how the congregation's appointment of a new elder on this day fits in with God's overarching plan of salvation. Text: selections from Ephesians 3-4 May 25, 2021 The In-Between — Section 6D: Angelic "Men" in Ezekiel and Daniel This episode covers the fourth segment of Section 6 (The Spiritual Realm in Judah after the Fall of Israel). We examine the "men," especially the "man clothed in linen," in Ezekiel 8-10, and also the mysterious "man" who appeared in the blazing furnace with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in Daniel 3. May 24, 2021 The In-Between — Section 6C: Ezekiel's Four Living Creatures This episode covers the third segment of Section 6 (The Spiritual Realm in Judah after the Fall of Israel), focusing on Ezekiel's vision of four bizarre "living creatures" in Ezekiel 1-11. May 20, 2021 Sunday Sermon — May 16, 2021: Be Shepherds of the Church of God Sunday sermon by Kevin Jensen — As we consider appointing a new elder for our church, we look at what the apostles Paul and Peter taught about what it means for elders to serve as shepherds over God's flock. Texts: Acts 20:17-38, 1 Peter 5:1-5 May 16, 2021 Sunday Sermon — May 9, 2021: The Tragedy of Ananias and Sapphira Sunday sermon by Kevin Jensen — A tragedy in the young church became the best bad news it could have heard and a source of strange hope: God loves his church enough to discipline us so that we may receive eternal life. Text: Acts 4:32 to 5:16. May 09, 2021 Sunday Sermon, May 2, 2021 — The Believers' Prayer Sunday sermon by Kevin Jensen — When the first great persecution hit the young church, it must have discouraged the believers. But they responded in the best possible way: they prayed. And so they became a model for us whenever we face discouragement in our faith. Text: Acts 4:23-37. May 02, 2021 The In-Between — Section 6B: On Consulting the Spirits of the Dead This episode covers the second segment of Section 6 (The Spiritual Realm in Judah after the Fall of Israel). This class looks especially at occurrences of, and warnings against, attempts to communicate with the dead. We delve deeply into why people might seek to speak with spirits of the departed and how we might minister to them. We also examine the story of an angel saving Judah from an enemy army and a prophecy foretelling that God will one day punish "the powers in the heavens above." May 01, 2021 Sunday Sermon — April 25, 2021: The Good News in a Nutshell, Part 3: Fellowship Sunday sermon by Kevin Jensen — What is the good news (the "gospel" of Jesus? In this third of three lessons on the good news, we look at the glorious fellowship shared in the very early church. Through our rich fellowship with one another, we live out the good news of Jesus. Text: Acts 2:36-47. April 25, 2021 The In-Between, Section 5D & 6A: Seraphim and Lucifer This episode covers the fourth segment of Section 5 (The Spiritual Realm During Israel's Divided Kingdom) and the first segment of Section 6 (The Spiritual Realm in Judah after the Fall of Israel). In three passages from the book of the prophet Isaiah, we examine the Bible's sole text describing seraphim, another warning against consulting mediums and spiritists, and the text that spawned our culture's identification of Lucifer as Satan. April 25, 2021 Sunday Sermon — April 18, 2021: The Good News in a Nutshell, Part 2: Forgiveness Sunday sermon by Kevin Jensen — What is the good news (the "gospel" of Jesus? In this second of three lessons on the good news, we focus on forgiveness—what it means, how it works, and how it blesses our relationship with God. Text: Acts 2:22-41 April 18, 2021 Sunday Sermon — April 11, 2021: The Good News in a Nutshell, Part 1: The Messiah Sunday sermon by Kevin Jensen — What is the good news—the gospel—of Jesus? The book of Acts describes this good news in a few ways, beginning with the good news of the Messiah, Jesus, whom God sent to address the mess that the world is in, including the messes that we ourselves have caused. Through Jesus, God brings us forgiveness and hope in this broken world, and fills us with joy. This lesson launches a new sermon series, Filled with Joy, from the book of Acts. Text: selections from Acts 1-2 April 11, 2021 Sunday Sermon — April 4, 2021: Suffering and Glory Sunday sermon by Kevin Jensen — In this Easter Sunday sermon, we consider how Jesus' suffering and resurrection remind us of a great truth in life and, more importantly, in God's purposes in our lives: First comes suffering, then comes glory. Text: Luke 24 April 04, 2021 The In-Between — Section 5C: Chariots and Horses of Fire This episode covers the third segment of Section 5 (The Spiritual Realm During Israel's Divided Kingdom), focusing on two stories from 2 Kings involving the appearance of chariots and horses of fire to the prophet Elisha as symbols of angelic power from God to accomplish his will in Israel. April 04, 2021 Sunday Sermon — March 28, 2021: Into Your Hands Sunday sermon by Kevin Jensen — Even on the cross, at the end of his life, Jesus trusted God. Because he trusted God, he forgave, he showed mercy, and he entrusted his spirit to God. In his death, Jesus showed us how we should live. Text: Luke 23:32-56 March 28, 2021 The In-Between — Section 5B: Micaiah's Vision of God's Throne Room This episode covers the second segment of Section 5 (The Spiritual Realm During Israel's Divided Kingdom). We look at glimpses of the in-between realm in three stories from 1 & 2 Kings during the time of the prophet Elijah: an angel provides sustenance to Elijah, the prophet Micaiah recounts his vision of God's heavenly throne room and the conversation he witnessed there, and the angel of the Lord gives instructions to Elijah. March 27, 2021 Sunday Sermon, March 21, 2021 — Body and Blood Sunday sermon by Kevin Jensen — When he shared the sacred bread and cup at the Last Supper and linked them to his body and blood, Jesus taught and modeled three ways in which sharing in the Lord's Supper should transform our relationships with one another. Text: Luke 22:1-30 March 21, 2021 The In-Between — Section 4E-5A: A Prophet Lies about an Angel This episode covers the final segment of Section 4 (The Spiritual Realm During Israel's United Kingdom) and opening segment of Section 5 (The Spiritual Realm During Israel's Divided Kingdom). From Section 4, we cover two references to angels in Psalm 78 and two brief explorations of the state of the human spirit after death in Ecclesiastes. Beginning Section 5, we consider the story of a prophet in Israel who lied about a supposed appearance of an angel. March 20, 2021 Sunday Sermon, March 14, 2021 — The Parable of the Tenants Jesus’ Parable of the Tenants called the ancient Jews to consider whether they were giving God what he was due as the rightful Lord of Israel. In the same way, it calls us today to consider whether we are giving God the fruit due him as Lord of our lives—and especially whether we are showing proper honor to Jesus, the Son whom God sent to reconcile us to himself. Text: Luke 19:45 to 20:19 March 14, 2021 The In-Between, Section 4D: The Angel of the Lord Appears to David In this fourth segment of Section 4 (The Spiritual Realm During Israel's United Kingdom), David faces the angel of the Lord, who brings punishment on Israel for David's sin. Also, we consider what some of David's psalms say about angels, including cherubim. March 12, 2021 Sunday Sermon, March 7, 2021 — The Odd Shapes of Faith Sunday sermon by Kevin Jensen — Faith in different people can express itself very differently: as people bringing babies to Jesus, as a rich ruler wanting to be saved, as a blind man begging for sight, as a tax collector ready to turn his life back to God. But in all its odd shapes, faith in God always involves pursuit of Jesus. Then it faces a question: When we come to Jesus, will we follow him? Text: Luke 18:15 to 19:10 March 07, 2021 The In-Between, Section 4C: More about Angels and the Realm of the Dead, from the Time of David In this third segment of Section 4 (The Spiritual Realm During Israel's United Kingdom), we examine three recurring themes that arise in the stories and psalms of David and continue elsewhere in Scripture: (a) similarity to angels used to describe character or power; (b) angels praise and exalt God; and (c) not much goes on in the realm of the dead (or does it?). Download worksheets for "The In-Between" at http://www.summitviewchurch.net/class-materials.html. March 05, 2021 Sunday Sermon, February 28, 2021 — The Father's Joy Sunday sermon by Kevin Jensen — With three parables, Jesus explained how God feels about sinners who turn to God and are saved. How does God feel about them? He is filled with joy! Jesus calls us to share in that same joy, and to come to him trusting that he will rejoice over us, too. Text: Luke 15 February 28, 2021 The In-Between, Section 4B: Saul Consults a Medium In this second segment of Section 4 (The Spiritual Realm During Israel's United Kingdom), Israel's King Saul does what God has forbidden: he consults a medium in order to speak to the spirit of a deceased person. And it works! Can human beings really speak to the dead? Why does God prohibit such an act? What does this tell us about the situation of people who have passed from this life? Find the Section 4 worksheet at http://www.summitviewchurch.net/class-materials.html. February 26, 2021 Sunday Sermon, February 21, 2021 — Jesus on the Quest for Security Sunday sermon by Kevin Jensen — Responding to a dispute over an inheritance, Jesus warned his listeners to be on guard against greed, and to seek what makes one rich toward God. Then we will not be selfish or scared, but—trusting in God our good Father—we will be generous to use what God gives us to bless others. Text: Luke 12:13-34 February 21, 2021 The In-Between, Section 4A: An Evil Spirit Comes upon Saul In this first segment of Section 4 (The Spiritual Realm During Israel's United Kingdom), an evil spirit from God comes upon King Saul. Does God have evil spirits? Does he send evil spirits upon people to punish them? What does this tell us about the spiritual realm? And what warnings and encouragement does this story offer us today? Download the Section 4 worksheet at http://www.summitviewchurch.net/class-materials.html. February 19, 2021 Sunday Sermon, February 14, 2021 — The Good Samaritan Sunday sermon by Kevin Jensen — In explaining who we should consider our neighbor, Jesus told the shocking story of the most unexpected person modeling godly behavior for us by not choosing who his neighbor should be, but by choosing to be a neighbor to a person in need. (This lesson was shared over Zoom because in-person services were closed due to weather.) Text: Luke 10:25-37 February 14, 2021 The In-Between, Section 3B: Angelic Appearances to Gideon and to Samson's Parents The angel of the Lord appears to Gideon and then to the soon-to-be parents of Samson. In both cases, he brings prophecies of God's work to rescue Israel from its enemies. And in both cases, the recipients of the message seem not to understand at first who it is that is speaking to them. Their responses remind us to diligently and wisely seek God's will, testing the messages we receive to find what is true and what God really does desire of us. Download worksheets for The In-Between at http://www.summitviewchurch.net/class-materials.html. February 11, 2021 Sunday Sermon, February 7, 2021 — A Cross-Centered Attitude Sunday sermon by Kevin Jensen — Following Jesus requires a cross-centered attitude, an attitude of selflessness. This attitude sets the self aside, rejects pride and practices humility, and gives full devotion to Jesus as Messiah and King. Texts: Luke 9:18-26 & 9:43-62 February 07, 2021 The In-Between, Section 3A: Angelic Appearances & References in Joshua-Judges The commander of the army of the Lord appeared to Joshua. Who was this being—God, Jesus, or an angel? What do his words mean for us today in politics, war, and any kind of conflict? Also, the angel of the Lord speaks to Israel, and Deborah refers to the angel of the Lord in her song. Download the Section 3 worksheet at http://www.summitviewchurch.net/class-materials.html. February 05, 2021 Sunday Sermon, January 31, 2021 — Obedience and the Sermon on the Level Place Sunday sermon by Kevin Jensen — In this lesson, we examine three teachings of Jesus from his Sermon on the Level Place and consider how obedience to the teaching of Jesus builds a solid foundation for our lives, so that we can withstand every storm of life. Text: Luke 6:17-49 January 31, 2021 The In-Between, Section 2D: The Angel Who Confronted Balaam In this week's class on the spiritual realm between God and human beings, our focus is the fascinating story of Balaam, the angel who confronted him, and (of course) Balaam's donkey. Can animals see angels? Do angels need swords? And why does God send angels in the first place? Download the Section 2 worksheet at http://www.summitviewchurch.net/class-materials.html. January 30, 2021 Sunday Sermon, January 24, 2021 — What Is Lawful on the Sabbath? Sunday sermon by Kevin Jensen — Three times in Luke's gospel, Jesus heals someone on the Sabbath, knowing that doing so would arouse criticism. Yet he did so intentionally, to show his love for people and to help us learn how to prioritize the commands of God. Texts: Luke 6:6-11, 13:10-17, 14:1-6 January 24, 2021 The In-Between—Section 2C: Prohibition Against Involvement with the Dead and Dark Powers In this week's class on the spiritual realm between God and human beings, we study prohibitions in the Law of Moses against attempts to communicate with spirits of the dead and against involvement in sorcery and divination. Download the Section 2 worksheet at http://www.summitviewchurch.net/class-materials.html. January 22, 2021 Sunday Sermon, January 17, 2021 — How Did Jesus Think about Sinners? Sunday sermon by Kevin Jensen — In three consecutive stories in Luke's Gospel, Jesus commits an offense against the Jewish religious establishment. Who did he think he was, doing such things? He thought he was a doctor sent to heal the spiritually sick—and he thought of them as people God loves and wants to help. Text: Luke 5:12-32 January 17, 2021 The In-Between, Section 2B: Angels in Israel's Exodus, Part 2: Cherubim at the Throne of God In this week's class on the spiritual realm between God and human beings, we consider the representation and significance of cherubim in Israel's decoration of the ark of the covenant, the tabernacle, and the temple. Download the worksheet for Section 2 at http://www.summitviewchurch.net/class-materials.html. Images used in this lesson are found at https://www.freebibleimages.org/illustrations/bs-ark-covenant/ (images 3 & 12) and https://www.freebibleimages.org/illustrations/solomon-temple/ (images 8 & 11). January 16, 2021 Sunday Sermon, January 10, 2021 — Why They Tried to Throw Jesus Off a Cliff Sunday sermon by Kevin Jensen — Why would the people of Jesus’ own hometown try to throw him off a cliff? At first, they seemed delighted by him and his teaching. But when his teaching became too demanding—when he called them to turn their hearts to God—his townspeople turned against him instead. Text: Luke 4:14-44 January 10, 2021 The In-Between—Section 2A: Angels in Israel's Exodus, Part 1 This week's class on the spiritual realm between God and human beings examines the appearance of an angel in the burning bush, the "destroyer" sent by God at the first Passover, and the angel who led Israel from Egypt to the promised land. Worksheet available at http://www.summitviewchurch.net/class-materials.html. January 08, 2021 Sunday Sermon, January 1, 2021 — Reasoning from Scripture? Guest Sermon by Jim Mendenhall. In Thessalonica, the apostle Paul reasoned with the Jews from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that Jesus was the Christ. What might Paul have shown them from Scripture? Scripture continues to persuade us of the truth about Jesus today, and it strengthens us as we continue in faith through a difficult time. Text: Acts 17:1-4 January 03, 2021 SVCC Sunday Sermon, December 27, 2020 — Unexpected Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — Mary wasn't expecting to be expecting. Joseph wasn't expecting to be a father so soon. The shepherds of Bethlehem weren't expecting to encounter angels. But our God does the unexpected—in the life of Jesus, and often (more subtly) in our lives today. Text: Luke 1-2 December 27, 2020 The In-Between — Section 1D: Satan in the Book of Job In this week's class, we study an important appearance of Satan in the opening of the book of Job and what that appearance tells us about this evil, enigmatic person. We also examine a few references to angels and to the realm of the dead in Job. Bible texts in this episode come from the book of Job. Find a link to the class worksheet in the episode notes at www.summitviewchurch.net/podcast.html. December 24, 2020 Sunday Sermon, December 20, 2020 — Gabriel and the Purpose of Doubt Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — When the angel Gabriel delivered wonderful messages to Zechariah and to Mary, both individuals questioned him; both had doubts. Gabriel responded to them very differently, striking one mute but explaining God's plan to the other. Why the difference? Zechariah and Mary demonstrated different types of doubt. And from Gabriel's responses to them we learn not to be afraid of doubt, but to let it prompt us to pursue the truth. Text: Luke 1 December 20, 2020 The In-Between, Section 1C: Angels in the Story of Abraham's Family In this week's class, we study angelic appearances to members of the family of Abraham, guiding that family and communicating God's deep concern for them as God works to fulfill his promises to Abraham. This episode is a recording of our Senior Adults & Friends Bible Study via Zoom in their study of "The In-Between," an exploration of the Bible's teaching about angels, demons, the devil, heavenly and dark spiritual powers, and the state of the dead between death and resurrection. Bible texts in this episode come from Genesis 21-48. Download the worksheet at www.summitviewchurch.net/podcast. December 18, 2020 Sunday Sermon, December 13, 2020 - Do Not Be Anxious Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — What does God teach us to do when we're anxious? This strange year, 2020, has been a year filled with anxiety. But God helps us, in part by teaching us how to navigate anxious times. This lesson takes us through seven bits of instruction from the apostle Paul—five commands and two promises of God—to help us live godly lives without being anxious. Text: Philippians 4:4-9 December 13, 2020 The In-Between — Section 1B: Abraham Meets Three Heavenly Beings In this week's class, we examine the story of a lengthy angelic visit to Abraham and his nephew, Lot. Abraham met two angels and a third, mysterious being. These heavenly beings bring prophecy for Abraham's wife Sarah, foretell God's intentions concerning Sodom and Gomorrah, and then carry out God's judgment on Sodom. This episode is a recording of our Senior Adults & Friends Bible Study via Zoom in their new study of "The In-Between," an exploration of the Bible's teaching about angels, demons, the devil, heavenly and dark spiritual powers, and the state of the dead between death and resurrection. Bible text in this episode comes from Genesis 18:1 to 19:29. Worksheets are available at http://www.summitviewchurch.net/class-materials.html. December 12, 2020 Sunday Sermon, December 6, 2020 - God's Purposes Behind Our Suffering Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — God is at work in us when we suffer. From Peter's first letter, this lesson draws out three purposes of God behind our suffering and three responses Peter calls us to have to our suffering. Texts: selections from 1 Peter December 06, 2020 The In-Between — Section 1A: First Encounters with Heavenly Beings This episode is a recording of our Senior Adults & Friends Bible Study in their new study of "The In-Between," an exploration of the Bible's teaching about angels, demons, the devil, heavenly and dark spiritual powers, and the state of the dead between death and resurrection. This episode delves into the first appearance of the devil in Scripture, the first appearance of cherubim, and the first appearance of the "angel of the Lord" to a human being. This lesson was recorded on December 2, 2020. Texts include selections from Genesis 3-16. Worksheets are available with the episode notes at www.summitviewchurch.net/podcast. December 04, 2020 Sunday Sermon, November 29, 2020 - And Be Thankful Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — The Jews who rebuilt the temple in the 500s BC pressed on in spite of troubles and did not lose heart because they believed God was with them. When the church faces troubles, we do not lose heart, but cultivate an attitude of thanksgiving, which reminds us that the God who has helped us in the past will help us again. In every difficulty—even today—we look to God to help us, and we are thankful. Texts: Colossians 3:15-17 and selections from Ezra 4-6 & Colossians November 29, 2020 Sunday Sermon, November 22, 2020 - Thanksgiving and Tears Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — Like the Jews who watched as the foundation of the second temple was laid—some of whom rejoiced while others wept—we too sometimes experience both joy and sorrow at the same time. This is appropriate before God, and the ability to express both joy and sorrow simultaneously will help us navigate this pandemic-plagued Thanksgiving holiday. Text: Ezra 3 November 22, 2020 Sunday Sermon, November 15, 2020 - The Shunammite's Pursuit Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — Touched with sudden grief, the Shunammite woman neither gave up on God nor ran away from God. Instead, she pursued God. In her pursuit of God in the midst of her anguish, she is a model for us when we pray. Text: 2 Kings 4:8-37 November 15, 2020 Sunday Sermon, November 8, 2020 — How to Lament Before God Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — Lament gives us language out of which to cry out to God during our times of grief and pain. This lesson describes the typical structure of a lament psalm and takes us through three examples. Texts: Psalms 13, 12, and 6. November 08, 2020 Sunday Sermon, November 1, 2020 — Short Time or Long Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — The apostle Paul prayed that, short time or long, those hearing him speak about Jesus would become a follower of Jesus, as he himself was. This is our perspective as Christians, whether we're dealing with a pandemic or working to share our faith: short time or long, like Paul and Jesus and God himself, we will endure, praying and keeping our eyes on our long-term goal. Text: Acts 26:12-32 November 01, 2020 Sunday Sermon, October 25, 2020 — She Has Done What She Could Sunday Sermon by Jim Mendenhall, Summit View Church of Christ — A certain woman performed an act of great kindness for Jesus at great cost to herself. Others objected, but Jesus commended her, saying, "She has done what she could." We cannot do everything, but we can do what we're able. And like this woman, we honor the Lord when we show kindness or serve at some cost to ourselves. Text: Mark 14:1-9 October 25, 2020 Sunday Sermon, October 18, 2020 — Faithful Flexibility Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen, Summit View Church of Christ — We've learned, over the past several months, that we need to keep our plans flexible, because life can change quickly. The Bible's book of James reminds us that we don't know what will happen tomorrow—so we need to submit our plans to God. We practice Faithful Flexibility when we say, as James teaches us, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." Text: James 4:13-17 October 18, 2020 Sunday Sermon — October 11, 2020: Out of Sight, Out of Mind Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen, Summit View Church of Christ — This pandemic has reminded us that just because all is well with us does not mean that all is well with everyone else. Followers of Jesus are called to see and to notice the difficult situations others are experiencing, and to respond with compassion. And when we help others in need, we help Jesus himself. Text: Matthew 25:31-46 October 11, 2020 Sunday Sermon, October 4, 2020 — The Eye Needs the Hand Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen, Summit View Church of Christ — We are one body, the body of Christ, and each person is a part of it just as every member of the body is a part of the body. God himself has put the members of the body together as he intended, granting honor to each part, so that each part may care for every other part. Even during the pandemic, we are one body, caring for one another, and working together for the kingdom of God. Text: 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 October 04, 2020 Thoughts from an Open Bible: Is the Bible Worth Opening? There's a word from God for us in the Bible today, if only we'll take a look. Thoughts presented by Jim Mendenhall. October 02, 2020 Sunday Sermon, September 27, 2020 — Everything Goes On as It Has... This new sermon series, "Lessons from a Virus," examines lessons we can learn from the current pandemic and apply to the Christian life. To begin with, we learn to never say something will never happen: We may have thought a pandemic would never strike us, but here it is! Similarly, Peter warns the church not to say the Lord's judgment will never come. We need instead to remember that God has judged the earth before and has promised to judge it again. Then, taking God's warning seriously, we can live holy and godly lives as we look forward to the Lord's coming. Text: 1 Peter 3:1-14 September 27, 2020 Thoughts from an Open Bible: Help for a Bitter Heart When we're feeling bitter, it's helpful to know God is near. Thoughts from Jim Mendenhall. September 25, 2020 Sunday Sermon — September 20, 2020: Such a Great Cloud of Witnesses So many great heroes of faith have gone before us—so many more than Hebrews 11 could list! They witness to what we cannot see with our eyes, that God is faithful. Jesus, most of all, witnesses to the faithfulness of God and models how we can run the race of faith. With our eyes on Jesus, who endured through suffering and opposition, we can run our race well until we, like him, receive a glorious reward from God. Text: Hebrews 12:1-3 September 20, 2020 Thoughts from an Open Bible: Nobody Cares about Me From Jim Mendenhall, a reminder that we have a God who cares deeply for us. September 18, 2020 Making Sense of Revelation, Part 2: Why Was Revelation Written to the 7 Churches of Asia? Kevin Jensen explains why Revelation was written to seven churches in the Roman province of Asia and how their situation calls us to stay away from every "god" that might compete for our devotion to Christ today. Text: Revelation 1-3 September 16, 2020 Sunday Sermon, 9 a.m. Service, September 13, 2020 — I Do Not Have Time to Tell... (Jack Campbell) Sunday Sermon by Jack Campbell, 9:00 a.m. service at the Summit View Church of Christ • To Christians tempted to go back on their faith in Jesus, Hebrews 11 speaks a message urging them forward in the faith that many before them have kept, doing what seemed impossible and accomplishing it by the power of God. Texts: Hebrews 11:32-40, Judges 6:14-16 September 13, 2020 Sunday Sermon, 11 a.m., September 13, 2020 — I Do Not Have Time to Tell... (Kevin Jensen) Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen, Summit View Church of Christ • So many people of faith have gone before us that if we tried to remember them all, we would run out of time. Some were strong and accomplished great things; others suffered greatly, yet left us a great testimony to the faithfulness of God. Text: Hebrews 11:32-40 September 13, 2020 Thoughts from an Open Bible: What Was Jesus Really Like? Jim Mendenhall shares thoughts on the tremendous compassion of Jesus. September 12, 2020 Sunday Sermon, September 6, 2020 — The Faith of Rahab Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen, Summit View Church of Christ • Rahab became a model of faith when she, a Caananite prostitute, put her faith in God and helped the Israelites. As a result, God transformed her life—and he does the same for us when we put our faith in him. Texts: Hebrews 11:31, Joshua 2:1-16 & 6:20-25 September 06, 2020 Sunday Sermon, August 30, 2020: The Faith of Israel Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen, Summit View Church of Christ • Anything is possible for God, and everything is possible for those who believe. Israel believed in the power of God, and by faith the new nation crossed the Red Sea on dry land and conquered Jericho. Texts: Hebrews 11:29-30, Exodus 14:5-31, Joshua 6:1-20 August 30, 2020 Sunday Sermon, August 23, 2020 - The Faith of Moses Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen, Summit View Church of Christ • Moses, like his parents, braved danger and refused to be deterred by distraction or fear as he pursued the will of God. Considering disgrace for Christ’s sake greater than anything Egypt had to offer, he focused his vision on his future reward, served God boldly, and, by faith, saved the people of Israel. Texts: Hebrews 11:23-28 and selections from Exodus 1-12 August 23, 2020 Thoughts from an Open Bible: Does the Bible Upset You? The Bible's morals teachings sometimes upset us—but we need them! A perspective from one of our shepherds, Jim Mendenhall. August 21, 2020 Sunday Sermon, August 16, 2020 - The Faith of Isaac, Jacob, & Joseph Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen. Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph, patriarchs of Israel and heroes of faith, each demonstrated their faith by leaving one last blessing to the next generation when they died. What blessing did they leave? Assurance and instruction in the faith, so that those who followed after them might carry on the faith and be blessed by God. (Texts: Hebrews 11:20-22, selections from Genesis) August 16, 2020 Thoughts from an Open Bible: When Will We Ever Learn? Jim Mendenhall challenges us to consider how we too often push God away even as God yearns to have us turn to him for help. When will we ever learn? August 14, 2020 Sunday Sermon, August 9, 2020: The Faith of Abraham: The Sacrifice Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen. How did Abraham pass the impossible test of faith? He passed it by faith—faith that reasoned that God can even raise the dead. Faith in God’s power to raise the dead is faith that can overcome every obstacle and pass every test. (Texts: Hebrews 11:17-19, Genesis 22:1-19) August 09, 2020 Thoughts from an Open Bible: Must God Accept Us as We Are? Does God have to accept us just the way we are, or does he have a higher purpose for our lives? Jim Mendenhall brings us a brief thought from the Bible. August 07, 2020 Sunday Sermon, August 2, 2020: The Faith of Sarah Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — Why do the men always get all the credit? Sarah, too, was a person of great faith, just like her husband, Abraham. True, she laughed when she first heard God’s promise—but we don’t always start off strong in faith. Her faith grew and held, though, and she became a model of the faithful person who remains faithful even when they do not receive all of God's blessings this side of eternal life. (Texts: Hebrews 11:11-16, selections from Genesis 11-21) August 02, 2020 Thoughts from an Open Bible: The Need to Focus for the Race of Life Jim Mendenhall reminds us to keep our focus on Jesus as our goal while we run the race of life. August 01, 2020 Making Sense of Revelation, Part 1: Jesus Versus the Emperor Kevin Jensen presents a key to understanding the book of Revelation: noticing how Jesus' identity and appearance challenge the authority of the Roman emperor, calling Christians enduring social pressure and sometimes persecution to choose between the emperor and Jesus himself as the object of their ultimate allegiance. (Text: Revelation 1) July 29, 2020 Sunday Sermon, July 26, 2020 - The Faith of Abraham: The Promised Land Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — When God calls us to follow his leading into strange, new paths in our lives, we recall the faith of Abraham, who obeyed God’s command to go to the promised land, though Abraham did not know where he was going. There he served God faithfully, and his children and grandchildren—and even we today—were blessed because of his faith. (Texts: Hebrews 11:8-10, Genesis 12:1-9) July 26, 2020 Thoughts from an Open Bible: Is Authority a Bad Word? Jim Mendenhall brings us a thought from Matthew 7. "Authority" seems like a bad word to many people, but for us who listen for the word of Jesus, the authority of Jesus a blessing. July 24, 2020 Sunday Sermon, July 19, 2020 - The Faith of Noah Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen — Noah demonstrated his faith by taking seriously God's warnings of things not yet seen, and in doing so he saved his family from the great flood. He is a model of faith for us who, like him, have received warnings from God concerning judgment to come and are called to act in faith to save ourselves and many others. Texts: Hebrews 11:7, Genesis 6:9 to 7:12 July 19, 2020 Thoughts from an Open Bible: Afraid of Self-Control Jim Mendenhall brings us a thought from the book of Acts, where a man named Felix is frightened by Paul's teaching on self-control. Is self-control something you're afraid of today? July 17, 2020 Sunday Sermon, July 12, 2020 - Our Hope, Joy, and Crown As we resume in-person worship services for the first time in four months, we remember Paul's concern for the young church in Thessalonica when he was separated from it suddenly—and his prayer for their well-being until he and they could be together again. Lesson by Kevin Jensen, from 1 Thessalonians 2:17 to 3:13. July 12, 2020 Thoughts from an Open Bible: Better Even Than Being Fair Fairness is so important to us today, but another virtue is even better: mercy. We are eternally grateful whenever God and other people show us mercy. Thoughts shared by Jim Mendenhall. July 10, 2020 Sunday Sermon - July 5, 2020: The Faith of Enoch Sunday sermon by Kevin Jensen - We know very little about Enoch. Yet what we do know inspires us to grow in faith, to walk with God, and to look ahead to God's rewards for those who seek him. From Hebrews 11:5-6 and Genesis 5:1-24. July 05, 2020 Thoughts from an Open Bible: What Circumstances Can Do to You The Israelites heard that God would help them, and they were encouraged. Then circumstances got tough, and they despaired. Don't let circumstances keep you from listening to God. A devotional thought for today from Jim Mendenhall. July 03, 2020 It's hard to make plans right now. The COVID-19 virus throws all schedules and agendas awry. So this is a great time to practice the spiritual discipline of "faithful flexibility": being flexible because we acknowledge God as sovereign over our schedules and plans. Thoughts by Kevin Jensen from James 4:13-17, Proverbs 16:3, and Psalms 20:4 and 33:10. July 01, 2020 Sunday Sermon - June 28, 2020: The Faith of Abel Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen, Summit View Church of Christ — Faith is not blind. It is built on the evidence of God’s great actions in the past, evidence so convincing that it persuades us to imagine that God will be faithful again, as he has always been. Abel was a model of faith for us, even though he was killed by his brother. His faith still speaks to us today, for he resisted sin and gave his very best to God. From Hebrews 11:1-4 and Genesis 4:1-16. June 28, 2020 Thoughts from an Open Bible — He Is Genuine Timothy was a man the church could respect as genuine in his faith and love—and he is a model for us to follow. Jim Mendenhall brings us another instructive devotional thought in this continuing series. June 26, 2020 Parenting and Teaching During a Pandemic Conversation with Johnny Gallegos, teacher, student, husband, and father of three young children on the challenges of teaching, studying, and parenting during the pandemic. Includes thoughts on the message of Ecclesiastes for helping us keep our focus on God during this difficult time. June 24, 2020 Sunday Sermon, June 21, 2020: The River of Life Sermon by Kevin Jensen, Summit View Church of Christ — God's presence and rule in our lives is like a mighty river that brings life wherever it flows. God offered humanity this river in the beginning, will restore it to his people at the end, and offers to let us drink deeply of it today. Texts: Genesis 2:8-15, Ezekiel 47:1-12, Revelation 22:1-5 & 22:17 June 21, 2020 Thoughts from an Open Bible — Will Your Anchor Hold? Jim Mendenhall offers another brief word of instruction, this time from Hebrews 6:19-20 on the anchor that keeps our souls firm and secure. June 19, 2020 A Teacher and a Professor on Education During the Pandemic Third-grade teacher Caralee Thomason and college professor Bill Wayenberg join Kevin Jensen for an in-depth conversation on their experiences as educators during the COVID-19 pandemic. Topics range from teachers' learning curve in online communication technologies to how the pandemic has highlighted the gap between the haves and have-nots in the public school system, and from there to the latest expectations for what education might look like next fall. Recorded June 11, 2020. June 17, 2020 Sunday Sermon, June 14, 2020: Breath for Dry Bones Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen, June 14, 2020 — As God's breath (his Spirit) renewed the life of Israel after the nation's destruction by the Babylonians, and as God breathed new life into Jesus to raise him from the dead, so God also breathes new life into us by his Spirit. Text: Ezekiel 37:1-14 June 14, 2020 Thoughts from an Open Bible — A 200-Year-Old Bible Jim Mendenhall continues this series of short messages from the Bible with the story of a family's 200-year-old Bible. But it's not a Bible's age that makes it valuable. June 12, 2020 Three Preachers on Ministry During a Pandemic Two ministers from our neighborhood—Curt Still from the Church of Christ in Grandview, Washington, and Derrick Allen from the Church of Christ in Ellensburg, Washington—join Kevin Jensen for a discussion on what it's been like to minister to churches during the COVID-19 pandemic. Conversation ranges from how they're doing personally to how their churches are handling social-distancing requirements to what we can do to keep one another encouraged. Recorded on June 8, 2020. June 10, 2020 Sunday Sermon, June 7, 2020 "Faith in Hiding" Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen, June 7, 2020 — Many of us must worship alone in our homes for now. But we are not alone. We stand in a long heritage of people who have worshiped God alone or in small groups, because of isolation or perhaps because of persecution. Even today, many believers can only display their faith in hiding, lest they be discovered. Through the Holy Spirit, we are linked to them—and not only to them, but also to our ancestors in the faith and to one another. June 07, 2020 Thoughts from an Open Bible: Should the Squeaky Wheel Get the Grease? A brief message from Jim Mendenhall on the fairness of God as he treats us all equally, and how we should do the same. The first message in a new series, "Thoughts from an Open Bible." June 05, 2020 Interview with Health Care Workers on the Pandemic's Front Line Kevin Jensen interviews two members of our church, Beth Luke and Onyi Amanari. Both are Family Nurse Practitioners and Doctors of Nursing Practice, and both are on the front lines of caring for the sick in the Yakima community during the COVID-19 pandemic. We discuss what it's like to be a medical worker during this time, what we can and shouldn't do to fight the spread of the virus, and the people who they see are being impacted the most by the virus. June 03, 2020 Sunday Sermon, May 31, 2020 "Faith in Poverty" Sunday Sermon by Kevin Jensen, May 31, 2020 — As we encounter uncertain economic times, and as the threat of a loss of income and even bankruptcy looms for many, how should we who follow Jesus think about wealth and poverty? June 02, 2020 Cross Section Trailer Welcome to Cross Section! Listen to hear our plans for this brand new podcast from the Summit View Church of Christ in Yakima, Washington, USA. May 21, 2020

Nijo Market (二条市場, Nijō Ichiba) is a public market in central Sapporo that occupies about one city block. Both locals and tourists visit the market to shop for fresh local produce and seafood such as crabs, salmon eggs, sea urchin and various fresh and prepared fish. Shiroi Koibito Park is a theme park by Ishiya, a local chocolate company. The company's flagship product is the Shiroi Koibito cookie, which consists of two thin butter cookies and a layer of white chocolate in between. It is one of the most famous souvenirs from Hokkaido. The park consists of a free area with a shop, cafe and restaurant and a paid area with various chocolate related exhibits and, most interestingly, a few large windows through which visitors can observe the cookie production process in the factory. It is also possible to create your own cookies in hands-on workshops. Another part of the Shiroi Koibito Park is a soccer field that serves as the practice ground for Consadole Sapporo, the local J-League soccer team. Curb Market (札幌場外市場, Sapporo Jōgai Ichiba) consists of nearly 80 stores and restaurants lined up along several blocks just outside of Sapporo's Central Wholesale Market. One of the city's largest public markets, the Curb Market specializes in Hokkaido seafood such as crab, sea urchin, salmon roe, squid and scallops, and local produce such as corn, melons and potatoes when in season. Recently Asahiyama Zoo has displaced Ramen and skiing as Asahikawa's primary drawcard, in the process, becoming Japan's number one zoo. The total number of people expected to have visited the zoo by the end of 2007 is in excess of 3 million, an impressive figure when you consider that the population of Asahikawa is a mere 360,000. And, all this form a zoo that just over a decade ago was struggling to stay open. Asahiyama zoo features more than 800 animals from approximately 150 species, a healthy number when you consider the difficulties associated with maintaining animals during a hot summer and an extremely cold winter. As can be expected, however, people do have their favourites, and the polar bears, penguins, seals, big cats, and orangutans come in for special attention. The enclosures for these animals are designed with both the animal and visitor in mind so you can expect to get closer than you might imagine. The penguin enclosure, for example, affords a 360-degree view. There is a vertical tank for the spotted seal which prefers to dive and surface vertically. The polar bear enclosure has a variety of built-in viewing areas to allow you special access. Otokoyama sake brewery museum introduces sake brewing culture as Japanese traditional industry and history of Otokoyama from 350 years. You can see valuable materials, document and sake set in the Edo period, and can also see a part of sake brewing when brewing. Free entrance fee, we sell items of the brewery limited in tasting & shop. About 200,000 people visit here every year with Furano, Biei and Asahiyama Zoo as a sightseeing spot in Hokkaido. Ueno Farm is a popular farm garden in Nagayama located in the northeastern part of Asahikawa city and has been a farmer since 1906. Ms Sayuki Ueno, a gardener, made a Hokkaido-style garden suited for the climate and natural features of Hokkaido as the foundation for an English-style garden at their site and the garden has been opened to the public since 2001. More than 2,000 types of flowering plants are planted at about 1.3 ha of the site, and visitors can enjoy various flowers from spring to autumn. An open period is from late April to mid-October. Admission fee is JPY 800. A parking lot is free of charge. NAYA cafe is built at the site and opens a business through the year. Niigata boasts sake, rice, and fish that can compete with the best in the nation as well as specialty products and traditional crafts. You can find all of these for sale at Niigata Furusato Village. What’s more, there are a whopping 10,000 products available! Renovated in June 2018, its nickname is "Umigatari." The aquarium has more Magellanic penguins than any other in Japan, and you can see them up close! You can also watch the dolphins' exciting jumps against the backdrop of the great Sea of Japan. It's full of attractions to see. 500 thousand sunflowers bloom broadly in this 4-hectare field. The children's sunflower maze inside the field is one popular attraction. Guests can get a panoramic view of the sunflower field from the observation platform, where they can surely take photos that they will like. Outdoor stalls line the plaza area, energizing the entire venue. Sensoji (浅草寺, Sensōji, also known as Asakusa Kannon Temple) is a Buddhist temple located in Asakusa. It is one of Tokyo's most colorful and popular temples. The legend says that in the year 628, two brothers fished a statue of Kannon, the goddess of mercy, out of the Sumida River, and even though they put the statue back into the river, it always returned to them. Consequently, Sensoji was built nearby for the goddess of Kannon. The temple was completed in 645, making it Tokyo's oldest temple. When approaching the temple, visitors first enter through the Kaminarimon (Thunder Gate), the outer gate of Sensoji Temple and the symbol of Asakusa and the entire city of Tokyo. Various events are held throughout the year in the Sensoji Temple area. The biggest of them is the Sanja Matsuri, the annual festival of the Asakusa Shrine, held in May. Other events are the Asakusa Samba Carnival in August and the Hagoita-ichi (Hagoita Market) at which decorated wooden paddles used in the traditional game of hanetsuki are sold. Akihabara (秋葉原), also called Akiba after a former local shrine, is a district in central Tokyo that is famous for its many electronics shops. In more recent years, Akihabara has gained recognition as the center of Japan's otaku (diehard fan) culture, and many shops and establishments devoted to anime and manga are now dispersed among the electronic stores in the district. On Sundays, Chuo Dori, the main street through the district, is closed to car traffic from 13:00 to 18:00 (until 17:00 from October through March). Akihabara has been undergoing major redevelopment over the years, including the renovation and expansion of Akihabara Station and the construction of new buildings in its proximity. Among these newly opened buildings were a huge Yodobashi electronics store and the Akihabara Crossfield, a business complex with the aim of promoting Akihabara as a center for global electronics technology and trade. The Chiba Zoological Park, first opened in April 1985, is located about halfway between Tokyo and Narita, just outside of the city of Chiba. The zoo is divided into seven sections: the Zoological Hall, the Small Animal Zone, the Steppe Zone, the Monkey Zone, the Avian and Aquatic Zone, the Ancestors of Domestic Animals Zone, and the Children’s Zoo. The Small Animal Zone houses Futa, the red panda who in 2005 became a television celebrity because of his ability to stand on his hind legs. His son, Kuta, now has the same ability, so you have twice the chance to see the spectacle when you stop by! The park map has pictures of the animals (at their locations), so there is no need to worry if you cannot get ahold of an English map. If you can, it is extra special to visit the zoo between mid-March and mid-April, when the many cherry blossom trees onsite are in full bloom! Tsukiji Outer Market is a district adjacent to the site of the former Tsukiji Wholesale Market. It consists of a few blocks of wholesale and retail shops, as well as restaurants crowded along narrow lanes. Here you can find fresh and processed seafood and produce alongside food-related goods such as knives. A visit to Tsukiji Outer Market is best combined with a fresh sushi breakfast or lunch at one of the local restaurants. The restaurants are typically open from 5:00 in the morning to around noon or early afternoon. Because most of the fish served and sold at Tsukiji Outer Market is delivered directly from Toyosu Market, this is one of the best places in Tokyo to enjoy fresh seafood. Odaiba is a popular shopping and entertainment district on a man made island in Tokyo Bay. It originated as a set of small man made fort islands (daiba literally means "fort"), which were built towards the end of the Edo Period (1603-1868) to protect Tokyo against possible attacks from the sea and specifically in response to the gunboat diplomacy of Commodore Perry. More than a century later, the small islands were joined into larger islands by massive landfills, and Tokyo began a spectacular development project aimed to turn the islands into a futuristic residential and business district during the extravagant 1980s. But development was critically slowed after the burst of the "bubble economy" in the early 1990s, leaving Odaiba nearly vacant. It was not until the second half of the 1990s, when several hotels, shopping malls and the Yurikamome elevated train line were opened, that Odaiba developed into one of Tokyo's most popular tourist attractions and date spots with a wide selection of shopping, dining and leisure options. Despite the initial setbacks, several lavish development projects did materialize, including some of Tokyo's boldest architectural creations, such as the Fuji TV Building, Telecom Center and Tokyo Big Sight. Modern city planning furthermore provides Odaiba with plenty of green space and a pleasant division of motorized and pedestrian traffic using elevated walkways and the like. Located at the center of the castle town, the three main streets that make up the most popular part of Takayama's Historic District served as a bustling merchant town in times past. This area is referred to as "Sanmachi-dori," and it is distinguishable by the distinctive, old architecture and shops that remain to this day. Explore the museum that exhibits an extensive number of aircraft, aircraft-related materials, and materials related to the development of space technology. Gifu-Kakamigahara Air and Space Museum is the museum representing Japan in both air and space. It re-opened on March 24th, 2018, with an exhibition area of 9,400 square meters—1.7 times larger than its original size. The museum has been rebuilt into an educational environment that tells stories of our ancestors’ aspirations to fly in air and space; it also holds the power to inspire children to take on unthinkable challenges. The ”Aviation Area” of the museum is filled with the history and stories concerning humans’ development of aviation technology, while the "Space Area" contains stories about humanity’s challenges into space and information on the latest space technology. In addition to the above exhibition areas, the museum café and gift shop were also renovated allowing for an even greater experience than ever before. Educational programs and tours are planned to be held on a regular basis. A new building housing "Brother Earth", a 35-meter-diameter dome planetarium, was opened in March 2011. The planetarium is the largest in the world. Also, be sure to check out our four large-scale exhibitions featuring an aurora film shown in a -30°C and a 9-meter tall manmade tornado! These attractions are highly entertaining and allow museum visitors to experience the power of nature. Additionally, the building itself acts as an exhibit through the use of solar power, green walls, visible earthquake-resistant structures and elevator mechanisms. Opened in 2011, the SCMAGLEV and Railway Park is the railway museum of Central Japan Railways (JR Central). The museum seeks to educate visitors on the advances in high speed rail in Japan and displays a number of actual trains including historic steam locomotives, world record setting experimental shinkansen (bullet train) and the latest magnetic levitating trains (maglev). A collection of 39 retired train cars are displayed in the museum. Many of these can be entered or viewed from underneath, and are accompanied by a host of exhibits explaining the different parts of the trains and all aspects of their operation and maintenance. Another section of the museum is dedicated to maglev trains and JR Central's plans to construct a maglev high speed link between Tokyo and Osaka. The second floor of the museum also has lots of learning experiences, which are specifically geared toward young children. Legoland Japan opened in April 2017 in Nagoya. The outdoor amusement park has many attractions aimed at young children and some attractions of interest to accompanying adults. Visitors can expect large Lego models, rides, building stations and dining areas. The amusement park is separated into seven themed areas, matching the different universes in the Lego world. Right in the middle of the park is "Miniland Japan" which highlights the iconic attractions across the entire country and is constructed out of millions of Lego bricks. Here you can find Kyoto, Tokyo and Mount Fuji just a few steps away from one another. The rotating Observation Tower not far from Miniland offers a bird's eye view of the park and its surroundings. Nagashima Resort is a major vacation destination just outside Nagoya. It is comprised of five main leisure facilities: the Nagashima Spaland amusement park, a water park, a hot spring complex, an outlet shopping mall and a flower park named Nabana no Sato. The resort is located on a long piece of land that is surrounded by rivers and the sea; fittingly, it is called Nagashima or "long island". Nagashima Spaland, reputed to be the best amusement park for roller coasters in western Japan, is the main attraction of the resort. The park is filled with over forty rides, ranging from gentle ones suitable for children to outrageous ones for those looking to spend some exhilarating moments. Immediately noticeable even before entering the main gate is the Steel Dragon 2000, a gigantic roller coaster ride which spans the entire length of the park. Kurama (鞍馬) is a rural town in the northern mountains of Kyoto City, less than one hour from the city center. Kurama is best known for its temple Kurama-dera and its hot spring, one of the most easily accessible hot springs from Kyoto. Outdoor and indoor baths can be enjoyed at Kurama Onsen, a ryokan located at the upper end of the town of Kurama. It can be reached in a 10 minute walk from the train station along the town's only road or along a nature trail following the river. Staying guests can use the baths for free, while daytrippers pay 2500 yen to use all of the baths or 1000 yen for just the outdoor bath (rotemburo). Pontocho (先斗町, Pontochō) is one of Kyoto's most atmospheric dining areas. It is a narrow alley running from Shijo-dori to Sanjo-dori, one block west of Kamogawa River. The alley is packed with restaurants on both sides offering a wide range of dining options from inexpensive yakitori to traditional and modern Kyoto cuisine, foreign cuisine and highly exclusive establishments that require the right connections and a fat wallet. Most of the restaurants along the eastern side of the alley overlook Kamogawa River. From May to September, many of them build temporary platforms over the flowing water where patrons can dine out in the open air. Known as kawayuka, this type of dining was developed as a way to beat the summer heat and is a great way to try some traditional Kyoto cuisine while taking in the cooling effects of the flowing water and the lively summer atmosphere. Gion (祇園) is Kyoto's most famous geisha district, located around Shijo Avenue between Yasaka Shrine in the east and the Kamo River in the west. It is filled with shops, restaurants and ochaya (teahouses), where geiko (Kyoto dialect for geisha) and maiko (geiko apprentices) entertain. Gion attracts tourists with its high concentration of traditional wooden machiya merchant houses. Due to the fact that property taxes were formerly based upon street frontage, the houses were built with narrow facades only five to six meters wide, but extend up to twenty meters in from the street. The most popular area of Gion is Hanami-koji Street from Shijo Avenue to Kenninji Temple. A nice (and expensive) place to dine, the street and its side alleys are lined with preserved machiya houses many of which now function as restaurants, serving Kyoto style kaiseki ryori (Japanese haute cuisine) and other types of local and international meals. The Higashiyama District (東山) along the lower slopes of Kyoto's eastern mountains is one of the city's best preserved historic districts. It is a great place to experience traditional old Kyoto, especially between Kiyomizudera and Yasaka Shrine, where the narrow lanes, wooden buildings and traditional merchant shops invoke a feeling of the old capital city. Recent renovations to remove telephone poles and repave the streets have further improved the traditional feel of the district. The streets in Higashiyama are lined by small shops, cafes and restaurants which have been catering to tourists and pilgrims for centuries. These businesses retain their traditional design, although many have been renovated through the years, and they continue to serve customers today, selling local specialties such as Kiyomizu-yaki pottery, sweets, pickles, crafts and other souvenirs. The shops and restaurants in the area typically open around nine or ten in the morning and close relatively early around five or six in the evening, except during the ten day long Hanatoro in March when the streets of Higashiyama are lined by thousands of lanterns and many of the area's temples, shrines and businesses have extended hours and special illuminations. Standing 131 meters tall just across from Kyoto Station, Kyoto Tower (京都タワー) is Kyoto's tallest structure and a rare modern iconic landmark in the city famous for its ancient temples and shrines. The tower was completed in 1964, the same year as the opening of the shinkansen and the Tokyo Olympics. A viewing platform is located 100 meters above ground and affords a 360 degree view of Kyoto and as far as Osaka on clear days. Kyoto Tower stands on top of a typical commercial building, which contains souvenir shops, restaurants and a hotel, as well as a public bath in the basement. Asahi is one of Japan's top four beer producers and has its roots in Osaka. Its most well-known and internationally recognized product is Asahi Super Dry, a very light, crisp lager, which was launched in 1987. The Suita Factory (アサヒビール吹田工場, Asahi Beer Suita Kōjō) in Osaka is the company's first brewery, built in 1891. Free brewery tours are offered at the Suita Factory which lasts about 90 minutes and includes a tasting session. Most tours are conducted in Japanese, while multilingual audio guides are available for download to one's mobile device. English tours are held only on a few selected days. A typical tour starts with a video presentation of the Asahi products and continues to galleries with displays about the history of the company and the production process of beer. It then moves on to observation decks from where the brewery's canning, bottling and packing areas can be viewed from behind windows. Along the way, there are also promotional posters from past decades and a section showcasing the factory's collection of international beers. The Osaka Museum of History opened in 2003 in a tall building next to NHK Osaka and just across the street from Osaka Castle. The building offers excellent views of the castle from its top floors. The museum exhibits are visually oriented with several large models. They chronicle the city's history, beginning in ancient times when Osaka served as Japan's first capital and site of the Naniwa Palace and ending with exhibits on the city's bustling shopping arcades of the early Showa Period. The museum's collection is set up on the upper floors of the building while the lower floors are occupied by a restaurant, shop and spacious lobby. Museum visitors first take the elevator to the top floor and then follow the exhibition route down. Universal Studios Japan (USJ) was the first theme park under the Universal Studios brand to be built in Asia. Opened in March 2001 in the Osaka Bay Area, the theme park occupies an area of 39 hectares and is the most visited amusement park in Japan after Tokyo Disney Resort. Universal Studios Japan currently has eight sections: Hollywood, New York, San Francisco, Jurassic Park, Waterworld, Amity Village, Universal Wonderland and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Visitors are able to enjoy many amusement rides, ranging from child-friendly carousels to thrilling roller coasters and simulators based on popular movies such as Spiderman, Back to the Future, Terminator 2 and Jurassic Park. Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan is located in the Tempozan Harbor Village of Osaka's bay area and is one of Japan's most spectacular aquariums. It introduces various forms of life inhabiting the Pacific Rim in a well organized and impressive way. Marine life is displayed in 15 tanks, each representing a specific region of the Pacific Rim. The central tank, representing the Pacific Ocean, is nine meters deep and home to a whale shark, the aquarium's main attraction. Visitors start their tour of the aquarium on the 8th floor and slowly spiral down floor by floor around the central tank. Some of the tanks stretch over several floors, making it possible to observe the animals from different depths and perspectives. With its riverside rotenburo (outdoor bath), Okutsu Onsen features numerous elegant inns and accommodations. Because soaking in the hot spring’s waters is said to make one’s skin white and smooth, this onsen is famously known as “Bijin no Yu” (Onsen of Beauty). “Ashibumi Sentaku,” also known as the “Washing Dance,” is performed by women in kimonos holding pails while stamping on garments and making washing motions with their toes. This “dance,” a noted attraction at Okutsu Onsen, is performed in the rotenburo on Sundays and public holidays from late March to early December. Visitors are welcome to enjoy the “Ashibumi Sentaku” at no charge as well as the area’s beautiful seasonal landscapes including fall foliage in autumn and snowfall in winter. The ancient temple of Saidaiji Kannon-in was built around 1,200 years ago. Walking along the approach, visitors will pass by rows of traditional shops before entering the shrine’s gate and arriving at the main hall. The museum continues to spearhead the global movement towards nuclear disarmament and lasting world peace. The museum is divided into the East Building and the Main Building. In the museum, the history of Hiroshima before and after the bombing is exhibited with pictures, movies and displays. Also, there are some items that convey the devastation caused by the atomic bomb. In spring, the Peace Park is covered with cherry blossoms. The Seoul Museum of History is the only museum in Korea that represents the city’s history and culture. Since its establishment on the former site of Gyeonghuigung Palace in 2002, the museum has offered visitors the chance to experience 600 years of Seoul’s history and culture through interactive exhibitions. The three-story museum is divided thematically into three exhibition areas, including a special exhibition area, a permanent exhibition area and a hall that exhibits collections donated by the public. The museum offers accessible and interactive exhibitions to the public with various hands-on programs. For example, visitors are allowed to touch and explore the exhibits on display, which are replicas of originals in the museum. In addition, the museum offers the U-Exhibit Guidance System, an automatic translator (various languages are available) for visitors, which makes every tour convenient and interesting. Takasakiyama Monkey Park (高崎山自然動物園, Takasakiyama Shizen Dōbutsuen) is a popular monkey reserve at the base of Mount Takasaki, a 628 meter high mountain along the coast between Beppu and Oita City. The mountain is home to some 1500 wild Japanese macaques that roam freely around its steep, forested slopes. Park visitors can get close to the monkeys as they are fed, and watch them as they run around, play or just sit in the sun and groom each other. Mount Takasaki's monkeys are divided into two separate troops of approximately 700 to 800 individuals each, making them some of the world's largest monkey troops. The troops take turns coming down to the monkey park, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. During their stay at the park, the monkeys get fed by the wardens and spend their time playing and resting while appearing almost oblivious to the human visitors. However, although they seem tame, the monkeys should not be touched or fed, and eye contact should be avoided. Visitors to the aquarium are immediately drawn into the experience by stepping in front of the massive floor to ceiling Kuroshio Great Water Tank right after they enter. This approximately 1,360,000 liter tank focuses on the Kuroshio current; the current that runs off of Japan's eastern coast and is essential for supporting a wide variety of marine life. A large whale shark, graceful manta rays, and shiny tuna all glide right in front of your face. As you exit the large tank room, you walk right under these magnificent creatures, as the tank curves over your head. Kagoshima City takes particular pride in its marine life and the aquarium features many species that are indigenous to the local area. Those familiar with the southern port towns such as Makurazaki will recognize the shiny tuna (katsuo) in the huge 1st-floor tank, for example. Perhaps the most intriguing residents are the taka-ashi (lit. tall leg) crabs, whose leg spans can reach nearly 4 meters! These somewhat fierce-looking, yet serene animals are prevalent in the warmer waters between Kagoshima Bay and Tokyo Bay. Jellyfish, eel and squid are other creatures you can learn about through exhibits that are translated into English. The Reimeikan Museum (黎明館) is dedicated to local history and culture. On three spacious floors, it presents a wide variety of exhibits that cover the span of Kagoshima's history from ancient to modern times. There are a few interesting models, such as a large diorama of downtown Kagoshima at the beginning of the Showa Period (1926-1989) and a small scale model of a village from the middle ages. The museum was built on the former site of the local castle, known as Kagoshima or Tsurumaru Castle, and is surrounded by parts of the former moat and stone walls. The museum and castle ruins are located at the base of Mount Shiroyama, which literally means "castle mountain" in Japanese.

Investing In A 401k What is investing? At its easiest, investing is when you acquire assets you anticipate to earn a make money from in the future. That might refer to buying a house (or other residential or commercial property) you believe will rise in value, though it typically describes purchasing stocks and bonds. How is investing various than conserving? Saving and investing both involve setting aside cash for future use, however there are a great deal of differences, too. It probably will not be much and frequently fails to keep up with inflation (the rate at which rates are rising). Usually, it’s finest to just invest cash you will not need for a little while, as the stock exchange fluctuates and you do not wish to be forced to sell stocks that are down since you require the cash. Prior to you can spend any of the cash you have actually developed up through financial investments, you’ll have to offer them. With stocks, it could take days before the earnings are settled in your checking account, and selling home can take months (or longer). Usually speaking, you can access cash in your savings account anytime. You do not have to pick just one. You canand probably shouldinvest for multiple objectives at when, though your method may need to be various. (More on that below.) 2. Nail down your timeline. Next, identify how much time you have to reach your objectives. This is called your financial investment timeline, and it dictates just how much threat (and therefore the kinds of financial investments) you might have the ability to handle. So for relatively near-term goals, like a wedding you wish to pay for in the next couple of years, you might wish to stick to a more conservative investing method. For longer-term goals, nevertheless, like retirement, which may still be decades away, you can presume more danger due to the fact that you have actually got time to recover any losses. Fortunately, there’s something you can do to mitigate that downside. Go into diversity, or the procedure of differing your investments to manage danger. There are two primary methods to diversify your portfolio: Diversifying in between asset classes, like stocks and bonds. Usually, as you age (and closer to retirement) or are otherwise nearing completion of your investing timeline, experts suggest moving your property allowance towards owning more bonds. Time is your greatest ally when it pertains to investing. Thanks to intensifyingor when the returns on your cash produce their own returns, therefore onthe longer your cash is in the marketplace, the longer it has to grow. Invest typically. By investing even percentages regularly with time, you’re practicing a routine that will assist you build wealth throughout your life called dollar-cost averaging. Make it automated. Automating any recurring task makes it simpler to stick with over the long term. The exact same holds true for investing. Whether it’s by immediately contributing a part of your income to a 401(k) or setting up automated transfers from your bank account to a brokerage account, automating your financial investments can make it a lot easier to strike your long-lasting objectives. When you invest, you’re giving your money the chance to work for you and your future goals. It’s more complicated than direct transferring your income into a savings account, but every saver can become a financier. What is investing? Investing is a way to potentially increase the amount of money you have. 1. Start investing as quickly as you can, The more time your money needs to work for you, the more chance it’ll have for development. That’s why it is very important to start investing as early as possible. 2. Attempt to remain invested for as long as you can, When you remain invested and do not move in and out of the marketplaces, you might make money on top of the cash you’ve already made. 3. Expand your financial investments to manage threat. Putting all your cash in one financial investment is riskyyou could lose money if that financial investment falls in value. However if you diversify your money throughout numerous financial investments, you can reduce the threat of losing cash. Start early, remain long, One crucial investing method is to begin quicker and stay invested longer, even if you begin with a smaller sized quantity than you wish to invest in the future. Intensifying occurs when profits from either capital gains or interest are reinvestedgenerating extra revenues in time. How important is time when it pertains to investing? Really. We’ll take a look at an example of a 25-year-old investor. She makes an initial investment of $10,000 and is able to make an average return of 6% each year. 1But waiting 10 years prior to starting to invest, which is something a young financier might do earlier in her working life, can have an effect on just how much money she will have at retirement. Instead of having more than $100,000 in cost savings by age 65, she would have just $57,000 nearly half as much. 1Even if it’s early on in your career and you just have a little amount to invest, it might be worth it. The power of time has prospective to work for itselfthe cash you do invest (even if it’s only a little) will intensify for as long as you keep it invested – Investing In A 401k. However your account would be worth over 3 times thatmore than $147,000. Diversify your financial investments to decrease risk, You usually can’t invest without coming in person with some threat. There are methods to manage danger that can help you satisfy your long-lasting goals. The simplest method is through diversification and asset allocation. One investment might suffer a loss of value, however those losses can be offseted by gains in others. It can be difficult to diversify when investing strictly in stocksespecially if you’re not beginning with a great deal of capital (Investing In A 401k). This is where asset allowance comes into play. Asset allowance includes dividing your investment portfolio amongst various property categorieslike stocks, bonds, and money. See what an individual retirement account from Principal has to provide. Currently investing through your company’s retirement account? Log in to review your present selections and all the alternatives offered. Investing is a way to reserve cash while you are hectic with life and have that cash work for you so that you can fully gain the rewards of your labor in the future. Investing is a way to a happier ending. Legendary financier Warren Buffett defines investing as “the process of setting out cash now to receive more money in the future.” The objective of investing is to put your money to work in one or more kinds of financial investment lorries in the hopes of growing your cash gradually. Online Brokers Brokers are either full-service or discount. Full-service brokers, as the name suggests, offer the complete variety of traditional brokerage services, consisting of financial suggestions for retirement, health care, and whatever related to money. They normally only deal with higher-net-worth customers, and they can charge significant charges, including a portion of your deals, a portion of your assets they manage, and often, a yearly membership fee. In addition, although there are a variety of discount rate brokers without any (or very low) minimum deposit limitations, you may be faced with other constraints, and certain charges are charged to accounts that don’t have a minimum deposit. This is something an investor ought to consider if they wish to buy stocks. Jon Stein and Eli Broverman of Betterment are typically credited as the first in the area. Their objective was to utilize innovation to decrease costs for financiers and enhance financial investment recommendations – Investing In A 401k. Since Improvement released, other robo-first companies have actually been established, and even established online brokers like Charles Schwab have actually included robo-like advisory services. Some companies do not need minimum deposits. Others might often decrease expenses, like trading charges and account management charges, if you have a balance above a specific limit. Still, others might offer a specific number of commission-free trades for opening an account. Commissions and Charges As financial experts like to say, there ain’t no such thing as a totally free lunch. In most cases, your broker will charge a commission each time you trade stock, either through purchasing or selling. Trading costs range from the low end of $2 per trade but can be as high as $10 for some discount brokers. Some brokers charge no trade commissions at all, however they offset it in other ways. Now, think of that you choose to purchase the stocks of those five companies with your $1,000. To do this, you will incur $50 in trading costsassuming the fee is $10which is comparable to 5% of your $1,000. If you were to completely invest the $1,000, your account would be minimized to $950 after trading expenses. Must you offer these 5 stocks, you would when again sustain the costs of the trades, which would be another $50. To make the big salami (buying and selling) on these five stocks would cost you $100, or 10% of your preliminary deposit quantity of $1,000 – Investing In A 401k. If your investments do not earn enough to cover this, you have lost money simply by entering and exiting positions. Mutual Fund Loads Besides the trading fee to purchase a mutual fund, there are other expenses connected with this type of financial investment. Mutual funds are professionally handled swimming pools of financier funds that invest in a focused way, such as large-cap U.S. stocks. There are many costs an investor will sustain when purchasing mutual funds (Investing In A 401k). The MER varies from 0. 05% to 0. 7% annually and varies depending on the kind of fund. The greater the MER, the more it affects the fund’s overall returns. You may see a variety of sales charges called loads when you purchase shared funds. Some are front-end loads, however you will likewise see no-load and back-end load funds. Take a look at your broker’s list of no-load funds and no-transaction-fee funds if you wish to prevent these extra charges. For the starting investor, shared fund fees are really an advantage compared to the commissions on stocks. The factor for this is that the costs are the very same despite the amount you invest. The term for this is called dollar-cost averaging (DCA), and it can be a terrific way to begin investing. Diversify and Lower Risks Diversification is thought about to be the only complimentary lunch in investing. In a nutshell, by investing in a variety of possessions, you reduce the risk of one financial investment’s efficiency seriously hurting the return of your general financial investment. As pointed out previously, the expenses of buying a big number of stocks might be harmful to the portfolio. With a $1,000 deposit, it is almost difficult to have a well-diversified portfolio, so understand that you might need to buy one or two companies (at the most) in the very first location. This is where the major advantage of shared funds or ETFs comes into focus. Both kinds of securities tend to have a a great deal of stocks and other financial investments within their funds, which makes them more diversified than a single stock. The Bottom Line It is possible to invest if you are simply beginning with a little amount of money. You’ll need to do your research to discover the minimum deposit requirements and then compare the commissions to other brokers. Possibilities are you won’t have the ability to cost-effectively buy private stocks and still diversify with a small quantity of cash. You will also require to choose the broker with which you would like to open an account. Examine the background of investment specialists associated with this website on FINRA’S Broker, Examine. Making cash does not need to be complicated if you make a strategy and stick to it (Investing In A 401k). Here are some basic investing ideas that can help you prepare your financial investment strategy. Investing is the act of purchasing financial assets with the prospective to increase in worth, such as stocks, bonds, or shares in Exchange Traded Funds (ETF) or mutual funds.

Is the Contemporary Gospel Another Gospel? by Michael J. Penfold Central to every genuine spiritual revival, has always been the public preaching of the gospel. Directly through this particular means1 the Holy Spirit has been pleased to awaken multitudes to a proper sense of the dreadfulness of their sin against God. They have been stripped of all self-righteousness, broken in repentance and have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who satisfied God’s demands against their sin through Christ’s once for all sacrifice on the cross. Sadly, in the evangelical scene today, such true and lasting manifestations of the convicting and converting power of the Holy Spirit are rarely seen. So where did it all go wrong? During the 20th century, there were two major retrograde developments in relation to gospel preaching. Up until World War 2 practically all evangelical churches held two preaching services every Sunday; one aimed at edifying the church, the other at converting sinners. The first move was to jettison the gospel service (with its accompanying prayer meeting), in favour of another teaching session for Christians. The indoor evangelistic service was not replaced with a ‘street meeting’. It was simply dropped. By the turn of the 21st century, even special event mass-Crusades had largely died out, replaced by ‘Festivals’ featuring ‘Christian’ pop, rock and rap music combined with beach parties, professional skateboard demonstrations and other assorted crowd-drawing activities.2 Accompanying this was a fundamental change in the content (not just the style) of the gospel message itself. Several major features of the historically tried and tested gospel sermon were abandoned. Thus, if you compare today’s typical evangelistic message with one preached by the apostles or by men like Jonathan Edwards, John Wesley, George Whitefield, Robert Murray McCheyne, C.H. Spurgeon and Moody (during genuine revivals throughout Church history), you will find a world of difference. All of this has serious consequences, for the contemporary gospel produces altogether different results to the historic Biblical gospel. For example, in 1991, a major ‘evangelical’ denomination in the USA – consisting of 11,000 churches – launched a huge push in evangelism. After securing 294,000 ‘decisions for Christ in 12 months (26.73 per church), only 14,000 new members came ‘into fellowship’ (1.27 per church). Are we really to believe that within 12 months of being saved under the sound preaching of the Holy Spirit empowered Biblical gospel, 95.2% of the ‘converts’ (over a ¼ million people) had become ‘backsliders’? And what of the general membership of contemporary ‘evangelical’ churches? Why do over 80% of those who pray a prayer for salvation as young children ‘leave the church’ as soon as they reach their late teens? These are all symptoms of a root problem, namely the abandonment of public gospel preaching and the alteration of the content of the Biblical gospel message. To revisit the true gospel, let us examine four essential elements which are missing from most of today’s evangelical sermons, gospel tracts and ‘introduction to Christianity’ courses. First, the Biblical gospel begins and ends with God. However, the contemporary gospel begins and ends with man. Here, in abbreviated form, is how it runs: “People today are suffering from feelings of emptiness, loneliness and low self-esteem. However, the aching ‘God shaped vacuum’ within you can be filled, when you say sorry for your sins and commit your life to Jesus. God has a wonderful plan for your life and wants you to be personally fulfilled and satisfied. You matter to God – that’s why Jesus paid for your sins on the cross. He loves you and wants you to ask Him into your life today. You have tried everything else – so why not give Jesus a try too? All you have to do is ask Jesus to be your personal Saviour. Why not pray this prayer after me…” This contemporary message has moved away from the New Testament God-centred pattern and tailored itself to appeal to the self-centred generation of secular relativists who dominate 21st Century Western society. By contrast, the Biblical gospel begins and ends with God. When Paul preached to the Gentiles in Lystra, he opened by saying, “We…preach unto you that you should turn from these vanities unto the living God, who made heaven…earth…sea and all things that are in them.“3 He began by laying a foundation of a ‘creator God’ who is sovereign, good and patient. Again, when preaching to the Gentile philosophers in Athens he stated, “…God, who made the world and everything in it…since He is Lord of heaven and earth…now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained.“4 This was always Paul’s approach when preaching to pagans. His message to Felix was the same. He told him about God’s righteousness, his own lack of self-control and judgment to come.5 Since repentance is a change of mind towards God, how can a sinner repent until he has a true concept of God? Many 21st Century Westerners imagine that there are two Gods; the God of the Old Testament – harsh and merciless – and the God of the New Testament – loving and forgiving. Such is their fatal misconception. Or again, the average Westerner thinks that God, if He exists at all, is a most unfair God. He argues; “If there’s a God why is there all the suffering in the world?” How foolish are his thoughts. Until he truly understands the good and holy nature of the God against whom he has grievously rebelled, he will never be saved. Thus, unless the ‘true God’ is clearly preached, all that will be produced is a multitude of false converts who have never caught even a glimpse of the holiness, goodness and sovereignty of their almighty creator; “For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.”6 Second, the Biblical Gospel makes proper use of the law of God. A sinner must understand the gospel to be saved.7 But before a sinner can understand the mercy of a loving God, he must understand the just requirements of a righteous God. True, the law is not the gospel and the gospel is not the law; but the gospel establishes the law.8 Though a written law was given only to Israel, the Gentiles have always had ‘the work of the law’ on their hearts.9 The purpose of this law is clearly stated by Paul: “by the law is the knowledge of sin.“10. Paul further states that he would never have known he was a guilty sinner without the law .11 Since no one can be saved without repentance and no one can repent unless they know they are guilty, the true Biblical gospel must make proper use of the law, the chief end of which is to convince the whole world of its guilt.12 The book of Romans contains the only systematic setting forth of the gospel in the whole Bible. Paul uses the word ‘law’ 38 times before he mentions the word ‘love’. From Romans 1:17 to 3:19 Paul sets forth the case against the sinner. It is a sorry tale of condemnation, wrath and guilt. Finally, in chapter 5:8, Paul states that God commends his love towards sinners. Why does Paul present the gospel in this order? Because the gospel will not make any real sense to a sinner until he realises he is guilty of rebellion against the law of a holy God. Tell the average Westerner “God loves you” and he will say, “Why shouldn’t He; I’m a good person?” That would be to cast pearls before swine. Believing that a man would not grasp a spiritual lifebelt until he was convinced he was drowning, nor submit to medical treatment until was sure he had a disease – preachers of the old school never set the remedy of the gospel before the sinner’s mind until thoroughly convincing him of his sin. But the contemporary gospel knows better. It uses the carrot of ‘benefits’ instead of the stick of conviction of sin. It says, “If you come to Jesus you will be happy, fulfilled, be part of a loving family and spend eternity in a golden mansion – if you would like to have all of this, just say sorry for your sins and ask Jesus into your heart to be your Saviour.” If only this were an unfair caricature or a straw man; but this is exactly how the gospel is presented universally today in print and in the pulpit. The net result is that sinners ‘come to Christ’ with a false motive. Then when persecution and pressure come their way, they are offended and quickly disillusioned. Sadder still, they are vaccinated against true salvation; after all, they tried Jesus and He failed. As we seek to restore the true Biblical gospel we must remember that the issue is righteousness not happiness. Simply quoting “All have sinned,” followed by a quick “But the good news is…” will never awaken anyone. Sinners must be faced with the fact that covetousness (the love of things) is idolatry, hate is murder and lust is adultery.13 True peace and joy are the fruits of salvation, not the root. The fruits of salvation are not presented in biblical sermons as a draw card, to encourage sinners to ‘make their decision for Christ’. Driving down the motorway, there are a number of excuses one can think of to justify going at 85 mph…until the law enters. When a Police car comes into view, drivers hits the brakes. By the law is the knowledge of sin. This is what will make a man, rushing headlong down the highway of life to hell, sit up and listen. He simply must see his precarious position or he will never truly repent. Presented with a choice of either diamonds or a glass of water, who would not choose the diamonds? But take a man who has been lost for four days in the Sahara desert with nothing to drink and present him with the same choice. He takes the water. What has changed? The inherent value of the goods on offer? No. His perception of need. And so, let a man be utterly convinced from scripture, by the Holy Spirit, that he is lost, guilty and helpless and he will cry out, “What must I do to be saved?” The proper initial reaction to the gospel on the part of the sinner is conviction of sin.14 But what is conviction of sin? It is more than just the ordinary smiting of the conscience.15 It is more than a mere fear of hell. Simply being scared of the consequences of sin is not true Holy Spirit conviction. Nor is conviction ‘admitting you are a sinner’. Balaam, Pharoah, Judas and many others admitted “I have sinned” but nonetheless went to hell. Nor is conviction of sin a mere head knowledge of the doctrine of the fall of Adam. Conviction is a proper sense of the dreadfulness of my sin against God. Have you ever experienced this? All sinners must echo David’s realisation when he said “Against Thee, Thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Thy sight.”16 Conviction of sin is vertical, not horizontal. We must return to the true Biblical gospel and preach that men are sinners by nature and practice; that their very best endeavours are like filthy rags and that they are utterly helpless to save themselves.17 As a sinner acknowledges that he is condemned, unclean and guilty, he draws near to salvation, for “The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart; and saves such as have a contrite spirit.”18 Third, the Biblical Gospel sounds a clear note of repentance. Summarising three years of ministry in Ephesus, Paul stated that he had preached “repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.”19 Summarising his whole life, he stated that he had preached that men should “repent and turn to God, and do works” answering to that repentance.20 Nowhere in the Bible did any apostle or evangelist preach that, “all you need to do is accept that Jesus died and rose again, ask Him to be your Saviour and you will go to heaven.” Why? Because the Lord Jesus had commissioned them to preach three things: first, Christ died; second, He rose again; and, third, repentance for the remission of sins.21 Would we be happy with a cross-less gospel or a resurrection-less gospel? How then can we be content to preach a repentance-less gospel? Contrary to contemporary thinking, salvation is neither giving ‘mental assent’ nor a mere ‘nodding of the head to the death and resurrection of Christ. There is no saving faith without repentance. Strangers to conviction are strangers to repentance and therefore strangers to salvation, for no one ever truly believed without repenting and vice versa. The first sentence the Lord Jesus uttered in His public ministry was, “Repent and believe the gospel,” and He continued to repeatedly warn that unless sinners repent they would perish.22 Jesus said “believe or perish” and “repent or perish”’23 All that will matter a million years from today is, did one repent and believe the gospel? Only one sentence in the Bible states that God loves the world. A handful of other verses speak of God’s love for undeserving sinners. Yet this precious and sublime truth is cheapened today by its overemphasis at the expense of repentance, a subject mentioned 58 times in the New Testament alone. That is the reason why there is little or no true convicting power and blessing in the preaching of the gospel today. The Holy Spirit will not endue with power a message He has not authorised. A gospel without a clear note of repentance is another (false) gospel that brings God’s curse on those who preach it.24 Why would God curse a ‘preacher of the gospel’ (one who adds or takes away from the essence of the true message)? Because his repentance-less message is damning souls, corrupting local churches and hindering revival. But what is repentance? It is not penance or restitution (Judas paid the money back — he regretted, but never repented).25 It is not merely tears, fear of judgment (Felix trembled) or sorrow for sin (godly sorrow may lead to repentance, but is not the same as repentance).26 It is not mere confession or admission of sin. The Greek word for repentance is metanoia (from meta, ‘after’, and nous, ‘mind’). It means a complete change of the mind – involving turning from sin to God, resulting in a change of life. It is illustrated by David’s heart repudiation of sin in Psalm 51 and the Prodigal Son’s complete turnaround in Luke 15. It is defined in the following text: “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him.”27 Preachers must be sure to sound a clear note of repentance every time the gospel is preached. Fourth, and finally, the Biblical Gospel presents the Lord Jesus Christ as the object of faith, not simply the ‘fact of the atonement’. Paul did not tell the jailor to just believe the ‘facts about Calvary’, but to “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ” – Master, Saviour and promised Messiah.28 But belief is never simply mental assent. It is trust, reliance on and commitment to Christ as Lord and Saviour. This is not the ‘Jesus’ of the contemporary gospel, who says “Come as you are and stay as you are.” How solemn to see a large number who call Jesus Lord, shut out of the kingdom, despite their many religious works.29 In the words of A.W. Pink, “Multitudes desire to be saved from hell (the natural instinct of self-preservation) who are quite unwilling to be saved from sin. Yea, there are tens of thousands who have been deluded into thinking that they have ‘accepted Christ as their Saviour’ whose lives plainly show that they have rejected Him as their Lord.” ‘Evangelical’ churches are full of people who do not exhibit the fruits of salvation, but who are not embarrassed to say they are Christians. But if a man says he has faith and has not works, can that faith save him?30 God saves people so that they will do good works and live as His bond slaves.31 Therefore, any salvation experience that does not turn a rebel sinner into a basically obedient servant is spurious. “Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance…every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.”32 After a lifetime of preaching and writing, the Puritan John Owen stated what he felt were the two most frequent mistakes made in regard to salvation. The first, he said, is to think one is going to heaven without being born again. The second is to think one is born again without a holy life to prove it. To this the scriptures agree: “Whoever is born of God does not practice sin.”33 In an era when it is easy to confess Christ but hard to live for Christ, liberal theologians have filled church pews by preaching a blood-less gospel and a deity-less Christ. Now evangelicals have filled churches with a gospel that lacks a call to repentance. But which is worse, when the net result is the same? To avoid perpetuating this tragedy, be careful to ensure that one’s sermons, gospel tracts and the missionary endeavours one supports present every aspect of the true Biblical gospel. Michael J. Penfold (email@example.com) 1. Titus 1:3 2. Plugged In Magazine, March 2003, Colorado Springs. CO, pg. 1 3. Acts 14:15 4. Acts 17:22-31 5. Acts 24:25 6. Rom 11:36 7. Matt 13:15, 19, 23, Acts 8:30-31, Rom 3:11 8. Rom 3:31 9. Rom 2:15 10. Rom 3:20 11. Rom 7:7 12. Luke 13:5, Rom 3:19 13. Col 3:5, 1 John 3:15, Matt 5:28 14. John 16:8, Acts 2:37 15. Rom 2:15 16. Psa 51:4 17. Eph 2:1-2, Isa 64:6, Eph 2:8 18. Psa 34:18 19. Acts 20:21 20. Acts 26:20 21. Luke 24:46-47 22. Mark 1:15 23. John 3:16, Luke 13:3 (see also 2 Pet 3:9) 24. Gal 1:6-10 25. Matt 27:3 26. 2 Cor 7:10 27. Isa 55:7 28. Acts 16:31 29. Matt 7:21 30. Jas 2:15 31. Acts 26:20, 1 Thess 1:9 32. Matt 3:8 33. 1 John 3:9

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|January 2007 · Vol. 19, No. 01 Is the end of an era here for magnesium sulfate tocolysis? It’s time for us to limit or stop this ineffective—and potentially harmful—regimen For tocolysis of preterm labor, say “No” to: Robert L. Barbieri, MD Preterm labor and preterm delivery are major obstetric challenges, with an increasing incidence. Approximately 12% of all births in the United States occur preterm, with significant adverse sequelae for the newborn. Treatments that have been tested for preterm labor include hydration, magnesium sulfate, atosiban, antibiotics, nitroglycerine, indomethacin, nifedipine, and betamimetics1-6 (TABLE). Of these, Cochrane systematic reviews of the literature resulted in the conclusion that hydration, magnesium sulfate, and atosiban are not more effective than control treatments.1-3 Both nifedipine and betamimetics were reported to be effective, compared with controls, in achieving short-term goals such as preventing delivery before 48 hours after initiation of treatment.7,8 There are no wonder drugs It is unfortunate that there are no “wonder drugs” to prevent or treat preterm labor. It is likely that, until treatments target the underlying initiating mechanisms of preterm labor, our focus on treating contractions will be only marginally successful. A major problem is that most clinical trials that examine tocolysis have significant flaws, which limits the strength of the findings. Clinicians are left in the unenviable position of choosing among medications that are only marginally effective, such as calcium-channel blockers and betamimetics. However, clinicians can strive to avoid using tocolytics that have no clearly proven efficacy—such as magnesium sulfate. I confess that I have prescribed magnesium sulfate tocolysis to dozens of women. I also am committed to changing my practice pattern in regard to this agent. Only 2 tocolytics pass muster in Cochrane reviews |AGENT (COCHRANE REFERENCE) ||TRIALS AND SUBJECTS ||IS THE AGENT AN EFFECTIVE TOCOLYTIC? ||COCHRANE REVIEW ADVICE OR CONCLUSION ||2 trials, 228 subjects ||Not superior to bed rest alone ||No advantage over bed rest unless the woman is dehydrated ||23 trials, 2,036 subjects ||Not superior to control treatments ||Magnesium is ineffective at delaying birth or preventing preterm birth, compared with control treatments; its use is associated with increased morbidity for the infant ||11 trials, 1,695 subjects ||Not superior to placebo ||Caution against use |Antibiotics with intact membranes4 ||11 trials, 7,428 subjects ||Reduced maternal infection, but no improvement in newborn outcomes; may increase complexity of neonatal infections ||Not recommended for routine practice |MAY BE INEFFECTIVE |Nitric oxide donors (nitroglycerine)5 ||5 trials, 466 subjects ||Reduced risk of delivery before 37 weeks, but not 32 or 34 weeks; headache is a common side effect ||Insufficient evidence to support use |Cyclooxygenase inhibitors (indomethacin)6 ||13 trials, 713 subjects ||Reduction in delivery before 37 weeks compared with controls ||Estimates are imprecise and should be interpreted with caution |EFFECTIVE COMPARED WITH CONTROLS ||12 trials, 1,029 subjects ||Reduction in birth within 7 days of treatment and prior to 34 weeks’ gestation; reduced likelihood of termination of therapy because of adverse effects compared with betamimetics ||Calcium-channel blockers are preferable to other tocolytic agents; nifedipine* not evaluated against placebo; control groups typically received a betamimetic ||17 trials, 1,320 subjects ||Reduced risk of delivery within 48 hours; many adverse effects reported ||Betamimetics delay delivery, allowing for completion of a course of glucocorticoids; multiple adverse effects occur The long story of magnesium tocolysis In the 1950s and 1960s, magnesium sulfate was not widely used as a tocolytic agent. In his single-author 1962 work, A Textbook of Obstetrics, Duncan E. Reid, MD, does not mention magnesium as a tocolytic agent.9 Magnesium is discussed in the book as an effective agent for seizure prophylaxis and treatment in women with preeclampsia/eclampsia. In the 1985 (17th) edition of Williams Obstetrics, the authors were not enthusiastic about the use of magnesium tocolysis and cited a small trial that concluded that magnesium tocolysis was not superior to placebo.10 In the 1970s and 1980s, betamimetics were the most widely used tocolytic. One betamimetic, ritodrine, achieved FDA approval as a tocolytic agent, but is no longer manufactured. Many clinical trials reported that betamimetics significantly decreased the number of women with preterm labor delivering within 48 hours of initiation of treatment. However, both concern over the many troublesome adverse effects of betamimetics and the marginal efficacy of these agents guided obstetricians to begin using magnesium because it appeared to have fewer adverse effects. Obstetricians were familiar with magnesium because of its marked efficacy in preventing eclamptic seizures. In vitro studies demonstrated that magnesium inhibited myometrial contractility by competing with calcium at the plasma membrane channels and by interfering with calcium activation of myosin light-chain kinase. In addition, there was the theoretical supposition that magnesium might be neuroprotective for the newborn (later proved incorrect). Given obstetricians’ familiarity with magnesium for preeclampsia, it is easy to see how we embraced this treatment for preterm labor. Safety, efficacy are questionable Data from trials never clearly demonstrated that magnesium has a clinically significant tocolytic effect compared with “control” treatments. In a Cochrane review of magnesium tocolysis, neither improvement in the risk of delivery before 48 hours nor reduction in risk of birth before 34 or 37 weeks was observed, compared with control treatments. More recent data also suggest that magnesium may increase the risk of adverse neonatal outcomes, including death, especially at the upper end of the magnesium dose range.2 In the absence of demonstrated clinical efficacy and a concern over potentially negative neonatal effects, obstetricians should consider strictly limiting their use of magnesium for tocolysis.11 If not magnesium, what? Cochrane analyses indicate that data reliably support the superiority of two tocolytics over controls: calcium-channel blockers and betamimetics (TABLE). The calcium-channel blocker nifedipine has been demonstrated to reduce the risk of birth within 7 days of initiating treatment and of birth prior to 34 weeks’ gestation, compared with betamimetics. Women in preterm labor who are receiving a calcium-channel blocker are less likely to require discontinuation of the treatment due to adverse effects compared with women treated with a betamimetic. Given the demonstrated clinical efficacy of calcium-channel blockers and their few adverse side effects, these agents should be more widely used as tocolytics. Nifedipine. This calcium-channel blocker has the longest and widest use as a tocolytic. A typical regimen is to administer nifedipine, 10 mg orally, every 20 minutes up to 4 doses as needed to reduce contractions and avoid hypotension. Maintenance treatment is nifedipine, 20 mg orally, every 4 to 8 hours. The maximum daily dosage is in the range of 120 to 180 mg. Nifedipine inhibits voltage-dependent L-type calcium channels, which leads to vascular and other smooth-muscle relaxation and negative inotropic and chronotropic effects on the heart. Not surprisingly, nifedipine has been reported to be associated with many adverse cardiovascular side effects, including acute pulmonary edema,12 arrhythmias,13 and hypotension. Caution is advised when using nifedipine in multiple-gestation pregnancy and maternal cardiac disease.14,15 Many authorities strongly caution against the use of nifedipine with magnesium or betamimetics because of additive adverse effects on the cardiovascular system. If the goal of therapy is to complete a course of betamethasone, then nifedipine may be discontinued after 48 hours. Alternatively, the medication can be continued to achieve another endpoint, such as prolonging pregnancy up to 34 weeks when a condition such as polyhydramnios is present. We need research Preterm delivery is a major public health problem, and more research is required to identify the fundamental biologic causes of preterm labor. In the near future, basic science discoveries will be translated from the bench to the bedside, resulting in new treatments for the real causes of preterm labor that will be far superior to available tocolytics. For more on magnesium sulfate tocolysis, please see Medical Verdicts. 1. Stan C, Boulvain M, Hirsbrunner-Amagbaly P, Pfister R. Hydration for treatment of preterm labour. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2002;(2):CD003096. 2. Crowther CA, Hiller JE, Doyle LW. Magnesium sulfate for preventing preterm birth in threatened preterm labour. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 3. Papatsonis D, Flenady V, Cole S, Liley H. Oxytocin receptor antagonists for inhibiting preterm labour. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2005;(3):CD004452. 4. King J, Flenady V. Prophylactic antibiotics for inhibiting preterm labour with intact membranes. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2002;(4):CD000246. 5. Duckitt K, Thornton S. Nitric oxide donors for the treatment of preterm labour. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2002;(3):CD002860. 6. King J, Flenady V, Cole S, Thornton S. Cyclo-oxygenase (COX) inhibitors for treating preterm labour. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2005;(2):CD001992. 7. King JF, Flenady VJ, Papatsonis DNM, Dekker GA, Carbonne B. Calcium channel blockers for inhibiting preterm labour. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2003;(1):CD002255. 8. Anotayanonth S, Subhedar NV, Neilson JP, Harigopal S. Betamimetics for inhibiting preterm labour. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2004;(4):CD004352. 9. Reid DE. A Textbook of Obstetrics. Philadelphia: WB Saunders; 1962. 10. Pritchard JA, MacDonald PC, Gant NF.Williams Obstetrics, 17th ed. Norwalk, Conn: Appleton-Century Crofts; 1985. 11. Grimes DA, Nanda K. Magnesium sulfate tocolysis. Time to quit. Obstet Gynecol. 2006;108:986–989 12. Abbas OM, Nassar AH, Lanj NA, Usta IM. Acute pulmonary edema during tocolytic therapy with nifedipine. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2006;195:e3–e4 13. Parasuraman R, Gandhi MM, Liversedge NH. Nifedipine tocolysis associated atrial fibrillation responds to DC cardioversion. BJOG. 2006;113:844–845 14. van Geijn HP, Lenglet JE, Bolte AC. Nifedipine trials: effectiveness and safety aspects. BJOG. 2005;112(Suppl1):79–83 15. Oei SG. Calcium channel blockers for tocolysis: a review of their role and safety following reports of serious adverse events. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 2006;126:137–145 OBG Management ©2007 Quadrant HealthCom Inc.

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Shop for Flying Wild Alaska Season 1 DVD and see how the Tweto family risks it all by using their airline to deliver necessary supplies to the most rural and remote areas in the country. Ep. 1) Meet the Twetos: In the frigid Alaskan town of Unalakleet, the Tweto's and their family-run airline battle the arctic elements to transport supplies and passengers to some of the most inaccessible areas on the planet. Ep. 2) Life or Death: Pilot Luke Hickerson transports dangerous chemicals from Barrow to the remote village of Atqasuk. Then, in Unalakleet, the cold and dark winter claims its first casualty and Jim must make arrangements to transport the casket. Ep. 3) Indian Summer: The joke in Unalakleet, Alaska is that if you don't like weather, just wait 15 minutes and it's sure to change. But on this particular late summer day you'd be hard pressed to find anyone not happy with the current conditions. There is not a cloud in the sky, the winds are calm, and the mercury checks in at a balmy"¦ 42 degrees. Era Alaska pilot & C.O.O., Jim Tweto takes advantage of the favorable conditions to head north to check on his base in Kotzebue. Not far from Kotzebue, in a village called Point Lay, thousands of migratory walrus have recently gathered along the beach. The walrus make this trek annually, but this year their numbers are unprecedented. Many think the increase is a result of melting polar ice caps. Regardless, the FAA has issued a T.F.R. or "Temporary Flight Restriction", over the entire area. If one of Jim's planes were to stray too close to the beach, not only would he receive a hefty fine, but the sound from the plane's engines could cause the walrus to stampede and trample their young. It's a serious issue that Jim must attend to personally. Already in Kotzebue are pilots Jared and Jesse Cummings. They are Jim's off-airport specialists. They are experts at S.T.O.L. (Short Take-Offs and Landings) from ridge tops, riverbanks and glaciers. Recently a park ranger's plane had to make an emergency landing in dangerous bear country. Jesse races to find the plane before the bears do. Fresh off of his long assignment in Kavik, former professional skateboarder and current Era pilot John Ponts arrives in Unalakleet to a warm welcome. He will remain in Unalakleet for the rest of the winter, but for now, he is enjoying the unseasonably warm weather by "bombing" down nearby Old-Army Hill on his skateboard outfitted with large off-road tires. And later, to give Alaska's summer a proper send off, Ponts, Ariel and her sister Ayla decide to go bridge jumping. They slip into swimwear and leap into the frigid 43 degree waters of the Unalakleet River. Ep. 4) Tundra Taxis: Hurricane force winds roar into Northern Alaska. The windsocks indicators around the Unalakleet airport are stretched taut, and the bearing sea is a white-capped mess. Even the hearty Eskimo villagers who are accustomed to temperatures as low as negative 40 are starting to dress like it's winter. To the South, John Ponts transports an unusually skittish Department of Transportation worker to the village of Nunam Iqua. The winds gust up to 50mph, tossing the tiny Cessna 207 all over the sky. To land, John must "crab" the plane in. This is done by aggressively angling the plane into the direction of the wind. From the ground it appears that his plane is flying nearly sideways. This works well"¦ up to a point. If the landing gear touches the ground at this angle it will sheer off. To keep this from happening, at the very last minute John will have to straighten the plane out and try to compensate for the crosswinds. It's a maneuver that is as complicated it looks. In Bethel, Era pilot and C.O.O. Jim Tweto arrives to inspect the progress on his newest hangar. Right now it is nothing more than a slab of concrete. He hopes to have the structure complete before the snow arrives, but it's not looking good. The hangar is way behind schedule and Jim is none to pleased. He storms around the Era terminal flipping off light switches in the hopes of saving a few cents and easing his mind. Just outside of Bethel is the tiny village of Kwigillingok. It is home to 400 rural villagers, and also the most dangerous runway that Era services. From the air, the runway looks like a narrow, dirt hiking path. From the ground"¦ it still looks like a narrow, dirt hiking path"¦ but with large potholes. Today, Era pilot Phillip Sampson is transporting a teacher who must get back to the nearby school. There are no roads for hundreds of miles around; Kwigillingok is accessibly only by air. And on days like this, where the winds are gusting violently, it is accessible perhaps not at all. It will take all of Phillip's abilities to get his Cessna 207 safely on the ground. But the winds are not all bad news. In Nome, pilot Doug "Hollywood" Stewart takes advantage of the stiff head winds to partake in his favorite pastime: hang gliding. Aside from the pure enjoyment of it, he sees hang gliding as a good practice, should the "big fan" on the front of his aircraft ever stop spinning. Ep. 5) Greenhorn Ben: Yuri Ivanoff arrives in Bethel to begin his training in the Cessna 208 Caravan. He had been flying the smaller 207 "lead sled" up in Unalakleet, but the arrival of his newborn son has inspired him to pursue a job piloting the larger, better paying, 208 caravan. But before he can make the leap, he must first impress Ross Nixon: Jim Tweto's ever-intimidating 208 Check Airman. Ross watches closely as Yuri clumsily takes control of the aircraft and wrestles it towards the windy Alaskan town of Palmer. After a stream of mistakes, a sheet of ice begins to form on the leading edge of the plane's wings. Even the usually stoic Ross becomes a bit rattled when the "boots" (a deicing feature on the front of the wings) fail to engage properly. Meanwhile, back at Era Alaska's nerve center in Unalakleet, Pilot and C.O.O. Jim Tweto loads his Cessna 180 up in preparation for a supply drop out in the Andreafsky Mountains. There, a group of hunters anxiously await his arrival. Unfortunately, upon approach, Jim discovers that the recent weeks of rain have caused a nearby stream to swell, cutting the size of riverbank he intended to land on by nearly 50%. Left with no other option but to turn around and head home, Jim decides to take his chances with the river. He aligns his plane and prepares to skim his wheels along the top of the water to slow his momentum. If done right, he will come to a stop before the end of the shortened runway. If done wrong, the landing gear could sheer off, leaving Jim and the hunters stranded in the arctic wilderness. Jim is not the only Era pilot with off-airport woes. In the Unalakleet terminal, Greenhorn pilot Ben Pederson has been given the most challenging run of his short career: an off-airport drop at Granite Mountain. At Granite Mountain there are no lights, no wind indicators, and no help should anything go wrong. Normally, Jim Tweto handles these types of runs, but in his absence, Ben will have to step it up. Ep. 6) Blow it Up: Nome, Alaska is where an incredible journey known as the Iditarod Sled Race comes to an end. And on this episode, it is also where an incredible journey involving two Era Alaska pilots will begin. Nome Pilot Doug Doherty and Co-Pilot Eric Rose have been hired to transport volatile explosives from Barrow to Savoonga on their Beechcraft 1900. Savoonga is a small village located on the Island of St Lawrence, just 46 miles west of Siberian Russia. Due to the sensitive nature of the cargo they will be forced to load the plane at the far end of an empty runway, then fly around all populated areas they encounter while en route. Meaning, to avoid western villages like Point Lay and Wales, they will be forced to fly alarmingly close to Russian airspace. Doug jokes that if the explosives in their cargo hold don't blow them to pieces, then the Russian Migs surely will. The explosives in need of transport are volatile harpoon heads necessary for Savoonga's fall whale hunt. The weapons grade projectiles create a kill shot that minimizes the whale's suffering. Normally these harpoon heads are transported by barge, but the Beaufort Sea has frozen up solid around Barrow, meaning air transport is the only option. Likewise, the Bearing Sea is quickly freezing up around St Lawrence Island, making this operation even more critical. If the harpoons don't arrive soon, whale hunting becomes impossible, and the villagers will have no way to feed their families during the long winter months. With this in mind, Doug and Eric plot their course carefully and set-off on the most unique and dangerous mission of their careers. But they are not the only Era Alaska pilots enduring white-knuckle flights. Greenhorn pilot Ben Pederson has been hired to transport two Department of Transportation workers from Unalakleet to the village of Stebbins. The forecast calls for sunshine and miles of visibility along the flight. Ben takes to the sky in his Cessna 207, but the serenity doesn't last long. He spots a large bird flying directly at his aircraft, and before he has a chance to react, the bird slams violently into the propeller. It explodes on impact and sends shock waves racing through the fuselage. Ben's 207 has but one engine, and the Alaskan Loon it collided with was nearly the same size as the Canadian Geese that sent the massive United Airways Jetliner into the Hudson River. So, much like Capt. Sully, Ben snaps to attention and does his best to avoid disaster. Ep. 7) Deep Freeze: The town of Barrow is hit by a fierce winter storm, turning the runways into giant sheets of ice. As a result, the larger, commercial jetliners are forced to cancel all of their flights for days, leaving customers stuck out in the cold. But not Era Alaska, their smaller Bush planes can handle the toughest of conditions and are called upon to pick up the slack and the stranded passengers. Era's star pilot Luke Hickerson and his years of flying in Alaska's toughest conditions are essential to this operation. But even Luke's skills are tested when he tries to land in the remote village of Point Lay with minimal visibility. In Fairbanks, Pilot Doug Doherty visits his old friend and four-time Iditarod champion Lance Mackey with a planeload of canine hopefuls. Sled dog racing is serious business in Alaska. These coastal canine athletes are worth upwards of one thousands dollars each and are chartered direct from Unalakleet. Lance has one spot available on his team. He hooks them up to a sled and takes these Unalakleet dogs out for a test run, and a chance to join the very best in the world. Ariel Tweto and her friend and flying instructor, John Ponts, take to the skies in an impromptu flying lesson. But things take a dangerous turn when she directs the plane toward a giant flock of swans Back on the ground in Unalakleet, the Era staff prepares for their busiest day of the year. Teachers from villages across Western Alaska have descended on the town, filling planes and nearly doubling the area's population overnight. It's an especially stressful day for Jim. His client, the Bering Strait School District, is one of the airline's biggest sources of revenue. One misstep could mean a serious hit to profits. Ep. 8) Bush Brawl: Jim Tweto and his wife Ferno enjoy a rare opportunity to fly into the wilderness of Alaska together as a couple. After a tricky landing on a frozen riverbank, they check in on the properties of two feuding neighbors. Despite having miles of uninhabited tundra between them, it's still too close for comfort for these two paranoid Alaskans. They've each (unknowingly) enlisted the help of the Twetos to spy on their adversary. Back in Unalakleet, Ariel helps out DJ Sam by broadcasting live from the "Bush Brawl" annual wrestling tournament up in Kotzebue. After a hard day of work she takes to the air in a Cessna 207 with her friend and flight instructor John Ponts. Her goal is to successfully complete her first unassisted landing. But flying out over the frozen ocean and landing at an unfamiliar airport proves to be more than Ariel had bargained for. Tough as nails pilot Sarah Fraher works out of a remote hub in the village of St Mary's. Today, she is entrusted with a food delivery for school children in nearby Mountain Village. But on the way there, a massive storm blows in. She guns the throttle of her older 207 and does her best to outrun the gale force winds. But unfortunately for her, this particular plane has seen better days. It lags badly as the storm nips at her heals. To the north, her boyfriend and fellow Era pilot, John Ponts, is dealing with problems of his own. On his approach to the tiny Eskimo village of Stebbins, a massive herd of Caribou migrates onto the runway. With the storm closing in, he is pressed for time. He anxiously circles overhead while the local herder clears the animals. The storm front sweeps the entire western side of the state, blanketing it with snow and buffeting it with hurricane force winds. Soon, airport after airport shuts down, including Sarah's base in St Mary’s. She is left with no choice but to reroute north, praying that she can reach Unalakleet before the weather does. Ep. 9) Trick or Tweto: It's Halloween in Unalakleet and pilot John Ponts is using the opportunity to bring some smiles to his passengers. He exchanges his normal uniform of Carhartt pants and a hoody sweatshirt in favor of a giant yellow chicken suit, hoping to cheer up the kids during the cold dark winter. At Era's busiest hub in Bethel, pilots Erik Snuggerud and Phil Ekdahl are dealing with the brutal winter winds that plague rural Alaska. On his way to Chefornak to drop off vital food supplies, Erik's flight takes a typical Alaskan twist when he gets a radio call to pick up a couple of seals to make native clothing for the winter. A reasonable request, except that Erik will have to battle deadly 40 mph crosswinds just to get his plane on the ground. Elsewhere in Bethel, Phil faces his own challenges flying a mother and her infant daughter to the village of Russian Mission. The deadly crosswinds are compounded by flat lighting conditions that make it impossible to gauge distances, a combination that has proven fatal for many bush pilots. Back in Unakleet, Ariel tries to learn more about the family business. When Ferno heads to a meeting in Anchorage and Jim is called to re-supply hunters up near Koyuk, Ariel is put to the test as she is left in charge of the Era nerve center for the first time. Nothing is simple in Alaska and Ariel's problems steadily mount, culminating in a power outage that threatens to cost Era thousands of dollars in lost revenue. Later that night, Ariel and Ferno go on their daily run and find out that ghosts and goblins aren't the only things to be afraid of today, as they get an up close visit from some Alaskan wildlife. Ep. 10) Goodbye Sun: The winter darkness is closing in on Alaska and many residents are heading south to avoid the two months of night that is almost upon them. In Era's northern most hub in Barrow, station manager Tom Elkins discovers illegal alcohol hidden in a frozen food box. The police are called and a trap is set. The bootlegger will be nabbed when he comes to the Era terminal to retrieve the contraband. Down in Unalakleet, Ariel Tweto makes one last attempt to land a Cessna 207 on her own. Only this time, Jim is in the passenger seat. After her nearly disastrous first landing attempt with Ponts earlier in the month, her stress level is sky-high. She hopes to make her dad proud while simultaneously achieving an important milestone in her flying career. Jim gets a late season call to pick up a group of moose hunters stuck on a snowy hill North of Koyuk. Their hunt has dragged on twice as long as expected and they are anxious to get back to civilization. However, the deep snow surrounding the camp may be more than the plane's engine can handle. Once on the ground, Jim must fight the powdery conditions and hidden obstacles to get airborne, all while a looming storm threatens to strand them all. Back in Barrow, pilot Luke Hickerson is on his last flight of the season when he gets a report of a missing snow machiner. With temperatures well below zero, Luke must race polar bears and the setting sun as he tries to find the man before 2 months of darkness consume the region.

Now more than ever, we need your support! Become a Supporting Subscriber today. THE TIME TUNNEL--The Day the Sky Fell In THE TIME TUNNEL THE DAY THE SKY FELL IN Writer-Ellis St. Joseph We hear the opening narration as the pair fly through the time vortex and toward an island. They land in the Japanese consulate room in a corner. It is Honolulu, Hawaii and three Japanese men---Chief of Espionage Tasaka, his aide Okuno, and agent Sumida are burning files that they take off a desk. After a brief questioning by the three, Doug and Tony lie about being tourists and quickly leave. Tasaka sends the large Sumida on a mission: "Follow them, if they make one suspicious move---kill them!" He follows them even though Doug told them they were tourists. A nice shot of the room as seen by the tunnel staff shows us the date on a clear see-through calendar. Outside, Tony and Doug walk amid Honolulu. They must warn the base. Tony says, "We used to drive it in 15 minutes." Tony lived here. His mother died a year before and he was now seven. His father was a Naval Lt at the station who went missing after the attack...he was never found. "He's alive now, we can warn him." Doug smiles at they thought and they plan as to how to go about doing this. Tony recalls he spent the day with his best friend, Billy Neal. His father must be there. They leave, followed by the large Japanese man. Tony and Doug arrive at the house and meet the maid servant Yoku (Ono?). She shows them in and they hear voices of the guests in some other room. Tony figures his father is his age now! It is strange to hear them enjoying themselves when such tragedy will strike in a few hours. Mrs. Louise Neal, a blond, greets them. Tony told Doug the house was destroyed by a direct hit. Mrs. Neal's husband is on the Enterprize (the real one, that is!) and she is worried if any news about it has come. Yoku goes to a back door and lets the large man in. They watch through the blinds on the doors. The butler, Ishiro is an American sympathizer (as a note, not one traitorous act by any Japanese citizen or military man in the US was noted before the attack on Pearl Harbor; despite this, many, if not all Japanese Americans were put into camps). When Ishiro comes to the back, the large man covers his mouth, stabs him in the back with a knife and hides his body. Tony's father is brought in by Neal, "Have we met before?" he asks Tony. Tony says, "Yes, many years ago. You meant a great deal to me. You must have forgotten but I never have." They try to warn him with, "Don't ask us to explain, we can't, and if we could, you wouldn't believe us. The Japanese will launch a massive air attack on Pearl Harbor." Tony tells his questioning father the truth since at Indianapolis he learned about quantum physics and that it is possible to travel in time as well as space. Doug tells him in the days to come every American will know what it means to say, "Remember Pearl Harbor." Just then little Tony comes in, followed by blond Billy and Louise. The boys must go to bed. Tony continues to try to tell his father more but Yoku comes in and lies: she tells them Ishiro's wife was sick and he had to leave. Lt. Anthony Newman makes them leave, telling them if they are nervous they should leave for the main states, don't spread panic. Yoku shows them out--right into the large man with the gun. He takes them outside. The sets in this episode (and indeed in almost every episode) are fantastic. The time tunnel watches as the two men are lead away by the large, vile man. Jerry is there also and he looks. They lose the time lock. They also see the Japanese fleet en route to Pearl Harbor. The fix drifts again. An old fashioned car drives up to Japanese imports warehouse. The fat man Sumida, has Tony and Doug and has gotten their crazy story that no body would believe. Two Japanese men arrive. Doug goes over it once more, "We're scientists. We travel through time." The scrawny leader Chief of Espionage Tasaka tells them they will use a method developed by their allies, the Germans, which is used by Gestapo: truth serum. His aide Okuno is with him. An Admiral Brandt talks to Lt. Newman. There was a report the Japanese were heading south off the coast of Indochina--just as Tony said would be reported. Brandt calls it another Doomsday Prophet. The children are asleep and the Lt wants to leave to check on something. He bids the Admiral goodbye. Under truth serum, Doug tells the Japanese the same story, "A government sponsored project for the exploration of time." He goes on to tell them the next move of the Japanese will be to take the Philippines and Guam--he knows because it is history. They ask about the decisive action of the war and Doug tells them it will be in Hiroshima. Japan loses he tells them. They used a needle on Doug. Tony tells them, "You want me to tell you where the war will end..do you want me to tell you about the atomic bomb?!" Lt. Newman arrives at the Pearl Harbor CIC Naval Communication base and takes his hat off as he walks inside. He asks Tom Anderson about the Japanese. They are moving South. From Washington they have heard nothing. The Lt wants Tom to check the Indochina report, he will wait. Tony is drugged and tells them the time tunnel made them come into the office--that was how they got into the consulate. The US government sent them but they are not secret agents, their main objective is his father and the children, they must save them. Tasaka scoffs, "All this talk of time tunnels and children. It's a trick. Your government has brainwashed its agents." Tony tells them they told Commander Newman of the attack so Tasaka sends Okuno to silence him. Doug says, "No. He thought we were drunk or crazy." Tasaka must report them to Tokyo. Ishiro's wife calls and tells Mrs. Neal he did not come home. Neal is glad she is not sick but is worried now. She looks around and checks the kids in the bedroom. She goes to the back way and finds blood on the floor. Okuno, sly and slithery, comes in to the house and looks around, despite her protests. He wants the Commander. As he becomes more irate and heads to search the children's room, Mrs. Neal takes out a gun, "If you go near those children, I'll kill you." As she phones the police but then the Navy yard, Okuno runs out. The Commander gets her message and sends a marine guard to the house. Mrs. Neal cries. Ray's fix keeps drifting to the fleet. The tunnel watches the Japanese enemy fleet. They must intensify the probe. Jerry looks, "That's way it was..." Kirk corrects him, "The way it is." They see Neal's house and then see little Tony sleeping, then the Japanese planes. Then it goes to Tony and Doug. The drifting fix makes it impossible for them to switch any of them--it would kill them. Ann yells for the techs to get rid of the loud plane sounds. Kirk looks at little Tony, "Little Tony..." Ann gulps, "It can't be..." Jerry figures it out, "You mean if Little Tony is killed, our Tony will cease to exist?" Ray figures that if our Tony survived to the present day, then Little Tony must have escape the bombing...logically. Kirk says, "Logic. How can we deal with something logically that we know so little about." This seems logical...but not the next statement one of them makes: if our Tony dies, then little Tony will die too. Why is that? Kirk says, "They're lives are interlocked." Lee Meriweather does a terrific job of delivering basic talk lines and making them dramatic here as she insists they have to get them both out. Ann watches the planes, "Too late...too late." A disturbing sequence. Tony and Doug watch the clock. A decoded message is picked up by the Japanese. Doug rocks his chair until it is back to back with Tony's. They untie each other. Tokyo's message is to kill them. Sumida, Okuno, and two others come in to do this and have a huge, well choreographed fight with Tony and Doug. The Japanese use knives. Tony kicks the fat Sumida and a barrel hits Tony (and Darren) on the head...this looks like it wasn't planned to happen that way as Darren grabs at his head but continues the fight. Doug flips one; Tony uses his karate on Sumida and another, Doug beats his two away, boxes fall all around Doug, his jacket off (it was taken off during the interrogation). Tony wraps the fat Sumida around the neck with cloth on the shelf and he and Doug run out. Sumida takes a long time pulling free. He follows them. Via phone, Mrs. Neal tells Tom at the Navy Base she sent the marine guard home since it is morning and everything is okay (oh, good move, Mrs. Neal, it is okay to cry and all but finding blood on the floor of your rug is hardly okay!). Tom tells Lt. Newman (who is still here?--he left really early from Mrs. Neal's party--if it was a party--sounds like the Robot from FLIGHT INTO THE FUTURE). Sorry. The report from the radar room has come in clear and Tom is going to take a break, as it is going to be a "nice, quiet peaceful Sunday morning like any other." Ann says, "It did happen." Jerry feels they should do something to help Tony and Doug. Kirk tells them, "We are looking back into time. All men have to live with their past--it can't be changed." If Doug and Tony were not a part of the events in the first place, Lt. Newman wouldn't have gone to the radio shack area and not have been killed---so if Kirk is right--they were always a part of this event in this way. Unless something else made him go. As Fitzhugh says in LAND OF THE GIANTS-THE UNSUSPECTED, "Brrrr, it's too puzzling!" Doug and Tony knock at Mrs. Neal's house and she lets them in, believing them to be friends. Doug tells her Yoku was a spy and won't be back. Mrs. Neal believes the story of the attack and realizes her husband's ship is headed right into the enemy fleet. Billy comes out and tells them Little Tony left the back way. Neal tells him they are going on a picnic up on the mountain. Doug mentions they only have 25 minutes. Neal and Billy get ready to leave. Tony and Doug try to think about where Little Tony night have gone...where he went...as Doug says, "Where you went." Tony thinks the garden. They run to it. The tunnel watches the planes in a good build up to the climax. Tony and Doug can't find Tony. There is only a few minutes. Doug tells him, "We can't leave without the boy...without you!" Tony tries but the shock of the bombing--it must have wiped out his memory but then he recalls...he went to warn his father. They run and catch up to the boy, Tony grabs him, telling him he will warn his father. "He's my father," the boy pleads. Tony tells him not to tell Billy about the attack--it will only scare him. He also tells the boy he can run faster and can warn his father. Doug arrives and Tony tells him to take the boy, Billy, and Mrs. Neal away. Soon, the four of them are running out of the house and down the streets as bombs fall. Billy thinks these are just maneuvers. The house is blown up. The foursome run as bombs fall, they pass a park and houses and finally get out of the main area. Doug tells her to watch the kids if she can. She tells him to go. He leaves them at the top of the mountain. He runs as battleships are sunk right in the harbor, fires spring up all around the water. Ships go into the bottom. Planes bomb Pearl Harbor as Tom Anderson heads to the Japanese consulate. Bombs rock the radio station. Tony runs past naval men, some run one way, others run the opposite, one bumps into Tony and doesn't hear him or answer him. A jeep comes by---Tom Anderson. Tony asks Tom about Lt. Newman. Tom tells him how to get to him and pulls off toward the consulate. A bomb lands close to Tony. A piece of flying wood hits him and he falls! On the mountain the boys and Mrs. Neal watch. People flee to the mountains, beach goers, sleepers just awaken, and families, all trying to leave the area of attack. Many do. Doug arrives at the consulate in order to help Tom arrest the Japanese men. He tells Anderson he has to get to the base. Tom tells him to take the Japanese's car and tosses him the keys. He leaves, thanking him. The tunnel sees Tony recover and get up. Jerry looks at the other three. Doug finds Tony amid smoke and running men. Ann orders, "Ready to transfer." The radio man calls for the Enterprize to turn back but he hasn't reached them yet. Bombs rain down on the radio room and the operator and Commander Newman fall and are both badly hurt. The operator is dead soon. The Commander checks him but then tires to use the radio but it is broken. He needs to fix it. The tunnel sees this and a bomb--a large missile shaped device of silver metal. Ann looks, thinking it is a dud. It is not--it has a delayed action fuse. Jerry scrambles to the controls and moves them. Ray and Ann try to stop him. Ann warns that if they send the bomb to another time zone as Jerry suggests, it could get innocent people killed. Jerry tells them to bring it here--he could disarm it--he knows how. Kirk orders Ann and Ray out. "No," Ann whispers. Ray stays to hold the fix on the bomb--90 seconds to hold it in the tunnel. Kirk helps Jerry and takes his jacket off. Kirk and Jerry go in and try to disarm it. Ray orders them out as he can't hold the timelock on the bomb any longer and it vanishes. Jerry and Kirk don't know for sure if they disarmed it. It reappears in the radio room remains. Tony and Doug arrive now. The Commander tells them about the Enterprize and he wants to do it--to warn them off. Tony and Doug fix the radio and the Commander calls the Enterprise and gets them. He warns them away from Pearl Harbor. They get the message this time. Tony and his father talk. The Commander asks, "You said you knew me a long time ago and you always remembered me." Tony cries and tells him his name to which the father answers, "I know you as well as I know my own son." Tony crying says, "I am your son." The father smiles, "It's good to know my little boy will survive." He dies and Tony cries some more. Doug after a bit tries to pull him away, "C'mon, there's nothing else we can do here." Tony eventually pulls himself out of it and he and Doug run out, Doug following him. There are planes overhead, ships on fire, bombs blowing up homes and ships, fires in the marina. They turn around and see the base blown up--nothing left. Tony figures that is why there was no word on his father. They walk among the wreckage. More bombs shake them. Ann and Kirk agree (!) on a transfer but the image drifts to Little Tony again. Ray tries a time lock. Soon, Tony and Doug vanish away from the blasts. CLIFFHANGER: Tony and Doug fly in the time vortex. The boys fly down. Tony seems to glide and tips head first over and over. As he recovers we hear second season VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA music. He finds himself in a forest with British soldiers firing rifles. He runs through the woods and finds a small camp sight. Equipment lies about but he takes some buckskins he finds and drinks some water the men who were at this camp had. Doug lands (quite a bit after Tony) on his back in some soft hay or grass. Tony runs from shots that rain about him (and now we hear first season VOYAGE music---the rest of the score is by Lyn Murray). Tony and Doug meet up and are glad to see each other. The actors do a good job in this scene and we feel their relief at seeing each other---in fact, the acting in this entire hour is top notch. The boys put on the buckskins. Tony tells Doug, "It looks like we've got ourselves caught in the middle of a battle." This wouldn't be the last time either. Doug wonders if it is southern United States. British soldiers chase them and Doug falls. When he turns over to get up, he is staring right at one of the British soldiers, who is behind a bush of some kind--pointing the rifle right at his head. NOTES: There is some proof that FDR knew the location and time that the Japanese were going to attack Pearl Harbor from reports received from Australia and others (possibly the Dutch or Norwegian ships) and from spies in Japan. Other warnings were sent to him but were ignored. He may have wanted the US to join the war and make it look like a sneak attack (which it really was) so that the American people would not waver as they had after WWI about becoming involved in foreign affairs. Despite all of this, the attack killed many of our soldiers and Navy men as they slept in their bunks, sending them to an icy death in the harbor they were stationed at. The Japanese were very definitely cold hearted fanatics. Also, their atrocities during the war rivaled that of the Nazi Germans and other evil people in the past. It should also be noted that the US had cut off trade with Japan just before all this--probably as early as 1938, which forced Japan, some say, to attack us. WWI and WII and indeed, most wars, are just messes, misunderstandings, rivalries, delusionsional people with ideas of power and killing...and this was just the beginning for the US. This episode is perhaps, the very best. It is certainly the most dramatic and rewarding in terms of human drama. All the actors are superb and likeable, with the exception of the Japanese villains. I felt sorry for Mrs. Neal, Ishiro's wife, Commander Newman, Billy, Little Tony, and all the others...they were characters we could care about. This made the action all the more valid and lively...and if you notice, there was only one fight scene and it was well handled. Linden Chiles was very good in the finale, despite waiting around for a couple of acts. Susan Flannery is always likeable and identifiable. Wouldn't Little Tony after he grew into big Tony, remember Doug and Tony warning his father and all? I suppose this was stopped by the memory loss thing. This story is almost unequaled in all the other Irwin Allen shows, including the other TIME TUNNELS. It is quite good and involving. Jerry appears here and that he really cares about doing something is a nice touch. Often, I almost forget Jerry is around at all and a few episodes that have him, I feel didn't since he didn't do much. He was a character that could added some more conflict among the older three members and himself. Ann and Kirk seemed to almost rival each other at times and in this and other episodes (WALLS OF JERICHO, THE GHOST OF NERO, THE DEATH MERCHANT) she is downright mutinous, at one point telling Kirk she won't let him do that or that--in DEATH MERCHANT it was shutting down Tony's signal. She wasn't going to let Kirk and Ray shut it down when they thought Tony was dead. Instead, her idea of a pulse burst, brought him back to life! The footage of the enemy fleet and the planes taking off came from actual footage of the Japanese navy from their point of view, used here for the first time. Other stock shots came from another movie about Pearl Harbor and fit in perfectly. VOYAGERS! Also had a Pearl Harbor episode-SNEAK ATTACK! This episode was originally to be titled THE DAY THE SKY FELL DOWN, which leads many who don't watch the actual episode (including people who write books about THE TIME TUNNEL) to think it is titled that.

Weaver named to Stopper of Year watch list Georgia junior Dean Weaver was one of 45 relief pitchers named to the midseason watch list for the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year Award on Thursday. Downtown work may tie up traffic Repair work on a downtown crosswalk may cause traffic problems at a busy intersection today. Board hears testimony in Oconee death penalty case Witnesses are meeting today with the state Board of Pardons and Paroles, urging the board to grant clemency for William Mark Mize before his execution later this month for a 1994 murder in Oconee County. UGA grad student found dead in apartment of apparent natural causes A 39-year-old doctoral student who recently returned from England died in his west Athens apartment this week and authorities don’t know why — though no one thinks foul play was involved. Police arrest two men in Wednesday home invasion Athens-Clarke police caught the two men they believe beat an Athens businessman in his bed early Wednesday in a home invasion robbery that netted the thugs just a few hundred dollars. Gym Dogs qualify for Super Six LINCOLN, Neb. – Despite a shaky start to its last rotation, top-ranked Georgia clinched a spot in the Super Six at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. Jon Richt chooses Mars Hill When weighing his college options, Jon Richt picked the football program that felt most like somewhere he’s already been. Jobless numbers level off in March Georgia’s unemployment rate held steady for March, the first time that’s happened in 20 months, according to state labor officials. Behind the scenes: Yoculan's final team meeting speech LINCOLN, Neb. - Suzanne Yoculan was stumped on what she would say to top-ranked Georgia in her final team meeting before the NCAA Championship on Friday afternoon. Jefferson man identified as crash victim The Clarke County coroner identified the man who died Saturday morning in a single-car wreck on Tallassee Road as 31-year-old Johnny F. Williams of Jefferson. Suspects identified in bank bag robbery Police arrested a man Wednesday and charged him with attacking a woman as she left a Westside supermarket to make a bank deposit April 6, Athens-Clarke police said. Woman assaulted near downtown A man sexually assaulted a student Wednesday night as she walked from downtown toward her home on North Avenue, Athens-Clarke police said. Tree-cutting machine falls off crooks' truck A $10,000 tree-cutting machine crashed to the pavement a few blocks west of where thieves stole it early Wednesday morning, but they still got away with $6,300 worth of tree service gear. Laptop, book bag taken from car Thieves entered a University of Georgia student's vehicle at the Delta Phi Epsilon sorority house, 1324 S. Lumpkin St., between 11:30 a.m. and noon Tuesday and stole a laptop computer, an iPod, a cell phone, a wallet, credit cards and a book bag with a total value of $1,306, UGA police said. Water leak leads to man's stabbing Officers arrested a homeless man Wednesday for allegedly stabbing another man during a tussle at 537 Odd St., Athens-Clarke police said. Three men arrested during drug raid Officers searched a home at 253 Whisperwood Lane on Tuesday afternoon and arrested three residents on drug charges, Athens-Clarke police said. Agents arrest man on drug, gun charges Agents with the Gainesville-Hall County Gang Task Force and Multi Agency Narcotics Squad arrested an Athens man Thursday as part of an ongoing drug investigation. Trailers taken from area businesses Thieves made off with a trailer and back hoe with a total value of more than $45,000 from Bona Fide Construction & Renovation, 895 Oglethorpe Ave., between 11 p.m. Tuesday and 6 p.m. Wednesday, police said. A 20-foot trailer loaded with 20 event tents, altogether worth $10,000, also went missing from Terrapin Beer Co., 265 Newton Bridge Road, between 9 p.m. April 10 and 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, police said. Saws taken from workman's pickup A Cleveland Road man reported equipment valued at $1,260 was stolen from outside a doctor's office in the 700 block of Sunset Drive while he was working there at about 11 a.m., Athens-Clarke police said. Richt's son picks Mars Hill When weighing his college options, Jon Richt picked the football program that felt most like somewhere he's already been. UGA lettermen receive honors Two former Georgia football players who still live in the Athens area are the recipients of recent honors. Full Hands: Gym Dogs, Yoculan claim 10th title Now they have one for the other thumb. The No. 1-ranked Georgia gymnastics team won the program's 10th national title, its fifth in a row, to send Coach Suzanne Yoculan into retirement as a champion once again. Kupets ready for one last title push LINCOLN, Neb. - Three weeks ago, Courtney Kupets' heart wasn't in it. The two-time NCAA all-around champion was mentally and physically spent. Notebook: Coaches think counterpart is feeling the pressure LINCOLN, Neb. - Before the NCAA Championship began, there was already a disagreement between coaches. Gym Dogs secure spot in Super Six LINCOLN, Neb. - For a few moments, Suzanne Yoculan thought she saw glimpses of the Southeastern Conference Championship meet. Behind the scenes: Yoculan's final team meeting speech LINCOLN, Neb. - Suzanne Yoculan was stumped on what she would say to top-ranked Georgia in her final team meeting before the NCAA Championship on Friday afternoon. Kupets a national champion Courtney Kupets captured her third NCAA all-around title on Thursday afternoon. The 2004 U.S. Olympian has never lost in the all-around at the NCAA Championship. Last season, she didn't compete due to an Achilles tendon tear she sustained in March of 2008. Notebook: Tolnay comes through LINCOLN, Neb. - It's days like these that Tiffany Tolnay is glad she didn't hang up her leotard. Kay Beal: Story missed tea party numbers The Banner-Herald needs some training in crowd estimation. To report that the crowd at the tax day tea party at Oconee Veterans Park was about 150 people is a gross "misunderestimation." (Story, "Area conservatives join nationwide protests to slam Obama, Congress/Big spending not their cup of tea," Thursday). Michael Williams: GOP is problem, not solution The Boston Tea Party was based on taxation without representation. We have representation, it's just that Republicans seem to be having trouble accepting the fact America rejected their ideology in the last election. Rick Fiala: 'Tea parties' weren't 'grassroots' The tagline for a Tuesday opinion piece on this week's tax protest "tea parties" by former U.S. House member Dick Armey describes Armey's FreedomWorks as a "national grassroots organization." It is no such thing. Russell James Edwards: Republicans are out of ideas The tea-bag parties scheduled across the country came as no surprise. The national Republican Party has run out of constructive ideas. Jeff Snowden: Corporations not hurting families A Tuesday letter to the editor, "Economy can tear apart families," tries to lay the ills of family fragmentation at the feet of supposedly greedy corporations. Steven Fitscher: 'Tired of left-wing whiners' In his Wednesday column, "Broun should swap the microphone for his stethoscope," Bill Shipp criticizes Congressman Paul Broun and two other physicians who are Georgia congressmen because they're taking a stand against the liberal push for the demise of a republic as we know it. Don Schultz: Attend church, handle problems At the recent annual Holmes-Hunter Lecture at the University of Georgia, Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Leah Ward Sears emphasized the problems of children born out of wedlock and those raised in households of divorce (Story, "As family bonds rip, state's top justice sees crisis," Friday). Don Marchildon: Right-wingers aren't enemies On Sept. 11, 2001, as I came home from church and turned on the television, I saw one of the World Trade Center towers consumed in raging flames. As I stared in disbelief, a second airliner crashed into the second tower, causing it to erupt in flames. I sat in horror, with tears in my eyes, as I saw the bodies of human beings plunging from the buildings. I watched these buildings crumble into a great pile of dust. Kathy Rohs: Post Office enables late tax filers Each year, the deadline for filing income tax returns is April 15, unless that date falls on a weekend. Each year, post offices across the country stay open until midnight on April 15 so that those who wait until the last minute to file their returns can have them postmarked by the deadline. Camp: Easter brings focus to hope It is natural for human beings to have fear, and fear is intensified in times like now, when economic problems force us to face harsh realities. Easter invites us to deal with real dangers with faith rather than fear. Athens collective remixes recordings from Indonesia Silence is one of those concepts you have to think about. The absence of sound. We don't experience real soundlessness often, even when we're alone, at rest. There's the low drone of the heat, maybe, the steady whish of our breath, a song on replay in our mind. 20 fabulous years of balls As one of Athens' favorite annual fundraisers, the Boybutante Ball has become an "event of the season" in its 20-year existence. 'White Flag' release party benefits camp It's appropriate that Madeline's CD release show at the 40 Watt is a benefit for Camp Amped, the summer camp sponsored by Nu i's Space that pairs teenagers with local musicians. Sherlock takes stage in Town and Gown play His fictional profile alone is synonymous with "detective." Who else smokes a shapely pipe, flashes a magnifying glass and tops his head with a deerstalker cap? Whose intellect is sharper or disguises more cunning? And who enjoys matching wits with criminals more than anything in life? Fowl film beats 'Idol' I can't possibly be the only person in America who doesn't care for "American Idol." To me, it's like a less creative version of "The Gong Show." If there's anything praiseworthy about "Idol," it's the brave souls who put themselves out there to have their singing abilities judged not only by a panel of washed-out celebrities, but by the entire country. What these performers do takes a lot of guts, and I will be the first one to give them respect for that. Bradbury's future becomes multimedia opus There's a war about to happen, but no one notices, distracted by a constant stream of visual clatter from wall-sized television screens and noise pumped into ever-present earbuds. Tongue-in-cheek twists on classic fairy tale In the cast list, John Vance is called "storyteller." But it may seem like he's doubling for comedic actor/director Mel Brooks when Vance guides the action on the Seney-Stovall stage Friday and Saturday. Seeking out talent to combat cancer "Athens Most Talented," a talent show benefiting the Friends Helping Friends project to combat childhood cancer, will be held at Athens Creative Theatre at 4 p.m. Saturday. 'Perchance To Dream,' 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 6 p.m. Sunday; Canopy After pirates board ship, battle of wits for control OXON HILL, Md. - "If I die I'm going to take someone else with me," one seaman vowed, grabbing a knife as alarms pierced the Maersk Alabama and pirates with assault weapons clambered aboard. Pirates vow they will 'slaughter' U.S. crews MOMBASA, Kenya - A pirate gang that staged an abortive attack on a second U.S. ship loaded with food aid said Wednesday they were singling out American vessels and would kill their crews. French forces detained 11 other hijackers in a high-seas raid. Billions going to mortgage firms WASHINGTON - The Obama administration Wednesday named the first six companies participating in a $75 billion program designed to help millions of struggling homeowners avoid foreclosure. 'Czar''s new realm: Mexican border EL PASO, Texas - A former Justice Department official who led a 1990s crackdown on illegal border crossings was named to the new U.S. post of "border czar" Wednesday to oversee efforts to end drug-cartel violence along the U.S.-Mexico border and to slow the tide of illegal immigration. Obama: Time to get going on rail system WASHINGTON - President Obama on Thursday outlined plans for a high-speed rail network he said would change the way Americans travel, drawing comparisons to the 1950s creation of the interstate highway system. Obama vows help in fighting cartels MEXICO CITY - Confronting a security threat on America's doorstep, President Obama pledged Thursday in Mexico to help a deeply troubled neighbor in its battle against drugs and violence, including action to slow the dangerous flow of weapons from the United States. Mexico shootout leaves 16 dead MEXICO CITY - A shootout between Mexican troops and a convoy of gunmen left 15 assailants and one soldier dead hours before President Obama arrived in the country to show his support for the fight against drug cartels. After saving water, a higher bill? Athens residents will see higher water bills this summer if the Athens-Clarke Commission approves a proposed double-digit rate hike. Area conservatives join nationwide protests to slam Obama, Congress WATKINSVILLE - Delane and Linda Borron, a retired Bogart couple, had never been to a protest before Wednesday. But they're so concerned about taxes and recent spikes in federal spending that they joined more than 150 others - and thousands of conservatives at similar events throughout the country - for an anti-tax "tea party" rally at Oconee Veterans Park. Man beaten in bed Armed robbers kicked in a Clarke County businessman's door early Wednesday, beat him in his own bed and made off with a few hundred dollars. Break in murder case as body identified Georgia Bureau of Investigation agents identified Wednesday the man whose remains were found in November behind a vacant house east of Winder. Thieves favoring flat TVs - pricey and light Flatscreen TVs are so popular they are flying off the shelves - and off the living room wall and home entertainment center, too. Police hot on trail of federal grants Nearly every law enforcement agency in Northeast Georgia is hoping to snag a piece of $1 billion in federal grants that will pay new officers for three years. Cramming to graduate: Those a few credits shy get a push Austin Wynn has had his cap and gown stored in his closet for two weeks, confident that he'll finally get the chance to wear it come May 20. Lure of Athens may entice med students ATLANTA - When the Medical College of Georgia opens a satellite campus at the University of Georgia 16 months from now, the future doctors applying to attend will be asked where they prefer to study: Athens or Augusta. Cagle out of governor's race, cites spinal condition ATLANTA - Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle fought back tears Wednesday as he reluctantly dropped out of the race for governor, saying he has a degenerative spine condition that will require surgery. Thomson man indicted in attempted carjacking A Clarke County grand jury has indicted a Thomson man on charges he assaulted a Winterville woman during an attempted carjacking last month at a Westside shopping center. Broun's son charged with drug possession U.S. Rep. Paul Broun's son was arrested and charged with drug possession early Saturday morning at a party in Athens, six months after he was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol in Oconee County. Attorneys present clemency case for white supremacist on death row The state parole board heard Thursday from representatives of condemned Oconee County killer William Mark Mize and could rule next week on clemency in his case. Seniors advised on living wills People should plan for death as well as life. For first time, group doles out grants to 11 nonprofits The Athens Area Community Foundation has awarded its first-ever round of grants, dividing $25,000 among 11 local nonprofits. Doctoral student dies in apartment A 39-year-old doctoral student who recently returned from England died in his West Athens apartment this week, and authorities don't know why - though no one thinks foul play was involved. GreenFest awards handed out today The fifth annual GreenFest Environmental Awards Ceremony will be held at 6:30 p.m. today at the Terrapin Beer Co., 265 Newton Bridge Road. Relapse forces Ferraro to cancel Former vice presidential candidate Geraldine Ferraro canceled an appearance at a Georgia Club fundraiser today because of health problems. Oconee State hosts savings event at bank Oconee State Bank will host a "Savings Safari" from 9:30 a.m. to noon Saturday to celebrate National Teach Children to Save Day. The event will take place at the bank's main office on Main Street in downtown Watkinsville. Hyundai dealership closes up shop Workers drove away the last of the cars at Hyundai of Athens on Wednesday afternoon, as the automobile dealership - a victim of the economic recession - prepared to close, owner Andy Gill said. Governor candidate expected at Oconee social The Oconee County Democrats will hold a "Gubernatorial Ice Cream Social" from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday featuring candidate David Poythress. Arcade withdraws from Quad Cities Arcade City Council voted Monday to sever its ties with the Quad Cities Planning and Development Board, the body formed in 2003 to handle zoning and development matters for Jefferson, Talmo, Arcade and Pendergrass. Jobless rate holds steady for once Georgia's unemployment rate held steady for March, the first time that's happened in 20 months, according to state labor officials. Editorial: Grants show anti-poverty effort's potential There's no need to wonder any longer whether the OneAthens anti-poverty initiative, which came to life three years ago as Partners for a Prosperous Athens, has real potential to address Athens-Clarke County's 31 percent poverty rate. Editorial: Oconee has work to do on drug-testing policy The first clue for the Oconee County Board of Education that it might not want to establish a drug-testing policy for some high school students is the fact that it takes three single-spaced typewritten pages to delineate that policy. Legislature delivers on issues that matter to state residents Whoever decided to constitutionally limit the General Assembly as a citizen-led, part-time legislature was indeed a wise person. Those who hang around the Capitol too long have a distorted view of what really matters to Georgians. Shields: Washington needs to get backbone on assault weapons More members of Congress today, by a large margin, have more college and graduate degrees than members did 20 years ago. The current members are generally more media savvy and more socially polished than their often rough-edged predecessors. Byrom named as coach at North Oconee After spending a year in South Georgia, Donnie Byrom wanted to return to his roots. That "desire became reality when North Oconee High School announced his hiring as the head girls basketball coach on Wednesday. Big fifth inning sends Dragons to key victory BOGART - The first half of Wednesday's game between North Oconee and Jefferson closely resembled the two teams' last couple of encounters - close, low-scoring affairs not decided until the final at-bat. Roundup: Titans secure area crown BOGART - North Oconee goalkeeper Ashley Lauderdale recorded eight saves in regulation and stopped two penalty kicks in overtime Wednesday as the Lady Titans defeated Athens Academy 2-1 (3-1 PK) to win the Area 16-AA/A title. It was North Oconee's first-ever area championship and its first victory over the Lady Spartans. Roundup: Hicks' 10 RBIs drive Titans HOMER - Taylor Hicks wore out the baseball with five hits as North Oconee clinched second place in the Region 8-AA South Subregion with a 18-2 thrashing of Banks County. No-maintenance living in Oconee County Oconee County's serene Triple Creek neighborhood features the best in beautifully finished patio homes. Beautiful brick and hardiplank exteriors partnered with full landscaping services make Triple Creek the low-maintenance living option that you've been looking for. 1091 Timarron Trail - Watkinsville Large Home with Wow Factor Custom shower curtains create tile match Have you noticed that the newest luxury area in a home is the bathroom? In new homes, baths are often huge, having both full showers and jet tubs. 100 Ansonborough Lane The Best Townhouse in Ansonborough 1151 Oconee Crossing Circle Buyers looking for spacious living in an upscale Oconee County swimming community will love this immaculate home in Oconee Crossing. Hardwood floors throughout! Buyers looking for exceptional value on a spacious brick home with hardwood floors throughout will love this four-bedroom home located in the Olde Lexington Gardens neighborhood of eastside Athens. 150-year-old home with daylight apartment! Located on the edge of downtown and only three blocks from The University of Georgia, this 150-year-old home on Finley Street is the perfect fit for buyers seeking an authentic Athens experience. Luxurious Southern-style living! For buyers seeking a distinctive Southern lifestyle in a premier golfing community, this home in The Georgia Club’s North Hill neighborhood is a best bet. 1100 Rowan Oak Circle For exceptional value in luxury living, look no further than this five-bedroom beauty located in the exclusive Rowan Oak swim/tennis community. 1312 Hedgerow Lane Buyers seeking exceptional value on new construction in Oconee County must see the Village Homes at Meadow Springs. Search for Homes for Sale and Real Estate for sale across our Network mdRealtyPro + Morris newspapers = the most comprehensive home search across our Morris Newspaper Areas. Blackmon Shoals "Your Hometown Village" Priced from the $160's, the homes at Blackmon Shoals represent a buyer's best value in quality construction with a premium location. Buyer's incentives on seven available homes mean even more for your money. Big, colorful flowers aren't that hard to grow If you're a first time homeowner, listen up. If you think you can't grow fabulous flowers, read on. If past failures have made you throw your hands up and retreat from gardening in general, get ready to rumble. There's a secret to great big bold flowers. 1151 Rocky Branch Farm Drive Buyers looking for spacious living in an upscale Oconee County neighborhood will love this five-bedroom home with a finished basement that includes a full kitchen. 1520 Cleveland Road Homeowners wanting a woodland retreat loaded with amenities and only minutes from shopping and dining in Athens must see this custom-built Lindal cedar home beautifully situated on 19 acres. In the heart of the fastest growing area of Madison County is the area's newest subdivision, Hannah Heights. Drive out and take a look at these new "Everything Included" Craftsman-style homes. 855 Parkview Drive Buyers looking for an authentic Victorian home with artisan appeal will love this Queen Anne-style estate privately located on 5.5 scenic acres. Athens Area Association of REALTORS® PR Committee Offers Support to the Athens Area Homeless Shelter The Athens Area Association of REALTORS (AAAR) believes in giving back to the community. In that spirit, the AAAR Public Relations Committee has arranged for the AAAR members to provide regularly scheduled dinners to residents at the Athens Homeless Shelter throughout 2008. Athens Chapter of WCR Installs its 2009 Officers The Athens Chapter of Women's Council of REALTORS® (WCR) installed its 2009 Line Officers at their Holiday Luncheon held December 11th at Carrabba's Italian Grill. Athens Area Association of REALTORS® Donates Infant Care Items To Help Children in Need In an effort to give back to the community, the Athens Area Association of REALTORS® (AAAR) organized an Infant Care Drive during the month of November. Matt Thomas & Atlas Sponsor Holiday Food/Toy Drive Matt Thomas, principal and licensed Realtor with Atlas Real Estate Advisors, is hosting a food/toy drive and pics with Santa at his holiday open house on Sunday December 14th from noon until 5pm at MadiSun Park Subdivision in Danielsville, GA. Cindy Karp Realty Agents Attend GRI-1 Cindy Karp, the Broker of Cindy Karp Realty is proud to announce that John Morrison , Associate Broker and Jason Clemmons both completed GRI-1.Having earned that designation herself many years ago, she understands the importance of this program and actively supports the completion of this designation. ATHENS AREA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORSKICKS OFF CELL PHONES FOR SOLDIERS COLLECTION DRIVE The Athens Area Association of REALTORS(AAAR) is holding a drive to benefit Cell Phones for Soldiers. The charity uses monies from the sale of the collected cell phones to purchase calling cards for soldiers. Jeri Stephens has successfully completed the Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES) designation. Through the required education courses, designees learn how to lead senior clients, who are aged 55 and older, through real estate transactions. Kelly Lyn Beasley Kelly Lyn Beasley is proud to announce her recent affiliation with Chastain... Athens Area Association of REALTORS® MEMBERS ATTEND NATIONAL CONVENTION The National Association of REALTORS® held its Annual Conference and Expo November 5 – 10 in Orlando, Florida. REALTORS® had the opportunity to attend a wide variety of continuing education courses, programs, committee meetings, and the trade show. Athens Area Association of REALTORSCelebrates 50TH Anniversary 2008 marks the 50th anniversary for the Athens Area Association of REALTORS Inc. Celebrating five decades which began with 21 founding members representing 14 firms, the organization will hold a commemorative event on August 15th. Local Real Estate Firms Announce Merger Plans Athens, GA - Local real estate firms ERA Classic City Realty and ERA United Realty of Atlanta have announced plans to merge operations, effective January 21, 2009. The combined firm will conduct business as ERA United Realty with offices located in Athens, Roswell, Marietta, Tucker, Conyers and Newnan. Athens Area Homeless Shelter 5th Annual Harvest for the Homeless The Athens Area Homeless Shelter will hold its Fifth Annual Harvest for the Homeless tonight, Sunday November 23, 2008, at the Foundry Park Inn Ballroom from 5 pm until 7:30 pm. The evening's events include a Silent Auction, an Acoustic performance by The Modern Skirts, Hors d'oeuvres, Cash Bar and our Grand Prize drawing for 52 gift certificates to local restaurants! Prudential Blanton Properties' REALTORS® Attend GRI Heather McElroy, Connie McMillan, Ivey Adams, and Chad Clark of Prudential Blanton Properties all recently attended the "Graduate REALTOR® Institute" (GRI) program. These REALTORS® will soon join other top producers in the residential real estate industry who hold the designation across the nation. Athens Area Association of REALTORS® Present Fundraising Proceeds to Local Fire Departments The Athens Area Association of REALTORS® (AAAR) raised approx. $6,500 for the Georgia Firefighters Burn Foundation (GFBF) through Family Fun Day: REALTORS® Help Heal The Burns held October 6, 2008. Who Are the Seniors Real Estate Specialists®? Elizabeth Thurmond has successfully completed the education program and has received the Seniors Real Estate Specialists® designation. SRES® are REALTORS® qualified to address the needs of home buyers and sellers age 50+. Athens Area Association of REALTORS® Sponsors Toy Drive The Athens Area Association of REALTORS® (AAAR) is holding a Toy Drive through December 16, 2008 to benefit Toys For Tots. The Athens Area Association of REALTORS® has supported the Toys for Tots Program for many years. Susan Mosley's 1311 Victoria Road listing was incorrectly priced in the December 14th edition of HomeFront, located on page 12. The correct price is $289,900. We apologize for this misprint. MICHAEL SEGER OF SEGER REALTY, INC. NAMED ONE OF AMERICA'S TOP 200 REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONALS IN RANKING SPONSORED BY THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, REAL TRENDS AND LORE MAGAZINE Michael Seger, From Watkinsville, GA, Had an Impressive 343 Transaction sides in 2007 on his Way to Becoming One of the Athens Area's Top Real Estate Professionals. JAMES R. "RANDY" FLANIGAN JOINS COLDWELL BANKER UPCHURCH REALTY Randy Flanigan has joined Coldwell Banker Upchurch Realty as a licensed REALTOR®, per Charles L. Upchurch, III, President and Broker. Realtors® Tell Congress Increased Housing Demand Will Stabilize the Market WASHINGTON, November 18, 2008 - In a statement to the House Financial Services Committee today, the National Association of Realtors® recommended a four-point plan to stimulate home sales and stabilize housing valuations. UGA softball splits with Mississippi State The No. 6 Georgia softball team split a pair of Southeastern Conference games with visiting Mississippi State Wednesday, winning the opener 10-0 in five innings and losing the second game 3-1 in 10 innings. ARFC pro-am gives up-close glimpse into player's routine BOGART - He mashed range balls into the rising sun, on a sliver of real estate that was illuminated only by three spotlights. It's 6:45 a.m., and the temperature is so brisk that the dozen golfers - pros, hacks and the dreaded others - are bundled in their warmup jackets and winter gear. ARFC: Kisner in mix after first round BOGART - Call it the Brendon Todd phenomenon: These sponsor's exemptions believe they can win. Teeing it up with Brian Stuard Brian Stuard stood on the 18th tee Thursday at Jennings Mill Country Club at 2 under, four strokes behind clubhouse leader Rich Barcelo. But after a pushed tee shot, a pulled approach into the water and two putts from the front of the green, Stuard finished at even-par 72. Less negative thinking pays off for Sim BOGART - Professional golfers have plenty of time to think while in the middle of a round. For some, that's a good thing. Notebook: Webb lucks out with late tee time BOGART - After a marathon morning Thursday, Brennan Webb actually considered himself lucky. ARFC field set after qualifying BOGART - It took two days and two playoffs, but the field for the Athens Regional Foundation Classic is finally set. Victory in the bag two years in a row BOGART - If history is to repeat itself this weekend at Jennings Mill Country Club, Craig Kanada will be the winner of the fourth Athens Regional Foundation Classic. NHRA: Schumacher adapting to new chief COMMERCE - Tony Schumacher has more career wins, championships and finals appearances than any other driver in the history of NHRA Top Fuel drag racing. Those accolades make it all the more strange that many in the racing world consider him an underdog this season. Hawks drop finale MEMPHIS, Tenn. - O.J. Mayo scored 26 points and Rudy Gay added 20 to lead the Memphis Grizzlies to a 98-90 victory over a group of the playoff-bound Atlanta Hawks reserves on Wednesday. Gwinnett Braves set to open new ballpark LAWRENCEVILLE - Tonight, the sound of ash smacking cowhide will finally echo across Gwinnett when minor league baseball officially arrives in Lawrenceville. Braves bullpen woes continue ATLANTA - Hayden Penn earned his first win in four years by focusing on a simple rule: Throw strikes. Indians spoil Yankees' fun NEW YORK - Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and other stars from the New York Yankees' famous pinstriped past would have been embarrassed. Fish sweep Braves ATLANTA - Cody Ross and his Florida Marlins teammates aren't shocked to have the best record in the majors. Garnett may miss entire playoffs WALTHAM, Mass. - The Big Three is down to Two. Gwinnett Braves fall in 13 innings DURHAM, N.C. - Durham designated hitter Adam Kennedy blasted a two-run home run off Manny Acosta in the bottom of the 13th inning to lift the Bulls to a 5-3 win against Gwinnett on Wednesday. Growing pains: Logano learns as he goes Joe Gibbs did his best to enjoy a rare off week during NASCAR's grueling Sprint Cup season, playing the role of genial host along with wife Pat during his family's annual Easter egg party at their North Carolina home. Stopping D-Wade Hawks' top priority ATLANTA - As the Atlanta Hawks wrapped up their first practice of a new season, Mike Woodson implored his team to take advantage of this once-in-a-decade opportunity. Kobe, LeBron looking for better ending this time When Kobe Bryant was last seen in the playoffs, he was hopeless and helpless as his Los Angeles Lakers were being run over in Boston in Game 6 of the NBA finals. Cejka leads at Verizon Heritage HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. - Alex Cejka wants to stay healthy this season. Playing his best golf wouldn't hurt, either. Madden stepping away from broadcast booth NEW YORK - John Madden is retiring from football announcing, where his enthusiastic, down-to-earth style made him one of sports' most popular broadcasters for three decades. Armstrong will compete in Giro despite recent surgery MILAN - Lance Armstrong has told organizers that he will race in the Giro d'Italia. Athens Pirates baseball club offers online camp registration The Athens Pirates baseball club is offering eight sessions for summer camp. The camps run Monday through Thursday and will begin on June 1. Tuition up, but it may save jobs The University of Georgia may be able to avoid layoffs or furloughs next year after the University System Board of Regents approved a tuition increase and extension of an emergency student fee. Back in Athens, UGA rodeo wowing greater numbers of fans Every spring for 35 years, dozens of professional cowboys have converged on Athens for Northeast Georgia's premier rodeo event: the Great Southland Stampede Rodeo. "This is it," said Jake Willcox, former chairman of the rodeo committee. "In North Georgia, this is the event." UGA environmental safety director appointed The University of Georgia on Thursday named John McCollum of Watkinsville, a long-term manager in the state Environmental Protection Division, to lead UGA's Environmental Safety Division. Lady Bulldogs add three to roster Guard Angie Criner and forward Ebony Jones signed letters of intent to join Georgia's women's basketball program on Wednesday, the first day of the NCAA's spring signing period. Athens Banner-Herald ©2013. All Rights Reserved.

When I was a child, my father would read out stories to me while I prepared to sleep. On one of those nights, once all the books on our shelves had been read, he told me a story of his own. He told me that in a land not far from ours, there existed an ancient street. It was an enchanted street, where knowledgeable men lived and trains ran on electricity. But what was most magical was that this street was made of books. This was a true story, he told me. I believed him then, and for many nights continued to dream of it. But with time, as always happens, I began to regard it as nothing more than a childhood fantasy. Years later, when I was a student of St Xavier’s College in Kolkata, and the number of books needed for college far exceeded the money I had at my disposal, my seniors offered me a solution. They walked me from Park Street to a part of Kolkata I had never been to. As we made our way, the world around us started to change. The large roads shrunk into narrow ones. Modern buildings of glass and concrete gave way to crumbling structures with wooden window slats. By the time the tram lines emerged, and we reached what my seniors called ‘boi-para’ (book mart), I realised that my father’s bedtime story was no fantasy. It was real. It was called College Street and I was on it. Few paved roads must be like College Street. Both sides of the street are devoted to books. In between runs ordinary life. Some booksellers operate stores in varied states of dilapidation. For others, a patch of pavement is enough. The number of colleges—the likes of Presidency College, Sanskrit College, Scottish Church College, Bethune College, Medical College and the Indian Institute of Social Welfare and Business Management—in this area gives the street its name. But the most iconic structure here is the Coffee House, whose patrons once included the superstars of Bengali intelligentsia: Rabindranath Tagore, Subhash Chandra Bose, Satyajit Ray and Amartya Sen, among others. The café serves no beverage but coffee, and has signs that prohibit smoking and ask customers not to occupy tables for long. But of course everyone smokes. And of course everyone occupies tables for long periods. People read entire novels over a single cup of coffee that costs no more than Rs 8. The Coffee House has something called the Voice Of Kolkata, a large wall meant for graffiti. You can spot a fresh message critical of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee almost every day. In other parts of Kolkata, critics of the CM might get picked up by the cops, but here, nobody seems to fear any such outcome. These messages are never wiped off. The next day, a new one appears beside the old. But the identity of College Street, an idyll of literature, academic knowledge and debate, is under threat. Just a 15-minute walk away from the Coffee House, the blueprint of the street is being rewritten. A giant mall—125,000 sq ft in size, seven storeys in height, and with two roads running through it—is being constructed. Around 75 per cent of the superstructure has been completed. The mall is scheduled to throw open its doors in a couple of years, and College Street could change forever. The only consolation is that books will be an important aspect of the complex, touted as India’s first ever ‘book mall’. It’s even named after Barnaparichay, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar’s primer on the Bengali alphabet and perhaps every Bengali’s initiation into the script. Naturally, the entire mall won’t sell books. A sizeable section will house bookstores and offices of publishing companies. According to Bengal Shelter Housing Development Ltd (BSHDL) and Kolkata Municipal Corporation, the project’s developers, at least half the mall’s first five floors will be offered at subsidised rates to booksellers and publishers. As can be expected, those that have shown interest so far include large chains like Oxford and Landmark. A small number of local bookstores from College Street have booked spots too. Apart from that, the mall will be like any other. Among those that have booked space here is Adlabs, which will operate a five-screen multiplex on the topmost floor. The small tenements that existed at the location before construction began are being rehabilitated in the basement and ground floor of the mall. The mall’s developers make no bones about placing the needs of the present over sentimentality. “We cannot continue living in nostalgia,” says Sankalan Datta, deputy general manager, marketing, BSHDL, making a point of keeping up with the times. The group also wants to redevelop the entire book bazaar of College Street. It had submitted such a plan to the previous state government, says Datta, and had been told that the proposal would be considered after the mall’s completion. Datta is very familiar with the locality. A resident of Bidhan Sarani, very close to College Street, the 30-year-old is the nephew of BSHDL’s Managing Director Samar Nag. “I understand this is a landmark area,” Datta says, sitting in his office at Salt Lake, nattily dressed in a silk shirt and cream trousers, “But this mall is a good thing. I don’t understand why some residents are so sceptical of it. They need to come out of the woodwork and see the world around.” The developers claim that to maintain the old-worldliness of the area, pavement booksellers will be allowed to sell books in the mall for a few hours every Sunday. “We will change the book-reading culture of Kolkata,” says Datta, “And forget College Street, this is going to be north Kolkata’s most happening destination.” But not everyone in the ‘woodwork’ is enthused. On one of the lanes of the locality lives a retired Bengali school teacher with a unique passion. For the last 40 years, Sandip Dutta, 61, has been collecting ‘little magazines’: publications that carry characteristically anti-establishment writings that have always found a ready audience at College Street. He runs a library, Gabeshana Kendra, where he has over 60,000 such magazines available. Ask him what he makes of the mall, and he responds with a pun on the word: “In Bengali, ‘mall’ means ‘shit’. Malls sell clothes, vegetables and shoes. They will have loud music, and perhaps even a cinema hall. Now tell me, is that a place for books?” Dutta, who dyes his hair black but retains the grey of his sidelocks and beard, lives in a small two-storeyed building. If the top floor is crowded with family—it houses him, his wife, son and mother, along with his brother, sister-in-law and their son—the floor below, dedicated to his library, seems ready to burst with little magazines. The bookshelves have long filled up. Stacked atop one another, the magazines now touch the ceiling. The benches where the library’s members—62 life members, 150 yearly members—sit have been drawn up to make space for more, and his computer has to make do with a small part of the desk, the rest of which is piled with magazines. Among other precious works, Dutta has a copy of Bangla Darshan (1865), a little magazine edited by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, and Narayan Patrika (1916) by Chittranjan Das. Dutta earnestly started collecting such publications in 1972, when he was in his final year of college. “I had gone to the National Library [in Kolkata],” he says, “and was told that the little magazines there would soon be discarded because very few people were interested in them.” Within a few months, Dutta collected around 750 such magazines, and as a mark of protest against the library’s decision, put them on public display at a three-day exhibition he held. Collecting them became a passion. He would maintain piggybanks—which he named his ‘Threepenny Opera’ after his favourite film, a 1931 German critique of capitalism—that would be broken only at the end of a year, and that too only for the purchase of little magazines. “Once, my wife told me she would throw out the magazines,” Dutta says, “My son has called me a ‘mad man’ on a couple of occasions. He is 28 and rarely speaks with me. I regret having not spent much time with them. But what can I do? I have dedicated my life to this,” he says, pointing to the library. His family was a source of some heartache, he says, but otherwise he was in the happiest phase of his life until he heard of the mall. “I retired last year,” he says, “I now have the entire day for my little magazines. But I don’t know how long this will last. Won’t this mall change everything?” There are, however, also those who are looking forward to the mall. In fact, the owner of the oldest bookstore in the area, Arabinda Dasgupta of Dasgupta & Co, is very excited by the prospect and has booked a spot in the mall for his bookstore. “We need to [move] with the times. Not get stuck with it,” says the 60-year-old, with spines of colourful books stacked behind his chair on creaky old bookshelves. Apart from the grey around the nape of his neck and his ears, he doesn’t have a strand of hair. As he speaks, his eyes bulging forth through his minus-10 power glasses—which he attributes to a life of reading—he cuts a baronial figure. Dasgupta lives with 25 family members in an old three-storeyed building in Beleghata with 22 rooms. The eldest member of the family is Dasgupta’s aunt. She is so old that nobody remembers her age. But she remains assertive and opinionated. She rebuked Dasgupta for wanting to open a store in the mall. “[But] I told her, ‘Your time was different’. In this age, I fight not just pirated booksellers, but also the likes of Flipkart,” Dasgupta says. Dasgupta & Co was started in 1886 by Dasgupta’s great grandfather Girishe Chandra Dasgupta. Back then, few bookstores existed here, even if the area’s many colleges and students held portents of promise. On one of the walls of the store hangs a framed Certificate of Ownership. But it is so covered with soot that nothing beyond its glass casing is visible. Over the years, other shops folded up and hawkers arrived, but this bookstore kept running. “My great-grandfather was a visionary,” Dasgupta says, “He came to Kolkata from what is now Bangladesh with an intention of doing something with academics. That’s when he thought, ‘What better than a bookstore?’” Apart from Sundays and national holidays, the shop is never shut. Even when much of the shop was gutted by a fire one Sunday night in August 2004, it opened its shutters the following day. “The fire took away [the electricity] and many books, but not our hearts,” Dasgupta says. It took 15 days for electricity to be restored. But Dasgupta and his employees stuck to their routine, working till 7 pm. When it got dark in the evenings, they worked in candlelight. “I love books,” says Dasgupta, “I love them even more than my wife.” Sadly, the bookstore now finds itself perched a little too precariously. For the first time, after four generations, it’s not clear who will run the shop once Dasgupta and his brothers call it a day. All his brothers’ children are settled in the US and Japan. Some are doctors and others infotech engineers. Dasgupta’s only child, his 25-year-old daughter Ria Dasgupta, is moving to Mumbai to pursue an MBA degree. “I hope my daughter will carry this store forward. But she wants a corporate job. I can’t blame her, there is much money there. But I have told her she won’t get the honour and recognition her forefathers got. Let’s wait and see if she has a change of heart. It is, after all, a Dasgupta heart,” he says, with a laugh. As I walk out of Dasgupta & Co, I wonder if a College Street story could get any more interesting—until I bump into Sabitendranath Ray. If there were ever to be a Grand Old Man of College Street, it would be him. Fondly called Bhanubabu, he is the managing director of Mitra & Ghosh, one of the oldest publishing houses of this area. Now a leucoderma affected 80-year-old, Ray has authored a number of books, including one on the history of College Street (College Street-e Sottor Bachhor). Ray is a bagful of stories himself. “This area owes a lot to the likes of [the reformer] Raja Rammohun Roy and [English watchmaker-turned-philanthropist] David Hare,” he says, “They laid the groundwork, helping set up the educational institutions here [like Hindu School, Hare School and Presidency College]. Then came the bookstores, and later the second-hand booksellers, most of whom are from current-day Bangladesh.” An employee at the publishing house when it was set up in 1934 by the two authors whose name it bears (Gajendra Kumar Mitra and Sumathanath Ghosh), Ray did all sorts of work—“carrying books from printers to bookstalls, sitting at bookstalls, getting coffee, etcetera,” he says. “All along, I studied. When I graduated, I was offered the job of a writer and editor.” The building that houses Mitra & Ghosh’s office is as old as the publishing house itself. Here, books—literally hot out of the oven—arrive from nearby printers like passengers, seated on hand-pulled rickshaws. They are then taken into the building, where they are sorted and taken official account of, before being sent to various bookstalls. Ray often speaks about the Naxal Movement of the 1970s (when College Street became a hotbed of Naxal activity in Kolkata), and how it forced him to go to Delhi to get Mitra & Ghosh’s books printed. “Here, books were being burnt and printers had shut shop. But I have no qualms about it. Otherwise, how would I have met my wife?” he says. As Ray’s story goes, he had gone to meet an MP of Kolkata for help in finding a good printer in Delhi. Apart from helping him, the parliamentarian introduced him to the lady he went on to marry. ‘Mrs Ray’, as he calls her now, also happened to have leucoderma. “I said, ‘Why not?’ And I haven’t been happier since,” he says. Ray hasn’t given much thought to the mall that’s coming up, but those who are most worried are the street’s pavement booksellers. Ajay Hazra is a 54-year-old hawker who owns a small wooden structure, six by three feet in size, which he uses to sell high school books. He is also general secretary of the Calcutta Street Hawker’s Union, which has about 50 pavement booksellers as members and is one of about ten such unions in the area with varying membership counts. “I have been here since 1981, and have done reasonably well,” says Hazra, “I have also been able to enrol my son in an engineering college. But when this mall opens, I am afraid everything will change. People will come, but they will want to go to an air-conditioned market. Even my son is a mall rat.” He recalls an incident that occurred a month ago. His son Sujit, 22, bought Chetan Bhagat’s The 3 Mistakes Of My Life for Rs 195 at a Crossword outlet. “I asked him why he paid so much money. I could have easily gotten the same book for one fourth its price,” he says. His son told him he was with friends, and could not afford to look like a cheapskate. “But you know what most irked me?” he asks, “That he was reading Chetan Bhagat.” As I move away, Hazra is accosted by a group of youngsters. He stocks only high school books, but the youngsters want to know if he might have a copy of Haruki Murakami’s IQ84, preferably second-hand. What follows is a flurry of customer service activity that’s unique to pavement sellers. The IQ84 order is swiftly relayed down the street, from hawker to bookshop, bookshop to hawker, blurring all sense of competition in a common quest, until success is achieved. Some 50 shops down the chain, a bookseller holds aloft a copy and shouts, “Only first-hand copy. But 20 per cent discount… Chalega?” Will it do? Sure it will. The youngsters nod, and the book is quickly passed along the chain in reverse order—from hawker to bookshop, bookshop to hawker—till it reaches them.

U.S. U-17 MNT Faces Honduras on Saturday, April 25, For Group A Title After defeating Canada 4-2 on Thursday evening, the U.S. Under-17 Men’s National Team will be fighting for the top place in Group A when it takes on Honduras on Saturday, April 25 at 4 p.m. PT. Having already earned one of the region’s four berths to the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup, Wilmer Cabrera’s squad will now be looking to win the regional crown. April 24, 2009 U.S. Under-17 Men’s National Team CONCACAF U-17 Championship April 24, 2009 FOR THE GROUP: After defeating Canada 4-2 on Thursday evening, the U.S. Under-17 Men’s National Team will be fighting for the top place in Group A when it takes on Honduras on Saturday, April 25 at 4 p.m. PT. Having already earned a place in the semifinals of the CONCACAF U-17 Championship and one of the region’s four berths to the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup, Wilmer Cabrera’s squad will now be looking toward its second goal of winning the regional crown. Fans can follow Saturday’s game live from Estadio Caliente in Tijuana, Mexico, on ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker. COMING INTO FOCUS: There is still a semifinal place to be had from Group A with Canada and Honduras still alive. Honduras is still vying for the group title and a win against the U.S. would vault the Central American side to the top place in the group. Canada, who drew Honduras 1-1 in its opening game before losing to the U.S., still retains a chance to go to the U-17 World Cup, needing a big win against Cuba on Saturday and a U.S. win against Honduras to advance to Nigeria. Cuba, who lost 6-0 to Honduras and 5-0 to the U.S., was mathematically eliminated from contention. Group A Standings U.S. CONCACAF Under-17 Championship Schedule |Date||Opponent||Time / Result||Venue| |April 21||Cuba||5-0 W||Estadio Caliente; Tijuana, Mexico| |April 23||Canada||4-2 W||Estadio Caliente; Tijuana, Mexico| |April 25||Honduras||4 p.m PT||Estadio Caliente; Tijuana, Mexico| |April 29||Semifinals||TBD||Estadio Caliente; Tijuana, Mexico| |May 2||Third Place / Final||TBD||Estadio Caliente; Tijuana, Mexico| LUCKY 13: The U.S. is the only country to qualify for every FIFA U-17 World Cup (formerly the FIFA U-16 World Championship) since the tournament’s inception in 1985 – a total of 13 tournaments. Wilmer Cabrera’s team will head to Nigeria for the tournament from Oct. 24-Nov. 15, as 24 teams from around the world converge on the west-African country with a hope of lifting the U-17 World Cup trophy. Some other notable and seemingly perennial U-17 qualifiers: |Brazil||11||2009 South American qualifying is currently underway| |Argentina||9||With No. 10 possibly pending, see above| |Nigeria||8||Three time winners, includes automatic bid as ‘09 host| |Germany||7||Includes Germany FR (’85) and Germany DR (’87, ’89)| A POTENT OFFENSE: The U.S. has scored nine goals through the first two games, led by a tournament-high four from Jack McInerney. In all, five different players have scored for the U.S. with Lletget scoring once in each game and Gyau, Gil and Jerome all adding single tallies. This is not the first time the U.S. has turned on the attack during the CONCACAF championship. In fact, only five times in 12 regional events has the American side scored fewer than nine goals in the first round. In 1989, the U.S. scored 19 goals in its first three games: a 6-1 win against Guatemala, a 7-0 victory against Honduras and a 6-0 win against St. Lucia. SPEAKING OF JACK: McInerney continued his impressive string of scoring with his second straight two-goal game at the CONCACAF Championship, bringing his 2009 total to an astounding eight goals in five international games. Thursday’s game against Cuba was his third two-goal game on the year. In fact, the only international game McInerney played in but didn’t score was on Feb. 3 against Peru in La Serena, Chile. In his next appearance, he netted two, including the game winner, in the championship game of the La Serena Cup. TOUGH TO GET THROUGH: The U.S. defense has been solid through the first two games, allowing only three shots on goal. The back line of Tyler Polak, Jared Watts, Eriq Zavaleta and team captain Perry Kitchen has played every minute so far, while Earl Edwards has picked up two wins in goal. U.S. U-17 MNT Roster By Position (Club/Hometown) GOALKEEPERS (2): 1-Earl Edwards (Nomads SC; San Diego, Calif.), 18-Spencer Richey (Crossfire Premier; Seattle, Wash.) DEFENDERS (7): 14-Zachary Herold (West Pines United FC; Port St. Lucie, Fla.), 4-Perry Kitchen (Chicago Magic AS Monaco; Indianapolis, Ind.), 12-Emilio Orozco (Rampage FC; Oxnard, Calif.), 3-Tyler Polak (Capital Soccer Academy; Lincoln, Neb.), 8-Alex Shinsky (Super Nova FC; York, Pa.), 6-Jared Watts (North Meck SC; Statesville, N.C.), 2-Eriq Zavaleta (FC Pride; Westfield, Ind.) MIDFIELDERS (6): 19-Andrew Craven (First Coast Kicks; St. Simons Island, Ga.), 5-Marlon Duran (Latino Americana; Duncanville, Texas), 10-Luis Gil (Pateadores; Garden Grove, Calif.), 20-Sebastian Lletget (Santa Clara SC; South San Francisco, Calif), 15-Carlos Martinez (Wilmington Jr.; San Pedro, Calif.), 16-Nicholas Palodichuk (Washington Premier FC; Battleground, Wash.) FORWARDS (5): 17-Juan Agudelo (New York Red Bulls; Barnegat, N.J.), 11-Dustin Corea (East Side United FC; Milwaukee, Ore.), 13-Joseph Gyau (FC DELCO; Silver Springs, Md.), 7-Stefan Jerome (West Pines United FC; Davie, Fla.), 9-Jack McInerney (Cobb SC; Alpharetta, Ga.) - The U.S. looks to continue its perfect 5-0-0 record against Honduras at the U-17 level. - The U.S. and Honduras have not met in regional qualifying since 1999, a 3-0 U.S. win. - The two teams first met at the very first CONCACAF U-16 Championship in 1983. The U.S. won that game and went on to win the regional crown that year. - Honduras qualified for its first-ever FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2007 and is going for two in a row on Saturday. - The U.S. U-20 MNT also faced Honduras in the first round of its regional tournament, drawing 0-0. - Honduras successfully advanced to the FIFA U-20 World Cup and were led by head coach Eugenio Emilio Umanzor, who is also the head coach of the U-17s. - Sebastian Lletget’s two goals in this event are just the second and third of his U-17 international career. - Joseph Gyau’s goal against Canada was just the second of his international career. He is the son of Philip Gyau, who earned six caps with the Men’s National Team from 1989-1991. - Midfielder Alex Shinsky will be unavailable to play against Honduras after picking up his second yellow card of the tournament against Canada. - Perry Kitchen also earned a caution against Canada. Should he see yellow again he will face a one-game suspension. - With two starts, forward Stefan Jerome added to his team-high 27 international games played at the U-17 level. - Team captain Perry Kitchen and fellow defender Jared Watts are tied for the team lead with 10 international appearances in 2009. Kitchen’s 816 minutes are a team high. - The U.S. holds an international record of 6-3-2 on the year. - Since taking the helm of the U-17 MNT and Residency Program in the fall of 2007, head coach Wilmer Cabrera has compiled an international record of 14-11-5 THE 4-1-1 ON HONDURAS: Honduras began its preliminary qualifying campaign with a 9-0 drubbing of Belize but barely snuck by Panama with a 90th minute goal serving as the game-winner. By winning Group A of the Central American preliminaries, Honduras, led by head coach Eugenio Emilio Umanzor, booked passage to the CONCACAF U-17 Championship in Tijuana and are now looking for one of the region’s four berths to the FIFA U-17 World Cup. After a 1-1 draw with Canada on Tuesday, Honduras turned up its attack for six goals against Cuba and second place in the group through two games. With a win, Honduras could vault past the U.S. for the top place in Group A while a draw would also assure advancement to both the regional semifinals and the world championship. Honduras U-17 MNT Roster by Position (Club) GOALKEEPERS (2): 1-Jesus Rivera (Motagua), 12-Harold Fonseca (Motagua) DEFENDERS (7): 2-Nixon Duarte (Real Espana), 3-Johny Rivera (Real Espana), 4-Ever Alvarado (Atletico Junior), 5-Helder Martinez (Gimnasio), 6-Allan Gutierrez (Montgaua), 13-Jose Tobias (Real Espana), 14-Allan Rivas (Olimpia) MIDFIELDERS (5): 7-Wilmer Fuentes (Marathon), 8-Roberto Lopez (Motagua), 10-Alexander Lopez, 16-Jair Aragon (Real Juventus), 18-Nestor Martinez (Olimpia) FORWARDS (5): 9-Diego Rodriguez (Real Espana), 11-Anthony Lozano (Olimpia), 15-Rosendo Gonzalez (Olimpia), 17-Jose Sanchez (Victoria), 19-Hector Matute (Gualala) RETURN TO THE OLD FORMAT: The 2009 CONCACAF U-17 Championship marks the first time since 1996 that a regional champion is crowned. The U.S. has won the championship twice at this level, in 1983 and 1992. When the qualifying tournament was held as two groups in separate venues, the U.S. won its group three times (2001, 2003, 2005). GROUP B CONTINUES WEDNESDAY: Host Mexico has taken the reins on Group B of the tournament with a 7-0 win against Trinidad & Tobago in front of a packed house in Estadio Caliente. Mexico holds sole possession of first place in the group as Costa Rica and Guatemala battled to a 1-1 draw in their opener. On Wednesday, T & T looks to bounce back against Costa Rica while Mexico is trying to clinch a berth to the FIFA U-17 World Cup, which they can do with a win against Guatemala. Group A Standings |Trinidad & Tobago||2||0||1||0||0||7||-7||0| Group B Schedule |April 22||Costa Rica 1, Guatemala 1||--||Estadio Caliente; Tijuana, Mexico| |April 22||Mexico 7, Trinidad & Tobago 0||--||Estadio Caliente; Tijuana, Mexico| |April 24||Costa Rica vs. Trinidad & Tobago||1:30 p.m.||Estadio Caliente; Tijuana, Mexico| |April 24||Mexico vs. Guatemala||4 p.m.||Estadio Caliente; Tijuana, Mexico| |April 26||Trinidad & Tobago vs. Guatemala||1:30 p.m.||Estadio Caliente; Tijuana, Mexico| |April 26||Mexico vs. Costa Rica||4 p.m.||Estadio Caliente; Tijuana, Mexico| MORE TEAMS IN: After the U.S. booked its ticket to Nigeria on Thursday, New Zealand became the 11th team to qualify for the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup with a win against Tahiti on Friday. Nigeria has an automatic bid as host of the tournament and they join Algeria, Burkina Faso, Gambia and Malawi in representing Africa. Asia has also completed qualifying with Iran, Japan, Korea Republic and Uzbekistan slated to represent the continent in Nigeria. The South American tournament is currently underway in Inquique, Chile. SEE HOW THEY WON: The U.S. U-17 MNT clinched a place at the FIFA U-17 World Cup on Thursday and you can see how they did it. The whole game is available in You Tube format at the Youth National Teams Blog. You can also catch the players reacting via ussoccer.com’s all_access video and see the game in photos by browsing through our gallery, here. BEHIND THE SCENES: While the U.S. has accomplished its first goal, now they’re looking for the regional title. Stay on top of the U-17s as they gear towards a big group game against Honduras and then next week’s tournament semifinal by keeping up with the exclusive YNT Blog. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER: Keep up with all the news (in short form, of course) from U.S. Soccer by signing up at www.twitter.com/ussoccer. U.S. SOCCER ON FACEBOOK: U.S. Soccer is offering a new way to follow its teams with the “Official U.S. Soccer Page” on Facebook. Visit the page to post videos, interact with other fans and follow the latest news from all U.S. Soccer teams. The new Official U.S. Soccer Page on Facebook is the best place to keep up with your favorite teams and make your voice heard in the U.S. Soccer community.

I was born at Offutt Air Force Base outside Omaha, Nebraska, on 20 July 1973, the first child of David and Elizabeth Carlstrom. My father was stationed at the base after returning from Japan. My mom had moved to Nebraska from Boston after their wedding in her hometown of Ruan, County Clare, Ireland, on 13 November 1973. My first house was at 1511 Willow Avenue in nearby Bellevue. My parents had built the house after getting married a couple of years earlier but I only lived in in six weeks before my first move. Before we left Nebraska, I was baptized at Chapel #2 at Offutt AFB on August 8th at Chapel #2 on Offutt AFB. My godparents were my Uncle Fred and Aunt Kathleen. After leaving Nebraska, we relocated to Norfolk, Virginia, where my father attended the Joint Forces Staff College. I am guessing due to the limited duration of our stay of about six months that we lived in some sort of military temporary living quarters as we would do on occasion with later relocations. I do not think I have ever been back to where we stayed, at least not since I started remembering such things. We spent my first Christmas in Boston, New York. I opened presents at my Aunt Martha and Uncle Edward Cary's house with my Cary cousins and my grandmother. The first house I remember living in was at 2137 North Courthouse Road in Arlington, Virginia. I lived there from about six months of age to just shy of my fifth birthday. It was a two bedroom, one bath house with a full but unfinished basement. We moved to Arlington for my dad to work as a Program Manager for DAPRA where he managed artifical intelligence programs at places like MIT, Stanford, and CMU. His role was mentioned in Arthur L. Norberg's article in Changing Computing: The Computing Community and DARPA, based on his oral histories with Patrick Winston, Stephen Crocker, and Raj Reddy, as well as the book Transforming Computer Technology: Information Processing for the Pentagon, 1962-1986. He also was acknowledged in the book Readings in Computer Vision: Issues, Problems, Principles, and Paradigms by Martin A. Fischler and Oscar Firschein. I had 7 teeth at 7 months, some of which you can see in the picture below. My first word was "hot", apparently because my mom was frequently warning me about the stove. I saw my first snow in this house. I looked out the windows of my parent's bedroom over the front door and it was just covering the roof of the porch. If this was from late 1974, it would be my first memory. My mom always told me I was dragged around by the hair older cousin Patricia H, but Claire H told me at Sabina H's wedding that it was me who dragged her around. My earliest distinct memory came around 23 months. I was riding my plastic tricycle on the walkway between the top of the steps from the street to the front porch. I was repeatedly backing up and then riding forward along the walkway. My mom had been watching me but then went inside to answer the phone. I continued my back and forth riding while she was inside. I distinctly remember trying to go back as far as possible to maximize the forward distance I would travel before having to stop. Unfortunately, I went back too far. The rear wheels of the tricycle slipped back over the edge of the step and I started moving backwards. The tricycle and I went tumbling down the flight of concrete stairs toward the street. When I stopped I was screaming. My mom came rushing out and found me bleeding from the head. She wanted to take me to the doctor but we only had one working car at the time and my dad had it at work. Fortunately, our neighbor Roy was home on a lunch break from the phone company. My mom wrapped my head in a towel or blanket to act as a bandage and Roy drove us to the Army hospital at Fort Myer. I forget what happened after the start of the ride in the phone truck, but I used to have dreams about being operated on in the hospital after this, always from an out of body perspective. I ended up with 7 or 8 stitches across the middle of my forehead. For months, perhaps even a year, afterwards my mom rubbed vitamin E nightly on my head to try and minimize scarring, but to this day I still have a prominent scar to go with my earliest memory. My family took me to ride the Washington Metro on opening day March 27, 1976 in Washington, DC. The Rosslyn station was close to our house, I remember later trips to the Pentagon as well as to National Airport. I also remember taking the Capitol subway once upon a time. I also had a trip to New Jersey the next summer to visit my Uncle Fred, most notable for the fact that it was my first visit through Delaware to New Jersey. One time my mom took me to Toys "R" Us to pick out a toy. I recall it being for my birthday, which I would guess would have been for my third birthday, but that does not jive with my LEGO story below. In any case, I picked out a blue double-decker car carrier truck that included two cars, one red and one yellow. The "Buddy L" cars turned up in separate batchs of toys my mom sent to my kids and have been reunited but the blue truck itself is still missing. When I got my first LEGO set around my third birthday, #115, I remember holding it in my lap all the way home. It was one of the nice boxes with a flip top lid that opened to tantalizingly reveal the pieces in side. I also had #114 and I remember making a water wheel with it with my father and playing with it in the kitchen sink. These were the days before today's mini-figs, and the carpet was roamed by the freakishly large giants from #196 as well as the stiff faceless people of #445. At least the vehicles were four studs wide, not like the monster six wide cars that roam the LEGO City streets of today. For more on my ongoing LEGO habit, please my LEGO page. Although my LEGO held up pretty well, some other sandbox toys did not fair so well over the years. I remember my father repairing a bunch of them with epoxy, reattaching broken of wings and other parts. One time he replaced a set of wheels of one vehicle with some from another from a even worse off set. Someone recently spotted this repair in my own kids sandbox, wondering why the wheels were mismatched! I recall several trips over to a small store next to Rockcreek Park to get a RCA television, probably from the XL-100 line. My mom used to put on Sesame Street for me. However, she must have watched other things with me around because she says I always used to smile at some Christie Brinkley commericals. My father used to watch The Rockford Files which I loved for the opening credits as well as the car chases. I used to play along with the red and yellow cars I mentioned above. I have always seemed to like James Garner's work later in life as well, I guess it started at an early age. Dawson Terrace park was a two blocks from our house and I used to go there with my mom sometimes to play on the playground. Although I have fond memories of the playground, for some reason I used to have nightmares that there were talking alligators that lived under one of the slides. It never worried me when I was in the park, and they never did anything but talk in my dreams, sort of acting like the troll guarding the bridge in the story Three Billy Goats Gruff. Another recurring nightmare I used to have was bears coming over to our Dodge Aspen station wagon at a rest stop along a parkway. I recall getting the 1976 Dodge when I was three years old and it was the first car I drove when I got my learner's permit when I was 16. I remember taking the Dodge in for to the dealer for service near our friends the Pepins' house. Maybe the nightmares were associated with all the waiting around for the car to get fixed. A brown Dodge Aspen station wagon (left) very similar to ours. While I had nightmares involving this car, they were nothing like this scene from Toxic Avenger II. One strange fixture of this house was the older Opel Kadett stationwagon in the back yard. I say fixture because it did not move the entire time we lived there. I was fun to have my own car to play pretend with. My father did get it running again when we lived in Arkansas and it moved with us to Maryland and New York before my mother finally got him to get rid of it at our Woodside road house. It's not easy bein' green... Brian with Opel before it moved to the backyard, 1974 As I mentioned earlier, we lived in Arlington because of my father's job at DARPA. Looking back perhaps the strangest thing about this assignment is that he did not wear his air force uniform very often, so it was strange when he did. While working at DARPA he was technically stationed at the Pentagon, and occasionally he would have to wear his uniform when reporting there. At the time DARPA was still in an office building at 1400 Wilson Boulevard in Arlington. The entrance had a big bank vault style door which seemed pretty cool to me even then. I used to using the typewritter in his house to type the alphabet. It was not until I was in California that I learned that this was actually an ARPANET teletype terminal in his office. A couple of times my mom was in the hospital, I spend some quality time with my dad. I was not stressed out about my mom going to the see the doctors, probably because of all the goodies that were successfully used to distract me. One in particular I liked was a children's book about a new fangled diesel train that thought he was faster than all the other trains, so the other trains trick him into chasing his own train futilely around a hill. It was delightful to find it recently with some other books my mom sent to my kids. I also got a small periscope that played with around the hospital as well. Finally, my father took me to a theater to see my first movie It featued an animated dragon mixed with live actions characters. For most of my childhood I thought this was a Puff the Magic Dragon movie, but apparently those were made for television, so going by the date and style, it probably was Pete's Dragon. One year for Christmas, probably when I was 4, I received a Tycopro #8335 Liberty 500 Lighted slot racing set, not recommended for children under 8 years of age. While I was quite excited, I have a feeling it was for my father as much as it was for me. I cannot say I blame him. I once told my one year old son Michael to "grow faster" so he I could by him his first Fisher-Price remote control car. My parents remodeled the kitchen in this house, opening up a wall to connect the kitchen to the dining room. Before this change you would have had to carry food through the living room to the dining room. I recall my mom doing a lot of work on the dining room side of the wall dealing with drywall or plaster and painting. One time while doing some work in the bathroom, which was upstairs, the floor was actually opened to the kitchen below. I do not recall if this was because of a water leak or was part of the kitchen remodel, but I do recall waving down to my mom through the hole from upstairs. The biggest project was my parents did in Arlington was to dig a driveway to provide off street parking for our two and then three car family as well as to provide access to the backyard, which is how the Opel Kadett was moved there long before the driveway was even completed. My parents dug the driveway out themselves with shovels. As you can see in the picture below, they used an old baby pram to hold a garbage can to hall the dirt away. Much of the dirt was quietly disposed of in the neighbor such as down the embankment at the end of the street that overlooked Spout Run Parkway. One issue with this change was that there was a door from the living room that used to go down some concrete steps to the side yard. My father actually moved the steps from the former location to a new spot where they could then be used to go from the front of the house down to the driveway. However, this did leave a door to nowhere in the living room. It looks a little strage from the side, since it is actually directly above a new door my dad added to access the basement from the driveway. The finishing touch on the driveway was make a red paving stone path on the left edge bounded by railroad ties and then paving the rest of the driveway. We also did some plantings on the banks but they did not take. In fact, we tried a couple additional rounds of plantings before they actually took and by that point we had moved from Arkansas and back to Maryland. Current Google Street View of the house showing the driveway. I knew a number of neighbors on our little stretch of North Court House Road. I already mentioned Roy who lived to the left of us and drove my mom and I to the hospitial when I split my head open on the stairs in front of the house. We would see him on and off through the years and eventualy the house passed to his nephew. To the right of us lived two older ladies and their cats. One time I was playing in my front yard and a cat was to the right of the chimmney. It was not friendly and ended up scratching my arm pretty badly. I never really liked cats and its probably partially due to this early encounter. Some older boys live in the next house down from the old ladies. One of them used to make small boats out of wood and flat them in Spout Run. He gave a couple of my own that I had for years. Mrs. Columb(sp?) was an elderly lady who lived in the house in the fork of Courthouse Road and 21st Road. She did not get out of the house much, so my mom and I used to walk down to visit her on a regular basis. My mom also used to buy Kool cigarettes for her at the commissary, which I'm sure was frowned upon then and was forbidden soon after around 1982, but it avoided the state sales tax for someone who was scraping by on a fixed income. Mrs. Columb used to smoke in front of me, which was not such a big deal back then. I occasionally enjoy the smell of tobacco smoke even though neither myself or anyone in my family smoked. I have also better at putting with smoking friends than most of non-smoking friends. I always think it has something to do with those fond memories of hanging out in Mrs. Columb's living room while she was smoking. I do not recall visiting with Mrs. Columb again after we moved back to Maryland so I think she passed away in the intervening two and a half years. One last neighbor was Robert Gray who owned then owned a large house across the street. In fact, he owned many houses across the street, he was trying to buy up the area to tear down the houses to build condos. He entered into several agreements where bought houses but allowed the previous owners to remain until their death. Despite some hold outs over the years, he eventually managed to get the houses across the street on North Courthouse Road as well as on 21st Street North and 21st Court North. All except one that is. One person held out on 21st Road North despite the fact that Interstate 66 was being put in behind his house. Gray eventually tore down everything he owned and put up the condos, but this was many years later, even after we had lived in Maryland. Gray was tied into Republican politics back in the day. One night my dad came home to find that little North Courthouse Road was blocked off by police. Apparently Gray was hosting Ronald Reagan who was running in the 1976 Republican primaries against Gerald Ford. My dad told me it was after Reagan lost a primary. If it was the Virginia Republican caucuses, that would place the date as May 15th. Eventually my dad made it home that night and eventually Ronald Reagan made it to be president, but not that year. The I-66 construction had a major impact on the neighborhood while I lived there. The interstate was like a moat separating our residental community from the rest of the city Arlington. This was not entirely a bad thing but there were traffic disruptions and route changes due to construction. For example, it used to be possible to drive down North Quinn Street from our side of Lee Highway across by the Colony House Furnuture store, but Quinn is interrupted by the interstate. We did not get any benefit from I-66 while we lived in Virginia because it did not open until 1982 when we lived in Maryland. Even then we did not use it much because of HOV restrictions. The route from our house in Maryland had us get on I-66 only to immediately exit onto Lee Highway. Giant Food was the local grocery store that I went to with my mom. It is on the corner of Lee Highway and Spout Run. Across the street the phone company had a building where I imagined my neighbor Roy worked. The Giant had a cool old-style roller system for food to be rolled out in bins for loading directly into cars so there would not be a need for carts in the parking lot. One time while at the Giant I told my mom I wanted some bubble gum. She refused. I threw a tantrum. She still refused. So when she was not looking, I took the gum in the checkout lane and put it in my pocket. After we left the store I shower her defiantly how I had gotten the gum myself. Boy did I get in trouble then! I did attend Saint Agnes Church with my mom, including church school when I was older, where hopefully they would cover the basics of "you shall not steal". Unfortunately, it did not teach me not to color on the walls. When I created a colorful display on the wall at home next to the door to nowhere, I was quite proud of myself, noting how it resembled a number "4". My mom was not impressed. We used to walk by the Arlington First Church of the Nazarene on the way from our house to the park at Dawson Terrace. I asked my mom why we just did not go to this church since it was so much more conveniently located and I did not really understand the answer. I did not attend a formal preschool, but a friend of my mom's from Saint Agnes Church, Mrs. W, ran a small preschool that included her son Andy and a few other assorted kids including her older son Kenneth. My parents stayed in touch with the Ws over the years and Mrs. W used to remind me of my fondness for chasing one of the girls in the group. I also attended a kids summer day camp program in the summer of 1978 at the aforementioned Dawson Terrace Community Center. I had lots of fun finger painting one day making a very big green splotch and with very messy hands. I also made a recipe book which has survived to this day. When we had to contribute a receipt to Daniel's preschool cookbook last year, I picked my favorite haystack recipe from this my old cookbook. We did not get a chance to make the haystacks in Arlington however, because we were soon to move to Arkansas, where my mom did make them at least a couple of times. Just around the time we moved, my mom and I took another trip to Ireland. We arrived Shannon on June 7th, 1978 and were back via New York on June 27th, 1978. I actually have memories of this trip, being almost 5 years old, unlike the previous trip when I was under two. I mentioned before that we had been a three car family, although we never actually had three cars running at the same time. Before we bought the Aspen stationwagon at the end of 1976, our main car had been white 2-door Chevy Nova. When it came time to move, my parents sold the old Nova and I was very upset about it at the time. By the way, the story that the Nova sold poorly in Spanish speaking places because the name could translate as "no go" is an untrue urban legend. I barely recall having a car seat but when I was going through some old papers I found some product information for a "Sleepy Rider" model Car Baby Travel Seat. The black, heaviliy padded arm and head rests shown were immediately familiar to me. It cannot have been fun to load me into that contraption in the back of the 2-door Nova. For whatever reason I was not as unhappy about leaving the house as I had been about selling the Nova. Perhaps it was because unlike the car, which was drive off by a strange, I did not see someone else move into the house. Moving day was an exciting event with a large tractor trailer being loaded with all of our stuff. They even offered to take the Opel in the truck, but my dad though that would violate the Air Force relocation policy, so we set up the Aspen set up to tow the Opel. My last memory of the inside of the house was being alone in my empty room. I saw the electric outlet on the wall to the right of the door which previously had been covered up. While inspecting this discovery, I gave myself quite the electric shock. It was quite the parting life lesson from my Arlington house. On the way out of town my parents stopped at a Toys "R" Us to buy me a toy to play with in the car on the road to Arkansas. I got a stagecoach holdup set that had little bandits and lots of little guns. I took it out at one reststop and played with it in the grass causing much frustration as my mom tried to make sure I still had all the little pieces. Looking back I always thought it was Playmobil set to the point that I even spent time trying to find a description or picture online in the old Playmobil product catalogs. Eventually it arrived at my house in a box of old toys from my mom and it turned out to be something else entirely. Similar to Playmobil, there were a lot of of interchangable parts for the figures such as hats and bandannas, but the figures were flexible, not rigid like Playmobil. As October 2009, my parents still own this house as a rental property although they have have been fixing it up the last year to finally prepare to sell it after about 35 years. I returned many, many times over the years for various work on the house. I have driven by a couple times without my parents with I have been in the area with my wife visiting her aunt and uncle who live almost directly across the Potomac river in Georgetown. For more pictures from this time period, please see the following albums:

|Home » | Creative WP-300 Bluetooth Wireless Headphones Wireless headphones for an exceptional audio experience Don't be tied down to your computer or media player. With the Creative WP-300 wireless headphones, you can move comfortably around in the room, lounge in the patio or stroll outside, while still listening to your music. Featuring aptX™ codec for an enhanced streaming audio experience over Bluetooth, the WP-300 lets you enjoy outstanding CD-quality stereo playback and effortless wireless connection with Bluetooth mobile devices. What's more, superior sonic performance is assured by premium Neodymium drivers that are accurately tuned by acoustics professionals; which makes it ideal for movie and music enjoyment. Regardless where you are, at home or traveling, the WP-300 headphones' lightweight and foldable frame, convenient usage controls on the earcup and ultra-comfortable ear cushions make them a joy to have on your ears, every time. Indulge in an exceptional audio experience - without the hassle of cords. |Enjoy seamless wireless audio quality| Wires limiting your listening pleasure? Not anymore. Connect the WP-300 to compatible Bluetooth mobile devices like laptops, mobile phones or portable media players, and experience wireless audio from up to 10 meters anywhere in your home or outdoors. |Enhanced audio experience| The WP-300 features aptX* technology that ensures audio content transmitted over Bluetooth is instant and crystal clear. Enjoy high fidelity music and movie playback with superb audio-video synchronization from aptX enabled devices such as the Creative ZiiO 7" or ZiiO 10", the new Apple Mac mini and iMac. *aptX is a trademark of CSR plc |Superior sonic performance| Precisely tuned Neodymium drivers deliver superb audio for an exceptional listening experience. Be prepared for total immersion in your music and movie entertainment. |Control at your fingertips| Instant access to playback controls and volume level buttons make adjustments a breeze. |Comfort to the ears| Soft leatherette ear cushions let you listen to your entertainment in extreme comfort, even during long hours of extended wear. The earcups fold flat for compact storage which lets you fit the WP-300 easily into your bag. Comes with a convenient travel pouch too. |Wireless audio for your computer| Don't fret even if your computer doesn't have Bluetooth built in. Give it wireless audio streaming capabilities with the Creative BT-D1 Bluetooth USB transmitter (sold separately). |Use with your iPad, iPhone, or iPod| Want to enjoy superior Bluetooth stereo music from your iPad, iPhone, or iPod? Simply plug in the Creative BT-D5 Bluetooth transmitter (sold separately) and transform them into your wireless remote control! |Average Customer Rating: || based on 135 reviews| Average Customer Review: ( 135 customer reviews ) Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers. Most Helpful Customer Reviews 77 of 79 found the following review helpful: Very Good Bluetooth Headphone!!Feb 07, 2011 By S. P. Sasanipour "S. P. Sasanipour" Like the other reviewer mentioned when I ordered these there were not any reviews on them so, I decided to write one. Here it goes: First of all let me mention that I am a big fan of Creative Labs and I had owned and currently I own number of their products. They generally make very good stuff. I have been looking for a pair of decent bluetooth headphones for last couple of year and I have tried number of different ones including Motorolla and Sony but none of them where good as this pair of Creative WP-300. -Very light weight compared to other ones -I like the fact that the ear cups swiles and make the whole thing much more flatter to storage -Fast charging time (around 1.5 hours) -Very good range (above 30 feet) -Long lasting charge compared to others (6+ hours) -It includes volume control, play, pause, reverse and forward bottons on the right ear cup -Using a standard micro usb plug for charging which is good for me since I have couple of other devices with the same plug so I don't have to take additional cables with me on the road. -Travel pouch is included -Very good sound quality for a pair of pure bluetooth headphone (I have used them for all kinds of music, movies, and training sessions/videos). -The ear cups are little bit small so like every 45 to 60 minutes I have to take them off for couple of minutes otherwise my ears start to hurt. Although, overall they are very comfortable. -It would of been nice if there was a battery level indicator on these. -Also, it would of been nice it they could be used as a pair of wired headphones like some of the other ones out there. Overall, if you have a bluetooth transsiver on your machine (or you don't mind buying one) and looking for a good quality headphone around or under $100.00 go head and buy this pair. 23 of 24 found the following review helpful: Awesome sound, Excellent for TV, movies, video...Nov 06, 2011 By A. Pariseau This is an astounding bluetooth headset. The sound quality is excellent, they're small and comfortable, and, yes - they are great for TV. The key for TV is the apt-X codec, which reduces latency/delays to an almost imperceptible amount so that the lips and sound are almost perfectly in synch. The result is an exceptionally satisfying experience. Beware, however, that BOTH ENDS of the link must be apt-X capable! I chose the Jaybird uSport transmitter for connection to my satellite receiver JayBird BAU uSport Bluetooth Adapter for 3.5mm Devices - Bluetooth Headset - Retail Packaging - Black and a Cables to Go mini stereo to dual RCA plug adapter cable Cables To Go 40424 Stereo F/M RCA Y-Cable (6 Inches, Black). The headset paired up perfectly with the uSport transmitter in apt-X mode (as evidenced by the double-pinging blue LED on the transmitter). Range is excellent - at least 30'. I also tried the headset with my wife's iPhone with the iPod function: amazing. The controls in the right earcup control the iPhone for pause, play, stop, next selection, reverse, etc. Paired up perfectly with the iPhone as well. These are keepers!! Great job, Creative. 23 of 25 found the following review helpful: Decent headphonesFeb 04, 2011 By A. Paich I am writing this review because when I purchased these headphones, there weren't any reviews on the product. The ear bud port on my sound card broke so I could not use headphones with my laptop. A new sound card is too expensive so I looked for alternate options. It came down to this or a set made by Sony. I decided on this pair because they charged via the usb port instead of an a/c adapter. I like them a lot so far. The ear cups are a little small, but they are really comfortable. the sound quality is higher than I expected, espically for a pure bluetooth headphone. The only thing I don't like about them is there is a little interference in the treble, but the bass sounds really good. 9 of 10 found the following review helpful: Good quality stereo bluetooth headphonesAug 25, 2011 The Creative WP-300 are a fairly rare breed: closed-style, over-the-ear mini-can style bluetooth headphones. Unlike the vast majority of stereo bluetooth headphones on the market today, they go back to only providing stereo playback functionality; you cannot use them as a phone headset. If you're listening to music on the WP-300 connected to your phone and a call comes in, the music will stop but you will not hear the call through the headphones. The WP-300 features logically organized controls on the right earpad: Power, play/pause, previous and next track controls on the outside face, volume on the side. The buttons fall very naturally on your fingers without fumbling. The left side features the power connector, a modern and ubiquitous micro USB connector. The finish quality is excellent. The body of the earcups is coated with a rubbery finish, the outside is shiny black plastic circled with a chrome ring. The earpads rest on a soft leatherette-covered foam. The padded headband is comfortable and resistant. The band length is adjustable and should fit any size head. Pressure appears to be a good compromise: not so much that it would be uncomfortable, but enough to stay in place properly on your ears. However, by nature this type of headphone is not comfortable for extended periods, a problem exacerbated by the small size of the earcups which means they're resting directly on your ears instead of around them. If you have sensitive ears these may not be the headphones for you. The cups are articulated and rotate 90 degrees to make the phones easier to pack. Although convenient, this is still taking up a fairly sizable amount of space. The box contains the headphones, a USB to micro USB adapter cord, and a soft fabric carry bag. I don't understand why Creative does not include a power adapter. Sure, USB is everywhere these days but still, it's always good to get a spare charger just in case. - Nice finish - Long battery life - Good sound quality (don't expect audiophile sound, it's bluetooth!) - Easy pairing - Standard micro USB connector - Easy controls - No headset or handsfree bluetooth profile support, no microphone - No USB adapter supplied - Limited folding for travel - Uncomfortable for long periods If you're looking for closed "can"-type bluetooth headphones and don't mind the lack of headset profile support, the WP-300 are a great set at a very good price. 5 of 5 found the following review helpful: Excellent!Aug 12, 2011 I almost returned these when I saw how small the ear cups were. I purchased them to replace my aging Motorola S805. I would have to say I almost made a huge mistake. These are comfortable and sound just as good, if not better, than the S805. They are also very light. Upon pairing with my PC, I did have to reboot in order to clear up initial static. After that it was smooth sailing. I can't comment on the battery life just yet, but so far I am pleasantly surprised by this purchase. One more thing I can say is that I wear glasses and sometimes headphones can cause soreness when pressing the top of my ear against the frame of my eyeglasses. These don't do that. An all around great purchase for me. See all 135 customer reviews on Amazon.com

Shaun of the Dead is a "romantic comedy, with zombies". A "Rom-Zom-Com", if you will. It was directed by Edgar Wright and stars Simon Pegg and Nick Frost.A young man named Shaun is dumped by his girlfriend Liz because he is unmotivated and doesn't put enough effort into the relationship. Shaun decides to reform in order to win her back. His plans, however, are interrupted by the Zombie Apocalypse. He and his even more deadbeat friend, Ed, go and rescue Shaun's mother, Shaun's stepfather, Liz and Liz's annoying flatmates and take them to the safety of the local pub, The Winchester.Alternately hilarious, scary, and heartbreaking, it can be seen as either a parody of zombie movies or a romantic comedy that happens to use a Zombie Apocalypse as its setting.First part of Wright's planned "The Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy", followed by Hot Fuzz and The World's End. A British magazine published three short tie in comics that explain a few off scene events that tie up loose ends in the story, like, how did Shaun shake the zombies after leading them away from the pub? How did Ed end up in Shaun's tool shed? And what exactly happened to Dianne? These stories were inserted into the DVD complete with narrations by the characters. Also, Mary, the zombie girl in the garden, has her own back-story which was published in 2000AD as a tie-in. Apologetic Attacker: Shaun apologizes to his zombified mother when he prepares a mercy kill: "Sorry, mum..." Asshole Victim: David, who's been a useless, annoying twat towards the gang, finally pushes it by goading Shaun after he just had to kill his own mum. Not too long after, he tries to leave the pub and gets ripped apart for his troubles. There's a deleted scene in which he apologizes before he dies, at least. Bait and Switch: In the movie's opening scene, we're treated to a view of a pair of shuffling feet, while their owner groans in a zombie-like fashion. Turns out it's just Shaun, half-asleep and yawning after getting out of bed. Beauty Is Never Tarnished - Only Shaun (who is hardly a beauty) gets really roughed up after spending the day in a pub fighting zombies. The director's commentary confirms the make-up artist specifically wanted Kate Ashfield to look clean and lovely 'til the end. Beta Couple - Dianne and David. 'Til death do they part. Bloody Handprint: Two of the clues of the zombie apocalypse that Shaun overlooks. David: We should have stayed at the flat. Ed: Why didn't you? David: (pointing at Shaun) Because... because, because of... (beat) "Captain Wow." Bittersweet Ending: Though his mum, stepdad (with whom he reconciled) and best friend turned into zombies, Shaun survived the zombie attack, got back together with his girlfriend and retrieved zombie Ed to play video games with in the shed. Brick Joke: Shaun threw the flowers he bought for his mum into the trashcan just outside the Winchester during the first act. They're the first thing to fall out when David dumps it. Shaun's mum picks them up and notices the tag on them, figuring Shaun had bought them for her. The Cameo: A fantastically in-jokey scene where the gang run into a very similar gang headed by Shaun's friend Yvonne (played by Jessica Hynes, Simon Pegg's co-star and co-writer on Spaced). The alternative gang are all played by well-known British comedy actors (Martin Freeman from The Office, Tamsin Grieg from Black Books, Matt Lucas from Little Britain, Reece Shearsmith from The League of Gentlemen and Julia Deacon from Spaced) even though they're only on screen for seconds. Bonus points because they synchronise man-for-man with Shaun's gang. The implication is that Yvonne's the main character in a movie with a bigger budget. Which later became a bit ironic when Martin Freeman was cast as one of the main supporting characters in The World's End, this film's second follow-up. The Cavalry: When things are at their bleakest, the Army shows up, and blows away every Z-head in sight. Chekhov's Gun: Literally, in the form of a Winchester rifle behind the bar that the characters mention and wonder if it works. It does. Chekhov's Gunman: Most of the zombies appear as background characters before they become zombies (such as the groom in the shop, who reappears in Shaun's house sans an arm). One scene has Shaun telling Yvonne they're heading to the Winchester. Cue the finale, and she's one leading the rescue cavalry to him. Chekhov's Skill: Dianne is a failed actress, but her experience comes in handy when she has to instruct the group in pretending to be zombies. Early on, Shaun plays on his console and Ed helps spot enemies. This is then replicated when Shaun uses the Winchester rifle while Ed is the only helpful spotter. Cool Car: The Jag. To the point that Ed deliberately wrecks the car that he and Shaun had been using, so that they'd be forced to drive it. Cloudcuckoolander: All throughout the movie, Barbara remains rather blithely unaware of everything that is happening around her. Halfway through the movie, however, this could be seen as her trying not to worry Shaun about the fact that she got bitten. Cluster F-Bomb: Shaun (hilariously) drops one on Ed, after getting fed up with his constant mobile usage, in front of a zombie crowd. For their part, the zombies just stare, possibly just as surprised as everyone else at the outburst. Pete drops one when he's woken up by Shaun and Ed's "stupid hip hop"note "It's electro, prick." four hours before he has to go to work. Despair Event Horizon: When the last few survivors get to the Winchester's cellar and find the hatch to the street inoperable, Shaun has a Heroic BSOD, then the talk stops being about escape and starts being about ending it quickly. Dude, Not Funny!: In-universe; Barbara is not impressed when Shaun tries to turn her against Philip by claiming "he touched me." Shaun: ...That wasn't true. Made it up. Shouldn't have done that, sorry. Failed a Spot Check: As a result of being severely hungover, Shaun goes to get some breakfast from the bodega across the street and utterly fails to notice the Zombie Apocalypse raging around him. Also, when checking the street: Ed: Are there any out there, though? Shaun: Can't see any. Maybe it's not as bad as all that. (beat) Oh, no, there they are. Shaun tells the football kid "you're dead" and Ed says Pete's dead the next time he sees him. Guess who later turn up as zombies. Ed's plan to cheer Shaun up after Liz dumps him perfectly mirrors the events after the zombies attack. Barbara is complimented on her zombie impression, but reveals she was actually just not paying attention. This might be because she had just been bitten. On a similar note, look carefully at Barbara in the background in some scenes. She's wincing in pain and looking at her wrist. When Pete is ranting at Ed for keeping him awake with his electro music, he drops the line "You want to live like an animal? Go live in the shed, you thick fuck!" When we last see Ed, he's a chained-up zombie living in Shaun's shed indefinitely. Full Frontal Assault: Pete is completely naked as a zombie, having transformed during a shower. He shows up in the film's climax to bite Ed. Gosh Dangit To Heck: The DVD includes an extra scene named "Funky Pete" with the swearing removed to show the film on commercial flights, with mixed success: "It's four in the funking morning!" "What a prink!" Green-Eyed Monster: David is not-so-secretly in love with Liz and is deeply jealous of Shaun for being with her. Heel Face Door Slam: David, who was an asshole the entire movie, and is totally unsympathetic to Shaun having to kill his own mother, is killed rather gruesomely before he gets a chance to apologize. There was an alternate version of the scene where he's killed just after he apologizes, but the creators decided it was more shocking if he never redeemed himself. People in the test audiences cheered. Improbable Weapon User: Played absolutely straight in that the heroes use anything they can get their hands on to fend off the zombies, starting with the use of Shaun's record collection against two zombies in his garden. When given a Swingball to fend off a zombie, Shaun's first instinct is to use it as a Epic Flail... and the tennis ball bounces pathetically off its head. Cue Dianne and Liz making stabbing motions. Infant Immortality: Averted through a blink-and-you-miss-it family running from their zombified mother, who proceeds to drag her son back into the house. Additionally, the football-kicking child doesn't escape zombification either. Irony: After getting sick of constantly going to the Winchester, Liz finally breaks up with Shaun. Cue the apocalypse the next day, and Liz soon finds herself heading to the Winchester with Shaun. Even lampshaded viciously: David: How can you trust a man you binned for being unreliable? A man whose idea of a romantic nightspot and an impenetrable fortress are the same thing? Ironic Echo: Basically the whole first half of the movie foreshadows the second half (after the Zombie Apocalypse occurs), ranging from obvious "Next time I see him, he's dead!" to the early scene in The Winchester in which Ed - unwittingly - predicts the events of the entire movie: "First thing tomorrow, we'll have a Bloody Mary (Kill the girl in the garden, whose name was Mary), grab a bite at the King's Head (Go get Shaun's stepfather Phil, who then was bitten on his neck by a zombie), have a couple at the Little Princess (Couple=Dave and Dianne, little princess=Liz), stagger back (Impersonate zombies), then come back to the bar for shots." (shooting scene in The Winchester.) The scenes with Yvonne also apply, with the mention of "Surviving" and "I'm glad somebody made it". The scene at the beginning of the movie where Ed is playing a game with Shaun giving him help. Later on in the movie(during the bar shooting scene) Ed gives the same directions to Shaun. When Shaun first goes to the shop, he picks up a Diet Coke, changes his mind and gets a normal Coke instead. The next time, after deciding to sort his life out, he does the opposite. In the scene where Pete rages at Ed and Shaun for their late-night music-fest: Pete: "You want to live like an animal?! GO LIVE IN THE SHED, YOU THICK FUCK!" Many of the shots from the TV montage during the intro are mirrored later on, such as the gameshow being replicated with zombies, and the couple on Trisha reappearing with one of them a zombie. The gang are cut off from The Winchester by a horde of zombies (who haven't detected them yet due to an intervening fence) and they start bickering with each other out of frustration. One character says "We're not going to get out of this by moaning". Minutes later, that's exactly how they are trying to get out of it, by impersonating zombies. Jerkass Has a Point: David preparing to shoot Barbara after it has been revealed she's been bitten, meaning she's going to become a zombie, and they have to do something before she revives and tries to kill all of them. After a rather heated and tense stand-off, Liz notes that she can understand what David is getting at, but he's still being "a twat" all the same. Pete is still an asshole, but wouldn't you be pissed if your roommates were constantly leaving the front door open overnight and playing loud music at four in the morning when you had to work? This is arguably why Pete is an asshole, since he's clearly long gotten sick of both having Ed mooch around the place leeching off them and making it into a tip without contributing anything to the house in turn (except for a little bit bit of money he gets from selling weed) and to a lesser extent Shaun's weak-willed refusal to grow up a bit and stop enabling Ed. It's telling that Shaun's epiphany when Pete confronts him with the implication that he keeps hanging around Ed to feel less like a loser and that he should "sort your fucking life out, mate!" Juggling Loaded Guns: A running argument between Ed and Shaun on whether or not The Winchester's namesake gun (mounted over the bar) has been deactivated: The Load: Barbara during the Zombie Apocalypse, Barbara and Ed in the more mundane aspects of his life. Ed's uselessness is lampshaded by Pete. Love Makes You Evil: David is at his most obnoxious when he's a) trying to drive a wedge between Shaun and Liz, b) gloating over the fact that they've split up or c) making extremely feeble denials about having a thing for Liz. Made of Plasticine: Like a lot of zombie movies, human bodies get torn apart relatively easily. Meaningful Background Event/ Funny Background Event: In the beginning of the film, there are many, many obvious hints of the oncoming Zombie Apocalypse, but it all takes place in the background while the main focus of the story is on Shaun's mundane, rundown life. Shaun and those around him are completely oblivious to the zombie outbreak until half an hour into the film, when Shaun and Ed finally decide to pay attention to the news reports... and only after they've unwittingly fought two zombies, wandered around an abandoned London, and obliviously think the zombies are drunkards. Mexican Standoff: Involving a rifle, two broken bottles, and a corkscrew. And a lampshade. Mirror Scare: Played straight, then echoed. Like everything else in the movie. Mood Whiplash: The first half of the film is an affectionate parody/pastiche of the zombie genre, but everything goes to hell in a grocery trolley when Shaun is forced to kill his own infected mother, David is torn limb from limb and eaten by zombies, Dianne disappears, and Ed becomes a Zombie. Fortunately, Shaun and Liz manage to escape by the skin of their teeth, and Dianne is revealed in a DVD extra to have survived. The aforementioned death and zombification of Shaun's mother takes place literally five minutes after the "Don't Stop Me Now" sequence. Mythology Gag: "How's that for a slice of fried gold?", refers to a comment frequently made between members of the Spaced production team. Tyres from Spaced is in the crowd of zombies around the Winchester (easily spotted because he's wearing his yellow hat and courier get-up), apparently STILL raving. And the first meeting between Shaun and Yvonne, played by Jessica Stevenson aka Daisy, refers back obliquely to their work on Spaced. The entire Zombie episode of Spaced (where Tim hallucinates a zombie attack after getting high and playing Resident Evil 2 all night) was apparently the inspiration for the whole movie. Including a throwaway remark about someone getting beaten to death with a pool cue. That ice cream 'Cornetto' also appeared in Hot Fuzz as the blue 'Classico' to represent the police force, and because Shaun of The Dead is themed with blood, Shaun bought a strawberry (red) one, making this the first in the 'Cornetto' or 'Blood & Ice Cream' Trilogy. This also relates to the line "Want anything from the shop?" which appears in both films. It's mentioned in the commentary that the location of Shaun and Ed's home is just up the road from Tim and Daisy's. They even speculate that Yvonne and Shaun are some kind of alternate universe's Tim and Daisy. The recurring argument that Shaun and Ed often get into about the ability of dogs to look up is apparently based on an actual argument that Simon Pegg and Nick Frost had during the filming of Spaced. The shopping trolley outside the house was also in Spaced. Noble Shoplifter: Shaun does this unknowingly. When the entire town is deserted, he just goes about his daily business and goes to the convenience store to shop for groceries. When he notices the shopkeeper isn't there, he puts his money on the counter rather than wait for him. He notes that he doesn't quite have enough ("I owe you fifteen p."), and the shopkeeper later comes to collect the rest — unfortunately, he's a bit dead by that point... Obstacle Exposition: Shaun plots out their every move to Ed once they've realized they're in a Zombie Apocalypse as a monologue over hilarious footage of him carrying out each act, calmly and with panache. As Ed reminds him about something else Shaun amends his previous plan to accommodate it. From then on they, of course, have trouble each step along the way. Oh Crap: Shaun gets a big one when he turns on the lights and realizes how many zombies are outside the back door. One Last Smoke: Shaun and Liz. Averted, as the light from the cigarette lighter reveals the controls for the escape hatch they had believed to be jammed. Liz and Shaun also leave Ed with a cigarette dangling from his lips. Only Sane Man: Shaun, once he's convinced himself that, yes, it is zombies they're dealing with, starts to deal with it pragmatically. Everyone else seems either intent on denying the crisis, in the belief that if they just sit around this silliness will blow over, or going into hysterical and useless rants (Dave). Ed goes too far in the other direction, becoming a bit too keen putting the others in danger for thrills. Liz also has her head screwed on fairly well throughout the movie, and In the Mexican Stand Off almost everyone else gets into at the climax she's the only one trying to act as the voice of reason by pointing out that they kind of have bigger fish to fry at the moment. Our Zombies Are Different: Over the course of the film, it's shown that they degrade to an animal-like sentience, will still answer to their names, retain certain habits (e.g. Phillip turning off the stereo, that kid playing football, Ed playing video games), and can be trained like domesticated animals. Played straight with "OK, John - it's time at the bar." Precision F-Strike - Liz in the Winchester when everyone's got weapons pointed at one another: Please can we just calm the fuck down?! Pre-Mortem One-Liner - Subverted. Just as the zombies break into The Winchester, Shaun levels his rifle and says, "Sorry, we're closed!" but the gun jams, prompting a hysterical little squeak of panic from Shaun and several seconds of flustered flapping about from the characters before they can actually start shooting. Played straight in one instance: when Pete throws his electro-inspired late-night tantrum and tells Ed to "go and live in the shed", Shaun tells Pete to leave Ed alone. Later on in the Winchester as Ed is getting chewed into by Zombie Pete, Shaun catches Pete's attention by screaming a single line before promptly shooting him through the eye as he advances. Shaun: I SAID LEAVE HIM ALONE!*headshot* Pretend We're Dead: Done by the main characters to get to the pub. Their cover is blown when Ed gets a call on his mobile. Rant Inducing Slight: After constantly sticking up for Ed and making excuses for his oafishness and stupidity, Shaun finally snaps when Ed answers his cell phone in the middle of a zombie horde, blowing their cover. Made all the more funny because he delivers the rant while still in the middle of the zombies, who look rather nonplussed. Shaun knocks the phone out of Ed's hand Ed: Oi! What are you doing? Shaun: What am I doing? What are you doing, you stupid moron!? Ed: Fuck off! Shaun:You fuck off! Fuck fucking off! I've spent... look at me! I've spent my entire life sticking my neck out for you and all you ever do is fuck things up! Fuck things up and make me look stupid! Well, I'm not going to let you do it any more. OK? Not today!!! Reset Button / Status Quo Is God: Hilariously subverted. There are still zombies all over the place at the end of the film, only they've now become a part of every day life and life goes on pretty much as it did before. Rule of Three: "Glad somebody made it" and "Dogs can't look up", especially, although there's several other examples. Separated by a Common Language: Averted. Shaun says that Mary the zombie is "so drunk" instead of the more British "so pissed" to avoid confusing American audiences, as "pissed" more commonly means "angry" in the USA. Played straight with the trope naming line, "...the 'zed' word." Across the pond it would have been pronounced, "the 'zee' word." Two other news reports muddy the waters via their own shout outs: one talks about radiation from a downed satellite in reference to Night of the Living Dead, and another blames GM crops in reference to the agricultural experiments from the obscure Italian flick Let Sleeping Corpses Lie. Funnily enough, George Romero himself actually missed this one on his first viewing, as Edgar Wright discovered when he excitedly asked what Romero had thought of the line. In addition, their game of choice at the beginning was Time Splitters 2. Free Radical reciprocated by putting some references in TimeSplitters: Future Perfect. There's also the rather appropriate use of the first few chords of "Ghost Town", by The Specials at the start of the film? Day of the Dead is first replicated with David being torn in half by zombies (though he never says "Choke on 'em!"), and Shaun and Liz ascend in the freight elevator at the end exactly the same way as the ending of Day. Also, the shot of a half-awake Shaun's shadow entering the screen before we pan up to his face, mirroring the first shot of a zombie in Day. A subtle shout-out to the Evil Dead series after Shaun discovers Pete zombified in the shower: as he backs away in terror, he babbles "We were wondering if you'd like to (beat) join us?" Another subtle Evil Dead shout-out appears when Shaun arrives at work and briefly mentions a co-worker named "Ash" who called in sick that day. The name of the electronics store where Shaun works is called Foree Electronics, after Ken Foree, the lead actor from the original Dawn of the Dead. The restaurant where Shaun and Liz are supposed to have dinner early in the movie is called Fulci's, after Zombi 2 director Lucio Fulci. In the scene where Shaun and Ed try to use LPs as a weapon against a zombie, Ed brings up The Stone Roses' Second Coming, to which Shaun protests "I like it!". This is a reference to the infamous debate over whether the Darker and EdgierNew Sound AlbumSecond Coming is as good an album as the Roses' self-titled debut. Every Romero zombie film has included at least one completely nude zombie. Shaun honors that quota. Similar Squad: The gang meet up what appear to be a group undergoing the same plot but with a slightly more expensive cast. Each of the gang's double actually corresponds to a comedy double they'd shared in the past. Like Pegg and Frost, Jessica Hynes worked on Spaced, Martin Freeman worked with Lucy Davis on The Office and Tasmin Greig worked with Dylan Moran on Black Books. Soul Fragment: A personality quirk or two survives the zombification process. Examples include the football kid continuing to play football, several people working menial jobs before the outbreak continuing in those jobs after zombification, and Ed living in the shed after being zombified, still playing video games Suspiciously Apropos Music: In the pub at the start, just after Shaun has broken up with his girlfriend and the jukebox begins playing "If You Leave Me Now". Lampshaded as Ed says "Who the hell put this on?" "It's on random." "Oh, for fuck's sake!" The same gag is Ironic Echoed later on in a spot of Soundtrack Dissonance: The jukebox in the pub, now facing an onslaught of zombies, randomly picks Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now". Shaun: Augh-! Who the hell put this on?! Ed: It's on random! Liz: Oh, for fuck's sake! Shaun: David! Kill the Queen! David: What?! Shaun: THE JUKEBOX! Speaking of appropriate zombie-bashing tunes, this combines with a Shout Out after Shaun drives off relieved that he only ran over a zombie. The first line out of the stereo when he starts the car again is "I think my head is gonna explode!" ... from the song Meltdown, by Northern Irish band Ash. Take That: The L Ps that Shaun is willing to destroy to fight Mary. Wright and Pegg don't think too much of the Batman soundtrack, apparently. There Was A Door round the back of The Winchester, so David didn't need to smash the front window. Too Dumb to Live: Ed's stupidity also makes him The Millstone, as he repeatedly endangers the group by utterly failing to comprehend the concept of "danger." Shaun's mother should also be mentioned. Would you like some tea and sandwiches? Shaun himself also fits this. What exactly made the Winchester any safer than Liz's apartment? While it's got big heavy doors and a rifle on the wall and Ed knows where all the exits are (and he can smoke), they actually probably would have been safer in the apartment, because the window was above ground level (Shaun could climb up to it, but he wasn't a zombie) and you couldn't even get into the building without being buzzed in. Even if the zombies somehow got in through that door, they could have barricaded the apartment door fairly easily. But they also wouldn't have had half so much booze. Let's not forget David standing right in front of the pub window, seconds before he gets eaten. Frankly, the entire group lives and breathes this trope, making stupid decision after stupid decision, but Ed really is the king. Trailers Always Lie: The trailers tended to play up the comedic aspects and downplay or ignore the more serious and horrific elements. Undeath Always Ends: Subverted, zombie Ed not only 'lives' on as a zombie at the end, but is rather poignantly no worse off than when he was alive... Shaun keeps him in the garden shed playing video-games! Indeed, this is true for all the zombies that weren't killed during the crisis, as society managed to adapt and utilize the undead for their own purpose, roping them into reality TV shows, menial labour and chat shows, among other things. The Unreveal: A very much in the background radio broadcast near the beginning of the film would imply that something from a downed US satellite caused the zombies. When Shaun is watching television at the end of the film, a news program says that the theorized cause was "use of"...something. Shaun changes the channel a moment too early. What Do You Mean, It's Not Symbolic?: There's some level of social observation, and the apparent suggestion that in 21st century Britain many people live life in an unthinking, zombie-like state - the introductory footage of everyday life at the film's beginning, Shaun and Ed's first few zombie encounters - in which they fail to notice anything unusual going on, and the ending, where society becomes completely desensitized to violence, and Ed lives on, undead and tied up in the shed. Creepy. Wicked Stepmother: Shaun sees his step-dad like this, though in fact it turns out that Phillip thought Shaun had it in him to really make something of himself with enough motivation and was simply applying Tough Love. And it has to be said that Shaun wasn't exactly the perfect stepson. One incident that stands out is Shaun claiming Phillip attacked him with a lump of wood for leaving a Mars bar in the glove compartment of his Jag, but it's actually revealed later that Shaun calling Phillip a motherfucker might have had something to do with it as well.

I'm hoping to start ivf in October. My dh and I are still debating if we are going to do donor or ivf. I think it's going to come down to rather we get any of our selections with the donor list. If not then we will be doing ivf. I also have to wait to see what the dr. says on when I'll be able to start again after surgery. I wanted to wish you luck. I CAN'T WAIT. I really want a journey partner to not only share my hopes and fears with but someone who can LITERALLY relate like you ladies here. Thanks a million for your wishes and your ladies are all in my prayers I say claim it and I pray it happens with your eggs. Best Wishes My_Angel. I'm new to the community haven't posted much but, I've done so much reading. These ladies are so knowledgeable and supportive of each other. I am currently on day 10 of Lupron, waiting for AF (she's 4 days late). Once I get AF I hope to start stiming, retrieval was supposed to be around mid-August (11-14). The schedule may change now but, I go see my RE tomorrow for a baseline. I'd like to journey with you. Thanks A Ton Of Baby Dust. I'm new here as well I needed a forum to help ease some of the stress and by far this place is the greatest to be able to talk about fertilty with other ladies that can relate to you and literally know what you are going thru. I'm gonna continue follwing you and I'll keep you updated on my journey I pray that you have a ESY and successful journey. I am just starting my 2 IVF cycle. I will start stimming tomorrow, retrival is for the 8/10. If you have any questions feel free to ask I'll answer what I can from my experience. Best of luck to all of you. WOW! I know you are excited. I can't wait to start. I'm a month away I just wanted to start being IVF buddies with several woman. I'm claiming a baby for you so look forward to the up coming months. GOD BLESS! Hi, I am on my second IVF cycle right now and hopefully the last. I should have my retrieval sometime next week. If you have any questions I will be happy to answer, do email me. Good luck and Baby dust CONGRATS. All you ladies replies inspire me and make this journey easier. I PRAY for the best for all of us that we'll be playing with finger and toes of our little ones soon. I will be following all of you and my best wishes to ALL. I am starting my 3rd IVF cycle. I've had 2 failed fresh cycles and my last was a frozen that was BFN. I started my Lupron yesterday and will go for my baseline on the 14th, with retrieval scheduled for the last week of August. It is very hard to go again....I'm not exactly sure how I feel about it this time..... jenjen- Sorry to hear this is your 3rd cycle. I understand how you feel about starting over again, as I am on my 2nd cycle and I am not all gunho as I was with the 1st cycle. It takes alittle piece of your hope, positive frame of mind with each failed cycle. I wil be praying for all of us to get our BFP with our current cycles. If you need to vent your hope, frustrations, fears, or positve energy feel free to contact me. We are all on the same journey and even though some may not say what they are feeling we are all most likely feeling the same thing. Best of luck to you. Mamom- Well there you are, I was just looking for you on the other forum. How are you? Jen...I started my stims on 7/31 and this is my 3rd IVF this year. My ER is set for 8/10 and we are doing assisted hatching so my RE does an automatic 3 day transfer with AH. I wish you the best of luck on your cycle too. fairyzduzt- Thanks for your understanding words! I have always been very upbeat and positive each cycle. I don't know what is wrong with me this time. I've got the blahs! I'm sure that I'll perk up soon....I have to! KellyDO731 - Best of luck on your ER! I am going to have AH this time as well. This is my last fresh cycle. My doctor wants to put back 3-4 embryo's this time. We put back 2 the first 2 fresh cycles...they were 8 cell grade 4, very good ones. They were very surprised each time I got BFN. So, with my age, we are doing more this time and AH....not sure if they will do AH on all of them. Have they discussed that with you? I am 37, will be 38 in Dec. How old are you? We have male factor....but obviously I have a implantation problem, too! LOL! I've had all the exploratory surgery, etc....everything looks great....just can't get a positive. I pray this is the time. I want it so badly! All - I'm happy to share this with all of you! Let's make it happen this time!!! Blessings to everyone!!! .....Baby dust, too! Thanks for your reply. NO NEGATIVE THOUGHTS! I beleive its hard but thank POSITIVE and I'm gonna claim MOMMYHOOD for you. So you will be planning your shower in the months to come! GOOD LUCK N CONGRATS! I will be following you! My_Angel how are you feeling? Did you have your procedure last Friday? Keep us updated on your progress. When I went to see my RE she saw a cyst so my cycle has been delayed and was told to continue same dose of Lupron. 16th day on the Lupron, don't know if the cyst or Lupron affected my cycle. I finally got AF on Tuesday and my cyst appears to be resolving itself. So I'll get BW/Sono on this Friday and start stiming if, my estrogen level has dropped enough. It seems to take forever to get to actual retrieval and transfer! LOL My first cycle was cancelled because I ovulated before ER while on ganirelix. I have MTHFR a clotting factor so I'm on low dose aspirin (and Lovenox if I make it to ET) and extra folic acid. Hi, I have had 5 miscarriages and I am going with an egg donor. I am on bc and I am going to start Lupron on Monday. (Do you think it is better to give myself the shot quickly or slowly?) I'm a bit nervous about the whole giving yourself a shot in the belly thing. The clinic is guessing the procedure should take place around September or so. I know I should be asking more questions from the clinic, but can you tell me what were the next steps after you were on Lupron? sharon- I found it better to do it kind of slow because when I did it quickly I bruised myself. Not sure what your next step will be as you are using a donor you will not be stimming but my RE said that if my current ivf doesn't work we will do a frozen which only requires lupron maybe yours is the same. Wishing you the best of luck with your upcoming cycle. Went in for my base line and everything looked great....I even had some follies already! I started by gonal-f and I go back on Tuesday. I am hoping the stupid hurricanes/tropical storms do not mess up my schedule!!! Fairyzduzt- yes, it will go by fast. This is my 3rd fresh IVF cycle. My favorite part is when they finally say...take your trigger shot..... Sharon- I always do my shots quickly. That is how I was taught to do it in the injection class. They said to pop it in like a dart. The needles are so small anyway it does not hurt at all. Good luck!!! Yeah I had my procedure done and everything went great I was bake at woke that monday. I just did my post opp visit and I'll start my preliminary services thats done prior to the baseline the first of next month. Thanks for asking I will most def keep yall posted. I'm sorry to hear about the C but I'm keeping you in my prayers it's great news to hear its dissolving on its own. I'm waiting for your message saying you are preggo!! Hi all, please can someboy share your views/feelings about this topic. I had three good quality embryo's transferred on wednesday last week, so it's been 6 days but I'm not feeling anything at all, is this normal? Should I be feeling anything physically? This is my second IVF attempt as the first one failed last year July Charmaine- I also had 3 good quality embryo transfered on Wed. the only thing that I have noticed is that I have had some AF like cramping on and off that started on Fri nite (3dpt) I also had a failed ivf in May that time I had cramps from the day of transfer till AF started, I knew it was going to be BFN. They say you can have symptoms or none at all. Praying you get your BFP. My Angel- Glad to hear all is going well. Look forward to reading that you have started stimming. I am off the baby asprin now but still on folic acid, hopefully only one more month to wait, they said they want me to have 2 AF's before i can go again, just so my hormones are back to normal, plus there are hundreds of other women waiting. I am going to the only fertility clinic in my province and one of the best in the country (so they say) so there are people from all over going there. I really dislike this waiting game!! How is your wait going? How far into the procedure are you? Did you already do the transfer? I hope all is going well for you, and my thoughts are with you. It is nice to know that other people are going through the same thing, that they truly understand what it feels like. Keep me posted with your journey and know that we are all there for you My appt on Tuesday for monitoring went great. I have like 14 on the right ovary and not sure how many on the left. My E2 level was 310 which is good for me. Usually my first E2 (at my second appt) is only 92ish. I go back tomorrow. I hope everything is still going good. My doctor changed my protocol some this cycle. Hopefully it will help. My body is weird...my first cycle was cancelled when my doc decreased meds...my estrogen crashed. But, I am staying positive and will post again after tomorrow!!! Help4baby - I don't think taking time off has anything to do with success rates. I think you should do what your doctor recommends. I know that the time in between for me was always beneficial as I felt "normal". I think its just a ;personal decision. Its going to happen when its time anyway....no matter how soon we want it to. Good luck! Went for monitoring today....my follies are doing great....most between 12-14mm. My estrogen level went up to 1166. So my doctor is backing off my meds just a bit. I have to go in every day so they can watch my estrogen level. My very first cycle was cancelled after my estrogen bottomed out when my meds were cut back. So, he wants to watch me really close...of course I don't want OHSS either!!! I go back tomorrow....cant wait for ER! I had my retrieval today and they got 17. I will hear tomorrow how many fertilized. We do ICSI. THey may do a 5 day transfer of me this time if my embryo's are looking good on Friday. Otherwise, my transfer will be Saturday. I am praying for Monday and a 5 day though. How is everyone else doing? No one posts anymore.... Out of my 17, 13 fertilized normally. They have progressed great. In fact, they are going to do a 5 day blastocyst transfer tomorrow afternoon!!!! They tell me that they look fantastic! I have 7 ahead of the rest, but the others are looking great, too. I'm so excited! I will post more later..... Everything went great! We put back 3 beautiful blasts! My doctor and the embryologist were very pleased and said they looked textbook perfect! I was so happy! Now I wait! I go for my beta test on the 11th! I will be home taking it easy the next two days and then I took off the rest of the week and with the holiday, I don't go back to work until the 8th. That worked out nicely! I am going to enjoy being a lady of leisure! Thanks!!! I went in Monday for repeat blood work and my level went up to 351. They said they would have liked for it to be around 500. They said it may indicate M/C and I have to go back tomorrow (Friday) for another blood test. I know my level will be fine tomorrow! I am pregannt!!!!! LOL! Well, blood work on Friday showed HCG of 1046. They still say it isn't going up as fast...but actually I started out a day early. But, I am doubling at the same rate each time. They are not doing another test and have scheduled my ultra sound for the 30th!!! I am so excited! I will be so glad to be past the last hurdle so to speak and released to my OB/GYN!!! I had my second ER on Sunday ...they retrieved 20 follicles..19 mature. of the 19 11 fertilized as of today all 11 are doing great and progressing normal!! we are so excited. Last time we only had 5 retrieved and only 3 fertilized. JenJen12- Congrats on the positive BETA....was this your first IVF?? Good Luck on Friday!!!!! I know you must be excited! How are your embies developing? I had a 5 day transfer as well this past cycle. It went fantastic, obviously! Please let me know how you are doing!!! I go on the 30th for my u/s! I am so excited! Take care!! My Transfer is at 11:20 am this morning....I asked how they were doing today but the nurse said she didnt have the report...and the dr would let me know tomorrow. I am doing well...VERY ANxious...and you? how are you feeling?? How was your transfer? How many did you have put back? Do you have bedrest now? I am doing good. Just tired!!!! I'm always tired. I took the day off tomorrow just to run a couple of errands because I have energy after work to do so! LOL! So i had my transfer this morning...it went EXCELLENT....we tranferred TWO AA embies and froze 3 additional AA embryos... i have 3 to four more that were a lil behind but are still possibilities for freezing...I will know about them tomorrow!! SO EXCITED....now i just have to deal with the wait. Wow, you had some great embryo's put back!!! I hope your others made it to be frozen! How are you feeling? Does your clinic require bedrest for a few days after transfer? Mine does. October 5th isn't that far away!!! I know you are so excited and anxious too. Try to take it easy and enjoy your wait. I am doing ok. Still tired, sore BB's. I only have a few more days until my u/s. I can't wait to pass that pivotal point so that I can be released to my doctor. It will be such an important day. I AM NEW TO THIS FORUM. I READ YOUR QUESTION TODAY SO I DON'T KNOW AT WHAT STAGE YOU ARE NOW. PL LET ME KNOW. AND YES I HAVE STARTED MY IVF WITH ICSI...I AM IN MY DAY 4. ALSO I AM VERY MUCH CONFUSED ABOUT ICSI, WHETHER TO HAVE THAT DONE OR GO WITHOUT THAT. MY CONCERNS ARE REGARDING THE BIRTH DEFECTS AS A RESULT OF POKING THE NEEDLE IN EGG. They say to be a "coach potato" for 48 hours after transfer... Did you have any additional embies to freeze this cycle? we wound up freezing 6. Did you wait for your Preg test at your clinic? or did you give in and test at home? I gave in last time but i am TRYING to wait this time.. Hey there! How are you feeling? My clinic asks you to do 48 hours of the same. I usually took extra days off for good measure and juse eased back into regular activity. We had 3 blasts left to freeze. No, I never took a HPT prior to a blood test at the clinic. I just couldn't. But, when I went this last time they did a rapid blood test on me and found out I was pregnant before the actual level came back. They called me on speaker phone to tell me, but then I had to act surprised when the doctor called me. I was so happy, I have to say. They saved the rapid test for me to use in the baby book. I go tomorrow afternoon for my u/s.....send up some prayers! I am so ready to be released to my OB doctor. Keep resting!!! I am feeling fine. ANXIOUS. hoping and Praying that i have a positive test this time. I work in an office as an accountant so i am sitting all day i have a foot stool and even put my feet up! Good luck at your ultrasound today! Im sure everything will go great! I will say a prayer for you. My test is next monday....i cant wait..I tested at home last time but I am trying not to this time! My u/s went great! We are pregnant with a singleton! Heart rate was 130 bpm, and they said they would guess a boy because of the lower heart rate. The range they look for is 120-150, so we were right there! It was very exciting to hear the heart beat. The clinic staff was so nice. I cried when we left. They released us to go to our regular doctor. My first appt is Monday!!! CONGRATS! I can only imagine how happy and emotional you were when you heard the heartbeat! So you had 3 blast transferred and pregnant with a singleton? Thats great! I had a baby dream last night... I went for my test on monday and it was POSITIVE...i went back Wednesday and my numbers were increasing just as the expected! It was great!! i didnt want to wake up! :) Good luck monday! SO when is your due date? How many weeks are you ?? Mybabypooh- Good luck on your 4th cycle... Im currently on my 2 IVF cycle...Monday is my test...Im nervous! Keep us posted on your progress! JenJen12- I feel fine... alot calmer and better than I did the first time around. I am better prepared this time! I dont really have any symptoms. Did you have any before testing? I am SOO nervous and anxious. I have three sisters and they all have kids...two of them are pregnant right now too.... and its hard for me! I Am very happy for them but i SOO wish it was me. Is that bad? I am sick of the PIO shots to ...it gets annoying. Take care and rest! jen- You are right behind me my due date is april 29th. I am 10 weeks today and will be release to my regular ob/gyn on the 19th. At my first u/s my little ones heartbeat was 160 at each u/s it increased and my last one it was 190, my tech said she would guess a girl because of the heartrate. ( only time will tell ). So glad to hear that you are doing well. I have had the worst morning sickness, I have lost a total of 18 lbs in the last 6 weeks dr. is not very happy about that so I have started a med that is suppose to help with the vomiting. I hope it does. Take care of your self, I'll be looking forward to hear how you are progressing. Mybabypooh -I got my BFP on my 2nd fresh cycle, it is diffrent for each of us stay positive. Best of luck to you, I hope this is your time to get your BFP. Lyssa8288- I had some symptoms....mostly that I was very tired. I did have some spotting about 4-5 days before my beta. I heard some people have that and some don't. But, I'd never had that before or the lethargy. Don't read too much into symptoms...some people don't have any at all. You will know soon enough! Only 1 more day. I'm sure it will be positive. Keep the faith! Fairyzduzt-Wow....you are right ahead of me! That is awful that your morning sickness has been so terrible. Mine seems to be getting worse as far as being nauseated more often and not really wanting to eat or getting nauseaous after I've eaten a little bit. I have not thrown up yet. I have not gained any weight or lost any. I go up a couple of pounds and then go back down...don't know if that is good or bad. I go for my first OB on Monday and I'll have lots of questions! It is so exciting to say I am pregnant! I don't know how long you've been trying to get preggers, but we've been trying 4 years. I have to remind myself every day that I am pregnant. I love it, though. I don't even mind the symptoms, I just thank God, because it's for a good cause! I am so sorry to hear about your BFN. I know how heart breaking it is. Please don't give up hope, it will happen. I can empathize with you as I have been there so many times before. Please know we are here for you! Take care!!! Jen When we started all this we said we would try three times and thats it... we have done two and decided we will try this one last time....it will be this year for after this year i will no longer have fertility insurance coverage. I meet with my doctor on Friday the 23rd and i'll have to see what he thinks. My sister has offered to be a gestational surrogate for us if this attempt doesnt work. We have 6 frozen embies from my second IVF... and praying we will have additionals from this 3rd try. We are just trying to cope....all of our brothers and sisters have kids. Most of our friends do to... so its like noone close to me knows what I am going through. Yes I am young (22), DH (26) and i think that makes it even harder! IT shouldnt be this hard for a couple our age to become pregnant! Lyssa8288- Wow, you are so young but, that is a good thing! It will happen soon, have faith and believe that it will happen. This is my 4th attempt and I always feel like giving up but I keep trying:-) I know how you feel. We have been trying to get pregnant for over 4 years. We have done it on our own, 4 IUI's, 3 fresh IVF cycles and 1 frozen cycle. We were successful on our 3rd fresh cycle after our frozen cycle. It is great that you have some left to do frozen as those are cheaper. It is hard to go through it, but once you get passed this you will have your focus again and you will know what to do. Always have hope and never give up. It is hard, I know. I have been there, but I refused to give up. Have faith in God. He will bless you in His time. You are young and that is on your side! We are actually going to do another fresh cycle... I have meet my deductible and out of pocket max for the year so we wont have to pay much. Plus after December of this year i will no longer have fertility coverage. I am currently covered under COBRA from my old job that insurance covers fertility. Effective Jan 2010 I will no longer me eligible for this so i will be on my new company's insurance....unfortunately we dont have fertility coverage there. So this will be our 3rd and final fresh cycle.... we are PRAYING for the best. Good luck to all The Content on this Site is presented in a summary fashion, and is intended to be used for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended to be and should not be interpreted as medical advice or a diagnosis of any health or fitness problem, condition or disease; or a recommendation for a specific test, doctor, care provider, procedure, treatment plan, product, or course of action. Med Help International, Inc. is not a medical or healthcare provider and your use of this Site does not create a doctor / patient relationship. 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A Method for Transmitting PPP Over Ethernet (PPPoE) Author(s): K. Lidl, D. Simone, D. Carrel, J. Evarts, R. Wheeler, L. Mamakos This document describes how to build PPP sessions and encapsulate PPP packets over Ethernet. This memo provides information for the Internet... Network Working Group L. Mamakos Request for Comments: 2516 K. Lidl Category: Informational J. Evarts UUNET Technologies, Inc. D. Carrel D. Simone RedBack Networks, Inc. R. Wheeler RouterWare, Inc. February 1999 A Method for Transmitting PPP Over Ethernet (PPPoE) Status of this Memo This memo provides information for the Internet community. It does not specify an Internet standard of any kind. Distribution of this memo is unlimited. Copyright Notice Copyright (C) The Internet Society (1999). All Rights Reserved. Abstract The Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) provides a standard method for transporting multi-protocol datagrams over point-to-point links. This document describes how to build PPP sessions and encapsulate PPP packets over Ethernet. Applicability This specification is intended to provide the facilities which are defined for PPP, such as the Link Control Protocol, Network-layer Control Protocols, authentication, and more. These capabilities require a point-to-point relationship between the peers, and are not designed for the multi-point relationships which are available in Ethernet and other multi-access environments. This specification can be used by multiple hosts on a shared, Ethernet to open PPP sessions to multiple destinations via one or more bridging modems. It is intended to be used with broadband remote access technologies that provide a bridged Ethernet topology, when access providers wish to maintain the session abstraction associated with PPP. Mamakos, et. al. Informational [Page 1] RFC 2516 Transmitting PPP Over Ethernet February 1999 This document describes the PPP Over Ethernet encapsulation that is being deployed by RedBack Networks, RouterWare, UUNET and others. 1. Introduction Modern access technologies are faced with several conflicting goals. It is desirable to connect multiple hosts at a remote site through the same customer premise access device. It is also a goal to provide access control and billing functionality in a manner similar to dial-up services using PPP. In many access technologies, the most cost effective method to attach multiple hosts to the customer premise access device, is via Ethernet. In addition, it is desirable to keep the cost of this device as low as possible while requiring little or no configuration. PPP over Ethernet (PPPoE) provides the ability to connect a network of hosts over a simple bridging access device to a remote Access Concentrator. With this model, each host utilizes it's own PPP stack and the user is presented with a familiar user interface. Access control, billing and type of service can be done on a per-user, rather than a per-site, basis. To provide a point-to-point connection over Ethernet, each PPP session must learn the Ethernet address of the remote peer, as well as establish a unique session identifier. PPPoE includes a discovery protocol that provides this. 2. Conventions The keywords MUST, MUST NOT, REQUIRED, SHALL, SHALL NOT, SHOULD, SHOULD NOT, RECOMMENDED, MAY, and OPTIONAL, when they appear in this document, are to be interpreted as described in . 3. Protocol Overview PPPoE has two distinct stages. There is a Discovery stage and a PPP Session stage. When a Host wishes to initiate a PPPoE session, it must first perform Discovery to identify the Ethernet MAC address of the peer and establish a PPPoE SESSION_ID. While PPP defines a peer-to-peer relationship, Discovery is inherently a client-server relationship. In the Discovery process, a Host (the client) discovers an Access Concentrator (the server). Based on the network topology, there may be more than one Access Concentrator that the Host can communicate with. The Discovery stage allows the Host to discover all Access Concentrators and then select one. When Discovery completes successfully, both the Host and the selected Access Concentrator have the information they will use to build their point-to-point connection over Ethernet. Mamakos, et. al. Informational [Page 2] RFC 2516 Transmitting PPP Over Ethernet February 1999 The Discovery stage remains stateless until a PPP session is established. Once a PPP session is established, both the Host and the Access Concentrator MUST allocate the resources for a PPP virtual interface. 4. Payloads The following packet formats are defined here. The payload contents will be defined in the Discovery and PPP sections. An Ethernet frame is as follows: 1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ | DESTINATION_ADDR | | (6 octets) | | | +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ | SOURCE_ADDR | | (6 octets) | | | +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ | ETHER_TYPE (2 octets) | +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ ~ ~ ~ payload ~ ~ ~ +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ | CHECKSUM | +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ The DESTINATION_ADDR field contains either a unicast Ethernet destination address, or the Ethernet broadcast address (0xffffffff). For Discovery packets, the value is either a unicast or broadcast address as defined in the Discovery section. For PPP session traffic, this field MUST contain the peer's unicast address as determined from the Discovery stage. The SOURCE_ADDR field MUST contains the Ethernet MAC address of the source device. The ETHER_TYPE is set to either 0x8863 (Discovery Stage) or 0x8864 (PPP Session Stage). Mamakos, et. al. Informational [Page 3] RFC 2516 Transmitting PPP Over Ethernet February 1999 The Ethernet payload for PPPoE is as follows: 1 2 3 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ | VER | TYPE | CODE | SESSION_ID | +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ | LENGTH | payload ~ +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ The VER field is four bits and MUST be set to 0x1 for this version of the PPPoE specification. The TYPE field is four bits and MUST be set to 0x1 for this version of the PPPoE specification. The CODE field is eight bits and is defined below for the Discovery and PPP Session stages. The SESSION_ID field is sixteen bits. It is an unsigned value in network byte order. It's value is defined below for Discovery packets. The value is fixed for a given PPP session and, in fact, defines a PPP session along with the Ethernet SOURCE_ADDR and DESTINATION_ADDR. A value of 0xffff is reserved for future use and MUST NOT be used The LENGTH field is sixteen bits. The value, in network byte order, indicates the length of the PPPoE payload. It does not include the length of the Ethernet or PPPoE headers. 5. Discovery Stage There are four steps to the Discovery stage. When it completes, both peers know the PPPoE SESSION_ID and the peer's Ethernet address, which together define the PPPoE session uniquely. The steps consist of the Host broadcasting an Initiation packet, one or more Access Concentrators sending Offer packets, the Host sending a unicast Session Request packet and the selected Access Concentrator sending a Confirmation packet. When the Host receives the Confirmation packet, it may proceed to the PPP Session Stage. When the Access Concentrator sends the Confirmation packet, it may proceed to the PPP Session Stage. All Discovery Ethernet frames have the ETHER_TYPE field set to the value 0x8863. Mamakos, et. al. Informational [Page 4] RFC 2516 Transmitting PPP Over Ethernet February 1999 The PPPoE payload contains zero or more TAGs. A TAG is a TLV (type- length-value) construct and is defined as follows: 1 2 3 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ | TAG_TYPE | TAG_LENGTH | +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ | TAG_VALUE ... ~ +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ TAG_TYPE is a sixteen bit field in network byte order. Appendix A contains a list of all TAG_TYPEs and their TAG_VALUEs. TAG_LENGTH is a sixteen bit field. It is an unsigned number in network byte order, indicating the length in octets of the TAG_VALUE. If a discovery packet is received with a TAG of unknown TAG_TYPE, the TAG MUST be ignored unless otherwise specified in this document. This provides for backwards compatibility if/when new TAGs are added. If new mandatory TAGs are added, the version number will be incremented. Some example Discovery packets are shown in Appendix B. 5.1 The PPPoE Active Discovery Initiation (PADI) packet The Host sends the PADI packet with the DESTINATION_ADDR set to the broadcast address. The CODE field is set to 0x09 and the SESSION_ID MUST be set to 0x0000. The PADI packet MUST contain exactly one TAG of TAG_TYPE Service- Name, indicating the service the Host is requesting, and any number of other TAG types. An entire PADI packet (including the PPPoE header) MUST NOT exceed 1484 octets so as to leave sufficient room for a relay agent to add a Relay-Session-Id TAG. 5.2 The PPPoE Active Discovery Offer (PADO) packet When the Access Concentrator receives a PADI that it can serve, it replies by sending a PADO packet. The DESTINATION_ADDR is the unicast address of the Host that sent the PADI. The CODE field is set to 0x07 and the SESSION_ID MUST be set to 0x0000. Mamakos, et. al. Informational [Page 5] RFC 2516 Transmitting PPP Over Ethernet February 1999 The PADO packet MUST contain one AC-Name TAG containing the Access Concentrator's name, a Service-Name TAG identical to the one in the PADI, and any number of other Service-Name TAGs indicating other services that the Access Concentrator offers. If the Access Concentrator can not serve the PADI it MUST NOT respond with a PADO. 5.3 The PPPoE Active Discovery Request (PADR) packet Since the PADI was broadcast, the Host may receive more than one PADO. The Host looks through the PADO packets it receives and chooses one. The choice can be based on the AC-Name or the Services offered. The Host then sends one PADR packet to the Access Concentrator that it has chosen. The DESTINATION_ADDR field is set to the unicast Ethernet address of the Access Concentrator that sent the PADO. The CODE field is set to 0x19 and the SESSION_ID MUST be set to 0x0000. The PADR packet MUST contain exactly one TAG of TAG_TYPE Service- Name, indicating the service the Host is requesting, and any number of other TAG types. 5.4 The PPPoE Active Discovery Session-confirmation (PADS) packet When the Access Concentrator receives a PADR packet, it prepares to begin a PPP session. It generates a unique SESSION_ID for the PPPoE session and replies to the Host with a PADS packet. The DESTINATION_ADDR field is the unicast Ethernet address of the Host that sent the PADR. The CODE field is set to 0x65 and the SESSION_ID MUST be set to the unique value generated for this PPPoE session. The PADS packet contains exactly one TAG of TAG_TYPE Service-Name, indicating the service under which Access Concentrator has accepted the PPPoE session, and any number of other TAG types. If the Access Concentrator does not like the Service-Name in the PADR, then it MUST reply with a PADS containing a TAG of TAG_TYPE Service-Name-Error (and any number of other TAG types). In this case the SESSION_ID MUST be set to 0x0000. 5.5 The PPPoE Active Discovery Terminate (PADT) packet This packet may be sent anytime after a session is established to indicate that a PPPoE session has been terminated. It may be sent by either the Host or the Access Concentrator. The DESTINATION_ADDR field is a unicast Ethernet address, the CODE field is set to 0xa7 and the SESSION_ID MUST be set to indicate which session is to be terminated. No TAGs are required. Mamakos, et. al. Informational [Page 6] RFC 2516 Transmitting PPP Over Ethernet February 1999 When a PADT is received, no further PPP traffic is allowed to be sent using that session. Even normal PPP termination packets MUST NOT be sent after sending or receiving a PADT. A PPP peer SHOULD use the PPP protocol itself to bring down a PPPoE session, but the PADT MAY be used when PPP can not be used. 6. PPP Session Stage Once the PPPoE session begins, PPP data is sent as in any other PPP encapsulation. All Ethernet packets are unicast. The ETHER_TYPE field is set to 0x8864. The PPPoE CODE MUST be set to 0x00. The SESSION_ID MUST NOT change for that PPPoE session and MUST be the value assigned in the Discovery stage. The PPPoE payload contains a PPP frame. The frame begins with the PPP Protocol-ID. An example packet is shown in Appendix B. 7. LCP Considerations The Magic Number LCP configuration option is RECOMMENDED, and the Protocol Field Compression (PFC) option is NOT RECOMMENDED. An implementation MUST NOT request any of the following options, and MUST reject a request for such an option: Field Check Sequence (FCS) Alternatives, Address-and-Control-Field-Compression (ACFC), Asynchronous-Control-Character-Map (ACCM) The Maximum-Receive-Unit (MRU) option MUST NOT be negotiated to a larger size than 1492. Since Ethernet has a maximum payload size of 1500 octets, the PPPoE header is 6 octets and the PPP Protocol ID is 2 octets, the PPP MTU MUST NOT be greater than 1492. It is RECOMMENDED that the Access Concentrator ocassionally send Echo-Request packets to the Host to determine the state of the session. Otherwise, if the Host terminates a session without sending a Terminate-Request packet, the Access Concentrator will not be able to determine that the session has gone away. When LCP terminates, the Host and Access concentrator MUST stop using that PPPoE session. If the Host wishes to start another PPP session, it MUST return to the PPPoE Discovery stage. Mamakos, et. al. Informational [Page 7] RFC 2516 Transmitting PPP Over Ethernet February 1999 8. Other Considerations When a host does not receive a PADO packet within a specified amount of time, it SHOULD resend it's PADI packet and double the waiting period. This is repeated as many times as desired. If the Host is waiting to receive a PADS packet, a similar timeout mechanism SHOULD be used, with the Host re-sending the PADR. After a specified number of retries, the Host SHOULD then resend a PADI packet. The ETHER_TYPEs used in this document (0x8863 and 0x8864) have been assigned by the IEEE for use by PPP Over Ethernet (PPPoE). Use of these values and the PPPoE VER (version) field uniquely identify this protocol. UTF-8 is used throughout this document instead of ASCII. UTF-8 supports the entire ASCII character set while allowing for international character sets as well. See for more details. 9. Security Considerations To help protect against Denial of Service (DOS) attacks, the Access Concentrator can employ the AC-Cookie TAG. The Access Concentrator SHOULD be able to uniquely regenerate the TAG_VALUE based on the PADR SOURCE_ADDR. Using this, the Access Concentrator can ensure that the PADI SOURCE_ADDR is indeed reachable and can then limit concurrent sessions for that address. What algorithm to use is not defined and left as an implementation detail. An example is HMAC over the Host MAC address using a key known only to the Access > Concentrator. While the AC-Cookie is useful against some DOS attacks, it can not protect against all DOS attacks and an Access Concentrator MAY employ other means to protect resources. While the AC-Cookie is useful against some DOS attacks, it can not protect against all DOS attacks and an Access Concentrator MAY employ other means to protect resources. Many Access Concentrators will not wish to offer information regarding what services they offer to an unauthenticated entity. In that case the Access Concentrator should employ one of two policies. It SHOULD never refuse a request based on the Service-Name TAG, and always return the TAG_VALUE that was sent to it. Or it SHOULD only accept requests with a Service-Name TAG with a zero TAG_LENGTH (indicating any service). The former solution is RECOMMENDED. 10. Acknowledgments This document is based on concepts discussed in several forums, including the ADSL forum. Mamakos, et. al. Informational [Page 8] RFC 2516 Transmitting PPP Over Ethernet February 1999 Copious amounts of text have been stolen from RFC 1661, RFC 1662 and RFC 2364. 11. References Simpson, W., Editor, "The Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP)", STD 51, RFC 1661, July 1994 Bradner, S., "Key words for use in RFCs to Indicate Requirement Levels", BCP 14, RFC 2119, March 1997. Krawczyk, H., Bellare, M. and R. Canetti, "HMAC: Keyed-Hashing for Message Authentication", RFC 2104, February 1998. Reynolds, J. and J. Postel, "Assigned Numbers", STD 2, RFC 1700, October 1994. See also: http://www.iana.org/numbers.html Yergeau, F., "UTF-8, a transformation format of ISO 10646", RFC 2279, January 1998. Mamakos, et. al. Informational [Page 9] RFC 2516 Transmitting PPP Over Ethernet February 1999 Appendix A TAG_TYPES and TAG_VALUES 0x0000 End-Of-List This TAG indicates that there are no further TAGs in the list. The TAG_LENGTH of this TAG MUST always be zero. Use of this TAG is not required, but remains for backwards compatibility. 0x0101 Service-Name This TAG indicates that a service name follows. The TAG_VALUE is an UTF-8 string that is NOT NULL terminated. When the TAG_LENGTH is zero this TAG is used to indicate that any service is acceptable. Examples of the use of the Service-Name TAG are to indicate an ISP name or a class or quality of service. 0x0102 AC-Name This TAG indicates that a string follows which uniquely identifies this particular Access Concentrator unit from all others. It may be a combination of trademark, model, and serial id information, or simply an UTF-8 rendition of the MAC address of the box. It is not NULL terminated. 0x0103 Host-Uniq This TAG is used by a Host to uniquely associate an Access Concentrator response (PADO or PADS) to a particular Host request (PADI or PADR). The TAG_VALUE is binary data of any value and length that the Host chooses. It is not interpreted by the Access Concentrator. The Host MAY include a Host-Uniq TAG in a PADI or PADR. If the Access Concentrator receives this TAG, it MUST include the TAG unmodified in the associated PADO or PADS response. 0x0104 AC-Cookie This TAG is used by the Access Concentrator to aid in protecting against denial of service attacks (see the Security Considerations section for an explanation of how this works). The Access Concentrator MAY include this TAG in a PADO packet. If a Host receives this TAG, it MUST return the TAG unmodified in the following PADR. The TAG_VALUE is binary data of any value and length and is not interpreted by the Host. Mamakos, et. al. Informational [Page 10] RFC 2516 Transmitting PPP Over Ethernet February 1999 0x0105 Vendor-Specific This TAG is used to pass vendor proprietary information. The first four octets of the TAG_VALUE contain the vendor id and the remainder is unspecified. The high-order octet of the vendor id is 0 and the low-order 3 octets are the SMI Network Management Private Enterprise Code of the Vendor in network byte order, as defined in the Assigned Numbers RFC . Use of this TAG is NOT RECOMMENDED. To ensure inter-operability, an implementation MAY silently ignore a Vendor-Specific TAG. 0x0110 Relay-Session-Id This TAG MAY be added to any discovery packet by an intermediate agent that is relaying traffic. The TAG_VALUE is opaque to both the Host and the Access Concentrator. If either the Host or Access Concentrator receives this TAG they MUST include it unmodified in any discovery packet they send as a response. All PADI packets MUST guarantee sufficient room for the addition of a Relay-Session-Id TAG with a TAG_VALUE length of 12 octets. A Relay-Session-Id TAG MUST NOT be added if the discovery packet already contains one. In that case the intermediate agent SHOULD use the existing Relay-Session-Id TAG. If it can not use the existing TAG or there is insufficient room to add a Relay- Session-Id TAG, then it SHOULD return a Generic-Error TAG to the sender. 0x0201 Service-Name-Error This TAG (typically with a zero-length data section) indicates that for one reason or another, the requested Service-Name request could not be honored. If there is data, and the first octet of the data is nonzero, then it MUST be a printable UTF-8 string which explains why the request was denied. This string MAY NOT be NULL terminated. 0x0202 AC-System-Error This TAG indicates that the Access Concentrator experienced some error in performing the Host request. (For example insufficient resources to create a virtual circuit.) It MAY be included in PADS packets. Mamakos, et. al. Informational [Page 11] RFC 2516 Transmitting PPP Over Ethernet February 1999 If there is data, and the first octet of the data is nonzero, then it MUST be a printable UTF-8 string which explains the nature of the error. This string MAY NOT be NULL terminated. 0x0203 Generic-Error This TAG indicates an error. It can be added to PADO, PADR or PADS packets when an unrecoverable error occurs and no other error TAG is appropriate. If there is data then it MUST be an UTF-8 string which explains the nature of the error. This string MUST NOT be NULL terminated. Mamakos, et. al. Informational [Page 12] RFC 2516 Transmitting PPP Over Ethernet February 1999 Appendix B The following are some example packets: A PADI packet: 1 2 3 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ | 0xffffffff | +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ | 0xffff | Host_mac_addr | +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ | Host_mac_addr (cont) | +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ | ETHER_TYPE = 0x8863 | v = 1 | t = 1 | CODE = 0x09 | +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ | SESSION_ID = 0x0000 | LENGTH = 0x0004 | +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ | TAG_TYPE = 0x0101 | TAG_LENGTH = 0x0000 | +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ Mamakos, et. al. Informational [Page 13] RFC 2516 Transmitting PPP Over Ethernet February 1999 A PADO packet: 1 2 3 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ | Host_mac_addr | +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ | Host_mac_addr (cont) | Access_Concentrator_mac_addr | +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ | Access_Concentrator_mac_addr (cont) | +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ | ETHER_TYPE = 0x8863 | v = 1 | t = 1 | CODE = 0x07 | +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ | SESSION_ID = 0x0000 | LENGTH = 0x0020 | +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ | TAG_TYPE = 0x0101 | TAG_LENGTH = 0x0000 | +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ | TAG_TYPE = 0x0102 | TAG_LENGTH = 0x0018 | +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ | 0x47 | 0x6f | 0x20 | 0x52 | +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ | 0x65 | 0x64 | 0x42 | 0x61 | +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ | 0x63 | 0x6b | 0x20 | 0x2d | +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ | 0x20 | 0x65 | 0x73 | 0x68 | +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ | 0x73 | 0x68 | 0x65 | 0x73 | +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ | 0x68 | 0x6f | 0x6f | 0x74 | +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ Mamakos, et. al. Informational [Page 14] RFC 2516 Transmitting PPP Over Ethernet February 1999 A PPP LCP packet: The PPP protocol value is shown (0xc021) but the PPP payload is left to the reader. This is a packet from the Host to the Access Concentrator. 1 2 3 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ | Access_Concentrator_mac_addr | +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ |Access_Concentrator_mac_addr(c)| Host_mac_addr | +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ | Host_mac_addr (cont) | +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ | ETHER_TYPE = 0x8864 | v = 1 | t = 1 | CODE = 0x00 | +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ | SESSION_ID = 0x1234 | LENGTH = 0x???? | +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ | PPP PROTOCOL = 0xc021 | PPP payload ~ +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ Authors' Addresses Louis Mamakos UUNET Technologies, Inc. 3060 Williams Drive Fairfax, VA 22031-4648 United States of America EMail: email@example.com Kurt Lidl UUNET Technologies, Inc. 3060 Williams Drive Fairfax, VA 22031-4648 United States of America EMail: firstname.lastname@example.org Jeff Evarts UUNET Technologies, Inc. 3060 Williams Drive Fairfax, VA 22031-4648 United States of America EMail: email@example.com Mamakos, et. al. Informational [Page 15] RFC 2516 Transmitting PPP Over Ethernet February 1999 David Carrel RedBack Networks, Inc. 1389 Moffett Park Drive Sunnyvale, CA 94089-1134 United States of America EMail: carrel@RedBack.net Dan Simone RedBack Networks, Inc. 1389 Moffett Park Drive Sunnyvale, CA 94089-1134 United States of America EMail:dan@RedBack.net Ross Wheeler RouterWare, Inc. 3961 MacArthur Blvd., Suite 212 Newport Beach, CA 92660 United States of America EMail: firstname.lastname@example.org Mamakos, et. al. Informational [Page 16] RFC 2516 Transmitting PPP Over Ethernet February 1999 Full Copyright Statement Copyright (C) The Internet Society (1999). All Rights Reserved. This document and translations of it may be copied and furnished to others, and derivative works that comment on or otherwise explain it or assist in its implementation may be prepared, copied, published and distributed, in whole or in part, without restriction of any kind, provided that the above copyright notice and this paragraph are included on all such copies and derivative works. However, this document itself may not be modified in any way, such as by removing the copyright notice or references to the Internet Society or other Internet organizations, except as needed for the purpose of developing Internet standards in which case the procedures for copyrights defined in the Internet Standards process must be followed, or as required to translate it into languages other than English. The limited permissions granted above are perpetual and will not be revoked by the Internet Society or its successors or assigns. This document and the information contained herein is provided on an "AS IS" basis and THE INTERNET SOCIETY AND THE INTERNET ENGINEERING TASK FORCE DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY WARRANTY THAT THE USE OF THE INFORMATION HEREIN WILL NOT INFRINGE ANY RIGHTS OR ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. Mamakos, et. al. Informational [Page 17]

PyCon DC 2004 The most entertaining talk was "Faster than C: Static Type Interface with Starkiller", by Michael Salib. That was only the fourth best title of the conference, however. The top three were "'Scripting Language' My Arse: Using Python for Voice over IP", by Anthony Baxter; "Flour and Water Make Bread", by David Ascher; and "Two Impromptus, or How Python Helped Us Design Our Kitchen", by Andrew Koenig. The Starkiller talk was enjoyable because Mike is one of two speakers who doesn't pull any punches--he calls a spade a shovel. His justification for writing a Python-to-C++ compiler was, "For the 15% of applications where speed matters, Python is slow. Sure, you can write it in C++, but C++ sucks. That's why we're using Python." Which actually makes a lot of sense if you think about it. He went on to explain how Python's dynamic features that we love so dearly is the reason Python is so hard to optimize. "Python has lots of runtime choice points, but thirty years of compiler optimization research depends on eliminating runtime choices." By "runtime choices" he's referring to the fact that a variable may change type, attributes may be added after startup and the like, and all this happens after a traditional optimizer would have finished and said sayonara. "But dynamic capability is good because Python kicks ass." So Starkiller follows the 80/20 rule by optimizing what it can and leaving the rest. In particular, it refuses to optimize functions that contain eval, exec or dynamic module loading. But that's okay because most users don't use them. Once those cases are eliminated, we examine the assignment statements to determine the types: x=3; y=x; z=y; z=4.3 # x is int. y is int. z is int or float. The types can be traced similarly through function arguments and return values. What about polymorphic functions? Starkiller handles them the same way C++ does: by generating distinct same-name functions for all argument combinations (aka overloading). Mike offers a few benchmarks to demonstrate the speed of this approach but also cautions, "All benchmarks are lies." If you want to play with Starkiller, you're out of luck because there's no public download yet. There actually were several talks this conference presenting software that's not yet available, either because it's not robust enough or it's waiting for legal paperwork. I didn't see that in previous conferences. A few attendees commented, "Well, it's not as useful as a talk on something that's available, but on the other hand it's good to learn about cutting-edge research as soon as possible." The conference reviewers seemed to have done their job of approving pre-alpha talks only if they covered an area that was central to Python and long on Python's wishlist. Mike had his own reason for not revealing the code. "If you kill me now, you'll never get it." Mike offered an obligatory acknowledgment. "Who owns Starkiller? MIT! Who paid for Starkiller's development? You did! Pat yourselves on the back! Thank you, taxpayers!!!" He then begs the audience not to tell DARPA that Starkiller is a Python-to-C++ converter rather than the sun-destroying weapon they think he's building. The presentation slides have a few more zingers too; they're available under the Session Papers link on the PyConDC2004 Aftermath link in Resources. Finally, Mike ended with an indictment of the sun. "Destroy the sun! We hatessss it! It burns! The pale yellow face mocks us, keeps us from hearing the machine. It causes global warming. It causes sunburns. DARPA says the sun is bad, it warms our enemies. It weakens our dependence on foreign oil. There's only one logical conclusion: we must destroy the sun." Guido had one question during Q&A. He asked, "Is it difficult to have so much attitude all the time?" (There's a discrepancy about when Guido asked that question. My notes say it was during this talk. The SubEthaEdit notes say it was during Anthony Baxter's VoIP talk, which was almost as feisty. But of course my notes are right.) Ah yes, that VoIP talk. Voice over IP may be Python's next killer application. Internet telephony currently is growing slowly, but it has the potential to become really big when it reaches critical mass. As VoIP becomes ubiquitous, people will need a new generation of applications and phones. Stoom, which runs under Twisted, is one small step in that direction. It needs a better UI, but it proves that Python is up to the task, even though VoIP requires generating sound packets exactly 20 milliseconds apart. By the way, the title of the VoIP paper is slightly modified from the original. It's currently "'Scripting Language' My Arse: Using Python for Voice over IP." Originally it was "'Scripting Language' My Shiny Metal Arse: Using Python for Voice over IP". Zope 3 hasn't changed much since last year; it's just further developed. It still aims to be friendlier to application developers than Zope 2, more Pythonic, more modularized, more specific in its API use (for example, less implicit acquisition), with better documentation early and a better integration of Web-based and filesystem-based application development methods. This will make applications more portable between Zope and other environments and make individual Zope features more accessible to non-Zope applications. The PyPy talk showed that a Python virtual machine can be written in 16,000 lines of Python. The prompt looks like this: >>>>, with one extra > for each recursive level of PyPy. PyPy is markedly slower than Python and exponentially slower recursively: the innermost interpreter interprets the code, the next interpreter interprets the interpreter interpreting the code. But the PyPy developers have faith that they eventually can make it faster than CPython. Pyrex stands alongside ctypes as an indispensable part of the C extension writer's toolkit. Pyrex compiles ordinary Python to C, but for better optimization you can use the cdef statement to declare variables as certain C types. Expressions using those variables are compiled directly to C, bypassing Python's slow object infrastructure. Several other talks are worth mentioning but I don't have the space. Browse the Session Papers link on PyConDC2004Aftermath site and see which topics night interest you. |Designing Electronics with Linux||May 22, 2013| |Dynamic DNS—an Object Lesson in Problem Solving||May 21, 2013| |Using Salt Stack and Vagrant for Drupal Development||May 20, 2013| |Making Linux and Android Get Along (It's Not as Hard as It Sounds)||May 16, 2013| |Drupal Is a Framework: Why Everyone Needs to Understand This||May 15, 2013| |Home, My Backup Data Center||May 13, 2013| - RSS Feeds - Dynamic DNS—an Object Lesson in Problem Solving - Making Linux and Android Get Along (It's Not as Hard as It Sounds) - Designing Electronics with Linux - Using Salt Stack and Vagrant for Drupal Development - New Products - A Topic for Discussion - Open Source Feature-Richness? - Drupal Is a Framework: Why Everyone Needs to Understand This - Validate an E-Mail Address with PHP, the Right Way - What's the tweeting protocol? - Kernel Problem 9 hours 23 min ago - BASH script to log IPs on public web server 13 hours 50 min ago 17 hours 26 min ago - Reply to comment | Linux Journal 17 hours 59 min ago - All the articles you talked 20 hours 22 min ago - All the articles you talked 20 hours 25 min ago - All the articles you talked 20 hours 27 min ago 1 day 51 min ago - Keeping track of IP address 1 day 2 hours ago - Roll your own dynamic dns 1 day 7 hours ago Enter to Win an Adafruit Pi Cobbler Breakout Kit for Raspberry Pi It's Raspberry Pi month at Linux Journal. Each week in May, Adafruit will be giving away a Pi-related prize to a lucky, randomly drawn LJ reader. Winners will be announced weekly. Fill out the fields below to enter to win this week's prize-- a Pi Cobbler Breakout Kit for Raspberry Pi. Congratulations to our winners so far: - 5-8-13, Pi Starter Pack: Jack Davis - 5-15-13, Pi Model B 512MB RAM: Patrick Dunn - 5-21-13, Prototyping Pi Plate Kit: Philip Kirby - Next winner announced on 5-27-13! Free Webinar: Hadoop How to Build an Optimal Hadoop Cluster to Store and Maintain Unlimited Amounts of Data Using Microservers Realizing the promise of Apache® Hadoop® requires the effective deployment of compute, memory, storage and networking to achieve optimal results. With its flexibility and multitude of options, it is easy to over or under provision the server infrastructure, resulting in poor performance and high TCO. Join us for an in depth, technical discussion with industry experts from leading Hadoop and server companies who will provide insights into the key considerations for designing and deploying an optimal Hadoop cluster. Some of key questions to be discussed are: - What is the “typical” Hadoop cluster and what should be installed on the different machine types? - Why should you consider the typical workload patterns when making your hardware decisions? - Are all microservers created equal for Hadoop deployments? - How do I plan for expansion if I require more compute, memory, storage or networking?

(Quoted from amazon.com) “This rich and creamy custard textured cream provides great curl definition, weight and sheen for curly girls.” purified water, certified organic sunflower oil, octyl palmitate, certfied organic aloe barbadensis leaf juice, glyercin, glyceryl stearate, potassium stearate, panthenol, stearic acid, sodium carbomer, allantoin, cetyl alcohol, certified organic sweet almond oil, beeswax, shea butter,certified organic jojoba oil, soy tocopherols, phenoxyethanol, fragrance. First of all, I did not purchase this product with the intention of it being used as a curl definer. This review will not contain info on this product’s performance as a curl definer. Also this product was purchased by me for use on my daughter. I have never received any free products for the purpose of review. This review is based strictly on my experience with this product. On to the review: I use this product on my daughter as a styling product. I usually use this product if my daughter is wearing an “out” style, (i.e. puffs or afro). Like it says above, it provides weight to these “out” styles. It also adds sheen, which is always a plus for me. I also use it instead of gel for her puffs. I definitely prefer it to gel. I paid about $12 for this product. So far, it has lasted a long time, partly because I don’t use it all the time and I only use it for my daughter. Would I purchase this product again? I’m still undecided on that. I like the scent and all, but the product is a bit heavy for my taste. Overall, I have not been blown away, but I do like the product. Here are pictures of my daughter’s hair using this product: This puff was made from the twist out pictured here: Rope Twist Out. I used the Curly Q product to brush her hair back into this puff. I also applied a small amount to her puff. I never liked applying gel to my daughter’s hair. This product has served as a nice alternative. The product gives her hair a nice healthy sheen. I like that, along with the scent. The only draw back is that the product is a bit heavy. I could not imagine using it everyday. I believe it’s the curl defining properties that make it so heavy, which is probably great for those looking for that. Curl definers do not do anything for my daughter’s hair. This product can be purchased through amazon.com or directly from the Curlz website” Amazon.com: Curly Q’s Curly Q Custard Medium Curl Styling Cream, 8-Ounce Jars Curlz Website: http://www.curls.biz/curly-hair-products/Curly-Q-Custard-p-413.html Product Description: (Quoted directly from Amazon.com) “Nutiva’s coconut oil is cold-pressed, organic extra-virgin coconut oil, with its light taste, pleasant aroma, and pure white color, and industrialized coconut oil, with its bland taste, faint aroma, and off-white color. Please note that any tiny brown specks found at the bottom of Nutiva’s coconut oil are from the coconut fiber and are indigenous to extra-virgin coconut oil. It is deliciously healthy cooking oil. Better than butter and are USDA organic. Unrefined with no trans fats, rich in lauric acid.” I want to add that this oil is also terrific for hair! Ingredients: 100% Organic Unrefined Cold-pressed, Extra-virgin Coconut Oil Product Review: I would be remiss if I never got around to reviewing coconut oil. This is a new discovery for me. I’ve known about the benefits of coconut oil for years now, but had never tried it for myself. I decided to purchase some from amazon a few months ago and I have to say, this is now my hands down favorite product! Now please know that every product that I review has been purchased by me. I do not receive samples or anything else from any company. This review (as well as all my others) are based only on my experience. Now, back to the review – if I was stranded on a deserted island and I could have one product with me, it would be coconut oil. Either that or you are going to see me climbing up palm trees, picking coconuts trying to figure out how to make some…it’s that good. I use this product for lots of things; on my hair before shampooing, after shampooing, on my hair during the week or at night, on my daughter’s hair, to set hair or braid/twist hair, on my skin (on particularly ashy days) and I’ve cooked with it (my coconut oven baked shrimp were the bomb!) Coconut penetrates the hair, protecting it (I won’t get too far into the benefits, I’ll leave that to the experts: http://www.all4naturalhealth.com/coconut-oil-hair-growth.html). All I know is that my hair is a lot softer and actually has sheen now that I am using this product. My daughter’s hair is growing and has a healthier appearance. It’s a product worth trying! Amazon.com has a pretty good deal on a two pack. Click here to check it out: Nutiva Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, 15-Ounce Tubs (Pack of 2) Gently condition and moisturize hair without any oily residue Deionized water; natural emulsifying wax (cetearyl alcohol); shea butter; jojoba oil; coconut oil (capric triglyceride); vegetable glycerin; natural emulsifier (cetearyl alcohol and cetearyl glucoside); natural chamomile fragrance blend; cocoa butter (stearic acid); sugar (glucose); xanthan gum (natural thickener); natural emulsifier (glyceryl stearate); aloe barbadensis leaf juice; vitamin E; caramel; potassium sorbate; glucose oxidase & lactoperoxidase (natural preservative) This review concludes my reviews for all of the Cara B Naturally products. Overall, Cara B has been very consistent in providing lightly scented, gentle products with natural ingredients for babies & children. The Leave-in Conditioner is no exception to that rule. I apply this product to my daughter’s hair after I shampoo it with the Cara B Shampoo. It is a great product and it does exactly what it is advertised to do. Once again, I highly recommend Cara B and all of the products that they offer. Improve manageability and impart a light shine to hair Deionized water; vegetable glycerin; coconut oil (capric triglyceride); sweet almond oil; jojoba oil; sugar (glucose); natural chamomile fragrance blend; aloe vera barbadensis leaf juice; vitamin E; potassium sorbate; glucose oxidase & lactoperoxidase (natural preservative); citric acid Every once in a while I rate a product as a “must have” product. I love all of the Cara B products, but I would say that the Moisturizing Hair Mist is my absolute favorite. I love everything about it. I have been using it to keep my daughter’s braids moisturized and there is absolutely no product build up. The braids are soft and smell wonderful. Moisture is especially important for her hair right now, because I have been rolling her braids up at night with sponge rollers, which can be very drying. This spray has been wonderful in protecting her hair. This is a product that I plan to keep around. Gently cleanse your child’s delicate hair and skin Deionized water; natural coconut oil, cornstarch and sugar soap blend (decyl glucoside); natural chamomile fragrance blend; vegetable glycerin; sugar (glucose); vitamin E; aloe vera barbadensis leaf juice; citric acid; guar gum (natural thickener); car amel; glucose oxidase & lactoperoxidase (natural preservative) Yay suds!! Lots of hair cleaning suds!! Why am I so excited about suds? In my experience, most shampoo with all natural ingredients do not sud up very well. I don’t know what it is, but I like to see lots of suds when I wash my daughter’s hair. This shampoo cleans well, has lots of suds, smells nice without being overwhelming and contains only natural ingredients. Best of all, it’s tear free so it does not burn my daughter’s eyes. I’ve been tempted to use this shampoo on my own hair, but do not want to use it all up, so I just use it on her – for now anyway I love this product and would definitely recommend it! Purchase it from the Cara B Naturally website: Cara B Naturally When the economy is bad, I think that people are more likely to spend money (especially when they don’t have much of it) where they feel appreciated as a customer. Cara B once again shows tremendous customer service and care for their consumers. I recently received the following email from Kristi Booker, Chief Marketing Officer and co-founder/co-owner, of CARA B Naturally who found my earlier post on Cara B. Here’s what she said: Good afternoon Ladies! My name is Kristi Booker and I am the Chief Marketing Officer and co-founder/co-owner of CARA B Naturally. I was doing a google search and found your post! We are so excited to know that you like the products and appreciate the packaging and customer service. My sister and co-founder/co-owner Landra Johnson wrote the note that came with your package. With your permission, we would like to tweet about your review and post a link to our FB page. Please let us know if you are ok with this. Either way, thank you once again for your kind words and we love what you are doing in the support and promotion of Natural Beauty. Have a wonderful weekend and Stay Beautiful, Naturally . Kristi J. Booker Chief Marketing Officer CARA B Natural Products, Inc. I know the time and hard work that goes into starting a business, so it says a lot that the sisters/founders of Cara B have taken the time to write personal notes to me as a customer. If they care so much about the customers, I can only imagine the care that they have taken in putting together their products. Here’s a link to their business page on facebook, http://www.facebook.com/#!/CARA.B.Naturally, and a link to their website, http://www.mycarab.com/, if you are interested in learning more about their products. Lately, I’ve been looking to slowly convert all of our products over to products with all natural ingredients. The costs of such products are usually a deterent, but the health benefits of switching over to products of all natural ingredients more than makes up for the costs. Well, I figured, what better place to begin than with my precious babies. After seeing a Google Ad, at the top of my website, for Cara B Naturally hair and body products for children I decided to check the company out. This company really did a great job of marketing with the cute little brown children on the packaging, because I immediately purchased every item that they make. (Yes, hubby I splurged a bit). Also, as a fan of theirs on Facebook, I received a discount of 20% off (yay!! $11 off my order), plus free shipping on orders over $25! Free shipping is like my middle name Well, I was excited to receive my package of products today. They really took time with the packaging. The products were all wrapped in a green ribbon with green and white packaging confetti paper. Also included with the package was a handwritten note… did I say that it was handwritten? A handwritten note, signed by Landra J (co-founder and chief executive officer of CARA B) , was included apologizing that my items did not get here as quickly as possible because of “higher than anticipated order volumes”. Also included was a 10% coupon as an apology. Mind you, I ordered the products on Thursday, August 05 and received them yesterday Thursday, August 12. That is not an unreasonable amount of time to wait for a package coming from California to Tennessee, but I do appreciate the great care and customer service. Let’s say that I am impressed so far. Anyway, I cannot wait to use the products, so expect reviews soon. I can see big things happening for this company in the near future! Review Update: I no longer use this product because it contains mineral oil that can clog pores! I use coconut oil instead. Helps to strengthen and protects hair from damage Soybean Oil – Glycine Soja , Hydrogenated Coconut Oil , Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil , Microcrystalline Wax , Fragrance – Parfum , Propylparaben , Lanolin Oil , Phenyl Trimethicone , Corn Oil – Zea Mays , BHT , BHA , Black Pepper , Green No. 6 , Violet No. 2 , Olive Fruit Oil – Olea Europaea , Rosemary Leaf Extract – Rosmarinus Officinalis , Mineral Oil – Paraffinum Liquidum , Panax Ginseng Root Extract , Avocado Fruit Extract – Persea Gratissima , Horsetail Extract – Equisetum Hyemale , Hydrolyzed Soy Protein I was looking for a gentle product for my 22-month-old daughter’s hair, which did not contain petrolatum (which can clog pores), that would help moisturize her scalp and give it a healthy sheen. I found this product at the beauty supply and noticed that it said “contains no petrolatum” on the label. I decided to give it a try. When I got home and opened the jar, I was pleased at the pleasant scent. 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Call for Proposals: 2013 Diversity & Inclusion Summit Submit a proposal by June 15. - Teach us - To affect the change we all want to see. - Challenge us - To shift our lives and our culture toward better embracing diversity. - Inspire us - To move from talk to action. - Connect us - To our allies who can help continue doing this work. GTP offers summer training on diversity in the classroom The Graduate Teacher Program is offering a four-day diversity in the classroom training for TAs and GPTIs July 9-12 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Students from all disciplines are welcome to apply. The training is free, and graduate teachers do receive GTP workshop credit for the seminar. See GTP website. >> Help Spread the Word Your personal contact with potential graduate students is one of the best recruitment tools around. Consider taking some CU publications that the Graduate School has either created or gathered to share on your summer travels. All are free of charge. Place order here. videos from graduate student awards program on may 3 Congratulations to all the graduate students who received awards during the 2013 Graduate Student Awards ceremony on May 3. Please visit the Graduate School's YouTube channel to watch short videos of some of the winners. In the videos, those who received the Dean's Student Research Grants discuss their research, and the students who received the GPTI Teaching Excellence Awards discuss their teaching philosophies. These videos are just quick snippets of the great work that our graduate students are doing in teaching and research. Congrats! co Shakespeare festival features grad students The 56th annual season of the Colorado Shakespeare Festival will be held on campus this summer at the Mary Rippon Outdoor Theatre, located by Hellems Hall. Several graduate students are involved in the festival this summer, including Nathan Stith, who is an actor; Heidi Schmidt and Hadley Kamminga-Peck, who are dramaturgs and assistant directors; and Greg Thorson, who helped cast the company and works in audience services. Tickets and more information >> ATLAS Masters students present final projects Graduate students in the ATLAS Master of Science in Information and Communication Technology for Development (MS-ICTD) program recently presented the work they have accomplished during their practicum semester. Students completed an internship or service project with a company engaged in ICTD efforts, an international development agency, foundation, non-governmental organization, or other organization in the public or private sector. Watch a video of the presentations. >> The graduate presenters were: - Chris Carruth – Participatory media with the South Sudanese diaspora - Neil DiMuccio – Usability and scale of microfinance applications in Kenya - Mustafa Naseem – Internet policy at Verizon headquarters, Washington, D.C. - Joellen Raderstorf –Integrating energy and ICT networks in Namibia - Isla Schanuel – Aggregated needs/services platform for Broomfield County - Abigale Stangl – Texture-based technology for the visually impaired at the Sikuli Lab, CU - McClees Stephens – Livelihood and capacity building in the Amazon workshop series for couples Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) is sponsoring a summer workshop, "Strengthening Your Bond: A Couples Workshop Series." This 8-week workshop series for couples is designed to help partners strengthen their relationship, improve communication, and deepen their understanding of themselves and each other. Through research based educational and experiential components couples will gain the tools they need to create a deeper and more meaningful connections. Both partners must attend each workshop and must be CU students. The workshop will be held Wednesdays from 6/12 to 8/7 (not meeting on 7/3) from 4-5:30 p.m. Contact Andrea Iglesias at 303-492-6766 or firstname.lastname@example.org to register or for more information. The CU children's center has openings for the fall The CU Children’s Center has openings this fall for four-year-old children. Join this nationally accredited and diverse program. Openings are for University affiliates only. The center is also accepting applications for future semesters for children ages 15 months to 5 years. email@example.com CUSG Executive positions OPEN The CU Student Government is hiring their executive staff for 2013-2014. This is an amazing opportunity to get involved with CUSG and gain a unique set of leadership skills and policy experience. Executive staff members are paid hourly and typically work between 10-20 hours per week during both the summer and academic year. The deadline to apply was May 31, but applications will be accepted until the positions are filled. More information >> Grad Student Feature of the month: Heather underwood Heather Underwood, a PhD student in the ATLAS Institute's program in Technology, Media and Society, was recently awarded the first-place graduate student award in the 2013 Student Research Competition of the Association for Computing Machinery for her research paper entitled "The PartoPen: Using Digital Pen Software to Improve Birth Attendant Training and Maternal Outcomes in Kenya." Heather is developing the PartoPen, which is an interactive digital pen-based system that reinforces birth-attendant training, records labor progress, validates form data, and aims to improve maternal outcomes in developing countries. In the image above, Heather is demonstrating the PartoPen functionality to clinic staff in Kenya during an initial field visit in 2011. Read more >> Grad Students In the News Eight graduate students have received Fulbright awards to study internationally during the 2013-14 academic year. These students were among a record number of 12 CU-Boulder students to receive Fulbright awards this year. The graduate students who have received awards along with their destination countries include: Ulyana Horodyskyj, Nepal; Elise Pizzi, China; Ian Rowen, Taiwan; Amelia Schubert, China; Eric Simley, Denmark; Levin Sliker, Italy; Andrea Watson, Chile; and Jennifer Wilkening, India. Read more. >> Dan McGrath, a doctoral student who works at the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) recently published a paper on his research work on the significant warming trend influencing the Greenland Ice Sheet. Read more. >> Jakob Sedig, a doctoral student in Anthropology is spending the summer excavating Woodrow Ruin in southwest New Mexico. He is examining the social, demographic, and environmental transitions that occurred between 900-1000 AD, as well as conducting a broader examination of the site to determine answers to questions such as: How did occupation change through time? How is it similar or different to other Mimbres sites? How many people lived there? Alan Zarychta, a doctoral student in political science, received a Graduate Research Fellowship from the National Science Foundation which will support his studies over the next three years. Read his graduate student feature. >> MFA in Dance candidates Brooke Gessay, Amanda Greenlee, Cristina Goletti, Rachel Oliver, Kate Speer and Maren Waldman spent May 12-17 dancing in various locales in and around Trinidad Colorado as CU Contemporary Dance Works (CUCDW) company members. CUCDW visited area schools, dance studios, arts councils, and community events as part of the annual dance outreach program offered by the Department of Theater and Dance with support from the CU Outreach Committee. Avery Bang, an alumna of CU-Boulder's graduate program in engineering, was profiled for her work as the executive director for Bridges to Prosperity, a non-profit that constructs pedestrian bridges in the developing world. Read more. >> Kate Starbird, an ATLAS PhD graduate who is now a Human Centered Design & Engineering (HCDE) professor at the University of Washington, and CU professor Leysia Palen have received a best paper award at the 2013 Computer Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing (CSCW) conference from Feb. 23-27 in San Antonio, Texas. Their paper, “Working and Sustaining the Virtual ‘Disaster Desk’,” follows the trajectory of Humanity Road, a volunteer organization working within the domain of disaster response, from an emergent group to a formal nonprofit. Starbird also recently authored an article, entitled “Returning to My Inner Nerd: Following the ‘Social’ Disruption of Computing,” in the IEEE magazine Computer, which focused the March issue on gender diversity in computing. Sarah Vieweg, whose ATLAS PhD dissertation explored the use of Twitter during mass emergencies, was interviewed by Bloomberg television about the use of social media following the Boston Marathon bombings. Vieweg received her PhD in Technology, Media and Society in May 2012 and is a project manager at Oblong Industries. Watch the video. >> Read her graduate student feature. >> ATLAS PhD student Josephine Kilde was awarded summer fellowships at Los Alamos National Lab and at Oak Ridge National lab. This summer she will be at Los Alamos National Lab working on developing a web application to train pathway to mathematical concepts and logic for K-12 teachers in reservation schools in Northern New Mexico. Read her graduate student feature. >> ATLAS Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICTD) master’s student Aaron Vimont will intern this summer at the FCC. He will be working for the Accessibility and Innovation Initiative, which is trying to close the accessibility gap through technology. Updates from the Mechanical Engineering Department: - Narasimha Boddeti and Xinghui Liu received a $5,820 Dean's Graduate Student Research Grant for their proposal "Wrinkling in Pressurized Graphene Membranes." - Callie DeMay, a first-year PhD student, received a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. Esperanza Arab and Nathan Eigenfeld received honorable mentions for the same fellowship. - Jose Ordonez, a visiting PhD student, was awarded the Mexican National Prize for best doctoral thesis in natural science. - Levin Sliker, a third-year National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow has been awarded a year-long Whitaker International Fellowship to study biorobotics at Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna in Pisa, Italy. - Jacob Segil, a third-year PhD student has been awarded a summer long Whitaker International fellowship in Pisa, Italy. - Zheng Zhang received a $2,000 Beverly Sears Graduate Student Research Grant, sponsored by the CU-Boulder Graduate School. - Jun Lui and Xiaokun Gu, current PhD students, received NSF CBET/CMMI travel awards to attend the ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition. - PhD student Kang-Ho Song received the Outstanding Paper Award at the ASME Global Congress on Nano Engineering for Medicine and Biology in Boston. - PhD student Ryan King received the Dwight E. and Jessie D. Ryland Graduate Fellowship from the College of Engineering and Applied Science. - PhD student Rachel Paietta received a summer fellowship from the Graduate School. - The department of Mechanical Engineering awarded 6 summer fellowships to: Narasimha Boddeti, Bradi Briggs, Jim Cezo, Paul Schroeder, Lauren Cooper, and Sajjad Maruf. - The department of Mechanical Engineering awarded an Outstanding Dissertation award to Qi Ge. See also News Service's Graduate Education In-Depth Series. As CU-Boulder establishes itself as a flagship university that is redefining research and discovery within a global context as presented in the Flagship 2030 Strategic Plan, this will be the first of a series of tips on how to best navigate the global crossroads. If the world were 100 people, how would it look? Let’s ask ourselves, to what extent is the University of Colorado reflective of that image? If the world had 100 people, there would be 60 Asians, 14 Africans, 12 Europeans, 8 people from South America, Mexico and the Caribbean, 5 from the United States of America, 1 person from Australia and New Zealand. That is the snapshot. So as we are thrust into a world where businesses are doing activities across the globe, to what extent are we understanding all the players and are they understanding us? Source:The State of the Village Report June 1 - Doctoral deadline to apply online to graduate in August June 17 - PhD dissertation title deadline July 12 - Doctoral defense/final exam deadline July 19 - Masters thesis defense/final exam deadline July 19 - PhD dissertation submission deadline July 24 - Doctoral grade change deadline July 26 - Masters thesis submission deadline July 31 - Masters grade change deadline Also, be sure to look at the Graduation Requirements to make sure you have everything turned in to graduate on time! Dissertation Support Group Tuesdays, 1-2:45 pm, through the summer, C4C S435 Master's Thesis Support Group Every other Monday through the summer, beginning on June 3, 12:30 pm, C4C 440S. Just show up ready to work and make real progress on your thesis. Questions? 303-492-6079 Glenda.Russell@colorado.edu A quarterly drop-in discussion group on topical issues related to the graduate student experience. June 5 - Course Design: Major Questions to Consider When Designing a College Course June 11 - Technology for College Teachers: Student-Centered Voice Thread Projects June 12 - Course Design: Setting Goals & Objectives & Selecting Learning Activities to Match June 18 - Technology for College Teachers: CU Skills.com, Resources Outside the Classroom June 19 - Course Design: Using Bloom's Taxonomy to Frame Your Course Content June 25 - Technology for College Teachers: Using Google in the Classroom June 26 - Course Design: Assessing Student Learning and Teaching Performance July 9-12 - Exploring Diversity and Inclusion in College Classrooms July 10 - Course Design: Building Classroom Technologies into Your Course Design July 16 - Technology for College Teachers: Making Learning Visible, Eportfolios in Higher Education July 17 - Course Design: Designing Writing Assignments for Your Course July 23 - Technology for College Teachers: Making Reading Collaborative, Using NB to Promote Reading Ongoing - Colorado Shakesphere Festival Ongoing - JEN LEWIN: It's Electric, CU Art Museum June 9 - Making Sense of Sound: Vocal Works of Libby Larsen June 14-16 - A Wrinkle in Time, presented by the CU New Opera Workshop June 30 - Great American Sing-Along GRADUATE STUDENT RESOURCES GRADUATE STUDENT FEATURES More features >> What's your story? Please answer our feature questionnaire, upload some photos, share your links, and help us all get to know each other.

|The Marauder's Map| - "Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers are proud to present THE MARAUDER'S MAP" - —The Marauder's Map[src] The Marauder's Map is a magical document that reveals all of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Not only does it show every classroom, every hallway, and every corner of the castle, but it also shows every inch of the grounds, as well as all the secret passages that are hidden within its walls and the location of every person in the grounds, portrayed by a dot. It is also capable of accurately identifying each person, and is not fooled by animagi, polyjuice potions, or invisibility cloaks; even the Hogwarts ghosts are not exempt from this. One of the Map's possible flaws lies in the fact that it cannot differentiate people who bear similar names (the shared names aren't given a Junior or Senior at the end). Also, it does not seem to show unplottable rooms, since it was Dobby and not the Map that showed where the Room of Requirement was or even existed. The Chamber of Secrets never appeared on the Map; this could be because the creators never knew of it, or it could be unplottable as well, since when Ron and Hermione were in it collecting basilisk fangs, they did not appear on the map, like people did not appear when in the Room of Requirement. It can also reveal secret passages the Marauders found, though it only did this on one known occasion (in his third year, Harry Potter was shown how to use the statue of the humpbacked witch to enter Hogsmeade Village). - "The magic used in the map's creation is advanced and impressive; it includes the Homonculous Charm, enabling the possessor of the map to track the movements of every person in the castle, and it was also enchanted to forever repel (as insultingly as possible) the curiosity of their nemesis, Severus Snape." - —Description of the magic involved in the map's creation[src] The Marauder's Map was created by Remus Lupin (Moony), Peter Pettigrew (Wormtail), Sirius Black (Padfoot), and James Potter (Prongs) while they were attending Hogwarts. The map was created between 1975 and 1978, because the titles on the map refer to the nicknames of these four men in their Animagus forms, and Lupin in werewolf form, respectively. The four created the map via the usage of the Homonculous Charm, a powerful and advanced charm that enchanted the map to track the movements of everyone in the castle, as well as a charm to insult Severus Snape. This artefact proved quite useful to the foursome (commonly termed "the Marauders") through the years, until it was confiscated by Argus Filch in their final year at Hogwarts. Fred and George Weasley Fred and George Weasley "nicked" the map from Filch's office in their first year at Hogwarts. They had been taken to his Office for letting off a Dungbomb and saw a drawer marked Confiscated and Highly Dangerous. George dropped another Dungbomb, while Fred stole the Map from the drawer. They had to experiment with it in order to learn how to get it to work, but it gave them clues, "flickering into life here and there" when they came close to the activating phrase, until finally they got it exactly. Because of this map, the twins memorized the secret passageways of Hogwarts which they used for quite a few of their many pranks. In Harry Potter's third year at Hogwarts Fred and George gave the map to Harry, so that he could go to Hogsmeade on the weekends, although he had not obtained a permission slip to do so from his guardians, Vernon and Petunia Dursley. - "Mr. Moony presents his compliments to Professor Snape and begs him to keep his abnormally large nose out of other people's business. Mr. Prongs agrees with Mr. Moony and would like to add that Professor Snape is an ugly git. Mr. Padfoot would like to register his astonishment that an idiot like that ever became a Professor. Mr. Wormtail bids Professor Snape good day, and advises him to wash his hair, the slime-ball." - —The Map's response to Severus Snape's attempt to reveal the Map's secrets[src] Harry used the Map throughout his time as a student at Hogwarts, especially during his third year, when he tried to find his way into Hogsmeade. Then, he used the One-Eyed Witch Passage which led into Honeydukes cellar. The map however will insult anyone who doesn't know how to activate it. Professor Remus Lupin did catch Harry with the map (after Snape found it while interrogating Harry), and subsequently confiscated it, surprising the younger wizard with his knowledge of how to activate it. It was through the map that the professor discovered Peter Pettigrew was still alive, leading him to conclude it was indeed the latter that had betrayed Harry's parents, in the process framing their old friend Sirius Black for the crime. This would go a long way towards repairing the rift between the two co-creators of the map. He would return the map to Harry before leaving Hogwarts, at the end of the year. During his fourth year, Harry used the map to help him as he sneaked into the prefects' bathroom to work on his clue for the Second Task of the Triwizard Tournament. On his way back, he dropped the map, and it was almost taken by Severus Snape. Harry was saved by Barty Crouch Jr., disguised as Professor Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody, who pretended it was his. Due to the map's flaw, it could not differentiate between the Junior and Senior Crouch. Crouch later asked to borrow the map from Harry, but after Crouch was unmasked, he reclaimed it. - "The map never lies." - —Sirius Black When monitoring Draco Malfoy, Harry found he often disappeared off the map. The cause of this was not revealed until after he asked Dobby to trail Draco to find out what he was doing when he disappeared off the map. Dobby discovered that Draco was disappearing into the Room of Requirement, which was not on the Marauder's Map. Whether because it was Unplottable or the Marauders never found the room is unspecified. Moments before the start of the Battle of Hogwarts, Harry briefly used the map to search for Ron and Hermione but he did not find them as they were, at the time, in the Chamber of Secrets collecting Basilisk fangs with which they could destroy the last of Lord Voldemort's Horcruxes. Harry Potter's legacy After Harry Potter's defeat of Lord Voldemort during the Battle of Hogwarts, the map would not have been used for many years. Eventually, James Sirius Potter would steal the map from his father's desk. The map is normally disguised as a blank piece of parchment. To view the map, one must tap it with one's wand and recite, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." The content of the map will reveal itself. To hide the contents of the map so the parchment appears blank again, one must again tap it and recite, "Mischief managed." An added bonus is that if the bearer of the map approaches the entrance to a secret passage protected by a password, the password will appear on the map (usually as a speech bubble that appears close to the dot representing the Map's holder). Exceptions to use - "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." - —Words to reveal the map.[src] In some rare cases, the map may not be used to the best of its ability. Heading out through the secret passage from the Whomping Willow to the Shrieking Shack will make the person disappear, as Snape mentions in the spring of 1994, so the Shrieking Shack is not included on the map because it goes off the edge of the map. It also does not show any person that may be inside the Room of Requirement, as the Room of Requirement is unplottable and it itself does not show up on the map, or the Chamber of Secrets, as it is very unlikely that any of the creators of the map knew of its existence at the time that the map was made. Additionally, the map does not differentiate between two people with the same name. This was the case with Barty Crouch Jr., who was simply shown as "Bartemius Crouch" on the map (instead of "Bartemius Crouch Jr"). This lead Harry Potter to believe that Barty Crouch Sr. was in Hogwarts, when he was actually at his own home at the time. Similarly, it identifies animagi by their actual name even when they are in their transformed state. It was by this mechanism that Lupin was able to identify Peter Pettigrew's presence at Hogwarts despite being presumed dead. The map was impossible to be directly used by Severus Snape, as it was enchanted to insult him should he attempt to do so. However, Snape was able to make use of the map to view Remus Lupin entering the secret passage underneath the Whomping Willow, as Lupin had left the map accessible beforehand. Special abilities of the map The Map also shows how to access the sealed passages by showing the password required to un-seal it (displayed as a minuscule speech balloon shown close to the dot representing the user of the map that appears when the map's holder comes close to the available passages). More importantly, the Map shows the name and location of every person within the Hogwarts grounds, even if they are wearing an Invisibility cloak (as demonstrated when Remus Lupin saw Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger sneaking to Rubeus Hagrid's cabin under an Invisibility cloak), transformed animagi (evidenced by Lupin seeing Peter Pettigrew return to the school grounds from Hagrid's, despite being disguised as the rat Scabbers at the time), or under the influence of the Polyjuice Potion (as demonstrated when Harry saw Barty Crouch Jr., at the time disguised as Alastor Moody, ransacking Snape's office for more Polyjuice ingredients). Behind the scenes - The Marauder's Map, along with his wand and the Cloak of Invisibility, is Harry's only remaining treasure from his time at Hogwarts. - According to J. K. Rowling, Harry never gave the map to Teddy Lupin or any of his children, but his son James probably stole it from Harry's desk. - The magical defences on Hogwarts have been mentioned several times, including Hogwarts being unplottable. That implies that mapping Hogwarts is impossible, which is exactly what the Marauder's Map does. There are some possible loopholes for this: for example, making a place unplottable might simply make it impossible for it to be mapped with reference to somewhere else. As the Marauder's Map only covers Hogwarts, not its position relative to (for example) London, it would circumvent the theoretical unplottable charm. - The claim that the map shows "every" corner of Hogwarts is likely an exaggeration, as there is no indication that it shows the Chamber of Secrets or the Room of Requirement. However, the map was created based on the Marauders' knowledge of Hogwarts and as none of them were Parselmouths, they would not have been able to access the Chamber of Secrets. Considering that Fred and George had it during the opening of the Chamber of Secrets, and the disappearance of their sister into it, it seems very unlikely it showed the Chamber or they would have mentioned it. Also, it is possible that they did manage to find the Room of Requirement, but that the room itself is unplottable as need be . However, it is not very likely the Marauders did discover the Room of Requirement as Sirius never suggested the Room to Harry as a possible location for the meetings of Dumbledore's Army in Order of the Phoenix. It is also possible that Sirius didn't think about the Room of Requirement at the time. - In the book, the map is described as a single piece of parchment that could be laid on a desk in a classroom. In the film, the map is shown as a rather large, much-folded paper with several unfolding flaps within it. - In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, one page is added to the Map, featuring the seventh-floor corridor. - While Hogwarts Castle is located on a large mountain in the films and video games, the map still shows the Castle on level ground. - In a deleted scene of film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the map shows Draco Malfoy's name as just "Malfoy"; this is a mistake, as the map is supposed to show both given names and surnames. - There is a toy version of the Map in every copy of the video game version of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, which is an exact replica of the in-game Map. - A real-size replica of the Marauder's Map prop can be bought at Noble Collection. - In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Moony is misspelled "Mooney" as an inside joke to the film's visual effects supervisor, Karl Mooney. - In the film adaption of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, When Harry was walking down one of the corridors one night, he saw Peter Pettigrew's name appear on the map before being caught by Snape, which was the first hint of Peter still being alive. This did not occur in the book. - Harry retrieved the Marauders Map when Barty Crouch Jr. took it, by simply taking it from the fake Moody's office at the end of the school year. (Rowling had forgotten to mention it.) - Also in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, while Albus Dumbledore is pacing in his office, his name is spelt Albvs Dvmbledore. This was most likely done simply to give the impression of age. During the late middle ages, 'v' and 'u' were used interchangably, with 'v' always appearing at the beginning of a word and 'u' always appearing in the middle or at the end of a word. - The map is David Thewlis' favourite prop from the series. - In the PlayStation 2 and Xbox video game adaptations of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Draco Malfoy uses the potion to turn into Ron to trick Harry into following him into a trap while trying to find Sirius Black. Despite the fact that the Map never lies about identity, it still names Draco as Ron. - For the Harry Potter films, the Marauder's Map was hand-made by MinaLima Design with ink and paper. - It is unknown if the map shows deceased people. Barty Crouch Jr. does not show any sign of seeing his father's body represented on the map, but he could have seen it and not told anyone. - The glossary on the Scholastic official website incorrectly claims that both Harry and Ron used the Marauder's Map to get to Hogsmeade. - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (First appearance) - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film) - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game) - Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film) - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game) - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film) - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (video game) - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (video game) (Mentioned only) - LEGO Harry Potter: Building the Magical World - LEGO Harry Potter: Characters of the Magical World (Mentioned only) - The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 - LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7 - Harry Potter LEGO Sets Notes and references - ↑ Pottermore - New from J. K. Rowling - The Marauder's Map - ↑ July 2005 Leaky Cauldron/MuggleNet interview - ↑ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Chapter 31 (The Battle of Hogwarts) - ↑ J.K. Rowling and the Live Chat, Bloomsbury.com, 30 July, 2007 - ↑ Pottermore - New from J. K. Rowling: The Marauder's Map - ↑ Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, chapter 21 - ↑ http://www.beyondhogwarts.com/story.20040304.html - ↑ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3FP-nmkFL0&feature=relmfu - ↑ The Leaky Cauldron - "You've Got To Admit Harry's Got Style"

No, she simply gave him chakra, normal chakra. Naruto did the same, he gave chakra to the others. The effect is amplified because, instead of the two chakras ( one of the target, the other foreign, Kyuubi's ), Naruto converted that chakra like it was the target's own chakra, fully synching them and likely amplifying it. He basically became the best Medic in the world, doesn't mean he can use all elements No, he didn't.Originally Posted by marshall313 People aren't divided into elemental effinities. It doesn't work that way. Everyone just has plain old basic chakra. Their chakra holds NO elemental attributes until AFTER they use nature transformation to change their chakra into an element. Just because they have an affinity with a chakra doesn't mean their chakra is that element. People have elemental affinities, but that simply means that their chakra, their BASIC CHAKRA, leans more toward one element, making it easier for them to mold their chakra into that element than it would be for other elements. Sasuke has a fire affinity aswell as lightning. But not until he uses nature transformation to alter his chakra, and this only happens during the molding process while using jutsu. For the last time, Naruto DID NOT turn Kurama's chakra into different elements so that he can put it inside of people. He simply deduced the correct chakra ratio per individiual that would be needed to allow each ninja to use Kurama's chakra. Nothing more. Simply look at the image while Kurama's explaining. Each person has a different "shape" of chakra. So Naruto made his chakra into a shape that "synchs" with their own, so that they can use it just like it's there own. If one needed to match a person's elemental affinity inorder to give them chakra, then Sakura could only heal people with the same affinity as her. Karin could only heal people with the same effinity as her. Tsunade wouldn't have been able to give Oonoki chakra so that he can use Jinton. And Jinton is a Kekkei Touta, so don't even think about claiming she matched his elemental affinity, because not only would she need to be proficient in earth, wind, and fire... but she'd need the genetic ability to combine them. I repeat: Naruto can't make other elements. He can't. Stop it. Last edited by ninjabot; January 25, 2013 at 01:14 PM. here Kyuubi specifically mentioned "individual's unique chakra traits" whatever that means. Ninjabot is right, the chakra doesn't have a nature of element in its nature without the nature transformation, so, the aforementioned Shinobi who used Naruto's chakra received the Kyuubi chakra and manipulated it, while if someone were to use a Raiton attack, they would need to deal with the nature transformation on their own. I don't think you can give the transformed chakra to someone else, anyway. So, even if Naruto was able to use all different elemental ninjutsu, that wouldn't mean he can give everyone what they need at an instant. I'm not sure where you are getting this idea. But ninja's mold there chakra into elements, and those elements they have an affinity for are easier to mold. Look up the definition of affinity to see what I mean. These Clans don't use these secret techniques because they just up and decided one day they'd use them. They use them, because the chakra their bloodlines are capable of making allows them to utilize said techniques. Lee is an example of a ninja who's spirit energy is so low or uncontrollable he can't use it to form chakra. Instead, he uses pure physical energy to perform high level taijutsu, hence why he was fast enough to blast through Madara. ---------- Post added at 03:24 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:12 PM ---------- Chakra itself does not have an affinity, the people that create it do. How do I know this? Look at Sasuke and The Raikage. The Raikage uses Taijutsu and NinTaijutsu. He is massive. Once would assume his chakra is primarily made of physical energy. Sasuke, while certainly fit, isn't massive. We know that Uchiha's inherited the strong spirit of the Sage and thus his spiritual energy is large. This is evident in the fact that he can push himself beyond his physical limits while fighting. In once case, while completely bound by Danzou, he broke his binding seal by somehow dumping his chakra. He had to draw on his spiritual energy because his body was bound. And his chakra is remarkably dark and sinister, something that can only come from the spirit, not the body. So while the Raikage's chakra is more physically based, and Sasuke's more spiritually, they both share the same affinity for lightning. Logic would tell us then, that one's elemental affinity is not based upon the chakra they can make, but something else. In case you go outside this classification, you will bring something even more complex than chakra nature. What? DNA, blood type, what? Can you give any unique trait that can be related to chakra? 1. Naruto is has Wind elemental affinity. 2. Naruto can do wind Jutsu wind Jutsu with his own chakra, but couldn't use wind Jutsu with Kurama's chakra - otherwise, he could suffer SM limit. Unlike SM that allows Naruto to do FRS, KM chakra cannot do that. Everytime Naruto uses FRS, he had to go SM to get the wind chakra he need. 3. In 617, after converting BM chakra into his own, Naruto was able to make two FRS with the new chakra. THere was no SM there. Why Naruto who was unable to make FRS without SM, and who even ran out of his SM chakra a few second before, was now able to spam two massive FRS after converting Kurama's chakra? My answer is that Naruto molded and matched Kurama's chakra to his own unique trait. This means Naruto created a chakra with wind elemental affinity. After that, he could do the same for each shinobi based on their different chakra nature. This makes sense, and if you read the spoiler below, you can see that each village has its chakra types. Some are water, some are earth, some are lightning and some are fire. Konoha has the largest mixture due to what we know - Uchiha and Senju plus immigrants from different country. Konoha is like the USA of the narutoverse. Read Mu's statement here: Right now, Naruto is not only a great sensor, but he has also been observing all the different ninjas by their village category. This answer the how he knows the unique trait of each shinobi. While there are 5 elemental affinities, there are people with two or three. Thus you can have any combination of these to give different symbolic representation. I would never have expected someone interpreting these connection as shapes of chakra. These are simply connection that represent how Naruto geared his chakra with that of the others shinobi. Note that each gear on the SA side as a corresponding gear on Naruto's side. Are you saying that Naruto alone has more than 500 chakra shape? As you can see, only the gears are different, but the shapes are the same on the inside. Here is how I interprete the diagram 1. Two black areas representing Naruto (right) and the SA ninjas (left) 2. A separation layer representing the air between Naruto and the SA ninjas 3. In the right areas, Naruto connect to Kyuubi chakra and convert it into his own. The connection point is represented by a gear 4. On the left sides, you see many Narutos, each of them having converted Kyuubi's chakra to match a specific shinobi. Then he links it to that specific shinobi, the gears representing the link. 5. From the left areas to the right area, you have rays showing that their is a link between Naruto and each shinobi to which he connected. Kurama even said that Naruto can sustain many links, unlike Minato would could only maintain one with Naruto. There is more here, but not the topic. A. How does Naruto detect the unique trait of each shinobi? B. What did Kurama mean by sustaining a link? C. What does converting chakra mean? Now consider what Kakshi said. A jounin level ninja can have more than one chakra affinity by training.This means that the jounin has gotten some level of mastery of chakra control. Then, how do you rate Naruto's level of chakra control in 617. He has surpass both Minato and Kushina. Lesson: People who are denying the current facts will not be happy until the hand of this manga. Before a ninja can use his chakra to create an elemental Jutsu, his chakra must have affinity with that element. Then, taking into account the fact that Naruto mold the chakra before giving to each person, the conclusion is clear. Those ninja are not creating chakra, they are using it. Last edited by so6pww; January 25, 2013 at 04:05 PM. Chakra does not have an affinity towards an element. PEOPLE have an affinity. They then, take their chakra, and mold it into elemental chakra. If chakra had it's own affinity, then ninja would only be able to use one element. That isn't the case, multiple ninja have multiple affinities, and among those affinities, one is always stronger than the others unless they possess a kekkai genkai. And to be quite honest, what I just said above no longer applies thanks to Onoki figuring out a way to master a Kekkai Tota despite not having a Kekkai Genkai, meaning, theoretically, any ninja can do so if they have the knowledge and talent. And yes, we know they aren't making chakra. THEY ARE MOLDING IT. Naruto is giving them chakra to that fits with their own unique balance of physical and spiritual energy. Thus the "chakra" he can Lee was basically all physical energy since Lee can't use Spirutal Energy to make chakra in the first place! These ninja are then taking the chakra Naruto gave them, and molding it according to their jutsu. NARUTO DIDN'T DO THAT, THEY DID. WHY AM I YELLING First off, I never said he was born with Jinton. I said he was born with a kekkei tota that allows him to combine earth, wind, and fire inorder to CREATE Jinton.Originally Posted by so6pww Making up facts, huh? I'm pretty sure you don't know what the hell a kekkei tota is because it has nothing to do with Naruto, so I posted a link to the wiki. Read. Also: You gotta learn to stop replying to my posts. You can't possibly enjoy being proven wrong over and over. I'm the one deliberately ignoring facts? LOL, you just said that Naruto can't use FRS with Kurama's chakra! What the hell do you call this? http://narutobase.net/manga/Naruto/545/14Quote: Let me guess: "Because it's miniature it doesn't have wind chakra because he's not in Sage Mode", right? Well, I got that bullshit excuse beat too. Behold: http://narutobase.net/manga/Naruto/554 Last edited by ninjabot; January 25, 2013 at 05:53 PM. Naruto's chakra control and manipulation has surpassed Minato and Kushina, which has got nothing to do with nature transformation again. And please try to be more understanding for those who are against your opinions. "Denial of the facts" or whatever way you may put it makes it a sort of preaching, if not offensive language.

Username or EmailPassword The question seemed to indicate that the one person had moved from 10.6 to 10.7 installed on the machine. This providing the 10.6 install DVD for the second person. An issue to be aware of here is that 10.7 is likely considered an upgrade not a fresh install. The machine is being upgraded from 10.6 to 10.7 and 10.7 was sold at a low cost based on the expectation that the machine was already running a legal 10.6 install. They may make an argument that both 10.6 and 10.7 install media belong to the one (now) 10.7 machine rather than the upgrade freeing 10.6 up for install on another machine. I'm not deeply familair with Apple licensing policy though. That's just the issue that came to mind based on the age old Microsoft trick of "upgrade" installs requiring validation of the prior "full install" version it was meant to replace. It's a friggin pain too because now you have to keep the install media for the prior version encase you have to prove that you are upgrading during a re-install of the newer version. There's a third way to buy Lion, which is to buy it on a USB stick. Yeah but there is a problem with the upgrade take. First for me personally if you can install it on a empty system it is not an upgrade. when you upgrade something you build on the previous generation. And then there is the practical problems i have gotten mac's delivered without a os. I got them from the university that had some kind of bulk software deal. so now i have used mac's whiteout an os where do i buy the full version of OSx to install on these machines. Well you cant since apple only sells upgrades or.... To start, brazilian laws are very pro-consumer centric; we have a very decent consumer code-of-defense that is applied throught a broad range of aspects in our lives. We have no Digital Millenium Crap, and reverse engineering is not only legal in most cases - like porting code to unsuported devices or platforms - as there are laws to ensure that data will not be impossible to be used once a manufacturer stops selling the hardware it runs on. For example, anyone could create a Super Nintendo clone if they can prove that there is no way to buy a new one or (this is important) use your already purchased game in newer platforms (if Nintendo wants to charge you to play Super Mario 3 in the Wii even if you already have the game, for instance). Well, this opens the door to anyone breaking the OSX bootloader in order to run on other hardware, but what about EULA? Well, there are already some cases in justice were it was determined that a contract can't tell the buyer HOW TO use the product, nor forbit a specific usage of it. What happens is that AFTER - remember, one is innocent until proven that isn't, something american legislators like to forget - the user misuses it, he can: a) loose all warranty, support and devolution if the product is bought. b) if the product is a subscription or service, the product can be cancelled - for example, you use your antenna of paid-TV to get channels that you do not pay for - and you can pay some fine - this is why subscription is getting popular here, few sell satellite antennas, most are borrowed to the consumer. Now for that last part and most important part: Software in Brazil, is not considered to be a "service" like Apple alleges, but a simple product like a hammer, so you end up with option (a), the only thing you can do is to void the warranty and support for the users that run OSX on a PC. Pretty nice and legal PS: Do not think that all of this is because Brazil do not have laws or such, we do; it is just that as was in US when it was a young nation, the laws are made to protect individuals, not big corporation's profit. I don't believe you. Brazil is pro-consumer? Then why do Brazilians pay thru the roof for their products due to tariffs among others? Simple economics, you need import tariffs to dissuade importation that which they should be making in their own country. It's the lack of import tariffs that is killing the US as it's killing the US consumer base by exporting labor over seas in the name of artificially low prices in the short term. High import tariffs lead to more companies hiring more workers to make consumer products in state, thus having more people in said state with the money to buy said goods thus building your consumer base and raising your nation's overall standard of living. Exporting your labor only kills off your consumer base because you can't have an entire economy based on the financial or service industries. To do so is to make your economy a house of cards, a nudge in any direction causes the whole thing to collapse in on itself. Somethings will never be made in Brazil, leaving Brazilians with nothing to buy. You can have your controlled economy and your tariffs. I'd rather pay less for my stuff and if local companies want to win me they need to be competitive. Protectionism and tariffs don't work. Ah yes, the "Free Market", which goes to wherever on earth it can find the cheapest possible slave labor so it can "compete" by charging the same or more for products of inferior quality while sacrificing the economy of the country said companies are based out of? I'll take the actual competition of having someone decide it's more cost effective long term to build a factory in my country over importing cheap crap made in deplorable conditions. "Free Trade" is a race to the bottom and creates nothing but fiefdom at the cost of your own economy and national security in the name of over priced plastic junk. There are two kinds of lawyers: Those who explain the legal consequences of various actions and those who say "tell me what you have done or want to do and I'll make sure its OK legally". You can guess which kind is more successful. I did this with my ThinkPad...then realized OSX is the worst operating system ever. I love OS X, but when I put it on a laptop the previously ran XP, I really didn't like it at all, it didn't help that a few of the drivers were missing. I ended up going with Ubuntu. Liking or not liking the big boys (Win / *nix / Mac) is a matter of understanding them more than anything else. I prefer OS X to Win 7 by a very big amount, but that doesn't mean Win 7 is crap, just means I prefer how OS X works. A mate of mine has a new iMac but runs Win 7 on it, he prefers that. In reference to your copying argument, I think there is reason to claim fair use. If I own a book, I am allowed under fair use to make a copy of it for personal use. Maybe I want to annotate the copy. Maybe I don't want to risk the original getting wet in the tub. For books, the original and the copies are considered a single entity. If you sell the book, you either need to destroy the copies or give them with the book. Going back to computers, it is perfectly legal to make backup copies of your installation media. Media don't last forever, and copies of the original makes sense. While I am sure Apple would argue against this reasoning, outside of computers this type of thing is ordinary. Why do you think they have photocopiers in most libraries? Some of Apple's EULAs are a nightmare (especially mobile SDK related ones). No one in their normal mind would really be happy with accepting those terms. At least you can have some laugh from it, after hearing an example of iTunes EULA dramatic reading: (note the Effective until part, and what is required if you don't comply Edited 2011-11-30 23:08 UTC Regardless of the "gray areas" the bottom line is this: if you're not installing OS-X on a Macintosh computer than Apple isn't going to be happy about it, they're not going to support you and they'll do everything in their power to stop you. Period. I get the impression that Apple don't especially care unless you are producing hackintosh clones and selling them commercially... They don't really go out of their way to make OSX not work on non apple hardware, they just don't include drivers for anything other than the hardware they provide, and they require an EFI firmware (which isnt an apple only thing, other manufacturers are just much slower to move forward). Apple has a lot of power, but I doubt you can find any examples where Apple wielded this power to go after Hackintosh owners. Did they even go after iOS jailbreakers? PCs running OS X don't get intentionally disabled, sites offering how to make your own Hackintosh don't get letters from Apple, the LA police doesn't raid your house. They're even pretty cool with their OS media. No install keys, no limit to the machines you can install it on and upgrade version are really full versions. Well, Apple clearly expressed a desire for jailbreaking to be an offence prosecutable under DMCA (a quick bunch of links as always on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IOS_jailbreaking#United_States_legal_i... ) - now, why would they desire that, hm?... (also Apple claimed, and court in Psystar case affirmed, that OSX has intentional technical measures to prevent hackintosh practices) I really don't think that Apple give a crap what hardware you, as an individual, run Mac OS X on. The only scenario where they do care is if somebody tries to commercially resell computers running Mac OS X. Apple puts restrictions on their license to say "only run this on genuine Apple hardware" because they don't want to open themselves to having to offer support to people attempting to run OS X on non-Apple hardware. Yes, there are technical hurdles to installing Mac OS X on non-Apple hardware. That's down to the fact that Apple doesn't need to support anything besides the hardware they have manufactured. That's not malice, just practical reality - they're not going to spend thousands of engineering hours to support hardware they've never shipped. Apple has never bothered to put any kind of technological restrictions on the installation of Mac OS X. There has never been any copy protection or license codes. They are completely aware that Mac owners regularly and routinely "pirate" major updates of OS X. The only thing they have done to tackle this issue is to radically reduce the price of their OS upgrades. History has clearly shown that Apple will do nothing at all to try to stop individuals from installing Mac OS X on non-Apple hardware. Well said. My take on it is similar: Apple doesn't necessarily like that you put OS X on your generic PC, but they're not going to waste time and money trying to stop you. It's been my experience that Hackintoshers generally tend to already own at least one Mac, and even if they don't, they might eventually get frustrated with the whole process and buy the real thing. Apple has mostly been a hardware vendor, writing great software in order to sell their hardware for profit. They also make lots of money from iTunes, which just so happens to run on their "competitor's" OS, and probably makes them more money than iTunes users on their own OS. It's the Psystars of the world they want to quash, as they cut into one of Apple's real money makers: Hardware sales. Why buy a $3000 Mac Pro when you can get more or less equivalent performance for $1000 and still run OS X? That scares them, and they take action at that point. Again though, they never went after the Psystar customers, just the company itself. Edited 2011-12-01 12:21 UTC “It's the Psystars of the world they want to quash, as they cut into one of Apple's real money makers: Hardware sales.“ Correct, but just because you want something, it doesn‘t mean you have the grounds to do it. If you sell a mac clone without an OS, and in countries where the DMCA doesn‘t apply (somehow making a mac clone violates the DMCA, don‘t ask why i don‘t know), on what grounds can Apple get you? None. Edited 2011-12-02 09:06 UTC Without Apple there would be no Mac OS. Apple sells Mac OS for less than cost. Apple is not in the business of software but hardware. Mac OS is a service. Apple used to sell it for $120 and now dropped to $30 and I won't be surprised if they make it free like iOS upgrades. Did you price the cost of a Windows license? Most wouldn't give a monkeys whatever the legality as the chances of any comeback are next to zero. Nor would many ponder much on any ethical/legal just-so's either before or after. Edited 2011-12-01 03:10 UTC I always wondered why nobody has started a Psystar-like business in Europe and Asia, where the DMCA doesn't apply. Sell the computer without an OS, and make it so that the the OS Xinstall disc thinks the computer is a mac (and that the computer has mac-compatible peripherals), so that no special tricks are need. Then, all the user has to do is pick up an OS X disc, and install it. Edited 2011-12-01 10:56 UTC Part of the explanation could be that OSX has much smaller traction in most of the world than too many pundits and web-loud people, living in few atypical places, realize (just go through Statcounter region and country stats). Making it not only not-so-attractive (more just "weird"), even simply not very known (plus, in some places, there might be quite recent ~bad association - like with ending of: http://www.osnews.com/permalink?489120 ) OTOH, people who do prefer Apple in such places, seem to treat them as a status symbol much more than is usual (doesn't work with hackintoshes) Anyway, quickly glancing at Wiki does give something... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PearC (plus few other without Wiki pages at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OSx86 ) The EULA language for OS X clearly prohibits the installation on non-Apple branded hardware. In WIPO signatory countries (like the US and Europe), you must accept the EULA terms to obtain a license to use (copy to disk or memory) the software and a license for the patents embodied in the software (codecs, etc.). In other parts of the world, it may not be a copyright violation or a patent violation. The DMCA would not apply to the Apple software as there are no access controls of any sort in place. There are technical issues to be overcome to use the software, to be certain, but there's no encryption or intentional impediment to prevent access or copying. I usally let my cat agree to these kind of deals. For doing that kind of unsupported thing, I found it would be better to download a pirated DVD with the anti user crap removed. Even if it is legal to install it, it will be crippled. Professional pirates make sure to remove the barriers so it works fluently. It's dangerous because there are some bad pirated that add even worse stuff in there but if you take the DVD from a pirate with a good reputation, it would work better than the original DVD sold by Apple. Don't do it, it is illegal. If you did it your computer would work better but that would not legal. Edited 2011-12-01 07:36 UTC Three selected quotes from Microsoft: "If they're going to pirate somebody, we want it to be us rather than somebody else." - Jeff Raikes, a Microsoft executive "It's easier for our software to compete with Linux when there's piracy than when there's not." - Bill Gates The key being this: "As long as they are going to steal it, we want them to steal ours. They'll get sort of addicted, and then we'll somehow figure out how to collect sometime in the next decade." - Bill Gates Um.. one does indeed have to agree to the GPL in the form of adhering to it's four granted freedoms do they not? If one modifies the code, compiles it distributes the binary and does not provide access to the modified source code they are breaking the agreement to adhere to the GPL. Specifically; infringing copyright by removing permissions which the license requires they pass down to the recipient of the derivitive work. If what one wants a license inherently agreed to with no limitations then that would be a copy-center type license more like BSD, MIT or the DWTFPL ( http://sam.zoy.org/wtfpl/ ). So, by meeting the conditions of the permissive license one is in-fact agreeing to the terms of the license then. It grants anyone the basic copy rights plus the additional rights (hence, the permissive license) only so long as they agree with and remain within the terms of the license. Make no mistake, I'm not criticizing or questioning the GPL. I'm questioning the idea that one does not have to agree to the license. Agreement being in the form of acting within the stipulated limitations of the license. In a scenario where Apple will sell MacOS without hardware Apple would probably charge x4-x6 the price. Most threads I read about people hackintoshing is those that really want to run Logic, Quark or final cut but cant afford a Mac. If they add the price of those software with a Mac pc it comes into a hefty amount. And many just cant afford it. Those people are quite willing to buy Logic ect. on their own but just cant with the hardware tie in. Edited 2011-12-01 12:08 UTC The EULA is usually pretty clear. I doubt it is a crime to do it. It may be a civil matter but in most cases you just can't get OEM support. The best way to run MacOS X is on Apple Hardware. Mac Mini's are so cheap, it's not worth fiddling with a Hackintosh. I've played with Hackintoshes since the first developer release of MacOS X 10.4.1 on hardware that was the same as the developer MacPro less the DRM chip. It's just not worth the problems, like the hassles when an update comes out that hoses the system. If there were a system which was cheaper, and didn't make me spend more time fixing things that get broken by updates than using it, I'd probably build one. Meanwhile, the Macbook I picked up on eBay for $350 works fine for all my Mac needs. The time I spend keeping a Hackintosh costs something too.

Please note: This audiobook contains graphic adult content. Random House Audio’s recording of Fifty Shades of Grey has been remastered in a new edition. If you've already purchased the audiobook, you can re-download the file from My Library to get the new audio. Erotic, amusing, and deeply moving, the Fifty Shades Trilogy is a tale that will obsess you, possess you, and stay with you forever. When literature student Anastasia Steele goes to interview young entrepreneur Christian Grey, she encounters a man who is beautiful, brilliant, and intimidating. The unworldly, innocent Ana is startled to realize she wants this man and, despite his enigmatic reserve, finds she is desperate to get close to him. Unable to resist Ana’s quiet beauty, wit, and independent spirit, Grey admits he wants her, too—but on his own terms. Shocked yet thrilled by Grey’s singular erotic tastes, Ana hesitates. For all the trappings of his success—multinational businesses, vast wealth, a loving family—Grey is a man tormented by demons and consumed by the need to control. When the couple embarks on a daring, passionately physical affair, Ana discovers Christian Grey’s secrets and explores her own dark desires. ©2011 E L James (P)2012 Random House The only emotions this book stirs in me is anger. I can't believe I wasted my credit on this. I am angry that this so called piece of literature was even published. I would have left minus stars if I could have. I feel duped by all the hype surrounding this book. I have seen it on the cover of magazines and on news programs, all with good things to say. Why??? I don't blame the author, I blame the editor and the publisher. Sadly there are more talented authors out there that take literature seriously that can't even get there foot in the door. But this dollar store throw away gets on the New York Times Best Seller list??? You've got to be kidding me. How?? This book is definitely thought provoking. My thoughts aren't what the author had in mind I am sure. First of all you want your readers to believe this is a romance, but in truth its an abusive relationship. Do a little research. Your hero, Christian Grey, 26 year old billionaire, flys a helicopter, is a pretty boy creep and the guy you teach your daughters to stay away from. How many red flags do you have to have? The difference is in real life the flags are much harder to see. This one comes with a contract, that is painfully read word for word. Your heroine, Anastasia Steele is 22 an idiot, with a college education, a virgin, no computer, no email address, naive, an American and no vocabulary. Even the names are ridiculous. Steele/Grey. Ridiculous and non believable. My intelligence has been insulted. I am not even offended by the erotica. I am not a prude. But even that was lacking. Kinda turned me off, not on. Perhaps it was Anastasia's begging. The narrator wasn't all that bad either. I could tolerate it. She didn't really have great material did she? There is no way to turn a bologna sandwich into a steak. And this is exactly what the author, editor and publisher want you to believe. I wonder how much money they have spent promoting this. Hope it hurts a little, like losing my credit hurt me. Did that sound sadistic? Well Holy Cow, I'm sorry. I think I will sit down write murmur a thousand times, Oh my! a couple of hundred times. Throw in a couple of long fingers, Call a Vagina, "down there" . add a couple explicit sex scenes and call this publisher. Obviously anyone can write a book, get it published and make a million. Story? Who needs a story? I would have Gilbert Gottfried narrate the entire thing. That would really take this craptacular audiobook to the next level - definitely. Seriously folks...I'm not even kidding - watch the clip of him reading selections of this on You Tube. Classic. Absolute claaaaassssssiiiiiicccc. Only to people that can laugh at truly bad work that was meant to be taken seriously. In fact, get them all in a room together with copious amounts of alcohol and blast this audiobook. Make it a drinking game - take a shot every time Anastasia refers to her "inner goddess" or sputters "oh, my!" Take another shot every time creepy Grey "levels his intense (serial killer-like) gaze upon Anastasia". On second thought, don't - everyone will wind up dead from alcohol poisoning. Let's see, was it Ms. Battoe's mind-numbingly dull and droning Valley Girl-esque delivery? Check. Could it be her even worse leaden vocal rendition of the rich-yet-menacingly-sexy sociopath that is Mr. Grey? Check that too. HIGH-LAR-I-OUS. Best yet, I love the fact that it's told in first person through Anastasia's character. In no time you'll be screaming to be let out of her brain. Help! Hellllppp! Someone get me out of here!! Only to a very small percentage of the population that enjoys books and films meant to be taken seriously but can be enjoyed for all the wrong reasons. Just when you think Anastasia couldn't possibly be more knuckle-draggingly stupid...she manages to reach a new low. Every single time. Guaranteed! In fact, Anastasia Steel is such a cretin that I often wonder how this character could function in daily society. Oh yeah. She can't. It would all make more sense if her character suffered some kind of brain injury that would preclude her being this naive or possessing such a painful lack of cognitive skills with zero tolerance for self awareness. Folks, this is just a symptom of a much, much bigger problem with the state of extremely successful books and films. Why do we support work that depicts all female leads in today's big hits (I'm looking at YOU, Hunger Games Automaton Catniss and Twilight Boneheaded Bella!) as completely blank maidens in distress that have absolutely no sense of self awareness or willingness to own their own sexuality, much less be completely unable to understand if and why a man finds them attractive, preferring to remain asexual robots until they're felt up or kissed unexpectedly?? Such is the sad state of female leads in books and films. If I didn't laugh, I'd have to give up books and films altogether. If this is considered the only socially acceptable form of porn for mommies, they should have higher standards. We should too. First, get a better narrator. I never read the book in print. However, listening to Ana and Christian's endless emails, (including dates and times) made me want to pass out from bordom. Further, the constant bickering between Ana's subconsious and her "inner goddes" was annoying, and the writer's overly-generous use the terms "holy cow", "holy s--t", and "oh my" became predictable. I'm no prude, and have read many books with erotic components. However, with the writer's use of the same descriptions over and over again (e.g. "exquisit orgasm"), even the sex scenes became boring. I truely don't understand why this book has received so much hype. Take a writing class My literary goal is to expand both my capacity to learn and my capacity to feel. I alternate between fiction and non-fiction. Her announcement that she is retiring from writing? Stop whining and dropping off on the end of her words like a lazy Valley-girl. it taught me to always read reviews first and I enjoyed reading some of the other regretful reviews. I'm sad for all of us. Disappointed! Disappointed! It may just be me, but I'm clueless as to why there's so much fuss about this book. I fell for all of the hype and purchased this book. But I could barely finish it, was so happy when it was over, and quickly removed the two sequels from my wish list b/c I don't care what happens next. The only reason I finished it was to find out more about the history of the main male character, the reason for the book title--which I do with all books--and my unflinching hope and belief that the book had to get better. Apparently it didn't. The author repeatedly and without fail refers to female sexual parts as "down there" while also repeatedly referring to sex using the f word; this makes no sense. It felt and sounded like the only dialogue that the main female character included "oh my," hot," "my inner goddes," and "so bossy." She sounded like a very young, immature child doing very adult things and, supposedly, engaged in an adult relationship. That pseudo adult relationship was a one-sided adult experience. I don't know if the immaturity was just the writtend dialogue or the narrator's take on the dialogue or both. I'm leaning towards the latter. But the dialogue is where I put most of the blame when I think of how disappointed I was in the book. It was hard to understand the main male character's attraction to the main female one other than seeing her as a submissive. Considering she sounded like she was 11, his assessment might be understandable. But he confused immaturity with submissiveness. If I never hear another girl refer to anything sexual as "hot" or a female say "oh my" it'll be too soon! To refer to a male sexual dominant as "bossy" seemed dumb and too obvious. Duh! And the same female main character seemed to be unconvincing in her fear and concern about BDSM. The book was too long and not worth all of the hype. The sex scenes are explicit but the language didn't always coincide, so it's difficult to really call it erotica. Though it's certainly past the general romance genre. I don't know. Overall, if I had any idea, if I knew before what I know now, I certainly wouldn't have purchased it. If you can get it free, from a library or something, save your dime, IMO. As a long-time (over a decade) Audible listener, I was intrigued when a friend chastised me when I told her that I knew nothing about the “Fifty Shades of Grey” trilogy. Out of curiosity I downloaded and listened. I was sincerely shocked that this is a best seller, that women don’t find this insulting and offensive, that the insertion of soft porn into every 10 pages could make a sophomoric storyline into a best seller (ok, I guess that one is no big surprise). Maybe I’m just annoyed that I didn't think to write this and reap the profits? Who knew?? I obviously think way to much. I have listened to over a thousand books in my travels. Some fantastic, some awful; however, even the awful weren't in the same intellectually shallow category. They might have not been my cup of tea for whatever reason, but I could say I learned something. I guess I could say what I learned here is how far such a large portion of our society has slipped intellectually. Terrorists should be laughing hysterically! They should be doubled over saying "that's hot" and "oh my." They don’t have to plot to destroy our country. We have apparently dumbed down our educational system and expectations to the point of diminishing or possibly no return. Makes no difference when there are lines continually repeated like "Oh my" and "that's so hot" Anger, sadness, disappointment AND disgust. I am not a prude. If you are going to write something erotic, do it well. This was CRAP. I don't know why I bought it. I guess I was compelled by the hype and the promise of over the top tales of .... whatever. I hated it. The characters were STUPID and unconvincing. It was awful. Like awful on top of awful, handcuffed to more awful. I'm not sure who the target audience for this book. I'm going to go sanitize my ear buds. In the future I plan to deny I ever listened to it. No. I am all done with this author and narrator. I understand the author wrote fanfiction. It's too bad some publisher picked her over the hundreds of others I have read. This book was not erotic, well written or even interesting. The plot was missing, these characters had no spart and I did not buy the attraction for one minute. The overuse of 'holy', 'inner goddess', 'oh my', 'hot' and 'Christain Grey" made this book more annoying than anything else. Once you sleep with a man, he loses his last name forever. When the main character spends so much time wondering why he picked her, we start to feel the same way because she comes off as boring and unreal. We are supposed to believe that she has never had a relationship by the time she is 22? She lives with the editor of the school newspaper who comes from a wealthy urban family and has remained 'naive'? EL spend some time watching American television and you will realize there is no way thsi person exists. Absolutely NOT. She is horrible and should stand aside to let better performers obtain the job. The emails, and the endless talks with her subconvious and inner goddess. I wish I could get my cedit back! As a person with dyslexia, audio books give me the opportunity to "read" wonderful books that I would otherwise miss. Thank you for this fabulous service. Spoiler Alert! I don't usually read "romances" but I was suckered in by all the hype. I hope they are generally better written. First point: the vocabulary. If I had known, I would have kept track of how many times Ana said, "Ooooh, myyyyy!" That seemed to be the only reaction the author could think of. I told my daughter (who is a book editor) that if they make a movie of this, the audience will miss half the dialog since there was so much of it that was "murmured." There were entire conversations that were murmured. In my entire life, I had never heard the word "clambered" used that much. Second point: the attraction. Ana is attracted to this man, but the only thing she keeps repeating is how stunningly beautiful he is. She's not a gold-digger, but she is so taken by his looks. I can understand a naive young woman (are there really women this naive and innocent?) being flattered by the attentions of a 27-year-old self-made billionaire (is there one of these besides Mark Zuckerberg?), but there doesn't seem to be a lot beyond infatuation. Third point: the precedent. I'm not a prude and I'm not a stranger to erotic fiction. I've written some myself. When I finished this book, I thought back over it. This naive young girl was lured into a world that she knew nothing about by a dashingly handsome man. He flattered her and cajoled her. The book romanticizes a jealous possessive stalker who abused her physically and mentally, and who convinced her that she wanted it. He never told her he loved her because he didn't. I thought about all the young women who would read this book, and fall in love with Christian Grey. Domestic violence is on the rise in this country. I have known a few victims of it, and I know how difficult it is for them to leave the abuser because "he loves me." I worry that naive young women who find themselves in abusive relationships will be more tolerant because they will think it's okay after reading this book. Fourth point: the narrator. She was equal to the quality of the writing. I will not be downloading the sequels. This has to be one of the worst books I've ever listened to. I couldn't even listen to the whole thing. A lot of the reviewers complained about the narrator, but I couldn't stomach the story itself. I didn't realize it was basically a porno and not even well written porn at that. The author needs to come up with some other lines instead of repeatedly using the same ones such as "I peeked at him through my lashes". Is that even possible?! I wish I hadn't wasted my time or money! There are no listener reviews for this title yet. Report Inappropriate Content

Thursday, May 10, 2012 Hell To The No What do spears, battle axes, crossbows, swords, and microbes have in common? They are all violent weapons used in the pursuit of wealth and power. Way back when in the olden timey days of the Middle Ages, knights and foot soldiers would hurl either sharp pieces of metal or teeny tiny microorganisms at one another. In a world where microscopes didn't even exist yet, a soldier knew the power of the protozoa. Late at night, while the castle slept, scientifically savvy soldiers would fling a diseased corpse over the castle walls and then, giggling in their suits of armor and sigils, they'd sit and wait for the magic to happen. Oh, it wouldn't be an immediate magic. Nor would it be a bloody magic. But eventually, little devil microbes, or pathogens, would squirrel themselves out of the rotting corpse and into an innocent lady in waiting. After what I assume was a lengthy gestation period, said lady would cough, gasp, and then fall over and die. Protozoa power, activate! In more recent years, microbes, or microglobules if you will, are still used as weaponry. Scary, creepy, "Is that dried blood in your panties?" weaponry. The goals are still the same: wealth and power (plus $500 for new shocks) and the road to victory is long, arduous, and full of hair. Thank god it's almost over. Let's recap, shall we? The night is dark and full of terrors. A fire crackles in the foreground as we find our street urchin people musing about Kat's ironically sardonic exit. A pruney southern drawl from underneath a crusty hat begins the scene, "Oh mah gawd. When she said it'd be funnay. Oh mah gawd." A nicknameless Sabrina nods in agreement and shouts, "Ironic!" Tarzan (Greg), however, thinks to himself how silly these womenfolk are. They should have gotten rid of him instead. And now, he and his subplot are free to squirm their way into the top three. But first, he has to make it to the top four. Tarzan pulls aside Handlebar (Kim) and advises that she take Jugs (Alicia) and ChaCha (Christina) to the end with her. Jugs isn't well liked and, well, no one will vote for ChaCha. Handlebar likes the plan, but worries whether or not she can trust Jugs to take her to the end. Tarzan assures her of Jugs' loyalty, but warns her against the evil Prunes (Chelsea). Prunes is Handlebar's biggest threat and it would serve her well to kick her to the curb sooner rather than later. Sounds good to me! Just as Handlebar is worried about Jugs' loyalty, Jugs is worried about Handlebar's loyalty. The great mediator Tarzan poo-poo's away Jugs' worries and promises to hype her up for a win once he gets on the jury. Tarzan is a man with a plan, a segmented plan. A) Don't be the first one voted off. B) Make it to the merge. 3) Get to see his wife. D) Go on a panty raid. If he gets from A to D and still doesn't win the million dollars, no skin off his hide. His Jeep will pay the ultimate price, not him. No shocks for you, Jeep! The sun rises on another day and we find Prunes in quiet contemplation. In quiet contemplation is how I like my Prunes. Silent like the dead. Quiet like a corpse. Maybe we can get Jugs' sister Leticia to kick Prunes in the voice box. It's just an idea. Alright, so Prunes is sitting around watching insects devour one another when it occurs to her that the game is all tied up right now. 3 to 3. 3 for them. 3 for me. Being that it's Even Steven means that someone needs to leave one threesome and join another. And who better than ChaCha? "If ah pull outta r'ward, I thank ya need ta eet," she tells ChaCha. "That's so sweet," ChaCha replies. Once Prunes has reeled in ChaCha with promises of sustenance, she switches gears and tells ChaCha that Tarzan absolutely cannot get to the final three. With all of those men on the jury, he'll surely get all of the votes. Prunes also thinks that ChaCha is in an alliance with Jugs and Tarzan, but ya know, that's just her talking out loud. La dee da. So Prunes la dee da's herself away while ChaCha scurries back to camp and reports all that she's heard. "I just had an interesting talk with Prunes," ChaCha says. Handlebar's mustache turns up in anger at the thought of Prunes once again doing more damage than good. If only Handlebar could get her to shut up. Call Leticia, Handlebar! I've got her number right here... 555.KICK "If Prunes wins an award she'll take me, but she thinks that I'm in an alliance with Jugs and Tarzan. I think she wants me to join the other alliance." Handlebar strokes her goatee in a panic. Has Prunes blown her cover?! She's worked for 30 some odd days fooling these chuckleheads and for Prunes to ruin it all with her big mouth would be a nightmare for her. The second she's able to get away, Handlebar runs over to Prunes and tells her that ChaCha blurted out their whole conversation. Prunes whines, "Shut uuuuup! That makes me want to kick ChaCha's ass." Why? Because you were a big mouth butting in where you don't belong? Because you are single handedly unwittingly dismantling all of the hard work that Handlebar has done? I'm telling you if Prunes was out of the picture, Handlebar could spend her days waxing her 'stache and eating coconuts. 99% of her game play is fixing Prunes' big ass whiny mouth mistakes. And this brings us to the big Reward Challenge. For today's challenge, you will race to release a disk by spinning around it. Once you're good and dizzy, you'll race to another station to do it all over again. Once you've collected all three disks, you will use them to form a decoder. Then, you will use the decoder to give you three numbers to solve a combination box. The winner will get to go on a yacht where they'll get a shower, cocktails, a three course meal (more damn food!), and a bed to sleep in for the night. Survivors ready, go. Spin, spin, spin. The Oceanic Six run in circles around their disk stations. To everyone's surprise, Sabrina gets her disk free first followed by Handlebar, Jugs, Prunes, and ChaCha. The dizzy ditzes move on to their next post where... spin, spin, spin... Sabrina is once again in the lead. Prunes and Jugs keep a close pace with Sabrina, but we all know that Sabrina will give out any second now. Things like challenges, competition, work, strategy, game play, etc aren't really Sabrina's forte. She's a nice enough lady, but let's face it. Bo-ring! Spin, spin, spin... as predicted, it's Sabrina's nap time which gives Handlebar, Jugs, and Prunes a chance to catch up. With everyone at the decoder station, we hear it. That whine. That infernal incessant whine. She only talks in whines. Ever. "Dimplesssss I thank I 'ave itttt." Whine, whine, moan, moan. *burble* Prunes wins, but I'm not giving her any exclamations points like I usually do. The only way I'll decorate her name with punctuation is if the words "dead" or "voted off" are in the sentence. And now it's time for Prunes to pick two people to join her. ChaCha leans over and picks up her backpack. She's ready to go! Kindly direct her to the yacht Prunes. "Fair is fair. Ah pick Sabrina an' ah pick Handlebar. Fair is fair!" ChaCha looks around herself in confusion. Jugs catches her eye and does a pantomime of a throat being slit. Now everyone is confused! Does Jugs mean her deadly mimes for Prunes or ChaCha? Knowing Jugs, she means everyone. Rest easy ChaCha. Out of all the yachts in the world, that's the last yacht you want to end up on. First off, you're trapped on it with Prunes. Secondly, you end up in a cult. What I like to call The Cult Of No Personality. Look in their eyes, what do you see? The cult of no personality. I know your anger. I know your dreams. I've been everything you want to be. I'm the cult of no personality. Back at camp, Jugs is fit to be tied. She's livid! *thwack!* There goes a tree she kicked. *harump!* That's the sound of a boulder being thrown into the ocean. *spernickle!* And that there is the sound of crab legs being pulled off of a dolphin. That whimper you hear is Tarzan crying. Oh Jesus, batten down the hatches! "She said she was going to pick fair like she plays the game?! And then she picks Handlebar?!? Oh hell no! That's not fair! And she told you she was going to pick you! That's not fair!" With anger in the breeze and assault on her mind, Jugs wants to make sure that she, Tarzan, and ChaCha are all on the same page as to whom they vote out next. "We're voting Prunes if she doesn't win the next Immunity." *glitter falls from the sky* At home I put up some streamers, aimed a flashlight at the disco ball over my bed, and retrieved two giant bowls of glitter from the refrigerator. Try chilling your glitter the next time you dunk. Nippleicious! So Jugs wants to force Handlebar to pick a side and stand by her word. Tarzan suggests that if Handlebar comes back from the Reward suggesting they vote out one of their own, then they'll know she's turned. Furthermore, Tarzan believes that Prunes and Handlebar are their biggest threat in the game. They'll easily win over Jugs and ChaCha in the final three and, most likely, they're working together as a team. Tarzan sneaks in a little, "So, you know, you should probably just take me to the final three." *smacks self in panties on head* Subtlety Tarzan, subtlety! A little grace please. Some dignity. Jugs is a loose cannon who needs to be finessed into making a decision. When she's leaking battery acid like she is right now, it's best to back away slowly and duck from her nipple darts. *pew pew go the nipple darts* Jugs turns to ChaCha, "Do you want to sit next to him *points to Tarzan* or Handlebar in the final three?" ChaCha demurely replies, "I think him." "Alright then, it's Prunes or Handlebar," Jugs declares. Look at that! Jugs is taking charge and making some swift moves. Good on her! I always knew she had the will to disembowel and bleed her victims dry so it stands to reason that she'd be sneaky and try to take out the strongest player. This is gonna be so good. I can't wait! Another day is gone and today Tarzan has awoken with a hunger that only some coconut steeped in buff sweat can satiate. Today he's a making a meal fit for a king. Screw the women! He's gonna prepare his coconuts like he likes him. Dipped, trimmed, and boiled tender. Then, after he's done with breakfast, he'll do some laundry in a poo bath and wash his hair in the food pot. He may be defeated later in the day by someone of the opposite sex so it's best he enjoys what time he has left in a manly way. Staring at the coconuts bobbing up and down in a boiling pot of buffs, Jugs declares, "I can make that better!" "I'm making it how I like it, not how you like it," Tarzan murmurs. "But that's a dirty buff!" "I've had inner bowels in my bare hands," Tarzan replies. Huh? *scratches head* That's it. That's all it took. Jugs' pendulous breasts have now swung back in the opposite direction as she tells Handlebar about Tarzan's plan to discover whether or not she's a traitor. *puts glitter bowls back in refrigerator* I hate these people! I hate them all! How hard is it to make a decision a stick with it. Especially a decision that benefits me. I don't mean to be selfish, but it's all about me! I can't deal with a Sisters Grim final three. I can't! *holds one of Jugs' nipple darts to throat* I'll cut myself. I will! Jugs not only tells Handlebar everything Tarzan has up his sleeve, but she also tells her how Tarzan is going to sway the jury to vote for Jugs to win. Handlebar replies, "He told me the same thing!" The two stare into each other's twinkling eyes and nod. They now know what they have to do. They have to not get Tarzaned. In this particular situation, "getting Tarzaned" means letting Tarzan get to the end with ChaCha. Jugs' reply to that idea is -"Hell no! Hell to the no!" And then she went off on some ghetto Puerto Rican (her words, not mine) tangent about how she's the queen of the social game and the most powerful player ever. The social game in the ninth ring of hell? The most powerful player of a game of nipple darts? I'm not sure where Jugs thinks she is, but it's not here in crappy Survivor: One World. And here we are at the big Immunity Challenge. Come on in guys! For today's challenge, you will use fish hooks to pick up bags of puzzle pieces. You will then use the pieces to complete a puzzle in the shape of a fish skeleton. To make it a little more interesting, you'll do it with one hand tied behind your back. Survivors ready, go! The Survivors gingerly scoop up their fish hooks and teeter over their respective puzzle bags. Handlebar hooks hers first with Jugs right behind her. The other Survivors quickly follow suit and, with Prunes in last place, they begin to complete the lowest section of the fish. This is a challenge we've seen before, isn't it? Little flickers of a past Survivor season are flashing in my brain. Did a man win it? A douchey man perhaps. Help me out Survivor wizards and let me know in the comments. So anyhow, pick, pick, pick, the fish continue to grow and it's shaping up to be a battle between Jugs and Handlebar. Only, hold up! The swift and stealthy hands of a surgeon have come to play. Tarzan deftly places bone after bone. But then he tries to attach cockles and marzipan and falls behind again. *sigh* Oh well, good effort Tarzan. In the end, it's a win we're not sure we wanted... JUGS WINS IMMUNITY!!! I mean, I'm glad it's not Prunes or Handlebar, but Jugs isn't thinking straight anymore. She's living in a parallel universe and telling all of her secrets to the one girl sure to beat her... Handlebar. Maybe someone will boil some socks in with the dinner and change her mind again. Fingers crossed. Back at camp, Jugs is doing the Jugs happy dance. It involves a lot of shoulder shimmying and goes, "Look at me now! Look at me now!" The dance is suddenly interrupted with a burly cry of, "You bitch! I should have won that. That wasn't even athletic!" *sighs and shakes head* It's Tarzan. It's weirdo loud mouthed Tarzan spitting "Bitch" in a tribe of women. I gazed forlornly at the refrigerator door as I knew deep down inside that I wouldn't be taking out my bowls tonight. I then sat with my chin in my hand and dipped a couple of Lexapros into my gin while Jugs went on a power trip on my TV. "This is all about me! I control three votes! What I say, goes!" No, no, no. You do not control three votes. You control one vote. You're like a scullery maid thinking she's the Lady of the house. It drives me crazy when these Idol holders or Challenge winners think they are omnipotent. Cra-zy! So while Jugs is busy beating on her own jugs, Handlebar is telling her sheeple that she's convinced Jugs to get rid of Tarzan tonight. Sabrina stares up into Handlebar's blue eyes and is completely mesmerized. Lapis pools of magic. Robin's egg orbs of deliciousness. Sabrina's own eyes are merely spinning pin wheels as she hypnotically nods and laughs at all Handlebar has to say. "Oh you did? Ha ha ha!" *laughter tinkles on the breeze* That's all Sabrina does... tinkle laughter. Handlebar then moves on to Prunes. Probably in a preemptive strike to get her to keep her mouth shut, Handlebar tells Prunes that she might be on the chopping block tonight. Prunes replies meekly, "Or I could play your Idol." Handlebar sits in stony silence for a second and then replies, "It depends on how I'm feeling." Oh snap! Go find your own Idol, Prunes. Mooch. Prunes stares off into the distance when a wandering ChaCha enters into frame. Prunes lips go thin as she furrows her brow, "I cayn't ba-leave she'll be here longa than me!" It infuriates Prunes that ChaCha does nothing yet lives to see another day in the game. Fair is fair! *eye roll* One of these days, when I care, someone will have to inform me what exactly it is that Prunes has done to merit staying over ChaCha. So while Prunes is frowning and Jugs is gloating, Tarzan is left to stew in his own thoughts and put on lady clothes. When in doubt, go Phillip Sheppard. I knew it was an act! Have you ever noticed that when the tides get rough and the chatter thickens, Tarzan is just around the corner pulling out some whacky stunt? And here he stands, right before the vote, with crusty panties on his head and a woman's bloodied tank top on asking, "What? Oh this old thing! Those microbes are long and dead by now. Now watch me do the flamenco." I'm telling you, it's phony. Phony baloney. Jugs watches Tarzan hitching up his petticoats and wonders to herself if maybe she should just get rid of him. Is Handlebar playing her? Is Tarzan playing her? Oh hell, she'll just vote them both out because in JugsLand she has infinity votes. And now we arrive at Tribal Council. Dimples turns to Sabrina and very seriously asks her if she's surprised she's made it this far. Sabrina replies that she is not surprised. Not only that, she can still win! Ha! Rrrright. Dimples then asks Tarzan how he's still around and Tarzan replies, "Only by the grace of panties... errr, I mean God. The grace of God." Dimples presses him for specifics and, to my surprise, Tarzan candidly admits to helping the women getting rid of the men. Some Carson Daly looking dude on the jury gives him the finger while another guy crawls out of a tree stump and asks, "Oh, we're still playing?" Yeah I know, they're a memorable bunch. Tarzan goes on and confesses that tonight might be his last night, but if anyone wants to take him to the end. Great! He'll go. Plus, who'd vote for a millionaire to win. Hold up. Rewind. Who would vote for a millionaire to win? Did Tarzan just say he was a millionaire? Monopoly money doesn't count Tarzan! Nor do those chocolate covered coins you keep in the treasure chest at the foot of your bed. I've seen your Jeep (scroll up). A millionaire would buy that hunk of junk some parts... and wheels and such. All in all, Tarzan is simply misunderstood. "The crusty panties and this blood here *licks bloody spot as crowd groans* nothin' but microbes! And I know everything about microbes. They don't! Bacteria, fungi, algae, protozoa. You name it, I've wrestled with it." As this is a man who operates regularly on marine life, I'm inclined to agree that he's worked with algae before. How do you suppose he does his hair transplants. Algae, bitches! Grows like the thicket on Handlebar's upper lip. Dimples then asks Jugs about everyone's reaction to whom Prunes picked to join her on the Reward. Jugs says it was fair to pick Sabrina, but not so fair to pick Handlebar. Just look at Kat, delicious candy coated with perfect hair Kat, who picked who she liked and then got sent home! From the jury section, Kat, sleek in her bob, mutters my favorite line... "Bitches." Bitches indeed! Alright, let's vote another bitch out, shall we? I could have crossed my fingers for a Prunes vote, but we all kind of knew the panty raid had finally come to an end. Tarzan is the 13th person voted out of Survivor: One World. So, what did you guys think of last night's episode? Did you want Tarzan to go home? Why does Jugs think she can beat Handlebar? Will everyone fight to take ChaCha to the end? Finally, who do you want to win Survivor: One World? My vote goes to Horatio. Speaking of votes, it's time to vote for your Favorite Player. The Bitchy Survivor Blog officially endorses Nina Acosta and here's why: She's a fan of the blog, she went out looking like a zombie, and she's holding a gun to my head right now. Just give her the $100K dammit. I want to live to blog the Philippines. And, if you've enjoyed what I've done here this season, I ask that you please click on my PayPal button and show a bitch some love. I know it hasn't been the best of seasons, but hopefully I've spread a little joy and tinkled all over it with glitter. Monday's finale blog will be up later than usual so look for it sometime in the evening. Comment it out bitches and have a great day! Posted by Colette Lala at 12:43 PM

2011-12 RotoRob NBA Draft Kit: Shooting Guards Rankings Kevin Martin is one of the best pure scorers in the NBA. The 2011-12 RotoRob NBA Draft Kit surges forward today, on an accelerated schedule just like all things NBA these days. So while you wonder what Derrick Rose will do will all his cash, let’s turn our attention to the two guards. Today, we offer up our top 35 shooting guards. The two-guard position is filled with players that can pile up the points, hit the long bomb and chalk up steals with a sprinkling of dimes. Dwyane Wade offers owners a bit of everything, and then you’ve got the pure scorers like Kevin Martin, who doesn’t bring a lot else to the table. Plenty of players at this position are among the top free throw shooters in the league, such as Martin, Ray Allen and Manu Ginobili. Because so many shooting guards also qualify at small forward, there are a ton of players on this list that offer that handy positional flexibility that can be key in H2H leagues. Last year’s rankings are in parentheses. 1. Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat (2): Not surprisingly, Wade’s numbers dipped with the Super Friends aboard, but not dramatically. He enjoyed the finest shooting season of his career, although his FT percentage dipped slightly. Flash’s steals slipped to their lowest level since he was a rookie and his scoring was down a tick. On the plus side, his work on the glass – especially under his own basket – was never better, and while he only managed 10 double-doubles, Wade did put up his first triple-double in five seasons. He qualifies at PG, but obviously is not a traditional one guard, and his assists suffered with LeBron James aboard. Consider Wade a shooting guard extraordinaire that will get more dimes than most two guards. 2. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers (1): Bryant will have deal with a divorce this season as his wife recently filed for Splitsville, but if there’s one thing Black Mamba has shown in his career is an ability to block everything out. Rape charges? No problem. An ongoing spat with Shaq? No worries. He’s definitely on the wane, as his production slipped for the fifth straight season in 2010-11, but the fact that he still ranks second on this list gives you an idea of just how far he still has to fall (or rather, the heights which he once attained). Bryant’s FG percentage dropped for the second straight season and his touches were down slightly, but he remains among the highest volume shooters in the game. His rebounding also slipped slightly, but so did his turnovers (then again, the TOs better have gone done, considering Kobe played almost five minutes less per game). 3. Monta Ellis, Golden State Warriors (8): One of the top shooting guard options available, Ellis also qualifies at PG, although he obviously isn’t a “true” point guard. He’s a bit injury prone, and that has to be a worry, but he managed to stay healthy last season and enjoyed one of his best campaigns yet. Ellis’ rebounding numbers have slipped in each of the past three seasons and he didn’t get to the line as often last season, but he set a career high by averaging a robust 5.6 assists per game. He also reached double digits in double-doubles for the first time. Ellis is not the most efficient scorer around, typically needing plenty of shots to get his points. Fortunately, he’s received a ton of looks lately, averaging over 20 field goal attempts in each of the past two seasons. 4. Kevin Martin, Houston Rockets (14): Martin would have been a Hornet had one of the scuttled Chris Paul deals gone down. Instead, he remains in Houston where last season he stayed healthy for once and enjoyed a fine comeback. Perhaps limiting his PT helped Martin from breaking down because while his assists dipped slightly and his steals remained pedestrian, his scoring was way up. There’s a chance Martin wouldn’t get as many touches in New Orleans, so for now let’s assume he’s a better option as a Rocket. 5. Eric Gordon, New Orleans Hornets (23): Often part of a three-guard look the Clippers showed last season, Gordon has now been moved to New Orleans as part of the Paul trade. He’s proved a bit injury prone so far in his brief career, but when Gordon was healthy he enjoyed a major breakout last season, slightly improving his shooting touch, bouncing back in FT percentage and setting career highs in scoring, assists, rebounds and steals. The Clippers hated to give him up, but considering what they got back, it was a wise move. 6. Manu Ginobili, San Antonio Spurs (12): A key component of the veteran core for the Spurs, Ginobili enjoyed another big season, avoiding serious injury and getting more touches that led to more buckets and points despite a lower FG percentage. He jacked up treys at a higher rate than ever, but also earned more points at the freebie line. Ginobili’s work on the offensive glass dried up, leading to a lower rebounding total, but he picked up his steals and did a better job of staying out foul trouble. He’s a hustler, and as long as he stays healthy, Manu will be a fine choice as your top two guard. 7. Ray Allen, Boston Celtics (17): Allen is getting on in years – like many of the Celtics – but he can still score. The durable guard enjoyed a solid campaign last season, upping his scoring thanks to the finest shooting touch of his stellar career. Allen averaged a steal per game for the first time in Celtic green and cut his turnovers. He’s now 36, so we suggest you enjoy one of the best shooters of our time while you can, but don’t be surprised if he has another big season left in the tank. 8. Wesley Matthews, Portland Trail Blazers (NR): Matthews took a big step forward offensively last season, and showed improvements almost across the board. He upped his assists per game and sunk way more field goals, even though his shooting touch dropped dramatically from his rookie season. The Jazz has to be kicking itself for not matching Portland’s offer in the summer of 2010 as the second-year swingman really came into his own last season. There could be more offensive upside to Matthews’ game yet. 9. Jason Richardson, Orlando Magic (13): J-Rich’s game continued to decline in Phoenix last season, as his shooting touch slipped slightly, although he remained a potent source of 3-pointers. Dealt to Orlando in a mid-season trade, his overall level of play remained the same, although he jacked up even more treys in the Magic Kingdom. In Phoenix, he was counted on for more offense, but deferred to Dwight Howard in Orlando. Now that he’s had time to adjust to his new team, Richardson should bounce back this season. 10. Jason Terry, Dallas Mavericks (21): Terry is battling a bug during exhibition play, but he should again fulfill his role as the Mavs’ sixth man, a job he’s excelled at in recent years. Last season, he made his fewest starts ever and his overall production slipped for the second straight season, but Terry was more efficient, needing fewer touches to get more baskets. He didn’t can as many treys as usual, his FT percentage dipped for the second straight season and he had more turnovers, so there are definitely cracks forming in his game. Terry remains a clutch performer off the bench and one that offers as much Fantasy value as many starters. Others to Consider 11. Joe Johnson, Atlanta Hawks (6) 12. Stephen Jackson, Milwaukee Bucks (10) 13. James Harden, Oklahoma City Thunder (NR) 14. DeMar DeRozan, Toronto Raptors (NR) 15. Marcus Thornton, Sacramento Kings (25) 16. Nick Young, Washington Wizards (NR) 17. C.J. Miles, Utah Jazz (NR) 18. Arron Afflalo, Denver Nuggets (NR) 19. Tony Allen, Memphis Grizzlies (NR) 20. Rodney Stuckey, Detroit Pistons (27) 21. Paul George, Indiana Pacers (NR) 22. Rudy Fernandez, Denver Nuggets (NR) 23. Anthony Morrow, New Jersey Nets (29) 24. Gerald Henderson, Charlotte Bobcats (NR) 25. Landry Fields, New York Knicks (NR) 26. Jodie Meeks, Philadelphia 76ers (NR) 27. Wesley Johnson, Minnesota Timberwolves (NR) 28. Jordan Crawford, Washington Wizards (NR) 29. J.J. Redick, Orlando Magic (NR) 30. O.J. Mayo, Memphis Grizzlies (16) 31. Richard Hamilton, Chicago Bulls (NR) 32. Shannon Brown, Phoenix Suns (NR) 33. Vince Carter, Dallas Mavericks (26) 34. Jimmer Fredette, Sacramento Kings(NR) 35. Evan Turner, Philadelphia 76ers (NR) VOTE FOR ROTOROB RotoRob.com is up for an award, having been nominated as the Best Sports Blog in Canada! If you love our site, show us by helping us bag some hardware. You can place your vote here.

|Title :||The Search for Spock||Rating :| |Number :||III||Stardate :||8210.3| |First Aired :||1984||Year :||2285| |Director :||Leonard Nimoy| |Writers :||Harve Bennett| |Main Cast :|| |Guest Cast :|| |YATI :||Kruge is angry when he blows up the Grissom, declaring "I wanted prisoners!" He later captures the resurrected Spock, David Marcus, and Saavik on the planet. Yet at the end of the Saavik's Kobyashi Maru test, Kirk declared that "The Klingons don't take prisoners." Um, seems like they do. At the beginning of the film Scotty is ordered to report to Excelsior as "Captain of Engineering", and he does wear the rank pin of a Captain. But for the self-destruct he identifies himself as Commander Montgomery Scott, not Captain. After being reunited with his katra Spock reembers things that happened on the Enterprise as he died, such as his asking him asking "The ship? Out of danger?" of Kirk. However, since these things happened after he had transferred his katra to McCoy, the resurrected Spock should have no memory of them. We can excuse the "I have been..." line, since he also said that earlier in the mission. When David confesses to using protomatter in Genesis, Saavik asks him "How many have paid the price for your impatience? How many have died?" Um, well, isn't the answer to that "none"? I mean, using protomatter didn't cause anybody to die - Khan killed the people on Regula for revenge and as a power grab, which was nothing to do with David using protomatter. And the people killed in this film are killed by Kruge, again nothing to do with David using protomatter. In fact, since the Genesis effect did regenerate Captain Spock, then the answer to Saavik's question is "minus one", since there is now somebody alive who would otherwise be dead, because of David. When Saavik is sleeping on Genesis, she is woken up by an explosion of steam from the ground which knocks a tree over. Only, if you look close there's a Klingon in the tree! No explanation is ever given for this, he appears to simply vanish a moment later. What's up with that? |Great Moment :||The theft of the Enterprise. I love this scene, and I love the music that goes with it. The death of the USS Enterprise. I never cry, but I came extremely close when I saw this. |Body Count :||Most of the crew of a Klingon bird of prey, approximately a dozen officers. The crew of the USS Grissom, David Marcus, a Klingon Targ and the pride of the Captain of the USS Excelsior.| |Factoid :||George Takei was adamant that the "Don't call me tiny" line was unfunny and should be removed. He only changed his mind when he saw the audience reactions.| More shocks are in store - Admiral Morrow declares that the Enterprise will not be refitted and repaired, but instead will be scrapped. Scotty is assigned as captain of engineering on the new USS Excelsior, while Kirk and the others are left in limbo. During their trip back Genesis has become a galactic controversy, with the Klingons accusing the Federation of developing a super weapon and Kirk of being a murderer. Back home, Kirk receives a visit from Ambassador Sarek. The Vulcan demands to know why Kirk abandoned Spock on Genesis when he must have been given Spocks "Katra" - essentially his soul. When it's obvious that Kirk doesn't understand, Sarek conducts a mind meld. Apparently Vulcans are able to transfer their consciousness into another via a meld, but it seems that Spock was prevented from doing so by the barrier which separated him from Kirk in his final moments. Kirk, thinking that Spock would have melded with somebody else, checks the visual logs of the Enterprise engine room and sees Spock mind meld with McCoy. McCoy, meanwhile, is gradually beginning to show signs of Spocks personality in his behaviour. He goes to a bar to attempt to hire a ship to take him to Genesis, but a Federation security agent overhears him and arrests the Doctor. The Klingons are not just complaining about Genesis - one of their spies has procured Carol Marcus's original funding request outlining the devices capabilities, and passes it on to a Klingon Bird of Prey. The vessels Captain murders the witnesses and sets course for Genesis. At Genesis, the USS Grissom is beginning a survey of the planet. The ship is a small science vessel, with David Marcus - Kirks son - and Lieutenant Saavik on board. David soon detects Spocks burial tube on the surface, and is amazed to detect life form readings down there. He and Saavik beam down to investigate. Kirk asks Admiral Morrow to let him take the Enterprise back to Genesis to fulfil his promise to see if the effect which created the planet could somehow have revived Spock. Morrow steadfastly refuses, claiming that the Enterprise wouldn't survive another mission. Even when Kirk offers to hire another ship the Admiral remains unmoved. Afterward Kirk informs his friends "the word is no. I am therefore going anyway". They hatch and execute a daring plan to break McCoy out of prison and steal the Enterprise right out of Spacedock, running rings around Starfleet Security and the USS Excelsior in the process, and are soon on the way to Genesis. When Saavik and David find Spocks burial tube, they discover huge slug like animals all over it - it appears that bacteria on the tube have mutated and grown. When they open the tube a shock is in store - Spocks body is gone. They detect another lifesign nearby and head off in pursuit, soon finding a small Vulcan boy. The Genesis effect has regenerated Spock as a rapidly ageing child. As they report their finding to an incredulous Captain, the Grissom is engaged by the arriving Bird of Prey and destroyed. A Klingon landing party beams down to hunt for Saavik and David, who go on the run with Spock. They manage to elude capture for a day or so, but are eventually run down. While they are interrogated the Enterprise arrives in orbit, and the Klingon Captain beams up to deal with the new threat. He plans a surprise attack on the ship using the cloaking device, but Kirk is a step ahead - he spots a slight visual distortion of the stars and targets it with photon torpedoes, firing the instant the Klingon Captain decloaks. But things don't go Kirks way. The automation system is not up to handling the ship in a battle, and when the Klingon ship gets a shot off the system shorts out completely. Kirk tries to bluff the Klingon Captain into surrender, but instead the man orders one of the hostages on the planet killed. After a brief struggle the Klingon guard murders David. Stunned by the loss of his son, Kirk invites the Klingons to beam aboard and take control of the Enterprise - and sets the autodestruct sequence before beaming down to the planet. The Enterprise explodes into flames with almost the entire Klingon crew still aboard before crashing into the Genesis planet. On the planet, things are not going well. David used unstable protomatter in the Genesis Device, and like Spock the planet is ageing rapidly as a result. The only way for Kirk and co. to escape is via the Bird of Prey in orbit. Kirk kills the Klingon guard on the surface and taunts the Captain over a comm channel, hoping to overpower him after he beams down. The Klingon arrives with a weapon pointing at Kirk; he orders most of the others beamed up, leaving only Spock behind. As the planet begins to disintegrate the Captain loses his weapon, and he and Kirk fight hand to hand. Kirk is successful in killing the Klingon, and imitates his voice on the comm device to get the last remaining member of his crew to beam him and Spock aboard. Quickly gaining control of the ship, Kirk heads out of orbit just as the Genesis planet finally breaks apart. Once clear of the planet Spock stops ageing, and they head off to a rendezvous on Vulcan. Once on Vulcan they take McCoy and Spocks body to Mount Seleya, where a Vulcan high priestess uses a mind meld to remove Spocks Katra from McCoys mind and place it into his body. At first, the new Spock seems not to have any memories of his old life or friends - but when Kirk prompts him, he begins to show signs of recognition and his friends gather around him joyously. But the crowning glory of the film has to be the sequence leading up to the death of the Enterprise. In the space of a few minutes we get Kirks initial victory over the Klingon, the reversal which leaves the Enterprise crippled, the death of David, and then Kirks ultimate sacrifice. This is some of the strongest stuff we have ever seen in a Trek film or episode - Kirk stands Godlike over Trek in the minds of the fans, and to see him crumple to the floor at Davids death is a moving moment which Shatner plays to perfection. As for the self destruct sequence itself, the Enterprise has always been more than just a ship to Trek fans. She is a character in the minds of the fans, and seeing her torn apart is a sad and horrific spectacle. The scenes on Vulcan are also powerful - I've always loved the sense of mystery and Alienness which surrounded our glimpses of Vulcan society in episodes like "Amok Time", and this film takes that feeling to another level. There are relatively few negative points to the film as such. The special effects are sometimes a little less than effective, although the death of the Enterprise is gorgeous. The bar scene is a little unconvincing - the costumes look fairly cheap and tacky and this just doesn't look like the kind of place that would be a regular haunt for either Spock or McCoy. Admiral Morrows insistence that Kirk should not go to Genesis also doesn't quite ring true - Spocks family are very important in the Federation, so much so that it got Kirk out of a court martial in "Amok Time". Surely Sarek would have the influence to get a request like this granted? Yet Morrow dismisses the whole idea out of hand, openly sceptical of "Vulcan mysticism". The films greatest flaw is that it is ultimately just an excuse to get Spock back alive again. You know this going into it, so much of the impact of the story is diluted. But within this framework the story is adequate, Nimoy does a good job directing and the cast all put in good performances. |Copyright Graham Kennedy||Page views : 9,016||Last updated : 17 Feb 2015|

By Larry Everest On June 22, President Barack Obama delivered a major address on the war in Afghanistan. He announced that by September 2012, the U.S. would withdraw all 33,000 troops that were sent to Afghanistan as part of the November 2009 "surge." Obama claimed this was the beginning of a major drawing down of U.S. forces in Afghanistan: "After this initial reduction, our troops will continue coming home at a steady pace as Afghan security forces move into the lead. Our mission will change from combat to support. By 2014, this process of transition will be complete, and the Afghan people will be responsible for their own security." Obama claimed this was the beginning of the end of the war in Afghanistan: "[T]onight, we take comfort in knowing that the tide of war is receding…. And even as there will be dark days ahead in Afghanistan, the light of a secure peace can be seen in the distance. These long wars will come to a responsible end." The mainstream press highlighted Obama's claim that the war in Afghanistan was finally coming to an end. And some opponents of the war saw his speech as a "step in the right direction." But neither of these assessments holds up to scrutiny. Look at what Obama actually said, and then do the math. When Obama took office in January 2009 there were 32,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan. By December 2009—when this number had grown to 68,000—Obama announced an "Afghan surge," to add over 30,000 U.S. soldiers. Now Obama plans to withdraw the 33,000 "surge troops," 10,000 by the end of 2011 and the rest by the Summer of 2012. This means by the end of 2012, there will still be 68,000 troops in Afghanistan—twice as many as the 32,000 when Obama took office. And currently there are also 50,000 NATO troops and approximately 100,000 military contractors in Afghanistan, neither of which Obama mentioned. Obama's promise that there will be no U.S. ground combat operations after 2014 doesn't mean there won't still be thousands of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, or that they won't be involved in various forms of military attacks—whether training and directing Afghan forces, conducting "special operations," or launching drone attacks. Obama gave the U.S. a big loophole when he stated, "We will have to do the hard work of keeping the gains that we have made, while we draw down our forces and transition responsibility for security to the Afghan government." This means the U.S. can decide to slow down or even halt the withdrawal of troops in the name of "keeping gains" and transitioning "responsibility." A War for Empire In his speech, Obama claimed, "We stand not for empire, but for self‑determination." But empire is precisely what the U.S. "war on terror" is about, and what the U.S. has been pursuing in Afghanistan. The U.S. imperialists launched their "war on terror" and invaded and occupied Afghanistan in October 2001 in order to violently impose, including through massive terror, U.S. objectives and overall dominance in Central Asia—a key strategic area in the world. This war's objectives never centered simply on avenging the attacks of 9/11, much less "liberating" the people of Afghanistan or elsewhere. It was aimed at defeating Islamic fundamentalist, jihadist forces that were challenging the U.S. agenda, taking down regimes standing in the U.S.'s way, and radically transforming the entire region from North Africa to Central Asia. This was viewed as critical to strengthening U.S. imperialist dominance. All this was part of a broader agenda of creating unchallenged and unchallengeable global hegemony. The Problem for the Imperialists... The problem for the imperialists is that they've run into enormous and potentially enormously destabilizing contradictions in this pursuit, which have sparked very sharp debates within their ranks over how to work their way through them. Obama's drawdown in Afghanistan represents his plan for dealing with these contradictions and continuing to fight to strengthen U.S. global predominance—over which there are no differences among the rulers. Obama's moves are not a response to "public opinion," in any fundamental sense, nor about ending the war or retreating from "empire." Afghanistan, a largely rural country of some 30 million people, is one of the poorest and most oppressed on the planet. The U.S. is the world's richest and most powerful imperialist superpower. Why has the U.S.—with its high-tech military—been unable to conquer Afghanistan after nearly a decade of war? These difficulties have grown out of both the unjust, reactionary character of the U.S. war and how it is diametrically against the interests of the Afghan people. U.S. difficulties have also arisen from the complex set of contradictions it is facing across the whole region, now focused very sharply in the current tensions between the U.S. and Pakistan, as well as other major challenges to the U.S. agenda in the region. The U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 grew out of a decade of U.S. planning before 9/11 aimed at seizing greater initiative and hegemony in the Middle East and Central Asia. But the history of U.S. domination in Afghanistan goes back several decades. In 1979, the Soviet Union, then an imperialist rival of the U.S., invaded Afghanistan. And throughout the 1980s, the U.S. funneled more than $3 billion in arms and aid to reactionary Islamic fundamentalists to fight the Soviet occupation. This CIA‑led insurgency is where Osama bin Laden got his start. After the Soviets withdrew from Afghanistan in 1989, the jihadist forces nurtured by the U.S., Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia remained and gained strength in both Pakistan and in Afghanistan, where the Taliban took over the country in 1996. The 2001 invasion was aimed, in part, at crushing these forces. Instead, the war and occupation, like previous imperialist actions, have served to fuel Islamic fundamentalism. The U.S. achieved a quick victory in 2001, largely because the Taliban withdrew to regroup, rather than fight the invaders head on. But by the time Obama took office, they had regained the initiative, in part because of their relationship with elements in the Pakistani army and intelligence services. So when Obama took office in 2009, the U.S. was facing defeat, and Obama more than tripled the number of U.S.-led combat forces—from 32,000 to 100,000 U.S. troops, plus another 100,000 or so military contractors and 50,000 NATO troops. The U.S. adopted a counterinsurgency strategy that the world was told was aimed at "winning hearts and minds" of the Afghan population by ousting the Taliban from contested areas, and then holding and rebuilding them to provide stability and a better life for the local population. But the most essential surge was in violence. As an occupying army fighting for reactionary aims with a fundamentally antagonistic relationship to the Afghan people, the U.S. relies on its technological advantages—including massive firepower and air power. As documented in an article in Rolling Stone earlier this year ("King David's War," February 14, 2011), Obama and Gen. David Petraeus, who headed up the "surge," responded to the danger of defeat with escalating violence on many fronts—including increased bombing, night raids, and unleashing all manner of kill squads and U.S.-backed gangs and militias. A central goal of the U.S. war in Afghanistan is subduing "by any means necessary" a population in which most don't want to be under foreign domination. Thousands of people in Afghanistan have experienced the brutality and murder of the U.S. troops and they distrust if not hate the American occupiers and the Afghani flunkies the U.S. put in the government. Night raids, special operations, covert assassinations, extrajudicial killings, drone strikes, the use of military contractors, massive detentions and torture, and all‑around terror are embedded in the nature of this imperialist occupation. A recent UN report concluded that night raids—a critical element of U.S. war-fighting doctrine in Afghanistan—have resulted in "excessive use of force, ill treatment, death and injury to civilians and damage to property." One Afghan legislator said, "People in the villages are more scared of the Americans than of the Taliban because of these raids." (Night Raids Curbing Taliban, but Afghans Cite Civilian Toll," NY Times, 7/8/2011) Every U.S. bombing of a wedding, every massacre of civilians, only fuels anti‑U.S. sentiment. Tragically, in the context of the current situation where the organized opposition to the U.S. and its NATO allies is reactionary Islamic fundamentalists, every escalation in U.S. violence drives people into the arms of the Jihadist forces. The problem for the rulers of the U.S. is not that the occupation of Afghanistan is unjust and wreaking terror and death on the people of that country. The problem, from their logic and standpoint, is that this isn't working, and in spite of all the terror and killing they are raining down on Afghanistan, the situation threatens to spiral out of their control. According to the International Crisis Group—an imperialist think tank—the contradictions the U.S. is facing in the region, especially in Pakistan. have grown more grave. The Crisis Group reports that it is highly unlikely the U.S.-installed Karzai regime can take over security in 2014, and perhaps not even hold on to the capital, Kabul. The report states that "Collusion between insurgents and corrupt government officials…has increased" and that the Afghan economy "is increasingly dominated by a criminal oligarchy of politically connected businessmen." (International Crisis Group, "The Insurgency in Afghanistan's Heartland," June 2011) This has given rise to the possibility that the U.S. could be mired in a quagmire in Afghanistan and Pakistan from which it cannot emerge with anything close to achieving its objectives. Such a scenario could lead to the further growth of Islamic fundamentalism across the region, the destabilization of Afghanistan and/or Pakistan, the spread of instability across the entire region, and the global perception that the U.S. is no longer the world's dominant superpower and military guarantor of world order. The U.S. rulers view this outcome as intolerable. Adding to U.S. difficulties, the war is taking place in the context of the worst global financial crisis in 80 years, and the enormous costs of the Afghan war, now running at $100 billion a year. (The full cost of the whole "war on terror" may be as high as $3.7 trillion. ["US Cost of War at Least $3.7 Trillion and Counting," Reuters, June 29, 2011]) Incoming Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta recently said the U.S. faces a "blizzard war" of crises and difficult contradictions across the world, not just in Afghanistan. In his June 9, 2011 confirmation hearing Panetta said: "This is a time of historic change....We are no longer in the Cold War. This is more like the 'blizzard war,' a blizzard of challenges that draws speed and intensity from terrorism, from rapidly developing technologies, and the rising number of powers on the world stage.... "Today we are a nation at war, and job one will be to ensure that we remain the strongest military power in the world, to protect that security that is so important to this country. Yet this is also a time for hard choices. It's about ensuring that we are able to prevail in the conflicts in which we are now engaged, but it's also about being able to be strong and disciplined in applying our nation's limited resources to defending America. None of this will be easy." ... And Bringing Forward the Interests of Humanity When U.S. ruling class figures like Leon Panetta talk about "defending America," the essence of what they are talking about is defending a world of brutal exploitation—a world of child labor, enslavement of women, environmental catastrophe and endless unjust war. And when they say "none of this will be easy," they are talking about serious challenges they face in carrying out their agenda. But that agenda, those challenges, and those interests behind them, are not the interests of the people of the world—including the vast majority of people in the United States. The U.S. occupation of Afghanistan is the occupation of an oppressed country by an oppressive empire. And every time U.S. troops shoot up an Afghan village, this fuels the growth and spread of reactionary Islamic fundamentalist jihadist movements. And that is particularly so in the absence of a visible, determined anti-war struggle in this country—where people in Afghanistan and around the world could see that the U.S. ruling class does not speak for at least a significant section of the people in this country. People should not "take comfort" in Obama's lies that "the tide of war is receding," The war is not "receding" for the millions of people in Afghanistan for whom life has been made a living nightmare. Exposing this war for what it is—a war for empire—and building a movement of broad and determined political resistance within this country against the war is necessary. And such a movement could be part of breaking the world out of the current deadly "alternatives" of imperialism vs. Islamic fundamentalism, and play a vital role in bringing forward a whole other way for the people of the world. "What we see in contention here with Jihad on the one hand and McWorld/McCrusade on the other hand, are historically outmoded strata among colonized and oppressed humanity up against historically outmoded ruling strata of the imperialist system. These two reactionary poles reinforce each other, even while opposing each other. If you side with either of these 'outmodeds,' you end up strengthening both. "While this is a very important formulation and is crucial to understanding much of the dynamics driving things in the world in this period, at the same time we do have to be clear about which of these 'historically outmodeds' has done the greater damage and poses the greater threat to humanity: It is the historically outmoded ruling strata of the imperialist system, and in particular the U.S. imperialists." -Bob Avakian This article originally appeared in Revolution.

LAST EDITED ON 07-06-08 AT 06:32 PM (EST) Note: The subtitle "I am Curious Yellow" was chosen to spice this summary up a bit. I've never seen the 1967 Swedish porn film by the same name. I chose the name in reference to Clay asking for people's birthdays and then throwing a lemon at Paul. Last time: Read Snidget's summary, where Victoria was executed. Craig: Yesterday I had a lot of problems with the altitude and I almost died in the ambulance. Nicole: Why is it that everyone I pick to be the Mole gets executed, and I don't? Clay: Thank you, God, for allowing me to make it this far. Thank you for protecting me, keeping me healthy, motivated, strong, and committed. Paul: This is just a brutal game, and it's only going to get better and better. I promise you that, because slowly but surely I'm working on taking these people off. Okay, so Paul wants us to think he's The Mole, but as I recall The Mole is never the mouthy loose cannon in the group, although that might make it more exciting than it has been so far this season. Location: Uspallata, Argentina Jon greets the players (and the Mole) at a cold remote location known as Uspallata train station. Jon explains that a century ago, when trains came through here, this was a holding area for prisoners being transported. They were chained together in the building behind Jon. This mission is about trust. The players wind up chained together to the steel bars behind them. Mission: All for One Jon: The object is to free yourself from the chains that bind you. Right now you are all chained together in such a way only one of you at a time can reach the cell behind me. Inside the cell is the key to set you free. You must work all for one. So, every ten minutes the window behind Jon will open up, allowing one player at a time to retreive the key, and possibly a green exemption card. If all players get out before the dawn, and no one takes the exemption, $25,000 will be added to the pot. Craig tells everyone he needs to get out of the cold, because he's been *coughTheMolecough* sick. He promises not to take the exemption, and he wants the $25,000 to go into the pot. Mark tells everyone he doesn't trust anyone. They tell him they could be standing there for a loooonnng time. Everyone agrees to let Craig escape. He unlocks his chain, leaves the card, returns the key, and goes inside. Kristen starts to campaign to be the next up to the window as soon as Craig leaves. Nicole doesn't want to release anyone. Kristen finally convinces everyone she is trustworthy. She unlocks herself and leaves. Paul starts swearing on his daughter's life to be the next to get out. Paul gets his wish, and the editing shows him reaching for the exemption card just before the commercial. After we return to the show, we see Paul faking them out by reaching for the exemption card. He doesn't take it, but really wants it. Clay is afraid to go because he thinks he's the voice of reason. The remaining players struggle to trust each other not to take the exemption. Mark claims he can't promise not to take the exemption, and he can't even trust himself not to take it. Clay gets the okay to leave, not knowing if Mark will take the exemption. Mark, Nicole, and Alex are left. Nicole and Alex both promise Mark they will not take the exemption. Mark decides he trusts Nicole, and she leaves. Nicole joins the table inside. Mark lets Alex leave, with Alex still being afraid Mark will take the exemption. Mark knew that this one move could change the whole direction of the game. Mark finally joins everyone else a the dining table, and tells them he has something green in his pocket. He throws a green package of mints on the table. Everyone congratulates Mark for making the better choice, and not taking the exemption. Total Pot, after adding the $25K: $177,000 Clay is still surprised Mark didn't take the exemption, and is starting to think that maybe Mark is the Mole, and doesn't really need the exemption. Mark: Walking away from that exemption was hard, but I decided that just getting ahead wasn't enough, because my social game would be destroyed, especially now that we don't have our journals. Jon brings forth fresh new journals, but Mark is still not appeased. He still wants his old journal back. The next day the group heads to Mendoza, which, according to Jon, is known as the Napa Valley of Argentina. The players and the Mole oooh and aaah over the majestic scenery as they drive to Mendoza. The first van is being driven by Paul, and the riders are Clay, Mark, and Craig. Clay is refreshing his journal, asking everyone else their date of birth. This annoys Paul, who tells him he doesn't have to divulge that information again. Clay and Paul get into an argument. Clay has some good zingers, like "If I'm arguing with myself, does that mean you're going to shut up?" No such chance. Paul tells him the bible says do not debate, but Clay is a lawyer, who does nothing but debate. Paul: Your whole life is a hypocrite. It's just, it's just... Clay, laughing: That's not even a correct sentence. Alex is enjoying his ride and the view, as he drives Kristen and Nicole in the non-Paul van. Paul and Clay continue to argue, with Paul using profanities and name calling. Clay invites Paul to step outside the van. Clay gives Paul some money, but ultimately throws a lemon at him. Paul wants Clay out of the van. The argument ends when Clay moves to the other van. Kristen: Clay came over to me and asked me to get into Paul's van. Paul, to Kristen: I was assaulted with a piece of fruit. Craig starts singing about being glad not to be talking to Paul right now. Everyone starts singing in Alex's van: We're Paul free, in van number 2. At breakfast in Mendoza the next morning Paul is still pissed, but Clay has a forgiving heart, with no animosity towards Paul. Players will form teams of two, and travel 5.5 miles to a statue celebrating Argentina's independence from the Spanish empire. They have 45 minutes to make it to that statue. For every team that makes it there in time, Jon will add $10,000 to the pot, making this mission worth a total of $30,000. This morning at breakfast, unbeknownst to the rest of the group, Jon designated one player to be the transportation captain. The first player to say the word exemption got the job. Craig is the weiner/winner. Suspicious mole like behavior, thinks Alex. Don't worry Alex, you haven't seen anything yet. As the TC, Craig gets to designate which form of transportation the players will be using on their 5.5 mile trek. If none of the players make it to the statue on time, Craig will receive an exemption, but no money will be added to the pot. Jon shows Craig the transportation options, which include a motorbike, a donkey, bicycles, stilts, and a llama suit. Craig wants the exemption, and he wants to make it funny at the same time. He tells the group he's not going to make it easy for the rest of them. Alex was assigned to wear the Conquistador outfit, paired up with Mark, who would be wearing the scuba outfit. Next Clay would be using the unicycle, with Kristen using the stilts. Last, but not least, Nicole would wear the front of the llama suit, with Paul bringing up the rear. Clay thinks that last assignment is a stroke of genius, almost Shakepearean. Craig is surprised Mark is not even going to try. He says it's suspicious. Alex starts putting on his costume, while the others discuss opting out of this mission. They all jump into the vans, complaining about Craig the whole way. They tell Jon they all decided to not complete this mission. Craig points out Mark's molelike behavior again. Craig gets the exemption, but the others claim Craig did not "earn" the exemption. Clay thinks he might be in a coalition with the Mole, meaning his coalition with Craig. At dinner Craig confesses he feels guilty, especially since everyone let him get out of the cold first on the previous mission. Craig: I went from being the guy that everybody likes to the guy that everybody hates. The rest of the players tell Jon that Craig stooped really low. Craig tells the camera that Paul flies off the handle at the drop of a hat, Mark is paranoid, and Nicole is a psychopath. He thinks he is surrounded by insane people. Jon changes the subject by asking how much everyone is missing their families. Mark comments that it's been 23 days, and he's never been away from his wife for that long. Paul has resorted to talking to his rotting lemon, making him my prime suspect for being The Mold. Kristen tells the camera she has a one out of six chance of staying. Okay, that's foreshadowing. Thanks, ABC! What a spoiler! *rolls eyes* Ten Quiz Questions: 1. Is The Mole? C. A piece of rotting citrus fruit 2. In the "All for One" mission, from Jon's perspective, where was The Mole chained (l to r)? 3. In "All for One", when did The Mole grab the key? Here Kristen starts talking about her strategy. In other words, she's doomed, but isn't she pretty, sitting there taking that test? 4. Did The Mole get inside of a sleeping bag during the "All for One" mission? 5. During the "Travelers" mission, what was The Mole wearing? C. A lemon peel 6. In "Travelers", what form of transportation was originally assigned to The Mole? A. Conquistador and Donkey B. Scuba Gear F. The Mole was not assigned a form of transportation G. A citrus juicer 7. Who was The Mole paired with for the "Travelers" mission? G. The Mole was not paired with another player H. A moldy lemon with a face tattoo 8. At breakfast before the "Travelers" mission, where was The Mole sitting (clockwise from Jon)? 9. Has The Mole had an exemption to date? C. No, but it just might have an expiration date. 10. Who is The Mole? H. Moldy Lemon face, aka "The Mold" The players and The Mole all meet again at the Mendoza train station, where Jon announces the pot has $177,000, and reminds everyone that The Mole Craig has an exemption. He is safe, and Craig does a bit of acting by sighing with relief. Again, there is a tie, with the player with the longest time going home. The difference is only one second. Alex is first up, and his screen is green. Paul, who tends to overact, is next. Then we have pretty Kristen. Oh, no, not the pretty Kristen! Kristen is executed with the red screen. Kristen tells Jon she is disappointed, and her strategy to focus on one person was flawed. Nicole: It's completely ironic that I'm the only woman here in a group of men because I'm a professional beyotch, and all I work with all day is women. I will miss Kristen greatly. Kristen: I'm a gambler, I take risks, and it caught up with me. Next on The Mole: We'll recap the best moments (as he says best moments, we see skinny Bobby and big Craig without their shirts on. I can't decide who is in worse shape.) in the first 5 weeks, plus never before seen footage. Thank goodness, that will be followed by a brand new episode. Paul tells Nicole she's not too smart for a doctor. Of course, she has a profane comeback. One of the missions involves bungee jumping. I wonder how The Mole will do with that one? This one just might kill him. Have a happy 4th of July, everyone! Sorry about all the lemon jokes. I just couldn't help myself. Surfkitten summer sigshop 2008

KRWG.ORG-The Region's Home Page Fri August 31, 2012 Week In Politics: Republican National Convention MELISSA BLOCK, HOST: And now to E.J. Dionne and David Brooks, our regular Friday political commentators, both just back from Tampa. Welcome home. E.J. DIONNE: Thank you. DAVID BROOKS: Good to be here. BLOCK: I want to talk to you both about what we heard in Mitt Romney's speech last night and also what we didn't hear. We did hear a very explicit appeal to people who voted for Barack Obama in 2008. Let's take a listen. (SOUNDBITE OF CONVENTION SPEECH) MITT ROMNEY: Hope and change had a powerful appeal, but tonight I'd ask a simple question. If you felt that excitement when you voted for Barack Obama, shouldn't you feel that way now that he's President Obama? You know there's something wrong with the kind of job he's done as president when the best feeling you had was the day you voted for him. BLOCK: And Mitt Romney also said I wish President Obama had succeeded because I want America to succeed. E.J., how did that strike you - genuine, disingenuous, what? DIONNE: Well, I do think that was the best line in a not-so-great speech. It wasn't a bad speech, but it wasn't a great speech. And I think that signals the way they feel about who the swing voters are. They think there are people who voted for Obama who are reluctant to leave him. I think the problem with their view may be that they almost think of it in psychological terms, that somebody doesn't want to break up with a guy that they were tied with in the first place. Whereas it may be that those voters think that Obama inherited a mess or they still prefer his policies to Romney's. But clearly, I think it's a better way to get the swing voters they need to change their minds than some really harsh attacks. I think you also saw in that speech the costs of a campaign that had not spent much time introducing Mitt Romney. He spent an awful lot of time talking about his family, an awful lot of time talking about Bain Capital. Sort of, one, to try to humanize himself and make him likeable, the other answering the attacks. He didn't talk at all about his time as governor of Massachusetts. There are a variety of reason why he didn't and the Obama folks would love an opening to attack that, and he really didn't spend a lot of time on ideas. It was a speech that was very much idea thin. It was also ideologically thin. And that's why I see it a bit as finally Romney shook the Etch-a-Sketch and moved off the sort of - where he was earlier. BLOCK: I was struck by that, too. I mean, that Mitt Romney did mention the fact that he was governor of Massachusetts, but only to mention that he had appointed a lot of women. No mention of the Olympics at all. It did seem a pretty glaring omission. What's happened to the notion that you might trumpet your achievements as governor of a state, David Brooks? BROOKS: I think people have a sense he was a competent governor. I think people have a sense he was a competent Olympic leader. But they don't have a sense that he's a decent guy. If you ask on likeability, and by some polls he has a 23 point deficit against Barack Obama. If he was even in likeability, he'd be winning this election pretty easily. And so that's what they went after. I was stunned for the past - the first three days of the convention, they really did almost nothing really to give us any anecdotes. And finally on Thursday night they had two Mormon families, both of whom suffered tragic losses of their children, and they talked about Romney's ministering to them. Why those people haven't been in ads for the past months, why they haven't had dozens more - and you hear cases of other - many other examples where he's done similar ministering, heartbreaking cases where he really went out of his way to be a community builder - why that is not out there is the case of grossest campaign malpractice. And they let this image of him as this stiff inhumane corporate cog linger out there month after month and then they finally bring out these families and they do it on the night where it's bound to be overshadowed by his speech. It's mystifying to me. BLOCK: The main thrust, though, was that he deserves to be president because he was a successful businessman, a successful CEO. Does that pitch sell if you want to be president and commander in chief, E.J.? DIONNE: I don't think there's been as pro-business a Republican convention since the gilded age. I mean, any mention of the private sector was cheered through the rafters - to the rafters. And I think that this may be the Republican Party talking to itself. What they're trying to argue is Obama is anti-business, which I think the facts suggest otherwise, and that he doesn't believe in opportunity, he only believes in government. The whole premise of the three days, about you didn't build this, was built on a grammar mistake, as Glenn Kessler of the Washington Post put it. And so I think they're going to overplay the businessman. I mean, that is his main calling card but the Obama campaign showed that you can make that a vulnerability and I don't think people want a businessman as president. They want a president, a leader, as president. BLOCK: You know, it's interesting because there was somewhat - one other thing that was missing from this convention. Not just George W. Bush himself, but virtually no mention of his name, much less his administration. There was, in a speech from Jeb Bush last night, a mention. He did go off script and added this. (SOUNDBITE OF CONVENTION SPEECH) JEB BUSH: And my brother, well, I love my brother. BLOCK: Almost as an apology - total elimination from collective memory of the Republican Party, David Brooks. BROOKS: It would've been great if he would have said I love my brother and he was a great president, but he didn't add that phrase. He really should have. You know, the party's conflicted about President Bush. They like him, but they think he was too much spending. He got away from the notion of fiscal discipline. That's not entirely fair, but that is the perception because of the prescription drug benefit and all the rest. And I think they do think he - there was too much compassionate conservatism under George W. Bush and not enough business. And if you have a long economic slowdown caused in part because the business community is extremely nervous, they're sitting on these hoards of cash, they don't have the confidence to invest because of volatility, I do think the business experience, a sensitivity to what will make people invest is a reasonably good preparation. It's not the same as making business decisions, but as you've seen over the past six years, Romney has become much less of a business thinker, much more of a political thinker. He started this campaign with 59 economic proposals, which is just what a corporate guy would do. Now he's really focused on the key things - tax reform, Medicare, entitlement reform. So I think he's evolved in a much more political direction, in the way that a president has to think, not the way a CEO has to think. DIONNE: Let's not be excessively polite here. I mean, George W. Bush left office as a very unpopular president. He was one reason why Barack Obama got elected president in 2008. The Republicans know that. A word that I don't think I heard mentioned through the entire convention is the word Iraq, and indeed it was so striking that foreign policy was almost missing. Even Condoleezza Rice, who gave what I thought was one of the very best speeches at that convention, didn't talk about it. And so - that was one of the most striking things about this convention. The last two Republican conventions were all about national security and foreign policy. Hardly a mention, except for Condoleezza Rice and John McCain in their speeches, which, you know, Condoleezza Rice's was in primetime, McCain's wasn't. BLOCK: David Brooks, you had a lot of fun earlier this week in a column that you titled "The Real Romney." You called it the definitive biography, a unique look into his bironic soul. And here are a few takeaway points from your biography. Romney, you said, uttered his first words at 14 months, and they were - I like to fire people. Later, he bought a mood ring, but it remained permanently transparent. And you called him a passionately devoted family man who streamlined his wife's pregnancies down to six months each. We did get an email from a listener, Barbara Schmidt(ph) of Ann Arbor, who read your column. She wrote us begging us to ask you if your column was satire. I think we can safely tell her that it was. But I do wonder if you came away from the convention with a sense that Mitt Romney has, in fact, defined himself in a new and compelling way. BROOKS: I came away with a sense I never want to write a humor column again. BROOKS: Because every Democrat and independent seemed to like it; every Republican hated it. So humor is entirely partisan. And so that was extremely... BLOCK: It depends on which way (unintelligible), yeah... BROOKS: Extremely depressing. I guess I do think he eventually did humanize himself. As I say, I didn't think they did a very good job of it. I think it was missing biography for a long time. I think finally - you know, he is - as E.J. said, this is a very commercial party, very small business. He's not actually like that. He's much more community-oriented, really spent 20 hours a week on community and church stuff. And we finally got a glimpse of that. It doesn't mean he'll be a great president, but he's not just a corporate cog, a corporate automaton, as I was smart-alecky pundit (unintelligible). ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST: And briefly, E.J.? DIONNE: It was a fun column, David, and I think the question is: Will we know who Mitt Romney is by Election Day? And I'm not sure we will. BLOCK: E.J. Dionne with The Washington Post and Brookings Institution, and David Brooks of The New York Times. Thanks to you both. DIONNE: Thank you. BROOKS: Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

Deutsche Eishockey Liga |Current season, competition or edition: 2015–16 DEL season |Formerly||Ice hockey Bundesliga| |No. of teams||14| |Most titles||Eisbären Berlin (7)| |TV partner(s)||Servus TV| |DEL2 2. Bundesliga Oberliga| The Deutsche Eishockey Liga (German Ice Hockey League, shortname DEL) is a German professional ice hockey league that was founded in 1994. It was formed as a replacement for the Ice hockey Bundesliga and became the new top-tier league in Germany as a result. Unlike the old Bundesliga, the DEL is not under the administration of the German Ice Hockey Federation. The DEL currently has the highest number of American and Canadian players outside North America. The Eishockey-Bundesliga (English:Federal Ice Hockey League) was formed in 1957 as the elite hockey competition in the Federal Republic of Germany, replacing the Oberliga in this position. It was in turn replaced by the Deutsche Eishockey Liga, which now also carries the name 1st Bundesliga in its logo. The DEL was founded in the 1994–95 season, consisting of teams from the Eishockey-Bundesliga's 1st and 2nd divisions. The condition of these earlier leagues had become intolerable. Many 1st and 2nd division teams were heavily in debt. The 2nd division attracted few sponsors and spectators. As a result, many clubs were forced to fold or withdraw to the lower leagues. Fans and corporate sponsors focused on the 1st Bundesliga teams, forcing the elite teams to invest heavily in players to avoid relegation. This increased budgets 25 percent over the previous two years. In the final Bundesliga season, 1993–94, only 11 teams wanted to play in the 2nd Bundesliga. Furthermore, two teams folded during and after the season. Ice hockey's reputation in Germany was heavily tarnished. This made it difficult to attract serious sponsorship. In January 1994, 20 out of the remaining 21 1st and 2nd Bundesliga teams voted for creating a new entity, the DEL. Upon founding, the "DEL Betriebsgesellschaft mbH" was the first German professional sports league managed by an organization whose members were incorporated as well. The goal behind the DEL was to create a league, based on the model of the North American NHL, in which teams could play consistently without relegation concerns and create a stable league. Clubs in the DEL were required to conform to rules, which were designed to ensure long-term viability. Twelve clubs from the old 1st Bundesliga, and six from the 2nd Bundesliga came together as founding members. The new league immediately attracted corporate sponsorship with the Krombacher Brewery, which was prominently featured on the new league logo. The hope of avoiding the troubles of the old Bundesliga by stricter financial controls did not materialize. During DEL's initial season, on 18 December 1994, the Bundesliga's final champion, the renamed EC Hedos München, folded. This was controversial, as DEL's president Franz Hofherr had approved their license and certified their finances. Hofherr was Mad Dogs former president and it was alleged that he must have known about their desperate financial situation. The Bosman ruling, a 1995 decision of the European Court of Justice regarding the movement of labor in soccer, had profound influence on the league. The old Bundesliga had national character with German clubs competing for the German title using mostly German players. After the ruling European Union players were excluded from the "foreign" player quota. In the 1995–96 season following the decision, the DEL teams employed 97 EU players. This lowered costs significantly, enabling smaller teams to compete more effectively. However, frequent player moves were not viewed positively by the fans, resulting in smaller attendance numbers. The 2004–05 season was significant due to the NHL lockout. 26 NHL players came to play the season in the DEL, including Jamie Langenbrunner, Erik Cole, Stéphane Robidas, Doug Weight, Mike York and several German national team players – Jochen Hecht, Olaf Kölzig, and Marco Sturm. The DEL is an independently run league, fully owned and operated by its 14 member teams. Each team must fulfill the DEL's basic requirements to remain in the league: - A written application for membership; - "On ice qualification" for new teams (championship in the 2nd Bundesliga); - A stadium that meets DEL standards; - Financial qualification; - Formation of an ordinary company (the DEL consists of franchises); - Development program for young players; and - Purchase of a license (currently, the licensing fee is set at €800,000.00) The DEL can only admit one 2nd Bundesliga team per season to the league, unless the league strength falls below fourteen, in which case two clubs can be admitted. Since the 2006–07 season, no DEL team can be automatically relegated, a team can only lose its league status through non-compliance with the leagues regulations (see above). The ESBG guarantees to admit any DEL team wishing to step down to the lower 2nd Bundesliga or Oberliga. The team, however, has to purchase a license (licensing fees for the 2nd Bundesliga are currently set at €100,000.00). To regulate the relationship between the DEL, the DEB and the ESBG (2nd Bundesliga), a so-called Kooperationsvertrag exists. This cooperation contract was signed in December 2005., and is valid until 2011. This contract ended years of dispute between the three organizations over competencies and financial issues. In November 2007, the DEL announced another change in policy. The league expanded to allow 16 teams beginning in the 2008–09 season, resulting in direct promotion for the 2nd Bundesliga league champions, should they fulfill all requirements and be interested in joining the DEL. Should this not be the case, or a current DEL team resigns from the league, a selection process would determine the club, or clubs, who would be eligible to join in order required to achieve 16 teams. (Note: Füchse Duisburg resigned before the 2009–10 season and was not replaced until the following season.) For that season, it was also mandated that each DEL club would be allowed to have no more than ten non-EEC players under contract. Additionally, a new format for the game schedule will limit the number of regular season games to 52 for each team. This is achieved by each team playing four games against eleven others and two games against the remaining four. To determine which teams play which, the final standings of the previous season are used. The DEL would also reintroduce promotion once more. The first- and second-lowest ranked teams will play a best-of-seven series to determine which team faces the 2nd Bundesliga champion for a place in the league. There is, however, an ongoing dispute about those games as second division teams may only have five foreign players on contract, and therefore face a handicap in comparison to the DEL teams with twelve import players each. For now, the ESBG has declared that no team from the 2nd Bundesliga would take part in these matches and therefore no promotion/relegation with the DEL will take place. |Augsburger Panther||Augsburg||1878||Curt Frenzel Stadium||7,774| |Eisbären Berlin||Berlin||1954||Mercedes-Benz Arena||14,200| |Düsseldorfer EG||Düsseldorf||1935||ISS Dome||13,400| |Fischtown Pinguins||Bremerhaven||1974||Eisarena Bremerhaven||4,254| |ERC Ingolstadt||Ingolstadt||1964||Saturn Arena||4,815| |Iserlohn Roosters||Iserlohn||1959||Eissporthalle Iserlohn||4,967| |Kölner Haie||Cologne||1972||Lanxess Arena||18,500| |Krefeld Pinguine||Krefeld||1936||König Palast||9,000| |Adler Mannheim||Mannheim||1938||SAP Arena||13,600| |EHC Red Bull München||Munich||1998||Olympia Eishalle||6,136| |Thomas Sabo Ice Tigers||Nuremberg||1980||Arena Nürnberger Versicherung||9,400| |Schwenninger Wild Wings||Schwenningen||1904||Helios Arena||6,215| |Straubing Tigers||Straubing||1948||Eisstadion am Pulverturm||6,000| |Grizzlys Wolfsburg||Wolfsburg||1975||Eisarena Wolfsburg||4,660| - BSC Preussen Berlin later BSchC Preussen, dissolved 2005 refounded as Eissport & Schlittschuh Club 2007 Berlin - Frankfurt Lions dissolved 5 July 2010 due to bankruptcy - Füchse Duisburg - ESG Füchse Sachsen Weißwasser/Chemnitz now Lausitzer Füchse - Hamburg Freezers ceased operations 24 May 2016 - EC Hannover now Hannover Indians - Hannover Scorpions - Kassel Huskies dissolved 27 August 2010 due to bankruptcy - Kaufbeurer Adler - EV Landshut - Maddogs München dissolved 1994 due to bankruptcy - Moskitos Essen - Munich Barons relocated in 2002 to become Hamburg Freezers - EC Ratingen "Die Löwen" relocated in 1997 to become Revierlöwen Oberhausen - Revierlöwen Oberhausen - Starbulls Rosenheim - SC Riessersee - Wölfe Freiburg - 1994–95 Kölner Haie - 1995–96 Düsseldorfer EG - 1996–97 Adler Mannheim - 1997–98 Adler Mannheim - 1998–99 Adler Mannheim - 1999–00 Munich Barons - 2000–01 Adler Mannheim - 2001–02 Kölner Haie - 2002–03 Krefeld Pinguine - 2003–04 Frankfurt Lions - 2004–05 Eisbären Berlin - 2005–06 Eisbären Berlin - 2006–07 Adler Mannheim - 2007–08 Eisbären Berlin - 2008–09 Eisbären Berlin - 2009–10 Hannover Scorpions - 2010–11 Eisbären Berlin - 2011–12 Eisbären Berlin - 2012–13 Eisbären Berlin - 2013–14 ERC Ingolstadt - 2014–15 Adler Mannheim - 2015–16 EHC München 32 clubs have played in the DEL since founding, with 14 currently playing. The 1994 standing represents the Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga. |Iserlohn Roosters 1||17||15||12||9||12||11||11||11||5||11||11||12||10||13||10||6||3||x| |Düsseldorfer EG 6||22||1BL||5||3||9||5||11||9||3||8||10||3||2||9||3||6||2||7||14||14||5||5||x| |Thomas Sabo Ice Tigers||23||2BL||12||11||15||12||1||10||5||4||5||2||3||4||3||1||5||5||10||13||7||3||8||6||x| |Schwenninger Wild Wings||13||1BL||9||5||10||9||10||11||12||16||14||13||14||14||x| |Hamburg Freezers 2||14||8||3||8||6||7||7||8||14||11||5||5||1||4||11| |München Barons 2 3||3||2||3||1| |Star Bulls Rosenheim 1||6||1BL||8||13||6||15||12||12| |Landshut Cannibals 3||5||1BL||2||4||7||6||6| |Mad Dogs München 4||1||1BL||18| |White||not qualified for play-offs| |Red||Folded during regular season| |No.||Number of seasons in league (as of 2015–16)| - 1 In 2001, the Star Bulls Rosenheim sold their DEL licence to the Iserlohn Roosters. - 2 In 2002, the München Barons relocated to become the Hamburg Freezers. - 3 In 1999, the Landshut Cannibals sold their DEL licence to the München Barons. - 4 In 1995, the Mad Dogs München folded during the regular season. - 5 In 2012, the EHC München changed their name to EHC Red Bull München. - 6 In 2012, the DEG Metro Stars changed their name to Düsseldorfer EG. - In the 1995 and 1996 season, 16 clubs were qualified for the play-offs. - In the 1998 season, 14 clubs were qualified for the play-offs. - "EUROPEAN ATTENDANCE RANKING PUBLISHED". iihf.com. International Ice Hockey Federation. Retrieved 28 June 2016. - "Kooperationsvertrages" (PDF) (in German). DEL. Retrieved 2008-03-30. - "Fragen zur DEL" (in German). DEL. Retrieved 2008-03-30. - "DEL: Neuer Modus mit Auf- und Abstieg" (in German). Hockeyweb.de. 2007-11-21. Retrieved 2008-03-30. - "DEL: Kein Auf- und Abstieg" (in German). kicker.de. 2008-03-14. Retrieved 2008-03-30. - "Frankfurt Lions akzeptieren Entscheidung der DEL" (in German). frankfurt-lions-gmbh.de. Retrieved 2010-07-12. - "Hamburg Freezers beantragen keine DEL-Lizenz für die Saison 2016/17" (in German). hamburg-freezers.de. 2016-05-24. Retrieved 2016-05-24. - "Hamburg Freezers werden keine DEL-Lizenz für die saison 2016/17 beantragen" (in German). hamburg-freezers.de. 2016-05-18. Retrieved 2016-05-24. - "OLG Köln besiegelt DEL-Aus, Team siegt trotzdem noch einmal" (in German). www.huskies-online.de. 2010-08-27. Retrieved 2010-09-01. |Wikimedia Commons has media related to Deutsche Eishockey-Liga.| - Meltzer, Bill. "Three European Champs, Three Different Paths to the Top" at NHL.com Retrieved 08–18–06. - Official DEL website (German) - Official Website of the German Ice Hockey-Federation – DEB (German) - Hockeyarenas – DEL Arenas - Internet Hockey Database – standings and statistics - Hockey Archives – International ice hockey website with tables and results (French)

CONVERSION - Concluded - I think I had better cite two or three of these cases before proceeding to a more generalized account. One must know concrete instances first; for, as Professor Agassiz used to say, one can see no farther into a generalization than just so far as one's previous acquaintance with particulars enables one to take it in. I will go back, then, to the case of our friend Henry Alline, and quote his report of the 26th of March, 1775, on which his poor divided mind became unified for good "It brought such conviction on me that I was obliged to say that I did not think I was one step nearer than at first, but as much condemned, as much exposed, and as miserable as before. I cried out within myself, O Lord God, I am lost, and if thou, O Lord, dost not find out some new way, I know nothing of, I shall never be saved, for the ways and methods I have prescribed to myself have all failed me, and I am willing they should fail. O Lord, have mercy! O Lord, have mercy!" "These discoveries continued until I went into the house and sat down. After I sat down, being all in confusion, like a drowning man that was just giving up to sink, and almost in an agony, I turned very suddenly round in my chair, and seeing part of an old Bible lying in one of the chairs, I caught hold of it in great haste; and opening it without any premeditation, cast my eyes on the 38th Psalm, which was the first time I ever saw the word of God: it took hold of me with such power that it seemed to go through my whole soul, so that it seemed as if God was praying in, with, and for me. About this time my father called the family to attend prayers; I attended, but paid no regard to what he said in his prayer, but continued praying in those words of the Psalm. Oh, help me, help me! cried I, thou Redeemer of souls, and save me, or I am gone forever; thou canst this night, if thou pleasest, with one drop of thy blood atone for my sins, and appease the wrath of an angry God. At that instant of time when I gave all up to him to do with me as he pleased, and was willing that God should rule over me at his pleasure, redeeming love broke into my soul with repeated scriptures, with such power that my whole soul seemed to be melted down with love; the burden of guilt and condemnation was gone, darkness was expelled, my heart humbled and filled with gratitude, and my whole soul, that was a few minutes ago groaning under mountains of death, and crying to an unknown God for help, was now filled with immortal love, soaring on the wings of faith, freed from the chains of death and darkness, and crying out, My Lord and my God; thou art my rock and my fortress, my shield and my high tower, my life, my joy, my present and my everlasting portion. Looking up, I thought I saw that same light [he had on more than one previous occasion seen subjectively a bright blaze of light], though it appeared different; and as soon as I saw it, the design was opened to me, according to his promise, and I was obliged to cry out: Enough, enough, O blessed God! The work of conversion, the change, and the manifestations of it are no more disputable than that light which I see, or anything that ever I saw. "In the midst of all my joys, in less than half an hour after my soul was set at liberty, the Lord discovered to me my labor in the ministry and call to preach the gospel. I cried out, Amen, Lord, I'll go; send me, send me. I spent the greatest part of the night in ecstasies of joy, praising and adoring the Ancient of Days for his free and unbounded grace. After I had been so long in this transport and heavenly frame that my nature seemed to require sleep, I thought to close my eyes for a few moments; then the devil stepped in, and told me that if I went to sleep, I should lose it all, and when I should awake in the morning I would find it to be nothing but a fancy and delusion. I immediately cried out, O Lord God, if I am deceived, undeceive me. "I then closed my eyes for a few minutes, and seemed to be refreshed with sleep; and when I awoke, the first inquiry was, Where is my God? And in an instant of time, my soul seemed awake in and with God, and surrounded by the arms of everlasting love. About sunrise I arose with joy to relate to my parents what God had done for my soul, and declared to them the miracle of God's unbounded grace. I took a Bible to show them the words that were impressed by God on my soul the evening before; but when I came to open the Bible, it appeared all new to me. "I so longed to be useful in the cause of Christ, in preaching the gospel, that it seemed as if I could not rest any longer, but go I must and tell the wonders of redeeming love. I lost all taste for carnal pleasures, and carnal company, and was enabled to forsake them." * * Life and Journals, Boston, 1806, pp. 31-40, abridged. Young Mr. Alline, after the briefest of delays, and with no book-learning but his Bible, and no teaching save that of his own experience, became a Christian minister, and thenceforward his life was fit to rank, for its austerity and single-mindedness, with that of the most devoted saints. But happy as he became in his strenuous way, he never got his taste for even the most innocent carnal pleasures back. We must class him, like Bunyan and Tolstoy, amongst those upon whose soul the iron of melancholy left a permanent imprint. His redemption was into another universe than this mere natural world, and life remained for him a sad and patient trial. Years later we can find him making such an entry as this in his diary: "On Wednesday the 12th I preached at a wedding, and had the happiness thereby to be the means of excluding carnal mirth." The next case I will give is that of a correspondent of Professor Leuba, printed in the latter's article, already cited, in vol. vi. of the American Journal of Psychology. This subject was an Oxford graduate, the son of a clergyman, and the story resembles in many points the classic case of Colonel Gardiner, which everybody may be supposed to know. Here it is, somewhat abridged: "Between the period of leaving Oxford and my conversion I never darkened the door of my father's church, although I lived with him for eight years, making what money I wanted by journalism, and spending it in high carousal with any one who would sit with me and drink it away. So I lived, sometimes drunk for a week together, and then a terrible repentance, and would not touch a drop for a whole month. "In all this period, that is, up to thirty-three years of age, I never had a desire to reform on religious grounds. But all my pangs were due to some terrible remorse I used to feel after a heavy carousal, the remorse taking the shape of regret after my folly in wasting my life in such a way- a man of superior talents and education. This terrible remorse turned me gray in one night, and whenever it came upon me I was perceptibly grayer the next morning. What I suffered in this way is beyond the expression of words. It was hell-fire in all its most dreadful tortures. Often did I vow that if I got over 'this time' I would reform. Alas, in about three days I fully recovered, and was as happy as ever. So it went on for years, but, with a physique like a rhinoceros, I always recovered, and as long as I let drink alone, no man was as capable of enjoying life as I was. "I was converted in my own bedroom in my father's rectory house at precisely three o'clock in the afternoon of a hot July day (July 18, 1886). I was in perfect health, having been off from the drink for nearly a month. I was in no way troubled about my soul. In fact, God was not in my thoughts that day. A young lady friend sent me a copy of Professor Drummond's Natural Law in the Spiritual World, asking me my opinion of it as a literary work only. Being proud of my critical talents and wishing to enhance myself in my new friend's esteem, I took the book to my bedroom for quiet, intending to give it a thorough study, and then write her what I thought of it. It was here that God met me face to face, and I shall never forget the meeting. 'He that hath the Son hath life eternal, he that hath not the Son hath not life.' I had read this scores of times before, but this made all the difference. I was now in God's presence and my attention was absolutely 'soldered' on to this verse, and I was not allowed to proceed with the book till I had fairly considered what these words really involved. Only then was I allowed to proceed, feeling all the while that there was another being in my bedroom, though not seen by me. The stillness was very marvelous, and I felt supremely happy. It was most unquestionably shown me, in one second of time, that I had never touched the Eternal: and that if I died then, I must inevitably be lost. I was undone. I knew it as well as I now know I am saved. The Spirit of God showed it me in ineffable love; there was no terror in it; I felt God's love so powerfully upon me that only a mighty sorrow crept over me that I had lost all through my own folly and what was I to do? What could I do? I did not repent even; God never asked me to repent. All I felt was 'I am undone,' and God cannot help it, although he loves me. No fault on the part of the Almighty. All the time I was supremely happy: I felt like a little child before his father. I had done wrong, but my Father did not scold me, but loved me most wondrously. Still my doom was sealed. I was lost to a certainty, and being naturally of a brave disposition I did not quail under it, but deep sorrow for the past, mixed with regret for what I had lost, took hold upon me, and my soul thrilled within me to think it was all over. Then there crept in upon me so gently, so lovingly, so unmistakably, a way of escape, and what was it after all? The old, old story over again, told in the simplest way: 'There is no name under heaven whereby ye can be saved except that of the Lord Jesus Christ.' No words were spoken to me; my soul seemed to see my Saviour in the spirit, and from that hour to this, nearly nine years now, there has never been in my life one doubt that the Lord Jesus Christ and God the Father both worked upon me that afternoon in July, both differently, and both in the most perfect love conceivable, and I rejoiced there and then in a conversion so astounding that the whole village heard of it in less than twenty-four hours. "But a time of trouble was yet to come. The day after my conversion I went into the hay-field to lend a hand with the harvest, and not having made any promise to God to abstain or drink in moderation only, I took too much and came home drunk. My poor sister was heart-broken; and I felt ashamed of myself and got to my bedroom at once, where she followed me, weeping copiously. She said I had been converted and fallen away instantly. But although I was quite full of drink (not muddled, however), I knew that God's work begun in me was not going to be wasted. About midday I made on my knees the first prayer before God for twenty years. I did not ask to be forgiven; I felt that was no good, for I would be sure to fall again. Well what did I do? I committed myself to him in the profoundest belief that my individuality was going to be destroyed, that he would take all from me, and I was willing. In such a surrender lies the secret of a holy life. From that hour drink has had no terrors for me: I never touch it, never want it. The same thing occurred with my pipe: after being a regular smoker from my twelfth year the desire for it went at once, and has never returned. So with every known sin, the deliverance in each case being permanent and complete. I have had no temptation since conversion, God seemingly having shut out Satan from that course with me. He gets a free hand in other ways, but never on sins of the flesh. Since I gave up to God all ownership in my own life, he has guided me in a thousand ways, and has opened my path in a way almost incredible to those who do not enjoy the blessing of a truly surrendered life." So much for our graduate of Oxford, in whom you notice the complete abolition of an ancient appetite as one of the conversion's fruits. The most curious record of sudden conversion with which I am acquainted is that of M. Alphonse Ratisbonne, a freethinking French Jew, to Catholicism, at Rome in 1842. In a letter to a clerical friend, written a few months later, the convert gives a palpitating account of the circumstances. * The predisposing conditions appear to have been slight. He had an elder brother who had been converted and was a Catholic priest. He was himself irreligious, and nourished an antipathy to the apostate brother and generally to his 'cloth.' Finding himself at Rome in his twenty-ninth year, he fell in with a French gentleman who tried to make a proselyte of him, but who succeeded no farther after two or three conversations than to get him to hang (half jocosely) a religious medal round his neck, and to accept and read a copy of a short prayer to the Virgin. M. Ratisbonne represents his own part in the conversations as having been of a light and chaffing order; but he notes the fact that for some days he was unable to banish the words of the prayer from his mind, and that the night before the crisis he had a sort of nightmare, in the imagery of which a black cross with no Christ upon it figured. Nevertheless, until noon of the next day he was free in mind and spent the time in trivial conversations. I now give his own words. * My quotations are made from an Italian translation of this letter in the Biografia del Sig. M.A. Ratisbonne, Ferrara, 1843, which I have to thank Monsignore D. O'Connell of Rome for bringing to my notice. I abridge the original. "If at this time any one had accosted me, saying: 'Alphonse, in a quarter of an hour you shall be adoring Jesus Christ as your God and Saviour; you shall lie prostrate with your face upon the ground in a humble church; you shall be smiting your breast at the foot of a priest; you shall pass the carnival in a college of Jesuits to prepare yourself to receive baptism, ready to give your life for the Catholic faith; you shall renounce the world and its pomps and pleasures; renounce your fortune, your hopes, and if need be, your betrothed; the affections of your family, the esteem of your friends, and your attachment to the Jewish people; you shall have no other aspiration than to follow Christ and bear his cross till death;'- if, I say a prophet had come to me with such a prediction, I should have judged that only one person could be more mad than he,- whosoever, namely, might believe in the possibility of such senseless folly becoming true. And yet that folly is at present my only wisdom, my sole happiness. "Coming out of the cafe I met the carriage of Monsieur B. [the proselyting friend]. He stopped and invited me in for a drive, but first asked me to wait for a few minutes whilst he attended to some duty at the church of San Andrea delle Fratte. Instead of waiting in the carriage, I entered the church myself to look at it. The church of San Andres was poor, small and empty; I believe that I found myself there almost alone. No work of art attracted my attention; and I passed my eyes mechanically over its interior without being arrested by any particular thought. I can only remember an entirely black dog which went trotting and turning before me as I mused. In an instant the dog had disappeared, the whole church had vanished, I no longer saw anything,... or more truly I saw, O my God, one thing alone. "Heavens, how can I speak of it? Oh no! human words cannot attain to expressing the inexpressible. Any description, however sublime it might be, could be but a profanation of the unspeakable truth. "I was there prostrate on the ground, bathed in my tears, with my heart beside itself, when M.B. called me back to life. I could not reply to the questions which followed from him one upon the other. But finally I took the medal which I had on my breast, and with all the effusion of my soul I kissed the image of the Virgin, radiant with grace, which it bore. Oh, indeed, it was She! It was indeed She! [What he had seen had been a vision of the Virgin.] "I did not know where I was: I did not know whether I was Alphonse or another. I only felt myself changed and believed myself another me; I looked for myself in myself and did not find myself. In the bottom of my soul I felt an explosion of the most ardent joy; I could not speak; I had no wish to reveal what had happened. But I felt something solemn and sacred within me which made me ask for a priest. I was led to one; and there, alone, after he had given me the positive order, I spoke as best I could, kneeling, and with my heart still trembling. I could give no account to myself of the truth of which I had acquired a knowledge and a faith. All that I can say is that in an instant the bandage had fallen from my eyes; and not one bandage only, but the whole manifold of bandages in which I had been brought up. One after another they rapidly disappeared, even as the mud and ice disappear under the rays of the burning sun. "I came out as from a sepulchre, from an abyss of darkness; and I was living, perfectly living. But I wept, for at the bottom of that gulf I saw the extreme of misery from which I had been saved by an infinite mercy; and I shuddered at the sight of my iniquities, stupefied, melted, overwhelmed with wonder and with gratitude. You may ask me how I came to this new insight, for truly I had never opened a book of religion nor even read a single page of the Bible, and the dogma of original sin is either entirely denied or forgotten by the Hebrews of to-day, so that I had thought so little about it that I doubt whether I ever knew its name. But how came I, then, to this perception of it? I can answer nothing save this, that on entering that church I was in darkness altogether, and on coming out of it I saw the fullness of the light. I can explain the change no better than by the simile of a profound sleep or the analogy of one born blind who should suddenly open his eyes to the day. He sees, but cannot define the light which bathes him and by means of which he sees the objects which excite his wonder. If we cannot explain physical light, how can we explain the light which is the truth itself? And I think I remain within the limits of veracity when I say that without having any knowledge of the letter of religious doctrine, I now intuitively perceived its sense and spirit. Better than if I saw them, I felt those hidden things; I felt them by the inexplicable effects they produced in me. It all happened in my interior mind and those impressions, more rapid than thought, shook my soul, revolved and turned it, as it were, in another direction, towards other aims, by other paths. I express myself badly. But do you wish, Lord, that I should inclose in poor and barren words sentiments which the heart alone can understand?" I might multiply cases almost indefinitely, but these will suffice to show you how real, definite, and memorable an event a sudden conversion may be to him who has the experience. Throughout the height of it he undoubtedly seems to himself a passive spectator or undergoer of an astounding process performed upon him from above. There is too much evidence of this for any doubt of it to be possible. Theology, combining this fact with the doctrines of election and grace, has concluded that the spirit of God is with us at these dramatic moments in a peculiarly miraculous way, unlike what happens at any other juncture of our lives. At that moment, it believes, an absolutely new nature is breathed into us, and we become partakers of the very substance of the Deity. That the conversion should be instantaneous seems called for on this view, and the Moravian Protestants appear to have been the first to see this logical consequence. The Methodists soon followed suit, practically if not dogmatically, and a short time ere his death, John Wesley wrote: "In London alone I found 652 members of our Society who were exceeding clear in their experience, and whose testimony I could see no reason to doubt. And every one of these (without a single exception) has declared that his deliverance from sin was instantaneous; that the change was wrought in a moment. Had half of these, or one third, or one in twenty, declared it was gradually wrought in them, I should have believed this, with regard to them, and thought that some were gradually sanctified and some instantaneously. But as I have not found, in so long a space of time, a single person speaking thus, I cannot but believe that sanctification is commonly, if not always, an instantaneous work." Tyerman's Life of Wesley, i. 463. All this while the more usual sects of Protestantism have set no such store by instantaneous conversion. For them as for the Catholic Church, Christ's blood, the sacraments, and the individual's ordinary religious duties are practically supposed to suffice to his salvation, even though no acute crisis of self-despair and surrender followed by relief should be experienced. For Methodism, on the contrary, unless there have been a crisis of this sort, salvation is only offered, not effectively received, and Christ's sacrifice in so far forth is incomplete. Methodism surely here follows, if not the healthier-minded, yet on the whole the profounder spiritual instinct. The individual models which it has set up as typical and worthy of imitation are not only the more interesting dramatically, but psychologically they have been the more complete. In the fully evolved Revivalism of Great Britain and America we have, so to speak, the codified and stereotyped procedure to which this way of thinking has led. In spite of the unquestionable fact that saints of the once-born type exist, that there may be a gradual growth in holiness without a cataclysm; in spite of the obvious leakage (as one may say) of much mere natural goodness into the scheme of salvation; revivalism has always assumed that only its own type of religious experience can be perfect; you must first be nailed on the cross of natural despair and agony, and then in the twinkling of an eye be miraculously released. It is natural that those who personally have traversed such an experience should carry away a feeling of its being a miracle rather than a natural process. Voices are often heard, lights seen, or visions witnessed; automatic motor phenomena occur; and it always seems, after the surrender of the personal will, as if an extraneous higher power had flooded in and taken possession. Moreover the sense of renovation, safety, cleanness, rightness, can be so marvelous and jubilant as well to warrant one's belief in a radically new substantial nature. "Conversion," writes the New England Puritan, Joseph Alleine," is not the putting in a patch of holiness; but with the true convert holiness is woven into all his powers, principles, and practice. The sincere Christian is quite a new fabric, from the foundation to the top-stone. He is a new man, a new creature." And Jonathan Edwards says in the same strain: "Those gracious influences which are the effects of the Spirit of God are altogether supernatural- are quite different from anything that unregenerate men experience. They are what no improvement, or composition of natural qualifications or principles will ever produce; because they not only differ from what is natural, and from everything that natural men experience in degree and circumstances, but also in kind, and are of a nature far more excellent. From hence it follows that in gracious affections there are [also] new perceptions and sensations entirely different in their nature and kind from anything experienced by the [same] saints before they were sanctified.... The conceptions which the saints have of the loveliness of God, and that kind of delight which they experience in it, are quite peculiar, and entirely different from anything which a natural man can possess, or of which he can form any proper notion." And that such a glorious transformation as this ought of necessity to be preceded by despair is shown by Edwards in another passage. "Surely it cannot be unreasonable," he says, "that before God delivers us from a state of sin and liability to everlasting woe, he should give us some considerable sense of the evil from which he delivers us, in order that we may know and feel the importance of salvation, and be enabled to appreciate the value of what God is pleased to do for us. As those who are saved are successively in two extremely different states first in a state of condemnation and then in a state of justification and blessedness- and as God, in the salvation of men, deals with them as rational and intelligent creatures, it appears agreeable to this wisdom, that those who are saved should be made sensible of their Being, in those two different states. In the first place, that they should be made sensible of their state of condemnation; and afterwards, of their state of deliverance and happiness." Such quotations express sufficiently well for our purpose the doctrinal interpretation of these changes. Whatever part suggestion and imitation may have played in producing them in men and women in excited assemblies, they have at any rate been in countless individual instances an original and unborrowed experience. Were we writing the story of the mind from the purely natural-history point of view, with no religious interest whatever, we should still have to write down man's liability to sudden and complete conversion as one of his most curious peculiarities. What, now, must we ourselves think of this question? Is an instantaneous conversion a miracle in which God is present as he is present in no change of heart less strikingly abrupt? Are there two classes of human beings, even among the apparently regenerate, of which the one class really partakes of Christ's nature while the other merely seems to do so? Or, on the contrary, may the whole phenomenon of regeneration; even in these startling instantaneous examples, possibly be a strictly natural process, divine in its fruits, of course, but in one case more and in another less so, and neither more nor less divine in its mere causation and mechanism than any other process, high or low, of man's interior life? Before proceeding to answer this question, I must ask you to listen to some more psychological remarks. At our last lecture, I explained the shifting of men's centres of personal energy within them and the lighting up of new crises of emotion. I explained the phenomena as partly due to explicitly conscious processes of thought and will, but as due largely also to the subconscious incubation and maturing of motives deposited by the experiences of life. When ripe, the results hatch out, or burst into flower. I have now to speak of the subconscious region, in which such processes of flowering may occur, in a somewhat less vague way. I only regret that my limits of time here force me to be so short. The expression 'field of consciousness' has but recently come into vogue in the psychology books. Until quite lately the unit of mental life which figured most was the single 'idea,' supposed to be a definitely outlined thing. But at present psychologists are tending, first, to admit that the actual unit is more probably the total mental state, the entire wave of consciousness or field of objects present to the thought at any time; and, second, to see that it is impossible to outline this wave, this field, with any definiteness. As our mental fields succeed one another, each has its centre of interest, around which the objects of which we are less and less attentively conscious fade to a margin so faint that its limits are unassignable. Some fields are narrow fields and some are wide fields. Usually when we have a wide field we rejoice, for we then see masses of truth together, and often get glimpses of relations which we divine rather than see, for they shoot beyond the field into still remoter regions of objectivity, regions which we seem rather to be about to perceive than to perceive actually. At other times, of drowsiness, illness, or fatigue, our fields may narrow almost to a point, and we find ourselves correspondingly oppressed and contracted. Different individuals present constitutional differences in this matter of width of field. Your great organizing geniuses are men with habitually vast fields of mental vision, in which a whole programme of future operations will appear dotted out at once, the rays shooting far ahead into definite directions of advance. In common people there is never this magnificent inclusive view of a topic. They stumble along, feeling their way, as it were, from point to point, and often stop entirely. In certain diseased conditions consciousness is a mere spark, without memory of the past or thought of the future, and with the present narrowed down to some one simple emotion or sensation of the body. The important fact which this 'field' formula commemorates is the indetermination of the margin. Inattentively realized as is the matter which the margin contains, it is nevertheless there, and helps both to guide our behavior and to determine the next movement of our attention. It lies around us like a 'magnetic field,' inside of which our centre of energy turns like a compass-needle, as the present phase of consciousness alters into its successor. Our whole past store of memories floats beyond this margin, ready at a touch to come in; and the entire mass of residual powers, impulses, and knowledges that constitute our empirical self stretches continuously beyond it. So vaguely drawn are the outlines between what is actual and what is only potential at any moment of our conscious life, that it is always hard to say of certain mental elements whether we are conscious of them or not. The ordinary psychology, admitting fully the difficulty of tracing the marginal outline, has nevertheless taken for granted, first, that all the consciousness the person now has, be the same focal or marginal, inattentive or attentive, is there in the 'field' of the moment, all dim and impossible to assign as the latter's outline may be; and, second, that what is absolutely extra-marginal is absolutely non-existent, and cannot be a fact of consciousness at all. And having reached this point, I must now ask you to recall what I said in my last lecture about the subconscious life. I said, as you may recollect, that those who first laid stress upon these phenomena could not know the facts as we now know them. My first duty now is to tell you what I meant by such a statement. I cannot but think that the most important step forward that has occurred in psychology since I have been a student of that science is the discovery, first made in 1886, that, in certain subjects at least, there is not only the consciousness of the ordinary field, with its usual centre and margin, but an addition thereto in the shape of a set of memories, thoughts, and feelings which are extra-marginal and outside of the primary consciousness altogether, but yet must be classed as conscious facts of some sort, able to reveal their presence by unmistakable signs. I call this the most important step forward because, unlike the other advances which psychology has made, this discovery has revealed to us an entirely unsuspected peculiarity in the constitution of human nature. No other step forward which psychology has made can proffer any such claim as this. In particular this discovery of a consciousness existing beyond the field, or subliminally as Mr. Myers terms it, casts light on many phenomena of religious biography. That is why I have to advert to it now, although it is naturally impossible for me in this place to give you any account of the evidence on which the admission of such a consciousness is based. You will find it set forth in many recent books, Binet's Alterations of Personality * being perhaps as good a one as any to recommend. * Published in the International Scientific Series. The human material on which the demonstration has been made has so far been rather limited and, in part at least, eccentric, consisting of unusually suggestible hypnotic subjects, and of hysteric patients. Yet the elementary mechanisms of our life are presumably so uniform that what is shown to be true in a marked degree of some persons is probably true in some degree of all, and may in a few be true in an extraordinarily high degree. The most important consequence of having a strongly developed ultra-marginal life of this sort is that one's ordinary fields of consciousness are liable to incursions from it of which the subject does not guess the source, and which, therefore, take for him the form of unaccountable impulses to act, or inhibitions of action, of obsessive ideas, or even of hallucinations of sight or hearing. The impulses may take the direction of automatic speech or writing, the meaning of which the subject himself may not understand even while he utters it; and generalizing this phenomenon, Mr. Myers has given the name of automatism, sensory or motor, emotional or intellectual, to this whole sphere of effects due to 'uprushes' into the ordinary consciousness of energies originating in the subliminal parts of the mind. The simplest instance of an automatism is the phenomenon of post-hypnotic suggestion, so-called. You give to a hypnotized subject, adequately susceptible, an order to perform some designated act- usual or eccentric, it makes no difference- after he wakes from his hypnotic sleep. Punctually, when the signal comes or the time elapses upon which you have told him that the act must ensue, he performs it; - but in so doing he has no recollection of your suggestion, and he always trumps up an improvised pretext for his behavior if the act be of an eccentric kind. It may even be suggested to a subject to have a vision or to hear a voice at a certain interval after waking, and when the time comes the vision is seen or the voice heard, with no inkling on the subject's part of its source. In the wonderful explorations by Binet, Janet, Breuer, Freud, Mason, Prince, and others, of the subliminal consciousness of patients with hysteria, we have revealed to us whole systems of underground life, in the shape of memories of a painful sort which lead a parasitic existence, buried outside of the primary field of consciousness, and making irruptions thereinto with hallucinations, pains, convulsions, paralyses of feeling and of motion, and the whole procession of symptoms of hysteric disease of body and of mind. Alter or abolish by suggestion these subconscious memories, and the patient immediately gets well. His symptoms were automatisms, in Mr. Myers's sense of the word. These clinical records sound like fairy-tales when one first reads them, yet it is impossible to doubt their accuracy; and, the path having been once opened by these first observers, similar observations have been made elsewhere. They throw, as I said, a wholly new light upon our natural constitution. And it seems to me that they make a farther step inevitable. Interpreting the unknown after the analogy of the known, it seems to me that hereafter, wherever we meet with a phenomenon of automatism, be it motor impulses, or obsessive idea, or unaccountable caprice, or delusion, or hallucination, we are bound first of all to make search whether it be not an explosion, into the fields of ordinary consciousness, of ideas elaborated outside of those fields in subliminal regions of the mind. We should look, therefore, for its source in the Subject's subconscious life. In the hypnotic cases, we ourselves create the source by our suggestion, so we know it directly. In the hysteric cases, the lost memories which are the source have to be extracted from the patient's Subliminal by a number of ingenious methods, for an account of which you must consult the books. In other pathological cases, insane delusions, for example, or psychopathic obsessions, the source is yet to seek, but by analogy it also should be in subliminal regions which improvements in our methods may yet conceivably put on tap. There lies the mechanism logically to be assumed,- but the assumption involves a vast program of work to be done in the way of verification, in which the religious experiences of man must play their part. * * The reader will here please notice that in my exclusive reliance in the last lecture on the subconscious 'incubation' of motives deposited by a growing experience, I followed the method of employing accepted principles of explanation as far as one can. The subliminal region, whatever else it may be, is at any rate a place now admitted by psychologists to exist for the accumulation of vestiges of sensible experience (whether inattentively or attentively registered), and for their elaboration according to ordinary psychological or logical laws into results that end by attaining such a 'tension' that they may at times enter consciousness with something like a burst. It thus is 'scientific' to interpret all otherwise unaccountable invasive alterations of consciousness as results of the tension of subliminal memories reaching the bursting-point. But candor obliges me to confess that there are occasional bursts into consciousness of results of which it is not easy to demonstrate any prolonged subconscious incubation. Some of the cages I used to illustrate the sense of presence of the unseen in Lecture III were of this order; and we shall see other experiences of the kind when we come to the subject of mysticism. The case of Mr. Bradley, that of M. Ratisbonne, possibly that of Colonel Gardiner, possibly that of Saint Paul, might not be so easily explained in this simple way. The result, then, would have to be ascribed either to a merely physiological nerve storm, a 'discharging lesion' like that of epilepsy; or, in case it were useful and rational, as in the two latter cases named, to some more mystical or theological hypothesis. I make this remark in order that the reader may realize that the subject is really complex. But I shall keep myself as far as possible at present to the more 'scientific' view; and only as the plot thickens in subsequent lectures shall I consider the question of its absolute sufficiency as an explanation of all the facts. That subconscious incubation explains a great number of them, there can be no doubt. And thus I return to our own specific subject of instantaneous conversions. You remember the cases of Alline, Bradley, Brainerd, and the graduate of Oxford converted at three in the afternoon. Similar occurrences abound, some with and some without luminous visions, all with a sense of astonished happiness, and of being wrought on by a higher control. If, abstracting altogether from the question of their value for the future spiritual life of the individual, we take them on their psychological side exclusively, so many peculiarities in them remind us of what we find outside of conversion that we are tempted to class them along with other automatisms, and to suspect that what makes the difference between a sudden and a gradual convert is not necessarily the presence of divine miracle in the care of one and of something less divine in that of the other, but rather a simple psychological peculiarity, the fact, namely, that in the recipient of the more instantaneous grace we have one of those Subjects who are in possession of a large region in which mental work can go on subliminally, and from which invasive experiences, abruptly upsetting the equilibrium of the primary consciousness, may come. I do not see why Methodists need object to such a view. Pray go back and recollect one of the conclusions to which I sought to lead you in my very first lecture. You may remember how I there argued against the notion that the worth of a thing can be decided by its origin. Our spiritual judgment, I said, our opinion of the significance and value of a human event or condition, must be decided on empirical grounds exclusively. If the fruits for life of the state of conversion are good, we ought to idealize and venerate it, even though it be a piece of natural psychology; if not, we ought to make short work with it, no matter what supernatural being may have infused it. Well, how is it with these fruits? If we except the class of preeminent saints of whom the names illumine history, and consider only the usual run of 'saints,' the shopkeeping church-members and ordinary youthful or middle-aged recipients of instantaneous conversion, whether at revivals or in the spontaneous course of methodistic, growth, you will probably agree that no splendor worthy of a wholly supernatural creature fulgurates from them, or sets them apart from the mortals who have never experienced that favor. Were it true that a suddenly converted man as such is, as Edwards says, * of an entirely different kind from a natural man, partaking as he does directly of Christ's substance, there surely ought to be some exquisite class-mark, some distinctive radiance attaching even to the lowliest specimen of this genus, to which no one of us could remain insensible, and which, so far as it went, would prove him more excellent than ever the most highly gifted among mere natural men. But notoriously there is no such radiance. Converted men as a class are indistinguishable from natural men; some natural men even excel some converted men in their fruits; and no one ignorant of doctrinal theology could guess by mere every-day inspection of the 'accidents' of the two groups of persons before him, that their substance differed as much as divine differs from human substance. * Edwards says elsewhere: "I am bold to say that the work of God in the conversion of one soul, considered together with the source, foundation, and purchase of it, and also the benefit, end, and eternal issue of it, is a more glorious work of God than the creation of the whole material universe." The believers in the non-natural character of sudden conversion have had practically to admit that there is no unmistakable class-mark distinctive of all true converts. The super-normal incidents, such as voices and visions and overpowering impressions of the meaning of suddenly presented scripture texts, the melting emotions and tumultuous affections connected with the crisis of change, may all come by way of nature, or worse still, be counterfeited by Satan. The real witness of the spirit to the second birth is to be found only in the disposition of the genuine child of God, the permanently patient heart, the love of self eradicated. And this, it has to be admitted, is also found in those who pass no crisis, and may even be found outside of Christianity altogether. Throughout Jonathan Edwards's admirably rich and delicate description of the supernaturally infused condition, in his Treatise on Religious Affections, there is not one decisive trait, not one mark, that unmistakably parts it off from what may possibly be only an exceptionally high degree of natural goodness. In fact, one could hardly read a clearer argument than this book unwittingly offers in favor of the thesis that no chasm exists between the orders of human excellence, but that here as elsewhere, nature shows continuous differences, and generation and regeneration are matters of degree. All which denial of two objective classes of human beings separated by a chasm must not leave us blind to the extraordinary momentousness of the fact of his conversion to the individual himself who gets converted. There are higher and lower limits of possibility set to each personal life. If a flood but goes above one's head, its absolute elevation becomes a matter of small importance; and when we touch our own upper limit and live in our own highest centre of energy, we may call ourselves saved, no matter how much higher some one else's centre may be. A small man's salvation will always be a great salvation and the greatest of all facts for him, and we should remember this when the fruits of our ordinary evangelicism look discouraging. Who knows how much less ideal still the lives of these spiritual grubs and earthworms, these Crumps and Stigginses, might have been, if such poor grace as they have received had never touched them at all? * * Emerson writes: "When we see a soul whose acts are regal, graceful, and pleasant as roses, we must thank God that such things can be and are, and not turn sourly on the angel and say: Crump is a better man, with his grunting resistance to all his native devils." True enough. Yet Crump may really be the better Crump, for his inner discords and second birth; and your once-born 'regal' character, though indeed always better than poor Crump, may fall far short of what he individually might be had he only some Crump-like capacity for compunction over his own peculiar diabolisms, graceful and pleasant and invariably gentlemanly as these may be. If we roughly arrange human beings in classes, each class standing for a grade of spiritual excellence, I believe we shall find natural men and converts both sudden and gradual in all the classes. The forms which regenerative change effects have, then, no general spiritual significance, but only a psychological significance. We have seen how Starbuck's laborious statistical studies tend to assimilate conversion to ordinary spiritual growth. Another American psychologist, Prof. George A. Coe, * has analyzed the cases of seventy-seven converts or ex-candidates for conversion, known to him, and the results strikingly confirm the view that sudden conversion is connected with the possession of an active subliminal self. Examining his subjects with reference to their hypnotic sensibility and to such automatisms as hypnagogic hallucinations, odd impulses, religious dreams about the time of their conversion, etc., he found these relatively much more frequent in the group of converts whose transformation had been 'striking,' 'striking' transformation being defined as a change which, though not necessarily instantaneous, seems to the subject of it to be distinctly different from a process of growth, however rapid." *(2) Candidates for conversion at revivals are, as you know, often disappointed: they experience nothing striking. Professor Coe had a number of persons of this class among his seventy-seven subjects, and they almost all, when tested by hypnotism, proved to belong to a subclass which he calls 'spontaneous,' that is, fertile in self-suggestions, as distinguished from a 'passive' subclass, to which most of the subjects of striking transformation belonged. His inference is that self-suggestion of impossibility had prevented the influence upon these persons of an environment which, on the more 'passive' subjects, had easily brought forth the effects they looked for. Sharp distinctions are difficult in these regions, and Professor Coe's numbers are small. But his methods were careful and the results tally with what one might expect; and they seem, on the whole, to justify his practical conclusion, which is that if you should expose to a converting influence a subject in whom three factors unite: first, pronounced emotional sensibility; second, tendency to automatisms; and third, suggestibility of the passive type; you might then safely predict the result: there would be a sudden conversion, a transformation of the striking kind. * In his book, The Spiritual Life, New York, 1900. *(2) Op. cit., p. 112. Does this temperamental origin diminish the significance of the sudden conversion when it has occurred? Not in the least, as Professor Coe well says; for "the ultimate test of religious values is nothing psychological, nothing definable in terms of how it happens, but something ethical, definable only in terms of what is attained." * * Op. cit., p. 144. As we proceed farther in our inquiry we shall see that what is attained is often an altogether new level of spiritual vitality, a relatively heroic level, in which impossible things have become possible, and new energies and endurances are shown. The personality is changed, the man is born anew, whether or not his psychological idiosyncrasies are what give the particular shape to his metamorphosis. 'Sanctification' is the technical name of this result; and erelong examples of it shall be brought before you. In this lecture I have still only to add a few remarks on the assurance and peace which fill the hour of change itself. One word more, though, before proceeding to that point, lest the final purpose of my explanation of suddenness by subliminal activity be misunderstood. I do indeed believe that if the Subject have no liability to such subconscious activity, or if his conscious fields have a hard rind of a margin that resists incursions from beyond it, his conversion must be gradual if it occur, and must resemble any simple growth into new habits. His possession of a developed subliminal self, and of a leaky or pervious margin, is thus a conditio sine qua non of the Subject's becoming converted in the instantaneous way. But if you, being orthodox Christians, ask me as a psychologist whether the reference of a phenomenon to a subliminal self does not exclude the notion of the direct presence of the Deity altogether, I have to say frankly that as a psychologist I do not see why it necessarily should. The lower manifestations of the Subliminal, indeed, fall within the resources of the personal subject: his ordinary sense-material, inattentively taken in and subconsciously remembered and combined, will account for all his usual automatisms. But just as our primary wide-awake consciousness throws open our senses to the touch of things material, so it is logically conceivable that if there be higher spiritual agencies that can directly touch us, the psychological condition of their doing so might be our possession of a subconscious region which alone should yield access to them. The hubbub of the waking life might close a door which in the dreamy Subliminal might remain ajar or open. Thus that perception of external control which is so essential a feature in conversion might, in some cases at any rate, be interpreted as the orthodox interpret it: forces transcending the finite individual might impress him, on condition of his being what we may call a subliminal human specimen. But in any case the value of these forces would have to be determined by their effects, and the mere fact of their transcendency would of itself establish no presumption that they were more divine than diabolical. I confess that this is the way in which I should rather see the topic left lying in your minds until I come to a much later lecture, when I hope once more to gather these dropped threads together into more definitive conclusions. The notion of a subconscious self certainly ought not at this point of our inquiry to be held to exclude all notion of a higher penetration. If there be higher powers able to impress us, they may get access to us only through the subliminal door. Let us turn now to the feelings which immediately fill the hour of the conversion experience. The first one to be noted is just this sense of higher control. It is not always, but it is very often present. We saw examples of it in Alline, Bradley, Brainerd, and elsewhere. The need of such a higher controlling agency is well expressed in the short reference which the eminent French Protestant Adolphe Monod makes to the crisis of his own conversion. It was at Naples in his early manhood, in the summer of 1827. "My sadness," he says, "was without limit, and having got entire possession of me, it filled my life from the most indifferent external acts to the most secret thoughts, and corrupted at their source my feelings, my judgment, and my happiness. It was then that I saw that to expect to put a stop to this disorder by my reason and my will, which were themselves diseased, would be to act like a blind man who should pretend to correct one of his eyes by the aid of the other equally blind one. I had then no resource save in some influence from without. I remembered the promise of the Holy Ghost; and what the positive declarations of the Gospel had never succeeded in bringing home to me, I learned at last from necessity, and believed, for the first time in my life, in this promise, in the only sense in which it answered the needs of my soul, in that, namely, of a real external supernatural action, capable of giving me thoughts, and taking them away from me, and exerted on me by a God as truly master of my heart as he is of the rest of nature. Renouncing then all merit, all strength, abandoning all my personal resources, and acknowledging no other title to his mercy than my own utter misery, I went home and threw myself on my knees, and prayed as I never yet prayed in my life. From this day onwards a new interior life began for me: not that my melancholy had disappeared, but it had lost its sting. Hope had entered into my heart, and once entered on the path. the God of Jesus Christ, to whom I then had learned to give myself up, little by little did the rest." * * I piece together a quotation made by W. Monod, in his book la Vie, and a letter printed in the work: Adolphe Monod: I., Souvenirs de sa Vie, 1885, p. 433. It is needless to remind you once more of the admirable congruity of Protestant theology with the structure of the mind as shown in such experiences. In the extreme of melancholy the self that consciously is can do absolutely nothing. It is completely bankrupt and without resource, and no works it can accomplish will avail. Redemption from such subjective conditions must be a free gift or nothing, and grace through Christ's accomplished sacrifice is such a gift. "God," says Luther, "is the God of the humble, the miserable, the oppressed, and the desperate, and of those that are brought even to nothing; and his nature is to give sight to the blind, to comfort the broken-hearted, to justify sinners, to save the very desperate and damned. Now that pernicious and pestilent opinion of man's own righteousness, which will not be a sinner, unclean, miserable, and damnable, but righteous and holy, suffereth not God to come to his own natural and proper work. Therefore God must take this maul in hand (the law, I mean) to beat in pieces and bring to nothing this beast with her vain confidence, that she may so learn at length by her own misery that she is utterly forlorn and damned. But here lieth the difficulty, that when a man is terrified and cast down, he is so little able to raise himself up again and say, 'Now I am bruised and afflicted enough; now is the time of grace; now is the time to hear Christ.' The foolishness of man's heart is so great that then he rather seeketh to himself more laws to satisfy his conscience. 'If I live,' saith he, 'I will amend my life: I will do this, I will do that.' But here, except thou do the quite contrary, except thou send Moses away with his law, and in these terrors and this anguish lay hold upon Christ who died for thy sins, look for no salvation. Thy cowl, thy shaven crown, thy chastity, thy obedience, thy poverty, thy works, thy merits? what shall all these do? what shall the law of Moses avail? If I, wretched and damnable sinner, through works or merits could have loved the Son of God, and so come to him, what needed be to deliver himself for me? If I, being a wretch and damned sinner, could be redeemed by any other price, what needed the Son of God to be given? But because there was no other price, therefore he delivered neither sheep, ox, gold, nor silver, but even God himself, entirely and wholly 'for me,' even 'for me,' I say, a miserable, wretched sinner. Now, therefore, I take comfort and apply this to myself. And this manner of applying is the very true force and power of faith. For he died not to justify the righteous, but the un-righteous, and to make them the children of God." * * Commentary on Galatians, ch. iii. verse 19, and ch. ii. verse 20, abridged. That is, the more literally lost you are, the more literally you are the very being whom Christ's sacrifice has already saved. Nothing in Catholic theology, I imagine, has ever spoken to sick souls as straight as this message from Luther's personal experience. As Protestants are not all sick souls, of course reliance on what Luther exults in calling the dung of one's merits, the filthy puddle of one's own righteousness, has come to the front again in their religion; but the adequacy of his view of Christianity to the deeper parts of our human mental structure is shown by its wildfire contagiousness when it was a new and quickening thing. Faith that Christ has genuinely done his work was part of what Luther meant by faith, which so far is faith in a fact intellectually conceived of. But this is only one part of Luther's faith, the other part being far more vital. This other part is something not intellectual but immediate and intuitive, the assurance, namely, that I, this individual I, just as I stand, without one plea, etc., am saved now and forever. * * In some conversions, both steps are distinct; in this one, for example: "Whilst I was reading the evangelical treaties, I was soon struck by an expression: 'the finished work of Christ.' 'Why,' I asked of myself, 'does the author use these terms? Why does he not say "the atoning work"? Then these words, 'It is finished,' presented themselves to my mind. 'What is it that is finished?' I asked, and in an instant my mind replied: 'A perfect expiation for sin; entire satisfaction has been given; the debt has been paid by the Substitute. Christ has died for our sins; not for ours only, but for those of all men. If, then, the entire work is finished, all the debt paid, what remains for me to do?' In another instant the light was shed through my mind by the Holy Ghost, and the joyous conviction was given me that nothing more was to be done, save to fall on my knees, to accept this Saviour and his love, to praise God forever." Autobiography of Hudson Taylor. I translate back into English from the French translation of Challand (Geneva, no date), the original not being accessible. Professor Leuba is undoubtedly right in contending that the conceptual belief about Christ's work, although so often efficacious and antecedent, is really accessory and nonessential, and that the 'joyous conviction' can also come by far other channels than this conception. It is to the joyous conviction itself, the assurance that all is well with one, that he would give the name of faith par excellence. "When the sense of estrangement," he writes, "fencing man about in a narrowly limited ego, breaks down, the individual finds himself 'at one with all creation.' He lives in the universal life; he and man, he and nature, he and God, are one. That state of confidence, trust, union with all things, following upon the achievement of moral unity, is the Faith-state. Various dogmatic beliefs suddenly, on the advent of the faith-state, acquire a character of certainty, assume a new reality, become an object of faith. As the ground of assurance here is not rational, argumentation is irrelevant. But such conviction being a mere casual offshoot of the faith-state, it is a gross error to imagine that the chief practical value of the faith-state is its power to stamp with the seal of reality certain particular theological conceptions. * On the contrary, its value lies solely in the fact that it is the psychic correlate of a biological growth reducing contending desires to one direction; a growth which expresses itself in new affective states and new reactions; in larger, nobler, more Christ-like activities. The ground of the specific assurance in religious dogmas is then an affective experience. The objects of faith may even be preposterous; the affective stream will float them along, and invest them with unshakable certitude. The more startling the affective experience, the less explicable it seems, the easier it is to make it the carrier of unsubstantiated notions." *(2) * Tolstoy's case was a good comment on those words. There was almost no theology in his conversion. His faith-state was the sense come back that life was infinite in its moral significance. *(2) American Journal of Psychology, vii. 345-347, abridged. The characteristics of the affective experience which, to avoid ambiguity, should, I think, be called the state of assurance rather than the faith-state, can be easily enumerated, though it is probably difficult to realize their intensity, unless one have been through the experience one's self. The central one is the loss of all the worry, the sense that all is ultimately well with one, the peace, the harmony, the willingness to be, even though the outer conditions should remain the same. The certainty of God's 'grace,' of 'justification,' 'salvation,' is an objective belief that usually accompanies the change in Christians; but this may be entirely lacking and yet the affective peace remain the same- you will recollect the case of the Oxford graduate: and many might be given where the assurance of personal salvation was only a later result. A passion of willingness, of acquiescence, of admiration, is the glowing centre of this state of mind. The second feature is the sense of perceiving truths not known before. The mysteries of life become lucid, as Professor Leuba says; and often, nay usually, the solution is more or less unutterable in words. But these more intellectual phenomena may be postponed until we treat of mysticism. A third peculiarity of the assurance state is the objective change which the world often appears to undergo. 'An appearance of newness beautifies every object,' the precise opposite of that other sort of newness, that dreadful unreality and strangeness in the appearance of the world, which is experienced by melancholy patients, and of which you may recall my relating some examples. * This sense of clean and beautiful newness within and without is one of the commonest entries in conversion records. Jonathan Edwards thus describes it in himself: * Above, Lecture VI and VII. "After this my sense of divine things gradually increased and became more and more lively, and had more of that inward sweetness. The appearance of everything was altered; there seemed to be, as it were, a calm, sweet cast, or appearance of divine glory, in almost everything. God's excellency, his wisdom, his purity and love, seemed to appear in everything; in the sun, moon, and stars; in the clouds and blue sky; in the grass, flowers, and trees; in the water and all nature; which used greatly to fix my mind. And scarce anything, among all the works of nature, was so sweet to me as thunder and lightning; formerly nothing had been so terrible to me. Before, I used to be uncommonly terrified with thunder, and to be struck with terror when I saw a thunderstorm rising; but now, on the contrary, it rejoices me." * * DWIGHT: Life of Edwards, New York, 1830, p. 61, abridged. Billy Bray, an excellent little illiterate English evangelist, records his sense of newness thus: "I said to the Lord: 'Thou hast said, they that ask shall receive, they that seek shall find, and to them that knock the door shall be opened, and I have faith to believe it.' In an instant the Lord made me so happy that I cannot express what I felt. I shouted for joy. I praised God with my whole heart.... I think this was in November, 1823, but what day of the month I do not know. I remember this, that everything looked new to me, the people, the fields, the cattle, the trees. I was like a new man in a new world. I spent the greater part of my time in praising the Lord." * * W.F. BOURNE: The King's Son, a Memoir of Billy Bray, London Hamilton, Adams & Co., 1887, p. 9. Starbuck and Leuba both illustrate this sense of newness by quotations. I take the two following from Starbuck's manuscript collection. One, a woman, says: "I was taken to a camp-meeting, mother and religious friends seeking and praying for my conversion. My emotional nature was stirred to its depths; confessions of depravity and pleading with God for salvation from sin made me oblivious of all surroundings. I plead for mercy, and had a vivid realization of forgiveness and renewal of my nature. When rising from my knees I exclaimed, 'Old things have passed away, all things have become new.' It was like entering another world, a new state of existence. Natural objects were glorified, my spiritual vision was so clarified that I saw beauty in every material object in the universe, the woods were vocal with heavenly music; my soul exulted in the love of God, and I wanted everybody to share in my joy." The next case is that of a man: "I know not how I got back into the encampment, but found myself staggering up to Rev. __'s Holiness tent- and as it was full of seekers and a terrible noise inside, some groaning, some laughing, and some shouting, and by a large oak, ten feet from the tent, I fell on my face by a bench, and tried to pray, and every time I would call on God, something like a man's hand would strangle me by choking. I don't know whether there were any one around or near me or not. I thought I should surely die if I did not get help, but just as often as I would pray, that unseen hand was felt on my throat and my breath squeezed off. Finally something said: 'Venture on the atonement, for you will die anyway if you don't.' So I made one final struggle to call on God for mercy, with the same choking and strangling, determined to finish the sentence of prayer for Mercy, if I did strangle and die, and the last I remember that time was falling back on the ground with the same unseen hand on my throat. I don't know how long I lay there or what was going on. None of my folks were present. When I came to myself, there were a crowd around me praising God. The very heavens seemed to open and pour down rays of light and glory. Not for a moment only, but all day and night, floods of light and glory seemed to pour through my soul, and oh, how I was changed, and everything became new. My horses and hogs and even everybody seemed changed." This man's case introduces the feature of automatisms, which in suggestible subjects have been so startling a feature at revivals since, in Edwards's, Wesley's, and Whitfield's time, these became a regular means of gospel-propagation. They were at first supposed to be semi-miraculous proofs of 'power' on the part of the Holy Ghost; but great divergence of opinion quickly arose concerning them. Edwards, in his Thoughts on the Revival of Religion in New England, has to defend them against their critics; and their value has long been matter of debate even within the revivalistic denominations. * They undoubtedly have no essential spiritual significance, and although their presence makes his conversion more memorable to the convert, it has never been proved that converts who show them are more persevering or fertile in good fruits than those whose change of heart has had less violent accompaniments. On the whole, unconsciousness, convulsions, visions, involuntary vocal utterances, and suffocation, must be simply ascribed to the subject's having a large subliminal region, involving nervous instability. This is often the subject's own view of the matter afterwards. One of Starbuck's correspondents writes, for instance: * Consult WILLIAM B. SPRAGUE: Lectures on Revivals of Religion, New York, 1832, in the long Appendix to which the opinions of a large number of ministers are given. "I have been through the experience which is known as conversion. My explanation of it is this: the subject works his emotions up to the breaking point, at the same time resisting their physical manifestations, such as quickened pulse, etc., and then suddenly lets them have their full sway over his body. The relief is something wonderful, and the pleasurable effects of the emotions are experienced to the highest degree." There is one form of sensory automatism which possibly deserves special notice on account of its frequency. I refer to hallucinatory or pseudo-hallucinatory luminous phenomena, photisms, to use the term of the psychologists. Saint Paul's blinding heavenly vision seems to have been a phenomen of this sort; so does Constantine's cross in the sky. The last case but one which I quoted mentions floods of light and glory. Henry Alline mentions a light, about whose externality he seems uncertain. Colonel Gardiner sees a blazing light. President Finney writes: "All at once the glory of God shone upon and round about me in a manner almost marvelous.... A light perfectly ineffable shone in my soul, that almost prostrated me on the ground. This light seemed like the brightness of the sun in every direction. It was too intense for the eyes.... I think I knew something then, by actual experience, of that light that prostrated Paul on the way to Damascus. It was surely a light such as I could not have endured long." * * Memoirs, p. 34. Such reports of photisms are indeed far from uncommon. Here is another from Starbuck's collection, where the light appeared evidently external: "I had attended a series of revival services for about two weeks off and on. Had been invited to the altar several times, all the time becoming more deeply impressed, when finally I decided I must do this, or I should be lost. Realization of conversion was very vivid, like a ton's weight being lifted from my heart; a strange light which seemed to light up the whole room (for it was dark); a conscious supreme bliss which caused me to repeat 'Glory to God' for a long time. Decided to be God's child for life, and to give up my pet ambition, wealth and social position. My former habits of life hindered my growth somewhat, but I set about overcoming these systematically, and in one year my whole nature was changed, i. e., my ambitions were of a different order." Here is another one of Starbuck's cases, involving a luminous element: "I had been clearly converted twenty-three years before, or rather reclaimed. My experience in regeneration was then clear and spiritual, and I had not backslidden. But I experienced entire sanctification on the 15th day of March, 1893, about eleven o'clock in the morning. The particular accompaniments of the experience were entirely unexpected. I was quietly sitting at home singing selections out of Pentecostal Hymns. Suddenly there seemed to be a something sweeping into me and inflating my entire being- such a sensation as I had never experienced before. When this experience came, I seemed to be conducted around a large, capacious, well-lighted room. As I walked with my invisible conductor and looked around, a clear thought was coined in my mind, 'They are not here, they are gone.' As soon as the thought was definitely formed in my mind, though no word was spoken, the Holy Spirit impressed me that I was surveying my own soul. Then, for the first time in all my life, did I know that I was cleansed from all sin, and filled with the fullness of God." Leuba quotes the case of a Mr. Peck, where the luminous affection reminds one of the chromatic hallucinations produced by the intoxicant cactus buds called mescal by the Mexicans: "When I went in the morning into the fields to work, the glory of God appeared in all his visible creation. I well remember we reaped oats, and how every straw and head of the oats seemed, as it were, arrayed in a kind of rainbow glory, or to glow, if I may so express it, in the glory of God." * * These reports of sensorial photism shade off into what are evidently only metaphorical accounts of the sense of new spiritual illumination, as, for instance, in Brainerd's statement: "As I was walking in a thick grove, unspeakable glory seemed to open to the apprehension of my soul. I do not mean any external brightness, for I saw no such thing, nor any imagination of a body of light in the third heavens, or anything of that nature, but it was a new inward apprehension or view that I had of God." In a case like this next one from Starbuck's manuscript collection, the lighting up of the darkness is probably also metaphorical: "One Sunday night, I resolved that when I got home to the ranch where I was working, I would offer myself with my faculties and all to God to be used only by and for him. It was raining and the roads were muddy; but this desire grew so strong that I kneeled down by the side of the road and told God all about it, intending then to get up and go on. Such a thing as any special answer to my prayer never entered my mind, having been converted by faith, but still being most undoubtedly saved. Well, while I was praying, I remember holding out my hands to God and telling him they should work for him, my feet walk for him, my tongue speak for him, etc., etc., if he would only use me as his instrument and give me a satisfying experience- when suddenly the darkness of the night seemed lit up- I felt, realized, knew, that God heard and answered my prayer. Deep happiness came over me; I felt I was accepted into the inner circle of God's loved ones." In the following case also the flash of light is metaphorical: "A prayer meeting had been called for at close of evening service. The minister supposed me impressed by his discourse (a mistake- he was dull). He came and, placing his hand upon my shoulder, said: 'Do you not want to give your heart to God?' I replied in the affirmative. Then said he, 'Come to the front seat.' They sang and prayed and talked with me. I experienced nothing but unaccountable wretchedness. They declared that the reason why I did not 'obtain peace' was because I was not willing to give up all to God. After about two hours the minister said we would go home. As usual, on retiring, I prayed. In great distress, I at this time simply said, I Lord, I have done all I can, I leave the whole matter with thee.' Immediately, like a flash of light, there came to me a great peace, and I arose and went into my parents' bedroom and said, 'I do feel so wonderfully happy.' This I regard as the hour of conversion. It was the hour in which I became assured of divine acceptance and favor. So far as my life was concerned, it made little immediate change." The most characteristic of all the elements of the conversion crisis, and the last one of which I shall speak, is the ecstasy of happiness produced. We have already heard several accounts of it, but I will add a couple more. President Finney's is so vivid that I give it at length: "All my feelings seemed to rise and flow out; and the utterance of my heart was, 'I want to pour my whole soul out to God.' The rising of my soul was so great that I rushed into the back room of the front office, to pray. There was no fire and no light in the room; nevertheless it appeared to me as if it were perfectly light. As I went in and shut the door after me, it seemed as if I met the Lord Jesus Christ face to face. It did not occur to me then, nor did it for some time afterwards, that it was wholly a mental state. On the contrary, it seemed to me that I saw him as I would see any other man. He said nothing, but looked at me in such a manner as to break me right down at his feet. I have always since regarded this as a most remarkable state of mind; for it seemed to me a reality that he stood before me, and I fell down at his feet and poured out my soul to him. I wept aloud like a child, and made such confessions as I could with my choked utterance. It seemed to me that I bathed his feet with my tears; and yet I had no distinct impression that I touched him, that I recollect. I must have continued in this state for a good while; but my mind was too much absorbed with the interview to recollect anything that I said. But I know, as soon as my mind became calm enough to break off from the interview, I returned to the front office, and found that the fire that I had made of large wood was nearly burned out. But as I turned and was about to take a seat by the fire, I received a mighty baptism of the Holy Ghost. Without any expectation of it, without ever having the thought in my mind that there was any such thing for me, without any recollection that I had ever heard the thing mentioned by any person in the world, the Holy Spirit descended upon me in a manner that seemed to go through me, body and soul. I could feel the impression, like a wave of electricity, going through and through me. Indeed, it seemed to come in waves and waves of liquid love; for I could not express it in any other way. It seemed like the very breath of God. I can recollect distinctly that it seemed to fan me, like immense wings. "No words can express the wonderful love that was shed abroad in my heart. I wept aloud with joy and love; and I do not know but I should say I literally bellowed out the unutterable gushings of my heart. These waves came over me, and over me, and over me, one after the other, until I recollect I cried out, 'I shall die if these waves continue to pass over me.' I said, 'Lord, I cannot bear any more;' yet I had no fear of death. "How long I continued in this state, with this baptism continuing to roll over me and go through me, I do not know. But I know it was late in the evening when a member of my choir- for I was the leader of the choir- came into the office to see me. He was a member of the church. He found me in this state of loud weeping, and said to me, 'Mr. Finney, what ails you?' I could make him no answer for some time. He then said, 'Are you in pain?' I gathered myself up as best I could, and replied, 'No, but so happy that I cannot live.'" I just now quoted Billy Bray; I cannot do better than give his own brief account of his post-conversion feelings: "I can't help praising the Lord. As I go along the street, I lift up one foot, and it seems to say 'Glory'; and I lift up the other, and it seems to say 'Amen'; and so they keep up like that all the time I am walking." * * I add in a note a few more records: "One morning, being in deep distress, fearing every moment I should drop into hell, I was constrained to cry in earnest for mercy, and the Lord came to my relief, and delivered my soul from the burden and guilt of sin. My whole frame was in a tremor from head to foot, and my soul enjoyed sweet peace. The pleasure I then felt was indescribable, The happiness lasted about three days, during which time I never spoke to any person about my feelings." Autobiography of DAN YOUNG, edited by W.P. STRICKLAND, New York, 1860. "In an instant there rose up in me such a sense of God's taking care of those who put their trust in him that for an hour all the world was crystalline, the heavens were lucid, and I sprang to my feet and began to cry and laugh." H.W. BEECHER, quoted by LEUBA. "My tears of sorrow changed to joy, and I lay there praising God in such ecstasy of joy as only the soul who experiences it can realize."- "I cannot express how I felt. It was as if I had been in a dark dungeon and lifted into the light of the sun. I shouted and I sang praise unto him who loved me and washed me from my sins. I was forced to retire into a secret place, for the tears did flow, and I did not wish my shopmates to see me, and yet I could not keep it a secret."- "I experienced joy almost to weeping."- "I felt my face must have shone like that of Moses. I had a general feeling of buoyancy. It was the greatest joy it was ever my lot to experience."- "I wept and laughed alternately. I was as light as if walking on air. I felt as if I had gained greater peace and happiness than I had ever expected to experience." STARBUCK'S correspondents. One word, before I close this lecture, on the question of the transiency or permanence of these abrupt conversions. Some of you, I feel sure, knowing that numerous backslidings and relapses take place, make of these their apperceiving mass for interpreting the whole subject, and dismiss it with a pitying smile at so much 'hysterics.' Psychologically, as well as religiously, however, this is shallow. It misses the point of serious interest, which is not so much the duration as the nature and quality of these shiftings of character to higher levels. Men lapse from every level- we need no statistics to tell us that. Love is, for instance, well known not to be irrevocable, yet, constant or inconstant, it reveals new flights and reaches of ideality while it lasts. These revelations form its significance to men and women, whatever be its duration. So with the conversion experience: that it should for even a short time show a human being what the highwater mark of his spiritual capacity is, this is what constitutes its importance,- an importance which backsliding cannot diminish, although persistence might increase it. As a matter of fact, all the more striking instances of conversion, all those, for instance, which I have quoted, have been permanent. The case of which there might be most doubt, on account of its suggesting so strongly an epileptoid seizure, was the case of M. Ratisbonne. Yet I am informed that Ratisbonne's whole future was shaped by those few minutes. He gave up his project of marriage, became a priest, founded at Jerusalem, where he went to dwell, a mission of nuns for the conversion of the Jews, showed no tendency to use for egotistic purposes the notoriety given him by the peculiar circumstances of his conversion,- which, for the rest, he could seldom refer to without tears,- and in short remained an exemplary son of the Church until he died, late in the 80's, if I remember rightly. The only statistics I know of, on the subject of the duration of conversions, are those collected for Professor Starbuck by Miss Johnston. They embrace only a hundred persons, evangelical church-members, more than half being Methodists. According to the statement of the subjects themselves, there had been backsliding of some sort in nearly all the cases, 93 per cent. of the women, 77 per cent. of the men. Discussing the returns more minutely, Starbuck finds that only 6 per cent. are relapses from the religious faith which the conversion confirmed, and that the backsliding complained of is in most only a fluctuation in the ardor of sentiment. Only six of the hundred cases report a change of faith. Starbuck's conclusion is that the effect of conversion is to bring with it "a changed attitude towards life, which is fairly constant and permanent, although the feelings fluctuate.... In other words, the persons who have passed through conversion, having once taken a stand for the religious life, tend to feel themselves identified with it, no matter how much their religious enthusiasm declines." * * Psychology of Religion, pp. 360, 357.

The sword was made to Gryffindor's specifications by Ragnuk the First, King of the Goblins. When it was finished, Ragnuk coveted it so much that he pretended Gryffindor had stolen it from him and sent minions to steal it back; however, Gryffindor bewitched the minions rather than killing them, and sent them back to Ragnuk to deliver the message that if Ragnuk ever tried to steal from Gryffindor again, the latter would unsheathe the sword against all the goblins. The goblin king took the threat seriously and left Gryffindor in possession of his rightful property, but remained resentful until he died. This was the foundation for the false legend of Gryffindor's theft that persists, in some sections of the goblin community, to this day. Affray in the Chamber of Secrets In May of 1993, the sword materialised inside the old school Sorting Hat when Harry was inside the Chamber of Secrets. Harry then used the sword to kill Salazar Slytherin's Basilisk, which was hiding inside the bowels of the Chamber. This caused the sword to be imbued with basilisk venom (since goblin-made items only imbibe what makes them stronger) and hence gained the ability to destroy Horcruxes. After the events of that year, the sword resided in the Headmaster’s office and was kept safe within a glass case. Hunt for Horcruxes - Rufus Scrimgeour: "Was it because Dumbledore believed that only the sword of Godric Gryffindor could defeat the Heir of Slytherin? Did he wish to give you that sword, Potter, because he believed, as do many, that you are the one destined to destroy He Who Must Not Be Named?" - Harry Potter: "Interesting theory. Has anyone ever tried sticking a sword in Voldemort?" - — Scrimgeour and the trio discussing the contents of Albus Dumbledore's will[src] During the summer of 1996, Albus Dumbledore used the sword on the Gaunt family ring, which was one of Lord Voldemort's Horcruxes. The sword cracked the stone in the ring, destroying it as a Horcrux, but it still worked as the Resurrection Stone. Before he died, Dumbledore entrusted the sword to Harry in his will. However, Rufus Scrimgeour claimed that the sword was not Dumbledore's to give away, and refused to give it to Harry. Dumbledore placed an identical copy of the sword in his office, because he knew that the Ministry of Magic would try to confiscate it, and hid the real sword in a hole in the wall behind his portrait. Sure enough, the sword on display in the Headmaster's office was later taken by Rufus Scrimgeour for examination. When the sword was returned to the Headmaster's office, students Ginny Weasley, Neville Longbottom, and Luna Lovegood attempted to steal it for Harry. Following that incident, Severus Snape passed the counterfeit sword to Bellatrix Lestrange, who stored it in her Gringotts vault. Upon discovering where Harry and his friends were camping out, Dumbledore's portrait instructed Snape to give Harry the real sword without Harry knowing that it was Snape, in case Voldemort found out through Legilimency on Harry. Snape deposited the real sword in a frozen lake in the Forest of Dean and left a Patronus to guide Harry to the sword. When Harry tried to retrieve the sword, Salazar Slytherin's Locket closed around his neck and attempted to strangle him, sensing that its destruction was near. Ron Weasley came to Harry's rescue, retrieved the sword from the lake and used it to stab the locket, destroying the Horcrux. Skirmish at Malfoy Manor Later, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were captured by the Death Eaters and sent to Malfoy Manor. Harry and Ron were imprisoned in the cellar along with Luna Lovegood, Dean Thomas, Mr Ollivander and the goblin Griphook while Hermione was being tortured and interrogated by Bellatrix Lestrange. Bellatrix demanded to know where the trio came into the possession of the sword, thinking that they had broke into her vault for it. She summoned Griphook to verify the sword, and at Harry's request, Griphook lied and said that it was a fake. Break-in of Gringotts Wizarding Bank When Harry and the rest were saved by Dobby to Shell Cottage, Harry asked for Griphook's assistance to break into Bellatrix Lestrange's vault at Gringotts, as he suspected another Horcrux was hidden within it. Griphook, impressed by Harry's respectful treatment of the house elf, agreed to help on the grounds that he would be given the real sword as payment. Harry agreed reluctantly. When their break-in was discovered, Griphook seized the real sword and ran with it. But even after he took the real sword, the news of Harry, Ron and Hermione's break-in of Gringotts got to Voldemort, the Dark Lord fired Killing Curses at the Gringotts personnel and even Griphook himself. The sword vanished from Griphook's hand. - "The slash of the silver blade could not be heard over the roar of the oncoming crowd or the sounds of the clashing giants or of the stampeding centaurs, and yet it seemed to draw every eye." - —Neville weilding the sword during the final battle[src] In the Battle of Hogwarts, the sword reappeared in the Sorting Hat for Neville Longbottom and following Harry Potter's orders he used it to behead Nagini, Voldemort's snake and his last remaining Horcrux in a single stroke of the blade, rendering Voldemort a mortal man once more. The sword was last mentioned lying beside Neville in the Great Hall following the conclusion of the final battle and the end to the Second Wizarding War. The Sword of Gryffindor contains special properties that only goblin-made metalwork would possess, most notably the ability to take on the power of substances it touches - especially those that would make it stronger. Behind the scenes - Gryffindor's sword owes something to the legend of Excalibur, Arthur's sword, as it had to be drawn from a rock by the rightful king as only a rightful Gryffindor can hold Gryffindor's sword. - The role of the sword in the Chamber of Secrets film is much the same as in the book; however in the PC, PS1 and PS2 versions of the video game based on the film, the sword has a long range attack; a ball of light (PC), lightning/a curving beam of light (PS2/Xbox and Gamecube) or basilisk venom which can be launched from the sword, though it in the case of the PS2, Xbox and Gamecube versions, the sword flies out of Harry's hands once the Basilisk is properly damaged with it (and the boss music will stop until the sword is picked up again but only for the latter two console versions). - In the PS1 version, however, the instead sword repels the venom like how shiny metal or a mirror would repel a laser, and the player has to direct the shot onto the basilisk's fangs. It is only in the GBC version of Chamber of Secrets that the sword has a physical, non-magical attack used. - The sword is featured in the hand of the goblin Griphook on the front cover of the UK version of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The sword is also featured on the front cover of the German version of the book. - An illustration of the sword can also be seen being held by Dumbledore before Chapter Eighteen in the American version of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. In this image, the sword has a curved blade, like a scimitar, while in the film it is straight, like a knight's sword. On the American dust jacket of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry has a sword in his belt, and this sword has a cup-hilt which guards the fingers, unlike the cross-hilt sword of the movies and the Chapter Eighteen illustration. - The sword was used twice in the series (by Harry Potter and Neville Longbottom) to kill snakes: Salazar Slytherin's Basilisk and Nagini, respectively. This may symbolise Godric Gryffindor's enmity with Salazar Slytherin, who was closely associated with serpents. This may also have been an homage to the courtly tales of heroes "slaying dragons with swords," (e.g. Saint George). - It is interesting to note that the sword is the only one of the main relics of the Hogwarts Founders that is not a Horcrux but one of the few things that can destroy a Horcrux. Slytherin's Locket, Hufflepuff's Cup and Ravenclaw's Diadem are the other relics, but are also Horcruxes. - In the series the sword's size changes often, on the cover of the seventh novel it looks more like a large dagger than sword, as mentioned above it appears like a scimitar in the American version illustrations. In the films the handle appears to have a one handed handle but when Neville wields it, its handle is relatively long and is more a hand and a half. In the PS2 version of the game, it is as short as a short sword, while the PS1, Xbox and Gamecube versions have its length and design akin to a normal broadsword. Some fans theorise that it was enchanted to adjust its size appropriately to the worthy wielder's size and style of combat, single or double-handed. This has yet to be confirmed or discredited. - The sword is Matthew Lewis's favourite prop from the series. - Twice, the sword presented itself to a Gryffindor who doubted that they belonged. Harry Potter pulled the sword out of the Sorting Hat, when he was worrying that he should have been in Slytherin, and Neville Longbottom had an argument with the Sorting Hat; The hat wanted to put Neville in Gryffindor but Neville was scared and wanted to be put in Hufflepuff. Later, he pulled the sword out of the hat. - The sword, along with the Sorting Hat, are the only remaining relics of the Hogwarts Founders, as the others were turned into Horcruxes by Voldemort and subsequently destroyed in an effort to defeat Voldemort. Both belonged to Godric Gryffindor. - Ironically, though the sword is a Gryffindor relic, it is made of silver which is a Slytherin colour. However, this is likely out of necessity as a solid gold sword would be far too heavy to lift, let alone wield. In addition, gold is also a rather unsuitable metal for a sword: besides its weight being unruly for a weapon, it is also an incredibly soft metal with a very low melting point. Gold is so dense that a brick of it the size of a match box can be hammered down to cover an area the size of the average tennis court. - Its composition of silver is fitting for a sword used to slay dark creatures and destroy dark objects as silver is often used in mythology as metal that can kill monsters such as Vampires, Werewolves, and more. - In the film adaptation, the design of the Sword of Gryffindor has a blatant resemblance to one of the ceremonial swords of Napoleon Bonaparte. The only few differences would be the silver hilt, a label of Godric Gryffindor on the handle and the rubies on the pommel and the guard. - Interestingly, the sword's quality of imbibing only that which strengthens it corresponds with muggle philosopher Frederich Nieztche's famous quote, "That which does not kill me only makes me stronger." And this is very much the principle that the Sword of Gryffindor exemplifies. - Ironically, it also has qualities mentioned by Snape during a lecture on the nature of the Dark Arts, that they are mutating, ever-changing, indestructible. Funny that a sword that was used to destroy the darkest and foulest of magical objects would in and of itself be similar in nature to the forces it was being used to fight against, much like the classic saying, "Fight fire with fire." And this fits the sword due to it being the legacy of Gryffindor, whose house corresponds with the element of fire. - The sword's rubies and silver blade and possession of a man whose emblem is a lion and possesses red hair and lion-like features is reminiscent of the character Lion-O from the 80's cartoon series, Thundercats and the Sword of Omens. This, and also the fact that only the worthy are able to wield or summon each sword, and that they are used against an enemy with a serpent as their insignia and mottif, Voldemort and Mumm-Ra for Gryffinor students Harry Potter and Neville Longbottom, and Lion-O respectively. "The question of why a wizard would need a sword, though often asked, is easily answered. In the days before the International Statute of Secrecy, when wizards mingled freely with Muggles, they would use swords to defend themselves just as often as wands. Indeed, it was considered unsporting to use a wand against a Muggle sword (which is not to say it was never done). Many gifted wizards were also accomplished duellists in the conventional sense, Gryffindor among them. There have been many enchanted swords in folklore. The Sword of Nuadu, part of the four legendary treasures of Tuatha Dé Danann, was invincible when drawn. Gryffindor's sword owes something to the legend of Excalibur, the sword of King Arthur, which in some legends must be drawn from a stone by the rightful king. The idea of fitness to carry the sword is echoed in the sword of Gryffindor's return to worthy members of its true owner's house." - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (First appearance) - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film) - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game) - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game) (Appears on a Famous Wizard Card) - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Mentioned only) - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film) (Seen in deleted scene) - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game) (Mentioned only) - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film) - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (video game) - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (video game) - LEGO Harry Potter: Building the Magical World - LEGO Harry Potter - The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - LEGO Harry Potter - LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 - LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7 - Harry Potter Trading Card Game - Harry Potter for Kinect - Harry Potter: The Character Vault - Harry Potter: The Creature Vault (mentioned only) Notes and references - ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Pottermore - Writing by J.K. Rowling: "The Sword of Gryffindor" - ↑ Pottermore states that the sword was made "a thousand years ago"; as it is written from the perspective of Chamber of Secrets, it is written in 1992; subtract a thousand to get 992. - ↑ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3FP-nmkFL0&feature=relmfu - ↑ http://collecthingblog.wordpress.com/2013/02/14/napoleon-ceremonial-swordtoledo-spain1809-by-martin-biennaisi-found-a-very-nice-replica/ - ↑ http://getasword.com/1531-thickbox_default/ceremonial-sword-of-napoleon-gold.jpg - ↑ It is partially seen in glass case to the left of Dumbledore's portrait

It's two o'clock in the morning and I'm kneeling on the tile floor in my bathroom at the Fort Myers Comfort Suites Inn, puking into a toilet that earlier in the day, according to the paper strip I'm now clinging to, had been sanitized for my protection. Food poisoning, most likely -- a bad decision made hours earlier after debating between Arby's and McDonald's -- and it has left me a wretching invalid. It couldn't have happened at a more inconvenient time, on the very morning I am to meet the man who would be governor: Jeb Bush. Parked right outside my window, only a few feet away, is the motor home in which Bush and I will cruise the state during a six-day, fun-filled campaign tour. Unable to sleep, I lie in bed until about 6:15, when I straggle out to the parking lot. Cory Tilley, Bush's press secretary, meets me in front of the hotel and takes me over to see the man. "Hi," Bush smiles. "How are you?" "I've been throwing up all night," I say while shaking his hand. "You didn't eat at Arby's last night, did you?" Bush shakes his head no. "Good thinking," I tell him. A slightly nervous Tilley later tells me that he hopes my vomiting isn't an omen for the rest of the trip. I make no promises, but as we depart for our first event A a breakfast roundtable with the Cape Coral Fraternal Order of Police -- I let everyone know I'll be passing on the runny eggs and greasy sausage. Considered to be the front-runner for the Republican gubernatorial nomination, Jeb Bush is expected to come out of his party's September 8 primary in first place, with perhaps as much as 40 percent of the vote. That would place him in an October runoff against one of his three principal GOP challengers: Insurance Commissioner Tom Gallagher, Secretary of State Jim Smith, or State Senate President Ander Crenshaw. If Bush were to win the runoff -- a prospect still very much in doubt -- he would then face a November showdown with Gov. Lawton Chiles, a politician who has never lost an election in his 35 years of public service. Despite the fact that Bush has never run for elected office, many people are suggesting he has a chance to win. Of course, he does count among his assets one thing no other candidate can -- that powerhouse last name. It ensures instant voter recognition and provides an established campaign apparatus. His father won Florida in 1992, and the younger Bush has brought onboard as much of his dad's organizational network as he could muster. The Bush name also means money. As of last month he had raised four million dollars, more than any other candidate in either party, with a sizable portion -- about fifteen percent -- coming from outside the state. As other Republican candidates are limping along with two or three paid staffers, Bush's juggernaut counts a staff of fifteen, spread among offices in Tallahassee, Orlando, and Miami. In addition, the family name guarantees press attention. Earlier in the year, the Today show hit the campaign trail with Bush. The New York Times, Newsweek magazine, and USA Today have all published stories about Bush's run for office A a media onslaught his rivals could never hope to match. And though it might be easy to dismiss him as merely the son of a former president enjoying a free ride on his daddy's coattails, Bush has not taken the name for granted. He announced his candidacy extremely early, on January 1, 1993, and has been campaigning throughout the state six days a week, virtually every week, for more than a year. Usually he travels light -- a rented car with a staffer behind the wheel -- and hits a couple of events each day. But every so often Bush mounts a more ambitious outing, a motor home tour. This is the seventh, and by far the largest. We are scheduled to appear at nearly 50 events in 28 towns over the next six days, and will log more than 1000 miles crisscrossing the state from Fort Myers to Okeechobee to Daytona Beach and then eventually down the east coast to Fort Lauderdale. The Bushcapade will include a lead car, a minivan, and the rather luxurious Coachmaster motor home for Bush, his wife Columba, son George, running mate Tom Feeney (a state representative from Orlando), and later Feeney's wife Ellen. Off and on during the week, eight members of the press will join them on the motor home, though only I have signed on for all six days. Press secretary Cory Tilley initially was puzzled by my interest. "Are you sure you want to be there every day?" he had asked by phone from Tallahassee. "Of course," I had assured him. "It sounds like fun." It also sounded like an unusual opportunity for an intimate look at Bush, at the emotions he plays to, and at the people who support him -- not to mention a week away from my office. If Tilley was puzzled, Bush himself was cautious around me that first day, perhaps because of my digestive problems, but more than likely because I work for New Times. In 1991 the newspaper had published a highly unflattering story about Bush called "Dirty Money." I later learned that neither he nor his campaign manager had been consulted before Tilley invited me along. Bush's media consultant, Alex Castellanos, later told me: "Most campaigns wouldn't even let you follow the bus." Bush told other reporters on the trip that my presence was part of a grand experiment designed to test the limits of his campaign's open-press policy. As we pull up to the Fraternal Order of Police hall in Cape Coral, the motor home stops in a no-parking zone and Bush jumps out. Like any savvy politician running against an incumbent these days, he understands that his support grows in proportion to the public's sense of fear and insecurity. And so it isn't surprising that on this first day, and throughout the week, the strident rhetoric of a law-and-order candidate takes center stage. "The first priority of government is public safety," Bush tells the officers gathered for the morning meeting. As a society, he asserts, we should be guided by a simple principle: "When you do something wrong, bad things should happen to you. We have to build a prison system big enough to put the bad people away long enough for our fear to subside. And then when prisoners go to prison, we'd better make sure that it's not soft time, and it isn't something more comfortable than the folks who live outside the prison who are working hard and playing by the rules. It should be hard time. We should require work. Prisoners ought to be building the prisons, they ought to be growing the crops, they ought to be cleaning up the highways." That tough talk extends to the juvenile justice system as well. "We don't punish young people," Bush declares. "That should be at the core of our juvenile justice system. We should have punishment being the overriding philosophy in how we deal with children. That means more boot camps and fewer basket-weaving classes." Retribution. Revenge. Bush appeals to a crude sort of siege mentality that is emerging in Florida today, born of a belief that our laws and the criminal justice system are incapable of protecting anyone. Bush tells the officers -- as he will all the groups he meets with on the Gulf Coast -- the story of the Miami funeral home employee who was recently beaten by a mob, robbed, and then shot to death. His voice is solemn, and the officers shake their heads in disgust. When Tom Feeney rises to speak, he, too, invokes the funeral home employee, but what Bush had done implicitly, Feeney takes a step further, laying the blame squarely at one man's feet. "That's the kind of society we live in," he tells the officers, "after four years of Lawton Chiles." A call-in radio show is next, then a call-in television program and tours of a boot camp and a drug treatment facility for juveniles. After that it's time for lunch with the Lehigh Acres Community Council, where about 200 people have paid ten dollars apiece to hear Bush speak. "Are you ready, baby?" Bush hollers to Columba in the back of the motor home as they arrive. It's a little ritual repeated at almost every stop on the trip. Bush has a way of saying baby that evokes the image of an old-time gangster calling to his favorite moll. They are undeniably cute together; she's about five feet, two inches tall, he is six feet four. Bush never fails to elicit from his audiences an affectionate "ooohhh" when he tells the story of how they met, more than twenty years ago while he was part of a high school exchange program in Mexico. "If I could have done a somersault, I would have," he grins. At the luncheon several women tell Bush how much they admire his father and wish he was still president. The compliments point up an irony in Bush's race for governor, and in all the talk about Bush capitalizing on his father's name: In order to win in Florida Bush must mount the type of political campaign that defeated his father. He is striving to combine the best elements of both Ross Perot and Bill Clinton, but wrapped inside a highly conservative agenda. Like Perot, Jeb Bush is the businessman who portrays his lack of political experience (he tends to play down his brief stint as commerce secretary under Gov. Bob Martinez) as a virtue rather than a hindrance. He talks forcefully about starting a business with his friend Armando Codina, the Codina Bush Group, and building it from three employees to more than 160. He tells his audiences that it is time for government to be run as if it were a business in which the customer -- the taxpayer -- is always right. And like Clinton, the younger Bush has positioned himself along generational lines, striking home the theme that it is time for a change. "I'm a 41-year-old man who has been relatively successful in business, who has been married to the same precious, beautiful woman for twenty years," he declares in speech after speech. "And we came to Miami to pursue our dreams. We have three children, George, who is eighteen; Noel, who is sixteen; and Jeb, who is ten years old. I look into the future through my children's eyes, not through my own eyes any more, and what I see scares me and it angers me A that my generation, our generation, may be the first generation to leave less opportunity for our loved ones than was given to us. You see George and Barbara Bush, they did their part. Their generation passed the baton off to this one, and we've had an abundance of opportunity. "But look into the future through your children's eyes and can we honestly say today that, with the system of government we have, our future will be brighter for our children than it was for us? I don't think so. We are the most violent state of all the 50 states, with a welfare system creating the wrong incentives for the wrong people that we've doubled the welfare roles in this state in the last five years. We've created in the last decade a permanent underclass. I don't think our children can have a brighter future with an education system so mired in politics, so mired in social engineering and bureaucracy, that all we get is a mediocre result. And I know as I look into the future through my children's eyes that it will be near impossible for our kids to have more opportunity unless we return to the fundamental basic values that keep a society intact. Values such as work. Values such as strong families." As Bush answers questions from the luncheon crowd, I notice that Lehigh's Miss Patriotic -- a young woman who would seem to epitomize Bush's vision of the future and who also happened to get a more boisterous round of applause than the candidate when she walked into the luncheon -- is no longer in the room. I rush outside and see her, off in the distance, walking with her father. Breaking into a slow trot across the parking lot of the Admiral Lehigh Golf and Country Club, I sing out, "Yoo-whooooo, Miss Patriotic!" and begin to chuckle as I realize that this is the essence of Republican politics, the apple-pie, God-bless-America, live-free-or-die, country-club circuit I'm on for five more days, where candidates are likely to be upstaged by hometown favorites like Miss Patriotic, and as likely to brag about which professional golfers are supporting them as they are about which newspapers have endorsed them. ("You know, Greg Norman contributed to my campaign," Bush later beams.) Republicans! Miss Patriotic is sixteen-year-old Emily Heller, and hearing my calls, she turns and waits for my approach. I have two main questions: How does one become Miss Patriotic? She says she won the Stars and Stripes pageant on the Fourth of July. "I wore something red, white, and blue," she explains. "And I spoke about the freedom and opportunity that every American enjoys." And what does she think of Jeb Bush? "I really like what he has to say about family values," she replies, though she withholds a formal endorsement. And with that her father pulls alongside in the family car and she hops in. "So long," she says, waving and smiling, not so much to me but to everyone and everything in her path. If only Miss Patriotic could meet Venessa Boren and instill in her a little cheer. Bush and I met ten-year-old Venessa later that afternoon at a meeting of the Lee County Young Republicans. Only about a dozen people had shown up at the University of South Florida campus to hear Bush, who nonetheless gave them the complete speech, and followed with questions and answers. It was at this point that young Venessa, accompanied by her father, raised her hand. When Bush called on her, she began a long, thoughtful question about the growing problems caused by illegal immigrants, especially the staggering health care costs associated with them. "We've been on the road doing this for about ten hours now," Bush responded, "and that was the best question of the day." "And we've had five reporters riding with us all day, as well!" Tom Finney chimed in. Venessa didn't even crack a smile. Bush answered the question as best he could, outlining a get-tough policy with regard to illegal immigrants, but also explaining that the state is required to provide medical attention to all indigent patients, whether or not they are citizens. "I think there should be a limit to how much health care we should provide," Venessa told me after the meeting. Her classes at school include a growing number of immigrant children. "Government has to pay for them," she noted sternly. Should she really be this concerned at such a young age? "People need to be involved in the issues that affect them," she said. "Besides, I like listening to politics. It sort of fascinates me." But don't expect Venessa to run for office someday. "I plan on being a marine biologist and living in Australia, somewhere very secluded," she added. Her precocious expatriate plans stem from her disillusionment with the United States. "I think America, while it may be the best country in some ways, it is also probably the worst country," she sighed as her father looked on, beaming with pride. Our next stop is WBR-TV A dubbed "We Be Republican" television by the Bushcapade press corps. The station is unabashed in its zeal for the Grand Old Party. "This is right-wing biased television, absolutely," ad executive Gabe Ambrosio gleefully admits. "We're right up front about it." Bush receives great television coverage throughout his time on the Gulf Coast. In addition to the talk shows, nearly all the local news programs broadcast reports about his visit. "It's great here," Bush grins. "In Dade County, to get any coverage you've basically got to have a sheet over your face and be dead. "If you've got a sheet over your face and you're alive, then you might at least get on Channel 7." The high spirits continue through the day's final event, a barbecue fundraiser at the waterfront home of Claudia and Richard Cowart. In less than 90 minutes, Bush walks out of the party with a tray full of ribs and checks totaling nearly $10,000 in contributions. After fifteen hours, Bush is finally warming up to me, in part because I've assumed the role of motor-home jester. On the way to the hotel, I point out how strange it would be if we got into a fatal accident right now. Besides Jeb, Columba, and their son George, Edward Kennedy is with us (he's a photographer for the Palm Beach Post). "Imagine some confused editor getting a list of these names in the middle of the night over the news wire," I say. "He's trying to figure out what the former president, his son, and the senior senator from Massachusetts are doing in a motor home out in the Florida boonies." Imagine the headlines if the accident happened on deadline and the details were sketchy. Bush chuckles at the prospect. But at that very moment the motor home is cut off by a horn-blasting freak of a driver. We swerve dramatically to avoid hitting the car. For a moment everyone is quiet, then Bush begins laughing hysterically. Wheezing, his face turning red, he slaps me on the knee and we all begin to cackle. After checking into the Punta Gorda Holiday Inn and a brief stint in the bar, I notice that the first event tomorrow, according to the press schedule, is a 7:30 a.m. breakfast in the hotel restaurant with extensive remarks expected by the candidate. I set my alarm for 8:15. "There you are," Cory Tilley greets me as I stumble, bags in tow, up to the front desk of the Punta Gorda Holiday Inn shortly before 9:00 a.m. "Where were you? We had a huge crowd this morning for you press cynics. A huge crowd." Soon the candidate comes strolling through the lobby followed by a serious-looking Diane D'Andrea, Charlotte County chairwoman of the Bush for Governor campaign. As we board the motor home, D'Andrea briefs Bush on how things are shaping up in the county. She notes that most of the doctors in the area have come out in support of Ander Crenshaw, the president of the state senate. "I told them, 'Okay, but you know Jeb is going to get the nomination,'" she recounts for Bush, who is scanning several morning papers from around the state. "I told them, that in September, after the primary, they could buy their way back in [to Bush's good graces with campaign contributions]. We'll punish them." Bush looks up from his newspaper. "Not punish," he corrects her with a smile. "You mean include them in our winning team." D'Andrea grins and nods. Feeney then reads aloud a Tampa Tribune article in which Crenshaw once again launches an attack on gays. "Oh, great," Bush responds, uncomfortable at the prospect of fielding a new round of press questions about the subject. "Back to the big issue of the campaign." He then grabs the end of his tie, holds it straight up, lets his head drop to his right shoulder, and flops out his tongue, as if he'd just been hanged. In the last 24 hours, at two events, he has been confronted by gays, including one man suffering from AIDS. In each instance Bush handled their questions deftly but without sugarcoating his positions. He flatly tells them he is opposed to any expansion of civil rights laws that would explicitly prohibit discrimination against homosexuals. On the agenda today is a series of walking tours. Bush will stroll the corridors of the Punta Gorda City Hall with Mayor Rufus Lazzell. He'll visit the Port Charlotte Cultural Center, where Columba will buy him a stuffed toy called a "damnit doll" that can be thrown, pounded, or maniacally twisted to relieve stress. He'll tour the Venice Police Department, where Chief Joseph Slapp will ask Bush quite earnestly, on three separate occasions during his 45-minute visit, to please consider him for the job of FBI director should Bush ever become President of the United States. And he'll call on the folks at Kimal Lumber, where, because of a fluke of timing, he arrives at the mill just as the five o'clock whistle sounds and nearly all the employees head for the main gate while Bush is in the office meeting with Kimal's manager. Several staffers try to stop the workers from going home so Bush can meet them and shake their hands -- which, after all, was one of the reasons for the visit -- but the staffers quickly relent when they realize it's probably not a good idea to irritate people with such ready access to two-by-fours. Bush hangs around the mill for more than an hour anyway, saying he simply loves the smell of fresh-cut lumber. Between tours Bush pays his respects to the area's various newspapers. At the Charlotte Sun Herald he is asked if he's concerned with the perceived importance to his campaign of the Christian conservative movement, and whether he might wind up being too indebted to their cause. "I don't sense it as this jihad that you're describing," Bush replies. "I don't know what it is they would ask me, but I'm probably in agreement already." When the meeting concludes, the publisher, Derek Dunn-Rankin, and the other members of the paper's editorial board adjourn for a private luncheon with Bush and Feeney at the Charlotte Harbor Yacht Club. Among today's three newspapers, the publishers, editors, and reporters he met were all men, all white. Each day on the campaign trail, several times a day, Bush tells the story of two women. One of them, a single mother, has worked for HRS for five years, earns about $12,500 per year, and receives no government assistance. "She doesn't want it," Bush says, "and she's not entitled to it." The other woman doesn't work, he hisses, at least not officially. She has two children and is pregnant with a third. "She gets Medicaid for free," he says. "She gets food stamps." He rattles off other examples of government largess. She cheats on welfare, he says, by working on the side, earning $150 a month under the table, and her live-in boyfriend tosses another $25 per week into the household kitty. All told, through various welfare programs and the odd jobs she never reports, she pockets nearly $16,000 a year. Bush recounts the tale of the two women, which he claims was told to him by an official in Polk County, as a way of illustrating that welfare is being abused by lazy people who would rather have babies and live off the government than earn an honest wage. That he can tell this story in a way that makes a household income of under $16,000 seem luxurious is both a tribute to his oratorical skills and an indication of bitter middle-class frustration with the welfare system. "Prosperity comes from hard work," he says, which often draws applause. "And the virtue of work has been lost on our society." But isn't there something disingenuous -- elitist even -- about a man like Bush, who comes from a wealthy family and who has enjoyed every imaginable privilege throughout his life, railing against welfare and the poor? After all, how would he know what it's like out there? "Well, I'm not going to go into poverty to find out," he huffs. "I've spent a year campaigning full time. I've talked to a lot of people. I've listened and I've learned, which is a hell of a lot more than Lawton Chiles has done going from one photo op to another." At 7:45 a.m. Bush and I are standing in the back of Jacobson's, a men's and women's clothing store in downtown Osprey for a meeting of the Venice Area Chamber of Commerce. The candidate is impeccably attired in a dark blue suit. I'm wearing a Hawaiian shirt and faded blue jeans. Bush has already glad-handed his way through the crowd of insurance salesmen, car dealers, and bankers, and has now settled at the rear of the store with a cup of coffee as he waits for the chamber president to introduce him. In the meantime, he chats amiably with Mr. Jacobson, the silver-haired proprietor who bears a striking resemblance to famed fashion hound Mr. Blackwell. About 150 people have gathered to hear Bush and, as Mr. Jacobson unexpectedly announces, to enjoy a brief fashion show. I turn to Bush, incredulous: "Fashion show?" He shrugs. I nod. As the show begins, men and women alternate down a makeshift runway to polite applause. "Jeb," I ask, "how much would you give me if I jump up there and model what I've got on?" "Twenty-five bucks," he answers without hesitation, grinning. Quickly I head down a side aisle to a makeshift backstage area. "Sorry I'm late," I tell the woman coordinating things. "Late?" she asks. "Yup," I reply. "Mr. Jacobson says I need to get right on. New collection. Republican grunge. From the Limbaugh Line for Tubby Conservatives. We're all very excited about it." "Republican what?" she asks, but before she can say anything else, I've walked past her and have climbed onto the runway. I strike a playful pose in front of a display for the Ralph Lauren collection, give a quarter turn to the right, a half turn to the left, and wink knowingly at a woman in the first row. Across the room, Mr. Jacobson is frozen in place, eyes wide, mouth open -- a mercantile debutante whose coming-out party has suddenly been spoiled by some Animal House miscreant. Having never missed an episode of Cindy Crawford's House of Style on MTV or Fox's newest hit, Models Inc., I know what it takes to succeed. I must make the runway my own, and I do so by skipping across the platform to the Nautica display and delivering yet another sassy pose. At this point, I'm later told, Cory Tilley is overheard mumbling to himself, "Oh no. Oh no. Please no." As press shepherd it is his job to keep members of the media fed, watered, and moving in the right direction. But I have strayed. Worse, I seem to have gone mad, perhaps rabid. In an instant, Tilley has made up his mind: I must be put down for the sake of the herd. But before he can give the order to have my bags tossed off the motor home, somebody points out to him that Bush is laughing. And as I finish my strut down the center aisle, the room's initial shock quickly gives way to laughter and even applause. "I owe him 25 bucks!" Bush tells anyone who will listen. And a short time later, when we board the motor home, he breaks out his personal checkbook and ponies up the money. Bush has been writing a lot of checks lately, mostly for a series of television commercials scheduled to begin airing across Florida this week. The first spot deals exclusively with crime. Bush is nervous about how they will be received. Ed Kennedy, the Palm Beach Post photographer, tells him not to worry. He saw the ad around 4:30 in the morning and it seemed fine. Bush appears stunned. "Did you really see it at 4:30?" he asks. Definitely before 5:00 a.m., Kennedy says. "Four-thirty in the morning. Great, another goddamn conspiracy," Bush moans. For the rest of the day and into the night, he will repeatedly ask members of his staff to find out who authorized buying media time in the middle of the night. "I probably am a hard person to work for," he allows. "I demand excellence. But I don't yell and I don't scream. And I don't like mistakes that can be avoided." Today will not be a good day in that regard. Bush has four staffers traveling with him on this leg of the trip. He refers to them as his "gladiators for change." Cory Tilley is the 26-year-old press secretary who formerly worked as spokesman for the governor of Maine. More seasoned and less in awe of the campaign trail, he is a professed worrier. At one point he marvels that he doesn't yet have an ulcer, but the way he says it suggests he's actually disappointed. Tom DiNanno, who is also 26, has been with the campaign a few months and has the unenviable responsibility of driving the motor home. Brett Doster, 23 years old, is a recent graduate of the Citadel, the South Carolina military school recently forced by court order to accept women. Andy Feeney, also 23, is no relation to Tom Feeney, but when Andy, who also comes from Orlando, began seeing "Feeney" campaign signs around town a couple of years ago, he contacted Tom Feeney out of curiosity. That led to his volunteering at the state representative's district office, and now to being here on the road with him. The problems start in the afternoon. Highlands County organizers for Bush's campaign, it seems, have drawn up a list of activities for the candidate's visit. But the statewide staff A including Tilley, DiNanno, Doster, and Andy Feeney A has its own agenda. As a result Bush keeps being told he needs to be in different places at the same time, which does not please him. Rather than show any displeasure with the county organizers, who are all volunteers and often major contributors, Bush keeps prodding his paid staff to get its act together. "Are we in sync yet?" he glares at DiNanno after arriving 30 minutes late for a rally. "Yes, sir," DiNanno replies. "Because you know we haven't been in sync," Bush continues. In an effort to make up for the snafus, DiNanno and Doster line up another police station for Bush to tour. But the local county coordinator tells him they don't have time for the police station. "The county coordinator says we don't have time," Bush tells DiNanno. "What's going on?" DiNanno jumps out of the motor home for a quick meeting with the other staffers, and then returns to announce they've decided to cancel the police station and go wherever the county coordinator wants. In truth the local volunteers have screwed up. All schedules are supposed to be cleared through campaign headquarters in Tallahassee, and this one wasn't. "We're getting rolled right now," Cory Tilley says as Bush wanders up and down the aisles of a Kash-N-Karry supermarket in Sebring at the county coordinator's request. "We didn't even know we were coming here until fifteen minutes ago. We're getting rolled by the county organizers and the candidate isn't happy." What Bush needs is a good meal. What he needs is some swamp cabbage, an Okeechobee delicacy that combines boiled sabal palm cabbages with several pounds of bacon and sugar. Politically, most people wouldn't expect Okeechobee County to be a friendly place for someone like Bush. The overwhelming majority of registered voters here are Democrats, but they're "Southern Democrats," conservative as the day is long. More than 150 of them have turned out at a Grange hall, and although Bush is scheduled to make only brief remarks, the crowd has energized him. He gives the most rousing speech of the first three days, highlighted by near deafening applause when he says: "I love my dad dearly and I think he was a great president." Although 90 percent of these people won't be able to vote for him in the primary because they are registered Democrats, Tom Feeney points out they'll be getting a nice consolation prize: "We'll probably pull out of that room $10,000, maybe $20,000, in campaign contributions this cycle and again in November." After a three-hour drive north to Deltona, we arrive at the Best Western shortly before midnight. By the time I check in and get my room key, I learn the hotel bar has just closed. "Some advance work," I mutter to the front desk clerk. "And we're supposed to believe this man can run the whole damn state when he can't even find hotels with bars that stay open past midnight?" With bags and key in hand, I wander into the bar anyway. "We're closed!" shouts the woman behind the bar. I explain to her that I was hoping to get two double margaritas in plastic cups to take back to my room. She seems dubious. They're not even really for me, I tell her. "They're for Jeb Bush. You know, the president's son. He's running for governor," I explain, handing her a "Bush '94" button. "He can get mighty testy if he doesn't get his bedtime margarita." Between the button and the promise of a hefty tip, she finally relents. In the parking lot, on my way to my room, I run into Tom DiNanno. He's cleaning out the motor home, readying it for the morning. It had been a long day for all of us, but especially for DiNanno, and I think briefly about offering him one of my drinks. "Rough day," I say. "I understand when Jeb gets mad at us," DiNanno says, immediately picking up on my meaning. "It's okay. He just wants to do good. You have to realize, there is something special going on here. I believe in what's happening. It's not blind. I believe." DiNanno feels so passionately about Bush that when he talks of the campaign and the people involved, his hands tremble. At the moment, though, he is upset with himself; in some way, he may have let Bush down today. He promises things will go more smoothly tomorrow -- no glitches, no mistakes. From my room I see DiNanno spreading a road map across the trunk of one of the cars. He is joined by Andy Feeney and Brett Doster. Under the lights of the parking lot, they go over the directions they'll take the next day. To make absolutely sure they know where they're going, all three get into the car and actually drive the route in advance. As a result they don't get to bed until about 3:00 a.m. The Bush caravan has now nearly doubled in size. In addition to the lead car, the minivan, and the motor home, we've been joined by a second minivan and a large truck with the words "Marty's Grip and Lighting" stenciled on the door. A crew of eight accompanies the new vehicles. They are here to shoot footage of Bush on the campaign trail for use in commercials later in the campaign. Out of seven hours of film they'll shoot, they hope for perhaps 90 seconds of usable material. The process makes Bush uneasy. Following the first stops of the day, including breakfast at a senior center, where members of the film crew seemed to terrify the elderly residents by dangling lighting equipment and boom mikes over their heads, Bush announces agitatedly, "We're going to have to have a sit-down about this." As he returns to the motor home and tries to tear the wireless microphone off his back, he grumbles, "I hate this. This is only the second event of the day and I already hate this." "Some people it bothers more than others," shrugs director Alex Castellanos. "Jeb just wants to talk to the folks out there, and here I am making it an artificial situation. But he also understands that we want to use TV to talk to people in their living rooms, and that it's a powerful message. If I step too much on his toes, he'll let me know." Bush quickly relaxes in the safety of the motor home. "I know it's necessary and it works," he says. "That's what the scary part is -- it will all turn out so informal and so natural." Castellanos and Bush have been friends for years. Born in Cuba but raised in the United States, Castellanos is considered to be a media star in Republican Party circles, having produced thousands of commercials over his twenty-year career, including a few for the Bush-Quayle campaign in 1992. "We're just going to go out there and give magic a chance to happen," Castellanos says of his goal for this trip. But magic doesn't come cheap. The crew A not counting Castellanos A which will hang on Bush for the next three days, costs the campaign approximately $5000 a day. Some of that money is to be spent conducting interviews with Bush supporters. At one point crew members corner Ethel Schuster, a 72-year-old Fort Pierce woman whose sweet face says All-American Grandmother. Castellanos isn't with the crew during this interview. In his place as director is Pete Pessel, who asks Schuster a few general questions, hoping for a three-second snippet that might be used in one of Bush's commercials. Schuster appears thrilled that anyone would ask her opinion about anything, and she does her best to provide thoughtful answers. But after a couple of minutes, in the middle of her response about why she likes Bush's plan to overhaul education, the sound man runs out of tape. "Cut!" yells the sound man. "Cut!" yells the grip. "Cut! Cut!" yells the gaffer. All of these men shouting "Cut!" are standing a few feet from Schuster, who has no idea what's going on, or that it even concerns her. She was simply having a nice discussion with Pete, she thought, and if they wanted to film it, fine. But by the fourth or fifth shout of "Cut!" Pessel finally hears the cries of his crew, spins 180 degrees on his heels, and begins walking back to the camera, also yelling, "Cut!" Meanwhile, Schuster is left standing alone, still diligently answering the question posed to her, until she realizes no one is listening any more. Finally she just walks away. One person who would never be left standing is Bush's wife, Columba. Throughout the trip, she reads a book in Spanish. Its title: Secrets About Men That Every Woman Should Know. "I want to keep my marriage interesting," she says. "I know that book," I tell her. "Have you gotten to the part where it tells you to greet your husband at the door holding a martini and wearing nothing but a smile?" "Is that in here?" she asks, eyebrows arching. "Along with a host of special exercises," I offer. (Further teasing her, Bush will grab the book as they head for the hotel that night and declare, "Okay, baby, let's find out what you've learned today." To which Columba cries, "Jeb!") Reporters who have covered the couple in the past say Columba is far less shy than she was only a few months ago. And indeed she is without doubt the friendliest and most pleasant person on the outing. "It's fun," she confides. "I love having the excuse to eat all the junk food. I think that's the best part of the campaign." The worst part? That's easy: "To win the election you have to sacrifice everything you love the most. For me it was my privacy." So why go through it? "My children asked me the same question," she says. "They wanted to know what I thought about him running. This is what makes him happy, and I want a happy husband. That's what makes me happy." And if he loses, she says, she's not worried how he will take it. "From what I have seen of the Bushes, they know how to win and they know how to lose. They put their whole life into politics. I've never seen a family that loves their country so much. I'm truly amazed by it." The Bush dynasty involves more than just Jeb and his presidential father. Jeb's grandfather, Prescott Bush, was a United States senator from Connecticut. And his older brother, George, recently won the Republican nomination for governor in Texas and will face Democratic incumbent Ann Richards in the Fall. Comparisons between the Bush family and Kennedy clan are natural, but they draw dumbfounded stares from Jeb, who expresses discomfort at being included in the same sentence as that liberal brood. And like the Kennedys, the Bushes are not without skeletons in their family closets. Younger brother Neil became the unwitting poster boy for public outrage surrounding the savings-and-loan scandals of the 1980s; his role in a failed Colorado S&L named Silverado seemed to symbolize the social malaise his brother Jeb has been criticizing during this campaign. (Jeb Bush has flirted with S&L troubles as well. A bad loan to a partner of Bush's from the now defunct Broward Federal Savings & Loan drew the attention of regulators. Bush was never accused of any wrongdoing and he eventually helped repay a small portion of the debt.) Several times during the course of the motor-home trip, callers to radio or television programs confuse Jeb with brother Neil, and chastise him for the debacle in Colorado. After one such call, Ellen Debenport, from the St. Petersburg Times suggests Bush might want to have his brother Neil appear in a commercial for the campaign saying, "It was me. I was the one with the S&L mess." I quickly add that at the end of the spot Neil could look forlornly into the camera and confess: "I should have listened to my big brothers." That way the commercial could run in both Florida and Texas. Bush smiles at the thought. "I don't think so," he says. Sharing anything with big brother George might be a problem anyway. One morning I asked Bush if he had any personal bets with his brother in Texas about who will win. In a rare fit of pique, he told me to save that question for later. That night, when I brought it up again, he appeared annoyed, and said he had no bets with his brother. "Come on," I prodded. "The two of you didn't make any sort of wager? When was the last time you two talked?" "Christmas," he replied. The answer hung in the air. Jeb and George's battles for the governors' mansions in two of the nation's most populous states have prompted an avalanche of publicity, and further intensified that notion of dynasty. They are both conservative, both running on anticrime, anti-big-government, family-values platforms. And yet the brothers haven't talked in nearly eight months? "I think we actually talked last at Easter," Jeb later corrects. But the point is made: They are not close. Other members of the Florida Bush campaign paint a picture of intense sibling rivalry. "Cain and Abel," Alex Castellanos muses. "This is a very competitive family." George owns the Texas Rangers baseball team. Jeb recently bought a piece of the new NFL franchise Jacksonville Jaguars. Both are aggressively successful businessmen. And now they both seek political office. Some members of the campaign say that when George, who is five years older than Jeb, began campaigning, he appropriated much of the research Jeb had accumulated in Florida and adapted it to his own needs in Texas. Castellanos sees Jeb as the idealist in the family and George as the more politically astute, win-at-all-costs heir to the Bush mantle. Jeb doesn't want to talk about it. During a morning interview with a pair of zany DJs on a Melbourne radio station, Bush is finally asked a question he hasn't been asked before. If he becomes governor, and recently indicted boxing promoter Don King is convicted, would Bush consider granting King a pardon? "I don't think so," the candidate says. "I would have freed James Brown, though." That Bush might identify with the Godfather of Soul is probably not surprising. Indeed there are those on his campaign staff who see him as a Republican rocker. "He has that rock-star kind of feel," Cory Tilley says earnestly, noting several young men and women who have tracked Bush from the speech he made after the radio show to a bowling alley on the outskirts of Melbourne. "What other candidates would have people following them like this?" Perhaps a better question is: What other candidate would tour a bowling alley at ten o'clock on a Friday morning? "Jeb, roll my ball," one elderly man pleads, his voice cracking with emotion, as Bush walks by. "Oh, I don't have the right shoes," Bush answers and moves quickly away from him. Bush realizes that the bowling alley -- like any athletic endeavor -- is a potential mine field for a candidate. What if he throws a gutter ball or -- perish the thought -- slips and lands on his ass? In a political age in which symbols are often more important than words or ideas, nobody wants to hand an opponent a metaphor for their own failings or inadequacies. (Remember Michael Dukakis's little ride in a tank?) So Bush moves through the crowd as quickly as possible. "Roll one, Jeb," another man calls out. Bush plays dumb, smiles, and keeps moving. But there are certain rules in politics that cannot be ignored. One of them is this: You never bite the hand that feeds your campaign. So when Joseph Fraumeni, owner of the alley and an important contributor, tells Bush he'd like the honor of bowling a frame with the next governor of the State of Florida, there is only one thing Bush can say: "Size twelve." As Fraumeni runs to get Bush a pair of shoes, the camera crew that had been hanging on Bush's every move this morning begins to set up for the bowling shot. But before they can get into place, Alex Castellanos steps in. No film, he tells them. Sliding into the multicolored bowling shoes, Bush is tense. "These shoes have been here a while," he says, forcing a smile. He picks out a ball and follows Fraumeni to the lane of honor. Photographers scurry down the gutters so they can face Bush and capture the moment. He raises the ball to his chin, takes three large steps, and lets it fly. The ball moves dangerously close to the right gutter before slamming into two pins. "The two on the far right," Castellanos says, making a little political joke. Bush gets a fresh set of pins for his second ball, which plows straight down the middle of the lane, shattering everything in its path for a strike. He decides to quit while he's ahead, and sits right down to take off his shoes. "Did you see that strike?" he asks, smiling. "There are a lot of bowlers out there who vote." Tom Feeney then proceeds to knock down the same two pins Bush had nailed with his first ball. But rather than resetting the pins, Feeney will try to pick up the spare A as good a job description as any for the lieutenant governor. However, he knocks only one more pin off the right edge of the set. "It's my role to make sure we stay to the right," he laughs. Thirty-six-year-old Feeney knows his place in this campaign. More conservative than his running mate, he has been called Jeb Bush's Dan Quayle. "There were two things said about Quayle that nobody who knows me has said about me," Feeney counters. "One was that he stepped on his tongue while he was talking; in other words, that he wasn't terribly articulate. And the other was that he wasn't very bright, that Marilyn was the brains of the family. Well," he smiles, "to some extent Ellen is the brains in our family. I'm not denying that. [Ellen Feeney is a chemical engineer at the Kennedy Space Center.] But even my colleagues in the House will tell you that they think I am one of the best debaters. They will also tell you I am more a policy wonk than anybody in either the Senate or the House." Feeney opposes abortion under all circumstances, even in the event of rape and incest, except where it would save the life of the mother. He opposes condom distribution in schools. And like Bush, he opposes any specific new laws to protect the civil rights of gays, and believes that homosexuality in itself is wrong. "But I also believe, without getting into theology, that the last person who was perfect is about 2000 years old," he adds. "In my religion, you can talk about the sin without hating the sinner." Earlier in the trip, Feeney had been on the cell phone trying to shore up support when the issue of gun control was raised. Did he endorse each American's constitutional right to bear arms? "I've got my concealed-weapon permit in my pocket right now," he had boasted to the person on the other end of the line. "Are you packin' right now?" I asked when he hung up. "No," he assured me. "It's just the principle of the thing." Later, though, he explained it's actually more than just principle. And in fact, with the campaign and the added notoriety, he said he planned to buy a gun very soon. I thanked him for the warning. "This is going to be brutal," Bush says at the start of our last day. "I've got no more clean clothes. I've got no more undies. I've got no more socks. I've got no more shirts." In perhaps the most amazing show of support to date, more than 120 people show up at 7:30 a.m. on a Saturday and pay five dollars apiece to hear him speak at a diner in Port St. Lucie. Over the next twelve hours, we will attend, film crew in tow, two picnics -- one in Palm Beach and the other in Broward -- and tape one final radio program. Though the events are few, the week has taken its toll, and everyone is moving more slowly. Bush does get a boost in Palm Beach when a crowd of 400 supporters repeatedly interrupts his speech by bursting into chants of "Jeb! Jeb! Jeb!" (Cory Tilley later notes, "It's a good name to chant. Try chanting Law-ton, it's not as good.") But even that buzz wears off, so that by the time we reach Pompano Beach, and the rain begins to pour during the middle of his speech, Bush just keeps talking -- he's on autopilot, a windup doll who doesn't seem to know any better. A short time later, shivering under a blanket in the motor home, he appears ready to head home. But one last event remains. From Pompano we backtrack north to Lighthouse Point for a 7:30 p.m. fundraiser at the home of Joe and Angela Saviano. Our numbers, however, have been steadily dwindling as the day has progressed. Big Feeney (Tom), Little Feeney (Andy), and Brainy Feeney (Ellen, who was late in joining the Bushcapade) split off from the group earlier in the day for a photo shoot in Miami. Now there is considerable debate among the survivors on the motor home as to who really needs to accompany Jeb and Columba to this final cocktail party. Ellen Debenport, from the St. Petersburg Times, has the edgy feel of a woman who, if forced to hear Bush talk once more about looking into the future through the eyes of his children, might snap and gouge out Bush's own eyes with a shrimp fork. Linda Kleindienst, of the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel, appears to be approaching a state of exhaustion. Cory Tilley, having given up any hope of actually getting an ulcer on this particular road trip, also seems willing to call it quits. But ever the vigilant gladiators, Tom DiNanno and Brett Doster argue about which of them gets to keep working. Eventually DiNanno loses the argument and agrees to go home early, after only a twelve-hour day. With that decided, the departees board the motor home for Miami, leaving behind the minivan for Bush, Columba, Doster, and, of course, me. Naked women couldn't drag me from Bush at this point. Having signed on for the whole twisted ride, I know that if it means subjecting myself to one more beautiful home, with splendid food and unlimited liquor, that is simply the price I'm going to have to pay for thoroughness. The Saviano's Mediterranean-style villa sits on the Intracoastal, only a three-iron away from the ocean. This was scheduled as a small, private, $100-a-plate gathering of influential, financially comfortable people, and about 50 have turned out, not counting the servants or the bartender, who by now has poured me a tall glass of Chivas over ice. As I settle into a corner table on the back patio, Bush glides through the crowd, shaking hands and making small talk. Columba sits down beside me and says she's worried that her husband is going to catch cold. "He's like a little kid," she observes. "I'd like to take better care of him, but he's very, very stubborn. You know that, don't you, that he's very stubborn." "Like a mule," I respond. She nods in agreement. When Bush works his way over to the buffet, his eyes light up. No more burgers, beans, and wieners. The spread includes veal with sauteed peppers, eggplant parmesan, yellow rice, potatoes, a magnificent bowl of antipasto, and a plate full of sliced red tomatoes topped with prosciutto and cheese. A far cry from Okeechobee swamp cabbage. Though it's not that far in actual distance, we have traveled light years from that rural Grange hall in Okeechobee County. What bizarre coalitions politicians must build, especially those running for statewide office in Florida. It's a long way, in every respect, from Little Havana to Pensacola, but Bush seems to have that chameleonlike ability every politician needs -- he is as comfortable chewing the fat about water management districts over a plate of swamp cabbage as he is discussing business incentives between bites of veal, though his Texas drawl is decidedly less noticeable here than it was earlier in the week. Our host, Angela Saviano, joins Brett Doster and me at a corner table near the kitchen. She is blessed with both manners and style, and is clearly an educated woman, which makes our conversation all the more strange. She is discussing the problems of our society, and specifically her views on juvenile justice. What would be so horrible, she asks, if we tarred and feathered some of these hoodlums? I laugh, but soon realize she's not joking. Would it really be so wrong? she asks. Or what about placing them in leg and arm restraints, she suggests, like the pillories that held ne'er-do-wells in old New England town squares. They could be displayed somewhere publicly for a couple of days, she suggests, so their girlfriends could come by and laugh at them. Essentially, she explains, we must find ways to humiliate these children publicly, to ridicule them so they learn the difference between right and wrong. Another guest at the party bemoans the unfettered immigration that is dooming Florida. "The whole country is going into the toilet," she complains. "They are coming here from Haiti and Cuba and just settling here. They don't even have to speak English." Shortly after 9:00 p.m., Bush is called on to speak. Standing alongside the Savianos swimming pool, bathed only in the light of a full moon, he launches into his standard speech. "I'm a Republican and I'm a pretty conservative man," he tells those who have gathered around. "And when I look into the future through my children's eyes, I see decline." He finishes, as he does every speech, with what he refers to as his "call to arms," a pledge for a revolution in 1995 if he is elected. "If you stay involved, it will happen," he promises. "Look at the alternatives if you stand pat. If you do your part, I will vow to you that I will stay focused on the principles that I believe and I will govern based on those principles. And I will fight as hard as I humanly can fight to make these dreams come true." By 9:30 we are on the road. Doster behind the wheel, me riding shotgun, and Jeb and Columba in the back seat. Bush begins to melt into the seat. "Brutal day," he groans. "I'm a tired little candidate." Before we reach I-95, however, we encounter a half-naked man dancing in the middle of an intersection. Over and over he yells, "Watch yourself! Watch yourself!" as a cop by the curb tries to coax him out of the street. Bush perks up at this impromptu bit of street theater. "He's all fucked up," Bush laughs. "Look at him." The man dances, barefoot, up to the front of the minivan, stares in, and then runs off. On the interstate Bush makes a few last calls: "I think we had a good week..." and pauses to needle Doster. "I've never seen you drive so slow," he chides the Citadel grad, who is doing 55. "Jebbie!" Columba says. "You're terrible." "I'm serious," he continues. "These boys are battle-tested. They know what I want." Doster punches it up to 80 and Bush gets back on the phone. "I'm not going to do anything but go to church tomorrow," he says. "And if I work at all, I'm going to work in bed." To take me home, we get off at the NW 79th Street exit. "Do we have the doors locked?" Bush asks. Heading east on 79th, we approach the INS headquarters at Biscayne Boulevard. "It's a Kafka novel in there," he remarks. "They treat people like dirt." Crossing the causeway, Bush points out the city's skyline for Doster, who has never been to Miami. He then offers a few final thoughts about the trip. "I think we're taking things to another level," he says. "After a year of being out there, the campaign has really started now." Doster pulls up to my building and Bush pats me on the back. "I'm glad you came," he says. "It made it more enjoyable." I give him a New Times cap, which he gamely puts on as Doster snaps our picture. And then they're off. Watching them drive away, I give a little wave. "See you at the inauguration," I yell. "And like the man says, 'Watch yourself! Watch yourself!''' 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It is an honor to have the opportunity to talk to saints quarterback Drew Brees this is my first one of only drew drew welcome to the show this morning. Good so I mean do you do this to me to give so much back to the community and now you're you're giving back in terms of out of the new Jimmy -- opening up to 70380. -- -- when he -- -- one dollar subs from eleven detained until three hi how do you do that. -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- they're trying to enjoy it maybe who have passed and get a lot of nonsense around city QQ that was our location or die or others. One on -- I wait close a clear view intersection on maple street does not sound a more on orders. -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Really excited about it you know him and -- kind of the starter you know hopefully about porn stored there will be open up on the door or. Like oh coming remember little. Live democracy in the world and the network's anchor well here and argue. Our unity to. The door I'm actually. We're gonna do silly country. And our -- -- chase. Otherwise I have to elaborate. They're -- I don't like sweet. You know I saw somebody in our building the other -- delivering Jimmy John's sandwich for a for down the street. And he only had one I'm thinking well this is great disguise delivering one sandwiched so -- basically deliver. We deliver on that it's. In our our slogan is repeat that. That door traction in the -- that we're saying. Out the door or change your -- to get that they're outdoor or Mets like sir do you want sales. -- that period. This is probably between from sister merits so. Your -- you'd be nurtured. It's burger -- so that's that's something we pride ourselves and artsy people generally do it. Aren't you just joined aside studio for Thomas -- were talking to see his quarterback Drew Brees he's opening up another Jimmy John's this when it's going to be on. Highway 21 in Covington and today from eleven until three this afternoon. Dollar subs one for customer. That doesn't include delivery drew would be there. But he's gonna is gonna keep his commitment to the saints in the DOT Saddam I think people will forgive you for that true. I hope they understand. It's they're Nazis and that's been there are pretty productive. You know negotiate Medicare but the got a lot of good will on -- their CD's where he. Band and an freeagent. Kind of close and personal. You know there there. Well laying -- interest or in our chain and all in all the all the while -- defense. And you know a lot of information from them but they currently on where you can see how well he either. Your desire to learn them and degree. Final roll on the screen your employees are well positioned together like torture and competitor and that's why we love about. -- -- -- will make it should treat him roster and they got you under couples sort. Drug -- talked about how. Optimistic you are distorted this this 2014 season are too optimistic at the beginning of every season and is there anything different about the beginning of this season. At the beginning of the -- just because -- -- the way organization or. And Mickey -- -- patent on the touchdown on the and job on the run well at the rate cut later in the cart course yeah. Electoral. And that's what -- -- also the character. The culture that we. Created here and the environment we try to create the very conducive to going in and you know. -- and the leader and so. We want to go out without part might that it will distract -- -- old you know via. And Kirsten and then certainly. Were aware that they can contribute. And so that's. So we got to look for those guys and give it a year that's why you're shot because I knew that -- -- like you wanna win. Are you starting to already conceptualize. Bring to -- role in the offense. Our ball there or that or there's there's a lot of and -- -- -- -- you know and assume it's still very early so. -- -- put all that together but -- you. You can imagine playing outside. Information as a receiver to -- in the slot and you know catch a lot of strange to him you know go and in the return -- such -- -- can go to law -- and packaging. I think it's quite admirable that he's up with the saints yet because he's finishing school so some of these players actually go to class. But let that affect all other days that majority that week we Prodi. Try to get -- about perception and that that there's there's Tony great students. -- -- not -- he certainly what you have on the quarter system at the -- straight and so. The move is -- you know come and -- critical in Utah. What's -- school. And so he himself actually last week so -- with the loosely so we have a chance. On this week so sort of particular some time together and conduct electricity well and so on and so on. He's trouble on -- will. True on a personal level I've always admired your ability to not allow throwing an interception to stay with you would affect your plea from that moment -- you're letting go and I know that that's not easy. What is it that you do or -- yourself if diesel oil a key interception. They elected. That's a great looking pretty pretty pretty simple they elect -- and we curricula. They're just -- it you have to go to. -- put the -- and -- a good idea to focus is it that the reports and export income and you you. I think you -- -- the mentality won't play the continent and be focused that you could partly be produce sex accusing Clinton that she can't. There's also making again and civic in here so each one is even more heavily weighted in order even more important. In the next and so he cannot let the passport influence. A huge negative in the heat got to be able to -- You know. War front you know there was mistake was made that you learn from. And and that you move forward -- find a way to. Overcome that war -- to make it better you continual. We're talking to your saints quarterback Drew Brees signed student or Drew Brees has a grand opening of -- -- Jimmie Johnson highway 21 it Covington. From eleven to 31 dollar subsequent per customer that does include delivery to get over there it's freaky fast and it's all really good fresh stuff. Through this morning we be talking about the federal government dropping its trademark of the Washington Redskins -- your thoughts on the team possibly changing its name. Notebooks. That they'll likely performed so well. Is that a lot of controversy about the St. Louis Rams drafting Michael Sam the first openly gay player in the NFL. Without naming any names that have you been aware of other players in the NFL have been getting. No I haven't. You know that sent -- the -- If you were to look into the locker room there's all content for people with different. Whether it's religious beliefs political beliefs and and sexual orientation or wherever IP. I -- in the day. He's put the other excellent football games and so if you're there. The mindset that I'm to a market that can help sway him. -- -- -- -- ball so. It doesn't matter you know stop just about can you help can you help -- him and you know. Are you bought into what we're trying to do here is can. You live in two great morals New Orleans and San Diego I was on here briefly in San Diego went on sale day -- Pacific beach overlooking mission beach it is it's just a beautiful part of the country. Is there a big adjustment for you kids splitting their time between these two different places with their friends. Now mean that they're a pretty young right now not reward -- also not. Not like there you know middle school high school. But you know it's actually. Actually you know we we spend more time here in the world actually -- -- -- irregular force. You know great. They threw it seemed like it stays -- in the area. I think it's Christmas spirit are essential -- -- -- -- -- -- it's the order or whatever so they. They like their argument. You know great to actual booklet is -- a -- -- -- -- from playing -- there. My lights and so well now it's certain people. Or it's it's too great morals two different worlds and two great world San Diego in New Orleans true. You're not really a spectator -- every watch football so what sport do you'll love to follow that make you feel like you just fans sitting there watching it. Well -- mean. Currently it's a World Cup you know moral compass. I love playing soccer players secure. Yet there watched a lot of TV he -- local but usually so much footballer you know. Something else but. Woke up from and -- -- bring everybody we'll work in. You -- -- four years it's it's -- but the world's biggest sports so you see how excited. The entire world it's about partnerships actually expands thanks so as to -- -- -- -- -- -- cry out. That. I've been they're like you're a guy. And he kind of where -- where they go here are pretty tough draw early in Portugal. But some of the -- about the man pictures to. If you bring your car right now what CD -- you put India in a player. Well -- Certainly. Are you were you CDs anymore but I -- music to listen to the color. -- the eighties only as -- it -- serious. And settle period. I'd like. Quote the proposed. Our commitment. -- so real you know crunched in the early nineties. -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Is there a movie that has inspired you that you think everybody should watch. Yeah that nutri -- There's so. You know obviously -- will be the action packed movie won like you know. Gladiator. 300. Great sport you know so the vote that just. About it and you know I've -- a great player. Here just on the -- But or something that would just be. Great story here -- support -- into the fall going on here. Probably few others that. -- these numbers for a boy or girl. It trivial little girl he tonight. Well very excited and scared and well there are. I know that feeling very quickly before election go through. What something that people generally don't know about you that you would like them to know about Drew Brees. -- I'm I'm pretty much an open book. They were seaports yet and shall. Although certain things out there I. I -- and claimed victory do that you know. -- it's it looked at what I guess you'd say the aboriginal people. In -- trillion play. You know they travel Hala it hollowed out of you would. Okay this and that's so I mean like the front Lugar -- thought. Well in -- on the and terrible commercially it to make the trip around the Mexico and Australia and Britain that engagement about ten years ago and now. So occasional pick that redo this. To America -- -- -- at the season and good luck with the new Jimmy Johnson which when he went on into Tuesday. We've got.

1990 216gsi with the Honda D series engine (engine code D16A7EO11909). To date this car has done 210,000 miles and still goes really well except for the following problem. The car has an misfire which varies in severity, on some occasions the miss fire is really noticeable (like a tractor) below 2,000 revs but once above 2,000 it revs fine right up the range and on other occasions the miss fire is really noticeable almost up to 3,000 revs and then fine right up the range. The miss fire can also be felt if the car is put in a high gear at a low speed. Back in my Triumph Dolomite Sprint Days, this was the sign that the condenser needed changing, but as far as I can see no condenser fitted so I've tried the obvious like changing the plugs, leads, distributor cap & rotor arm, all to no avail. Because the severity of the misfire can change between turning the engine off & on I believe it may be an electrical problem, located where I know not. Has anyone experienced this problem before or have an idea where the problem may lie? Thanks John e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.org 1996 400series tourer (engine code 16K4FK88399018) This car has done about 65,000 miles. recently after a local run I noticed the engine cooling fan was running all the time the engine was running, on investigation I found the expansion bottle to be empty and when I filled it you could hear the water draining into the cooling system before it filled the bottle up to just below the maximum capacity line. Has anybody any idea what might have caused the engine to lose/use this coolant, what effect if any this may have had on the engine and any the effects to look out for? Thanks John e-mail: email@example.com My Rover 820Si is '99, T reg. It has a persistent small misfire, worst when cold, but there all the time. It seems to be worse on very small or steady speed throttle openings and at particular speeds - when accelerating, or at 75 in 5th, it is nearly absent. The miss is just occasional small hiccups - I would be changing the condenser if it had one. I had a Bosch specialist and the dealer look at it but they gave it a clean bill of health. I have put can after can of injector/tappet cleaner in the oil and it is on full synthetic oil and still does it. Any ideas? (Andrew I have 220 gsi turbo which i have been slowly getting sorted,but there is one problem which i cannot cure,this is a juddering clutch.. it is only a problem when pulling away in first,sometimes its as smooth as anything and the next time it judders quite badly. i have had new clutch fitted (complete kit genuine unipart turbo clutch) and also had the flywheel skimmed because of black deposits on the flywheel surface,which suggests overheating,then the clutch was ok for 2 months or so,now the problem is slowly coming back,there are no oil leaks,and the old clutch was dry.i suspect that as with most things on the car the standard parts are not able to cope with the power ,therefore i was wondering if anyone has had this problem and perhaps cured it, maybe by fitting an upgraded clutch which does not overheat and produce the fouling of the flywheel,resulting in clutch judder. i would appreciate any help from fellow members very much.(Matthew Allen) firstname.lastname@example.org. A/ I have experienced the same problem on my coupe turbo, it is easily fixed with copper grease. Did you notice rusty dust on the clutch splines if so this is your problem. Smear copper grease on the shaft splines and also the clutch plate centre hole splines. IMPORTANT - wipe excess grease off as the clutch dosen't like grease. (Just a very thin coating is sufficient). Also check the clutch arm moves freely with no resistance and check clutch cable for smooth operation. This should cure your problem. If it dosen't then it could be gearbox bearings, easy to replace but expensive. Also use 75/90W synthetic gearbox oil. The standard clutch should take up to nearly 250 bhp. (Dave Williams). I have a problem on my 1992 Rover 827's automatic gearbox. The problem is two (1) the S4 dash warning light flashes, which I am led to believe indicates a problem with the gearbox. This is also backed up by the second problem which (2) the gears snatch. For example, when taking off from a standstill the engine will rev normally and a fraction of a second latter the gear will suddenly engage giving a rather jerky start. This snatching is common throughout the gear range and the ability of the engine to pull the weight of the car does not appear to match the amount of rev's that the engine is giving out. I have checked the transmission fliud as per the owners manual, and it is the correct level and colour. Any ideas !!!!!!!. (Martin Dunning). A/ Martin Dunnings 827 autobox problem is almost certainly code 14 - disconnected or short in the wire from the EAT to the PGM-Fi ECU. It could just be a bad connection, or a broken wire. If he goes to - http://www.100megsfree2.com/roverarchive/autobox.html you'll find details of all the autobox fault codes. When it refers to pulling out fuse S to reset the ECU it means the one in the underbonnet fusebox as shown in http://www.100megsfree2.com/roverarchive/fuses.gif. (The above links have since disappeared, if anyone knows where their new home is, or where there are other links, please let us know. (RoverTorque) With the 1.8Ltr Lump put into my 214 SLi (L reg with metal manifold), I've noticed that it gets to 4500/5000 rpm very quickly in all gears, but the final 2000 rpm or so seem a struggle. I thought this would be sorted by fitting a stainless steel exhaust system, but because of restricted backpressure it still takes a while. I wondered if I got a power boost valve fitted would it help matters any? or will I have to combine it with a superchip? (Alan Temple). A/ If you haven't already done so, fit a decent air filter. It sounds very much like the engine is having difficulty 'breathing' at high revs. An FSE rising rate fuel pressure regulator will be beneficial. I had one fitted to a 1.4 K series Metro GTi MPI and combined with a Pipercorss filter, it would pull extremely well through the rev range, right up to the red line. I now have one fitted to my 220 GTi turbo A/ I would say his problem is almost certainly the fuel pump. I knew someone who had the same problem going from a 1.4 spi to a 1.4 mpi, all because the mpi required a higher fuel pressure than that provided by the spi pump. I guess an 1800 requires even more. Get an aftermarket fuel pump. I have a 1993 Rover 216 coupe which I have just fitted a K&N 57i air induction kit to. The problem I have is that it whistles at low acceleration which you can imagine is very annoying. It is not the filter that whistles itself but the rubber intake hose that is joined between the filter & engine. Has anyone else had this problem and how do you cure it??? (Dan Page) A/ A noisy k&n 57i filter sounds familiar! I have a 220 turbo coupe and I have just removed this particular filter after 2 months use as the noise was just unacceptable. I thought the noise was the cone itself, created by the engines need for air during brisk acceleration. However, together with the non standard dump valve I fitted and the bangs from the uprated suspension as I travel over our lousy road surfaces I decided the car was becoming too noisy altogether. I have replaced the standard system and used a k&n replacement box type filter which is a good compromise. A/ The cure is to put your old airbox back on! Motor manufacturers spend a lot of time and money developing cars, and one of the requirements is noise reduction (interior noise for comfort and "pass by", which is the noise someone hears as a car drives by) - some of which is covered by tough legislation. Part of this exercise is to reduce or eliminate induction noise - this is why cars have an air box and sometimes quite long and odd shaped intake hoses. The intake system is designed to eliminate all the roar and whistle that the air itself makes as it passes into the engine. By removing all this hardware you have undone all Rovers hard work. The extra noise is the price you pay for any extra donkey power you have gained. I have a Rover 1992 820i manual. The small pipe going into the radiator header tank fell off the other day after the fitting cracked, resulting in the engine boiling off its coolant and over heating. Now, after fitting a new header tank, the engine will not start. It turns over and fires once just enough to disengage the starter but will not run. The petrol pump is working and there is a spark, but the plugs do not appear to get wet at all. The only possibilty that I can think of is that the engine management temperature sensor has fried so it does not enrich the fuel enough to cold start. Has this happened to any other members? This is the second header tank that I have had to fit, for exactly the same reason. I guess I should have bought a new one last time instead of going to the breakers! Steve Waldron via e-mail. I wonder if you could solve this one. 218vvc coupe will not start if left overnight and its wet[rain]. Turn ignition key, fuel pump doesn't prime engine turns but no joy. Eventually [10 mins] will start. Checked obvious things [loose fuses] no luck. Any ideas greatly appreciated thanx Robbbie Fae Scotland Via e-mail: A/ The VVC unit has excessivly long ignition leads which are prone to breaking down over time. Chances are these are shorting when damp (like mine did), only solution is to cover everything in damp start (not WD40) or get some new leads. Approx 50 quid from a dealer. Pain in the arse to fit as the ignition block is located convienently under the fuel injection system. Change the leads one by one or you may risk messing up the firing order as you have to fit them almost blind. Hope this helps. James Darby. Club member Geoff Coley asks, "Tech query, is it a realistic proposition to convert a 1992 k series 214 manual, to an automatic. Any advice would be appreciated". e-mail th club with your answer(s). A/ This is not likely to be a realistic proposition. I don't believe Rover ever produced an auto version of 214s. There will be a reason for this - there were however auto 216s. It's likely that the 1400 engine in a car the size of 200 is too weak for an auto box. It might struggle to get the car going well and the torque curve may not match the driving requirements. This would cause the 'box to become confused about which gear it should be in and hunt (ie change gear a lot). This would be bad for economy and driveability and would significantly reduce gearbox life expectancy. OEMs spend a lot of money developing cars - if something like this were or achievable it's likely it would have been done. From a purely practical point of view, if it's not commercially available where will you get the hardware ('box, bellhousing etc etc). (Paul Carter) & Steve, Just a Query, Q/ Just Bought a Rover 420 SDi & Wondering If you have had many Complaint from other drivers about how heavy they are on fuel compared to what it says in their book. Can only get about 40mph on a run and thats driving it tidy. 50340 miles on the clock any comments greatly appreciated. Via e-mail: chris.davies email@example.com Hi Ian & Q/ What would be the most likely cause of high co2 factor? e.g 1.7% on my Rover, failed mot due to this. Occasionally the check engine light comes on, flash code on ecu points to lambda sensor (possible?). Hope to hear thanx Billy Beatson I have a 97 1.6SE 400 that has been modified with springs/shocks/air filter / SS exhaust / brakes and ice. In the quest of ever progressing the car, I am fitting a set of additional gauges to read oil pressure, oil temp and Volts. The question(s) are does anybody know the thread size for the oil pressure sender fitted to the 1600 K series and also where can I get a 'T' peice and nipple (otherwise I will have to make one) to fit into that hole. This will enable me to refit the factory sender giving me a warning light and also fit a sender for the additional guage. A/ ? (Iain Davies) My Rover 820 suffers with a persistent oil leak at the front (T series engine), even though I have had the cylinder head gasket replaced it only stopped for about A/ According to one of our members, a very good mechanic friend of his suggested that you need to torque the head bolts in the correct order, but add an additional 10lbs torque per bolt & then turn them through a further 90°! The problem goes back a long way, even to the days of the old Montego/Maestro. Members have stated that even when they use a Rover original gasket, they still get leaks after a short period of time. Does anyone else have A/ There has been much debate about the 'mythical' Rover gasket, which replaces the original gasket, to help prevent oil leakage at the cylinder head. We can now confirm that the gasket does exist and details are available to our members on the 'Members only Area'. 820 persistent oil leak from the head gasket. The answer I fear is live with it as many owners have resigned themselves to. On my 1990 820Si it is only a weep and I just regularly clean the oil seepage off the block every week to ensure things don't get messy. Changing the type of oil used sometimes helps reduce leakage. A/ I have just completed a head gasket change on my Vitesse Turbo on the assumption that it was suffering from the usual problems. On removing the head, I discovered that the gasket was quite new but had failed. So, in order to find the problem, I decided on a full strip down of the head. This showed nothing untoward except one of the two 3/4" plastic/fibre collars that link the oilways of the head and block had broken in two at gasket level. A 'dry' test fit showed that this broken collar was preventing the head from seating tightly on the head gasket and so forming a tight seal. The result is false torque wrench readings and an oil leak similar to a failed head gasket! A replacement collar was obtained from the local Rover dealers along with a quick word with one of their mechanics, who confirmed they had seen the same symptoms soon after gasket repairs (not by them of course), and on removing the head, had come across the same problem with I'm now a 1000 miles down the road since the repair and so far, no sign of oil leaks. (Club Member) A/ The leaking cylinder head gasket on the 820 si 1990 quoted I have found to be the integral small O ring in the supplied head gasket (front R/H corner as you look at the engine ) and can be cured by a careful application of a good quality gasket sealer around this area on the new gasket ( NOT TOO MUCH !!! ). Cyl head should also be thoroughly cleaned prior to fitment. I have a 1993 216GSi which has a hot starting problem. The car NEVER fails to start from cold, but when the engine is warm, if I stop the engine & attempt to restart within a few minutes the starter motor will spin, but it will refuse to start for at least 5 minutes. I have changed the ignition module (twice), fitted new air & water temp. sensors, air filter, plugs etc. The ECU does not show a fault code. Any help? I love the car but this problem is seriously getting on my nerves now & what's worse is my missus wants me to sell it & buy a Saab! For God's sake help! Carl Bland. A/ One possible answer initially is fuel starvation by evaporation. Has the the incomming fuel pipe been moved closer to the exhaust manifold or other source of heat? Anyone else got any ideas? A/ I have a 1990 216 GTi, which had a similar problem - I don't know whether this information will be of interest as it has a different engine. I had no problems with cold starts, but once it was hot, I had to leave it 15-20 minutes before it would restart. The engine would start, and then despite flooring the throttle it would die, and further attempts to start it failed to get it to ignite. I suspected a fuel supply problem, but left it to the garage to sort. They changed the ignition amplifier first, but that didn't cure the problem. They then changed the fuel pump relay and after that visit the problem was fixed. I believe that on both visits they also checked the ignition timing, and cleaned the spark plugs I also tried a bottle of injector cleaner - added to the fuel tank, it didn't solve the problem but may have helped (John Silver) My 1989 Rover 216 which had exactly the same problem as the initial question. Cold starting was always OK, but even after a short drive it would occasionally fail to restart. The engine would attempt to fire and turn over hesitatingly for a second and then die. If it was left for 10 or 15 minutes it would go but no amount of 'technique' would get it to run before it was ready. turned out to be the Main Relay (behind the central consul) which incorporates the fuel pump relay. Simply replacing that has fixed the problem. Brian Beard I am having trouble with the gearbox on my 216 GTi DOHC. It is whining big time. More than one person has told me that it is probably the shaft bearings. Does anyone have any ideas, also what's a fair cost for overhaul or a rebuilt box. A/ A member had the same problem on his 214SEi (M-reg) which, although a lot of Rovers apparently can suffer from this (on the Rover box, not the Honda box), it got a lot worse and he ended up having to replace 3 bearings before the whole thing went into orbit which would have cost him approx £900 (1998) for a new one. Get it checked - NOW! A/ Gearbox whine. I just had the shaft bearings replaced on my 1990 820Si. Whilst I am not certain of the cost (the work was carried out under warranty) I believe it was in the region of £400 ('98). I also advise having it fixed sooner rather than later. It was not until the work was done and the gear change clunk had disappeared along with the terrible whine that I realised how bad it was. A/ Just replaced the gearbox on my 1990 216 GTi DOHC after severe whining for around a year, not stripped it down but found the main shaft bearing is none existent with an end play of over 5mm, it also suffered from clutch judder, possibly due to this bearing. I've just recently bought a second hand Rover 620Si, N Reg, 1995, I bought the car with the knowledge there was possibly some wear when taking up drive (I can feel and hear a slight clonk). I've driven other Rovers to try to get a feel what type of clonk I should get when taking up drive. There was no clonk from a similiar Rover 618i (done 24,000) and there was approx. a similiar amount of clonk from a Rover 620i (done 90,000). I was also interested to read from parkers used car guide that - N reg Rover 600s are prone to clutch failure. The question I would like to ask is what clutch part fails on N reg Rover 600s and is there a connection between the clonk I hear and my clutch or is the clonk just wear in the "crown wheel & pinion" or even the gearbox. thoughts or suggestions? Phil. I have a 220 Turbo Coupe (1995) and I am getting a whining noise from my gearbox on de-acceleration, which although noticeable, is not loud. The car has 45,000 miles on the clock and has been regularly serviced. Also when cold its a bit tricky changing from 1st to 2nd gear, (I normally pause for a second in neutral) but this improves after a few miles. Is the whine present in all 220's and would changing to synthetic gearbox oil solve the cold shifting problem? Do Rover specify periodic gearbox oil changes? Some whine from PG1 gearboxes (especially those on turbo versions) is to be expected. They also crunch into reverse quite commonly. It's worth noting that early cars had a gearbox oil change specified at 24,000 miles, but this was dropped around '94 or so. On higher power versions it's probably worth continuing with this change whatever model year you run, but make sure you use the proper oil - not just 10W40, this is spec'd for top up only! The whining noise has nothing to do with the Torsen diff - this is a limited slip differential which uses a hydraulic coupling to conect the drive shafts (rather like a torque converter) instead if being mechanical like the ones we used to use in rear drive Escorts and Sunbeams I have a 620ti and there are some funny noises coming from the gearbox the noise is like a jumpy whine and this only happens when you decelerate. Can anyone give me an answer! A/ Bearing problem? Can anyone suggest an answer? Hart2000 A/ Some whine from PG1 gearboxes (especially those on turbo versions) is to be expected. They also crunch into reverse quite commonly. It's worth noting that early cars had a gearbox oil change specified at 24,000 miles, but this was dropped around '94 or so. On higher power versions it's probably worth continuing with this change whatever model year you run, but make sure you use the proper oil - not just 10W40, this is spec'd for top up only! The whining noise has nothing to do with the Torsen diff - this is a limited slip differential which uses a hydraulic coupling to connect the drive shafts (rather like a torque converter) instead if being mechanical like the ones we used to use in rear drive Escorts and Sunbeams etc. Paul Carter Does anyone have a permanent solution to the problem of leaking sump gaskets on the T-series (turbo) engine)? I have had three cars with this engine and every one seems completely incapable of keeping oil in its sump. to the standard Rover gasket, or other solutions, most welcome. (Paul Hughes) A/ In response to the question raised regarding a Rover 220 Turbo with an Oil Sump leak, I also have this engine with the same problem and have taken it to the garage on numerous occasions to get this oil leak fixed. They have been able to reduce the oil leak but not stop it all together, they say it is a cold oil leak which only occurs as the engine is cooling down. The previous owner told me it's always had this leak even from 6 months old. I would also appreciate any advice on fixing this problem, Apart from this gripe, I love the car. Thanks, & A/ I had some problems in the past with my '93 Sterling showing hot & cold on the temperature guage, after a time in the Rover garage they found the two bottom & top hoses had been connected back to front, this was having the effect of a reverse flow of water, eventually this confused all the air-con. & climate control sensors. It was thinking it was hot and as a result, it would decide to blow cold air into the car to compensate & visa-versa. A simple mistake that took place when they were replaced by the garage who took the cylinder heads off. Just thought this tip may be helpfull to other members'. (John Swainsbury). I have a 1993 220 turbo coupe, and have problems with the clutch/gearbox. When driving with the air-con on, or after a while in stop-start traffic jams, it becomes difficult to change up and down between then gears. The clutch is hard to depress, and has to be pushed as far as it will go in order not to crunch the gears. I have had a new clutch fitted and the concerned fluids changed. Fine for a few weeks, but then the same problem. My mechanic cannot find any other faults and does not know where else to look. Does anyone have a remedy? Please contact me direct via firstname.lastname@example.org. or e-mail the club. A/ Have you checked or renewed the clutch cable? Also check the clutch arm by disconnecting the cable from the box and making sure it moves freely and with no `play' it should just drop free if you lift it. Sometimes worn bushes in the box that the arm sits in can cause restriction in movement. (Dave Williams). I have a 1992 Rover 420GSi with a troublesome intermittent fault. The engine performs well and normally idles at 850 rpm. Occasionally, however, when warm, it will idle at 1500 to 2000 rpm and this is followed, when hot, by revving between 1000 and 2000 rpm ( even with the stepper motor disconnected). Switching off the engine results in some 'running on' and restarting the engine causes it to rev to about 3000 rpm. Restarting after a few minutes usually overcomes the problem and the engine returns to a steady 850 rpm idle. I have taken the car to my local Rover dealer several times but, unfortunately, the engine behaves perfectly whenever they test it. In desperation, I recently had the ECU changed but to no avail. Any guidance would be most appreciated. The temptation to solve the engine's problem with a sledgehammer grows stronger every day. A/ This sounds like it could be the actual idle mechanism. It has a gate in it which opens and closes. It can have carbon build up which doesn't allow it to open or close properly espcially Ask a garage to take it off and just blast an air gun in it for a couple of minutes to clear it out or get a new one. A/ I had some erratic idling probs with my '95 coupe turbo. Rover initially changed the stepper motor settings (to no avail), then changed the e.c.u. (again to no avail). The problem was finally resolved when they stripped down the throttle linkage mechanism, lubricated it & re-assembled. The symptom I was getting was a high tickover (1500 rpm +) especially after hard acceleration. The revs were reluctant to come down to base idle. Hope this helps ! Mike A/ I have had the same revving problem. If I went over 5000 rpm, my engine would rev between 1000 & 2000 rpm when idling. If I blipped the throttle and let it snap back, the revving stopped. I changed the throttle cable and the problem stopped. 10 minutes work, £18 plus VAT - bargain! Darran Is it a common fault for the K series engines to suffer from leaks from the coolant rail. I have had this fault from two Rovers(214 & 416) where they have both A/ On 17/10/99 I sent you a Email about a leaking coolant rail on my Rover 416 Since then I have had it looked at my local garage they have found it is not the coolant rail it is the Head gasket leaking on the back of the engine on too the coolant rail where I thought the leak was. My car is a 1990 820i. I have just completed rebuilding the head. The car started easily after the rebuild and the tappets soon settled down! The engine now runs smoothly and quietly. The problem is crankcase pressure. After a few minutes it builds up and pushes the dipstick up releases oil fumes and some oil droplets. Cylinder compressions are all 170 +/- 10 psi. Could it be the breather system. I intend to take of the sump and clean all breather components before worrying about engine rebuilds. Any help would be much appreciated. the breather pipe on the back of the engine, underneath the manifold. This can have a tendancy to block-up and give the same results you are experiencing, including the 'popping' dip stick. If you are very lucky, you may be able to clean it, but generally it is best replaced. Hope this helps. (Adrian Fell) when I came to check the oil level on my 620 I found it is about half an inch OVER the maximum level. What sort of problems could this cause, if any?? Should I drain it down to the Max mark? A/ It would be best if you drained a away a little of the oil to bring the level back to the maximum mark. With too much oil in the sump you may build up back pressure which results in a noise similar to piston slap or big end knocking, in extreme cases you may even get oil pushed back up the dip stick tube. (If the level of oil were higher you could get more The idle speed on my 620ti is only 750 rpm (the spec is 800+/-50) which I find too slow and hinders smooth down changes (hence I'd like to get it to 850). Also, when idling the engine hunts slightly. Can both of these issues be resolved by enriching the mixture a little? How would I do this? A/ The low idle on the 620ti is probably normal, the MEMS system ECU stores the settings for the adaptive idle in its memory and will be different for every car, as the engine adopts it's own optimum idle speed. On most of the Catalyst engines the idle speed cannot be changed manually, and this will be the case on this model also. A proprietary "re-chip" on this car will have no effect as, to my knowledge, none of the conversions available involve a remapped ECU. Assuming the car is standard and has been recently (and regularly) serviced, in my opinion the thing most likely to get a result would be a check of the HT ignition system for current bleeding, and also check for air leaks around the inlet manifold and map sensor connections on the ECU. Failing this I could go on forever and not get anywhere, but some other things to check would be the cleanliness of the throttle body or the operation of the lambda sensor on the exhaust housing. (J. Wadeson) I have a 414SLi 1991 with 64,000 miles. The problem is that the engine will start ok and run until warm, the tickover during this period is 1100RPM, but when warm the engine will cut out, and will not start immediately. If I wait for approximately 30 seconds the engine starts and runs OK. I have changed the distributor cap and rotor arm as that cured a similar problem at 44,000 miles. But this time, no luck . I have allowed the engine to warm up and cut out then removed a plug cap and plug, resting this on the rocker box and turning the engine over there is no spark. Do you think the problem is either the HT leads or coil breaking down temporarily or perhaps the ECU? I have a 1990 Rover 800Si fastback, It starts and runs fine from cold, no problems at all while it is moving, but once it is warm it will idle low and try to cut out if I stop at a junctoin or lights etc. If I let it stall, or switch off, and restart it straight away it idles perfectly for a few more minutes, and then I will stop again, and the idle speed drops low. It doesn't always happen, but once warm it will try and stall probably 7 out of 10 times that I stop. Weird eh, otherwise whilst the car is in gear and moving it seems fine. Oh yes, it's serviced reguarly and has had a new fuel filter too. Any ideas? A/ I had a similar problem which turned out to be a faulty spark plug, couldn't really tell since the computer tries to compensate, but it cut out at junctions. I know you said that it is serviced regularly, but have you got the correct plugs fitted? A/ I too had just this problem with my 1990 820i , and tried substituting the various sensors and also borrowed other ECU modules but to no avail. THe problem proved to be with the Base Idle Speed setting . This is an involved but actually easy operation which involves setting a basic idle setting of 750 rpm irrespective of the Ecu control setting which is 900 rpm .The Ecu is disabled by a procedure of disconnecting and reconnecting the stepper motor 4 times ,then the idle speed is set using either the butterfly valve stop or the second air bleed screw on the throttle body (I always did wonder what that was for ! ) depending on the type you have fitted ; both types were used on the 1990 models. THe Haynes manual describes the procedure in detail , but does not acknowledge the 'other air screw' type. Once this is done , aberrations in the ECu setting when hot or stepper motor glitches will only mean the idle speed drops to the basic 750, which will not trouble you and will not stall, and as you have noticed the next time you restart all will be reset and ok again .hope this helps . I have a '95 Rover 214SEi, low mileage and a well cared for example, which I am very pleased with, apart from one aspect. It suffers from a lot of engine noise and particularly engine-induced resonance at about 2,700 - 3,000 revs. One annoying tinny rattle comes from behind the drivers side dash but the main resonance could be in the cat, centre exhaust or somewhere similar - it feels as though if you could just identify what's resonating you could put your hand on it and it would stop. I've tried all the obvious things but I wonder if this a common problem and whether there are any recognised fixes for it? It's all a bit odd as the car seems pretty well endowed on the sound deadening front. A/ I had a very similar problem on my 416sli '94 L. It turned out to be the heat shield around the catalist hat broken on one end. The exhaust centre simply put a jubilee clip around the whole assembly and everything has been fine since. Hope this helps. A/ My 52,000 mile '95 214 SLi suffers from the same problem, and it has only recently developed. It seems to come rom the behind-top of the dashboard, and as a suggestion it could be the right-hand heater duct. I haven't been able to get into it yet, but that seems to be the position of the noise. "The mystery of the disappearing oil" I have an N-reg 1996 Rover 220 Coupe, with 41k on the clock. I bought the car about 4 weeks ago, and after about 1 and a half to 2 weeks after buying it, I thought I'd better check the car over. When I cam to check the oil level, it was dry. I couldn't believe it so i checked it again. Still dry. I bought the car from a second hand car dealer near Taunton, Somerset, and it had a full service just before I picked it up. So I shelled out hard earned cash on some oil and filled it up to the max line. Checking every day, the oil level seemed fine, until, after about a week it had suddenly dropped to the minimum line. That was maximum to minimum in 350 miles. Throwing it back at the garage, they changed the oil and watched it over 150 miles - result: no change in level. They can't see where it could have gone, there's no smoke, nothing on the ground, it can't get into the gearbox only the bell housing, and in any case if it went into there, there is a drain hole for just such an eventuality. I'm getting the car back tonight after work, and will watch the oil A/ One answer which I have experience myself is " Hard Driving" If you red line the car in a low gear the oil pressure increases and I believe this is lost through the turbo shaft into the exhaust. I found myself in the same situation when red lining the car through 1st and 2nd gears. I ran the engine to the cut out and when I checked the oil in the morning, nothing was showing on the dipstick. I topped it up and have had no problems since I have a 1995 M reg 620ti with 38000 on the clock, problem is on starting cold or hot the engine will not catch with a turn of key alone, you have to 'bip' the throttle and even rev. the car for a short time, then the choke will catch and the engine will idle fine. The next problem which I think is related, when driving the car and accelerating, and you press the clutch to change gear, the engine will over rev. even if you take your foot of the throttle before pushing the clutch. A/ Initially, check throttle cable tension, throttle potentiometer & check for air leaks (split vacuum pipes etc). (Adrian Fell) It could be a fault in the ecu that forces you to give some throttle for the engine to start and then you can release the trottle and the engine idles perfectly, this problem occures most on cold engines but works fine with a warm engine. solution to change ecu. the second problem applying boost to the engine causes a little problem in the throotlebody pushing the seals for the butterflyspindle out, and this makes the butterfly stick until boost is wented away, solution is to change throttlebody. My car is a Dec. 1995 420GSi Tourer with 73500+ (4/99) on the clock. On starting the car, for the first 6-8 minutes, it runs as if the choke is full on. The car, although running fairly smoothly, does not respond well to the throttle. In fact, on occasions it has cut out when pulling up. After this period things tend to settle down, but with a slightly lumpy tickover. Thereafter, every so often at idle the car will "hunt" up and down by approx. 500r.p.m. three or four times (more often after having just reversed!). On the road at speed the car performs very impressively. (This may well be due to the Pipercross induction kit and Moto Build exhaust complete with anti-cat). All four spark plugs seem to be more sooty than I would expect, even in a relatively short time. So far Southern Carburettors have checked fuelling, electrics and emissions and declared them all to be perfectly O.K. Rover main agents have just carried out main 24,000 service last week, have checked compressions and confirmed they are all O.K. During the service Forte oil and fuel treatment was used and I have used some STP 16valve cylinder teatment but all to no avail. Could this be the so-called "sticking valve" problem or has any other member any ideas? I hope someone out there can help. Look for throttle butterfly gunge. Idle hunts between 500 and 1500rpm, resulting in cutting out. I own a 75000 mile 92 216GTi it has fsh and is sohc. I pulled out of a junction yesterday in the wet and ended up spinning the wheels. The revs would not drop in 3rd or 5th and eventually I realised the clutch was slipping. Now it seems that everything is okay, but every time I change to second it judders. Any idea? A/ Sorry, but as you say, it looks like it's a clutch change, unless anyone else can suggest otherwise? A/ Possible flywheel distortion/burning. Check for cracking. Clean with fine wet & dry (320 grade) + WD40 or parafin, or if too bad maybe replace, plus clutch change. (Adrian Fell) My 216 GTI SOHC suffers from excessive engine noise when under load (idles fine), there is also a acceleration pause at 3000 rpm, I have had new exhaust, checked the air intake etc. any ideas? Could the timing be out? The engine seems to over rev! Rev count reads approx 3700 @ 70 MPH in 5th (seems high) reply to a GTi question posted, My Gti always sounds a little high revving, the pause at 3000rpm is at 3500 on mine so do not worry. The ideal solution is a proper Superchip and rolling road check. Although is it worth it. As for high revs at 70 well... mine is the same! Good car strange niggles! Clearances? Check cam belt timing/tension. Is it definitely engine & not gearbox noise? Check ignition timing. (Adrian Fell). vehicle: Rover 216 Vitesse EFI 1986. problem: the car takes a long time to reach idle. It can sit at 1500 rpm then slowly sink to the correct idle speed. Injectors cleaned , throttle body cleaned, stepper motor cleaned, throttle voltage adjusted, new inlet gasket, oil separator replaced, breather pipes cleaned/replaced, ECU substituted, CAS cleaned, earths cleaned. By disconnecting the road speed sensor, idle now satisfactory. But this does not actually fix the problem. Road speed sensor output correct but with a 10V spike on the trace. Any ideas? A/ Have you checked your water temperature? One member who had erratic & fast idle speeds, changed his thermostat & it cured his problem. Previously, the computer had been keeping the choke on slightly, since the engine wasn't at the correct temperature. A/ 216 Vitesse were always prone to engine running problems. More so than the Montego with the same engine! due to confined bonnet space (increased heat). 1) Check mixture on machine, suspect injectors blocked. Try 2 cans of 'Forte' fuel system cleaner in tank after fuel filter renewed, run engine for about 1 Hr & leave overnight. (this is a common problem) (Adrain Fell). 2) Check for secondary air leaks. my 827 Vitesse coolant warning light has been coming on intermittently, the level is fine, it sometimes stays on for between 5 and 10 mins before going off again, only seems to happen when the car has warmed up. Any help or hints would be appreciated. A/ A member recently had a similar sort of problem, which turned out to be the actual sensor fitted to the expansion tank, it wasn't working properly & gave the wrong signal. A/ Sorted the problem with my low water light, it was the sensor thanks. A/ Ensure the system is free of air locks. Replace water & antifreeze. If necessary, flush with water only, first. Any help or hints for this problem would be gratefully received. About a week ago my E reg 820Si suddenly started to misfire when overtaking a van on the motorway. When I had to pull up at any point the car would either die or idle very roughly. However if I put my foot down there didn't seem to be that much loss of speed or power but still noticeably missing. On getting home I parked the car up and then it would not start at all. I tested the compression and found pot 1 had 150 Psi but 2,3,4 had only 45 Psi. I thought probably the head gasket had blown, especially affecting 3 pots, and no sign that the car had been burning oil when driving the day before even when running rough. I changed the cylinder gasket and exhaust gasket ( having left the inlet manifold in place), head bolts etc. The bores seemed ok and plugs seemed fine (no discoloration). But the problems the same, I am thinking its the piston rings but with no signs of oil being burnt and affecting 3 cylinders at the same time ??, could it be something else. I don't want to strip down the engine and replace rings if there could possibly be another cause. A/ One of our members' recently had a similar problem on two 'pots', which turned out to be the hydraulic lifters at fault (hydraulic valves). Once these had been sorted, everything was ok. A/ In this situation, the cylinder block should always be checked for distortion & machined accordingly. Was all the old inlet manifold gasket removed? Check for air leaks. (Adrian Fell). I have an 820 Vitesse sport 1995 and the manual gear box has a problem when engaging 5th gear. When changing from 4th to 5th at speeds over 45 miles/hour the gear grinds then goes into 5th. To get around this I have to change below 45 miles/hour or wait in neutral for around 3 seconds the go to 5th. I thought that the gear box oil level may be low, but I am not able to undo the inspection bolt to check it. Dave Nicholson A/ I've replaced a gearbox on a 800 Vitesse, and 5th and synchromesh for 5th on a 600ti. The gearbox seems to be weak for this engine. In the case of the Vitesse the change to 5th got worse, the gearbox got noisier and then started jumping out of fifth on the motorway. Ended up with a secondhand box fitted - gearbox bearings had gone. A/ With the road wheel removed you should be able to get a socket onto the inspection bolt using a long extension bar. On this box it's worth changing the 'box oil - but use the proper stuff (MTF94, £15 for 2 1/2 litres at dealers). Pre 95 boxes had engine oil specified with a 24000 mile change. Post 94 spec is MTF94 with no change specified. The previous correspondent is correct that this box is on its limit with this engine, so I believe it's worth the effort of changing the oil periodically. My Vitesse Sport is occasionally difficult to get into 5th too, but this car can do 105mph in fourth so it really shouldn't be a problem to try again - however this got much better when I renewed the clutch, the old one was near its limit but had not started slipping (still, it did well to get to 97k!) (Paul Carter). My Rover 820 develops a vibration, running through the car, when I select 5th gear (manual gearbox). I don't know where the vibration originates from, or whether it's a coincidence that it happens when I'm in 5th. It may be the speed or revs that are causing it? I believe that when in 5th gear, the engine drives the wheel A/ Probably misfire, usually only when cold and when changing down a gear or increasing/decreasing speed. I need to know which engine I have fitted to my 220GTi? It is a late 1992 model A/ Assuming that the car is all original, & nothing has been changed, up to mid. 1993 the M16 series engine was used. Traditionally, this had a twin exhaust at the rear. from mid 1993 onwards, the T16 series engine was used which had a single exhaust at the rear. I have a Rover 825. What is the recommended mileage between cam belt changes? A/ This is a good one. Originally, the cars were sold as life-time of the car. ie. You didn't need to change it. When the 827 engine came out, the mileage was specified at 96,000. So most people applied this figure to the 825 also. Recently, it appears that the figure has been halved on all Rover cars. Therefore, 825/827 is now around the 45,500 figure. Basically, if you ever have the covers removed before this figure, it would be wise to change the belt as well. I don't know what the specified change was for the 2.5 engine (try asking a Honda dealer), but it's likely have been the same as pre 1990 2.7s. Pre 1990 2.7s were specified as 46000 mile change. 1990 model year on is spec'd as 96000 miles. The change was brought about not just by improvements to the belt design but also by changes to the engine. Consequently, although you could only buy the later belt, it still had to be changed at 46000 miles on pre 1990 cars. The latest advise from Rover and Honda dealers is that all cars, old and new, should have the belts changed at 60000 or 5 years. Personally I changed the belt on my 827 at 96000. Also go to a Honda dealer to have the work done, they will charge around £260 compared to around £360 at a Rover dealer. (Paul carter). My Rover Sterling Radiator has developed a small leak. Can I use a water additive such as Radweld or similar? A/ NO! If you look on the rear of the label on the container, you will see that it states 'Not suitable for 825/827'. This is because of the narrow water ways within the engine block which will also get blocked by the radiator sealer. Unfortunately, as far as we know, it is either fit an exchange radiator or new unit. Is there an easy way to stop knocking tappets on my Rover 827? could talk about this one all night long, there are so many answers available out there, and every one will give you a different answer. An easy way of reducing Tappet Knock is to firstly clean your sump & oil strainer pick-up. Next, use a good quality flushing oil, to clean out the engine. Finally, use either a Synthetic engine oil (typically Magnatex or similar) or anti-friction additives, such as Vivax (available only through the club, another good reason to join). It's a good idea to change the oil regularly as well. A/ After many weeks/years, I may have found the problem. It seems to be connected with the exhaust valve clearances. As you may know this should be 1½ turns after contact with valve stem. In my case it was a problem with Nos. 5 and 6 cylinders. However, it may be found that the engine when stone cold may start on 5 cylinders in which case pull off plug leads to find out which cylinder is causing the problem and back off tappets by one third of a turn. I hope that this may be of some help. (Thanks Gareth, although we feel that this reply will only apply to the 2 litre engine, since the 2.5 & 2.7 litre units have automatically adjusting, hydraulic tappets). If you ever have the V6 engines dismantled, on re-assembly, do not fit a tappet that is full of oil, drain them first, as there is a possibility of the valves being held open when first cranking. reply to the noisy 827 tappets question - It is correct that these engines have self adjusting hydraulic tappets but you should note that the exhaust valves only do indeed have manual adjusters as well. It is imperative that these are correctly adjusted (when cold), as per the Rover manual. The original Rover workshop manual is available from any Rover dealer. The part number is AKM6691 and the electrical fault finding manual for the 827 is AKM6278ENG. (Richard Tickner) Rattling tappets on 827s are symptomatic of irregular or missed oil changes or poor oil being used (or low annual mileage typified by short journeys). The tappet could be worn or it could have a carbon film on its surfaces affecting its operation (or even sludge). Post 1990 this engine was specified as 12000 mile change (6000 pre 1990). Personally I always changed at 6000 (3000 one winter when I was only doing 5 miles to work each day). After 30000 miles the engine ran better than when I'd bought it. The advice regards oil above is good (except that Magnatec is semi synthetic not synthetic). I always used Morris Multivis, only available from independent factors, but there are plenty of other good oils. Whatever oil you choose, change it regularly, however if the problem is wear then replacement is the only cure. Personally I would not buy an 827 with tappets that rattle when warm for the reason stated in the first sentence above (you never know what else has been missed) - these engines (like most engines) will run forever if properly looked after. Richard Tickners advice is also sound. Whilst on this subject its also imperative that the antifreeze be changed every two years. As mentioned elsewhere on this page the Honda engine has some narrow water ways which get easily blocked either by additives or corrosion products. Although the anti freezing properties of anti freeze last for many years, its anti corrosion properties only last about 2 - 3 years - hence service intervals specifying a two year change irrespective of mileage. Long life anti freezes are now being used trackside by OEMs, but these are not yet generally available. As a general comment, don't be fooled into thinking that these long service intervals now being stated for new cars are designed to prolong the life of your car. It's all about "cost of ownership" and in my view is simply a way of reducing cost of ownership for fleets who buy the majority of new cars but are not interested in their ability to last 100k or more. More servicing than that specified will always prolong the life of your motor, that specified by the OEM should be regarded as a minimum and there will be good reason for it. (Paul Carter).

Best wishes for the Festive Season from the team at Wolveridge Architects. We are taking a short break and our office will be closed December 22nd - January 18th. See you all in 2016! Tranquillity – a recently completed residential project now up on our website. Exceptional work by Steve Smith Builders and photography by Derek Swalwell. The team at Wolveridge Architects just arrived back from the annual Wolveridge Conference where we visit our current projects and discuss how we can improve as a team. We spent a few nights at our project in Eltham South, Blairgowrie. Site Visit with a view Cookoff in the Blairgowrie kitchen Cricket in the front yard Light on the timber and rammed earth from the lasercut screens A few years after completion, Wolveridge Architect's award winning Hill Plain House was photographed by Richard Powers. Take a look at how the timber has silvered as the house settled into the landscape. Wolveridge Architects are pleased to announce Will Smart and Ricky Booth have become associates here at Wolveridge Architects. Congratulations and best wishes to the guys. We need your help. The Nightingale Project by Breathe Architecture and partly funded by Wolveridge Architects is a triple bottom line development. Apartments that are environmentally, socially and financially sustainable. Please view further information on the project by clicking on this link. Please click on this link to write a letter of support Wolveridge Architects are excited to be involved in Nightingale, a sustainable multi residential apartment project led by Breathe Architecture and to be constructed across the road from Breathe's highly successful The Commons project. Here is what The Age reported Wolveridge are the project architects for Landcox Park Residences, a 25 townhouse development in Brighton East currently at marketing stage. Located at the edge of Landcox Park, we expect construction to commence during the year. Please visit the marketing agent's website for terrific images of the project: http://www.landcoxpark.com.au/ Congratulations to Marc Clavin for the successful opening of Stage 1 of our Collins Quarters project. Next stage is 6 boutique apartments on the crest of Ocean Beach Rd Congratulations to Everclear Constructions PL who have been awarded the Prestigious Master Builder of Victoria Special Commendation in the Best Custom Home for the Eltham South, Blairgowrie project. The Brighton East Residential Project has been approved at VCAT Ricky Booth, a project architect at Wolveridge Architects is nominated for the Rising Star Award at the 2014 Timber Design Awards. Congratulations Ricky! Eltham South, Blairgowrie received a commendation at the Intergrain Timber Vision Awards 2014 - Residential Interior category held at Cumulus Up. Featured in Houses Magazine Issue 99 - August 2014, profile of the Practice. Please take time to check it out. Shortlisted for 2014 IDEA Interior Design Excellence Awards in the Residential Single category Shortlisted for 2014 Houses Awards in two categories: New House over 200m2 for Eltham South, Blairgowrie project, and Alterations and Additions under 200m2 for Northcote Project. Shortlisted for the 2014 Victorian Architecture Awards for Residential Architecture (Alterations and Additions) for Northcote Project. Port Douglas Multi Residential Development going to marketing stage. Our proposal for a contemporary bungalow in a heritage precinct Ascot Vale Bungalow approved at VCAT New Residential Alterations and Additions Project uploaded to our website: Northcote Residence, featuring the full refurbishment of an early 20th century dwelling and pool. We are now on Instagram! Follow us here. Nominate your favourite Wolveridge Architects project from 2013 in Archdaily's The Building of the Year Awards. Register with Archdaily and nominate here! Ends on January 21st at 11:59PM EST. Best Wishes for the Festive Season from the team at Wolveridge Architects. We are taking a short break but will be back in the office on Janurary 6th, 2014 New Multi-Residential Project uploaded to our website. Application has been lodged at council Blairgowrie back beach house, Eltham South posted on Archdaily Blairgowrie back beach house - Eltham South, recently photographed by Derek Swalwell and images uploaded to our website Contemporary Beachside living. Wolveridge mixed use and multi residential project 'Collins Quarters' to be constructed in the heart of Sorrento's heritage main street launched. Construction due to commence March 2014. Follow these links for further information: Hawks battled hard to see out the Dockers and register grand final success Dune House posted on Archdaily AIA Regional Conference residential tour takes in two Wolveridge Port Douglas projects; Dune House & Zuma Residences Bowman Street Beachfront Apartments posted on Archdaily Two Projects posted on Archdaily Douglas Street House http://www.archdaily.com/416841/douglas-street-wolveridge-architects/ McCrae House http://www.archdaily.com/416453/mccrae-residence-wolveridge-architects/ Dezeen Pinterest Board on Australian Houses Wolveridge Architects Launching new website Torquay House Shortlisted for AIA Victorian Architecture Awards 2013 Shortlisted for 2014 IDEA Interior Design Excellence Awards in the Residential Single category Wolveridge Architects have been in practice since 2000 and have had constructed over sixty individually designed projects with a collective construction value of $100M AUD The practice director has nearly twenty years’ experience in the practice of architecture in addition to significant practical experience in civil and building construction We have a specific knowledge of working in extreme and challenging climates and regions having undertaken projects across the eastern seaboard of Australia from the southern edge of Victoria to Port Douglas in far north Queensland We have extensive experience in procuring complex projects in faraway locations, often where the Client lives interstate or overseas We are pleased to take on commissions where a design challenge exists, regardless of the project scale or size Wolveridge Architects have a proven track record of delivering quality construction documentation without delay We use ArchiCAD computer modelling software which enables our clients to readily visualise design concepts at the outset and contribute meaningfully to the design process The team at Wolveridge Architects are from diverse cultural backgrounds with a broad cross section of education and industry experience from Germany and the UK bringing a greater richness to our process and projects The director and many of the team have had extensive experience in construction, civil engineering contracting and large scale land development projects. These experiences bring a great depth of knowledge and practical background for the practice of architecture The practice has received 30 industry & institute awards including the 2011 Premier Award For overall Best Project - Australian Interior Design Awards (Selected from 500 Entries) The work of the practice has been published regularly in Australia and internationally and has appeared in over 90 publications We insist on remaining courteous and respectful to our Clients and promise to return your phone call without fail each day. If we fail to return your call on the same business day, we will donate $100 to the charity of your nomination "We wanted to create a home for ourselves drawing on our vast building experience and love of the area with an architect who has a passion for creating beautiful built form and spaces which would not only fulfil our needs but rather enrich our lives. Our research and experience with many architects over many years led us to Wolveridge. People often ask us if we could alter anything about the house, what we would alter. Our answer is nothing! All in all, our house is simply stunning and not only meets but overwhelmingly exceeds our initial vision and design brief. We feel extremely proud of our house and absolutely love the home we have created." Vicki and Steve, Tranquility Beach House 2015 “A remarkable outcome. We have a family home which we think is superbly comfortable, functional and extremely beautiful. Jerry understood us so well and the level of service and professionalism from him and the team made the whole process a great pleasure.” Natalie and Steve, Northcote Project 2014 “You and your team have managed to capture the feel of exactly what we were after - raw, a simple escape, in complete contrast from our city house. lt is unique and beyond comparison. Upon reflection the design period was smoothly managed by you and Ricky. We always felt confident that all was in order and well managed. The enthusiasm with which you approached the project and brought up new ideas and concepts was marvelous. Working together with you as a team we have been able to bring our aspirations to reality.” Phil and Virginia, Eltham South 2013 “We have now had Wolveridge Architects design three houses for our family and each one of them have been amazing homes to live in and fantastic building experiences….it is not often that you find yourself sitting in a room and simply enjoying it for the space it is, enjoying the space that has been considered for you to live in. It may on the surface look like a costly decision to head down the architectural path, but the advantages of having an architect like Wolveridge Architects design your home, are nothing but rewarding personally and financially. To have an architect complete a full design from a simple brief was invaluable.” Mark and Briohny, Prescott Avenue Residences 2004, 2008 & 2013 “We first noticed Wolveridge when my husband noticed a property being built on a very ordinary block of land. The house had a very impressive design which enhanced the block greatly. From our first meeting with Jeremy we knew we had made the right choice as he listened to our wants and needs and designed accordingly. His designs are unique and functional and he is well known for his visually stunning coastal designed homes. Jeremy and the team at Wolveridge are an absolute pleasure to work with and their professionalism is unsurpassed. We are now in our new home and are 100% happy, so much so that he is now designing house number 3 for us.” Phillip & Diana, Roseneath Residences, Sorrento 2012 “The creative team was brilliant and we loved the initial design so much that there was minimal variation to that design. The team at WA were accommodating, professional and encouraging of ideas and requirements we had for the interior….we recommend Jerry and his team very highly and if we were ever to undertake another residential project, Jerry would be our first call.” Becca & Scott, Torquay House 2012 “As builders specializing in Architectural housing it has been an absolute pleasure working with Wolveridge Architects. On a business level the team from Wolveridge Architects, Jerry, Sina & Tjeerd were always available to deal with any questions or work through any resolutions, their decision making and administration is done efficiently resulting in a cohesive and smooth running project.” John Walker, Master Builders, Torquay House 2012 “We had a great experience working with Wolveridge Architects. From the brief to the concept, final design and execution, the process was seamless. Jeremy is a great listener, receptive to feedback and flexible but always careful to maintain the integrity of the design and his overall aesthetic vision for the project. We couldn’t be happier with the process and the result and we would definitely work with them again on future projects.” Susan and Justin, Toorak House 2011 "Our association and experience with Wolveridge Architects has been very enjoyable and rewarding. We found particularly helpful Jerry's ability to sketch concepts while we talked enabling us to visualise and explore various design alternatives. The outcome was very pleasing: our vision and brief had been transformed into a stylish, modern, comfortable, family home, more than worthy of the fabulous greenfield site.” Camilla and Joby, Upper Beaconsfield House 2011 “…like any relationship it takes one party to be the rational one, that’s Jeremy. He is the level headed listener, the creative one that interprets what you want as a client, and molds that with his aesthetic to give you what you think you want. Jeremy and I have done three houses together now, (he also designed a house for my parents) so it would be fair to say I like what he does. In both cases I used builders that Jeremy had researched and recommended, both houses came in on budget and without grief from unhappy builders.” Sean Cussell, Dune House 2010, Trent Jones Drive House 2008 “Our first meeting with Jerry was very exciting. We happily explained how we lived our lives and how we wanted the house plans to suit us and our dog. Within weeks Jerry showed us his designs and we were instantly impressed without too many changes all went into place. Jerry has such an eye for detail, the choices for material internally and externally were just that little bit different and his confidence in them made our decision easier, this is what makes Wolveridge Architects so unique.” Simon & Katrina, Mount Martha Residence 2010 “I have had a working relationship with Wolveridge Architects for approximately 15 years. I consider it an absolute privilege to have had this relationship with one of the leading architects. As a builder, I find that Wolveridge Architects have a great balance between creative and practical considerations which is a great outcome for his clients.” Mark Brindley, MRB Constructions Prescott Avenue Houses x3, Trent Jones Drive House 2008, Upper Beaconsfield House 2011, Sorrento House 2005 “I have worked with many architects in my work as a colour consultant and developer but have found Wolveridge Architects to be the most inspiring, amiable, passionate and understanding and creative. Nothing was too much for you and you made the experience of building our home a very relaxed and easy experience. We look forward to working with you and your team again.” Sadhna and Darrell, The Bent Wedge Project, Southbank, 2010 “…a magnificent house that takes full advantage of seamless indoor/outdoor living areas with large, shady eaves and marvellous cross flow ventilation….at the same time there are a multitude of private areas where you can hide away and feel as though you are alone in your tropical hideaway. We found that Jerry patiently listened to our “ideas” and then applied his extensive and creative expertise to create the perfect house – Jerry and his wonderful team met our expectations in every way.” Jenny and Brad, Six, Port Douglas 2006 “We were absolutely delighted with the input of Jerry and his team on our building project. From the preliminary meetings, they succeeded in converting our somewhat hazy design objectives into a concept that delivered everything we were looking for. Their design work and project management expertise demonstrated an abundance of flair, coupled with a practical approach that enabled us to achieve our desired outcomes. Every interaction that we had with the Wolveridge team was friendly, courteous and fun. All in all, a very satisfying customer experience.” David and Janee, Six, Port Douglas 2006 “Over the past 12 years we have worked with Jerry to convert half our home into a modern, private self-contained 4 ½ star B&B, renovate an old disused knackery into “The Nak” (a bush retreat) and plan an 8 unit townhouse development for a 1 acre block. Jerry is not only a great architect but a great guy who has “the nak” of putting a window in just the right spot.” Raema and Moz, The Nak 2004 “We purchased a vacant block of land (165sqm) in inner city Richmond which all our friends thought was a crazy thing to do. How could you build a family house on that small a block? We wrote a brief of what we wanted and spoke to a few architects. They came back to us with some interesting concepts but it was clear that Jerry Wolveridge was the only architect that really listened to us. The children also enjoyed meeting Jerry and discussing their bedrooms and their requirements. Jerry treated them as clients, and they loved it.” Peter and Louise, Richmond Townhouse 2003 “Jerry's work is what keeps me in this jungle of an industry. I've watched his ideas develop and form over 14 years and feel a great privilege to be asked to bring to reality his ideas and visions. My own career would not be where it is today without the challenge of Jerry's work. Our learning together over this time has given me the courage and ability to tackle almost any domestic architectural build.” Andrew Pope, Pope Constructions P/L “My wife, Rosie, & I engaged Jerry Wolveridge to renovate & extend our holiday house. The house was a ‘60’s style “beach house” and the renovations & extensions were done to complement and retain the original character. It was an exciting project and Jerry’s attention to detail in preparing the Design & Scope of Works combined with his overall supervision was fantastic. The end result confirmed our choice of Architect was perfect.” Alan and Rosie, Mornington House 2004

The 114 acres in Jonesboro, Georgia on which the Harold R. Banke Justice Center stands is familiar stomping ground for project manager Joe Lee. And not just because he spent slightly more than two years managing construction of this $119 million, 726,855-square-foot justice complex-one of the largest in the country. It's familiar because he remembers taking flying lessons at the old airport that once occupied this site. Little did he know back then that years later he would return to raze the airport terminal and hangers and remove the runway. Nothing remains of the airport, but if you look closely, you can still see the clearing where a runway once stretched into the trees. Architect James Fair looks at the site and sees a shape that reminds him of a musical note. The note's round part is where he placed the four-story courthouse while the long, narrow part of the musical icon (the path of the former runway) is where the sheriff's headquarters/intake/release area and the five housing units now stand. Harold R. Banke Justice Center Dedication ceremony: November 4, 2000 Location: Jonesboro, Ga. Construction budget: $119 million Project delivery: CM at risk Security level(s): Min., med., and max. Total jail beds: 1,947 Total square feet: 726,855 No matter how you view the site, it's hard to look at this complex and imagine that all of it-from design to grand opening in early November-happened in approximately 28 months. But, that's what the client, Clayton County Board of Commissioners, asked for and that's what the team signed on to produce-despite a timeframe that would make it difficult to construct any building this size, let alone a government facility. But that project team, including Joe Lee, project manager and president of Lee Design & Management Group; James Fair, senior vice president of the Atlanta architectural firm HOK (Hellmuth Obata + Kassabaum), and Turner Construction Company, also in Atlanta, succeeded admirably. Ordering the Court The city of Jonesboro is in Clayton County, a southern suburb of Atlanta. And like many counties, Clayton's courthouse and jail were outdated and undersized; the courthouse was a historic, late-1800's facility and the Lovejoy jail, built in 1986 for 500 inmates, frequently housed as many as 1000. To alleviate overcrowding, the county spent money to house inmates at other facilities. It was obvious a new facility was needed as soon as possible, so the county passed a one-cent sales tax in early 1998 to raise money for construction of the center, which has been named Harold R. Banke Justice Center in honor of a former judge. The complex has a total of 1,947 beds-1,536 in two-bed cells, 384 in 48-bed dorms, and 27 medical beds-and is designed to accommodate the county's needs through 2015. Both the courthouse section and the housing areas are expandable. It was Joe Lee's job to ensure the project went smoothly and quickly. And surprisingly, there were few problems along the way; the biggest issue occurred during site work when 50,000-75,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil had to be removed. Other than that, Lee said the project was successfully fast-tracked everyday. Early on, everyone promised to make real-time decisions and "nothing was held up by a lack of a decision," said Lee. The team would discuss issues and make immediate decisions, an effort he said the county supported. To save time, Lee also used modular cell units. The Tindall Corp, headquartered in Spartanburg, S.C., won the modular contract and supplied completely finished units that Lee estimates shaved about three to six months off the construction timeline. PROJECT DATA - HAROLD R. BANKE JUSTICE CENTER Architect: HOK (Hellmuth Obata + Kassabaum Inc.) Construction Manager: Turner Construction Company Owner: Clayton County Owner Representative: Clayton County Board of Commissioners Project Manager: Lee Design & Management Group General Contractor: Turner Construction Company Detention Equipment Contractor: Norment Security Group Security System Consultant: HOK Food Service Consultant: Aramark Correctional Furniture: Chief Detention Accessories: American Jail Products; Petersen Enterprises Security Fencing: Joyner Enterprises Security Locks: Airteq Security Penal Plumbing: Willoughby Security Sprinkler and Fire Equipment: Grinnell Fire Protection Security Lighting: Kenall Security Glazing: Viracon Security Windows: Hope's Security Cell Doors: Trussbilt Touch Screens: Black Creek Concrete: Precision Concrete Construction Precast Concrete Cells: Tindall Corporation Exterior Finish: Ga. Masonry; Circle Industries Roofing: Tip Top Roofers Gypsum Wallboard: Circle Industries Floor/Wall Tile: U.S. Mosaic; Doyle Dickerson Plumbing: McKenney's Inc. HVAC: McKenney's Inc. Meanwhile, James Fair worked on designing a cost-effective adult justice complex and minimum-, medium-, and maximum-security jail that supported the fast-track schedule. All areas were defined early on and an "envelope" was established to contain costs. The envelope was malleable up to a point-but if changes were requested they had to work within the established guidelines. When charges were requested, Fair said he'd happily incorporate them into the plans but then asked that something be given up to accommodate the addition-a solution that forced the team to find creative solutions. And extra large spaces like the kitchen and laundry, oversized to accommodate the building's future expansion, were easier to change than the courthouse, which was a very deliberate design. In fact, although the entire complex is one structure, Lee deliberately planned the construction as if there were three separate buildings; the courthouse, sheriff's headquarters, and housing units. Rendering a Design Decision "I wanted a definite front door," says Fair, who, in designing the courthouse, borrowed heavily from the classic architecture of Robert Mills, a 19th-century architect who designed many southern courthouses as well as the Washington Monument in our nation's capital. The entrance, with its considerable glazing, is sheltered by a large portico with Doric columns-features that Fair thinks are appropriate symbols of a courthouse. The courthouse section of the building is 400 foot long and has 15 courtrooms, three mediation rooms, and office space for judges, prosecutors, the district attorney, and other county staff. However, should more courtroom space be required, offices can be converted into courtrooms. The east-facing building also is designed to accommodate expansion to its north and south sides. The Sheriff's area and housing units are west of-or behind-the building. In fact, thanks to a site that slopes slightly to the rear, the large courthouse section virtually blocks from view the other two sections, as does a trick design that angles the sections away from the street-toward the clearing left by the former runway. It is also on the courthouse that a large portion of the budget was spent, making it look dignified, as Fair describes it. The nicest materials were used in and on this part of the building, with a brick faade and nicely finished courtrooms and hallways. Fair refers to materials use throughout the entire complex as a "spectrum of quality." Think of it as a sliding scale; the nicest materials were used at the front of the building and then progressively became more utilitarian working toward the rear of the building and the housing units. "We struck a balance and spent money on what's appropriate," Fair says. "We designed something to be proud of but not to be embarrassed by because it's too nice, too rich." Or in the case of the housing pod, too severe. Those octagonal housing pods are each two floors and contain six, 16-cell units, each with its own day room; each pod has 192 cells with approximately three quarters of those cells double bunked. The facility also has recreation space. The pods were divided into smaller spaces to make it easier for staff to manage inmates. And because of the design and state-of-the-art electronics, no inmate is ever out of sight. Maintaining Safety and Security Clayton County isn't immune to the staffing problems endemic to the corrections industry. Facilities throughout the nation are understaffed because of a tight job market that makes it difficult to recruit officers. The project team, therefore, made sure the building's design, construction, and features allowed a reduced number of staff to efficiently operate the facility. One of the most efficient aspects of the design is the direct connection between the sheriff's headquarters intake/release area, the jail, and the courthouse. Only a small number of justice facilities in the world have such a setup-allowing inmates to appear in court without ever leaving the building. A smaller staff can better manage inmate ebb and flow within a building than when transporting them offsite. And the layout and circulation takes inmates through a linear series of stops, making the arrangement secure and preventing unintentional cross traffic of inmates, civilians, judges, lawyers, and other people. The location of the intake/release area and housing units at the rear of the complex also is integral to the design because it further separates the public and private zones while keeping everything within one building. As Lee puts it, "once inmates are brought to this facility, they don't see the outside again until they're released." The security systems installed within the complex are of a higher level than would normally be specified in a county jail because they help the facility run in a safe, efficient manner. Subcontractor Norment Security designed an ergonomic system with touch screens. "There's no sea of buttons and switches," says Fair, making the system easy to operate and maintain. An Argument for Efficiency The word "efficient" appears quite frequently in reference to this facility. And for good reason-not only are security features designed for optimal-and efficient-use, the building's other systems are extremely energy efficient. In fact, a deal with Southern Company Energy Solutions, the parent company of Georgia Power, helps the complex achieve savings of 30 percent on its annual energy costs. The deal provides for a 10-year guaranteed energy cost of $1.06 per square foot; costs at the old Lovejoy jail were $1.56 per square foot and, without this deal, utilities at the Banke complex would most likely be as high as $1.66 per square foot. Average savings total $400,000 per year. Southern Company maintains the rate by operating the complex's central energy plant. The fixed figure allowed the team to install expensive, upgraded equipment because they knew they would recoup the high up-front equipment costs with savings generated from the reduced energy rate. It also allowed Fair to design an energy-efficient building that still met construction cost targets without sacrificing materials, such as a complete insulation program. He also specified non-operable windows in the courthouse-a decision that helps create a tight building envelope while also improving security. When referring to the many advantages this one large building offers, Lee quipped that the complex offers "one stop shopping for the county's adult correction needs." And while his comment was made in sport, it also is truthful. The level of convenience, security, and efficiency it offers Clayton County-and the condensed construction timeframe the project team worked within-is nothing to make light of. And most importantly, the people who paid for and will use the facility-the citizens of Clayton County-are very pleased with the complex, according to Fair. As for the former courthouse-the building, circa 1888, is receiving a historical renovation and the former jail also is being remodeled. Their uses are yet to be determined. As for the former airport, well, people like Lee will just have to rely on memories of the place, as there are no plans to replace it.

The Dark Room I noticed that almost every time that there's a thread with a nice photo of a knife or some food in it, people start asking about the camera gear or the technique. Often times there are comments about "man I should finally get a decent camera, what should I get to take pictures like that." Soooo, I thought that I kick of a dedicated photography thread and see where it goes. I've been into photography for about 17 years now and I'm constantly learning new things. I think that knives and food are also 2 of the trickiest things that I've shot so there's certainly no shortage of stuff to discuss. I guess to start this off perhaps the 2 most frequent areas of discussion would be new camera / gear buying and lighting selection / setup. So who wants to go first? Come share your wisdom and ask your questions! I sold my Leica M2 last year and my Hasselblad earlier this year and I'm now camera-less. I'd love to get back out and shoot but I simply lost the desire to process and print myself and I'm too lazy and scared to bother learning digital/Photoshop. Now that I think about it it's really kinda said that I haven't shot a frame in months considering that for years you'd never see me without a camera on me. I think we had a thread about knife photography before, but it's a never-ending topic. I am actually planning to take pics of all my knives once I have fixed a small issue on one of them, so this is a timely thread. I am using a Panasonic GH2 which is a relatively new micro 4/3 format. The quality is at about the level of an entry level DSLR, but the video is better than almost any other (not that I really care that much...), and the cameras are usually less than half the size and weight of a DSLR - which means I actually take i with me. What makes this fun for me is that you can adapt almost every lens ever made to that format, and I had a lot of fun playing around with many old lenses, some of them movie camera lenses from the 30s and 40s. As for knife photography, I am still struggling with reflections on the blades and the handles. I have a small light tent which is just a touch smaller than I'd like, so I may build something myself the next time. But even with the light tent, I sometimes find it tricky to position the lights in a way that it doesn't reflect too much. I read that one can work with white/silver or black cards to direct the light, but that's at least one level above my experience. As far as lenses are concerned, I have taken some pics of my handles with a Leica Macro Elmarit 60/2.8 - one of the top choices in macro photography. The problem is, I sometimes hate the pics because this lens is so sharp that one can see every little piece of dust - and every flaw that the normal view doesn't even detect... I will have to play around more with different lenses here. I am also wondering about good backgrounds. What do people like to see? I have seen nice pics of knives on wood pieces or elk horn etc, I am just not sure whether they add or distract. I tried one series on a cutting board, adding some color with veggies or fruit, but that's similar. On the other hand, you get a sense of knife size that way. And you have stuff you can cook with after the shoot When I tried different colored fabrics, I get the reflection problem again - on a nice blue fabric background, the knives look icy cold with the bluish reflections, not the way I see them myself. Black velvet seems like a great option, I want to try that out next - it seems to absorb some of the light and really make the knife the center of attention. I tried some crushing shiny velvet, but that looks a bit cheesy. Any thoughts? I know, a lot can probably be done with poat processing. But I like the photo challenge, and I would love to do as much as I can do get good pics out of the camera and minimize the post processing. After all, I like photography to get away from the computer occasionally, not to spend more time a it. Just rambling some thoughts to stimulate the discussion, so please join in! Hey Stefan, great to see you here! I'm also excited to hear that you've got a micro 4/3 camera! I've been hearing a lot of buzz about them, but you're the first person that I've met with 1st hand experience. The point that you mentioned about flexibility when it comes to adapting old manual and video lenses to them is what really got me interested when I first read about them. Also, the new, "native" 4/3 lenses are also much cheeper than their full frame 35mm equivalents. I'm actually considering buying a 4/3 body JUST to be able to use this lens: http://noktor.com/products.php. -the combo of body and lens woundnt be that much more than a new canon 50mm 1.2L (I've got a canon 7D, an aps-c censor camera that's in-between 4/3 and full frame in size). I'll have to check out that 60mm macro that you have -sounds pretty sweet! As for lighting: I feel your frustration, I've been dealing with te same questions. Here's the thing to remember about light diffusion: it increased both with the distance of the bulb/ light source from the difuser and the distance of the difuser from the subject. Because you're using a tent, you can't move to subject further away, but you can try moving the lights. Another thing to try is making a softbox or 2. There are lots of plans online for homemade softboxes using thoes cheapo clip-on work lights. Yet another cheap option to play around with is just getting a big sheet of drafting velum(high quality tracing paper) or a big sheet of fabric w/ similar propeties (ripstop nylon is like $3/ yard at a fabric store) and then stringing it up between you subject and light sources. I still haven't figured out what combination of diffusers I like best, but there's alot to play with. One last important note is to keep in mind that light intensity always degcreased as diffusion increases, so a tripod and slow shutter speed are your friends. As for backgrounds, I'm with you in that I think too much color or jazz always ends up looking goofy. I really like the simple black that Marko uses. Simple wood or bamboo I think also works and gives a bit of reference for compaison to the handle wood color. However, I've also had problem with contrast if the subject colors are too similar to the background. I've seen some people use leather backgrounds before (I think that Pierre has) and I think that looks pretty good too. Having a few sheets (light, med, dark) of leather might be handy. For 4/3 I've heard that the Voigtlander 25/0.95 is an absolutely stellar lens. I've had multiple Voigtlander lenses for my old M mount Leica rangefinders and they're always great bargains for whay they offer. I'd go with the Voigtlander if you want ultimate speed, just my $0.02. I'm also a fan of the 4/3 format for this reason. When I sold cameras, I would stress to customers that they were not buying ___ camera body that will be obsolete in a year or two, they were buying into a camera system including lenses and flash etc. I'd compare the prices of lenses based on equivalent focal length and aperture, and the 4/3 lenses come out on top pretty much every time. Now with the micro 4/3 everything is even smaller while still retaining excellent quality. I nearly bought a GH1 myself, but panasonic sold out before I had the money. Now I have to wait for a GH2 to fall into my price range. My intention is actually more video oriented... Originally Posted by Justin0505 The Voigtlander 25/0.95 looks amazing too, but I don't think it would really be a good choice for knife pictures. I think it really shines for video use, and any sort of available light photography. I've had some ideas in mind for some time now regarding a "take better knife pictures" thread. Justin already hit a lot of the high points. The main things I'd add for now are - 1. Take a ton of pictures! You can always throw away what doesn't work. 2. Very subtle changes have a huge effect when photographing something as difficult as a knife. Rather than a different angle, just slightly tweak a few times before you change things completely. 3. There is a whole lot you can do in post processing for much better results. You could take two different images and combine them together to get a nearly impossible image that looks perfectly natural. For example it's tremendously difficult to balance lighting for a great looking handle, and a great looking blade. With the camera on a tripod and the knife in the same spot, you can take a picture of the knife with great lighting on the handle, and then slightly change the lighting and exposure for the blade, then combine the two images together. It's probably easier than it sounds. Adjusting white balance, tint, contrast, saturation and sharpness can help a great deal too. I always take my photos in RAW and fine tune them with photoshop. from what I read, noktor IS or was Voigtlander but after some type of ownership or branding changes. I agree w/ the other comments that f0.9 lens is not really going to be much use for "traditional" studio product photography, but I just love available light photography and shallow DOF. I think this would make a great setup for shooting sans-flash inside restaurants. ...and it's gotta be darn sexy for video too. Originally Posted by Kyle Wow! Are you serious? Thoes are 2 cameras that I always drooled over in my early days of learning photography. Owning that pair is like having an original Shelby Cobra AND a vintage Rolls Royce phantom. Originally Posted by Kyle Did you also sell all of you leica lens? If you still have any they work real nice with a new 4/3 body.... Or leica also makes the digital m9 -which is what I'd buy if I had more money / fewer hobbies. Having such a strong foundation in film photography you're going to be able to jump way out ahead when you do make the switch to digital. Learning what buttons to push is easy, it's learning the therory and training your eye, and gaining the disciplined approach that takes the real time (and I think that alot of people just never do it in the digital age). But oh man, once you get the hang of the digital process you're gonna love it! It's so liberating to be able to hit the shutter release without seeing dollar signs and hours in the darkroom tick by. This is really the golden age of digital: the quality is finally up to 35mm levels, the cost of entry is way down, and the cameras and software are more powerful and user-friendly then ever. Seriously, whenever you're ready to jump in, just post here or send me a PM and I'll walk you through the whole process from click to print. Great tips, guys. Just to clear this up: The 25/.95 Nokton that Kyle linked it the stellar fast lens for the m4/3 system. Voigtlander is a high level traditional German brand - but now owned by Minolta, I think. The 50/.95 'Noktor' is an attempt to enter the market with a relatively cheap CCTV lens that was modified to work with m4/3 and then sold way over what it's worth. As far as I know, the company folded, or better, was taken over by a Chinese company who now produces 'toy lenses' for the system that are cheap but really more for fun than serious photography. There are two issues with the excellent Nokton lens: it's hardly available, they can't produce it fast enough, and while regular price is $999 (I think) it has gone up to almost $1400 for a while because it is so hard to find (although I think this has relaxed a little bit). I happen to have a 25/0.95 c-mount Angenieux lens from the sixties that was used for movies at the time, and while not quite as sharp wide open and with a little bit of vignetting (it was made for 16mm film), it has a beautiful character. However, as you guys already said, it is a highly specialized lens at 25/.95 and I am seriously considering selling it - $1,200 for a lens that I use a few times a year under very low light conditions doesn't seem a good investment if I need the funds somewhere else (paying rent for a wood shop, for example...). I may also sell the Leica macro, I just have way too much stuff... Ah thanks for clearing that up, I guess I was getting NoktoN mixed up with NoktoR. Funny the difference that one letter makes! (sneeky Chinese Noktor). - and I know what you mean about the availability: theyve been "temporarily unavailable" on B&H pretty much permanently. If only I had a camera that would fit thoes lenses of yours I could be more enthusiastic in encourage you to get rid of "stuff." Maybe I should get more serious about an m9...*checks going rates for organs on the black market*

"How far are the Wardens?" I asked Catherine. "Two days, at least," she said. I sighed, it would have been nice to have the extra blades. "Go back," I told her. Stay with the king." She glared at me. "What?" "You heard me," I said. "Maker save us, if we fail he'll need someone to help protect him. Someone who can get him to Denerim fast. Someone I can trust." Her eyes widened. "General," she said, saluting me. "I won't fail." "I feel like I could jump from my skin," Anders whispered. "The waiting is killing me. Is it always this bad?" I looked over at him, his face looked nervous but his eyes revealed how excited he was. "I have no idea," I admitted. "I always seem to get to the battle after it started without me." "Poor Maggie, always late to the party," he said, the edges of his mouth turning up slightly. "How long now?" "Not much longer," I said. I could see the Templars in the distance, their torches glinting off their armor. They were silver dots on the horizon. Reaching over, Anders took my hand. "It was worth it," he said after a moment. I turned, standing on my toes to kiss him. "It was," I agreed. "Not over yet, though." "No," he agreed. "But it still needed saying." The templars were moving faster now. They must have realized the vulnerable position they were in, being fenced in on two sides by the mountains. I could see the priests walking across our front lines, censers swinging in their hands. I could understand a little as she came closer. "A great hymn rose over Valarian Fields," The Grand Cleric intoned. I could see Revered Mother Moira of Amaranthine City and several other priests who had been pleased with the reforms walking behind her, offering blessings on kneeling soldiers. "Gladly proclaiming: Those who had been slaves were now free." The Grand Cleric had apparently taken it upon herself to reinstate the Canticle of Shartan. I wasn't opposed to the idea, since it was stricken from the Chant for political reasons, not theological. Still, I was surprised she would do that. I looked at Anders to see if he had noticed and he gestured me closer. "You know what they're call her now?" Anders whispered. "Grand Cleric?" I asked. He chuckled, shaking his head. "The Grey Divine. Not to her face, of course… but I've heard a few say it." "Seems apt," I said after a moment of shock. She was nearing us, though, and we both fell silent, dropping to our knees. Pausing, she put a hand on my head. "Blessed are the righteous, the lights in the shadow. In their blood the Maker's will is written." "Thank you," I replied before standing up. "You'd best get back to camp quickly," I warned her. "We don't have much time." "Any moment," I said. "If I don't get the signal soon I'll have no choice but to attack early- they're getting too close." Nodding, she raised her hand, gesturing to the priests who had been working their way through the lines. Finishing quickly, the women all walked back to camp in single fine, singing the Canticle of Trials as they went, two of our Templars on their heels joining them in song. "Come on," I mumbled. We were cutting it too close, but the signal was so we would know our men were clear of the tunnel. If the mages went into action too soon there was a risk of trapping, or worse, crushing them underground. "General," someone said, sounding nervous. I held a hand up. "Hold!" I shouted. "I want archers only!" The archers were less than effective against the templars in heavy plate. Watching the horizon, I wanted to laugh, or cry. Here I was, back where I started… but this time I was the impatient general waiting for a late signal. I silently prayed that our men hadn't been ambushed by darkspawn as Alistair and I were all those years ago. The first templars were starting to clear the pass. I screamed for everyone to hold their ground. I was readying a fire spell, planning to signal our mages on the top of the pass myself, since something had happened to the men underground. "Forgive me," I said more to myself than anyone else, hoping no one would be caught underground. Waving my sword in the air, I screamed "charge!" as loud as I could. Running forward, I could already see snow tumbling down into the pass, setting off enormous white clouds. Chaos had broken out among the Chantry ranks. The men in the center were pressing forward, and the men at the front were pressing back as we ran at them. A moment later I saw another fireball rise, this time from the Orlesian side of the boarder, and all but collapsed in relief. It was late, but at least I knew we hadn't killed our own people by setting off the avalanche. The Templars had decided to take their chances with us over the avalanche. Some were trying to outrun the snow, even going so far as to trample anyone that fell. "Maker's breath," Anders gasped, looking out over the commotion. We cast storms around their group. All were quickly dispelled, but each one managed to thin their numbers by a few. As they were on us I could do nothing but hope none would risk standing still long enough to conjure a proper smite. It wasn't a fast process, and anyone who attempted it was equally likely to be run through before it could be done. Blocking a sword with my daggers, I kicked out, throwing a templar off balance. He pressed back against me, shoving my arms towards my chest as I tried to hold back his blade. "Putain," he hissed, almost spitting on me. I didn't need to be fluent in Orlesian to guess what that meant. Taking a risk, I eased my press on the daggers, giving up a few more inches so I could hold one hand free. The blades were now pressed sideways against my armor, my left hand pinned into place. My right hand was gesturing quickly, I raised it at the last moment. "Bye bye!" I said, grinning as I finished the spell and sending the templar flying back from me, along with everyone else who had been within two feet of us. From then, it took only a moment to freeze the man on the ground. Another soldier took advantage of the moment, shattering him immediately. I couldn't afford to look for Anders or anyone else. Another two men were at me within seconds. One fell to my daggers, the second to a fire spell… but not before he managed to slice my face open. Wincing, I put my hand up. It felt worse than it was, apparently, since everything was still in place… just cut and bleeding. From how it felt I was worried I'd find myself with half a nose. Shaking off the brief urge to take advantage of that blood, I reminded myself that these weren't my Wardens at my side; the Ferelden army didn't share our 'any means necessary' beliefs. We fought for what felt like hours, maybe days. I'd narrowly escaped at least two smites that I saw myself, killing the templars with my blades as they raised their hands in that distinctive gesture. Another had caught me on the very edge of the area, leaving me more exhausted but, thankfully, not powerless. Potion after potion kept me moving, and I realized with a great deal of annoyance that many of the men fighting us were, quite literally, half my age. That was about when I started chucking the empty glass lyrium bottles at them, too. Limping and exhausted, I realized no one had stepped up to fight me when my last opponent fell. Glancing around for a new target, I saw many of the troops doing the same. Men had begun returning from the other side of the pass, using the same tunnels, and the remaining Templars were so far outnumbered that it would have been difficult to even reach one of them. Even still, I moved through the field, looking for any still fighting and taking advantage of their distraction. Many found themselves surprised to be stabbed in the back or frozen solid. I saw a man in remarkably ornate templar armor facing down several mages, a massive red and gold plume on his helm. Moving slowly, most of the mages were holding blades in shaking hands, their circle robes hanging in bloody tatters. Trying to push my own exhaustion aside, I drank my last potion and reached into the fade, drawing back lighting. The smited mages collapsed against each other with relief as the man turned his attention to me. "General," he said in a heavy accent. "Knight Commander," I replied, matching his circling posture. He struck out finally with a massive greatsword, moving much faster than I thought possible in armor that heavy. I managed to duck and roll, shooting off a quick frost spell as I dodged his blade. He made a sound of rage and tried to bring his blade down on me. I jumped to my feet, hopping just out of range as I shot lighting. Again and again I hit him with spells, most of which he shook off like they were nothing more than water, as he swung at me with that massive blade. I took advantage of my smaller size and better reflexes to dodge his blows, but he was fast enough that I couldn't jump in close enough to get him with my own daggers. "Why continue this," he said after he had managed to land one blow. I had dodged the worst of it, but was fairly sure my collarbone and shoulder were broken. My entire right side felt dipped in pain and my arm hung uselessly, lower than it should have been. "You know the Maker will never tolerate it. If I don't strike you down now, someone else will soon." He clearly thought I was done for. I decided to play into his assumption, raising my good arm to the broken shoulder protectively and whimpering. Considering that the world was beginning to swim around me it didn't require much acting. I looked him over carefully. Armor joined at the elbow and shoulder, a vulnerable spot. The usual templar skirt, another weakness, this time to fire. Open faced helm, and no neck guard. No neck guard. Yes, there. He raised his hand, and I shrank back, the perfect terrified mage. I waited until he was too far into the smite to stop and lunged. Throwing my full weight against his chest, the man shouted in surprise and confusion as he stumbled backwards. I tried to shake off the wave of energy that slammed into me full force. "Tell me something," I said, voice already slurring in exhaustion. I had one knee on each of his arms the tip of my dagger pressed into his bare neck. Crazily, I wondered if this was the first time he ever had a woman on top of him and started giggling. I didn't have much time, and fought to get my exhaustion, pain, and giddiness under control. "If the Maker hates me… why does He keep letting me win?" The Templar had no response, only narrowing his eyes at me with loathing as he struggled to throw me off. "That's what I figured," I muttered, laying my weight into my dagger and not stopping until the hilt was flush with his skin. That's where I was found, although I don't know how much later it was. Half asleep, half unconscious, hand still pressed against my dagger. "She's over here!" someone shouted over the sound of a barking dog. I felt hands grab me under the arms and lift me to my feet and couldn't stop myself from screaming in agony. First Enchanter Torrin's face swam in and out of focus in front of me. "Shoulder?" he asked. I nodded and sighed with relief as healing magic began to knit me back together. As clarity returned to the world I gasped in horror, seeing the field of bodies around me. So many, I thought in horror. I could hear the injured screaming in pain, lying among the dead as they waited for someone to help them. It wasn't lost on me that I didn't see Anders among the healers walking the field. I was afraid to ask. "Lyrium?" I asked him, afraid to say anything else. He handed me several large bottles. "Anders said you would need them," Torrin confided, and I almost fainted in relief. "He just knew we'd find you out here." "Back at the main camp, working on the injured with the other Spirit Healers. Us creation school oafs are out here looking for survivors." As I chugged one potion after another I felt more like myself, and listened to the deadpan First Enchanter tell me how Anders had struggled not to come out hunting for me himself, but was adamant that I would be fine. "I don't know how, but I think your dog talked him out of it." I could only laugh, reaching down to rub Isolde's head. It was no surprise my mabari was able to find me in a field full of bodies. Torrin gently took hold of my chin after healing several other injuries. "Maker, stand still," he said, healing the cut across my face. I could tell he wasn't satisfied with the job. "No wonder you go everywhere with your own personal Spirit Healer," he said, "if this is what you do to yourself in battle." "I'm just amazed my head's still on my shoulders!" I said, laughing slightly now that I wasn't numb with fear. Bending over, I retrieved my dagger, holding the body down with a foot to release it, and took the man's massive sword. It would be something impressive I could give to Alistair as a token of our victory. After a moment I reached back down and grabbed his ornate helmet, popping it on my head with a laugh. "I'd better get back to camp," I said. Torrin nodded. "General!" he called as I started hiking away, joining the throng walking up the hill. I turned back and he saluted. "Thank you." Not knowing what to say, I only returned the gesture. Camp was chaos, but the relief in the air could be felt. Even the injured were smiling as healers worked on them. Alistair walked between their cots, talking to people, shaking hands, even sitting briefly to listen to them, a hand on their shoulder and sympathy on his face. People had been following me since I returned, cheering and shouting in my wake. I could even see Wynne there, her face tight with concentration as magic poured from her hands into an injured knight. Finished, she looked up and nodded in my direction before moving on to another patient, saying something to a young page not far from her. Entering the massive tent, I saw the page race over to Anders, who was at my side seconds later. "I knew you were alive," he whispered after kissing me, to the hoots and hollers of the soldiers around us. He shrugged. "Because I was still breathing." I smiled and Anders reached over, knocking on my head. "Where did you get that?" "Off the dead Knight Commander," I said. "Now I have one last thing to do." Anders nodded, falling into step behind me. Several of the captains had rushed over when they heard the chaos and did likewise. Alistair looked up, catching sight of our group. Relief washed across his face and he began walking over. "General," he called, keeping up the performance for everyone around us. "Anything to report?" Dropping to my knee, I took the helmet off and set it on the ground. Anders did a double take, seeing the new scar snaking its way across my nose and cheek. Holding the sword up in offering with both hands I grinned, probably revealing how lyrium addled I was in the process to anyone who knew what to look for. Alistair looked like he wanted to laugh, but kept his façade. We had talked about this weeks ago, over a bottle… well, several bottles of wine. "If we win," he had said, "we'd better make it look good. You know, all serious. Like we know what we're doing. That's the sort of moment people remember for centuries." "Your Majesty," I said, speaking as loud as I could without actually shouting. "We are victorious!" Taking the sword from me, Alistair held it in the air for everyone to see. As the camp cheered I finally let myself sag with exhaustion. Only Anders, who was holding on to my waist like he thought someone would snatch me away, kept me upright. So I guess there was some football game or something today? I spent the afternoon writing this and watching Terry Jones' series on the Crusades, and consider it time well spent. Although I probably should have studied for the GRE... Thanks so much to all my readers and reviewers!

To my friends and family I am the horse addicted girl who lives, breathes, and sleeps horses. I never grew up with them but ever since I can remember, horses were on my brain and in my heart. After graduating, I got into the Summerhill Stud School of Management Excellence and went on to win a Scholarship to the English National Stud in the UK. After all my studies, I had been given the most amazing opportunity to complete a breeding and sales season at the Sir Patrick’s Cambridge Stud in New Zealand. I then decided to come back to home roots and do a season in South Africa at the beautiful Highlands Stud in Robertson, which ended up being an entire year. Since my travelling soul and yearning to learn constantly tug at my heart, I will be packing my bags and heading to America for their next season. Today, I wanted to share with the world the reason I cannot wait to get up in the morning before the birds in below freezing temperatures, the reason my heart skips a beat when I hear the sweet nicker of a horse greeting you as you walk in the yard. All the reasons I don’t call this my job but my hobby. 10. I GET TO WATCH THE SUNRISE, EVERY MORNING! Some people have “watch the sunrise” on their bucket lists, as if it is a rare phenomenon. I count myself lucky that I have seen the beauty of the sun rise over a new day more times than I can count. That is not all though, we get to go through the storm and see the rainbow at the end. I have never experienced rain like I did in my New Zealand season, after you have done a season there you are definitely water proof. Rain and mud just became a part of life really; It felt odd when the sun eventually shone. New Zealand brought a bunch of firsts for me, namely foaling outside. It was a cold and wet experience but most of all, the most memorable. Nothing brings you closer than huddling together in the cold waiting for a mare to foal. 9. THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS ROUTINE Horses always have something new to throw at you. This is definitely not a typical 9 to 5 job. This is a ‘wake up before the birds and go home when the job is done’ kind of job. I remember during the season in New Zealand, it was my night to be on call. We had just finished for the day and were on our way home when the night guard called myself and the team back to the paddocks because a mare was about to foal. We waited for her to foal, and while she was foaling, another mare decided to foal. We had three mares foal one after the other after work that day. We only went home somewhere past seven o’clock that evening. 8. ALWAYS LEARNING NEW SKILLS This is the kind of job where you cannot learn everything in a classroom or lecture hall to prepare you for real life. Every day you learn something new, everyday you learn a new skill such as driving a tractor, or working a blood machine, operating machinery like walkers and so on. I also have to add that you will gain major driving skills with this job. I can now drive anything from a truck to a van, a four-wheeler to a tractor. Not only are your skills tested with different types of farm vehicles dating back to the early nineties but the weather surely helps you master your skills as well. You can only drive once you have navigated a vehicle through mud after a week of rain on a road fit only for one car. 7. WORKING WITH THE VET I just love this side of the job…it definitely belongs in the Top 10. I am always like a kid at Christmas when the vet is coming to the farm. My favorite experience throughout my three years in the industry would be with a vet in my recent South African season. I got hands-on experience with small surgeries and assisted with multiple x-rays on yearlings and several minor injuries. I have never had the opportunity to get so hands on with certain injuries and be able to assist the vet on multiple occasions. This is one time where you can never stop learning, there is always a new way to treat something and a new injury that a horse can bring you. Over all my travels so far no farm handles anything the same way. Call me a nerd, but nothing can make me stand up straighter and be more proud than coming back to South Africa wearing a National Stud jacket. Proving those people wrong who told me that I am too small, I am too weak, I will never make it. I am so proud of how far I have come and how much I have done already. When I put on that new uniform, I don’t only feel proud to have been able to work there but to wear their name and make them proud. One more thing – You will promise yourself that it won’t happen to you, but you will become an instant cap collector, it’s undeniable. 5. PREPARING FUTURE CHAMPIONS My love for the stud life started with foaling my first mare and that was it for me, I loved it so much. I didn’t think that I would love anything as much and then I did my first sales preparation in New Zealand and well, that just lit another fire. Taking these scruffy yearlings from their camps and teaching them to accept blankets and bits, going through their first bath and groom session….at the end of prep the yearlings cannot wait to be groomed and hand walked, and a little hose that seemed to be a terrible monster with water spraying powers is now their best friend. At the sales you see a sophisticated, well-groomed, beautifully put together yearling; a few months ago we could hardly catch him in a paddock. I cannot explain the way it makes me feel to witness such a transformation. It is a proud feeling. 4. THE FOALING SEASON Every time I foal a mare it is even more magical than the first. This is my favorite time of the year, I have done four breeding seasons now, two in South Africa, one in England and one in New Zealand. Not one farm foals the same, not one farm has the same technique or after care, that is what makes it so exciting. On every new farm, it feels like you are starting from the very beginning when you enter a new season, but the result is always the same. No matter what time of night or morning it is, I always get excited to rub the water out of that little nose and watch it take its first breath…and witness the mothering instincts of a mare as she wraps her head around her new baby. 3. MEETING NEW PEOPLE I cannot begin to tell you the amazing people I have met on my journey. I have met and had the opportunity to work with people from Ukraine, India, America, Ireland, England, Australia, and New Zealand. I think we had one of each nationality on the stud farm in New Zealand. Spending a season with these people bring a friendship that only stud life can give you. You have a friendship that has conquered late nights and early mornings, staying up with sick foals, working as a team to get thirty stables done before breakfast time, walking long, long roads to take a mare back to her camp after a scan, feed run pep talks, and most of all living together with one bathroom definitely brings you a little closer. Good times and bad times, there is no closer family than a stud family. When I was at school, I remember dreaming of travelling the world. Getting on a big airplane and flying for hours, discovering new places…It seemed out of reach, it felt like it would always be just a crazy dream. When I got accepted to the School of Management Excellence, I told my parents that I was going to get that scholarship to England and I was going to give it everything I had. I will never forget that night, when my name was called for the scholarship, my hands were sweating and my heart was pounding…my dream came true. After completing the scholarship in England I received an opportunity to go to New Zealand which lead to a life changing holiday in Australia and a year later I went back to New Zealand with my sister. What was once a wild dream, is now my life and my motto: Work – Save – Travel – Repeat 1. SIMPLY, BECAUSE OF LOVE The one and only reason but perhaps the most important, is I do this job because I love it. I hate calling it a job actually; I have told everyone that this is my hobby. There is something about the feeling of being a part of something. The stud grooms, night watchmen, stable hands, and assistants look like such a small part of the industry…but I think we are just as important. Some people forget all the work behind finally getting that racehorse to the track, never mind getting it to the yearling sales. Waking up in the early hours of the morning to help a mare have her baby, making sure that foal is healthy and strong to grow up and become a naughty weanling and eventually start prepping a striking yearling to catch a prospective owner’s eye at the yearling sales. Feeling your heart skip a beat when that same foal that was figuring out what these four legs beneath him are used for is now being led into the parade ring after months of preparation, exercise, hand-walking, diet, blankets, and everything that comes with it. This is what the Thoroughbred industry means to me…these are only a few of the many reasons I have dedicated my life to horses, I might not have grown up with horses but they have always been with me. I cannot imagine spending my life any other way. By: ASHLEE HAMMOND

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How Will Market Forces Transform Teacher Preparation? This week I have published interviews with three leaders in the field of teacher preparation. They shared a common vision regarding the responsibility they take on when preparing teachers to enter the classroom. This IS rocket science - teaching is a profession that requires tremendous skill and dedication, and the programs that are successful recognize this, and demand commitment and intense work from all who are involved. The sort of teacher preparation Kevin Kumashiro, Francisco Rios and Tim Slekar described will not be long for this world if corporate reformers have their way. For the past few years, reformers have had their eyes on teacher preparation, and are following a familiar playbook. Appoint your own set of umpires, issue reports and "grade" the programs, find the ones not aligned with your ideology to be faulty, and erect market-driven alternatives to replace them. This is the path taken by the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ), the Gates-funded advocacy organization that appointed itself the arbiter of quality for teacher preparation, and last year issued a report based largely on their review of course catalogs for the programs being rated. This was the set-up. Because in order to replace these programs, they must first be discredited. A new research paper by Ken Zeichner and Cesar Peña-Sandoval describes the upsurge in interest in marketizing teacher preparation. They point out the activist role now being played by corporate philanthropists: Unlike educational philanthropy of the past--before the entry into teacher education of individual venture capitalists and large funders like the Gates and Walton Foundations--current educational philanthropy in teacher education has taken a more hands-on approach and openly political role in pushing particular policies through their allocations of funds. This new wave of philanthropy supports policies that create conditions favorable to establishing a teacher education market and room for new entrants to the field (Ball, 2012; Barkan, 2011b; Reckhow, 2013; Saltman, 2010). This new brand of activism by philanthropists in promoting particular policies has managed to shape contemporary debates about teacher education policy and advance particular definitions of what it means to be an educated person, what good teaching is, and what should be involved in judging the quality of a teacher education program. Zeichner and Peña-Sandoval focus their attention on the efforts of the New Schools Venture Fund to discredit and "disrupt" traditional schools of education, to create opportunities for entrepreneurs in the field. They quote from NSVF, which wrote in 2012, New Schools aims to seed a market of autonomous, outcomes-oriented teacher preparation organizations, and set a new standard for teacher preparation with student learning at the center. . . . Our policy advocacy work supports this effort by advancing public policy that helps to create demand and provide support and funding for performance-based teacher preparation. NSVF plays a leading role in providing funding for a wide variety of charter operators, and thus is hugely influential in this sector. As part of their campaign of to disrupt traditional models of teacher preparation, schools of education are described as being ineffective in preparing teachers for the classroom, and are presented derisively as being highly theoretical. Meanwhile, alternative programs, such as those using Doug Lemov's "Teach Like a Champion" approach, are presented as being more practical and useful. It seems bizarre that a traditional teacher education program featuring two semesters of student teaching under the supervision of an experienced teacher, along with coursework related to curriculum and pedagogy, would be seen as worse preparation than a five-week long TFA training camp experience. But that is the case being made by those seeking to displace schools of education. As the authors point out, we should not behave as if schools of education are beyond critique. I received my credential in 1987 from UC Berkeley's School of Education. Overall it was a solid program, and my experience student teaching under the supervision of two outstanding veteran teachers was invaluable. The program would have benefited from a stronger emphasis on the role of race and class in our schools, and I actually circulated a petition asking for such a change before I graduated. I still felt inadequate as a first year teacher - but I think that was just because teaching is by far the hardest thing I had ever done. I cannot imagine taking charge of a class after only five or six weeks of training. Zeichner and Peña-Sandoval offer their own detailed critique of traditional teacher ed programs, and suggest a transformative agenda drawn from the work of Goodlad: They emphasize: (a) more shared responsibility for preparing teachers among universities or other program operators, schools, and local communities; (b) situating the process of learning to teach more strongly in relation to the kinds of settings for which individuals are being prepared to teach, while preparing teachers with content and professional knowledge as well as knowledge of and commitment to the communities in which they work; (c) focusing on preparing teachers to be able to enact teaching practices that evidence suggests will help provide opportunities for students to interact with knowledge in authentic ways and develop understanding; and (d) strengthening accountability systems for teacher education programs in ways that involve the assessment of teachers' abilities to promote student learning beyond their ability to raise standardized test scores. Zeichner and Peña-Sandoval take care not to cast aspersions on the motives of those seeking to reform schools of education, writing: Despite the potential to make a lot of money through investment in the disruption and re-creation of the current public education and teacher education systems, and the high degree of confidence, and sometimes blatant arrogance, of some reformers about the superiority of their entrepreneurial ventures, we do not question the motives of those who seek to dismantle the current system of teacher education in the United States and replace it with a deregulated market.2 Self-serving behavior, greed, and lack of concern for the common good can be found in all the various camps on educational reform, including in education schools; so too can genuine concern for the common good be found in all camps of the education debates. Our purpose in writing this article is not to throw stones or impugn the character of those with whom we disagree. Rather, our purpose is to bring a greater level of transparency to the forces influencing public policy in teacher education so that they can be more clearly seen, discussed, and debated. Discussion and debate of public policy issues is the cornerstone of a healthy democratic society, and we are greatly concerned that many educators and the general public seem to be largely unaware of the ways in which private money and interests are determining the future of teacher preparation in the United States. We are also concerned about the lack of discussion and debate in the public arena of these issues and practices. I support their call for transparency. I also think that there are a variety of motives at work. The problem I see is that once profit is introduced as an engine for change, it can sometimes propel poor models beyond their natural lives -- so long as they are making money. The huge experiment with virtual charter chain K12 Inc is a good example of this. So I remain concerned about the unleashing of market forces as a motive force, because we live in an economy where such forces operate with very weak regulatory restraint. And making money in education these days means finding ways to do away with expensive university campuses and professors, and doing as much as possible via the internet. A new report, Preparing Teachers for Deeper Learning, written by Karen Cator, Carri Schneider and Tom Vander Ark, pencils out the working strategy being put into place. As usual, reading this sort of report requires a sharp eye, in order to cut through all the flowery techno babble. The report states: The idea of teachers being isolated within four walls and students being limited to the knowledge and capacity of that one teacher is quickly receding into the past. Schools are social institutions that rest upon a social base for achieving their vocational and scholarly activities. Thus, building relational trust among educational professionals and creating relationships without physical boundaries that connect over passion, expertise and a shared desire to become better is the unstoppable innovation of today's education. What does that mean? Boiled down to practical terms, it means the authors wish to create flexible "virtual" environments where teachers-in-training can earn their credentials. Think MOOCs. Online courses, where students may never physically meet one another or their instructor. How would this work? One of the new buzzwords in education is "competency-based systems." This usually translates into a modular form of education, where "competency" is certified by the student having completed some specified tasks and passed a test. A related idea introduced in this report is "microcredentialing," which is explained as: Micro-Credentialing New Skills One promising strategy in support of competency-based pathways is the design and implementation of micro-credentials that are displayed as digital badges. Recent research and development efforts have focused on the use of digital badges or tokens to signify accomplishment, measure and reward competency-based outcomes. Micro- credentials can be awarded to those who have successfully demonstrated competencies worthy of recognition as a means to increase educator capacity around multiple aspects of the education profession. Applied to digital badges, a managed peer review process could be key to fully scaling up a system of awarding high-value, trusted badges for educators. This strategy requires the creation of customized rubrics, a process for the submission of artifacts to be evaluated, the process (and incentives) for conducting peer review, and methods for eliminating reviewer bias. If successful, the earner can then collect a credential (a visual representation that includes the metadata associated with that micro- credential) and share it with the world. An important aspect of these credentials is their open nature, enhancing the earners' ability to share and expanding understanding about the nature of the credential as well as the artifact produced to earn it. The other big idea in this report is an emphasis on "outcomes." This translates into requiring programs to monitor the "effectiveness" of teachers they graduate. And as we all know, "effectiveness" is measured by one's effect on test scores, measured through VAM systems. Here are the key recommendations from the report: - Use an outcome-focused accreditation/authorization process to approve traditional and alternative preparation programs (for a period not to exceed five years) based on design adherence to best practices and the demonstrated effectiveness of graduates. - Require accredited/authorized programs to use demonstrated competence rather than courses and credits to certify teachers. - Require teachers and the programs that prepare them to renew licensure based on demonstrated performance. - States should encourage (with grant-supported requests for proposals) alternative district/network-linked preparation programs. - If states require pre-service tests like edTPA, they should set minimum requirements as well as require teachers to demonstrate effectiveness in the classroom. If all we shift our focus to "outcomes," in practical terms this means we are no longer paying attention to the "inputs." The inputs in this case are the professors who might be guiding the student teachers, the course of study, and the student teaching experience. Instead we monitor the outcomes - the test scores of the teachers the programs produce, and make sure their teachers are "effective" at raising them. If we shift to a system where charter schools and alternative programs offer their own credentials and "digital badges," to certify competence, with money to be made, there is likely to be a major loss in quality. We have seen research emerging on the very low level of completion for students participating in MOOCs, as discussed here. There are elements of human communication that are missing from virtual platforms. The process of learning to teach is an intense one, which requires deep communication and solid relationships between the beginning teacher and those serving as mentors and guides. This does not transmit well through virtual platforms. What we stand to lose from this is huge. When I was learning to teach, my supervisor was a veteran teacher named Parker Stack. He convened a small cohort of about eight of us who were all learning to teach science. We met every week, to discuss what was happening in our student teaching placements. I received his wisdom, as well as that of the teachers whose classes I was student teaching. A big part of this wisdom was the understanding that there are things even more important than test scores. The spark of interest in a student's eyes, the way we model caring behavior, the way I behave as a man in relation to both girls and boys, how we deal with the complex power dynamics so as to own our authority as teachers without becoming oppressors of disempowered students - all these things that transcend test scores. This knowledge is not reflected in easily measured "outcomes," and when teachers are prepared on this basis, that knowledge will be lost. There needs to be an institutional framework for this. We need to carefully choose the people we elevate to the role of teacher educator. We need the process of becoming a teacher to be well-designed and structured, so credential candidates participate in solid courses focused on pedagogy and human development, as well as other aspects of teaching. Student teaching under the guidance of veteran teachers ought to be required. This process is not something to be turned over to MOOCs and the purveyors of digital badges certifying competency. We should look closely at how obsession over test score outcomes has distorted our schools, and not allow this trend to overtake schools of education. What do you think? Is teacher preparation likely to be improved by a shift to more efficient and flexible outcome-based systems? Or should we defend our schools of education? Continue the dialogue with Anthony on Twitter.

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An etched stone was found that dates back 100,000 years, consisting of 23 lines. Petroglyphs, a type of etched stones popular in ancient Australia, are as old as 27,000 years. Think of how long your message can last. Such etched stones can serve a variety of purposes. Some stones are purely decorative in nature, such as garden stones or welcome stones. Other stones serve as doorstops or paperweights. No matter what their use is, stones with custom engraving are a sincere sign of communication. The next time you want to give a unique gift, consider etched stones. These stones last for many generations, and are a great novelty. Just be careful what you write on them, for it will last many millennia. Pandora jewelry can include necklaces, earrings, bracelets and watches and it is sold all over the globe. Of course, jewelry goes back a long way. Sea shells might have been worn as adornments in Africa 75,000 years ago. 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Shareholders who wish to participate in the meeting shall (a) be recorded in the share register maintained by Euroclear Sweden AB on Friday March 31, 2017 (with Saturday April 1, 2017 as the record date), and (b) notify the company of their intention to participate in the meeting not later than on Monday April 3, 2017. Such notification can be made via a form on the company’s website, by telephone +46 (0)8-402 91 26 on weekdays from 09:00 to 16:00 CET or in writing by mail to Dometic Group AB (publ) c/o Euroclear Sweden AB, ”Årsstämma”, Box 191, SE-101 23 Stockholm. The notification shall set forth the name, address, telephone number (daytime), personal/corporate identity number, the number of shares held and, when applicable, information about representatives and assistants. Shareholders represented by proxy shall issue a written and dated power of attorney for the proxy or, should the right to vote for the shares be divided among different representatives, the representatives, together with information on the number of shares each representative is entitled to vote for. If the power of attorney is issued on behalf of a legal entity, a certified copy of a registration certificate for the legal entity (or corresponding document), evidencing the authority to issue the proxy, shall be appended. The original of the power of attorney and, when applicable, the registration certificate shall be sent to the company at the address indicated above, well before the meeting. A proxy form is available at the company’s website, dometic.com, and shall be sent to shareholders who so request. Shareholders whose shares are registered in the name of a nominee through a bank or a securities institution shall re-register their shares in their own names to be entitled to participate in the meeting. Such registration, which may be temporary, shall be duly effected in the share register maintained by Euroclear Sweden AB on Friday March 31, 2017, and the shareholders shall therefore advise their nominees well in advance of this date. The shareholders are reminded of their right to request information in accordance with Chapter 7 Section 32 of the Swedish Companies Act (Sw. aktiebolagslagen). 1. Election of chairman of the meeting (see below). 2. Preparation and approval of the voting list. 3. Approval of the agenda. 4. Election of persons to approve the minutes. 5. Determination of whether the meeting has been duly convened. 6. Presentation by the company’s Chief Executive Officer. 7. Presentation of the annual report and the auditor’s report as well as the consolidated financial statements and the auditor’s report for the group. 8. Resolution on: a. approval of the profit and loss account and balance sheet as well as the consolidated profit and loss account and consolidated balance sheet b. approval of allocation of the company’s result according to the adopted balance sheet (see below); and c. discharge of the members of the board of directors and the Chief Executive Officer from liability. 9. Determination of the number of members of the board, deputy members of the board, auditors and deputy auditors (see below). 10. Determination of fees to the members of the board and the auditor (see below). 11. Election of the members of the board and chairman of the board (see below). 12. Election of auditor (see below). 13. The Nomination Committee’s proposal regarding principles for appointment of the Nomination Committee (see below). 14. The board of directors’ proposal regarding guidelines for remuneration to the executive management (see below). 15. The board of directors’ proposal for resolution on authorization regarding acquisition of own shares. 16. Closing of the meeting. Allocation of the company’s result (item 8b) The Board of Directors proposes that the annual shareholders’ meeting resolves on a dividend for 2016 of SEK 1.85 per share. The record date for the right to receive dividend is proposed to be Tuesday April 11, 2017. Subject to resolution by the annual shareholders’ meeting in accordance with this proposal, dividend is expected to be distributed by Euroclear Sweden AB on Tuesday April 18, 2017. Board of directors etc. (items 1 and 9–12) The Nomination Committee, comprising Mr. Joachim Spetz (Swedbank Robur Fonder), Mr. Simon Blecher (Carnegie Fonder), Mr. Christian Brunlid (Handelsbanken Fonder) and Mr. Fredrik Cappelen, the chairman of the board of directors of Dometic Group, proposes the following: Education: M.Sc. in Chemical Engineering from Rijks Universiteit Groningen Other current assignments: President Operations of Cloetta. Member of the board of directors of Swedish Match and IKEA Industries. Previous assignments: Member of the board of directors of Cederroth International. VP Operations and Vice President Procurement Worldwide Baby Division of Danone. Procurement Director, Factory Director, Supply Chain Manger, Operations Manager and Services Manager of Unilever. Sales Manager Hydrocarbon Sector, Marketing Co-ordinator and Process Engineer of Fluor Daniel. Shareholding in Dometic (own and related parties): - Education: M.Sc. in Economics from Gothenburg University Other current assignments: Senior Internal Advisor of Altor. Member of the board of directors of Eton Group AB, Fiskars Oy, SATS Elixia and Fit Flop Ltd. Chairman of the board of directors of Grundéns Rainwear. Previous assignments: CEO of Helly Hansen AS. SVP; Product & Brand Europe, CMO Global Brand & Global Licensing of Electrolux AB. General Manager Central Europe NIKE CEE and Global Business Director, Nike ACG of Nike Inc. European Director of Footwear, Marketing Director European Outdoor and Director of Marketing Nordics of Nike Europe BV. Marketing and Buying Director of Intersport. Brand Director of Mölnlycke AB. Member of the board of directors of Swims AS, BTX Group A/S, OBH Nordica Group and Stadium AB. Shareholding in Dometic (own and related parties): - Education: M.Sc. in Economics from Linköping University Other current assignments: Vice President, Internal Audit, CAE, of Autoliv. Member of the board of directors of Scandi Standard and Nordic Growth Market NGM AB. Previous assignments: Member of the board of directors of Marine Harvest ASA, Trelleborg AB, TradeDoubler AB, Rec Silicon ASA and Swedish Financial Accounting Standards. Chairman of the board of directors of Invisio Communications AB and Tyréns AB. Chief Audit Executive of Elekta Instrument AB. Senior Vice President of Electrolux AB. Partner and member of the board of directors of PricewaterhouseCoopers. Shareholding in Dometic (own and related parties): 2,500 Further information on the proposed members of the board is available at dometic.com. Nomination Committee (item 13) The Nomination Committee proposes that the annual shareholders’ meeting resolves to adopt the following principles for appointment of the Nomination Committee for the annual shareholders’ meeting 2018. The Nomination Committee shall be composed of the chairman of the board of directors together with one representative of each of the three largest shareholders, based on ownership in the company as of the expiry of the third quarter of the financial year. Should any of the three largest shareholders renounce its right to appoint one representative to the Nomination Committee, such right shall transfer to the shareholder who then in turn, after these three, is the largest shareholder in the company. The board of directors shall convene the Nomination Committee. The member representing the largest shareholder shall be appointed chairman of the Nomination Committee, unless the Nomination Committee unanimously appoints someone else. Should a shareholder having appointed a representative to the Nomination Committee no longer be among the three largest shareholders at a point in time falling three months before the annual shareholders’ meeting at the latest, the representative appointed by such shareholder shall resign and the shareholder who is then among the three largest shareholders shall have the right to appoint one representative to the Nomination Committee. Should such change in the ownership occur during the three month period prior to the annual shareholders’ meeting, the already established composition of the Nomination Committee shall remain unchanged. Should a member resign from the Nomination Committee before his or her work is completed, the shareholder who has appointed such member shall appoint a new member, unless that shareholder is no longer one of the three largest shareholders, in which case the largest shareholder in turn shall appoint the substitute member. A shareholder who has appointed a representative to the Nomination Committee shall have the right to discharge such representative and appoint a new representative. Changes to the composition of the Nomination Committee shall be announced immediately. The term of the office for the Nomination Committee ends when the next Nomination Committee has been appointed. The Nomination Committee shall carry out its duties as set out in the Swedish Code of Corporate Governance. Guidelines for remuneration to the executive management (item 14) The Board of Directors proposes that the annual shareholders’ meeting resolve to adopt the following guidelines for the remuneration of the Chief Executive Officer and the Group Management for the period until the 2018 annual shareholders meeting. The overall principles for remuneration shall be based on the position held, individual performance, performance of the Dometic Group and be competitive in the country of employment. The overall remuneration package may consist of the base salary, variable salary based on short-term annual performance targets, long-term incentives, pension and other benefits, including non-monetary benefits. Base salary and variable salary Base salary shall be the basis for total remuneration. The salary shall be market relevant and reflect the degree of responsibility involved in the position. The salary levels are reviewed annually. Members of the Group Management shall, in addition to the base salary, dependent on an annual decision by the Board of Directors, be eligible to variable salary that is based on short-term annual performance targets. The variable salary potential shall be dependent on the position and may for the CEO amount to a maximum of 75% of the base salary and for the Group Management members be within the interval 30 - 50%, according to individual agreements. Long-term incentive programs The Board of Directors may propose that the annual shareholders’ meeting resolves to adopt a long-term incentive program (LTI). Such program shall be designed to ensure a long-term commitment to Dometic Group’s development, be implemented on market terms and have a term of no less than three years. Share related LTI programs shall be approved by the shareholders’ meeting. Pensions and insurance Pension and disability benefits shall reflect regulations and practice in the country of employment. The value of the benefits shall match accepted levels in the country and shall not exceed 30% of the annual base salary. If possible, pension plans shall, in line with the Group remuneration policy, be defined contribution plans. The retirement age is normally 65 years. Other benefits, such as company car, health insurance or similar, may be part of the total remuneration and shall aim to facilitate the Group Management’s duties and correspond to what is considered reasonable in relation to market practice in the country of employment. Notice of termination and severance pay Members of the Group Management have 6 months’ notice period when notice is given by the employee. If the notice is given by the Company between 6-12 months' notice is applied. The CEO has 6 months’ notice by the company, with an additional one year base salary as severance payment. Severance pay shall not form a basis for vacation pay or pension benefits. Local employment and regulations may influence the terms and conditions for notice given by the company. The Group Management shall be obliged not to compete with the company during the notice period. Authority for the Board of Directors to deviate from the principles Under special circumstances, the Board of Directors may in an individual case deviate from these guidelines. In case of such deviation, the next annual shareholders’ meeting shall be informed of the reasons. The board of directors’ proposal for resolution on authorization regarding acquisition of own shares (item 15) The Board of Directors proposes the annual shareholders’ meeting to authorize the Board of Directors, for the period until the next annual shareholders’ meeting on one or several occasions, to resolve on acquisitions of shares in the company as follows. a) The company may acquire as a maximum so many shares that, following each acquisition, the company holds at a maximum 10 per cent of all shares issued by the company. b) The shares may only be acquired on Nasdaq Stockholm. c) Acquisition of shares may only be made at a price per share at each time within the prevailing price interval for the share. d) Payment for the shares shall be made in cash. The purpose of the proposal is to be able to adapt the company’s capital structure, thereby contributing to increased shareholder value. The Board of Directors has issued a statement pursuant to Chapter 19, Section 22 of the Swedish Companies Act. Resolution in accordance with the proposal requires approval of at least two-thirds of the shares and votes represented at the annual shareholders’ meeting. As per the date of this notice, there are 295,833,333 shares in the company outstanding, each with one vote per share, corresponding to 295,833,333 votes. As per the date of this notice, the company does not hold any of its shares. The annual report and other supporting documentation for resolutions shall be available at the company’s offices, Hemvärnsgatan 15, SE-171 54 Solna, at latest three weeks prior to the meeting and shall be sent to shareholders who so request and who have specified their postal address. This notice is a translation of a Swedish notice and in case of any deviations between the both language versions, the Swedish version shall prevail. Stockholm, March 2017 Dometic Group AB (publ) The board of directors This information was released for publication at 09.00 CET on March 3, 2017. The principles for remuneration set out in these guidelines shall apply to arrangements entered into following the adoption of the guidelines by the annual shareholders’ meeting, as well as to any changes made in existing agreements following the adoption of the guidelines.

June 27, 2017 Israel’s bombing of Syrian positions in the Golan Heights is part of a strategy of creating an Al-Qaeda controlled buffer zone as Israel’s strategic position deteriorates in light of the pending victory of the Syrian government in the Syrian war. One of the most important things to have happened in the Syrian war over the last few months is that the veil of Israel’s neutrality in the war has been thrown off. This veil was always very thin. It is no secret in the Middle East that the Syrian conflict has been all about breaking the ‘Axis of Resistance’ of Iran, Syria and Hezbollah by attacking Syria, which was supposed to be its weakest link. The ‘Axis of Resistance’ of course gets its name because of its ‘resistance’ to Israel. It is not surprising therefore that Israel is implacably hostile to it, and has long sought to break it up. Since the ‘Axis of Resistance’ – and the extension of Iranian power that comes with it – is also seen as a threat by the conservative Arab Gulf States and by the US, that explains the de facto alliance between them and Israel which has been the main driver of the Syrian war. Our contributor Afra’a Dagher – who is Syrian and who writes from Syria – has written about all this extensively. Israeli leaders have also spoken about all it with refreshing directness and frankness which one never gets from the leaders of the West. Consider for example the public admission in January 2016 of Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Ya’alon that he would rather see the victory of ISIS in Syria than the perpetuation of Iranian influence there. It is clear by now however that this plan has badly miscarried. Following the intervention of Russia in 2015 it became increasingly clear that the Syrian government was going to survive. Following the liberation of eastern Aleppo last December it also became clear that the Syrian government was likely to regain control of the populous regions of ‘useful Syria’ on Syria’s Mediterranean coast. Following the Russian-Turkish-Iranian ceasefire plan agreed in May the Syrian government’s control of ‘useful Syria’ has been consolidated. Following the offensives of the Syrian army in eastern Syria it is becoming clear that the plan to hive off eastern Syria in order to create a Sunni client state there has also failed. The US has now publicly admitted as much. All of this from an Israeli point of view is serious enough. However of even greater concern must be that the result of the Syrian war is leaving Israel’s strategic position much weaker than it was before the war started. To see why consider the following four facts: (1) The Syrian army is now a far more formidable force than it was before the war The Syrian army before 2011 was like most Arab armies inefficient and shot through with corruption. Six years of war have however cut out the dead and rotten wood, improving discipline and morale, and giving the army’s commanders battlefield experience exceeding anything the Israeli army now has. It has also massively improved the Syrian army’s command and control systems. The blisteringly fast parallel advance of three large Syrian military columns across the desert of central and eastern Syria towards Deir Ezzor which is currently underway speaks of the very highest quality of staff work. This is not something the Syrian army was capable of before the war. Quite probably much of this staff work – perhaps all of it – is being done for the Syrian army by the Russians, who have historically excelled at staff work. However even if Syrian commanders involved in the operation are purely beneficiaries of staff work being done for them by the Russians, they will be experiencing the effect of first class staff work for the first time and will be learning vital lessons from it. There are also reports of the wholesale retraining of Syrian officers and soldiers by Russian advisers and of the Syrians being supplied by Russia with sophisticated weapons such as T90 tanks, BTR82 armoured vehicles, Igla man portable surface to air missiles (MANPADS) and by Iran with sophisticated Iranian drones. The Syrian army has also gained for the first time in its history experience of close air support for ground troops engaged in both offensive and defensive operations, with the Syrians learning all about how to train and position forward air controllers and how to maintain communications during ground fighting between ground forces and air forces. (2) President Assad’s prestige and authority is being increased The Syrian government has been the most consistent opponent of Israel amongst the governments of the Arab states since at least the 1960s. Whereas Egypt and Jordan have concluded peace treaties with Israel, Syria has consistently refused to do so. President Bashar Al-Assad inherited this policy from his father, former Syrian President Hafez Al-Assad. Until the outbreak of the Syrian war he was however widely seen as a weak leader, too intellectual and too westernised to replace his father in leading Syria effectively. In the event President Assad rose to the challenge of the war. His success in holding Syria together through the extraordinary stresses of the war, the leadership he has provided to his people, to his government and to his army, and his skilful diplomacy, which has won him the vital backing of Russia, will inevitably once the war is over increase his prestige, not just within Syria but in the Arab world as a whole. He will be seen as the man who at the risk of his own life stayed at his post even as his official residence was almost entirely surrounded by Jihadi fighters, and who stood up to the US, Israel, the Gulf Arab States, NATO, Turkey, Al-Qaeda and ISIS, and against all the odds won. The war has transformed President Assad – amongst Arab leaders Israel’s most implacable enemy – into a potentially towering figure, arguably the most imposing the Arab world has had since the death of Gamal Nasser. Moreover unlike tyrannical and blustering figures like Saddam Hussein and Muammar Gaddafi, Bashar Al-Assad – dignified, educated and articulate in both Arabic and English – looks like someone Arabs can identify with, and who like Nasser the outside world can take seriously. The Israelis must be worried as to what use President Assad will put his newly found authority and prestige when the Syrian war is over and his hands are finally freed. Will he become a beacon of opposition to them as Nasser once was? The possibility is there. (3) The Syrian-Iranian alliance has been massively strengthened In my opinion the ultimate origin of the Syrian war is the 2006 conflict in Lebanon when the Lebanese Shiite resistance group Hezbollah successfully held off the assault of the Israeli army. This event spread alarm not just in Israel but in the US and amongst the Gulf Arab States about the powerful Iranian led ‘Axis of Resistance’ which was in the process of forming. As discussed above, the Syrian war was essentially launched to break it. I will now state my view that this pre-2011 fear about the emergence of the ‘Axis of Resistance’ – often conflated with the somewhat different concept of the so-called ‘Shia Crescent’ – was overdone. Before 2011 Hezbollah was a purely Lebanese movement, which posed no threat to the existence of Israel, whilst Syria, though Israel’s enemy and allied to both Hezbollah and Iran, posed no threat to Israel either. As for Iran, though it did have a powerful military, it was also far away and was then and – in my opinion still is now – overwhelmingly focused on its own security. As for the idea of some sort of territorially contiguous ‘Shia Crescent‘ forming a ‘land-bridge’ linking Iran with Hezbollah across Syria and Iraq, this was a concept which before 2011 had no reality. Certainly no such ‘land-bridge’ could have existed in 2006 when Hezbollah defeated Israel’s assault in Lebanon because Iraq at that time was under US occupation following the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, ensuring that the US would intercept whatever supplies Iran might have tried to send to Hezbollah through there. The effect of the Syrian war is however that it has actually brought all the elements of the ‘Axis of Resistance’ together and is adding Iraq to them, making the concept of a ‘land-bridge’ from Iran to Hezbollah across Syria and Iraq finally into a potential reality. Iranian influence has markedly increased in Syria as a result of the war. Iranian troops are now present in Syria where before 2011 there were none. There are also now large numbers of Iranian commanded Shia militia from Iraq there. Hezbollah is now also fighting alongside the Syrian army there. Syria and Iraq have discovered a commonality of interest in fighting ISIS and other Jihadi movements which they never had before, and are now de facto allies. Both are allies of Iran. With the coordinated arrival of Syrian and Iraqi troops at their common border for the first time in years, the much feared and talked about ‘land-bridge’ linking Iran with Hezbollah across Iraq and Syria is now finally close to becoming a reality. Not only is it now theoretically possible to send supplies by road from Iran through Iraq and Syria to Hezbollah in Lebanon, but there is now for the first time a real possibility of it actually happening. (4) Israel is losing its strategic dominance in the region because of the coming of Russia If the arrival of the Russians in Syria in 2015 was the single event which decisively turned the tide of the war in Syria, Russia’s recent decision to set up a huge network of bases in Syria – a fully fledged naval base in Tartus, a permanent air base in Khmeimim, and a huge supporting complex of advanced surface to air missiles, electronic warfare systems, radars, and listening stations – means that Israel’s hitherto unchallenged strategic dominance in this region is being lost. To be clear, the Russian presence in Syria is not directed at Israel, and the Russians have been at pains to make clear that they are not Israel’s enemy. However the presence of the sophisticated military of a nuclear superpower so close to Israel’s territory cannot but fill the Israelis with foreboding since over time, as the situation in Syria stabilises, it will inevitably come to constrain Israel’s actions. The US has twice been obliged to limit its air operations in Syria after the Russians turned off the ‘de-confliction’ hotline between the US and Russian militaries in Syria (go to the source and see here and here). There is a separate ‘de-confliction’ hotline in existence between the militaries of Israel and Russia. Since it is hardly plausible that Israel will be prepared to send its aircraft to places where the mighty US air force refuses to go, the Israelis must dread the day when the Russians decide to do the same to them, forcing them like the US to limit their flights in Syrian airspace. That day may not be so far off. The Russians during the Syrian war have shown that they will act strongly if either the US or Israel take military action which directly threatens the Syrian government, or which interferes with the offensive operations of the Syrian army. Thus the Russians reacted sharply last October when the US seemed to be considering strikes on Syrian forces to break the siege of Jihadi controlled eastern Aleppo and following a US air attack on Syrian troops defending Deir Ezzor, and more recently they also reacted sharply when the US shot down a Syrian SU-22 fighter during the ongoing Syrian army offensive in northern Syria against ISIS. They also reacted sharply when Israel recently bombed Syria’s vital Tiyas air base, calling in the Israeli ambassador to protest an action which was clearly intended to obstruct the Syrian army’s eastern campaign against ISIS. The Russians have however shown far greater forbearance in responding to attacks that they consider pinpricks ie. occasional US or Israeli strikes on Syrian troops or facilities which pose no direct threat to the Syrian government, and which do not affect the conduct of Syrian army operations which the Russians consider important. The muted Russian response to the recent US shooting down of an Iranian drone was merely one example of this. However once the situation in Syria stabilises and the country is at peace the Russians are unlikely to go on showing the same forbearance. Israeli attacks on Syria will then be attacks on Russia’s most important friend and ally in the Middle East and the eastern Mediterranean, a country which will be hosting Russia’s biggest network of bases outside former Soviet territory, and one which will also be hosting tens of thousands of Russian visitors, not just military personnel manning the bases but civilian visitors and tourists visiting a friendly country which will no longer be a war zone. In light of this there has to be an overwhelming likelihood that the Russians will at some point tell the Israelis that further attacks on Syria will no longer be tolerated, and must stop. Beyond this there is there is the change in the regional balance caused by the mere presence of the Russian bases in Syria. Already there are reports in the Israeli media of Israeli concern that Russian radars in Syria already possess the ability to track the flight of every Israeli aircraft taking off from every air base in Israel. It is highly likely Russian listening stations in Syria and in Russia monitoring signals that might affect the operation of Russia’s Syrian bases will before long start listening to Israeli signals traffic even if they are not doing so already. Meanwhile the electronic warfare systems the Russians have already deployed to Syria – notably the Krasukha-S4 – are probably already capable of jamming Israeli signals traffic and the operation of some Israeli weapons systems. The Israelis must also worry about what might happen if the Russians one day start passing on some of the information their intelligence gathering systems in Syria are providing them to the Syrians. After all it is standard practice for a country operating bases in another country to share intelligence it obtains through use of these bases with the host country. The Syrians might in that case obtain intelligence about Israel of a quality they have never had before. Regardless of that, with the Russians already in Syria and listening in to Israel’s signals traffic the possibility of Israel mounting a surprise attack on Syria like the one it carried off so spectacularly in 1967 has gone, probably forever. It is not difficult therefore to see why Israel should be so concerned about recent developments in Syria. A war which was at least in part intended to make Israel’s position stronger is ending up by making it much weaker. It is these concerns which undoubtedly lie behind Israel’s most recent actions. Despite Israeli denials the recent Israeli bombing raids on Syrian military positions in the Golan Heights are clearly intended to support an Al-Qaeda offensive against Syrian troops there. The plan appears to be to create an Al-Qaeda controlled buffer zone between Israel and the Syrian military in the Golan Heights, the one area where Syria and Israel territorially adjoin each other, and where their militaries directly confront each other. The Israelis after all tried to do the same thing when they set up the so-called ‘South Lebanese Army” in southern Lebanon to control a buffer zone there after their invasion of Lebanon in 1982. If that is the Israeli plan – and everything suggests that it is – then the Lebanese experience ought to serve as a warning. Al-Qaeda led Jihadi fighters are scarcely reliable allies for Israel, and in trying to manipulate them Israel is holding a scorpion by the tail. By meddling in the Golan Heights Israel risks becoming bogged down in a prolonged war there, allied to Jihadi fighters who are its sworn enemy. It is easy to see how this could turn out disastrously, with Israel over time becoming bogged down in a war in the Golan Heights similar to the war it fought and lost in southern Lebanon, which gave rise to Hezbollah. Rather than engage in these dangerous games in Syria Israel would be far better advised to start looking at serious options to make peace, both with Syria and with the Palestinians. Given that both of the two superpowers currently engaged in the Middle East – the US and Russia – are at present friendly towards Israel, there is no better time to do so than now. Delaying doing it risks leaving Israel in a much weaker position than the one it is in now, as the situation in the Middle East following the end of the Syrian war starts to turn against it. Unfortunately there is no sign that the present Israeli leadership – made complacent by long years of having things always go its way – has any thought of doing this.

A quick point that struck me: both seem oblivious to the fact that Keynesian economists do not advocate tax increases in a recession or depression. This doesn’t inspire much confidence in the quality of the analysis. In what follows, I am using a Post Keynesian economic analysis to critique the economic theory underlying the discussion in this video, which seems to be some version of Austrian economics. But let’s break down the libertarian propaganda and nonsense: (1) yes, it is true that the Federal Reverse helped to blow the US asset bubble in the stock market in the 1920s by loose monetary policy, and to that extent helped cause the crisis. But this was all in the context of a poorly regulated financial sector, and the truth is that asset bubbles are also endemic to laissez faire capitalism even in the absence of central banks. To see this, just look at the asset bubbles in America in the 19th century when (for most of the century) no US central bank existed. For example, devastating manufacturing recessions happened in the 19th century after US asset bubbles and financial crises, as in the 1870s and 1890s (e.g., see here). Or take a look at Australia in the 1880s and 1890s, where a very poorly regulated financial sector and foreign capital inflow caused a massive asset bubble and financial crisis, which then induced a severe depression in the 1890s (here and here). Australia had no central bank at this time, was on a gold standard, and had virtually no banking regulation. The more laissez faire capitalism is, the more prone to destabilising debt-financed asset bubbles and economic crises it is. The solution is not abolishing central banks (which are absolutely necessary for stabilising the fractional reserve banking system), but vigorous financial regulation to choke off the flow of credit to asset speculators on the secondary financial asset and secondary real asset markets. Central banks and effective financial regulation largely cured capitalism of destabilising asset bubbles in the golden age of Keynesianism from the 1940s to the 1970s, and provided a degree of banking stability that can be seen here. (2) Molyneux and Reed push the discredited Wicksellian loanable funds model of investment, which has long been used by Austrians in a crude form (for loanable funds see here). You cannot accurately model the level of aggregate investment in a capitalist society by the loanable funds model, which is hopelessly flawed by the empirical irrelevance of the natural rate of interest and complicating role of uncertainty and business expectations. The neoclassical version of the natural rate requires the Efficient Markets Hypothesis (EHM), which is a theory that belongs in Cloud Cuckoo Land (here). The role of interest rates in determining investment is overrated at the best of times, and in times of crisis grossly overrated to the point of absurdity (see the devastating empirical evidence here). Underlying this libertarian theology is the belief that fractional reserve banking and credit money are somehow alien to and fraudulent violations of laissez faire capitalism, which is total nonsense. (3) Molyneux pushes some vulgar version of Austrian Business Cycle Theory (ABCT), but that theory can easily be totally debunked (see here, here, here, here, here). (4) at 7.00, we get the typical libertarian nonsense about the US recession of 1920–1921, which is completely debunked here. (5) Reed, quite laughably, admits that the liquidationist solution of Austrian economics (letting the money supply collapse) to the Great Depression was a bad idea, and proceeds to blame the Federal Reserve from 1929 to 1933 for letting the money supply collapse: so here the Fed is blamed for not engaging in evil intervention! (6) Molyneux’s ranting (from 13.20 onwards) about central banks giving “free money” is rubbish. The banks created massive private debt (with an endogenous money accommodating their demand for reserves), not free money. (7) Reed plunges into all sorts of libertarian myths about Herbert Hoover. The Smoot Hawley tariff was not a major cause of America’s Great Depression. Certainly, it hurt other countries, but one cannot invoke this as a fundamental cause of America’s depression. Fundamentally, the fall in export demand caused by the Smoot Hawley tariff was offset by a rise in domestic demand, so that, as Temin argues, the net contractionary effect on the US domestic economy was probably small (Temin 1989: 46). While Hoover did intervene in the economy in certain ways, this intervention was not the cause of the Great Depression either. It is indeed true that Hoover was not, strictly speaking, a liquidationist, and attempted to fight the onset of the Great Depression with a number of limited interventions, but these were all ridiculously feeble and too small given the scale of the GDP collapse. Some of Hoover’s actions was positively harmful, and clearly not in line with Keynesian economics: (1) In fiscal year 1930, Hoover actually ran a federal budget surplus, not a deficit. Federal policy was contractionary in this fiscal year.Regarding Hoover’s idea of maintaining high wages, he was not simply forcing this policy on huge numbers of unwilling corporate leaders: first, it was mostly a voluntary policy and, secondly, the idea had permeated the corporatist thinking of many business people in the 1920s. (2) The Federal Reserve raised the discount rate in 1931. (3) In fiscal year 1933, total federal spending was cut in relation to fiscal year 1932. Hoover introduced the Revenue Act of 1932 (June 6) which increased taxes across the board and applied to fiscal year 1932 and subsequent years. These were contractionary measures, and these two policies are the very antithesis of Keynesian stimulus. Many influential industrialists actually supported it; Hoover was basically articulating an influential opinion they already held, and whatever harm it did as prices fell, one must blame the private sector just as much as Hoover (see here). On Hoover, see here, here, here, here, here, here, here. (8) That claim that the Depression was “prolonged” under Roosevelt from 1933 to 1937 (before Roosevelt’s turn to austerity) is nonsense. Under Roosevelt real GDP growth rates recovered to a very great extent. Here is real GNP in billions of chained 2005 Dollars from U.S. Department of Commerce data: Year | GNP* | Growth RateIn reality, the average annual real GDP growth rate from 1934 to 1940 was 6.511%, the second highest average growth rate ever seen amongst all coherent and historically relevant periods in modern American history here. 1929 | $984.60 1930 | $900.00 | -8.59% 1931 | $840.70 | -6.58% 1932 | $730.50 | -13.10% 1933 | $720.30 | -1.39% 1934 | $797.70 | 10.74% 1935 | $868.90 | 8.92% 1936 | $981.10 | 12.91% 1937 | $1032.50 | 5.23% 1938 | $997.40 | -3.39% 1939 | $1077.80 | 8.06% 1940 | $1170.80 | 8.62% * Billions of chained 2005 Dollars We can see the very significant fall in unemployment under Roosevelt here. When Roosevelt turned to budget balancing and austerity in 1937–1938, the US plunged back into recession and sharply rising unemployment. This blatantly contradicts Austrian and libertarian myths about the benefits of austerity. (9) It is true that there were destructive aspects to the New Deal, such as the National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA), which even John Maynard Keynes condemned (see here). But it is important to remember the thinking behind some of these New Deal Programs: America’s price system had become grossly distorted by the disparity between relatively inflexible cost-based mark-up prices and the collapse of flexprices (often in primary industries). See this post here. As Keynes argued, the National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA) should never have been done, and agricultural prices increased by stimulus of aggregate demand (perhaps even with temporary subsidies to farmers as well). (10) The Wagner Act (or National Labor Relations Act of 1935) was not a fundamental cause of the US recession of 1937 to 1938, which was caused by Roosevelt’s budget balancing, austerity, monetary tightening and Roosevelt’s tax hikes of 1936 to 1937, namely, the undistributed profits tax (March 1936), and Social Security payroll tax (1937). (11) Unsurprisingly, Molyneux and Reed never bother to look outside the United States at depression history. Those nations that recovered from the Great Depression or its aftermath rapidly and successfully – New Zealand, Japan and Germany – used large-scale Keynesian fiscal stimulus: “Keynesian Stimulus in New Zealand: 1936–1938,” September 23, 2011.But of course this doesn’t fit the libertarian narrative. “Takahashi Korekiyo and Fiscal Stimulus in Japan in the 1930s,” August 27, 2011. “Fiscal Stimulus in Germany 1933–1936,” September 3, 2011. Nor is the disastrous failure of austerity in 1930s Austria or Weimar Germany mentioned: “Liquidationism and early 1930s Germany: Not a Good Mix!, August 15, 2014.(12) The recovery in the US economy by 1940 was very real, despite the implied nonsense in his video that no recovery occurred, even if it was not complete. “Keynesianism could probably have prevented World War II,” January 15, 2016. “Mises and the Great Depression in Austria,” May 12, 2014. Furthermore, there was a sense in which the Second World War did aid and complete the recovery as described here, but the war was hardly necessary for this. (13) regarding the post-WWII boom in America, a number of Keynesian economists did not predict long-term unemployment or stagnation after the post-war correction, contrary to Reed (see here and here), and even Paul Samuelson’s views on the post-WWII economy have been reduced to a caricature by libertarians (see here). Moreover, government interventions did prevent US mass unemployment by means of the G.I. Bill of 1944. Temin, P. 1989. Lessons from the Great Depression, MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass.

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Teaching Aikido to Children 2008 Seminar Aiki Kodomo Kenshukai -- Teaching Aikido to Children / Educators Seminar - 2008 Call for Presenters In 2006, the first "How to Teach Aikido to Children" seminar for teachers was held in Virginia. The event included presentations from ten senseis and was enthusiastically received by 40 attendees. Many positive reports were written on many aikido websites (see http://www.aikidoinn.com/index.php?page=press for links to some reviews). It was suggested that the next seminar be held on the west coast to allow other people to participate. This year, we are planning to hold the Teaching Aikido to Children seminar in the San Francisco Area, tentatively scheduled for the weekend of October 3, 2008. The seminar is being organized as a resource for improving the quality and diversity of Aikido education to youths. It is likely that we will have international participation. The seminar will be taught by Aikido instructors and educators from a variety of affiliations and will be open to all Aikidoists. As background info, the program for the first Kenshukai seminar is posted on our website at http://www.gashuku.net/kenshukai.htm. The seminar is organized by Aikido in Fredericksburg with support by Aiki Extensions, Inc., both of which are non-profit organizations. If you are interested in presenting at this year's seminar, please send us a proposal via email to email@example.com with the following information before February 29, 2008: • Presentation Title: • Content Summary: • Target age group for content area: • Min and Max Time Required: • Your experience teaching Aikido to children: • Amount of stipend required for you to attend: The organizing committee will review the proposals received and will respond to each one in March. We hope to announce the tentative program for Kenshukai 2008 in April. Updates will be posted on www.gashuku.net If you cannot participate, are there resources (such as publications, videos, teaching materials) that you can make available to the seminar at low/no cost? Are there other instructors that you suggest we contact? Please contact me with any questions or ideas. Thank you for your support. Aviv Goldsmith, Chief Instructor Aikido in Fredericksburg, a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation Spotsylvania, VA 22551 USA Re: Teaching Aikido to Children 2008 Seminar We are pleased to announce that this year's Aiki Kodomo Kenshukai will be held at Aikido of Berkeley, Oct 3-5. The tentative teaching slate includes: Michael Friedl Sensei, 6th dan, Aikido of Ashland, Oregon William Gray Sensei, B.S.E.E., 4th dan, Aikido Academy for Children and Adults, Washington Ross Robertson Sensei, 5th dan, Stillpoint Aikido, Texas Aviv Goldsmith Sensei, M.S., 5th dan, Aikido in Fredericksburg, Virginia Robert Kent Sensei, M.A., CMP, 3rd dan, Aikido West, California Alex Vanderburgh, 3rd dan, Aikido West Jennifer Smith, Confluence Aikido, Santa Cruz Melissa Fischer Sensei, 2nd dan, Tenzan Aikido, Seattle, Washington Lisa Rice Smith Sensei, 1st dan, Aikido Chosinkan, North Carolina More info will be posted on www.gashuku.net Re: Teaching Aikido to Children 2008 Seminar There is still space in the 2008 How to Teach Aikido to Children seminar, Oct 3-5 in Berkeley, CA. This is a great opportunity for instructors, both new and experienced, to learn from and share ideas with a faculty of ten senseis. Supercharge your kids program! More info is on our events webpage at www.gashuku.net. Re: Teaching Aikido to Children 2008 Seminar This year's Kenshukai -Teaching Aikido to Children 2008 held at Aikido of Berkley was a wonderful success! We had presenters and participants from all over the U.S. and a few Aikidoist joined us from as far away as Brazil and Africa. This two-day event was held on the weekend of October 4 & 5 and was wealth of information for all that attended. I personally took away at least two new ideas from all 14 presentations. The majority of all presentations where delivered "as-if" you were taking a class. We kicked off the weekend with a wonderful presentation by Michael Friedl Sensei. Michael is a joy to work with and you can tell right away why kids are drawn to him. He incorporated balloons and even magic tricks into his Aikido teaching, which was a definite, hit with the kids and adults that attended that presentation. Michael had a wonderful way of distilling the complex into simple ideas. For example when doing warm-ups he associated the positions with simple shapes like circle, square and triangle. So instead of explaining something he just said, "Make a triangle" and showed what he meant. Bill Gray Sensei followed Michael and he too had a feeling about him, which you could tell why his kids program is so successful. Bill Gray Sensei said that one of the main thing he stresses in his teaching is "Focus". He does many things throughout the class that constantly causes the kids to maintain their focus. One example is he hides a small beanbag in his Gi and he'll throw it to the kids to catch when doing techniques or sitting in seiza to help them maintain their focus. He has a wonderful way of teaching forward rolls that was straightforward and simple. I've been teaching kids Aikido for 4 years and thought I did a pretty good job of teaching forward rolls but I learned a lot about how to make it even simpler for kids and even adults! From here we moved into Aviv Goldsmith Sensei's presentation on Verbal Aikido. The intent here was helping kids take the skills/principals they are learning in the dojo out into the world and applying them in daily situations like at school and on the bus. We broke into groups and role played like we were children on the bus. Aviv first demonstrated the 4 basic options we have when sitting on the bus next to another child that is bothering us. They were: Option 1 just say "Stop it" Option 2 if that doesn't work say "Stop it" with more authority. Option 3 is learning to disengage. Just walk away and find another seat. Option 4 is learning to ask for help if the instigator is persistent. Aviv followed up this exercise with another one where Nage was surrounded by four attackers. The Nage had to face each attacker and each attacker had an opportunity to say something negative about the Nage. For example: "you're a poo-poo head". The Nage's response was a simple thank you and moved onto the next attacker. Then we debriefed and asked both attackers and Nage how they felt. Then we did the same exercise again but with saying positive things. Finally we debrief as a whole group and Aviv asked the questions "Was the attack real? Was the attack physical or verbal?" The obvious intent is to help kids learn the distinctions between a true physical threat versus an emotional one and give them alternatives to hitting or pushing someone when someone doesn't say something very nice to you. Melissa Fischer and myself of Tenzan Aikido in Seattle gave a presentation on helping kids to reach their potential. Melissa's underlying goals and philosophy when teaching focuses on balancing 3 aspects when teaching Aikido to children. They are the physical, mental and social. To explore the physical world Melissa used Aikido techniques, body movement and stillness studies and ukemi (falling). To explore the mental she used Mountain practice (seiza with eyes closed) at the beginning of class allows kids to go inside, get acquainted with their quiet, inner selves and sets the tone for a focused practice. To explore the social dimension she had us get in a circle and hold hands. She demonstrated how a shift in one could affect the whole. As for myself my goal when teaching Aikido to children is to expand their self-awareness. I focus on body awareness, our inner dialog (stories) and emotional awareness. The main thing I primarily stressed in my presentation was to get out of telling kids how to do Aikido and start showing them and asking them powerful questions to bring the awareness back into their bodies. For example: instead of telling them they stepped with the wrong foot just ask them what foot did you just step with? This places the focus back on them. Lisa Smith Rice gave a great presentation titled "Randori for everyone!" At her dojo they've come up with a simple set of principals that they teach to kids and adults when doing randori. The first 3 are protect yourself at all times, stay on the outside and keep moving forward. We broke into randori groups and practiced these first three principals. In addition, she shared with us some high percentage throws that work best when doing freestyle. It was a great presentation and a joy to participate in. Ross Robertson Sensei gave a presentation that was truly unique. Ross takes an approach that doesn't stress teaching specific techniques but instead focuses on what options manifest at that moment and he calls this "finding the doors". For example, we started with Uke grabbing katate-dori in gyaku-hanmi. He didn't call it this he just said "OK someone grab's your wrist like this?" And followed that statement with a question "What doors are there here?" He said, "if you walk through the door like this you could do this" (he demonstrated kaitenage) and then said "or you could walk through the door like this" (he demonstrated shihonage). What I thought was so interesting about this approach was it was teaching kids to really look at what is going on in the present moment and finding the appropriate response versus getting caught up in a mental dialog of should I do this technique or that technique? Robert Kent Sensei gave a presentation on teaching aikido to teens. What I took away here was really how unique this age group is and that like anything you've got to find out what works best with them. Some important points are one; you need to make it appear dangerous for teens. Otherwise you are going to loose their interest pretty quickly. Rob did this by introducing tanto (knife) attacks pretty early in his teaching with the teens. They see this stuff on T.V. and video games so it's something that's part of their world and are interested in. The second point that I thought was really important is that teens travel in tribes and you must teach to the tribe first and then the individual otherwise you'll lose them. Donna Pienkowski gave a talk on Developmental Learning. While the focus of the weekend was on how to teach Aikido to children this presentation focused on how children learn and grow. Donna provided information by age groups and specific developmental milestones kids have within these age groups. The milestone dimensions she shared had to do with their physical, cognitive and social/emotional milestones. This information provided us guidelines and areas to focus on depending on the age range of the students we were teaching. She also shared with us a simple questionnaire one could give to determine if the child's primary learning behavior was visual, auditory or kinesthetic/tactile. Interestingly enough the majority of participants at this weekends' seminar where either visual learners or tactile learners. Alex Vanderburg Sensei, gave an entertaining and enjoyable presentation called "Martial Play". He uses many props to teach this class which definitely makes it fun and engaging. Alex works with many troubled kids and his primary focus is not to teach them a martial art but to get them ready to participate in a martial art or sport. Many of the kids that Alex works with are unable to participate in traditional sports or martial arts because they are constantly getting kicked off the team or out of class. His focus is to help them learn emotional intelligence to participate in whatever they wish to pursue. It was a great presentation and anytime you have an opportunity to participate in one of Alex's classes I would highly recommend it. The final presentation of the weekend was by Jose Bueno Sensei from Sao Paulo Brazil. Once again this was a delight as where all the presentations. I'll have to admit this one touched my heart the most because of the work that Jose Bueno is doing with disadvantage kids in Sao Paulo. In 2003 he founded Acao Harmonia Brasil (Harmony in Action Brazil) that teaches Aikido to children in Sao Paulo offering them an alternative the violence they learn on the street. Many of the children are orphans and don't have a place to call home. They look to Jose and the dojo community as their family and role models. One thing that Jose does is ask other dojo's to write letters to his kids. He says this means the world to them and also teaches them there's a larger world out there besides just the streets where many of them live. If you are interesting in donating your time or having your kids program write letters reach out to Jose via their website: www.aikidoharmonia.com.br In summary, this was a wonderful weekend and well worth the time, energy and effort I spent to attend and present. If you are a kids Aikido teacher or thinking about starting up a kids program at your dojo I would highly recommend you attend next year's 2009 Kenshukai -- Teaching Aikido to Kids. Pete Wilkins Shodan Tenzan Aikido Seattle. |All times are GMT -6. The time now is 12:56 PM.| Powered by: vBulletin Copyright ©2000 - 2017, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.

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Simon Pirani. The Russian Revolution in Retreat, 1920-24: Soviet Workers and the New Communist Elite. London: Routledge, 2008. xiv + 289 pp. $160.00 (cloth), ISBN 978-0-415-43703-5; (e-book), ISBN 978-0-203-93029-8. Reviewed by Michael C. Hickey (Bloomsburg Universty) Published on H-Russia (April, 2009) Commissioned by Nellie H. Ohr A Social Contract and No Socialism In this meticulously researched and densely argued case study of Moscow in 1920-24, Simon Pirani argues that the Bolshevik “Party elite” crushed workers’ democracy and dissent and transformed the soviets and trade unions, which in 1917 had been arenas of workers’ politics, into instruments for executing the regime’s commands. The purpose of this command structure was not simply to sustain Bolshevik power, but to transform the Party and state into tools for promoting industrial expansion. In the process, the Party elite oversaw the re-creation of hierarchical social class relations that (ostensibly) had been shattered by the October Revolution: the nascent ruling class (the Party elite and industrial administrators) extracted surplus capital from the alienated labor of workers in the name of the “proletarian” state. But the Bolshevik elite did not rule through repression alone. Pirani’s central argument is that their power rested on a new “social contract,” under which the Bolsheviks provided workers with improved standards of living in exchange for workers’ acquiescence in their own political expropriation and in the repression of dissent. As part of the bargain, workers also agreed to participate in their own economic exploitation by supporting the project of economic construction. Pirani adds significantly to our understanding of high Party politics, including Lenin’s conflicts with inner-Party oppositionists, the 1920 trade union debate, the Tenth Party Congress’ ban on factions, and the 1923 contest between Stalin’s triumvirate and the oppositionists associated with Trotsky. The heart of the book, though, are his case studies of trade union, soviet and Party organizations in Moscow, and particularly his examinations of nonparty factory workers’ protests and strikes. Pirani devotes attention to the city’s Bauman District cell and soviet; the Moscow Automobile Company (AMO) factory; the Bogatyr/Krasnyi Bogatyr rubber factory; the Bromlei/Krasnyi Proletarii machine building and engine factory; and the Trekhgornaia cotton textile factory. Pirani uses these to recast and revise a story otherwise familiar in its outlines from an array of previous studies. Among the studies to which his volume invites immediate comparison are Jonathan Aves's Workers against Lenin (2001) and Robert V. Daniels's The Conscience of the Revolution: Communist Opposition in Soviet Russia (1960). Like Diane Koenker in her article "Urbanization and Deurbanization in the Russian Revolution and Civil War" (Journal of Modern History ), Pirani argues that the Civil War had not deproletarianized Moscow. Bolshevik ideology marginalized most workers who remained in hungry Moscow as non-proletarians, but they nonetheless retained a strong sense of class identity and political consciousness. This was true especially of nonparty workers who, in the revolutionary tradition of workers’ solidarity, considered themselves socialists but held no partisan attachment to any political party. In summer 1920, striking nonparty workers demanded the equalization of rations, an end to privileges for Party and managerial elites, and cessation of political repression against opposition socialist parties. The Bolshevik leadership would not tolerate such "worker self-activity" (Pirani’s translation of samodeiatel’nost’), and silenced workers’ democracy by arresting nonparty worker leaders along with activists from socialist opposition parties. In 1920, Pirani argues, lower- and middle-rank Communists were “super-optimists”--egalitarians who believed that the Party was remaking the world; he sees this mind-set as the product of Civil War-era militarization and also of their concrete material situation. Like the utopian visions of worker-Communist poets, this super-optimism contrasted sharply with the cautious policies of Lenin and the Party elite. Pirani uses this contrast to frame discussion of the inner-Party opposition in 1919-20, the Democratic Centralist and Workers’ Opposition groups. He describes these groups' disagreements with Party leaders as manifestations of broader debates between “the tops and the ranks,” as the egalitarian Communist rank and file reacted hostilely to the Party's increasing hyper-centralization, the growth of an appointed hierarchical apparatus, and the material privileges enjoyed by Party elites. Pirani traces the fate of two worker-based opposition groups in the Moscow city Party organization--the Bauman Group and the circle that formed around E. N. Ignatov--that enunciated “workerist” critiques of hierarchy and privilege of “the tops.” He argues that tensions between “the tops and the ranks” shaped worker response to the Trotsky-Lenin debate over trade unions and nearly split the Moscow city Party organization. Nonparty workers in Moscow drew connections between the privileges of Party elites and their own struggle against the inequality of food rations and delays in wage payments. Their politically focused anger helped fuel widespread labor strikes in Moscow in fall 1920 and then again in early 1921. For some historians, social unrest in 1920-21--the Tambov peasant revolt, mass labor strikes, and the rebellion of the Kronshtadt sailors--represented a revolutionary threat to the Bolshevik regime. In early 1921 in Moscow, workers’ frustration over pay and rations ignited strikes that had a clear political dimension. Striking workers--particularly nonparty workers-- denounced the privileges of Bolshevik elites, protested the arrest of socialist oppositionists, and demanded restoration of “soviet democracy.” Pirani, however, does not see this as a “revolutionary situation,” as workers had no intention of bringing down the Soviet regime. Instead, he draws attention to the Party elite’s response to the strikes. For Pirani, the Bolshevik leadership’s fear of workers’ independent political activism was a critical factor shaping two eventful political decisions in 1921: the Tenth Party Congress’ infamous ban on factions and the decision to embark on the New Economic Policy (NEP). Pirani’s most important observations regarding popular unrest in 1921 concern the nonparty workers’ movement. He demonstrates that victorious nonparty candidates in Moscow factory committee and soviet elections that spring were not “hidden” Mensheviks and Socialist Revolutionaries (SRs) (as is often argued), but were, in fact, nonparty workers in the nonpartisan “workerist” tradition. Their anger at material conditions and their rejection of Bolshevik repression made them natural allies for the opposition socialists and dissident Bolsheviks, but they also supported the Bolshevik effort to rebuild the economy. The Bolshevik leaders, however, rejected all manifestations of workers’ political independence: besides firing striking workers en masse and using soldiers to prevent further unrest, they (again) arrested nonparty leaders along with socialist opposition party activists. Pirani reveals how badly frayed the Bolshevik Party’s ties to workers had become by spring 1921. Between the resignations of droves of disillusioned worker-Communists who saw the Bolsheviks as alienated from workers’ concerns and the flow of worker-Communists into management and administrative posts, few Party members remained on the factory floor. Indeed, there were more industrial managers than factory workers in the Moscow city Party organization. “Workerist” Party members saw this as a fundamental cause of corruption and called for a purge of the “tops.” The Bolshevik elites did initiate a purge in fall 1921, but Pirani says its real target was not the "tops" but the defeated former oppositionists. Worker Party membership did not increase, partly as a consequence of workers’ disillusionment, but also because Lenin considered first-generation workers (the majority of industrial laborers) to be non-proletarians and pushed for their exclusion from Party ranks. For Lenin, the absence of a proletariat in Russia meant that the proletarian state had to rest on the vanguard party. After spring 1921, Pirani argues, Bolshevik policy radically changed the context for workers’ activism. Although it also meant rising unemployment, NEP did bring higher living standards for employed workers in Moscow. This muted workers’ political demands, and labor disputes now centered on details of wage payments rather than on manifestations of scarcity. The Party elite continued transforming the soviets and trade unions into administrative tools for the mediation of class relations, rendering them devoid of any meaningful political participation by workers. As a substitute, it developed routines of mass mobilization, symbolic displays of workers’ support. Moscow workers, though, showed little enthusiasm for the two largest mobilization campaigns of 1922 (for the confiscation of church valuables and the repression of the Party of Socialist Revolutionaries). According to Pirani, the centralization of power during the transition to NEP resulted in expansion of the Party elite, which formed a block with industrial managers and specialists against the workers and which played the part of the new ruling class in the restored system of class exploitation. On the factory floor, the administrative bureaus of Party cells supplanted plenary sessions in making decisions (or, more properly, in implementing decisions made “above”), which further shifted political power from workers to the elites’ lowest stratum, the secretaries of factory Party cells. Pirani argues that most cell secretaries used this power to support the managers against the workers, although some posed as champions of the workers by “baiting” specialists and administrators. Party leaders, however, quickly squelched any such performances that threatened to challenge the elites’ political power. Pirani argues that workers grumbled, but accepted the new status quo in exchange for relatively higher living standards. He sees evidence of this new social contract in workers’ strike activity in summer 1923. During that summer’s “scissors” economic crisis, inflation and unemployment rose while real wages declined. Masses of workers in the heavily affected industries struck to protest layoffs and falling real wages. Party leaders quickly repressed “workerist” opposition groups that had seized on the strikes to demand separate workers’ organizations within the Party. In 1921, arrests of oppositionists added political fuel to workers’ protests, but not so in 1923; nonparty workers gave the “workerist” opposition only cursory support. The strikers won significant economic concessions from a jittery and frightened Party leadership, but they did not press political demands. Workers were not enthusiastic about the Bolsheviks, as Pirani shows by charting their resistance to compulsory government bond subscriptions and their wholesale abstention from soviet elections. Rather, they had simply accepted the new social contract: you give us higher wages and more goods, and we will put up with the fact that you have sealed us out of political decision making and accept the rule of the new elite. Pirani sees the 1923 Party crisis (pitting the triumvirate of Stalin, Lev Kamenev, and Grigorii Zinoviev against Trotsky and his allies) and the 1924 mass Party recruitment campaign (the “Lenin Levy”) as final steps in transforming the Bolshevik organization from a political party into an administrative apparatus for centralized control over the state and the economy. The Party crisis, initially a dispute over economic policy, turned into a debate over democratization of the bureaucratized power structure. Both the triumvirate and the opposition agreed to exclude nonparty workers from this debate, and neither side conceived of democratization as extending beyond the Party’s ranks. Moreover, neither conceptualized the bureaucratic elite as a new social class or questioned the Party’s transformation into an apparatus indistinguishable from the state. Stalin’s faction won this contest, partly by presenting itself to Party cadres as the creators and guarantors of higher living standards. This cleared the last barriers to the principle of appointment of “responsible” cadres who implemented orders made on high. The Lenin Levy then provided the Party with a mass of young, career-oriented administrative cadres to replace the old, disputatious “vanguard” Party. In his conclusion, Pirani laments the heavy shadow cast over subsequent movements for workers’ socialist democracy by an authoritarian regime that had reimposed “alienated labor and hierarchical social relations” but that called itself a “workers’ state” (p. 240). Pirani has read an impressive array of published sources, ranging from contemporary newspapers to the most recent Russian-language documentary collections and monographs, and conducted exhaustive research in seven different archives. While I enthusiastically applaud Pirani’s focus on the social contexts of political action, he might have reflected at more length on the methodological problems of grounding political behavior in social contexts and the difficulties of using mass behavior to tease out the motivations of ordinary people who left no written or “verbal” record. That said, Pirani presents a wealth of material in which nonparty workers actually did speak their minds, and in his introduction briefly addresses the problematic nature of some of his archival sources (e.g., interviews with factory workers collected in the early 1930s and secret police summary reports on workers’ political “mood”). While Pirani concludes that the revival of socialist democracy might have been possible had the Bolsheviks made “different choices” in 1921, he could have been more direct in addressing Donald J. Raleigh’s recent assertion, in his Experiencing Russia's Civil War: Politics, Society, and Revolutionary Culture in Saratov, 1917-22 (2002), that no real alternative to Stalinist authoritarianism existed in the wake of the Civil War. Some readers will find fault with Pirani’s Marxist categories, either because they reject such categories outright or because they find his usage too loosely defined, too antistatist, or too deterministic. Still, those who disagree with Pirani’s theoretical and methodological premises should recognize the important contributions that he makes to our understanding of the early years of Soviet rule in this meticulously researched study of workers’ politics in Moscow. One hopes that a less-expensive paperback edition of the book becomes available soon. . Pirani frames his discussion of the Civil War Communist mindset partly as an elaboration of an argument made by Sheila Fitzpatrick, e.g., in The Russian Revolution, 1917 (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1982), but more so as a refutation of Igal Halfin’s assertion that historians cannot explain their subjects’ speech and action in reference to economic and social conditions. See the introduction to Igal Halfin, ed., Language and Revolution: Making Modern Political Identities (London: Cass, 2002). . Pirani translates verkhi i nizy--the upper and lower--as “tops and ranks.” Although sensitive to prerevolutionary and revolutionary antecedents, Pirani does not relate worker-Communists’ conceptualization of divisions in the Party to workers’ earlier pervasive use of verkhi and nizy to describe social divisions. It might be noted that the principle of election versus appointment of officials and the charge that workers’ “self-activity” was contributing to anarchy also were hotly debated political issues in 1917. . Among recent studies asserting that a revolutionary situation existed in 1921 is Orlando Figes, A People’s Tragedy: The Russian Revolution, 1891-1924 (New York: Viking, 1997). In contrast, Eric C. Landis, in Bandits and Partisans: The Antonov Movement in the Russian Civil War (Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press, 2008), cautions against interpreting the 1920-21 Tambov Rebellion as a revolutionary threat to the Soviet regime. . For the argument that alternative paths did exist under NEP, see Stephen J. Cohen, Bukharin and the Bolshevik Revolution: A Political Biography, 1888-1938 (New York: Knopf, 1973). If there is additional discussion of this review, you may access it through the network, at: https://networks.h-net.org/h-russia. Michael C. Hickey. Review of Pirani, Simon, The Russian Revolution in Retreat, 1920-24: Soviet Workers and the New Communist Elite. H-Russia, H-Net Reviews. |This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.|

The opinion of the court was delivered by: Magistrate Judge Finnegan MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER Plaintiffs Demetria Hayes-Newell and David Hayes filed suit against Chicago Police Officer Mark Trost and Cook County Sheriff investigators Tyra Brown and Larry Draus, alleging false arrest and unlawful seizure in violation of 42 U.S.C. § 1983, and malicious prosecution in violation of Illinois state law. Currently before the Court are Defendants' motions to dismiss Plaintiffs' Amended Complaint. For the reasons set forth here, the motions are granted. On March 24, 2009, Defendants Trost, Brown and Draus arrested and detained Plaintiffs on charges of cruelty to animals and animal owner duties. (Doc. 1-1 ¶ 4). Plaintiffs insist that the charges were baseless, and that Defendants acted on information "not sufficient to create a reasonable belief that the Plaintiffs had committed such criminal offenses." (Id. ¶ 6). More than that, Plaintiffs claim that Defendants affirmatively "knew" they had not committed the charged offenses, and intentionally and maliciously arrested them in the absence of probable cause. (Id. ¶¶ 5, 6, 11). Plaintiffs were ultimately found not guilty of the animal crimes, and received a judgment of acquittal on November 4, 2009. (Id. ¶ 10). Exactly one year after the arrest, on March 24, 2010, Plaintiffs filed suit in the Circuit Court of Cook County, alleging two counts of false arrest and unlawful seizure, and two counts of "Vicarious Liability of Agent/Employees." (Doc. 1-2). Plaintiffs did not serve Trost with the complaint until March 30, 2011, prompting Trost to file a motion to dismiss for untimely service. (See Doc. 16-2, at 4, 5). While that motion was pending, Plaintiffs filed an Amended Complaint on July 7, 2011, this time invoking § 1983 (Count I) and asserting a claim for malicious prosecution (Count II). (Doc. 1-1). On July 11, 2011, Trost removed the case to federal court, and approximately one month later, the parties consented to proceed before the United States Magistrate Judge pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 636(c). Trost now renews his motion to dismiss for untimely service. In addition, he and Defendants Brown and Draus seek dismissal on several other grounds, including failure to state a claim under Rule 12(b)(6). In evaluating the sufficiency of a complaint under Rule 12(b)(6), the Court must "construe it in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party, accept well-pleaded facts as true, and draw all inferences in [the nonmoving party's] favor." Reynolds v. CB Sports Bar, Inc., 623 F.3d 1143, 1146 (7th Cir. 2010). "To survive a motion to dismiss, the plaintiff must do more in the complaint than simply recite elements of a claim; the 'complaint must contain sufficient factual matter, accepted as true, to state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.'" Zellner v. Herrick, 639 F.3d 371, 378 (7th Cir. 2011) (quoting Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 129 S.Ct. 1937, 1949 (2009) and Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 570 (2007)). A claim is facially plausible when "the plaintiff pleads factual content that allows the court to draw the reasonable inference that the defendant is liable for the misconduct alleged." Iqbal, 129 S.Ct. at 1949. See also Bausch v. Stryker Corp., 630 F.3d 546, 558 (7th Cir. 2010). Although a "formulaic recitation of the elements of a cause of action will not do," id. at 1949, a plaintiff need provide "only enough detail to give the defendant fair notice of what the claim is and the grounds upon which it rests." Reger Development, LLC v. National City Bank, 592 F.3d 759, 764 (7th Cir. 2010) (quoting Tamayo v. Blagojevich, 526 F.3d 1074, 1083 (7th Cir. 2008)). Defendants argue that dismissal is appropriate for the following reasons: (1) Plaintiffs did not properly serve Trost under Illinois Supreme Court Rule 103(b); (2) the malicious prosecution claims are time-barred; (3) David Hayes was convicted of firearm possession, which precludes any claim for false arrest or malicious prosecution; and (4) the Amended Complaint fails to satisfy the minimum pleading requirements of Iqbal and Twombly. Plaintiffs failed to respond in any way to Defendants' motions despite two inquiries from the Court. "A litigant's failure to respond to arguments the opposing party raises in a motion to dismiss operates as a waiver or forfeiture." Rosen v. Mystery Method, Inc., No. 07 C 5727, 2008 WL 723331, at *6 (N.D. Ill. Mar. 14, 2008). Thus, Defendants' motions are both granted. As discussed below, moreover, the claims against Defendant Trost, and the malicious prosecution claims are all dismissed with prejudice. Trost claims that the Amended Complaint cannot stand against him because he was not served in accordance with Illinois Supreme Court Rule 103(b). "[F]ederal courts may apply state procedural rules to pre-removal conduct," including "the timeliness of service of process." Romo v. Gulf Stream Coach, Inc., 250 F.3d 1119, 1122 (7th Cir. 2001). See also Cardenas v. City of Chicago, 646 F.3d 1001, 1005 (7th Cir. 2011) ("Because this attempt at service occurred before the case was removed, Illinois service of process rules govern whether the attempt was legally sufficient."). Illinois Supreme Court Rule 103(b) allows suits to be dismissed when the plaintiff has failed to exercise reasonable diligence in effecting service of process. See Hunt ex rel. Chiovari v. Dart, 612 F. Supp. 2d 969, 979 (N.D. Ill. 2009). Factors to consider in assessing reasonable diligence include: (1) the length of time used to obtain service of process; (2) the activities of the plaintiff; (3) plaintiff's knowledge of defendant's location; (4) the ease with which defendant's whereabouts could have been ascertained; (5) actual knowledge on the part of the defendant of pendency of the action as a result of ineffective service; (6) special circumstances that would affect the plaintiff's efforts; and (7) actual service on defendant. Segal v. Sacco, 136 Ill. 2d 282, 287, 555 N.E.2d 719, 720-21 (1990). A court should view these factors in light of the purpose of Rule 103(b), id., 555 N.E.2d at 721, which is "to protect defendants from unnecessary and intentional delays in the service of process, to safeguard against any evasions of limitations which would undermine the statutes, and to promote expeditious handling of suits." Viking Dodge Inc. v. Hofmann, 161 Ill. App. 3d 186, 188-89, 514 N.E.2d 248, 250 (3d Dist. 1987). When a party's "failure to exercise reasonable diligence to obtain service occurs after the expiration of the applicable statute of limitations," Rule 103(b) provides that the lawsuit should be dismissed with prejudice. The statute of limitations for a false arrest and unlawful seizure claim is two years, and begins to run on the date of the arrest. Brooks v. City of Chicago, 564 F.3d 830, 832 (7th Cir. 2009) (citing 735 ILCS 5/13-202); Wallace v. Kato, 549 U.S. 384, 397 (2007) ("[A] § 1983 claim seeking damages for a false arrest in violation of the Fourth Amendment, where the arrest is followed by criminal proceedings, begins to run at the time the claimant becomes detained pursuant to legal process."). The statute of limitations for malicious prosecution claims brought under state law against a state employee is one year. Grzanecki v. Cook County Sheriffs Police Dep't, No. 10 C 7345, 2011 WL 3610087, at *2 (N.D. Ill. Aug. 16, 2011). Such claims begin to accrue when "the proceedings are terminated in the plaintiff's favor." Sneed v. Rybicki, 146 F.3d 478, 481 (7th Cir. 1998). In this case, Plaintiffs were arrested on March 24, 2009, and the criminal proceedings against them terminated on November 4, 2009. After filing suit on March 24, 2010, Plaintiffs attempted to serve Trost, but the summons and complaint was returned on May 18, 2010 with no personal service. (Doc. 16-2, at 1). Plaintiffs continued to prosecute their case, including obtaining leave to amend the pleadings in December 2010. Trost remained unserved, however, and Plaintiffs did nothing about it until March 2011 when they moved to appoint a special process server. Trost was finally served on March 30, 2011, approximately two years and six days after Plaintiffs' arrest, and more than 16 months after the criminal proceedings against them terminated. (Id. at 4). Trost insists that because he was served after the statute of limitations expired on Plaintiffs' claims, the case against him should be dismissed with prejudice. Plaintiffs bear the burden of showing that they exercised reasonable diligence to obtain service. Tischer v. Jordan, 269 Ill. App. 3d 301, 307, 645 N.E.2d 991, 995 (1st Dist. 1995). They have not done so in this case. Notably, Plaintiffs do not dispute Defendants' assertion that their attorneys "have filed lawsuits against individual Chicago police officers in the past" and thus "clearly know" how to ...

In this Ordinance, the following words and phrases shall have the designated meaning unless a different meaning is expressly provided or the context clearly indicates a different meaning. Alarm System. An electronic, mechanical, ultrasonic or other kind of device which is designed to detect unauthorized entry to property, fires on property or other situations which require response to the property by a public safety officer. Board The Town Board of the Town of Springfield. Clerk-Treasurer The Town of Springfield Clerk-Treasurer. Fire Chief The person designated as the director of the fire department which provides fire protection to the property on which a violation has allegedly occurred. Person Any natural person, firm, partnership, corporation, limited liability company, entity or other organization. Public Safety Officer Any police officer, fire fighter, deputy sheriff, emergency medical technician, ambulance driver, hazardous materials team member or marshal. 5.02 OPEN BURNING AND FIRE CONTROL Prohibition. No person may build, start, maintain or set a fire in the Town of Springfield except as expressly permitted in this ordinance. Permits. Persons who wish to set or use fire in a manner which is authorized in this ordinance may obtain a permit from the municipal fire department serving the property. The permit shall be obtained, free of charge, from the appropriate Fire Chief or the Chief’s designee. The permit authorizes its holder to set and use fire only as specified in the permit. The permit may contain any appropriate conditions for protection of the public, such as making fire extinguishers available and providing appropriate personnel to supervise the burn. The permit does not constitute a determination that any particular fire is safe. Authorized Fires. The following uses of fire are authorized if a permit for the same has been issued by the Fire Chief or designee: Controlled burning of grass and vegetation, with permission of the landowner, for environmental management purposes, provided that fire suppression equipment and personnel are available at all times as directed by the permit. Campfires in fire pits located in established campgrounds or parks, which shall not require a permit. Ceremonial bonfires; and campfires. Campfires require a permit if the campfire is more than five feet in diameter, or is constructed outside of a fireplace, pit or enclosure. Controlled burning of dry leaves and other non-offensive yard waste, except that no burning may occur on days on which the prevailing winds may endanger others or cause spread of the fire. Any such burning shall take place not less than 30 feet from any residence, and off of the pavement or curb of the road. No household waste or chemicals may be incinerated in such a burn. Operation of an incinerator or refuse burning barrel, without a permit, if the device has a fireproof wire mesh cover and air opening of no more than one-half inch (½”) in diameter. However, the only materials which may be incinerated are: unpainted and untreated wood, paper or cardboard generated by the property owner. No person may burn wet rubbish, oils or petrochemicals; asphalt, plastic or rubber products. Burning barrels shall be located at least 30 feet from adjoining residences and five (5) feet from property lines, and may be placed only in side yards or rear yards. Other burning as authorized on a one-time basis by the Fire Chief or designee, but not as an alternative to recycling or proper household waste disposal. The Fire Chief shall have the authority to ban all outdoor fires during periods of dry or windy weather when the Fire Chief determines that it is necessary to do so for the protection of the public. Any person setting or maintaining a fire is strictly responsible for all damages caused by that fire. Any person who has been determined to have caused fire damage to the property or person of another may be barred by the Fire Chief from obtaining any permits under this ordinance. Such person may be restored to burning privileges by the Board if the Board determines that the person has provided reasonable assurances that they will exercise their burning privileges reasonably. 5.03 INTERFERENCE WITH PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICERS. No person may interfere with the efforts of any public safety officer to discharge that officer’s lawful duties. As used in this section, the term “interfere” means to impede, obstruct, hamper, burden, or increase the difficulty of the response of a public safety officer. 5.04 DOGS BARKING OR AT LARGE No person may cause, allow or permit a dog owned by the person to run at large in the public streets or highways, or on the property of others without the property owners’ permission. No person may cause, allow or permit a dog owned by the person to bark for a period of time in excess of five minutes, except while the dog is actively engaged in lawful hunting or tracking activities. 5.05 FALSE ALARMS AND INTERFERENCE WITH ALARMS. No person may communicate the existence of an emergency or otherwise request the assistance of a public safety officer if there is no basis in fact for the request for services. No person may negligently or inadvertently cause a request for assistance to be made to a public safety by a defective or improperly functioning alarm system. Any person who violates any provision of this ordinance may be required to reimburse the public safety agency for the actual costs of the public safety response. Any person who violates subsec (1) of this ordinance shall forfeit not less than $500 nor more than $2,000 for each violation. Any person who violates subsection (2) of this ordinance shall forfeit not less than $50 for the first offense, $150 for the second offense and $250 for the third offense. In addition to all other penalties imposed by law, the violator may be required to repair the malfunctioning alarm system. If repairs are ineffective, the violator may be required to disconnect the malfunctioning alarm system or to render it inoperable. 5.06 VANDALISM AND GRAFFITTI. No person may intentionally destroy or damage the property of another, or deface the property of another by writing, painting, marking, scratching or otherwise making any mark or drawing on such property. Any person who violates subsection (1) shall be required to forfeit not less than $250 nor more than $2,000. In addition to any other penalties imposed by law, upon conviction, such violator shall be required to pay the entire cost of repairing, replacing, cleaning or otherwise restoring the damaged, destroyed or defaced property to its original condition. If the violator is under eighteen (18) years of age, the parents or guardians of the violator shall be liable for such damages. 5.07 DEPOSITING POLLUTANTS AND FOREIGN MATERIALS. No person may deposit, leave, discharge or place any of the following materials in a roadway, cemetery, park, or on the property of another: any chemical for which a materials safety data sheet exists and is required to be maintained by the Community Right to Know Act; industrial sludge, effluent, residue or matter, the disposal of which is regulated by federal or Wisconsin law. This ordinance does not apply to: Application of agricultural or lawn treatment chemicals in a manner which is consistent with their labeling; Storage of materials at a recycling center or a licensed solid waste disposal site; Disposal of industrial wastes or other sludge in a manner which is approved by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, provided that all reasonable efforts are made to reduce odors and to prevent any run-off of such sludge. Whoever violates subsection (1) shall forfeit not less than $250 nor more than $2,000, and shall be required to reimburse any party which abates the pollution for the actual cost of such abatement. The Dane County Sheriff’s Department is hereby expressly authorized and requested to enforce these ordinances when it may appear that a violation of the same has occurred. The Board may enforce these ordinances by directing the Town Attorney to commence a forfeiture action pursuant to Wisconsin Statutes. If the Town of Springfield shall incur any expense in abating a nuisance or otherwise remedying a deficiency which is a violation of these ordinances, the offender shall reimburse the Town. If the offender fails to do so, the Town may collect the unpaid amounts as special charges against any real property owned by the offender which is located in the Town. Pursuant to secs. 60.23(23) and 66.119, Stats., the Town Board of the Town of Springfield hereby elects to utilize the citation method of enforcement of those ordinances of the Town which have a forfeiture penalty. The forms used to issue citations shall include the following: (a) The name and address of the alleged violator. (b) The factual allegations describing the alleged violation. (c) The time and place of the offense. (d) The section of the ordinance violated. (e) A designation of the offense in such manner as can be readily understood by a person making a reasonable effort to do so. (f) The time at which the alleged violator may appear in Court. (g) A statement which in essence informs the alleged violator: 1. That the alleged violator may make a cash deposit of a specified amount to be mailed to a specified official within a specified time. 2. That if the alleged violator makes such a deposit, he or she need not appear in Court unless subsequently summoned. 3. That if the alleged violator makes a cash deposit and does not appear in Court, either he or she will be deemed to have tendered a plea of no contest and submitted to a forfeiture and a penalty assessment imposed by s.165.87, Wis. Stats., not to exceed the amount of the deposit or will be summoned into Court to answer the complaint if the court does not accept the plea of no contest. 4. That if the alleged violator does not make a cash deposit and does not appear in Court at the time specified, an action may be commenced against the alleged violator to collect the forfeiture and the penalty assessment imposed by s. 165.87, Wis. Stats. 5. A direction that if the alleged violator elects to make a cash deposit, the alleged violator shall sign an appropriate statement which accompanies the citation to indicate that he or she read the statement required under (g) above and shall send the signed statement with the cash deposit. 6. The form of the citation to be used by Town of Springfield is on file in the office of the Clerk-Treasurer and is adopted by reference. The Town of Springfield hereby authorizes the Town Road Patrolman to issue citations for violation of Ordinance 18-D, related to highways. 5.09 CABLE TELEVISION FRANCHISES. (1) Pursuant to 47 U.S.C. §541(a)(1) and sec. 66.082, Stats., the Town of Springfield enacts the following Cable TV Ordinance. (2) The purpose of this ordinance is to encourage the provision of cable television service to the residents of the Town of Springfield on a basis consistent with the public interest and consistent with applicable law. (3) Franchise. The Town may, from time to time, grant a franchise for the provision of cable TV services to the residents of the Town of Springfield. Said franchise shall authorize the conduct of a cable television distribution system and all related and appurtenant business, together with the necessary installation, construction, operation and maintenance of said system. Said franchise shall be granted subject to the terms, conditions and reservations included in this ordinance. No person, corporation, firm or entity may provide cable television service for compensation to any property in the Town of Springfield unless the Town has issued a franchise. (4) Nonexclusivity. The grant of a cable TV franchise by the Town is nonexclusive and shall not be construed to prohibit the Town from granting, modifying or regulating services provided by any other cable TV operator to the residents of the Town of Springfield. No vested rights, other than those contractual obligations created by this agreement, shall be deemed to have been created on the part of the Company. The Town expressly reserves its full legislative authority with respect to all regulatory matters not precluded by the operation of federal or state law. (5) Area of Franchise. The provisions of this franchise agreement shall be applicable to the entire area of the Town of Springfield. No franchisee may make any decision as to the provision of cable TV services based on the low-income status of any resident or residents of the Town of Springfield, as required by the provisions of 47 U.S.C. §541(3). (6) Scope of Franchise. The franchise granted herein shall include, without disparagement by way of enumeration, the authority to design, construct, and install a cable TV system; the right to install satellite dishes, antennas, microwave relay towers and such other receiving devices as are necessary for the receipt of television and communication signals; the right to use public right-of-way within the Town for the purpose of running cables, accessing poles or otherwise installing service runs throughout the Town; the right to install and connect cables or other mechanisms for the interconnection of the distribution system to individual subscribers; the right to install and operate electronic equipment necessary and appurtenant to the operation of the system; the right to install and construct network apparatus; the right to install service connections from distribution lines to individual service recipients and to do all other necessary and proper actions in connection with the lawful operation of a cable system. (7) Notwithstanding the grant of the franchise, the operator shall at all times assure that in its operations, construction, maintenance and design of the system, the safety of all persons within the Town is protected; that the functionality and appearance of all property is protected and promoted. (8) The grant of a franchise pursuant to this ordinance does not constitute a delegation of the authority of condemnation possessed by the Town pursuant to Chapter 32, Stats., and that any easements which are utilized by the franchisee must be vested and in existence as of this time. (9) Compliance With Applicable Law. The franchisee’s operations are subject to regulations, of varying extent, by the federal, state and town governments. These regulations include Title 47, sec. 521, et. seq., sec. 66.082, Stats., and the Cable TV Ordinance of the Town of Springfield. (10) Rate Regulation. The Town of Springfield does not, at the present time, plan to exercise any rate regulatory authority reserved unto it by 47 U.S.C. §543. However, the Town possesses such authority subject to the conditions of that statute and may, in the sole discretion of the Town, should decide at some future date to impose rate regulation. (11) Access Channel. The Town of Springfield does not, at the time of the execution of this agreement, contemplate the requirement of public access channel. However, the Town does reserve, pursuant to 47 U.S.C. §531(a), to, at any future time in its sole discretion, exercise the right to require the franchisee to provide a suitable channel for the telecasting of public access or public interest programs similar in character to those broadcast on the public access channel of the TCI Cablevision system currently installed in the City of Madison. (12) Term of Agreement. Franchise agreements shall be for the term of fifteen (15) years, commencing with the date of its execution. The agreement shall be renewable at the option of the franchisee for an additional two (2) terms of five (5) years each. In the event that renewal is sought, the franchisee shall give notice to the public and the Town as required by 47 U.S.C. §546 during that six-month period which begins with the date which is thirty-six (36) months prior to the expiration of the initial term of this agreement. During said renewal notice period, the franchisee shall endeavor to ascertain public sentiment with respect to its operations in order to provide commentary to the Town with respect to the suitability of renewal of the franchise. This obligation of notice shall also apply to the two (2) five-year extensions hereof. (13) Transfer of System Ownership. The franchisee is required by federal law to give notice to the Town of its intent to transfer the cable system, and also is required to do so pursuant to sec. 66.082(5), Stats. The Town’s consent shall be required prior to any transfer. A transfer is defined as including the conveyance of forty percent (40%) or more of the ownership interest in the Company. The Town shall be given notice of the transfer of any interest equal to or exceeding ten percent (10%) of the total ownership interests in the franchisee at the time of the transfer. (14) Customer Service Requirements. The Town of Springfield does not now contemplate monitoring or imposing requirements with respect to the manner in which customer services are provided by the franchisee. However, the Town expressly reserves the right, pursuant to 47 U.S.C. §552, to adopt such standards for customer services as may be, in the sole discretion of the Town, necessary to protect the public interest, if the Town determines that said regulations are required. 5.10 RECYCLING AND SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL. (1) The purpose of this Ordinance shall be to maintain and protect public health and sanitation by removal of garbage, rubbish, and other waste material generated in the Town of Springfield, to eliminate dispersal of garbage, waste, and other waste material along the streets, roads, and other public and private properties in and near the Town of Springfield, and to provide a comprehensive Town recycling program. The Town of Springfield finds participation in a mandatory source separation recycling program appropriate in this jurisdiction to conserve available, local landfill capacity. The Town further finds it appropriate to participate in both county-wide and state-wide recycling programs to conserve energy, recycle valuable resources, and to protect public health, welfare and the environment. The Town also finds participation in these programs appropriate to achieve consistency with county-wide recycling policies to ensure that the waste generated in the Town will be able to be delivered to the county-owned landfills and to the county owned material recycling facilities. Definitions. The following definitions shall be applicable in this Ordinance: (a) Collector/Hauler. The contractor or entity chosen by the Town Board to handle, transport, and dispose of the solid waste, recyclables and non-recyclables generated in the Town, or, person or persons contracting with waste generators for these services, and will enforce preparation standards for recyclable materials as well as ensure community compliance with this source separation recycling program. (b) Commercial Waste. Waste of whatever material generated by any industrial or business establishment where any trade, occupation, industry or commerce is conducted. (c) Corrugated Cardboard. Heavy duty Kraft paper packaging material with a corrugated medium between two (2) flat paper liners, and does not include paperboard such as for cereal or laundry detergent boxes or holders for six-pack or twelve-packs of beverage cans or bottles. (d) Curb. The back edge or curb and gutter along a paved street or where one would be if the street was paved and had curb and gutter. (e) Demolition Waste. That portion of solid waste from the repair, remodeling, construction or reconstruction of buildings, such as lumber, roofing and sheathing scraps, rubble, broken concrete, asphalt, plaster, conduit, pipe, wire, insulation, and other like materials resulting from the demolition of buildings and improvements. (f) Dwelling Unit. A place of habitation occupied by a normal single-family unit or a combination of persons who may be considered as equivalent to a single-family unit for the purposes of this Ordinance. (g) Garbage. Discarded materials resulting from the handling, processing, storage and consumption of food. (h) Glass. Glass bottles, jars and containers and does not include window glass, drinking glasses, pyrex, light bulbs or other non-container glass. (i) Good Faith. Reasonable efforts to adhere to the policies, standards and rules of this mandatory source separation recycling program. (j) Hazardous Waste or Hazardous Substance. Those wastes or substances defined as such in NR 181, Wis. Adm Code (including all amendments provided thereto) as provided therein pursuant to Sec. 144.62, Wis. Stat., or other acts pursuant to authority vested in the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to describe and list materials as such and also includes in the meaning of “hazardous waste” or “hazardous substance” as described herein. Those solid wastes or substances found in household waste [notwithstanding the household waste exclusion provided in NR 181.12(4)(a), Wis. Adm Code]. (k) Lead-acid Batteries. Automotive and related batteries that are comprised of lead plates with an acid electrolyte, and does not include nickel-cadmium batteries, dry cell (flashlight) batteries or batteries used in calculators, watches, hearing aids or similar devices. (l) Major Appliance. A residential or commercial air conditioner, clothes dryer, clothes washer, dishwasher, freezer, microwave oven, oven, refrigerator, stove, water heater or any other item commonly referred to as a white good. (m) Metal Cans. Tin coated steel cans, bi-metal cans, aerosol and aluminum cans used for food and other non-hazardous materials but excluding cans that held paint, paint-related products, pesticides or other toxic or hazardous substances. (n) Multi-family Dwelling. A residential building intended to be the residence of three (3) or more independent family units. For purposes of this Ordinance, a duplex shall be considered as two separate single-family dwellings. (o) Newsprint. That portion of newspapers (newspapers and advertising circulars normally accompanying newspapers) or periodicals and advertising circulars-printed on newsprint which remain in substantially original condition at the time of disposal such that the material is suitable for commercial-grade recycling. “Newsprint” does not include the paper commonly used in the production of magazines, books, and other physical media for written material or paper which is not suitable for recycling purposes, or is in a state which makes separation unreasonable or unduly expensive, or reasons which include, but are not limited to, the following: i. The paper has been put to another use, such as wrappings for other wastes, and is thus rendered unfit for commercial recycling; ii. The paper is no longer flat and folded to the approximate dimensions of its original condition; iii. The paper is mixed in with commercial or municipal litter or refuse as a result of the failure of citizen or business invitees to separate newspapers from other discarded materials outdoors or in publicly accessible areas of buildings; iv. The paper has been damaged or altered by any other means so as to make recycling impossible or unduly difficult. (p) Non-recyclable Material. All items of waste not recyclable except hazardous waste or hazardous substances. (q) Other Paper. All paper excluding newsprint materials or materials specifically excepted in the definition of “newsprint” and “corrugated cardboard” but shall include grades of fiber materials with available markets for recycling. (r) Oversize and Bulky Waste. Large items such as furniture, mattresses, carpeting, construction or demolition materials of substantial dimensions, brush and other large items whose proportions are not easily reduced. (s) Person. Any individual, corporation, organization, association, local governmental unit, as defined in Sec. 66.229(1), Wis. Stats., state agency or authority or federal agency. (t) Plastic Container. A blow-molded plastic bottle made of high density polyethylene (HDPE) or a plastic bottle or jar made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), but does not include HDPE containers that are not blow molded, including but not limited to, containers for yogurt, cottage cheese, butter, margarine, ice cream and similar products. (u) Preparation Standards. Criteria provided establishing acceptable good faith limits for introduction of materials into the source separation recycling program involving either transport to a material recycling center or temporary storage of such materials. (v) Recyclable Material. Identified materials meeting preparation standards and shall include the following; newspapers; corrugated cardboard; (unbroken) brown, green and clear container glass; aluminum, bi-metal and tin-coated steel cans; blow-molded HDPE and PET plastic containers; tires (regardless of size); used oil; lead-acid batteries; and large batteries; and large appliances. “Recyclable material” further means identified materials meeting preparation standards where economical markets or short-term storage are available and shall include the following: other paper; polystyrene foam; PVC containers; polypropylene containers; HDPE and PET containers other than bottles; types of plastic containers labeled “other”; and other materials determined to have economical markets available. (w) Refuse. Combustible and non-combustible materials including, but not limited to: paper products, wood, metal, glass, cloth and products thereof in unrecoverable condition; litter and street rubbish not including yard waste; uncontaminated ashes; and building materials such as wood, concrete, glass, plaster and other intermixed materials produced in construction or demolition of structures. “Refuse” for purposes of this Ordinance shall not include “oversize or bulky waste.” (x) Residential Solid Waste. All solid waste that normally originates in a residential environment from residential dwelling units. (y) Residential Unit. Each living unit in the Town of Springfield designed for permanent living quarters, including single-family dwellings and units in duplexes, tri-plexes, and multi-family units and each unit in a residential condominium project. (z) Scavenging. The uncontrolled and unauthorized removal of materials at any point in solid waste management. (aa) Solid Waste. Garbage, refuse and all other discarded or salvageable solid materials, including solid waste materials, resulting from industrial, commercial and agricultural operations, and from community activities, but does not include solids or dissolved material in waste water effluents or other common water pollutants. (bb) Solid Waste Storage. Safe, environmentally sound short-term containment of materials and for recyclables shall involve preserving materials in a condition meeting preparation standards. (cc) Tires. For collection purposes shall mean rubber tires, from automobiles and light trucks, and other tires whose size is less than 1100 x 24.5, which are removed from rims. (dd) Used Oil. Any contaminated petroleum-derived or synthetic oil including but not limited to the following: engine and other mechanical lubricants; hydraulic and transmission fluid; metalworking fluid; and insulating fluid or coolant. (ee) Yard Waste. Leaves, grass clippings, yard and garden debris, including clean woody vegetative material no greater than six (6) inches in diameter and holiday trees, but does not include tree stumps, extensive root systems or shrubs with intact root balls. (3) Mandatory Recycling and Applicability. This Ordinance shall apply to all persons, entities and waste generating activities within the limits of the Town of Springfield and includes but is not limited to all waste generated by all residential and commercial activities. No person shall mix with nonrecyclables for collection by the Town’s authorized collector, any material except recyclable material and only in such manner as set forth herein. (4) Recyclable Materials and Preparation. All recyclable materials shall be separated from other nonrecyclable garbage and refuse. Recyclable materials shall be left for collection by the Town’s authorized collector/hauler by placing all recyclable materials in the special recycling containers provided by the Town or the Town’s authorized collection service. Recyclable materials shall consist of: (a) Glass. Brown glass, green glass and clear glass shall be empty, rinsed, clean, unbroken, and have metal covers and caps removed. (b) Cans. All aluminum, tin, steel, copper and other metal cans shall be empty, rinsed and have labels removed (with ends removed and flattened where possible), except that paint and oil cans may not be recycled. (c) Plastic Containers. Plastic containers shall be rinsed and have any metal or plastic rings/caps removed. Plastic containers with handles left for collection by the Town’s collection service shall not be tied together and should be placed next to the recycling container. (d) Corrugated Cardboard. Corrugated cardboard shall be flattened, empty, free of food debris, bundled in eight (8) inch or ten (10) inch bundles, and be placed beside the recycling container for collection. Waxed cardboard may not be recycled. (e) Newsprint. All newsprint shall be bundled pursuant to Section 6 below. (f) Aluminum. All products made of aluminum, including aluminum cans, foil, wrappers, pie pans, and containers for prepared dinners or other foods, screen frames, and lawn chairs shall be clean and flattened. (g) Tires. Tires, as defined in Subsection (b), shall be less than 1100 x 24.5 in size, and removed from rims. (h) Additional Materials/ Standards. Furthermore, additional preparation standards may be provided by notice to generators of waste and collectors/haulers or by amendment to this Subsection when other materials become recyclable dependent upon available economic markets. (5) Nonrecyclable Materials Designated. Nonrecyclable materials shall include the following: (a) Glass – All pyrex glass, window glass, light bulbs, ceramics, mirrors, broken glass and china shall be considered nonrecyclable. (b) Plastics – Rigid cottage cheese containers, plastic wraps, egg cartons, Melamine-type plastics, and all forms of polystyrene foam shall not be placed with recyclable materials but shall be disposed of in the manner prescribed for other nonrecyclable refuse. (c) Glossy Paper – All waxed paper, waxed cardboard, envelopes with gum labels, glossy paper, magazines and envelopes with plastic windows shall be considered nonrecyclable paper. (d) Other Materials – All other garbage and refuse not qualifying as recyclable materials. (6) Newsprint Recycling. (a) No person in the Town of Springfield shall dispose of newsprint with nonrecyclable refuse, except for such newsprint rendered unfit for recycling. This Subsection shall apply to all persons, governmental operations and business, commercial, retail and industrial enterprises however organized and of whatever type, if such refuse is to be deposited in a Dane County landfill. (b) Newsprint left for collection and recycling shall be bundled with heavy string or cord, securely tied in both directions, and be left beside the recycling container. No newsprint bundled for recycling shall weight in excess of twenty-five (25) pounds nor shall such bundle exceed the height of ten (10) inches. Newsprint may be recycled in any other lawful manner. Newsprint shall not be placed in containers with other nonrecyclable refuse or garbage. (c) All garbage, refuse and other nonrecyclable materials shall be collected, removed and disposed of pursuant to the Town’s agreement with the designated collector/hauler or persons’ private agreements with collectors/haulers. Newsprint and other recyclables placed for recycling shall become the property of the Town of Springfield or its authorized collector. (7) Disposal of Nonrecyclable Materials. (a) Nonrecyclable materials shall be separated from recyclable materials and shall be placed for collection by the Town’s authorized collector. (b) All nonrecyclable materials shall be placed in proper containers or plastic garbage bags not exceeding a capacity of thirty (30) or forty (40) gallons and/or a net weight of fifty (50) pounds. All refuse material not suitable for placement in containers or bags shall be placed in bundles or broken into sizes small enough to be easily handled and shall be equipped with suitable handles and tightfitting covers and shall be watertight. All garbage containers shall be kept in a neat, clean, and sanitary condition at all times. All garbage containers for residential units shall be of metal, durable plastic, or other suitable, moisture-resistant materials, including heavy-duty refuse disposal plastic bags. Metal garbage cans shall be of sufficient thickness to resist denting during normal handling by collection crews. Plastic garbage bags shall be closed with a tie and shall consist of plastic materials not damaged by freezing and not susceptible to melting. They shall be capable of being handled during hot and cold weather without damage during normal handling by collection crews. Plastic bags shall be of sufficient strength to allow lifting and loading of contents without tearing. (c) Requirements for Multi-Family Dwellings. Owners of multi-family dwellings shall provide adequate containers for handling and collection of recyclable materials enabling tenants to ensure separation of recyclables and ensuring that recyclables meet preparation standards. The following shall be acceptable means of providing containers: (1) providing two containers for each dwelling unit with one container being for glass, metal cans and plastic containers and the other container being for bundles of corrugated cardboard and newspapers with some special provision for lead-acid batteries and tires; (2) providing a series of containers for the complex of sub-units thereof with unique containers for each type of recyclable to be shared in common by occupants of the multi-family dwelling not including provisions for major appliances or used oil; with sufficient, separate containers to achieve good faith separation of recyclables based upon size of the multifamily dwelling, and the handling, transportation and processing requirements for the collector/hauler. Containers shall be clearly designated and marked as to the recycles contained therein, and containers shall be maintained in a clean, safe and watertight condition. Owners of multi-family dwellings shall exercise good faith to assure that residents and occupants comply with recycling requirements of this Ordinance. Owners of multi-family dwellings shall notify tenants at the time of renting or leasing the dwelling and semiannually thereafter of the recycling programs provided in this paragraph. Additionally, owners of the multi-family dwellings shall provide for the collection of recyclable materials separated from solid waste by tenants and delivery of the aforementioned recyclables to a material recycling facility when volumes are in excess of the Town collector/hauler contract. (d) It shall be the duty of every occupant, tenant, or proprietor of any residential unit to provide and at all times keep in a suitable place readily accessible to the refuse collector, garbage containers capable of holding all garbage which would ordinary accumulate on such premises between the times of successive collections. The owner of any multiple dwelling shall furnish or require the tenant thereof to furnish proper garbage containers. Garbage containers located at multiple dwellings shall be marked so as to indicate the residential unit to which they belong. (8) Mandatory Separation of Materials for Composting; Yard Wastes. (a) No person in the Town shall, by curbside collection, dispose of deciduous materials, such as yard waste, grass clippings and leaves, with other refuse that may be lawfully left for collection. Yard waste, such as grass clippings and leaves, may be brought to a composting site designated by the Town of Springfield, if any. (b) The Town Board shall prepare regulations, standards and schedules as necessary to make effective all provisions of this Ordinance. Periodically, upon a schedule adopted by the Town, the Town Board may prepare notices and distribute other information to persons and entities generating waste within the Town for the purpose of informing the public about the requirements dictated by this mandatory source separation recycling ordinance. (9) Nondisposable Materials. It shall be unlawful for any person to place for regular collection any of the following wastes: (a) Hazardous waste; (b) Toxic waste; (d) Explosives or ammunition; (e) Drain or waste oil or flammable liquids; (f) Large quantities of paint; (g) Dead animals; (h) Trees and stumps; (i) Gravel and concrete; (j) Construction debris; (k) Animal or human waste; (l) White goods (unless as a special haul item); (n) Christmas trees; (o) Bedding and furniture; (q) The aforementioned materials shall be disposed of in the manner prescribed by federal or state laws, or as provided for herein. (r) Materials that the Town collector will dispose of for a separate fee may be disposed of by special arrangement between the waste generator and said Town collector. (s) Hot or cold ashes. (10) Hospital/Medical Wastes. It shall be unlawful for any person to place for collection any pathogenic hospital or medical wastes. Such items as needles and syringes may be disposed of as long as they are contained to eliminate injury to disposal personnel. (11) Building Waste. All demolition waste resulting from remodeling, construction, or removal of a building, roadway, or sidewalk shall be disposed of by the owner, builder, or contractor. Building materials of any kind will not be disposed of by the Town or its collection service. (12) Alteration of Recyclable Materials. It shall be unlawful to intentionally alter recyclable materials so as to render them as nonrecyclable material. (13) Restriction on Time of Placement. (a) All receptacles and containers for nonrecyclable and recyclable materials that are placed adjacent to the public street for collection as designated by the collector shall be placed adjacent to the public street not earlier that twenty-four (24) hours before the regular collection time and shall be removed from the curbside collection point within twenty-four (24) hours after the regular collection time. (b) The time for collection shall be determined by the authorized collector, as approved by the Town Board. (14) Refuse from Outside of Town. It shall be unlawful to bring refuse from outside the Town of Springfield limits into the Town limits for disposal unless specifically authorized by written agreement with the Town. (15) Title to Refuse and Recyclable Materials. (a) In the absence of an agreement to the contrary, title to the refuse and recyclable material placed for collection and disposal by the Town or its agents shall vest in the Town of Springfield as soon as it is placed for collection. It shall be a violation of this Ordinance for any person unauthorized by the Town to collect or pick up or cause to be collected or picked up any recyclable materials that are placed for disposal by the Town or by any authorized agent. Any and each such unauthorized collection or scavenging of recyclable materials in violation hereof shall constitute a separate and distinct offense punishable as provided for herein. Nothing herein shall be construed to allow for scavenging, removal, transportation, or resorting of refuse which has been placed for disposal under this Ordinance. Any such scavenging or separation of refuse that has been placed for disposal by the producer of said refuse shall be deemed a violation of this Ordinance. (b) This Ordinance shall not prohibit the actual producers of recyclable materials or the owners of residential units or nonresidential units upon which recyclable materials have been accumulated from personally collecting, conveying, and disposing of recyclable materials, provided such producers or owners do not violate the intent of this Ordinance. (16) Garbage Accumulation; When a Nuisance. The accumulation or deposit of garbage, trash, or putrescible animal or vegetable matter in or upon any lot or land or any public or private place within the Town which causes the air or environment to become noxious or offensive or to be in such a condition as to promote the breeding of flies, mosquitos, or other insects, or to provide a habitat or breeding place for rodents or animals, or which otherwise becomes injurious to the public health is prohibited and declared to constitute a nuisance. Refuse areas shall be kept in a nuisance – and odor free condition. Refuse shall not be allowed to accumulate. Violation will result in the occupant and/or owner being notified to clean up his/her area with continued violations resulting in the owner being prosecuted under provisions of this and other Town Ordinances. (17) Improper Placement. No persons shall deposit, throw, or place any garbage, offal, dead animals, combustible refuse or other deleterious matters in any park, lane, alley, street, public grounds or public place within the Town, nor place any garbage, offal, dead animals or other refuse matter upon any private property not owned by such person without such person’s consent. If not deemed noncollectible, these materials may be placed for collection on the owner’s property if the same is enclosed in proper vessels or containers which shall be watertight and kept so with tightly fitting covers. (18) Special Haul Items. It shall be unlawful for any person receiving residential garbage collection with the Town of Springfield to set for regular collection special haul items. Such special haul items may be disposed of by contracting directly with private collectors at the rates in effect at the time. (19) Interference with Authorized Collector. No person other than an authorized collector shall collect or interfere with any waste after it shall have been put into a garbage receptacle and deposited in the proper place for the collector, nor shall any unauthorized person molest, hinder, delay or in any manner interfere with any authorized garbage collector in the discharge of his/her duties. (20) Other Prohibited Practices in Collection and Handling of Recyclables. No person, persons or other entity generating waste within the Town shall do any of the following: (a) Deposit or cause to be deposited any recyclable material at any authorized collection point when the site is closed or not operating. (b) Deposit or cause to be deposited any waste material whether recyclable or not in or upon any public street, public waters, or public grounds in the Town except at authorized locations within appropriate packaging or placed into appropriate containers during specifically authorized collection periods if any are provided. (c) Deposit or cause to be deposited any recyclable materials in any container not specifically intended for the collection of that type or group of recyclable material. (21) Violations; Penalties. (a) Any person who shall violate any of the provisions of this Ordinance shall be subject to a penalty which shall be as follows: i. First Offense. Any person found in violation of any provision of this Section as a first offender shall receive a warning notice requiring compliance and may be subject to having refuse in violation of the provisions herein not collected. ii. Second and Subsequent Offenses. Any person found guilty of violating any part of this Ordinance who has previously been notified of being in violation or been convicted of violating the same Ordinance within one (1) year shall, upon conviction thereof, forfeit not less than Twenty-Five Dollars ($25.00) nor more than Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) for each such offense, together with costs or prosecution and, if default of payment of such forfeiture and costs, shall be imprisoned in the County Jail until such forfeiture and costs of prosecution are paid, but not exceeding six (6) months. (b) Each violation and each day a violation continues or occurs shall constitute a separate offense. Nothing in this Ordinance shall preclude the Town from maintaining any appropriate action to prevent or remove a violation of any provision of this Ordinance. (22) Special Collections for Violations. If any entity, including those receiving collection from a private firm, is found in violation of the collection and storage requirements of this Chapter and fails to comply with a notification and/or requirements of this Chapter and fails to comply with a notification and/or citation, the Town Chairperson shall be empowered to order a special collection to remove such violation. The person shall be notified of such special collection and the charges therefore. The special collection shall be made; and if billing plus $50 is unpaid, the bill shall be considered a lien on the property and shall be placed on the tax bill. A person shall not use the special collection provision of this Chapter to circumvent requirements for collection by a private firm. (23) Severability. The provisions of Ordinance shall be held to be minimum requirements and shall not be deemed a limitation or repeal of any other power granted by the Wisconsin Statutes or pertinent Dane County Ordinances in their interpretation and application. Because this Ordinance creates a comprehensive, mandatory source separation recycling program in our community, where any terms or requirements or interpretations consistent with state and county law shall control. If any provision of this Ordinance is found to be invalid or unconstitutional or if the application of this Ordinance to any person or circumstance is invalid or unconstitutional, such invalidity or unconstitutionality shall not affect the other provisions or applications of this Ordinance which can be given effect without the invalid or unconstitutional provisions or applications. (24) Contracting with Collector/Hauler. (a) The Town finds that the purposes of the Ordinance will be better served by limiting collection of waste activities to a minimum and to that end the Town will contract with an independent contractor to provide waste collection services in accordance with this Ordinance. If any person needs a service in excess of that provided by such collector/hauler pursuant to the collection contract with the Town, such person is free to contact, at such person’s cost, for such additional services as may be required or desired. (b) The Town shall be authorized to place the pro-rata cost of such collector/hauler’s fee for such services on the tax bill for the real property from which such waste is generated. Said amount so placed on the tax bill for each year in advance of such services and when so placed shall have the same force and effect as real estate taxes and shall be paid as in the same manner as real estate taxes. (c) The Town and the collector/hauler shall establish pick-up times for the collection of collectible wastes. (25) Condominiums and Multi-Family Dwellings. Each condominium association in the Town shall be responsible for establishing compliance with this Ordinance by the owner of each condominium unit, and shall submit its plan for compliance to the Town for approval and shall submit for approval of the Town any changes in such plan. Such plan may provide for the purposes of this Ordinance. Each condominium unit shall be treated the same as a single residential dwelling or the entire condominium shall be treated for such purposes as a multi-family dwelling [Section 5.10(7)(c)]. In approving such a plan, the Town shall consider which plan under the circumstances would better promote the purpose of this Ordinance. Each owner of a multi-family building, with the consent of the Town, shall have the option of treating each unit within said building as a single-family residence or comply with the requirements of Section 5.10(7)(c), except that duplexes shall be treated as two single-family residences. (26) Commercial Buildings. The owners of commercial, retail, industrial and governmental facilities shall provide adequate separate containers for the disposal of recyclable materials as defined herein and shall regularly notify all users of said premises of such facilities, including employees, agents and customers of county and municipal recycling requirements. (27) Agricultural Operations. Nothing in this Ordinance is intended to apply to the disposal of or the accumulation of agricultural or farm wastes, products or feed accumulated upon property used in the ordinary course of farming. (28) Federal and State Regulations. It is expected that from time to time federal and state statutes and regulations will require that items other than the items which have been deemed to be recyclable herein shall be recycled. In such event, this Ordinance shall be deemed to include and shall require such other items to be recyclable hereunder. 5.11 ABANDONMENT OF VEHICLES (1) No person shall leave unattended any motor vehicle, trailer, semi-trailer or mobile home on any public highway or private or public property within the Town of Springfield for such time and under such circumstances as to cause the vehicle to reasonably appear to have been abandoned. (2) Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, whenever any vehicle has been left unattended without the permission of the property owner for more than twenty-four (24) hours, the vehicle is deemed abandoned and constitutes a public nuisance. A motor vehicle shall not be considered an abandoned motor vehicle when it is out of ordinary public view, or when designated as not abandoned by a duly-authorized Town or county official pursuant to town or county Ordinance. (3) Impoundment of Abandoned Vehicles. Any vehicle in violation of this section shall be impounded until lawfully claimed or disposed of under this Section, except that if it is deemed by a duly-authorized Town or county representative that the cost of towing and storage charges for the impoundment would exceed the value of the vehicle, the vehicle may be junked or sold by the Town or county prior to expiration of the impoundment period upon determination by the sheriff having jurisdiction that the vehicle is not stolen or otherwise wanted for evidence or other reason. All substantially complete vehicles in excess or nineteen (19) model years of age shall be disposed of in accordance with this section. (4) Agent of Town For Removal of Abandoned Vehicles. The Town Chairperson, or upon his/her authorization, any other member of the Town Board or the Town Clerk-Treasurer shall be the authorized Town representative to make all determinations required by this Ordinance. (5) Costs of Impoundment and Forfeiture For Abandoned Vehicles (a) The owner of any abandoned vehicle shall pay the costs of towing, storage and disposal of the vehicle, as well as any other costs of impounding and disposing of the vehicle. (b) In addition to the payment of the costs of impounding as required by Section 3(a) hereof, the owner of any abandoned vehicle shall be required to pay to the Town a forfeiture of fifty dollars ($50.00). (6) Notice to Vehicle Owner; Sale of Abandoned Vehicles (a) Any vehicle which is deemed abandoned by the representative of the Town of Springfield pursuant to section (4) of this Ordinance shall be kept in storage for at least 10 days after a notice of the impoundment has been sent by certified mail to the vehicle owner at the address shown by the owner on the motor vehicle registration. (b) The notice shall advise the owner of the owner’s right to reclaim the abandoned vehicle upon payment of the accrued costs and forfeiture. The notice shall include the year, make model and serial number of the abandoned vehicle. The notice shall state that the owner’s failure to exercise the owner’s right to reclaim the vehicle shall constitute a waiver of all right, title and interest in the motor vehicle, pursuant to sec. 342.40(3)(c), Wis. Stats. (c) The Town may dispose of any motor vehicle which has not been reclaimed within the 10 day period following mailing of the notice required by this subsection. The Town shall dispose of an abandoned vehicle by auction or sealed bid as the Town deems advisable. The Town may, if no bids are received, junk the vehicle and add the costs of junking the vehicle to the amount owed the Town by the vehicle owner. (d) If the Town chooses to dispose of an abandoned vehicle by sealed bid or auction, notice of the auction or acceptance of bids shall be given in the same matter as notices of the meetings of the Town Board are made. (e) In the event the Town sells an abandoned vehicle, the Town Clerk-Treasurer shall advise the Department of Transportation of the sale on a form supplied by the Department of Transportation. (7) Conformity With Section 342.40, Stats. In addition to the provisions contained herein, all of the provisions of sec. 342.40 of the Wisconsin Statutes are hereby incorporated in this Ordinance, except those which are inconsistent with any of the foregoing provisions. This ordinance shall be construed in conformity with sec. 342.40 except insofar as this ordinance exercises the discretion of the Town to vary from the provisions of that statute. This ordinance shall take effect after adoption by the Town Board and publication. Dated July 1, 2003 TOWN BOARD, TOWN OF SPRINGFIELD James Ripp, Chair Mary Hellenbrand, Supervisor I James Pulvermacher, Supervisor II Don Hoffman, Supervisor III Rene3 Ripp, Supervisor IV I, Sherri Endres, the Clerk of the Town of Springfield, hereby certify that the Town Board of Springfield duly adopted the above ordinance, which ordinance was on file for inspection for at least two weeks prior to its adoption, and which is a codification of previous ordinances pursuant to sec. 66.035, Stats., was posted in three places within the Town on May 29, 2003. Sherri Endres, Clerk-Treasurer

Support the news Walk through the front door at Shawsheen Valley Technical High School in Billerica and the first thing you notice is security. "Everyone who visits the building, when they come into this secure foyer, has to scan a driver's license or another state-issued ID," explains Superintendent Tim Broadrick. "It does kind of a high-level national background check." The "LobbyGuard" scanner is the size of a computer tablet. It scans a driver's license, takes a picture of the school visitor and if all is OK with the person's background check, almost instantly clears the person to enter the school. An employee behind a window then pushes a button and unlocks the door to the school hallway. An 'Alarm System' Through Social Media Amid nationwide concern about school shootings, there's talk at Shawsheen Tech of covering the wall of glass in the lobby with a special film to make it harder for a bullet to pierce. There's also a police officer — known as a school resource officer — stationed at the school. He has an office in the lobby. And the school has adopted another security measure to try to protect students from attacks — one you can't see. It's a computer program designed to detect threats against the school in social media posts. And it runs 24/7. "It's receiving and filtering and then gives us alerts when certain kinds of public communication are detected," Broadrick explains. Shawsheen Tech buys the social media scanning service from a Vermont-based company called Social Sentinel. It's one of many technology firms doing some form of social media scanning or monitoring. Social Sentinel claims it's the only one with expertise in protecting schools. Shawsheen Tech has about 1,300 students. It pays Social Sentinel approximately $10,000 per year, according to Broadrick. Gary Margolis, Social Sentinel's founder and CEO, describes the service as a "home alarm system ... for social media." "We are not a surveillance tool; we are not a monitoring tool; we're not an investigative tool," he adds. Margolis says the software scans about a billion posts every day, from a dozen social media platforms including Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. It's looking for so-called "language of harm" associated with the schools paying for the software. Social Sentinel worked with experts in linguistics, mental health and public safety to build a "library" of more than 450,000 words and phrases that set off its algorithm's alarm bells, according to Margolis, who is a former Burlington, Vermont police officer and University of Vermont police chief. "We went back, for example, and looked at the language that school shooters, as one example, have used in the past in various manifestos — what's been published or that they've shared on social media," Margolis explains. "And we went to understand similarities and patterns. And we can teach computers, to an extent, how to identify some of that nuance." But not all of it, he acknowledges. So there are "false positives," or false alarms, with the software — alerts for posts that don't contain a threat. Scanning For Threats Of Suicide The software isn't meant to only pick up on threats of violence. It's also looking for social media posts from students indicating they might hurt — or even kill — themselves. Broadrick, the school system's superintendent, says Social Sentinel's services proved their worth early on because of that. "One of the alerts that they sent us indicated that one of our students' mental health condition was deteriorating, maybe to the point that that student's life could have been in danger," Broadrick recalls. The program had picked up on key words the student used on social media and alerted the school. School counselors found out the student had an imminent suicide plan. They got the teenager help. The town of Arlington had a similar experience using Social Sentinel. Arlington Police Chief Fred Ryan says the program alerted police to a student whose social media post indicated suicidal thoughts, and they were able to intervene. "It's about being proactive rather than reacting to terrible events," Ryan says of using the social media scanning technology. 'Aware Without Compromising People's Expectation Of Privacy' Ryan says the department gets anywhere from two to about 10 alerts per day. A few members of the department receive them -- either by email or text — and one detective is in charge of going through them to look for threats. On most days, the alerts are benign. Arlington police use Social Sentinel to be alerted to threats only against Arlington schools and students. Social Sentinel once sold its services directly to police; now it only sells to school districts, colleges and event arenas. Ryan shows us an alert email he received on the day we're meeting with him. It links to a Twitter post from an Arlington resident. The post contains the term 'gun violence.' "This person is obviously advocating for anti-gun policy. So right there, it's not a credible threat," Ryan says. "We move on." Chief Ryan says looking at the alerts that don't indicate a problem isn't a waste of his time or his officers', and he isn't bothered by looking at people's social media posts, because they're posts that are set to public. Social Sentinel doesn't scan the private ones. "We feel strongly that this service enables us to be aware without compromising people's expectation of privacy, civil rights and sort of government lurking around social media accounts. That's not what we do," Ryan says. He adds that Arlington's Human Rights Commission endorsed the use of Social Sentinel. Concerns Surveillance Violates Civil Liberties But the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts has concerns about the program's use. "This is an expansion of the schools' ability to police what students are doing inside of school or on campus to their outside-of-school conduct," says Kade Crockford, who directs the Technology for Liberty Program at the ACLU of Massachusetts. Crockford says though this kind of technology may not violate people's constitutional rights, it does raise concerns about civil liberties: The program casts a wide net and the public doesn't know what words and phrases it's searching for among the half-million or so search terms. For example, a student might post something about smoking pot on the weekend. If the post contains one of Social Sentinel's hot-button words — even if there's no threat of violence or suicidal behavior — school officials will receive an alert. "In many cases across the country, schools have been using social media surveillance tools in ways that have harmed, specifically, students of color. So we certainly have concerns about technologies like this being used to expand what we call the school-to-prison pipeline," Crockford says. "In many cases across the country, schools have been using social media surveillance tools in ways that have harmed, specifically, students of color."Kade Crockford, with the ACLU Crockford's concerns are reminiscent of a controversy in Boston two years ago. It came to light that a Boston police intelligence unit had been monitoring social media accounts of Bostonians. In a 2017 report, the ACLU said it found the city's officers were using an outside company — not Social Sentinel — to seek out posts that contained terms including 'protest,' 'Black Lives Matter' or 'Muslim Lives Matter' — and that the practice did not prevent any serious crime. Crockford calls it "digital racial profiling." The Boston Police Department disputed that claim. They said the technology helped them monitor how people in Boston were reacting to police shootings and other events involving race around the country so they could detect whether demonstrations might spring up here. They said they did not use the technology to target individuals for surveillance. Northeastern University criminologist James Alan Fox says social media scanning brings up another set of problems for law enforcement and school administrators. Fox makes the case that it's extremely difficult to predict who will carry out a crime like a mass shooting at a school, because those are still very rare events. He says many thousands of people on social media are fascinated with guns, violent video games and dark song lyrics — but would never turn violent. "Trying to identify — out of the 55 million school children — the small handful who are really dangerous is not easy," Fox says. "The more and more we try to find people and lower that threshold of what is it that's going to trigger an investigation, we're going to identify lots of people who aren't dangerous, for whom it's — they want to be a big shot, but they're not going to take a shot. And what's going to happen to them? That suspicion itself could turn their lives in the wrong direction." "Trying to identify -- out of the 55 million school children -- the small handful who are really dangerous is not easy."Northeastern criminologist James Alan Fox Fox says social media scanning might be useful to prevent suicide. Suicide is common, and he says the clues people give on social media can be overt. One college that's recently grappled with higher-than-average rates of student suicide is MIT. The school confirms its police and emergency management personnel have been using Social Sentinel since 2015. Students we spoke with weren't aware of its use on campus. MIT junior Milka Piszczek says as long as students' social media posts are already public, it might be helpful for authorities to check them out — especially if a student is suicidal and crying out for help. "You're kind of yelling into this void, but the void is literally full of hundreds of thousands of posts," Piszczek says. "It's possible that no one who cares will see it, even though there are people who care. So if there is a technology that can help pick out those posts that might need that extra attention from a person, it's a pretty good solution." MIT freshman Jonathan Tagoe says he's concerned about racial bias in any social media scanning or monitoring. But he thinks MIT can use the technology wisely. "I think it could be helpful," Tagoe says. "It's just, like, not letting it become too intrusive. Also, just making sure that you're not targeting people who aren't meaning any harm." Social Sentinel officials said its library of words and phrases that trigger alerts is proprietary information and cannot be shared with media. The company can't yet demonstrate, with data, how effective its software is at identifying threats. But Margolis says he hears from clients all the time that the technology has helped keep someone from hurting themselves or someone else. This segment aired on March 22, 2018. - As Students Plan Another March For Gun Control, WBUR Poll Finds Widespread Support - At 'Intersections' From Roxbury To Andover, Students Stand Together For Gun Control - Bills Before Mass. Lawmakers Aim To Help Police Take Guns From People Deemed An ‘Extreme Risk’ - In Mass., Counting Guns In Schools — And Hoping To Avoid Catastrophe - What Police Surveillance Of Social Media Could Mean For You Support the news

- 1 Before you start - 2 Please add X girl to PlayHome - 3 How do I install x mod? - 4 How do I make sure WideSlider is working correctly? - 5 I installed X Character Mod, but the girl is invisible when loading her - 6 I installed X Character Mod, but the girl’s eyelashes are purple and her eyes all white when loading her - 7 I installed X Character Mod, but the girl has no eyelids - 8 I updated a girl but her hair disappeared/something something - 9 When I load a girl her face looks white unless I remove the makeup - 10 I have latest WideSlider and MoreSlotID 1.3 installed yet I have problems - 11 Are you working on X girl?/Please X girl next - 12 Are you going to do any more male characters? - 13 I get “Abort, you reached your download limit for this file, wait for a bit and try again.” when trying to download. - 14 I get an error downloading. - 15 I installed one of your mods and now all my girls are white! - 16 One of your girls is fine in the game but her eyes are out of her eyelids in the studio! - 17 I can still see a neck seam - 18 The file is password protected! - 19 The face looks misaligned. - 20 The head is missing. - 21 I have an issue but it’s not listed here - 22 I want to request x - 23 I installed an outfit but it marks as conflicting in HS_SlotID/Doesn’t show up - 24 I installed the 4k diffuse pack and now your outfits changed IDs - 25 X outfit disappears when the shoes are on Before you start Please make sure your game is at least on one version before the last update. Coordinates and girl cards will only work if your game is the same version or higher than mine. Of course, if you’re still at 1.10, just get the 1.10 version of the cards/coordinates where available. Make sure you have the game correctly patched with IPA. Make sure you downloaded the latest release of GGMod. Make sure you install latest WideSlider AND patch your game/studio with it. Also make sure to have MoreSlotID at version 1.3. Lower versions didn’t support face parts so you’d have problems with Jessica and Samus and anything coming later if you don’t have it at 1.3. Please add X girl to PlayHome We can’t add custom heads to PlayHome right now, and it’s not know if it’ll be possible. How do I install x mod? How do I make sure WideSlider is working correctly? I installed X Character Mod, but the girl is invisible when loading her Make sure you’ve installed the latest version of WideSlider and that it’s installed correctly (read the instructions there for installation instructions). See here on how to make sure it’s working correctly. Also make sure you installed X Character Mod correctly. See the previous question to know how to properly install mods (at least that applies for mine). Also as of Septembre 02 of 2017, please make sure to have MoreSlotID installed, since any mods coming from this date will require it. I installed X Character Mod, but the girl’s eyelashes are purple and her eyes all white when loading her See the answer for the previous question. Same applies. I installed X Character Mod, but the girl has no eyelids Your game is not patched with WideSlider. And if you did so, you did so after extracting the UserData. See how to make sure WideSlider is working correctly. So after you’ve ensured that WideSlider is working (make a random girl with values outside the norm, meaning -0 or +100, save her, exit the game, load the girl and see if the values stay out of the norm like they should, if they don’t, your WideSlider is not working correctly) extract the UserData again. Also moving the eye/face sliders of the character is not a fix, the problem is in your game, not in the mod. I updated a girl but her hair disappeared/something something This could only happen with an old update for Christie which is no longer available. In case this happens in the future, just reload her appearance from the card and resave. I probably changed an ID, I shouldn’t have to do this anymore though. When I load a girl her face looks white unless I remove the makeup This is an old issue with an old version of the 4k mod. Please update it and then reinstall the girl. The new versions upscale the textures automatically and should prevent this. I have latest WideSlider and MoreSlotID 1.3 installed yet I have problems Something you installed recently (not my mods, something plugin related) overwrote the changes made by these mods. Repatch your game and reinstall the character mod. If that doesn’t fix it, your game is broken and there’s nothing I can do for you other than suggesting a reinstall, mod setups are all so different that I can’t really begin to guess how you broke your game. Are you working on X girl?/Please X girl next The results of the last poll made after each batch determines the characters I’m working on and in which order. There won’t be any more western game characters once I’m done with the ones left in requests. I don’t like them. Stop asking for them. Are you going to do any more male characters? I get “Abort, you reached your download limit for this file, wait for a bit and try again.” when trying to download. I’ve set up a script to limit the amount of connections per IP to a single file. You’ll have to wait 5 minutes to download the same file again. This is to reduce the bandwidth usage. People sharing IPs with others will have to use the Baidu mirror. Please don’t ask me to change this, it would overload the downloads server. I get an error downloading. Please be specific, “an error” could be anything. If the error is the one mentioned in the previous line, wait 5 minutes or use the Baidu mirror. If it’s a not found error, make sure your browser supports redirection correctly, either that or the server is down. Also, download managers not supported, these tend to connect multiple times to the server, this could kill the VPS, please either limit the download to a single connection in your download manager or use the browser’s downloader. Supported browsers are Mozilla Firefox (and branches like Waterfox or Palemoon), Google Chrome and Internet Explorer. No idea if Safari works. I installed one of your mods and now all my girls are white! Every single person I’ve seen with this issue, it’s been because they installed a Sexy Beach Premium Resort mod in Honey Select. Please pay attention to what the mod’s title says, if it says SBPR, then it’s for Sexy Beach Premium Resource. If it’s HS it’s Honey Select. Why do I even have to explain this? One of your girls is fine in the game but her eyes are out of her eyelids in the studio! Patch the studio with Wideslider too. The game and the studio both get patched separately. Also, if this happens after installing Party: Install latest wideslider. Patch the game with it. Install latest IPA. Patch the game with IPA. Extract the cards again or get them from “UserData\chara_old\female” and put them back in “UserData\chara\female”. If this doesn’t work, I don’t know what’s up with your game, sorry. I can still see a neck seam Do you use an uncensor? Most probably yes. The uncensor adds a seam even for the vanilla head with vanilla texture (get the camera closer to the neck and you’ll notice it). I can’t fix this, as this is a problem with the uncensor, and I think it’s not possible to fix it. I started removing the seams when I wasn’t using an uncensor, and back then it was perfect. Now it gets to just have the same seam as the vanilla head. If you don’t use an uncensor, please specify it, as then maybe I didn’t erase part of what I need to erase to fix the seam. The file is password protected! Yes, it means it’s Patrons only. Some releases will be patron only for 5 days. You can get it early by becoming a patron (doesn’t matter the amount), or you can wait for 5 days to get it. I did this because it was time I started rewarding my patrons. You shouldn’t be having this issue unless you somehow downloaded the file before the first 5 days without being a patron. Updates won’t go through this. The face looks misaligned. You probably have a conflicting mod. Please see this guide for using HS_SlotID to fix conflicts: Note I will only change my IDs if they conflict with something in the HS_SlotID database. Otherwise, I won’t, please ask the modder of the conflicting mod to fix it, or again, fix it yourself. The head is missing. You either lack updates (please have your game updated to the latest, or if you’re still at 1.1, the last patch installed for that old version), didn’t install the mod properly (there’s people extracting the files individually to random folders, please stop that and read the install instructions) or have some unknown conflict (read previous point on how to fix it). If it’s none of this, then I’ve no idea of what’s your issue. I have an issue but it’s not listed here Leave the following information in your comment (the comment must be in the same post of the mod with the issue) or go into Discord and state the following: - Did you check for conflicts? - Are you sure you installed the mod correctly? - Is Wideslider updated to the latest version? - Is Wideslider working correctly? (Make a girl with over the top values, save the card, exit the game, enter the game again and load the card. If the values are clamped back to 0/100, your wideslider is not working correctly) - Your game/studio/neo log in a pastebin (logs are at GameDir/X_32/64_Data (depends on if you’re using the 32 bit or 64 bit executable)/output_log.txt) - Screenshots of the issue Any help requests lacking this information will go unnoticed. I want to request x Requests are indefinitely closed as of November. I’m done doing things I don’t like. I installed an outfit but it marks as conflicting in HS_SlotID/Doesn’t show up Any mods from September 02 of 2017 onward will require it. And no, I’m not making MoreSlotID free versions, please use it. I installed the 4k diffuse pack and now your outfits changed IDs Repatch with IPA/MoreSlotID/WideSlider, the diffuse pack replaces binaries that these patchers modify. X outfit disappears when the shoes are on Repatch with IPA and make sure your GGMod is updated. It’s a known issue when you have GGMod outdated.

The Little House books tell of the life of Laura Ingalls Wilder as she grew up in the Midwest during a time of pioneering expansion and exploration. These beloved children’s books were made even more popular by the “Little House on the Prairie” television series. Quilts and Their Role in Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Life Children and adults alike continue to be fascinated by the engaging tale of what life was like during the pioneer era. In an age when people had to make do to survive, quilting played a natural and vital role. Sewing skills in general were important in the lives of women on the prairie. Caroline Ingalls understood the importance of teaching her children to sew. In a time before central heating, when a warm home in the winter might only be 55 degrees, having a large number of quilts was a matter of survival. Quilts were not only used for bedding, but they were also hung in windows and doorways to block drafts. They were hung from ropes to create ‘divisions’ in an otherwise one-room cabin, providing privacy in cramped quarters. They were also used as padding to protect precious belongings when traveling cross country. Caroline’s marriage in 1860 coincided with the start of the Civil War. Fabric production was put on hold while wartime needs were met. As precious bits of fabric, batting, and even thread were used to supply soldiers, the style of quilting changed to reflect the limited resources available. Whereas quilts of the 1850s were made of store-bought fabric, quilts of wartime America were made of precious scraps and recycled, worn clothing. By the time Mary and Laura were born in 1865 and 1867, not only had the War just ended, but Charles and Caroline were living in the wilderness. Trips to town were far and few between, and reserved for necessities. When clothing could no longer be cut down and remade, the fabric was then recycled into quilts. Pieces that were too tiny to be a piece of patchwork were sewn together to make a piece large enough to become usable in patchwork. Quilts and Sewing Skills of the Pioneers Quilts, very basically, are textile sandwiches, made up of a top layer, which is patterned, either by attaching shapes on top of a background fabric by a technique called appliqué, or by sewing together geometric shapes of fabric to create a new cloth, which is called patchwork. The middle layer of the sandwich is the batting, and the bottom layer is the backing of the quilt. Youngsters were taught to sew from the time they could hold a needle, sometimes as early as 3 or 4 years old. Popular patterns for children had simple designs that used squares as their main component, such as the Nine Patch. This is a pattern Laura talks of making, and one Mary was able to work with even after losing her sight. Once basic sewing skills were mastered, other more complicated patterns could be made. Laura talks of making a Bear’s Paw quilt. The bias edges of the triangles, as shown in this Bear’s Paw block, made it a trickier block to sew. It was a challenge to keep the seams smooth and neat. Colors of the day were typically those made with natural dyes, like the dyes described in this How to Create Green Dye post. Gradually, colors made with synthetic dyes that were colorfast, became more readily available, and fabrics became more colorful. The great wonder of these colorfast fabrics may explain why, over 50 years later, Laura was able to describe in great detail the fabrics used for dresses that she saw as a child. Here are some passages from Little House in the Big Woods: “In the morning Pa was there. He had brought candy for Laura and Mary, and two pieces of pretty calico to make them each a dress. Mary’s was a china-blue pattern on a white ground, and Laura’s was dark red with little golden-brown dots on it. Ma had calico for a dress, too; it was brown, with a big feathery white pattern all over it.” And later, when they went to Grandma’s house: “Aunt Docia’s dress was a sprigged print, dark blue, with sprigs of red flowers and green leaves thick upon it.” “Aunt Ruby’s dress was wine-colored calico, covered all over with a feathery pattern in lighter wine color.” “Grandma’s dress was beautiful too; a dark blue calico with autumn-colored leaves scattered over it.” The Development of Named Quilt Block Patterns Quilts of the 1870s were typically what we would call scrap quilts today. Patterns were distributed through ladies magazines, often with no instructions. Because it was expected that women would know how to sew and how to fit pieces together, magazines often only showed a drawing of what was called “a patchwork block”. The importance of quilts in Laura’s life is evident from her writing. While she mentions quilts over 70 times in her stories, there are only three patterns Laura mentions by name: - Nine Patch - Bear’s Paw - Doves in the Window (the pattern Laura made for her hope chest) In Laura’s youth, patterns were more often referred to in general terms. It wasn’t until quilt patterns were sold in mail-order catalogs of the 1890s that patterns were given individual names, and Laura’s reference to patterns by name is likely a result of her writing about the patterns many years later. So while it has been long assumed that the Nine Patch quilts Laura speaks of were simply 9 squares sewn together, they may in fact have been many different patterns such as the Maple Leaf pattern above. Or even a Nine Patch variation. We may never know. Quilting and Sewing Helped Laura Throughout Her Life The sewing skills Caroline passed on to her children served them well. Laura wrote of having to redo stitching that did not meet with Ma’s approval. Caroline’s demand for perfection instilled a sense of pride and accomplishment in her children that carried over into other areas of their lives. While sewing was not Ma’s favorite chore, nor was it Laura’s, there were several times that Laura ‘hired out’ to work for seamstresses in town. Through her sewing skills, she was able to contribute money to help send Mary to college. And after the hardships endured by Almanzo and Laura in the early years of their marriage, she once again turned to sewing, using the money she earned to make a down payment on the 40 acres they bought in Mansfield, Missouri that became Rocky Ridge Farm. And it was Laura’s proficiency in hand sewing that made a lasting impression on her daughter Rose. In the introduction to On The Way Home, Laura’s diary of their move from South Dakota to Missouri, Rose writes: “One day my mother made sixty good firm buttonholes in one hour, sixty minutes, nobody else could work so well, so fast. And every day, six days a week, she earned a dollar.” Little House on the Prairie® Quilt Fabrics Brought to Life! Now, these many years after Laura’s stories were saved for those of us who treasure them so, she continues to fire our imagination. In October, Andover Fabrics is introducing three lines of Little House on the Prairie® fabrics. - Walnut Grove: Named for the town in Minnesota where Laura’s family settled in 1874, the Walnut Grove collection features prints from the era that their quilts would have been made from. - Prairie Flowers: The quilts of the Little House on the Prairie TV show feature bold, bright prints that gave the show its life and color. The Prairie Flowers collection is a rainbow wave of calicos, inspired by the TV quilts. - Scenics and Icons: Inspired by the illustrations found in the novels, this collection features iconic imagery such as the running girl, wagon, little cabin, and the majestic scenery. This is a natural finish fabric, paying homage to the rustic roots of Laura’s stories. In 2015, Andover Fabrics invited me to create a quilt using fabric from their newly released fabric lines inspired by Little House on the Prairie. Using fabric from all three lines and blocks from my book Quilting with Laura, I created Little House Sampler. The Little House Sampler pattern is a 22 page booklet containing directions for nine patchwork blocks that tell the story of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House adventures. Whereas Quilting with Laura is geared towards hand piecing, the Little House Sampler pattern uses all machine piecing techniques. The booklet includes a color photo of the quilt, as well as full size templates for the blocks constructed from templates. Non-template blocks are constructed with precision machine piecing techniques. The detailed directions include step by step colored illustrations, making it good for all levels of quiltmaking experience, from the beginner to the advanced stitcher. If you too would like to design your own Laura quilt, please visit my website to check out and order my book Quilting with Laura or my new pattern. Pick and choose which blocks will tell your story! Do you have a favorite quilt memory? Be sure to share your stories in the comment section below and subscribe to the free newsletter for fabric and craft updates. Latest posts by Linda Halpin (see all) - Tips for Quilters inspired by Laura Ingalls Wilder - October 12, 2015 - Quilting with Laura Ingalls Wilder - September 28, 2015

Hotels in Mahabaleshwar (350 Hotels in Mahabaleshwar Price Starts @ Rs. 400 - Search for Deals Upto 50% OFF) Rooms were pracious. Cleaning and other services were very good . Little away from the market, but peaceful location . People can think about relaxation in the hotel . Breakfast was good. Non veg variety during breakfast was not available . Rooms with food would have been a better combination CHHAYA MORE | Sat, May 5, '18 Recently Booked Hotels in Mahabaleshwar Hotel is well located it's 10mints walking from the market, peaceful location. Rooms were quite decent. Service was good, food was also good. Swimming pool was well maintained. It was a good stay I would recommend others to experience this hotel. NIRAV | Tue, Apr 3, '18 It is a newly constructed hotel. It's dinning hall is complete. So they give room service. They satisfy the customers with good behaviour. One can enjoy the beautiful scenery from the belcony. The difference between AC and non-AC is only AC facility. UTTAM DUTTA GUPTTA | Sun, Mar 18, '18 We had booked 2 rooms and our stay was nice stay, clean rooms and bathroom, staff was cooperative, restsurent food quality was better, location was amazing, hotel location was just at entry point of mahableshwar. Jignasha Pandya | Sun, Mar 11, '18 Location is good as it's close to market but no view like valleys etc. Swimming pool and garden area that you view from your balcony. Service is superb. Staff would arrange complimentary cake, small decoration if there is anything like anniversary/bday. Food is good but limited in variety ( we had dinner ). Compared to the price it does not seem to be value for money. Rooms are great, cosy but keeping price in mind that could have been better in terms of facilities. I had been to way better rooms having cosy bathtub even in lesser price that this. As this is more of a resorts hence I felt less activities were there. It would have been great if there were more options like play station, ZipLine, Jacuzzi etc. Overall a really good hotel with great staff. Only negative point is facilities provided respected to it's price paid. Jitendra Parashar | Fri, May 11, '18 Hotel Shreyas is one of the best resort to be. Located in the heart of the city, where every thing required is extremely near by ,. Mahabaleshwar market is just besides the hotel which is more than convenient to roam in evening time nice and courteous staff makes the stay better. Had a wonderful trip KUNAL | Mon, May 14, '18 Overall experience was not so good. No Ventilation in room. Bed sheets, towels were not changed in 3 days. Basin was chocked and was not cleaned even after complent. Food quality was good, whereas service was not satisfactory. All staff was good, polite and helpful. Sachin Hardikar | Sat, Mar 31, '18 Excellent Location close to Bus stand and the main market so getting Cabs is easy to get which is the only way to roam around. Well maintained room with Hot water facility twice a day for 3 hours. They don't have a restaurant, pool. Staff are well mannered. Bibhu Mohanty | Fri, May 4, '18 The service is great. The staff are really courteous. We reached Mahabaleshwar and checked in a little after midnight and were given 2 beautiful and clean rooms. The cost was around? 700/room net of discount (best available rate at MMT for the day). We had a great stay. Manoj Kumar Roy | Mon, Mar 26, '18 Location wise it's a okay place, away from city crowd. Rooms are fine but you can hear what's happening in the other room. Hot water supply is only between 7am to 9am. Nearest food joint is Mapro around 1. 5kms. Any other Pleas don't spend more that 1000-1200rs/night for this place. Overall 2. 5/5 ujjwal | Sun, Dec 24, '17 Nice any cozy place mid-way between Panchgani and Mahabaleshwar. Ideal if you want to relax and enjoy nature. I initially thought the pricing was higher compared to the rooms but the overall place makes up for it. Freshly cooked and delicious yummy food along with the service I. E the willingness of the staff to make guests comfortable will even put some 3-4* hotels to shame. I have never seen so much ownership from the staff. I travelled with wife and Kid and the toddlers meal was also served. Anup | Sat, May 12, '18 The hotel is not very far from the main market yet secluded enough for peace. The location is perfect. The breakfast was delicious and had great options. They have cycles on rent to explore which is really fun. The pool is really small and not inviting. But overall a very good experience Vinod Jain | Mon, Apr 16, '18 Wonderful experience, excellent location tasty food helpful staff overall everything is good. I would like to visit again in this hotel and also value for the money. Special thanks to the manager he is nice person Deepshikha maam | Thu, May 17, '18 Fetching Searched Results, Please Wait... About Hotel Booking in Mahabaleshwar - Experience the best of Western Ghats a short drive from the bustling cities of Mumbai and Pune by booking amazing MakeMyTrip Hotels in Mahabaleshwar. The evergreen, lush forests covering these hills are soothing and inviting throughout the year. - This hill station is located in the district of Satara in the state of Maharashta and is a part of Sahyadri Mountain Ranges. Surrounded by valleys on all sides, the hilly terrains of Mahabaleshwar houses three villages – Shindola, Malcolm Peth, and Kshetra. - Log on to Makemytrip for booking the best of Mahabaleshwar hotels at incredible deals. Then enjoy horseback rides across the hills or catch a romantic sunset on the cliffs and viewpoints. The hills are a source of five rivers – the Krishna, Savitri, Gayatri, Koyna, and Venna Rivers. Best localities in Mahabaleshwar - Old Mahabaleshwar – There are various tourist destinations in this part of the town, including view points and temples that exemplify ancient architecture. This area offers incredible views of the surrounding plateau and lush greenery. Hotel Madhuban, located in central Mahabaleshwar, is one of the best hotels in the area and overlooks the Venna Lake. Another budget hotel in the vicinity is Hotel Vyankatesh, situated in the heart of the town. Lingmala Waterfall, Mapro Garden, and Elephant’s Head Point are all a short drive from this MakeMyTrip hotel. - Panchgani – Experience the best of luxury at the Summer Plaza Resort, known for its picturesque settings and deluxe villas, along with its delectable vegetarian cuisines. This 4-star resort offers a scenic ambience and is located in proximity to Table Land Lake and Panchgani Hills. Alternately, choose to unwind leisurely at the Green Valley Residency, which is an economical accommodation at a short distance from various tourist attractions in the city. If you are looking for cheaper alternatives, do try Hotel JK Excellency, from where you can explore the Parsi Point and Table Land at your convenience. Pay your respects at the Panchganga and Krishnabai Temples, which were built by the erstwhile rulers of the Konkan coast. Explore the source of Krishna River at the temple and soak yourself in the exquisite views of the valley. Then, take a stroll along the Venna Lake, and treat yourself to the splendours of the sunrise and sunset views here. You may also book hotel rooms that offer the lake view, only on MakeMyTrip. - Metgudad – Treebo JP cottages is a budget-friendly accommodation located near the bus stand and is well equipped with amenities for comfort. Click perfect selfies at the Dhobi Waterfalls and shop for delicious chocolates at the Chocolate Factory, which are both at proximity to the above MakeMyTrip hotel. Enjoy a hassle-free stay at the Travellers Inn, a hotel in Mahabaleshwar, which offers warm hospitality and comfortable accommodation, and comes with all the basic amenities for discerning travellers. On the way to Arthur’s Seat, stop by at the 3 Monkey Point to see rocks that resemble the three wise monkeys. Then stop by to gaze at the views of Savitri River from the very beautiful Arthur’s Seat, one of the most popular tourist attractions in Mahabaleshwar. Things to Do - Soak yourself in the immersive views of Kate’s Point, which looks over the Dhom and Balakwadi reservoirs. The Elephant’s Head Point is situated near Kate’s Point and has a natural rock formation that looks like an elephant’s head. - Watch the sunset and sunrise at Wilson Point, the highest point in Mahabaleshwar, which offers spectacular views from all directions. - Take a hike along the historic Pratapgarh Fort, built by Shivaji Maharaj and the site of the famous Battle of Pratapgarh, in which he defeated Adilshahi General Afzalkhan, the commander of Bijapur. - Enjoy the cascades at the Lingamala Waterfalls, a picturesque site that is sure to leave you wanting for more. - Pick strawberries and relish fresh strawberry ice cream and milkshake at the nearby farms. You can also take a boat ride on the Venna Lake. - Shop till you drop at the street-side stores of the Bazaar, which offers snacks like spicy chickpea and various local and hand-made souvenirs including local honey and Kolhapuri slippers, respectively. How to reach/Transportation HubsBy Air: The nearest airports to Mahabaleshwar are Mumbai and Pune, which are located at distances of around 260 km and 120 km from Pune, respectively. You can either fly to Pune Airport or Chatrapati Shivaji Airport or take a cab or a bus to reach Mahabaleshwar. By Train: The nearest railway junction is that of Satara, which is at a distance of about 60 km from Mahabaleshwar. Public and private transport services are available from the railway station to Mahabaleshwar. By Bus: Maharashtra state-run buses operate from Mahabaleshwar to Pune, Mumbai, Satara, and Sangli. Both regular and non-AC buses are available from these cities. By Taxi: National Highway 4 runs through Mahabaleshwar and can be used to reach the town from various parts of the country.

Besides being a history professor in Uppsala, poet and composer, Erik Gustaf Geijer (1783 - 1847) played an important role in the political and economic transformation of Sweden in the middle of the nineteenth century. The direction of his influence is indicated by the naming of this volume. The book contains, in addition to the translations of essays written by Geijer, an introduction by the editor and an overview of Geijer's life and production by Lars Magnusson Geijer's farther was an ironworks proprietor in the province Värmland of Sweden. Geijer started his academic studies in Uppsala in 1799 and was expected to return with a degree three years later. Social life among the students, however, was intense in Uppsala and to the family's disappointment Geijer returned without a degree. The economic capacity of his family was limited and his prospects for continued academic studies were not bright. Then the miracle happened. Without anybody in the family knowing he wrote an essay, Panegyric on the Regent Sten Sture the Elder (1803), and participated in a competition announced by the Swedish Academy. He won the first price and could then with regained reputation continue his academic studies. The essay was not very original but the inclusion of a translation of it in Freedom in Sweden can be motivated by the fact that it deals with a late medieval movement where Swedes tried to liberate their country from the Scandinavian union with Demark and Norway. After getting his degree in 1806 he got a job as a private tutor to the son in a rich Stockholm family. The pupil and the teacher left the country in August 1809 for a year-long visit to England. Here Geijer not only got acquainted with English life and culture, he also studied Scottish moral philosophers and political economy. He continued to follow the development and the debates in Great Britain for the rest of his life. Geijer was appointed professor of history at the University of Uppsala in 1817. His first important publication was Feudalism and Republicanism published in two consecutive numbers of the journal Svea 1818 and 1819. The text was consequently published a few years after Waterloo. The fall of Napoleon marked the endpoint of a long period starting with the French Revolution. Most of the European countries were affected by the turbulence. For Sweden, these events led to the loss of Finland in 1809, the dethronement of Gustav IV Adolf, and the creation of a new constitution. The question now arises: can this historical evolution be understood? Are there laws guiding the historical process? When Geijer presented European history from the migration period to the end of the seventeenth century he did not give the usual chronological account with dates, names and events but tried instead to uncover the main currents underlying the historical development. This would implicitly also throw light on the mechanisms underlying the turbulent years starting with the French Revolution. Geijer thought that there were two prevalent ways of looking at the society it could be artificial or natural in its origin. In the first case the present society was created by a compact, for example as assumed by Thomas Hobbes. To avoid chaos and everybody's war against everybody the people had delegated a central agency - a king or a dictator - to make all decisions. A problem with this social contract (besides its lack of empirical basis) is that if the compact is agreed upon at a certain point of time - how are preferences of future generations taken into account? The second way of looking at society stands in contrast to the abovementioned theoretical construction. The "present" society is only conceivable if public opinion maintains it it is created by necessity. But society is not as stable or natural one as one may think. The history of Europe gives examples of seemingly stable societies that have undergone radical changes. The development of feudalism by the Franks was, according to Geijer, a result of the Germanic way of looking at the relationship between people and the technology of warfare at the time. It was a hierarchical system starting with the royal family at the top and with successive lower layers where land was given in fief. In return for its privileges the nobility was by a bond of honor expected to stand behind their superiors and participate in military operations. The feudal system was, beginning with the age of the Crusades, challenged by another mode of organizing society. It was the increasing trade and the development of fortified towns. People who were unfree under the feudal lord could gain independence by moving to the towns. Here people were bound by a common interest to defend their town. The increasing use of money and extended division of labor would later lead to the emergence of professional soldiers. In contrast to the feudal principle Geijer here talked about the republican principle where "all power and justice emanates from below, through delegation by the people" (p. 162). The two principles had one point in common. The monarchy was, according to Geijer, both feudal and republican. In Geijer's account there are two main turning points in history before the revolutions in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. In both cases tensions were built up in society. The first turning point was the development of the mercantile society and of towns in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. The second one was connected to the Reformation in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The revolution in England in the middle of the seventeenth century and that of France more than one hundred years later have great similarities. In both cases the king was decapitated, the revolution ran amok for some time, and was then superseded by a military dictatorship. Geijer could thus point at similarities in the historical development. This does not mean, however, that the historical development can be anticipated: "One may observe that human enterprises often have the most profound consequences, though those consequences are not the ones that the originators envisaged but often quite different ones" (pp. 217-18). In spite of this, there are regularities and causal factors to be search for by the historian. In Reflections on the Establishment of the European Colonial Dominions (1819) Geijer discussed (among other things) why the economy of Spain did not prosper during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries: "Industriousness cannot be prescribed. Philip II's literally lethal policy drove it out of Spain and made himself poor, in spite of all the gold and silver of America [..] although even in the days of [his father] Charles V it had been among the richest in crafts and industriousness in Europe" (p. 328). Was it an early example of the Dutch disease? Geijer had a market conservative attitude in the beginning of his career as a professional historian. One reason may have been the experience of the French Revolution. Liberté, égalité, fraternité were the catchwords of the French Revolution. Of these the first, liberty, was lost in the bloody terror. It is moreover no coincidence that Edmund Burkes manifesto of conservatism bears the title Reflections on the Revolution in France (November 1790). Another reason may be the sheltered environment in which Geijer lived in Uppsala during the 1820s and 1830s. It was a secure and good family life. Geijer and his wife had many friends who they met on Friday evenings at Malla Silfverstolpe's home where the dinner was followed by readings and music performances. It seems, however, that Geijer got more and more dissatisfied with only lecturing and writing about past events. Industrialization was now spreading from England and reaching the European continent. Questions about the freedom of trade in a society marked by regulations of different kinds (including the guild system) and a possible reformation of the representative system (which at the time was based on the four estates) came to the fore. Geijer's defection from conservatism was symbolized in his poem On the New Year's Day 1838 which starts with the words "Alone in a fragile vessel" symbolizing that he took a leap which might endanger the good social life and warm friendship with the Uppsala circle in which he lived. Geijer started his new life as a liberal by writing a number of essays in Litteraturbladet (1838-40). Some of these were published under the title The Poor Laws and their Bearing on Society translated into English and published by Lars Johan Hierta (the editor and owner of the famous liberal newspaper Aftonbladet) in Stockholm (1840). The essays do not only deal with policies to relieve poor people but also with criminal policy and, most important, population growth and economic development. Geijer was acquainted to Malthus's discussion of the population issue but his conclusion was more optimistic than that of Malthus. One reason might be the (still rather small) emigration to America, another the positive effects on income of industrialization. Freedom in Sweden contains a summary and comment by Hasselgren of the Poor Laws Essays. Here Hasselgren points out the importance of the institutional framework and the incentive structure for promoting economic progress. Geijer consequently participated in making public opinion ripe for the economic reforms in Sweden in the middle of the nineteenth century. Examples of these economic reforms are the abolition of guild system in 1846, the corporation law of 1848 and the decree on freedom of trade in 1864. One year before his retirement Geijer gave three lectures in the history course in Uppsala which were later published. The first of these lectures and a part of the third are translated into English and included in Freedom in Sweden and given the title On the Internal Social Conditions of Our Time, with Particular Reference to the Fatherland. Geijer here discussed industrialization, the more intensive economic competition and the rise of a wealthy and well-educated middle class. The interests and abilities of this new social class were, according to Geijer, not taken care of in the old political system where the people was represented by the four estates (nobility, clergy, burghers and farmers). The translated parts of Geijer's Freedom in Sweden do not give a representative sample of his historical writings. These were of a more traditional kind relating historical events in a chronological order, for example as in The History of the Swedes (translated by J.H. Turner, Whittaker and Co., London, 1845). The parts found in Freedom in Sweden contain instead an analysis of the historical process. In this sense one may say that it is an early example of social science. Geijer was consequently not a persistent empiricist - he did not abide by Leopold von Ranke's maxim that that history should be told "the way it happened." He also wanted to see if there was a structure in the historical development that could be analyzed - even if projections were futile. In this striving he was a precursor to John Hicks (A Theory of Economic History, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1969) and Douglass C. North and Robert Paul Thomas (The Rise of the Western World, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1973). Geijer's text may not have been easy to translate. Swedish texts from the nineteenth century are often quite vague. The vocabulary is, moreover, rather different from modern Swedish. Taking this into consideration I think that the translator, Peter C. Hogg, has captured the feeling of the texts quite well. In order to make the reading easier it would, however, have been a good idea to insert margin notes in the translated texts.

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FAQ’s & A’s - When is ecocide a crime? - Who is guilty? - Can ecocide be caused knowingly? - What will be the impact of prohibiting ecocide? - Have we ever criminalised a serious harm before? - What is naturally occurring ecocide? - Is it easy to identify who to charge? - How does the crime of ecocide affect indigenous rights? - Why have a crime when an individual can sue? - Is ecocide law anti-development? - Will criminalising ecocide stop all ecocide? - What about the many decisions by many of us that contribute to ecocide? - How can ecocide law help environmental non-governmental organisations (NGO’s)? - How will ecocide law affect businesses that already have effective monitoring systems in place? - What are the immediate political and economic implications? - Will any countries object to ecocide law? - Who can vote to make ecocide a crime? - Can ecocide law bind other non-signatory countries? - Will it take a long time to get countries to agree to its implementation? - Could the continuing amendment process of the crime of aggression be an obstacle? - Could signatory states who do not want ecocide law withdraw from the Rome Statute? - Is implementation of an international crime of ecocide a challenge? - Will leaders agree to being held to account? - How can we prevent ecocide law from being rendered toothless? - Does ecocide law apply to climate change? - Can the International Criminal Court expand and strengthen its remit? When is ecocide a crime? There are 4 elements that establish a crime of ecocide: 1. identification of the perpetrator’s acts or omissions that give rise to ecocide (actus reus); 2. that severely diminishes peace; 3. the perpetrator has knowledge of actual or possible outcome (mens rea); and 4. the perpetrator is a senior official. To establish parameters of ecocide, ‘size or duration or impact’ test applies (as set out in Environmental Modification Convention 1977). Who is guilty? Identifying the perpetrator requires identification of the senior person(s) who hold office of ‘superior responsibility’; for ecocide crime purposes senior persons include CEOs, directors, Ministers, Heads of State etc. You can see how two CEO’s were prosecuted for ecocide crime in a test case that took place in the UK Supreme Court; see the Mock Ecocide Trial. Can ecocide be caused knowingly? Often it is. For an ecocide crime to be established, knowledge is required to be proven in court (mens rea). What will be the impact of prohibiting ecocide? Ecocide law has the capacity to disrupt the cycle of serious harm that leads from resource depletion to loss, damage and destruction to climate displacement or to conflict, even to war. Earth protection becomes the overriding priority; migration with dignity for the climate displaced becomes an international duty and ecocidal activity is prohibited. Have we ever criminalised a serious harm before? Yes. Before slavery was criminalised in 1833, 300 international agreements were implemented, with very little success, to suppress slavery. Many of these agreements lacked adequate institutions and procedures to ensure that they were enforced. Similarly with apartheid; Resolutions were passed in the United Nations, motions and declarations written and signed, nations publicly condemned and signed a Convention, but none of it stopped apartheid. Finally, apartheid was upheld as an international Crime Against Humanity. The rule of law means very little until and unless those who cause the harm or injustice can be held to account and the harmful activities (and the decision-making that leads to the harm) are outlawed. What is naturally occurring ecocide? An act of god (a legal term used to describe naturally occurring disasters) is not in itself a crime. Where a disaster occurs (or is about to occur) that causes significant harm, persons of superior responsibility are bound by a mandatory duty of care to assist where required. E.g. a Small Island State is threatened with severe loss and damage due to rising sea levels: any state leader who refuses to assist could be prosecuted in a criminal court of law. Is it easy to identify who to charge? Yes. The perpetrators are State or corporate senior officials who have through their acts or omissions caused or failed to prevent ecocide; in the case of climate ecocide failure to assist also constitutes ecocide. How does the crime of ecocide affect indigenous rights? By making ecocide a crime, many communities that previously had no support in law to prevent mass damage and destruction shall be protected by the law. Ecocide law puts in place the legal duty that upholds indigenous rights for their territories. Where a company causes ecocide, or is threatening to cause an ecocide, the state must intervene. Why have a crime when an individual can sue? Without ecocide law the state has no duty to act on your behalf (i.e. prosecute) which means you have to take the case yourself (costly) and even if you win (remedies are usually limited to fines only), the company can do the same again. Civil remedy does not prohibit, pre-empt or prevent. Criminal law does; where a state has a duty to prohibit, pre-empt or prevent ecocide, it has a duty to prosecute. As the law stands at the moment in many countries, the interests of the shareholders come first, usually to maximise profit. Is ecocide law anti-development? Ecocide law is pro-development. Yes it prohibits dangerous industrial activity that causes significant harm, but it also places a mandatory duty on governments, business and finance to ensure all industry is non-harmful on a major scale. In other words, by law governments, business and banks shall prioritise e.g. clean energy generation and production, creating many more jobs in the process. Investors shall have a level playing field, helping to facilitate non-harmful economies with investments moving from e.g fossil fuels to renewables. Will criminalising ecocide stop all ecocide? We still have theft, yet we would not think of revoking the law of theft; what we do have is the opportunity to put in place a route to justice. Likewise for genocide. Once genocide became an international crime, the normative flipped. Instead of being a norm (where there were not laws to stop it), genocide is now an exception. By criminalising a moral wrong, we prohibit a legal wrong. It provides the legal tools for lawyers to act and speak on behalf of those harmed, and society at large no longer deems it acceptable for the crime to take place. What about the many decisions by many of us that contribute to ecocide? Under the international criminal law principle of ‘superior responsibility’, the few who make major decisions that can cause harm on a widespread, long-term or severe basis are the individuals who are prosecuted. Ecocide law goes to the source, identifying the few key decision makers whose decisions adversely impacts many. Ecocide law does not prosecute end-users (who often have little or no choice). How can ecocide law help environmental non-governmental organisations (NGO’s)? Where NGO’s (and individuals) are speaking out about ecological injustices, there is missing law. As recent litigation demonstrates, what is in existence at the moment does not stop significant harm. Many NGO campaigners and environmental defenders risk arrest in the course of their pursuit of justice. Ecocide law gives them the support of law. How will ecocide law affect businesses that already have effective monitoring systems in place? Those businesses that are already ensuring their businesses cause no harm shan’t be touched by a law of ecocide. What ecocide law does do is ensure that best practice standards are the same for all businesses; previously voluntary or soft provisions are reinforced by ecocide law and what was once voluntary becomes mandatory enforcement. Businesses that already have effective monitoring systems in place shall have fist mover advantage in the market place. What are the immediate political and economic implications? Ecocide law disrupts an existing system. Amongst other things, ecocide law shall ensure our economies are service-led rather than ownership-driven; our businesses shall have an overriding legal duty of care rather than putting profit before people and planet; and our governments shall by law be required to switch to non-harmful policies. Will any countries object to ecocide law? Possibly. What matters is whether the state is a signatory to the Rome Statute – if not, there is no say. Likewise, for states that stand to benefit from the protected status afforded by ecocide law; if not a signatory, they have no locus. Thus only those that are signatories can vote for ecocide law, and gain the support of the law of ecocide when required (some States will want to join so that they have the support of international ecocide law). Who can vote to make ecocide a crime? Each member State of the Rome Statute (there are currently 123) has the right to vote to have ecocide included as an international crime. When 83 member States support an amendment to the Rome Statute to include the crime of ecocide, it becomes law. Can ecocide law bind other non-signatory countries? Yes, in certain circumstances. Universal jurisdiction for international crimes committed by non-signatories has been upheld, most famously by the UK House of Lords when crimes against humanity were lodged by a Spanish lawyer against General Pinochet when he visited the UK in 1998. Will it take a long time to get countries to agree to its implementation? This depends on political will. All nations can pass emergency laws overnight and past experience shows us that when a tipping point is reached, many countries come on board. Take the crime of genocide, signed-off under 3 years. Amending the Rome Statute is a fast-track and cannot be vetoed; it is much easier to amend a document than put in place a legally toothless Treaty, Convention or Agreement. Could the continuing amendment process of the crime of aggression be an obstacle? Only if it is used politically as a barrier by those who do not want to support ecocide law. Or, it could be a benefit; we can pre-empt the hurdles. Could signatory States who do not want ecocide law withdraw from the Rome Statute? Maybe. Until ecocide law is tabled, it is impossible to gain-say whether States would threaten to leave on the basis that they wish to continue committing the crime of ecocide. However, all signatories support the prosecution of the ‘most serious offences known to man’ – to object to ecocide pre-supposes that a state no longer adheres to the shared values. Is implementation of an international crime of ecocide a challenge? Indeed. Whilst originally there was a lot of support when it was first included in the Rome Statute, now there is a shrinking democratic space. Yes our challenge may be greater, but all the more reason to act. Will leaders agree to being held to account? Ultimately a head of State (or Minister) is accountable to their people and depends on their support. A government policy based on preventing harm is strengthened by ecocide law. How can we prevent ecocide law from being rendered toothless? There are a number of ways. Ensuring all documents are in the public domain; building support from diverse and numerous organisations, individuals and communities; ensuring the intent behind the law remains visible and inviting many others to become advocates for ecocide law. Does ecocide law apply to climate change? Yes. Ecocide law, whilst it specifically addresses the source of the harm, can rely on evidence that is climate related to establish the harm. Climate change related evidence is often a symptom of ecocide (eg data to show excess greenhouse emissions from Carbon Major industries). Can the International Criminal Court expand and strengthen its remit? Yes. Expanding it’s remit with ecocide law strengthens the power of the Rule of Law as it was originally meant to be. There is a historical premise for ecocide within the UN that lends legitimacy; ecocide was originally drafted into the Rome Statute, the governing document of the International Criminal Court. Many states had supported its inclusion previously. Moreover, many countries such as Small Island States that are not signatories to the Rome Statute will have good reason for joining – to be protected by the crime of ecocide. To reinstate ecocide as the missing 5th Crime Against Peace is to ensure that the original intent of the Rome Statute to prevent significant harm – and thus promote global peace – is fully realised.

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When it rains, it pours. Amirite Toronto? And, for many of Canada’s online brokerages located in Toronto and across the country, the commission party just got rained on. Hard. In this edition of the roundup we take a look at some earthshattering developments in the Canadian discount brokerage space, as a robo-advisor flips the script to start offering commission-free online trading. Though it’s a hard act to follow, from there we’ll highlight a new promotion from an online brokerage that crossed our radar this week and as always, we’ll cap off the roundup with lots of chatter on social media and in the forums from DIY investors. Wealthsimple Trade launches commission-free online trading This week, and likely for weeks and months to come, the big story in the Canadian discount brokerage space is that robo-advisor Wealthsimple has now entered the DIY investing space by announcing they’ll be offering up a self-directed online trading service called Wealthsimple Trade which offers zero-commission fees for trades. Make no mistake, this is a massive step change in an industry that has been making incremental moves to improve, evolve and adapt over the past several years. Ever since early 2014, when RBC Direct Investing dropped its standard commission fee down to $9.95 per trade and triggered a wave of competitors to do the same, the major players in the online brokerage space in Canada have been in a staring contest to see who would blink first at lowering commission fees. Since then, there has been the occasional flare up that commission pricing would continue to decline. CIBC Investor’s Edge, for example, lowered their standard commission fees under $7 to $6.95 in October 2014 and, as recently as late 2017, HSBC InvestDirect lowered their standard commission fee to $6.88 per trade flat. Remarkably, there are those that have stood their ground against lowering standard commissions. Scotia iTRADE, for example, has been defiantly hanging onto standard commission pricing at $24.99 (or more) per trade. Of course, while Canadian online brokerages were cautiously circling one another, the seeds for zero-commission trading were being sown and nurtured by startup US online brokerage, Robinhood. In 2013 Robinhood shot to fame for introducing commission-free trading and doing so in a mobile-first environment. It was in that moment that the seeds were sown for much lower commission prices to cross the border. In fact, as Robinhood announced global expansion part of its strategy in 2015, the flicker of hope for younger, cost-conscious and design-savvy investors has been that Robinhood – or something like it – would come to Canada. Even though zero-commission trading for standard commission fees still hadn’t surfaced here in Canada, a few Canadian online brokerages have been toying with the idea of zero commission trading for some time. National Bank Direct Brokerage, for example, launched commission-free ETF trading as a standard option after a few rounds of testing as far back as 2013 as part of a limited time promotion. Virtual Brokers introduced the commission-free trade program in early 2016 but in this case, individuals had to be tied to a costly data platform plan. There have also been finite sets of commission-free ETFs at several brokerages including Qtrade Investor, Virtual Brokers and Scotia iTRADE that DIY investors could turn to. So, while there might have been drawing boards and hypothetical scenarios about who would lower commissions to zero and when it would happen, it’s safe to say that nobody really saw it coming from Wealthsimple and this quickly. The challenge to Canadian online brokerages, however, goes beyond just zero-commission trading and the instant attention it garners. With what looks to be a streamlined trading interface, a mobile-first design and adoption strategy and some very savvy marketing (demonstrated to work from Robinhood’s launch) it’s no surprise that, as of the time of publication of this roundup, there are over 35K users on a waiting list to get access to an account and many actively promoting this new feature to get bumped to the front of the wait-list. The specific initial offer from Wealthsimple Trade looks to include a subset of features which will undoubtedly appeal to somewhat less active investors. According to Wealthsimple, included at the launch of the new platform are: - Unlimited commission-free trades - No account minimums - Over 8,000 Canadian and U.S. stocks and ETFs available to trade - Up to $1,000 available to trade right away - Instant execution of trades - Watchlist feature to monitor stocks without buying - Market and limit orders - Availability on iOS and Android - Personal (cash) accounts For Canadian online brokerages to effectively compete with Wealthsimple, not only do they have to be able to do so on pricing, but they have to do so on user experience, design, ease of use, engagement and technical agility. Consider the following statement from Wealthsimple’s official press release: “Wealthsimple Trade was built in eight weeks by a small team of Wealthsimple designers and developers, using Wealthsimple’s public API.” Depending on how much of Wealthsimple Trade was built in this unbelievably short period, the pace of pulling together this product was astonishingly fast. There is also one other, potentially more potent factor that Canadian brokerages have to contend with. Whether or not they saw the writing on the wall, whether or not they have been mobilizing to compete on a product or service level, what Canadian online brokerages must now contend with is a financial services provider that people are excited and curious about. And, for those skeptics who aren’t buying into the “fintech” hype, here’s a fact that perhaps puts this into perspective. Several of Canada’s largest banks are decades if not well-over one hundred years old. Individually, one of the biggest selling features, the one they could ‘bank’ on is that they’ve lasted. That kind of stability has been the hallmark of a sales pitch and why so many investors trust banks with their money. Even so, Wealthsimple, a company that started just over four years ago has now earned over 100K accounts (and has close to 40K folks waiting to become customers) and manages $2.5B in wealth. Let that sink in for a moment. People are trusting a digital, four-year-old company with their life savings and banking on them being around to handle their future wealth needs. Of course, in spite of the excitement that the prospect of zero-commission trading brings, the biggest test – and perhaps opportunity for Canada’s online brokerages – is to see if Wealthsimple Trade lives up to the hype. It’s one thing to pitch a “hands off” kind of investing experience and to get it right but DIY investors are very much “hands on” clients. Their needs are often more complicated than the set it and forget it crowd. They tend to want to see how a trade is doing, obsessively so, and as a result connectivity will be huge. Also, charting, research and filtering tools are going to play a significant role for investors who are genuinely interested in following companies or investment themes they’re passionate about and helping them discover opportunities. So, despite a zero-commission trade, DIY investors have to be mindful – and perhaps skeptical – that the platform and trading experience holds up under various market conditions. There is also the convenience factor, inertia and the fact that the incumbents are well-resourced and will not simply take the introduction of a new competitor lying down. Without question, this week marks a major milestone in the story of DIY investing in Canada. After multiple attempts by online brokerages to launch their own digital advice (robo-advisor) services, it looks like Wealthsimple has swung the pendulum back like a wrecking ball. Although the app is still in beta and will be rolled out in such a way to build as much buzz, the prospect of zero-commission trading is real and coming. With Wealthsimple’s announcement, DIY investors are curious, and will no doubt wonder what Wealthsimple has in store next. For Canada’s online brokerages, however, it is pretty clear on what has to happen next. HSBC InvestDirect Summer Promotion For this week’s roundup, coming after the Wealthsimple story is a hard act to follow, however several online brokerages are going to have to get used to doing it. This week, the discount brokerage deals and promotions activity heated up with an unlikely player pushing their summer promotion live to their website. HSBC InvestDirect’s summer promotion crossed our radar this week and it offers new customers the chance to get up to 30 commission-free trades which are good for up to 60 days. Unlike many other online brokerage promotions, there is no minimum deposit to qualify for this deal, so individual investors looking for a bank-owned online brokerage with low commission fees will find a little more incentive here to consider HSBC InvestDirect. The promotion, whose official start date was July 16th, is set to run until September 28th, 2018. Check out the discount brokerage deals and promotions section for more details. Discount Brokerage Tweets of the Week From the Forums Everyone’s Talking about Wealthsimple Trade This week across various forums, Wealthsimple Trade was in spotlight. With DIY investors weighing in on the merits, drawbacks and what this new service could mean to DIY investing and online brokerages in Canada, it’s entertaining reading for anyone watching this new entrant into the online brokerage space make a very big splash. Here are a few forum threads with opinions and perspectives on the Wealthsimple Trade launch: Reddit Personal Finance Canada – Wealthsimple Trade – $0 commission trading RedFlagDeals.com – WealthSimple Trade with $0 min and $0 commission (Early Access) Financial Wisdom Forum – Wealthsimple Trade Canadian Money Forum – Wealthsimple 0 fee trading Into the Close Hard to believe but that’s a wrap on another wild week. Even the volatile weather seemed tame compared to politics in the headlines and the fact that Canadian inflation rate was reported at 3%. If you’re fortunate to be out and about enjoying the sunshine or just trying to stay dry this weekend, enjoy what downtime you can – there’s plenty of news to trade around and even more volatility forecasted for the weather, and for markets. Have a great weekend!

|Year : 2017 | Volume | Issue : 1 | Page : 45-49 Suicide burden and prevention in Nepal: The need for a national strategy Kedar Marahatta1, Reuben Samuel1, Pawan Sharma2, Lonim Dixit1, Bhola Ram Shrestha3 1 World Health Organization Country Office for Nepal, Kathmandu, Nepal 2 Patan Academy of Health Sciences, Lalitpur, Nepal 3 Curative Service Division, Ministry of Health, Nepal |Date of Web Publication||12-May-2017| World Health Organization Country Office for Nepal, Kathmandu Suicide is a major cause of deaths worldwide and is a key public health concern in Nepal. Although routine national data are not collected in Nepal, the available evidence suggests that suicide rates are relatively high, notably for women. In addition, civil conflict and the 2015 earthquake have had significant contributory effects. A range of factors both facilitate suicide attempts and hinder those affected from seeking help, such as the ready availability of toxic pesticides and the widespread, although erroneous, belief that suicide is illegal. Various interventions have been undertaken at different levels in prevention and rehabilitation but a specific long-term national strategy for suicide prevention is lacking. Hence, to address this significant public health problem, a multisectoral platform of stakeholders needs to be established under government leadership, to design and implement innovative and country-contextualized policies and programmes. A bottom-up approach, with active and participatory community engagement from the start of the policy- and strategy-formulation stage, through to the design and implementation of interventions, could potentially build grass-roots public ownership, reduce stigma and ensure a scaleable and sustainable response. Keywords: legislation, mental health, Nepal, South Asia, suicide prevention |How to cite this article:| Marahatta K, Samuel R, Sharma P, Dixit L, Shrestha BR. Suicide burden and prevention in Nepal: The need for a national strategy. WHO South-East Asia J Public Health 2017;6:45-9 |How to cite this URL:| Marahatta K, Samuel R, Sharma P, Dixit L, Shrestha BR. Suicide burden and prevention in Nepal: The need for a national strategy. WHO South-East Asia J Public Health [serial online] 2017 [cited 2019 Aug 21];6:45-9. Available from: http://www.who-seajph.org/text.asp?2017/6/1/45/206164 | Suicide: a global public health issue|| | Over 16 000 000 people worldwide attempt suicide every year and about 800 000 people die by suicide. In 2012, suicide accounted for 1.4% of all deaths worldwide, making it the 15th-leading cause of death. Suicide occurs at all stages of the lifespan and was the second-leading cause of death among 15–29 year olds globally in 2012. While 75% of global suicides occurred in low- and middle-income countries, the South-East Asia Region of the World Health Organization (WHO) accounted for 39% of global suicides but only 26% of the global population. This affects many millions of people with suicide-related bereavement. It is estimated that, by 2020, 1.5 million people will die each year by suicide, and between 15 and 30 million will make a suicide attempt. Considering this, the rate of suicide is among the proposed indicators for monitoring the progress of the health-related Sustainable Development Goal 3, to “ensure health lives and promote well-being for all at all ages”, and suicide prevention is also an integral component of the WHO Mental Health Action Plan 2013–2020, with the target of reducing the rate of suicide in Member States by 10% by 2020. | Suicide in Nepal|| | Nepal does not have reliable data related to suicide and attempted suicide. The available data are based on police reports or on specific populations, where there is a possibility of gross underestimation. A 2014 scoping review of suicide in South Asia estimated the suicide rate in Nepal at 8.6 (standard deviation = 8.87) per 100 000 population. In a study done among 206 medical students in Nepal, it was found that suicidal ideation in the past year was present in 10.7% of students and lifetime suicidal ideation was present in 18.4% of students. A study done in Kaski district, analysing 287 postmortem cases, estimated a suicide rate of 12.4 per 100 000 per year (18.9 for men and 4.8 for women). Among 100 people aged 65 years and older attending outpatient departments of a teaching hospital, 16 were experiencing suicidal thoughts or feelings, of whom 3 had attempted suicide. Though Nepal lacks routine national-level data on suicide, WHO has modelled an age-standardized suicide rate for Nepal in 2012, ranking it 7th in the world at 24.9 per 100 000., This reveals that the problem is significant. The effects of conflict exposure during the 1996–2006 Maoist Insurgency in Nepal highlighted the issue of mental health and suicide. An assessment of mental health need 4 months after the Nepal earthquake in 2015 reported a 10.9% prevalence of suicidal ideation (n = 513, 15.1% in women and 5.7% in men ), which was higher in the most seriously affected districts (Gorkha: 24.5%, Sindualchowk: 25.1%) than in the capital Kathmandu (8.3%). Previous studies have noted increased suicide rates in earthquake-exposed populations., Although data are lacking, media and police reports, together with the experience of experts in the field, suggest a similar situation in post-earthquake Nepal. | Suicide among women in Nepal|| | In the absence of national data, it is difficult to compare and draw a conclusion on gender-specific suicide rates. Overall, suicide among men is believed to be higher than for women, as in other Member States of the WHO South- East Asia Region, with a ratio of 1.5:1., However, when compared with other countries around the globe, suicide among women in Nepal (20 per 100 000) is higher than in men (3rd-highest in women versus 17th-highest in men)., In a 2008–2009 government survey, suicide (16%) rather than maternal-related issues (12%) was the single leading cause of death among more than 86 000 women of reproductive age in eight districts and of different ethnicities and levels of development. Among these young women of reproductive age, suicide appears to be as high as, or even higher than, suicide among men in Nepal and India., These findings are consistent with other studies in Nepal, where it has been found that being female is a risk factor for developing depression or anxiety disorders. Additionally, (mass) conversion disorder - a psychological problem where stress is expressed in physical symptoms - is highly prevalent among young Nepalese girls (less than 30 years) compared to boys., The higher rate of mental health problems and alarmingly high suicide rate among Nepalese women is not surprising, given the social hardship they face, such as poor empowerment of women, lack of educational opportunities, and cultural norms restricting self-expression, space and choice, etc. Even worse is the prevalence of child marriage among girls in Nepal, where more than half of girls aged under 18 years are married. This places tremendous pressure on these girls, rendering them vulnerable to many mental health problems. | Risk factors for suicide in Nepal|| | International literature suggests that the risk of suicide is a result of many interacting individual and sociocultural factors. A history of past suicide attempts, the presence of mental and/or substance-use disorder, impulsivity, financial or social losses, and easy access to lethal means increase the risk of suicide, whereas the presence of increased social support and strong problem-solving skills mitigate the risk of suicide. There is limited knowledge of the risk factors for suicide in the Nepalese population. Nonetheless, younger age and the presence of mental disorder, especially depression, are the most consistent risk factors noted in the available literature in Nepal.,,,, Other risk factors, such as marriage and relationship issues, interpersonal and family conflicts, family history of attempted suicide, and substance-use disorders, have also been recorded.,, Contrary to the international literature, being married or being a parent does not appear to be a strong protective factor against suicide for Nepalese women. Likewise, poverty and caste status do not appear to have straightforward relationships with suicide risk in Nepal, although suicide accounts for a lower proportion of deaths among Dalits than in some other castes/ethnic groups. Most of the studies have found that pesticide ingestion is the commonest method of attempting suicide,,, which is probably due to easy access, resulting from the common practice of storing pesticides at home for agricultural use. While suicide is the result of many interacting risk factors and protective factors, family, marital and relationship factors are clearly major contributors to suicides among women, as observed in nearly two thirds of cases (65%), with husbands being by far the predominant contributors to suicides (35%), and unhappy marriages being mentioned in nearly a quarter of suicide cases (24%). In 2004, the mental, neurological and substance-use disorders like schizophrenia, depression, epilepsy, dementia and alcohol dependence constituted 13% of the global burden of disease, which was higher than for both cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Suicide is heavily associated with mental illness, as the prevalence of mental disorders among people with suicidal thoughts and attempts ranges from approximately 50% in community samples up to 90% in clinical samples. The presence of a mental disorder is a known risk factor for future suicidal ideation and attempts. The risk of suicide increases by several times when more than one mental disorder is present. Mood disorders, particularly major depression and bipolar disorder, are significant predictors of suicide attempts. Interestingly, however, several other disorders have been found to be even stronger predictors of suicide attempts in low- and middle-income countries, including conduct disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, intermittent explosive disorder, harmful use of drugs and alcohol, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Recently, suicide has been identified by WHO as a priority condition in the Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP), the programme to scale up care for mental, neurological and substance-use disorder, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. | Suicide-prevention initiatives to date|| | There is a high burden of suicide in Nepal generally, and among women of reproductive age specifically. Suicide is largely preventable and interventions to reduce suicide are available. Despite this, the Government of Nepal has not yet elaborated a specific national strategy for suicide prevention. WHO’s mhGAP has identified “restricting access to means of self-harm/suicide”, “developing policies to reduce harmful use of alcohol as a component of suicide prevention”, and “assisting and encouraging the media to follow responsible practices for reporting of suicide” as key elements of an evidence-based population-level strategy to prevent suicide. Pesticides, the most common means for suicide attempts in Nepal, are sold freely and stored in households. National and international policies that restrict the sales of toxic pesticides have a major impact on suicides, as evidenced from the experience of Sri Lanka. However, there is no policy to regulate the distribution, sale and storage of pesticides in Nepal. Attempts to reduce harmful use of alcohol - another proven strategy for suicide prevention - have been partially effective, such as regulating drinking and driving, a ban on advertisement in electronic media, increasing taxation, and controlling illegal production of alcohol. There is no media guideline on reporting deaths by suicide and often there is sensational reporting of such deaths in the national media. Mental health services are not available at community health facilities and thus are not accessible to the majority of the population. Further, most health workers do not have the skills to assess suicidal tendency or mental health issues, owing to inadequate training. Despite the Ministry of Health having had a mental health policy since 1997, with a vision to integrate mental health services into general health services, and a Multisectoral Action Plan for the Prevention of Non Communicable Diseases (2014–2020), with prioritization of mental health, there is minimal progress in translating these promises into practice. The recent mhGAP-based community mental health programmes - a proven strategy to decrease suicidal tendency - are driven by nongovernmental organizations and limited to parts of a few districts. Suicide-counselling hotlines operated by nongovernmental organizations and private hospitals, and through public-private partnership, have been available in major cities like Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Pokhara and Butwal. However, these potentially useful initiatives have not been scaled up, as coordination among different sectors and community engagement are lacking. Hence, these stand-alone programmes are turning out to be ineffective in bringing about significant change in the burden of suicide. Nonetheless, the emphasis of the Ministry of Health’s standard treatment protocol for primary care providers on the need to screen for suicidal behaviour in every patient presenting with depression, and the inclusion of psychotropic medications in the recently upgraded national essential drug list, are small but much-needed steps in the right direction, indicating the intention of policy-makers to move forward on this critical public health issue. There is no comprehensive national suicide registry. Based on the current reporting mechanisms, collection and maintenance of data on suicidal deaths falls under many departments: health, administration and police. In the absence of one entity responsible for coordinating the reporting of suicides, all these sectors report suicidal deaths through their own information pathways, and all the data finally reach the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). The CBS is thus required to report to WHO. Many barriers and challenges in these reporting pathways have resulted in inaccurate reports. There is no information sharing among these systems and, more surprisingly, the CBS currently does not share the suicide data with WHO. Hagaman et al. recommend a collaborative, multisectoral approach, especially partnerships between law enforcement and the health system, to achieve reliable and accurate surveillance, and, ultimately, effective suicide prevention. Additionally, suicide and mental health issues are highly stigmatized and misunderstood, not only preventing people from using the limited existing services but also limiting data collection and reporting. Hagaman et al. report that stigma against suicidal behaviour is prevalent in health-care settings in Nepal. They found that suicides were consistently reported as a “criminal” and “legal” issue by the majority of health informants, contrary to the actual legal provision. | Legal aspects of suicide in Nepal|| | Legal provision generally aims to promote protection of the people by penalizing the practices and products encouraging or facilitating suicide. Legal provision to restrict the use of alcohol and other illicit drugs, to limit access to the lethal means of suicide, and to criminalize gender-based violence often provides strong protection and support to national suicide-prevention programmes. However, suicide is still illegal in 25 countries; an additional 20 countries follow Islamic or Sharia law, where people who attempt suicide may be punished with jail sentences. Nepal’s country code, the Muluki Ain, which outlines all civil and criminal laws, authorizes procedural investigation of all homicides and suspicious suicides but does not have provision to criminalize or punish people who attempt suicide. This law is well-intentioned with regard to reducing domestic violence, alcoholism, harassment and other behaviours related to abuse and maltreatment. Although suicide is not illegal in Nepal, misconceptions are widespread. Publications on suicide in Nepal have wrongly stated that suicide is a punishable crime, attempted suicide is illegal and people who attempt suicide are subject to imprisonment, fines or both.,, These articles range from personal blogs of mental health professionals, to newspaper columns, to scientific articles,, and review articles. The misconception that suicide is illegal and a punishable offence is also widely prevalent among health workers in Nepal, and the desire to avoid legal consequences is a possible reason for underreporting of these cases. | Towards a national suicide-prevention strategy|| | Suicide is a pressing, yet largely preventable, public health issue in Nepal. Suicide prevention is the responsibility of government and civil society. No reason can justify the lack of a comprehensive national suicide-prevention strategy. Under the leadership of the government in Nepal, a strategy with concrete action plans and interventions has to be developed, with an optimal level of participation by the community and civil society. Specific sociocultural issues have important implications for designing a successful prevention programme, where other sectors (beyond health) responsible for empowerment, education and protection appear to be equally important in preventing suicide. A system of proper record keeping, in order to develop a database of suicide mortality, is essential to identify the real burden and determinants and distribution of suicide. The current scattered and disconnected data-keeping system needs to be reframed. There must be better communication among the health, administration and police departments for confirmation and completion of records. The capacities of health facilities need to be strengthened and they should be identified as the main channel for the suicide data registry, in coordination with the law-enforcement and administrative mechanisms. A strong monitoring and evaluation mechanism is essential at every step of programme development and implementation. This will ensure the quality of interventions, track progress in implementation and identify effective programme components. These outputs will help to tailor interventions to the needs of the local community. However, considering the burden of the problem and the resource gap, the concerted effort required demands substantial additional investment. For low-income countries like Nepal, funding for mental health would have to increase by many times in order to support a basic package of cost-effective interventions. A potential strategy would be integration of suicide-prevention programmes as a part of existing public health programmes like immunization, nutrition, family planning, safe motherhood, or HIV and tuberculosis. For example, routine screening and subsequent help for depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts, offered to all the women presenting to family-planning or safe-motherhood programmes, could help in mitigating the large burden of suicide among young women. This integrated approach would not require new human resources or a new structure and could be immensely helpful for reaching out to vulnerable groups. Prevention strategies for the general population Policies to restrict access to pesticide, to reduce harmful use of alcohol, to assist and encourage the media to follow responsible reporting practices for suicide events, and to integrate mental health services into primary health-care services need to be revised and put into action through strong programmes. A national campaign on stigma reduction and public awareness of mental illness, substance-use disorders and suicide should become an essential part of national mental health programmes to improve service coverage. Active and participatory community engagement, from devising the policy to formulating the strategy and action plan, can potentially build public ownership and help in effective implementation. This is essential for tackling the challenges in implementation, which is often poor in Nepal. Prevention strategies targeting vulnerable groups Persons suffering from psychological trauma or abuse, young women of reproductive age, women who are victims of gender-based violence, and those who are bereaved by a suicide are vulnerable subgroups for depression and suicidal behaviours. It is therefore crucial to reach out and care for these people. People who come into frequent contact with this population - female community health volunteers, maternal and child health workers, police personnel, teachers, social activists and traditional healers - need to be sensitized and trained on screening high-risk suicidal behaviour and provide basic psychosocial support. These key persons in the community can be an important support for stigma-reduction campaigns and promotion of help-seeking behaviour for those with mental health issues, substance-misuse problems and suicidal ideation. These targeted interventions should be closely linked with health facilities providing basic mental health care, for cross-referral. Prevention strategy at the individual level From the public health perspective, the association between mental disorders and suicidal behaviour is strong enough to include identification and treatment of mental disorder as a core of the suicide-prevention strategy. As comorbidity with depression, anxiety, substance misuse and personality disorders is high in cases of suicide, it is imperative to have adequate diagnostic procedures and appropriate treatment for the underlying disorders, in order to achieve successful prevention of suicide. The recent attempts to integrate mhGAP-based mental health service into community health facilities should be scaled up nationwide, with concrete action plans. These community mental health programmes will provide not only individual-focused treatment like identification and treatment of mental illnesses and prompt care of patients who attempt suicide, but also public health services for vulnerable groups and survivors, to protect them from further psychological problems and stigma. Acknowledgements: We would like to thank Mark Humphrey Van Ommeren and Alexandra Fleischmann from the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, World Health Organization (WHO), Switzerland for their valuable feedback on conceptualization and writing the manuscript. We would like to acknowledge the United States Agency for International Development Office of US Foreign Disaster Assistance for their support to WHO’s activities for the post-earthquake mental health response in Nepal. Source of support: Nil. Conflict of interest: None declared. Authorship: RS was responsible for conceptualization of the article and development of a structured format. 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Hagaman,Seema Khadka,Amber Wutich,Shyam Lohani,Brandon A. Kohrt | | ||Culture, Medicine, and Psychiatry. 2018; 42(3): 704 | |[Pubmed] | [DOI]|

This homemade Sriracha sauce, made with hot peppers, vinegar, garlic, and salt, is brighter, more complex, and less salty than the store bought version. Step foot into any Asian market or restaurant, and you’re almost sure to be greeted by a glowing red bottle of Sriracha Chili Sauce. Its vibrant color and unique, piquant flavor have made it a hit, growing in popularity simply by word of mouth. A mainstay in many home kitchens and innumerable college dorms, Sriracha (pronounced “see RAH chuh”) strikes a delicate balance of flavors and sensory experiences that isn’t just appealing, it’s downright addictive. And with a price tag near $3 a bottle, there are certainly far worse habits to adopt. Thai cuisine has traditionally focused on a delicate harmony of four sensations—spicy, salty, sour, and sweet, all of which are gracefully represented in the celebrated condiment. Blending the sweetness and squeeze bottle simplicity of ketchup with a welcome garlic pungency and just the right amount of spice, the Sriracha hot sauce known to most Americans is certainly no far cry from the original. The noticeable but certainly not overpowering heat of the chilies and robust pungency of the garlic fuse as the vinegar begins pickling and marrying them. But there are marked differences, and that’s just fine with David Tran, creator of the now ubiquitous Tuong Ot Sriracha, or as it is affectionately called by many, “rooster sauce.” The plastic squeeze bottle emblazoned with a proud rooster (representing the year of Tran’s birth on the Chinese zodiac) is quickly becoming a staple among American condiments and topped with a bright green lid that stands out on restaurant tables and store shelves. So why on earth would you want to make your own Sriracha? I mean, the bottled stuff is already amazing, and it’s actually cheaper to buy than it is to make. Um, because you can! Besides being delicious and pretty easy to make, there’s that cool sense of pride that comes with the DIY approach that money just can’t buy.–Randy Clemens LC Some Sriracha On This, Some Sriracha On That Note “There are those of us who love Sriracha, and then there are those of us who need Sriracha,” observes Randy Clemens, author of this recipe. If, like Clemens, you find yourself in the latter category–which essentially means you rely on the not-quite-incendiary condiment as a tool in your kitchen arsenal–your culinary curiosity probably knows no bounds. Clemens emboldens the flavor of just about everything with a dose of this condiment, stirring it into ketchup, mayo, butter, cream cheese, honey, sour cream, ketchup, deviled eggs, hot wings, chili, grits, mac-n-cheese, Bloody Marys, and, well, we could go on. But we won’t. Because we’re curious to hear what you can add to the list… Homemade Sriracha Sauce - Quick Glance - 5 M - 7 D - Makes about 2 cups - 1 3/4 pounds red jalapeño peppers, stems removed and halved lengthwise - 3 garlic cloves - 2 tablespoons garlic powder (optional) - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, plus more as needed - 1 tablespoon light brown sugar - 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more as needed - 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar, plus more as needed - Water, as needed - 1. To make the Sriracha, in the bowl of a food processor, combine the peppers, garlic, garlic powder, if desired, sugars, and salt. Pulse until a coarse purée forms. Transfer to a glass jar, seal, and store at room temperature for 7 days, stirring daily. (It may get a little fizzy; that’s to be expected.) - 2. After 1 week, pour the chile mixture into a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the vinegar and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer gently for 5 minutes. Let the mixture cool, then purée in a food processor for 2 to 3 minutes, until a smooth, uniform paste forms. If the mixture is too thick to blend properly, feel free to adjust the consistency with a small amount of water. - 3. Pass the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer. Press on the solids with the back of a spoon to squeeze out every last bit of goodness you’ve been waiting a week to get. Adjust the seasoning and consistency of the final sauce, adding additional vinegar, water, salt, granulated sugar, or garlic powder to suit your taste. Transfer to a glass jar, close the lid tightly, and refrigerate for up to 6 months. Recipe Testers Reviews I made this sauce as written, and patiently waited a week to do a side-by-side tasting with the commercial version. The hardest part of this recipe is passing the mixture through a fine mesh strainer. If you want whole pepper seeds in your sauce, you can skip it, but if you want anything resembling the seed-free original sauce, resign yourself to a nice, long session with your strainer. You really have to work this and mash as much through the strainer as you can—long after you want to call it quits—to get everything out of this sauce. The result? It’s a wonderful sauce that’s brighter, more complex, and less salty than the bottled version. It’s absolutely wonderful. Is it worth it? That’s up to you. This gets a thumbs-up for its bright pepper flavour, but it loses points for lacking depth, and for being quite thin. We did a side-by-side comparison to the Rooster brand sauce, which has more body, is thicker, and has a somewhat smoky taste. This recipe also was spicier than the Rooster sauce—I like a little zing, but this was sizzling. As for preparing the sauce, it’s very easy: I pulsed the peppers in three batches, adding the next batch to the food processor when the paste formed to make room for all of the peppers. All told, it’s a good sauce, but it’s not my first choice if I were to pick between it and the Rooster brand. I enjoy recipes that remind you of how easy it is to make something that you might not think about making. Compared to commercial Sriracha, my homemade version had more heat and more garlic flavor. I’m not a five-pepper, sweat-in-the-corner type of guy, but I enjoy a little pain on the tongue, and the sauce’s heat in relationship to the flavor of the peppers was just right. However, the garlic flavor was a bit too strong, and the garlic powder aftertaste detracted from the overall flavor. I’d consider reducing the amount of powder next time, or just using garlic cloves. The homemade sauce is also runnier, but that’s expected because there’s no xanthan gum in it like the commercial brand. My other quibble is the need to use (and wash) a food processor twice. Would it really harm the recipe to puree the heck out of the mixture in the beginning, and then just strain it after adding the vinegar and cooking? For folks who like to prepare their own condiments, this is a distinctive, amazingly colored hot sauce. But, watch for spills! Though you may enjoy them as blood-red badges of brewing honor, left on the counter or floor too long, they’ll stain. I used Fresno Reds, which are ripened green jalapeños. I halved the main recipe (using 12 to 15 peppers) and used dark instead of light brown sugar. I also wore latex gloves as I prepared the recipe (from experience, gloves save a lot of accidental ocular anguish). The recipe is simple to follow, since the processor and room-temperature storage do most of the work. Processing didn’t create a paste, however, as the recipe indicated, it was more of a slush. Take care when opening the glass jar to stir; whiffs of the stuff can make you cough and sneeze. (You’ll also smell it for hours after you reseal the jar.) I bought a bottle of the original Sriracha with the rooster on the label to compare: The original tasted richer and aged, but strong—a second of sweet pepper taste on the tongue, then a slow burn. I didn’t adjust the seasoning on my homemade sauce; it tasted only a tad milder than the original. Mixing the sauce with Trader Joe’s organic ketchup was a nice balance for me, sweetening the sauce and bringing out flavor over heat. This would be great with fries or scrambled eggs. I tried it with hardboiled eggs, but the taste was lost. It’s probably better as a fry or veggie dip. My version of this sauce used cayenne chili peppers, with the majority of the seeds removed. They worked very well, and yielded a slightly thickened, orangey-red sauce with a fair kick. It has a nice tang to it, and a rich, garlicky heat that doesn’t persist. It’s great for wings or any occasion that requires a good hot sauce. It took a little elbow grease (about 10 minutes worth) to get the last of the hot pepper purée to go through the sieve. I persisted because that’s how I got any thickness to it at all.

Sleepwalking is also called Somnambulism through which an individual began to rise up and stroll round throughout their state of sleep. This well being difficulty is extra widespread in youngsters than adults and with age, it principally goes off by itself. Nevertheless, if somebody develops this situation extra incessantly then they need to contemplate the remedies to alleviate sleepwalking. It’s a situation by which an individual transit from his deep stage of sleeping to lighter or the awakening stage and stays unconscious about his present state. Throughout sleepwalking the sufferer is unable to answer any reply and even they speak one thing it often doesn’t make any sense. Additionally, the affected individual doesn’t keep in mind something concerning the sleepwalking episode through the day time. The eyes of sleepwalkers stay vast open however they don’t really feel something about their surrounding. They don’t cease their stroll even somebody calls them by their identify or push them to cease. The individual will get a set off for this concern out of various elements like over alcohol consumption, utilization of some drugs, sleep deprivation, febrile sickness and so on. Nevertheless normally sleepwalk is just not related with any underlying well being difficulty or with any psychotic drawback, nonetheless, if this challenge could be very frequent then it requires to be recognized to detect its actual trigger. A serious sleepwalking drawback, particularly in adults, displays a crucial underlying sleep problem difficulty which could be harmful too if correct remedy shouldn’t be offered. Furthermore, the affected individual can hurt themselves and pull them into hazard if they don’t seem to be managed and restricted throughout their unconscious state of strolling. - 1 Signs of Sleep Strolling - 2 Causes of Sleep Strolling - 3 Remedy Signs of Sleep Strolling Sleepwalking well being concern develops with the next signs. - The eyes of sleepwalkers stay extensively opened with a staring look whereas they roam round quietly in a room. They maintain their arms straight which is sort of totally different from the widespread assumption proven in films the place a sleepwalker walks with their prolonged arms in entrance. - The strolling mode of sleepwalker varies from quiet stroll to operating with agitation to making an attempt exhausting for an escape. This notably will depend on particular case circumstances of sleepwalking. The identical individual can develop all these levels of sleepwalking if it stays unchecked for an extended period. - If somebody stops and tries to speak with the sleepwalker they provide nonsense and clumsy response or might not give any response in any respect - Underneath the circumstances, the sleepwalker returns to their mattress with out awakening or unconscious state then they don’t keep in mind something about their uncommon conduct in the course of the sleep. - Matured youngsters if manages to get awaken after the top of their sleepwalking episode of the night time they provide an embarrassing response. - Researches on sleepwalking youngsters present that the majority of such youngsters have the stressed sleep throughout their early levels of life particularly between the yr four and 5. Additionally within the very first yr of their life, they often develop stressed sleep together with awakening within the nighttime extra incessantly. - The sleepwalking situation is usually not related to any earlier sleeping dysfunction drawback, worry of sleeping alone or with darkness and so forth. Causes of Sleep Strolling There are a number of elements and causes that trigger to develop sleep waking well being difficulty each in youngsters and adults. As the youngsters develop with teenage this difficulty routinely disappears. Nevertheless, in some instances, it stays of their maturity too. Although sleepwalking is usually doesn’t trigger by an underlying well being situation however a persistent sleepwalking concern wants a radical analysis as it might generate as a aspect impact of some drugs or of another illness. Mostly following causes are detected for triggering or creating sleep problem hassle in individuals. Individuals who take extreme stress faces problem in sleeping correctly and hardly get sound sleep. Typically this stress issue makes them awaken through the night time and causes them to stroll and roam across the room. This they do unconsciously and overlook about this sleepwalking occasion within the morning. Typically excessive fever triggers the sleepwalking signs in individuals of all ages together with youngsters and adults. When extreme fever reaches the mind it may well trigger mind fog which ends with strolling, operating and even arduous making an attempt to flee from their place. Sleep deprivation is taken into account because the widespread triggering issue for sleepwalking through which affected individual develops short-term psychological confusion within the lack of sleep during which they stroll unresponsively. Disturbed Sleep Schedule Disruptions in sleep schedule resulting from a very long time touring, irregular work schedule within the workplace or as a result of any private purpose causes to develop sleepwalking concern by which sufferer walks and run unconsciously. Sure underlying points that trigger sleep problem difficulty develops irregular respiration sample through the sleeping time in nights reminiscent of Obstructive sleep apnea. Underneath such circumstances, the affected individual will get stressed sleep and began to stroll and roam round their room. Researches on sleepwalking well being situation have proved that folks whose first-degree mother and father have been a sufferer of sleepwalking concern of their life, accommodates 10% higher probability to develop this problem of their lifetime with a comparability to others who don’t have any genetic historical past of sleepwalking. Gastroesophageal Reflux Illness Gastroesophageal reflux illness or acid reflux disease is a situation through which an individual regurgitates already swallowed meals and liquid from the abdomen to the meals pipes. This situation typically triggers the sleeping dysfunction signs in its sufferers. Consumption of sure drugs triggers the sleepwalking well being challenge as its uncomfortable side effects. For instance drugs for psychiatric issues, medicine for selling sleep like sedative or hypnotics, stimulant medicine for enhancing actions, medicine for creating calming results like minor tranquilizers, medicine for allergy like antihistamines and so on. Alcohol adductors typically lose their psychological stability resulting from intoxication and began to develop sleepwalking signs in the course of the night time. Stressed Leg Syndrome Stressed leg syndrome is a situation through which affected individual really feel an uncomfortable sensation in legs and even typically of their arms and different physique elements. This causes uncontrollable strain to maneuver legs for relieving this sensation. Because of it, they typically began to stroll throughout night time unconsciously. Some physiological elements can set off the sleepwalking signs. These physiological elements can develop at any stage of life underneath totally different circumstances. For instance depth and size of sluggish wave sleep in youngsters, some ladies develop sleepwalking challenge throughout their being pregnant and menstruation cycle. Aside from this physiological situation related to sleepwalking consists of Arrhythmias or irregular coronary heart rhythm, nighttime bronchial asthma, nighttime seizures, some psychiatric dysfunction comparable to panic assaults, dissociative states, posttraumatic stress dysfunction, nervousness and so forth. For treating sleepwalking well being concern there isn’t any fastened remedy. Nevertheless, as per the individualized case state of affairs, a physician decides a special method for reliving and controlling the frequency of sleepwalking in order that the risks brought on by sleepwalking might be prevented and prevented. This situation is quite common amongst youngsters and principally it doesn’t trigger any hurt or hazard to them. Aside from this it mechanically disappears with their adolescence with none intervention of a remedy technique. Nonetheless some proportion of sleepwalking well being concern belongs to grownup individuals additionally which hampers their regular dwelling and proves harmful too for them in addition to for his or her relations. The essential underlying cause behind the sleepwalking difficulty is taken into account because the dangerous or unhygienic sleeping behavior and place. If this been the precise reason for this hassle within the lifetime of any youngster or grownup individual then it may be tackled by enhancing the hygiene of the room by which they sleep. In lots of instances, an underlying sleep deprivation difficulty is taken into account as probably the most normal reason for sleepwalking which wants full remedy of that specific sleeping hassle. Aside from this another well being challenge actively displays its unfavorable influence in your sleeping high quality inflicting problem in deep and lengthy hours sleep. So it’s worthwhile to talk about each minute element about your general well being and all of the signs that you’re dealing with within the episode of sleepwalking. This clear dialogue will assist the pediatrician or docs to find out the actual trigger behind your lack of ability to get deep and lengthy hours sleep and for creating totally different signs of sleepwalking. In some instances, the utilization of some drugs can also trigger an individual to develop the sleepwalking well being concern. So it’s higher that earlier than taking any new medicine you must all the time ask your physician about all potential unwanted effects. If any treatment is discovered liable for the sleepwalking concern in youngsters or adults then it’s higher to switch that drugs with another drugs to get relieved from this frequent hassle generated out of sleepwalking. Sleepwalking might be very harmful as within the episode of strolling in an unconscious state the sufferer can hurt themselves if any sharp or heavy factor is available in their approach of the nighttime stroll. So to stop such harmful impact the relations of the sufferer ought to stay very cautious. For this, the mother and father and different relations ought to be sure that any sharp gadget like a knife, scissors and so forth. shouldn’t be stored across the mattress. Additionally, ensure that window and door of the room by which sleepwalkers keep in the course of the night time are locked correctly in order that there might be no pressure of escaping outdoors the house which may give an invite to a serious accident and some other undesirable incident. As a standard remedy method to alleviate the signs of sleepwalking some drugs are prescribed by the docs which helps to enhance the standard of sleep by growing sleeping schedule or time. Additionally, hypnosis remedy is one other common technique of remedy for the affected person of sleepwalking together with youngsters and adults too. Drugs reminiscent of Benzodiazepines and antidepressants, for instance, Estazolam (ProSom), Trazodone (Desyrel) and so on. are discovered to be very efficient in decreasing and eliminating the signs of sleepwalking. Drugs like Clonazepam (Klonopin), and diazepam (Valium) are notably used for treating sleepwalking concern. Benzodiazepines and antidepressants drugs are primarily prescribed for nervousness and stress considerations however as these two elements (nervousness, stress) are one of many triggering elements for sleepwalking so it helps proactively to fight the all totally different signs of this well being situation with the continual consumption of three to five weeks. After that, if the frequency of sleepwalking episode is remarkably decreased then docs cease to prescribe it additional. Nevertheless in some instances after sudden stopping the consumption of those drugs the sleepwalking episodes began to develop once more occasionally which additional requires to be mentioned with the physician. As per the causes and particular circumstances of a sleepwalker hypnosis remedy is utilized by the docs to ease the signs of sleepwalking. This includes creating calmness and peace within the thoughts of sleepwalkers in order that they will sleep simply on the time and may proceed with it for greater than the standard period of time in the course of the night time. It controls the thoughts of the sleep walker in order that they will attain the place of sound sleep with out a lot stress and strain. Beneath this system, the acutely aware thoughts of the affected person is educated such a means in order that they will perceive their precise place and actions that they do throughout sleepwalking which allow them to face towards it actively earlier than the episode of sleepwalking begins. Different Remedy Methods Aside from prescribed drugs and hypnosis remedy utilization for preventing and relieving the signs of sleepwalking another efficient methods are additionally guided by the docs to assist the affected person to ease the signs of sleepwalking Another remedy methods that are useful in treating sleepwalking concern consists of psychological imagery method, rest method, anticipatory awakening method and so forth. These methods are often utilized within the instances of long run remedy of the sleepwalking dysfunction. Out of those particular methods, underneath the anticipatory awakening method, the affected individual is woke up earlier than jiffy of the particular time of the sleepwalking episode. The mother and father can simply get conscious of their standard time of sleepwalking by noticing their awakening time throughout nights and take this motion to guard their youngsters from hazard. The affected person must be stored awake until the complete episode of sleepwalking that they often comply with generally beforehand. Normally, the sleeping episode lies between 15 to 20 minutes no more than that. Whereas taking rest and psychological imagery methods the affected person’s relations ought to make sure that it is just taken beneath the supervision of knowledgeable hypnotist or therapist. Although sleepwalking shouldn’t be a serious well being problem particularly whether it is developed in childhood nonetheless if its frequency doesn’t scale back with getting old then it may be a critical concern which ought to be managed by way of the assistance of remedies to alleviate sleep strolling from an skilled physician and therapist. View Article Sources

1941 ~ MAX MERRiTT the New Zealand born singer songwriter and guitarist from Max Merritt & The Meteors was born on this 30th day of April in 1941. Max is best known for his hit “Slippin’ Away”, which reached #2 on the Australian charts in 1976. 1943 ~ BOBBY VEE the American singer was born on this 30th day of April in 1943. 1945 ~ ADOLF HiTLER & EVA BRAUN commited suicide after being married for one day on this 30th day of April in 1945. 1982 ~ KiRSTEN DUNST the American actress born on this 30th day of April in 1982. 1983 ~ MUDDY WATERS the American blues musician died on this 30th day of April in 1983 aged 70. 1987 ~ NiKKi WEBSTER the Australian entertainer was born on this 30th day of April in 1987. Nikki Webster is best known for her starring role in the 2000 Sydney Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony, singing “Under The Southern Skies”… 1899 ~ DUKE ELLiNGTON the American jazz pianist and bandleader was born on the 29th day of April in 1899 (died in 1974 aged 75) 1931 ~ LONNiE DONEGANthe British skiffle musician known as the “King of Skiffle” was born on the 29th day of April in 1931 (died in 2002 aged 71). Lonnie Donegan had more than 20 UK Top 30 hits, and The Guinness Book of British Hit Singles & Albums states he was “Britain’s most successful and influential recording artist before The Beatles”. Lonnie had 24 successive Top 30 hits, and was the first UK male to score 2 U.S. Top 10s. 1945 ~ The MARRiAGE ofADOLF HiTLER&EVA BRAUN at the FUEHRERBUNKERwas held on the 29th day of April in 1945. The following day, after the wedding both Hitler and Braun committed suicide. 1954 ~ JERRY SEiNFELD the American comedian was born on the 29th day of April in 1954. 1958 ~ MiCHELLE PFEiFFER the American actress was born on the 29th day of April in 1958. 1983 ~ Megan Boone the American actress was born on the 29th April 1983. Megan Boone is best known as the rookie FBI profiler Elizabeth Keen in The Blacklisttelevision series, where she stars opposite James Spader. 1989 ~ FOXES the English singer and songwriter was born Louisa Rose Allen on the 29th April 1989. YouTube video: Clarity (2013) ~ Zedd Union Mix featuring Foxes.. 2011 ~ TheWEDDiNG of PRiNCE WiLLiAM & KATE MiDDLETON took place at 11:00 am on the 29th day of April in 2011 at Westminster Abbey in London. The royal wedding was watched by 1 million people along the route between Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace. The ceremony was also viewed live by tens of millions more around the world, including 72 million on the YouTube Royal Channel, and 36.7 million on television in United Kingdom. This wedding day only cost about £20 million. 1971 – Brad McEwan the Australian journalist was born on the 28th April 1971. 1974 ~ PENéLOPE CRUZ the Spanish actress was born on the 28th day of April in 1974. 1989 ~ WORKERS’ MEMORiAL DAYwas internationally recognized for the first time on the 28th day of April in 1989. Worker’s Memorial Day takes place annually around the world on April 28, it is an international day of remembrance and action for workers killed, disabled, injured or made unwell by their work. According to the International Labour Organisation across the world: Each year, more than two million women and men die as a result of work-related accidents and diseases Workers suffer approximately 270 million accidents each year, and fall victim to some 160 million incidents of -related illnesses 1954 ~MARK HOLDEN the Australian singer, television personality and barrister was born on this 27th day of April in 1954. 1959 ~ SHEENA EASTON the Scottish singer songwriter, producer, and actress was born on this 27th day of april in 1959. 1962 ~ Gabriel Orozco the Mexican artist was born in Jalapa, Veracruz, Mexico on the 27th April 1962. Gabriel Orozco gained his reputation in the early 1990s with his exploration of drawing, photography, sculpture and installation. Gabriel Orozco and his wife Maria Gutierrez, with their son Simón, travel the world regularly between Paris, New York and Mexico City. 2005 ~ The AiRBUS A380 superjumbo jet aircraft made its first flight from Toulouse, France on this 27th day of April in 2005. 1711 ~ DAViD HUME the Scottish philosopher, historian, economist, and essayist, best known for his philosophical empiricism and skepticism was born on this 26th day of April in 1711 (died 1776 aged 65). David Hume was one of the most important figures in the history of Western philosophy and the Scottish Enlightenment. 1798 ~ EUGèNE DELACROiX the French Romantic painter regarded as the leader of the French Romantic school was born on this 26th day of April in 1798 (died in1863 aged 65). 1803 ~ Thousands of METEOR fragments fall from the skies of L’Aigle, France on this 26th day of April in 1803. This event convinces European science that meteors exist. 1916 ~ GEORGE TUSKA the American comic artist aka Carl Larson, best known for his 1940’s work on Captain Marvel titles and his 1960s work illustrating Iron Man was born on this 26th day of April in 1916 (died in 2009 aged 93) George also drew the DC Comics newspaper comic strip The World’s Greatest Superheroes (1978–1993) 1916 ~ Eyvind Earle the American artist, author and illustrator was born on the 26th April 1916 (died 20th July 2000). 1942 ~ BOBBY RYDELL the American singer, drummer, and actor was born on this 26th day of April in 1942. 1943 ~ GARY WRiGHT the American singer, musician, and producer was born on this 26th day of April in 1943. 1984 ~ COUNT BASiE the American jazz musician, bandleader, and composer died on this 26th day of April in 1984 aged 79. 1986 ~ The CHERNOBYL NUCLEAR POWER PLANT in the Soviet Union (now Ukraine) had a nuclear reactor accident, causing the world’s worst nuclear disaster on this 26th day of April in 1986. 1989 ~ LUCiLLE BALL the American actress and comedian died on this 26th day of April in 1976 aged 77. 2000 ~ WORLD iNTELLECTUAL PROPERTY DAY was established on this 26th day of April in 2000 by the World Intellectual Property Organization aka WiPO, to raise awareness of how patents, copyright, trademarks and designs impact on daily life” and “to celebrate creativity, and the contribution made by creators and innovators to the development of societies across the globe. 1599 ~ Oliver Cromwell the English general and politician was born on this 25th April 1599 (died 1658). 1792 ~ The GUiLLOTiNE decapitates the 1st head on this 25th day of April in 1792, when executing highwayman Nicolas J. Pelletier. 1874 ~ GUGLiELMO MARCONi the Italian inventor, best known as the father of long distance radio transmission was born on this 25th day of April in 1874 (died in 1937 aged 63). Guglielmo Marconi developed Marconi’s law and the radio telegraph system, and was a recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physics. 1916 ~ ANZAC DAY(Australian & New Zealand Army Corps Day) was commemorated for the 1st time in 1916, for the first anniversary of the landing at Anzac Cove in 1915. Anzac Day is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand, to commemorate by both countries who fought at Gallipoli in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. Today Anzac day commemorates all those who served and died in military operations for their countries. 1917 ~ ELLA FiTZGERALD the American singer was born on this 25th day of April in 1917 (died in 1996 aged 79). 1927 ~ ALBERT UDERZO the French cartoonist best known for his work on the ASTERiXseries was born on this 25th day of April in 1927. 1939 ~ DC COMiCS published its 2nd major superhero BATMAN in Detective Comics on this 25th day of April in 1939, which became one of the most popular comic book superheroes of all time. 1940 ~ AL PACiNO the Americanactor was born on this 25th day of April in 1940. 1943 ~TONY CHRiSTiE the English musician, singer and actor, best known for his 1971 hit “Is This The Way To Amarillo” was born as Anthony Fitzgerald on this 25th day of April in 1943. 1945 ~ BJöRN ULVAEUS the Swedish singer and songwriter from ABBA was born on this 25th day of April in 1945. 1945 ~MiKE KOGEL the German born lead singer of the Spanish pop rock group LOS BRAVOS, best known for the hit “Black Is Black” in 1966, was born on this 25th day of April in 1945. 1958 ~FiSH the Scottish singer and lyricist from MARiLLiON was born on this 25th day of April in 1958. 1961 ~ ROBERT NOYCE was granted a patent for an integrated circuit (aka the microchip) on this 25th day of April in 1961, which fueled the personal computer revolution, that gave Silicon Valley its name, which became the reason you now have computers, mobile phones, and other digital appliances. 1969 ~ RENéE ZELLWEGERthe American actress was born on this 25th day of April in 1969. 1983 ~ PiONEER 10travels beyond Pluto‘s orbit on this 25th day of April in 1983. 1904 ~ Willem de Kooning the Dutch painter was born in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, on the 24th April 1904 (died 1997 aged 92). 1916 ~ Ernest Shackleton and 5 men of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition launched a lifeboat from Elephant Island in the Southern Ocean to organize a rescue for the crew of the sunken Endurance, in the Weddell Sea off Antarctica. 1923 ~ Das Ich und das Es (The Ego and the Id) by Sigmund Freud was published in Vienna. This paper outlined Freud’s theories of the id, ego, and super-ego. 1934 ~ Shirley MacLaine the American actress and author was born in Richmond, Virginia, on the 24th April 1934. official website : ShirleyMacLaine.com | 1941 ~ John Williams the Australian guitarist was born in Melbourne, Australia, on the 24th April 1941. official website : JohnWilliamsGuitarNotes.com | 1942 ~ Barbara Streisand the American singer and actor was born in Brooklyn, New York, on this 24th day of April in 1942. official website : BarbraStreisand.com | 1953 ~ Winston Churchill the British Prime Minister was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II on the 24th April 1942. 1954 ~ Captain Sensible the English singer, songwriter and guitarist was born Raymond Burns in Balham, London, on the 24th April 1954. video : “Wot” 1982… 1967 ~ Cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov died in Soyuz 1 when its parachute failed to open. He was the first human to die during a space mission. 1974 ~ Stephen Wiltshire(MBE, Hon.FSAI, Hon.FSSAA) the English architectural artist and autistic savant was born in London, on the 24th April 1974. He is best known for his ability to draw detailed city landscapes from his amazing memory, after only seeing it once. official website : StephenWiltshire.co.uk | social media : Facebook | instagram | Pinterest | YouTube video account | video : Billions of Windows (official trailer) a feature-length documentary by Sergey Stefanovich about Stephen Wiltshire… 1982 ~ Kelly Clarkson the American singer was born in Fort Worth, Texas, on the 24th April 1982. official website : KellyClarkson.com | video : Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You) song from 2011 with over 290 million views… 1990 ~ STS-31: The Hubble Space Telescope was launched from the Space Shuttle Discovery on the 24th April 1990. 2005 ~ YouTube uploaded the first video on this 24th day of April in 2005. The 1st ever video on YouTube was titled Me at the zoo featuring co-founder of YouTube Jawed Karim at the San Diego Zoo… 1775 ~ J. M. W. TURNER(Joseph Mallord William Turner) the English romantic landscape painter, watercolourist and printmaker was born on this 23rd day of April in 1775 (died in 1851 aged 76). Turner was renowned for his oil paintings, and elevated landscape painting to rival history painting. He was also one of the greatest masters of British watercolour landscape painting, and commonly known as the painter of light. Turner produced over 550 oil paintings, 2,000 watercolours and 30,000 paper works. 1564 ~ WiLLiAM SHAKESPEARE the English poet, writer and actor regarded as the greatest writer in the Englishlanguage was born on this 23rd day of April in 1564 (according to the Julian calendar) William Shakespeare died on the 23rd April 1616. 1936 ~ ROY ORBiSON the American singer and musician was born on this 23rd day of April in 1936 (died in 1988 aged 52). 1939 ~LEE MAJORS the American actor best known for his roles as Heath Barkley in The Big Valley, Colonel Steve Austin in The Six Million Dollar Man and Colt Seavers in The Fall Guy was born on this 23rd day of April in 1939. 1943 ~ Fighting Harada was born Masahiko Harada inTokyo, Japanon the 23rd April 1943. YouTube video: Lionel Rose vs Fighting Harada | Lionel Rose (ライオネル・ローズ) 27-2-0 (117¾ lbs) vs Fighting Harada (ファイティング原田) 50-3-0 (117¾ lbs) for the WBC & WBA World Bantamweight Titles (in Colour) 27th February 1968 at Nihon Budokan, Tokyo, Japan with referee: Ko Toyama 71-72 I Judge: Ken Morita 70-72 I Judge: Hiroyuki Tezaki 69-72… 1949~ HARRY BRUS aka “The Doctor” the Austrian born Australian bass player and guitarist was born on this 23rd day of April in 1949, in Graz, Austria. Harry is best known for his work with Matt Finish, Kevin Borich, Renée Geyer, Australian Crawl, Leo Sayer, Marcia Hines, Jimmy Barnes, Ross Wilsonand Billy Thorpe. See Harry Brus on Facebook and Harry Brus on Myspace 1954 ~ CAPTAiN SENSiBLEthe English singer in the red beret, songwriter, guitarist and co-founder of The Damned was born on this 23rd day of April in 1954. The video below features the Captain’s hit “Wot” from 1982… 1954 ~ MiCHAEL MOORE the American filmmaker, author, social critic and activist was born on this 23rd day of April in 1954. Michael Moore is best known for being the director and producer of Fahrenheit 9/11, the highest grossing documentary of all time, and his films Bowling for Columbine and Sicko, which where in the top 10 highest grossing documentaries. 1955 ~ JUDY DAViS the Australian actress was born on this 23rd day of April in 1955. 1961 ~ GEORGE LOPEZ the American actor and comedian was born on this 23rd day of April in 1961. 1966 ~ JiM STYNES the Irish born Australian rules football player and philanthropist was born on this 23rd day of April in 1966. During Jim’s 264 game career with the Melbourne Football Club from 1987 to 1998, he became the only non-Australian-born VFL / AFL player to win the Brownlow Medal. Jim Stynes was also the president of the Melbourne Football Club from 2008, and helped bring the club out of debt. In 2009, Jim was diagnosed with metastatic melanoma, but continued to work during his treatment. Jim Stynes died on the 20th March 2012 aged 45, but his legacy lives on after all the youth work he did in the launch of The REACH FOUNDATiON, which he co-founded in 1994. From this work he was named Victorian of the Year in 2001 and 2003, and awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in 2007. I like The Reach Foundation Facebook page 1923 ~ AARON SPELLiNG the American film and television producer was born on this 22nd day of April in 1923 (died in 2006 aged 83). His production company Spelling Television was responsible for about 200 television productions, including Charlie’s Angels, Starsky & Hutch, The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, Dynasty, Beverly Hills, 90210, Melrose Place, T.J. Hooker, Hotel, The Rookies, Vega$, Hart to Hart, The Colbys, 7th Heaven, The Mod Squad, S.W.A.T.,Charmed,Twin Peaks and many more. See the video below for a trip back in TV time, with this great collection of Spelling TV show intros… 1936 ~ GLEN CAMPBELL the American country music singer and guitarist was born on this 22nd day of April in 1923. In his 50 years of show business, Glen released over 70 albums, with over 45 million records sold, while racking up 12 RIAA Gold albums, 4 Platinum albums, 1 Double-Platinum album. He made history by winning 4 Grammys in both country and pop in 1967. Glen Campbell had 27 songs in the Top 10, with hits including Gentle on My Mind, By the Time I Get to Phoenix,Wichita Lineman, Galveston, Rhinestone Cowboy and Southern Nights. 1937 ~ JACK NiCHOLSON the American actor, film director, producer and writer was born on this 22nd day of April in 1937. Jack Nicholson has had 12 Oscar nominations, making him the 2nd most nominated actor of all time (1st is Meryl Streep & tied with Katharine Hepburn). Jack has been in many great movies, including; The Raven, The Trip, Psych-Out, Head, Easy Rider, Carnal Knowledge, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, The Postman Always Rings Twice, As Good as It Gets, Terms of Endearment,The Shining, The Departed, Batman, The Witches of Eastwick, A Few Good Men, About Schmidt, Anger Management, The Bucket List and many more. 1951 ~ PAUL CARRACK the English musician was born on this 22nd day of April in 1951. The video below features Paul Carrack’s music video from 1987 When You Walk in the Room… 1970 ~ EARTH DAY was 1st celebrated on this 22nd day of April in 1970. Earth day events are held worldwide to increase awareness and appreciation of the Earth’s natural environment. Earth Day is celebrated in more than 175 countries every year, with numerous communities celebrating Earth Week, an entire week of activities focused on environmental issues. Earth Day Network on Facebook 1982 ~ Fred Williams (OBE) the Australian painter died on the 22nd April 1982 aged 55 (born 23rd January 1927). 1984 ~ ANSEL ADAMS the American photographer and environmentalist died on this 22nd day of April in 1984 aged 82. Ansel was best known for his black & white photographs of the American West, especially in Yosemite National Park. Ansel Adams with Fred Archer developed the Zone System, to help determine proper exposure and adjust the contrast for clarity and depth of the final print. Ansel’s photographs were widely distributed on calendars, posters and books. 1993 ~ MOSAiC WEB BROWSER Version 1.0 was released on this 22nd day of April in 1993. Mosaic was the web browser that was credited with popularizing the World Wide Web, making it the application that opened up the Web to the general public. Mosaic was also the 1st browser to display images inline with text, instead of displaying images in a separate window. Today most of the popular contemporary browsers, Internet Explorer, Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox retain many of the characteristics of the original Mosaic graphical user interface and interactive experience. 2009 ~ iNTERNATiONAL MOTHER EARTH DAY was established on this 22nd day of April in 2009. This day recognizes that the Earth and its ecosystems are our home and that it is necessary to promote harmony with nature and the Earth.

Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton faced several uphill battles in his efforts to reform the UN into a fiscally accountable organization that responds fairly to American concerns. He had to fight a crusade against his first nomination, waged by liberal Democratic Senators Joe Biden (Del.) and Chris Dodd (Conn.) and abetted by renegade Ohio Republican Sen. George Voinovich, who blind-sided Bolton and the Bush White House with his opposition to the nomination in the Foreign Relations Committee hearing in 2005. President Bush then recess-appointed Bolton to the UN post. During his months in New York, Bolton actively pushed for significant reforms at the scandal-plagued organization, all of which were opposed by the international bureaucracy. Bolton’s appointment was due to expire at the end of 2006 and could not be renewed. When the President renominated him to the ambassadorship before the 2006 election, liberal Republican Sen. Lincoln Chafee (R.I.) announced he would oppose Bolton’s nomination in the Foreign Relations Committee, despite all the financial help the White House directed to his campaign. Even after he lost his Senate seat in the midterm elections, an ungrateful Chafee continued to oppose the Bolton nomination. The White House considered several different routes to recess-appoint Bolton to another position and make him an “acting permanent representative,” but Bolton believed it was better to let the appointment end than continue to go through various gyrations. Last week, Ambassador Bolton sat with the editors of HUMAN EVENTS for an exclusive interview about UN reform, the need for regime change in North Korea and Iran, and concerns about Latin America. What follows are excerpts from that interview (the entire interview is available at HumanEvents.com). Ambassador, what do think was your greatest achievement at the United Nations? What are you most proud of during your service there? I think that there were a number of things that were accomplished in the Security Council that are going to turn out to be important to American national security over the long term. I think our reaction to North Korea’s nuclear tests and its ballistic missile tests this past summer showed that it’s possible to lead diplomatically in the UN and put together a strong coalition in response to those provocations. I think we also achieved near unanimity in the Security Council in opposition to Iran’s nuclear weapons program. The most recent sanctions resolution on Iran is disappointing, but, nonetheless, I think we have demonstrated the strength of our view that Iran’s nuclear weapons program is impermissible. And I think we had a number of successes in the Middle East: two vetoes—that I’m quite proud of—of resolutions in the Security Council that were highly critical, and unfairly so, of Israel, and the adoption of Resolution 1701, bringing a halt to the Hezbollah-Israel war this past summer, after having given Israel over a month of non-interference by the Security Council for Israel to try and achieve its strategic objectives. There are a range of other things that I think were successful. I think on the down side, it’s clear that our effort at UN reform did not succeed—and did not succeed for a number of reasons. The conclusion that I draw from it is that efforts at marginal, incremental reform, focusing on management aspects, are not likely to be successful. This particular effort by the Bush Administration was one of many, many over the years, and I think the failure to achieve even the modest goals that we hoped for shows that true reform at the UN is going to have to be much more systematic. Why? Is it poorly organized? Explain a little bit about the kinds of reforms that you’re talking about. What we wanted was to make the UN more effective in what it does, more responsive to U.S. interests, to strip away the layers of management and waste in the budget and, basically, to make it fulfill the promise that the UN purports to hold out to people of being effective at solving international problems. The experience we had, though, was that the entrenched interests at the UN like the system pretty much the way it functions, and, therefore, even modest efforts at change that we made turned out to be unsuccessful or achieving very modest results. For example, one thing that was agreed in September 2005 was that the members of the UN would review all of the mandates given to the Secretariat over the course of the UN’s history, so that we could examine from square one what the Secretariat was doing and make an evaluation whether these mandates were outmoded, whether they could be eliminated, consolidated, reformed in some way to make the organization more efficient. When we reached agreement that we would undertake this review, we thought that was potentially very significant. Because over the course of the UN’s 60-year history, it had never had that kind of review. If you look at the analogy of a corporation, it reviews its products and its efforts every year, and it has, probably, more systematic reviews over a longer period of time, but it’s constantly saying, “Are we devoting our resources to the most profitable areas for the business?” In the UN, we wanted to do something analogously: Are we being as effective as we can be? What’s the comparative advantage for the UN? So we started this project of what are called “mandate review,” because that’s what the General Assembly gives to the Secretariat to do what the Security Council gives to the Secretariat to do. The first thing we found out was the UN was operating under more than 9,000 existing mandates. So the first thing that you conclude is anybody who has 9,000 priorities has no priorities. But then we said we’re determined to do this very rigorously—we’re going to examine all 9,000 mandates. At the end of slightly over a year, by the end of December 2006, we had examined only several hundred of the 9,000 mandates. And over that entire period of time, we had eliminated none, we had combined none, we had modified none. So I conclude from that that mandate review is not going to work. Therefore, the larger conclusion you draw is that the UN’s not — in its current form — not capable of that kind of introspection that any other large body needs. Now, that doesn’t, necessarily, make it different from other organs of government, like our federal government. That’s not exactly a selling point for it—to say it’s no worse than the member governments. I think the biggest problem in the UN that the U.S. faces is that there is a disjunction between the voting power that the United States has and its contribution level. And this is not voting in the Security Council, this is voting in the General Assembly, where budgets and programs for the organization are approved. We’re one of 192 countries, that means we have one-half of 1% (0.5%) of the voting power of the UN. Yet because of the system of assessed contributions at the UN, we contribute 22% of the budget—or 27%, in the case of peacekeeping. So quick math will tell you that our contributions are 44 times greater than our voting power. Looked at another way, with 192 countries in the UN, 97 constitute a majority. If you add the assessed contributions of the lowest 97 members—that is to say that could constitute a majority if you did a vote—we pay 22%, Japan pays 19%, and then it goes down, in percentage shares, to the lowest contributor of the regular budget contributes 0.001%. There are about 20 of them. If you start with the lowest, and build up until you finally get to 97, the aggregate assessed contribution of the lowest 97, is 0.289%. Which means we pay roughly 66 times more than a majority of the General Assembly—and I can do all kinds of calculations like that. But what it says is: it’s fun to spend other people’s money. It’s especially fun to spend our money. And we simply don’t have the sway within the organization that you would expect from a country that contributes 22%. I thought that Jesse Helms’ reforms were supposed to solve some of these problems. It’s called the Helms-Biden bill. And what it did was in exchange for reducing our assessed contribution level from 25%, which is what it had been, to 22%, the U.S. repaid all of the arrearages that were built up during the 1990s when we were withholding money. But weren’t there also to be reforms? There were. And there haven’t been. Now, the only way I know to solve this problem of the disjunction between voting power and influence and contributions is to shift away from the system of assessed contributions toward a system of voluntary contributions. That is to say each year we decide how much we’re going to contribute. If you look at the UN system now, there are agencies that are funded primarily by voluntary contributions, and they tend to be the most effective, most efficient, most responsive. For example, UNICEF is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions. World Food Program, funded by voluntary contributions. We give 50% of the food to the World Food Program—we more than double our 22%. The UN High Commissioner for refugees is funded by voluntary contributions. And I don’t think it’s hard to understand why. If you depend on performance in order to attract contributions, you’ve got to work, you’ve got to be effective. If you have an entitlement to 22% of your budget coming from the United States, what incentive do you have to be more efficient? This would be a huge change. It would be extraordinarily controversial, but I think—that’s why I said before—the failure of our reform efforts shows that marginal, incremental change will not work, and you need a much more fundamental root-and-branch change in the UN, that I think would be accomplished by a shift from assessed to voluntary contributions. You seemed like you were on a path, after Sen. [George] Voinovich [R.-Ohio] came out and supported you and the two of you had been working together, then all of the sudden we find that Sen. [Lincoln] Chafee [R.-R.I.] is opposing you. Did you talk to him after that to try to work out the differences he had with the secretary? We tried to. We actually missed calls, Sen. Chafee and I, but the White House talked to him at length. They were quite surprised that he changed his mind. He supported me back in 2005, in the committee, and I had had some very good conversations with him then. But they were amazed in September—the White House was quite surprised—that he was reluctant to vote for me. People were looking then at his Republican primary in September and then the general election, but they were surprised again two days after the general election when he announced he wasn’t going to support me. After they had made all of these donations. Right. That was unexpected to say the least. In my judgment, at that point, the votes were not going to be there to get out of the committee, even in the prior Congress, and obviously, with the result of the election, would not be there in the current Congress either. So the White House had been working on a number of steps they could have taken to recess appoint me to another position and make me an acting permanent representative, and there were a variety of different routes that they were taking. I considered this, and it was a very hard decision for me, but I thought it was better, at that point, to let the recess appointment end and leave rather than go through a kind of jury-rigged approach to the position. It was not an easy decision, but I felt it was the right thing to do. In terms of sanctions against Iran and North Korea, we did get something passed, but it seems that China has been the key to all of this. Do you feel that in some way China is doing something that is positive? I think since the North Korean nuclear test, that the Chinese have been much more active in several respects. And I think it’s because they were humiliated by North Korea’s conducting that test. They had been saying for two or three years, “We’ll work on the North Koreans. We’ll get this taken care of. The six-party talks will prove out.” But, in fact, North Korea disregarded them—both in terms of the ballistic missile test and in terms of the nuclear test. So this is the moment to make the problem of North Korea a much higher-profile issue in the U.S.-China bilateral relationship. China does have the influence to change not only North Korean policy but to change the North Korean regime. Their interest and ours in preventing North Korea from advancing its nuclear weapons program, I think, are the same. Where we disagree, is that China fears that if it brings down Kim Jong Il’s regime, there’s no replacement, there will be waves of refugees, but even worse, from their point of view, the entire North Korean regime will collapse, the Korean peninsula will be reunified, and American troops will be on the Yalu River. Now, they’ve been through that before, and they fear the consequences. In other words, they fear us. Well, they like a divided Korea. And by the way, so do most of Korea’s neighbors, including South Korea. The South Koreans, much like the West Germans, fear the cost of reunification. The government that wants reunification more than anybody else is the government of the Unites States, which has been our policy since 1945. Whether a reunited Korea would want American troops anywhere on the Korean peninsula is an open question at this point. But the only way to solve the North Korean nuclear problem, I think, is the peaceful reunification—under a democratic government—of the peninsula. And that, China is obviously not willing to accept. Is there any way that that can come about? South Korea, obviously, is totally accommodating to North Korea. Remember, President Noh’s opinion polls now have him in single digits and there is an election coming up. There’s a division within South Korea, and we’ll have to see what they decide. But I think you could put increased pressure on North Korea in a way that could move you closer to a collapse of the regime. That’s why I hope the administration does not give up the financial pressure that we’ve been applying through the Banco Delta Asia, the Macau Bank investigation we’ve been pursuing, and other things that can further isolate North Korea and make it impossible for the regime to engage in the kind of economic transactions that it needs to acquire hard currency, to support the regime, and to pursue the nuclear program. If Madame Park, Park Chung Hee’s daughter, is elected after President Noh, that would be almost a 180-degree reversal of policy because she would be a hard-liner with the North? In many respects, commentators have said South Korea is a 50-50 country like the United States so that even a narrow win in the election could dramatically change their policy. I think the one thing that’s happening, the dynamic in both South Korea and this country, which I think is potentially important, is that finally the grotesque human rights abuses of the North Korean regime are beginning to get attention. I gave a speech in Seoul in 2002 or 2003 where I attacked Kim Jung Il and the North Korean regime, and that got all kinds of criticism. One of the points that I made that didn’t get much attention was to the South Koreans themselves, to say, “How can you abide by the conditions that your fellow Koreans are living in in North Korea? Your family members, after decades of separation to be sure, but they’re up there living in a large prison camp, in effect, and your government doesn’t make North Korean human rights abuses a major element of their policy. How can that be?” Today, because of refugees coming out of North Korea and a number of other reasons, this question of the mistreatment of the North Korean people is finally beginning to get some political traction in South Korea. And in this country, Korean-Americans who have not been as politically active as many other heritage groups are focusing more on the North Korean human rights situation. And we’ve got Congress’ having passed the provision that created the job [special envoy on Human Rights in North Korea] that Jay Lefkowitz now has on North Korean human rights. So there’s evidence that Congress sees the problem in North Korea. Remember, during the entire Cold War, the strength of the anti-Communist movement in the United States rested both on the strategic threat that communism posed to the United States and on the oppression of the captive nations. That dynamic has never developed with respect to North Korea. There are signs now that it is beginning to develop, which could have an impact for us and, combined with what’s happening in South Korea, could represent a real change. Do you like Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe’s hard line with North Korea? He sounds like you in many ways. Actually, I met him back in 2001 when he was assistant chief cabinet secretary at the time, and have followed his career, and he has made into an issue in Japan the North Korean abduction of Japanese citizens, and the abductees’ families are now a major force in Japan. And as Japan has tried to become, as they describe it, a “more normal nation”—as they have concluded that a “normal” nation should be partially responsible for its own defense—they have grown closer to the United States than at any point in our long, bilateral relationship. We’re now working with them missile defense, because they’re a lot closer to North Korea than we are. And in all those decades, in the 70s and 80s, when trade disputes used to divide Japan and the United States—we still obviously have trade issues with them—we’re now much closer, politically and militarily, than we have ever been, in large part because of the North Korean threat. What about Iran? I think we need to do a lot more. Iran has been pursuing nuclear weapons in a clandestine manner for close to 20 years. We have, over the past several years, deferred to the European Union’s efforts to negotiate with Iran. Those efforts, I think, have clearly failed. The Iranians are determined nuclear weapons capability. They’re not going to take the step we and, in fact, the entire Security Council have called on them to take, which is to abandon their uranium enrichment efforts. Uranium enrichment is a critical element of obtaining a completely indigenous capacity to produce nuclear weapons, and if the Iranians won’t give it up, as they’ve said they’re not going to, it’s clear that they’re going to continue their efforts until they succeed in having a weapons capability. With that, I think we need to press the Europeans harder, to endorse stronger sanctions and greater economic isolation of Iran. Stronger steps than that might be needed, but I think the Treasury Department has done an outstanding job in closing off American financial markets to Iranian institutions and by getting European financial institutions to make up their minds whether they would rather participate in the American market or the Iranian market. Who was key to that? Well, I think Bob Kimmitt, the deputy secretary, and Stuart Levy, who’s under secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, have both done a great job. I read somewhere that we are trying to help in terms of these people who are being oppressed. I think over the long term the only way to prevent the Iranians from achieving nuclear weapons capability is regime change. There are substantial elements within Iranian society that don’t like rule by this theocratic, authoritarian government. It won’t happen over night, but we should be doing more to promote elements that want a different kind of regime in Iran. One asset that we have not tapped effectively is the very strong Iranian-American community that knows what family members and other relatives back in Iran feel about the regime. In the Cold War, the captive nations’ relationship was very important to us—when you look at Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty and all of the activity we conducted, particularly in the Eastern and Central European countries. I mentioned the Korean-American community a minute ago, the same is true with the Iranian-American community—these are people who want a better life and more freedom for their people back in Iran, and yet I don’t think we use them nearly as much as we could. Reza Pahlavi, son of the former Shah of Iran, told us that they were working on getting some sort of groundswell among the people who oppose [Iranian President] Ahmadinejad and oppose the whole regime in Iran. Do you hear anything about those movements at all? Yes. I think that potential exists. It’s hard to judge how soon it might have an impact. Unquestionably, the fall in the price of oil has limited the ability of Ahmadinejad and the regime to use the oil revenue to placate the people. That’s a very good thing. I disagree with the conclusions of a study that came out a while back that said the fall in the price of oil actually justifies their pursuit of peaceful nuclear power. That’s ridiculous. It’s still $55 dollars a barrel, it’s not $70, but it’s still higher than it was two or three years ago. We should not underestimate Ahmadinejad. He’s a skillful politician. He’s a populist, really, in the Iranian context. He leads a relatively simple life—the people know it, and that’s one reason he was a very popular mayor of Tehran. They resent the luxury that the mullahs live in. And Ahmadinejad, although these last elections didn’t go his way, nobody should underestimate his capabilities as a politician and ability to rally the Iranian people against us and others. He’s a very savvy and shrewd man, and it’s one reason why the work with dissident elements in Iran is not something you can count on producing a quick result. Do we have friends in the UN who are going to be helpful with dealing with Iran in the way that you’re talking about? Not that many. The Iranians have also been very skillful in using their oil capability. Take China, which has a huge and growing energy demand, they need Iranian oil. And this is something, by the way, that is influential in Chinese behavior around the world. Why are the Chinese so active in East Africa? Why do the Chinese come to the defense of the government of Sudan against the people of Darfur? Because they have oil interests in Sudan and other African countries. Now, the Japanese, by contrast, recently extricated themselves from a massive capital investment in an Iranian oil field called Azedegan, where they lowered their share from 75% to 10%, because they didn’t want to be subject to that kind of pressure from Iran on the oil front. They’ll get their supply somewhere else. But that’s one reason why in the Middle East as a whole the oil weapon remains a very strong and important weapon. And, personally, one reason why I favor greater use of nuclear power in this country. Yesterday, both Hugo Chavez and Daniel Ortega were sworn in in South America. What do you see as the long-term impact of both of their presidencies and the leftist tilt that South America is taking? Those pictures certainly brought back bad memories. Chavez is, in some senses, even more of a threat than Castro, although he’s not as bright as Castro and he doesn’t have the same coherent ideology. The oil revenues that Venezuela earns are actually greater than the subsidy that the Soviet Union, during the Cold War, provided Cuba for its mischief in Latin America, Africa and elsewhere. Given that wealth behind Chavez, potentially he’s even more dangerous, and he has already been active in countries such as Ecuador, Bolivia, Peru and even Mexico after the recent close elections. The one thing I can say is that Democratic forces in Latin America, including the Democratic left, realize that Chavez is a problem. They spent decades worrying about the Yankees’ interfering in their internal affairs. There is a phenomenon of even leftist elements in Latin America realizing Chavez is a destabilizing force. There’s, in effect, a race between whether people can be attuned to the risk that Chavez poses more quickly than he’s able to spread his influence. His interference in Mexico was very counterproductive from his point of view, very positive from our point of view that in Mexico that they saw the danger their democracy faced by having that kind of outside interference. Successive American governments have said we need to pay more attention to Latin America. Almost every incoming government says it. And every four years you look back and say, “You know, we need to pay more attention to Latin America.” Now, maybe at one point we will actually learn the lesson. Chavez represents a threat to our interests in the hemisphere and around the world. As you can see from his arms purchases from Russia and his various other activities, visiting with the Iranians and so on, this is something we definitely should pay more attention to. Is Ahmadinejad’s love for Chavez based mostly on Chavez’s anti-Americanism or is it based on his ability to help keep the world market price of oil higher? I think it’s a combination of the two, and we have been dependent on external sources of oil for so long that we forget things like the original OPEC oil shock of the early 1970s. But what is says is that diversifying our sources of energy, tapping domestic resources we have, looking at non-petroleum sources of energy is very important. I think nuclear energy is actually better environmentally—for those who place a priority on that. Look at what the Europeans are now saying in the wake of Russia’s refusal to ship oil to Belarus, and therefore to ship oil through Belarus into Western Europe. Sweden and Germany, which had both said that they were going to move away from nuclear power because of the influence of the Green Parties in those countries, are now reconsidering. It doesn’t affect us directly, but it’s a graphic demonstration why we should see the implications of that and have an effect on our own energy policy here. We’ve heard lots of reports about the scandals and corruption in the UN, but we’ve not seen too many people suffer consequences. Do you see any more fallout coming from any additional investigations? There are still criminal investigations going on in the Southern District of New York. I think a big impact of the change in control of both houses of Congress is whether the ongoing congressional investigations of the Oil-for-Food scandal will continue. The UN has not done anything nearly enough to respond to the Oil-for-Food scandal—even the recommendations of the Volker Commission have not been adopted and are not likely to be adopted. Whether Ban Ki-moon, the new secretary-general, will make that reform a priority, we don’t know yet. The central conclusion of the Volker Commission—and here’s a man who’s a pillar of the American establishment, picked by Kofi Annan in part because he hoped he would not be critical of what had happened—after his investigation came very forthrightly to the conclusion that the problems of the Oil-for-Food scandal emanated from the UN itself, that the procedures, the processes, the culture that led to the problems in Oil-for-Food all derived from the UN Secretariat. He was asked at a hearing by Sen. [Norm] Coleman [R.-Minn.], “Do you think there’s a culture of corruption at the UN?” And Volker said, “No, I don’t think there’s a culture of corruption. I think there’s a culture of inaction.” And that’s exactly right—that’s why the Oil-for-Food scandal’s not been responded to and it’s one reason why our reform efforts didn’t meet with greater success. You’ve talked about reform at the UN, and everybody talks about it. We want to make the UN effective. What is an “effective” UN? One that’s responsive to American interests. I didn’t go into this job with an idea of making a platonically better UN. I wanted a more effective utilization of American influence, because the UN can be a tool to implement American foreign policy—it has been in a number of respects. The difference between me and some others is that I don’t think it’s the only tool of American foreign policy. I think the UN is a potential asset for solving international problems. If it doesn’t work, you can look to say, “Can we fix it?” And if we can’t fix it, then you should say, “What else is there?”

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A Spring Hill home is offering buyers a chance to own a 689sqm property located just two kilometres from Brisbane’s CBD.Built in 1912, the ‘Eaton house’ is a recently restored property that offers a taste of ancient Rome combined with distinctive Queenslander-style architecture.Video Player is loading.Play VideoPlayNext playlist itemMuteCurrent Time 0:00/Duration 2:04Loaded: 0%Stream Type LIVESeek to live, currently playing liveLIVERemaining Time -2:04 Playback Rate1xChaptersChaptersDescriptionsdescriptions off, selectedCaptionscaptions settings, opens captions settings dialogcaptions off, selectedQuality Levels360p360p240p240pAutoA, selectedAudio Trackdefault, selectedFullscreenThis is a modal window.Beginning of dialog window. 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This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button.PlayMuteCurrent Time 0:00/Duration 0:00Loaded: 0%Stream Type LIVESeek to live, currently playing liveLIVERemaining Time -0:00 Playback Rate1xFullscreenA part of Ancient Rome in Brisbane02:05Wow: Is this the world’s most expensive shed?The five-bedroom, three-bathroom home comes equipped with a kitchen with modern appliances and alfresco dining spaces on the balcony.It is also bound by four streets, meaning the house is the only one on the block.Live on your very own block. A recent update has completely transformed the home with touches of style reminiscent of a Roman spa.The granite luxury bath comes complete with pillars and carved stone lions spouting water.Signature chandeliers and ornate ceilings add further to the theme which can be seen throughout the house.An ancient Roman-inspired spa. McGrath New Farm Sales Agent Sherrie Storer says the location and proximity to schools will draw families to its beauty.“Lots of people are interested in this area as it’s so close to prestigious schools,” she tells The Courier Mail.“It would suit families with kids going to these schools who are sick and tired of maintenance.More from newsMould, age, not enough to stop 17 bidders fighting for this home3 hours agoBuyers ‘crazy’ not to take govt freebies, says 28-yr-old investor9 hours agoA fully-equipped modern kitchen with a view.“They will have the gardens of Roma St Parklands instead and with no travelling, they’ll also have plenty of free time.”In 2015, Malcolm McBratney restored the home. It had been used as a block of flats by the previous owners.The home’s heritage features have been restored.After buying the home in 2005, McBratney worked alongside architects Andrew Watson and Ivan McDonald to update it, while conserving its Queenslander charm.The property is located close to nearby schools and the Brisbane CBD.The house will go under the hammer on the 30th of April at 4pm. Press Association Chelsea secured the title with a 1-0 defeat of Palace on May 3 but the Eagles were triumphant on this occasion, stunning the hosts just when they thought Radamel Falcao had got them back into the game with his first goal for the Blues. Joel Ward popped up to restore the lead, after Bakary Sako’s opener, as Palace earned a 2-1 win – their first at Stamford Bridge since 1982. Jose Mourinho’s 100th Premier League home match as Chelsea boss saw a second loss as Crystal Palace claimed their first win at Stamford Bridge in 33 years. Palace have now won eight of their 10 away matches in the league under Pardew, who has three victories against Mourinho in the last two seasons. Mourinho played down the significance of statistics ahead of his 200th Premier League contest and 100th at Stamford Bridge, insisting three points was all that mattered. But the Blues were unable to add to his record of 76 wins in the previous 99 home games as Palace emulated Sunderland’s April 2014 success. Mourinho may have complained of the nature of the Black Cats’ success – his resentment at the officiating still lingering – but Palace were deserved winners to move second behind Manchester City. Chelsea are eight points adrift after four points from four games. Mourinho had said there was no “drama” after Chelsea’s start, but it is clear there is plenty of work to do. Mourinho’s men have not kept a clean sheet in eight matches since winning the league against Palace and appeared porous at the back once more, with the suspended John Terry replaced by Gary Cahill. Their next match is at Everton on September 12 and it remains to be seen which Blue shirt Toffees defender John Stones will be in. The champions have intimated they will not make a fifth bid after a fourth offer of £37million was rejected. Everton did not confirm the offer. Connor Wickham scored in Sunderland’s win at Stamford Bridge and was included as Palace’s solitary change following their victory over Aston Villa. Palace wore black armbands due to the death of Yannick Bolasie’s father. The winger returned on the bench. The Eagles did not roll over in May and again refused to be cowed, as demonstrated by some physical exchanges, with Diego Costa often the target. Pedro shot narrowly wide from the edge of the box before Palace had two fine chances. Sako, the match-winner against Villa, was denied by Thibaut Courtois, who next saved when Yohan Cabaye was played in one-on-one by a fine Wilfried Zaha run. Alex McCarthy made saves in quick succession from Costa and Cesc Fabregas, with Pedro unable to direct the third attempt goalwards. Costa believed he was fouled in the box by Damien Delaney early in the second half. Referee Craig Pawson turned down the appeal. Sako tried to tee up Wickham before sending Palace into the lead himself. He stayed on his feet when Cesar Azpilicueta slid in to react to Bolasie’s cross and the ball sat nicely for Sako to net. Falcao equalised with a fine header from Pedro’s cross, but Palace immediately responded. Bolasie crossed to the back post where Sako had the presence of mind to centre the ball for Ward to head in and complete a memorable win. TWEET OF THE MATCH “What a proud day to be associated with @CPFC well done the manager the team and the supporters, amazing result. #cfc 1=2 #cpfc.” – Former Palace striker Mark Bright was full of praise for the current players and staff after a memorable win. https://twitter.com/Mark__Bright/status/637654832539660289 – @Mark__Bright PLAYER RATINGS Chelsea Thibaut Courtois: 8 (out of 10) Branislav Ivanovic: 5 Gary Cahill: 5 Kurt Zouma: 6 Cesar Azpilicueta: 5 Nemanja Matic: 5 Cesc Fabregas: 5 Pedro: 7 Willian: 5 Eden Hazard: 5 Diego Costa: 6 Subs Radamel Falcao: 7 Kenedy: 6: Ruben Loftus-Cheek: 6 Crystal Palace Alex McCarthy: 9 Joel Ward: 7 Scott Dann: 7 Damien Delaney: 8 Pape Souare: 6 James McArthur: 6 Yohan Cabaye: 6 Bakary Sako: 8 Jason Puncheon: 7 Wilfried Zaha: 6 Connor Wickham: 6 Substitutes: Yannick Bolasie: 8 Lee Chung-yong: 6 STAR PLAYER Sako: To think the former Wolves forward was available on a free transfer this summer and Alan Pardew had to be persuaded by Palace chief Steve Parrish to sign him. Two starts, two match-winning goals for the Mali man. MOMENT OF THE MATCH Ward: Moments after Falcao’s fine first Chelsea goal, the right-back popped up in the hosts’ six-yard box to head in the decisive goal. What he was doing there, no-one knows. VIEW FROM THE BENCH Pardew picked a physical side who were more intimidating than intimidated. With Chelsea less than convincing so far this term, he was determined to exploit their fragility and did so. So unhappy with his defence is Mourinho that he threw on forward Kenedy at left-back. Falcao scored soon after his introduction, but Chelsea could not equalise. MOAN OF THE MATCH Chelsea’s defeat is likely to be the focus, rather than Palace’s success. There are plenty of questions for the champions to answer. Palace’s first win at Stamford Bridge since 1982 was deserved, though. WHO’S UP NEXT? Everton v Chelsea (Premier League, Saturday 12 September) Crystal Palace v Manchester City (Premier League, Saturday 12 September) Share this:FacebookRedditTwitterPrintPinterestEmailWhatsAppSkypeLinkedInTumblrPocketTelegram The performances of Nigerian stars, Ahmed Musa and Wilfred Ndidi in Leicester City’s 2-1 victory over Everton in Saturday’s English FA Cup third round clash at Goodison left veteran manager Claudio Ranieri impressed.Musa netted both of Leicester’s goals while Ndidi, who was making his debut on Saturday, produced a solid display in the heart of midfield as the Foxes came from a goal down to complete an important victory.The Leicester City manager was duly impressed with his Nigerian charges and took the time to praise the duo for their sterling performances. “Musa was excellent. I’ve watched him recently and I think he is starting to understand English football better.“Ndidi only trained two days with us, but he showed strong character and personality. A great performance,” Ranieri said.Ndidi, who arrived from Belgian club KRC Genk, refused to accept the plaudits as he instead focused on an overall impressive team display.“I don’t want to focus on my performance because for me, it is always about the team.“The team did very well (on Saturday) and I think we can go far in the competition,” he said.Leicester City has now qualified for the fourth round of the FA Cup. Newsroom GuidelinesNews TipsContact UsReport an Error Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said Tuesday that a player’s market value decreases “every time” that player has a criminal record. For the executive focused solely on increasing the value of his roster, the more crimes the player commits, the better. A free man with multiple felony convictions, the left arm of Randy Johnson, the bat speed of Barry Bonds, and a glove box full of unpaid parking tickets would be the ideal free agent or trade target.To that end, Friedman said he draws a line of citizenship that cannot be crossed.“Of course,” he said.Friedman can’t publicly comment on Chapman, who is still under contract to the Reds. Speaking generally, Friedman said “we do a tremendous amount of work on players we’re going to acquire or potentially going to acquire, in terms of make-up on field, type of teammate, type of person, and factor it all into the assessment.”In the past, those assessments have not deterred Friedman from trading for an accused rapist (Josh Lueke, who pled no contest to false imprisonment with violence) when he worked for the Tampa Bay Rays.• WHICKER: Dodgers, Angels should trade lightly at Winter MeetingsIn this instance Chapman wasn’t formally accused, let alone convicted, of committing a crime.“Even when we were with the Rays we did a tremendous amount of work on guys, to go into any decision with our eyes wide-open and talk through things,” Friedman said, “and understand the pros, the cons, trying to figure out what made the most sense.”AlsoThe contracts for free agent pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma and second baseman Chase Utley were still not finalized late Tuesday, presumably because their physicals have not been completed yet. … According to one report, the Miami Marlins asked the Dodgers for Julio Urias, Corey Seager, Joc Pederson and two more players in a trade for pitcher Jose Fernandez. Urias, who finished the season at Triple-A, is the Dodgers’ consensus number-1 prospect. … Asked if he considered Urias “untouchable” in any trade, Friedman said “I think the thing we pride ourselves on is not having any hard and fast rules. We’re open minded to having different conversations.” Ultimately, Chapman’s girlfriend chose not to file charges.“We want to make sure we have all the information and then the decision will be made,” said MLB’s Chief Baseball Officer, Joe Torre. “The only timetable is when we feel we’ve got as much information as we can get.”• RELATED: Miami DA reviewing Chapman’s domestic dispute caseMeanwhile the Dodgers, or any team interested in trading for Chapman, will have to place those negotiations on the back burner.The situation also invites an ethical dilemma. Given the contents of the police report, would fans continue to embrace a team that employs Chapman? NASHVILLE >> When reports of a potential Dodgers trade for Cincinnati Reds closer Aroldis Chapman first surfaced Sunday, it tested the boundaries of the baseball imagination. Two All-Star closers on the same roster? One, if the Dodgers traded Kenley Jansen and kept the Cuban left-hander with a 104-mph fastball?The imagination can still run wild. As of Tuesday, the trade isn’t off. Neither is it on, as long as Major League Baseball is investigating Chapman’s role in a domestic dispute in October. As first reported by Yahoo! Sports, Chapman’s girlfriend told police that the pitcher placed her in a choke-hold, then later fired gunshots in another part of their house during the argument. She and Chapman have an infant daughter who was also in the house. Chapman’s girlfriend told police that she gathered up the girl and ran out of the house in fear. Dodgers’ Max Muncy trying to work his way out of slow start Dodgers hit seven home runs, sweep Colorado Rockies Fire danger is on Dave Roberts’ mind as Dodgers head to San Francisco How Dodgers pitcher Ross Stripling topped the baseball podcast empire The Dodgers have one year to make their championship dreams come true before Betts becomes a free agent.With an argument to be made as the second-best player in baseball behind Mike Trout, Betts seems intent on putting his services up for bids next winter, having reportedly swatted away the Boston’s offer of a 10-year, $300 million extension last month with visions of a 12-year, $420 million deal.A year in Los Angeles – “Hollywood lifestyle” and all – could give the Dodgers a leg up on the competition to sign Betts beyond 2020.If Betts helps rid the Dodgers of the championship-drought monkey on their back, though, all of this week’s moves will be worth it. LOS ANGELES — They spent the winter big-game hunting and finally bagged their prey.Gerrit Cole wanted to be a Yankee, the Dodgers said, and not even their $300 million could change his mind. Anthony Rendon wasn’t interested in the “Hollywood lifestyle” that comes with playing in Los Angeles, he said himself. Stephen Strasburg didn’t want to leave Washington. Francisco Lindor would have cost more than money and the Dodgers weren’t willing to part with Gavin Lux and Dustin May to land him.But they did land Mookie Betts. The 2018 American League MVP became a Dodger along with former AL Cy Young award winner David Price – finally – when a complicated tangle of trades were worked out then reconstructed. The deal became official Monday.“We obviously got the superstar they’ve been talking about all winter,” Dodgers right-hander Walker Buehler said on Sirius XM’s MLB Network Radio, caught for a reaction on his way to Arizona for the opening of training camps next week. “Sacrificed a little of our depth for it. But it’s obviously pretty exciting.” Cody Bellinger homer gives Dodgers their first walkoff win of season In the original configuration of the trade they hope will finally put them over the top in October, the Dodgers sacrificed surprisingly little – none of their top dozen prospects and only some of their payroll flexibility.But the Red Sox balked after their medical review of hard-throwing right-hander Brusdar Graterol and the Dodgers had to dig deeper into their system to rebuild the deal.Now prospects Jeter Downs (in Baseball America’s Top 100 for 2020) and Connor Wong will go to the Red Sox along with outfielder Alex Verdugo. Kenta Maeda still goes to the Minnesota Twins along with $10 million and minor-league catcher Jair Camargo. But now the Dodgers get to keep Graterol, who has a minor-league history as a starter but could figure into the Dodgers’ bullpen mix immediately. In addition, the Dodgers re-acquired minor-league outfielder Luke Raley (a 2016 draftee they sent to the Twins in the 2018 Brian Dozier trade) and will receive a competitive-balance pick in next year’s draft (the 67th overall).And they will keep outfielder Joc Pederson and right-hander Ross Stripling – at least for now. An ancillary trade that would have sent those two (and their salaries) to the Angels along with minor-league outfielder Andy Pages in exchange for utilityman Luis Rengifo and a prospect was scuttled after the deals with the Red Sox and Twins were reconfigured.Instead, the Dodgers designated for assignment first baseman Tyler White and outfielder Kyle Garlick to make room on the 40-man roster for the trade acquisitions. Without moving Pederson and Stripling (who will make a combined $9.85 million in 2020), the Dodgers’ projected payroll currently exceeds the luxury-tax threshold ($208 million) this year after dipping under the past two seasons.If adding the 2018 AL MVP to an outfield that already includes the 2019 National League MVP results in the team’s first championship in 32 years, it will be a small price to pay – in payroll and prospects.Betts is obviously the difference-maker in this deal. His addition already ends the winter of whining by Dodgers fans who took to social media over the past three months, gnashing their Twitter teeth over the front office’s swings and misses and gathering pitchforks and torches to march on Chavez Ravine.It was the Dodgers’ longest offseason since 2015 in more ways than one. But two months after Manager Dave Roberts’ Winter Meetings prophecy of “probably the most turnover we’ll have from one season to the next,” it has come true.“I think that you’ve got to shuffle the deck sometimes,” he said at a time when the Dodgers’ only acquisition was reliever Blake Treinen.They have done much more now, reloading a 106-win team and responding to the shock of their first-round playoff exit with the biggest gamble of the Andrew Friedman era.Related Articles Newsroom GuidelinesNews TipsContact UsReport an Error

In “Following my own advice” I described how I try to get something important done every day before checking emails. In that post I rather blithely referred to concentrating on ‘creating assets’, and loosely defined assets as “anything that adds value to your life. Value in this case is usually either money, or reputation, or both.” I’ve had a lot of interesting feedback on the post, mostly through my mailing list (feel free to join below), and one point that came up more than once is that I didn't define ‘assets’ clearly enough, so I thought I’d go through in detail what I think I should be spending my time on. You spotted how I carefully did not say “you should be spending your time on”, right? As ever, take my advice with a sceptical mind, and discard anything that doesn’t work for you. One big caveat: being self-employed means I have a dick of a boss who never gives me time off or a raise, but I can choose literally anything to work on. That's both a blessing and a curse. Here is the Master Asset List, my top three assets, in order of priority. 1) Mental Health Every experience you will ever have is mediated and experienced by your consciousness. There is no experience so blissful that you can’t be miserable during it, and no experience so awful that bliss is impossible. Perhaps the best single resource on this is Sam Harris’ book Waking Up, closely followed by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s book Flow. The key elements to my mental health are: 1. My relationships (primarily wife and children, other family and close friends, everyone else). 2. Meaningful work. Like writing this blog post. Or the next book. What makes it meaningful for me is its ability to transform other people’s lives for the better. 3. Meditation. I meditate every day, and have been doing so (with more or less regularity) for many years. The last year or so has been especially difficult (see here for an idea why), and one of my coping strategies has been to get a lot stricter about doing my meditation every day. It helps. I’ve written a short guide to getting started if you want to try it out. 4. Fun. Much underrated, but it is critically important to kick back and have fun often. Never underestimate the power of silly. All the rest of these assets listed below are only relevant or useful because they affect my state of mind. It’s easier to be mentally healthy when you’re physically healthy and not worried about money. 2. Physical Health “If you haven’t got your health, you haven’t got anything.” Count Rugen was a villain, but he spoke truth here. Physical health rests on two foundations: what you eat and how you move. - learn to cook - avoid sugar - eat lots of vegetables - pay attention to high quality fats, and - fast every now and then. That's a very big topic dismissed in a few lines, so do check out those links if you're interested. Exercise: How you move… hmmm, I wonder what kind of exercise a professional swordsman would recommend… ok, start with looking after your joints (here’s a free course on knee maintenance), and carry on by finding any physical activity that you enjoy, and do it regularly. That could be walking the dog, ballet, rock-climbing, trapeze, anything. Some activities are better adapted for long-term health than others, but if health is your priority you can probably avoid most of the damage that might be done during the less conservative activities. I’m a big fan of breathing exercises, as you probably know; they are the foundation of my movement practice, and they are specifically designed and intended for promoting health. An imperfect plan that you actually follow is way better than a perfect plan that you abandon, so it’s much more important to find something fun that keeps you moving, than it is to find the ‘perfect’ health-giving exercise. Moving your body should not be a chore. Sleep: The best single source on sleep matters (and sleep does matter!) is Matthew Walker’s Why We Sleep. In short, the more and better you sleep, the longer you live. Good sleep is really the ultimate time management strategy because it a) buys you more time because you live longer and b) makes your waking hours vastly more productive. There are so many factors affecting sleep that it would take a whole book to go into them (like Dr. Walker’s!), but I’ll summarise the main things that have helped me: - Avoid caffeine for at least 12 hours before bedtime. Yes, 12 hours. I only drink coffee at breakfast. Caffeine kills deep sleep. - Avoid alcohol, or at least get it all out of your system before bed. Alcohol kills REM sleep. - Keep the bedroom dark, cool, and quiet. - Stop eating at least 3 hours before bed. A full stomach affects sleep quality. - Nap, but not too long or too late. eg 30-60 minutes at 2pm. - All screens off at least an hour before bed, and screens after 8pm are set to ‘Night Mode’, cutting down on blue light. I could go on, but you get the picture. As with everything, experiment to see what works for you. I track sleep with the OURA ring, but you can use other tools, or just notice how you feel in the morning. Top tip: if you need an alarm to wake up, you haven’t slept enough. Once your mental and physical health are being attended to, then the next big thing is money. Money worries are truly toxic to your mental health, and can poison every aspect of your life. Think of those bankers jumping out of windows during the Great Depression, all because some numbers on a bit of paper were not the way they wanted them. Weird, huh? But real. Just choosing not to worry is an option, of course, but it's much easier for most people to actually do something to reduce expenditure and increase income. Incidentally, my favourite money blog is Mr Money Moustache. He's refreshingly unapologetic. I should point out that I am by no means rich- I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of months since I became an adult in which I had enough cash in the bank to cover the next month’s bills in advance. This is because I have always, always, put time-rich ahead of money-rich, on the grounds that you can always make more money but when time is spent, it’s gone for good. My first salary as a cabinet maker was £6000 per year. I learned fast enough to double that in two years. Woohoo! And swordsmen these days don’t make much cash either. In Finland, people’s tax returns are actually in the public domain- you can literally walk into the tax office and for a small fee get a copy of anybody’s. Let me save you the bother: here’s mine from last year in case you’re interested. But, and here’s the big BUT. Since the beginning of 2015, I’ve been effectively living off passive income. My books and other assets generate about enough money to live on, month by month. People buy my books and courses while I’m asleep. And, given that I’ve never made a lot of money, I’ve never become addicted to a large and regular income, so it took relatively little time or effort to get to the point where my assets were generating enough income to cover all normal expenses. This means that I am now much freer to choose the things I spend my time on. Like taking all day Wednesday off this week because it's my daughter's birthday and she has stuff planned from dawn 'till dusk. In short, my work priorities are: - do I think it's important, in terms of serving the art? - will it be good for my reputation? - will it force me to acquire new skills? - will it produce passive income? - is it scalable? Let's take those one at a time: 1. Serving the art: In my experience, every single time I've tried to be ‘businesslike' and put what should be a sensible business move in place it's gone horribly wrong. But when contemplating a course of action if I can look into my heart and say ‘yes, this will serve the art', then it's always turned out ok (even if it hasn't made any money). 2. Reputation: Not every asset generates income: some generate opportunity. When The Swordsman's Companion was published in 2004, it made me no money at all (there’s a story there, but after suing the publisher, part of the settlement included a mutual non-defamation agreement. Make of that what you will). But that book put me on the map as an instructor. I suddenly started getting invited to events to teach, which massively broadened my horizons. Students from all over the world started to get in touch, having heard of me because they found my book in a bookshop somewhere. My Singapore branch came into being because Chris Blakey and Greg Galistan stumbled upon my book in the Borders Bookshop there. And when the rights reverted to me in 2012, I self-published it, and now it pays the mortgage. 3. Acquire skills: Time spent working on skills is never wasted, especially skills that you learn for their own sake rather than for a specific objective. Because whatever skill you are learning, you are simultaneously learning how to learn, and, more importantly, if you’re learning for its own sake you are putting process over outcome. Let’s say I learned to speak German because I wanted a job in Germany. If I learned German but didn’t get the job, the time would have been wasted, and I wouldn’t take full advantage of being able to talk to Germans in their own language, to read German books and watch German films. But if I learned German for its own sake, and it happened to lead to a job, well that’s a bonus. A skill become an asset when they add value to your life. I really cannot think of a single skill I’ve ever regretted learning. And I can think of several that I learned ‘just because’, that then turned out to be professionally useful. Martial arts being the obvious example- I didn’t even think of turning professional until 2000, and I had about 15 years of training under my belt by then! 4. Passive income: There is nothing wrong with being paid for your time. And nothing wrong with being productive. But even in the classic model of employment, you’re supposed to retire at some point and live off your pension. Your pension is created by investments that pay you a passive income. This is how people in professions like dentistry can end up retiring in comfort- they make a good income per hour, being paid by the hour, but use a big chunk of that active income to buy assets (such as stocks and funds) that produce a passive income. A passive income is defined as income that requires no work on your part whatsoever. If you are packing and shipping your own books, that’s not passive income. If you have to be in a specific place, or awake at a specific time to get paid, that’s not passive income. When I am faced with a choice between producing something I can get paid once for (a woodworking commission, a writing commission, private lessons, seminars etc), or producing something that will generate a passive income stream, even a small one, then I will tend to choose the latter. Perhaps the most outrageous examples of this choice comes from the original Star Wars movie. Carrie Fisher sold her image rights outright for a sizeable chunk of money. Over a thousand dollars, I think, way back in the 70s when that was worth something. Alec Guinness got paid royalties. Guess which one did better? There was a lot of luck involved, but if you don’t have passive-income producing assets that might go all Harry Potter on you, then it cannot ever happen. Let’s put some numbers on this. The Swordsman's Companion makes about 10,000 dollars a year in income for me (it’s my best-selling book by a margin!). To generate similar returns, I would need at least 200k in traditional assets. Here’s an article on how that would work. If anyone wanted to buy that book off me outright, I’d therefore ask for at least 200k. Nobody in their right mind would offer me that much, so the book stays with me. Folk might stop buying it tomorrow. But folk might still be buying it in 50 years time. There is no way to know, and that is true of any asset. Stock markets crash like Italian drivers. There is no such thing as a perfectly safe investment- even cash loses value over time. My mother in law saved for a pension for 30 years- and just before she was due to retire, the fund (Eagle Star) crashed and she lost the lot. Nothing is safe, so the only sane course is diversification, which is why you can buy my books on any platform, in any format- so long as people still want to read about how to train with swords, they will be able to buy my books on the subject. 5. Scalable: A scalable asset is one which you create once, and can sell an infinite number of times. I have spent most of my working life producing non-scalable assets. Back when I was a cabinet maker, I would work for hours and hours on a piece of furniture, which was then sold. As a martial arts teacher, I would teach a class, which existed only in that moment. I got paid for that moment, but that was it. There is nothing wrong with this model if you have the energy to work full time forever, and never get sick. A non-scalable asset might produce passive income, but you can still only sell it once. A house that you rent out is a good example. It can be an excellent passive income stream, but you can only rent the house out to one tenant or group of tenants at a time. A book is scalable- you write it once, and when it’s published people can buy as many copies of it as they want. You don’t have to write each reader a new book. An online course is scalable too; create it once, sell it as many times as you like. Ideally, my most productive time is spent serving the art, building my reputation, learning skills, and producing scalable assets that produce passive income. So, that's how prioritise my time; how do you prioritise yours? This will be my last post this year, so let me close by wishing you a Merry Christmas, and a happy, mentally, physically and financially healthy New Year!

Filing a false lien is a hazardous game to play. Mechanics liens are valuable tools that contractors can use to recover funds in the event of a dispute, but they are regulated closely. The penalties for filing a false lien can be extremely steep in an effort to deter their use as a weapon of extortion and harassment — also known as “paper terrorism.” Table of Contents The value of a mechanics lien Appropriately used, mechanics liens are incredibly powerful tools that contractors can and should use to ensure the growth of their company. They can safeguard their businesses from non-payment and immoral business practices. Take an owner or GC abusing the pay schedule, for example. A mechanics lien can be the consequence of their action. Just knowing that a lien is a possibility can deter these would-be offenders. But, just as owners and GCs have the ability to abuse payment schedules, deadlines, and change orders, subcontractors can easily misuse the lien process. In some cases, particularly in states with lax lien laws, anyone can file a false lien — even if they didn’t perform any work on the property. In other cases, contractors with actual lien rights can include excessive amounts in their lien, which most states consider a form of fraud. What, if any, are the consequences of filing a fraudulent lien, then? Well, the answer is there are many, and some are very severe. What is a false lien? The definition of a false lien varies according to each state’s penal law. However, there are some general bad lien practices that you should avoid. Excessive lien amounts One way to land yourself in hot water is to file a lien with a demand for an excessive amount. Generally speaking, this means including amounts explicitly prohibited by state law. Many states will only allow a lien filer to include the contractual amount agreed upon at the project’s offset, plus change orders in some cases. This usually means you cannot include late fees for missed payment dates. You also cannot charge interest on the amount due or offset the interest you’ve had to pay to your creditors. On top of that, you won’t have the option to include filing fees or lawyers’ fees in your lien amount. Some states are more lenient, but you should still be careful. If your state allows, you can include late fees and interest. However, in some states, these fees need specific outlining in the original contract to be applicable. Also, including lawyers’ and filing fees might not be advisable, as the court may award them to you anyway. Liens for work not performed It might seem obvious that you could consider filing a fraudulent lien for work you didn’t even perform. It’s dishonest and basically stealing, right? However, not everyone on this path is trying to extort money. For example, in some states, some consultants do not qualify for rights to mechanics liens. Unless their work leads directly to an improvement on real property, filing a mechanics lien is not in the cards. Something else to consider is a project that falls through. You schedule the project, pay for lodging, organize mobilization, and then get word that the project won’t be going forward. Do you have lien rights? Probably not. None of that time or money went to the improvement of a real property. In both of these cases, a contractor may not realize that they don’t have lien rights. Technically, they’d be filing a false lien if they decided to move forward. Obviously, making up and filing a fictitious lien is a horrible thing to do to someone. But, billing for work not performed, or work that doesn’t technically qualify for a lien is entirely possible — even if you’re completely honest in your intentions. Paper terrorism is a tactic used by a citizen to harass, annoy, or extort money from a government official. It includes filing a false lien against the property of the public official for fictitious work. Paper terrorism is a popular weapon of sovereign citizens, who often file these false liens from the confines of prison. Several states now allow their filing offices to reject any claim they reasonably believe to be fictitious. While it’s unlikely that the filing clerk will recognize the name of every public official at first glance, this does help root out some of the paper terrorism against major public officials. While public officials are the usual targets, paper terrorism can also affect private citizens and businesses. These paper terrorists often weave complicated webs of liens in order to harass and annoy everyday people or companies that they feel wronged them in one way or another. Because liens are so powerful yet potentially easy to manipulate with bad intentions, there are consequences for abusing them. States are continually evaluating the threat of paper terrorism and increasing the legal consequences. The consequences of a false lien In general, filing a false, fraudulent, or exaggerated lien is a bad idea, and there are a lot of potential consequences. Let’s take a look at what can happen if you decide to or mistakenly file a false or fraudulent lien claim. You won’t receive the full lien amount Depending on where the project takes place, the governing state may be very strict in regard to lien amount inclusions. Increasing your lien amount by including filing fees, interest, late charges, and lawyers’ fees might not be the best practice. Even if your contract states that you’ll charge X amount for interest or late fees, the court will likely remove that amount from your lien’s value. This is an important consideration to keep in mind with smaller lien amounts with weaker footing. The lawyers’ fees and filing fees can potentially exceed the amount of the lien: That can be a big hit to your lien amount. A reduced lien amount is a relatively mild consequence for an exaggerated lien amount. If you’re in this boat, feel fortunate. The court can throw out your lien Mistakenly exaggerating your lien amount by including a contractually agreed-upon late fee is one thing. Stuffing your lien amount with extras in a state that doesn’t allow it is another. If a court believes that a claimant is purposely stuffing a lien with frivolous amounts, it will consider them a red flag. This is especially true in a state that doesn’t allow for extras in a lien amount. The court will likely see it as a false lien, which it will throw out or rule against right away, meaning your chances of getting paid are all but gone. One other thing to keep in mind: Just because a lien is invalid or frivolous, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s fraudulent. The takeaway: It’s best to be conservative with your lien amount. Learn more about what costs you can include in a mechanics lien here. In many states, losing your right to your payments may be the least of your concerns. While most states have some legal ramifications for filing fraudulent liens, some states have very strict penal laws around the matter. Filing a false lien can result in a misdemeanor or even a felony charge. For example, Section 32.49a sub 1 of the Texas Penal Code states that any person who “owns, holds, or is the beneficiary of a purported lien or claim asserted against real or personal property or an interest in real or personal property that is fraudulent,” may find themselves charged with a Class A Misdemeanor. Maryland’s Penal Code, Section 3-807(a) states, “A person may not file a lien or an encumbrance in a public or private record against the real or personal property of another if the person knows that the lien or encumbrance is: (1) false; or (2) contains or is based on a materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or representation.” Again, this is a misdemeanor charge. Florida is home to quite a few sovereign citizens, so it’s had to take a hardline for fraudulent lien claims. The Sunshine State’s answer for paper terrorism is a third degree felony, according to Florida Penal Law 713.31(3). It’s hard to enjoy all that sunshine from a prison cell. Making a habit of false liens in Utah, another paper terrorism hotbed, is a big no-no. Utah’s Penal Code Section 503.5 states a violation of 503.5 “is a third degree felony unless the person has been previously convicted of an offense under this section, in which case the violation is a second degree felony,” according to Section 4 sub B. Each state has its own approach and penalty for false and fraudulent liens. While individual state penal law sections can be confusing, a quick search or call to a construction lawyer should clear any confusion up. Mechanics lien rights are worth protecting While all of this red tape might make it seem like state laws discourage the use of mechanics liens, they are actually protecting the process. By deterring fraudulent liens, these laws help keep them available to everyday citizens that are trying to recover their money. Mechanics liens are an incredibly powerful tool that, when used correctly and morally, help keep food on the table and people employed. That’s something worth protecting.

Pssst… Hbr While Any Major Home business Is without a doubt Perishing Researching with "Storm CautionaryGet your price 29 writers online Everyone provides traded through affected start introduction dissertation paragraph, which in turn can certainly precisely become discussed like ‘dark times’ felon total motion picture essay ‘internal storms.’ In typically the composition “Storm Warnings”, Adrienne Prosperous sets up a poem’s primary record with all the heart connected with that poetry through buy so that you can imitate all the build up in addition to consequences associated with a new serious storm, offer you storm warnings adrienne vibrant studies essay division somewhere between the woman's exterior and additionally interior attack, not to mention expand upon concerning all the uselessness of dire warnings. Your girlfriend enterprise regarding the actual the particular focal time of this poetry will be critical, because the item is actually used with any middle. If all of us search with this very first not one but two stanzas, your lady makes use of vision that will fresh paint the graphic about your ex location. Utilizing, “The goblet comes with happen to be decreasing all of afternoon” together with “gray unrest is without a doubt changing throughout a land” (Rich, sections Have a look at ). For a lot of these quotes, the particular source is without a doubt picturing her natural world this is definitely infected from the particular thunderstorm. What exactly frequently arises when a fabulous surprise is certainly launched, thus your swelling so that you can them. After that we tend to see the girl get your girlfriend main affirmation from this finish for any subsequently stanza. “Weather out of the country and additionally the weather in a cardiovascular equal appear at whatever the case involving prediction” (Rich, line 13). It might be with this unique lines the fact that the actual creator to begin with describes a metaphorical surprise, a new tornado within all the cardiovascular system. The lady elected so that you can position that move through overall tone with all the central with the particular composition within structure to mirror this incidents about any proper storm. In your secondly 50 percent of connected with typically the poetry, the author has got switched to be able to the woman behavior when looking at the actual storm getting. This lady prepares himself in addition to will go on protection function so that you can protect little. “I lure that drape seeing that the skies goes black” (Rich, line 7 ). This particular basically no more time describes this escalation for you to the actual hurricane, rather a aftermath. The first and additionally next stanza represent a weather, for that literal perception, whereas the particular thirdly and additionally last stanzas reflect each of those some literal as well as indoor surprise. The woman will begin off this composition by way of describing the woman setting disturbed by way of all the surprise. Full makes the girl couch so that you can analyze external while soon enough for the reason that the particular clues involving your surprise come up with theirselves observable. “Watching boughs pressure towards typically the sky” (Rich, path 7 ). This kind of is actually the literal surprise since your lover is certainly describing typically the consequences from the particular tempest about ucas private declaration passage structure, real important things such mainly because, this air. Yet, on this second 1 / 2 connected with all the poetry, people discover all the journalist using a new metaphorical which means connected with safety with harm: “We can easily simply shut typically the shutters” (Rich, line 22). It affirmation suggests all the helplessness and also being connected with lose heart Affluent plus people get once individuals notice they will can’t do a great deal that will avoid all the thunderstorm. Full equally exposes the actual uselessness associated with warnings when it all arrives in order to warding away from tropical storm .When conversing regarding colon thunder storms, Prosperous describes in which a lot of families have a go with to be able to avert modification even although that is without a doubt not really a little something folks may control. A tornado should can be bought very little topic exactly how vigilant anyone are: “Weather another country […] take place about no matter of prediction” (Rich, series 13-14). Loaded says of which should the actual surprise has got already been predicted that will can be purchased, it all definitely will, and if the software hasn’t, it nonetheless will probably. Not even understanding in relation to the item truly does not stop that by drawing near. This kind of implements to be able to each the literal tornado along with a inner tornado. there are usually a number of what individuals check out in order to steer clear of almost any alterations inside their everyday living in anxiety of turmoil, designing your unrealistic storm alerts adrienne affluent test essay about handle more than its private and additionally inner hard thunder storms. Still, seeing that Full reports, “time around a side is actually definitely not command with time” (Rich, range 17 ). This approach is usually a fabulous metaphor for the purpose of any check out, symbols of the particular dimension from time, but simply just since most people are able to strategy moment will do not likely suggest that will jail inmates essay regulate them. Ethical issue around health care subject essay, within a external usb weather system, very little 1 provides influence in the particular weather, plus inside someone’s unique lifestyle certainly no contains command in excess of what differences can come subsequent. Your article author additionally suggestions located at capabilities your woman provides got via previous stormy weather, as a result of illustrating typically the draperies, so that you can lighting fixtures a good candlepower unit. “This can be our one safety next to all the season; such are usually the particular items the fact that we all own acquired to help you do” (Rich, range 26-27). These which usually have got practical knowledge along with various inner or simply usb thunder storms in most cases really are more set for the purpose of a then one; hence, Prosperous originates that will this conclusion that bringing the protective direction will be top while accomplished just by sample cover traditional intended for immigration paralegal essay dark situation. Adrienne Wealthy arranges this poem’s essential survey through that central in your poetry in purchase to help guide that reader’s storm dire warnings adrienne full study essay and even emotional baggage via a simulated feel and also that will underscore a from their significant themes: typically the in question valuation regarding storm safety measures adrienne affluent researching essay. Through working with metaphors, your lady might be thereby competent to fancy about that storm warnings adrienne loaded researching essay approximately scenes as a result of macbeth essay thunder storms and all the hurricane after only that absolutely everyone faces. 100% plagiarism free Sources and citations are provided In that poem “Storm Warnings”, Adrienne Wealthy organizes this poem’s main survey inside all the center about all the poetry during choose to be able to imitate the particular build up and additionally consequences associated with some sort of substantial rage, supply the actual scale among him / her external usb together with inside attack, not to mention involved concerning a uselessness regarding dire warnings. May perhaps Twenty six, 2018 · Around the particular poetry “Storm Warnings”, Adrienne Abundant organizes the poem’s primary assertion with typically the central with all the poem during structure to make sure you mirror this build-up and also consequences for a realistic weather system, furnish all the department among the surface not to mention ınner tornado, and additionally complex relating to a uselessness for alerts. Research for "Storm Warning Summary: Some sort of examination about typically the composition allowed "Storm Warnings" from Adrienne Vibrant. Your poetry eligible "Storm Warnings" by Adrienne Loaded is actually segregated directly into 4 stanzas along with twenty-eight compared to the. All the corporation of all the composition is . “Storm Warnings” would seem to be able to express not basically the weather conditions, though moreover some sort of significant occurrence with this living of any poet, Adrienne Full. Stanza 1 Your poet relates to your improve inside psychic readings through the measure or perhaps thermometer for the reason that magnifying glaas falling, letting your girlfriend this the attack is normally upcoming. “Storm Warnings” seems to be in order to summarize not even only climatic conditions illnesses, still furthermore your serious event around the particular lifestyle involving a poet, Adrienne Vibrant. Stanza 1 Typically the poet teaches a new modify around psychic readings for the barometer or maybe thermometer seeing that window falling, sharing with him / her which will a good weather system is actually heading. Might Twenty six, 2018 · Through a composition “Storm Warnings”, Adrienne Wealthy arranges typically the poem’s essential report for this mid for typically the composition inside choose to be able to mimic a swelling and additionally consequences regarding the serious surprise, supply any category among your ex usb plus bodily rage, together with intricate upon that uselessness about safety measures. “Storm Warnings” appears to be for you to describe definitely not basically weather situations, however additionally some important occasion inside this lifetime from a poet, Adrienne High. Stanza 1 The particular poet portrays a adjust through psychic readings through an important measure or perhaps thermometer for the reason that decanter or glass dropping, educating him / her the fact that a fabulous tempest might be emerging. “Storm Warnings” appears to be so that you can refer to possibly not solely temperature types of conditions, although also a key celebration through all the existence of any poet, Adrienne Abundant. Stanza 1 That poet describes the transform around blood pressure measurements within an important measure or perhaps thermometer when wine glass slipping, updating the which a weather system is forthcoming. For a poetry “Storm Warnings”, Adrienne Rich sets up that poem’s primary declaration around any heart for your composition through buy so that you can imitate the particular build-up together with aftermath from any serious weather, furnish this splitting among the woman's external along with colon surprise, not to mention expand upon concerning your uselessness involving safety measures. Adrienne Abundant, a new celebrated confessional poet, employs specific structural pattern in buy in order to talk about literal in addition to metaphorical symbolism inside him / her composition, "Storm Warnings". Typically the intelligently intended design enables the girl's to advance for a powerful planned method to help describe together an external and even internal turmoil put on through typically the wedding speaker. Rich’s “Storm Warnings” can be additional with regards to this central contradiction. That audio throughout that poem tells you pertaining to any rage, however typically the sub will be truly thinking in relation to this emotional in addition to indoor contradiction with on their own. You will prepare the customized essay trial in Poems by simply Adrienne Unique.

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How to Overcome Anxiety at Bedtime and Get a Better Night’s Sleep Did you know that May is Better Sleep Month? I didn’t realize it until speaking with someone from Casper. Casper is the most awarded mattress of the century. They were even named one of Time Magazine’s Best Inventions of 2015. Think they know a thing or two about the importance of sleep? I’d say so. As Arianna Huffington pointed out in Casper’s Sleep Symposium, “Many of us are so used to being tired all the time that we think that is the new norm. If you go to Google and type in ‘Why am I…’ Do you know what is the most common autocomplete? ‘Why am I so tired?'” There are various sleep problems that keep us from getting a restful, healing night’s sleep. We’re going to look at a few of them as we close out May. The one I wanted to tackle first it Anxiety. Why? Because, judging from the e-mail I receive, it’s one of the biggest sleep problems people are experiencing. We know the basics when it comes to “setting the stage” for a great night’s sleep: - Comfortable mattress, pillows, sheets, and covers. - Comfortable sleepwear. - Keeping your bedroom dark. Our mind, naturally, associated darkness with sleep and light with being awake. This is part of the reason iPads and other devices are such a bad idea at bedtime. Your eyes “register” the light and your brain receives the wrong signal. - Comfortable room temperature. Experts suggest that 65 degrees is the best temperature for sleep. - Turning off all electronic devices at least 10 minutes before lying down… and (even more importantly) keeping them off! The problem with anxiety, however, is the fact that its victim can set the stage and still not fall asleep or stay asleep. The reason is they can’t turn off their mind as easily as they can turn off the lights. The light and devices go off, the brain stays on… very much on. The good news is this is not how the story ends. Not from a long shot. Below are tips that will, I hope, help you get a better night’s sleep if you suffer from any type of anxiety. Start Thinking About Bedtime at Least Two Hours Before You Hit the Sheets This may seem kind of odd, but stick with me, it’s actually vital. It’s all about unwinding – or to be more exact – winding down. If you’re in the habit of watching dramas, action movies, ballgames, or (yikes!) the evening news right before bedtime, you aren’t setting the stage for restful sleep. I’m not suggesting you give these up… not at all. As a baseball fanatic, I’d just dare anyone to try to get between me and my ballgames! I understand, nighttime television viewing is a wonderful way to relax after a long day. What I’m suggesting is this – construct a “bridge” between the high-energy tv viewing and bedtime. Depending upon your personal level of anxiety, the prognosis of going from HIGH energy to sleep within a reasonable time frame is about as realistic as the tooth fairy. You could begin, at the end of your television viewing, reading for thirty minutes. Some people enjoy turning on something incredibly relaxing like the Weather Channel or golf to close out the day. You could even begin recording your favorite cooking show and watching an episode each night before bed. Cooking shows are off the chart relaxing. Two hours before bedtime, cut off all caffeine. If you battle anxiety, you probably have already cut back on caffeine (smart move) – but make certain you don’t have any for at least two hours before you go to bed. As for food, try not to eat much before bedtime. Digesting requires energy and the e-word is the last thing you want when you’re trying to sleep. Try Listening to Calming, Relaxing Music There are countless relaxation apps (just be sure you put your device away when you lie down!) with soothing music. You could also go “old school” and listen to a cd or even relaxing music YouTube. If you search for Japanese Garden Music on YouTube, you will not be disappointed. As the graphic above suggests, you could find a meditation app and use it right before bedtime. Nature sounds are also blissfully relaxing. There are apps for these as well. Personally, I love a good old-fashioned fan. In fact, I associate the sound of a fan with sleep so soundly that, in the summer, I have to be careful turning one on in my home office. I made the mistake one day last August and it took me three hours to accomplish one post. And it was a short one! Turn off Your Thought Factory Okay, I’ll go ahead and admit it – I do not battle anxiety, so this is easy for me to say. From what I’ve heard (from readers as well as family members), there is no flip switch on anxious thoughts. Instead of turning thoughts off, let’s just think of turning the channel on our thoughts. If you tend to have worrisome thoughts at bedtime, you’re going to have to outsmart them. Here’s a cool mental exercise: Think of a small white poodle. It’s a little girl poodle with a pink bow on top of her hair. She’s lying on a big pink pillow and looking cuter than she has a right to look. Now think of a plate of spaghetti. The noodles are mounded up and topped off with a delicious, meaty sauce with mushrooms, onions, and garlic. You better believe it’s topped with Parmesan cheese! You went from FiFi on a pillow to dinner in the blink of an eye. Why? Because your brain is an incredible machine, that’s why! In the same way you just switched channels on your thoughts, do so the next time you’re lying in bed thinking of the electric bill, Christmas shopping, your daughter’s ridiculous new haircut, your husband’s spending habits…. switch the thought channel and focus (not just think… focus) on a favorite color, visions of the sky, the sound of rain on a summer afternoon… Pick one thing that is relaxing or satisfying to you and focus entirely on it. Just be sure you stick with one. If you start out thinking about one, then your brain gets cute and tries to switch to another, you’re going to be annoyed and, worst of all, as anxious as you were before. This one is my personal favorite – which is why I saved it for last. While apps, music, fans, etc, can be a wonderful place to start – your ultimate goal is to be able to control your own destiny when it comes to sleep. When you get to where you can unwind and slide deliciously into a restful night’s sleep without the aid of any device or sound, you’ll be in complete control and that’s a wonderful place to be. After my mother died in 2006, I developed horrible sleep problems. Like those of you with anxiety, my brain would NOT turn off and it was a hideous ordeal. It’s even worse for people who deal with anxiety because a lack of sleep makes their anxiety worse. They pay for it the next day when they aren’t able to sleep. It’s a vicious cycle! When I went through this period of time, I dreaded bedtime because it felt like a battle each night. I finally found a trick that worked for me and I believe it can work for anyone who needs a little help shutting off their brain at night. I decided to try something “visual.” I looked through the photographs on my phone – looking for one that evoked a feeling of peacefulness and relaxation. When I came across a picture of a beautiful lake, I knew I’d found just what I needed. I studied the picture and began, each night, to visualize the photograph. The peaceful setting brought about relaxation but that was only half the magic. Focusing on the picture instead of the pain was probably even more important. If you don’t have personal pictures that do the trick, look through magazines, books, or even do a Google Image search for “relaxing pictures.” You’ll turn up lakes, birds, candles, oceans, etc – just find the one that whispers, “Relaxation” to you. Use Essential Oils and Aromatherapy A lot of people, me included, swear by aromatherapy for improving your sleep. Click the link to find out how to use aromatherapy and essential oils to make your sleep as sweet as it can possibly be! Make Your Busy Mind Work FOR You Instead of AGAINST You On the playground of minds, anxious minds are in the hyper-active crowd. Busy, busy, busy. So, if this is something you can’t fight, go with it. If your brain refuses to shut off at night, another trick is to focus on an activity. Some minds are simply too busy to use a relaxing image (like the suggestion above). These busy bee minds need to buzz a little more. If this is the case for you, go ahead and think… just think creatively. Here’s one exercise: Close your eyes and relive one of the best days you ever had. See the sights, smell the smells, hear the sounds, and feel the emotions. Focus your energy on that day. Here’s another: Close your eyes and focus on the darkness until an object takes shape. The first one to take shape may be a ball or a star. The next may be more detailed, like a bird or tree. The images and shapes will fade in and out of “view” and (trust me) it’s completely relaxing. Here’s another: This exercise should probably come under its own category heading, but it’s too late to turn back now. Get comfortable – with your pillow just right and your arms just where they ought to be…. close your eyes.. now imagine that your toes are being massaged. The masseuse is using warm lotion and is working slowly across each toe. Now imagine that the process is carried up to the arches of your feet… then the heels… (by this time your eyes may be rolling into the back of your head). I’ve tried this exercise many times and have NEVER even made it to my knees. Remember: It’s a Process As you try each of the above suggestions, remember that it’s a process. You’re a professor and you’re in the lab looking for the cure. You may not find it right off the bat.. then again, you may do just that. Keep looking until you find your own magic key to unlock the sweetest sleep you’ve ever had. Thanks to Casper for the image above and the inspiration to write this article! Wishing you sweet sleep!

Orlando, Robert. Apostle Paul: A Polite Bribe. Eugene Ore.: Cascade Books, 2014. 174 pp. Pb; $23. Link to Wipf & Stock A “Polite Bribe” refers to Paul’s collection for the poor saints in Jerusalem. Robert Orlando’s thesis is that Paul needed the approval of Jerusalem in order to continue to preach the Gospel. He therefore agreed to give a gift to the Jerusalem church in exchange for their approval to preach his Gospel to the Gentiles. Orlando understands one of the main problems for Paul was his continual “battle with this sense of legitimacy as an apostle and as a missionary to the Gentiles” (xxiii). As evidence for this is the Galatians 2, Paul’s conflict with “men from James” and the subsequent rejection of table fellowship by Barnabas and Peter. Orlando paints a vivid picture of Paul’s Gospel as radical and “counterintuitive” to the majority of early (Jewish) Christians (29). There does seem to be a deep division between James as a leader of the Jerusalem church, Peter as a missionary along the fringes of Judaism and Paul, who was appointed by Jesus to go directly to the Gentiles. In Acts, Luke does tend to smooth over these divisions in favor of presenting the early church as more united than perhaps it really was. The Antioch Incident (Galatians 2), the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15) and Paul’s arrest after he returned to Jerusalem with the Collection (Acts 21:17-22:29) are all evidence of a sharp struggle between Paul and other early Christians who considered the Law as required even for Gentiles. This is especially a problem when Jews and Gentiles shared meals and celebrated Communion together. At the heart of Orlando’s thesis is his assumption Paul needed (or wanted) approval from the original apostles. There are two problems with this assumption. Is there any evidence the original Twelve or James had an interest in appointing additional apostles? When Judas died he was replaced, but this is prior to Pentecost (Acts 1). After James the son of Zebedee is killed in Acts 12, there appears to be no effort to replace him as one of the Twelve. When there is need for leadership among the Hellenistic Jews in Jerusalem, they are told to appoint their own leaders (who are not called apostles, Acts 6). It is not as though the Twelve constitute a governing body for the church who have the authority to authorize preachers of the Gospel. Second, a fair reading of Galatians 1-2 and 2 Corinthians 10-11 should be enough evidence to indicate Paul was not overly concerned what the Jerusalem church thought of his mission to the Gentiles. He claims an independent apostleship based on his encounter with Jesus. I agree he would have preferred to have the “right hand of fellowship” from Jerusalem, but he does not seem to have ever claimed to be working under the authority of Jerusalem, the Twelve, or James. Orlando’s most remarkable suggestion that James and the original apostles required a monetary gift in exchange for their approval of Paul as an apostle. He describes this as a kind of Temple Tax imposed on Gentiles to assist the poor, James had his followers in Jerusalem (59). It is true James asked Paul to remember the poor, the very thing Paul was “eager to do “(Gal 2:10). It is even probably the case James understood the “poor” to be his Jerusalem church which was still living in common in anticipation of the return of Christ. But to describe this as a price paid for authorization to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles runs far past what the evidence could prove. Paul does not hurry back to Jerusalem in Acts 20-21 in order to offer a bribe to James, but to arrive on the day of Pentecost with a gift from the Gentile churches. He wants to evoke memories of the Day of Pentecost from Acts 2 when the Spirit of God was first poured out on the Jewish believers. For Paul, the Collection is a first-fruits offering from the Gentiles to those who were followers of Jesus from the beginning. Orlando is indebted to the old History of Religions view that Paul adapted Greek and Roman myth better present the Gospel to Gentiles. For example, he says on several occasions Paul used the dying and rising god myths from Greek mystery religions (85), stating that Paul need “secret wisdom in order to avoid critique: in the public square. As a result this commitment to Paul’s adoption of Mithraism, he often misses the Jewish foundations of Paul’s theology. One result of the explosion of studies in the tradition of the New Perspective on Paul is an awareness of just how Jewish Paul remained after his so-called conversion. Orlando’s presentation on circumcision, for example, is described in terms of modern practices which were not necessarily present in the first century (metzizah b’peh, for example). There are several bold assertions which would be hard to support from evidence. Orlando explains Paul’s desire to launch a final journey to Spain, the “end of the known world” as an attempt to “trigger the second coming of Christ” (84). For Orlando, this is in fact Paul’s motivation for dispensing with food laws and circumcision for Gentiles, God was about to “dissolve the distinctions between Jew and Greek in the Kingdom” (37). It would be very difficult to support this assertion from the letters of Paul or the book of Acts, and “dissolving the distinction between Jew and Gentile” is not part of any Second Temple period Jewish expectations for the coming Kingdom! Fourth Ezra, for example, sees no future for Gentiles in the Kingdom at all (nor for most Jews, for that matter). According to Orlando, Paul was dispatched to Antioch to work as a protégé under Barnabas in Antioch (35), although in Acts Barnabas seeks out Paul because Gentiles are responding to the Gospel in Antioch (Acts 11:25-26). For some reason Orlando omits the mission to Cypress in Acts 13. Luke uses the symbolic miracle, Paul’s blinding of Bar-Jesus, to indicate a shift from Barnabas to Paul. Luke then follows that miracle with a detailed synagogue sermon which presents Paul’s understanding of what God is doing in the present age. Rather than focus on this data, Orlando describes a breach between Paul and Barnabas: “he’d had enough” of Paul and returned to Antioch where he eroded Paul’s relationship with the church (44). It is not Barnabas who leaves Paul, but John Mark. Paul and Barnabas continue as partners through the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15) and only split when Barnabas insists on restoring John Mark to the ministry team. Assuming an imprisonment in Ephesus, Orlando asserts Paul wrote 1 Corinthians from prison in a state of despair, “possibly a loss of faith” (93), which he suggests is akin to a “nervous breakdown” (the title of the chapter, although he never quite states his in the text). To describe Paul’s ministry in Ephesus as “two or three years immobilized, probably ‘lying there and rotting’” (93) completely misunderstands how Luke presents Paul in Acts 19. Although Paul may have been imprisoned for a time in Ephesus (and he probably wrote Philippians during that time in prison), he evidently spent at least two years teaching and preaching so that “all Asia heard the word of the Lord” (Acts 19:9-10). Rather than “lying there are rotting” Paul established churches and trained people to plant additional churches (Epaphras and Colossae, for example). Orlando is a film-maker and not a New Testament scholar. He tells the story of Paul in narrative fashion with little awareness of scholarship on Luke-Acts or Paul. Often his source for a particularly striking idea is not the text of the New Testament or a published commentary or monograph, but an interview from his film, A Polite Bribe. This would be unacceptable in a scholarly monograph, but since this book is a companion to the film, it is less problematic. Sometimes his sense of story-telling goes beyond the evidence. He presents his idea of starting the story of the church with Paul rather than the Gospels as a new and groundbreaking idea. This is not exactly news to biblical scholars, especially those who focus on the writing of Paul. For example, Jens Schröter contributed an article to Paul and the Heritage of Israel (LNTS 452; T&T Clark, 2012) on “Paul the Founder of the Church: Reflections and Reception of Paul in the Acts of the Apostle sand the Pastoral Epistles.” Certainly Reformation theology stands on the foundation of Paul and his epistles. One additional concern: the book seems to breathe the air of conspiracy. This is a byproduct of the presentation of the book as a film, since a documentary which claims to uncover some dark secret suppressed by the Church is likely to be more popular. For example, Paul’s Jewish opponents “hatch a conspiracy against him” in Corinth (73). This was more or less a standard Roman lawsuit and not a “conspiracy.” It was common problem in Roman culture and Paul treats it 1 Corinthians 6. Orlando detects a “shipboard conspiracy” against Paul on the trip to Jerusalem forcing them to return to shore (107). There is not much evidence for this in the text; Orlando does not cite the book of Acts, but rather an interview with Robert Jewett in his film. Conclusion: A Polite Bribe is an interesting approach to the difficult problem of Paul’s relationship with James and Jerusalem. Orlando should be commended for taking Paul seriously and attempting to get behind the scenes of Acts and the Epistles, although there are many assertions in this book which will not stand up to close scrutiny. His narrative method makes for easy reading, although his non-scholarly approach seems to create some problems which erode the value of his main point. NB: Thanks to Wipf & Stock for kindly providing me with a review copy of this book. This did not influence my thoughts regarding the work.

>One never knows where one will find profound metaphors for human existence and society, and I certainly wasn’t looking for one while channel surfing last weekend after a morning of yard and house work. However, I had the good fortune to flip on Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom and observe a perfect analogy to what our once-great society has become. That episode was about the cheetah, the fastest land animal on earth. The cheetah is a beautiful creature. As the show pointed out, it is literally built for speed at the expense of brute strength, of which it has relatively little compared to other predators in its habitat. While unfortunate for the antelope, it was nonetheless quite inspiring to watch a high-speed pursuit of that animal by the cheetah, exhibiting gracefulness which rose to the level of poetry. Having made her kill, the cheetah brought the antelope back to feed herself and her young. However, the story was not to end so happily for this family. The smell of blood in the air had attracted a pack of one of the cheetah’s competitors, the hyena. While the aforementioned lack of brute strength would probably not allow the cheetah to fight off even one hyena, that fact was irrelevant in that it was ten or twelve hyenas which now threatened her. Why? They were after the antelope – the fruits of the cheetah’s labor – and were going to use their greater numbers to take it from her by force. They weren’t intent upon killing the cheetah or her young, but were willing to do so, if necessary, to obtain her property without her consent. The cheetah weighed the risks to herself and her cubs and retreated, left to try to make up the loss elsewhere to provide for her family. A few nights later I broke an embargo of sorts and actually watched a “news” program. I tuned in Cavuto on Fox News, which is one of the few shows where actual journalism seems to occur occasionally, despite its network affiliation with right wing propagandists Hannity and O’Reilly. Cavuto’s regular panel of guests is arguably the most libertarian one can find anywhere in the “mainstream media,” regularly featuring Jonathan Hoenig, Peter Schiff, and even Yaron Brook, President of the Ayn Rand Institute. That night, the auto company bailouts were again on the docket, and familiar arguments were made by Hoenig and the other panelists about why the results would be worse if the government took control of the auto industry. Cavuto’s token panelist from the left (a female panelist whose identity I have been unable to verify), made the now also-familiar argument that “we bailed out Wall Street and now Main Street is demanding that the government do something for them.” Most of the panelists answered correctly that they were against the Wall Street bailouts as well, a point that was left unemphasized due to several people talking at once. However, the real chance for a meaningful debate still lay ahead. The boisterous Cody Willard set the stage when he said, “if you want to help them, send them your money, but don’t hold a gun to my head.” The reply from the panelist arguing the liberal perspective was monumental: “That’s why we have a democratically-elected government and the people want the government to do something.” When she gave that answer, it was time to stop the quips, the witticisms, and even delay going to a commercial, if necessary. Despite the fact that the host trivialized the exchange by talking over part of both her and Willard’s comments, the exchange between the two was enormous beyond what most viewers probably realized. There are many who would probably consider Willard’s statement a half-facetious exaggeration for effect. It was not. It is the horrifying reality of what any government bailout or other redistribution of wealth represents. We as Americans have forgotten that all government action is exercised under exactly these circumstances: at gunpoint. That is the purpose of government, to exercise brute force on behalf of its constituents when it becomes necessary to do so. That is why our government was originally so limited. The founders of our nation believed that brute force was only justified in self defense. Therefore, government action was limited to protecting its constituents from harm by other people, whether it was harm by a fellow citizen or a foreign army. However, when the government undertakes to “do something” about a failed bank or auto company, it really means that We the People have decided to apply brute force to the problem, even though it is not a matter of self defense. Willard was completely accurate: a government bailout of a distressed auto company, whether it saves jobs or not, is really the people using their collective means of brute force (the government) to take property from one group of people and give it to another. This exchange is done at gunpoint – there is no consent by the party being taken from. Had the managers or the employees of the auto company armed themselves and sought to raise the funds themselves by stealing them at gunpoint from the people directly, they would have been arrested and prosecuted for armed robbery. However, Willard’s opponent in the debate argues that there is some ethical difference because a “democratically-elected government” acts as the armed robber in their stead. What can the difference possibly be? This is the fundamental question that we as a society must answer if we are ever going to reverse the downward spiral we find ourselves in. Do we believe that individuals have inalienable rights or do we believe that a majority vote can take those rights away? If one takes an objective look at our society as it has evolved over the past century, one must conclude that we have already answered it. Stripped of euphemism, almost every government institution in our society amounts to us using the brute force of government to violate the inalienable rights of our neighbors. Let us consider just a few examples. Government involvement in healthcare has driven the price so high (through the artificial demand it creates) that the poor and elderly cannot afford it. Our answer is to apply the brute force of government to steal the money at gunpoint from one group of people to provide healthcare to another. In a truly bizarre development, that practice has now resulted in such high prices that almost no one can afford healthcare. So, we will now steal from everyone to provide healthcare for everyone. Lewis Carroll couldn’t have dreamed of anything quite so mad. In order to be able to stop working but still enjoy the quality of life we feel we deserve after a certain age, we use the brute force of government to steal from those who are still productive to support those who are not. We could save for our retirement, but we choose instead to steal. We call this “Social Security.” It should be called, “Anti-Social Insecurity.” Similarly, in order to afford to buy a house without saving the necessary down payment and establishing superior credit, we use the brute force of government to compel our neighbors to guarantee our mortgage loans with their money. When the inevitable tsunami of defaults occurred last summer, some objected to the government stealing the money to cover the losses of the banks. In truth, the money had been stolen decades ago, the minute that Fannie Mae was established. Rather than saving the money for college tuition or allowing our children to work their way through college if we cannot afford to pay the tuition in full, we use the brute force of government to compel our neighbors at gunpoint to guarantee our student loans with their money. As with healthcare, this evil practice has driven the price of college tuition so high that not only are students going into long-term debt just to pay for their education, but their parents are taking out decades-long loans as well. Should fortune not smile upon us or should we not develop marketable skills with which to obtain employment, we use the brute force of government to steal the money needed to sustain us from our fellow citizens. We call this the “social safety net,” but it also should be recognized as “anti-social.” If we believe that we have a scientific theory that could lead to a new discovery that will benefit society (and enrich ourselves), we do not seek out capital to research it from those who can provide it voluntarily. We use the brute force of government to steal the money from our neighbors with the flimsy justification that “federal funding of research” will “benefit all of society” with a new medicine or a new technology. This is by no means the length and breadth of the ways in which we violate each other’s rights on a daily basis. Every program funded by government, besides those that have the express purpose of defending our rights (police forces, the courts, the military), amount to the same thing: using our collective means of brute force to extract money from one group and give it to another. What should be obvious is that it is not one evil group (the poor, the elderly, the corporations, Wall Street, etc.) that engages in this morally repugnant practice. Politicians will pick their scapegoats to play to their own power bases. The Republicans will blame the poor to get votes and campaign contributions from their base, the corporations and the rich. The Democrats will blame the rich and the corporations to get votes and campaign contributions from their base, the unions, average Americans, and the poor (the poor have only their votes to give and get back only the most miserable portion of the loot). However, we must wake up to the fact that we all have a hand in this. The steady growth of one redistribution scheme after another has made it virtually impossible to function in our society without in some way participating in the looting of our fellow citizens, while we are at the same time looted ourselves. We have established all of these redistribution schemes through the democratic process. This past century has not been a progressive century. It has been a regressive one. We have regressed from a society of free people that respect each other’s inalienable rights to a society that is based upon competing groups stealing from one another through the brute force of government. We use only the support of greater numbers (majority vote) to justify the institution of each new crime. We have regressed to the brutal law of the jungle. We have become a nation of hyenas. This has all followed logically from one fundamental break we made from our founding principles. We have elevated democracy to an ideal, at the expense of the individual rights that our government – and any government of free people – was constructed to protect. We have convinced ourselves that anything a majority vote sanctions is just, even if it violates those rights. Once we accepted that premise, the seeds of our destruction were sown. As one might expect, this is something that the founders of our nation warned us specifically against. When one takes an objective look at our founding documents, the first thing that should jump off the pages is how little democracy there really was in our original government. Only the House of Representatives was chosen directly by the people, with the president and senate chosen indirectly by electors or the state legislatures, respectively. More importantly, it is vital to realize what all of the limits, checks and balances, and even the Bill of Rights were intended to protect us from. They were intended to protect us from democracy. One does not need to engage in interpretation to support this claim. The founders said it explicitly on more occasions that one could count. Here are just a few examples: “Democracy is the most vile form of government … democracies have ever been spectacles of turbulence and contention: have ever been found incompatible with personal security or the rights of property: and have in general been as short in their lives as they have been violent in their deaths,” “The majority, oppressing an individual, is guilty of a crime, abuses its strength, and by acting on the law of the strongest breaks up the foundations of society.” “There is no maxim, in my opinion, which is more liable to be misapplied, and which, therefore, more needs elucidation, than the current one, that the interest of the majority is the political standard of right and wrong.” These vitriolic attacks upon democracy and majority vote from the founders of our nation would probably surprise most Americans. Nevertheless, there they are. The founders understood that democracy was a means, not an end. Their end was protection of the inalienable rights of each individual. Democracy was only good and just insofar as it helped to defend those rights. Furthermore, it must be prevented from being used to violate them. Again, the founders said this explicitly. “In short, it is the greatest absurdity to suppose it in the power of one, or any number of men, at the entering into society, to renounce their essential natural rights, or the means of preserving those rights; when the grand end of civil government, from the very nature of its institution, is for the support, protection, and defence of those very rights; the principal of which, as is before observed, are Life, Liberty, and Property. If men, through fear, fraud, or mistake, should in terms renounce or give up any essential natural right, the eternal law of reason and the grand end of society would absolutely vacate such renunciation. The right to freedom being the gift of God Almighty, it is not in the power of man to alienate this gift and voluntarily become a slave.” This passage elucidates another conclusion that proceeds from natural law. Not only is each individual prohibited from using the majority vote to violate the rights of his fellow citizens, he is prohibited from using that vote even to relinquish his own rights. That is because rights are not granted by society. They are inherent in man’s nature itself. They are non-transferable. They cannot be taken or even given away. That is the meaning of “inalienable.” It was at the turn of the last century that we made the fundamental change in our philosophy. Since that time, we have held democracy up as our ideal at the expense of our natural rights. We did this primarily to justify the routine violation of one specific right: property. It is no accident that as democracy has become more and more extolled as an ideal, property has become more and more reviled. We have even had professors in American universities teach their students that “property is theft.” Of course, like the hyena, we really do not care what our fellow citizens say or believe. We will not expend much energy in violating their rights to free speech or freedom of religion, because in the end we have nothing to gain from violating those rights. However, by violating their rights to the fruits of their labor, we do gain enormously at their expense. This is the true danger of democracy. We must face up to this plain fact and stop talking about everything but property. As Adams also said, “Now what liberty can there be where property is taken away without consent?” We are at a crossroads. The system we have built upon the brutal law of the jungle is about to collapse. We are presently suggesting even more brute force (government) to try to preserve it. If we continue on this course, the relationship between predator and prey on the African savannah will seem civilized compared to the state of our society. Unfettered democracy – not unfettered capitalism – has brought us here. We must choose respect for our inalienable rights over the loot that unfettered democracy can provide us with. If not, we must admit to ourselves that the way in which we live and deal with one another is no different from that of the savage beasts of the jungle. A return to our founding principles is our only hope. Are we not men? Check out Tom Mullen’s new book, A Return to Common Sense: Reawakening Liberty in the Inhabitants of America. Right Here! “Cavuto” Fox Business News May 27, 2009. While hard-core progressives might call her a “Fox News Liberal” for even appearing on the hated network, her role on this telecast was without question to argue the liberal side of the issue. Madison, James Federalist #10 Jefferson, Thomas To Dupont de Nemours Washington ed. vi, 591 1816 Madison, James Letter to James Monroe October 5th, 1786 Samuel Adams The Rights of the Colonists (1772) The Report of the Committee of Correspondence to the Boston Town Meeting, Nov. 20, 1772 Old South Leaflets no. 173 (Boston: Directors of the Old South Work, 1906) 7: pg. 419.

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The West’s scary new catch phrase for anything the diabolical Russians do is “hybrid war,” accusing Moscow of spreading propaganda and funding NGOs, pretty much what the West has been doing for decades, as Gilbert Doctorow explains. By Gilbert Doctorow The momentum into a new Cold War – and possibly toward World War III – is growing stronger, a process in Europe that has the look of a brain-dead continent sleepwalking toward the abyss, unwilling or unable to resist the accumulation of harsh propaganda against Russia. Indeed, the new buzz word in the West — directed against anyone who challenges whatever extreme charge is made against Moscow — is that you’re part of Russia’s “hybrid war” against the West. In other words, silencing these few voices of dissent is portrayed as a defensive measure against “Russian aggression.” Of course, this intimidation of those speaking up against a new Cold War is reminiscent of the old Cold War when people who urged peaceful coexistence were smeared as communist stooges. Now, you can expect to be dismissed as a fifth columnist serving your Kremlin masters as they wage “hybrid war,” a vague concept that suggests that criticizing the West’s policies is just one element of a hostile strategy hatched in Moscow. A microcosm of this benighted attitude could be seen in an otherwise humdrum conference last week before the European Parliament, which aside from its quasi-legislative functions is host to numerous informational events in its conference rooms and auditoriums. The organizer of the event was Anna Fotyga, a European parliamentarian (or MEP) from Poland who has had a very high profile in that country’s domestic politics within what is now the ruling party in Warsaw, the right-wing Law and Justice party (PiS in Polish). During 2006-2007, she was the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the first government of the Kaczynski brothers, PiS’ founders. The foreign policy of PiS both then and today is marked by Euroskepticism and hostile rhetoric directed against Poland’s big neighbors, Germany and Russia, although today the emphasis is one of Russophobia and a full-scale resurrection of a Cold War in which Poland plays a unique role as America’s advance military post and bastion against Russia. For Fotyga, serving in the European Parliament (EP), is by no means a political exile, as is often assumed to be the case when speaking about high-flying politicians who are sent to Brussels. On the contrary, the EP has provided her with an excellent platform to continue on a pan-European scale the policies she worked on from Warsaw. Fotyga has been a leading member of the group of 75 MEPs from Poland and the Baltic States, accounting for just 10 percent of the parliamentary seats, who have been the driving force behind a succession of virulently anti-Russian resolutions that were approved with ever greater frequency by the European Parliament in the past couple of years. From her words last week, it was clear that she is now working on a new effort to pass a law through the EP that requires European non-governmental organizations (or NGOs) receiving funding from abroad to report the details to the authorities. It was not clear, however, whether the application would be universal or just concern funding coming from Russia, though the context of the meeting suggests such selective application is likely what is intended. Surely it would not be in the interests of the sponsors of the bill to publicize the extent to which European civil society is being funded and directed by proxies of the U.S. government. As Fotyga told us, the model for such a law is the U.S. Foreign Agents Registration Act, which served also as the model for the Kremlin a couple of years ago when it introduced such a requirement amid concerns that U.S.-funded operations such as the National Endowment for Democracy might try to initiate a “color revolution” in Moscow, similar to what has occurred in other ex-Soviet states and other countries on Washington’s “regime change” list. At the time, Moscow was denounced in Europe and the U.S. for this measure, which was alleged to be part of a crackdown on civil society, i.e., forcing NGOs operating in Russia to acknowledge their foreign backers and exposing them to ridicule from patriots or be shut down for failing to file. [See Consortiumnews.com’s “Why Russia Shut Down NED Fronts.”] The report, presented at the conference last week, was directed against the agents of Russian “soft power,” and in particular, the Kremlin-funded NGO “Russkiy Mir” (The Russian World) which serves the Russian diaspora abroad. Such a report was a useful exhibit for Fotyga in her proposed new anti-Russian campaign. The author and presenter of the report was Orysia Lutsevych, a Ukrainian national based in London, where she works as manager of the Ukraine Forum in the Russia and Eurasia Programme of the British think tank Chatham House, which was the publisher of her report. Though Chatham House has had a long and distinguished history, today it is not the salon of aristocrats and intellectuals as it was perhaps once upon a time. A large majority of its experts on Russia and the former Soviet Union are clearly aligned with the Liberals who had the run of Russia in the 1990s under President Boris Yeltsin when insiders expropriated much of the country’s wealth, creating a small caste of billionaires and a wide chasm of Russians falling into poverty. These Chatham experts are fiercely critical of Vladimir Putin’s Russia today. Secondly, Lutsevych’s résumé as posted on the Chatham House website set off alarm bells for anyone expecting unbiased academic research on Russia. Her Masters degree in international relations was taken at Lviv State University, in the heartland of the Maidan movement of radical Ukrainian nationalism. Her second MS is said to have been in “public administration” from the University of Missouri-Columbia, which boasts about its skills at public relations, saying “Students come to us with the desire to change the world.[bold type theirs]. We give them the practical knowledge and skills to make a difference for people, organizations and communities.” That sounds a lot like an advanced degree in propaganda and organizing “color revolutions.” Her employment record backs up this interpretation of her skills. Her professional career began in 2005-07 as Deputy Director of the PAUCI Foundation, an acronym for the Polish Ukrainian Cooperation Foundation. From there she moved to the position of Executive Director of the newly founded Open Ukraine Foundation of Arseniy Yatsenyuk (the same “Yats” whom U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland promoted in 2014 to be the premier of post-coup d’état Ukraine). In 2009, Lutsevych served as Head of Development at Europe House Georgia. And in 2012 she finally found her niche in the West, becoming a fellow of the Russia and Eurasia Programme, Chatham House, where we find her today. Seeing Russian ‘Agents’ Given where Lutsevych is coming from, her report entitled “Agents of the Russian World. Proxy Groups in the Contested Neighbourhood” is rather bland and seemingly inoffensive. Russia’s perspective on relations with the West as a defense against ever increasing encroachments is set out with reasonable accuracy. The problem is the very British logic of “you would say that, wouldn’t you,” meaning that Russian perceptions remain just that – perceptions – which implicitly, by default, do not correspond to reality, though that assumption is never tested or proven. Yet, the record shows unequivocally that the Kremlin’s foreign policy follows one principle only, Realism, meaning defense of national strategic interests, and is not subject to Romantic nationalist visions of any kind. But the author repeats the convenient deception that Russian policy is guided by the obscurantist philosophy of former Moscow State professor Alexander Dugin, currently in official disgrace, with his Eurasianism and antipathy to the values of the West. Imperial ambitions are attributed to “the current Russian leadership” without the slightest attempt to provide proof. If we cut to the quick, what is missing in this report is any attempt to place Russian state policies, supposedly aimed at developing soft power abroad, in an historical or geographical context. Historical analysis, with play-by-play recounting of who did what to whom, would make it plain that Russia built NGOs to further its language, culture and political interests abroad as a delayed response to the realities of the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1992. Because of that collapse, Russian speakers and/or ethnic Russians overnight became the world’s single largest national group living outside the political borders of its own ethnos. They became subject to treatment as second-class citizens or, as in the case of the Baltic States, to revocation of civil rights. They numbered perhaps 25 million, though estimates range as high as 40 million. The delay in official Russian state response to this reality may be explained by Russia’s own self-absorption with its severe economic problems in the turbulent 1990s when the great mass of the population fell below the poverty line. The emergence of Russia from its “time of troubles” early in the new millennium under President Putin made it possible finally to deal with the sad fate of Russia’s former compatriots living abroad. And it has done so in the most circumspect way, especially when compared to the currently fashionable principle in Western international relations asserting a “responsibility to protect” threatened minorities. “R2P” apparently justifies military interventions in countries governed by U.S. adversaries, such as Libya and Syria, but not in, say, Ukraine where the endangered civilians are ethnic Russians. Russia’s ‘Soft Power’ The report’s author Lutsevych correctly indicated that nearly all of Russia’s ‘’soft power” investments in supporting its language, culture and identity abroad is invested in former Soviet Union space, especially Ukraine and Kazakhstan, which happen to be where the greatest number of ethnic Russians and Russian speakers — left adrift in 1992 — happen to live. In fact, the only area where Russian support for compatriots through state-financed NGOs has relevance to the European Union is the Baltic States of Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania. There this issue is conflated by Russia’s detractors in the European Parliament with the very emotive notion of “hybrid warfare” that Russia is said to have waged in its takeover of Crimea in March 2014 and in the Donbass conflict in eastern Ukraine (where ethnic Russians were under threat of violent attack). It is also symptomatic of the entire anti-Russian narrative to ignore similar NGO activities by the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and even Spain through a great variety of platforms that they have established around the world, with an emphasis on former colonies or territories of historical interest. Put in this context, the Russian efforts are exceedingly modest and would never justify the attention that they are receiving from Moscow’s detractors. But the broader lesson is that the authors of such reports never look in the mirror and ask what they themselves are doing. Everything Russia is doing is taken to be unique, calculating and sinister whereas the West’s actions set a gold standard for selflessness, generosity and good governance. In this same connection, it is more than ironic that the Acknowledgements page of the report thanks the German Marshall Fund of the United States and the Robert Bosch Stiftung for financing that made its publication possible. Both entities fit perfectly Lutsevych’s remarks on how state-funded agents and loyal business interests fund modern state propaganda, a system that the United States and the West, in general, have pioneered. [See Consortiumnews.com’s “The Victory of Perception Management.”] At the seminar, we were told by Lutsevych that she would not go over the entire thesis of the research because her 43-page brochure-report was handed out to all attendees. And so we were treated to what she considered highlights and to a free exchange with the audience. This, in fact, is what justifies going to such events, because when away from their editors and handlers, the rapporteurs and politician-hosts can give free expression to their fantasies and share some memorable and very telling indications of what they really have in mind. Such was the case on May 31. They do this in full confidence that the audience or participants are either meek underlings or colleagues who are like-minded to themselves. MEPs tend not to show up. Assistants and researchers will not pose hostile questions. And the general public has been screened in advance by the registration process. Selecting the Audience In this regard, possibly hostile members of the general public are weeded out in advance. I note that my request for registration by email in which I identified my institutional affiliation was rejected by Fotyga’s assistant on the morning of the event. Very likely she googled me before responding that the registration list was already closed. And yet, when the session opened, perhaps 10 percent of the seats were vacant. So, I got in with the help of a kindly administrative assistant who works for an MEP with whom Fotyga is at odds. During the whole session, both Fotyga and Lutsevych stared pointedly at me much of the time, as if expecting some protest flag to be unfurled. The highlight — and a good indication of the mental abilities of the author of the report — came at the end of Q&A when Lutsevych chose to explain the nature of Putin’s distortions of our Western political concepts that his agents supposedly are spreading in our midst. According to Lutsevych’s account, democracy, as Putin understands it, is rule by majority and referendums whereas for the West democracy is protection of minorities, meaning proportional representation, etc. The context for Lutsevych’s thinking was surely the referendum in Crimea in which some 96 percent of the voters favored leaving Ukraine and rejoining Russia or possibly it was the recent Dutch referendum opposing ratification of the European Union-Ukraine association agreement. There were very few questions from the audience and, in fact, the session broke up a half an hour early. But there was one question that deserves careful attention. It came in response to remarks by Lutsevych at the start of her presentation. Lutsevych opened her talk citing an interview recently given by Svetlana Alekseevich, in which the Nobel prize-winning author from Belarus said that Russians want to live in a “great country” rather than a “normal country.” In Lutsevych’s estimation, Russia’s neo-imperial ambitions are behind its creation of a Russkiy Mir ideology and its seeking to obstruct the integration process of its shared neighborhood, namely Ukraine and Moldova, with the European Union. Hence, too, the strongly anti-American narrative which Russian proxy agents supposedly disseminate abroad in the information (or hybrid) war. These words, which were among the very few observations which went off script from the report, elicited a “question” or, more properly speaking, a comment from the one MEP in attendance, Eugen Freund, an Austrian member of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, the center-left half of the coalition that effectively controls the European Parliament. Freund remarked that he was initially uncertain which country with a known belief in its “exceptionalism” the speaker was talking about, the United States of America or Russia. Said Freund, there was nothing very unusual in Russia’s soft power agenda. To this Lutsevych responded that while similarities may seem to exist, the content was utterly different. To be sure, America’s Freedom House and National Endowment for Democracy are both largely funded by the U.S. Treasury, but they have independent governing boards and congressional oversight by bipartisan committees, she said. Moreover, she added, their employees are genuinely dedicated to doing good works in a charitable spirit. To whom she was addressing these fairy tales from Cold War mythology is not at all clear. Brain-dead and the Abyss The conference also underscored another problematic element in the way European politicians tend to address the darkening storm clouds of a new Cold War. There is timidity about challenging the emerging “group think” that exaggerates the evils of Russia and ignores Moscow’s understandable worries and concerns. While individual countries in Europe have reputations for ingrained individualism and divergence of opinion, Europe as a whole has a reputation for consensus or going with the flow, even if the flow is heading over the cliff. I have little doubt that MEP Freund’s views on the intellectual merit of the presentation and presenters on May 31 differed little from my own, but he contented himself with one critical remark rather than deconstructing the arguments as a whole. And, there is the nub. Without open debate on the key issues of European security including relations with Russia, we all are losers. We, in the minority who are warning about the dangers and the mindlessness of a new Cold War, are busy shadow boxing because no one invites us into the ring. When we do speak out, our loyalty is questioned. We are accused of advancing Russia’s “hybrid war.” And those in the ring, like Fotyga and Lutsevych, produce specious arguments in favor of the reckless policies pushing Europe toward an ill-considered and very expensive conflict, one that could veer out of control into a hot war, even a nuclear war. This is what I mean when I describe a brain-dead continent sleepwalking toward the abyss. Gilbert Doctorow is the European Coordinator of The American Committee for East West Accord Ltd. His most recent book, Does Russia Have a Future? was published in August 2015. © Gilbert Doctorow, 2016

Those who follow DiaryOfAnInsaneWriter would know how much I love and respect my Throwball friends at the Goregaon Sports Club. After all, they are the reason I returned back to sports & fitness after 25 years. I first met Diksha in 2018. We were in the same Throwball team together. I found her to be one of the most positive human beings I have met. She is full of life and vivacity, kept motivating the team to do better than their best each time. DiaryOfAnInsaneWriter believes that Diksha is an epitome of the contemporary woman. On one hand, she is a devoted daughter-in-law, loving wife & doting mother of two wonderful kids. On the other hand, she is a well-read, well-educated, former head of a call centre, committed sportsperson, a modern woman and the life of any party. But there is a 3rd angle to her personality: she is deeply spiritual. On a rainy day in Mumbai, I had a chance to meet Diksha over a cup of coffee. The next one and a half hour, I was introduced to Jainism in a way I have never experienced before. Read on to know more… Before we begin talking about your spiritual journey, please tell our readers a bit about yourself. I am born- and- raised as a simple Mumbai girl. At present, I am in my late thirties and an avid sportsperson. I started my career as a telecaller in a multinational bank and later in my career playing the role of an Operations Leader. I am married with two adorable kids, Reha and Aryan. I quit my job in August 2017 as I wanted to change my 9 to 5 life into something that would allow me to give time to things I was passionate about and spend more time with my kids and family. “Today, I not only get to spend more time with my children, family and friends but I also devote time to sports and fitness and spirituality along with my other hobbies. It’s been a fulfilling experience so far” Diksha Shah. The Life of a Party, Sportswoman, Career woman, Family person – you had your hands full! How on Earth did you get into Spirituality? (Lets out a short laugh) A lot of people ask me this question. Well, for as long as I can remember, I’ve been insatiably curious about human potential. I wanted to know, what exactly is it that makes people genuinely happy, drives them and motivates them? Why do some people struggle while others find a way to thrive, often despite the most challenging circumstances? The quench motivated me to try different things. Soon after I quit my job a friend mentioned that she was going to do the Updhan Tap (उपधान तप), suddenly my inner instinct said I should also join in doing one of the most wonderful and holy tap (तप) in Jainism “Updhan” (Dec’17). And it was the beginning of my spiritual journey I lived like a Jain monk for forty-seven days. Spirituality? Religion? Isn’t that for the older generation? C’mon, you are not even 40 as yet! Why now? Until a couple of years ago, even I was also one amongst many people who felt, “What’s the hurry spiritual and religious activities can be done later in life and kept pushing things.” That’s actually what I used to tell my mother about Updhan also. When I met my mother after finishing my Updhan my first words to her were, “I was late I wished I had done it much earlier in life.” By then I learnt my lesson, “Don’t wait for the right moment to start, start and make each moment right.” Through this tap (तप), I got a chance to live without things that otherwise are called necessities in our daily life. It was an experience of a lifetime. Since we were sort of isolated and living in an ascetic manner, it made me mentally tough. “Over time I understood that emotional dependence on people and things can be reduced. I learned how to be happy without materialistic possessions and people. Its amazing what can happen when you have time only for your soul. I got a chance to be away from the influence of others and spent time studying my own life, connecting with my soul was amazing! The learnings changed my life and most importantly, I got a Guru for a lifetime. We are influenced every day by someone or something that will most likely have an everlasting effect on our lives. During Updhan I met my Guru who inspired me to move out of my comfort zone. He always said, “Yesterday is not ours to recover, but tomorrow is in our hands shape it as you want, so let go of the past but keep the lessons it taught you and keep moving forward.” In Updhan we have to do a lot of activities beginning from four o’clock in the morning till nine o’clock. It’s normal human tendency whenever there are too many tasks to be performed one generally tends to rush through. But then our Guru explained to us and guided us to do at least one activity correctly each day and we saw that gradually one by one we started to daily perform all the activities as they were supposed to be done. He taught us an important lesson of life, “Whatever you tend to hold in your mind, will tend to occur in your life. Have a positive approach.” Yes, you mentioned about your Guru and the “Heet Shiksha” (“हीत शिक्षा”) he imparted on your last day of Updhan. What exactly was it? On completion of the tap (तप) our Guru gave “Heet Siksha” and in that he told us that we must at least do Chauvihar for a year, which is not eating after sunset. Jain scriptures had a concept of Chauvihar since ages. Chauvihar is terminology and practice in Jainism which means one does not take any food or any liquids after the sunset until the sunrise the next day. When our Guru imparted the “Heet Shiksha” I decided to do Varshitap since Chauvihar seemed difficult keeping in mind my lifestyle. So exactly after completing Updhan I began Varshitap in March 2018. What is Varshitap? Varshitap is an important ritual amongst the Jains. It starts on the eighth day of the Amavasya period or the dark half of the lunar month of Falgun and ends on the third day of the first half of the month of Vaisakha, on the day of Akshaya Tritiya. The duration of Varshitap is around thirteen months and thirteen days. Since 2018 had an extra month (Adhik Maas), Varshitap was for 14 months this year. - Upwas (fasting): Drinking only boiled water on 1 day - Beshna: Eating twice a day, sitting in one place - Usually lasts for 13 months & 13 days but due to Adhik Mas (extra month) Diksha practised it for 14 months - Twist: 2 consecutive days Upwas if Beshna falls on a chaudas (tithi) My gosh! How did you manage? Varshitap must have applied brakes to your entire life! (Shakes her head, pauses and looks out of the window) It is a common belief that one needs to give up everything while fasting but I personally feel if one is determined and has faith and belief in themselves they can live a balanced life. I am passionate about sports and I played several throwball and cricket tournaments during this period and even got rewarded for my performance in a few of them. I also went to Turkey for a 20-day vacation during my Varshitap. Vacation in Turkey during Varshitap! How did you manage with the travel, sightseeing and tempting food? (Lets out a full-throated laugh!) With a lot of difficulty! I am no saint, so it was extremely tough for me to manage. I did it by taking one day at a time. My husband supported me immensely. 14 months of eating every alternate day! It’s unbelievable! (Smiles shyly) As I said, I’m no sage and I made mistakes, had a share of my terrible days where I got mired in fear and self-doubt, just like the rest of humanity. But I bounced back due to immense support from my Guru, family and friends who made me believe that no matter what your obstacles are, you have the power to overcome them. One needs to stay focused on the goal and put in consistent efforts and have a strong will and desire to achieve the end result. How did the Varshitap benefit you and your family’s life? (Takes a deep breath, her face shining with positivity & happiness) Now I feel I am living a more balanced life and doing the religious and social activities which make me truly happy from within. I am glad that even my kids have picked that up and are following in the same footsteps. As a family, we are experiencing the rarest thing in this competitive world: Inner peace and satisfaction. “I found peace in myself. Fasting made me learn many lessons, but most important was being able to control craving for tasty and outside food. There is no end of craving. But now I am contented and understand that one has to eat to stay healthy and not to satisfy taste buds.” How has life changed after Varshitap? My Guru helped me realize that my unusual combination of interests and skills was a strength, not a liability. It is remarkable what a little faith can do, and it is the faith that my Guru, had in my ability which gave me the confidence to translate books written in the Gujarati language to English. Currently, I am concentrating my efforts on book translation, learning religious things and the Sanskrit language also trying out different recipes, reading books, playing sports, my kids and of course partying with friends is what keeps me occupied otherwise…! How did your husband support you during your spiritual journey? I strongly believe you must bring your whole self to the table if you want to fulfil your dream in today’s world. That includes your unique qualities, your personality, your sense of humour and most importantly your heart and soul. I am blessed to have Piyush as my better half who always supports me, believes in me and lets me live my dreams…! I don’t plan things, I like to go with the flow and follow my heart, and anything that inspires me challenges me, and quite simply makes me happy is what I do. Sharing my experiences and inspiring others in any way is what ticks me…!! I left the interview feeling happy, positive and fulfilled. There is so much to life that is yet to be explored. People like Diksha tell us that living a modern life doesn’t mean one lives with a disconnect to the inner self. At the same time, if one is spiritual it doesn’t mean one needs to apply brakes on one’s life. Do let me know if Diksha’s story inspired you. If you have a story to share, please mail me on firstname.lastname@example.org. I am taking my blog to the next level with #MyFriendAlexa.

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In the 2000s, with increasing numbers of Internet users and the birth of iPhone, customers began searching products and making decisions about their needs online first, instead of consulting a salesperson, which created a new problem for the marketing department of a company. In addition, a survey in 2000 in the United Kingdom found that most retailers had not registered their own domain address. These problems encouraged marketers to find new ways to integrate digital technology into market development. Internet Marketer When beginning your affiliate marketing career, you’ll want to cultivate an audience that has very specific interests. This allows you to tailor your affiliate campaigns to that niche, increasing the likelihood that you’ll convert. By establishing yourself as an expert in one area instead of promoting a large array of products, you’ll be able to market to the people most likely to buy the product. Become a Graphics or Web Designer. 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DIY Switch Panel – A Switch-Pros & sPOD Alternative Looking For a Cheaper Switch-Pros & sPOD Alternative Off-Road Switch Panel? Start with this 6-Circuit Switch: Full Step by Step DIY Wiring lights and other accessories in your build is really simple at first. You start by adding a light here and there, then maybe another powered accessory and then it happens. The rats’ nest of wires starts to pile up at each battery terminal. After a few accessories, your entire engine bay is covered in black and red wires in all directions that make absolutely no logical sense. Not only are the wires in a complete state of disarray, but your cabin is now being taken over by the likes of aftermarket switches that just don’t belong. It’s starting to look like an eighth-grade shop project that took a turn for the worst. I know most of you have experienced this disorganized wiring set-up once or twice in your life. If you are victim to this, then you may be in the market for a good way to organize your off-road light wiring with a switch panel. Switch-Pros & sPOD? The choices usually come down to Switch-Pros or sPOD. They are both expensive. Great products – just incredibly pricey. If you have the extra coin, just pony up and buy one of these units for your off-road lighting needs. They will save you time, and keep your wiring sanity intact when you go to flip a switch or add an accessory down the road. We currently have a Switch-Pros 9100 wired in our white 2014 4Runner and love it. That Switch-Pros switch panel has been the single most important addition to my 4Runner, so far (still waiting on gears). You can see the full step-by-step wiring of that system by Max, right here. I don’t have any first-hand experience with sPOD but I’ve heard its also a very dependable product. Whatever you choose, Switch-Pros or sPOD, typically – you can’t go wrong. Switch-Pros & sPOD Alternative? Why install anything but an sPOD or Switch-Pros? Money, that’s why. Finding an alternative to one of these popular switch panels can save you $500+ depending on which unit you are looking to run. The switch we installed here was around $97 – compare that to the 6-circuit Switch-Pros at $550 and the 8-circuit sPOD at $750. Of course, you are going to have miscellaneous costs like the fuse block, bus bar, terminal connectors, heat shrink, extra wire and much more. With all of the additional parts/materials you need, this can add another $100+ to your switch build depending on what you have in the shop at home. Regardless of the other materials/parts, you are going to have many costs and this install here is just another option to the many multi-switch circuit systems on the market. Whichever option you choose, you will be glad once everything is installed. Having a clean wiring set-up in your engine bay might just help those of you OCD minds to sleep at night. Parts and Materials Including but not limited to: - 6-Circuit switch - Overland Equipped bracket - Blue Sea fuse block - Blue Sea bus bar - Blue Sea terminal block - Cheap breaker or better breaker - 6 AWG wire - 6 AWG ring terminals + heat shrink - 8 AWG wire connectors - 10-22 AWG ring terminals - 10-22 AWG connectors - 10-22 AWG wire - #8 and #10 nuts and bolts from Home Depot - Solder seal wire connectors - Universal heat shrink Including but not limited to: - Klien Tools Crimps - IRWIN Wire Cutter - Drill bits up to 3/4″ and possibly 1″ - Metric Sockets - Open-End Wrenches - Channellock Pliers - Channellock Needle Pliers - Channellock Bent Needle Pliers - Channellock Linemans Pliers - Channellock Cutting Pliers - Heat Gun - Files (small circular files – full-size flat) - Surgical Scissors (great for cutting wire sleeve) - Utility Knife – Razor Blade - Alligator Clips - Mini Screwdriver - Gear-Aid work light - VHB Tape - Masking Tape Installation Overview + Wiring Diagram You may want to give your self a weekend for this one depending on your skill level. You can do the install in one day but I would suggest starting on a Saturday and giving yourself an extra day on Sunday to finalize the details if needed. This is not an overly complex install, it just requires lots of time and patience. Having minimal wiring experience will help and with that background, you should already have most of the tools and materials before you even start shopping. The bracket is one of the most important parts for this install as everything you buy will mount to it. We used the Overland Equipped bracket as it appeared to have a close layout for what we wanted this setup to have. We still drilled a few holes to accommodate some accessories. I was not a fan of the Power Tray because it bolts to the firewall from underneath, which is really challenging to access. The Overland Equipped bracket bolts to the firewall in four points, all from the outside. We only drilled one hole in the 4Runner and that was to feed the wires through the dash for the switch. This plastic piece of the console is replaceable so if you want to return to stock, you can just buy this single piece. Although the fuse block is optional, it’s nice to have when you add accessories that come with their own switch that you would prefer using over one wired to your main panel. The KC HiLiTES underhood lights are a good example of a kit that comes with its own switch that is nice to leave off the main circuit control box. Let’s jump into the install! Mark Circuit Board Box on Overland Equipped Tray Start by finding the layout of each part, including your circuit board box, fuse block, bus bar, and terminal block. Measure, mark, and drill all the spots needed to mount your parts. Re-Routing Wires from the Circuit Board Box From the kit, this circuit board box has all wires coming out on one side. In order to minimize crossing over too much wire, I wanted to run wires from both directions. In order to do this, I had to cut open the side and top of the box. This allows for a cleaner run of wires to both the power and ground terminals on the battery. Mount Box, Drill Holes in Bracket & Route Wires Mount the circuit board box to the bracket and route the wires downward. I used a rubber grommet inside the pre-drilled hole so the aluminum wouldn’t year up the edges of the wire. Mount Bus Bar and Terminal Block Find the best placement for your bus bar and terminal block. The one thing you want to aware of is the proximity of the bus bar to where the bracket mounts to the firewall. The bus bar can get in the way of this bolt. We cover this later in the install process. I drilled 4 holes for the terminal block but only used two because of the heads of the on the bolts were a little bit big. Install Fuse Block, Cut 6 Switch Wires and Accessory (ACC) Wire Mark and drill holes for your fuse block and then mount your fuse block in place. Then strip the switch power wires and accessory wire from the provided braided sleeve. Bundle 6 switch wires together and twist together but keep accessory wire separate. The ACC wire will need a separate add-a-fuse and to run into the fuse box. Final Overland Equipped Bracket Layout This is the final placement of all components on the tray. Connect New Wire to Each Switch Wire The provided switch has a pretty thin wire. I would say the provided wire is 16 AWG but more like 18 AWG based on their thin strands. Our 18 AWG stranded was much stronger. Hopefully, you can strengthen the wire with a stronger stranded wire. Crimp Wires, Feed Heat Shrink and Prepare Terminal Rings After crimping down each wire, feed a piece of heat shrink to each line. Connect Ring Terminals and Fit Rings into Terminal Block Connect waterproof ring terminals on each wire. The 14-16 AWG ring terminals were a bit too wide for the terminal block. We slightly pinched these rings down with a pair of needle-nose pliers. You don’t need rings, you can use forks as well. Connect Ring Terminals to Terminal Block The switch wires are labeled 1 – 6 which correlates to the switch panel. We wired each switch in order from 1 – 6 on the terminal block. When we need to add a light or new accessory, we can simply connect power to a switch and then ground that wire on the bus bar. The switch comes with 6 40A relays, 1 30A, and 5 20A fuses. Depending on the AMPs you are running through each switch, you can swap out fuses in order to support that accessory. Power Wire from Circuit Box to Battery Twisting the 6 switch power wires together – you can then crimp an 8 AWG connector to a 6-8 AWG wire. Finally, heat shrink the wires together using a heat gun. Braided cable sleeve for Power Wire After measuring and building your main power wire to the circuit box, you can finally add a braided cable sleeve. You don’t need to do this, I think it just makes for a cleaner look. The braided cable sleeve is really meant to contain multiple wires but it can give your set up a cleaner look and it can drain water effectively so it can be great for marine settings. Ground Fuse Block to Bus Bar Self-explanatory: Build a short 6-8 AWG ground wire from the Blue Sea Fuse block to the Blue Sea Bus Bar. Extend Ground Wire from Circuit Box to Battery Measure and build the main ground wire from the circuit box to the negative battery terminal. Ground Wire from Bus Bar to Battery Build a 6-8 AWG ground wire from the Blue Sea Bus Bar to the negative battery terminal. Connect Circuit Breaker from Fuse Block to Battery Power Build a wire from the Blue Sea Fuse Block to a breaker and then to the positive battery terminal. You will need two separate wires pictured above. Although I bought the cheaper breaker to save $7 – I should have bought the actual Bussman Breaker linked above as this one broke. I can still toggle the breaker but the plastic button did break off. Extend Accessory (ACC) Wire to Fuse Box I had some soldering heat shrink so I wanted to test them out. The solder didn’t melt into the wire as well as I expected it to but it did work. With a hard pull from both ends of the wires – it held strong. Testing Power on all Switches I staged a real setup and tested everything once all the wires and harnesses were built. I used a factory Panasonic battery and ran every wire just as it would be in the engine bay. I tested each switch to make sure all 6 switches were firing on command. The switch provided to toggle on and off as expected. Onto the final install! I also tested this whole setup before building any harnesses a couple of days before (you may have seen this on an Instagram story). Testing with Factory Halogen Bulb If you are looking for something to test, use a factory bulb. If you have one laying around, it’s an easy hook-up. Get your polarity correct and test away. Running Main Switch Wires & ACC Wire through Firewall Best way to run wires through the firewall! After years of running wires through the firewall, I figured out the best way to run big wires through the firewall. I took an aluminum frosting tip from a cake decorating set and wrapped it around the switch connector clip. Then I wrapped it in some painters tape and finally drizzled lube all over the tip. Any lube or some vaseline should do. Forcefully working the tip through the firewall, I started to lube the entire area. Finally, I grabbed a pair of lineman pliers, gripped the head and shoved the tip through. I have spent hours trying to push big clips through the firewall with coat hangers. This on the other and literally took 2 minutes with no cuts or scrapes/cuts on the hands/fingers. Once the main wires are through the firewall – you can mount your bracket. You can see above the bus bar is trimmed. Sand Edge of Bus Bar If you need to trim your bus bar or anything else to get the bolts to fit into the bracket and firewall – now is the time. Add-a-fuse for the ACC Wire You’ve pulled two wires through the firewall. One was the main switch wires (6 in a braided sleeve) and the ACC wire. Now you need to add-a-circuit or add-a-fuse in order to power the switch on when you turn your ignition on. Add a Fuse Location You can run this add-a-fuse to many slots in the fuse block. Any circuit that turns on when the ignition is on will power your switch. The blank spot is trigged upon ignition, so is the ACC and many others. Remove Center Console and Dash Cubby Let’s run the switch wire to the dash for our switch panel! Start by removing your center console and center cubby. Here is a good overview of removing the center console dash. To remove the lower cubby, you simply remove one plastic piece in front of the cubby. Drill Hole for Switch Wires in Cubby Drill a pilot hole and then determine how much space you need for the wiring harness clip. I drilled a few more holes until I caught an edge and then used a hot razor blade to cut a rectangle shape into the plastic (pictured in red). This gave me plenty of room to feed the wiring harness through. Apply VHB Tape to Switch Bracket The kit comes with screws for the switch panel but I wanted to make sure I liked the spot before going all-in on drilling. I knew I wanted this spot, but before committing, I wanted to be sure. Position Switch Panel After a week or so of driving around, I am not sure I need to drill anything, the VHB holds up well on both ends of the bracket. And it’s really simple to reposition to get exactly flush with the lower dash. Zip-Tie Wires from Firewall to Dash & Re-Install Center Dash Connect All wires to Power and Ground For a fairly affordable switch, I think this turned out pretty nice – especially with the location of the switch panel in the cabin. It’s a clean setup. The downside of the switch is that you can’t control it remotely via Bluetooth and it’s not “always-on”. But let’s be honest – how many of us are turning on our switches remotely? If having Bluetooth functionality is important to you then go with the switch pro. If you are looking for a simple off-road or marine switch that can get the job done simply on an ACC-on and then toggle on/off – then this is a good option. This is one of those popular workaround mods where you don’t “really” need to spend $600 on a switch – this will accomplish the same main goal of turning on a light or accessory and organizing wires. Switch-Pros and sPOD are going to have better customer service, a better warranty and likely backed by a community of support. You won’t get that with a switch from Amazon for $100. But at the end of the day if it works and your lights come on – what else matters? Questions or Comments? Leave them below!

Cartomancy is the art of divination/psychic using ordinary playing cards. The cards- once we learn their associated meanings, it’s a language- help us access the psychic mind, which means the human equivalent of the hive mind. They reflect our unconscious thinking or the collective subconscious. Yesterday I sat down to look at Ukraine, using this deck of beautiful rather old butterfly playing cards from the Fifties, gifted by my father, left to him by his own father; a keen card player socially, though he never used cards for divination that I am aware of. The butterfly is a symbol of the soul, or the psyche. The root meaning of the Greek word ψυχή (psyche) was “life” or may have come from the verb ψύχω (psycho, “to breathe/blow”). Associated meanings: “spirit”, “soul”, “ghost”, “self” .The word “psychic” derives from this same root. The reader (blindly and unconsciously) draws/selects the cards which most accurately detect what is on the readers mind and reflects it right back at them. The apparent randomness of this exercise is what makes it so peculiar- or downright psychic. The very first card out is an instantly recognizable mirror of the question that is on the reader’s mind while shuffling. Or it is not. The reader can’t just make this up. The reader then pulls more cards to see what the cards may advise, project, foreshadow or predict in respect of that given situation. Sometimes what emerges is a comment or insight into an unfolding situation which may or may not turn out to be a prediction as events unfold. It can be hard for the reader to tell which. We are witnessing the playing out of a tragic situation. Prediction outright is not appropriate here. If Putin withdraws, still, a horrible tragedy is still playing out. While there have been many times over the years in which I have pushed hard for a yes or no answer for a client, working to a brief on their behalf, this is not one of those situations. No client privacy, no direct feedback available, so many variables, no clean cut answers. But still, glimpses may be read between the lines. Putin’s victory is far from assured. Like the Viet Cong in Vietnam, Ukraine doesn’t have to win. It has to not be defeated. But should Putin become desperate, it will only make him more dangerous. March this year is not only coming in like a lion, but seems likely to stay like a lion and not go out like a lamb. Question One what is Mr Putin thinking in respect of the Ukraine situation, as of right now, today, 5 March 2022? The first card out of the deck was the King of Diamonds. This is Mr Putin, actually very confident. The King of Diamonds means someone who in charge of business. “I have got this. I am on top of this.” The second card out was the 10 Cups. Mr Putin is looking at it. The 10 Cups is a very happy card, none happier except for the Ace of Cups. It means ‘Home sweet home’. 10 is the number of completion. I complete my home. Mr Putin genuinely feels that Ukraine is Russian. Ukraine ‘left home’. The languages are NOT the same. The mutual history is very long and complicated. But Ukraine ran away, the naughty child. He has gone to fetch it back home again, together with all its natural resources. Is partition the best case scenario outcome? Or is it Odessa and then Transnistria and Moldova next? In general terms of dates, this 10 Cups means Pisces, the final ten days of Pisces season which means 11-20 March. Obstacles notwithstanding, the cards show that as of yesterday, Mr P was confident that he will have, should have Kyiv surrounded, and in his control by 11 March-20 March. Question 2: what most worries Mr Putin right now? The King of Spades reflects the subject of the question, Putin himself. Notice how he appears to be looking right back at that confidently expectant money king, the King of Diamonds card. King of Spades:-“A man of authority, ambition and power. Divorced or widowed, an older man, a leader, lawyer, judge, police officer, health specialist, man from a foreign country. He can be arrogant, opportunistic, deceptive, cold, calculating, shrewd, possessive, emotionally controlled, detached, a rival in business or love.” – David Arcuri, The Art of Cartomancy (link for those interested in learning more about cartomancy) Mr Putin is a King of Spades in terms of his natal astrology; a Libra subject according to his given birth date 7 October 1952. Although it should be noted, Mr Zelensky is also a King of Swords; an Aquarian subject: 25 January 1978. So what causes Mr P most anxiety just now? Mr Zelensky himself, clearly, plus The 9 Clubs + 2 Clubs + 9 Spades. 9 Clubs =long range business, long term planning + 2 Clubs, talks and cease fires + 9 Spades, grief, mourning, death. The 9 of Clubs drawn adjacent to the 9 of Spades in particular, suggests delays. He fears postponement and delays. (A ceasefire is a 9 Clubs delay so far as Pres Putin is concerned. His soldiers must eat. Supply lines can be attacked. A ceasefire puts his forces on to the defensive.) See the 9 Wands? This card as you can see, this tarot equivalent of the 9 Clubs, also represents the courage and defiance of Ukraine. In Tarot, the 9 Wands can also mean long range foreign intervention. It could therefore also mean a fear of long range missiles or satellites. How is that? The 9 Wands is the card of Sagittarius, the Archer. And, just as Putin is using elite non- uniformed military groups to terrorize civilians without accountability, and though the UK government does not endorse this, UK and foreign volunteers are travelling to Ukraine to fight or otherwise support the Ukraine resistance on a private volunteer military basis. Here we have Mr Zelensky proactively deploying Aquarius in defense of Ukraine (collective IT/socia media/space technologies/ Elon Musk and Star Link). The 9 of Spades (Gemini) may turn out to be talking about critical developments in late May that will be unwelcome to Mr Putin. It cannot come too soon so far as many of us are concerned, but that’s what is being shown here. In a previous reading I drew the 10 Swords for Mr Putin on his future timeline. That’s pretty close in time to the 9, both in Gemini, and first he must navigate Taurus the Bull (banks, sanctions, church condemnation, the state turned topsy-turvy, loss of faith of his own people, food security) The eclipse in Taurus Sat 30 April may prove instrumental? Question 3: What do we see in respect of near future developments in Kyev? Watching the news earlier today (6 March) It is expected that Kyiv will be surrounded in the next few days, at which point Russia will make “an offer” to the government of Ukraine. We have drawn the Queen of Clubs and the 8 Spades. A court card, a king or queen, will describe a real person. I don’t know who this Queen of Clubs might be in respect of Ukraine. I have previously drawn Mr Zelenky’s wife as a Queen of Swords. I will just have to watch that space. Drawn together with the 8 Spades, it could mean a woman is taken hostage or is taken to prison or to hospital. Another possibility is that this card is detecting another aspect of key timing. The Queen of Clubs is Aries in astrology, 20 March -19 April. Aries is a cardinal sign. It initiates. It attacks with energy. An initiative gets bogged down by the 8 Spades. Or possibly Mr Putin may have reason to seek medical help at this time. The 8 of Spades:-“Traditionally a card of disappointment, illness and physical restriction. A loss of balance, a lack of reciprocation, unrequited love, something one-sided and not mutually beneficial. Physical imbalance, health problem, mental imbalance, a doctor, a dentist, a psychiatrist, a wound, pain, an insult, feeling slighted or snubbed, hurt feelings, an emotional upset. Reassessing one’s goals, examining ones accomplishments, investigating or researching a question or problem, a medical exam, civil service exam, scholastic exam, forensic exam, police investigation“- David Arcuri, The Art of Cartomancy The Tarot correlation with this card is the 8 Swords: entrapment, stress, restriction. I have also learned to associate the 8 Swords with difficulties to do with plumbing – drains, leaks, water supply. Dams too possibly, though the Moon is absent (flooding) One can also see the potential for hostages. as if the entire population has not already been taken hostage, and Mr Zelensky will have taken extra measures for the security of his own wife and children. We understand Russia could already be hitting Ukraine much harder, but Putin does not want to pulverize the place. He will if that’s what it takes, but he would far rather harvest Ukraine for everything it has to offer, not least grain production sufficient to provide food security for 600 million people. But should Russia achieve its objective of taking Ukraine in the next few days as widely expected, this card is not good news for Mr Putin, and this will be no surprise to anyone. That number 8 is stable but not in a good way. If we were looking at an outright military success for Russia, there would need to be a number 1, 3 , 6, 10 Clubs or Diamonds, following that 9 Clubs. Astrology Reading Cards What astrology cards do we get? Left: Near future for Kyiv? Aquarius. Rebellion, obstinacy, aided by social media/space tech. But I fear I also see grief, present and future; Mr Zelensky is mourning. That 9 Spades also applies to him in the near future. He already is mourning of course, but now is his time for action. Right: Near future of Russian invasion? The Twelfth House. The House of Shadows, enemies, dreams, sorrow, joy of Saturn. Mr Putin’s motivation is profoundly emotional. Just supposing that he who sows the whirlwind shall reap the whirlwind, and just supposing that he will not be around to reap the whirlwind personally speaking, for Putin a lose-lose situation might be the same thing as a win-win situation. He will not be forgotten. This for him, is about personal legacy. Either he will reabsorb Ukraine into Russia, ‘home sweet home” (that 10 of Cups card.) Or he will “teach the west and all the world, once and for all, not to mess with Russia.” If this is where he is coming from, Putin may not care too much about the cost. Since when did Lenin care, and he died a natural death but then who did Russia get next? The cost, human and other is already high but, despite the attack at Zaporizhzhia, the largest nuclear plant in Europe, and though there is clear potential danger here, I have not seen that it will be nuclear war. Nor an accidental nuclear catastrophe. Mr Putin has decided that talk is cheap. NATO is bound like Prometheus, tied up by its own rules, and Mr P is fine with playing dirty, and has decided he cannot rely on the neutrality of Ukraine -or Moldova either. It is not wise to tell you enemy what you will NOT do, and this is what NATO, namely Stoltenberg has been doing. I don’t know where I read it, ‘the children of the dark are wiser than the children of the light’, but it’s true. To a point, that is, when they send themselves to hell in the handcart of their own design but leaving behind all their mess. Astrologers have described this in terms of a cycle of events, a kind of perfect planetary storm, replaying some, but not all themes elements of 1939-1945 depending whose interpretations you are reading. Looking back at readings done 2022, I did not see this coming. I just felt uneasy, and didn’t care one bit for this whole Jupiter in Pisces thing that some astrologers seemed to think was so wonderful. Fathomless depths, dissolving or absence of boundaries (for which we can now also read borders) And giant Jupiter. It made me think of tsunamis. It made me think of that ominous line from the Bible, the Book of Job, ‘canst thou draw forth Leviathan with a hook?’ Now I can see Mr Zelensky, sitting in Pisces (now) and shown as The Hanged Man, a sacrificial or Christ type figure. I remember the pang I felt, drawing the Three of Swords reversed in Leo, Regulus, heart of the royal lion. Sorrow to the lion hearts. Sorrow to the summer of 2022. Unless Pres P is dealt with by his own people- and it does look as though he will over reach or come a cropper, suffer a setback in the next 3 months, 9 and 10 Spades, the end of this crisis is not in sight that I can see. But of course, I have got things wrong before or fudged them, not hit them dead on. Any reader who says they haven’t is not to be trusted. Once when I was very small, we went to the zoo, and apparently I said I couldn’t see the elephant and I was looking at it. But to me it was so big and I was so close, I couldn’t see its overall shape. Very funny really. But do we think an ant can see us just before we tread on it? No. It feels the vibration. It sees the shadow. I suppose I must have seen a wall of grey. This is close and huge. The reader must therefore take the helicopter up very high. But to see clearly one has to be dispassionate, and preferably, not care at all, or just enough and no more. That’s the nature of the human mind in oracular mode when otherwise one could just weep. To open up the oracular mind, that’s sometimes a hard thing. To see or sense but to have such little power to avert. The reader does not get to write the story, nor the ending and must tell the truth as they see it, but at the same time, like a doctor, do no harm. But Putin may find that Taurus the Bull is his nemesis. Why? In a previous reading published here, the appearance of the Hierophant reversed sitting on the near future timeline. Money, banks, breaking faith. Secular ‘excommunication.’ Possibly Taurus timing too, late April -;ate May, and watching for the eclipse in Taurus Sat 30 April. Until next time:)

Previously On; Whiterose shed any semblance of ‘villain you love to hate’ by escalating her scheming from damaging but non fatal hacks to actual murderous terrorism, and then somehow rose to the challenge of doubling down on that villainy by laying the blame for everything that had happened at the feet of relatively innocent Trenton and Mobley. Worse still, she did so by making it about race and Middle Eastern terrorism. The resulting fallout was profound, with Elliot not merely contemplating suicide, but actually starting the process. Thankfully, Trenton’s brother Mohammed, or some ElliotMind conjured version of him, appeared at the right time to lead Elliot through a soul-searching vision quest which culminated not only in his survival, but his learning Trenton passed on to him, and only him, the secrets to saving the world. Oh, and a few weeks back I pointed out how Whiterose’ lover/personal assistant has never been named onscreen. I have since learned he is “Grant”, and will be using that going forwards. Calling him ‘the assistant’ all the time just feels weird and depersonalising, particularly when he’s becoming a much more active player. As is so often the tendency we open in the Past, back when Gideon was pitching Allsafe’s security services to Terry Colby, Price and the more Bateman-like Tyrell. Colby is typically gauche and low class, evidenced by his assumptions that vintage, office casual Angela is the coffee girl. While Gideon quietly tries to defend her, Price is … staring. Just staring at her and he is, for a split second, distracted when she leaves. Well. Later in the limo, Colby is gross again, some more, but Price throws his CEO-ship around and demands they hire Allsafe, today. Back at the Evil Corp office, Wellick tries to talk down Price’s decision but Price very definitively puts him in his place. Wellick’s closing hope? ‘That this doesn’t come back to haunt us’. Back to the Futu … well, the now. Well, the then ‘now’ since this show is still technically in the past. Tyrell is finally being taken to his sad, cold, empty home, which is just the same as when he was last there. Except for the new baby crib, which is what sends him to his knees, weeping. We cut to Elliot and … listen, is Sam Esmail really reading this? Because Elliot is drawing on his mirror in soap like in The Truman Show, and I’ve already talked at length about that song from Elliot’s Season 2 suicide attempt in prison, and the created reality on show in that film and … once again, Mr. Esmail, great to have you with us. We realise Elliot was in some phasing state between he and Robot, and Robot has written on the mirror ‘They Own The FBI’. Elliot returns to his computer to see he left it unlocked and Robot may have seen Trenton’s email; he definitely looked up Tyrell’s release. Elliot asks us, what did Robot do last night? We flash back a few hours to find out. Robot reads the story and heads out. Robot turns up at Tyrell’s place, confirming quickly Tyrell did execute the larger terrorist attack. Both of them just … blithely assume Tyrell’s house isn’t wired for sound, I guess? They argue over what Tyrell has lost, which even Robot admits is terrible. Tyrell is amazingly detached from what he’s done, viewing it as a job he completed and nothing more. A huge change from his ‘We are Gods’ acolyte ranting from just a few months ago, which even Robot points out. Then he mentions Joanna. Ooooooooooh maybe don’t … invoke her name? Tyrell turns away and with the calm detachment of … well, the murderer we know him to be, and slides on latex gloves while gravely warning Robot not to talk about Joanna. So, Robot does it again (DUDE) and Tyrell turns and smacks him. He removes his suit jacket with a PURPOSE and straddles Robot to pummel that face into burger meat but … somebody rings the doorbell. They freeze up, and Tyrell rushes to the door to open it and he finds … Price. OH SHIT. OH SHIT. Price Prices his rich, powerful, white dude way right into the apartment to see Robot still laying prone on the floor. And, he doesn’t even blink, says hello to Mr. Alderson and invites him to stay for the celebratory drinks, since he’s a part of this too. OH SHIT OH SHIT OH SHIT. We jump back to the ‘now’ where Elliot has taken Darlene to the old arcade, and showed her Trenton’s work. The long and short is Romero secretly wrote a decryption code into their hack, which means its possible to unlock the encrypted data. Obviously this won’t undo 71 bombed buildings but it will basically at once restore normal currency, and cut Evil Corp off at the legs with their now valueless Ecoin. Darlene realises it’s possible, though they need the right USB memory flash drives on which he’s stored the codes. Those are in FBI custody. While Elliot worries, Darlene wonders why Romero would even include the codes in an ‘All In’ hack, but Elliot dismisses it as good foresight. He wants to take the lead on the FBI hack; Darlene has her own ideas. Elliot kills a car sale Irving is trying to make by turning up during the test drive to be intense, and demand a meeting with Whiterose. He needs to discuss ‘Stage 3’. Irving swallows the lost sale and complies. Dom and her beautiful tattoos wait at a bar for Darlene. In case anyone thought Dom accepted the false narrative, she is hungry for whatever Darlene might have to tell her. We quickly see that Darlene’s angle is Dom’s ID, hanging on her coat, though Darlene claims, not without truth to her words, that the Trenton and Mobley thing has gotten to her. She gives up some, says Dark Army coordinated, and the Scooby Gang just did the groundwork stateside. Dom asks about Whiterose, but Darlene doesn’t know enough. She takes a bathroom break, and a gizmo in her bag is failing to clone Dom’s card. Darlene loses a layer of clothes, fixes her hair, and heads back out to flirt. Back at the bar, Darlene mea culpas at Dom about being hard to work with, twists that into how she’s not brave enough to testify in court when Dom is naturally supportive, neatly slides into a low key flirt. And off the back of that, Darlene tries to leave, but poor, lonely Dom is on the hook and offers another drink. They decide to get Dom a date, and Darlene plays Pick a Hottie. Dom has a reason to turn down all of them (doesn’t like redheads, the goth girl has identity issues), so Darlene orders more drinks. Just sayin’, these two need a vlog where they drink and give life advice. Just throwing it out there. Elliot arrives home and finds a very distressed looking Angela handing him a newspaper about Tyrell getting a new position at Evil Corp. That’s the job Tyrell lost, which is why he committed a murder, and let the fsociety code sit where he found it. It’s a plot point that had he intervened then … none of this would have happened. Huh. Elliot isn’t there yet, and just thinks Angela is mentally unwinding. He asks her to tell or show him what it is she thinks she means, and she manages to be both vacant and intense, telling him ‘Only Whiterose can show you.’ Elliot reminds her that Whiterose manipulated her about her mother, and a frustrated Angela wonders what happened to wanting their parents back. Elliot holds her, tells her firmly ‘That is never going to happen’, and she gravely agrees, for you see, people are trying to stop this. Elliot is the embodiment of ‘Whaaat? But whoooo? Nooooo!’ Wide-eyed Angela isn’t hearing it. Paranoid, they move inside. As Elliot leads Angela inside he’s greeted by (beloved murderchild) Leon. Angela is paranoid as hell, thinking he’s a spy or here to trap her. She misses Elliot’s very acute terror, but she never saw Leon kill four Nazis with a switchblade. Something … funny happens with Angela. She misreads his fear of Leon — who she doesn’t appear to know –,and makes the leap that it is Elliot trying to stop it all. … which, she already knew, but it appears she is unravelling so profoundly that she’s losing track of things. Leon interrupts to send her away ‘One way or another’ which, is spoken from offscreen and sounds so casual, but is the most quietly sinister moment of the show. Meanwhile back at the Wellicks, the night before — Price told Tyrell about his promotion but we learn it’s just a title, and Tyrell will be expected to be quiet and obedient. Price shoots down any ‘lofty ideas’ Tyrell may have, to our boy’s consternation, though he hides it well with Robot around to watch. Tyrell argues back that this is a PR thing, Price is out of moves, and needs Tyrell’s hero status to save face. Price claims otherwise, says Tyrell isn’t worth any other moves. I can’t decide either way. Price goes to leave, and Robot pipes up to reveal, realise, Price always knew, he was in on … all of it. Price nods, not all the minutia and fiddly bits, but otherwise … obviously. Lone wolves like you, he tells Robot, don’t create such catastrophes unless men like Price let them. Robot and his ego think he was The Guy, and Price curiously demands he stop acting like a Lone Wolf and try being a Leader. He leaves on the advice that Mr. Alderson stop trying to force an agenda, and inspire one. Dom and Darlene are back at Dom’s house and Darlene is dropping hints about her sexuality, so her next move isn’t so unexpected. After some adorably awkward flirting from Dom, Darlene moves in for a kiss, then a couple more, and doesn’t have to work too hard to overcome Dom’s uncertainty about going further. But juuuuuuuust as it seems like Darlene might get the ID, Dom remembers to safely lock her badges and guns away in a safe. Darlene may or may not get a look at the combo, but knowing she can’t back out now without losing any other chances, she and Dom fall into bed. Hmm. Who was leading who around then? Over at Angela’s, she has approximately 4526 locks on her door, has painted every surface black and covered that with old photos, and she’s talking to someone, packing up a trolley with books and water bottles, taking about leaving, for ‘her’ to find her and keep her safe. She ignores a fifth call from her father, and drops her phone in water. Done packing, she approaches her friend and asks if they’re ready. It’s Qwerty the fish. Guys … in season one, when Qwerty lived with Elliot, before Robot appeared … that fish talked back to Elliot. It was an alter of some form. Whaaat? Elliot, escorted by Leon, is taken to see … Grant, Whiterose’s assistant, who wants to know about this ‘Stage 3’. Elliot is allowed to log in to his laptop so Dark Army can clone his data, and Grant reveals they have met before (!!), when RobElliot told Grant about the two-stage plan. Elliot asks for actual Whiterose, thanks, but Grant is having none. Elliot raises the Ecoin issue, points out how it wasn’t expected and keeps Evil Corp afloat — despite an express part of their plan being to destroy the company. This makes Grant curious enough to ask what Elliot thinks they should do, thought he’s not convinced it’s an issue. Elliot stalls a heartbeat more, eyeing his laptop in the arms of a Dark Army goon; eventually, he’s left alone. Clearly, like Darlene, he was running some other hack just then. Angela is on her merry way to full on Bag Lady Status and with Qwerty awkwardly shoved in her trolley, she approaches a street vendor selling CDs. Of course the guy looks, sounds and dresses like Cisco from Season 1, so we can see why Angela might focus on him. Then she’s picked up in a van by spooks and suits, and presumably thinking they’re with Whiterose, she goes voluntarily. Darlene wakes beside a sleeping Dom. Using a pillow to mask the sound, she breaks into the safe and takes Dom’s ID, but of course Dom is right behind her, because Dom is not stupid. The Night Before — Tyrell was chugging vodka from the bottle as he realised Robot was right, Tyrell was played and he remains a prisoner. He’s furious and drunk, but Robot is sure they can use the new job, he can play along ’til they ignore him, then they strike. They just need a way to dig in and fight back, find a vulnerability. Tyrell mentions the FBI — the Dark Army has a man inside. Darlene is in cuffs back at the FBI offices. Dom and Santiago demand answers, but Darlene won’t repeat what she told Dom about the Dark Army. Darlene realises that when she gives the Feds intel, her friends die. Darlene makes the leap Dom … may not have, yet (??) — that the FBI is clearly in bed with the Dark Army. Santiago tries not to swallow his tongue, and there’s a killer shot of Dom thinking really hard about what Darlene just said. And, Darlene knows this just from what she’s seen, she has no idea how bad Santiago has been. Dom has to admit she and Darlene slept together, and Darlene was trying to get into Sentinel. Santiago demands answers; Dom asks for them. Darlene … angry, pressured, spills every bean she has about Romero’s key codes. She promises them they can be the Big Damned Heroes. I am choosing to think she’s trying to out Santiago here. Why tell anyone other than Dom, if not knowing the follow-up outs the spy? Cut to Dom and Santiago arguing in his office, and he cannot make a single good argument as to why they can’t at least check if what Darlene said is true. He claims it’ll be thrown out because Dom slept with Darlene, but Dom, one hundred percent right, points out Darlene was in no way, shape or form a CHS when it happened. Not super-appropriate, sure, but from the bureaucratic perspective Santiago is trying to bring to the fore, Dom’s golden. Dom, like last week, asks what is really wrong. Santiago sends her away. I still can’t decide how much she knows. Santiago panic calls Irving about Darlene, telling him the hack can be undone. Irving’s considerate pause is curious. Cut to Whiterose, furiously flipping a table because there are more delays getting her project shipped out to the Congo. Her apartment is decorated the way Angela’s is painted. Grant is trying to explain that US Border Security has tightened, and it’s harder to get their contacts onboard.He asks for permission to speak freely and Whiterose turns, waits. Grant tells her ‘With all due respect … this is all your fault’. The look Whiterose gives him would set any lesser man directly the fuck on FIRE, but Grant is apparently made of asbestos. He lays out her overindulgence of Elliot as the root cause of so much of their problems, and had she just let Grant take control much earlier, this could have gone more smoothly — the not blowing up 71 buildings kind of smoothly. I expect Whiterose to cross the room and cut a bitch, but she doesn’t. She clearly hears the logic of Grant’s words, and sinks onto the couch. She emotionally states that people like Price don’t respect mercy, only force, lots of it; it’s the only currency ‘these men’ respect. Is … she saying she regrets the bombings? And, not just because of the delays they caused? Grant sees her pain and sits beside her, promising to go back to their partners with a more persuasive argument. She softens enough for him to broach his next point. Which brings us to… …Mr. Robot’s last seconds, before he wrote on the mirror about the Feds, a desperate act that felt like that of a dying man.It turns out the opened documents Elliot found on his PC had some key role in filling Robot in. Elliot cleans the mirror, talks about waiting for Darlene to check in, and closes whatever Robot had been reading, suggesting it may not matter. Oh, dude. Grant is telling Whiterose of Stage 3 to target Evil Corp. Whiterose asks Grant what he thinks of Elliot’s new plan, and Grant already knows what Santiago has told Irving about Darlene. Whiterose, using the same language Grant did with Elliot, asks what Grant thinks they should do. Grant thinks Elliot is lying about targeting Ecoin; Elliot is coming after them. We see that when Elliot’s machine was scanned/cloned by Dark Army, he left them a gift. A code is hidden in the data, and when the flash drive is plugged into Dark Army’s network, Elliot gets access. Whiterose, either genuinely impressed by Grant’s strategic quick thinking, or working something else, asks what he thinks they should do, again. Meanwhile, Elliot hacks the Dark Army. Grant lovingly embraces Whiterose , leans in for a kiss, pausing just long enough to tell her it’s time Elliot lived up to his father’s legacy … and died for them, too. Whiterose murmurs back in Mandarin ‘Do what you think is best’ and we end on their kiss. First of all; GrantRose is life. Whiterose is pure evil, but their relationship is fascinating. I am torn as to whether Whiterose is truly nurturing him as a potential leader, maybe even some form of successor for her when she, presumably, turns her attentions to ‘The Project’. Think on all the Dread Pirate Roberts mentions — a character who is not one person, but many, inheriting a name and legacy when their successor retires. Is Grant being groomed for leadership? Or, since this is Whiterose, was his tiny challenge his undoing? Whiterose could be letting him take the lead … so that if/when Elliot gets them, it’s Grant in the firing line. It’s her MO. Speaking of Elliot, it’s nice to see he and Robot on the same side for once, and it seems to me they’re on roughly the same path now, both agreeing that whatever else, Evil Corp must be stopped. And Tyrell is back onside, now. So, for all Whiterose thought she had pulled this off, she’s actually thrown the three … or …two and a half (??) most important personalities back together, with the same mission. Alongside that, Dom is either this close to springing a long running trap on Santiago, or in my mind, more likely, this close to figuring out he’s the mole. I know it’s been speculated Dom’s known it’s him for a while, but I think she’s just now getting it. I HOPE I am wrong. I do. Because he’s … the worst, most obvious mole, ever. He routinely uses his own regular ass ‘Call Your Mother’ phone, to make incriminating calls. He does this in his office at the FBI, and those calls are usually loud and shouty. She had damned well better have been onto him for a while. Finally, we have Angela. Poor, broken Angela. It’s hard to say what’s going on with her, on the surface she’s having a total mental breakdown, one I think she’s been tumbling slowly towards since she witnessed the suicide in Season 1 (which I kept mistakenly thinking was Colby). She has seemed okay, and to have her shit together since then, but I think she’s been quietly drowning for a long time, and she just now began to sink under the waves. She appears to have been abandoned by Whiterose, her primary purpose served, but we know Whiterose won’t let a lose end like that wander around for too long. That said … Price. We still don’t know why Price is fixated on Angela (is her her real father?), but it sure as hell seemed like he chose Allsafe because of her. And the fact he did appears to be what brought Elliot into the picture, and we all know where that led. So … what to make of it all? Mr. Robot returns Wednesdays on USA Network and Hulu.

How to create a Crested Gecko Setup Creating the perfect crested gecko setup is part of the fun of owning one of these little guys. Below is a step by step guide with a supply list of what you need to set everything up well so that your beardy can live a long and healthy life. The Crested gecko or Eyelash gecko is a species of gecko native to southern New Caledonia, an island country off the coast of Australia. This species was thought extinct until it was rediscovered in 1994 during an expedition led by Robert Seipp. Since then, their popularity as pets has continually increased. They make great pets because they are extremely hardy, easy to keep and handle and come in many different beautiful colors and patterns. An aspect that should be considered when setting up Crested gecko´s enclosures is that they are natural climbers. So height is more important than floor space. However, they are also excellent jumpers; they will jump from one perch to the next almost like frogs. So small terrariums should be avoided, as they will also need some reasonable space to make their jumping. Another important aspect of the Crested gecko setup is humidity. Crested geckos regularly shed their skin so an appropriate level of humidity must be ensured to allow proper shedding. Do not be surprised to see a crested gecko eating its shedding skin. Quick Reference Section Quick Setup List - Exo Terra Terrarium 18x18x24 - Ceramic Heat Emitter - Zoomed Thermostat - REPTI ZOO Light fixture - Exo Terra 75 watt heat lamp - BetaZooer lamp stand - Terrarium Controller (timer for lights) - Glass Cleaner Basic steps towards setting up a Crested gecko’s enclosure In what has to do with the Crested Gecko setup, there are primarily four steps that should be followed: - Select the right enclosure - Provide adequate substrate - Provide Heating & Lighting Elements and monitor conditions - Add decor and accessories 1. Select the right enclosure As already mentioned, Crested geckos are natural climbers, Since they love to climb, when it comes to terrarium sizing, height is a lot more important than width. Therefore, a 18″ x 18″ x 24″ (pictured above) or a 24” x 18” x 24” enclosure works best. The Exo Terra All Glass Terrarium is a crowd favorite for building a good setup for crested geckos. Baby and juvenile Crested geckos can comfortably live in a smaller enclosure, but you will need to upgrade the enclosure as the crested gecko ages and grows. If you don’t want to buy a “pre-made” reptile habitat, you can go for a simple plastic tub. But of course, the plastic tube option has many obvious downsides, like the fact that it doesn’t allow you to see your Crested gecko. Males are territorial, so keep only one adult male crested gecko per enclosure and do not house different reptile species together. 2. Provide adequate substrate Zilla Sphagnum peat moss is a great option. To prepare for this you should line the bottom of your tank with hydroballs and a screen to separate it. Then put the substrate on top. Make sure to make it thick enough to hold the plants you are going to add in. The purpose of the hydroballs is to hold moisture better in the tank which will help the humidity be maintained. You can do it cheaper using newspaper, but it won’t look very nice. Newspaper is a more inexpensive, easy to clean, and very safe substrate to use. However, it doesn’t look “nice” and of course it should be replaced daily. Calcium sand will look nice in your terrarium but is not a good option for younger Crested geckos because of the risk of impaction. Impaction is an intestinal block often caused by eating substrate. It is a very serious issue and can often be fatal. Adult Crested geckos are usually good enough at avoiding substrate while eating, so it’s not as big of an issue for adults. 3. Provide heating & lighting elements (and monitor conditions). In what has to do with heat, Crested geckos do best in temperature between 70 and 80°F (and get stressed at higher temperatures). If your house temperature falls under this range, you can use a Ceramic Heat Emitter. Make sure your heater doesn’t bump the temperature up too high – Crested geckos get stressed in temperatures above 85°F. Crested Geckos don’t have super specific lighting requirements. As primarily nocturnal animals, they don’t require UVB lighting. That said, if you aren’t using any sort of UVB light, supplementing their diet with calcium is necessary to avoid Metabolic Bone Disease (calcium deficiency). As far as maintaining a day/night cycle, the light in your house should be more than sufficient. If you want some sort of viewing light, the Exo Terra Day/Night LED is a good option. In what has to do with humidity, Crested geckos prefer a relatively high humidity– after all, they mostly inhabit rainforests in the wild. As a rough rule, you want to mist to 80% humidity and then it falls to down to 50% throughout the day. Once it hits the mid 50’s, mist again. Your terrarium shouldn’t stay at 80% humidity all day every day – Crested Geckos need a bit of fluctuation. On one hand, Crested geckos need humidity for shedding and on the other hand, most prefer to get their water by licking moisture from leaves, having a mister can be a good option as misters form a rainy environment and produce little droplets. A fine mist will not just provide droplets for your gecko to drink but will knock gecko poop down to the substrate (in case you have chosen a natural one) where it will probably be quickly consumed. Having an automatic misting system is a good idea for automation and is also a lifesaver if you’re away from the enclosure for days at a time. MistKing is the most reliable and preferred brand in general, but the ExoTerra monsoon is also a good option. However, you can opt for hand misting if you have a single enclosure and don’t travel, Either way, make sure to use distilled or reverse osmosis water for misting. Foggers do not have any place in a crested gecko vivarium—they simply add too much water to the system. Learn more about the difference between misters and foggers. Temperature and humidity should be monitored. You can use a Zoo Med Digital Combo Thermometer Humidity Gauge is a quick-reading hygrometer and thermometer. 4. Add Decorations Grapewood branches tend to be on the pricier side, but are definitely worth the extra cost as they come in some awesome shapes and designs and can bring a terrarium to life. On the other hand, Mopani wood is very affordable, and even if it is most commonly used in aquariums, also works well in Crested Gecko terrariums. You could just collect wood from a forest, but this is is not 100% safe unless you make sure you remove any harmful microorganism. To do so, first, scrub the wood with a 5% diluted bleach mixture. After the scrub is complete, preheat your oven to 300°F and bake the wood for 30 minutes. This should sterilize the wood and make it completely safe for your Crested Geckos. Here are some types of wood that are safe for Crested Geckos: HIDING PLACES: Also, provide your Crested gecko with an ample hide box. Crested geckos are nocturnal (active at night) and will spend most daylight hours hidden in their habitat. You can buy the Exo terra reptile hiding cave, but as an alternative or compliment you can also buy a coconut and drill some holes into it to provide another place for it to hide. If you find that your crested gecko isnt using the cave, it could be that it doesn’t feel safe with only one exit, hence adding multiple holes to a coconut. PLANTS: Live plants really pull your enclosure together creating a truly natural environment for your pet gecko. One thing you should be aware of is that your gecko will likely eat the plants. You can avoid that by using fake plants. If you do use fake ones, make sure to get them from a reptile brand to ensure they aren’t toxic. If you go with live plants, be sure to remove all the dirt and wash out the roots before planting it in your vivarium. Many times the dirt the plants are in may have had fertilizer or pesticides used and if left it could leach into the substrate and cause harm to your pet. HAMMOCK: A hammock is a nice option for your gecko to have a place to chill out on in addition to the hanging coconut. BOWLS: Add Food & Water Bowls. Even if your gecko doesn’t like to drink from a water bowl and instead prefers to get water by licking droplets, it is advisable to have one. Make sure not to place your Crested geckos bowls on the ground as Crested geckos prefer to eat at elevated heights. Some geckos will completely refuse food placed on the ground. By placing the food higher up in the terrarium, your Crested gecko will feel much more comfortable eating. The magnetic dish pictured above works great since you dont have to do anything to fix it to the enclosure and makes removal and cleaning easy. OTHERS: In general, avoid using real rocks in your crested gecko’s habitat as they can easily shift and crush your gecko. If you opt for real rocks, just make sure to treat them before adding them to the enclosure. You can use the same process as mentioned above using a 5% bleach water solution and baking them at 300 F for 30 min. CLEANUP CREW: To complete your setup you can add worms, springtails, and isopods to help maintain the enclosure and cleanup the substrate by consuming the feces. Crested Gecko Video Setup Walkthrough Crested geckos don’t need an overly elaborate setup, and when following the above mentioned four steps, a Crested gecko setup is not difficult to arrange. If you are going for the bioactive enclosure, just make sure to be fully educated on it so you can do it right. The problem is that for most of us, bioactive setups are far more complicated. If not done properly, they can and will harm your gecko. If you have any questions or suggestions, let us know in the comments below.

We have reasons to be grateful that Bal K. Thackeray has died, a normal, natural death. Several of those whom he admired, didn’t. Adolf Hitler, the fellow ‘artist’ he often invoked, killed himself, his mistress and his dog. Indira Gandhi, and her son Sanjay, the mother and son firm of despots that Bal Thackeray endorsed, didn’t go gently into the night either. Sanjay Gandhi, the ‘bold young man’ whom Thackeray recognized as a fellow spirit came spiraling down in his own airplane, demonstrating that the indifferent sky does occasionally listen to the prayers of the earth to alleviate its burden. Indira Gandhi and her son Rajiv both fell to the forces that their own ruling dispensation had nurtured, Khalistani zealots and the LTTE. Bal Thackeray was lucky to have lived as long as he did, sipping his lukewarm beer, spitting out his bile. Very lucky. As for us, we are fortunate that Thackeray did not get to go down as a Maratha martyr, just as a lapsed cartoonist, a would-be caudillo and a has-been demagogue. Had it been otherwise, had Thackeray been stopped mid-stride by a bomb or a bullet in much the same way as he had personally authorized the culling of many other lives, the city once known as Bombay would not have been the way it is today – relieved to be back on its feet, and reasonably at peace with itself. And no one on television, especially on Times Now, would have had the marvelous opportunity to sing paeans on the day of the state funeral (for someone, who, had he have made his career across the western border, they would not have hesitated to condemn as a ‘non-state actor’ of the script of state sponsored terror) to how ‘nice’, and disciplined, the Sainiks had been, generally speaking. Arnab Goswami’s enthusiastic eulogies to Bal Thackeray the day before (segueing so perfectly to the really dignified muzak on the soundtrack) unfortunately left him with a slightly sore throat yesterday evening when he had to (rightly) take on Rahul Nervekar of the Shiv Sena on the unfortunate party-pooping embarrassment of the matter of two young women (a ‘Facebook poster’ and her friend, ‘the liker’) who had to be arrested and then let out on bail by the police force of Palghar in Thane, Maharashtra, for daring to suggest that “just due to one politician died a natural death, everybody goes bonkers…today, Mumbai shuts down due to fear, not due to respect”. How terrible it must be to eulogize the master at one moment, and then upbraid the disciple the next, for following faithfully in the precepts laid down by the master. It is the flawless straddling and negotiation of profound existential dilemmas such as these that makes Arnab Goswami and people like him in our midst such intellectual giants. As we know by now, the clinic of an uncle of one of the young women was vandalized and patients had to be evacuated to make way for the sadness of shiv sainiks. The two women have posted bail for fifteen thousand rupees each and as of now, they still have to report each Wednesday to the police station so that the Maharashtra Police can ‘investigate’ their conduct. Otherwise, this was such a lovely funeral. As family oriented as a Yash Chopra farewell, with film stars in attendance and Lataji and Amitji and Sushmaji and Jijajis and Salijis and Netajis of various descriptions doing what they do best, offering ‘bhavpoorn shraddhanjalis’ (‘heartfelt homage’) at regular intervals. I say ‘otherwise’, because November funerals have a way of going wrong. Horribly wrong. Those of us who have lived through the consequences of the repeated airing of the ‘khoon ka badla khoon se lenge’ (‘blood for blood’ ) slogans on television when Indira Gandhi’s bullet riddled body lay in state in Teen Murti Bhavan in Delhi on the 1st of November (a day after she had been shot) 1984 know to what extent grieving Gandhian congressmen could go to mourn their dear leader. A great tree fell, the ground shook, and a few thousand Sikhs were dispensed with in Delhi. Nothing really happened to the loyal riotous mourners, and the ruling party got the sympathy vote. Except for the fact that H.K.L. Bhagat, mourner-in-chief, and pogrom architect, apparently went mad in his declining years, and would be spotted stark naked, followed by his security detail, ranting to himself. The curse of some Trilokpuri widow might have found it’s mark. The curse of Naroda Patiya and Best Bakery might yet some day catch up with the man who said he had only followed his ‘marg-darshak’ Thackeray’s inspiring footsteps to get to where he is today. I sincerely hope so. I hope it delivers an appropriately naked and pathetic form of dementia when its time comes. Imagine what price Bombay might have had to pay for the grief of angry Shiv Sainiks, had the inevitability of the demise of the Hindu Hruday Samrat / ‘Emperor of Hindu Hearts’ (Mark 1) not been as predictable, banal and medicated as it turned out to be in the end. Those who live by the sword, have a tendency to die by the sword. Thackeray lived by the sword, but thankfully, died on the ventilator. Death and Bal Keshav Thackeray go back a long way. I doubt if any other Indian politician has the record of publicly handing out as many death threats as Bal Thackeray did in the course of his career. He made death threats in his speeches, interviews and his editorials. He called for war, for murder, for suicide squads, for retaliatory terrorism, for hanging, day in and day out, not covertly, but overtly. And there has been not a single instance when any of his exhortations to violence (judicial or extra-judicial) has ever had any legal consequences for him. The first political assassination in Bombay, an event that changed the course of the city, was the targeted killing of the popular and militant Communist trade union activist and sitting MLA, Krishna Desai in June 1970 by the Shiv Sena. It was this killing, and the previous incidence of arson (1967) in which the Shiv Sena burned the CPI led office of the Girni Kamgar Union that acted as symbolic markers of the Congress patronized rise of the Shiv Sena in Bombay politics. At that time, the Shiv Sena, acted as the private militia of the Maharashtra Congress chieftains Vasantrao Naik and Vasantdada Patil, who were eager to please their clients – the respectable industrialists of Bombay who were getting increasingly impatient with a restive and resistant working class. So much so that the Shiv Sena earned for itself the ill deserved sobriquet of ‘Vasant Sena’ (which brings dishonor not to the Shiv Sena, but to the memory of Vasantasena, the elegant and large-hearted courtesan of Sudraka’s Sanskrit play ‘Mricchakatikam’). The Shiv Sena did in Bombay then what the bouncers and goons of Congress ruled Gurgaon and Manesar do in Haryana now. They kept the industrial peace for greedy and rapacious managements through a reign of terror. In a public meeting at the Robert Money High School in 1970, soon after the killing of Krishna Desai, Bal Thackeray congratulated ‘his’ boys for the deed, and said that the event should be a warning to all ‘Lal Bhais’ (Reds) for what was to follow if Bombay did not yield to the supremacy of the Shiv Sena. [ For details of this incident – see – the section titled ‘Killing for a Cause : Shiv Sena’s Striking Power on page 91 in Dipankar Gupta’s ‘Between Ethnicity and Communalism: The Significance of the Nation-State’ in ‘Religion, Violence and Political Mobilisation in South Asia’ edited by Ravinder Kaur, Sage Publications, New Delhi, 2005]. He then went on to campaign in the by-election that occurred due to Desai’s death against his widow, the CPI candidate. And the first Shiv Sainik MLA, Vamanrao Mahadik entered the Maharashtra assembly, over the dead body of Krishna Desai, courtesy Bal K. Thackeray. Emboldened by the impunity he enjoyed in the wake of Krishna Desai’s killing, Thackeray embarked on a long career of calling for murder and deportation and enjoying the death or humiliation of others, be they Communists, Trade Union activists, Dalits, Muslims, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Kashmiris, North Indians (his previous ire against what he called ‘yandu-gundu’ South Indians seemed to have mellowed over time, though the first riot that the Shiv Sena organized, against Kannadigas, in February 1969, did leave fifty nine people dead in its wake). He openly advocated terrorism when he called for ‘suicide squads’ to redeem Hindu honor, and exulted in the orgy of blood letting that took place in the wake of the demolition of the Babri Masjid. To be treated to pious eulogies and calls for decorum while dealing with the memory of the departed Thackeray on television is to understand that for our elites, one should not speak ill of the dead even when the person in question never played by that same rule. The famous Marathi pride that Bal Thackeray, according to our television pundits, was able to foster (his one ‘great’ contribution) , seems to be nothing other than the egregious arrogance of the schoolyard bully, whose only way of bolstering his own self-esteem is to enjoy abusing others. Like every schoolyard bully, Thackeray was basically a coward, cowing to the greater might of Sanjay Gandhi and Adolf Hitler whenever inspired to do so and behaving with reasonableness, courtesy and good humor towards captains of industry and finance, whenever necessary. Having broken the back of working class militancy the city, not even once in his long career did Thackeray ever call out the Shiv Sena’s famous muscle power on to the streets for the rights of Mumbai’s poor and marginalized. It was always, always against the poor, against marginalized communities, against immigrants, against workers (the Shiv Sena did not, for instance, intimidate mill owners into submission during the textile strike, though ostensibly, they lent the workers their inconsistent and token support). Or, it was for some self-declared notion of what the dignity of being Marathi and/or Hindu meant. The idea that Thackeray and his goons ruled Bombay because of fear is somewhat misplaced. Yes, the terror that they exercised on the ground did have its chilling effect, but more importantly, they were allowed, even encouraged to exercise that power by Bombay’s political, industrial and financial elite. They had no reason to fear Thackeray, because ultimately, the Shiv Sena and Thackeray always acted in their interest. In the end, he became one of them, but it is always important to remember that he began as their reliable enforcer, the bouncer at the door to their party. No government, Congress, NCP or otherwise, ever took him on, (despite for instance the findings of the Shri Krishna Commission on his incendiary role in the Mumbai Riots of 1992) not because they were afraid of him or his capacity to rule the streets (governments in India have acted with promptness on the streets whenever they have felt the need to, and with great lethality and disproportionate force – they faced a march of more than a million people in Srinagar in 1989 with bullets, leaving hundreds dead in what has become famous as the Gawakadal Massacre, they have bombed a city like Aizawl in 1966 into submission using air power, they commandeered entire divisions of the Army to move into the Golden Temple in Amritsar when they felt the need to). The truth is, they did not take Thackeray and the Shiv Sena on, even when they were a direct threat to urban peace, not because they could not, but because they did not want to. He was way too useful, handing out threats and thugging it out in Mumbai so that they and their order prevailed. In a widely reported bouquet of fulsome eulogies, captains of industry, finance, film and public relations, paid their respects to Thackeray. Mukesh Ambani, Chairman, Reliance Industries said ‘our country has lost a great leader’. Deepak Parekh, chairman, HDFC Bank spoke of how his eloquence (read foul language) and his charisma (read bullying) made him a legend, because he was after all, a ‘pro-industry’ visionary. Rahul Bajaj, Chairman of Bajaj Auto tellingly recalled how despite ideological differences, he had good relations with him, especially as he had ‘helped in sorting out a workers-related issue in his manufacturing facility’. Anand Mahindra,Chairman, Mahindra and Mahindra tweeted about how the citizens of this state will ‘miss their champion’. Niranjan Hiranandani and Rahul Bajaj both spoke fondly of his ‘sense of humor’. Suhel Seth said that ‘whatever his politics…his nationalism and zeal could never be questioned.’ Bollywood film stars, the ornaments of the ruling class, were not far behind their masters. Amitabh Bacchan, offered his eulogy to a man who basically ran his relationship with the film industry in the form of an elaborate protection racket. Lata Mangeshkar said he made Mumbai great. Shahrukh Khan regretted not resolving his differences with him. Riteish Deshmukh called him a hero. Tweet after nauseating tweet spoke of the coziness between filmdom and fascism. All this, apparently, because he was, as several television commentators said, ‘a straightforward man, a man who spoke what he thought, did what he believed’. Since when was straightforwardness a virtue when it comes to the projection of evil? In a television interview given to Rajeev Shukla, sixteen years ago (re-run recently), at the height of his powers, Thackeray assents to the description ‘I am the Hitler’ of Maharashtra, rubbishes democracy, extols the virtues of dictatorship and says that if he were prime minister he would ‘saaf karo Kashmir’ (‘clean up Kashmir’) and wipe out every Bangladeshi from India. He is not drunk, he is not mentally unsound. He is in full control of everything he is saying and thinking, and I for one am very glad that his ambition to be the ‘Hitler’ of India did not come to fruition. The schoolyard bully never got to leave his corner of the pitch. I believe the correct term for this sensibility is not straightforwardness but arrogance, born of a sense of impunity that comes to a man who knows that those who really rule let him rule. Behind every schoolyard bully, there are way bigger bullies, watching his back. The only difference between them and their front man is a degree of fake civility. Their language is smoother. Much has been said about the 2.5 million who came out to pay him homage. Bombay/Mumbai has a population of something close to 12.5 million, and if approximately one sixth of that population is persuaded by the Shiv Sena to shed tears, it does not indicate to me an overwhelming surge of grief. Perhaps a large number of the ten million, or five-sixths of the city, who chose not to come out on to the street were relieved that they would not have to wake up on some random morning to hear the latest fatwa from Matoshree ? Perhaps, when some people invoke the ‘Ek tha Tiger’ (‘Once there was a Tiger’) motif in response to Thackeray’s passing, parsing both the Shiv Sena’s mascot and Salman Khan’s recent hit in one swift move, it is not unreasonable to read a careful stress on the tha’ – the ‘has been’ in their utterance. The passing of a predator can bring relief to the prey. The death of tyrants (when they die in harness) is usually followed by carefully stage managed and orchestrated scenes of public displays of grief. The deaths of Stalin, Ayatolilah Khomeini and more recently of Kim Jong Il and Kim Il Sung in North Korea were all occasions of great public demonstrations of sorrow. Pyongyang has a population of three million and approximately one and a half million (half the city) reportedly turned up to weep at the ‘dear leader’s’ funeral. Does that mean that North Korea’s ‘dear leader’ is even more dear (by ten and one-eighth times) to the people of Pyongyang than the Hindu Hruday Samrat is to the people of Mumbai. Whatever be the arithmetic, the youtube uploads of Pyongyang citizens breaking down about the departure of their ‘dear leader’ evoke the same emotions in me as the ones I have experienced at the lachrymose excesses reported from Mumbai on our television screens. I am not denying that an element of spontaneity may animate such occasions, but is that enough reason to consider the deceased and their actions above board, or the grief, to use an understatement, somewhat overblown? Or is it instead reason to give serious thought as to why and under what conditions can millions of people give their actual consent to their own dehumanization in the name of the fiction of an identity or the tang of mythical greatness or manifest destiny. I am not asking us to dismiss the emotions that were so visible in the farewell to Thackeray. I am asking us all to think very seriously about the nature of the profound emptiness in the lives of people that makes it possible for them to identify, almost filially, with a man who in his outspoken disdain for democratic values (despite how ‘directly he did or did not make eye contact with the masses’) in reality held ordinary people in the greatest contempt. The ‘Marathi Manoos’ he invoked had nothing of the extraordinary liberality, open-ness and free thinking spirit that marked Marathi culture’s tryst with modernity. Instead, it squandered the rich inheritance and greatness of Agarkar, Ranade, Phule, Ramabai, Ambedkar, the two Kosambis, Dalwai, Vijay Tendulkar and Pu. La. Deshpande into a meaningless posture of empty macho defiance at anything remotely resembling the life of the mind in its own environment. In retrospect, Bal Thackeray, by urging Marathi men (and it was largely men) to elbow their way into being the prize fighters in Mumbai’s gladiatorial circus on the basis of muscle power alone made sure that they effectively subverted Marathi culture’s capacity to respond with intelligence to a changing world. No one has done more to harm what it means to be Marathi in recent times. Marathi pride cannot come from Marathi signboards, statues, protection rackets in employment and cosmetic nomenclatural changes. It can only come from a healthy culture of debate and open ended thinking – something that Maharasthra once led this country in, and now, like Bengal, has now lost almost entirely, due to the politics of populism. Yesterday evening, like many other people on Facebook, I re-posted what was apparently posted by one of the two young women of Palghar, Thane, and called for others to do so as well, out of solidarity. The status update (which is not exactly what the young woman Shaheen Dhada had written – see last Kafila posting for her precise words), simply said, “People like Bal Thackeray are born and die daily and one should not observe a bandh for that”. It went viral within moments. While I endorse the sentiment that underlies this statement I have to make my disagreement with at least one of its presumptions clear. Yes, people like Bal Thackeray die daily and one should not observe a bandh for that. But no, people like Bal Thackeray, are thankfully, not born daily. (And Shaheen Dhada, we must remember, does not say so either.) I hope that no one like Bal Thackeray, or his favourite artist, Adolf Hitler, is ever born again. Ek tha Tiger (Once there Was A Tiger) is way preferable to Lo, Ek Aur Tiger (Lo, Once Again a Tiger.).

When you see the name of this brand; Samsung, surely the first thing you have thought of is technology. Maybe right now you are reading our blog from one of the company’s devices or you have one of its appliances at home. But would you be surprised if we told you that they started selling only dried fish and fruits? Eighty years ago, at the gates of World War II, the founder of what is today one of the 10 most important companies in the world, Lee Byung-Chul, thought that the business was in the trade of this type of products, for So he decided to create a company dedicated to this sector with an investment of approximately 30,000 won (around $ 30 today). He named it Samsung, which means “three stars” in Korean, which can be seen in the first designs of the company’s logo. The concept of the brand and its aspirations are inspired by the three ancient gods of Chinese religion: Shou Xing, who represents eternity; Fu Xing, who represents success and good fortune; and Lu Xing, who represents prosperity, influence, and happiness; collectively they are known as Sanxing, the three stars. Growth of Samsung During the War After Korea escaped Japanese occupation during World War II, Lee Byung decided to move to Seoul to expand his business, which he achieved by approaching the government of Syngman Rhee, who began to award him profitable foreign trade contracts. In addition to this, in 1948 he created a subsidiary of construction, trade, and engineering along with Cho Hong-Jai, an entrepreneur who decades later founded Hyosung Motors & Machinery Inc. At that time, this subsidiary was called Samsung Moolsan and today it is known as Samsung C&T Corporation. Despite all this growth, another war episode would overshadow the Asian country and in 1950, at the beginning of the Korean War, Lee Byung-Chul was forced to flee the capital towards Busan, in the southeast of the country, since this area was protected by the United States. Here he expanded his business into the field of the textile and sugar industry, and after the Korean War ended in 1953, Lee Byung-Chul returned to the capital as a man who was very good at business. Samsung experienced great growth throughout the Syngman Rhee government, as, as we noted earlier, it offered very juicy contracts, a situation that aroused certain suspicions. By 1961, when Syngman Rhee was overthrown through a coup; his successor, General Park Chung-hee, decided to draw up a list of companies to be investigated for corruption, including Samsung. Finally, after several meetings between Lee Byung-Chul and the new ruler, it was agreed that the accusations of corruption would be forgotten if Samsung collaborated on the economic plan that had been thought to transform Korea impoverished by war, into an industrial Korea and economically powerful. To do this, private companies needed to start investing in sectors that are fundamental to the economy and thus receive benefits from the state, so Samsung began to explore other industries such as electronics and insurance. From where Ankuk Fire & Marine Insurance (1958) was born, which would be renamed Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance in 1993. Technological and Electronic Innovation: Samsung’s Catapults The decade of the 60s and 70s are perhaps two of the most crucial in the history of Samsung since it is in them where several of the most important companies of the current conglomerate of Samsung Group are created. Let’s see: - In 1969, the well-known Samsung Electronics was founded, after observing significant local demand in the electronics and technology sector. In addition, the Sanyo company is unified with Samsung. - In 1970 the company associated with the Japanese company NEC Corporation start manufacturing black and white appliances and televisions; the latter is hugely successful with more than 10 million copies sold during the decade. - In 1973 the subsidiary that is known today as Samsung Electro-Mechanics was created, which is in charge of manufacturing electronic components for audio, videos, computers, etc., and is the one that later would independently develop a color television tuner. - A year later, in 1974, Samsung is chosen by General Park Chung-hee as the official company to take charge of the country’s shipbuilding, and then the subsidiary that is now known as Samsung Heavy Industries is created, one of the largest of its kind. Also in the same year, Samsung Petrochemical (which was acquired by Hanwha Group in 2015) was founded and absorbed Korea Semiconductor, thus entering the world of manufacturing semiconductors, chips, and chemical products from oil and gas. In the remainder of the decade and since 1980, Samsung focuses on expanding its presence in different areas and begins to define its path towards the development of Information and Telecommunication Technologies (ICT), since, in addition to starting with the production Mass production of microwave ovens, color televisions, VHS video recorders, air conditioners, washing machines, computers, and refrigerators, inaugurates the Research and Development Center and the Samsung Institute of Advanced Technology (SAIT) in Suwon City, Korea. These centers will contribute greatly to the company’s innovation in electronics, telecommunications, and engineering. In addition to this, Samsung manages to establish its first international office located in the United States and soon creates branches in Portugal, Tokyo, among others. After almost half a century as president and founder of Samsung, Lee Byung-Chul died of cancer and the company was inherited by his third son Lee Kun-hee in 1987. This event marks the end of an era and the beginning of an even bigger one for the company when in 1988 Lee Kun-hee declared the ” second foundation of Samsung ” and raised the aggrandizement of the company through a major restructuring as a means to become one of the leading technology industries on the planet. The New Samsung In the early 1990s, major changes took place at Samsung Group, as promised by its new president. One of the most momentous was the fragmentation of the company into four groups: chemical products, which would be managed by the Hansol Group; warehouses, which would be managed by Shinsegae Group; food products, of which CJ Group would be in charge; and the rest, that is, electronic, technological, construction and engineering products, would be managed solely by Samsung, thus keeping the most beneficial businesses for the company. This allowed Samsung to focus on the profitable electronics and technology business. At that time, among international consumers of these products, it was commented that Korean devices were not of such good quality compared to those of other countries on the continent, so among the new structuring, the objective was to invest much more in research and development (R&D) and encourage the creation of a mobile phone system. Samsung also promoted the creation of the world’s first 64MB and 256MB Dynamic Random Access Memory (better known as DRAM), manufactured around 10 million industrial robots, and created the world’s first DVD recorder. All this under the slogan of ” quality first “. This new vision of the company was celebrated in style and also led to a makeover, consequently, this whole modern scheme was made public in 1993, as was the new Samsung logo. By the end of the 90s, Samsung had succeeded in breaking down the conceptions that were held about its quality and had become a great innovative company. In addition, thanks to the important strategy adopted by Lee Kun-hee, Samsung managed to overcome and grow during the severe financial crisis that hit Asia in 1997. In those years, the company had already specialized in the unprecedented development of LCD screens, flat screens, 3D screens, and digital televisions, and by 1999, it was not only dominating the world TFT LCD market but launching a kind of watch phone ( very similar to today’s smartwatches ) and the first mobile phone with MP3 in the world, a market that would soon be disputed with the best telephone companies. Additionally, the Samsung brand becomes a World Olympic Partner (TOP) in wireless communications and thus begins a company tradition of sponsoring large-scale sporting events, especially the Olympic Games. He also grew much more in the construction sector, when he executed some of the most important and impressive works in the Asian region : - The Petronas Towers are located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (1993-1996). - Taipei 101, located in Taiwan (1999-2004). - Incheon International Airport in Korea opened in 2005. - The Burj Khalifa, located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Which would be inaugurated years later in 2010. 2000 to present: success and legal battles with Apple The beginning of a new millennium is marked by technology, consumer electronics, the internet, and mobile telephony, aspects that would forever change how human beings live and interact. By then, Samsung was already well positioned in many of these issues, ranking 19 of Interbrand’s Best Global Brands for 2010, the year in which it launched the famous Galaxy smartphones. Everything is growing for Samsung in these years, being admired and recognized worldwide for its technological contribution. Among some of the most notable products are flexible UHD televisions, massive and unpublished productions of DRAM memories with high storage capacity, creation of wearable devices with 3G, smartphones with curved screens, development of a mobile payment service, and more recently, the design of the world’s first LED cinema screen. All of this and more has led Samsung to rank # 6 on Interbrand’s Best Global Brands list in 2017. Another notable aspect is that Samsung’s growth has not only benefited the company but also its country. Another notable aspect is that Samsung’s growth has not only benefited the company but also it is country. In fact, Samsung is perhaps the most influential company in the economy, politics, and culture of South Korea and it has been calculated that the production of all the companies that make up the conglomerate ( chaebol, as it is known in its country of origin), It represents a fifth of the nation’s total exports and its income corresponds to 17% of the gross domestic product (GDP) of the South Korean republic. The value of the brand has experienced exponential growth in the last decade that has helped it climb the Interbrand list almost every year and that can be evidenced by the following figures: Despite such success, Samsung has had problems related to its smartphones, as Apple, one of its main rivals in this market, sued the company for more than two billion dollars in 2012 alleging patent infringement. This situation remains unresolved and has gone down in history as one of the largest disputes between two mobile phone companies. FUN FACT: according to Fortune magazine, by the end of 2017 Samsung reached a 21.9% share of the global smartphone market, thus surpassing Apple, which achieved a market share of just 15.2%, which, For now, it makes the Asian giant the leader in the production of these devices. Additionally, in 2017 the company faced significant criticism and losses of several million dollars when it launched the Galaxy Note 7 and it resulted in a factory problem: the phones were literally exploding. This situation generated losses for the company of up to 8% in the stock markets and represented a danger for its users; which finally forced Samsung to completely withdraw the devices from its stores. Fortunately, this did not happen again with the next generation Galaxy Note, which has received a positive response from the market. FUN FACT: to compensate a bit for the Galaxy Note 7 disaster, Samsung encouraged several marketing campaigns, including “Welcome aboard, Galaxy Note 8” in conjunction with the Spanish airline Iberia, which had previously had conflicts with the device. For this, Samsung gave 200 people on board a flight, a Galaxy Note 8 to “reward the loyalty and trust of Spanish users.” In April 2018, former South Korean President Lee Myung-bak had to face the law on various charges, one of them referring to allegedly accepting a bribe from Samsung to pardon Lee Kun-hee, for which he was convicted of tax evasion. “Inspire the world, create the future” Under this new slogan, Samsung proposes a new vision for 2020, which seeks to optimize the experiences of its users with their devices and innovate in consumer electronics. In addition to this, the company makes clear its intention to investigate further in other areas such as health and automotive electronics, a business that in the past was a failure given the historical context of the financial crisis and with which it will be able to vindicate itself thanks to the astonishing reputation of the Asian company. In fact, it is already taking great steps in this direction, as in January 2018 it announced its new DRVLINE™ platform, a technology to drive the development of autonomous vehicles, which it was able to create thanks to the acquisition of the company Harman International Industries in 2016. for a figure of 8 billion dollars. Other interesting aspects of the direction Samsung is heading are related to services and devices based on platforms for the Internet of Things (IoT), the increase in sales of ultra-large screens as a result of important sporting events that occurred in 2018, Like the reports that exist on the design of a Galaxy X with a folding OLED screen, characteristics that no smartphone had until then, Samsung becoming a pioneer in the matter. For you to understand even more part of Samsung’s vision, we invite you to watch this video: Evolution of Samsung Logo As we told you at the beginning of the article, the meaning of the word Samsung was greatly reflected in three of the four logos that the company has adopted. The first of them was designed in 1938. It corresponds to the time and the activity in which the company developed, which at that time did not give so much importance to the logo. It can be seen that the three stars on the circle are the main element and are superimposed on three horizontal stripes and a plant, which symbolizes the trade in food products. The second was adopted in the late 1960s and marked Samsung’s step towards producing black and white televisions and other household appliances. We see that the difference is quite large compared to its predecessor because although it still retains the three stars and the circle, the main element falls a little more in the wordmark, and a little color is added. As you may have read in a few paragraphs back, in 1993 fundamental restructurings were introduced for the destiny and success of the company, which included the logo of the same that remains until today. In its design, we see that the three stars are finally removed and the wordmark is defined as the most important. This is superimposed on an oval inclined at about 10 degrees, which symbolizes the world moving through space, which conveys change and innovation. This logo is usually used with or without the oval, posing an even more minimalist version. What can be Learned from Samsung’s Long Experience It can be said that the history of this company is one full of work, discipline, and perseverance; Furthermore, it teaches us that thriving in the most catastrophic situations is possible. If we do a review, we note that Samsung not only managed to survive through two devastating wars and a financial crisis but also grew and did it intelligently, adapting to the changes generated by the circumstances. It shows us that, regardless of the context, what really increases a company’s chances of success is the response that it may have to adversity or situation that escapes its hands. It is knowing how to anticipate the scenarios and make the smartest decisions. This is how Lee Kun-hee envisioned it in 1993 when he decided to change the direction of the company towards sectors that would soon become the most profitable on the planet. Also noteworthy is the importance that Samsung attached to the quality of its products and how this greatly influenced the gigantic expansion of the South Korean company. In short, we believe that Samsung’s contribution to the world is incredibly valuable, it is a brand that stands out in any sector that you want to explore and we are convinced that it will forever leave a mark in human history.

Best Flashlights for Light Painting Photography 2022 Updated: May 9 This is the 2022 edition of the flashlight/torch buying guide for light painting and night photographers. Flashlight/torch ratings are based on feedback from light painters, flashlight enthusiast reviews, and my own testing. Now in its 6th year, this buying guide is the most trusted source of information on flashlights for light painters, and the only buying guide that covers a wide range of light painting systems. This buying guide is updated when suitable new lights are released and reviewed, so bookmark or check back at any time during the year if you are interested in purchasing new lights. Each light’s description includes the maximum brightness in lumens (lm), battery type, and typical retail price in US$ (excluding tax and and shipping). Lumens for multi-colour/colour fading lights have not been quoted as colour lumen ratings are not directly comparable to white light lumens. Please be aware that most flashlights step-down from their maximum brightness after a few minutes, or in some cases, in 30 seconds or less! This article contains some affiliate (marked as such) and non-affiliate product links. Commission made through purchases via affiliate links allows me to test more flashlights for the benefit of the light painting community. Affiliate links have no influence on product ratings. I do not make any commission through non-affiliate links. 1. Best Flashlights for Light Painting Systems This section is for flashlights/torches that are suitable for use with various light painting systems to create light trails and light drawings. Each light is described in one of four categories, followed by a matrix showing which featured lights are compatible with each of the following light painting systems: Light Painting Brushes (Universal Connector). Light Painting Paradise. Light Painting Tubes. Light Painting King. T8 Tubes (generic North American sized). I've also added flashlight head diameter information to the matrix for light painters who like to make their own tools or connectors, or for any other light painting systems I'm not aware of. Light painting systems that are only compatible with one light source, or vice-versa, are out of scope of this article as they don't need a buying guide! LED Pixel Sticks, Scanners, Light Pens, and Calligraphy Lights are also out of scope of this article. Commercial grade flashlight designs are continuing to progress away from being useful for light painting. However, there are still a handful of commercial flashlights that have good features for light painting, and an increasing number of lights designed specifically for light painters. Lights recommended in this section have one or more of the following useful features: Accessible on/off switches whilst in connectors/adapters. Constant frequency strobe - some lights even have adjustable strobe frequency and brightness. Last mode memory - so that the light turns on in the last used mode. Momentary switch - more fine control of on/off. Well spaced brightness levels. See each flashlight description for more detail. Most of these lights use 18650 or 21700 Li-ion instead of AA/AAA batteries, as Li-ion powered flashlights are more powerful and better value for money. All use cool white <70CRI LED emitters, unless otherwise specified. Best Flashlight for Strobes >> Light Painting Paradise LightPainter – Ryu’s Lightworks (1,200lm, 18650, $125) This versatile light was designed specifically for light painters, with very positive feedback from users, and is my personal favourite flashlight for creating light trails. Tail switch for on/off/momentary. Side switch for changing and saving settings. Four strobe modes - Strobe with 50% on/off (adjustable 4.5Hz-50Hz), Flash with "motion freezing" 5ms on time (adjustable 9-66Hz), Ribbon Flash (adjustable 6Hz-66Hz), and Trigger Mode with one 5ms flashlight per side switch press. Adjustable strobe brightness from 50lm to 1200lm, mode memory, momentary switch, and no brightness step-down. Battery and charger included. (Disclaimer: I am a product ambassador for Light Painting Paradise, however I purchased the prototype Ryuslightworks V2 before I had any involvement with the company). Product link (affiliate) - 10% off with code "Stephen Knight". Noctigon KR1 (2,200lm, 18650, $50) - the SST-40 or SFT-40 6500k versions are excellent for getting lots of light into light painting tools, outclassing the Klarus XT11GT and XT2CR. Tail switch light with the complex Anduril user interface. Multiple effects modes include the super bright (1,900lm) tactical strobe with 33% on-time (adjustable 2.3Hz-80Hz), and not so bright "motion freezing" party strobe with 1.3ms on time (adjustable 3.5Hz-90Hz). There is no mode memory for strobes, but you can adjust strobe settings, enter momentary mode, and then hold the switch down when you need to use strobe. Slight unscrew/re-screw of the tail cap is required to exit momentary mode. Can produce very bright "fairy dust" on slowest party mode setting. Excellent heat handling. Too large for T8 tubes. Best used with a high current unprotected 18650 battery. Product link. Lumintop (TLF/BLF) FW1A (1,200lm, 18650, $60) – the XP-L HI 6500k version is the most optimal of Lumintop's extensive FW series of flashlights for light painting due to having a tail switch, single emitter, and fits most light painting systems. Sadly, the latest version has declined in quality with a sub-optimal reflector and driver. Tail switch with the complex Anduril user interface. Multiple effects modes include the bright tactical strobe (750lm) with 33% on-time (adjustable 2.5Hz-110Hz), and not so bright "motion freezing" party strobe with 1.3ms on time (adjustable 3.5Hz-90Hz) which I use to create "fairy dust" effects. There is no mode memory for strobes, but you can adjust strobe settings, enter momentary mode, and then hold the switch down when you need to use strobe. Full unscrew/re-screw of the head is required to exit momentary mode. Heat handling is poor, so it steps down after just 25 seconds on Turbo. Best used with an unprotected 3500mAh 18650 battery. Lumintop FW1A Pro (3,500lm, 18650, $50) - Similar to the FW1A above, but with a larger XHP50.2 LED that produces more maximum lumens for about 25 seconds until step-down. Strobe brightness is similar to the FW1A. Best used with a high current unprotected 18650 battery. Light Excursion Strobe Master (1,200lm, 18650, $220) – designed by Light Excursion for light painters. Two strobe modes (5m or 15ms on time). Adjustable strobe frequency and strobe brightness. Momentary switch. Excellent heat handling, internal charging, plus an auxiliary jack. Best used with an unprotected 3500mAh 18650 battery. Product link. Best RGB Colour Changing Flashlight >> Ants on a melon RGB Critter (18650, $120) – Commercial grade, colour changing light with an impressive selection of colours, effects, and adjustable strobe frequency, controlled by 3 on-board buttons. Can save custom settings. Native tool attachments available (including the Sol Saber, BitWhip, Jupiter Rope, and Plexiglass Blades). 18650 battery included, with micro USB charging, which can also allow for firmware updates. Basic use is fairly easy, but the user interface could be better for more complex light painting. Product link. Ignis Shop Color LED Torch (internal, $149) - Colour fade, pulse, and flash modes controlled by an RF remote. Simple on/off switch and no momentary. Internal battery and charging. Product link. Light Excursion Deluxe (18650/21700, $220) - Very popular handmade colour changing light. Colour fade, pulse, and flash modes controlled by an RF remote. On-board momentary switch. 3 rotary dimmers for RGB channels. Very pretty beam patterns with the LE version, though the LP version is slightly brighter. Best used with an unprotected 3500mAh 18650 battery, or included 21700 (North America only). Internal charging. Product link. Threeworlds Concentrate C5 (AAA, $30) - fantastic programmable effects modes and pretty cheap. Unfortunately it only uses a single AAA battery and is thus not very bright. Has a tricky single button user interface. Needs DIY padding to fit in light painting connectors, though can be purchased with a compatible Fusion glow staff. Product link. Best Commercial Grade Flashlight >> Nitecore P10v2 (1,100lm, 18650, $55) This is my favourite "consumer grade" light for light painting. This dual tail switch light that makes it easy to switch between turbo and 19Hz strobe modes on the fly in "Tactical" mode. "Daily" mode has last mode memory and momentary functionality for all 3 brightness settings. Can be used with the Nitecore RSW2 remote pressure switch. 3 minutes until brightness step-down. Noticeable Pulse Width Modulation (PWM). Requires button top protected 18650 batteries if not included. Product Link (USA) (affiliate). Klarus XT11S (1,100lm, 18650, $70) / XT11GT (2,000lm, 18650, $85) / XT11GT Pro (2,200lm, 18650, $95) / XT11GT Pro V2 (3,300lm, 18650, $90) – there are now four iterations of the Klarus XT11 series compatible with the Liteblades KYO system. Each generation gets more maximum lumens, but shorter time until the brightness falls of a cliff. The 6 year old XT11S is my favourite as it doesn't have PWM and has better sustained brightness. Dual tail switches for instant access to Turbo or Strobe. No side switches on the Pro versions. Optional Klarus TRC1 remote pressure switch. Strobes are alternating frequency unless the strobe switch is held down, and there is no direct access to Mid or High Modes. Battery included. USB charging. Klarus XT2CR Pro (2,200lm, 18650, $75) – one of the best flashlights for (briefly) getting lots of light into a light painting tool. It is basically the XT11GT Pro (above) with a smaller head. Battery included. USB-C charging. Olight Warrior 3 (2,300lm, 21700, $120) - two stage tail switch allows for momentary control of turbo and 10Hz strobe, or turbo and medium modes. There is a side switch too. Optional remote pressure switch. 60 seconds until brightness step-down to 800lm. Uses an Olight proprietary 18650 battery. Magnetic charging. Avoid the newer 3S version, as Olight have brought back the annoying proximity sensor. Olight USA (affiliate). Olight AU (affiliate). Ledlenser P6R Signature (1,400lm, 18650, $170) - contrary to light painting folklore, zoom lights are far from essential. However, if you really need a zoom light, this is the best option available. 20Hz strobe. Very expensive, but with a 7 year warranty. Battery included. Magnetic charging. Best Budget Flashlight >> Sofirn SP31 V2.0 (1,200lm, 18650, $25) – I generally no longer recommend flashlights for use with light painting tools if you cannot directly access strobe from off (which sadly seems to be 98% of new flashlights produced in the last few years). However, this budget light is fantastic for creating continuous (non-strobe) light trails. Five well spaced brightness levels. Mode memory and momentary on all continuous modes. Unfortunately the strobe is alternating frequency and not memorised. XP-L HI version is most recommended. Battery and charger are optional, or use an unprotected 3500mAh 18650 battery. Product Link. Convoy S2+ (700-1,000lm, 18650, $13-$20) – very popular budget light, with a confusing range of options - which is why I've provided lots of links to the product pages. The Clear S2+ XP-L HI (V2 1A, 8*7135) includes a side clip for T8 tubes, has a 10Hz strobe, but the last mode memory will only memorise the setting if the light is on for more than 3 seconds. The CSLNM1 emitter options, with 12 Group user interface are a great choice for lightsaber like tools, have last mode memory, but the strobe is alternating frequency. These are available with White, Red, Green, Blue, and Orange-Yellow emitters, optionally with battery. Best used with unprotected 3500mAh 18650 batteries. No internal charging. Folomov 18650S (900lm, 18650, $28) – quirky budget light that includes a micro USB rechargeable battery, and can move between 7Hz strobe and continuous "on the fly", or momentary operation using the tail switch. Gets hot very quickly. On The Road M9 (1,100lm, 18650, $28) - there are quite a few flashlights available with constant frequency strobe, but with no direct access to the strobe from off (including the Wowtac A1S, Soonfire MX66, and Magicshine MTL30). The On The Road M9 is the best and cheapest of this bunch, with an accessible tail switch user interface, and mode memory for all constant modes. Strobe is accessed by a double click from on, and it is possible to switch between strobe and memorised mode "on the fly". Battery included, with USB-C charging. Product link. Convoy T4 (420lm with 2xAA, $21) - the best budget AA/AAA flashlight I've tested (can also be used with 2x14500 Li-ion batteries). 420lm with no step-down with SST-20 6500k emitter option. Default mode has 4 brightness levels with mode memory. 12 other mode options, but strobe is alternating frequency. Side clip expected to be available in the future. Product link. Light Painting System Compatibility Matrix 2. Best Light Sources for Illumination This section recommends the best light sources for illuminating scenes instead of being connected to light painting tools. This is also relevant to urbex, long exposure night landscapes, astro, and low level landscape lighting genres of photography. With RGB LED Panel lights becoming increasingly versatile for very floody illumination, I've replaced "flashlights"with "light sources" in the title of this section. There has never been a better time for lighting for illumination purposes, with trends towards higher CRI, higher sustained lumens, and more flood/throw combination lights expected in 2022. These "best in class" lights have one or more useful features including: Different colour temperature options e.g. cool 6500k, neutral 4500k, or warm white 2700k (Correlated Colour Temperature = CCT). High colour rendering (>90CRI) white LED emitters - better colour rendering, but less lumens/watt. Colour LED emitter options. Compatible diffusers - turns flashlights into an omni-directional "lantern" light source Tripod mounting options. Decent sustained brightness - tested brightness after 10 minutes of continuous use. Included/optional batteries and/or internal USB charging. Beam profiles can be split up into: Pencil beam - pencil beam of light with no spill beam, for fine or long distance illumination. Throwy beam - pencil beam of light/intense hotspot with dim spill beam. Floody beam - less intense hotspot with bright spill beam. Very floody - 180 degree beam with no hotspot (e.g. LED Panel Lights, Cube Lights). Omni-directional - light emitted in all directions like a light bulb (e.g. Flashlights with Diffusers or Camping Lanterns). Lights have been categorized by size or type. Best Compact Flashlight for Illumination >> Acebeam E70-AL (4,600lm max/1,200lm sustained XHP70.2, 21700, $75) - the best commercial grade flashlight in this category. With the 70CRI XHP70.2 versions (choice of 5000k and 6500k CCT), max output can be managed for 50 seconds before step-down to high mode. "Best in class" sustained brightness at 1,200lm on high mode. With a floody beam, it is excellent for general illumination, backlighting, and for use with backlight scanners. The 95CRI (GT-FC40) 4500k emitter version with 2700lm max/900lm sustained is one of my favourite flashlights for high-CRI illumination! Best purchased with the optional $20 Acebeam 21700 battery with USB-C charging input. Compatible with D35 diffusers, and U-shaped tripod mounts. Product link (affiliate). If you need more options, then also consider: Convoy S2+ (1,000lm max/500lm sustained LH351D, 18650, $13-$20) - best budget flashlight in this category, with an amazing range of LED emitter options including high CRI, colours, UV, and even IR! Most versions use the 12 group user interface with 5 brightness settings between 0.1% and 100% and last mode memory. My pick for floody beam illumination is currently the 90CRI LH351D range, optionally with battery. These are bright enough to illuminate most scenes, and are available in 5 CCTs between 2700k to 5700k. If you want colour, then the throwy beam CSLNM1 red, green, blue, and orange-yellow options are a good choice, optionally with battery. Compatible 24.5mm diffuser, and fits U-shaped tripod mounts. Best used with an unprotected 3500mAh 18650 battery. No internal charging. All Convoy S series options incl. with batteries. Wurkkos FC11 (1,300lm max/300lm sustained, 18650, $28) - this budget flashlight has a lot going for it - choice of 90CRI LH351D emitters at 2700k, 4000k, and 5000k, USB-C charging, optional 18650 battery, choice of ramped or stepped brightness levels, optional compatible FC11 diffuser, magnetic tail cap, fits U-shaped tripod mounts, and is available from a large company beginning with A. Sustained brightness isn't as good as the other lights in this category, managing 1,300lm for 60secs, and 700lm for 5min, then a slow decline from 350lm after step-down - but still far better than any hardware store flashlight at this price point. Emisar DT8, D4SV2, and D4V2, Noctigon KR1, KR4, and DM11 - these compact "pocket rocket" or "hotrod" flashlights from Intl Outdoor/Hank Wang are aimed at flashlight enthusiasts and offer amazing max lumens, reasonable sustained brightness, a "candy store" of LED emitter options, including occasional special editions and off-menu items. There are even dual channel versions for switching between different CCTs, colours, or flood/throw. All use the complex Anduril user interface, and do not include internal charging or Li-ion batteries. There is no way I could write a best flashlight article without mentioning these lights. Whilst they won't need explaining to flashlight enthusiasts, for "muggles" it is probably best to look elsewhere. Other lights worth a look in this category are the Convoy S21D (2,000lm max/790lm sustained, 21700, $39) with the 95CRI 4500k 519A emitter is excellent for backlight scanners and very floody illumination Product Link, Olight Seeker 3 Pro (4,200lm max/1,200lm sustained, 21700, $160) good for backlighting and bright <70CRI illumination, internal charging. Olight USA (aff). Olight AU (aff). , and Convoy T4 (420lm max with 2xAA, $21) which is one of very few AA/AAA flashlights to have a choice of CCTs and high-CRI options Product Link. Best Medium Sized Flashlight for Illumination >> Convoy M3-C (4,400lm max/1440lm sustained, 26650, $46-$52) - Convoy make many excellent flashlight models for illumination, of which the M3-C hits the sweet spot in the medium sized category. This solid budget flashlight with a floody beam, can manage max output for 90secs before gradually decreasing to sustained 1,440lm lumens. This makes it useful for super bright illumination, backlighting, and for use with backlight scanners. 70 degree spill beam could be wider though. The powerful 70CRI XHP70.2 emitter is available in 4 CCTs from 3000k to 6500k. 95CRI GT-FC40 emitter versions are available in 4 CCTs from 1800k to 5000k. Stepped or ramped brightness levels. Compatible diffuser. Requires a clamp (such as a SmallRig Super Clamp) for tripod mounting. USB-C charging. Can also be used as a powerbank. Product link with battery. High-CRI product link with battery. Thrunite TC20 V2 (4,000lm max/1,700lm sustained, 26650, $90) - commercial grade flashlight, shorter than the Convoy M3-C, but limited to 70CRI 5000k and 6500k options. Can sustain more than 3000lm for 3 mins on Turbo, or more than 1,600lm for 30mins on High before brightness step-down. Requires a clamp for tripod mounting. Battery included. USB-C charging. Best Lumen Monster Flashlight for Illumination >> Acebeam X50 2.0 / X50 (45,000lm max/5,600lm sustained XHP70.2, internal, $379) - Whilst there are a couple of brighter flashlights, this is the highest quality flashlight in the >30,000lm category. The new X50 2.0 70CRI version (choice of 5000k or 6500k CCTs) can sustain an amazing 5,600lm in Mid2 mode, and can be used as a PD 60W powerbank. The X50 High CRI (GT-FC40) 4500k version is 21,000lm max, 2,200lm sustained, and has powerbank functionality. Floody beam profile. Includes a tripod mount hole, and carrying handle! Internal battery pack and USB-C charging. Product link (affiliate). High-CRI Product link (affiliate). Olight Marauder 2 (14,000lm max/3,500lm sustained, internal, $330) - impressive consumer grade flashlight that can switch between a floody beam or throwy "spot" beam. Can sustain an impressive 3,500lm on L5 flood mode, or throw light 800m in L7 spot light mode. Cool white 70CRI only, and lacks a tripod mount. The 30 second lockout can be annoying. Internal battery, and USB-C charging. Can also be used as a powerbank. Olight USA (affiliate). Olight AU (affiliate). Lumintop Thor PRO (16,000lm max/1,700lm sustained, 4x18650, $435) - the first flashlight to combine a high brightness floody LED beam, and Laser Excited Phosphor (LEP) emitter pencil beam that can throw light 1300m. Can sustain 1,700lm. Cool white 70CRI only. Can be mounted on a tripod. Purchase with the optional 4x18650 batteries. USB-C charging. Can be used as a powerbank. Best Cube Light >> LumeCube 2.0 (est. 650lm max/sustained, internal, $90) - a compact 95CRI 5600k floody light, great for drone attachment (or attaching to pretty much anything), waterproof, can be remotely controlled via Bluetooth, and lots of low brightness modes for astro photography. Large range of accessories. Advertised lumens is over-exaggerated (I tested 650lm), but can sustain max brightness until the battery runs out. Internal battery and USB-C charging. If you don't need the mounting options or waterproofing, you will be better off with a RGB LED Panel Light. Best Portable RGB LED Panel Light >> Weeylite RB9 (1,200lux/0.5m, internal, $85) - RGB LED Panel lights are amazingly flexible for very floody, low to medium brightness illumination. The RB9, made by Viltrox, is one of the brightest portable panels at 1000lm max/sustained (x3 brighter than the Aputure MC), and excellent value for money. Note that lowest 1% output level may be verging on too bright for some astro-photography/low level landscape lighting scenes. >95CRI. Adjustable CCT between 2500k and 8500k (which as with all panel lights can result in a slight magenta tint), RGB colour mixing, brightness and saturation adjustment, lots of effects modes (including rainbow colour fade), on-board or app control. Includes a diffuser, mini-tripod, and cold-shoe mount. No magnets. Internal battery and USB-C charging. Weeylite S05 (500lux/0.5m, internal, $36) - Mini RGB light for when you don't need high brightness, such as for astro-photography/low level landscape lighting, or miniature scenes. Adjustable CCT between 2800k and 6800k, RGB colour mixing, brightness and saturation adjustment, 26 effects modes, app or on-board control. No magnets. Internal battery and USB-C charging. Nanlite Pavotube T8-7X (350lux/0.5m, internal, $95) - a budget LED light wand aimed at creators, and already popular with light painters. Not the brightest LED wand for illumination, but otherwise ticks all the boxes. The T8-7X comes into it's own with its range of effects for creating light trails. Also consider the brighter and more expensive Sirui Duken T60 extendable tube light, and the budget classic (but saturation adjustment lacking) Yongnuo YN360iii. There are better alternatives for studio work, but that isn't the scope of this article. Specialist lights that don't fit in the above categories: Best Pen Light for Miniature Scenes >> Wuben E19 (200lm max, 2xAAA, $25) - pen lights are useful for illuminating miniature scenes - flowers, fruit bowls, etc. The Wuben E19 uses a 4000k high-CRI emitter, and has 4 brightness levels with last mode memory. Requires 2xAAA batteries. Best Professional Colour Mixing Light >> Protomachines LED8 (2×18650, $559) – very expensive professional colour mixing RGB light with advanced features including exposure timers. Used by Troy Paiva for his amazing junkyard photos. Batteries not included, and no internal charging. Best LEP/Pencil Beam Flashlight >> Natfire SF2 (Internal, $80) - at last a decent and affordable Laser Excited Phosphor (LEP) flashlight, with a pencil beam of light for long distance illumination up to 1200m. It makes expensive zoom lights look rather pathetic! Internal battery and USB-C charging. Best RGBW Zoom Light >> Ledlenser P6R Core QC (270lm max, 18650, $100) - Successor to the non-zoom P7QC. Some spill beam when on full zoom (not a pencil beam). Expensive, but with a very good warranty. Battery included. Magnetic charging. The Walther Pro PL75mc is an alternative, but is only available in limited markets. There are plenty of "cheap'n'nasty" RGBW zoom alternatives on Amazon and Aliexpress, but they are all untested. Best Camping Lantern >> Sofirn LT1S (500lm max, 21700, $45) - whilst I prefer to use flashlights with diffusers, some photographers prefer to use camping lanterns for omni-directional light. The LT1S has >90CRI, can change CCTs between 2600k and 5700k, has 4 brightness levels, steerable beam, and also has red LEDs. Optional 21700 battery, and includes USB-C charging. Product link. 3. Best Headlamps Headlamps are an underrated piece of equipment for when out at night. 200lm or more will help with focusing lenses in the dark. Best Ultralight Headlamp >> Nitecore NU25 (360lm max, internal, $37) – despite being an old model, I still think this is the best multi-purpose lightweight headlamp. Compact and rechargeable. Excellent for short outings and running. Brighter than usual Red (13lm), and high CRI auxiliary lights. Internal battery and micro USB charging. Product Link (USA) (aff). Knog Bandicoot 250 (250lm max, internal, $45) - Knog make some very ergonomic and lightweight silicone headlamps, of which the Bandicoot 250 is the mid-range model. Good for short outings and running. The ModeMaker app allows you to add/remove modes, and adjust brightness levels for added flexibility. Unfortunately there is noticeable PWM, and mediocre red output. Internal battery and USB-A charging. Best Very Bright Headlamp >> Nitecore HC65 V2 (1,750lm max, 18650, $85) – updated version of the excellent Nitecore HC65. 5 well spaced brightness levels from 1,750lm to 1lm. Brighter than usual Red (11lm), and high CRI (35lm) auxiliary lights. Battery included. USB-C charging. The brand new Nitecore HC68 (2,000lm) with focusable beam also looks impressive. HC65 V2 (USA) (aff). HC68 (USA) (aff). Olight Perun 2 (2,500lm max, 18650, $85) – very efficient headlamp, with high brightness - 2,500lm max, (steps down to 800lm at 2 minutes) or long runtime (66h at 30lm). No red light. Battery included. Magnetic charging. Olight USA (affiliate). Olight AU (affiliate). Best Headlamp for Red Light >> Olight Array 2S (1,000lm max, internal*, $80) - Centrally located spot and flood white emitters (1000lm), plus a super bright red (200lm) emitter. Last mode memory. No moonlight mode, and the hand gesture sensor can be more of an annoyance than being helpful. Internal battery and USB-C charging. Olight USA (affiliate). Olight AU (affiliate). Sofirn D25LR (500lm max, 18650, $25) - Excellent value for money budget headlamp with 90CRI neutral white (500lm) emitter, and super bright (150lm) SST-20 660nm Deep Red emitter. Moonlight modes, last mode memory for both Red and White,and easy user interface. Can get very hot on the highest modes, so not the best consumer option! Optional battery and micro USB charging. Product Link. This article has listed many flashlights or torches that will make light painting much easier. Your light painting techniques will determine which lights are most suitable, and I would advise building up a collection of lights that meet your requirements. I often use 3 to 4 different flashlights per light painting photo! I usually state which flashlights are used for Light Painting photos on my Instagram account, so check that out if you are interested to know which light was used to create a specific effect. If you need more information about batteries and chargers, please have a look at my Battery and Charger Buying Guide.

WHAT IS A SECOND TRIMESTER MORPHOLOGY ULTRASOUND? A second trimester morphology ultrasound is performed in the middle part of the pregnancy, usually between 18 and 20 weeks gestation. All pregnant women have this ultrasound as a routine part of their antenatal (pregnancy) care. This ultrasound will check that your baby is growing and developing normally. A second trimester ultrasound is performed with a transabdominal ultrasound. Transabdominal ultrasound involves scanning through your lower abdomen. A small amount of ultrasound gel is put on the skin of the lower abdomen, with the ultrasound probe then scanning through this gel. The gel helps improve contact between the probe and your skin. Sometimes a transvaginal ultrasound is also needed during a second trimester ultrasound. This may be to check for a low lying placenta, to look at the length of the cervix or there may be another indication to have this type of scan. Transvaginal ultrasound during pregnancy, including the second trimester, is safe and will not harm either you or your baby. Your sonographer will be experienced at performing these ultrasounds during pregnancy. Transvaginal ultrasound is an internal ultrasound. It involves scanning with the ultrasound probe lying in the vagina. The transvaginal ultrasound probe is thin, about 2cm diameter. The probe is covered with a disposable protective sheath. A small amount of ultrasound gel is placed on the end of this probe. The probe is then gently inserted a short distance into the vagina by the sonographer. All transvaginal probes have been cleaned and sterilised according to recommended protocols. Performing the transvaginal ultrasound usually causes less discomfort than a pap smear. No analgesia is required for this ultrasound. Your privacy will always be respected during your ultrasound, especially the transvaginal examination. You will have a large towel covering your lower body, in addition to wearing a gown during the transvaginal ultrasound. You will always have a choice about whether transvaginal ultrasound is performed. If you have concerns about transvaginal ultrasound, please discuss this with your sonographer. We usually get better images during transabdominal ultrasound if the bladder is partially filled, so to help your examination we ask you to drink water prior to the assessment. Please empty your bladder 1 hour before your appointment, drink 2 glasses of water and try not to empty your bladder again until after your appointment. A full bladder moves bowel out from the pelvis into the abdomen, helping visualisation of the pregnancy, uterus and cervix. Your bladder should not be so full that it causes pain. If your bladder is very full and painful, you should empty a small amount so you are more comfortable. You will be able to empty your bladder after the transabdominal ultrasound is completed and before the transvaginal ultrasound begins (if transvaginal ultrasound is required). As the baby grows during the pregnancy, the uterus becomes larger and heavier. Lying down for this ultrasound can sometimes cause expectant mothers to become faint and nauseous, although this tends to be more of a problem in the third trimester or with a multiple pregnancy. This faint feeling is due to a fall in blood pressure, caused by compression of the veins that run at the back of the mother’s abdomen (the inferior vena cava) by the uterus and baby. Please tell the sonographer if you begin to feel faint or nauseous at all during your scan. It is no trouble to change your position. Your position can be changed before you feel worse – lying more on your side or more upright will usually help resolve your symptoms. It is routine practice for all pregnant women in Australia to have a second trimester morphology ultrasound at 18-20 weeks gestation. For some women, this is the only ultrasound they have during their pregnancy, although most women also have scans earlier (nuchal translucency ultrasound) and later in the pregnancy (third trimester ultrasound). The second trimester morphology ultrasound is a detailed scan of your developing baby. There are many aspects of the pregnancy that the sonographer will assess during this ultrasound to ensure that your baby is developing normally. - The baby’s anatomy or structure. We routinely look at the baby’s head and brain; face including lips and profile; heart; chest including diaphragm; abdomen including kidneys, bladder and stomach; spine; and limbs including hands and feet. Assessing all these parts of the baby requires a certain level of “cooperation” from the baby, as well as good scanning conditions. If your baby is not cooperative (mostly related to its position) or other factors make your ultrasound technically difficult (such as the size of the mother’s abdomen), we may require more images to be confident that all is well with baby. These images may be obtained later on the same day, or sometimes you may be asked to come back in a few weeks for another review. - Measurements of the baby. The second trimester ultrasound will commonly measure - baby’s head – biparietal diameter (BPD) and head circumference (HC). - baby’s abdomen – abdominal circumference (AC). - baby’s leg – femur length ( FL). - baby’s arm – humerus length (HL) Each measurement is compared to a normal reference range, which varies with gestation. Every individual baby has its own characteristics (for example, some babies have bigger head measurements or shorter femur measurements). These characteristics are often similar to the baby’s parents (for example, one parent has a larger than average head size). Measurements outside the normal range are not always significant, especially if the difference is minimal. Your baby will be carefully assessed if there are concerns about significant deviations from normal. These measurements of baby are combined to give an average gestational age of your baby. By the time of this ultrasound, there can be up to 10 days difference between the expected gestational age of your baby (the number of weeks calculated using your last menstrual period or due date from an earlier ultrasound) and the calculated average ultrasound age. For example, if your baby should be 19 weeks gestation by your dates, we are usually not concerned if the baby measures either 10 days smaller or 10 days bigger on your ultrasound. We tend not to focus on the estimated weight of your baby at this early stage of the pregnancy. The estimated weight of the baby is more important later in the pregnancy, or if premature delivery is imminent. - The baby’s heart rate and rhythm. Your baby’s heart rate will vary, just as it does in adults. Most babies have a heart rate between 120-180 beats per minute. - The number of babies. For women who have not had an early ultrasound, this may be the first opportunity to diagnose multiple pregnancy. - The position of the placenta. The sonographer will look at the position of the placenta in relation to the cervix. If the lowest edge (inferior margin) of the placenta is very close to the cervix, or lies over the cervix, it is termed “low-lying” or “placenta praevia”. About 2-3% of pregnancies have a low lying placenta on the second trimester morphology ultrasound. As the uterus grows during the pregnancy into the third trimester, it usually pulls the placenta up and away from the cervix. This means that most low-lying placentas seen on second trimester ultrasound usually resolve by the third trimester without complications and without needing intervention. Transvaginal ultrasound is often used to get a better look at the placenta, if there are concerns it may be low-lying. Your doctor may choose to review the position of the placenta again in the third trimester (around 32-34 weeks) if there are concerns that the placenta remains low-lying. - The amount of amniotic fluid around your baby. The volume of amniotic fluid on the second trimester scan is usually subjectively assessed, rather than precisely measured (as happens on a third trimester ultrasound, with the amniotic fluid index). - The length of the cervix. This is especially important if you have a history of premature labour, vaginal bleeding or pain. The length of the cervix is not as important as you get closer to your due date (full term). Sometimes a transvaginal ultrasound may be required to get a better view of the cervix. - The uterus is checked for conditions such as uterine fibroids (benign muscle growths of the uterus). If fibroids are present, their size and location will be noted. Most fibroids in pregnancy do not cause problems. - 3D/4D images of your baby. Many parents enjoy the bonding experienced when they see their baby on 3D/4D imaging. We endeavour to obtain good 3D/4D pictures of the baby’s face on this second trimester scan, but we also think it is important to make sure that your baby is otherwise healthy and growing well. For this reason, the 3D/4D images of your baby are often done after the baby has been fully examined when all routine measurements and other images are completed. The best time to obtain 3D/4D images of baby is between 24 and 34 weeks. Ultrasound can assess your baby’s development with great detail, but it cannot detect all problems or abnormalities. Having your ultrasound in a practice with high standards of expertise and experience will improve the chance of detecting abnormalities. At Advanced Women’s Imaging, we only perform ultrasounds for pregnant women and women’s gynaecologic problems, so we are very experienced in this area. Unfortunately a normal ultrasound does not guarantee that your baby will be normal nor does it guarantee that you or baby will not develop complications during your pregnancy. Routine ultrasound is one of the best methods we have of checking your baby and helping detect if you are at increased risk of certain pregnancy complications. A normal ultrasound is reassuring for parents and doctors, but it is not perfect. Problems such as cerebral palsy, learning difficulties or autism are currently not able to be detected on ultrasound, as they are not associated with structural changes in the baby. We understand that pregnancy is an exciting time and know that many families are keen to find out the sex of their baby during the pregnancy. The gender of the baby can usually be determined at the 18-20 week morphology ultrasound. It is good for parents to keep in mind that the pregnancy ultrasound is primarily a medical examination, assessing your baby for significant problems that can sometimes occur. Establishing the gender of your baby is important to us, but you should remember that your sonographer also has many other important things to examine to ensure that your baby is healthy and developing normally. It is not always possible to establish your baby’s gender with certainty. The position of your baby as well as other factors may hinder the ultrasound’s view of this area of the baby. If you want to know the sex of your baby, please tell your sonographer at the beginning of the examination. This will give us multiple opportunities to establish the gender of your baby. If you do not want to know the sex of your baby, please also tell your sonographer at the beginning of the ultrasound. The sonographer will then not focus on this area during the scan. Most babies (more than 95%) will have completely normal ultrasounds. Sometimes a problem or change may be detected in your baby. These generally fit into the one of the following categories: - Variation of normal. Not all babies look exactly the same on ultrasound. We may see small differences in your baby that occur in some, but not all, babies. We call these differences “variations of normal”. This group includes: - echogenic intra-cardiac focus – a small white spot in the inner muscle of the baby’s heart, which does not affect the function of the heart. - choroid plexus cysts – small cysts within the choroid plexus area of the baby’s brain, which does not affect the function of the brain. - single umbilical artery – most umbilical cords have 2 arteries and one vein, but some babies have only one artery and one vein. If this is the only difference noted in your baby, then often no further follow-up will be needed. Sometimes another ultrasound later in the pregnancy may be suggested, such as with single umbilical artery as this is sometimes associated with small babies. Some of these differences are also known as “soft markers”. This means that the different appearance usually occurs in normal babies, but is known to occur a little more frequently in babies with certain chromosome abnormalities, such as trisomy 21 (Down syndrome). Soft markers for trisomy 21 include echogenic intra-cardiac focus, shortened femur and pyelectasis (dilation of the collecting system of the kidney). If the doctor feels your risk for a chromosome abnormality has increased significantly because of the presence of a soft marker, further testing (such as NIPT or amniocentesis) may be suggested. Most women who have a soft marker seen on ultrasound will not require amniocentesis, because their risk for Down syndrome remains low. - Less significant abnormality. A few percent of babies will have less significant, but nevertheless important, abnormalities detected. This group of abnormalities are not considered life-threatening. Some of these problems may require surgery in the neonatal period (such as cleft lip) or other intervention like physiotherapy (such as clubfoot or talipes). Some of these problems may require follow-up ultrasounds during pregnancy, or after delivery (such as dilation of the collecting system of the kidney, which may indicate the presence of urinary reflux). - Significant, severe or life threatening abnormality. A few percent of babies will have a major abnormality, such as heart defects or spina bifida, detected on this ultrasound. This group of abnormalities can be associated with pregnancy loss, neonatal death or significant developmental problems. Some of these abnormalities may be corrected with surgery in the neonatal period, with improved outcomes. We know that finding any change, difference or abnormality on an ultrasound causes a great deal of anxiety in parents. At Advanced Women’s Imaging we deal with these issues regularly. There is always an opportunity to discuss the findings with our ultrasound doctor. We will provide information and arrange further management if required (such as amniocentesis or referral to other specialists).

The Franking Machine Warehouse are one of only a few companies in the UK to have their ink approved by the Royal Mail. This compatible Pitney Bowes SendPro P1000, P2000 & P3000 ink cartridge is guaranteed to last the same amount of impressions and life as any original. This is a compatible Pitney Bowes SendPro P1000, P2000 & P3000 cyan standard ink cartridge. Our franking machine ink has gained Royal Mail approval, meaning it is guaranteed to work in your Mailmark Pitney Bowes SendPro P1000, P2000 & P3000. This product uses cyan franking machine ink. View the product specifications for the Pitney Bowes SendPro P1000, SendPro P2000 and SendPro P3000 compatible cyan ink cartridge below. - Compatible With The Following Franking Machine Models: Pitney Bowes SendPro P1000, P2000 & P3000 - Royal Mail Approved: Yes - Ink Type: Compatible - Ink Colour: Cyan - Ink Life: Same as Pitney Bowes published life, 16000 prints - Original Manufacturers Product Code(s): 787-D - Original Manufacturers Advertised Price: £109.95 + Vat & Delivery - Franking Machine Warehouse Product Code: MCI-787-D-C-FMW The Franking Machine Warehouse will guarantee this ink cartridge will give the same quality, life or quantity of prints as Pitney Bowes, the original equipment manufacturer. None of our re-manufactured or compatible Pitney Bowes franking ink cartridges and franking labels are manufactured, affiliated or endorsed by the original equipment manufacturer Pitney Bowes. Part and model Numbers are used for descriptive and reference purposes only. We offer a free standard 3-5 working day delivery service on most of our website orders. Please see additional details below for clarification, alternatively please add your required items to your basket where the total shipping costs will be calculated for you. Please note our delivery cut off time is 4:00pm. Please note that parcels can be delivered any time between the hours of 7am to 6:00pm Monday to Friday, unfortunately we are unable to offer specific times for deliveries or offer Saturday deliveries. Delivery times detailed below can be effected by local delivery, seasonal and / or weather conditions. Standard 3 – 5 Working Day Delivery Working days are Monday to Friday, we do not deliver on bank holidays or weekends or include these days within our time scales. We cannot make deliveries outside of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Unfortunately we cannot deliver to a PO Box or a BFPO address. Please note a minimum delivery charge of £9.95 will be quoted on the following postcodes, irrespective of the value of the order; AB31-38, AB41-56, BT, FK19-21, HS1-9, IV41-49, IV51, IV55-56, KA27-28, PA20, PA41, PA60-88, PH42-44, GY, JE, IM, PO31-41, TR21-25. Please be aware that an additional charge will be added before your order is processed due to the postcode location. A member of our team will be in touch once we have received the initial order. 48 Hour Delivery Upgrade 48-hour delivery charges will be at a standard rate of £4.95. Orders received before 4:00pm Monday – Friday we will aim to deliver within 2 working days. Please note a minimum delivery charge of £9.95 will be quoted on the following postcodes; AB31-38, AB41-56, BT, FK19-21, HS1-9, IV41-49, IV51, IV55-56, KA27-28, PA20, PA41, PA60-88, PH42-44, GY, JE, IM, PO31-41, TR21-25. Deliveries to this post code may take longer therefore please allow 3-5 days delivery. Please be aware that an additional charge will be added before your order is processed due to the postcode location. A member of our team will be in touch once we have received the initial order. Next Working Day Delivery Upgrade Next Working Day delivery charges will be at a standard rate of £6.95. Orders received before 4:00pm Monday – Thursday we will aim to deliver next working day. Orders received before 4:00pm Fridays we will aim to deliver the following Monday. Please note a minimum delivery charge of £9.95 will be quoted on the following postcodes; AB31-38, AB41-56, BT, FK19-21, HS1-9, IV41-49, IV51, IV55-56, KA27-28, PA20, PA41, PA60-88, PH42-44, GY, JE, IM, PO31-41, TR21-25. Please note we are unable to offer a guaranteed next day delivery service to these areas and they may take longer therefore please allow 3-5 days delivery. Please be aware that an additional charge will be added before your order is processed due to the postcode location. A member of our team will be in touch once we have received the initial order. Depending on your total basket order, delivery charges may increase compared to the above and advertised postage charges. This is due to multi-consignment/overweight items and/or delivery locations. Please add the items required to your basket to update your delivery charge. Occasionally we may need to requote your packaging cost if the delivery location and consignment size is outside of our current couriers capabilities, if this is case we will contact you to discuss and clarify. IMPORTANT NOTICE: Due to the current Covid-19 challenges in some areas please allow a little longer for your packages to arrive. If you have chosen Standard Delivery or 48 Hour Delivery please get in touch if there is no sign of your purchase after 5 working days. If you have requested Next Working Day Delivery then please allow 48 hours before getting in touch. Before returning any items to us please contact us on 01543 572 776 or email at firstname.lastname@example.org. If you decide that you placed the order in error the items you have ordered may be returned in their original condition and packaging (unopened, not used or worn), at your expense, for exchange or refund within 7 working days starting the day after the goods have been delivered/signed for. We accept no liability for loss or damage during return transit and recommend you take out adequate transit insurance to cover the full cost of the order in case of damage, loss or theft during transit. Confirmation of posting is no guarantee of delivery and items should be sent via an insured “signed for” service. Order cancellations (in full or part) must be made in writing (by email, letter or fax) within 7 working days from the date your order is placed. Under the distance selling regulations, cancellation by phone cannot be accepted. If you cancel your order by email, you must send it to a valid address and should request a read receipt to confirm delivery. Sending an email and/or receiving an automated reply is no guarantee the email has been received by us. We consider 7 working days to be a reasonable time in which to return the goods to us and you should use an appropriate delivery method to ensure the products reach us within this time period. In the event goods are unwanted or ordered in error the Company will (at its discretion) offer to accept a return of the products with a 25% restocking fee applied. If the goods are being returned for reasons that are not the fault of the Company any refund given will not include the postage and packing charges. If the products have been used or the packing has been opened and/or are not in the original condition (this excludes packaging added by us and used to protect the goods during transit), we are unable to issue a full refund and you will be liable for any charges and reasonable administration costs incurred by us. We do not accept returns for goods/items that have been used unless they are faulty and within the guarantee period. If this is the case, after investigation to confirm the fault, we will either replace the item or return it to the manufacturer for repair. If no fault is found or we believe the item was deliberately damaged after being delivered and signed for, you will be liable for any charges incurred by us including a reasonable administration fee. Our returns procedure must be followed to receive replacements or refunds. This procedure includes the completion of our ‘Returns Form’ and this must be enclosed with the returned cartridge. Any cartridges received without a copy of the completed and signed Returns Form will be disposed of accordingly and no replacement or refund will be issued. If we are unable to accept the item(s) for return (fall outside the 7 working days, the items are not faulty or have been used etc.), you will be responsible for the full cost of returning the items. This includes any collection or dispatch charges incurred by us and reasonable administration fees. Payment of these fees must be made before we can return the item(s) to you. We will retain the items for a maximum of 14 days. If payment is not received within this time period, we will assume the goods are not required and will be disposed of. We can only credit the card/bank account used to make the original payment. This is in accordance with UK anti-fraud and money laundering regulations. We do not accept returns for goods/items that have been used unless they are faulty. If this is the case, after investigation to confirm the fault, we will either replace the item, return it to the manufacturer for repair or offer a partial refund. If a fault is found partway through the life of an ink cartridge then the data of the cartridge chip will be read to determine how much ink is used and a partial refund representative of the ink remaining will be offered based on the points below: 0% to 10% used – 100% Refund 11% to 20% Used – 90% Refund 21% to 30% used – 80% Refund 31% to 40% Used – 70% Refund 41% to 50% used – 60% Refund 51% to 60% Used – 50% Refund 61% to 70% used – 40% Refund 71% to 80% Used – 30% Refund 81% to 90% used – 20% Refund 91% to 100% Used – No refund due to the variation of the density of a customer logo and other factors that may affect ink usage beyond our control. If no fault is found or we believe the item was deliberately damaged after being delivered and signed for, you will be liable for any charges incurred by us including a reasonable administration fee. Please be aware that we offer a 12 month guarantee on all ink cartridges, should you wish to return a cartridge (faulty or not) after the 12 months of the invoice date, we will be unable to process your request. This is due to the expiry and shelf life of the cartridges.

Making wine from a kit is the perfect way for a craft winemaker to explore unique varietals from regions around the world that are not typically accessible. With kits, the science behind producing a great wine has been taken care of, while the art of making a great wine is in your hands. Although wine kits are designed to be user friendly, new and even experienced winemakers can occasionally hit a few bumps along the way. After more than a decade of answering questions and chatting with home winemakers from around the world, I have been asked plenty of questions and offered many tips. Here, in no particular order, are the most frequently asked questions about wine kits, along with simple solutions for making wines that you will be proud to have in your cellar and share with your friends. 1. How do I clean and sanitize my equipment? Keeping your equipment clean is the number 1 rule for winemaking success! Cleaning and sanitizing is a 2-step process. First, clean your equipment by removing soil and stains. Use a wine equipment cleaner and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Next, sanitize your equipment with sanitizer solution or potassium or sodium metabisulfite (sulfite), a wine-friendly sanitizer that is inexpensive and easy to use. To make a sanitizer solution, mix 3 tablespoons of sulfite powder into 1 gallon (4 L) of cool water. Dip or spray each piece of equipment that will touch your wine and then rinse with cool water. Be sure to do this before each use. Leftover solution can be stored in a tightly sealed container for two months. Proper preparation will pay off when you enjoy that first taste from your perfectly crafted wine. 2. How do I know when my wine is degassed? It can be hard to know when your wine is sufficiently degassed. The best degassing method is to use a cordless drill equipped with a degassing wand. Drill on medium speed for 2–4 minutes while switching directions to agitate your carboy of wine. Make sure to keep the prongs of the wand well below the surface to discourage the introduction of oxygen into the wine. Another option is to vigorously stir your wine by hand for 10 minutes with a winemaking spoon handle. Remember: Degassing wine is not gentle stirring. The purpose is to agitate the wine and knock the CO2 bubbles out of solution. Use the timer on your phone to make sure you do not over- or underdo it. Over-degassing can cause oxygen to be injected into your wine. Too little degassing and your wine might have difficulty clearing or have a spritzy feel on your tongue. We do not recommend allowing wine to degas naturally. This method extends the time to an unpredictable length, which doesn’t work with the instructions and runs a risk of oxidizing your wine and exposing it to infection. Adding a few extra days here or there to the process will not make any difference, but lengthy, extended processing time is not recommended. Here are a couple of ways to tell if your wine is sufficiently degassed: • Thief out a sample of the degassed wine from the carboy, put it in the hydrometer test jar and give it a good shake with your hand over the top. If there is a noticeable “pop” sound when you remove your hand, your wine might need further degassing. If there is only a “pfft” sound, it should be sufficiently degassed. • It is always a good idea to taste your wine before bottling. If it is spritzy on the tongue, a little more degassing might be needed. If extra degassing is needed, rack your wine off of any sediment before degassing and allow the wine to sit for 48 hours to settle before bottling. 3. Why is my specific gravity low on Day 1? Check that the juice base and water mix is filled to the correct primary fermenter measurement. If your kit has a grape skin pack, make sure to add it after reaching the proper fill level. Stir, stir, then stir some more! You can even use your wine whip to mix the juice base and water. For an accurate reading, it is important to take the specific gravity reading right after stirring. Sugars are heavier than water and will naturally sink. This will not affect your fermentation but might skew your day 1 reading. If your kit has grape skins, it is important to wait 5 to 6 hours after the grape skin addition before taking a reading. This allows time for the sugars in the skins to incorporate into the must. Again, make sure to stir very well before taking your reading. It is nearly impossible to stir too much on Day 1! Adding extra sugar is never recommended. As long as the fill level is correct, the sugars will be at the right level to reach the prescribed alcohol content. While adding extra sugar will bump the alcohol, this can lead to a stuck fermentation and an unbalanced wine that might not have the character and complexity you are expecting. 4. Are sulfite and sorbate really all that important? It cannot be overstated how important these stabilizers are in the winemaking process. Sulfite is a winemaker’s best friend! It is used for equipment sanitizing, wine stabilizing, and protecting wines while they age in the bottle. Sulfite is an anti-oxidant that preserves the flavor, color, and character of wine and offers protection from microbial infection. Sulfite is also a naturally occurring by-product of winemaking, which means there is no such thing as "sulfite free” wine — it is scientifically impossible! Sorbate works in tandem with sulfite to ensure that any rogue yeast cannot propagate and spoil your wine after being stabilized. Reducing or omitting sulfite and sorbate is never a good idea but, if the sulfite is omitted, then the sorbate must also be omitted. Otherwise, there is a real risk that your wine will be vulnerable to geranium fault caused by a type of bacteria that feeds on sorbate, which will ruin your wine and potentially contaminate other equipment and batches — not to mention that all of your hard work will go down the drain. For wines that are back-sweetened, like fruit wine and off dry wine, reducing or eliminating sulfite and sorbate is an absolute no-no, even if you are drinking it quickly. Without the addition of stabilizers, there is a risk that these wines will re-ferment in the bottle, pop corks, and cause a mess! 5. Can I top up my carboy of wine with water? Topping up is usually not necessary. As long as the wine reaches the “shoulders” of the carboy, the fill level will be fine during the clearing time as indicated in your instructions. If your wine is going to remain in a carboy longer than the recommended clearing time in the instructions, it can be topped up into the neck of the carboy with a similar style of wine. Water is never recommended for this because the result can be a watery, weak, and unbalanced wine. 6. Why are tartrates in my bottle? Tartrates, also known as wine diamonds, occur naturally over time. Tartrate crystals are seen by winemakers and sommeliers alike as a sign of quality and are not considered a fault. The process is accelerated when wine is exposed to cold temperatures. Avoid temperatures below 55° F (13 °C) — do not leave wine in a cold car, garage, or directly on a cement floor. Cold storage can affect the stability of the wine and allow wine diamonds to form. Decanting or using an aerator with a fine screen effectively keeps tartrates out of your glass of wine. Tartrates will never impart an unpleasant flavor or aroma, however they aren’t necessarily pleasant to have in the glass as it can feel like specs of sand in the mouth. Looking like little shards of glass, they can also cause concern for consumers who are unfamiliar with them. Cold stabilizing is an easy and effective solution that encourages tartrates to drop from your wine before bottling. You will need refrigeration or a cold garage in the winter. Allow your carboy of finished wine to sit for 3 to 5 days at a temperature hovering around 32 °F. The tartrates will drop and the wine can be bottled leaving tartrates behind. The warmer the area, the slower the process will be. 7. Can wine kits be made in double batches? Yes, wine kits can be made in double batches. The primary fermenter must be large enough to comfortably accommodate the full contents of both juice bags. There must also be enough space to add the required water and grape skins, if included, and to allow for foaming during primary fermentation. The carboy must be large enough to allow all of the wine to be racked into it. Make sure to add all of the additives included in both kits: yeasts, clearing agents, oak, flavor packs or reserves, which are included in fruit, dessert and most off-dry wines, etc. All are to be added at the appropriate time according to the instructions. Combining different wine-kit styles is not recommended, as the results can be unpredictable. 8. How come my wine isn’t fermenting? “My airlock is not bubbling — help!” This is probably the most common concern I hear from winemakers. Staring at the airlock is not an accurate way to monitor fermentation. Sometimes, fermentation is quiet and you will not see much action in the airlock or on the surface of the must, particularly if the fermentation area is cool. Other times, the CO2 may be escaping another way. If you have concerns, monitor your fermentation using a hydrometer. The reading should be lower than it was on Day 1 and should continue to drop as the fermentation progresses. Depending on the temperature of the room and the must, it can take up to 48 hours for fermentation to become noticeable. Wine kits are already balanced with the correct dosage of energizer and nutrient to ensure a complete fermentation. Sometimes, cleaners and sanitizers can impede fermentation; so, always make sure to rinse your equipment well after cleaning and sanitizing. It is best to make your wine within a few months of purchasing your kit. Do not leave kits in your basement for a year or two, as the yeast and other components will expire. Age your wine, not your wine kit! 9. Why is fermentation still happening Once again, do not monitor your fermentation by looking at the airlock. CO2 is a by-product of fermentation and the wine will naturally off-gas through the airlock even after fermentation has completed. Use your hydrometer. If the specific gravity has not changed after taking readings 48 hours apart, the fermentation is considered complete. Checking the specific gravity with a hydrometer is always the best way to determine what stage you are at in the winemaking process. 10. Why won’t my wine clear? Be patient. Occasionally, a wine will need extra time to clear. Every fermentation is unique. Although most wines will be ready to bottle within the instruction timeline, a batch can sometimes take an extra week or two to clear — this is nothing to worry about. Keep the winemaking area 68–77 °F (20–25 °F) for the entire fermentation process and check your notes to confirm that the proper specific gravity was reached before stabilizing. Ensure that your wine was thoroughly degassed and that all of the additives were added according to the instructions. If these steps have been completed, then all your wine needs is a little extra time to clear. And whatever you do, never filter or bottle cloudy wine. The sediment will pass through most filter pads and your wine will continue to clear in the bottle, resulting in sediment in the bottle and, ultimately, in your glass. 11. What kind of water should I use when making my kit? Excellent quality drinking water makes excellent quality wine. Good quality tap water works well, as long as it is not overly chlorinated. Well water can be great as it often has a natural minerality, which is helpful for a healthy fermentation and can add a subtle complexity to your wine, but there is always the concern of other microorganisms negatively impacting your wine. It is crucial that the water have no off flavors or aromas. If you are unsure, bottled spring water is a good choice. Distilled and reverse osmosis water are not ideal for winemaking, as the lack of minerals does not offer a thriving environment for yeast propagation. 12. Can I add oak sticks or cubes? Does that change the timing of my kit? Tinkering with wine kits is part of the fun of being your own winemaker. Kits come with everything you need to make great wine, including oak if appropriate for that wine style. Generally, kits are guaranteed only if the wine is made following instructions. If you choose to add more oak, it is best to do this during the clearing process and taste your wine every couple of days to ensure that it does not become too oaky or astringent. Oak is absorbed at a faster rate in alcohol than in must, so it is important to monitor for your desired flavor. Make sure to taste your wine before deciding on extra oak. You might like it just the way it is! 13. Can I add more yeast if the wine stops fermenting while still sweet? If a kit doesn’t ferment within the instruction range it is a good idea to ensure that your hydrometer is reading correctly before taking any other action. Restarting fermentation can be tricky depending on how much sugar and alcohol are in the wine, both of which can interfere with yeast propagation. Fermentation is considered complete if, after 14 days, the specific gravity does not change when re-read in 48 hours. The closer the S.G. is to being in spec the more difficult it will be to re-start the fermentation, but there is no harm in trying. Use wine yeast that has a good alcohol and temperature tolerance. Rehydrate using the package directions. Stir a small amount of must into the hydrated yeast to help it acclimate. Pour the yeast into the fermenter in smaller drops so that it is evenly dispersed, stir well to inject lots of oxygen and keep the room warm (mid 80s). Fermentation should re-start within 72 hours. If the fermentation doesn’t take, you can blend your sweeter wine with a dryer one. You will want to do bench trials to get the percentages right. You might just end up with an excellent limited release! 14. Is a plastic bucket OK for aging and clarification? There are two reasons why clearing wine in a bucket is not recommended. First, the opening is too big, which can cause the wine to oxidize. Second, you will not be able to monitor the clearing process to ensure it is on track. This is why it is important to clear wine in a glass or clear plastic carboy. 15. Is my wine ruined if additives are added out of order? It is very important to add the yeast on Day 1. If yeast addition is forgotten or delayed, mold or bacterial infections can develop in the must. Chitosan and Kieselsol work best when added in the correct order, but should still be fine if added out of sequence. You might need to give your wine a few extra clearing days. It is important that the sulfite/sorbate packet be added after fermentation is completed to ensure a dry, stable wine. If the sulfite/sorbate is added on Day 1, yeast may struggle to propagate and cause a sluggish or incomplete fermentation. Bentonite can be stirred in after the onset of fermentation with no issue. For most wines, if the Flavor Pack or Reserve is added on Day 1, the wine should still ferment successfully. Give the must a good stir and keep it warm. However, the alcohol will be higher and the wine will have a drier profile. The wine can be back-sweetened to taste at clearing, if desired. If oak chips or granules are forgotten, they can be added at clearing. It is a good idea to put them in a muslin bag to help the clearing process.

Nothing drives like the Touareg Making an instant impression, the Touareg is an 4x4 SUV with unparalleled quality, sublime comfort and next generation technology. Flaunting unique innovations like the 4-corner Air Suspension, matrix LED headlights or the Innovision Cockpit, nothing drives quite like this thoroughbred off-roader.Book a Test Drive Design and technology No matter the angle it’s viewed from, the Touareg offers a bold statement – this is a vehicle that looks as good as it performs.Book a Test Drive A control centre like no other The Innovision Cockpit is the digital instrument cluster and infotainment system screen all in one curved glass surface. Operated by touch, gestures or voice it includes everything you need for a safe and comfortable drive, like the 15-inch Discover Premium Satellite Navigation system and 12.3-inch Digital Cockpit with customisable content. Optional on the 170TDI A very, very smart dash With high-resolution 12.3-inch TFT-LCD colour display, the digital cockpit allows you to see only the information you want to see. You can access detailed driving data via the multifunction steering wheel or infotainment system, view the navigation map with targeted zoom and customise the dash to display full-screen overlays of selected information.Optional on 170TDI Eyes on the road, always The Head-up Display uses the windscreen as a projection surface to display important information like the speed, messages from the driver assist systems or navigation details. This way, you can keep your eyes on the road ahead. Optional on 170TDI Stay connected wherever you are Bring the familiarity of your phone straight to your infotainment system, thanks to App-Connect 4. Your smartphone integrates seamlessly, allowing you to listen to your favourite music, podcasts, messages you receive, or the latest news and journey information. Set the mood When the sky starts to darken, choose from 30 different colours of mood lighting in your Touareg. Nothing gets boring in this luxurious SUV. Optional on 170TDI The Touareg doesn't compromise on performance and it doesn't turn down a challenge. With an impressive turbocharged engine, 4MOTION all-wheel drive, and air suspension, the Touareg will take you anywhere you want to go, on and off the road.Book a Test Drive Turbo TDI engine Power to go, go, go The Touareg 210TDI features a 3.0L V6 diesel engine that is capable of providing an impressive 210kW of power and 600Nm of torque. If that still doesn’t do it for you, the V8 TDI features a 4.0L V8 diesel engine that produces 310kW of power and maximum torque of 900Nm. This means you can accelerate from 0 to 100km/h in under 5 seconds. Now that’s powerful. Total control on the road When the rear wheels steer as well as the front wheels, a smaller turning circle can be achieved. This means greater manoeuvrability in tight spaces. The rear wheels also help with stability when you’re travelling faster than 50km/h. There’s no doubt you’ll feel complete confidence on any kind of drive. Not available on 170 TDI or 210TDI Elegance Comfort on any terrain The Touareg's air suspension with adaptive dampening control, maintains a smooth ride regardless of road surface conditions. Once you float on air, there’s no going back. Not available on 170TDI Active roll stabilisation system No more playing system The Touareg’s front and rear active stabilisers are hydraulic and reduce the lateral tilt when cornering. This helps the car respond sensitively to steering, even at low speeds. This optional system also helps to prevent understeering during more dynamic cornering. All to ensure you and your passengers always have a safer trip. Not available on 170TDI and 210TDI Elegance On the absolute forefront of safety technology5, the Touareg is full of intuitive features that not only help in case of accidents but predict and prevent mishaps before they even happen.Book a Test Drive Proactive occupant protection system The all-around bodyguard You and your passengers are protected from all sides with the proactive occupant protection system. If the technology detects a possible accident situation, it automatically triggers safety functions including belt-tightening, activating hazard lights and closing all windows.5. Protecting those around you The Touareg takes pedestrian monitoring to the next level. It intuitively predicts when a roadside pedestrian might cross your path, warns the driver and, if they do, applies the brakes5. Traffic Jam Assist To help you get through traffic easily, Traffic Jam Assist uses proven functions like Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) and Lane Assist to allow easy, slow driving in traffic jams. Your vehicle will follow the vehicle in front at a speed of 0 to 60km/h and automatically operate the accelerator and brakes to help you avoid typical traffic jam collisions 5. Front Cross Traffic Assist Enter traffic effortlessly Front Cross Traffic Assist5 is invaluable for blind exits and junctions. It uses the same radar technology in the Adaptive Cruise Control5 system to monitor the area in front of your car and detect vehicles or pedestrians approaching from the side. The system issues optical and acoustic warnings of any cross traffic detected at speeds of up to 30km/h and can implement an emergency stop to help avoid a collision or reduce the severity of it. There when you need it When using Adaptive Cruise Control and Lane Assist with Adaptive Lane Guidance, Emergency Assist becomes active when the vehicle detects no steering activity on the part of the driver. The system then initiates a series of attempts to alert the driver before performing a safe emergency stop in the lane 5. Choose a vehicle Features of 170TDI - Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) - Air Care 2-zone climate control air conditioning with hard key control - Alloy wheels (Osorno) 19" - Discover Pro audio and satellite navigation system with 9.2" colour touch screen display - Electronic tailgate with Easy Open & Close & Keyless Access and start - Lane Assist with Adaptive Lane Guideance , Traffic Jam Assist and Emergency Assist - LED Headlights, daytime driving lights and tail lights - Park Assist, parking bay and parallel parking assistance - Side Assist with Front & Rear Cross Traffic Assist - Vienna leather appointed seat upholstery Features of 210TDI Elegance - Air suspension with four wheel steering - Additional ambient interior lighting with 30 selectable colours - Alloy wheels (Montero) 20" - Digital Cockpit with customisable menus and information - Discover Premium audio and satellite navigation system with 15" colour touch screen display - Individually heated and ventilated front seats - IQ.LIGHT Matrix LED Headlights - Premium LED tail lights with dynamic indicators - Savona leather appointed seat upholstery - Windshield projected Head-up Display Features of 210TDI R-Line - Air suspension with four wheel steering - Alloy wheels (Nevada) 20" - All-wheel steering - Brushed stainless steel foot pedals - Electromechanical Active Roll Stabilisation - Memory for front seats, mirrors & electronic steering column - Rear and side window tint 82% light absorbing - R-Line front and rear bumpers with piano black accents - R-Line multi-function steering wheel, heated, shifting paddles and touch buttons - Savona leather appointed seat upholstery with R-Line logo - "Soul Black" headliner Volkswagen Terms & Conditions + - 2. Fuel consumption figures according to ADR 81/02 derived from laboratory testing. Factors including but not limited to driving style, road and traffic conditions, environmental influences, vehicle condition and accessories fitted, will in practice in the real world lead to figures which generally differ from those advertised. Advertised figures are meant for comparison amongst vehicles only. - 3. With rear seat in the forward position. - 4. App-Connect is compatible for selected apps with the latest smartphone versions of iOS and Android, active data service, and connection cable (sold separately). - 5. Safety technologies are designed to assist the driver, but should not be used as a substitute for safe driving practices. - 7. Head-Up Display and customisable ambient lighting features are available with optional Innovision Package, at extra cost. - 8. Optional accessories at extra cost. Overseas models are shown for illustrative purposes only. The above accessories may have an effect on fuel efficiency. Items such as sports equipment, cargo carriers and bike racks are shown for illustration purposes only. - 9. The Volkswagen Universal Traffic Recorder App (UTR App) is only for use in combination with the Universal Traffic Recorder (UTR/Dashcam) of Volkswagen Genuine Accessories. Its capabilities include live viewing, data management, a car finder function and being able to adjust the recorder’s settings. All functions of the Volkswagen UTR app require an active data service between the Universal Traffic Recorder and your smartphone. Configurations vary by model (Front only or Front/Rear camera). Consult your local Volkswagen Dealer for further information. - 10. Towing capacities are applicable to Volkswagen Genuine Accessory Tow Bar. Towing capacity figures are maximum figures and actual towing capacity depends on factors including the laden mass of the vehicle, driving conditions and fitment of any accessories. Volkswagen Group Australia does not endorse or will not be held liable for any claim, loss or damage arising from the use or fitment of electronic trailer brakes.

There aren’t a lot of machines out there that focus solely on embroidery. With machines that try to combine sewing and embroidery, or quilting and embroidery, you’ll often notice a preference for one of the two. While this isn’t a bad thing, it does detract from the greatest potential of any machine. So the mastery of one single craft like embroidery means that very little can go wrong. Because of its specialization, the Brother PE540D 4×4 Embroidery Machine is simple to use and conjures even the most complicated designs without so much as a hitch. With the added Disney designs, your projects gain a touch more whimsy, while you can also download more designs and fonts to really grasp the best results. Sewers looking for a new sewing machine are sadly barking up the wrong tree. The Brother PE5400 is designed exclusively for embroidery, and it does it well. Professional seamstresses might have some gripes with the small working area, but for the at-home sewer, this should pose little to no problem. Brother PE540D Embroidery Machine: The Details The Brother PE540D Embroidery Machine looks colorful and very kid friendly, thanks to Mickey Mouse and his friends livening up the machine. This doesn’t mean that it’ll feel like you’re working on a kiddie machine, but if you want to show younger children how fun embroidery can be, this device will certainly help in doing so. Both the weight and size of this machine are medium, so you probably won’t have much trouble moving and storing it. Although with the eye-catching design, why would you even want to hide it away? - Weight: 4 pounds - Dimensions: 3 x 15 x 15.2 inches - Stitches: 35 built-in Disney embroidery designs, 70 decorative designs, 5 embroidery lettering fonts and 120 frame pattern combinations - Speed: Up to 400 stitches per minute - Computerized/Mechanic: Computerized - Bobbin: Standard bobbin system - Warranty: 25-year limited warranty As a machine that is solely intended for embroidery, you can expect all of the added accessories to reflect this. Something which might surprise users new to computerized embroidery machines is the USB cable – but trust us, it has its uses. The included accessories are as follows: - Embroidery foot - Standard Brother-Size bobbins - Light threads (4) - Sets of needles - Brush for cleaning - Ripper for the seam - Screw driver - Spool covers (4) - Net for the spool - User’s manual - USB cable - Accessory bag - Dust cover - 4” x 4” embroidery hoop - User’s manual Brother: The Company Brother might have started out in Nagoya, Japan, but these days, they’re a true world-wide company. Among their most notable feats is the 2012 opening of their pride and joy, the world’s largest single-company factory, which is dedicated entirely to the production of sewing machines. Their sewing machines regularly swipe prizes and honorable mentions and are especially beloved by those who look for versatility in their machines. This is something which the founders could only have dreamed of 120 years ago. Today they’re taking care of their customers in the digital age, by starting their online blog, Sewcial, as well as making updates for their computerized sewing machines available online. They might have been around for more than a century and then some, but Brother keeps moving with the times. The Brother PE540D Embroidery Machine falls under the limited 25-year warranty, which is their own standard for their sewing machines. The warranty ensures that the machine and additional parts will arrive in functioning order. Should your machine suffer wear and tear through normal use, please check which parts of the machine are included in which part of the warranty. Not all parts of the sewing machine are covered for the same amount of time, so double checking the rules is always useful. As always, make sure to check with your supplier, as their warranty guidelines may differ from what is described here. Plenty of Stitches With 35 built-in Disney embroidery designs, 70 decorative designs, five embroidery lettering fonts, and 120 frame pattern combinations, it’ll be hard to choose which ones you want to try out first. The combinations possible with this machine are near limitless, and you’ll be livening up handkerchiefs, pillows, and more in no time. Download More Designs Thinking of a specific design, or want to give family members a gift with a specific Disney princess or prince? Thanks to the USB cable, you can purchase additional designs on Ibroidery, or enjoy the occasional free pattern that becomes available. Create Your Own Patterns You can also create and upload your own patters, perfect for the creative souls among us who won’t take basic for an answer. Enjoy making more special designs and see them come to life. With a bit of design, everybody can see their creations realized on fabric. Automatic Needle Threader There’s no need to spend half an hour trying to thread your next color for a design. Once you get the hang of the automatic needle threader, switching out colors becomes a breeze and you’ll be finished in no time. The backlit LCD touchscreen included on the embroidery machine makes it easy to keep track of your designs, and follow along. This display can act as your ‘control panel’ where you can edit design features, see what built-in designs you have, and follow tutorials. Along with the help of the LCD touchscreen, you’ll be able to let your creativity flow through the night, even in dark spaces. The Brother PE540D includes a light that brightly illuminates the needle area, allowing your incredible designs to not be halted when the sun sets. Brother PE540D Embroidery Machine Review Once Mickey Mouse and his friends get involved, you know a device will be friendly for kids. Although it’s recommended to have some adult supervision in the first few times they use this embroidery machine, the process is very simple. Kids will certainly enjoy seeing how they too can create amazing things. Thanks to the USB cable, you can connect to the Brother site at any moment and receive updates when they become available. Now your embroidery machine will never become outdated, and you will always be able to say you have the best embroidery machine on the market. Little Set-Up Required Place the embroidery hoop, choose a pattern, and load your first color. That’s really all there is to it. If you’ve ever set up a printer, camera, or other home device, it will be a cinch for you to get your Brother PE540D up and running. Once you’ve got the hang of this Brother embroidery machine, nothing will be able to stop you. Here’s what the Brother PE540D looks like out of the box. Easy to Use We’ve mentioned this is a great machine for beginner sewers and even children. The main reason is because its so easy to use and to get accustomed to. Once you’ve gotten your Brother PE540D set up, there’s not too much of a learning curve when it comes to this machine, making it a great choice for beginner and novice embroiderers. Users will not only have a detailed instruction manual to help, but the LCD screen tutorials will also assist in guiding you on your embroidery adventures. For a machine this sturdy that performs beautifully, you don’t have to empty your savings account. The Brother PE540D comes in at a very competitive price in comparison to many other embroidery machines on the market, so you won’t have to invest too much before tackling your dream projects. This is a great point for budget crafters, beginners who are looking to dabble in the world of embroidery, or for the occasional user who doesn’t intend on spending too much time (or money) crafting. Limited Work Area There is little you can do to expand your initial working area. While you can make do by moving the fabric, repeating patterns, and other tricks to make designs more interesting, professional seamstresses probably won’t be satisfied with the workspace this embroidery machine offers them. Good Quality Thread Required The Brother PE540D can get finicky, and cheaper thread has a tendency to snap and ruin your entire design. Invest in a higher quality thread and you’ll end up feeling less frustrated – though this can be expensive. For so many designs, this Brother machine doesn’t pack the memory to hold it all. Even though you have the option of thousands of designs at your fingertips, it will be a problem to fit every one of them into the Brother PE540D’s small memory. This means you’ll most likely have to delete some old designs before adding new ones to your machine. Those who are looking to experiment with new designs frequently may get annoyed with a task that may become cumbersome depending on how many designs you’d like to tackle. The Brother PE540D shows how well a machine can perform when we go for specialization instead of a Jack-of-All-Trades. With a quiet and smooth working process, paired with a timely beep to let you know when the machine is done, you’ll get through your embroidery faster and better than you ever believed possible. This embroidery machine is suitable for those who know they won’t tackle big projects, who want access to a wide array of designs, or those who want to keep young children happy and possibly even introduce them to the world of embroidery. The only people who will be less impressed by this machine are professionals doing this for a living. Seeing as how the Brother PE540D Embroidery Machine was designed for the at-home hobbyist, this is a small price to pay in return for affordable quality. Where to Buy the Brother PE540D Embroidery Machine Brother is a well-known brand that’s earned its place as a staple in department stores and specialty shops. Because of their decades in the sewing game producing quality products, Brother machines are definitely not hard to find. The Brother PE540D Embroidery Machine is an example of the quality machines Brother has put forward and due to brand popularity and its own performance, this machine isn’t a fuss to find both in-store and online. To start, check out the following online retailers. And of course, it can also be found on Amazon. That’s it for our review on the Brother PE540D Embroidery Machine. Curious to give it a go? Not sure if this is the model for you? Browse through the rest of our sewing machine reviews. Brother PE540D Review Ease of Use Craft Sewing Specs Those looking to explore the world of embroidery will enjoy the benefits of having a Brother PE540D Embroidery Machine on hand. This machine is super easy to use, and great for those looking to experiment with a wide range of designs and possibilities. Though if you’re looking for more than embroidery, this machine isn’t for you.

Ball Mill Principle. 4 Ways To Increase The Capacity Of Cement Ball Mill. 1.Using Cement Crusher To Reduce Cement Size. 2.Using Separator To Select Raw Material With Different Particle Size. 3.Using Drying Machine To Decrease The Water Content Of Cement. 4.Improving Ball Mill Leave Message Get Price List Jul 08, 2019 The grinding efficiency of ball mill is low, the treatment capacity is low, the production energy consumption is high, the product fineness is unstable and so on, which are the problems that most concentrators will encounter. How to effectively improve the grinding efficiency of ball mill is an important problem. This article summarizes 10 ways to improve efficiency, if you are worried about ... Dec 26, 2017 Mill Geometry And Speed. According to Bond 1954, the grinding efficiency of a mill depends on the ball mill diameter, size of the media and mill speed. Ball mills with different length to diameter ratios for a particular power rating will produce different material retention times. increase in width, may actually occur if edger mills are not used Average true stress of the strip in the roll gap Y avg Assumes no friction and thus predicts lower roll force than the actual value Power per roll SI units pFLN 60,000 kW Where F is in Newtons, L is in meters, and N is rpm of roll The mill performance is evaluated and recommendations are formulated based on the past history of the mill operations, inspections, process measurements, feedproduct characteristics and grinding performance, in order to improve mill output and reduction in power consumptions in the ball mill system. DIAGNOSTIC STUDY History of mill operations Keywords Ball mill, Ball size effects, Clinker, Grinding, Limestone ... mills using the concepts of specific rate of breakage and primary daughter ... unit time increases with the increase in ball Therefore, large feeding sizes will affect ball mill efficiency. 3. Mineral slurry density in wet grinding, material pass time, production efficiency and ball mill power are all influenced by mineral slurry density. Generally speaking, the suitable density is close to 80 when feeding size Mill Liners . for Ball Mills. Increase grinding efficiency and productivity. 3. Mill liners that increase . productivity and efficiency. All impact surfaces inside the mill are protected by special bolted-on lining plates made from high chromium alloys that . are highly resistant to abrasive wear. But the best mill liners Jun 06, 2016 These mills typically grind ROM ore in a single stage. A large example of such a mill was converted from a single-stage milling application to a semi autogenous ball-mill-crushing circuit, and the application is well described. This refers to high-aspect AGSAG mills. Ball Charge Motion inside a SAG Mill. With a higher density mill charge. Mar 24, 2021 If Lonzo is making 20 million, that is 80 million tied up in three players, which could represent nearly 75 percent of the salary cap, depending on where it is at that point. It is projected to be around 112 million in 2021-22 and to increase at least three percent each season, but even if it goes up by the max 10 percent, those three ... Aug 26, 2014 It may be a closed or open circuit grinding systems. In recent days, the Ball mill grinding systems are used with the Roller press and it is developing very fastly. The primary grinding is done by the Roller press and finish grinding takes place in Ball mill. Because of this, we can increase the Ball mill capacity as well as the Cement production. Analysis of Ways to Increase Ball Mill Efficiency Hxjq There are kinds of ball mills according to their different functions such as dry type mill, wet type mill, grid ball mill and overflow ball mill As we have known the varieties of ball mill, lets come back to the point and talk about the ways to increase ball mill efficiency Generally speaking, there are three simple and direct means to How to Improve the Output of Cement Ball Mill - 2020-6-22 4 ways to increase the capacity of cement ball mill 1.Using cement crusher to reduce cement size 2.Using separator to select raw material with different particle size 3.Using drying machine to decrease the water content of cement the mill discharge from ball mill 1 will increase. With the same water addition to sump 1 the particle size of Cyclone 1 overflow will increase. This will decrease the ratio, and hence the control loop will add more water to keep the ratio constant. However, the amount of slurry reporting as fresh Jul 20, 2011 Details. The maximum change in plate thickness that can be achieved in a single pass is given by , where is the coefficient of friction between the rollers and the plate, is the roll diameter, is the original plate thickness, is the final plate thickness, and is the maximum draft. To calculate the draft, the first step is to determine the contact area between the roll and the plate by ... Important advances have been made in the last 60 years or so in the modeling of ball mills using mathematical formulas and models. One approach that has gained popularity is the population balance model, in particular, when coupled to the specific breakage rate function. The paper demonstrates the application of this methodology to optimize solids concentration in ball milling of an iron ore ... Feb 14, 2018 Mill-dust is the term that is used for BP as it comes straight out of the ball mill, before any granulation. Second Step I take 16 ounces of the pine charcoal mill-dust, add 1.6 ounces of water 10 to it, and thoroughly incorporate the water into the powder with my gloved hands. Then I further incorporate the water with a screen colander. Oct 10, 2016 The ball mill is a hollow drum closed with loading and unloading end caps, filled with grinding media and rotated around its axis.The drum of the ball mill Pic. 1 is a hollow cylinder of steel, lined inside with armor lining plates which protect it from impact and friction effects of the balls and the grinding material. 4d. 4d. Bucks put Heat on brink, win 113-84 for 3-0 series lead. Khris Middleton scored 22 points, Jrue Holiday added 19 points and 12 assists and the Milwaukee Bucks moved a win from a berth ... Achieve superior surface finishes with the many insert and cutter choices in our Ball Nose end mill series. We were the first company in the industry to offer a permanent Automatic Cutter Replacement Program.Receive FREE or discounted replacement cutters with the purchase of our Ball Nose, Flat Bottom, Back Draft, and High-Feed inserts. SHAPES ON BALL MILL PERFORMANCE Niyoshaka Nistlaba Stanley Lameck A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Engineering and The Built Environment, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Engineering Electric motors monitoring An alternative to increase the efficiency of ball mills556 . Today, the grinding process that takes place in ball mills is far from being efficient.The most straightforward way of controlling the load of a mill is the measurement of the power or currentFor a given amount of steel balls, it is not desirable that the mill is too full or too empty of grinding material. Aug 09, 2017 Crushing the material into smaller particle size as much as possible before the materials into the ball miller, the solution is to configure a crusher with fine crushing granularity such as hammer... Stresses, generated in the ball charge, increase, which may result in spalling of balls and blocking the grate discharge. Optimization of mill performance by using online ball and pulp measurements by B. Clermont and B. de Haas Synopsis Ball mills are usually the largest consumers of energy within a mineral concentrator. Jul 08, 2019 The ratio of sand return to raw ore feeding directly affects the productivity of the mill. One way to increase the sand return ratio is to increase the original ore feed, and the other is to reduce the shaft height of the spiral grader. However, there are also certain limits to the increase Cement grinding capacity of Ball mill increases by adjustment of air gap in the V- Separator with proper air distribution. Maintaining uniform air gap between plates and steps in the V-Separator increases production of cement mill. To seal air leakage in SKS Separator with uniform air gap increases output of cement mill. Apr 01, 1999 The ball load, at which the mill draws maximum power, is about 53. The simulation results of 0.762-m mill running at 60 critical speed are plotted in Fig. 4. The relevant operating and simulation parameters are listed in Table 3. The calculated power draft is maximum at about 50 ball By rotation of the mill body, due to friction between mill wall and balls, the latter rise in the direction of rotation till a helix angle does not exceed the angle of repose, whereupon, the balls roll down. Feb 08, 2017 The operating principle of the ball mill consists of following steps. In a continuously operating ball mill, feed material fed through the central hole one of the caps into the drum and moves therealong, being exposed by grinding media. The material grinding occurs during impact falling grinding balls and abrasion the particles between the balls. Then, discharge of ground material performed ... Oct 25, 2017 The following are factors that have been investigated and applied in conventional ball milling in order to maximize grinding efficiency a Mill Geometry and Speed Bond 1954 observed grinding efficiency to be a function of ball mill diameter, and established empirical relationships for recommended media size and mill speed that take this factor into account. Sand Making Machine Sand Washing Machine

© CEOCFO Magazine - CEOCFO Magazine, PO Box 340 Palm Harbor, FL 34682- Lynn Fosse, Senior Editor Steve Alexander, Associate Editor Bud Wayne, Marketing & Production Manager Christy Rivers - Automation Workz created the Diversity Culture Audit to Stimulate Revenue Growth Interview conducted by: Lynn Fosse, Senior Editor Published – April 12, 2021 CEOCFO: Ms. Byrd- We put the word “processes” in our tagline, because initially, when technology and automation came out, people would use the same processes and then just put technology on top of it, which did not really generate any efficiency. However, when they add technology now, they ask “how do I change the process accordingly and make it accessible for all of my people?” to be able to utilize technology to make it more efficient to do business. CEOCFO: Diversity, where does that come in? CEOCFO: Are companies recognizing this more and more? Is it becoming mainstream? What have you seen and how are you helping to change the mindset? I have never called myself a minority, because as a diverse person I am not less than. In the last year the conversation has shifted from having a conversation of someone being less than, to being just who they are and accepting them as they are and understanding that they are becoming bigger chunks of main stream America. CEOCFO: Where are some of the areas companies are missing in marketing to a diverse community? I find that many times companies do not spend time to get to know each one of the diversity chunks or segments and get to know what makes the people unique within those segments and then try to identify with them as it relates to their product. I will give you a good example. Proctor & Gamble is one very large company. It is very good at market segmentation and they get to know their customers, even in each diversity market, very well. Therefore, many of their products as segmented specifically for those customers. When you do that you find that you tend to see a lot of product, because you identify with that segment and understand what are their pains, their glories, their triumphs and the struggles, because that is how you sell products. People have to identify with you personally and understand that you understand their needs. Often times, companies tend to just shoot things out and they make faux pas that are just very terrible. For example, a couple of years ago Gucci put out a hoodie, and man, when I looked at the hoodie it looked like a Ku Klux Klan outfit! I said, “Oh my, who allowed them to put that out to market like that!” Obviously, because they did not have people on their staff, because anyone that is of any diverse culture, particularly African American, would have said, “Time out! You cannot use that! If you put that out in the market, they are not only not going to not buy that from you, they are not going to buy any products from you, and that would be a death knell!” And I have to tell you, it was a death knell, because I bought a lot of Gucci and when I saw them put out that product, I have not bought a product since! It says to me that you did not invest the time to get to know the diversity market, to know that I would be offended by such an activity. Some companies do that quite a bit without making investments, getting to know the population. CEOCFO: How do smaller companies encourage a diverse staff and also encourage a diverse staff to speak up? For example, I worked at an engineering consulting firm and they had about two hundred and fifty employees and they wanted to get business from one of the largest counties in Michigan and that county had black leadership. I basically said to them, “No offence, but you have to go find a black engineer. At the time, we had none, so I scoured the country and found a great woman civil engineer who had a wonderful personality and said, “You need to hire her.” When they went to hire her they were hemming and hawing and hemming and hawing. Then I had to ask the question, “Do you really want the business, because you cannot relate to them and even though you have been around for fifty years you have never gotten business from that county. She will go in and can relate to that leadership and will take the business off of the table, because they can identify with each other.” They eventually hired her and she picked up that county in about sixty days flat, because not only was she very smart and articulate. She was beautiful, so connecting with the men in that facility, they enjoyed her company. It was so unusual to find a black woman in civil engineering, that they signed up with her because they figured that she obviously must be quite knowledgeable. Therefore, you have to look at the employee as an ambassador. With that being said, if you see the employee as an ambassador, you have got to let that employee be free to be whoever they are. That is because they can teach you about the market that you do not know, because there are some things that will hurt you. For example, Adidas made a tennis shoe that had an anklet around the ankle. When I saw it, it looked like something you would put a slave in and they should never have made that mistake. However, because they did not have any marketing people who were African American or any product designing people who were African American, they made a faux pas. You have to be able to allow the employees to tell you how they feel, even if you do not agree with it, because sometimes they will lead you to an innovation that will create lots of business for you. However, you have to allow them to do that and to be able to speak freely, whether you agree with their statements or not. That is because they are teaching you about a market that you do not already know about. CEOCFO: How are you at Automation Workz helping companies solve these problems? I created the audit to be able to show them where they needed to put the attorneys and how best to utilize them. When the protests broke out last June, I took the audit back out, expanded it so that it not only just covers an individual department, but it covers an entire company. The bulk of the companies that we have been doing these audits for have been midsized companies. We look at all of their data, interview all of their top executives across the company, pool all the data together and present a report on where we think they are having shortcomings and then provide recommendations on how to improve specific departments. We have found that that has just been so eye opening to the companies who have submitted their information and participated in the audit. First of all, it gives them a road map of where they should go. However, it also gives them a definitive result of what types of biases that they are having internally that they may be blind to, because they do not see it themselves. We have found that that audit has been so critical in helping companies to improve recruitment, in their hiring, in their employee relations, in their marketing; all across the board. I recommend that every company, particularly mid- CEOCFO: What about political diversity? CEOCFO: How do you reach out to potential clients or are people coming to you these days? Our whole goal is to educate the world on how to look at diversity from a revenue and economic perspective, and not just from a social justice perspective. That is because, at the end of the day, businesses are in business to make money and while you hope that they will have impact socially, at the end of the day, you want the impact to be economic. To me diversity is an economic imperative, probably more so than it is a social justice imperative. Therefore, we are hoping that as people continue to add to the newsletter, that they grow and expand in the understanding of how diversity can improve and increase their revenue. CEOCFO: What has changed in your approach over time? What have you learned as you have worked with more and more organizations? We have found that people are more open to the diversity market and seeing diverse clients. They just do not know how to begin. That is where we come in. We facilitate the conversation of how to begin, how to look at the Asian market, how to look at the African American market, how to cater to women, how to look at the LGBTQ and be able to help you sidestep the liturgical landmines that you may face if you just go out and do it blindly. I have just found that they people just tend to be more open than Americans give them credit, it is just the issue of “How do I best do it.” CEOCFO: There are many companies that can make a difference for an organization regarding diversity. Why take a look at Automation Workz? Why is Automation Workz important? On our last diversity audit; we just got back from San Diego and we presented to a $200 million revenue company, and we presented their audit, they were literally like, “Oh, my; this is at the level of a large accounting consulting firm!” Absolutely, because all four of us, as the top management, have served at large firms and large consulting firms, so we know what product they are going to provide. However, we try to be reasonable in cost and a little bit more personable. That is what makes us unique. The second thing that makes us extremely unique is that because most of my team have twenty to twenty- CEOCFO: You really enjoy what you are doing! That comes through very clearly. Automation Workz | Ida Byrd- “Our whole goal is to educate the world on how to look at diversity from a revenue and economic perspective, and not just from a social justice perspective. That is because, at the end of the day, businesses are in business to make money and while you hope that they will have impact socially, at the end of the day, you want the impact to be economic.”

Artificial intelligence and machine learning have become so prevalent that many businesses now heavily rely on algorithms to make decisions that can impact our daily lives, from security scans and medical diagnostics to mortgage approvals and customer service interactions. Indeed, the technology has become so ingrained into routine operations that there are serious concerns that AI does not just facilitate processes, but often dictates them—without effective oversight, transparency or accountability. There have been numerous high-profile incidents involving AI failures. In 2018, Amazon scrapped the AI-powered recruiting software it was developing after finding the system vastly preferred male candidates. The machine learning models at the heart of the system were trained on 10 years’ worth of resumes submitted to the company, most of which were from men, a reflection of the gender gap in the tech industry. As a result of that training data, the system learned that male candidates were preferable and started penalizing resumes that included the word “women’s” and even downgraded candidates from all-female colleges. In effect, the technology learned the existing gender bias in hiring and attempted to formally incorporate it into the system. In a 2019 study in the journal Science, researchers found that a healthcare prediction algorithm used by hospitals and insurance companies throughout the United States to identify patients in need of “high-risk care management” programs was far less likely to select Black patients. The algorithm based its decisions partly on a person’s level of healthcare spending. As people of color in the United States are statistically more likely to have lower incomes and less health insurance coverage, the algorithm’s implicit bias determined that they would receive lower-quality care, or none at all. Such incidents have drawn concern from regulators worldwide. Many believe increased scrutiny is necessary, and some have warned that rules—and tough enforcement measures—are likely to come soon. On April 19, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission sent out a reminder to companies that it already has “decades of experience enforcing three laws important to developers and users of AI”—the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, and Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act, which focuses on unfair or deceptive acts or practices. The FTC warned that these three piece of legislation would apply to the sale or use of biased algorithms; certain circumstances where an algorithm denies people employment, housing, credit, insurance or other benefits; or any instance where a person is subject to credit discrimination on the basis of race, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, age or status as a recipient of public assistance. Just days later, the European Commission, the European Union’s executive body, unveiled a raft of proposals to ensure trustworthy AI that would apply to both the developers and users of artificial intelligence technology. If approved, the rules will have an extra-territorial reach, applying if an AI system is used in the EU or if its use affects people in the region. The rules would be enforced through maximum fines of up to €30 million ($35 million) or 6% of total worldwide revenues for the previous financial year, whichever is greater. In terms of oversight, the European Commission proposed a risk-based approach with four risk levels: unacceptable, high, limited and minimal. Any AI technology that poses an “unacceptable” risk to consumers and/or violates fundamental rights will be automatically banned. Examples include credit scoring, technology that exploits the vulnerabilities of children, live remote biometric identification systems used in public places, and subliminal techniques such as behavioral advertising. AI systems deemed “high-risk” will need to pass a “conformity assessment” prior to launch and follow stricter compliance requirements, including ensuring data set quality, improving technical documentation and record keeping, and providing better user information and transparency. AI systems with “limited risks” will likely have to comply with specific transparency requirements—for example, companies must inform users that they are engaging with chatbots rather than humans. “Minimal risk” AI systems, which constitute the vast majority, can be developed and used without additional legal obligations. Alex van der Wolk, partner in the privacy and data security practice at law firm Morrison & Foerster, warned that the threshold for what qualifies as AI is extremely low—so much so that “most data analytics and query tools will be required to meet this regulation.” This means that nearly all developers, users and companies building their own in-house AI tools will be subject to greater compliance requirements. There is still a long way to go before the EC’s regulation is approved or comes into force. However, the proposals send a signal from one of the world’s most active enforcement agencies that companies must think about how and why they use AI technologies, and what steps they should take if such systems could cause harm. Further, as the EC has signaled plans to regulate AI with such strong sanctions and the FTC was keen to remind companies of its enforcement record in this area, it is very likely that regulators in other countries will soon follow suit. Lack of Understanding Experts believe companies are largely ignorant about what they use AI for, how decisions generated by the technology are reached, or what their legal and ethical responsibilities for AI might be. As such, many have not rated AI compliance as a serious risk, and boards are overly reliant on IT taking ownership of what should actually be a management issue. In May, global analytics software firm FICO’s State of Responsible AI survey found that, despite the increased demand for and use of AI tools, almost two-thirds of companies cannot explain how specific AI model decisions or predictions are made. Additionally, only 20% of respondents actively monitor their models in production for fairness and ethics. The study also found leadership awareness is low, with respondents reporting only 39% of executive teams and 33% of board members have a complete understanding of AI ethics. Further, 78% of respondents said they have struggled to get executive support for prioritizing AI ethics and responsible AI practices. This lack of boardroom understanding or engagement translates into material ethical, regulatory and reputation risks that demand attention. Experts warn that it is a mistake to underplay the seriousness and the significance of AI risk—or its potential liability. This applies not only to companies developing AI tools, but also those that simply use them. “The company offering its AI-based services is legally responsible for any bad or harmful decisions generated by the system,” said Tim El-Sheikh, CEO at AI tech firm Nebuli. “It does not matter whether or not the algorithms behind these AI systems were supplied by third-party providers, such as cloud-based AI tools. From an end-user’s point of view, you are liable for any harmful or destructive decisions caused by your AI-powered service.” According to Andre Franca, director of applied data science at AI-tech company causaLens, one of the main problems is that a lot of existing AI and ML technologies are “blackbox” solutions where data is put into the system and a result is generated, but without any knowledge of how it was achieved. Consequently, companies using them are unable to “connect the dots” about how the technology reaches certain decisions. “If organizations are not able to understand how the machine reaches a decision, this can lead to disastrous and unfair outcomes,” he said. Ensuring Trustworthy AI To find out how AI technologies are supposed to work, companies need to ask a series of simple but critical questions before implementation: What is the algorithm supposed to do? How will it do it? What data will it use to reach an outcome? And is the data truly representative? “Organizations must define the exact task they want an algorithm to perform,” said Alix Melchy, vice president of AI at online payments company Jumio. “This ensures they can explain the design of the AI system and the parameters that have been taken into account, and creates a solid framework of development and evaluation of an algorithm.” As a first step, experts advise that companies comprehensively review their current and intended use of AI technologies. They should also conduct a risk assessment to check the quality and type of source data being used and if or where any bias may occur. For example, if a data set is missing information from particular populations, using that data to build an AI model may yield results that are unfair or inequitable to legally protected groups. The FTC’s formal guidance recommends that companies think about ways to improve their data set, design their model to account for data gaps and, if there are any shortcomings, limit where or how they use the model. It is also crucial to build trust in AI through fairness and explainability. As companies develop and use AI, they should think about ways to embrace transparency—for example, by using transparency frameworks and independent standards, by conducting and publishing the results of independent audits, and by opening data or source code to outside inspection. They should also ensure that claims about what the algorithms can do are properly explained and are not exaggerated or misleading. AI solutions that have been built with “explainable AI” at their core can provide better assurance that the technology will not cause harm. “Assistive AI” may also be a sensible option for some companies. According to Nick Chorley, EMEA director in the safety and infrastructure practice at AI tech firm Hexagon, retaining human oversight of AI decision-making capabilities may help organizations steer clear of regulatory noncompliance and potential legal troubles. “From a day-to-day standpoint, some AI technologies require that humans monitor the system continuously by reviewing and vetting each recommendation,” he said. “This approach, known as ‘assistive AI,’ keeps people in the driver’s seat as the decision-maker instead of technology. It equips first responders with more information and empowers them to act quicker, but it also gives them the ability to ignore irrelevant or unnecessary recommended actions.” Another key concern—and one that is often overlooked or undervalued—is clarity from the company about who in the organization is responsible for its AI plans. Too often, organizations assign AI development, strategy and policies to the IT department. As both the use of such technologies and resulting regulatory action remain nascent, AI is rarely seen as an organization-wide business or strategic issue that needs the input of other functions, let alone senior management. To succeed, AI strategies do not just require in-house IT expertise, but also input from departments with other technical skillsets, such as legal, compliance, risk management and procurement. If the company has them, it is important to involve corporate social responsibility and ethics committees as well. Companies should also be very wary about leaving algorithm development solely to tech teams because the end result is more likely to suffer from bias as a result of “groupthink.” According to Dr. Janet Bastiman, chief data scientist at compliance tech firm Napier AI and a committee member for the U.K.’s Royal Statistical Society Data Science Section, the biggest contributing factor to algorithm failures is a lack of diversity in the teams building them. “All humans have inherent bias,” she said. “If you surround yourself with individuals with similar backgrounds and experiences, then you will get agreement on approach, similarity of thinking, and a lack of realization of different points of view. Teams of this type will be unlikely to identify bias issues in applications, models or even the data.” Bastiman added, “This has been the key reason behind the majority of public AI fails in the past few years. Conversely, a team with diversity of thought and experience has a much higher chance of spotting issues with bias. They will be able to spot examples missing from the training data and provide a more critical analysis on the results as there will not be homogeneity of experience to accept them.” Another frequent problem for companies is getting overwhelmed by how sophisticated and cutting-edge the technology is and forgetting to focus on simply getting the basics right. Companies should apply many of the “common sense” rules they use to address privacy concerns, said Peter van der Putten, assistant professor of AI at Leiden University in the Netherlands. “Keep it simple,” he said. “For example, from a privacy perspective, do you have consent from the customer to use their data for the objective for which you want to apply the AI? Can customers exercise their rights to information or rights to be forgotten? Are the AI tools explainable?” He also suggested that companies test AI assets, models and decisions before taking them live. They should also check for scope creep to see if the AI-driven systems are still operating within the limits of their original remit, as regulatory investigations often center on concerns that personal data collected for one purpose is then used for another without obtaining informed consent. In addition, companies should continuously test and assess the robustness, accuracy and algorithmic fairness of AI models, and work to minimize algorithmic bias by, for example, simulating predictions and decisions on historical data sets of customers or applications. Companies should also keep a central register of any incidents, provide a root cause analysis and, if applicable, document what measures were put in place to correct the issue. “Corrective action is important, but prevention is even more important,” van der Putten said. If an algorithm exhibits problems, companies must quickly take steps to prevent further harm. “If there is an inherent flaw with the AI tool, its further use should be put on hold,” said Ed Hayes, partner at law firm TLT. “If it is because of a problem with the data feed or incorrect use, steps should be taken to remove and replace problematic data to correct the learning and to constrain future use to ordinary parameters.” If the use of AI has led to harmful decisions affecting individuals, Hayes said it will almost certainly be a data protection breach and potentially require rapid notification to both the regulator and those individuals, particularly in the EU. The duty to mitigate the damage would likely include reviewing other decisions made using the tool to check for any problems with them. The company will also need to determine the nature of the resulting harm. “If bias in the way the AI works is causing discrimination against individuals based on protected characteristics such as sex, age or religious belief, under equalities legislation, checks will be needed to decide if that is because of an inherent flaw in the AI tool, because of bias in learning data provided, or because of human use of the tool,” Hayes said. “It will be important to clarify whether a data protection impact assessment (DPIA) was conducted before deployment of the AI tool in question, and if any risk mitigations identified were put into place,” he added. “If a DPIA was not conducted, a new one should be undertaken as soon as possible if there is to be ongoing use of the tool.” There is no doubt that AI is revolutionizing the way that companies conduct business operations, but like any other technology, it is not infallible. Companies must question the motive for adopting any AI solution and be able to justify why it is needed. They must also be clear with internal and external stakeholders about how it will be used and for what limited purposes. Once live, the technology must be constantly monitored and tested. “AI models will inevitably make bad decisions,” said Adam Gibson, co-founder of Skymind, a tech firm that enables companies to build their own AI systems. “Treat AI as something that will break and need maintenance just like you would any other technology.”

This month, we take a look at some of the biggest trends in the ecommerce industry – from social commerce to the increasing popularity of Chinese homegrown brands and the SCMP’s 2019 China Internet Report. We also take a look at the entrance of a new competitor in the ecommerce industry, formalization of influencer marketing and the government’s new regulation in the ecommerce sector. Alibaba and JD.com retain their positions as China’s top ecommerce platforms – but is a new competitor on the rise? The ecommerce ecosystem in China is clearly dominated by two powerful players, Alibaba and JD.com. While most reports about ecommerce in China talk about the dominance of the duopoly, a third player is making headlines for its steady rise. Pinduoduo is an ecommerce platform that allows users to participate in group buying deals. Branding itself as a platform for price-conscious consumers, Pinduoduo has managed to capture the hearts of users in smaller rural cities in China. Recently, it was reported that the startup dethroned JD.com to become the second-largest ecommerce player in China. According to news reports, Pinduoduo’s daily active users has outnumbered JD.com’s for the past 12 months – an impressive feat for a company which was founded merely five years ago. In terms of sales, however, Alibaba and JD.com still hold the majority of the share at 55.9% and 16.7% respectively, while Pinduoduo trails behind at 7.3%. Nevertheless, the ecommerce startup shows no plans of slowing down as it continues expand its partnerships with other companies. Pinduoduo recently established partnerships with over 100 companies from a wide variety of verticals with the aim to bringing more quality products to its consumers. One of its biggest partnerships is with ShenZhen MTC Co., Ltd., a contract manufacturer that produces more than 10 million TV sets, for brands like Philips, Haier and Xiaomi. Although Pinduoduo’s steady efforts to become one of China’s most significant ecommerce players shows promise, marketers should continue to keep a close eye on Pinduoduo’s development. Pinduoduo still has to overcome many roadblocks such as smear campaigns and regulations for it to rise to the ranks of Alibaba and JD.com. China Internet Report 2019 Shedding its reputation as a “copycat”, China is now home to some of the most advanced and innovative companies around the world. The South China Morning Post (SCMP) recently published its annual China Internet Report, and here are some of the report’s most interesting insights: 1. More companies are embedding mini programs into their services: Mini programs have proven to be very popular amongst consumers as the number of mini programs on WeChat with more than 5 million active users increased from 165 in August 2018 to 237 in February 2019. Other tech giants such as Baidu, Alipay and Toutiao have also followed suit and launched their own mini-programs. 2. Companies are focusing on lower-tier cities to drive ecommerce growth: There is a tremendous amount of untapped potential for ecommerce in the less developed cities of China. Compared to 74 million internet users in first and second-tier cities, there are 128 million internet users in third- and fourth-tier cities. The power of the lower-tier cities was most evident in Pinduoduo’s rise, as 66% of its users come from these cities. Recognizing the potential and upward aspirations of these consumers, JD.com recently launched JD Group Buy to attract lower-tier city users. 3. Consumers in China are embracing the sharing economy: China’s sharing economy is seeing rapid growth as consumers are increasingly open to using sharing platforms. It is noted in the report that 60% of respondents in China have previously used a sharing economy product and/or service. Amongst them, 68% believe that the benefits of sharing platforms outweigh its risks. As such, services such as car-sharing, home-sharing, fashion-sharing and kitchen-sharing are rising in prominence in China. Key findings from the report points towards a more inclusive, customer-centric ecommerce industry. Products and services are no longer the only factors that influence purchasing decisions – ecommerce platforms seem to be fighting on a new frontier of customer personalization and experience. China’s biggest apps are weaving in social commerce into their platforms The borders that once separated social media and ecommerce are increasingly becoming blurred, with apps and platforms dedicated to social commerce becoming a force to reckon with. Back in April, WeChat introduced a new feature called “Good Product Circle”. Good Product Circle extends the functionality of WeChat’s “Shopping List” feature by allowing users to socialize on the interface, recommend products to their friends and access what their friends have bought. Users can also share products from different Mini Program stores. Short video and livestreaming app, Kuaishou, waded further into the social commerce pool last month with its integration of JD.com and Pinduoduo. It previously integrated with Alibaba’s Taobao and Tmall. The app has a channel called Kuaishou Small Store where users can showcase products from these sites. However, when a user clicks on the product, they will be redirected to the site where the product is listed rather than being able to buy it immediately. Chinese ecommerce has always struggled with credibility, quality and reliability issues. These uncertainties appear to be fueling the growth in livestreaming and social media apps introducing ecommerce features, drawing Chinese consumers away from relying on influencers. Instead, the next trend appears to be enabling a user’s friends to provide the element of trust behind a product. China strengthens rules against dishonest sellers China’s ecommerce industry has long been plagued by a plethora of problems associated with fraud. From user review manipulation to faking orders to selling counterfeit goods, many consumers have become particularly cautious towards online shopping – even from established platforms such as Alibaba. Problems related to counterfeit items and fraud have become so pervasive that the Chinese government passed the Electronic Commerce Law in 2018 in an effort to reduce fraudulent activities in China’s online marketplace. This year, China doubled down on its ecommerce laws as its State Administration of Market Regulators issued a new draft regulation (link in Mandarin) which puts any seller or ecommerce platform that engages in unfair business practices to the country’s official credit blacklist. The following are some important details of the draft rule: - Ecommerce platforms will be blacklisted for failing to regulate merchant activity on their platforms, failing to protect the rights of consumers and/or hindering market monitoring by authorities. - Blacklisted platforms will also be required to show a notice of their credit status on their site. - Sellers who are blacklisted will be ineligible for tax cuts, are subject to closer monitoring from the government watchdog, and will be given stricter punishment for the same misconduct. The newly enacted ecommerce laws and regulations in China will undoubtedly have an impact on the dynamics of the ecommerce landscape. While regulating China’s freewheeling online marketplace ensures a safer space for most players in the industry, users in smaller ecommerce platforms such as Pinduoduo and the Little Red Book may fail to identify fraudulent activities on these ecommerce platforms. In addition, large ecommerce players such as Alibaba and JD.com would need to divert a large amount of resources to monitor the activities of its merchants. The heavy-handed approach of the government to regulate the ecommerce industry may be best paired with approaches that educate both sellers and consumers. Homegrown brands gain more popularity at JD.com’s 618 sale JD.com’s 618 sale is one of the most anticipated shopping festivals in China. As mentioned previously in June’s monthly round-up, JD.com sold millions of products within the first minutes of the sale. While these numbers may impress the lay person, it is fairly normal for big players such as JD.com and Alibaba, who attain such numbers on a regular basis. While beauty, luxury and 3C (computer, communication and consumer electronics) products continue to have strong online sales, there has been a spike in the demand for other items. For example, as noted by news outlet RADII China, the number of consumers who purchased luxury goods increased by 50% while the sales of moisturizers, body serum and eye cream also increased by 100%. What was particularly eye-catching in this year’s 618 sale was the popularity of domestic consumer brands. Consumer products, both perishable and non-perishable, have seen massive growth in sales, as noted by SCMP. Some impressive statistics from the sale include: - Chinese home appliance brands Supor, Midea Group and Joyoung saw their combined sales increase fourfold as compared to 2018. - State-owned dairy products company Yili Group and Honor, a unit under Huawei. - Technologies, were among the homegrown brands that sold more than US$14.5 million during the sale period. - Sales of domestic smartphone brands rose 71% year-on-year. The growth in domestic brand sales subtly hints at the maturation of the ecommerce industry in China. Two reasons why consumers are purchasing domestic brands may include increasing quality of domestic products and increasing accessibility of ecommerce platforms. For foreign brands, this may imply a need to rethink marketing strategies – the sheen of being a foreign brand or product may be wearing thin among Chinese consumers. KOLs in China are extremely effective in driving sales – but what does this mean for marketers? Influencers, or Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) in China, command a tremendous amount of power in China’s digital landscape. Respected by millions of followers online, KOLs have become the most influential factor that affects consumer purchases. One can get a sense of how influential KOLs are by simply looking at China’s top influencer, Dayi Zhang, who sold more than US$145 mn worth of products through her online store in 2018. While most influencers find fame organically by posting their own content online, KOLs in China are increasingly carefully curated in what is called an “influencer incubator”. A notable player in this niche is Ruhnn Holding, one of China’s largest KOL influencer incubators. A contract with Ruhnn gives the company exclusive rights to KOLs’ endorsements, social media accounts and ecommerce stores. In return, KOLs receive training on effective personal branding and resources to support the influencer’s personal brand. The trend towards professionalizing KOLs point towards a new norm for influencer marketing in China. The loss of control over their brand and image may result in a weakened perception of their personal elan and flair – which typically are the key ingredients of them emerging as KOLs in the very first place. Instead of working directly with KOLs, marketers can expect to liaise and collaborate with more individuals through professional influencer management companies. Marketers should be aware of such developments in the influencer marketing industry – especially since apps such as TikTok appear to be producing a new wave of influencers around the world. For more information about Econsultancy’s research, training and best practice solutions contact us on firstname.lastname@example.org

A discovery by a Harvard researcher may shed light on a controversial aspect of the life of Jesus Christ. Harvard Divinity School professor Karen L. King says she has found an ancient papyrus fragment from the fourth century that, when translated, appears to indicate that Jesus was married. The text is being dubbed "The Gospel of Jesus' Wife." The part of it that's drawing attention says, "Jesus said to them, 'my wife'" in the Coptic language. The text, which is printed on papyrus the size of a business card, has not been scientifically tested to verify its dating, but King and other scholars have said they are confident it is a genuine artifact. "Christian tradition has long held that Jesus was not married, even though no reliable historical evidence exists to support that claim," King said at a conference in Rome on Tuesday. "This new gospel doesn’t prove that Jesus was married, but it tells us that the whole question only came up as part of vociferous debates about sexuality and marriage. From the very beginning, Christians disagreed about whether it was better not to marry, but it was over a century after Jesus’s death before they began appealing to Jesus’ marital status to support their positions." King, who focuses on Coptic literature, Gnosticism and women in the Bible, has published on the Gospel of Judas and the Gospel of Mary of Magdala. She presented her research Tuesday evening in Rome, where scholars are gathered for the International Congress of Coptic Studies. The idea that Jesus was unmarried and chaste is largely accepted by Christian denominations and a reason for the practice of celibacy among Roman Catholic priests. "Beyond internal Catholic Church politics, a married Jesus invites a reconsideration of orthodox teachings about gender and sex," said journalist and author Michael D'Antonio, who writes about the Catholic Church, in a blog on The Huffington Post. "If Jesus had a wife, then there is nothing extra Christian about male privilege, nothing spiritually dangerous about the sexuality of women, and no reason for anyone to deny himself or herself a sexual identity." The quote about Jesus' wife is part of a description of a conversation between Jesus and his disciples. In the conversation, Jesus talks about his mother twice and speaks once about his wife. One of them is identified as "Mary." His disciples discuss whether Mary is worthy of being part of their community, to which Jesus replies, “she will able to be my disciple.” The fragment has eight incomplete lines of writing on one side and is badly damaged on the other side, with only three faded words and a few letters of ink that are visible, even with the use of infrared photography and computer-aided enhancement. The private owner of the papyrus first approached King in 2010. King said she didn't believe the document was authentic, but the owner persisted. She then asked the owner to bring the papyrus to Harvard, where she became convinced it was a genuine early Christian text fragment. Along with Princeton University professor Anne Marie Luijendijk and Roger Bagnall, director of the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World, King claims to have confirmed the document is real. The document's owner has not been named and King said he does not want to be identified. It's unclear when the text was initially discovered. The owner who showed it to King found it in 1997 in a collection of papyri that he acquired from the previous owner, who was German. The papyri included a handwritten German description that had the name of a now-deceased professor of Egyptology in Berlin who called the fragment a "sole example" of a document that claims Jesus was married. The scholars believe the text is from Egyptian Christians before the year 400, as it is written in the language used at that time. Since writing appears on both sides of the fragment, scholars believe it came from a codex, a kind of book, and not a scroll. The scholars also believe the document is a translation of an earlier one that was likely written in Greek. King notes in her research that the idea of Jesus' celibacy hasn't always existed, and that early Christians debated whether they should marry or practice celibacy. It was not until around the year 200 that Christian followers began to say Jesus was unmarried, according to a record King cites from Clement of Alexandria. In his writing, Clement -- an early theologian -- said that marriage was a fornication put in place by the devil, and that people should emulate Jesus by not marrying. One or two decades later, Tertullian of Carthage in North Africa declared that Jesus was "entirely unmarried" and told Christians to remain single. But Tertullian did not come out against sex altogether and allowed couples to get married one time, denouncing divorce and remarriage as overindulgent. A century earlier, the First Epistle of Paul to Timothy said in the New Testament that people who forbid marriage are going by the "doctrines of demons," but did not include anything about Jesus being married in order to make the point. The point of view that ultimately became dominant was that celibacy is preferred as a high sexual virtue among Christians, but that marriage is needed for the sake of reproduction. "The discovery of this new gospel," King said, "offers an occasion to rethink what we thought we knew by asking what role claims about Jesus' marital status played historically in early Christian controversies over marriage, celibacy, and family. Christian tradition preserved only those voices that claimed Jesus never married. The Gospel of Jesus's Wife now shows that some Christians thought otherwise." The life of historical Jesus is often a matter of controversy, and this is not the first time it's been proposed that Jesus was married. Most recently, Dan Brown's novel "The Da Vinci Code" depicted Jesus as being married to Mary Magdalene. The book was published as fiction, but nonetheless attracted loud criticism from Vatican officials. UPDATE: 4:28 p.m. -- Speaking on a conference call Tuesday from Rome, King said that some people who have read about the discovery have asked if the papyrus fragment was describing Jesus as being married to the Christian faith, not to a woman. "One cannot overrule that it might be him saying 'my wife as a church,' but in the context where he's talking about 'my mother' and 'my wife' and talking about 'my disciple,' the one thing you would not say is that the church would be 'my disciple.'" Even before King's discovery, there has been speculation that Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene. "I do not think Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene," King clarified Tuesday, adding, "whether he was or was not married ... I really think the tradition is silent and we don't know." King also said that a professor who saw her report asked her if the text on the papyrus could have been a homily and not a gospel, an idea she said she had not considered. King added that she hopes the discovery will diminish the view outside of academic circles that the debate over marriage and sexuality in the early church is "fixed and over." In current church debates over issues such as same-sex marriage and marriage among Catholic priests, "having more voices from the early church and a better, more accurate version of early Christianity is more helpful," she said. UPDATE FROM AP: 8:33 a.m. Wolf-Peter Funk, a noted Coptic linguist and co-director of the francophone project editing the Nag Hammadi Coptic library at Laval University in Quebec, said there were "thousands of scraps of papyrus where you find crazy things," and that many questions remain unanswered about the Harvard fragment. Click Through This Slideshow Of Other Biblical Discoveries On the morning of Tuesday, June 29, 2010, outside the Old City of Jerusalem, we made an unprecedented archaeological discovery related to Jesus and early Christianity. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/28/jesus-discovery-jerusalem_n_1305355.html#s732483&title=Jonah_and_the" target="_hplink">Read more..</a> The Date Of Jesus' Crucifixion? A new study suggests that the Biblical date of Jesus' crucifixion is, in fact, possible to confirm. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/25/jesus-crucifixion-date-possible_n_1546351.html" target="_hplink">Read more.. </a> Ancient Bethlehem Seal Unearthed In Jerusalem Israeli archaeologists have discovered a 2,700-year-old seal that bears the inscription "Bethlehem," the Israel Antiquities Authority announced Wednesday, in what experts believe to be the oldest artifact with the name of Jesus' traditional birthplace. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/23/ancient-bethlehem-seal_n_1538605.html" target="_hplink">Ancient Bethlehem Seal Unearthed In Jerusalem</a> <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/23/dig-proves-bethlehem_n_1538665.html" target="_hplink">Archaeologists Discover Evidence That Bethlehem Existed Centuries Before Jesus </a> Khirbet Qeiyafa Excavations Find Evidence Of Solomon's Temple, Archaeologists Say JERUSALEM (RNS) Archaeologists have unearthed a trove of artifacts dating back to the time of the biblical King David that they say closely correspond to the description of Solomon's Temple found in the Book of Kings. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/10/khirbet-qeiyafa-archaeology_n_1504722.html" target="_hplink">Khirbet Qeiyafa Excavations Find Evidence of Soloman's Temple, Archaeologists Say</a> Jerusalem Markings From Ancient Past Stump Archeologists JERUSALEM -- Mysterious stone carvings made thousands of years ago and recently uncovered in an excavation underneath Jerusalem have archaeologists stumped. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/07/jerusalem-markings_n_1133613.html" target="_hplink">Jerusalem Markings From Ancient Past Stump Archeologists</a> A colorful <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/05/samson-mosaic-discovered-huqoq-israel_n_1652525.html" target="_hplink">mosaic depicting the biblical figure Samson has been discovered</a> in the Galilee region of Israel, according to the Israeli Antiquities Authority. The artwork was found in a synagogue in Huqoq and is well preserved even though it dates back to the late Roman period, or around the fourth or fifth century. Shroud of Turin A series of experiments conducted by Italian researchers indicate the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/20/shroud-of-turin-jesus-burial-cloth-authentic_n_1161363.html" target="_hplink">Shroud of Turin</a> is likely authentic, but the team has not yet reached a definite conclusion. Early Christian Text Indicates That Jesus May Have Been Married More information <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/18/the-gospel-of-jesus-wife_n_1891325.html?utm_hp_ref=religion">here</a>. The Gabriel Stone The so-called Gabriel Stone, a meter (three-foot)-tall tablet said to have been found 13 years ago on the banks of the Dead Sea, features 87 lines of an unknown prophetic text dated as early as the first century BC, at the time of the Second Jewish Temple. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/30/gabriel-stone-jerusalem-unveils-mysterious-hebrew-tablet_n_3184953.html?utm_hp_ref=religion" target="_hplink">Read more here...</a>