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Illeism /ˈɪli.ɪzəm/ (from Latin ille meaning "he, that") is the act of referring to oneself in the third person instead of first person.
Illeism is sometimes used in literature as a stylistic device. In real-life usage, illeism can reflect a number of different stylistic intentions or involuntary circumstances.
In literatureEdit
Early literature such as Julius Caesar's Commentarii de Bello Gallico or Xenophon's Anabasis, both ostensibly non-fictional accounts of wars led by their authors, used illeism to impart an air of objective impartiality to the account, which included justifications of the author's actions. In this way personal bias is presented, albeit dishonestly, as objectivity.[citation needed]
Illeism can also be used in literature to provide a twist, wherein the identity of the narrator as also being the main character is hidden from the reader until later in the story (e.g. one Arsène Lupin story where the narrator is Arsène Lupin but hides his own identity); the use of third person implies external observation. A similar use is when the author injects himself into his own third person narrative story as a character, such as Charlie Kaufman in Adaptation, Douglas Coupland in JPod, and commonly done by Clive Cussler in his novels, beginning with Dragon.[citation needed]
It can also be used as a device to illustrate the feeling of "being outside one's body and watching things happen", a psychological disconnect resulting from dissonance either from trauma such as childhood physical or sexual abuse, or from past outbursts that cannot be reconciled with the individual's own self-image.[citation needed]
The same kind of objective distance can be employed for other purposes. Theologian Richard B. Hays writes an essay where he challenges earlier findings that he disagrees with: "These were the findings of one Richard B. Hays, and the newer essay treats the earlier work and earlier author at arms' length."[1]
A common device in science fiction is for robots, computers, and other artificial life to refer to themselves in the third person, e.g. "This unit is malfunctioning" or "Number Five is alive" (famously said by Johnny Five in Short Circuit), to suggest that these creatures are not truly self-aware, or else that they separate their consciousness from their physical form.[citation needed]
Illeism is also a device used to show idiocy, as with the character Mongo in Blazing Saddles, e.g. "Mongo like candy" and "Mongo only pawn in game of life" (Note also the lack of articles and verb inflection in both sentences)[citation needed]; though it may also show innocent simplicity, as it does with Harry Potter's Dobby the Elf ("Dobby has come to protect, even if he does have to shut his ears in the oven door").
In everyday speechEdit
Illeism in everyday speech can have a variety of intentions depending on context. One common usage is to impart humility, a common practice in feudal societies and other societies where honorifics are important to observe ("Your servant awaits your orders"), as well as in master–slave relationships ("This slave needs to be punished"). Recruits in the military, mostly United States Marine Corps recruits, are also often made to refer to themselves in the third person, such as "this recruit", in order to reduce the sense of individuality and enforce the idea of the group being more important than the self.[citation needed] The use of illeism in this context imparts a sense of lack of self, implying a diminished importance of the speaker in relation to the addressee or to a larger whole.
Conversely, in different contexts, illeism can be used to reinforce self-promotion, as used to sometimes comic effect by Bob Dole throughout his political career.[2] This was particularly made notable during the United States presidential election of 1996 and lampooned broadly in popular media for years afterwards.
Deepanjana Pal of Firstpost noted that speaking in the third person "is a classic technique used by generations of Bollywood scriptwriters to establish a character's aristocracy, power and gravitas".[3] Conversely, third person self-referral can be associated with self-irony and not taking oneself too seriously (since the excessive use of pronoun "I" is often seen as a sign of narcissism and ego centrism[4]), as well as with eccentricity in general.
In certain Eastern religions, like Hinduism or Buddhism, this is sometimes seen as a sign of enlightenment, since by doing so, an individual detaches his eternal self (atman) from the body related one (maya). Known illeists of that sort include Swami Ramdas,[5] Ma Yoga Laxmi,[6] Anandamayi Ma,[7] and Mata Amritanandamayi.[8] Jnana yoga actually encourages its practitioners to refer to themselves in the third person.[9]
Young children in Japan commonly refer to themselves by their own name (a habit probably picked up from their elders who would normally refer to them by name[citation needed] ). This is due to the normal Japanese way of speaking, in which referring to another in the third person is considered more polite than using the Japanese words for "you", like Omae. More explanation given in Japanese pronouns, though as the children grow older they normally switch over to using first person references. Japanese idols also may refer to themselves in the third person so to give off the feeling of childlike cuteness.[citation needed]
Notable illeistsEdit
Real peopleEdit
- Julius Caesar's Commentarii de Bello Gallico presents the author's exploits in the Gallic War in the third person.[10]
- Henry Adams, historian, author and descendant of presidents John Adams and John Quincy Adams, throughout his autobiography The Education of Henry Adams[11][12]
- Charles de Gaulle[13][14]
- Bob Dole, during his United States presidential campaign in 1996.[15]
- Herman Cain, during his United States presidential campaign in 2012.[16]
- Paulo Maluf, Brazilian politician[17]
- Anthony Garotinho, Brazilian politician[17]
- Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India.[18]
- Mikhail Gorbachev — Russian politician[14]
- General Douglas MacArthur was known to refer to himself as "MacArthur" in telling stories involving himself[19]
- Richard Nixon[14]
- Roy Kwong Chun-yu, District Councilor and legislator of Hong Kong[20]
- Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders have used third person in their presidential campaigns in 2016.[14]
- Diego Maradona[21]
- Pelé[22][23]
- Zlatan Ibrahimović[24]
- Rickey Henderson occasionally referred to himself as "Rickey".[25]
- Karl Malone[26]
- Lothar Matthäus is quoted with the phrase: "A Lothar Matthäus does not let himself be beaten by his body. A Lothar Matthäus decides on his fate himself."[27]
- LeBron James made several references to himself in the third person during The Decision program on ESPN in 2010.[28][29]
- Gregg Easterbrook, sports journalist, refers to himself as "TMQ" or "your columnist" in his weekly Tuesday Morning Quarterback columns.[30]
- Cam Newton, NFL quarterback, referred to himself in third person during his press conference at the NFL Combine in 2011.[31]
- Johnny Cueto After pitching Game 5 of the ALDS Johnny Cueto gave a post game interview in the third person.[32]
- Flavor Flav[33]
- Lila Morillo[34]
- Gina Lollobrigida[35][36]
- Mr. T; this became one of his trademarks in the 1980s[37]
- Dwayne Johnson; Referenced himself in the third person as The Rock in WWE.
- Salvador Dalí in his The Mike Wallace Interview interview with Mike Wallace on April 19, 1958.[38]
- Norman Mailer's non-fiction work, The Fight, refers to the author in the third person throughout The Fight, explaining why he has chosen to do so at the beginning of the book.[39]
- Jesus Christ is found referring to Himself as "Jesus" (as well as the "Son of Man"), as in John 17:1–3.[40]
Fictional charactersEdit
- Boday, a quirky female artist from Jack Chalker's Changewinds trilogy.[41]
- Dobby the Elf in the Harry Potter series.
- Ramona, the housekeeper and mentor in Silver Ravenwolf's Witches Chillers series.[42]
- Y.T., a teenage girl from Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson.[43]
- Major Bagstock, the apoplectic retired Indian army officer from Charles Dickens' Dombey and Son (1848) refers to himself solely as Joseph, Old Joe, Joey B, Bagstock, Josh, J.B., Anthony Bagstock, and other variants of his own name.[44]
- Captain Hook in J. M. Barrie's Peter Pan and Wendy (1911): " 'Better for Hook,' he cried, 'if he had had less ambition!' It was in his darkest hours only that he referred to himself in the third person."[This quote needs a citation]
- Jaqen H'ghar, an assassin of the Faceless Men in the fantasy suite A Song of Ice and Fire, consistently refers to himself ("a man") and sometimes the person he is addressing (i.e. "a girl") in third person.[This quote needs a citation]
- Gollum from The Lord of the Rings spoke in an idiosyncratic manner, often referring to himself in the third person, and frequently talked to himself—"through having no one else to speak to", as Tolkien put it in The Hobbit.[45]
- Charlie from the acclaimed novel Flowers for Algernon speaks in third person in the "being outside one's body and watching things happen" manner in his flashbacks to his abusive and troubled childhood suffering from phenylketonuria.[46]
- The old man Nakata from Haruki Murakami's Kafka on the Shore.[47][48]
- The healer and wisewoman Magda Digby from the Owen Archer series by Candace Robb.[49]
- Mantis from Marvel Comics almost always refers to herself as "Mantis", "she", and "this one"; this has to do with her upbringing at the Temple of the Priests of Pama, an alien pacifistic sect heavily inspired by real-life Eastern religious movements.[50]
- The Rock, during his pro wrestling career, particularly with the catchphrases "The Rock says" and "Do you smell what The Rock is cookin'?"[51] and uses third person pronouns to refer to himself.
- Elmo from Sesame Street, whose speech is intended to mimic the speech of preschoolers.[52]
- Jimmy from "The Jimmy" episode of Seinfeld, whose usage leads to confusion about his identity. The usage rubs off on George Costanza, who exclaims "you're killing Independent George!" or "George is getting upset!"[53]
- Stick-up man Omar Little from The Wire. Examples include "Omar don't scare" and "Omar listening".[54]
- Bob, played by Saverio Guerra, in Becker[55]
- Hercule Poirot, in the contemporary television adaptation Agatha Christie's Poirot[56]
- Kenny Powers, from the television show Eastbound & Down[57]
- Lavon Hayes, the mayor from Hart of Dixie.[58]
- Eddie Alvarez from The Unusuals[59]
- Brian "Bomber" Busbridge, played by Pat Roach, in Auf Wiedersehen, Pet[60]
- Joey Tribbiani, a character in the NBC sitcom Friends, refers to himself in third person in an episode.[61]
- In the iCarly episode "iRocked the Vote", Carly, Sam and Freddie make a music video for singer Wade Collins, who is bitter about how the gang's web show caused him to lose the competition singing show America Sings (based on American Idol). Wade exhibits arrogant and egotistical behavior frequently throughout the episode, including announcing "Wade Collins is leaving!" on his way out of Carly's apartment in one scene.
- George Remus, a recurring character played by Glenn Fleshler, in Boardwalk Empire[62]
- Zathras, a recurring alien character in the science fiction TV series Babylon 5
- Ice Bear from We Bare Bears
- Terry from Brooklyn Nine-Nine often refers to himself, for example "Terry loves yogurt".
- The Great and Powerful Trixie from My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic and My Little Pony: Equestria Girls
- Bob from Becker
- Birdie from The Great Gildersleeve
- Mr. Miyagi from The Karate Kid sometimes refers to himself as "Miyagi".[63]
- Magua from The Last of the Mohicans.[64]
- Francesco Bernoulli, from Cars 2[65]
Manga and animeEdit
- Megumi Noda, aka Nodame, the title character from Nodame Cantabile:[66]
- Sayuri Kurata from Kanon speaks this way in order to separate herself from her past treatment of her little brother, which she regrets.[67]
- Asami Nakaoka from Highschool of the Dead habitually refers to herself in third person[68]
- Rika Shiguma from Haganai[69]
- Ryūgū Rena from Higurashi When They Cry refers to herself in the third person when speaking to others, but oddly reverts to the first person when speaking to herself.
See alsoEdit
- ^ Richard B. Hays, "'Here We Have No Lasting City': New Covenantalism in Hebrews" in Richard J. Bauckham et al. (eds.), The Epistle to the Hebrews and Christian Theology (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2009), 151–173, esp. 151–152, 167.
- ^ "When the president is ready to deploy, Bob Dole is ready to lead the fight on the Senate Floor". Bob Dole speaking about the Strategic Defense Initiative at the NCPAC convention, 1987.
- ^ "Rahul Gandhi, blurring lines between filmi and real politicians". Firstpost. 2014-01-28. Retrieved 2014-08-06.
- ^ Raskin, Robert (1988). "Narcissism and the Use of Personal Pronouns". Journal of Personality. 56 (2): 393–404. doi:10.1111/j.1467-6494.1988.tb00892.x. PMID 3404383.
- ^ "Swami Ramdas". bhagavan-ramana.org. Retrieved 7 October 2015.
- ^ "Osho World Online Magazine :: February 2013". Oshoworld.com. Retrieved 2013-09-18.
- ^ Aymard, Orianne (2014-05-01). When a Goddess Dies: Worshipping Ma Anandamayi after Her Death. ISBN 978-0199368631.
- ^ "rediff.com: The Rediff Interview/Mata Amritanandmayi". rediff.com. Retrieved 7 October 2015.
- ^ "Hinduism-The Religious Life". uwyo.edu. Retrieved 7 October 2015.
- ^ Alexander, Catherine M. S., ed. (2003). The Cambridge Shakespeare Library: Shakespeare's times, texts, and stages. Cambridge University Press. p. 101. ISBN 9780521808002.
- ^ See the Wikisource of the book: s:The Education of Henry Adams
- ^ Glass, Loren Daniel (2004). Authors Inc: Literary Celebrity in the Modern United States, 1880-1980. NYU Press. p. 29. ISBN 9780814731604.
- ^ "France: Third Person Singular". Time Magazine. 1970-10-19. Retrieved 2009-01-22.(subscription required)
- ^ a b c d Barford, Vanessa (2015-08-28). "Why do some people refer to themselves in the third person?". BBC News. Retrieved 7 October 2015.
- ^ Harris, Scott (1996-03-10). "Bob Dole Needs to Put the 'I' in Identity". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2012-12-07.
- ^ Alberts, Sheldon (9 November 2011), There's no 'you' in Herman Cain, The National Post
- ^ a b "Acervo Digital VEJA – Digital Pages". abril.com.br. Retrieved 7 October 2015.
- ^ "Hang me if I have committed any crime, but no apology, Narendra Modi says – The Times of India". Timesofindia.indiatimes.com. 2014-04-16. Retrieved 2014-08-06.
- ^ Eisenhower, Dwight (1967). at ease. DoubleDay & Company. pp. 214.
- ^ "泛民5名單報名參選超區議席". now.com. 2016-07-17. Retrieved 2016-07-17.
- ^ Amis, Martin (2004-10-01). "In search of Dieguito". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 2018-02-22.
- ^ Hattenstone, Simon (2003-06-30). "And God created Pele". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 2009-01-22.
- ^ Fink, Jesse (2011-11-13). "Pelé's mouth should get a straight red". The Sunday Guardian. Retrieved 2012-12-06.
- ^ Mewis, Joe (2013-10-03). "Read the best Zlatan Ibrahimovic quotes on the outspoken Swedish striker's birthday". The Mirror. Retrieved 2016-05-17.
There's big boasts, lashings of ego and plenty of third person references ahoy
- ^ Taibbi, Matt (2010-03-02). "A Field Guide to Sports Egos". Men's Journal. Retrieved 2012-12-06.
They actually have a word for what Rickey Henderson is: illeist.
- ^ "Doug Robinson: Karl Malone is one of a kind". Deseret News. 2010-08-10. Retrieved 2012-12-06.
Maybe Malone didn't even know he was the one who was saying those things, because he tended to talk about himself as another being, in third person. Or maybe he was just schizophrenic, whatever.
- ^ e. g. here
- ^ Hruby, Patrick (2012-08-18). "Lebron James definitely has Dan Gilbert all wrong". ESPN Page 2. ESPN Internet Ventures. Retrieved 2012-12-07.
- ^ Nordquist, Richard (2012-09-24). "A Few More Oddities: Illeism, Semantic Satiation, and Garden-Path Sentences". About.com guide. Retrieved 2012-12-07.
Here, for instance, is how pro basketball player LeBron James justified his decision to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers to join the Miami Heat: I wanted to do what was best for LeBron James and what LeBron James was going to do to make him happy.
- ^ Marchman, Tim; Fischer-Baum, Reuben (September 25, 2013). "Who Is The Most Pompous Sports Pundit? A Scientific Investigation". Deadspin.
Pronouns within quotes weren't counted unless the author was quoting himself, and we also counted when Greggg Easterbrook used "TMQ" or "your columnist" in the obvious place of a pronoun. ("TMQ's been on the record as saying ...")
- ^ Shefter, Adam (2011-02-27). "Sources: Cam Newton thrown for loop". ESPN.com.
His comment drew such a reaction because some say his swagger teeters on the edge of pure arrogance. In roughly 12 minutes at the podium, he referred to himself in the third person three times. When asked if some mistake his confidence for cockiness, he said: "I'm not sure, but I'm a confident person, and it was instilled in myself at an early age to believe in myself".
- ^ Landers, Chris (2016-02-11). "Johnny Cueto was pretty impressed with Johnny Cueto's Game 5 gem in this third-person interview". mlb.com.
How was Johnny Cueto able to step up in such a pivotal Game 5? "Games like this are where you see Johnny Cueto -- the real Johnny Cueto." Yes, Cueto gave his interview through an interpreter, but if you listen closely, you'll hear the pitcher was speaking in the third person the whole time.
- ^ Wiltz, Teresa (2006-11-02). "Love Him, Or Leave Him?". Washington Post. Retrieved 2012-12-06.
They all purport to be in love with Flav, a man who refers to himself in the third person and whose idea of fine dining is a dash to Red Lobster.
- ^ "Queremos tanto a Lila". Revistamarcapasos.com. 1999-02-22. Retrieved 2013-09-18.
- ^ "The Deseret News – Google News Archive Search". google.com. Retrieved 7 October 2015.
- ^ Canales, Luis. Imperial Gina.
- ^ IGN Staff (October 10, 2006). "Mr. T Reveals Why He Pities Fools". Retrieved 12 March 2013.
- ^ Dali, Salvador (April 19, 1958). "Salvador Dali – The Mike Wallace interview – Transcript". The Mike Wallace Interview (video). Interviewed by Mike Wallace. Retrieved 2017-03-31 – via Harry Ransom Center, University of Texas at Austin.
- ^ Norman Mailer (1997-09-30). The Fight. Vintage. ISBN 0-375-70038-2.
- ^ Rod Elledge (2007). Use of the Third Person for Self-Reference by Jesus and Yahweh: A Study of Illeism in the Bible and Ancient Near Eastern Texts and Its Implications for Christology. Bloomsbury T&T Clark. ISBN 9780567671448.
- ^ Chalker, Jack L. (2013-07-25). When the Changewinds Blow. ISBN 9780575097995.
- ^ RavenWolf, Silver (2001). Witches' Key to Terror. Llewellyn Worldwide. p. 25. ISBN 9780738700496.
The three girls milled around the kitchen, dodging Ramona, looking for midnight snacks. Bethany wished for the thousandth time that the housekeeper would not talk about herself in the third person. Too weird.
- ^ [1]
- ^ De Sousa Correa, Delia (2000). The Nineteenth-century Novel: Realisms. Psychology Press. p. 162. ISBN 9780415238267.
- ^ Tolkien, J. R. R. (1997). The Hobbit (Revised ed.). New York: Ballantine Books. p. 72. ISBN 0-345-33968-1.
- ^ ""You're Not the Same Kind of Human Being": The Evolution of Pity to Horror in Daniel Keyes' Flowers for Algernon – Cline – Disability Studies Quarterly". DSQ-SDS.org. Brent Walter Cline. 32 (4). 2012-09-28. Retrieved 7 October 2015.
- ^ "Bookslut | Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami".
- ^ Mussari, Mark (2011). Haruki Murakami. Marshall Cavendish. p. 77. ISBN 9780761441243. Retrieved 2017-01-07.
- ^ [2]
- ^ Guardians of the Galaxy: 15 Things You Never Knew About Mantis
- ^ Fowler, Matt (2009-07-02). "Line-O-Rama: The Rock Says". IGN. Retrieved 2012-12-06.
- ^ "Why does Elmo refer to himself in the third person? Won't this teach kids improper English?". Frequently Asked Questions. Sesame Workshop.
- ^ Kettle, James (2011-05-28). "The best of Seinfeld". The Guardian. Retrieved 2012-12-07.
- ^ Mike Sager (10 June 2015). "Omar Little on 'The Wire' – Why Omar Is the Best Character on 'The Wire'". Esquire. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
- ^ Sullivan, Jonathan (2010-01-22). "DVD Review: Becker – The Third Season". Blogcritics.
- ^ Stevens, Christopher (2013-06-09). "We're lucky David Suchet loves Poirot more than Agatha ever did". Daily Mail.
Poirot was as riotously egotistical as ever. Suchet's genius is that he can deliver everything Christie found so exasperating, without becoming a caricature — he minces, he trots, he fusses, he talks endlessly of himself in the third person.
- ^ Alston, Joshua (2010-10-14). "'Eastbound & Down': The Ugliest American". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 2013-09-18.
- ^ Wightman, Catriona (2011-09-27). "'Hart of Dixie': First impressions – TV Blog". Digital Spy. Retrieved 2013-09-18.
- ^ Hinckley, David (2009-04-07). "ABC's 'The Unusuals' odd squad mixes drama and humor". New York Daily News. Retrieved 2013-09-18.
- ^ "Auf Wiedersehen, Pet". TV Cream. Retrieved 2013-09-18.
- ^ "Friends" The One with the Birth Mother (TV Episode 2004), retrieved 2018-09-09
- ^ Gilmore, Dave (October 22, 2012). "'Boardwalk Empire' recap, 'Ging Gang Goolie'". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 2013-09-18.
- ^ Simpson, Craig (June 17, 2009). "Summer of '84—Waxing on Nostalgia: The Karate Kid". Slant Magazine.
Miyagi is a trickier case: at first it looks like Avildsen overplays the man's exoticness (cue that pan flute!), enforced by Kamen's questionable emphasis on the character's me-no-likey phonetic third-person English. ("Miyagi this, Miyagi that...")
- ^ "Quotes for Magua (Character)". IMDB. 2014-08-01.
When the Grey Hair is dead, Magua will eat his heart. Before he dies, Magua will put his children under the knife, so the Grey Hair will know his seed is wiped out forever.
- ^ "Cars 2 – An interview with director John Lasseter". Sound and Picture Online. 2011-06-20.
He's not just any formula car. He's the star from Italy, Francesco Bernoulli. He is so full of himself—he's an open-wheel car and in the car world, an open-wheel car is like those guys who barely button their shirts. He talks about himself in the third person. Voicing Francesco Bernoulli is John Turturro and he hit it out of the park. It's one of the most entertaining characters we've ever created.
- ^ Bowers, J. (2007-09-27). "Nodame Cantabile, Vols. 6-10 (Del Rey)". playbackstl.com. Retrieved 2012-12-19.
- ^ "A Cracked Concerto". Kanon (2006-2007). Episode 14.
|url=(help) – details back story of Sayuri Kurata from Kanon
- ^ Hanley, Andy (2012-03-15). "Manga Review: Highschool of the Dead Vol. 5". UK Anime Network. Retrieved 2012-12-06.
At the forefront of this is a young traffic cop with a penchant for referring to herself in the third-person named Asami Nakaoka, who tries to take control of the situation in the absence of her partner who has gone back to base to seek help.
- ^ Moody, Allen (2013-11-05). "Haganai – Review". THEM Anime Reviews.
Like Tim, I didn't like most of the other characters, especially Rika, whose tics (speaking of herself in the third person, and imagining sexual situations in the damnedest places- for example, in mecha manga) kept making me shout "Make it STOP!!!!"


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Are Your Expectations Part of the Problem?/
Practical Travel Wisdom
In this photo I'm standing in front an ancient Venetian fountain in Zadar, Croatia just a ferry ride across the Adriatic from Italy. It was a great trip, but very different from what I expected to experience when I planned it. So I had to make daily adjustments to differences that, although not terrible, differed significantly from my expectations and what I wanted to experience.
Normally, when I travel I keep my expectations much more open-ended. That way I step into the unknown with curiosity and a genuine sense of exploration and discovery. This time I returned to Croatia with more of an agenda. Even though my natural flexibility enabled me to "go with the flow" of changes I experienced, I was very conscious of the extra energy it took to manage my expectations along the way. Next time, when I return to Croatia, I'll make sure my expectations are set in their normal travel mode. That will free me to have an even better time there, and elsewhere.
Travel requires us to manage our expectations so they don't become part of the problem that confronts us. Clearly, we cannot control flight delays or cancellations, the availability of food and comfort at airports, or when hotel accommodations fall short of website descriptions. What we can control, however, is what we expect from these experiences and how we make adjustments when they don't measure up to our expectations.
Travel invites us to explore and discover ways to navigate the unknown and deal effectively with unexpected change. When we adapt, we see ways to become part of the solution we seek.
A Useful 'Playful Practice'
For years, I have relied on a useful practice I call "shifting to neutral." Deciding to remain calm and not react to potentially irritating disruptions helps me navigate with relative ease a mirage of domestic and international security checkpoints, long lines at ticket counters and customs, unexpected flight delays, and unfamiliar airports.
This quiet practice of "shifting to neutral" also could help you regain a sense of inner balance—emotionally and mentally—in business, leadership and life. It starts with recognizing what you can and cannot control. Then, when a person or situation begins to upset you, you immediately disconnect from that irritating or disappointing energy by imagining yourself pulling the cable and plug (through which that negative energy is moving toward you) out of its power source. This drains off the energy—dissipating its effect on you. It frees you to remain calm, centered and clear.
Practice "shifting to neutral" and notice whether it works for you. Like my clients, discover how this simple 'playful practice' helps you to maintain a sense of inner balance even when dealing with difficult people or situations. That way, navigating change becomes less of an energy drain and more manageable.
In these radically challenging times, I think you will agree these skills are invaluable—whether you are traveling or not.


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The Application Process
Are You Eligible?
It's important to remember that each housing co-op has its own application process, and has approved its own membership criteria. Contact the co-op that interests you to find out how their application process will work.
Not sure where to apply? Visit our Co-op Directory or our Vacancy Listings to shop around!
During the application process, you can expect the following:
Many co-ops hold regular information meetings where you will find out more about that co-op, can ask questions, and can pick up an application.
The co-op will complete a credit check and landlord check to make sure that you meet their membership criteria.
The adults within the applicant household (usually anyone over the age of 16) may be asked to take part in an interview with co-op members or staff. You will also have explained to you your rights and responsibilities of living in your co-op.
You may be placed on a waiting list if no units are available at the time you apply.
The co-op will consider your application based on criteria that will always include: agreeing to take good care of your home, a willingness to live in a diverse community, and most important: demonstrated financial responsibility. The co-op will always check references as part of your application.
During the application and/or interview process, it's ok to ask questions. Co-op staff or member selection committee members will be happy to explain how the co-op works, and any specific rules about parking, pets, noise, smoking, etc.
What if I am looking for a subsidy?
If you are looking for a Rent Geared-to-Income (RGI) subsidy, or a Below Market Rent (BMR) subsidy, there is a special process to follow. When contacting a co-op, you should first mention that you are looking for a subsidy so that they can give you the correct information about the steps to follow. Many co-ops operate under the Housing Services Act (HSA), so they will refer you to the Social Housing Registry of Ottawa at (613) 526-2088 to put your name on the centralized waiting list for Ottawa. The Registry can give you more information about the application process and how long you can expect to wait.
The co-ops who use the Social Housing Registry can be found in CHASEO's Co-op Housing Information Package (pdf).
Other co-ops manage their own waiting list for RGI subsidy. Again, when you contact these co-ops, you should mention that you are seeking subsidy. They will let you know whether their waiting list for subsidy is open or closed. The co-op may only take your name and contact information, or they may ask you to complete the application at the time of your call. Once your name is first on the list, the co-op will contact you to complete the application process explained above.


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Vasil Anastasov • Sofia, Bulgaria
Vasil Anastasov was born in Sofia, Bulgaria. After graduate from the university, Vasil was accepted
by a 6-year Master's program at the National Art Academy in Sofia, where he committed to work towards a degree in murals. He trained by the most renowned artists in Bulgaria. His works reminiscent of historic motifs of European decorative fresco and works infused with traditional Japanese and Euro-Hans influences. The approach is true to the traditional technique while also dramatic with a modern interpretation.
Vasil always strived to transport audiences through time by utilizing his extensive understanding of classical techniques & materials. Vasil explored materials like golden, copper and silver leaf gilding and combine with Classic and traditional approaches used by the early Christian schools, (which were orthodox and iconoclast).
Scroll over images to read artist inspiration and story of an individual piece of art.
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3 Days @ Lake San Antonio! (in the heat)
Day One "The Wildflower 100"
The first day started with an early starting leaving Santa Clara at 6:30am and with no traffic I reached Lake San Antonio at just past 9am. By the time I was ready to start the ride it was 10am and the heat was creeping up on me. I began the ride by heading down to the lake to follow the first part of the bike course, this was not without issue though. Firstly they had just repaved the road down there and before I knew it I had a good layer of tar on my tires, not great but nothing that was going to stop me. However on the infamous climb up Beach Hill, the back wheel on my Tri-bike started to jam against the frame, I got off and tried to fixed the issue but the wheel had come out of alignment and several attempts didn't yield results so I headed by to camp to solve the problem. It didn't take to long to fix but my second start wasn't until 11am, by which time the heat coming on strong.
On back out on the course I headed straight for the park exit, obliviously the bike was working a lot better since the wheel was on correctly. It definitely felt a little strange to be out there on my own, but this was the time get into "the zone" but it was going to be a long day. It is funny how I didn't remember how long the course was, in the race things just seem to go so much quicker, but on my own it seemed infinite. The second loop was easier (though increasing hotter) just because I had better feel of what lay ahead and that is half the battle. As I reached the park entrance at the end of the second loop, I was very happy to be done. Overall a good ride, but it took a lot out of me.
Ride Details (Click here to view on Google Earth):
5 miles
919feet of Climbing
21mins Ride time
14.3 mph Avg.
30.4 mph Max
Ride Details (Click here to view on Google Earth):
95.4 Miles
8,458feet of Climbing
5hr 14mins Ride Time
Heart Rate:
160bpm Avg.
188bpm Max
Day Two "In the reverse"
The morning started with a 1.2 mile swim as the team completed there first leg of what was for many there first Half-Ironman Triathlon. I had a good swim, the water temperature was just right, it was calm though I could of done with a little less algae in the water. I hung the dock for everyone to complete the swim then headed to the transition area. As I was not doing the race, I hung around and chatted while everyone left for there ride. After my mere 20 minute transition I headed out on the bike course backwards, doing it counter clockwise, it is certainly a very different course backwards and overall I left faster the day before, I have a feeling they chose the direction they did for a reason. However going against the direction of the team meant I had the chance to see how everyone was progressing through course. Towards the end of the course I got the experience what the people on the do the Olympic do as face the rolling hills which weren't rolling in my favor. But sure enough I made it make to the transition in a similar amount of time to what it would of been had I gone the other way around. Now I could relax, the day was getting hotter, but my workouts were over for the day.
My favorite part of the weekend, the transition and finish of the Half-way to Ironman Triathlon! I was able to snap a number of pictures of people going through from the bike to the run and of the finishers. It was great to see the entire team finish what is without a doubt one of the toughest Half-Iron courses out there.
Ride Details (Click here to view on Google Earth):
5,401 feet of climbing
3hrs 4mins
Heart Rate:
152bpm Avg.
176bpm Max
Day Three "Run in the reverse (Pt2)"
To continue with the theme of doing everything in reverse, I decided to continue with the Run course by starting from the camp grounds. With different start/finish point and changing the direction I tackled the hills the profile of the course changed dramatically. I started off early at 6:30am while the weather was still cool, the first 4 miles were mostly downhill towards the lake with only couple upward spikes that didn't last too long.
As I reached the trail by the lake I could see the steam rising from the lake, it was quite the scene. The long noise from the surrounds was the sound of my feet and the animals in the distance, it became an empty but tranquil environment, a stark contrast from hundreds of people on race day. Went through the lower camp grounds towards the main transition area more signs of life were apparent, a couple runners heading the opposite way and some people fishing in lake. After a quick break at the restroom, I headed up Lynch hill the toughest hill on the new profile, it wasn't as bad nor did it last as long as I thought it would. From there the final challenge was the pit which remains the same which ever way you do the course.
I ran right some Deer at the side of the road, I suddenly like I was in a wildlife documentary, I could almost here David Attenborough quietly narrate my run "The runner heads towards his prey (the deer), he reaches for his....? E-Gel and consumes this leaving the indigenous species untouched (at least until night falls and returns to seek out dinner)."
Run Details (Click here to view Google Earth):
12.9 miles
1,958 feet of climbing
1hr 50min


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The Prime Minister has confirmed that a third nuclear power station will be built at Heysham.
Speaking in parliament to Morecambe and Lunesdale MP David Morris, David Cameron said the Heysham M6 Link Road would open up the port and help "when we bring in the new nuclear power station".
Mr Morris said it was a case of "when not if" Heysham 3 will come online.
EDF Energy, which runs the current nuclear operation at Heysham, said it remained focused on its plans to build two other nuclear power stations in the UK, but that Heysham had the potential for new development in the future.
A decision on whether to extend the lifetime of Heysham 1 beyond 2019 is expected to be made next year, and Heysham 2 beyond 2023 in 2020. However, EDF said the intention was to extend the lives of the two reactors.
In parliament last week, Mr Morris asked the Prime Minister whether he agreed that Morecambe was "back open for business" following a drop in unemployment and the expected benefits of the Heysham M6 Link Road, due to be completed next summer.
Mr Cameron said in response: "I well remember visiting my hon Friend's constituency and looking at the very important road works that are going to open up the port, and that are going to help when we bring in the new nuclear power station and all the other steps he wants to see.
"The long-term youth claimant count in his constituency has fallen by 30 per cent in the last year, so those young people are now able to work, and able to benefit from our growing economy."
The nuclear operation at Heysham employs 1,500 people.
Mr Morris said: "Heysham is number seven of eight sites to be built across the country and it is a case of when not if it is going to be built.
"I have been having regular talks with the Prime Minister, the Chancellor and the Energy Secretary on when this new build may begin.
"I have also been having regular meetings with Andrea Leadsom MP who is the Minster who leads on nuclear power. I am always meeting with companies who build power stations, who are based all over the world. Companies based in France, Japan, China and even Canada to name a few and at the moment it looks as though a modular design station is the most likely to be built in Heysham securing local jobs for the future.
"I think that as Hinkley C is nearing the end of its planning stage then the Ministers are starting to look at sites further down the list.
"I will be doing everything I can to ensure Heysham 3 is built as soon as possible, as I promised in the General Election period, and I am delighted that the Prime Minister is behind my efforts."
A spokesman for EDF said: "EDF Energy remains focused on its plans to build new nuclear power stations at Hinkley Point C in Somerset and Sizewell C in Suffolk.
"Heysham was included in the government's National Policy Statement for sites strategically suitable for new nuclear power stations by 2025, and so EDF Energy feels the site has the potential for new nuclear development in the future although the company is focused on its plans for new nuclear, led by construction of a new power station at Hinkley Point C."


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Business Insider
Peter Crabb: Traditional policy could help ease credit crunch
Way to go team! The Federal Reserve cut inter-bank interest rates on Wednesday by one half percent. It was a team effort, coordinated with central banks around the world, including Canada, Great Britain, Switzerland, and Germany. Rather than any new legislation the central bankers have decided their traditional policy tool could help get markets moving again.
Rates are already so low in Japan the Bank of Japan did not cut, but announced their support for the actions of other banks. Not surprisingly, the value of the yen relative to the U.S. dollar continued to rise. Lower interest rates in the U.S. and U.K. encourage faster growth in money supply, increasing the likelihood of inflation. Currency traders bought the yen and sold the dollar and the pound in response.
It's in times like this that many call for a standard by which central banks can be restricted from increasing the money supply, and thereby lowering its value. Calls are rising for a renewed gold standard.
The argument for a gold standard is pretty straightforward – a country's money supply depends on its stock of gold and therefore the government is physically constrained from expanding credit too far. Since credit is what got us into this mess, a gold standard should protect us from ever going there again.
But there's no such thing as a free lunch. The tradeoff with a gold standard is that you create incentive for speculators to put their resources towards finding more gold. History reminds us of the numerous political problems associated with searching for more and more gold. Moreover, efforts to find gold divert resources from finding new technologies or other productivity enhancing processes, such as education.
If you want to control government's ability to expand credit you have to control incentives. If a central bank expands credit but the value of the currency falls relative to others (as the dollar has done the past few years), you have effectively placed a limit on credit creation. Thus, currency competition is your best enforcer. An open and active foreign exchange market, with its corresponding open and active global trade, can control credit expansion.
The recent sharp rise in the dollar relative to the euro confirms it: Credit expansion has come to an end in the U.S. Now, Europe needs action to control it there. We will see if the European governments can team up and take control of their own growing credit crisis. As they do, money will flow back to the stock markets.
Since 2000, Peter R. Crabb has been a professor of finance and economics at Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa. He earned his doctorate in international and financial economics from the University of Oregon.


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My first reread of the year! And, I'm pleased to say, this book held up so beautifully to rereading. I first read Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson in grad school, in David Levithan's Teen Literature seminar. At that time (waaaaaay back in fall 2008) I was still fairly new to teen lit, and while I loved most of what we read for that class, this book in particular blew me away. I picked it up this week after my agent mentioned that several elements in my own manuscript reminded her of a twist on Speak. And so, not only did I get the chance to reread a classic in the teen lit canon, I spent the past two days looking at my manuscript through a new lens. I call that a win-win!
Speak is the story of Melinda, a high school freshman who suffered a traumatic experience over the summer. You don't know exactly what happened to her at the start of the book, aside from the fact that all of her friends have dumped her and she spent the weeks before school started holed up at home, hiding from the world. Melinda has a wonderful sarcastic voice from page one, but at the same time, you can feel the fear and pain behind every word. As she describes the various cliques assembling in the auditorium on the first day of school, she immediately notes that she is "Outcast" — "a wounded zebra in a National Geographic special." The teachers and the other students are predators, ready to take her out without a moment's notice. High school as depicted in this book is survival of the fittest, and Melinda is definitely not at her fittest. She shrinks more and more as the year goes on.
It turns out (though you guess fairly early on) that Melinda was raped at a party. She's now an outcast because she never told anyone about the rape, and thus is blamed for calling the cops and getting several kids arrested. Now, she's carrying around the burden of what happened to her, on top of being that girl who busted the party. Her only friend is a new student, Heather from Ohio, who doesn't realize at first that being friends with Melinda — the quiet, weird girl no one likes — is social suicide. Predictably and heartbreakingly, Heather drops Melinda partway through the book, finding more acceptable (and outgoing and ambitious) friends.
But while all of these plot details are important, what really sells the book is Melinda's voice. There's hardly any dialogue, but her internal monologue is smart, sarcastic, and funny, even while barely concealing her growing hysteria and depression. She stops speaking almost entirely over the course of the book. The key to her ability to even get out of bed is denial: she won't admit to herself what happened, much less tell anyone else. But with her rapist, a senior, at school with her, even going out of his way to interact with her, it gets harder and harder to ignore the truth. So, part of the story is having to come to terms with the reality of the situation and figure out if it's possible to move on.
Speak is also about Melinda finding her voice and saying, out loud, that something terrible has happened. It's a slow, arduous journey. At first, she speaks by not speaking — will anyone realize how much is truly wrong? When that fails, she speaks through art, to the one teacher in the book who reaches out. Unfortunately, while he sees that she's in pain, what she has created is too abstract to tell the whole story. Toward the end of the book, she even tries writing what happened, as a way of warning her former best friend away from the same guy. Her efforts are thrown back in her face. The only way out is to use her voice. To say no to her rapist. To speak the truth about what happened to her. To tell people who can help her find her way out of the dark place she's been in. When that moment comes (and you feel pretty confident/hopeful it will; this isn't a huge spoiler), it's incredibly powerful.
Can you tell I loved this book? Never mind that reading it this week, as spring is finally (finally!) coming to NYC, felt really appropriate. Melinda's art project for the year centers around trees, and this is what I have right outside my window:
Last week, I watched those little buds form. This week, the green started to spread. By next week, I'm hoping for actual leaves and blossoms. That, plus a truly excellent book, should end this post on a high note. :)


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Matthew 14:13-21 When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. 14 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick. 15 As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a remote place, and it's already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food." 16 Jesus replied, "They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat." 17 "We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish," they answered. 18 "Bring them here to me," he said. 19 And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. 20 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 21 The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.
In the movie, "God's Not Dead," two Christian pastors have a refrain that they repeat between themselves a number of times during the movie. The first pastor says, "God is good ..." The second pastor replies, "… all the time." Then the second pastor starts, "And all the time …" the first pastor finishes, "… God is good."
Those words are significant throughout the movie, whether the pastors' cars keep breaking down so that they can't go to Disney World, or a college student is put on trial by his atheist Philosophy professor, or an unbeliever is diagnosed with cancer, or a Muslim student is kicked out of her home for being converted to Christianity. From beginning to end, God is good all the time, and all the time God is good.
That refrain can certainly be seen in our sermon text. Jesus has just learned that His cousin, John the Baptist, had been beheaded at the behest of King Herod's devious stepdaughter. So, with a heavy heart, mourning the loss of the forerunner of the Christ and wishing to be alone, Jesus withdraws by boat privately to a solitary place in the desert.
Though Jesus goes out to the wilderness to be by Himself, to a desolate place, the sheep cannot help but be drawn to the Shepherd in their midst. For the sheep know the voice of the Shepherd, and they follow Him. Giving no thought to preparations, they have to follow Him. They don't bring a lunchbox or pack a water bottle. No sippy cups or fruit snacks or even baggies of Cheerios for the kids. They just went.
When Jesus lands and sees a large crowd, he has compassion on them and heals their sick. Even though He desires to be by Himself, Jesus does what the Son of God does. He doesn't send them away. He doesn't lecture them on being unprepared. He has compassion on them. He heals their sick. He cares for their hurting. He puts broken lives back together again.
As night falls along the Sea of Galilee, the disciples ask Jesus to stop and send everyone home to get a bite to eat. "This is a remote place, and it's already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food." The disciples were sensible, and sending the people home was the sensible thing to do.
But Jesus answered, "You give them something to eat." They said to him, "That would take eight months of a man's wages!" (Mark 6:37) "We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish" (Matthew 14:16).
The disciples saw all of the problems and none of the possibilities. They could estimate how many months' wages it would cost; they could tally the measly resources on hand. Their math didn't fail them, but their faith did.
Can we blame them? They were being reasonable; they were being practical. We do the same thing. We say, "How am I going to survive? How am I going to pay all these bills? How can I possibly take care of my children, or my parents — or both? How am I going to find time to do everything I need to do?" In other words, we focus on our supposed shortages.
Children are filled with excitement and uncertainty at starting school. You are hesitant to completely trust that God has a plan when you are behind on your mortgage payments and credit card bills. You are cautious in believing that anything good could come out of your child needing expensive braces or you being diagnosed with cancer or your parent suffering from dementia.
We are very short-sighted people. We only see what is in front of us. We have difficulty trusting the unseen, being confident of the unknown, and having hope for the future.
That's why the Bible teaches us that faith encompasses all that trust, confidence and hope: "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see" (Hebrews 11:1).
We and the disciples are sensible people. We are realists, bottom-line type people. We like everything nice and orderly. No pain. No fuss. No detours. We want a plan for everything and everything fitting into our plan.
But God does not live within the boundaries of the sensible.
Look at the example of Joseph. God allowed Joseph to be sold into slavery by jealous older brothers when he was 17 years old. Then he was thrown in prison by the lying, manipulative wife of Potiphar. Then he was forgotten in prison by Pharaoh's chief cupbearer. But when he was 30 years old, God made Joseph second in command of all of Egypt. This happened so that the sons of Jacob would move to Egypt and become the nation of the children of Israel. This happened so that the children of Israel could be rescued from Egypt and returned to their Promised Land 400 years later.
Or look at the example of the apostle Paul. Throughout his ministry he was imprisoned, beaten, stoned, left for dead, shipwrecked, put on trial and imprisoned again until he died in prison. Yet God used all those events to cause Paul to move around from Philippi to Thessalonica to Corinth to Ephesus, etc. God then used Paul's imprisonment before his death as a time when he could write epistles to all the congregations he had visited.
Jesus does not live within the boundaries of the sensible. It was not sensible to tell fishermen who had been fishing all night and caught nothing to go back out in the day when the fish went deep and try again – but Jesus did, and provided a great catch. It was not sensible to assert that a girl who had died was simply asleep – but Jesus did, and then showed it by raising her from the dead. And in the same way it was not sensible for Jesus to tell His disciples to feed a crowd of well over 5,000 hungry people: "You give them something to eat." But Jesus did. Perhaps the disciples were getting used to that by now, as part of their continuing education, for they don't object – they simply take what they have and give it to Jesus. Five loaves of bread and two fish. And it is enough. For anything in the hands of the Lord is always enough. And more than enough.
Where did Jesus direct His eyes? Not to a supposed shortage. Not to the small amount of food or the huge crowd. No, He looked up to heaven, and — get this—He gave thanks! Instead of complaining about a shortage, He thanked God for the blessing, and then in His miraculous power as the Son of God, He handed it over and the disciples handed it out to the people.
When there is a shortage, that is a time for God to supply abundance. When there is illness, God can provide the healing. When there is heartache, God provides the love. When there is a need, God always has a way of providing for that need.
We see from the story of Joseph and Paul and the feeding of the 5,000, that God is a big picture kind of God. We focus on the here and now. Our eternal God is looking centuries into the future. Then He works backwards to make sure that everything that is happening right now will be of benefit to His eternal kingdom in the future.
Instead of seeing our supposed shortages of blessings in this life, perhaps Jesus wants us to take a step back and take in the big picture. As those redeemed by His own blood, won't we take the opportunity to follow the one who freed us from sin and death, and look up to Him? Won't we see that at any time, Jesus can take a little and turn it into far more than we think is physically possible? Won't we see the compassion of a Lord who healed the sick and fed the hungry, and recognize that His direction of our lives is filled with compassion? Won't we give thanks for every blessing? Can't we give thanks even if God seems to be withholding His physical blessings from us?
The bigger picture is that God not only cares for our physical needs by providing us food and work and wealth and healing, He more importantly cares for our spiritual needs. From the hands of the Lord's servants today, Jesus continues to feed multitudes – not with bread and fish, or mere bread and wine, but with His own body and blood. He does not leave us to discover our own "spirituality," or send us away in search of our own spiritual nourishment, but He comes to provide for our every need. And not just a morsel – enough to get by. But He gives an abundance of His forgiveness, life, and salvation. That we be filled with Him and His life.
Because the hands of Jesus that held those five loaves of bread and two fish and fed so many people, were the same hands that took the nails and wood of Calvary. The hands of your Savior, who came to provide what you need the most – the restoration of your life with God in the forgiveness of your sin. And to provide this forgiveness and restoration for not just 5 thousand or 5 million or 5 billion people – but each and every person. Every person, including you and me. Jesus ascended the cross that the sins which separate us from God be on Him and not on us. That He receive the condemnation for them and not us. That He die and not us. That taking our sin and dying our death, we live His life. Our old man dying and a new man rising. For now risen from the dead, Jesus lives to give us that life and those gifts He won for us. To continue His work, to feed and forgive and save.
That is the bigger picture. That is the picture that God always had in mind from eternity. That He would save you through His Son, Jesus. Not because it was sensible … or practical … or rational. He did it because God does not dwell within the boundaries of the sensible or practical or rational. He did it because God is good all the time and all the time God is good.
Or think of it this way: have you ever noticed that great mornings come from rough nights?
Great victories come from persistence and struggles?
Great achievements come from hard and tenacious work?
Whenever the people of God were hungry, God provided a miraculous meal.
Whenever the people of God shouted victory, it was because they had spent nights weeping before God.
If you are going through a dark tunnel where you are weak or ill or hungry like the 5,000 people gathered in that remote place, know that God is allowing this to happen not because He likes to see you suffer, but to shape you in the form of Christ.
So when you hear of Joseph's struggles or Paul's beatings or hungry followers or experience your own pains and persecutions, make this refrain your own: "God is good all the time, and all the time God is good." Amen.


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Manitoba's chronic reliance on transfer payments, its ever-inflating public sector and its increasing concentration of sectoral decision-making power in the hands of a few on Broadway is having an enervating effect on the province, Law Professor Bryan Schwartz argues in The Supplicant Society. It doesn't have to be that way, Manitoba can change for the better, Schwartz demonstrates in this series for the Winnipeg Free Press and the Frontier Centre for Public Policy. The series continues weekly on Saturdays, ending on March 5. Footnoted versions of this article can be found at WinnipegFreepress.com and at www.fcpp.org.
Local school boards in Manitoba can be a means of gathering the insight and wisdom of parents, students and local community members. The government of Manitoba is determined, however, to reduce them to one more level of the provincial bureaucracy. We are headed towards the same overly centralized model as in healthcare, where the independent boards of hospitals and seniors homes have been steadily pushed aside or relegated to an ever-diminished role by government-controlled Regional Health Authorities.
The province has taken many decisions out of the hands of local school boards in recent years.
The government assumed a veto over local school closures, attempted to cap tax increases supported by local school boards in the interests of meeting student needs, forced the amalgamation of divisions and asked to review and approve local budgets.1
There actually is a real need for greater centralization of funding for school boards. Province after province has reviewed and eliminated systems where schools are financed largely through local property taxation.2 That system is harsh on parents and students in economically disadvantaged communities or areas that do not have valuable commercial properties. This province is moving gradually in that direction, but the property-tax system is being used as an excuse to further squeeze out local input and replace it with centralized control.
Former premier Gary Doer indicated that once the province reached a point of funding 80 per cent of school board revenue, it would take over union negotiations and standardize them province-wide.3 Then, even more Manitoba voters will be on the provincial payroll, and the ruling party can try to buy the political support of more public employees with taxpayer money. Local control will be diminished even further, and with that, the opportunity for innovation, experimentation and diversity.
Centralized fiscal support need not be accompanied by micromanagement. The provinces used to complain bitterly about strings attached to federal transfer payments, as did band governments. Ottawa has responded by increasingly relying on bloc funding, rather than using its spending power to dictate or supplant the choices of other governments. Provinces that have centralized funding have found ways to maintain some real local power and choice—e.g., leaving local school boards a meaningful portion of their budget that is free of provincial direction.
We should be looking for ways to increase, rather than impair, choice and diversity within the public school system. Greater freedom should not be confined to those who can afford to send their children to private schools. Alberta led the way in Canada in introducing charter schools in their system. These schools, although publicly funded, have a significant measure of autonomy with respect to curriculum, staffing, educational focus and approach.
Instead of being forced into cookie-cutter schools run by a provincial bureaucracy, parents and children are freer to find an educational home that suits their own needs and aspirations.
A recent study by the Canada West Foundation found that Alberta's charter schools have achieved considerable success. Educational outcomes, tested by objective measurements, have improved in both reading and math, while students and parents report a high level of satisfaction.4 The study suggests that these schools can be models for innovation and excellence. Alberta charter schools bring real pluralism to the system. The focus of some is gifted children, others on math and science, and others have an Aboriginal dimension.
To be sure, rules governing the development of charter schools must be carefully designed and implemented or serious problems can emerge. For example, a province cannot simply allow charter schools to cherry-pick the easiest-to-teach students and ignore those with special needs. Legislation and regulations can easily ensure that charter schools are widely accessible and not confined to students with superior financial means or academic gifts. In fact, charter schools can be established—with special financial support—to find innovative and effective ways to serve special needs children.
We can add primary and secondary education to the sectors of Manitoba society that have been placed under the central control of government and add their administrators and staff to the effective roster of provincial employees. Or we can do something far better. We can increase equity in funding across the system and at the same time enhance the ability of parents, students, teachers and administrators to come together and create distinctive educational communities. With diversity will come innovation, lessons to be learned and shared across the system and ultimately better educational outcomes. Thoughtful and imaginative reforms to the governance of our schools can be an integral part of moving from a supplicant society to a revitalized Manitoba.
1. List from Nick Martin, "Rural divisions sort through school closings," Winnipeg Free Press, April 30, 2008, A5. Available online at http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/historic/32828454.html.
2. Government of Saskatchewan News Release, "Provincial Government Delivers Largest Education Property Tax Cut In History." Available at http://www.gov.sk.ca/news?newsId=64a1895d-097e-4ea4-b643-d0097ccca514.
3. Dan Lett, "Who's running Manitoba schools?" Winnipeg Free Press, May 17, 2008, A7. Available online at http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/historic/32860054.html.
4. Shawna Ritchie, "Innovation in Action: An Examination of Charter Schools in Alberta," Canada West Foundation, http://blog.cwf.ca/CustomContentRetrieve.aspx?ID=1086723, released January 18, 2010.


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The new Tau Codex is still a long way off, so take these with a pinch of salt.But if I'm honest, I can't wait for the Tau Empire's third sphere expansion.
New Heavy Support Platform
Basically immobile deep striked! heavy weapon and crew. Rail and Ion Cannon, and missile launcher are all obvious options here, but nothing solid with the rumor.
Assault Skimmer
Something between size of piranha and hammerhead, fast skimmer open topped, assault on disembark.
It's assault after a flat out move, and has the "drop troops along path" option similar to the storm raven.
New Drop Ship
Not the FW one, but something new. Holds a boatload of fire warriors, or a few battle suits.
New Battle Suits
Not sure if these are the "next gen" suits or just heavy suits redone with out metal bits.
Based on the recent GW Tau artwork, I'd expect a completely new look for the Tau Battlesuit. Something sleeker that in keeping with the latest FW models, the current Fire Warriors and Tau tanks.
I really miss playing my old Tau army. I think Tau Empire will be a nice alternative to playing Space Wolves and considering how far off the new Tau Codex is, I could well finish my Space Wolf army in time!
New Tau Rumours
The new Tau Codex is still a long way off, so take these with a pinch of salt.But if I'm honest, I can't wait for the Tau Empire's third sphere expansion.
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Warhammer Tau is a group of wargamers who feel that they have a little something different to offer other Tau Empire, Kroot, and allied players... even if it's just a starting point for discussion! Our goal is to produce at least one article per week to inform and encourage the Tau and Warhammer gamer community. For the Greater Good, of course!
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Favorite Blogs
Crazy Day and Yes they are Gone. - This is what you saw if you were trying to orderI seem to remember this kind of bad will within the community before set about by very limited boxsets ava...1 hour ago
Wine of Ghalons, A Knights Tale - Republished Report: I ran a Errantry quest for Jean D'Ardain, with my mate Nick running the drunken priest and another lad running both Bretonnian men at a...6 months ago
Bell of Lost Souls: Tournament Tau - Here's an article on a Tau army that performed well at a 70+ player tournament in Texas: bit.ly/18vxyt0 Seems I may have underestimated those Missile Broa...6 years ago
Non-Tau Blogs
Saim Hann Progress Update - Ok, update! The Saim Hann army has grown a bit. I have purchased three Warp Hunters and two Dark Eldar Jetfighters (I really do not like the Crimson Hunter...2 years ago
The 5th Crusade - This blog will document the Black Templars 5th Crusade. Here's my narrative. In 41399, Elements of the Black Templars were dispatched to the Kybiss sector ...4 years ago
The Gates Open... - So like most people, I have a couple of armies. This blog is for my chaos armies. I never really planned on being a Chaos player, in fact, 5th edition da...4 years ago


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Reynolds Welding & Fabrication LLC is fully committed to providing safe work places for every employee of our company and to protect the general public that may come into contact with any of our projects. The personal health and safety of each employee of this company is of such consequence that it will be given precedence over operating productivity, whenever necessary.
We will maintain a safety program conforming to the best practices of organizations of this type. To be successful, such a program must embody the proper attitudes toward injury and illness prevention on the part of supervisors and employees. It also requires cooperation in all safety and health matters, not only between supervisors and employee, but also between each employee and his/her coworker. Only through such cooperative effort can a safety program, in the best interest of all, be established and preserved.
Planning for safety is to be included in each new project and each step toward the completion of the project. Sub contractors performing work under contracts with us, at a site under our control or performing work at our direction shall comply fully with the reynolds welding & fabrication llc safety program and all federal, state and local safety standards as they apply. Our objective is a safety and health program that will reduce the number of injuries and illnesses to absolute minimum, not merely in keeping with, but surpassing, the best experience of operations similar to ours. Our goal is zero accidents and injuries.
- Providing mechanical and physical safeguards to the maximum extent possible.
- Conducting a program of safety inspections to find and eliminate unsafe working
- Conditions and practices, to control health hazards, and to comply fully with the safety and health standards for every job.
- Training all employees in good safety and health practices.
- Providing necessary personal protective equipment and instruction for its use and care.
- Developing and enforcing safety rules and requiring the employees cooperate with these rules as a condition of employment.
- Promptly and thoroughly investigate every accident to determine the cause and to correct the problem so it won't happen again.
- Organizing a management and Employee Safety Committee to meet regularly under the direction of the Safety Director.
- Developing a system of recognition and awards for outstanding safety performance.


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During the run-up to the 2010 signing of the Affordable Care Act, (ACA) Connect The Dots USA, was a frequent read. The ACA was signed into law and has managed to readout $100 million plus in frivolous US House of Representatives and US Senate votes. The life sustaining law has also withstood two major Supreme Court cases; sadly the GOP still speaks of repealing ;the law.
Connect was also instrumental in galvanizing social media towards participation 2014 mid-term elections. A gallant effort, but the effort was unfortunately met with progressives and Independent stay home (itis) and handed the GOP moderate wins in 2014. Maybe Connect among others of us (on social media) helped to whittle away at the GOP seat dominance in the House and may have helped to ward-off even more US Senate seat losses.
During the recent GOP debate, Donald Trump again mentioned the reality of excessively high US Debt. If someone has an article or video of Donald Trump ;berating the US Debt before Barack Obama won the US Presidency, please share the details.
Let's zoom in on the deficit graph to see what happened since this devious "tax cuts" strategy took off in the 1980s when the GOP got control of the White House. President Reagan started slashing tax revenues and discovered it was a lot harder to cut spending (because folks like those govt programs). And the deficit gap widened.
Note that the last five times we've had budget surpluses (four of them were Clinton budgets), revenue was near 20% of GDP. But the Clinton surpluses were squandered in the Bush years when revenue dropped to below 15% of GDP and spending soared to 25%.
Remember, GDP in 2014 was about $17 trillion, so each 1% is a $170 billion — a huge difference. Last year, the deficit was just under $500 Billion or 2.8% of GDP, which is down from the whopping 10% of GDP deficit ($1.4 Trillion) when Obama took office. Note that the deficit gap was closed by both bringing down spending AND bringing up revenue.
During the GOP clown show debate this week, you heard many of the candidates complain about our $18 Trillion in debt and then — sometimes in the same sentence — insist on how we must spend endlessly on more and more military. No one ever mentions a reasonable budget, audit or tax offset for the Pentagon or war activities— just more, more, more. Apparently, under GOP logic, only military spending is not subject to "pay fors" or the law of diminishing returns.
Most folks who scream about the debt don't realize that we owe more than half of that $18 Trillion debt to ourselves — not to China. And Social Security — far from adding to the deficit or debt — is America's largest creditor. Failure to grasp this distinction is like not understanding the difference between your home loan and the bank to whom you owe the money.
Social Security gradually redeems its treasury bonds as needed to make up any shortfall from payroll taxes. The rest sits there earning interest — just like if you own treasury bonds in your portfolio. What the federal govt chooses to spend that loan on — waging senseless wars or investing in worthwhile infrastructure — is the debt driver, NOT the Social Security trust fund.
For a quick review of the Social Security balance sheet, see my post on 8/15/15:
As is the model on the TPI: we believe in information feed the brains of those who care to adsorb and assimilate information we no long find on network and cable news.
Yes, President Obama has added to the US Debt. Is it feasible to consider the nation's 44th President's first order of business upon assuming the White House was to reverse the killing years of George W. Bush?
Let's take a look at history as it relates to US Presidents and their debt accumulation.
The US Deficit and the US Debt are different, but related economic "animals" that feed off each other.
ederal Deficit
The amount by which a government's expenditures exceed its tax revenues. The difference is made up for by borrowing from the public through the issuance of debt. also called Federal Debt.
Read more: investorwords.com
As we watched and listened to a number of Republican hopefuls rail about the need to increase US militarism, we should wonder: "How are they going to pay for it?"


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Geoffrey's Picks
Geoffrey's Picks
Signed copies of Geoffrey's cookbooks and an exclusive handmade wooden cutting board/cheese board.
Autographed Copy!
Every great meal starts with a trip to the pantry for inspiration. In his most recent cookbook, My Perfect Pantry: 150 Easy Recipes from 50 Essential Ingredients (Clarkson Potter; On Sale: October 7, 2014), Geoffrey shows you how to use your pantry to jump-start any meal so that when you bring home your fresh produce and proteins, you will have 150 recipes at the ready. Complete with full-color food shots of every single recipe, My Perfect Pantry allows your everyday staples to lead, rather than just support, the creation of extraordinary meals. Geoffrey gives you the shopping list you need, as well as the road map for making the most of what you have on hand.
Autographed Copy!
Featuring stunning full-color photographs and an approach that is at once familiar and fantastic, comfortable and creative, Geoffrey Zakarian's Town|Country presents the perfect combination for amateur to ambitious American cooks. In his début work as an author, Geoffrey offers two sublime recipes for each of his sixty-five favorite ingredients, helping you to produce a Country recipe for a quick weeknight meal or Sunday supper or to create a night on the Town for an elegant Saturday-night dinner party.
There is limited stock of this book as it is coming from Geoffrey's personal inventory!


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Story: Substance, Structure, Style and the Principles of Screenwriting by Robert McKee focuses on the teachings of Robert Mckees. It expounds on the ideas and concepts that are very important for screenwriting. Lecture on how the elements of a screenplay complement each other is also provided to let the readers understand that each parts serves as an important part of a greater whole.
The readers will gain a number of useful insights regarding the Classical Hollywood Narrative. Nevertheless, it is interesting to note that the author recognizes the fact alternative forms may exist in the field of screenwriting. Written in a very simple manner, the contents of the book provides the readers with a deeper understanding of the whys and hows of creating an effective narrative. Moreover, the discussions in the book are supplemented with a lot of details that cover all the genres and structures associated with screenwriting. To provide the readers with clear examples, some samples scenes are dissected and discussed part by part in order to emphasize and explain each element of a narrative.
Because there are the book is very detailed, some readers may have trouble comprehending the contents of the book. Some people who have already read the book think that the author's suggested formula for screenwriting is too strict and will not simply apply to all kinds of stories. There are also some readers who are not convinced with the author's authority on the matter of writing narratives since he did not write any notable pieces of screenplay at all.
The book summarizes what Robert McKees teaches in his seminars about screenwriting. It stimulates the minds of those who look for in-depth discussions regarding the art of screenwriting. Furthermore, it serves as an undisputable instruction manual for struggling writers who aim to make a name for themselves in the world writing narratives.


text: I going to try to finish my spiral horn collection in May 2009 in the Limpopo Province. How long of horns and how big of bases should I be looking for in the Cape Eland. I saw very few in Namibia last year and I know the females have long skinny horns. I would like a thick based Eland with like 2 twists...long would be great...but I would just like to get one that has nice thick bases with twists. Guys and Gals...please give me some advice.


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We've turned in the keys to our apartment, said goodbye to its three flights of stairs, and fully moved into the new house. And I must admit, our new abode is in a state of disarray. With gutted walls, drywall dust, and various holes in the floors and ceiling, it's pretty much a chaotic danger zone.
Yes. The renovation has begun.
Our first work-in-progress is turning a portion of the second bedroom and its closet into a hall bathroom (because the floor beneath the existing hall bathroom is rotting due to shower leakage and will need to be completely replaced). The plan is to build this new, small, inexpensive bathroom that we can use while we slowly cash flow the renovation of the rotten-floor hall bathroom, which will eventually become the master bathroom. Having two full bathrooms, both newly renovated, will add notable value to the house if/when we sell in the future.
So, this is is what things have been looking like over the last few weeks:
|Demo Day! Matt and Papa Mo begin gutting the second bedroom closet.
|Partially gutted
|New framing and drywall for the bathroom
|New bedroom wall!
|Looking into the second bedroom. The new bedroom closet entrance is on the right.
As you can see, our second bedroom has become our makeshift workshop. Since this makes this room unusable for anything else, the third bedroom has become the storage closet for all the things that belong in the second and third bedrooms or that are waiting to be peddled in a garage sale.
The horror.
It looks like a house from Hoarders, and it overwhelms my minimalist sensitivities. At least I can close the door and pretend there's nothing behind it.
In other news, my husband and father-in-law installed a dog fence in the backyard.
They cut down a tree themselves and bought all the chain link supplies at Lowe's with most of the cash we received from the sellers at closing.
A fenced area with a single and a double gate will add resale value, and for now, Annie and Brenna love being able to run freely off leash!
We've also done some minor improvements around the yard. We've ripped out cheap plastic edging, annihilated a plastic menagerie, and unearthed undesirable flora (some of which may or may not have been silk flowers planted in the ground...)
Clearly there's a lot of work left to do (those photos should really say "during" instead of "after"), but I'm excited about the progress we've made so far. And I'm especially proud of the fact that we've paid for all of it- the move, the utility deposits, the building materials- with cash; no credit cards have been swiped! Our debt snowball is still on hold as we get settled, but I'm thankful (and a bit surprised, honestly) that we still haven't dug our pit of debt any deeper.


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Perhaps more than any other emotion, fear is the emotion that reveals that emotions are neither good or bad. Instead, the more useful way to think of emotions is in terms of whether they're…well…useful. Is the emotion motivating behavior that sets you up to get the things you want?
In teaching kids about emotions in The Straight-A Conspiracy, Katie O'Brien and I line up two examples side-by-side to help kids see that pattern: snakes and math.
Snakes are exactly why fear is so useful. Fear will literally save your life. When you run into a snake, fear takes over your body and your brain. You stop thinking. And blood rushes to your legs. You might even poop yourself to run away faster. Those of our ancestors who pooped and ran away from snakes lived to poop and run away from snakes another day. In fact, it seems humanity's two in-born fears are of snakes and spiders which is why when you see a garden hose out of the corner of your eye you can easily freak out and jump back in a panic. That shape switches our brain into fear mode.
Meanwhile, if you have that fear going on around math, you're actually setting yourself up for failure. Why? In a state of fear, you can't think. Your brain has been put in the single worst mode for solving math problems. Right when you need to think, you're in a temporary state where you literally can't think.
This is where understanding the difference between thinking fast and slow becomes so important. If your fast thinking is to experience fear around math, then you'll need to slow down to train a new emotional response. This comes down to taking a breath, talking to yourself A LOT and patiently and methodically working through the process to get it right. With practice, you will build confidence and ultimately can move past fear to actually really enjoying the challenge.
However, it's important to realize that there's a reason why Jon Haidt compares the brain to a rider and an elephant. Your fast thinking is powerful. It's like an elephant. Meanwhile, your slow thinking is like a rider. It's much, much less powerful. It's going to take real effort to reflect and retrain your fast thinking. You will have to patiently keep nudging and guiding the elephant until it does what you want.
Speaking personally, fear is such a powerful emotion that it has probably taught me more than any other emotion about how emotions work. I've seen how fear drives people's choices without them even realizing it. When you see that pattern often enough, you start to assume that emotions are guaranteed to be driving your choices in ways you don't even realize. And so, while as a kid I would get defensive when people would tell me I was being emotional, now I know about #DescartesError I know better. I know they're right. I am being emotional…always. The question is what emotions are driving my choices, where do they come from and are they appropriate. No emotion helps you better understand how and when to apply those emotions than fear. Emotions are tools. Is a hammer good or bad? Is a screwdriver good or bad? They're neither. They're right for certain jobs and wrong for other jobs. Fear taught me to think of all my emotions as tools.


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Hide navigation when it is disruptive to the journey the customer is on. Show navigation when it is supportive to the journey the customer is on.
The hamburger menu has become notorious as an ill-advised and poorly implemented form of navigation. But hiding navigation in and of itself is not a bad thing. It depends why the navigation is being hidden.
So, why has the hamburger menu got such a bad reputation? Because it was nearly always implemented from an organization-centric point of view. You'd be surprised how many decisions are made based on trying to be cool or 'innovative.' Another reason the hamburger menu is often chosen for mobile sites or apps is because of design convenience. Instead of prioritizing the top 3-4 navigation paths, everything gets stuck in a hamburger. It's a nice, quick, easy fix that rarely works out well.
Sometimes the hamburger is used in an attempt by the organization to control the customer journey. Some organizations still think that if you limit all options on a page to marketing messages then the customer will have no choice but to click and follow one of these marketing journeys. It's all about controlling the customer journey. This, of course, doesn't work, but certain organizations like the illusion that they are in control of their customers.
"Discoverability is cut almost in half by hiding a website's main navigation," Nielsen Norman found in 2016. "Also, task time is longer and perceived task difficulty increases." Luke Wroblewski has written extensively on the impact of hamburger menus on a range of mobile apps. In one job search app, changing from hamburger to visible menu resulted in double digit growth in monthly users and visits. For other apps, engagement "plummeted" or "fell drastically" when they implemented the hamburger approach.
According to Wroblewski, "Facebook found that not only did engagement go up when they moved from a "hamburger" menu to a bottom tab bar in their iOS app, but several other important metrics went up as well."
Sometimes, it makes sense to hide navigation. In the early years, Amazon had a visible navigation for its product categories. But as the range of categories grew, it went to a single "Shop by department" link. However, it compensated for this by having a large, prominent, extremely well-designed search. So, if you have a huge range of stuff to offer, it may be better to lead with search rather than navigation.
Another example of where hiding navigation makes sense is where your customers have a "super task". This is a task that is way more important than all the other tasks, like booking a flight or a room. Then it may make sense to lead with the actual task itself, and hide the other navigation options.
On a related point, when a customer has chosen a particular journey, it is usually a good idea to hide all the navigation that is not directly relevant to that journey. So, if you visit the Kindle Books section on Amazon, practically every link and piece of navigation on that page relates to Kindle books. The navigation for all the other products Amazon offers have been stripped away so as to allow you to focus on Kindle books.
The core purpose of navigation is to help you progress on the journey you have decided to go on.
Hamburger Menus and Hidden Navigation Hurt UX Metrics, Nielsen Norman Group


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Traffic Collision 2 is a crazy-fast car game where you have to avoid crashing. Traffic Collision 2 has awesome graphics and a cool soundtrack.
Race down a busy urban street collecting nitros to try and beat the distances you need to meet.
Steer using AWSD or the arrow keys and test your reaction skills to avoid the cars in front of you.
Damage your vehicle too much and you'll wreck it, so be careful.
In Traffic Collision 2 there are four different zones in which to race and there are specials to unlock as well as artifacts to collect.
May the best driver win.


text:
Homily by The Rev. Marcia McRae
St. Francis Episcopal Church, Goldsboro, NC; Christmas Eve, 24 Dec. 2016
Year A RCL: Isaiah 9:2-7; Psalm 96; Titus 2:11-14; Luke 2:1-14(15-20)
The shepherds hear astounding news from the angel & go in haste to Bethlehem to see this miracle baby.
On this night of nights, who watches over the sheep?
Our Gospel tells us:
v what the angel says to the shepherds,
v what the heavenly host says &
v what the shepherds say.
What do the sheep say?
[Yes, baa.]
What does this mean? . . . . Let's find out.
I have 2 distinct sheep. Use your imagination to hear this gray one say "baa". [At right in photo]
How will this sheep's "baa" sound?
[Demo of sheep with colorful legs, at left in photo,
saying the Lord's Prayer.]
This colorful sheep [1] reminds us how Jesus teaches us to pray. We can pray the Lord's Prayer when we are living in joyful light & in difficult darkness.
We hear Isaiah say in our 1st reading: "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light."
There are many kinds of darkness. Some of us experience post-Christmas letdown, as author Tim Schenck reminds us in his book Dog in the Manger: Finding God in Christmas Chaos.
Schneck asks:
How does post-Christmas letdown impact your spiritual life?[2]
Beloved Brothers & Sisters, Jesus comes to redeem us & give us fuller life to draw us closer into God's love before, during & after Christmas.
Like a shepherd, Jesus comes to gather us straying sheep so we are safe in the flock. I know this is hard to remember when life is hard, when we are alone or separated, when we are in the grip of many demands.
Some demands we self-impose, striving to make Christmas "perfect".
If the perfect Christmas means we have every detail taken care of, tell me:
Why on the 1st Christmas do shepherds
up & leave their sheep?
We know from our Nativity sets there are only 2 or 3 sheep with the shepherds!
[I asked some of you for a headcount of sheep in your Nativity sets. Only one family has more than 3: they have 4 sheep!]
How could the shepherds make haste to see Jesus & have time to gather all their flock into Bethlehem so crowded with people that Mary & Joseph have to stay in a stable?
What plan did God to have to protect the sheep the shepherds leave from lions & wolves?
I wonder if the shepherds laugh in the joy they experience after they get over being terrified. Joy & laughter are gifts from God. Laughter is healthy & can instill peace.
I wonder if the shepherd's laughter joins the joy of Mary & Joseph & the angels to fill the world with God's profound peace however briefly on this night of nights.
I wonder if this peace settles on the lion & the wolf & gives them deep sleep & freedom from worry about their next meal so the sheep are safe in the peaceable kingdom we glimpse on this night of nights.
How does this holy night come to be?
I wonder if one day God the Holy Trinity discusses the darkness we stumble in & starts brainstorming how to bring us Holy life-giving Light to restore us fully in God's image so we can live in righteousness & justice, as Isaiah says.
I wonder if the conversation goes like this:
God the Father says:
Y'all we've got a problem on earth.
The Holy Spirit says:
Yes! The people, especially the leaders, ignore what we say through the prophets about how to live.
Regular folk don't stand a chance to live fully & know us fully.
God the Father says:
We promised not to zap them again with a flood. They rationalize natural disasters & ignore their responsibility for caring for all creation.
If only we could talk to more of them more directly & walk with them through life.
Jesus says:
Hey, this could work!
What if I get born to one of them? Not as a prince but as a regular person.
Oh, what if I get born in a stable & sleep in a feedbox [3] !?
That's so funny it just might work!
At least it might give them some joy & a good laugh!
They are often so dreary.
God the Father says:
Son, if you do this, many will remember & set up stables & decorate trees with
stars & angels to celebrate.
I love it!
The Holy Spirit says:
One thing wisdom demands: after you show them how to live & how to love, you have to show them how to forgive.
You have to love them until the end of life &
show them love never dies. [4]
God the Father says:
Son, you must realize they will betray you &
execute you, nailing you to a tree.
Jesus says:
I know. I love them so much I will do it! They can celebrate my birth & decorate all the trees they want. Those trees can remind them of the one tree only I can decorate. [5]
I will decorate the tree of death so they may have abundant life filled with joy & laughter,
peace & good will.
The Holy Spirit says:
Y'all do remember we have given humans freedom to choose between good & evil.
Jesus says:
Yes. Some will choose right. They will be so filled with our joy & trust in us they will share the Good News that we love them
They will tell others that even in darkness, we shine great light.
They will be zealous to do good deeds
[as their holy scripture in Titus will say].
The Father says:
Son, who are they? How many?
Jesus says:
There are enough.
Look: I see a great group right now gathered in the far future in 2016 at St. Francis' in Goldsboro.
The Holy Spirit says:
These Beloved Children are so filled with our joy!
They will tell others that even in darkness, we shine great light!
These Beloved Sheep are strong in our love & zealous to do good!
Jesus says:
Yes. Ya gotta love 'em!
These Beloved Sheep ARE zealous to do good deeds!
The Catholic Company Christmas Gifts for Everyone. CatholicCompany.com. Charlotte, NC.
Harper's Bible Commentary. Gen. Ed: James L. Mays. San Francisco: Harper & Row Publishers. 1988.
Harper's Bible Dictionary. Gen. Ed: Paul J. Achtemeier. San Francisco: Harper & Row Publishers. 1985. p. 851.
Holy Bible with the Apocrypha. New Revised Standard Version. New York: Oxford University Press, 1989.
https://www.quora.com/How-many-sheep-is-a-shepherd-in-charge-of. Accessed: 22 Dec. 2016.
http://saltmarshranch.com/flocks/how-many-sheep.shtml. Accessed: 22 Dec. 2016.
Jewish Study Bible: Jewish Publication Society TANAKH Translation. New York: Oxford University Press. 2004.
New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocrypha. Herbert G. May, Bruce M. Metzger, eds. New York: Oxford University Press, Incorporated, 1977.
Robinson, Barbara. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. New York: Avon Books. 1972.
Schenck, Tim. Dog in the Manger: Finding God in Christmas Chaos. Forward Movement. 2013.
Voyle, Robert J. "Blue Christmas Meditation: How Shall We Remember". www.appreciativeway.com.
[1] Toy by WeeBelievers.com purchased at The Christian Soldier book store in Goldsboro, NC.
[2] Schenck, Tim. Dog in the Manger: Finding God in Christmas Chaos. P. 77.
[3] Note: Influenced by Barbara Robinson's The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.
[4] Voyle, Robert J. "Blue Christmas Meditation: How Shall We Remember". www.appreciativeway.com.
[5] Note: Influenced by information from Christmas Catalog of The Catholic Co. (Charlotte, NC). P. 30. CatholicCompany.com.