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Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Linsley On What Is A Priest?
What is a Priest?
Alice C. Linsley
The priesthood is verifiably the oldest known religious institution and appears to have originated in the Nile region. It is quite distinct from the other ancient religious office, that of the shaman. Underlying shamanism is the belief that spirits cause imbalance and disharmony in the world. The shaman's role is to determine which spirits are at work in a given situation and to find ways to appease the spirits. This may or may not involve animal sacrifice. Underlying the priesthood is belief in a single supreme Spirit to whom humans must give an accounting, especially for the shedding of blood. In this view, one Great Spirit (God) holds the world in balance and it is human actions that cause disharmony. The vast assortment of ancient laws governing priestly ceremonies, sacrifices, and cleansing rituals clarifies the role of the priest as one who offers animal sacrifice according to sacred law. The priest was forbidden to consult the spirits of the ancestors as shamans do in trance states.
Priests are intermediaries between the Creator and the community, not between the spirits and the community. Both offices are intermediary, but their worldviews are quite different. When sickness, sudden death, or a great calamity such as flooding or plague affects the community, the shaman investigates the cause and seeks to balance benevolent and malevolent energies. When the community served by the priest experiences hardship, deprivation and loss, the priest calls the people to repentance and seeks to restore the community to the peace of God. In ancient times, this sometimes meant seeking out the offenders by using the binary system of divination represented by the Urim and Thummim. These represent numerous binary sets. The urim would have a number of associations which would be assigned the opposite meaning with the thummim. Using these tools involved more than yes-no questions. It involved deriving meaning from the directional poles, gender, numbers and reversals. The morehs or ancient prophets apparently used the same approach when rendering counsel such as that given to Abraham by the moreh at the Oak of Mamre (Gen. 12:6).
Despite what feminists and politically-correct academics might say, the priestly role was from the beginning the work of a select group of men (a caste, actually) whose devotion to the worship of the Creator involved, by today's standards, extreme asceticism. Contrary to the position of the Roman Church, these men were married and enjoyed sexual relations with their wives. However they abstained from sex, shaved their bodies, fasted and entered periods of intense prayer in preparation for their time of service at the temple or shrine. They were known for their purity of life.
A survey of the world's religions helps us to understand the uniqueness of the priesthood. Shinto "priests" are really shamans, not priests. Priestesses of ancient Greek were really mediums or seers, not priests. Anthropologically, the priesthood is defined by the caste of ruler-priests known as Horites. These were Abraham's people and their idea of the priest was closely aligned to their understanding of blood as both potentially contaminating and potentially purifying.
The unique nature of the priesthood is inextricably linked to the nature of God. God is the first priest (Gen. 3:21) and the priesthood, like God, is eternal. This is what stands behind the biblical references to Melchizedek, of whose ruler-priest line came the Son of God, Jesus Christ, our great High Priest who promises in the Book of Revelation to be with us always.
The Horite Ruler-priests are Jesus Christ's Ancestors
Analysis of the kinship pattern of Abraham's people, using the genealogical information in the Bible, indicates that the ruler-priests married two wives. These lived in separate settlements on a north-south axis. So Sarah resided in Hebron and Keturah to the south in Beersheba.
In his youth, the ruler-designate married his half-sister, as did Abraham with Sarah. Before ascending to the throne, he married his second wife, a patrilineal cousin or niece, as did Abraham with Keturah. The cousin wife named her first-born son after her father, a pattern which begins in Genesis 4 and can be traced to the priestly lines of Joachim (Mary's father) and Mattai, the patriarch of Joseph's line. The pattern of ruler-priests having two wives disappeared among Jews with the destruction of the temple in 70 A.D.
The origins of the faith of Christ, the Son of God, came to Abraham, not as special revelation, but as a tradition received from his forefathers. The distinctive traits of this tradition align remarkable well with the key features of catholic faith and practice:
Male ruler-priests who were mediators between God and the community
A binary (versus dualistic) worldview
Blood sacrifice at altars (sometimes falcon-shaped) for propitiation and atonement
Expectation of the appearing of the Son of God in the flesh
God's will on earth as in heaven - interpreted by morehs (prophets)
Belief in an eternal and undivided Kingdom delivered by the Father to the Son.
Because of God's promise in Eden, Abraham and his ancestors lived in expectation of the Son of God and taught their children to do so. Their priestly lines intermarried exclusively in expectation that the Seed of the Woman would come of their priestly lines. The Edenic Promise was a central belief of the Horite family-tribal tradition. They believed that the son would be born of the chosen Woman (not called Eve in Gen. 3:15). They believed that he would be killed by his own brother and that he would live again.
The Virgin Birth is one of many signs that the One born to Mary is the Son of God. This is not about the birth of the Sun at the winter solstice. This is not a reworking of the Egyptian tale of Horus. The Horus archetype provides the pattern whereby Abraham's descendants would recognize Messiah. It points us to the Virgin who gave birth to the Son of God under humble circumstances. In the Horus myth, Hat-Hor gives birth in a cave. In Orthodoxy, icons of the Nativity show the Theotokos with the newly born Christ in a cave.
Christianity is an organic religion that emerges out of a belief that God made a promise in Eden and that He has been busy fulfilling that promise in Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The core of Christianity can be traced to the beliefs of Abraham and his ancestors. It predates all the great world religions. Christianity isn't original, but what it lacks in originality it makes up for in great antiquity, and herein rests its authority.
The Christian Priest
The Christian priest stands at altar as the person of Christ at the Last Supper. He also represents the Father, by whose faith his spiritual children are offered up through the Spirit. The Christian priesthood is thoroughly Trinitarian.
I'd like to challenge the prevalent idea that the Last Supper must be understood as a Passover meal. We, with Isaac, should ask "But where is the lamb?" (Gen. 22:7)
It may be that the best context for understanding the Last Supper is neither the passover meal nor the chaburah meal, but the events that unfolded on Mount Moriah. There was no lamb, only the Father and the Son. After the offering up of the Son, a ram appears. The ram is the lamb come to full strength and maturity. Among Abraham's ancestors the lamb-ram sequence was associated with the rising and setting of the Sun, the symbol of the Creator. The temporal sacred center was noon, a time of no shadows. (James says He is the Father of Lights in whom there is no shadow.) The spatial sacred center was the mountain top, between heaven and earth. Perhaps the Last Supper is the sacred center where we meet God about to cross over to redoubled strength, destroying death by His death.
In relation to the sun, Horus was said to rise in the morning as a lamb or calf and to set in the evening as a ram or bull. When Abraham bound his Issac, believing perhaps that he was the Lamb of God, a ram was provided in Issac's place. To Abraham the Horite this would have meant that his offering was accepted. It would also have meant that Isaac was not the fulfillment of the promise made to Abraham's ancestors in Genesis 3:15. Isaac was not the "Seed" of the Woman who would make the curse of death void, crush the serpent's head, and restore Paradise. That promise was to be fulfilled in the future, just as the ram was associated with the western horizon, the direction of the future.
On the third day Father Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place afar off (Gen. 22:4) and again he lifted up his eyes and he saw a ram (Gen. 22:13).
St. Paul says, "For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that He would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith." (Rom. 4:13)
4 comments:
Canon, can you identify the source of your statement about the Free Church of England's view on the priesthood? Thanks!
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Download To Kill a Mockingbird Study Guide
Scout Finch
Extended Character Analysis
Jean Louise "Scout" Finch is the protagonist and narrator of To Kill a Mockingbird, and the events of the story unfold through her recollections of growing up in the small town of Maycomb. When the novel opens, Scout is a precocious five-year-old excited to attend her first day of school. Her tumultuous first day illustrates some of her defining characteristics: an impressive intellect and curiosity, a hotheaded and tomboyish disposition, and an innate innocence and inner goodness. Scout's personality is greatly shaped by the influence of her father, Atticus, whom she deeply respects and admires. Scout routinely defies the gender conventions of her small southern town and, much to the chagrin of her Aunt Alexandra, prefers to tag along on Jem and Dill's escapades rather than pursue more ladylike activities. Scout's naïveté and strong moral compass make her an astute observer of the injustice and hypocrisy in Maycomb, and (in part due to her childish innocence) she is one of the few characters that dares to openly confront it. Scout's innate sense of optimism and justice is challenged by the racism and hatred she witnesses throughout Tom Robinson's trial. With Atticus's help, she is able to process the terrible events and realize that her fellow citizens are morally complex individuals who possess the capacity for both goodness and evil. By the end of the novel, eight-year-old Scout has grown not only physically but emotionally as well. She has gained some control over her temper and no longer views being a "lady" as synonymous with being weak. Ultimately, Scout learns to look past deceiving appearances and, like her father, employs empathy and compassion to find the good in those around her.
- "Maycomb was an old town, but it was a tired old town when I...
(The entire section is 642 words.)

subset: commoncrawl


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1 Farrer Park Station Road #16-13
Singapore 217562
Phone +65 6363 0505Fax +65 6443 1455
Email [email protected]
Opening HoursMonday-Friday 8:30AM-5:30PMSaturday & Eve of Public Holiday 8:30AM-12:30PM
By Taxi / Car
From Orchard Road
• Take Bideford Road and continue onto slip road to CTE.
• Take Exit 7A (Moulmein Road).
• Turn right into Moulmein Road.
• Make a slight right onto Balestier Road.
• Exit on the right onto Rangoon Road.
• Turn right at Farrer Park Station Road to reach Connexion.
From Bukit Timah Road
• Turn left onto Race Course Road.
• Turn right onto Birch Road.
• Turn left onto Farrer Park Station Road to reach Connexion.
From Thomson Road
• Continue onto Keng Lee Road.
• Turn left onto Hampshire Road.
• Turn left onto Race Course Road.
• Turn right onto Birch Road.
• Turn left onto Farrer Park Station Road to reach Connexion.
Private Car Parks
• Parking spaces are available at Connexion
Daily Parking Charges (excluding GST)
Grace Period: 15min
7.00am to 5.59pm - $2.00 for 1st hour
- $1.00 for subsequent 30min
6.00pm to 6.59am - $3.00 per entry
• City Square Mall
Kitchener Road, 5-min walk
• Mustafa Centre
Syed Alwi Road, 5-min walk
• PARKROYAL on Kitchener Road
Kitchener Road, 5-min walk
Public Car Parks
• Block 682/683 Race Course Road
3-min walk
• Northumberland Road
3-min walk
• Block 13-15 Farrer Park Road
5-min walk
• Block 678 Perumal Road
5-min walk
By BusLocation of bus-stops near Connexion
Serangoon Road
Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple 5-min walk
Bus Services
Rangoon Road
towards Serangoon Road 2-min walk
Bus Services
131, 141
Rangoon Road
towards Race Course Road 2-min
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By MRT
Opening Hours Monday-Friday, 9:00AM-6:00PM, excluding Public Holidays


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- BurlapAndLace
- 9 years ago
- Wedding: August 2012
This is what I am going for:
This one above is my venue. But I need more inspiration!
This is what I am going for:
This one above is my venue. But I need more inspiration!
I have way too many photos to post but I'm doing exactly what you are! I'm getting married at my family's acerage with mason jar candle centerpieces with burlap and sunflowers 🙂 Here's a few pics that I can dig up 🙂
ooh do you have the source for your inspiration? me likey 🙂
The Mason Jar Lanterns image is one of mine taken in my farm yard. You can find it along with my designs here:
Thank you,
I just bought some of your laterns on Etsy! I love them!
A favorite wedding of mine…
These were my centerpieces and what I had along the aisle…
@missmouse29: Here is my source. Sorry I forgot to post it earlier:
@MrsPinkPeony: I LOVE this!
Loving These! This is my rustic inspiration board… the building is the actual site of my ceremony!
Here is one of my ALL time favorite rustic barn weddings. Probably my favorite wedding we've ever shot!
no worries! I'm just happy I know where to go drool some more now haha 🙂
@MrsPinkPeony: What is the source for this? Its my favorite wedding I've seen!
The topic 'Show me your barn/ranch/country/vintage wedding or inspiration' is closed to new replies.


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In medical school I wanted to be an Intensive Care specialist. Long way from a cancer specialist!
To be a specialist, you have to have a personality 'defect', well more of a particular personality profile. Surgeons are men of action, physicians are men of thought and learning, anaesthetists are outdoors people. This doesn't prevent them from being different, but often they run to stereotype.
What are cancer doctors' defects? There certainly is the 'cancer saviour' type. But that is, most definitely, not me.
I looked after my first cancer patients in my second year as a doctor. It was one of the horror terms - rarely less than 30 inpatients and topping out at 45. I found that I was occupied for 8 hours of the days just serving their medical needs.
I got no satisfaction from that job. So each day at 5pm I switched my pager off, finished the remaining work and then walked in to spend time with the patients. Basically I socialised after hours!
I discovered that they were all common folk with big problems. They weren't all the same. They covered the whole range of humans - married, single, divorced, professional, labourers, old, young, male, female, catholics, protestants, whites, blacks, asians, etc. Their differences were fascinating. And yet their reactions to cancer were remarkably similar.
Most people will say that they couldn't cope if they had cancer. But almost every patient seemed to cope. And not only cope, but also to find that life was getting better as a result! That is what attracted me to cancer – sorry, the people with cancer.
Of course it is one thing to find that you like working with a group of patients, you also have to think that you have something to offer them. I thought that I had two advantages. Firstly my mother had died of cancer and my father of a car accident, so I understood something of survivor guilt. Secondly I had another career before medicine that gave me a different perspective on people and their needs.
The first advantage forced me to accept that death is inevitable. The only questions are how and when. Cancer gives you just one advantage. The how and when are much more predictable. And because its CANCER, everyone knows you're going to die soon (good thing that often they are wrong). So you can prepare. But to gain this advantage the doctor must tell you what's happening early.
The second advantage gave me the skills to talk to all patients and to understand that they are all capable of understanding this cancer problem. When I wanted to know, I asked the patient. I discovered that they all want to know about their cancer problem. I say 'all' but of course there are the once-a-year patients who don't!
So here I am in cancer medicine. I still like the people I meet in work time. I still work very hard to gain their understanding.
And I still spend too long talking with them!


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Dharamshala is known to be the residence of globally-adored master of the Tibetan culture 'Dalai Lama' and several other Tibetan monks who have taken exile. The city is situated on the scenic land of Kangra Valley in the state of Himachal Pradesh with captivating views of the green hills, Himalayan mountains in the backdrop and quiet lakes, Dharamshala is an ideal combination of nature and enlightenment. Solo backpackers, families and groups of tourists can be found strolling around this pristine city. Though Dharamshala has plenty to offer, it is ideal for a 3 to 4 days stay.
Best Time to Visit
The summer months from March to July are ideal to visit Dharamshala. The weather is quite pleasant and these months are preferred for trekking. February is also an ideal month to visit and engage in the most popular festival of Dharamshala, Tibetan New Year Festival. It is recommended to look for local festivals and fairs that undertake in the city before booking. Find best hotels in Dharamshala from Goibibo.
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Momos, Thukpa, Thenthukand Pochaare some famous Tibetan dishes. Plenty of dhabas for your Punjabi food fixes, momo points and bakeries can be found in the city.JJI Exile Brothers & Mama's Kitchen, Peace Café, Dolma & Dorjee, Jimmy's Italian Kitchen and Black Tent Cafe are some popular dining places offering a variety of food options. Quality Tibetan Bakery and Ogo's Italian Cafe are good choices for desserts offering some delicious puddings, brownies and aromatic coffee.
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The Museum of Kangra Art was designed to preserve, conserve and revive the cultural heritage of the Kangra region. Located near Kothwali Bazaar in Dharamsala, the museum is a grand display of Tibetan and Buddhist cultures. Though in its infantile stage, yet the museum has a good collection of ancient assortments and promises a long way to go.
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Clean Ocean Foundation is developing the National Outfall Database to provide policy makers with a guide to help prioritise outfall reform and identify public and private sector opportunities for waste water recycling.
For the first time Australia will have a publically accessible National Outfall Database (NOD), developed by Clean Ocean Foundation in collaboration with the States and Northern Territory and supported by the National Environmental Science Program - Marine Biodiversity Hub.
The project will be delivered over a four year time frame assisted by citizen scientists who will collect new monitoring data on priority coastal sewerage outfalls in Australia. This will help identify any potential health and environmental impacts of sewerage outfalls on the marine environment and surrounding communities.
Clean Ocean Foundation is developing the NOD to provide policy makers with detailed comparative information to help prioritise outfall reform that would benefit local communities. The NOD will also identify opportunities for waste water recycling for the public and private sector.
The project team will work with the States and NT to assemble all existing information on sewerage outfalls in one central location and make them available through a publically accessible database.
The team will collaborate with representatives from the scientific community and relevant State and NT representatives to provide a peer-reviewed ranking of sewerage outfalls based on their potential health and environmental impacts, taking into account receiving water body characteristics, ecological sensitivity and/or human use considerations.
The team will involve citizen scientists to help identify potential health and environmental impacts of sewerage outfalls on the Australian coastline, especially where these may not be identified by existing information.
The NOD will provide State and NT policy makers, water authorities and communities with the best available scientific information to prioritize sewerage outfall reforms that would benefit local communities.
Communities will be more engaged in and informed of the potential impact of sewerage outfalls on their health and their environment, based on outfall characteristics and the properties of the receiving environment. They will have the opportunity to contribute to this understanding in an effective and collaborative manner.
Water Authorities will benefit from cooperatively engaging with their community in an open evidence based scientific process. This will improve shared understanding about current infrastructure constraints and inform priority setting for future funding.
Pressures on the marine environments can be reduced through nationally consistent and comparable scientific information on outfalls from which policy makers can prioritize decisions on outfall reform.
Commercial interests will have ready access to detailed information on the location and composition of waste water streams for recycling for industrial, agricultural or residential development.
From early 2016 the project team will begin work with interested parties and community groups to develop and refine suitable low cost citizen science techniques to monitor outfalls for material with recognized environmental and/or health consequences.
Collection of existing data, analysis, standardisation and peer-review will result in the first results being available for use by policy makers, manager and interested communities in 2017.
Related information
- Clean Ocean Foundation https://www.cleanocean.org/
- Clean Ocean Foundation - information about National Outfall Database including information sheets and media releases https://www.cleanocean.org/national-outfall-database.html
- National Outfall Database - reports and supporting data analysis https://www.outfalls.info/about/publications
- Clean Ocean Foundation Youtube
Water sampling being conducted from a jetski at Baxters outfall near Wonthaggi, Victoria. Image: Clean Ocean Foundation


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Sasha the Staffy
A few months ago we saw a beautiful girl by the name of Sasha. Sasha is a 14 year old Staffy cross. Her owners came in to our clinic with Sasha as they were concerned about her lack of interaction with them at home. She spent most of her day sleeping and rarely sought any attention from her owners.
Sasha was diagnosed with a condition called Canine Cognitive Dysfunction (CDD).
Unfortunately CCD is a relatively common condition in older pets. It can manifest in different ways. The most common signs include:
- confusion
- altered social interactions
- changes in activity eg. pacing, increased anxiety, vocalising
- altered sleep
- learning and memory problems eg. house-soiling, forgetting previously known commands
Sasha started treatment with some medication and a special prescription diet that stimulate brain function, and decrease nerve damage and degeneration. She also started a play routine to help stimulate brain function. Sasha has made some great improvements which we hope will continue.


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Please Note: Since the ISSA Guidelines were disseminated to the field, there have been some important changes, of which you should be aware. These changes were relayed to all stakeholders via Division of Developmental Disability Information Bulletins:
ISSA agencies contract with the Department of Human Services (DHS) through the Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD) to carry out their responsibilities. They perform their duties under the authority of, and in compliance with, all applicable federal and state laws, rules and regulations, including but not limited to, Illinois Administrative Code Rule 120, the State's Medicaid Plan, DDD Waiver Manual and other documents.
Regulatory compliance of ISSA activity is done through monitoring by both DHS and the Department of Public Aid (DPA). Through its contractual agreements, DHS may terminate contracts, reduce the cope of contracts or impose administrative sanctions if agencies fail to comply with applicable regulations.
ISSA agencies are given access to individual's records and to individuals when present at service provision locations for the purpose of conducting visits and reviews as directed by DHS.
ISSA agencies are independent from direct service provision and individual, guardian or family interests. They are re to present factual information based on regulations, opportunities and restrictions with federal and state programs, strengths and limitations within specific provider programs, and best practices to all participants to promote maximum independence and self-sufficiency for the individuals involved.
Examples of resources available for advocacy services are:
Responsibility for ISSA visits will lie with the ISSA agency that serves the geographic area in which the individual's residence is located. If the individual receiving day program services and those day program services are delivered by a provider located outside the ISSA agency's service area, ISSSA services will still be provided by the ISSA agency serving the geographic area in which the individual's residence is located.
The ISSA will make a redetermination of individual waiver eligibility on an annual basis, unless there is a change in circumstances affecting eligibility which necessitates a complete review earlier, e.g., change in income, assets or living arrangement. With the exception of developmental disability status, the redetermination must include a review of all eligibility factors. The purpose of the review is to verify eligibility for Medicaid claiming and to establish continuing need for an ICF/DD level of service.
The DHS local office caseworker conducts an annual redetermination of eligibility for Medicaid. ISSAs and providers are responsible for ensuring that this occurs.
Providers are responsible for completing the DPA-26563 to document for the DHS local office caseworker that the individual continues to meet his/her Medicaid spenddown obligation, if necessary.
The ISSA Qualified Intellectual Disability Professional (QIDP) is responsible for conducting an annual redetermination of the individuals' continuing eligibility for waiver claiming. This redetermination is summarized and documented on the Redetermination of Medicaid Waiver Eligibility (1213.1). The timeliness of the redetermination is of critical importance, as it will be monitored by HFCA, DPA and DHS Office of Developmental Disabilities (DHS Office of DD). No redetermination may be allowed to become out of date, it must be completed within 365 days of the date on the most recent OBRA 5 or 1213.1 documenting the need for an ICF/DD level of service (sometimes referred to as active treatment for developmental disability). Agencies may schedule a redetermination to coincide with the individual's Individual Service Plan (ISP) meeting if the ISP meeting will be held on or before the next due date for the redetermination is due. The redetermination must then be done when due, and another redetermination could be done when the ISP is held, if the ISSA agency wishes the two events to occur at the same time.
ISSA agencies should remember that if provider agencies postpone the ISP to a date that is later than the redetermination date, the redetermination must still be done on or before its next due date. The 1213.1 must be maintained in the individual record.
The criteria for continuing waiver eligibility are the same as the criteria for initial waiver eligibility, contained in the PAS Manual and outlined in Section 420.00 of the Medicaid Waiver Manual.
The following assessments and programmatic information must be completed or reviewed in redetermining waiver eligibility:
For all individuals receiving purchase of service (POS) funded programs:
If the determination is made that the individual no longer meets the ICF/DD level of service criteria, the ISSA QIDP will provide the individual or guardian with a notice that includes the determination, whether or not services will continue, and copy of the Notice of Individual Right to Appeal (1202).
The 1202 is also included in the required notice when any waiver service provider seeks to terminate, suspend or reduce waiver services to an individual.
When an appeal is received by DHS, the first step for service termination, suspension or reduction is an information review and an attempt to resolve the dispute informally by DHS Office of Developmental Disabilities staff. If this is unsuccessful or for determinations of ineligibility of or unavailability of services, the next step is a hearing by the DHS administrative law judge.
The decision by the DHS administrative law judge will be communicated to the individual or guardian in a written notice that includes the right to appeal the DHS decision to DPA, the single State agency, the process and time line for appealing and the address to which to send the appeal.
Details of the grounds for appeal, notification requirements and appeal process are contained in the waiver rule: Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services Waiver Program for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities (59 Ill. Adm. Code 120.110).
Agencies providing ISSA must be accredited according to accreditation requirements for Individual Service Coordination agencies, as administered through the Office of Accreditation, Licensure and Certification of the Department of Human Services.
Skills necessary for the successful provision of ISSA include the following:
Persons who receive ISSA will be all persons enrolled in the Home and Community-Based Services Waiver. Among many other service profiles, this will include some individuals who:
For now, ISSA is only provided to individuals enrolled in the waiver, with the single exception of individuals receiving host family services. This exception covers everyone in host family settings, including those in Home/Individual Programs and Special Home Placements. DHS hopes to reapply for the inclusion of host family services in the waiver at a later date, when it has become clear that these services meet the criteria for inclusion. ISSA visits are an instrumental part of that effort. ISSA visits would continue if the host family program is again included in the waiver.
The State has the responsibility to ensure the general health and well-being for persons in the waiver, including individuals in their own homes; therefore, individual who choose to participate in waiver residential support programs, including Intermittent CILA, Supported Living Services and host family settings, must provide access to their homes for on-site visits. Issues of personal preference should be respected, e.g., tidiness and clutter, but issues regarding health and safety must be addressed, e.g., decomposing food, roach infestation).
For individuals requesting waiver-funded services, PAS Agencies must inform families prior to enrollment that PAS/ISSA visits will take place in the family homes. Families are more likely to be receptive and cooperative if this necessity is explained to them from the beginning. At least one annual visit by ISSA workers will be made to the individual's home.
An additional visit may be needed if any of the following criteria is met. The ISSA will document the need for an additional visit in Section VI, Suggested Follow Up, on the Visiting Notes summary.
The ISSA agency may determine the best way of documenting additional visits that occur over and basic four annual visits. The ISSA agency may wish to use the ISSA Visiting Notes, a shortened version thereof, a narrative case note, or some other means of written documentation. In every case, the reasons for the additional visit, the process of the visit (including persons involved and issues addressed), and the results of the visit must be thoroughly documented and shared with the individual, guardian and provider. Documentation must be retained in the ISSA's agency records, along with documentation of the annual four visits to the individual and other materials relevant to the individual's ISSA services. In every case, the purpose of the additional visit must be identified prior to the occurrence of the visit. The ISSA's role is not merely to observe, but to contribute to the resolution of problems.
ISSA Visiting NOtes provide a format to assist the QIDP in accurately and consistently recording information gathered during ISSA visits to individuals receiving waiver services. The priority goal is that issues of health, safety and meaningful programming are receiving attention. ISSA workers should use their experience to guide them in ordering priorities.
Visiting Notes do not need to be sent to DHS on a routine basis; however, ISSA agencies will forward Visiting Notes when submitting the "Referral to Department of Human Services for Monitoring and/or Technical Assistance" form to the DDD Networks.
The necessary documentation of an ISSA worker's visits to an individual for participation in development of the Individual Service Plan (ISP) will be the ISP itself, which will include a signature page of those participation in the ISP development. The necessary documentation of an ISSA worker's visits to an individual in order to assist in completion of the Consumer Satisfaction Survey will be the completed satisfaction survey. Visiting Notes will be used to document the other two annual visits to the individual at the individual's residence and/or day program.
When completed, ISSA Visiting Notes must be shared with the individual and/or the guardian and the waiver service providers. Copies of the Visiting Notes must be provided on av average within seven working days following the completion of the visit. Documentation of follow up visits provided to the individual over and above the four annual visits will also be shared with the individual and/or guardian and providers on the same basis.
The Visiting Notes are generally appropriate for use in residential and day program settings. The following considerations will be applicable for visits to individuals at day programs and at residential settings that are private homes. Regardless of the location of a specific visit, however, the ISSA must review with the individual, guardian and staff, outcomes for the person's entire service package and the individual's level of satisfaction with all services.
Outcome #8 - The person appears to be able to access the community with support as desired: This may not be applicable to the day program itself, since day program activities are provided in specific settings and during specific times; however, the individual's willingness and interest in participation in the day program may be appropriately addressed in this outcome. The ISSA may also be able to gather information from interviews and record reviews that will be helpful in assessing the degree to which this outcome is present in the individual's residential setting.
The ISSA should discuss ahead of time with the individual and/or guardian and staff of the Supported Employment provider (and business, where applicable), the need to provide ISSA services to the individual. This includes requirements by the State of Illinois as part of the individual's participation waiver-funded services, and observation of the individual's working conditions as part of the content of those services. As a team, persons involved should agree on the least intrusive means of obtaining the information necessary for completion of the ISSA responsibilities. It is not necessary that the individual or staff be interviewed at the work site, but some unobtrusive observations of the work site conditions must constitute part of the data that go into the ISSA's visiting notes for the day program visit.
The ISSA must take into consideration cultural and economic factors that may affect particular outcomes. Standards that apply in provider-supported residential settings may not be appropriate standards when visiting a person's own home. For example, in evaluating the presence of Outcome #2 ("The setting of the visit appears to be safe and clean"), the ISSA should recognize that individuals and families vary from day to day in their interest and capacity to adhere to any one set of standards for what is considered "clean." When the ISSA has questions in this area, the ISSA should address whether the individual's health, safety and well-being are supported by the setting.
Another consideration relates to fairness. The ISSA should consider whether everyone within the home shares the same standards for cleanliness, or whether a double standard exists, so that the individual being visited does not benefit equally from standards existing elsewhere in the home.
Considerations similar to the above should be utilized when reviewing Outcome #12 - "The individual appears to be well groomed and appropriately dressed."
ISSA services will be reimbursed at an hourly rate established by DHS. Billing and payment procedures should be followed through the Community Reporting System (CRS) as outlined in Chapter 700 of the DDD Waiver Manual. Specific instructions are listed, including proper forms to utilize along with time lines for completion.
Billable ISSA service hours consist of time spent on behalf of the individual waiver recipient. Examples of billable hours could include the following:
The problem resolution protocol is based on five foundational principles. These principles include:
Issues or concerns, identified during the course of any ISSA contact with community providers, should initially be addressed with the person responsible for oversight of daily program implementation (agency QIDP, house lead, ISSA worker, etc.). The ISSA and agency staff will develop an action plan, acceptable to both, for addressing the issues or concerns.
If there is a medical or safety need, then appropriate, prompt action is required of the ISSA. Likewise, problems that require reporting to OIG or some other regulatory body must first be handled per those requirements, and if appropriate, submitted to the dispute prevention/problem resolution process. If the identified issues or concerns are perceived to b significantly serious, then the ISSA will immediately utilize Step 2 or Step 3.
If the matter is not resolved per the action plan, or if the parties fail to create a mutually acceptable action plan, the ISSA and/or the agency staff will immediately contact his/her supervisor to inform them of the unresolved issue or concern. Additional efforts at resolving the issue or concern will be promptly undertaken using the following guidelines:
If the matter remains unresolved, the Executive Director of the PAS/ISC/ISSA agency and Executive Director of the agency will be brought into the problem-solving discussions. Discussions should now have six participants.
If the matter is not resolved within a reasonable period of time, the PAS/ISC/ISSA Executive Director will contact the responsible DHS Network Facilitator. The Network Facilitator will conduct a fact-finding session and work with the parties to bring about a final resolution to the problem. In the event that the parties, with the help of the Network Facilitator. are unable to reach agreement, then the Department will issue a final and binding decision.
Documentation of the conflict resolution process will be maintained in the individual's ISSA record. The ISSA agency will document in the individual's ISSA record that it has provided the individual and/or guardian with the information regarding the progress of the conflict resolution process. The content of that information will be included in the documentation.
The Division of Developmental Disabilities manages its relationships with waiver providers through eight geographic networks across the state. Four networks are located in Metro Chicago and four networks are located in downstate Illinois. Network staff responsible for working with individuals and providers within each network are headquartered and coordinated in Springfield and Chicago.
The Division of Developmental Disabilities has developed a referral form for use of ISSA agency staff when they are unable to resolve service issues at the local level. This is a combined form that may be used for both ISSA and Bogard Individual Service Coordination purposes. The formal ISSA/Bogard referral is sent to the network coordinator in either Springfield or Chicago for consideration of technical assistance and/or additional monitoring.
The coordinator assigns each referral to the appropriate network facilitator, logs the referral and tracks the outcome of network involvement. The network coordinator is responsible for ensuring appropriate and timely follow up.
Note: This form is not used for suspected cases of abuse and neglect, which are reported immediately and directly to the Office of the Inspector General, which in turn notifies the Division of Developmental Disabilities for follow up on substantiated cases.
A common database is used by both the Springfield and Chicago offices so that routine reports maybe produced for monitoring and management purposes. Reports will be shared with the Department of Public Aid (DPA). DHS will provide DPA with ISSA referral reports when individuals are selected for DPA monitoring.
Network staff may involve the Bureau of Accreditation, Licensure and Certification (BALC), OIG or Bureau of Quality Assurance and System Improvement (BQASI), depending on the nature of the concern being raised by the ISSA, for additional investigation or monitoring. In some cases, staff from state-operated developmental centers may be involved to provide intensive technical assistance to community-based provider agencies, especially around issues of behavior management and special medical needs of individuals.
Referrals for monitoring and/or technical assistance will be made to the appropriate Network Coordinator in the Division of Developmental Disabilities, using the form: Referral for Monitoring and/or Technical Assistance Tool. The following guidelines indicate situations for which such referral is desirable. Agencies may identify additional situations for which referrals are also appropriate:
Department of Human Services
Division of Developmental Disabilities
James R. Thompson Center
100 West Randolph Street, Suite 6-400
Chicago, IL 60601
or to the Network Coordinator for Greater Illinois to:
Department of Human Services
Division of Developmental Disabilities
419 Stratton Building
Springfield, IL 62765
Note: All instances of suspected abuse or neglect must be reported to the Office of Inspector General, with one exception: if the individual resides in a Community Living Facility, the report would be made to the Department of Public Health.
Section 6.2 of the Abused and Neglected Long Term Care Facility Residents Reporting Act (210 ILCS 30) created the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) whose responsibility is to investigate reports of suspected abuse or neglect of individuals who are current enrollees of programs under its jurisdiction. OIG's area of authority includes any mental health or developmental disabilities facility or program that is licensed, certified or funded by DHS that is not under the jurisdiction of any other state agency. OIG is, therefore, responsible for such investigations in all waiver habilitation settings, except Community Living Facilities, which are licensed by the Department of Public Health.
The Illinois Administrative Code Title 59, Part 50 (Rule 50 or OIG Rule) establishes specific guidelines to follow from the initial reporting of abuse and neglect through final action which would result from any subsequent investigation. CILA Rule 115 and DT Rule 119 also contain amendments requiring reporting to OIG.
ISSA Workers are considered "required Reporters" under Rule 50 and must report all cases or suspected cases of abuse, neglect or other incidents specifically included in Rule 50. Reports may be made to an agency's authorized representative, who would follow up according to agency procedures and report to OIG, or the ISSA worker may directly contact OIG. If the ISSA worker notifies OIG, he/she would be considered the complainant in the case. In either scenario, the ISSA is responsible for ensuring that OIG is contacted. The ISSA worker should also inform the DDD Network to keep them apprised of the situation.
Rule 50 has three thresholds that, if met, would lead to report to OIG:
ISSA agencies are monitored by both DHS and DPA. Specifically, annual reviews of the agencies' regulatory compliance are conducted by the Bureau of Accreditation, Licensure and Certification with DHS. In addition to this routine activity, ISSAs are subject to the sample monitoring conducted by DPA and DHS's quality assurance section. Based on the performance of each ISSA agency, DHS may terminate contracts, reduce the scope of contracts or impose administrative sanctions if an ISSA fails to comply with applicable regulations.
Staff of BALC will conduct annual on-site surveys of all ISSA agencies. Accredited agencies are granted deemed status for some standards, because those standards are surveyed as part of the required national accreditation. ISSA providers will be n notified in writing of any deficiencies and are required to submit a plan of correction, including time frames for completion, if there are any deficiencies. BALC staff will review the plan of correction, and if acceptable, approve the participation of the provider. When violations occur, more frequent BALC site visits may be made. Staff of the Division of Developmental Disabilities, including the Bureau of Quality Assurance and System Improvement (BQASI) and Network staff may assist with site visits or provide additional monitoring or technical assistance.
DHS requires all programs funded by DHS and not licensed by another agency that receive more than $20,000 per year in funding for services for individuals with a developmental disability or mental illness to be accredited by a nationally recognized accreditation body (such as CARF or the Accreditation Council). BALC monitors ISSA agency compliance with this DHS requirement.
Each year, CPA will complete a record review of a random sample of 5% of participants. DPA will ensure that low utilization services are included in the random sample. In addition, DPA will randomly select one downstate provider and one provider in the Chicago Metro area per quarter for intensive on-site reviews. A ninth provider will be chosen annually for a targeted on-site review, based on concerns found while performing other DPA monitoring tasks. These record and intensive on-site reviews will include thorough review of the following, which involve ISSA agency activity:
The results of these reviews will be summarized with other DPA findings and will be forwarded to DHS for follow up action. The DHS BQASI will ensure appropriate corrective action plans are developed and implemented. This activity is subject to tracking and follow up monitoring by DPA.
DHS BQASI will conduct joint random on-site reviews of different individual cases and issue separate findings. Written plans of correction will also be required as a result of the DHS case reviews. The BQASI will track the plans of correction and will report to DPA on the status of these cased quarterly.
The ISSA agencies are to maintain paper records for review by monitoring agencies of the following information:
The following section provides instructions in addition to those that appear on the form that will be helpful to the ISSA in completing the record of the ISSA's visit.
Section I. Major Issues to be Addressed During These Visits
The QIDP will provide a brief synopsis of the reason the person is receiving an ISSA visit. This will provide information on the background associated with the visit, providing a context within which the Visiting Notes can be understood. If it is one of the annual routine visits that every individual is to receive, that can be noted here. At times, DHS, providers or guardians may request that ISSA visits include special attention to a particular issue. That information can be included here. Some examples might be:
This section provides a listing of the various persons interviewed and documents reviewed by the ISSA QIDP in order to complete his/her visiting notes. It is a record of the resources utilized by the ISSA QIDP in order to arrive at his/her conclusions, which are recorded in other parts of the visiting notes.
This section provides a space for entering information about specific interests, concerns, or issues that the guardian, family and/or friends have expressed as significant to the ISSA visit. Contacts with family and/or friends shall be made only with the consent of the individual (when guardianship is not applicable) or guardian. Guardians must be contacted prior to site visits. See Specific ISSA Tasks and General Areas of Responsibility for guidance.
Guardians must be asked if they have any issues with service provision or special areas of concern. It is not intended that guardians be asked a standard list of questions corresponding to the outcomes on a routine basis; however, a few specific questions, varied each time, may aid the ISSA in obtaining useful comments from the guardian.
The Review of Desirable Outcomes section provides space for the ISSA QIDP to record notes that indicate whether each of 19 different outcomes is present. Details or examples to indicate the reasons for each determination should be included here. Notes should emphasize objective information, i.e., things observed or read. Subjective information reported by others is appropriate for inclusion, especially when expressed by the individual and guardian. Each of the 19 outcomes should be addressed. If, for a particular outcome, there was an insufficient opportunity to assess the presence of that outcome, a note should be entered to explain what obstacles prevented the QIDP's evaluation of that outcome.
As the instructions indicate, this space is for overall impressions and summary information by the ISSA. Special efforts or achievements by the person being visited, the team or other entities might be commended here, or in other parts of the visiting notes. This section may also be used to record information received from the person being visited, the guardian or family members, staff persons, other support persons, peers, etc., if that information is deemed pertinent to the visit and is not noted elsewhere.
Refer to Guidelines for Additional Services for further criteria useful in determining whether additional ISSA visits or referrals to the DHS Network for monitoring and/or technical assistance are indicated.
"Is Follow-Up Action Needed? _____ Yes _____ No"
The answer to this question will be based on information gathered in the preceding sections of the Visiting Notes. Follow up may include suggestions for the Community Support Team, such as modification of the Individual Service Plan or the securing of additional assessments. It may include matters to be taken up with the Network such as a request for monitoring and/or technical assistance. It could also contain a notation regarding any referral made to the Office of the Inspector General. It may include action needed by persons other that the ISSA. If "Yes" is marked, the ISSA worker should list the suggested action, the person responsible (including affiliation) for taking the action, and the suggested target date for the action in the appropriate boxes contained in this section.
This section should be signed and dated by the ISSA QIDP when the Visiting Notes are completed. Copies of this completed form are to be given to the agency, the individual and the guardian.


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Greetings everyone!
How has your week been? I hope it's been fantastic, enlightening, and positive overall. Along my personal development journey I've been exploring quantum mechanics (of all things), and am mainly interested in this topic as it relates to the reality of things, personal development, and how we can all help others help themselves. Ultimately, that's all I'm really interested in when I investigate these different scientific ideas. I'm interested in how scientific findings can help us navigate through our everyday lives, coupled with our spiritual practices, professional pursuits, or whatever else strikes our fancies. I'm interested in exploring new ideas that help people get where they want to go in life. So it seems that my interests and my curiosity have led me here to the unknown, for real! Please come along with me on this adventure, and all I ask is that you bring with you an open mind willing to be stretched…
Quantum Mechanics and Consciousness
Now, growing up I never had an interest in science whatsoever. Dissecting animals didn't seem intriguing to me, nor did watching gases rises from Bunsen burners or knowing how to read and memorize the periodic table. However, I have taken a liking to quantum mechanics as it relates to understanding matter in a new way, an understanding that strays away from likening matter to a tangible substance to likening it to consciousness. This has wonderful implications, in my humble opinion. It suggests that there is more to this universe than our material world, at present, has led us to believe, and this "more" is evident in even the tiniest, elemental particles.
What is quantum mechanics? You ask. Well, it's a branch of science that is interested in investigating physical phenomena (energy, matter) within the universe on a very, very, microscopic scale. "Quantum" means the amount of, and mechanics in this field of study refer to understanding the behavior of very small quantities of energy and matter. Because energy and matter comprise everything within our universe, it seems like a good idea to get to know how these things work in some respect, along with developing a working knowledge of other things that quantum mechanics may inform such as philosophy, spirituality, religion, psychology, the occult, etc.
I found a video that describes quantum mechanics and consciousness that I'm still studying because it's important for me to really understand what's being discussed. I'll share that video in just a moment. However, one idea that stands out to me is this idea that substance is not matter, or material/tangible, but that substance on a quantum level is actually consciousness. Now, what is consciousness? You may ask. It's one of those things that we know exists from our own self-reflective processes and cognitive and even energetic experiences with others, but do we really know how to define consciousness? I think it's safe to say that we can't "touch" consciousness with our bare hands. Well anyway, here are a few definitions for consciousness that I've found:
TheFreeDictionary.Com: a sense [emphasis added] of one's personal or collective identity, including the attitudes, beliefs, and sensitivities held by or considered characteristic of an individual or group
MerriamWebster.Com: the quality or state of being aware especially of something within oneself
OxfordDictionaries.Com: a person's awareness or perception of something
From these definitions I get that consciousness is sensed, that it's an awareness of sorts. Now, here's a quote from the video The Illusion of Reality (video located below the quote) that caused me to ponder why it even matters if substance on a quantum level is consciousness and not material:
"Quantum physics has revealed what ancient masters knew: matter does not exist. The concept of substance arose from the philosophy of Aristotle, and from that concept came science's conception of matter. The fact of the matter is that the substance of the universe is consciousness. Belief that the substance of the universe is matter leads to what I call a "fear-grade dichotomy," as people in their quiet desperation attempt to accumulate as many material possessions and riches as possible. In fact, the substance of the universe is consciousness; therefore it is behavior that is important."
Here's the video:
One last tidbit: quantum mechanics also has this concept of "The Observer" (I don't believe caps were necessary for that title, but for my Fringe fans I chose to capitalize based on the characters in this show) as the observer relates to the behavior of particles within the universe. David Mazza at Nasa.Gov explains that "in quantum mechanics, the observer and the system being observed became mysteriously linked so that the results of any observation seemed to be determined in part by actual choices made by the observer." In other words, the observer in a study of quantum mechanics influences the way that particles will behave, so that different observers cause quantum particles to behave in different ways based on their unique interactions with and expectations of these particles. Hmm…
So, here's what I gather after watching many videos on this matter (no pun intended), reading articles, and creating this blog post: there is a direct correlation between me and everything else within this universe. The suggestion is that everything in the universe on the sub-atomic level is composed of "consciousness," energy and information that are all connected in a larger vastness of energy and information. The level of energy and consciousness (or awareness) that I bring to an interaction between anything within this universe of energy and consciousness will directly impact my experience within this interaction. If I believe that interactions with things within this universe are going to suck, then they will. If I believe that I will be in awe and amazed by the interactions I have with all of life's forms on any given day, then I will. That's just my interpretation…
I have an influence on the things in which I choose to participate and with which I interact in my world, which ultimately create my reality (worldview, life experience). The idea of "me" doesn't have to be permanent, either: if my behavior towards a "thing" or interaction with a "thing" is one way in 1999, it doesn't have to be that way with the same thing in 2012. As I change, so will my interactions, I imagine. But one thing seems very, very clear to me: I make a significant contribution to the experiences that I have with other things within my environment.
So what does it all suggest? Well, first I learned that scientists have now realized that the brain is stretchy, and that you can change yourself into whatever or whomever you want to be, provided that you're dedicated to your cause and willing to do the work. Now I'm learning that on a scientific, subatomic level, everything in the universe is directly impacted by its interaction with everything else in the universe. This suggests that my thoughts are important as these influence my behavior, and the way I treat others directly impacts me in some way. Isn't this what ancient philosophers, sages, spiritual teachers like Buddha and Jesus Christ, artists, and other humanistic contributors been telling us for centuries?
The Illusion of Reality video also touches on other ideas, too, mainly the idea that consciousness cannot be divided, that is the universal consciousness that is a part of everything (including you and me), and that in this holographic universe in which we live (I have to research holographs a little more) "the whole is contained in the part." In other words, if you examined a piece of a particle within the universe you'd notice that the same patterns within the smaller particle also exist within larger particles. There is no "division." In my mind this is a very important suggestion. For now, I'll just say that it suggests that we are all more connected to one another than we think we are, and an awareness of this connection may be very important for our existence.
Let's Do Better. 🙂
K. Nola Mokeyane
Mazza, D. (n.d.). The Observer in Modern Physics: Some Personal Speculations. Retrieved from http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/k-12/Numbers/Math/Mathematical_Thinking/observer.htm
TheFreeDictionary.Com (n.d.). Quantum Mechanics. Retrieved from http://www.thefreedictionary.com/quantum+mechanics
YouTube.Com (2009). Consciousness and Quantum Mechanics. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPbrP4crwjg
YouTube.Com (2012): Illusion of Reality. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zksKlYoC_o0&feature=related
YouTube.Com (2011). It's Time to Wake Up-We Are All One. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIJHJzDQcRM
Related articles
- Quantum Physics Is Very Real (profmattstrassler.com)
- Quantum Energy Adaptation Theory Part II. Death and Dying… (responsiveuniverse.wordpress.com)
- In awe about entanglement (motls.blogspot.com)


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DINOSAURS Plateau
The plateaus of dinosaurs is one of the important sights of Koytendag where remained the footsteps of huge fossil pangolins. The plateau of dinosaurs settles down on a northwest slope of a mountain ridge, near the Hojapil settlement. The impressive sizes of the accurate footsteps of the three-fingered legs of the ancient animals settle down in some numbers. They belonged to several individuals of the various age. As results of the spent researches scientists have come to conclusion that the footsteps are left by the herbivorous animal and some predatory dinosaurs living here approximately 140-150 million years ago. According to the footsteps the sizes of the foot of a prehistoric pangolin made 70x65 cm, the width of a step reached 1,5-2,2 meters.
The huge animals went leaning against hind legs. The forepaws were essentially more shortly and weren't used while walking that allowed the scientists to make the conclusion that growth of fossil dinosaurs reached 6-8 meters at length of a body of 5-10 meters and weight of a body of 5-10 tons. Among the variety of the hardened footsteps the attention of the researchers was paid to the footsteps of the small sizes which length does not exceed 45 cm.
The numerous footsteps of dinosaurs remained on a plateau surface were the source for the origin of numerous legends. One of them says: these footsteps have been left by a mythical racer of sacred prophet Ali. The hoofs of a racer have been put in the special form of three-fingered configuration. According to another legend these footsteps belong to Alexander the Great's fighting elephants. The rumour says: during the victorious campaign to India the lord of the world crossed a high-mountainous plateau on the surface of which the footsteps of impressive sizes of terrible fighting elephants were printed. The stay of Alexander the Great in these land confirms one more interesting fact, the extensive lowland in the desert Kyzyl Kum territory, stretched from the foothills of Koytendag ridge, carries the name "Iskenderin berki" ("Alexander's Fortress"). Nowadays with all-round assistance and active support of Esteemed President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov the purposeful measures are carried out on inclusion of the given unique nature monument into the world heritage list of UNESCO.


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from The Century Dictionary.
- noun A genus of tabulate corals with depressed discoidal coralla consisting of small polygonal funnel-shaped corallites having irregularly perforate walls and faint or obsolete septa. The center of the base of the corallum often holds a vermiform foreign body, which is considered to be the dwelling-tube of a commensal worm.
Sorry, no etymologies found.
Sorry, no example sentences found.


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Talent Matters: 10 Tips to Drive Results
Today's blog is written by AmeriCorps Alums' Co-Executive Director Mary Bruce (full bio below) and is part of AmeriCorps Alums' REALTalk series on race, equity, and AmeriCorps alumni as leaders.
Change is powered by people. But too often, we don't invest in talent development. As a nonprofit sector, we spend less than 2 percent of total grant dollars on it. And personally, it often feels hard to step away from "the work" to attend a training, participate in a webinar, or read and reflect on articles that could support our professional and leadership development.
When we do invest in talent, we're better for it. Personally, professionally, organizationally. And, if we're going to get the change, the progress, the results – our country needs, we need to invest in the people (that means you, Alums!) that drive those results.
Over the last 12 months, along with 15 other social sector leaders, I was lucky to be a part of the Annie E. Casey Foundation's (AECF) "Social Sector Talent Pipeline Strategy and Learning Lab" focused on these issues. It's an opportunity I wish all 900,000+ alumni could have experienced. Below, I share some of the key leadership insights I learned through this experience. We'll also be sharing more about how you can get involved in Alums' new talent development strategy in a call on February 25, 12-1 p.m. ET. (Register for the event here).
I hope you can spend a few minutes today, and each week, investing in your own leadership and professional development. I also hope you'll join us for the strategy call later this month, and in our growing movement of alumni making change across the country and around the world. Because talent matters.
Here is my Top 10 List of Results-Based "aha-moments."
- Stand on results. A result is a condition of well-being for people. Getting a result means something is better. Something has changed. This is the work of a leader. Define your result (in life, in an organization, in every meeting) and stand on your result. You gain real power and clarity when you do. Learn more here.
- Start with the data. Observe first. Before you hypothesize, before you infer, go "to the balcony." What did you see? What did you experience? What data do you have about this issue? Learn more here.
- Clarify if the problem you're working on is technical or adaptive. Technical problems are usually easy to identify and can be overcome with technology, a new policy, or solved with a known solution. Adaptive challenges, on the other hand, "require changes in values, beliefs, roles, relationships, and approaches to work" and require adaptive solutions. Technical solutions won't solve adaptive challenges. Learn more here and here.
- Consider the "mental models" at work. What framework are you bringing to the tasks at hand? What about your colleagues? What beliefs – about race, gender, talent, traditions, values, or opportunity – are at play? You don't have to have the same mental model as your colleagues or partners to get work done (remember: Stand on Results!), but understanding each other's points of view can expedite progress. Learn more here.
- Ask questions. At the beginning of any conversation, meeting, or work assignment, determine your "effective questions." What do you want to learn from this exercise? What really needs to be discussed? Effective questions help guide a conversation and move talk to action. Learn more here.
- Be future focused. It's important to learn from past mistakes (and successes!), but if your thinking is in the rear view mirror, you'll get stuck. Shifting conversations from "what went wrong?" to "what do we need to learn, and what resources do we need to do better?" can reduce defensiveness and open possibilities. Learn more in chapter three of the book available here.
- Understand your role and the roles of others. Whether in a meeting or in a year-long project plan, be clear on if you are an advisor, a decision maker, an authority, or something else. You – and others – may have multiple shifting roles (e.g. employee to the CEO, supervisor of your team, kickball team member to all). Consider your "B/ART" (boundary, authority, role, and task) and the B/ARTs of others – and be comfortable clarifying your role and that of others. Learn more here.
- Think in systems. Ever feel like you're plugging a hole in the dam? Like the work you're doing is too small in comparison to all that "needs" to be done? Consider the system. Take a step out of your work to consider how the interrelated parts connect. From there, identify the best points for intervention. Learn more here.
- Name and ignite conflict. Sometimes, conflict can prevent work from happening. Other times, it's required. Get clear on the root of the conflict. Ask, "Is it based on language, and you're using the same words to mean different things?" or "Is it based on structure, and people are waiting for permission to share their ideas?" Get clear on the type of conflict you're having and the different types of tools to overcome it. Learn more here.
- Give the work to the group. They're brilliant! Sometimes, the most powerful work you can do is to be a "neutral facilitator." By asking the right questions, and then asking the group the make "action commitments," you can play a powerful role moving the work forward. Learn more here.
Have more ideas or questions on leadership, talent development, and the AmeriCorps Alums strategy? Join AmeriCorps Alums General Strategy Call on February 25, 12-1 p.m. ET! Click here to register.
Author Bio: Mary Bruce served in AmeriCorps from 1999-2000 at the Latin American Youth Center as well as in Peace Corps Morocco from 2004-2006. Before joining Alums, Mary was the Senior Education Advisor at Civic Enterprises. She led the firm's education portfolio, including convening the Grad Nation Civic Marshall Plan Leadership Council, which brought together more than 40 leading national partners to help reach the goal of 90 percent high school graduation rates by 2020. She also sits on the national advisory council of New Politics, an organization that gives Americans who have served the tools and guidance to win elections and become the transformational leaders America needs.
February 10, 2016 12:47 am
Great advice and summary of steps to be more results-based.
Cheri Hinkley permalinkFebruary 12, 2016 5:21 pm
Mary…Congratulations on your successes and hard work serving kids. I was the first PC volunteer in Afourer, Morocco in 1974-1976. It was a challenging and very rewarding experience…. It's my understanding that you also lived in this (once small) town. I am sure that it helped to build the strong person you are today and you are surely helping to build strong kids for tomorrow!
Ma Salaam, Cheri Hinkley


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Being a mom can be lonely, especially for new mothers or those who have moved to a new town. Some Detroit area organizations have recognized this fact, and structure their facilities or programs to not only benefit kids, but also encourage moms to meet and develop friendships.
Price: $7 for kids 2 and older/$3 for kids 12 – 23 months/kids less than 12 months; adults free.
Hours: Mon to Sat – 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Sun – 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Moms can meet up over a latte while the kids have fun in Java Jungle's large indoor play area. On-site dining includes kids meals, snacks, sandwiches, smoothies and specialty coffee drinks. Cozy leather couches set a relaxing stage for adult time, while the play structures are large enough for moms to join their kids in the fun, too.
Related: New Year, New Friends: Guide to a More Social 2012
Price: Resident fees $4.25 for kids 4 to 12 years old/$5.75 for kids 13 to 18 years old/$7.25 for adults 19 to 61 years old/$4.25 for seniors 62 and up/kids 3 and under free with accompanying adult pass. Non-resident fees are double. Multi-visit packages and annual memberships available.
Hours: Mon through Fri – 5 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sat – 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Sun – 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
More than just a gym, the Livonia Community Recreation Center includes pools, courts, cardiovascular and exercise equipment, and an indoor track. A rock climbing wall, tree fort, game room and gymnastic center add to the variety. Moms will enjoy the on-site child care and separate lounge area for relaxing and socializing, complete with pool tables, televisions and Internet access.
Price: Free. Advance registration may be required.
Click here for a calendar of events.
Hours: Mon through Thurs – 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Fri and Sat – 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The Royal Oak Public Library has a wealth of programs for kids and families. Weekly story times give moms a chance to interact regularly with the same families and build friendships with other moms. The library's parenting series also offers opportunities for moms to meet, discuss issues and concerns, and support one another during difficult stages.
Price: $6.50 for kids 1 to 15 years/kids younger than 12 months free/kids 16 and older free when accompanied by younger child
Hours: Sun to Tues – 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Wed to Sat – 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
The Tree House in Chelsea has become a popular destination for moms as well as children. The 9,000-square-foot floor plan includes an indoor playground for kids and a gathering area for moms. Large tables and comfortable chairs, along with available light meals, snacks, and hot or cold drinks, make the Tree House a true multi-purpose facility. Here busy moms combine play time with their own activities, such as scrapbooking and book club.
Price: $65 per month for one child or one class/$120 per month for two children or two classes/$125 per month for an unlimited family pass. $35 registration fee.
Schedule: Click here to search classes
Hours: Vary by class
Gymboree classes are designed to foster the physical, social and cognitive development of infants and toddlers, with an emphasis on parental involvement. Regularly held classes give moms time to foster friendships with other moms, and open gym times allow scheduled play dates for both kids and moms. Special events held throughout the year provide fun social gatherings for the whole family.
Related: Best Places for Cold Weather Activities With Your Kids
Jennifer Walker is a freelance writer living in Detroit. She earned her Bachelor's degree in animal science from Michigan State University. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.
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text:
kate and will's wedding pie
Post: #1
Put the olive oil, butter and herbs into a large casserole-type pan (roughly 24cm in diameter and 12cm deep) on a high heat. Roughly chop and add the onions, with the diced meat, the shin bone and a couple of pinches of salt and pepper. Mix well, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the tomato purée, stout, flour and stock and stir until everything comes together to a simmer. Turn the heat down very low, pop the lid on and let it cook for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. When the hour is up, stir in the pearl barley. Put the lid back on and simmer for another hour, then remove the lid and simmer for a further 30 minutes, or until the meat shreds easily and the gravy is thick. Spoon away any oil from the top, then stir in the mustard and Worcestershire sauce and finely grate in the cheese. Season to taste. While the stew is ticking away, put the flour, suet and butter into a bowl with a good pinch of salt. Use your thumbs and forefingers to rub the butter into the flour until it resembles cornflake shapes. Lightly stir in 125ml of cold water, then use your hands to gently pat and push it together into a rough dough. Do not overwork it. Wrap the dough in clingfilm and put into the fridge until needed.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Discard the shin bone and ladle the hot meaty stew into the pie dish (24 x 30cm, and about 4cm deep, is about right). Use some of the beaten egg to eggwash the edges of the pie dish, then dust a clean surface and a rolling pin with flour and roll out the pastry about 1cm thick and a little bit bigger than your pie dish. Carefully place on top of the pie, then trim off any overhanging pastry. Pinch and squash the edges of the pastry to the dish. Eggwash the top, and cook the pie right at the bottom of the hot oven for around 45 to 50 minutes, or until your pastry is goldenandgorgeous. Serve with steamed drained greens.
Recipe from:
jamie's great britain
For the filling
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 knob of butter
• 3 sprigs of fresh rosemary, leaves picked and chopped
• 3 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves picked
• 3 fresh bay leaves
• 3 medium red onions, peeled
• 1kg shin of beef (ask the butcher to cut it into 2.5cm dice and give you the bone)
• sea salt and ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons tomato purée
• 400ml good local smooth stout
• 2 heaped tablespoons plain flour
• 1.5 litres organic beef or chicken stock
• 140g pearl barley
• 3 teaspoons English mustard
• 2-3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, to taste
• 100g good Cheddar cheese
For the pastry
• 300g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• 100g Atora shredded suet
• 100g butter
• sea salt
• 1 large free-range egg, beaten
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The RBI's move towards becoming an inflation targeting central bank, evident after the third quarter monetary policy review, is welcome. The policy review indicated the governor's broad, implicit agreement with the Urjit Patel committee report on the framework of monetary policy. The report specified the nominal anchor of monetary policy — CPI inflation — and the policy instruments to be used over time. It also specified the target rate of inflation and a temporal roadmap for how to hit it.
The target itself is a bone of contention. Most economists agree that a certain amount of inflation is a necessary evil. In this case, however, some are worried that it is too low, that the structural constraints in the economy will not allow the RBI to achieve the target without significant monetary tightening. It has been pointed out that, given the average rate of food inflation over the past eight years (10 per cent), non-food inflation will have to be brought down to 2 per cent in order to achieve CPI inflation of 6 per cent (the report's proposed target for 2016). But the optimal rate of inflation is an open question and a matter of judgement — there is no "right" answer. For instance, Olivier Blanchard et al (2010) wonder whether the additional flexibility that monetary policy has to deal with shocks at higher rates of inflation may mean a 4 per cent target is preferable to a 2 per cent one for advanced economies. Also, the concern that the non-food inflation required to support the RBI's target is too "low" points towards the intertwining of monetary and fiscal policy. A monetary policy is only as good as the fiscal policy that supports it. In this instance, it's up to the government to set the supply problems in agriculture right in order for food inflation to ease up.
Others worry that measurement problems with the CPI mean it should not be the metric of inflation used by the RBI. This, too, is not a principled stand against inflation targeting. The goal of using CPI to measure inflation itself is unexceptionable and brings the RBI in line with international best practice.
The report has touched off a larger debate about what a central bank's role should be, particularly regarding the RBI's mandate on growth. But there is no trade-off between inflation and growth in the long run. If anything, high and unstable inflation is a drag on growth. For commentators concerned about the constriction of the RBI's discretion in setting monetary policy, game-theoretic models of central bank incentives may have the answer. In the absence of commitment, it can shown that there will be an "inflation bias" — that is, in spite of declaring an inflation target, the rate of inflation that finally results will be higher than the target, with no corresponding benefit for national output. However, if the central bank is able to credibly commit to its target, there is no inflation bias and, on average, the output is the same as when it is exercising discretion. What drives these results is the fact that central banks actually care about growth — this is precisely why we need commitment mechanisms in the first place.
But strict commitment has its drawbacks as well — it minimises the central bank's ability to stabilise shocks. As does having blinders to everything but inflation. Clearly, inflation targeting came up short on account of the financial crisis. Central banks assumed that asset bubbles would make their radars beep as they found their way into measures of inflation, but this did not happen. Consequently, people have written obituaries for inflation targeting and wondered whether it should be replaced by nominal-GDP targeting, product-price targeting or a combination of mandates including financial stability and macroprudential regulation.
These concerns are probably why the report recommends flexible inflation targeting. The target rate of inflation has to be met over the business cycle, thereby making room for policy to target short-run growth shocks, among other things. Moreover, the report defines "failure" as not meeting the target for three successive quarters, upon which the monetary policy committee will only have to issue an explanatory public note. This will give the RBI the wiggle room it needs to focus attention on other more pressing things, if necessary. Compare this with strict inflation targeting in New Zealand, where the central bank governor can be dismissed for not meeting the inflation target.
Those writing off inflation targeting might cite the change in the Bank of England's mandate in response to the financial crisis, which now includes financial stability alongside inflation targeting. But let's not forget that as recently as January 2012, the US Federal Reserve formally announced an inflation target (2 per cent). The Bank of Japan followed suit in March 2013.
On this evidence, it would be premature to pronounce the death of inflation targeting. One reason inflation has been constant around a 2 per cent average for advanced economies in the recent past, in spite of recessions, is because inflation expectations are so firmly anchored, thanks to credible inflation targeting. This is also why the impact of monetary expansions has been benevolent. Firmly anchoring inflation expectations at a low level is one of the most important things for the Indian economy, and the Urjit Patel report shows the way.
For all the latest Opinion News, download Indian Express App


text:
Lahore: The Jaish-e-Mohammed leader who gave directions over phone to the terrorists during the attack on the Pathankot airbase has reportedly managed to flee to Afghanistan from Pakistan, an official said.
"The alleged JeM handler who communicated by telephone more than two-dozen times with the terrorists in Pathankot before they carried out the attack on the airbase on 2 January has managed to cross into Afghan border," a member of the Joint Investigation Team probing the attack told PTI on Thursday.
He said the JeM handler, who is in late 20s, was in the tribal area of Pakistan when he communicated about 18 times with the terrorists.
"The law enforcement agencies tried to trace him (in the tribal belt) but there are reports that he managed to escape to Afghanistan," he said, without disclosing the JeM leader's identity.
Interestingly, during interrogation JeM chief Masood Azhar claimed that the handler of the Pathanokot operation had quit the organisation sometimes ago.
"Azhar disowns the JeM handler (to prove his innocence)," another source privy to the development told PTI.
He said the investigation agencies have been under "immense pressure" from Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to thoroughly probe the matter and come up with "true facts" of the Pathankot incident.
Although the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) of the Punjab police had registered an FIR against the alleged attackers of the Pathankot airbase and their abettors, not a single person has been charged in this regard.
The FIR was registered in the CTD police station Gujranwala under sections 302, 324 and 109 of the Pakistan Penal Code, and sections 7 and 21-I of the Anti-Terrorism Act.
The FIR says Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval informed authorities that the four attackers had come from Pakistan and had "probably crossed the border adjacent to the Pathankot general area".
The NSA says the terrorists made phone calls to cell phones and belonged to a proscribed organisation.
Five terrorists and seven Indian army personnel were killed in a gun battle at the Pathankot airbase.
The attack occurred just days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid a 'surprise' visit to Sharif on his birthday on 25 December and the occasion of his granddaughter's wedding — a move that appeared to promise better ties between the two countries in future.
Find latest and upcoming tech gadgets online on Tech2 Gadgets. Get technology news, gadgets reviews & ratings. Popular gadgets including laptop, tablet and mobile specifications, features, prices, comparison.
Updated Date: Jun 17, 2016 11:02:52 IST


text:
State Legislators
Entrepreneur Tom Golisano Endorses National Popular Vote
Chicago Sun-Times
Minneapolis Star Tribune
Los Angeles Times
Sacramento Bee
The Columbian
Wichita Falls Times
Anderson Herald Bulletin
Fayetteville Observer
Boston Globe
Hartford Courant
The Tennessean
Daily Astorian
Sarasota Herald Tribune
Miami Herald
Connecticut Post
Redding Searchlight
MetroWest Daily News
San Jose Mercury News
Philadelphia Inquirer
York Daily Record
Every Vote Equal:
A State-Based Plan For Electing The President By National Popular Vote
Read book FREE
With forewords from:
- John B. Anderson (R,I–IL)
- Birch Bayh (D–IN)
- John Buchanan (R–AL)
- Tom Campbell (R–CA)
- Greg Aghazarian (R–CA)
- Saul Anuzis (R–MI)
- Laura Brod (R–MN)
- James L. Brulte (R–CA)
- Tom Golisano (R,I–FL)
- Joseph Griffo (R–NY)
- Ray Haynes (R–CA)
- Bob Holmes (D–GA)
- Dean Murray (R–NY)
- Tom Pearce (R–MI)
- Christopher Pearson (P–VT)
Fox Interview
CBS Video
Popular Vote
Class Election
Birch Bayh (D–IN)
John Buchanan (R–AL)
Tom Campbell (R–CA)
Tom Downey (D–NY)
D. Durenberger (R–MN)
Jake Garn (R–UT)
Alaska - 70%
Arizona - 78%
Arkansas - 80%
Arkansas - 74%
California - 69%
California - 70%
Colorado - 68%
Connecticut - 73%
Connecticut - 74%
Delaware - 75%
Dist. of Columbia - 76%
Florida - 78%
Georgia - 74%
Kentucky - 80%
Idaho - 77%
Iowa - 75%
Maine - 77%
Maine - 71%
Massachusetts - 73%
Michigan - 70%
Michigan - 73%
Minnesota 75%
Mississippi - 77%
Missouri - 66%
Missouri - 70%
Missouri - 75%
Montana - 72%
Nebraska - 74%
Nevada - 72%
New Hampshire - 69%
New Mexico - 76%
New York - 79%
North Carolina - 74%
Ohio - 70%
Oklahoma - 81%
Oklahoma - 75%
Oregon - 76%
Pennsylvania - 78%
Rhode Island - 74%
South Carolina - 71%
South Dakota - 75%
South Dakota - 71%
Tennessee - 74%
Utah - 70%
Vermont - 75%
Virginia - 74%
Washington - 77%
Washington - 77%
West Virgina - 81%
Wisconsin - 71%
Wyoming - 69%
California Senate
California Assembly
Colorado House
Colorado Senate
Connecticut House
Delaware House
Dist. of Columbia
Hawaii House
Hawaii Senate
Illinois House
Illinois Senate
Maine Senate
Maryland House
Maryland Senate
Massachusetts House
Massachusetts Senate
Michigan House
Nevada Assembly
New Jersey Assembly
New Jersey Senate
New Mexico House
New York Assembly
New York Senate
North Carolina Senate
Oklahoma Senate
Oregon House
Rhode Island House
Rhode Island Senate
Vermont House
Vermont Senate
Washington House
Washington Senate
With a partisan battle brewing over allocation of Nebraska's electoral votes, the Legislature will be asked to consider whether a presidential election shouldn't really be determined by who wins the most votes.
Sen. Ken Haar of Malcolm will introduce a bill Wednesday that would award the state's five electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote, if and when Nebraska is joined in a compact to do so by states possessing a majority of the nation's electoral votes.
Six states already have enacted the legislation. Their electoral votes represent 27 percent of the majority of 270 required to elect the president.
Two representatives of the National Popular Vote movement, armed with the credentials to counter Republican concerns about the proposal, were in Lincoln Tuesday to present their case to Gov. Dave Heineman and a number of state senators.
Beyond the fundamental argument that the person who wins the most popular votes should win the election, they were prepared to contend that small Republican states such as Nebraska could emerge with more clout and attention under their plan.
And the bill's approval this year would not preclude enactment of a Nebraska Republican Party effort to replace the current congressional district allotment of three of Nebraska's five electoral votes with a winner-take-all statewide system in 2012, said Laura Brod of New Prague, Minn.
Formation of an operative compact of popular-vote states cannot realistically be triggered until the 2016 presidential election at the earliest, she said.
Brod was a Republican member of the Minnesota House for eight years before deciding not to seek re-election this year.
Joining her in Lincoln was Jack St. Martin of Las Vegas, a veteran Republican campaign staff operative who has been regional political director for the Republican National Committee and who directed National Republican Senatorial Committee activities in the 2010 Nevada Senate race.
More than 70 percent of Nebraskans in a 2009 poll favored popular election of the president, Brod said.
One of the strongest arguments for small states like Nebraska, whose electoral votes are considered to be wrapped up by one party and therefore not really in play, is that they no longer would be ignored, Brod and St. Martin argued.
Republicans who are concerned by the popular vote plan might want to consider that "they leave a lot of votes on the table" when a GOP presidential candidate gains a small number of electoral votes in Nebraska while winning the state by a huge margin, Brod said.
Now, both advocates said, general election campaign attention and money is lavished on about 15 battleground states.
"That relegates the others to flyover status," Brod said. "And that means the candidates are not necessarily paying attention to the issues that are important to people in those states."
This proposal, they said, preserves the Electoral College while recognizing the primacy of the popular vote.
Reach Don Walton at 402-473-7248 or at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Russell Hammon
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text: Coleman Extreme Coolboxes with extra insulation and a lot of innovation. The Xtreme series of coolboxes work hard to keep ice cold up to 5 days at 90° F.These insulated wonders are Coleman's best performing coolers, they've got plenty of staying power and keep ice frozen for up to 5 days at 90°F. These are our best selling line of coolboxes, as they do exactly what they say do. This range of Coleman Coolbox is perfect for any outdoor activity.