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Vote to elevate abortion to 'human right'
Planned Parenthood, socialists pushing plan
Despite escalating political opposition and the lack of legal jurisdiction, the full European Parliament is set to vote on a resolution declaring abortion and mandatory sexual education for children to be "human rights," while launching an undisguised attack on the conscientious-objection rights of medical professionals.
The deeply controversial "Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights" measure, backed by powerful Socialist Party forces and Planned Parenthood, has already been approved in committee.
However, critics of the resolution are attacking it on multiple fronts – legal, ethical, human rights centered, pragmatic and more – and opposition is growing fast as pro-life and pro-family forces rally against it.
Among other points, opponents say the concept of human rights would be turned upside-down by defining the killing of another human being as a "right."
Separately, legal experts and human rights attorneys say it represents an assault on national sovereignty – and especially on pro-life EU nations like Poland, Ireland and Malta that have stood firm against the legalization of abortion. All three of those countries are specifically singled out for criticism in the resolution.
The EU, however, as the text of the measure itself admits, does not have the lawful authority to formulate and implement policies on the issues involved. Those powers are reserved to national governments.
Experts agree. "The European Union has absolutely no legal competency to legislate on the issue of abortion," senior European counsel Roger Kiska with the Alliance Defending Freedom, or ADF, told WND.
"The European Parliament's proposed resolution is an affront to national sovereignty, a breach of their duty to the citizens of the European Union and worst of all an unsolicited attack on innocent human life," Kiska added.
Director Grégor Puppinck of the European Centre for Law and Justice, or ECLJ, also blasted the measure from numerous angles.
The notion that abortion on demand could be declared a human right, he told WND, flies in the face of the facts. In reality, it is a "clear" violation of real human rights.
Pro-life and pro-family organizations are on the rise, he said, but pro-abortion forces are still strong within government institutions and the European Parliament.
"This resolution is a 'blitzkrieg' – the pro-abortion and LBGT [Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay and Trasgender] lobbies united to pass all their claims in one text," Puppinck explained, highlighting the broad scope of the measure in terms of abortion and more.
As WND reported earlier this year, the battle over the rights of unborn children is raging across Europe, and it is far from finished. This resolution represents only the latest front.
Abortion and sex ed as human rights: The text
If approved on October 22, the killing of unborn children on demand would be enshrined as a supposed fundamental "human right" purportedly guaranteed under international law.
The measure, among other schemes, "recommends that, as a human rights concern, abortion should be made legal, safe, and accessible to all."
In addition, the proposed resolution condemns what it calls "medically unnecessary waiting periods" as well as "overly restrictive interpretations of existing limits" to abortion in pro-life countries.
While not binding, EU member states are also called upon to expand access to unrestricted abortion across the bloc.
Even adolescents supposedly have a "right to confidentiality" when it comes to sexual and reproductive "health" – in other words, abortion – which analysts said implies that parents would be deprived of their parental rights.
The resolution also represents a direct assault on the rights of pro-life doctors and other medical professionals to refuse participation in abortions, analysts told WND.
According to the measure, governments should "regulate and monitor" conscientious objection in the name of expanding the "human right" to take the lives of unborn children.
"There are cases reported from Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Poland, Ireland and Italy where nearly 70 percent of all gynecologists and 40 percent of all anesthesiologists conscientiously object to providing abortion services," complains the proposed resolution, calling it "abuse of conscientious objection."
"These barriers clearly contradict human rights standards," the measure claims without elaborating.
Separately, the proposal seeks to make sexual education for all children and adolescents mandatory – no matter what their parents might think.
If approved, the resolution would call on national governments to "to ensure compulsory, age-appropriate and gender-sensitive sexuality and relationship education for all children and adolescents (both in and out of school)." (Emphasis added)
The mandatory sexual education, according to the measure, "must include the fight against stereotypes and prejudices, shed light on gender and sexual orientation discrimination, and structural barriers to substantive equality."
While the text does not elaborate, critics said the measure would lead to "radical ideas" being forced on students. Among other concerns, analysts said it could include the potential promotion of homosexuality, extreme feminism, transgenderism, and more.
Finally, European taxpayers should step up funding for abortion and other controversial "family planning" schemes around the world via foreign aid, according to the resolution.
The measure calls for EU and national government financing of abortion and other schemes abroad through the European Development Fund because "investments in reproductive health and family planning are among the most cost-effective, in terms of development, and the most effective ways to promote the sustainable development of a country."
Socialist effort
The so-called "Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights" measure, or SRHR, was already adopted by the "Women's Rights and Gender Equality" committee of the quasi-legislative EU body on September 18. The full parliament is scheduled to debate and vote on it on October 22.
Introduced by Portuguese Socialist Party Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Edite Estrela, who serves as the vice-chair of the "Women's Rights" committee that blessed the measure last month, it has strong backing from powerful socialist forces across the bloc.
Hungarian Socialist Party MEP Zita Gurmai, for example, celebrated the resolution's "clear stance in favor of legalizing abortion in all member states."
The measure's demand that abortion be legal and accessible to all, the MEP added, represents an "encouraging position."
"We Socialists have always believed that women, everywhere in Europe, should have the same opportunity and access to fully carry out their choice – a choice, which should not be determined by geographical location or by social status," Gurmai noted.
Indeed, much of the key backing for the resolution comes from the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, the second largest group in the European Parliament – formerly the largest.
Planned Parenthood involvement
While pushed by socialists, the controversial measure was reportedly authored by International Planned Parenthood Federation European Network boss Vicky Claeys, whose global abortion organization receives taxpayer funds from the EU despite legal restrictions on funding abortion.
If approved, ever-greater sums of taxpayer wealth for abortion organizations would almost certainly be forthcoming.
Planned Parenthood and its global affiliates, of course, have attracted widespread criticism around the world – especially in the United States, where the tax-funded abortion giant was accused in congressional hearings last year of collaborating with the United Nations and the Communist Chinese regime to perpetrate "population control" atrocities.
"For decades, the UNFPA [United Nations Population Fund] and International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) have worked hand in hand with the Chinese population control machine, which is coercive," explained Women's Rights Without Frontiers President Reggie Littlejohn in remarks for the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee.
Some members of the European Parliament have spoken out about the issue, too.
"Certain international organizations, such as International Planned Parenthood Federation and Marie Stopes International, provide family planning services in China," noted center-right MEP Alojz Peterle, former prime minister of Slovenia.
"At the same time, the European Commission and other international bodies provide both structural and project funds for these organizations," he added. "Both have entered into public partnerships with the commission in the implementation of projects in China, which raises concern as to whether European funds are being used to fund coercive practices."
Despite the increasingly serious controversies swirling around Planned Parenthood, however, the organization's European chief publicly claimed to have written the SRHR resolution during a presentation on contraception to the European Parliament this summer.
Killing unborn children not a 'human right'
There has been strong support from secular, humanist, socialist, homosexual, and pro-abortion forces for the controversial resolution.
However, it is facing increasingly strong resistance from a broad coalition of Europeans – even some in the regional parliament.
In her minority opinion, Women's Rights committee member MEP Anna Zaborska, who is pro-life, slammed the reasoning behind the resolution approved by her committee.
"No international legally binding treaty nor the ECHR [European Convention on Human Rights] nor customary international law can accurately be cited as establishing or recognizing such right," she pointed out. "All EU institutions, bodies and agencies must remain neutral on the issue of abortion."
Other legal experts also said that was abundantly clear.
The use of human rights language to describe abortion in the proposed resolution is not only inappropriate and at odds with international law, it is a "grave insult to those suffering real human rights abuses around the world," said ADF senior counsel for Europe Roger Kiska.
"It also does violence to existing human rights language which seeks to protect life – and not to end it," he told WND, adding that the resolution runs contrary to international law as well as recent rulings by the EU "Court of Justice" defining life as beginning at conception.
"All human life is worthy of protection: from that of the unborn all the way until natural death," Kiska noted.
The measure also goes beyond the EU's legitimate authorities, he said.
"It is a tragedy that the European Parliament, in breach of its own legislative competency and against the heavy weight of international law, has sought to steal the right to life from countless unborn European children," Kiska concluded. "During the time of a catastrophic economic crisis and an approaching demographic winter, it really is telling about the poor state of affairs of European Union politics that this resolution was ever put forward."
The Brussels-based pro-life organization European Dignity Watch also lambasted the effort to create a purported "right" to abortion as entirely illegitimate.
"The majority who voted in favor of the report in committee bluntly ignores that such a right exists nowhere in international law and is ready to sacrifice internationally recognized rights, such as the right to conscientious objection," the group said in a statement.
"Their ideological zeal to trample on other rights and impose the 'right to abortion' on the rest of Europe," the organization concluded, "embodies precisely the arrogant and patronizing attitude that threatens the freedom of conscience – and that we should all vociferously reject."
European Centre for Law and Justice Director Grégor Puppinck, meanwhile, told WND it is "clear" that abortion is not a human right.
In fact, "abortion on demand" is actually a violation of the European Convention on Human Rights and the European Social Charter, he said, citing a recent study in the Irish Journal of Legal Studies.
"Affirming abortion as a human right is the only way to 'secure' a right to abortion and it helps to spread it all over the world," added Puppinck, whose organization is working hard to oppose the measure and similar efforts throughout the region.
Opposition Growing
While pro-abortion and LGBT forces launch what the ECLJ's Puppinck called their "blitzkrieg" in the form of the SRHR resolution, opposition to abortion and the broader agenda is growing across the continent.
According to Puppinck and other analysts, the looming debate and vote on the Estrela Resolution on October 22 will have an impact on upcoming elections for the European Parliament next summer among "ethical voters."
"In Europe, it is true that the pro-life and pro-family movements are becoming stronger, more vocal, creative and organized," he said. "They are becoming strong in the street, not yet enough in parliament; but it has to come."
In fact, Puppinck noted, the "pro-abortion lobby" is loudly complaining about the rise of the pro-life in and pro-family movement in Europe – and they may soon be on the defensive if pressure keeps growing.
"Clearly, abortion is losing support at the grassroots level, where it is not seen as an ideological feminist matter anymore, but as a problem," he said. "The pro-abortion lobby is strong within the public institutions, not in the street."
Indeed, across the bloc, numerous analysts have pointed to what they say is increasing consensus among Europeans that unborn children deserve to have their right to life protected.
As one example, activists and analysts point to the hugely successful European Citizens' Initiative known as "One of Us." It has gathered over a million signatories so far in a bid to stop EU financing for the killing of human embryos.
Other evidence illustrating the rising tide of pro-life sentiment was the stunning defeat of the original so-called "McCafferty resolution" in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).
First introduced as a scheme to trample on the rights of doctors who refuse participation in abortion, the final measure ended up doing the exact opposite following a series of pro-life amendments and overwhelming public pressure.
"No person, hospital or institution shall be coerced, held liable or discriminated against in any manner because of a refusal to perform, accommodate, assist or submit to an abortion, the performance of a human miscarriage, or euthanasia or any act which could cause the death of a human fetus or embryo, for any reason," stated the final resolution, adopted almost exactly three years ago.
While it is impossible to know at this point how the October 22 vote in the European Parliament will go, opponents told WND that hope remains.
"Let's see what happens on Tuesday," said the ECLJ's Puppinck, calling on citizens to get involved. "Maybe a good surprise."


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Growth Modification TreatmentFor an appointment call our office today at 803-796-7934 or Make an Appointment
Growth Modification Treatment
As part of the growth modification process, growth modification appliances are used to correct the shape, position or width of the jaw bone(s). Some common devices are:
- Headgear, an appliance that uses pressure to guide teeth and jaw growth.
- Herbst, an appliance attached to the upper and lower molars that corrects overbite caused by a small lower jaw.
- Bionator, a removable appliance that guides teeth and jaw growth.
- Palatal expander, an appliance that corrects cross bite by widening the upper jaw.
Because growth modification is at the center of orthodontic treatment, the younger the patient, the better the treatment outcome. Early mixed dentition, which is marked by the emergence of the secondary teeth at the ages of 6 to 7, is considered the optimum age for most types of malocclusion.
Who benefits from early treatment?
- Children 7 to 9 years old with severe crowding
- Narrowed upper jaw with or without crossbite
- Those with habits such as thumb sucking, forward tongue posture (tongue thrust), or mouth breathing
- Cases with large overjet (overbite)
- Cases involving overgrowth of the lower jaw or underdevelopment of the upper jaw
For more information on growth modification and interceptive orthodontics, contact West Columbia Family Dentistry at 803-796-7934 today.

subset: commoncrawl


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Just up at The Mindful Hack - flap over non-materialist neuroscience grows
Consciousness: A physicist on the recent New Scientist flap re non-materialist neuroscience
Neuroplasticity: Growing public recognition greets Norman Doidge's new book (Secular humanists getting in on the new "mind" thing?)
Note: Posting was light recently because I have been writing a report for a client. Just catching up. Back soon.


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You are here: System » ReferenceManual » DeveloperDocumentationCategory » DevelopingPlugins
Developing Plugins
On this page:The usual way Foswiki is extended is by writing a Plugin. Plugins extend Foswiki by providing functions that 'listen' to events in the Foswiki core, and handling these events. These functions are called "Plugin Handlers" and they are described in depth in EmptyPlugin (
lib/Foswiki/Plugins/EmptyPlugin.pm ).
The 3048m view of how Foswiki worksFoswiki is a web application that runs inside a web server. When the web server receives a request that it recognises as being for Foswiki, it calls one of the perl scripts in the Foswiki
bin directory. Each of the scripts has a specific function, as described in command and CGI scripts.
The scripts are responsible for interpreting the parameters passed in the request, and generating a response that is sent back to the browser, usually in the form of an HTML page.
Foswiki contains three engines that are used by the scripts; the template engine, the macro engine, and the TML engine.
APIs available to ExtensionsTo be robust, extensions must avoid using any unpublished functionality from the Foswiki core. The following perl packages give access to features for extension authors. These APIs are not just for Plugins, they can be used in any type of extension. Click on the name of the package to see the full documentation.
Foswiki:Development.GettingStarted is the starting point for more comprehensive documentation on developing for Foswiki.Note: the APIs are available to all extensions, but rely on a
Foswiki singleton object having been created before the APIs can be used.
This will only be a problem if you are writing an extension that doesn't
use the standard initialisation sequence.
Standard Regular ExpressionsA number of standard regular expressions are available for use in extensions, in the
$Foswiki::regex hash. these regular expressions are precompiled in an
I18N-compatible manner. The
following are guaranteed to be present. Others may exist, but their use
is unsupported and they may be removed in future Foswiki versions.
In the table below, the expression marked type 'String' are intended for
use within character classes (i.e. for use within square brackets inside
a regular expression), for example:
my $isCapitalizedWord = ( $s =~ /[$Foswiki::regex{upperAlpha}][$Foswiki::regex{mixedAlpha}]+/ );Those expressions marked type 'RE' are precompiled regular expressions that can be used outside square brackets. For example:
my $isWebName = ( $s =~ m/$Foswiki::regex{webNameRegex}/ );
Creating New PluginsWith a reasonable knowledge of the Perl scripting language, you can create new plugins or modify and extend existing ones.
Anatomy of a PluginA (very) basic Foswiki plugin consists of two files:
Creating the Perl ModuleCopy file
lib/Foswiki/Plugins/EmptyPlugin.pm to
<name>Plugin.pm. The EmptyPlugin does nothing, but it contains all the information you need to create you own custom plugin.
Writing the Documentation TopicThe plugin documentation topic contains usage instructions and version details. (The doc topic is also included in the distribution package.) To create a documentation topic:
OUTLINE: Doc Topic Contents
Packaging for DistributionThe Foswiki:Extensions.BuildContrib is a powerful build environment that is used by the Foswiki project to build Foswiki itself, as well as many of the plugins. You don't have to use it, but it is highly recommended! If you don't want to (or can't) use the BuildContrib, then a minimum plugin release consists of a Perl module with a WikiName that ends in
Plugin, ex:
MyFirstPlugin.pm, and a documentation page with the same name(
Publishing for Public UseYou can release your tested, packaged plugin to the Foswiki community through the Foswiki:Extensions web. All plugins submitted to Foswiki.org are available for public download and further development. Publish your plugin by following these steps:
Hints on Writing Fast Plugins
Recommended Storage of Plugin Specific DataPlugins sometimes need to store data. This can be plugin internal data such as cache data, or data generated for browser consumption such as images. Plugins should store data using Foswiki::Func functions that support saving and loading of topics and attachments.
Plugin Internal DataYou can create a plugin "work area" using the
Foswiki::Func::getWorkArea() function, which gives you a persistent directory where you can store data files. By default they will not be web accessible. The directory is guaranteed to exist, and to be writable by the webserver user. For convenience,
Foswiki::Func::storeFile() and
Foswiki::Func::readFile() are provided to persistently store and retrieve simple data in this area.
Web Accessible DataThe internal data area is not normally made web-accessible for security reasons. If yoou want to store web accessible data, for example generated images, then you should use Foswiki's attachment mechanisms. Topic-specific data such as generated images can be stored in the topic's attachment area, which is web accessible. Use the
Foswiki::Func::saveAttachment() function to store the data.
Recommendation for file name:
Foswiki::Func::saveAttachment() function to store the data in this topic.
Integrating with
Some extensions have setup requirements that are best integrated into
|A true/false value, represented as a checkbox
COMMAND length
|A shell command
| A language (selected from
|A number
|An octal number
PASSWORD length
|A password (input is hidden)
PATH length
|A file path
|A simplified perl data structure, consisting of arrays, hashes and scalar values
REGEX length
|A perl regular expression
SELECT choices
|Pick one of a range of choices
SELECTCLASS package-specifier
| Select a perl package (class) e.g.
SELECTCLASS Foswiki::Plugins::BathPlugin::*Plug lets the user select between all packages with names ending in
Foswiki::Plugins::BathPlugin::BrassPlug etc.
STRING length
|A string
URL length
|A url
URLPATH length
|A relative URL path
|means this an expert option
|means the setting is mandatory (may not be empty)
| means the option is not visible in
|means "use a 5 row, 80 column textarea". Can be used with any text entry field type, such as STRING, COMMAND, PERL etc.
lib/Foswiki.spec for many more examples.
Config.spec files are also used for other (non-plugin) extensions. in this case they are stored under the
Contrib directory instead of the
Plugins directory.
configure settings by using the following:
BathPlugin with the name of your extension.
Tip: Plugins can be written to be compatible with older and newer Foswiki releases. This can be done also for plugins using unofficial Foswiki internal functions of an earlier release that no longer work on the latest Foswiki codebase. Here is an example; the Foswiki:Support.PluginsSupplement has more details.
if( $Foswiki::Plugins::VERSION >= 1.1 ) { @webs = Foswiki::Func::getListOfWebs( 'user,public' ); } else { @webs = Foswiki::Func::getPublicWebList( ); }
Foswiki::Plugins version in which the handler was first deprecated. For example, if we need to define the
endRenderingHandler for compatibility with
Foswiki::Plugins versions before 1.1, we would add this to the plugin:
package Foswiki::Plugins::SinkPlugin; use vars qw( %FoswikiCompatibility ); $FoswikiCompatibility{endRenderingHandler} = 1.1;If the currently-running Foswiki version is 1.1 or later, then the handler will not be called and the warning will not be issued. Foswiki with versions of
Foswiki::Plugins before 1.1 will still call the handler as required.


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Chung Tai Shan
Grand Master WeiChueh
Words of Wisdom from the Grand Master
Chung Tai Chan Monastery
Overseas Branches
The Zen Center
The Zen Center
Virtual Tour of the Zen Center
Zen Buddhism and Meditation Classes
Fall 2019 Classes Schedule
The Benefits of Meditation
What Is Zen ?
What Does "Buddha" Mean ?
Meditation & Buddhism Q & A
Class Registration
Calendar of Dharma Events
Dharma News
Record of Past Events
Activity Log & Photos
Dharma Gems
Sutras and Gathas
Sutra Lectures
Dharma Lectures
Chung Tai Koans
Zen-7 Verses
Jataka Tales
Buddhism Q&A
Vegetarian Recipes
Jewels from the Cultivators
Online Dharma
Precious Light of Chung Tai Video
Make Offering
Follow us on Facebook
Calendar of Dharma Events - Details
Event Title:
Sunday Morning Zen Retreat
04/28/2019 (Sunday) | 09:00AM - 12:40PM
Chung Tai Zen Center of Sunnyvale
Event Details:
Zen is a state of mind, a mind of calmness, stability, and clarity; a mind free of delusions and confusions; a mind in accord with true Reality. It is not a dull mind, but one full of infinite potentials. Such a mind is the source of wisdom; it is a state of true liberation and joy. To achieve the Zen state of mind, proper meditation practice is very important. Meditation helps us to focus, calm down, become aware, and begin to see things as they are. A properly trained mind is one ready for Awakening.
This Sunday Morning Meditation Retreat is perfect for people who have practiced some meditation and want to advance their practice. All participants are requested to observe silence during the day. There are four sitting/walking sessions during the day.
Each session is around 45 minutes. Open to Zen Center class students and volunteers only.
Regular attendance at these Half-day retreats will help build a solid foundation and prepare one for advanced level of meditation retreats.
[ Back ]
Copyright© Chung Tai Zen Center of Sunnyvale - All Rights Reserved


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Sunday, March 4, 2012
Boycotting Elsevier
I said I would do it; and I am doing it. I wonder how many of these letters they are receiving and what they are thinking about that.
Posted by Ugo Bardi at 4:39 AM
4 comments:
I admire your strong, brave position in this affair. Unfortunately I cannot do the same, and I guess that many like me are in the same position.ReplyDelete
Well. I must say that I felt strange in sending that message to Elsevier. It was as if I had desecrated some kind of solemn temple of knowledge. But the ancient Gods are dead - no fear of their dark cursesReplyDelete
It will take quite a few strong spines like yours before we can topple those who have erected a paywall between publicly financed research and the public.
Well done!
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)
Ugo Bardi is a member of the Club of Rome and the author of "Extracted: how the quest for mineral resources is plundering the Planet" (Chelsea Green 2014). His most recent book is "The Seneca Effect" (Springer 2017)


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All characters are 18 years old or older.
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No toons were harmed in the making of these comics.
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A Wartime Miracle
Sanctify Yourselves
Priesthood Power
The Magnificent Priesthood
During World War II, in the early part of 1944, an experience involving the priesthood took place as United States marines were taking Kwajalein Atoll, part of the Marshall Islands and located in the Pacific Ocean about midway between Australia and Hawaii. What took place in this regard was related by a correspondent—not a member of the Church—who worked for a newspaper in Hawaii. In the 1944 newspaper article he wrote following the experience, he explained that he and other correspondents were in the second wave behind the marines at Kwajalein Atoll. As they advanced, they noticed a young marine floating facedown in the water, obviously badly wounded. The shallow water around him was red with his blood. And then they noticed another marine moving toward his wounded comrade. The second marine was also wounded, with his left arm hanging helplessly by his side. He lifted up the head of the one who was floating in the water in order to keep him from drowning. In a panicky voice he called for help. The correspondents looked again at the boy he was supporting and called back, "Son, there is nothing anyone can do for this boy."
"Then," wrote the correspondent, "I saw something that I had never seen before. This boy, badly wounded himself, made his way to the shore with the seemingly lifeless body of his fellow marine. He put the head of his companion on his knee. What a picture that was—these two mortally wounded boys—both . . . clean, wonderful-looking young men, even in their distressing situation. And the one boy bowed his head over the other and said, 'I command you, in the name of Jesus Christ and by the power of the priesthood, to remain alive until I can get medical help.' " The correspondent concluded his article: "The three of us, [the two marines and I], are here in the hospital. The doctors don't know . . . [how they made it alive], but I know" (Ernest Eberhard Jr., "Giving Our Young Men the Proper Priesthood Perspective," July 19, 1971).
Miracles are everywhere to be found when the priesthood is understood, its power is honored and used properly, and faith is exerted. When faith replaces doubt, when selfless service eliminates selfish striving, the power of God brings to pass His purposes.


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Monday September 16, 2019
Case of the Week
Lucky Lucy Lindstrom's "Northern Long Shot" Charity
Case:Lucky Lucy Lindstrom finished college and headed west. She started as a financial analyst with a large company in Seattle. After just four years, she became a Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) and began advising clients. Lucy also managed her own investments. With her keen insight into financial markets, Lucy soon began to move from traditional stocks and bonds into futures and commodities markets. Lucy was so successful in these markets that she now only manages her own large personal portfolio.
Somewhat late in life, Lucy discovered the wonderful world of philanthropy. She volunteered at her favorite charity and learned that giving someone in need a helping hand is even more gratifying than making another million in the futures market.
Lucy had invested $1,000,000 in stock in a Canadian oil "wildcatter" with the name Northern Long Shot, Inc. This company has been drilling new exploratory wells in the far north. Recently, the stock rose from the $1 per share that she paid to over $5 per share. After this success, Northern Long Shot decided to "spin off" a smaller company with a portion of the successful wells. Lucy exchanged her $5 million in stock for 60% of the stock in Northern Long Shot, Inc. After the exchange, Lucy decided to give the Northern Long Shot stock to a private charitable foundation to help those in need.
Lucy discussed options with her attorney. She asked her attorney about the ability of her private foundation to keep the Northern Long Shot, Inc. stock. Her attorney noted that private foundations are subject to various rules on self-dealing, minimum distributions and excess business holdings.
Question:Lucy said, "Wow! There are a lot of rules for private foundations. So can my private foundation continue to own the Northern Long Shot stock?"
Solution:Her attorney explained that under the excess business holdings rules, Lucy's private foundation is permitted to hold no more than 20% of a corporation's stock or business interest. The limit is 35% where a third person has effective control of the enterprise. For these provisions to apply, the private foundation must hold more than 2% of the business stock or interest. Sec. 4943(c)(2).
After the gift of Lucy's stock, her private foundation owns 60% of Northern Long Shot, Inc. and the excess business holdings rules will apply. Because Lucy's private foundation acquired the stock by gift, there is a five-year grace period to dispose of the stock and comply with the excess business holdings rules. Sec. 4943(c)(6).
Lucy's private foundation held the stock for three years. At the end of that time, the other shareholders decided to purchase the Northern Long Shot, Inc. stock for $7 million. Lucy's foundation then invested these funds and each year makes generous gifts to those in need.
Published September 28, 2018
Previous Articles
Lucky Lucy Lindstrom's "Hurricane Grants" Charity
Lucky Lucy Lindstrom's "No Self-Dealing" Charity
Lucky Lucy Lindstrom's "Ultimate Control" Charity


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KYIV, Ukraine — A defaced image of Russian President Vladimir Putin dressed up as Napoleon got lots of laughs in Independence Square on Friday.
However, the mercurial Russian strongman is being taken very seriously right now by the new regime in Kyiv and by its western partners as he makes it more and more plain that he intends to defy international law and permanently rearrange the contours of Ukraine.
On Tuesday, Putin said Crimea would remain within Ukraine. Forty-eight hours later that notion was blown apart when the Crimean parliament unexpectedly moved forward a referendum on the peninsula's future to March 16 and changed the question to: Moscow or Kyiv, Yes or No?
The idea of Crimea remaining part of Ukraine suffered a far more grave reverse on Friday when the leaders of Russia's lower and upper houses, who are Putin's guys, declared their legislatures' intention to rubber stamp the Crimea's decision to quit Ukraine and join the Russia Empire.
None of these flip flops happened without Putin's approval, said Andrei Piontkovsky of the Institute of System Analysis in Moscow.
"There is a struggle going on at the top and mostly it is inside one person's head," he said, using a turn of phrase that captures the essence of rule today in Russia.
"I think Putin had been waiting to see western reaction. What he saw satisfied him. Germany and Italy are against imposing sanctions so he decided to be rude and speed up Crimea's annexation."
The blitz of bad news for Ukraine continued Friday when the Russian energy giant, Gazprom, threatened to turn off the oil and gas spigots to Ukraine because the country was nearly $2 billion behind in paying its bills.
In another salvo, Russia warned Washington that imposing sanctions over Crimea was a "hasty and ill-considered step" that would damage relations.
Putin's tone hardened as he saw the West's reaction to last weekend's military incursion into Crimea and the domestic political benefits that could be reaped from the crisis, said Sergei Mikheev of Moscow's Centre for Political Assessment.
"Putin's regime has grown stronger and other issues have become secondary because the events around Maidan (Independence Square) have consolidated Russian society," he said. "What the West did (by encouraging regime change in Kyiv) created the situation where Russia could get hold of Crimea."
Bluntly explaining Russia's current position, Mikheev said: "We were deceived. Putin got angry. Once we have the Crimea, we will not give it back."
Putin's pell-mell drive to secure Crimea and the real prospect of a new Cold War have dominated western cabinet meetings and become the obsession of the moment for many who converse through social media.
However, Putin's machinations and western fury at them have barely resonated with the ragtag paramilitaries camped by Independence Square who overthrew Viktor Yanukovych's government in a bloody coup on Feb. 22. Although they have insisted that they must have a much bigger voice in the post-coup Ukraine, on Friday the central battle of the heroes of the revolution – which attracted the attention of scores of interested babushkas – was with Kyiv's municipal authorities over orders to dismantle barricades constructed mostly of garbage and tires.
Aside from the Crimea and cleaning up Independence Square, which is an eyesore and public health concern, there has been a lot else for weary Ukrainians to fret about. The treasury urgently needs about $30 billion or $40 billion to stay afloat. European pledges of aid have only amounted to half of that shortfall. Although the money is needed now, most if it will not be doled out until next year or 2016.
Also troubling to those who have demanded that Crimea remain part of Ukraine was an announcement on Thursday by the Kremlin that it had approved a $3 billion, 4.5 kilometre long bridge to link Crimea with the Russian mainland where the Black Sea meets the Sea of Azov. If the span is built, it could end Crimea's dependence on Ukraine for electricity, water and food and make it totally dependent on Russia for this.
Leaving open the possibility that Putin might shift course again and still strike a deal that gives the Crimea state-like powers while acknowledging Ukraine's sovereignty, "it was important for him to give Crimea a signal that he was not abandoning them," said Dmitri Babich, who is a political pundit for Russia's RIA-Novosti state news agency.
Russia's moves to ensure itself the paramount role in Crimea's future, has not led to public hysteria in Ukraine. But the conflict has created bewilderment, according to Viktor Nebozhenko.
"I bet over the last few days there has been a colossal communication between Russia and Ukraine because we have all relatives there and people are alarmed on both sides of the frontier," according to Viktor Nebozhenko of the Ukrainian Barometer sociological centre.
"Nobody here is giving Crimea to Putin. But everybody understands that Ukraine is weak now and can hardly oppose Putin's plans."


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U.S., U.K. Deeply Involved in Sparking Indian Ocean Search
Intelligence Agencies Supplied Satellite Images, Analysis That Launched Effort
U.S. and British intelligence agencies provided key information that ramped up the Indian Ocean hunt for suspected debris from Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, according to Australia's military and others familiar with the matter.
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, whose country is now leading the international search, said on Sunday that authorities have a number of credible leads, including satellite images of objects in the southern Indian Ocean. The chief of Malaysia's civil-aviation authority said satellite images provided...


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Create two applications one in WPF and one in Winforms trying to replicate the demo of sdk, and in the event "_biometricClient.EndCreateTemplate (r)" I get the following error:
"One or more errors occurred" and in the InnerException: {"Iris Segmentation file is missing "}.
Add all the necessary DLLs, someone who has passed the same and can tell me what I can do?
Thank you


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Here's Why The Anticipated Condom, 'The Galactic Cap,' Is A Crowdfunding Failure
The Galactic Cap is a new type of condom, attempting to revolutionize the way we practice safe sex. Project creator, Charles Powell, was motivated to to pursue a change in the standard condom after his best friend had contacted, and eventually passed away from AIDS. With 29 days left to go on Indieg [...]READMORE


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Background: Last year, Congress passed and the President signed into law the Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act of 2014 (Choice Act) to improve access to health care for veterans and reduce VA appointment wait times. Since its enactment, the VFW has worked to ensure this important law serves the best interest of veterans. In the past year, the VFW has commissioned several surveys; compiled three reports; worked directly with VA officials and health care contractors; and testified before Congress multiple times on the state of the VA health care system and the implementation of the Choice Act, resulting in significant changes in the program to better serve veterans.
Action Needed: Take the VFW's latest Veterans Choice Program and Access Survey to help the VFW hold VA accountable for delivering veterans timely access to high quality care. To take the survey, click here:


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UNL CIG needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 380 designs submitted by 91 freelance designers.
The Biofinity Project
The Biofinity Project (http://biofinity.unl.edu) provides a web repository for biodiversity and genomic data as well as bioinformatics tools. The goal of the project is to provide researchers with federated access to multiple sources of biological systems data and tools for analysis from a single web page.
The Biofinity Project seeks to provide both researchers as well as 'citizen scientists' with robust tools for cataloguing biological systems.
The target audience for the site are primarily researchers in the fields of biodiversity, bioinformatics and genetics although the site is freely available to students and the general public.
We require a logo that can be used for both print ant web. This logo will create a brand for our site as well as the research project under which is is created. The logo will appear on a redesigned version of our site and various forms of print material that we use to market to researchers.
We have envisioned the logo to be a double helix wrapped into an infinity symbol, but be as creative as you can - we want to see many options. The logo should, however, somehow incorporate a stylized double helix and possibly an infinity symbol. The logo should clearly convey the concept of bioinformatics.
Attached is a screen shot of our current data page as an example of the kinds of data that are hosted by the site. We will be redesigning this page based on the winning logo (i.e. the colors and general feel of the site will change - so don't feel that you need to keep this feel in your logo, we want something new).
We require the winning designer to submit an Adobe Illustrator file (CMYK) of the logo and any design elements included with it (any backgrounds, custom fonts etc.).
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


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Smooch API - How To
The Smooch API offers a user-friendly way to add rich and integrated messaging into software or an application. With this API, users can create messaging experiences for websites as well, and can communicate with backend and external services. Smooch.io is a customer chat and messaging solution.


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Skip to comments.The Cross as a Journey: The Stations of the Cross for Protestant Worship (Christian Caucus)
Posted on 04/04/2007 3:44:52 AM PDT by markomalley
The Stations of the Cross has two related meanings. In one sense, the Stations of the Cross refers to the liturgical practice of using various events in the final hours of Jesus' life as a structure for prayer and meditation (also called the Via Crucis or Way of the Cross). These events encompass Jesus' journey carrying his cross from the Hall of Pilate where he was condemned to death to the site of his execution on Golgotha (Calvary).
As part of their acts of devotion, early Christian pilgrims to Jerusalem retraced the route of Jesus as he carried his cross to his death. Early pilgrimages varied considerably with different starting places and different routes. As the practice developed in the medieval period, the starting point for this journey through the streets of Jerusalem began in the ruins of the Fortress of Antonia that originally housed Pilate's Judgment Hall, now incorporated into the Ecce Homo Convent. It concluded at the ancient Church of the Holy Sepulcher that marks the traditional site of Golgotha and the tomb of Jesus. By the sixteenth century, the route this pilgrimage took through Jerusalem came to be called the Via Dolorosa, the Way of Sorrow. Along the Way, certain points on the journey (stations) were associated with specific events recounted (or implied) in the Gospel accounts
The modern practice of the Stations of the Cross was most likely popularized in the Western church by devotional writers. This act of reverence and devotion has been preserved through the centuries, although the actual practices associated with it have changed considerably. Still, its origins in pilgrimage provide the shape and content of the practice. The Via Dolorosa and the Stations of the Cross are still a popular pilgrimage destination in Jerusalem. Each year during Lent and especially on Good Friday, thousands of Christians retrace the route of Jesus through the streets of the Old City of Jerusalem, many carrying small or large wooden crosses.
There are presently Fourteen Stations of the Cross on the Via Dolorosa, some with chapels or places to pray and meditate.
1. Christ condemned to death; 2. the cross is laid upon him; 3. His first fall; 4. He meets His Blessed Mother; 5. Simon of Cyrene is made to bear the cross; 6. Christ's face is wiped by Veronica; 7. His second fall; 8. He meets the women of Jerusalem; 9. His third fall; 10. He is stripped of His garments; 11. His crucifixion; 12. His death on the cross; 13. His body is taken down from the cross; and 14. laid in the tomb.
In another sense, the Stations of the Cross refers to a series of depictions, usually either paintings or sculpture, that coincide with the Stations of the Cross in Jerusalem. Since many people could not make the arduous pilgrimage to Jerusalem, in the medieval period there developed the practice of using depictions of these Stations in local cathedrals to allow worshippers to make the same devotional journey. They came into general use by the seventeenth century and are present today in nearly all Catholic churches. The popularity of the Stations of the Cross as a devotional exercise has been fostered by these traditional depictions.
In the form of paintings or sculpted plaques, they are usually spaced around the walls of Catholic churches, or are located in a prayer garden. In Protestant churches that use them, they are usually located in a prayer chapel. While historically these depictions have been paintings or sculptures, they can be anything from banners to various kinds of art or plaques in most any medium. The number of scenes (stations) in the series can vary from eight (the events specifically mentioned in the Gospel accounts) to fifteen (including a final Station for the resurrection). Some of the Stations vary in different traditions. The Significance of the Stations of the Cross
In much of the modern Western world past events are seen primarily in terms of "happenedness," a certain action happening at a certain time and place. Events can be described by the data-based mode of thought that answers the questions of what, when, who, where, and how, and often only incidentally addresses the question of why. And yet that question of why, the question of the enduring significance of events, is usually far more important. Especially when it comes to remembering events in terms of the Faith, the event is not so much about the facts and the data as it is recalling the role of that event in a larger ongoing story, in God's story and in our own story. It is not that the "happenedness" is irrelevant. It is more a matter of how to appropriate the event in terms of its ongoing significance for the continuing community, for us.
Throughout Scripture, in both Old and New Testaments, God's people are called to remember (for example, Psa 105). But they are not called to remember events for the sake of the event. They are called to remember because those events are part of who they are, and what they will become. It is in this mode of remembering, of re-presenting the events of the past as part of a living story that has not yet ended, a story in which we still participate, that the events become more than dates and places. They become markers of a journey as those who were no people become a people (Ex 6:7, 1 Peter 2:10), as those who grope awkwardly in the darkness come into the light of God's presence (Isa 9:2, John 8:12), as those who were far off draw ever nearer to God and his grace.
The journey of our Faith as modern Christians is not only a journey through history that can be marked by events in the past. It is also a journey of our own personal commitment to God, of our own growth as a community of Faith and as individuals maturing from self-centered children into faithful servants. It is a journey that we need to remember just as deeply and profoundly as we remember the journey of God's people across 3,000 of human history, or the journey of Jesus from Pilate's Hall to Golgotha.
Most Protestants, especially in the West, are used to thinking of the crucifixion of Jesus as an event happening at a certain time and place. Of course, the crucifixion was such an event. But it is more than that. It is a truth about God and how he works in the world with human beings. It is that truth about God revealed in Jesus and his actions that provides us with an important touchstone for our own journey.
In our eagerness to celebrate Easter and the resurrection, Protestants often rush too quickly through Holy Week, the week between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday. Too much of the week, especially as it draws to an end in Good Friday and Holy Saturday is much too messy for Christians accustomed to the language of triumph and praise to give much attention. In doing so, we miss the tremendous significance of the Cross as something more than a symbol of the crucifixion and death of Jesus as prologue to the resurrection, or as a symbol of a theological doctrine of the atonement. As Jesus himself taught his disciples on more than one occasion, the Cross symbolizes something far more profound than suffering and death, and perhaps even more significant than theologies of the atonement.
Beyond all the dogmas and the sentimentalism associated with the Cross, finally it is about faithfulness, servanthood, the commitment of One to another that will not abandon that commitment even when rejected. In a real sense, the cross is about the power of love, the commitment of God to humanity, the faithfulness and grace of God that knows no limits and will yield to no boundary, that will risk even death itself for the sake of new life.
The journey that Jesus makes to the cross is not easy. Most such journeys of faithfulness and servanthood are fraught with great risk. There is suffering, and the death is real. It is not the end of the story. But it is part of the journey. If we are to remember the cross honestly, we must remember the entire journey, honestly. There will be a Sunday morning, and we cannot forget that part of the story. But not yet. The journey of the Cross winds through Holy Week, from the singing crowds on Sunday to the darkness of Good Friday. Sunday will come. But not without the journey through Good Friday and the Cross. The journey from Sunday will have little meaning without the journey through Good Friday.
The Stations of the Cross is a liturgical way to reenact that journey as a meditation of worship, an act of devotion to God. To think that the event of Jesus' journey to the Cross was a one time event in history is to misunderstand the role of remembering. For in remembering this event by walking the Stations of the Cross we are not just reenacting a 2,000 year old event. We are making our own journey, and in the process confessing our own dependence upon God.
Most of us, if we are honest, must confess that we do not live in the triumph of Easter Sunday all of the time, or even most of the time. Life simply does not work that way. No matter what victory we claim as Christians, the realities of life are too often difficult to bear even for people of Faith. We sometimes struggle on the journey, trying to understand the inequities of life large and small. Sometimes we are misjudged and misunderstood by others. We suffer physical and emotional pain as part of being human. All too often we experience painful endings. Marriages fail. Children make destructive decisions. Friends betray us. Loved ones die. Sometimes the world becomes dark and hopeless, like the world of Good Friday as Jesus journeyed to the Cross.
If we follow Jesus on his journey, we begin to understand that in Jesus' sufferings we see our own journey mirrored in his. Oh, we are not likely heading to such a cruel and humiliating death. But in those somber hours of our own "dark night" we experience similar emotions of helplessness and sometimes hopelessness. To face such darkness we need some glimmer of light, some hint of hope beyond endings, some model of perseverance that comes from a faith that does not yet know the outcome but is willing to trust God with it.
In Jesus' journey to the Cross on Good Friday, we see faithfulness in the midst of Passion (from the Greek word for "suffering"), perseverance in the midst of endings, and courage in the midst of hopelessness. As we trace Jesus' journey we take up our own cross, the symbol of our own passion, and bear the imprint of his cross in our own. But in accompanying Jesus on the Via Dolorosa, the Way of Sorrow, we also gain courage from his commitment to the Father in that journey, from his courage to face what comes, and finally from the realization of the truth that with God endings become the building blocks of new beginnings.
The value in the Stations of the Cross lies in the simple twofold enacted confession. First, life is sometimes dark, painful, and brings endings. That reality will not go away even for the Son of God. Second, God does some of his best work in the darkness as we persist in the journey, even when that journey leads to Golgotha. Resurrection Sunday has no meaning without Good Friday. This journey reminds us of the darkness as a basis to celebrate the light.
In this sense, we need to remember that the Stations of the Cross are primarily a context for prayer and reflection. We can too easily go through the motions of the service without really allowing ourselves to encounter God. But as we open our hearts and minds to God in this symbolic journey, we are lead to communion with God that draws us closer to His love for us. It also allows us to identify with Jesus as he identifies with us. We are drawn to contemplate, not only the suffering and pain of our own journey mirrored in His, but as we follow the Christ we are compelled to identify with those around us who suffer in their own journey. Protestant Devotion and the Stations of the Cross
Historically, Protestants have tended to reject the practices associated with the Stations of the Cross, largely because they were associated with indulgences. In the late medieval period, a certain amount of spiritual merit, a sort of get-out-of-sin-free card, was associated with these acts of piety. However, as the Catholic tradition has itself changed, modern Protestants are not so much concerned with fighting the practice. And as the pressures of a modern secular world increase, more and more Protestants are looking for ways to reconnect with authentic and vital piety beyond the superficial emotionalism that tends to dominate much modern Protestant worship.
In increasing numbers, even evangelical Protestants are rediscovering the value of liturgically shaped communal and personal devotional practices. As a result, there has been an increasing interest from Protestants in the Stations of the Cross, especially as part of a Good Friday service of worship. Some churches combine the Stations of the Cross with a Tenebrae service, a Service of Darkness that climaxes the Services of Holy Week before Easter Sunday. However, the Stations are used, they can become a powerful, and for many innovative, means of worship.
Many Protestants prefer to use only eight Stations of the Cross, since those are the main events recorded in the Gospel accounts about Jesus' journey.
Station 1: Pilate Condemns Jesus to Die Station 2: Jesus Accepts His Cross Station 3: Simon Helps Carry the Cross Station 4: Jesus Speaks to the Women Station 5: Jesus Is Stripped of His Garments Station 6: Jesus Is Nailed to the Cross Station 7: Jesus Cares for His Mother Station 8: Jesus Dies on the Cross
However, some Protestants use an expanded form of the Stations to maintain the traditional fourteen stations but still include only events with a biblical basis. This usually requires beginning the Stations with Jesus' prayer in Gethsemane.
1. Jesus Prays Alone 2. Jesus is Arrested 3. The Sanhedrin Tries Jesus 4. Pilate Tries Jesus 5. Pilate Condemns Jesus to Die 6. Jesus Wears the Crown of Thorns 7. Jesus Carries His Cross 8. Simon Helps Carry the Cross 9. Jesus Speaks to the Women 10. Jesus Is Nailed to the Cross 11. Criminals Speak to Jesus 12. Jesus Cares for His Mother 13. Jesus Dies on the Cross 14. Jesus is Laid in the Tomb
In most cases, especially if these are used in connection with a Tenebrae service, there is no mention of the Resurrection. There will be a place for that on Sunday morning. But to preserve the journey as a commitment to God in the darkness, the journey of the Stations should end at the cross and the tomb.
Some Protestants might be temped to use this solemn occasion as an opportunity to participate in Communion. However, this is not a proper use of Eucharist. Traditionally, for good theological reasons, Eucharist, Thanksgiving, is not offered on Good Friday. Eucharist is not primarily a sad occasion to remember death, but a "Thanksgiving" (which is what the word eucharist means) for grace, a celebration of God's salvation and restoration. While Eucharist is often offered on Maundy Thursday because of its association with the Last Supper and Passover, or on Easter Sunday as a celebration of forgiveness and hope, Friday is not the time for celebration. That moves too quickly and too easily to hope without first confessing our hopelessness without God. The Service of Worship
This service of worship is intended to be used as a Good Friday evening service. It is usually combined with a shortened Tenebrae service immediately following, so that the Stations of the Cross become the meditative introduction to Tenebrae. In this service, banners are used for the Stations. They do not depict scenes but rather use various kinds of crosses as symbolic of the sequence of events. The banners are hung around the sanctuary during Lent beginning on Ash Wednesday, and then moved to a large room for the Good Friday service. In this service, the eight main events in the Gospels are used for the Stations.
The service itself is not intended to be particularly solemn, but it is usually presented in a very simple and low-key way. The songs are all done a capella. For some songs, a single violin or flute provides an appropriate reflective interlude. The service should not be rushed. Leaders should not be afraid of short times of silence to allow personal prayer and reflection.
The service usually begins with the people seated or standing together in the center of the room as the initial Scripture and prayers are offered. Then as a group they move together to stand before the various Stations as the Scriptures and meditations are read. If the group is large and the room is big enough, there can be two or three groups moving independently to the different stations, as long as they are done in order. In most cases, it is better to designate someone to lead the people's readings to provide cues.
A powerful visual symbol for the service is to have someone carry a large rough hewn wooden cross on their shoulder as s/he leads the people during the entire journey of the Stations. S/he can wear a simple rough robe (or an alb* if it is plain) and no shoes. Leaders can also wear plain robes or albs, but should not wear stoles. The cross should be large enough to require some effort to carry. While it might be tempting to enhance this visual with a crown of thorns and simulated blood, too much visual effect begins to diminish the power of the symbol as a focus for meditation. Most such visual symbols communicate because they evoke reflection, not because they depict detail.
*An alb is an ankle-length robe or tunic in white linen, sometimes roughly woven, tied at the waist by a woven or braided white cord.
In some contexts, especially in evangelical churches that are not accustomed to such services, some introductory comments explaining the purpose and flow of the service are appropriate. Or a short explanation can be included in a worship folder.
This site is a Wesleyan-based site, FYI.
For the non-Catholic readers: the Stations of the Cross is a devotion that has its origins in pilgrimages made throughout Christian history to the Holy Land. It has developed into a meditation that helps us understand the sacrifice Christ made for our salvation. Many Catholics have found it to be a uniquely powerful devotion, particularly at this time of year when we get ready for Easter. (FYI, it is only known as Easter in the Germanic languages. The remainder of the languages in the world refer to it in some local variant of passover, e.g., pascha, pasquale, etc.)
The web page has a suggested Protestant service for the communal celebration of the stations, developed by a protestant AF chaplain.
OK, let's give this "nice" concept a try...
Reference this thread
ping to your lists, please
Catholic/Orthodox caucus ping
This is an excellent point, which the author further elaborates in a very beneficial way.
I've been trying to make this point to my Sunday School class (5th grade) as we've been going through Lent. We have to work at "entering in" to the events of Holy Week, because we're not there when it's happening for the first time; we're not surprised, we already know how it ends. It's especially difficult for the children, since they're in the midst of school testing, sports, and the crush of life.
To make an analogy, if I can cry over Pickett's Charge, or Stonewall Jackson's death, every time I read about it, surely I can participate with some personal involvement in the Passion of Christ!
One of the finest Stations of the Cross that I have experienced is in St. Paul Lutheran Church, Millersburg, Pennsylvania. The former Pastor (who has since swum the Tiber) commissioned a series of Icons to be written for each of the Stations.
After the Iconography was completed the former co-pastor (wife of the aforementioned) composed an incredible series of meditations, many in first-person narrative.
Somewhat busy day. Blessed by your courage and effort. Will try to get back to it this evening or tomorrow.
"To make an analogy, if I can cry over Pickett's Charge, or Stonewall Jackson's death, every time I read about it, surely I can participate with some personal involvement in the Passion of Christ!"
I can understand that. To stand on Seminary Ridge in Gettysburg, and see that long distance that the brave men in gray had to travel under gunfire, shot, and shell will make any man or woman with a heart weep........
Are those meditations, by any chance, available in electronic form?
And then we can think about the 50th anniversary of Gettysburg, when the ancient Union soldiers lined up behind the stone wall, while the geriatric Confederate survivors tottered up the field ... and before they'd gone 100 yards, the Union veterans climbed over the wall and met them halfway and hugged them, and they all cried because they were alive and their friends had died.
('Scuse me while I blow my nose ...)
To get back to the thread topic :-), we can use these examples in our experiences of Holy Week, if we get out the Gospels, or use Stations of the Cross meditations, as the article suggests. Most of us can't be in the Holy Land, but a little imagination goes a long way.
When we attended the parish at the University of Oklahoma, the parishioners would do the Stations of the Cross on the university campus. Students would take turns carrying the cross, and the whole group would walk probably two miles during the course of the devotion. April can be pretty hot in Oklahoma, and it was tiring, especially if you were pregnant and pushing a stroller.
One of the things about the stations of the cross is to remember that although there are a bunch of traditional meditations, the devotion recognized as the Stations of the cross is officially described as doing 14 reflections on the passion, and that the commonly accepted list of Stations of the Cross is only the most common arrangement, and it has varied over time.
For someone not catholic or who would like to use the meditation differently John Paul II did one Station of the Cross that could be easily adapted into a scriptural meditation and covers the events of the Passion quite well.
Pope John Paul II celebrated a series of scriptural stations on Good Friday in 1991, and again in 1994, in the Coliseum at Rome:
1. Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane
2. Jesus betrayed by Judas
3. Jesus condemned by the Sanhedrin
4. Jesus denied by Peter
5. Jesus condemned by the people
6. Jesus crowned with thorns and clothed in purple.
7. Jesus carries the cross.
8. Jesus assisted by Simon of Cyrene
9. Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem
10. Jesus is crucified.
11. Jesus speaks to the thief
12. Jesus speaks to his mother
13. Jesus dies on the cross
14. Jesus is buried.
And a reflection:
It was no clean thing, this —
no easy walk into that dark night,
no staged and calm event
filled with memorable sound bites
and photo op moments,
soldiers in their dress uniforms
and dignitaries in their solemn regalia.
No clean thing, this —
filled instead with the sweat of pain
and the taste of blood,
the dust of the road,
the tears of grief,
the reality of betrayal,
the weight of sin.
No calm thing, this,
filled instead with noise:
the noise of mockery, bitter and undeserved,
punctuated with spittle and blows.
the noise of pain:
the slap of the flagellum against bare skin,
the sound of hammers driving spikes into wood
through human flesh,
cries ripped unbidden from the depths of the gut,
as flesh protested the hot sudden agony
that would not go away.
The noise of expediency: "Crucify him yourselves."
No easy walk this,
rushed through the crowded streets
beneath a crushing weight,
stripped of everything that matters most to man,
standing naked in the light of day
bruised and bloody and battered,
with nothing left to give
except the acceptance of pain,
except the final acts of love,
Help me see, O Jesus,
beyond the pretty pictures
and sound bites
and images
to the reality of how God descended to death,
the dirty, miserable realness of it,
of man's willingness to be inhuman,
and you did this knowing how dark we can be,
and how unloving we can be,
and how we cling to the dark in spite of your light,
and you still chose to go.
Which the words of Jesus encapsulate with economical precision: "This is my body. Do this for a commemoration of me". Faith is what we do.
My family visited Gettysburg when I was 13 or 14. It was incredibly moving. Mr. T. and I plan to visit some time in the next few years.
Speaking of things that are incredibly moving..
I'm rereading the biography of St. Maximilian Kolbe this week. Makes me feel like a total schlub.
I've been reading about St. Dominic and came away feeling the same...
I think we have a biography of St. Dominic on the shelf; maybe I'll try that next ;-).
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NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dividend Declaration
The Managed Duration Investment Grade Municipal Fund (MZF) (the "Fund") declared a dividend of $0.0450 per common share on October 2, 2017, payable on October 31, 2017, to shareholders of record at the close of business on October 16, 2017, with an ex-dividend date of October 13, 2017.
Including the October dividend payment of $0.0450 per common share, the aggregate dividend payments for the last twelve months were $0.589 per common share.
The Fund is a diversified closed-end management investment company whose investment objective is to seek to provide its common shareholders with high current income exempt from regular federal income tax while seeking to protect the value of the Fund's assets during periods of interest rate volatility. Cutwater Investor Services Corp. (doing business as Insight Investment), the Fund's investment adviser, provides fixed income asset management to a variety of institutional clients including corporations, governmental entities, employee benefit plans, private funds and registered investment companies.
This press release is not for tax reporting purposes but is being provided to announce the amount of the Fund's distribution that have been declared by the Board of Trustees. A portion of the Fund's current distribution may include sources other than net investment income, including a return of capital. Investors should understand that a return of capital is not a distribution from income or gains of a Fund. As required under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, a notice with the estimated components of the distribution will be sent to shareholders at the time of payment if it does not consist solely of net investment income. The notice should not be used to prepare tax returns as the estimates indicated in the notice may differ from the ultimate federal income tax characterization of distributions. After the end of each calendar year, investors will be sent a Form 1099-DIV informing them how to report distributions received during that year for federal income tax purposes.
Statements in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined by the United States securities laws. You should exercise caution in interpreting and relying on forward-looking statements because they are subject to uncertainties and other factors which are, in some cases, beyond the Fund's control and could cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.
An investor should consider a Fund's investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing.


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CFP: SYMPOSIUM ON LANGUAGE AND ROBOTS 2007 http://www.ieeta.pt/langro2007 (DEADLINE: 10:09:2007) Call for papers SYMPOSIUM ON LANGUAGE AND ROBOTS 2007 10-12 December 2007 Universidade de Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal http://www.ieeta.pt/langro2007 This Symposium on Language and Robots (LangRo'2007), organized by the Distributed Language Group (http://www.psy.herts.ac.uk/dlg), aims to explore synergies and identify areas of collaboration between robotics and the language sciences. As starting point for the discussions, a perspective is proposed in which language is seen as a dynamic and distributed cognitive process. There are two obvious contact areas between robotics and the language sciences. In the first, robots can be used as simulation models for the empirical study of language origins, evolution and acquisition. This is an extension of the computational modeling approach to language. In the second area, we ask how viewing language as integral to cultural processes can be used in developing robots for practical applications. The symposium will therefore explore the following issues: - How can robots ground and use language for practical applications? - How can robots be used for empirical work in the language sciences? - How can robots acquire language when language is distributed? - What does robotics imply for the language sciences? - What questions do roboticists want to ask the language sciences? - How can the language sciences contribute to the theoretical and practical study of how humans interact with robots? - How can the language sciences evolve to address societies that include robots? We invite papers that address these issues. Symposium format ============= The symposium will be a 2+ days event that gathers researchers from a wide range of backgrounds. The symposium format includes a number of Invited Speakers and a public call for papers. Invited speakers and authors responding to the public call are invited to submit a two page abstract for presentation at the symposium. Alternatively, they may submit a full-length paper. Submitted abstracts and papers will be refereed and selected for half-hour oral presentations on the basis of quality and relevance to the issues the symposium is addressing. Accepted papers will be included in the proceedings and will be made accessible through the web. Copies of the proceedings will be available at the symposium. Invited Speakers =========== We are inviting a range of speakers who will bring their specialized expertise to bear on the issues around language and robots. The following speakers have already provisionally accepted our invitation: Deb Roy (MIT Media Laboratory, MA, USA) Gerhard Sagerer (Bielefeld University, Germany) Luc Steels (Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium and Sony CSL, Paris) Michael Anderson (University of Maryland, MD, USA) Paul Thibault (Agder University College, Kristiansand, Norway) Journal special issue ============== After the symposium, participants will be invited to submit a paper to a special issue of "Connection Science". Papers will be selected based on an independent peer review. Important dates =========== Deadline for submission of abstract or paper: 10 September 2007 Notification of acceptance: 10 October 2007 Symposium: 10-12 December 2007 Submission ======== Authors can submit either an abstract or a full paper, both will be considered for full length oral presentation. Full papers can have a length of between 6 and 10 pages, abstracts can have a maximum length of 2 pages. Submission should be sent to langro2007 (at det.ua.pt) in either MS Word or Adobe PDF format. Organizers ======== Luís Seabra Lopes (Universidade de Aveiro, Portugal), Tony Belpaeme (University of Plymouth, United Kingdom), Stephen Cowley (University of Hertfordshire, United Kingdom)Received on Tuesday, 24 July 2007 01:01:14 UTC
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Ware Malcomb has an exciting opportunity in our Denver, Colorado office for a Civil Engineering Project Manager.
Project Managers are responsible for managing multiple site development projects entirely from start to finish including budgeting, scheduling, contract document preparation, design calculations, code searches and construction administration services. You will also be responsible for mentoring and training assigned staff and working with the consultant teams.
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Ware Malcomb provides the best of both worlds; a small office supportive and nurturing work environment coupled with the resources, amenities, and opportunities afforded by a large International Design firm.
Ware Malcomb offers a whole life balance, health-focused company culture, competitive salary and overall benefits package along with an excellent opportunity for professional growth.
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WHAT IS IT? The Suzuki RM-Z250 (2007, 2008 and 2009) has a potent low-to-mid powerband. The Pro Circuit T-4 GP pipe makes it more of a mid-and-up engine.
WHAT'S IT COST? $749.95 T-4 (stainless), $899.95 Ti-4 (titanium)—.
WHAT'S IT DO? Team Suzuki rider Ryan Dungey runs a Pro Circuit pipe on his works Suzuki RM-Z250. When a factory team chooses to use off-the-shelf pipes from an aftermarket supplier, that is a strong endorsement—strong enough for the MXA wrecking crew to order a Pro Circuit T-4 GP system for our 2008 Suzuki RM-Z250.
WHAT STANDS OUT? Here's a list of things that stand out with Pro Circuit's Suzuki RM-Z250 Ti-4 GP System.
(1) Performance. No other 250 four-stroke is as good off the bottom as the RM-Z250. The RM-Z250 bursts out of corners and pulls hard through the midrange. If the RM-Z250 has a flaw, it is that the engine hangs and flattens out from 10,000 to 12,000 rpm. It revs, but it doesn't pull. Thankfully, the Pro Circuit T-4 GP system provides top-end in spades. This pipe makes the RM-Z250 a gear better in every situation. Corners that you were straining in second to get to can be rocketed into in third gear with the T-4 GP pipe. It adds a healthy dose of top end and doesn't hurt the bottom-to-mid one iota.
(2) Horsepower. From the very bottom to 7200 rpm, the Pro Circuit pipe and stock pipe are in a dead heat. From 7200 rpm on up to the 13,200 rpm rev limiter, the Pro Circuit pipe is one horsepower better. The peak power on the stocker is 35.9 horsepower, while peak on the Pro Circuit pipe is 36.9 ponies.
(3) Torque. Pro Circuit's torque curve is a match for its horsepower curve. Starting at 7200 rpm, the Pro Circuit pipe makes and keeps a one-half foot-pound advantage over the stocker.
(4) Over-rev. The biggest weakness of the stock exhaust system is that it goes flat on the upper fringes of the rpm curve. In fact, there is a serious dip in the stock curve at 12,000 rpm (where horsepower drops off significantly). With the Pro Circuit pipe, the dip was erased and the top-end over-rev was significantly improved.
(5) Fit. Pro Circuit uses the same style head pipe flange as Suzuki, but adds two springs for more security. We didn't like the springs (since Suzuki didn't need them). The rest of the pipe needs a little muscle to squeeze through the RM-Z's Delta Box chassis.
(6) Prices. Pro Circuit offers four versions of the RM-Z250 exhaust system. The titanium Ti-4 full system (head pipe and muffler) costs $899. The stainless steel T-4 full system retails for $749. The Ti-4 and T-4 have the exact same dimensions and performance; the extra $150 is for the lighter weight of the titanium. Additionally, the slip-on systems (without the head pipe) are available in both Ti ($525) and stainless ($425).
(7) Place of Manufacture. Pro Circuit's Ti-4 exhaust is manufactured in Corona, California.
WHAT'S THE SQUAWK? Apart from leaning out the fuel screw, we had no squawks. Given our druthers, we opt to run the stainless steel system instead of the titanium system. Why? They run the same, feel the same and we think that the stainless version is more durable. Not to mention much cheaper.


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The community is invited to First Presbyterian Church, 1901 Vine St., Hudson, beginning at 2 p.m. Thursday Nov. 2 to take a walk in the shoes of someone with dementia through the use of the internationally known Virtual Dementia Tour. The tour is a 10-minute sensory experience that gives those with full cognition the ability to understand what the disease of dementia sounds, looks and feels like.
The Virtual Dementia Tour uses educational resources and sensory stimulation to provide family and professional caregivers a way to experience the challenges faced by those living with dementia. Created by Second Wind Dreams, the Virtual Dementia Tour is scientifically proven to increase knowledge and understanding of those caring for individuals with dementia.
Attendees will have the opportunity to meet with the Tour specialists and don patented devices that alter their senses. They are then given tasks and an adapted environment, which allows them to experience the physical and mental challenges those with dementia face every day.
This free event is sponsored by Azura Memory Care.
To reserve a spot, call Aging and Disability Resource Center of St. Croix County at 715-381-4363. Only times after 4 p.m. are available as of Monday, Oct. 23. Walk-ins are also welcomed, but will be taken on a first come, first serve basis around the times of those who have pre-registered.


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Sleep apnea is a risk factor for strokes
Dr. Belen Esparis, medical director of the Mount Sinai Medical Center Sleep Disorders Center, has seen patients who have been in car accidents after falling asleep at the wheel and others who have developed abnormal heart rhythms.
The common denominator? They all suffer from obstructive sleep apnea, a common sleep disorder characterized by interruptions in breathing during sleep, which can occur as many as 100 times per hour.
The sleeping disorder mostly affects people 40 and older, often who are overweight. More men than women suffer from the sleeping disorder, but it becomes more common among both sexes as they age.
Sleep apnea is known to cause a range of cardiovascular, neurological and behavioral problems, including high blood pressure, heart attacks, poor memory, lack of concentration and depression.
It is also known to be a risk factor for strokes.
"More than just correlating them, we really want to understand why one leads to the other," said Dr. Alberto Ramos, co-director of the UHealth Sleep Disorders Program at the University of Miami, who is conducting research on what makes sleep apnea a risk factor for strokes.
A stroke occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is interrupted, depriving the brain of oxygen. A stroke may be caused by a narrowed or blocked artery supplying blood to the brain or by a burst blood vessel in the brain.
The interruptions in breathing that characterize sleep apnea lead to low oxygen levels in the blood and brain.
"Sleep apnea triggers a series of responses in the body as a result of low oxygen levels," Ramos said. "One of them is hypertension — an increase in blood pressure."
Hypertension associated with sleep apnea occurs because of the strain that low oxygen levels in the blood and brain place on the cardiovascular system. As high blood pressure is an independent risk for stroke, sleep apnea becomes an indirect cause of stroke.
Sleep apnea is most likely to lead to ischemic strokes, the ones caused by an interruption of blood supply to the brain.
High blood pressure can cause hardening or narrowing of the arteries, according to Ramos, which sometimes restricts blood flow to organs and tissues. Narrowed arteries are more prone to plaque buildup, which can further restrict blood flow.
"This process may progressively clog arteries over time. When you don't have blood flow to the arteries, that can manifest as a stroke," Ramos said.
Although sleep apnea causes low oxygen levels in the body and leads to a host of other complications, the sleep disorder itself is not fatal and does not directly cause stroke.
"Sleep apnea is one step removed from the heart attack or stroke — it's what the sleep apnea does to the circulatory system and heart that causes the stroke," said Dr. Sachin Rastogi, a radiologist in the Division of Interventional Neuroradiology at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach.
According to Rastogi, when the body is deprived of oxygen, as is the case with obstructive sleep apnea, the body releases catecholamines — a type of adrenaline — to get the airway open. Catecholamines constrict blood vessels, and constricted blood vessels can lead to hypertension.
It is important to note that the effect of sleep apnea on the circulatory system and all the bodily processes associated with low oxygen levels and hypertension will not put people at risk for stroke from one day to the next.
"It takes several years or decades of all these things running in the background to make a stroke happen," Rastogi said. He mostly sees patients between the ages of 50 and 90 who have already suffered a stroke.
Obesity and age are two of the risk factors associated with obstructive sleep apnea, but those who are thin and young are also at risk.
In the case of people who are not overweight, sleep apnea can be caused by having a long tongue, a narrow jaw, or a long uvula, which is the punching-bag looking tissue that hangs from the back of the throat.
Sleep apnea in children is related to them having large tonsils, the tissues seen on either side of the throat at the back of the mouth, and large adenoids, small tissues located behind the nasal cavity. In kids, sleep apnea is usually easily treated by surgically removing the tonsils and adenoids.
However, with the recent childhood obesity epidemic, pediatric sleep disorders are not solely caused by large tonsils.
"Health issues that once belonged only to adults are now being seen in children," said Dr. Sayed Naqvi, a neurologist and stroke medical director at Miami Children's Hospital. "Bad habits — eating poorly, smoking and abusing alcohol— developed illnesses in adults slowly. Now young people are carrying adult bad habits and developing adult illnesses."
Poor eating habits among families contribute to child obesity, and some of Naqvi's adolescent and teenage patients suffer from sleep apnea for the reasons a middle-aged person would.
To eliminate the potential for strokes and other risks associated with low oxygen levels in the body, sleep apnea must be treated. Continuous positive airway pressure machines, known as CPAP, use nose masks and a hose connected to the machine to deliver pressurized air to the lungs.
For overweight patients, the solution to sleep apnea and all the associated risks is losing weight.
"I don't consider losing weight an alternative treatment," Esparis said. "It's a standard of care."
Ramos tells his patients to take care of their sleep and to adopt good sleep habits — no caffeine close to bedtime, no watching television in bed, darken the room and set the thermostat at a comfortable temperature to keep from tossing and turning.
"We think of sleep as the third leg of this tripod of health — for a healthy lifestyle you need to sleep well, do exercise and eat well," Ramos said. "We try to push those three things for our stroke patients and all our patients."


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Commercial, Military, Personal/Corporate, Products, Public Service, Regulatory
By Todd Vorenkamp | August 1, 2007
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IN THIS WORLD OF ULTRA-POLITICAL correctness, it is amazing to me how many educated people in aviation circles insist on referring to rotary-wing aircraft as "airplanes."
Many aviators in today's U.S. military, from admirals to ensigns and from generals to second lieutenants, regularly refer to helicopters as airplanes. I have seen countless aviators use this incorrect usage on a daily basis. The latest, and most annoying, violation of aviation political correctness is from shipmates who used to populate Grumman EA-6B Prowler squadrons referring to our Sikorsky Aircraft MH-60S Knighthawks as "jets."
In the January issue of Rotor & Wing, the Rotorcraft Report quoted a high-ranking U.S. Air Force officer who showed that this has permeated to the highest levels of the Pentagon ("CSAR-X Choice Surprised Even USAF Chief," January 2007, page 8).
In my short Navy career, I have seen many PowerPoint presentations from various Navy sources listing, for example, the number of "airplanes" that a helicopter squadron will have in a future fiscal year. It is obvious that this issue ranges far and wide.
Simply stated, referring to a rotary-wing aircraft as an airplane is wrong. It is incorrect on two levels. The first is on a personal level of respect to the uniqueness of the helicopter. The second is on the basis of correct English. To support my argument, I call upon Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 10th Edition.
air plane noun, pronounced 'ar-,plAn, 'er-,plAn [Etymology: alteration of aeroplane]: 1. a powered heavier-than-air aircraft that has fixed wings from which it derives most of its lift
Merriam-Webster's lexicographers even include a drawing to help readers understand.
Suddenly unsure what to say when referring to a rotary-wing aircraft such as the Black Hawk, Chinook, or Super Puma? Here are a few of Merriam-Webster's suggestions:
he li cop ter noun, pronounced 'he-l-"käp-tr, 'hE-l-"käp-tr [Etymology: from the French hélicoptère, from the Greek heliko- + pteron wing — more at FEATHER]: 1. an aircraft whose lift is derived from the aerodynamic forces acting on one or more powered rotors turning about substantially vertical axes
The accepted U.S. Navy slang for helicopter even appears in this dictionary:
he lo noun, pronounced 'hE-(,)lO. Inflected Form(s): plural helo" [Etymology: formed by shortening and altering "helicopter."]: HELICOPTER
In deference to my U.S. Army aviator and soldier friends, the fifth definition of "chopper" can also be used to correctly describe the helicopter:
chop per noun, pronounced 'chä-pr: 1. one that chops 2. plural, slang: TEETH 3. a device that interrupts an electric current or a beam of radiation (as light) at short regular intervals 4. MACHINE GUN 5. HELICOPTER 6. a high-bouncing batted baseball 7. a customized motorcycle
The word "helicopter" can even be used as a verb. Not so for "airplane."
helicopter verb: 1. (In the intransitive sense) to travel by helicopter 2. (In the transitive sense) to transport by helicopter
Merriam-Webster's presents another option for those wanting to use the word "air" in their description of the helicopter:
air craft noun, pronounced 'ar-,kraft, 'er-,kraft. Inflected Form(s): plural aircraft: 1. a vehicle (as an airplane or balloon) for traveling through the air
"Aircraft" is an option that seems to work well. It is the politically correct aviation equivalent to the multitude of gender-non-specific words used in modern-day professional writing. You can use the word "aircraft" to refer to a helicopter, an airplane, or even NASA's space shuttle orbiter (when it is operating within Earth's atmosphere) without worry of offending anyone.
Here is another alternative:
aero-dyne: noun, pronounced 'er-"dIn [Etymology: derived from aerodynamic]: 1. a heavier-than-air aircraft (as an airplane, helicopter, or glider)
The word "aircraft" is so useful it appears in the definition for "tilt-rotor." The sensitivity and potential usage mess that tilt-rotor aircraft present to the wordsmiths of the aviation world is something that must be dealt with now, before people start getting in the habit of referring to the V-22 Osprey as an "airplane." Here is trusty Merriam-Webster's definition:
tilt-ro tor: noun, pronounced 'rO-tr): 1. an aircraft that has rotors at the end of each wing which can be oriented vertically for vertical takeoffs and landings, horizontally for forward flight, or to any position in between
Is a tilt-rotor a "helicopter"? Only when it is in helicopter mode. Is it an "airplane?" Only when it is in airplane mode. To avoid confusion and offensive language, a tilt-rotor aircraft may be referred to as a "tilt-rotor" or as an "aircraft" or "aerodyne."
But wait one moment. Checking the definition of "aeroplane" in The Cambridge Aerospace Dictionary, we find the following:
aeroplane (U.S. = airplane): A flying machine with plane(s) fixed in flight. Modern definition might be "mechanically propelled aerodyne sustained by wings which, in any one flight regime, remain fixed." Explicitly excludes gliders and rotorplanes, but could include man-powered aircraft, VTOLs and convertiplanes that behave as in translational flight.
Sincere apologies are due those who live in the politically correct world of airplanes, aircraft, helicopters, and tilt-rotors. It's now time for me to go fly in my helicopter or rotorcraft or aerodyne or aircraft or rotorplane....
Todd "Stalker" Vorenkamp until July 31 was a U.S. naval aviator flying the MH-60S at NAS Whidbey Island, Wash. Search and Rescue. This month he is to join the U.S. Coast Guard as an aerodyne aviator.


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will Dashboard work running two instances of the program, one for Funcube-1 and one for UKUBE-1/Funcube-2 with one dongle?
I have the two instances running which appear to be simultaneously using my one dongle but have not yet tried this on live data. Is this likely to work properly and will it have any drawbacks?


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Crepe Cake Recipes
Crepe Day (La Chandeleur)
Bonjour! Today (February 2nd) is a popular French celebration called La Chandeleur (also known as the Christian holiday, Candlemas). On this day in France, we eat crêpes--a lot of crêpes. And there's nothing easier than preparing the flat "pastries" appreciated by foodies all over the world. I've attached the video on "How to Make Perfect French Crêpes" so you can see how simple the preparation is.
I've gathered many recipes using crêpes; what a great way to kick off the week!
Full Recipe...
Crepe Party
Today (February 2nd) is a popular French celebration called La Chandeleur (also known as Christian holiday Candlemas). How do you celebrate it, you ask? You eat crêpes, ton of crêpes.
I prepared 3 large batches of crêpe batter (click the link for the recipe) last night and let the girls toss so they can prepare their own version by laying down multiple filling options on the kitchen counter. Sprinkling crêpes with sugar can be sufficient but is not at all necessary; the possibilities are truly endless. I've gathered a few ideas for you to try. Bon appétit!
Full Recipe...
Banana and Fig Crepe Cake Recipe
Since I'm in Paris, I've been spoiling my little 2-year-old nephew Paul and 4-year-old niece Elise with sweets. It's a great way to bond with them in a short period of time. Crêpes are always fun, so I made a pile for all of us to share, along with various jams, Nutella, honey and powdered sugar. In addition to the individual crêpes, I made mini crêpe cakes, filled with fig and banana jam. To repeat the flavors in the dessert, I topped the cake with freeze-dried banana chips and roasted figs.
The most fun part of the assembly was watching Elise and Paul eating the crêpes as I was making them. Lucky me, I still had enough crêpe batter to finish the dessert. I absolutely adore them!
Full Recipe...
Crepe Cake with Butterscotch Cream
Mille Crêpe, also known as Gâteau de Crêpe, is a multi-layered cake made out of crêpes. I spread layers of butterscotch buttercream in between each crêpe and topped the cake with thinly-sliced candied apples. This is quite time-consuming to make in miniature versions, but you can always make large crêpes and cut the cake into slices as you would with regular buttercream cakes.
I made the cake in honor of La chandeleur (Candlemas), which is celebrated on February 2nd. It's originally a Christian tradition that celebrates the presentation of Jesus at the Temple and also marks the end of the Epiphany season (Kings' galettes are made). I don't exactly know how crêpes became part of the French celebration of La Chandeleur, but I do know that they are an integral part of the festivities. There is a legend that says that on the day of La Chandeleur, if you're able to flip a crêpe and make it land properly (without it being wrinkled) in the pan without dropping it on the floor, you'll have a prosperous year. Originally, prosperity referred to a bumper crop of grain, but with fewer and fewer people farming for a living, over time it's come to imply general wealth. In a way it's an enduring testament to the agrarian culture of yore. That culture has survived in other ways too; in fact the saying avoir beaucoup de blé, which literally means "To have a lot of wheat", is slang for "being wealthy".
If you want to practice, prepare the crêpe batter a couple of days in advance, cook a few, and try to flip them. It may not fill your pocketbook, but it's a great way to fill your tummy.
Full Recipe...