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Monday, November 25, 2013
He's Not Just Dedicated -- He's 'Fred"icated!
Posted by Fred Astaire Dance Studios, Inc. at 5:31 PM 2 comments:
Labels: ballroom competition, ballroom dance competition, ballroom dancing, benefits of ballroom dancing, Fred Astaire, Fred Astaire Dance Studios, Fred Astaire Youngstown, pulmonary fibrosis, tattoo
Monday, November 18, 2013
Dancing: It's the Gift of a Lifetime
Stanley McCalla is a US Ten Dance Finalist, Fred Astaire National Smooth Champion, FADS National Dance Board Member, & National Coach and Adjudicator.
Dear Readers,
A few months ago on a Saturday night, I visited a salsa club in my area known for its sizzling Latin music and electric atmosphere.
After sitting down with a drink, I found my attention drawn toward a dancing couple that was executing some rhythmic moves and interesting turns. They were musically fluid and their rhythm was catching. They used intricate steps that were well blended together, and a nice communicative dynamic transpired through these two individuals.
Then I realized that they were using some steps taught at our studios, and they were technically quite efficient. I was still trying to figure them out when all of a sudden, they spun in my direction, looked toward me, and smiled. I suddenly recognized them.
Mark and Jenny were students at my studio, and a year ago, I had the privilege to coach them. I was very happy to see them together dancing so well and exuding so much harmony and fun on the dance floor.
The song ended and, as he shook my hand vigorously, Mark told me that taking lessons at Fred Astaire Dance Studios was one of the best investments that he ever made. Jenny added this (and I quote) —all because of our dancing the quality of our entire lifestyle has changed for the better, and we love it! Thank you so much!—(unquote).
That encounter certainly made my night! In fact, it made my week!
I had the feeling then that these people 'had it made,' too—that Fred Astaire Dance Studios had impacted their lives in really powerful ways, and that is—it really is—exactly what our studio and all the Fred Astaire Dance studios in the nation are about: to make a difference in people lives by teaching them how to dance. It sounds simple, and it is, but what an incredibly positive change it makes!
If everyone danced, we would all bring the world to a happier and healthier state of being, literally one step at a time. So, I think it is really important to pass on the message of dance. It's the gift of a lifetime.
If you know a friend or a loved one that could use a lift, a new social direction, more exercise, or a great place to belong, think about directing them our way. Your gesture might just be the push they need to bring them into a life that is filled with fun, friends, music, and dance.
I'm raising my hat to you and to your future dancing friends --
Stanley McCalla
Dance Director, Fred Astaire Dance Studio Mamaroneck
Friday, November 15, 2013
"I Never Would Have Believed!": A Student Reflects on His NDC Experience
|L to R: Yasmeen Sahira, Pro, Dave Forecki, and Dajana Stanic, Pro
"There are experiences that remain forever in your memory, says Dave. "After receiving a free dance lesson to Fred Astaire Studio from a wedding expo which I attended with my son and his fiancée a year and a half ago, I never would have believed I would be competing at a National Dance Competition, much less winning 'Top Bronze Showcase Male'.
"The grandeur and splendor I viewed, the grace and talent I observed, the comradery and support I received from the instructors and students from my region and the confidence I developed are some tangibles I experienced at the NDC in Orlando which will be the impetus for me to become a better dancer. It is an experience that is truly life shaping. As one of my instructors said, it's like a regional competition —on steroids!"
|Dave performed at NDC with Greenfield Pros Yasmeen Sahira (to Dave's right)
and May Lee (to his left). The trio is shown here with Luann Pulliam
and Joe Trovato
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
No ice ice baby?
"Somewhere along the line, the concept that ice facilitates healing became conventional wisdom. Sorry, that wisdom is wrong."
Joshua J. Stone has so many letters after his name, his diplomas could probably double as wallpaper. He's an MA, ATC, NASM-CPT, CES, PES, and FNS…but, other than FNS (which means Fitness Nutrition Specialist), we didn't examine every impressive credential. However, we did learn that he's a former sports medicine program manager for the National Academy of Sports Medicine who, he says, has provided "rehabilitation and performance training for many Olympic and pro athletes."
Joshua Stone recently blogged "Why Ice and Anti-inflammatory Medication is NOT the Answer," about the overuse of cryotherapy, or ice for injuries. He posted a similar subject back in July. "The controversy surrounding the topic," he later wrote, made his July post "one of the most popular blogs I've written" — which is why we're presenting his latest comments here. This is not our recommendation, folks, but just one person's opinion. You should always consult your doctor for any injuries you have.
According to Stone, "Ice, compression, elevation and NSAIDs [which stands for Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs, such as aspirin, ibuprofen and naprosyn] are so commonplace that suggesting otherwise is laughable to most. Enter an Athletic Training Room or Physical Therapy Clinic: nearly all clients are receiving some type of anti-inflammatory treatment (ice, compression, massage, NSAIDs, biophysical modalities, etc). I evaluated a client the other day and asked what are you doing currently – 'Well, I am taking anti-inflammatories and icing.'" But Stone doesn't agree this therapy is always best. "Why do you want to get rid of inflammation and swelling?" he asks, and he asks it for both long-term cases, as occurs with arthritis, as well as for acute [sudden] injuries.
Stone quotes Dr. Nick DiNubile, The Physician and Sports Medicine Journal's editor-in-chief, who "once posed this question: 'Seriously, do you honestly believe that your body's natural inflammatory response is a mistake?' Much like a fever, inflammation increases body temperature to kill off foreign invaders; inflammation is the first physiological process to the repair and remodeling of tissue. Inflammation, repair, and remodel. You cannot have tissue repair or remodeling without inflammation."
Pointing to the results of a study at the Cleveland Clinic, Stone notes that cells in damaged muscles automatically respond to acute injury through engulfing and destroying foreign bodies, such as bacteria, that could threaten the organism as it heals. A sudden injury also causes muscle cells "to produce a high-level of Insulin-like growth factor, which is required for muscle regeneration" and prevention of muscle cell death. He notes a 2010 study by two researchers from the department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Medicine and Dentistry, which concluded that "'overwhelmingly, NSAIDs inhibit or delay fracture healing.' And you want to stop this critical process of healing by applying ice, because inflammation is 'bad'?," he asks.
"Somewhere along the line," Stone explains, "the concept that ice facilitates healing became conventional wisdom. Sorry, that wisdom is wrong. I had someone tell me the other day, 'We need to ice, because we need to get the swelling out.' Really? Does ice facilitate movement of fluid out of the injured area? No, it does not."
But the human lymphatic system, Stone says, does. "'The lymphatic system is a 'scavenger' system that removes excess fluid, protein molecules, debris, and other matter from the tissue spaces.'" Swelling tells the lymphatic system to go to work, a natural control that's important to maintaining the body's equilibrium.
"If swelling is accumulated," Stone says, "it is not because there is excessive swelling, rather it is because lymphatic drainage is slowed. The thought that ice application increases lymphatic flow to remove debris makes no sense." He offers this analogy by the author of "Iced! The Illusionary Treatment," Gary Reinl: "Take two tubes of toothpaste, one is under ice for 20 minutes, the other is warmed to 99 degrees. In which tube will the toothpaste flow fastest? It does not take an advanced physics degree to know that answer.
"What might surprise you," he continues, "is that ice actually reverses lymphatic drainage and pushes fluid back" into areas of injured tissue. In fact, a 1986 study showed that when ice is applied to a body part for a prolonged period of time; it affects the lymphatic system in such a way as to actually increase the amount of local swelling and slow the body's removal of unwanted cell debris.
Stone sure isn't crazy about ice, so it's no surprise that his view on RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) is that it, too, "is bogus." In his opinion, the "I" for ice is not its only problem: "Rest is not the answer. In fact rest causes tissue to waste." Stone asserts that the evidence shows that injuries heal better through exercise or another form of movement that actually promotes protein, gene, and collagen formation.
"I ask health care professionals to do one thing, just try it," suggests Stone. "Pick one client with chronic musculoskeletal pain, skip the ice, skip the NSAIDs and try to use light exercise as a repair stimulus. Then, try skipping the ice on a client with an acute mild injury. The outcomes might surprise you."
Friday, November 08, 2013
"Dear Deborah...", A Thank You from Molly MacDonald, Pink Fund founder
'Thank You for the Courage and Joy You Demonstrated by Dancing'Dear Deborah,
I am one of the thousands who have watched in awe your joyful dance just before undergoing your double mastectomy.
As a Survivor, I know all too well the combination of anxiety, stress, relief, fear, anger, sorrow etc., that fills us as we face surgery!
I, for one, was frankly pissed off! Crying, complaining and generally unhappy as I lay in the pre-op room waiting for surgery.
I wish I had thought to dance. It would have relieved all of my anxiety about the surgery!
I think about it a lot now, because the organization I founded and have the privilege to head, The Pink Fund, had our first Dancing with The Survivors event in September with Fred Astaire Dance Studios. Five breast cancer survivors danced with joy with professional partners from Fred Astaire. (They had the benefit of private lessons, donated by Fred Astaire Dancer Studios in Bloomfield Hills, MI.)
I know you are just a few days out of surgery, but I wanted to reach out to you and thank you for the courage and joy you demonstrated by dancing and asking others to do the same.Your spirit and the video will inspire others to find courage and joy in their own breast cancer journey. And of course, it speaks volumes about you!
When you are feeling better, and if you are so inclined, I would like to invite you to dance next year with a professional partner from Fred Astaire Dance Studios for our Dancing With the Survivors event. I have copied our partners with Fred Astaire, so they too can pass on your "dance."
Warmly and with gratitude!
Molly MacDonald
Founder, President
Posted by Fred Astaire Dance Studios, Inc. at 12:41 PM No comments:
Labels: benefits of dancing, breast cancer, dancing with survivors, Fred Astaire Dance Studios, huffington post, mastectomy, molly mcdonald, patient dances before surgery, pink fund
Thursday, November 07, 2013
Finding harmony in life through 'good moves'
|Rae Josephs
In a recent article in Quintessential Barrington, Rae Josephs, Area Director of Fred Astaire Dance Studios in Illinois argues that dance supports long term good health through "the zen of mind and body together, along with a support team filled with encouragement," which can be found in a good dance studio.
Depending on one's perspective, life is short and the way one chooses to fill that time makes all the difference — good or bad.
Josephs prescribes a "40-minute solution" of two to three dance sessions a week (40-minutes each) to achieve the ultimate goal of "full improvement, body and mind" through the benefits of dance. It's a fact that this closeness of lessons can change one's lifestyle for the better — part of the 'good moves' for enriching one's life.
Saturday, November 02, 2013
NDC Orlando - Day Five: The last waltz
All good things must come to an end; this year's NDC is no different. It's been invariably described by many attendees as the best competition yet — everything from the venue, to the ballrooms' decorations, to the incredibly spirited performances by the students and professional competitors have made these championships wildly successful.
Saturday's matinee session kicked off with the Smooth Proficiency, Smooth Open Single Dance Championship, Smooth Multi Open Dance Championship, Smooth Open Scholarship, Argentine Tango, International Latin Closed and Open Single Dance, and International Latin Multi and Scholarship Divisions. The energy of the past four days continued on with the dancers showing no signs of fatigue leading up to the awards and champions showcase. Of course the party in the evening right on the heels of Halloween was spectacular!
Spooky music, witches casting spells, and the jumbo video screens ablaze created the perfect atmosphere for the high energy pro show choreographed by Joe Trovato.
Saturday's matinee session kicked off with the Smooth Proficiency, Smooth Open Single Dance Championship, Smooth Multi Open Dance Championship, Smooth Open Scholarship, Argentine Tango, International Latin Closed and Open Single Dance, and International Latin Multi and Scholarship Divisions. The energy of the past four days continued on with the dancers showing no signs of fatigue leading up to the awards and champions showcase. Of course the party in the evening right on the heels of Halloween was spectacular!
|NDC judges (and friends) in their finest costumes
|Co-National Dance Board Director, Stephen Knight makes a pretty princess.
Posted by Fred Astaire Dance Studios, Inc. at 11:25 AM No comments:
Labels: #NDCOrlando, ballroom championships
Friday, November 01, 2013
NDC Orlando - Day Four: A pictorial
Another busy day, another busy matinee session as competitors vied for top placings in the American Smooth Bronze Closed Single Dance Divisions, American Smooth Bronze Closed Championships and Scholarships, American Smooth Silver and Higher Closed Single Dances, and Silver Closed Multi Dances and Scholarship Divisions.
The evening capped off with the Proficiency International Ballroom Divisions, International Ballroom Closed and Open Single Dance Divisions, International Ballroom Closed and Open Multi and Scholarship Divisions, Pro/Am Cabaret Division and the highly anticipated Professional Divisions.
The evening capped off with the Proficiency International Ballroom Divisions, International Ballroom Closed and Open Single Dance Divisions, International Ballroom Closed and Open Multi and Scholarship Divisions, Pro/Am Cabaret Division and the highly anticipated Professional Divisions.
|A new award named for Linda Joy who recently passed.
|Galina and Misha Zharinov, winners of the Linda Joy American Smooth award.
|(Front) Chris Germain and Bette Anne Duffy, Chicago North
|Cathy Goshorn of Sarasota receives a massage.
|Linda Gill and Ruslan Meshkov, Ft. Lauderdale
|(L-R) Chris Simon, Elizabeth Ragacion, Leona Hatz, Debbie Dietrich, Pamela Baden, Ann Sanders, Daniel Blain, back row, Phillip Gutierrez of Houston Memorial.
|Tim Duffy and Ria Valenzuela, Chicago North. Tim, his wife, Bette Anne, and his son, Kevin, are all competing at NDC this year.
|Pamela Baden and Phillip Gutierrez, Houston Memorial
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If you regularly watch home improvement TV programmes and read our blog (of course!), then there's probably been a time where you've considered taking renovation that one step further. Maybe, instead of simply renovating one room, you've decided you want to buy and renovate an entire house. Before you do this, you should know that it will require a lot of hard work, effort and dedication. Today's blog is all about the things that you should consider before you actually go ahead and do it. Are you brave enough?
First things first, make sure you know what you're getting yourself in for. Arrange to view the house more than once before buying. You need to make sure that you're aware of any potential issues that will arise when you begin the work. Do you need planning permission to do bits of the work? Check with your local authority. Are there any structural issues? Is there already plumbing and electricity? If there are problems with these things then it could cause you a fortune. Make sure to get a surveyor in for an assessment- they'll be able to help you work out the costs and decide whether you'll actually benefit from spending the time and money on this property. It could also be useful to take friends and family that have done work on similar projects for a second opinion.
The next step is to ensure that you actually have a big enough budget and do your research thoroughly. More problems than you expected are likely to crop up on your renovating journey, so overestimate your budget just in case. If there's any jobs that don't need doing straight away, such as cosmetic things, then leave them till last, as this gives you more time to save.
Know that it will take a long time to get it finished. Unless you're superman, there's no way that the house will be done in a matter of weeks. It's likely to take months, even years, before you'll reach the end. Therefore, you need to decide whether or not you'll be living in the house whilst the work's being completed. It might be the case that you can't until later on in the project, so think about where you're going to be staying and if this is going to incur any extra costs.
If you want to get the job done properly, you'll need contractors that you can trust. Are you planning on taking on a building firm or individual contractors? If you decide to do it individually, you need to ensure that you logically plan when each contractor is going to come. Your choice all depends on, again, your budget, and how much you want to be involved. Our advice to you is to ensure, even if you do hire a building firm, that you oversee at least some of the work- you want to make sure that you're happy with what's being done.
Renovating a house from top to bottom can be immensely rewarding, and eventually, it'll mean you'll have the house of your dreams. Have you ever taken on a project before? We'd love to hear about it.

subset: commoncrawl


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Dr. Edward Soltesz
Dr. Edward Soltesz
Heart Surgeon
9500 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44195
About Dr. Edward Soltesz,
Heart Valve Surgeon
Hello! My name is Dr. Edward Soltesz and I am a cardiac surgeon having graduated from Harvard Medical School in 1998. To date, I have performed approximately 3,000 cardiac surgeries, of which 2,200 involved heart valve procedures. I regularly perform surgery at Cleveland Clinic. Read more...
I believe my greatest strength is my tailored, individualized approach to each patient's heart condition. I often treat highly complex patients that have been denied surgery elsewhere. I practice at the largest and most comprehensive heart surgery program in the US and am part of a large, multidisciplinary team that can offer my patients the latest in heart care.
7 Patient Reviews for
Dr. Soltesz
"He explained the procedure and what would take place afterwards as far as blood thinners and the effects that foods with vitamin K have on the medicine. Showed care and concern of my current health situation."
-- Barbara Parker, Aortic Valve, Valve Replacement, 12/06/2018
"I had a extensive surgery with five procedures including a bypass of the circumflex artery, maze procedure on the right and left side, aortic valve replacement with a bovine valve, tricuspid valve repair, left clip of atrial appendage.
This was done January 5th, 2017 (only about 5 months ago). Dr. Soltesz explained everything in detail including the presurgical test results. He was personable and through as well as compassionate. I believe that he has saved my life and my recovery from a difficult major surgery is progressing well."
-- Kevin McManamon , Aortic Valve, Tricuspid Valve, Valve Repair, Valve Replacement, Median Sternotomy, Transcatheter, Maze Procedure, 01/05/2017
"Dr. Soltesz beside manner was excellent. He took the time to answer all myquestions and made sure I was comfortable with the surgery to be performed. My surgery was successful and I am recoverying well."
-- Mark Roach, Mitral Valve, Valve Repair, Median Sternotomy, 12/13/2012
"Surgery went well including a bypass. "
-- Richard Herrmann, Aortic Valve, Valve Replacement, Maze Procedure, 03/03/2011
"Very good bedside manner. Dr. Soltesz covered all the options available to me, presented the pros and cons of each, and gave his recommendation for the procedure he felt was best suited to me. My situation was complicated by the fact that I had a previous repair 16 years earlier. I am very pleased with the results."
-- Richard Chaunce, Mitral Valve, Valve Replacement, 08/03/2010
"Dr. Edward Soltesz answered all my questions fully and succinctly. He gave me confidence the surgery would be successful. I am very happy with the results. Recovery took several months but with very little pain."
-- Ralph Fisher, Aortic Valve, Valve Replacement, Median Sternotomy, 05/13/2010
"How do you thank a man (surgeon) who has saved and extended your life? Perhaps by letting others know of his excellence. Dr. Edward Soltesz, MD has a resume that reads like a fantasy of the perfect surgical background -- high school valedictorian AND college valedictorian, honors at Harvard Medical School, interned there too, then trained at Cleveland Clinic and hired there in 2008. Consider this -- he's young enough (late 30's) to be around to do your valve replacement if necessary in a decade or two. Extremely bright, competent, easy to communicate with. He replaced my 69 yr. old calcified, stenotic, bicuspid aortic valve and did two bypasses. I can't recommend him highly enough. You can trust Dr. Soltesz with your life. Feel free to read his amazing resume at the Cleveland Clinic website!"
-- John Anderson, Aortic Valve, Valve Replacement, Median Sternotomy, 11/30/2009
My Specialities &
Clinical Interests
My heart surgery specialties include:
- Minimally invasive aortic and mitral valve repair and replacement
- Totally thoracoscopic / minimally invasive Maze procedure
- Complex re-operative heart valve surgery
In addition, I have research and clinical interests specific to:
- Long term valve surgery outcomes
- Atrial fibrillation
- Nationwide cardiac surgery outcomes
Education, Training & Certificates
Dr. Edward Soltesz, heart surgeon, graduated from Harvard Medical School in 1998.
After medical school, Dr. Soltesz completed a General Surgery Residency in 2005 and a Cardiothoracic Surgery Residency in 2007 at Brigham & Woman's Hospital. In 2007, Dr. Soltesz completed an Aortic Endovascular Surgery Residency at the Cleveland Clinic in 2007. Today, Dr. Soltesz is board certified in Thoracic & Cardiac Surgery and General Surgery.
Schedule Appointment
with Dr. Edward Soltesz, MD
To schedule an appointment with Dr. Soltesz, you can:
- Call (866) 306-6392 right now
- Request an appointment by clicking here.
The office of Dr. Soltesz is located at 9500 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44195. To get driving directions to this office, please click the map below.
> Click for driving directions to Dr. Soltesz's office.


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Chapters in Books
- Sarkar A and Wewers MD. "Toll-like Receptors: Pathogen sensors that revolutionized innate immunity.." In Regulation of Innate Immune Function. Columbus: Research Signpost, January 2010
PhD: Jadavpur University, Kolkata, India, 2004
Professional activities:
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We'll be in touch every so often with health tips, patient stories, important resources and other information you need to keep you and your family healthy. Welcome to our online community here at the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center!


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20 November 2012
The power of women to change the world
The organiser of a new global network to be launched today has urged the world to focus its attention on the girls and women in extreme poverty - and away from the explosive issue of women bishops.
A new network called Woman to Woman launches at 6pm in the House of Commons in London.
Woman to Woman, an initiative of Micah Challenge wants to empower girls and women to be change-makers to help the poor by prompting action, prayer and campaigns to help the near one billion women and girls in extreme poverty.
Amanda, head of policy and campaigns at Micah Challenge, said the exploitation of girls and women across the world - the focus of Woman to Woman - is of vital interest to women of faith everywhere.
She said: "Whatever the formal stance on women in leadership within the UK Anglicans, the whole Church needs to support the value and worth of women - all made in God's image - with dreams and hopes, talents and intelligence.
"Woman to Woman is one initiative that seeks to encourage women who believe in God's transforming hope to speak out and take action against injustices suffered by women and girls - like trafficking, sexual violence, maternal deaths, poverty and low status.
"It wants to highlight the wonderful work already being done quietly by women and encourage more women to see the possibilities for advocacy.
"A deeper and bigger debate is one that is not so widely discussed - the status and security of tens of millions of women who still live in extreme poverty and have little power in their homes or in public life."
Ex-Hillsong worship leader Darlene Zschech and Lynne Hybels have endorsed the Woman to Woman network and UK politicians Diane Abbott MP and Caroline Spelman MP will speak about the opportunities and barriers for women in public life.
Woman to Woman organisers hope to remind world leaders of their promises made in 2000 to meet the Millennium Development Goals by 2015.
Pastor Maureen Shana from Zimbabwe will also attend the launch.
Maureen said: "It is a tragedy that mums are dying in many poor nations from causes that are easily preventable. Christian women in particular care about families and can be a voice to save lives.
"With maternal mortality shockingly high, women's voices are needed to highlight basic measures that could help save lives.
"We can help girls, especially on the margins, to release their gifts and potential."
Woman to Woman is part of Micah Challenge's wider plan to mobilise Christians to remind world politicians to keep their Millennium Development Goal promises made in 2000 to halve extreme poverty.
For more information see www.w2wglobal.org or them on Twitter @w2wglobal


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The 7 Tales of Musicatreize
Seven books, seven recordings, seven musical theatre performances take us from the Finnish forest through the Africa of Alexander the Great to Vietnam or Portugal, with a stop at an old madman's shop, crossing the Urals into Argentina, and in the process, losing our way only to find what lies deep in our hearts.
Musicatreize has brought seven musical tales into the world since 2006. True little chamber operas, they move from site to site, mingling singers, actors and instrumentalists with stage designers. They can be as simple as those children's tales that once enchanted us, but at the same time their profound exploration of the human soul can both move and transform us.
The 7 Tales of Musicatreize :
Each tale transports us to unexplored territory, and we observe how closely writers, composers, scenic directors and illustrators have journeyed together throughout to create something unique and mysterious out of each of these musical theatre performances. Every one of the seven books published by Actes Sud includes a recording of the music and original illustrations.


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Idaho Power wants permission from state regulators to lump people who install rooftop solar panels starting next year into a new class of energy providers, and may ask later for permission to charge them more money than current solar producers pay to access the state's power grid and buy electricity when their panels are not producing.
The utility's request could significantly change the system that compensates users of rooftop solar panels and other renewable sources for their excess electricity. Idaho Power said it needs clearance from the commission to create a whole new customer class before discussing possible rate hikes.
"We want to continue offering this service," said Tim Tatum, Idaho Power's vice president of regulatory affairs. "We are seeing rapid growth, so now is the time to have this conversation."
At issue is a practice called "net metering," a system first created in 1983 requiring homeowners and small business owners who install solar panels to be compensated for any surplus energy they feed back onto the grid. It's a practice largely regarded as a key incentive for solar and other renewable energy customers.
Idaho Power's move follows a national trend of many other states also considering changing net metering policies as usage in the system has exponentially increased.
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, net-metered solar saw significant growth in 2015, adding over 2,100 megawatts in generation capacity. This is the fourth consecutive year of annual growth above 50 percent.
About 1,400 Idahoans are enrolled in the system, primarily with rooftop solar panels. But Idaho Power has said the current system was not designed to account for homeowners who installed their own solar panels — resulting in traditional power customers being forced to make up any budget shortfalls.
The "time has come to take gradual, yet meaningful, steps toward establishing rate designs and compensation structures for customers with on-site generation that are fair and sustainable into the future," Tatum wrote in his testimony to the utilities commission.
Under the proposal submitted July 27, current net metering customers would be grandfathered into their existing rates for hooking into the electrical grid and buying power when they are not producing it. Any new customers producing their own solar power would be funneled into the pending new class as of Jan. 1.
If approved, Idaho Power would then ask the commission for further permission to subject those customers to potentially new fees or a higher rate structure.
Renewable energy advocates criticized the move.
"Idaho Power isn't showing their hand," said Wendy Wilson, executive director of the Snake River Alliance. "They're setting up a second class of customers but they're not saying what rules those customers will face. This will cast a large cloud on the future of solar in Idaho."
Idaho Power already charges customers $5 per month for access to the grid even if no power is used, Wilson said. If that's not enough to cover the costs of the grid then the rates should be adjusted for all customers.
Wilson added that customers who produce power should receive regular retail rates because the power generated via solar or other renewable sources improves the overall electrical grid and lowers the need to buy power at peak times of demand.


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Latest News
upcoming shows
|06 Jul 2019
SepticFlesh, Nightstalker (Official)POEM, Acid Death, Foray Between Ocean, Enemy Of Reality Official, Automaton -
Athens, Gr — Piraeus 117 Academy
Buy ticket
Quotes from metal bands
This release hit me like a tornado. Another really promising new band from the Hellenic Extreme Metal scene. These guys seem to know how to create something extreme and soulful at the same time. Dive into their abyss!
"Sakis" (Rotting Christ)
A blistering onslaught of dynamic riffs and unique melodies that instantly register themselves in your skull is what Foray Between Ocean's debut "Depression Neverending" is all about. Dive in and "drown" in the waters of their vast musical ocean.
"Seth" (Septic Flesh)
The human body is said to have 206 bones … just like a musical avatar of Mike Tyson, this album breaks each and everyone of them. It might let you off the hook for just a bit with itσ melodic moments, but it then just returns to completely demolish you. The ultimate beat-down ! A total KO !
Eythimis Karadimas (Nightfall/The Slayerking)
Right from the start with this album I knew that Foray Between Ocean had written and recorded an album full of mass, power and hard hitting dynamics. Heavy and defying my most loathed term – "genre" – this record was incredibly fun to master, as I was able to leave behind the approach of a technician and actually feel the power within the music.
Brad Boatright//Audiosiege (has worked with such bands as SUNN O))), Nails, Toxic Holocaust, Pelican and others)


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SOME interesting and possibly poignant problems of an intelligent, sensitive Negro lad, growing up in the socially strained environment of a middle-class white community, are handled in a clumsy, shoddy fashion in the unworthy film that has been made from Louis Peterson's play, "Take a Giant Step." The film opened at the Victoria on Saturday.In spite of some earnest performing by the youngster, Johnny Nash, a currently favored "pop" singer who plays the leading role, this little tale of the boy's confusions over racial prejudice and the urges of sex is like a cross between a social justice brochure and a Negro Andy Hardy film.Aside from the weak motivations and jerky transitions in the script, which tumble the hero in helpless bewilderment between his curiously obtuse white companions and a couple of slatternly prostitutes, the picture is driven by its director, Philip Leacock, at a wobbly, senseless pace and is so full of angry, shouting characters that it almost leaves one deaf.Actually, it is difficult to determine what it is that is eating the boy. Is it undocumented rensentment of his teacher and classmates in school? Is it anger at being excluded from the social activities of his neighborhood? Is it shock and disappointment at his parents for counseling him to "stay in his place?" Or is it mainly the restlessness that comes with the rising sap of spring?Apparently Mr. Peterson and Julius J. Epstein, who helped him write the script, lost something of the play's cohesion in chopping it into the cinematic form. And Mr. Leacock lost the quality of sensitivity and dignity it should have.Although young Mr. Nash is handsome, manly and energetic as the lad, he lacks the clarification of his upset that would give real poignancy to his role. He shouts and curses everybody in practically the same tone of voice. Frederick O'Neal and Beah Richards as his parents are provokingly heavy and dense, and Estelle Hemsley as a wise old grandmother does everything cranky and cosy but suck on a corncob pipe.Ruby Dee is sensible and sympathetic as a housemaid in the boy's home, but Ellen Holly and Pauline Meyers as street walkers are as mawkish and lurid as such types come."Take a Giant Step" took a step backwards—a giant one—in making it to the screen.
The CastTAKE A GIANT STEP; screen play by Louis S. Peterson and Julius J. Epstein; based on the play by Mr. Peterson; directed by Philip Leacock; produced by Mr. Epstein; a Sheila Productions, Inc., film presented by Hecht, Hill and Lancaster and released through United Artists. At the Victoria Theatre, Broadway and Forty-sixth Street. Running time: 100 minutes.Spencer Scott . . . . . Johnny NashGrandma . . . . . Estelle HemsleyChristine . . . . . Ruby DeeLem Scott . . . . . Frederick O'NealCarol . . . . . Ellen HollyViolet . . . . . Pauline MeyersMay Scott . . . . . Beah RichardsRose . . . . . Royce WallacePoppy . . . . . Frances FosterBobby . . . . . Dell EricksonTony . . . . . Dee PollackGussie . . . . . Frank KillmonJohnny . . . . . Joseph SonessaAlan . . . . . Sherman RaskinContinue reading the main story


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|Thankfully, the Walmart gingerbread houses
did not taste good enough for the girls to
eat, they became fish food.
It wasn't with us in Mexico. In the peak summer heat and humidity, I could put down four or five ice cold Tecates in a day, each refreshingly teased with lime and salt. Total cost? About 58 cents a pop. When the weather cooled, a fair bottle of red wine could be had for three to five bucks.
In the U.S., our drinking problem began, but it wasn't a surprise; we'd lived there, after all. And remembering we'd have to pay $11.99 for a 12-pack of beer was tempered by the fact that it was much better beer. Thanks to Trader Joes, our wine cost remained stable.
We arrived in Victoria, B.C. with beer and wine stores aboard that lasted into our third month. Then it was time to replenish.
The Strath is the closest liquor store to the marina and it's pretty fancy. I opened the black French doors and stepped in from the cold. The magnitude of my drinking problem was evident right away. There wasn't a 12-pack of beer for sale under $25 Canadian. I didn't see a bottle of wine priced in the single digits. Then I caught my breath: I was still in the heart of the tourist shopping zone, of course these prices are absurd, this isn't where the locals buy alcohol.
|We enjoyed the cousins' visit. Their parents
kindly brought a bottle of Bailey's Irish Cream,
but their mom drank nearly all of it
while here.
But there were no bargains. The prices were barely a tick below The Strath. I pulled out my credit card anyway.
We brought our last bottle of wine to a friend's boat for Christmas. I'd consider stopping drinking, but not until the kids are older—could I possibly cope with the demands of parenting without the promise of a glass of wine in the evening?
People told us we were crazy to head north for the winter. They warned us of the cold and the rain. But nobody prepared us for the high cost of beer and wine. And we expect our drinking problem to continue through this coming fall, with little hope of price decreases as we sail north. If you visit us, please bring a bottle.
* A nod to Keith Richard's band by this name. I just finished Richard's fascinating autobiography, Life.
|Where did we go wrong? Frances: "I didn't want to waste my time
telling a fake Santa what I want for Christmas when I should be
writing to the real Santa about what I want." Eleanor: "I'm too
old for that."


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4th Annual Jupiter Craft Brewers Festival Saturday By Dan Oliver, columnist To have a chance at tasting "beers your mom would be proud of," you will have to arrive early at this year's Jupiter Craft Brewers Festival. The 4th installment of the annual suds event begins Saturday afternoon at its new home, Roger Dean Stadium, and […]
Entries Tagged as 'Dan the Beer Man'
Dan the Beer Man: Jupiter Brewfest This Weekend
January 27th, 2010 · 1 Comment
Tags: Dan the Beer Man · Uncategorized
Merry Christmas! A Specially Cut Tree for You with Best Wishes From Jan Norris
December 25th, 2009 · No Comments
Wishing all my readers a very merry Christmas… And a happy, flavor-filled New Year! About the artist: William Oellers of Connecticut created this beautiful work, titled "Old Fashioned Christmas Tree" as a papercut, also known as scherenschnitte. Oeller, originally from Germany, practices the ancient art of cutting a finely detailed image from a single sheet of paper using only […]
Tags: Calendar: SoFla Food Events · Dan the Beer Man · Uncategorized
Beer Man Dan: Beer Wars — the Movie
May 16th, 2009 · 3 Comments
Review of Beer Wars by Dan the Beer Man Oliver
Tags: Dan the Beer Man


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A weekly podcast on comics, film, television and collectibles, all fueled by the magic of frappacinos.
Sunday, April 27, 2014
C2E2 has come again! Jon and Joe recorded this episode within an hour of the end of the show and discuss it all, from cosplay to panels to shopping. So much shopping.
Sunday, April 20, 2014
The "Batman:Arkham" games have spawned comics, action figures, a fourth sequel and an animated movie. Kevin Ryan has mastered all 3 games and talks about the evolution of the game's engine and how these games have managed to get into the mindset of the character in away no other game has.
Monday, April 14, 2014
Dr. Paul Booth is back to talk "Joss Whedon: A Celebration" at De Paul University! We discuss Whedon's broad range from "Roseanne" to Marvel and if all fans of the Whedonverse are created equal. Also, will Steven ever finish "Firefly"?
Sunday, April 6, 2014
Captain America: The Winter Soldiercast!
We all saw "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" and we all got spoilers! Jon, Steven, Dave and Joe discuss the ramifications for "Agents of SHIELD", the hidden rogues gallery and the shift in tone to political thriller! Also, Dave and Bill have differing view on the "How I Met Your Mother" finale!
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Old Fashioned Raisin-Filled Cookies
- Yield: 4-5 dozens
- Prep: 30 minutes
- Cook: 10-12 minutes
This recipe was given to my mother-in-law when she was a young bride by her landlord, who was already elderly. My mother-in-law passed away a few years ago at the age of 92, making this cookie recipe probably over a 100 years old. This recipe is one of the families favorites for Thanksgiving and bake sales.
- Cookies:
- 1cup shortening
- 2cups sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup sour milk (warm milk and add 1 teaspoon baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon vinegar
- 5cups all-purpose flour
- Filling:
- 2cups California Raisins
- 2cups water
- 1cup sugar
- 1teaspoon vinegar
- 3tablespoons all-purpose flour plus water to make a paste to thicken filling
- To prepare filling: Cook raisins and water together for 5 minutes. Add sugar and vinegar. Make a paste of flour and water, stirring until it is smooth. Add a little at a time to the raisin mixture and cook until thickened. Let cool.
- To prepare cookies: Preheat oven to 350F. Place line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Beat shortening and sugar well. Add eggs and sour milk. Add 2 cups of flour and mix well. Add the rest of the flour a little at a time, mixing until hands come clean. Place dough in a bowl, divide into 4 pieces. Roll dough on lightly floured surface until about 1/8 inch thick. Using a 3-inch round cookie cutter or a glass, cut into rounds.
- Place 1 teaspoon of filling in the middle of half the rounds. Cover with a second round and seal edges. Bake 10 to 12 minutes.


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As the temperatures drop during the winter season, it is important that homeowners prepare for these extreme temperatures and protect their homes. Often one of the biggest and most problematic concerns during the winter is the risk of pipes freezing. If a pipe freezes it could potentially burst, leading to serious damage and expensive repair bills. Here are the top 5 frozen pipe prevention tips for homeowners.
- Let the water run on low. Since this does waste water, try to only run faucets that are at risk of freezing during the cold weather. Faucets at risk are those running through unheated, uninsulated spaces. Letting the faucet drip can help to prevent faucets from bursting due to the cold temperatures. It is not the flow of the faucet that stops the freezing, since water can freeze even when moving slowly, turning on the water opens the faucet up so that pressure is reduced significantly. When there is an ice blockage due to freezing in your water pipes, usually an extreme pressure will begin developing, leading up to a burst pipe. If you remove the source of pressure, even if your pipes freeze, they will not burst.
- Make sure that your pipes are properly insulated before cold weather hits. Check the pipes to see if the area around them is sealed properly. Gaps, holes and cracks in the wall attached to the pipe could results in the pipe being exposed to extremely cold air making frozen pipes more likely to develop. Any spaces near water pipes will need to be sealed effectively using a caulk. You can buy caulk from any local hardware store or home and garden center.
- Keep cabinet doors that access your pipes open. Opening these cabinet doors will allow warm, heated air from your home to circulate around the pipes, helping to protect them from extreme cold temperatures. This is a simple tip to keep pipes from freezing that requires no installation, set up, money or time!
- Another way to keep these pipes warm is to apply electric heating tapes and cables to the pipes. Be sure to use these products with caution to prevent fires and keep your home safe. These tapes and cables have integrated thermostats that will trigger the heat to automatically turn on or off whenever needed, helping to ensure your pipes never get too cold. If the tape doesn't have a thermostat, it will need to be manually plugged in, which is an easy thing to forget, reducing its ability to be effective.
- Finally, insulate the pipes. You can buy an insulation sleeve to wrap around the pipe, helping to keep warm pipes away from cold temperatures. You can pick up an insulation sleeve from any hardware store in materials such as fiberglass or foam rubber. AIM to buy the extra thick kind. They will cost a bit more, but the results will be worth the additional cost.
When protecting your home from extreme cold temperatures, you may consider programmable digital thermostat benefits to warm your house and other ways you can stay warm. In addition to keeping your home comfortable, you will also need to keep your pipes in good condition. By following these tips you can properly insulate and protect your water pipes to prevent freezing and serious repair costs.


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Employees of the 'Wall Street Journal' were informed on Jan. 11th that bed bugs had taken residence in the The Journal's offices inside the News Corp. building in Midtown.
According to an article on www.capitalnewyork.com, WSJ Deputy Managing Editor informed employees that "…on Friday the facilities department received a report of a bed bug sighting in the video area of the 6th floor."
An inspection using a bed bug detecting dog found a bed bug infestation "in part of the video area and in part of the main 6th floor conference room," the Capital reported. These areas were treated by a pest management professional.
During the past few years, other venerable New York institutions including Time Warner, Penguin, Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center have also been infested.
George Williams,
General Manager - Staff Entomologist
Pest Control, RI, Pest Control, MA
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Western Digital WD Green WD20EARS 2TB 64MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5″ Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
Product Specifications
Brand: Hewlett Packard
Model Number: WD20EARS
Device Type: Hard drive – internal
Capacity: 2 TB
Form Factor: 3.5″ x 1/3H
Interface: SATA 3Gb/s
Buffer Size: 64 MB
Features: IntelliSeek, StableTrac, Perpendicular Magnetic Recording (PMR), IntelliPower, NoTouch ramp load technology, GreenPower technology, S.M.A.R.T.
Width: 4 in
Depth: 5.8 in
Height: 1 in
Weight: 1.61 lbs
Drive Transfer Rate: 300 MBps (external)
Internal Data Rate: 110 MBps
Non-Recoverable Errors: 1 per 10^15
Start / Stop Cycles: 300,000
Interfaces: 1 x SATA 3 Gb/s – 7 pin Serial ATA
Compatible Bay: 3.5″ x 1/3H
Compliant Standards: RoHS
Min Operating Temperature: 32 °F
Max Operating Temperature: 140 °F
Shock Tolerance: 65 g @ 2ms (operating) / 250 g @ 1ms (non-operating)
Product Description
WD Advanced Format technology increases media format efficiency, thus enabling larger drive capacities. WD Advanced Format drives are specifically optimized for Mac and the latest Windows operating systems such as Windows Vista and Windows 7. WD Advanced Format drives work with legacy operating systems such as Windows XP but require the use of the free WD Align software available on www.wdc.com/advformat.Available in capacities up to 2 TB, WD Caviar Green SATA hard drives reduce power consumption by up to 40% and offer best-in-class acoustics and operating temperature. Based on WD's exclusive GreenPower technology, these drives are designed to deliver power savings as the primary attribute. As hard drive capacities increase, the power required to run those drives increases as well. WD Caviar Green drives make it possible for energy-conscious customers to build systems with higher capacities and the right balance of system performance, ensured reliability, and energy conservation. They are ideal for PCs, external storage and other devices that require lower power consumption and cool, quiet operation.
WD Caviar Green Hard Drives – Cool, quiet.
The WD Caviar Green desktop SATA hard drives give you the space you need to hold enormous amounts of software, photos and videos. These drives make it possible to build high capacity, cool and quiet systems, while delivering the right balance of system performance and energy conservation.
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WD Caviar Green hard drives provide high capacity storage while using up to 40% less power than traditional 7200 RPM drives. In addition, these hard drives are quieter and cooler than traditional 7200 RPM drives.
Ideal for:
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Advanced Format (AF) – Technology being adopted by WD and other drive manufacturers to continue growing hard drive capacities.
New drives featuring AF are optimized for operation with Windows 7, Windows Vista and Mac OS X Tiger, Leopard, Snow Leopard. For older operating systems such as Windows XP, users must run the free WD Align software utility to achieve the full performance of the drive.
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Works with Windows 7/Vista/XP/2000, Mac and Linux operating systems.
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The Great Declaration i.e. Apophasis Megale is ascribed by Hippolytus of Rome to Simon Magus. This is, however, doubtful because its allusions to the New Testament indicate a 2nd-century authorship at the earliest. Many scholars date the text to the 3rd century. It also reads like esoteric Pauline exegesis of the Pentateuch. Simon Magus or Simon the Magician is the founder of the religion known as Simonianism (and possibly Gnosticism) with most of its devotees from Rome and from Samaria who saw him as a Savior and the Son of God, much like Jesus. He was also said to be a key disciple of both John the Baptist and Dositheos, both figures which were highly revered by many Gnostic and Christian sects throughout the ancient world, again, also much like how Jesus was said to belong to a sect of Baptizers.
Simon Magus is said to be born in the village of Gitta of Samaria and of the Samaritan sect of unknown birth date (once again, much like how the Pharisees accuse Jesus of being a Samaritan in John 4). The earliest I can say he died was 41CE with terminus being 68CE. These dates I have conjectured from the fact that accounts of the death of Simon Magus place his demise in the reigns of both Claudius and Nero (though under Claudius seems more in evidence which would mean the terminus would be 54CE as opposed to 68CE). Simon's self promotion in Rome took place during the reign of Claudius was thus between 41CE and 54CE. Rome held its Imperial Cult, its Emperor worship, and all activities of man-worship other than the cult of the Emperor had to be legalized by the government, that Justin Martyr claimed this to have happened is made explicitly clear in 1 Apol. 56 in speaking of Simon Magus as having:
so greatly astonished the Sacred Senate and your people and the Roman people, that he was thought to be a god and was honoured, like the others whom you honour as gods, with a statue.
It is also noteworthy that Justin appeals in the First Apology to "destroy the statue" (cf. 1 Apol. 56) evidently believing that the statue was still standing, thus having stood for about 100 years. This statue is described by Justin Martyr in again, 1 Apol. 26:
…in the reign of Claudius Caesar, through the art of the demons who worked in him, did mighty works of magic in your imperial city of Rome and was thought to be a god; he has been honoured among you as a god with a statue, which statue was erected on the River Tiber, between the two bridges, having this inscription in Roman language: SIMONI DEO SANCTO.
However, some scholars debate this point, claiming that Justin confused a statue dedicated to the Sabine divinity Semo Sancus with that of the historical Simon the Magician. Semo Sancus is an ancient Sabine deity for oaths, contracts, law, matrimony, and legal fidelity. In 1574, an altar dedicated to Semo Sancus was discovered on the island of the Tiber River with the following inscription Semoni Sanco Deo, which translates as "to Semon the Holy God." This discovery led to the belief that Justin had made an observational mistake concerning what he thought was the idol of "Simon the Holy God" on the Tiber River.
There is a problem with this theory in that it assumes that the deity's name is Semo. In Latin, semo or the plural semones derives from semi-homines or semi-humans. These are the dii medioxumi who were lower-level deities. The semones are the demigods of the Roman pagan pantheon. According to Marcus Porcius Cato, a Sanco is a spirit (daimon) and not a god (theos).
From the point of view of Roman paganism, it does not make sense to use a generic noun of semo for a demigod and then also the noun deos for a god. It would be like saying, "to the demigod holy god." What is far more likely is that the Simon Magus, as a magician and adapter of local paganism, co-opted the Roman tradition of a semi-human god of law and covenant and identified himself as the semi-human god. This would conform to the description of Simon Magus in Acts 8:10 as being "this man who is the power of God." So then, it was probably not Justin Martyr who was confused, but rather Simon Magus who confused his identity with the semi-human god of Rome. Hippolytus in Refutation of All Heresies 6.20 writes that the Simonians:
"have a statue of Simon in the form of Zeus, and one of Helen in the form of Athena, which they worship, calling the former Lord and the latter Lady.
The Catholic Church Fathers of the second, third and fourth centuries were almost totally united in calling him (and the philosophy that he established) as the first and primary heresy and set out to combat his error that plagued Christianity for the first four centuries. The second century Catholic Bishop, Irenaeus, said that the Samaritan Simon was the very person "from whom all the heresies took their origin" (Against Heresies, 1.23.2). From then on to the time of the Roman historian and Orthodox polemicist Eusebius (and including the testimony of Eusebius himself), Simon is singled out as the originator of all the principal heresies that polluted the living tree of the early church in its first four centuries of existence. That is why he is given a prominent position in the Book of Acts (8:14-25).
This Simon claimed to be the Great Power (cf. Acts 8:10). According to Hippolytus, Simon bought a temple prostitute in a Phoenican city of Tyre, by the name of Helen, recognizing her as a reincarnation of Helen of Troy (cf. Justin Martyr 1, Apol 26), and he made her part of his teachings as he taught that she and him are in fact one dyad or syzygy. Simon would call her the "lost sheep", much like how John 10 describes the sheep not as Samaritians or Jews but but rather the soul itself in each man; a soul in need of liberation of bondage to material creation and ignorance of it's origins. Jesus was depicted as the Good Sheppard, as was Simon. Jesus in Luke 16:9 and Mark 16:9 also saves a prostitute from "seven demons", by the name of Mary Magdalene. And in the Gospel of Philip, Mary Magdalene is depicted as the disciple of Jesus in which he "loved her more than all the disciples, and used to kiss her often on her mouth."
The 3rd century NHC text, The Concept of Our Great Power also uses this same nomenclature of Simon and features Paul's eschatology verbatim. It is also one of the more radically dualist texts in the NHC. Considering this is a Simonian work, this is no surprise. The text has a number of features that the church fathers attribute to Simonian Gnosticism, like the divine title of "great power," and the involvement of fire in creation as used in the Great Announcement. Also, the text doesn't actually specify the savior by name (the [Jesus?] in the translation is just the translator's conjecture), which is why I say that if it's Simonian, Simon Magus may be implied. And if that's the case, then Power may have originally been composed, at least in its earliest form, when the characters of Jesus, Simon Magus, and Paul were blurred together into one personage.
Simon also taught that Jesus took on disguises to evade the attention of the powers, archangels and principalities (since they were viewed as the rulers of the world) as he descended into matter and flesh as discussed in the Second Treatise of the Great Seth and the Ascension of Isaiah. This touches on doceticism, which is the idea that while he entered matter he never became matter, with his original nature being purely divine. Yet, it is still an incarnation doctrine, but not in the same manner in the (Catholic) Orthodox doctrine on the nature of Jesus, which is basically a conflated fusion between two diametrically opposed traditions, one being the docetic Christology of Paul and Simon Magus and the the Jewish Messianic cult leader Rabbi by the name of Yeshua. More on this will be discussed in Part 2 of this commentary.
Origen in Contra Celsus i.57, notably conflates the title of "Son of God" with "the Power of God". R.M. Grant suggests that the "Great Power" was a deity invoked by Simon in his magical spells and rituals, and that in the style of many incantations found in the Greco-Egyptian magical papyri, Simon identified himself as a manifestation of this spiritual power using the "I am" formula.
The following is part of the text of the Great Declaration as preserved by Hippolytus in Refutation of All Heresies 6.18 after which the exposition will be given. This is specifically taken from Robert Price's translation of the Simonian work.
This is the writing down of the declaration of voice and name from thought, which is the Great Power, the Boundless. Thus it shall be sealed up, hidden, concealed, placed in the dwelling which rests upon the Universal Root. To you, then, I say what I have to say, and I write what I to write. And this is the writing thereof.
From the universal aeons spring two shoots, which are without beginning or ending, stemming forth from a single root, which is the invisible Power, unknowable silence. Of the two shoots, one appears from above. This is the Great Power, the Universal Mind that sets all thing in order, being males. The other appears from below. It is the Great Thought, which is female and brings forth all things.
From this state they pair off with each other, uniting and appearing in the middle distance, the incomprehensible air, without beginning or end. Here is to be found the Father by whom all things sustained, and by whom are nourished those things which do partake of beginning and ending.
Such as He Who Has Stood, Stands and Will Stand, a male/female power like unto the Boundless Power which is a stranger equally to beginning and ending, existing in oneness. For it was from this that the thought within the oneness proceeded and became two.
Thus was the One, for as he had her in himself, he was yet alone. He had not been so at first because, though pre-existent, by revealing himself to himself he became a second. Nor could he be called Father till Thought named him so.
Thus, producing himself by himself, he revealed to himself his own thought. In the same way, the thought was revealed did not make the Father known but rather concealed him by contemplating him, that is, the power, in herself, the result being male-female, power and thought.
Thus do they pair of with each other, yet being one, there being no difference, between power an thought. Power is revealed from the things above, while thought is revealed by the things below.
The universal Aeons, refer to in fact as the first principles basic to reality (the first God), which is called Arche in Greek. The term "Aeon" can be understood as "eternity" and this commonly denotes a spirit of great power, in the case of Valentinian theology for example a god in the universal chain of being. In this case the universal Aeons produced by emanation are also intended to be understood as divine. The two shoots refer to the male and female aspects of Simon "which although being one are yet found as two". Whether the terms "Power invisible" and "inapprehensible Silence" refer to Simon as one or separately with one name to the male and another to the female aspects I do not know, in any case if the terms are separately assigned then "Power invisible" must apply to the male and "inapprehensible Silence" must apply to the female (Helen the prostitute).
This also sounds very close to many descriptions assigned to the Mother figure of Barbelo. Barbelo was also known as a spiritual realm, whose etymology (originally in Aramaic) can be translated as the "realm of the Son of God", where Jesus in the Gospel of Judas is said to have originated from. So great was her popularity and worship that that one of the names given to the Gnostics was the Barbeloites. She is the first reflex of divinity, called the Great Invisible Spirit. As the Invisible Spirit is pure potentiality, so Barbelo is pure activity, the two forming the first and most fundamental of all dualities. One can see the similarities between Barbelo and the Egyptian Nut or Nuit and the Enochian goddess described by Aleister Crowley (Simon Magus 2.0), Babalon i.e. the Scarlet Woman (Helena 2.0) in many of his writings.
Hippolytus gives a report of what Simon taught about the one Root which was said to be the Universal Principle and the Boundless Power:
"Simon in his paraphrasing of the Law of Moses speaks with artful misunderstanding. For when Moses says "God is a fire burning and destroying," taking in an incorrect sense what Moses said, he declares that Fire is the Universal Principle, not understanding what was said, viz., not that "God is fire," but "a fire burning and destroying." And thus he tears to pieces the Law of Moses, but also plunders from Heracleitus the obscure. And Simon states that the Universal Principle is Boundless Power"
Of these shoots one is manifested from above, which is the Great Power, the Universal Mind ordering all things, male, and the other, (is manifested) from below, the Great Thought, female, producing all things.
"The Great Power" is indeed the epithet applied to Simon Magus by the people of Samaria as recorded in the book of Acts. This title as well as "Universal Mind" are used exclusively of the male aspect of Simon, the Power is also the more transcendent aspect of Simon, indeed the Mind is said to be "above". "The Great Thought, female" is Helen who is the First Thought of the Universal Mind or Nous, which must be understood in reference to the Simonian mythos as is laid out in works of the Church Fathers. It is said that this "First thought" descended into the lower regions and generated the angels and powers, which created the world, these angels then detained her, and she was reincarnated (Simon also taught a doctrine akin to metempsychosis or the transmigration of the souls i.e. reincarnation, according to both Irenaeus and Hippolytus) in bodies of flesh over and over again (see: Exegesis of the Soul for details on this) until the Great Power found her, his First Thought. These are of course the same "authorities of the universe and the spirits of wickedness" of St. Paul's Ephesians 6:12, which directly corresponded with the Archons of Gnosticism. Paul's Christ was said to be above these powers, authorities and all might. Paul calls us to be, "strong in the Lord and in his mighty power." (Ephesians 6:10)
According to both Irenaues and Hippolytus, Simon's followers were said to worship the Gnostic couple of Simon Magus and Helena in the images of Zeus and Athena (who, according to Greek myth, sprang from the head of Zeus). Stephen Haar in his work, Simon Magus: The First Gnostic? notes that the Phoenician (notice the that connection again as associated with the city of Tyre where Simon found Helen in a brothel) sun-god Herakles (Hercules), like Simon was also conferred with the title of the "Standing One". Even the name Simon could be traced to the oriental stem of Sem-Herakles, a deity also worshiped in Samaria. Thus the connection between Greek paganism and Simonianism is closely intertwined.
In any case, Hippolytus in refuting Simonian teachings also explicates of these shoots that the Mind is heaven and the Thought is earth. Whether this is because Simon read Genesis in an allegorical way or stated that Mind is in fact synonymous with heaven and Thought synonymous with earth, one can only guess. To understand the two shoots the Root must not be forgotten, the Root is fire, and just as Heraclitus taught that all is fire, so to does this male witch. And Fire, says Simon, has a twofold nature one concealed the other manifested, the concealed produces the manifested and is hidden in the manifested. This corresponds to Plato's belief in the sensible which is physical and visible (Eidon/Kosmos) being based on the intelligible and the forms (Eidos) where true knowledge lay and which was incorporeal. Thus for Simon the concealed is the intelligible while the manifested is the sensible. Power is concealed, thought is manifested.
While Plato would understand fire as being an element and with hardly -if any- more divine than air, water, or earth Simon claims it as the central player of existence. And of course, the Stoics used Heraclitus' Fire (Logos) and considered it to be a primordial kind of being (God), with all things are composed of fire. The human soul is likewise born from this Godly fire, which permeates and penetrates the entire body, much like how the Stoics viewed the material universe being permeated by this same fiery essence. This is all reflected in Simon's teaching of the divine fire involved in creation. That Simon Magus consciously corresponded the heavens to the incorporeal and earth to the corporeal is not a unique innovation but was also done by the contemporaneous Philo of Alexandria (cf. On the Creation).
Hence pairing with each other, they unite and manifest the Middle Distance, incomprehensible Air, without beginning or end. In this is the Father who sustains all things, and nourishes those things which have a beginning and end.
The Middle Distance may describe the apparent point of discontinuity between the the earth and the -less physical- heavens or perhaps the Middle Distance is the heavens itself as being "incomprehensible" and "without beginning or end" suits the intelligible realm which as has been pointed out could be applied to the heavens. Perhaps this Middle Distance is to be understood as being a great fire, as it is in Valentinian theology (as well as Sethian) which bares some striking similarities to Simonianism, and as some say may indeed have its root in Simonianism as claimed by Irenaeus. The reason that the uniting of Mind and Thought in the Middle Distance has the Father is because the Father was not called Father until Thought called him Father and with the Thought proceeding from the Mind the name "Father" became applicable and is only made known in the presence of both of them "which although being one are yet found as two".
Simon in this case referred to as "the Father" has been said to be "without beginning or end" and sustains things which do have a beginning and end. This fits very well with the report of Hippolytus that Simon studied the philosopher Heraclitus. Heraclitus claimed that everything was in flux, everything that is except the Logos which was the eternal and unchangeable principle of reason that sustained the temporal world. Simon placing the temporal in dependence on the eternal reason is in line with Heraclitean theory.
In the Gospel of Philip, the "Middle" has a much more negative connotation, and the author even says that "God forbid that I be found in there!" Perhaps this is the "Gnostic" version of the much dreaded astral realm or purgatory.
This is He who has stood, stands and will stand, a male-female power like the preëxisting Boundless Power, which has neither beginning nor end, existing in oneness. For it is from this that the Thought in the oneness proceeded and became two.
The Standing One is an appellation given to Simon as is clearly indicated by Hippolytus, by Clement of Alexandria and the writer of the pseudographical Clementine Recognitions. This having stood, standing, and will be standing of Simon is representative of the idea that there are three that stand and without these Aeons, there would be no order. These three are also two and also one, for the three are the Boundless Power and the Mind and Thought that emanate from it, the Mind and Thought are the manifesting and actualizing of the potential and concealed Boundless Power, and remember that Mind and Thought are merely the male and female aspects of each other. For Hippolytus elucidates that Simon preached that the Standing One who has stood, stands and will stand:
is the one Power, separated into the above and below, generating itself, increasing itself, seeking itself, finding itself, its own mother, its own father, its sister, its spouse; the daughter, son, mother and father of itself; One, the Universal Root.
This explanation of the Standing One should make the whole of this passage obvious on a basic level. Even the epithet of Standing One sounds very similar to the title of "living, unshakable race" that the Sethian Gnostics would use to describe themselves as seen in the Three Steles of Seth.
So he was one; for having her in himself, he was alone, not however first, although preëxisting, but being manifested from himself to himself, he became second. Nor was he called Father before (Thought) called him Father.
Thus was the One, for as he had her in himself, he was yet alone. He had not been so at first because, though pre-existent, by revealing himself to himself he became a second. Nor could he be called Father till Thought named him so.
Thus, producing himself by himself, he revealed to himself his own thought. In the same way, the thought was revealed did not make the Father known but rather concealed him by contemplating him, that is, the power, in herself, the result being male-female, power and thought.
Having emanated the female aspect namely Thought. Thought as being that of below, earth, of the sensible is the manifested aspect of fire which is the Boundless Power, remember that Hippolytus wrote that Simon taught that the manifest is produced by the concealed and the concealed is hidden by the manifest. Thus the manifested Thought hid the Concealed Father, the Power, the Mind, the male aspect and they are both of the Boundless Power.
Thus do they pair of with each other, yet being one, there being no difference, between power an thought. Power is revealed from the things above, while thought is revealed by the things below.
The Power and Thought are simply the natures of the twofold nature of Fire which is the Boundless Power, with Power one understands the incorporeal intelligible and with Thought the corporeal sensible.
In the same manner also that which was manifested from them although being one is yet found as two, the male-female having the female in itself. Thus Mind is in Thought—things inseparable from one another—which although being one are yet found as two.
That which was manifested from them is the universe with the intelligible having the sensible within itself, for this to be so one would expect Thought/female to be in Mind/male and not to be given the conclusion "Thus Mind is in Thought" as logically inexplicable as it seems perhaps it is simply said in the opposite way to give extra weight that they are "things inseparable from one another".
In the same way, too, that which was revealed from them, thigh, it was one, is however as two, the male-female having the female in itself. Thus is mind contained within thought, things inseparable one from the other, which though in reality one are seen as two.
Man, here below, born from blood, is the dwelling, and the Boundless Power dwells in him, and it is the Universal Root. Nor is the Boundless Power that is, fire, one. The fire in being two fold, one said being manifest, the other concealed. And the concealed things of fire are with the Manifest Ones, while those revealed are produced by Those Hidden. The manifest side the fire contains all things within itself that are visible and that one may perceive, as well as those which one neither suspects nor perceives. But in the concealed side of fire may be found all that is conceived and that is intelligible, even if it surpasses the senses, or that which one is unable to conceive.
Man, according to the Simonian teaching, contains a certain divinity, a spark of life, and above all, a boundless power, indicating that within himself exists an eternal and powerful substance that is even superior to the gods and the archangels! Within mankind resides an indefinite power, which Simon affirms to be the root of the universe, being divine fire. Here, Heraclitus' influence really shines, since he views the soul as fiery in nature. But it also has a limitless dimension.
If you went in search of it, you would not find the boundaries of the soul, though you traveled every road-so deep is its measure [logos]. (DK22B45)
The Greek adage, "entheos" meaning "within is a god" was also used as a term to describe someone that is divinely possessed. This is state of ecstasy (ekstasis) when the boundaries between the egoic self, others and the god is dissolved into an experience of rapture and unity. The word enthusiasm can also be traced to this word, "entheos".
From the Orphic mysteries and the cult of Dionysus as I note in my upcoming essay on the god Eros, the Bacchic possession of "divine madness" very much influences the ideas of not only Simon Magus, but also Paul and his Christology in Corinthians. The ecstasy of god's presence was said to be induced by music (Orpheus), dance and wine (Dionysus), and the eating of raw flesh (omophagia, or a sacrifice to the god of raw flesh), which also happens to influence the Eucharistic Discourse of Jesus when he claims in John 6:53-56:
Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him."
The statement of Man being "born from blood" seems to echo this statement. The The Stoic-Cynic philosopher Dio Chyrstostom (circa 100 CE) would attribute the human descent from the blood of the defeated Titans and the hatred of the gods in Orations. 30, 10-11.
All mankind, we are all from the blood of the Titans. Thus, because they were the enemies of the gods and fought against them, we are not beloved by the gods either, but we are punished by them and we are born into retribution, being in custody in this life fora certain time as long as we each live … This harsh and foul-aired prison, which we call the cosmos, has been prepared by the gods.
This is similar to Gnostic descriptions of the physical universe with the multiple archons depicted as the rulers of fate and destiny over the worlds. There are many other striking similarities between the Fourth Gospel of John and the Dionysian, Bacchic and the Eleusinian mysteries, which I note in the essay on Eros. The concept of "entheos" is also similar to Simon's argument that there are many Gods in the Clementine Homilies, just as Jesus argued, "ye are gods" (John 10:34) in imitation of King David in the Psalms 82: 6.
This idea of mankind being born from blood is also comparable to how the author of On the Origin of the World claims Eros as being the originator of all life on earth including the two sexes of humanity, being born:
Out of that first blood Eros appeared, being androgynous. His masculinity is Himireris, being fire from the light. His femininity that is with him – a soul of blood – is from the stuff of Pronoia. He is very lovely in his beauty, having a charm beyond all the creatures of chaos. Then all the gods and their angels, when they beheld Eros, became enamored of him.
To many ancient people, the power of God was shared amongst a pantheon of many gods and deities (and even angels). Furthermore, Gods were men who could come to earth in mortal form. Conversely, people could attain special powers and become divinized. The acquisition of divine power demonstrated the divinity of the individual – who was either born divine or was granted a level of divine status by the gods. In other words, men could become gods. And so Heraclitus was right when he said, "Men are gods, and gods are men." The Gospel of Philip would flip this dichotomy on its head:
That is the way it is in the world – men make gods and worship their creation. It would be fitting for the gods to worship men!
In other words, if a mortal man could do something "extraordinary", it was because he had been blessed by a god with that special power. In essence, he was partly divine, and if divine, then worthy of worship. In fact, many ancient emperors of Egypt, Greece and Rome as well as prophets and shamans were deified and worshiped, a practice that continues even today through canonized sainthood of the Roman Catholic Church.
The ancients understood that miraculous things were done by magic, and magic came from God. If one was deified, one had to prove this fact through magical feats (See: Exodus 7:8-11 as a Biblical example) and this is also used for the the requirements for canonized sainthood require the performance and documentation of at least 3 miracles – proof that you are divine precisely because you can perform magic. So in essence, magic was evidence of divinity! However, through the course of history, magic and the title of magician (which was originally conceived as a misnomer for the enemies of the Church fathers, including Simon) become associated with working against society and mainstream religion and thus to be strictly utilized as a hidden craft i.e. the occult.
In Part 2, I will continue my analysis and commentary of the Great Declaration and get into more striking parallels between our favorite bad boy magician with Jesus Christ and Paul among other topics. In future posts there will also be further inquiries into Apollonius of Tyana, the Greek god Apollo, Orpheus, Hercules and the great Greek revealer of healing, Asclepius. The magical and alchemical roots of Christianity will be further explored.
It's going to be a Hermetic Super-friend reunion of Magick!


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Nestled in the foothills of Appalachia, Ohio University and the city that hosts it are a mix of bricks, hills and green spaces you're unlikely to find anywhere else. Athens provides students with a bevy of beautiful photos.
And like most college students, Bobcats love their Instagram feeds. The following is a collection of some of the most Instagram-worthy spots in Athens.
Campus Gateway
One of two spots on campus known by some as the campus gates. The other is currently getting a facelift.
Getting there
This spot sits at the northwest corner of College Green. In other words, it's on the corner of Union St. and Court St.
Tips and Tricks
If there aren't many people around the gates when you walk by, take advantage of the moment and get your picture — most days at least one campus organization will be handing out flyers here.
Bong Hill
Despite the name, I've never walked in on people doing illegal things here. Wear comfortable shoes because it's going to be quite the walk.
The most physically ambitious spot on this list, a trip to Bong Hill is not for the faint of heart. Enlarge the map to the right to see how to get there on foot. It'll be about a two-mile trek by foot. The final ascent is a steep couple hundred feet.
Tips and Tricks
If you're lucky enough to have a friend with a car, have that person drive you there. It'll shorten the journey by a tremendous amount. If you're going by foot, be careful walking along the side of the road. You'll be on a state route for a few minutes.
It's important to note it's unclear how legal this OU tradition is. The land isn't clearly marked as private property, but there appears to be a residence somewhat close to the vantage point.
Emeriti Park
You might've already seen this park on a visit to OU. It's a good place to study on a sunny day.
Getting there
The park is situated between Baker University Center, Clippinger Laboratories and the Ping Center. You can't miss it.
Tips and Tricks
The pond is pretty in the spring and fall, but walk here in the winter after a light snow. It's a wonderland.
Bike Path
The bike path on the edge of campus is part of the Hockhocking Adena Bikeway, a 21-mile bike path that stretches all the way to Nelsonville. Our slice of the path plays host to Sakura blossoms in the spring and a frozen Hocking River in the Winter.
Getting there
The bike path hugs the Hocking River on the outskirts of campus. Popular spots for entering the bike trail are the bridge on Richland Ave., South Green and Union Street. You should be able to get there in five minutes or less from just about anywhere on campus.
Tips and Tricks
The path is a favorite for runners, dog walkers and cyclists. Part of the path is lit by streetlamps, but I wouldn't advise spending time here after dark. It's relatively secluded compared to the rest of campus.
College Green
The heart of OU is also the oldest area of the campus. According to OU's website, Cutler Hall, the building in the middle of the above photo, was built in 1816 and currently houses some administrators, including the president.
Getting there
Most of the photos of College Green are taken from in front of the campus gateway, denoted by the little gray point on the map to the right.
Tips and Tricks
If you work up an appetite taking this picture, there are usually several food trucks stationed along Union St., including the famed Burrito Buggy.
Court Street
Many would call Court Street the true heart of OU. Well over 10 bars call this half-mile stretch home, which only adds to OU's reputation as a party school. But beyond the bars, Court Street's bricks are iconic, and many of the buildings have maintained their historic facades.
Getting there
From the top floor of Baker University Center, you can get to Court Street by walking straight out of the doors and down the street between Scripps Hall and the Alpha Delta Pi sorority house.
Tips and Tricks
Employers are increasingly checking out your online identity before hiring you. While Court Street can make for some artful pictures, you might want to hold off on posting that picture of you and your friends having a little too much fun at the bar, even when you're of age.
The Ridges
Formerly known as the Athens Lunatic Asylum, a walk to The Ridges is a Halloween tradition for many OU students. Some of the buildings are now used by the University in various capacities, but they once were home to Billy Milligan — a serial killer who will be portrayed by Leo DiCaprio in an upcoming movie.
Getting there
You can see the ridges from most places on campus, but to walk there you'll need to cross the bridge near Peden Stadium on Richland Ave. There are sidewalks and crosswalks. Once you cross the roundabout after the bridge, walk up the brick path on your right, and you're there.
Tips and Tricks
It is possible to go inside the abandoned buildings. Some students do it at night for a cheap thrill — but it might not be so cheap after all, because it's illegal, and if caught you'll be paying a hefty fine.


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Brush Marker Lettering with Isabel Urbina Peña
Brush lettering is something I've always loved to look at, watch people make & wished I could do so myself. I took a calligraphy class in college & loved the look of black letter, but I'm seeing so many cool things done (a lot faster) with Crayola markers, like my former classmate Edwin Montero's entire IG feed – so great!
So when I saw Isabel Urbina Peña – an incredibly talented designer & letter – was hosting a workshop in nearby, beloved Brooklyn, I had to attend. I really only need half a reason to travel to the Empire State, but check out this description: "This will be the perfect intro for those of you who've been wanting to learn lettering but feel intimidated or overwhelmed." Any affordable(ish) workshop that features my two middle names in the description (Melissa Intimidated Overwhelmed Matos) simply could not be missed, snow be damned!
The workshop was held at Brooklyn Craft Company, an adorbs shop with all kinds of crafty goods that offers $10 off any class when you sign up for their newsletter (if you haven't already, do that like NOW). It was a small, intimate class size & Isabel hooked us up with a full packet of worksheets to keep at it at home.
I – along with the majority of the class – quickly realized a few things:
- Isabel apparently has the arm muscles of a Titan – it takes WAY more pressure than any of us imagined to get those lovely, thick downstrokes with a brush marker. Workout for the year – done.
- Circles are the actual devil – avoid all words with o's.
- Practice really does make perfect, or atleast mediocre. The class seemed to fly by; there was a lot to remember as we practiced our "minimums", but the more we kept at it the more comfortable and confident we felt wielding our Tombows.
Check out the images below. In the second image, you can see a really sweet before-and-after of how much Isabel's tips really helped. The things they don't tell you in those oddly satisfying lettering videos include things like connecting letters, managing the pressure of your strokes & how not to forget letters in your husband's name (a classmate kept misspelling Scott & it was adorably hilarious). While everyone filled their final cards with holiday cues, I naturally filled mine with profanity & everyone fucking loved it.


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I came to Malaysia with 40kg of material possessions. After an additional trip back to the Philippines, 7-8 months worth of shopping, and previous expats' leftovers, I'm moving out with more than just 40kg. A lot more.
With just 4 months left on my contract–which means another move–I need to face my lifelong challenge of attachment to material possessions.
Moving away from the Philippines, I was filled with a lovely sense of relief from leaving all my things behind, starting fresh, and with a goal of living a minimalistic lifestyle. After packing up the apartment in preparation for this impending move, it seems I have not been successful in achieving this goal.
I see myself country hopping in the next few years while I nurture my teaching career. I know that the best way to do this is by traveling light, un encumbered by little trinkets and material possessions.
Cutting down and prioritising starts now.


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Planned Parenthood desperately wants to keep the truth invisible to the public.
A third video was published yesterday, again providing evidence that Planned Parenthood traffics in harvested organs from aborted babies.
Live Action News warns that the video disturbing:
So what is Planned Parenthood doing in response?
They are trying to get the News media to not broadcast footage from the video. The Truth Revolt got hold of one of their letters to a TV station in their post, "Planned Parenthood Tries To Silence Undercover Videos By Sending Threatening Letters To TV Stations." They claim that the footage is illegal and thus it is illegal to air it. Even if the video was illegal (which I doubt), that does not change the fact that, under the First Amendment, the media cannot be stopped from publishing real news. Basically, Planned Parenthood is pretending that they are a government lacking a First Amendment. They have the right to stop the press from paying attention to whistleblowers.
That the government is now targeting the person who orchestrated the sting operation is bad enough. These threatening letters are an outrage that also demonstrates how much Planned Parenthood is afraid of the truth.
And what truth are they afraid of?
[The] footage yet to come is expected to represent an extreme violation of patient privacy by including footage of post-abortion fetal tissue neither patients nor health care professionals authorized be filmed.
They never claim that any patient's identity was compromised. All they claim is that the public should not see "post-abortion fetal tissue" that came out of patients. Why not? If they are throwing it away (or selling it) then why is it some kind of personal violation of the patients or "doctors" to see it?
Chuck Ross at the Daily Caller also reports on the attempt of Planned Parenthood to silence the story:
One of the largest public relations firms in Washington D.C. circulated a memo Monday night urging members of the media to refrain from airing damning videos of Planned Parenthood officials discussing the sale of organs and tissue of aborted fetuses.
Politico is reporting that Planned Parenthood hired SKDKnickerbocker to help manage blowback from the videos, which were produced by the pro-life Center for Medical Progress.
According to Politico, SKDKnickerbocker sent the memo to unnamed "reporters and producers" asking them to blackball the videos — the third of which was released on Tuesday.
"The extremists who entered Planned Parenthood labs under false pretenses violated research protocol, and, worse, violated the privacy of patients involved," the memo says, according to Politico. "Those patients' privacy should not be further violated by having this footage shared by the media."
Politico itself may have gotten SKDKnickerbocker's message. As flagged by The Federalist, the outlet sent a tweet of its scoop at around noon on Tuesday noting that the PR firm "circulated a memo" to reporters and news producers. That tweet was later deleted, however. Politico did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Planned Parenthood believes it can spread moral outrage against secret video footage. Are Americans really going to decide that secret video of organ harvesting is more outrageous than the actual organ harvesting?
Lila Rose, the President of Live Action summarized the issue:
"With this third investigative video, there can be no further denial from Planned Parenthood that the abortion giant is selling the body parts of the defenseless human beings it kills in its clinics," Rose said. "The latest video shows the horror of abortion and how the doctors callously pick through baby body parts, discussing "intact" and "five-star" kidneys and spinal cords as if a price tag is attached to each.
"From CEO Cecile Richards, down through the ranks, it is clear that Planned Parenthood is engaging in a system-wide enterprise of profiting from the calculated destruction of human life. First, Planned Parenthood sells an abortion for several hundred to thousands of dollars, ending the life of a helpless preborn child. Then Planned Parenthood seeks to maximize its profit by selling the baby's remains.
Planned Parenthood receives 40 percent of its annual budget from taxpayers, yet there is not one shred of accountability within the organization to end these unethical and illegal practices. These practices are a direct attack on the most basic human rights and Ms. Richards' only response to the mountain of evidence is to continually lie and mislead the media, elected officials, and the American taxpayer."
Planned Parenthood shouldn't just be defunded; it should be ended. But the fact that Republicans are still resisting the call to defund the organization is sickening.