text:
. . . 1 > Prehistoric Preamble
For a million years now, more or less, the human race has lived and died within the context of the much larger struggle to survive. The world then, and until very recently, was a very different place from the comfy and cozy civilized world we all enjoy today. Only slowly, oh so *very* slowly, inch by agonizing inch, did humankind gain ground in the never-ending war against this sometimes hostile, always uncaring, and often frightening world that constitutes the universal boundaries of all human life. Only by developing their prehistoric languages, cultures, and technologies did those small bands of hunters and gatherers increase their practical knowledge of nature and the cosmos. There was much nonsensical "filling in of the blanks", to be sure, but every reliable gain in thought or technique helped enormously to improve the general quality of life. Reliance upon mere luck and chance (ie. the awesome capriciousness of the natural world) decreased as human beings became more and more adept at dealing with this surprisingly complex world.
Therefore knowledge (as Hobbes so rightly observed) is power. For the human race in prehistoric times, true and practical knowledge (born of reasoning and necessity) meant the power to survive, to understand the strange ways of the world, to predict events and processes, even to control things somewhat, and even (in some small measure) to subdue nature. And finally, knowledge gave the power to thrive and prosper; even in the face of 'nature red in tooth and nail and claw'. But it took hundreds of thousands of years for men to gain enough knowledge to realize that there was an alternative to the nomadic and predatory way of life that was the alpha and omega defining all the possibilities of our prehistoric predecessors.
. . . 2 > On History as Collective Memory
And once people finally settled down and began to cultivate the land in earnest, knowledge also began to grow in abundance, with the result that culture and technology advanced and developed at an ever-increasing rate. Villages became towns, and towns became cities, and in those small and fortified cities languages grew in complexity, and soon words, numbers, objects (and even ideas) came to be expressed in non-verbal signs and symbols. And with the emergence of writing, History was born; at first with little or no awareness of its ultimate meaning or potential.
But even then History functioned as the eyes and ears (and memory) of the human race. At first its vision was weak and limited, for it could not see much more than lists of names of kings and conquerors, of battles and conquests, and tallies of slaves and prisoners and booty gained (or stolen) on the points of swords and spears. And then, after the ancient cultures and societies had grown sufficiently complex, and the time was ripe for something new to emerge ... then, out of the misty gray unknowing of prehistoric darkness, distinct individual human personalities began to enter into the realm of remembrance. And the first man to emerge into the still feeble light of History was ... a prophet!
. . . 3 > The Black Pharaoh
The pharaoh Amenhotep IV was hidden from the sight of historians for over two thousand years, thanks to the efforts of priestly curses and subsequent pharaohs to blot him out of history forevermore. So it was not until 1714 that the darkness of willful-ignorance was finally broken, when a Jesuit named Sicard made copies of the king's boundary-stelae. But information was slow in coming forth from the ancient sands, and even from the beginning, confusion surrounded Akhenaten. At first the scholars were uncertain whether the king was male or female. Opinion regarding the vanished-pharaoh himself would remain divided among the scholars from that point on. But by the mid-nineteenth century the importance of the Amarna Period began to be felt; and it was soon understood as a vital time when "ancient Egyptian culture and religion were fundamentally transformed for several years, and which even witnessed the introduction of a new literary language, and during which a religion was *founded* for the first time in the history of the world" (E.Hornung, 'Akhenaten and the Religion of Light', p.2).
By the mid-twentieth-century Akhenaten was known as the heretic-king, an enlightened despot, a religious fanatic, a rationalist, and so forth. Some of those scholars with a more positive attitude toward the king could even conclude that "Akhenaten seemed to have been the prophet of a religion for which his time was not yet ripe" (R.Anthes). And in this statement the scholars come very close to touching the essence of true prophecy. But a few decades prior to this scholarly insight, the vision of the artist already made the prophetic connection between Akhenaten and Jesus; as in the novel 'Joseph and his His Brothers' by Thomas Mann, where the author "attempted to categorize Akhenaten as an early Christ figure" (Horn, p.14). The scholar sees deep, but the artist sees deeper still!
In any case, the recognition of pharaoh Amenhotep IV as the earliest personality known to historical-science was perhaps even more important. It is easy to see why he stands out as a unique individual, even in the 'heroic' ancient-near-east (ie. the mythic-world is home to gods and glory, great kings, warriors, and heroes that lie just beyond the dawn of history). But here was a man who was both a king and a prophet! Such a thing was unthinkable in the ancient world, where mythic concepts ruled; such that everyone knew (without a shadow of a doubt) that kings were divine beings. To just say 'no' to all *that* is to announce nothing less than the end of the age-of-myth (ie. of all mythical thinking), and to introduce the beginnings of the age-of-religion (ie. a more rational and theological way of thinking about the cosmos, and everything else).
. . . 4 > The Turning Point
If we were rational in our way of thinking about things, we would mark the beginnings of the common-era from the moment that this 'no' was first uttered by the pharaoh-prophet Akhenaten. So it's kind of hard to just forget someone who shakes the pillars of the world; even when it was forbidden to even speak his name. You may curse his name, and blot it out of egyptian-history for a dozen centuries and more, but that first 'no' is still out there, sitting quietly in the minds of the peoples of the nation. A heretic is one who challenges tradition, but a prophet brings the entire structure of mythical thinking crashing down around your ears. Very slowly, to be sure, but inevitably, the consequences of the first historical rebellion began to be felt.
In any case, there was/is considerable variety among the egyptologists, historians, and scholars as to what is meant by a 'pharaoh-prophet'; and the latter term is especially fluid in meaning and precision. And while both terms are important, only the first is deemed necessary. Akhenaten could not have been a prophet-of-influence had he not been the king of Egypt first; ie. only a king had the power to put his ideas into effect so as to alter and influence and affect the whole course of the nation (and even the larger civilization of the ancient near east). It's true that Egypt itself swiftly rejected Akhenaten and his strange new religion, but in the long run even that didn't matter.
The proof of his lasting influence and staying power in the collective memory of the people is found not only in the actions of subsequent pharaohs, but also with a certain Egyptian prince named Moses. It was this man who (following in Akhenaten's footsteps) became a prophet of the one-god, left Egypt with a small group of followers and former-slaves, and basically created a new theocratic society on the other side of the desert (based upon the Black Pharaoh's insight / invention of monotheism). Thus Akhenaten in effect changed the entire course of history; not least because there could have been no 'Moses & Torah & Israel' had he not prepared the way in so timely a fashion by bringing the first light of reason to a myth-soaked world.
. . . 5 > The Three Ages of Man
Therefore Sophiology sees History as the dynamic and ongoing conflict and interaction of three human-generated forces or world-views myth, religion, and reason. These three different ways of thinking and being-within-the-world first appeared at different points in time, and have co-existed now for well over 2000 years. Today most people still opt for the religious way of viewing life, the universe, and everything. We can thus designate these ways of being-in-the-world as the three chief "ages" or "forms" of human-being
age of myth > gods, heroes, signs and symbols, totems, mythic-concepts, and polymorphic-polytheism. consciousness is here characterized by an overwhelming excess of magical-thinking, and a basically emotional reaction to all things and events.
age of religion > Moderation only begins with Akhenaten the one-&-only-god = men are NOT gods! Belief (and/or faith) is the cognitive quality most characteristic of religious-thinking, and thus most prevalent in this age. the major world-religions are (in 21C) a confused mixture of magical-thinking, belief and faith, and reason. And all of it is expressed through the various traditions relating to all manner of things ritual, myths and sagas, teachings, art, wisdom, etc, and all in varying degrees (according to historical circumstances). For wisdomology, age-of-religion is basically just a broad neutral-ground between magical-irrationality on one side, and the more critical and aware tones of rational-thinking on the other. Accordingly, this is the perfect place for the majority of people to dwell (eg. because of the large built-in comfort-zone).
age of reason > begins with the early greek philosophers, and quickly peaks with the prophet Socrates, and his two spiritual sons, Plato and Aristotle. From this point on all three ages (or world-views) co-exist in competition and uneasy alliance. But the age of reason was born just as the age of religion was sweeping triumphantly across the east and the west, sweeping away much (but not all) of the older mythic ways and perceptions.
But the world was not then ready to embrace the age-of-reason, and so philosophy was more or less held in stasis (in a role subservient to religion (as with Augustine and Plotinus)) until the Enlightenment gave it a renewed impetus; in partnership with a newly invigorated science (stemming from the "rediscovery" (thanks largely to Islam) of the classical literature of ancient greece and rome). The so-called Renaissance - the 'rebirth' or 'awakening' - that set the stage for the birth of the modern world (following the Reformation), was a critical historical event caused chiefly by the dissemination of books and literacy and knowledge. The Renaissance also clearly demonstrates the power of literature as an active element in driving human history forward.
. . . 6 > Akhenaten's Revolution Defeats the Ancient World
The religion of Akhenaten failed in Egypt because it could find no soil for its roots in the disorganized and chaotic minds of prehistoric humanity; as evidenced in the tradition-bound bronze-age culture of ancient Egypt. But the insights that empowered Akhenaten's 'religion of light' were not forgotten or banished or blotted out of history, but merely (and quietly) exported out of the nation by way of the egyptian prince called Moses (as also suggested by Freud in 'Moses and Monotheism'). Akhenaten re-interpreted the traditional signs and symbols of egyptian religion thusly The solar-deity, Re-Harakhty, whose visible form was a man with a falcon's head, was transmuted within Akhenaten's heart and mind into the sun-god Aten, the one and only deity, whose only visible form is the sun-disk. The falcon thus defaults into a symbol, not of the god himself, but of the prophet, who acts as the intermediary between the sun-god and his creation. The full meaning of the falcon symbol therefore has more to do with Akhenaten's role as prophet, than with his role as pharaoh. Thus the prophet has a special role to play in society and history (and one a king can perform very effectively), but he is still only a man.
So the idea that a man (not just any man, but usually the hero or king or emperor) is a living avatar of a god, or indeed is himself a god, or is otherwise a divine being, is a purely mythic concept direct from the prehistoric age of myth. It is merely a hold-over from the glory days of the heroic period, when a mighty warrior with a bloody sword could earn divinity by conquest and slaughter. But this idea is important because it lasts up to the roman-emperors, where it comes into conflict with Akhenaten's radical and liberating idea (that 'men are not gods') in the form of the early christian martyrs; who refuse to compromise their faith and beliefs (even at the cost of their own lives). The martyrs (like the prophets) make a clear distinction between men and god; and they do this because they know there are no gods, but only the one-god.
By adopting Christianity as the official religion of the mighty Roman-Empire, the emperor Constantine in effect conceded the right of kings and emperors to henceforth claim divinity for themselves; which is not to say that they gave up all claims to divine authority. Nevertheless, the distinction was made (because the distinction was critical), and once made could never again be reversed. This was also the point in history where politics and religion were in direct conflict, where the age of myth and the age of religion met to wrestle for dominance in the arena, and where reason and unreason collide head-on to determine the fate and future of all humanity. And so Akhenaten's long-delayed revolution (and the fulfillment of his dream, which he could not achieve in Egypt, the triumph of religion over myth), finally ended the supremacy of magical-thinking, at least in the west (although it lingered on for many more centuries in the far-east).
Fascinating essay, textman. It's sort of surprising how little attention ends up being paid to the vast cultural revisions Akhenaten managed to attain, even if many of them were only temporary.
You touch on the transition between oral-tradition and early writing. Would you say that very early writings were almost by necessity (since they lacked human personality and other subtlety as well as formal complexity) clumsy and unwieldy, introducing much error into myths of various cultures? In other words, does it seem to you that spoken subtlety, when it was translated into written words, suddenly (comparatively speaking) needed precision akin to mathematics—and that the precision itself tended to remove the subtlety?
] on 16Apr homunculus say Fascinating essay, textman.
textman say thx, homunculus.
I never get tired of hearing those three most-beautiful words! D
] h It's sort of surprising how little attention ends up being paid to the vast
] cultural revisions Akhenaten managed to attain, even if many of them were
] only temporary.
tx I agree. the scholars have yet to fully appreciate the black-pharaoh's
rightful place in history. he started something that is still being played-out.
] h You touch on the transition between oral-tradition and early writing.
] Would you say that very early writings were almost by necessity
tx 'necessity is the mother of invention', yes.
] h (since they lacked human personality and other subtlety as well as formal
] complexity) clumsy and unwieldy,
tx yes. again, necessarily so, since simple-signs and symbols are very basic
compared to a flexible, yet useful, written-language.
] h introducing much error into myths of various cultures?
tx no, not really. the early-writings merely expressed the thinking that was
done by those who used the larger spoken-language. writing itself is simply a
tool. it can help us to clarify our thinking, if we approach things rationally, or
it can be used to express imaginative flights of fancy. Today we call this kind
of literature 'science-fiction', but in the age-of-myth mindset such literature is
taken very seriously, and called sacred-scriptures and holy-texts. Of course,
some languages are better suited to rational thinking than others.
] h In other words, does it seem to you that spoken subtlety, when it was
] translated into words, suddenly (comparatively speaking) needed precision
tx well, precision is always helpful, but that was a relatively late development.
I'd say that real precision did not emerge until the rise of classical greece and
the greek-alphabet. this is why philosophy and science first appeared among
the ancient greeks. language has an awful lot to do with *how* people think,
as well as with the *way* people think. thus the bronze-age languages were
far more supportive of priestly and mythic ways of thinking, than of more
rational ways of thought. and this only makes all of Akhenaten's achievements
that much more remarkable.
] h akin to mathematics
tx If I recall correctly, i think that the first systematic use of signs (ie. a row of
"dots" or tiny holes carved into bones and antlers) was as an aid to counting and
remembering. thus written language may well have gotten its initial impetus
from mathematics. hence the lists-of-kings and tallies-of-booty are a natural
extension of the stone-age row-of-dots. all this would suggest that written-
language was born a child of rational-pragmatism, and only later was side-
tracked for the exclusive priestly-usage. in ancient-egypt, to be a scribe meant
that you were part of the religious-elite. The ancient-egyptian god Thoth was
the special deity for this small, yet wise, class of citizen. yes, you just know
you're special when you have your own exclusive god looking out for you, eh?
] h—and that the precision itself tended to remove the subtlety?
tx in a sense, that's true. symbols and myths seem to carry more "weight"
than a 'how-to build a table' pamphlet. being ambiguous allows you to import
and hold more meaning than purely technical how-to instructions. everything
depends on what you want to do with the language. this is why english is the
number-one language in the world there is none other that is so flexible.
btw I sure would like to know what waltercat thinks of S&H ... as much of
what is to follow depends rather heavily upon one particular quality whose
presence or absence can make or break sophiology even before it is fully
birthed. And that quality or characteristic is its ... ummm ... [insert much head-
scratching here] ... its solidity? okay, let's try that. so, dude, would you say
that S&H is a solid foundation from which to launch an inquiry? or not?
speak now or forever hold your piece ...
Sorry, i mean 'your peace', of course. shock
. . . why the pen is mightier than the sword
I shall pass quickly over the Hebrew prophets of the Old-Testament period
since no one is foolish enough to deny that these many and strange men had
an enormous impact upon the religion, culture, and society of ancient Israel.
What is less well known is that other prophets began (at about the same time)
to appear in other societies, and some of these were also to have a very strong
and long-lasting influence 4X, the Buddha in India (and other points East),
and an assortment of odd Greek philosophers, including the obscure-one,
Heraclitus, and another of anti-sophist tendencies, named Socrates.
Moreover, it was during these pivotal centuries (ie. Jasper's 'Axial Age') that,
along with the outcropping of prophets, writing had developed into full-blown
literature; and not insignificantly also saw the birth of the concentrated study
of History in its two most basic forms (1) in the traditional saga or story form
(a la Homer) which still survives so well in 'The Histories' by Herodotus. And (2)
in the amazingly modern or realistic form found in the 'History of the
Peloponnesian War' by Thucydides. So Just as Philosophy had its two literary
giants (in Plato and Aristotle) who set the standards and the course of
subsequent philosophers, so did History have its dual trend-setters in Herodotus
and Thucydides. Alas, too few have been able to reach the heights of the latter.
. . . paper covers rock
I mention all this only to emphasize the idea that literature is both the
expression and repository of the collective memory and imagination of the
human race. And this is why the story of Akhenaten is so interesting. He arrived
on the scene *before* literature had developed into a sufficiently complex and
useful form; ie. in its "modern" form of words in ink on pages gathered into
books. In the ancient world before the advent of literature, memory and history
were literally carved into stone (mostly stylized pictures and/or symbols). So
instead of the customary 'book-burnings' of later times, the priests and carvers
had a little "war of the stone-carvings". Akhenaten blotted out the names of the
gods in the temples and wherever they could be found, and after his demise,
the priests erased his name (and anything directly associated with it), and then
tore down his new city for good measure.
In doing this, both sides in the chisel-war hoped to erase a specific set of
memories out of mind and history forevermore. Needless to say, both sides
were wrong. Egypt's traditional gods survived Akhenaten's "purge"; only to die
a slower death in later centuries. But the priests victory was also shallow and in
vain, for it only meant that Akhenaten's legacy was more felt than spoken (at
least in Egypt). And the priestly purge of Akhenaten's memory was ultimately
also temporary; for in using his blocks (from the heretic's temples and buildings)
as filler for their own constructions, they only ensured that the carvings upon
those blocks would survive to eventually see the light of Aten again. That is,
thanks to the eager-eyes of history's favorite specialists, the archeologists (or
. . . more prophets & literature
So History can be manipulated and abused, and even toyed-with for a time, but
in the long-run all are judged according to the principle of Ma'at (or the light-of-
reason and justice). But now we must stop at another crucial turning-point in
the history of western civilization. In the centuries leading up to the beginnings
of the Common Era the original five books of the Hebrew Torah had grown and
developed and changed (eg. with the addition of stories and sagas, histories and
pseudo-histories, poetry, and an abundance of prophetic literature of all types).
Moreover, many of the latter-writings began to appear in Greek (a major
commercial and international language in those times), and in due-course all of
the sacred-writings were translated into Greek. In fact, by the first century there
was such an abundance of religious and secular literature (in various languages)
circulating throughout the Mediterranean-Basin (and the Roman Empire) that it
became a serious problem. And one that had to be addressed by Judaism after
the loss of the Temple; and thus the loss of the old-way of practicing religion in
the Ancient Near East (ever since the Bronze Age and before).
Thus the People-of-the-Book were firmly caught between a rock and a *very*
hard place. The options were simple adapt or die. Nothing focuses the mind
so clearly as a clear and present danger. And so the rabbis gathered to discuss
the challenge. They were well-motivated, and became even more so out of the
simple necessity of not perishing through assimilation. Keeping the Holy-Books
pure, and of a manageable size, were also of prime importance. And so the
Rabbis decided to exclude all the Greek-texts from the new canon. Sticking
to the traditional and accepted Hebrew scriptures was a wise and necessary
action. From then on the three-part Tanakh was set, and for the Jews, the only
literature of secondary-authority are the collaborative-commentaries on those
now-established sacred-texts. By this bold and innovative move a Bronze-Age
culture survived the shift into the Common-Era by way of a radical spiritual
transformation achieved via a new focus upon the literature itself as the source
of memory and identity and purpose. Thus the sons and daughters of the
ancient Israelites passed into the New World even as all the other ancient
religions faded away into oblivion under the gradual pressure of social, political,
and cultural change brought about everywhere by the inexorable advance of
human civilization (eg. through the ongoing accumulation of knowledge found
and gathered and expressed in and through books).
. . . how the modern world was made
So let me state this plainly for philosophy (and sophiology, of course) books
are NOT mere irrelevant 'throw-offs' of the ongoing economic and materialistic
dialectic which provides the basic substance of every culture's activities. Rather,
they are the means by which knowledge and reason live and grow in influence
over the lives of more and more human beings. Thus the single greatest human
achievement since the appearance of the cities is the invention of books. This is
because books not only allow minds to transcend time and space (thus creating
a kind of eternal platonic realm wherein a communion of minds dwells), but
also allows for the existence of tangible spiritual realities and processes, such
as ... History and Philosophy! )
Of course, the first-century Rabbis cared nothing for history and philosophy (ie.
as far as the pagans understood these things); they only cared for their own
people, and the religion that gave their lives meaning. But this unique trans-
formation of an ancient society was to have a profound effect upon the future
course of western-history. Indeed the next two thousand years are largely
the tale of the repercussions and reverberations of this pivotal event (ie. the
creation-by-definition of the Tanakh), an event caused by the Roman Empire
itself through the destruction of Jerusalem (in 70CE). Thus it was not the loss
of the Temple that mattered in the long run; it was the creation of the Tanakh
that was the one event marking the separation of the old world from the new.
From this point on nothing could ever be the same again, for out of this single
isolated and unnoticed occurrence in some tiny corner of the Empire came not
just one new religion, but three Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
. . . the 3 books that shaped the modern-world
There are three chief forces driving the progressive development of human
cultures and civilizations War, Religion, and Reason. There is no reason to
suppose that these forces or activities were not present from the time of the
earliest homo-sapiens, and every reason to suppose that they were active within
our hominid ancestors for millions of years before that. In this regard, human
beings have changed not at all over the last million years. The post-modern
global world of the twenty-first century is still shaped largely by the processes
and interplay of war, religion, and reason. Indeed these three activities more
or less define what human beings are, and why they do the things they do.
All three of the major world religions that have a book at its core are essentially
prophetic in origin or character. The Tanakh (or 'old-testament' for christians)
is the oldest; its writings were written over a span of almost a thousand years.
Much of its material was written by prophets, and it only reached its final form
near the end of the first century of the common-era. The next oldest is the greek
new-testament, which was written over the span of about a century (50-150CE).
Most of its texts were also written by prophets (including paulos, silvanus, mark,
jacob, and jude). This collection of sacred texts reached its final form much
more quickly (about 325CE). And the last and youngest sacred book is the koran
written by the prophet muhammad (in the seventh century ce) over a span of
months (or a few years at most), and reached its final form almost immediately.
Do you see the trend here? The first book had many authors, and took a long
time to compile, the second had only a few authors writing over decades (rather
than centuries), and the third was written by one man (more or less) over a
span of months. The chief characteristic of all three is the element of mono-
theism, and the basicly prophetic nature of the literature itself. Apart from that,
the three books (and the three corresponding religions that go with them) are
very diverse in their practices and ideas. But they are all linked together by
History; and Christianity was born as the direct offspring of Judaism, and (at
first) defined itself in just those terms (especially in the older documents).
. . . more pious blind spots
So it is no surprise that the New Testament (like the Old) is not shy to speak
about prophets, and contains - again like the OT - much in the way of various
types of prophetic literature; all of which was written (of course) by different
kinds of prophets (who by this point in history came in many forms, including
writers and non-writers). But while Judaism and Islam celebrate their own
prophets, Christianity seems intent on rubbing out hers. And yet among the
Greek-speaking believers of the first two centuries of the common-era, prophets
were plentiful and had various "names" attached (such as 'apostle' and 'slave').
And here our colossal blind-spot surfaces once again, and must now be
addressed, for it reveals itself here in a startlingly virulent fashion. I would
draw the Reader's attention to but two crucial aspects of the problem
(1) If one were to ask the average Christian how many of the 27 'books' within
the New Testament are "prophetic" in nature, or can be called prophetic-
literature, the answer would invariably be the same only one, namely the book
of Revelation, the last book in the canon. But this is all wrong; in fact, the
majority of the gospels and epistles are prophetic literature. Thus the NT texts
can be divided into two main groups the meat and potatoes (those written by
prophets), and the milk and pabulum (those not written by prophets (eg. priests
and ex-pharisees)). The curious feature here is that although this second group
is numerically small (chiefly Lk/Acts and the pastoral-epistles) it nevertheless
takes *more* pages to contain them.
And yet, despite the greater bulk of the priestly-literature, if you were to remove
them from the NT, nothing of any great significance would thereby be lost. On
the other hand, remove the earliest and most potent prophetic books (Mark &
Paul), and the loss would be dramatic indeed. Kierkegaard thought that even
if we had only the gospel of Mark, that alone would be enough to ensure the
survival of Christianity. That's a rather extreme way to state an otherwise astute
observation the textual core of the faith resides in its best prophetic literature.
And this applies as much to the Tanakh and Koran as it does to the NT.
So why is it that Christians are now so unable to recognize the prophets in their
own sacred texts and traditions? Many believers today are fanatically devoted
to keeping the NT at the core of their faith, and zealously study and pursue
the scriptures with vim-and-vigor, and yet they do not even recognize the
essentially prophetic nature of their own sacred texts? What is going on here?
The answer is actually very simple it's because the priests (and the scribes and
scholars who follow after them) wish it so. Thus when christians read their NT,
and come across words like 'messiah', 'apostle', and 'slave', whatever these
words may bring to mind, you can be sure that 'prophet' is nowhere to be found
among them. Indeed, most popular English translations deliberately help the
confusion and ignorance along by refusing to translate the Greek word for slave
as 'slave' (perhaps for fear of offending delicate Christian sensibilities). [See the
opening verses of James, Jude, and 2Peter for dramatic examples of the need
to keep believers ignorant of the prophetic nature of their own scriptures.]
(2) Our next colossal blind-spot concerns the status and nature of jesus-christ.
A careful (or even careless) reading of the texts will show that the NT describes
Jesus as a prophet in many and various ways, and also calls him a prophet
hundreds of times (directly and indirectly, explicitly and implicitly). And yet if
you ask Christians who and what Jesus was, they will answer with things such
as 'messiah', 'son of god', or maybe even 'son of man'; but never will you hear
them say 'he was a prophet'. This despite the clear testimony of their own 'new'
testament! Is this odd? Oh surely. Is this a mystery? Not at all; for the plain
truth is that believers do NOT think Jesus was a prophet. This is not to say that
the texts are wrong, or that they willfully disbelieve the texts whenever they say
that Jesus is a prophet. Rather, it's more a case that all such assertions and
declarations are Incidental & Irrelevant, owing to the fact that christians "know"
that Jesus Christ is "really" God-Incarnate. Thus because Christians know better
than the inspired-authors, all such claims and observations wizz right on by;
and, failing to register, they save the Reader the bother of having to think
about such obscure and confusing terms, and what they might have meant.
. . . on giving them walking-papers
Anyway, after all the controversies and misadventures of the second century ce,
the priests and scribes and ex-pharisees decided to rid their new religion of all
these bothersome prophets, and set about doing just that. Even then the word
'heretic' was a powerful weapon. And after they succeeded in purging the Faith
of its sole source of vitality and intelligence, they were free to grant Christianity
the blessings of their pious priestly wisdom and leadership. Top priority was
swiftly given to the important business of theology, so as to declare Jesus
nothing less than god-himself. In doing so the priests ensured that no believer
could henceforth take Jesus seriously for what he really was (ie. a prophet).
The priestly corruption of the early prophetic faith did not go unnoticed,
however, and some believers did not care for the direction the Faith was taking
under the guidance of the clerical anti-prophets. These few men accordingly
walked away from the cities with their fancy-churches and pious priestly ways.
They were looking for another way. These were the desert-fathers, and they
soon attracted other like-minded believers, and together they formed the new
monastic communities that would latter ensure the survival of Christianity (and
literacy in the West). After the Empire collapsed, the monks moved into Europe,
and cleared away much of forests there; thereby making western-civilization a
real possibility, and unwittingly paving the way for the future.
In due course the monasteries were all gathered up into the ample bosom of
the now well-established clergy-driven-church, and the prophetic-spirit was once
again forced to look elsewhere for a means of life and expression. Since there
was no longer any place or welcome for prophets within the "universal"
medieval-church, it was only in the heretical movements of the middle ages
that christian-prophecy could find a temporary abode. These were, of course,
ruthlessly stamped out as fast as possible. In the meantime, the priests were
not idle; they continued to magnify their own glory and importance as the
undisputed-masters of all Christianity; thanks to the generous assistance of
Theology (and Her humble-handmaiden, philosophy). But eventually even some
monks and priests could no longer stomach the excesses of evil and corruption
emanating from the leadership in Rome; and with the arrival on the scene of
gun-powder and printing-press, these "vile and heretical malcontents" were
actually able to do something more than merely grumble and complain about it.
With the Renaissance and these new technologies the stage was set for the
Reformation, and once underway prophets began to appear singly and in
bunches. All this was fueled chiefly by a renewed emphasis on scripture as a
vital element of the Faith; and this was made possible by the availability of new
translations (brought about by the printing press and fresh scholarship). The
scientific pursuit of biblical-studies was developed as early as Origen in pre-
constantine alexandria, and gained a considerable boost from various muslim
and renaissance scholars. But where the chief leaders of the Reformation (such
as Erasmus, Luther and Calvin) retained their priestly loyalties and biases (ie.
they were content to merely trim a little excess fat of corruption off of the
morbidly obese body of the now sick and perverted Faith), the Radical-
Reformers clearly saw the need for a complete and thorough-going overhaul
of the entire Christian religion.
According to the latter's new understanding of the NT-texts, they were able
to throw out much of the priestly apparatus that had grown up (for centuries)
around the faith of the earliest believers; choking it, and distorting it, and all but
crushing all of the spiritual-life right out of it. And yet the priestly vision-of-all-
things was so powerful and pervasive by the sixteenth century that few
reformers could set it aside long enough to see the scriptures unfiltered and un-
obscured by sundry theological-imperatives. The priestly way of faith held things
that Luther and Calvin simply could not bear to part with. And so because they
could not abide these "heretical-extremists" (ie. the RR; who did what they could
not), they joined the romish-church in responding to the Radical-Reformers with
oppression and persecution (always sure-signs of the presence of prophetic-
faith). New ideas and non-priestly ways of practicing the Faith were sought for
everywhere, and destroyed whenever they could be found.
The separation of Church & State, and the liberty of the individual's conscience,
are but two radical ideas that these "evil-heretics" lived and died for. These are
ideas that today's Christians take for granted. Ideas that today's Christians dare
take credit for, even while remaining loyal to those traditions that joyfully
murdered the freedom-loving prophets of the Radical Reformation.
In the following century, another small band of radical and prophetic believers,
the Quakers, also took their new Christian faith so seriously that they too
challenged the divine and eternal order governed and defended by the priests
and nobles, and their "divinely-ordained" traditions. In the case of the Quakers,
it was the age-old institution of slavery that they dared to challenge, that they
spilled their blood for, and even died resisting. But eventually they saw their
epic struggle bear fruit with the destruction of that profitable business. And
here again today's Christians take pride and credit for an achievement that
came not from believers like themselves, but from believers fired by the
prophetic-spirit, believers that they would gladly scorn and dismiss, and
perhaps murder in their beds, even now (if only they could get away with it).
. . . why some men are philosophers
Even in these supposedly enlightened modern times, the prophets continued to
defy the status-quo, the comforting illusions, and the established traditions that
still make Christianity an easy and bother-free zone of conservative self-right-
eousness. Even after the Enlightenment and the scientific-revolution, it was the
prophets that continued to blaze new trails; going where no man has gone
before. In the realm of the christian religion History notices the influence of
talented outsiders who reject the faith of the majority. Men such as G.B.Shaw
and Leo Tolstoy; where once again we find the experts and critics claiming that
their "prophet-status" is entirely incidental and irrelevant, and an altogether
unfortunate (not to mention embarrassing) business.
And if it's not bad enough that prophets now dare to be great writers, novelists,
composers, and playwrights, how much worse it is that they also dare to be
great philosophers as well. Surely that is the gravest insult of all. And yet two
quite recent prophets stand out clearly, even against the confused backdrop of
the nineteenth century. Not surprisingly, one is a very committed christian, and
the other is an equally committed non-christian! Yet Kierkegaard and Nietzsche
are both widely recognized, not for being prophets, but for being the two chief
founding-fathers of the philosophical movement latter known as Existentialism
(ie. a new philosophy is generally just a new way of thinking about *many*
things in a somewhat similar fashion).
Therefore because they are so-nicely labeled "existentialists" no one need ever
think that they are (or even could) be prophets. Thus most philosophers (and
historians of philosophy; whom one would think ought to know better) are quite
content to call these two alpha-class prophets 'philosophers'; and the world is
more than happy to go along (seeing as how philosophers are *extremely*
ignorable). But all of this can only be done by passing over (in an embarrassed
and deafening silence) the unacknowledged fact that being philosophers is
incidental and very secondary to the primary occupation of *these* men!
It's really quite funny, when you consider the implications of this 'conspiracy of
willful-blindness' that is especially obvious in the case of Existentialism and its
original trail-blazers. Kierkegaard had the love and passion of the greatest of
saints for Jesus and the Faith. He was a warrior for the Lord, who fought for the
Faith to the final breath. And he was a brilliant writer and thinker as well, who
wrote a variety of prophetic literature (all of it of top quality). What could be
more obvious? Do I really need to draw a map for this "possible prophet
candidate"? Maybe I do, seeing that it doesn't seem to add up for Christians;
including even most of the educated ones. Accordingly, Kierkegaard's influence
upon the current condition of the Christian religion is almost nil, mostly
because the believers can't even see him! Now ask yourself why this is so.
And as for Nietzsche, he would surely despise being labeled an "existentialist"
and summarily thrown into the same pot with guys like Kierkegaard and Satre!
So there's that. And there's also (yet again) the evidence of the texts themselves.
Among the writings of both men we find prophetic literature in abundance; in
both its most refined and distilled forms, and also in all its original overheated
rawness. And with Nietzsche we even find a whole book about a prophet (aptly
named Zarathustra); as if Nietzsche knew in advance that the modern world is
so blind to the prophets that even one clearly labeled as such, and dangled right
in front of the People's eyes, will NOT be recognized!
Surely all this is a bad-joke taken to the very extremes of outrageous absurdity?
And yet Nietzsche, as far as the modern world is concerned, is just another
philosopher the one who had a "thing" about Christians. But each of these
"philosophers" was a believer-with-a-mission, a man with a purpose and a goal,
and both were powered by a vision (not the same vision!) that drove them
forward while the entire world lagged behind concerning itself with petty 19th
century trivialities that could not last for decades, let alone centuries. Yet there
they were, Kierkegaard and Nietzsche, two prophets with radically different
values and visions, together building a road into the future that others could
walk on and extend even further into the present and future by expanding upon
the new possibilities that were now presenting themselves. And despite some
major setbacks (eg. Sartre and Camus) Existentialism remains basically an
ongoing prophetic-enterprise. It is also the first organized and systematic
attempt to generate wisdom that is actually useful and relevant to all people!
Sorry, textman, tricks are for kids. I don't hang out at this forum to be evangelized about the next great "miracle cure" or "universal wisdom". Such a system or cure, should it actually appear, is in no need of "prophets" to go around selling it.
Sure, it's an ongoing "prophetic enterprise". But an enterprise it is, a cottage industry, a pyramid scheme, a shell game, a scam, a grift, a trick.
I actually appreciate existentialism, textman; it's poetic, bittersweet, a kind of naked, shivering nymph stepping out of her lily pond to dry off. But if you try to catch her, she vanishes, poof, in a puff of mist.
] tx previously say: [snip] despite some major setbacks (eg. Sartre and Camus)
] Existentialism remains basically an ongoing prophetic-enterprise. It is also the
] first organized and systematic attempt to generate wisdom that is actually
] useful and relevant to all people!
] on 28 apr Salt Creek replied: Sorry, textman, tricks are for kids. I don't hang
] out at this forum to be evangelized about the next great "miracle cure" or
] "universal wisdom".
tx say: hey, Salk Creek. i respect your skepticism. if i were not in the driver's
seat, i too would be somewhat skeptical about all this. and i don't mean to
come across as one who is trying to evangelize people into a position that they
really don't want to assume. This is no miracle-cure that i'm offering here.
philosophy and wisdom both require determination and hard work; but i
would like you to reconsider your inflexible opposition to the notion of
"universal wisdom".
] sc: Such a system or cure, should it actually appear, is in no need of
] "prophets" to go around selling it.
tx: who then should go around selling it? who has sufficient authority to get
people's attention long enough to realize that there's something of value here?
a scientist maybe? but scientists can't measure wisdom. a philosopher maybe?
but philosophers don't believe in wisdom. perhaps Einstein could indeed pull
it off, but he is no longer available for such duties, alas.
] sc: Sure, it's an ongoing "prophetic enterprise". But an enterprise it is, a
] cottage industry, a pyramid scheme, a shell game, a scam, a grift, a trick.
tx: i fail to see how you can call wisdom (or philosophy) a scam. is the idea of
the supremacy of individual conscience in all matters of religion a trick? is the
ideal of the separation of church and state a grift? is the observation that man
is basically an irrational-creature a pyramid scheme? is the idea of rule-by-law
a shell game? is philosophy itself a con-job? if so, that's a rather bleak and
cynical view of philosophy; and one that i am not much disposed to accept.
so while it's true that philosophers have made a mess of things lately, i think
that the potential is still there to work through it, and maybe even to give
philosophy a sense of purpose and direction.
] sc: I actually appreciate existentialism, textman;
tx: i'm very glad you said that, because my "sophiology" ought to be of
considerable interest to anyone concerned with existentialism. it is easily my
favorite philosophical "system", but it is certainly not the only kind of philosophy
that interests me. i also notice that you did not actually deny my notion that
Kierkegaard and Nietzsche are both prophets. if i have sold you on that idea,
then perhaps there is more to this confusing business about prophets than what
most people suppose. all i ask is that you keep an open mind. one of the main
ideas i am trying to establish here is that while wisdom is wherever you find it,
it is nevertheless the prophets who - historically - have been the main carriers
and disseminators of new and radical ideas (ie. wisdom).
] sc: it's poetic, bittersweet, a kind of naked, shivering nymph stepping out
] of her lily pond to dry off. But if you try to catch her, she vanishes, poof,
] in a puff of mist.
tx: i know what you mean. existentialism is rather vague and ill-defined when
compared to mathematics and the hard-sciences. on the other hand, so is
wisdom. and so are the prophets. flexibility appears to be essential to all three
of these things, and just because they are hard to grasp onto doesn't mean that
their reality is in doubt. it only means that science is ill-equipped to properly
handle them. moreover, wisdom is not a minor or esoteric subject; it is a matter
that ought to concern everyone ... especially philosophers. this is why a rational
understanding of wisdom within the context of a sustained and disciplined
philosophical investigation is so important at this stage in history.
. . . on biting the hand that feeds
I don't think it would be going *too* far off-the-mark to say that almost every
lasting idea, value, or ideal (of a spiritual nature) comes, almost without
exception, directly from the hands of the prophets. People gather up these
freely-given but intangible gifts of wisdom, claim them as their own, then
promptly take them for granted, and then never again think about them, or
where they came from. And how do these ignorant and ungrateful People thank
the prophets for their critical contributions to the advancement of civilization?
The most popular way by far has always been by simply killing them; so as to
"dispose themselves of the bother" as fast as possible (so that they don't have
to think about the past and the future). And also by biting the hands that feed
them; by insulting and belittling them, by heaping scorn and abuse and very
heavy stones, upon them. They have a thousand different ways of killing them
(it's a skill don't you know). And when they're not busy with *that*, by always
and everywhere ignoring them as much as possible; because everybody knows
that the prophets are obviously incidental and irrelevant. Same like always.
Thus the good-news today is that the prophets are still with us after three and
a half thousand years of endless abuse and neglect! Even here and now in the
"secular" and "enlightened" 21st century they can be found all over the globe
(and even on the net). The bad news is that because no one believes in prophets
anymore, there is no one left who is able to recognize them in ANY of their
various roles and literary-expressions. That's a rather amazing fact when you
consider some of the implications of this. And why? Because people want to
believe - almost desperately it seems - that they do NOT need the prophets to
show them the way ahead. And so this refusal to accept the way-things-are
generates a colossal-blind-spot that is rooted in what is essentially a mistaken
perception, a simple oversight; and a thing easily rectified by a simple act of will.
Yet Christianity, the one Faith among all the world-religions that ought to
most eagerly champion the cause of the prophets, is (paradoxically and self-
destructively) the one most determined to do away with them altogether, to blot
them out of History (as the priests did to Akhenaten). And why? For exactly the
same reasons; then as now, because tradition (Glorious Tradition) tells them
that they can rely on their 'Kings & Priests' (and on their own judgment/reading
of the sacred texts) for all the power and authority that they'll ever need, now
and forevermore, amen.
And yet the entire course of History as it is known today can hardly be under-
stood as anything other than the story of the refutation (not to mention the
consequences of the rejection of this refutation) of this totally-lame notion
that prophets aren't real, and therefore can't possibly exist. But the prophetic
tradition, right from the very dawn of recorded history, says that they do exist!
Akhenaten, Moses, Buddha, Socrates, Jesus, Muhammad; these are the men
that changed the course of history and stamped their influence into the minds
of billions of people all over the world.
And these are just the tip of the prophetic iceberg. The prophetic tradition also
includes many of the greatest writers and thinkers known to history (both secular
and religious). Christianity alone has seen hundreds of them throughout church-
history; from Paul to Augustine to Aquinas to Tolstoy. What is there about all
this that doesn't add up? It is, after all, an awful lot to just 'overlook' or casually
misplace. But if the prophets are, even so, so hard to see, it's certainly not their
fault. They are not being coy; they are not shy to communicate their vision to
anyone and everyone. No, you have to *really* want to NOT see them; and you
have to want it BAD!
[end of essay]
Very nice. Excellent essay. I can't wait to hear the response.
thx beach. and don't forget to check out the sequel to this essay in the
christianity forum, in the thread 'universal-church claims to be prophetic'.
and also, i've finished uploading the updated files, so my new website
is also ready for your comments. let me know what you think of the new
and improved format. chao—tx


text:
Our programming environment is dependent upon certain environment variables being set. For example, to use distcc, one needs to define the
DISTCC_HOSTS environment variable. The way we handle this is forcing each developer to
source a global
tcshrc file upon invoking a new shell. The global
tcshrc file contains statements to set the environment variables up (among other things).
However, this is awfully discriminatory as each developer is forced to use
tcsh since setting an environment variable is different per shell.
The most obvious solution to this problem to have corresponding global
bashrc and
zshrc files, but that of course becomes cumbersome since now we have to maintain three different files all containing the same logic.
Are there any clean solutions to solve this sort of situation?

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Challengers & Satellites
26.07.2007 -
2007 Women Challenger in Cyprus
25.07.2007 - 28.07.2007
For the
Second-time, Cyprus will host an international Beach Volleyball event at Tourist
Beach Geroskipou with a double gender event. Cyprus, a modern country that
effortlessly marries European culture with ancient enchantment, is the third
largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Its 9,251 square kilometers (3,572
square miles) encompass citrus and olive groves, pine forested mountains, and
some of Europe's cleanest beaches.
Also the
easternmost island in the Mediterranean Sea, Cyprus is approximately 105
kilometers (60 miles) west of Syria, 75 kilometers (47 miles) south of Turkey
and 380 kilometers (200 miles) north of Egypt.
The nearest
Greek point is the Greek island of Rhodes which is 380 kilometers (200miles) to
the west.
Year - Cyprus
Women's gold medal, Cyprus silver medal, Cyprus bronze medal
2006 -
Klapalova/Tereza Petrova, Czech Republic / Liesbeth Mouha/Liesbet Van Breedam,
Belgium / Katie Lindquist/Tracy Lindquist, United States


text:
May 20, 2013
Chair Day - Post Boston Musings
2 comments Posted by Kendralee* on 4:27 PM
This morning I stood for 10 minutes, turned to consider my stability ball in the corner, and have been sitting in this office chair ever since. I wrote the following two months ago: "I love that I have a job that I care about, a job that I lose sleep over, a job that, come May 6th, will have made me a new girl". The months between January and May changed me. I knew that's what they were doing while living them. I knew that when they were over I would sit down in a quiet, dark office to write this post and say that these months proved how hard I was capable of working, that I had never cared so much about a job, that I was tired and invigorated and grateful and overwhelmed and calm all at the same time, and that that combination is intoxicating. I also knew that when it was over, I would crash. Monday, April 15th changed me- The 117th Annual Boston Marathon. I was tired going in to the race, preoccupied with thoughts (and nightmares) of Walk MS, which would take place 3 weeks later. I failed at carbo loading, many thanks to my sometimes dysfunctional digestive system. And I was ready to go home before I even left for Boston. That being said, every marathoner who has a chance to run Boston, should. I am so glad I did. I am so glad I trained (and complained) my way through the cold, dark, miserable (get the point?) Upstate New York winter in order to run decently on race-day. If I run Boston again I will absolutely run for Boston Children's Hospital. I am amazed at the quality of the Miles for Miracles fundraising program and was so proud to be wearing their jersey on Marathon Monday. I re-qualified, should I desire to run in 2014, but honestly, I'm not so sure. It's not because of the explosions an hour after I finished and the chaos that followed, nor does it have anything to do with the challenges the course itself presents. Or... maybe it is. Maybe I'm tired of pounding my body into the pavement day after day, logging 65+ mile weeks, being famished all the time. Maybe I'd rather go for a walk and drink coffee in the morning with my most wonderful man than head out solo for an hour and a half run before work. Maybe watching the smoke and masses of people running in each direction from the 7th floor of the Westin and being left to find my way out of a city I did not know and was not safe in marred me in a way I have yet to come to terms with. What I do know is that I wanted to collapse into E's arms and be carried home to my bed the minute I crossed the finish line. I was done. The 20 minute walk to the family meeting area was more agonizing than the race itself. And when the event went from physically exhausting to emotionally and psychologically debilitating, the pain of realization and even understanding were at times too much for this one mind to hold. I crumbled in the most unexpected ways. I will not forget the feeling in the week that followed of being unable to wrap my brain around simple concepts, being brought to tears by too many people speaking at once, being distraught by fear and flashbacks.. and I was three blocks away. My heart goes to those who were en route to the finish line.. to those waiting there for their loved ones to run by. I cannot, nor do I want to, imagine. This wasn't going to be a post about Boston. It was going to be mostly about Walk MS and striving to meet goals and taking pride in what I do. It was going to be about things larger than myself that have shaped mere me. I still smell Boston. I feel the quiet and simplicity of the starting line, see the endless, encouraging people lining the streets, sense my brother suddenly by my side at mile 20. I was blinded by the sun as I turned the corner onto Boylston Street, knowing my parents were there somewhere in the crowd but unable to pick them out of the thousands of shouting, cheering voices. I crossed the finish line and wobbled to my right, bumping into a blonde haired girl and muttering something about it hurting more to stop. She agreed. I took a sip of water and my stomach tightened into a painful mess of "that's enough, get me out of here, please, no more". It felt like there were hundreds of people closing in on me, pushing me slowly through the chute: foil blanket, medal, photo, follow the signs to your parents and lover, just follow the signs, keep moving, if you curl up and cry now you'll never get there." And that was before it got intense. Dear Boston, I respect you. I appreciate what you do for people like me. But I've seen enough of you for awhile, and I can't say with certainty when I'll be back. This one is going to take some time to recover from. You are brilliantly vibrant, and you will bounce back and be better than ever, I am certain of it.. in fact, we will all bounce back, eventually. Some things just take longer than 3 hours and 26 minutes.
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text:
Nokia CEO: Always Look on the Bright Side of Life
Nokia lost nearly $1.3 billion in the last quarter. It was the company's sixth consecutive quarterly loss, one made more dismal by the announcement that it sold just 6.3 million smartphones in the quarter — down from 16.8 million a year ago. Of those, only 300,000 were sold in the vital North American market. And of the 6.3 million unit total, fewer than half were Nokia's new Windows Phone-based Lumias.
It was a difficult quarter, tough enough to shake the confidence of anyone who has bought into Nokia's comeback story. But CEO Stephen Elop remains undaunted. He believes Nokia's fortunes are about to change, and that change will be expedited by carriers' need for a third smartphone ecosystem apart from Google's Android and Apple's iOS.
"There's a dynamic that we're seeing and hearing about … and that is increasing concern amongst operators about the concentration of power that is landing with two particular ecosystems that are obviously quite strong out there today," Elop said during a Thursday earnings call. "I think you're going to see a trend where operators, starting in the West, begin to say, 'We need a third ecosystem to really begin to happen. We really need to double down on it. We need to cause it to happen.'"
When will that trend begin in earnest? Now. And Nokia is fully prepared to exploit it.
"This is an opportunity that we look at as quite positive for 2013 as a whole," Elop said. "And it begins in Q4."
Presumably, that means with the launch of Nokia's next smartphone, the Lumia 920, and the other devices that will follow it to market. So, if Elop is right, we'll see Nokia regaining some traction in the near future. And if he's not? Well, it might be time to revisit that "burning platform" memo.


text:
The Ignacio High School boys basketball team started fast and finished faster Saturday in an 82-33 victory at Ouray.
The Bobcats, with 13 different players scoring, improved to 11-3 overall and 4-0 in the San Juan Basin League.
We played pretty well. Thats what we told the kids, we still have to go out there and execute, Valdez said after the Class 2A Bobcats broke to a 26-3 lead at the end of the first quarter against the Class 1A Trojans.
Clayton Jefferson scored 11 to lead four Bobcats in double figures. Adison Jones, Nick Herrera and Kelton Richmond each scored 10.
Justin Carver added eight, as did Wyatt Hayes.
Valdez said he brought up several players from the junior varsity for Saturdays game. He said the Bobcats did a good job of maintaining their concentration and focus in spite of the big lead.
The Bobcats will travel to Bayfield on Tuesday for a nonleague game against the Wolverines.


text:
Summary of Cultivating Sources
Economist Intelligence Unit © 2015. Sponsored by Standard Chartered.
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As this illuminating report from the Economist Intelligence Unit reveals, Africa holds a number of drawing cards as a supply chain hub, including ample raw materials, cheap labor costs and relative proximity to Europe. More and more, Africa's national governments are laying out the welcome mat of incentives for companies, while the continent's small but growing middle-class consumer base should spur increased local demand. getAbstract recommends this timely study on a growing region to operations executives contemplating a move into Africa.
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text:
- Prayer and Worship
- Beliefs and Teachings
- Issues and Action
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- About USCCB
In addition to the thirteen letters attributed to Paul and the Letter to the Hebrews, the New Testament contains seven other letters. Three of these are attributed to John, two to Peter, and one each to James and Jude, all personages of the apostolic age. The term "catholic letter" first appears, with reference only to 1 John, in the writings of Apollonius of Ephesus, a second-century apologist, known only from a citation in Eusebius's Ecclesiastical History. Eusebius himself (A.D. 260–340) used the term to refer to all seven letters.
The reason for the term "catholic," which means "universal," was the perception that these letters, unlike those of Paul, which were directed to a particular local church, were apparently addressed more generally to the universal church. This designation is not entirely accurate, however. On the one hand, Hebrews has no specifically identified addressees, and originally this was probably true of Ephesians as well. On the other hand, 3 John is addressed to a named individual, 2 John to a specific, though unnamed, community, and 1 Peter to a number of churches that are specified as being located in Asia Minor.
While all seven of these writings begin with an epistolary formula, several of them do not appear to be real letters in the modern sense of the term. In the ancient world it was not unusual to cast an exhortation in the form of a letter for literary effect, a phenomenon comparable to the "open letter" that is sometimes used today.
With the exception of 1 Peter and 1 John, the ancient church showed reluctance to include the catholic letters in the New Testament canon. The reason for this was widespread doubt whether they had actually been written by the apostolic figures to whom they are attributed. The early Christians saw the New Testament as the depository of apostolic faith; therefore, they wished to include only the testimony of apostles. Today we distinguish more clearly between the authorship of a work and its canonicity: even though written by other, later witnesses than those whose names they bear, these writings nevertheless testify to the apostolic faith and constitute canonical scripture. By the late fourth or early fifth centuries, most objections had been overcome in both the Greek and Latin churches (though not in the Syriac), and all seven of the catholic letters have since been acknowledged as canonical.
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text:
(art by frank cho)
Sunday, April 08, 2012
cartoon of the day
Thursday, April 05, 2012
the fluke contraception deception
the numbers are out and in a surprise to no one but conservatives, it turns out that women do not like being called "sluts":
the biggest change came among women under 50. in mid-february, just under half of those voters supported obama. now more than six in 10 do while romney's support among them has dropped by 14 points, to 30%. the president leads him 2-1 in this group.
republicans' traditional strength among men "won't be good enough if we're losing women by nine points or 10 points," says sara taylor fagen, a republican strategist and former political adviser to president george w. bush. "the focus on contraception has not been a good one for us ... and republicans have unfairly taken on water on this issue." (usa today/gallup)
"unfairly"? well, cry me a river ... one which appears to be roaring right through our favorite wingnut watering hole free republic, where you will never find a more wretched hive of chauvinism and misogyny.
and they're wond'ring where all the wimmenfolk went ...
unfortunately, to some women, especially single ones, government is daddy, husband, lover and provider all rolled up into one. (scottinVA)
but isn't that the model wingnut family? (cue "dueling banjos")
women are "wired" that way.
the 'rats and their mentor, satan, knew what they were doing when they destroyed the support structure called "marriage" and "family".
the title should say "boosted by SINGLE AND DIVORCED women voters..." (mrB)bingo - a lot of the women i know politically are mostly selfish, self centered, ditzes who only care about abortion, birth control, etc. (glockThe Vote)
translation: "they didn't wanna touch my glock!"
why do they keep calling these free contraceptives? someone is paying for them. and are rat women so gullible that they'll vote for a guy who is killing us at the pump, thermostat, grocery store and job market - not to mention the little matter of national security, just to get "free" birth control??? (aria)if these women don't like romney they sure as heck aren't going to vote for santorum. obama's little birth control scheme seems to be working. i think republicans need to do some intense opposition research into obama's donors. the candidates need to start talking about all the dirt that's been coming out on him. make him look like the crooked chicago politician that he is. (jersey117)
riiiiiight. because in four years nobody's tried that yet ...
the social issues bs makes me want to scream. birth control? FNG really???
women voters in general are easily scammed. (glockThe Vote)that they are. i'm here to tell you — they're buying this issue hook, line, and sinker. bunches of women i know are convinced that EVIL republicans have only one agenda ...and that is to make birth control ILLEGAL in this country.
i kid you not. they are convinced. rational, otherwise intelligent women. this flat out LIE has worked like a charm.
but, who is surprised. america has and is going down due to this very issue at the heart of it. we've contracepted ourselves so much that we've had to import workers. we have aborted so many we dont' have a tax paying base anymore to support all the elderly OR the freeloading immigrants. radical feminism has done its trick on this country ...and continues to do so, destroying marriage, family, and a strong moral base. why be surprised? many women are in love with themselves and their own power and new-found freedom to screw up their lives with oblivion. (libsRJerks)repeal the 19th amendment. (sharpRightTurn)sure glad we gave them the vote. (dagogo redux)because women vote for appeals to emotion. that is the democrat party's specialty. (longbow1969)
and the GOP's specialty? appeals to idiocy ...
young single women want to go on killing their unborn babies. and now they really believe evil republicans are going to completely ban contraception. the fluke contraception deception worked perfectly. (protectOurFreedom)
tricking rush into a three-day tirade was the easy part. tricking wingnuts into defending him? actually, that was easy too ...
woman — being fooled by snakes since the garden. (bmwcyle)the "war on women" paying dividends.
dems would never win without the woman voter advantage. (tigerClaws)
alas, the unfairness of it all ...
it won't matter -- those ideological women voters are blind to everything except what they want to see, their "vision". by teasing up reproductive issues, obozo is rattling their chains, they just don't know it.
giving women the vote was a civilizational mistake that will kill the republic. women don't want anything like what men do from government, and the republic was constructed around a male electorate. women's brain processes make them the very, very last people anyone anywhere should want next to the levers of republican government, and that's even allowing for real exceptions like margaret thatcher and sarah palin.
overeducated, barren, man-hating democrat women will turn america into a despotate, and then a wasteland -- like something out of hellboy. (lentulusgracchus)
unlike the patriarchal heaven-on-earth that is saudi arabia, or even afghanistan, eh, lentulus?
now i'm pretty sure that free republic, every dittohead's little patch of heaven on the internet, is by no means men-only. i'm pretty sure freeperville has some members that at least have claimed to be female. i'm pretty sure i can remember reading the praises of these culture-war-hardened survivalists for the fierceness and independence of their mothers, mates and daughters. so where are all the wimmenfolk? none showed up today, or more certainly, no one either female or male showed up to crash this little meeting of the "he-man women haters club":
so if not unfettered misogyny, what kind of hate speech proves simply too intolerable for the neanderthals on this thread?
cut it out psycho. santorum can't be blamed for splitting the vote, but we know who polls lower than rick with women and he is the one with the second fewest delegates.
so cut the hate. (dforest)
... just leave little ricky alooooone!
Monday, April 02, 2012
the bat-pun robin left unsaid
from 2007's nightwing[1] annual #2 (an "annual" that curiously took ten years to follow nightwing annual #1):(story by marc andreyko, art by joe bennet and jack jadson)
understandably, robin chooses to suffer in silence, so i'll just have to say it for him: "holy hard-on, batman! i've gotta raging bat-boner!"
1) "nightwing" is the superhero identity assumed by dick grayson in 1984 after he quit wearing the short shorts and pixies boots.


text:
HUNDREDS of residents turned out for a meeting yesterday (Jan 18) on controversial plans for a massive power plant in their village.
Around 150 people packed into Micheldever Station's Warren Hall to discuss the pioneering proposal that would produce energy entirely from waste.
But residents slammed the proposals from Clean Power Properties and questioned the firm's motives.
Nick Hurrell, of Overton Road, said: "There is a 'combi-trail' of suspicion around this company. They're giving misleading information. Would you trust them? I wouldn't."
Wendell Harris, a chartered surveyor, from Micheldever, said: "I'm concerned about this. It demonstrates the idiocy of providing people incentives to do things like this. If you provide subsidies people simply do what's necessary to get the money."
The proposals would see land above the railway sidings at Micheldever Station given over to a plant that would bring together in one place autoclaves, pyrolysis and anaerobic digesters to convert waste into energy.
Up to 210,000 tons of waste per year would be taken to the six-acre site, in operation 24 hours a day, seven days a week, producing 7.6 megawatts of electricity. The facility would also create up to 30 new jobs, developers say.
Residents say the estimated 15,000 lorries, and150,000 tonnes of waste being brought into the village, plus potentially foul smelling gases and noise pollution, would be a blight on the village.
Gordon Scrase, a retired financier who lives in the village, said: "A similar thing like this was set up in Peterborough, then as soon as they could, they sold it to a company in Indonesia. This is not about green energy or the environment."
Chris Holloway, director of Winchester Action on Climate Change, said she had only a short time to go through Clean Power's application, but said she had seen little to convince her of the benefits.
"As far as we can see, they still haven't answered our questions. This is not a convincing project, even though we support renewable energy in principle. It has not shown how it will contribute to a net reduction in carbon for Winchester," she said.
This latest, revised application, follows one submitted to Winchester City Council which was rejected. The current application is due to be considered by Hampshire County Council, who are responsible for waste management in the district. They insist additional facilities are needed to deal with 600,000 tonnes of waste by 2030.
But county Cllr Jackie Porter said: "We currently have that most enormous flood plan under the A3 and this application will make that worse not better.
"There are (waste management) applications coming in all the time. We know that Chineham is up the road and takes on waste. It does not have to be this particular site."
If they win planning consent from county bosses, developers say the plant could be open within 18-months of building work starting.
Objections can be submitted to Hampshire County Council until January 31, when public consultation ends.


text: StartWeek 2020 The StartWeek 2020 will take place from 7–11 September. One week before the academic year officially starts, the StartWeek takes place, where more than 1,500 new students of the Assessment Year meet for the first time on campus of the University of St.Gallen (HSG). The StartWeek is the introductory week of the university and an integral part of the Assessment Year. The overall objective of the StartWeek is to prepare the new students for student life and their new role at the university, both regarding content and organisation. The StartWeek 2020 is supported by presenting partner Helvetia Insurance. Each StartWeek is dedicated to a specific topic presented in the form of a case study that the students work on during the week. If you are interested in working as a tutor, a member of the documentation team or of the support crew during the StartWeek, please find further information about the application process on Studentweb. The case study During the week, the new students will be working on the interdisciplinary, challenging and complex topic of "Artificial Intelligence". The new students experience the StartWeek in 60 case study groups, each of which is accompanied by two tutors. The work on the case study is supplemented by keynote presentations. Induction sessions and a new setting Besides the case study, students will be introduced to the course structure and administrative processes of the university, the IT infrastructure and the library. In addition, there is the opportunity of meeting and establishing first contacts with fellow students that may well last for a long time. Presentations and the opportunity to network with our guest speakers, the StartWeek Café, as well as the coverage by the documentation team in media such as print, radio, TV and digital, ensure daily highlights and round out the week. The big Closing Event Highlight of the StartWeek is the Closing Event on Friday morning, which takes place in the Olma Exhibition Hall in St.Gallen and where all the new students, numerous guests and university staff will be present.


text:
I should have known better than to ever let the "dollies" mingle with the trio of "birdies" I was making for my Artful Gathering "Briley The Birdie" class with Colleen Moody. The "dollies" convinced the "birdies" they should be different than "Briley."
So, despite my best efforts to get them to conform my trio of "birdies" decided to be rebellious and be the class radicals. They decided they didn't want to be cream colored. They wanted to be sponge painted. They insisted on it and then they had all the "dollies" urge me to sponge paint them.
There were just too many "dollies" clamoring for this that I had to acquiesce. Now I know you all know I hate to give in to the "dollies" demands but with the trio of "birdies" and all the "dollies" clamoring I was sorely outnumbered.
I thought if I gave in to the trio of "birdies" on this they'd calm down and let me create them the way I wanted to. Au contraire! Each one had already developed a personality of their own and therefore a style they thought was best for them. Who was I to argue? I was just their creator. So, once again, I acquiesced.
One thought she was a Queen and wanted to be treated like one. I named her Queen Annabell but I refused to bow and curtsy to her.
Another decided she wanted to be Bohemian. I named her Natasha.
And, the third decided she wanted to be Funky. I named her Phebe.
Right now when I look at them all together they look like little "biddies" conspiring to me. Of course, I see bogey men everyone when it comes to my "dollies" and their demands. And, since the "birdies" have developed such a close relationship with the rest of the "dollies" who knows what they'll be demanding next.
I'll just have to wait and see. For sure, I'm not going to wait on them. I might serve them afternoon tea, but that's it.
Perhaps I'll be surprised and they'll be delightful. Perhaps they'll be nice, well-mannered, and a delight to be around. Perhaps their charm will rub off on the rest of the "dollies." Perhaps.......


text:
|PDF (Download Only)
|Scientific Seamstress
"Love, love, love! Over the years I have made many of these as hoodies for my son. I am only sad that he has now outgrown the pattern. Would love to see a tween/adult pattern!!!"
Raglans are comfortable, casual, and cool for boys and girls alike. This simple style can be made in a range of bodice and sleeve lengths so that you can get just the look you want for any season. Adorable raglan tops, pullovers, and gowns are a great use for soft knits and cozy fleeces. Raglans are perfect for embellishing with applique, machine embroidery, and even iron-ons.
If you have never worked with knits before, this is the perfect style to start with! This eBook is loaded with tips and tricks for handling and sewing knits. Detailed illustrations and photographs take you through each step of garment construction. Also included are instructions for making mock layered sleeves and "reconstructed" raglans. With patterns from sizes 6 months through 10 years (fitted styles up to 12 years), you can make righteous raglans for tots to tweens! All you need are the right notions, a basic sewing machine with straight and zig-zag stitches, and soft, comfy knit fabric. As in the other volumes of the SewBoutique4Dolly & Me series, patterns are included tomake tiny raglans for 15"-18" dolls.
Instructional Pages: 44
Photos and Diagrams: over 100
"Hoods" by CarlaC Dolly Designs
Top off your raglan with a stylish hood! Attached in place of the neckband, the hood is a fun and easy way to add flair and warmth to your creation. Use lightweight knits for year-round wear, and snuggly fleeces for the colder months. You can even use T-shirts to make reconstructed "hoodies!"
Instructional Pages: 11
*Note: These are downloadable instructions for making a shirt. This Ebook does include pattern pieces. Since it is a download, you will receive this by email and it will also be located in the "My Library" section of your user account immediately after purchase.
Note: www.YouCanMakeThis.com provides this copyright & terms of use policy review as a courtesy to our site users and eBook authors. The copyright policy applies to the associated eBook and is specified and owned by the individual eBook author.
Love, love, love! Over the years I have made many of these as hoodies for my son. I am only sad that he has now outgrown the pattern. Would love to see a tween/adult pattern!!!
Easy to make. Kid's love the shirts I made for them.
Bought this pattern a while ago and I can't tell you how many times I've used it. Perfect for boys and girls. So many options.
Great instructions and I love the end result
Such a fun wee top to make, I loved it.
Well written and easy to follow directions. Quick sew!
easy and the fact that it's adjustable :)
I was afraid of sleeves until I got a hold of this pattern. Thank you for making it so easy! I love love love CarlaC! She makes all the fear disappear.
Looks great on and the pattern was easy to follow, the neck has been tight on all of them that I made but more than likely user error.
Loved it! Very detailed and looks great on my kids. Highly recommended :)
easy to follow, clear instructions.
another great pattern from CarlaC!
Great educational resource and perfect wardrobe builder.
I haven't made this one yet but I love CarlaC's stuff.
Easy to follow, lots of options.
EXCELLENT pattern!
This was my introduction to sewing knits and it made things so easy. I have made both of my daughters nightgowns, pajama tops, and hoodies using this pattern. The first top I made did take me a while, just because I kept referring back to the directions to make sure I wasn't messing now that I've made several of them I can make one in about an hour. Really good starting point to working with knits and a great staple sewing pattern.
Loved it! We have made tons of hoodies for the granddaughters they can never have enough they say!
This was really hard for me!
I am using this pattern to make seagull costumes for Scuttle and his friends for a production of the Little Mermaid and it worked well--I modified the pattern a bit to give the sleeves a more pronounced wing look and added many rows of alternating grey and white feathers cut from cotton stretch fabric. The pattern is perfect for this. I'll post a picture in the photo section!
Love, love, love all of Carla's patterns. This pattern is super easy to make, looks great like all of her wonderful patterns!
i made a couple of hooded t-shirts already and I'm planning to make more but with some alteration because I need them more roomy for my chubby 3 yo. Apart from that I like a easier fit more.
The pattern and instructions are great.
Love the pattern Thank you =)
Love this pattern! Only wish it went up to bigger sizes!!
this was one of my first patterns with sleeves, i was excited with the way it turned out, the authors patterns are my favorite!
Great pattern if even if you are new to knits. Carla C has done it again!
Great pattern for boys or girls! Easy to follow!
I had a blast with this pattern very easy to follow, I only wish it came in bigger sizes, my son loves the hoodies I have made but sadly he is now to big
Easy pattern fits great. I only have one complaint. I wish it went into bigger sizes. My kids are bigger and still want this style shirt. They think they can never have too many hoodies.
This is how I learned to sew with knits! Great pattern.
Great pattern all the shirts I have made have come out perfect...helped me prefect my sewing with knits as well!
I used this pattern to upcycle some adult pj's into baby size pj's and it worked great! I can't wait to use it again!
Great pattern with great tips for choosing knit fabric. This is a classic and a keeper!
Easy to follow, love it! Thank you!
Enjoyed the pattern
Awsome pattern I was able to cut down a super cute shirt that didn't come in my daughters size so that she could wear it for VBS last summer. You couldn't even tell it had been altered. Love it!
Easy to follow like all of CarlaCs patterns!
I love, love, love all of Carla C's patterns. I especially love that she includes doll patterns, too.
This pattern is so easy to follow! I've made many dresses and shirts using this pattern.....thanks!
Easy to follow. Great results. TY!
Her patterns are the best i used it for my first shirt pattern and it was perfect
WONDERFUL pattern. A go to pattern for me.
Fantastic pattern! Easy to follow instructions and fabulous results!
Gotta love knits now!! Be afraid of jersey and such like no longer now that Carla C has come to the rescue with this awesome and easy to follow pattern - Simply fantastic! :o)
Love this pattern. I have used it for everything from tshirts to pajamas....even used it as the base for rain slickers for the grandkids! So glad I purchased it!
I love CarlaC's patterns! Her instructions and descriptions make it easy to follow, and practically guarantee success, whether you're a beginner or experienced seamstress.
Love it. Very clear instructions, the dolly pattern is a fabulous extra. I made coordinating shirts for my son and his doll. A wonderful pattern. Well illustrated and well described. Love that I can customize the pattern a great deal with the instructions given instead of just making one look. I will be back for more patterns.
5 stars!!! Amazing fun pattern!!!
I've just recently started sewing with knits. This ebook was fantastic and very easy to follow. I love all the hood options!
Great directions, great pattern. I upcycled some of my husband's old t-shirts into a toddler shirt.
Great tips and a wonderful pattern to follow great work once again.
I like a lot of things about this pattern but the sizing is out. There has obviously been alot of work put into it and it is easy to sew but beyond about 5 yrs the pattern comes up very narrow in the body. Going by measurements my skinny 7 yr old could wear a 5 as a t shirt or a 7 as a sweatshirt but in practice even the size 9 comes up only just big enough and that was in a very stretchy lightweight fleece. It's a bit odd. The size 5 works ok in my 3 yr old.
I'll be going back to my other pattern.
I love this pattern! I was new to sewing knits but this has definitely given me confidence. Excellent and easy to follow instructions!
I love this pattern! I wasn't sure how well I would do with knits, since I have never really worked alot with this material. But, the pattern was well explained and simple!!
Another winner from Carla C! Like many others, my son (6) wants something new also when I make gorgeous goodies for my daughter. This fits the bill perfectly! After only a few tries my shirts, thanks to Carla's expert instructions, tips and tricks with knits, they look store bought and people just can't believe I made it! Plus, using recycled t-shirts makes this an economical pattern. Worth every penny, you just can't go wrong with this pattern. Pair it with the Easy Fit Pants and you have the perfect pair of pj's, or leggings for a cute girlie outfit....lots of possibilities, just like every fantastic Carla C pattern!
Over the years I've made my kids X-mas PJ's, never perfect knit tops, never to be worn again, because the sleeves were too long, the rib neck was off, etc. This has been the pattern I've ALWAYS wanted! Thank you so much to the great easy step by step illustration!
My son is wanting me to sew him outfits whenever I am sewing a creation for my daughter so I was thrilled to see this raglan outfit...perfect for a 6 year old boy! When I received the pattern, I was overwhelmed by the amount of information but quickly saw how valuable it all was. I strictly followed her pattern and did not encounter any problems with sewing knits! It was amazing...CarlaC's step by step procedure was like having a sewing class in my home. I am so excited that I have a new skill...sewing knit fabric. I look forward to making many more raglan tops!
What a wonderful pattern! I'm so glad I got it. Quickly sewed up a new shirt for my son and I have plans for lots more. And with the great range of sizes I can also use it to make shirts for my daughters too. Thanks for the great ebook!
This pattern was so awesome! I can't believe the quality of information for the price! I've been seeing raglans all over ebay and couldn't wait to join in. Especially now, since my son has begun to wine that I sew for my girls all the time, but never for him. Not only has this given me a pattern to make endless wardrobe options for him, but for my daughters also. I thought it was just so cool that I made a perfect shirt the first time around with no prior experience, thanks to these instructions. I'm so excited, I don't think I'll ever buy t-shirts again! CarlaC rocks!
Wow, I am new to sewing and this ebook is a must for any sewer. The information is great and she has put so much work and thought into it...a great buy.
I made two of these today! I wasn't sure how it was going to work for me (I've never sewed knits, and have only really been sewing a few months!) but it was really easy! The second shirt took only 90 minutes of sewing time, and my almost-5 YO DS is going to *love* it when he wakes up in the morning. Thanks for giving me so much confidence, CarlaC!
I've just finished making this top up in a minky fleece for my baby daughter. Talk about a fantastic ebook! I had no trouble understanding Carla's directions, and have never sewn knits with such ease before. Thank you Carla for this wonderful pattern. I am sure I will be making many many more of these in the future!
Thank you, Carla! This ebook is comprehensive without being tedious, easy to follow even for a novice and so versatile. I was able to make the most adorable pajamas for my son and my daughter, starting a new tradition for Christmas Eve! My daughter is getting a 18" doll this year and imagine her delight when she finds not only the doll, but a complete dolly wardrobe in fabrics that match her own dresses! More than that my son, who I've never been brave enough to sew for, will also have a some goodies under the tree made by me. I highly recommend this and other ebooks by Carla C. I purchased a couple others the day I got this one and so far each one as been just what I was looking for.
Loved this pattern!! I am a self taught sewer, but I was worried this might be a little too simple, but it is totally worth the price. It is very informative. It has so many options and is still easy to understand.
Carla C's Raglan pattern was the first tee shiert pattern I purchsed and sewed. It went together easily and in no time at all I had a nice looking shirt. I was a very beginner sewer at that stage and if I could do it then so can you. The instructions are extremely detailed, clear and concise. There are plenty of pictures to help show you what to do next. If you want to work with knits but aren't sure where to start, I Highly Recommend this pattern. You will never need another shirt pattern. My kids have plain tees and hoodies all made form Carla's pattern.
What a great and easy pattern! I was a bit skeptical of the neckline as it is different from how I usually do necklines with knits. I decided to give it a try anyway and am so glad I did. It came out looking professional! Everyone thought the shirt was store bought! I've made 2 so far and am making more for all my boys!
This is a wonderful e-book - it'd be a deal at twice the price! Lots of terrific info and tips for sewing knit fabric as well as clear instructions for how to customize this pattern to make it your own! I absolutely LOVE all of CarlaC's ebooks, but this is a favorite, for sure!
Very easy to follow and I've done really well with this pattern even though I'd never done a knit neckline before :) Great Ebook by an awesome author :)


text:
Bussiness SituationSchiphol Telematics (ST) has provided telecom services such as tailored Internet, voice, IPTV, and network services over its own network to businesses in and around Amsterdam Airport Schiphol for more than 20 years. Critical airport functions reliant on ST's services include a number of supporting processes, such as payment services, airport operations, and baggage handling systems.
Despite having a robust customer base, ST is a relatively small company, with only about 95 full-time employees and 15 contractors. Thus, it is constantly managing its costs and employee footprint to maintain maximum business flexibility and agility. As one aspect of this strategy, it relies on managed services providers for all of its IT operations, including the most important Microsoft business applications its employees use.
In 2012, ST selected Avanade Inc. to replace its then- incumbent managed services provider for its Microsoft Dynamics AX ERP system, Microsoft SharePoint, and reporting services for its Microsoft SQL servers. ST credits Avanade with providing higher-quality support and going the extra mile to forge a business partnership with it.
"Avanade is a true business partner, giving us the flexibility we need. Plus, our costs have gone down and our service quality has gone up"
ResultsST reported that despite moving from another managed services provider, it is still achieving substantial business value with Avanade. The company has been able to better focus on its core business with Avanade supporting it and achieve productivity gains while keeping its managed services provider-related costs to a minimum.
Using Avanade allows the company to avoid hiring a team of five to seven full-time employees to manage Microsoft applications and is also helping it improve its business agility and flexibility. Avanade has helped ST achieve these benefits by being a true business partner rather than just a service provider. By maintaining two individuals onsite at ST, Avanade understands the needs of ST's customers and internal users, helping provide the competitive agility and flexibility ST needs.
With Avanade's support, ST has continued to be able to have robust Microsoft applications without needing to invest in internal IT staff resources. IDC projects that over five years, ST will avoid IT staff hires worth an average of €462,000 annually with Avanade.
Further, the depth of skills and expertise offered by Avanade means that ST is achieving more value in terms of features and change management than it did with its previous managed services provider. It takes significantly less time for Avanade to implement a new feature or major change, meaning that ST gets more value from its managed services relationship, worth an average of €321,700 per year over five years. Also, ST's employees are spending less time managing the managed services provider relationship with Avanade, adding further time savings worth an average of €102,700 a year.