text:
Karen Bass on Free Trade
[Explanatory note from Wikipedia.com "Exchange Rate"]:
Between 1994 and 2005, the Chinese yuan renminbi was pegged to the US dollar at RMB 8.28 to $1. Countries may gain an advantage in international trade if they manipulate the value of their currency by artificially keeping its value low. It is argued that China has succeeded in doing this over a long period of time. However, a 2005 appreciation of the Yuan by 22% was followed by a 39% increase in Chinese imports to the US. In 2010, other nations, including Japan & Brazil, attempted to devalue their currency in the hopes of subsidizing cheap exports and bolstering their ailing economies. A low exchange rate lowers the price of a country's goods for consumers in other countries but raises the price of imported goods for consumers in the manipulating country.
This bill raises the cap on outstanding loans, guarantees, and insurance of the Export-Import Bank of the United States for FY2015-FY2022 and afterwards. The Bank shall:
Opponents reasons for voting NAY: (Washington Examiner, 12/2/12): The Export-Import Bank is a taxpayer-backed agency that finances U.S. exports, primarily though loan guarantees. You'd think the bank would spread the money around to nurture up-and-coming businesses. You'd be wrong, very wrong. In fact, 83% of its taxpayer-backed loan guarantees in 2012 went to just one exporter: Boeing. Welcome to the "New Economic Patriotism," where the big get bigger and taxpayers bear the risk. Ex-Im is at the heart of Obama's National Export Initiative and is a pillar of the economic patriotism that Obama pledged in a second term. When government hands out more money, the guys with the best lobbyists and the closest ties to power will disproportionately get their hands on that money. Obama has spent four years pushing more subsidies, more bailouts and more regulations. "New Economic Patriotism" basically amounts to a national industrial policy -- Washington championing certain major domestic companies and industries, as if the global economy were an Olympic competition.
Ratings by USA*Engage indicate support for trade engagement or trade sanctions. The organization's self-description: "USA*Engage is concerned about the proliferation of unilateral foreign policy sanctions at the federal, state and local level. Despite the fact that broad trade-based unilateral sanctions rarely achieve our foreign policy goals, they continue to have political appeal. Unilateral sanctions give the impression that the United States is 'doing something,' while American workers, farmers and businesses absorb the costs."
VoteMatch scoring for the USA*Engage ratings is as follows :
|2012 Governor, House and Senate candidates on Free Trade:
|Karen Bass on other issues:
CA Gubernatorial:
Antonio Villaraigosa
Eric Garcetti
Hilda Solis
Jerry Brown
Jerry Sanders
Neel Kashkari
CA Senatorial:
Dianne Feinstein
Newly-elected Democrats taking office Jan.2015:
AZ-7: Rep.-Elect Ruben Gallego
CA-11:Rep.-Elect Mark DeSaulnier
CA-31:Rep.-Elect Pete Aguilar(R⇒D)
CA-33:Rep.-Elect Ted Lieu
CA-35:Rep.-Elect Norma Torres
FL-2: Rep.-Elect Gwen Graham(R⇒D)
HI-1: Rep.-Elect Mark Takai
MA-6: Rep.-Elect Seth Moulton
MI-12:Rep.-Elect Debbie Dingell
MI-14:Rep.-Elect Brenda Lawrence
NE-2: Rep.-Elect Brad Ashford(R⇒D)
NJ-12:Rep.-Elect Bonnie Coleman
NY-4: Rep.-Elect Kathleen Rice
PA-13:Rep.-Elect Brendan Boyle
VA-8: Rep.-Elect Donald Beyer
Seated in special elections 2013-2014:
AL-1: Bradley Byrne(R)
FL-13:David Jolly(R)
FL-19:Curt Clawson(R)
IL-2: Robin Kelly(D)
LA-5: Vance McAllister(R)
MA-5: Katherine Clark(D)
MO-8: Jason Smith(R)
NC-12:Alma Adams(D)
NJ-1: Donald Norcross(D)
SC-1: Mark Sanford(R)
VA-7: Dave Brat(R)
Newly-elected Republicans taking office Jan.2015:
AR-2: Rep.-Elect French Hill
AR-4: Rep.-Elect Bruce Westerman
AL-6: Rep.-Elect Gary Palmer
CA-25:Rep.-Elect Steve Knight
CA-45:Rep.-Elect Mimi Walters
CO-4: Rep.-Elect Ken Buck
FL-26:Rep.-Elect Carlos Curbelo(D⇒R)
GA-1: Rep.-Elect Buddy Carter
GA-10:Rep.-Elect Jody Hice
GA-11:Rep.-Elect Barry Loudermilk
GA-12:Rep.-Elect Rick Allen(D⇒R)
IA-1: Rep.-Elect Rod Blum(D⇒R)
IA-3: Rep.-Elect David Young
IL-10:Rep.-Elect Robert Dold(D⇒R)
IL-12:Rep.-Elect Mike Bost(D⇒R)
More newly-elected Republicans taking office Jan.2015:
LA-5: Rep.-Elect Ralph Abraham
LA-6: Rep.-Elect Garret Graves
ME-2: Rep.-Elect Bruce Poliquin(D⇒R)
MI-4: Rep.-Elect John Moolenaar
MI-8: Rep.-Elect Mike Bishop
MI-11:Rep.-Elect Dave Trott
MN-6: Rep.-Elect Tom Emmer
MT-0: Rep.-Elect Ryan Zinke
NC-6: Rep.-Elect Mark Walker
NC-7: Rep.-Elect David Rouzer(D⇒R)
NH-1: Rep.-Elect Frank Guinta(D⇒R)
NJ-3: Rep.-Elect Tom MacArthur
NV-4: Rep.-Elect Cresent Hardy(D⇒R)
NY-1: Rep.-Elect Lee Zeldin(D⇒R)
NY-21:Rep.-Elect Elise Stefanik(D⇒R)
NY-24:Rep.-Elect John Katko
OK-5: Rep.-Elect Steve Russell
PA-6: Rep.-Elect Ryan Costello
TX-4: Rep.-Elect John Ratcliffe
TX-23:Rep.-Elect Will Hurd
TX-36:Rep.-Elect Brian Babin
UT-4: Rep.-Elect Mia Love(D⇒R)
VA-10:Rep.-Elect Barbara Comstock
WA-4: Rep.-Elect Dan Newhouse
WI-6: Rep.-Elect Glenn Grothman
WV-2: Rep.-Elect Alex Mooney
WV-3: Rep.-Elect Evan Jenkins(D⇒R)
Civil Rights
Foreign Policy
Free Trade
Govt. Reform
Gun Control
Health Care
Homeland Security
Social Security
Tax Reform
Main Page
Wikipedia Profile
Ballotpedia Profile
CA politicians
CA Archives
Contact info:
House Contact
Mailing Address:
Office 408 CHOB, Wash., DC 20515
Phone number:


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Stonington puts 'panic button' through paces
Stonington — One of the town's elementary schools is serving as a test site for a new security upgrade police hope will speed response time in a crisis.
The West Vine Street School is now equipped with a panic button system that not only sounds an alarm in the school but also simultaneously notifies emergency dispatchers, town police, fire and highway departments of a potential threat at the school. Buttons are installed throughout the school, including in classrooms.
Town officials said they think the system can serve as a model statewide as schools grapple with ways to enhance security in the wake of the Dec. 14 school shooting in Newtown.
In a demonstration at the school on Tuesday that included active shooter training, Stonington Police Capt. Jerry Desmond said officers would receive the alert in their cars and on portable radios while cameras already monitoring the schools focus on the school where the alert was activated. Doors in the school would close automatically.
"We're here to protect the most valuable assets in this community — our children," Desmond said.
The system, which costs about $10,000, eliminates the need for school staff to dial 911, saving precious seconds, maybe even minutes, he said.
"At a time when the state government can't offer much in the way of resources, those of us on the front line in towns and cities have to find a way to do all we can with what we have," Police Commission Chairman Scott Bates said.
School board Chairwoman Gail MacDonald said the town took a proactive approach to safety and is hoping to avoid suggestions or mandates from the state that may not be a good fit.
A cross-section of town departments worked collaboratively to develop and fund the new system.
Desmond said the town already was ahead of the curve in terms of safety when the shooting in Newtown occurred. Stonington schools use a card reader system that checks licenses of visitors against the sex offender registry. The school also uses a color-coded light alert system notifying students of a possible threat or evacuation.
After the Newtown shooting, police met with school officials, the fire department and the police commission to develop a plan that was backed by the school board. Response protocols were updated, and a police presence has been maintained at the schools.
Superintendent Van Riley said the new system is reassurance for staff that help in the event of a crisis is not far.
"My hope is that it works well and it can be expanded into other schools," Riley said.
Desmond said the system will continue to be tested through the start of the new school year.
The system is similar in ways to something Westerly police have been using for more than three decades to catch burglars, Westerly Police Chief Edward St. Clair said. The chief said an alert system is sometimes installed in a commercial building that has been targeted by thieves in order to get a quick response when the next break-in occurs.
"To use it for something like this is innovative," St. Clair said. "I'd like to see how it works."
Stories that may interest you
New London celebrates Ecuadorean independence day
Mayor Michael Passero helps raise the Ecuadorean flag to celebrate that nation's independence day Monday at City Hall.
UPDATED: Blumenthal favors pulling plug on Eversource
Senator says utility company "too big to do the job" during visit to Madison grocery store that lost power, incurring $500,000 in losses.
Preston joins other school districts with hybrid reopening model
Preston students in first through eighth grade will have mix of in-person and remote learning, while preschool and kindergarten students attend in person.

subset: commoncrawl


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NAEPC Webinar: TBD
Detailed information regarding this presentation will be posted soon.
REGISTER HERE for the individual program. To purchase the 2020 webinar series, please click HERE.
See all upcoming and previous webinars
The Robert G. Alexander Webinar Series
The Robert G. Alexander Webinar Series was launched in September 2013 to provide estate planners with accessible, high quality, multi-disciplinary and supplemental education. Programs typically take place on the second Wednesday of each month at 3:00 pm ET.
Not able to attend on the live date and time?
Register anyway! We'll send you a link to the webinar archive so you can view it at your own convenience.
Registration Options & Fees
Registration is available for individual webinars or by purchasing a yearly series subscription, which offers acccess to all of the programs scheduled during the calendar year for one low price.
|$280 ($360 value)
|Accredited Estate Planner® designee or Estate Planning Law Specialist certificant
|$280 ($360 value)
|Junior/Student (available to a Junior or Student member of an NAEPC-affiliated council or one who is in the process of attaining the AEP® designation by virtue of being enrolled in either the required or an elective course offered by The American College
|$420 ($540 value)
|Member of an affiliated local estate planning council or at-large member of NAEPC
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Additional feeds available for $25 per feed per webinar by contacting us after the initial registration
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Continuing education credit is available at most webinars for Accredited Estate Planner® designees. In addition, a general certificate of completion will be made available for those professionals who feel the program satisfies their continuing education requirements and are able to self-file. It is the responsibility of the attendee to determine whether their state, discipline, or designation will allow one to self-file for a distance-learning program. Please contact firstname.lastname@example.com prior to attending your first program if you have any questions with regard to the availabililty of credit..
Download the handy webinar FAQ page, email us, or phone the national office at 866-226-2224.


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Boston LIVE! As announced in the Israel Genealogy Research Association (IGRA) newsletter, arrangements have been made to "stream" a selection of 50 lectures from the upcoming IAJGS International Jewish Genealogy Conference being held this year in Boston.
IGRA has also released four new databases in time for the upcoming International Conference on Jewish Genealogy in Boston: Graduates of Gymnasia Herzilia 1918-1948, List of Names in the Register of Adult Jews in Petah Tikva 1936, Marriage Certificates Jezreel Valley 1931-1941 and Voter List Tel Aviv 1922. Check out the promo and visit the AID (All Israel Databases) section in their website.
Quoting from the newsletter:
The first ever IAJGS Conference LIVE! will use the latest video streaming technology to live broadcast from the 33rd IAJGS International Conference on Jewish Genealogy. Annually, the International Association of Jewish Genealogy (IAJGS) brings the best minds and knowledge in the field of Jewish genealogy to its conference. This year, the conference, co-hosted by the IAJGS and the Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Boston (JGSGB), will be held in Boston August 4 through August 9 and more than 1,000 attendees from 17 countries will attend. However, via LIVE! video streaming, anyone in any location with the desire to learn more about their Jewish family history will be able to tap into this knowledge and attend the event via the Internet.
LIVE! will broadcast approximately 50 sessions over five days from the Boston venue. LIVE!participants will be able to view the sessions in real time via an Internet connection to a computer or tablet or smartphone. Sessions will also be available for playback for three months after the conference. Handouts, where provided by the speaker, will be available via download.LIVE! participants will be able to ask questions of the speakers and panelists via Twitter. LIVE!participants will be able to join either by paying a daily fee or a fee for the entire five days of sessions. IAJGS Conference LIVE! is being produced by the IAJGS, FamilySearch, and thanks to the generosity of Harvey Krueger.
You may sign up for viewing a full day's scheduled LIVE! sessions, $49 USD per day, or for the full week (five days), $139 USD.


text:
View more videos at: http://nbcsandiego.com.
A San Diego County sheriff's deputy shot an unruly inmate who was receiving treatment at the UCSD Medical Center, police officials confirmed.
The shooting happened around 12:45 p.m. Saturday at the medical center on West Arbor Drive in the city's Hillcrest neighborhood.
Earlier in the day, deputies had transported a 45-year-old inmate from the downtown county jail to the UCSD Medical Center to receive treatment after a violent altercation with deputies.
Officials said deputies initially entered the inmate's cell in the morning because he was non-responsive. When they went inside, the inmate allegedly attacked deputies with a dangerous weapon.
"He used that weapon, a hard object -- it was wrapped in some type of clothing material -- to strike both of the deputies in the head," explained San Diego Police Capt. Terry McManus.
After the violent confrontation in jail, deputies subdued the inmate. He sustained injuries from the struggle and was transported to the UCSD Medical Center.
While receiving treatment in the CT scan room at the hospital, police said the inmate continued behaving violently toward deputies.
He was able to free himself from his wrist restraints and used one of the chain restraints to strike one of the deputies inside the CT scan room, officials said.
"He swung that chain material above his head in a circular motion with both hands and attacked the officers," said McManus.
Watch US News crime videos on NBCNews.com
Deputies inside the room then used their batons and Tasers in an attempt to subdue the inmate, but to no avail. They described the inmate as "violent" and "out of control."
Officials said the inmate continued to assault deputies, then stood up and aggressively charged one of the deputies with his arms raised above his head.
Upon being rushed, the deputy feared for his life and fired his service handgun at the inmate, officials said. It is unclear how many times the inmate was shot.
The inmate – whose name has not yet been released – died at the scene, officials confirmed.
A homicide team was called to investigate the shooting.
According to officials, the deputy who shot the suspect is a seven-year member of the sheriff's department. The deputy's name was not immediately released.
More content from NBCNews.com:
- Flood threat from troubled canal lock near New Orleans eases
- Hundreds take part in 'March on Wall Street South' in Charlotte
- Parents' Facebook sting helps catch sex offender
- Woman arrested 4 times in 26 hours over music, assault
- Teacher placed on leave after student hazing incident
- Video: Report: Scientologists tried to hook Cruise up
Follow US News from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook


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erupt from (someone or something)(redirected from erupt from me)
erupt from (someone or something)
To burst out of someone or something. I couldn't believe the anger that erupted from Mike when he thought he'd been wronged. How can so much vomit erupt from such a tiny baby? When do scientists predict lava will erupt from this volcano again?
See also: erupt
erupt from something
to burst out of something or some place. A billow of smoke erupted from the chimney. A mass of ashes and gasses erupted from the volcano.
See also: erupt


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|Message view
|« Date » · « Thread »
|« Date » · « Thread »
|Juhani Connolly <juhani_conno...@cyberagent.co.jp>
|Re: ExecSource->MemoryChannel->AvroSink->AvroSource->FileChannel->HDFSSink throughput question
|Fri, 01 Feb 2013 02:12:07 GMT
Hi Chris, The most likely cause of that error is that the sinks are draining requests slower than your sources are feeding fresh data. Over time it will fill up the capacity of your memory channel, which will then start refusing additional put requests. You can confirm this by connecting with jmx or ganglia. If the write is extremely bursty, it's possible that it's just temporarily going over the sink consumption rate, and increasing the channel capacity could work. Otherwise, increasing the avro batch size, or adding additional avro sinks(more threads) may also help. I think that setting up ganglia monitoring and looking at the incoming and outgoing event counts and channel fill states helps a lot in diagnosing these bottlenecks, you should look into doing that. On 02/01/2013 02:01 AM, Chris Neal wrote: > Hi all. > > I need some thoughts on sizing/tuning of the above (common) route in > FlumeNG to maximize throughput. Here is my setup: > > *Source JVM (ExecSource/MemoryChannel/AvroSink):* > -Xmx4g > -Xms4g > -XX:MaxDirectMemorySize=256m > > Number of ExecSources in config: 124 (yes, it's a ton. Can't do > anything about it :) The write rate to the source files is fairly > fast and bursty. > > ExecSource.batchSize = 1000 > (so, when all 124 tail -F instances get 1000 events, they all dump to > the memory channel) > > MemoryChannel.capacity = 1000000 > MemoryChannel.transactionCapacity = 1000 > (somewhat unclear on what this is. Docs say "The number of events > stored in the channel per transaction", but what is a "transaction" to > a MemoryChannel?) > > AvroSink.batchSize = 1000 > > *Destination JVM (AvroSource/FileChannel/HDFSSink)* > (Cluster of two JVMs on two servers, each configured the same as per > below) > -Xms=2g > -Xmx=2g > -XX:MaxDirectMemorySize is not defined, so whatever the default is > > AvroSource.threads = 64 > FileChannel.transactionCapacity = 1000 > FileChannel.capacity = 32000000 > HDFSSink.batchSize = 1000 > HDFSSink.threadPoolSize = 64 > > With this configuration, in about 5 minutes, I get the common Exception: > > "Space for commit to queue couldn't be acquired Sinks are likely not > keeping up with sources, or the buffer size is too tight" > > on the Source JVM. It is no where near the 4g max, rather only at > about 2.5g. > > I'm wondering about the logic of having all the batch > sizes/transaction sizes 1000. My thought was that would keep from > fragmenting the transfer of data, but maybe that's flawed? Should the > sizes be different? > > Also curious about increasing the MaxDirectMemorySize to something > larger than 256MB? I tried removing it altogether in my Source JVM > (which makes the size unbounded), but that didn't seem to make a > difference. > > I'm having some trouble figuring out where the backup is happening, > and how to open up the gates. :) > > Thanks in advance for any suggestions. > Chris
|View raw message


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Two Montezuma County farmers will be among some 100 across Colorado to grow close to 1,300 acres of industrial hemp this year.
Last fall, Sharon Stewart organized Hemp Talks/Western Slope to bring area farmers together with other industrial hemp activists. She shared the promising news with a handful of advocates earlier this week at the group's monthly meeting.
According to Stewart, a farmer near Mancos and another near Yellow Jacket both filed applications with state agriculture officials to grow research and development plots in 2014. The Mancos farm plans to test a 1-acre site, and the Yellow Jacket farm plans a larger 5-acre plot.
"It's not a lot, but at least it's something in this area," said Stewart.
After the legalization of industrial hemp in Colorado last year, the greatest hurdle for area farmers has been locating a seed source. Hemp remains classified as a controlled substance under federal law, but Chris Boucher, vice president of U.S. Hemp Oil in California, has provided local farmers with the seed.
"He's not only supplying the seed, but (Boucher) has also agreed to pay for the water at these two research plots," Stewart said.
Betsy Garrison with the Mt. Lookout Grange in Mancos said the organization has historical data that reveals industrial hemp was once a huge agricultural product locally. The 66-member Grange organization was re-formed last summer after years of dormancy.
"The national Grange supports research and development for industrial hemp, but they are really concerned about the THC levels," Harrison said.
THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana that is responsible for a user's buzz, is found in only low levels in industrial hemp strains. The state mandates the THC level in hemp be 0.3 percent or less.
Hemp Talks legislative committee chairwoman Tami Graham also relayed concerns that hemp grown at high altitude could possibly generate higher levels of THC, but added there were 25,000 known uses for hemp.
"We have to find the right fit for our area," said Graham.
Stewart believes the best short-term options for locally grown hemp include using the seed to produce biofuel and the stalks chipped and used as bedding for livestock.
"You can't sell anything from the research and development plots, including the seeds," Stewart said.
During the meeting, Graham, who also serves as director of Mancos Valley Resources, said the Hemp Talks group could possibly receive funding from the nonprofit MVR organization to continue with additional outreach and educational opportunities.
"We're getting to the point where we are generating momentum," Graham said. "I think it would be good for Hemp Talks to fall under our umbrella."
Hemp Talks/Western Slope was recently approved to partner with the 5th annual Hemp History Week, a national effort to promote more than 250 grass-roots events. The Hemp Talks/Western Slope event includes an informational booth at next month's Dolores River Festival, where samples of hemp-made products will be available.
"We will have enough samples for 2,000 people," Stewart said.


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The Mutable Comprehension of const
const as a modifier of pointer/reference types in C and C++ can cause confusion.
I don't know about you, but I get all future-shocked when trying to express or understand concepts where language is used ambiguously. Unfortunately, even after all these years, it seems that the use of
const as a modifier of pointer/reference types in C and C++ can cause confusion.I've been working with some talented C++ developers recently, and have been surprised to learn that confusion over the use of the
const modifier, when applied to pointers and references, still persists even among programmers of considerable experience. I think there are three reasons why this is so: language, syntax, and the C++ Standard.
In my opinion, the key to surviving the ambiguity of
const pointers and references is to not use the word "const" at all, and instead rely on the use of precise nomenclature about what is actually implied by its use: mutability.
The problem with "const" is that it's just not specific enough. When someone says "const pointer" it's not clear whether the pointer is "const" (i.e. it must always points to the same location) or the thing it points to is const(ant) (i.e. the variable to which it points cannot be changed).
This is further complicated by the fact that a variable referred to by a "const" pointer may be changed by another (non-const) alias to it elsewhere in the program. It's actually impossible and inappropriate to infer anything that a variable is
const from a pointer to it.
Rather than this imprecision and ambiguity, I suggest programmers should eschew phrases such as "const pointer", "non-const pointer", "pointer to const
int", "pointer to non-const
int", and "const pointer to const
int". Prefer instead the unambiguous phrases "immutable pointer", "mutable pointer", "non-mutating pointer to
int", "mutating pointer to
int", and "immutable non-mutating pointer to
int". A pointer may or may not be mutable (whether the pointer may be changed to point to a different location) and may or may not be mutating (whether it may be used to change the variable to which it refers).
(Note: in this way, the always-confusing terminology of the "const reference" goes away. Strictly speaking, a reference is always const, because references cannot be reassigned. In the new terminology, references are immutable. Which we knew. Now we need only concern ourselves with whether a reference is mutating or non-mutating.)
C and C++ are agnostic about where the
const modifier can be placed in a majority of contexts. The following pairs of constructs are identical:
// 1. int const int i = 10; int const j = 20;
// 2. pointer-to-int const int* p = &i; int const* q = &j;
// 3. reference-to-int const int& p = i; int const& q = j;
I prefer the second form of each, and I strongly recommend it to C/C++ programmers, because (I believe that) it's the only way in which one can sensibly read composite types, by reading from right-to-left. Consider the following two equivalent ways of specifying a pointer:
const int* const p = &i; int const* const q = &j;
p and
q are immutable non-mutating pointers to
int. If we read from right-to-left, the presence/absence of
const before (i.e. to the right of) the
* determines whether the pointer is mutable/immutable, and the presence/absence of
const after (i.e. to the left of) the
* determines whether the pointer is mutating/non-mutating. By always preferring the
X const form over the
const X form, the
const, if present, will be immediately adjacent to the
*. Doing the same for non-pointer/non-reference variable declarations follows for reasons of consistency.
Let's do a few more to practise:
// A mutable mutating pointer to int int* p = &i;
// A mutable non-mutating pointer to int int const* p = &i;
// An immutable mutating pointer to int int* const p = &i;
// An immutable non-mutating pointer to int int const* const p = &i;
// An (immutable) mutating reference to int int& r = &i;
// An (immutable) non-mutating reference to int int const& r = &i;
The C++ Standard
Historically, the C++ standard is not much of a friend to us in so far as precise names go, and that is also the case in this regard. There are the well known obvious ambiguities, such as the inconsistency between
empty() (an interrogative: is the instance empty?) and
erase() (an imperative: clear the instance contents). With member types of pointers, references, and iterators, the use of the word
const as part of essential member types
const_pointer, and, particularly,
const_iterator, gets more confusing.
It's not only possible to change a
const_iterator, it's actually essential to traversing ranges. Furthermore, with some containers (such as C++0x sets), erasing elements is done via a
const_iterator. A
const_iterator is not an immutable iterator, it's a non-mutating iterator: an iterator through which one may access an element in a non-mutating manner, and with which one may traverse the sequence to access, in a non-mutating manner, other elements in the container/collection.
Language, Syntax, The C++ Standard: How to Survive
My way to survive these issues are:
- Syntax: always apply the
constmodifier after the type being modified. I've been an adherent to this for pointers and references for many years, but have only recently gone the whole hog in applying it to all types of variables consistently. I'm finding it beneficial.
- Language: when writing documentation or articles (or blogs, or books), I always refer to pointers/references/iterators in terms of their being mutable/immutable and mutating/non-mutating
- The C++ Standard: the fat lady has sung on this one. Don't bother trying to create container types with a mutating called
empty(), or with
mutating_iteratormember types. There's just too much mindshare and technical momentum to buck it.


text:
CheerLights is an ioBridge Labs project that allows people's lights all across the world to synchronize, stay linked based on social networking trends. It's a way to connect physical things with social networking experiences and spread cheer at the same time. We are all connected.
Whenever anyone tweeted @cheerlights or #cheerlights and a color, my house lights (just the deck icicles) changed to that color.
I was a bit of a rebel and decided to change to the tweeted color just for 1 minute instead of just leaving the lights constantly to the selected color. After 1 minute the stockplus program for GE G-35 Color Effects Lights written by sowbug (https://github.com/sowbug/G35Arduino) took over.
I couldn't resist not using the random mode: these lights are just amazing, and the effects are REALLY cool.
The other cool part about this year's Christmas lights is that they were programmed to start/stop via a cronjob. I used the ioBridge x10 board and a bunch of x10 devices to accomplish this.
Cronjob entry:
-bash-3.2$ crontab -l
Cronjob entry:
-bash-3.2$ crontab -l
30 15 * * * /oracle/start_cheerlights > /dev/null
00 21 * * * /oracle/stop_cheerlights > /dev/null
Bash script:
curl "http://www.iobridge.com/widgets/static/id=XXXXXXX&value=1"
curl "http://www.iobridge.com/widgets/static/id= XXXXXXX&value=1"
*change value 1 for On and 0 for Off.
I also setup an IP webcam to keep an eye on my cheerlights remotely.
For more info on how you can build you own check http://www.cheerlights.com/


text:
TORONTO, March 23 (UPI) -- James Reimer posted 31 saves Saturday and the Toronto Maple Leafs ended an eight-game losing streak against Boston with a 3-2 triumph over the Bruins.
Nazem Kadri, Mikhail Grabovski and Frazer McLaren each provided a goal as the Leafs notched their first victory against Boston since a March 31, 2011, road victory.
Toronto won despite being outshot 33-13.
Dennis Seidenberg and Andrew Ference scored in the third period for the Bruins, who tumbled to their third loss in four games.
Anton Khudobin started in net but was pulled in third period after turning aside 8-of-11 shots.
Tuukka Rask made a pair of saves to close out the loss.


text:
We're continuing on with our weeklong preview of the upcoming 85th Academy Awards, and after running down both acting categories it's time to take look at some of the other races. Today we'll be looking at the Best Animated Feature, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Original Screenplay categories in depth, and I'll also make some way-too-early quick picks in the technical categories. The fun begins after the jump.
In case you missed them, click here to read our preview for Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress, and click here to read our preview for Best Actor and Best Actress.
Best Animated Feature
Likely to Be Nominated:
- Brave
- Frankenweenie
- Wreck-It Ralph
Other Contenders:
- Rise of the Guardians
- ParaNorman
- Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted
The Best Animated Feature race is a little all over the place at the moment. Many were expecting a frontrunner to emerge in the way of DreamWorks Animation's Rise of the Guardians, but that film has received a much more mixed reception that most were expecting. The film is still likely to nab a nomination, though, as is Pixar's Brave even though most agree the fairy tale isn't exactly in the same league as many of the studio's other films. It's still leagues better than Cars 2, but that's not really saying much.
Surprisingly, the closest thing we have to a frontrunner right now may be Tim Burton's Frankenweenie. Though the film's box office isn't spectacular, it was warmly received by critics and generally liked overall by most who saw it. For my money, Laika's ParaNorman is the best of the bunch, but it may be edged out by Frankenweeenie if voters are remiss to include two "Halloween" movies on their ballots.
Disney's Wreck-It Ralph is a safe bet for a nomination as well, and also has a decent shot at the win. It nabbed quite a few high marks from critics and a hefty box office total of $159 million. Also in the mix is DreamWorks Animation's Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted, which netted the best reviews and highest box office of any film in the franchise thus far.
Best Adapted Screenplay
- Tony Kushner – Lincoln
Likely to Be Nominated:
- Chris Terrio – Argo
- David O. Russell – Silver Linings Playbook
- Behn Zeitlin and Lucy Alibar – Beasts of the Southern Wild
Other Contenders:
- David Magee – Life of Pi
- William Nicholson – Les Miserables
- Ben Lewin – The Sessions
- Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Phillipa Boyens – The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
- Judd Apatow – This Is 40
- Steven Chbosky – The Perks of Being a Wallflower
As many are expecting a big Oscar night for Lincoln, screenwriter/playwright Tony Kushner's script for the Steven Spielberg film is undoubtedly a major contender here. The language in Lincoln is splendid, and much of the pic's success is owed to Kushner's magnificent screenplay given that the film is an incredibly talky drama that mostly takes place in rooms full of people. Kushner manages to make a story about political process wildly engaging, funny, and even thrilling, so I expect him to be this category's primary frontrunner once nominations are announced.
Chris Terrio's nail-biting script for Argo is also a big player in this category, and I imagine he'll be singled out for skillfully blending the film's lighter, Hollywood side with the dramatic hostage crisis. David O. Russell also looks poised to land another screenwriting nomination for Best Picture hopeful Silver Linings Playbook, but one of the more interesting contenders here is Behn Zeitlin and Lucy Alibar's wonderful screenplay for Beasts of the Southern Wild. The tiny-budget drama is a magnificent piece of filmmaking due in large part to Zeitlin and Alibar's fascinatingly original script, and it has a very good shot at netting a Best Screenplay nom.
The adaptation of Life of Pi could draw notice for its script given that the source novel was considered "unfilmable," and it's wise to consider Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Phillipa Boyens for The Hobbit given that they were previously nominated for penning The Fellowship of the Ring and The Return of the King, winning the award for the latter. It's also smart to keep an eye on Judd Apatow for This Is 40. The Academy recognized Bridesmaids in the Original Screenplay category last year, and Apatow was previously nominated by the Writers Guild of America for his The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up screenplays.
For my For Your Consideration pick, I'd like to single out Stephen Chbosky's adaptation of his own novel The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Adapting a book as beloved as this was a hard enough task as is, but Chbosky made it that much more difficult by tackling the screenplay himself. He brilliantly translated the essence of the novel to the screen, making some pleasantly surprising alterations and additions that enhanced the book's themes and even enriched a few characters in the feature film version. We've seen countless uninspired "translations" of books to screen in the past few years (ahem, Twilight), and I applaud Chbosky for recognizing the need to make changes when turning a book into a movie. Chbosky crafted not only one of the best films of the year, but he also turned in one of the best book-to-film adaptations in a long, long time.
Best Original Screenplay
- Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola – Moonrise Kingdom
- Michael Haneke – Amour
Likely to Be Nominated:
- Quentin Tarantino – Django Unchained
- Paul Thomas Anderson – The Master
Other Contenders:
- Mark Boal – Zero Dark Thirty
- John Gatins – Flight
- Ava DuVernay – Middle of Nowhere
- Rian Johnson – Looper
- Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon – The Cabin in the Woods
The Original Screenplay category is a bit tougher to parse out at the moment, but there are a few clear major contenders that stand out from the rest of the pack. Wes Anderson made one of the best films of his career with this year's delightfully charming Moonrise Kingdom, and the film's crackerjack screenplay by Anderson and Roman Coppola will undoubtedly be one of this year's nominees in the category.
Also at the top of the pile is Michael Heneke's script for his devastating drama Amour. The film is an incredibly tough watch, but it's been hailed as one of the best films of 2012 for quite some time now (it won the Cannes Palm d'Or back in May), so look for it to be a major contender in the Original Screenplay category.
Sight unseen, it's pretty safe to say that Quentin Tarantino will find himself among the nominees for Django Unchained. The guy just doesn't make bad movies, and depending on how things shake out he might pull off his first Oscar win since taking home the Best Original Screenplay trophy in 1995 for Pulp Fiction.
Another living legend, Paul Thomas Anderson, should also land among the nominees for his The Master screenplay. Even though the film has gathered a rather polarizing response, Anderson's talent is unlikely to be overlooked. It's shocking to think that the guy behind Boogie Nights and There Will Be Blood has yet to win an Academy Award, but it's entirely possible that he could find himself standing at the podium come Oscar night.
The last time Mark Boal wrote a screenplay he won an Oscar, and he's reteamed with his The Hurt Locker director Kathryn Bigelow for Zero Dark Thirty so look for him to be a major player in this category as well. We'll have a better idea of his chances of winning once the film screens for critics, but he's already talked extensively about the lengths to which he and Bigelow went to maintain accuracy when dramatizing the hunt for Osama bin Laden. I also don't think it's out of the realm of possibility for Rian Johnson to nab a nomination for his refreshingly original sci-fi film Looper. The pic was incredibly well-received by critics, and I'm really hoping it picks up some steam this awards season.
When I see the words Best Original Screenplay, one of the first 2012 films that comes to mind is my For Your Consideration pick for this category: Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon's The Cabin in the Woods. The duo turned the horror genre entirely on its head with a brilliantly fresh genre film that was packed to the brim with humor and smarts. I know it's a very long shot for a nomination, but when running down the best original screenplays of the year, I don't see how it's possible to leave this one out.
The technical categories are tricky enough to predict just before Oscar night, so in lieu of running down each category by frontrunners, likely nominations, and other contenders, I've simply listed four or five picks that are currently a part of the conversation. A lot can change between now and when the nominations are announced, so don't be surprised if the end result is a tad different.
Many of the categories will be easier to parse out once the official list of eligible contenders is released. The Original Score category is particularly difficult to weigh in on as there are many strange rules that keep some worthy scores from being eligible to compete. Nevertheless, here's a look at some of the contenders:
- Michael Kahn – Lincoln
- William Goldenberg – Argo
- Jay Cassidy – Silver Linings Playbook
- Peter McNulty – The Master
- Cloudio Miranda – Life of Pi
- Roger Deakins – Skyfall
- Robert Richardson – Django Unchained
- Mihai Malaimare Jr. – The Master
Production Design
Sound Mixing
- Les Miserables
- Skyfall
- The Dark Knight Rises
Sound Editing
- Skyfall
- The Dark Knight Rises
- The Avengers
Costume Design
Original Score
- Dario Marianelli – Anna Karenina
- Tom Tykwer, Reinhold Heil, Johnny Klimek – Cloud Atlas
- Behn Zeitlin, Dan Romer – Beasts of the Southern Wild
- John Williams – Lincoln
Visual Effects
- Life of Pi
- Cloud Atlas
- The Avengers
- The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Foreign Language Film
- Amour – Austria
- The Intouchables – France
- No – Chile
- A Royal Affair – Denmark
Documentary Feature
- The House I Live In
- The Central Park Five
- West of Memphis
That's it for today's run of Oscar categories. Check back tomorrow for our final installment of Oscar Preview 2013 when we take a look at the big ones: Best Picture and Best Director.


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WYSIWYG Web Builder 12.0.4 fixes known problems and includes other improvements.
What's new in 12.0.4?
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*** Current version: WYSIWYG Web Builder 15.4.4 ***
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1 post • Page 1 of 1
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Nigeria floods kill 363 people, displace 2.1 million
Posted 2012/11/05 at 10:34 am EST
ABUJA, Nov. 5, 2012 (Reuters) — Nigeria's worst flooding in at least half a century has killed 363 people since the start of July and displaced 2.1 million people, an emergency agency said on Monday.
Nigeria often suffers seasonal flash floods after heavy tropical rain, but the sheer scale of the devastation this year has shocked people and images of towns and cities under water have filled TV screens.
President Goodluck Jonathan last month called the flooding, which has submerged parts of the south, a "national disaster" but said it would not trigger a food crisis.
The National Emergency Management Agency said in a statement on Monday that 7.7 million people had been affected by the flooding between July 1 and October 31.
It said 363 people had been killed and 18,282 people injured.
From the swampy oil region in the south to the dusty base of the Sahel further north, Nigeria's 160 million people are spread across a land mass twice the size of California.
Flooding in the oil rich Niger Delta, where Africa's third longest river flows into the Atlantic ocean, has disrupted oil production to the tune of around 500,000 barrels per day (bpd) – more than a fifth of Nigeria's output – according to the Department of Petroleum Resources.
A cocoa industry body said last month that cocoa output would fall far short of a 300,000 metric tons target because of excessive rain.
(Reporting by Joe Brock; Editing by Andrew Osborn)


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The Florida Gators put a beating on South Carolina yesterday in what many expected to be the marquee match-up of the day. At halftime, the Gators were up 21-6, so local radio might reasonably have expected a positive and mellow interview from a pleasantly surprised Florida coach.
Instead they got the Hulk Will Muschamp, who started off (as you can hear in the audio below) fairly even-keeled and then, mid-sentence, ripped the head off the sideline reporter and ate it one bite:
A transcription:
Q: Coach, great job with turnovers, and obviously special teams.
A: Well, we just gotta continue to capitalize on what we're doing, and
Below, in GIF form, so we can all marvel at the reporter staying upright and not soiling himself (as far as we know). We shudder to think what would have happened had Florida been losing.


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No Justice, No Peace, No Obatala
In the religion of the Yoruba people, Obatala is the king of the white cloth. This Orisa must love chlorine bleach and Mr. Clean because his white clothing is always unblemished and pristine. He is often depicted as a wizened elder dressed in his white cloth from head to toe. His great age is simply a manifestation of his wisdom. And if he is illustrated with hair it is always the peppered or white that indicates significant age. He is the one Orisa with the responsibility to create land over the water. Baba Obatala's realm is the mountains, especially the ones with snow capped peaks. He is the old man that rarely moves and when he does, it is slowly and with a purpose. But when he does move, pay close attention because its significance is as great as a massive earthquake.
His energy is the essence of clarity. It is clarity that allows humans to make the right decisions and to differentiate right from wrong and perhaps most importantly, to see things as they truly are. And it is because of this energy that Obatala is the Orisa of the courthouse and of all things judicial. White forms a perfect background for correctly seeing and identifying that which is around you. His association with the color white is also viewed as a sign of purity in the ability to discern and to make judgments. His energy gives us the ability to see the complete picture for any issue needing to be judged and weighed despite the complexity. For the children of Obatala the world is seen in black and white and there is no gray area. With Obatala help, we can see things as either right or wrong and there is rarely any middle ground.
Obatala can only help us do our jobs to find clarity and seek the truth when we make the honest search for truth our goal. But when our law enforcers are not honest and use their position as arbitrator to push a particular outcome based on personal bias and prejudice, Baba Obatala has no choice but to wash his hands of the matter and leave people to their own devices void of any clarity or righteousness. And the result is chaos and mistrust and nothing that even remotely resembles justice.
Ever since people of African descent set foot in America we have been forced to deal with the painful backhand of America's justice system. It is this alleged justice system that judged black people as less than human. An honest look at what it means to be human would have recognized black people as people with a different skin color and heritage. But people had an agenda when the question was asked if it was right to consider the children of Africa the equal of the Caucasian. White people would lose their source of cheap labor if the question was answered honestly. And therefore, from the beginning black people were judged a lesser form of life void of any hope of justice. And the lack of true justice that was established then is the same pattern of justice that we continue to follow today.
Today, the prejudice against black people is thick. Despite the legal presumption that a defendant is innocent until he or she is actually proven to be guilty, our justice system regularly operates under the presumption that black people are in fact guilty and a trial in a court of law is just a formal, drawn out process full of legalese to reach a foregone conclusion. Statistics show that black people are more inclined to commit crime and so we can dispense with any real determination of facts and just run with our racially tainted prejudice. Never mind the fact that the circular logic that black people are more likely to be guilty therefore we can find them guilty without really looking for truth. The chance for real justice is lost, or at the very least unfairly far more difficult to obtain. It is very unfortunately that our national collective has decided to stumble down this path of mistrust and fear.
Just like all of our other social systems, the judicial system is heavily biased and heavily weighted against the well being of people in the black community. We like to promote the idea that our courtroom is a place where people are judged by the merits of their case. But all too often the baggage of our learned social orthodoxies is just as much a part of standard courtroom procedure as a gavel or the black judge's robe. Color that robe black and give your honor a matching pointy hat and nobody would know the difference. Give that same modified uniform to a lot of people who work to keep the wheels of justice moving, if only at a snail's pace, and you would have a much more precise image of our justice and legal system.
It's time people wake up to the fact that the United States judicial system was never meant to be a place where black people would be treated fairly. When it comes to black people America's special brand of justice is about as blind as the Hubble space telescope. There is no clarity. There is no truth. There is nothing to make sure the process is fair for people in the black community. That's the way it was founded. That's the way it exists today. Hopefully, we will come to the realization that this injustice needs some kind of attention. And just like when the mountain moves things will be shaken up to such a point our national community will have no choice but to sit up and take notice. And maybe then Baba Obatala will take his rightful place in our courtroom and we will have true clarity for a change.
Flying Colors
I had a dream last night. In the dream I was standing outside a thrift store and I was totally naked. The building looked like one of the typical second hand stores you'll see in a very urbanized area. It was an old white building, a bit on the dingy side. Weeds were growing through the cracks of the foundation in various spots around the structure. I walked inside.
As I walked through the door there were a series of steps that take people down to the store floor. There was a huge, homemade counter at the bottom of the steps. People were milling all around. I walked my naked self about halfway down the steps and sat down on them, trying to hide my nakedness.
I sat there for a while. No one seemed to notice me in my birthday suit. I was thankful for that. Out of the corner of my eye I saw some oversized terrycloth towels. I grabbed a burgundy one and wrapped it around me. The towel was as big as a bed sheet. With my nakedness now under wraps, I thought I could do my own milling about to find something a little more appropriate to wear. All the people I saw before had disappeared. The store was virtually empty. Wrapped in my towel I ventured into the rows of clothes.
Like some thrift stores I've been to, this store wasn't just one large open area. It was an older building partitioned into separate rooms. I walked through a doorway into a room that was filled with clothes made of the finest leather. There were fine leather jackets with fur around the collar. There were fine leather belts and leather shoes. There were rows of pants made of the finest cloths. I marveled at the unexpected, and rather out of place, clothing.
As I stepped into the room, I noticed a couple looking at the clothing. It was a man and a woman. All I saw was the back of their heads. I never saw their faces. They were doing their best to stay anonymous. I stepped around them and went about my business trying to find something to wear.
In the corner of this room I saw some toys. That was unexpected. There was a ten pack of Matchbox cars sitting on a shelf. I don't remember what cars were in the pack with the exception of one. At the very top of the pack was a green Matchbox station wagon. I wanted the cars. But I had to find clothing first. I put the box of cars down and went back to finding something to wear. This room was not for me.
As I walked out back into the main part of the store I looked down at my feet. I was surprised to see that I had on a pair of gray bell bottoms. The fabric didn't feel very nice. Around the zipper there were some weird decorative buttons. These pants were clearly out of date and fashionably hopeless. But at least my bottom was covered. I felt a sense of relief.
When I got back to the front counter, a black woman told me that we had a problem. I hadn't been keeping my appointments. I apologized, but then I said that I didn't think that the counseling was mandatory. I talked like I knew what she was talking about. I know many thrift stores have counseling programs to help people. I was thinking that I had been enrolled into such a program. I just didn't remember signing up for it. The woman laughed and asked if I wanted to drop out. I told her no. I needed the counseling and would like to continue. I promised to do better.
The woman then told me that I shouldn't worry. The store had an opening coming up. If I wanted, I would have a job by the end of the week. I smiled a sense of relief.
But then she looked at me. My burgundy towel was gone and all I had were the gray bell bottom pants. She said that I needed a haircut and she reached into a cabinet and pulled out a set of hair clippers. I was instantly horrified. I took a step back and told her with my most authoritative voice that she would not touch my locks. She ignored me and told me to stay still. I did as I was told and she put the clippers against my chest and shaved what little chest hair I had off.
Another woman suddenly appeared out of the clothes racks and made a beeline to the counter. She was carrying a baby. She walked up to me and told me that she heard that I was in a three way relationship and asked if it was true. I said no ma'am. I cheated on my significant other. The woman laughed. It wasn't a mocking laugh. It was the type of laugh an elder would give if her protégé was tested and passed.
And at that point, the woman behind the counter gave me a brightly colored jacket with a multitude of blues, pinks, yellows, and greens. It looked like the kind of jacket someone would buy for a child or a baby. I woke up right after that and started putting my dream to paper. If I had to guess, whatever test I may have been given, I'd have to say that I passed with flying colors
The Proper Sacrifice For Spiritual Development
I was reminded recently of the sacrifice a student of Ifa needs to make in his or her life when they make the decision to be initiated into tradition. An initiation is a ritual that is intended to recognize the spiritual entity that is supposedly the greatest influence on an individual's life. It is believed that everyone has at least one Orisa that influences his or her life, whether that Orisa is ever acknowledged through an initiation ritual or not. The initiation ritual, for all practical purposes, is like a wedding ceremony. A marriage actually takes place in a state office. People sign documents and the marriage will be recognized by the state government. The wedding ceremony is a ritual intended for the most part to celebrate the marriage. Like the wedding ritual, the initiation ritual is intended to celebrate a relationship that already exists.
When I went through my initiation five years ago, my elders required me to sacrifice my hair. At the time, I did it gladly. I was all caught up in the ancient African pomp and circumstance of ritual and tradition and didn't even see me losing my hair as a sacrifice. It was just part of the procedure. But after I became a little older and a little wiser with my spiritual development, I realized, among a great many things, that the sacrifice of hair isn't really necessary for the initiation process. It is merely tradition enforced by elders with a blind adherence for tradition for the sake of tradition.
Now I've heard a log of theories from a lot of people. Somebody tried to explain that the hair is a receptor of negative energies and it is helpful for positive character development to get rid of the hair. But if the hair is a negative energy receptor before the initiation, would it not be a negative receptor after the initiation process as well? For this theory to hold water, wouldn't we require everybody who is working for spiritual development to keep their body hair to the bare minimum regardless of where they are in their spiritual development? But we don't. Why? Because just saying that hair picks up negative energy doesn't make it so. Hair picks up on negative energy about as well as fingernails. And yet, you don't see anyone yanking somebody's fingernails during a ritual.
The shaving of the head is a symbol of spiritual rebirth. The bald head is a quickly recognized symbol selected for its ability to help the recently spiritually initiated standout in a crowd. But like a lot of symbols, the shaving of the head has no real impact on people's lives other than being an easy confirmation of some kind of sacrifice to appease our teachers and other elders in our spiritual community.
But what if the spiritual sacrifice that initiates are supposed to make during the initiation ceremony was something real? What if initiates could make a sacrifice that could actually lead to a better understanding of their own individual spiritual development?
Five years ago, when I was initiated and walking around with a bald head, for whatever reason, I lost contact with my spiritual community. Without the influence of my elders, without the traditional spiritual persuasion from elders that could have made me just another devotee toeing the traditional line that adheres strongly to hierarchy and ritual and ceremony and materialism and a lot of things that actually have very little to do spirituality, my spiritual result would have been something much different and much closer to what passes for orthodox thinking in this ancient African tradition. And if the elders are able to control my spiritual development, could it really be my own spiritual development?
What if the spiritual sacrifice we are supposed to make is the relationship we have with our spiritual elders? Our elders might mean well. More often than not, I'm sure our elders want the next generation of teachers to learn the ways of spiritual development the way they learned spiritual development. But all too often the spiritual development that is being taught these days is the type of spirituality that is more concerned with the spiritual chain of command and tight control of what is and isn't considered spiritual. And when someone has control of other people's spirituality, there is the potential for abuse with elders who prey on devotees with rather silly and self serving superstitions.
If somebody tells me that people who are about to go through the initiation process should cut their hair for fear of picking up negative energy, I'd have to ask based on what. What evidence is there that our hair picks up negative energy other than somebody, more than likely someone with hair, saying so? I'm pretty sure the answer is nothing.
Hair is no threat to people developing a sense of spirituality. Having a person shave his or her head for his or her initiation is a sacrifice without much meaning other than giving the initiate the ability to say, "Hey look what I did!" If a sacrifice needs to be made for a spiritual initiation, if we want to make sure our spiritual development is truly our own and not the product of elder's interpretation of what spirituality means, then maybe we ought to be telling people to kick that elder relationship to the curb and go out on a limb and let the spirituality grow without the contamination of somebody else's interpretation of what it means to be spiritual.
Polluting The Hand That Feeds Us
We are quickly approaching the end of the third month since the manmade disaster fifty miles off the coast of Louisiana in the middle of the gulf. Everyday, more and more toxic oil spews into the gulf from the well where the Deepwater Horizon exploded and sank. With reports of oil and tar appearing on the beaches of Galveston Island, Texas, every gulf state is now directly impacted and we are still weeks away from any permanent form of containment. Everyday we tap into British Petroleum's underwater cameras to see the cloud of oil spewing a mile under water. Everyday we see images of birds doing their best to cope with their oil soaked wings and failing miserably. But it is only today that I bother to think about this disaster from Yemonja's and Olokun's perspective. And I call myself an Orisa devotee.
For those of you who may not remember, and for those of you who never cared to take note, my spiritual belief system is partially built on the ancient African spiritual traditions of the Yoruba people. In this belief system, Olokun and Yemonja are the spiritual entities who are best known for, and are mostly associated with, life in the ocean and deep water. Think of Olokun as the forebear to Neptune or Poseidon or even Aquaman. And Yemonja is often depicted as a mermaid. Olokun is associated with the deepest, darkest parts of the ocean. Yemonja is associated with the top waters and the shoreline. The two work hand in hand with each other as well as with other Orisas.
Yemonja is often referred to as the mother of life and with good reason. While there are some people who believe in creative design theories that surmise that the Supreme Being started snapping his fingers on the fifth day and animal life just started popping out of thin air, a lot of people are aware of more scientific theories that promote the belief that life started in the ocean. If the ocean is the source of life, the ocean is the mother of life, and Yemonja is associated with the ocean, one might conclude that Yemonja is the mother of life.
The ocean is the spiritual realm of these two Orisas, and others, and we are doing our best to screw it up. We might give a rat's ass about the globs of oil and tar that are appearing along the gulf shores. British Petroleum promises to do everything possible to restore shorelines and beaches. But is anybody really thinking about the vast parts of the waters that are not so heavily influenced by tourists' dollars? I remember BP CEO Tony Hayward doing his best to convince people that there was nothing to worry about in the deep waters in the middle of the gulf because all the oil is lighter than water and so all the oil will simply rise to the top. But the reality is a lot more complex. Water is heavier than air but somehow enough moisture gets sucked up into the atmosphere to produce torrential rainstorms.
Like the rain in the air, plumes of oil droplets are floating in the middle of the gulf like underwater clouds. But, unlike the clouds of water in the atmosphere that have to release the moisture to impact us here on the ground, the underwater clouds of oil don't have to release anything. The underwater oil clouds can maintain their integrity and still impact the life of all those sea creatures. And what effort will be made to remove these plumes and restore the ocean back to its oil-less condition? While British Petroleum is hiring people to clean beaches and make a good show of trying to look like somebody with that outfit cares, it's a pretty safe bet that nothing will be done to set the middle of the gulf back to its original condition.
Imagine how you would feel if somebody came to your house, started digging in your living room, struck oil and let it spewed all over your house. And then, to add insult to injury, the only part of this disaster that will get cleaned up is the part of your property along the perimeter. You probably wouldn't appreciate it very much. I know I wouldn't appreciate it if something like that were to happen to me. I'd be thinking I'd want whoever did it to clean the whole place or at least try.
One thing I can say about nature, it can take care of itself. As members of the Orisa community, Yemonja and Olokun have nothing if they do not have time on their side. Given enough time, the constant scrubbing of the water on the shore will clean even the biggest tar ball. The plumes of oil in the gulf will eventually dissipate. One day, the waters in the gulf will be restored. It wouldn't matter if we managed to fill the entire gulf with our Texas crude, we simply cannot out last nature.
What we can do is impact nature's ability to sustain us. We might think all we have to do is clean the beach so that the damage to our tourist industries is minimized. But there might be a long term impact to this as well. What would be the entire magnitude of impact if we actually managed to contaminate the source of life and a major food source? Yemonja and Olokun work together to provide a lot for us. You'd think we'd be more careful with the way we interact with nature. But it looks like just the converse is true. As humans who are part of the ecological chain of nature, we should never so callously pollute the hands that feed us. You'd think we'd have more respect for the cradle of life.
The Last Yearly Reading
You know what? I didn't even ask Baba Orunmila about a reading for the year when 2010 rolled around. What's the point? Baba always says be patient, it's coming. And so I'll be patient. The next thing you know it's a couple months later. It happened in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009. I figured this year I'll do something a little different. Straight off the bat, I waited. And I waited. And I waited. But it's hard to out wait an Orisa.
When March rolled around I figured enough time has passed and Baba is going to wait for me to ask no matter what. I can understand. He's a busy guy. The assistant to the Supreme Being of our universe is simply doing other things waiting for me to simply ask. No biggie really. Baba is a busy spiritual entity. When it comes to being busy, he's probably number two throughout the universe, at least according to the Yoruba spiritual belief system. So figuring that all I had to do is ask, I waited for him to show up and I asked. He said he'll get back to me. It was the same thing who would've said if I asked like clock work when the New Year rolled around.
Baba was toying with me. Either he was in an extremely good mood or he was about to slap some education on me or a little bit of both or a lot of bit of both. Okay Baba, we've gone without it this long, I guess we can go without it little longer. Baba asked me if I really needed the reading. I told him that if he's not giving it to me then I guess I'd have to say that I really don't need it. I mean, we've been going this long without any reading. I imagine we can always go longer. Baba just nodded.
But I couldn't leave the subject alone. Obviously, somewhere along the way, somebody decided that there was going to be an annual ritual of year reading where people would receive instructions for how they should live for the next year. I wanted to know how the yearly reading became an annual tradition.
This sparked a conversation I had serious difficulty following. Baba peppered me with a series of rhetorical questions. Who is to say when the time comes for a reading? What does the time stops? When does the next phase begins? Isn't it just a reading? Can't you get a reading any time of the year? Why is there a need to hold fast to tradition and allow rituals from the past from people unknown to dictate the path of the people today?
Yes it is true that I got the yearly readings in the past. But that was because I wasn't ready for the next step from a spiritual perspective. I was still caught up in the tradition of getting that annual reading with community wide implications. Now that I'm a little older and a little wiser, I shouldn't feel the need for getting that yearly reading for everyone, especially when so few are listening or are listening elsewhere.
There are some people, way too many people who follow the Ifa spiritual belief system, who are still too caught up in traditional rituals to do anything else. A yearly reading here means nothing because there is nothing being asked in return. Other people will give a reading telling people to give the babalawo five thousand dollars and throw ten cowry shells into the ocean and people will do whatever they can to make it happen. What have I done to impact such an arrangement? Giving a yearly reading for everyone to read at will isn't enough to dissuade somebody from being led where they want to go instead of where they need to go or should be going.
The lesson is that people will do what people want to do. People who are looking for the yearly reading are people who are still looking for something to believe in. Ritualistic ruts are not something people should be looking forward to. But nevertheless, it happens. It's nice if people develop the spiritual maturity to look beyond the ritual and the rote. But that takes a healthy willingness to grow. And all too often, people prefer the intellectually lazy approach of letting someone else take responsibility for their spiritual guidance. All too often, people don't want the responsibility that comes with growth. It's easier to just pay someone else. And like everything else in this level of tangible existence that comes with a price tag, you get what you pay for. Things that come for free cannot possibly compete with things with high sticker prices. That's just the way it is.
Essentially, if people are looking for answers they will find them. It is easier to see the folly if there is someone to help you. People who see the flaws and want to do what they can to change things will find their way. If people want to change, change will come. Don't wait for the yearly reading for your answers. That's letting somebody else dictate the terms of your growth. Do what you can when you can. That will demonstrate real spiritual responsibility. This is the last yearly reading.
Five Years After My Ifa Initiation
I just had my fifth anniversary as an initiate of the ancient African tradition known as Ifa. It was five years ago I paid the fee to be just a little closer to god on what I believed at the time was the true path to enlightenment. It was five years ago that I paid good hard earned money for someone who had access to the Orisa's inner sanctum to put in a good word for me and let me join the club. One night five years ago, there was a ceremony and a ritual and a party ensued on my behalf. It was five years ago that I woke up one morning changed for the world.
When I was initiated, the priestess who I selected to lead and guide me in my spiritual endeavors assured me that my relationship with the world had changed. I felt like Neo in The Matrix when Morpheus offered him the red pill for true enlightenment, or the blue pill. The blue pill was never an option. With my heart pounding and without any experience on what was expected of me or what I could expect of an initiation ceremony, I swallowed the red pill and jumped into the unknown with both feet.
Now that I look back to that time with the hindsight of five years of personal development, I have to confess that I anticipated things that the people in the ile couldn't really deliver. When I was ready to discuss issues pertaining to spirituality, they wanted to discuss issues of the hierarchal order of the initiates, strict adherence to protocol, and unwavering conformity to the traditional ways that Ifa is practiced. My first year as an initiate was full of disappointment.
But with each disappointment came true enlightenment. In the first few months of my new initiate life, when I felt like my spiritual elders were neglecting my spiritual development, my spiritual understanding was allowed to take a divergent path. While a typical initiate would spend their year learning rote prayers and ceremonies and how to conform to the traditional way of thinking under the careful tutelage of an elder quick to correct an unorthodox thought, my conscious was free to develop without the interference of the traditional way of thinking.
The more time I spent with my spiritual elders and the rest of the family the more I realized that we were growing apart. It seemed like I was always breaking protocol. The house had rules that during any official activity, initiates had to sit in a specific order in a separate line away from non-initiates. And despite my attempts to sit where I wanted away from people's focused attention, people would pull me back into the thick of things. It got to the point I really hated going there and putting up with such trifling issues like whether or not somebody wore an authentic African outfit to one of the official ile sanctioned events.
Eventually, one day I realized I was wasting my time. While the initiation itself was all that some devotees were after, I realized I needed something else. There were some initiates who were more than happy to simply gain the inherited enhanced hierarchal status that comes with initiation. Such focus on personal social gain couldn't be very good for the development of spirituality. And it was my personal understanding that elders of any belief system who placed such emphasis on using a promise of enhanced spirituality for their own personal gain are no different than the average con man using snake oil to make a fast buck.
In the past five years I learned that there should be no such thing as paying someone to perform a ritual or ceremony to enhance somebody's sense of spiritual strength. There's no such thing. A flesh and blood human being cannot improve another's spirituality. At our current plane of existence the human brain is incapable of understanding the true depth of nature's spirituality. No dollar amount can change that fact.
But something else I learned in the past five years is that there are a lot of people who are looking for a quick fix to their real problems and are willing to pay good money for a spiritual solution. A lot of people are willing to pay a lot of good money for spiritual enlightenment from someone else. We will be willing to give our money to somebody in an authentic looking African outfit to tell us what we want most to hear. But that's not spirituality. That's more like making a wish and expecting magic to happen.
If I have learned one thing in the past five years it is that spirituality isn't magic. It isn't something that comes from someone else. Spirituality is something that comes from its own personal journey. People can't buy spirituality. It is something that must be developed and nurtured on our own. We can pay others to help us on our journey. That's totally logical. We should be willing to show gratitude to our teachers. But make no mistake, the journey is ours to make and it never ends.
The Book Of Esu
*** WARNING: This post may contain spoilers! ***
As the movie started, I wondered what Orisa would manifest. I saw the images of Eli shooting people with a bow and arrow and I thought Ochosi. But his hunting was only for survival or defense on an apocalyptic Earth where food was scarce. He was not a serious hunter. I saw images of him wielding a machete where he was facing several opponents at once and thought Ogun. But he was not a man of technology. He used what he had for protection and survival but didn't do any building or creating in a MacGyver like style. I thought he might be a manifestation of Sango. There was one scene with the lightening in the background. But Eli was not interested in being a ladies man or being charismatic. He kept his interaction with others to a minimum and seemed to be more at ease by himself, reading his book.
When it was revealed that he was delivering his book, when it was obvious he was delivering a message, I settled on Esu, the Orisa of communication among other things. Embracing Baba Esu is often considered the first step towards spiritual enlightenment. He opens the door for spiritual learning. The fact that his book was a Christian bible pretty much sealed the deal for me. Eli was a manifestation of Baba Esu, only far more serious than the always laughing, smiling Esu so many of us have been introduced to in such movies as Crossroads featuring Ralph Macchio as Eugene Martone, and Joe Seneca as Willie Brown. Esu went by the name 'Legba in the movie and was always smiling his way into causing mischief for anyone. This manifestation of Esu was far different. Although his deception was never intended to cause mischief for anyone, he played his fair share of tricks on the other characters in the movie.
The movie appears as a remake of Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. It is set on an Earth trying to recover from a nuclear war in the future. Just take Mel Gibson's Max and replace him with Denzel Washington's Eli and then take Tina Turner's Aunty Entity and replace her with Gary Oldman's Carnegie and you have ninety percent of the film. The last piece of the new formulation is Eli's book, referred to as the last surviving copy of the Christian bible. Eli is on a quest to take his bible somewhere where it will be safe from the likes of people like Carnegie who would use the good book as a tool to control other people.
The movie says more about our rather confusing relationship with our spirituality than with anything else. Carnegie is old school. He remembers the days prior to the nuclear exchange when people live and died by the words found in the bible. He remembers how a bible could disguise a man of hate. A bible can make some of the most obscene devils look like appealing angels as long as they held a copy of god's alleged word in their hands. A man can feel like he has god's favor as long as he kept his hands on god's book. A man can feel like he can cast judgment on an entire country of people trying to recover from an earthquake as long as he is alleged to have a reputation for doing god's work. A man of god can control people and Carnegie is looking for absolute control in a town where he already controls everything. And when Carnegie discovers that Eli has a bible, he must have it at any and all cost.
Eli has his own spiritual mission. If I didn't know better I'd say he was a Shoalin Monk with a bit of an attitude. He easily trounces his adversaries with his martial art moves and his machete. Eli is using his faith to guide him across the country, traveling west as he searches for a place of redemption for himself and god's word. He knows that Carnegie has plans to corrupt the word of god for his own personal benefit. The word of god isn't safe with such a man. And the paths of these two men are on a collision course with the future of what's left of the world at stake.
I found this movie smart and well thought out. There were some discrepancies. I wondered what happened to the children who would have been born disfigured and deformed in a future so bleak and bound to be suffering from radioactive fallout. But other than that, the film is smartly done. The monotonous grey tone throughout the film lends itself well to the bleakness of the future and the loss of humanity. The world is a much more dangerous place where people fight and kill each other over things that are much less than what we throw away. This movie comes with a commentary about gluttony and a reminder about everything we choose to casually waste.
If there is one overriding characteristic of Baba Esu for me to point to is his ability of presenting us with opportunities to show the true nature of our character. When we believe that things are truly at their toughest, what decisions do we make? Do we think long term about the social ramifications of our choices or do we simply dwell on the immediate gratification aspects? Somebody made the choice to stockpile nuclear weapons and when that choice was made it gave other people choices to eventually use them. And it was just a matter of time before we collectively give somebody the opportunity to make the wrong choice for everybody. There is a lesson about choice here. And that has got to be Baba Esu's domain.
Silly Superstitions
One of the most frightening things about the old African traditions is its association with voodoo. The word voodoo here is not a reference to the many variations of the African based religions that developed throughout both American continents and throughout the Caribbean islands among African slaves and their descendants. Indeed, as a practitioner of a Yoruba based belief system, I have to confess that technically my family and I participate in this spirituality.
The voodoo I refer to is the more superficial based on silly superstitions without much in the way of facts to support such beliefs. This bastardized and overly dramatized version of the African belief system gets played in Hollywood with such films such as the Believers, Eve's Bayou, Serpent and the Rainbow, Skeleton Key, and the James Bond film Live and Let Die. Playing on people's fears of African spirituality, many people are quick to prey on our collective superstitious and are quick to portray African traditions as something evil and better left alone. As a young Christian in Sunday school I was taught that anything African was to be avoided if you wanted to stay in god's good graces.
As I grew older I began to realize that a lot of what I was hearing was just plain silly superstition. But that was back in the early stages of me questioning what I was being told to believe and my relationship with Christianity began to wane. As I started to grow in my African based spirituality, I began to earn a better understanding of how the honest reality of African traditions can be manipulated into the silly superstitions that became so popular. While I may not believe the superstition that laying a broom at the door of your house will keep spirits out at night, I do believe that there are spirits.
I have to admit that there are things that I do not fully understand and yet I believe. But it's not fully necessary for me to understand how things work to believe in them. I don't understand how microwave ovens work but I believe that they will heat my food when I push that little button. I have faith that someone else understands how they work and my personal experience with microwave ovens gives me faith that I can take to the bank. The same thing is true with my beliefs in the Orisa based spirituality.
Now, with all of that said, I had to laugh the other day when I saw my old landlord driving a rental car. It seems the woman had an accident and her relatively brand new car was in the shop being repaired. My first thought was karma. We moved out of her apartment building at the beginning of September. Because of a post office mix up, despite how many change of address forms will fill out, our mail continues to go to her apartment building. The woman occasionally calls and tells us we have mail waiting for us to pick up. Whenever she calls, we apologize and go pick up our mail. Her house is practically in our backyard so we see each other often.
Well, last month we were expecting one piece of mail that was pretty crucial. It was a notice regarding my son's health benefits that needed immediate attention and quick reply. We were trying to beat a deadline. Instead of forwarding the mail to us as usual my landlord sent it back to the sender. She said she thought it was too important to forward. By the time we found out what happened we had missed the deadline. Now, for the next year at least, we are paying an extra two hundred fifty dollars a month out of our pocket to replace his lost benefit. That's an extra three thousand dollars that we need. The misses was upset. I said she'll get hers.
But the misses wasn't content just knowing that karma would address the issue. She took the case to Baba Esu and asked for some tangible justice. She didn't want anything drastic. Just something that would make her life just as inconvenient as she had made ours. Just a couple weeks later, we now see her driving her rental.
The misses felt bad. I continued to laugh. She said that she asked for something bad in a fit of anger and now regrets it. I advised her in the future to make sure she's calm and rational whenever she asks for such things. She asked me if I ever wished for something to happen to somebody. I said of course. And if whatever I asked for comes to past I will simply say thank you. If somebody pisses me off to the point that I'm asking Orisa to step in on my behalf and take somebody to the tool shed, then chances are pretty good that I felt that they deserved it.
Besides, there is nothing to support the fact that what happened to our landlord has anything to do with us. It's not like our old landlord has never wrecked a car before. I think in the year and a half since we've been here she's already had a couple fender benders. This is just the latest. Besides, I've been asking Baba to help us win the lottery and that never happens. I'm pretty sure that asking for something bad to happen to somebody in a fit of anger doesn't work either.
But nevertheless, I think I'll buy Baba Esu something nice today. You never know how the spiritual realm operates. And I'd rather err on the side of caution. Wouldn't want to piss Baba off, even if I do think it might be nothing more than silly superstition. I might want to do some more superstitious stuff sometime in the future and I would like to stay on Baba's good side.
Not too long ago I was driving down the highway during a particularly strong thunderstorm. The rain stopped for a brief moment and the sun managed to find a break in the deep, dark, rolling clouds. But on the other end of the horizon, I saw the most intense rainbows I've seen in my life. Not only did the ends touch the ground, the typical arch going from ground arcing through the air and returning back to the ground was matched with a faint opposite that started way in the clouds, arced down and then went back into the clouds. I had never seen such a setup before. And didn't think a rainbow with a mirrored image floating in the sky above was even possible.
The clouds gathered once again and the sunlight's contribution to the rainbow disappeared. But five minutes later the clouds dissipated once again, the sunlight came back, and the rainbow came back, stronger than ever, with its mirror image in the clouds. I started to get suspicious. A couple minutes later the sun went away again. But a few minutes after that the rainbows came back for a second encore. I got the message. It was time to do a little something about Oshumare.
To listen to some people describe Orisa you'd swear they were more human than anything else. Orisa are supernatural beings that cannot be described in human terms. Even terms like Iya and Baba, mother and father respectively, really don't do the Orisas justice because many of us have a tendency to take such terms too literally. Many people want to think of Iya and Baba in terms of sexuality and little else. Most people will use vague terms like paternal energies and maternal energies and other vague sounding nonsense to try and put these things into perspective. But really, to try and wrap human consciousness around the meaning of sexuality for an Orisa is a fool's game.
Nowhere does the misapplication of sexuality is more evident than when we try to describe the Orisa Oshumare. Some describe him as androgynous and others might go so far as to say that he is bisexual. What the hell? Bisexuality refers to a biological condition where sexual behaviors manifest as an attraction to both genders, male and female. People who have a bisexual orientation will have an attraction to both people of their own sex and people of the opposite sex. But what does that mean for an Orisa? Is there such a thing as a homosexual Orisas as well?
Like most of the things we've been we're taught about Orisa and the rest of Ifa, the ancient African spiritual tradition rooted in the Yoruba people, we simply accept what we've been told about Oshumare without really thinking about what we're being taught.
The rainbow is a manifestation of Oshumare. He's often referred to as the serpent and the rainbow, but he is no serpent. Caring and attentive he's the messenger that carries communications back and forth between our plane of existence and olorun, or heaven. When people need some assistance getting their messages to any Orisa, Baba Oshumare will be there to help facilitate a dialogue. However, more often than not these days, people are ready to send a message but all too often have deaf ears to hear the response. These days, business is pretty slow for Baba Oshumare. The number of people who are ready to listen as well as they are ready to talk dwindles almost on an hourly basis.
These days, more people see the rainbow in the sky and the last thing they think of is an Orisa let alone Oshumare, and the children of Ifa are no exception. If it is not one of the most popular Orisas such as the Babas Ogun, Sango, Obatala, Orunmila, or Esu or one of the Iyas Yemonja, Oya, or Osun then most people don't know much of anybody else. Oshumare is part of that obscure majority of Orisa. And if people think they do know him it is as an example of some spiritual sexual perversion.
Baba Oshumare is the Orisa recognized as a manifestation of the rainbow. It's not to be interpreted as a judgment of his masculinity, at least not in our basic human terms. Orisas aren't so limited and we really should learn not to transfer our ideas and experiences to them. Baba Oshumare is as prime an example as any Orisa for how we as humans misinterpret nature's manifestations into the most incorrect terms. And some of us wonder why we're out of touch with our spirituality. We experience the rainbow and yet we still do not see.
Old Fart Religion
"Peace, Peace, Peace… I guess it's ok when we speak of things we don't know or understand. Peace is one of those vague thoughts that sound great until we try to define it. Then wow, we have war. Well all of you new age gurus managed to obtain that fuzzy feeling of peace again (smug and somewhat tantalizing to the intellect, but void of any reality). What is interesting in this article is how far off base the writer really is. The Christian God is not as you inaccurately promote, mans attempt to fantasize a religion that strokes his incredible ego, it is God humbling Himself to rescue men who could not make it on their own. This Christian religion in reality doesn't bode well for mans ego. Wow! This may not register with squishy, feely, check out your brain at the counter folks. The same ones who speak of peace and then slam a religion their intelect is truly incapable of understanding. Even the basics." – Randy Koch
Thanks for the feedback Randy Koch,
And of course you know everything about your religion. Your god is so simple and that's why you've got him figured out so easily. If I'm a new age guru then you must be one of those old fart gurus. And it's not the principles of Christianity that makes it inappropriate but the way the majority of Christians put their beliefs to practice. Talk about people checking their brains at the counter. The Christian bible teaches that Jesus threw the money changers out of the church. And yet, mega churches are popping up everywhere telling people god wants them to be rich and bless everyone with material wealth and riches beyond our wildest dreams. All you have to do is give up the minimum ten percent of your gross income and give god his cut by cutting a check to the mega church. But of course, old fart gurus like your self see nothing wrong with this practice.
Old fart gurus say things like Christianity "is God humbling Himself to rescue men who cannot make it on their own." Now that's a real "don't make sense" thought if I ever heard one. Why is god humbling himself to rescue men? To get man's approval? If that's the case, why isn't god doing more to save all men? Why is the Supreme Being, creator of the universe, wasting his time and energy humbling his self trying to save men he made too weak in the first place? And this is the major flaw of people who practice Christianity. All too often the Christian concepts that people speak of only lead to more questions and it's only a matter of time before it all boils down to "you just got to have faith". If that's your idea of understanding then you can keep it.
I'm not pretending to understand the Supreme Being. I wouldn't be so egotistical to think that I can understand why he does what he does or why he doesn't do what I think he should do. But the way some Christians tell the story you would think that they've studied god in a lab somewhere and did their thesis on the subject. Their only real "proof" is what's written in the bible by somebody thousands of years ago who thought that the Earth was flat and the center of the universe. That was old fart thinking. Who knew it would endure for so long? God wants to save man? Why doesn't he do it the easy way and just snap his fingers and make it so? Better yet, why did god make man so weak in the first place? Why doesn't he just come out with a better model that is more resistant to our current plague of weaknesses?
By the way, Peacemaker is my name. That's why I end my comments with "Peace". Sort of like you putting your name at the end of a letter as Randy even though your name might be Randolph. Peace can mean more than just the absence of war. Expand your thought processes for a moment and you might be able to see things from a different perspective once in a while.
And while it is true that I mostly enjoy the double meaning of "Peace" at the end of a comment, some times it is just my name. As egotistical as you are, I could not care less about you achieving some sense of peace. Honestly, I wouldn't mind if you spent every waking moment of your life in turmoil. That way, when you do obtain some sense of peace, you might really appreciate it.


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Crowne Plaza GENEVA4
Avenue Louis Casai 75-77, Geneva, 1216
Avenue Louis Casai 75-77, Geneva, 1216
The Crowne Plaza Geneva, with 366 rooms, welcomes you in an inspiring renovated hotel. All guestrooms have an exclusive design with enhanced comfort. A Club rooms floor and a Club lounge are located on the top floor with large guest rooms, offering a relaxing atmosphere with great panoramic views.
Discover a new dimension with the modern remodeled lobby and the contemporaneous bar. Experience the trendy Seventy5 restaurant offering refined cuisine with international and local specialties. The hotel is ideally located in a dynamic business district of Geneva and offers a free hotel shuttle bus from the airport as well as a free Public Transport card to the city center. In only a few minutes you reach the International Airport, the railway station and the Palexpo Exhibition Centre. Taxis and public transports in front of the hotel will allow you to reach the city center and the main touristic highlights in only 10 minutes. Geneva's largest shopping center is within walking distance from the hotel. The hotel features a garden, two restaurants with shaded terraces, a bar and a Business Center with free Internet access. For the wellbeing of our guests, the hotel also proposes a hairdresser, a Fitness Center and a parking. With a banquet and conference center of 18 modular rooms and a total capacity of 1200 people, the Crowne Plaza offers one of the largest event areas in Geneva and is the right place to meet
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