text:
Get support, access resources, and explore products and services at centurylink.com.
CenturyLink Cloud is entrusted with hosting many sensitive, business-critical systems for clients that include some of the world's largest corporations. This guide describes how CenturyLink Cloud manages security for its clients. It starts by reviewing CenturyLink's "Shared Responsibility Model" for security. The guide then outlines CenturyLink Cloud security features, processes and best practices used to secure the cloud platform and its data and explains the role of customer and provider for managed services. It goes into detail on change and incident management, data and storage segregation, cage protection, personnel policies, access controls, network security, replication, and disaster recovery.
CenturyLink is entrusted with managing the information assets of some of the world's largest corporations. This is not a responsibility we take lightly. Our commitment to security for our clients' data and systems is central to almost everything we do in our business. This guide outlines how we approach securing client information assets hosted in a multitenant environment. While not exhaustive, this guide was created to answer the most frequent high-level questions that our clients have about CenturyLink's security policies and procedures for its public cloud.
CenturyLink operates on a "Shared Responsibility Model" that delineates CenturyLink's obligation to secure physical and virtual environments and the customers' obligation to secure their applications and unique instances with tools that we and our
partners provide. The client's security roles and responsibilities will vary based on service type. For instance, CenturyLink's responsibilities will be different in a Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) scenario versus Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS).
Overall, CenturyLink takes a "defense in depth" approach to
securing customer environments, securing physical equipment,
cloud resources, and customer data. In addition, an extensive
permissions system, that extends to the group and individual
VM levels, ensures only authorized users can access and alter
systems. We've worked with leading IT auditing firms to ensure
our systems are ready to support most global organizations:
CenturyLink operates on a "Shared Responsibility" model for security. The shared responsibility model delineates CenturyLink's obligation to secure the underlying infrastructure as well as the customers' obligation to secure their own virtual servers, applications, and systems with tools that we and our partners provide. We commit to security roles and responsibilities that are within our ability to manage, while the client commits to security areas that are within the client's control.
Figure 1 shows a simplified diagram of security responsibility sharing between CenturyLink and the client. At a high level, CenturyLink is responsible for security of the infrastructure, including the data center and network, and basic services of compute, storage, and network. The client is responsible for what it controls, such as the application software and data. The level of responsibility depends to some degree on the type of service in use.
Figure 1 - Basic shared security responsibilities for CenturyLink and client
Security responsibilities are different for clients who use CenturyLink Cloud's Managed Services. CenturyLink is providing the managed operating systems or application, so we take on a greater role in securing the managed service. Specific security parameters vary depending on the service offering.
Table 1 – CenturyLink's responsibilities: Paas vs Iaas
Table 1 shows - CenturyLink's security responsibilities are more extensive when the client uses the CenturyLink Cloud for Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) versus Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS). With IaaS, the client is undertaking a greater scope of IT activity on top of the cloud platform, so in that case the client has a greater share of security responsibility. With on-premise environments, the client assumes all responsibility.
In a PaaS scenario, the customer and the provider have a more balanced share in the areas of responsibility related to securing the customer's critical information. The provider is responsible for things like the underlying operating system of that platform, its availability, and the software versions as well as configuring all that software sufficiently and securely. The customer is responsible for the applications they write, how the applications interact with data, and secure coding principles.
The client is also responsible for authentication and authorization of users.
For the customers hosted in a multi-tenant environment operating on an IaaS basis, CenturyLink focuses on the security of the infrastructure and underlying platform. Our goal is to enable the customer to secure critical data and remain compliant with various regulatory regimens, such as those that cover personally identifying information (PII). The customer is responsible for overall security controls around their data, managing access, securing virtual machines (VMs), and the operating systems on those VMs - including patching and configuring it securely. The customer is responsible for securing their data, encryption-at-rest where needed. To that end, we have partners who specialize in encryption-at-rest solutions, such our ecosystem partner Vormetric.
CenturyLink Cloud secures its platform through multiple sets
of tasks and work streams. These include Secure Architecture,
Change and Incident Management, Data Segregation, Physical
Protection, and Personnel Practices. Each work area is distinct, but
they overlap and form a defense-in-depth approach to security.
Secure Architecture
CenturyLink Cloud employs a thorough Secure Architecture Review process based on the SOC 2 Type 2 Audit Standard. SOC 2 Type 2 is designed to report on controls that are relevant to security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, or privacy. Based on the AICPA Guide, the SOC 2 Type 2 audit covers oversight of the organization, vendor management, internal corporate governance and risk management processes, and regulatory oversight - if applicable. We focus specifically on the areas of security and availability.
For CenturyLink, the core of our security model comes from the concept of isolation. A new CenturyLink Cloud customer is set up in an isolated environment on our platform.
By default, the new customer is in a secured, isolated Cloud environment with a "nothing open to the world" perspective. We ensure isolation in our multi-tenant environment by adhering to six internal principles:
CenturyLink uses work-based controls to isolate one customer from another as well as from the public network. We also take advantage of the capabilities of our virtualization platform to enforce isolation between customer environments at the hypervisor and storage layers. Other relevant isolation controls include:
CenturyLink has established change and incident management processes. The goals are to ensure that all changes to the production infrastructure are properly planned, tested, and approved. Change management processes are audited. Our incident management program is designed around a quick response to customer tickets and incidents, regular communication about status of incidents on our platform, and quick resolution to incidents.
Change Management
Our Change Management Process is designed to provide an orderly method in which changes to the IT environment are requested and approved prior to installation or implementation. This covers any and all changes to the hardware, software or applications. This process also includes modifications, additions or changes to the LAN/WAN, network or server hardware and software, and any other environmental shutdowns (electrical).
The process is put into action for any change that might affect one or all of the environments CenturyLink Cloud relies on to conduct normal business operations. The purpose is to ensure that all elements are in place, all parties are notified in advance, and the schedule for implementation is coordinated with all other activities within the organization.It also includes any events that may alter the normal operating procedures. All changes require a technically qualified engineer other than the person implementing the change review and approve the change. Changes are recorded and tracked in a master change management calendar, and all changes that may impact customers are required to meet the notification timelines published in the SLA on our public website.
Incident Management
CenturyLink's Incident Management program is designed around three principals: Quick response, frequent communications, and swift resolution. Our Ticket Prioritization Matrix explains the process in detail.
Given that incidents tend to vary, there is some flexibility built into the response though the CenturyLink Cloud team adheres to the following general steps when handling a security incident:
How data is segregated in a shared environment?
CenturyLink enforces data segregation in its environment using the VMWare hypervisor. We allocate customers' data on VMWare's Virtual Machine File System (VMFS), in virtual disk files (VMDK) files. VMWare enforces permission on the VMDK files so that the only file visible to the virtual machine is one to which the customer has directed the VMWare software to grant permission. CenturyLink's automation enforces a policy wherein when a customer creates a new virtual machine, that virtual machine creates its own dedicated disks. They are not shared. The CenturyLink Cloud Control Portal does not have any ability to share or create a shared file between multiple VMs. We can have thousands of customers, each with VMs, on a shared data store. Each machine will only see the disk files that have been assigned to it, and the disk files can be seen by no other machine on the platform. While this also means that customers cannot grant shared access from different VMs to the same SAN, we believe this security model is in the best interest of our customers long term.
CenturyLink's Cloud nodes are hosted in 13 data centers around the world. All of our data centers are governed by security standards for the protection of our cloud environment within those data centers. Those security standards include an isolated and protected cage that is dedicated to the CenturyLink Cloud equipment and is secured separate from the other customers in that given data center or facility. For instance, a CenturyLink Colocation customer cannot gain physical access to the CenturyLink Cloud's cages. CenturyLink data center have security cameras, and 24/7 alarms at the physical data center layer. We maintain tight control over our lists of authorized users, who can access facilities, and who can authorize work in, or authorize vendors into our cage.
CenturyLink includes personnel policies and practices into its overall security program. The company emphasizes the reliability of the personnel we hire and who have access to the platform. We have rigorous screening and interview processes that make sure that we only hire highly qualified and trained candidates who are experts in the technical area for which they're being hired. The hiring process includes industry standard background checks, looking for any issues that contradict our standards for employee conduct. These include criminal background checks.
Our onboarding process includes training in all of our security
policies and procedures as well as training in our Change and
Incident Management procedures.
Our onboarding also includes supervised training and knowledge transfer prior to individuals being given access to production systems. Ongoing training follows at regular intervals, including refresher courses on our security policies and procedures. They receive training on updates or changes, policies and procedures and ongoing technical training as the technology that we use changes over time. Policies are vigorously enforced through Human Resources.
CenturyLink Cloud's network security starts with our commercial-grade, clustered, highly available firewall. With this, we can do stateful packet inspection. We have implemented intrusion prevention screens to block well-known web-based attacks. With our "isolated by default" model, each customer account is given their own VLAN. That VLAN by default has no connectivity to
anything other than through a standard VPN server, a default VPN
server that is provisioned for each account. This is the only way a customer can access its virtual machines by default.
We provide load balancing, either on a shared load balancer service or through a dedicated load balancer appliance if the customer needs more sophisticated configurations. Customers have the ability to open and assign public IPs to their virtual machines and specify open ports as needed for their business and use of the platform. VMs are isolated on the network. For instance, when a customer creates virtual machines in four different data centers, by default they are all isolated from each other. They can't communicate with each other. The customer has the ability to create firewall rules that will allow those different VLANs to communicate with each other, if they choose. The customer can create powerful network isolation architectures that can include a DMZ if one is required.
Our recommended practice is that the client should never assign a public IP address or open a port unless they have a specific need to do so. They should never expose SSH or RDP protocols to the public network because these are common attack vectors. We allow them to do it, but we strongly recommend they do not take this course of action. If there is business reason that they need to have SSH or RDP exposed to the public network, then they should use our source IP limitation feature, which will restrict traffic to those ports from specifically authorized external IP addresses.
The CenturyLink Cloud platform is built for performance, reliability, and security. Our IaaS platform offers on-demand provisioning of high-performing virtual machines with any combination of operating system, storage, and memory. VMs can be extensively customized for myriad workloads and security/compliance requirements. Virtual servers rely on fully redundant enterprise-class hardware connected through private high-speed virtual LANs. The customer is able to deploy to data centers around the globe. Each security-audited data center contains "Nodes" that are engineered to include fully redundant enterprise-class hardware from front-end firewalls to storage.
CenturyLink's Data Center Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) attack prevention feature screens incoming and outgoing traffic for potential
attacks. This protection is available data center-wide, and is enabled by default for all cloud customer instances. The IPS feature is a standard feature of our edge firewall product. The CenturyLink Cloud platform uses "screens" to look for specific and common attack traffic.
If a specific attack or event is detected, CenturyLink offers numerous, flexible remediation activities. They vary depending on the source, target, number of customers affected and type of exploit. CenturyLink Cloud resources will work closely with our customers to take appropriate steps to resolve these events in a timely manner. This includes, but is not limited to, isolating a specific Virtual Machine to blocking IP addresses of attack sources.
CenturyLink Cloud provides sophisticated Identity and Access Management features. These include granular Role-Based Security settings. Role-based access control (RBAC) is designed to make it possible for certain common customer roles, such as Account Administrator or DNS Manager, to have access to preset admin functions.
For example, a Billing Manager will only see billing information, not configuration settings for VMs. See our Role Permissions Matrix.
The CenturyLink Cloud Control Portal can be configured to do single-sign-on against the customer's existing identity infrastructure using Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) 2.0. SAML lets the customer leverage their existing identity management processes and tools and mechanisms. This allows the customer to implement whatever multi-factor authentication or enhanced authentication schemes that they need to control access to the Control Portal. For example, the CenturyLink portal can authenticate against Microsoft Active Directory Federation Services (ADFS), Oracle Identity Manager, Microsoft Forefront Identity Manager, and so forth. The Control Portal is used to manage the customer's Cloud environment, create/modify/delete machines, change the firewall, connectivity, and so forth.
CenturyLink has a disaster recovery program known as Safehaven from Data Gardens. Safehaven for CenturyLink Cloud is a solution that offers protection for production workloads in a cost effective, low investment model. SafeHaven for CenturyLink Cloud protects both at the level of virtual IT infrastructure (VMs and data volumes) and at the level of active business processes. Customer benefits include:
Disaster Recovery is a complex topic area and that there are many protection strategies to achieve the desired results. We created this service offering in response to customer feedback as yet another option for our customers to protect their production IT environments.
We also recognize this solution is not a panacea for DR; rather it's a solution oriented tool that may help you service certain production workloads in a cost effective, low investment model. And for those workloads that require a different protection technique we have the depth of resources to help you realize your goals.
In addition to the security features and services provided in CenturyLink Cloud, CenturyLink offers many others that go beyond the basic platform capabilities. Some of these services require consultation and customization by CenturyLink. In other cases, CenturyLink makes it possible for the customer to install and configure specialized security software or add third party security services to their accounts.
CenturyLink gives customers the option of ordering managed
operating system and application services.
For example, the customer can have CenturyLink set up and manage Windows Server running IIS or Active Directory, RedHat Linux machines running Apache Tomcat, Cloudera, and so forth. With these managed services come certain built-in security features and various security options.
CenturyLink managed services are run on the same secure CenturyLink Cloud infrastructure that is used for all customer cloud instances. We also secure our managed Operating Systems with industry-standard (McAfee) anti-virus protection, regular virus and malware signature updates. Managed Operating Systems come with basic OS-level hardening, such as closed ports, to mitigate risk. Support is available for all critical and vendor-recommended patches, though the customer must request patching based on their specific corporate policies.
This includes keeping the system current with all patches and "hot fixes" to help prevent security compromises or operational reliability issues. CenturyLink ensures that only OS vendor-recommended patches are installed.
Managed Services are set up for uniform baseline security
using a "blueprint" that configures the OS and application with
CenturyLink's standard security policies. We employ a shared
domain controller to authorize customer administrators. With this
approach, a customer administrator cannot access any managed
services product except their own. Only CenturyLink staff can
access multiple customer managed service instances.
CenturyLink's Managed Security Service reduces the costs and complexities associated with comprehensive threat protection and Internet security by providing flexible, around-the-clock protection against known and unknown Internet threats.
Managed Security Service provides comprehensive threat protection, options for malware mitigation, Web filtering, spam filtering, access control, and VPN support. As a managed security service provider, we offer 24/7 monitoring, management, and support-including easy visibility into service information through an online self-service portal. Services include:
CenturyLink logs multiple streams of activities in its cloud datacenters. Selected logs are available to customers as needed. By default, CenturyLink does not do OS level logging. However, we do have optional services available to provide a complete logging solution based on LogLogic and Tibco based solutions.
With IaaS, the customer is responsible for data encryption. However, we offer guidance on best practices and enable customers to use many different encryption technologies and third party providers in their cloud instances, including Vormetric.
The Vormetric Data Security Platform offers an enterprise cloud security solution that can help you address compliance concerns that delay or minimize the migration of sensitive assets into private, public and hybrid clouds with its robust, comprehensive security capabilities. For instance, we recommend encrypting data at rest and encryption at the application level, not at the OS layer. This practice helps mitigate the risk of unauthorized data access by an entity that has attained access to the OS.
Anti-Virus is a customer security responsibility, though
CenturyLink is able to facilitate the use of many third party antivirus
tools. Nessus vulnerability scanning is also available.
CenturyLink's Email Defense safeguards the customer's business from unsolicited spam e-mail, viruses, worms before they can enter the network. This is a gateway-based managed security service that filters and cleans e-mail from the Internet before it reaches the customer's network. The service can also block inappropriate content coming in and going out, and prevent e-mail malware from infiltrating the network.
CenturyLink's network security assessment services can help protect the customer's business against all these threats. Table 2 summarizes the Security Service offerings. Our security experts will analyze and assess data vulnerabilities and then design and implement a portfolio of solutions to help build you a better data security system.
Secure IP Gateway, offered through CenturyLink IQ Networking Enhanced Port, diverts Internet traffic designed to meet customer-defined security policies. This is one of the most secure methods for connecting your on-premises infrastructure to our cloud, hosting and colocation services.
Secure IP Gateway provides a convenient and cost-effective solution that eliminates the need to maintain separate network ports and premises-based firewall services. Features include:
Table 2 – CenturyLink Security Services
Web Defense, powered by McAfee, is an easy-to-use business Internet security solution. By routing client web traffic through CenturyLink Web proxy server, the web security solution enables the client to conduct business on the Internet more safely and cost-effectively. Web Defense effectively blocks quickly evolving Web threats, including spyware, viruses, and phishing attacks. It also helps prevent access to inappropriate sites. Web Defense adds several necessary layers of protection by enabling administrators to enforce policies that prevent users from accessing popular Web mail sites and fraudulent phishing sites.
CenturyLink Web Security service features protection of the
customer network, including remote users.
It provides continuous updates to protect against the latest threats and reliable, around-the-clock service and support. The service includes a wide variety of threat activity and Internet usage reports. Benefits include:
CenturyLink Cloud is entrusted with hosting many sensitive, business-critical systems for clients that include some of the world's largest corporations. This guide describes how CenturyLink Cloud manages security for its clients. It starts by reviewing CenturyLink's "Shared Responsibility Model" for security.
The guide outlined the CenturyLink Cloud security features, processes and best practices used to secure the cloud platform and its data and explains the role of customer and provider for managed services.
It went into detail on change and incident management, data and storage segregation, cage protection, personnel policies, access controls, network security, compliance and audit frameworks, replication, and disaster recovery. Please note that this guide did not go into specifics about CenturyLink Cloud's compliance programs. A subsequent guide will go into depth on this topic and will be available later this year (2015).
CenturyLink Cloud is the complete platform to easily manage your entire business application portfolio, from application development to business-critical workloads across public and private cloud infrastructure. CenturyLink Cloud offers high-performance, scalable, self-service virtual machines across our global network of data centers. Built-in automation, orchestration, and management tools provide a flexible, scalable, cost effective IT-ready and developer-friendly platform.
CenturyLink Business delivers innovative managed services for global businesses on virtual, dedicated and colocation platforms. It is a global leader in cloud infrastructure and hosted IT solutions for enterprise customers. Parent company CenturyLink, Inc. is the third largest telecommunications company in the United States, and empowers CenturyLink Business with its high-quality advanced fiber optic network. Headquartered in Monroe, LA, CenturyLink is an S&P 500 company and is included among the Fortune 500 list of America's largest corporations.


text:
Dog Tags
Tried and true, dog tag medical ID necklaces are a classic style that endures. Enjoy this military-inspired look and ample space for your custom engravings. Dog tags come in a variety of styles in stainless steel, titanium, sterling silver, and gold.
There are no products matching the selection.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Create an Account - Increase your productivity, customize your experience, and engage in information you care about.
View All Calendars is the default. Choose Select a Calendar to view a specific calendar. Subscribe to calendar notifications by clicking on the Notify Me® button, and you will automatically be alerted about the latest events in our community.
July 5, 2018, 9:00 AM - 9:30 AM @ Frog Pond
This is a high impact, high resistance water exercise class for adults who are looking for a tougher water workout. Participants will use the force of the river for all around cardio and strength conditioning.
July 5, 2018, 9:30 AM - 10:00 AM @ Frog Pond
Various movements going with and against the current of the Lazy River will offer a cardio challenge to increase stamina while toning large muscle groups. Water equipment may be utilized in some segments.
July 5, 2018, 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM @ Margaret Young Natatorium
This class will improve core strength, balance and flexibility. Relieve stress while stretching and toning. Class is done in standing chest deep water and based on principles of Pilates, yoga and cardio.


text:
My Assistant
Custom Search
Powerbi & Access, Access 2016
Dec 8 2017, 01:44 AM
Posts: 148
Joined: 8-August 17
From: Australia
Hi Everyone,
Just wanted to know if someone can point me in the right direction with turtorials resources of integrating MS Access with PowerBI?
Looking to create reports and a dashboard?
Dec 8 2017, 02:35 AM
Posts: 3,846
Joined: 27-February 09
There's not really anything to it.
You connect to Access from PowerBI, then import whatever you want into PowerBI. You can grab data from queries and/or tables, and filter those down (both rows and columns) in PoweBI.
Look around on www.powerbi.com and see what you find there. There are tutorials all about it. Also there are tutorials on YouTube as well.
Dec 8 2017, 08:48 AM
UA Admin
Posts: 37,627
Joined: 20-June 02
From: Newcastle, WA
Power BI can consume data from a large variety of sources.
PowerBIDataSources.png ( 29.78K )Number of downloads: 11
So, you can easily integrate your data from Access.
You can publish your Power BI visuals to your Power BI server and use the link to the URL in your Access forms to launch and display them.
Up until recently, you could display the PBI visuals in a browser control in an Access form, but the November update to PowerBI broke that capability. Their response to my inquiries was, basically, tell Access to fix their Web Browser Control. I was very disappointed.
Nonetheless, the combination is a very powerful one, IMO.
Dec 8 2017, 11:16 AM
Posts: 202
Joined: 9-September 11
GPG thanks very much for this information. I've been trying to sort out Access / Power BI integration and this helps clear the fog.
Can I post my own question here. I've been tasked with, and I don't think this is possible...integrating PBI *into* Access. Meaning, we have an Access frontend/SQL server backend, and we want to be able to launch PBI *from Access*, and I suppose link to SQL Server tables (but connections must not be exposed). I think this is not doable, correct ? And the client will never go for any cloud-based solution...
I'm starting to conclude the closest we could come is to launch Excel, with a pre-defined Power Query template to ETL the SQL server data in a form the user can understand, and use Excel reporting tools.
If anyone has any clues I'd be grateful. Thanks.
Dec 8 2017, 11:49 AM
UA Admin
Posts: 37,627
Joined: 20-June 02
From: Newcastle, WA
Well, you can open any PBI file from within Access. In turn, that PowerBI file can display the charts and graphs you want to display. or you can use a line like this to display the visuals in your browser:
Application.FollowHyperlink "https://app.powerbi.com/view?r=YourCustomPowerBIIDStringGoesHere"
Dec 8 2017, 11:06 PM
Posts: 148
Joined: 8-August 17
From: Australia
Thanks for the suggestion everyone.
I'll start looking inot this further.
Dec 9 2017, 07:03 AM
Posts: 3,846
Joined: 27-February 09
You don't need Access for this at all. You can call stored procedures directly from PowerBI Desktop. You could just put all the objects users need to do their analysis in a single schema in SQL Server, grant users execute rights to them, and then you'd be all set.
Dec 9 2017, 07:13 AM
Posts: 3,846
Joined: 27-February 09
If you're brand new to PowerBI/DAX/PowerPivot, look up chandoo's stuff on YouTube, so you can get your head around some of the stuff in PowerBI. The hardest part is learning DAX - for that, buy Rob Collie & Avi Singh's book - it's on powerpivotpro.com. As for "connecting Access and PowerBI Desktop", well, there isn't much there, because PowerBI Desktop is pretty much the Analysis Services engine with a bunch of connectors, and then the visuals. PBID can use almost anything as a source, including Access... but it works best with star schemas. (That's what it "inherits" from coming from SSAS).
If you read Rob & Avi's book, they walk you through getting data, creating relationships, building measures using DAX, etc. And you can download all the files they use from Rob's website.
Dec 9 2017, 09:05 AM
UA Admin
Posts: 37,627
Joined: 20-June 02
From: Newcastle, WA
The question was, as I recall, can you integrate PBI with Access, not can you bypass Access and go straight to PBI.
The point is, I would imagine, whether someone using Access as their database for an application--both data store and interface--can take advantage of the superior visual presentations possible with PBI.
That said, of course, PBI certainly has a lot of, well, power, beyond that starting point.
Jan 26 2018, 07:24 PM
Posts: 1,195
Joined: 11-August 03
From: Denver - CO
Hi George,
Do you know if there is any movement on the "PBI visuals in a browser control within an Access form", that broke with the November PBI update? It would be nice to utilize the web browser control with PBI. You also later in this post mention that you can open any PBI file from within Access, but if it is not with the web browser control, how do you do it?
Jan 27 2018, 10:02 AM
UA Admin
Posts: 37,627
Joined: 20-June 02
From: Newcastle, WA
Sorry, somehow I didn't get a notice of a reply.
I just use a hyperlink to open the PBI visual in a new browser window. Nothing fancy.
I have a sense that the PowerBI people could care less about breaking the web browser control in Access. I have given up any hope of getting progress on this.
On the other hand, the annual MS MVP Summit is coming up in March and I'll be face-to-face with the people involved, so maybe it'll be harder to ignore me.
Jan 27 2018, 06:15 PM
Posts: 1,195
Joined: 11-August 03
From: Denver - CO
Go get 'em George. Have to keep Access relevant.
Sep 5 2018, 03:25 PM
Posts: 3,846
Joined: 27-February 09
I know this is sort of a dead question, but anyway...
It looks like Access is out of the picture in terms of PowerBI. Sure you can get data from Access, but PowerBI is moving toward integration into Reporting Services. About the only way I can think of "linking" Access and PowerBI is to use hyperlinks to a specific report on your report server.
Custom Search
|Search Top Lo-Fi
|5th August 2020 - 11:40 AM


text:
Why Do McCain's People Need to Hate On Arugula?
When the Obama campaign attacked John McCain for owning seven houses, McCain's people returned fire, calling Obama "an arugula-eating, pointy-headed professor type." We've now moved from the "What's the matter with Kansas?" to the "What's the matter with arugula?" phase of the presidential campaign.
If McCain had asked his wife, Cindy, or his blogger daughter, Meghan, I'm sure they would have explained the many benefits of eating arugula. As Christopher Beam wrote on Slate, arugula is "tasty, healthy, popular, American, and an aphrodisiac."
It is said to be used extensively in Republican-leaning country club dining rooms all over this great country of ours, and even more important, it is readily available year-round in every area of the country the McCains own a home in.
All products linked here have been independently selected by our editors. We may earn a commission on purchases, as described in our affiliate policy.


text:
The division of the kingdom into several Dzongs or districts was prevalent from the early years of the Namgyal dynasty. The country was divided into Dzongs for the administrative convenience of the ruler. The territory of the kingdom in the initial years of the Tibetan Rule was a large one. Therefore, for the administration of the Tibetan Dominion of Sikkim, the kingdom was divided into several districts and the Lepcha Dzongpens or the Governors were given the charge of their respective areas. But, the kingdom had lost its territories to the
Nepal, Bhutan, to the East India Company and to . Therefore, by now the total area of Tibet Sikkim was not more than the area of present . Even in such a small area, the Dzongpens or the Governors were still enjoying their privileges which they had inherited from their forefathers. As time rolled on, the same Lepcha Dzongpens became the Kazis. (The term Kazi might have been borrowed from neighbouring Indian Muslim state or from Sikkim ). Their matrimonial relations with the Tibetan nobility made them to hide their origin as the Tibetans considered the Lepchas as the low-born people. With the arrival of the British, these Kazis, because of their money and power which they imitated from the British, became more rigid and rude towards their own people. The Kazis before their contacts with the British were not cunning enough as they lived in a kingdom which was secluded and unknown to the outside world. Nepal
Regarding the privileges and positions of the Kazis and Thikadars, a pamphlet 'A Few Facts About Sikkim', published by Tashi Tshering in 1947, a pioneer of democratic movement in Sikkim comments thus:-
"The Kazis, who are the landlords, claim to belong to the old nobility and compare themselves with the barons of the feudal system. By long usage they have accustomed to oppress the people and to expect the utmost subservience from them. They form the exclusive and influential coterie around the ruling family and are able to impose their will on all and sundry. The rest of the land lords called 'Thikadars', are content to play second fiddle to the Kazis and thus share in the loaves and fishes of office and other privileges. Bound by a common policy to oppress the ryots, the 'Thikadars' especially the more influential among them, have proved as bad as any of the Kazis. Landlordism as obtaining in Sikkim has proved the curse of the ryots. It has enabled the landlords through coercion and intimidation, to acquire for themselves the best holdings of the ryots. The landlords pay no taxes, which consequently fall with greater severity upon the ryots. On the other hand, the landlords receive large unearned commission from the state as reward for carrying on a thoroughly corrupt system of government".
Regarding the power and functions enjoyed by the Kazis, the pamphlet further states as under:-
"The landlords are vested with magisterial powers in both civil and criminal matters. They are also empowered to register documents for the sale or transferred of landed properties. There are no effective checks on these powers and the landlords are free to abuse them for their own gains. The more fine a landlord can impose, the larger his share of spoils, for he receives one half of the collection as his fees and the other halves goes to the state. When as has happened many times, a landlord 'forgets' to enter a fine in his books, nobody is wiser, and he appropriates the whole amount to himself. A grabbing landlord has no difficulties in disposing an uncompromising ryot of his cherished possession, be it a paddy field or a herd of cattle. The slightest delay in the payment of taxes, a matter of common occurrence, enables a landlord to seize the very property of he has set his eyes upon, to the exclusion of any other, and thus transfer is affected speedily and very profitably to the land lord. Numerous ryots have thus been reduced to penury and practical slavery. Landlords are invested with different classes of legal powers with due regard to their merits and qualifications. But, most of the landlords live away from their estates and their powers are exercised by ignorant and rapacious underlings who have no scruples about filling their own pockets besides extracting as much as they can for their masters"
(About the Picture:- This is a studio picture of an unknown Kazi of Sikkim probably taken in the 80's of the 19th century. Picture Source http://oldindianphotos.blogspot.com)


text:
When the Soviets invaded Latvia during the Second World War, they deported and/or murdered thousands of people from all walks of life.
One of these people was Alma Kalniņa. Her grave marker is in the town cemetery of Jēkabpils. She was 34 years old. She is buried alongside five others who were also murdered by the Soviets on June 27, 1941 – Jānis Strautiņš, Mārtiņš Rugājs, Mārtiņš Kazerovskis, Jānis Kudrašs and Valdemārs Arkliņš.
I have chosen Alma's grave marker because she is the one that my family has a connection to. She was the secretary for my great-grandfather Augusts Lūkins, a local judge. Family stories tell me that she had been shot and tied up with barbed wire. Her body was found in a swamp.
This was not my family's only experience of Soviet brutality. One of my great-grandfathers, Arvīds Francis, was also murdered by the Soviets. I will tell his story in a later edition of "Bringing Out the Great-Grandfathers". Many other family members also disappeared, and are probably buried in unmarked graves somewhere in Russia.
To me, this grave marker represents more than one woman, but all of the lost family members of mine who have no grave markers of their own.


text:
Tini Bigs Lounge, Seattle
You're on the road, again, and you're sick of sitting at the hotel bar, again, so you can smoke a cigar. But you're not all that enthusiastic about getting dressed up to visit some fancy smokery where you feel underdressed without a tie. Lucky for you, you're in Seattle, home of Tini Bigs Lounge.
The lounge is located in Seattle's Lower Queen Anne area, on the border of the more commercial Belltown section, where a wide variety of culinary and fumatory experiences can be had. The difference between Tini Bigs and the chic bistros of Belltown is that at Tini's, you feel like you're in a real neighborhood--and a real neighborhood bar--not unlike the older parts of Chicago's north side.
Not that Tini's is a beer-and-pretzels joint. Pronounced "teeny," as in Martini, the bar has won the Seattle Sidewalk.com Martini competition two years in a row with such specialties as the "Smore," a Godiva, Stoli Vanilla and White Cacao concoction with crushed graham cracker on the rim of the glass and a marshmallow garnish.
"A lot of Martinis and single-malt Scotches," summarizes owner Keith Robbins with the kind of grin you'd expect from a man who's just returned from a single-malt pilgrimage to Scotland. On any given night, the drink menu lists 60 to 70 Scotches alphabetically, from Aberlour to Talisker to whatever exotic goodies Robbins has been able to wrangle from his distributor.
With that selection, you should have no trouble finding a match for your cigar, whether you brought you own or purchased one from Tini's humidor. The limited selection changes frequently, but when I was there a Montecristo Le Cigare des Arts Belicoso Larga was selling for $24.50 and a Bolivar Belicoso for $13. More and more, Robbins said, his customers are bringing their own cigars, so he doesn't plan on expanding the humidor.
When Robbins opened the lounge in 1997, it immediately caught on with the cigar crowd, even though the place wasn't advertised as a cigar bar, per se.
"The grapevine moves pretty quickly in cigar circles," Robbins explained over the blaring music and hum of conversation on a recent Friday night. The weekends tend to be extremely crowded, he said, because of the influx of young suburbanites.
Sunday through Thursday, Tini Bigs is more of a happy-hour decompression center for Seattle's high-tech workforce; it also draws a late-night crowd of restaurant workers winding down after their shifts. To assist in these efforts, Tini Bigs offers contemporary decor--black leather booths, black melamine walls and Art Deco mirrors of different shapes.
The food is inexpensive, attractive and designed to be shared. Starters include a Szechuan chili-marinated, grilled jumbo prawn cocktail as well as a baked artichoke heart and roasted garlic spread served with grilled Italian bread. A selection of pizzas is also available.
But perhaps what most distinguishes Tini Bigs from its peers on the Seattle nightlife scene is something it doesn't serve: espresso!
Tini Bigs
100 Denny Way (corner of First and Denny)
Seattle, Washington
(206) 284-0931
Hours: daily, 4 p.m. till 2 a.m.
No cover charge.


text:
Joe McCluskey wrote:Like many others in this thread, I have been pretty underwhelmed by this new season. I recently made a brief video talking about David Lynch's self-indulgence in THE RETURN, particularly when it comes to the character of Gordon Cole. Here's a link to the video if you have any interest: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVy51xrDzpk
I couldn't disagree more with you about Lynch or The Return.
Still, you're video at the end was very cool! I know we're not supposed to take it seriously, but it actually was well done.


text:
July 5, 6 & 7 - Attend a full three day Retriever training and handling seminar with two of the best retriever trainers in the country Pat Burns and Wayne Curtis. Together they have over 55 years of Retriever Training experience. Combined they have trained thousands of dogs, with hundreds of Field Champions and Amateur Field Champion titles to their credit. They have handled numerous National Champion finalists over the years with Wayne winning the National Championship in 1998. They have had significant roles in the training of the past three National Amateur Champions (2010, 2011 & 2012) as well as previous years NAFCs and National Amateur finalists.
The event will take place on the same grounds used for the 2013 National Amateur. Lunch will be provided each day and there will be a Saturday night dinner providing plenty of opportunities to socialize with the other attendees as well as Wayne and Pat.
OBSERVER Spots still avalable: $150
Contact Lance Hughey (608) 386-9762 or [email protected] with any questions.


text:
We could never have imagined the kind of success that Dental Marketing Labs was able to bring to our practice. This is one of the smartest investments we have made for our business. Thank you. - Read More
Contact us and let us show you how our professional services can get more patients in your chairs, increase your profit, and help you understand your ROI.
What is the best time we can reach you?


text:
About this blog
FLEFF Intern Voices
The Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival from the interns' point of view
Monday, April 1, 2013
Blog post by Chloe Wilson, Television-Radio '14, FLEFF Blogger, Ashland, Massachusetts
Hey FLEFFers!
There have been tons of FLEFF events throughout the day but our first day of FLEFF is...
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
The closer we get to FLEFF, the more excited I get! It also helps that more and more events are being announced everyday. It's exciting to guess what new films and guests will be at FLEFF, and what new experiences this year's FLEFF will offer.
I already posted about the Cinemapolis FLEFF films I can't wait to see, but the FLEFF on-campus schedule was released earlier this week...


text:
I hope everyone is having the holiday season they desire! I for one have been sick with the flu and a broken heart...I won't go into details about the broken heart situation since it may come off as unnecessary whining. Still, it hurts :(
So my friends, in my last episode of sharing I left off with the details of my religion. As stated previously, I began exploring my creative nature and started a little painting business of my own. In addition to painting, I've always loved music and singing. In fact when I was around 8 years old I declared that I wanted to be an artist/ movie star/ musician/hippie. This was in many ways a result of a visit to San Francisco. We went there during the height of the hippie phenomenon in the 60's and my fate was sealed...I guess :) Oh wait! Come to think of it, my desire to be a famous singer was actually ignited a little earlier when watching The Wizard of Oz. Judy Garland singing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" was my earliest inspiration, I would force people to sit down and listen to me sing that song. Coincidentally, Judy Garland and I share the same birthday. Yep, Judy and I go way back :)
Back on track now. Circa 1996, I started writing songs. It's strange to want something so much when being a young girl, and then do nothing to nurture the desire. I just let it die...until 1996. Then I started writing like crazy. Amidst this creative expression there was something else lingering inside me, though I wasn't aware of it. My spiritual self wasn't being satisfied. My marriage wasn't working. Well, actually we were getting along splendidly as a sort of brother/sister couple. As a "married" couple, however, we really needed help. So I left. The whole thing. The religion, the marriage, all my friends...goodbye.
I had been renting a workspace in an antique store to do my art and there was a loft upstairs. I moved in and took my daughter (10 years old at the time) with me. My son was 19 and stayed with my husband. Drastic huh? In my own defense, I did seek help while in my marriage. It just wasn't enough of the right kind of help...in my opinion. Looking back I can see how selfish I behaved. I just couldn't do any better at the time. I spent 17 years with the same man, FAITHFUL I might add. After trying my best, I couldn't try any more. That was 1997.
Next week I will tell you about my conversation with God (or someone doing a good impersonation) This took place in September 2001. It's cool, I promise! I'm hoping to post a photo of a new creation this weekend so check back :}
Peace and Love,
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Authentic Thursday week 5
Posted by femme hesse at 5:55 PM 0 comments
Labels: spirituality
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Lest you wonder...
I have not forgotten about my commitment to blog every Thursday. I've been sick and will be back here next week to pick up where I left off on my "Authentic Thursday" post. I love sharing with you!
Posted by femme hesse at 11:56 PM 1 comments
Thursday, December 16, 2010
2011 Calendar drawing
And the winner is....Alison Fairchild! Please contact me and let me know which of the paintings you want.
Thank you all who entered the drawing, and I hope you've received your calendars already. I still have some to mail out so if you haven't received yours, you will have it by next week :)
Posted by femme hesse at 2:24 PM 1 comments
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Authentic Thursday week 4
All I can say is it's a darn good thing I don't blog for a living. I can barely write one post a week, forget trying to write every day!
This week I'm going to blast through 17 years of my life (1980-1997) and hopefully by next week I can bring this "story of my life" up to the present.
As I was saying last week, I began discussing the Bible with a friend (who later became my husband) which lead to my studying the Bible with Jehovah's Witnesses (the religion he was raised in.) I spent the next 17 years as a devout JW, actively participating in all of the aspects which are associated with it, including going door to door and preaching about the Kingdom of God. It feels really strange to be writing about this topic. Having since left that religion, I have typically maintained a certain amount of privacy or anonymity when it comes to actually naming my previous religion. My beliefs now are quite different from when I was a Jehovah's Witness, though I have no regrets for having once been one.
In hindsight I can see how I desperately needed something very absolute during that part of my life. I was completely lost and the structure provided by this religion gave me something safe to believe in. It's interesting to me now when I realize how often times, when we have a profound awakening associated with religion or God, we can assume this is the ONLY way to God. This is the ONLY truth. I no longer believe this, but I understand this is how it occurs to many believers.
In my 2nd marriage I gave birth to another child and my husband also had 2 daughters from a previous marriage. Counting my son, his 2 daughters, and the daughter we had together, we raised 4 children. I can honestly say we did our best to provide a loving home to our children. At the same time we were in so many ways completely dysfunctional!
During those years I started tapping into my creativity. I did alot of sewing for my daughters, and also began painting furniture for our home. I would find old junk furniture and paint it an antique green or pink (of course!) and eventually I attempted to paint roses on them. This eventually lead me to selling my painted furniture to stores throughout the Los Angeles area. I started doing this as a business in 1994.
Ok, I think that will be it for now. Next week brings a rather drastic turn of events, so please come back :)
Much Love,
Posted by femme hesse at 9:03 PM 3 comments
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Just a little reminder to purchase your calendar before December 15th to be entered in the drawing to win a painting! For details, click on the link that says "2011 Calendar" at the top of the page
If you prefer, you can order a poster without the calendar and still be entered in the drawing...let me know and I will be happy to accommodate you !
Peace and Love,
Posted by femme hesse at 8:24 PM 3 comments
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Authentic Thursday week 3
I got swept up in the holiday and missed posting last week. Here I am back on track.
I am finding this to be a trippy and cool experience, reviewing my past in a public fashion. I still have trouble typing, it hurts my wrists. I hope to eventually get a device for voice recording and avoid typing altogether!
Last week I left off with the divorce from my first husband. There is something I didn't mention about that period of my life. Husband #1 introduced me to certain Christian beliefs. He was particularly interested in the book of Revelation and "the time of the end." I was amazed to discover people actually read the Bible. I'm sure it was my first time to pick one up. It felt so special in my hands. We visited a few churches, though never became members of any of them. We just sat around drinking mad dog 20/20 and interpreting things like the Antichrist, 666, and anything else that was particularly frightening. I remember telling my Mother that the world would be ending soon. She responded by saying, "oh I guess I shouldn't bother replacing the light bulb in the kitchen, what with the world ending and all." Gotta love that woman :)
Christianity would have to wait. I still had some partying to do. After leaving my husband, I did just that. I became a young single mother with definite alcoholic tendencies. I'm not fond of reviewing this season of my journey. I was completely selfish when it came to doing what I wanted. My desire to drink and "be loved" outweighed my maternal responsibilities. Who wants to get up in the morning and fix your child breakfast when you've got a massive hangover? Not this 19 year old Mommy.
I continued on this course for a few years until I had a conversation with a friend who would eventually become Husband #2. One night in 1980, after watching the Lakers win the championship, and throwing back some beers, we started discussing the Bible. Here we go again!
More about that next week...
Posted by femme hesse at 8:53 PM 5 comments


text:
David W. King
We speak of "charismatic gifts" because Paul, in 1 Corinthians 12, speaks of the charismata (the Greek plural of charisma, meaning "free and gracious gift") given by the Holy Spirit. These are miraculous gifts, not possessed by any person apart from the Spirit's giving them.
"Charismatic" Christians claim that they receive and use charismatic gifts. Other Christians believe that the Holy Spirit stopped giving miraculous gifts after the time of the apostles, and that modern-day "charismatics" are wrong. Obviously when Paul wrote to the Corinthians, the Spirit was giving these gifts. Is there any biblical reason to believe he stopped giving them and has not started doing so again?
Charismatic gifts passed from the life of the church after the age of the apostles. Down through the centuries, groups here and there have claimed power to prophesy and work miracles—all of them promoting false, unbiblical teachings of one sort or another. The modern Pentecostal movement began in the last century among Arminian perfectionists. Our Lord called the Holy Spirit "the Spirit of truth." Would "the Spirit of truth" now restore miraculous gifts through those who teach false doctrines?
We may not, however, just point to the doctrinal errors of Pentecostals and charismatics. We need to grasp the historical nature of God's unfolding plan of salvation and of the Bible that reveals it, in order to see the place of the true charismata and understand why they are no longer given to the church.
The Bible is historical. It records God's mighty actions and words as he revealed himself more and more fully and carried forward his work of redemption—all of it preparing for and culminating in the fullness of his revelation and saving work in Jesus Christ.
The coming of Christ from heaven fulfilled the promises and foreshadowings of all those centuries of preparation. He is the one to whom the Law and the Prophets were pointing. The Son has come in all his greatness, and he has spoken (Heb. 1:1–2). What could surpass that? All that we sinners need for our salvation we find in Christ (Col. 2:9–10).
The gift of the Holy Spirit (not gifts, but the one gift that consists of the Spirit), working and dwelling in saved people, is not something in addition to Christ. It's not that God worked for centuries in the age of shadows, then the Son came as Jesus and did his atoning work, and now the Spirit occupies the center stage in God's work. When Christ finished his work on earth and ascended into heaven to the right hand of his Father, he came to his church in the gift of his Spirit. From heaven, Christ poured out the Holy Spirit on his church (Acts 2:33). The Bible speaks of believers being "in Christ" and of Christ dwelling in us; this is by the Spirit. "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Col. 1:27) is the Spirit dwelling in you (Rom. 8:9–10), uniting you to Christ, who is in heaven. The book of Acts is the record of what Jesus has continued to do and teach from heaven by the Holy Spirit (1:1).
The point is that no separation can be made between Christ and the Spirit in the life of Christians and the church. Sometimes we are told, "You believed in Jesus to be saved; now you need to receive the Spirit." The impression is given (1) that, while being saved by believing in Jesus is necessary, the really great experiences of the Christian life come after you get the Spirit, and (2) that getting the Spirit is different from and comes later than receiving Christ in salvation. People who believe this speak of the baptism of the Spirit as a "second blessing," which moves Christians from being "just" saved to really knowing and living in the power of God. But Paul refutes this when he says, "By one Spirit we were all baptized into one body" (1 Cor. 12:13). There is no special group of Christians who have been baptized by the Spirit, while others are weak and ordinary. Everyone who is truly a Christian has been baptized by the Spirit and is indwelt, led, and empowered by the Spirit (Rom. 8:5, 9–14).
Just as the Father certified the authority of Jesus, his Son, by the miracles that he did in the power of the Spirit, so Christ certified the apostles as his personal representatives by the miracles that the Spirit enabled them to do in Christ's name (Heb. 2:4). Jesus had promised them a special ministry of the Spirit. And after Pentecost the preaching of the apostles was accompanied by miracle working, showing that in and through them Jesus was continuing his work.
In Acts, we find others than apostles doing miracles. But the pattern is that these others received this power of the Spirit through the laying on of the hands of apostles (Acts 8:13–18; 19:1–7). The church in Corinth received an abundance of these gifts of the Spirit. Later, when false teachers came to Corinth and attacked Paul to discredit his teaching, Paul defended himself. Part of his defense was to point to the spiritual gifts abounding in the Corinthian church: "I have become foolish; you yourselves compelled me. Actually I should have been commended by you, for in no respect was I inferior to the most eminent apostles, even though I am a nobody. The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with all perseverance, by signs and wonders and miracles" (2 Cor. 12:11–12).
So bound up with the apostles are the miraculous gifts of the Spirit that Paul speaks of them as "the signs of a true apostle." Their presence in the church in Corinth was God's attestation that a true spokesman for Jesus Christ had preached to them and laid hands upon them.
The role of the apostles was historically unique; they laid the church's foundation (Eph. 2:20). The Great Commission was first given to them, and they made a good start! Yet they did not finish the task, and the church still carries it on. With the completion of the Bible and the passing away of the apostles, the foundational era of the church ended, and with it the need for the signs of true apostles. The apostles did not add their words to the revelation of God in Jesus Christ. The apostles' words were the revelation of God in Christ. We know Christ only through the Gospels, the Epistles, Acts, and Revelation. There is no additional revelation from God to add to his revelation in his Son.
The Holy Spirit still works! The risen Christ still works! Christ, by the Spirit, uses his Word to convert and save lost sinners. The miraculous gifts attested the authority of the apostles to speak for Christ, but they are not signs of regeneration and saving faith. God the Spirit does not need miracles to convince people of the truth of the gospel and bring them to saving faith. After Thomas had seen and touched the wounds of our risen Savior and confessed, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus replied, "Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed" (John 20:28–29). His verbs are in the past tense, but he is speaking of us. The Spirit, by the Word, brings dead sinners to life and faith—the greatest of miracles.
The demonstration of the Spirit that we must seek and pray for consists not of the miracle-working charismata, but of the regenerating and sanctifying work of the Spirit. Repentance for sin and faith in Christ are the saving gifts of God by the Spirit. Changed lives, no longer lived under the rule of sin in rebellion against God, but now lived in the power of the Spirit in obedience to the Lord, demonstrate the saving and sanctifying presence and work of the Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:5–14). Heed the warning of our Lord in Matthew 7:21–23, and seek the sanctifying "fruit of the Spirit" (Gal. 5:22–23).
The charisma of prophecy may no longer be given. But Christ, by the Spirit, enables men to understand and teach his Word, and he uses their preaching to convert unbelievers and build and sanctify his church. The charisma of healing may no longer be given, but God still hears prayer and often answers in powerful ways that we call "miracles." God uses the "ordinary" means of grace, the Word and prayer, to do his amazing works.
The mania for the miraculous that one finds among charismatics has the effect of making God's promised means of grace look dull and uninteresting to many. There is a great danger in this. If we despise what God does use in preference for dramatic "ministries" carried on and hyped up by the will and energy of man, we will get man-made "blessings" instead of God's real work. Paul warns that when the man of lawlessness is revealed, his coming will be "in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved" (2 Thess. 2:9–10).
The author is pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church in Janesville, Wis. He quotes the NASB. New Horizons, January 2012.
|© 2020 The Orthodox Presbyterian Church
Chaplains and Military Personnel


text:
We interrupt today's regularly scheduled News to bring you NINE super-exciting guilt-free food finds that are making their debut. Check 'em out!
27 crisps: 130 calories, 3.5g fat, 160 - 200mg sodium, 21g carbs, 4g fiber, <1 - 1g sugars, 4g protein -- PointsPlus® value 3* These things sound like a fiesta in a bag! Made from all-natural ingredients like beans and grains, Kashi's latest chips come in Chili Lime and Southwest Barbecue. We know that party season is supposedly over, but we're not ready to let it go of it when there are snacks like these around. Especially considering their generous serving size: 27 crisps! Now the only question is which to try first...
One 5.3-oz. container: 100 calories, 0g fat, 65mg sodium, 14 - 15g carbs, 5g fiber, 6 - 8g sugars, 12g protein -- PointsPlus® value 2* It's being called the first all-natural 100-calorie Greek yogurt. (Something we have to question, seeing as our beloved Fage Total 0% plain Greek yogurt fits the bill.) Regardless, we're happy to have more options to choose from... especially since this new line features fruity flavors. Try the naturally sweetened Strawberry, Blueberry, Black Cherry, Vanilla, Pineapple, and Peach. Like, NOW!
1/4 - 1/2 pizza: 170 - 270 calories, 5 - 10g fat, 310 - 540mg sodium, 27 - 31g carbs, 1 - 4g fiber, 3 - 4g sugars, 3 - 17g protein -- PointsPlus® value 5 - 7* All you need to say is "pizza" at Hungryland, and we come running. (Literally; we're not kidding.) So when these new pies showed up at our door, we couldn't wait to give 'em a try. They come in too many varieties to name (all of them all-natural), but suffice it to say there's a plethora of gluten-free varieties plus a dairy-free/gluten-free option. They definitely taste like they're better for you, but they're REALLY delicious. Our favorite is the Bruschetta Style! Click to locate.
1 bar: 70 - 80 calories, 2g fat, 40 - 65mg sodium, 14 - 15g carbs, 5 - 6g fiber, 3g sugars, 8 - 9g protein -- PointsPlus® value 2* Last year, we teased that new flavors of these protein-packed ice cream bars were coming, and we can't wait any longer to give you the deets. The nutty new flavors of the naturally delicious bars are... TOASTED ALMOND and PEANUT BUTTER!!! As expected, they're amazing, and we're totally in love with them. So creamy, so rich... SO MUCH FIBER AND PROTEIN! Keep a lookout for the newbies wherever Enlightened products are sold.
1 pouch: 100 calories, 3.5 - 4g fat, 125 - 135mg sodium, 14 - 15g carbs, 0 - <1g fiber, 7g sugars, 1 - 2g protein -- PointsPlus® value 3* Any time we come across a new sweet 'n salty snack, we're happy campers. And these come courtesy of a brand we already love and trust... Special K! Plus, they're available in regular Fudge and White Fudge. Even better? They come in 100-calorie packs. Ummm... JACKPOT!!!
1 square: 90 - 100 calories, 2.5 - 3.5g fat, 55 - 60mg sodium, 14 - 15g carbs, 2 - 3g fiber, 5 - 6g sugars, 3g protein -- PointsPlus® value 2 - 3*
All the great flavor, chewy texture, and oaty goodness of Corazonas Oatmeal Squares, but in a smaller size! These heart-healthy treats are perfect for those little snack-attack situations. We'll be stashing them in our purses, in desk drawers, under our hats... OK, maybe not the last one. The downsized goodies come in five classic flavors: Cranberry Flax, Chocolate Brownie & Almond, Blueberry, Peanut Butter, and Chocolate Chip. All delicious! Buy online or look for these at a store near you.
1 sandwich: 220 calories, 10g fat, 660mg sodium, 20g carbs, 3g fiber, 3g sugars, 11g protein -- PointsPlus® value 6* "Two products from Special K?" We suppose we COULD have waited to let you know that the peeps at big K are rolling out a brand-new, bacon-topped b-fast. One with a really reasonable calorie count and prime portability. But that would be mean of us. And we're not mean. We're hungry! Hit the freezer aisle for this flat-tastic breakfast find.
1 oz. (about 20 chips): 130 - 140 calories, 6g fat, 260 - 350mg sodium, 12 - 13g carbs, <1 - 1g fiber, <1 - 2g sugars, 8 - 9g protein -- PointsPlus® value 3 - 4* HOORAY! As big fans of both protein and chips, we're way excited that the S7 folks now have high-protein QUINOA CHIPS. Even better? They're all-natural, great tasting, crispy, light, and crunchy -- all rolled into one! In Cheddar, Sea Salt, Sour Cream & Onion (our favorite!), and Barbeque, they're so worth snacking on. Did we mention they come in mini single-serve bags? Buy online, or track some down!
3/4 cup: 130 calories, 4g fat, 130mg sodium, 24g carbs, 2g fiber, 9g sugars, 2g protein -- PointsPlus® value 4* As you may have guessed from the name, this brand-new cereal is the chocolatey spinoff of Cinnamon Toast Crunch. We love that this brings decadent deliciousness to breakfast plus a couple of grams of fiber. Not a bad choice for a chocolate fix! We'll be dousing it with Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Breeze and topping it with sliced strawberries. We may even have some in a yogurt parfait or a sweet snack mix. Mmmmm...
New food finds for the New Year are meant to be shared! Click "Send to a Friend," and make all your pals very happy.
Today, January 6th, is National Bean Day. If those Kashi Black Bean Crisps don't strike your fancy, why not whip up a Veggie-Quinoa Mega Bowl? It's loaded with black beans and (duh) deliciousness!
SmartPoints® value not what you expected? Click here for more info on how the values are calculated, plus more FAQs about PointsPlus® and SmartPoints® values on our website.


text:
|Thread Tools
|Rate Thread
|Display Modes
increasing subwoofer input level vs raising volume on unit
Hi guys. I used to have a Denon receiver which didn't offer much in the way of adjusting subwoofer level. So after running Audyssey my VTF-15h was set at the 9:00 position. Perfect for music, but I bumped it up to 10:30 or 11:00 for movies. Again, everything sounded perfect. This was about four years ago.
Now I just bought a second VTF-15h MK2 (my wife says I don't need it and she's probably right, lol). I also now have a Marantz AV7703, which offers several options for boosting subwoofer input levels. After running Audyssey with the subs at the 9:00 position, sub1 (the older unit) was at -11 and sub2 (the new one) was at -5. This didn't seem like enough bass for me, so I bumped them up to -6 and 0, respectively, in the Audyssey settings. Also, the newer sub had more trouble "waking up", so I went to the subwoofer input level in the Marantz settings and bumped it up +3. This worked. So far so good. The AV7703 also allows adjusting levels of all speakers, including subwoofers "on the fly." The current settings are great for music, I usually adjust between 0 and -5 depending on the source. So much difference in mastering and remastering these days.
My question is about getting more for punch for movies. After reading about distortion/clipping and especially damage to the driver, I worry about how much I can bump up the input from the controller, as I have already done so from the original settings. Would it be safe to go as high as, say +10? I worry about going into the positive numbers so much, or would it be better to increase the volume at the sub itself? Or would this increase the chance of clipping and possible damage to the driver, since the Audyssey setting was at 9:00.? I know the golden rule is set the volume and don't touch it again! I never had trouble doing it that way before I started learning more about how levels and gains worked. I just haven't learned enough. I guess ignorance is bliss! as the saying goes.
Yea that's a very tough question because it's dependent on so many different variables. I'll put it this way, let's say you play a 50 Hz test tone at your listening position at 85 dB. You go to the receiver and turn down the channel level by 5 dB and you turn up the sub gain 5 dB, the effect on the amp and driver will still be the same. So it ultimately depends on how loud you want the sub to play. However, another possibility is if you use too high of a channel level setting on the sub, it could potentially the output stage of the sub line level output and that may cause more compression/distortion. It really depends on how denon designed it. I'm fairly sure that going up to +5 or something probably isn't that big of a deal but going up to +12 or +10, it might be? It's hard to say. One thing to note is that we did make the gain control less sensitive from the mk1 to the mk2, so that explains the volume difference there. So generally I would say you can run upwards to 11-12 o'clock with no problems, but again that depends on the input voltage going to the sub. You generally should not have to set it higher than 1 o'clock. That may raise some concern.
Thanks for the advice. I never needed to set the single sub above 11 o' clock, so I'm sure I won't have to with two. I never like to go too far in the positives for subwoofer level input or above 12 o' clock on the unit. These great subs give all I could ever want at reasonably low levels. And I want to add that the VTF-15h is the best value I have ever spent my money on for electronics, or probably anything else, for that matter. Thanks Dr. Hsu!
I realize these posts are rather old, but I thought I'd share some knowledge I have of the processing in the Denon/Marantz products.
My direct experience is with the Denon 3313CI (a 2013 product), but AFAICT, most recent Denon and Marantz products are similar.
The short of it is that for the best performance I recommend setting up the system so that the sub level in the AVR is as low as possible without going below the limit of "-12". Practically speaking, aiming for "-10" (at the most) is probably completely reasonable, and even much higher settings will be OK "most of the time". See below.
In more detail: With Audyssey off (*), the AVR appears to be designed so that a hypothetical 7.1 channel soundtrack in which sub bass is playing at maximum level ("digital full-scale") on all of the channels at the same time will be output cleanly by the AVR if the sum of the master volume and sub level are less than -12. If either the master volume or sub level add up to to a number greater than -12, then it is *theoretically possible* for the bass from a 7.1 channel soundtrack to overload the subwoofer output. So for example, if you don't ever listen higher than "-6" on the master volume, then a sub level of "-6" would be OK, but you need "-12" to not overload if you sometimes turn up to "0".
(*) BUT! If Audyssey is running, things get a lot more complicated and overload is possible at *much lower levels*. Audyssey can boost the signal quite a bit. How much precisely is very complicated, especially if Dynamic EQ is enabled. In other words, it's a good idea to setup the system with the sub level as low as possible if Audyssey is being used, even if the volume is kept fairly moderate. That way you get as much capability out of the subs as possible before they overload, and when they overload, they will do so much more gracefully than when the AVR output overloads.
As far as actual movie content is concerned, I'm not aware of any soundtracks that play bass at maximum ("digital full-scale") level on all channels at the same time, but a few get within a couple dB. Lots more get within 6 dB of the max.
I can't speak for other AVR/processor manufacturer except to say that every product has limits and some designs are more flexible about getting around those limits than others. Unfortunately, information about this sort of thing is scarce, even at places like AVSForum. I figured out the limits of my Denon with careful testing and found corroboration for my findings in other products elsewhere. It's a shame these details aren't well documented by the manufacturers because they are crucial to optimizing a high performance system.
Trust me, this is a bigger deal than most people realize. I bet a lot of sub capability goes to waste simply because people are overloading in an AVR or processor.
|Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
|Thread Tools
|Display Modes
|Rate This Thread
Linear Mode


text:
Why Advertise?
Whether you are a Fortune 500 or a start up advertising on CATS is a great investment in your brand and services. Transit advertising generates repeated exposure seven days a week. CATS Bus and Light Rail system provides access to customers that is impactful and concentrated and we travel many of the busiest streets and highways in the Charlotte Region.
There are various opportunities for advertising! For more information please contact:


text:
Lesson 6
July 29 - August 4
Models for Witnessing
MODELS FOR WITNESSING ABOUND EVERYWHERE. A woman in mainland China leads hundreds of house churches. A dentist in the Philippines establishes more than fifty churches. A church in Texas provides services for deaf people. And a family leaves their country to work among a nonentered people group.
The list of modern witnessing "heroes" is endless. But they all have one thing in common. They serve as witnesses according to their own spiritual gifts, natural talents, and opportunities God places before them, all with a good measure of creativity.
Of course, Jesus is the ultimate example of what it is to witness. The commitment to witnessing manifested by early Christians is also an example for those of us living in the time of the end. It is easy to think that a champion like Paul is a model for witnessing. But what about a deacon? Or a refugee couple from Rome? As we study the book of Acts, we find dynamic models for witnessing that we can follow.
The models for witnessing we will consider this week do not exhaust biblical patterns. But they may inspire us to search for new models.
I. StephenFaithful Unto Death (Acts 6:5, 6, 8-15; 7:57-60).
II. The Scattered OnesSharing Wherever They Went (Acts 8:1-5; 11:19-21).
III. Philipthe Evangelist (Acts 8:5, 26, 40; 21:8, 9).
IV. MarkHelpful in Ministry (Acts 12:25; 13:5, 13; 15:37-39).
V. Aquila and PriscillaAlways Hospitable (Acts 18:1-3, 24-26).
MEMORY TEXT: "For he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord" (Acts 11:24, NKJV).
What words do Acts 6:5, 8 use to describe Stephen?
We do not know exactly what Stephen was doing when the church chose him to be one of the seven deacons. But based on the description of him in Acts 6, we may safely assume that, personally, he had been doing what a person needs to do to sustain a healthy relationship with Christ.
Later, a dispute with Stephen led those who "were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke" to lie against him, to cause further tensions, and finally to kill him (Acts 6:9-12; 7:58). Witnessing can be a risky business.
Analyze Stephen's prayer in Acts 7:59, 60. What major aspect of Christianity did Stephen's last words reflect? Explain how Stephen's prayer was perhaps the best witness he ever gave.
"The prayer for himself was not a request for deliverance, but an affirmation of trust. Though it is in the form of a petition, it is not difficult to see that the petition rests upon a profound trust in Jesus. Not 'Lord, save my life,' but 'Lord, receive my spirit.' It is a prayer that looks forward, not backward. There is no fear in it, only faith. It assumes that whatever happens, Jesus will be there and that he will be adequate to any emergency.
"All he asked was that Jesus should keep his spirit, that through his present trial Jesus should steady him...."The Interpreter's Bible, vol. 9, p. 105.
Such prayers do not come easily. They represent a life of sacrifice and service, a life of dedication and commitment. We cannot think to be a martyr for Christ in death if we will not be a martyr for Him in life.
When Luke wrote the book of Acts, the persecution that began with Stephen's death had ended. The church, however, was soon to be confronted with another period of persecution. Persecution was regarded as a challenge, an opportunity to witness. Tertullian, a Christian living during that later persecution, affirmed that "the blood of Christians is [the] seed" of the church (Apology, chap. 50, p. 55).
Review the qualifications required by the apostles for church officers (Acts 6:3). Which of them is more important for witnessing? Why? How can a person fulfill that condition? How can you model certain aspects of Stephen's witness?
After Stephen's murder, persecution broke out, and the Christians were forced to flee Jerusalem. Read Acts 8:1-5 and 11:19-21. If your Bible has a set of good maps, determine how far they fled. Then list three ways in which the witnessing of these people serves as a model for us.
1. __________________________________________________________
2. __________________________________________________________
3. ________________________________________________________
Antioch was the greatest city of Asia, made so in part by its position on the Orontes River approximately 15 miles (24 km) from the Mediterranean Sea. It was the headquarters of the Roman prefect of Syria and a large community of Jewish people for whom Herod the Great constructed a marble colonnade running the length of the city. It also boasted of chariot races and its worship of the goddess Daphne, whose temple reigned in the beautiful laurel groves five miles from town. That a great number of people in Antioch accepted Christ is a testimonial to the witnessing skills of the scattered Christians who settled there.
"When they were scattered by persecution they went forth filled with missionary zeal. They realized the responsibility of their mission. They knew that they held in their hands the bread of life for a famishing world; and they were constrained by the love of Christ to break this bread to all who were in need."The Acts of the Apostles, p. 106.
Persecution has always aroused the church for witnessing. Where peace and comfort prevail, it seems that the church easily develops a false sense of security that does not motivate believers to pray and to witness with a sense of urgency.
Why wait for persecution to force you into witnessing? If you are not witnessing now, do you think you will do so when persecution rears its ugly head? If Christians are not now being persecuted in your part of the world, how does the story of the scattered ones inspire you to witness now, during relative peace? If Christians where you live are suffering for their faith, how can this story strengthen you to continue witnessing for Christ?
The deacons were to care for the material needs of the growing church so the apostles could give themselves totally to the ministry of the Word (Acts 6:4). However, Scripture mentions that some of the deacons also were active in gospel ministry. Stephen "did great wonders and miracles among the people" (6:8; 6:10; 7:2-56), and Philip preached, performed miracles, and baptized.
This Philip was not an apostle but one of the seven deacons appointed along with Stephen (8:1, 4, 5). In commenting on his example, let us consider Revelation 22:17: "The Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come." "The charge to give this invitation includes the entire church. Every one who has heard the invitation is to echo the message from hill and valley, saying 'Come.' It is a fatal mistake to suppose that the work of soul-saving depends alone upon the ministry.... Why is it that many more do not respond to the call? Is it because they think themselves excused in that they do not stand in the pulpit? Let them understand that there is a large work to be done outside the pulpit, by thousands of consecrated lay members."The Acts of the Apostles, pp. 110, 111.
To what three cities did Philip go in his attempts to obey the gospel commission? Acts 8:5, 26, 40. What does his willingness to do so tell us about him?
Israel was composed of three main regionsGalilee to the north, Samaria in the middle, and Judea in the south. Samaria, the city, in the region of Samaria, had been the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel. In 722 B.C., Assyria defeated the northern kingdom, killed many of the Jewish people, and carried others off to Assyria. Those who remained married those who helped to repopulate the area. Their children are the Samaritans we read about in the Bible. When the Jews returned to Samaria after the exile ended, a deep prejudice festered between them and these offspring. Yet despite such hatred, Jesus witnessed to them, as did Philip.
How were Philip and his family known in the church? Acts 21:8, 9.
|How can deacons, elders, and deaconesses participate in missionary activities? How can professors, carpenters, nurses, students, secretaries, farmers, children, mechanics, etc., participate in the work of saving souls? How can you become involved in a specific evangelistic project in your community?
Acts 11 ends by saying that Barnabas and Saul went from Antioch to Jerusalem, taking relief funds for the church there. Acts 12 is like parentheses. It could have started off, "Meanwhile, in Jerusalem..." then proceeded with the story of Peter's deliverance from prison. The end of the chapter closes the parentheses, declaring that "Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, when they had fulfilled their ministry" (12:25). There John Mark joined them to be their helper (Acts 12:25; 13:5). Because Mark's mother frequently opened her home to the apostles, he would already have spent much time with many of the well-known people of the early church.
What happened with John Mark in Perga? Acts 13:13. What did Barnabas propose at a later date? Acts 15:37-39.
"This desertion caused Paul to judge Mark unfavorably, and even severely, for a time. Barnabas, on the other hand, was inclined to excuse him because of his inexperience. He felt anxious that Mark should not abandon the ministry."Conflict and Courage, p. 348.
Scripture offers no concrete explanation concerning why Mark returned to Jerusalem. But Acts 13:14 perhaps gives us a clue. The road to Pisidian Antioch was located on a plateau 3,600 feet (1,080 meters) above sea level. The only road there was a difficult passage through the Taurus mountains. And if that wasn't bad enough, the route was haunted by criminals. Perhaps the knowledge that this would be the next part of their journey convinced John Mark to return home. (Read The Acts of the Apostles, pp. 169, 170.)
Read what Colossians 4:10; 2 Timothy 4:11; and Philemon 23, 24 have to say about John Mark. What conclusions about his experience can we draw from this information?
Perhaps John Mark's most important contribution to the church was the writing of the gospel named after him. There may be several John Marks in our churches who could become church leaders if they were given a chance to serve.
|Are you ever tempted to quit doing something that you started for the Lord when it gets to be too difficult? Have you ever been afraid of continuing a project that you started for Him? How can John Mark serve as a model for your experience and give you courage to continue?
What do the facts about Aquila and Priscilla's origin, birthplace, previous residence, and an emperor's decree tell you about this couple? Acts 18:1-3.
Paul went to Athens alone, leaving behind Silas and Timothy. Soon he discovered a couple, Aquila and his wife, Priscilla, with whom he had much in common. They worked at the same trade. They were the same nationality. They were well-born, and they were refugees. Priscilla and Aquila had been driven from Rome; Paul from other cities because of his witnessing.
When Paul returned to Palestine, the couple went with him as far as Ephesus. There they met Apollos.
What do you understand about this couple's gifts, ministry, and commitment to God's work from their relationship with Apollos? Acts 18:24-26. (Also see Rom. 16:3; 1 Cor. 16:19; 2 Tim. 4:19.)
Acts 18:26 tells us that Priscilla and Aquila took Apollos aside, most likely meaning that they took him home with them. Can you imagine what they said to him? "They shared from their own experience that the same Jesus whom Apollos had preached was alive. Surely they explained the profound fulfillment of the atonement of Calvary, the victory of resurrection morning, and the infilling of the Spirit of the Lord at Pentecost. Jesus Christ was alive! He was not a dead hero or even a resurrected but departed Savior. He was present, and the power of His presence was not around but within the minds and hearts of His people."Ogilvie, Acts: The Communicator's Commentary, p. 271.
Priscilla and Aquila functioned well as a team. Evidently they shared their views of service and supported each other in ministry. In Corinth they used their own home for church meetings (1 Cor. 16:19). The fact that Paul mentions the couple in several letters indicates that he considered them to be valuable lay workers in the churches to which they belonged.
The success of the gospel was due, among others things, to Paul's encouragement of people like Aquila and Priscilla to use their gifts. Notice that Paul "went to see them" (Acts 18:2, NIV).
|How can you model Aquila and Priscilla's witnessing example? What does their example teach us about teamwork in witnessing?
FURTHER STUDY: Explain how the people in the following texts are good models for us to imitate in the area of witnessing: Daniel 3:8-18; Mark l2:41-44; John 4:5-29.
Read any or all of the following: The Acts of the Apostles, "The First Christian Martyr" pp. 97-102; "The Gospel in Samaria" pp. 103-111; "From Persecutor to Disciple" pp. 112-122.
"Through the ages that have passed since the days of the apostles, the building of God's temple has never ceased....
"Paul and the other apostles, and all the righteous who have lived since then, have acted their part in the building of the temple. But the structure is not yet complete. We who are living in this age have a work to do, a part to act.
"Christ has given to the church a sacred charge. Every member should be a channel through which God can communicate to the world the treasures of His grace, the unsearchable riches of Christ. There is nothing that the Saviour desires so much as agents who will represent to the world His Spirit and His character. There is nothing that the world needs so much as the manifestation through humanity of the Saviour's love. All heaven is waiting for men and women through whom God can reveal the power of Christianity."The Acts of the Apostles, pp. 598-600.
SUMMARIZE this week's lesson by reviewing the lives of the people we studied this week and stating why they are good models for us to follow in the area of witnessing. Which person's life inspires you the most to witness, and why? Because of what you learned about witnessing from this person's life, what will you do differently in your witnessing?
Being a faithful Seventh-day Adventist in Malawi is not easy. Jobs are hard to find, and most work places remain open on Sabbath. It takes great faith to walk away from a job on Friday afternoon, not knowing if the job will be there on Monday. Youth applying for work often are tempted to hide their religion for fear they will lose the job before they even get a chance to prove themselves.
A strong youth organization in the church is crucial to maintain ties with God during these difficult times. The youth group at one church in Blantyre, Malawi was organized to encourage spiritual growth and outreach. One of its most powerful ministries is its prayer corp. When a member of the group has a Sabbath or other spiritual problem, the entire group comes together in prayer. And knowing that friends understand the difficulties and are praying has helped several young people grow in faith and strength. One of them is Daniel.
Daniel had been a faithful member until he went to work at a new job. Then he began missing church and youth meetings. The prayer corp began praying for him. Friends stopped by with encouragement and literature. Daniel appreciated the visits and prayers. He explained that he was negotiating with his employer to have Sabbaths off and hoped he would soon have a breakthrough. But friends noticed that he came to church less and less.
Then one Sabbath morning Daniel came to church and reported that his sister was sick and he must go home immediately. He asked his friends to pray for her.
The next Sabbath Daniel was back in church. He told his friends that his sister was seriously ill but had been glad to see him. "She asked me to pray for her before I left," he said. He paused a moment, then continued. "I know she is dying, but she will die in Jesus." The peace on his face told of a faith that had grown.
Daniel was not in church the following week. But later he told his friends why. "My sister died Sunday. On Sabbath she told my dad that she was dying. But she promised him she would not die on Sabbath so that he would not need to make funeral arrangements on that day. God let her live until early Sunday. She died peacefully, knowing that God accepted her."
Daniel learned what was really important. Following his sister's death he told his employer that he would no longer work on Sabbaths.
Beverly Herbrandson Koester, a former missionary in Malawi, is a teacher's aide at Atholton Adventist School in Maryland.
Produced by the General Conference Office of Mission Awareness
Join the SSNET moderated email discussion group. You are also warmly invited to join a group discussion of this lesson Sabbath morning with your local Seventh-Day Adventist congregation.
Editorial Office: 12501 Old Columbia Pike, Silver
Spring, MD 20904.
Principal Contributor: Carlos Martin
Acting Editor: Lyndelle Brower Chiomenti
Editorial Assistant: Soraya Homayouni Parish
Art and Design: Lars Justinen
Pacific Press Coordinator: Paul A. Hey
Copyright © 2000 General Conference of Seventh-day Adventist. All Rights Reserved.
This page is Netscape friendly.
SSNET Web Site Home page.
Directory of adult SS quarterly Bible Study guides.
Prepared for the Internet by the SSNET
Web Team.
Last updated July 8, 2000.


text:
I meant to write a post on this earlier, but the Great Puppy Adventure came up, and I never got around to it. Luckily, PZ just brought it up again. Heres the deal: I think you SHOULD debate Creationists... IF you are a student.
It is an excellent learning opportunity. Oh god, not for learning Creationist Claims-- That will make you go retarded. I mean a learning opportunity for your own studies. A challenge to synthesize information youre learning in all of your classes, not just lame memorization for tests. And then you have to turn around and be able to present that information to your friends!
A student can safely disarm the problems a PhD would have debating a Creationist, with the added advantage of not having anything to lose. Students can mess up all they want-- theyre still learning! But a Professional Creationist cannot lose one point debating a kid-- theyre supposed to be the professionals. Puts a lot of pressure on the Creationist.
For instance:
It pits oratory against science in a venue where you'll be judged on your rhetoric.
I think here a student would have an advantage (especially on a college campus).
- Creationists are old white men with the humor of old white men. Attempts to appeal to younger audience members looks forced and pathetic.
- A debate between a grown man and a student makes the old man look even more pathetic.
- Student bumbles some words, messes up a little, its okay. Professional Creationist bumbles, messes up, again, is pathetic.
- Student wins a point, makes the Professional Creationist look even more pathetic.
- Student learns how to give a better presentation.
It gives publicity to creationists.
"Cranky Old Man picks on local Student"
"Professional Creationist Whomped by local Student"
I dont mind either of those headlines!
Creationists can generate more lies more quickly than you can refute.
Good time to win points with rhetoric-- Student can ask his/her classmates (in the audience) which arguments they find most convincing and address only those.
Those are the claims that matter.
Debates artificially give equal time to two sides, falsely elevating creationist trivia to equality with scientific substance.
Again-- Old Man vs Student throws this off balance. If anything, it degrades the Creationist appropriately. Creationism can be refuted by a high school/undergrad/grad student, so a kid deals with it.
The debates are often used to recruit members to fundamentalist Christian organizations.
They use barbecues to recruit people too, but Im not going to stop grilling. But once again, a Professional agreeing to debate a student does not put Creationism or its proponents in a good light.
I dont think kids have anything to lose by debating a Creationist. I say they should go for it.


text:
BENEFITING: Make-A-Wish Ohio, Kentucky & Indiana
ORGANIZER: Make-A-Wish Ohio, Kentucky & Indiana
Make-A-Wish Ohio, Kentucky & Indiana wrote -
Lacrosse for Wishes is a summer lacrosse program where for kids to participate on a team, they need to raise money for Make-A-Wish® Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. We are fielding three teams in Southern Ohio for the 2017 summer season, a 2020, 2021, and 2022/2023 girls teams.
Our focus is to teach our kids not only to be better players on the field, but better people off the field by teaching the importance of philanthropy and giving back to your community.
Our Team LFWSO 2022/2023 goal is to raise $10,000 to be able to grant the wish of a local child from Make-A-Wish Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. Each player having an individual goal of raising $500 through their personal Make-A-Wish online fundraising page.
Make-A-Wish grants wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. We would love your support in helping grant these wishes for our local wish children. The impact of a wish is powerful and lasting, making a difference to not only the wish child, but families and communities as well.