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Moderator: Dan~
The total eclipse will be visible in parts of Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Nebraska, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina before ending in the Atlantic Ocean. A partial eclipse will be visible in most of North America and parts of northern South America.
pilgrim seeker tom wrote:
why not the Fatima Events as well
surreptitious57 wrote:pilgrim seeker tom wrote:
why not the Fatima Events as well
Quite simply because they did not happen
I have been to the other two famous shrines and equally nothing happened there
Camino Santiago Pilgrimage June 2000
On June 15, 2000 I was forced out of my comfort zone, familiar surroundings, proximity to family and friends, and daily habits; all that tethers our existence and keeps us grounded. I would carry my 'home' on my back for the next 10-12 weeks; with no set agenda, destination or timetable, free to follow my 'spirit'. Free to respond to events as they unfolded each day.
The Camino Santiago called me and seems there was no alternative but respond. Today tens of thousands of Christian pilgrims and other travelers set out each year from their front doorstep or popular starting points across Europe, to make their way to Santiago de Compostela. Most travel by foot, some by bicycle, and a few travel as some of their medieval counterparts did, on horseback or by donkey。 In addition to people undertaking a religious pilgrimage, there are many travelers and hikers who walk the route for non-religious reasons: travel, sport, or simply the challenge of weeks of walking in a foreign land. Also, many consider the experience a spiritual adventure to remove themselves from the hustle bustle of modern life. It acts as a retreat for many modern "pilgrims".
What happened to my free will? Circumstances beyond our control often influence our decisions more than we are comfortable admitting. St Augustine wrote "Lord, you provide the pricks that move us in the direction you want us to move." St Augustine was referring to the stressful teaching conditions in Carthage that prompted him to move to Rome. There is no doubt in my mind that our Lord supplied the 'pricks' that compelled me to abandon my comfort zone and plunge into the 'darkness'; a life with no boundaries or constraints.
About 2-3 weeks before catching the plane to Paris my life was pretty normal; a full time job, a mortgage, a car payment and some credit card debt. Main stream society had me firmly in its grip; a slave to the consumerism and materialism of our culture.
At work, on a Thursday late in May, went to chat with the general manager, an acquaintance from a previous job. While having only been on this job for three months I was very uncomfortable with my colleagues, the work and the owner. My philosophy on life at that time was incompatible with the business style and personality of the owner. I wanted to resign but would stay on until he could find a replacement, which in my mind would leave me with a month or so to find myself alternate employment.
The next day, Friday, the general manager informed me that this would be my last day; apparently the owner felt the same way about me. Manifestation of the first 'prick', I found myself unexpectedly and abruptly unemployed.
Saturday cried on my sister's shoulder, lamenting about being at yet another fork in the road with no idea which way to go; no job, no job prospects and all this debt ... what to do?
Sunday brought the decision to buy two 'House for Sale' signs, planted one in my front lawn and another at the corner of the street. Selling the house would provide more options; failure to sell the house would mean finding another job … quickly.
By the following Tuesday … only two days later the house was sold and the purchaser wanted possession in two weeks. The second 'prick' just appeared … and so quickly. The Lord must be in a hurry to get me somewhere. Now I have no place to live, no place to work and still no idea what to do next. Wow! … Did that happen fast!
During the next several days while cleaning out the kitchen cupboards I found the 'Credential' for the Camino Santiago. This 'Credential' was one of the souvenirs from my visit to Santiago Compostella almost exactly a year earlier; in June 1999. The Credential is required for admission to the many Hostels along the Camino Santiago.
In a flash it all came together, it was time to go for a long, long walk; I would attempt walking the Camino Santiago. No research, no planning, no preparation … just go!
June 9, 2000
A few days later, as the reality of my recent decision started sinking in, anxiety came along in its train. Serious questions popped into my mind.
· Why a pilgrimage?
· Where is this pull/push coming from?
· Where did it start?
· What are my sincere reasons for going?
There were no easy answers to any of these questions. Was this simply another escape, running from the two recent failed attempts at building a lasting friendship? For the past five years my few remaining friendships were evaporating; uncomfortable feelings of isolation were steadily creeping into my life. Uncertain whether this was self imposed or God's will for me; remembering that my parish priest told me several years ago if God was calling me, He would take me alone. Hmmm
Something is drawing me to the 'pilgrim's way' and something else is pulling me back ... the familiarity and pleasures of life for almost 50 years.
Oh! ... What a struggle!
St Augustine wrote sixteen hundred years ago ... "Oh you torrent of human custom! Who can stand against you?"
Did I really want to rebel against mainstream society? Perhaps my frequent griping and whining was simply a result of my failures playing the game according to society's rules. Vacillating between moderate success and serious failure; never resolving that restlessness feeling. St Augustine wrote "Lord, our hearts were made for you and they will remain forever restless until they find rest in you." Hmmm
Where is the truth? Will I ever know? Is this particular pilgrimage another attempt at discovering the TRUTH ... my truth ... or strictly vanity?
There appear to be only two possible motivations for this pilgrimage; escape or discovery? I simply don't know. I will know by the 'fruits' ... the outcome.
It's rare indeed the occasions when people act without "an investment in the outcome". When we pursue pleasure of any sort, a quiet walk through the forest, a night out, or a relationship we drag along our personal investment in a favorable outcome. All are undertaken with an investment in the outcome. We travel to our favorite location to begin our walk with the expectation that the walk will be pleasurable ... good weather, pleasant scenery, song birds singing etc
So how do we change this habit? Habit because it seems to be included in the intention of the term "human custom", meaning acceptable human behavior. We are socialized or programmed to act solely with an investment in the outcome
Has this always been the case? My immediate response is yes. The Hebrews left Egypt and slavery with an expectation of liberty, peace and prosperity. They had an investment in the outcome, an expectation, a reward for their efforts. No wonder they whined and complained while wandering around the Sinai Desert. The desert experience did not conform to their expectation, their investment in the outcome.
This 'investment in the outcome' is at odds with the words in the Lords' prayer … "thy will be done". Many, many 'spiritual' people were able to somehow overcome these "chains of slavery"(torrent of human custom), whether they were Buddhist, Christian or Muslim. How did they conquer their habits? Many writings suggest "surrender" ... dying to oneself as a prerequisite to being reborn ... the seed must fall to the ground before new life can start.
This reminds me of the scene in the movie "Horse Whisperer", when Robert Redford forces the horse to surrender. Redford binds one of the horse's front legs yet the horse continues to resist, limping along on his remaining three legs. Only after the horse goes down on his knees and finally rolls over, surrendering its' independence, can its healing journey begin. Perhaps it's the same with a spiritual journey; only after we have completely surrendered our will, our need for self control, our self reliance; can God begin the healing process, the transformation.
St Francis of Assisi said something to the effect 'the second death is easy, the first one is most difficult'. Seems he was referring to what is know as 'dying to oneself' … surrendering oneself completely and totally. For those people who successfully achieve this end, their physical death is apparently uneventful.
Seems logical enough ...why is it so difficult? Why does one have to attempt it so many times before one succeeds? What does success look like?
I remember my walk in September 1994 along the highway between Cobden and Barry's Bay. I don't know how my frame of mind got to where I was able to walk into cold water with all my clothes on and attempt to drown myself. I was literally following the wind. Thinking of it now still gives me goose bumps.
A significant factor was my recent separation. Was that the whole reason? I 'm sure there was more to it. I was experiencing a spiritual transformation of sorts for a year or so already ... the milestone was the morning in the restaurant - Angie's Kitchen. Maybe I need to plough through the bowels of my memory to reconstruct that morning. I will attempt it the next time I pick up my pen to write.
Later when sharing this bizarre attempted suicide experience with my parish priest, he suggested it may represent one of the baptisms described in John's Gospel.(Baptism by water and baptism by fire). He was very candid, saying "Bruce … either you're crazy or you're destined to be a Saint". He went on to say that if it was God calling me He would take me alone. I would have to go through the purification process … like gold is purified with fire. He was again referring to John's Gospel ... first baptism with water and later baptism with fire. Yikes! This sounded pretty intimidating.
What about my discovery that my first name is not Bruce; that I am not named after my uncle who died in World War II? My baptismal certificate and birth certificate both list my first name as Thomas. Is there some connection here? I am only now becoming the real me?
My notes from June 15, 2000
Woke up early, no clock in the house and no idea what time it is. Wide awake so decided to get up and head out for my morning coffee. In the car discovered it was 4:00 AM. Oh well! I'm up now ... let's go.
Scared ... really scared ... don't know why. What's a pilgrim? … Is a pilgrim a seeker? … Is a pilgrim a wanderer? Am I a pilgrim? ... Do I want to be a pilgrim?
I've talked about it for several years now. In the last 5 years I've wandered around Israel a few times checking out the Biblical sights, climbed Mount Sinai twice, made several visits to Medugorje and toured the hometowns of several prominent Saints in Italy and France. The memories are mostly pleasant however; these experiences hardly qualify for pilgrim status.
Can one be a pilgrim and stay in the crowd? Work in a business whose only purpose for existence is accumulating profits; where one exchanges labor for the necessities of life … shelter, food and pleasure. How is it that even with all these human comforts so many people feel a huge emptiness inside?
I've gone down that street so many times now. Wanting to be part of modern community and wanting to be a pilgrim at the same time … it simply doesn't work. Reminds me of the scene in the movie "Matrix" where the car stops and the man is invited to get out. He looks down the street and says something to the effect "Oh no. another dead end street, been there to many times, not going there again."
I have tried to establish new friendships, offering myself and my new ideals ... no takers ... they all seem to be stuck in the 'world'. The last two weeks were very difficult, every day being forced to face the trauma associated with unemployment and homelessness; every day forced to make a decision to remain unemployed and homeless; every day forced to accept the lonely life of a pilgrim. How long I can keep this up? The temptations to return to the 'world' have been severe. Seems I'm being given the opportunity to walk alone with God … my decision or His?
Questions ... only questions! No answers!
"In my times of trouble mother Mary came to me ... speaking words of wisdom ... let it be ... let it be" (Beatles song)
Oh! How difficult it is to achieve the state described with these simple words of wisdom "Let it Be"... Why? ... Why? Humility and patience don't come easy.
AgainSt Augustine's words come to mind … "Woe to you, torrent of human custom! Who can stand against you?"
Maybe the answers lie in St Augustine's words ... I found these few words so profound.
The pace of life today is so fast. So many authors and individuals speak of the speed of life these days ... the 'microwave' society ... the instantaneous gratification society.
The 'torrent' in St Augustine's sentence leads me to believe that the 'force' is very real, it's the invisible force behind today's' pace of life that keeps us from being still. We can't stay still ... we are caught up in the turbulence. This has always likely been the case ... is today any different than any other time in history? Not likely, simply a question of degree.
The desert fathers, hermits, monks in history all seemed to acknowledge the 'torrent' and all wanted to 'escape', seek shelter in isolation ... Why is the escape to isolation so necessary?
I am just now reminded of the story of Elijah ... he too was seeking God. In his Mount Sinai experience where he thought he could hear God in the thunder, the wind and finally he discovered God in the silence. Is this it? We need silence and solitude to meet our God!
Many say we all yearn to know God. How can it be otherwise if we are the created and God is the Creator? It can't be otherwise. We are caught up in the "torrent". We are in the "flock" which is on the move at breathtaking speeds and all we can see is the 'asshole' in front of us.
We can't stop; we can't move sideways, backwards or in any direction and still survive. We must keep up with the 'flock' … "Woe to you, torrent of human custom! Who can stand against you?"
So why or how is it that some people who have been 'stuck' in the 'flock' for so long suddenly find themselves on the peripheral of the 'flock', with the choice; continue to move along with the 'flock' or move away from the 'flock' into isolation and solitude.
Any attempt to pull away is met with serious resistance. We are pulled back in; the force is so strong, the familiarity, the comforts and the pleasures of the life we know. Most of us choose to remain inside our 'bubble of comfort'. Resisting these temptations is humanly impossible. Only by the Grace of God do we have the strength to resist.
So what is the reward? Here I am this morning, struggling with the feelings of being blessed and being cursed.
Drawn out of the 'flock'(crowd) and pointed in a new direction. The new direction is complete 'darkness' as in the book written by St John of the Cross 'The Dark Night of the Soul'.
So what is the 'dark night of the soul'? The journey of our inner self to union with God; where our physical self resists the efforts of our soul every inch of the way.
Feeling tears, sadness and joy all blended together. The prospect of meeting my God is so exciting, yet so intimidating! My parish priest's comments of five years ago ... "If God is calling you ... He will take you alone. i.e. One cannot meet God in the crowd, not even in a crowd of two.
These memories are somewhat comforting when I consider the possibility that my efforts, however weak and insubstantial, may finally win the prize. Not likely! Forever the pessimist eh!
Where was I? Meeting my God, being drawn into isolation and solitude, the prerequisite for the ultimate blessing of coming face to face with my God. Oh how thinking and writing these words brings tears ... tears ... and more tears.
I'm feeling a bit better now ... I'll go for my morning walk.
June 16, 2000 … Leave for Paris
Arrive in Paris with mixed feelings, lacking clarity on where to go from here. The two options that prevailed were a visit with Sarah in Lille or return to Lisieux to visit Ste Therese. Surprisingly neither option involved getting started on my walk. The desire for solitude won the day, decided to head for Lisieux for a couple of days of rest, slow down and get my bearings.
I'm sitting in the train station in Paris where zillions of people are coming and going; the opposite of what I am looking for. I really feel out of place, although regularly enough a part of me wants to return to the hustle and bustle of the 'market place' and endure all that comes with it.
Why am I here? Where am I going? Am I making the decisions? Am I pushing for something that is not meant to be?
June 18, 2000
Why Lisieux? I'm not sure but finding that money while cleaning out the closet inside the card of Ste Therese is reason enough for me. I'm also thinking it will be cheap. Yuk! How money seems to dominate my decisions. Why? Without finding the money in my closet and the expectation of free or very cheap accommodation would I still be here in Lisieux this morning?
How was the visit? Quite enjoyable, quite moving; influenced no doubt by the memories of my last visit. The tender moments in the Carmel Convent, the reminder that Ste Therese is the Patron Saint of Missionaries. Wondering to myself if that is where I am headed; to a degree that is where I've been. I recall the occasional moments where I felt I was doing missionary work at the office in Guelph. At the time some colleagues even referred to me as Father Bruce. Seems to me I was 'preaching' to some extent, tough crowd though, caught up in the fast pace of life.
The small chapel behind the Pain de Vie was lined with acknowledgements from Our Lady of Lourdes. While sitting quietly in this chapel the feeling come up that I should visit Ste Bernadette in Nevers on my way to Spain.
Just writing this reminds me that in 1994 Rebecca and I were looking for Ste Therese's shrine when we found ourselves in Nevers and accidentally discovered Ste Bernadette. Now I'm in Lisieux being directed to Nevers. Hmmm
Here is the story about how I come to know both Ste Bernadette and Ste Therese.
Rebecca and I were in Belgium at the time, visiting the gravesite of one of my uncles who died in World War II. He is buried in Flanders Fields. Rebecca had long harbored an interest in Ste Therese and really wanted to visit her shrine; while at that time I'd never heard of her.
We went to enquire at the local parish rectory. A kind elderly priest didn't know but he took the time to investigate. He found some reference to Ste Therese in an old book in one of the cupboards in his office and told us we would have to go to Nevers to visit her shrine.
Reluctantly I agreed to drive the 800(??) kilometers to Nevers. We couldn't find the shrine and after driving around Nevers for a while we decided to stop and enquire at the next church. Since I could speak some French, I sheepishly entered the church to try and get directions to Ste Therese's shrine. I learned there is no shrine dedicated to Ste Therese in Nevers! However, this particular church has a glass casket with a nun inside who looks like she died yesterday.
Expecting Rebecca to be disappointed; was quite surprised that she became animated when I explained the glass casket to her; she also knew of Ste Bernadette. Today I learned about Ste Bernadette; both she and Ste Therese have been a very strong influence in my life since this day. A year later I found myself in Lisieux visiting the shrine of Ste Therese … alone. This incident is yet more evidence of my walk with God … alone.
The circumstances surrounding my first visit to Lisieux are full of mystery, a story worth sharing.
On the same trip involving Nevers, Rebecca and I visited Assisi. The visit was quite pleasant ... nothing 'spiritual' ... at least nothing that was in my conscious mind at the time. While in Assisi I got a 'heads up' on the fact that Interpol was looking for me, I purchased a book about the life of St Francis and a 2 volume series about St Teresa of Avila thinking it was a book about the Ste Therese Rebecca talked about.
The countryside was immensely picturesque, rolling hills etc. Assisi was the first authentic 'walled city' that until now I had only read about in history books. Seems this real life observation of a city surrounded by walls would come back to mind many, many times when reflecting on human nature and the evolution of mankind. The walled city is the child or grandchild of what we know today as the nation state ... e.g. Canada. Wonder what the next major shuffle of social structures and societies will bring?
In February 1995 while living at the Maples Inn in Guelph, the only place where you could rent a self contained apartment for a day, a week, a month etc. I was still very much in limbo ... no job ... no hobby ... no purpose etc. I read St Teresa of Avilla's book and particularly remember the section titled 'Interior Castles' ... deeply moved or touched by St Teresa's writings about her mystical experiences. Learned later that many scholars consider her writings on mysticism some of the best available; yet she was an uneducated Spanish peasant.
Also read the book on the life of St Francis ... again deeply moved and touched... difficult to explain.
For example, one night while lying on my bed I heard the name Jesus in my mind. I can't remember if I intentionally attempted to form the name or if it arrived in my mind without any effort on my part. A few seconds later I felt an 'electrical current' in my body. I can't really explain the feeling. I decided to intentionally speak the word Jesus ... my lips didn't move ... this all happened in my mind. Again the same result; like an electric current running through my body. I was afraid to do it again. This experience left me with an unusually quiet and peaceful feeling.
Within days of this experience the decision to enrol in some kind of Franciscan association was born; perhaps finding something to do with all my free time. I called my parish priest who had helped me a lot in the previous couple of years and he told me about the Third Order of Franciscans. An organization of lay people involved in various activities. He also mentioned there may be some in London Ontario.
For some reason I didn't take his advice, decided to go to Toronto instead. Without understanding why, drove to Mississauga and pulled into the first major hotel, went to the lobby and started looking through the yellow pages under 'Franciscan'. After making several phone calls, and actually talking to a Franciscan, Maurice Richard. I remember saying to myself at the time that I would remember his name because of the Montreal hockey player of the same name. Brother Richard was very kind and friendly on the telephone and we would exchange letters (only one) several months later where he informed me that there is only one true 'spiritual director' ... the Virgin Mary. All others who claim to be spiritual directors are, at best, cheerleaders. St Teresa of Avila's comment … something to the effect 'don't send me any more dumb priests'.
Somewhat disappointed with my research I decided to head home; seemed like just another 'dead end street'. A spontaneous and impulsive action with no basis in logic, actions rooted solely in 'faith' ... a faith that seemed to be failing me at the time. Or so I thought ... was I in for a surprise!
As I was pulling off onto the ramp for the 401 I passed two young women hitch hiking. Decided to stop and give them a ride ... not sure of my motives ... was I feeling charitable (Franciscan) ... was I lonely ... who knows?
The young women were hitch hiking to London on their way back to school. They were pleasant young ladies so I decided to drive them all the way to London; a considerable distance past Guelph ... hmmm. Here I am on my way to London ... the place my parish priest suggested … the advice I chose to ignore the day before. ... Hmmm.
Along the way, I am pretty sure somewhere past the turn off to Guelph, the young lady in the back seat starts to talk about her experience on a kibbutz in Israel. My ears perk right up; this topic is very appealing. She doesn't say much, only that people who go to a kibbutz, work six days a week in exchange for free room and board. Sounds perfect to me ... a chance to wander around Israel ... within my budget!
The kibbutz movement in Israel started in the 1920's. It's basically a commune where all property is held in common, no member owns any private property. What a concept! Sounds like the early Christians described in Luke's Gospel. 20th century Communism was also a move in this direction and we all know how many countless lives were lost, both in the attempted implementation and later by the Western powers attempts to stamp out Communism around the world. Hmmm
The next day I visit my sister and ask her for a ticket to Tel Aviv on the next available flight. At this time Air Canada provided what they call 'buddy passes' ... staff could give these buddy passes to family and friends. The holder could travel standby on any Air Canada flight for a nominal fee.
You can imagine the reaction from my sister and her husband. I had only been back a couple of months from my trip to Medugorje and here I wanted to 'run away' again. Remember her husband's reaction in particular. He said to me ... "Bruce ... go to the Israeli consulate in Toronto, find out about the kibbutz program and then decide if you still want to go." Being the strong willed (stubborn) and self reliant type, I ignored his practical advice and pressed my sister for a ticket. My sister, being the kind hearted soul she is ... obliged and within a couple of days I was checked out of the Maples Inn and on my way to Israel!
Reflecting on these experiences today, seems there may be a connection between my 'Jesus' experience in my room at the Maples Inn and a few days later my rather abrupt and unexpected privilege of walking the very ground He walked during his life on earth. Scary!
Rev. Karban writes "Most of us live our lives as though they're just a series of disconnected events. We rarely find anything to join and make sense out of even one day's happenings, much less a lifetime filled with them. We constantly go from one thing to another without being able to "connect the dots."
Socrates stated "the unexamined life is not worth living". Surely, Socrates is suggesting that regular and sincere examinations of our life will help us to 'connect the dots', discover the thread that holds the countless events of our life together. Our self-portrait is painted by regular and sincere reflections on the ever growing repository of our life experiences.. We will never know who we really are otherwise.
Arrived at the airport in Tel Aviv and found an information Kiosk where I was able to get directions to the administration offices of the kibbutz program. Found the bus into the city ... overheard some ladies chatting behind me on the bus ... in English ... which is highly unusual in Israel. One of the ladies was explaining that the bus driver was nervous because another bus had just been blown up in downtown Tel Aviv ... Yikes!! Welcome to Israel! My guess is the bus blew up about the same time the wheels of the Air Canada jet touched down at the Tel Aviv airport ... must be an omen I thought to myself. I am not welcome in Israel. This thought foreshadowed my fifth and final trip to Israel in 2003 where I was almost arrested.
Found the kibbutz administration office. Within a few minutes I was being interviewed by one of the administrators; he had a strange look on his face. A look that says "What is this guy doing here enquiring about the kibbutz program" He asks me if I am familiar with the rules and regulations of their program ... I respond ... nope! He passes me a sheet a paper with the main regulations ... the second or third regulation written on this sheet was ... maximum age 32 ... oh shit!!
My sister's husband right! I should have went to the Israeli consulate in Toronto and checked out the Kibbutz program before travelling all the way here. This explains the look on his face ... at age 43 I was obviously well over the age limit. He explained to me that most of the volunteers were between the ages of 18-22; young people trying to get away from parental influence and older volunteers had caused lots of problems in the past. I symbolize everything these young people are trying to escape from. Oh joy!!
I guess he recognized the 'Oh Shit' look on my face because he suddenly became friendlier. He asked me how long I intended to stay in Tel Aviv. I replied ... I'll probably grab a coffee and go home! He suggested I go for the coffee and come back in a couple of hours.
I went and had my coffee ... surprisingly my feelings were peaceful, no anger, not particularly discouraged, not overly optimistic and no regret. that I had come all this way for nothing. I returned to the office a couple of hours later; and to my utter amazement found myself on Kibbutz Erez later that evening. Wow! ... If I had gone to the Israeli consulate in Toronto as my sister's husband suggested, I would never have come to Tel Aviv ... synchronicity? It would be a few years yet before I learned the meaning of the word 'synchronicity' and it wasn't until 2009 that I learned the connection between the word and Carl Jung. It was Carl Jung who first coined the term in relation to his pioneer work on unconscious collective.
Arrived at Kibbutz Erez which is less than a kilometre from Gaza; probably explains why the machine gun was laying on the front seat as I got into the jeep that picked me up at the kibbutz.
So here I am ... a long way from Third Order Franciscan activity ... yet it seems I am exactly where I am supposed to be.
The barracks where the volunteers live are not 5 star ... a bit rugged ... yet comfortable enough. Here's something amusing ... I am on a kibbutz ... a Jewish commune ... living with a bunch of 'runaway' or 'adventurous' teenagers ... at best very young adults.
I set up an altar beside my bed ... several miniature statues and a crucifix ... you can imagine how much gossip this would cause around the kibbutz!
More about some of my experiences on the kibbutz later ... perhaps one comical yet profound event before I leave this subject.
Kibbutz volunteers receive a spending allowance equivalent to about $75.00 per month which could only be spent at the kibbutz store, similar to a Mac's Milk store. I would buy cigarettes and occasionally an ice cream treat or chocolate bar.
One day after my milking chores were finished, on my way back to my room for a rest ... I stopped and bought a chocolate bar ... a big one. I started eating it on the way to my room. A little further along there was a group of volunteers sitting on the grass chatting. One of them saw me coming and invited me to join them. I mentally agreed and while I was heading in their direction I got to worrying about my chocolate bar. I was in no mood this particular day to share my precious chocolate bar ... see I am not very Franciscan at all!
I decide to keep my chocolate bar out of sight of the volunteers. I sit down on the grass and put my chocolate bar behind my back ... for safe keeping!! ...Wrong!! A minute or two later this big dog comes along grabs my chocolate bar and takes off with it. I lunge after the dog to retrieve my chocolate bar ... no luck ... the dog knew the value of his treasure … he was too fast.
You can imagine my embarrassment. I'm sure several of the volunteers would have figured out that I had selfishly hidden my chocolate bar from them so I wouldn't have to share it. I made it kind of obvious when I lunged after the dog!
On that day and so many times since then I have tried to figure out the 'lesson' to be learned from this particular experience. The obvious answer is ... it's important to share ... even personal treats!
Today I have another twist on the potential lesson ... don't know why after all these years I come up with this today? Perhaps the 'lesson' was intended to go beyond the 'material' world ... something to the effect ... if one doesn't share the wisdom one has been given ... it will be taken away.
I believe Kabbala teaches this truism ... Kabbala is the mystical sect of Judaism. I believe they claim if their followers do not share what wisdom they receive from the Divine; the tap will be shut off so to speak.
I have always tried to be deferential with all my teachers; at home, at school, at work and at church. Though my nature is much too self-reliant and rebellious to comfortably subscribe one hundred percent to anyone's teaching. Yet writing this book I am responding to 'a lesson' provided by a dog! Go figure!
Suppose it's no different than the lessons I learned from the sheep I observed for several years. Come to think of it, experts say mankind has learned from animals since the beginning of time; claiming that in antiquity we learned which plants and fruits were edible by watching other animals eat them.
Wisdom is a gift; not to be selfishly preserved for our own personal pleasure and since it is received freely, not to be sold to others at a profit. This opinion renders the laws concerning the propriety of intellectual property immoral. St Augustine states that an unjust law is no law at all. Hmmm
Seems the same phenomenon was at work with the North American Indian mystic ... Black Elk ... he only recovered after he shared his vision and later his tribe developed a celebration around his vision.
During my stay on Kibbutz Erez I befriended a young man from France. He told me at one point that he felt drawn to me the moment we first met. After many twists and turns in the following three months we would leave the Kibbutz together on our way to Medugorje. During this trip he was kicked off the train near Kosovo. Mysteriously, I was given a Visa for travel through Macedonia and later learned because he was a French citizen he was denied this privilege. We would exchange one letter after this time but never see each other … living … again.
Several months later while staying in Medugorje for the third time I would be directed mysteriously to his funeral. How did this happen?
I'd been in Medugorje for several weeks and was running out of money. At the same time I was becoming increasingly restless, such a shock after passing several of the most peaceful weeks in memory. This restlessness would lead me to seek a way out of town; remember I have almost no money. After several days, my efforts to find free transport out of town were fruitless and I was prepared to go anywhere. I resigned myself to the fact that I couldn't run away from my restless feelings.
One night a priest knocked on the door of the home where I was staying. He had gotten separated from his group and was looking for directions to the church. We chatted for a while and I learned he had exchanged letters with Ste Therese's sister at the Carmelite Convent in Lisieux. Wow! … This was really exciting news for me, to meet someone who had actually communicated with Ste Therese's sister.
I helped him find his way back to the church and meet up with his group. He told me I would be blessed for my kindness. Hmmm
A few days later I am sitting on an airplane headed for Lille France. The same airplane the priest's group was traveling on. Apparently one member of the group couldn't make the trip and this left the seat vacant on the return flight. All of this was free, the trip to the airport in Split, the flight, everything; didn't cost me a cent. Another wow! Was this the blessing the priest was referring to the night I helped him find the church?
I have no idea where Lille is in France but something tells me it is near the hometown of the friend I met on the Kibbutz in Israel. I decide to try and visit him. During the flight I make some enquiries and learn that I can walk to his hometown from the Lille airport. Yikes!! Where is this trip taking me?
I do in fact walk into his village and again after several twists and turns I find myself standing in his home where his family is grieving his suicide of the day before. His sister asks me … "Bruce … Why are you here? It's too late to help my brother". I have asked myself the same question many, many times since.
I still have no idea how these strange circumstances came together … synchronicity? The restlessness in Medugorje, the failure to find a way out of town for several days and finally finding a free flight to France where I could walk to JF's hometown from the airport … the convergence is certainly mysterious. As I mentioned earlier, I learned about the word 'synchronicity' from a Jesuit Priest who listened to my story shortly after my return to Guelph several months later. He used the word to describe my experience.
I attended the funeral and spent the next few days with his family. It was amazing … felt like the people in this small village knew me. Apparently JF shared much about the time we spent together in Israel with his family and friends. Left with no agenda and no destination, where can I go now? Decided to find Lisieux, and check out this Ste Therese Shrine that Rebecca and I tried to find about five years earlier.
How winding a road I seem to travel ... am I to learn something from all this? I don't know ... all I know is most of the time I am prepared to go anywhere, feeling comfortable trusting the Virgin Mary will lead me ... and when it is not the Her leading me, trusting that She will lead me back where She wants me when the time is right ... Her time ... not mine.
Back to my pilgrimage story … I am in Lisieux for the second time in a year trying to figure out what to do next.
pilgrim seeker tom wrote:
The events of Fatima did not happen they are simply a grandiose Hollywood drama
my personal experiences did happen
Void_X_Zero wrote:There were four societies/cultures that resisted the Muslim invasions (Ottomans) in the last time around: Poland, France, Austria, and Hungary.
Guess they still remember what it's like to get fucked by Turkey.
surreptitious57 wrote:pilgrim seeker tom wrote:
The events of Fatima did not happen they are simply a grandiose Hollywood drama
my personal experiences did happen
There is a perfectly rational explanation for what happened at Fatima which I think you should read up on
Personal testimony is a very unreliable means of determining whether or not something actually happened
pilgrim-seeker_tom wrote:We are one week away from the 100th anniversary of the first event in Fatima Portugal in 1917.
Pandora wrote:Sorry, but nothing astronomically exceptional is forecasted for this October.
pilgrim-seeker_tom wrote:Coincidence? ... What isn't coincidence?
pilgrim-seeker_tom wrote:Oh yeah ... almost forgot ... the English!
pilgrom-seeker_tom wrote:Today marks the 100th anniversary of the first Fatima event ... apparition ... excluding but not ignoring the prelude events of 1916.
Amorphos wrote:Interesting, but I had to look it up…
So what apart from the sun appearing different to some, and being colourful etc, what actually happened in terms of prophecy?
please start with one or two things and not a wall of text - pls
Amorphos wrote:Sorry I didn't mean to sound insulting, just a quick look through the block of text didn't reveal anything to me. Apparitions of Mary are interesting, but I have seen more than one god and made a study of many religions, thus I don't take it as writ that the bible is the only truth.
On the other hand I can see multiple potential apocalypses, and we appear to be standing upon the threshold of all of them. even with my distain for the world, I am very worried.
I know I argue the point a lot, but I will listen believe it or not. E.g. what was the actual prophecy apart from a vague notion of doom, one which evidently didn't reveal the end of the world [as we are still here somehow].
1) I'm not a used car salesman ... I have nothing to 'sell'. I did my time in 'jail' on the notion of prophets and prophecy. After being released from this prison I came to the understanding that prophets are simply 'change agents' and they do not have a monopoly.
2) For a long time now I've abandoned thought of the "bible as the only truth". My most pleasant surprise after coming to China was to learn that there are no contradictions between Chinese religion ... Daoism/Confucianism ... and Judeo-Christianity.
3) At the moment I subscribe to the school of thought that the future is a 'blank page' ... full of unrealized potential.
4) That's why I presented the proposal in my post yesterday. The Fatima story was placed at my feet so to speak ... I have never spent any time studying/researching the veracity ... implications of the story. Yet, I have had countless personal experiences that persistently put the story in front of my face. Why? Who the hell knows!
Amorphos wrote:2) For a long time now I've abandoned thought of the "bible as the only truth". My most pleasant surprise after coming to China was to learn that there are no contradictions between Chinese religion ... Daoism/Confucianism ... and Judeo-Christianity.
Are they the same as Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Hellenism, Druidism, Hinduism?
Amorphos wrote:3) At the moment I subscribe to the school of thought that the future is a 'blank page' ... full of unrealized potential.
I wish. I mean I am sure in some ways you are right, but also that everything is in motion, moving and influencing into the future. In which case it is written.
Amorphos wrote:4) That's why I presented the proposal in my post yesterday. The Fatima story was placed at my feet so to speak ... I have never spent any time studying/researching the veracity ... implications of the story. Yet, I have had countless personal experiences that persistently put the story in front of my face. Why? Who the hell knows!
Divinity knows. That is, a given thing which is outside looking in would know just like us watching a film, no? Then if you were said observer, you would be trying to tell the actors not to make mistakes which are obvious to said observer, but not the observed. Few people have the insight or are too caught up in earthly affairs to receive or otherwise intuit such lessons. I bet God is thinking what do I have to do, hit them in the face with the book or what lol. - consider the story as a page.
"A distinctive West Arabic variant of the symbols begins to emerge around the 10th century in the Maghreb and Al-Andalus(Spain and Portugal), called ghubar ("sand-table" or "dust-table") numerals, which are the direct ancestor of the modern Western Arabic numerals used throughout the world."
Experience is superior to knowledge.
Arcturus Descending wrote:Experience is superior to knowledge.
Not necessarily - not when it is an un-examined belief which leads to the experience or any experience which comes from a desperate need but not from reality.
There was a grave need to believe and so voila everyone believed.
That kind of belief can spread like a virus.
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I've been blogging a lot, and I've had good reason. I'm practicing structured procrastination. It's the ninth week of a ten week quarter, so I have a few major projects to finish, including a policy paper on charter school accountability and quality.
Once I finish that, I'm on to the fun stuff: analyzing some survey data on religiosity then modeling cross-country math achievement test scores using liking-for-math and country-level cultural values as predictors.
I'm just having trouble making this charter school paper come together. I already thought about charter school accountability and didn't come to any conclusions, at least not anything interesting enough to write about. What interesting conclusions could there be? I can only think of relatively uninteresting ones:
- Charter schools don't operate in a free market for education, so market forces aren't going to ensure they do a good job and aren't going to force the worst ones out of business.
- Charter schools sometimes do better than traditional public schools but often do worse. That's what you'd expect. If you deregulate (or partially deregulate) a sector, you're going to allow both higher quality and lower quality entrants in.
- Colorado already has pretty good charter laws, according to these rankings.
- Charter schools probably don't get closed readily enough because it's too politically difficult to do so. Far more charters are opened than closed — and they can't all be that good.
- Charter schools aren't engines of innovation for the public school system, at least as far as classroom practice goes. They do, however, show what might be accomplished if you push control down to the school level vs. keeping it at the district level.
While procrastinating, I've been reading blogs and writing blog posts and trying to find some inspiration for this paper so I can get it written and move on to the fun stuff — I promised myself I can't do the data analysis projects until I write the paper. Yesterday afternoon I finally found some inspiration, the idea of "operational publicy." Yes, that word "publicy" is awful, but the concept is right on.
Charter schools should open up their operations and their data to public scrutiny, not just their test scores and demographics which are already released in school report cards, but everything they do. After all, they are getting public dollars for their work.
On the same topic, from the Economist special report on managing information:
Providing access to data "creates a culture of accountability", says Vivek Kundra, the federal government's CIO. One of the first things he did after taking office was to create an online "dashboard" detailing the government's own $70 billion technology spending. Now that the information is freely available, Congress and the public can ask questions or offer suggestions. The model will be applied to other areas, perhaps including health-care data, says Mr Kundra—provided that looming privacy issues can be resolved.
Love the idea of a "culture of accountability," but of course there are "looming privacy issues" in releasing school data too. Should you release teacher attendance data? You're probably not going to point out individual teachers who miss a lot of school but what about aggregated data? What about administrator salaries compared to teacher salaries by school? Lesson plans? Results of parent satisfaction surveys? These are things the public should have access to.

subset: commoncrawl


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Tsa198 necesitaba un nuevo diseño de camiseta y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 62 diseños de 15 diseñadores freelance.
I am an entrepreneur trying to capitalize on the recent angst with regard to the enhanced screening at airports done by the TSA. I am asking for a short turn around to have t-shirts available prior to December 1st on my web site.
T-shirt for 16-40 year old males that travel. Possibly a female version of the t-shirt later. Preferrably a one-color screen unless you find a good reason to go to more colors. Here is the competition: http://www.zazzle.com/tsa_grab_my_j…4625602407
If anyone has seen a "naked body" scan done at airports in the US today, they technologically remove all your clothing and hair to find contraband. They are black and white images that are creepy and very revealing. I would like to play on that with a shirt that mocks the TSA and this indignity.
I could an imagine a blue shirt in the same color the TSA personnel use with TSA on the sleeve to look somewhat like their uniform to enhance the irony here. You might look at the TSA.Gov web site to get ideas on how they do their lettering on their own uniforms.
One concept is to create an image like one of these body scans with the person having a shocked expression and hair standing on end (I know there is no real hair in one of these scans, but it will be fanciful). Think the kid's expression on the Home Alone movie with his hands on the side of his head instead of the position the TSA requires with the hands above the head.
There could be a full body scan on the back and just the head on the front of the t-shirt. This shirt should not be pornographic so a fig leave over the naughty bits would be appropriate or a silhouette of a hand to creatively accomplish the same thing.
The image of the fully body should be a male and flattering if an actual image, but need not be a body builder. The images from these scanners can be faked fairly easily (just Google it).


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Serves 4
A version of this recipe was originally published in Vogue in 1939 and reprinted in the cookbook "Food in Vogue," by Maxime de la Falaise. This spring salad, served at the MFA Fashion Council lunch, is dressed with vinaigrette-marinated oranges and sweet onions. Start well in advance so the oranges and onion can marinate.
|tablespoons white wine vinegar
|teaspoons Dijon mustard
|teaspoons salt
|Generous pinch black pepper
|cup olive oil
1. In a bowl, whisk the vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper.
2. Gradually whisk in the olive oil in a slow steady stream, until thoroughly blended. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper, if you like.
|navel oranges, peeled, cut in half, and sliced
|sweet onion, halved and thinly sliced
|avocados, peeled and sliced
|Juice of 1 lemon
|bunches watercress, stems removed
|Salt and pepper, to taste
1. In a large shallow bowl, combine the orange slices and onion. Pour over the vinaigrette. Stir gently. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or for up to 1 day, stirring once or twice.
2. Add the avocados and lemon juice. Set aside for 20 minutes.
3. Arrange the watercress on a large platter. Use a slotted spoon to lift the oranges, onions, and avocado from the marinade and transfer to the platter. Spoon enough of the marinade over the mixture to moisten it. Michael Floreak. Adapted from "Food in Vogue"


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Retallack 5* Luxury Resort & Spa, Cornwall
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Family friendly...
The high spec contemporary Lodges are either 2 bedrooms, ideal for one family or 4 bedrooms with plenty of room for additional cots, suiting groups of families holidaying together.
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Prices from £349 per week for a 2 bed lodge in November and December and from £549 per week for a 4 bed lodge.
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Sneak Peek: 5 Pride Festivals Worth Traveling For in May
Pride season is officially kicking into high gear, and 2018 is a great year to explore queer celebrations further afield. Here's a rundown of the top U.S. and international Pride festivals happening in May.
Houston Splash
Something about land-locked Houston making a big gay "Splash" is intriguing. As it turns out, the event was wet and wild when it began long ago on Galveston beach, soon outgrowing small-town capacity.
Come May 3-7, LGBT revelers will mark 23 years of a much bigger Splash. As the website proudly proclaims, "Houston Splash caters to African-American and Latino LGBT men and women from across the country" -- thousands of them, many of whom join the event expressly for its diversity. The long weekend brings five days of parties, including the welcome reception, "Satur-daytime" throwdown, "Sunday Funday," and distinct lesbian and gay male parties.
Organizers work with local sponsors and partners for the event, like the Hilton Houston Post Oak, which offers visitors great rates through the weekend. (Check out the Houston Splash website and Facebook page for the promo code.) The city is famous for its dining scene, and My Gay Houston is a prime resource for LGBT-friendly restaurants and bars, plus shopping, cultural stops, other local tips.
Long Beach Pride
Fun fact: Long Beach Lesbian & Gay Pride Festival & Parade is now America's third-largest Pride event, drawing more than 80,000 attendees and more than 200 marching groups-making it the city's largest event overall. Better still, as part of the mission launched in 1983, LBLGP operates year-round philanthropic projects as well.
This year's big event happens on May 19 and 20, with $25 tickets ($20 in advance) into the enclosed party zone where rockin' percussionist Sheila E. will headline the main stage that Sunday at 8 p.m. More music, dancing, food tasting, and flirting will flow through the rest of the weekend, with the parade taking over Ocean Boulevard starting Sunday at 10:30 a.m.
The city itself is an LGBTQ enclave and even elected its first gay mayor in 2014, Mayor Robert Garcia. Travelers will enjoy the abundance of queer-friendly businesses, from drag brunch and nightly events at Hamburger Mary's, and cocktails al fresco at iconic Art Deco nightclub the Silver Fox (which you may recognize from "The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story" series).
Belgian Pride
There are many reasons to be out and proud in Belgium, one of the world's most progressive nations. Maybe that's why its Pride celebration runs two full weeks, May 4-20, and brings its community events, exhibits, parties, and more to towns across the country. It overlaps with Brussels Pride, which hosts a colorful parade through the heart of town on May 19th.
Pride Village is among the many free events, and transforms the historic Mont des Arts into a celebratory scene of music, food, performing arts, and local LGBT organizations sharing their good work.
Brussels queer scene offers lots of variety, and the city's tourism website shares a great roundup of gay-owned or -friendly cafés, clubs, shops, drag shows, and cultural points of interest. Many of the local queer hotspots are in the city center along Rue du Marché au Charbon, like the fun cabaret La Boule Rouge, and chic lounge Dolores. Rainbow House, the local LGBT center, is a thorough resource for upcoming community events, from sports to arts to organized conversations on a range of topics.
Vallarta Pride
It's easy to reach, both beachy and cosmopolitan, and home to an amazing Pride week. Bienvenido a Puerto Vallarta!
Mexico's top LGBT destination this year hosts Vallarta Pride May 20-27, bringing a full week of film festival screenings, an art walk, health fair, various women's events, and many many parties to the Zona Romantica (downtown) and beyond.
This year's highlights include the ever-astounding Drag Derby and fundraiser, with queens racing through cobblestone streets; the mega block party on May 24th; and the International March Against Homophobia, featuring Grand Marshal Lorena Herrera, the beloved Mexican singer and actress.
There are plenty of great boutique accommodations to pair with your Pride visit, like gay-owned Casa Cupula, and the historic Casa Kimberly. Head to Café des Artistes for creative Mexican cuisine, and roam downtown's weekend farmer's market for homemade food and handmade souvenirs.
Tokyo Rainbow Pride
Rainbow realness takes over the city's Shibuya district for a week of festivities from April 28 to May 6. Crowds will gather at Yoyogi Park's outdoor stage for the celebration's final two days for programming packed with drag divas and other queer revelry.
For those that want to elevate their Japan journey to five-star fabulous, the gorgeous Ritz-Carlton Tokyo offers stellar views from the metropolis's Midtown district along with three newly revamped dining concepts, including the Michelin-starred Azure 45, Towers (contemporary grill), and sweet treats from La Boutique.
While there's plenty to discover on your own, consider hiring a guide for more bespoke access to some of Tokyo's best offerings from Out Asia Travel. A member of the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association, there's no better way to experience an insider's perspective on this bustling city.


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WMD doubts are ludicrous. Headline, The Australian, July 10, 2003.
"Obviously, the immensely difficult situation in Iraq is not resolved. Despite the election for the national assembly and provincial legislators, full democracy is still some time off ... But, now, at least Iraq has a chance of establishing a system of representative government ... There is a real possibility now that Iraq might become one of the few representative governments in the Middle East. – Gerard Henderson, The Sydney Morning Herald, February 1, 2005.
"The Iraq war was the right war against the right enemy at the right time, and waged for broadly the right reasons. There is no need to apologise about it. Notwithstanding many mistakes in execution in the peace-keeping phase, provided the coalition of the willing retains its nerve there is every chance of achieving a reasonable outcome still ... the decision to go to war was the right one. George Bush, Tony Blair and John Howard deserve praise for their courage." – Greg Sheridan, Foreign Editor, The Australian, March 22, 2006.
"The battle is actually over. Iraq has been won. I know this will seem to many of you an insane claim. Ridiculous! After all, haven't you read countless stories that Iraq is a "disaster", turned by a "civil war" into a "killing field"? You have. And you have been misled ... Violence is falling fast. Al Qaeda has been crippled. There is no civil war. The Kurds have not broken away. Iran has not turned Iraq into its puppet. And the country's institutions are getting stronger. The Iraqi army is now at full strength, at least in numbers. Iraq not only remains a democracy, but shows no sign of collapse. I repeat: the battle for a free Iraq has been won." – Andrew Bolt, the Herald Sun, November 2, 2007.
Sorry to inflict this drivel upon you, but there are some points to be made. George W. Bush and the neo-cons of Washington who fomented the war in Iraq bear a heavy responsibility for the catastrophe engulfing the country today. So, too, the principal leaders of that now risible coalition of the willing, including Britain's Tony Blair and our own John Howard (Dubya's Man of Steel.)
In prosecuting that war they were cheered all the way by the unquestioning Tory toadies of the Australian media, principally –although not solely – in the Murdoch press. The hubris, the evasions, the lies, the errors, the lethal incompetence – the whole ghastly march of folly – was trumpeted to the skies by these people even as the ground shifted and chasms of fact and logic opened beneath them.
They seized upon any piece of official idiocy to make their case. And not just Saddam Hussein's non-existent weapons of mass destruction. Vice-President Dick Cheney's boast that US soldiers would be garlanded with flowers in Baghdad and welcomed as liberators ... George Bush's "mission accomplished" ... Donald Rumsfeld's unknown unknowns, John Howard's claim that Saddam Hussein operated a "people-shredder" ... nothing was too bizarre to be pressed into service by the media propagandists.
If you dared to question the war, in concept or execution, they branded you anti-American. Ideological claptrap, of course, but the worst of Tory insults. You were disloyal, even treasonous. Anti-war marches were organised by communists, Bolt claimed, and the protesters were full of "self loathing hatred of our civilisation and its freedoms".
Now we reap the whirlwind. Democracy in Iraq evaporated with the oppression of Sunni Muslims by the corrupt and ineffectual Shiite Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki. When push came to shove, Baghdad's army, upon which the Americans spent so much blood and treasure, simply melted away. The wretched Iraqi people find new and unspeakable horrors visited upon them by Islamist fanatics reputedly too extreme even for al-Qaeda to countenance.
It was all so predictable, so inevitable. We saw in Vietnam that democracy cannot be imposed at gunpoint. Wilfully blind to the errors of history, the fools repeat them.
It's early days, admittedly, but Dyson Heydon's royal commission into trade unions has raised more questions than it has answered. For one, I find it impossible to work out who (if anyone) is telling the truth in the vexed matter of Julia Gillard's home renovations and her former boyfriend, Bruce Wilson. I guess there is a smoking gun in there somewhere but so far it doesn't seem to have her fingerprints on it. As she has always claimed. Perhaps there is more to come.
The rorts in the Health Services Union are in plainer sight. The likes of Michael Williamson and Craig Thomson evidently ran the joint as a criminal conspiracy to provide those little luxuries – beach houses, Mercedes-Benzes, banquets, hookers – that life would otherwise have denied them. I expect we will also hear more about exciting high jinks in the CFMEU.
If only we could have a similar penetrating inquiry into the finance industry. The scandal of the Commonwealth Bank's financial planners sinking their fangs into thousands of small investors should provide enough material for a royal commission, let alone the collapse of other rapacious outfits such as Storm Financial.
But you won't get it from this Abbott government. Just the opposite. The Coalition's plans to make life even easier and more profitable for the big banks have been on hold since the downfall of the wretched Senator Arthur Sinodinos, but they are about to be revved up again.
Well said, Barry O'Farrell. In State Parliament on Tuesday he went for the Catholic Church, boots and all, over its disgraceful protection of priestly child abusers in the Hunter Valley.
He took particular aim at a former bishop of Maitland-Newcastle, Michael Malone, and the secretary of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, Father Brian Lucas, accusing them of "criminal inaction". This, he said, was "inexcusable and unacceptable in anyone, but ... unbelievable, abominable and, frankly, un-Christian when it is found amongst so-called men of the cloth''.
Amen to that. Worth noting, I think, that O'Farrell himself is a Catholic. But these abominations are not confined to the churches. They are a sickness that emerges from the darkest depths of our society. Details of the sexual abuse of teenage trainees at HMAS Leeuwin, the navy base in Western Australia, are almost too revolting to contemplate.


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PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - President Barack Obama urged Asian leaders on Tuesday to rein in tensions in the South China Sea and other disputed territory, but stopped short of firmly backing allies Japan, the Philippines and Vietnam in their disputes with China.
The comments illustrate the challenge facing newly re-elected Obama in managing Sino-U.S. ties that have become more fraught across a range of issues, including trade, commercial espionage and the territorial disputes between Beijing and Washington's Asian allies.
"President Obama's message is there needs to be a reduction of the tensions," Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes said after the East Asia Summit in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh. "There is no reason to risk any potential escalation, particularly when you have two of the world's largest economies - China and Japan - associated with some of those disputes."
The comments appeared carefully calibrated not to offend either side.
They follow a three-day trip by Obama to three strategically important Southeast Asian countries: old U.S. ally Thailand, new friend Myanmar and China ally Cambodia, in a visit that underlines Washington's expanding military and economic interests in Asia under last year's so-called "pivot" from conflicts in the Middle East and Afghanistan.
Obama's attention was divided as he tried to stay on top of the unfolding crisis in Gaza. He dispatched Secretary of State Hillary Clinton from the summit to the Middle East for a round of troubleshooting talks in Israel, the West Bank and Egypt.
A decades-old territorial squabble over the South China Sea is entering a new and more contentious chapter, as claimant nations search deeper into disputed waters for energy supplies while building up their navies and military alliances with other nations, particularly with the United States.
Beijing claims almost the entire sea as its territory based on historical records, setting it directly against U.S. allies Vietnam and the Philippines, while Brunei, Taiwan and Malaysia also lay claim to parts.
The Philippines lodged a formal protest on Tuesday against summit host Cambodia, accusing the Chinese ally of trying to stifle discussions on the South China Sea when leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) met on Monday.
On Tuesday, China defended its stand to not discuss the South China Sea issue at multilateral forums. Beijing prefers to deal with other claimants on a bilateral basis.
"We do not want to bring the disputes to an occasion like this," Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao told the summit, according to Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Fu Ying.
"We do not want to give over emphasis to the territorial disputes and differences, and we don't think it's a good idea to spread a sense of tension in this region," Wen added.
Several leaders at the summit raised the South China Sea issue, including a dispute over Scarborough Shoal, where Philippine and Chinese ships faced off in April. That prompted a firm response from China, Fu told reporters.
"Huangyan Island (Scarborough Shoal) is China's territory," Fu quoted Wen as telling the summit. "China's act of defending its sovereignty is necessary and legitimate."
The South China Sea failed to earn a single mention in an 11-page concluding summit statement read by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, a victory for China, which has sought to keep it off the formal agenda.
Hun Sen lived up to his authoritarian image, taking no questions in a 29-minute news conference. He said he was too tired.
Earlier, in his first meeting with a Chinese leader since his re-election, Obama said Washington and its chief economic rival must work together to "establish clear rules of the road" for trade and investment. But he stopped short of accusing China of violating those rules, a hot topic in his re-election campaign.
"I'm committed to working with China and I'm committed to working with Asia," Obama told Wen in a bilateral meeting. Wen highlighted "the differences and disagreements between us" but said these could be resolved through trade and investment.
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda said mounting Asian security problems raise the importance of the U.S.-Japan alliance, a veiled reference to tensions over Chinese sovereignty claims and maritime disputes.
"With the increasing severity of the security environment in East Asia, the importance of the Japan-U.S. alliance is increasing," Noda told Obama.
Sino-Japanese relations are also under strain after the Japanese government bought disputed islands known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China from a private Japanese owner in September, triggering violent protests and calls for boycotts of Japanese products across China.
China says both disputes involve sea lanes vital for its economy and prefers to address conflicts in one-on-one talks.
Hun Sen said on Sunday Southeast Asian leaders agreed not to internationalize the row over the South China Sea and to confine talks to between ASEAN and China — a claim disputed by Philippine President Benigno Aquino.
A stern-faced Philippine Foreign Minister Albert del Rosario said his delegation had been shocked when a Cambodian official told a news conference that ASEAN leaders had reached a consensus at their summit on Sunday.
"Consensus means everybody. I was there, the president (Aquino) was there and we're saying we're not with it because there's no consensus," del Rosario told reporters. "How can they say there's consensus when we're saying there's no consensus?"
It was the second time in five months Cambodia was accused of bowing to Chinese pressure and thwarting regional debate on the issue. A July ASEAN foreign ministers meeting, also in Phnom Penh, broke down in acrimony and failed to agree on a communique for the first time, just weeks after the standoff between a Philippine warship and Chinese vessels.
Additional reporting by Matt Spetalnick, Stuart Grudgings, Prak Chan Thul and Manuel Mogato. Writing by Jason Szep.; Editing by Ron Popeski


text:
Protect the skin, I.V. sites and surgical incisions using Suresite Transparent Film. Conforms to hard-to-dress areas, allows constant observation, and can be left in place for up to seven days....
Sheer-Gard adhesive bandages are constructed with PVC free durable polyethylene and perforated for breathability. These bandages feature even adhesion and a non-adherent island pad. Latex-Free. 2" x 4" Extra-Large.


text:
Each semester youth are given many opportunities to participate in engaging activities in the community and great outdoors. Below is a sampling of Mountain Alliance outings for a given year. Most of the outings are geared to a beginner and all equipment is provided.
Check out the Mountain Alliance Blog page for past stories from some of these outings.
Hike and Swim: This popular warm weather activity takes students on a energizing day hike into Pisgah National Forest where a refreshing swim awaits.
Elk Knob Trail Creation: This trip works on an ongoing project at Elk Knob State park that was begun more than 2 years ago. Students have been working to create a new trail for visitors to the park.
Hospitality House: This trip is one of the longest standing service offerings Mountain Alliance has been involved in. Each month students travel to Boone's homeless shelter and prepare a meal for 30-40 individuals.
Rock Climbing: Students learn the basics of belaying and climbing while gaining confidence and compassion for others.
Caving: This is one of our most popular cold weather outing. Students love to explore and discover the dark and muddy passages of undeveloped caves in our area. A great team work and exciting activity.
Overnight Backpacking: Youth learn to cook, camp and enjoy the outdoors using "Leave No Trace" ethics carrying their supplies and equipment on their backs for a wilderness adventure.
Spring Break Trips: These week long trips change each year and have included; Service trips to Washington, DC, rebuilding homes on the gulf coast (last four years), backpacking in Great Smoky Natational Park, Skiing in Colorado, and Biking on the Outerbanks


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Gillson Surname Ancestry Results
Our indexes 1000-1999 include entries for the spelling 'gillson'. In the period you have requested, we have the following 93 records (displaying 1 to 10):
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gill'spie gillorey gillot gilloth gillotson gillott gilloughby gillouz gillow gilloway gillowe gillowel gillowitz gillows gilloz gillparick gillpin gillray gillrey gillry gills gillsonb gillspy gillston gillt gillte gilltrap gilluin gillum gillus gillver gillvray gillwald gillwater gillwer gilly gillyam gillyan gillyard gillyat
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Research your ancestry, family history, genealogy and one-name study by direct access to original records and archives indexed by surname.


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Name | Synopsis | Description | SUBCOMMANDS | GLOBAL OPTIONS | SUBCOMMAND OPTIONS | Operands | Exit Status | Examples | Attributes | See Also
install-path/bin/dsadm [subcommand] [global-options] [subcommand-options] [subcommand-operands]
The dsadm command is the local administration command for Directory Server instances. Use the dsadm command with any of the subcommands described in this man page.
While using the dsadm command, you may be required to stop the server depending upon the subcommands that are used with dsadm. The dsadm command must be run from the local machine where the server instance is located. This command must be run by the username that is the operating system owner of the server instance, or by root.
The following subcommands are supported:
Adds a certificate to the certificate database.
Creates a self-signed certificate and adds it to the certificate database.
Analyzes indexes and displays statistics on their values.
Enables or disables Directory Server instance startup at system boot. This command is only available if you installed native packages. This command must be run as root.
Creates a backup archive of the Directory Server instance.
Creates a Directory Server instance.
Deletes a Directory Server instance.
Disables a Directory Server instance from being managed as a service. This command is available on Windows distributions and on Solaris native package distributions only. The command must be run as root.
Enables a Directory Server instance to be managed as a service. This command is available on Windows distributions and on Solaris native package distributions only. The command must be run as root.
Exports suffix to LDIF format.
Exports an encrypted copy of the certificate and its public and private keys from the certificate database.
Displays the flag values for the Directory Server instance.
Populates an existing suffix with LDIF data.
Adds a new certificate and its keys to the certificate database.
Adds a new self-signed certificate and its keys to the certificate database.
Displays Directory Server instance status and some configuration information.
Lists all certificates in the certificate database.
Displays running instances on a host. By default, the only instances that are launched by the same installation as dsadm are listed.
Regenerates existing indexes.
Removes a certificate from the certificate database. The instance must be stopped before running this command.
Replaces a certificate, but keeps the existing private key. The instance must be stopped before running this command.
Renews a self-signed certificate in the certificate database. The instance must be stopped before running this command.
Repacks or compacts an existing suffix. The -b option enables you to specify the name of the backend instead of the suffix name. At least one suffix DN or one backend name must be specified. The instance must be stopped before running this command.
Generates a certificate request.
Restarts a Directory Server instance.
Restores Directory Server instance from a backup archive.
Sets flags for a Directory Server instance.
Displays the contents of the access log.
Displays a certificate.
Displays the contents of the error log.
Starts a Directory Server instance.
Stops a Directory Server instance.
Stops Directory Server instances. The instances launched by the same installation as dsadm will be stopped.
Upgrades Directory Server instance from version 6.x to 220.127.116.11.0.
The following options are global, and are applicable to all commands and subcommands. The global options must follow their respective commands or subcommands to execute successfully.
Displays help information for a command or subcommand.
Displays the current version of dsadm. The version is provided in the format year.monthday.time DISTRIB. So version number 2009.1004.0035 was built on October 4th, 2009 at 00h35. DISTRIB indicates the distribution type. NAT refers to the native packages version. ZIP refers to the ZIP version. If the components used by dsadm are not aligned, the version of each individual component is displayed.
Displays instructions for accessing verbose help.
The following options are applicable to the subcommands where they are specified.
Specifies the maximum age of lines to be returned from the access log or the error log. For example, to search for all entries younger than 24 hours, use -A 24h.
Displays running instances from any installation path.
Creates the Directory Server instance in an existing directory, specified by the INSTANCE_PATH. The existing directory must be empty. On UNIX machines, the user who runs this command must be root, or must be the owner of the existing directory. If the user is root, the instance will be owned by the owner of the existing directory.
Enables to specify backend name instead of SUFFIX_DN.
Specifies a Certificate Authority certificate is to be used, or that the command should display information about CA certificates.
Adds L=CITY to the subject DN. Default is none.
Adds C=COUNTRY to the subject DN. Default is none.
Defines the Directory Manager DN. The default is cn=Directory Manager.
Specifies DOMAIN as DNS subject alternate name extension
Starts Directory Server with the configuration used at the last successful startup.
Specifies EMAIL as email subject alternate name extension
When used with stop-running-instances, the command forcibly shuts down all the running server instances that are created using the same dsadm installation. When used with stop, the command forcibly shuts down the instance even if the instance is not initiated by the current installation.
Specifies output format. For dsadm request-cert, the default is der, and the other possible output format is ascii. .For dsadm show-cert, the default is readable, and other possible output formats are ascii and der.
Customized values for options.
Possible flags for the dsadm backup subcommand are as follows.
Check integrity of the backed up database.
Skip recovery of the backed up database.
Possible flags for the dsadm export subcommand are as follows.
Perform minimal base64 encoding.
Generate multiple LDIF output files.
Do not export the unique ID generated on import.
Do not fold long lines.
Delete the initial line specifying the LDIF version, version: 1, for backward compatibility.
Do not include entry IDs in the LDIF output.
Only export from the main database file.
Possible flags for the dsadm import subcommand are as follows.
Merge chunk size.
Import LDIF generated during incremental import.
Purge the Change Sequence Number (CSN). The purge-csn flag is set to off by default. Setting the purge-csn to on prevents old CSN data from being imported by the dsadm import operation. This reduces the size of entries by removing traces of previous updates.
Possible flags for the dsadm restore subcommand are as follows.
Performs restore by moving files in place of copying them.
Sets the server instance owner's group ID. The default is the user's current UNIX group. This option is not available on Windows.
Specifies the hostname. The default is the name of the current host system.
Reads the input file password in the INPUT_PW_FILE file. The default is a prompt for password.
Does not prompt for confirmation before performing the operation.
Specifies that the content of the imported LDIF file is appended to the existing LDAP entries. If this option is not specified, the contents of the imported file replace the existing entries.
Specifies the length of private key.
Specifies the number of lines to be returned from the access log or the error log. LAST_LINES must be an integer. For example, to return the last 50 lines, use -L 50. If no value is specified, the default number of lines returned is 20.
Specifies VLV (browsing) index.
Adds CN=NAME to the subject DN.
Reads raw index data from FILE and writes them if necessary. The default location is: INSTANCE_PATH/logs/db_stat_DBNAME.
Reads the output password from the OUTPUT_FILE file. The default is a prompt for password.
Stores the command results in the OUTPUT_FILE file. The default is stdout, standard output.
Disables server instance startup at system boot.
Adds O=ORG to the subject DN. The default is none.
Adds OU=ORG-UNIT to the subject DN. The default is none.
Specifies the secure SSL port for LDAP traffic. The default is 636 if dsadm is run by the root user, or 1636 if dsadm is run by a non-root user.
Specifies the port for LDAP traffic. The default is 389 if dsadm is run by the root user, or 1389 if dsadm is run by a non-root user.
Sets the contact phone number to PHONE.
Specifies that additional data needed for replication is not included in the export.
Overwrites current raw index data if it already exists.
Specifies the subject DN. The default depends on the subcommand used, and is either CN=hostname or CN=CERT_ALIAS.
Exports data from suffix DN.
Ensures manually modified schema is replicated to consumers.
Specifies certificate signature algorithm. The default algorithm is SHA1. The other valid values are MD5 and SHA256.
Adds ST=STATE to the subject DN. Default is none.
Service type. Can be SMF when using Solaris 10, or WIN_SERVICE when using Windows.
Specifies attribute index ATTR_INDEX
Sets the server instance owner user ID. The default is the current UNIX user name. This option is not available on Windows.
Specifies that the version Directory Server instance is 6.x.
Sets validity of the certificate to DURATION months.
Reads certificate database password from CERT_PW_FILE. The default is to prompt for password.
Sets the password file for the Directory Manager (-D). The default is to prompt for password.
Excludes the specified DN from the command.
Decrypts encrypted attributes.
The following operands are supported:
Specifies the path to the backup of the Directory Server instance.
Certificate alias name. A user-specified name that identifies a certificate.
Specifies the file that contains the certificate.
Specifies a flag that represents a property operand when using the command dsadm get-flags. Possible flag: cert-pwd-prompt.
Specifies a property flag operand and its value when using the command dsadm set-flags.
cert-pwd-prompt flag possible values are: off on. Default: off. By default the dsadm command generates a certificate database password when creating a server instance. This password is stored, allowing dsadm to access the certificate database when necessary, for example, when the server starts listening for SSL connections. When the cert-pwd-prompt flag is changed to on, the dsadm command prompts for the certificate database password when needed.
Path of the Directory Server instance.
Filename of LDIF file.
Suffix DN (Distinguished name).
The following examples show how the dsadm command is used.
$ dsadm create -p 6389 -P 6636 /local/dsInst
This command creates the server instance files in the directory /local/dsInst. The server instance is owned by the UNIX user who creates the command.
In this example, the LDAP port is specified as 6389, and the secure port is specified as 6636. If you do not specify port numbers, the default port numbers 389 and 636 (for root user) or 1389 and 1636 (for not-root user) are used. If you do not specify port numbers and the default port numbers are already being used, the dsadm create command aborts. The dsadm create command also aborts if you specify the port numbers that are already in use.
The server instance path is /local/dsInst.
$ dsadm start /local/dsInst
This command shows information such as the owner, ports, and current state of the server instance. The instance path is /local/dsInst.
$ dsadm info /local/dsInst
Import an LDIF file, specifying that no user confirmation is required, and giving the suffix DN.
$ dsadm import -i /local/dsInst /local/dsInst/ldif/example.ldif \ dc=example,dc=com
Export a suffix to an LDIF file.
$ dsadm export -x ou=People,dc=example,dc=com /local/dsInst \ dc=example,dc=com /local/dsInst/ldif/export.ldif
This command shows all data in the suffix dc=example,dc=com, excluding data in the subsuffix ou=People,dc=example,dc=com
This command backs up the suffix data. The instance path is /local/dsInst and the archive directory is /local/dsbackup/20060722 .
$ dsadm backup /local/dsInst /local/dsbackup/20060722
To regenerate the existing cn and uid indexes:
$ dsadm reindex -t cn -t uid /local/dsInst dc=example,dc=com
Use the following command to renew an existing server certificate with a new server certificate from your Certificate Authority.
$ dsadm renew-cert /local/dsInst cert_alias /local/certfiles/new-cert
See attributes(5) for descriptions of the following attributes:
Stability Level
Name | Synopsis | Description | SUBCOMMANDS | GLOBAL OPTIONS | SUBCOMMAND OPTIONS | Operands | Exit Status | Examples | Attributes | See Also


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PRIESTS who suspect a child is being sexually abused will have to report their concerns to police under a planned crackdown by the state government.
In an interview with Fairfax Media to mark two years in office, Premier Ted Baillieu foreshadowed changing the Crimes Act to compel priests and other religious workers to report suspicions of abuse within their organisations.
This would represent a shift in Victoria's mandatory reporting regime, which currently exempts religious officials, and could involve clerics being prosecuted for failing to report.
But Mr Baillieu says he is yet to be convinced about the need for priests to disclose what is said in the confessional - an issue that is being considered by a parliamentary committee investigating sex abuse within the church and other institutions.
''We support mandatory reporting, and I wouldn't have a problem with an advance on that. But I think when it comes to the confessional, there are some other issues around that,'' he said. ''I'd rather leave that to the inquiry to make recommendations on it.''
The government is unlikely to change the law until it receives formal recommendations from the committee, because Mr Baillieu is keen to see the inquiry run its course.
But the push towards mandatory reporting comes as the federal government prepares to embark on a royal commission into child sex abuse, following allegations of assaults and cover-ups going back decades.
It is also consistent with the recommendations of Justice Philip Cummins' sweeping review of the child protection system, which the government has been considering since February.
The review urged the government to change the Crimes Act 1958 ''to create a separate reporting duty where there is a reasonable suspicion a child or young person who is under 18 is being, or has been, physically or sexually abused by an individual within a religious or spiritual organisation.''
This duty, the Cummins report said, should extend to a minister of religion, and any volunteer, worker, or official within religious organisations with regular contact with children and young people.
The review also suggested a maximum of 12 months' jail, or a suitable fine, for those who failed to report, but provided an exemption for information received during confession.
In a broad-ranging interview on the anniversary of his 2010 election victory, Mr Baillieu also:
■Insisted he had ''no plans'' to reshuffle his cabinet, despite concerns some ministers are not doing enough to help the government sell itself publicly.
■Said the government was on track to meet its target of 4200 public sector job cuts but did not rule out using forced redundancies if not enough people took up voluntary departure packages.
■Said he would be prepared to sell off public assets to fund future infrastructure projects, but added he had no plans to sell the Port of Melbourne or any of the state's water authorities, contrary to previous speculation.
Opposition Leader Daniel Andrews said Labor supported mandatory reporting of sexual abuse within religious organisations.
But asked more generally about the government's first two years in office, Mr Andrews was scathing, accusing Mr Baillieu of having ''no plan or vision'' to advance the state.
''You've got to play the full four quarters - you can't just wake up at the halfway mark,'' he said.
■ firstname.lastname@example.com