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Most people reading this are already aware of former First Things editor Joseph "Jody" Bottum's recent rambling essay, "The Things We Share," in which he apparently defects to the supporters of same-sex marriage. The essay has gathered a lot of scorn from both opponents and supporters of same-sex "marriage" and does seem to be meandering, contradictory, and ultimately unsatisfying in its arguments.
Other bloggers have done well in pointing out the essay's explicit nonsense, and I do not intend to retread the same ground. Rather, I want to take a more careful look at the essay from the standpoint of "Straussian" criticism.
Persecution and Democracy
In "Persecution and the Art of Writing" Leo Strauss suggests that modern critical scholarship has overlooked a fundamental factor that affected the writing of many of the great philosophers: the threat of "persecution." A Jewish or atheistic philosopher writing in an Islamic context, for example, would have been in danger of denouncement if his true beliefs were too openly shared. For this reason, Strauss posits that philosophers living and writing in an intolerant age developed ways of expressing the free thoughts of their minds while apparently endorsing the current official "orthodoxy."
"Nobody would prevent him [the philosopher] from publishing a passionate attack on what he would call the liberal [i.e., heterodox] view. He would of course have to state the liberal view before attacking it . . . Only when he reached the core of the argument would he write three or four sentences in that terse or lively style which is apt to arrest the attention of the young men who love to think."
The philosopher would even present the "liberal" view more lucidly than its own proponents, before eventually mounting a relatively flat, conventional attack upon it in the customary style of the time.
It is important to note that, in Strauss's opinion, the most significant instances of esoteric writing appear in societies that exist somewhere between the two extremes of utter persecution of free thought and complete license. 'Persecution' does not necessarily mean the Spanish Inquisition. Strauss lists a panoply of philosophers he considers to have written esoterically to some degree — all of whom lived in relatively tolerant societies: Plato, Maimonides, and Locke, to name a few. A common feature of these societies is a strong state, with some degree of official religious tolerance. Free inquiry may have been more circumscribed than religious belief and practice. Without pretensions to divinity, the secular power was considered to be "right," a correct embodiment of the political truth. In democracies, this 'truth' is of course the "will of the people." Political "orthodoxy" then, in the democratic context, is first to assume that the opinions of the majority are natural and correct, and then to seek to determine what those opinions are and declare one's opinions to be in accord with them.
According to Strauss, it was in a context of quasi-persecution that Plato developed the concept of the "noble lie." In the Republic this is expressed when Socrates says that political society ought to be organized around a fictitious hierarchy of social classification; the "myth of the metals." The divisions don't actually exist but it is better to say that they do for the better ordering of society. Strauss believes that this public-spirited "lie" is a subtle hint to guide the careful reader toward Socrates' more "liberal" true beliefs. Elsewhere, in the Laws, the philosopher suggests that vice, in this case the consumption of alcohol, can help to teach the virtue of moderation. However, in Crete, where the Laws is set, drinking is forbidden. Strauss draws the analogy between the "vice" of drinking, which loosens the inhibitions, and the "vice" of talking about the illegal act of drinking, which liberates the philosophically inhibited mind to consider a truth that exists beyond the law of the state.
Strauss observes that during the rise of modern liberalism, liberal philosophers abandoned the caginess which characterized 'liberal' philosophy in earlier ages (as Strauss interprets it), most notably eventually abandoning the concept of the "noble lie" in favor of strict sincerity. This tendency did not take shape immediately though, and even the plain-speaking John Locke exhibits strong esoteric tendencies and a capacity for concealing his true thoughts, especially in his hidden critiques of religion. It is not until the complete triumph of the Enlightenment, when even Immanuel Kant wondered if the French Revolution had gone too far, that liberals completely scorned the "noble lie" in favor of a kind of radical truth-telling.
The other assumption that changed with the rise of liberalism was the question of whether "the masses" could, or should, be able to understand a philosophical argument. Esoteric writing tended to shield unorthodox thought by writing inoffensively on a level that the literate populace could understand, but by means of certain techniques pointing toward a subtler meaning that only the truly thoughtful, considered to be "men of good will," would recognize. Democratic ideology takes for granted that the majority of the public are in fact people of good will and understanding, since they hold, by franchise, the public trust. To conceal one's meaning from them became a "vice." Thus the practice of esoteric writing apparently withered away after the Enlightenment, at least among sincerely liberal philosophers.
In today's intellectual world, liberalism has assumed the "orthodox" position. Thus, one intending to advance an un-liberal argument might do so under the guise of attacking it from the viewpoint of the liberal "orthodoxy." He might exercise certain techniques to conceal this intention from the mass of readers.
One characteristic of Bottum's essay which marks it as not being for the masses is the fact that it is prohibitively long: 90 full paragraphs or about ten thousand words; much longer than the average length of an Internet essay. What is also immediately clear is that he did not need this much space to make the argument he claims to make. He does most of that in a few paragraphs at the conclusion.
Everyone acknowledges that for an intellectual as wise and respected as Joseph Bottum, as good a writer as he is, this is some remarkably strange and sloppy work. Might it be that his essay should not be taken at face value? Perhaps he is, as Strauss puts it, "writing between the lines."
The Funding Acknowledgement
As others have observed, the essay's most significant feature does not at first glance appear to be part of the text. The acknowledgment at the end of the piece appears on the surface to be merely conventional: "Funding for this essay has been provided by a grant from the Henry Luce Foundation." However, given on one hand the argument the author claims to have made, and on the other hand the moral and religious views the author attributes to himself which are in conflict with this argument, the reader is led to the rather unsatisfying conclusion that the writer is corrupt — i.e., that he is accepting payment to write in support of views not fully his own. To claim to be a person of good will and yet to draw the reader's attention to the possibility of corruption is unmistakably to raise the suspicion that there may be intentions buried beneath the surface reading of the text. It raises the possibility of unfree or even coerced action on the writer's part — in Strauss's terms, of "persecution."
For this reason, as good Straussians, we must return to the text, paying more careful attention to aspects of its arrangement and style which the ordinary reader might have overlooked or dismissed as accidental lapses in style or unintentional errors in fact.
One of the first indications that a writer intends to communicate on both an "exoteric" and "esoteric" level is when he, not being the sort of writer to make casual mistakes, errors of fact, or self-contradictory statements, seems to do so. This may be a signal that the surface interpretation of the work is not to be trusted.
A pleasing feature of Bottum's text is the folksong, "Shady Grove," with which he begins and ends the essay. He describes it in the last paragraph as "A bit of old-timey Americana, the stuff we all still share." The verse he quotes in the first paragraph goes:
When I was just a little boy, / all I wanted was a Barlow knife.
But now I am a great big boy, / I'm lookin' for a wife.
In the last paragraph he quotes the verse:
Some come here to fiddle and dance, / Some come here to tarry.
Some come here to prattle and prance. / I come here to marry.
Given the subject of the essay, is not at all clear whether we all do in fact share this "bit of old-timey Americana." The song is about romance and married love of the decidedly traditional kind. Maturity, it implies, is about valuing and seeking the joys and responsibilities of marriage. In the course of a ten thousand word essay Bottum has done a lot of fiddling and dancing, a lot of prattling and prancing, a lot of shucking and jiving, but not much talking about marriage itself — that is to say, he has devoted hardly any time to actually arguing in favor of a view of marriage that would include same-sex couples.
Another contradictory element is Bottum's purported Americanism. Catholics, he suggests, should support same-sex marriage because it is now (possibly) an accepted part of American culture. This reminds me of Strauss's observation that in states where speech is restricted, the law of the land is regarded, especially by the young, to be right by virtue of being the law. The authority speaks truly, according to the "logica equina," and since nobody is contradicting him, the young person assumes what he says must be true.
Arguments Against Same-Sex Marriage
The clearest indication that Bottum intends an esoteric reading of his essay is the way he addresses the arguments against his stated position. Toward the beginning of the essay he off-handedly dismisses Ryan T. Anderson with the remark that the view of natural law Anderson wants to promote has "no purchase," i.e., no widespread acceptance in American culture. Nevertheless, a few paragraphs later Anderson pops up again, with the writer calling his 2011 essay and 2012 book, What is Marriage?, "the clearest, most cogent defense of traditional marriage." This seems, at least, like a book recommendation or a whispered word to the wise: If you want to understand the best argument in favor of traditional marriage, read this book. Those who take this implicit advice will find that its authors do not in fact rely on any obscure, hackneyed ideal of "natural law," but present a prudent, comprehensive political defense of traditional marriage as a common good.
In no way does Bottum mount a critique of Anderson's secular arguments. Instead, he spends most of his time in the realm of religion, lamenting how darned inconvenient the consistent Catholic teaching on sexuality continues to be. His citations, from G.K. Chesterton to Pope Francis, present an unchanging — one might almost say, a God's-eye view — of marriage and sexual morality. Reading Chesterton, one is reminded that the Catholic teaching on marriage and sexuality was countercultural long before the vaunted "sexual revolution."
This also Bottum acknowledges. His narrative of the "disenchantment" of modernity would, in a less defeatist context, form an excellent program for a young Catholic culture warrior, more clearly stated than most of the popular Christian literature on the subject of sex and marriage. This reminds me again of what Strauss wrote. For 'liberal' read, in this case, "Catholic":
"He would of course have to state the liberal view before attacking it; he would make that statement in the quiet, unspectacular and somewhat boring manner which would seem to be but natural; he would use many technical terms, give many quotations and attach undue importance to insignificant details; he would seem to forget the holy war of mankind in the petty squabbles of pedants.
One may recall here Bottum's petulant excursus on his quarrels with Maggie Gallagher and Chuck Colson over the "Manhattan Declaration." Strauss continues:
"Only when he reached the core of the argument would he write three or four sentences in that terse and lively style which is apt to arrest the attention of young men who love to think. That central passage would state the case of the adversaries more clearly, compellingly and mercilessly than it had ever been stated in the heyday of liberalism, for he would silently drop all the foolish excrescences of the liberal creed which were allowed to grow up during the time when liberalism had succeeded and was therefore approaching dormancy. His reasonable young reader would for the first time catch a glimpse of the forbidden fruit."
The "central passage," the fruit of knowledge which Bottum explicitly commands the reader not to grasp, is found in the following paragraphs, just after the writer has reminded us of Pope Francis's latest recapitulation of the unaltered Catholic teaching on the family:
The stony ground on which the church must sow is the landscape created by the sexual revolution. Made possible by the pill, accelerated by legalized abortion, aided by easy pornography, that revolution actually needs none of these any longer to survive, because they never defined it. They merely allowed it, and the completed change is now omnipresent. The revolution is not just in the way we use our bodies. It's in the way we use our minds.
One understanding of the sexual revolution—the best, I think—is as an enormous turn against the meaningfulness of sex. Oh, I know, it was extolled by the revolutionaries as allowing real experimentation and exploration of sensation, but the actual effect was to disconnect sex from what previous eras had thought the deep stuff of life: God, birth, death, heaven, hell, the moral structures of the universe, and all the rest.
This is nothing less than a comprehensive critique, an unmasking of the liberationist creed, stripped of its sentimental trappings, in a few words. Bottum even underlines it with some sly satire:
The resulting claim of amorality for almost any sexual behavior except rape reflects perhaps the most fascinating social change of our time: the transfer of the moral center of human worry about the body away from sex and onto…well, onto food, I suppose. The only moral feeling still much attached to sex is the one that has to hunt far and wide for some prude, any prude, who will still condemn an aspect of sexual behavior—and thereby confirm our self-satisfied feeling of revolutionary morality.
The turn against any deep, metaphysical meaning for sex in the West, however: that is strange and fascinatingly new, unique to late modernity.
What kind of moral or social victory do you obtain if the marriage you're granted is defined as nothing more than a way in which individuals define the concept of their own existence?
Bottum goes on to argue, I think satirically, that since secular protestantism has, through embracing divorce, contraception, abortion, pornography and the like, already destroyed any real meaning that sex and marriage have in the modern world, why should we not allow same-sex couples to participate in this meaningless farce of "marriage?"
He references G.K. Chesterton's tract The Superstition of Divorce:
G. K. Chesterton once suggested that if there truly exists such a thing as divorce, then there exists no such thing as marriage. The root of the paradox is his observation of the metaphysics implicit in marriage ceremonies: "There are those who say they want divorce in the second place without ever asking themselves if they want marriage in the first place. So let us begin by asking what marriage is. It is a promise. More than that, it is a vow." If we allow divorce, then we have already weakened the thick, mystical notion of marriage vows. Adultery is an everyday sin. Divorce is something more: a denial of a solemn oath made to God.
Then, as if nodding before the hearth, he rouses and seems to abandon this line of argument with a sort of disclaimer: "I'm not trying to argue here directly for an end to the culture's embrace of legalized divorce, much as the sociological evidence about the harm to children now appears beyond dispute." The important word here is "directly." Indirectly, as I have shown, he does much to strengthen the Catholic case against perversions of marriage; little to actually promote the views he claims to hold.
Since the essay is addressed to Catholics, and yet the argument is based on secular Protestantism, the implied rhetorical critique, the "esoteric" teaching if you will, is clear: Why should Catholics (or other orthodox Christians) play by these rules? Why should we pawn our Christian identity and beliefs for a mess of stale American pottage?
If any devotees of Ockham's razor, having read thus far, are inclined to think I have built up an elaborate structure of bogus argument in order to extract something other than the plain sense of Bottum's words from his essay, consider one final point before you give my arguments a close shave. I do not want to be uncharitable to the man, and in order to be charitable I am even willing to consider that he may not have intended to be correctly understood by every reader. After all, there are only two other possibilities:
- That Bottum is a candid, well-meaning, but stupid man who cannot reason or coherently express his sincerely-held views without accidentally contradicting them; or
- That Bottum has sold himself out to a cause he does not believe in, for money, while attempting to play both sides with his incompatible and vague sympathies, in a way that provides little support or comfort to either.
Yet Bottum is both a good and honorable man, and a capable and even excellent writer, as his friends and associates all testify, even as they disapprove of his essay. My interpretation allows this essay to be the work of a virtuous and sincere man, as well as an excellent, even subtle writer, as long as you accept that he does not intend to be correctly understood by everyone. I think Bottum hinted at this in an interview he gave, in which he said,
"I didn't really think that it would be misread in quite the way that it has been."
I think I can make a reasonable guess as to what Bottum believes the young Christian truth-seeker should be doing:
- He goes so far as to say openly that theological and philosophical reasoning has "no purchase" among the American public. This does not mean that it is wrong, just that your average Joe will not find it convincing by itself.
- Again, he explicitly argues that the real problem is "disenchantment," the loss of a sense of wonder at things that points to the spiritual realities of creation.
- If disenchantment is the problem, it should follow that re-enchantment, rather than renunciation, is the answer.
- Since for most of us, this cannot be done through reasoning alone, those who understand the truth on a philosophical level need to communicate it in other ways.
The reason we say "the naked truth" is that in order to conceal her own ugliness, Falsehood steals Truth's garments. The naked Truth is still beautiful, if severe. Clothed in her own raiment — poetry, art, music, kindness, and peace — she is glorious. Here are some ways that young Christians can present her more effectively:
- Telling the truth about sex and marriage in clear and sympathetic ways;
- Being living examples of married and unmarried people who honor their vocations;
- Making art and music that adorns truth with beauty;
- Being gracious and sympathetic to our friends who suffer from various kinds of sexual pathology, whether it be lust, pornography, or disenchanted self-image;
- Standing up against all forms of domination and sexual violence;
- Recognizing the gift of children as precious souls, neither to be destroyed in the pursuit of 'freedom' nor selfishly commodified in any way.
In doing these things, we will be counteracting by deed, word, and example the "disenchantment" of secular modernity, attracting our friends, neighbors, and even adversaries to the holistic, truly affirmative way of life to which God calls the world through Jesus Christ.


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Ufc 165
WOW! Why isn't anyone talking about this? Jon Jones finally was in a fight. Alexander Gustavson impressed the hell out of me. A 5 round war with Jones eeking it even though it was a unanimous decision a lot of people had Gustavson winning the fight. I had it 2 rounds Gus, 1 round draw and the 4th and 5th I had going to Jones. As the current champ I thought the decision was a good one.
Both guys ended up in the hospital after the fight Jones looked to be the more wounded though. Wonder if Glover Texteira will be the next in line or if they will do a rematch since Jones has never really had anyone give him a fight like this. I think even though Jones had a 5 inch reach advantage the fact he couldn't keep Gustavson on the outside like he normally does was the factor that made this fight so good. Finally fighting someone his own size and looking like h can actually be beat.
Some other great fights on the card as well. Spinning back kick knock ot by Barrow showing he is a freaking beast who hasn't lost in 8 years.
Evenly matched.Makes for the best fights.He won it in the last round when he had him wobbled with the elbow and head kicks.Looked like he was going down.Docs wanted to stop it before that but ref said no and Jones pleaded to go on.Close call but STILL your light heavyweight champion Jon Bones Jones baby.:D
Fire the judge who scored it 49-46, f'ing ponderous.
Incredible fight all the way around, but I thought Gustafson was the winner of the first three rounds and got robbed in the decision...
Jones must work for Don King.........
Great matchup!
Yhea great night of fights and probably my #2 fight of all time. no way in hell it should have been unanimous decision though. I did not even think this was going to be a fight at all. Jones seemed out of place and not like himself, almost like he was unsure or hurt coming into this fight. I guess he busted up his foot bad in the late first or early second round so that me have started the problems. I love to see that has has the ability to dig down and get gritty when he had too. That what real champs do. The story of that fight really came down to him not being about to get Gus. down, that cut his game in half or more.
I think they may let Tux. get the fight even though this is the first time in years we have a legitimate rematch. This ain't no edger/bj penn fight.
I had Mirtione in his fight just to to Schaub's suspect chin, but it's MMA and Brandon did a great job.
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Chocolate-Chip Oatmeal Nut Cookies
1/3 cup cashew butter, almond butter, or peanut butter
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 cup sugar or Sucanat (granulated cane juice)
1/3 cup nondairy milk (I use soy)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour or unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips (try Sunspire brand)
1/2 cup chopped macadamia nuts or walnuts
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Oil a large baking sheet; set aside. Whisk together first five ingredients (through vanilla) until very smooth.
2. Add remaining ingredients, and stir to combine (be sure to mix in thoroughly the baking soda and salt; you may want to stir these into the flour first).
3. Drop batter by large spoonfuls onto prepared baking sheet. Bake for about 8 minutes, or until tops just begin to crack. Remove sheet from oven, and wait 10 minutes before transferring cookies to a plate or wire rack.
They are great for bake sales, to serve to skeptical meat-eating friends, or just as a reward for a week of hard work!
I brought these to work and they're all gone. I made them into 13 big, oaty, peanut buttery, walnutty, chocolate chip cookies. They remind me of those big, chewy cookies that tempt you from bakery display windows.
Although these cookies are made with healthy ingredients, they do not have that bland cardboard cookie taste of healthy bakery. I subbed both tablespoons of oil with applesauce. Used half dark brown sugar, half cane sugar. I also baked then for about 10 minutes at 400 degrees. I wasnt sure at first because the dough seemed a little more wet than I am used to, but they came out great. Thanks for the fabulous recipe.
These were reeaaally good. The only problem I had was that the temperature seemed like it was a bit high. I only left them in for 6 minutes and the bottoms were burned :(. Other than that though, these were really tasty. I think next time i'll try it with brown sugar.
just wanted to say again, these are awesome. used crunchy pb, applesauce for the oil, and 1/4 cup each of pecans and slivered almonds. the pecans are especially amazing in these... the dough is great, too....
oh dear, me again. can you believe i made these again tonight. subbed the almond butter with macadamia-cashew butter, subbed 1 tbsp of oil for apple sauce, used all spelt flour, added brazil-almond-cashews, and 3/4 tsp cinn. yummy!!!!! all i can say is my pants feel tight, and they are my pjs, eek. >:D
I wish I never found this recipe, (not really) because we lost all control. I knew I was in trouble when those sweet aromas coming from the oven were swirling through the apartment. Made these last night and I cannot believe that between my boyfriend and I, there were only 4 cookies left this morning....until we each had one with our breakfast. >:D He kept saying, "I want more, more, more..."
Here's the changes I made:
-used almond butter
-1 T coconut oil, 1 T unsweetened apple sauce
- ran out of vanilla
-1/2 C spelt flour plus 1/2 C WW pastry flour
- 1/4 C mixed nuts (chopped macadamia and almonds)
-1/4 C unsweetened coconut oil
Baked at 400 F for 7 mins
Thank you for sharing this recipe. It's a keeper! Actually, I may have an interview at a veggie kitchen as a helper and if I get the opportunity I am going to make these cookies for the manager to sample (I told her I could bring in a taste test aka edible portfolio). These cookies may even win me the job :>
These are KILLER cookies! ;)b I used Almond butter, chopped almonds, and sultana raisins. Again, using 1/2 whole wheat and 1/2 oat flour is a good combo for baking in my book, it did well for these cookies. I used 2/3 oats and 1/3 cup of vegan crispy rice cereal. Everyone whose tried these wants the recipe!
Mmmmm. :)>>>
I made these with 1/2 cup regular sugar and 1/4 cup brown sugar, used 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon applesauce, added some coconut and baked them at 375 for 10 minutes. They came out just beautifully.
I really have to stop myself from eating the entire batch... thank you so much for the recipe!
now these are amazing - after making a disappointing batch of "happy vegan chocolate chip cookies" last night (and throwing them away!) these have truly satisfied my cookie craving. i followed the recipe exactly, using almond butter. i will definitely make these again - thanks for the recipe.
My sister and I made these cookies to take to Christmas at our uncle's house...for our family who are all meat-eaters except for her and I. We baked them for approximately 8 minutes, and used peanut butter, walnuts, and chocolate chips. They were a total, complete hit! Everyone loved them and they taste great today with a cup of tea. As most people have said, they do harden up overnight, but the inside is still nice and chewy. Everyone wanted the recipe. We now have a new Christmas tradition, thanks!


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AQUINNAH, Mass. (AP) — A Martha's Vineyard lighthouse that's in danger of tumbling off the cliffs it was built on in the 1800s was named one of the country's most endangered historic places.
The Gay Head Lighthouse in Aquinnah has stood on the Gay Head Cliffs since 1856 and a lighthouse has been in that spot since 1799.
But the erosion is eating the clay cliffs away at a rate of at least 2 to 3 feet per year — worse if there are severe storms. The lighthouse is now about 50 feet from the edge, and even closer to the point where it can't be saved, said Alicia Leuba of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Workers need at least 40 feet of cliff in order to safely stage a move, said Leuba, whose group placed the lighthouse on its 2013 Most Endangered Historic Places list Wednesday.
A town committee is leading efforts to raise $3 million to move the lighthouse to a spot nearby, where it hopes it will stand for at least another century, said resident Beverly Wright, head of the committee running the "Keep on Shining" campaign.
The lighthouse has important historic links to her Wampanoag tribe as the only lighthouse with a long history of Indian light keepers, and has been a fixture in her life, Wright said. Its sweeping light was part of her childhood and helped lull her grandson to sleep when he was little, she said.
"Not to have that light sweeping in my bedroom at night is a loss," Wright said.
Leuba said the brick structure has a rich nautical and cultural heritage, and it would be a huge loss to the community and the Wampanoags if it was allowed to fall into the sea.
"The danger is imminent," she said. "We feel that now is the time to act to save the lighthouse."
© 2018 Cox Media Group.


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(3) Price Elasticity of Supply
Topic Category
Other Elasticities
Publication Date
Elasticity, Price Elasticity, Sensitivity, Responsiveness, How Much
This examines the concept of Price Elasticity of Supply. Various approaches to calculation of a price elasticity are identified. The interpretation of this elasticity index is explained. There is a discussion of how this price elasticity is related to supply curves, both their general shapes and at different locations along a linear supply curve. Finally, this identifies and explains the major factors or issues that tend to make the price elasticity of supply either high or low.
Recommended Citation
Crane, Steven E., "(3) Price Elasticity of Supply" (2011). Principles of Microeconomics. 23.
Run Time
Primary Discipline
Skills Delivered
Understanding of the concept of price elasticity of supply. Ability to calculate and interpret a price elasticity value. Ability to explain how price elasticity relates to the shape of a supply curve. Ability to identify general factors or situations that would tend to make supply of a product either more or less price elastic. Ability to explain the logic behind these relationships.
Rigor Level
Previous Price Elasticity Videos


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When the cheater does not say that they are sorry for what has happened, what do you do? Do you need to do anything? In terms of reconciling, it is better if they express remorse for their actions, although it is not always necessary. You may need to ask yourself what you main goal is. Are you out to make them feel as miserable as you feel, are you out to make them feel every ounce of guilt for what they did or are you out to repair your marriage? If you are out to make them feel the pain and guilt, then their not feeling sorry or expressing it is a major concern. If, on the other hand, your main goal is repairing your marriage, then the remorse may not be a requirement. Yes, it would be nice if they expressed remorse for their actions. Is it a requirement that they feel sorry for what they did BEFORE you work things out with them? As they grow closer to you, then the remorse will come about naturally without you have to use guilt or remind them of their faults. As you mean more to them, they will regret any pain that they brought into your life.
Requiring them to feel sorry before reconciliation is not essential. One does not have to come before the other. Expecting the cheater to follow all the steps in order according to some book is not a realistic expectation. Since we are human, we do not always follow the pattern, stay in line, or do things according to the book. The cheater, especially if they are the independent or creative type may not follow patterns very well at all.
When you are doing what you can to repair your marriage, you need to keep your main goal in mind. Do you want them back, or do you want them to feel pain? Some of you may honestly want them to feel the pain before you accept them back. I can live with that as long as you are honest with yourself about that. When your main goal is to have them feel bad, then do not be upset that they do not want to get back with you. You are getting what you want. Just be honest with yourself. Don't say you want them back, when your main goal is seeing them suffer.
Best Regards,
Jeffrey Murrah
Nothing in this Work is intended to replace common sense, legal, medical or other professional advice. If your situation warrants it, please seek competent professional counsel.


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Chris Bosh's Wife: Did She Really Do Lil Wayne?
Did Chris Bosh's wife Adrienne Williams really sleep with Lil Wayne, as the rapper boasted in an NBA All-Star weekend rant denouncing all things Heat?
She hasn't directly addressed Weezy's comments, but the NBA star's wife did re-tweet a pair of (possibly) telling quotes by friends to that effect.


text: by redmail.netbsd.org with SMTP; 29 Aug 1999 14:25:34 -0000 by antioche.lip6.fr (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id QAA10846; Sun, 29 Aug 1999 16:25:31 +0200 (MEST) Date: Sun, 29 Aug 1999 16:25:29 +0200 From: Manuel Bouyer <email@example.com> To: "Charles M. Hannum" <email@example.com> Cc: firstname.lastname@example.com Subject: Re: [email@example.com: FreeBSD (and other BSDs?) local root explot] Message-ID: <email@example.com> References: <firstname.lastname@example.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii In-Reply-To: <firstname.lastname@example.com>; from Charles M. Hannum on Fri, Aug 27, 1999 at 02:43:40PM -0400 On Fri, Aug 27, 1999 at 02:43:40PM -0400, Charles M. Hannum wrote: > > I already fixed out fts(3) -- including several problems that still > exist in the OpenBSD implementation. > > Someone needs to write up an advisory. I can do it if not already done. I'm not sure yet if I need to write one for the 'override files through core dumps' problem, but I myself consider this being a bug. -- Manuel Bouyer, LIP6, Universite Paris VI. firstname.lastname@example.com --


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University Forms LEDs on Glass Substrate With Sputtering Method
A Japanese research team announced June 23, 2014, that it has developed a technology to form GaN (gallium nitride)-based LEDs on a glass substrate with a sputtering method.
The team is headed by Hiroshi Fujioka, professor at the Institute of Industrial Science, the University of Tokyo. It published a thesis on Scientific Reports. The new technology can drastically reduce manufacturing costs, compared with existing LEDs, and is expected to realize large-area light-emitting devices like OLED lighting panels by using inorganic LEDs.
The research team transcribed a graphene multilayer film to an about 2-inch glass substrate (diameter: about 5cm) and, then, formed an AlN (aluminum nitride) layer, n-type GaN layer, quantum well consisting of GaN and InGaN (indium gallium nitride) layers and p-type GaN layer on it with a sputtering method.
Fujioka has long been engaged in the development of the method to make LEDs with a sputtering method.
"We have not yet disclosed the details of the technology," he said. "It contains lots of know-how."
In 2008, he developed a technology to form a GaN crystal on a graphite sheet with the "pulsed excitation deposition (PXD)" method.
This time, the research team formed a GaN crystal on a graphene sheet, which is the thinnest type of graphite sheet in a sense, and confirmed light emission. It made LEDs emitting red (R), green (G) and blue (B) lights, respectively.
At this point, the team has not yet measured the luminous efficiency of white-light emission or the external quantum efficiency of a single color but is evaluating the internal quantum efficiency at an ultra-low temperature.
"The internal quantum efficiency is several tens of percent lower than that of an LED formed on a sapphire substrate," Fujioka said.
There is a challenge in improving it to a level equivalent to the internal efficiency of existing LEDs, he said.


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Midlands Pigeon Thief Apprehended
NewsPigeon NewsWednesday 24 August 2011
Racing pigeons that were worth around £3000 – as well as a prize orange parakeet – were taken by thieves from elderly pigeon fanciers in Sheldon near Birmingham. Luckily, one of the victims' sons made a sighting by chance of the house where the birds were being kept – belonging to one Graham Hughes, a 24 year old unemployed heroin addict. The birds were returned to their rightful owners and Mr. Hughes has been sentenced to 46 weeks' imprisonment suspended for two years. Iain Willis, prosecuting, said when police went to the address they found hundreds of pigeons in Hughes' back garden of which at least 87 were stolen.


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I Do a Dangerous Job
Personal Stories, Advice, and Support 4 People
It's This "death" Thing That I Try To Put OffThis label is everywhere I work. You can't work alone, you can't work tired, you can't be drunk, you can't be distracted, you can't do drugs, it's a wonder anything gets done AND how the heck do I always manage to put in a 10 hour day with 3 hours driving . . . and not be tired...
OhSoShy 41-45, M 2 Responses 0 Oct 2, 2011
OhSoShy 41-45, M 0 Oct 20, 2011


text: Contact Us Today! 1942 Picadilly Street. Round Rock, TX 78664 t: 512.252.7778 Send a Message Name Please enter your name. Email Please enter a valid email. Your Message Please enter a message. Send Message Sent! Message failed. Please try again. On the Road Socially on Facebook on InstaGram on YouTube


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Suicidal Tendencies
These guys need no introduction, and if I were a lazy bastard I'd just say 'Let the pictures tell the story', because the sheer energy bombarding the heads and hearts of the Ballroom crowd is pretty much there to see in the photos. But I won't. Well, not yet anyway…
Mike Muir has a big heart and a big mouth, showing both frequently. His motor-mouth soliloquies resemble a rap face-off at times, and the thick LA accent makes it hard for me to catch what he's saying at times. But the sentiment is clear – he's all about peace, unity and having fun. Striding the stage like a demented grizzly bear that's just been tickled silly, he's an entertainer, singer and frontman with equal adeptness.
Mike Clark, who possesses the second-longest tenure in Suicidal Tendencies after Muir, is a whole bundle of fun, throwing horns, raising fists and headbanging wildly, all the while laying down some serious riffs that bark aggression. His sidekick on guitar, Dean Pleasants, is more laidback, but considering he's playing some tasteful yet technical solos, he does rather well.
Dean Brunner on bass is a monster, finger picking some truly jaw-dropping lead riffs on bass, while contributing walking basslines, popping and slapping his instrument to get all sorts of funky sounds that Suicidal Tendencies are known for. The newest member of the team, Eric Moore on drums, looked pretty bored most of the time but perked up when the crowd asked him for a solo, and he obliged, thunderously.
For the final song, 'Pledge', Mike Muir invited the crowd up on stage, and it is at this point that I'll leave you with the pictures. When the dust settles and the bruises are counted, the Suicidal show in London will be counted as one of the best gigs of the year.
Setlist included:
Lost Again
Send Me Your Money
We Are Family
Come Alive
Feel Like Shit
Possessed to Skate
I Want More
I Will Laugh
Thanks to Chris Farmer at Metal Works Records for the photo pass!


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Wonderful cook, delicious mouth watering, comfort food. That was then...this now translates to...heart clogging, weight gaining, need more time at the gym food.
I am a frustrated cook! Between needing to feed us healthy, quick and delicious meals...I just want to give up!
All I know how to cook is gravy and casseroles...I can make your backside expand faster than the latest episode of Paula Dean...
Any suggestions? Great recipe links, super easy cooking blogs...tell me about it before they starve! I am at risk of raising another casserole cooker!
The blog I need help with is onehundred80days.wordpress.com.


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l Bridgetown
Governor of the Central Bank of Barbados Dr Delisle Worrell says a cooperative solution has been found to settle outstanding Colonial Life Insurance Company (CLICO) claims in Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean.
He told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) that the latest report from the judicial manager made to the Barbados court provides a way forward which seems fair to all stakeholders.
"What it says is that you may not be remunerated for interest that you might have accumulated, but we will at least ensure that you get a product which restores the principal value of what you might have invested with the company," Worrell said.
He said individuals would be entitled to some annuity on maturity, which they could cash out but with a penalty, while in the case of institutional investors, a company will own those assets, which will go on sale overtime.
"Institutional investors will get shares in that company and as the assets are sold then they will be paid their principal amount," he added.
Worrell said the authorities were taking that route, because of the issue of insurance companies now being restricted in their ownership of property and income generating assets. —CMC


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We drove the windy road to his grandmas house. And I festered. My soul black and ugly, scarred by bitterness and resentment.
My baby boy, only 4 months old, strapped snugly into his new car seat. One of the only new things we had received at his birth. We were young and although we had planned and prayed for this baby, we hadn't had money to purchase new things. Friends blessed us with hand me downs and I found some bargains at thrift stores but most of it was someone else's taste, someone else's first choice, not mine.
I didn't want to go, but family obligation dictated that I had no choice.
Growing up it was just my brother and I. We didn't have any close family. No big family dinners to attend or Christmas plans to negotiate between families. But I had married into Josh's family, complete with aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, and of course his sister Anna.
We had a long and complicated history. Three years younger than Josh, Anna and I had drifted apart as she made different choices and I found her harder and harder to tolerate.
I had grown to resent her and the easy way she seemed to skate through the trouble that she caused and my judgemental heart wanted nothing more than to expose her for who I felt she really was. Not the sweet girl who every one else perceived.
And so, when she found herself pregnant and single at 19, I felt vindicated. The truth of her lifestyle was coming out. I cringe at how much I let bitterness dictate my heart toward her.
But when the family rallied around her, forgave her, blessed her abundantly, the bitterness raged and grew overtaking my heart completely.
I tried to find grace for her, but with each new blessing, I only ended up tallying how this pregnancy was so easy for her while we struggled and scraped by. When we arrived at her baby shower, I took it all in, the decorations, the food, the relatives that had flown in for this special occasion, as well as the mounds of presents for her baby. My nephew.
I smiled and made small talk, added my present to the pile, and hated every moment of it.
And I got it, the fatted calf, the production made of the dirty prodigal, stinking with his obvious sin. His choices clung to him in the filth and dirtiness. His face shrunken and gaunt from feasting on pig scraps. And I saw her belly swollen with this child, and the feast that surrounded her, for she was lost and now was being found.
God's goodness was bringing her heart to repentance. But in my own selfishness I accepted none of this.
How unfair, my spirit cried like a petulant, spoiled child. And I was the prodigal's brother: the one who was seemingly overlooked.
My ungrateful spirit didn't see the blessings that were already abounding for me and the grace that covered me.
It shames me to say, but I hoarded grace like a pharisee. God used Anna to show me my own wretchedness.
I never knew the depth of my own depravity until I wrestled with my own self-righteousness. Before I walked with God my sins were plain, they were right there in the 10 commandments. But after the obvious was drawn away, what was left, what was far more insidious were the attitudes of my heart. The hidden things that I held in, all the while being a good Christian on the outside.
It's her birthday today. And I can say that now, 11 years later, she is one of my dearest friends. She is kind and funny and compassionate. I have seen God work in her life in miraculous ways, clothing her in grace and calling her his own. And God has used her to speak to the areas of my heart that I needed to wrestle with. My own sin.
She is my sister and I love her.
And I have learned over the years that a true friend rejoices when their loved ones are blessed. A true friend celebrates their friend's victories as their own. A true friend doesn't allow jealousies and bitterness into their heart.
I always thought it was a true test of friendship to weather hard times to stick by your friends when they were down and out but really that's not so hard. We get to play savior. We get to offer advice and dole out compassion. A friend's hard times brings out the best in us, our sympathy, compassion, and caring. We shine.
But it is the triumphs of our friends that shows our true nature. If they succeed, are we happy for them? If they receive abundant blessings, do we rejoice? If honored or sought out or esteemed, do we step back and let them shine, cheering them on?
God has used Anna to show me how to be a true friend. To celebrate and rejoice when a friend does well. And she has done well.
Happy Birthday to my dear sweet sister. I thank God for you and the gift you are to me and those who are blessed enough to know you . You are beloved.


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Romantic Escape Package
It's always nice to leave the house, to get away from the normal and just relax. This February at Alyeska Resort is the perfect time to retreat to the mountain town of Girdwood to indulge yourself and your significant other. Alyeska is offering a Romantic Escape Package which includes a one-night deluxe accommodation, bottle of chilled Veuve Clicquot Champagne, souvenir sleeve, hand-crafted chocolates and room service breakfast.
Spa Valentine's Special
The healing touch of massage is the perfect way to end an active day on the slopes at Alyeska Resort. By understanding your specific needs, our massage therapists can customize your session to deliver maximum tension relief and total body relaxation. For a limited time (2/10 – 2/24) upgrade from a 50-minute Couples Massage to any of our other Couples Massage options and receive a complementary Moroccan Oil Scalp Treatment add-on for two during your service ($60 value).
Yoga Retreat
This February 15 – 17 step into retreat mode and unwind with our Yoga Retreat Package. Instructor Svia Rothstein will lead four yoga sessions over the course of the weekend, focusing on a feeling of whole body calm, mental clarity and spiritual grounding, leaving you tranquil and ready for a weekend of self care and rejuvenation. Package includes two-night stay, four yoga sessions, two breakfast vouchers and $50 Resort Credit.
Please visit www.alyeskaresort.com for more information on packages, dates and pricing.


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The 12V MAX Brushless Driver Drill with CXT Compact eXtreme Technology features an extremely light weight, compact design and Makita's 12V MAX Li-ion slide type battery.
How to hang a door
Bring privacy to a room by installing a door. We'll teach you how to hang one yourself.
Outdoor Living
D.I.Y. bar stools
With just a few pieces of dowel and some plywood, you can make your own D.I.Y. bar stools.
Outdoor Living
D.I.Y. outdoor day bed
This outdoor daybed will help you to relax and unwind while you're outside; it's also a great design feature.
Outdoor Living
Five D.I.Y. ideas to update your outdoors
Autumn is a great time of the year to tick off a few D.I.Y. projects from your to-do list. Here are a few good ideas to get you started.
Living Room
D.I.Y. slatted coffee table
This modern D.I.Y. slatted coffee table not only looks great, but you'll be surprised how easy it is to make.
Outdoor Living
D.I.Y. wooden pallet wine bar
This rustic-looking pallet bar will look great in your backyard or your home when you're entertaining family and friends.
Outdoor Living
How to create an outdoor entertaining area
If you have any wasted space outdoors, then a great way to utilise it is by building a modern outdoor entertaining area.
Outdoor Living
How to create a weather station
If you want to know the weather in your local area, follow this instructional step by step guide from Bunnings Warehouse on how to make weather station.


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10 Bible Verses About Strength
We, at walk in love., hope to encourage and inspire our amazing fans and customers (like you!) as often as we possibly can. That's why we made this list of 10 Bible Verses About Strength to encourage you today. We pray they inspire you to take heart, walk with Jesus, and love others every chance you get.
"And what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might." - Ephesians 1:19
"And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast." - 1 Peter 5:10
"I call on the LORD in my distress, and he answers me." - Psalm 120:1
"But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." - Isaiah 40:31


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To most Americans, Apple's refusal to unlock the San Bernadino shooter's iPhone seems an untenable position. After all, Farook is a known terrorist who committed a horrific crime. That a legal warrant should be issued to search his every sock drawer and hard drive to uncover links to other terrorists or plots is patently obvious. Clearly Apple should just give the FBI what they want. So why is Apple balking? And why does most of the tech community side with them?
The facts are a bit confusing to those outside the tech community. The average American doesn't (and probably doesn't want to) understand the intricacies of data encryption and security. With that in mind, I'm going to try to make a more real-world analogy that everyone can relate to, but still illustrates the problem at hand. To do that, let's assume that this is the 1960s. "Ivan" has just committed an act of terror in the name of the USSR. He was killed in the event, but police suspect he may have had microfilmed plans and lists of other Soviet agents inside the US.
The FBI discovers Ivan has a safety deposit box at the local bank. They go to the court and get a warrant, present it to the bank, and the bank manager opens the box inside the vault and surrenders the contents inside to the authorities.
This situation is similar to requests Apple has responded to many times before. It is a request for something Apple has possession of (e.g. iMessage conversations on its servers) which are turned over willingly with the proper legal authorization. This is how most people seem to be thinking of the Farook iPhone case, but it is not similar to the current case at all. For that, let's move on to the next scenario.
Police then discover that Ivan has an ACME Self Destructing Safe in his basement. The feds know this safe is equipped with an acid release failsafe inside the unit such that if the wrong combination is tried too many times or they attempt to force open the safe, the acid is released and all contents of the safe are destroyed.
The FBI then goes to the ACME company and asks them to open the safe. But ACME explains that even they don't have the combination. Only Ivan did, and he's gone. ACME doesn't own the safe or any of its contents. It just designed and built it. Then the FBI comes back to ACME with a new plan and a court order to make ACME implement it. They want ACME to build them a device that can neutralize the acid failsafe so that the police can then just crack the safe.
However, ACME is aware that this acid neutralizing device will actually work on any of their safes, not just Ivan's. Further, they know their safes are the bane of the FBI, and that police have hundreds of these legally confiscated safes from other crimes stored in evidence lockers across the country. The FBI would love to open them all.
ACME is worried that eventually one of the neutralizing devices or the plans for one will get out in the public or on the black market, and once that horse is out of the barn, there's no putting it back. They realize that what the FBI is asking them to do is effectively remove the acid failsafe as a security feature from everyone's safe, not just Ivan's. This compromises the safety of ACME's many legitimate customers who have trusted them to secure their belongings.
Further, the security industry as a whole is worried that if ACME yields, it sets the precedent that no one can build and sell uncrackable safes or unbreakable locks. Every security system must be penetrable by the police without the owner's cooperation. But such a built in weakness is also exploitable for nefarious purposes, both by corrupt government agents as well as theives and spies.
This is the situation Apple finds itself in with the locked iPhone. Once it builds the crack tool, there is no reality under which it would be used just once and destroyed. Even if that tool was safely destroyed, the FBI would be back next week with another warrant for another iPhone, and they would be forced to build it again. Eventually, it becomes impractical to destroy and rebuild the tool each time, so the issue becomes about controlling access to the tool.
Therein lies the weakness. In a world where horses don't exist, no one has to worry about watching the barn door. But once you create a horse, then the door becomes a liability. And because horses are useful, eventually you have multiples… then multiple barns… and multiple doors. It's only a matter of time before one gets loose. After all, no security system is perfect.


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[High Praise! to Teri O'Brien]
Post-Election Haiku: Michelle Obama Edition
The first one at the link is unnecessary cruel.
Hugs and bacon to Teri for that.
[Think you have a link that's IMAO-worthy? Send it to email@example.com. If I use your link, you will receive High Praise! (assuming you remember to put your name in the email)]
Send to Kindle


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I just had to.
July 2003
0 Comments
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Meridian Community College engineering department ranking
Think about what career is best suited for you, and where you want to study. Request more information now.
Think about what career is best suited for you, and where you want to study. Request more information now.
Think about what career is best suited for you, and where you want to study. Request more information now.
Info concerning Meridian Community College engineering department ranking, and registering for elective degree programs. Which college degrees give you the best chances of finding employment after graduation? Completion of an accredited engineering program can qualify you to enter the workforce as a paid intern immediately. Given Meridian Community College engineering department ranking, for example, you may gain an advantage in job recruiting on-campus. Check with the mechanical engineering department for course registration deadlines, and engineering degree program requirements. Please use the form above to request admissions info for Meridian Community College
Mechanical engineering degrees typically take four to five years to complete, and result in a Bachelor of Engineering (BEng), Bachelor of Science (BSc or BS), or Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering (BME). In the US, most undergraduate mechanical engineering programs are accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). Mechanical engineering programs include courses on composites, thermodynamics, engine design, fluid dynamics, control theory, robotics, and computer-aided design (CAD). In addition to the core mechanical engineering curriculum, many mechanical engineering programs offer more specialized programs and classes, such as control systems, fuel cell technology, and biomechanics.
Many mechanical engineering companies have begun to incorporate computer-aided engineering (CAE) programs into their existing processes, including 2D and 3D solid modeling computer-aided design (CAD), enabling faster and more exhaustive visualization of products. Other CAE programs commonly used by mechanical engineers include product lifecycle management (PLM), and analysis tools such as finite element analysis (FEA), computational fluid dynamics (CFD), and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM). Further, automation in the form of industrial robots allow businesses to save money on manufacturing costs, and ensure precision quality control. The median annual income of mechanical engineers in the US workforce was $80,580, highest when working for the government ($92,030), and lowest in education ($57,090). Within the mechanical engineering department, you may consider Regis College engineering degrees as an adjunct to your primary course of study.
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Shiv Sena accuses Sudheendra Kulkarni of being a 'Pakistani agent'
Shiv Sena has accused ORF chief Sudheendra Kulkarni, whose face was blackened by party activists, of being a "Pakistani agent" and threatend to scale up its opposition to former Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri's book launch here.
Shiv Sena today accused ORF chief Sudheendra Kulkarni, whose face was blackened by party activists, of being a "Pakistani agent" and threatened to scale up its opposition to former Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri's book launch here.
Sena leader Sanjay Raut told reporters that "the man who has organised Kasuri's book launch in Mumbai (Sudheendra Kulkarni) is a Pakistani agent. (Maharashtra chief minister Devendra) Fadnavisji has publicly said that Khurshid won't be allowed to have any anti-India view in his programme and if he does, the organiser will be responsible for it. We welcome the CM's stand."
"Blackening of Kulkarni's face was a mild protest. Wait to see what happens in the evening if the programme continues," Raut said.
Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut
Raut said his party has written a letter to Fadnavis giving all proof that "exposes" Kasuri's "anti-India" stand. Claiming that Sena has no "political agenda" behind opposing the book launch event, Raut claimed while Khurshid was Foreign Minister of Pakistan, he was responsible for bringing all extremist anti-India organisations together to "suit their Kashmir agenda."
"When he was Foreign Minister, he did all sorts of things that were anti-India. We have submitted all of that to the CM and we now expect him to keep his word of not allowing any anti-India stand and intervene and stop the programme," he said.
Raut further claimed that Khurshid¿s stand on India during his current trip is "completely different" when he is in Pakistan.
"He (Khurshid) was responsible for bringing extremist organisations like the Hurriyat together. He asked all of them to unite that will ultimately give Pakistan strength to fight against India. (Atal Bihari) Vajpayee, while he was Prime Minister, was forced to talk about war because of this man," Raut said.
He said Sena will continue to boycott all events relating to Pakistan citizens till the neighbouring country stops sponsoring terror.
Earlier in the day, black paint was sprayed on Kulkarni for not bowing down to Sena's diktat seeking cancellation of events having Pakistani connection.
Recently, stiff opposition from Shiv Sena led to cancellation of Pakistani ghazal singer Ghulam Ali's concert in Maharashtra.


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Story last updated at 11/26/2008 - 10:48 am
DUPONT, Wash. - Faced with ever rising costs, the loss of government funding, and an increasing demand for their services, charities are responding by asking for larger contributions from more donors - and many are asking for more than ever before. Donors would do well to plan their giving and demand accountability of the organizations soliciting their support.
More than 80 percent of the money raised by charities in this country comes from individuals. To help these generous donors make wise giving decisions, the BBB Wise Giving Alliance offers some tips in regards to charitable giving.
The Basics
• Do not give cash; always make contributions by check and make your check payable to the charity, not to the individual collecting the donation.
• Keep records of your donations (receipts, canceled checks, and bank statements) so you can document your charitable giving at tax time. Although the value of your time as a volunteer is not deductible, out-of-pocket expenses (including transportation costs) directly related to your volunteer service to a charity are deductible.
• Don't be fooled by names that look impressive or that closely resemble the name of a well-known organization.
• Check out the organization with the local charity registration office (usually a division of the state attorney general's office) and with your BBB.
Mail Appeals
• Mail appeals should clearly identify the charity and describe its programs in clear and specific language. Beware of appeals that bring tears to your eyes but tell you nothing of the charity or what it's doing about the problem it describes so well.
• Appeals should not be disguised as bills or invoices. It is illegal to mail a bill, invoice, or statement of account due that is in fact an appeal for funds, unless it bears a clear and noticeable disclaimer stating that it is an appeal and that you are under no obligation to pay unless you accept the offer.
• Deceptive invoices are most often aimed at business firms rather than individuals. Contact your BBB for detailed guidelines on how to handle appeals disguised as bills or invoices.
• It is against the law to demand payment for unordered merchandise. If unordered items such as key rings, stamps, greeting cards, or pens are enclosed with an appeal letter, remember you are under no obligation to pay for or return the merchandise. If payment is requested, inform your BBB. In our experience, unordered merchandise can mean high fundraising costs.
• Appeals that include sweepstakes promotions should disclose that you do not have to contribute to be eligible for the prizes offered. To require a contribution would make the sweepstakes a lottery through the mail, which is illegal.
• Matching check appeals are not subject to any particular legal requirements. Donors should keep in mind, however, that they do not have to return the checks if they don't contribute. The checks do not have any real value in and of themselves.
Telephone, door-to-door, And Street Solicitations
When you are approached for a contribution of either your time or your money, ask questions, and don't give a donation until you're satisfied with the answers. Charities with nothing to hide will encourage your interest. Be wary of their reluctance or inability to answer questions.
• Ask for the charity's full name and address. Demand identification from the solicitor.
• Ask if your contribution is tax deductible. Contributions to tax exempt organizations are not always tax deductible.
• Ask if the charity is licensed by state and local authorities. Registration or licensing is required by most states and many communities. However, bear in mind that registration in and of itself does not imply that the state or local government endorses the charity.
• Don't succumb to pressure to give money on the spot or allow a "runner" to pick up a contribution; the charity that needs your money today will welcome it just as much tomorrow.
• Watch out for statements such as "all proceeds will go to the charity." This can mean that the money left after expenses, such as the cost of written materials and fund raising efforts, will go to the charity. These expenses can make a big difference, so check carefully.
• When you're asked to buy candy, magazines, cards, or tickets to a dinner or show to benefit a charity, be sure to ask what the charity's share will be. You cannot deduct the full amount paid for any such items, as the IRS considers only the part above the fair-market value of the item to be a charitable contribution. For example, if you pay $10 for a box of candy that normally sells for $8, only $2 can be claimed as a charitable donation.
• Call your BBB if a fundraiser uses pressure tactics such as intimidation, threats, or repeated and harassing calls or visits. Such tactics violate the Alliance's recommended Standards for Charity Accountability.
For more information about the Better Business Bureau, call 907-562-0704 or visit www.bbb.org.


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Bridget Marquardt And Viva Glam Magazine's Katarina Van Derham Have Dinner At Sushi Roku In Santa Monica!
Posted Sunday, April 22, 2012 by PukeMeister
Bridget Marquardt and Viva Glam magazine's Katarina Van Derham looked glamorous while arriving at Sushi Roku in Santa Monica after attending the Red Cross Ball at the Fairmont Hotel! Also, get all of the hottest fashion news at Viva Glam Magazine!!
Photo:David Aguilera
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When I was growing up in the 1960s and '70s, Catholic education didn't seem that complicated to me. Like most of the other kids from St. Elizabeth parish, I attended the parochial elementary school for eight years and then went to one of the Catholic high schools in the area.
Now, as the father of six children, I understand that there's much more to providing an education for my children than meets the eye. There are now more educational options than ever, and Catholic schools are very expensive for medium-to-large middle-class families.
My wife Maureen and I annually survey the horizon to find what's best for each particular child, keeping in mind his or her needs, gifts, and interests, but above all our duty to provide for our children's formation in the Catholic faith. We're well aware that many of our own contemporaries stopped practicing the faith upon graduation, and so we see clearly the need to discern the matter with great care.
The Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church affirms that parents not only should select a suitable school, but even more "they have the mission of educating their children in the Christian faith." It seems to me that this "mission" from God should not be taken lightly.
What Are the Options?
There are many ways that Catholic parents can fulfill their mission to educate their children in the Christian faith. Among the various choices, pride of place still belongs to Catholic schools, where the faith is taught in the context of a thoroughly Catholic curriculum and environment. In fact, Vatican II's Declaration on Christian Education says, "Catholic parents are reminded of their duty to send their children to Catholic schools wherever this is possible, to give schools all the support in their power, and to cooperate with them in their work for the good of their children" (no. 8).
In addition, there are now a growing number of independent schools. Many of these schools have arisen in response to perceived deficiencies in the existing Catholic and public schools. They tend to be smaller and more autonomous, giving parents greater control over curriculum and student life.
Other private schools, including Protestant-run Christian schools, often provide a high-quality education coupled with strong moral formation. The downside, of course, is that the Catholic faith is not taught and in fact the child will likely be challenged early and often regarding his or her distinctively Catholic beliefs. The child will require very strong grounding in the faith at home to flourish in that setting.
Public schools are always an affordable option, and in some cases they may be the best choice because of the range of special educational services and programs they provide. Given the pervasively secular nature of the public school system, however, parents need to be especially vigilant.
Homeschooling continues to be the fastest-growing option. In the United States, more than 2 million children are homeschooled, and that number is increasing 7-15 percent every year. My own family homeschools. No doubt, it can be demanding, especially for larger families. Yet by seeing our home as a "Catholic school," we believe that we are embracing our mission as the primary educators of our children in a singularly proactive way.
We must consider all of these options in light of the reality of today's political and social climate. Societal attacks on marriage and family life filter their way down to individual families in subtle and not-so-subtle ways. If someone today speaks out against perverse lifestyles, he's vilified and sent away for "sensitivity training." However, large families are fair game, and derogatory comments about one's family size are commonplace and socially acceptable.
Further, exercising our right to educate our children as we see fit comes at a significant cost. For example, as a homeschooling father, even before buying books and school supplies for my home, I support the public and Catholic school systems through my taxes and tithes.
While assistance from the government in the form of vouchers would be most welcome, parents should also be able to expect assistance and support from the local church when it comes to our educational choices. It seems to me that a culture of cooperation would be much more constructive than a culture of competition and suspicion. One encouraging example of this cooperation occurs when Catholic schools, taking their lead from the public schools, allow homeschooling families to use some of their resources.
For many reasons, there is a natural tension among proponents of the educational alternatives available to us. The fact is that in choosing what's best for their particular children, Catholic parents should enjoy the fullest liberty in their choice of school. The Catechism affirms the parents' right to choose a school that corresponds to their own convictions (no. 2229).
In response to all this, I'd like to offer four principles that have guided my family's decisions regarding the education of our children.
The faith is primary. When the Church teaches that an end of marriage is "the procreation and education of children," she does not mean raising the next generation of Harvard, Yale, or even Notre Dame graduates. Rather, the Church has always understood "education" in the sense of educating children for the worship of God — in other words, helping them discover and fulfill their vocation as children of God.
Given this mind-set, our first question must be how well our educational choice will ensure that the faith is communicated to our children. Religious training isn't simply an extra-curricular activity like sports, music, or art, but rather must be the most basic element of their education, one which informs everything else our children do. That's why our homeschool has adopted the Ignatian motto "ad majorem Dei gloriam" which means "for the greater glory of God." We try to use this as a means of reminding ourselves and our children what our first priority truly is.
One size doesn't necessarily fit all. While faith is the primary concern, academic achievement and human formation should not be discounted. As we know from our catechism, "grace builds on nature," and the educational process is meant to cultivate "nature" as a means of preparing our children for their vocations in life. Each child has his or her special gifts and talents that should be developed.
Sometimes doing what's best for our child might call us out of our comfort zone. Maybe we always had planned on homeschooling our children or sending them all to the local Catholic school, but for whatever reason that choice doesn't work for little Johnny or Sally. In that case, we need to be flexible and docile to the Holy Spirit in selecting an appropriate alternative.
It takes a parish. Even if we choose not to send our children to the parish school, we should still view the parish as the center of our educational endeavors. The Catechism calls the parish "the Eucharistic community and the heart of the liturgical life of Christian families;…a privileged place for the catechesis of children and parents" (no. 2226). Pope John Paul II wrote that "as far as possible, the lay faithful ought to collaborate in every apostolic and missionary undertaking sponsored by their own ecclesial family [i.e., parish]."
I realize that for some people there is a disconnect. Communion with the Holy Father is one thing, but communion with one's bishop and diocese or even with one's pastor and parish is an entirely different matter. Sometimes legitimate frustrations concerning what is, or isn't, being taught in the parish school lead parents to opt out of the Catholic school system. Yet one of the principal ways that parents educate their children in the Christian faith is by "participation in the life of the Church" (Compendium, no. 461). Difficulties with the local pastor or school should not create an antagonistic, "separatist" attitude toward one's parish.
We're all homeschoolers. Twenty years ago, I taught a seventh-grade CCD class composed of public school kids. The class met one hour per week during the school year. After one or two classes, it became abundantly clear to me that there were a couple of kids who were being trained well at home and this class merely supplemented and enriched what they already had learned. The rest were religiously illiterate and not getting much out of the class. Upon some inquiry, I found that most of them were not even taken to Mass on Sunday or in any meaningful way catechized at home.
This experience brought "home" to me the reality that "the role of parents in education is of such importance that it is almost impossible to provide an adequate substitute" (Catechism, no. 2221). Other individuals and institutions can help us immensely, but they can't really be expected to compensate for our own failure to educate our children. After all, "family catechesis precedes, accompanies, and enriches other forms of instruction in the faith" (Catechism, no. 2226).
Let's renew our resolve to help our children and grandchildren achieve not only honor rolls and achievement awards, but even more the "crown of life" (Jas 1:12) or "imperishable wreath" (1 Cor 9:25) that awaits God's faithful children.


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Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale took Kingston, 8, Zuma, 5, and 2-month-old Apollo to a party at Dave & Buster's in Santa Monica, Calif. on Sunday (June 8).
The rockstar mom wore a black ripped tee over a black top and black leather pants. She added some color with her pink shades and Adidas high top sneakers.
Over the weekend the couple attended the 13th Annual Chrysalis Butterfly Ball, which funds programs and services that help homeless and low-come individuals find and retain employment.


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Write a letter and help save a life. Join Amnesty International on Human Rights Day for Write for Rights and be part of the world's largest human rights event.
Date: December 10th, 2011
Time: 12:00pm-7:00pm
Location: Bram & Bluma Appel Salon, Toronto Reference Library, 2nd floor, 789 Yonge Street, Toronto (1 street north of Bloor)
Amnesty International invites you, your family, friends, and colleagues to be part of Write for Rights. Enjoy an afternoon and evening of mingling, letter writing, and inspirational words from guest speakers. Nino Ricci speaks about his own involvement with Amnesty International at 4 PM.
For more information visit www.amnesty.ca/writeathon or contact Nancy Cameron at 416.363.9933 ext. 328 or firstname.lastname@example.com.


text: On Thu, May 27, 2004 at 07:40:35PM +0200, Richard Braun wrote: > It seems OOo 1.1.1 has finally been merged into pkgsrc \o/. Now, is there > a binary package for 1.6.2 ? If not, I'm offering to create one. I've read > the pkgsrc manual a bit about this, but as OOo is a big package, does > someone think a simple make package won't do it ? See openoffice/Makefile: ONLY_FOR_PLATFORM= NetBSD-1.6Z[G-Z]*-i386 NetBSD-[2-9]*-i386 1.6.2 users will have to use the openoffice-linux package, which does work on 1.6.2 in Linux emulation. Cheers, Thomas


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"It will be nice in the mornings," a friend had told me before I left for Madurai. I grudgingly wake up before sunrise, wishing for a few more hours of sleep. The streets are empty but for the watchman of my hotel and a couple of two wheelers that were drifting away slowly. Perfume draws me towards a small coffee-shop manned by a short man with an innocent smile. The coffee is good, and at three rupees, is the cheapest I have had in many years. I had to have another cup.
Life expanded as I walked towards the temple. There is more light and a few shops are already open, but still hardly any people on the roads. A sadhu with a long beard squatted on the approach to temple, wearing bright saffron, his forehead smeared with Vibhoothi. There is just enough light for me to catch the glitter of warmth exuding from his eyes.
West Gopura of Madurai Meenakshi Temple
Repeated chants of 'Om Namah Shivaya' effused by loudspeakers from the temple, indicating that they are already open. Otherwise peace of the morning is disturbed by the continuous chant that is probably on since 5am. It would haunt me inside the temple too, till as late as 8.
Madurai Temple is roughly divided into two major sections – one around Meenakshi shrine to the south and the other around the sanctuary of Sundareshwarar to the North. The eastern entrance has the temple market selling flowers, trinkets, photos and statues of all kind of gods and goddesses. A huge thousand pillar hall which seems to have served a purpose no more than showing off the might of the kings is housed in a corner at the south, which is now converted into a museum. A fort-like high wall encloses all these, with four tall Gopuras one for each direction.
Entering Madurai Meenakshi Temple
The Gopuras dominate Madurai's skyline and their might is evident from far away. As I walk closer, I pain my neck trying to looking up at all the brightly coloured statues covering every inch of the tower. There are goddesses with uncountable number of hands, gods with multiple heads, demons with long canines, dancing nataraja, calm Subrahmanya with blessing hands and men and women of all kind – earthly and celestial. Leaving their bodies which are painted fair or dark, rest of the Gopura are smeared in every conceivable color by the creative brush of the artist. There are clothes red, yellow and white. Crowns are orange and green. Only the armoury and jewellery of gods are allowed to stay sober in color. The space between statues are painted with a shade of gentle purple that is fading, and there is so little of free space that it fails to become the dominant color of the towers.
I think of the engineering capability of those times used for building these complex structure looming several hundred feet high, at a time when the word skycraper would not have been invented yet. The amount of labour used must be phenomenal enough that current day governments and temple authorities might squirm just to imagine the time and effort they have to spend maintaining the structures.
Potramarai Kulam, Madurai Meenakshi Temple
Entering through the West Gopura, I walk along the temple corridor to the east and reach Potramarai Kulam – The Golden Lotus Pond. Southern Gopura, the tallest of the lot dominates the environs of the pond. Sun is just out and the tip of Gopura is bathed in bright light, rest of it still in shade. A large metal lotus in the pond, colored in yellow would have given the pond its name. Water level is no more than a few inches and the floor appears cemented. A small square in the center isolated from rest of the pond is crowded with lilies and houses a metal pillar in the center – another one painted in yellow. A few pigeons fly in and out every now and then, probably enjoying the feel of shallow water on their feet. The otherwise quiet environs of the pond is unsettled only by continuous chants of 'Om Namah Shivaya'.
I sit on the steps leading to the pond watching sun rays slowly light up more and more of the southern tower. A sign posted on a pillar next to me, and directly opposing the Gopura and the lake, proudly proclaims its location as 'Photo Spot'. The corridor around the pond is colored to life with bright Rangoli. I sit quietly on the steps and observe life in the temple, and watch people walk back and forth with tiny pooja baskets. Time moves uneventful and I am lost in non-thought till a man comes and decides to disturb my moments of solitude. He tells me that I should go around the temple and visit the shrine before sitting here, and offers himself as my escort. I politely try to shrug him off with a lie, telling him that it is all done already, but he is not ready to move. I then resort to ignoring him which works fine, and I am back to non-thought mode.
Sun seems to move up really fast, and it was strong and bright all over before 8am. The recorded chants of 'Om Namah Shivaya' are replaced by someone singing carnatic music accompanied by Mridanga and Nadaswara. I am keen to linger here, but the rising sun eventually forces me to move. I hear sound of anklets behind me which grow stronger on approach, and become unusually intense as it gets closer. Turning around, I see walking behind me is not a damsel in dancing costume but the charming temple elephant striding with her Mahout. Finding an excuse to leave my seat of comfort,I walk behind the elephant like excited little children in a village who would run behind a motor car.
A woman lights a lamp for Nandi
I stroll further, exploring corners of the temple and put myself in the shoes of observer of life in the temple. A small statue of Nandi is lit with dozens of tiny wick lamps releasing gentle orange flames. Women keet walking in, prostrate in front of Nandi to light a lamp, smear their forehead with a tiny dot of kumkum from the Nandi and move on. A statue of Ganesha keeps watch of people going in and out of the sanctuary of goddess Meenakshi.
Premises of Meenakshi Shrine
The inner prangana(courtyard) is heavily criss-crossed with steel barricades meant to enforce a queue. Garish metals stand out amidst the stone walls and structures of the ancient days. Bright railings of stainless steel, tastelessly installed gold plated coverings for stone pillars and a Nataraja in silver stand out among the dark walls and dimly lit interior. The sanctum is lit only with gentle orange hues of flickering wick lamps that surround the deity. Devotees, only a few in number stand in line to receive prasada and take their time gazing at the deity. There is no rush or hurry. The evening pooja draws a decent crowd that just about fills the inner courtyard and justifies the barricades to some extent.
Coming out from the Meenakshi shrine, I walk forward to the enclave of Sundareshwarar.
Continued in Part II
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Pumpple pie: impossible food-wine pairing?!?
Tired of having to decide between apple pie and pumpkin pie? A Philadelphia baker now gives you the chance to try both–at once.
As Kathy Lee and Hoda demonstrated on the Today Show, the "pumpple" pie bakes a pumpkin pie inside a chocolate cake, an apple pie in a vanilla cake and slathers the two pies in buttercream icing. Move over turducken! A slice is purported to have 1,800 calories.
Which wine would you pair with this dessert that eats like a meal? Or is it…impossible?!?