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Hugh O'Conor: the long road from Young Poisoner to reluctant stag
Hugh O'Conor's brilliant childhood performances are seared into our collective memory – and as his grown-up self gets a big-screen outing in new Irish comedy The Stag, he sits down with Donald Clarke to talk early success, turning 40 and everything in between
Michael Legge, Hugh O'Conor, Peter McDonald, Andrew Scott, Andrew Bennett and Brian Gleeson in 'The Stag'
Hugh O'Conor mentions the fact while we are arranging coffee and cake. So, I presume he won't mind me repeating it here. The fresh-faced star of My Left Foot, The Young Poisoner's Handbook and Lamb will be 40 next year. How can this be? Well, Mick Jagger is 70. So, I suppose anything is possible.
This oddness of this situation is heightened by his stubborn refusal to look even vaguely middle-aged. Still smooth about the cheek and sparkly about the eye, the perennially likable actor has changed surprisingly little since emerging as a juvenile lead in the mid-1980s. If anything, he's a tiny bit too old to play a groom caught up in a chaotic stag party. But few such thoughts will cross the minds of audiences watching him romp nakedly in John Butler's very funny Irish comedy The Stag (the closing film at the upcoming Jameson Dublin International Film Festival, see panel, right).
"I don't really have much experience of stag parties," he laughs. "I did go to Peter McDonald's stag party and we went to Lahinch. We went surfing and we went to a pub. It wasn't so raucous."
So he has never, on such occasions, ended up tied to lamp post wearing nothing but socks?
"No, no. I kind of wish I had," he says.
Written by the director and McDonald – one of our more experienced actors – The Stag does take in its fair share of unparliamentarily behaviour. A reluctant stag, O'Conor's character is lured to the country for shouting, taunting and one particularly striking outbreak of mass nudity. Andrew Scott, Brian Gleeson and Andrew Bennett are also along for the ride.
"We actually spent the first three days naked," he says casually. "That was a good way to start. There is a scene where Andrew and I fight after waking up naked and upset. That was the first thing we shot. That was a good way in. It was either going to be a great way to start or the opposite. It was embarrassing on a huge, collective scale and that's the way to go."
How different from the home life of our own dear Hugh. Born in 1975, the actor is the son of eye-wateringly acclaimed concert pianist John O'Conor. One assumes, therefore, that there can't have been much parental objection to Hugh drifting towards the arts. Yes and no, he explains. He remembers being sent to Betty Ann Norton's theatre school and drifting almost unconsciously towards the actor's life. When O'Conor was just eight, he secured a part in the popular TV series The Irish RM and then ended up opposite a rising Liam Neeson in Colin Gregg's film of Bernard MacLaverty's Lamb.
"I remember my mum coming on set and we didn't know if I was going to be any good," he says. "It was a sort-of summer job that I ended up being quite good at. Then again, I was too young to have a summer job. I remember not being able to see Lamb because it got a 15 as a result of my character smoking and swearing. Ha ha!"
In 1989, O'Conor found himself playing the young Christy Brown – and thus the young Daniel Day-Lewis – in Jim Sheridan's My Left Foot. It is easy to forget that initially nobody expected very much of the film. Who, outside Ireland, would be interested in the story of a working-class writer coping with cerebral palsy in mid-century Dublin? A great many people, as it happened.
"We did actually feel we were doing something special," he remembers. "We had a nice premiere. It got great reviews. But it didn't do much abroad until Harvey Weinstein decided to pick it up. It needed that push. I was terrified doing it."
For obvious reasons, he didn't share any screen time with Daniel Day-Lewis. But they did meet frequently and O'Conor confirms that, as rumoured, the older actor maintained his tortured posture away from the camera.
"If you met him in the lunch break, he really did stay in character," O'Conor says. "He would be himself, but he was talking to you as Christy. That was disconcerting."
By this stage, he had caught the eye of the studios. After all, kids that talented can become valuable assets. Eventually, O'Conor did run up against a few parental misgivings.
"I did get asked to sign a deal and go over to America for a few years," he says. "My parents said: 'You can't. You need to go to school.' And that was the right thing. There was one film in Hollywood and there was a three-picture deal attached. They said no. And I was all: 'I want to go to Hollywood.' The response was: 'Go to your room.' That didn't seem like an ambition you could have then."
O'Conor seems sincere when he claims that he never regretted how things worked out. He studied drama at Trinity College Dublin and eventually secured a scholarship to study film at New York University. Over the past two decades, he has allowed both strands of his career to blossom. When not taking roles in series such as Lewis, Ripper Street or Moone Boy, he spends his time directing commercials, TV comedy and music videos. Always eager, O'Conor tugs out an iPad and plays me his excellent video for a new track by Dublin band The Hot Sprockets.
"I really love this work," he says. "To be honest, I have been doing that more than acting now. It nice that you're writing this, because I am not sure I have been doing enough acting to warrant a piece."
Oh come along now. He's an essential part of the national furniture. Anyway, he's hardly been slacking of late. Just last year, he played the role of Lear's Fool opposite Owen Roe in the Abbey Theatre. Now that's nobody's idea of an easy gig.
"That was daunting. I finished The Stag on the Friday and started rehearsals on the Monday. That was such an extreme difference. The change from something light to something serious was really good."
But daunting?
"Oh yeah, I was terrified."
Well, fair enough. He's only about 16. Isn't he?
The Stag will screen in the Savoy, Dublin, on Sunday, February 23rd, the closing night of the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival. For more, see jdiff.com


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About Us
UT III Xbox 360 art revealed
posted: 4/21/2008 9:02:00 AM
More On:
Unreal Tournament III
We have had more
Unreal Tournamnet III
for the Xbox 360 news in the last 48 hours than I can remember. Now, Epic has released the final box art for the Xbox 360 version of the game and officially confirmed the Summer release
seen at the end
of the recent trailer.
Apr 21, 2008 08:00
Midway and Epic Games Announce Unreal Tournament 3 Coming to Xbox 360(R) This Summer
Award-Winning and Top-Selling Epic Franchise Brings New Characters and Content to Xbox 360(R)
CHICAGO --(Business Wire)-- Apr. 21, 2008 Midway Games Inc. (NYSE:MWY), a leading interactive entertainment software publisher and developer, and world renowned developer Epic Games Inc., today announced that the highly anticipated and award-winning, first-person shooter Unreal Tournament 3 is scheduled to ship for the Xbox 360(R) video game and entertainment system from Microsoft this summer. Utilizing Epic's world class Unreal Engine 3, Unreal Tournament 3 will feature two new characters, five new expansive maps and split screen capability, all exclusive to Xbox 360. Unreal Tournament 3 has already shipped more than one million units worldwide for the PLAYSTATION(R)3 computer entertainment system and Windows PC.
"We're very excited to be bringing Unreal Tournament 3 to Xbox 360," said Mark Rein, vice president, Epic Games. "Whether playing against our fantastic AI 'bots' or playing online with friends over Xbox LIVE, UT3 is a great fast-paced game with spectacular environments, weaponry and vehicles. Its comprehensive multiplayer offerings are truly going to shine on Xbox LIVE."
"We are extremely happy to expect to put Unreal Tournament 3 in the hands of Xbox 360 owners this summer," said Mona Hamilton, vice president of marketing, Midway Home Entertainment. "The PLAYSTATION(R)3 computer entertainment system and PC versions have shipped over a million units worldwide thus far, and soon Xbox 360 owners will be able to experience FPS action at its best with Unreal Tournament 3, complete with new characters, new maps and split screen capability."
Unreal Tournament 3 is currently available worldwide for the PLAYSTATION(R)3 computer entertainment system and Windows-based PC.
About Unreal Tournament 3
Unreal Tournament 3, the world's premier PC first-person shooter, will make its debut on Xbox 360(R). Unreal Tournament 3 unleashes the full power of Unreal Engine 3, taking graphics, gameplay, and challenge to a whole new level. Players engage in intense battles with other human players online, or against Unreal artificial intelligence that sets the industry standard. With the most powerful futuristic weapons and vehicles available, this is FPS action at its best!
Unreal Tournament 3 is rated "M" for mature by the ESRB.
More information about Unreal Tournament 3 can be found online at http://www.unrealtournament3.com.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Beyond Bluegrass Banjo
By Dave Hollender
Etudes and Ideas for the Modern Banjo Player. Berklee Guide. Softcover with CD. With guitar tablature. Published by Berklee Press (HL.50449610).
Item Number: HL.50449610
ISBN 0876391188. 9x12 inches.
Play and improvise with more expression and freedom in bluegrass and related styles. These ideas, exercises and etudes will help you expand your palette of improvisational and compositional techniques and sounds. Develop your versatility over the fingerboard, and master rhythmic ideas on the banjo. The CD features demo and play-along tracks performed by an all-star bluegrass band!
"This book opens up new vistas on the banjo, particularly useful for advanced players."
– Tony Trischka, Banjo Great.


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We utilize site visits, extensive client interviews, witness statements, historical, genealogical and geological research, digital audio recorders in search of EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomena), digital/35mm/full spectrum photography, Hi 8/DVR/Full Specrum HD recordings, FLIR Thermal Imaging and scientific measurement with calibrated instruments such as EMF (Electromagnetic Field) detectors. We employ scientific method and sound investigative techniques and research principles in our pursuit of evidence.
We are based in Charlotte, NC, and conduct most of our investigations in the states of North Carolina and South Carolina. We have also investigated various locations in Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia and Pennsylvania.
CAPS Consultations and Investigations are always free of charge. CAPS strongly advises against using anyone who charges for any of these services. Reputable organizations and individuals in this field provide their assistance at no charge.
CAPS is a non-profit organization for people to contact when needing information or assistance regarding Paranormal Activity, Ghosts or Hauntings. We are here as a knowledgeable resource for anyone who believes they have experienced a haunting or other paranormal occurrence; to help them understand what is happening and why, and to offer help and propose solutions to those with concerns.
Our goal is to find, photograph and record the voices of ghosts, prove/disprove the validity of claims of "Haunted Places", and document the experiences of ordinary people with the extraordinary world of the paranormal and supernatural. Ghostly phenomena will be researched and investigated with professionalism, confidentiality, discretion, rational logic, scientific method, and an open mind.
CAPS also maintains a separate highly skilled Spirit Remediation Team with over 30 years experience in this specialized segment. This team is available to consult with those who believe a spirit is present in the home or business, and remediation is deemed necessary. CAPS Spirit Remediation Team makes no claims or guarantees either explicit or implied. We simply offer these services in a good faith effort to further aid and comfort our clients. Referrals to various members and denominations of the clergy are also available upon request.
If you desire a consultation, spirit remediation, or would like to set up an investigation of your home, business or facility, please contact us.
Thank you for your interest.
Tina R. McSwain
Founder & Executive Director
The Charlotte Area Paranormal Society (CAPS)


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Spurs guard Green out four weeks
San Antonio Spurs guard Danny Green suffered a fractured left hand in Sunday's game against Minnesota on Sunday and will be out of action about four weeks, the team announced Monday.
An X-ray and MRI revealed that Green has a nondisplaced fracture of his second metacarpal.
Green has played in 38 games this season, including 28 as a starter, and is averaging 7.4 points and 3.0 rebounds. He averaged a career-high 10.5 points last season.
Spurs guard Manu Ginobili has missed the past few games with hamstring tightness, but he is expected to return soon.
Thunder star Durant dealing with sore wrist
Oklahoma City Thunder small forward Kevin Durant did not practice Monday because of an injury to his left wrist.
Durant was hurt after falling hard during Saturday night's game against the Milwaukee Bucks.
"He didn't go through practice today, just did some light shooting," coach Scott Brooks said.
The injury is to Durant's non-shooting wrist and is not believed to be anything other than soreness.
Durant hit the floor while attempting to get a rebound. He was 1-for-9 shooting at the time of the injury. He stayed in the game and wound up with a game-high 33 points in the Thunder's 101-85 victory.
"It was a scary fall," forward Nick Collison said. "Sometimes you land badly, sometimes you land OK and luckily for us he was OK."
Brooks would not say if Durant would play Tuesday night against the Memphis Grizzlies.
NCAA to discuss granting stipends to players
College football players from the five major conferences are one step closer to receiving stipends.
NCAA president Mark Emmert said Monday there is a "reasonable chance" that players in the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac 12 and SEC will be able to receive the full cost of attendance if the conferences are granted autonomy after the upcoming NCAA convention.
After speaking at the American Football Coaches Association, Emmert said he believes that giving stipends to athletes is "less controversial" and "less threatening" than in previous years.
More than 1,000 presidents, commissioners, athletic directors and other athletic department officials are scheduled to meet in San Diego later this week. Part of the convention's agenda includes discussing the possibility of allowing schools with the resources to pay football players stipends. The NCAA board consists of 17 school presidents.
Laettner jersey sells for $119,500
The jersey worn by Duke's Christian Laettner when he made one of the most memorable shots in college basketball history recently sold for $119,500 at a Lelands.com auction.
Laettner's No. 32 jersey went up for auction in late December with a posted starting bid of $100,000.
The jersey was worn by Laettner during Duke's 104-103 overtime win over Kentucky in the NCAA regional finals on March 28, 1992.
The buyer requested anonymity, according to CBS Sports.
Other items that sold at the auction included a Honus Wagner card for $657,250 and Jackie Robinson's 1947 Rookie of the Year award for $401,968.
Eagles WR Jackson offers $50,000 reward
Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson is offering a $50,000 reward for information in helping find those responsible for burglarizing his home last week, according to the Philadelphia Daily News.
Burglars broke into Jackson's South Philadelphia home while he was away on vacation and reportedly stole $250,000 in cash, $125,000 in jewelry and two semi-automatic handguns.
The cash and jewelry were taken from safes in the home, which is located near the Eagles' practice facility. A third safe was reported missing.
"DeSean is clearly upset that his home was burglarized while he was out of town on vacation. He has always felt very safe in his community, and it concerns him someone would victimize his place of residence," Jackson's publicist, Denise White, said in a statement. "He had personal items, jewelry and a small amount of money taken in the burglary; however, the amount that has been previously reported is inaccurate."
There were reportedly no signs of forced entry at his home. Jackson's mother discover the robbery.


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MrsB August 11 PM
Wasn't going to bother posting tonight since it's so late and it's all probably been said already but figured I should let you guys know I'm still alive..hehee. Of course, we all had the weekend off and I've been at work during some of the practices but even the ones that I've attended lately, I haven't gone right home and have gotten in too late. Nothing great to report but I know that there won't be any camp until Sunday (away game and Country Music Festival) so here it is.
It was a hot one this afternoon and while the guys were in shorts and shells, they had a pretty spirited final practice before heading out to Philly tomorrow.
Bon Jovi was on the sidelines and spent most of the practice talking to Kraft while his music blared from the speakers during warm-ups and drills. NFL Films guys were also on the sidelines with their cameras too.
Lots of passing game stuff and of course, Brady to Moss was the order of the day. No surprise to all that they are truly in a class by themselves. (No Welker again tonight.) Jamar Love probably didn't love being assigned to Moss all day that's for sure!
Also tons of situational stuff and scout stuff going on throughout practice.
Wheatley had a sweet pick in the EZ over Shun White. Ventrone hauled on in from Hoyer for a TD. Greg Lewis hauled one in from Brady jumping up over defender Mike Richardson for the completion.
Rookie snapper Jake Ingram ran the show today with vet Hodel absent. Hochstein and Ninkovitch took some snaps as well.
Edelman got some private tutoring from Brady and Moss on the sidelines after a play today. Got lots of special teams reps too.
"Seabass" was the savior of the day to catch the punt at the end of practice for the annual "earn the team a reward" antics. (Still no annual training camp creative rookie hairdoos as of yet though.)
Although it's only a preseason game I'm excited to see Brady and Co. back on the field this Thursday night… Go Pats!!
Posted: August 11th, 2009 under 2009.
Comments: none


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Letters | 4-14-14
Drivers should secure open loads
Drivers should secure open loads
I would like to remind all drivers with loads of any kind in a truck or trailer to please check two times then check a third time that the load is secure.
At about 11 a.m. April 10, I was heading south on Queen Kaahumanu Highway and had just reached the turn off to the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority. A white flatbed truck loaded with construction gear was approaching the intersection from the west and turned right into the merge lane so he could join me in the southbound lane. The driver was driving a safe speed and I decided it was best to let him get in front of me. As he did I began to worry about the safety of his load and so I decided to back off so there was plenty of space between us. It is a good thing I did. As he got into the southbound traffic lane and accelerated a piece of lumber flew off and bounced in front of me. It landed near the center yellow stripe on the highway and fortunately did not hit me or anyone else.
I followed the truck and when he turned into Hulikoa Drive I did, too. When he parked, I stopped and told him about the lumber he had dropped on the highway. He was completely unaware that he had done so.
Please anyone with a loaded truck or trailer check your load before you drive away.
The driver of the white flatbed truck did not use his turn signal when he merged on the highway from NELHA and again when he turned left off the highway onto Hulikoa Drive.
Turn signals are there for a reason and we all should use them.
Susan T. Wehren


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Predicting SMS spam
by yhat |
Let's face it, getting SMS spam stinks, and worst of all it can be hard to tell if a text is spam or actual correspondence you might care about.
Here's one from AT&T.
+1 (1) 113271909: Hello! We hope you enjoy all the possibilities with your new phone. Thanks for choosing AT&T.
Anyone else confused by this message? If so, we built an app you can use when you receive these cryptic SMS messages.
Text Spam to 832-495-4517
Classifying Text Messages
We built a text classifier which can identify spam texts and deployed it to Yhat. You can read about the text classifier in our tutorial and about how to deploy it to Yhat in our docs. In this post, we'll show you how we brought everything together using the Twilio SMS API.
Hooking it up to Twilio
Twilio SMS API has 2 main functions: sending and receiving messages. We need to be able to reply to text messages, so we're going to build a simple API that responds with the Twilio markup language (TwiML). Our API will parse the incoming request from Twilio, extract the SMS message, generate the probability that it's spam using our model, and then respond using TwiML. Twilio will then read our response and send it back to the sender.
Twilio's docs have some great examples of how to build a simple response. We went with Ruby for this demo.
We used HTTParty to make the REST calls to the Yhat API. To make a prediction using Yhat, you pass your username, apikey, and the name of your model into the query parameters and send any data required to make a prediction in the request body as a parameter
The Sinatra app is almost the exact same as the one found in Twilio's docs. The only difference is we're using the Yhat class we defined to call the Yhat server with the SMS Body. Then there's a little json parsing and formatting of our SMS response.
After deploying the app on Heroku we just need to configure our Twilio number and we're ready to go. Go to your Twilio Account page and pick out a number. Once you have a number, click it and input your Heroku hostname as the SMS Request URL.
Send us an SMS!
That's it, we're ready to go! Feel free to fire off a text message to us at 832-495-4517 to see how spammy it is. If you've got any spammy texts rotting away in your inbox send them our way and see how our classifier does. If for some reason you don't have a phone on you, visit our online version.
Putting it all together...
Here's the code in full.


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Michelle, a precocious 20-year-old woman living in rural Maine with her mother, is legally blind and on the autism spectrum. With big dreams and varied passions, she explores love and empowerment outside the limits of "normal" through a provocative sex-positive community. Best and Most Beautiful Things tells Michelle's joyful story of self-discovery as a celebration of outcasts everywhere.Premiere Date: January 2, 2017 | Runtime: 00:00:30
No available clips to show. Please try again later.


text:
Latest Podcast
In the second and concluding part of the discussion regarding the death of David Stephan's son Ezekiel, he discusses the trial, and particularly the reasons why health authorities might want to go after him, a parent who doesn't vaccinate, and the son of a man whose health supplement company won a war with Health Canada once it was shown to have benefits in people with psychiatric conditions often treated with pharmaceutical drugs.
David Crowe interviews David Stephan, whose second child Ezekiel died in 2012.
"What a fabulous job you are both doing. Thank yo so much!!"
—Gabriel, Germany.
" I wanted to say how much I appreciate all of your hard work, I think you are so amazing."
"[translated from Spanish]My name is Angelica and I regularly visit How Positive Are You. I live in Chile…My brother is HIV+…it is very important for me to know the truth about HIV. Many thanks for what you are doing."
—Angelica, Chile.
"I am a big fan of How Positive Are You and I am always looking forward to new episodes, the podcast is one of the main components of the hiv-skeptics movement."
—Paul, Estonia
"I've been listening to your podcasts and I'm extremely moved because it's been almost a year and half since I got a positive diagnosis. I enjoy listening because it helps me immensely because the biggest hurdle I've been dealing with is the mental and psychological part of how to live amidst an almost always preoccupation with the subject of my health. Fortunately my health is good and I have not taken any."
"Wow! I am hearing so many things I already knew when i listen to your show, I believe in self healing all the way, but when I got diagnosed i went right on meds because i was so scared! Tommy Morrison & Henry Bauer, i think have just saved my life, I really know this! I HAVE NO DOUBT ABOUT THIS! …I want to cry right now and nothing every really brings me to tears even when i am happy… THANK YOU SO MUCH!"
"I have found your site an amazingly open forum to the crazy world of Aids."
—Brett, Australia
"Please tell me that you're going to continue " How Positive Are You?" The podcast has been a great source of inspiration to me. The last one broadcast had me bawling my eyes out!! I am commited to carrying on Christine's legacy. I really wish I would have had to chance to get to meet her. Please keep up the excellent work. We're counting on you!"
—Aaron, Illinois
"I was diagnosed as poz in 2005…Thanks to you two and others, I have a new freedom."
"This will blow me away cool vibesters. I LOVE IT!!"
—Sascha Sarnoff, California
"I listen to your show because it is one of the few sources of intelligent news about the wacky world of AIDS. I've been following the insanity for almost 20 years now, and every time I see a mainstream article about AIDS spouting the tired old party line, my heart sinks. Every time a friend or family member unquestioningly believes what they hear about "science" from "experts", it sinks again. Listening to your podcast reminds me that I'm not the only person on the planet who doesn't swallow all the misinformation we're being fed. Listening to you gives me hope!"
—Carol, Santa Cruz, California
"Incredibly interesting and informative… renews my faith in independent media."
—Jeff C, Brooklyn, NY
"I have spent the last four days listening to your podcasts. I walked around a huge park in the rain today and listened to the latest one. It was great and took me through many emotions." —Kristen
"Your review of AIDS news is a refreshing dose of sanity in a medical world gone mad. Keep up the great work."
—M Rubenstein, Washington, DC
"Just discovered your podcast. The episodes are fantastic." —JD, Portland, OR
"This is a lifeline for people drowning in a sea of misinformation about HIV and AIDS."
"Up until now, I've been a very traditional thinker about medicine and believed everything I read about HIV and AIDS. My departure from this thinking has been quite difficult, but I am really enjoying listening and learning." —GB
"Your podcasts give people moments of clarity that I imagine could very well change the course of their lives."
—Matthew Anderson, West Hollywood, CA
"I love your podcasts. You two are a great team. You're both so personable, and eloquent and knowledgeable. It's a real pleasure listening." —Laura O
"These podcasts will be heard long into the future." —Gregory


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Welcome to the Church of God International Youth and Discipleship Department. Devoted to the needs of youth and Christian education leaders, this site is intended to be a resource of information about our ministries and how you can be involved.
To Finish the Great Commission we must FIND the lost and disenfranchised, including the unreached people groups around the world, engaging them in love and winning them to Christ.
To Finish the Great Commission we must INTERCEDE making prayer and worship the highest privilege and greatest responsibility of every believer.
To Finish the Great Commission we must NETWORK, servant leaders of all generations, including pastors, ministers, and laity for shared ministry engagement.
To Finish the Great Commission we must INVEST, our resources by strengthening the church through strategic partnerships for care, church planting, education, leadership development, and discipleship.
To Finish the Great Commission we must SEND, disciples to all nations, actively sharing the Gospel through Holy Spirit empowerment.
As a vibrant movement, the Church of God must commit now to reap a world HARVEST with a global church focus on the Great Commission Finish.
Blog Feed
Check out the latest news and blog entries featuring some of our best and brightest from the Youth and Discipleship Department


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Griffo Urges State AG to Probe Land Sale
(Albany) - Senator Joseph A. Griffo (R-IP-C, Rome) today announced that he has written to State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo in support of an investigation into a recent Adirondack land purchase.
Griffo noted that in 2004, The Nature Conservancy bought a 20,000-acre tract of land for $6.3 million and sold the land to the state four years later for $9.8 million.
"I am supporting the Attorney General's investigation because I believe when there is this much money changing hands, and this type of short-term profit from land, that a thorough review is necessary to protect the best interests of the taxpayer," Griffo said. "Multi-million-dollar Adirondack land purchases are a concern in this time of fiscal distress, and we owe it to the taxpayers to ensure that all of the right steps were followed that could rule out any concern."
Griffo said Cuomo's review can also ensure that any flaws in the land purchase process are corrected. "There are a lot of good intentions in the Adirondack land purchases that enhance existing Adirondack Park lands. We need to be sure that the process of carrying out those good intentions sufficiently protects the taxpayers and also does not leave state government open to charges that it acted improperly. I welcome and support this investigation because we need to protect our taxpayers."
[copy of letter to AG Cuomo attached]


text:
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Mikhail Piotrovsky: My father dreamt of being a night watchman in the museum and envied the cranes flying to Egypt
Breathing Life into Sites of Memory
"Culture is a privilege": a big interview with Mikhail Piotrovsky
The Hermitage at the VK Fest
Speech made by Riyad Haddad, Ambassador of the Syrian Arab Republic to the Russian Federation
The State Hermitage at the Intermuseum 2016 Festival


text: The following reply was made to PR misc/31125; it has been noted by GNATS. From: Hubert Feyrer <email@example.com> To: firstname.lastname@example.com Cc: Subject: PR/31125 CVS commit: src Date: Mon, 5 Sep 2005 03:37:15 +0000 (UTC) Module Name: src Committed By: hubertf Date: Mon Sep 5 03:37:15 UTC 2005 Modified Files: src/lib/libcrypt: crypt.3 src/share/man/man5: passwd.5 passwd.conf.5 src/usr.bin/chpass: chpass.1 src/usr.sbin/pwd_mkdb: pwd_mkdb.8 src/usr.sbin/user: useradd.8 src/usr.sbin/vipw: vipw.8 Log Message: Mention pwhash(1) in a few places, suggested in PR 31125 by Stefan Schumacher. To generate a diff of this commit: cvs rdiff -r1.19 -r1.20 src/lib/libcrypt/crypt.3 cvs rdiff -r1.23 -r1.24 src/share/man/man5/passwd.5 cvs rdiff -r1.7 -r1.8 src/share/man/man5/passwd.conf.5 cvs rdiff -r1.21 -r1.22 src/usr.bin/chpass/chpass.1 cvs rdiff -r1.20 -r1.21 src/usr.sbin/pwd_mkdb/pwd_mkdb.8 cvs rdiff -r1.32 -r1.33 src/usr.sbin/user/useradd.8 cvs rdiff -r1.14 -r1.15 src/usr.sbin/vipw/vipw.8 Please note that diffs are not public domain; they are subject to the copyright notices on the relevant files.


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Retail Arbitrage is Dead? Really? Maybe so. Wholesaling And private label sourcing may become the only way to go if I, and other eSellers if we want to list items as new, especially on Amazon.
Retail arbitrage is the standard way that most people source for Amazon and eBay. Savvy shoppers have learned that they can resell bargains from local stores for a big profit, especially through Amazon FBA.
However, I am getting more and more interested in wholesale and private label sourcing. There are increasing tales of people losing their accounts because they are selling retail arbitrage items as new. Amazon doesn't really care, all they want is a profit – but if the company complains that you are selling their items as "new" and you are not a licensed wholesaler for them they can get you shut down.


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Google has released a new programming language called Dart which is intended to replace JavaScript as the the lingua franca of web development on the open web platforms. Apparently there are certain issues in JavaScript that according to a leaked memo, cannot be solved by releasing newer versions. Google has taken this opportunity to release its own programming language which will offer better performance, will offer better tools for large scale projects and also has better security features while designing websites.
The engineers in Google are supposedly developing a cloud-based IDE(Integrated Development Environment) called Brightly, which will most probably be the first Dart application. Google will offer a cross compiler that compiles Dart to ECMAScript 3 for compatibility with non-Dart browsers. Google will also integrate a native Virtual Machine into Chrome and which should encourage other competitors to do the same with their browsers.
Given below is a program written with the Dart platform to calculate the nth Fibonacci number:
int fib(int n) { if (n <= 1) return n; return fib(n - 1) + fib(n - 2); } main() { print('fib(20) = ${fib(20)}'); }
[via CNET].


text:
SOUTH WALES, N.Y. (WIVB) – Mark Gietler, who has been flying hot air balloons out of South Wales for 15 years with the Aurora Balloon Company, tells News 4 that overall, accidents are rare.
He explained, "Everyone knows that it's more dangerous to be in a car than a plane. Well it's far more dangerous to be in a plane than in a balloon."
News 4 spoke to Gietler after learning of the tragic death of 24-year-old Natalie Lewis, a Buffalo native and Nardin grad who was killed Friday in a hot air balloon accident in Virginia.
RELATED | Just one month before this tragic accident, the NTSB called on the FAA to step up regulatory oversight of hot air balloons
Gietler said it's even more rare for an experienced pilot to hit power lines.
"What it looks like from an armchair quarterback position is there were two other balloons on the ground waving him in saying, 'Oh, land here.'Sso he probably took his eye of the ball for a split second and didn't notice and boom, there was the wire," he theorized.
Gietler also says how pilot Daniel Kirk responded, by trying to lower the balloon, showed he was experienced.
"He did everything right, but when you're in a bad situation, sometimes doing everything right isn't going to be enough. And if there's heat generated from a fire, the balloon is going to go up. Heat rises," Geitler said.
He explained that modern balloons are built to prevent fires and hold up in case of an accident.
"They're not flimsily built. Stainless steel goes through and completely around the basket," he noted.
He hopes that the accident won't scare people away from balloon rides including festivals like the annual Great Wellsville Balloon Rally.
But he does have some suggestions of things to look for before going for a ride:
- Look at the equipment and make sure it has an up-to-date inspection certificate
- Check to make sure the pilot or company is fully insured
- Ask how long the pilot has been operating a hot air balloon and how long the company has been in business for
- Ask how well the pilot knows the area
Gietler said, "I've been flying in this area, I know where all the landing spots are, I know where all the trouble spots might be and I avoid them."


text:
Download how to make a parafoil jite full file nhL8 free
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I decided to combine these recipes in one post. This kite is the simplest. It takes only 5 minutes and improvised materials. Read how to make a kite during 5 ...1/16/2011 · You May Also Like. How to Make a Parafoil Kite. Parafoil kites are among the most powerful kites flown today. Invented in 1963 by Domina Jalbert, parafoil ...4/10/2014 · How to Make a Kite. The leaves are rustling in the trees and the spring breeze is calling us out to fly a kite! Yes! It is Kite season! Here is an easy DIY ...What could there possibly be to write about how to make and fly kites? After all, making and flying a kite are quite simple operations! One has only to tie together ...More MBK Kite Info. For each kite in the table up there, plus the box kites, there is... A 20 second video of the kite in flight. A template graphic showing you the ...How to Build a dragon kite with a gold tail with your kids How to Build a dragon kite with a gold tail with your kids This awesome kite ...Go fly a kite! No, I don't find you annoying and I certainly don't want you to take a hike. But if you're at the end of your rope trying to control the purse ...How to Make a Simple Paper Kite. Got an urge to go fly a kite? With this simple project you can be out the door and flying high in no time.This is a pretty traditional kite. We have all seen this kind. It is easy to make and you can probably do it in half an hour. It only takes a few materials and you ...How To Make A Diamond Kite Sail. Now's the time to read up on the 'tools' and materials required for making a Skewer kite, if you haven't already.
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text:
Merry Christmas, Chicas
A/N: Italics are either English translations, or someone's writing (you'll see what I mean). Sorry if my Spanish sucks!
Mimi sat curled up on her bed dying of boredom. Thus far, her Christmas Eve sucked. She spent all day unpacking all her stuff. She was broke too. Between the drugs she needed to survive, and the money she had spent on the present she had gotten for her best friend, Angel, she was flat broke. Luckily, her friend Benny, who owned her building, was helping out with the rent while she got settled.
A knock on the door shattered Mimi's thoughts. Before she could get up, the door flew open, and there stood Angel. The Latino was clad in jeans, a white t-shirt, and a red jacket. He had his pickle tub tucked under one arm, and had the tan backpack Mimi had gotten him the previous Christmas slung over his shoulder.
"Feliz Navidad, Mimi-chica!" Merry Christmas, Mimi-chica! He announced. Squealing, Mimi got up, and threw her arms around Angel's neck.
"Merry Christmas Angel!" she cried. Angel laughed and returned the hug. He looked around Mimi's new apartment.
"Muy bien, Mimi-chica." Very good Mimi-chica. Your new apartment es muy bonita." Is very pretty. Mimi rolled her eyes, and flopped down on her unmade bed.
"It's a damn dump," she said bitterly.
"It's better than nothing. This Benny fellow must be nice, but he still has to meet my approval."
"You just might get a chance. He's stopping by tonight to pick up the rent from some other tenants."
"Disculpe chica." Sorry chica. "I have to work tonight, but first-" Angel put his backpack on the kitchen counter, and pulled out two paper cups and a bottle of wine. "A little housewarming party." Mimi had a huge smile plastered across her face as she got up to see the wine.
"Damn Angel, this wine is nice! How the hell did you afford this?" she asked as she looked at the label. Angel pried the dark green bottle out of Mimi's hand, and poured them each a cup with a sly grin on his face.
"Same way I got this," he replied as he pulled a brown paper bag out of his backpack. "Long story." Mimi laughed.
"Hold up, I got you something," she said before scrambling over to her bed, and producing a large shoebox from under it. She handed it to Angel. "Here, sorry I didn't get a chance to wrap it."
"Mimi, mine's still in the bag I bought it in." Mimi smiled and took a sip of her wine. Angel put down his wine, and stared at the large box from Mimi.
"Well, open it!" Angel opened the shoebox, and found a pair of black Go-Go boots.
"Chica, they're they're…asombososo!" Amazing. He exclaimed. Mimi appeared to let out a breath of relief.
"Oh good, I was afraid that you'd hate them."
"Hate them? I love them! Now, open yours." Mimi tore open the bag from Angel, and found a leopard print kimono folded neatly on the bottom. The dancer let out an ear piercing squeal.
"Oh Angel! I love it, love it, love it! I'm going to try it on right now." Mimi pulled off her worn black sweater. It pained Angel to see all the track marks up and down his best friend's arms. She was supposed to be trying to quit. Angel quickly averted his gaze to Mimi's delighted face. The dancer tied the sash around her too thin waist, and spun around several times. Angel clapped and cheered.
"Brava! Bravisima!" he cheered. Mimi stopped spinning, picked up her wine, and drained the cup.
The two friends spent nearly an hour drinking and talking. Finally, Angel got up to leave for work.
"Well, Mimi-chica, I propose a toast," he said as he pulled on his backpack. "To finding some decent men in our lives this year." Mimi raised her nearly empty cup.
"Here, here!" she said. Angel waved over his shoulder.
"Hasta luego, Mimi-chica," until later he said.
"Hasta luego."
Right after Angel left, Mimi heard a bunch of noise coming from the street outside. Deciding to investigate, she got up, and went out onto her fire escape after grabbing her leopard print jacket. She arrived just in time to see Benny's Range Rover pull up. Everyone looked pissed beyond belief at him. Mimi noticed a note taped to her railing.
Mimi, I'm sorry, but Muffy's Dad wants the rent. There's nothing I can do about it. Benny. Mimi crumpled up the note, and threw it to the ground below. Now, she was pissed too.
The End


text:
The Ranchlands Hum still plagues a number of residents. Happily, the City of Calgary is willing to help seek a resolution to the problem. The Noise Investigation Team, in conjunction with the City, wants to intensify the search efforts.
The first step in this direction is for the team to work with Calgary Water Works. The team has learned there is an auxiliary pumping station near Ranchlands that may or may not be a contributing factor to the Noise.
Water Works has said they are willing to arrange at test whereby they would shut the pumps down and see if the Noise goes away. In order for this to work, people affected by the Noise would have to be home and listening, shut things off and on in their individual homes and report any changes.
The team would like to hear from any Ranchlands residents interested in participating with this phase of the investigation. Once the team determines how many participants they are, arrangements will be made with Calgary Water Works. The time and date of the test will be made available soon afterwards.
Please contact the team either through the Ranchlands Community Association at 403-241-0356 or via email at email@example.com.


text:
Beach Ratings Criteria
To provide a quick overview of each beach we have given them a star rating for a variety of categories.
The rating is from 1-star to 5-star. We have based the ratings on Phuket standards. For example if we say a beach is a 5-star snorkeling beach, we mean it is amongst the best in Phuket for snorkeling. We know there are better snorkeling locations elsewhere in the world but we are judging which beaches are best in Phuket.
Rating based on quality of sand on the beach. We look for fine, powdery sand without shingle.
Natural Beauty
Rating based on the natural beauty of the surrounds. Positive factors are trees and natural foliage, cleanliness, headlands and views. Negative factors include rubbish and development. For example, although Patong is a stunning beach in a beautiful bay we have to reduce the rating because of the high level of surrounding development.
Water QualityWater quality is generally very good around Phuket. However there are beaches with waste water outlets into the sea and some beaches are not kept as clean as others. Rating based on water clarity, lack of pollution and cleanliness.
Whether you consider development to be a good or bad thing is up to you. We have based the rating on the amount of development around the beach such as restaurants, bars, hotels, shops and housing. The more development, the higher the mark.
Rating based on how good the beach is for bathing. We are looking for a sandy seabed, steady slope into the sea and water quality.
Rating based on how good the beach is for snorkeling. We are looking for corals, rocks, sea life, water depth and water clarity.
Again, it is up to you whether you consider activities to be a good or bad thing. We base the rating on how many beach & water activities are available, e.g. jet skis, banana boats, parasailing, kayaking or sports.


text:
Sometimes we would just like to find the nearest store or service that we can go to. We may be in need of a product or in need of some kind of service like delivery or food service. It would be easier to locate the stores online before going to them. Knowing where to go will save a lot of time like if we need Wells Fargo locations, we could go directly to their nearest building instead of trying to remember the nearest one and ending up going to a location that is farther.
Store Locations
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text:
I was due to go on holiday to India with my wife and 10-year-old son. The trip cost £6,297 plus visas which were £65 each for the three of us.
But before we left I collapsed and was taken to hospital, where a pacemaker was fitted.
Our holiday was cancelled. A claim was made to Axa, our insurer. Despite filling in numerous forms, emails to Axa and writing a formal letter of complaint, the money has not been repaid.
It is impossible to obtain a reply. Your intervention would be appreciated.
KR, Leics
Axa Travel Insurance says the delay at issue here was caused by the fact that it should have chased for some crucial medical information from a third party – but no chaser was sent.
It has apologised for this and says the failure has also been addressed with the relevant team.
As soon as it received this information, after my involvement, it paid the £6,297. The £50 excess has been waived in recognition of the delay. Visas are not covered by the insurance.
The good news is that you are well again, have been to Morocco since this and are still in a high-powered job.


text:
The Jazz Society of Pensacola's Jazz Gumbo (implying a delicious mix of various ingredients giving a wonderful effect) happens every third Monday evening of each month except December. Live jazz is featured in a variety of styles with groups or bands chosen from around the Emerald Coast area. Doors open at 5:30.
March's Jazz Gumbo features The EdMo Project feat.:
EdMo Lanier Bass
Pianist Gino Rosaria
Trumpet Brian Taylor
Sax Al Alvarado
Percussion Sal Salaz
Drums Traylin Gastone
Vocalist Gwen D'Vyne Lanier
EdMo Lanier is a music director, producer and arranger. He can play bass, piano, trumpet, harmonica, percussion and performs as a vocalist. His soul resides deep in the neighborhood of blues, jazz, R&B.
EdMo has toured Switzerland & North America. He has also performed with the Regal Empress Cruise line show band and has produced the music for "The Blocks" a documentary made for PBS. Ed has also shared the stage with greats Nat Adderley and Nancy Wilson.
He has written, arranged and produced a number of CDs exclusively featuring he special blend a jazz and blues.
The band will present a line-up of standards, jazz classics and more with the emphasis on the groove."
Cost of admission is $10 for JSOP members with membership card, $15 for nonmembers, $5 for students with ID and free for military people in uniform. Admission includes a cup of seafood gumbo.
Door prizes are given away via drawing of admission tickets, and attendees can purchase 50/50 tickets for another drawing where the winner gets half and JSOP gets the other half as a benefit to the Society's music program. One may order from the menu and cash bar is also available. Guests are welcome! Those joining the Society get free admission to their first Jazz Gumbo.
Who: Jazz Society of Pensacola presents
What: Jazz Gumbo
When: Monday, March 17, 6:30 PM. Doors will open at 5:30 PM
Where: Phineas Phogg's Room in Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St.


text:
The Incubator Program was created to provide unique and focused experiences, providing researchers, engineers and business leaders in niche fields a valuable opportunity to meet and discuss advances, challenges and opportunities regarding their research. OSA Incubators:
Propose a New Incubator
OSA continuously strives to expand the incubator program to examine new and burgeoning topics. Please use this form to propose an Incubator you would be interested in hosting or a topic area you would recommend OSA explore.
Read blog posts on past Incubators.


text:
ELCOME TO IT'S PAR 4 THE COURSE Golf Club, which was created to help the beginner golfer learn how to play better and have more fun golfing. Instructor Robert Schaeffer has spent years working with students of all ages, from adults to children as young as five years old. Mr. Schaeffer has developed a simple method that is easy to learn and achieves quick results.
Become a member and benefit from all that IT'S PAR 4 THE COURSE offers:
Receive a One-on-One Session taught by Mr. Schaeffer for one hour.
Share Family and Friends Passes with non-members.
Packages are designed for your individual needs and budget. Sessions are available 7 days a week from 7:45 AM to 8:45 PM. Sessions will be held at golf ranges in Manhattan, Queens, and Nassau.


text:
Drainage Systems in High Rise Buildings
Studor has world-recognised expertise in venting drainage systems for high rise buildings and the Studor System is a revolutionary 'world-first' system developed to resolve the problems of positive and negative pressures within the drainage systems of multi-storey, high rise residential and commercial developments.
The Studor System complements the range of Studor Air Admittance Valves (AAVs), providing the best total pressure balance within the drainage system of any multi-storey building over 10 storeys high, or even smaller buildings with more complex system designs. The Studor System can be installed into new building projects or retrofitted.
By referring to the various resources featured in our Studor Guide you will find Reference Projects, CAD drawings, installation guides and much more.
What is the Height of your High Rise Building?
Whether 10 storey, 30 storey, or even the tallest building in the country, Studor has an expert in-house team that can guide you through all the technical issues involved with drainage systems, enabling you to deal with your building project in a professional, efficient and timely way.
The Studor P.A.P.A. (Positive Air Pressure Attenuator)
The Studor P.A.P.A. forms part of the Studor System, a complete venting system also utilising Studor AAVs, for example the Mini-Vent and Maxi-Vent.
The Studor System has brought the design of plumbing venting systems into the 21st century, allowing drainage system architects, consultants and building engineers to simplify their sanitary waste systems with many benefits.
Speak with one of our experts and find out how we can help you specify the right single stack drainage system for your high rise building.
Sample Reference Projects
The Citadel is a stunning six storey apartment scheme completed in 2004, and the tallest timber framed building in the city of Manchester. Developed by David McLean Homes and constructed by ROK Build, the main contractor. ROK were extremely happy with the service and savings provided by the use of Studor products.
Installation Description:
With 70 Studor P.A.P.A.s and 35 Maxi-Vents used in the design and build of this multi floor residential building, this is a great example of how the Studor AAVs work together with the P.A.P.A. as the Studor System to provide you with a very effective drainage system.
"The drainage plumbing ventilation system for "The Citadel" has been a great success and we have no complaints whatsoever. We would recommend the use of Studor and the products, and would not hesitate to work with Studor on any future developments."
Stephen Crosthwaite, Project Surveyor, ROK Build North Limited, UK
Colorado, USA
The 35 storey luxury Denver Hyatt Hotel at the Convention Centre in Colarado was a big milestone for Studor in terms of entering into the United States. It was one of the first designed projects to utilise the Studor Single Pipe System within the USA, with the obvious benefits being the space saving and ease of installation; this made Studor the only choice for this project which completed in 2006.
Installation Description:
The Studor P.A.P.A., Studor Maxi-Vents and Studor Tec-Vents were installed within the Studor System, offering design flexibility, greater protection from positive and negative transients, and substantial savings. These were all factored into the decision to utilise Studor's latest innovative technology.
Harbour One is a 22 storey apartment block housing 258 separate dwellings within the prestigious riverside Hamilton Harbour project in Brisbane. Set in a landscaped parkland setting, it shares the site with the smaller Harbour Two residential building and the KSD, a mixed use precinct, offering office space, retail and leisure facilities.
Installation Description:
The Studor System was the chosen drainage system; utilising in total, 514 Studor AAVs and 166 Studor P.A.P.A.s. The P.A.P.A.s were installed horizontally in the ceiling space between the habitable areas, thereby maximising the amount of usable floor space. Significant cost savings were made by installing the SSPS.
The Millennium Dome was originally intended to be a temporary structure for use throughout the year 2000. The O2 redevelopment, which finished in 2007, saw the building transformed into an exciting, versatile sports and entertainment venue seating 23,000. The ground surface can also be changed between ice rink, basketball court, exhibition space, conference venue, private hire venue and concert venue. It is a popular music venue, and was used during the 2012 Olympics as the venue for gymnastics and basketball.
Installation Description:
The installation of 548 toilets posed an issue for the plumbing contractor. The use of open stacks had been dismissed by the local council due to perceived threat of SARS or other airborne viruses. A totally sealed drainage solution was designed using the Studor System by the at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland, who worked together with Studor and MNE to develop a suitable system for the O2 Arena and to prove to Building Control that the system would work.
This is a project stretching over 70 floors, 220,000m², and comprises condominiums, a luxury hotel, casino, shops, restaurant, spa and business centre. With the consultants, Studor was able to provide a solution without the need for vent pipes, which the shape of the building would not have allowed.
Installation description:
Over 2000 Studor AAVs were installed, together with the P.A.P.A., as the Studor System. A total of 44,000 metres of pipe were consequently saved, together with the associated reduction of installation time and benefits to the environment.
The Hub hotel was previously a 20 storey office building. On conversion, the exterior remained original, while the interiors were stripped to accommodate new luxurious suites with large bathrooms. This created an additional demand for drainage without extra room for stack ventilation, whilst also keeping noise levels to a minimum.
Installation Description:
The solution was to fit a combination of Mini-Vents, Trap-Vents, Maxi-Vents and the P.A.P.A., fitting the complete Studor System to the existing drainage system with little intrusive or additional work.


text: An artist's impression of how the Milky Way galaxy would look when seen from almost edge on, a very different perspective than we get from Earth. ESO/NASA/JPL-Caltech/M. Kornmesser/R. Hurt / HANDOUT EPAAn artist's impression of the Milky Way, including the spiral arms. It has been updated to include the most recent mapping of the shape of the central bulge deduced from survey data from ESO's VISTA telescope. NASA/JPL-Caltech/ESO/R. Hurt EPAThe ESO 3.6-meter telescope at La Silla, Chile. ESO / SERGE BRUNIER EPAAn edge-on view galaxy NGC 4710 taken with NASA/ESA's Hubble Space Telescope. NASA / ESA EPAArtist rendering shows NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft barreling through space. NASA announced Sept. 12 that Voyager 1 has become the first spacecraft to enter interstellar space, or the space between stars, more than three decades after launching from Earth. APA Soyuz capsule carrying three astronauts, Expedition 36 Cmdr. Pavel Vinogradov of the Russian Federal Space Agency, flight engineer Alexander Misurkin and flight engineer Chris Cassidy of NASA, lands in a remote area in Kazakhstan on Sept. 11. Maxim Shipenkov, APRussian cosmonaut Pavel Vinogradov waves from inside the Soyuz TMA-08M space capsule shortly after landing. Maxim Shipenkov, APRussia's space agency ground personnel carry cosmonauts Pavel Vinogradov, foreground, and Alexander Misurkin, background right, and U.S. astronaut Chris Cassidy, background left, shortly after their Soyuz capsule landed. Maxim Shipenkov, APExpedition 36 Flight Engineer Chris Cassidy of NASA is carried to the medical tent shortly after he landed in Kazakhstan. Bill Ingalls, NASA Getty ImagesLike this topic? You may also like these photo galleries:Replay1 of 92 of 93 of 94 of 95 of 96 of 97 of 98 of 99 of 9Last SlideNext Slide


text:
This might be a really simple mistake I am making but after logging, during the character creation, I cannot click the confirm button. I have just downloaded the game and I have confirmed my email account with the website. Any ideas?
Edit: Nevermind, I figured it out...Name has to be longer than 4 letters.


text:
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Finish a great shave with a fresh, clean after shave that refreshes just shaved skin.
Expiry Date : Click Here January 2018
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Dubai is the most populous city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates, and the second largest emirate by territorial size after the capital, Abu Dhabi.Famous for its shopping and Arab Culture, people travelling will always keep a memories behind.
Dubai Gateway with CitiMax Hotel
Dubai Gateway with CitiMax Hotel3N Dubai
Last Booked 13 hours ago
Itinerary Map
What's Included
Hotel DetailsHotel options available in the package
|Hotel and Room
|3 night(s)
Standard Room
|Room only
Sightseeing and TransfersOther inclusions available in the package
- Sightseeing as per the itinerary
- Airport transport
Day Wise Itinerary
Here is how you will spend your time
Day 1
Day 1: Dubai Airport
Arrival at Dubai International Airport, Meet and Greet by VisiteWorld.Com Representatives and transfer to hotel.Overnight at Hotel.
Day 2
Day 2: Desert Safari All Day Long
After Lavish Breakfast, Proceed for Desert Safari.Desert Safari is a must in Dubai,in the night served with Dinner and return to Hotel.Overnight stay at Hotel.
Day 3
Day 3: Dubai Sightseeing
After Breakfast, proceed for Half Day Dubai City Tour where you will visit all the important places in Dubai, followed by Dhow cruise with Dinner in the evening. Overnight at Hotel.
Day 4
Day 4: Return Airport
- After Lavish Breakfast, Keep all your sweet memories of Dubai and proceed to Dubai International Airport to return back to country.
- Tour Ends.
Hotels Included
Citymax Bur Dubai (3 star)
Kuwait St - Al Mankhool Road, Dubai
Cancellation Policy
- The package once booked is refundable and cancellable.
- Flight cancellation will be as per airline cancellation policy.
- Date of booking to 30 days before travel the cancellation charges will be 10% of the tour cost
- 30 to 15 days before travel - cancellation charges will be 50% of the tour cost
- 15 to 7 days before travel - cancellation charges will be 75% of the tour cost
- 0 to 7 days before travel - cancellation charges will be 100% of the tour cost. No refund shall be given
- Please note cancellation policy is subject to change. It depends on the hotel policy. In peak season, some hotels may charge 100% cancellation.
Additional Information
- Check-in at hotel starts from 14:00 hrs.
- Check-out time is until 12:00 hrs.
- Early check-in or late check-out is subject to availability and may be chargeable by the hotel.
- Once your payment has been processed, we will send you an email confirmation.
- You will receive all travel vouchers required for your flights and accommodation shortly afterwards.


text: On 05/01/2012 09:34 AM, Marcelo Tosatti wrote:> > It is getting better, but not yet, there are still reads of sptep> scattered all over (as mentioned before, i think a pattern of read spte> once, work on top of that, atomically write and then deal with results> _everywhere_ (where mmu lock is held) is more consistent.> But we only need care the path which depends on is_writable_pte(), no?So, where call is_writable_pte() are spte_has_volatile_bits(),spte_write_protect() and set_spte().I have changed these functions:In spte_has_volatile_bits(): static bool spte_has_volatile_bits(u64 spte) {+ /*+ * Always atomicly update spte if it can be updated+ * out of mmu-lock.+ */+ if (spte_can_lockless_update(spte))+ return true;+In spte_write_protect():+ spte = mmu_spte_update(sptep, spte);++ if (is_writable_pte(spte))+ *flush |= true;+The 'spte' is from atomically read-write (xchg).in set_spte(): set_pte:- mmu_spte_update(sptep, spte);+ entry = mmu_spte_update(sptep, spte); /* * If we overwrite a writable spte with a read-only one we * should flush remote TLBs. Otherwise rmap_write_protectThe 'entry' is also the latest value.> /*> * If we overwrite a writable spte with a read-only one we> * should flush remote TLBs. Otherwise rmap_write_protect> * will find a read-only spte, even though the writable spte> * might be cached on a CPU's TLB.> */> if (is_writable_pte(entry) && !is_writable_pte(*sptep))> kvm_flush_remote_tlbs(vcpu->kvm);> > This is inconsistent with the above obviously.> 'entry' is not a problem since it is from atomically read-write asmentioned above, i need change this code to: /* * Optimization: for pte sync, if spte was writable the hash * lookup is unnecessary (and expensive). Write protection * is responsibility of mmu_get_page / kvm_sync_page. * Same reasoning can be applied to dirty page accounting. */ if (!can_unsync && is_writable_pte(entry) /* Use 'entry' instead of '*sptep'. */ goto set_pte ...... if (is_writable_pte(entry) && !is_writable_pte(spte)) /* Use 'spte' instead of '*sptep'. */ kvm_flush_remote_tlbs(vcpu->kvm);


text:
This Business Owner Leads His Own RecoveryGene Marks
When I coached Little League, I always tried to say the right things. Like "Just meet the ball." Or "A walk's as good as a hit." Or "Hey, catcher, did you wear your cup?" But, like every good Little League coach, I was full of baloney. Sure, this stuff was important, particularly the cup part. Singles and getting on base are nice. But everyone loves the home-run hitter. He's the guy who brings the fans into the park. He's the guy whom the parents on the sidelines talk about when they're not complaining their own kid isn't getting enough playing time.
This year my business, like many of my clients', will not be hitting many home runs. It's becoming a repeat of last year. Sure, we're playing small ball. We've got lots of little jobs all over the place. They're paying the bills. Keeping my people busy. Covering my salary. But my cash flow is like watching a Little League game when the kids first learn how to pitch: slow and agonizing. That's because, unlike the years before the recession, we don't have those dozen or so big-money projects that really bring the big bucks in.
Is there really a recovery? Many of us aren't really seeing it. And I think I know why.
Capital Equipment
For starters, most of my customers are still not making significant spends on capital equipment. Especially when compared with years before. Small businesses that provide products and services that fill a customer's operational needs continue to do O.K. That's why my friend who runs a tax preparation business isn't feeling a lot of pain—people still need to do their taxes. And my client who sells raw materials into the food processing industry is doing fine. People still need to eat. And my neighbor whose company provides computer hardware support is not hurting too much. That's because companies have computers and (being a technology consultant myself) I can confirm they don't work very well.
Some of my company's software products are moving, but our big-ticket software products are sucking wind. I'm not alone. I have a customer whose six-figure printing equipment line is not moving. And my cousin's construction business is standing still. None of us are going out of business. And we're still making money (I'll explain how shortly). But because we sell products and services that are purchased by people who are making capital investments, we're seeing a lot less demand right now.
That's because our customers, both big and small, don't seem to be making many large investments. And like facing a 12-year-old throwing his first curveball, there are just too many scary things out there.
For example, the political rhetoric is scaring them. The President calling our bankers "fat cats" is not exactly a business-friendly posture. Hoards of angry Tea Partying lunatics crying socialism is a little disconcerting. A senator who's vilified for taking a stand against unemployment expenditures that can't be funded spooks them and me. A fall election looms in front of us that could see a significant change in both the House and Senate and that gives me pause. And the pundits yelling on cable TV don't help the situation either. Many businesspeople I know don't feel it's a great time to make an investment.
Business Uncertainty
Deficits are scaring our customers. The numbers are so huge and the government's seeming lack of concern scares them and me even more. We run businesses. We coach Little League teams. We do budgets. We know which kids will pitch and which kids will never in their lifetimes be able to catch a ball. We also know when revenues can't cover expenses. We can't figure out how the government is going to pay for these deficits without increasing taxes. Many of the businesspeople I speak to feel that this is inevitable. My customers don't like uncertainties. They're not thrilled about making investments in this kind of environment. So they don't. And my revenues suffer. No home runs for me this year.
My customers aren't hiring. Neither am I. I've written about this before. Our economy is going to be stuck at 10% unemployment for a while. This is bad for all those unemployed people. And it's also bad for my business. Unemployed people don't spend money. And when money isn't being spent, my customers don't make as much money. And they certainly don't expand. So, while they're happy to pay to cover the cost of their operations, they're much less inclined to make the capital investments (which in my case means software) to meet the needs of their business.
The overall environment is not conducive for investments. In the current cycle (and these things are cyclical), greed is bad. Poverty is good. Wall Street financiers are criticized for taking home bonuses and legislation is proposed to stop them. Big car and insurance companies that should have been left to fail are taken over by the government. The mob rules right now. My customers do not want to give their shareholders or that public any indication that they're spending on "unnecessary" things like technology or infrastructure. So they stay put.
So how do we, as business owners, respond to this? The same way that a Little League coach deals with his left fielder who keeps standing in foul territory. We adapt.
Small Jobs
For starters, no job is too small. Until we're able to shoot a moose, my company lives on nuts and berries. Jobs that many of us would have laughed at a few years ago are now putting gas in our tanks. Two hours here. A few hours there. It's all good. It keeps my guys busy. Every customer is valuable. Every job is important. It's actually embarrassing to admit to myself that I didn't think this way during the boom times. Shame on me.
As I mentioned, we're definitely not hiring. And neither are most of my customers. And I won't hire until my people are screaming for mercy. We're nowhere near that stage right now. If I do need an extra set of hands, I'll outsource first. There are too many good contractors out there to do the work for me and too many easy ways to connect and communicate with them. When I do decide to hire more employees, it will be because my customer demand is forcing me to do it and it makes good economic sense. Tax credits are zero incentive for me. And for most of my customers, too.
If we're spending anywhere, it's on marketing. Lead generation. Web site upgrades. Social media. E-mail campaigns. Telemarketers. Business owners are hustling now more than ever before. The work isn't coming in like it used to. We now need to go out and hunt it down. We're returning calls quickly. We're not delaying our quotes. We set appointments fast and visit prospective and current customers way more often than we did in the past. Because, other than those mediocre guys we hired in the past, we know that we have the ability to make that sale. And more than ever, we're looking, looking, looking for that next prospect, that next deal, that next job. They're fewer and far between for some of us right now. So we're getting up earlier to find them.
My kids are older and my Little League coaching days are over. I was a pretty decent Little League coach. I made sure everyone got in the game equally. I never argued an umpire's call. I learned which kids to stick on the mound…and which kids to hide in right field. And I always, always stressed the importance of base runners, hitting for average, playing small ball. But I loved that one kid who, at the age of 12, could hit a ball 300 feet. I'm looking forward to a few homers like that for my business someday, too.
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I just finished watching the 2.5 hour live debate between Ken Ham (of the Creation Museum in Kentucky) and Bill "The Science Guy" Nye. The question for discussion was specifically this: "Is creation a viable model of origins in today's modern scientific era?" (http://debatelive.org/)
I came to the discussion neither "for" nor "against" anyone. I just wanted to see how each would present his case. I have great appreciation for both men for their efforts and willingness to engage, and to the Creation Museum for making this publicly available for free. I'll give a short review and then some reflections.
Review of the Debate
Naturally, there were deep differences on fundamental issues—like how the same evidence is interpreted, the starting point of scientific investigation, the definition of terms, the nature of the Bible as a source book of scientific knowledge, and much more.
Bill Nye advocated a 13.7 billion year old universe as evidenced by geology, astronomy, plate tectonics, and more. He moved freely and easily in scientific data. He admitted freely to not knowing what came before the big bang, or how to explain the origin of "conscience," and he stated clearly that God could neither be proved nor disproved by scientific methods. He never acknowledged that real scientists could also be "creationists," and he talked several times about "here's how we on the outside do things"—by which he meant outside of Ken Ham's little circle of friends. Although exceptionally fair handed in most matters, in this last respect, he was at least marginally condescending (if not more so). However, when he talked about the "Ken Ham Model of Creation" he was attempting to specifically clarify exactly how he was defining creationism, since he had noted several times that creationists are not all cut from the same cloth.
Ken Ham advocated a 6,000 year old earth; repeatedly disputed the accuracy of dating methods; challenged the "faith" assumptions of secularists; freely called upon scientific data; represented the difference between himself and Nye as not about evidence, but about how to interpret the evidence, as a tug of war between "naturalism/Darwinism" over against the Bible; and introduced a cadre of PhD's in the scientific community who identify themselves as "creationists," stating that nothing in astronomy or any other field (when properly assessed) disproves a young earth. (It is important to note that he did not present scientific evidence that led to a young earth, but rather maintained that the available evidence cannot be indisputably interpreted against a young earth.) He argued that the existence of logic, laws of nature, and order could only come from God, and that secular scientists stand on the shoulders of creationists. He advocated a thoroughly literal reading of Genesis 1 as both reasonable and reliable, including seven 24 hour days, that there was no eating of meat (even by animals) prior to the flood, that death (even of the animals) was the result of human sin, that the flood was worldwide, and that all the "kinds" of animals that exist on the earth were on the ark.
I've been highly selective here (necessarily so), others might choose other things. For the most part, both men represented their point of view with grace. I liked Nye's enthusiasm for "the scientific search," and Ham's request to define terms more clearly. I absolutely agree with Ham that secularism is clearly a "faith" (although in denial). I also appreciate Nye's willingness to enter into this discussion, when many secular scientists say this should not be done, since it gives the impression of credence to the views. As time wore on, Ham talked less about science and more about the Bible, occasionally resembling a preacher delivering a sermon.
The most flabbergasting statement (for me) was made by Ken Ham after stating that the age of the earth—as either young or old—cannot be proved using scientific methods. The statement was: "The reason I believe in a young universe is because of the Bible's account of origins. . . . when we add up those dates [of the genealogies] we get thousands of years." (I'll come back to this.)
Some Reflections
1. General Assessment
Ok, now to the question:
"Is creation a viable model of origins in today's modern scientific era?"
Well, based on this debate alone, I would have to say no. Absolutely not. And the problem is that "creation" ends up getting defined just as Bill Nye says, "by the Ken Ham Model of creation," which is an insistence on reading Genesis 1 with a particular kind of literalism. I always enjoy listening to scientists debate scientific questions, and there was plenty of that, on one level or another. However, as much as I appreciate Ken Ham personally and his effort (and I do), I get so completely worn out by scientists who "read the Bible (supposedly) scientifically," as though some physicist or biologist or astronomer will know something about a 2,500 year old Hebrew text that no one else can know.
I'm not going to develop a complete argument here, I've covered at least some aspects of this in my book Scripture, Canon, and Inspiration where I think the real crisis among current-day Christians is: a fundamental ignorance of the nature of the biblical documents and of the meaning and implications of "canon." The biggest shame in all of this ongoing debate (and it goes well beyond this one) is that highly intelligent people, highly trained in other areas, are not only continually mishandling ancient Hebrew religious texts, but then implying to parents and kids alike that "if you don't accept this, you are actually denying God, the Bible, and homemade apple pie!" Ham was careful to state that being a Christian was based on faith, not a position about a young earth; even so, the "secularism vs creationism" contrast was cast in stark terms: Ham's creationism was presented as nothing less than the clear biblical claim. To reject this was to reject the Bible.
In contrast to this approach, many other Christians will run down all kinds of rabbit trails, like "a day equals millions of years," and all of that stuff. Why? Because we are trying to salvage something: our own faith, or the Bible itself. We allow certain people to cast the discussions about Genesis in terms of the "science and the Bible" question, and then we get stuck in those ruts. Then we try to rescue the Genesis text from the skeptical oblivion of the secular scientific sword (although we will say it more like: "we show how Genesis defeats the skeptical attacks.")
2. A Mistake
I have a message for all Christians everywhere who are inclined to this kind of approach. And I already know that most won't pay any attention to this, or that I might even make some of them angry. But here's the message: This is a mistake. The whole attempt to reconcile Genesis with 21st century science is a mistake. I kid you not, all of this plays right into the hands of the truly negative secularists (not all are negative), makes Christians look ridiculous, and sets up our kids for the biggest fall since the twin towers came down. There are lots of reasons kids leave their faith: and this is one of them. When they feel they got lied to, they turn exceptionally and understandably bitter.
I'm not trying to be mean or arrogant, although I will surely be accused of both. But at this point in my life, I'm just tired of this. Genesis 1-11 is not a 20th-21st century science book. Period. To use the genealogies of a 2,500 year old Hebrew document (not that we actually have a copy of Genesis that old), which was compiled from mounds of oral and written tradition, all of which grew and thrived in the atmosphere of dominant languages like Ugaritic, Akkadian, and Sumerian—–that look more like a dropped bag of golf tees than a language—–to use the resulting ancient Hebrew written texts as a way of dating the age of the earth is breathtaking (as in gasping for air). We can't even date or agree upon the origins and shaping of that document, let alone the earth.
To over-read the details of one specific story about God at work—–which nobody in any ancient society could have witnessed, and which at least resembled stories found in other cultures!—–reveals the real culprit lurking in the shadows: a particular view of inspiration that insists that (1) God himself is giving this ancient story as an "historical account," (2) that the historical account (being from God as it is) can reflect no cultural imperfections, limitations, misapprehensions, or inaccurate understandings of the time, (3) that the historical account is given as a scientifically factual account in such terms that no one until the 20th-21st century would quite fathom (showing the layers of hidden truth of ultimate knowledge), and (4) that all who don't accept this particular view of inspiration and assessment of how that factual account came to us are in the dark and are somehow denying the Bible.
As a believer in God, and as one who also acknowledges the inspiration of the ancient scriptures of God, I simply must confess a near total disconnect with this view of Genesis and this view of inspiration. As well intended as it is, it is even more unfortunate. I also confess a disappointment that the "case for creation" offered was cast under this shadow. My book will have to stand for stating my positions on such things as the nature of ancient documents, inspiration, and canon (and what that implies). And so I now turn to some ancient realities of how this story was understood and explained.
3. Ancient Interpreters and Diversity
The funny thing is, not even all ancient readers took Genesis 1 as literal. First, there is a competing creation story told in Genesis 2, standing right there next to the other one, showing that the compilers of Genesis (who brought all of the disparate materials together over time) had no problem with different versions of the story.
We can also see it at the very time of Jesus in the likes of his Jewish contemporary, Philo of Alexandria, who wrote an extended commentary on the creation:[Moses] says that in six days the world was created, not that its maker required a length of time for his work, for we must think of God as doing all things simultaneously. . . . Six days are mentioned because for the things coming into existence there was a need of order.
(Philo, On Creation 13, my emphasis)
In this way, Philo emphasized not the days or times, but "the principles of order and productivity which governed the making of it." (F. H. Colson and G. H. Whitaker, Philo, vol. 1, pp. 2-5). Philo gets even more direct here:
Philo then spends pages talking of numbers, and fractions, and periods of time, and how the Deity is not delimited by any of this, and he concludes with:There is an end, then, of the notion that the universe came into being in six days. (Leg Al 1.20, my emphasis)
Philo does a great deal more than this, but this is enough to show that despite what others may have thought, here is at least one interpreter that calls attention to, what for him, are logical (reasonable) problems with the idea of literal days. After great length, Philo rejects the idea altogether.
And what about the 3rd century Christian thinker and writer Origen, who said:For who that has understanding will suppose that the first, and second, and third day, and the evening and the morning, existed without a sun, and moon, and stars? And that the first day was, as it were, also without a sky?
(De Principiis IV, 16, my emphasis)
And then comes Augustine in the 5th century—–5th century, but almost as though just leaving the debate last night and writing this—–and this long quote is really worth reading:[The six days] What kind of days these were it is extremely difficult to say or perhaps impossible for us to conceive.
(City of God, 11.6)It not infrequently happens that something about the earth, about the sky, about other elements of this world, about the motion and rotation or even the magnitude and distances of the stars, about definite eclipses of the sun and moon, about the passage of years and seasons, about the nature of animals, of fruits, of stones, and of other such things, may be known with the greatest certainty by reasoning or by experience, even by one who is not a Christian. It is too disgraceful and ruinous, though, and greatly to be avoided, that he [the non-Christian] should hear a Christian speaking so idiotically on these matters, and as if in accord with Christian writings, that he might say that he could scarcely keep from laughing when he saw how totally in error they are. In view of this and in keeping it in mind constantly while dealing with the book of Genesis, I have, insofar as I was able, explained in detail and set forth for consideration the meanings of obscure passages, taking care not to affirm rashly some one meaning to the prejudice of another and perhaps better explanation.
(De Genesi ad litteram 1:19–20, Chapter 19, my emphasis)
__ With the scriptures it is a matter of treating about the faith. For that reason, as I have noted repeatedly, if anyone, not understanding the mode of divine eloquence, should find something about these matters [about the physical universe] in our books, or hear of the same from those books, of such a kind that it seems to be at variance with the perceptions of his own rational faculties, let him believe that these other things are in no way necessary to the admonitions or accounts or predictions of the scriptures. In short, it must be said that our authors knew the truth about the nature of the skies, but it was not the intention of the Spirit of God, who spoke through them, to teach men anything that would not be of use to them for their salvation.
(De Genesi ad litteram 2:9, my emphasis)
There is much more, and even Jewish interpreters as late as the 12th century, like Maimonides, would warn against too literal an interpretation of the Genesis creation stories. Certainly, many understood the days in a literal sense. But the point is not "who is right?" It is rather that "Bible readers have never been of one mind concerning the nature of the days of creation." (So says Jack Lewis after a thorough review of the topic in "The Days of Creation: an Historical survey of Interpretation" Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 32(4):433-455 1989. As with all of Lewis' writings, this is packed with detailed information.)
The point is, even long before the rise of contemporary science (or the concerns of fundamentalist Christianity), there were, in addition to literalists on "the days," both Jews and Christians of deep and abiding faith who understood that Genesis was about a whole lot more than some robotic recording of individual events. And where they disagreed, the interpretations often stood side-by-side, along with others, without any felt need to necessarily eliminate them.
[Note: although none of this came out in the Nye/Ham debate, there is a tendency by at least some creationists to note and then simply dismiss Philo, et al, as minor or perhaps too influenced by speculative Greek philosophy and numerology to pay any real attention to. This completely misses the point. The fact is, we're not talking about Billy Bob, Jim Bob, and Thing-a-ma-Bob, here. These are major thought leaders of the time. It is clear that from a very early time there have always been interpreters who have seen the days of creation as problematic and non-literal. These cannot be dismissed.]
As a kind of bottom line, here, it is unfortunate in the Ham/Nye debate that a defense of creation as a viable option for consideration in the 21st century was limited only to a particular kind of "creationism," quite narrowly defined and insisted upon—–forced, even. It would have been much better to represent creation as understood broadly by the historic Judeo-Christian world-view, even while acknowledging the breadth of opinion and the nature, scope, and limits of ancient literature—–not as "evidence," but as a faith-system. Since Ham continually represented the secularist position as a faith position, this would have been a stellar opportunity to compare the value of the two faith systems.
4. Genesis in Context
And so now, in the early years of the 21st century, an inordinate amount of emotional and theological baggage is attached to any and every discussion of book of Genesis. In fact, the baggage gets far more attention than Genesis. (Which is, of course, the nature of baggage.) Certainly, many Christians are well beyond this. Even so, too many Christians are much more into "defending the Bible" (almost like the crusades of the middle-ages) than they are in pursuing contextually responsible understandings. It would be far better to allow the ancient texts that we have to present their own case on their own terms.
As such, Genesis was an ancient, highly culturalized statement of faith and story (Torah) about the origins of the Jewish people, their laws, and their worship calendar. It is important to remember that neither Genesis 1, nor the whole book of Genesis, stood on its own: it was a part of Torah (i.e., God's story, God's instruction) and it existed in the service of Torah. When we break off the prologue of the story and subject it to the invasive scrutiny of mere "historical fact" or "scientific tid bit," we refocus the intent of the story and then gut it of its power.
Genesis was written for those who had already accepted and were following the law of Moses. Now that statement is very important, far more important than a throw-away line. Genesis allowed its law-following, sacrificing, Sabbath-keeping readers to see "who they were" as a people, and why they were doing (faithfully and ritually) what they were doing. Despite whatever they might have thought about "the days of creation," they would have instinctively understood that this story was not about the nature of the "days" in their own original "right" to be a "day," but rather about something far more profound: namely, what it implied about how they should be spending their own days—–a looking glass into their own identity.
- They would have seen that creation negated polytheism (the worship of many gods) and destroyed henotheism (the worship of one of many gods);
- They would have seen that their law was deeply rooted in and a part of the cosmos—–the sun, moon, and stars (i.e., the Jewish calendar). It is right there in the text of Gen 1:14: "and let them indicate festivals, days and years" (NJB). The concern here is not how long the day is, the concern is the function of celestial lights for setting fire to and illuminating (and regulating) the worship and daily life! It is all about the worship calendar! So then every time they participated in a feast day event, each and every time they consulted the festal calendar, they were participating in the intent of God from creation.
- They would have seen that the significance of the 6 days was for pointing to the 7th day: an "aha!" moment that their "keeping the Sabbath" was a God-thing, not just an expedience or an arbitrary happenstance. (This is exactly the interpretation given to the days of Genesis 1 by the ruler of the synagogue in Luke 13:16: "There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be healed, and not on the sabbath day." The days serve a functional purpose for the people reading about them. The problem in Luke is not the understanding of the purpose of the days, but in turning such an understanding against the healing purposes Jesus in proclaiming the Kingdom of God.)
The creation story of Genesis 1 is about wedding the people of God to the law of God.
Genesis 1-11 is about YHWH God, his people, and how they started to become a nation. And in such a context, ancient readers would have stood in bewilderment at the mention of millions of years, of competing timelines, of young-earth/old-earth, or the evaluation of scientific data. Introducing such subjects into this sacred context would have been like wearing halloween masks at the Lord's Supper table. They would be foreign, intrusive, and inappropriate.
The idea that ancient texts can only be understood in so-called "factual or literal" terms, read in the context of a 20th century theo-scientism (else they are of no abiding value), is a fabrication of 20th century theological apologetics bleeding over into our current time. Such concerns are not borne-out in ancient readings of those texts. It very well may satisfy the agenda of some external theological positions today, about what the scriptures must be, but it does not best account for the nature of the ancient texts as we have received them.
My Dream
Sometimes when I am sitting quietly, I am overcome by a dream (surely an hallucination), that I am certain will never come entirely true. Namely, that more scientists who are Christian and who want to explain technical aspects of biblical texts, would come to see the great benefit and even necessity of working more closely with a wide range of biblical scholars on the nature of ancient religious texts and how to handle them. When scientists of any stripe bring their considerable knowledge to the Bible and then merely accept a pre-critical reading of the Bible into which they can infuse their scientific beliefs, damage is done—–every time. The key, here, is a wide range of biblical scholars as opposed to just a few scholars who happen to agree.
In my dream, this would result in more careful attention to ancient texts. A return to pre-critical readings of the Bible (as was demonstrated in this debate by Ken Ham) as a basis for dialogue with current day science is a recipe for disaster. The point is not that biblical scholars know everything (hardly). The point is simply that the more care given to ancient biblical texts as religious texts, not as science text books, the better off we all are, including all of our kids.
There will certainly always be disagreement about every subject, including this one. Not all biblical scholars will agree in their fields any more than all scientists do in theirs. But I would rather deal with an ancient text on its own (as it lays there looking back) with concerns about contextual function and fit, for narrative flow, of plot and character, of implied author and implied readers, of forms and redaction by ancient editors or ancient sources, and most especially of the tracing of theological uses of story and text through the ages—–I would rather deal with all of that (for at least it is focusing on what is actually going on with a text) than enduring even one more barrage of intrusive comments about how Genesis 1 is explained by the 2nd law of thermodynamics, which has nothing whatsoever to do with the reading of ancient texts.
Like I said, it's a dream.
Gary D. Collier
PS: Do I accept the validity of creation? of the Bible? of "inspiration"? I certainly do, if the texts are allowed to be the texts of ancient Jewish and Christian "coming-of-age and identity" they were intended to be, texts brought together in faith, by people of faith, in search of a conversation with God. But not at all in the sense of those who would dip them in the rich, dark chocolate of 20th century theo-scientism. Count me, in the case of such ideas, as a committed non-believer.
PPS: I wanted to offer a more supportive review of Ken Ham's position, as I understood it. Surely he is a believer and one who takes action, and for both, he is to be highly commended. I trust he will know that nothing here is intended personally. I have great respect for what he is attempting to do, even if I cannot be a "partner in crime" with him.


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