text:
Maple Professional
Maple Academic
Maple Student Edition
Maple Personal Edition
Maple Player
Maple Player for iPad
MapleSim Professional
MapleSim Academic
Maple T.A. - Testing & Assessment
Maple T.A. MAA Placement Test Suite
Möbius - Online Courseware
Machine Design / Industrial Automation
Vehicle Engineering
Power Industries
System Simulation and Analysis
Model development for HIL
Plant Modeling for Control Design
Robotics/Motion Control/Mechatronics
Other Application Areas
Mathematics Education
Engineering Education
High Schools & Two-Year Colleges
Testing & Assessment
Financial Modeling
Operations Research
High Performance Computing
Live Webinars
Recorded Webinars
Upcoming Events
Maplesoft Blog
Maplesoft Membership
Maple Ambassador Program
Technical Whitepapers
E-Mail Newsletters
Maple Books
Math Matters
Application Center
MapleSim Model Gallery
User Case Studies
Exploring Engineering Fundamentals
Teaching Concepts with Maple
Maplesoft Welcome Center
Teacher Resource Center
Student Help Center
PDEtools[SimilaritySolutions] - computes the group invariant (point symmetry) solutions for a given PDE system
Calling Sequence
SimilaritySolutions(PDESYS, DepVars, S, 'options'='value')
a PDE, or a set of PDEs, or a list of PDEs; it can include ODEs and not differential equations
optional - may be required; a function or a list of them indicating the dependent variables of the problem
optional - a list with the functional form of the infinitesimals of a symmetry generator, or a list of lists of them
checkconsistency = ...
optional - can be true or false (default), to check the consistency of PDESYS before proceeding
closesystem = ...
optional - can be true or false (default), to derive and then include in PDESYS, explicitly, all its integrability conditions before computing the determining system for its symmetries
degreeofinfinitesimals = ...
optional - related to the option typeofsymmetry = polynomial, indicates the upper bound degree of the polynomial infinitesimals with respect to all or each of the dependent variables
dependency = ...
optional - indicates the dependency of the invariant solutions, as a number (of jet variables), a range of them, a name, or a set of dependencies each of which can be a set or list of variables or numbers
dependencyofinfinitesimals = ...
optional - same as dependency but for the infinitesimals with which the invariant solutions are constructed
optional - a list with the functional form of the infinitesimals of a symmetry generator
reducedsystemsolver = ...
optional - can be pdsolve or SimilaritySolutions, specifies the command to be used to attempt solving the reduced PDESYS
removeredundant = ...
optional - can be true or false, to remove or not redundant solutions - which happen to be particular cases of more general solutions being returned together
simplifier = ...
optional - indicates the simplifier to be used instead of the default simplify/size
specialize_Fn = ...
optional - can be true, false (default), or a set of procedures, to specialize any arbitrary functions that may appear in the infinitesimals
split = ...
optional - can be true (default) or false, to split or not the list of infinitesimals into cases by specializing the integration constants
typeofsymmetry = ...
optional - can be any of pointlike (default), contact, evolutionary, or general, or any of polynomial or functionfield, or And(<kind>, <functionality>) where kind is any of the first three types mentioned and functionality is any of polynomial or functionfield, indicates the type of symmetry to be computed
Given a PDE problem (PDESYS), as an equation or a set or list of them, SimilaritySolutions computes the so-called similarity solutions of PDESYS; these are solutions derived from a 1-dimensional symmetry group admitted by PDESYS, by reducing the number of independent variables by one then attempting solving this reduced problem.
Similarity solutions are special cases of group invariant solutions that can be computed by reducing the number of independent variables by many in one go. Thus, if you are only interested in the PDE solutions, there is a difference to have in mind between these two solving approaches: computing similarity solutions requires computing additional symmetries for the reduced problem, after having reduced it, to further reduce the number of independent variables one at a time until obtaining an ODE problem, while that is not required when reducing the given PDE problem to an ODE problem in one go (i.e. reducing all but one of the independent variables in a single computational step) with InvariantSolutions.
Similarity solutions can also be computed interactively, step by step, by first computing the determining PDE system, next solving this system to obtain the infinitesimals, with them you compute an similarity transformation to reduce by one the number of independent variables of PDESYS, finally you solve the reduced system to change variables back resulting in the solutions for PDESYS. You can compute any of these steps respectively using the commands: DeterminingPDE, Infinitesimals, SimilarityTransformation and dchange.
If DepVars is not given, SimilaritySolutions will consider all the differentiated unknown functions in PDESYS as unknown of the problems. Specifying DepVars however permits not only restricting the unknowns in different ways but also specifying unknowns of the problems which do not appear differentiated in PDESYS.
To avoid having to remember the optional keywords, if you type the keyword misspelled, or just a portion of it, a matching against the correct keywords is performed, and when there is only one match, the input is automatically corrected.
Optional arguments
A number of optional arguments can change the default computational behavior of InvariantSolutions in ways that, depending on the example or your needs, may be preferred.
checkconsistency = true | false
The default value is false; when true, the consistency of PDESYS is checked before proceeding. Note that one could construct the determining system for the symmetries of an inconsistent PDESYS, in which case the solution of the determining system and everything else derived from it would be meaningless.
closesystem = true | false
By default SimilaritySolutions processes PDESYS as given. If, in PDESYS, all the integrability conditions that can be derived from its equations are explicitly present, then the determining system for the symmetries is assured to have for solution all the symmetries of PDESYS. Otherwise, the determining system for the symmetries may in rare situations also (correctly) include equations that however may restrict the possible values of the symmetry solutions, and hence some of the symmetries be missed. Correspondingly, some invariant solutions may not be present in the output of SimilaritySolutions. Note also that, for a system to be closed, it is not sufficient to have it in reduced involutive or equivalent form produced by the casesplit and rifsimp commands or the DifferentialAlgebra package. To assure that all the integrability conditions are explicitly present use the option closesystem. See also the Library routine CloseSystem.
degreeofinfinitesimals = nonnegint | set(function = nonnegint)
This option is related to the option typeofsymmetry = polynomial explained below. By default, an upper bound for the degree of the polynomial dependency of the infinitesimals on the jet variables is determined by the Library routine UpperBounds. To override this behavior pass degreeofinfinitesimals = n, where is a non-negative integer, so that Infinitesimals, called by SimilaritySolutions, will search for infinitesimals all of them of degree . You can also specify the degree of each infinitesimal, say, , , , passing, say, degreeofinfinitesimals = {_xi[1] = n, _xi[2] = m, _eta[1] = p}, where , , are non-negative integers.
dependency = name | nonnegint | range(nonnegint) | set(name) | list(name), or a set or list of any of the previous types
The right-hand-side is a positive integer, or a set or list of independent variables of the PDE problem represented by PDESYS, respectively indicating either the minimum number of independent variables on which the solutions are expected to depend, or the actual independent variables expected in this dependency. This option is relevant in connection with the fact that some of the group invariant solutions do not depend on all the independent variables of the problem. If this option is not indicated, the solutions returned are computed regardless of their dependency, using as many symmetries as possible in one go.
dependencyofinfinitesimals = name | nonnegint | range(nonnegint) | set(name) | list(name), or a set or list of any of the previous types
This option is used to specify the dependency of the infinitesimals, typically to restrict it so that their computation is easier.
When dependencyofinfinitesimals = name, all the infinitesimals are assumed to depend only on that name variable.
dependencyofinfinitesimals = n where is a non-negative integer generates a search for infinitesimals depending on any of the permutations of jet variables; this is useful in contexts where we need only infinitesimals depending on just some () variables.
Specifying an integer range dependencyofinfinitesimals = n..m generates a search for infinitesimals depending on any permutation of variables where n < k < m. In other words, depending on not less than and no more than variables.
Specifying a set of lists, for instance, if the jet variables are , , and , so that dependencyofinfinitesimals = {[x], [x, t], [t, u]},this option will generate a search for infinitesimals depending on any of the three lists of variables specified.
Specifying a set or list of names generates a search for infinitesimals depending on any but only one of the indicated variables.
HINT = <functional form of the infinitesimals>
The functional form of the infinitesimals can be specified as a list of algebraic expressions. There must be as many as the number of independent variables plus the number of dependent variables to be correspondingly associated with to and with to . Alternatively this list can contain equations, where the left-hand-sides contain any functions of name variables and the right-hand-sides contains the actual hint being suggested. In both cases, the algebraic expressions (or those in the right-hand- sides) may or not contain functions to be determined so that the problem has solution. If there are no functions, then either the given HINT exactly solves the determining system for the infinitesimals, and hence is used as given to construct solutions, or it doesn't in which case they are discarded.
The right-hand-side is either pdsolve or SimilaritySolutions, specifies the command to be used to attempt solving the reduced PDESYS. The default command used is a combination of pdsolve, dsolve and solve and whenever the solution obtained involves ODESolStruc or DESol, this solution is discarded as unsuitable for representing PDE solutions. (Note: this may change in the future.)
The right-hand-side is either true or false, to remove or not redundant solutions that frequently appear in the set of group invariant solutions; they may be redundant in that they may be particular cases of more general solutions being returned together.
The right-hand-side indicates the simplifier to be used instead of the default which is simplify/size. This option is of use not just to simplify the solutions. You can specify any procedure to be used as simplifier; in this way you can have the computed InvariantSolutions post-processed entirely in the way you need before being returned (e.g. discard some, do something else with other ones, etc.).
split = true | false
To split or not the list of infinitesimals into cases by specializing the integration constants (see related discussion in Infinitesimals) before computing invariants in the framework of the process to derive group-invariant solutions from these infinitesimals. The default of this option is true. This option is irrelevant when invariants are passed using the invariants = ... option described above.
specialize_Fn = true | false | set(procedure)
By default the arbitrary functions entering the returned infinitesimals are not specialized. When specialize_Fn = true, these functions are specializing taking all of them but one equal to 0, the remaining one equal to 1 and to each of its arguments. So if an arbitrary function has - say - three arguments, then there will be four specializations. Alternatively you can specify a set of procedures to be applied to the arguments of the arbitrary functions, each one resulting in a different desired specialization.
typeofsymmetry = pointlike | evolutionary | contact | general | polynomial | functionfield | And(symmetry_type, functionality_type)
By default InvariantSolutions will search for point symmetries to construct the corresponding invariant solutions. Alternatively you can request it to search for symmetries with polynomial or functionfield type of functionality, or of evolutionary, contact or general symmetry types instead of pointlike, where in this context general means infinitesimals depending on derivatives of each unknown of the system up to order , where is the differential order of the unknown as found in the system, and evolutionary is like general but with the infinitesimals (related to transformations of the independent variables) all equal to zero. The right-hand-side can also be of the form And(symmetry_type, functionality_type) where symmetry_type is any of pointlike, evolutionary, contact or general, and functionality_type is one of polynomial or functionfield, the latter related to the FunctionFieldSolutions command. In these cases, You can set the degree of the polynomial or functionfield form using the option degreeofinfinitesimals explained above.
The typeofsymmetry option was updated in Maple 15.
Consider the wave equation in four dimensions to avoid redundant typing on input and on the display use diff_table and declare
You can compute the similarity solutions corresponding to all the point symmetries of pde[1] in one step by entering SimilaritySolutions(pde[1]); or better: check first the infinitesimals corresponding to point symmetries admitted by pde[1], then examine the different solutions and choose the more suitable one
These are the similarity solutions corresponding to the first list of infinitesimals in S[1]
You can test these results for correctness using the pdetest command
The approach by means of which SimilaritySolutions computes the solutions above consists of computing a similarity transformation that reduces the number of independent variables of the PDE system by one. For example, this is the similarity transformation
So this is the transformation to be used with dchange - the command for changing variables:
Solve now this PDE problem depending now on three variables (one less than pde[1])
Evaluate now TR at this solution for _(_, _, _) to obtain the solution of the original pde[1]
Verify this result
By default, SimilaritySolutions will specialize arbitrary functions found in the infinitesimals before attempting a reduction of the number of independent variables. This is so because infinitesimals with arbitrary functions are difficult to use, the invariants necessary may result, in practice, impossible to compute. On the other hand, when those invariants can be computed, the corresponding invariant solution is more general without specializing these arbitrary functions. To handle the latter case use the specialize_Fn = false, or with any procedure of your choice on the right-hand-side. Here are two examples illustrating the two situations.
Consider the wave equation in two dimensions:
Infinitesimals for this PDE can be computed and involve arbitrary functions
It is not possible to compute a SimilarityTransformation or for the case any symmetry related transformation with them, because of the arbitrary functions, all these commands return NULL:
In order to be able to use the infinitesimals S, these arbitrary functions are automatically specialized by all the symmetry commands (but for Infinitesimals), as you could see by interactively using specialize_Fn = true in the call to Infinitesimals
In this way, all these commands can deal with PDE properly
As an example where this approach leads to less general solutions consider this other PDE2, also admitting infinitesimals that depend on arbitrary functions
For these other infinitesimals, despite the arbitrary functions it is possible to compute all kinds of symmetry transformations, although the results involve uncomputed integrals
Consequently, the default solution returned by SimilaritySolutions is less general than the one you obtain enforcing the use of the infinitesimals with specialize_Fn = false
See Also
declare, DeterminingPDE, diff_table, InvariantSolutions, InvariantTransformation, PDEtools, PolynomialSolutions, SimilarityTransformation, SymmetrySolutions, SymmetryTest, SymmetryTransformation
Download Help Document


text:
Post written by Leo Babauta.
Not long ago, I was against meal plans because I felt they were too restrictive. I generally prefer to stick to simple principles of eating whole foods, staying active, and eating moderate portions.
But I've had a change of heart recently as I've focused on losing the last of my bellyfat — in the last year I've lost about 35 lbs., and in the last 3.5 months of sticking (mostly) to a general meal plan, I've lost 18 lbs.
That's a goodly amount, to be sure, and I don't think I could have done it (healthily) without sticking to some kind of plan.
Diet is the biggest component to losing fat — you can burn 600 calories (for example) in a workout, but you can easily eat 2-3 times that much in one sitting if you're eating junk food. As they say, you can't out-exercise a bad diet. I'd still recommend getting active and burning calories as much as you can (with adequate rest), but if you really want to lose fat, you need to look at your diet.
So if diet is important, how do you stick to a good diet? The meal plan is often the simplest answer — plan out the foods you're going to eat, measured for your calorie goal, and then just eat those meals (for the most part). You don't have to track your eating because it's already planned out.
Sticking to the meal plan is often the hard part, though. Most people aren't used to it, and they often fail and feel guilty. So I thought I'd share some of what I've learned, what's worked for me, in hopes that it'll help you.
I've gotten pretty good at sticking to my plan, and I actually enjoy it. Go figure.
The Simple Method
So here's what I've done, and what I'd recommend. Keep it simple.
1. Eat real, whole foods you love. Do NOT see this as a sacrifice. If you hate carrots or eggplant but you eat them because they're somehow "virtuous" or you think that sacrifice is the only way to lose that fat, you'll fail. You cannot stick to something you hate for very long. Instead, go for healthy foods you actually enjoy eating. For me, this is berries, fruits of all kinds, raw almonds, veggies cooked tastefully in stir-fries or chili or what have you. Your list will be different, and it could take some experimenting with different recipes you find online, in magazines or in cookbooks to find the healthy foods you like best. Main rule of thumb, though: try for real foods, not packaged ones (not even "healthy" convenience foods). In as natural a state as possible — meaning, not processed or extracted, not fried or smothered with cream or sauces.
2. Improve in iterations. Cut back a little at a time. You don't have to go from Standard American Diet to a diet of Only Raw Carrots in one day (nor should you ever eat only raw carrots, but you know what I mean). Try a meal plan that's a little better than the diet you've been eating for years — perhaps cutting out the liquid calories at first, or adding more fruits or veggies you love. As I said above, cut the calories just a little. This first meal plan doesn't have to be perfect — just a little better. Then, once you get used to that, make a meal plan that's a little better yet — maybe a couple hundred calories less, more veggies, less fatty stuff, less snack food, or more real food. With each iteration of your meal plan, get a little better. I'm still getting better at mine.
3. Look ahead for bumps, and plan. We all have those bumps in our routines: an office party, someone's birthday dinner, going on a date with your honey, taking a trip, being on the road all day and not having access to your usual foods. The key is to think ahead — what's going on tomorrow? How will I deal with it? Should I pack food, or find out what the menu is at the restaurant so I can pick something healthy, or should I use this as a cheat meal? Thing is, don't just do cheat meals all the time — then you're not on a meal plan anymore. More on that below. Again, plan ahead and prepare — as you keep doing this, you'll get good at packing snacks or meals so you're covered, no matter what the occasion.
4. Make it public. Use your blog or Twitter/Facebook or a public forum or just email to let people know how your meal plan is going (I use Daytum, but that's only one way to do it). Or get a partner and report to each other. Making it public or having a partner gives you accountability and motivation, and works like a charm. Don't skip this step.
5. Cheat, & don't feel guilty. Guilt often derails people from meal plans — they indulge and then feel like they failed, and so they stop. Don't fall into this trap. You're not going to be 100% compliant to any plan — shoot for 90% and be happy if you come close to that. Know that you'll cheat sometimes, and make this part of your plan. However, learn to control the cheating: only do it a couple times a week, perhaps, and even then don't just pig out. Eat reasonable portions of things you'd consider cheating, eat them slowly and enjoy them, and then move on. Get back to your plan. Over the long term, a little cheating won't stall you, but a lot might.
A few warnings
1. Watch out for sneaky calories. Liquid calories are a good example — sodas, teas, coffees, sports drinks, vitamin waters and more, all contain calories that many people don't account for, and then wonder why they're not losing weight. Other examples include salad dressings, sauces, little bites of foods that "don't count", smoothies, candies or chips you snack on from the break room, meals that are bigger than you realize. There are many others, of course.
2. Do not make it extreme. This should be clear from the above method, but I have to say it explicitly. People will try any diet if they think it'll work — the Grapefruit Diet, the Cookie Diet, a liquid diet, a "cleanse" or "detox", an 800-calorie a day diet, the Cabbage Soup diet, the Lemonade detox. Please don't do these diets — they're not healthy and you won't get good nutrition. Remember: you're in this for the long term.
3. Don't starve yourself. A little hunger is OK — I've learned that it won't kill me to go slightly hungry for a couple hours. But if you feel like you're starving, you might be reducing too drastically. Again, it's best to reduce portions a little at a time, get used to that amount, and then reduce a little more.
My 1800-cal meal plan
For most of the last few months, I created (with the help of my sister and running partner, Kat) a 2,000-calorie meal plan and have been sticking to it, varying it a bit when I get tired of the foods. Recently as I've lost a lot of weight I've cut the plan down to 1,800 calories, as my lighter body requires fewer calories for maintenance.
Calorie goal: You shouldn't follow my calorie goal — use an online calculator to calculate your basal metabolic rate (or BMR — the amount of calories you need just to maintain each day), and then subtract perhaps 200-300 for your meal plan's target. If you exercise, you'll be adding to the calorie deficit, which is good, but even if you don't exercise on some days, you'll still have a 200-300 calorie deficit. My calorie goal is actually closer to a 500-calorie reduction of my BMR, but it's usually best to start smaller and adjust as you get used to it and as you see results, after maybe 3-4 weeks. Please, don't drop below 1,200 calories (women) or 1,500 calories (men) — it's hard to get good nutrition if you go too low on calories. Remember, this is long-term, not a quickie fix.
Basics: For the most part, the meal plan is:
- measured for my calorie goal
- broken into 5 meals (although this can be varied to any number that suits you)
- made of whole, real foods I love
- pretty much the same every day — I don't mind routine, though you might want some variety
- flexible — I can eat out if I want without guilt
My plan: Here's my current plan — please note that it changes as needed:
- Breakfast: loaded oatmeal – whole rolled oats, blueberries, raisins, cinnamon, raw almonds, flaxseed + cup of coffee (450)
- Lunch: Typically scrambled tofu or lentil-spinach-squash curry or veggie chili, on top of quinoa (400)
- Snack: soy yogurt, berries, raw almonds (350)
- Dinner: Typically scrambled tofu or lentil-spinach-squash curry or veggie chili, on top of quinoa (400)
- Snack (whenever I get hungry): fruits & nuts (200)
You could use this if you like the foods, but be sure to measure all your foods at first to get the calories you want for each meal. For example, if you want a 1600-cal meal plan, you could cut 100 cals from two of the meals or skip the last snack. However, if these aren't foods you love, don't follow this plan — make your own or find one you like. This is provided for illustration only.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Rosa Parks
Rosa Parks (1913-2005) is one of the most enduring symbols of the tumultuous civil rights era of the mid-twentieth century. Her 1955 arrest in Montgomery for refusing to give up her bus seat to a white man sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott and set in motion a chain of events that resulted in ground-breaking civil rights legislation and helped to bring Martin Luther King Jr. to the forefront as the movement's leader. Parks continued to work for civil rights causes during her entire life and was awarded the nation's highest honors for her role in the movement.
Rosa Parks Rosa Louise McCauley was born in Tuskegee on February 4, 1913, to James McCauley, a carpenter and stonemason, and Leona Edwards, a teacher. She spent much of her childhood living with her maternal grandparents in Pine Level, a small town in southeast Montgomery County. There, she began her education in an all-black school with a single teacher serving all 50 students. In 1924, 11-year-old McCauley enrolled in the Montgomery Industrial School for Girls, which offered a vocational curriculum of cooking, sewing, and housekeeping under the instruction of northern whites. Family illnesses forced McCauley to quit school at age 16, when she began cleaning houses for white people and taking in sewing. At age 19, she married Raymond Parks, a barber from Wedowee, Randolph County. In the early 1940s, Parks became active in the Montgomery chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), serving as its secretary and teaching young people about their rights and responsibilities as U.S. citizens. Through her work as a seamstress, Parks came into contact with white civil rights activists Clifford and Virginia Durr, and in the summer of 1955 they sponsored a week-long stay for her at the Highlander Folk School in Tennessee. The school had been founded in 1932 as a training facility for social activists, and there Parks learned effective strategies to protest segregation, including picketing methods and guidelines for establishing citizenship training schools to help people pass voting tests.
Rosa Parks Arrested Upon her return, Parks redoubled her commitment to the civil rights community and its effort to overthrow the Jim Crow laws that regulated virtually every aspect of African Americans' lives. On December 1, 1955, Parks' convictions were put to the test. She boarded a crowded bus after work and took a seat. When a white man got on and was unable to find a seat in the whites-only section, the bus driver demanded that Parks and three other black passengers give up their seats. (All black passengers were required by law to leave the row, even if only one white passenger needed a seat.) Parks decided the time had come to take her stand; she refused to get up, and at the driver's request two Montgomery police officers escorted her off the bus and to city hall to be arrested. Friends Clifford Durr and E. D. Nixon, former president of the Montgomery NAACP, bailed her out, and attorney and activist Fred Gray represented her in the subsequent trial, which resulted in a $10 fine.
Although it was not her intention, Parks's decision to violate the segregation ordinance triggered a year-long boycott of Montgomery's buses by the city's black population and prompted a challenge of the ordinance's constitutionality in federal court. In December 1956, after the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed a district court's ruling against segregation in Browder v. Gayle, Parks took a symbolic first ride near the front of a city bus. The successful boycott served as an inspiration to black communities throughout the nation and established Rosa Parks as the "mother of the civil rights movement."
Rosa Parks's Symbolic Bus Ride, 1956 Seeking a reprieve from the death threats and other pressures brought about by Rosa's fame, the Parkses moved to Detroit in 1957 to be near her brother. Parks resumed work as a seamstress but remained an active spokesperson for the civil rights community. She was invited to attend the July 2 ceremony at which Pres. Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, banning segregation in public accommodations. The following year, she returned to Alabama to help lead the final leg of the Selma-to-Montgomery march in pursuit of voting rights in the South. In 1965, Parks joined the staff of U.S. Representative John Conyers, one of the leading African American members of Congress, and managed his Detroit office until her retirement in 1988. In 1987, Parks co-founded, with friend Elaine Eason Steele, the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self-Development, in honor of Raymond Parks, who died in 1977. The organization continues to promote education and life-skills training for young minority people.
Virginia Durr and Rosa Parks Parks received many awards and honors through the years. In 1996, Pres. Bill Clinton presented her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. "When she sat down on the bus," the president declared, "she stood up for the ideals of equality and justice and demanded that the rest of us do the same." In 1999, she received the Congressional Gold Medal, and in 2001, despite her frail health, she journeyed to Montgomery for the opening of the Rosa Parks Library and Museum. The Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the civil rights organization founded by King and other civil rights figures, presents the Rosa Parks Freedom Award each year in her honor.
Rosa Parks Stamp During her last years, Parks endured her share of controversy and pain. In 1994, she was robbed and beaten in her home by an African American intruder, who escaped with a small amount of cash. She later recalled asking her assailant if he knew who she was. The man admitted that he knew but did not care. In 1999, her lawyers sued the hip hop group OutKast for using her name in their song "Rosa Parks." The suit, which was settled out of court in 2005, sparked concern among some of her relatives that her name was being exploited by her legal team. As her health declined, Parks became more reclusive. Rosa Parks died in Detroit on October 25, 2005. In 2018, the state of Alabama declared December 1 "Rosa Parks Day" to commemorate her accomplishments.
Further Reading
- Brinkley, Douglas. Rosa Parks. New York: Viking, 2000.
- Gray, Fred D. Bus Ride to Justice: Changing the System by the System, The Life and Works of Fred D. Gray. Montgomery, Ala.: Black Belt Press, 1995.
- Parks, Rosa. Rosa Parks: My Story. New York: Putnam, 1992.


text:
Have you ever heard of Baltimore's CitiWatch program? If not, you should pay attention. CitiWatch is only one of the most sophisticated municipal surveillance networks in the United States. Launched in 2005 by former mayor Martin O'Malley, the program was… Read More
Posts Tagged 'program'
Inside Baltimore's CitiWatch Program
- December 22nd, 2011
- Posted in ARK Systems, CitiWatch Program, intelligent technology, Mass Notification Systems, Security Trends, surveillance cameras, surveillance monitoring
- Tags: 50 cameras, ARK Systems, arksysinc.com, assessment, baltimore 2010, baltimore city, baltimore police department, cad, camera, cameras, cctv operator, cctv policy, citiwatch program, computer aided dispatch, crime statistics, criminal intelligence watch center, cross referenced, design, detection, Facebook, footage, gunshot, Inside Baltimore's CitiWatch Program, installation, license plate, live feeds, martin O'Malley, municipal surveillance, networks, pay attention, police work, prime locations, program, recognition, service, System, testing, Twitter


text:
- Describe Salesforce.com and customer relationship management (CRM).
- Describe the basic functionality of the Sales Cloud and Service Cloud.
- Describe what editions Salesforce.com offers.
- Explain the concepts of cloud computing, multi-tenancy, and software-as-a-service (SaaS).
- Explain the different user interfaces available within Salesforce.com.
- Explain how to switch between Salesforce Lightning Experience and Salesforce Classic.
- Explain the difference between a field, object, tab, and record.
- Describe the following terms: application, page layout, list view.
- Describe the difference between data and metadata.
- Describe how to navigate the setup menu in Salesforce.com.
- Describe how to navigate to your personal settings in Salesforce.
- Describe the difference between standard and custom components.
- Describe the difference between production and sandbox environments.
- Describe the difference between a Salesforce environment, organization, instance, and pod.
- Describe where to monitor Salesforce.com system status.
- Describe options to get involved in the Salesforce Community.
- Explain how Salesforce provides new releases to their platform.
- Describe options for storing Salesforce.com credentials.
- Describe how to manage multiple concurrent sessions to Salesforce.com
- Learn the behind the scenes story of Salesforce.com origins and success.
- Overview – Module Checkpoint
Describe the basic functionality of the Sales Cloud and Service Cloud.
The Sales Cloud provides tools for selling: prospecting (leads), closing deals (opportunities), marketing effectiveness (campaigns), and more.
The Service Cloud provides tools for resolving customer problems (typically-post sale): issue resolution (cases), knowledge base (articles, solutions), and more.
Resources for this Objective


text:
How to Join a Union In Newfoundland and Labrador
Step 1: Contact UFCW Canada
Call or email UFCW Canada. Ask to speak with an organizer. He or she is a specialist in labour law and will answer all your questions. All contacts with UFCW Canada are confidential. No obligation.
Step 2: Sign UFCW Canada Membership Cards
With the guidance of an organizer, you and your co-workers sign UFCW Canada membership cards. The employer never sees these cards. UFCW Canada organizers are sworn to protect confidentiality.
When a majority of the employees in a workplace sign UFCW Canada cards, the union can apply to the Labour Relations Board for a vote.
Step 3: Vote for UFCW Canada
The Labour Board conducts a secret ballot vote five days after the union applies for one. No one will know how you voted. If a majority of those who vote say YES, the Labour Board can certify UFCW Canada as your legal bargaining agent.
Step 4: Now that you have a Union.
Your employer and UFCW Canada representatives (including workers from your bargaining unit) can sit down to negotiate a collective agreement. This agreement - the union contract - sets out the wages, benefits, working conditions, job security and other rights of the workers.
UFCW Canada has experienced, professional negotiators who know your industry and what is realistic. We've been representing Canadian workers for over 100 years.
You and your co-workers have the final say on any collective agreement, once again, through a secret ballot vote. UFCW Canada is a democratic union.
UFCW Canada Will Protect Your Rights Under Newfoundland & Labrador Labour Law
Most employers would rather not have their employees represented by a union. But the choice is not theirs. Under Newfoundland & Labrador labour law, your employer cannot interfere with your decision to join a union. Employers can talk about the union generally but are forbidden from making any promises or threats, or to do anything that might prevent employees from making a free decision.
If your employer breaks the law, UFCW Canada can take legal steps to enforce your rights.
What are you waiting for?
If you think you need a union, you probably do. UFCW Canada is one of Canada's largest and most respected unions. A better life for you and your co-workers is just a phone call or email away. Contact us today.


text:
Sebastopol DUI Charges Dropped
How To Get A DUI Dropped in Sebastopol, California
Anyone accused of driving under influence, drinking and driving or impaired driving should look for ways to get the DUI charges dropped. It is indeed possible to get the case dismissed if you urgently hire a DUI lawyer in Sebastopol, California.
How to Get a DUI Dropped in Sebastopol, California
There is a straightforward answer to how to get a DUI dropped in Sebastopol, CA. The defense lawyer must convince the prosecution that their case is flawed. If the prosecutor is led to believe that they cannot prove the accused to be guilty in a court then there is a high possibility of the DUI charges being dropped and the case will be quashed even before it is properly initiated for trial. DUI cases do go to trial and it is in the best interest of the defendant to get the charges dropped before the prosecution can consolidate every detail to make their case in the court.
Chances of Getting DUI Charged Dropped in Sebastopol
According to the California Vehicle Code, driving under influence is a criminal offense and the law is stringently applied all across Sebastopol and most other parts of the state. The strict law has prohibitions for very harsh punishments. This clearly goes against the accused, should one be proven guilty. However, the seriousness of the offense and the severity of the punishments also mean that the prosecution must present an irrefutable case. It is necessary for the prosecution to prove the guilt of the defendant and establish beyond reasonable doubt that the accused should be punished by the court as per the provisions of the law.
The severity of the offense and the subsequent punishment demands the prosecution to ensure there are no flaws in the case. This takes the prosecutor some time and extensive assistance from the law enforcement, technicians or specialists and witnesses to corroborate the facts of the case. The same time is available to a defendant to prepare a thorough and tactful defense using the full scope of the law. Appointing a specialized DUI defense lawyer who is actually an expert in such trials will help a defendant to beat the charges and to get the case dismissed.
The chances of getting DUI charges dropped in Sebastopol and all across the state of California depend on the merits of the case as prepared by the prosecution. It is difficult to generalize and standard approaches do not always work. There are cases that have similar flaws and there are instances when no major loophole may be found. There is no specific timeline that can be used as a generic guide or to get an idea of the scope of possibility of getting DUI charges dropped. Just as the strategy of how to get a DUI dropped will vary from case to case, the time taken to get the charges quashed will also vary.
It should be noted that a prosecutor will not be interested to drop the DUI charges if there is enough evidence against the accused and the prosecution has good reason to believe that they can convince a judge to find the defendant as guilty as per the law. Whether or not there is an obvious flaw in the case being prepared by the prosecution, it is necessary to consider the likelihood of getting DUI charges dropped. This is the quickest option to beat a DUI and be over with the unnerving experience. Only the most astute DUI lawyers in Sebastopol will be able to figure out the flaws and using their legal mettle to get the charges dropped and the case dismissed.
Do Not Hesitate To Contact Us If You Have Received A DUI Offense in Sebastopol
Types Of DUI Charges:
Consequences Of A DUI:
Effective Ways to Get DUI Charges Dropped in Sebastopol, CA
Various types of strategies are used by our DUI lawyers in Sebastopol. There is no one strategy that shall work for everyone. The defense must be customized depending on the strengths and weaknesses of the case. While facts should be deemed to be utmost important, there are many other legal tactics to be explored to get the DUI charges dropped. How to get a DUI dropped does not have a standard solution. This is why you need the finest DUI lawyer in Sebastopol, California.
There are two options available for a defendant at the very outset. The first option is the more favorable dropping of all charges and getting the case dismissed. The second option is a plea bargain. A plea bargain is an arrangement between the prosecution and the defendant wherein the latter agrees to a much lesser charge to avoid a harsher conviction. The prosecutor may be led to believe that their case is partly flawed and that they can get a conviction for a lesser crime much easily and quickly. Pleading guilty also ensures there is no reason to deal with a long trial, relentless arguments and further fact-finding, investigation, cross-examination and counterarguments.
Here are some of the proven to be reliable and effective solutions to how to get DUI charges dropped.
- DUI lawyers can challenge the legality of a checkpoint stop.
- Violations of Title 17 can be used by the defense.
- It can be established that the defendant was not driving.
- The arresting officer's suspicion the defendant was driving under influence can be disputed.
- The field sobriety test can be questioned.
- The blood alcohol concentration found through the tests can be challenged.
- Failure of the arresting officer to clearly read the Miranda Rights can be cited.
Appoint an Expert Sebastopol DUI Lawyer to Get the DUI Charges Dropped
Only a specialist DUI defense lawyer with extensive experience of trials, investigations and negotiations can get the charges dropped. As a defendant, you must not waste any time before hiring an expert Sebastopol DUI lawyer. The more time you take, the stronger a case will be in the making. The prosecution should not be allowed to get the luxury of time and lack of legal counters to prepare a perfect case. Contact us as soon as you can after being arrested under DUI charges.
Sebastopol DUI Defense Attorney


text:
"Father—Your Role, Your Responsibility," Ensign, Nov. 1977, 62
Sunday afternoon session, October 2, 1977
Father—Your Role, Your Responsibility
The Book of Mormon tells a remarkable story about a father who loved his son so much he gave him his own name. The father was chief high priest in the land, and spent much of his days administering to the spiritual needs of the people. How disappointed he must have been when his son chose to turn from his teachings.
As any righteous father, he pleaded with the Lord for a change to occur in the life of his son. In answer to his prayers, an angel stood before this young man and said, "Behold, the Lord hath heard the prayers of his people, and also the prayers of his servant, Alma, who is thy father; for he has prayed with much faith concerning thee that thou mightest be brought to a knowledge of the truth." (Mosiah 27:14.)
The scriptures record how the prayers of a righteous father had been answered. History attests to the power of righteous leadership in the home.
I want to direct my remarks today to just a portion of this vast congregation. I want to speak to you who bear the great and noble titles of husband and father. I find myself greatly concerned with what I see around me. Man, woman, young adult, youth, and child—all groping to find their identity in a troubled world.
I stand before you today to accuse many of the husbands and fathers who are within the sound of my voice and throughout the world of failing in your two major God-given responsibilities. The reason for most of the problems we find in the world today must be laid at your door. Divorce, infidelity, dishonesty, the use of drugs, deterioration of family life, loss of identity, instability and unhappiness have resulted from the lack of your leadership in the home.
Husbands and fathers, could we again remind you of your role and your responsibility?
First, as a husband: The first instruction given to man and woman immediately following the creation was, "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh." (Gen. 2:24.)
So God in His divine plan ordained that marriage was to bring about his basic organizational unit, the family. The role of husband and wife was clearly defined from the very beginning. In the Lord's plan, these roles are unchanged and eternal.
A prophet has said of womanhood, "A beautiful, modest, gracious woman is creation's masterpiece." (David O. McKay, Gospel Ideals, Improvement Era Publication, 1953, p. 449.)
To safeguard this masterpiece, the Lord gave to man the duty and responsibility to be the provider and protector. Husbands, if the Lord's plan is to work, you must learn how to perform in the leadership role He has designed for you. Could I remind you of some of these requirements?
First, let me tell you an experience related by Emma Rae McKay, wife of President David O. McKay:
"Last summer on reaching Los Angeles, we decided to have our car washed by one of those 'Quickies' on Wilshire Boulevard.
"As I was watching the last part of the operation from a bench, to my surprise a tiny voice at my elbow said, 'I guess that man over there loves you.'
"I turned and saw a beautiful little curly-haired child with great brown eyes who looked to be about seven years of age.
"'What did you say?' I asked.
"'I said, I guess that man over there loves you.'
"'Oh, yes, he loves me; he is my husband. But why do you ask?'
"A tender smile lighted up his face and his voice softened as he said, 'Cuz, the way he smiled at you. Do you know I'd give anything in this world if my pop would smile at my mom that way.'
"'Oh, I'm sorry if he doesn't.'
"'I guess you're not going to get a divorce,' he [questioned me].
"'No, of course not; we've been married over fifty years. Why do you ask that?'
"'Cuz everybody gets a divorce around here. My pop is getting a divorce from my mom, and I love my pop and I love my mom. …
"His voice broke and tears welled up in his eyes, but he was too much of a little man to let them fall.
"'Oh, I'm sorry to hear that!'
"And then he came very close and whispered confidentially into my ear, 'You'd better hurry out of this place or you'll be getting a divorce too!'" (The Savior the Priesthood and You, Melchizedek Priesthood Manual, 1973–74, p. 207.)
Husbands, are your actions at all times a reflection of your love for wife? If that had been you at the carwash, would that little boy have noticed the same tender love in so much abundance?
Second is your responsibility to provide peace and security in your home. It is your duty to provide adequately for your family. You must prepare yourself for this responsibility and have the ambition to see that it is accomplished. Your wife should live her life with the comforting assurance that so long as you are healthy and well you will take care of her first above all others. She should not be forced into the labor market unless you become incapacitated. She must be allowed to fulfill her role as the Lord intended it for her.
Third, it is a twenty-four-hour-a-day job to show appreciation and consideration for her. The Lord has warned you in the scriptures by saying:
"We have learned by sad experience that it is the nature and disposition of almost all men, as soon as they get a little authority, as they suppose, they will immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion. …
"No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by longsuffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned." (D&C 121:39, 41.)
She is not your chattel. She does not have to follow you in unrighteousness. She is your wife, your companion, your best friend, your full partner. The Lord has blessed her with great potential, talent, and ability. She, too, must be given the opportunity for self-expression and development. Her happiness should be your greatest concern. Learn how to magnify both your roles in order that the husband and wife can be found having fulfilling and happy lives together.
Brethren, your first and most responsible role in life and in the eternities is to be a righteous husband.
Second only to the title of husband is that of father. Next to eternal life, the greatest of all gifts that our Father in heaven can bestow on a man is the opportunity of being blessed with sons and daughters. Every healthy and normal son of God should have the joy of bestowing the following gifts on his children:
First, an honored and respected name. I will be eternally grateful to a father who thought enough of me to give me his name. It was a name of honor and respect in the community in which I grew up. It carried before it the title of bishop from the time I was six months old until just a few months before I left to go on my mission. How proud I was of his service. I was pleased that he had the patience to involve me in his responsibilities. Working on a welfare farm, cleaning the chapel, balancing ward financial records, carrying a sack of flour to a widow, etc., were a part of my early life. I was with him so much I received the nickname of "Bishop." I attempted to wear it with pride and honor. It had the effect of making me reach a little higher. I wanted to try to be on the same plane as my father. Should not every child have the same opportunity?
Fathers, is it not your obligation to give your children an honored and respected name?
Second, every child needs a sense of security. I often think of the security of our old family home. It was a fortress against the adversary. Each morning and evening it was blessed by the priesthood as we would kneel in family prayer. That power was also manifest as my father blessed his family in time of need.
Fathers, is it not your obligation to give your children a home blessed with the power of the priesthood?
Third, an opportunity for development. My children taught me a great lesson one day. We had moved from California to New York where I had accepted an employment opportunity and we were in the process of finding a new home. We started close to the city, but each day that passed we would move further out to find a home more suited to our needs. In Connecticut we found just the one. It was a beautiful home nestled in New England's radiant forests. We were all pleased with the selection. The final test before making an offer for purchase was to ride the train into New York to check out the commuting time. I made the trip and returned very discouraged. The trip required an hour and a half each way. I returned to the motel where my family was waiting for me and gave them the choice of having a father or this new home. Much to my surprise, they said, "We will take the home. You are not around much anyway."
The shock of that statement was overwhelming to me. If that statement was true, I needed to repent fast. My children deserved a father. Is it not our obligation as fathers to spend as much time as possible with our children, to teach them honesty, industry, and morality?
Fourth, give your children the opportunity of having a joyful, happy childhood. The priesthood manual a few years ago quoted a story written in 1955 by Bryant S. Hinckley. It is as follows:
"'Three hundred twenty-six school children of a district near Indianapolis were asked to write anonymously just what each thought of his father.
"'The teacher hoped that the reading of the essays might attract the fathers to attend at least one meeting of the Parent-Teacher's Association.
"'It did.
"'They came in $400 cars and $4,000 cars. Bank president, laborer, professional man, clerk, salesman, meter reader, farmer, utility magnate, merchant, baker, tailor, manufacturer, and contractor, every man with a definite estimate of himself in terms of money, skill, and righteousness. …
"'The president picked at random from another stack of papers. "I like my daddy," she read from each. The reasons were many: He built my doll house, took me coasting, taught me to shoot, helps me with my schoolwork, takes me to the park, gave me a pig to fatten and sell. Scores of essays could be reduced to "I like my daddy. He plays with me."'
"Not one child mentioned his family house, car, neighborhood, food or clothing.
"The fathers went into the meeting from many walks of life. They came out in two classes: companions to their children or strangers to their children.
"No man is too rich or too poor to play with his children." (The Savior the Priesthood and You, Melchizedek Priesthood Manual, 1973–74, p. 226.)
I am aware how concerned we each are with the leadership we find in the world today. To change the head of a nation, state, or community towards righteous leadership may require our earnest efforts for years. But there is something we can change today to make the world a better place in which to live. Husbands and fathers, the power is within you as bearers of the priesthood. Enjoy the inspiration of God, our Eternal Father, to lead, guide, and direct your families in righteousness. You stand at the head of the only organization I know of that can be eternal. Should not that charge and responsibility receive top priority in your life?
God bless you to understand your duties and responsibilities to be righteous husbands and fathers, I humbly pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.


text:
Dragon's Teeth, Upton Sinclair. Signed First Edition, Gift Copy. Rare. Pulitzer
Regular price $1,250.00
Unit price per
Based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, The Rare Book Sleuth is a rare and antiquarian book dealer specializing in modern first editions, signed copies and notable rarities. As a proud member of the IOBA, the Rare Book Sleuth adheres to the highest standards of professionalism in the field.
PayPal and credit cards are accepted. All items are shipped within 3 business days, fully insured via USPS. Expedited and international shipping is also available. All books are guaranteed as described and returnable for any reason within 30 days.


text:
Subscribe to Comments » Português [PT]
%s has subscribed to comments on %s.
You have to login to add a translation.
★ : registered users
%s wrote on %s
All album photos
Allow users to subscribe to global notifications
Already validated.
Apply action
Choose an action
Comments notifications
Confirm subscription
Confirm your subscription to comments
First subscription
Followed on
Global subscriptions
Invalid email address, your are not subscribed to comments.
Last subscription
Manage my subscriptions
New comment on %s
New subscription on %s
No result


text:
Privacy Policy
This is the website of Maynard Refrigeration Service, Heating, and Air Conditioning.
For each visitor to our Web page, our Web server automatically recognizes only the consumer's domain name, but not the e-mail address (where possible).
We collect only the domain name, but not the e-mail address of visitors to our Web page, the e-mail addresses of those who communicate with us via e-mail, aggregate information on what pages consumers access or visit, user-specific information on what pages consumers access or visit, information volunteered by the consumer, such as survey information and/or site registrations.
The information we collect is used to improve the content of our Web page.
With respect to cookies: We do not set any cookies.
If you supply us with your postal address on-line, you will only receive the information for which you provided us your address.
Persons who supply us with their telephone numbers on-line will only receive telephone contact from us with information regarding messages they have submitted to us on-line.
With respect to Ad Servers: We do not partner with or have special relationships with any ad server companies.
If our information practices change at some time in the future, we will post the policy changes to our Web site to notify you of these changes and we will use for these new purposes only data collected from the time of the policy change forward. If you are concerned about how your information is used, you should check back at our Web site periodically.
With respect to security: We have appropriate security measures in place in our physical facilities to protect against the loss, misuse or alteration of information that we have collected from you at our site.
If you feel that this site is not following its stated information policy, you may contact us.


text:
SURF my Web Site to find homes, condos, vacation homes, investments and rental property in the Galveston and surrounding areas by clicking on the link to the left labeled "MLS HOME SEARCH"
Having the right real estate professional means having an agent who is committed to helping you buy or sell your home with the highest level of expertise in your local market. This also means helping you understand each step of the buying or selling process. This commitment level has helped me build a remarkable track record of delivering results since 1976.
Nothing is more exciting to me than the feeling I get from helping people like yourselves meet their real estate needs and you can count on me to always do what's in your best interest. I pride myself on being honest, trustworthy, and knowledgeable in the Galveston area real estate market. (Photos of Galveston Here) I know how important it is to help you find that special home and work to get you the best price possible price. Therefore I will make it my responsibility to help you achieve those goals.
Whether you are an experienced buyer or it's your first purchase, I can help you in find the property of your dreams. Please feel free to browse my website and when you are ready, I will guide you every step of the way. You can email or call me to set up an appointment today or a good starting point would be to fill out the information form from the Dream Home Finder House below. Just click on the house below. From there, I will set up a customized search from which you will receive new listings that match your criteria as they come on the market.
I look forward to working with you!


text:
What Kind of Church Is This?
What Kind Of Church Is This?
Believe it or not, all churches are not the same. If your idea has been that "a church is a church is a church" then you need to investigate more closely. Some churches are different in their organizational arrangement. Some churches are different in their goals and purposes for existence. Some churches are different in their doctrines and traditions which they practice.
Perhaps you are looking for a church which is striving to be like the one you read about in the New Testament - nothing more nor less than just a church. That is what we are trying to be - simply a group of Christians banded together who follow no creed but the Bible and who sincerely strive to speak where the Bible speaks and to be silent where the Bible is silent. "If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God" (1 Peter 4:11).
It is true that our building does not have a kitchen, banquet hall, or gymnasium. This church sponsors no ball teams, concerts, or secular activities. Wholesome social and secular activities are important in the life of a Christian, but God made a distinction between the responsibilities of the home and the church. "What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God and shame them that have not?" (1 Cor. 11:22,34). You see, we specialize in being a church, and we encourage parents to specialize in building good homes. Parents should provide the secular and recreational needs of their family just like they supervise the economic and political needs.
We do wish to draw all men to the Lord, and we seek to hold our young people. But we make no pretense of being something other than what Christ ordained a church to be. Jesus purchased the church by His own blood, and it was thereby established for spiritual purposes (cf. Eph. 5:25-27;1 Pet. 2:5). The gospel is God's power to draw men (cf.Rom. 1:16; John 6:44-45), and whether young or old, all who sincerely seek to please God will be held by good spiritual food.
Is This Possible In The 20th Century? Yes, since seed always reproduces after its own kind, the church can exist today just like the one of the first century. The word of God is the spiritual seed (cf. Luke 8:11; 1 Pet. 1:23), and when it is obeyed without addition or subtraction then the characteristics of New Testament Christianity will be reproduced. That is why we make the appeal, "if we are doing something for which we have no authority, show us by the Bible and we will stop doing it; or if you show us something in the Bible that we are not practicing we will start doing it." Other churches will not say that! This attitude toward Bible authority is what makes us unique in the religious world today. We believe it makes a difference with God what we do because Jesus said, "Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven" (Matt. 7:21).
What Is Our Organizational Structure? What Is Our Organizational Structure? Other local congregations just like this one exist throughout the world, but there are no headquarters on earth. Each local church is independent and self-governing. Christ is our only head (Eph. 1:22-23), and the Bible is our only creed (Gal. 1:6-8; 2 John 1:9). Within the framework of each congregation men are appointed to serve as "elders" (I Tim. 3; Titus 1). They are also called "pastors" and "bishops". Their authority is only to teach and administer the word of Christ, and their allegiance is solely to Him. The church at this place is free from inter-congregational ties or any kind of centralized oversight from without. Neither do our elders oversee the work of another congregation nor any "brotherhood work". They oversee only the work of the flock of God "among them" (1 Peter 5:2; Acts 20:28). We do cooperate in assisting sister congregations when they have need, but we do so in a manner that respects the autonomy of each local church (2 Cor. 8:9).
What Is Our Goal Or Purpose For Existence? We are motivated by a sincere love for God to worship and serve Him. You will find that in our assemblies we emphasize the reading and studying of God's word, the Bible. Our primary mission is to preach the good news of salvation by grace through faith. If God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, then the least we can do is to make known this love to our fellow man by bringing lost souls to the Christ and by encouraging one another to live faithfully unto death. Our purpose for existence is therefore spiritual in nature. "Ye also as lively stones are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 2:5). Being a spiritual house, we meet to worship God just as Christians did in the New Testament days. We are careful to do as they did, namely to sing and pray; and on the first day of the week we partake of the Lord's supper and give as God has prospered us (cf. Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 14:15; 1 Cor. 16:2). We try to be equally careful not to add anything to our worship that He has not authorized lest we worship in "vain" (Matt. 15:7-9).
How Can One Become A Member Of This Church?Become just a Christian! When one is saved, he is added by the Lord to the church. "And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved" (Acts 2:47). Jesus said, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved" (Mark 16:16). Sinners were told, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost" (Acts 2:38). Therefore we accept into our fellowship all who willingly confess their belief that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and will repent and be baptized (immersed) for the forgiveness of their sins. Obeying these commandments makes a person just a Christian. We wear no other name than Christ's and seek to be no other kind of church than the one described in the New Testament. Wouldn't you like to be just a Christian?
Yes, divisions have occurred just like they did among some of the churches in the first century (cf. 1 Cor. 1:10-13; Gal. 1:6-7). We are saddened by this division just as God must be (1 Cor. 14:33), and we continue to work that the unity for which Jesus prayed may exist (cf. John 17:20-23). However, the Bible predicted that some would "depart from the faith" (1 Tim. 4:1) and would "not endure sound doctrine" (2 Tim. 4:2-4).
Different attitudes toward Bible authority is the basic cause for all religious division. "Let us speak where the Bible speaks and be silent where the Bible is silent" is to some only a slogan and not a commitment. When people cease demanding Bible authority for all that they do religiously, they will soon depart from the faith and will adopt ways that please themselves (cf. 2 John 1:9; Matt. 7:21-23; Matt. 15:7-9).
The most easily recognized difference is that:
- Some "churches of Christ" play an instrument of music in their worship. We reject instrumental music because the Bible is silent about any use of them when Christians worshipped. Singing is the only kind of music authorized by the New Testament (cf. Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16).
- We are also different from some churches which make a plea for "grace" and "unity" but who in reality seek compromise. Many of the words they use sound Biblical, but the message they preach is non-distinctive. "Union" - not "unity" - is the result of this spirit of open fellowship of all kinds of different doctrines. Unity must be based on doing God's will in God's way, not just on pleasing the majority (cf. Eph. 4:3-7; Luke 6:46). Christians must be of "one mind" striving for "the faith of the gospel" (Phil. 1:27; 1 Cor. 1:10).
- This church is also different from some who talk about "total commitment" but who in their zeal to bring sinners to the "crossroads" of decision have persuaded newcomers to be committed to "prayer partners" more than to Jesus Christ. We repudiate this system whereby the "partners" gain control over new converts by insisting that they confess everything to them and then with cultish fervor motivate adherents to follow their advice. This kind of "total commitment" is perpetrated by a feeling of guilt rather than by the joy of forgiveness (Gal. 2:20).
- Likewise we reject the practice found only among modern churches of promoting and subsidizing human institutions to do a good work in the name of the church (e.g., colleges, hospitals, benevolent institutions). Some have shifted the work of the church to a different "who" and have relegated the church to the role of being fund raisers to subsidize these self-governed institutions. While charitable and educational businesses may do much good, they are an unscriptural addition to God's arrangement when they become an extension to the Lord's church. God designed the church and made it sufficient to accomplish its own work in evangelism, edification, and benevolence (cf. Acts 6:1-7; 1 Peter 5:2-3).
What must one do since there are these differences?No headquarters exist on earth to tell us where to work and worship as a Christian. Nor is there an official council to enforce its creed or withdraw from and expel a congregation. Therefore individual Christians need foremost to search the scriptures for themselves to learn God's pattern for the Lord's church (1 John 4:1). Then they need to search until they find a church whose leadership is committed to following a "thus saith the Lord."
We sincerely believe this church is just like the one you read about in the new Testament - nothing more nor less than just a church purchased by and governed by the Lord Jesus Christ. We invite you to come join with us in living for Christ. If you would like more information, please feel free to inquire.
-- by Robert Harkrider


text: Elvenar is a free-to-play browser-based game, where you will build a flourishing city and discover a magical world full of mysteries. Build up the most beautiful city and establish the most efficient economic system that you can! In Elvenar you can upgrade almost every building, improving the productivity and the look of your city. Explore the vast World Map to acquire the knowledge of your wise ancestors and discover new technologies. Trade or fight over powerful Relics to boost your production. You can either become a skilled and well-known trader, refine your producing art or lead your troops to victory in 3D-animated battles, the decision is up to you. Controls: Mouse. Publicité


text:
About Atlantic Locksmith Store - Unlock Service Los Angeles, CA
Atlantic Locksmith Store is a reputable locksmith services firm that provides top quality locksmith services to the dwellers in the Los Angeles, CA area. Having a stupendous reputation due to our selfless services and quick responses to the queries imposed by our customers, our reputable position in the industry hasn't ever lagged behind. Our commitment towards resolving all kinds of locksmith issues that our customers face, even the most basic ones such as resolving the lockout issues, or complex issues such as designing high-security systems, has placed us in an exemplary position. This is precisely why we get repeat customers who often state that they always gain maximum satisfaction when they seek the services of Atlantic Locksmith Store. We are thankful and highly obliged to such loyal customers who have helped us in rising up to an extraordinary position in the industry.
Our locksmith services firm has slain the conventionalities and has gone out of the way to prove that we offer only the best services. To fortify our quality model, we've made it compulsory for our team members to follow all the ethics and codes laid down by us. Having an extensive knowledge about the industry, along with the knowledge imposed on them by our firm, our professional locksmiths are the best service providers out there.
We do emphasize on our locksmiths being qualified, but that doesn't mean we expect no more from them. Once we hire our locksmiths, we continuously ensure that they undergo stringent training courses in order to keep themselves up-to-date with the latest advancements in the locksmithing industry. Having extensive knowledge and also being updated with the best courses of action, our locksmiths never fail to mesmerize the clients with their quality services.
Atlantic Locksmith Store isn't the only locksmithing firm that operates in the industry; surely, we do have a number of competitors. But our extraordinary features make us much more special than any other locksmith services firm out there. A combination of timely services with affordability and top-notch quality can be seen in the locksmith services provided by Atlantic Locksmith Store. Other firms may promise to fix your lock issues for absolute low costs, but what you may not pay attention to is the debased quality of their services. We, at [%COMNAME], ensure that we provide only quality services for affordable costs; we do not charge an extra penny for providing even the most complex locksmith services during the off-hours. With our services extending for 24/7, throughout the entire year, you can be assured that you couldn't have made a better choice to hand over your lock and locksmith issues once you choose to avail our services.
So what else is stopping you from hitting the call button on your phone? If confronted with any lock or locksmith issue, or if you simply want to have an advanced lock system in place, then stumble not between options, rather call us right away, and you will know why we are the best!


text:
During the holiday season we think about a lot of things – family, food, decors, parties, shopping. Selling your house is probably not on the top of your list at this time. But the holidays actually be a good oppotunity to show your home to potential buyers. A home adorned with Christmas decors and lights add to its appeal.
Here are some important things to keep in mind as you prepare your home:
- The first things that buyers will see is the exterior of your house. This is why curb appeal is vital. If it's snowing in your area, clear the walkway, path and stairs.
- Put holiday lights outside. They exude holiday cheer and show pride in ownership. But don't overdo it because they can only be enjoyed at night. Unless potential buyers visit your home at night, they won't be able to see it.
- Trim trees outside your home. You wouldn't want to risk having someone get hurt or the house damaged because a branch fell because of strong winds.
- Put a pretty holiday welcome mat outside the frnt door.
- Clear the outdoor area. Put away bicycles, scooters, toys etc.
- Hang a cheerful wreath on the front door.
- Play holiday music softly to add to the effect.
- Set a cozy and warm feel. Adjust the thermostat to a comfortable level.
- Light the fireplace. But never levae it unattended.
- The holiday decor won't be complete without a tree. Pick the tree carefully. Make sure it's the right size for your house or living room. If you pick a tree too big, the living room will look small or crammed if you put it wth other furniture.
- Don't overdo the decors. Potential buyers might be overwhelmed if you put too many that the house might look cluttered. Remember, your goal is to sell the house, not the decors.
- If you're expecting buyers for viewing in the evening, make sure your agent knows which decors and lights to turn on. And if you don't plan to be back home soon after the viewing, make sure the agent turns everything off to avoid untoward incidents.
- Bake holiday treats often. It will leave an enticing smell.
- Don't forget your security. Remind your agent to turn back on your home security after your house had been shown.
Remember that the holiday decors should just accent your home and not overpower it. What's important is that you'll create a sense of love, joy and warmth.


text:
Religion - An Introduction
Created | Updated Jun 12, 2007
Religion is one of the most pervasive of all human behaviours, being found across all continents and cultures and throughout the entire span of human history1.
What is Religion?
It is impossible to answer the question 'What is religion?' without resorting to personal opinion. Like 'What is good?', the question is one of values which are perhaps not open to scientific enquiry at all. This is quite an intractable problem. Although most of us have an idea of what religion is, we might struggle to explain it. When asked, many would say that religion is a way of life based on belief in God. However, do we mean the god of classical theism, the god of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, or something more general, more nebulous? And what of those traditions, such as certain branches of Buddhism, that effectively sidestep the god question altogether? All this goes to show how our pre-existing values and perceptions colour our attempts to answer the question of 'What is religion?'
Many scholars, from various disciplines, have attempted to answer the question in as objective a manner as possible. What follows is an introduction to some of those answers. We begin by taking a detailed look at the work of the religious scholar Ninian Smart before going on to explore the views of psychologists, sociologists and evolutionary biologists. We close by comparing cults, sects, superstitions and religions.
Smart's Seven Dimensions of Religion
Ninian Smart (1927 - 2001), Professor of Comparative Religions at the University of California and Professor Emeritus of Religious Studies at the University of Lancaster, England, suggested that there are certain aspects or dimensions of religion. In 'The World's Religions' (Cambridge 1989), Smart suggested that there were seven dimensions:
- The Practical and Ritual Dimension
- The Experiential and Emotional Dimension
- The Narrative or Mythic Dimension
- The Doctrinal and Philosophical Dimension
- The Ethical and Legal Dimension
- The Social and Institutional Dimension
- The Material Dimension
The practical and ritual dimension: This covers acts of worship, both private and corporate, prayer, preaching, sacrifice and meditation. It also includes practices such as yoga. Examples include the celebration of the Eucharist in Christianity, participating in the Hajj, or pilgrimage to Mekkah (Mecca) in Islam, or offering puja in Hinduism.
The experiential and emotional dimension: Bringing together a range of religious phenomena ranging from conversion experiences to shamanistic trances. It also includes less dramatic feelings, such as a sense oneness and stillness, which are often reported by believers as occurring during moments of quiet reflection. Such experiences are frequently taken as a private affirmation of the individual's faith.
The narrative, or mythic, dimension: This incorporates the stories that form the starting point for a great deal of religious teaching. Creation myths are brought together with devotional material and accounts of the lives of significant individuals. Both printed texts and oral traditions are included. The Christian Bible and the Sikh Guru Granth Sahib are examples of texts that belong to the narrative and mythic dimension.
The doctrinal and philosophical dimension: Referring to the official teachings of the world's religions. As religions develop, their narratives and myths both inform and are explained by more complex and intellectually rigorous doctrines or official teachings; within Christianity one could point to the doctrine of the Trinity, in Islam tawhid (the oneness of God).
The ethical and legal dimension: This covers religious rules and laws that stem from the narrative and doctrinal aspects of each tradition. By following the various laws or commandments, the believer seeks to lead a virtuous life. In the Jewish Torah there are 613 mitzvah or commandments and in Islam there is the sharia law. In Polynesian traditions there is the concept of tapu (taboo) that limits or forbids a wide range of activities, for example limiting who may, or may not, collect shellfish from a given location or at certain times of year.
The social and institutional dimension: This includes the living embodiment of each religion; its followers. The institutional aspect refers to the organised structures and hierarchies often to be found within religious traditions. In Buddhism, the sangha is the name given to both a specific community of monks or nuns and to the wider community of Buddhists. In Roman Catholicism the papacy falls within the social and institutional dimension.
The material dimension: The last of Smart's dimensions. Religions of all sorts have created physical expressions of their faith, be it buildings, works of art or dramatic performances. Buddhism has given rise to massive statues, Orthodox Christianity has produced beautiful icons and Hinduism boasts awe inspiring mandirs or temples.
Although Smart does not provide us with a succinct definition of religion, his phenomenological approach does provide us with an insight into the nature of religion. It is a system that can also be applied to secular or humanistic world-views such as nationalism or Marxism. However, Smart himself recognised that, although such systems share many of the characteristics of a religion, they are not religions or even quasi-religions. And it is what Marxism and the like 'lack' that highlights what is special about religion: the transcendent.
All religions, whether theistic or atheistic, seek to transcend the divide between the normal, mundane world of everyday life and another spiritual, eternal and mysterious dimension that is said to lie beyond normal human experience. Christians, Muslims, Jews and other theists believe that we can all experience God. Theravadan Buddhists, who gloss over the question of whether there is a god, seek the transcendent in Nirvana (Nibbana) in which the self ceases to exist and achieves total quiescence. In contrast non-religious world-views, for example Marxism, lack this transcendent element. Although some may contend that followers of Marxism, and even some devoted football fans, may have experiences of bliss or exhilaration that are akin to those described by religious adherents, they would not describe them as transcending the divide between the mundane and the mystical. Therefore, Marxism and similar systems fall outside of what we can usefully consider to be religions.
So in summary: religions are coherent systems of beliefs and practices that arise from particular world-views. Such world-views incorporate a distinction between that which is normal and mundane and that which is spiritual or transcendent.
A Religious Perspective
Smart approached the question as a religious studies specialist. He attempted to stand outside each religious system he was studying in order to provide a dispassionate description of what he observed. This 'religious studies' approach needs to be contrasted with a purely 'religious' one. By this we mean the approach that is adopted by someone coming from within a particular religious tradition.
Each religion will have its own unique history and traditions about its origins. Most will speak of a founder who, inspired by a special revelation (coming generally though not exclusively from a god) sets out to share their understanding of the truth. Theistic (god based) religions will ultimately credit their god(s)/goddess(es) with the creation of their faith and it is this belief that is frequently used as the basis to claims of uniqueness and authority. When asked to explain the existence of other, competing traditions, some will respond by stating that, at best, these traditions are man-made, or at worst the work of some malevolent spiritual being, akin to but not equal to their god. For example, within the Christian tradition there are many who believe that God, and in particular God the Son, is the ultimate founder of their faith and that all other religions are attempts by the Devil to lead people away from the truth and into error.
A Psychological Perspective
Psychologists seek to explain the origins of religion in terms of individual or collective consciousness (and the unconscious). Both Sigmund Freud and Karl Jung sought to explain the origins of religion in terms of human needs and drives. Freud thought religion derived from adults' need for a father figure when they achieved independence from their actual fathers. Jung, who was less dismissive of religion, believed that all conceptions of the divine were related to an ancient archetype that was inherent within all human minds. Religion helped each developing personality assimilate this archetype as the individual mind evolved.
Steven Pinker, author of The Language Instinct, How the Mind Works and The Blank Slate, has suggested that religious belief is a by-product of certain evolutionary adaptations to the human brain. Pinker says we should distinguish between the psychological motives of those who are leaders and those who are followers as they are quite different. He has also suggested that our propensity to believe in god(s) may be related to our intuitive psychology, ie, we have evolved to be able to impute minds to other people, therefore it would not be unreasonable to impute minds to other, invisible beings, given that we cannot see other peoples' minds.
Neuroscience is another area that has begun to shed light on the nature of religion. Andrew Newberg of the Pennsylvania School of Medicine has used scanning techniques to observe what takes place in the brains of subjects while they pray or meditate. He has found that areas associated with concentration and emotion are activated and, at the same time, areas associated with the sense of self are deactivated. This may explain the sense of otherness and oneness often reported by people who have had religious experiences.
In another interesting development, Michael Persinger, professor of behavioural neuroscience at Laurentian University, Ontario, has used powerful electromagnetic fields to stimulate certain areas of the brain. When subjects have had their temporal lobes stimulated they have reported feelings like those described by mystics down the ages.
A Sociological Perspective
Sociologists explain religion in terms of its role within society. Karl Marx's analysis led him to conclude that religion was a powerful agent of social control. He believed that the position of ruling elites both stemmed from and was maintained by religious beliefs; the divine right of kings being a prime example. Marx believed that religion would naturally fade away in a socialist society. It is interesting to note that in both Soviet Russia and China religion did not disappear.
Emile Durkheim took a functionalist approach to the subject of religion and concluded that it was an all important factor in creating and sustaining a harmonious society. Durkheim saw religion as the cement that bound society together. Through shared beliefs and practices religion creates a sense of social identity and reinforces the moral values of the society. Rites of passage are important as a means of initiating individuals into the wider society and embedding a sense of responsibility. Like Marx, Durkheim recognised that religion played a role in social control but he saw this in a positive light, arguing that religion helped to maintain the community's shared values.
Max Weber adopted a social action approach to the study of religion and explored how religion could be an agent of change rather than a conservative agent inhibiting change. Weber examined the relationship between Calvinism, a form of Protestant Christianity, and the development of capitalism. Weber concluded that, although Calvinism was not the only contributing factor, it created a context in which one's position in society was not fixed and in which hard work was actively encouraged. The result, according to Weber, was significant social change.
Feminist sociologists have identified religion as a key factor in the subordination of women. They state that practically all religions stem from and maintain patriarchal societies. The use of masculine language to describe and address the god(s) has helped to reinforce the dominance of men. In the same way the exclusion of women from the leadership of many traditions has compounded women's sense of inferiority. Religion has often denigrated women; at best they are seen as morally weak and at worst they are believed to be inherently evil. Women's ambitions have been constrained by the assertion that it is their religious duty to obey their husbands and to serve them, and their children, in the home. Feminist sociologists have also highlighted the role of religion in the subjugation of female sexuality. Women have been denied a positive view of their own bodies and sexuality and instead have been presented with virginal role models.
An Evolutionary Perspective
Many scientists, from a wide variety of disciplines, influenced by Darwinian evolution have sought to explain religion in evolutionary terms.
Some writers have tried to suggest that the pervasiveness of religious beliefs is due to the existence of a 'god gene'. Supporters of the theory, such as Dean Hamer (The God Gene: How Faith is Hardwired into Our Genes), suggest that human religious behaviour is the result of a genetic adaptation. Twin research conducted at the University of Minnesota in the late 1970s and early 1980s seemed to suggest that some people have a genetic predisposition towards spirituality. Religious supporters of the idea argue that, as creatures we are 'hardwired' to reach out to our creator; God made us to want to love him.
Richard Dawkins, the world-famous author, ethologist and evolutionary biologist, has put forward the concept of the 'meme'. Memes mutate and evolve in much the same way as genes, but unlike genes that are bundles of genetic material within the cells of living organisms, memes are bundles of ideas, such as tunes, or jokes, scientific theories or religious beliefs. While genes are passed on through sexual reproduction, memes are passed on in communication, and ultimately, through imitation. Religious beliefs, according to Dawkins, are among some of the most powerful memes ever and, although he rightly offers no explanation of the origins of the god meme, his concept provides a theoretical framework that explains the development and amazing persistence of religious beliefs: religion is highly infectious.
Cults, Sects and Superstitions
Finally it would seem sensible to explore the differences between religions, cults, sects and superstitions. Certainly, if we refer to Smart's dimensions there is little or no difference between a religion and a sect or a cult. All of them have rites and rituals, doctrines and laws, social structures and material artefacts, and their members often describe religious experiences.
One definition of a god is simply 'a cult figure'; by this criterion, Santa Claus and Elvis Presley are gods2. The term cult has been used to describe many smaller, non-traditional religious groups. These groups often have new or innovative beliefs that set them apart from the prevailing religious worldviews. In recent times it has become rather derogatory, being applied to groups that are deemed to be beyond the acceptable bounds of social behaviour. This may be because of devotion to a dominant leader, eg, David Koresh, leader of the ill-fated Branch Dravidians, or deviant sexual practices, such as those performed by 'The Family', also known as 'the Children of God'.
Sects are groups that break away from an existing religion but are not as divergent as a cult. Often such schisms are the result of disputes about beliefs or practices. In many cases, if they do not disappear, sects go on to become recognised denominations within the broader context of the 'parent' religion. The various Protestant Churches are examples of Christian sects that eventually gained mainstream acceptance, and in Hinduism one can cite the example of the Hare Krishna movement (The International Society for Krishna Consciousness).
There are tremendous similarities between cults, sects and religions but the same cannot be said of superstitions. Whereas cults, sects and religions are cohesive systems of beliefs and practices, superstitions are independent, stand alone beliefs, that do not form a coherent whole. However, they reflect rudimentary world-views not too dissimilar to some of those of mainstream religions. There is a common belief that there are unseen powers, acting both for and against us and that it is possible, through the use of certain rituals and invocations, to manipulate these powers.
Perhaps religion, along with sex and politics, should not be discussed in polite company because of the controversy it provokes. Religion addresses the most fundamental questions about what it is to be human. Religion, whether we are believers or not, goes to the very heart of who we believe we are. It is no surprise therefore, that when we encounter views that challenge our self-perception it evokes a strong emotional response within us. Because of this inherent power, religion has brought out both the very best and the very worst in human nature. Great acts of love, service and self-sacrifice have been credited to religious belief. It has been the driving force behind some of the world's most wonderful works of art, music and architecture but, ironically, it has also been the source of much that is evil. In order to truly understand mankind and the history of human thought one must take note of the role played by religion. To disregard religion as unimportant would be to misunderstand the power of its influence over human affairs. Whatever the status of religion in the modern world, it shows little sign of going away.


text:
Southern Honda Powersports, the largest Honda dealer with locations in Tennessee and Florida is under investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the U.S. Attorney's Office in Nashville and the Tennessee Attorney General's Office for allegedly selling unsafe motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles and dirt bikes, according to a report out today in USA Today. The report says a consultant and former employee, along with 9 other employees all say the dealership sold bikes that were under recall, (without fixing them first) and employees did not have the training to assemble the ATV's and motorcycles the dealer sold to the public.
The reports says that there are potentially 25,000 vehicles that are in customers possessions that are potentially unsafe.
The owner, Tim Kelly, says there "is no substance" to the' allegations, and says alleged assembly problems are "utter balderdash."
The post Largest Honda Dealer in the US Under Investigation appeared first on USRiderNews.