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Surprise, Surprise: Sexting Fallout Is Harder on Girls Than Boys
LatestToday in gender double standards, I present the not-so-new frontier of sexting. A fresh study found that tween and teen girls are sluts if they do sext and prudes if they don't. Same judgement, different interface. Yay for the resilience of sexism!
Recently, Julia Lippman and Scott Campbell, two University of Michigan researchers, led a sext study by interviewing 51 young adults, ages 12-18, according to The Atlantic. The pair found that boys described girls as "sluts" and "insecure" if they did engage in sexting and "stuck up" or a "prude" if they didn't. On the other hand, the girls said they sexted because they "desire approval and social acceptance," not because they're deranged attention-seeking whores. In addition, the boys acted as if the girls just randomly sent them sexts, as opposed to the more likely scenario which is both kids were interested in the conversation or that the boys had asked for a photo or two.
Here are a few snippets from the boys in the study:
A 12-year-old boy: "One time this crazy girl who liked me sent me a nude picture of her for no reason… [she] was just insecure."
An 18-year-old boy: "This is common only for girls with 'slut' reputations. They do it to attract attention…[it's inappropriate, but] it's the fault of the girl who sent them. That she is being seen like that."
A 14-year-old boy: "I have received some pics that include nudity. Girls will send them sometimes, not often. I don't know why they think it's a good idea but I'm not going to stop it…I like classy girls so I don't like them as much anymore it makes them look slutty."
Boo. You know what would be awesome, if everyone was taught that sex is a natural human function and that shame and judgement don't need to be assigned any time there's an erotic feeling, and that includes sexting kids.


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My new novel, Club Rules, has been released. It explores the inter-connected lives of several couples in a wealthy suburban town.
Decoding Love is now out in paperback.
For something on the lighter side, here are my responses to NY Magazine's 21 Questions.
If you want to follow me on Twitter, click here.

subset: commoncrawl


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7 Ways to Give Your Customers an Exceptional Star Wars Experience
Yes, it's true: the Force is strong with your business. But how can you channel your inner Jedi to create an exceptional Star Wars experience for customers? Here are seven ways to bring out the best in your company and let every customer have their own personal lightsaber battle with Darth Vader himself.
1. Use AI to personalize the experience
If you're looking to create a truly exceptional experience, AI is the way to go. The technology can be used in a variety of ways that will help your customers feel like they're getting exactly what they want.
AI can be used to personalize the experience by predicting customer behavior and needs, preferences, buying habits and more–all while they're still browsing through your site or app. This will make them feel like they're being treated as individuals rather than just another sale number on an analytics report (and no one wants that).
2. Integrate with other platforms
- Integrate with other platforms
Star Wars fans are an extremely loyal bunch, so it's important to ensure that your customer experience is top-notch. One way to do this is by integrating with other platforms–such as social media or chatbots–and using AI to personalize the experience for each customer. For example, if a customer mentions an upcoming birthday on Twitter and you have access to their email address in your CRM system (or if they've told you about it), then you can use AI technology like IBM Watson Conversation Service or Amazon Lex from AWS Lex Competency Suite to send them an automated message reminding them about their upcoming celebration!
3. Conduct proactive outreach
You can't expect to give your customers an exceptional Star Wars experience if you aren't proactive about it. You need to reach out to the right people, at the right time and with the right message. The first step is determining exactly who those people are–and that's not always as simple as it sounds.
If you're using a CRM system (and we hope you are!), make sure it has built-in tools for tracking outreach efforts so that you don't lose track of which contacts have been contacted and which ones haven't yet received any communications from your company. If not, consider investing in an AI solution like Salesforce Einstein or Oracle Autonomous Analytics Cloud so that these tools become available automatically without any additional work on your part!
4. Give your customers a virtual tour of your business
- Use 360-degree video.
- Use augmented reality (AR).
- Use virtual reality (VR).
- Or a combination of the above!
5. Showcase your customer service capabilities with video
- Showcase your customer service capabilities with video. Video is a great way to show off your company's unique culture and values, as well as the way you interact with customers. If you're looking for inspiration, take a look at Disney's "Behind the Scenes" series of videos that feature employees talking about their roles in the company, how they got there, and what makes working at Disney so special.
- Use video to demonstrate how you solve problems for customers (and how they benefit from those solutions). Customers want more than just a functional product or service–they also want someone who can help them understand what it does and why it matters.*
Video allows you do this by showing how someone uses something like an app or software program so viewers can get a better understanding of how things work together than just reading about it would provide.*
6. Create an interactive experience that will keep them coming back for more
In addition to creating an exceptional experience for your customers, you can also use gamification to encourage them to take action. This is especially helpful if you're trying to increase engagement on social media or website traffic.
Gamification is used in many different ways by businesses and brands, but here are some examples of how it can be used:
- Offer rewards for completing certain tasks (such as watching a video or sharing content)
- Create incentives for repeat customers like loyalty programs that offer discounts based on the number of purchases made over time
7. Use virtual reality (VR) to give customers a more engaging experience
For the ultimate Star Wars experience, use virtual reality (VR) to give customers a more engaging experience.
VR is one of the most exciting technologies in recent years and it has been made available at an affordable price point for businesses of all sizes. It allows you to create immersive experiences that will allow your customers to see what you do from their perspective. You can use VR for anything from giving them a virtual tour of your business or showing them how easy it is for them to buy products online or even showcase customer service capabilities with real-time scenarios where someone else needs help with something that isn't working right away but should be fixed soon.
You can use AI, integration and technology to create a memorable customer experience
You can use AI, integration and technology to create a memorable customer experience.
Star Wars is a great example of how brands can use AI to deliver an exceptional customer service experience. By leveraging data from their customers' past experiences and preferences, they are able to personalize the content they receive while watching Star Wars movies on Netflix or other platforms.
AI also helps you make proactive outreach to your customers through personalized emails or text messages (SMS). You could send them information about upcoming events or promotions that may interest them based on their past purchase history or social media activity if applicable – this way you'll be able to reach out without being intrusive!
Finally, with video content becoming increasingly popular among consumers today; it's important not only for businesses but also individuals who want more exposure online."
Star Wars is a global phenomenon that spans generations. It has transcended time, culture and language to become one of the most recognizable brands on earth. You can use AI, integration and technology to create a memorable customer experience by leveraging this power and creating an exceptional Star Wars experience for your customers.


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Drones are taking over the world and becoming a part of our every day lives. And businesses of all sorts are just now starting to realize how drones can make them more money, save them more money, and impress everyone.
From Aerial Real Estate photography, to professional videography, to agricultural research, and radio tower inspections, to search and rescue, and more, drones are changing our every day lives and creating opportunities previously unheard of.
Now, you can have professional aerial videos and pictures of your business. Get professional videos of your wedding or indie film project. Take a complete scan of your farm, or do just about anything else you can imagine.
We are here to help you realize your dreams with professional drone videos and photos. Give us a call today to schedule your FREE consultation so you can see exactly how drone photos and videos can make you more money, save you more money, and impress everyone.
And be sure to download the FREE report, The Dangers of Do it Yourself Drone Operation, to protect yourself from the most common dangers of drone use.


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With Ukraine being in the news on a
daily basis over the past few weeks, I wanted to post a summary of key points
about the nation's economy, particularly since very few of us have any deep
knowledge of the country.
Ukraine has a population of 45.59
million people (2012) and is considered a lower middle income nation by the
World Bank. The nation is composed of two main ethnic groups; Russians who
comprise around 17 percent of the population and Ukrainians who comprise 78
percent of the population. Life expectancy at birth is 71 years, up
slightly from 68 in 2004.
Economic growth has been a problem
for Ukraine, particularly since the Great Recession. Here is a graph
showing GDP in billions of current United States dollars:
Between 2004 and 2009, Ukraine's
economy grew by between 2 and 12 percent. When the Great Recession hit,
the economy shrank by 15 percent in 2009, rising 4 percent in 2010 and 5
percent in 2011. Unfortunately, 2012 saw growth of only 0.2 percent, a
scenario that continued in 2013 as shown on this graph:
The World Bank projects economic
growth of 2.0 percent in 2014, 1.0 percent in 2015 and 0.7 percent in 2016.
Ukraine's current account balance is
in very poor shape. Current account balance is defined as the difference
between what a country has in savings and what it invests. It is the sums
of the value of imported goods and services plus net returns on investments
held abroad minus the value of exports of goods and services. When a
current account balance is negative, it means that nation has more of its
economy financed by foreign nations and investors. Here is a graph
showing the trend in Ukraine's current account balance compared to its European and Central Asian peers:
Ukraine's current account balance as
a percentage of GDP fell from -2.2 percent in 2010 to -8.4 percent in 2012,
rising very slightly to -8.1 percent in 2013.
According to the CIA World Factbook, Ukraine has one of the
world's largest current account deficits when measured in dollar terms, coming
in 181st place in a 193 nation ranking with an estimated deficit of $11.92
billion in 2013. Which nation has the world's largest current account
deficit? The United States with a deficit of $360.7 billion in 2013
although, on the upside, it is a rather small percentage of GDP, coming it at
around -2.2 percent in the third quarter of
Now, let's look at Ukraine's debt.
Here is a graph showing what has happened to
Ukraine's government debt-to-GDP since 2000:
Fitch estimates that Ukraine's
debt-to-GDP could be around 48 percent by the end of 2014 due to the growing
government deficit, weak economic growth and the devaluation of the hyrvnia.
According to the Ukraine News Agency, data from the nation's central bank shows that Ukraine's total state
debt grew by 13 percent or $8.434 billion in 2013 to $73.078 billion with
growth of $4.247 billion in December 2013 alone. In 2014, Ukraine will
have to repay $8.2 billion on the foreign state debt which exceeds one-third of
the National Bank's reserves. Foreign reserves held by Ukraine's central
bank dropped by 16.9 percent or $4.1 billion in 2013 and an additional 12.8
percent in the month of January 2014 alone. As a result, Fitch has
lowered Ukrainian debt to a pre-default level of CCC.
Now, let's focus on the portion of
Ukraine's debt that is owed to the World Bank. Here is a graph showing
the size of the World Bank's International Bank for Reconstruction and
Development (IBRD) loans to Ukraine:
Of the total of nearly $5.807
billion in loans, $4.454 billion has been disbursed and $903 million has not
been disbursed. Over the past two decades, loans were made for a wide variety of projects including
housing, water projection, hydropower rehabilitation, urban infrastructure and
road improvements. A substantial number of the loans mature in 2014,
fortunately most of the loans have an interest rate that is well under 1
percent with many of them being interest-free as shown on this chart:
Ukraine's total current obligation
to the World Bank is $3.314 billion. Many of these loans are in U.S.
dollars which will make it more difficult for Ukraine to pay back since its
currency has plunged in value as shown here:
Ukraine is just in the initial phase of its economic crisis which has been brought to the forefront now that the nation is in geopolitical no-man's-land. Once again, it looks like the IMF
will force itself into the fray, bailing out yet another debtor nation in a
desperate attempt to stave off another world economic crisis just like they did for Greece.


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Posted using LJ Talk...
Pot. Kettle. Black.
Article on LOL and OMG and such creeping into student essays... "Everything is shorthand," Jeff Littwin, lead English teacher at Roosevelt High…
Das deutsches Wort des Tages
Geschlechtsverkehr Aw, German compounds, how I love thee. (learned from watching The Lives of Others, with Dan. good movie.)
Learning Russian grammar from spam
Aw, spam...


text:
Zeltbahn shelter quarters
The Zeltbahn, or German shelter quarter, is an item of basic military equipment that was produced in millions, but which does not seem to receive the same attention as many other aspects of military history. The purpose of this website is to provide the most comprehensive reference source on Zeltbahn shelter quarters used by the German armed forces of World War 1 and World War 2, including types, variants, accessories and their use in pictures and words and to provide information not previously available in published form.
This is very much a work in progress. As time permits, it will grow to cover derivatives and related items used by other nations throughout the twentieth century. Please visit regularly to follow new developments as more information and images are added. Aspects yet to be covered include:
- Development, dimensions, patterns and features
- Basic issue of tent equipment and accessories, standard issue entries as found in Soldbücher
- Clothing, headwear and other items made using Zeltbahn material
- Manufacturers and markings
- Examples of Zeltbahn and other equipment items
- Review of camouflage patterns from their introduction on Zeltbahn material
- Cleaning, repairs and restoration
- Reproductions and how to identify items that are not always what they are claimed to be
- Other military tents
- Other forms of camouflage and items featuring Zeltbahn camouflage material and related patterns
Spelling and terminology
Where appropriate, German terms are used together with explanatory translations. German plural nouns are also used to avoid creating artificial German plural nouns in English. For those not familiar with German, plurals are generally formed by adding -n or -en to the singular noun, e.g. Zeltbahnen. Salient terms and irregular plurals are explained and summarised in the glossary section.
The information presented here is intended for historical and research purposes only. The author has no intention to glorify war, nor does he promote or support any extreme political, neo-nazi or revisionist beliefs or ideology whatsoever.
Disclaimer pursuant to German § 86a StGB
Die hier gezeigten Informationen zu zeitgeschichtlichen und militärischen Gegenständen aus der Zeit 1933-1945 dienen nur zu Zwecken der Staatsbürgerlichen Aufklärung, der Abwehr verfassungsfeindlicher Bestrebungen, der wissenschaftlichen und kunsthistorischen Forschung, der Aufklärung oder der Berichterstattung über die Vorgänge des Zeitgeschehens oder der militärhistorischen und uniformkundlichen Forschung (§ 86a StGB). Zweck der Bereitstellung dieser Informationen ist ein Nachschlagewerk für militärhistorisch Interessierte.
Copyright © 2002-2003 David Gregory


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As part of the CIA's efforts to diversify its workforce, the spy agency is reaching out to a group that once was unable to get security clearance — lesbians and gay men.
Earlier this week, CIA officials held a networking event for the Miami gay community sponsored by the Miami-Dade Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce and the CIA.
"This is the first time we've done a networking event of this type with any of the gay and lesbian chamber of commerces in the United States," says Michael Barber, a self-identified "straight ally" and the spy agency's LGBT Community Outreach and Liaison program manager.
Over the past year, Barber and others at the agency have worked to get the word out that the CIA has changed.
For many years, the CIA and other federal agencies routinely denied security clearances to gay men and women, until President Clinton signed an executive order ending the practice in 1995. Now, Barber says, the CIA even has a program for gay couples.
"We actually have LGBT employees serving overseas with their partners," Barber said to the few dozen gathered at the networking event. "So you can do it."
From Rejection To Invitation
Tracey Ballard, a technical intelligence officer who also spoke at the event, came out to her supervisors in 1989 knowing that the admission could cost her security clearance and her job.
"It was a leap," she says. "I had one or two peers that were supporting. But it was a difficult time frame."
Ballard kept her clearance and job, but says those first several years were uncomfortable. Some gay employees who weren't out weren't comfortable being seen with her.
Other straight employees still held onto a notion that Ballard dates back to the McCarthy era — that gays are a security risk because they are subject to blackmail.
Hundreds of gay men and women were purged from government agencies in the '50s and '60s. But Ballard says that charge — that gays were a blackmail risk — was always false.
"If you do research within the community over the decades, you'll find that it really wasn't an issue," she says. "LGBT people were not blackmailed in any type, any way or form. That was their way of ensuring that we were not employed."
Changing Perceptions
More than 200 CIA employees are members of the agency's LGBT resource group today. The spy agency is one of the founding partners of Outserve, an organization that represents gay active military personnel, including those with the CIA.
Barber says there were always gay men and women doing important jobs at the agency, but until recently few were comfortable being out.
"Part of the reason we're doing outreach is to change that perception in the community," he says. "That this is no longer an issue for holding security clearance, that we want the best and the brightest regardless of your sexual orientation."
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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In my debates with anti-supernaturalists, when challenged to produce evidence for the supernatural, I have responded with Daniel's prophecy of the 70 weeks (Dn 9:24-27)[1] as proof[2] that Naturalism[3] is false and Christianity[4] is true!
[Above: The prophet Daniel, Michelangelo (1475-1564), Sistine Chapel]
In 605 BC Daniel was carried off to Babylon as a youth with members of the Jewish royalty and nobility (2Ki 24:1; Dn 1:1-6)[5]. Then in 586 BC the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem and its temple (2Ki 24:17-25:21)[6]. The prophet Jeremiah had predicted that Jerusalem would become desolate and its people taken captive to Babylon for seventy years, after which Babylon would itself be made desolate and after the seventy years, and those carried off into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon would be brought back (Jer 25:11-12; 27:22; 29:10)[7].
After Babylon itself fell to the Medo-Persians under Cyrus (Dn 5:1-31; 6:28)[8] in 538 BC[9], it being nearly 70 years since the beginning of Jerusalem's destruction by the Babylonians in 605 BC[10], the aged Daniel prayed to God that His promise through Jeremiah "that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years," would be fulfilled (Dn 9:1-2), and in response God sent the angel Gabriel to Daniel to reveal to him the prophecy of the 70 `weeks' (Dn 9:20-23).
Liberal and other naturalistic (i.e. anti-supernaturalistic) scholars, realising that Daniel's prophecies, especially of events that transpired in the Maccabean period (167-164 BC)[11], are so accurate, and since genuine predictive prophecy is impossible (on their naturalistic premises) they must be vaticinia ex eventu (prophecies after the event)[12]. However, the linguistic[13] and archaeological[14] evidence is decisively against this. Also, the historians Josephus (c. 37-100 AD)[15], Tacitus (c. 55-120 AD)[16] and Suetonius (c. 69-130 AD) [17], recorded that the Jews were expecting the fulfillment of a prophecy of a ruler to arise in the first century AD, and Daniel's 70 `weeks' seems to be what they had in mind.[18]
The prophecy of the 70 `weeks'[19] has three main components: 1) a starting point (terminus a quo) "From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem" (Dn 9:25); 2) a period of 70 `weeks' comprised of 7 + 62 + 1 `weeks' that would elapse from the starting point; and 3) an ending point (terminus ad quem) after the 69th `week' when "the Anointed One [Heb. Messiah], the ruler, comes", and is then "cut off" with the subsequent destruction of Jerusalem and the temple (Dn 9:26). Since the ending point 3) is a product of the starting point 1) and the time unit 2), all three components are here analysed under the three main claimed starting points.
STARTING POINT: "the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem" (Dn 9:25)
There are three main candidate decrees (Heb. dabar,"word")[20] which have been claimed as starting points:
1. The decree of the first year of Cyrus I in 538/537 BC (2 Chr 36:23; Ezr 1:1-4. cf. Isa 44:28; 45:13). However, that decree refers only to the rebuilding of the temple, not of the city of Jerusalem.[21] Also, if each `week' is seven years (see below), then 7 + 62 = 69 `weeks' to the coming of the Messiah is 483 years from 538/537 BC, i.e. 55/54 BC.[22] But no Messiah came then, nor was Jerusalem or the temple destroyed soon after.[23] Daniel would then have been a false prophet (Dt 18:21-22) and his book would not have been included in the Jewish Scriptures and we probably would never have heard of him. So that decree does not fit the Biblical or historical facts and therefore should be rejected. There is also the decree of the second year of Darius I Hystaspes in 520/519 BC[24] (Ezr 4:24-6:15), but this was merely a confirming of Cyrus' decree that the temple be rebuilt.[25]
2. The decree of the seventh year of Artaxerxes I Longimanus in 458/457 BC [26](Ezr 7:7-26). This decree included permission for "any of the Israelites ... including priests and Levites, who wish to go to Jerusalem with" Ezra, to go (v.14); Ezra to take with him "silver and gold" (vv.15-16) "to buy ... offerings ... and sacrifice them on the altar of the temple ... in Jerusalem" (vv.17, 21); Ezra "may then do whatever seems best with the rest of the silver and gold, in accordance with the will of ... God" (v.18. My emphasis); "articles ... for worship in the temple" (v.19); "anything else needed for the temple of ... God ... from the royal treasury" (v.20); "the treasurers of Trans-Euphrates ... have no authority to impose taxes ... on any of the priests ... or other workers at this house of God" (vv.21, 24); "Ezra ... [to] appoint magistrates and judges to administer justice ..." (v.25); with penalties up and including "death, banishment, confiscation of property, or imprisonment." (v.26). This all-embracing decree to "restore" (socially and religiously) and "rebuild" (physically) Jerusalem, included rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem: "The king had granted him [Ezra] everything he asked" (Ezr 7:6-7. My emphasis) and Nehemiah 13 years later in 445/444 BC was surprised and disappointed to hear that Jerusalem's wall and gates were still in their broken down and burned state (Neh 1:1-3).[27] So while Ezra had authority to rebuild the city, it seems he was too busy with social and religious restoration to arrange for it to be done.[28]
Also, if each `week' is seven years, then 69 `weeks' to the coming of the Messiah is 483 years from 458/457 BC, i.e. 26/27 AD.[29] This is precisely the years of Jesus' baptism in 26 AD and the commencement of His public ministry in 27 AD (Mt 3:13-4:17; Mk 1:14-15)[30]! A starting point of 457/458 BC would also fit the first seven `weeks' or 49 years to 408 BC, being the period of the rebuilding and restoring of Jerusalem covered in the books of Ezra-Nehemiah [31].
3. The decree of the twentieth year of Artaxerxes I Longimanus in 445/444 BC (Neh 2:1-4:23; 6:1-16) This decree was for permission for Nehemiah to take leave of absence and purchase a supply of timber to rebuild Jerusalem's wall and gates, not to restore and rebuild the city of Jerusalem itself[32]. It really is just an enlargement and renewal of Artaxerxes' original decree to Ezra[33]. The KJV's "the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times" (v.25) is a mistranslation, the Heb. harus rendered "wall" by the KJV was later found to mean "trench" or "moat"[34]. So there seems to be no good reason to focus exclusively on rebuilding Jerusalem's wall as though that is the same as "to restore and rebuild Jerusalem" (my emphasis).
Moreover, if each `week' is seven years, then 69 `weeks' to the coming of the Messiah is 483 years from 445/444 BC, i.e. 39/40 AD[35] which is far too late for the coming of Jesus and indeed well after Jesus' crucifixion in 30 AD.[36]. There have been two main attempts which each "involve an unusual chronological artifice"[37] to try to shorten the time units to make this later starting point fit the historical facts of Jesus' life. The first uses 360-day "prophetic years"[38], to arrive at "the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem" in 33 AD.[39] But apart from the fact that there is no evidence of the Jews ever using anything other than ordinary 365-day solar years in their calendar[40], this is three years after the most likely year of Jesus' crucifixion in 30 AD,[41] let alone His coming in 26/27 AD. Also, the first seven `weeks' following a 445/444 BC starting point does not correspond to the 49-year period of Ezra-Nehemiah 457/458 to 408 BC[42], since it starts well into that period. The second main attempt to reconcile a 445/444 BC starting point with significant events in the life of Jesus, is Robert C. Newman's Sabbath-year cycles[43]. This suffers from the same problems of the 360-day year, with an additional problem that, as Newman acknowledges, "Daniel says `after the sixty-two weeks Messiah will be cut off,' whereas by our calculation the crucifixion occurs on the 62nd week (the 69th, adding the first seven)", that is "28-35 AD"[44].
The second starting point, that of the decree of the seventh year of the Medo-Persian king Artaxerxes I Longimanus in 457/458 BC to Ezra, fits all the facts, both Biblical and historical. It was an all-embracing general decree to "restore and rebuild Jerusalem" itself, socially, spiritually and physically. It does not resort to "an unusual chronological artifice" but uses ordinary solar years. Also, only that decree as the starting point, makes sense of the first seven `weeks', being the period of the restoring and rebuilding Jerusalem under Ezra-Nehemiah.
Moreover, only that decree of 457/458 BC matches the historical facts of: 1) Jesus' public coming in His baptism and commencement of His public ministry at the end of the 69th `week', which was 26/27 AD; 2) then His being "cut off" at His crucifixion in 30 AD; 3) His confirming a new "covenant with many" by His death (Jer 31:31; Lk 22:20; 1 Cor. 11:25; Heb. 8:8; 9:15; 12:24) which also 4) "put an end to [Old Testament] sacrifice and offering"; and finally 5) the consequent destruction of "the city and the sanctuary" by the Roman army led by Titus Vespasian in 70 AD.[45] The Jewish historian Josephus, who survived that destruction of Jerusalem, realised that it was a fulfillment of Daniel's prophecy (evidently of the 70 `weeks') and therefore Epicureanism (Materialism-Naturalism) was false[46]:
"And indeed it so came to pass, that our nation suffered these things under Antiochus Epiphanes, according to Daniel's vision, and what he wrote many years before they came to pass. In the very same manner Daniel also wrote concerning the Roman government, and that our country should be made desolate by them. All these things did this man leave in writing, as God had showed them to him, insomuch that such as read his prophecies, and see how they have been fulfilled, would wonder at the honor wherewith God honored Daniel; and may thence discover how the Epicureans are in an error, who cast Providence out of human life, and do not believe that God takes care of the affairs of the world, nor that the universe is governed and continued in being by that blessed and immortal nature, but say that the world is carried along of its own accord, without a ruler and a curator; which, were it destitute of a guide to conduct it, as they imagine, it would be like ships without pilots, which we see drowned by the winds, or like chariots without drivers, which are overturned; so would the world be dashed to pieces by its being carried without a Providence, and so perish, and come to nought. So that, by the aforementioned predictions of Daniel, those men seem to me very much to err from the truth, who determine that God exercises no providence over human affairs; for if that were the case, that the world went on by mechanical necessity, we should not see that all things would come to pass according to his prophecy."
Jesus is the only claimed Jewish Messiah who went on to found a world religion[47], yet it just so `happened' that Daniel six centuries before in 538 BC accurately predicted (using the most reasonable starting point and time unit): 1) the very year of the commencement Jesus' public ministry (26/27 AD); 2) His death in the middle of the 70th week (30 AD); 3) the establishment of a new covenant (the New Testament) by it; and 4) the consequent destruction of Jerusalem and the temple soon afterwards (70 AD). This is proof, beyond any reasonable doubt, that Naturalism is false and Christianity is true!
[1] See also my in-progress online project, "Daniel's prophecy of the seventy `weeks' (Dn 9:24-27)."[return]
[2] By "proof" I do not mean in a mathematical sense of "absolute certaintly" but in the scientific sense of "confirmed to such a degree that it would be perverse to withhold provisional assent" (Gould S.J., "Evolution as Fact and Theory," in "Hen's Teeth and Horse's Toes," [1983], Penguin: London, 1984, reprint, p.254).[return]
[3] By "Naturalism" I here mean both Materialism (matter is all there is = there is no God); and Naturalism (nature is all there is = there is no supernatural).[return]
[4] By "Christianity" I here mean, historic, orthodox, `mere' Christianity, "the belief that has been common to nearly all Christians at all times" (Lewis, C.S., 1952, "Mere Christianity,"Fount: London, 1997, reprint, p.vi).[return]
[5] Hill, A.E. & Walton, J.H., 2000, "A Survey of the Old Testament," [1991], Zondervan: Grand Rapids MI, Second Edition, p.455; Barker, K., ed., 1985, "The NIV Study Bible," Zondervan: Grand Rapids MI, p.1300.[return]
[6] Hill & Walton, 2000, p.455; Barker, p.1300.[return]
[7] Barker, 1985, pp.1164, 1169-1170.[return]
[8] "Darius the Mede" was either Cyrus' general Gubaru (Gobryas) who captured Babylon and governed it as Cyrus' viceroy (Archer, G.L., 1964, "A Survey of Old Testament Introduction," Moody Press: Chicago IL, 1966, p.372); or it was an alternative name of Cyrus himself (Thompson, J.A., 1982, "The Bible and Archaeology," [1962], Eerdmans: Grand Rapids MI, Third Edition, p.200; Baldwin J.G., "Daniel: An Introduction and Commentary," Inter-Varsity Press, Leicester UK, 1978, p.27).[return]
[9] Finegan, J., 1964, "Handbook of Biblical Chronology," Princeton University Press: Princeton NJ, p.212.[return]
[10] La Sor W.S., Hubbard, D.A. & Bush, F.W., 1982, "Old Testament Survey: The Message, Form, and Background of the Old Testament," Eerdmans: Grand Rapids MI, 1987, reprint, p.671.[return]
[11] Unger, M.F., 1966, "Unger's Bible Handbook: An Essential Guide to Understanding the Bible," Moody Press: Chicago IL, p.391; Millard A.R., 1986, "Daniel," in Bruce F.F., ed., "The International Bible Commentary," [1979], Marshall Pickering/ Zondervan: Grand Rapids MI, Second Edition, 1994, reprint, p.865.[return]
[12] This does not help the anti-supernaturalists explain away Daniel's 70 `weeks' since its fulfillment is in the first century AD, but they cannot claim it is any later than the second century BC, because the book of Daniel is in the Septuagint (LXX), the Greek translation of the Old Testament, which was completed during the third and second centuries BC (Unger, M.F., 1969, "Unger's Bible Dictionary," [1966], Moody Press: Chicago IL, Third edition, p.1147; Archer, 1964, p.38).[return]
[13] The language of Daniel is similar to known 5th and 6th century BC Hebrew and Aramaic (Harrison, R.K., 1969, "Introduction to the Old Testament,"Tyndale Press: London, 1970, reprint, p.1125; Hill & Walton, 2000, p.454). There are only three Greek loan words (Dn 3:5-15) and they are names of musical instruments, and there are Persian administrative loan words where their Greek counterparts would be expected if Daniel was composed in second century Palestine that had been under Greek rule since Alexander's conquest in 333 BC (Archer, 1964, p.375; Harrison, 1969, pp.1124-1126; Harris, R.L., 1957, "Inspiration and Canonicity of the Bible: An Historical and Exegetical Study," Zondervan: Grand Rapids MI, p.149).[return]
[14] "The evidence of the LXX and Qumran indicates that Daniel was in existence in its full form, and had been distributed over a relatively wide area, prior to the time of Antiochus Epiphanes [167-164BC]." (La Sor, et al., 1982, pp.666-667).[return]
[15] "But now, what did the most elevate them in undertaking this war, was an ambiguous oracle that was also found in their sacred writings, how, `about that time, one from their country should become governor of the habitable earth.' The Jews took this prediction to belong to themselves in particular, and many of the wise men were thereby deceived in their determination. Now this oracle certainly denoted the government of Vespasian, who was appointed emperor in Judea. However, it is not possible for men to avoid fate, although they see it beforehand. But these men interpreted some of these signals according to their own pleasure, and some of them they utterly despised, until their madness was demonstrated, both by the taking of their city and their own destruction." (Josephus, "Jewish War," 6.5.4, in Whiston, W., 1999, "The New Complete Works of Josephus," Kregel Publications: Grand Rapids MI, Revised Edition, p.899).[return]
[16] "The majority were convinced that the ancient scriptures of their priests alluded to the present as the very time when the Orient would triumph and from Judaea would go forth men destined to rule the world. This mysterious prophecy really referred to Vespasian and Titus, but the common people, true to the selfish ambitions of mankind, thought that this mighty destiny was reserved for them, and not even their calamities opened their eyes to the truth." (Tacitus, "The Jews," 5.13, in Wellesley, K., 1995, "Tacitus: The Histories," [1964], Penguin: London, Revised, p.288).[return]
[17]"An ancient superstition was current in the East, that out of Judaea at this time would come the rulers of the world. This prediction, as the event later proved, referred to a Roman Emperor, but the rebellious Jews, who read it as referring to themselves, murdered their Governor, routed the Governor of Syria when he came down to restore order, and captured an Eagle. To crush this uprising the Romans needed a strong army under an energetic commander, who could be trusted not to abuse his considerable powers. The choice fell on Vespasian. He had given signal proof of energy and nothing, it seemed, need be feared from a man of such modest antecedents. Two legions, with eight cavalry squadrons and ten auxiliary cohorts, were therefore dispatched to join the forces already in Judaea; and Vespasian took his elder son, Titus, to serve on his staff." (Suetonius, "Vespasian: Aftrerwards Deified," X.4, in Graves, R. & Grant, M., 2003, "Suetonius: The Twelve Caesars," [1957], Penguin: London, Revised).[return]
[18] Newman, R.C., 1988, "The Time of the Messiah," in Newman R.C., ed., "The Evidence of Prophecy: Fulfilled Prediction as a Testimony to the Truth of Christianity," Interdisciplinary Biblical Research Institute: Hatfield PA, Fourth Printing, 1998, p.111; Newman, R.C., 1997, "Fulfilled Prophecy as Miracle," in Geivett, R.D. & Habermas, G.R., eds., "In Defense of Miracles: A Comprehensive Case for God's Action in History," Apollos: Leicester UK, p.223; Newman, R.C., 2002, "The Time of the Messiah," [1981], IBRI Research Report #9.[return]
[19] The Heb. shebu`im here is literally "sevens." (Harris, R.L., Archer, G.L. & Waltke, B.K., eds, 1980, "Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament," Moody Press: Chicago IL, 1992, Twelfth Printing, p.2:899). The Heb. here is masculine, whereas the normal gender of seven, as in a seven-day week, is feminine, thus indicating that time units other than ordinary seven-day weeks is here intended (Archer, G.L., 1982, "Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties," Zondervan: Grand Rapids MI, p.289). Clearly ordinary weeks of seven days cannot be intended, because then after 70 weeks (i.e. about a year and four months) Daniel would have been discredited as a false prophet (Archer, G.L., "Daniel," in Gaebelein F.E., ed., "The Expositor's Bible Commentary: Daniel and the Minor Prophets," Zondervan: Grand Rapids MI, 1985, Vol. 7, p.121).[return]
[20] Harris, et al., 1980, p.1:393; Archer, 1982, p.289.[return]
[21] Archer, 1982, p.290; Pusey E.B., "Daniel the Prophet. Nine Lectures, of the University of Oxford. With Copious Notes." Funk & Wagnalls: New York NY, 1885, p.189.[return]
[22] 538/537 BC-483=55/54 BC.[return]
[23] This does not fit the liberal anti-supernaturalists' preferred "Anointed One," the High Priest Onias III, who was killed over a century later in 172 BC, and their preferred desecration of the temple by Antiochus IV Epiphanes which was in 167 BC (Millard, 1986, p.865; Lindsell, H., ed., 1964, "Harper Study Bible," Revised Standard Version, Zondervan: Grand Rapids MI, p.1313).[return]
[24] Finegan, 1964, p.212.[return]
[25] Pusey, 1885, pp.188-189.[return]
[26] Finegan, 1964, p.213.[return]
[27] Archer, 1982, p.290.[return]
[28] Archer, 1985, p.114.[return]
[29] -458/457 BC +1+483 = 26/27 AD. The +1 is to adjust for there being no year zero between 1 BC and 1 AD (Newman, 1988, p.117; Archer, 1985, p.114)[return]
[30] Finegan, 1964, p.298; Pusey, 1885, p.189; Archer, 1964, p.387; Archer, 1982, p.291.[return]
[31] Lindsell, 1964, p.1313; Davis, J.D., 1966, "A Dictionary of the Bible," [1898], Baker: Grand Rapids MI, Fourth Edition, p.163; Boice, J.M., 1989, "Daniel: An Expositional Commentary," Baker: Grand Rapids MI, p.100.[return]
[32] Archer, 1982, p.290; Archer, 1985, p.114.[return]
[33] Pusey, 1885, pp.188-189.[return]
[34] Harris, et al., 1980, p.1:326; Millard, 1986, p.864.[return]
[35] -445/444 BC +1+483 = 39/40 AD.[return]
[36] Finegan, 1964, p.300; Archer, 1985, p.114.[return]
[37] Davis, 1966, p.163.[return]
[38] Archer, 1985, p.115; Harris, 1957, p.151.[return]
[39] McDowell, J., 1988, "Evidence That Demands a Verdict," [1972], Here's Life Publishers: San Bernardino CA, Revised Edition, Twenty-Ninth printing, Vol. I, p.173.[return]
[40] Archer, 1985, pp.115, 120.[return]
[41] Archer, 1985, pp.115-116; Finegan, 1964, p.300.[return]
[42] See note 31.[return]
[43] Newman, 1988; Newman, 1997, pp.223-224; Newman, 2002.[return]
[44] Newman, 1988, p.118 (emphasis in original). Newman argues that this is "a conventional Jewish idiom in which `after' means `after the beginning of'." But if "After the sixty-two 'sevens'" could mean "after the beginning of the sixty-two 'sevens'" then it could mean anytime within the sixty-two 'sevens'. So whatever "after" may mean in Jewish idiom elsewhere, here "After the sixty-two 'sevens'" must mean after the end of the "sixty-two 'sevens'", i.e. after the 69th `week', in the 70th `week'.[return]
[45] Young, E.J., 1949, "A Commentary on Daniel," The Banner of Truth Trust: Edinburgh, 1978, reprint, pp.206-221.[return]
[46] Josephus, "Jewish Antiquities," 10.11.7, in Whiston, 1999, p.357. My emphasis.[return]
[47] Newman, 1997, p.224.[return]
Copyright © 2005, Stephen E. Jones. All rights reserved.
Posted 30 July 2005. Updated 15 April 2024.


text:
Dynamic Light HD gives you the best and most vibrant
HDR-like look on any mobile platform.
And this is all accomplished from just a single image using
easy to use dial controls. Move the main dial to the right
and you get the very same HDR look you had admired on many
photographic sites.
Don't let the virtual simplicity of our app fool you. Inside is a highly optimized full-blown proprietary processing taken directly from our DPHDR desktop application.
Unlike other apps that look complex outside while cutting you short on the actual processing we designed Dynamic Light the other way around to really show you that the shiny new iPhone and iPod touch can actually crunch the same data a desktop computer can.
You can use the build-in camera or load
image from the album.
For our testing we even downloaded images from
our professional DSLR camera and the iPone
chewed through it in nearly the same time like
on our desktop.
As a special treat we also included few not-so typical effects that are a good match for the HDR look like Orton, Sepia, Vignette, Mysterious Light etc.
There are also two special designed effect Comic and Manga. You have to really save the images with those effects and look at them in Photos or on your computer in bigger size.
What's New in this version:
Current version: 1.5
Prepare to be amazed with this unique
photo-to-painting application.
Click below to see the youtube video:
Get the Windows application!
Dynamic Photo HDR for Windows will give your photography the right push from smooth realistic image to strong artistic style.


text:
Component-Based Modeling Guidelines
Component-based modeling helps organizations develop Simulink® models that consist of many functional pieces. Each Simulink component you create is a piece of your design that has an interface and facilitates assembly of a system or a larger component. Useful model components have a well-defined scope, perform functionality defined by requirements, and form part of a larger system.
Model components can enable:
Team-based development — Reduce file contention and elaborate components independently through well-defined interfaces.
Reduced design complexity — Each component solves smaller problems.
Component reuse — Reuse algorithms and environment models within a project and across multiple projects.
Unit testing — Eliminate retesting for unchanged components and reduce the cost of verification.
Performance benefits that scale — Reduce memory usage and the time required to load and simulate models.
Component variants — Choose among multiple implementations of a component.
Intellectual property protection — Limit functionality and content visibility for components that you share with third parties.
Should You Create Model Components?
Considering the work required to define and manage components, you should use component-based modeling only when the benefits outweigh the cost.
Separating an existing Simulink model into components is analogous to taking a large piece of code (C, Java®, or MATLAB® code) and breaking it down into multiple functions. The conversion can require significant effort and extensive modifications if the design is not modular from the beginning.
Considering model scalability and potential requirements upfront makes separating a Simulink model into components easier. Identifying components upfront can help you avoid these difficulties:
Poor component definition — The scope of subsystems that are grown over time can fail to meet component requirements. For example, they might contain too much or too little functionality to be reused, to generate code that integrates with legacy functionality, or to support hardware-in-the-loop tests.
Merge conflicts — If additional engineers begin to work on a model that was originally designed for development by a single engineer, they can encounter time-consuming and error-prone merges.
Algebraic loops — If a single engineer develops a model from the bottom up, they are likely to group blocks into subsystems as model complexity increases. The subsystems within the model are likely visual groupings that do not affect model execution. When you make these subsystems atomic, or convert them to referenced models, you can introduce unwanted algebraic loops that are difficult to diagnose and fix.
Components are also useful when a design becomes too complicated for one person to manage all of the details. For example, a complicated model can be a model that has:
Thousands of blocks
Hundreds of logical decisions
Multiple variant configurations of the same functionality
Projects and source control can help you manage components. For more information, see What Are Projects? and Configuration Management.
Define Model Components
1. Explore Types of Model Components | Identify Simulink components that align with your high-level modeling requirements. |
2. Compare Capabilities of Model Components | Investigate which types of model components meet your low-level modeling requirements. |
3. Define Interfaces of Model Components | Configure design attributes at interfaces and manage data for model components. |


text:
Azure Active Directory meets Power BI
Understanding how users adopt and use Azure Active Directory features is critical for IT admins. It allows you to plan your IT infrastructure and communication to increase usage and to get the most out of AAD features. The usage and activity reports in the Azure admin portal is a great starting point. However, many of you have shared feedback with us that you want the ability to further analyze your data to understand how you can gather richer insights into what's going on with their Azure Active Directory for the various capabilities that you heavily rely on. So, today we are excited to announce the new Power BI Content Pack for Azure Active Directory.
» อ่านเพิ่มเติม


text:
Have you ever wondered why old ladies sometimes have blue or purple hair? As it turns out, there are motives and mistakes that lead to the hair bluing. First off, many older women find their hair starts turning an ivory/yellow color that is hardly attractive.
To fix this, many of them turn to blue hair rinses that can balance out the yellow color…unfortunately, as you age, your eyes become less sensitive to the color blue so many of them use way too much blue rinse. In their eyes, their hair is a nice, even shade of white, while the rest of us see a bright blue mess.
Blue hair is becoming less common these days because fewer people smoke, reducing yellowing of the hair, and because better home hair dyes are available, so fewer women run the risk of bluing their locks with a rinse.
Images via Andersedin and Blue Diamond Photography [Flickr]


text:
I believe that when a Wizard uses Staff of Defense or Shield, which are both immediate interrupts, she may ask the DM if the power will prevent the attack from connecting.
Does the same hold true when the immediate interrupt affects an enemy, rather than simply protecting an ally?
A player in our group has a Runepriest with the following power:
Word of Blinding Shield
Encounter Immediate Interrupt
Trigger: An enemy makes an attack roll against an ally.
Hit: target is blinded until the end of it's turn.
Would it be reasonable for the player to ask the DM if this power would cause the original attack to miss?
Is this all based on a misunderstanding of immediate interrupts?


text:
Persistent headaches that can't be explained, pain or trauma caused by a fall or accident, or abdominal pain that doesn't go away all are reasons your physician may send you for a diagnostic imaging exam. With the remarkable ability to see under your skin and into your organs, diagnostic imaging provides answers to medical questions previously only understood through exploratory surgery.
We offer diagnostic imaging services at 85 locations throughout Northern California, ensuring that your exam can be performed on the full range of medical imaging equipment by a certified radiologic technologist close to home. Your images will be interpreted by a highly skilled radiologist, stored in our enterprise electronic health record system, and available to you and your physician.
Depending on your condition and medical question, the exam may be performed at one of our hospital radiology departments, outpatient imaging centers, or centers of care excellence on state-of-the-art technology, including multi-detector CT and 3T MRI. Here are some of the services we provide.


text:
What Are We Singing: Before the Throne of God Above
- Eva Marie Everson Crosswalk.com Contributing Writer
- Published Sep 14, 2009
I knew the story, of course.
A Jewish girl from the tribe of Benjamin, living in Persian captivity in Susa is taken by King Xerxes as a virgin bride. Although he is both her husband and her king, Xerxes is unaware of Esther's family background and nationality. Later, one of the king's nobles, Haman, becomes angry when Mordecai (Esther's cousin who reared her), refuses to bow down to him. Haman used this as a springboard for destroying all the Jews, unaware - I presume - that the queen was Jewish, as well.
When Mordecai learns of Haman's ploy, he manages to get word to Esther and asks for her aid in getting the king to reverse the edict for their annihilation. Esther reminds Mordecai that for her to approach the king without being called puts her in jeopardy of death - as was their custom. Hearing this, Mordecai is quick to remind Esther that just because she is the queen does not mean she is exempt.
"For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this" (Esther 4: 14). Esther then orders a time of fasting and praying. In three days, she said, I will go to the king, even though it is unlawful for her to do so.
"And if I perish, I perish" (Esther 4:16). And Then I Saw the Movie
Did you, like me, see one night with the king? Released in 2007, watching it brought about emotions I'd not expected. It's one thing, you see, to read the story; we know how it's going to come out. We heard it in Sunday school when we were children. As adults we easily read ahead from Esther 4:16 to 5:1 (all of one verse stands between them). Esther enters the king's hall, the king is pleased with her, he extends his royal scepter, and she isn't faced with charges satisfied only by death.
But when I saw the movie I agonized with Esther (played by Tiffany Dupont) as she prepared herself for this audience with the king. I held my breath as she took the necessary steps of preparation and then made those first few steps. Next came the scene where she is running in the rain (so much for all that time spent in preparation). Looking something like a drowned rat (albeit a most beautiful one), Esther bursts into the king's hall. There are those standing near Xerxes who are immediately rankled by her hutzpah. Swords are drawn. But Esther looks up at the king with her large doe eyes and - just as the sword is about to descend - he extends his scepter.
Because he is pleased with her … Before the Throne of God Above
I had a most amazing dream a few years ago. I dreamed I was walking into a large and beautiful palace. In the open foyer were guards all about but I wasn't intimidated by their presence. Though I had no memory of ever coming this way before, the way was not foreign to me. To my right was a sweeping stone staircase. Beckoned by it, I took each step one by one until I'd reached the top. More guards stood in a wide hallway. They neither acknowledged nor ignored me. I soon found a narrow passageway, which I took, even though it was dark. As I walked, I looked down at my feet. A light illuminated only my feet and the path of the next step. Finally I reached an arch-shaped doorway flanked by two more guards. Without my having said a word, one of them reached for the doorknob and twisted. The door opened wide, exposing another large room, soaked in sunshine. At the top of large columns hung gold hoops. Strung between them was white linen, which billowed in soft waves. I entered the room and as I did a light of brilliant colors shone on a gold throne. Seated upon it was God (no, I couldn't see his face) and standing to his right was Jesus, dressed in glorious robes, looking as handsome as I'd always imaged him to be. He extended a hand as he said, "This one is mine, Father."
But there was another presence in the room, one that did not want me to take the necessary steps to reach the Throne of Grace and Mercy. I felt momentary shame mixed with fear until Jesus turned toward "it" and spoke firmly, "This one is mine!"
What Scripture Makes Clear Scripture makes it clear; Jesus - God the Son - is standing at the right hand of God the Father.
The LORD said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet" (psalm 110:1). This verse of the Scriptures, penned by David, is of such importance, the New Testament authors repeated it five times (matthew 22: 44, mark 12: 36, luke 20: 42; acts 2:34; hebrews 1:13; for further study, also read: mark 16: 19; luke 22: 69; acts 7: 55-56; romans 8:34). Further study shows that as the one standing at the right hand of God, Jesus serves both as mediator for those who boldly come before the throne and as High Priest in the order of melchizedek. While Satan has no place nor business in the Throne Room, we are assured by Scripture that he is there, ready to remind us of all we have done wrong and of our lack of worth to be in the presence of God.
I am reminded of one of my favorite lines from Gone with the Wind. Aunt Pittypat declares, "Yankees in Georgia? My heavens, how did they get in here?"
And furthermore - one can imagine she wonders - what on earth are they doing there? (They were burning the great state from which I hail to the ground; that's what they were doing!)
Polar Opposites
So, while Scripture tells us that Jesus stands at the right hand of God, it tells us there is another presence in the room. Zechariah 3:1, 2a reads:
Then he showed me Joshua (The NIV Study Bible notes reveal: Joshua. The same person's name is spelled "Jeshua" in Ezra and Nehemiah … Here he represents the sinful nation of Israel … The names "Joshua" and "Jeshua" were common in ancient times. The Greek equivalent is spelled "Jesus" in English, and all three forms of the name mean "The LORD saves.") the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him. The Lord said to Satan, "The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you!" (parenthetical mine)
Zondervan's NIV Commentary (Kenneth L. Barker & John Kohlenberger III, Consulting Editors (Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, MI. 1994), pg. 1521) concerning this verse says: Although the scene is not basically a legal one, Satan's accusation invests it with a judicial character. The right side was the place of accusation under the law (psalm 109:6) …
This gives us a new picture. One of God's children stands before the throne. To the right stands Jesus. To his right stands the accuser (in Hebrew, Satan). To get to the Father - to destroy as Sherman destroyed the landscape and cities of Georgia - Satan must get past the Son. And, for those who belong to the Son, this is impossible.
Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: "Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb…" Revelation 12:10, 11a.
The Song
For the better part of this past summer, I lay on the sofa and dealt with sciatica. One thing I can attest to, when you are ill - sick for any length of time - the accuser has a unique way of making you feel worse than you already do.
Knowing I was having a rough time of it, a friend sent me the youtube link to Selah's version of Before the Throne of God Above (Copyright PDI Worship, Words and Music by Charitie Lees Bancroft and Vikki Cook).
I have since played this video time and again and am always awed both by the beauty of the music and the truth of the lyrics. We must never forget - none of us - that the great accuser is no match for the Great I AM. His words of deceit cannot be set higher in our hearts to the words of Truth. His death wish is diminished in the saving, eternal life-giving blood of Christ.
Our Bridegroom, our High Priest, our Savior … the Lamb.
Eva Marie Everson is the coauthor of the award-winningReflections of God's Holy Land and the recently released Things Left Unspoken. For more information about Eva Marie or to book her to speak at your next event, go twww.EvaMarieEverson.com
Original publication date: September 14, 2009


text:
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We offer many text options or you may provide custom text for our two print configurations. You may request art-proof before your order is printed or shipped.


text:
Monco is a bounty killer chasing El Indio and his gang. During his hunting, he meets Col. Douglas Mortimer, another bounty killer, and they decide to make a partnership, chase the bad guys together and split the reward. During their enterprise, there will be lots of bullets and funny situations. In the end, one of the bounty hunters shows the real intention of his hunting.
Video & Photo
1 photos


text:
Before Your Head Explodes, Unearth the Behind-the-Scenes Secrets to Fighting 5 Crippling Sources of Stress That Plague the Self-Employed
There's no doubt about it – being a business owner small or large comes with the feeling of stress. Considering the fact that these people must keep doors open, employees paid, customers happy, electricity on, their business flowing, and more; it doesn't come as a huge surprise.
With almost 28 million small businesses in the US, and over 22 million of those being solo businesses with no additional employees, small businesses have created over 65% of new jobs since 1995 – and that's a lot of stress!
Here are 5 stressful concerns it seems almost all business owners have, and the best ways to handle them:
Because of the time and money invested to train a new employee, along with the workload of your business, losing a good employee can be a critical hit to your operations. A good way to go about dealing with this is to look into employee training strategies, and understand your business culture.
The right fitting employee will always be a good one, but not always vice-versa. When you understand what you are looking for and what will work, it will become significantly easier to find and keep who you are looking for.
New employee regulations, privacy regulations, healthcare costs, and internet sales tax are all consuming business owner's minds, because many are worried about complying – or accidentally not complying.
Our suggestion is to visit your local SBA office website where you'll be able to find most of the answers you're looking for. Along with this, it's a good idea to write these questions and concerns down when they cross your mind. This allows you to identify the concerns that keep coming back. By finding the answers, you will grant yourself some peace of mind.
This is a concern that never seems to leave the business owner's mind. As a new start-up business, the stress is connected to trying to gain new customers. In an established business, the stress corresponds with trying to keep existing customers. Considering that the customers are the biggest factor in a company's success or failure, it's no wonder there's a lot of stress attached.
To reach new customers, it may be a good idea to reach out to your current customers. By treating them especially well and finding some new ways to bring them value, or step above the call of duty, you are sure to see benefits (and reduced stress) – from increased sales to those current customers, to word of mouth advertising.
Trying to multitask everything, working extra long hours, and trying to juggle that stress makes for a work/life balance that's a little -or a lot- off. As opposed to a regular 9-5 job, business owners have to put their heart and soul into their work, so taking the personal connection out can be hard.
This one is tough, but a good place to start is to figure out what is really important to you in your personal life. It may seem silly, but try actually scheduling these things into your calendar. It's almost a given that you have to and will get work done, but often we push our personal lives out of the way to do this.
Not a lot of people will push work out of the way, however, so by scheduling personally important things, you may see yourself getting more done to meet your schedule. Another efficient and simple way to accomplish this is to pick out a few things that routinely consume your time where it could be better spent. Assign those tasks to someone else.
As a business owner, task management can be challenging enough. With added time management necessary too, it's no wonder business owners work such long hours or collect such stress. Time management is a skill that must be learned, but thankfully there are some simple ways to get the ball rolling.
A good thing to do is start paying attention to how you really use your time in a day – it might come as a surprise to notice how many little unimportant tasks can fill the day. Another way to address poor time management skills is to create a daily list of your top priorities, and do these first.
Discover more tips to help you fight the stress that comes along with running a busy company. Contact us today to learn more about how IT can help your business and you manage stress levels.


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When we launched our safety deposit box business in Dublin, we provided various sized safety deposit boxes capable of storing cash, jewellery, title deeds, gold bullion etc.
We quickly realised that there was also strong demand for larger secure vaults capable of storing Fine Art, Antiques etc. On a daily basis, we were receiving enquiries for larger storage units. We then contacted a number of Art and Antique Dealers and Galleries in Ireland who confirmed that such a service would be invaluable both to the themselves and to their customers.
We also contacted several safety deposit box facilities in the UK to assess demand there. Harrods safety deposit boxes in London confirmed to us that there was a waiting list of 4 years for their walk-in vaults. Typical clients were storing fine art, large antique furniture and gold / silver bullion in their larger vaults.
Columbus Vaultsnow offers this service to its customers.


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We'll contact you to see if we can help with your property search and occasionally share Mount Anvil news and promotions. We'll always treat your personal details with care and never sell them to third parties.
You can opt-out of hearing from us at any point by clicking "unsubscribe" in our communications or via email@example.com.


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Detail of a Trent jet engine at British Rolls-Royce manufacturer's exhibition stand at the Farnborough Air Show, England. Rolls-Royce Trent is the name given to a family of three-spool, high bypass turbofan aircraft engines manufactured by Rolls-Royce plc. The engine is named after the River Trent in the Midlands of England. The civil aerospace business is a major manufacturer of aero engines for all sectors of the airliner and corporate jet market. Rolls-Royce powers more than 30 types of commercial aircraft and has almost 13,000 engines in service around the world.
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Whether you're preparing personal taxes or small business taxes, completing it yourself can be a serious burden and put you at risk for missed deductions and credits. At Dara B. Sorah, CPA, P.A., a local Port Charlotte CPA Firm, we have tax professionals on staff committed to reducing your overall tax liability and maximizing tax deductions. Even the most popular tax software on the market can't compare to having an experienced tax professional overlooking your tax filings. With the ever-changing tax laws, working with a professional ensures that you're maximizing your tax refund and minimizing taxes paid.
We provide tax preparation services for:
For small business owners, Dara B. Sorah, CPA, P.A. offers specialized services to meet the needs of both your business and personal income tax returns. We'll review your bookkeeping to reduce the risk of an IRS audit, prepare a full Schedule C for reported business income and file your personal income tax return, all in an effort to minimize tax liabilities and maximize your return. Our staff can also help you establish a reliable bookkeeping system to better organize your finances making running your business smoother and tax reporting more efficient.
Want to learn more about our tax preparation services? Give us a call at 941-979-8860 to request your free tax consultation today!


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Variations are surely one of the most entertaining & educational artistic practices of all time. When you're familiar with your piece, and have already done the hard graft of choosing your theme, you're free to play & tinker, and indulge. My attempts are humble, but here is what a master composer can do with a simple tune (perhaps the simplest tune?). Listen while you read on…
Have you noticed that shallow shawls* seem to be all the rage in the knitting world recently? I simply couldn't resist. The Parasol Shawlette is a variation of the Parasol Stole: narrower, and with a single border for the ribbing section. The central section, instead of being straight, makes a gentle curve, with the ribbing flowing easily in & out of the decrease "bells". I have to admit, there are several aspects of this variation that I find particularly satisfying:
- The asymmetry is a natural result of the repetition. What I mean is, though the exact same lace pattern is repeated at either end, it looks asymmetrical, but not unattractively so.
- I find the shawl shaping method particularly elegant (though I do say so myself). As the decreases grow, the shawl narrows. In fact, this is the only tweak you need to make to shape the shawl. The decrease method (which I showed you in this video), remains exactly the same.
- It's a nice balance of mindless knitting & lace.
- It knits up in a weekend. Who is above the lure of instant gratification? Not me!
The lace sections at either end look pretty when you use the shawlette as a scarf, but they also function as ties if you'd rather wear it around your shoulders.
spring steal
I would like to say that spring has stolen up on me, but I can't remember a more dull, drizzly or dreary April! These slightly blurry shots were the best I could get, and it's chilly enough right now that I'm wearing the shawlette around my neck as I type. Still, I'm all excitement for my first pattern bundle! Buying the Stole & Shawlette together will save you £1, which you can will spend on yarn. :)
let's do it!
"Spend the afternoon. You can't take it with you." – Annie Dillard
That might be the tagline of my spring collection. I know some people think sitting & knitting as far from "living" as you can get (that Edvard Munch quotation comes to mind), but where spending days are concerned – and spend them we must – knitting in the afternoon, quietly, contentedly, must come close to bliss. I would be honoured if you were to spend your afternoon with me & my patterns. Which is why…
Please invite your friends/readers also! Here's the code to place on your blog:

(You can also link directly to the Ravelry Laylock Designs Group, if you'd prefer.)
Are you also participating in 11 shawls in 2011? I am! You will be glad to know that both the Parasol Stole & Shawlette qualify (in terms of yardage & style) for the challenge. So that puts my current count at 5 and a half.
I hope it's sunny where you are, lovely knitters & that your yarns are colourful enough to put the spring blossoms to shame. Have a gorgeous weekend! xx
* Every time I say "shallow shawls", I get that Cole Porter song stuck in my head: "In shallow shoals English soles do it / Goldfish in the privacy of bowls do it / Let's do it, let's fall in love".
Some pattern specs…
‣ in DK or lace-weight yarn,
‣ with lace at either end,
‣ and a central section of
‣ bordered by lace edging.
‣ 2 balls Nako Nakolen [100gr; 50/50 wool/acrylic; 210m / 230yds; 5090 Lilac or approx. 400m / 437yds of DK-weight yarn. |
‣ OR approx. 350m / 383yds of lace- weight yarn. |
‣ Gauge isn't critical, but It's important that the fabric isn't too tight, so that the lace looks open and clear when blocked. |
‣ DK-weight stole: ‣ 12sts / 20 rows ‣ over 10cm / 4in ‣ in blocked ribbing. ‣ 1 lace repeat is 17cm x 9.5cm / 6.7in x 3.7in at widest points after blocking. |
‣ Lace-weight stole: ‣ 20sts / 23 rows ‣ over 10cm / 4in ‣ in blocked ribbing. ‣ 1 lace repeat is 13cm x 6.5cm / 5.1in x 2.6in at widest points after blocking. |
‣ or size suitable to yarn.
‣ Finished size will depend on blocking. |
‣ The DK sample was approx: 28cm x 180cm / 11in x 71in. |
‣The lace-weight sample was approx: 25cm x 136cm / 10in x 54in. |


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The pandemic upended the lives of musicians across the country. While they've been forced off their busy touring schedules and out of concert halls, some have been able to complete projects that may not have gotten done without all this time on their hands. Iowa Public Radio's Clay Masters reports.
CLAY MASTERS, BYLINE: Mason Jennings is a singer and songwriter from Minnesota.
MASON JENNINGS: (Singing) I was born in a gold mine. You were born by the sea. Without nothing, we got something - Memphis, Tenn.
MASTERS: Jennings still remembers when his former manager approached him about working with a musician from one of his favorite bands when he was a teenager.
JENNINGS: And he asked me - he was like, hey, would you want to work on some stuff with Stone Gossard? And I was like, of course I want to, you know? I'm a huge fan.
MASTERS: Stone Gossard plays guitar in Pearl Jam and lives in Seattle. The two met about six years ago and started working on a project with Seattle keyboardist Brittany Davis and drummer Matt Chamberlain, who lives in Los Angeles. They called the band Painted Shield.
MASTERS: They've never played together in person but started sending each other ideas online via Dropbox. Progress was slow because of all of their other commitments. Then the pandemic hit, Pearl Jam's tour was postponed and Gossard says an opportunity presented itself.
STONE GOSSARD: It made us all think, what can we do right now for a little bit of creativity and just to keep feeling like we're staying active and moving forward?
MASTERS: For one song, Chamberlain sent Jennings some ideas and music. And Jennings, who lives in Minneapolis, was prompted by George Floyd's murder to write lyrics.
PAINTED SHIELD: (Singing) I am your country. And one day you'll understand that all the pain that we've been given is far too great to ever fit between two hands.
MASTERS: Jennings then sent the music and lyrics on to Stone Gossard.
JENNINGS: And then he put down an incredible guitar part.
GOSSARD: Is it? Is it? (Laughter).
JENNINGS: I think it's incredible.
GOSSARD: Oh, awesome.
JENNINGS: Whenever it comes in, it makes goose bumps go on my arms.
GOSSARD: OK. Well, that's - I'm so happy.
MASTERS: With all of the musicians stuck at home, they're already working on a second album. Chicago-based rapper David Cohn, who goes by the name Serengeti, and LA-based singer and songwriter Jenny Lewis wound up collaborating for the first time at a music festival a few years ago. Cohn reached out to Lewis for some music he could rap over before the pandemic hit, but she didn't get back to him until she had some time on her hands.
DAVID COHN: Months later in my text - one of these .AMR fuzzy texts - I get the song.
JENNY LEWIS: Dave and I have different kinds of phones. I'm on an iPhone, and so sending Dave a file is challenging.
MASTERS: Cohn has an Android.
LEWIS: So yeah, it, like, goes through the filter. And then by the time it gets to him, it's even, like, lower fi than when I sent it from my phone, which I made all of the music on my iPhone. Never once did I work on a computer.
MASTERS: They did all of their collaboration on cellphones.
LEWIS: (Singing) How long will I wait for you to become unblu (ph)?
I would write the hook and create the track, and then he would send, within 24 hours, just so much poetry.
COHN: Barefoot and quietly brushed her teeth in an open gown, simply put on impossible dreams. You talk to me, but you think you're scarlet.
MASTERS: They send the tracks to a friend in Minneapolis to mix them down and have finished seven songs so far. Lewis says this year has been the biggest break from the road she has had since she was a kid and says it really allowed her to work on something she might not have done otherwise.
LEWIS: And because of the circumstances and because I connected so deeply with it, it was all I cared about. And there were no other distractions.
MASTERS: So far, Lewis and Cohn have no plans to meet in person. Musicians of all genres really don't know how to plan right now. Classical violinist Jennifer Koh won't be playing with any orchestras in the foreseeable future, so she started a project called "Alone Together."
JENNIFER KOH: Hi. I am so excited to be here for the third program of "Alone Together." Thank you so much for coming.
MASTERS: In the early days of the pandemic, she reached out to young freelance composers and asked them to write for solo violin. Koh began premiering the works online from her New York City apartment.
MASTERS: Koh says it was important to help out-of-work musicians and composers.
KOH: "Alone Together" would have never happened had it not been for the pandemic. So I realized that I was really fortunate because I got to know all of these new people and all of these new artists. Granted, it was via Zoom, but at a time of constriction and contraction, I feel lucky that I had this opportunity to expand my group of collaborators.
MASTERS: And she's introduced their work to a wider audience.
For NPR News, I'm Clay Masters.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


text: 210824 Big Sky Montana Day Two RZC_0882 web Rachel Callahan Post navigation Montana and Yellowstone: When the Consolation Prize is Better. Author Rachel Callahan Share This Story Leave a Reply Cancel replyYour email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment * Name * Email * Website Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ


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Thank you for trying to make drivers for logitech keyboards.
I have a Cordless Desktop Optical Black model ( http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/downloads/software/US/EN,CRID=1797,contentid=8055 )- I haven't tried your driver yet because I actually wanted the OSD function more than anything else.
All the programmable function keys seem to be doing what I want but as logitech didn't use LEDs on the keyboard, I don't get an indication if CAPs lock is on, the same for volume, I would like an OSD for volume.
Keep up the good work, it seems that IF logitech make drivers it will be part of the new application they have - 50MB for an app to make a keyboard work!!!
cheers from Australia


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Let us face the reality that today, we live in a 'do-it-yourself' way of life. As they should, people want to show off their auto repairs, home improvement projects, and many other tasks that majority of us would more often not seek professionals to perform the task, as they just prefer to do it by themselves.
It is absolutely a great value in a number of ways. You can gain expertise from your experience. Sometimes, it does not necessarily mean that it is a better way to go from doing something by yourself because oftentimes, it pays more to hand over and look someone for help.
Many of the car loan businesses are beginning to worry about not only getting in the game but also in maximizing their returns with all sizes racing to compete in the lending market. To outsource car loan business services, many industry experts understand that it is often considered more cost-effective.The most obvious reason for doing this is because industries don't have to hire new staffs or underwriters solely for car loan operations and services. You have to keep in mind that those industries are also avoiding the other expenses related to assisting the infrastructure associated with an internal underwriting team.
But the advantages don't stop there because there are a number of hidden advantages that many businesses fail to consider when entertaining ideas of outsourcing their car loan business processing that includes staffing and funding. Here are some of the hidden advantages of outsourcing for car loan business:
Increase the Number of Loans that Leads to More Net Profit
Just consider it as any consumer business committing to sales. As this dealer management is all about being able to see, looking for your niche and catering your offers to the biggest needs of your dealers. Better and stronger relationship with dealers and having more dealerships in the network in order to drive portfolio growth is one of the end goals of outsourcing some services when you are in the car loan business.
Improved Relationships with Customers
Your staff will be able to intensify its focus on strengthening relationships with your customers- making visits, gathering feedback and better addressing their needs that will drive growth for your car loan business portfolio.
A Guideline that Allows the Outsourcing Provider to Serve as an Extension of Your Car Finance Team
Your outsourced car loan provider should be able to efficiently, quickly, and easily customize its financing scorecard to fit your representation. By doing this, it guarantees that making a decision for car loan financing is consistent and fits your appetite and business plan.
Access to Consultation and Expertise
It allows your business to avoid common pitfalls that businesses fall victim to when trying to get in-house functions off the ground when outsourcing your car loan business processing. Through outsourcing, those businesses must hire the expertise that is readily available.
After-Hours Process
By waiting until the next business day to respond to proposals, don't miss out on those deals especially over the weekend when many consumers have time to hunt for motorcycles, cars, and trucks.
It will absolutely offer a significant benefit over businesses with in-house operations that are confined to traditional business hours when you have an access to after-hours processing service.
Are you ready to revolutionize the way you do business? Grow your business by outsourcing.
Source by Roman Singh


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Gan Advanced Osseointegration Center (GAOC), the leading dental clinic in the Philippines and one of the best in Southeast Asia, is unrelenting in its growth and expansion as it opens its newest clinic to date at the Ayala Malls Vertis North.
Upholding GAOC's philosophy of excellence and personalized service, GAOC Vertis North, their 10th clinic, aims to serve people from the North, the Camanava area, and even as far as Pampanga.
This state-of-the art clinic further affirms GAOC's status as a leader in oral health and dentistry in the country. Boasting of an expansive 130 sqm., it comes equipped with the latest digital dental technology, featuring three treatment rooms, an operating room, a consultation room, and a sterilization room.
With focus on implant dentistry, prosthodontic and cosmetic procedures such as bridges, crowns, and veneers, patients can expect only superior dental services from a team of highly skilled and experienced dental practitioners who have completed their training in top-notch hospitals, universities and global institutions in the United States, Europe and Asia.
"The year 2018 is truly an exceptional year for GAOC," says Dr. Steve Mark Gan, GAOC President and Chief Executive Officer. "Not only are we expanding across unserved areas, but we are growing our roster of satisfied clients and highly regarded endorsers."
To experience GAOC's first-rate brand of dentistry, schedule an appointment and visit a branch near you. GAOC's Vertis North branch is located at Level 3 Ayala Malls Vertis North, Mindanao Ave., Quezon City with tel. nos. +632 292-4262, +632 368-1838 , +63 917-157-4262 and e-mail email@example.com.
For more details and information, like and follow GAOC on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, @gaocdental or visit www.gaocdental.com.