text:
Singing the Monkton Song
Monday, 03 July 2017
Principal's blog
I'd never have thought that making a slight tweak to my prizegiving speech would have the impact it has. Every Head is proud of their school - big or small; we all feel great pride in the achievements of our inspiring and passionate teachers, our diverse and talented pupils, our kind hearted and generous communities.
Unexpectedly finding myself in the middle of viewing figures on various platforms of over half a million people is a strange thing then. But it causes me to reflect on our use of technology and our ability as a species to communicate with one another. In education and, indeed, government, we have become almost obsessed with the negative power of technology, forever worried about the impact that being constantly connected might have on our children. But there is another way of looking at this world.
Pastoral provision is sometimes seen as discipline for poor behaviour, sometimes support for pupils experiencing difficulties, sometimes comforting those in distress. At Monkton, pastoral care is a proactive process, predicting poor behaviour and helping children understand what might lead them to it, using self knowledge to expect challenges and ensuring children learn from them, giving pupils the tools to coach one another in distress so recovering from that difficulty can become a cornerstone of a stronger future self.
So too, with technology, there is a positive proactive power to the ability to communicate on a large scale, it seems to me. For one brief moment, my relatively ordinary school in which parents are doctors, lawyers, vicars and business people, where children go on to be entrepreneurs, engineers and every other thing that every school is proud of its children for, has a chance to speak of our creativity and community. Our small city of Bath has only 80,000 people in it but now for a moment, an even larger community, and one which stretches across the world, is able to glimpse the magic that happens here. Don't get me wrong, my staff are a creative, dedicated and passionate group; my pupils give my world the colour which makes every day a blessing. But so are the pupils in every school in the land; whether state or independent, boarding or day, town or country, we need not to lose sight of the amazing stories which happen in every school every day. We need to learn to harness technology to tell those stories. And what has struck me most? That where this brief moment could have resulted in criticism, cruelty or condemnation, it seems only to have reinforced the positivity of others, the kindness of social media users the world over, the power of us singing a song to one another and singing it together.
Other Articles…
Recognising brilliance in others makes everyone stronger
Wednesday, 01 May 2019Read more »
Independent Schools are for everyone
Thursday, 25 April 2019Read more »


text:
Go ahead, pinch and see. If you pinch your skin on the back of your hand and it doesn't snap back right away - if it just stays up like a little crepe-y tent of skin - you're well on your way to severe dehydration. We learned the signs of dehydration from the guys over at SciShow and you should too. Stages of dehydration go from mild to severe and it gets gross. Your eyes start to sink into the back your head!
So, unless you're interested in mummifying yourself, when you're out and about don't forget to drink up.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Image by Yoni Levy
This November, the MTA's Arts for Transit's Opera Collective comes above ground to produce an opera highlighting the mental and physical voices of women, at a time when women struggle to be equally heard.
On November 20 (3pm) and 22 (8pm), six of the female members of Opera Collective and "masterful" (OperaPulse) Music Director/Pianist Mila Henry present composer Milton Granger's The Proposal at St. Malachy's/The Actors' Chapel.
Founded in 2005, Opera Collective makes opera accessible by singing in the subways of New York City, at greenmarkets, and at free public concerts as well as private events and galas. Through this presentation of The Proposal, its members will bring to life a story of the exploration of one woman's mind as she comes face to face with five distinct parts of herself to make a life-altering decision. As all of her alter-egos gather together in her mind, she must hear everyone out, from the Five-Year-Old to the Mother Teresa inside of Herself. With direction by Dona Vaughan's "finely detailed staging" (The Birmingham News), Opera Collective seizes on this rare opportunity to present this one-act, filled with "abundant humor" (Pittsburgh City Paper).
Metropolitan Opera mezzo-soprano Abigail Wright - "full in the low range and balanced throughout with no apparent limit at top" (Tri-City Herald) - plays the conflicted Herself. The first of the five alter-egos to appear is Five-Year-Old, spiritedly sung by Metropolitan Opera soprano Carla Wesby, a founding member of Opera Collective. Co-founder of Opera Collective and in-demand oratorio soloist, soprano Adrienne Patino Dunn, joins as Officer, while Sensuous Woman is played by mezzo-soprano Rebecca Schuessler, who has been hailed as "commanding" and "indomitable" (Metro, San Jose). The "impassioned and musical" (Voce di Meche) soprano Patricia Vital brings Statue of Liberty to life, complimented powerfully by mezzo-soprano Kristen Lamb Kasarjian as Mother Teresa.
For more information contact Opera Collective at email@example.com. Tickets are $15 and are available at the door and at www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2696801.


text:
You can add a Molekule device to your app account and then set it up on WiFi.
To add a Molekule to your account, you will have to pair it with your mobile app.
This pairing happens via Bluetooth and hence it is important that you are physically close to the unit.
Please follow the steps below to connect your device:
1) Please turn on Bluetooth on your mobile phone
2) Open the Molekule app.
If this is your first time adding a device, you will be taken to the screen on step 5 directly. Please continue from there on. If not, click on the MENU icon on top left
3) In the menu, select DEVICES
4) Click on ADD DEVICE
5) Click on PAIR. The app will find all the Molekule devices in your vicinity
6) You will see a list of Molekule devices around you. Choose your Device from the list and click on NEXT
7) If you see the below screen, saying "Pairing Successful", then the device is added to your account. A visual confirmation will also be shown on the device.
8) You are now paired with the device and can complete the setup by connecting your Molekule to your WiFi.
If you are facing difficulties in adding the device, please find quick help here.


text:
Today's post is one that I have been planning for several weeks. This is the inaugural post for 'Toss or Trash'. This series will be a collection of beauty-related products that I have used up or, one that I am over with. Read on and you'll see what I'm talking about.
The following are items from January that I finished up and am pitching away. Sometimes there will be items that have tried my patience and there are way too many other products waiting for me to use to waste my time on these dogs.
This is what I used up in January: Equate's Fresh Scent Shower & Bath Powder; Ion's Color Solutions Firm Hold Shaping Spray; One 'n Only Argan Oil Moisture Repair Conditioner; CVS Premium Cotton Ovals; Ulta's Passionberry Vanilla Moisturizing Body Lotion; Avon's Anew Advanced All-in-One Max Self-Adjusting Perfecting Cream; Avon's Liquid Eyeliner in Brown.
Let's start in the back…
Walmart's brand is called Equate. These brands are near dupes of brand name items. Notice I said 'near'. Some items, I don't mess around with and will get the name brand; like Cascade, Fancy Feasts, Scope, etc. But some things, I think Equate comes close enough. Talcum powder is one of them. This is my life-line in the summer time. Florida is hot in the summer and if you forget it, don't worry, I'm going to remind you…a lot. This should be enough for you to praise Fresh Scent as it helps keep my skin cool. And I love the scent…it's fresh! I have already replaced this one.
Next to the powder is Sally Beauty Supply's house brand of hair care; Ion Firm Hold Shaping Spray. I have gone from 'frozen in time' spray to this lighter and more malleable spray. And, it was the first time in uhm….IONS….that I bought an aerosol. I have replaced this can with the same. However, I am probably going to purchase another type or, go back to the spray pump firm hold by Ion. I don't want to fuss with my hair after I leave the door in the morning. Again, thanks to Florida's humidity, I get frizzies and flyaways. Sometimes the aerosol works, sometimes it doesn't.
Next is a travel size body lotion from Ulta's line. I could have used this for Sample Saturday, however, I went ahead and just added to the trash. This line is very similar to Bath & Body Works fragrant lotion, sprays and body washes. That's about all that is similar, to me. I like to stink to high heaven; a term my family uses when someone uses too much perfume. OK, I don't stink but I do like my lotions and potions to have a fragrance that I can at least smell. I have a pretty good sniffer and this product didn't cut it. No restock on this one.
I tried One 'n Only's Moroccan Argan Trees Moisture Repair Conditioner and this was because I have the Argan Oil and the curling lotion and love it. Back story: I got One 'n Only's hair spray and it didn't have any hold at all for me. I took it back to Sally's were I purchased it. I traded it for this conditioner. Strike two on the disappointment list. I was expecting lots and lots of moisture for my parched hair. If I wanted to have that soft feel after rinsing it out, I had to use a lot more than I normally do for my long hair. Not worth it. It smells great, just like the other One 'n Only products. It just didn't deliver for me.
Ah, a favorite! I love CVS' Cotton Ovals that I buy 2 or 3 packages at a time, depending on what the sale is. These ovals are perfect, and I'm totally serious when I use that word here, for removing nail polish. Depending on what type of polish I have one, of course, I can usually use just 3 of these to remove everything. These pads don't shred or fall apart. I already have purchased 2 more for my stock.
Ask me what skincare line I endorse and I'll tell you Avon's Anew. I have used Anew since it came out in the '90's, I believe. The All-In-One was part of my regimen for a long time. It was a product I'd use at night and for day. Even though I have Anew's specific products for day and for night, I'd work this one in occasionally. So, I have had this one for quite some time. With blogging, I stray, on occasion, and use other stuff. In that time, it looks like Avon has discontinued this particular item. It's nothing I'll cry about, as I love the other specifics very much. And, even though I won't be replacing All-In-One, I really liked it. It gave me plenty of moisture without feeling weighed down and greasy.
Last is Avon's Liquid Eyeliner in brown. I've had this a while; all the print has been rubbed off the barrel! Not only can I not tell you the specific name, I can't tell you if this dried up or is used up. When I first got it, it gave me a bold, pigmented line. However, just like a felt tip gets used up, so did this one. I love liquid liners that are in a felt tip delivery system. I love that clean, crisp line it makes. And it is very easy for me to do a cat eye with this style. Easily said, I have other felt liners like this and surely, always will. I just don't know if I will get Avon's. I'm really fickle when it comes to eyeliners. Suffice to say, I like this one.
How about that? I just did a review on my trash! Maybe you liked it and you'll let me know in the comments. If it's sort of gross, look for my headline of 'Toss or Trash' and you'll know to skip over. Last month I didn't have any Toss items. I do have some for February. And, I do want to mention, it is weird for me to hold onto my trash and collect it til the end of the month for a photo. That's something I didn't expect when I conceived this idea. Maybe I won't save it all for a group shot. But, I hope you enjoyed the information.


text:
The Grind
Stories & Info
Getting Started
Categories & Archives
Member Profile
In The News
Date Posted
May 2019
April 2019
March 2019
February 2019
January 2019
December 2018
November 2018
October 2018
September 2018
August 2018
July 2018
June 2018
May 2018
April 2018
March 2018
February 2018
January 2018
December 2017
November 2017
October 2017
September 2017
August 2017
July 2017
June 2017
May 2017
April 2017
March 2017
February 2017
January 2017
December 2016
November 2016
October 2016
September 2016
August 2016
July 2016
June 2016
May 2016
April 2016
March 2016
February 2016
January 2016
December 2015
November 2015
October 2015
September 2015
August 2015
July 2015
June 2015
May 2015
April 2015
March 2015
February 2015
January 2015
December 2014
November 2014
October 2014
September 2014
August 2014
July 2014
June 2014
May 2014
April 2014
March 2014
February 2014
January 2014
October 2013
April 2013
March 2013
October 2012
August 2012
July 2012
April 2012
February 2012
Subscribe to
FGF Stories & Info
Stories & Info
Run Clinic Recap
Posted: May 5, 2018
A couple weeks ago, we enlisted the help of fellow Farmgirlfit member and run coach, Miran and her PT husband Clayton in learning to run more efficiently. We know not all of you could make it, and
Read More »
FGF May Marathon
Posted: May 1, 2018
🎶A mile a day gets you a marathon in May🎶
Read More »
Sunday Rundays & Outdoor Workouts
Posted: May 14, 2016
Farmgirlfit schedule of events for both Spokane & Coeur d'Alene. Let's get together!
Read More »
Million Meter March
Posted: February 22, 2016
You can run, you can row, you can be a part of a Farmgirlfit Team! Welcome to the Million Meter March!
Read More »
Pennies for Pull-Ups Prep
Posted: August 27, 2015
It's that time of year again, fall is just around the corner...and so is our annual Pennies for Pull-Ups event! This year, we're starting the prep work early, in September, to set us up for
Read More »
August Sunday Rundays
Posted: July 29, 2015
Open to members and non-members alike. Bring a friend, your significant other and/or kiddos, maybe your pup and join us each Sunday in a different location, at a different time, for a different run!
Read More »
Sunday Rundays & June Happenings
Posted: May 28, 2015
Sometimes you just can't find quite enough motivation to get out and get running. Especially if you're participating in the Spring into Summer Running challenge (#FGFMarathon2015), those…
Read More »
Spring into Summer Running Challenge- #FGFMarathon2015
Posted: May 11, 2015
Back by popular demand, Farmgirlfit is kicking off a "Spring into Summer Running Challenge". Similar to last year, including a few updates, #FGFMarathon2015 is back and starts now! The…
Read More »
Ready To Run: 30 Days of Dedication
Posted: March 30, 2015
Are You Ready to Run? Ready to Dedicate 30 Days to improved Running? If you immediately say, "No Thanks" to this question, then we particularly want YOU to participate! Many…
Read More »
Farmgirlfit Rowing Challenge & Seminars
Posted: January 14, 2015
In celebration of our newest challenge at Farmgirlfit, we'd like to add a little twist to the popular children's nursery rhyme, Farmgirl-style: row, row, row your boat… a half a…
Read More »
3 Steps to Healthy Hands
Posted: October 13, 2014
The stuff we do at the gym (pull-ups, barbell movements, kettlebell movements, etc.) can really tear up our hands. Follow these steps to help prevent tearing!
Read More »
Farmgirlfit Endurance Training
Posted: April 28, 2013
Alright ladies, it's time to get endurancified! We have programmed and planned endurance training to be included with your regular Farmgirlfit membership. Our goal is to offer this program as a…
Read More »
We Are Born to Run With Purpose
Posted: April 28, 2013
National Best Selling author of Born to Run, Christopher McDougall stopped off in Spokane to run with the locals and discuss his book. Invited as part of the Get Lit! Festival he spoke of…
Read More »
Fitness Can Be Mental: Tips For A Positive and Worthwhile Work-out
Posted: April 27, 2013
By Susan Brown, Farmgirlfit Intern Extaordinaire When it comes to working out, it seems that people can fall into one of two categories; those who cannot get enough of it and those who…
Read More »
Farmgirlfit Bride: Preparing for the Big Day
Posted: April 27, 2013
In November, Amanda joined Farmgirlfit, in part, to prepare for her June wedding. Amanda is our first of many, beautiful buff brides! We asked Amanda to share her journey at Farmgirlfit on…
Read More »
Going the Distance, At Any Age
Posted: August 15, 2012
When Farmgirlfit trainer Jeni Davaz competed in her first triathlon, she knew that she'd be a triathlete for life — even if it wasn't easy. "After nearly drowning,…
Read More »
Staying Active on Vacation
Posted: July 18, 2012
Summertime is vacation time — and vacations are an easy time to forget about the hard work you've put in and the healthy habits you've picked up at Farmgirlfit. But you're…
Read More »
Strong Mind, Strong Body
Posted: April 27, 2012
There's a reason for the 10-minute warm-up before the Grind at Farmgirlfit: to stretch, to get in the zone, and to mentally prepare for whatever lies ahead. It's a time to shift away from…
Read More »
7 Ways to a Healthy Heart
Posted: February 19, 2012
By Laura Wambold Laura is a trainer at Farmgirfit who also works at St. Luke's in Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehab as an Exercise Physiologist and holds a Masters of Science in Exercise…
Read More »
Farmgirl Strong
Posted: February 8, 2012
You hear it everywhere now, "strong is the new skinny". We say, it's about time. Being leaner and stronger, while maintaining your feminine physique, is the Farmgirlfit…
Read More »
Subscribe to
FGF Stories & Info
Get Your Gear
Visit any location to get your Farmgirlfit gear


text:
George Osborne has admitted he "got it wrong" on budget measures that he has been forced to reverse, but played down their significance as "battles that don't matter".
The chancellor, whose reputation has taken a knock following his handling of the budget, said the error was "when politicians just keep digging when they're in a hole, because they are too embarrassed to put down the shovel and climb out".
Osborne last week scrapped budget plans to cap tax relief on charitable donations and conducted partial U-turns on VAT on hot takeaway food and on static caravans following a cacophony of criticism.
The prime minister, David Cameron, admitted last week that there had been "difficulties in the budget" which had left the government "ploughing into a brick wall".
Speaking on the BBC Radio 4 Today programme, Osborne said the only thing worse than listening was not listening as he defended his eventual decision to row back on some of the controversial measures.
He said those covered less than 5% of his budget, arguing that his focus was on "the battles that are worth fighting" rather than "frankly, the battles that don't matter".
He also put part of the blame on the succession of leaks to the media before his announcement on 21 March.
"I don't think it helped the way bits of the budget were leaked," he said. "I don't think that helped, and fundamentally, tax reform – which was what the budget was about – tax reform when you don't have a lot of spare cash around is quite difficult, and of course people who are potential losers notice more than the many who are winners.
"But I would say this … there's only one thing worse than listening and that's not listening, and over the last 20-odd years that I've been involved in various ways in politics, most of the errors I've seen are when politicians just keep digging when they're in a hole, because they are too embarrassed to put down the shovel and climb out.
"And on things like the taxation of charities – look, we got it wrong. We haven't legislated for this, there's no law been passed, we were consulting on it … and so I thought it was much better just to say we just won't do it, it's fine. And since it's such a small part of the budget, and since a huge amount of my time is focused on the really big economic issues that this country faces, fight the battles that are worth fighting and focus on the things that really matter."
It emerged last week that Osborne had been urged by his parliamentary aide on the eve of the budget to drop the "granny tax" and "pasty tax" because they would be deeply unpopular.


text:
Parliamentary Committees
Fact Sheet – Parliamentary Committees [PDF 185kb, 1 page]
Parliamentary committees are an important part of the work of the Parliament. They investigate issues and bills (proposed laws) in detail, so that the Parliament can be well-informed before making decisions of national significance.
One of the roles of the Parliament is to make laws for the nation. However, there is often limited time to debate complex issues in detail in the parliamentary chambers. Members of parliament can vote to appoint a committee to take on this role. A committee may have weeks or even months to make a closer study of an issue.
Most members of parliament, except ministers, serve on parliamentary committees. These committees are usually made up of six to ten government and non-government members of parliament.
Committees may consist of senators or members of the House of Representatives, or may be established as joint committees which include members of both houses of Parliament. One committee member is voted to be the chairperson who runs the committee proceedings.
Each committee has a secretariat – a group of parliamentary employees who assist with running the hearings and writing a report to present to the Parliament.
When Parliament establishes a committee of inquiry, it decides on the terms of reference – that is, the specific purpose of the inquiry. The committee advertises in newspapers and invites written submissions from the community, experts and interest groups regarding the issue.
Committee members read the submissions and may invite selected people or groups to appear before the committee to provide further evidence or answer questions from committee members.
Committees take place at Parliament House, but also travel all over Australia to discuss issues with many different people.
Committee hearings are usually formal public meetings of the Parliament. Hansard reporters record everything that is said. Submissions and hearings are published in Hansard and are available on the Parliament House website. The media often attend and report on proceedings. After the public hearings are finished, the committee writes a report which is formally presented to the Parliament. Members of parliament often use evidence from a committee report to propose bills or amendments to existing laws.
Types of committees
There are several types of committees:
- Standing committees operate continuously and concentrate on examining bills and issues relating to particular subjects. For example, the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Education and Employment examines bills and issues relating to these two areas.
- Select committees are set up by the Parliament to examine specific issues. A minister may establish a select committee to investigate a policy issue. After a report is presented to Parliament, the committee disbands. For example, in 2009 the Senate Select Committee on Agricultural and Related Industries inquired into the impact of bushfires in Australia.
- Estimates committees usually meet three times a year to scrutinise how the government has spent Budget funds. The only witnesses who appear before an estimates committee are ministers and senior public servants in government departments (see Senate Estimates).
In recent years, committees have become more important in the work of the Parliament, especially since law-making is increasingly more complex. Committees are also a powerful way to bring Parliament to the people and allow a greater variety of opinions to be heard.
More information
Previous page: Parliament House
Next page: Party Whip


text:
Amused and disappointed. This is how I felt when I saw Bill Nye's Q&A posted on YouTube on the 23rd of February 2016. In it, the Science Guy, as he is known to my generation, tried to criticize philosophy using a well-known philosophical argument. I was amused because seeing people make fools of themselves is, admittedly, entertaining. I was also disappointed because abject ignorance is discouraging, particularly when displayed by otherwise intelligent people.
There is a lot wrong with Mr. Nye's entire tirade, but, for brevity, I will focus on the most egregious: the irony of using a philosophical idea to claim that philosophy doesn't offer meaningful ideas. In the video, Mr. Nye says: "[philosophy] doesn't always give an answer that's surprising; it doesn't always lead you to some place that is inconsistent with common sense." These two sentences demonstrate how uninformed Mr. Nye is, because he is actually paraphrasing philosopher of science Imre Lakatos. In 1973, Lakatos proposed that a fundamental difference between scientific and pseudo-scientific theories was their ability to lead to unexpected, stunning, novel facts. Before Lakatos, theories were considered scientific as long as they were logically sound, supported by evidence, and, importantly, vulnerable to evidence against it (i.e., refutable).2 For Lakatos, however, this wasn't enough; to be truly scientific, theories should also imply novel, surprising predictions that turn out to be true (i.e., empirically verified). Einstein's theory of relativity, for example, has led to the discovery of astonishing, novel facts like black holes.3 Now a common place among scientists and science enthusiasts, black holes were considered and anomaly at the time. Even Einstein doubted that nature could produce such an "aberration."4 Decades later, in 1971, the first black hole was discovered.5
Lakatos' proposition, in itself novel and contrary to common sense at the time, has become a pillar of the modern scientific enterprise and it often guides us scientists in our efforts to learn something new about the universe. In other words, it has become standard practice in scientific circles. Perhaps this is the reason Mr. Nye invokes this idea while being unaware that it was conceived by a philosopher.
I have dedicated these paragraphs to comment on Mr. Nye 's Big Think Q&A, because there is an important lesson for us science communicators: there are times when one should decline to comment and when it is best to concede that one knows very little about a particular subject. Otherwise, we risk loosing the trust of our audience and, thus, doing a disservice to them and to the scientific community.
- Lakatos I. The Methodology of Scientific Research Programmes. New York, NY; Cambridge University Press: 1989.
- Popper K. The Logic of Scientific Discovery. New York, NY; Routledge: 2002
- Taylor N. Einstein's Theory of General Relativity. In Space.com https://www.space.com/17661-theory-general-relativity.html. Accessed: 23rd of August 2017.
- Stillman D. Einstein and Beyond. In NASA Education. https://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/5-8/features/F_Einstein_5-8.html. Accessed: 24rd of August 2017.
- Tayor N. Black Holes: Facts, Theory & Definition. In Space.com. https://www.space.com/15421-black-holes-facts-formation-discovery-sdcmp.html. Accessed: 24rd of August 2017.


text:
This bright pop-up shop is located in the artistic area of Sao Laurenco, which is ideal for Pop-Up Stores and Fashion Showroom.
With a curated frontage and entirely glass display windows, this pop-up shop offers good visibility and the shop is filled with a well-lit natural light.
This one-of-a-kind pop-up shop is dynamic with classic interiors of tiled flooring and white walls. With elegant windows and a bright atmosphere, it offers basic amenities including shelves and can accommodate a variety of pop-up stores.
Situated close to a famous museum and a temple, this shop is well-located for fashion showrooms and pop-up stores.
|{{ place.name }}
|< 500m


text:
About Songtrust
Songtrust, a Billboard Magazine Top 10 Music Start-Up, provides a technology platform for royalty collection services to music business professionals.
Our industry-leading online solutions help songwriters, artists, managers, labels and publishers simplify music rights management including the administration of music publishing assets, performing rights, and digital licensing.
Launched by Downtown Music Publishing in 2011, Songtrust provides efficient and accountable royalty collection service in over 50 major music markets worldwide.
The Team
Justin Kalifowitz
CEO & Co-Founder, Songtrust President, Downtown Music Publishing
Justin operates Songtrust and serves as President of Downtown Music Publishing. Prior to Downtown, Justin spent six years with Spirit Music Group acting as Head of A&R, and held positions with RCA and Virgin Records. Justin has been named in Billboard Magazine's "30 Under 30" Faces to Watch and Crain's "Forty Under 40" Rising Stars of New York Business. Justin is on the Board of Directors for the NY Chapter of the Association of Independent Music Publishers.
General Inquiries
For general inquiries email us at email@example.com.
Press Inquiries
For press inquiries email us at email@example.com.
Legal InquiriesFor legal inquiries email us at firstname.lastname@example.com.
If you have any suggestions please email us at email@example.com.
Business Inquiries
For business development or partnership inquiries email us at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Licensing Requests
For licensing requests email us at firstname.lastname@example.com.
485 Broadway, 3rd Floor
New York, NY 10013
- email@example.com
- Royalty Distribution FAQ
- Need Help? Check out our FAQ
"Songtrust is attempting to democratize a segment of the music business that has been off-limits for many artists."
"Songwriters can focus on their craft knowing that their music publishing rights are being professionally managed."


text:
Railroads and national security
We like to think of our railroads only as great agencies for the promotion of human welfare and human progress. We know how they distribute the many products of our fields, forests, mines, quarries, factories and waters, enabling our own people and the people of other parts of the world, who exchange their products for ours, to enjoy a better standard of living. We all have better food, more clothing, better houses, more leisure and more education than we would have if railroads and other transportation facilities did not make it possible to carry on our national and international trade. Unhappily, however, the nations of the world have not yet learned to live at peace with one another. They still act too often on the belief that war offers the only means of settling their differences, war, with its destruction, its misery and horror, that seldom fails to leave the world poorer and unhappier than it was before the war began.
Already this twentieth century has witnessed two great wars, in which so many peoples and nations were involved that they were both called World Wars. Though the United States had no part in starting either of these tremendous conflicts, we were drawn into both of them, and played a leading part in bringing them to a close with military victory for us and those at whose side we were fighting.
Widespread war puts an end to peaceful trade. It also changes the entire pattern of working and living in those countries which engage in war. All industry must be devoted to purposes for which much of it was not originally designed. No other industry shows the change, which war demands, more than the great industry we call transportation.
For modern war — successful war — depends largely upon efficient transportation. A famous cavalry leader of the Confederate States of America, Nathan Bedford Forrest, when asked who had the best chance to gain victory in battle, is said to have replied: "The one who gets there fustest with the mostest." Though the historical accuracy of this remark has been questioned, and though the statement may not be invari
ably true, many a victorious army has rejoiced, and many a defeated army mourned, because it has been true. Another way of saying the same thing became a common expression during the early years of the Second World War, though instead of telling how victory was won it gave the explanation of reverse after reverse and defeat after defeat. This expression was: "Too little, and too late."
Both the expressions, the one explaining victory, the other defeat, merely acknowledge that successful war demands prompt, speedy and effective transportation. This has always been true, but never was the truth brought home more clearly and more forcibly than in the Second World War. Transportation was recognized as the chief "bottleneck" of modern warfare.
In the olden days, when men fought with swords and spears, and bows and arrows, transportation was important, but it was primarily a matter of how speedily armies could march, and how expeditiously foot soldiers and cavalry could be placed in advantageous positions for battle. After gunpowder was introduced , transportation came to mean the disposition of artillery as well as the movement of cavalry and infantry. On the sea it was the speed and maneuverability of ships. From Julius Caesar to Frederick the Great and Napoleon, from Sir Francis Drake to Lord Nelson, great commanders on land and sea were noted for the skill, precision and speed with which they moved their armies and fleets. History tells us that in our Revolutionary War the tide of conflict frequently turned upon the dilatory movement of some generals, and upon the swift advance or retreat of others.
Today, like most of the industries of peace, war has become highly mechanized. The effectiveness of military might depends upon the mass movement, not only of great numbers of troops, but also of immense numbers of guns, both large and small, of tanks, and armored trucks, and planes, and just as important, of the fuel and oil and water for these vehicles, of the huge quantities of ammunition which the guns devour, and of the food, clothing and other supplies of the struggling armies.
In the Second World War the outcome of many a conflict depended upon the effectiveness of transportation. The furious speed with which Germany overwhelmed Poland, Denmark , Norway, Holland, Belgium, France, Greece and Crete in turn, was a triumph of speedy transportation. Germany's drive into Russia was at first highly successful, but as she drove deeper and deeper, and lines of communication between the battle front and bases at home became longer and longer, and the physical difficulties of transportation became greater and greater, she found it impossible to exert the same power which had previously enabled her to sweep aside all opposition. Transportation became her weakness, as before it had been her strength. In the various campaigns in Africa, with the alternating advances and retreats, the problem of the attacking army, whether British or German, became ever more difficult as lines of communication lengthened. The shrewdest blow
that Japan dealt to China was the capture of the Burma Road. One of the chief factors in the final victory of the United States over Japan was the virtual destruction of all of Japan's connections with the mainland of Asia where most of the raw materials for Japan's mills originated. D-Day in Europe, in June, 1944, was another triumph of transportation, following months of assembling vehicles and supplies, the construction of facilities with which an artificial harbor was made in the space of a few hours on the coast of Normandy, the skilful handling of a powerful force of men, and the maintenance of a steady flow of essential supplies.
Day in 1945 was the climax of a contest in transportation, in which German forces were rendered virtually immobile by the destruction of many of their railroads, highways, land vehicles and planes, and the destruction of sources of fuel supply for the small remainder, while the transportation facilities of our own forces increased constantly in quantity and
effectiveness. "Logistics," a word that came to be used with great frequency during the war, was the art of assembling the vast material of warfare and getting everything to its proper place at the right time. No other part of military science received more study in the Second World War than logistics. The part which our country was able to take in the war in Europe and the power which it exerted in the Orient were determined by transportation. Distance from our enemies saved our cities from devastating raids by air. But if that distance saved us much, it also cost us much. For a time we lost all our possessions in the Far East, and our difficulty in recovering them lay not in our lack of strength, but in the lack of ability to transport that strength to the area where the struggle had to take place. In the war in Europe the extent of our participation was largely a matter of transportation. In her contest with the United States, Germany's chief weapon was the lurking submarine, with which she fought not so much our armed forces but our transportation—the ships in which we had to carry men and supplies to far-off battle fronts. It was in her great fleet of submarines that lay Germany's hope of victory in the Second World War, just as in the First World War. It was the defeat of the submarine which led to Germany's eventual downfall.
The transportation of our forces to the scene of battle, however , was but a small part of our war transportation problem. Our greatest difficulty was transportation on the home front, transportation in the United States itself.
We had done but little to prepare for war before war was thrust upon us. We were confronted almost overnight with the task of raising a vast army, of providing this army, as well as the armies of our allies, with vast quantities of military supplies . We were faced also with the problems, not only of moving this army and these supplies across two oceans, but of building ships in which they could be carried, and of building the naval vessels with which troop transports and freighters could be protected. The United States had to raise armies to defend democracy, and it had to become what President Roosevelt called a mighty "arsenal of democracy." We had to build the planes, tanks, guns and ships of modern war, and when the war began for us, we did not even have the factories and the shipyards, not to mention the machines and the organized manpower, with which they were to be built.
Back of the enormous problems of production were the problems of transportation, the problems of assembling the vast quantities of fuel and raw materials, and the problem of distributing the finished products. Back of the problem of raising and training armies was the problem of assembling the men who would make up the armies. Added to the demand which preparation for war would impose upon our transportion facilities was the need to meet, if possible, the continuing demands of the civilian population for food, fuel, clothing, and many other things which our people consume.
Before the war broke out the United States had a supply of transportation facilities sufficient to meet current peaceful needs. We had the railroads, which we have described, and which lor a century had been the backbone of our transporta
Lion system. We had a fairly large fleet of merchant ships, some of them on our inland waters, some engaged in our coastwise trade, and some in our overseas trade, taking our exports to foreign lands and bringing back coffee, sugar, cocoa, tea, rubber , hides, tin, burlap and many other commodities which we had to purchase abroad. Some of our most important ships were the fleet of tankers that carried oil from the Pacific Coast and the Gulf coast to refineries along our North Atlantic seaboard . Then we had a vast number of highway motor vehicles, most of them private automobiles, but there were also nearly four and a half million large and small trucks, as well as several thousand buses and taxicabs. We had a few interurban electric railways, and a large number of urban trolley lines, both tracked and trackless, and in our largest cities several miles of subway and elevated passenger railroads. There were several thousand miles of pipe line for the transportation of oil, gas and gasoline, and finally a growing fleet of commercial airplanes , employed in both domestic and foreign trade and transportation.
The very first effect of the war on the domestic front was its impact on our system of transportation, a system with which
we had so long been familiar that it had come to be taken as a matter of course, like sunrise and sunset, something which could never be disturbed. We had a rude awakening. Numerous tankers which had been used to serve our civilian needs had already been turned over to England. Now many more tankers, as well as other ships, had to be diverted to the use of our own armed forces. Then enemy submarines began to sink our ships, sink them so close to our shores that dwellers along the seaboard could see the high columns of flame and smoke which signaled their destruction. Almost before we knew it we found that sugar, coffee, bananas, and other products which came to us on ships were becoming scarce. One branch of our transportation system, our ocean shipping, was badly crippled. But that was just the beginning. There was much worse to come. Our eastern states found that they no longer had the quantity of oil and gasoline to which they had become accustomed , for heating homes and operating motor cars. On top of that, we awoke to the unpalatable fact that our chief source of natural rubber had passed into enemy hands, and that our reserve stockpile of rubber, though large, was far below the amount necessary to permit consumption for more than a
few months at the usual rate. Moreover there lay just ahead an enormous demand for rubber, for the tires of the trucks, planes, tractors and other vehicles which our armed forces would need. So another branch of our domestic transportation service, transportation by motor vehicle, had to be curtailed, eventually to the point where pleasure driving had to be resolutely forbidden, and the most rigid economy practiced in the use of motor vehicles for all other purposes. Air transportation too, for civilian needs, had to be reduced.
So it went. An ever growing demand for transportation; a gradually mounting shortage of customary facilities. Ships, motor vehicles and airplanes lost, diverted to military use, or put out of service because of the shortage of critical materials, there was but one way to turn. The nation looked to the railroads to take up the burden. Never did our railroads have a greater task to perform, and never have they performed a task so well.
The railroads deserve all the more credit for the work they performed because they were handicapped at the start. The economic depression, which had begun in 1929, had brought discouraging years of reduced traffic and low earnings. Not only had all branches of business enterprise, upon which the railroads depended for their prosperity, declined severely, but there had been a steady growth of competition from new agencies of transportation. Because of the decline of traffic, railroad rolling stock had been permitted to dwindle, and smaller and smaller sums had been available to spend each year on maintenance of track and equipment.
With physical plant much reduced, and what remained by no means in top condition, the railroads were called upon to carry a burden of traffic greater than they had ever carried before . While it was possible, during the war years, for them to make small additions to their plant, these additions were limited, because the railroads could claim as their fair share only a small part of steel, copper and other materials, the available supply of which was altogether too small to satisfy the nation's needs.
Despite all handicaps, the railroads stood up to the task which confronted them. In 1942, the first full year of war, with fewer locomotives, fewer cars, and fewer employees, the railroads hauled a greater volume of traffic than they had hauled in 1929, the year which had set the highest previous mark. During the remaining war years, though they had some slight additions to their equipment, they continued to break all former records. Raw materials for munitions and armament reached the mills on time and in necessary quantity, the enormous personnel of the armed forces was carried to ports of embarkation, and even civilian needs were cared for as adequately as could be expected under war conditions. There were occasional shortages of space, trains were crowded, and it was necessary to discourage travel for pleasure. But the shortage of railroad transportation was far less than the shortage of many other things to which the civilian population had long been accustomed.
How did the railroads do it? How could it be done? They did it by using every car, every locomotive, every freight yard, every siding, every main track, more efficiently than they had ever been used before either in time of peace or in time of war. Shippers co-operated eagerly and enthusiastically. Cars were loaded more heavily, loaded and unloaded more promptly . The railroads moved their cars more rapidly, and in longer heavier trains. Delay in freight yards was cut to a minimum. Employees of both shippers and railroads, who had been accustomed to take "Saturdays off," worked six, and if need be, seven days a week. Shortages of labor were met in part by the employment of women and high school boys in positions long occupied only by men, and our friendly neighbor to the South, the republic of Mexico, provided several thousand track laborers and mechanics for our hard-pressed carriers. To the Office of Defense Transportation, the executive agency established by presidential order in 1941 to cooperate
with carriers and shippers in solving the transportation problems created by war, belonged a large part of the credit. The teamwork of ODT, shippers, railroads, and other carriers was of the highest order of excellence, and their combined accomplishment furnished a fine example of how government and business enterprise in America could rise to an emergency.
We must not fail to mention that American railroad executives and American railroad workmen duplicated on the fighting front the kind of work that was done at home. Thousands of men, some already experienced in railroad work, and others fitted for their duties by intensive courses of training under American railroad officials, called into military service, carried the methods and traditions of American railroads to many lands across the sea. In England, in Iran, in Africa, in Russia, in Italy, in France, in Germany, in India, in New Caledonia, in Alaska—all over the world—the Military Railway Service of the Transportation Corps of the United States Army operated, repaired and maintained thousands of miles of railroad performing services necessary to the success of our fighting forces. D-Day was scarcely over when American locomotives and cars were emerging from LST's on the shore of Normandy, to take their part in the liberation of France. Outdoing Julius Caesar and his legions, on April 8, 1945, the Corps of Engineers of the Army, with the cooperation of the MRS, completed a bridge across the Rhine at Wesel, which they had begun to build only ten days before. Everywhere our armies went in Europe our railroad forces went too, and often the railroad battalions were in advance of combat units, preparing the way for their onward movement.
Throughout the entire war our railroads performed a service , both at home and abroad, that was beyond praise. No other branch of American business enterprise made a greater contribution to victory, and no other industry did its part more wholeheartedly and more efficiently. The railroads were foremost among the bulwarks of American freedom. In planning for the preservation of our national security in the future nothing should be thought more important than the maintenance of a sound, efficient railroad system.
It was freedom—American freedom—that the military and industrial might of our country was defending in the two great wars in which we have been compelled to take part during the present century. If national security means anything it means the preservation of this freedom, which has been the one abiding characteristic of what we call the "American way of life." In our national hymn our country is "Sweet Land of Liberty;" in our national anthem it is the "land of the free."
In our Declaration of Independence "Liberty" was one of the unalienable rights of all men. One of the purposes of ordaining our Federal Constitution was to secure the "blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our posterity." Of the great speeches in our political annals, those best remembered, perhaps, are Patrick Henry's, with its "give me Liberty or give me death,"
Webster's, with "Liberty and Union, now and forever," Lincoln's immortal words at Gettysburg, where he asked that we resolve that this nation "conceived in Liberty" have a "new birth of Freedom," and Roosevelt's address championing the "Four Freedoms" for all mankind.
It is this liberty which the railroads have helped protect. It is a noteworthy fact that our railroads are an outstanding symbol of what we mean by freedom in America. The railroad system of the United States is the only one in all the great countries of the world that is still "free," still owned and operated by citizens as a free, private enterprise, and not by the state. It is the grave responsibility of these owners, and of the nation as a whole to see that such marks of American freedom are carefully guarded.
It was highly appropriate that the railroad system of the United States should have been selected in 1947 as the agency through which were exhibited the documents constituting the chief landmarks in the rise and growth of the spirit of freedom in America. Planned originally by the Department of Justice, and sponsored by the American Heritage Foundation, a "Freedom Train" left Washington September 17, 1947, bound on a 33,000 mile journey which was to carry it through all of the forty-eight states, and give thousands upon thousands of children and adults an opportunity to see the historic documents which meant so much in the development of our heritage.
There were many documents, some of them replicas, some of them original. There was a copy of Magna Carta, England's ancient charter of freedom wrung from an unwilling king centuries ago. There was a letter from Christopher Columbus, written in 1493, in which he told of his discovery of what he fondly thought was the East Indies, but turned out to be a New World. The Mayflower Compact, the first of American "constitutions ," Jefferson's draft of the Declaration of Independence , and Washington's copy of our Federal Constitution reminded us of the steps we took in shaping a destiny planned by ourselves and not dictated by western Europe. Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation and his Gettysburg Address, written by his Own hand, were among the documents which held the greatest interest for those who visited the train. The Japanese and the German surrender documents, the American flag raised on Mount Suribachi during the capture of I wo Jima, and the Charter of the United Nations were sharp reminders of our latest struggle for the preservation of the rights and privileges of a free people.
No other train was ever more closely guarded, and no other train was so completely equipped for the protection of its contents against risk of injury by fire, flood, or other danger. Three exhibition cars contained the documents. There was a baggage car, which also held a self-contained power plant for the entire train, and an assortment of fire-fighting equipment to supplement the automatic apparatus on each car. Three Pullman cars provided living and sleeping quarters for guards and custodians.
Drawn by a 2,000 horsepower, Diesel-electric locomotive, painted in the national colors and bearing a golden seal of the United States, and fully streamlined, the train itself was a fitting symbol of the progress which American freedom has made possible. In every sense of the words it was a Freedom Train.


text:
How to Secure Your Public WiFi Connection
- Details
- Category: tbv
- Published: 08 September 2017
- Written by Administrator
- Hits: 392
Ever felt uneasy doing your online
Ever felt uneasy doing your online banking in your favorite coffee shop?
Me too.
Are you sure you want to hit "buy" on that chic blue and black (or was it gold and white?) dress, exposing your credit card details to cyber criminals who may be watching?
Think again.
I don't blame you if every time you log onto social media, on public Wi-Fi, you worry if some hacker is about to steal your password.
My friend, you're not alone.
(Source: Symantec Personal Breaches)
According to leading cybersecurity firm Symantec (SYMC:NASDAQ), millions of Americans who access their personal emails (58 percent), log into social media platforms (56 percent) or do their online banking (22 percent) on Public Wi-Fi networks, are opening themselves up to being spied on; getting their passwords and credit card details stolen.
Risk Based Security reports that in 2016 alone, there have been more than 4,100 security breaches totaling 4.2 billion stolen and exposed personal records – emails, passwords, SSNs, addresses etc.
Over 4 billion people at risk of identity theft, drained bank accounts or worse!
There are many tricks to ensure this never happens to you when using Public Wi-Fi. Best of all, we are going to show you all of them.
Feeling strongly about ensuring your safety, we decided to write this comprehensive article on public Wi-Fi security and show you step by step, how you can thwart hacking attempts on your systems.
Follow our step-by-step guide to a T and take a look at our exhaustive list of additional security strategies. Implement those which you think you can benefit from and your devices will become impenetrable fortresses.
In times where 87 percent of the population is using public networks and free Wi-Fi services, it is an imperative to practice good internet hygiene and ensure every precaution to secure one's personal data, has been taken.
Fortunately for me and you, there are some awesome people out there which have made it their mission in life to simplify cybersecurity. Whether you're a 16-year-old programming genius, a flashy management consultant or a single mom – we've got you covered.
Everything you will read below is straightforward and simple to implement.
Let me help you by giving you the necessary knowledge & tools to protect yourself from any and all cyber attackers every time you decide to click "connect" on an open Wi-Fi network.
Step-By-Step Public Wi-Fi Security Guide
In this first part of our article I will be guiding you through the three most important steps you need to take to ensure maximum protection in the quickest time possible. These security precautions will take you only minutes to enforce and will make you practically invisible to hackers.
1. Be Mindful & Proactive
Congratulations! By reading these very lines you already completed step one to securing yourself from cyber attacks.
Really, kudos to you for giving a second thought to just how vulnerable you may be while waiting for your flight in that crowded airport.
The first thing you have to accept is that, like it or not, you're exposing yourself to unnecessary dangers. Prevention is the best cure. Use public Wi-Fi only if you have implemented our next two steps.
Before I get to them, let's explore how awareness can help you out.
Just like anything in life, being aware and mindful of your surroundings is of utmost importance. An often overlooked part of public Wi-Fi security is that first word – public.
Just because you're connected to an open network, doesn't mean all attacks will be carried over online.
Be mindful of who is peaking at your screen and never leave your technology unattended. Hackers can plug in a flash drive, which automatically installs malware, in half the time it takes you to grab your Latte from the cute barista.
Public Wi-Fi networks are inherently dangerous and incredibly attractive to no-gooders. The ability to blend in and potentially have physical access to their victim's machines is too sweet to give up.
Do not, under any circumstance, provide access to your notebook to strangers. Never let anybody you don't know touch your laptop. It's your property and nobody has the right to touch it without a warrant!
Further, be proactive in your security habits. If you're connecting to an unknown open Wi-Fi that asks you to download a client in order to connect, move on. Why risk it when you can connect without hassle to the another network two blocks down the road?
Sure, most of the time that client is just a method for your network provider to serve you pesky ads. A hacker, however, needs to trick you only once to download his fake client for you to get into deep trouble. More on this later.
If you practice habits of mindfulness and proactive thinking, you will easily be able to recognize sketchy situations to beware of.
They can't get to you, if you outsmart them at their own game.
2. Turn OFF "Sharing"
Moving onto a more practical and critical step of network security – turning off sharing.
By disabling this option, you will block anybody, connected to the same network, from snooping around your files.
On default, this is already taken care of if the network is marked as public. Sometimes, however, you may mis-click and leave yourself exposed.
Even If you follow all security techniques, if sharing is not disabled – it's no good. You're practically installing a state of the art home alarm system, but leaving your front door open.
Anybody could access your files; they don't even have to be a hacker.
How to Turn Off Sharing on Windows
- Open your control panel and click on Network and Internet.
- Click through to Network and Sharing centre.
- Find Change advanced sharing settings and click it.
- There are two main options you want to disable: Network discovery & File and printer sharing. Turn both of these off.
P.S. Make sure you do this both for "Private" and "Guest or Public" networks!
How to Turn Off Sharing on Mac (OS X)
- Navigate to "System Preferences".
- Under "Internet & Wireless" click on the "Sharing" folder icon.
- Find the list of sharing options on the left hand site of the new screen. T
- To disable sharing, simply uncheck the options named "File Sharing".
If you'd like, read through the other options and uncheck them all as well.
How long did this take you, a minute? You've just made sure that nobody will be able to access or see any of your files. While this will deter low effort intrusions, it will do little for concentrated attacks.
In order to truly protect yourself from hackers, you have to…
3. Use a VPN
Also known as The Holy Grail of identity protection.
The #1 tool you want to own and implement. If I could sum up Wi-Fi security in one sentence it would be USE A VPN!
Not wanting to bore you with technical jargon, let me give you a quick rundown on the benefits of a VPN, how these networks function and why you should spend 15 minutes setting up yours.
VPN stands for Virtual Private Network. Living up to its name, it encrypts your information, keeping it private and 100% anonymous.
In the olden days (read a few decades ago), VPNs were exclusively used by fortune 500 companies. Encrypting data and thereby enabling anonymous communications across vast distances was a much sought after solution in the highly competitive world of business.
As the years went on, the advantages of VPNs quickly gained popularity with the outside world. From small businesses to individuals; folks quickly learned the value of remaining anonymous online.
Once the VPN client is installed and set up, it takes only a couple of clicks to connect and start browsing securely.
I promised no technical jargon so I will only touch on how a VPN works. Make sure to read through our in-depth article on how VPN encrypt your data, if you'd like a more detailed look.
In the simplest of terms, a VPN transmits your data packets via a protected tunnel protocol. This protocol is layered with security features which will immediately sever the connection if an intrusion is detected. If an intrusion is attempted, the VPN will immediately reconnect through a different route, staying one step ahead.
It's a cat and mouse game with the mouse being able to teleport to a new city anytime it spots the cat. The best part – you decide where to teleport. You can mask your traffic and connect to any server that your VPN provider provides.
To find a VPN, use this VPN review chart.
4. Verify Public Wi-Fi Connection
It's a beautiful, sunny day and you sit down in the newly opened french bistro around the corner; "La Vie" (I'm terrible at coming up with fake bistro names). You ask your waiter for the Wi-Fi password as you notice the pretty girl sitting a few feet from you…
The first step when connecting to an open Wi-Fi is to verify you're actually connecting to it. It is incredibly easy for hackers to set up a fake Wi-Fi hotspot resembling the original one. Distracted by the pretty girl, you can easily be fooled into connecting with "La Wie" instead of "La Vie".
The last thing you want is to willingly connect to said hacker and give him access to your system on a silver platter.
If unsure, call back that waiter and verify the name of their Wi-Fi.
5. Avoid High Profile Websites & Activities
Listen, you've been owing aunt Sue those $20 for months; she can wait a few more hours.
Cyber criminals will take whatever they can get, but they are especially interested in banking details, passwords and personal information.
Don't ever log into your online banking service or Paypal. Delay your banking activities for when you're at home.
It would be impossible to list all sites and activities you should avoid, here are the most important ones:
- Online banking & Financial Services
- Emails
- Social Media
- Utilities
- …and anything that will have you typing in sensitive information – SSN, Address etc
I know this doesn't leave much room for much else, but this is what you signed up for if you want to be immune to attacks.
6. Remove Sensitive Data
Pretty straightforward, if you know you're going to use public internet, make sure you remove any sensitive or personal data off your system. Remove banking files, passwords, documents showing your address or social security number from your laptop.
If you have to access such a file, opt for remote access to your home system instead. Just make sure it's not residing in the laptop you're using in public.
A less secure alternative is to hide all folders containing sensitive information. On windows, just right click a folder and navigate to its Properties. In the Attributes tab, enable the "Hidden" option.
To display hidden folders, go to your file explorer's View tab and check Hidden Items in the Show/Hide pane on the far right side.
7. Use SSL Encrypted Websites (and Avoid Doing Money Transfers)
A Secure Sockets Layer is an advanced layer of security for establishing an encrypted link between a you and a website. The security features ensure that any data that you may submit to an SSL secured website remains private. Million of websites make use of a SSL to protect their clients and readers.
Websites which have set up a SSL are easily recognizable. You need only look at the address bar of your browser. Take a look at ours for example:
SSL certificates are neither cheap nor easy to procure. To be awarded an SSL certificate, a website owner must implement several security measures and answer a number of questions about the identity of their website and company.
8. Enable Firewall
Also known as a 'packet filter'. Basically, software which monitors network traffic and connection attempts into and out of a network or computer and determines whether or not to allow it to pass. Depending on the sophistication, this can be limited to simple IP/port combinations or do full content-aware scans.
Firewall is a standard software or hardware network security system built into most operating systems. Your firewall is data packet filter which monitors an incoming and outgoing traffic and connection attempts. It's a warden which only permits trusted networks to communicate with you. Anything fishy will get blocked by your firewall.
Safe to say, we want this enabled. Here's how to do it…
How to Disable Firewall on Windows
- Open your Control Panel and click on System and Security.
- Navigate to your Windows Firewall.
- Check out the left panel and click on "Turn Windows Firewall on or off".
Pretty straightforward from there. This is how it should look:
How to Disable Firewall on MacBook
Apple's Firewall works differently since their OS X v10.5.1 update. They operate on a per-application basis. Often programs and services are flagged by your Firewall as a false positive. With OS X you can configure your Firewall to allow traffic from these programs and services.
To enable your Firewall on your OS X system follow these steps:
- Choose System Preferences from your Apple menu and click on Security or Security & Privacy.
- Navigate to the Firewall tab and unlock the pane by clicking the lock in the lower-left corner and enter the administrator username and password.
- Click on "Turn On Firewall" or "Start".
To further customize your firewall and enable specific apps and services to circumvent your firewall, click Advanced.
9. Update your Antivirus
If you're part of the 84.9% of antivirus users with updated software; kudos to you.
For the rest of you, keeping your Antivirus up to date is an imperative. The updates are of vital importance to detecting newly coded malware and staying one step ahead of cyber attacks. I promise you, if you're to be unlucky and have your data compromised, a system restart will seem a small price to pay in hindsight.
A curious statistics is the percentage of people who do not make full use of their antivirus software. According to a 2015 report by OPSWAT, 91.3% of antivirus users hadn't run a full full system scan via their installed antivirus product within the last seven days.
If I have to be honest with you, I am part of that 90+%. That said, if you're often making use of public Wi-Fi hotspots, a full or quick scan of your system might be a good idea.
10. Update your System & Browser
Out of date browsers may harbor loopholes for hackers to exploit. Make sure, whichever browser you use, it's kept up to date.
Having said that, not all browsers are created equal. Take a look at this 2016 vulnerabilities chart.
More important than keeping your browser up to date is making sure your system itself has been updated. Whether you're running Windows, OS X, Android or iOS, checking your up to date status is a healthy habit you should cultivate.
11. Implement Two Factor Authentication
Two Factor Authentication is a genius way to ensure you and only you can access websites or services which require a password.
(Source: Two Factor Authentication – What is it?)
A Two Factor Authentication system connects your account to your phone number. Any login attempt will automatically prompt an authentication code to be sent to your phone by text messages (free of charge) which you will then have to type in next to your password in order to log in.
Though a bit cumbersome at times, Two Factor Authentication has saved me more than once.
63 times to be precise. Since early 2015, someone has attempted to hack my Twitter 63 times (Yes, I counted)
Notice the time stamps, all codes sent at 9:58. Clearly a hacker.
I admire his or her persistence, the last hacking attempt was made just two days ago. Still, no cigar. Bless Two Factor Authentication!
12. Keep Passwords Unique
One of the biggest self-imposed vulnerabilities is using the same password for every service, account and website we use. Once this password leaks, everything we fight hard to protect
Tell me if this sound familiar to you. You have two or three "main" passwords each with several variations. One site requires 8 character passwords, another requires numbers and special symbols and a third one wants less than 8 with no special symbols at all.
I do my forearm exercises at the gym and college tested my memory skills enough, thank you very much.
Now think if every password you had to use had to be a one, unique to that specific website. Two weeks ago I cleared my browser history, including my saved passwords.
Since then, my Chrome's Password Auto-fill has saved passwords to 56 sites (Yeah, I counted again…). Now, I may be a bigger nerd than most people, still – 56 password protected sites. Imagine if you had to have a unique one to every one of these.
Saving your passwords to a notepad is the biggest no-go, since that is the first thing intruders will look for. On the flip side, if a hacker does get access to your password and it's the same password you use everywhere, you are in BIG trouble.
(Source: Keeper)
The solution to this problem is a secure Password Manager. A password managers will create high-strength, random passwords, store them securely and auto-fill them. Across any and all devices.
Since we're best friends, let me level with you; do I use a password manager? No.
Should I ? Yes, and so should you.
13. Use Mobile Data Instead
While your cell phone isn't hack-proof, hackers who are targeting open networks won't be able to hijack your mobile data.
This is useful in emergency situations where you're forced to engage in high-profile activities.
Keeping that in mind, I feel the need to note that any device connected to the internet could never be 100% unhackable and is potentiall susceptible to outside attacks.
At least if your mobile data gets hacked you have someone to blame, free iPhones anyone?
14. Turn Off Wi-Fi When Not in Use
I have to admit something – I lied. There is one thing that trumps VPNs – turning of your Wi-Fi
*Ba Dum Tss*
Dad jokes aside, turning off your Wi-Fi when not in use will block any and all attempt of tampering. It's your ultimate defense. If you're sitting in a train or airport, watching a movie, turn your Wi-Fi off.
Not only will you be safe from no-gooders you will also take advantage of the added benefit of power savings, prolonging your battery life.
Two birds with one stone? Don't mind if I do.
15. "Forget" Public Networks
As a rule of thumb you will want to disable auto-connect and delete public Wf-Fi networks once you're done with them.
You can take all the preventative measures in the world, but if you are forced to reset your laptop, reinstall your operating system or otherwise, you have to do it all over again. In these instances, making sure your system doesn't connect prematurely, before you've repeated all security steps, is of utmost importance.
How to "Forget" Public Networks on Windows
- Open your Control panel and click on Network and Internet.
- Click through to Network and Sharing center.
- In the left pannel, click on Change adapter settings.
- In the new window, double click on your Wi-Fi connection. Another window will open.
- Click on the fourth option; Manage known networks.
Do the following for all public networks:
Select a network and click on Forget. This will ensure you will have to connect manually next time.
How to "Forget" Networks on MacBook
- Click on the Wi-Fi symbol on the top menu bar and
- Then, click on Open Network Preferences at the bottom of the drop down menu.
- Click on Wi-Fi in the menu on the left and click Advanced at the bottom right of the new window.
- Select the WiFi network you want to forget, and click the minus sign.
16. Don't Install Connection Clients
Unless you're staying at a hotel or an otherwise trusted Wi-Fi provider, downloading and installing a client in order to connect to a free Wi-Fi network is both unnecessary and fishy.
The primary purpose of a Wi-Fi client is the ability to meter your bandwidth usage. This is entirely useless unless you're paying for your Wi-Fi, or if the hotspot provider wishes to limit your internet usage; blocking torrenting for example.
While this makes sense in a respected hotel chain or paid network you should be weary anytime this is required with a free network.
17. Find Best Network
Piggy bagging from #13, you want to make sure you're choosing the best network to connect to. Paid is not always better than free, and free can often be twice as cumbersome as paid.
If you're finding yourself in the Parisian Charles de Gaulle airport and you don't wish to pay their exorbitant "20 min for €2.90″ fees for Wi-Fi, make sure to shop around. You'll find nearby coffee shops with their own Wi-Fi.
Always make sure you're choosing the best network. I would rather connect to a free network without installing a download client than an expensive "more secure" one.
18. Use TOR
Tor is a free software which enables you to browse anonymously via a volunteer-operated networks of servers. Named after the original project "The Onion Router", Tor relays your data through several points before sending it to your destination. This effectively conceals your location and negates any surveillance or tracking or tracing efforts.
Tor is also known as the "deep web" or the "dark web" as once you connect to it, you can browse to websites accessible only in the Tor network. These websites often have obscure, randomly generated domain names and can be distinguished with the .onion instead of a .com.
Here is the domain name of the anonymity search engine "DuckDuckGo": http://3g2upl4pq6kufc4m.onion
There are several disadvantages to using Tor. First is the super long loading times. With your traffic having to be bounced by several servers, webpages take an eternity to load.
Tor was created in the conjunction with the U.S. Navy and many government agency use Tor. The network is widely used in countries with censorship laws; political refugees, journalists but also criminals.
Due to the anonymity of the network, many criminals have made it their safe haven. Drugs, guns, false identities and worse are sold on certain websites within the Tor network.
While government can't track what you do on Tor, the network isn't foolproof. Certain software vulnerabilities and website admin errors can and are exploited by government agency. In 2013, Tor's biggest black market website – The Silk Road – was busted by the FBI.
19. Read Free Wi-Fi TOC
I can hear your sigh, but stay with me. You'll want to read this.
In June 2014 the Cyber Security Research Institute conducted an experiment in some of the busiest neighborhoods in London. Backed by the European law enforcement agency Europol and sponsored by F-Secure, security researches set up a free Wi-Fi hotspot and tested just how attentive Londoners really are.
All you had to do to connect, was to accept a Terms of Service agreement. Buried in the fineprint, however, there was a clause which stated "the recipient agreed to assign their first born child to us for the duration of eternity."
Six Londoners agreed.
This tongue-in-cheek experiment highlights the serious risks you willingly accept in order to connect to free Wi-Fi.
Nobody reads Terms of Service agreements, but you would be well-advised to skim them over and look for any irregularities. Terms of Services are legally binding, the last thing you want to do is to connect to a hacker's public Wi-Fi network and agree to hand over sensitive data such as GPS locations or personal information.
Oh, and by the way, Finnish security firm F-Secure said it had decided not to enforce the clause. Phew!
20. Buy a Privacy Screen/Filter
The first time I saw a privacy screen in action, the look on my face must have been awesome.
This guy in a suit was staring at a black screen and typing away. Little did I know, he was using a privacy filter which severely restricts viewing angles. The laptop screen is visible only when looked at dead on. Such filters are often used by bank tellers and installed in ATMs.
Procrastinating roommates, nosy coworkers or even fellow fliers – prying eyes are everywhere. Not only does it become annoying and uncomfortable to have your screen stared at, it's downright dangerous in public environment where you can't always know just who is looking over your shoulder.
With ever faster internet speeds, wider coverage and the expectation of free Wi-Fi from every millennial, it has become an imperative to form good internet security habits and be weary of the dangers that one big, connected globe harbors.
I sincerely hope this article has helped you find your preferred method of keeping yourself safe on the inter-webs. Please share it with your friends and colleagues and let me know about your experiences with public Wi-Fi.
Surf Safe,
The post How to Secure Your Public WiFi Connection appeared first on TheBestVPN.com.


text:
Free E-Mail
Bible Studies
Apostle Paul: Passionate Discipleship
Beginning the Journey (for new Christians).
en Español
1, 2, and 3 John
1 & 2 Thessalonians
1 & 2 Timothy
1 Peter
2 Peter, Jude
1 Corinthians
2 Corinthians
7 Last Words of Christ
Christmas Incarnation
Christ Powered Life (Rom 5-8)
David, Life of
Great Prayers
Glorious Kingdom, The
Holy Spirit, Disciple's Guide
Jesus and the Kingdom
John's Gospel
John's Letters
Lamb of God
Listening for God's Voice
Lord's Supper
Names of God
Names of Jesus
Rebuild & Renew: Post-Exilic Books
Sermon on the Mount
Christian Art
About Us
Contact Us
Dr. Wilson's Books
Donations Sitemap
#52. Woe to the Pharisees (Luke 11:37-44)by Dr. Ralph F. Wilson
Other online lessons from Luke | Lessons in book format
Luke 11:37-44
[37] When Jesus had finished speaking, a Pharisee invited him to eat with him; so he went in and reclined at the table. [38] But the Pharisee, noticing that Jesus did not first wash before the meal, was surprised.
[39] Then the Lord said to him, "Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. [40] You foolish people! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also? [41] But give what is inside the dish to the poor, and everything will be clean for you.
[42] "Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.
[43] "Woe to you Pharisees, because you love the most important seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces.
[44] "Woe to you, because you are like unmarked graves, which men walk over without knowing it."
Picky, picky, picky. Some people can grate on you with their doing everything just so. My grandmother and her sisters were like that, children of the Victorian Age. Their rules of etiquette and what was proper seemed kind of silly to me. And when they insisted that I conform to their way of doing things, I would bristle -- at least inside. Some of it made no sense to me. No sense at all. It was an outward nicety that masked what they really thought -- not that I'm ever like that! :-)
Jesus is now thirty years old or more, a widely acclaimed popular teacher. While he is teaching, one of the prominent Pharisees in the local community begins to take an interest. What a marvel, this Jesus, the man ponders. Though he is obviously unschooled according to Judaism's elite rabbinical education, he had a huge following. And one has to admit that he has a kind of primitive grasp of the Old Testament scriptures. Of course he heals, too. He would make an interesting dinner guest. Perhaps my friends and I can even teach him a thing or two about our deeper understanding of the Law.
The Pharisees
The Pharisees were a sect of Judaism, made up largely of laymen rather than priests or religious professionals. Their burden is a zeal to obey every minute law that God has given, and so please him fully.
Though the Pharisees are not the only sect of Judaism at the time, they are a very important one. And they are not all wrong. We find that Jesus takes their position on a number of points. For example, Jesus agrees with the Pharisees about the resurrection of the dead, while the Sadducees -- made up largely of priests and their followers -- deny a resurrection of the dead. The Pharisees also believe in the existence of angels, as does Jesus.
To the Pharisees, the Law, the Torah, is preeminent, and they take it extremely seriously. But they have developed a kind of system to obey the commands of the Law. Usually their obedience isn't to the very Law itself, but to an accepted interpretation of that Law called "the Tradition of the Elders." This tradition forms a sort of "hedge" or "fence" around the provisions of the actual Torah, so that by obeying the Tradition of the Elders one wouldn't break the Law itself.
These Pharisees are not a little proud of themselves for their scrupulous observance of the Law, and look down on other Jews as "sinners" who don't observe the Law as carefully as they do. Contemporary Jewish historian Josephus, who considers himself a Pharisee, describes them this way:
"The Pharisees have delivered to the people a great many observances by succession from their fathers, which are not written in the laws of Moses; and for that reason it is that the Sadducees reject them, and say that we are to esteem those observances to be obligatory which are in the written word, but are not to observe what are derived from the tradition of our forefathers. And concerning these things it is that great disputes and differences have arisen among them, while the Sadducees are able to persuade none but the rich, and have not the populace obsequious to them, but the Pharisees have the multitude on their side."[1]
There is much that is admirable about the Pharisees. They don't take their religion casually. No, they are very serious about it indeed. Their particular slant is a devotion to the Law, and a belief that full observance of the Law will justify them before God. They, like their present-day descendents, the Hassidic Jews, are the epitome of what we sometimes call a "works-righteousness" approach to religion. And in that they have a lot in common with some very serious and very holy Christians today.
The Pharisee who invites Jesus to dinner is quite concerned about holiness. Yes, Jesus will make a very interesting dinner guest indeed.
Eating at a Pharisee's Home (11:37)
"When Jesus had finished speaking, a Pharisee invited him to eat with him; so he went in and reclined at the table." (11:37)
The Pharisee invites Jesus and his disciples to dinner that day, and doubtless invites several Pharisees and scribes to join them. In a more affluent home the table is likely to be low, 18 inches (45 cm) off the floor or less. Guests recline on cushions, leaning on their left elbow and eating with their right hand. (Tough luck for left-handers like myself!)
Ritual Washing (11:38)
"But the Pharisee, noticing that Jesus did not first wash before the meal, was surprised." (11:38)
The word translated "wash" is Greek baptizo, which means "dip, immerse" or, in the middle voice, "dip oneself, wash," and is used of Jewish ritual washings as well as of baptism.[2]
The Pharisees took ritual cleansings very seriously. For example, at the wedding at Cana that Jesus attended, six stone water jars were present "the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons" (John 2:6).
When we read about Jesus not washing his hands before eating we want to hide this from our children. We teach our children to wash their hands thoroughly before eating in order to prevent diseases. But the Pharisees didn't wash in order to get rid of germs. They washed as required by the "tradition of the elders" in order to cleanse their hands from spiritual defilement that might be taken into the body (Mark 7:3, 5). The actual washing didn't involve soap or scrubbing, but rather dribbling some water over the hands. It was an act of spiritual cleansing, not physical cleansing.[3]
But Jesus and his disciples don't participate in the ritual at the table that day. And their Pharisee host -- in a most unhostlike manner -- shows surprise. The Greek word is thaumazo, "wonder, marvel, be astonished."[4] He probably remarks to Jesus on his surprise, and is met with a sharp response.
Cleansing the Outside, Not the Inside (11:39-41)
"Then the Lord said to him, 'Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. You foolish people! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also? But give what is inside the dish to the poor, and everything will be clean for you.' " (11:39-41)
His host is surprised that Jesus doesn't ritually wash his hands before eating, as if to keep defilement from entering his body. Jesus retorts that their practice of cleansing the outside of a cup and dish is just as external. Apparently the cleanliness of the outside of the pottery was distinguished from, and considered more important for ritual purposes than, the inside.[5]
Jesus uses cups and dishes as an analogy regarding the Pharisees' character. They are very concerned with outward purity and observance, but their hearts are full of greed and wickedness. The word translated "wickedness" is Greek poneria, "wickedness, baseness, maliciousness, sinfulness."[6] The word translated "greed" is Greek harpage, "robbery, plunder, greediness." It is derived from the verb harpazo, "steal, carry off, drag away, take or snatch away."[7] In another context, Jesus is even more specific about the Pharisees: "They devour widows' houses" (Mark 12:40). He is talking about tricking widows, some of the most vulnerable people in their society, out of the homes they had dwelt in with while their husbands were living. This is certainly wickedness motivated by greed.
At the root of greed and covetousness is a focus on self, selfishness. In our day it has been well-depicted in the Disney rendition of "The Hunchback of Notre Dame." The chief villain is Judge Frollo. On the outside he looks -- and sees himself as -- righteous and pious. But, in fact, his past masks a dark sin, and then years of control to cover it up and lest the real truth be known.
I am sure that all Pharisees are not wicked and selfish. I am sure that some are sincere, godly people. But Jesus is characterizing the whole movement to expose its essential flaws. The Pharisees' understanding of religion is essentially selfish, too -- performing every requirement of the law in order to justify themselves before God and receive salvation. Good works are performed not for the sake of others necessarily, but to ensure one's own salvation. What looks pious to outsiders can easily mask intense selfishness and self-centeredness. A person who is motivated by greed, an inner longing for greater wealth, more "things," has a serious problem. If greed is a root sin, then everything gets twisted to meet the person's desire. People become a means to an end, not important in themselves, but only in what they can do for the greedy person.
Jesus calls the Pharisees, "Foolish people!" Greek aphron, "foolish, ignorant."[8] This is a different word than the one Jesus instructed his disciples not to use in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:22). That word was moros, "foolish, stupid,"[9] and seems to deal more with character than to the degree of knowledge a person possesses.
Jesus calls on the Pharisees to see the obvious -- that cleaning must include the outside AND the inside. As teenagers today, say, "Duh." Real cleaning must involve the whole vessel, not just the part that is obvious to observers. God made both, the outer person and the inner person. Both need cleansing.
What he said next was a powerful criticism of the Pharisees as a whole.
Showing Mercy to the Poor (11:41)
"But give what is inside the dish to the poor, and everything will be clean for you." (11:41)
I am most familiar with the part of this conversation recorded in Matthew's Gospel which emphasizes cleansing the inside of the dish: "Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean" (Matthew 23:26). But in Luke, Jesus' statement talks about HOW to cleanse the inside. He turns the analogy of dishes that are dirty and clean to dishes that bear food that can be given to the poor: "But give what is inside the dish to the poor, and everything will be clean for you." (11:41)
The phrase "give ... to the poor" comes from two Greek words, didomi, the common word "to give," and eleemosune, " 'kind deed,' then specifically 'alms, charitable giving.' "[10] Jesus is saying, if you want to cleanse the inside of the dish (which is a metaphor for the inner man), then give food from inside that dish to those who are hungry -- a very powerful metaphor indeed. Jesus faults the Pharisees for their selfishness and greed (11:39), on the one hand, and their neglect of showing mercy (11:42b), on the other. Cleansing that kind of selfish heart only takes place through the cleansing action of giving unselfishly.
What is the message for us disciples? It is that love and mercy REQUIRE us to help the poor. Indeed helping the poor is one antidote for greed and selfishness.
Tithing Scrupulously (11:42a)
I've always thought that the practice of tithing is another important antidote for greed. Greed and fear are two main motivators that seem to drive Christians I know who do not tithe. But somehow, the Pharisees succeed in turning tithing itself into an isolated, selfish act.
Tithing is the practice of giving to God's work one tenth of one's net income. For a business, it is tithing on the profits after expenses are paid. For a wage earner it is tithing on the weekly or monthly paycheck. The tithe was what supported the priests' ministry to God in Jesus' day. You can see this spelled out much more fully in my article, "Does Your Church Run a Spiritual Sweatshop?" http://joyfulheart.com/church/sweatshop.htm Paul implies that what is owed to the priests under the Old Covenant is now transferred to Christian pastors, evangelists, and teachers.
"Don't you know that those who work in the temple get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar? In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel." (1 Corinthians 9:13-14)
But while tithing itself is good, it is not enough. Jesus lampoons the Pharisees' scrupulous tithing practices: "Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs" (11:42a). In Jesus' caricature (and perhaps in real life, who knows?), the Pharisees would go out into their herb gardens and pluck one leaf for the tithe for every nine leaves they used in their meals.
Some people seem to believe that tithing is not taught in the New Testament. But in this passage Jesus clearly advocates tithing. Though he pokes fun at the Pharisees' extreme care to tithe on everything, he affirms it in the second part of the verse: "... without leaving the former (i.e. tithing) undone."
Did Jesus tithe on the his income as a carpenter? Surely he did. Did the disciples tithe on their catch as fishermen? I would hope so. Jesus gives absolutely no grounds in this verse to let the Pharisees or anyone off the hook about tithing to support the ministry.[11]
If you were a disciple listening to this rather pointed dinner conversation, would you conclude that tithing is optional for Jesus' followers, or that tithing is expected? What is the lesson for your and me?
Neglecting Justice and Mercy (11:42b)
"But you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone." (11:42b)
Justice and the love of God are foundational. The Prophet Micah said,
He has showed you, O man, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God." (Micah 6:8)
Again and again Israel's prophets called the nation to account for injustice to the poor and a lack of mercy. The Prophet Amos was a spokesman for God who ties together giving and justice:
Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings,
I will not accept them.
Though you bring choice fellowship offerings,
I will have no regard for them.
Away with the noise of your songs!
I will not listen to the music of your harps.
But let justice roll on like a river,
righteousness like a never-failing stream!
(Amos 5:22-24)
Isaiah, to, spoke of God's anger at acts of piety amidst a disregard for the poor:
"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?
Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter --
when you see the naked, to clothe him,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? (Isaiah 58:6-7)
Now the Pharisees hear the same message, this time from God's own Son.
The phrase "the love of God" is somewhat ambiguous. It can mean "love for God" or "the kind of love demanded by God."[12] But in one sense both meanings merge together.
Dear Christian friends, do you or your church neglect justice and mercy toward the poor? Jesus calls us to a mindset of mercy.
Loving Acclaim (11:43)
"Woe to you Pharisees, because you love the most important seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces." (11:43)
Jesus also accuses the Pharisees of seeking public honor. I've seen the same kind of jostling for position present in Christian churches. A desire to sit in the seat of honor, perhaps on the platform where you can be seen by everyone. Perhaps just a desire to be noticed and greeted as an important person. As I look into my own heart I have had those motives, and still fight them. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches us, "Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven." (Matthew 6:1) Self-seeking and self-aggrandizement is one form of pride that is difficult to see clearly in oneself but easy to see in others.
Unmarked Graves Defiling Others (11:44)
"Woe to you, because you are like unmarked graves, which men walk over without knowing it." (11:44)
Jesus parting shot at the Pharisees is intense. Jews concerned with ritual purity avoided touching corpses that might defile them and require them to purify themselves again.
"Anyone out in the open who touches someone who has been killed with a sword or someone who has died a natural death, or anyone who touches a human bone or a grave, will be unclean for seven days." (Numbers 19:16)
For Jesus to call the Pharisees unmarked graves means that they defile people with their teachings and practices who are unaware of their defilement -- a VERY strong condemnation.
Modern-Day Pharisees
We face Jesus' sharp rebuke today, too, when we:
- Are more concerned with how we look to other people than how we look to God,
- Fail to show mercy to the poor,
- Fail to tithe,
- Fail to do justice,
- Have hearts motivated by greed, or
- Seek positions where we will be acclaimed.
This is not just an historical lesson in the errors of First Century Judaism. It is a cogent commentary on the dangers that pious professors are subject to in the Twenty-First Century. Lord, help us!
Father, we do ask for your help. Many of us in this study have a lot in common with the Pharisees -- their desire to obey you as well as some of their sins. I can see myself in some of Jesus' word portraits. Forgive me and cleanse me. Change my motivational system so that it is based on love for you and others, rather than love for only my own welfare. Create in me an unselfish heart. I pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
Key Verse
"You Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness." (Luke 11:39)
All 120 lessons now compiled as a 808-page e-book and paperback. Get your copy for easy reference
- Why do you think Jesus and his disciples didn't follow the Pharisees' practice of ritual washing before meals? (11:38; see also Mark 7:14-23)
- What modern-day examples can you think of that illustrate cleansing the outside of the vessel but leaving the inside unwashed? (11:39-40)
- How could giving food to the poor bring about spiritual cleansing, as implied by 11:41.
- Did Jesus fault the Pharisees on their scrupulous tithing or compliment them? Where did he find fault with them? (11:42)
- What is wrong with seeking to be seen and approved of by others? (11:43) What in us might tempt us to seek acclaim?
- Did Jesus go out of his way to insult the Pharisees with 11:44? What purpose did his comment serve, if any?
- In what ways do you see Pharisaical attitudes in yourself. What are you doing to counter them?
Common Abbreviations http://jesuswalk.com/faq/abbreviations.htm
- Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, 13.10.6. http://bible.crosswalk.com/History/BC/FlaviusJosephus/?book=Ant_13&chapter=10
- Stephen Westerholm, "Clean and Unclean," DJG, p. 129.
- Westerholm, p. 130.
- Shorter Lexicon, p. 26.
- Shorter Lexicon, p. 31.
- Shorter Lexicon, p. 131.
- For those of you who teach, consider my article on "Tithing Demonstration Sunday." http://joyfulheart.com/church/tith-dem.htm
- Marshall, Luke, p. 498.
Copyright © 2019, Ralph F. Wilson. <pastorjoyfulheart.com> All rights reserved. A single copy of this article is free. Do not put this on a website. See legal, copyright, and reprint information.
In-depth Bible study books
You can purchase one of Dr. Wilson's complete Bible studies in PDF, Kindle, or paperback format.
- Disciple's Guide to the Holy Spirit
- 1, 2, and 3 John
- 1 Peter
- 2 Peter & Jude
- 1 & 2 Thessalonians
- 1 & 2 Timothy
- 1 Corinthians
- 2 Corinthians
- Abraham, Faith of
- Christ Powered Life (Romans 5-8)
- Christmas Incarnation
- Colossians and Philemon
- Daniel
- David, Life of
- Ephesians
- Galatians
- Gideon
- Glorious Kingdom, The
- Great Prayers of the Bible
- Hebrews
- Isaiah
- Jacob, Life of
- James
- Jesus and the Kingdom of God
- JesusWalk: Beginning the Journey
- John's Gospel
- Joshua
- Lamb of God
- Listening for God's Voice
- Lord's Supper
- Luke's Gospel
- Moses the Reluctant Leader
- Names and Titles of God
- Names and Titles of Jesus
- Philippians
- Rebuild & Renew: Post-Exilic Books
- Resurrection and Easter Faith
- Sermon on the Mount
- Psalms
- Seven Last Words of Christ
- Revelation
My books are available in paperback and Kindle from Amazon.