text:
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
Romans 5:8 "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
Some use passages like these to assert that those who believe in limited atonement (or particular redemption) instead of universal atonement deny that God loves everyone. The argument goes that if God loves everyone, then it means that Jesus Christ died for everyone and that those texts "prove" it and accuse men of twisting scripture in order to claim otherwise.. Well C.S. Lewis and other believers of religious pluralism and universalism use 1 Timothy 4:10 –"For to this end we labour and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of them that believe " – and many other scriptures to justify it. Is it similarly twisting scripture to say that they are wrong also?
Of course not. Why? Because we know that 1 Timothy 4:10 is not the only thing that the Bible says about salvation. So, it is because that we put 1 Timothy 4:10 in the context of all the other things that the Bible says about how God saves – including John 14:6's "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me" – in order to deny that this text teaches that men above the age of accountability can be saved outside of personal faith in Jesus Christ.
Thus, the same is true of John 3:16. While that text is extremely popular, very well known and much beloved, that is no reason to make it the primary text on the issue of salvation through which all other texts must be judged, held subject to and viewed in light of. That is interpreting scripture according to human opinion and emotion – our tendency to grab hold upon and emphasize the things that please and comfort us while putting less emphasis on the things that disturb and challenge us – instead of letting scripture speak for itself.
It is all well and good to love John 3:16. But we cannot use John 3:16 to pretend that Proverb 16:4 "The LORD hath made all [things] for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil " isn't in the Bible, especially since Romans 9:13-23 clearly uses Proverb 16:4 in order to explain the nature and purpose of God's election as it applies to the Jews and the Gentiles? Now that is what requires the twisting of the Bible scriptures. Accepting those texts and putting them into the proper contexts is why the so-called 5 point Calvinists exist. The only alternative is to deny the meaning and application of those texts, which is what most theologians and other Bible students do … precisely what they accuse the believers of limited atonement of. Perhaps the best example of this is the common explanation of deniers of limited atonement that predestinate in Romans 8:29-30 doesn't mean, well, predestinate, or the many others who claim that it really means "foreknowledge." Similar explaining away is done with and who do the same with Ephesians 1:3-12 and also with the many "Calvinistic" texts that appear in the Gospel of John just as does John 3:16.
So, for example, using John 6:65's "And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father" and John 10:26-29's "But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any [man] pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave [them] me, is greater than all; and no [man] is able to pluck [them] out of my Father's hand." to interpret John 3:16 is not imposing an artificial human framework on the Bible. Instead, claiming that John 6:37 is based on God's foreknowledge – and doing so in the complete absence of textual evidence to support it and when so many texts like Romans 9:13-23 contradict it – is when the denying the plain meaning of scripture from its literal, contextual interpretation is being done.
Does this mean that God does not love the world — all people and not just the elect — with an unconditional love? That begs the question of whether unconditional love as our modern humanistic Enlightenment-driven society defines it is a Biblical concept to begin with. If it were, then that would necessarily mean universalism. You may ask whether "world" really mean world or does it mean only the elect and whether world can be both, meaning all people in general, but only or especially the elect in particular?
Many do precisely those types of interpretative gymnastics, but they are not necessary. The "world" of John 3:16 does mean the world. But understand this: God is perfectly capable of loving the world and saving only the elect. Again, making the case that God's loving everyone obligates Him to save everyone can only lead to universalism. The non-Calvinist viewpoint deals with this problem by saying that God TRIED to save everyone but failed. Now if you limit this "failure" to those who made a free will decision to reject Jesus Christ then that "solves" the failure issue after a fashion. The problem is that "God tried to save everyone but His efforts were thwarted by the free will that He gave us to accept or reject Him" theology simply cannot be a sufficient answer for the fact that the overwhelming supermajority of humanity has never heard the name Jesus Christ, and moreover before His advent had never encountered Judaism or the pre-Judaic Yahwism.
Truthfully, the pluralism of types like C.S. Lewis and the Roman Catholics (purgatory) and contemporary religious moderates do a much better job of explaining this problem, which is so real and vast that it has been a source of great heartache for missionaries like Hudson Taylor, who knew that he could not possibly reach every person in the vastness of China with the gospel of Jesus Christ and fell victim to the slough of despond and the giant despair (see Pilgrim's Progress) as a result. God rescued him from that fate with the instructions for Taylor to be satisfied with going to the people that that God sent Taylor to. (And incidentally Taylor was not a Calvinist).
And here is the real irony for those who reject the Biblical doctrine of limited atonement. Even if you do not believe in limited atonement, the requirement of faith in Jesus Christ for salvation serves as a practical limitation anyway. Again, the only way to avoid that practical limitation is to be a universalist or pluralist. How "general" is the atonement to the person who lives his entire life as a sincere, upstanding, devoted, honest moral adherent to the Hindu religion because he spent his entire life in India in the 1500s and Hinduism is all he ever knew? The only relevance of general atonement to that person is that even though that person had absolutely no possibility of ever being saved, Jesus Christ still died for him so that "proves" that God loved him. Christ's death on the cross made this person's salvation hypothetically, theoretically possible in the spiritual realm even though it was still impossible in the natural one. Which means that the true purpose of general atonement that it provides a comfortable, reassuring view of God to the people who hold it. The doctrine is of no use to the sinner whatsoever. Whether you hear the gospel and do not respond with faith and repentance or never hear the gospel at all, from the sinner's perspective the extent of the atonement doesn't matter because the fate of the sinner is still the same. The issue is all about whether serving a God who limits the atonement or serving a God who doesn't IN THEORY but does IN PRACTICE "feels better."
Still can't look at John 3:16 and "see" limited atonement? Well, you may not see religious pluralism in 1 Timothy 4:10 either. But that is what C. S. Lewis saw when he looked at it … justification for the religious pluralism doctrines taught by the Roman Catholic Church – and Lewis fellowshipped with a lot of Catholics, including his friend J.R.R. Tolkien – and embraced by virtually all moderate (meaning neither evangelical or liberal) Christians and an increasing number of evangelicals like Rob Bell. So often we see what we want to see instead of what the Bible says, and that has to change.
Does limited atonement mean that God takes pleasure in the destruction of the wicked? Ezekiel 18:23 would tend to say otherwise with "Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: [and] not that he should return from his ways, and live?." But just as we being in the image of God often have to do things that give us no pleasure but are necessary, God's justice requires that His wrath must be poured out on the wicked. The key to remember that merely because destroying the wicked does not give God pleasure does not require God to act in order to avoid displeasure. Claiming that it does is judging God by arbitrary standards created by our own emotionalism; our refusal to accept things that appear to us to be unjust. But why do they appear to be unjust to us? Because we feel that God owes us something. The truth of what the Bible says, which is that we are the sheep of His pasture (Psalm 100:3) to do with as He pleases is denied because of our unwilling to countenance the idea that God is the measure of all things and not man; that the universe is God-centered and not man-centered.
It is curious: no Bible-based Christian (as opposed to the idolatrous animal rights activist) takes offense at the notion that man, a mere creature made in God's image, has the right to breed sheep for the purpose of eating them even while they are juveniles (lamb chops, leg of lamb, rack of lamb etc.) Yet we are offended at the idea that God, who is worth more than the entirety of creation (meaning that the distance between man's worth and a lamb's worth is much smaller than the distance between man's worth and God's worth) has the right to do with us as He pleases or else be judged as unloving and unrighteous, so we stumble at Yes, the Bible does not say that God takes pleasure in the destruction of the wicked, but texts like "The LORD hath made all [things] for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil" and "Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?" as a result.To do this we must make God out to be worth less than He is or we make ourselves out to be worth more than we are at God's expense. Either way it is man-centered heresy.
So if you are struggling with the question "how can I say that God loves you without knowing whether you are elect or not", I emphasize again that this goes back to the fundamental question of whether God can love someone without electing them to salvation. This answer – yes – is most clearly given in Matthew 5:45 … "That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." Also, an excellent teaching on this topic can be found here: http://www.gty.org/resources/articles/a294/the-love-of-god-and-the-nonelect
This brings about the inevitable question: how will this affect my evangelism? Well you can certainly everyone that God loves them, and use this truth clearly taught in the Bible as the basis for your evangelism. The Bible does not say to use the fact that God did not elect everyone to hinder evangelism, because quite the contrary God said that many are called (in that they hear the gospel … note that it does not say that ALL are called because all do not hear the gospel) but few are chosen (meaning that of those who hear the gospel, few will be saved). And this truth was illustrated by several of Christ's parables, such as the parable of the sower of Matthew 13:1-23 and the wedding parable of Matthew 22:1-14.
So John 3:16 does not have to be abandoned by the Christian who believes in limited atonement. It means that when sharing the gospel we can tell sinners that everyone who believes – whosoever believeth – will be saved.The key is to stop right there and not add anything to it. Don't say "Jesus Christ died for all of you so that means all of you can be saved if all of you believe." Why not? Because the Bible doesn't say so. General atonement is nowhere in the Bible. If it were, I would believe it and so would you. So whether in mixed company, hostile company (all unbelievers like Paul at Mars Hill) or all believers like Jesus Christ at His high priestly prayer or the disciples in the upper room awaiting Pentecost, limiting yourself to what the Bible actually says is all that is necessary, sufficient and justifiable.
So evangelist, just say "Christ died so that all who believe will be saved" and you will be true to the Bible. And that is the true meaning of the John 3:16. Before it was written, there was no promise, assurance or guarantee that everyone who believed would be saved. Now we contemporary Christians presuppose that and take it for granted because we have always known it. But keep in mind that the apostle John was originally writing that gospel not to people with 2000 years of Christian tradition behind them like us. Rather, the first audience who received his gospel was made up of pagans with a very different view of salvation than we have, and also to Jews who believed in justification by the works of the law in addition to faith.
So for both the Gentile pagans and even the Jews, it was very possible to believe in God (or the gods for polytheistic pagans) and still not be saved. For the Jew, one could believe and still be condemned if you did not keep the law. As for the pagans, their gods were arbitrary, unpredictable, conferring – and withdrawing – their favor on whims. So the true purpose of John 3:16 is not to talk about the extent of the atonement, but to teach the doctrine of justification by faith alone, sola fide, to the Jews first and then the pagan Gentiles.
This is evident if you stop taking John 3:16 in isolation and instead look at the entire chapter of John 3. This chapter begins with the rabbi going to Jesus Christ to seek instruction on spiritual things because He recognized that as God was obviously with Christ due to Christ's miracles, Christ would know such things to teach. Christ in response taught the rabbi about the need for, meaning and nature of regeneration, being born again. The context of Christ's discussion with the rabbi was never who could be saved, but how people are saved.
John 3:3 – by being born again. John 3:5-8 – by a work of the Holy Spirit, not of man. John 3:11-17 – Christ stating that it is by and through Him that this salvation will be achieved because of His divine sonship. And John 3:18-21 – the fate of those who do not believe, with 3:18 being the inverse of 3:16. In that context, the true context and meaning – it is crystal clear that the text never intends to claim that God gave Christ so that all can theoretically be saved! Instead, it states that God gave Christ so that all who believed would be saved, and that all who did not believe would not be saved! This fact that we today take for granted today was in complete opposition to the religious mindset of Jews and pagans of the time and place of John's gospel. It was a truly radical, revolutionary groundbreaking idea that was foolishness to the Gentiles and an offense to the Jews.
So as this is all the scripture ever meant and was intended for, why claim that it says or was intended to proclaim more? Anything more is adding to scripture, which should not be done, chiefly because it is a sin, but also because there is no reason to. The sinner needs no more information than that, and the only reason to add more information than that is for the benefit of the evangelist sharing the message. It reassures the evangelist and makes his job superficially (by that I mean according to the flesh) easier, but the Bible makes it clear that our jobs in service to the God of the Bible are not going to be easy or flesh-driven to begin with.
John 3:16 is 100% true and very powerful. But the Christian should not and cannot impose meanings on it that do not exist because it makes us feel better. We Christians should cast aside such works of the flesh and acknowledge to ourselves that the Bible says what it means. God gives the evangelist the responsibility to share the gospel with all. God gives the sinner the responsibility to respond to the gospel with repentance. But the only ones who will be saved are those that God supplies with faith. Everyone who receives faith from God will be saved. No one who does not receive faith from God will be. It is this way because with our salvation as with everything else, God alone shall be glorified. That is the point of John 3:16, the point of the entire canon of scripture, and the point of all of creation in the first place. And when viewed next to the glory of the omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent perfect God, such notions that God only wants to be worshiped by those who choose to do so out of their free will – as if it is illegitimate for God to compel the sheep of His pasture to worship Him, and to train and condition us into doing so by conforming us into the image of His Son and providing His Spirit to live in us – must be rejected for the plain betrayals of the Bible and the picture of God that is revealed to us through His creation that they are.
For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. Colossians 1:16
For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. Romans 11:36
"I will say to the north, Give up, and to the south, Do not withhold; bring my sons from afar
and my daughters from the end of the earth, everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made." Isaiah 43:6-7
If you are saved, walk in this truth. If you are unsaved, you are without excuse. Repent and believe the gospel of Jesus Christ today.
Follow The Three Step Salvation Plan


text:
Evaluating the 'enoughs' in our lives
Regular readers know that I try to write about things about which we all have a mutual interest. Recently I have been writing about the wonderful state of Texas and her majestic beauties. I love this place and have called it home now for over a decade.
Today's column is more serious to me, and hopefully, to you as well. I have had occasion to deal with three situations in the last few days that made me stop and think about what is truly enough. That word is loaded with more meaning than I ever knew possible. What is enough to you? Rightfully, you should ask, "What is the area or the scope of the subject?" And yes, I've been thinking about a lot of "enoughs" in my own life.
For clarity's sake, enough is defined generally as " adequate for the want or need; sufficient for the purpose or to satisfy desire, as in 'enough water to drink'; 'noise enough to wake the dead.'"
I remember that Jesus asked one of my favorite Bible characters, the apostle Peter, "Do you love me enough?" Peter, of course, in his haste and often too-quick responses, said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you." He proved later that he did love the Lord, but not enough to control his temper or his actions toward others. Later in the apostle's life, he did surrender and give his life to proving that he did love the Lord enough to do His will, and he reached many with the gospel message. I see many of my friends in the actions of Peter, and to be totally honest, I often see his reactions in my life. Someone says something we don't like about a friend or relative, and we take up the offense and jump right into the fray, often saying things we do not mean or really feel in our hearts. We react before we have had time to think, causing more harm and damage, even though our hearts and motives were perhaps right in the beginning.I see young parents struggling with having the time and the energy to give their children "enough" to help train them in the way they should go. It is easier to allow someone else – or something else – to do the babysitting and instructing, and we all hope that somehow it works out for their good and the well being of those around them. I see couples and know some very well that are not giving "enough" to each other. Both often work to keep the family in the house they have chosen, food on the table, and educations progressing. Time is a valuable commodity and by the time all of the necessary chores are done, bills paid and food cooked, there is nothing left to give to anyone.
I have been praying for a young lady whom I love very much who is in a relationship that has often troubled me. She loves the fine young man and I believe he loves her, but he is a very busy man, intrigued with making money, closing deals and making his mark on the world. He's handsome, aggressive in business, often travels, and is a good person, but my heart begs the question, "Will he ever be able to give her 'enough'?" Being married to a man or a woman who cannot or will not give "enough" is a tough ride to take. It is often hurtful to be ignored, set aside, put in second place, and yet, try to go on with life as if all is well.
I wonder if those caught in situations like these even know that they are not giving or are not capable of giving "enough?" Do they care? Or, is it really the lack of time and energy? I want to be remembered for being a caring person, a good friend, and one who has honestly tried to give "enough" to all those around me. Each of us must probe our own hearts and declare what the "enoughs" are in our lives. I cannot dictate yours and you cannot dictate mine, but somehow in the depths of our heart, we know what they are. I don't want to be remembered for spending the most money, being first in everything, taking the fanciest trip, drinking the most beer, or winning the most hands.
If this column does nothing else this week, will you at least take the time to consider the "enoughs" in your own life and see if you are lacking in any that really matter? I've been doing this well before I sat down to write these words and I found several areas in which I want to improve — while I still have the time and energy.
Brenda Cannon Henley can be reached at (409) 781-8788 or at brendacannonhenley [at] yahoo [dot] com.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
For these readers, the holidays just aren't the same without a special family dish.
"When my husband and I bought our first house, we became fast friends with our neighbors. Each year I would make Snowflake Pudding, a recipe that has been in my family since I was a kid, and take it over to their house on Christmas Eve. About 10 years ago, we moved away, but every year we make a special delivery of the pudding and visit with our friends — sometimes it's the only time we see them all year!"
— Nancy Vance, Fenton, Michigan
Prep time: 1 hour
Chilling time: 4 hours
You Will Need
1 cup sugar
1 envelope (1 tablespoon) unflavored gelatin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/3 cups flaked coconut
2 cups whipping cream, whipped
Crimson Raspberry Sauce
1 package (10 ounces) frozen red raspberries
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 cup currant jelly
What to Do
1. In medium saucepan, thoroughly mix sugar, gelatin, and salt; add milk. Stir over medium heat until gelatin and sugar are dissolved. Chill until partially set.
2. Add vanilla. Fold in coconut, then whipped cream. Rinse 1 1/2-quart mold in cold water, pile in pudding, and chill until firm, at least 4 hours.
3. Unmold. Serve with Crimson Raspberry Sauce.
To make sauce:
Thaw and crush raspberries. Combine with cornstarch in medium saucepan. Add currant jelly. Bring to boiling. Cook over medium heat and stir constantly until clear and slightly thick. Strain and cool.
Serves: 8.


text:
Your browser does not support iframes.
Members of Pleasant Ridge Presbyterian Church, 912 Clinton Ave., will celebrate one of their own Thursday, Aug. 15, through Saturday, Aug. 17, with a music workshop.
The event will honor church elder Dolores C. Hudson.
Hudson, a longtime member of Pleasant Ridge, has been involved with the music program at the church for nearly 70 years.
There's a time and a place for a cake mix. When you're in a pinch, a boxed mix gets dessert on the table fast, and allows you to check one more thing off your list.
But beyond cake, use these convenient mixes for cookies too. Home cook Sherry Symmonds includes cream cheese for flavor and to keep her cake mix cookies moist. She also suggests getting imaginative with mixes and add-ins – any favorite combination will do.
Most people would probably admit to daydreaming about a great adventure, perhaps one that takes off into the wild blue yonder with no set travel rules, only a destination to be reached.
On July 19, two Lancaster natives set out on just such an adventure, backpacking down the southeast coast and across the deep south to Phoenix, Ariz.
Televised images of roaring infernos devastating forests and destroying entire communities in western states have been unsettling.
Having experienced frightening grass fires at Cedarleaf, I cannot imagine the terror of landowners facing the recent mega-fires.
Because superfires are becoming more common, the American Forest Foundation just devoted a large section of its new magazine, "Woodland," to this topic.
From release
Danielle Amanda Miller, a 2013 Lancaster High School graduate, is a foster child.
Each year, a ceremony for all graduating foster children in South Carolina is held in Columbia. This 2013 event was June 14 at the Columbia Conference Center.
Part of the program includes an essay contest for the "My Guiding Light Award."
Sherry Archie
For The Lancaster News
Two and a half years ago when Debbie and Wayne Dickson married, they began finding ways to blend the belongings each had accumulated over the years. Both having been married previously and lost their spouses after many years of marriage, they each had a house filled with furniture as well as yards full of plants that had special meanings. Debbie's house was in Chesterfield and Wayne's home was in Lancaster.
While walking to the mailbox one sunny morning, I saw odd-looking spheres hanging from one of the young white oaks.
About the size of golf balls, they were white with a few brown spots and fuzzy.
Several days later I saw more on another tree. Having no idea what they were, I made a note to ask our S.C. Forestry Commission Project Forester Roy Boyd to take a look on his upcoming visit.
The Rev. Harriss Ricks, pastor at Douglas Presbyterian Church, is a good friend of mine – and everyone else, for that matter. He has a very nice family home just off Lousiana Street in Montreat, N.C. He invited all of his friends and church members to go up to Montreat for a day on June 11.
While driving along a busy street in a nearby city, I noticed ornamental trees in the median standing in what are called mulch volcanoes.
Shredded mulch had been piled in circles almost a foot deep at the edges and nearly two feet high against the trunks.
It never ceases to amaze me that people (in this case, taxpayers) actually spend money to have this kind of landscaping done because it is a major no-no for tree care.
Calling all churches and nonprofit community organizations – you are invited to participate in the first Lancaster Community Gospel-Fest, a two-day festival set to take place Aug. 9 and 10 at the Hope on the Hill facilities, located at 610 Old Barr St. in Lancaster.
The Gospel-Fest Event promotion manager and founder, Ollie Alexander, has organized several expos and events in the past.
The focus of this festival is unity and the strengthening of local families and the community as a whole, she said.
Psychologists have long delved into people's memories trying to identify early events that influenced later behavior or choices.
I clearly remember attending a birthday party when I was four years old.
Several games were played and when I won one, the prize was a very small pocket-sized book about trees. All of the pictures were in full color and I spent hours turning the pages, amazed to see flowering trees.
My favorite was one with big white flowers that I now realize was a Southern Magnolia.
Bertha Harris of Catawba will turn 100 years old on Saturday, June 29. On her birthday, devoted family members and loving friends and neighbors from her church community will gather for a day of celebration in her honor from 10 a.m. to noon at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1989 Reservation Road, Rock Hill. The public is invited to attend the gathering.
Michele Roberts
For The Lancaster News
Carolina Christian Academy celebrated the graduation of 19 kindergarten students in a ceremony held on Tuesday, May 28.
The students were taught by K-5 teacher Cassy Pittman, who said she couldn't be prouder of the tiny graduates.
A recent email from an old friend reminded me of a trip I took in the summer of 1991. It was a pilgrimage to see the oldest trees on Earth.
That journey required flying across the continent and then traveling winding, steep, scary roads high into the White Mountains of California's Eastern Sierras. Finally reaching the part of Inyo National Forest known as the Ancient Bristlecone Forest was like arriving on a moonscape.
As a part of Lancaster County for more than 60 years, the Lancaster Soil and Water Conservation District wants to remind the community that everyone has a connection to natural resources. The National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) celebrated the 58th year of Stewardship Week April 28-May 5. The 2013 Stewardship Week was themed "Where Does Your Water Shed?"
Nancy Parsons
Landmark News Service
GREAT FALLS – Two years ago, a piece of history was uncovered in Great Falls.
"Stoney Lonesome," the old town jail, was unearthed. But now the brick building sits abandoned with weeds and bushes growing up around it.
Great Falls Mayor Don Camp says he has not abandoned the historical project. He said the weather has prevented plans to spruce up the area and make the piece of history a place people would want to visit.
From simple wooden boxes to complex systems made for an entire flock of birds, birdhouses come in all shapes and sizes.
However, one Lancaster resident has turned them into works of art.
John R. "Cornbread" Collins Jr., 75, started building regular birdhouses back in 2004, after retiring as a truck driver in 2001.
Collins said he sold about 1,200 of the birdhouses in one year, mainly on eBay, but also out of the back of his truck.
David Poston, who lives in Rock Hill, saw the birdhouses and ordered 150 of them, Collins said.
For Jimmy Fox, school bus driving was a mission field.
A retired Baptist minister, Fox has stepped down as a bus driver for Indian Land schools, where for a decade he greeted each child by name, sent them birthday and Christmas cards and encouraged them to do their best.
"I love relating to the students more than driving the bus," said Fox, 73, a Van Wyck native. "If kids were having trouble with a lesson, I would help them with it. I tried to teach them politeness, manners and how to treat others."
Every year since 1963, May has been the month to appreciate and celebrate the vitality and aspirations of older adults and their contributions and achievements.
It is a proud tradition that shows our nation's commitment to honor the value that elders continue to contribute to our communities.
This year, the theme of Older Americans Month is "Unleash the Power of Age!," which emphasizes the important role of older adults. This May, communities across the nation will recognize older Americans as productive, active and influential members of society.
The belief that regular exercise can help prolong life and contribute to overall wellness is widely accepted among all age groups.
Lancaster resident Joyce Deese has been putting that theory to the test as an exercise instructor for the past 25 years. Now at the age of 67, Deese is still going strong.
"Exercise is a commitment to your body, a way of life," Deese said. "It's something you have to be serious about or you won't see any results.
What you eat matters; it's not just about dieting.
Copyright © 2019
The Lancaster News is your source for local news, sports, events, and information in Lancaster County and Lancaster, South Carolina, and the surrounding area..


text:
Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated areas in the world. Although 49% of the city's residents live in public or subsidized housing, the city's rents average 35% higher than in New York City. The Chinese city's government has enacted new taxes on investment in real estate to try to slow the rise in home prices, which now stand at nearly $1,300 a square foot.
According to the Society for Community Organization, 100,000 of the city's laborers live in subdivided apartment units averaging 40 square feet. The Hong Kong-based advocacy organization commissioned and released these photographs, depicting the living conditions inside these apartments. The cameras had to be mounted from the ceilings — the only point able to capture the entire unit.


text:
Weekend in Istanbul (Part II)
Earlier, I shared Part I of our weekend in Istanbul: Where we stayed, What we visited & What we ate.
Here's more about that trip.
Where We Shopped
I wanted to buy something not available in Dubai, and I was set on Cukurcuma, the antique district in Beyoglu. Unfortunately, we had trouble finding the area. (Later, I discovered we were so close but had missed it!) The next day was Sunday and many shops were closed, and some streets were closed due to the Istanbul City Marathon. Alas, antique-shopping was not meant to be.
We settled on the Grand Bazaar, a famous and colorful souk, a sprawling labyrinth of over 4,000 shops. Here we found the usual Middle Eastern handicrafts, carpets and kilims, pottery, jewelry, leather and more. There were even some antiques, but none called out to me.
I've been to other souks in Arab cities, and the Grand Bazaar reminded me most of the Muslim Quarter in the Old City of Jerusalem. However, the Grand Bazaar felt much bigger—downright overwhelming. It seemed to go on forever. I was buying things left and right because I was afraid I would never find that shop again. We entered at one gate, wandered, shopped and browsed for several hours, then left from another gate, exhausted and unsure of where we were.
This bazaar was the one place that felt Middle Eastern to me. The bargaining was intense. We had to go back and forth, back and forth, just to agree on the right price for one teapot. Here are a few things we saw in the Grand Bazaar. Lots of pottery.
Whirling dervishes.
And pomegranates, too.
There were many beautiful things that I didn't take photos of. Actually, I didn't linger at any shop unless I planned to buy something because the shopkeepers were quite aggressive.
Where We Went
We also went to Istiklal Caddesi, a bustling pedestrian boulevard in Beyoglu, and near our hotel. We went twice; both times it was raining. Still, it was the weekend, and the promenade was filled with locals strolling under umbrellas.
This promenade was in sharp contrast to the bazaar. We found modern restaurants, boutiques, cafes and businesses like Starbucks, Nike and The Gap. This was the place to see the young people, who struck me as stylish and hip, and above all, European.
And the architecture was European, too. So quaint compared to Dubai. Here was one of many cute buildings.
The avenue had a streetcar running from one end to the other.
I noticed that shops were grouped according to type–jewelry shops, music stores, lighting boutiques, etc. There were lots of charming side streets. Off one of them was the antique area that we never found.
As always, we gravitated to Starbucks. I like to visit Starbucks in various countries. For me, it's not globalization, but a little piece of home. As we sat by the window, keeping warm and watching people enter and shake raindrops off their umbrellas, I almost felt like I was in Seattle.
Meanwhile, I saw so few women wearing hijab, I was thinking that one sees more women in headscarf in Seattle than in this part of Istanbul.
Below are some of the more Turkish sights of Istiklal Street.
Coming up next: Part III: What we saw, What we bought, What surprised me & What I thought
Question: What is your favorite area of Istanbul?


text:
Join John Adams, world renowned Intl Matchmaker, Monday nights 8:30 EST for Live Webcasts!
And check out Five Reasons why you should attend a FREE AFA Seminar! See locations and dates here.
View Active Topics View Your Posts Latest 100 Topics FAQ Topics Mobile Friendly Theme
Trip Reports, Travel Experiences, Expat Stories
Post your trip reports, travel experiences, and updates abroad. Or your expat story if you already live overseas. Note: To post photos and images, insert the image URL between the tags [img]and[/img] after uploading them to a third party site.
New Topic
21 topics • Page 1 of 1
New Topic
21 topics • Page 1 of 1
Forum permissions
You cannot post new topics in this forum


text:
VIEWS from my penthouse downtown.
The month of March has been absolutely amazing! Are you guys loving the sunshine as much as I am? I just realize that I've been completely distance from the world lately and slacking on my blogging! I swear I'm not trying to avoid you guys, I just been really really really busy! I decided to spend the whole day dedicated to uploading pictures on what's been happening in my life!
Before we can create something in our worlds, we need to craft it in our heads. As Vincent Van Gogh write about his masterpieces, "The thing has already taken form in my mind before I start on it." It's true for paintings, and it's true for our lives as well. If we see it, there's a good chance we can figure how to do it.
This week at the Studio… my model Lily Le called me up for a special event.
My Job: Create a flawless rockstar look and cover up the mark on her chin.
Before & After
For great flawless coverage I always turn to MAKE UP FOR EVER HD Products. They're the best for hiding any unwanted problem areas.
I started with MAKE UP FOR EVER HD Elixir - An innovative serum that instantly hydrates and adds radiance to the skin.
Prepped the the face with HD Microperfecting Primer and applied Invisible Cover Foundation #125 Sand – for light skin with beige undertone.
I also used MAC Pro Longwear Concealer
I filled in Lily's eyebrows with MAC Eyebrow Pencil Spiked
I added M.O.D.E.L 21 False Eyelashes for a bigger Doll Eye's appearance.
For the Lips: I used MAC Naked Liner and layered MAC Myth Lipstick with MAC Sheen Supreme Lipstick Behave Yourself for light pink color.
Quickly added some wavy soft curls with a 1.5″ curling iron and this completes the look.
When I'm at work my daughter Naomi gets babysat over at her grandma's and
Look what my mom made for fun.. a Pink Toddler & Tiara's Ball Gown Dress
Her little pecks won't even hold up the dress
As if my princess isn't spoiled enough..
Her Daddy just gave her an iPhone so she can take pictures … What has the world come to…
Naomi's crazy about Candy Crush so please send her some lives! She's only on Level 35
Here's my baby suppose to be napping… Instead she's making Siri spell out gibberish on her Notes.
On my Day-Off's I love taking her to go play. Here's some pictures from OMSI with Daddy
Naomi's first time petting a snake because it's YEAR OF THE SNAKE
Life's a Beach! She loves digging in the sand and making new friends.
I can watch my daughter play for hours! It's wonderful seeing how fast she's growing up and how well she interact with other kids.
LUNCH BREAK! Here's Daddy & Naomi at Theory a new eatery at OMSI
At the end of the day I'm so thankful to have my little family.
We're not perfect, but we're happy and that's more than I can ask for.
The HIGHLIGHT of my week is… having my Kassab Jewelery Designer Manila personally deliver my diamonds to the studio!
Thank you so much girl for my Versace Earrings and for all the things you do!
Say Hello to my NEW TACORI Rose Amethyst 18K White Gold Cocktail Ring.
Sometimes I pinch myself to see if my Life is a really REAL… because I honestly don't want to wake up from my Dream.
I love all the wonderful people that makes my world positive and I appreciate all the support from my friends and family helping me build my career as a Makeup Artist. My only addiction I have is accomplishments and to always self educate myself. This is my year to shine and I'm not going to stop. I have too many people riding on this bet and I can't lose. Thank you for believing in me, I will not let you guys down and I will only go Harder.
Love Always,


text:
Former Caroline in the City star Lea Thompson is moving west to Las Vegas: The actress will guest-star on CSI during November sweeps, TVGuide.com has learned exclusively.
Thompson will play a smart, no-nonsense woman who knows her way around a CSI lab after working crime scenes in Detroit. She now works as a defense criminalist and will work very closely during her episode with Finlay (Elisabeth Shue).
Fall TV: Get scoop on your favorite returning shows
Besides playing the lead on Caroline in the City, Thompson is best known her role in the Back to the Future films. She's also appeared in such films as All the Right Moves, Howard the Duck, and Red Dawn. Thompson also currently co-stars on ABC Family's Switched at Birth.
CSI returns Wednesday, Sept. 25 at 10/9c on CBS.
(Full disclosure: TVGuide.com is owned by CBS.)


text:
Black Crowes Tickets
|Although we have run out of Black Crowes Tickets, we would like to invite you to view tickets in the following places
Black Crowes Tickets Prices
The average Black Crowes tickets will cost you $266 for the event being held on 19/07/2018 at High Noon Saloon, Madison. The minimum get in price is $191 at High Noon Saloon.
|Average Ticket Price
|Get In Price (Minimum Price)
|Tribute To Daft Punk, Black Crowes, No Doubt & Pearl Jam
Details of Black Crowes and the Ticket Luck value
The Black Crowes are a blues-oriented hard rock jam band that sold over 15 million albums and hailed by Melody Maker as The Most Rock 'n' Roll Rock 'n' Roll Band in the World. The band toured with acts such as Aerosmith, ZZ Top, Jimmy Page, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Oasis, AC/DC and Lenny Kravitz. The Crowes are listed at #92 on VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock.
The first incarnation of the band began as Mr. Crowes Garden in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1985. Although the Crowes had many members over the years, the driving force behind the band has always been the brothers Chris & Rich Robinson. In 1989, the rockers, who have been heavily influenced by Led Zeppelin, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Rolling Stones, The Faces, The Band, Little Feat, Humble Pie, Creedence Clearwater Revival and Southern rock, made a demo cassette tape that got them signed with American Recordings.According to interviews with Chris and Rich Robinson for an episode of the VH1 program Behind The Music, when The Black Crowes first signed to Def American, their record producer, Rick Rubin, tried to get them to change their name from the original Mr. Crowes Garden to The Kobb Kounty Krows (KKK). This upset the band tremendously and after arguments and labeling him a racist; the band changed the name to The Black Crowes. Before they became national, the band played frequently at The White Dot, a club located on Ponce de Leon Avenue.
The Crowes released their first studio album, Shake Your Money Maker, in 1990. On the strength of singles Hard to Handle, She Talks to Angels, Jealous Again, Twice as Hard, Sister Luck and Seeing Things, the debut sold over 5 million copies and was certified 5x platinum in 1995. The crossover appeal of the songs helped catapult The Black Crowes to stardom. In 1991, The Black Crowes helped momentum of their sales by opening for ZZ Top in addition to taking part in the Monsters of Rock tour, with AC/DC, Metallica, Motley Crue and Queensryche. In 2000 the Crowes went on tour and recorded the album Live at the Greek with Led Zeppelin.
In 2001, the band put out their sixth studio effort, Lions, now on the V2 record label as dismal sales of their 5th album, By Your Side resulted in the band being dropped from Columbia. A live album pieced together from two sold-out shows performed at Boston's Orpheum Theatre appeared in 2002 around the same time the Crowes announced they took an indefinite hiatus. Some members of the band did reunite to play one song with Gov't Mule at the 2004 Jammy Awards. During this period, Chris Robinson released two albums as Chris Robinson & the New Earth Mud: a self-titled album in 2002 and This Magnificent Distance (2004). Meanwhile, Rich Robinson formed a short-lived band called Hookah Brown before recording his own solo album, Paper (2004).As part of their reunion tour, the Crowes played a New Year's Eve concert (2005) at New York's famed Madison Square Garden, along with the North Mississippi All Stars and former Phish frontman Trey Anastasio. Anastasio played guitar on Hard to Handle.
On March 21, 2006, The Black Crowes released their first-ever live concert DVD, entitled Freak n' Roll into the Fog, which features a live performance recorded at the historic Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco, CA. Later in the year, Chris and Rich Robinson hit the road as a duo for a special run of multiple-night acoustic shows, which featured a collection of their songs, influential covers as well as new material. Billed as Brothers of a Feather: An Acoustic Evening With Chris & Rich Robinson of The Black Crowes, the intimate shows were recorded for release. On September 5, 2006, on the verge of a fall tour, guitarist Marc Ford quit the band via fax, barely a week after the Crowes parted company with longtime keyboard player Ed Harsch. This development was announced to the public through a statement by the band's management on amorica.org, the band's official message board. Replacing the two departed members are Paul Stacey on guitar and Rob Clores on keyboards.
On August 2007, when the band went back to tour, they introduced a new keyboard player - Adam MacDougall - which replaced Rob Clores, less than a year after Clores joined the band.In mid-2007, The Black Crowes announced the release of their first new album since Lions some time in 2008 on an undisclosed label.A live album entitled Live at the Roxy, culled from the 2006 Brothers of a Feather performance was released on July 10, 2007 via the Eagle Rock Entertainment label. The album featured performances of old and new Black Crowes material mixed with covers, taken from a three night run at The Roxy in Los Angeles.
On June 15, 2007 the Black Crowes kicked off their summer tour at Jubilee Jam in Jackson, Mississippi. The tour spans 36 dates in 24 states with several shows accompanied by the North Mississippi All Stars. The tour will close October 28th, 2007 with a date at the Voodoo Musical Festival in New Orleans, Louisiana. On August 3, 2007, keyboardist Rob Clores was replaced on tour by Adam McDougal.
Black Crowes Tickets Prices
The average Black Crowes tickets will cost you $266 for the event being held on 19/07/2018 at High Noon Saloon, Madison. The minimum get in price is $191 at High Noon Saloon.
|Average Ticket Price
|Get In Price (Minimum Price)
|Tribute To Daft Punk, Black Crowes, No Doubt & Pearl Jam
Frequently Asked Questions
Wanting to attend black crowes biloxi, ms event but wondering do you guys know when will these tickets go on sale?
Tickets for Black Crowes Biloxi are out on sale and being offered with amazing deals on our website. Book your tickets today before it is too late!
Will you keep my billing information safe that is required to purchase tickets for black crowes =roseland show?
At Ticket Luck, you can be assured that all your information is SAFE. We NEVER rent or sell your personal information and our hacker-free service allows you to place a secure order. Guaranteed!
Do you have black crowes tickets fillmore with you?
Black Crowes The Fillmore San Francisco tickets are right here up for grabs so hurry up and book your deals now!
Do you have black crowes the fillmore tickets?
Black Crowes The Fillmore San Francisco tickets are right here with us so book your deals now.
Can you tell me the fillmore black crowes price?
Visit our Black Crowes The Fillmore San-Francisco page to know about prices.
Do you have black crowes fillmore fri dec 17 tickets available with you right now?
We sure do have Black Crowes The Fillmore San Francisco tickets with us.
I am confused regarding the dates of black crowes nokia. Please help me.
Kindly see our Black Crowes Club Nokia section for details.
Are cameras allowed at the black crowes show at the ryman?
Please confirm it with the venue directly.


text:
Todd Glass returns to the garage for a very different conversation than the one he and Marc shared the last time. It's an honest, open discussion unlike any other heard on WTF. This episode is sponsored by Stamps.com. Click the radio mic and enter WTF for a no-risk trial offer.
Powered by


text:
With everyone jumping the gun on Christmas, it's only appropriate that I stay one step ahead of the curve. But wait, didn't we skip something in between Halloween and Christmas? Something to do with a turkey dinner and a large gathering of relatives and merriment rings a bell. But I guess I must be mistaken. As soon as the Halloween trick-or-treaters were safely in doors enjoying their candy, the poinsettias, the Christmas music, the plastic Santas and the icicle lights came out of hiding this November.
So, as this month comes to a close, I believe in early December we'll be hearing nonstop talk about the new year. And I would just love to get my two cents in before everyone is exhausted with talk of the New Year. Wouldn't it be an absolute travesty if people decided the New Year wasn't important? From the day after Christmas, homes would be decorated and anxiously waiting for Easter. Nevermind New Years, Presidents Day, St. Patrick's Day and so on.
It would be awful if society forgot about New Years and everything it stands for. Being thankful for what you have. Hold on, that's not it. That's what some other holiday is for. New Years is about celebrating a new calendar of life, setting goals for yourself, turning over new leaves and just an all around new start on a clean slate.
[Full Story »]


text:
My client, an award-winning Software Consultancy is seeking for a number of Java Developers to join their Bristol team.
·Project Delivery: the day-to-day responsibility for technical aspects of a project, both internally at BJSS and at client sites
·Analysis and Design: understanding of both functional and non-functional requirements to produce well designed software, including the ability to communicate your design to others including clients
·Software Development: construction and testing of software components to a high standard within a team
·Quality Assurance: understanding of system test plans and system testing. Eliciting and documenting System Functional and Non-Functional Requirements
·Strong "Software Engineering" fundamentals and practical experience
·Development of highly concurrent systems (multithreaded and/or distributed)
·Experience of web / app containers such as Jetty, Tomcat, JBoss, Weblogic
·Exposure to NoSQL technologies such as MongoDB, Redis, Riak, Couchbase, Hadoop
·Persistence frameworks/APIs, such as JPA, Hibernate or Spring Data
·HTML5 and JavaScript
·Exposure to Test Driven Development or Behaviour Driven Development methodologies
There are a number of positions for experienced Java Developers where you will be based in Bristol City Centre. These positions are permanent roles.
Please apply immediately to be considered for the role and if you would like further information on the role, location and salary then please get in touch with Inness Law on / 0117 332 8100.


text:
It looks like your browser is out of date.
To use all features of KLM.com safely, we recommend that you update your browser, or that you choose a different one. Continuing with this version may result in parts of the website not being displayed properly, if at all. Also, the security of your personal information is better safeguarded with an updated browser.
The streets are waterways and there are no cars. Book flights to Venice and explore the countless canals in a traditional gondola. Glide past beautiful palazzos and enjoy the sight of Venice from the water. Eating a traditional Italian gelato on one of the picturesque squares is a must. The Galleria dell'Accademia features art by the great Venetian masters. And the perfect gift is, of course, one of the colourful Venetian carnival masks which you can buy all over the city.
Looking for a cheap flight to Venice? With KLM, your holiday begins the moment you step onboard. Your journey will fly by with your own entertainment set on intercontinental flights: free films, games and music. Enjoy our selection of snacks or a tasty dinner and drinks. Add in our many handy extra services (some available for a supplement) and you'll be in Italy before you know it.
Read more
Read less


text:
A Perfectly Foolish Young Man I Wanted 33
Reads: 257 | Likes: 0 | Shelves: 0 | Comments: 1
Article by: Carl Halling
Another name for a feral dog is a pariah dog, although the term tends to be applied exclusively with respect to a handful of countries, notably India, when in fact feral dogs are to be found all throughout the world. They are widely believed to be the descendants of discarded domestic dogs, although unlike the latter, they are hostile to humans, which is understandable, given their history of abandonment. If one is to believe the news, attacks on humans by such animals are more common today than ever, although the truth is they have always existed, as the following tale attests.
It was based on actual incidents that took place, and I know this to be a fact because the character of Sean is based on myself, while all the other characters also existed, although their names have been changed to protect their privacy. That said, what follows is a somewhat sanitised version of the events as I remember them, and I do so thanks largely to an unfinished story I based on them in about 1977 and which forms the foundation of what follows. Itself, the sole and only "short story" to become part of any of my books...even if it's hardly less rudimentary in its present form than it was when it first saw the light of day some three and a half decades ago.
The Revenge of the Feral Dogs
It was a city-port on the Atlantic Coast of France, in the summer of 1975, a time very similar to our own in a vast variety of ways, and yet a million galaxies away.
Then, as today, the youth of the West ran wild to an electronic Rock soundtrack...and even though the Rock and Roll era is now over half a century old where it was yet in its adolescence in '75, the hedonistic lifestyle it fostered has differed little since then.
In other ways though, it was altogether a different age. There were no cell phones back then, nor personal computers, nor iPods, and if you wanted to hear the latest album by your favourite act or artist, you had to save up for it and march to your latest record store to procure it on vinyl or cassette.
Subsequently, most people only ever heard a fraction of the music that was available, unlike today, when you can hear any song, any album, ever recorded in whatever era you choose through the simple click of a mouse.
It was about 8.30pm, and a quartet of young British naval ratings, hailing from HMS Thamesis, a minesweeper attached to the shore-based Thames Division of the Royal Naval Reserve, were enjoying their "run" ashore, which is to say a short period of leave coming in the midst of an exercise at sea. At one point, they decided to split into a pair of duos with one of these returning to the Royal, and the other, setting out into the night in search of whatever delights their temporal city had to offer them.
They were an unlikely pair. 27 year old Kevin was a genial-looking salt of the earth Londoner, while Sean, was an angelically handsome youth of just 19 from a privileged upbringing in Surrey, although not from Surrey per se so much as a little blue collar village that had been swallowed up by London's urban sprawl, and that was only nominally part of Britain's wealthiest county.
Yet, they were also unusually akin by dint of their gentle easy-going ways, and all-round nice guy naivety. Things happened to them rather than the other way around...and that was especially true of Sean. With his blond hair and baby blue eyes, he was the antithesis of the domineering macho male, and yet a magnet for attention nonetheless...although not all of it positive.
"Oh, what a pretty sailor," a flame-haired woman of a certain age proclaimed as she passed him by in the busy, bustling streets.
"And you, madame," he replied, with typical obsequious gallantry.
"How comes you speak French so well, then Sean?" said Kevin, "ain't you German?"
But before Sean had a chance to properly answer his friend, three youths, dressed in battered blue jeans, and sporting long greasy hair, approached the two sailors. One was white, a second black, and a third North African. Their eyes were suspicious, but Sean's potent pretty boy charm caused them to look kindly upon the sailors.
"Hey there, sailor boys," said the white youth, who was extraordinarily handsome, with long dark eyelashes, and a dazzling smile that revealed broken and discoloured teeth. The single gold earring he wore in his left ear lent him the air of a beautiful Romany boy.
"All right?" Sean replied.
"Are you French?"
"No, I'm English," said Sean.
"Hey, how's it going with the girls, huh, is everything OK with the ladies?"
"Sure," said Sean nonchalantly.
"They're all insane, insane, insane," said the hirsute adonis, dismissing the entire female race with a drunken wave of his hand, before being borne away by his cohorts, much to Kevin's evident relief, as he'd already started to distance himself from the trio, despite their friendly intentions.
In time, the two sailors had attained the town's central square, where a bedraggled sextet of Jazz musicians were blowing Dixie as if their lives depended on it for the benefit of tourists dining on sea food. Many of them looked up from their fishy repasts as Sean passed by. In time, they found themselves in a tavern which had been taken over by a large gang of rowdy revellers, presided over by a strolling guitar player, and a young expatriate Welshman with the burly body of a prop forward.
Needless to say, the sailors were singularly conspicuous by dint of their uniforms, and at one stage, Sean's cap was removed from his head and passed around the tavern to be gawped at by the assembled clientele like some imperialist curio. It may have been this mortifying incident that provoked the minstrel's sympathy for Sean, and his subsequent efforts at befriending him.
He was a strikingly handsome man, probably of Spanish extraction, as his name turned out to be Javier, of about 28 years old, at least in appearance. In fact he was 40.
"Give me your address," he said to Sean, taking his hand in his, "I believe in true comradeship, real friendship...we will be friends."
"OK," Sean agreed, whereupon Javier disappeared.
Just then, Sean noticed that he was being intently observed by a beautiful girl of the gamine kind with short lemon yellow hair and distant, pale-blue eyes wearing a strange, melancholy smile, who presently seated herself behind him. She turned out to be Javier's girl friend, Catherine.
"Bonjour," she said, "I'm Catherine."
"Hello," said Sean, in his usual shyly charming way, "isn't Javier a great guy?"
"Oh yes," Catherine replied, "I've been with many men, but this is the first time I've been with a real man."
"Is he really forty?" Sean asked her.
"Yes, forty years old, but he'll always be young, he's not aged along with the rest of his generation. We travel together, we're very much in love."
Soon Javier returned to engage in further praise of his new found friend:
"Sean is our friend," he enthused, "he is our true friend."
"Oh yes," Catherine agreed, "he's really sweet isn't he, and cute, and nice, you're our friend, Sean."
"Thank you," Sean replied, overwhelmed by their effusiveness.
"You're going to give us your address before you go, OK?" said Javier.
"Sure," Sean replied, before getting up to check on Kevin, who was engaged in an intense conversation with the Welshman, Gryff. Realising that interrupting them was not in his best interests, he sat back down and starting sipping from someone else's wine glass.
Before long, the entire tavern had erupted, and people started dancing around the tables, with some electing to actually dance on the tables. Sean thought it best to leave at this point, and went to say his goodbyes to Catherine, who took hold of one of his hands, while smiling warmly and gazing directly into his eyes.
"Oh," said Sean distractedly, "I must give my address to Javier."
He walked over to Javier, but no sooner had he done so, than he was grabbed by the arm, and virtually thrown into the back of a rickety grey fiat being driven by Gryff, which then leaped and screeched through the city's dingy back streets for a few brief terrifying moments before alighting within a short distance of a discotheque. As soon as Sean was out of the car, he noticed a bewildered looking Kevin among the disco party, of which Gryff had taken charge:
"How are we going to get the sailors in?" he asked out aloud, "they're not allowed here."
"Smuggle them in," someone suggested, "take their hats and jackets off, and sneak them in."
Gryff set about divesting the tars of much of their attire, with the result that they soon found themselves among the city's beautiful people, including young heavily made up belles, several executing the most complex and obscure of dance manoeuvres in small groups, and tall, thin young men who punctuated their terpsichorean histrionics with high-pitched squeals.
After a time, it occurred to Sean that unless they set off soon, they'd never get back to their ship, and this time, Kevin was in accord, and so they set about retrieving their clothing. Then, Catherine walked over to them to see them off.
"You should take care," she told Sean, "I mean...your uniforms, your hats, your symbols don't mean a thing here. I mean none of it means anything here.
Sean smiled weakly without answering, and she went on.
"But you're so cute, you know," she said, stroking Sean's cheek.
"Good bye," said Sean.
"Good bye," Catherine replied, visibly upset.
Soon, the young sailors were groping their way in the dark towards the city's main port, with only the crunching of their navy issue boots to break the menacing silence.
"It's late isn't it, Kev," said Sean, as the lights of the disco faded into the distance.
"I don't care," Kevin replied, I thoroughly enjoyed myself."
"What if we can't find the ship?
Within an hour, they reached their destination, although neither knew exactly where their ship was located, and each thin strip of dusty road resembled the last.
Just when they'd turned down yet another one, a feral dog emerged from out of a decaying chalky dwelling, baring its salmon-pink gums and emitting falsetto squeals which attracted a second vicious, fearless canine, this one resembling an Alsatian cross-breed. Sean panicked and picked up a stone, before threatening his aggressors, then running first from them, then towards them, screaming at them, shrinking from them, but nothing he did served to deter them.
Kevin preferred the role of pack leader and with index finger pointing directly at the dogs, started to command them in tones of masterly severity, but they refused to accept him as alpha male, and continued to circle him as if they'd earmarked him for an early morning feast. And the dogs squealed, and slavered, and snarled, and the more they sensed the sailors' fear, the more hysterical they became.
The sailors' fate seemed sealed. They'd surely pay a high price for separating from their companions in order to seek out stimulation in the depths of a city in which their status as strangers rendered them deeply vulnerable. Kevin was easily the more streetwise, while Sean was to all intents and purposes...prey on legs; and it was only a matter of time before this truth became evident to him. Yet, nothing would have stopped him stepping out of his comfort zone that night, as millions of his kind have done since, and continue to do.
"You should take care," Catherine had said, almost prophetically as it turned out, "I mean...your uniforms, your hats, your symbols don't mean a thing here. I mean none of it means anything here."
Some time towards the end of the old or the beginning of the new millennium, possibly around 1996, a middle aged-man received a phone call straight out of the blue from an old friend.
He was still youthful looking and his acting career hadn't yet been entirely forsaken, while much of his music career lay in the future. In other words, there was still some chance he'd amount to something in a worldly sense.
He'd converted to Christianity some years previously in 1993, following many years during which his consumption of alcohol was at lethal levels, and he was barely to drink again thereafter, notwithstanding a long series of relapses, most as insignificant as they were incapacitating.
His friend spoke of many things, but while most of these were to elude his memory as the years proceeded, one especially remained. This was the time they found themselves cornered on some dusty street in a city-port on the Atlantic coast of France by wild dogs; but he never mentioned how they managed to extricate themselves.
Some fifteen years after the call took place, he reflected on his luck that night and wondered if the reason he emerged unscathed was that God had better plans for him other than to become food for a couple of feral canids. And this provided him with a goodly amount of consolation for the teeming multitude of failures and follies, mistakes and losses that had blighted his life ever since.
However, it's significant that the vast majority of these took place prior to his acceptance of Christ as his Personal Saviour, and that while his life had been far from perfect since '93, which is not surprising under the circumstances, God had restored to him the years that the swarming locust had eaten.
© Copyright 2019 Carl Halling. All rights reserved.
Add Your Comments:
More Memoir Articles
Article / Memoir
Article / Memoir
Article / Memoir
Article / Memoir
Article / Memoir
Article / Memoir
Article / Memoir
Article / Memoir
Article / Memoir
Article / Memoir
Article / Memoir
Article / Memoir
Article / Memoir
Article / Memoir
Writing Contest / Flash Fiction
Book / Romance
Short Story / Other
Poem / Non-Fiction
Short Story / Literary Fiction
Book / Science Fiction
Book / Religion and Spirituality
Poem / Poetry
Booksie Popular Content
Other Content by Carl Halling
Short Story / Humor
Short Story / Religion and Spirituality
Short Story / Religion and Spirituality


text:
Major equity indexes oscillated between minor gains and losses on Wednesday as earnings jitters collided with economic data. On the stock market front, tech-bellwether Apple ( AAPL) posted lackluster results that left shares largely unchanged while durable goods orders data posted a worrisome contraction of 5.7% compared to last month's figure of negative 3.2% [Download 101 ETF Lessons Every Financial Advisor Should Learn].
Energy giant Exxon Mobil ( XOM) is slated to report earnings later today, which brings our spotlight onto the Dow Jones U.S. Energy Sector Fund (IYE, A), as it allocates over 23% of its total assets to the company. Analysts are expecting for the firm to report earnings of $2.04 per share, compared to a year ago when XOM reported earnings of $2 per share [try Free ETF Stock Exposure Tool].
Chart Analysis
Consider IYE's one-year daily performance chart below. Notice how this ETF appears to have completed a healthy correction since peaking at $45.66 a share in mid-March of 2013, judging by its ability to rebound off its 200-day moving average (yellow line), which has allowed it to remain above its longer-term upward sloping support level (blue line). What's also noteworthy is that this ETF has previously rebounded off the blue support line, as seen in mid-November and at the end of December last year [see 13 ETFs Every Options Trader Must Know].
Click to Enlarge
As such, entering into a long position at current levels is attractive because traders can favorably position themselves in anticipation of a run higher while still keeping a close watch on downside risk by setting a tight stop-loss near the 200-day moving average [see How To Swing Trade ETFs].
If XOM surpasses analysts' expectations tomorrow, IYE could see a fundamental boost that drives it closer towards its recent highs; in terms of upside, IYE has major resistance right around $45 a share. On the other hand, disappointing results from the energy giant can inspire profit taking across the entire sector; in terms of upside, this ETF has major support at $42 a share. As always, investors of all experience levels are advised to use stop-loss orders and practice disciplined profit-taking techniques.
Follow me on Twitter @SBojinov
[For more ETF analysis, make sure to sign up for our free ETF newsletter]
Disclosure: No positions at time of writing.
Click here to read the original article on ETFdb.com.
Read more posts on ETF Database »


text:
Happy Global Partnerships Week! To kick off #GPW2017 today, the Secretary's Office of Global Partnerships is pleased to release its annual State of Global Partnerships Report. We called on our colleagues at the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to share the partnerships they have recently built and implemented to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Report highlights 17 partnerships, one for each SDG, and showcases how the U.S. government is leveraging the resources, knowledge, and experiences of private sector partners to tackle the SDGs.
Eliminating global poverty and hunger, creating decent jobs and economic growth, strengthening institutions and combatting corruption: these are just a few of the ambitious goals that 193 countries agreed to target by the year 2030. The SDGs represent a global commitment to a better future that cannot be achieved in isolation. Indeed, no single country, government, or organization can hope to achieve these goals alone. There's a reason why the final goal – Goal 17 – aims to build partnerships between governments, the private sector, and civil society in support of this global agenda.
Partnerships help us do more. And to prove our point, here are a few examples from the recently released State of Global Partnerships Report 2017. These partnerships include both large, multi-stakeholder initiatives with many U.S. government agencies engaging a diversity of private sector partners and also more focused partnerships led by U.S. embassies in their host countries.
Taking on SDG #2 – Zero Hunger, Feed the Future is the U.S. Government's global hunger and food security initiative. Through a thriving network of nearly 5,000 public-private partnerships between multiple U.S. government agencies and private companies of all sizes, Feed the Future aims to build long-term food security and to stimulate sustained economic growth both domestically and abroad. In addition to creating thousands of new partnerships, Feed the Future has leveraged more than $600 million in private sector capital and helped generate more than $800 million in new agricultural sales for farmers.
Advancing SDG #15 – Life on Land, the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs partnered to address the problem of international wildlife trafficking. The Department of State collaborated with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to plan the first Zoohackathon – a weekend-long event where teams of citizen scientists and volunteer technologists gathered to develop technological solutions to help combat wildlife trafficking. On October 7-9, 2016, teams of volunteers met at six renowned conservation zoos around the world to work on problem statement submitted by leading conservation groups and to interact directly with the animals they were working to preserve. In addition to raising awareness around wildlife trafficking, the inaugural event produced 30 new conversation technology products and even fostered new partnerships between participating partners. Similar events will occur annually.
Bringing awareness to SDG #12 – Responsible Consumption and Production, U.S. Embassy Copenhagen partnered with National Aquarium Denmark and the NGO "Plastic Change" to produce a public education exhibition on ocean pollution: Mitigating Plastic Pollution of the Ocean. With the support of the U.S. Embassies and the host governments, the exhibit will travel to Estonia, Portugal, Italy, and Malta in advance of the 2017 EU-hosted Our Ocean conference in Malta. This collaboration between U.S. Embassies and European partners creates public awareness around marine pollution and strengthens U.S. strategic alignment with the EU on environment and health issues.
Finally, we are pleased to announce the winners of the second annual Partnership Excellence Award, which recognizes individuals who have made a strong commitment to the advancement of public-private partnerships at the Department of State or USAID. First, we honor Ambassador-at-Large Deborah L. Birx, M.D., U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator and U.S. Special Representative for Global Health Diplomacy, and Lauren Marks, Director of Private Sector Engagement at the Office of the Global AIDS Coordinator and Health Diplomacy, for their leadership of the DREAMS partnership and DREAMS Innovation Challenge. The second individual winner is Terence Miller, Chief of the Office of Alternative Development at USAID/Peru, for his integral work on the Peru Cacao Alliance. Finally, we are presenting a group award to Nicole Johnson, Embassy Tallin; Margaret Young, Embassy Lisbon; Megan R. Ihrie, Embassy Libson; Susan Ross, Embassy Valletta; Caron E. De Mars, Embassy Rome; and Kristian (KG) Moore, Embassy Copenhagen for their success with the Mitigating Plastic Pollution of the Oceans exhibit.
These are just several examples of the ingenuity, innovation, and impact of public-private partnerships to advance our common goals for a better future. To see more examples of this exciting work and to learn more about the Secretary's Office of Global Partnerships, please see the full 2017 State of Global Partnerships Report.
What is your favorite public-private partnership you've been involved in? Join the conversation on Twitter this week at #GPW2017 and #Goal17!
Thomas Debass is the Acting Special Representative for Global Partnerships at the U.S. Department of State where he continues to fulfill his Deputy Special Representative duties: managing the office and providing thought leadership on partnerships related to economic growth, global finance, entrepreneurship, and innovation.


text:
Released March 9, 2011.
This update corrects several bugs and stability issues in COMSOL 4.1. The update is cumulative; that is, it applies to both COMSOL 4.1 and the previous COMSOL 4.1 Update 1 and Update 2. The update includes all updates from the previous Update 1 and Update 2. Update Details.
COMSOL programs are distributed in accordance with U.S. Export Administration regulations. They may be subject to U.S. Export Control laws or other (U.S. and non-U.S.) governmental export and import laws. It is the licensee's responsibility to comply with the latest U.S. or other governmental export or import regulations. Export or import in violation of applicable export control laws is prohibited. If you wish to submit materials to COMSOL in connection with any support request that must be restricted to U.S. persons under applicable export control laws, then you must submit such materials by email to: firstname.lastname@example.com.
Check your version
Make sure that you run COMSOL version 188.8.131.52, 126.96.36.199 or later. On the Help menu, click About COMSOL Multiphysics to check your version. If you have an earlier build number, contact your COMSOL sales representative to get the official release of COMSOL 4.1 before you proceed.
Download Update
|Mac OS X
Before you proceed with the installation, make sure to exit any running COMSOL process.
Run the downloaded .exe-file to extract the update to the COMSOL 4.1 installation directory, for
Copy the downloaded .zip-file to the COMSOL 4.1 installation directory:
cp comsol_22.214.171.124_linux.zip [installdir]/comsol41
[installdir] is
the root of the installation, for example
/usr/local. Unzip it by the
cd [installdir]/comsol41
unzip -o comsol_220.127.116.11_linux.zip
If you have not disabled SELinux, run the following command:
chcon -t textrel_shlib_t [installdir]/comsol41/lib/[platform]/lib*
where platform is glnx86 or glnxa64.
Double-click the downloaded .dmg file to mount the disk image. In the Finder, open the mounted disk and double-click the COMSOL installer icon. Select your COMSOL installation folder, usually called COMSOL41.
Check your installation
- Start COMSOL Multiphysics.
- On the Help menu, click About COMSOL Multiphysics.
- Check that the version number is 220.127.116.11 (If not, the installation did not succeed).
Update Details
- *Improved stability for selections.
- *Temporary solution files are no longer stored when using a stationary solver.
- Updated documentation and improved translations for supported local languages.
- Several improvements for parametric curves.
- Edge points are now distributed evenly in all cases when meshing.
- GUI display for anisotropic tensors is now more intuitive.
- Several stability issues in GUI, meshing, solving, results analysis, and backward compatibility have been resolved.
- Plot while solving now works as expected in client-server mode, in batch mode, and in the LiveLink™ for MATLAB®.
- Corrected several stability issues, and improved performance.
- Thin Thermally Resistive Layers is now available also in COMSOL without add-on modules.
- Changing default variable names now works as expected.
AC/DC Module
- *Corrected impedance matrix calculation for Magnetic and Electric Fields.
- Circuit coupling now works as expected also for the case of more than one coil group feature connected to the circuit.
- The predefined variable for external current density has been corrected.
- Corrected sign error for the Distributed Capacitance feature.
- Particle tracing forces have been corrected for the Magnetic Fields interface.
- A sign error for the remanent flux density in the Magnetic Fields interface has been corrected. Plots for the components now show correct result.
- The variable for the norm of the magnetic flux density has been corrected to now also include the remanent flux density.
- Variables for induced polarization and magnetization are now available.
- Thin Low Permeability Gap now works as expected in 2D and 2D axial symmetry also when solving for out-of-plane magnetic vector potential.
Acoustics Module
- Solved stability issue for Aeroacoustics in 2D.
Batteries & Fuel Cells Module
- Several stability issues have been fixed. Equations in the Tertiary Current Distribution, Nernst-Planck interface have been corrected.
- The No flux boundary condition is now corrected for the Lithium-ion Battery Interface.
- Several stability fixes and more intuitive interfaces.
Chemical Reaction Engineering Module
- Isotropic Diffusion is now available also in the Transport of Diluted Species interface when migration but no convection is used.
CFD Module
- Stress calculation when not using the low gas concentration option is now corrected for the Bubbly Flow interface.
- Stability improvement in the memory-efficient formulation.
- Solver defaults for two-phase flow problems have been fine-tuned making it much easier to solve such problems using the default settings.
- Volume Force expressions have been corrected in the Free and Porous Media Flow interface.
Chemical Reaction Engineering Module
- Several backward compatibility issues, and stability issues in particular in the Reaction Engineering interface are now resolved.
Earth Science Module
- Initial values for poroelasticity now includes the correct variables.
Heat Transfer Module
- Streamline diffusion is now corrected for the Heat Transfer interface.
- Several improvements in equation view display and predefined variables.
- The radiation heat source term and the wall term are now consistent with the definition of the radiative intensity for radiation in participating media.
- Wall feature is now added by default if Radiation in Participating Media is enabled.
- Overridden selections in the Heat Transfer in Porous Media interface are now handled correctly.
- Heat Transfer in Thermal Shells now interprets the thermal conductivity correctly for all coordinate systems.
- Improved user interface for Heat Transfer in Porous Media together with Heat Transfer in Fluids.
MEMS Module
- Several backward compatibility issues with COMSOL 3.5a have been resolved.
Plasma Module
- The Boltzmann Equation interface now works also in client-server mode.
RF Module
- *Improved performance for models using multiple ports.
- *Port Boundary Condition is now compatible with Floquet periodic boundary conditions.
- Far-field calculations are now corrected for the case when source boundaries are on the inside of a PML.
- Improved backward compatibility with COMSOL 3.5a for axisymmetric TM waves.
- Loss terms for transient electromagnetic waves have been corrected.
- Improved performance of Far Field calculations, and corrected equations for Far Field symmetry settings.
- A predefined variable for the electric energy density time average, emw.Weav, is now available. The expression for the total energy density, emw.intWe, has also been corrected so that it includes the electric energy in addition to the magnetic energy.
Structural Mechanics Module
- *Corrected expression for Boundary Load feature with Load type set to Pressure in the axisymmetric case.
- Principal Stress and Principal Strain vector plots in 2D axisymmetric models now show the correct direction.
- The stability for contact and friction has been improved.
- In the Thermal Stress interface, the display of branch numbers for the Thermal Viscoelastic material has been corrected.
- Shells now work as expected also when a thermal load through the thickness of the shell is applied.
- Geometric Nonlinearity is now available also for the Thermal Stress and Joule Heating and Thermal Expansion interfaces.
* = New in update 3


text:
DE Jamaal Anderson picks Colts over Broncos, Titans
Defensive end Jamaal Anderson was seen leaving the Broncos' weight room this morning. He was an Indianapolis Colt by this afternoon.
With the Colts, Anderson will back up Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis. Had he picked the Broncos, he would have competed with Derrick Harvey to back up Elvis Dumervil and Robert Ayers.
The Colts' deal was quite a bit more than the Broncos' offer. Anderson was supposed to leave Denver and head to Tennessee for a visit with Titans.


text:
SAP's Vishal Sikka Resigns for Personal Reasons, Effective Immediately
Sikka was a Key Executive in the Development of the HANA Analytic Platform
A key executive in the development of the analytic platform on which SAP AG has staked much of its future, has resigned for personal reasons, effective immediately, the company said.
Executive board member Vishal Sikka was responsible for technology and innovation at the German company. The HANA platform he helped develop is the company's flagship product in a large, fast-growing market for analytic software.


text:
Learn New Methods to Treat Breast Cancer
Silver Cross Hospital offers free breast cancer lecture on March 25
New Lenox, IL (March 7, 2014) — According to the American Cancer Society, in 2013 an estimated 232,340 new cases of invasive breast cancer were diagnosed among women, as well as an estimated 62,570 new cases of carcinoma in situ (CIS) will be diagnosed this year. CIS is non-invasive and is the earliest form of breast cancer. Silver Cross Hospital is offering a free lecture to teach how treatment of the disease has evolved over time.
Free Program
Join Grace Suh, M.D.,clinical associate at the University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center at Silver Cross, for a discussion - Treatment of Breast Cancer - on how the occurrence of breast cancer has changed over time and on new therapies currently being used to treat the disease. This free program will be held Tuesday, March 25, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Silver Cross Hospital Conference Center, 1890 Silver Cross Blvd., Pavilion A, New Lenox. Register to attend at www.silvercross.org or call 1-888-660-HEAL (4325).
"A majority of breast cancer cases can be cured when found and treated at an early stage, so regular mammogram screenings are very important," said Dr. Grace Suh, hematology and oncology physician with the University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center at Silver Cross Hospital.
What is breast cancer?
Breast cancer is a malignant tumor that starts in the cells of the breast. A malignant tumor is a group of cancer cells that can grow into (invade) surrounding tissues or spread (metastasize) to distant areas of the body. The disease occurs almost entirely in women, but men can get it, too.
Risk Factors & Prevention
Risk factors for breast cancer include older age, specific inherited genetic alterations, hormone therapy, having radiation therapy to the chest, consuming alcohol, and being overweight. It may be possible to decrease the risk of breast cancer by getting exercise and maintaining a healthy weight.
Treating Breast Cancer
"When breast cancer is diagnosed, our physicians develop a treatment plan that is individualized to the patient," said Dr. Suh. "Thanks to the latest medical and surgical approaches that we offer, many women with the disease have an excellent chance of being cured. We treat even the most resistant tumors with a range of treatments--some of which aren't available at many other medical centers."
Many different healthcare experts participate in the care of each woman with breast cancer at the University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center at Silver Cross. The breast cancer team includes specialists from the following disciplines: breast cancer surgery, medical oncology, pathology, plastic and reconstructive surgery, radiation oncology, radiology, and survivorship. "Because communication among these specialists is vital, the entire team meets regularly to plan care for breast cancer patients," said Dr. Suh. "At these meetings, participants share information and insights from patient care and research, leading to the best possible treatment for each patient."
The University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center at Silver Cross, as well as the University of Chicago's Hyde Park campus, are the only places to offer certain state-of-the-art approaches to treating breast cancer. One of these unique treatment methods is the prone breast radiation technique. Radiation is administered on a specially-designed table with a breast board to help the woman lie more comfortably in the prone position, on her stomach, with the breast hanging down from the body for radiation therapy.
Further, patients will benefit from a breadth of expertise and cutting-edge chemotherapy and radiation therapy techniques, such as prone therapy. Radiation therapy, as well as access to innovative clinical trials, is vital to the treatment of a range of cancers. The University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center maintains more active clinical trials for the treatment of cancer than any other program in Illinois. To schedule an appointment, call (815) 300-1400.
About Grace K. Suh, M.D.
Grace Suh, M.D., specializes in hematology/oncology and is a board-certified internal medicine physician. Dr. Suh attended medical school at Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, CT. She completed an internal medicine residency at Yale-New Haven Hospital in New Haven, CT; and a medical oncology fellowship at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX. Her office is located with the University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center at Silver Cross Hospital at 1850 Silver Cross Blvd., New Lenox. To schedule an appointment, call (815) 300-1400.
About the University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center at Silver Cross Hospital
The University of Chicago Medicine at Silver Cross Hospital's outpatient cancer treatment center located in the Carolyn J. Czerkies Pavilion at I-355 and Route 6 (1850 Silver Cross Blvd.) in New Lenox opened its doors on June 25, 2012. The 20,000-square-foot University of Medicine Chicago Comprehensive Cancer Center at Silver Cross brings University of Chicago academic specialists and their advanced and investigational therapies into a community-hospital setting. The new facility provides state-of-the-art chemotherapy and radiation therapy, as well as access to hundreds of clinical trials. It also offers a TrueBeam new-generation linear accelerator system, which delivers precisely targeted radiation therapy to provide the best results. In addition, other services provided at the Comprehensive Cancer Center include cancer support services, hormonal therapy, immunotherapy, infusion services, and preventative screenings. The University of Chicago Medicine maintains more active clinical trials for the treatment of cancer than any other program in Illinois. To schedule an appointment, call (815) 300-1400. For more information about the new University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center at Silver Cross Hospital, visit www.ucmcancer-sch.org.
About Silver Cross Hospital
Silver Cross Hospital is a not-for-profit health care provider serving Will County and southwest suburban communities since 1895. Silver Cross has been recognized as a Thomson Reuters 100 Top Hospitals National Award winner for seven consecutive years and as a Hospital of Choice by the American Alliance of Healthcare Providers. With over 3,500 employees, physicians and volunteers, Silver Cross operates a new 289-bed acute care hospital at I-355 and Route 6 in New Lenox and 8 satellite facilities providing outpatient services and physician offices. To learn more about Silver Cross Hospital or a referral to a physician on staff, visit www.silvercross.org or call 1-888-660-HEAL (4325). Physicians on Silver Cross Hospital's Medical Staff have expertise in their areas of practice to meet the needs of patients seeking their care. These physicians are independent practitioners on the Medical Staff and are not the agents or employees of Silver Cross Hospital. They treat patients based upon their independent medical judgment and they bill patients separately for their services.


text:
My first dog was a golden retriever named Tisha. Tisha was quiet and friendly, a perfect golden for a 4-year-old boy; my mother swears that when we took her to the vet one last time, as the dog lay dying on the operating table, Tisha lifted her head at the sound of my voice, though I doubt this actually happened. My next dog, the dog that I remember best, was an Irish setter named Hombre. I would wrap him in a blanket and drag him around the house and he loved it.
Hombre once leaped through a picture window, cutting himself and knocking himself cold. When he died, long after I left for college, he was replaced by a massive sheepdog named Shakespeare; my mother named him that because the "Beethoven" movies were popular at the time. He lived for a long time but my grandmother habitually fed him corn flakes which likely didn't help his life span. The last dog my family owned, they owned briefly: A neighbor with cancer asked my mother to take her dog. The dog was named Cheyenne, then later renamed Diane by my mother for vague reasons. Diane had health problems that my mother didn't know about before agreeing to take her. Diane lived only a few months and was loved, despite having a congenital cough reminiscent of a dying Teamster.
This piece first ran in Printers Row Journal, delivered to Printers Row members with the Sunday Chicago Tribune and by digital edition via email. Click here to learn about joining Printers Row.
I mention this for a reason.
During the week I spent pawing, sniffing and circling "The Big New Yorker Book of Dogs," the fantastic new coffee table compilation of dog journalism, dog fiction, dog art, dog poetry, dog photography and dog cartoons that have run throughout the 87-year history of the magazine, I thought hard about these dogs. Each — gentle, manic, devoted, doomed — is well represented in its pages. More impressively, each is honored by a book that largely avoids the self-congratulatory sentimentality that infects a typical dog book.
Unless, of course, you're also reading that other new, startlingly clear-eyed view of the canine: "What's a Dog For?" by John Homans, the longtime executive editor of New York magazine, who chose for his first book a bluntly titled, occasionally engaging, knowledgeable, at times terrific history of the bond between man and pet. Frankly, Homans, always a little too blank faced with animals — his own dog, Stella, is the personality-free vehicle through which talk of anthropomorphizing and training (and so forth) gets filtered — is much better with people. The book consistently sparks to life only when he's digging into Darwin's relationship with dogs, the contradictions of animal activists, Viennese researchers into canine cognition.
Who's an ambivalent boy?
I am! I am!
However unfair the comparison — Homans alone is powerless alongside a volume boasting A.J. Liebling, Susan Orlean, Ian Frazier, James Thurber, Arthur Miller, John Updike, E.B. White, Donald Barthelme, Charles Addams, Malcolm Gladwell (and on and on and on) — none of that feet-dragging can be found in the rightfully, playfully titled "Big New Yorker Book of Dogs," which is a good boy, a good, good boy, aren't you? Weeks after I had plowed through every page, I was still coming back, finding bites of things under the sofa: One of the best surprises, presumably a reminder even the best writers need to get their noses rubbed in their messes: Original, heavily marked-up drafts are occasionally run along the polished versions.
But then, like a lively dog happy to please, rarely sleepy and almost never sour — like no dog, in other words — "The Big New Yorker Book of Dogs" has the feel of a delightful chore, one that, particularly when it's running full steam with Orlean, Thurber and the excellent Ben McGrath, is no chore at all. The material, broken into categories — "Good Dog," "Bad Dog," "Top Dog," miscellanea titled "Underdogs" — lends itself to the wry and wryly morose, though not always light. That old-school suffocating New Yorker sense of taste occasionally intrudes on the fun: As hard as it is to argue with Adam Gopnik's bracing, brief history of our attraction to dogs — truthfully, he accomplishes in 11 pages what it takes Homans 234 pages to say — it reads at times like the memoir of a man so snobbishly removed from everyday affection he could be a cat.
In fact, now that I notice Gopnik's piece comes immediately after the moving Thurber classic "Snapshot of a Dog" — I read this 400-page doorstop randomly and spontaneously, the way it insists — never mind: It's a splash of cold water following a dish of warm milk. It also feels nitpicky to find an occasional damp spot in a book that pairs a grippingly odd T. Coraghessan Boyle short story with a William Wegman dog photo; a Gladwell essay about pit bull trouble with a cartoon pit bull (standing in a police line-up) from Jules Feiffer.
If there's a unifying theme, it's not a surprising one: Dogs think they're people; moreover, New Yorker writers think dogs are people. Also, people — as Jim Shepard's great story about a no-kill shelter makes plain — are not without guile. But dogs may be. Susan Orlean starts a piece with "If I were a bitch, I'd be in love with Biff Truesdale," as in a show dog. Though the joke is silly, infectious joy like that is hard to stop itching: dog parks, dog walks, dogs lost, dogs found, dog shows, dog stars, drug-sniffing dogs, dog trainers, nice dogs.
Now, fetch!
Christopher Borrelli is an entertainment reporter for the Chicago Tribune.
"The Big New Yorker Book of Dogs"
By The New Yorker magazine, Random House, 416 pages, $45