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New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung (Newspaper) - July 7, 2005, New Braunfels, Texas JULY 1lu SPORTS LITTLE LEAGUE Teams from New Canyon Lake continue march toward district title Page 6A INSIDE CAPTURED Suspect in New Braunfels throat slashing is located in Alaskan fishing Page 3A and Comal County since 198 14 2 sections CLICK www 8 Clouy High Low 101 73 Details 1B DEARABBY 3B CLASSIFIEDS 48 COMICS 2B CROSSWORD 2B FORUM 4A OBITUARIES 3A SPORTS 6A TV GRIDS 3B Toddler steals spotligh lantri By Leigh Jones Staff Writer Testimony in the murderforhire trial ended with a dramatic twist Wednesday as the toddler at the center of the plot entered the court room in the arms of his grandfa Jurors looked surprised and defense attorneys Glen Peterson and Tony Cantrell jumped up in protest when Jonathon Benavides 3yearold son made his appear ance during his mothers Stacy Benavides for mer had just told jurors about the last time the childs father had seen in September While Peterson and Cantrell argued with District Attorney Dib Waldrip in front of Judge Jack Robi sons jurors glanced from the lawyers to the with sever al of the women seeming to have difficulty keeping their eyes off the boys smiling Benavides also stole glances at his son and offered a hesitant smile several Unaware of the stir he was caus the child laughed happily at his grandfather as Robison asked the jury to leave the Peterson immediately moved for a This is a blatant attempt to prej udice the jury against my thats pretty he Waldrip told Robison he had no intention of having the child stay in the courtroom but wanted the jury to see The jury is entitled to see who is the basis for Jonathon Benavides allegedly wanting to have Stacy Sat terfleld he Robison denied Petersons request for a asked Sat terfields father and the child to leave and brought the jury back into the Prompted by questions from Satterfield told jurors while Benavides had not made an attempt to see the he did ask for a picture of him in January I didnt think anything of but then he asked for a picture of me as I thought that was a bit I thought he might try to do she In November Satterfield received another call from Bena who asked her if they still lived in the same See Page 3A DAVID Jonathon talks to his Glen after leaving the courthouse Superintendent candidates remain a secret By Leigh Jones Staff Writer Comal Independent School District patrons hoping to gather background infor mation on candidates for the school sys tems top spot are out of luck at least for a few more The CISD school board has refused to release the names of the four superintend ent applicants in town today and tomorrow for second Although the candidates were selected from an initial pool of 69 appiicantsTthe board has not designated them the litmus test for disclosing their The HeraldZeitung requested the names July 5 under the Texas Open Records The school district has 10 business days to respond to the but officials indicat ed verbally they did not intend to According to government code an exception to the Texas Open Records See Page 3A What now City manager Chuck Pinto is so what is the city doing to find a leader Divers continue search for missing woman By Ron Maloney Staff Writer CANYON LAKE Divers spent Tuesday night searching without success for the body of a 35yearold woman missing since early Sunday and believed San Marcos Area Recovery Team divers and technicians spent the night on the lake in the area between Canyon Dam and Overlook Park using digital side scan sonar equipment to look for the report ed missing after a midnight swim off a SMART worked until Wednes Comal County Sheriffs Office Public Information Officer Mark Reynolds said late Wednesday there was no new infor mation available on the The SMART team is searching for Other than were really at a standstill See Page 3A A WEATHER CALAMITY lack of rain take a toll on many By Ron Maloney Writer Like most summers in Comal its pretty hot and dry at the Dietert place out on Watson Lane where temperatures Wednesday were forecast to hit The Dieterts have corn and sorghum in the and the such as it will be harvest ed This the Dieterts will be buying feed for their live Its hot and Clinton Dietert said Wednesday It needed water a long time and most everythings shut Early spring was dry there was a little rain in May and just over an inch in with tempera tures in the high 90s each day and an operation that uses no irriga the Dieterts dont see much growing these Its burning pretty Dietert Photos by DAVID Clinton Dietert look over ears of corn withering on the stalk at their family farm on FM two say that no amount of rain can save the crop the Dieterts walk through what is left of their DIDYOU Fire danger high Things drying out and burning up are becoming statewide con cerns this sum Public offi cials who steward the regions groundwater say the Edwards Aquifer is still at least a month away from Stage 1 water restrictions last imposed in 2000 even if there is no rain fall before But they urge water Comal County Fire Marshal Lin fl Landscape watering between the hours of 10 and 4 is prohibited year round in New unless you are using a hand held bucket or dripirri gation If additional water restric tions become notices will be issued in the on the NBU Web site at and are available on the NBU information line at Manford says nearly half of this states 254 coun ties 118 as of Wednesday have imposed burn In Comal a bum ban has been in place since last and cer tain fireworks were banned for the Fourth of Yesterday mor I checked and there were 105 counties with a burn In die the number had increased to 110 and now it is Manford Numbers are increasing Its See Page 5A Garden Ridge celebrates 33rd birthday by remembering past By Melissa Johnson Staff Writer Garden Ridge is celebrating 33 years as a city by remembering its What was once known as the Little Town of Schoenthall became the City of Garden Ridge when the town incorporated on July Citizens of Garden Ridge and the founding fathers decided they would rather guide their own des tiny than be annexed by San Anto nio or Mayor Jay Feibel man During those Feibehnan said road maintenance was the responsibility of 15 volunteers who patched potholes out of the back of former Mayor Paul Davis pick up The population at the time was about according to lifelong resident Melford The 74 yearold Garden Ridge native recalls a much different city than the one in which he currently In the early when I grew up and went to school in Daven you could count the cars that drove the roads at George When Garden Ridge was still predominately a farming and ranching George said the towns main source of entertain ment was oldtime bowling and evening vis its with In former resident Clyde Cox said they only restaurant in town was the Country a hamburger joint located at the intersection of FM 3009 and Inter state See Page 2A FORD TAURUS SI I BLUEBONNET Jeep is rue OlFFEHEIiCKl www bhinotois 5 FORD TAURUS SE LttaOiw Low t Warranty OVMM WITOCKI
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If the skin colors had been reversed, there wouldn´t be less media coverage, there would be NO media coverage.
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Thousands of young black men are murdered every year. The media yawns, until that extremely rare case comes up where a white person has pulled the trigger.
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57% of the 13% Black population is approximately 7% of the nations population. Who cares what 7% on any issue think.All it proves is 57% of Blacks are hard core racist and thugs lead by the Democrat Governor and Al Sharpton who do not believe in the Rule of Law.
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For over a week all we have been hearing about is the gunned down "gentle giant". Now it has been about 24 hours since the revelation that Police Officer Darren Wilson got a broken face from his conversation with "the gentle giant".Aside from coverage of AG Eric Holder on the scene, News outlets going mostly/comletely silent now.The alleged "gentle giant" was a lawless, violent thug. Got what was coming to him.Police Officer Darren Wilson, thank you for thinning out the gene pool.
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If I were the press since ISIS is now supposedly in Ferguson; I would leave asap.
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The Dark Angel Joseph Goebbels hovers in the darkness, urging the liberal media on, and reminding them that the weight of total lies, although heavy, is on their backs alone and they must at all costs prevail over the truth.
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Here is the month of June's Free Embroidry Pattern. Did you know I'm a 1/4 Dutch?
Click on the image to see and print the full size pattern.
She's adorable – thank you!
I think I might do something combining your wonderful illustration with a song my sister taught me:
I am a pretty little dutch girl
As pretty as pretty can be!
And all the boys in town
Go crazy over me.
One day when I was walking
I heard my boyfriend talking
To the pretty little girl
With the strawberry curls
And this is what he said…
I L, O, V, E – love you
Enough to K, I, S, S – kiss you
In the D, A, R, K – dark, dark, dark!
I don't know if that's a common tune or poem but it reminds me of waiting for the schoolbus with my sister, which always puts a smile on my face…so thank you for taking me there with your sweet girl!
oh thanks a lot! She's so sweet!!
Nice! She's super cute! Thanks, Andrea.
so cute!
Cute pattern.
I love the snake quilt. It's really complicated and fun to look at.
I love how she looks just slightly grumpy!
so cute… man I wish I knew how to cross stitch… one of these days maybe… =b
I recently embroidered your gnome and unicorn. I think I'll do the little Dutch girl next. She's so cute. Thank you for all your free patterns, Andrea!
And I am 100% dutch so I say: Dankjewel! (Thank you) Grumpy but still very cute!
I love your snake and butterfly and… all you do !! It's the first time I see something like that. It's beautifull !! Kisses from France.
Bravo jolies réalisations, c'est le premier blog en anglais que je visite
je ne comprends pas tout mais avec un bon dictionnaire,
Bonne journée et je t'envoie pleins de bisous depuis La Lorraine
A bientôt
Thanks so much! I'm not Dutch, but my husband is, and we're expecting our second little half-Dutchling, so this is perfect for our Little Dutch Girl. Cheers!
She´s so cute!!! Thanks for sharing!!!
[...] This adorable little Dutch girl is the free embroidery pattern for the month of June at Andrea Zuill's blog, Badbird's. Just click and print. [...]
Thank you for the lovely pattern!
[...] "dutch girl" pattern from BadBird's [...]
Andrea- my friend Laura knows how much I love your patterns and so she did an applique of the Dutch girl on a doll quilt for me for our swap! Its at my Flickr-
she did a lovely job! Come and see when you get time!
calamity kim
Christmas Applique…
[...]The Month of June's Free Embroidery Pattern! « Andrea Zuill's Blog[...]…
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Acting professional and singer Patrick Bruel has been one of France's biggest stars in the
'90s, first making their name as being a teen idol and leading a positive return to traditional French chanson inside new
millennium. Bruel was given birth to Patrick Benguigui with Tlemcen, Algeria,
on, may 14, 1959. His / her father abandoned a family when Patrick was merely a year old, because 1962, after
Algeria gained its independence, his mummy moved to France, negotiating inside
the Paris suburb associated with Argenteuil. An excellent soccer player in his youth, Patrick first decided upon the idea of being a singer after seeing Michel
Sardou perform in 1975.
As luck can have it, acting would get him his first achievement;
first-time movie director Alexandre Arcady ran an advertising
seeking a new man using a French-Algerian (or "pied-noir"
in France slang) accent for his film Le Coup dom Sirocco.
Benguigui (as having been still called) responded and gained the business.
The following year, he spent time in Ny, where he met Gérard Presgurvic, later to
get his primary songwriter.
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Excelleent article. I will be facing a few of these issues
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Pakistani Fakhra Younus commits suicide 12 yrs after acid attack
JohnThomas Didymus
JohnThomas Didymus
Mar 28, 2012 in
- Fakhra Younus, 33, former Pakistani prostitute or "dancing girl" has committed suicide, 12 years after a vicious acid attack that left her severely disfigured. She jumped to her death from her sixth floor apartment in Rome this weekend.
The Washington Post
reports that her suicide comes some months after a documentary titled "Saving Face," which detailed acid attacks on women in Pakistan won an Oscar.
The Washington Post
reports neighbors said Younus was last seen looking at her face in the mirror and weeping.
Younus was attacked with acid in May 2000. Her former husband Bilal Khar was charged with attempted murder and accused of entering Younus's mother's house and pouring acid on her face while she slept. The attack occurred in the presence of Younus's son who was then five years old. Khar, the son of influential and wealthy Pakistani governor of Punjab Ghulam Mustafa Khar, was granted bail within months of his arrest and was eventually acquitted. But it is widely believed his father's influence and connections helped him escape conviction.
The Washington Post
reports Khar was also the cousin of Pakistan's foreign minister.
Younus's facial disfigurement was extensive. She was often unable to breathe, and her facial features melted and fused together into a single bulbous tangled mass, with her nose and left ear melting completely, her lips fused, one of her eyes blinded, and her breasts melted. She underwent 39 separate surgical operations to repair the damage without success.
She once lamented her condition, saying, "My face is a prison to me," while her son, Naumar, who is now a teenager, was unable to believe the transformation his mother had gone through after the attack. He said: "This is not my mother."
Younus's case was only one of thousands of similar cases in Pakistan until she came to the notice of Pakistani writer and activist Tehmina Durrani, author of
"My Feudal Lord,"
a book severely critical of the status and role of women in Muslim society.
The Washington Post
reports Durrani wrote about Younus's death: "At the young age of 22 an acid attack left her only marginally alive, her horrific mutilation disfigured her so completely that she was now confronted by open disgust and contempt by everyone who set eyes on her in Pakistan. She also became a liability to her own family for whom she was once a source of income. I have met many acid victims. Never have I seen one as completely disfigured as Fakhra. She had not just become faceless; her body had also melted to the bone. Despite her stark and hopeless condition, the government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan was not in the least God-fearing. She was provided nothing...but disdain...and trashed."
According to
Daily Mail
, Durrani helped Younus move to Italy and she lived in Rome while her surgical treatments continued. The story of her life in the past 12 years ended tragically on March 17 when she took her life. She left a note protesting the silence of the law on her plight and the insensitivity of Pakistani authorities.
Durrani says an Italian professor who counseled Younus, said: "I tried to mend her physical scars but was unable to heal her soul."
Durrani, according to
Daily Mail
, was ex-wife of Bilal Khar's father.
Huffington Post
reports Durrani said Younus had vowed before she died: "When I come back [to Pakistan], I will reopen the case, and I'll fight myself."
After the news of Younus's death, Durrani explained that her case shows the Pakistani government needs to do more to fight cases of violence against women. She said: "I think this whole country should be extremely embarrassed that a foreign country took responsibility for a Pakistani citizen for 13 years because we could give her nothing, not justice, not security."
Her former husband Khar, continues to deny he was involved in the attack in spite of the widespread belief that he is guilty. Khar claimed that another man carried out the attack. He also said Younus killed herself because of her financial problems and not because of her injuries. He insinuated she killed herself because her mentors who took her to Italy failed to fulfill their promises to her. He claimed he had been taking care of her before Durrani intervened and took her to Italy
reports Yunus met Khar in 1998 and they got married within six months. According to
, the two met at a dance party. Younus was 18 when she married Khar, 30. She already had a three-year-old son when they married. According to
, it is alleged she left Khar and returned to her parent's home after she discovered that Khar had three previous marriages. She also accused Khar of physically and verbally abusing her. But Khar claims that their marriage broke up because he faced financial problems the same year they were married.
The Aurat Foundation
, a women's right organization, reports that before the Pakistani government introduced a law last year that criminalized acid attacks and provided that anyone found guilty of an acid attack will serve a 14 year jail term, more than 8,500 acid attacks and other incidents of violence against women, often associated with forced marriages, were reported in Pakistan in 2011 alone.
Huffington Post
reports Younus was happy when Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy won the Oscar for the documentary about acid attack victims in Pakistan, but she was not happy that she wasn't profiled in the film.
The Washington Post
reports an ironic footnote to Younus's tragic death: Asian Correspondent' s Ahsan Butt, posted a photo of the foreign minister of Pakistan giving award to the filmmaker of "Saving Face." Butt commented sarcastically: "One acid-burn victim leaped to her death...and one-acid burn perpetrator's cousin is presenting prizes to a documentarian whose Oscar-winning film was about acid-burning women. There's something very wrong with this picture."
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Darrell W. Cook
Oct 2, 2014
Michael Polchies
Sep 25, 2014
Jarrett M. Cote
Sep 18, 2014
Christopher Stevens
Sep 4, 2014
Home » News » Crime
Mass. residents arrested in Bedford in stolen car
Alesandra Castro, 30, and Ashley Dallaire, 28, were arrested about noon Wednesday after police pulled their car over at South River Road and Hull Lane.
The car was reported stolen out of Lowell.
Both were arrested and, while being booked at the police sation, were found to be in possession of controlled drugs.
Castro is charged with receiving stolen property, possession of controlled drugs and driving with a suspended license. Dallaire is charged with receiving stolen proeprty and possession of a controlled drug. She also was arrested on a bench warrant.
Both are being detained at the Valley Street jail in Manchester, he on $10,000 cash bail and she on $3,000 cash bail, pending arraignment Thursday in 9th Circuit Court, Merrimack District Division.
- Blackwater verdict stuns NH dad - 4
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- Police say driver in Amherst fatal crash was traveling about 45 mph above limit - 0
- Manchester Crimewatch: Parolee returned to prison in 3rd protective order case - 0
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- Keene police may seek subpoenas for social media accounts in riot probe - 4
- Ex-Seabrook police officer wants to keep sealed statements out of trial - 0
- Hollis police investigating thefts from vehicles - 0
Accident results in DWI charge for Hudson manREADER COMMENTS: 0
- Hudson police charge man with impersonating police officer - 0
- College Hockey: UNH freshman Clark ready, willing and able - 0
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- Roger Brown's First and 10: Playoff picture will get clearer - 0
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- UMass Lowell polls show senate, gubernatorial races still a close call - 0
Man who died in Manchester blaze identified; a cigarette was the causeREADER COMMENTS: 0
Blackwater verdict stuns NH dad
UPDATED: Flood warning issued for southern NH; leaks force visitation to be cancelled at Goffstown women's prison
Debate rule No. 1: Don't crash
Fixing Obamacare: Shaheen offers no way out
Blackwater verdict stuns NH dad
Making it up: Shameless state Senate attacks
- Whom do you think bears the brunt of the blame for the mayhem this weekend in Keene?
- KSC students
- 37%
- KSC administration
- 2%
- Police
- 6%
- Visitors from out of town
- 18%
- A combination of any/all of the above
- 37%
- Total Votes: 2483


text:
MALF connects Friends of Library organizations, provides valuable resources to support their work, and is a strong voice for Friends of Library groups and libraries throughout Minnesota.
Few people can claim as long or as deep an affiliation with Friends of the Library as Minnesota's own Joan B. Larson.
Her involvement with Friends began in 1957, when she landed her first public library role at a small branch in Browning, Montana. Having not yet been to college, and with no on-the-job training under her belt, Larson relied heavily on the guidance and support of those around her. The local Friends of the Library ranked at the top of that short list. Today, Larson believes that all her later successes in librarianship would not have been possible "without their sage counsel."
After three years in Browning, Larson did go on to get her library degree. Her subsequent career took her all across the country – to Maine, where she worked as an academic librarian and teacher at the University of Maine-Presque Isle, and to South Dakota, where served similar roles at South Dakota State University. In 1983, Larson accepted a position as director of the Northern Lights Library Network (NLLN), one of the largest cooperative library systems in Minnesota.
It is fortunate for us that she did. Over the years, Larson contributed substantially to the important work of a number of our state's library- and literacy-centered organizations, including the Minnesota Educational Media Organization (MEMO) and Minnesota Library Association (MLA). She has received awards from both for her varied contributions – and served a distinguished term as president of the latter.
Since moving to Minnesota, Joan Larson has been an active member and trustee of the Douglas County Library Friends and Foundation. She has also proved herself to be one of the Minnesota Association of Library Friends' (MALF's) most steadfast leaders and vocal members. At various times over the last two decades, she has sat on our Board of Directors and chaired major committees.
Recent achievements include co-planning many of MALF's highly successful workshops and programs, and spearheading MALF's partnership with United for Libraries on the Literary Landmark series. In 2013, MALF proudly dedicated its very first Literary Landmark, the Sinclair Lewis boyhood homestead in Sauk Centre, Minn. – a milestone that could not have been achieved without Larson.
On Thursday, October 9, in recognition of her many and varied accomplishments, MALF awarded Joan Larson its second annual Library Friend of the Year Award. The short ceremony took place during the Minnesota Library Association conference in Mankato.
Thanks once again, Joan, for all you've done – and continue to do!
If you've been a Friend of the Library for any length of time, you're probably familiar with the concept of a "one book" or "community reads" program. The one-book initiative has quickly taken root in cities, counties, and schools across the country, and it's easy to understand why. The premise is simple – promote literacy and community connectedness through a large-scale book club – yet endlessly customizable.
This fall, Minnesota is surging to the forefront of this growing movement, and we want YOU to be a part of it. The Council of Regional Public Library System Administrators (CRPLSA), using start-up funds from the Minnesota Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund, is rolling out the first ever statewide one-book program geared towards children.The program, dubbed "Once Upon a Reader," is geared towards preschoolers in particular. The book chosen for Once Upon a Reader's inaugural year is Moo!, written by Minnesota author David LaRochelle and illustrated by Minnesota artist Mike Wohnoutka.
While the initiative is in fact a statewide one, there is room for customization on the local level. CRPLSA is making available four activity packages for purchase by local libraries and Friends groups. There's something for every budget; a steering committee made up by librarians from across Minnesota have ensured there are enriching and entertaining items available at a variety of price points. (See below.)
In our continuing efforts to promote the work of Friends, MALF is pleased to offer members a dollar-for-dollar match to offset Once Upon a Reader costs. Purchase two Take-Home Play Kits at a total cost of $200, and MALF will reimburse you $100. Order a Vacation Scrapbook and a Milk and Cookie Storytime Kit at a total cost of $145, and MALF will reimburse you $72.50 - and so on. The combinations are endless!
Matches will be capped at three (3) items and/or $300 per Friends group. Please remember that eligibility is contingent on current MALF membership. Participating in Once Upon a Reader through this special offer is simple. Place an order online through the program's website, onceuponareader.org. Print a copy of your receipt or order confirmation form and mail it to us with this completed form. We will remit reimbursement within 30 business days. MALF's total match fund is $3,000, so order today!
Once Upon a Reader – 2014/2015
Moo!, by David LaRochelle and Mike Wohnoutka
Cow Scavenger Hunt / $20 – This passive program allows even the smallest library to take part in Once Upon a Reader. Simply hide the animals around the library and make the scavenger hunt lists available to families to complete while in the library.
Cow's Vacation Scrapbook / $40 – This self-contained passive program allows families to borrow a plush cow. Families take Cow home in her special backpack that contains a scrapbook with places for drawing, writing stories, and adding photographs of the adventures that kids and Cow have together. This program encourages families to Talk, Play, Read, Write and even Singtogether as encouraged by ECRR2, and will include early literacy information for parents.
Take Home Play Kit / $100 – This kit is for libraries to circulate to families and care providers. It will include a copy of Moo! and five toys, puppets or manipulatives that support the five practices and six skills outlined in ECRR and ECRR2, along with information for parents and caregivers on early literacy.
Milk and Cookie Storytime Kit / $105 – These "Storytime in a box" kits include books, a manipulative, and storytime outlines that are suited to a variety of ages. Outlines will be customizable, and include best practices for storytime using ALA's Every Child Ready to Read early literacy platform.
The Friends of the Ramsey Co. Library: Great Gatsby Gala
On February 1, after months of intense planning, the Friends of the Ramsey County Libraries pulled off a great fundraiser. A Gatsby-great fundraiser, to be more precise. Organizers tore a page straight from the Great American Novel and hosted a "Great Gatsby Gala" at the Roseville Library.
(As many Minnesota bibliophiles know, author F. Scott Fitzgerald was born in St. Paul – less than ten miles from the Roseville Library venue.)
The evening, emceed by Minnesota Public Radio personality Kerri Miller, contained several elements common to Friends fundraisers. Silent and live auctions boasted over seventy donated items ranging from one-of-a-kind specialty items, to gift baskets, to fun dining, theater and sightseeing experiences.
The rest of the night was, as the name promised, a real blast from the past. Highlights included Roaring Twenties style dance lessons, a costume contest recognizing most authentic period dress, and a photo booth with Gastby-era props.
Having never done anything of this sort, the Friends paid special attention to advance publicity. A press release and event updates were sent to local media outlets, and the Friends, in partnership with the Ramsey Co. Library, sent out a large mailing of their own. Social media and tried-and-true word of mouth also played a role.
Commensurate with the party's Roaring Twenties theme, planners set an ambitious fundraising goal of $20,000. By the end of the night, Ramsey County had met and surpassed that mark, with the live auction alone bringing in upwards of $8,000. After all was said and done, the Gala grossed $47,000 and netted nearly $35,000. This allowed the Friends to purchase more than 1,000 new items for circulation at library branches in Maplewood, Mounds View, New Brighton, Roseville, Shoreview, and White Bear Lake.
Attendance figures were equally impressive, with 250 "flappers" and "fellas" turning out at the Gala. Revelers included the Mayor of Roseville, all four Ramsey County Commissioners, and numerous business and community leaders. (Missed the big event? Don't worry! The Friends of the Ramsey County Libraries is already hard at work planning a second annual gala for spring 2015.)
Here's a quandary we wager Friends of the Library everywhere can relate to. Every couple of months, your organization puts time and effort into collecting, sorting, pricing, and selling used books to benefit the local library. You sell most, but invariably are left with a few dozen titles that didn't find a home. What to do?
The Minnesota Legislative Reference Library can help. Donate your used and unsold books, audiobooks, DVDs, and music CDs by Monday, October 21, and you will receive a receipt for a tax deduction. Materials will be sold at the "Combined Charities Used Book Sale" on November 5-6 in Room 500N of the State Office Building.
There are three drop-off locations in St. Paul: the Legislative Reference Library (Room 645, State Office Building), the Chief Clerk's Office (Room 211, Capitol Building), and the House Supply Room (Room G35, State Office Building). Note that VHS tapes and gently used puzzles will also be accepted.
Direct questions to email@example.com or 651-296-8338.
Between MALF's seasonal workshops and the annual Minnesota Library Association conference, fall is a busy time for Friends of the Library in Minnesota. Even so, it's important to remember what is happening on the national stage. October 19-25 is National Friends of Libraries Week!
National Friends of Libraries Week is sponsored and coordinated by United for Libraries, a division of the American Library Association and MALF's national counterpart. Its two-fold purpose is to:
To these ends, United for Libraries has posted on its website a number of stories and downloadable resources to help you get started. Click here for posters, sample letters to the editor, template public proclamations, and much much more.
As those who have participated in previous years already know, this week-long celebration is an extremely customizable one. Apart from the overall mission sketched out above, appropriate ways to celebrate Friends of Libraries Week are nearly as many and varied as America's countless Friends groups! In years past, these have ranged from the simple and straightforward, like week-long membership campaigns and fundraising drives, to the unexpected and sometimes wacky – like an in-library demonstration from a world champion chocolate strawberry dipper.


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The Drawing Board: (another) EU summit…
I was going to paint the sky snowy with stormy clouds, but decided on a flat slate grey – more foreboding I think.
The amount of rock in the rough is more effective than in the final image. Just that extra five or ten percent of the mountain face made it more dramatic. Oh well, too late once I'd finished it.
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text: Concert Bobby McFerrin: The Soul of Singing Wednesday / March 5, 2008 / 6:00 pm Berklee Performance Center 136 Massachusetts Avenue Boston MA United States 02115 See the Africana Studies homepage for more information. Cosponsored by the Voice Department. This event is not open to the public. Admission with Berklee ID only. Admission: Read more about Bobby McFerrin: The Soul of Singing Professional Writing Division Awards Concert Wednesday / April 9, 2008 / 8:15 pm Berklee Performance Center 136 Massachusetts Avenue Boston MA United States 02115 This is an annual concert featuring honor award recipients in the Professional Writing Division. Each department in the division is represented by a student honoree. Departments with majors are represented by one of their majors. The evening is an eclectic collection of writing and performance at a high level. Admission: Read more about Professional Writing Division Awards Concert Women Musicians Network 11th Annual Concert Thursday / March 6, 2008 / 7:15 pm Berklee Performance Center 136 Massachusetts Avenue Boston MA United States 02115 The Women Musicians Network is proud to announce its 11th annual Berklee Performance Center concert. The show includes 13 distinct acts in styles ranging from blues and rock to alternative folk, jazz, and contemporary classical ensembles. The show is composed, arranged, produced, and performed by Berklee women students and their bands under the direction of Berklee faculty Lucy Holstedt and Christiane Karam. You'll hear inventive, high-powered solos on piano, electric violin, and marimba; driving rock guitar and vocals; quiet moments with poignant and humorous lyrics; exciting jazz; and world-beat grooves. This year features a guest appearance by alumna MIDI/marimba player Vessela Stoyanova with her tech rock band Fluttr Effect. WMN also welcomes back the Boston-based world-beat band Zili Misik, winner of the 2007 Rockrgrl Battle of the All-Female Bands. In addition to Fluttr Effect and Zili Misik, performers include Christina Fabi, Jelena Bracika, Emi Inaba, Helen Sherrah-Davies, Manami Morita, Britt Woollard, Nili Brosh, Ekaterini Polemis, Jenna Hardy, Nicola Bunte, and Chesca Santos. Fluttr Effect's eclectic, high-energy sound is the result of fusing guitar, electric cello, drum, marimba, and sultry vocals. Composed of Berklee alumna Vessela Stoyanova on MIDI/marimba, vocalist Kara Trott, guitarist Troy Kidwell, drummer Jason Marchionna, and cellist Valerie Thompson, Fluttr Effect has been mesmerizing audiences with a sound that's easy to grasp but just out of reach. It's not quite prog rock but one step beyond pop music. In 2004, the band released their debut CD Trithemis Festiva, and toured the U.S. and Canada, further developing their brand of "thinkrock"—smart, haunting, unrelenting rock music. Fluttr Effect's second album, 2006's Marking Time, is a tapestry, a finely woven album of complex, playful instrumentation and insistent vocals. The album is a truly independent undertaking. In addition to composing and performing the tracks, the band raised the funds, engineered, and designed the project. Zili Misik—led by Kera Washington and including Joanna Maria; Berklee student Hinako Sato; and alumnae Rajdulari, Krystal Johnson, Joy Roster, Lexi Havlin, and Jobeth Umali—create music that bridges cultures, generations, and continents. With captivating sounds that evoke the African continent, Zili retraces routes of forced exile and cultural resistance through rhythm and song. Powerful Haitian, Brazilian, and West African rhythms infuse Zili's original and traditional folk songs. Reconnecting Haitian mizik rasin, jazz, roots reggae, samba, Cuban son, and neo soul, Zili honors its influences while creating a sound that is uniquely its own. Zili's songs are sensual, political, self-reflective, and positive, with lyrics that glide seamlessly from English to Creole to Portuguese to Spanish. Christina Fabi, a vocalist and pianist, is one half the duo Nini&Ben, with guitarist Benjamin Gebert. Nini&Ben created their debut album, Rise and Shine, with the help of Berklee guitarist Ryo Ishikawa. Before arriving at Berklee, Fabi and Gebert traveled together through Europe and rural Australia for almost two years in an old VW doing various jobs, performing at clubs and coffee houses, writing music, and connecting with fellow musicians. This way of living inspired them to capture the most profound moments of life in their warm and expressive songs. Having left those days behind, Nini&Ben added an exciting and funky new flavor to their folky roots. Jelena Bracika is a native of Serbia in the former Yugoslavia. In addition to being a talented vocalist, she is an accomplished actor, and has been a member of several theaters in Belgrade. Bracika, an improvisation fan who discovered jazz in school, has performed with various bands at many of the major clubs and festivals in Belgrade and Serbia. She was awarded a scholarship to attend Berklee, where she has studied voice with Lisa Thorson, Mili Bermejo, Donna McElroy, and Marlon Saunders, exploring many different styles, including a passion for Latin music. Bracika is also developing her songwriting skills. Emi Inaba won numerous national piano competitions as a teenager in her native Japan. She moved to London in 2001 and continued to give many recitals of her compositions, both solo and with her own group, in the U.K. and Japan. Inaba's tastes extend beyond classical music to jazz and contemporary. She received WST and BEST scholarships to attend Berklee, where she is currently in her third semester. Inaba leads an eight-piece group in this concert, performing her composition "New Vision." Helen Sherrah-Davies won a scholarship to the prestigious Chetham's School of Music in Manchester, England at the age of eight, and continued her musical education at Cambridge University. She has played in numerous concerts, from solo piano and violin recitals, to duos, quartet, and orchestras. Sherrah-Davies has taught violin at several schools, and performed in venues including Leeds Castle, the National History Museum, the Houses of Parliament, and at occasions such as the wedding of Victoria and David Beckham. After hearing jazz fiddler Mike Piggott, Sherrah-Davies was inspired to change direction, and was soon performing and recording with jazz musicians Mike Hatchard and Dylan Kay. Pursuing this new direction led her to study at Berklee on scholarships. Manami Morita, a native of Saitama, Japan, started playing classical piano at age four. At the time, she hated piano lessons because she wasn't attracted to classical piano. She loved to play but wanted more musical freedom. At 13, Morita discovered jazz and became addicted, even learning improvisation on her own. In 2004, Morita put aside thoughts of becoming a flight attendant or English teacher to follow her dream of playing jazz, when she received a scholarship to study at Berklee. She was recently awarded the Mary Jane Earnhart Endowed Scholarship. Brit Woollard has been playing cello for nearly a decade, and violin for five years. She took her classical training and transformed her playing from conservatory to contemporary. Woollard's rock transformation began in late 2002 and led her to arrange Michael Kamen's Metallica S&M "One" for full orchestra and direct/conduct the piece in concert. She has also gone through timely vocal transformations. Finding her right voice led her from sounding aggressive and somewhat raspy like Scott Weiland to emulating Bjork and Thom Yorke. Currently, Woollard studies at Berklee with Eugene Friesen and Mimi Rabson. She is also an avid artist and self-taught guitar player since 2006. Nili Brosh began playing guitar at 12, after years of being inspired by her older brother's playing. Brosh, who studied with guitarist Joe Stump and played solo projects throughout high school, came to Berklee 2006. She soon put out a solo EP entitled The House of Tomorrow. In order to perform her original instrumental music live, Brosh formed the Nili Brosh Band with Berklee students, rhythm guitarist Sabi Saltiel, bassist Josh Kwolek, and drummer Masashi Ushijima. The band currently gigs regularly around the Boston area. A female shredder making an impression at the young age of 19, Brosh is endorsed by custom instrument maker Inspire Guitars. Admission: Read more about Women Musicians Network 11th Annual Concert New Piano Music Monday / March 3, 2008 / 3:00 pm David Friend Recital Hall 921 Boylston Street Boston MA United States 02115 Each year student composers submit piano compositions to be selected and performed by Berklee piano students during the annual Keys Festival. This year, 11 students will have their piano music performed by 10 of Berklee's finest pianists on the Steinway piano in David Friend Recital Hall under the direction of Piano Department chair Stephany Tiernan. Admission: Read more about New Piano Music Harmony Department Faculty Concert Monday / February 25, 2008 / 7:15 pm Berklee Performance Center 136 Massachusetts Avenue Boston MA United States 02115 The Berklee Harmony Department will present its annual concert of music by faculty composers. The program will consist of of original compositions and arrangements in a wide variety of jazz styles. The performing ensemble will be composed of Harmony faculty members: Dave Johnson (tpt), Danny Harrington (bari sax), Randy Felts (alto sax), David Harris (tbn), and Will Silvio (ten sax); pianists George W. Russell Jr., Joe Mulholland, and Tom Hojnacki; guitarists John Stein and Steve Kirby; and vocalist Kristine Adams. The guest rhythm section will be composed of bassist John Repucci and drummer Bob Tamagni of the Berklee Performance Division. Bill Pierce, chairman of the Berklee Woodwind Department, will be this year's featured guest saxophone soloist. Admission: Read more about Harmony Department Faculty Concert Soul Caribbean Thursday / February 21, 2008 / 7:15 pm Berklee Performance Center 136 Massachusetts Avenue Boston MA United States 02115 Soul Caribbean is a concert celebrating the music of the Caribbean performed by Berklee ensembles: the Afro-Cuban Ensemble, the Steel Pan Ensemble, and the Bob Marley Ensemble. The concert connects to the year's themes celebrating the relevance of the soul era. Soul resonated musically and socially/politically not only in the states, but in the Caribbean, as well. Tonight's directors, professors Matt Jenson, Ron Reid, and Ricardo Monzon, will lead the ensembles through a repertoire that contains the great music of Caribbean traditions. Certainly most known is Jamaican reggae. That music was literally born and grew up equally out of island traditions and the roots of protest r&b. But certainly the sentiment of soul, ritual, and culturally relevant music could be seen and heard throughout the Caribbean in the powerful musical traditions of Cuba and the unique instrumental and song culture of Trinidad. Tonight the ensembles celebrate the soul of the Caribbean. Admission: Read more about Soul Caribbean New Music Festival Wednesday / February 13, 2008 / 7:15 pm Berklee Performance Center 136 Massachusetts Avenue Boston MA United States 02115 This annual festival showcases original arrangements and compositions performed by a variety of musical groups in different styles. The six groups are Mumble News, quirky rock with vocals directed by Katie Slicher; Nini & Ben, folky, countryish, German-influenced pop directed by Christina Fabi; Space Octopus, instrumental guitar-based hard rock directed by Dan Hoyos; singer/songwriter Neara Russell; Lauren Buchter String Quartet with video installation; and Beautiful Lies, alternative energetic pop-rock with vocals directed by Alex Rossiter. Admission: Read more about New Music Festival Berklee Chamber Players Tuesday / April 15, 2008 / 7:30 pm David Friend Recital Hall 921 Boylston Street Boston MA United States 02115 The Berklee Chamber Players will play the music of Berklee composers LeVines, LeClaire, Cohen, Holland, and Juusela. The Berklee Chamber Players are a group of versatile performance faculty committed to presenting new and fairly new classical music of Berklee composers and other 20th- and 21st-century greats. Admission: Read more about Berklee Chamber Players Bill Harley: Storyteller/Songwriter for Adults and Children Tuesday / April 15, 2008 / 4:00 pm David Friend Recital Hall 921 Boylston Street Boston MA United States 02115 Bill Harley is a Grammy Award–winning musician, storyteller, songwriter, author, and playwright who has carved out a reputation as one of the finest family performers in the United States. Harley has written five children's books, 27 award-winning recordings of stories and sons, and three Grammy nominations for his spoken word work. In 2006, he won his first Grammy for his children's music. In 2001, he was named a member of the Circle of Excellence by the National Storytelling network in recognition of his excellence in performance, leadership, and service. In this show, he will perform his wise and witty tales and songs for the entire Berklee community. Admission: Read more about Bill Harley: Storyteller/Songwriter for Adults and Children Pete Huttlinger Thursday / April 10, 2008 / 7:30 pm David Friend Recital Hall 921 Boylston Street Boston MA United States 02115 Since his days of subway busking, Huttlinger has developed into a world-renowned guitarist. Even as a must-have sideman, he occupied some pretty choice real estate, including the Hollywood Bowl and London's Royal Albert Hall with John Denver, Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas and stadiums around the world with numerous other pop and country superstars. He has been a featured artist with the San Diego and Houston symphonies and is a favorite guest artist of the Nashville Chamber Orchestra. In 2000 Huttlinger won the title of National Fingerstyle Champion at the prestigious Walnut Valley Festival. In the past five years, Huttlinger has stepped into the solo spotlight. He has just released his latest CD, The Santa Rita Connection. This newest collection is hot on the heels of his critically acclaimed Naked Pop CD. Ten of the 13 tracks on The Santa Rita Connection are original compositions. "I've been writing tunes since I was 14 years old," says Huttlinger. Naked Pop was a way to introduce my playing to people using tunes that they were familiar and comfortable with, thus setting the stage for a CD of my own tunes." The Santa Rita Connection does however include some classic covers, such as the blinding version of George Gershwin's "I Got Rhythm," Huttlinger's mind-boggling arrangement of Steve Wonder's "Superstition," and a beautiful adaptation of the timeless "Sunny." Admission: Read more about Pete Huttlinger Pages« first ‹ previous … 550 551 552 553 554 555 556 557 558 … next › last »


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Secretary Clinton to AIDS 2012: "We Will Not Back Off, We Will Not Back Down"
I don't think it's an overstatement to say that Secretary Clinton electrified the AIDS 2012 audience with her keynote address at this week's conference. Her speech was a perfect combination of substance and inspiration, and the enthusiastic reception made it clear that she had hit all the right notes.
Last November, of course, she articulated the goal, made possible by recent scientific advances, of an AIDS-free generation. This laid the groundwork for President Obama's groundbreaking announcement on World AIDS Day of ambitious new combination prevention goals for PEPFAR, including a 50% increase in our treatment goal, to 6 million by the end of fiscal year 2013.
In her remarks this week, the Secretary updated the world on PEPFAR's progress since then. We've dramatically increased the pace of treatment enrollment, reaching nearly 4.5 million with treatment through the first half of this fiscal year – putting us on track to meet the 6 million goal on time. One of the other goals was to reach 1.5 million HIV-positive pregnant women with services to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV – and we're on target to achieve that as well, reaching 370,000 women in the first half of FY 2012. We've also performed 400,000 voluntary medical male circumcisions in that same time frame – with an accelerating pace as countries come to understand what a cost-effective, smart investment it is. Looking to the future, Secretary Clinton announced that she has asked me to produce, by World AIDS Day this year, a blueprint for the next steps in America's contribution to an AIDS-free generation.
So there was plenty of substance. But there was also much to inspire. In words that resonated powerfully with the many attendees from developing countries, the Secretary spoke about the U.S. commitment to support country leadership in the response. She was forceful about ensuring that our programs meet the needs of those who face the highest risks, including men who have sex with men, people who inject drugs, and sex workers. The audience warmly welcomed her announcement of several new PEPFAR investments in work with these groups. And Secretary Clinton did not shy away from challenging the world by asserting that AIDS is a global, shared responsibility – one that requires all nations, not only the U.S., to step up, with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria an essential vehicle to do so.
Finally, the Secretary movingly described visiting the AIDS Quilt on the National Mall in 1996 with President Clinton. She pointed the way forward to the day "when we can stop adding names." I believe that after today, no one doubts America's commitment to that day when we celebrate an AIDS-free generation at last.
Eric P. Goosby is the United States Global AIDS Coordinator
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Archive for the 'Word of God' Category
Psalm 20 – The Word of God to You
1 May the LORD answer you when you are in distress;
may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.
2 May he send you help from the sanctuary
and grant you support from Zion.
3 May he remember all your sacrifices
and accept your burnt offerings.
4 May he give you the desire of your heart
and make all your plans succeed.
5 May we shout for joy over your victory
and lift up our banners in the name of our God.
May the LORD grant all your requests.
6 Now this I know:
The LORD gives victory to his anointed.
He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary
with the victorious power of his right hand.
7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.
8 They are brought to their knees and fall,
but we rise up and stand firm.
9 LORD, give victory to the king!
Answer us when we call!
Believe it and see the glory of God in your life; for there shall be a performance of His word.
Bible Quote: From New International Version.
Visions from God
Many things have been said and written about visions and there are a lot of things that can be said about visions from God. Vision is one of the ways that God communicates with us. This way of communication like many others has been so mystified that it brings trepidation to many Christians. I want to throw a bit of light on it to help someone gain more understanding about walking with God. Abraham, Isaiah, Ezekiel and many other people had visions from God.
"After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward." Gen.15:1. (NKJV)
"The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah" Isaiah 1:1. (NKJV)
"Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the River Chebar, that the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God." Ezekiel 1:1 (NKJV)
Vision is about seeing. Vision in the spiritual realm is much like vision in the physical; it is the ability to see things but not with the physical eyes. Another way of helping you understand this is to liken it to a dream. In visions you have no control over the things that you see. You just see what is revealed to you. It is not something you struggle about and it is not about opening your "eyes wide enough" in other to see. In a vision from God, God allows you to see something he wants you to see. If you do "anything special" in other to see visions, then it is something to beware of.
"Now the angel who talked with me came back and wakened me, as a man who is wakened out of his sleep. And he said to me, "What do you see?" So I said, "I am looking, and there is a lampstand of solid gold with a bowl on top of it, and on the stand seven lamps with seven pipes to the seven lamps. Two olive trees are by it, one at the right of the bowl and the other at its left." So I answered and spoke to the angel who talked with me, saying, "What are these, my lord?" Then the angel who talked with me answered and said to me, "Do you not know what these are?" And I said, "No, my lord." So he answered and said to me: "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' Says the LORD of hosts. 'Who are you, O great mountain?
Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain! And he shall bring forth the capstone with shouts of "Grace, grace to it!"'" Zech. 4:1-7 (NKJV)
In the scripture above, Zechariah saw a vision from God. The angel actually asked him about what he saw, just to make sure he saw exactly the "pictures" before him. The ability to see is what is known as seeing vision. This vision is entirely different from the vision of having a plan, a perception, or insight about doing or following a certain course in life.
Vision from God is not the same thing as clairvoyance or divination as practised in some places. If God gives you a vision, he is mostly likely to give you the understanding of it. Visions from God to his children are not nightmares; though God may show a believer what he intends to do as a judgement to wicked people. God will most likely show you things that are unambiguous and you may not need further search for understanding. Searching for meaning to visions can be burdensome and subject to vagaries of interpretations; so in most cases, God doesn't put that burden upon his children but this is not usually the case for none unbelievers.
The spirits of unbelievers are dead; that is, it is insensitive to God and their minds are clogged with many things that are anti-God and they cannot understand the voice of God in any way. So, the first thing God seeks with unbelievers is to bring them to conviction and repentance before any other thing; when unbelievers close this door, the door of judgement open upon them.
It is useless trying to force a vision. Many people attempt to do this to appear special or to manipulate others. It is falsehood and it is just like a blind person who attempts to describe something he cannot see or feel. The problem really is that many people allow themselves to be deceived by the ploys of people who manipulate spiritual things. For instance, does it take hitting ones head on the wall to see? If anyone does that, he may become fantasized and prone to demonic influences. The scriptures revealed this about some who called themselves prophets in Israel many years ago.
"And the LORD said to me, "The prophets prophesy lies in My name. I have not sent them, commanded them, nor spoken to them; they prophesy to you a false vision, divination, a worthless thing, and the deceit of their heart." Jer. 14:14 (NKJV)
I know that sometimes, in believers' meetings or services, someone can fall under the anointing and may not be conscious of his environment for some time and when he comes round, he might say he saw a vision. Such experiences are normal for as long as they are not attempts to manipulate other people.
Every vision is subject to biblical scrutiny and confirmation through the word of God, the Bible. Nothing should be accepted in isolation and if you are under undue pressure from another person to accept a "vision", walk away from it. True visions have nothing sinister about them. The proof of visions is their fulfilments.
If you don't see visions, you are no less a Christian; you are not superhuman if you do. God gives us various abilities according to his purpose. The most important thing is to be a child of God. God can speak to you and there are various ways he speaks to his children. I have had the privilege of being involved in some of them. The best attitude to these things is to see oneself as a messenger, "just like the mail man" whose job is to deliver mails to people's houses. The joy of the job is in doing exactly what it demands.
We must not see ourselves as lords over God's people because we have the gifts of God; doing so is much like taking the glory that belongs to God. Every gift must be exercised in love.
Visions are still part of the ways God speaks to us today and if you have this gift please exercise it in a godly way. You must not allow people to put you off it. Let Jesus be glorified in all you do.
Bible Quotes: http://www.biblegateway.com
He Was Almost There!
Some years ago I had a friend who planned to marry. A lot of preparations were put into it and a good sum of money was spent. When the time came he informed me he was travelling to get married; I wished him well (I couldn't go with him). For several weeks he did not come back; I was very worried but I could not contact him. One evening, I finally got to him, but he was very unhappy; he told me his story, the bride did not show up for the wedding; she backed-off at the last moment. (The family stopped her from going through with it.) They were almost there!
There was another man who nearly got there. He almost made it to heaven. The following scripture tells his story.
"Now as he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, "Paul, you are beside yourself! Much learning is driving you mad!"
But he said, "I am not mad, most noble Festus, but speak the words of truth and reason. For the king, before whom I also speak freely, knows these things; for I am convinced that none of these things escapes his attention, since this thing was not done in a corner. King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you do believe."
Then Agrippa said to Paul, "You almost persuade me to become a Christian."
And Paul said, "I would to God that not only you, but also all who hear me today, might become both almost and altogether such as I am, except for these chains." Acts 26:24-29 (NKJV)
During his trial, when the Jewish leaders accused Paul of insurrection, he was brought before Festus the governor and Agrippa the king and the above quote was an excerpt of that encounter.
Agrippa said to Paul "You almost persuaded me to become a Christian." He never became one. It was like he got to the gate of heaven, to the throne of mercy and then turned back. He was almost there! It is unfortunate. What would Agrippa say when he finally gets to the judgement seat of Christ? What stopped him from going through with it?
If he wasn't fit to make a sound judgement about eternal life, how was he able to govern people; making very serious decision like the one involving Paul, issues that could cost someone his life? Job 32:9 says, "Great men are not always wise: neither do the aged understand judgment." (KJV)
He could also have considered what his friends would make of such a decision. Mark 8:38 says, "Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels." (KJV)
He was ultimately responsible for his actions. It doesn't matter what other people think or say, we are responsible for our decisions. It is important to understand this so we can stand up for what is right.
Was it that his position made aligning with the Christian life difficult for him? If that is the case where is he now? We must not cling to things that don't last to the detriment of things that have lasting and daring consequences. King Saul of Israel lost his dynasty because he preferred being a "man of the people" to obeying God. He lost the kingdom and lost the people.
You might have had or heard of experiences of "being almost there". They can lead to unimaginable frustration, stress and even depression. Sometimes they could be things outside our control that caused them and in that case we couldn't do anything about it. At other times we were solely responsible for what happened. People usually have difficulties recovering from incidents.
To avoid being caught up in very ugly situations like that, we must be very prayerful and watchful.
We must develop our characters, so that we can live for the highest ideals.
We must appreciate what friends and relations are, and what they are not and cannot be.
We must give time to study, so that we can have valuable information to help us at critical times of decision making.
It is important to know that when it comes to choosing between God and any other thing, God must have the pre-eminence. You might be at a crossroad about making a decision of eternal value, I urge you to choose God. Today is a good day to choose Christ. Do it.
Bible Quotes: http://www.biblegateway.com
This articles is also published in http://www.gracefulvoice.com
The Mystery of Evil
The recent circumstances surrounding the missing plane MH370 and the unexplainable motive behind such evil raises further questions about evil. Why on earth would anybody do such a thing to passengers who were about their own businesses? What could have been the fate of the passengers on board the plane? If they are alive, what would be their state of mind and body? Our society is fully of many such evils and you get filled with sorrow every time you tune to a News channel on Radio or Television. In some News media, some horrible incidents are turning into "horror entertainments", as a considerable time of News bulletins are used to feature trials of such incidents; some station broadcast special programmes on high profile "celebrities involved in crime". (Their explanation is that the public wants it). Evil happens all over the world and cuts across all sections of the society. It is like the "world is mad with evils". Science can't explain the mystery of evil because it cannot be measured or calculated; it is usually unpredictable, and full of pain and sorrow. It is difficult to predict who will be doing evil or harm to someone soon. Nobody could have predicted that one of the 12 Apostles would betray Jesus for money.(Only Jesus himself did)
The available information on the mystery of evil is found in the Bible. The Bible says,
"And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, "Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time."
Jesus said in John 10:10 "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."
The devil had taken it upon himself to wreck humanity and cause as much damage as he can. If you read the book of Job, you will get further insight about evil and the activities of the devil. He wants to prove that God is in the wrong and attempts to drag humanity into that belief and his way of doing it is through pain, loss, and deceit.
It is very unfortunate that people who are unsuspecting get involved in these horrible activities of the enemy. When evil happens, many people get drawn into it one way or the order.
What is the best attitude to things like that?
• We must be sensitive at all times how we handle incidents involving evil occurrence.
• We must empathise with those involved in every way possible
• We must do all we can to help, we must not come up with wrong conclusions and judgements (it is better to keep quiet than offer wrong perceptions of things, in words or actions).
• We must stay away from taking advantage of people in such situations.
• We should pray for those directly affected
In dealing with evil, we must continue to pray at all times.
Jesus taught his followers to pray; as we can read in the following scriptures.
"So He said to them, "When you pray, say:
"Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us day by day our daily bread.
And forgive us our sins,
For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one." (Luke 11:2-4)
I have highlighted the last bit to show that the Lord wants us to pray against temptations and evil. We are to pray against the activities of the evil one. It should be a constant prayer – do it every day. God can handle everything that we encounter. When we have prayed, we should believe God to help us.
Evil will not last for ever; God will bring evil to an end and the evil one will be judged. Evils are inspired by the devil, who finds it convenient to possess people and use them to accomplish evil work. Whether planned or spontaneous, evil is still the same thing. Evil is bad and has no justifications. Psalm 125: 1-3 says,
"Those who trust in the LORD
Are like Mount Zion,
Which cannot be moved, but abides forever.
As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
So the LORD surrounds His people
From this time forth and forever.
For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest
On the land allotted to the righteous,
Lest the righteous reach out their hands to iniquity."
God bless you.
Bible quote: http://www.biblegateway.com
Your Past in Your Present
We cannot underestimate the power and influence that our negative past has over our present. It is very subtle how it creeps in from time to time. There are many people who have so much complication with their past that their present is a wreck. You must deal with that stronghold if you are to enjoy liberty, freedom, productivity and fulfilment. Many nations, people and individuals are still wallowing with the evil of the past; things that they can't change and the pains they only play out in their imagination. Year after year nations commemorate catastrophes; re-awakening the hurts of the past to the demise of the present. The following scripture tells the story of people like that and the response that all of us should pay attention to.
"When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, "What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?" So they sent word to Joseph, saying, "Your father left these instructions before he died: 'This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.' Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father." When their message came to him, Joseph wept.
His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him. "We are your slaves," they said.
But Joseph said to them, "Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don't be afraid. I will provide for you and your children." And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them." Gen. 50:15-19 (NIV)
These were men that concealed their evil deed for several years. They were under a hideous oath not to divulge anything about what happened to Joseph. Now their past refused to go away even after Joseph showed them love. They were not convinced of his sincerity. That is exactly how many of us treat the love of God. Many people keep coming back to God to confess the same old sin over and over, without acknowledging that "God's mercy endures for ever" They can't accept that his love is everlasting. In this mood, they fail to enjoy the freedom that salvation brings.
The following scripture speaks about people who find it difficult to accept who we are now. There are many parents who still "babysit" their adult children. They "baby them" all about the places. They are others who cannot bear the site of our new level of life. They want us to still be "old fools" world without end. They see themselves as the "choiced, gifted, born-leaders, etc." They are quick to play down other people's achievements in very subtle ways. The Jews treated Jesus like that. The scripture says,
"Here he is, speaking publicly, and they are not saying a word to him. Have the authorities really concluded that he is the Messiah? But we know where this man is from; when the Messiah comes, no one will know where he is from." Then Jesus, still teaching in the temple courts, cried out, "Yes, you know me, and you know where I am from. I am not here on my own authority, but he who sent me is true. You do not know him," John 7:26-28 (NIV)
Jesus resisted their backward and parochial mentality. Most times people paint the false humility picture of this evil. However, the question is, would Jesus have been considered "humble" if he accepted their perception of him. Would Jesus have fulfilled his ministry better if he accepted their view about his divinity? While I don't support pride or arrogance in anyway, I must stress that being who you are irrespective of what other people think of you, is the best life you can ever live.
You cannot make a difference in your generation being someone else. You must discover yourself and live it out. Sometimes, your life might be carved out for a future generation and the present system or community viewpoint cannot understand a thing about you or pay for your worth. Many things we enjoy today sounded foolish to the first people who heard about it. For example, the Wright brothers announced they could fly and were called "foul"; who dares undermined their claim today? You can name others. Many great inventions that were foolish to many people who first heard about them are just all around you (Just look around you where you are now)
Many "school drop-outs" are doing great exploits in many areas of life but their former brilliant old teachers still wonder about "that dull boy" they had committed to "would amount to nothing" garbage bins. You must deliver yourself through the power of God from your negative past. It is time to move on. Forgive those who you need to forgive, leave behind you those that refused to forgive your past. Forgive yourself and move on.
God has made you new. Live it.
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." 2 Cor. 5:17-21. (NIV)
Your Well-Being Versus Religious Debates
There are a lot of argument about healing and miracles. Many of those arguments are appalling because they come from people who should know better (Christian religious leaders.) They argue that signs and wonders, healing and miracles don't happen again. I have made up mine mind to distance myself from such circles because such discussions are unbeneficial and boring. However, it is nothing new as you will find in the following scripture.
"On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, "Woman, you are set free from your infirmity." Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.
Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue leader said to the people, "There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath."
The Lord answered him, "You hypocrites! Doesn't each of you on the Sabbath untie your ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water? Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?"
When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing." Luke 13:10-17.(NIV)
There are people who have the idea like "I don't care if and when you are healed (or receive your miracle), for as long as it is not now. Some people consider talk about the Holy Spirit, miracles, healing, signs and wonders as "insanity" or misguided teaching.
My concern is about believers who need to enjoy the provision God made for their well-being. If you don't believe in the supernatural, miracles, healing, sign and wonders, what are you in church for? If you don't believe in God's intervention in human affairs, what are you carrying the Bible for? A believer must come to terms with what the word of God teaches. God wants us to make heaven as well as enjoy his goodness on earth. There are a lot of pressures from the devil and many people need help. We can get help from God as we ask for it in prayers. We must persevere in hope for deliverance and victory over the powers of darkness.
The woman that Jesus healed was described as a "daughter of Abraham". She must have been fervent in serving God but was content to live with her infirmity for life. The religious leaders of those days were not bothered about people's problems. Like we read from the scripture, they ended up in embarrassment when Jesus exposed their errors. I believe in the power of God to intervene in human affairs. I have seen and experienced sign and wonders, miracles, deliverance, healing, etc.
Healing, miracles, sign and wonders are your portion. You can receive help now. Ask God for it; it won't cost you anything; ask by faith. Do it now and never give up.
Surely, You Can!
Praise The Lord
"Praise the LORD! Praise The LORD, O my soul!
I will praise the LORD, as long as I live;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.
Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.
When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that day his plans perish.
Blessed is he whose help is the Lord God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord his God, who made the heaven and the earth,
the sea and all that is in them, who keeps faith forever;
who executes justice for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry."
You can praise God in your heart
You can praise God at work (in your mind)
You can praise God at home
You can praise God while driving
You can praise God in your fellowship group (church).
And if you are in UK,
You can join us on Sundays (10 am -12 noon)
At: Clifton Village Hall, Nottingham NG11 8EB
To praise the Lord;
You can adapt this post for your use in your group;
(Permission to use granted)
You can praise the Lord anywhere.
If anyone asks you why, you can always say, "Because I can"
N/B: This post is also published on http://www.gracefulvoice.com
Hearing From God: The Voice and The Hand
It is very important to learn to hear from God and to be watchful always. If you are not sure of the "voice" and the "hand", wait for God. Don't allow the enemy to take advantage of you. Not now and not at any time.


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Originally written on Next Impulse Sports | Last updated 10/28/14
United States Congressman Fred Upton, from Michigan's 6th District, won re-election Tuesday night, but it wasn't easy. The state representative has been in office since 1987, and until this year had received less than 60% of the vote only once. He went up against a strong challenger in Democrat Mike O'Brien, and won with only 54% of the vote. While the margin was cause for some concern — at one point in October, the candidates appeared to be dead even — Congressman Upton had an ace up his sleeve: his niece. Perhaps you're familiar with her work? via WHTC Article found on: Cosby Sweaters
Original Story: http://cosbysweaters.com/2012/11/09/k...
PLAYERS: Kate Upton
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Complicated Nikiski Crash Resulted in Only Minor Injuries
An accident in Nikiski today looked much more serious than it was, according to Megan Peters with the Alaska State Troopers…
Peters: "Around noon today, there was a single-vehicle wreck at mile 19 of the Spur Hwy. The driver of the vehicle had minor injuries, and there was a passenger there. It really wasn't a big collision however, the passenger in the vehicle was very agitated and not very cooperative with law enforcement, and because of the confrontation on scene, the ambulance was staged a distance away from the actual wreck, which probably made it look like a bigger incident than it actually way. But everything was under control. The person with the minor injuries was transported (to hospital) and I'm not sure if they've been released or not."
The driver was identified as 37-year-old Tracy Roney of Kenai. He was issued a citation for failing to exercise due care to avoid a collision. Peters said his vehicle simple ran off the road, due to driver inattention.


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Gifted Kids and School: The Best Approach to Educating Einstein
Keeping super-smart children engaged, motivated and accepted can be an incredible challenge. Learn how to help your academically bright child.
Alison Kenyon looked forward to the start of school for her son, Emmett. "I just assumed he'd take the world by storm," she recalls of Emmett entering first grade last year.
Emmett had always been advanced for his age. "He is not the 'typical' gifted child, if such a thing exists," explains his mother. "The clues for giftedness were his enormous vocabulary, ability to pronounce five-syllable words correctly in addition to using them correctly, his ability to hear something once and repeat it verbatim."
But instead of receiving glowing reports about her son's achievements, she'd get phone calls from school about Emmett's bad behavior. When Kenyon went to her son's first parent-teacher conference, the teacher didn't attend. The principal met with her instead and detailed Emmett's regular outbursts. "My sweet little boy had become this angry kid," remembers Kenyon. "He wouldn't eat. He stopped using the bathroom. He became so depressed he wouldn't get out of bed."
The problems escalated to the point that Kenyon decided to take Emmett out of school. She then had to take time off of work to help sort out Emmett's needs; this included visits to various psychologists and school administrators.
"One of the most frustrating elements of the whole experience was the idea always seemed to be to change his behavior through force or medication," Kenyon says.
Along the way to discovering what Emmett needed, Kenyon came across Steppingstone School for Gifted Education in Farmington Hills. She contacted the head of school, Kiyo Morse, and arranged a visit.
"On the way home from the school that first day, my son said something I never thought I'd hear from him: 'I think those people are nice' and 'I think I can go there again.' My son is full of intensities that are hard to understand, and there he found people who were accepting of him," explains Kenyon.
Kenyon's experience highlights the difficulties that many parents of gifted children face in raising their children – that understanding the needs of highly intelligent children isn't easy, and there isn't a one-size-fits-all approach.
Understanding the 'gifted' label
What does it mean to be "gifted"? While the question at first appears simple, there's no one answer. Morse, who's helmed Steppingstone for 31 years, says, "The definition of 'gifted' came originally from individually administered IQ tests, such as the Wechsler, where it was defined as one standard deviation from the top, or the top 2.5 percent. The lower boundary was an IQ of 130."
The National Association for Gifted Children, or NAGC, offers, "Gifted individuals are those who demonstrate outstanding levels of aptitude or competence in one or more domains." And yet NAGC points out that the definition is fluid: "Even within schools, you will find a range of personal beliefs about the word 'gifted,' which has become a term with multiple meanings and much nuance."
The NAGC estimates that 6 percent of the total school population (grades K-12) is academically gifted. Here in Michigan, the NAGC reports that 58,090 children were identified as gifted for the 2010-11 school year, the most recent year in which data is available. But there's no agreed-upon definition of giftedness for the state, nor any mandates to identify gifted children – so those figures may be misleading.
Syncing with gifted children
Marcy Sznewajs suspected that her oldest son, Lucas, was gifted when he was just a toddler. At 18 months, her son could recite the alphabet and would do math problems for fun. "For me, recognizing his abilities was not so much a point of pride; it was more, 'Now what should we do?'"
It's a question many parents of gifted children ask, since their children don't tend to develop as most children do – with their physical, emotional and intellectual abilities happening at a regular, even pace.
Gifted children experience what's called "asynchronous development," or out of sync. So a gifted child may have amazing skills in math and yet struggle with reading. Still, there's a perception – and expectation – that if a child is gifted, he or she will be advanced in all areas of academic and emotional development.
This out-of-sync development can lead to frustrations for the gifted children. For example, a gifted 6-year-old may be able to perform trigonometry with ease and yet struggle to understand why his motor skills aren't as advanced as his math abilities.
Dealing with intensity
A gifted child might also be driven to learn about just one thing. And that interest can become all-consuming. Another one of Sznewajs' sons who was identified as gifted enjoys sports with a passion that's hard for others to understand. Sure, he likes watching games, but it goes far beyond being a fan.
"We were at a friend's house when he was just 6 and all of the kids my son's age were outside playing; Peter was inside watching a Michigan State game," she recalls. "They were losing at halftime when we had to go, and I had to carry out this sobbing, crying boy. He was just so upset. It's not just that he knew every single game and every single sports statistic. He knows it, and he cares about it. He's very much affected by how things go, how teams play; it's all-consuming for him. I just don't see that as being typical."
There was nothing Sznewajs could do to console her son who, in the end, fell asleep. Now 10 years old, her son still gets emotionally wrapped up with sports teams' performances, but "his falling to pieces is usually just for the big games."
Gifted children's emotional and intellectual intensity can make it hard for them to fit in with other children their age. "It's heartbreaking," says Sznewajs of watching her sons seeking out friends and then having trouble connecting.
"It's not that they're better than any other kid; they're just different." As a parent, she found it was important to support her son's interests instead of pointing out ways he might be able to fit in with other kids his age.
"The more you try to change them, the more they get in their heads that there's something wrong with them," she says. "That's not the message I want to give my son." So instead of suggesting a different outfit when her son steps out decked in complete Detroit Lions' gear (knee pads included), she holds back.
"You've got to be careful. The more you battle about small things like that, what you're really telling your kids is that 'you're not good the way you are.' I explained, 'You might not get the reaction to your outfit that you think you will; if it's OK with you, it's OK with me.'"
Getting an education
Often the biggest obstacle that gifted children face is finding where they fit in at school. Many gifted children aren't challenged academically at school, and instead float through classes and deal with their boredom in any way they can. Some sit and read, others daydream, some get angry, still others tune out of class entirely.
"In a regular classroom, gifted children are often pushed aside because they get it," explains Andrea Osbourne, a teacher of gifted education at Dodson Elementary in the Plymouth-Canton Community Schools (PCCS) district. "Once they complete their work, they're reading." It can be a big wake-up call for them when they do encounter academic challenges, notes Osbourne, who helps usher in kids to the talented and gifted program at PCCS.
"There's a few ways that public schools go about gifted education," says Osbourne. "We have a pull-out program at PCCS where gifted students identified in second grade go to one of two schools in third grade with dedicated Talented and Gifted (TAG) classes."
Other common public and private school options include having a gifted-education teacher visit a classroom and teach a few students. Or some school districts have gifted children attend classes for part of the day or maybe one or two class periods.
The pull-out approach has worked well for PCCS, in Osbourne's view. The district nearly doubled its gifted program just this school year, adding classes and increasing the number of students who participate in TAG.
When asked how teaching gifted students differs, Osbourne says it's more about what the students bring to the classroom than anything else: "I'm more of a guide. I could ask one question, and the kids could talk about it for 20 minutes. It's a popcorn effect as the students just bounce ideas off of one another. In a regular classroom, these kids may have been mocked for their comments. Here, they're just so excited to be able to share." She also notices that in her TAG classes, kids tend to be more accepting of each other's differences and intensities, too.
Deeper levels
In Cathy Wilmers' class at The Roeper School in Bloomfield Hills, which is dedicated to teaching gifted children, students are given more opportunities to choose the classes they want to attend based on their interests. Her approach to teaching also differs widely based on the needs of her students, which she describes as "across the gamut."
"Some of these children are highly able to communicate, and other kids have trouble with that," says Wilmers. Her students tend to take simple concepts and expand them, tackling big ideas. For instance, during one discussion of the math concept of a googol, some of the children delved deep into the idea of a number with so many zeroes. "They were really thinking through that idea of the number, and for some it was even disturbing."
At Steppingstone, Morse explains that children are placed in classes according to ability, not age. So a second grader may be able to take a college-level math class, if that's where she fits academically. Subjects tend to be integrated and hands-on. Steppingstone also tries to teach social and emotional skills to help gifted children succeed.
She says there's a misconception that gifted children are self-motivated and always attentive and engaged in class. Morse recalls a recent experience with a substitute who wasn't used to working with gifted children. A few students from her class made their way to Morse's office to report a problem.
"The kids were dancing on the desks," says Morse. "I talked to her later and she said, 'I thought all gifted kids were motivated, independent learners and they did everything right.' I told her, 'They're kids just like any other kids. They can get in to trouble. But they're just more creative about it.'"


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A Hollywood director tells how he tracked down an American drone pilot and Pakistani victims of drone strikes to make the powerful documentary film Unmanned: America's Drone Wars.
Ashraf Ghani became the new president of Afghanistan in a power-sharing deal that followed a contested election. Can he now address poor governance, corruption and the Taliban insurgency?
It is unlikely that the Taliban insurgency will topple the Kabul government and return to power anytime soon. But the group could command the Pashtun region—and threaten security in Pakistan across the border.
Afghanistan has recorded tremendous progress in women's rights. The world must understand how this achievement is an essential component of the rule of law and advance to democracy.
"Face to face with the fragility of the human condition"—a portfolio of a veteran photojournalist's work in Afghanistan spanning twenty-five years.
The 9/11 tale of an American vigilante and his Bangladeshi immigrant victim


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I'd love to see Minny's defensive points per possession on possessions after the opponent secures a defensive rebound. If their guards are going to the offensive glass that hard, they have to give up a ton of transition points (and thus a high PPP number) when they fail to get the offensive board, unless their two guards are unusually disciplined about insuring that one of them gets back while the other crashes.
"Northwestern fans can be both heartened and disheartened by the loss to Minnesota just like how nineteenth-century resurrectionists were heartened when they pried a heart from a freshly-buried corpse and then disheartened it when they sold it to a disreputable anatomist."