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Sock Dreams
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by kori
April 13th, 2016
Socks for Taurus
Hello dearest Taurus. It is your time to shine, and the next few weeks are all about you! As amateur astrologers, we Dreamers would like to cater to all of your sock needs and desires. So let's get right to it, shall we?
The Bull gets a bad rep for being obstinate, and while that may be the case at times, the truth is not quite so simple. When a Bull has a path in mind, they will push through thick and thin to reach their destination as planned. They won't let anyone or anything deter them, and really, why should you Taurus? Your tenacity has consistently lead you to your goals. When you want something, you make it happen. You, Taurus; you make your own dreams come true, and that is something to be admired.
Cowsox Slipper Socks
Tubular Cow Socks
What others might see as bull-headedness, we like to think of as perseverance. A bull does not give up, even when everyone else has. You are tough as nails Bull, and you deserve socks that can hold true to your stalwart gate. Darn Tough makes just the right kind of socks for you. These are stubbornly sturdy socks Taurus. In fact, the company that makes them (right here in the USA) is so confident in their indomitable design that they have dubbed them "the best possible socks the world has to offer."
Good Witch Striped Crews
Lattice Basic Crews
Via Ferrata Boot Socks
Now Taurus, while we know that you work hard to achieve your goals, we also know that all work and no play makes Taurus a dull bull. So indulge yourself Taurus, we know you've earned it! Here is just a smattering of some of the most luxurious socks we have to offer for our industrious Bulls.
Pantera Jersey Dress Socks
Orkney Angora OTKs
Marled Cable Thigh Highs
Eloise Wristlets
You are a sensitive beast Bull, and we know that not any old synthetic fiber will work for you. Luckily, we've created a few collections of socks made with natural fibers, from cotton, to wool, to our personal favourite, bamboo! Comfort is of the utmost importance to you Taurus, and it just so happens that comfort is our forte.
Bastia Comfort Top Crews
Agosto Argyle Midcalfs
Dreamy Bamboo Crews
For the next few weeks, while The Bull rules the heavens, we'll be giving our special Taurus themed stickers to anyone who asks. We've a limited number, so place your Birthday orders soon Taurus, and don't forget to ask for a sticker in your order notes when you check out. Happy Birthday Bulls, may your month be steady, soothing, and sumptuous!
by Rosalind
April 6th, 2016
April Showers
They say that April showers bring May flowers, and here in Portland that couldn't be more true! While we understandably have a pretty extensive collection of floral socks, we also have a small, yet growing assortment of rain and water themed socks. You won't find them as an existing category on the website, though, which is why we've been saving this round-up for a rainy day…
Beyond the accurate observation that plants require water to thrive, the "April showers" rhyme reminds us that we all have times when we must endure hardship or unpleasantness in order to make it to a better day. Arroyo Midcalves from Sweet Marcel are named for seasonally-filling streams, and as such they offer the same message of hope and endurance, only in this case the rain isn't a trial to overcome — it actually brings an end to the hardship of drought. Featuring water droplets, this design really couldn't fit the theme any better!
Arroyo Midcalf
Wee Arroyo Midcalf
Of course, those of us who see nothing but cloudy skies for six-to-nine months of the year may tend to have a little trouble relating to the hardships of drought. It's not that we lack empathy – it's just that when you don't see the sun for months, the lack of vitamin D can really affect your mood! While socks won't take the place of vitamin supplements, these cloudy styles are so cute that they might help you to appreciate the weather, even when it's raining cats and dogs!
Cloudy Sky Printed Knee Highs
Raining Cats and Dogs Knee Highs
Printed Clouds Toe Socks
Now raining cats and dogs is one thing, but sometimes it rains so hard in places that there's flash flooding! This is just a little too exciting for most folks, and by exciting we mean dangerous! Better to dip your toes into some water-themed socks than actual flood waters, if at all possible…
Here Comes Trouble Crew
Tidal Swirl Thigh High
Water Crews
On the other hand, if you know your feet are going to be submerged, we have socks for that! Showers Pass, a Portland-based cycling gear company, has developed waterproof socks, which also wick moisture out from the inside, for the ultimate in dry feet. How practical is that?!
Crosspoint Waterproof Crews
Crosspoint Waterproof Wool Crews
As much as we enjoy finding socky solutions for any kind of climate, we completely understand if some of you are just absolutely Done with being rained on for the year. For those of you who are simply over it, we leave you with this final suggestion to get you through the last of the rainy season….
by Lucy
March 30th, 2016
An Organized Sock Drawer
Since most of us Dreamers are sock fans, it's probably not much of a surprise that we occasionally struggle with sock storage. It can be tempting to just throw all our socks into a pile and be done with it, but that can make socks hard to find, not to mention take up valuable floor space.
We've shared in the past some of the ways we Dreamers store our socks, and today we're going to talk about organizing your sock drawer (or sock dresser, as the case may be), complete with a quick DIY.
If you're going for a complete overhaul of your sock collection, it's probably easiest to tackle them all at once, so you can start fresh. This will also give you a chance to go through and remove socks that need mending, socks that have outworn their usefulness (literally), and socks that could go on to a better home with a friend or a local thrift store. Seasonal socks can also be moved to longer-term storage, until their season rolls around again.
This is also a good chance to indulge in that tempting sock pile.
Once you've determined who will stay and who will go, it's time to start folding. Our goal here is to 1) make them as compact as possible, 2) make it easy to see everything in your drawer, and 3) maintain the quality of your socks as long as possible. To this end, you want to make your socks into a nice folded square; one that is flat, and can be stood up next to its brethren in your drawer, making your morning grab for a sock that much quicker.
Like so.
There are a few different techniques to folding socks. Perhaps the most common (and certainly the quickest) is to fold the top cuff of one sock over the other, to keep them connected. This may save time, but it doesn't fulfill any of our folding goals: it takes up lots of space, will quickly lead to a chaotic drawer, and will stress the elastic band of the sock doing the binding. All in all, not an ideal technique.
These Holiday Striped Crews are having a stressful day.
by kori
March 23rd, 2016
Socks for Aries
Well Aries, your birthday is right around the corner, and now is the perfect time to treat yourself to the perfect socks! As lovers of astrology, we've got quite a few suggestions that should meet with the demands of both body and mind.
You have no doubt been told many times that you need to slow down, to stop even for just a moment and think things through. But Aries, we know as well as you that once you stop, it's hard to start back up again. Momentum is everything to an Aries. You are like a shark that can never stop swimming, lest it would suffocate in the deep blue sea.
Shark Bite 3-D Socks
Sharkfish Midcalves
Shark Attack Anklet
No Aries, the careful life is not for you, but that doesn't mean you can't do a little something to make sure you don't slip and fall on your exciting journey. Some wisely placed sticky tread might just be what keeps you going, without slowing you down! Now, we've got all manner of bed and slipper socks with gripped soles, but an Aries never stays in bed for long. Might we suggest these clever toe socks instead? Not only will they keep you from slipping, but they'll also help your balance while you chase down your dreams. And their unorthodox design should appeal to your exploratory nature.
Bella No-Show Toe Socks
Bella Toeless No-Shows
Plie Half-Toe No-Shows
Are you the parent of a wee Aries? Well, these might help you cut down on your Band-Aid expenses. The grippy soles will help keep them from slipping and falling down, and they're so darned cute, your child may actually want to keep them on their feet for a change!
Kids' Ladybug Slipper Socks
Kids' Penguin Slipper Socks
Kids' Owl Slipper Socks
You may not always look before you leap, but were it not for our courageous and adventurous Aries, progress would be a slow and cumbersome pursuit. So go forth Aries and cut new trails for the rest of us to follow! Oh, and by the way, we've got the perfect socks for hiking off-trail.
Hiking Midcalf
Light Hiking Midcalf
Halfpass Crew
Aries is a fire sign, and our Rams burn hot and fast! And wouldn't you know it, we've got socks to showcase the inferno that burns inside you as well.
Longer Elemental Stripes in Inferno
Fire Dragon Midcalf
One of the most magnificent things about our wonderful Rams is how you inspire others. Because you are fabulous Aries! You are fun, brave, exuberant, creative, exciting, and above all, generous. In fact, you don't get nearly enough credit for your generosity. You are a true friend, often taking time to help others when they need you most.
PB&J Crews
Kids' Best Buds 3-Pack
While the Aries constellation rules overhead, we've got a brand new sticker, just for you (and anyone else who asks, to be quite honest). Simply request an Aries Sticker in your order notes when you place your Birthday order, and we'll be sure to add one to your package. Happy Birthday Rams, may you have many, many happy adventures, wondrous discoveries, and inspire all who dare to walk in your wake!
by Sabrina
March 16th, 2016
The Cat Lady's Diary – Part 2
Dearest Diary,
It's been awhile since I've last written, sorry about that. I've just been so busy trying to keep up with my precious babies! This morning I summoned all of them to their feeding bowls by singing the labels of their food cans. It truly brightens my smile to hear their little paws scamper towards me for breakfast. Of course, any kind of fish is their favorite.
Cat Fish Crew Socks in Lime and Black
Once my kitties were feasting, I set about refreshing the water and food bowls I keep outside for any potential stray friends. Macie, the young girl who lives next door, saw me and came over to help groom all the cats. She gets such a kick out of helping me try to share photos of my feline friends with my online friends! As handy as she is with a camera, I have to admit it was rather difficult getting any of my babies to cooperate.
Blue Felines Crew Socks pair well with Cotton Fleeced Lined Leggings
Macie had to run to school amid our photo session, which actually proved to be perfect timing since my good friend Betsy came over shortly after that. I can't help but think it's cute when the kitties play-fight with my friends, but Betsy didn't seem too amused. I told her it might be due to the fact that she wasn't wearing anything that let the cats know she is one of their people! Lucky for her, I have quite the collection of cat socks.
Indigo Cat No Show 2 Pack with Black Velvet Leggings
Betsy and I walked down to our local grocery store to inquire about empty cardboard boxes they might have laying around. I'm currently constructing a handmade scratching post for my cute kittens and need all the extra materials I can find. Two clerks that work at the store, Michael and Roni, know about my endeavor and occasionally set some boxes aside for me. It warms my heart to meet fellow cat-lovers down for the paws, which is why there's no better conversation-starter to me than my critters.
Left: Manekineko Tabi Socks Right: Winking Cat Knee Highs
Betsy and I had one last stop for the day, which was the library. I spent my time checking out books on how to better communicate with my furry friends. When, oh when, will animal translation devices be commonplace!? Betsy wanted to grab a few books for her niece Olivia, who is writing a report on big cats for school – an interest I fully support. While I love all types of animal print, I admit I'm mostly partial to leopard.
Left: Leopard Texture Tights Right: Leopard Print Velvet Leggings
The rest of the afternoon pretty much flew by in a flash! I tried to get Betsy to stay for supper, but she didn't seem interested once we got back to my place. Now I'm lying in bed surrounded by my extraordinary pets and I should be ironing their costumes but I can't bear to disturb them. It's so hard for me to get up once they've all fallen asleep around me, so I am probably just going to follow their lead and hit the hay.
Until next time,
– The Cat Lady
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Gillingham slideshow
Premier League: Hull City task set to be toughest gig of Roberto Martinez's career
Aanu Adeoye on how Roberto Martinez's love of attacking football has been undermined by his defensive failings in the Premier League - and if he goes to Hull, things won't get any better More »Aanu Adeoye - 10 hours ago
Premier League: Wenger wants to sign Mertesacker replacement
Arsene Wenger is unsure how long Arsenal defender Per Mertesacker will be out, but he is searching for a replacement. More »Goal.com - 5 hours ago
Serie A: Totti labels Higuain's Juventus move 'a disaster'
Francesco Totti has taken aim at Gonzalo Higuain's big-money transfer from Napoli to Juventus. More »Omnisport - 14 hours ago
Football: Rooney should remain England captain - Eriksson
Sam Allardyce refused to provide any assurances over Wayne Rooney continuing as England skipper, but Sven-Goran Eriksson expects continuity. More »Omnisport - 22 hours ago
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Argentine attacker Gonzalo Higuain will continue his career with Juventus after leaving Napoli for a Serie A record fee of €90million. More »Omnisport - 16 hours ago

subset: commoncrawl


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Dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase deficiency
- DPD deficiency
- Hereditary thymine-uraciluria
- Familial pyrimidinemia
Your Questions Answered
3 question(s) from the public on this disease have been answered. Submit a new question.
My doctor has prescribed Fluorouracil to treat pre-cancerous spots on my hands. To my knowledge, I don't have any family history of dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) deficiency, but I have read that up to 8% of the population has some form of this, which can be problematic when Fluorouracil is used. Should I be tested prior to use and is there an alternative course of treatment? Click here for answer
I recently found out I was a carrier. I would like to be clear that I can only pass the disease on to a child if the father is also a carrier. Lastly I am still a little confused when it comes to how it affects exposure to 5-fluorouracil. Does this mean that if I were to get cancer in the future I would not be able to be treated with chemotherapy? Click here for answer
I am interested in finding out information related to dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) in children - I am not interested in the form that presents after exposure to the cancer drug 5-fluorouracil. My son is about to turn 5 years old and was diagnosed with DPD at 4 months. Are there any specific articles that speak about infants and children that suffer from the deficiency? Click here for answer
- DPD deficiency
- Hereditary thymine-uraciluria
- Familial pyrimidinemia


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History Bites
Events over several decades in Central and Eastern Europe and the Balkans remind us that upheavals in the present looking to the future also summon the past. Ukraine is a case in point.
A reminder of its past is captured in the phrase, "fascist riffraff," shouted by Russian-speaking Ukrainans against the Ukrainian-speaking groups now in charge in Kiev. It summons the Russian memory that the parents and grandparents of the current protesters fought with the Germans against Russia in WWII. Putin and Company's charges of terrorism and extreme nationalistism refer to this history. As prior dotCommonweal posts have noted Ukraine has been part of Poland, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and Luthuania as well as Russia. It is a borderland as the geo-politicians like to point out. It is also Bloodlands as historian Timothy Synder called it in a history that examines the war between Hitler and Stalin; both engaged in the mass killings of Ukrainians and other inhabitants of the borderlands before and during the war.
In the meantime, here is a brief assessment of the dangers all around: New Yorker
About the Author
Margaret O'Brien Steinfels, a former editor of Commonweal, writes frequently in these pages and blogs at dotCommonweal.
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Here is how George Friedman of Stratfor Group analyzes Ukraine's options:
The Ukrainian government has $13 billion in debt, owed mostly to Western institutions. The Russian government has agreed to provide Ukraine with $15 billion in aid doled out in tranches to cover it, since Ukraine can't. Russia is now withholding additional aid until it can be confident the emerging government in Kiev is one with which it can work. It has also given Ukraine discounted natural gas. Without this assistance Ukraine would be in an even worse situation.
In turning toward Europe, parliament has to address refinancing its debt and ensure that the Russians will continue to discount natural gas. The Europeans are in no position politically to underwrite the Ukrainian debt. Given the economic situation and austerity in many EU countries, there would be an uproar if Brussels diverted scarce resources to a non-member. And regardless of what might be believed, the idea that Ukraine will become a member of the European Union under current circumstances is dismal. The bloc has enough sick economies on its hands.
The Germans have suggested that the International Monetary Fund handle Ukraine's economic problem. The IMF's approach to such problems is best compared to surgery without anesthesia. The patient may survive and be better for it, but the agony will be intense. In return for any bailout, the IMF will demand a restructuring of Ukraine's finances. Given Ukraine's finances, that restructuring would be dramatic. And the consequences could well lead to yet another round of protests.
The Russians have agreed to this, likely chuckling. Either parliament will reject the IMF plan and ask Russia to assume the burden immediately, or it will turn to Russia after experiencing the pain. There is a reason the Russians have been so relaxed about events in Ukraine. They understand that between the debt, natural gas and tariffs on Ukrainian exports to Russia, Ukraine has extremely powerful constraints. Under the worst circumstances Ukraine would move into the Western camp an economic cripple. Under the best, Ukraine would recognize its fate and turn to Russia.
I sensed a tremendous grass roots support for those who fought against the corrupt government. Those who sacrificed to bring supplies to those who fought for freedom may not tolerate more of the same. It is a more global world now. Not as easy to do things in secret. The problem with the East is real. Perhaps some real leaders will emerge to get everyone working together. The US need not be involved militarily. But Europe and the US may be able to do a lot here. May be more possible that putting Syria together.
I am waiting for the column by (David Ignatius, Tom Friedman, Jim Lobe or????) or a piece in Haaretz that will tell us what the U.S. policy really is and who is really running it. Maybe Edward Snowden knows!
Tom Friedman has responded to my request. Headline: "Don't Just Do Something, Sit There."
Doesn't really answer the questions: What's U.S. policy? Who's in Charge of it? But....
Friedman's main point: "[W]e should have learned some lessons from our recent experience in the Middle East: First, how little we understand about the social and political complexities of the countries there; second, that we can — at considerable cost — stop bad things from happening in these countries but cannot, by ourselves, make good things happen; and third, that when we try to make good things happen we run the risk of assuming the responsibility for solving their problems, a responsibility that truly belongs to them."
Doesn't really answer the questions: What's U.S. policy?
Right. Apparently our policy is, "This seems like a European issue. Let Europe deal with it." And it worked, at least for this week.
And Europe? Here is Catherine Ashton, EU foreign minister:
"KIEV, Ukraine — The European Union's foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, spent two days here promising unspecific support for a new Ukrainian government but urging it not to break close trading and cultural links with Russia. Ms. Ashton's deft dance was inevitable — the European Union and the West are not willing or capable of bailing out Ukraine's economy, especially if Moscow retaliates with new punitive tariffs, higher prices for natural gas and a cutoff of significant ties to Ukrainian factories and businesses." NYTIMES
And/or/But, she is smiling at Yulia Tymoshenko, former president recently released from prison. Tymoshenko is apparently likely to run for president, which may be a mixed blessing for Ukraine.
History and historical memory are important. The pro-Russian cries of "fascist riff-raff" about the Kiev demonstrators need to be put in a proper context. Apparently it's true that when the Germans invaded Russia, driving into the Ukraine in the early summer of 1941, there were Ukranians who welcomed them as liberators. Presumably the reason was that some seven or eight years earlier Stalin had engineered a famine to break Ukranian resistance to his collectivization policies, and in short order some three million or more Ukrainians perished. Quite understandable that those Ukranians left alive would have hailed German liberators few years later. The Germans, unable to leave well enough alone, started killing people, as was their wont in the other territories they occupied (mainly Poland at that point), and I think that brought the Ukranian-German honeymoon to an end. Timothy Snyder's splendid Bloodlands goes into all this and much more.
It's a bit extraordinary (but alas, not surprising) that in all the radio and TV coverage of the Ukranian problems (at least that I've seen or heard), no mention has been made of Stalin's killing of the Ukranians in the early 1930s. But then, I'm also continually surprised by the number of people who have never heard Mao's much, much greater famine of 1958-61, which carried off between 36 and 45 million Chinese, and if I mention it, appear not to believe it.
I suspect unconcious racism has something to do with it. Ukranians are half Russian, and Russians are half Asiatic, so why worry? And if tens of millions of Chinese died under Mao, well, perhaps that's a good thing, because it just slows down population growth (and I have heard people say that).
The NYTimes on line (Wed. 2/26) has a video/picture with this caption:
"Scuffles erupted outside the regional Parliament in Crimea as thousands of pro-Russia demonstrators confronted Muslim Crimean Tatars backing the new Ukrainian leadership."
Ms. Steinfels - want to reinforce what Mr. Clifford has written - very wise. At the same time, allow me to expand and also reinforce his reference book, The Bloodlands.
Actually, what makes this situation even more complex is that the Ukranian region endured and suffered through the deliberate Holodrome policies of Stalin. Historians estimate that because native Ukranians rejected communal farms and centralization, Stalin applied a deliberate starvation policy that probably led to the deaths of 10 million Ukranians (1932-34). This depopulation allowed the communist party to then force Russian/Soviet emigration into eastern Ukraine to form communal farms, villages, etc. Basically, extinguishing mllions and replacing them with forced emigrantion.
And yes, both the WWII policies and atrocities of Nazis and Soviets only led to more repression and Ukranian deaths.
So, what we don't need right now is *blowhard* US imperialism - just like in Iraq were Bush and company completely ignored the basic religious conflict between Shia and Sunni; so, the US could also make a parallel mistake in the Ukraine.
It will be interesting to see developments over the next 5-7 days - with Putin pulling off military manuevers on the border; with the unscheduled Crimean legislature meeting; with rumors of Crimean succession, etc.
But, at the core, what we see here is the continued reprecussions of WWII, colonialism (Soviet imperlalism and Nazi oppression), Soviet puppet governments that did not allow Ukraine to develop its own government, political structures/party systems, etc. Just like the Middle East and the arbitrary manufacture of nations via Versailles and subsequent British/French imperial designs after WWI, the former puppet states of Soviet Russia will also go through a long period of instability, etc.
Here is the link to an excellent background analysis of the history of Ukraine.
Nicholas --
I remember reading about the Ukranian famine in the '50s. The accounts then said that the Ukraine (called "the" Ukraine then) was the bread-basket of the Soviets, as the American mid-west is the bread-basket of the U. S. and other countries. ("Bread-basket" meant that it produced the wheat that was the foundation of their diets. The Ukranian peasants were extreemly independent people and resisted Communism. So one Fall Stalin, after the crops were in, he took all the wheat and sent out of the Ukraine, resulting in the starvation of 4,000,000 people. It was perhaps one of the most evil decisions ever made by a human being.
I suspect that it was probably one of the reasons that the Western intellectuals who at first saw Stalin as some sort of savior of the Russian people began to have doubts about him. But you're right -- in writing of the 30s-50's you rarely saw any mention of the famine in the writings of those days. Guilty consciences for having been taken in by a monster? Who knows.
Further to Timothy Snyder: he has a piece on the Ukraine in the latest New York Review of Books. It's very worrying, not only about Ukraine, but also about the shape politics is taking in Russia with the emergence of what he calls "National Bolshevism," a political theory that tries to combine the "best" of Naziism with the "best" of Stalinism. His conclusion is that while there is certainly a right wing, even a far right wing in the Ukraine, it's not that group that made the protests in the Maidan, but rather others who see the EU and closer ties to the EU as a road to decency, the rule of law, and freedom in general.
He also points out the obvious -- that World War II in Europe was started not only by Hitler, but by Stalin as well, and asks how those coming to power in Russia today can possibly call others "fascists" when they have taken over so many fascist techniques themselves.
From Attila the Hun through Stalin, the Russian people seem to have had some of the worst rulers in history. Why? Chance or what? It's been enough to make them pessimists..


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The Guardian ran an article a while back talking about GM gene's jumping to bacteria in an eater's intestine. Has other research confirmed this phenomenon?
There is nothing special about a piece of GM DNA when compared to any other random piece of DNA. If this phenomenon happened at any detectable level, we'd have found eukaryotic DNA in bacterial genomes/plasmids long before the introduction of genetically modified crops. And that would be front page news in the field of horizontal gene transfer! Which has many talented people in it!
Of far greater concern is the transfer of genetic material between bacteria in which antibiotic resistance is conferred. The firmicutes in your poop is not at all the same genetically speaking as the firmicutes in my poop. Polymorphisms and genetic transfer have changed members of the gut microbiome and that leads to differential extraction of energy from the ingested food and differential behavior with respect to antibiotics.
Apparently transfer between prokaryote and eukaryote (in both directions) has been detected: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2148/11/276/abstract http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0888754311001959 http://genome.cshlp.org/content/19/8/1441.abstract
Some numbers I'd like to know are the rate of pro<->eu HGT detection /versus the rate of looking for it/ (i.e. 3 confirmations in 300 attempts would be more impressive than 3 confirmations in 30,000 attempts).


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Georgia Wildlife Resources Division
2070 U.S. Hwy. 278, SE, Social Circle, GA 30025
Today, the Walmart Foundation provided a $35,000 grant to the Georgia Wildlife Federation through the Foundation's State Giving Program in order to assist with Georgia Hunters for the Hungry. Specifically, this grant will positively impact the local community by processing more than 20,000 pounds of donated venison to be delivered to food banks throughout Georgia.
"We are very excited that the Walmart Foundation decided to address the urgent need faced by families all over Georgia from food insecurity," said Todd Holbrook, president and CEO of the Georgia Wildlife Federation. "Their support of Georgia Hunters for the Hungry will provide more than 60,000 meals throughout the state this year. This program exemplifies the best of our outdoor traditions in Georgia and we owe the Walmart Foundation a debt of gratitude for their focus on this growing problem."
The grant was presented to Mr. Holbrook during a check presentation ceremony held today at the Alcovy Conservation Center.
"At the Walmart Foundation, we understand that organizations such as the Georgia Wildlife Federation are essential to building stronger communities. They share our values and are committed to helping those in need in the communities we serve," said Glen Wilkins, Walmart senior public affairs manager. "Through this grant, we are hopeful that residents in this state will feel a positive effect, and through that effect our impact will be expanded."
Georgia Hunters for the Hungry is a partnership between the Georgia Wildlife Federation (GWF), the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, and the Georgia Food Bank Association. Started in 1993, the program allows Georgia sportsmen to donate harvested deer to Georgia food banks after being processed in state-inspected facilities. To date, Georgia sportsmen have donated more than 300,000 pounds of ground venison to food banks around the state. The program runs through hunting season, from September to February. Hunters can find information at www.gwf.org [1] .
The Walmart Foundation's State Giving Program supports organizations that create opportunities so people can live better, awarding grants that have a long-lasting, positive impact on communities across the U.S.
To be considered for support, perspective grantee organizations must submit applications through the Walmart Foundation State Giving Program's online grant application. Applicants must have a current 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status in order to meet the program's minimum eligibility criteria. Additional information about the program's funding guidelines and application process are available online at www.walmartfoundation.org/stategiving [2].
As part of Walmart's $2 billion commitment to fight hunger through 2015, Walmart stores in Georgia donated 19,207,790 pounds of food, in fiscal year 2013, or the equivalent of 16 million meals. Additionally, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation gave $37,055,129 in fiscal year 2013 in Georgia alone. For more information on Walmart's and the Walmart Foundation's fight against hunger, visit http://foundation.walmart.com/our-focus/hunger [3].
About the Georgia Wildlife Federation
Founded in 1936, the Georgia Wildlife Federation is the state's oldest and largest member-supported conservation organization. GWF isdedicated to encouraging the intelligent management of Georgia's natural resources, and promoting and encouraging the knowledge and appreciation of these resources. Georgia Wildlife Federation is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization and the state affiliate of the National Wildlife Federation.
About Philanthropy at Walmart
Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are committed to helping people live better through philanthropic efforts. By operating globally and giving back locally, Walmart is uniquely positioned to address the needs of the communities it serves and make a significant social impact within its core areas of giving: Hunger Relief & Healthy Eating, Sustainability, Career Opportunity and Women's Economic Empowerment. Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are leading the fight against hunger in the United States with a $2 billion commitment through 2015. Walmart has donated more than 1 billion meals to those in need across the country. To learn more about Walmart's giving, visit foundation.walmart.com [4].
[1] http://www.gwf.org/
[2] http://foundation.walmart.com/apply-for-grants/state-giving
[3] http://foundation.walmart.com/our-focus/hunger
[4] http://foundation.walmart.com/


text:
Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 Tips and Tricks
- Date: to
- Day 1
- Speakers: Scott Schnoll
- 14,809 views
- 2 comments
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Session contains some errors in the PowerShell examples. For instance slide 37: get-databasecopystatus doesn't exist, "for each" and foreach, etc.
Good catch. Fixed it. Should be:
get-date;Get-MailboxServer | foreach {get-mailboxdatabasecopystatus -MailboxServer $_.identity -DumpsterStatistics | ? {$_.SummaryCopyStatus -ne 'Mounted'}} | foreach {$_.DumpsterStatistics}
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text:
Trees in Birmingham
Birmingham is renowned for its urban trees in streets, parks and gardens. Trees are a vital component of city living and they have a particular impact on the quality of life in Birmingham.
- Make the City a better place in which to live and work - most people prefer living and working in green surroundings and trees can help economic regeneration by attracting new employers and creating jobs. They create a more attractive landscape by softening the impact of the built environment and providing links between other green spaces. Having trees in your street can increase property values by up to 15%!
- Make the City a healthier place to live they trap sooty particles and absorb poisonous chemicals, improving the air we breathe and having a positive impact on the incidence of asthma. The shade they create helps reduce the risk of skin cancer from solar radiation and people feel less stress in a green and leafy surroundings the environment they create helps you feel good.
- Provide attractive, calm settings in the City for amenity and recreation trees bring life and colour to our neighbourhoods and highlight the changing seasons. People are more willing to take a walk or cycle ride in a leafy setting and that is healthier too. They help bring the countryside into the city!
- Strengthen our neighbourhood communities by providing people with an opportunity to work together for the benefit of the local environment. Involving people in planting and management of trees helps to build pride in the place, and offers scope for life-long learning
- Moderate the City urban climate - shade and shelter from trees can save up to 10% of energy consumption in adjacent buildings. Leaves and branches intercept rainfall, reduce the risk of flooding after rainstorms and filter noise. Tree roots stabilise soil and prevent erosion. This helps the reclamation of derelict land.
- Provide valuable habitat for wildlife in the City much of our varied and valuable wildlife depends on trees and woodland for survival. Wildlife is a vital indicator of sustainability and is closely linked to the health and extent of Birmingham tree cover
Birmingham City Council is fully committed to caring for its trees to ensure they continue to thrive for the benefit of the people and wildlife in Birmingham. Management and maintenance of Birmingham's trees is to a high standard to make sure all the City Council's duties and legal responsibilities are met.
For all tree related enquiries and for more information on the services we provide please follow this link Tree maintenance and enquiries
The Birmingham Natural Health Improvement Zone (Size: 72.6 Kb Type: PDF )
Copyright: 2011 Birmingham City Council
Chalara fraxinea guidance (Size: 357 Kb Type: PDF )
Copyright: Birmingham City Council


text:
I'm working through Spivak's 'Calculus' at the moment, and a question about series confused me a bit. I think I have the solution, but I'm not sure if my "proof" holds.
The question is:
Prove that $\sum\limits_{k=0}^{l}\binom{n}{k}\binom{m}{l-k} = \binom{n+m}{l}$
Hint: Apply the binomial theorem to $(1+x)^{n}(1+x)^{m}$
So I expanded $(1+x)^{n}(1+x)^{m}$, then expanded that again, and compared that to $(1+x)^{n+m}$, to get the equality:
$$\begin{align*} &\binom{n}{0}\binom{m}{0} + \left [ \binom{n}{0}\binom{m}{1} + \binom{n}{1}\binom{m}{0} \right ]x \\ &+ \left [ \binom{n}{0}\binom{m}{2} + \binom{n}{1}\binom{m}{1} + \binom{n}{2}\binom{m}{0} \right ]x^{2} + \cdots\\ &\qquad = \binom{n+m}{0} + \binom{n+m}{1}x + \binom{n+m}{2}x^{2} + \cdots \end{align*}$$
Now, my question is, is the original statement proven, just because the terms match up on both sides of the equality, or is this insufficient?


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In particular, the exterior of a toilet.
My parents tell me to wipe the outside and surrounding floor of the toilet with a diaper several times (and then to wash the diaper with water in the sink several times). I'm really not sure if this is the most time-efficient way to clean the exterior of a toilet, and I'm not sure if it's the cleanest way to clean the exterior of a toilet either. Plus, the sink might get clogged with all the debris.
Something eco-friendly would be preferable if possible though.


text:
California Killings Spark Massive Manhunt
Police Search Across Two States for Ex-Cop Accused of Slaying Three; Suspect's Online Manifesto Targets Law Enforcement
It began with the mysterious killings of 28-year-old Monica Quan and her fiancé, 27-year-old Keith Lawrence, discovered dead Sunday night in a car parked in Irvine, Calif., 40 miles south of Los Angeles.
By Thursday, the suspect in those murders, Christopher Jordan Dorner, was at the center of a frantic two-state manhunt in California and Nevada, as he allegedly carried out a series of killings targeting police officers and their families, apparently motivated by revenge over his firing from the Los Angeles Police Department.
On Thursday morning, in two separate confrontations with police outside Los Angeles, Mr. Dorner killed one officer and wounded two others, police officials alleged. Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck said the officers in one incident had been "ambushed" by Mr. Dorner, who carried "multiple weapons including assault rifles."
Thursday afternoon, officials said they had located Mr. Dorner's abandoned vehicle near a ski area in Big Bear, Calif., about 100 miles east of Los Angeles. San Bernardino Sheriff John McMahon said officers from several agencies were searching the community "door to door" and patrolling local roads. "He could be anywhere at this point," Mr. McMahon said.
The hunt for Mr. Dorner, a 33-year-old former U.S. Navy reservist, had Los Angeles and its police force of 10,000 officers on edge, with claimed sightings of Mr. Dorner or his vehicle as far south as San Diego.
In a manifesto posted online, Mr. Dorner named Los Angeles police officials whom he accused of corruption and blamed for losing his job in 2008. He wrote that he planned to target those officials and their family members, as well as law enforcement broadly.
"I never had the opportunity to have a family of my own, I'm terminating yours," he wrote. "Look your wives/husbands and surviving children directly in the face and tell them the truth as to why your children are dead."
Ms. Quan, believed to be Mr. Dorner's first victim, was the daughter of retired Los Angeles police official Randy Quan, who Mr. Dorner named as a target in his manifesto. Mr. Quan had represented Mr. Dorner in a hearing over whether to remove him from duty, according to Mr. Dorner's writing and police.
Police deployed protection details to 40 officers and their families named by Mr. Dorner as targets in his manifesto. "This is a vendetta against all California law enforcement," Mr. Beck said.
Mr. Dorner's grievances, detailed in his posting, revolve around his firing that he says occurred after he reported another officer for extreme use of force. He made the report after the officer gave him an "unsatisfactory" rating when he left her in the middle of a foot pursuit, a police official said.
The officer, named as a target by Mr. Dorner, is under protection with her family, according to an officer in her unit.
— Erica E. Phillips contributed to this article.
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Eclipse 3.5 has a very nice feature to generate Java hashCode() functions. It would generate for example (slightly shortened:)
class HashTest {
int i;
int j;
public int hashCode() {
final int prime = 31;
int result = prime + i;
result = prime * result + j;
return result;
(If you have more attributes in the class,
result = prime * result + attribute.hashCode(); is repeated for each additional attribute. For ints .hashCode() can be omitted.)
This seems fine but for the choice 31 for the prime. It is probably taken from the hashCode implementation of Java String, which was used for performance reasons that are long gone after the introduction of hardware multipliers. Here you have many hashcode collisions for small values of i and j: for example (0,0) and (-1,31) have the same value. I think that is a Bad Thing(TM), since small values occur often. For String.hashCode you'll also find many short strings with the same hashcode, for instance "Ca" and "DB". If you take a large prime, this problem disappears if you choose the prime right.
So my question: what is a good prime to choose? What criteria do you apply to find it?
This is meant as a general question - so I do not want to give a range for i and j. But I suppose in most applications relatively small values occur more often than large values. (If you have large values the choice of the prime is probably unimportant.) It might not make much of a difference, but a better choice is an easy and obvious way to improve this - so why not do it? Commons lang HashCodeBuilder also suggests curiously small values.


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WHEELING - Ricky Szeligo wasn't real pleased with his team's play away from home.
''We lost a few games last week,'' the Wheeling Post 1 coach said. ''We played poor baseball. Hopefully, this is a fresh week and a new start for us.''
As it turns out, it was.
Article Photos
Photo Provided
ST. CLAIRSVILLE first baseman Michael Jacob, right, gets out of the way of a Wheeling Post 1 baserunner after recording an out. Wheeling won, 8-6.
Wheeling (12-6) exploded for 13 hits as it returned home from a long road trip, and earned an 8-6 victory against St. Clairsville in a scheduled nine-inning game Monday at the I-470 baseball field.
''A lot better game,'' Szeligo noted. ''Offensively, we hit the ball well. We put the ball in play with authority. From an offensive standpoint, we had a good game.''
Looking at it that way, so did St. Clairsville.
Post 159 (8-6) mustered 11 hits, highlighted by a sixth inning in which three of St. C's four hits were extra base knocks.
''It seems like the ball carries up here pretty well,'' Post 159 coach Mike Jacob said. ''There were some balls that were poked here. Our hitting is coming along, but, as you can see with Wheeling, they're well-coached and they got some kids that come from some pretty good programs, so you know that they're not going to get cheated on their swings. They hit the ball well and they hit the ball hard.''
It's true.
After St. C's huge sixth inning where it sent its entire lineup to the plate and took a 5-4 lead, Post 1 came alive as Russell Schwertfeger hit a one-out triple into right field and tied the game when Andrew Kowalo tripled into center field.
Post 159 retook the lead in the eighth when Bailey McGrath hit one into shallow right field to give Logan Nipert time to score and it was 6-5.
McGrath gave back the run in the bottom half of the inning as he walked Trevor Stewart with the bases loaded.
Jesse Heartly then hit into what looked to be an inning-ending double play, but after McGrath got the throw off to second, the throw to first was too high and by the time it was all said and done, Justice Jackson and Kowalo had crossed home to make it an 8-6 ball game.
''Our players actually played a good game,'' Szeligo said. ''All aspects of the game. Fielding, pitching, hitting ... we're very pleased with their performance.''
For St. C, Jacob knew there would be a tough challenge waiting for his team on the other side of the river.
''We knew coming over here, playing this Wheeling legion team, they played a lot of baseball the last couple of weeks, and it was a good test for us,'' he said. ''I thought we played pretty well, but they made some plays defensively.
''This was a great baseball game. That was probably one of the best crowds I've seen at any of our games. They get great support, they have a great place to play, but, unfortunately, we were on the short end.''
St. C. 100 004 010 - 6 11 1
Whg 200 111 03x - 8 13 2
Batteries: Caldwell, McGrath (8) and Curtin. Ashbrook, Bakaitis (6) and Yocke.


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To St. Anthony, in Gratitude for Favors Received
When you're enjoying an unusually peaceful Sunday Mass -- because your squirmy eleven month old is home with Dad, and your mother is in town and exerting a calming influence on his not-quite-three-year-old brother, and you remembered to pack the milk and bagel and other amusements that keep him still and satisfied through at least the first half of the liturgy -- and then, just as the offertory is coming to an end, your toddler climbs into your lap and takes your hand and asks, "Can I wear your ring?" you just might say yes.
You will think, "No, that's a bad idea. This is my engagement ring. It has a diamond. He is two. He cannot appreciate its value in either financial or sentimental terms. I should say no." But then you might think, "He's being so good and sweet. And taking the ring off and on could keep him quiet for at least some of the Liturgy of the Eucharist. And if I say no he will probably ask again, louder, because remembering to whisper is not his strong suit...."
They say becoming a parent changes your priorities. It would be nice to think that means it teaches you to value people before things (as my local La Leche League leader likes to remind us to do). But it may be that caring for a toddler simply conditions you to focus entirely on short-term consequences. So then you might say, "OK, but you have to sit in my lap," and think you've found a way to keep him still and keep the ring in your sights. Everybody wins.
And then the deacon motions for everyone to stand, so you hoist your child up in your arms and watch him sliding the ring up and down his little fingers as you answer the prayers, and then he suddenly jerks forward and fumbles with his hands, and the ring disappears.
Now you know for certain that you were right: allowing a not-yet-three-year-old child to play with an engagement ring is a bad idea. You also know that you will not be enjoying any more of this nice, quiet, prayerful Mass, because you're scanning the pew in front of you for any sign of your ring. It made no sound when it dropped. You didn't see it fall or bounce, not even a flash as it disappeared from view. You can't imagine where it could have gone. You check the rolled-up cuffs of your toddler's too-long 3T dress pants, and his pockets. No. Not in the pew-back rack with the hymnals; not anywhere on the floor. Your list of likely hiding places narrows down to the one place you can't hunt: the purse of the woman in the pew in front of you, the bag you were standing above when your kid dropped the ring. The slouchy one with all the pockets and nooks and crannies. The one you can only stare at while she prays, oblivious to your panic.
Meanwhile your child, who knows that you are unhappy and feels, not responsible, but concerned in a disinterested sort of way, will be not-whispering, "Mommy, where's the ring? Where did it go? Did you find it yet? ...THERE it is!" indicating your wedding band, the one with the slim profile that fits so nicely up against the engagement ring you've lost. The fact that your toddler can't tell the difference between a ring with a diamond and a plain band just reminds you how very stupid it was to hand him an engagement ring to amuse himself with in the first place. "Mommy is very sad about that ring," you say, thinking it will help somehow to impress on him the gravity of this loss. He leans back in your arms, studies your face, sees no tears. "Now you're not so sad," he says, reassuring himself.
You can't rifle through this woman's purse in the middle of the Eucharistic Prayer, so you resist the urge, figuring you'll wait till the end of Mass to bother her with your problem. But then you think, What if she's one of those people who leaves after Communion? What if she throws her purse over her shoulder, receives the host, and walks out the door? So, as the sign of peace approaches, you swallow your pride, tap her on the shoulder, and say, "Uh, my son...."
This stranger, bless her, interrupts her heretofore very focused prayers to do a vigorous full-purse search, shaking out her wallet and everything. No luck. After Communion she tries again, even searching under the pews and kneelers you can't reach. At the end of Mass, she takes your phone number so she can contact you if the ring turns up.
The church is emptying out now, and will soon be filling up for the next Mass. The two-year-old is wondering whether he will get to spin the pinwheels in the garden outside, his usual reward for good (or, more typically, not-awful) behavior. "Mommy, are you very sad? Or just a little bit sad?" He does not know how to read this situation. He clearly just wants to put all this unpleasantness behind him.
A man on his way out the door sees you on your hands and knees, peering under pews, and orders his ten-year-old son to get down and hunt with you. You take your toddler to the bathroom and shake out all his clothes. Finally, you thank the man and his son for their assistance and give up the search. There are only two things left to do: stop at the rectory to leave your name, in case someone finds it and turns it in; and say a prayer to St. Anthony and light a votive candle (well, "candle") in front of his statue on the way out. St. Anthony is so popular today in this Italian parish that all of the electric candles in his section of the rack have been lit, so you have to pick one in the section for the less-popular St. Patrick, but you figure it still counts. For good measure, you let your two-year-old press the button that turns the light on. (You also let him spin the pinwheels outside.) Then, you go home.
You're trying not to take this out on the kid, because it's really not his fault -- he didn't mean to drop the ring, and his carelessness was totally predictable. But he's not the one who has to tell his father what happened, and with that in your future you can't help being a little bit brusque. Daddy pales at the news. Lunch is a somber affair. Your two-year-old doesn't even finish his macaroni and cheese, and he loves mac and cheese. You wonder at his lack of appetite, but you're too distracted to think about it much.
He escapes to the playroom for a few minutes of solitude before naptime. Then Nana steps in to take the boy upstairs, change his diaper, read him stories, tuck him in for his nap. It's a good thing, because you don't have the heart for it. You keep checking your phone for a call or a text from the lady with the purse, but it is silent. They climb the steps, and after a moment, your mother shouts your name.
"I found it!" she says. "It was in his diaper!"
You run upstairs to fetch the ring, put it safely on your finger without even stopping to wash it, and tell your son, "Mommy is very happy now," hoping he'll forget the morning's distress. Then back downstairs with the baby, the one who will never know the simple pleasure of sliding his fat fingers into Mommy's engagement ring, and into the playroom, where you discover that your oldest son has worked out his anxiety over the morning's events in crayon all over the walls. He even stood on a chair to scribble on the windowpane. This is something he never does, something he knows well that he must not do. Normally he has no problems following that rule, but today, in those unsupervised moments after lunch, when he was still trying to shake the sense of being out of Mommy's good graces for reasons he couldn't grasp, he must have thought, Why not? Why shouldn't my behavior match the way I feel?
You know you'll have to scold him, but you can't really be mad. This, thank God, is a problem you can fix. Even, perhaps, a penance.
Maybe it's experiences like this that keep us Catholics so devoted to St. Anthony, who takes our petty concerns into his care and receives our sheepish thanks. He's the saint we invoke in those moments when our priorities collide, when we're anxious about something that our faith tells us doesn't really matter, but that we're not ready to give up caring about. St. Anthony always comes through, my own Nana told me -- I remember hunting in the lawn outside her house for some piece of jewelry, a plastic charm I'd dropped and couldn't go on without. She was patient enough to hunt for it with me instead of just telling me it didn't really matter, and she taught me to pray my way through the worry, however trivial that worry was. I hope my son is learning at least that much from me. And I have a renewed faith in the intercessory power of St. Anthony, the saint who holds the Christ Child yet doesn't roll his eyes -- or so we imagine -- at the lesser things that we hold dear.
It might have been better for my character if I'd lost that ring for good, to teach me a lesson about worldly attachments, or maybe just about reasonable expectations for toddler behavior. But it certainly would not have been better for my marriage, or for my relationship with my son. Now that I have it back, I hope it will always remind me of the morning I spent feeling irritated at my little boy, only to discover, just as I was losing hope, that he was carrying around a diamond in his diaper.
About the Author
Mollie Wilson O'Reilly is an editor at large and columnist at Commonweal.
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Story well told. I imagine most of us have our own St. Anthony stories. Finding keys in a high and dense snow bank, etc. A very eminent and cerebral American theologian was once attending a conference in a city near Padova, Italy, and decided he wanted to see the basilica dedicated to the great saint. Accompanying him was a colleague from the University of Chicago who at a certain point lost track of him. Eventually she found him lighting many votive candles. "It was the least I could do, for all the favors he has done me," he told her.
My undergraduate students didn't know what many of the saints were "patron saints" of, but they almost all knew that you prayed to St. Anthony when you had lost something and couldn't find it. After class one day, a young woman asked, "Does that work for non-Catholics, too? I'm a Lutheran." I said that I was sure it did.
The lovely little church where my family worshipped was dedicated to St. Anthony, and a Sunday afternoon devotion to him was held all through the year. On the Sunday closest to his feastday (June 13th), a festival was held in his name at the parish, and many busloads of people from the City (New York, of course) would come up for it. After the prayers, lots of fun and good food.
Nice story, Mollie. But does it confirm how you can take the girl/boy out of superstition land while you can't take superstion out of the girl/boy? And of all things you got Joe K, the anti-Novena scholar to concur with you on St. Anthony.
But if you really want to use the power of St. Anthony, you could have conferred with him in conjunction with your thread on Maureen Dowd. After all he is known to be the "hammer of heretics." And God knows Maureen needs a good hammering.
But superstition is a powerful force. Robert Orsi, the scholar, who did extensive research on the devotion of St. Jude, the saint of the impossible, consciously prayed to St Jude when he was in a conflict once and he did not see a way out. He did not believe in the cult. But his immersion into the cult of St. Jude made this an automatic reflex.
Of course, this devotion to patron saints got a big bounce in the fifth century when the original body of Martin of Tours was believed to be in every town in the Catholic world at that time. The concept of a Patron saint is a distinctly roman concept. It is the Godfather notion. Vito Corleone et alii.
You can assure that you will never lose anything if you secure one of the million or so relics of St Anthony that are available.
But just pity those poor Protestants. They have no choice but to go directly to God. Despite what Joe K says.
Once I was about to go on a European trip with a friend who was unchurched. The night before we were to leave, he asked me if I had done everything to get ready, and I almost casually said that I seemed to have misplaced my passport but that it would turn up. He was far more concerned than I had been and insisted on going home with me to help me look for it. We searched for a long time without success. I began to be almost as concerned as he was.
Finally, he asked me if there was anything else I could think of to do. I told him that, though I didn't hold much with such things, a lot of Catholics rely on St Anthony in such situations. He was insistent that I try it. After a brief prayer to St Anthony (with whom I had very little acquaintance), I found the passport in the breast pocket of a sports jacket in a closet. We had each already riflled those pockets.
When we got to our vacation destination, every church we entered turned out to have St. Anthony boxes for the poor. My friend would not let me pass one without putting money in it. And when we returned to New York, he entered the RCIA. So don't tell me St Anthony doesn't help us when we pray.
And, Bill Mazzella, what is your authority for saying that "the original body of Martin of Tours was believed to be in every town in the Catholic world" or that there are "million or so relics of St Anthony" or that intercessory prayer is somehow a negation of going "directly to God"? I hope I wouldn't feel such contempt for the faith of the Christian ages even if I were a non-Catholic.
I admit to being a saint/novena guy...Yeah I know it is quasi-superstitous but there is, in everyone of them, the bullet proof clause that if what I request is not God's will the grace to accept it....
Glad Anthony came through for you...I have lost so much stuff that ai just need to find the saint of the absent minded!
Of course as far as the Protestants go, I wonder if it works in reverse. i remember vividly invoking Emily Dickinson as my patron....and it worked!
"Faith" is a fine invention
When Gentlemen can see—
But Microscopes are prudent
In an Emergency.
My kid would have swallowed the ring.
I almost lost my mother-in-laws wedding set, which I put in a purse for safekeeping. I checked the purse two, three times, fourth time they popped out of the seam. But I don't think that was St. Anthony. I think that was my mother-in-law making sure I didn't screw up. The rings were to go to her granddaughter.
if what I request is not God's will the grace to accept it....
Once I lost my 8-year-old son. Teacher, neighbors, friends, friends' parents were called in vain. We looked everywhere we could think of. I called the police, who asked me what clothes he'd been wearing, an asked for a recent photo. I had been praying all along for him to be fine, but at that point I added the threat that if what I requested was not God's will, I vowed to terminate my relationship with God - eternal life be damned, I didn't care. A few minutes later my son was found, coming out of the rectory where he had been for an unplanned catechism lesson.
What is the morale of this story? I'm not sure. But I was at my wits' end and, had I been in a culture where people prayed to St Anthony, I would have turned to him. Superstition or not, I did not care at that point.
I witnessed first hand the miracle of a mothers prayer. A adult client was quite older had gone missing. His girlfriend sent the police on a wild goose chase far and wide searching. She said he was off to another townn. He was not found for over 24 hours +.
His mother went to a church and prayed rosary after rosary. Another friend of his, from the street, had an intuition, out of the blue, and went to just go and check in a wooded area just 100 yards from his place. He found him sitting on a log in the middle of a wooded area far from anybody.
He had taken pills in a suicide attempt but had changed his mind. Unfortunately, the pills had sedated him and did some kidney damage such that he could literally not move. Thank God he was found and while he had kidney damage he survived.
I knew his mother and consider her a saint. So, all joking aside, prayer works/
Prayer works. i never contested or doubt that at all. We should pray constantly. Not just five times a day.
Robert., check your history on Martin of Tours. "The kid cannot be in every picture.)
As many attest people will try anything when conflicted or desperate. Santiago kills the Moors and the Cross is lifted in every battle. Etc. Shrines are big money makers. The biggest money makers are those campaigns that promise you that your intentions will be in so many prayers by Friars, monks, nuns, cloistered etc. throughout the world
Shrines are often points of contention between locals and Rome. A famous one now present is that over Medjujorie where the Vatican and the Francicscans cannot aggree on a resolution. Guess what it is about. Tut, Tut. http://www.ncregister.com/blog/edward-pentin/vatican-commission-complete...
The abover url refers to an investigation just concluded by the Vatican on Medjugorie.
For recovering that which is lost,
Prayer works.
And especially well in conjunction with a careful and exhaustive search.
I grew up in a house with a lot of little statues of saints kicking around. .My Grandmother even had an Infant of Prague who had changable outfits.
I myself own exactly one saint statue, a Puerto Rican santos of Saint Anthony.
Mollie - well-told.
Jean - then it still might have been found in the diaper!
John. Exactly. See Emily's poem above.
"Faith" is not magic or magical thinking, not imagining God as a Santa in the sky, not eschewing reason including human psychology. Still, it cannot be reduced to it.
Prayer is an integral component of the human person and has a light and mysterious power of its own as indeed all of science has a mystery and wonder associated with it.
I think there's a special feeling of relief that we only experience when we find something dear that was lost—or remember something important that was forgotten—and that feeling is made somehow sweeter when it is joined to gratitude. Of course, we should always be grateful to God for every good thing, but St. Anthony gives us someone else to be grateful to for this particular kind of good thing; and because, like every other patron saint, he is supposed to help us by praying with and for us, whatever gratitude we direct to him does not subtract from our gratitude to God.
I believe in intercessory prayer despite personal experience, not because of it. As far as I can tell (which may not be very far), I haven't found lost things more often when I prayed for St. Anthony to intercede for me than when I didn't. Nor I can remember any prayer to St. Jude ever leading to an important reversal, or even to any sense of comfort. But people I trust (including Mollie) have had other, better experiences—or perhaps they have just been more discerning interpreters of their experience than I am of mine. In any case, the idea of intercession is not just a holdover from the ancient pagan system of patronage; it is a consequence of the communion of saints. We're all in this together, the living and the dead. St. Anthony can pray that Mollie finds her engagement ring; I can pray for the soul of a dead friend or relative. If that's all superstition, then much of what makes Catholic Christianity catholic is false.
I think I've told this story before on another thread, but this is the right spot for it. Someone visiting the famous physicist Niels Bohr asked him whether he really thought the horseshoe above his door brought him luck. Bohr replied, "No, but I'm told it works even if you don't believe in it."
Of course, someone has to be a wet blanket, so I'll volunteer.
We all know many, many people who prayed their hearts out, night and day on their knees, rosaries in hand in front of flickering candles, or statues of Mary or Jesus, or who have said novenas to St. Jude or whomever and whose prayers have not been answered - at least not in the way they wished. Of course, there is an "explanation" - it wasn't God's will for the prayer to be answered in the way the petitioner wants it to be answered. God knows best. That pretty much covers any outcome to prayers for intercession.
Intercessory prayer makes no sense to some people. Does God listen to only some people's prayers but not others? Why does God "answer" some prayers as people hope but not others? Does God not love those who need intercession who don't happen to have a lot of people who love them and pray for them? How about those who are not Christian but pray to God as they understand God - are their prayers answered? Does God discriminate? Why pray to a third party instead of to God anyway? Does God do personal favors for some who are 'in heaven" but treat other heaven-dwellers as second-class, whose intercessions are ignored because the men on earth haven't designated them as "saints" in formal liturgies in Rome?
Anyway - everyone knows all of this. Everyone has all of these questions. Or maybe they don't. Maybe just doubting Thomases like me. Why is one women's child found alive and healthy after storming heaven and another's is found murdered after just as many prayers? How come one person's cancer goes into remission while another's continue to death - even though their friends and families have stormed heaven with the same prayers?
So why bother to pray for God's intervention? Does God really intervene or is it all simply natural consequences? God knows all needs for everyone and knows his will for them? Can prayer change God's mind?
I know, I know - it's a "mystery".
However, I also must admit that while I often doubt the existence of God, or at least of a personal God who looks out for human beings and answers their prayers in a favorable way, and definitely doubt even the concept of intercessory prayer which seems both logically and theologically flawed, I do make one exception.-
I never doubt St. Anthony.
My mother was a big believer in the finding skills of St. Anthony. When something in the house would go missing, she would have all ten of the kids going from room to room chanting, "Please St. Anthony, please come around, something is lost and cannot be found." I remember some successes, including one also involving a missing passport. There's a church near my work that has a beautiful statue of St. Anthony and the Christ Child. I try to make it for noon Mass when I can, and I almost never pass by the statue without lighting a votive candle and saying an intercessory prayer of one kind or another. Mollie's story about invocation of St. Anthony's assistance in finding her engagement ring was very good, but she could have increased its literary quality even more if she had also included a prayer to St. J.R.R. Tolkien, the Lord of the Rings. ;)
St. Thomas gets such a bad rap, doesn't he.
A while ago, one of the priests at my church said he's called Didymus, which means "The Twin," but his twin is not mentioned in the bible. He then went on to ponder why that might be, and then said maybe that's because that twin is us: we who always doubt and question, are the twin brother/sister of the Doubting Thomas.
I liked that a lot.
Anyway, what a heart-warming story, Mollie. Thank you for sharing.
I might just have to start praying to St. Anthony so that he may pray to God for me, so that He may help me find my sad, lost soul.
" In any case, the idea of intercession is not just a holdover from the ancient pagan system of patronage; it is a consequence of the communion of saints. We're all in this together, the living and the dead. St. Anthony can pray that Mollie finds her engagement ring; I can pray for the soul of a dead friend or relative. If that's all superstition, then much of what makes Catholic Christianity catholic is false."
Matthew, The above is a great example of a complete non-sequitor. No theology in it. The communion of Saints is not threatened because one refuses to believe in relics or that we can approach God just as well as Anthony or any other holy person. We can always pray and build up one another. But we don't have to believe that a relic has transforming power. The Beatitudes are considered a suggestion while the devotion to saints are considered obligatory. It is an inverted Christianity. Catholic Christianity is alive and well without superstition. Where Catholic Christianity has been and is false is when it embraces empire and luxury over the cross and the beatitudes.
No one is questioning your right as a Catholic to doubt the aunthenticity of this or that relic (Mollie's post doesn't even mention relics.) No one is telling you that you can't pray to God directly, or that you must also pray to Anthony. No one is telling you to get right with your patron saint on pain of damnation or excommunication. You are free to dispense with as many sacramentals and small-t Catholic traditions as you like. But if you start accusing other Catholics of superstition when they don't dispense with everything you dispense with, you should expect some push-back.
Also, I don't think you know what a non-sequitur is.
The push back is fine, Matt. Again you give no reason but the fact that some believe in patron saints and some do not. Zero reason again which equal non-sequitor. Which you repeat again. To be more clear. The fact that some Catholics have always practiced a certain veneration does not mean that it is preferred, correct or even meaningful. Or more precisely, destroying Catholic Christianity. Further, I have written on this many times here. The pivotal fourth century brought in an age of hypocrisy in which a leadership which prostituted itself to emperors lost its way and incidentals became more important than substance. People started to admire the holy people who went before them instead of realizing that discipleship was more important than veneration. Here is Marcus on the subject. Peter Brown has spoken of this phenomenon often.
"As saints became ubiquitous, they also changed their functions. In the
early Christian community the living faithful prayed to God for their dead;
now the dead saint is asked to pray for the living: a whole new liturgy came
into being. As the martyr is , literally, detached from the place of his
martyrdom and made present wherever his relics have become the center of a
cult, so relics began to be seen in a new way.....relics soon became
themselves, the seats of holy power, God's preferred channels for miraculous
action. A new nexus of social relationships centered around their shrines;
their cult provided ways of securing social cohesion in the locality, and
one of the means on which bishops depended to consolidate their authority."
The Oxford History of Christianity.pg90.
My only experience with St. Anthony: I reached for my checkbook and it wasn't there. I looked around the house. My wife asked me what I was looking for. I told her. She did some looking and asked where I last saw it. On the desk, I said, where I reached for it and it wasn't there. She looked. It wasn't there. So I said in frustration (and I humbly apologize, but this is the way I heard it), "Tony, Tony look around; something's lost and must be found." I stopped looking. I was sitting at the desk a few hours later, and without remembering it was gone I reached for my checkbook. It was there. Where I reached the first time. Where my wife and I looked.
That much I know. I'm not much interested in the theory.
Tom, it seems to me that your wife played a trick on you.
Claire, No way. I might have done it to her (probably not), but her heritage is German. She'd never do anything so irrelevant to anything else.
I think I got this prayer for finding a parking space from one of Fr. Jim Martin's articles.
"Mother Cabrini, Mother Cabrini, please find a spot for my little machiney."
St. Anthony has all you guys snowed. He's the one who prays to God that *we lose things*, and God grants his prayers. That way St. Anthony gets all that extra money to help his poor friends :-)
Except for Maria's petition (I will gladly offer my prayers there) a lot of these petitions seem awfully trivial and self-involved. I wonder why Mother Cabrini would give a rip whether someone found a parking space (unless someone was on their way to minister to poor people). Or why St. Anthony cares whether somebody dumb enough to let a two-year-old play with a diamond ring gets it back (especially since you can't take it to heaven with you).
There's a J.F. Powers story in which a priest goes through the trivial petitions written to the BVM with growing outrage, especially when he gets to the one that says "please don't let me be pregnant." I don't know if I was supposed to find that funny, but I did laugh out loud, though I certainly saw the pathos behind it.
On the other hand, maybe being constant petitioners before the Lord helps us understand how powerless we are, even to keep track of our car keys and check books, misled as we often are by inappropriate emotions, bad decisions, and constant busy-ness.
I pray almost ceaselessly to St. Jerome to help me quit being a bitch, often aloud in order to get the rest of my family off my back about this. The results seem meagre.
I, too, have had many "miraculous" finds after interceding to St. Anthony. I love him!
But on a different note, on two occasions, as a young mother of six with two or three additional charges with me in a van (I know, it was unsafe), I left one of my children stranded, got home and after counting heads sped back to the grocery store and the ballpark, all the while storming heaven for their safety. Found Jim wandering the aisles inspecting the shelves and found Kathleen standing with her hand in that of the groundskeeper.
Now every time I meditate on the joyful mysteries of the rosary and come to the finding of Jesus in the temple, I thank God profusely for keeping my children safe in spite of my carelessness.
Catherine, sounds like you owe as much to the groundskeeper as to St. Anthony. Perhaps he was acting as St. Anthony's agent. Good cautionary tale about not dealing with more children than you can conveniently count. I think St. Anthony must be watching over anybody who tries to organize the Children's Mass on Christmas Eve. It's a miracle that they all eventually find their way home after that bedlam.
"I pray almost ceaselessly to St. Jerome to help me quit being a bitch.."
Jean, I never heard this reason for praying to St. Jerome. Because Jerome was the consummate bitch. If I may use gender license.
On another level I just want to make it clear that though I am not a believer in devotional matters and consider it without theological foundations, I respect those who do. Especially, people like Mollie and pope Francis who are into this type of Catholicism. What I find revolting are the people who have Madonnas on their front lawns and have a particular devotion to a saint while they could care less about the gospel and discipleship. Hear is an excerpt from perhaps the best biography of Francis:
Jorge Mario Bergoglio has remained faithful to that, and to the style of spirituality with which she (His grandmother)imbued him. In an order as intellectual as the Jesuits he has had to find ways of reconciling with criticisms that he is pandering to the superstitions of folk religion. Another Argentinean Jesuit, Fr Humberto Miguel Yáñez, who is now the head of the moral theology department at the Gregorian University in Rome, thinks Bergoglio has done that. 'He has always had a favourable attitude to popular religiosity,' said Yáñez. 'Some see it as including an element of superstition which is not part of the faith and some bishops were against that. But Bergoglio saw it as an important way that people linked to the spiritual. His influence gradually shaped a different culture among the bishops of Argentina, among other things pushing them to be much closer to their own priests.'
Vallely, Paul (2013-08-01). Pope Francis: Untying the Knots (Kindle Locations 575-578). Bloomsbury Publishing. Kindle Edition.
As someone else said recently: "Who I am to judge?"
"St. Jerome was the consummate bitch."
Exactly why I picked him out for my devotion, since there is no saint assigned special patronage for the Perpetually Bitchy.
As for people with bathtub BVMs in their yards who don't care about the gospels or discipleship, you don't know what's in their hearts, or where veneration of a saint might lead. Might years of tending an image of the Virgin and making it pretty every spring with new plantings eventually lead to a more spiritually productive kind of reflection? Or might that arrangement beckon to some passerby on a random, grace-filled day?
Don't be such a kill joy. That's my job.
Maybe, Jean. But I know a few of them quite well. God is the ultimate judge. But their light is not shining.