text:
When Pete Hyde arrived to pastor Santa Rosa Beach Community Church in October 2003, he saw a need for the church to live up to its �community� name.
�Before I came, this church played a pivotal role in starting what is now Caring and Sharing in conjunction with the South Walton Ministerial Alliance,� Hyde told The Sun. �I discerned a need for us to extend our ministry further outside our congregation and the walls of our church. More Bible study and more involvement in missions, locally and beyond, and be involved in and impact the local community.�
Over the last 10 years, the church has made a deliberate effort to be in the community. Many organizations now use it as a meeting place, including three Girl Scout troops and El Shaddai Hispanic congregation, and the church sponsors Cub Scout Pack 562 with 90 boys registered this year.
Community Church is an integral part of the community-wide �Converge� youth ministry that involves Community Church, Good News United Methodist, The Chapel at Crosspoint, Simple Faith and Christ the King Episcopal Church.
The church�s annual Fall Festival and vacation Bible school are also community outreach events, and Bible study has grown from one adult class to seven classes for all ages, three taught by Hyde.
Church tithes are used in support of eight mission agencies plus a benevolence account. Eighty percent of mission spending goes to local agencies and 20 percent to foreign missions.
With a heart for missions, Hyde has led trips to the Appalachian Mountains to minister to the poor; been to Juarez, Mexico, to help build a church; and gone with a group from Community Church to the Dominican Republic to minister in a children�s hospital. He leaves Oct. 21 to go to Ecuador with Mission Aviation Fellowship, which provides air transportation and technical support for other agencies in the third world.
�Without their little Cessna planes, other mission agencies would not be able to spread the love and good news of Jesus Christ to remote areas of the world,� Hyde said.
Community Church has grown since Hyde�s arrival, with a new pre-school, a new building that doubled meeting room and administrative space and a new contemporary service.
�In addition to the obvious traits you associate with a pastor, Pastor Pete has a great sense of humor, a strong commitment to the Santa Rosa Beach community as well as to our church, and an in-depth knowledge and understanding of our congregation as a whole body and as individual members,� Jim Hopson, chairman of the board of deacons, told The Sun.
Hyde gives credit for all the church has accomplished over the last 10 years not to himself, but to �the leadership and the congregation that have prayerfully discerned that this is the direction God is taking us.�
Hyde, who spent the first 25 years of his 30-year ministry in the United Methodist Church, is often reminded of these words of John Wesley � Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as you ever can.
�It my goal for Community Church to live out these words not only in the next 10 years, but in the next 10 months, in the next 10 days, in the next 10 hours and in the next 10 minutes. With God�s help it will be possible if we will just prayerfully commit to it.�
Hyde would love to continue as pastor at Community Church for another 10 years, but he hopes to be able to retire before he is 70. Most important to Hyde is the example he sets for modeling service and missions in the community.
�In my years here in Santa Rosa Beach, I have served on the Walton County Habitat for Humanity board, and I am currently in my 10th year of serving as volunteer on-call chaplain at Sacred Hospital. I am an active member of the South Walton Ministerial Alliance and serve on the board of Caring and Sharing.�
Hyde always tries to be a servant leader and believes he should be willing to do any job around the church, from cleaning the restrooms and changing light bulbs to preaching and teaching. He believes one of the special blessings of his calling is to be involved in people�s lives, from joyous times to darkest moments.
�If I could name a goal (for the church) it would be that Community Church never grows stagnate in its God-given and discerned mission. I hope that we will never tire of trying to reach more people in as many ways as we possibly can under the prayerful guidance of the Holy Spirit.�


text:
Early Church Fathers
Master Index
Power Search
1 In Eusebius, vii. 30. [Elucidation I., p. 172.]
2 paroiki/a| [= jurisdiction. See p. 163, note 3, supra]
3 a0rnhsiqe/ou.
4 katabrabeu/wn, perhaps = receiving bribes from.
5 1 Tim. vi. 5.
6 doukhna/rioj, the name given under the Emperors to those procurators who received 200 sestertia of annual salary.
7 u0pagoreu/wn. [Letters, e.g. from Zenobia.]
8 sh/krhton (from the Latin secerno, to separate) was the name given to the elevated place, railed in and curtained, where the magistrate sat to decide cases.
9 kataseiousi tai=j o0qo/naij, alluding to the custom of shaking the oraria or linen handkerchiefs as a token of applause. [Elucid. II.]
10 suneisa/ktouj gunai=kaj, priests'-housekeepers. See Lange on Nicephorus vi. 30, and B. Rhenanus on Rufinus, vii. The third canon of the Nicene Council in the Codex Corbeiensis has this title, De subintroductis id est adoptivis sororibus, Of the subintroduced, that is, the adopted sisters. See also on the abuse, Jerome, in the Epistle to Eustochius. They appear also to have been called commanentes and agapetae. See the note of Valesius in Migne. [Vol. ii. p. 47, and (same vol.) Elucidation II. p. 57.]
11 i0eratei=on.
12 Referring either to Proverbs vi. or to Ecclesiasticus xxv.
13 e0corxhsa/menon, danced away.
14 e0mpompeu/onta.
1 koinwnika\ gra/mmata. On this Valesius gives the following note:-The Latins call these litterae communicatoriae, the use of which is of very ancient date in the Church. They called the same also formatae, as Augustine witnesses in Epistle 163. There were, moreover, two kinds of them. For there were some which were given to the clergy and laity when about to travel, that they might be admitted to communion by foreign bishops. And there were others which bishops were in the way of sending to other bishops, and which they in turn received from others, for the purpose of attesting their inter-communion; of which sort the Synod speaks here. These were usually sent by recently-ordained bishops soon after their ordination. Augustine, Epistle 162; Cyprian, in the Epistle to Cornelius, p. 320; and the Synodical Epistle of the Council of Sardica, appear to refer to these, though they may refer also to the formatae. [Vol. i. p. 12, n. 9.]
2 In Leontius of Byzantium, contra Nestor., book iii., towards the end.
3 Copulatus erat.
4 Congeneratum.
5 Secundum qualitatem.
6 Formationem.
7 We say, that as the exterior and the interior man are one person, so God the Word and humanity have been assumed as one person, a thing which Paul denies.-Can.
8 Alia est apud ipos.
9 Secundum disciplinam et participationem. Paul of Samosata used to say that the humanity was united with the Wisdom as instruction (disciplina) is united with the learner by participation.-Can. [See Hooker, book v. cap. 52, sec. 4.]
10 Expers.
11 Passionum, sufferings.
12 Principaliter.
13 Secundario, i.e., kata\ deu/teron lo/gon.-Turrian.
1 sunousiwme/noj tw|= a0nqrwpi/nw|.
2 In Petrus Diaconus, De Incarnat. ad Fulgentium, ch. 6. Among the works of Fulgentius, Epistle 16.
3 Ex simplicibus fit certe compositum.
4 Compositionem.
5 Quia sapientia dispendium patiatur et ideo composita esse non possit-the sense intended being perhaps just that Paul alleged that the divine Wisdom admitted of being dispensed or imparted to another, but not of being substantially united with him.-Tr.
6 Exinanisset.
1 Some read alter in altero, others alter in altera.
2 From the same Acts in Leontius, as above.
3 ou0siw=sqai.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
A timeless 22k matte gold chain with dove, leaf and freshwater pearl charms. The necklace can be worn at 40cm, 45cm or 50cm making this a very easy to wear versatile piece.
The chain and charms are gold plated.
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The Long Necklaces at 120cm are continuous strands to be worn long or doubled. This diagram is an approximate guide to where a necklace might sit.
Women's Bracelets
A womens standard bracelet is 19cm long, this is the ideal length to purchase if you are buying a gift for a friend. Should you require an alternative length please do not hesitate to contact me to discuss your requirements email: firstname.lastname@example.com.
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For ages 4 to 12 please select 35cm
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Children's Bracelets
For ages 4 to 9 please select 15cm
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For teenagers please select 18cm


text:
Authorization Framework
- 1 Business Requirements
- 1.1 What resources do we want to control access to?
- 1.2 Who needs access to these resources?
- 1.3 Permission Specification
- 1.4 What are some restrictions in our access model?
- 2 Technical Implementation
- 2.1 Policies as basic units of design
- 2.2 Policy Configuration and Enforcement
- 2.3 Role Based Access Control (RBAC)
- 2.4 Evaluation of the Authorization Framework Implementation
Business Requirements
What resources do we want to control access to?
- Access to Features: These are logically grouped into "visual blocks" which form "pages" which are attributed to "workflow stages".
- Access to Application Objects
Workflow Stages
A workflow stage is defined as a number of editorial actions applied to one and the same "bundle of objects", all assigned to the same submission. This can be files, documents, reviews, etc. Files and other objects can be copied or promoted from one workflow stage to the next. Files and other objects can also be added to or removed from a given workflow stage.
A certain action (e.g. a review) can be applied to a sub-set of these objects (e.g. files selected for review) but objects that are not attributed to the given workflow stage are not accessible to any action within the workflow step.
All objects attributed to a submission must at the same time be attributed to a workflow stage.
Workflow stages in OMP are:
- submission
- review
- copyediting
- production
Workflow stages in OJS are:
- ...tbd...
Workflow stages in OCS are:
- ...tbd...
Workflow stages in the OHS are:
- ...tbd...
Pages present a number of logically grouped features to the end user. A new page is displayed when entering a URL or clicking a link (or more technically: making a full HTTP request). There might be several URLs pointing to different versions of the same basic page.
The smallest entity that we allow access to is a visual block on a page. This can be a grid with grid actions, it can be logically grouped read-only information or any other "bundle" of elements grouped together on a page and managed as a "whole" when it comes to access control. Visual blocks often display objects retrieved from the database like submissions, files, reviews, notes, etc. Each visual block defines the way these objects will be selected and filtered based on the user's permission that is currently looking at these data.
Visual blocks can be implemented as (AJAX) components which allows them to be updated, added to or deleted from the page without a full page reload.
Application Objects
A visual block usually presents or acts upon one or more application objects. A grid can contain several files or meta-data can be grouped and we can allow access only to certain groups of meta-data properties to a given user while other meta-data remains hidden.
Typical application objects that we want to allow access to are submissions, files, reviews, documents, etc.
You can roughly think of application objects as anything that can be added, deleted and edited in the database.
Access Modes
A less precise concept but one that is rather useful to distinguish between different features and categorize them is "access mode". Typical access modes are create, read, update and delete. Access modes are somehow the link between "features" and "application objects". Usually a given feature provides access to one or more application objects in a certain access mode.
A grid may for example have buttons to add, delete and edit objects that correspond to the add, delete and edit "features" of a grid.
Resources defined
To sum up we can say that the basic resource that we grant access to is: a visual block that allows inspection or manipulation of one or more application objects in a given access mode.
Who needs access to these resources?
PKP applications grant access to application users which represent (=identify) human actors accessing the application.
It is of course inefficient to define individual access levels for every user. We therefore have to find a way to group users so that they can be granted access in a more efficient way.
We have to make sure that we make the groups small enough to be able to define the level of differentiated access that we need to implement our specifications. At the same time, however, we want the groups to be as large (and as few) as possible to keep the administrative burden down.
The basic unit that can be used to group users with the same access levels is called a "user role" in PKP applications. A user role needs to unequivocally define all features and application objects available to its members. What we said in the previous paragraph means that we need to create roles in a way that within one role all users have the same homogeneous permissions but that no two roles are equal.
We therefore need a different role for all types of "bundles" of features and object access that are required in the application.
In our case we can create all roles from a combination of a few feature sets and basic object access logics.
Feature Access Definition
We can group features that can be accessed by a given role into feature sets. Typical feature sets that we can address as a single unit are:
- all features within the application
- all features within a workflow stage
- all features on a given page (e.g. review page for reviewers)
- one or more visual blocks on a page.
The most frequent feature set to be adressed in OJS, OHS and OCS is the page level with a few block-centered exceptions. In OMP the block level will be more important in many situations.
Feature sets also define for every block, page or workflow stage in which access mode it can be accessed. This may be addition, reading, updating and deletion of objects.
A typical feature set definition would therefore be: Members of the author role have read access on all features of the submission stage page with exception of file access where they can also add (=upload), delete and edit (=file metadata) objects.
Object Access Logic
While feature sets are fixed and can be "hard-coded" into the roles, we need to give our users quite some flexibility when it comes to defining object access. Not all publishers define object access in the same way and object access definitions need to be very granular sometimes.
A few examples:
- All reviewers basically need the same functionality to review a monograph or an article but not all reviewers need access to the same articles. They have access only to a small selection of articles, a single monograph or a single conference paper.
- Series editors (OMP) and section editors (OJS) have access to a sub-set of articles/monographs within a journal/press. The functionality, they have access to, is largely the same as that of a journal editor or press editor, though.
In some instances we have to define access on a per-object level. While we can say that authors see all submissions contributed by them we might have a situation in which a specific copyeditor has access to a completely arbitrary set of submissions which cannot be grouped by any pre-defined criteria.
Although we cannot "hard code" object access permissions themselves into our roles, we still can identify a few basic types of access logic that we can then attribute to roles and leave the actual permission administration to the end user.
Some possible access logics are:
- access to all objects of a kind throughout the application, e.g. site administrators' access to presses (OMP), journals (OJS), etc.
- access to all objects of a kind within one context (press, journal, conference, etc.), e.g. press editors' or journal managers' access to submissions within a press/journal
- access to all objects of a kind within a subset of a context (series, section, etc.), e.g. series editors' or section editors' access to all submissions within a series/section of a press/journal
- access to objects by ownership, e.g. authors' or reviewers' access to submissions/reviews they uploaded themselves
- access to objects via individual rights assignment based on pre-defined or custom user groups
While the first four access logics are obvious, the last one needs a bit more explanation. It actually means that we allow access to arbitrary application objects based on user group assignments. To explain this we need to introduce the user group concept.
User Groups
PKP applications allow organizations to create and maintain subgroups within user roles that, from a technical viewpoint, provide the exact same level of access to the application. At first sight this doesn't seem to be efficient as it means maintaining duplicate groups with equal access rights which increases application administration cost. While this is true from a technical standpoint, there are reasons why organizations may want to keep groups apart even if they have the same access level.
In the case of OMP for example, authors and volume editors have the same access rights. Still it makes sense to name them differently as they are different from a publisher's point of view.
PKP applications contain a number of pre-defined user groups but organizations can freely add, rename or delete user groups per context (press, journal, etc.). A user group always has one of the application roles assigned which unequivocally defines the feature set and object access logic for that group.
Individual Rights Assignment
Based on user groups it is now possible to define highly flexible object access.
A user can be granted access to an object within one of the user groups she has been assigned to. This gives the user access to all the features defined for the role attached to the user group with respect to the assigned object.
An example:
- A press manager (which is a pre-defined user group which has the managerial access role assigned) creates a new user group called "translators" and assigns it to the author role.
- Then the press manager can assign users to that new user group which act as translators.
- Finally the press manager will now be able to assign a user as a translator to an arbitrary submission at a certain workflow stage, say the copyediting stage.
This will give this single user access to the features defined for the editorial role within the copyediting workflow stage but only for the selected submission. It won't give the user access to editorial features in other workflow steps, it won't give other users of the same group any additional access rights and it won't give the user any rights to any other submission.
Permission Specification
Based on these concepts we've developed a detailed permission specification for OMP. Similar specifications will have to be developed for the other PKP applications. Specification stubs exist for the PKP library and OJS.
What are some restrictions in our access model?
Restrictions on Roles
Different user groups that are based on the same basic role cannot be granted different types of access. This includes access to either features or objects.
Example 1 - Different Feature Sets: If the proofreader group and the copyeditor group belong to the same basic role (e.g. "press role") then our current approach makes it impossible to give copyeditors access to different pages within the proofreading process than we allow proofreaders to look at. The implication is that if proofreaders need their own set of pages, then we have to introduce a separate role for them.
Example 2 - Different Object Access Logic: We also cannot manage object access based on a different logic for two different user groups that are based on the same role. If series editors see their objects (submissions) based on series and press manager see their objects based on the press they belong to, then these two user groups cannot be based on the same role model. The implication is that series editors and press editors need to be based on two distinct roles.
Conclusion: Proofreaders, series editors and press managers all have to be based on different basic application roles!
Restrictions on Feature Definitions
The smallest unit to define feature sets is a "visual block". Unique and definite access rights (access mode, feature set and object access logic) for a given role must be defined for every "visual block".
Restrictions on Object Access Definition
Individual object access can be attributed on a workflow stage or page (=handler operation) level only. This means that workflow stages/handler operations are the smallest unit to differentiate between individual user's access levels. Finer granularity can only be achieved by defining additional basic roles. For more efficient implementation we should try to group all handler operations with the same access levels into the same handlers. This is not always possible of course as handlers cannot be structured by access level only.
Technical Implementation
Policies as basic units of design
For our implementation we translated the above specification into authorization policies. Policies are the basic building blocks of our authorization framework design. Policies can be grouped together into policy sets.
Policy Configuration and Enforcement
The following functions must be implemented within any authorization framework to configure and actually enforce policy:
- a tool to administer policies
- a component determining authorization decisions based on policy
- actual authorization decision enforcement
- a policy information source
Policy Administration
As we hard code most of our policies (namely assignement of roles to handler operations) we do not need to administer this kind of policy. Policies can be grouped into policy sets with a combining algorithm assigned (e.g. permit overrides or deny overrides) to form more complex combined policies.
We do have to administer the assignment of subjects (users) to user groups, the assignment of user groups to roles and the assignment of users to certain types of data objects (e.g. sections or articles in OJS or series in OMP):
- User-user group assignment is done on the user enrollment pages which shows all user groups and allows users with managerial access level to add/remove users to/from user groups.
- For the moment being user group-role assignment is only relevant to OMP as OJS/OCS do not yet implement the user group abstraction but directly assign users to roles. In OMP there will be a grid which is part of the press settings that allows members of managerial roles to add new user groups with a given role assigned or remove user groups from a role. NB: The same grid is used to assign workflow steps to user groups. This is, however, not a permission assignment! It simply determines which workflow stages will be linked by default to the user. The user always has the right to access all workflow stages and features assigned by permission policy to the assigned role. The role is the only instance that has permissions attached to.
See the section about our role based access model below for further information.
Assignment of users to data objects like series/monographs/workflow stages (OMP), sections/articles (OJS), tracks/papers (OCS), etc. is done at several places in the application. In the case of articles, papers, monographs, etc. we implement an "owner" concept. This means that the submitter of an article is automatically being assigned to it as its creator. Series, sections and tracks have to be assigned explicitly to a user.
Policy Information Sources
Policy information comes from several sources:
- The user-user group assignments as well as the user group-role assignments are held in database tables and will be queried there.
- Policies defined via descendants of the AuthorizationPolicy or PolicySet classes are defined in a handler's authorize() method.
- Role - handler operation assignments are done in the constructor of a handler via the handler's addRoleAssignment() method.
- Policies controlling access to data objects are defined...
- ... always in the handler's authorize() method if the data object is defined via a request parameter (e.g. access to a monograph in a monograph details page that passes in a monograph id via HTTP GET).
- ... sometimes also directly in the handler operation code if the data objects are not defined via a request parameter (e.g. all submissions of the currently logged in user). You should avoid this kind of policy definition if possible as it hinders re-use of policy code via AuthorizationPolicy implementations and makes it more difficult to find authorization code.
Data access policy definitions can be quite complex, e.g. in the case of subscription based access. They nearly always require inspection of the data objects or database access as well as inspection of the application environment (context, settings, etc.).
Authorization Decisions
All policy-based authorization decisions are delegated to the AuthorizationDecisionManager. This class will be instantiated by the PKPHandler class in it's authorize() method. It recursively walks through all AuthorizationPolicy and PolicySet objects defined for the handler and delegates to these policy objects to take an authorization decision based on request attributes, environmental attributes (e.g. HTTPS vs. HTTP access) and attributes retrieved from the database.
When the authorization decision manager issues a favorable decision, it will make sure that authorized objects (e.g. a monograph or a user group) will be made available to the handler via the authorization context. Handler operations can retrieve authorized objects via the handler's getAuthorizedContextObject() method.
Authorization Decision Requests and Enforcement
Authorization decision requests will be issued by the router before a handler operation is actually being accessed. The router will call a handler's authorize() method to trigger the authorization process. The policies defined for the handler will then be evaluated by the authorization decision manager. The authorize() method will return a boolean value corresponding to the authorization decision. The router takes care of policy enforcement by blocking access to the router operation and issuing an error when the authorization was not successful.
Class Model: Authorization Policies and Policy Sets
Please see the actual class hierarchy of AuthorizationPolicy and search for instantiations of PolicySet to find policy types implemented in the various applications. Policies within the folder classes/security/authorization/internal are not meant for direct use within handlers!
Please only use policies that are...
- ... fully specified in the corresponding permission specification (i.e. Google Docs Spreadsheet)
- ... in the classes/security/authorization folder and not in the internal folder.
The PolicySet class is not usually subclassed. All high level policies to be used in handlers are actually policy sets that consist of a number of sub-policies which can either be AuthorizationPolicy sub-classes or other policy sets.
Policy sets are instantiated with a policy combining algorithm which defines how the policies within that set are being joined by the authorization decision manager to come to a final decision.
Two types of combining algorithms have been implemented so far:
- Permit overrides: If any of the sub-policies returns a "permit access" result then the policy set as a whole evaluates to "permit access". This is something like an "OR" condition with a few more complex rules when policies abstain from providing a decision (e.g. because the policy is not applicable to the current request environment).
- Deny overrides: If any of the sub-policies returns a "deny access" result then the policy set as a whole evaluates to "deny access". This is the default and implements something like an "AND" condition.
Policy sets can be nested into each other in an arbitrary depth. The authorization result returned by a policy set will be treated one level above as if returned from a single authorization policy.
Policy Specification for specific Applications
The permission specification for OMP shows how high level access policy requirements have been translated into specific policy definitions. Each spreadsheet tab within the document represent exactly one policy. The tab name corresponds to the policy's class name.
Similar policy classes will have to be specified and implemented for other PKP applications (OJS, OCS and OHS).
Role Based Access Control (RBAC)
The PKP authorization framework relies on several policy types. One very prominent policy type implements role-based access control (RBAC).
Elements of an RBAC system
The elements of a typical RBAC system are:
- Subjects (Agents, Users)
- Objects (Resources) to which access should be controlled
- Access Modes (e.g. "read", "write", "execute", etc.) - sometimes also called "operations" or "actions"
- Permissions that define a certain mode of access to a resource
- Roles
Subjects and permissions are assigned to roles. Roles are thereby an efficient way to define which subject has access to which resource and through which access mode.
Refinements of this basic access control model are possible:
- Roles can be organized in a hierarchy whereby a subordinate role "inherits" permission assignments of its parent role.
- Subjects, objects, access modes and permissions can be organized in groups so that they can be assigned or otherwise handled in "bulk". Groups of permissions are calles "policies".
PKP's RBAC implementation
PKP does not require all elements of the generic RBAC model. We apply the model to our application in the following way:
- The subjects in PKP applications are called "users"
- The resources we control are handler operations and database objects (e.g. articles, files, papers, etc.).
- PKP applications currently use a hard coded, non-configurable role model (e.g. in OJS: "editor", "section editor", "author", "reviewer", "journal manager", "site administrator", etc.).
- PKP applications do not currently implement an explicit role hierarchy although in practice there are implicit role hierarchies:
- In OJS, the hierarchy goes from the site administrator over journal managers and editors down to section editors and subscription managers inherit a few permissions from the journal manager.
- Some roles (e.g. 'site administrator' and 'journal manager' in OJS) can "log in as" any other user, thereby temporarily inheriting all permissions of the impersonated user's role.
- Permission-role assignments are hard-coded into the application. Handler operations define which roles may access it. Currently authorization checks are part of the request "validation" procedure.
- Most of the time all operations within a handler may be accessed by the same roles. In these cases the handler constructor (for pages) or handler-wide validation method (for AJAX controllers) implement the permission-role assignments for all contained operations. In other words: We usually define a policy that contains permissions for all operations of a handler.
- HandlerValidatorRoles classes define the assignment of operations to roles
- Database object permissions are usually either hard coded into the validate() method or the handler operation itself
- There are a number of other permission-related checks (e.g. check for a given context, check for HTTPS protocol, etc.) which are also coded into the validate() method or the handler operation
- Usually operations only define one mode of access ("execute"). There are a few exception to this rule, where different roles may access the same operation in different ways, e.g. the differentiated access of "editors" and "section editors" to some of the operations in the editorial process in OJS. In these cases access modes are hard coded into the operation.
- Subject-role assignments are configurable via the role administration UI in PKP applications.
- We recently introduced configurable subject groups or in PKP terminology "user groups" that allow bulk assignment of several users to one (and only one) of PKP's hard coded roles. The names of user groups can be freely defined in the role administration UI. Applications that make use of user groups will no longer allow direct subject-role assignments. It must be stressed that user groups are not roles although end users do not necessarily need to understand this distinction. PKP developers should be very clear in their terminology, though, to avoid confusion and implementation errors. The term "flexible role" is deprecated in favor of "user group" and should no longer be used.
RBAC Database Model
Entities and Relationships
- RBAC subjects, objects, object groups, roles, permissions and permission assignments are all hard coded into PKP applications in handlers' constructors (see PKPHandler::addRoleAssignment()) and are therefore not mapped to any database entities!
- The interface of hard coded roles and the database is via PHP role constants (e.g. ROLE_ID_EDITOR).
- The "roles" table that has been present in earlier releases of PKP applications is not representing roles but user-role assignments. The name of this database entity is conceptually wrong and was replaced with the introduction of configurable user groups.
- Only configurable entities and relations are represented as entities in the database. These are "users", "user groups", "user - user group assignments" and "user group - role assignments". The corresponding database entities are "users", "users_user_groups" and "user_groups".
- As with all PKP entities, the user and user group entity tables will be accompanied by a corresponding settings table that allows for flexible meta-data (=attribute) assignment and internationalization.
- The "user_groups" table contains a foreign key to the non-database "role" entity. This means that the role column in "user_groups" contains references to the above mentioned role constants defined in the application code.
- one user can be assigned to several user groups, one user group can contain several users (0..n:0..m relation)
- one user group can be assigned to exactly one role, one role can have several user groups assigned (1..1:1..n relation)
- every role has a standard user group assigned which will never be deleted (which explains the 1.. relation).
Evaluation of the Authorization Framework Implementation
Our authorization framework is limited in several respects. This is not necessarily a bad thing as long as the framework is able to implement all specified requirements and is flexible enough to be extended within a reasonable range in the future:
- Hard coded policies: policies cannot be configured by the end user nor can we create "policy profiles" for different applications or use cases if such would become a requirement. This also implies that if we need to implement different permissions for different applications then we have to write application-specific sub-classes of the AuthorizationPolicy and PolicySet classes which means that policy definitions either have to follow the inheritance hierarchy or have to be duplicated in several places. Hard coding policies also means that requirements like subscription based access have to be hard coded into operations rather than providing central access profiles which could be changed in one single place.
- Hard coded roles: If we want to introduce a new role we'll have to introduce it in code which means that we cannot let the user introduce new roles with differentiated access levels from the application front-end.
- Authorization functions scattered: As can be seen from the previous sections authorization functions are spread over various locations in the code - database, router, handler constructor, handler's authorize() method, even the handler operation to some extend. This makes it sometimes difficult to find all policies relevant to a given handler operation or "visual block". On the other hand we define our policies close to the point at which they act (e.g. within the handler that they restrict) which is often less confusing than having to search for policies far from their "point of impact", e.g. in a central policy database.


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CARBURETOR DISASSEMBLY, INSPECTION, AND ADJUSTMENT CHOKE DISASSEMBLY 1. Loosen 1/2" brass fitting on choke suction tube.
2. Remove three attaching choke cover screws and retainers, then remove choke cover,
gasket and thermostat coil assembly from carburetor.
3. Remove baffle plate.
4. Remove pin spring and rod end clip from respective ends of choke rod and remove rod.
5. Remove retaining screw at end of choke shaft and carefully pry off choke trip lever, spacing washer and choke counterweight.
6. Remove two choke valve screws and then remove choke valve.
7. Rotate choke shaft clockwise to free choke piston from housing and then remove piston and choke shaft from carburetor.
8. Remove choke piston pin and piston from choke shaft.
9. Remove two choke housing attaching screws. Choke housing and gasket may now be removed from air horn.
1. Remove filter screen retainer nut and gasket with 3/4" wrench and remove filter screen. NOTE : Some applications do not use a filter screen.
2. Remove screws and lift air horn from bowl.
3. Place air horn upended on flat surface. Remove float hinge pin and lift float assembly from air horn. Float needle may now be removed from float.
4. Remove float seat and gasket with 1/2" bit screwdriver.
5. Remove main metering jet from main well support.
6. Remove main well support. Air horn gasket may now be removed. 7. Remove power piston and spring.
NOTE : Do not remove primary idle tube from air horn.


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Pete Doherty New Album Tracks - Hear Them Now!
Besides featuring a world exclusive interview with Pete Doherty, Clash magazine's website also features exclusive album streams from Pete Doherty's debut solo album, 'Grace/Wastelands'.
Pete Doherty plays his Takamine...
The ex-Libertine's first-ever album under his own name is released by Parlophone on March 16; its release will be preceded by a single, 'Last Of The English Roses', which is one of the three tracks you can hear below. Here are just a few highlights from the interview:
Some people might say that Babyshambles is essentially a solo vehicle, so is this a big departure from the usual for you?
I'm quite confused about what exactly it is, because for your Babyshambles aficionado, you know, I don't wanna be offensive, but your true Libs head or a Shambles head or a Doherty head is gonna look at this list of songs and think, "Hang on, I know that one, and that one's been around for years".
Although a lot of the songs haven't ever been recorded or released, they have existed for some time, but they've always been songs that, to be honest, I've never felt comfortable playing them. Whenever I've tried to bring them up in rehearsals or in different album sessions, they've just never been able to find their feet really. (Producer) Stephen Street is like an unmanned planet, if you like. He sets his stall out... I'm quite easily swayed. Not that I don't believe in myself, but if Stephen Street turns around and says, "This is a great song and I wanna record it and it's going on the album," then bang, we'll go along with it.
There are quite a few people who helped you in the making of this album.
Yeah, we've got Dot Allison, who is singing on 'Sheepskin Tearaway', which I wrote with her as well - that was 70/30 maybe. And there's 'A Little Death Around The Eyes', which has got the line, "Your boyfriend's name was Dave / I was bold and brave," courtesy of Mr. Barat, so that's a Doherty/Barat one in there - 80/20 I'd say, but I'm sure him and [Alan] McGee and the old firm will dispute that. John Robinson - late of The Bandits - an amazing fella, actually, as it goes.
Got a great voice. Stephen Street had him quite low down in the mix, the last I heard. He's had a song for a while called 'I Am The Rain', which we used to play backstage and in hotel rooms and at bus stops back in the days when The Bandits used to play with The Libertines. I always wanted to do it, so we worked on it a bit together, changed a word, nicked a third...
To read the full interview, click here
To listen to the tracks 'Last Of The English Roses', 'Broken Love Story' and 'Baby Don't Fall Backwards', which are exclusive to ClashMusic.com, click here.
Watch Video: Last Of The English Roses
Wanna Sound Like Pete Doherty?
We've covered Doherty's Libertines gear in the past, but there's his other, mellower side, which favours acoustic songs, as shown in his solo songs and performances. Here's a list of some of the guitars he's played. As usual, he's got a great taste for guitars.
Gibson J-160E, famoulsy played by The Beatles
Pete and a Takamine, which looks quite like a TSF48C - Gloss Natural
Pete Doherty and a Gibson L5. Amazing guitar...quite expensive. For a more affordable alternative, those who like the looks of it can try the Canadian-made Godin 5th Avenue Kingpin...which is an outstanding guitar, for a fraction of the price.
You can pre-order Pete Doherty's solo album now from HMV. Click here.
Check Pete Doherty's Artist Page for other related products at Dolphin.


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Select Your State:
Iroquois Member Agents frequently tell us that the greatest benefits of Iroquois membership are the strategies Iroquois provides to increase agency revenue, profits and value. We don't presume to tell our Members how to run their agencies. Our goal is to give them ideas, incentives and strategies. Then they can decide which strategies will work best for them.
How can an agency increase revenue while at the same time meeting the needs of its customers and staff? Iroquois can assist you with several important strategies for maximizing revenue, including market analysis and optimization; Market Alliances; and placement of specialty business.
Market Analysis and Optimization:
A well run agency should have an optimum mix of markets so they can write and retain more of the type of business they wish to service -- now and in the future. Having too few carriers leads to missed opportunities to write good business in segments that are new to the agency or are highly competitive. Many agents are quick to identify this problem and seem on the perpetual prowl for new carrier or market relationships. Focus on new markets, however, often masks a problem of equal or greater importance, which is having too many markets or the wrong markets. "An agency's natural tendency is to always want more carriers' products to sell, and to never want to give them up once they get them," said Iroquois Regional Manager Lindy Bane. "Consequently, it is not unusual to find an agency whose business is spread too thinly across too many carriers. This means the agency: 1) doesn't reach a "critical mass" of premium with their carriers to qualify for profit sharing or bonus revenue; 2) doesn't earn negotiating leverage with the carrier on underwriting and pricing; and 3) probably faces a lot of pressure for increased production or threats of contract cancellation."
What should an agency do if they find themselves in this situation? First, they should analyze their current carrier relationships to see which ones are best meeting their needs. Iroquois has a special Carrier Analysis process that can help. Next, the agency should identify potential book consolidations that will result in retaining essential business while building larger and more profitable books with fewer carriers. "An agency is usually better off with 3 carrier books each with $400,000 in premium, than with 6 books at $200,000 apiece. In most cases they will earn profit sharing at the higher premium level and will command more attention from the carriers," said Bane.
A comprehensive Carrier Analysis should be completed annually, the results of which may be: 1) satisfaction that all is well; 2) minor fine tuning of market selection; or 3) a major overhaul in carrier relationships. Iroquois can help as much or as little in this process as you wish.
Book Transfers or Market Consolidation
Iroquois has several programs related to the process of potential carrier consolidation; including analysis, assistance with the transfer process, and expense reimbursement. Ask an Iroquois Representative about the details.
"Preferred" Compensation
Because of its size and historic profitability, Iroquois earns "preferred" status with the large majority of its Carrier-Partners. As a result, Iroquois receives above average commission and bonus income, and its members can in most cases earn much higher total compensation through Iroquois than they could with direct carrier contracts.
"When I started with Iroquois 27 years ago, many small and mid-sized agencies needed Iroquois to access carriers they could not get on their own," said Iroquois Mid-Atlantic President Matt Ward. "Today, market access is much easier, but agencies of all sizes still choose to access carriers through Iroquois because they can make more money doing so."
Bonus Compensation:
Bonus compensation -- whether it be profit sharing, contingencies, supplemental compensation or growth incentives -- is of vital importance to independent agencies. The amount of bonus revenue often distinguishes well run, "best practices" agencies from those that barely survive. In fact, industry data suggests that bonus revenue (or the lack thereof) represents a very high percent of the average agency owner's profits. Identifying and implementing strategies to maximize bonus revenue is therefore of prime importance to agency principals. One such strategy is to form a Market Alliance with Iroquois and one of your existing carriers.
Market Alliances
Most Iroquois Member Agents have pursued carrier appointments with Iroquois' assistance and support using our "Direct Access" model, whereby the agency receives a sub-code under Iroquois' Master code. A second strategy is for members to move an existing carrier contract under their Iroquois relationship. We call this latter profit-boosting tool a "Market Alliance", whereby an alliance is formed between the carrier, Iroquois, and the Member agent to improve results and share in the rewards of greater profitability. Just as in the "Direct Access" model, the agency's direct carrier code now becomes a sub-code of the Iroquois Master code, for as long as the agent wishes it to continue.
Why would an agency insert Iroquois into their formerly direct carrier relationship and give up a piece of the "compensation pie" for that book? Very simply, they would not do so unless the alliance formed between the carrier, Iroquois, and the Member Agent generates improved results and greater agency revenue and profitability. Fortunately, this isn't a matter of speculation, for Iroquois can help you clearly determine the financial merits of a Market Alliance.
This important strategy can not be fully explained on a website, especially as each agency's situation is unique. Contact an Iroquois representative in your state to discuss this option more fully. He or she can provide more detail on the merits of a potential Market Alliance.
Placement of Specialty Business
Most agencies can access carriers or brokers for Affluent Personal Lines, Flood, Bonds, and E&S; but the best way to maximize your income on this business is to place it through Iroquois-provided carriers. Ask an Iroquois Representative to explain how this works and the financial benefits for your agency of doing so.


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Car Review
2012 Mazda5: New Car Review
Pros: Sliding side doors for ease of entry; good fuel economy; clever use of interior space; great handling
Cons: Engine not terribly powerful; no navigation or backup camera option; no second-row bench seat option
The Mazda5 is a cool twist on the minivan. It rides atop a platform not much larger than those of most mid-size sedans, but with an amazingly versatile interior. Sliding side doors make entry and exit so much easier, not to mention access to the third-row seat, and the fuel-efficient 4-cylinder engine will definitely go easy on your wallet. The Mazda5's unconventional styling also helps it stand out, with deep groves cut into the side sheetmetal and a wide-mouth grille that makes the Mazda5 look as though it's grinning all the time.
Mazda has wisely avoided many of the add-ons that have turned most minivans into very expensive, very large rolling luxury wagons, so you won't find an options sheet with a V6 engine or power-operated side doors; nor will you find a power liftgate, a high-end audio system or power folding rear seats. The benefit of leaving these options off the table is a price point that starts around $20,000 for the Sport trim and tops out around $27,000 for a fully loaded Grand Touring with everything tossed in. Try doing that with a Nissan Quest or a Honda Odyssey.
Comfort & Utility
The Mazda5 comes in Sport, Touring and Grand Touring versions. There's plenty to like about the 2012 Mazda5's interior, although the second-row seating may not be tops on the list. We love that Mazda chose to place four captain's chairs in the front and middle rows, but some families may require the convenience of a bench seat, which the Mazda5 doesn't offer. On the plus side, quarreling siblings are relegated to their own respective corners, and the little walkway between the second-row seats makes access easier to the third-row seats. Speaking of the third row, it's no place for full size adults, although two kids will likely find plenty of space to spread out. With the third row in place, however, there is precious little cargo room. Thankfully, Mazda designed the 50/50 split folding third-row seat to fold flush into the floor. If there is only one occupant back there, you can fold the other seat flat to create a larger cargo hold. For times when maximum utility is required, the second-row seats also fold flat.
The Mazda5's dual sliding side doors also make getting in and out easy, especially when tight parking spaces prevent ordinary swing-out doors from being fully opened, such as in tight parking spaces or when parked along a busy road. Rear access through the large flip-up liftgate allows all manner of items to be easily loaded into the Mazda5's cargo bay, from simple groceries to that 55-inch big-screen TV you've been dying to sneak home. Smaller items can be smuggled in the numerous storage bins, including storage cubicles beneath the second-row seat bottoms. A clever flip-up table fits nicely between the middle seats and includes dual cup holders.
Cost cutting has its drawbacks, so don't look for any fancy voice-activated audio or high-end navigation systems in the Mazda5, because the most you'll find is a six-speaker audio unit and Bluetooth hands-free phone and streaming audio connectivity. There is no navigation option, no Bose audio and no backup camera. There's not even a USB port for controlling an iPod through the stereo, although there is an auxiliary audio input jack so at least you can listen to your favorite playlists. Technology you can get on the Mazda5 includes an optional DVD entertainment system, remote start, Homelink and Sirius satellite radio.
Performance & Fuel Economy
With its 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine, you might think the Mazda5 is a tad underpowered. But this engine has a healthy dose of low-end torque, and the five-speed automatic transmission it's attached to does a great job of milking every drop of power when it's needed most. Rated at 157 horsepower and 163 lb-ft of torque, the Mazda5's engine isn't going to blow the doors off a V6-powered minivan, but with its fuel economy of 21 mpg city/28 mpg highway, it might outrun one. This being a Mazda, there is also the option for a six-speed manual transmission, but only on the base Sport model and with no added advantage in fuel economy.
Mazda equips every Mazda5 with a set of front seat side impact airbags and side curtain airbags covering all three rows. Driver control is enhanced via the standard ABS, electronic traction control and Dynamic Stability Control. Traction control helps eliminate wheel slippage on snow and ice, while DSC can help the driver regain control when the car skids from its intended path.
Driving Impressions
With its stiff suspension and taut steering, the Mazda5 is a joy to drive. It rounds corners with the grace of a lithe sport sedan, albeit not nearly as fast. We found the ride pleasant, although it can get choppy over rough pavement or when encountering numerous expansion joints. We credit the Touring's 17-inch tires for the great handling but also for the somewhat firm ride. Interior noise levels are a bit higher than we'd expect in this type of vehicle, but not annoyingly so (unless you're trying to use the Bluetooth). Acceleration is surprisingly strong with four passengers on board, but passing slower traffic requires a long path to complete the maneuver safely.
Other Cars to Consider
Toyota RAV4 - The RAV4 offers the same three-row seating and low price as the Mazda5, but it can be equipped with a V6 engine and offers better audio, navigation and communication options.
Dodge Grand Caravan - The base Grand Caravan is priced similarly to the Mazda5, but it has a much larger interior and a V6 engine, plus more available features.
Dodge Journey - The Journey may not have the Mazda5's sliding side doors and 28-mpg fuel economy rating, but it does have more interior room, a lower base price and optional all-wheel drive.
AutoTrader Recommends
We'd opt for the top of the line Grand Touring version of the 2012 Mazda5. Sure, it costs more, but at just a shade over $24,000 it's still less expensive than most well-equipped sedans and comes with such necessary features as heated side mirrors, leather seating, driver's seat lumbar support and HID headlamps. We think that's a pretty good deal.


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The Patent and Trademark Office is looking for a contractor who can make the agency's patent data accessible to the public, meet the data dissemination schedule and help USPTO fulfill its obligations for open government and transparency — at no cost to the agency or the public.
According to the solicitation, USPTO would define the structure of the data — the XML schemas, stylesheets and components, and the contractor would create a public Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) dataset that included not just information on the patents, but on the patents' application status that would be updated daily.
The contractor would then host the datasets and provide that information to both the agency and the public. The USPTO solicitation estimates that the contractor's data hardware and software would have to support the dissemination of more than 500,000 files — or 500-plus gigabytes — per day.
Additionally, the patent agency expects the contractor to work on "categorization and standardization of the data" to speed transmission, as well as to provide for retrieval and distribution of the bulk data in unaltered from, except for changes necessary for security and ease of distribution.
In lieu of payment, USPTO would grant the contractor the option to broaden, repackage, distribute or sell the enhanced datasets and retain the fees from those sales.
Posted by GCN Staff on Dec 21, 2012 at 9:39 AM
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I am sorry but is this wise given the present climate of patent litigation by the likes of Apple, Samsung, Microsoft etc… If the contractor can swing a deal in which they get paid for being expert witnesses in these court cases they might be able to pay for the constant law suits brought against them.Let's say they sell this database, what is to keep someone from altering it and then claiming the contractor is liable for someone's loss because the data was wrong. Selling copies of a constantly evolving database that is the subject of billion dollar law suit judgments seems highly risky. How much is the contractor going to have to spend protecting the database from every hacker for hire getting paid to alter some patent claim so that it doesn't cover some infringing technology? The contractors should demand an indemnify and hold harmless agreement from the patent office at the minimum. Let's hope the patent office at least restricts the bids to the set of contractors that hold no patents themselves.
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Nature Walk teaches focuses on tree identification
About 20 people participated in the Nature Walk Saturday, March 23, at the River Road Trail in Riverview Park. Kyle Monroe, resource forester with the Missouri Department of Conservation, explained how the trees could be identified, what the leaves look like in fall and what wildlife they support. The 103-year-old park with 465 acres of forested land is on the National Register for Historic Places.


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In this essay I want to discuss religious versus secular – secular meaning not religious – in the context of Zen, with respect to how these things are subjectively experienced, and how they affect your spiritual practice. However, before I do that I have to define a couple terms. After all, language describes our experience, but if we don't examine our language we can actually limit our awareness of our experience.
To begin, let's define spiritual as I just used it in the term "spiritual practice." This word, for better or worse, has come to refer to the "pure" or popularly acceptable aspects of religion, such as morality or an interest in life's deeper meaning. However, the word has implications that are completely inappropriate in Zen, including the idea that you possess an intangible, animating "spirit" inside your physical manifestation. Spiritual can also imply that there is an incorporeal "spirit world" existing alongside the physical one you occupy; Zen is completely agnostic about this matter, claiming instead that there are much more important things to worry about. Neither of these definitions of spiritual are appropriate for use in Zen. However, there is one more definition that I believe suits Zen's purposes: of, or relating to, the sacred.
Now we have to define sacred for a Zen context. Essentially, something that is sacred is worthy of veneration – that is, inspired respect or awe. It is important to note that veneration is an experience of being inspired, not an act of obeisance that is imposed. People often feel things are sacred because they are connected with, or related to, God, or because the things are associated with their religious faith. However, it is also possible to feel respect or awe for the natural world, or for a system of practice that has freed you from suffering. In Zen, there is a great deal that is sacred; in fact, Zen encourages you to see everything as sacred. But more on that later.
So, let's return to the question of whether (and in what way) Zen is religious or secular. There is no consensus out there as to exactly what religion means or is, so I'll deal with this question by offering a number of things you are likely to assume are included in any particular religion, and then discussing whether (and in what way) that particular thing manifests in Zen – and therefore, where Zen falls on the spectrum between religious and secular.
Belief in and/or worship of a superhuman or supernatural being (or beings), who has some measure of influence over your life and well-being, and/or to whom you owe your existence. If this defines religion for you, then Zen is undeniably secular. Zen doesn't oppose or deny the existence of God, or gods, or supernatural beings, so if you believe in them you are still welcome to practice Zen. However, Zen is not dependent on the existence of such beings, and is generally unconcerned about them. This may sound strange – not really caring whether God exists or not – but it reflects the reality of life for many people, who find it very difficult to believe in God, and who do not anticipate being able to verify his/her/its existence in this lifetime. Personally, I believe that if there is a God and I meet him in the afterlife, he will forgive my disbelief. I did my best.
Belief in a spirit or soul that dwells within and animates your body. In this case Zen is wholeheartedly secular, actually teaching you do not have a soul. It even teaches that believing you have an inherent essence is the root of many of your problems. However, the nature of our existence is very complex and subtle, so the Zen take is not as bleak as it might seem. It's not that we either have a soul, or we are just organic machines with a delusion of importance. Even though Zen teaches there is no soul, it emphasizes that when you completely drop your self-concern, there is no real separation between you and the rest of the universe. You partake of universal being without having to possess your own particular parcel of it.
A system of morality. While people expect a religion to have a moral code, many people do not feel that you have to have a religion in order to have a system of morality. So, in this case, Zen could be called secular or religious in the fact that it has a moral code (many people don't realize this; Zen's moral guidelines are called the precepts). However, from a Zen point of view, the moral feeling or intuition that arises in secular people is evidence of the deep universal truths of interdependence and no-self. It is not arbitrary that most people end up with moral feelings and a general desire to do good and not harm. In this sense you might say Zen is religious in viewing morality as being inspired by something deeper and more universal than personal choice – although Zen does not see it as being inspired by God(s).
A set of practices and/or principles. Zen definitely has lots of practices and principles; you could study it full time for a lifetime and never come to the end of them. This fact doesn't really make Zen religious or secular. Religions have sets of practices and principles, but so do professions, and the arts. However, "religious" principles and practices are often given a special weight by the people who ascribe to them, compared to the principles and practices of other disciplines. This is usually because they are held to be universally applicable to all people, or because they are the instructions and teachings of a divine being. In this case, Zen falls more on the secular side. You can engage whatever Zen practices and principles you want to, but none of them are a moral obligation (except basic morality itself), and nobody's keeping track of what you do or don't do. You verify for yourself the truth or utility of what Zen offers.
An institution created by humans and passed down through time. Religions typically include traditions, organizations, sectarian definitions, buildings, professional religious people or teachers, and a sense of group identity. Although religious groups tend to split and evolve, at any given time a particular religion usually has a relatively stable sense of itself, its history, and its future. Some secular disciplines and organizations are similar (such as the martial arts, or fraternal orders), but the sense of belonging to an institution (large or small) generally reaches its most potent in the case of religion. There are certainly substantial institutions related to Zen that include all of the components listed above. However, there is a certain ambivalence in Zen toward its own institutions: they are viewed as being useful in a practical sense, but it is acknowledged that they can end up demanding so much time, attention, resources and allegiance that you can lose track of the essence of Zen: the practice and study itself. In this sense Zen is religious in having institutions to which you can belong, but it leans toward the secular in seeing institutions as being somewhat of a necessary evil. The persistent classic standard is that of a Zen master meditating all alone in a cave until others join him. You don't need any stuff in order to do Zen practice.
A community of practitioners. Generally speaking, one of the main things that differentiates a religion from a philosophy is that a group of people regularly gather to study and practice the activities and principles associated with a religion, but not a philosophy. In this sense Zen is very religious. From the time Buddhism began 2500 years ago, a strong emphasis has been placed on the importance of a community of practitioners, or sangha. As a matter of fact, according to traditional Buddhist teachings, you can't practice Buddhism without others. Well, technically you can, but you won't get very far. This is not a judgment about your inadequacy, or a suggestion that the truth can only be obtained from others. According to Zen, you already have everything you need. However… human beings are social creatures, and Zen practice is very demanding. To bring your inner potential to its full fruition requires interaction with other people, particularly with others trying to study and practice the same thing you are.
Ritual and ceremony. Ritual and ceremony are powerful tools for influencing your behavior and accessing your emotions. Rituals engage the body and move you out of an intellectual, discriminative state into a more contemplative, intuitive, and less defended state. Their use is not limited to religion: think of award ceremonies, secular funerals, and even personal rituals you might have in your life. However, ritual and ceremony are usually at their most highly developed and overt in religious settings, and in this sense Zen can be quite religious. The tradition includes some very elaborate and moving ceremonies, as well as countless simple rituals to be performed by individuals, like putting your shoes straight or picking up items with both hands. Once again, however, ritual and ceremony are viewed in Zen as tools – very useful tools, but not inherently sacred. You may end up feeling they are sacred, but this is only because of what they point to or help you access, not because the activities themselves are any more holy or special than feeding your child or brushing your teeth.
Presentation of the sacred. Again, the sacred is something worthy of veneration – that is, worthy of inspiring your respect and awe. All worthwhile religions make presentation of the sacred central to their missions – helping you remember, understand, access, appreciate, honor and manifest it. This is what Huston Smith calls the "more" in his book Why Religion Matters, where he says, "Built into the human makeup is a longing for a 'more' that the world of everyday experience cannot requite." Smith explains that religion has traditionally addressed this longing. The fact that presentation of the sacred is central in Zen is something many people find surprising. Essentially, if you do Zen practice and achieve some of your goals by doing so, that's great – but if you still miss the sacred, it's considered quite a shame, so in this sense Zen is quite religious. The "sacred" doesn't have to be woo-woo, supernatural, or even make you feel overly emotional. You touch it through direct, unfiltered experience of your own human life – and Zen practitioners throughout history have discovered that when you do that, it is impossible not to be inspired with respect and awe. Your morning cup of coffee and encountering traffic on the way to work are both sacred – but how often can you experience them that way?
So, the answer to the question of whether Zen is religious or secular is a classically Zen one: yes and no. You may want to be able to put something into a category and subsequently stop having to think about it so much, but Zen wants you to continue to think and question – so no simple answers here.
The post Zen: Secular or Religious? appeared first on .


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Funko - Mortal Kombat Collectables
Find the latest Funko - Mortal Kombat Collectables items from Collectors Den.
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Featured News - Current News - Archived News - News Categories
"Today's announcement is great news for Western New York, the Buffalo Bills and all of us who call ourselves Bills fans. The Buffalo Bills are New York state's only NFL franchise, and an integral part of the cultural and economic identity of Western New York," said State Sen. Patrick M. Gallivan, chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Economic Development and Small Business.
"Through good years and bad, this community has supported its team with an unparalleled level of passion and enthusiasm. Now the Bills organization has stepped up with Gov. Cuomo and local leaders to reach a stadium improvement plan and lease agreement to keep the Bills in Buffalo while respecting taxpayer dollars."


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Call for Reviews - Incognito: Bad Influences #1
Hey you! Reader! Want to be a part of the GREATEST COMIC BOOK AND GEEK COMMUNITY on the web?! Well, they're not accepting new members, but we'll take anyone here, so why not sign up for a free acount? It's fast and it's easy, like your mom! Sign up today! Membership spots are limited!*
*Membership spots not really limited!
Hey you! Reader! Want to be a part of the GREATEST COMIC BOOK AND GEEK COMMUNITY on the web?! Well, they're not accepting new members, but we'll take anyone here, so why not sign up for a free acount? It's fast and it's easy, like your mom! Sign up today! Membership spots are limited!*
*Membership spots not really limited!
by ****** » Sun Nov 07, 2010 5:19 pm
The only thing that bums me out about reading these in trades is that I miss out on Brubaker's recommendations. I watched Winter's Bone a couple of nights ago, really good (and depressing) movie.
by ****** » Sun Nov 07, 2010 6:44 pm
http://www.theouthousers.com/index.php/ ... ces-1.html
by Eli Katz » Mon Nov 08, 2010 12:55 pmThat's a perfect score for the book.
by SilverPhoenix » Wed Nov 10, 2010 2:04 pmIncognito Bad Influences #1
After "waiting in the wings" for 2 years, this reviewer gets a chance to jump into this world of madcap pulp? Was the first impression enough to call this comic a winner?
Depending on the Entertainment medium, each era is defined by works that transcend all other elements to be revered as true classics. It is at that point, each work is judged mostly on its merits, and other factors become less and less relevant. Whether the work did well at the Box Office/Store Front/Newsstand/Book Store probably Is probably the least important factor as to what becomes a classic when put against this standard. Other factors like relevance, message, "originality" and overall quality take center stage in the discussion. For some, it is usually when "Justice" is served in the entertainment medium, which is not always fair to the best works, when they are released, no matter the medium. The overall fate of the book reviewed is still being decided, but one piece of work that is considered one of the front runners for becoming a Graphic Novel Classic, is the Ed Brubaker Written Series "Incognito"
As someone who didn't jump on the initial bandwagon, I decided to do some research on the title in question before I wrote my review, so I could better understand the overall storyline that I was going to be right in the middle of. It also gives me some knowledge to give a short background on the series for those who haven't been following this series, as well. In the world of "Incognito" the pulp Super Hero and Villains have existed since the early 19th Century, and have become a fixture in society. The story we are told follows one of these pulp "icons" in former Villain Zack Overkill, who is trying to reform from his past. In exchange for turning in his former Science Syndicate "The Black Death", he is put into the Witness Protection Program, which proves to be unsuccessful, as his former employers hunt him down. In an effort to protect himself, Zack joins the SOS agency which is in charge of Superhuman Regulation, which brings us to where we are today with Bad Influences #1. With such a reputation behind it, I came into the book with expectations of fulfilling its hype, something that his book does in spades.
When it comes to Ed Brubaker, I have no misgivings in saying he is my favorite Comic Book writer working today. His work on Captain America has been one of the reasons why I'm still reading Super Hero Comic Books, and despite some missteps (Another hearty F*ck You to Marvel Corporate for Mandating that Steve Rogers come back "5 years too early"), it has been one of the most consistent books on the stands for my money. To my surprise (though I shouldn't be shocked), Incognito Bad Influences is probably my favorite thing I've read of his this year, despite not reading the first series. From the beginning, we are dropped into a story where we not only get an extremely good look at the main character, but the world he is now in as he deals with a life geared towards redemption and the struggles that go along with it. What is more impressive still is the world that is built around the story in question, and how everything matters in its own way, especially how an old man serves as a way to uproot Zack Overkill's life. When you sit down and take in all of the nuances of the story, it's a joy to see how layered and well written everything is.
For someone who thinks the writing of a Comic Book is the most important ingredient to the worthiness of the overall product, I personally need reminders as to how important Art is to shaping the story we are reading, something that Sean Phillips does in an empathetic manner. From face value, the art itself doesn't stand out, as it is not drawn in a way that is meant to instantly grab you. That isn't to say the art isn't good, because it's definitely well drawn, with attention to make each character look unique, but most people would say that it couldn't hold a candle to the drawings in Green Lantern or New Avengers. However, like the writing, the art is something that is appreciated when looked upon with a nuanced eye. From everything Brubaker has tried to create with Incognito, the art brings that vision to life, as the drawings help bring the pulp world to life, giving us an environment of wonder, but of cynical wonder as it feels like the world's people have burned too many times by Super Powered Humans who have abused their great powers. A theme that is shown throughout the whole story, as people fear the inevitable ruination of their lives whenever one makes his or her face known by their own volition, or not.
With everything else that has been said, another thing that the creators should get praised for is how accessible this book is. It doesn't tell you everything, but it gives you more than enough so this Issue stands on its own, and can be read without prior knowledge. In fact, I say it does such a good job, that those who are interested enough to catch up, will be compelled to do so after reading this book. The only flaw that this book has is that it seems slightly better than average on first read, and doesn't get appreciated till one sits down, and takes a good look at what's being presented. Despite that, Incognito Bad Influences is a great comic on its own, and an even better introduction into this world. Bad Influences #1 is a beyond worthy addition to a series that's going to be a top contender to be named a classic.
The Verdict
Story ****3/4 (9.5): It's very rare for a first issue to be rated this high in this category, but it deserves it. From first page to last, you are engaged in the story.
Art **** (8): While the art does not "WOW" at first sight, it delivers us into a World that's had enough of Supers, which only enhances the story told
Accessibility **** (8): I was surprised at not only how well I could follow things, but how good of a first impression this was of the Incognito Universe. No one should be intimidated by starting here.
Final Judgment: ****1/2 (9 out of 10)
by thefourthman » Wed Nov 10, 2010 6:20 pmIncognito: Bad Influences #1
Incognito was the book I wanted to hate, but couldn't. I wanted more Criminal, but got this pulpy super hero crime book instead. I believe I called the first issue the reverse of Wanted and I stand by that allegory.
Incognito: Bad Influences is the book I wanted to love that I ended up just liking. Part of the problem is all the set up. See some of the genius in Criminal is the subtle world building. Through a series of stand alone mini-series, Brubaker and Phillips have created a vibrant world without its creation ever being intrusive in the story. So much of this issue is retread of the first series, which is puzzling given the "Previously" recap's warning on the inside cover. It says you should just go read the first trade and honestly, I wish it had listened to its own advice.
Once all the retread exposition is done and all the been there done that is over with, we get the brilliant back story of the old man which was fantastic and almost worth the price of admission. Then we get to the thrust of the series which makes it seem like Sleeper from the other side of things. Yuck, I already read Sleeper…
Phillips is cleaner than either Incognito or Criminal here too, which is also slightly disappointing as well, I like these books cause they are grimy.
Not a bad book, just not the great book I expected.
Story 3
Art 3
Overall 6
by ****** » Wed Nov 10, 2010 6:27 pm4thy almost Jude'd the score.
Down to 8.05. No more reviews, please.
by Eli Katz » Wed Nov 10, 2010 6:30 pm
by Eli Katz » Wed Nov 10, 2010 6:31 pm
I completely agree with your review. But I think it's still so much more entertaining than most other comics out right now that it deserves higher praise.
It's a 6 compared to other Bru-Phillips' collaborations; it's an 8 compared to everything else on the stands right now.
by Garofani Spruzzo » Wed Nov 10, 2010 7:00 pm
I think Brubaker and, to some extent, Phillips too, needs to earn that 8, and he (they) didn't here.
by thefourthman » Wed Nov 10, 2010 11:12 pm
Yeah. Planetary is the best comic I ever read, if Ellis decided to write a book that was exactly like it (and given Ellis this is more than likely something that will occur), I will say "Yuck" and "Planetary" in a sentence very much like that one.
by thefourthman » Wed Nov 10, 2010 11:14 pm
This. The book felt like it was on autopilot. I expect more from them and got much less. I know Punchy would have a significant problem with what I am getting ready to say... but the guy who gives you 9's and 10's repeatedly eventually has to work harder to maintain that level, because he is setting the bar so much higher for himself.
by Eli Katz » Thu Nov 11, 2010 12:34 am
You bring up an interesting issue about criticism. Do we rate books in comparison to all other books, or in comparison to only similar books? Is it best to evaluate Bad Influences in contrast to all of other Bru's work, or in contrast to other available hero books? What is a fairer and more informative approach? I think most of us in the RG took both positions simultaneously, discussing the merits of the book in relation to the previous Incognito series and Sleeper, and discussing the book in more general terms. But which perspective is more important emphasize? For me, I think the latter is more important. Bad Influences is not outstanding, to be sure, and beside Sleeper or Criminal, it is a fairly weak Bru entry. But beside most other superhero comics, it is very tightly written, wildly imaginative, and fairly clever. Nobody can bat 1000. But even on Bru's off day, his work is world's better than most. And that, I think, is still worth pointing out and celebrating.
by Punchy » Thu Nov 11, 2010 3:28 am
The reason I've been giving higher scores is because everyone else around here is giving far too low scores, it's a reaction to the ridiculous negativity and cynicism in this group.
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Costa Concordia boarded by experts as probe continues
GROSSETO, Italy (AP) - Experts have boarded the Costa Concordia cruise liner to investigate whether there is more to the ship's sinking than is contained in the prosecutors' case against its captain.
A team on Thursday examined the bridge and elevators of the ship, which sank Jan. 13, 2012, killing 32 people, and was righted on site in September. Experts are trying to determine if any factors beyond human error contributed to the shipwreck, and next month they will examine the emergency generators.
A judge granted a request for the onboard investigation sought by Capt. Francesco Schettino's defense and a consumer group representing victims.
Schettino is the only person on trial, but his defense and others contend that Costa Crociere SpA, the ship's owner, bears some responsibility
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When he cast his vote Thursday to have the Boy Scouts of America accept openly gay boys into their organization, lawyer Bruce E. Hopper of Auburn, a vice president of the Mohegan Council, brought some family history with him.
He wore his Scouting uniform and carried commemorative coins that belonged to his father, a token from when he himself was a Cub Scout and mementos from his children, ages 15 to 21.
He compared it to "a heart-wrenching family discussion," so when his side won 61 percent of the vote, there wasn't a lot of whooping.
"The hall cleared out immediately," he said. "I think you had to taper your enthusiasm, just because I think it was upsetting to people."
But, he noted, "This is a huge day for Scouting, it really is, in a very positive way."
The organization still bans openly gay leaders, but Mr. Hopper said that as an individual he would like to see that change, too.
The vote, which took place at the Boy Scouts' annual meeting outside Dallas, could have gone either way. Traditionally more liberal parts of the country, such as New England, were in favor of allowing gay boys into Scouting, he said. But there are more Scouts, and therefore more votes, in parts of the country that are usually more conservative.
"So to have a vote like this, it's huge. I mean, it really speaks volumes in a positive way to the future of Scouting," Mr. Hopper said.
The organization's president was shaking as he held the envelope, Mr. Hopper said.
Mr. Hopper said his vote was motivated by his family, and he recounted what he said Wednesday at a session in Texas.
"A lot of people were saying we have to stick to tradition," he said, so he told them he would share his family's Scouting tradition.
"My dad was an Eagle Scout. He was a Scoutmaster," he said. "In the '80s, he eulogized one of his Eagle Scouts that had died of AIDS. Also, where I grew up in the '70s, there was a Klan rally no more than a third of a mile from my house, complete with a cross burning, and both my parents ... their attitude was everyone's welcome at the table, and they acted on that. We always had somebody at our house of different beliefs. ... I think we need to pass this and have another chair at the table."
"When I talk to my kids and their generation, they don't even understand what the big deal is," he said.
The discussion was "really respectful," he said. "I was really amazed at how measured everybody was. ... People were moved to tears on both sides."
The organization issued a statement following the vote saying that the work leading up to the vote was "the most comprehensive listening exercise in Scouting's history."
Mr. Hopper is optimistic that councils on the other side of the vote will remain in the organization. "There was strong emphasis on 'We're all in this together,' " he said.
But there was already some opposition Thursday. Nationally, 70 percent of Boy Scout units are chartered by religious institutions, both liberal and conservative.
According to The Associated Press, the conservative Assemblies of God said the policy "will lead to a mass exodus from the Boy Scout program."
Meanwhile, others are vowing to continue the fight for openly gay Scout leaders. Jennifer Tyrrell, who was ousted as a Cub Scout leader in Ohio because she is a lesbian, told The Associated Press, "I'm so proud of how far we've come, but until there's a place for everyone in Scouting, my work will continue."
The policy to admit openly gay boys takes effect Jan. 1.
Mr. Hopper said he is glad more boys will be welcomed into Scouting, which he said teaches leadership skills, challenges boys, gives them new experiences, introduces them to people they otherwise wouldn't meet, and, of course, gets them building campfires and tying knots.
"You never know when you're going to need a knot. Things happen in life," Mr. Hopper said.
Contact Jacqueline Reis via email at firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow her on Twitter @JackieReisTG.


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American Forces Press Service
BAGHDAD, March 4, 2008 With the security situation here improving every day, Iraqi and coalition forces increasingly are helping displaced families move back into their old neighborhoods.
Soldiers from the 1st Infantry Divisions Company A, 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, in cooperation with Iraqi security forces, the local reconciliation committee, and local and civic leaders, recently welcomed more than 100 families to an informational meeting aimed at returning them to their southwestern Baghdad homes.
The soldiers escorted the families to Combat Outpost 803, where they received information about returning to their homes from members of the Aamel Reconciliation Committee. The committee, formed in October, consists of five Shiite and five Sunni members, and despite significant pressure from extremists, has focused on reducing violence between the two sects and setting conditions for improved quality of life.
For the U.S. military company commander in the area, the return is a culmination of a years worth of hard work.
To see 300 citizens from Aamel here for this ceremony and to welcome 100 formerly displaced families back to their homes is an event we could not have imagined six months ago said Army Capt. Sean Lyons, of Burlington, Iowa, the Company A commander.
For one Iraqi, the combination of coalition forces and the agreement to reconcile differences set the neighborhood on the path to success.
Citizens from each (neighborhood) in Aamel are extremely happy with the peaceful conditions that have occurred because of the reconciliation agreement that Captain Lyons and Attack Company helped us develop, said Dr. Hammed Aziz, the senior Reconciliation Committee member at the event.
Company As senior enlisted soldier said the security situation improved because of his units stance against various criminal elements.
Our soldiers were under constant contact with the enemy when we arrived in Aamel, said Army 1st. Sgt. Jeffery Griffith, of Silas, Ala. "The pressure we placed on the (Iranian-supported) special groups criminals and the reconciliation agreement have sharply reduced violence in this area.
Helping displaced families return home is a complicated process, because many families do not have deeds to their homes, making their claims difficult to substantiate.
We feel very comfortable that law-abiding families are moving back into the neighborhoods, Army Sgt. 1st Class Brian Sowder, a platoon sergeant from Bedford, Ind., said. The system we are using with the Iraqi leaders ensures the proper family is moving back into the abandoned homes and that terrorists are not allowed into Aamel to create problems.
Moving families back into abandoned houses actually improves the overall security conditions in Aamel, he continued. We look forward to continuing this program.
(From a Multinational Division Baghdad news release.)


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42 U.S. Code § 2000d–2 - Judicial review; administrative procedure provisions
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Any department or agency action taken pursuant to section 2000d–1 of this title shall be subject to such judicial review as may otherwise be provided by law for similar action taken by such department or agency on other grounds. In the case of action, not otherwise subject to judicial review, terminating or refusing to grant or to continue financial assistance upon a finding of failure to comply with any requirement imposed pursuant to section 2000d–1 of this title, any person aggrieved (including any State or political subdivision thereof and any agency of either) may obtain judicial review of such action in accordance with chapter 7 of title 5, and such action shall not be deemed committed to unreviewable agency discretion within the meaning of that chapter.
Source(Pub. L. 88–352, title VI, § 603,July 2, 1964, 78 Stat. 253.)
"Chapter 7 of title 5" and "that chapter" substituted in text for "section 10 of the Administrative Procedure Act" and "that section", respectively, on authority of Pub. L. 89–554, § 7(b),Sept. 6, 1966, 80 Stat. 631, the first section of which enacted Title 5, Government Organization and Employees. Prior to the enactment of Title 5, section 10 of the Administrative Procedure Act was classified to section 1009 of Title 5.
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New From TC Electronics
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15 Good Shopper's Guides for a Healthy Home
A clean, calm, and organized home doesn't require a lot of money, of course, but there are tools that can help you keep it that way. Whether you're shopping for an air purifier, a water filter, or some new cleaning supplies, here are 15 guides to point you towards the best products and sources — read on for the full list.
1. Best Lunchboxes! Sources for Bentos, Tiffins, & More
2. Best Dish Racks: 10 Sources
3. In Search of the Perfect Market Bag: 12 Sources
4. How to Shop for an Air Purifier
5. How to Shop for a Vacuum Cleaner
6. Green Cleaning: Smart Sources
7. Where to Shop for Air and Water Filters
8. How to Shop for a Green Roof
9. 10 Sources for Green Tech
10. Farmer's Market Guide: 20 Cities, Coast to Coast
11. How to Shop for a Greener Nursery
12. 12 Sources for Green Goods on a Budget
13. Kitchen Cleaning: 10 Smart Sources
14. How to Shop for Window Insulation
15. Best Organization Stores 2010


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Newton Kansan
When Kathy Wiens drives in downtown Wichita and sees people who are homeless or possibly caught in lives of alcoholism, drug addiction or prostitution, there is a connection, a feeling of empathy she feels with people on the street.
"That could have been me."
If she had not been taken in by a foster family at age 11 and given a new life, Kathy likely would not today be married to a physician and working on her second master's degree. She probably would not have been able to give her children a stable home life and she would not have broken her first family's pattern of alcoholism and abuse.
"I realize if I had not had this miracle happen in my life, I could be homeless too," she said.
Wiens wrote about her early life in Lincoln, Neb. in her book, "Bars, Dumps and Other Childhood Hangouts." A book signing is scheduled from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday at Faith and Life Bookstore of Newton with part of the proceeds going to Harvey County Homeless Shelter. Wiens stressed the book, which addresses such themes as violence and abuse, is for adults.
The reference to dumps in the book's title has a double meaning, Wiens said. Her step-father would take the family to dumps to collect scrap metal to sell. That is a fun memory from Wiens's childhood, but it is juxtaposed alongside the more grim memory the word has for her. Dumps is also a reference to the types of homes her family lived in.
Bars were a family hangout. At first it was fun - little Kathy and her older brother sipping soda while their parents drank. But as the night wore on and her parents became more drunk, it became scary. Kathy and her brother would sleep out in the car until their parents were ready to go home.
"It felt very unsafe being around people who were drunk," she said. "Our lives revolved around their alcoholism and their needs."
At home, Kathy was scared of the drunken fights her parents would get into.
"My main job in childhood was trying to keep myself safe," Kathy said. "When you're a child, your parents are your whole world. For these peopfle to be out of control - it creates tremendous insecurity."
When she was 9, Kathy's step-dad died and the family got more out of control. Her mother brought strange men in and out of the house and it became much more unsafe for Kathy. When she was 10, Kathy was placed in an orphanage.
At age 11, she was taken in by Floyd and Erma Burkey. They were an older couple whose biological children were grown and out of the house. The Burkeys never adopted Kathy because her mother would not give up her parental rights, but they were the ones Kathy considered her parents.
"For me - and for them - the Burkey family is my family," Kathy said. "My parents chose me to be their child. I did not come to them through the natural child birthing process, but they chose me and wanted me to be a part of their family."
She was also taken in by the Bellwood Mennonite Church in Milford, Neb. Church members noticed she was good at singing and working in crafts and encouraged her.
"Part of what broke the cycle for me was knowing I was loved and valued as part of the church," Kathy said. "I felt a sense of belonging."
For Kathy, the new family and church were "resiliency factors" - a term she has learned while working toward her counseling degree at Wichita State University. A resiliency factor is a positive influence that helps a child build trust and rebound from a bad experience.
As a counselor, Kathy hopes to bring resiliency factors into the lives of children. As a writer, she hopes to bring understanding and hope with her book.
"I'm really hoping people who have not experienced this will gain an understanding of living in this situation," she said. "I hope it can give hope to people who've experienced this kind of life. You can get out of it."