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Posted on January 25, 2017 by John Cruden
As I reflect on my tenure as Assistant Attorney General, I have been especially proud of the Division's cooperation with state and local governments in matters encompassing all aspects of the Division's work – affirmative and defensive, civil and criminal. When we combine forces with our state and local partners, we leverage the resources of multiple sovereigns and, ultimately, achieve more comprehensive results for the American people.
In 2016, we had unprecedented success in civil enforcement with states, due primarily to the record‐breaking settlement with BP in the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill litigation. In April 2016, the trial court entered the final consent decree in the litigation, thereby resolving civil claims of the United States and the five Gulf Coast states against BP. The claims arose from the 2010 blowout of the Macondo well and the resulting massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. BP will pay the U.S. and the five Gulf States more than $20 billion under the consent decree, including: 1) a $5.5 billion civil penalty; 2) more than $8.1 billion in natural resource damages; 3) $600 million in further reimbursement of clean‐up costs and some royalty payments; and 4) up to $6 billion in economic damage payments for the Gulf States or their local units of government. This resolution is the largest settlement with a single entity in Department of Justice history; it includes the largest civil penalty ever awarded under the Clean Water Act, the largest ever natural resources damages settlement and massive economic damages payments to our state partners.
And, just this month we announced our plea agreement and civil consent decree with Volkswagen. In addition to the combined $4.3 billion penalty, corporate felony plea, and individual prosecutions, the previous civil consent decrees also provide $2.7 billion to all states for projects they select from the CD options to offset NOx pollution caused by the illegal car emissions. When the various settlements with VW are combined, and their value estimated, it approaches $20 billion.
Our state connections were vital to our criminal work. Cooperation ranged from providing training to state partners to close coordination in wildlife and pollution investigations. Prosecutors from ENRD's Environmental Crimes Section presented at several events where state investigators learned of opportunities and methods for developing wildlife and environmental crimes cases, either in concert with federal counterparts or independently. Our prosecutors also trained their counterparts on the Division's recently acquired authority over worker safety matters.
But environmental enforcement is not where ENRD's work with state and local partners ends. We also are working with our counterparts at the state and local level in a relatively new area of responsibility for the Division – civil and criminal enforcement of federal laws that provide for humane treatment of captive, farmed, and companion animals across the United States. In July 2016, ENRD and the Office of Justice Programs co-hosted a roundtable discussion on Animal Welfare Enforcement. We were joined by more than 100 leaders in the area, including representatives of federal agencies, states and local governments, as well as researchers, scientists and others in the animal welfare field. The roundtable allowed us to focus collectively on information sharing, organizational strategies and cooperation in animal welfare enforcement.
Finally, ENRD continued to develop and enhance relationships with our state counterparts by participating in several forums designed to share experiences and expertise. In the spring of 2016, for example, I had the honor of being the first ENRD Assistant Attorney General invited to speak to the annual meeting of the Environmental Council of the States, the national association of state and territorial environmental agency leaders. I joined colleagues from EPA, New Mexico and academia to discuss innovative ways to measure the success of environmental enforcement. ENRD attorneys also partnered with the National Association of Attorneys General to present webinars on topics of mutual interest, such as e‐discovery, and share expertise regarding federal bankruptcy law in the context of environmental cases. Finally, just this week we collaborated with the National Association of Attorneys General to publish Guidelines for Joint State/Federal Civil Environmental Enforcement Litigation, which is now available on the DOJ website.
As I depart from the Division, we are in good shape. In December, the Division accepted an award by the Partnership for Federal Service, which ranked the ENRD as the #2 best place to work in all of the federal government, as well as the best place to work in the Department of Justice. With more than 300 Federal agency subcomponents competing, our new rank places us well into the top 1% of all Federal workplaces.
Tags: DOJ ENRD, Federal/State, Enforcement Cooperation, Deepwater Horizon Settlement, VW Settlements, Animal Welfare Enforcement, Federal Service Workplace Ranking
Clean Air Act | Clean Water Act | Enforcement | Litigation | State


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Graduation season is upon us. I celebrated with a friend at his graduation last week. In the coming week my university begins its marathon of multiple commencement services. And, by the end of the month I will be completing a third graduate degree.
As I think about the importance of these events and the value of education in general, I'm reminded of several realities.
Education Is a Good Investment
First, education is a good investment of time and money. This is not the case for all people, but for most, education represents an investment that appreciates rather than decreases in value over time. In other words, it is more like investing in a house (that tends to appreciate in value) rather than investing in a car (that tends to depreciate in value).
Education Improves Earnings and Marketablity
Second, education tends to improve capacity for future earning and lower rates of unemployment. Again, this is not the case for all people, but generally speaking, earnings increase and unemployment rates decrease as higher levels of education are attained.
Here is a helpful table from the Bureau of Labor Statistics that illustrates this point.
Education Provides More Effective Approaches to Work
Third, education enables us to do better what we already must do. In most cases, employment is a necessary part of life. It is the way people are able to make a living and provide for themselves and their family. This logic might not work for everyone, but for me it does. If I'm going to be engaged in a job, I want to do it well. Education helps me to do the work I already need to do in a more effective manner.
Education Provides A Pathway for Lifelong Learning
Fourth, education provides a natural pathway for lifelong learning. I view learning as intrinsically valuable. I also believe we are hardwired and created by God as learners. While learning can happen independently, engaging in a structured learning process allows us to benefit from those who have gone before us in a particular field of knowledge.
In my particular field of leadership studies, I'm convinced that leadership involves a deep commitment to learning (see my previous thoughts on this here: Leadership: A Commitment to Learning). But learning is not just the work of leaders. There is both intrinsic and utilitarian value in learning for any field. Formal education is not the only path by which lifelong learning can take place. However, it is a key pathway that has helped many people.
While there are certainly examples that would not support the above, these four benefits of higher education are true for most. As you celebrate with the graduates in your life this season, be reminded that their investments and labors have not been in vain.

subset: commoncrawl


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The common thread is that today's model of capitalism overemphasizes short-term financial data and neglects information that gets at the true sources of sustainable value creation — things like innovation, brand equity, customer loyalty, and key stakeholder relationships. Corporate reporting today emphasizes compliance, boilerplate and legalese. As a result, we have a massive glut of filings, press releases, analyst reports and articles focused on financial data. The system has lost sight of the point of reporting: to give companies access to financial capital by communicating their value to investors.
The consequence of the systemic failure of this lopsided model is that companies focus on short-term financial performance — because that is what they believe investors are interested in — to the detriment of long-term value creation. Investors, meanwhile, compensate for the lack of knowledge about issues central to longer term value by pricing in a risk premium. This can result in market valuations that do not reflect the fundamental performance or prospects of the business, leading to a misallocation of capital and reduced visibility for investors, reinforcing short-term decision-making. And it is business that pays the price through more expensive capital, while furthering a flawed model of capitalism.
Fortunately, there is a better way to communicate about the sources of value creation: integrated reporting. Such reporting integrates material information about a firm's financial performance with information on sustainability performance and intangibles such as intellectual and human capital.
From the investor standpoint, integrated reporting provides insights about a firm's business model, strategy, risk, performance and prospects that are simply not available under the current reporting model. It therefore supports investor decision-making by providing a more complete basis for dialogue with the company's board and an assessment of present and future value. This benefits not only the investor, but also investors' beneficiaries and the broader economy by providing a platform that encourages financial stability. Companies such as Danone, SAP, AkzoNobel and Unilever are already pushing the boundaries on their corporate reporting in this direction.
This week, the International Integrated Reporting Council (of which I am the chief executive) launched the consulting draft of integrated reporting framework. Over the next ninety days, the IIRC is seeking feedback on the draft from companies, investor groups, reporting standards organizations, accounting bodies and regulators — anybody who has a stake in seeing the transformation of corporate reporting.
The framework differs from standard financial reporting in a number of ways:
- It provides guidance on reporting that goes beyond simply conveying past performance in order to help investors understand how value is created (or destroyed) in the company, given its business model and its strategies, risks and opportunities.
- It acknowledges that financial capital is not the only asset in a business that drives value creation; instead, a business must report on the interaction of six different types of capital: financial, manufactured, intellectual, human, social and relationship, and natural.
- It demands that reporting go beyond being simply a mash-up of a firm's existing reports, or a forced combination of the financial and sustainability reports. Instead, it is a concise report that concentrates on material issues — those relevant to investors — that affect the firm's strategy and future orientation.
Despite the evidence of green shoots representing a new pathway for corporate reporting, I don't believe that true integrated reporting exists anywhere just yet. However, the new framework gets us closer to that goal.
While all this makes me hopeful for the future of corporate reporting, one dark cloud hangs over my outlook: US companies are lagging their European, Asian and Latin American counterparts in moving towards an integrated reporting model. Of course, we have great examples of US companies, such as Coca Cola, Prudential Finance and Clorox, joining around ninety global companies in IIRC's pilot program right now, alongside dozens of investors. But my concern is that there are deep-rooted reasons why the US environment may stifle innovation in corporate reporting.
One is that companies hesitate to make statements about anticipated future performance because they fear litigation. But there are other reasons too. Many see reporting as a compliance issue — if it's not legislated, then don't bother. And some will only move on this when they believe the majority of investors want this sort of information.
The danger for US firms who lag in adopting integrated reporting is twofold: not only will their investors lack complete information about their performance, but they also will lose out on the integrated thinking that integrated reporting drives: it reduces barriers between functional silos, aligns data systems and processes, and encourages a culture that focuses on the full spectrum of value drivers. This is all about innovation, and I am saddened to think that US companies, some of the world's most innovative businesses in their own right, might be held back because they are stuck in an out-of-date reporting model.
If integrated reporting can play its role in better corporate performance, holistic investor engagement and the proliferation of a longer-term model of capitalism, it will not have come a moment too soon.


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Americas Competitiveness Forum Opening Kick-off in AtlantaNovember 14, 2010
This post contains external links. Please review our external linking policy
Francisco J. Sánchez is the Undersecretary of Commerce for International Trade
This weekend, a thousand American businesses, ministers and senior officials from across the Western Hemisphere are descending on Atlanta for the most anticipated Americas Competitiveness Forum (ACF) to date.
The Fourth Annual Americas Competitiveness Forum began today. From the moment I landed at Hartsfield Jackson Airport and received such a warm response from all I encountered at the host hotel, I knew the great value and potential for global competitiveness this conference could bring.
As the President returned to Washington today from his 10-day tour to India, Indonesia, South Korea and Japan, it was clear the common theme was for increased collaboration and investment among the regions. The ACF is one of many steps we at the International Trade Administration are taking to advance the President's National Export Initiative (NEI) and deliver his goal to double American exports over the next five years to support millions of American jobs.
Mayor Kasim Reed of Atlanta will join Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke as our co-hosts of this year's ACF. The President of El Salvador as well as Vice President's and Minister's from across the region are confirmed to attend and participate in this exciting opportunity for growth.


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The following narrative is based on testimony and evidence presented in the five-week-long, first-degree murder-and-arson trial of Palo Alto businessman Bulos "Paul" Zumot, 37, whom a San Jose jury found guilty on both counts on Feb. 10. Zumot's victim -- girlfriend Jennifer Marie Schipsi, 29, a Palo Alto real-estate agent -- had dated Zumot for two years prior to her death on Oct. 15, 2009. Zumot's sentencing is scheduled for April 21.
The text messages began pouring into Bulos "Paul" Zumot's phone just after midnight on Oct. 15, 2009.
The first one told him to stay away. The next one wished him good night. The one after that called him a "selfish cold hearted ungreatful 'human being' scam artist liar."
The sender, Jennifer Schipsi, had just walked home from Da Hookah Spot, Zumot's cafe in downtown Palo Alto, to the cottage she shared with Zumot at 969 Addison Ave. Less than an hour before she left downtown Palo Alto in tears, she had been celebrating Zumot's 36th birthday at his favorite dining spot, Dishdash Restaurant in Sunnyvale, with about a dozen friends. Photos from the party show them together and having fun: He blows out the candles on the birthday cake. She smears icing on his face. He looks at the camera, a goofy grin flashing through the icing.
Schipsi's mood appeared to have soured around 10:30 p.m., as she and Zumot headed from Dishdash to an after-party at Da Hookah Spot. They were in Zumot's silver Range Rover with Zumot's friend, Victor "Vinny" Chaalan, driving. Zumot and Schipsi had both had a few drinks. Zumot sat in the passenger seat. Schipsi sat in the back. Music was blaring, Zumot later testified at the trial, and everyone was having fun.
During the drive, Schipsi received a text message from her friend Jaber Al Suwaidi, who missed the party because he was moving from Atherton to Menlo Park that day. Al Suwaidi, who often worked out and smoked hookah with the couple, asked Schipsi to pass by his new house on San Mateo Drive. Around that time, Zumot confronted Schipsi about Al Suwaidi's text messages, took her phone when she showed it to him and tossed it back at her.
"I can't," Schipsi responded to Al Suwaidi. "My phone was just thrown at me."
As the Range Rover pulled into a parking spot on Ramona Street, across the street from Da Hookah Spot, Schipsi was in tears. Zumot testified that he headed straight to the cafe because he wanted to give her space and "diffuse the situation." Chaalan offered to wait for Schipsi, but she declined. Chaalan saw her get out of the vehicle and sit on the bumper. When the men went in, she began her walk home.
Witnesses gave different accounts for what started the argument between Schipsi, 29, and Zumot, the man whom she'd been dating for two years and who police say strangled her to death around noon on Oct. 15. Chaalan recalled Zumot and Schipsi fussing over the Dishdash bill, which totaled $619. A guest at the party offered to start a collection to pay for it. Zumot objected to the offer and asked Schipsi during the drive whether she accepted the money. Zumot said he felt he and Schipsi should have been the ones footing the bill.
Schipsi's friend, Nora Hanafi, joined the party at Da Hookah Spot, noticed Schipsi's absence and called Schipsi several times, finally reaching her at about 11:20 p.m. She testified that Schipsi told her she and Zumot argued after one of their mutual friends sent her a text message requesting they stop by his home. The message made Zumot "angry," Schipsi told Hanafi.
Al Suwaidi, who also talked to Schipsi on the phone while she was walking, testified that he heard her "breathing heavily and crying." She told him that Zumot "humiliated her and that she slammed the door and left."
"She said she's done and that she can't handle it anymore," Al Suwaidi testified. "She was hysterical."
Zumot himself testified that he confronted her during the drive after she began deleting messages from Al Suwaidi. He said Schipsi was upset because he told her to shut up and accused her of lying about Al Suwaidi's texts.
Chaalan corroborated Zumot's statement. "I remember him saying, 'Tell me the truth; stop lying to me'" during the drive to Palo Alto, Chaalan said.
Zumot said he didn't see anything strange about Schipsi's stormy departure.
"She'd done that a couple of times -- when we argue she'd walk home," Zumot said. "It was not a big deal at all."
But that's when the text messages from Schipsi began. They continued to gush into his phone that night as he smoked hookah and played cards with his friends. Each message was more furious than the last.
At 12:16 a.m., Schipsi asked him to cancel their scheduled flight to Palm Desert, where Zumot was planning to propose to her that weekend. Over the next 10 minutes, the messages became more obscene and provocative, with Schipsi calling Zumot a "f--," a "b----" and a "d---head" and telling him that his "karma will bite u in your own ass."
Zumot's responses were brief and somewhat dismissive. "I love u too," he wrote at 12:26 a.m. Four minutes later, he followed up with, "U need to relax."
Zumot testified that he hoped to calm her down with his curt replies, but they appeared to have achieved the opposite effect. Schipsi berated him at 12:34 a.m. for "scamming" his way through life and, in the same message, said her new goal in life was to open a hookah lounge across the street from his so that he could see how things should be done.
"U turned part of my heart black," she wrote in the same message. "Stay the f--- away so I can regain my happiness and satisfaction."
The subject then turned to money. In a series of angry texts that began just after 1 a.m., Schipsi ordered Zumot to pay her the $10,000 he owed her and told him not to "ever threten (sic) me again or I will seek ultimate justice." She then added other items to the bill, including money for a dresser she said he destroyed ($800), a bed that he allegedly tossed when he kicked her out of his home in San Jose ($750), a "zebra painting" that she said he slashed ($499), a buffet ($1,150), a hookah ($1,200) and a kitchen table and chairs ($1,980). She asked him not to come home and to leave the check under her door.
Schipsi also told him several times that if he didn't pay up by 11 a.m., she would call the police. Zumot said she made this threat frequently, and he didn't it take seriously. But he was still on probation from a domestic dispute he had with Schipsi in March 2008. So at 1:40 a.m. that morning, just after Schipsi threatened to go to the police, he responded, "No police plz."
Zumot testified that at the time of this exchange, he was playing poker with Chaalan at Bella Luna, a restaurant that shared the same brick building as the hookah cafe. They finished shortly after 2 a.m., went back to the cafe to count the money and then headed back to the house. Zumot said he still felt at that time that Schipsi's behavior was "not a big deal," but he asked Chaalan to call Schipsi and tell her they're coming home. He also asked Chaalan to follow him home.
"I knew Jennifer was upset, and I didn't want to go back to the house and make things worse," Zumot said on the witness stand. "I put him in as the middleman."
By the time Zumot and Chaalan arrived at the cottage at about 2:30 a.m., Schipsi was already in bed. She declined to leave the bedroom even after Zumot sent her a message at 2:36 a.m. saying, "Come out plz." Six minutes later, he sent her another message: "This is not fair."
In his testimony, Zumot maintained that he and Schipsi made up shortly after he returned to the cottage from Da Hookah Spot. After Chaalan left, Zumot said Schipsi came out of the bedroom to use the restroom and he coughed to get her attention.
"I said, 'I'm sorry,' and we sat down and started talking," Zumot testified.
He said she requested a hookah, and he prepared one for them to smoke. He also went back to the car to pick up the birthday cake. He said they "smoked, talked and had a great time." He also testified that at about 3:40 a.m., they had sex and recorded it on Schipsi's iPhone, as was their custom (police later found the recording on her phone). Zumot said they went to bed at 4:20 a.m.
The make-up apparently didn't last long. At about 11 a.m., Schipsi resumed her angry texts to Zumot to demand her money.
"I am serious BRING me my f---ing check and I will go buy a esspresso ...," she wrote at 11:12 a.m.
During the murder investigation, police recovered five more text messages that were sent from Schipsi's phone that day. Investigators believe the last four were all authored by Zumot after he strangled Schipsi and took possession of her phone. But no one at the trial disputed that it was Schipsi who wrote the text message to Zumot at 11:14 a.m.
"I'm going to SJPD to file charges by 3 if my check is not here," the message read.
Police believe Zumot strangled Schipsi some time in the next hour. Her texts to Zumot suddenly stop and, as Deputy District Attorney Charles Gillingham pointed out during the trial, none of Schipsi's friends heard from her from that point on. Nora Hanafi said she called Schipsi at 11 a.m., but no one picked up and Schipsi never called her back.
The only person other than Zumot who may have heard Schipsi's voice that afternoon was William Koopman, who lives next door to the cottage. Koopman said he was outside his house at around noon on Oct. 15, 2009, when he heard a voice coming from the cottage. He initially thought it was a voice of a young boy who previously lived in the cottage, but he testified that the voice might have belonged to a woman.
Koopman said the voice stopped and started, as if the speaker was engaged in conversation. The volume was high, but the speaker wasn't exactly shouting.
"It was the kind of voice you'd use if you were to communicate to someone in the next room," he said.
When Al Suwaidi received a text message from Schipsi's phone at 12:48 p.m. that afternoon, he became suspicious. The previous night, as Schipsi was walking home from Da Hookah Spot, Al Suwaidi sent her a message, "Why is he pissed at me?" referring to Zumot's behavior in the car. He and Schipsi then had a phone conversation in which she told him about her fight with Zumot.
Now, nearly 14 hours after he sent her that message, he received a response from her phone: "He is not he was drunk last night."
It wasn't just the timing that made Al Suwaidi suspicious. Schipsi, a real-estate agent, was constantly on her iPhone, calling and texting friends and clients. Al Suwaidi said he and Schipsi exchanged hundreds of texts. He knew Schipsi liked to fill her texts with slang and abbreviations, and he thought the message he received that afternoon was too formal.
"It's not her writing," he testified.
Al Suwaidi assumed the message was written by Zumot, who he knew was sore at him for missing the Dishdash party. Zumot, in fact, wrote him a text message the previous evening, admonishing him for not calling and wishing him a happy birthday. Al Suwaidi replied that he wanted to say it in person. When he received a text message from Schipsi's phone the following afternoon, he thought he recognized Zumot's style and assumed Zumot was trying to make amends.
"I thought it was Paul," Al Suwaidi testified. "I thought he wanted to become friends again."
Al Suwaidi then sent another message to Schipsi's phone: "I called him 10 times and he's still not answering." Seconds later, he received a response, "He is in San Jose with his attorney I believe." This message was also written in a tone that Al Suwaidi felt was too formal to be Schipsi's.
"They're different," Al Suwaidi testified. "If you have them as friends, you know."
Schipsi's best friend, Roy Endemann, also received a text from her phone that afternoon. The message, which phone records indicate went out at 12:24 p.m., said, "How are you." It was almost identical to the message Schipsi sent Endemann the previous afternoon, minutes after he was out of surgery. The only difference was that in the earlier message Schipsi wrote, "How r u."
At 1:47 p.m. Schipsi's phone received a message from Zumot. "Can you call me plz," Zumot wrote.
Bulos Zumot said he last saw Schipsi around noon that day. In his version of events, Schipsi was still in bed when he went to the Palo Alto police station at 11 a.m. to pick up a police report. On his way out, Schipsi asked him for a hug but he kept going, possibly triggering the angry reaction reflected in her texts that morning. His trip proved fruitless because he couldn't find parking outside the police station. He returned to the cottage, he testified.
Schipsi was still in bed when he got back home, Zumot said. He lifted weights, exercised with his jump-rope, had a sandwich and a bottle of water, played on his computer for a bit and then drove to the station for the second time. Again, there was no parking so he returned to the cottage. On the way back, he stopped by Peet's Coffee and Tea to pick up the latte Schipsi asked for.
The angry texts didn't deter him. Zumot said there was nothing strange about Schipsi getting mad at him and then forgiving him. Their rocky relationship was marked by numerous break-ups, make-ups, restraining orders and police complaints, some of which were later recanted.
One heated dispute occurred on Aug. 24, 2009. Schipsi called Palo Alto police that afternoon after Zumot allegedly threatened her life and called her obscenities, officers testified at the trial. Schipsi also told Palo Alto officers that Zumot had a "shady thought process" and an "infatuation with murder." She asked for an emergency restraining order, which was granted. She also told Palo Alto Officer Jared Monroe that Zumot "planned to burn down his business in Palo Alto and collect the insurance money," according to a police report.
By mid-September, however, Zumot and Schipsi were back together. They moved into the Addison Avenue cottage and took a trip to Lake Camanche. Photos from the trip, which were shown during the trial, showed both of them outdoors and smiling, his arm around her.
Zumot said he assumed everything was normal between them on Oct. 15. He testified that when he got back home, Schipsi was still in bed so he left the latte on the nightstand next to her. He said they spoke briefly and she told him she planned to see her mother and Endemann later that day. According to his timeline, that was their last conversation.
Zumot testified that after dropping off the latte he returned to the police station, this time parking in a yellow zone. He picked up the police report, which concerned a complaint he said he made against Hisham Ghanma. It was just after 1 p.m. He then went back to the cafe to make sure everything was in order before his Palm Desert trip. He made a list of items he would need to buy for that weekend, checked the surveillance systems and counted the money. He took a quick drive to a gas station to fill up his Range Rover. He then returned to Da Hookah Spot, smoked a hookah and spent some time on his computer.
Throughout the day, he said he was wearing a hooded Guess sweatshirt -- a factor that Gillingham said explains why police officers observed a lack of scratches and bruises on his body when they interviewed him later that night.
Phone records indicate that shortly after 2:30 p.m., Zumot left the cafe and took off for San Jose, where he was scheduled to take a court-ordered domestic-violence class. On his way to the class, he stopped in Mountain View to buy some Torani syrup from his cousin's warehouse, Earthly Delights Gourmet Foods. He made another stop at the Restaurant Depot in Sunnyvale, but he testified that he left the supply store empty-handed because the line was too long. Surveillance footage shows him leaving the Sunnyvale supply store at 3:35 p.m.
When Fernando Alcoba arrived to teach his domestic-abuse class in San Jose at about 3:45 p.m., he saw Zumot waiting outside the classroom, a phone in his hand. At around that time, phone records show that Zumot made eight phone calls to his landlord, John Eckland, whose house is located in the back of the Addison Avenue property. When he finally got through, Zumot asked Eckland if he received the rent check.
Eckland said he thought the call was "odd." He testified that he had already spoken to Zumot about the rent check the previous day and assured him that he received it. When Zumot reached him at 3 p.m., Eckland reaffirmed his earlier statement, he said.
"I told him, reassuringly, 'Yes!'" Eckland testified.
Zumot's phone remained busy during the class. At about 5 p.m., he sent a text to his friend Joe Martinez to tell him that he planned to propose to Schipsi that weekend and asked for his support. He also acknowledged on the witness stand that while in class he deleted dozens of text messages that Schipsi had sent him the previous night and that morning -- including the messages in which she threatened to go to the police.
Alcoba said he noticed Zumot seemed "a lot more relaxed" in previous classes than he was on Oct. 15, 2009. He also noticed something different about Zumot's appearance.
"He wasn't shaved that day and his hair wasn't groomed as normal. He looked tired," Alcoba testified. "He told me it was his birthday. He was up all night."
About 30 minutes after Zumot's class began in San Jose, Schipsi's phone received its final text of the day. The message was from Schipsi's friend, Heather Winters.
"Jenniferrr!!! Where are you???" it read.
Susie Scholpp said she was in front of her Lincoln Avenue home at a little after 6 p.m., unloading groceries from her car. She testified that she saw a car speeding down her block -- a sight that always upset her. Scholpp had approached the city in the past about installing speedbumps in her quiet residential neighborhood, but to no avail.
She turned around and looked at the driver, making "direct eye contact."
"My eyes were following him," Scholpp testified. "I was pretty much giving a glare as the person was speeding down the block."
Scholpp, whose home is located a block away from the Addison Avenue cottage, testified she was "100 percent" sure the man was Zumot. Three months after the speeding incident, she saw Zumot's photo in a newspaper and called the police.
"I know it was him because our eyes met when he was speeding down our block," Scholpp said.
John Eckland recalled that he left his house at precisely 6:25 p.m. to pick up his father, Herb, for their customary Thursday dinner. Their friend, Eden Salomon, would join them that evening, as would her daughter and another friend, Herb Brams.
Salomon once lived in the cottage in front of Eckland's house, and she still felt "a little sentimental" about her former home, she testified. She arrived shortly before 6:30 p.m. Eckland and his father drove up a few minutes later.
The party went inside and the guests began to chat when lights began to flicker and a man started banging on the door. That man, Daren Beaumont, told Salomon the cottage was on fire. Beaumont testified that he was driving down Addison when he noticed smoke under the eaves of the cottage. He parked his car, approached the cottage and banged on the door. There was no response.
He then tried the large house in the back. Salomon answered the door. He told her the cottage was burning, and they each grabbed a garden hose and ran to the cottage. At that point, Beaumont said, window glass was exploding and smoke was "bellowing out of the windows and under the eaves." Salomon said she was approaching the cottage when the two windows "burst out" and "flame and smoke started coming out."
John Eckland, who was upstairs when Beaumont banged on the door, quickly joined them and commandeered one of the garden hoses -- spraying water through one broken window while Salomon dowsed the burning bedroom through the other.
Police said the fire was reported at 6:39 p.m. By the time firefighters arrived, the fire was largely extinguished. Salomon testified that she didn't learn about the dead body until the following morning. But as she and Eckland saw additional police cruisers and fire engines arriving at the scene, they began to get suspicious.
"We wondered why there's so much commotion about the fire, so we began to speculate," Salomon said.
Palo Alto Fire Captain Carter French was the first person to spot the body. The bedroom was filled with smoke when French crawled toward the bed wearing a self-contained breathing apparatus -- the firefighter's heavy-duty respirator. He saw the bed through the heavy smoke. As he neared it, he saw the victim.
French said his first reaction was to grab the body and pull it toward him. He moved it about six inches and noticed that it was completely incinerated.
"It definitely met the criteria for establishing death," French testified.
The following morning, Barbara Maxwell, a special agent for fire investigation with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, would spot several signs that suggested to her that the victim died before the fire. The body's position -- supine across the middle bed, with one leg bent and a hand raised in a "pugilistic manner" -- was "unique for a fire scene," Maxwell testified.
Maxwell also noticed a melted red plastic object that appeared to be a remnant from a gasoline can. As the body was lifted up, they noticed a "distinct smell of gasoline" emitting from the body, especially near the hair.
"We determined the fire was intentionally set in incendiary nature," Maxwell testified.
Investigating officers also noticed that the front right burner on the gas stove in the kitchen was missing its protective covering and had a piece of foil around it. The gas switch on the burner was turned on high. This led them to believe the perpetrator wanted the house to disintegrate in a natural-gas explosion after the fire was set.
The coroner's office later confirmed Maxwell's determination that the victim died before the fire. According to the coroner's report, the hyoid bone in Schipsi's windpipe was crushed, suggesting strangulation. Also, her lungs didn't contain any soot, which suggested that she was no longer alive when the fire started.
Minutes later, the quiet block was swarming with firefighters and police officers.
A little more than a mile away, Zumot entered Da Hookah Spot at 6:47 p.m., a surveillance tape from the cafe showed. He paced around for a minute and settled on a sofa near the cafe entrance on Ramona. Footage showed him sitting and smoking a hookah. A cafe employee walked up to him, and they chatted briefly. Zumot took a few more drags and exhaled clouds of smoke. At 6:50 p.m., he got a call that lasted 12 seconds. He quickly walked out.
Joe Martinez spoke to Zumot several times on the day of the fire. Martinez, a deputy sheriff at the Monterey County Sheriff's Office, testified that he met Zumot at a San Jose gym in 2007, and they quickly became close friends. He and Zumot were neighbors, and they regularly worked out and smoked hookah together, he said. Martinez later invested more than $70,000 in Zumot's hookah cafe in San Jose, becoming a partner in the business. He said he called Zumot "Bulos" when they discussed business and "Paul" when they spoke as friends.
On at least one occasion, Zumot used Martinez as a shield against Schipsi's threats. On March 14, 2008, the couple had a dispute outside a Starbucks in San Jose, which ended with Zumot spitting at Schipsi and kicking her Mercedes, damaging its grill.
When Schipsi threatened to call the police that morning, Zumot replied, "I will come w jo. He is gonna help me carry da stuff. Yeah call da police wen jo w me." Zumot allegedly flooded her with 88 text messages that day and sent her hundreds more in the next two days. On March 17, she applied for a restraining order and cited Zumot's "I will come w jo" message in her application.
Later that afternoon, he sent her two more messages that the prosecutor would later cite as evidence of how toxic the relationship had become. "Ur a cancer and u know it," he wrote at 1:02 p.m. "I have 2 get u out of my life @ any price," he added an hour later.
"He has mentioned several times that there is nothing I can do because his best friend, Joe Martinez, is a police officer and that he (Zumot) has family members employed by the FBI, and if I contact the law I will regret it," Schipsi wrote.
The friendship between Zumot and Martinez began to cool off in the fall of 2008 -- around the time Schipsi and Zumot resumed their relationship after a brief period of separation. Martinez testified that he didn't like the "drama" surrounding the relationship and asked Zumot if he could buy out his share in the cafe. Zumot ended up buying Martinez out.
The two remained on collegial terms. On the afternoon of Oct. 15, 2009, Zumot sent Martinez a text message from his domestic-violence class, telling him about his plans to propose to Schipsi. He knew Martinez and Schipsi didn't like each other, and he asked Martinez for his support. They exchanged seven text messages while Zumot was in class.
Zumot also continued to value Martinez's police expertise. Shortly after 7 p.m., after receiving the call about his burning home, he stood a block away from the cottage and watched police and fire investigators swarm his house. He called Martinez and asked him for help.
"He said his house was on fire, and he wanted me to come down to Palo Alto. I thought it was random, and he sounded really scared and really panicked," Martinez testified.
During that conversation, Zumot also recounted his actions that afternoon. Martinez said Zumot recalled going to the Restaurant Depot and to his domestic-violence class. He said Zumot told him he then went from the class straight to the hookah shop.
Early the next morning, Zumot called him again, Martinez testified. This time, his account of the previous day's actions was slightly different. Martinez said Zumot told him that between the domestic-violence and the hookah cafe, he stopped by the cottage and saw Schipsi sleeping.
Zumot remained near the cordoned-off scene of the fire for the next two hours. He told a police officer he was worried about his girlfriend and asked if he could get into the cottage. The officer, Agent Craig Lee, advised him against going in and told him to try calling Schipsi.
Lee recalled seeing Zumot making a series of phone calls from the scene and looking upset. He said he didn't see Zumot cry.
Phone records indicate that Zumot made a series of phone calls from the perimeter of the fire scene, including the one to Martinez and one to Eckland at about 7 p.m. He asked Eckland if Schipsi's white BMW was parked outside the cottage, and Eckland said it was. He also called Da Hookah Spot and spoke to a cafe employee, Ahmed Alaghbash. He asked him about Schipsi. Alaghbash said he hadn't seen her, according to a police report.
Zumot called Schipsi two times around the time of the fire, but he didn't text her that evening. During the trial, the prosecution characterized his behavior that evening as strange, given Zumot's tendency to send texts and make phone calls by the dozens.
During the trial, several witnesses testified about Zumot's obsessive phone calling. One was Craig Robertson, who lived across the hall from Schipsi's apartment in San Jose's Santana Row. Robertson recalled on the witness stand an incident in which Schipsi came over for a glass of wine. He said her phone went off more than 100 times that evening, and she told him it was her boyfriend calling.
Hanafi said Zumot was "obsessive" about texting Schipsi. Martinez also recalled Zumot's persistence when it came to calls and texts.
"That's Paul's personality," Martinez testified. "He'd call and text a lot -- even me. He'd call 10 times until I'd answer. That was his personality. It was distracting and annoying, but you accepted it because it's part of his personality."
In his closing argument, Gillingham recalled several episodes in which Zumot flooded Schipsi with calls and text messages. Zumot's silence that evening was "deafening" and "damning," Gillingham told the jury.
"His silence yells louder than anything he could've said at the witness stand, 'I murdered Jennifer,'" Gillingham said.
At about 9 p.m. that evening, Zumot returned to the Palo Alto police station. An officer asked him to come in to answer a few questions.
During his interview with detectives Aaron Sunseri and Brian Philip, Zumot acknowledged that he and Schipsi had argued the previous night. He also told the officers that evening about the messages from Schipsi he had deleted earlier that day.
After the interview, police seized Zumot's clothing, according to a report from Sunseri. Four days later, an accelerant-sniffing dog alerted on both of his shoes, his socks, his pants and his sweatshirt. An analysis by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives later proved less conclusive. The forensic examination could not identify ignitable liquids on his sweatshirt, jeans or socks, an ATF report shows. The lab found gasoline on Zumot's shoes, but the report noted that shoes often contain petroleum products.
Zumot said he stayed at the station well past 1 a.m. that night and felt hungry and tired.
"I was out of it. I was shocked. I couldn't believe it," Zumot testified.
Four days later, on Oct. 19, Zumot arrived at Da Hookah Spot at around 5 p.m. and received a call from Sunseri, the lead investigator. Zumot said he looked outside and saw a "big number" of police officers outside the cafe. They pulled out their guns, told him he was under arrest, handcuffed him and escorted him into a police cruiser.


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Brad Mirman - King Star Family
Brad Mirman - King Star Family
Title: King Star Family
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
This is a photograph I took of the King Star family on the outskirts of Bangkok.
Shot on Leica M10 Monochrom, with a 35mm Summicron's lens.
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Knowledge Shared
Navigating Coronavirus Uncertainty
Perspectives from our investment teams on the market impact and key considerations for investors
The spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus has created uncertainty about the outlook for global economic growth and led to heightened market volatility. Our clients are our top priority, and we're focused on minimizing downside risk without losing sight of long-term opportunities. Although the virus is unique, market shocks are not, and our investment teams are experienced in managing bouts of volatility. Here, they share their latest thinking on how the coronavirus is impacting markets and what it means for investors.


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CLEVELAND – Just 24 hours after Lisa Rek sang at her niece's wedding, her husband Brad was driving her to a local hospital.
"The pain got worse. When we got to the emergency room, I said to Brad 'something is just not right,'" Rek remembers.
After an MRI showed a suspected tumor, Rek was immediately flown to Seidman Cancer Center at University Hospitals (UH) Case Medical Center, where Andrew Sloan, MD, diagnosed her with Stage 4 glioblastoma, the most aggressive form of brain cancer and the most difficult to treat.
"The tumors are comprised of the brain itself. It looks like brain tissue, it sort of feels like brain tissue. It's hard to figure out necessarily where tumor ends and swollen brain tissue begins," says Dr. Sloan, Director of the Brain Tumor and Neuro-Oncology Center and Peter D. Cristal Chair in Neurosurgery at UH Case Medical Center and Associate Professor at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.
To help identify the difference between tumors and healthy tissue and improve tumor resection, Dr. Sloan is testing an experimental drug called 5-Aminolevulinic Acid (5-ALA). The drug makes brain tumor cells glow hot pink when illuminated with a special blue light incorporated into his operating microscope.
This novel technique enables surgeons to visualize the edges of the tumor more clearly, allowing them to remove it more completely from the brain. Patients take the drug by mouth prior to surgery and then during their operation, Dr. Sloan uses the blue light to identify and remove tumor cells, a process called fluorescent guided resection (FGR).
Rek is now one of the volunteers in the research trial.
Compared to normal tissue, high-grade gliomas (or brain tumors) metabolize 5-ALA to a fluorescent compound called protoporphyrin ix, a structure similar to that of chlorophyll found in plants. Tumors that absorb this compound fluoresce (glow) with the blue light. Using a specially modified surgical microscope that contains the blue light enables Dr. Sloan to see the glowing tumor tissue and help guide excision of the tumor.
"If we get out 95 to 99 percent of the tumor, we can almost essentially double the patient's survival," says Dr. Sloan.
Although 5-ALA is routinely used for FGR in Europe, it has not been approved by the FDA in the United States and thus is not widely used. UH Case Medical Center is one of a handful of hospitals studying the drug in the U.S. for brain tumor surgery.
Dr. Sloan, lead investigator of the study looking at the effects of varying 5-ALA dose levels, is collaborating with David Dean, PhD, Associate Professor and Director of the Imaging Laboratory in the Department of Neurological Surgery at Case Western Reserve University.
Dr. Dean, an engineer, is working with Dr. Sloan to improve how FGR is performed by precisely measuring protoporphyrin ix fluorescence in tumors using a digital fiber-optic probe during surgery. Drs. Dean and Sloan believe that the digital probe will be both more sensitive and more precise than the current technique which is based on the surgeon's perception of how "pink" the tumor is.
The study is supported with funds from Dr. Sloan's Peter D. Cristal Chair in Neurosurgery and the Kimble Foundation.
"Nearly 13,000 people are diagnosed each year in the U.S. with malignant gliomas. Unfortunately, cures are rare and most patients live less than 2 years, so improved treatment options are critical," says Dr. Sloan.
A video about the 5-ALA research and Lisa Rek's story can be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKMCqezBrC8
About University Hospitals
University Hospitals serves the needs of patients through an integrated network of hospitals, outpatient centers and primary care physicians. At the core of our health system is University Hospitals Case Medical Center. The primary affiliate of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, University Hospitals Case Medical Center is home to some of the most prestigious clinical and research centers of excellence in the nation and the world, including cancer, pediatrics, women's health, orthopedics and spine, radiology and radiation oncology, neurosurgery and neuroscience, cardiology and cardiovascular surgery, organ transplantation and human genetics. Its main campus includes the internationally celebrated UH Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital, ranked among the top children's hospitals in the nation; UH MacDonald Women's Hospital, Ohio's only hospital for women; and UH Seidman Cancer Center, part of the NCI-designated Case Comprehensive Cancer Center. For more information, go to www.uhhospitals.org


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Litigation, published four times a year by the ABA Litigation Section, offers practical articles on topics of interest to lawyers who try cases and the judges who decide them. It focuses on how litigators do what they do and is intended to inform and stimulate trial and appellate lawyers at all levels of experience.
Litigation articles present substantive material in a conversational rather than academic style. They are not intended to compete with, or sound like, law review pieces. In writing your article, make your points as concrete as possible by using examples from actual or hypothetical cases.
The Manuscript
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- Do not use footnotes/endnotes, subheadings, tables, or artwork.
- Keep citations to a minimum. Embed citations within the text, following the material being cited. If you decide to cite or quote materials, you are responsible for the accuracy and completeness of both the quotation and the citation information.
Please submit your manuscript via e-mail attachment in Word format to Scott Lewis, Managing Editor.
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The editorial and production process takes a minimum of six months from acceptance of a first draft to final publication. All manuscripts are reviewed and edited by Litigation's editorial board and copyedited to conform to Litigation's style and design. Thus, your article as printed in Litigation may differ from its original form.
All authors must sign the ABA's standard publication agreement to ensure that the article consists of original material that has not been printed in another publication. Authors will receive the agreement from the ABA via email, as a PDF attachment; it must be signed and returned before publication.
As a token of appreciation for contributed work, each author receives five complimentary copies of the issue in which his or her article appears.


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The much fabled Facebook News Feed algorithm sees to it that we are shown stories that Facebook thinks we will engage with, or that will be of significant interest to us. To add to the irritation of users, we are also shown Suggested Posts and adverts that take the place of posts from people who we're actually friends with.
However, it's one thing being second guessed for the sake of not being overwhelmed with potentially irrelevant or humdrum content, but it's something else entirely to have the content of your News Feed manipulated to see if it can elicit certain emotional reactions from you. And that's exactly what has been going on at Facebook.
It has recently come to light that Facebook had manipulated the emotions of hundreds of thousands of users by what was shown in their respective News Feeds. An experiment conducted in 2012 saw nearly 700,000 users' News Feeds skewed to be happier or sadder than normal, in an attempt to see if an 'emotional contagion' could be affected.
The results showed that emotion can indeed spread across the network, evidenced by the fact that users who had been presented with a manipulated Facebook News Feed went on to post updates of their own that reflected the mood of the ones they had been shown.
Users were understandably annoyed to find out that Facebook had been using them as psychological guinea-pigs without their knowledge or consent. While not necessarily illegal, what Facebook has done could be considered immoral, and even those involved in conducting the research – such as Susan Fiske, Professor of Psychology at Princeton University – had their reservations:
"…the level of outrage that appears to be happening suggests that maybe it shouldn't have been done… I'm still thinking about it and I'm a little creeped out too."
However, Adam Kramer – a member of Facebook's Core Data Science Team and co-author of the study – has defended the experiment:
"The reason we did this research is because we care about the emotional impact of Facebook and the people that use our product… We felt that it was important to investigate the common worry that seeing friends post positive content leads to people feeling negative or left out. At the same time, we were concerned that exposure to friends' negativity might lead people to avoid visiting Facebook. We didn't clearly state our motivations in the paper."
How do you feel about Facebook's experiment? While there is the obvious ethical issue surrounding the manipulation of people's moods, there is a case to argue that Facebook had the interests of its wider audience at heart, and telling people that they were to be the subject of such an experiment could bias the outcome. If you have a view on this story, please feel free to let us know your opinion by leaving a comment below.


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Study provides better understanding of water's freezing behavior at nanoscale
The results of a new study led by George Washington University Professor Tianshu Li provide direct computational evidence that nucleation of ice in small droplets is strongly size-dependent, an important conclusion in understanding water's behavior at the nanoscale. The formation of ice at the nanoscale is a challenging, basic scientific research question whose answer also has important implications for climate research and other fields.
The crystallization of ice from supercooled water is generally initiated by a process called nucleation. Because of the speed and size of nucleation—it occurs within nanoseconds and nanometers—probing it by experiment or simulation is a major challenge.
By using an advanced simulation method, Dr. Li and his collaborators, Davide Donadio of Germany's Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, and Giulia Galli, a professor of chemistry and physics at the University of California, Davis, were able to demonstrate that nucleation of ice is substantially suppressed in nano-sized water droplets. Their paper, "Ice nucleation at the nanoscale probes no man's land of water," was published today in the journal Nature Communications.
"A current challenge for scientists is to unveil water's behaviors below -35 degrees Celsius and above -123 degrees Celsius, a temperature range that chemists call 'no man's land,' " said Dr. Li, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at the George Washington University School of Engineering and Applied Science. "Fast ice crystallization can hardly be avoided at such low temperatures, so maintaining water in a liquid state is a major experimental challenge."
Since the frequency of ice nucleation scales with the volume of water, one of the strategies for overcoming this kinetic barrier is to reduce the volume of water. However, this raises the question of whether water at the nanoscale can still be regarded as equivalent to bulk water, and if not, where that boundary would be.
The team's results answer this question. By showing that the ice nucleation rate at the nanoscale can be several orders of magnitude smaller than that of bulk water, they demonstrate that water at such a small scale can no longer be considered bulk water.
"We also predict where this boundary would reside at various temperatures," Dr. Li said. The boundary refers to the size of the droplet where the difference vanishes. The team's findings will help with the interpretation of molecular beam experiments and set the guidelines for experiments that probe the 'no man's land' of water.
The results are also of importance in atmospheric science, as they may improve the climate model of the formation of ice clouds in upper troposphere, which effectively scatter incoming solar radiation and prevent earth from becoming overheated by the sun. The results have important implications in climate control research, too. One of the current debates is whether the formation of ice occurs near the surface or within the micrometer-sized droplets suspended in clouds. If it is the former, effective engineering approaches may be able to be taken to tune the surface tension of water so that the ice crystallization rate can be controlled.
"Our results, indeed, support the hypothesis of surface crystallization of ice in microscopic water droplets," Dr. Li said. "Obtaining the direct evidence is our next step."
Journal information: Nature Communications
Provided by George Washington University


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Inspiring Musical Achievement for Everyone
Our Diversity Statement (June 2020)
ABRSM exists to inspire musical achievement for everyone, from all backgrounds. We are committed to a world in which people are inspired to play, make, and teach music from a rich diversity of traditions and contemporary practice.
The murder of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement have made us, like many organisations, stop and think about prejudice and bias. As one of the UK's leading music education organisations and a significant commissioner of music, we have a responsibility to challenge any practices that allow prejudice to persist, and to embed sustainable change.
In doing so, we will work with partners to draw on their perspectives, experience, insight, balance and focus.
We already have a targeted programme of scholarships, sponsorship, and partnerships with great music education organisations founded on an intention to increase the opportunities for people of all backgrounds to progress with their music.
We are also working to make our syllabuses and publications more inclusive.
We hope that this signals our commitment to reflect, through our commissioning and products, a world of underrepresented talent and musical stories.
But we recognise there is much more we can do.
We have already begun a wide-ranging strategic review of diversity and inclusion across our organisation, and we will develop and implement a fuller strategic programme, with clear targets to monitor our progress, to increase representation of diversity across all areas of our work.
As part of this work, we are today announcing our commitment to:
- Produce clear recommendations for increasing the inclusion of underrepresented composers in our syllabuses and products, through close engagement with individuals from the music sector.
- Launch a mentorship scheme in September, partnering with leading composers, musicians, and music education groups, to develop the emerging careers of composers of Black, Asian and ethnically diverse descent, specifically to write for educational purposes and to increase the pool of published music we can draw on in future.
Because we know that we can only serve everyone – and inspire musical achievement – if we include everyone.


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Let $C$ have all limits of diagrams indexed by $J$, and for each $b\in B$ let $E_b:C^B \rightarrow C$ the evaluation functor that evaluates at $b$.
Given a diagram $F: J \rightarrow C^B$, we can calculate its limit by doing it pointwise, i.e. since for each $b\in B$, $E_b \circ F : J \rightarrow C$ has a limit $v_b$ we may construct a functor in $V: B \rightarrow C$ that's a limit of $F$ by letting $V(b) = v_b$ on objects $b\in B$ and blah blah for arrows.
My question is: if $F$ has a limit, does each $E_b\circ F$ have a limit?
This is similar to the problem of mono/epimorphisms, answered in
Can epi/mono for natural transformations be checked pointwise?
So basically if some property is pointwise true in the original category $C$ then it's true in any functor category $C^B$, but which properties are true the other way around?


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Featured B & B Listings
US Bed and Breakfast Hotels
Bed and breakfast hotels offer the same basic amenities as a motel or a hotel, however they are designed to be much more welcoming and comfortable by providing a much more personalized setting, leading to a much more enjoyable and welcoming experience. Bed and breakfast hotels frequently offer community meals where all the bed and breakfasts guests come together for mealtimes (particularly breakfast), hence the name. Additionally, many bed and breakfast hotels also offer fun local activities and other opportunities for adventure - another reason to take advantage of what bed and breakfast hotels have to offer.
Thanks for stopping by US BnB .net, the place to go when looking for bed and breakfast hotels, B & B reviews, and more!


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If you are looking for sofas that can be accommodated in smaller space, then love seats can be best option for you. Descent couches and love seats can help you to get a great feel of harmony and elegance in your living room. Modern couch, love seat and leather sofas are exclusive in their style, shape, design and selection of material.
EQ3 furniture provides exclusive collection for modern yet affordable love seats and couches. You will be fascinated by the contemporary style and comfort provided by the EQ3 love seats. Love seats are very versatile pieces of furniture. As they can fit perfectly anywhere, they are ultimate choice for the small spaces. They are convenient yet attractive piece of furniture.
Nowadays, due to increasing popularity, more people live in a small space. Therefore, love seats are gaining increasing popularity for its versatile use. EQ3 provides numerous diversity in styles, shape, color and sizes of the love seats. EQ3 provides a huge range of different designs, which will go well with almost each dcor. Typically, Love seats are smaller as compared to regular sofas. However, they are quite comfortable to accommodate two people. In this way, convenient and attractive piece can solve your space problem while giving a fabulous look to your room.
EQ3 furniture is well known for their innovative yet comfortable designs at reasonable prices. You can choose a right kind of love seat from wide range of EQ3 love seats, which will suit your style and need, with no big hole to your pocket. You can choose the love seat that goes well with your present interior or wall color. With a perfect descent love seat, you can make your smaller living room to look lavishing and spacious. Most popular are the love seats with thin arms. They are correct option for smaller. Its thin legs help to produce the illusion of larger open space. Love seats with taller and visible legs render some storage facility too. An armless option of love seat is best suited to small space. It provides a comfortable seating as well as stretch out area.
All the designs of EQ3 love seats are globally inspired. EQ3 aims to render modern, comfortable and elegant furniture at an affordable price. It believes in lifestyle expression, which will reflect the stylish living. Love seats provide best option for small spaces. With love seats, you can make tiny room to look bigger. In compliance to the perfect love seat, paintings tied at high wall height can create a look of bigger room. The elegance and style of love seat will create pleasant mood in your living room. It will make you and your guests comfortable and pleasant.


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Darius Rucker Becomes the Grand Ole Opry's Newest Member
Darius Rucker is officially the Grand Ole Opry's newest member. The 'True Believers' singer was inducted into the iconic country music institution during a Tuesday night (Oct. 16) Opry performance before a packed crowd of family, fans and industry friends.
Vince Gill and Opry general manager Pete Fisher were on hand to welcome Rucker into the Opry family. "This is about a proud a thing that I have in my house," Gill said, referring to the statues made of wood from the Ryman Auditorium that are given to each new Grand Ole Opry member. "This represents the entire history of this music. 87 years this show has been on the air, country music going worldwide."
He continued, "I don't think there is a more beloved guy in our music than you. You will find this place right here to be one of the greatest homes you'll ever have."
A slew of artists filmed congratulations videos for Rucker, which were shown throughout the evening. The clips included well-wishes from Ricky Skaggs, Radney Foster, Jason Aldean, bluegrass artist Sam Bush, Charlie Daniels, Rascal Flatts, golf legend Tiger Woods and Brad Paisley, Rucker's recent tourmate who also issued his invitation to become a member of the famed institution. Rucker told press members prior to the event that Carrie Underwood left a bottle of wine and a congratulations backstage for him.
"When I started this a few years ago, Brad and I were produced by the same guy. The two people who were really my champions were Brad and Vince," Rucker said of having Paisley and Gill be part of his big night. "Vince had heard a lot of [Rucker's debut album, 'Learn To Live'] and was telling everybody how great it was and it's just wild to me now, four or five years later here I am getting inducted into the Opry and those two guys were a big part of that."
Perhaps the biggest surprise of the evening was the two unexpected guests to the Opry stage. Keith Urban and NFL star Dan Marino both made unannounced appearances to support Rucker's induction. Urban is himself a new member of the Grand Ole Opry, having been inducted in April.
"Thank you so much for letting me into your world, accepting what I do, and now I'm a member of the Opry," Rucker told Opry crowd before performing his first song as an Opry member, his first single 'Don't Think I Don't Think About It.'
"I was sitting here in rehearsals today and there was nobody in here and I looked up in the stands and I thought to myself, 'Somewhere in those stands my mom is looking at me,' and it just blew me away,'" he continued. "This is a labor of love for me. I love country music."


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Vitamin E: Your Key to Vibrant Health
Learn why this somewhat controversial vitamin is essential for heart health and more.
Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app.
THE BASICS: Vitamin E, an essential nutrient, is the body's principal fat-soluble antioxidant. That means it fights dangerous free radicals in the fatty membranes of cells, as well as in cholesterol. Although the use of vitamin E has become controversial over the past several years, the research justifying supplements remains strong.
ALIAS: Vitamin E generally refers to the alpha-tocopherol form; however, it actually consists of eight related molecules: four tocopherols and four tocotrienols. Although alpha-tocopherol is the most biologically active form of vitamin E, the other forms also have antioxidant benefits. In addition, the natural d-alpha-tocopherol form is absorbed and utilized twice as well as the synthetic dl-alpha-tocopherol form. The L-form is not utilized by the body.
HOW VITAMIN E WORKS: Vitamin E benefits health through several mechanisms. First, it is an antioxidant. Second, it has anti-inflammatory properties-important because coronary heart disease is now considered an inflammatory disease of the arteries. Third, it has mild anticoagulant (blood-thinning) properties, so it can reduce the risk of blood clots.
HEALTH BENEFITS: Vitamin E supplements are helpful in the following diseases.
Cardiovascular disease. Vitamin E has gone in and out of favor as a way of preventing cardiovascular diseases. In a 10-year study, researchers reported in the journal Circulation that vitamin E supplements reduced the overall risk of life-threatening blood clots by one-fifth. In women with a history of blood clots, supplements reduced the risk of new clots by almost half. Perhaps the most significant study found that vitamin E lowered the overall risk of fatal and nonfatal heart attacks by about half.
Vitamin E Protects Jane from Blood-Clotting Disease
Jane had twice developed serious blood clots in her
legs, causing pain and swelling. Doctors had diagnosed her with thrombophilia, a genetic tendency for developing leg blood clots. The diagnosis was serious because a clot in her liver, lungs, or brain could be life threatening. She was eventually diagnosed with factor V Leiden, a specific type of inherited clotting disorder.
Based on the findings of a Harvard Medical School study, Jane began taking 600 IU of natural-source vitamin E every other day. Since she started taking the vitamin E, she has not suffered another blood clot in her legs and her clotting
rate has remained normal.
Alzheimer's disease. Several studies have found that vitamin E can reduce the risk of age-related dementia and slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease. A study at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center in Chicago, found that people consuming the most vitamin E, from either foods or supplements, were 36 percent more likely to maintain normal cognitive function. The researchers reported that people getting a lot of vitamin E maintained the mental function of someone eight to nine years younger.
Cancer. Although the research has produced conflicting findings, several studies have shown that supplemental vitamin E can significantly lower the risk of prostate cancer. In women undergoing chemotherapy, vitamin E can protect against nerve damage, according to a study in Neurology. Meanwhile, in cell and rodent studies, the natural water-soluble form of vitamin E (d-alpha-tocopheryl succinate) can inhibit the growth of different types of cancer cells, including those of the breast, prostate, colon, and skin. In other words, findings are promising but not yet definitive.
BACKGROUND CHECK: Canadian physician Evan Shute, MD, was the first to use vitamin E to treat cardiovascular diseases back in the 1940s. Time magazine reported the news by writing, "Out of Canada last week came news of a startling discovery: a treatment for heart disease (the nation's No. 1 killer), which so far has succeeded against all common forms of the ailment … Large concentrated doses of vitamin E … benefited four types of heart ailment (95% of the total): arteriosclerotic, hypertensive, rheumatic, old, and new coronary heart disease. The vitamin helps a failing heart. It eliminates anginal pain."
GLEANINGS: Two studies raised questions about the benefits of vitamin E, but these studies were peculiar, to say the least. In one, vitamin E slightly reduced the risk of stroke, but the researchers concluded that the vitamin had no benefits. In the other study, researchers concluded that vitamin E increased the risk of heart failure, but the difference between the supplement and placebo groups was small, and the study was not controlled for other variables.
HEADS UP: Vitamin E and at least some heart drugs interact in negative ways. Cholesterol-lowering statin drugs reduce blood levels of vitamin E by one-fifth, and the vitamin may interfere with the statins. It may be worthwhile taking one or the other, but not both. Being overweight and eating a lot of trans fats (found in fast foods and many processed foods) may reduce the effectiveness of vitamin E.
WHAT YOU SHOULD TAKE: As a general rule, the amount of vitamin E needed increases with a person's cholesterol level-so having high cholesterol means more vitamin E is needed. The vitamin does not lower cholesterol but prevents the free-radical oxidation of cholesterol, which is considered an early step in the development of heart disease. On average, supplement dosages range from 400 IU to 800 IU daily of the mixed tocopherol form.
Product Examples (from left to right)
The A.C. Grace Company sells only natural vitamin E-based products. Try their flagship product, Unique E Mixed Tocopherols softgels.
Get the entire vitamin E family in one product with Carlson Labs E-Gems Elite. This innovative blend features eight natural forms of
tocopherols and tocotrienol.
Jarrow Formulas Toco-Sorb boasts a patented system (called SupraBio) designed to enhance absorption of the vitamin E family.


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A$AP Rocky Slaps Female Fan at Australia Concert [Video]
A$AP Rocky was caught on camera smacking a female fan in the face during his concert at the Hordern Pavilion in Australia Friday night (June 28).
According to the Telegraph, the Harlem rapper was moving through the crowd and concert-goers were reaching out their hands to embrace him. As he shook several fans' hands, others, who were standing above him on a second floor, tried to get his attention by hitting him on top of his head.
Rocky seemed to be a bit irritated by this and looked around to see who was responsible for repeatedly tapping his hat. A woman standing above him reaches down and begins to tap the 'Wild for the Night' creator's head to get his attention -- this appears to have been the final straw for him. As he looks up, she blows a kiss his way but he returns the gesture with a smack to her face instead.
The surprised young woman steps back and touches her face in embarrassment as Rocky points his finger and shuns her for touching him.
Did Rocky have the right to hit the fan or did he go too far? Tell us in the comments below.


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Stephen Frank
Professor Emeritus
Skipping quickly ahead, in 1978, having largely survived dangerous encounters with polyester, bad hair styles, and strange lifestyles found only in upstate New York, he received his B.A. degree in history and political science at the State University of New York, Plattsburg. For reasons still unexplained he then undertook graduate training in Russian and Soviet history at Brown University, and was awarded the Ph.D. degree in 1987 upon completion of his dissertation, affectionately known among family members as "that big paper." While at Brown he also specialized in European social and economic history under Philip Benedict and Joan Scott, as well as the sociology of development and peasant studies with Peter Evans.
Frank began teaching Russian, Soviet and European history at Boston University in 1987, moved on to the University of California, Riverside in 1990, and came to UCLA in 1993, mainly for the cleaner air. He has taught lecture courses on all periods of Russian history, western civilization, European and world history, and seminars on a range of topics that include the social history of imperial Russia, Revolutionary Russia (1905-21), European popular culture, and crime and punishment in Europe.
Stephen has received research grants from IREX, the Social Sciences Research Council, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Woodrow Wilson Center's Kennan Institute for Advanced Russian Studies. His publications include articles on rural popular culture, rural crime and justice, and representations of women and crime in Imperial Russia. He has co-edited (with Ben Eklof) The World of the Russian Peasant: Post-Emancipation Society and Culture and (with Mark Steinberg) Cultures in Flux: Lower-Class Values, Practices and Resistance in Late Imperial Russia. His book, Crime, Cultural Conflict, and Justice in Rural Russia, 1856-1914 was published in 2000 by University of California Press, and has receiving multiple glowing reviews that have nothing whatsoever to do with radiation. Frank's current research entails a study of popular festivity, violence, and social reform in the Russian countryside from the early 19th century to the 1920s.
Russian History; Peasant Studies; European Social History; Popular Culture; Crime.


text: PersonalFit Breastshields come in a range of sizes to allow you to personalize your breastshield size. Choose the right size for maximum comfort and pumping efficiency. This product is compatible with all Medela breastpumps. Lactation professionals agree that proper breastshield fit is essential for not only comfort, but also for effective milk expression. Learn more about choosing the right size breastshield.


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text: We find our heroes in the midst of a dilemma of intergalactic proportions when Dr. Nefarious' latest evil plan goes awry leaving Ratchet, Clank, Qwark and Nefarious himself caught in the snare of a powerful and mysterious machine. Begrudgingly, the Galaxy's biggest do-gooders and its most sinister criminal must work together to discover a means of escape in this action-packed installment of the Ratchet & Clank series. Features * The award-winning development team at Insomniac Games reunites fans with the wonder and adventure of the multimillion unit selling Ratchet & Clank universe in the upcoming PS3 system exclusive, Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One. The return of the best-selling series brings an all-new twist to action-adventure gaming while setting the stage for a new story, brought to life with vibrant cinematic visuals * In a franchise first, Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One introduces four player co-operative gameplay, allowing players to team up as Ratchet, Clank, Qwark and Dr. Nefarious. Helping our heroes (and the Galaxy's most notorious villain) take on their biggest challenge yet, players will be immersed on a mysterious world with an arsenal of over-the-top weapons at their disposal * Delivering an explosive adventure infused with the series' signature humor and cinematic style, Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One takes the franchise to a new level of accessible fun that can be shared with friends and family


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Straight Czech Boy Sucks A Dick And Takes A Raw Cock
We have another really hot video to share with you from Dirty Scout. This dudes father is a wealthy Czech business guy and hooked his son up with a great job out of school. He worked as a manager but was terrible at it and decided to leave home and move to Prague to start a new life. Problem with that — it's expensive to live in Prague and hard to find a job. This dude didn't even have enough money to find a temp job, so he was desperate to do anything he could for some cash. This is where Dirty Scout comes in and takes advantage of the situation. They offered to get him a job and even pay him a little extra if he would perform some man on man sex. He was reluctant but finally agreed. This dude strips out of his clothes and shows off his uncut cock. He's definitely a grower and not a shower. They make him get hard and his uncut cock grows big (especially after a little help with a cock pump). Next, the dude is ordered to suck on Dirty Scout's big uncut cock. He takes it in his mouth like a champion. He sucks that fat uncut cock until it is rock hard. After the cock sucking he is told to turn around and bend over. This dude has a sweet hairy hole that needs a dick inside of it. The Dirty Scout eases his big fat uncut cock up the dudes hole and bareback fucks him. The poor dude is just moaning and nearly crying. After getting bareback fucked in the ass, the Dirty Scout pulls out and shoots his load cum right in the dudes face. Fuck yeah! Lucky bastard.
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JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (March 21, 2008) - Seventh inning heroics in game two by Briana Knight (Brier, Wash.) and Cheniece Cason (Moreno Valley, Calif.) helped the Bucs earn the doubleheader sweep over Gardner-Webb, winning game one 4-2 and the nightcap 3-2 Friday afternoon at Metro-Kiwanis Park.
With the wins the Bucs improve to 13-17 overall and 2-2 in conference play, while the Bulldogs fall to 11-17, 0-2.
In game one of the doubleheader ETSU took a 4-0 lead in the first three innings, scoring one run in the bottom of the second as Trisha Massenzo (Russellville, Tenn.) scored on a Marissa Hardy (
The Bulldogs began to chip away at the lead as Mandy Ward had a solo home run to open the fourth inning against ETSU starter Marisa Hardy. Jessi Williams connected in the fifth inning with another solo shot. However, Hardy was able to regroup to hold Gardner-Webb scoreless in the final two frames.
In the second game of the doubleheader Gardner-Webb took the early 1-0 lead as Melody Harrell singled to left field and then stole second base in the first inning. Harrell then scored on a Mandy Ward single.
The Bucs responded in the bottom of the second as Katie Henderson led off the inning with a single up the left side before stealing second and advancing to third when Jessie Hackworth (
Gardner-Webb took the 2-1 lead in the fifth inning as Lindsay Cox reached on a fielder's choice before stealing second. She then advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Kelly Linsley before scoring on a Melody Harrell single.
ETSU continued to battle and tied the game at 2-2 in the sixth inning when Trisha Massenzo singled and advanced to second on a Katie Henderson grounder. Massenzo then scored on a double to left field by Marisa Hardy.
In the seventh inning senior Briana Knight led off the inning with her fourth career triple and was brought home by a Cheniece Cason single to end the game.
Hardy picked up her sixth and seventh wins of the season starting both game one and game two.
Offensively the Bucs were led by Katie Henderson with three hits, followed by Trisha Massenzo, Marisa Hardy and Vicki McCoy each with two hits.
The Bucs will look to carry their momentum with them to


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When cars leave the starting line at Sonoma Raceway in California on Sunday for the start of the Toyota/Save Mart 350, they'll be taking part in the launch of a product designed to help NASCAR officials monitor and manage the 110-lap race.
New race management software that NASCAR is launching on Sunday is designed to give officials a single screen to watch where cars are on the racetrack, manage penalties and share information with racing teams about what's going on.
It arose from a partnership between NASCAR and Microsoft that started in 2014. It began with a mobile inspection app that let race officials see whether cars were in compliance with all the rules about how they have to be constructed.
The race management app, which runs on Windows 10, shows track officials a live feed with the locations of all the cars on the track, represented by dots. Officials can pair that with live video of the race. The app also pulls in video footage from pit stops so officials can see whether drivers broke any of the myriad rules for how to refuel and re-equip a car.
The software can also be used to make sure cars are in the right order after a crash or a caution procedure. On top of that, race officials can use it to take a screenshot of what they're seeing and email or text it to someone else, which is helpful for getting key information down to racing teams.
All these capabilities can replace different six different apps and processes that race officials used in the past. Under the old system, some officials worked with multiple monitors to handle all the things they needed to do. The new app should reduce the need for all that complexity.
After the race is over and the cars have been packed up, race officials will be able to return to the management software and replay the entire race. That's critical for conversations with teams that may take place after the race, in which officials can explain the decisions they made.
Not surprisingly, the back end of the system is powered by Microsoft Azure, with an interesting twist: NASCAR is actually using the still-in-beta Azure Stack software to manage a mobile data center it brings to every track for processing of data during a race.
The data center is designed both to help with limited connectivity at some racetracks and to reduce the latency between when data is taken in and when it's displayed in the race management software.
Before the cars even hit the track, they're inspected by officials who are recording every infraction in a tablet app, which replaced paper inspection sheets. That app, which was released in 2014 and ran on Windows 8.1, has been updated for Windows 10. NASCAR is also testing its use for paint scheme and decal verification, which has been a time-consuming part of the inspection process.
With digital inspections, officials are now faster at making sure that cars comply. Plus, NASCAR staff can look at inspection findings as they go through the process and after the race has been run.
Microsoft is no stranger to working with sports organizations. The company has a high-profile, multi-year partnership with the NFL to provide teams with Surface tablets for use on the field, in addition to building applications that let fans view detailed player telemetry.
Looking toward the future, Microsoft is working with NASCAR to figure out how data collected from races can be used to provide additional context and drama to the experience of watching the events, similar to what it's doing with the NFL.
"So we could throw a lot of stats at people, but that doesn't necessarily make it a more dramatic event. That doesn't make the race more interesting," Microsoft Principal Evangelist Mike Downey said during a press conference discussing the new apps. "The real art is, how do you best present information like that so that you're creating drama, you're creating moments that people really are attached to?"
In addition, Downey said he is looking forward to applying Azure Machine Learning to the applications that NASCAR is using. That has the potential to help officials predict things during a race.
Fred Prendergast, a NASCAR engineer who works on vehicle inspection tools and procedures, said he hoped the inspection data would make its way to fans in the future, so they can follow their favorite driver's journey to the racetrack and see what's happening with his car.


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Clergy Moves & Church Staff Relocation
The clergy have very particular and unique concerns and needs when it comes to relocation. Moving clergy, therefore, has to be done with some sensitivity. Additionally, when the church becomes involved in moving employees, one of their main concerns is that the move should be affordable. After all, any money the church has is intended for God's work and not for expensive house moves. This is seen across all types of religions who place clergy members in different locations, including Lutheran, Episcopalian, Methodist, Baptist, UUA, Presbyterian, Catholic and so on.
Relocation Coordinators
Regardless of which religion the clergy belongs to, they tend to have similar processes in place. The first is that they offer a clergy relocation service, generally through relocation coordinators. Generally speaking, this involves receiving a list of approved moving companies which will then have to be contacted by the person who is moving for price quotations.
"The clergy chooses a moving company from the preferred list and sets up an appointment with the moving company for an estimate. This should be done within 7 days of receiving the e-mail from the Clergy Excellence office. If desired, the clergy can obtain two or more estimates and chose the one that seems best."
Once the person who is moving has chosen a moving company, they will work together with the church or institution to ensure everything is authorized. Additionally, this is an opportunity to discuss issues such as personal requirements. For instance, the member of the clergy may have highly breakable items, historical items of value or other items that need additional protection.
Finding Discounts
It is also very important to find a moving company that is sensitive to the financial needs of the church. Generally speaking, clergy relocation services will offer specific discounts. It is not uncommon to see similar discounts for military personnel. Both the military and the clergy deliver a service to the country, after all, and it is every person's duty to give something back for that. On the other hand, the clergy generally also have access to special financial resources.
"Job-related moves can cost a lot, but some expenses can be deducted when figuring your federal income tax. Moving household goods is still deductible, as is travel and lodging on the way to the new home. But any side trips while en route are not deductible."
There are many different things that can and cannot be deducted from a personal allowance. In most cases, members of the clergy will receive a certain allowance from the church, but they will have to pay for a part of it themselves as well. This part is usually deductible. In most cases, moving companies will look at the non-deductible part of the cost that the member of the clergy will have to pay for themselves, and find ways to give discounts on that element.
Understanding Clergy Moves in Virginia Beach & Hampton Roads
In many cases, a priest or member of a particular church is allocated a particular area - a parish in the case of Catholicism. Most of the time, so long as the work done is considered to be fulfilling and it is performed properly, such members of the clergy will stay in that same parish until they retire. However, the initial allocation of a parish is actually a long and complicated process.
"It's at this point the bishop assigns them to a parish. This is sort of a "last chance" period to change one's mind and to start helping with the Liturgy in a real-world setting."
Understanding these and the emotional difficulties that most new members of the clergy are experiencing is very important for a good moving company.
Call Southside Moving & Storage Today to assist with your Clergy Staff relocation 757-234-7080
Tags: moving clergy,, moving employees,, moving company,, clergy moves in Virginia Beach,


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Sparked by individual wins from Rome Odunze and Kyu Kelly, the Gaels wrapped up their second consecutive Class 4A title by scoring 99 points.
Search results for:
Centennial ran away with its ninth straight Class 4A team championship. The Bulldogs scored 126 points. Runners-up Carson and Sierra Vista each had 54.


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These are the remains of a "desert kite", a giant animal corral built out of stones some 5,500 years ago. They were effectively the world's first slaughterhouses, as dozens of animals at a time were herded inside and killed.
Desert kites are just one of a number of archaeological sites that modern people only noticed when they flew high above them, realizing there were giant geometric structures on the ground below.
Researchers have since been able to tie these desert kites in with various historical accounts and artistic representations that reveal their animal-centric purpose. However, it appears that they weren't used to protect animals, as earlier theories held, but rather to kill them as efficiently as possible.
We can actually deduce a lot about these kites and the people who made them. The corrals all lie along migration routes that ran from Syria to Saudi Arabia, suggesting the people who built them were well-versed in animal behavior. At the same time, these were no longer the skilled hunters of earlier, nomadic generations.
Instead, these were built long after the Middle East had begun practicing agriculture, and game animals were so common anyway that, in all likelihood, these kites were just a leisure activity for the idle rich. This may partially explain why their preferred game, such as wild asses and gazelles, are now all but gone in places like northeastern Syria, where a lot of these kites were found.
The sheer scale of these ancient slaughters is hard to imagine. There's strong evidence that as many as 93 gazelles were killed in a single session, and even more incredible is an archaeological layer in the ancient town of Tell Kuran, where over 2,600 Persian gazelle bones were found clumped together. Most of those bones were feet, suggesting that several hundred gazelles may have been killed over a very short period.
Via PNAS. Photo by Yann Arthus-Bertrand.


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HomeWord - December 2, 2011
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- 2011 Dec 02
Being Part of God's Plan
This devotional was written by Jim Liebelt
The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God." "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her. Luke 1:35-38
Mary has an honored place as being the mother of Jesus. In our Christian circles, we celebrate Mary as a virtuous young woman willfully taking on the responsibility of becoming mother of the Son of God. Still, it's easy to overlook the difficulties Mary faced in accepting this role. She was likely in her mid-teens at the time of the angel's announcement. An unmarried teen pregnancy in Jewish culture at the time would have been quite scandalous. She faced the prospect of being an outcast in her hometown. Further, imagine Mary attempting to explain the circumstances of her pregnancy to her parents and to Joseph, her fiancé. Being part of God's plan was no doubt very difficult for Mary.
One of the characteristics that set Mary apart for her role was her willing obedience. "May it be to me as you have said," was Mary's reply to the angel. This is simply amazing.
We, just like Mary, are part of God's plan to carry His light and love to a needy world. Each of us have been given different roles in His plan, but none are unimportant. It might be difficult to see ourselves as being active participants in what God is doing in the world. It's not always easy to say yes to God. Saying yes can mean facing difficulties and persecution. But, God always provides the means of sustaining us when we choose obedience to His desires for our lives.
As we celebrate Christmas this year, remember Mary as an example of the obedience God desires of us.
1. Put yourself in Mary's position. How do you think you would have responded to the angel's message?
2. What makes it hard to believe that you are part of God's plan for the world?
3. What can you do to become more obedient to God?
Watch the movie, The Nativity Story with your family. Afterward, use the content above to debrief, noting Mary's obedience and bringing home the concept that God calls us to similar obedience as well.
Sign up here for Parenting Resources and other HomeWord publications.