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In 2014, the American Heritage Dictionaries added 500 new words and meanings to its authoritative record of American English, including "clickbait," "cosplay," and "social anxiety disorder." The words come from all kinds of domains, from pop culture to obscure scientific specialties. But as always, a particularly rich source of new language is the food world, which delivers a wide bounty of lexical delicacies every year.
So, welcome to the dictionary, "banh mi," "halloumi," "mochi," and "saison"! A Vietnamese sandwich served on baguette, a brined Cypriot cheese, a Japanese treat made from rice paste, and a fruity Belgian ale may have little in common as foods, but they sure give a good picture of the established food trends of 2014. In fact, the adoption of ethnic food words into English is an excellent proxy for the moment our culture embraces these foreign foodstuffs as our own. And their immigration story is, like any other, one of assimilation, with both the terms and the dishes often ending up far from where they began.
A word enters American dictionaries not when it's first used in English, but when it's used widely enough that it can be said to belong—"a completely naturalized citizen of American English," said Peter Sokolowski, editor-at-large at Merriam-Webster. The challenge for lexicographers is to determine that tipping point. The AHD keeps a more than 100-page list of words on the verge, tracking their spread in newspapers, books, blogs, and (for food words) cookbooks and menus. "If it's a Chinese food dish and it's only appearing at Chinese restaurants, it's probably not going to get added yet," said Emily Neeves, AHD assistant editor in charge of food words. "But if it's appearing in a cookbook for everyday recipes you can make at home, that's something that's moved into the widespread usage."
Food language, like the food itself, often travels a circuitous path. English retains several corruptions from Chinese languages, for instance, that preceded any desire for authentic cuisine. In a recent book, "The Language of Food: A Linguist Reads the Menu," Stanford linguist Dan Jurafsky discusses the complex history of "ketchup," which derives from the Hokkien word for "fish sauce" and arrived in Britain in the 18th century; the tomato variation came along 100 years later. "Chop suey" is first cited by the OED in 1888, around the time bohemian adventurers began to haunt New York and San Francisco's Chinatowns, according to Andrew Coe's "Chop Suey: A Cultural History of Chinese Food in the United States." The OED quotes this recipe: "a mixture of chickens' livers and gizzards, fungi, bamboo buds, pigs' tripe, and bean sprouts stewed with spices," and gives the original Cantonese as "shap suì," meaning "mixed bits." By the time the word entered Merriam-Webster in 1916, it was featured in home cookbooks—minus the offal. A revolt against inauthentic chop-suey-style Chinese-American food later on in the century led to the introduction of words like "dim sum," which entered Merriam-Webster in 1985.
While Chinese food words reached the English-speaking mainstream largely through immigration, French food words arrived there from high culture. "French-ness" had long meant "fancy" in the United States, Jurafsky said, and so "restaurant menus, to indicate 'fancy,' would use French, even in an Italian restaurant"—calling a main course an "entrée," for example, a word that came in roundabout fashion from the French term for appetizer. The language of French cooking, however, doesn't seem to have made it into dictionaries until the second half of the 20th century. That was after Julia Child's cookbooks and TV show taught a broad public not only how to prepare dishes like coq au vin and beef bourguignonne, but how to pronounce their names, in her distinctive Brahmin accent. Merriam-Webster added many French food words during this period, including "croissant" in 1963 and "bourguignonne" and "crudités" in 1983, according to Sokolowski.
The long dominance of French food ended in the 1970s and 1980s, Jurafsky said, when Americans embraced a newly wide range of foods, from "pasta"—a word that didn't enter Merriam-Webster until 1963 and barely shows up in search results before 1975—to "sushi" to "burrito," added by Merriam-Webster in 1983. "Cultural omnivorousness" had come into vogue; these days, Jurafsky said, "what it is to be cultured is to know a lot of stuff, from a lot of cultures."
New food words reflect that wider global interest. "Twenty years ago, a lot of the new food terms were from Latin America," said Steven Kleinedler, executive editor of the AHD—while the past 10 years have brought terms from India and Southeast Asia, as Madhur Jaffrey's cookbooks became widely available and Thai restaurants sprouted on every corner. Kleinedler also ascribed this globalizing effect to cooking shows, which he said popularize exotic ingredients. "I remember seven or eight years ago on 'Top Chef,' they were on a ras al hanout kick, where every other dish had ras al hanout," he said. (That's a North African spice mix that entered the AHD in 2011.)
The food words entering dictionaries this year represented a wild international smorgasbord. Besides the AHD's additions, the Oxford Dictionaries Online added "arancini," (risotto balls); "cavatelli," "cappellacci," and "trofie" (pasta shapes); "queso" (short for chile con queso); "guanciale" (an Italian cured pork); and "izakaya" (a Japanese small-plates bar). Merriam-Webster added "aji" (chili pepper), "brat" (as in -wurst), "croque monsieur" (French grilled ham-and-cheese sandwich), "crudo" (a dish of raw seafood), "pepita" (pumpkin or squash seed, often dried or toasted), "pho" (Vietnamese meat and noodle soup), "poutine" (a French-Canadian dish of fries, gravy, and cheese curds), and "yuzu" (a Japanese citrus fruit).
Kleinedler says the list of words they're tracking for later editions includes "churrasco" (a Portuguese and Spanish word for grilled meat), "dopiaza" (curry rich with onions), "dunkel beer" (dark German beer), "gözleme" (traditional Turkish pastry), and "moqueca" (Brazilian fish stew). These words still lurk in their ethnic niches for now. But like "chop suey," "coq au vin," and "pasta" before them, they're on their way to becoming part of American cuisine, and American English.
Britt Peterson is an Ideas columnist. She lives in Washington, D.C. Follow her on Twitter @brittkpeterson.
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This is a site dedicated to the dissemination of effective Christian music.
In this regard let me present a series of secular opinions on the power of music and to encourage you to re-examine the so-called "Christian Music Scene" in light of this.
The infamous Dr Timothy Leary of "Flower Power" fame;
"Don't listen to the words. It is the music that has its own message. I've been stoned on the music many times".
Jimmi Hendrix: Rock musician
"There's a sound, a vibration, a resonance that can re-arrange the molecular structures of our consciousness to the point where your hair stands on end and you feel like touching bodies. It is a whole other kind of spirit".
Rock historian Robert Palmer:
"I believe in the transformative power of Rock'n'Roll in its sound and beat".
Psychology Today Dec 1985
"Musical rhythms affect both our hearts and our brains. One road to arousing a range of agitated feelings is through pronounced, insistent rhythms artfully used to heighten sexual tension. Drumming may produce these powerful effects by actually driving the brain's electrical rhythms".
Robert Shaw, renowned Choir director and musician,
"I don't know if the church today understands the music it has brought into the church. People do not understand the music…..it is perverse".
Billy Joel
"You know, all those things that were said in the early days about Rock'n'Roll that it is going to subvert our youth, make them want to have sex and go crazy. They were right"!!
Psychologist Verle Belle:
"One of the most powerful releasers of andrenacine highs is music which is discordant in its beats and chords. Good music follows exact mathematical rules which cause the mind to feel comforted, encouraged and safe".
If we say that the sound is irrelevant so long as the lyrics are "Christian" we have to ask what happens to our integrity when we shoe-horn a message about obeying authority into a genre that is essentially rebellious and nihilistic in style.
When the words and sound are thus in conflict, musicologists call this "Aesthetically false".
Finally a word or two from antiquity
SU CHING from 6th century China
"For changing peoples' manners and customs there is nothing better than music"
"If you would know whether a people are well governed and if its laws are good or bad, examine the music it practises".
"If over a long time one habitually listens to the kind of music that rouses ignoble passions, his whole character will be shaped to an ignoble form".
Hope this is food for thoughtful and prayerful consideration.
Geoff Catford
Click on chapter below to download as a PDF file
If you do not have adobe reader click on link below to install.

subset: commoncrawl


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Acts 2:38-39Context
2:38 Peter said to them, "Repent, and each one of you be baptized 1 in the name of Jesus Christ 2 for 3 the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 4 2:39 For the promise 5 is for you and your children, and for all who are far away, as many as the Lord our God will call to himself."
1 tn The verb is a third person imperative, but the common translation "let each of you be baptized" obscures the imperative force in English, since it sounds more like a permissive ("each of you may be baptized") to the average English reader.
2 tn Or "Messiah"; both "Christ" (Greek) and "Messiah" (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean "one who has been anointed."
sn In the name of Jesus Christ. Baptism in Messiah Jesus' name shows how much authority he possesses.
3 tn There is debate over the meaning of εἰς in the prepositional phrase εἰς ἄφεσιν τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ὑμῶν (eis afesin twn Jamartiwn Jumwn, "for/because of/with reference to the forgiveness of your sins"). Although a causal sense has been argued, it is difficult to maintain here. ExSyn 369-71 discusses at least four other ways of dealing with the passage: (1) The baptism referred to here is physical only, and εἰς has the meaning of "for" or "unto." Such a view suggests that salvation is based on works – an idea that runs counter to the theology of Acts, namely: (a) repentance often precedes baptism (cf. Acts 3:19; 26:20), and (b) salvation is entirely a gift of God, not procured via water baptism (Acts 10:43 [cf. v. 47]; 13:38-39, 48; 15:11; 16:30-31; 20:21; 26:18); (2) The baptism referred to here is spiritual only. Although such a view fits well with the theology of Acts, it does not fit well with the obvious meaning of "baptism" in Acts – especially in this text (cf. 2:41); (3) The text should be repunctuated in light of the shift from second person plural to third person singular back to second person plural again. The idea then would be, "Repent for/with reference to your sins, and let each one of you be baptized…" Such a view is an acceptable way of handling εἰς, but its subtlety and awkwardness count against it; (4) Finally, it is possible that to a first-century Jewish audience (as well as to Peter), the idea of baptism might incorporate both the spiritual reality and the physical symbol. That Peter connects both closely in his thinking is clear from other passages such as Acts 10:47 and 11:15-16. If this interpretation is correct, then Acts 2:38 is saying very little about the specific theological relationship between the symbol and the reality, only that historically they were viewed together. One must look in other places for a theological analysis. For further discussion see R. N. Longenecker, "Acts," EBC 9:283-85; B. Witherington, Acts, 154-55; F. F. Bruce, The Acts of the Apostles: The Greek Text with Introduction and Commentary, 129-30; BDAG 290 s.v. εἰς 4.f.
4 tn Here the genitive τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος (tou Jagiou pneumato") is a genitive of apposition; the gift consists of the Holy Spirit.
5 sn The promise refers to the promise of the Holy Spirit that Jesus received from the Father in 2:33 and which he now pours out on others. The promise consists of the Holy Spirit (see note in 2:33). Jesus is the active mediator of God's blessing.


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Area of British Columbia
Since the establishment of Strathcona, the first provincial park in 1911, the parks and protected areas system has grown to over 1000 protected areas, covering over 14 million hectares, 14.4% of the province.
Parks and Protected Areas System Administered by BC Parks
(as of June 13, 2016)
|Area (ha)
10, 515, 996
3, 778
5, 929
2, 998, 504
384, 371
160, 456
1, 032
14, 069, 881
DesignationsBritish Columbia's protected areas system provides for the protection and maintenance of important natural and cultural values and outstanding outdoor recreation opportunities.
Protected areas contain some of the best representative elements of British Columbia's natural and cultural heritage. They include ecological reserves; provincial parks; conservancies; recreation areas; and protected areas established under the Environment and Land Use Act.
Ecological ReserveEcological reserves are Crown lands reserved for ecological purposes including the following:
- Areas suitable for scientific research and educational purposes associated with studies in productivity and other aspects of the natural environment;
- Areas that are representative examples of natural ecosystems in British Columbia;
- Areas that serve as examples of ecosystems that have been modified by human beings and offer an opportunity to study the recovery of the natural ecosystem from modification;
- Areas where rare or endangered native plants and animals in their natural habitat may be preserved; and,
- Areas that contain unique and rare examples of botanical, zoological or geological phenomena.
Ecological reserves can be established by two means: (i) by order in council under the Ecological Reserve Act or (ii) by inclusion in schedules to the Protected Areas of British Columbia Act.
While most ecological reserves are open to the public, they are not established for outdoor recreation and no extractive activities are allowed.
Provincial ParksAll provincial parks are highly protected Crown lands and managed to high standards. There are three classifications of provincial parks: Class A, Class B or Class C parks.
Class A ParkThe majority of the provincial parks in the system are Class A parks. These parks are lands dedicated to the preservation of their natural environments for the inspiration, use and enjoyment of the public.
Development in a Class A park is limited to that which is necessary for the maintenance of its recreational values. Activities such as grazing, hay cutting and other uses (except commercial logging, mining or hydroelectric development) that existed at the time the park was established may be allowed to continue in certain parks.
Class A parks can be established by two means. Class A parks can be established by either order in council under the Park Act or by inclusion in a schedule to the Protected Areas of British Columbia Act.
Class B ParkClass B parks differ from Class A parks in that a Class B park may permit a broader range of activities and uses provided that such uses are not detrimental to the recreational values of the park.
Class B parks are established by order in council.
Class C ParkThe requirements for the management of Class C parks with respect to restricting the alienation of interests and protecting natural resources is identical to those for Class A parks. Class C parks differ from Class A parks in that a Class C park must be managed by a local board appointed by the minister. They are generally small parks providing local recreational amenities.
Class C parks are established by order in council.
ConservancyConservancies are Crown lands set aside for: (a) the protection and maintenance of their biological diversity and natural environments;
(b) the preservation and maintenance of social, ceremonial and cultural uses of First Nations;
(c) the protection and maintenance of their recreational values; and
(d) development or use of natural resources in a manner consistent with the purposes of (a), (b) and (c) above. The conservancy designation explicitly recognizes the importance of these areas to First Nations for social, ceremonial and cultural uses. Conservancies provide for a wider range of low impact, compatible economic opportunities than Class A parks, however, commercial logging, mining and hydroelectric power generation, other than local run-of-the-river projects, are prohibited. These economic opportunities must still not restrict, prevent or hinder the conservancy from meeting its intended purpose with respect to maintaining biological diversity, natural environments, First Nations social, ceremonial and cultural uses, and recreational values.
Conservancies can be designated by two means. Conservancies can be established by order in council under the Park Act or by inclusion in a schedule to the Protected Areas of British Columbia Act. Presently, all conservancies are established by inclusion in schedules to the Protected Areas of British Columbia Act.
Protected AreasProtected areas are established by order in council under the Environment and Land Use Act. The Environment and Land Use Act is a broad piece of legislation which empowers a Land Use Committee of Cabinet to ensure that all aspects of the preservation and maintenance of the natural environment are fully considered in the administration of land use and resource development.
Protected areas generally have one or more existing or proposed activities that are not usually allowed in a park (e.g., proposed industrial road, pipeline, transmission line or communication site). Allowable activities and management direction are determined by specific provisions and any special conditions when the area is established as well as relevant sections of the Park Act and Park, Conservancy and Recreation Area Regulation as identified in the order in council.


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Court McGee is dropping to welterweight after two straight losses, and he'll meet former lightweight Josh Neer at UFC 157. The news comes via MMA Fighting:
The winner of the eleventh season of "The Ultimater Fighter" has agreed to fight Josh Neer in 170-pound action at UFC 157 on Feb. 23, MMA Fighting has learned from closes sources to the event. The UFC has yet to officially announce the bout.
McGee (13-3) dropped consecutive bouts to Constantinos Phillipou and most recently Nick Ring, both by decision. He had been on an eight-fight winning streak before that. Neer (33-12) is also on a two-fight losing streak, getting knocked out by Mike Pyle at UFC on FX 3 and submitted by Justin Edwards at UFC on FX 5.
The bout is expected to take place on the preliminary card. The show will be main-evented by the first women's fight in UFC history, as Ronda Rousey defends her title against Liz Carmouche.
About the author


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Written by Vladimir Moss
The old debate on how frequently we should receive Holy Communion, and with what kind of preparation, shows no signs of dying down in our time. Although not a dogmatic question, it has all the potential to cause as much disruption in Church life as many dogmatic questions. In this respect it is similar to the debate on how heretics and schismatics of various kinds are to be received into the True Church. In both cases perplexity is caused by the fact that the Church seems to adopt a different position at different times in her history. And so one side in the debate adopts the position of the Church at one point in her history, and the other side – her position at another time. Both can claim patristic support, and so both can claim that right is on their side. The problem, then, is: how to reconcile the apparently contradictory positions taken by the Church at different times in her history.
With regard to frequency of Communion, there is no argument that Christians received It more frequently in the early centuries of Christianity than in recent centuries. The question, then, is: is this because there has been a falling away from the early, correct practice? Or are there good reasons why the Church has modified the practice of the Early Christians?
The question was first raised in recent times by the so-called "Kollyvades" Fathers[1] – so called after the kollyva, or boiled wheat, which is traditionally given out at memorial services in the Greek Church. They taught, among other things, that Communion was being received too infrequently by contemporary Christians, and that It should be received as often as possible consistent with proper preparation for the sacrament. There was much opposition to this teaching, and successive patriarchs tended to adopt a position midway between the two parties.
Thus "in 1775, Ecumenical Patriarch Theodosios sought to reconcile the two factions. He wrote to the monks of Athos saying that the early Christians received Holy Communion every Sunday, while those of the subsequent period received it every forty days, after penance; he advised that whoever felt himself prepared should follow the former, whereas if he did not he should follow the latter. But this did not bring an end to the dispute. Like the contention about memorial services, it continued until the early part of the nineteenth century. In 1819, Patriarch Gregory V wrote to the Athonite monks that Communion should not be received at certain set times, but whenever one felt oneself ready for it, following confession and other necessary preparation."[2]
St. Gregory here appears implicitly to rule out the extreme positions on both sides: both the idea that it is wrong to receive Communion more than two or three times a year (this is the extreme that the Kollyvades Fathers strongly, and rightly, reacted against), and the idea that one must receive Communion at every single Liturgy, whether one feels ready for it or not, and whether one has done the necessary preparation or not (even the Kollyvades Fathers agreed that preparation for Communion by fasting was necessary – see the book by St. Nicodemus the Hagiorite, On Frequent Communion).
However, in view of the fact that there are those who continue to deny that any special fast before Communion is necessary, it will be worth examining the early evidence for that.
Thus St. John Chrysostom (+407) recommends fasting before Communion – and, if possible, also after: "You fast before Communion in order to be worthy of Communion. But as soon as you receive Communion, instead of increasing prudence and temperance, you let it all go, whereas you should be more temperate after Communion. For before you received Communion you fasted in order to be worthy to receive the Bridegroom, while after this you should be more prudent and temperate in order not to seem unworthy of what you have received. What, then? Should we fast after Communion as well? I don't say this, and I don't force you. It would be good, but I don't force you to do this. But I exhort you not to feast to excess."[3]
St. John Chrysostom's words are clear evidence that, whatever was the practice in the very earliest period of the Church, by the late fourth century fasting before Communion was the norm.
Most True Orthodox Churches today insist on a three-day fast for laymen. The present writer has seen this practice in the Russian Church Abroad in the 1970s, in the Matthewite and Chrysostomite Greek Old Calendarists, and also in Russia, Serbia and Bulgaria. The only major exception appears to be the "Holy Orthodox Church of North America" (HOCNA) and those parishes and monasteries in other jurisdictions influenced by their reasoning, and perhaps also the Cyprianites.
Such near-unanimity about the three-day rule among the True Orthodox Churches is a very strong indication that it was introduced into the Church by the Holy Spirit. True, it does not seem to have been legislated in any Ecumenical or Local Council. But this is understandable: since this is a pastoral, rather than a dogmatic matter, the rule should be seen as a guideline rather than a strict law, with allowance of considerable flexibility in view of individual circumstances. The very young, the old and the sick may be granted a relaxation of the rule by their spiritual fathers, while the more ascetical may wish to fast longer or more strictly. But it appears that the Church, guided by the Holy Spirit, has come to a near-unanimous conclusion in several traditionally Orthodox countries that an average person in normal circumstances should aim to prepare for Communion through a minimum of three days' fasting.
Moreover, there seem to be some clear pointers to the three-day rule in Holy Scripture. Consider, for example, Exodus 19.10-19, which is appointed to be read by the Holy Church on the Vespers-Liturgy of Holy Thursday. Here God commands the people of Israel to sanctify themselves for three days before they ascend the Mount. "Be ready," says Moses; "for three days come not near to a woman" (v. 15). Now ascending the Holy Mountain is a figurative expression for entering into communion with God, as we see in Psalm 23, which is appointed to be read during the preparatory prayers for Holy Communion: "Who will ascend the mountain of the Lord, or who will stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart…" (vv. 3-4).
A still closer prefiguring of Holy Communion can be seen in the story of the meeting between David and the priest Abimelech, when David asks whether he and his men can eat of the showbread on the altar. Abimelech replies that this bread was no common bread, "but holy loaves: if the young men have abstained from women, then they shall eat them. And David answered the priest, and said to him, Yes, we have abstained from women for three days: when I came forth for the journey all the young men were purified" (I Samuel 20.4-5). The holy loaves are clearly a type of the Eucharist, which require a preparation of three days' abstinence.
Let us turn now to certain objections raised against the three-day rule.
1. The three-day rule encourages laziness and infrequency of Communion. In answer to this, we readily admit: it may. And in such circumstances the pastor should urge his flock to prepare and receive Communion more often, "lest the spiritual wolf seize" them, as it says in the prayers of preparation for Communion. But pastors and laity differ in their opinion of what constitutes frequent or infrequent Communion: what is frequent for one is infrequent for another. Most will agree that two or three times a year is infrequent. Some would consider once a month also infrequent. But more would probably consider that frequent!
However, the Church has decreed four periods in the year in which fasting is compulsory: the Christmas fast, Great Lent, the Apostles' fast and the Dormition fast. In these periods, even a lazy person does not have to put in any extra fasting if he wants to receive Communion. Of course, a person who does not respect the compulsory fasts will not be ready to receive Communion even in the fasting periods. But then that will not be the "fault" of the three-day rule, but of the believer's general lack of zeal and disobedience to the Church's laws. He will in effect be excommunicating himself. De facto he does not want to receive Communion, so de jure he is excommunicate.
In this connection it is illuminating to consider the advice that St. Seraphim of Sarov gave on frequency of Communion. Concerning the nuns of Diveyevo, his spiritual children, he said: "I command them, Father, to partake of Christ's holy and life-giving Sacrament in all the four fasts and on the twelve festivals." But to a layman he said: "Communicate four times. Once is also good. As God deems you worthy…"[4]
"As God deems you worthy…" So God considers some people worthy of more frequent Communion than others – not in an absolute sense, for nobody is absolutely worthy, but relatively speaking, depending on their zeal and compunction. The nuns, who valued It more highly and struggled more to prepare for It through fasting and prayer, were counted worthy of frequent Communion, and the layman – of less frequent Communion. This is the general pattern we find in all the True Orthodox Churches today: those who struggle harder, and have greater zeal – the clergy and monastics, particularly – are counted worthy to receive Communion more often than those who struggle less. "For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundantly" (Matthew 13.12).
To this the objection will immediately be raised: "But no-one is worthy to receive Communion, we are all sinners!" True, and yet St. John Chrysostom says: "You fast before Communion in order to be worthy of Communion." Worthiness here is measured by one's awareness of one's unworthiness, that is, one's humility, and some are clearly more "worthy" in this sense than others. If this were not true, it would make no sense to pray: "Count us not unworthy to receive…", or: "We thank Thee that Thou hast counted us worthy to receive…" The three-day rule of preparation, while making nobody worthy in an absolute sense to receive Divine Communion, nevertheless, like all ascetic practices, sharpens our sense of our weakness and unworthiness, and therefore actually makes us less unworthy to receive, in accordance with the spiritual law that he who humbles himself is exalted. But those who do not prepare in the way the Church teaches run the danger of complacency and routine, of seeing Communion as their right or their duty rather than their salvation, even of "not discerning the Body and Blood of the Lord" and so of receiving to their condemnation. For "whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that which he hath" (Matthew 13.12).
2. The Early Christians Communed at every Liturgy, and so should we. The present writer has never seen proof of this statement (Acts 2.42 is often quoted, but it is not a proof), but he does accept that Christians in the early centuries communed in general more often than we do now. But what follows from that fact? That we should receive more often in imitation of them? That would be true only if our circumstances were very similar to theirs, and we ourselves similar to the Early Christians.
Until the end of the first millennium, although practice varied, we still find monastic saints practising very frequent Communion, such as those of St. Theodore the Studite (+821) and St. Symeon the Theologian (+1022). However, St. Symeon, while Communing every day himself, did so with tears – and stressed that if one did not have tears one should not Commune. This is a "hard saying", and in practice, the Church balances the need to Commune worthily – that is, with tears – with the need not to fall into the hands of the "spiritual wolf" through infrequent Communion.
Nevertheless, the teaching of St. Symeon on who is worthy to receive Communion, though "hard", should be studied and pondered by all. He writes: "We should know that there are five classes of people for whom, according to the holy fathers, it is forbidden to approach Holy Communion. The first are the catechumens, as they are not yet baptized. The second are those baptized, but who fell in love with shameful and unrighteous ways, such as apostates from the holy life for which they were baptized: fornicators, murderers, usurers, extortioners, slanderers, proud persons, jealous persons, those who harbour grudges, all those who being in such a state do not feel that they are enemies of God and are in a tragic situation, because they do not repent… The third are those possessed by demons, if they blaspheme and mock this Divine Mystery. The fourth are those who have come to their senses and have repented, but are fulfilling the penance (epitimia) laid on them to stand outside the church for a certain period of time. The fifth are those who have not yet the ripened fruit of repentance, i.e. those who have not yet come to the final decision to consecrate their entire life to God and to live the rest of their life in Christ in purity and without reproach. These five classes are clearly unworthy of Holy Communion. He is worthy to commune the precious Mysteries who is pure and has no part with sin, of whom we have spoken above. But when anyone of these worthy persons is corrupted by any corruption, as a man, then, of course, he also communes unworthily, if he does not wash away by repentance that which corrupted him. And so he eats and drinks unworthily who, although he is worthy, unworthily approaches the Holy Mysteries. May we, then, be worthy and commune worthily the most pure Mysteries in Christ Jesus our Lord, to Whom be glory for endless ages of ages. Amen."[5]
Again, St. Nicodemus the Hagiorite writes: "Three days' fasting is enough before Communion. Those who are able to fast even for a whole week before, do well."[6]
As we come closer to our time, we find that the saints, without denying the patristic teaching that frequent Communion is good, stress the importance of adequate preparation, of which the most important component is true contrition over our sins. Thus St. Theophan the Recluse writes: "There is no salvation without Communion, and no progress in life without frequent Communion.
"But the Lord, the Source of life that enlivens those who partake of Him, is also fire to those who eat Him. Those who receive worthily taste of life, but those who partake unworthily taste of death. Although this death does not occur visibly, invisibly it always occurs in the spirit and heart of the man. The unworthy communicant steps away like a charred log from the fire, or the metal remnants of a conflagration. In the body itself either the seed of death is sown, or death happens right away, as it was in the Corinthian church at the Apostle's reprimand. Therefore when receiving Communion you must approach it with fear and trembling, and sufficient preparation.
"This preparation consists in cleansing the conscience of dead deeds. But let a man examine himself, teaches the Apostle, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup (I Corinthians 11.28). Confession made with hatred of sin and the promise to flee it in any way possible makes a man's soul a vessel capable of containing the uncontainable God by His grace. Decisiveness and promise are the place where the Lord communes with us in Communion, for it is the only clean place in us – everywhere else in us it is unclean. Therefore no one approaches worthily, but only through the Lord and His grace are we deemed worthy, for the sake of compunctionate confession and promise.
"We could have limited it to this: confess worthily and you will be a worthy communicant. But Confession itself is a sacrament, which requires worthy preparation; and more than that, it requires particular actions, feelings and dispositions that cannot be summoned all at once, but require time and a certain amount of exclusive preoccupation. That is why it has always been conducted according to a known office, with preliminary deeds and exercises that prepare one for it and enable one to better recognize his sins, to awaken contrition over them, and to guard the fortress of promise. All of these things together comprise govenie."[7]
Again, consider the following from the life of a nearly contemporary saint, Elder Barsanuphius of Optina (+1912): "I remember once how in a talk he discoursed on frequent Communion and how certain people, citing the example of the Christians of the first centuries, demand permission even now to commune, if not daily, then weekly. 'They don't understand that those Christians were constantly prepared for death, and were often taken to prison right from the Liturgy. Each expected that, if not today, then tomorrow his turn would come to suffer for faith in Christ. Then they lived more soberly; their life was, one might say, a continuous state of govenie [fasting in preparation for Communion]. It's not surprising therefore, that they often communed the Holy Mysteries. We don't live that way, and we should not equate ourselves with them. Therefore in our Monastery it is agreed upon that the brothers commune six times a year – once during each fast and twice during Great Lent and the Nativity Fast. Deviations from this rule are allowed rarely, and each time with the blessing of the Elder and the Superior, so that one time the brothers were surprised: 'Why is Fr. So-and-so approaching the Chalice?' And those who knew what was going on explained, 'He went through a terrible ordeal. He saw demons in perceptible form and became quite faint. And his spiritual father blessed him to prepare for Communion.'"[8]
Now Optina Monastery, as is well-known, was probably the finest monastery in Russia at the time. Fourteen of its elders were glorified by the Russian Church Abroad, and many of its monks became martyrs under the Soviet yoke. Note also that Optina under the holy elders towards the end of the nineteenth century was more strict on this question (i.e. allowed Communion less often) than Diveyevo under St. Seraphim at the beginning of the century. This was almost certainly because conditions had changed: the level of spiritual life in the country as a whole, and among monastics in particular, had fallen; which was reflected in a stricter attitude towards the reception of Communion.
And this is understandable. Modern life is much more complex and more full of temptations, both crude and subtle, than earlier ages. It correspondingly takes a Christian more time and more effort to drag himself away from earthly cares, concentrate on his spiritual state and reach that state of preparedness and compunction which is necessary before receiving Communion. This is especially the case with married laypeople (see more on that below). But monks, too, are affected by the increased worldliness of the age they live in.
Coming still closer to our age, the Serbian Bishop Nikolai Velimirovich (+1956) writes in his Catechism: "Q. How should we receive Holy Communion? A. At least four times a year, during the four fasts. But it is recommendable to receive it more frequently, depending on a communicant's preparedness, and specially in sickness."[9]
So the Church, while never abandoning her basic principles, changes her practices to some degree in accordance with the spiritual condition of her children. In earlier ages, when general conditions were more conducive to the spiritual life, and Christians generally were in a higher state of spiritual preparedness, there was less danger in the practice of very frequent Communion. But in more recent times, spiritual Fathers, moved by the Holy Spirit, have not blessed very frequent Communion except in special cases, knowing that it is very difficult for their spiritual children to prepare adequately for It.
Nor, of course, have they banned very frequent Communion. But they have recognized that different practices are possible for different people. "What is best," asked Hieromartyr Nicon of Optina (+1931): "to Commune of the Holy Mysteries of Christ rarely or often? It is difficult to say. Zacchaeus joyfully received a dear Guest, the Lord, into his house, and he did well. But the centurion, out of humility, recognizing his unworthiness, did not decide on receiving him, and he also acted well. Their actions, though contrary to each other, are identical in their motivation. And they were equally worthy in the sight of the Lord. The essence is that one should prepare oneself worthily for the great Mystery."[10]
This discussion of the practice in the Early Church leads us to a general point on historical comparisons between different Christian epochs. We call our Church "Apostolic" because we have received the teachings of the Holy Apostles without addition or subtraction. However, this refers to dogmatic teachings and to general norms of Christian faith and morality. It does not mean that we, living in the twenty-first century, are obliged to imitate the lives of the Early Christians in every particular. The attempt to do that is a characteristically Protestant venture, and we all know what is the result of their attempts to "go back to the Early Church" – a renunciation of the very concept of the Church! Our task is not to "go back to the Early Church", but to join the Apostolic Church as it exists now, having maintained unbroken succession from the Apostles and their successors.
Not only are we quite simply not able to "go back to the Early Church" in a literal sense: it would be very harmful for us to attempt to do so. Thus, for example, standards of sexual morality in the Early Church were very high, and very strictly enforced. A man who committed fornication was completely cut off from any kind of fellowship with other Christians, and deprived of Communion for a very long period, if not for the rest of his life (cf. I Corinthians 5; Hebrews 6.4-6). If, in the Early Church, standards were so high, and discipline so strict that "of the rest no man dared to join himself to them" (Acts 5.13), what would happen to our Church if such strictness were enforced today, when the general spiritual level is so much weaker?
3. The Only Point of going to the Divine Liturgy is to Receive Communion. In defence of this statement, reference is made by some to the statement of St. Symeon of Thessalonica: "The Divine Liturgy is a rite for the purpose of consecrating the All-Holy Body and Blood of Christ, that they may be given in Communion to all the faithful, and it exists in and of itself for the sole purpose of Communion."[11]
Now this statement raises no problems if it is understood as emphasising the absolute centrality, in the rite of the Divine Liturgy, of the Consecration and Communion. This in no way means that nothing else of value is done during the Liturgy besides Consecration and Communion. The Divine Liturgy accomplishes many things besides sanctifying individual communicants through their receiving Communion. During the Liturgy we listen to the Holy Scriptures; we pray for ourselves and the whole world; we are present at the Awesome Sacrifice, and worship Christ Crucified. All this strengthens us and the Church as a whole.
Therefore attendance at the Liturgy is valuable even if one does not Communicate. Even the catechumens, and those under penance, are encouraged to stay for the first part of the service, so this must be true for the baptised as well. While it is true that the full benefit of attending the Liturgy is gained only by those who Commune of the Holy Mysteries, attending only, without Communicating, is highly beneficial.[12]
4. Not to receive the Holy Mysteries at every Liturgy (unless one has a canonical impediment) is Spiritual Death, and Equivalent to Apostasy from Christ. Thus in an article penned in the 1950s the well-known ecumenist Fr. John Romanides wrote: "When a Christian does not commune at all with the Body and Blood of Christ in every Eucharist, he is spiritually dead… The approval that our clergy today gives our sacramental practice is even more unacceptable! If the Christian was excommunicated for having denied Christ after hours of physical torture, those who week after week excommunicate themselves are all the more condemnable."[13] This position has become generally accepted in Greek new calendarist Orthodoxy, and has even crept into the Old Calendar Greek Church.
In defence of this position, reference is made by some to St. John Chrysostom's Homily 3 on Ephesians, in which the saint, in the course of reproving those who come to Communion only at certain set times such as Pascha, appears to say that to refrain from receiving Communion at the Liturgy is like being invited to a friend for dinner and refusing to eat his food – it is an insult to him. If one is not worthy of receiving Communion, the Saint appears to say, then one is not worthy of going to the Liturgy at all. However, Bishop Photius of Marathon offers a different – and, in our view, much more convincing – interpretation. St. John Chrysostom, he writes, was addressing members of his flock who received Communion only on major feastdays, like Pascha, but did not receive It on "ordinary" days. This, he said, was an insult to Christ, because it implied that His Body and Blood is not the same on major feastdays as on "ordinary" days.[14]
Again, in his book On Frequent Communion, St. Nicodemus the Hagiorite claims that the Ninth Apostolic Canon says that all those who do not receive Communion at every Liturgy are excommunicated "as creating a disorder in the church", so everybody who does not have a canonical impediment must commune. However, this interpretation of the Canon is not generally accepted by the Orthodox Church. As Hieromonk Patapios and Archbishop Chrysostomos of Etna write: "St. Nikodemos is speaking very strictly here. According to Balsamon [perhaps the best known canonist of the Byzantine empire], some have argued, on the basis of the Ninth Apostolic Canon, that those who do not communicate should be excommunicated. However, as Balsamon point out, the Canon penalizes only those who create disorder by leaving the Church before the end of the Liturgy [my italics – VM]. What people are required to do is to stay until the dismissal has been pronounced and they have received antidoron (the blessed bread distributed to those who have, for whatever reason, been unable to communicate). They cannot be compelled to communicate against their will, especially if their conscience if bothering them."[15]
Commenting on the same Canon, the famous Serbian canonist, Bishop Nicodemus (Milash) of Dalmatia, writes: "In the first period of the Church the communion of Christians was expressed mainly in the common participation of all the faithful in the Lord's Supper (I Corinthians 10.16, 17) and in everyone remaining unanimously in the church (Acts 2.46, 20.7). Moreover, this communion, expressed in this way, was laid at the base of the composition of the rite of the Liturgy, so that the catechumens, who could stay in the church with the faithful only until certain prayers, immediately the rite of the Eucharist itself began were invited by the deacon to leave the church, so that only the faithful remained in the church and became participants in the Lord's Supper. This was how the common thought of the Church concerning the spiritual union between the faithful was expressed, as well as the fact that, for the sake of this spiritual union, every faithful could and had the right to take part in church in all the prayers, both in the Eucharist itself and in the common prayer after Holy Communion to thank the Lord for His great gift. That is how it was at the beginning of the Church of Christ, and all the faithful always came to church and not only listened to the reading of Holy Scripture in church, but remained there until the priest, having finished the Divine Liturgy, blessed them to leave the church. However, this zeal began to cool among some, and many, having heard only the reading of the Holy Scriptures, left the church. Because of this, without a doubt, there was introduced into the rite of the Liturgy, as we read in the Apostolic Constitutions (VIII, 9), the deacon's exclamation, after reminding the catechumens to leave the church, that not one of those having the right to remain until the end of the service should leave it. In all probability this did not help, and many even after the deacon's exclamation still left the church before the end of the service, thereby spoiling the reverent feeling of the true faithful and producing disorder in the church itself. As a consequence the present strict rule was published, which required the excommunication of everyone who entered the church and did not remain until the end of the service.
"Some canonists understand this canon in such a way that the faithful not only had to remain in church until the end of the Divine Liturgy, but also were all obliged to commune of the Holy Mysteries. It is possible that this interpretation is correct, since the places from Holy Scripture cited above in explanation of this canon can serve to confirm it. However, it cannot be that all the faithful were forced to commune each time they went to church, since it could easily happen that that not everyone was prepared to commune, either through the intimations of his own conscience, or by dint of some other reasons from his personal or public life. In order that such people should be counted worthy of at any rate some participation in the holy things, on the one hand, and in order to avoid the heaviness of the punishment imposed by this canon, on the other, and in order also to oblige those who could not commune nevertheless to stay in church until the end of the Divine Liturgy, there was introduced the distribution of antidoron, which everyone had to receive from the hands of the priest or for his own sanctification."[16]
St. Nicodemus anticipates the possibility that someone, on reading Chrysostom's (supposed) opinion that those who do not receive Communion when they have no canonical impediment are not worthy to go to the Liturgy, may reply: "Since this is how it is, I am not going to the Liturgy at all." Then he writes: "No, my brother, no. You are not permitted to do this, either, because you excommunicate yourself, as the Holy Oecumenical Fifth-Sixth Synod of 692 decrees when it says: 'If anyone, while living in the city, does not go to Church on three consecutive Sundays, if he is a clergyman, let him be deposed, but if he is a layman, let him be barred from communion.' The Holy local Synod of Sardica decrees the same thing in its Eleventh Canon. Therefore, you are subject to the penalty of excommunication, beloved, if you do not do both things, that is, go to Liturgy and prepare yourself as much as possible to communicate, unless you have an impediment. You may violate neither the one nor the other…"[17]
Much as we respect St. Nicodemus the Hagiorite, we agree with Hieromonk Patapios and Archbishop Chrysostomos that his "very strict" position here is untenable. On the one hand, he approves of St. Chrysostom's implication that those who do not receive Communion when they have no canonical impediment are not worthy to go to the Liturgy (although, as we have seen, there is another way of understanding Chrysostom's words), and believes that the Apostolic Canon excommunicates such people. On the other hand, he thinks that everybody must come to the Liturgy every Sunday, because those who stay away for three Sundays consecutively are excommunicated according to another Canon. And he says: "You may violate neither the one nor the other." But this is easier said than done! If I follow his instructions to the letter, then if I do not feel ready to partake I am not "worthy" to go to the Liturgy and must stay at home. But if I do that for three Sundays running I am excommunicated. So I am in a double-bind!
In effect, St. Nicodemus' position comes down to making the reception of Communion at every Liturgy compulsory for those who do not have a canonical impediment (i.e. are not excommunicated for some serious sin such as adultery).
But let us now turn to the practical consequences that are likely to follow if all the faithful are compelled to receive Communion at every Divine Liturgy they attend. One possible consequence is that the three-day rule will be abolished or severely weakened. This already takes place in certain places, such as those monasteries and parishes under the influence of HOCNA's Boston monastery. The present writer has heard that in one such monastery and parish the three-day rule is observed only in relation to sexual relations, but not in relation to food. In support of this, they argue that the Holy Canons forbid fasting on Saturdays. It is true that the Eastern Church rejected the Roman Church's practice of making Saturday a fast day. But that does not mean that it is compulsory to eat meat on that day, only that it is not forbidden! Similarly, it is not forbidden to fast on Saturdays in preparation for Communion the next day.
But suppose that the three-day rule is observed together with the rule of compulsory Communion at every Liturgy. In that case, two possible consequences may be foreseen. Either laypeople, in order to preserve some normality of family and marital life, will go less often to the Liturgy, and perhaps leave the Church altogether. And that, of course, would be a tragedy… Or they will drastically curtail marital relations to a very few times in the year and introduce a semi-monastic regime into the family.
Now the latter consequence might seem attractive and desirable to certain Manichaean heretics who see sexual relations in marriage as sinful. But it does not correspond to the Apostolic teaching. For St. Paul says to married couples: "Deprive ye not one another, unless it be with consent for a time in order that ye may have time for prayer; and come together again, lest Satan tempt you because of your lack of self-control" (I Corinthians 7.3).
So married couples are exhorted to strike a balance. On the one hand, they must devote certain periods to prayer and fasting and sexual abstention. These include the Wednesday and Friday fasts, the four major fasts of the Church year and additional three-day fasts before Communion in non-fasting periods - provided both partners agree to them. But then they must come together again. For married couples are not given the grace of complete abstinence, and to force them to that, even under the pretext of piety, is to go against, not only human nature, but also the will of God. In the worst cases, - and I have seen one such "worst case", - it will lead to the break-up of the family and the falling away of all of the family members from the Church…
To conclude: in this, as in many other Church questions, we have to take account of the real while never losing sight of the ideal. The ideal, no doubt, is frequent liturgies, the attendance of all parish members at all liturgies and the communing of all members of the parish at all those liturgies. But it is doubtful whether that ideal has ever been attained, even in the Early Church. And by striving too inflexibly for the ideal without taking into account the real we may actually make the reality worse. It is better to tread "the Royal Way" between the extremes of excessive zeal and excessive slackness, striving for the heights but humbly recognizing our weaknesses. St. Seraphim said that virtue is not like a pear – it cannot be swallowed all at once. The slow but steady path of doing what we can in obedience to the Church's rules, pushing ourselves forward, but not beyond our personal strength and in full consciousness of our weakness, is the way that will lead us to the heights in the long run…
Vladimir Moss.
January 27 / February 9, 2008; revised August 2/15, 2010.
[1] Especially St. Macarius of Corinth (1731-1805), St. Nicodemus of the Holy Mountain (1749-1809), St. Nicephorus of Chios (1750-1821) and St. Arsenius of Paros (1800-1877).
[2] Constantine Cavarnos, St. Macarios of Corinth, Belmont, Mass.: Institute for Byzantine and Modern Studies, 1972, p. 21.
[3] St. John Chrysostom, Homily 27 on I Corinthians, 7.
[4] Archimandrite Lazarus (Moore), St. Seraphim of Sarov: A Spiritual Biography, Blanco, Texas: New Sarov Press, 1994, pp. 67, 68.
[5] St. Symeon, "Concerning Communicants and those who Partake of the Holy Mysteries Unworthily", Orthodox Life, July-August, 1975, p. 11.
[6] St. Nicodemus, commentary on the 13th Canon of the Sixth Ecumenical Council; quoted by Bishop Photios of Marathon, personal communication, March, 2008.
[7] St. Theophan, The Path to Salvation – A Manual of Spiritual Transformation, part III, chapter 5, section 9, pp. 269-272.
[8] Victor Afanasiev, Elder Barsanuphius of Optina, Platina, Ca.: St. Herman of Alaska Press, 2000, pp. 565-566.
[9] Velimirovich, Sabrana Dela (Collected Works), vol. 12, Khimelstir, 1984, p. 298.
[10] "Zhizneopisanie Ieromonakha Nikona Optina Pustin'"(A Life of Hieromonk Nicon of Optina Desert), Nadezhda (Hope), Frankfurt: Posev, 1982, p. 230 (in Russian).
[11] St. Symeon, Dialogue, chapter 78, P.G. 155, col. 252CD.
[12] In the interpretations found in St. Nicodemus the Hagiorite's Pedalion on Apostolic Canons 8 and 9, the 13th Canon of the Sixth Ecumenical Council and the First Canonical Epistle of St. John the Faster, mention is made of different categories of repenting faithful, one of which is the synestotes, that is, those who "stand with" the other faithful until the end of the Liturgy, but do not receive communion for some reason. (Bishop Photius of Marathon, personal communication, March 31, 2007).
[13] Romanides, "The Life in Christ", first published in French in Synaxe, 21, pp. 26-28 and 22, pp. 23-26, and then in English by Romanity Press, Norman, OK, 2008.
[14] Bishop Photius, personal communication, March 20, 2008.
[15] Manna from Athos, Bern, Oxford, New York: Peter Lang, 2006, p. 100.
[16] Bishop Nicodemus, Pravila Pravoslavnoj Tserkvi (The Canons of the Orthodox Church), St. Petersburg, 1911, Moscow, 2001, volume 1, pp. 68-69 (in Russian).
[17] St. Nicodemus the Hagiorite, On Frequent Communion; in Manna from Athos, op. cit., pp. 106-107.


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Unlike last season, when everyone in the conference had a chance to take home the title in the last week of the year, there is some separation in the Big Ten. A quarter of the way through the schedule Michigan State has the best record at 21-8 and a 5-1 mark in league play. Michigan and Northwestern are occupying the league cellar at 2-4 in conference and only nine wins each overall. That means there is likely going to be some gaps this year, making Purdue's series at Penn State this weekend very important.
Our Boilermakers come in at 22-11, leading the conference in overall wins after beating Ball State and IPFW this week,.They are only 3-3 in the league. A costly eighth inning collapse with a 5-1 lead against Michigan last weekend is preventing Purdue from being in a three way tie with Indiana and the Nittany Lions for second heading into the third weekend. The sheer number of wins that Purdue is piling up, plus a challenging non-conference schedule, may be enough to push them on to the at large bubble for the NCAA Tournament, however.
Purdue is not going to get in unless it finishes at least in second place in the league though, and for that to happen hey have to win this weekend's series at Penn State (20-10, 4-2). Penn State has been impressive so far, winning a series in ACC country (North Carolina State) and winning two of three at perennial power Wichita State. Because those are series wins, their strength of schedule would have them ahead of Purdue so far in terms of the NCAAs. Purdue's best wins (Connecticut, Louisville, and Pittsburgh) were all single games.
Penn State started league play by taking two of three each from Illinois and Northwestern. There weekend rotation is well established with Steven Hill (4-1, 2.20 ERA in 8 starts), John Walter (4-3, 2.38 in 8 starts), and Heath Johnson (1-1, 5.40 ERA in 8 starts). Purdue will counter with Matt Morgan (3-1, 2.59 in 6 starts), Brad Schreiber (4-0, 3.64 in 7 starts) and Joe Haase (3-1, 2.59 in 6 starts). That means some of the best starting pitching in the conference will face off this weekend.
Purdue is still hitting the ball very well with seven of the eight regular in the lineup hitting over .300. As a team Purdue is hitting .317 with 18 home runs and 222 RBI. Penn State does not have this balance throughout its lineup. Jordan Steranka is hitting .357 with six homers and 38 RBI. Sean Deegan is .323 with four homers and 20 RBI. Joey Debernardis is .333 with 24 RBI, but no homers. Penn State bats just .284 as a team, but they have 18 homers on the year.
The looks to be a pretty even matchup. I give Penn State the pitching edge, but Purdue has more balance throughout the batting lineup. Ryan Ignas has five saves as their closer, but a 2-3 record. He is not as dicey as Nick Wittgren for us (7 saves, but a 4.70 ERA). Our bullpen has definitely struggled, with three of our 11 losses coming when we had a multiple run lead in the 8th inning or later. That is a big difference because if we were 25-8 we would probably be an NCAA lock right now. That is how little margin for error we have in the Big Ten. We should also beware of Dave Walkling, a midweek starter/long reliever that is 5-0 with a 1.71 ERA.
Once again, a series win is imperative. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. Friday, 5 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday. Saturday's game is scheduled to be televised live on the Big Ten Network. In our favor is that we have only lost a series twice to Penn State, and we are the best hitting team in the conference. If Purdue somehow sweeps we can really start dreaming of postseason play.


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The winners of Giveaway #21 sponsored by Mummy Knows Best Shop are out!
Here are the lucky winners (first 3 names generated by Random.org) who win a GroVia Diaper Shell Set worth SGD45.90 each:
Doreen who would like it in Blue Birds (Aplix).
Chong Mui Ling who would like it in Blackberry.
Carol Lim Mei Mei who would like it in Blue Birds (Aplix).
Timestamp: 2011-12-17 05:03:33 UTC
Congratulations to you! To claim your prize, please contact me within 7 days of this post with your mailing address (Singapore only) and contact number.
Note: For future giveaways, I'd email winners directly instead of publishing a separate blog post.
Updated GroVia AI2 Cloth Diaper Review
Baby Jae has been trying out GroVia AI2 over the past 1+ month.
- The trim cutting fits him very well.
- Aplix tabs give a good fit for newborns and are WAY easier than snaps to put on a screamy newborn.
- The washable soaker is able to catch runny breastfed poo. Sometimes, the diaper shell may get dirty, which means it can't be reused. Overall, no leak for pee and poo.
- The disposable GroBaby and GroVia Biosoakers only worked well for us in the first 3 to 4 weeks. Like his brother, Baby Jae's also a heavy wetter. When he reached 4 weeks old, the biosoakers leak after 2 hours (about 2 pees). Once saturated, the sides tear and gel escaped.
For the full and updated review, click here.
There are several upcoming reviews on interesting baby products that we've been using on Jae. And of course, Giveaways too. So stay tuned!


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The microbiome of Da Vinci's drawings
By Lucie Sammicheli, science writer
The microbiome study of seven drawings from Leonardo Da Vinci reveals that conservation work, geographical location, and past contaminations leave invisible traces on drawings despite their optimal storage conditions. Another story of art objects that could be monitored to establish a bio-archive of our artistic heritage.
The work of Leonardo Da Vinci is an invaluable heritage of the 15th century. From engineering to anatomy, the master paved the way for many scientific disciplines. But what else could the drawings of Da Vinci teach us? Could molecular studies reveal interesting data from the past? These questions led an interdisciplinary team of researchers, curators and bioinformaticians, from the University of Natural Resources and Life Science (BOKU), the Unit of Bioinformatics at the FH Campus in Vienna and the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, in Austria, as well as the Central Institute for the Pathology of Archives and Books (ICPAL) and the Council of National Research (CNR) in Italy, to collaborate and study the microbiome of seven different drawings of Leonardo Da Vinci.
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The molecular study of art pieces has already proved to be a valuable approach, and Dr Piñar, first author of the study, is not at her first try. In 2019, her team was able to investigate the storage conditions and even the possible geographical origin of three statues requisitioned from smugglers through the study of their microbiome and, earlier this year, the microbiome of ancient parchments allowed to elucidate the animal origin of the skins used for their manufacture 1,000 years ago. In the study presented here, the Austrian team is using an innovative genomic approach called Nanopore, considered as third-generation sequencing, to reveal for the first time the complete microbiome composition of several of Da Vinci's drawings. The study is published in Frontiers in Microbiology.
Overall, the results show a surprising dominance of bacteria over fungi. Until now, fungi were thought to be a dominant community in paper-supported art and tended to be the main focus of microbial analysis due to their biodeterioration potential. Here, a high proportion of these bacteria are either typical of the human microbiome, certainly introduced by intensive handling of the drawings during restoration works, or correspond to insects microbiomes, which could have been introduced, a long time ago, through flies and their excrements.
Image credits: the authors
A second interesting observation is the presence of a lot of human DNA. Unfortunately, we cannot assume that this DNA comes from the master himself but it might rather have been introduced by the restoration workers over the years. Finally, for both bacterial and fungal communities, correlation with the geographical location of the drawings can be observed.
Altogether, the insects, the restoration workers, and the geographic localization seem to all have left a trace invisible to the eye on the drawings. While it is difficult to say if any of these contaminants originate from the time when Leonardo Da Vinci was sketching its drawings, Dr Piñar highlights the importance that tracking these data could have: "The sensitivity of the Nanopore sequencing method offers a great tool for the monitoring of objects of art. It allows the assessment of the microbiomes and the visualization of its variations due to detrimental situations. This can be used as a bio-archive of the objects' history, providing a kind of fingerprint for current and future comparisons." Thus, scientists could develop new methods to not only conserve the visual appearance of art but also to document the invisible journey of our artistic and cultural heritage.
Original article: The microbiome of Leonardo da Vinci's drawings: a bio-archive of their history
REPUBLISHING GUIDELINES: Open access and sharing research is part of Frontiers' mission. Unless otherwise noted, you can republish articles posted in the Frontiers news blog — as long as you include a link back to the original research. Selling the articles is not allowed.


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Price 31,800 gp; Slot none; CL 10th; Weight 4 lbs.; Aura moderate evocation
This thick, 5-foot-long wooden staff is made of rough oak and has two branches growing from the top. The branches twist together and bend back toward the body of the staff, and their leaves often rustle as if blown by a light breeze even when the surrounding air is still.
An oaken staff functions as a +1 called spell storing quarterstaff, but can't be used as a double weapon (only one end of the staff is usable in combat). The staff allows use of the following spells.
The wielder is immune to the terrain effects of the plant growth spell cast from the staff. In addition, shillelagh can be cast on an oaken staff despite it being a magic quarterstaff, increasing its enhancement bonus by 1. The staff retains the effects of the shillelagh spell even if wielded by someone other than the spell's caster.
Once per day, a character wielding an oaken staff who has either barkskin or plant growth on her class spell list can cast speak with plants from the staff without attempting a Use Magic Device check (this expends 3 charges instead of 2).
Cost 16,050 gp; Feats Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Craft Staff; Spells barkskin, plant growth, speak with plants, teleport; Special creator must be a caster of at least 12th level
Magic Items > Magic Weapons > Specific Magic Weapons >


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Did you know that the taste, aroma and color of honey will depend on the flowers the nectar was collected from?Tasting testing honey from different regions can prove this (although you might not be able to say exactly what types of flower the bees visited.)
Tasting honey will also definitely help you to realize that it is intensely sweet. So sweet in fact that there is growing debate over whether honey is actually good for you or just plain fattening.
Honey Carb Counting
There are 304 calories in 100 grams of honey and those all come from sugar. The sugars in honey are mostly fructose and glucose – simple carbohydrates that are generally warned against if you are trying to reduce your weight.
In fact, it is generally advised that you try to eliminate all added sugars from your diet if your goal is weight loss and maintenance of a healthy weight. Cutting out added sugar is also said to help you minimize your risk of developing certain diseases.
All of that, however, does not mean you should chuck all your honey out the window. Here's why.
Natural Sweetness
Being on a weight loss diet tends to leave you craving sweets, then going on sweet-tooth-satisfying binges and derailing your progress towards your weight loss goals. When the cravings for sweet set in, natural honey is a great replacement for processed and refined table sugar. Since honey is so much sweeter and denser than sugar, people find that they tend to eat less of it to satisfy their sweet tooth.
Indulging in honey does not mean you are setting yourself up to add on pounds. On the contrary, the way in which the sugars in honey are arranged cause it to be more slowly digested by the body. It means, that unlike table sugar, the sugars in honey are slowly released into the blood stream.
This and other benefits of honey are backed by research. One study shows that persons who included 5-10 tablespoons of honey in their regular diet for one month had the following results.
- no weight gain
- lower cholesterol levels
- higher levels of antioxidants in their blood
Why Honey Isn't Fattening
The calories in table sugar are "empty calories". They supply you with nothing but energy that you will need to use up or it will just be turned into fat and stored in places you do not want. Honey is different.
Honey is a whole food just like fruits. Along with its carbohydrates and antioxidants, it has vitamins (riboflavin,niacin), minerals (calcium, copper, zinc, manganese, iron, phosphorousandpotassium), fat and protein (amino acids). Honey is also proven to have antimicrobial properties which help it to relieve congestion and prevent digestive problems.
When we count the calories and carbs in foods like honey we really need to take all of their benefits into consideration.Honey is actually a great natural supplement to your diet whether or not you are trying to lose weight.
Enjoy the sweetness of honey in moderation, knowing that you are feeding your body some natural sweetness that is helping to keep it healthy in so many ways.


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New year, same name, incremental update.
Adidas' Leistung series has never been my favorite in the past, but I've learned to accept them since their launch in 2016. They're not a bad shoe by any stretch of the term, the heel height was just not my thing. Personal mobility and strength issues didn't make them a very balanced shoe for me; but they've been used by plenty of other much higher level lifters than myself, with tons of success.
It's been a little over a year since the Leistung 2 released and this model sees an fairly sizable update with surprisingly no change to the name. If it's 2018, why do these shoes still have 16 after them? I get that it's the year they came out, but that's confusing. Anyways, the real question is: Is the update worth plunking down $225 when you can still get last years model for sometimes around $100?
Short review: No.
Build Quality/Construction:
The biggest difference between the previous model and this years is that it comes with a new mesh upper. Initially when I saw it, I thought it was some kind of knit material, which led to questions about structure, so I'm kind of relieved to find out that it's not. Visually, I always thought the Leistung was a really good looking weightlifting shoe and this year is no different. The details are a bit more refined, with nicer looking materials from the leather bits to the actual mesh making the shoe stand out more. I opted for the Ash Silver colorway because it was a bit different looking, but mainly because it was the only one I could get off the website. Despite being called silver, it's more teal than anything.
There are a few minor quality of life changes that I noticed: There's a bit more cushioning around the ankle collar as well as the tongue. The laces have been beefed up compared to last years functional, but flimsy laces. The medial part of the shoe which had mesh over the logo, is now just a leather piece and the lateral logo is just an overlay now. The polyurethane coating around the rims of the shoe looks a little different because of the material it's laid on, but feels like it's the same. Footbed feels like it's a touch softer, but I could just be going crazy about that.
Everything else, lacing system, medial strap, heel height and material are exactly the same. 24.5mm heel lift (1″ drop), 37.5mm total heel height.
With last year's model I was in between sizes. The woven material made 9.5's feel too constricting and the 10's had a little bit more space than I'd want in a weightlifting shoe. The sizing of the updated model doesn't seem to have changed, but the new mesh upper makes 9.5's feel usable albeit fitting without much room left in the toe area. If you're new to the way that Leistung II's work, the BOA dial now acts to tighten the medial strap of the shoe like other weightlifting shoe's velcro counterparts. You'll still have to lace the shoes up unlike the first model. Leistung's aren't particularly wide shoes, so keep that in mind if you have issues in that area. Unless you have a wide foot, I would suggest going with your normal weightlifting shoe size. For me, that's half a size down (9.5) from my training shoe size (10).
My sizes for reference:
- Nano – 10
- Metcon – 10
- Adipower – 9.5
- Leistung 2 – 10
- Legacy – 10
- Romaleos 2/3 – 9.5
- Power Perfect 3 – 9.5
Back to the mesh upper – last years model was a woven upper that looked really clean, but flexibility was just okay and it didn't breathe that well. It was comfortable enough for lifting, but it made sizing the shoe a pain because it didn't stretch much. The updated Leistung's mesh is one of the more flexible and comfortable uppers found on a weightlifting shoe that isn't made from leather, all while still having enough structure so that your feet don't go sliding every which way. To the touch, the mesh like a taut yarn, not soft like most knit materials but still conforms to the foot well for added comfort. Breathability surprisingly doesn't see much of a change, even due to the more open looking mesh.
Even though the change is most definitely welcome, the difference feels incremental when comparing last years shoe to this years; similar to how the Metcon 3/4 changed. The upper is indeed a little bit more comfortable, but it's nothing to write home about.
I've always thought the Leistung was a stable shoe with a nice and wide base – which I'm happy to say it still is, because nothing is different down low (pretty much). Adidas slapped the same exact TPU heel construction from all the previous models onto the newest version. Which I can't fault them for, it was fine, if you liked the effective 1″ heel height that is. A welcome change is that the outsole rubber definitely feels more sticky than the previous models did. I've had instances where my feet have slipped during a movement lifting on rubber floor tiles in the older model, an issue I haven't run into with the update.
Whether or not the 1″ heel is for you is subjective. Benefits from having it are that you'll get increased ankle/hip range of motion if that's an issue for you. Another benefit is that you'll get increased activation from quadriceps from the more elevated heel. Personally, the slightly higher heel just pitches me more forward for cleans due to my lack of lat mobility; though I do catch in a nice vertical position for snatching. The change in foot balance makes it harder for me to drive during jumping motions because my posterior chain has grown to be far stronger than my anterior.
If that doesn't sound like you then you should lift well in the Leistung 2's, any of them really.
The retail price for the Leistung 2's is $225, which is what they've always been throughout history. Earlier this year, Adidas had some crazy sales and we saw last year's model for as little as $100. I'm sure most of you reading this review already copped on those deals and for you, I'm going to tell you that the difference in price is not worth the upgrade. If you weren't able to get one of those deals, I'm still going to tell you the difference in price is not worth it and you should just buy last years model because they can still be found for a lot less than the 2018 ones. If you don't care about any real changes in performance and you just want the latest model because it looks cool, then go for it.
There's no denying that the updated Leistung is a great shoe, it's just not worth the price over what you can get last years for. If you're a first time Leistung buyer test drive them from Adidas so you can be sure you're going to benefit from the increased heel height.
Get your 2018 Adidas Leistung 2 here!
Save money and get the 2017 Leistung here!


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- #1 eat pizza
- #2 share my love of Iowa
- #3 talk about my farm 😊
Friday, February 9, 2018
Slice of Iowa Pizza
19 comments:
Yum yum yummy! You know this is speaking to my pulled pork loving heart ❤ReplyDelete
Looks delicious and something I could make after work! Wish we had Fareways over here.ReplyDelete
Your pizza looks amazing! I love a good homemade pizza and this makes my mouth water today. It might be what's for dinner.ReplyDelete
I really need to make more pizza at home. Yours sounds delicious!ReplyDelete
Pizza is hands down my favorite food, and I'm always looking for ways to use leftover pulled pork!ReplyDelete
This is such an interesting pizza combination! I can't wait to try it! After all, pizza is my favorite food group.ReplyDelete
I love barbecue pizza, but I never put corn on it. I'll be adding that to my list of toppings.ReplyDelete
Ohhh! I bet this is a delicious combination!ReplyDelete
How fun is this! I actually have pizza dough rising right now. I was stumped on the toppings...till now.ReplyDelete
Sounds like a delicious twist on pizza!ReplyDelete


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by Dr. Ashna Varma BVM&S MRCVS
HEARTWORM. You hear about it every year from your veterinarian come summer, and follow through the very important motions of a blood test to ensure your pet is negative, and responsibly start monthly prevention…if you own a dog.
Heartworm disease is sadly overlooked in cats. It has proven to be serious and potentially fatal, with no approved treatments available for cats specifically (There is an approved protocol for heartworm treatment in dogs). Remember, heartworm disease is a mosquito-transmitted blood parasite that carries a high mortality rate. Most cats in North America are indoors, this is true, but I can guarantee you've ended up with a mosquito bite at some point within the comfort of your home. When it comes to caring for my own cat, that possibility is enough to cause concern.
For a long time, heartworm disease in cats was unheard of, as it is difficult to diagnose in cats particularly. It usually requires a post-mortem to definitively prove, but most of the time these deaths usually look like any other feline respiratory or heart failures, such as chronic asthma and allergic bronchitis. Because of this, feline heartworm disease is grossly underrepresented.
Cats are not the classic heartworm hosts compared to dogs, thus most worms do not actually survive to reach their adult state, however when they do, cats will typically have 1-8 worms, whereas dogs can have 30+. Nonetheless, if cats are in a Heartworm endemic area, they are most certainly at risk for contracting the parasite.
Symptoms mimic that of many other respiratory & cardiac diseases in cats, including but not limited to
- Coughing or asthma-like breathing changes
- Vomiting
- Collapse or seizures
- Abdominal fluid accumulation
When heartworms die in the body, they can trigger anaphylactic reactions or artery blockages that cause the above symptoms and death.
Again, as with dogs AND cats, HEARTWORM PREVENTION is the best way to prevent infection and possibly fatal illness and death. For cats, safe monthly heartworm prevention products are available from your veterinarian.
As a reality check for the 'elusive heartworm disease' that we rarely see in the GTA due to the high compliance rate of prevention use (thank you pet parents!!), I work with a Wellness clinic in Ohsweken, Ontario each year. We continue to see positive Heartworm dogs, although less year to year, as more owners begin prevention, and more dogs are treated. Positive heartworm dogs continue to be a source of infection to heartworm negative dogs & cats. Heartworm disease is very real, and very scary.
Dedicated to my special kitty, Moshi, an indoor girl who is a clever avid hunter in my backyard on her harness and leash. I want her to live the longest, fullest, healthiest life, and no mosquito is going to change that! She is on a monthly heartworm preventive from June to November every year, and every 3 months between November and June.
Please visit the following website for more information on feline heartworm disease:
Dr. Ashna Varma BVM&S MRCVS
Purina ProClub Cat Update Volume 14, winter 2016


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$18.50 $22.00
HIGH PROTEIN PIZZA CHIPS (Pack of 7)
Contains Soy and Milk. May contain Wheat/Gluten.
Base (Soy Flour, Potato Flour, Rice Flour, Salt), Topping (Tomato Powder, Salt, Cheddar Cheese Powder [Milk, Salt, Enzymes, Whey, Buttermilk, Disodium Phosphate, Silicon Dioxide], Onion Powder, Spices, Garlic Powder, Romano Cheese Powder, Citric Acid, Paprika, Natural Flavors, Sugar, Caramel Color, Isolated Soy Protein, Inulin Powder, Sunflower Oil).
When that mid-meal hunger strikes, pick up ProteinSnax Chips. High-in protein and low in carbs, this contains all things nutritious and has an addictive taste. Perfect on-the-go Snack Great for weight watchers.
Taste a delicious dash of Cheddar Cheese & Pizza flavor made from mixed herbs & spices and flour blends, this gluten-free protein power snack is sure to delight you with an irresistible punchy flavor. packed with 10g protein, 5g fiber, 0 cholesterol, 0 transfat
Contains gluten-free super ingredients Available in other variants such as salt and vinegar, ranch, pizza chips.
ProteinSnax brings you a range of delicious protein chips that are packed with the power of super grains and the goodness of pulses, making them just the power snacks to reach for to satisfy those sudden hunger pangs.
Great protein snack looking forward to re ordering next month when my subscription renews
fantastic but I found them on Walmart.com even cheaper :(
wow they really taste like pizza chips
Very good protein snacks
Excellent protein snack that filled me, I use the 7 pack as a protein meal supplement for my weight lifting days.
$18.50 $22.00
HIGH PROTEIN BARBEQUE CHIPS (Pack of 7) Contains Soy. May contain Wheat and Dairy INGREDIENTS: Potato (Potato Flakes, Rice Flour, Potato Starch, Salt), Soy...View full product details
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HIGH PROTEIN SEA SALT AND VINEGAR CHIPS (Pack of 7) Packaged in 7 individual potato chip bags. Contains Soy. May contain Wheat and Dairy. INGREDIENTS:...View full product details
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HIGH PROTEIN RANCH CHIPS (Pack of 7) Comes packaged in potato chip bags. Contains Soy and Milk. May contain Wheat/Gluten. INGREDIENTS: Potato (Potato Flakes, Rice...View full product details


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Smokehouse Seven
All of our products are smoked over real wood. We never use any imitation flavors, flavored oils or artificial preservatives in ANY of our products.
Same Day Shipping
Same day shipping on in stock orders placed by noon CST.
Best Quality
We only use the highest quality ingredients in our products.
Customer Service
Remember when Customer Service was the norm? So do we.


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We offer a wide range of ways for people to get involved and you can choose the method that best suits you ranging from -
- completing surveys
- attending meetings
- joining a local group
- checking your local area
Please contact the Tenant Participation Team for more information.
Tenants' Forum
The Tenants' Forum gives you the opportunity to give feedback and discuss issues that affect housing, before any decisions are made. Membership is open to all tenants, residents and interested parties from across the city.
The Forum has adopted a code of conduct and terms of reference, so that all members understand and agree how it should function and to ensure that their work is carried out -
- openly
- efficiently
- fairly
- in a business like manner
Forum meetings
A forum pack is sent out to members of the Tenants' Forum before each meeting which gives details of the month's forum agenda, previous month's minutes and feedback forms from any tenant participation activities that have taken place since the last forum.
Dates and times of forum meetings can be found in Customer Service Centres and Information Points.
Find your nearest Customer Service Centre or Information Point
Download the latest Tenants' Forum poster below -
Mystery Shopping
Mystery shoppers help us to test the quality of our services. Posing as customers, they test the call centre, Customer Service Centres and Information Points by visiting or ringing in with a query, or even by looking for information on the website.
Mystery shoppers help us to establish which services are performing well and which areas need improving. They also help us answer basic service delivery questions, such as whether customers can always access a particular service and how well enquiries are dealt with.
All council tenants and prospective tenants can take part in mystery shopping.
Real Mystery Shopping
Real Mystery shoppers also test the quality and accuracy of services being delivered but, unlike conventional mystery shopping which tests made up scenarios, real mystery shopping uses customer's feedback on their real life experiences.
Real mystery shoppers can either tell us about their experiences by completing a feedback form, or they can speak to us. Giving us your feedback is quick and easy to do but has real impact on the improvement of housing services.
Estate Walks
Estate Walks are opportunities for tenants and residents to become involved with improving their local housing estate. The aim of a walk is to highlight areas which they feel need action.
This could be -
- abandoned cars
- bulky items
- fly - tipping
- graffiti
- noise nuisance
- litter
- overgrown gardens
The officer will note any items and arrange the most appropriate remedial action.
If tenants or residents wish to volunteer for estate walks or to know more about estate walk focus group, they can put their name forward by calling 01482 300 300 and asking to speak to a member of the Tenant Participation Team, or call into a local Information Point or Customer Service Centre.
Housing Opinion Panel (HOP)
The Housing Opinion Panel is made up of people who would like to be consulted about housing issues. We contact the panel when we want to ask you for your opinion and to test the quality of our services.
As a member of the HOP you can specify particular areas of interest, from anti-social behaviour and homelessness to repairs. you can also choose your preferred method of consultation so that we can contact you in a way that suits you. We carry out consultations in a number of ways, including regular meetings, one-off focus groups and questionnaires.
The questionnaires you will receive are fairly short and should not take up much of your time to complete.
Members of tenant and resident groups are very welcome to become members of the panel and we appreciate your participation.
If you would like to take part in any of these activities, all you need to do is submit the below enquiry form and a member of the Tenant Participation Team will get in touch with you.
You can also pick up a housing opinion panel registration form at any Customer Service Centre or information point or contact the Tenant Participation Team.
How to contact us
Email - firstname.lastname@example.com
Telephone - 01482 300 300