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The book trailer for The Where, the Why, and the How: 75 Artists Illustrate Wondrous Mysteries of Science
Available in bookstores and online:
A science book like no other, The Where, the Why, and the How turns loose 75 of today's hottest artists onto life's vast questions, from how we got here to where we are going. Inside these pages some of the biggest (and smallest) mysteries of the natural world are explained in essays by real working scientists, which are then illustrated by artists given free rein to be as literal or as imaginative as they like. The result is a celebration of the wonder that inspires every new discovery. Featuring work by such contemporary luminaries as Lisa Congdon, Jen Corace, Neil Farber, Susie Ghahremani, Jeremyville, and many more, this is a work of scientific and artistic exploration to pique the interest of both the intellectually and imaginatively curious.
Animation by:
Artwork by:
Gilbert Ford (Blushing)
John Hendrix (Rogue Wave)
Yelena Bryksenkova (Evolution)


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Events > Upcoming Events > Branson Shows > Find Branson, Missouri Show Schedules, Tickets and Packages.
Find Branson Shows, tickets and packages for live shows in Branson. See Broadway, Gospel, Soft Rock, 50's, 60's & 70's musicals, magic, comedy, dance & others. Buy your Branson show tickets now! Also, browse our list of fun things to do in Branson. Be sure to view upcoming New York City Broadway shows.

subset: commoncrawl


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If you are a person who spends a lot of time in front of a camera or speaking to crowds, getting metal braces may not be an option. You may need nearly invisible braces that are hardly noticeable even up close. Your best solution could be ceramic braces.
With ceramic braces, most people won't even notice you're wearing them unless speaking up close. If you speak publicly, spend a lot of time in front of a camera, or have a lot of big events coming up, ceramic braces at Barnett Orthodontics could be your solution. You will be able to straighten your teeth and improve your dental health discreetly.
Originally, ceramic braces were known for their initial benefit of being nearly invisible. However, over time the brackets and bands would become stained and unsightly. Today, we have made advances with the ceramic appliance technology. With stainless ceramic and clear, non-porous bands, you no longer have to worry about the longevity of your discreet solution.
Dr. Barnett and Barnett Orthodontics of Austin and Round Rock, Texas (TX), can help your loved one or you achieve your best smile ever. However, we want you to feel confident that your choice of an orthodontist in Austin, Texas, or Round Rock, Texas, is the right one.
Follow the steps below to start your journey towards your future smile today!


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Happy Thanksgiving. As you look through this morning's combined edition of The Sun and The Evening Sun, your household is probably very busy right now, the air filled with rich aromas of roasting bird and baking pies, electric with anticipation of the great feast to come. On the other hand, if you have put off your reading and it is evening, your Thanksgiving dinner may well be history, the leftovers in the refrigerator, the kitchen spic-and-span, that second piece of pie resting uneasily in an overloaded tummy.
Don't worry. There are no calories in today's news, but it is being served with a -- of history.
In the next few weeks, Parks Superintendent Dave Dionne will move into his new office in the restored 19th-century building on Earleigh Heights Road, next to John Listman's store. Marking the midway point along the trail, this will be headquarters for the B&A Hike and Bike Trail Park.
Just a tick over 100 years ago, in 1889, the two-story structure was built by Gustav Hetschel on 1 acres bordering the B&A Short Line. For this gold mine of a piece of property, Hetschel paid Cyrus and Ida Robinson $85.


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Be sure to enter the Swap and Chat Best of Show. Submit your favorite publicity promotional piece in any of the following categories: annual reports, bibliographies, booklists, calendars, fundraising materials, general brochures, newsletters, program and event materials, web site promotional materials and this year's new category promotional video. The video entry must be submitted on a flash drive. Judges will select winners based on content, originality, design, format and effectiveness. I've attached a file with some of last year's winners. Thought you might enjoy!
View more presentations from guest77194f0.


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Welcome to World of TEFL Recruitment
Welcome to World of TEFL Recruitment. Whether you're a newly-qualified teacher about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime teaching overseas or a veteran of the TEFL world looking for a new teaching position you have come to the right place! Over the past 5 years there have been thousands of vacancies advertised via our site and we have sourced teachers for countless roles in many different regions of the world.
It's very simple. Teachers register with World of TEFL and we contact them to arrange a short, informal chat via Skype and keep them updated with relevant vacancies as they come in. If we find a good match, as we often do, then we put the teacher forward for the role.
If you are interested in teaching in a particular country you can now read the World of TEFL mini-guides to each destination. These include an overview of the TEFL industry in that country, salary information, expected cost of living, job tips, plus pros and cons. You can also leave comments about your own teaching experiences.
If you are thinking about becoming qualified as a TEFL teacher then please have a look at our TEFL Certification page for details of excellent courses that we wholeheartedly recommend. If you want to do an online course – an increasingly popular option these days – try the University of Toronto TEFL Online.
Many thanks for all of the messages and enquiries received via both the site and Twitter – keep them coming! We will do what we can to help you find teaching work overseas, according to changing demand and visa regulations in different countries and regions of the world.
Since our launch nearly five years ago, hundreds of schools and language centres from across the world have advertised thousands of teaching jobs via the site and our readership continues to grow on a daily basis. We actively focus on recruitment now as our database of both teachers and language schools looking for them makes matching fairly straightforward (most of the time!)
More and more teachers are teaching online from the comfort of their own homes. We expect this trend to continue. Here is a short guide on how to make money teaching English online.


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Created on 06-10-2014 at 13:00 PM
Thomas Müller travelled to the headquarters of FCB Partner adidas on Monday to be officially recognized for his outstanding performances at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. adidas CEO Herbert Hainer and Thomas's brother Simon, currently an intern with the sports equipment giant and a surprise guest at the ceremony, presented the 24-year-old World Cup winner with the Silver Ball as the runner-up to the best player of the tournament and the Silver Boot for the second-highest goalscorer. "It's the kind of thing you're always glad to have at home. I won't be setting it up in the middle of the room, but I'm still very proud to be presented with it today," Müller commented.
Guardiola observes stormy Roma defeat
Pep Guardiola's trip to Turin to run the rule over AS Roma provided incident and action galore as Juventus edged out Bayern's next Champions League opponents 3-2 in a Serie A encounter featuring three penalties and three sendings-off. In a turbulent first half, during which Roma head coach Rudi Garcia was sent to the stands, Carlos Tevez converted two disputed penalties for Juventus (28, 45), with Francesco Totti (32, also a penalty) and Juan Iturbe (44) on target for the visitors. The winning goal, sending the men from Turin clear at the top after the teams went into the game level on points, was a spectacular volleyed effort from Leonardo Bonucci three minutes from time, although the referee failed to spot Arturo Vidal in an offside position. Juve striker Alvaro Morata and Roma man Kostas Manolas were then red-carded after an altercation two minutes later.


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In a video published on YouTube Friday, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) argues to his constituents why he and other Senators did not include input from Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in their immigration bill.
Rubio informed his viewers that while he did meet with officials, including ICE agents' union president Chris Crane, it was for only over one hour the night before the group introduced the legislation.
Responding to a Melbourne, FL, man named Ross who asked the senator why the Gang of Eight has not sought input from ICE agents given their obvious law enforcement expertise, Rubio said: "We did get input from ICE. I actually met with a gentleman named Chris Crane, he's the president of the union for the ICE agents. We met for about an hour, an hour and a half."
"[Crane] raises very legitimate points," Rubio continued. "They actually have not as much to do with the bill as they do with the current administration. His frustration, and the frustration of many ICE agents, is that they're not being allowed to enforce the law."
"They are being put under all sorts of constricts and their hands are being tied behind their back," Rubio explained, "that they can't do their job to the point where they're actually afraid to arrest people, they say, and that they're afraid to put them away because they could get sued or something bad could happen to them. These are valid points that we've heard."
Rubio also said he thinks the immigration reform bill, if passed into law, "is going to make it easier for them to do their job." He said the bill would "allow ICE agents to focus on the bad guys, on the really bad people who are the ones we should be focused on and deport them."
"So I think this is going to help them in the long term," Rubio predicted. "We have taken their input, we continue to seek their input. And I have nothing but the highest respect for the men and women who are on the front lines of trying to enforce our laws even though sometimes the politicians get in the way."
Rubio did meet with Crane for about an hour the night before the Gang of Eight dropped the bill at 2:25 a.m. However, he cannot point to any changes to the bill itself before it was submitted incorporating Crane's feedback.
The morning after that meeting, which occurred on a Monday night, Crane wrote to Rubio asking him to delay the rollout of the bill to ensure the concerns he and his ICE agents had with it could be addressed. "As you know, and speaking on behalf of our nation's ICE agents and officers, I believe there are many crucial measures missing from this legislation that must be resolved before it is introduced," Crane wrote to Rubio in a letter obtained by Breitbart News. "Based on news reports, it is my understanding that you are filing the bill today."
Crane then laid out an extensive list of issues he hoped Rubio would address based on their talk:
I hope that can be delayed so that our officers and experts can provide real legislative input on the areas we discussed last night: the lack of ICE resources, how current ICE enforcement practices leave the nation open to tactics used by the 9/11 terrorists, DHS directives that release dangerous criminal aliens back into our communities; the need for biometric exit/entry, the administration's dangerous abuse of prosecutorial discretion, our inability to make street arrests, the breakdown of enforcement in our jails, the disciplining of officers for doing their jobs – these are only some of the many crucial interior enforcement issues not addressed in this legislation.
Crane added that he believed the bill "would further hamstring the ability of our officers to protect the public," and the "things that simply must be in this bill to help us protect lives" were just not in the bill.
Despite Crane's letter, the "Gang of Eight" senators behind the bill submitted it at 2:25 on Wednesday morning anyway.
At a press conference for law enforcement figures from around the country to criticize the bill, Crane criticized Rubio and the rest of the Gang of Eight for not meeting with him until the last minute and not including real law enforcement input into the bill. He also directly disagreed with Rubio's characterization of how this bill would impact ICE agents' ability to do their jobs.
"Almost one month ago, we asked for a meeting with the Gang of Eight to discuss law enforcement concerns," Crane said at the press conference, organized by Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL). "They told us they weren't taking meetings but they were meeting all along with special interests and pro-amnesty groups."
"Finally, after public pressure grew, I got a late Monday night meeting with Sen. Rubio the day before this almost 1,000-page bill was introduced," Crane vented. "I raised my many public safety concerns and pleaded with him not to drop the bill until these public safety concerns with law enforcement were addressed."
Crane bitterly concluded, "They dropped it anyway. This bill will put the public safety at risk without doubt. It fails on interior enforcement. It's amnesty first, enforcement perhaps never."
After the press conference, according to The Daily Caller, Crane showed up at the press conference at which the Gang of Eight introduced their bill. He asked the senators if they would take a question from law enforcement. Instead of taking the question, Rubio and the other Gang of Eight senators watched idly and allowed Capitol Hill police to peacefully escort Crane from the press conference. No law enforcement figures publicly endorsed the Gang of Eight bill at that event.
Rubio spokesman Alex Conant told Breitbart News that "Senator Rubio did meet with Mr. Crane, and we welcome his suggestions to improve the bill."
"Our legislation is not a take-it or leave-it proposition – we welcome input and ideas from Mr. Crane and other law enforcement officials as the Senate works to improve the proposal," Conant said in an email. "Ultimately, we share Mr. Crane's frustrations with the current, broken immigration system and his frustrations with the current Administration's failure to enforce our laws. That is why we're working to fix the system, and why we want law enforcement's input."


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Amazing Champo
Amazing Champo (03/09/1992 / lusaka)
Amazing Champo Poems
|Forever And Always
|Where I Belong
Comments about Amazing Champo
Best Poem of Amazing Champo
Where I Belong
A stream of roses flows an ocean of smiles as the realm of comfort flashes within your soul. A place so cool yet blazing with the flames of love weldes my heart to the pillar of joy-you. All aura full of caring love, so honest Like a dove glues my heart to a beauty above yet bliss is possessed in the company of a love. You're but a girl so calm, reflecting an angle so bright..beaming the light of life, yet you remain sacred in my heart. You're my passion of life, adorning sweet sentiments touchy to a spirit, yet trapping my heart with nails of love. A feeling of belonging echoes yiolently ...Read the full of Where I Belong


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WATCH: Conan O'Brien proves he is cut out to be a Korean soap opera star
Conan O'Brien has been spending a glorious week in South Korea, where he decided to film a special episode of his comedy show Conan after receiving a box of snacks from a Korean fan. His most recent hilarious adventure has been guest starring on the Korean drama One More Happy Ending, where he proves he's definitely ready to become the next big K-drama star!
Find out more about the series he guest starred in and sign up for a New Series Alert HERE.
One More Happy Ending
Starring Jang Na Ra and Jung Kyung HoAdd to Queue Remove from Queue Watch Now


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Brian Thomas with Martin County Schools, left, and Charles Humphrey, ECU assistant professor of environmental health sciences, sample the groundwater at Rodgers Elementary School outside Williamston. (Photos by Cliff Hollis)
ECU researchers design barrier to improve groundwater quality
Aug. 5, 2014
By Crystal Baity
ECU News Services
Believed to be the first of its kind in the state, a barrier installed by East Carolina University researchers is reducing nitrate-nitrogen concentrations in eastern North Carolina groundwater.
Dr. Charles Humphrey, assistant professor of environmental health sciences in the College of Health and Human Performance, has been monitoring the groundwater at Rodgers Elementary School outside Williamston since May, when a permeable barrier was installed to improve quality.
Officials discovered a few years ago that the nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N) concentration in groundwater near the school exceeded allowable state limits. Approximately 300 students are enrolled at Rodgers Elementary. While drinking water in nearby homes and the school isn't at risk, state regulations required the levels be reduced.
Guy Iverson, a doctoral student in coastal resource management, samples water from Reedy Branch Creek, about 600 feet from the elementary School.
"No one drinks this but there is a groundwater standard they're held to," Humphrey said.
That's when Martin County Schools turned to Humphrey and co-investigators on the project, Dr. Eban Bean, assistant professor in the ECU Department of Engineering and the Institute for Coastal Science and Policy, and Dr. Mike O' Driscoll in the Department of Geology. They helped write a grant for $3,498 that was funded by the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services for the barrier installation.
Dr. Sushama Pradhan, program coordinator of non-point source pollution in health and human services, was instrumental in securing funding for the project, Humphrey said.
While nitrate is beneficial to plant growth, drinking water with high levels of nitrate potentially can be harmful to animals or people.
"Groundwater feeds surface waters, and elevated surface water NO3-N has been a problem for many waters in North Carolina, other regions of the United States and world," Humphrey said.
The barrier system, which is low maintenance and cost effective, could be a model for other areas or settings, such as agricultural or waste application fields where nitrate-nitrogen concentrations could be elevated and potentially influence surface water nearby, Humphrey said. It has been used in other states.
"We have had surface water nutrient reduction rules and strategies for several watersheds in North Carolina for more than 15 years because of the problems associated with excess concentrations of nitrogen, such as algae blooms and fish kills," Humphrey said. "This may be an additional tool that can be used to help reduce surface water nitrogen concentrations by addressing the groundwater NO3-N transport issue. The school and community can take pride in being the first site in the state to implement this technology."
The barrier was dug near the school's baseball field. The 20-foot trench is lined with about six to seven feet of wood chips and backfilled with soil. "It doesn't prevent water from moving," Humphrey said. "It helps convert the nitrate into gas."
Since the barrier was installed May 7, groundwater samples show that nitrogen concentrations have been cut as much as half. "It's still preliminary, but so far it's looking good," Humphrey said.
Brian Thomas, who helps maintain schools in the Martin County system, said he appreciates Humphrey and ECU.
"We're not used to dealing with this type of issue," Thomas said. "It's never been a problem before. Charlie has been crucial to this project being done."
Geology graduate student Sarah Hardison assisted with field surveys of the site and data collection. Guy Iverson, a doctoral student in coastal resource management, is conducting lab analysis of the nitrogen concentration in groundwater and septic effluent samples taken at the school.
Humphrey said they hope to continue monitoring beyond the grant's timeline, possibly through graduate student work. "I use the data and information in some of my classes so students can see real world examples of applying science," said Humphrey, whose research interests include on-site wastewater, soils and land use impacts on water quality.
ECU also has been sampling Reedy Branch Creek about 600 feet from the school. "I don't think the groundwater NO3-N is influencing that creek," Humphrey said. "Hopefully our barrier is working."
Charles Humphrey, left, and Guy Iverson carry equipment for monitoring water quality across the campus of Rodgers Elementary School.
Grant inspires learning
By Margaret Turner
Engineering and Technology
An East Carolina University faculty member developed hands-on teaching tools for more than 100 environmental and earth science high school students this past academic year.
Dr. Eban Bean, assistant professor in the Department of Engineering and the Institute for Coastal Science and Policy, researches storm water runoff and its effect on streams and water quality. When rain falls on impervious surfaces, runoff is generated because the rain doesn't soak into the ground. The process can lead to problems such as flooding, erosion and poor water quality.
Bean became involved after J.H. Rose High School social studies teacher Brian Callahan was awarded a $2,500 grant from the City of Greenville's Environmental Advisory Commission. Grants are awarded to school-related organizations for projects that help minimize the effects of non-point source pollution. Commission member Mike Behm, associate professor in the occupational safety graduate program and assistant director for the ECU's Center for Sustainability, thought of Bean's expertise and connected the school with him.
Bean developed a set of learning modules about storm water working in partnership with Clinton Todd and Michael Walter, who teach upper level environmental and earth science classes at the high school.
Students were introduced to the water cycle, and a real-time weather station was purchased with the grant so students could compare data to weather they experience. Other modules explained detailed concepts about storm water runoff rates, volumes and stream erosion.
The students also learned how storm water can be managed through sustainable development practices. They discussed best management practices and created models such as bio-retention and permeable pavement to see how different best management practices could be used. Students visited locations around Greenville where stream erosion was occurring so they could see firsthand the concepts that were being taught.
"I feel like I have a better understanding of the field in general; seeing it in person helps more than seeing it on paper," said recent J.H. Rose graduate Baylea Williams. "It makes the concepts more concrete." Williams also has friends that live in one of the neighborhoods the class visited. "That puts it in your daily interest," she said.
An environmental action group was formed at the high school partly as a result of the grant. "The awareness of our environment renewed the interest of many students," Williams said.
Now the teachers and students will have the opportunity to suggest and help install a best management practice for storm water on the high school campus. It will likely include designing and building a bio-retention area or rain garden, which would improve storm water management, Bean said.
"We often do not consider storm water until it is a major problem," Bean said. "It was a great learning experience for the students to see examples of the processes and impacts in their own community."
East Carolina University
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Sioux Falls Scientists
Evolution and Global Warming are facts, not theories!
Science and Reason, use them to guide your life.
105 Evolution News Articles
7-31-16 Gibraltar caves reveal Neanderthals' secrets
7-29-16 Parasitic worm eggs found on Silk Road latrine artifacts
7-29-16 Autoimmune diseases may be side effect of a strong immune system
7-29-16 Gift-giving brain cells are lifeline to injured nerve cells
7-29-16 Inbreeding has destroyed the English bulldog's genetic diversity
7-29-16 English Bulldog health problems prompt cross-breeding call
7-28-16 Fossil tumour is oldest evidence of human cancer discovered yet
7-28-16 Why a parasitic vine can't take a bite out of tomatoes
7-28-16 Human eye spots single photons
7-28-16 Antibiotic resistance: 'Snot wars' study yields new class of drugs
7-28-16 How Houdini tadpoles escape certain death
7-27-16 Old planets always get too hot or cold for life in the end
7-27-16 Teen brain upgrade
7-27-16 You are junk: Why it's not your genes that make you human
7-27-16 CRISPR genome editing could save sight by tweaking DNA
7-27-16 Red wolf may lose endangered status because it's just a hybrid
7-27-16 Distinctions blur between wolf species
7-27-16 X-rays reveal complete dino skeleton
7-27-16 Giant 1.2 metre wide dinosaur footprint discovered in Bolivia
7-27-16 Ice Bucket Challenge funds gene discovery in ALS (MND) research
7-27-16 Hammerhead sharks roll over and swim sideways to save energy
7-27-16 Unprecedented Alzheimer's drug slows disease by 80 per cent
7-26-16 Science News reporters answer your questions about aging
7-26-16 Dutch men revealed as world's tallest
7-25-16 Universal ancestor of all life on Earth was only half alive
7-25-16 Mystery ancient human ancestor found in Australasian family tree
7-25-16 Neanderthal skulls and brains may have developed just like ours
7-25-16 Revealed: the teenage brain upgrades that occur before adulthood
7-25-16 Scans reveal how teenage brain develops
7-25-16 Most powerful obesity gene yet boosts risk by 40 per cent
7-25-16 US and UK fall behind in largest ever global study of height
7-25-16 Ancient air bubbles could revise history of Earth's oxygen
7-22-16 How dinosaurs hopped across an ocean
7-22-16 23andMe's tools for scientists
7-22-16 Alcohol linked to at least seven cancers – not just liver cancer
7-22-16 The surprising benefits of thumb sucking
7-22-16 Red hair raises cancer risk
7-21-16 Evolution of gut bacteria tracks splits in primate species
7-21-16 Yeasts hide in many lichen partnerships
7-21-16 Brain map carves cortex into twice as many areas
7-21-16 Eating each other's faeces helps earwig young survive famine
7-20-16 Boozy primates seek out nectar with the highest alcohol content
7-20-16 Tiny ants move a ton of soil
7-19-16 Swapping analogous genes no problem among species
7-19-16 Herbicide no match for fruit flies' gut microbes
7-19-16 Ancient barley DNA gives insight into crop development
7-18-16 DNA sequencer sent to space station
7-18-16 Obese grandfathers pass on their susceptibility to junk food
7-18-16 No one-fits-all healthy diet exists
7-18-16 'Junk DNA' has value for roundworms
7-15-16 First evidence that GM mosquitoes reduce disease
7-15-16 First farmers had diverse origins, DNA shows
7-15-16 Outdoor learning 'boosts children's development'
7-15-16 Seeing the upside in gene drives' fatal flaw
7-15-16 Kiss of death marks young ant rivals for worker kill squad
7-15-16 Are human still evolving? Growing evidence suggests we are
7-15-16 Scientists warn of 'unsafe' decline in biodiversity
7-14-16 Why do islands give rise to such unusual creatures?
7-14-16 Two groups spread early agriculture
7-14-16 Too much light weakens bones and changes immune system
7-14-16 Why the turtle got its shell
7-14-16 Darwin's discovery: The remarkable history of evolution
7-14-16 The last Neanderthal
7-14-16 Predatory dinosaur had tiny arms like Tyrannosaurus rex
7-13-16 'Three centuries' to catalogue all Amazon tree species
7-13-16 T. rex lookalike suggests that tiny arms developed for a purpose
7-13-16 What animals' life spans can tell us about how people age
7-13-16 The brain's blueprint for aging is set early in life
7-13-16 Still mysterious, aging may prove malleable
7-13-16 A healthy old age may trump immortality
7-13-16 Organisms age in myriad ways — and some might not even bother
7-13-16 Gorillas may have evolved a way to beat a cheating berry plant
7-13-16 The musical harmonies you like depend on where you're from
7-12-16 Hidden red hair gene a skin cancer risk
7-12-16 When bird populations shrink, females fly away
7-12-16 Post-stroke shifts in gut bacteria could cause additional brain injury
7-12-16 What if we could find the 'off-switch' for pain?
7-12-16 Why do we sleep? Naps might free up space for learning more
7-12-16 Silencing 'Spider-Man gene' makes flies stick to walls and die
7-11-16 Soil organisms alone can determine which plants grow where
7-11-16 When mouth microbes pal up, infection ensues
7-11-16 'Cracking the Aging Code' tackles aging from evolutionary perspective
7-9-16 Mystery of 101-year-old master pianist who has dementia
7-8-16 Why granny's only robot will be a sex robot
7-8-16 Evolutionary forces are causing a boom in bad science
7-8-16 Underwater city was built by microbes, not people
7-7-16 Hightailing it out of the water, mudskipper style
7-8-16 Editing human genes
7-8-16 Antibiotic resistance discovered in the guts of ancient mummies
7-8-16 Mutant mice become 'super sniffers'
7-7-16 Sea worm fossil gives clues to 'common ancestor'
7-7-16 Memories of favourite locations have a special place in brain
7-7-16 Three-parent-babies might have health problems in later life
7-6-16 To zip through water, swordfish reduce drag
7-6-16 DNA sequencing turns rivers into ecosystem surveillance systems
7-6-16 Donor mitochondria could influence metabolism, aging
7-5-16 Put the butter knife down and step away from the 'sat fat'
7-5-16 Rafting allowed this sea slug to conquer the world's oceans
7-5-16 New dating suggests younger age for Homo naledi
7-5-16 It's safe to prescribe fewer antibiotics for coughs and colds
7-4-16 Rewarding stimulation boosts immune system
7-1-16 Bacteria 'gardeners' farm algae to harvest when food runs out
7-1-16 First evidence that synaesthesia gives colour to sign language
7-1-16 Gut bacteria spotted eating brain chemicals for the first time
7-1-16 Letting parasites fight could help battle drug resistance, too
Total Page Views
105 Evolution News Articles


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SOURCE: RoboticOncology.com
September 14, 2009 12:56 ET
NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - September 14, 2009) - In light of the economy and rising
unemployment, people are looking to cut costs wherever they can. As the
costs of many surgeries and procedures continue to rise in the US, many are
looking for cheaper alternatives abroad. This big business is known as "medical tourism,"
and often promises healthcare options at a fraction of the cost as in the
United States. However, this is one area where bargain shopping is not
recommended, counsels Dr. David B. Samadi, Chief of Robotics and Minimally
Invasive Surgery at The Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City.
According to a recent article, robotic prostatectomies are now being
performed for the first time in Mexico for less than half of the price in
the United States. To date, thirty successful robotic prostatectomy surgeries have been performed in
the first few months. "The key to true success in robotic prostatectomies
is volume," says Dr. Samadi, who has successfully performed over 2,000 prostate
cancer surgeries in his practices. The other key is experience. But
experience in robotic surgery
is simply not enough. A surgeon must be trained in the traditional open and
laparoscopic surgery as well as robotics. "There is a
chance that the robot could fail, and the surgeon has to switch over to
another modality to complete the operation, and this is only possible with
experience," cautions Samadi.
Medical certification and licensing is not governed in foreign countries as
strictly as the United States. Foreign doctors may be qualified, but it is
vital to look into their credentials and references. This research is
difficult to conduct from afar. The process is further complicated when
dealing with foreign medical associations and regulations, especially when
the medical facilities are privately owned.
Another important factor to consider is what happens if something goes
wrong, and how, if at all, the patient is protected. Medical malpractice
and negligence are extremely difficult to resolve in a foreign country.
Medical tourism patients have very little legal leverage. Even if a patient
is successful in the legal battle, there is no mandate for the physician to
pay the settlement. This is what makes overseas procedures so inexpensive.
A patient's private medical insurance may not apply abroad, and rarely are
financing options available, which are important factors to consider. Even
if the procedures are cheaper than those in the United States as some
providers claim, a patient still has to come up with 100% of the payment
prior to the procedure. Additionally, the patient is also responsible for
their post-surgical care, which often includes a visiting nurse, physical
therapy and lodging, resulting in higher costs. If a problem arises after
surgery, it is often too costly to return to the original surgeon, so
patients have to seek care at home in the US. These visits may require
further treatment, which increases their costs. In the end, the savings may
not be all that substantial, if any.
surgery is a relatively new technology with a steep learning curve, so
it is not offered in many hospitals. And while it is very costly, most
patients have insurance coverage. For those that do not, hospitals, such as
Mount Sinai, work with insurance companies or offer affordable financing
options. "Being concerned with insurance coverage or worrying about how to
pay for treatment should be the last thing on the patient's mind," says Dr.
Samadi, "The priority is quality of life, which means getting the best care
that offers a high cure rate and reduced side effects."
Contact:Dr. David B. Samadi1-888-762-6810www.RoboticOncology.com
See all RSS Newsfeeds
David B. Samadi, MD is the Chief of Robotics and Minimally Invasive Surgery at The Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City. He is one of the very few urologic surgeons in the United States trained in oncology, open, laparoscopic, and robotic surgery. To date, Dr. Samadi has performed over 2,000 robotic prostatectomy procedures, making him one of the most experienced surgeons in the world.
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Another sensless shooting. What can be done to reduce gun violence in the USA?
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Mr Tonka
is probably out riding.
Drives: Something Italian
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Sweatypeninsula
iTrader: (
Originally Posted by
Good points all around. Glad to see this hasn't turned into what seems to be the normal name calling pissing matches that go on here.
I think the culture of our country to ignore mental illnesses plays a large part in all of this (mass killings). We see homeless people and think of them as lazy or unmotivated, but a shockingly high percentage of the homeless population is mentally ill, and that illness has led to their homelessness. But when we see someone that's not what we think.
Another thing I haven't yet seen addressed in this thread so far is the influence of drugs and gangs on gun violence. I keep hearing people (friends on FB and other places) throwing out the 12,000 Americans making it seem like all we do is go around offing each other. How much of that number is related to drugs/gangs? Look at Mexico for instance. Nearly all the violence in that country is purely because of the drug trade. You have the occasional outlier such as the Aurora and Newtown cases, but I'm willing to bet the large portion of gun deaths are related to gangs and drugs.
One other thing to think of relating to that is the fact a portion of the people committing gang and gun violence have already been arrested and served time for crimes in the past and can't legally own a gun. Yet they still find ways to obtain them and commit their crimes.
I think this is the X factor for the US compared to the other countries listed (UK, AUS, etc). The US is the single largest drug market in the entire world and supports a multi-billion dollar industry. These people will do whatever it takes to protect their money and inventory. The UK, Australia and other countries also have drug problems, but not anywhere near the level we have in the US.
One more random food for thought that popped into my head. I know there are some flaws with the numbers because some people own multiple guns, but hear me out. Lets say we use 230,000,000 as the number of guns in the United States that are owned legally (I think MPower gave that number earlier). If we for arguments sake say that each of the 12,000 people killed by guns in the US were killed by a different weapon (so 12,000 weapons used), that means that only 0.004% of the guns in the US are used to commit a crime (assuming all 12,000 deaths are criminal and not accidental). So 99.996% of the gun owners in the US are lawful owners. Why should they be punished for the few who refuse to follow the laws?
According to published stats, it's actually 0.000047 homicides per gun in the states. There are about 45 other countries on the ranking list with a higher rate than the US. However, it's actually less than that because that likely only takes into account the legally purchased guns. I'm quite sure the estimated number of illegal firearms in this country are not included in that figure.
This is a telling interactive map... i can't imagine that it's much different in other major cities.
You can sort by time period, age, gender, race, cause of homicide, etc....
"There is no greater tyranny than that which is perpetrated under the shield of the law and in the name of justice. -Charles de Secondat"
Mr Tonka
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anchorages on Barbuda
There are also anchorages at Low Bay (pic left) on the west of the island where you will see the closed Lighthouse Hotel in front of you. From here you will need to call a boat (sea taxi) to get across the Lagoon into the village or carry your dinghy over the sand. Please note that it is forbidden to use your own dinghy to visit the Frigate bird sanctuary from here.
Some boats also come to River Wharf (pic right) which has recently been improved for mooring but there isn't much space to get in and out here as it is the harbour used by the ferry and by cargo boats, but it is nearer to the village.
A new mooring at Uncle Roddy's has been marked out by buoys to assist those who want to arrive and leave from Coral Group - call him for details.
Contact any of the land or sea taxi operators to meet your boat, they are familiar with the needs of visiting yachts and can carry you to all the essential services quickly. Their prices are set by the Barbuda Council and you can ask to see a copy of these rates if you wish. Most things you need in the way of everyday items can be bought in the village and can be found on the shopping page or on the business page. Although Barbuda can be very expensive as we have to import nearly everything ourselves, we really appreciate your visits to support our shops and services. We ask you to contact the waste disposal experts to get rid of your rubbish if necessary.
Yacht Services
It's a Bit Fishy
Rosalind offers her past experience in five star hotels to visiting Superyachts. Call ahead for assistance with customs/immigration clearance and for concierge services such as VIP airport meet/greet, private plane, helicopter and boat charters, beauty therapy and massage, specialist provisioning such as fresh seafood as well as full set-up for remote beach events. Her husband Arthur, a Barbudan with in depth knowledge of the island offers island water tours, deep sea sports fishing and is also available to assist with technical and mechanical problems onboard. Visa/Mastercard accepted. For more information see their website here or call (268) 783 8073.
Embellish Beauty Therapy
Afiya Frank is a qualified beauty practitioner who trained in the UK. She can visit your yacht or hotel for a wide range of beauty treatments, wedding preparation and other holistic therapies using her natural handmade Barbudan products including seaweed and sea salt scrubs and lotions. Contact Afiya on (268) 734-1410
The ArtCafe in the village opens for lunches and in the evening for pre-booked suppers serving local Barbudan food especially fish and Caribbean cocktails in a pretty candlelit village setting. Ring Claire to choose your menu on (268) 4600434
Thomas and Sons Waste Disposal and Re-cycling
This friendly and efficient service collects annd disposes of all household waste including our local village collection once every week. If you are a visiting yacht or a hotel you can also call for a special collection to come to you anywhere on the island. Gregory and his team will dispose of your rubbish in the right place; do not give your rubbish to other unlicenced collectors as they may not dispose of it properly. And please do not leave your rubbish on the beaches. Call Hilroy Thomas at home on (268) 4600015 or on 770-4967 or 721-1268. Call Greg on 734-2045 or 722-2045 and Ted Thomas on 722-5511.


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Bijou Des Caraibes - Reader Reports & Opinion
Guest Report
Tanya And Nikolai from Trinidad visited in April 2009 and awarded
The place was exactly as described on the various reports. It was like staying at an aunt's home, comfortable, very safe and very clean (I am rather particular about these things). The host Judy was very warm and welcoming. I would recommend this place to anyone looking for a relaxing quiet stay at Tobago. It's a few minutes from the beach so you need a car.
Guest Report
Kerri & Rae from Trinidad visited in April 2009 and awarded
Our accommodation made the trip well worth it. We found our room clean and prepared for our stay. The surroundings are quite peaceful and our host, Judy, was a warm person, who didn't mind a little small talk with us. The views all around added the relaxing ambience and made us wish we were staying another 5 days or more.
We'll definitely be visiting again!!!
Guest Report
The Bundies Family from U.S.A. visited in March 2009 and awarded
Our family of four are very experienced Caribbean travelers. We stay away from the resorts, and find joy in renting from local families. We want to experience the island. My wife was sold on Bijou Des Caraibes after reading the glowing reviews, not only of the accommodations, but of the lovely hosts, Judy and Ivonne. Though our expectations were high, our hosts far exceeded them.
Even though we had never met, from the moment we met Judy at the airport (which she temporarily skipped out of an evening of dancing with her husband to make sure she was there to greet us) it was as if we were old friends. Usually Judy takes guests to the bank to exchange money to local currency, and to the grocery store, but due to our late Saturday arrival, Judy instead stocked our refrigerator and forwarded us enough local currency to last us until Monday when the banks reopened. We didn't want to miss Sunday School in Bucoo! She arranged for our rental car, which arrived early the next morning. We didn't have to worry about anything.
We stayed in the two bedroom apartment. The accommodations were very clean and homey. The grounds were beautiful and well kept, and the pool came in very handy for end of the day dips. Our daughter loved that there was wi-fi in the apartment, as well as by the pool. There was maid service every day.
However, our hosts made the experience extraordinary. Judy was there to take care of anything that was needed. It seemed like her sole purpose was to make sure her guests had a wonderful time. My wife took lovely sunrise walks with her and two other guests every morning. When we had an unfortunate incident with our rental vehicle, she loaned us her car for the afternoon, rather than having us lose valuable beach time. She even organized a trip to a gorgeous remote beach, that we would have have otherwise missed, for us and all of the other guests. It was a trip to remember!
The island of Tobago ranks high on our list of favorite islands. It is beautiful and the people are friendly. We can't wait to go back, especially to stay with our new old friends.
Guest Report
Linda And Jeff Benson from U.S.A. visited in January 2009 and awarded
Even with 4 adults in the 2 bedroom apartment, we were comfortable and well supplied with all the towels and equipment needed for a wonderful week of relaxation. The rooms and furnishings were simple but very clean. Judy and family provided exceptional service including airport transportation, grocery shopping, car rental attainment, daily room service, island resource information, and friendly smiles and conversations everyday. The pool was wonderful and the gardens beautiful. The yard and apartments were safe and secured with gates, and even though we had heard that crime had increased on the island, we never felt threatened or afraid at the apartment (or anywhere on the island). If you would like a vacation rental unit with 5 star service on a 2 star budget, this is the place for you. We would strongly recommend this place to others, especially after seeing some other accommodations on the island, and hope to return again in the future.
Guest Report
Sally And Tim Gregg from Canada visited in January 2009 and awarded
We booked into Bijou des Caraibes for 3 weeks and we stayed for 10 weeks. That says it all!!!
Judy Gemmet, the proprietor, herself, is truly the Bijou des Caraibes (jewel of the Caribbean)! She goes to the extreme to make her guests stay a memorable one. This is clearly evident from the number of repeat guests that return year after year. She drives them to and from the airport, the car rental, grocery store and even rescues them when they are caught in a torrential downpour while out for a walk. She organizes barbeques and get togethers for the guests, never with any pressure to participate. Everyones privacy is respected. Her entire family makes the guests feel very welcome.
The 4 self-catering apartments are located on the lower level of the house and are basic, but very bright, comfortable and clean. All the kitchen essentials are provided and a gas barbeque is available for the use of all guests. Over the 10 weeks we stayed in the 2 bedroom and the 1 bedroom apartments and found the king size beds very comfortable. The rooms were cleaned daily, with fresh towels daily and linens changed regularly. There was A/C in the bedrooms, although we did not use it. Fans were also supplied. Laundry services were available for a small charge.
The staff went out of their way for us..... Sheron who kept our rooms clean and answered our endless questions about life in Tobago, Joseph who kept the gardens immaculate and Alicia whose laugh was like background music, all contributed to the wonderful ambiance. Any requests or problems were dealt with immediately by Judy.
The gardens are beautifully kept, the colourful bougainvillia and tropical plants surrounding the property provide complete privacy. The property is very secure with locking gates and alarm systems in place. Each apartment is also outfitted with a security alarm, but we never felt unsafe in Tobago.
The swimming pool is kept in tip top shape by Judys husband Yvon and poolside there are comfortable chairs, loungers and umbrellas for shade.
Bijou des Caraibes is perfectly located, close to beaches (a 15 minute walk), a short drive to grocery stores, fruit and vegetable stands and bakeries. Fish can be purchased every afternoon from the fishermen at Mount Irvine beach. There is a golf course a 5 minute walk down the road and for those wanting a bit of exercise there are many places to walk around the neighbourhood.Swimming and snorkeling are available at the local beaches.
Judy provides a cell phone for her guests which is very useful for those of us from foreign countries.
There is no shortage of places to explore and things to do in Tobago and one can drive around the island in a day. There are a number of good restaurants closeby. The Tobago people are very friendly and the culture has not been spoiled by tourism as on so many other Caribbean islands.
The temperature from January to April was in the high 20s or low 30's and very comfortable. Although February this year was unusually overcast and wet, we did not find it a problem.
The photos on this website are a little out of date the growth around the house and garden is much more impressive now as the plants have grown quite a bit from the time of these photos. The rooms have an updated decor with brighter colours.
We would highly recommend the Bijou des Caraibes for a short or long stay. It has reasonable prices and over-the-top personal attention. We have been utterly spoiled now and I can't imagine staying anywhere else. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay and plan to return next winter and hope to meet up with some of the other "repeat guests". We have to keep trying new rum punch recipes until we get it just right!!
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Hello, everyone. Here is a quick update.
- My running is okay. I'm now officially tapering. Whatever the hell that means.
- No major media appearances or killer meetings, this week, despite the fact that I am in NYC. I am doing it wrong!
- It's Lance Haun's birthday and he doesn't want you to feel obligated to wish him a happy birthday. Do it, anyway. A birthday is a chance to tell someone that you're happy they were born.
I am happy this guy was born.
(My god. Time flies.)
Hope everyone has a great week. Stay warm, stay safe and make good choices.


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Since 1869, Moneta Group has been committed to acting as advocates for their clients. That commitment, combined with a depth and breadth of services and expertise, attracted the interest of businesses desiring the same independent advice that Moneta Group advisors provided to affluent families and individuals.
Through the creation of Moneta Institutional Consulting, our firm now offers a much needed service to the business community, providing customized, fiduciary advice and managing more than 250 retirement plans with more than $3 billion in assets.
Over the years, Institutional Consulting has become a significant, core part of Moneta's business. In fact, the firm was recently named to PlanAdviser's Top 100 Retirement Plan Adviser's list, providing affirmation of the firm's dedication to excellence and customer service.


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The Cypriot chicken and the EU hen house
Are you getting bored with back-of-a-fag-packet calculations as to how much the recapitalisation of the Spanish banking system really is going to cost or how many seats who is going to win in the Greek elections on Sunday? Trust me, you are not alone.
I was chewing on a slice of toast this morning when I caught myself skipping any article in the paper which did not have either a Hellene or a Hispanic flavour. What a sad state of affairs.
When in doubt, I normally turn to my friend Alex Moffatt of J Palmer & Sons who writes a daily commentary out of Melbourne and for whom the glass is always either half full or completely full, bless him. However, in the process I found some notes which have been sent to me by a lady in Frankfurt who, many years ago as Sue Abbott and in her guise as a portfolio manager at DWS, used to scare the living daylights out of overenthusiastic and thrusting young bond salesmen. However, now long retired and a mother of two teen-aged boys, she still tracks events in the markets with great interest.
For those who feel that its larger neighbour, Greece, has flouted the rules, look again. Just one of many examples is how it has treated its national carrier, Cyprus Airways.
The notes in question refer to Cyprus. While Moody's downgraded Spain's sovereign debt rating to Baa3 from A3 yesterday, it also took Cyprus' rating to the wood-shed too and cut it from Ba1 to Ba3. Now, the probability of you holding any exposure to Cyprus is pretty slim and under normal circumstances it's not the sort of thing which would attract broad attention at all. However, might now not be the case, for in sixteen days' time Cyprus assumes the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU.
Many may know the story of how Jeffrey Archer was expelled from his position as a member of the British House of Commons for declaring bankruptcy, only to write a novel based on his failed business venture, and ending up worth a small fortune for being a leading provider of airport books. Well, a bankrupt might not be permitted to sit in Parliament but it evidently doesn't prevent one from leading the European Union. And what leadership it is about to show.
For those who feel that its larger neighbour, Greece, has flouted the rules, look again. Just one of many examples is how it has treated its national carrier, Cyprus Airways. Direct government subsidies to airlines are not permitted so, in 2010, the administration stuffed €20m into the loss-making airline's piggy bank and called it compensation for the flight ban it suffers over Turkey airspace. Did Brussels care?
Russian recap
There has been a number of €1.8bn circling which is what the recap of Cyprus' banks is supposed to cost – the PIIGS definition has always been short of a "C" – but what is less frequently brought up is that it has already accepted a €2.5bn loan from Russia. For a country which is about to preside over the EU and with a total GDP of a mere €17.8bn, that's not exactly chicken-feed.
Set against that GDP number the estimated loan volume of €23bn which the Cyprus Popular Bank and the Bank of Cyprus have outstanding to mainland Greek borrowers between them and you see that when it comes to dog's dinners, tiny Cyprus makes both Greece and Spain look good. Given that JP Morgan's annual net income, maybe even after a few minor upsets in its hedging strategies, still exceeds Cyprus' total GDP, it is understandable that it doesn't command too many headlines in the press.
The discreet €2.5bn which came from Moscow came without visible strings attached. Likely story. Natural gas has been found off the Cyprus coast and the guess is that where there is gas, oil can't be far away. And where there is oil, there are all manner of geopolitical fandangos to be expected as part of the package.
President Cristofias is decidedly a communist which will make for lots of fun at a time when US/Russian relations are under severe strain over their respective roles in the Syrian civil war. It can't be much more than 150km from Larnaca to the Syrian coast, a fact of which Secretary of State Clinton will probably be significantly more aware than the navel-gazing Eurocrats but certainly no less than the Putin administration.
Meanwhile, Cristofias can sit there smiling while the people of Cyprus continue to wonder where the funds came from to tidy up the centre of Nicosia in preparation for the impending Presidency. At least the expected EU bail-out team won't need to be looking for pot-holes anywhere other than in the national accounts.
Apropos, Syria - strife in the Middle East must be expected to have some impact on oil prices, so hang on to your hats. However, the recent decline was seen reflected yesterday in the US PPI figure which dropped 1.0% MoM in May. Brent has now decisively broken down below US$100 pbb, closing at US$96.94. The softness in the Euro has it trading at €77.32 pbb which is going on 20% lower than as recently as March.
Has anyone noticed that at the pumps yet?


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Hi Everyone, I do hope that you enjoy your Sunday? Today i'll share a layout with you, that i created with the super beautiful papers of Maja Design 'Summer Crush'. You can find the whole collection here ||click|| It's also my Designteam Day for Southern Ridge and i've used their Chipboard Piece Ballon VEH-597. I just decorated it with a bit of lace.
I've used several Designpaper and a doily. and some Embellishments.
Thanks for stopping by today. Enjoy the rest of the weekend!


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All participants in adventure trips coordinated and led by the FSU Outdoor Pursuits program are subject to the following policies and procedures.
Where and How to Register
Current FSU students, faculty, staff, and non-students who have previously taken an OP trip, can register immediately by signing into Rec Connect with their FSU login. Go to Programs, then select the Outdoor Pursuits category to show the list of OP trips. Once you login to Rec Connect (upper right of screen), students will see discounted pricing with each trip. You can sign-up and pay immediately in Rec Connect.
Non-students who are first-time OP participants should sign-up for a Rec Connect account to register online. Account creation is a two-step process in which you must confirm the account from an email sent after you sign-up. Once you have an account, you can register online in Rec Connect.
Payment is due at registration. Cash, check payable to FSU, or credit/debit card are accepted at the FSU Reservation for in-person registrations.
Cancellations & Related Fees
There are NO refunds. If the trip is cancelled by Outdoor Pursuits, you have a medical excuse note from a doctor, or we can sell your spot.we can offer you a credit for use on future OP trip, Please note: There is a cancellation fee of 20% to cover paperwork costs should you cancel your spot, even if it is filled. If a student who receives a "free" spot on a trip must cancel his/her registration, they must do so at least 48 hours before trip departure to avoid being assessed a $10 cancellation fee.
Drug, Alcohol and Firearms Policy
ALL OP PROGRAMS ARE DRUG, ALCOHOL and Firearms FREE. Alcohol, drugs and firearms can make the backcountry into a very dangerous place. You put not only yourself at risk, but also other trip participants and leaders. Participants will be asked to sign a Drug and Alcohol Policy Consent Form upon trip registration.
Transportation is provided for all participants on an Outdoor Pursuits trip to and from FSU campus.
Pre-Trip Meetings
For most trips, we hold a short pre-trip meeting to cover everything that will happen with your program. It gives us a chance to meet the group, go over expectations, and gives you the opportunity to get involved with some of the planning and ask questions. You are required to attend the pre-trip meeting. Meal planning, equipment fitting and other timely information is covered, so don't miss it.
All staff is trained in First Aid and CPR. The cost of any rescue or treatment beyond first aid will be borne by the participant. Outdoor Pursuits is not responsible for lost, stolen, or damaged personal equipment.


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Defense Computers:
SSG Needs to Sustain Year 2000 Progress
AIMD-97-120R: Published: Aug 19, 1997. Publicly Released: Aug 19, 1997.
Additional Materials:
- Full Report:
(202) 512-4841
Office of Public Affairs
(202) 512-4800
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed: (1) the status of the Standard Systems Group's (SSG) efforts to correct the Year 2000 computer problems in the Air Force's standard systems; and (2) whether SSG can ensure that standard systems under its responsibility are compliant in time to process year 2000 data.
GAO noted that: (1) SSG managers have recognized the importance of solving the Year 2000 problem and that failure to implement successful solutions could seriously impact the Air Force's support mission; (2) to its credit, SSG convened the Year 2000 Working Group in September 1995 to examine the Year 2000 problem and to develop a plan for managing it; (3) from that effort, SSG set forth a strategy that is compatible with the Air Force's five-phased methodology, which has been adopted by the Department of Defense (DOD); (4) the steps included in this methodology are also consistent with GAO's structured approach for planning, managing, and evaluating Year 2000 programs; (5) in addition, SSG established its Year 2000 Project Office in February 1996, developed a management-level Year 2000 strategy, and completed the Year 2000 Project Management Plan to guide the effort; (6) SSG has demonstrated that it is capable of realistically planning and managing large information systems conversions, such as the Year 2000 resolution, through its successful implementation of an effective methodology for developing, maintaining, and supporting standard systems; (7) while SSG has progressed considerably toward addressing the Year 2000 problem, GAO determined that it must further emphasize management and oversight of system interfaces to ensure successful implementation of Year 2000 compliant systems throughout its user community; (8) a number of SSG systems must use standard interface message formats to exchange data that are defined by external entities not under SSG control; (9) some of these message formats had not been finalized by the organizations responsible for their definition; (10) recently, SSG Year 2000 Project Office officials began addressing the interface issue; and (11) if effectively implemented by the project office, this effort should be a positive step toward preventing loss of operational capabilities between SSG's internal and external systems' interface message formats at the year 2000.
Jul 18, 2018
Civil Penalties:Certain Federal Agencies Need to Improve Inflation Adjustment ReportingGAO-18-519: Published: Jul 18, 2018. Publicly Released: Jul 18, 2018.
Jul 17, 2018
- Government Auditing Standards 2018 Revision (Supersedes GAO-12-331G)GAO-18-568G: Published: Jul 17, 2018. Publicly Released: Jul 17, 2018.
Jul 16, 2018
Management Report:Continued Improvements Needed in Controls over the Processes Used to Prepare the U.S. Consolidated Financial StatementsGAO-18-540: Published: Jul 16, 2018. Publicly Released: Jul 16, 2018.
Jun 28, 2018
Capitol Preservation Fund:Audit of Fiscal Years 2015, 2016, and 2017 TransactionsGAO-18-524R: Published: Jun 28, 2018. Publicly Released: Jun 28, 2018.
Senate Preservation Fund:Audit of Fiscal Years 2015, 2016, and 2017 TransactionsGAO-18-525R: Published: Jun 28, 2018. Publicly Released: Jun 28, 2018.
May 31, 2018
Improper Payments:Actions and Guidance Could Help Address Issues and Inconsistencies in Estimation ProcessesGAO-18-377: Published: May 31, 2018. Publicly Released: May 31, 2018.
May 24, 2018
Congressional Award Foundation:Review of the Audit of the Financial Statements for Fiscal Year 2017GAO-18-465R: Published: May 24, 2018. Publicly Released: May 24, 2018.
May 10, 2018
DOD Financial Management:The Navy Needs to Improve Internal Control over Its BuildingsGAO-18-289: Published: May 10, 2018. Publicly Released: May 10, 2018.
Apr 17, 2018
Management Report:Improvements Needed in the Bureau of the Fiscal Service's Information System ControlsGAO-18-332R: Published: Apr 17, 2018. Publicly Released: Apr 17, 2018.
Apr 5, 2018
Management Report:Areas for Improvement in the Federal Reserve Banks' Information System ControlsGAO-18-334R: Published: Apr 5, 2018. Publicly Released: Apr 5, 2018.
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Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Ho Ho Congee & Noodle - Do You Fake It? - DoF Cheats
Are you a dedicated food paparazzi?
Do you always carry your giant DSLR around when dining out?
I must confess that I am not. The DSLR is too lazy to lug around to work along with my 1000001 items stuffed into my purse every day. I don't welcome the additional kilo of luggage.
Plus, I don't always document my meals, unless there's something special, i.e:
- It is not what I've been eating the same damn shit over and over for one month straight
- The meal is especially yummy
- The meal sucked big time, it is worth mentioning
- I haven't blogged about the said yummility/disastrous meal
However, I always carry my humble little point and shoot (Canon IXUS 870IS), just in case I desperately needed to document something. It works mighty fine. Most importantly, it has a magical slimming effect when I take pictures of my daily outfit (yes, I am that narcissistic!).
But taking photographs of food? Well, although it's nice...but it's not amazing.
Here comes another dirty little secret...
I like faking it.
Faking waa...t?
Oh, relax, sous chef.
I like faking the blurry effect of what we can get with DSLR camera to create Depth of Field, using an easy photoshop trick.
Please bear in mind that I am by no means a photoshop expert, nor an expert in photography....just sharin', okie? ^_*
1. Open the file in Photoshop (I am using Adobe Photoshop CS3)
2. Sharpen it.
If it looks too sharp/too harsh/too oily/too shiny, simply undo it.
3. Select blur tool
4. Select brush size, mode (normal/lighten/darken) and strength (100%)
5....and blur the heck outta that background.
Blur the parts which aren't supposed to be the star (focus) of the photograph.
There are other ways to blur it even more, but since I am to lazy to select parts, I chose this method.
Shaking my mouse vigorously to get a more blurry effect is (hopefully) a good exercise for my wrist.
Hehe *idiotic giggle*
6. Save the edited photograph
...and that's it!
Of course, you can pair this dummy trick with other photoshop magic tricks such as adjusting the lighting, colors, removing my eyebags or even adding Rob Pattinson as my dinner date ...we'll get into some of that next time, okie?
Now the food...what did I do to increase my dress size that night?
Jar Jeong Hor Fun (Spicy Meat Sauce on Rice Noodles)
This dish is normally served with egg noodles, but I love rice noodles. The sauce is a little on the sweet side, not exactly my favorite jar jeong noodle, but it's nothing that can't be fixed with a dash of soy sauce.
Beef Cake Steamed Rice with Egg
Imagine what you can do with that bowl of raw egg...(go all the way, this is not a PG-13 blog hehe)
Pour it over the beef rice...
Mix it nice...
Pour soy sauce on top...again, the soy sauce served with this rice is a little too sweet. Needed to add a regular soy sauce.
Ah! I remembered to save an original copy (the "before" version) of the above edited photo.
A bit dark and gloomy, don't you think? You can still see sous chef's striped shirt pretty clearly here.
Fragrant and springy beef cake...with satiny smooth, creamy egg...and a dash of soy....
I was kinda jealous of sous chef's order.
Now, don't we always want a combination of textures?
We need something crunchy!
These deep fried wontons with a mayo dip were just what we needed.
...and of course I had to fool myself that I eat somehow healthily, by ordering a side of veggie.
The water spinach with preserved beancurd sauce was again...a little too sweet.
Anyway, all in all, it was a good dinner. I'd go back for the beef cake steamed rice and fried wontons for sure.
One good thing about eating in a mall is....I could buy a dress one size bigger right after dinner.
Ho Ho Congee & Noodle
Metroplaza, Kwai Fong (Kwai Fong MTR Station Exit E), 3rd floor
Tel: 2487 7668
10 comments:
HAHAH :P nice nice! BUt you should get a dslr! It is so much fun ^^!
and ommg raw egg with beef mmmmm haven't had that in the longest time!! I wannttt!
Oh and the raw egg can be used in t a P... hmm better not say eh :P
- August 12, 2009 at 10:19 PM
- daphne said...
oo.. the raw egg in beef looks amazing- never try it before but I bet it is tasty with the sauce too.
- August 12, 2009 at 10:42 PM
- KennyT said...
OMIGOD, I don't have a DSLR, but I want one.... Pls teach me how to use PhotoShop lah, I want beautiful photos!!! I'll buy you dinner in return, haha.
- August 13, 2009 at 2:10 AM
- Little Corner of Mine said...
The food look good but why everything seem to be on the sweet side? I don't dare to eat raw egg, perhaps it's the U.S thing. In U.S, people are advice not to consume raw egg.
- August 13, 2009 at 2:55 AM
- EatTravelEat said...
Hahaha...I try to do that too with all the blurring and sharpening but with so many photos I don't do them for all the photos.
Plus I only have my point and shoot and this is a way to make those photos look better.
- August 13, 2009 at 5:31 AM
- Fitri said...
yeaaaah.. I love your clothes's picture ^_^ anyway, that makes me wonder, how come with all the food you ate, you still skinny bitch qiiqiiq...
- August 13, 2009 at 5:45 AM
- Mochachocolata Rita said...
FFichiban, i do have a dslr, but too lazy to carry it around every day hehehe...ohhh please continue what you said about raw egg...hehehe
daph, some steamed rice/claypot rice here use sliced beef instead of beef cake, with raw eggs = super delicious!
kenny...buy la...please buy canon so we can exchange lens hehehe...
no problems with teaching you photoshop, although, learning from me, i guarantee that you'll be totally misled and messed up hahaha
locm, oh...even in mousse? we're afraid too...but sometimes can't help it...hehe
ETE yes, it is rather time consuming when there are too many pictures...but i think it's worth the while hehe
fitriiii i just look thinner in pictures (i dont know why...the real person is extra large)
- August 13, 2009 at 9:35 AM
- Indonesia-Eats said...
I love using Adobe Lightroom, too bad in this laptop I don't have it. Taken the picture use RAW file not Jpeg
- August 13, 2009 at 10:02 AM
- pigpigscorner said...
The noodles and rice look amazing! Same here, I usually only bring my little camera out, dslr for special meals =)
- August 13, 2009 at 3:59 PM
- Sachi's Kitchen said...
I love your "fake it" tips. I've just gotten into photography, so this is perfect! :)
- August 21, 2009 at 1:39 AM


text:
Inserts for the Gesima Seasonby ToddPeperkorn ~ January 30th, 2017
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HistoricLectionary.com has been in existence for many years. We have tried to provide resources, sermons, propers, and other information that is of benefit to churches and pastors who are using the historic one-year lectionary of the Western Church.
It has, however, been somewhat dormant for the last few years. Since my move to California five years ago, my ability and time to commit to this web site has gone down, and I don't see this changing anytime soon. It also costs some money to maintain. Not a lot, but enough so that I know it's happening.
So I have come to the conclusion that I need to bequeath HL to someone else.
If you are interesting in taking over management, maintaining donations, finding and helping editors, etc., please contact me.
There is huge potential here, and we have a good "brand" at this point that seems a shame to lose because of my lack of time.
Thanks to all of our loyal readers over the past 7-8 years or so! I look forward to the next chapter, and can't wait to see what happens yet.
Message me either through the contact sheet on HL or through Facebook or Twitter, and we can talk.
All the best,
Todd Peperkorn
Editor, Historiclectionary.com
Sermon on Acts 2:1-13 and St. John 14:23-31
Pentecost Day
+ Jesu Juva +
We have just sung in Martin Luther's Pentecost hymn, "Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord! Be all Thy graces now outpoured!" God's graces are richly poured out on us this day, for there are three major angles on Pentecost in the Sacred Scriptures. Pentecost is the harvest festival in Leviticus, the time that Israel counted fifty (pentecoste) days after the sickle was first put to the grain and enjoyed a harvest festival to the Lord. In later Jewish tradition, Pentecost celebrated the giving of the Law on Mt. Sinai, when God first made a people for Himself. In the NT, Pentecost is the day the Holy Spirit came upon the Apostles in special measure, sending their sound out into all lands and their words into the ends of the world. This morning, we will explore all three aspects of Pentecost: the harvest of souls, the giving of the law, and the coming of the Holy Spirit.
Pentecost is the harvest festival. We read in Leviticus that Pentecost was also called the Feast of Weeks, for it was celebrated seven weeks after the beginning of the harvest. You do the math: seven days x seven weeks = 49 days, plus one for the great day of salvation = 50 days, the number of jubilee and freedom in the OT. And so the Lord commanded Israel to bring from their homes an offering from the harvest–bread, lambs, drink, and a sacrificial goat. The priest waved the offering before the Lord and proclaimed a holy convocation for Israel, a Sabbath day on which no work should be done. Pentecost was proclaimed "a statute forever in all your dwellings throughout your generations," for "I am the Lord your God" (Lev 23:15-22). If you're thinking that this sounds a little like our Thanksgiving, you're absolutely right. Pentecost, the Feast of Weeks and the festival of harvest, said that the Lord gave Israel her manna, her daily bread. It said that the Lord who created them would "richly and daily provided all that [they needed] for this body and life," as Martin Luther puts it. It acknowledged the Lord God as the Lord of the harvest and it looked forward to the greater harvest of believers in Christ.
In the NT, Pentecost is the harvest of souls. Fifty days after the sickle was put to the grain; fifty days after Jesus was hung on a cross; fifty days after the promised Seed had been buried in the ground and sprouted to life the third day, there was a harvest of souls for Christ. Jesus said, "Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain" (Jn 12:24). And so Jesus, the seed of Israel, was crucified, dead, and buried as the promised seed; yet He rose to life on the third day and promised a mighty harvest to come. Today's second lesson from Acts tells us about the beginning of that harvest. "Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven." You heard the roll call of tongue-twisting names: Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and many more. The word "ecumenical" comes from a Greek word that means the entire inhabited world, and that's exactly what God had gathered in Jerusalem on the most important Pentecost of them all. Each one heard the Gospel in his own language, the good news of Jesus' death and resurrection, and the call to repent and be baptized. "And about three thousand souls were added to them" (Acts 2:41) and "they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers" (Acts 2:42).
So it is for us. The harvest festival of the OT and its fulfillment in Acts 2 has never ended. It continues in our midst to this very day. Every gathering of the faithful to give thanks to God for all His benefits; every sermon of full-strength law and full-strength gospel; and every baptism is the continuation of Pentecost. God calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies His baptismal family throughout the world, and He devotes us to His doctrine and fellowship, to His Blessed Sacrament and His prayers. As we have just sung:
Lord, by the brightness of Thy light / Thou in the faith dost men unite
Of ev'ry land and ev'ry tongue; This to Thy praise, O Lord, our God, be sung.– TLH 224.1
Pentecost is the festival of the giving of the Law. In later Jewish tradition, Pentecost was celebrated seven weeks to the day after the Passover Sabbath, to celebrate the giving of the Law at Mt. Sinai, where God made a people for Himself. Recall from Exodus that in the third month after Israel left Egypt, they came to the wilderness of Sinai. And what's the first thing that God did for His people after the exodus? He gave them His Law and made them His own. And so Moses went up to God on Mt. Sinai to receive the commandments of the Lord. God said, "Now, therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people . . . a kingdom of priests and a holy nation" (Ex 19:5-6). And on the third day, the day of new life, thunder and lightning and clouds covered the people as Moses stood at the foot of the mountain to receive the Law of the Lord. "And God spoke all these words, saying, 'I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before me'" (Ex 20:1-2). You know the rest of the story – the blood of the atonement sprinkled on the people, the extended commentary on the Law in Deuteronomy (literally the "Second Law"), and the fulfillment of the Law in Christ.
In the NT, Peter gave full-strength Law to the Pentecost pilgrims. Fifty days after the great Passover of our Lord; fifty days after the Lamb of God was killed and eaten; fifty days after Jesus rose to life on the third day, the Law was preached through St. Peter to work repentance in the hearts of the Pentecost pilgrims. Just after today's Epistle, Peter gave his famous Pentecost sermon, which has lost none of its weight because the truth never changes. I invite you to read all of Acts 2 this week. Peter said, "Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words." After quoting selected passages from the OT and preaching their fulfillment in the death and resurrection of the Messiah, Peter cut to the heart: "Let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ" (Acts 2:36). Yes, the Messiah you rejected; the preacher and miracle worker whom you tried to stone; the bloody, beaten, unsightly criminal on the cross whom you thought was dead and gone, He has risen from the dead, ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God as both Lord and Christ. Therefore, "Repent, and let everyone one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins" (Acts 2:38). And, crushed under the weight of the Law, many believed and were baptized.
So it is for you and me. Pentecost reminds us on the fiftieth day after Jesus rose on the third day that God has given the Law to us for our good. As Moses received the Law on the third day after the Lord promised it, and as many were crushed to repentance when Jesus rose on the third day, so we receive the Law of God because it is good for us. We meditate on the Ten Commandments to prepare ourselves for confession. We hear the Law read aloud in Scripture lessons and preached in sermons. And it's all for the sake of the gospel of full and free forgiveness in Christ. For we know what's coming to the repentant: forgiveness of sins, rescue from death and the devil, and eternal salvation for all who believe. Again, from Martin Luther's Pentecost hymn:
From ev'ry error keep us free; Let none but Christ our Master be
That we in living faith abide, In Him, our Lord, with all our might confide. — TLH 224.2
Pentecost is the festival of the coming of the Holy Spirit. Today's OT lesson from Joel predicts the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. After promising the restoration of Israel and a new kingdom under the Messiah, the Lord spoke through the prophet Joel, saying, "I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh." Moreover, "Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men see visions. Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit." To be sure, the Holy Spirit was alive and well in the OT. He was present at creation in Genesis 1–2, hovering over the waters and keeping the creation in check. He was present every time the Word of God was spoken, delivering the Word to the ears of the faithful and creating repentance and faith. But Joel promised the Holy Spirit in abundance, especially in the days after Jesus' ascension, when His disciples would not be able to see Jesus with their eyes. In that day, in the day that Jesus sends the Holy Spirit, there will be wonders in heaven and on earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke, the sun turned to darkness and the moon to blood, all in preparation for the day of the final judgment.
In the NT, Jesus promises and delivers the Holy Spirit in full measure. In today's Gospel lesson, Jesus says, "The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you." About fifty days after this promise of the Spirit; fifty days after the Spirit proclaimed the resurrection through the voice of the angels; fifty days after Jesus rose from the dead in the power of the Spirit, "suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a might rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting." The wind said that the Spirit was alive and active, powerful enough to crush you in repentance and resurrect you to new life in Christ. "And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each of them." The tongues meant that these Apostles would preach the word with their mouths. The fire proclaimed that their word was also alive and well, working repentance and creating faith. "And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance." It was no human effort to "grow the church" that day. Rather, it was the work of the Holy Spirit, blowing mightily through Jerusalem to tell everyone the good news that God was for them in Christ.
So it is for us. To be sure, there is no command in Acts to try to repeat the details of this Pentecost. There is no need to look for a literal wind, visible tongues of fire, or the gift of speaking in tongues. The original grammar of the NT makes it quite clear that these details were given one time, not to be duplicated. But the theology of this event – the Spirit working through the preached Word in every language – continues to this day. Pentecost carries on every time we hear the good news that Christ, the One crucified for crimes He never committed, is our Lord and Savior. It happens every time the preacher invites the unbaptized to baptism and the baptized to the Lord's Supper; through the translation, distribution, and study of Bibles, catechisms, and hymnals in every language; in bilingual services, even those that require patience and charity among those who are not used to them; in short, Pentecost carries on every time someone hears in their native language the mighty works of God in Christ. Once more from Martin Luther's Pentecost hymn:
Thou holy Fire, Comfort true, Grant us the will Thy work to do
And in Thy service to abide; Let trials turn us not aside. — TLH 224.3
Well, as we said at the beginning, Pentecost is a day of all God's graces being poured out on the faithful: the harvest of souls, the giving of the Law, and the coming of the Holy Spirit. It's all fulfilled "on each believer's mind and heart" this day in Christ as He gathers His church from the ends of the earth, preaches His Word through the mouths of His pastors, and gives us the Holy Spirit to teach us all things and bring to our remembrance all that Jesus has said. And so this day we pray, "Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful people, and kindle in them the fire of your love" (Antiphon). INJ. Amen.
Rev. Brian Hamer
Redeemer Lutheran Church
Bayside, NY
In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit
There are actually three miracles in today's Gospel. The first is the healing of the leper. The second is the healing of the centurion's servant. The third and greatest miracle is the faith of these two men, especially the centurion. Even Jesus was astonished at this Gentile's faith. If Jesus Himself is astonished at the centurion's faith, then this must be a miracle and worth contemplating. True faith in Jesus Christ is a divine miracle.
First, let's consider the leper. He had little opportunity to hear and learn God's Word because of his leprosy. He was excluded from the community because of his disease. Perhaps he heard the Word as a youth, but as he grew older and leprosy contaminated his flesh he was not able to hear the Word with family or with neighbors. Maybe he had only heard our Lord's Sermon on the Mount, which concluded in Matthew chapter seven. At any rate, this leper truly believed Jesus could and would make him clean from leprosy. The leper believed Jesus is God and Messiah. This is a miracle – a miracle of faith.
The centurion had even greater obstacles to faith. He was a Gentile, a soldier, and lived in Capernaum, a very wicked city. Jesus says about Capernaum in Matthew chapter 11: will you be exalted to heaven? You will be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. Even with three strikes against him, this centurion has great faith, so great that Jesus cannot help but be astonished about it. The centurion believes Jesus can help where no other man can help, for his servant was sick unto death. Doctors gave up on him, but he believes Jesus is able to do what doctors cannot do.
What is more, the centurion adds these words to his request: Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. This is truly remarkable faith! No wonder Jesus was astonished. The centurion believes Jesus does not need to be present in order to heal his servant. This is as much a divine miracle as the healing itself.
Consider these words from the author of the epistle to the Hebrews: Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Faith has to do with nothing but unseen divine things, yet faith is certainly irrefutable. You have by nature a heart that is set apart from God and all heavenly things, a heart that is full of unbelief, hatred of God, pride, self-righteousness, blindness, and folly, Though you recognize yourself as an accursed sinner before God, you, like the centurion, embrace God as your dear Father with confidence because of the merit of Jesus Christ's blood and righteousness. Jesus is your Savior just as He is the Savior of the centurion and the leper. That is as much a miracle as the two healings in today's Gospel.
Though faith has to do with unseen divine things, it is worked through means: the seemingly inconspicuous Biblical Word, the Gospel of a crucified Christ. Saint Paul says in 1 Corinthians chapter two: The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. No wonder so many wise men of the world laugh at Holy Scripture. They want to master the Word rather than let the Word master them. Faith is also worked through the easily despised means of Baptism, Absolution, and the Lord's Supper. Every baptism, every word of absolution, every time you eat and drink Christ's true Body and true Blood, is a miracle. Consider an infant baptism. It is amazing that a little child comes to faith through baptismal water. That little child has the kingdom of heaven, just as Jesus says: Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.
Consider also the effect of faith on the leper and the centurion. The leper came to Him and knelt before Him, saying, "Lord, if you will, you can make me clean." The leper completely submits to God's will. He is ready to suffer patiently for a while longer if that is the Lord's will. That last part about patiently suffering is something we often forget as Christians. God's will may be for you to endure an affliction patiently for a while in order to humble you. He also may be trying to teach you patience under the cross. Whatever the reason, we still pray that difficult, yet comforting petition, Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
The centurion is not used to humbling himself before anyone. Usually it is the other way around. He tells Jesus, I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, "Go," and he goes, and to another, "Come," and he comes, and to my servant, "Do this," and he does it. The centurion does not have to be kind to the people of Capernaum. He is a Roman soldier. He could have nothing to do with them. Yet the centurion does care for his slave as other Gentiles perhaps would not. Consider also in Luke's account of today's Gospel that some Jewish elders came to our Lord to ask Him to heal the centurion's servant. The reason why is that [the centurion] is worthy to have you do this for him, for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue. Whoever heard of a Gentile showing such love to Jews? We do here. This centurion puts all of us to shame.
Faith brings a change of heart. We see this in all the good things the centurion does for the people of Capernaum. Martin Luther saw the unbroken connection between faith and good works in his preface to Paul's Epistle to the Romans. Faith is a living, daring confidence on God's grace, so sure and certain that a man would stake his life on it a thousand times. This confidence in God's grace and knowledge of it makes men glad, bold, and happy in dealing with God and all His creatures; and this is the work of the Holy Ghost in faith. Hence a man is ready and glad, without compulsion, to do good to everyone, to serve everyone, to suffer everything, in love and praise to God, who has shown him this grace; and thus it is impossible to separate works from faith, quite as impossible as to separate heat and light from fire. Beware, therefore, of your own false notions and of the idle talkers, who would be wise enough to make decisions about faith and good works, and yet are the greatest fools. Pray God to work faith in you; else you will remain forever without faith, whatever you think or do.
True faith in Jesus Christ is a divine miracle. Only God can work such faith in His Gifts. This faith then shows itself with love toward both God and men. Though we are not worthy of this gift, we receive it in hearing and keeping His Word in preaching. We receive what the Word bestows: forgiveness of sins and eternal life. These are greater gifts than healing from leprosy or sickness unto death. Healing from earthly illness is the icing on the cake. We have everlasting healing of our soul because of Jesus' death and resurrection. Believe it for His sake.
In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit
In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit
Psalm 107 says, He sent out his word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction. Our problem with that verse is that God's time and our time are not the same. If there is something that is difficult for us in times of tribulation, it is when we seek help and can't find it. There are times when help is absent just longer than we want it. These are the times when true faith shows itself. True faith waits patiently for the Lord's time.
We are impatient with God. We murmur and blaspheme Him when He's tardy with help…or never seems to show up with help. This doesn't mean that we should never ask the Lord to hurry up. Daniel once prayed to God, O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. O Lord, pay attention and act. Delay not, for your own sake, O my God, because your city and your people are called by your name. What is not true faith is when we put time constraints on God or, worse yet, stop asking for His help. Patient endurance is a characteristic of true faith in Jesus Christ. He lets us sweat it for a while in order that we rejoice in His merciful goodness when He answers prayer. The delay of divine help is an exercise of faith in Christ.
Our Lord's first miracle at the wedding in Cana gives clear evidence for divine delayed gratification. The lack of wine at the wedding is a picture of all of our distresses, all our days of suffering, the tests and temptations that come over us. Our Lord's answer to all these ills is My hour has not yet come.
Perhaps the first thing we think when our Lord delays help is that He will not help or that He could not help. Maybe we think that His loving hand that always remains open to us has now closed into a fist. Worse yet, perhaps His love for us has cooled.
Not so. Consider how Jesus deals with His mother. We've been taught, and rightly so, that it is improper to talk back to your mother. Jesus seems to talk back to Mary when He tells her, Woman, what does this have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come. Jesus is putting her faith to the test here. Jesus wants to see whether she believes that her Son is also God and Lord. Is Mary willing to put aside her motherly privilege and take instruction from her Son? The answer is yes.
Are you willing to take instruction from Jesus when He delays His help? In happy days, being a good Christian seems easy. After all, we have a faith that can move mountains even if faith is as small as a mustard seed. Jesus Himself says so. Then God puts a cross on us. When we beg for help, Jesus suddenly seems to be deaf. When we bear our crosses and ask Jesus for help, then the rubber hits the road, so to speak, when it comes to patient waiting. This is what separates heroes of the faith from fair-weather Christians.
Mary casts off all signs of being a fair-weather believer in her Son. She tells the servants, Do whatever He tells you. She knows He will help, but only in His hour and not her hour. What seems to be a setback for Mary actually helps her to realize her unworthiness. The same thing happens to us when help is delayed. We seem only to ask God for something when we need it. When we ask, and what we ask for doesn't appear right away, we perhaps notice that God owes us nothing. Nevertheless we ask, for Jesus wants us to ask. He tells His disciples in Luke chapter 11, Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.
The most striking proof of strengthened faith in divine delay is the fact that His disciples believed in Him after Jesus changed water into wine. Before this moment they believed, but their faith was a smoldering wick. Now that they saw that He desires to help, but only in His time, their faith is strong. So it is today with us. Our faith in Jesus wanes when it seems that He won't help. But when that help comes, even when that help is not exactly what we asked, what joy we have in believing!
Notice again what Mary tells Jesus: They have no wine. She makes her request, but she doesn't dictate anything to Him. Mary gives her Son a free hand. We also give the Lord a free hand. We make our requests known to Him, but we let the way, time, and hour of His help to His discretion. We are unafraid to ask for what we desire because we believe Jesus hears us and will answer us. King David says in Psalm 27, You have said, "Seek my face." My heart says to you, "Your face, LORD, do I seek." Even when Jesus does not answer right away, we wait with patience for His answer. He promises to hear. He promises to help, even when crosses burden us with suffering and pain.
Consider Mary again when Jesus seems to sass her. She doesn't slap Him. She doesn't reprimand Him in front of the wedding guests. She doesn't grumble when Jesus tells her to wait. She embodies Solomon's proverb: Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life. All of us have seen this play out in our lives. We have our own hopes that we lay before the Lord in prayer. We would like to see those hopes come true soon. But nothing happens, at least the way we see it. When our desires are fulfilled, we give thanks to God for His never-ending mercy. We also believe that we can return to Him in prayer at any time to ask again.
The prophet Isaiah says, In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength. When divine delay occurs, do not despair. Listen again to King David in Psalm 27: Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD! Simeon waited for the Lord many years, and His patience was rewarded as God kept His promise to Simeon. He would not die before seeing the Lord's Christ.
At Cana it happened with the miracle of water into wine. At Golgotha it happened with the shedding of blood. At Joseph of Arimathea's tomb it happened with Christ bursting from His three-day prison. In bread and wine and Word we eat the modern-day miracle of Christ's Body and Blood given and shed for the forgiveness of sins. In water and Word we are united to Christ's death and life while our sins are washed clean. Faith is gloriously crowned on those who wait for His response to our prayers. While we wait for His next appearance, we cling to the words of Psalm 66: Come and see what God has done: he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man.
In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit