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It was a very short distance from the farm to the kitchen to the table when Heirloom Fire and Magdalena Events collaborated with Mill River Farm to host "An Evening in the Country" dinner on Saturday, July 30th in the Berkshires in Western Massachusetts.
Chef Jim Gop, founder of Heirloom Fire, brought his skillets, caldrons, and Argentine-style gear for the mid-summer asador feast. Mill River Farm supplied their own organic eggs and poultry; five potters from the region provided bowls and dishes; and event planner Magdalena Mieczkowska coordinated and styled the event with unique props to complete the overall vibe of the evening.
Cooking Old World style over open flames. Heirloom Fire and Magdalena Events hosted "An Evening in the Country" dinner at Mill River Farm in the Berkshires.
The prep kitchen overlooked the hills of the southern end of Berkshire County.
Gop grew up in the Berkshires and opened his Heirloom Fire catering business in 2015. As a chef, blacksmith, and knife maker, he's involved with all aspects of building the equipment.
Heat above and below -- vegetables cooking on the Infiernillo outdoor grill.
Mill River Farm hosted the dinner. They are a certified organic farm whose eggs and poultry were incorporated into the menu.
The costumes of the crew added to the vintage vibe.
Cocktails, wine, an array of pickles, cheeses, and charcuterie awaited guests atop the farm.
The cocktails used some local hooch by Berkshire Mountain Distillers.
Jim Gop pickled vegetables and made charcuterie to pair with the cocktails.
Heirloom Fire partnered with a collective of potters from the northern Berkshires and southern Vermont to bring a unique beauty to the evening.
Unpredictable New England weather meant making contingency plans for rain.
Every detail was overseen by chef Jim Gop and event planner Magdalena Mieczkowska.
Jim made charcuterie from a rooster raised on the farm.
The cured rooster was served with a Mill River Farm egg in a basket, shitake mushrooms, a pile of salt, and a hearty bread.
A field salad with beets and Cricket Creek Farm cheese served on plates made by potters from Williamstown, MA.
Rotating chickens are grilled in a Hearth Basket. "We use it for several items and it is essentially the heart (and hearth) of our kitchen," says Gop.
Roasted organic chickens from Mill River Farm ready for carving.
Stirring Einkorn wheat berry risotto on the fire.
Gop served the risotto with heirloom zucchini and cherry tomatoes, "Einkorn is considered to be the oldest variety of wheat. It has been found in Egyptian tombs and has never been hybridized."
Rye shortbread was baked in a fire-roasted oven and served with ricotta panna cotta, honey brittle, and dry milk. The hook tool was specifically created by Jim to move hot pans and slide the hot trays.
Sharing the bounty at communal tables means conversations with old and new friends.
Photo Credit: ©Find. Eat. Drink.
FED 24- Hour Berkshires Guides
The Berkshires FED Features
Explore the north end of the Berkshires with this guide from chef Sandy Smith of Gramercy Bistro, located on the MASS MoCA campus in North Adams.
Where to eat, drink, and souvenir shop while you're leaf peeping in the Hudson Valley, the Catskills, and the Berkshires.
Whether it's for a cold custard treat, a juicy burger, or a lobster roll, pull over to the side of the road for these six authentic American food stands that chefs love.
An Old World style dinner in the country where the farm, the kitchen, and the table are all within feet of each other.
Chefs, bartenders, and wine pros lead you to their favorite picnic spots in the Berkshires and help you with ideas for locally-made provisions.
Founder Jim Denevan matched Lila Berle's farm with chef Brian Alberg for this year's Outstanding in the Field outdoor dinner event in the Berkshires.


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Who was Saint Paul?
16-08-2015, 08:50 PM (This post was last modified: 16-08-2015 08:57 PM by Mark Fulton.)
RE: Who was Saint Paul?
(16-08-2015 08:26 PM)Free Wrote:(16-08-2015 08:17 PM)Mark Fulton Wrote: I hear you and am digesting what you say.
"Today he's a Jew, and tomorrow a Gentile. Next week the stupid bastard will probably be a fucking Mormon."
Haha. You have the same attitude about Paul as I.
I can't stand his guts, he was just so full of shit. Of course, that is my modern perspective, yet it is legitimate. Look what he's done to someone like Alla. Turned her into a mindless sheep bleating about some book. It makes the humanitarian in me angry. I actually care about people like Alla (provided they are not too loud)
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16-08-2015, 09:05 PM (This post was last modified: 16-08-2015 09:18 PM by Free.)
RE: Who was Saint Paul?
(16-08-2015 08:50 PM)Mark Fulton Wrote:(16-08-2015 08:26 PM)Free Wrote: You are right there, Mark.
I can understand your view of Alla, and in some respects I share it.
Alla is simply a believer who has made a choice to believe. She will hold to those beliefs because she also believes those beliefs make her a better person.
Sure, we can see all the logical fallacies, and all the problems with her beliefs from a logical and reasonable perspective. But from reading her posts, where she is stating beliefs, she is acting in the true conduct of a devoted Christian, and we should expect no less.
Her position is that she simply believes, and that to her our position regarding fallacies et al, cannot apply to her system of faith. While she has faith to convince her, nothing we can say or do will change it, nor can it change it.
Arguing against faith with reason is like the unstoppable force hitting an immovable object. It really is rather silly.
The only one that can change Alla, is Alla. And the only way that will ever happen is if she learns to not be emotional in her beliefs. Emotions + religion = indoctrination. The more emotive people are, the more indoctrinated they become.
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16-08-2015, 09:22 PM (This post was last modified: 17-08-2015 02:12 AM by Mark Fulton.)
RE: Who was Saint Paul?
Here is my second chapter on Paul. I think it's a little easier to read.
Saint Paul's Letters
Paul's writings have had a huge influence on the ethics of the western world.
Paul's narrow-minded perspective of how people should behave was driven, in part, by his austere sense of propriety. If it is accepted that Paul was a government propagandist, he was also trying to promote subservience and peace.
Paul tried to control most aspects of people's lives. Christians today are told to consider his instructions as God's words, yet it can be argued his ideas cause much more harm than good. The following explains why.
Paul the Misogynist
Paul was blatantly sexist. He, or someone writing in his name, wrote:
"For the man is not of the woman: but the woman of the man. Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man." (1 Corinthians 11:8–9 KJV.)
"Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord." (Colossians 3:18 KJV.)
"Wives should regard their husbands as they regard the Lord, since as Christ is head of the Church and saves the whole body, so is a husband the head of his wife; and as the Church submits to Christ, so should wives to their husbands, in everything" (Eph. 5:22–25, NJB.)
It gets worse.
"Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience as also saith the law. And if they will learn anything, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church." (1 Corinthians 14:34-5, KJV.)
"Similarly, I direct that women are to wear suitable clothes and to be dressed quietly and modestly, without braided hair or gold and jewelry or expensive clothes; their adornment is to do the sort of good works that are proper for women who profess to be religious. During instruction, a woman should be quiet and respectful. I am not giv- ing permission for a woman to teach or to tell a man what to do. A woman ought not to speak, because Adam was formed first and Eve afterwards, and it was not Adam who was led astray but the woman who was led astray and fell into sin. Nevertheless, she will be saved by childbearing, provided she lives a modest life and is constant in faith and love and holiness" (1 Tim. 2:9–15, NJB.)
The creator of Christian theology (and those who wrote in his name) presented women as though they were made as playthings, who were to submit to men, who ought to remain silent unless spoken to, and whose opinions were not important. Women were not to make themselves look attractive. Women were evil because they had sinned first. The best way women could save their wicked selves from going to hell was to shut up, accept their second-class status and bear their husband's children!
Some commentators make excuses for Paul, such as Paul's non sexist comments written elsewhere, or that Paul lived in a sexist society, or that Paul had some female friends with whom he got on well, or that the passages need to be read "in context." However it remains obvious Paul clearly disliked assertive women and feminine sensuality, that he thought women were intellectually inferior, and that they were to be regarded as their husband's property.
Paul's writings are read out in Churches today. Young boys and girls hear them in a context in which they are revered, and that is unacceptable in an egalitarian society.
Today's Christians have all been influenced by this misogynistic rhetoric. One of the reasons Churches have been so successful over the centuries is that they degrade and hold back women - half their congregation! Churches have traditionally refused women a leadership role, encouraged pregnancy and discouraged women from entering the workforce or getting more than a basic education. There is more to this than Paul's injunctions.
When women become educated, or bread winners, the whole family is empowered. Statistically speaking, the more learned and affluent people become, the less likely they are to go to Church (at least outside the United States.) The empowerment of women throughout much of Europe over the last fifty years has meant a marked rise in standards of living and a sharp fall in Church attendance. That is not good for Church businesses, which may be the main reason why feminism is usually frowned upon in Church.
Churches today clearly have a problem with the writings on women attributed to Paul, yet no amount of tortuous reinterpretation can hide the truth, and that is that Paul's misogynistic message has no place in a modern society.
Paul the Homophobe
The following are some of Paul's references to homosexuality:
"Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders... will inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Cor. 6:9–10, NIV.)
"Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error" (Rom. 1:26–27, NIV.)
( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oYkMrVrE8Q )
Over the centuries many western societies have been poisoned by an intolerance of homosexuality, and Paul's patter is partly to blame. Paul's teachings on this topic ought to be seen as outmoded by modern Christians.
Churches today follow Paul's example by presuming they have the right to dictate to people about personal issues such as sexuality and same sex relationships and marriage. It can be argued that they should mind their own business.
Paul on Sex and Marriage
Paul appears to have loathed his own sexuality:
"The fact is, I know of nothing good living in me—living, that is, in my unspiritual self—for though the will to do what is good is in me, the performance is not, with the result that instead of doing good the things I want to do, I carry out the sinful things I do not want. When I act against my will, then, it is not my true self doing it, but sin which lives in me...I can see my body follows a different law that battles against the law which my reason dictates...What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body doomed to death" (Rom. 7:18–24, NJB.)
( http://www.askwhy.co.uk/questioningbelief/005Homosexuality.php
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQf5jL3a4...N1sjdLQIj8 )
Poor, pathetic Paul! Deluded with puritanical piffle, Paul was repulsed by his own libido and was probably miserable as a result. Paul was most likely a suppressed, toxic little man, ill at ease with himself.
It is no surprise Paul was celibate:
"I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, it is good for them if they abide even as I. But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn" (1 Cor. 7:8–9, KJV.)
To be single was quite unusual for a Pharisee, as they were expected to marry. Paul may have had difficulty finding a woman willing to live with him. Or he may have been homosexual, yet ashamed to be, so he lived "in the closet." Whatever the case, Paul quite clearly had a neurosis about sex:
"For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live" (Rom. 8:6–13, KJV.)
"He wants you to keep away from fornication and each one of you to know how to use the body that belongs to him in a way that is holy and honorable, not giving away to selfish lust like the pagans who do not know God, He wants nobody at all to ever sin by taking advantage of a brother in these matters; the Lord always punishes sins of that sort, as we told you before and assured you. We have been called by God to be holy, not to be immoral" (1 Thess. 4:3–7, NJB.)
"Yes, it is a good thing for a man not to touch a woman. But since sex is always a danger, let each man have his own wife and each woman her own husband. The husband must give his wife what she has the right to expect, and so too the wife to the husband. The wife has no rights over her own body; it is the husband who has them. In the same way, the husband has no rights over his body; the wife has them. Do not refuse each other except by mutual consent, and then only for an agreed time, to leave yourselves free for prayer; then come together again in case Satan should take advantage of your weakness to tempt you" (1 Cor. 7:1–6, NJB.)
Commentary is almost superfluous. Paul thought sex was distasteful, an annoying but necessary nuisance, like going to the toilet. He ordered people to get it over with quickly, so they could get on with praying. Paul thought people got married to legitimize relieving an embarrassing urge; that a spouse served a similar function to a convenient toilet.
Where did Paul get this sour, jaundiced perspective? He may have been sexually abused as a child, or had erectile difficulties, or been disgusted by his own attraction towards men, or been brainwashed with Platonic ideas about base bodily functions. Paul may have genuinely thought the end of the world was imminent, so it was better to not reproduce. None of these reasons excuse his unhealthy attitude.
Perhaps Paul was perturbed that the public found sex way more interesting than his spiritual profundities, so he tried to put limits on people doing, and even thinking, about it.
This negativity about sex was, in part, related to the original sin idea, the one that helped Christians feel bad about being born. As it turned out this self-hatred has been a masterstroke for the Church. Paul identified a natural human instinct and turned in into something negative so the controlling hands of the Church could use it for their own benefit.
If Paul was a government agent, he was trying to subdue the Jews by grinding away at people's zest for life, their self-esteem and their sense of autonomy. What better way than by making people feel sinful, dirty and inherently flawed? Paul was a clever, yet nasty man.
Consider the psychological damage caused by guilt about sex inflicted on millions of innocent people through their Christian upbringings. All youngsters explore their sexuality; yet the child or adolescent is told that such behaviors—even thoughts—are sins! The consequence is unnecessary guilt and shame. The psychology here was probably worked out centuries ago. The Church's agenda is to get people to dislike themselves. When an ego is wounded, a person is easier to control. Jesus, pure, sinless and sexless, comes to the rescue, sins are forgiven, and the Church has conned another customer. The punter is "saved" from a problem he or she never had in the first place.
Sex should be a special, natural, wholesome, and beautiful part of life. Guilt about the most natural instincts is a filthy stain that is hard to wash out of people's minds once it has taken root. Shame on Churches for promoting this as the word of God!
Paul the Totalitarian
It is worth noting that Paul wrote to a Jewish community in Rome and encouraged them to be servile to the Roman government:
"Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. For the one in authority is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God's servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience. This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing. Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor." (Romans 13:1-10 NIV.)
No other passages highlight Paul's affiliation with the Romans with such transparency. Any suggestion that Paul was writing only as a spiritual leader can be questioned after reading this.
Paul, who was a Roman citizen and probably a government agent, claimed that to obey the powers that be was to obey God. The way he worded this passage legitimized any governing authority, which turned it into a false, gross generalization. Throughout the centuries this manifesto has been used to justify the behavior of governments, monarchs, popes, and other dictators.
This passage is so ironic, since Yeshua tried to derail the government. Imagine what Jesus would have thought of this as the authorities inflicted "punishment on the wrongdoer" by nailing him to a cross! Paul was not acting as Yeshua's successor.
Paul Supported Slavery
Paul's theme of passive acceptance of personal station continue in his writings on slavery:
"Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters" (Col. 3:22–23 NIV.)
Whoever penned "Paul's" letter to Timothy wrote:
"All slaves 'under the yoke' must have unqualified respect for their masters, so that the name of God and our teaching are not brought into disrepute. Slaves whose masters are believers are not to think any the less of them because they are brothers; on the contrary, they should serve them all the better, since those who have the benefit of their services are believers and dear to God." (1 Tim. 6:1–3, NJB.)
Paul obviously wanted to keep the common people subservient.
In common with most first century commentators, it did not occur to Paul that slavery was morally repugnant. Paul gave his game away here. He was working for a totalitarian regime, and his injunctions about God were nothing more than the state's way of imposing control over people.
Roman rule often bought significant benefits to native populations, although most of the Jews never saw it that way. So if Paul was working for the Romans, and was attempting to get the people to obey Rome, albeit through covert means, he was probably doing the people he was inducting a favor. So perhaps painting Paul as a charlatan because he was working for the Romans is, in one sense, a simplistic view.
Paul the Anti-Semite
Paul criticized "the Jews"
"For you, my brothers, have been like the churches of God in Christ Jesus which are in Judaea, in suffering the same treatment from your own countrymen as they have suffered from the Jews, the people who put the Lord Jesus to death, and the prophets too. And now they have been persecuting us, and acting in a way that cannot please God and makes them the enemies of the whole human race, because they are hindering us from preaching to the pagans and trying to save them" (1 Thess. 2:14–16 JB.)
Once again, Paul sounds like a Roman government employee. He was astonishingly critical of "the Jews," accusing them of murdering Jesus. Paul was attempting to defame the Jews among the people, a tactic serving the Roman government's purpose, which was to marginalize militant Jews. It is interesting to realize that he was probably referring to the Nazarenes, the very people who were Yeshua's true disciples. Paul was complicit in damning an entire nation and an ancient religion. His words have left a legacy of hatred towards the Jews.
Christianity has always been at loggerheads with Judaism. Churches say Jesus was the Messiah as promised to the Jewish nation in Scripture. Jews, Jesus' own people, say he most definitely was not. There is no common ground in the argument. Paul's condemnation of the Jews put the first fuel in the fire.
Paul and the Last Supper
Paul had almost nothing to say about Jesus the person. There is, however, one notable exception, (although it may be an interpolation) and that is when, in Paul's first letter to the Corinthians, the author claimed that he knew what Jesus said on the night he was betrayed. In this letter, Paul had just finished lecturing women on what they should wear and what to do with their hair, when he turned to instructing the community on when to eat and drink. Paul then introduced a story about Jesus at the Last Supper, in an attempt to get the Corinthians to eat their meals together, and Paul even went so far as to claim to quote Jesus:
"For this is what I received from the Lord, and in turn passed on to you: that on the same night he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread, and thanked God for it and broke it, and he said, 'This is my body, which is for you; do this as a memorial of me.' In the same way he took the cup after supper, and said, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Whenever you drink it, do this as a memorial of me.' Until the Lord comes, therefore, every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are proclaiming his death, and so anyone who eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will be behaving unworthily toward the body and blood of the Lord. Everyone is to recollect himself before eating this bread and drinking this cup; because a person who eats and drinks without recognizing the Body is eating and drinking his own condemnation. In fact that is why many of you are weak and ill and some of you have died. If only we recollected ourselves, we should not be punished like that. But when the Lord does punish us like that, it is to correct us and stop us from being condemned with the world. So to sum up, my dear brothers, when you meet for the Meal, wait for one another" (1 Cor. 11:23–34, NJB.)
If Paul actually wrote this, he was attempting to change some of the social habits of the community, perhaps to foster unity between different classes of people who finished work at different times, and he invented a weak story about the Lord to do it. What is surprising is that Paul acknowledged that a flesh-and-blood person (the Lord Jesus) ate and drank with others - nowhere else do any of the genuine Pauline letters discuss what Jesus supposedly said, which is why I suspect this passage was an interpolation.
There are four compelling reasons why this story cannot be historical.
No sane person would predict his own impending death as part of a covenant with his god/father. Yeshua would have had no intention of dying, and most definitely not as a sacrifice to save sinners.
Yeshua was Jewish, as were his disciples, and they obeyed the Torah. To them, eating human flesh or drinking blood, even in a symbolic sense, would have broken the strict kosher dietary rules. Even today Jews still insist on draining blood from slaughtered animals before consumption, as written in scriptures, (Lev. 7:26–27, 17:10–14) and will only eat the meat from animals that chew cud and have cloven hooves. (Lev. 11:3, Deut. 14:6.) Yeshua and his followers would have been repulsed by the thought of anyone drinking his blood or eating his body.
This Last Supper scene was not something new. It was probably borrowed from Mithraism, a religion that had existed for two thou- sand years before Jesus, and with which Paul was familiar. Mithraic initiates believed that by eating a bull's flesh and drinking its blood they would be born again. This was also supposed to give physical strength. Yeshua would not have copied these concepts from a competing cult. Paul, or one of his interpolators, probably made this whole scenario up to mimic a popular pagan practice.
Lastly, Paul never met the Lord Jesus, so was not qualified to quote him.
The synoptic Gospels have similar verses, probably inspired by Paul's letter. The reenactment of this scenario is part of some modern Christian services in which bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ, either literally or metaphorically, yet it has no truthful basis.
Christianity blends guilt, dependence and ceremony. The ritual that Paul discusses here brings people together to do something. Communion commemorates the sacrifice of a man dying because you are a sinner. By participating in the event, people are repeatedly reminded they are flawed and need Christ and the Church to be redeemed. That promotes power; and priests and preachers know it.
A Complex Character
Paul, who was probably a Roman government agent, weaved together and fabricated a new, less objectionable religion than Judaism. It undermined the pugnacious Jews, and filled the void with a tolerable alternative that the Romans could work with. What Paul and his few co-workers achieved turned out to be huge! In this he turned out to be one of the world's most influential leaders ever.
Given that so many of today's Christians place Paul and his writings on a pedestal, it is pertinent to address the topic of Paul's personality and his agenda.
Paul countered the anti-Gentile racism of the Old Testament by embracing compliant Gentiles, although wrote some very racist anti-Semitic comments of his own.
On a personal level, Paul had hardly any redeeming qualities, but contemptible people can at times be charming. In 1 Corinthians 13, he wrote some nice prose about love, and elsewhere paid lip service to the virtues of forgiveness, humility, gentleness, compassion, and kindness. Yet it can be argued all this was nothing more than one side of his passive aggressive personality. His teachings elsewhere, and his own example, promoted the exact opposite.
( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTTwSJK_XMI
http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/False Religions/Roman Catholicism/ rcc14-transubstantiation.htm )
Paul's affectionate side was only shown to people who did exactly as they were told. Others were outside his control and a threat to his authority. He could not fathom that, and rambled on why they were so wrong and he was so right. He was a scheming, manipulative man, and I doubt he ever displayed unqualified gentleness, humility or tolerance.
He used an inordinate amount of ink writing about himself, his opinions, and his relationships with others, yet it is probable his real agenda was not once clearly admitted. Paul never admitted whom he was working for, or where his personal ambitions lay, as that would have revealed the real reasons he was so damn obsessed with preaching to people.
It is probable Paul was mildly mentally unwell. He was anxious, obsessive, insecure, a touch paranoid, quite delusional, introspective and egocentric. Paul was never quite at ease with himself, nor comfortable in a world he could not totally control. Paul was probably pretty miserable, and there was no good treatment to be had in those days. He insisted on telling others how to live their lives, yet it was he who needed the help! Paul would have been a difficult patient. A therapist would try to stop him talking, get him to put his feet up, and suggest he try just listening to the wind and birds. Paul was probably too immersed in his own delusions to follow anyone else's advice. Paul would corner the counselor and lecture her about Christ or some other rationalization of his current obsession. There would be no peaceful moments in Paul's presence.
Paul had no idea his writings would be picked to pieces by millions of people. He may have been more careful about the things he wrote if he had known how famous he would become and what a wide audience he was writing to.
The government had good reason to suppress messianic Judaism in the 50's and 60's. There may have been many "Pauls," public servants selling subservience and watered down Judaism, but their letters have not survived. So Paul was probably only one of the early "movers and shakers" of what eventually became Christianity, albeit a highly imaginative and important one. Paul's writings resurfaced only in the early second century when they emerged from obscurity, so he is a far larger figure today than he was in his own time.
Paul does not have a strong image promoted by today's Churches. Perhaps it is too hard to concoct an attractive account out of such a complex, neurotic character. Churches only need one idol, and their manufactured depiction of Jesus fits the bill nicely.
Christian folklore ignores Paul's faults, his probable political affiliations and his illegitimate authority. Paul is considered a Christian, but he would be perplexed by today's Christianity with its Gospels, its thousands of denominations, ecclesiastical hierarchies, materialism, and almost complete separation from Judaism. Paul would, however, recognize a fair bit of his own theology.
Summary of Paul
"That Saint Paul...He's the one who makes all the trouble." (Ernest Hemingway)
It is hard to feel any warmth for Paul, or to like most of his messages.
Paul had an incessant self-righteous manner. His ideas were irritatingly convoluted and many of his ethics depraved. Paul deliberately distorted the Nazarenes' beliefs with his own. He was a man intent on manipulating people and shoring up his own status, and all this is very unattractive.
To put Paul's Christology in perspective, it is important to first consider his complete lack of credentials. Paul's self-proclaimed legitimacy rested solely on his claim that God had revealed everything to him, an extremely weak argument. History's pages are littered with charismatic cult leaders who have thought, or pretended, that God talked to them; Joseph Smith, David Koresh, and Jimmy Swaggart are examples. Men like these have usually studied scripture in their youth, and then got power hungry. They start their own sect, and try to lord over everyone in it, usually by promising people an exclusive ticket to heaven and bad-mouthing all outsiders, which is precisely what Paul did. It turned out Paul helped create a rather large cult.
Paul's "good news" defines today's Christianity. Paul claimed Christ was the Son of God crucified by the Jews as a sacrifice for humanity's sins, and it was imperative to have faith in this scheme to get into heaven. These odd, unprecedented ideas were unknown to John the Baptist and Yeshua, and must have been repugnant to James, Peter, the other disciples, and to all true Jews. These novel notions were nothing more than a contrived spiel designed to be attractive and easy to sell to non-Jews.
Paul may have met James and Peter, but thought they had
"...nothing to add to the good news I preach."
That throws immediate doubt on Paul's legitimacy, as they were Yeshua's close associates. James and Peter were Messianic Jews who Paul knew opposed Roman rule, so Paul berated their beliefs and promoted his own.
Paul was cunning, opportunistic, and manipulative, and cleverly tailored all his innovative arguments to suit whichever community he was writing to. He invented long-winded waffling tales about his own credibility, God, heaven, Christ, Jews, and Gentiles, and these tales are inconsistent and usually do not make much sense. Paul's dictates are laden with appalling prejudices. He was overtly misogynistic, homophobic, and had a neurotic loathing of sexuality. Paul thought he was an authority on the status of women, what to wear, when to eat, sex, whom to keep company with, the role of government...and the list goes on. Today's preachers promote these pathetic prejudices to justify their own.
Paul knew nothing of a Jesus born to a virgin, the preacher who could cater for a crowd with a few loaves and fishes, command graves to open, cast out devils, walk on water, or cure leprosy. Paul never met Yeshua, or described him. Paul teaches us more about Jesus by what he does not say than what he does. Paul's writings, penned before the Gospels, indirectly prove that the Gospels are mainly mythical.
Paul's Christ figure was probably something else, a son of God who has since been retrofitted into the Gospel stories, probably sometime in the second century. The few passages that suggest Paul's Christ was once a living person are probably interpolations. If that is right, that shoots another arrow straight through the heart of Christianity's legitimacy.
(http://xroads.virginia.edu/~hyper/hns/mo...smith.html http://www.ulc.org/training-education/gu...ty/15-the-
Paul was heavily influenced by the Gentile world, and was probably a government agent employed to undermine and report on problematic Jews, a job he took very seriously. He was so preoccupied with plugging propaganda he probably believed his own spiel. Paul's post gave him power, prestige, and a platform to preach his bigoted ethics, and that was attractive to a man who was probably otherwise a social misfit. He was too obsessive in promoting his prejudices, which must have been obvious to most who met him. If Paul had lived in modern times, he would be given a gold watch for his years in the public service, put on a pension, and the whole office would be glad to see his back.
Paul's ideas became important when they were promoted by some second century Christians. These Christians had to jettison the archaic Judaic law to make the new religion popular with Gentiles, and Paul's ideas justified just that. This was why the author of Acts invented stories about Paul to bolster his legitimacy.
There was no such thing as a New Testament in Paul's time, so he could not possibly have presumed his own scribbling had the same status as Scripture, yet Paul's awful ethics and bizarre theology are still promoted today as the God given truth to people in pews. Those people should be more critical of the self styled apostle to the Gentiles.
Sadly, the real, material issue surrounding Paul's manipulation is that it was effective. Its inclusion into the New Testament, its impact on countless generations of individuals who have had their perceptions of nature and acceptance of their own humanity corrupted, is disturbing. What is just as unfortunate is that Churches have successfully used Paul's messages in exactly the same way the Romans originally intended, and that was to create a docile, humbled, guilt ridden people.
Cupitt, D. 1979 "The Debate About Christ". SCM Press Limited. London
Murphy-O'Connor, J. 1996 "Paul A Critical Life". Oxford University Press. Oxford.
Schonfield, H. 1977 "The Passover Plot". Futura Publications. London
Schonfield, H. 1969 "Those Incredible Christians". Bantam. New York.
Stourton, E. 1994 "Paul Of Tarsus". Hodder and Stoughton. London.
Tabor, J. 2006 "The Jesus Dynasty". Harper Collins. London. Cresswell, Peter 2010 "Jesus the Terrorist" O books, Winchester,
http://ia700301.us.archive.org/33/items/PhilipA. HarlandPodcast1.4_PaulandthefollowersofJesusatCorinth_part1_0/ Podcast1.4PaulandtheCorinthianspart1Harland_vbr.mp3
http://ia700502.us.archive.org/8/items/P...odcast1.5_ PaulandthefollowersofJesusatCorinth_part2_1/Podcast1.5Paulandt heCorinthianspart2Harland.mp3
http://ia700300.us.archive.org/1/items/P...AndTheFoll owersOfJesusAtCorinthPart3/Podcast1.6paulAndTheCorinthianspa rt3harland.mp3
http://ia600406.us.archive.org/0/items/P...ndTheSitua tionInGalatiaseriesPaulAndHis/Podcast1.7PaulandtheGalatianspart 1Harland.mp3
http://ia600407.us.archive.org/11/items/...sResponseT oTheGalatiansseriesPaulAndHisCommunities/Podcast1.8Paulandt heGalatianspart2Harland.mp3
http://ia600306.us.archive.org/18/items/Podcast1.10Paul sResponseToTheRomansseriesPaulAndHisCommunities/ Podcast1.10PaulsresponsetoJesus-followersatRomeHarland
http://ia700306.us.archive.org/18/items/Podcast1.10Paul sResponseToTheRomansseriesPaulAndHisCommunities/ Podcast1.10PaulsresponsetoJesus-followersatRomeHarland.mp3
http://ia600309.us.archive.org/19/items/ Podcast1.11LegaciesOfPaul-WomensLeadershipPart1/ Podcast1.11LegaciesofPaul-WomenandLeadershippart1.mp3
http://www.philipharland.com/Blog/2009/08/30/ series-1–paul-and-his-communities-podcast-collection/
http://msa.evansville.edu/PagesForNonMuslims/Dialogue/ JEROME2.htm
http://www.sullivan-county.com/id2/paul_problem.htm http://www.sullivan-county.com/news/paul/paul.htm http://jesuspuzzle.humanists.net/supp06.htm
http://jesuspuzzle.humanists.net/supp08.htm http://paulproblem.faithweb.com/paul_odd...acts15.htm http://feeds.feedburner.com/feedburner/APRP http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-h5L1Js9e...re=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZzka7wwH60 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IcVyvg2Qlo
RE: Who was Saint Paul?
Like everything else in the Bible, Paul's 'writings' are merely his own subjective experiences. People following Christianity and changing their lives over one misogynist's opinions of life and how it should be lived. lol Glad I left that cult a while ago.
Be true to yourself.
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RE: Who was Saint Paul?
(16-08-2015 09:05 PM)Free Wrote:(16-08-2015 08:50 PM)Mark Fulton Wrote: "Today he's a Jew, and tomorrow a Gentile. Next week the stupid bastard will probably be a fucking Mormon."
Bear in mind there are scores of "Allas" reading this, possibly hundreds, in the future. Some of them will have a little seed planted in their minds.
17-08-2015, 03:48 AM (This post was last modified: 17-08-2015 04:09 AM by Bucky Ball.)
RE: Who was Saint Paul?
(16-08-2015 07:32 PM)Free Wrote: And you keep saying that the Christians remained Jews for centuries, but that is not true at all. Although originally they had Jewish roots, the new theology made Christians completely distinct from Jews, and we are not speaking about the Church of Jerusalem where James was, which ended in AD 70.
If the Jewish High Priest, in the 90's CE required the Jewish synagogues to read the Expulsion Curses, they were still Jews in the 90's. There's no "new theology". It's all basically the same.
You just got schooled further.
If in the year 400, John Chrysostom tell his congregations to stop going to the synagogues, they were still Jews, (we have a copy of the sermon where he does that).
You just got schooled further.
You ridiculed Carrier by telling us what sort of house he lived in and what part of town he lived in, *as if* that had anything to do with anything.
Now you ridicule Ehrman. You have no PhD. You are the amateur here, smilin' Jack.
You have never written any published paper on any subject, here, or anywhere.
Using your "computer tools" does not make you an expert on anything, or any culture. You claim you are, yet the basics of the culture of the period, you are unaware of.
You went through the totally ignorant "if you are the son of a lion, you are a lion" bullshit, totally oblivious to what a ''son of god" meant to them, at that time.
What you are is very opinionated. I'll give you that. The subtleties of the cultural environment, you are oblivious to, apparently.
Typing "the fucking shit" (as you boast) does not give you the cultural context or meaning of anything. Clearly you have a very high opinion of your skills.
Claiming that,does, however, does indeed put into "further context" all you have ever said here about all the "historicity" arguments you have ever made.
The basics of the cultural milieu escaped you. I remain stunned by what was revealed here yesterday.
Insufferable know-it-all. It is objectively immoral to kill innocent babies. Please stick to the guilty babies.
RE: Who was Saint Paul?
Insufferable know-it-all. It is objectively immoral to kill innocent babies. Please stick to the guilty babies.
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RE: Who was Saint Paul?
(17-08-2015 03:48 AM)Bucky Ball Wrote:(16-08-2015 07:32 PM)Free Wrote: And you keep saying that the Christians remained Jews for centuries, but that is not true at all. Although originally they had Jewish roots, the new theology made Christians completely distinct from Jews, and we are not speaking about the Church of Jerusalem where James was, which ended in AD 70.
Didn't I already tell you we are not speaking of the Church of Jerusalem, and any of the Jewish/Messianic Christians who existed there? What part of that above did you fail to grasp?
Learn to read, or do I need to school you in how to read as well?
You make the mistake of equating Christianity with Messianic Judaism, while totally forgetting that the Christian Gentiles were completely distinct from the early messianic Jews who followed the original apostles in and around Jerusalem.
You know damn well I am correct, because we have discussed this in other threads. And you also know that when the temple was destroyed, those messianic Jews dispersed to various other territories to avoid Roman persecution.
They were distinct from the Gentile Christian sect, and nowhere were they ever compared.
Quote:If in the year 400, John Chrysostom tell his congregations to stop going to the synagogues, they were still Jews, (we have a copy of the sermon where he does that).
No again. You keep making this mistake of comparing Gentiles to Messianic/Christian Jews, despite the fact that i distinguished them in my post you quoted above.
Again, learn to read.
Quote:You ridiculed Carrier by telling us what sort of house he lived in and what part of town he lived in, *as if* that had anything to do with anything.
Dude, what part of "tar paper shack on the edge of town" could not be considered a joke? I have no idea where he lives or what his house looks like. How the fuck can you miss such and obvious and old joke?
Hint: It's a quote from E.D. Nixon.
Quote:Now you ridicule Ehrman.
Where? People cannot disagree? Oh my ...
Quote:You have no PhD. You are the amateur here, smilin' Jack.
You just keep that in mind. You have no idea who I am, and do not know much about me.
Quote:You have never written any published paper on any subject, here, or anywhere.
Maybe, maybe not. That's something you will never actually know. Are you phishing for info on who I am? It will never work, dude.
Quote:Using your "computer tools" does not make you an expert on anything, or any culture. You claim you are, yet the basics of the culture of the period, you are unaware of.
Ya think? If that were true, how then do I find it so easy to correct you?
Quote:You went through the totally ignorant "if you are the son of a lion, you are a lion" bullshit, totally oblivious to what a ''son of god" meant to them, at that time.
Blah blah blah. Stop your whining.
The only reason you get stunned is because you toe the line, rather than lead the pack.
If you are going to be a follower, you will never be an innovator.
So you keep following, while I keep leading, okay?
I'll go back to Mark's stuff and and continue to contribute some objective criticism.
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RE: Who was Saint Paul?
(17-08-2015 08:59 AM)Free Wrote: Learn to read, or do I need to school you in how to read as well?
You can't "school" anyone in anything. You are the one who says you know what Paul thought, and quote him. He says he went to Jerusalem, and got his gospel from them. So you convenitntly use him when you choose to. Paul was not a "gentile". He was an apocalyptic Jew.
(17-08-2015 08:59 AM)Free Wrote: You know damn well I am correct, because we have discussed this in other threads. And you also know that when the temple was destroyed, those messianic Jews dispersed to various other territories to avoid Roman persecution.
Irrelevant. They remained messianic Jews.
(17-08-2015 08:59 AM)Free Wrote: They were distinct from the Gentile Christian sect, and nowhere were they ever compared.
Prove it. You make assersions, yet you never back them up.
(17-08-2015 08:59 AM)Free Wrote: Again, learn to read.
People who don't know what a "son of god" means, should not be telling people to learn to read.
(17-08-2015 08:59 AM)Free Wrote: You just keep that in mind. You have no idea who I am, and do not know much about me.
I know enough to get that the subtleties of Hebrew culture escape you completely, and enough to know that you quote the gospels as if there were the truth.
(17-08-2015 08:59 AM)Free Wrote: Are you phishing for info on who I am? It will never work, dude.
I am not. You have already demonstrated time and again you are nothing but an amateur.
(17-08-2015 08:59 AM)Free Wrote: So you keep following, while I keep leading, okay?
Right. Leading the fiction writers. You just keep telling yourself that.
Insufferable know-it-all. It is objectively immoral to kill innocent babies. Please stick to the guilty babies.
RE: Who was Saint Paul?
(15-08-2015 10:57 PM)Mark Fulton Wrote:(15-08-2015 08:43 PM)Free Wrote: Mark,
Many Christian apologists will claim that one of the genealogies is Joseph's, and the other one is Mary's, and that's why they don't match. So they're trying to have their cake and eat it too. Actually, both genealogies clearly end with Joseph, and Mary is not mentioned at all. Of course they also both claim that Joseph is not Jesus's real father, so I'm not sure why we should even care whether or not Joseph is descended from King David. I think that both genealogies are fabricated (along with both nativity stories).
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BEIJING (Reuters) - Four people have been injured in a knife attack at a railway station in southern China's Guangzhou city, a state-run newspaper reported on Tuesday.
The police shot one of the attackers while another is on the run, the official Yangcheng Evening News reported.
It did not identify the attackers and it was not clear if the number of injured included the assailants.
(Reporting by Ben Blanchard and Li Hui)


text:
December 4, 2009 (CHICAGO) --Chicago Mayor Richard Daley and school officials say more Chicago Public Schools freshmen are on track to graduate.They revealed new information at Harper High School and talked with students as well.
The number of students on their way to graduating citywide is up 4 1/2 percentage points this year.
Officials say the improvement is even better at Harper. The principal credits students, teachers and other administrators for turning the school around.
"As a leader, if you come into a building and students know you care about them, that you're concerned about them and having conversations with them and you're visible and you're not sitting in your office, it's not hard to do," said Principal Kenyatta Stansberry-Butler.
Schools CEO Ron Huberman says a focus on freshmen continues. He believes if they have success in their first year of high school it improves their chances of graduating dramatically.


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Everybody chipped in!
Brooklynites schlepped their shedding Christmas trees to neighborhood parks last weekend, where the once-festive pines were pulverized into plant fuel during the annual tree-cycling event, Mulchfest. Bidding fir-well to the aging tannenbaums was a challenge for some holiday-loving locals, but one Fort Greener who struggled with tossing his conifer to the curb said grinding up the green thing was all worth it for a bag of fresh mulch.
"It is kind of sad to see all the trees laying on the sidewalk, but I figured I may as well do something productive with the tree — it seemed like a great alternative than just tossing it," said Reed Ryan, who toted his tree to Fort Greene Park. "Once the weather gets a little better I'll lay down some mulch. It smells nice."
Another participant cheered the Department of Parks and Recreation for hosting the city-wide event — where residents could also simply drop off old firs for workers to smash into sustenance for borough plants — even though he didn't stick around to take home the fertilizer his pine produced because the line was mulch too long to wait in, he said.
"It was a good idea," said Bay Ridgite Blake Prentiss, who chucked his conifer at Owl's Head Park. "I wish I got mulch, that would be awesome — all my plants are going to die now."
But Prentiss said that leaving empty handed got him and his friends even more excited to destroy their holiday decor in 2019.
"We actually were like, 'Oh, we can't wait for next year!' " he said.
And other Brooklynites don't even have to wait that long — parks department honchos on Monday announced they are extending Mulchfest through Sunday for those who couldn't trek to their neighborhood meadows in last weekend's near-negative temperatures.
Locals can drop off their old tree at green spaces across the borough any day before Jan. 14, but those who do won't leave with mulch of anything because on-site wood-chippers won't be available.
Tannenbaum-hording residents can also say wood-bye to their firs by tossing them curbside for pick-up until Jan. 13.
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Student Welfare Program
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Energies 2017, 10(6), 824; https://doi.org/10.3390/en10060824
Editorial Special Issue "Combustion and Propulsion"
Department of Engineering for Innovation, University of Salento, 73100 Lecce, Italy
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Received: 17 April 2017 / Revised: 16 June 2017 / Accepted: 16 June 2017 / Published: 18 June 2017
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Combustion and Propulsion)
Note: In lieu of an abstract, this is an excerpt from the first page.
ExcerptThe increasing demand for socially and environmentally sustainable development requires appropriate use of energy resources, particularly in the transportation of people and goods.[...] View Full-Text
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The meds have been working until last Friday. Four days of depression for no apparent reason except that my wife and I had a small argument on Friday. Since then I have been depressed. I am going to see the doctor today. Any additional advice is welcome.
What to do - depressed while on antidepressants Lexapro and Wellbutrin for 3 months?
- Asked
- 24 May 2010 by Trey Griffin
- Updated
- 22 August 2010
- Topics
- lexapro, wellbutrin, depression
Responses (1)
Well Trey, if the meds were working fine until the argument with your wife, maybe it's time you brought home some flowers on your way back from the doctors appointment? I'm not making light of your situation, but it's a good enough reason to cheer her up too! It does sound rather odd that all of a sudden your meds stopped working right after you have an argument. Maybe you subconsciously took it to heart and it's been on your mind. Make a special date with her and see if your depression improves. It's certainly worth a shot, right? The only other suggestion I would have is see if your doctor thinks you need to up your dosage. It is usually around the 2 to 3 month time period to tell if the dosage is right or not. Either way, I hope you start feeling better and good luck to you!
Trey I have to agree with Chrixtine ATU, I is too coincidental that your meds, just stopped working, Do keep your appt. with your dr. anyhow Fall Queen
Trey, Are you currently on both meds? If so, Wellburin was the worst med my doc has ever prescribed. I was a different woman. I had litterly dreams of the devil. Nightmares every freaking day. My mood swing was awful. I was such a mess with that med. I couldnt sleep at all. I gained weight. It was awful, I dont even want to remember. Talk to your wife, and ask her what makes her happy? And plan a surprising outing just the 2 of you. Hope this helps..
Hey fall queen? Chrixtine? I kinda like that! Chrix are for kids!
My husband was prescribed Lexapro for anxiety and stress. Six weeks later he killed himself. I have lived with my husband for nearly 17 years. He has always had a little stress and tension in his life. Mostly due to caring for his parents, children and grandchildren and constantly worrying about his siblings. He was a true family man. The day before his death he had canned green beans and tomatoes. He took his grandson for a haircut and got one himself. He did a little work for an elderly couple a few miles down. He worked in the garden when he got home. We had a spat. I figured he was hot and tired due to working outdoors in 90 degree weather. But nothing really different than any other. I figured it would all blow over just like all the others have before. The next morning he was gone from a gun shot wound to the head. The day of his death, was the same day as his nephew's birthday party. He worshipped his parents and his father's birthday was the following day.
Their 50th wedding anniversary is next month. My husband and I have been planning a party and looking at new wedding bands for over a year now for his parents. We had planned to take the kids to Coney Island that week. He has a new grand baby due in October. He was a wonderful man who looked at least 10 years younger than he was. He had energy and stamina and would help anyone who needed it at any time. And just like that he is gone!
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text:
3 students win prizes in Harrisburg Rotary's Four-Way Essay Contest
Three Harrisburg School District ninth grade students competed for prizes in the Rotary Club of Harrisburg's annual Four-Way Test Essay Contest.
The students each selected a topic of their choice and applied the Rotary Four-Way Test, which is a nonpartisan and nonsectarian ethical guide for Rotarians to use for their personal and professional relationships. The test has been translated into more than 100 languages, and Rotarians recite it at club meetings.
Winners of the contest, who read their speeches during the club's March 27, 2017 meeting:
- Alassia Brown won the $300 first price for her speech on "How can a young girl avoid becoming a statistic in a poverty-stricken neighborhood.'' Alassia attends the Harrisburg High School, John Harris Campus.
- Christina Ledesma won the $200 second prize for her speech on fighting racism and prejudice – including such feelings she may have. Christina attends SciTech High School.
- Adelyn Toleldo won the $100 third prize for her speech describing how she had a tough talk with a classmate who was "slacking off'' and letting her school work slide. Adelyn attends SciTech High School.
Seventeen students from the district competed this year, said Samuel L. Levine, president-elect of the Harrisburg Rotary and chair of the Four-Way Test Essay Committee.
Students were required to submit their essays, no more than 1500 words, through their English departments and the English teachers screened the submissions prior to forwarding the finalists to our club. A committee reviewed the essays and selected the winners.
The Rotary Four-Way Test:
1. Is it the TRUTH?
2. Is it FAIR to all concerned?
3. Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
4. Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?


text:
Each of the top five firms have Irish offices...
LinkedIn has been digging into its masses of data to identify the companies its users want to work for.
It used metrics including the level of searches for a company's job postings, interest in a firm's brands and its employees, and retention rates to compile this index.
The list is based on information from US users, but many of the names at the top of the table have Irish operations.
Google's parent company sits at the top of the pile, it's built up a reputation for having a positive working culture, lots of perks, and competitive salaries.
The report also highlights the variety of roles which the company offers, it says that "the opportunity and resources employees are given to tackle massive problems, stretching from creating self-driving cars to impeding extremism," attracts workers.
Google currently employs more than 6,000 people in Ireland. The internet giant has previously spent €99m and €100m on its current office blocks at Dublin's Grand Canal Dock.
The company is believed to be bringing 400 new jobs to the capital if it can find the right office space.
Amazon came to prominence as an e-commerce platform but there's a lot (lot) more to the company than that.
This year its film studio bagged an Oscar, it's fleet of delivery drones is taking flight, and its cloud business is among the market leaders in the booming data industry.
It announced plans last summer to bring 500 new jobs to Dublin over two years, and it also has an operation in Cork.
Closing in on an incredible 2 billion active users (the latest count is 1.9 billion), business is booming for Mark Zuckerburg's social network.
According to LinedIn its software engineering, infrastructure, machine learning, data analytics and marketing roles are particularly sought after.
Facebook is set to significantly expand its Irish presence and has secured additional office space in the capital.
It can fit up to 2,000 workers in its current Dublin HQ and is due to add space for 800 more in a new office in the north docklands.
The firm drafted in Buddhist monks to act as consultants when it built its San Francisco HQ.
The software solutions and cloud computing firm also carries out rolling audits to ensure that there is no discrepancy in pay due to gender, race or ethnicity across its workforce.
It's Dublin office currently has a number of vacancies.
Uber's relationship with the self-employed drivers who use its service has sparked controversy across Europe, but jobs in its offices are in high demand.
"Unique job appliers nearly doubled in February from a year earlier," according to LinkedIn.
The company employs some 400 workers in Limerick.
6. Tesla
7. Apple
8. Time Warner
9. Walt Disney
10. Comcast NBC Universal
11. Airbnb
12. Netflix
13. McKinsey & Co
14. Dell
15. Workday
16. Under Armour
17. Twitter
19. Visa
20. JPMorgan Chase & Co


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Job Description
- Analyze clients' financial situation, functions and risks, business cycle, and perform Transfer Pricing adjustments
- Perform market studies and industry research for benchmarking and price setting
- Advise on Transfer Pricing planning and review Transfer Pricing models
- Write Transfer Pricing documentation; Review global/ regional Transfer Pricing documentation
- Participate actively in client interviews and discussions to identify and assess clients' transfer pricing matters
- Assist in all other aspects of Transfer Pricing assignments such as Transfer Pricing defense assistance or Advance pricing agreements (APAs)
- Work closely with the Manager of Transfer Pricing services team to build the business, develop relationships with clients and provide leadership to your staff.
- Cooperate with regional and global Mazars Transfer Pricing network to address cross-border Transfer Pricing matters
- Serve a diverse client portfolio spanning across various industries comprising multinational companies and Vietnamese conglomerates
Job Requirements
- 1 – 2 year of experience in Transfer Pricing services, ideally within foreign consultancy services firms.
- Additional knowledge on international taxes, auditing or finance is a plus.
- Technically skilled at benchmarking and market research, and working knowledge of Transfer Pricing concepts, Vietnamese and global Transfer Pricing rules
- Proficient in English (French is a plus), especially writing skills
- Strong MS Excel skills, and familiar with Outlook and other Microsoft Office applications (e.g. Word and Power Point)
- Good understanding of accounting basis and principles
- Solid analytical and strong numerical skills
- Detail orientation
- Able to provide useful and timely feedback to staff, and keep management informed of progress and issues
- Capable of handling multiple projects simultaneously, monitoring workloads and prioritize tasks, with effective team communication
- Able to work in a fast moving and pressing deadline environment
- Passion for meeting client expectations with responsibility
- You Should Be Best At: Transfer Pricing, Tax, Audit, Finance
- Highly competitive remuneration package
- Professional working environment in an international services firm, with rapidly expanding transfer pricing practice at Vietnam, aid by a global Transfer Pricing network and Transfer Pricing database centers
- Comprehensive training, with overseas programs and periodical internal updates
- Clear career development paths
- Genuine work – life balance
- Possibility of working on different business lines
- Regular client contact
* If you are interested in this position, please email the following documents:
- Cover letter in English (and French if any)
- Résumé in English (and French if any)
- Reference list/ letters, if any
- Qualifications and certificates, if any
- Email Subject: TP SENIOR_Full name


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DAC Collection Object Information
Raglan Castle, The Keep and Moat,
Photographic postcard with hand manipulation in area of sky
Dimensions (Image): 88 x 138 mm (3.5 x 5.4 in.)
Inscribed on verso: "F. Frith & Co., Ltd., Reigate No."; inscribed on negative: title
Accession number: 19184.108.40.206
Gift of Michael M. Senft, 1983
Bibliography: MacMillan, pp. 212-213
Work Type: photograph
Related Works: From a group of five English scenes by Francis Frith & Co., 1922.214.171.124 – 19220.127.116.11
Keywords: Click a term to find other records with the same keyword.


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SPARTA — Who's up and who's down after the fifth Sprint Cup race at Kentucky Speedway:
Checkered flag: Kentucky Speedway. In the fifth running of the Sprint Cup Series in Sparta, the seemingly star-crossed Speedway finally got what it needed most: An evening when entertaining racing turned out to be the dominant story line.
With an apparent boost from NASCAR's new low-downforce package, the Sprint Cup drivers put on a boffo show over the bumpy Kentucky Speedway tri-oval. There were a track record 22 green-flag passes for the lead. The late-race battle where eventual winner Kyle Busch and Joey Logano exchanged the lead was the best stretch of Sprint Cup racing in Speedway history.
Overall, according to NASCAR, there were 2,665 green flag passes throughout the entire Quaker State 400 field, compared to 1,147 last year.
Heck, there was even a Danica Patrick-Dale Earnhardt Jr. dust up.
It was a darned good show.
Black flag: Jeff Gordon. Needing victory in his final visit to Kentucky Speedway to have a win over every active Cup track, the retiring NASCAR superstar was no different than he had been in his prior four runs at Kentucky:
Solid, but never a threat to win.
Gordon finished seventh, and (presumably) ends his Kentucky Speedway career having run in the Top 10 in all five Cup races here without ever leading a lap.
Checkered flag: Joe Gibbs Racing. Racing just up the road from Toyota's Georgetown manufacturing plant, the flagship Toyota Sprint Cup team produced a tour de force. JGR drivers finished first (Kyle Busch), third (Denny Hamlin), fourth (Carl Edwards) and fifth (Matt Kenseth).
"As everybody knows, our big Camry center is here in Kentucky, at Georgetown," said Joe Gibbs, the former Washington Redskins coach, afterwards. "A lot of our Toyota people were here. We really appreciate them."
Black flag: Brad Keselowski's pit crew. The No. 2 Miller Lite Ford appeared to be the one car Saturday night that was the match for, maybe even superior to, the No. 18 Camry of Kyle Busch.
Yet Keselowski's night was foiled by one slow pit stop after another. At various times in the race, Keselowski came out of the pits and drove from 13 up to 2, from 18 to 3, from 10 to 4 and from 15 to 3.
By the end of the race, all that having to drive through traffic seemed to have taken a toll on the No. 2, which finished sixth.
"It's easy to play the Saturday evening quarterback, but it didn't come together for us," Keselowski said. "There are certainly some things I could have done better and we didn't have the best day on pit road. ... I thought Kyle and I both had pretty good cars and we just didn't put it all together when it counted."
Over the last five years, Keselowski has an odd-year/even-year pattern working at Kentucky. In the odds years, 2011, '13 and this year, he has won the Xfinity Series here while in the even years, 2012 and '14, he won the Sprint Cup event.
Checkered flag: Kyle Busch. By earning his second Cup win in Sparta in dominating fashion, "Rowdy" re-established his claim to Kentucky Speedway superiority. In all-time Cup laps led at Kentucky Speedway, Busch now has 437 compared to Keselowski (who led 62 laps Saturday night) with 398.
Amazingly, those two have now led 62.5 percent of the Sprint Cup laps run at Kentucky Speedway.
Black flag: Chevrolet. Having won every Sprint Cup manufacturer's championship since 2003, Chevy has gone 0-for-5 in race wins so far at Kentucky.
Checkered flag: Crosley Brands. This year, Kentucky Speedway started awarding its race winners jukeboxes produced by the Louisville-based Crosley.
The drivers loved them.
Keselowski, who won a CR1206A model (retail of $1,799.95) for winning the Xfinity race proclaimed the jukebox "cool as hell." His girlfriend, Paige White, tweeted to Kentucky Speedway, "The jukebox is awesome."
For taking the Sprint Cup race, Kyle Busch won the larger Crosley Slimline Jukebox (retail cost: $8,999.95). He said he was hoping the Beach Boys' Little Deuce Coupe would be on it. "And maybe some fresher stuff we could have fun with, too," he said.
Having a reward for winning at your track that the drivers are genuinely excited about is not a small thing.
With the Crosley jukeboxes, Kentucky Speedway seems to have hit on a winner.


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See Mr Bottle's Kids Party Reviews
Chuen Li Bell (Tara's mum), Birthday at Tanglin Club
Just a note to thank and compliment you on the excellent delivery of your act. Your magic show was very funny and thoroughly enjoyed by the kids and adults (love the bird). Your assistants (balloon sculptor and face painter) were very professional and did their best. I would thoroughly recommend to to all my friends and wish you all the very best in all your endeavours.
Anna-Carin Hart, Christmas Party at Draycott Park
Mr. Bottle's Kids Party entertainment was perfect for our small Christmas Eve party. We only had six children here, but Mr Bottle kept them all thoroughly entertained with his wonderful balloon designs and the kids were thrilled. Even some of the parents got caught up in the crazy balloon requests. Lots of fun was had by all.
Sylvia Raharja (Aaron's mum), 5-year-old Birthday at Clementi Park
I must say I totally have NO regrets engaging the professional services of Mr Bottles' Kids Party. I found the entertainment to be of high quality, particularly the magic show. Based on my personal observation as well as my guests' comments, the children seemed to have thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Even the parents themselves were delightfully entertained. Some even remarked to me that they were pleasantly surprised the magic show was really good!
I am also pleased with the games segment that Mr Bottles handled for the kids. I noticed that the kids (and some parents) were also spontaneously participating and having a ball. All in all, I am really glad that the magic show and games were a success! I really don't know how else things can be improved. Please keep up the good work! Mr Bottle really made Aaron's party a wonderful success!
Kym Ng, Mediacorp Artiste
"Mr Bottle, You are really cool!"
Samantha Yap, House Party at Cheng Soon
The kids had a fantastic time and enjoyed Prof Messy's show alot…. Something different!
It was also great that the kids were allowed to have a bit of "hands on" after the showsince not all could participate during the show.
Kyoto Igarashi, Birthday Party at Valley Park
"Maho is extremely delighted with your performance especially your magic for sweets. As she is rather shy girl, your program to invite Maho to the stage was quite appropriate for her. Such inter-activeness of your show seems to be very impressive around her age. "
Hwee Ming (Jared's Mum), 8-year-old Birthday Party at Hillington Green
Both kids and adults enjoyed your magic show on Jared's birthday. They had looked forward to it before that and they were not disappointed. They said "there is nothing to improve, it's already very good"
Linda Robson (Jack's Mum), Birthday Party
We were thrilled with mr bottle who came to a birthday fun fair for Jack Robson and Ella Mclean. He was very imaginative and patient and the kids were lined up eagerly for one of his balloon creations. We would definitely recommend his services.
Lena Elizabeth, 1-year-old Birthday Party at The Atria
The entertainers were wonderful. N2 the balloon guy was such a hit and he was very good with the kids. He was patient, caring and fun. The face painter was good too but i think singaporean parents are a bit reserved about having their kids faces painted.
Thank you for everything and i will highly recommend u to my friends and have you come again for future parties.
Stephanie Besse, (Celest's mum) 4-year-old Birthday Party
The show you put together was very age appropriate. It was lively and dynamic and allowed the kids to participate in fun and respectful manner. Very well done.
Amelia, 40-year-old Birthday Party at Haig Court (with lots of kids)
Just to drop a note off to you about how wonderful the party has been for the kids today. Everyone enjoyed themselves, including the adults. It was very entertaining.
I would like to commend especially for Prof Messy who is not only funny but very patient and obliging with the kids. I have no doubt that you will be on my mind when my friends calls and ask for party entertainer referrals.
Eliza, 1 & 3-year-old Birthday Party at Jacob Bella
The children loved the balloonist. In fact, one of the parents commented he is the best balloonist she has ever seen in a party, as she was totally impressed by the sheer number of different cartoon characters he can come out with (and even improvise) on the spot! The magic show was appealing to the children too, and Augustine enjoyed himself tremendously. Thank you for making him so happy on his birthday party!


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Foundation: 1984
Place: Gama - Distrito Federal - Brazil
Current members:
Gilmar (bass and vocals), Virgilio (guitar and vocals)
Band goals: To warn and fight against environmental crimes and to combat capitalism, supporting the idea of a permanent fight against social and political problems, that, as they seem to be considered basically the same all over the world, justify the use of different languages in their lyrics (English, Portuguese, Spanish, German), a hallmark characteristic of the band since its foundation.
1986 - Split LP "Ataque às hordas do poder". Issued by Devil Discos, and with the band still called Stuhlzäpchen Von N, is the first existing record of a hardcore band in central Brazil. After that, the band changed its name to ARD (After Radioactive Destruction) to make the pronunciation and the writing easier.
1988 - LP "Causas para Alarme", Issued by Devil Discos. Thi work is praised throughout the underground world press. Once this first issue was sold out, a few copies are sold nowadays with very high prices in the used LP market. In 2007, a local label, GBG, acquired the rights to press on CD format.
1993 - 7" EP "My Brazil: better 4 than nothing", issued by SubWay Rock Records. Despite not being issued by Alternative Tentacles, Jello Biafra, former lead singer of the Dead Kennedys and label owner, wrote a letter to the band praising its work.
2007 - CD "Síndrome do Emputecimento Progressivo" Issued by the label Alea Distro, featuring Rodrigão (ex- PUS) and Felipe CDC (Revolutionary Terror and Death Slam). This work is kind of an open letter of protest to the great evil that plagues mankind. Everyone is about to explode and the syndrome reaches its apex when the violence raises in a chain reaction.
2009 - Split CD "VIDA PUNK", with Phobia Punk Rockers – an excellent job, distributed in Japan, USA and Europe, with great acceptance by the public.
Split CD – "Brothers in Boots", with Rattus (Finland), by GBG Records.
Musical projects:
2006 - CD 1 da série: HONRA AO MÉRITO, 13 bands from Brasilia underground scene playing their own versions of ARD songs.
1997 - Cult 22 10 anos - "Cruelty" unreleased song.
1998 - Traidô – RDP tribute, playing the song "Amazônia nunca mais".
2006 - Cult 22 - Tributo ao Rock Brasília, playing the song "Sub Raça" from the band Câmbio Negro. ARD is also honored by the band Under Skin Crowler with the song "Terremoto".
2007 - Faces do Chaos, CDR split with 4 bands. Issued in 2007, only in Portugal.
2008 - Tributo ao Besthöven, with the song "Frio Sinistro". This CD was also issued in Peru.
2008 - Soundtrack for the film Bomb it! - V/A, issued in Los Angeles - USA. About Grafitti, issued worldwide, with the song "ARD", English version. The famous Sobre a arte do Grafitti, lançado em cadeia mundial, com a música "ARD" versão em inglês. The famous Rage Against the Machine also participates in the compilation with a song.
CD 2 from the series Honra ao Mérito - Tributo ao Death Slam, with the song "Suas Guerras" . Soon !!!
Enter your text here
FORÇA MACABRA – Finland (2007)
RATTUS – Finland (2007)
HOLOCAUSTO – Minas Gerais (2007)
LOBOTOMIA – São Paulo (2007)
KUOLEMA – Finland (2008)
CÓLERA – São Paulo (2008)
INVASORES DE CÉREBRO – São Paulo (2009)
CIVIL OLYDNAD – Sweden (2009)
PHOBIA PUNK ROCKERS – São Paulo (2009)
STOMA – Holand (2010)
EXPURGO – Minas Gerais (2010)
SEE YOU IN HELL - Czech Republic (2010)
RATTUS – Finland (2012)
STEVE DREWETT- England (2014)
TERVET KADETT- Finland (2014)
OVERLOADED – Czech Republic (2014)
DOOM – England (2015)
RÖVSVETT – Sweden (2016)


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01273 516246 email@example.com
No products
Pre-owned in near mint condition, with no cracks or no keyholing.
Warning: Last items in stock!
Availability date:
Pre-owned in near mint condition, with no cracks or no keyholing.
The Classic Zildjian Voice that Started it All. These are the cymbals that launched a million drum solos and shaped musical history – tried and true musical icons whose history spans centuries and infinite musical styles. A Zildjians are the world's most popular and versatile cymbals, and for good reason. Splashes, Crashes, Rides, Hi-Hats or Effects, they all explode with a spectrum of tonal colours and excel in any musical setting. They're extremely sensitive to your particular touch and style, yet capable of producing as much volume as your music demands.
Zildjian Cymbals


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Cycas cairnsiana
| Welcome to the PACSOA Palms and Cycads wiki !
If you have any information about this plant, please help by updating this article. Once you are registered you can contribute, change, or correct the text, and even add photos on this page. Click on the edit tab above and play around. Any mistake can be easily corrected, so don't be afraid.
Common Names:
Cycas sp. 'Mt Surprise',
Cycas sp. 'Champions Blue Surprise'
Distribution & Habitat:
The Newcastle Range, in north-east Queensland.
Habitat is open woodland amongst granite outcrops; decomposed granite soil.
Cycas cairnsiana is listed by David Jones (1981) as 1 to 5m tall, and in some areas this could well be. However, observations around Petford, Chillagoe and again at Dimbulah, describe the plants up to 2m only, with quite a stout caudex, swelling toward the base. Heavy crowns of glaucous blue fronds arching bow like from the apex of the caudex. The pinnae forming a deep vee along the length of the rachis. The leaf coloration persists on both surfaces, and the naked petiole below the pinnae having small teeth. Leaf fronds in plants were 1.5m, but in very large specimens not at present seen but often reported, could easily reach 2m long. Male cones were 20cm long, ovoid, and golden brown. Female simple cones, initially ferruginous, pubescent and with a narrow petiole terminating in a small toothed head. Ovules two to a megasporophyll. These are green at first, then blue green and when finally pendant, a shiny brown. When the new centre fronds arise, they are a light blue uncoiling from a rusty coloured rachis, and are quite eye catching. This plant has strong recurving margins on all the pinnules. Being not nearly as frost tender as others of its kind across the Top End, this should respond well to cultivation in cooler areas. This statement is made regrettably as in this country cultivation for landscaping projects could well be our only means to save them from eventual extinction.
These Cycas often grow in between or beside some very large granite boulders and outcrops. They have only been observed in colonies and never as scattered individuals which is the habit of many of the tree species of this fossicking area which extends in various directions for about 10km. Seed distribution is probably the influencing factor here as there is no obvious difference between sites where they occur and those where they do not.
Requires a hot, dry, very well drained position. Frost tolerant, but dislikes high humidity. Very slow.
Contributed by:
Len Butt (Text and Figure 1)
I.G. Champion (Figures 2&3)
Gary Beaumont (Figure 4)
External Links:
Cycad Pages, IUCN, JSTOR, Trebrown


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Erewash Valley Gymnastics Club (EVGC) was established in 1978 and is a private limited company with charity status.
Our club began with 1 coach and 6 gymnasts in a leisure centre. Today we house over 950 gymnasts across two sites, one of which we now own.
Nottingham School of Rhythmic Gymnastics joined us in 2001 making our club the largest non-profit making gymnastics club in Erewash.
In 2001 coaches and committee began discussing the viability of finding our own premises to train in and by 2002 groups were nearing capacity and the hunt for suitable premises started.
In 2003 we found Unit 2 Acton Road, Long Eaton and in January 2004 it opened.
In September 2009 we officially opened the extension at Acton Road. This doubled the floor size to 14000sq ft and enabled the club to once again increase the places offered to children in the local community to encourage wider participation in gymnastics and to offer a training venue to third party clubs in other disciplines and sports.
Today EVGC has moved into newer premises on New Tythe Street, Long Eaton increasing our participation once again and has bought a new building on Hallam Fields Road in Ilkeston. With plans on track to develop this as a regional centre of excellence, EVGC will be able to offer over 1500 places for children in our local communities.
Charity Number 1168497


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SVP, Financial Services
Tim Fisher is responsible for CompuCom's Banking, Financial Services and Insurance vertical strategy & business development activities. Tim joined CompuCom in 2007 and has over 25 years of information technology experience serving the financial services industry.
Prior to joining CompuCom Tim held various sales and sales leadership roles with CSC and IBM. Tim began his career in the insurance industry holding positions in marketing, product development, and pension sales. Tim is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire.


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Vanguard Press - H/C
April 2011
I received an ARC of A Song For My Mother for review. Although fiction, or women's fiction, is not my normal reading material, this did make a good "palate cleansing" book. That's where I read a different genre after a particularly good Urban Fantasy, so that another urban fantasy that I might otherwise enjoy, doesn't pale in comparison. Maybe I'm just weird. Probably. Yes.
A Song For My Mother is about anger, holding grudges, and forgiveness. If you've ever held a grudge against your mom, this might ring some bells for you. If you've ever made a imperfect decision, because it was the best you could do at the time...and someone else has judged you, then this might ring some bells for you also. There are a few situations here that involve decision making, judgement, doubt and the need for forgiving.
The main character, Marly Hanson moved away from home at an early age, escaping from a traumatic home life, and a small town. She returns to her hometown only because her own daughter wants to meet her grandmother; unfortunately, the grandmother, Winnie, is the one person that Marly does not really want to see. Marly hasn't seen Winnie since she moved out of town as a teen bride. Even so, she brings her daughter to meet her; her daughter has recently went a few rounds with cancer and chemotherapy, coming close to death.
Things aren't very comfortable for Marly and Winnie, but Winnie and Katie (Marly's daughter) hit it off right away. Not only do Katie and Winnie make fast friends, but Katie meets a neighbor boy, Ham and they become friends. Marly also meets Ham's father, Reed who happens to be the sheriff of this small town. Marly is very attracted to Reed, Reed is very attracted to Marly but there are complications. Reed is a widower, and Marly is divorced with a low opinion of men as fathers and husbands.
It was both interesting and frustrating to read Marly's behavior with her mom. She is so angry that she comes across as unreasonably prickly and rude to Winnie - blaming and judging Winnie for past decisions and what she perceives as a weakness and betrayal of herself. Winnie is heartbroken, but patient - this bothered me, because I would have been in Marly's face....but then I also wouldn't have been in Winnies past position...so that would affect things.
Even though Kat Martin's writing style is rather spare...what I call no-frills writing - A Song For My Mother is packed with emotions of all kinds. There is a subplot - a young widowed mother of a three year old boy who is coming close to having a breakdown, overcompensating for her husband's death. There is also the reluctant relationship between Marly and Reed. She's having fun seeing Reed but doesn't want to become involved with him, seeing no point in it. Reed is ready to come out of mourning for his deceased wife and wants a future with Marly...only Marly is planning on passing through within weeks.
When I say that this novel has spare writing, I mean that there is not a lot of extra filler; reading it is like listening to a person telling a bit about some goings on. There is some dialogue, but it's definitely not a dialogue heavy book. This is kind of refreshing in a way. Kat Martin tells three stories involving this small group of people, getting to the point without a lot of extras. But when it's important, than the story goes into scene mode. I know I'm not explaining this the way I want to. I did enjoy it, even though some of the subject matter is pretty heavy, it was written with a light and deft pen, so to speak, revealing emotions and tragedy without over-dramatization.
The book brings forth and shows a complete array of emotions - anger, contempt, betrayal, wistfulness, sadness, happiness, jealously, relief, first pangs of love, embarrassment and love. All of this is packed into 224 pages. It was a pleasant experience reading it, even with the frustration that I felt at Marly over her stubborn anger at her mom...of course some of Marly's behavior reminded me of me when I was in my twenties. (sheepish grin here). I like the messages given through the story - that we're all capable of making good and bad decisions, of making mistakes and that it's possible to move forward through forgiving. It's hard sometimes, but it can be done, right?
I received an ARC for review about a month ago. Today I received a beautiful hardcover copy of A Song For My Mother. I don't need two books, so how about a giveaway?
Comment for entry - answer this question;
have you ever held a grudge against your mother for something that you now understand? In other words, do you now understand or see her point of view on something that had made you angry for way too long? It could be for an action or a way that you perceived you were being treated
For instance, for all of my teen years, I really firmly believed that my mother did not like me. It seemed that she was always angry at me, and at the age of almost 17, I moved out (she gave me an ultimatum - never give a stubborn daughter an ultimatum that you aren't prepared for her to call you on; If I left on a date with my then boyfriend that night, not to come back. I didn't come back. btw - that's one type of ultimatum that I've never given any of my own children. I would never want them to feel the way I did that night) Many years later she told me she really didn't expect me to move out, and that she was frequently angry with me because apparently I was just like her when she was young. I wasted about 10, 15 years feeling very distant from her. Didn't talk or visit with her for over a year. On her side, she didn't try to talk to me either, never sent any messages for me to come home, nothing. Silence. In my defense, I really thought she didn't love me, because why else give me an ultimatum like that? {tough love, doesn't always work right}
Young stubborn teens like myself, can be silly - I now see, but when you're young, it feels so different.
- Okay, so that's it - a situation you felt anger over, and that hopefully you've recovered from. comment on this. {Make sure you're comfortable with this being public knowledge}
- leave a way to get a hold of you in case you win
- contest will end April 8th, 2011 {Friday}


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|I requested this one at the end--we had to get one of the two of us!
|Our gift from Logan!
|Jon's mom made this!
|Jacqui & Logan
|My gram--we had the shower at her building
|Mickey Mouse outfit from my gram
|Outfit from my relatives in Germany!
|So. Blessed.
It was an amazing shower. One thing I was surprised by was how exhausting it was--once we got home and unloaded the car we didn't even have the energy to take everything from the living room to the nursery. Again, a huge thanks to everyone who helped out and for everyone who showered our babe with love!