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Revolted Woman
Charles George Harper
Read by Bev J Stevens
One man's opinion of woman in 1894. Charles Harper believes in the superiority of the male sex and the subordination of the female. He paints an entire gender with the same brush. He believes all women to be identical in mind (illogical) and body (knock-kneed) and vastly inferior to the male. He presents 'facts' to support his opinions:
"Woman's Mission is Submission"
"for woman has ever been the immoral sex"
"how truly like nature their tongues say 'No,' when their hearts throb 'Yes, yes!'"
"She will have to develop very greatly before she becomes the equal of man, either in mind or muscle"
"Woman is altogether different from and inferior to man: narrow-chested, wide-hipped, ill-proportioned, and endowed with a lesser quantity of brains than the male sex."
"A woman's reason is a notoriously inadequate mental process"
And these are just from the first chapter!
He belittles other men who presume to know womankind by stating that they cannot possibly know, being men themselves. Then proceeds to go on (and on, and on) presenting everything he knows about womankind. He is grievously misinformed and extremely opinionated. Today his views are woefully out of date but make for some entertaining reading.
- Summary by Bev J. Stevens (3 hr 53 min)
Preface | 4:11 | Read by Bev J Stevens |
I - Woman Up To Date | 50:10 | Read by Bev J Stevens |
II - The Dress Reformers | 22:24 | Read by Bev J Stevens |
III - Woman in Art, Literature, Politics, and Social Polity | 30:12 | Read by Bev J Stevens |
IV - Part 1 - Some Old-Time Termagants | 47:18 | Read by Bev J Stevens |
IV - Part 2 - Ill-Made Matches of Celebrated Men | 22:29 | Read by Bev J Stevens |
V - Domestic Strife | 35:44 | Read by Bev J Stevens |
VI - Women in Men's Employments | 21:22 | Read by Bev J Stevens |
Revolting Content, Wonderful Reader
If you take this work seriously, you'll puke. If you take it as one man's out-of-date (even for HIS time) unintentionally funny rantings, it's thoroughly enjoyable. The reader (a woman!) does a superb job of channeling the sarcasm and seriousness of the author. Bravo!
Thank you
As the reader of this audiobook, I thank you TwinkieToes, for your positive review and encouraging comments. I especially liked your subject line.
Charming, in an odd way
Feels like someone decided to parody extremely an misogynistic old grouch, but no, 'tis written by the grouch himself! He was insanely old-fashioned, even for the late 19th century. He claims that other men cannot know women, as they aren't women themselves, then goes on to presume he knows everything about them! Makes it even better that this is read by a women, I can just FEEL the sarcasm thinly veiled behind the reading! Absolutely perfect.


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It was once again an honour and privilege for HmT Mechatronics to be involved as a sponsor in the yearly golf day of the Montagu High School.
The main focus of this event is to raise funds and for us as a company to spend a day of golf with some of our customers in the Greater Boland.
We would like to thank all our customers for your participation as well as contributions to help this very important institute in Montagu.
We will see you at the next event in 2019.

subset: commoncrawl


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"Today's competition was the first for Weihegold since the European Championships in Gothenburg. She was a little over motivated but on the whole, I'm very satisfied with her," said the multiple Olympic, world and European champion when reviewing her ride.
Fellow German Helen Langehanenberg, the Olympic silver medal winner in London in 2012, placed second in the saddle on the 15-year old Hanoverian stallion Dampsey FRH (76.060). Jessica von Bredow-Werndl (Gernmany) and her mare Zaire-E finished third with 74.740 percent points.


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English proficiency test for teachers ill-conceived
Dear sir,
The English Language Proficiency Test which teachers recently wrote, was based on the 1999 English Language Teacher Development Project (ELTDP) developed by external consultants from the University of Warwick, United Kingdom.
This means it might not even be at the Namibian level of English curriculum in education. The teachers are from various backgrounds i.e. those who were taught in Afrikaans at tertiary level ended up teaching in English as it is the medium of instruction. Others graduated from the now defunct training colleges. There is also a variance in the English language for each subject; for example, there is English for Mathematics, English for Physical and Life Science and English for History. That is the reason the teachers have specific subjects in which they have mastered. Each teacher is struggling to make learners pass and there is hardly coordination between subjects during teaching. That is why learners pass the English Language and fail other subjects in English, or vice versa.
The English Language Proficiency Test might have shown some weaknesses in education, but it is not a proper yardstick to prove that teachers cannot read, speak or write the Queens Language. This is not proof as to why learners are or have been failing. That is the same as asking all qualified drivers in Namibia to write a Learner-Drivers' license test. Many of them, if not all, will fail the test. Does this mean that these people do not know the road signs and regulations?
Let both Ministers of Education and their staff write a management test to see how they will perform! The timing of the test and the consequent release of the supposedly confidential results was wrong. The teachers were at the 'peak' time; preparing learners for examinations and both needed maximum concentration. The learners' confidence in their teachers has diminished during this crucial time. Due to a lack disciplinary measures in place at schools, the teachers may also fall victims of (verbal) abuse by learners. Teachers will perform their duties out of frustration and anger.
The damage done by the test surpasses its good intention. Now the Ministry of Education, learners and parents have a good reason to conclude that the learners will obviously fail this year. Even those learners who performed poorly in previous years will apportion the blame on the teachers who taught them. I will be the last person to buy into the Ministry spokesperson's reasoning that 'This test was not a test to fire but plan training for teachers.' Let me ask: Will the Ministry approve a person for promotion even if that person has poorly performed in the ELPT?
Steven Mvula
Human Rights Activist
Letter shortened – Ed


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We respond to all client's queries, requests, and needs in professional conduct. Offering best solutions to clients confusions and resolving queries related to Studying abroad procedure, top universities overseas, study visa, IELTS score or anything.
Stanberry Educity team is well-informed with updated study visa rules and offers student-centered counseling. Our experts strictly believe in providing the best possible advice. Talk to us, we're always a call away or feel free to drop an email.


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Gardening with Essential Oils
Essential oils are powerful garden tools that can be used daily to help promote the health and vitality of yourself and your garden. Because they are safe and effective, essential oils provide a great alternative to garden chemicals. In this article you will learn how to use essential oils to protect you and your plants against environmental threats and to promote the health of your garden.
Whether you are trying to chase away garden pests, improve health and growth of plants, or restore those gardener hands, essential oils can help. Conventional insecticides contain harmful chemicals that could be dangerous to pets and other family members.
Plan Ahead
Write down your goals and what you want to accomplish this spring season. Start with a general list first, then develop a detailed plan for each category. Whether its spring cleaning, planting a garden, or improving your lifestyle, developing a plan will help you stay on track with your desired accomplishments.
A recent study in the Netherlands suggests that gardening can fight stress even better than other
relaxing activities. Gardening can be a fun and rewarding experience for the entire family. Start by allocating an area, clean it, and prepare for planting. Purchase seeds, transplants, soil, and any other necessary tools. If you are an inexperienced gardener, do some research online or ask someone you know to guide you through the process.
Improve Your Diet
Explore local farms and markets for fresh, in-season produce. Use leafy greens to make green smoothies and fresh salads. Prepare a light dinner with asparagus, carrots, and potatoes along with other nutritious veggies. Replenish your body with vitamins and minerals for more energy and a healthier body. Consider adding quality supplements such as the Daily Nutrient Pack to your daily diet for complete nutritional support. Just like your house, your body may also needs a refresher. Drink plenty of water and use Zendocrine® and GX Assist® to cleanse and detoxify your body. (email me for more info about these natural, helpful supplements)
Become More Physically Active
Make exercise part of your regular routine. Exercise can reduce stress, improve sleep, sharpen memory, improve self-confidence, inspire creativity, and help you find balance. Now, that the outside temperature is warmer, you can go on a jog, take a bike ride, or enjoy a nice hike. Take one step at a time. Developing regular exercise habits takes time and effort. Teach your kids to be more physically active by setting an example— encourage them to discover activities that they will enjoy.
Challenge: Make a goal to exercise for 30 minutes a day at least three times a week.
Spend Time Outdoors
Nature offers many benefits to your mental and physical well-being. Daily exposure to the sun can boost your mood, increase energy levels, and improve your overall health. Enjoy beautiful spring weather by going on a short walk, organizing a picnic, doing some yard work, or taking your kids to the park. Just a little bit of sunshine and fresh air can help you clear your mind and recharge your body.
The most general thing to do for any bug problem is to keep the garden area clean and free from debris and hiding places for bugs. Peppermint, clove, cedarwood, geranium, lemongrass, rosemary or arborvitae essential oils repel bugs naturally. Using any of these oils (10 drops) with water in a spray bottle and spray the areas of concern (pants and under the leaves).
Aphids. Use neem oil based spray. Plant certain "trap crops" like alyssum, dill and yarrow around the garden to attract aphids.
Squash bugs. They can survive cold winters and hide almost anywhere. Check for eggs under the leaves, they are usually orange in color. Squish them before they hatch. Try planting Hubbard squash, they like these plants.
A recipe I have had a lot of success with, and many others is my Garden Spray.
Add 12-15 drops of Peppermint Essential Oil
12-15 Drops of Rosemary
1 tsp. of Natural Dish detergent
Water to fill 16 oz. spray bottle
Mix well in spray bottle and spray your plants, be sure to get under the leaves. Do this when its not the hottest part of the day. Reapply as necessary, usually after it rains, or once/week.


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In the first post in this series, I went through a set of components that you might want to consider when you are first starting out in sim-racing, so that you can get started as cheaply as possible. In this post, I'll look at some higher quality equipment that comes with a higher price tag.
There are a couple of reasons you might want to look at this price bracket. If you're using your rig as a training tool, then you will find equipment at this level starts to replicate the feel of a real car better, and the experience can be more immersive. That can be important if you're trying to develop specific techniques that you want to carry across to the real world. Alternatively, if your main focus is sim-racing, your enjoyment will still benefit from improved immersion, while a steering wheel with more faithful force feedback and higher quality pedals will allow you to have a better level of control, and better results.
Finally, you might want to look at individual components on this list as upgrades to the Basic Rig, or whatever you currently have. At the end I give some thoughts on which you might want to prioritize and why.
You'll be looking at a AMD Ryzen 5 or Intel Core i5 processor, and an NVidia GTX1660 GPU or similar. Again, RAM is 16GB (there isn't benefit in more) and storage is a 500GB SSD (you can always add more later if necessary). If you want to build your own PC, Pcpartpicker.com's Modest AMD build is a pretty good template here (don't forget to budget for a copy of Microsoft Windows). If you want to purchase a machine, Microcenter's PowerSpec G228, or Dell's Alienware Aurora R11 might be reasonable options.
PC Accessories - $120
There is no point in spending more on a keyboard and mouse, so look to the same $15 Logitech MK120 Combo at Amazon that we recommended for the Basic Rig.
If you want to spend a little more on headphones, I've used the HyperX Cloud Alpha gaming headphones ($100) quite happily for several years. For sim-racing, they are decently immersive, and I can hear the others around me fine. The mic is also good, and so they can hear me.
Wheel - $700+
At this price point, I'd look to Fanatec. They make good quality equipment - it feels sold and works reliably. Decently high force feedback levels will be available, so you should experience little unrealistic clipping, and better pedals and higher fidelity feedback through the wheel will help you control the car better and more consistently. Immersion will also be better - the construction quality materials used are more reminiscent of an actual car than a piece of consumer electronics.
One good option is the Fanatec CSL Elite PS4 Starter Kit, which bundles the CSL Elite Racing Wheel and CSL Elite Pedals for $570. I'd strongly recommend considering the optional Loadcell Kit for an additional $140. This means that the brake sensor will be based on force, rather than position, which is more realistic representation of the brake in a real car, and it will greatly help with braking consistency and immersion.
If you want to push the budget out further, the Fanatec CSW 2.5 base offers higher forces and faster feedback for $550. You will need to buy pedals and wheel rims separately. The Fanatec ClubSport Pedals V3 are decent by all accounts for $360. For wheel rims, the ClubSport Porsche 918 RSR ($400) and ClubSport Formula V2 ($370) are both nice, depending on whether you want to look at closed- or open-wheel cars. All together that'd be $1680.
If you want to go even further, replace any of the pedals above with the excellent Heusinkveld Sim Pedals Sprint for 500EUR (~$580).
Monitor - $400
If you can, it's definitely a good idea to see a monitor in person before you buy it. After all, you're going to spend a lot of time looking at it.
At this price point, you can consider a low-end ultrawide monitor, which will give a give a decent field of view, allowing you to spot apexes and competitors that aren't directly in front of you. Filling your peripheral vision will also provide a great sense of speed.
As before, the main things to care about are field of vision and latency. Look for gaming monitors which will have better latency than regular monitors or TVs, and look for higher refresh rates (75hz is good, 100+hz is better).
Most monitors of this type will come with AMD Freesync, which allows the monitor to adaptively lower the refresh rate without tearing the image if the graphics card can't supply frames fast enough. I'm still not entirely clear on the situation, but it seems like modern AMD and NVidia cards both now support Freesync. GSync, NVidia's similar technology, seems to be on its way to joining Betamax in the place where marginally better, but less supported, technologies go to die.
I haven't used it, but if I was in the market for one, I'd try to find a showroom I could look at the snappily named LG 34BK650-W, a 34" 1080p ultrawide. It supports AMD Freesync and has a refresh rate of 75hz.
Rig - $1150
Lots of choices here. I'm a strong proponent of rigs that are built with 80-20 aluminium extrusion. They tend to be very strong, and they also give you a lot of flexibility to add components to your rig from a variety of suppliers, or even to create your own custom designs.
There are a couple of downsides. To some eyes it's less attractive than all-in-one game seats. For me, my driving room is not my living room, and no-one is going in there to behold the beauty of the furniture.
The other downside is the cost. I think it's safe to say that if you are spending this much on sim racing equipment, it's something you intend to do for a while, and it'll be a lot cheaper to buy a rig that you can expand as you go, than buying something else that looks nice, and then later buying an 80-20 rig anyway. Trust me.
You can build your own, but there are several suppliers that provide everything you need for standard designs. Simlab is excellent, and their GT1-Evo at 400 EUR looks great. You will also need their TV stand (150 EUR), bucket seat bracket (40 EUR), and you will probably want to add a seat slider (40 EUR) and maybe a pedal slider baseplate (150 EUR). The sliders are unnecessary, as you can move the parts anyway, but the sliders make it easier to make adjustments, particularly if more than one person will use the rig. That total 730 EUR (around $850).
It's worth taking a look through Simlab's full list to see what else you might want - mounting points for shifters, button boxes, speakers, buttkickers and so on.
You will also need a seat. Simlab sell them if you are in Europe, but do not ship to the States. A lot of racing seats are pretty constrictive so if you want one, it is definitely worth going to a dealer in person, so you can try out options and see what works for you. That said, the OMP classic seat ($300) or Sparco R100 ($330) seem like a good starting points. I have an Evo XL QRT, and if anything, it's a bit too large, but there's no real downside. If you want to save money, you might look to a seat from a regular car from a salvage yard - the G-forces in a sim crash are substantially lower than a real one, so as long as the seat is sufficiently rigid, this will be fine, and probably more comfortable.
Total - $3000
For this amount of money, you're getting something pretty special. All the equipment will be good quality and last for many years. Your experience driving in sim will be pretty great, and while there is nicer equipment available, it's probably not going to make you significantly faster above this price point.
Note on Currencies and Customs
A few of the items listed above are priced in EUR and ship from Europe. Be aware that currencies do fluctuate. Also, you will be liable for import taxes on these items. Depending on the shipper, they may invoice you separately for this.
Optional Items
The items below are not strictly necessary, but you might consider adding them to improve your experience.
Buttkickers are transducers that put low frequency sounds directly into your seat, kind of like a super-effective subwoofer. For sim racing, they really bring engines to life, and they also make running over kerbs quite visceral. That improves immersion. In my case, it also makes the sim-car seem more physical and I find I spin on kerbs less as I'm more respectful of the limits of the car under load in those situations... I'm skeptical myself, reading that, but others have reported similar things.
You should be aware that the sound will travel between rooms and floors, particular in houses with a wood structure. I turn the Buttkicker off if anyone is sleeping in the house.
If you have an 80-20 rig you will probably need a Buttkicker mini LFE ($100), an amplifier (Buttkicker make one for $160, but other options are available), and Simlab mounting plate (14 EUR). You will also need some speaker cable, and you'll need to splice it onto the Buttkicker mini LFE's cables. If you have a tubular steel rig then you can use the Buttkicker Gamer 2 for $160.
You can use a 3.5mm splitter to split the audio signal between headphones and the buttkicker amplifier. It is worth making sure that both left and right signals are being fed to the amplifier - otherwise you only get kerb sensations from one side of the car. I can't remember my solution for this - if it's critical to you, ping me and I'll rewrite this section.
You can also use the SimVibe software which provides an entirely separate bass channel to one or more Buttkickers. You'll need a separate sound card to drive that. Some people swear by it. I'm interested, and when I have impressions to give, I'll give them.
Sequential/H-Pattern Gear Shifter - $250
These don't work as well as the other equipment - most race cars these days use paddle shifters, and most sims focus on these. The big problem with H-pattern gear shifters and sims is that if you shift too fast, the physical gear lever will be in gear, but the simulator will make gear-crunching sounds at you and will be in neutral. It's pretty unintuitive and breaks immersion horribly to sort that out, usually in the middle of corner entry when you are quite busy steering. That said, if you're going to be driving a classic Lotus F1 car, you're not going to want to use paddle shifters are you?
The shifter to get is Fanatec's Clubsport Shifter SQ V1.5 for $250. By all accounts it has a good feel, and can be switched between sequential an H-pattern with a single switch.
Another option is the Thrustmaster TH8A for $170. I have one. I don't love it, but it serves its purpose.
Don't forget to make sure your pedal option has a clutch pedal!
Button Box - $160
As a sim racer, you always want more buttons available. Tweak brake balance. Mute current speaker. Car ahead lap times. There are always more things you could want to access than available buttons. Derek Speare Designs make good quality button boxes, and I'd recommend the DSD Race King for $160.
I definitely would not recommend their button boxes that attach directly to wheels, because I cackhandedly removed the wrong screws from my CSW 2.5 and had to send it for warranty repair a few weeks after I got it. Yes, that's on me. But it made me sad, and I want you to be happy.
Upgrading from a Basic Rig
You might also want to consider individual items on this list as upgrades from a Basic Rig. In this case, it's partly a matter of taste which you would focus on first, but for me, I'd prioritize the things that are going to improve my driving, and then those that improve immersion. I'd say the order of importance is:
- Pedals. Particularly, a load cell brake pedal. Modulation of braking force in the braking zone for a corner can be quite subtle. Being able to do it consistently, lap after lap, will make a huge difference to your lap time, and you'll feel more comfortable in the car also.
- Wheel. A mid-level wheel will have enough headroom in torque that it won't clip often. But more importantly, it will respond to torque requests from the sim's physics engine a lot faster. This means you will be able to consistently drive closer to the limit, and have better odds of saving the car when you go over the limit. It will probably feel less "grainy" or "notchy" also.
- Rig. A good solid rig will improve immersion - it's the difference between feeling like you are driving a car, or feeling like you are controlling a car from your desk.
- Screen. The main thing to focus on is latency. PC gaming monitors will typically have better latency than TVs or monitors focused on office or design work. Higher refresh rate screens will typically have lower latency (otherwise, what's the point of higher refresh rates). Having a 144hz monitor can make braking points and other marks slightly easier to hit, but the effect is marginal. Resolution makes very little difference.
- PC. I don't think this is hugely important unless it's a limiting factor for something else in your setup. Even the budget PC will support reasonable graphics settings in VR, and when you're flying through the Italian mountains or wheel-to-wheel racing with this season's foe at Suzuka, you won't notice the difference between pretty good graphics and really good graphics. If you do upgrade PC, the main things to look at are GPU (for higher graphical settings, triple screens, higher refresh rates, higher resolutions) and CPU (if you want to stream).


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Our graphic designing services include social media post, packaging, albums and corporate identity. We have excelled in all these four criterias to a great extent and are looking forward to adapting to changes with open hands and with a creative vision. Creative eye is the key to creating a better piece of design, and Picasso multimedia is well versed with it. We have Chartered professionals, who are highly skilled and talented in the profession of designing. Designs that inspire are created by Picasso Multimedia. The most vital thing in designing, creative vision and that is what our professionals are very great with.
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Picasso multimedia graphic designers are excellent in communicating the clients messages in the right form to the audience by the way of the design. We communicate ideas which inspire and innovate customers' thoughts. The main strategy is to create the right design to get the viewer to understand the message. Consistency and creativity are our two primary keys of developing the great design by the professionals of Picasso multimedia.
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Online home goods and furniture retailer Wayfair has seen its shares go up and down in the wake of earnings reported earlier this week, according to Thursday (Nov. 2) reports from retail news site Retail Dive. Within the numbers, online shopping trends shone.
The company said its net revenues were up 39 percent year-over-year to $1.2 billion, $10 million lower than Wall Street projections.
Growing at an even faster rate — and, of course, helping to boost Wayfair's top line — was the company's online customer base, which was up 39 percent to 10.3 million users. In addition, as much as 61 percent of total orders came from repeat business.
"We are very pleased with the company's strong growth and momentum," said Niraj Shah, Wayfair's CEO, co-founder and co-chairman.
Average orders were $250, which was up from the $244 seen in the same time frame last year, according to Retail Dive. In fact, the online home furnishings firm's net revenue per active customer saw growth over the past 12 months, too — finishing up by approximately 50 basis points at $408.
The company has been looking to improve its supply chain processes, keeping an eye on margins and boosting customer experiences.
In the earnings call, analysts noted Wayfair's customer acquisition costs have been in the range of $65 to $75 per individual. In response to those costs being characterized as "elevated," Shah explained Wayfair has seen an increase in repeat customers and their overall spend.
"Every dollar we are spending is getting us a strong customer," added Michael Fleisher, Wayfair's chief financial officer.
According to Shah, eCommerce is growing as a channel for furniture purchasing, with particular growth in international locales such as Canada, the U.K. and Germany. Industry researcher IBISWorld figures show as much as 15 percent of the $70 billion in domestic furniture sales are now done online.


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God Hears: Gestures
God Hears: Gestures.
Ezra stood on the platform in full view of all the people. When they saw him open the Book, they all rose to their feet. Then Ezra praised the Lord, the great God, and all the people chanted, 'Amen! Amen!' as they lifted their hands. Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground." (Nehemiah 8:5-6).
When our body talks, God listens to what it has to say. Physical gestures can point to spiritual truth, or it could stimulate spiritual truth. Body movements often reflect the status of the heart. The posture of one's body can be a sign that communicates a message to God, a prayer in the form of body language. Physical movement can also stimulate an emotion or thought, and the muscle memory used is often a spiritual muscle. Do you want to signal to God that you submit to Him, that you adore Him, that you want to give your whole life to Him? There are gestures that can communicate these positions of the heart that don't need words. Down through Judeo-Christian history, body language is vital to spiritual life and expression. The body can speak clearly without words.
LIFTING THE HANDS. We lift our hands to celebrate, to praise and adore, to acknowledge His lordship, to intercede for loved ones, to entreat the Lord in humility, and even to confess our sins to God. A survey of some of the Scriptures reveal that lifting up our hands is an important gesture and speaks volumes.
- "In your Name I will lift up my hands." (Ps. 63:4);
- "May the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice." (Ps. 141:2);
- "Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the Lord." (Ps. 134:2)'
- "Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for help, as I lift my hands toward your Most Holy Place." (Ps. 28:2);
- "I spread my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land." (Ps. 143:6);
- "Lift up your hands to Him for the lives of your children." (Lam. 2:19);
- "In every place of worship, I want you to pray with holy hands lifted up to God…" (1 Tim. 2:8);
- "Let us lift up our hearts and our hands to God in heaven, and say, 'We have sinned and rebelled..." (Lam. 3:41).
PROSTRATE TO THE GROUND. When a defeated soldier is brought to a conquering king, the captured foe lays his body out, face down, fully on the ground. That physical act acknowledges the fact that he is in subjection to the king, that he submits to his power and authority. To lie prostrate in worship is to acknowledge much the same thing, that the worshiper is humbly in full submission to God the King. To lie prostrate in prayerful worship is done out of reverence and a healthy fear of God's might and authority over us. Interceding for the people of Israel after the Golden Calf debacle, Moses fell prostrate before the Lord for forty days and nights. He fasted the whole time he was prostrate, because he "feared the anger and wrath of the Lord." (Deut. 9:18-19). Moses acknowledges his subservience to Yahweh by his physical gesture. Even more telling was the time when all the people on Mt. Carmel saw the fire of heaven come down at Elijah's request, 'When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, "The Lord – He is God! The Lord – He is God!' (1 Kings 19:39). Prostration is a rather radical, visual way to signal one's submission and respect to God. It would be interesting to try this posture in private prayer, no less in community worship.
KISS OF PEACE. We are told a number of times in the Epistles to greet fellow believers with a "holy kiss." (1 Cor. 16:20; 2 Cor. 13:12; Ro. 16:16; 1 Thess. 5:26). This gesture was a sacred greeting that symbolized the love and unity believers experienced in their spiritual fellowship. It was a sign of peace. The holy kiss signaled mutual affection, the desire for peace between individuals, and was done on the cheeks of the believers. Peter emphasized this kiss' origin in the love of God to the degree that he calls it the "kiss of love." (1 Peter 5:14). This kiss of peace reminds us of Judas' treacherous kiss, and we understand even more deeply his profound betrayal, demonstrating a supposed kiss of peace merely to point out the doomed Lamb of God. The kiss of peace on each cheek was a traditional greeting in the Middle East. The Christian Church continued that tradition, and it continues to this day in the Eastern Orthodox Church. When someone offers a kiss of peace, that person is saying that she or he has a clear conscience with that other person, that any division has been healed, any wrong has been forgiven, any bitterness is in the past. When Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss of peace, his betrayal was grotesque and doubly hurtful (Luke 22:48). The kiss of peace in the Orthodox liturgy is done just before the Eucharist, for Jesus clearly stated that peace with others takes priority over the duties of worship (Matt. 5:23-24).
KNEEL. The Hebrew word most often translated as "bless" is barak, which means to kneel down, to adore with bended knees. It is an act of humbling oneself as we exalt the Lord and revere His Name. Kneeling is a sign of adoration and reverence, of humility and respect. We kneel low to raise God high.
- "Come let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker." (Ps. 95:6);
- "For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom all fatherhood in heaven and on earth derives its name." (Eph. 3:14);
- "Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other… Before me every knee will bow." (Is. 45:22-23);
- "As surely as I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God." (Ro. 14:11);
- "Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the Name that is above every name, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Phil. 2:9-11).
DANCE. Using one's whole body in self-expression, moving in a way that matches the speed and rhythm of a piece of music, is an ancient art form in worship. The purpose of this physical movement is to express an emotion or an idea, a thought or a feeling. Dance honors the Person for whom you are dancing. Dancing has been a part of Judeo-Christian worship since ancient times. Believers have been known to dance in order to rejoice, to adore, to celebrate, to lament, and even to act out a story.
- "For everything there is a season… a time to mourn and a time to dance." (Eccl. 3:4);
- "Let Israel rejoice in their Maker; let the people of Zion be glad in their King. Let them praise His Name with dancing and make music to Him with tambourines and harp." (Ps. 149:2-3);
- "You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever." (Ps. 30:11-12);
- "This son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found! So they began to celebrate. Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing." (Luke 15:24-25);
- "David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the Lord with all his might, while he and the entire house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of trumpets." (2 Sam. 6:14-15).
Use your body when you want to talk with God. He loves to listen to body language, because gestures can often be more profound than words.


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BIRATNAGAR, Dec 30: Rangeli Municipality has asked the government to operate Rangeli border of Morang as an alternative border point of the district.
"Though the Rangeli municipality was considered a suitable alternative to Biratnagar border, the government has not shown any concern over this issue," said Dilip Bagadiya, mayor of Rangeli municipality.
He further said that the municipality will press the government to operate Rangeli border point. "
"Industrialists of Biratnagar have been considering the Bhantabari border of Sunsari district as an alternative to Biratnagar border but they are ignoring to recognize Rangeli border," he said.
Currently goods are being transported to Biratnagar custom even by re-routing from Bhimnagar-Bhantabari. Such re-routing is costlier and troublesome, he said. He further claimed that the cost will be reduced if the Rangeli border could be brought into operation instead of Bhimnagar."
"Rangeli border is just 15 kilometers away from Biratnagar. So the additional cost for transportation will be reduced."
According to Bagadiya, the damaged Mirganj bridge of India does not seem to get renovated anytime soon, so goods usually imported via Biratnagar customs could be diverted through Rangeli border.
The municipality is preparing to send letters to the government, customs department and other concerned bodies, requesting them to bring Rangeli border point customs into operation.
Since the Mirganj bridge located five kilometers away from Jogbani has been damaged, transportation of carrier trucks has been obstructed via Jogbani-Biratnagar route.
Indeed the locals have been demanding to operate Rangeli border for long time.
The local representatives have promised many times to bring Rangeli border into operation, however, they have been failing to keep their promise.
It takes quite a long time to bring goods to Biratnagar border by re-routing from Bhantabari of Sunsari, which lengthens the route by 50 kilometers. Furthermore, the goods carriers have to wait for long queue at Biratnagar checkpoint.
According to Biratnagar Customs Office, it failed to collect its targeted revenue in the first two month of current fiscal year, however, the office has been collecting expected revenue for last three months. As per the statistics of Biratnagar Customs Office, the office has collected Rs 11.32 billion till the first five months of current fiscal year against the target of Rs 11.87 billion.


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Normally when we talk about smelling flowers we'll use a line like, "Waking up and smelling like roses." But that is decidedly not the case with this story, so we chose a different plant: Crown Imperial (Fritillaria imperialis). You'll see why shortly.
Back on June 20th we reported on the IRS denying 501(c)(3) status to Christians Engaged. The reason given hearkened back to the IRS Scandal on non-profits:
[Y]ou are serving the private interests of the D party [D means Republican] more than incidentally in contravention to Treas. Reg. Section 1.501(c)(3)-1(d)1(ii) as well as serving a substantial nonexempt private purpose. For example, you educate Christians on what the bible says in areas where they can be instrumental including the areas of sanctity of life, the definition of marriage, biblical justice, freedom of speech, defense, and borders and immigration, U.S. and Israel relations. The bible teachings are typically affiliated with the D party [Republican] and candidates. This disqualifies you from exemption under IRC Section 501(c)(3).
Well, it appears the IRS got the message. Christians Engaged received a new IRS Letter dated today that states: "We're pleased to tell you we determined you're exempt from federal income tax under Internal Revenue Code (IRC) Section 501(c)(3)." There was no explanation given why the denial was reversed, but a cynic–and I am definitely one on this issue–believes the IRS figured out that only bad things would happen if the denial were to stand. Indeed, under President Biden's proposed budget the IRS is looking at an $80 billion increase in funding. I strongly suspect IRS management realized that funding was in grave danger if the IRS continued to publicly discriminate against conservative (and religious based) nonprofits.
So does the IRS come up smelling like roses? Hardly. The IRS didn't explain why Christians Engaged didn't receive 501(c)(3) status to begin with. Had I formed a new charity (and complied with all the minutiae regarding 501(c)(3) organizations) titled, "Ultra Liberals Engaged," does anyone think that I wouldn't have quickly received approval?
So the IRS comes up smelling like the Crown Imperial plant. You haven't heard of this plant? It's "a dazzling and unique member of the Lily family…In addition to adding visual interest, these flowers…have a potent, musky scent almost like a skunk…."
Tags: Christians.Engaged


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They say a good night's rest will make one feel much better during the onset of a disease or sickness. But why is it we feel much, much worse at night when we go to bed? Are the doctors and experts simply fooling us with their advice to sleep? No, they're not. Before you turn to medicine for cough and colds, there's an entirely logical explanation for this phenomenon, and we'll take a look at it in this article.
According to Thea Jourdan, a correspondent for the online version of The Daily Mail, colds are more unbearable at night because the nasal and pharyngeal are less effective of getting rid of congestion in a horizontal position.
Dr. Mitchell Blass, a specialist at the Georgia Infectious Diseases, has a similar perspective. He says in an online article, "It is all due to the nature of gravity. Elevation counters congestion in the back of the throat. A horizontal state pools phlegm and mucous together." He suggests sleeping with a pillow at night that makes you lie down at an angle, to help get rid of the congestion.
He also adds that dry air and lack of humidity are both causes for colds worsening in the evening. Dr. Blass advises to use a humidifier, and to follow all the instructions to the letter to avoid further complications, as an unclean humidifier could worsen the already burdensome condition.
How then do you deal with this? There are three simple steps, according to Dr. Blass.
1) Drink water and/or fluids – Water/fluids lessen the build up of phlegm and mucous, making them easier to expel. Be sure to do this before you go to bed.
2) Eat lozenges – If you find coughing in the middle of the night very bothersome for your sleep, take a lozenge. These treats lessen the cough reflex of the body, giving you an easier and more comfortable time to doze off. If you think about it, you'll be doing yourself, your household, and even your neighbors a favor. They don't have to be awakened at night by someone's loud and repeated coughing.
3) Call your doctor – If your condition does not improve, consult an expert to see if you have contracted a disease or if the symptoms of your colds have been merely prolonged.
So the next time your cough and colds get worse at night, don't fret. This is just a common bodily reaction to certain conditions. Just remember the facts and tips from this article on how to deal with it and you'll be good to go in no time!


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Pop quiz: Q: What is the current mode for years of experience in the teaching profession in the US? A: One. In other words, ask all teachers how many years they have been teaching and "one" is answered more often than any other number. The reasons we have come to this are complex (see the below infographic from the work … Read More
What We Want To Interrupt
In an excerpt from an interview with a "young adolescent in jail for selling drugs," author Thomas J. Cottle lays bare the nuanced complexity of educating youth who have a fragile, if any, grip on hope. Two moments pulled from his post illustrate, at a minimum, problems with the lesson our system implicitly teaches students: "Smart" is defined by traditional … Read More