text:
Dear Debian maintainer, The Debian internationalisation team and the Debian English localisation team will soon begin the review of the debconf templates used in ejabberd. This review takes place for all packages that use debconf to interact with users and its aims are: - to improve the use of English in all debconf templates; - to make the wording of debconf templates more consistent; - to encourage more translations of templates. Even if your first language is English, this process is likely to help track down typos or errors, and improve consistency between the debconf templates of your package and that of other packages in the distribution. The process involves both debian-l10n-english contributors and Debian translators. The details of the process are given in http://wiki.debian.org/I18n/SmithDebconfReviewProcess. I will act as the coordinator of this activity for ejabberd. The first step of the process is to review the debconf source template file(s) of ejabberd. This review will start on Thursday, July 02, 2015, or as soon as you acknowledge this mail with an agreement for us to carry out this process. All parts of the process will be carried out in close collaboration with you, and, unless you explicitly ask for it, no upload nor NMU will happen for ejabberd. If you approve this process, please let us know by replying to this mail. If some work in progress on your side would conflict with such a rewrite (such as adding or removing debconf templates), please say so, and we will defer the review to later in the development cycle. Thank you for your attention. --
Description: Digital signature


text:
Wednesday Lazy Linking
Here's a pretty old post from the blog archives of Geekery Today; it was written about 15 years ago, in 2009, on the World Wide Web.
Don't forget.
The world is awesome.
People are awesome. You don't need plans, or politics, or power. Put them up against people, and people will win every time. People came up with that video. Also, other people came up with this.
Technological civilization is awesome. (In case you're wondering, it's awesome because it's made of people.)
Books are awesome. Verlyn Klinkenborg, New York Times (2009-05-29): Some Thoughts on the Pleasures of Being a Re-Reader
To-day is awesome. It's an anniversary. My love and I were married three years ago today. If the normal online rounds are held up for a while, well, that's why.
In memory of George Tiller. feministe (2009-05-31): In honor of Dr. Tiller (if you would like to donate in memory and in honor of Dr. Tiller's work). Among others, the National Network of Abortion Funds has established a George Tiller Memorial Abortion Fund.
IQSN, L.A. I.M.C. (2009-05-27): Solidarity with Queer Bulgaria on 27 June 2009. A day of international actions in solidarity with the LGBTQ Pride march in Sofia, Bulgaria. Last year's march was attacked by neo-Nazi groups who decided to Keep Our Children Safe with a campaign of roving basher gangs and by slinging molotov cocktails and small explosives at the marchers.
International Queer Solidarity Network calls for a European mobilization, with support from the United States, that will stand in solidarity with Queer Bulgaria
for this year's march.
Underground abortion networks in Chile. Feminist Daily News Wire (2009-05-29): Abortion Hotline Launched in Chile. The Chilean government inflicted a categorical abortion ban in 1989. A coalition of pro-choice feminist groups has now launched a phone hotline which gives women information about how to use Misopristol (usually used in the U.S. together with Mifepristone; in Chile it's legally available to treat ulcers) to give themselves safe DIY medical abortions in defiance of the law.
Shoot an unarmed old man, get a four-month paid vacation. Vickie Welborn, Shreveport Times (2009-05-24): NAACP questions Homer officers' leave status
The question is who is to be the master — that's all. The Status of Forces Agreement requires all U.S. troops to be withdrawn from Iraqi cities by the end of June. A Senior U.S. Commander
[considers] the security agreement a living document,
so he intends to comply with the deadlines by withdrawing the political boundaries of Baghdad from his occupation patrol forces
On knowledge problems and management make-work. quasibill, The Bell Tower (2009-05-28): Scene 3
On free-market mutualism and open source solutions to the social question. Jesse Walker, Hit & Run (2009-05-27): Mutual Aid: A Factor in Cyberspace. (As for whether the word
is the best tag for the kind of mutualist projects under discussion, I reckon that it depends on your intended audience. I use it happily, but then, my intent in doing so is deliberately provocative, as is my use offreed market
language around anti-authoritarian Leftists: given the right audience, you can pull some philosophical aikido by using a term's very unpopularity in order to provoke a conversation about some fundamental premises.)The State is male in the political sense. (Cont'd.) Alderson Warm-Fork, Directionless Bones (2009-05-26): The State is Incapable of Submissiveness. (This particular article deals mainly with the external relations among many states; for discussion of the male State in the context of the internal relations between the government and the country that it occupies, cf. GT 2006-05-11: Quidditative essence.)
The George Tiller I Knew. loree920, Daily Kos (2009-05-31): The George Tiller I Knew
A Loatian American teen protested No Child Left Behind and Won. Mandy Van Deven, ColorLines: She Said No To The Test. In which a second-generation Laotian-American who speaks, reads, and writes fluent English and graduated 7th in her class was declared
by school officials for refusing to retake a basic English-proficiency test that she'd already aced — and how she and her fellow students protested and won.Yes, Virginia, government roads really are government subsidized, and no, they don't approximate freed-market outcomes. (Cont'd.) Chris Bradford, Austin Contrarian (2006-05-16): Do roads pay for themseles? (Cf. GT 2008-12-01: Yes, Virginia, government roads really are government subsidized, and no, they don't approximate freed-market outcomes.
On public space and the microphysics of male power. Norma, Happy bodies. (2009-05-25): Fighting Unwanted Attention
On neuro-jargon as modern mumbo-jumbo. Crispin Sartwell, eye of the storm (2009-05-31)
. . . the problem is that these approaches work backwards from social categories to neurology and enshrine momentary social formations, which are essentially created by power, as inescapable bio-destinies. the entire scientificness of the thing is usually presented in a few phrases – 'medial prefrontal cortex,' say – which function essentially as authorities: they're supposed to show you that you're too ignorant to assess what's being said, to put the actual ethical/political/economic conclusions beyond the realm of disagreement, to flummox you into nodding vaguely along. if you don't, you must be a dolt. they function like phrases from the koran or something. they actually do no work except to assert a kind of prestige. . . .
Against psychiatric coercion and psychiatric contempt. anarchafemme (2009-05-11): I Am Crazy, Yet I Am Human
On standing up for the marginalized and the enemies of the State. Wendy McElroy, WendyMcElroy.com (2009-05-31): The strategic wisdom of defending prostitutes
The Conservative (Hive) Mind. Will Wilkinson's The rise of collectivist conservatives is right-on in almost every respect, particularly in emphasizing how belligerent nationalism (I'd add sadistic law-n-orderism and anti-immigrationism) poison any attempt by the pseudopopulist Right to come out with a consistently individualistic position. Towards the end, Will asks
Conservatism must stand for something. But here's the big question: Can a politics of individual freedom be revived? Can it win elections?
As you may know, I'm an optimist about the first question, a pessimist about the second, and mainly concerned that people realize that the two are importantly distinct. If you want to know why the substance of Beck's politics is so much like the substance of Brooks's politics, underneath the pseudoindividualist rhetoric, well, part of the answer is the structural limitations that you necessarily accept when you start out hitching the success of your political philosophy to victory in government elections.
Jourdon Anderson authenticity update. Laster Hunt,
E pur si muove!
(2009-05-14): Jourdon Anderson's Letter to His Former Master. (Cf. GT 2009-05-06: Wednesday Lazy Linking for my reprinting of the original letter.)We apologize for the fault in the historicity debate. Those responsible have been sacked. Roderick Long, Austro-Athenian Empire (2009-05-31): Dragonquest; or, A Voyage to Arcturus
ALLiance Issue #2 (Beltaine 2009) is now available. Thanks to awesome editor Chris Lempa. This issue features articles by Chris, Darian Worden, Fred Foldvary, Kevin Carson, Michael Kleen, Sharon Presley and Lynn Kinsky.
Portland Anarchist Bookfair, June 6-7 at Liberty Hall, 311 N. Ivy in Portland, Oregon. The event is free to attend; childcare will be provided. Also, keep an eye out for Northwest ALLy Shawn Wilbur, who will be there to promote his new radical publishing project, Corvus Distribution.
The Cop Watch LA Radio program is looking for volunteers interested in recording, producing, interviewing and researching material for the Cop Watch LA radio program which airs every evening on the Raise the Fist Radio Network.
An IRC network for liberty builders: agora.anarplex.net:14716.
The time for waiting for others to do things is over. … Learn, create, cooperate, advance.
(Via Wendy McElroy.)

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Yesterday fathers across the globe were given heartfelt messages from their children.
Messages like, "Aren't you glad you put me through college?"
And, "Penmanship isn't everything."
Or, "Are you getting enough fiber?"
Or, "I can't even bring myself to call you 'Dad'."
I think this one is "Squint your eyes and it could almost be golf-related, Grandpa."
I guess a lot of people were hoping for "happy father dads":
And finally there's the classic backhanded compliment: "You're #1...
* Yes, I know it's supposed to be a fish. So don't go pulling a "Spaceship Earth" on me, hear?


text:
Noisebridge Vision
Noisebridge | About | Visit | 272 | Manual | Contact | Guilds | Resources | Events | Projects | 5MoF | Meetings | Donate | (Edit) |
About | Vision | 272 Capp | Materials | Testimonials | Lore | Photos | Hackerspaces | 501c3 | Press | Press Kit | Zine | Help | (Edit) |
Vision | Excellence | Do-ocracy | Consensus | Anarchy | Edit |
Noisebridge is a space for sharing, creation, collaboration, research, development, mentoring, and of course, learning. Noisebridge is also more than a physical space; it's a community with roots extending around the world. |
For we're excellent to each other here
We rarely ever block
We value tools over pre-emptive rules
And spurn the key and the lock.
— Danny O'Brien, 2010-11-09 general meeting notes
We make stuff. So can you.
The Idea
Noisebridge is an educational non-profit corporation, 501(c)3 public charity status.
We provide infrastructure and collaboration opportunities for people interested in programming, hardware hacking, physics, chemistry, mathematics, security, robotics, all kinds of art, and, of course, technology. Through talks, workshops, and projects we encourage knowledge exchange, learning, and mentoring.
As a space for artistic collaboration and experimentation, we are open to most types of art - with a special emphasis on the crossover of art and technology. From hardware labs to electronics and sound labs, most things that're creative are most definitely welcome.
Many interesting things happen in the space. We've found that sharing is essential to making this work. We strive to begin from a point of respect and trust. We believe it builds a safe community and that this best fosters innovation and creation. Our motto is "Be excellent to each other." We also have writings on community standards and an anti-harassment policy which covers all conduct in the physical space and in our online spaces.
Leadership is taken by individual members for specific projects. We call this "sudo leadership" after the *nix command sudo which allows a regular user to do one root-level, or superuser, task. In other words, if you want Noisebridge to do something, start doing it.
Here's some paraphrasing from our bylaws: Through talks, classes, workshops, collaborative projects, and other activities, we want to encourage research, knowledge exchange, learning, and mentoring in a safe, clean space. We provide educational spaces for teaching practical skills and theory of technology, science, and art. We provide work space, storage, and other resources for projects related to art, science, and technology that will benefit the individual members' personal growth in their fields of interest, encouraging the individual members to share their projects and knowledge for the betterment of society through art, science and technology. We create, learn, and teach, individually and as a group, inviting members of the community in the San Francisco Bay area and the world. We develop, support the development of, and provide resources for the development of free and open source software and hardware for the benefit of society. We promote collaboration across disciplines for the benefit of cultural, charitable, and scientific causes.
Tripartite Pillars
Be excellent to each other is the guiding principle of Noisebridge. Wikipedia uses a somewhat similar rule, which they call "the fundamental rule of all social spaces. Every other policy for getting along is a special case of it." Unlike Wikipedia, Noisebridge takes a positive approach, and avoids the practice of officially enumerating the myriad potential special cases; "be excellent" is enough.
We make official Noisebridge decisions by consensus, which means the willing consent of all of our members. Decisions are typically made at our weekly meetings or via our online management venues, and items proposed for consensus are announced at least a week in advance to give everyone time to hear about them. Conceivably, members could block by proxy if they are unable to attend or if they wish to block anonymously.
More information on the Consensus Process.
Doing excellent stuff at Noisebridge does not require permission or an official consensus decision. If you're uncertain about the excellence of something you want to do, you should ask someone else what they think.
- Smart creative people, welcoming community, friendly to newbies
- Equipment, tools, books, materials, and the space itself
- Its culture of free, open, accessible, DIY awesomeness
Financing it
We self-finance through membership fees ($80 per member/month with $40 "starving hacker" rate), beverage sales, and parties, the way European hacker spaces do it. We also welcome one-time or recurring donations from members and non-members alike. Donations and sponsorships will accompany renovation and equipment purchase. Within the first 24 hours of renting a space, we raised over $10,000 for a cool location and meaningful projects. Within our first month, we've nearly become cash flow positive from membership dues alone. Further discussion is happening on the Finances wiki page.
Noisebridge is inspired by similar European clubs like Metalab of Vienna, CBase of Berlin, MAMA of Zagreb, and ASCII of Amsterdam. Many other clubs of a similar stripe can be found at Hacklabs and Hackerspaces dot Org. It would not be out of the question to consider Noisebridge a possible San Francisco Chaostreff. Noisebridge is a hacker space and community that shares a Dorkbot-like ethic, and indeed, many of the members of Noisebridge are long-time Dorkbotters.
The Name
A "noise bridge" performs useful services by injecting noise into a system. Such a device is often used in RF electronics.
The Space
Read some oral histories from members, or add your own!
See Also
Noisebridge | About | Visit | 272 | Manual | Contact | Guilds | Resources | Events | Projects | 5MoF | Meetings | Donate | (Edit) |
Manual (c) | Visitors | Participation | Excellence | Do-ocracy | Consensus | Standards | Outreach | Operations | Cleaning | (Edit) |


text:
Jim Tressel to NFL? No Way. Ohio St fans can stop freaking out; there's no way that Tressel goes to the NFL (even the Browns).
It's one of those rumors that floats out there because it SEEMS to fit, not that it has any basis in reality. I've floated a few of those in my time, but never as ACTUAL rumor -- merely Idle Speculation. Come on, folks: There's a glorious difference!
Some college football coaches would make great NFL coaches. Um, yeah, I can think of one off the top of my head: Charlie Weis. Otherwise, I think that the things that make for a great college coach -- say, ABSOLUTE CONTROL -- aren't really available in the NFL.Given his previous NFL experience (an absolute prerequisite), Nick Saban was as well-prepared as any college coach to make the jump, and look at him now. He's among the NFL's biggest control freaks and has 1 win to show for it in '06.
So I offer up a list of one: Weis. (And he is an NFL coach who happens to be spending a few seasons in college football. Sorry, ND fans.)
Jim Tressel? Pete Carroll? Urban Meyer? All of CFB's elite coaches make too much money -- and, again, have too much unrivaled power -- to feel the need to prove themselves in the NFL, where the money bump ain't that great -- and the power decline is immense. Just ask Carroll about his NFL experience.
(It's funny: Even in college hoops, there are few coaches who I'd say are suited for a jump to the NBA. I always find it strange that Tubby Smith is considered NBA material; that guy is an A-list screamer. Can you imagine him doing that to pros? Even guys like Coach K or Tom Izzo are WAY too control-freaky, cult-of-me to succeed. If he wins a second straight national title, I'd say Billy Donovan would get a shot at coaching the Knicks -- as soon as Dolan fired Isiah -- but one of Donovan's true strengths -- recruiting -- would be wasted at the pro level.)
Commenters: Which college football coaches, besides Charlie Weis, would you say are best-suited to jump to the NFL?


text:
All Games
Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe in PlayStation Store
PS Deals helps you track PlayStation games prices in the official PlayStation Store simply by subscribing to any game you'd like to buy. Let's see how it works:
That's it! Now sit back and relax - we will notify you by email when the game's price in the official PlayStation Store drops. Also check all currently available deals in 'Discounts' section and don't forget to download PS Deals iOS app
Price drop notifications
Subscribe and receive emails when price drops for exact game/add-on.
Organize your collection
Get track of your purchased, most wanted or favorite games. All in one place!
Personalized content
PS Deals is personalized based on your settings. Every time you come back.
Sync with mobile apps
Sync lists, settings and subscriptions accross website and iOS App (Android App is coming soon)


text:
Specifies the connection to the X server.
Specifies the window.
XDestroyWindow can generate a BadWindow error.
The XDestroySubwindows function destroys all inferior windows of the specified window, in bottom-to-top stacking order. It causes the X server to generate a DestroyNotify event for each window. If any mapped subwindows were actually destroyed, XDestroySubwindows causes the X server to generate Expose events on the specified window. This is much more efficient than deleting many windows one at a time because much of the work need be performed only once for all of the windows, rather than for each window. The subwindows should never be referenced again.
XDestroySubwindows can generate a BadWindow error.


text:
Cressi Flash Goggles
Couldn't load pickup availability
Goggles with separate eye-pieces, characterized by the presence of an elastic element within the structure which allows for perfect adaptability to a large number of facial profiles.
Lenses are slightly curved on the outer profile, offering maximum visibility. Shatterproof lenses with scratch proof treatment and UV protection, as well as internal anti-fogging treatment. Indestructible, micrometrically adjustable buckles. Possibility of instantly replacing the buckle-strap structure with other models from the Cressi range.
- Clear (Indoor)
- Tinted (Outdoor)


text:
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — A new, 9-meter (29.5-foot) sculpture of Nelson Mandela is billed as the biggest statue of the South African leader. It also has a tiny, barely visible quirk: a sculpted rabbit tucked inside one of the bronze ears.
South African officials want the miniature bunny removed from the statue, which was unveiled outside the government complex in Pretoria, the capital, on December 16, a day after Mandela's funeral. The department of arts and culture said it didn't know the two sculptors, Andre Prinsloo and Ruhan Janse van Vuuren, had added a rabbit, said to be a discreet signature on their work.
The bronze rabbit, sitting on its haunches with one floppy ear, is about half the height of the ear canal.
"It doesn't belong there," said Mogomotsi Mogodiri, a department spokesman. "The statue represents what everyone in South Africa is proud of."
His department said in a statement that there are discussions on "how best to retain the integrity of the sculpture without causing any damage or disfigurement."
Translation: pull the rabbit out of the ear without botching the statue. The giant work stands with arms outstretched, symbolizing Mandela's devotion to inclusiveness, outside the Union Buildings, where the body of the prisoner who opposed white rule and became South Africa's first black president lay in state after his December 5 death at the age of 95.
Earlier this week, South Africa's Beeld newspaper quoted the artists as saying they added the rabbit as a "trademark" after officials would not allow them to engrave their signatures on the statue's trousers. They also said the rabbit represented the pressure of finishing the sculpture on time because "haas" — the word for rabbit in the Dutch-based Afrikaans language — also means "haste."
Paul Mashatile, arts and culture minister, said the sculptors have apologized for any offense to those who felt the rabbit was disrespectful toward the legacy of Mandela.
The government had appointed Koketso Growth, a heritage development company, to manage the statue project. CEO Dali Tambo, son of anti-apartheid figure Oliver Tambo, said he was furious when he heard about the rabbit, and said it must go.
"That statue isn't just a statue of a man, it's the statue of a struggle, and one of the most noble in human history," Tambo said. "So it's belittling, in my opinion, if you then take it in a jocular way and start adding rabbits in the ear."
It would be, he said, like depicting US President Barack Obama with a mouse in his nose.
Tambo said the artists, who belong to South Africa's white Afrikaner minority, were selected for their talent but also in part because the project was a multi-racial effort in keeping with Mandela's principle of reconciliation. He said their signatures could be added on the statue in a discreet place, perhaps on Mandela's heel.


text:
Welcome to Dragon Cave! Dragon Cave is an online adoptables game. Collect eggs, raise them to adulthood, and then breed them to create interesting lineages. New dragons are added regularly!
Pumpkin Dragons are a very small breed, named after their affinity for pumpkins. They are always found living inside hollowed-out pumpkins, and are only seen during the harvest season. Young children often hollow out and decorate their pumpkins in the hope that a Pumpkin Dragon will make it his or her home.
Dragons are highly-intelligent reptilian creatures that—from a human perspective, at least—appear to live forever. Many different varieties of dragon exist, each with their own unique qualities, habitats, and behavior. Adolescence in dragons is usually marked by the growth of a hatchling's wings, although not all breeds of dragons grow wings and some breeds have other traits that indicate the beginning of maturation. In Galsreim, dragons and humans coexist peacefully.
Pygmy dragons are the smallest category of dragons, being on the same scale as domesticated animals. They are often found around concentrated populations of dragons, relying on their larger brethren to ward away potential predators and leave scraps. As such, the majority of a pygmy's diet is scavenged. Due to their tiny size, pygmies do not breed with larger varieties of dragons.


text:
Subscribe to the USFamilyGuide.com KidsScoop!
The monthly family event and savings newsletter. Receive coupons for Fun Activities, Summer Camps, Parties, Dining, Shopping, Field Trips, Child Care and more! We NEVER share your information.
I have received a 3 month subscription for free in exchange for my honest and unbiased review. #kidsbaking #baketivity #ad
Anytime you come by, you will see me on Netflix watching some type of cooking or baking show. Baking is not a strong area for me, so I was so glad to have the chance to improve my baking skills, but not only that a chance to bond even more with our grandson.
He is certainly one that will either be in the kitchen or one who will be an outdoorsman who in his spare time is found in the kitchen:) He already seemed to be at ease in the kitchen, so me putting that chef's hat on him was one of his highlights. He usually takes any hat you put on him off, but not this one. He actually looked kind of sad when I took it off.
Baketivity made it so much fun to be able to show our grandson some of my kitchen secrets while him showing me how even more sneaky he can be, with him tasting some of the ingredients:)
Each kit had easy-to-follow directions, so even if you are not one for being a baker, you and the kids can fool some people with the creative baking pieces you can come up with monthly. You only had to add some additional ingredients and had some of the tools you would see in a kitchen of a baker: measuring cups, measuring spoons, rolling pins, etc.
Get your Baketivity Baking Kits here:> https://baketivity.com/ where you can order anything from one month on up to a year subscription.
How Baking With My Kids Changes My Day - Baketivity Kit Review
moreBerry Chocolate Chip Scones With Baketivity
more7 Reasons to try Baketivity // baking subscription kit
moreBaketivity Makes Having Kids in the Kitchen A Lot Less Stressful! | Baketivity Review
moreBake with Kids and Baketivity
moreBaketivity is so much fun to do with your Child(ren)
moreBaketivity Kids Baking Kit Review
moreAbsolutely adorable!
moreBaketivity Earns the Mom Stamp of Approval!
moreBaketivity - A Baking Box for Kids! Sign up for their Summer Camp and Save
moreGiant Earth Day Cookie
moreBaketivity with Timothy
moreMonthly Kitchen Project With Baketivity


text:
Now streaming on:
We are republishing this review in honor of the 10th anniversary of the passing of Roger Ebert. Read why one of our contributors chose this review here.
Even as I was watching "Cloud Atlas" the first time, I knew I would need to see it again. Now that I've seen it the second time, I know I'd like to see it a third time — but I no longer believe repeated viewings will solve anything. To borrow Churchill's description of Russia, "it is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma." It fascinates in the moment. It's getting from one moment to the next that is tricky.
Surely this is one of the most ambitious films ever made. The little world of film criticism has been alive with interpretations of it, which propose to explain something that lies outside explanation. Any explanation of a work of art must be found in it, not taken to it. As a film teacher, I was always being told by students that a film by David Lynch, say, or Warner Herzog, was "a retelling of the life of Christ, say, or 'Moby Dick.' " My standard reply was: Maybe it's simply the telling of itself.
Yet "Cloud Atlas" cries out for an explanation, and surely you've noticed that I've been tap-dancing around one. I could tell you that it relates six stories taking place between the years 1849 and 2346. I could tell you that the same actors appear in different roles, playing characters of different races, genders and ages. Some are not even human, but fabricants. I could tell you that the acting and makeup are so effective that often I had no idea if I was looking at Tom Hanks, Halle Berry or Jim Broadbent. I could tell you that, and what help is it?
I could tell you that each segment is a refashioning of the story contained in the previous one. That the same birthmark turns up in every period of time. That a repeated motif is that all lives are connected by a thirst for freedom. That the movie was inspired by the much-loved novel of the same name by David Mitchell. That in the novel, the stories were told in chronological order, and then circled back again from end to beginning. That the movie finds its connections through the reappearances of the same actors in different roles and deliberately refers to one story from within another.
Now are you wiser? I'm treading water. And now could follow a very long paragraph introducing and describing the different characters played by the actors. But you would lose your way all the same, because many of the performances and disguises are so cunningly effective. I could tell you that Halle Berry's work as a mid-1970s investigative reporter works well for me, and the gnarly wisdom of Tom Hanks as an old man telling tales is the most impenetrable.
I despair. I think you will want to see this daring and visionary film, directed by Lana Wachowski, Tom Tykwer and Andy Wachowski. Anywhere you go where movie people gather, it will be discussed. Deep theories will be proposed. Someone will say, "I don't know what in the hell I saw." The names of Freud and Jung will come up. And now you expect me to unwrap the mystery from the enigma and present you with a nice shiny riddle?
Sometimes the key to one movie can be suggested by another one. We know that the title refers to early drawings of the shapes and behavior of clouds. Not long ago I saw a Swedish film, "Simon and the Oaks," about a day-dreaming boy who formed a bond with an oak tree. In its limbs, he would lie reading books of imagination and then allow his eyes to rest on the clouds overhead. As he read a book about desert wanderers, the clouds seemed to take shape as a ghostly caravan of camels in procession across the sky.
I was never, ever bored by "Cloud Atlas." On my second viewing, I gave up any attempt to work out the logical connections between the segments, stories and characters. What was important was that I set my mind free to play. Clouds do not really look like camels or sailing ships or castles in the sky. They are simply a natural process at work. So too, perhaps, are our lives. Because we have minds and clouds do not, we desire freedom. That is the shape the characters in "Cloud Atlas" take, and how they attempt to direct our thoughts. Any concrete, factual attempt to nail the film down to cold fact, to tell you what it "means," is as pointless as trying to build a clockwork orange.
But, oh, what a film this is! And what a demonstration of the magical, dreamlike qualities of the cinema. And what an opportunity for the actors. And what a leap by the directors, who free themselves from the chains of narrative continuity. And then the wisdom of the old man staring into the flames makes perfect sense.
172 minutes
Jim Broadbent as Timothy, etc.
Halle Berry as Luisa Rey, etc.
Susan Sarandon as Horrox, etc.
Tom Hanks as Zachry, etc.
Hugh Weaving as Noakes, etc.
Hugh Grant as Kona Chief, etc.


text:
One of the more bizarre aspects of Christian belief is the way it turns fundamental concepts like love and goodness completely inside out, to the evidently enthusiastic support of the faithful. I have been in an on-again, off-again discussion with a Christian called SuperFlyingNick on YouTube, and here he makes the following case for God's love. Does any of this strike you as internally contradictory and self-refuting?
I am not surprised that you feel that my God is made up in the minds of men. I've heard plenty of people say that.
And I understand that the Bible says God made man in His own image. However, the characteristics you described to me are very unique to God. I'm not saying that humans can't be loving and so forth, but God's love is genuine and unfailing - something humans will never posses. God is jealous because he doesn't want you to have any other gods before him (he wants your attention). His mercy is the fruit of his love, and his anger goes along with his jealousy and how humans can be disobedient.
If you really think about it, God's characteristics are pure and genuine.
And I respond:
I confess to being utterly baffled at the way in which Christians are willing to accept jealous anger as some sort of indicator of "genuine, unfailing love." Is it truly the benchmark of "genuine" love that it comes with a jealousy and possessiveness that erupts into anger if the love is not returned? I cannot for the life of me think so. This is more like the love of an abusive spouse. If a man told a woman, "Honey, I love you, but so help me, if I ever see you so much as look at another man, I'll break your neck," most people would not consider that any kind of love, least of all "genuine" and "unfailing," and indeed they would do all they could to convince the woman in question to leave that man as fast as possible. But when their God essentially behaves the same way, erupting with jealous wrath and consigning people to eternal torment for failing to reciprocate his "love", Christians seem to think this is all A-OK. One rule for people, another for your God, apparently.
I cannot see any reason to declare my allegiance to anyone deity or otherwise simply because not to do so means they'll be angry with me and hurt me. For one thing, on God's part, that isn't love, merely power and control, and on my part, it wouldn't be love either, merely fear. That Christianity has persuaded millions of its followers to be convinced that power, control and fear are all examples of "loving" behavior is deeply disturbing, as they really distort what love really means out of all recognition. Doing something because you fear being hurt otherwise is known as terrorism.
In any case, it makes no sense that, if God is as Christians describe a "perfect" being, that any lack of attention or obedience from me or anyone else could matter to it at all. For God to be perfect means that there is nothing you could possibly add to him to improve him in any way, nor is there anything you could deny him that would damage that perfection. No perfect divine being would care what I felt about him any more than I would care what the ants crawling on my windowsill think about me. For God to be described as perfect on one hand, and jealous, angry and wrathful on the other is an oxymoron. And anything that contradicts itself cannot exist.
PS: This is the AE blog's 500th post. Yee!


text:
Have you ever had the perfect data science experience? The data pull went perfectly. There were no merging errors or missing data. Hypotheses were clearly defined prior to analyses. Randomization was performed for the treatment of interest. The analytic plan was outlined prior to analysis and followed exactly. The conclusions were clear and actionable decisions were obvious. Has that every happened to you? Of course not. Data analysis in real life is messy. How does one manage a team facing real data analyses? In this one-week course, we contrast the ideal with what happens in real life. By contrasting the ideal, you will learn key concepts that will help you manage real life analyses. This is a focused course designed to rapidly get you up to speed on doing data science in real life. Our goal was to make this as convenient as possible for you without sacrificing any essential content. We've left the technical information aside so that you can focus on managing your team and moving it forward. After completing this course you will know how to: 1, Describe the "perfect" data science experience 2. Identify strengths and weaknesses in experimental designs 3. Describe possible pitfalls when pulling / assembling data and learn solutions for managing data pulls. 4. Challenge statistical modeling assumptions and drive feedback to data analysts 5. Describe common pitfalls in communicating data analyses 6. Get a glimpse into a day in the life of a data analysis manager. The course will be taught at a conceptual level for active managers of data scientists and statisticians. Some key concepts being discussed include: 1. Experimental design, randomization, A/B testing 2. Causal inference, counterfactuals, 3. Strategies for managing data quality. 4. Bias and confounding 5. Contrasting machine learning versus classical statistical inference Course promo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BIYmw5wnBI Course cover image by Jonathan Gross. Creative Commons BY-ND https://flic.kr/p/q1vudb
Estimated Learning Time: 7 hours
Probability & Statistics
Computer Programming
Computer Programming Tools
Data Analysis
Research and Design
General Statistics
Brian Caffo, PhD Professor, Biostatistics Bloomberg School of Public Health
Jeff Leek, PhD Associate Professor, Biostatistics Bloomberg School of Public Health
Roger D. Peng, PhD Associate Professor, Biostatistics Bloomberg School of Public Health
Some Title


text:
Text Of Pope Benedict XVI's Speech To Bishops (after the jump)...
April 17, 2008
Text Of Pope Benedict XVI's Speech To Bishops
Following is the prepared text of Pope Benedict XVI's speech before the bishops of the United States at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, as provided by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops:
Dear Brother Bishops,
It gives me great joy to greet you today, at the start of my visit to this country, and I thank Cardinal George for the gracious words he has addressed to me on your behalf. I want to thank all of you, especially the Officers of the Episcopal Conference, for the hard work that has gone into the preparation of this visit. My grateful appreciation goes also to the staff and volunteers of the National Shrine, who have welcomed us here this evening. American Catholics are noted for their loyal devotion to the see of Peter. My pastoral visit here is an opportunity to strengthen further the bonds of communion that unite us. We began by celebrating Evening Prayer in this Basilica dedicated to the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a shrine of special significance to American Catholics, right in the heart of your capital city. Gathered in prayer with Mary, Mother of Jesus, we lovingly commend to our heavenly Father the people of God in every part of the United States.
For the Catholic communities of Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Louisville, this is a year of particular celebration, as it marks the bicentenary of the establishment of these local Churches as Dioceses. I join you in giving thanks for the many graces granted to the Church there during these two centuries. As this year also marks the bicentenary of the elevation of the founding see of Baltimore to an Archdiocese, it gives me an opportunity to recall with admiration and gratitude the life and ministry of John Carroll, the first Bishop of Baltimore — a worthy leader of the Catholic community in your newly independent nation. His tireless efforts to spread the Gospel in the vast territory under his care laid the foundations for the ecclesial life of your country and enabled the Church in America to grow to maturity. Today the Catholic community you serve is one of the largest in the world, and one of the most influential. How important it is, then, to let your light so shine before your fellow citizens and before the world, "that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven" (Mt 5:16).
Many of the people to whom John Carroll and his fellow Bishops were ministering two centuries ago had traveled from distant lands. The diversity of their origins is reflected in the rich variety of ecclesial life in present-day America. Brother Bishops, I want to encourage you and your communities to continue to welcome the immigrants who join your ranks today, to share their joys and hopes, to support them in their sorrows and trials, and to help them flourish in their new home. This, indeed, is what your fellow countrymen have done for generations. From the beginning, they have opened their doors to the tired, the poor, the "huddled masses yearning to breathe free" (cf. Sonnet inscribed on the Statue of Liberty). These are the people whom America has made her own.
Of those who came to build a new life here, many were able to make good use of the resources and opportunities that they found, and to attain a high level of prosperity. Indeed, the people of this country are known for their great vitality and creativity. They are also known for their generosity. After the attack on the Twin Towers in September 2001, and again after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Americans displayed their readiness to come to the aid of their brothers and sisters in need. On the international level, the contribution made by the people of America to relief and rescue operations after the tsunami of December 2004 is a further illustration of this compassion. Let me express my particular appreciation for the many forms of humanitarian assistance provided by American Catholics through Catholic Charities and other agencies. Their generosity has borne fruit in the care shown to the poor and needy, and in the energy that has gone into building the nationwide network of Catholic parishes, hospitals, schools and universities. All of this gives great cause for thanksgiving.
America is also a land of great faith. Your people are remarkable for their religious fervor and they take pride in belonging to a worshipping community. They have confidence in God, and they do not hesitate to bring moral arguments rooted in biblical faith into their public discourse. Respect for freedom of religion is deeply ingrained in the American consciousness — a fact which has contributed to this country's attraction for generations of immigrants, seeking a home where they can worship freely in accordance with their beliefs.
In this connection, I happily acknowledge the presence among you of Bishops from all the venerable Eastern Churches in communion with the Successor of Peter, whom I greet with special joy. Dear Brothers, I ask you to assure your communities of my deep affection and my continued prayers, both for them and for the many brothers and sisters who remain in their land of origin. Your presence here is a reminder of the courageous witness to Christ of so many members of your communities, often amid suffering, in their respective homelands. It is also a great enrichment of the ecclesial life of America, giving vivid expression to the Church's catholicity and the variety of her liturgical and spiritual traditions.
It is in this fertile soil, nourished from so many different sources, that all of you, Brother Bishops, are called to sow the seeds of the Gospel today. This leads me to ask how, in the twenty-first century, a bishop can best fulfill the call to "make all things new in Christ, our hope"? How can he lead his people to "an encounter with the living God", the source of that life-transforming hope of which the Gospel speaks (cf. Spe Salvi, 4)? Perhaps he needs to begin by clearing away some of the barriers to such an encounter. While it is true that this country is marked by a genuinely religious spirit, the subtle influence of secularism can nevertheless color the way people allow their faith to influence their behavior. Is it consistent to profess our beliefs in church on Sunday, and then during the week to promote business practices or medical procedures contrary to those beliefs? Is it consistent for practicing Catholics to ignore or exploit the poor and the marginalized, to promote sexual behavior contrary to Catholic moral teaching, or to adopt positions that contradict the right to life of every human being from conception to natural death? Any tendency to treat religion as a private matter must be resisted. Only when their faith permeates every aspect of their lives do Christians become truly open to the transforming power of the Gospel.
For an affluent society, a further obstacle to an encounter with the living God lies in the subtle influence of materialism, which can all too easily focus the attention on the hundredfold, which God promises now in this time, at the expense of the eternal life which he promises in the age to come (cf. Mk 10:30). People today need to be reminded of the ultimate purpose of their lives. They need to recognize that implanted within them is a deep thirst for God. They need to be given opportunities to drink from the wells of his infinite love. It is easy to be entranced by the almost unlimited possibilities that science and technology place before us; it is easy to make the mistake of thinking we can obtain by our own efforts the fulfillment of our deepest needs. This is an illusion. Without God, who alone bestows upon us what we by ourselves cannot attain (cf. Spe Salvi, 31), our lives are ultimately empty. People need to be constantly reminded to cultivate a relationship with him who came that we might have life in abundance (cf. Jn 10:10). The goal of all our pastoral and catechetical work, the object of our preaching, and the focus of our sacramental ministry should be to help people establish and nurture that living relationship with "Christ Jesus, our hope" (1 Tim 1:1).
In a society which values personal freedom and autonomy, it is easy to lose sight of our dependence on others as well as the responsibilities that we bear towards them. This emphasis on individualism has even affected the Church (cf. Spe Salvi, 13-15), giving rise to a form of piety which sometimes emphasizes our private relationship with God at the expense of our calling to be members of a redeemed community. Yet from the beginning, God saw that "it is not good for man to be alone" (Gen 2:18). We were created as social beings who find fulfillment only in love - for God and for our neighbor. If we are truly to gaze upon him who is the source of our joy, we need to do so as members of the people of God (cf. Spe Salvi, 14). If this seems counter-cultural, that is simply further evidence of the urgent need for a renewed evangelization of culture.
Here in America, you are blessed with a Catholic laity of considerable cultural diversity, who place their wide-ranging gifts at the service of the Church and of society at large. They look to you to offer them encouragement, leadership and direction. In an age that is saturated with information, the importance of providing sound formation in the faith cannot be overstated. American Catholics have traditionally placed a high value on religious education, both in schools and in the context of adult formation programs. These need to be maintained and expanded. The many generous men and women who devote themselves to charitable activity need to be helped to renew their dedication through a "formation of the heart": an "encounter with God in Christ which awakens their love and opens their spirits to others" (Deus Caritas Est, 31). At a time when advances in medical science bring new hope to many, they also give rise to previously unimagined ethical challenges. This makes it more important than ever to offer thorough formation in the Church's moral teaching to Catholics engaged in health care. Wise guidance is needed in all these apostolates, so that they may bear abundant fruit; if they are truly to promote the integral good of the human person, they too need to be made new in Christ our hope.
As preachers of the Gospel and leaders of the Catholic community, you are also called to participate in the exchange of ideas in the public square, helping to shape cultural attitudes. In a context where free speech is valued, and where vigorous and honest debate is encouraged, yours is a respected voice that has much to offer to the discussion of the pressing social and moral questions of the day. By ensuring that the Gospel is clearly heard, you not only form the people of your own community, but in view of the global reach of mass communication, you help to spread the message of Christian hope throughout the world.
Clearly, the Church's influence on public debate takes place on many different levels. In the United States, as elsewhere, there is much current and proposed legislation that gives cause for concern from the point of view of morality, and the Catholic community, under your guidance, needs to offer a clear and united witness on such matters. Even more important, though, is the gradual opening of the minds and hearts of the wider community to moral truth. Here much remains to be done. Crucial in this regard is the role of the lay faithful to act as a "leaven" in society. Yet it cannot be assumed that all Catholic citizens think in harmony with the Church's teaching on today's key ethical questions. Once again, it falls to you to ensure that the moral formation provided at every level of ecclesial life reflects the authentic teaching of the Gospel of life.
In this regard, a matter of deep concern to us all is the state of the family within society. Indeed, Cardinal George mentioned earlier that you have included the strengthening of marriage and family life among the priorities for your attention over the next few years. In this year's World Day of Peace Message I spoke of the essential contribution that healthy family life makes to peace within and between nations. In the family home we experience "some of the fundamental elements of peace: justice and love between brothers and sisters, the role of authority expressed by parents, loving concern for the members who are weaker because of youth, sickness or old age, mutual help in the necessities of life, readiness to accept others and, if necessary, to forgive them" (no. 3). The family is also the primary place for evangelization, for passing on the faith, for helping young people to appreciate the importance of religious practice and Sunday observance. How can we not be dismayed as we observe the sharp decline of the family as a basic element of Church and society? Divorce and infidelity have increased, and many young men and women are choosing to postpone marriage or to forego it altogether. To some young Catholics, the sacramental bond of marriage seems scarcely distinguishable from a civil bond, or even a purely informal and open-ended arrangement to live with another person. Hence we have an alarming decrease in the number of Catholic marriages in the United States together with an increase in cohabitation, in which the Christ-like mutual self-giving of spouses, sealed by a public promise to live out the demands of an indissoluble lifelong commitment, is simply absent. In such circumstances, children are denied the secure environment that they need in order truly to flourish as human beings, and society is denied the stable building blocks which it requires if the cohesion and moral focus of the community are to be maintained.
As my predecessor, Pope John Paul II taught, "The person principally responsible in the Diocese for the pastoral care of the family is the Bishop ... he must devote to it personal interest, care, time, personnel and resources, but above all personal support for the families and for all those who ... assist him in the pastoral care of the family" (Familiaris Consortio, 73). It is your task to proclaim boldly the arguments from faith and reason in favor of the institution of marriage, understood as a lifelong commitment between a man and a woman, open to the transmission of life. This message should resonate with people today, because it is essentially an unconditional and unreserved "yes" to life, a "yes" to love, and a "yes" to the aspirations at the heart of our common humanity, as we strive to fulfill our deep yearning for intimacy with others and with the Lord.
Among the countersigns to the Gospel of life found in America and elsewhere is one that causes deep shame: the sexual abuse of minors. Many of you have spoken to me of the enormous pain that your communities have suffered when clerics have betrayed their priestly obligations and duties by such gravely immoral behavior. As you strive to eliminate this evil wherever it occurs, you may be assured of the prayerful support of God's people throughout the world. Rightly, you attach priority to showing compassion and care to the victims. It is your God-given responsibility as pastors to bind up the wounds caused by every breach of trust, to foster healing, to promote reconciliation and to reach out with loving concern to those so seriously wronged.
Responding to this situation has not been easy and, as the President of your Episcopal Conference has indicated, it was "sometimes very badly handled". Now that the scale and gravity of the problem is more clearly understood, you have been able to adopt more focused remedial and disciplinary measures and to promote a safe environment that gives greater protection to young people. While it must be remembered that the overwhelming majority of clergy and religious in America do outstanding work in bringing the liberating message of the Gospel to the people entrusted to their care, it is vitally important that the vulnerable always be shielded from those who would cause harm. In this regard, your efforts to heal and protect are bearing great fruit not only for those directly under your pastoral care, but for all of society.
If they are to achieve their full purpose, however, the policies and programs you have adopted need to be placed in a wider context. Children deserve to grow up with a healthy understanding of sexuality and its proper place in human relationships. They should be spared the degrading manifestations and the crude manipulation of sexuality so prevalent today. They have a right to be educated in authentic moral values rooted in the dignity of the human person. This brings us back to our consideration of the centrality of the family and the need to promote the Gospel of life. What does it mean to speak of child protection when pornography and violence can be viewed in so many homes through media widely available today? We need to reassess urgently the values underpinning society, so that a sound moral formation can be offered to young people and adults alike. All have a part to play in this task — not only parents, religious leaders, teachers and catechists, but the media and entertainment industries as well. Indeed, every member of society can contribute to this moral renewal and benefit from it. Truly caring about young people and the future of our civilization means recognizing our responsibility to promote and live by the authentic moral values which alone enable the human person to flourish. It falls to you, as pastors modelled upon Christ, the Good Shepherd, to proclaim this message loud and clear, and thus to address the sin of abuse within the wider context of sexual mores. Moreover, by acknowledging and confronting the problem when it occurs in an ecclesial setting, you can give a lead to others, since this scourge is found not only within your Dioceses, but in every sector of society. It calls for a determined, collective response.
Priests, too, need your guidance and closeness during this difficult time. They have experienced shame over what has occurred, and there are those who feel they have lost some of the trust and esteem they once enjoyed. Not a few are experiencing a closeness to Christ in his Passion as they struggle to come to terms with the consequences of the crisis. The Bishop, as father, brother and friend of his priests, can help them to draw spiritual fruit from this union with Christ by making them aware of the Lord's consoling presence in the midst of their suffering, and by encouraging them to walk with the Lord along the path of hope (cf. Spe Salvi, 39). As Pope John Paul II observed six years ago, "we must be confident that this time of trial will bring a purification of the entire Catholic community", leading to "a holier priesthood, a holier episcopate and a holier Church" (Address to the Cardinals of the United States, 23 April 2002, 4). There are many signs that, during the intervening period, such purification has indeed been taking place. Christ's abiding presence in the midst of our suffering is gradually transforming our darkness into light: all things are indeed being made new in Christ Jesus our hope.
At this stage a vital part of your task is to strengthen relationships with your clergy, especially in those cases where tension has arisen between priests and their bishops in the wake of the crisis. It is important that you continue to show them your concern, to support them, and to lead by example. In this way you will surely help them to encounter the living God, and point them towards the life-transforming hope of which the Gospel speaks. If you yourselves live in a manner closely configured to Christ, the Good Shepherd, who laid down his life for his sheep, you will inspire your brother priests to rededicate themselves to the service of their flocks with Christ-like generosity. Indeed a clearer focus upon the imitation of Christ in holiness of life is exactly what is needed in order for us to move forward. We need to rediscover the joy of living a Christ-centred life, cultivating the virtues, and immersing ourselves in prayer. When the faithful know that their pastor is a man who prays and who dedicates his life to serving them, they respond with warmth and affection which nourishes and sustains the life of the whole community.
Time spent in prayer is never wasted, however urgent the duties that press upon us from every side. Adoration of Christ our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament prolongs and intensifies the union with him that is established through the Eucharistic celebration (cf. Sacramentum Caritatis, 66). Contemplation of the mysteries of the Rosary releases all their saving power and it conforms, unites and consecrates us to Jesus Christ (cf. Rosarium Virginis Mariae, 11, 15). Fidelity to the Liturgy of the Hours ensures that the whole of our day is sanctified and it continually reminds us of the need to remain focused on doing God's work, however many pressures and distractions may arise from the task at hand. Thus our devotion helps us to speak and act in persona Christi, to teach, govern and sanctify the faithful in the name of Jesus, to bring his reconciliation, his healing and his love to all his beloved brothers and sisters. This radical configuration to Christ, the Good Shepherd, lies at the heart of our pastoral ministry, and if we open ourselves through prayer to the power of the Spirit, he will give us the gifts we need to carry out our daunting task, so that we need never "be anxious how to speak or what to say" (Mt 10:19).
As I conclude my words to you this evening, I commend the Church in your country most particularly to the maternal care and intercession of Mary Immaculate, Patroness of the United States. May she who carried within her womb the hope of all the nations intercede for the people of this country, so that all may be made new in Jesus Christ her Son. My dear Brother Bishops, I assure each of you here present of my deep friendship and my participation in your pastoral concerns. To all of you, and to your clergy, religious and lay faithful, I cordially impart my Apostolic Blessing as a pledge of joy and peace in the Risen Lord.
1. The Holy Father is asked to give his assessment of the challenge of increasing secularism in public life and relativism in intellectual life, and his advice on how to confront these challenges pastorally and evangelize more effectively.
I touched upon this theme briefly in my address. It strikes me as significant that here in America, unlike many places in Europe, the secular mentality has not been intrinsically opposed to religion. Within the context of the separation of Church and State, American society has always been marked by a fundamental respect for religion and its public role, and, if polls are to be believed, the American people are deeply religious. But it is not enough to count on this traditional religiosity and go about business as usual, even as its foundations are being slowly undermined. A serious commitment to evangelization cannot prescind from a profound diagnosis of the real challenges the Gospel encounters in contemporary American culture.
Of course, what is essential is a correct understanding of the just autonomy of the secular order, an autonomy which cannot be divorced from God the Creator and his saving plan (cf. Gaudium et Spes, 36). Perhaps America's brand of secularism poses a particular problem: it allows for professing belief in God, and respects the public role of religion and the Churches, but at the same time it can subtly reduce religious belief to a lowest common denominator. Faith becomes a passive acceptance that certain things "out there" are true, but without practical relevance for everyday life. The result is a growing separation of faith from life: living "as if God did not exist". This is aggravated by an individualistic and eclectic approach to faith and religion: far from a Catholic approach to "thinking with the Church", each person believes he or she has a right to pick and choose, maintaining external social bonds but without an integral, interior conversion to the law of Christ. Consequently, rather than being transformed and renewed in mind, Christians are easily tempted to conform themselves to the spirit of this age (cf. Rom 12:3). We have seen this emerge in an acute way in the scandal given by Catholics who promote an alleged right to abortion.
On a deeper level, secularism challenges the Church to reaffirm and to pursue more actively her mission in and to the world. As the Council made clear, the lay faithful have a particular responsibility in this regard. What is needed, I am convinced, is a greater sense of the intrinsic relationship between the Gospel and the natural law on the one hand, and, on the other, the pursuit of authentic human good, as embodied in civil law and in personal moral decisions. In a society that rightly values personal liberty, the Church needs to promote at every level of her teaching — in catechesis, preaching, seminary and university instruction — an apologetics aimed at affirming the truth of Christian revelation, the harmony of faith and reason, and a sound understanding of freedom, seen in positive terms as a liberation both from the limitations of sin and for an authentic and fulfilling life. In a word, the Gospel has to be preached and taught as an integral way of life, offering an attractive and true answer, intellectually and practically, to real human problems. The "dictatorship of relativism", in the end, is nothing less than a threat to genuine human freedom, which only matures in generosity and fidelity to the truth.
Much more, of course, could be said on this subject: let me conclude, though, by saying that I believe that the Church in America, at this point in her history, is faced with the challenge of recapturing the Catholic vision of reality and presenting it, in an engaging and imaginative way, to a society which markets any number of recipes for human fulfillment. I think in particular of our need to speak to the hearts of young people, who, despite their constant exposure to messages contrary to the Gospel, continue to thirst for authenticity, goodness and truth. Much remains to be done, particularly on the level of preaching and catechesis in parishes and schools, if the new evangelization is to bear fruit for the renewal of ecclesial life in America.
2. The Holy Father is asked about "a certain quiet attrition" by which Catholics are abandoning the practice of the faith, sometimes by an explicit decision, but often by distancing themselves quietly and gradually from attendance at Mass and identification with the Church.
Certainly, much of this has to do with the passing away of a religious culture, sometimes disparagingly referred to as a "ghetto", which reinforced participation and identification with the Church. As I just mentioned, one of the great challenges facing the Church in this country is that of cultivating a Catholic identity which is based not so much on externals as on a way of thinking and acting grounded in the Gospel and enriched by the Church's living tradition.
The issue clearly involves factors such as religious individualism and scandal. Let us go to the heart of the matter: faith cannot survive unless it is nourished, unless it is "formed by charity" (cf. Gal 5:6). Do people today find it difficult to encounter God in our Churches? Has our preaching lost its salt? Might it be that many people have forgotten, or never really learned, how to pray in and with the Church?
Here I am not speaking of people who leave the Church in search of subjective religious "experiences"; this is a pastoral issue which must be addressed on its own terms. I think we are speaking about people who have fallen by the wayside without consciously having rejected their faith in Christ, but, for whatever reason, have not drawn life from the liturgy, the sacraments, preaching. Yet Christian faith, as we know, is essentially ecclesial, and without a living bond to the community, the individual's faith will never grow to maturity. Indeed, to return to the question I just discussed, the result can be a quiet apostasy.
So let me make two brief observations on the problem of "attrition", which I hope will stimulate further reflection.
First, as you know, it is becoming more and more difficult, in our Western societies, to speak in a meaningful way of "salvation". Yet salvation — deliverance from the reality of evil, and the gift of new life and freedom in Christ — is at the heart of the Gospel. We need to discover, as I have suggested, new and engaging ways of proclaiming this message and awakening a thirst for the fulfillment which only Christ can bring. It is in the Church's liturgy, and above all in the sacrament of the Eucharist, that these realities are most powerfully expressed and lived in the life of believers; perhaps we still have much to do in realizing the Council's vision of the liturgy as the exercise of the common priesthood and the impetus for a fruitful apostolate in the world.
Second, we need to acknowledge with concern the almost complete eclipse of an eschatological sense in many of our traditionally Christian societies. As you know, I have pointed to this problem in the Encyclical Spe Salvi. Suffice it to say that faith and hope are not limited to this world: as theological virtues, they unite us with the Lord and draw us toward the fulfillment not only of our personal destiny but also that of all creation. Faith and hope are the inspiration and basis of our efforts to prepare for the coming of the Kingdom of God. In Christianity, there can be no room for purely private religion: Christ is the Savior of the world, and, as members of his Body and sharers in his prophetic, priestly and royal munera, we cannot separate our love for him from our commitment to the building up of the Church and the extension of his Kingdom. To the extent that religion becomes a purely private affair, it loses its very soul.
Let me conclude by stating the obvious. The fields are still ripe for harvesting (cf. Jn 4:35); God continues to give the growth (cf. 1 Cor 3:6). We can and must believe, with the late Pope John Paul II, that God is preparing a new springtime for Christianity (cf. Redemptoris Missio, 86). What is needed above all, at this time in the history of the Church in America, is a renewal of that apostolic zeal which inspires her shepherds actively to seek out the lost, to bind up those who have been wounded, and to bring strength to those who are languishing (cf. Ez 34:16). And this, as I have said, calls for new ways of thinking based on a sound diagnosis of today's challenges and a commitment to unity in the service of the Church's mission to the present generation.
3. The Holy Father is asked to comment on the decline in vocations despite the growing numbers of the Catholic population, and on the reasons for hope offered by the personal qualities and the thirst for holiness which characterize the candidates who do come forward.
Let us be quite frank: the ability to cultivate vocations to the priesthood and the religious life is a sure sign of the health of a local Church. There is no room for complacency in this regard. God continues to call young people; it is up to all of us to encourage a generous and free response to that call. On the other hand, none of us can take this grace for granted.
In the Gospel, Jesus tells us to pray that the Lord of the harvest will send workers. He even admits that the workers are few in comparison with the abundance of the harvest (cf. Mt 9:37-38). Strange to say, I often think that prayer — the unum necessarium — is the one aspect of vocations work which we tend to forget or to undervalue!
Nor am I speaking only of prayer for vocations. Prayer itself, born in Catholic families, nurtured by programs of Christian formation, strengthened by the grace of the sacraments, is the first means by which we come to know the Lord's will for our lives. To the extent that we teach young people to pray, and to pray well, we will be cooperating with God's call. Programs, plans and projects have their place; but the discernment of a vocation is above all the fruit of an intimate dialogue between the Lord and his disciples. Young people, if they know how to pray, can be trusted to know what to do with God's call.
It has been noted that there is a growing thirst for holiness in many young people today, and that, although fewer in number, those who come forward show great idealism and much promise. It is important to listen to them, to understand their experiences, and to encourage them to help their peers to see the need for committed priests and religious, as well as the beauty of a life of sacrificial service to the Lord and his Church. To my mind, much is demanded of vocation directors and formators: candidates today, as much as ever, need to be given a sound intellectual and human formation which will enable them not only to respond to the real questions and needs of their contemporaries, but also to mature in their own conversion and to persevere in life-long commitment to their vocation. As Bishops, you are conscious of the sacrifice demanded when you are asked to release one of your finest priests for seminary work. I urge you to respond with generosity, for the good of the whole Church.
Finally, I think you know from experience that most of your brother priests are happy in their vocation. What I said in my address about the importance of unity and cooperation within the presbyterate applies here too. There is a need for all of us to move beyond sterile divisions, disagreements and preconceptions, and to listen together to the voice of the Spirit who is guiding the Church into a future of hope. Each of us knows how important priestly fraternity has been in our lives. That fraternity is not only a precious possession, but also an immense resource for the renewal of the priesthood and the raising up of new vocations. I would close by encouraging you to foster opportunities for ever greater dialogue and fraternal encounter among your priests, and especially the younger priests. I am convinced that this will bear great fruit for their own enrichment, for the increase of their love for the priesthood and the Church, and for the effectiveness of their apostolate.
Dear Brother Bishops. with these few observations, I once more encourage all of you in your ministry to the faithful entrusted to your pastoral care, and I commend you to the loving intercession of Mary Immaculate, Mother of the Church.
Before leaving, I would like to pause to acknowledge the immense suffering endured by the people of God in the Archdiocese of New Orleans as a result of Hurricane Katrina, as well as their courage in the challenging work of rebuilding. I would like to present Archbishop Alfred Hughes with a chalice, which I hope will be accepted as a sign of my prayerful solidarity with the faithful of the Archdiocese, and my personal gratitude for the tireless devotion which he and Archbishops Philip Hannan and Francis Schulte showed toward the flock entrusted to their care.


text:
"A child associated with an armed force or armed group refers to any person below 18 years of age who is, or who has been, recruited or used by an armed force or armed group in any capacity, including but not limited to children, boys and girls, used as fighters, cooks, porters, spies or for sexual purposes. It does not only refer to a child who is taking, or has taken, a direct part in hostilities."
(Paris Principles and guidelines on children associated with armed forces or armed groups, United Nations, 2007)
The Declaration of the Rights of the Child was adopted by United Nations General Assembly on December 10, 1959. This international norm was followed, three decades later, by the Convention on the Rights of the Child (November 20, 1989)—the first legally binding instrument "to incorporate the full range of human rights—civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights"—and by the Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict (May 25, 2000). This protocol "establishes 18 as the minimum age for compulsory recruitment and requires States to do everything they can to prevent individuals under the age of 18 from taking a direct part in hostilities." It entered into force on February 12, 2002, marking the International Day against the Use of Child Soldiers. Since then, more than 140 countries have ratified the protocol.
As of February 2012, 27 United Nation Member States have not signed or ratified the Optional Protocol, while another 22 have signed but not ratified it. According to the Heidelberg Institute for International Conflict Research 2011 has been the most violent year since World War II, with twenty more wars than in 2010. Currently, it is estimated that tens of thousands of boys and girls under the age of 18 take active part in armed conflicts in at least 15 countries. The children, once again, are powerless to escape from such violence. They are forced to fight or participate somehow "voluntarily" in popular insurrections that have taken place within the context of the Arab Spring, for instance. However, the military use of children is not a new phenomenon and goes hand by hand, almost inevitably, with our tragic history of human self-destruction. This was the case of some of the children caught at the outbreak of the war between Adolf Hitler's Germany and Joseph Stalin's Russia in June 1941. The children had previously been evacuated from Spain—immersed in a fratricide war—to Russia.
It is estimated that 30,000 Spanish children were evacuated during the Spanish Civil War, and 70,000 more left after the end of the war in 1939. Among them 25,000 Basque children went also into exile. Most of the children were temporarily sent to France, Belgium, the United Kingdom, the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics as well as Switzerland, Mexico, and Denmark. They became, and are still, known as "los niños de la guerra" ("the war children") and the "Gernika Generation," in the specific Basque case.
Between March 1937 and October 1938 nearly 3,000 children, between 5 and 12 years old, were evacuated from Spain to then the Soviet Union in four expeditions. Most of the children were from the Basque Country (between 1,500 and over 1,700), and Asturias and Cantabria (between 800 and 1,100). In the majority of the cases their parents were sympathetic to the anarchist, socialist, and communist ideals. On June 12, 1937 over 1,500 children and 75 tutors (teachers, doctors, and nurses) left the Port of Santurtzi in the Basque province of Bizkaia on board of the ship "Habana."
From the moment of the children's arrival to the German invasion of Russia they lived in good care in the so-called "Infant Homes for the Spanish Children." There were 11 homes located in the current Russian Federation—including 1 in Moscow and 2 nearby Leningrad—and 5 in Ukraine—including 1 in Odessa and another in Kiev. Soon, their lives were, once more, dramatically turned upside-down. The homes had to be evacuated.
"The war children" from Spain and tutors, August 1940, Russia (Image source: Sasinka Astarloa Ruano)
During the Siege of Leningrad, the children Celestino Fernández-Miranda Tuñón and Ramón Moreira, both from Asturias, were 16 and 17 years old respectively at the time of enlisting as volunteers to defend the city, while Carmen Marón Fernández, from Bizkaia, worked as a nurse and dug trenches at the age of 16. Over 40 children were killed before they could be evacuated in 1943. It is considered the longest and most destructive city blockade in history. It resulted in the deaths of 1.5 million people and in the evacuation of 1.4 million civilians.
The survivors of Leningrad together with the rest of the children were taken to remote areas such as today's republics of Georgia and Uzbekistan, and Saratov Oblast in southern Russia. It is during this time when it is reported that some children were victims of sexual assaults and exploitation, and a few of them ended up in delinquent gangs in order to survive.
Paramilitary training in one of the children's colony. Shooting practices were a norm in many of the homes (Image source: Spanish Citizenship Abroad Portal)
According to the Spanish Center of Moscow, over 100 "niños de la guerra" voluntarily enlisted in the Red Army, while many others had to carry out some type of work to support the war efforts alongside their schooling time. For instance, Begoña Lavilla and Antonio Herranz, both from Santurtzi, worked at an arms factory in Saratov at the age of 13 and 14, respectively. Eight of the Basque niños—six of them from the "Kiev home"—entered in combat after receiving flight training courses in a military academy. It has been said that some of the children were able to pass themselves off as older men such as Luis Lavín Lavín who was just 15 years old at the time. The eight young Basques were Ignacio Aguirregoicoa Benito (born in Soraluce in 1923), Ramón Cianca Ibarra, José Luis Larrañaga Muniategui (born in Eibar in 1923), the aforementioned Luis Lavín Lavín (born in Bilbao in 1925), Antonio Lecumberri Goikoetxea (born in 1924), Eugenio Prieto Arana (born in Eibar in 1922), Tomás Suárez, and Antonio Uribe Galdeano (born in Barakaldo in 1920). Larrañaga, Uribe, and Aguirregoicoa died in 1942 (Ukraine), 1943 (Dnieper), and 1944 (Estonia), respectively. Aguirregoicoa took his own life in order to avoid being captured by the enemy.
Between 207 and 215 Spaniards were killed as active combatants at the Eastern Front of World War II (also known as the Great Patriotic War; June 22, 1941-May 9, 1945), while another 211 people died of extreme starvation, disease, and the intensive bombardments. According to Lavín, 50 of the enlisted "children" out of a total of 130 were killed during the war.
After two long decades of exile, the first convoy of "children" was allowed to return to Francisco Franco's Spain in 1957. As of 2012, it is estimated that 170 "niños de la guerra," all of them over 80 years old, live in the former Soviet Union. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the bombings of Basque cities and villages and the evacuation of their children—fatidic preamble to World War II.
For more information see the interview (in Spanish) to Mateo Aguirre S.J., on the Democratic Republic of Congo child soldiers' situation at Alboan's EiTB Blog; and the Child Soldiers International organization; and Luis Lavín Lavín's conference of 2007 (in Spanish).


text:
Charitable Lead Trust
Protect Your Assets
You can benefit from the tax savings that result from supporting Murray State University without giving up the assets that you'd like your family to receive someday with a donation in the form of a charitable lead trust.
There are two ways that charitable lead trusts make payments to Murray State University Foundation:
A charitable lead annuity trust pays a fixed amount each year to Murray State University Foundation and is more attractive when interest rates are low.
A charitable lead unitrust pays a variable amount each year based on the value of the assets in the trust. With a unitrust, if the trust's assets go up in value, for example, the payments to Murray State University Foundation go up as well.
Discover More
See which type of charitable trust best fits your estate plan with the FREE guide Choose From 2 Win-Win Ways to Donate.
View My GuideAn Example of How It Works
George would like to support Murray State University Foundation and receive tax benefits. George received a windfall amount of income and needs a large income tax deduction to offset the income. Following his advisor's recommendation, George funds a grantor charitable lead annuity trust with assets valued at $1,000,000. George's trust pays $60,000 (6% of the initial fair market value) to Murray State University Foundation each year for 15 years, which will total $900,000. After that, the balance in the trust reverts back to George. He receives an income tax charitable deduction of $614,445. Assuming the trust earns an average 8% annual rate of return, George receives approximately $1,600,286 at the end of the trust term.
*Based on a 5.2% charitable midterm federal rate. Deductions and calculations will vary depending on your personal circumstances.
Fund Your Donation With:
Calculate Your Benefits
Submit a few details and see how a charitable lead trust can benefit you.
Not Sure How to Begin Planning?
Download My FREE Personal Estate Planning KitInformation contained herein was accurate at the time of posting. The information on this website is not intended as legal or tax advice. For such advice, please consult an attorney or tax advisor. Figures cited in any examples are for illustrative purposes only. References to tax rates include federal taxes only and are subject to change. State law may further impact your individual results. California residents: Annuities are subject to regulation by the State of California. Payments under such agreements, however, are not protected or otherwise guaranteed by any government agency or the California Life and Health Insurance Guarantee Association. Oklahoma residents: A charitable gift annuity is not regulated by the Oklahoma Insurance Department and is not protected by a guaranty association affiliated with the Oklahoma Insurance Department. South Dakota residents: Charitable gift annuities are not regulated by and are not under the jurisdiction of the South Dakota Division of Insurance.


text:
The killing of 26 people, including 20 children, at Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut has understandably shocked the nation, and details are just beginning to emerge about the shooter, Adam Lanza, a 20-year-old man who also murdered his mother. Events like these inevitably reopen debates about gun control, or more tenuously lead people to complain about American culture itself. Yet on the very same day, a 36-year-old Chinese man attacked 22 children with a knife at a primary school in China, suggesting that there is a critical factor with mass homicides that gets far less attention.
(MORE: Massacre of the Innocents: Chilling Details About the Gunman in the Schoolhouse)
For all the disbelief and dismay, we actually know pretty well that most such events are committed by individuals with a particular set of characteristics. As my colleagues Mark Coulson, Jane Barnett and I noted in a 2011 article in the Journal of Police Crisis Negotiations, school shooters have generally been found to 1) have a history of antisocial-personality traits, 2) suffer from mental illnesses such as depression or psychosis and 3) tend to obsess about how others, whether other individuals or society at large, have wronged them. (These conclusions are similar to the findings of a 2002 U.S. Secret Service report on school shootings.) These individuals seethe with rage and hatred and despondency, until they decide to lash out at individuals or a society they believe has done them great wrong. Mental health, as well as our failure to address it as a society, is at the core of these events.
(PHOTOS: Connecticut Community Copes After School Shooting)
Not all mass homicide perpetrators target schools, but schools do seem to be an unusually common target. People wonder why angry men (and an occasional woman) so often target innocent children who have done them no wrong. In the case of Sandy Hook, although early reports suggested that Lanza's mother, Nancy Lanza, may have worked there, the school superintendent has since clarified that she was not a teacher or a substitute. In many other cases, there is no obvious connection. Watching the horror and great sadness that has descended over the nation in the past 24 hours, we have our answer. These perpetrators have lashed out against society in the most vicious way possible, inflicting the most pain that they could. That is the point of targeting a school.
(MORE: Funerals at Christmastime: Newton Prepares to Mourn)
Gun control may potentially remove one tool from the hands of potential perpetrators, but mass homicides occur in every part of the globe — Scotland, Norway, Germany, China. So while it may indeed be the right time to talk about gun control, as many are saying, it is also the right time to talk about mental health care in our country. Our country's funding for mental-health services has only gotten worse since the 2008 recession. As the National Alliance on Mental Illness has been warning for some time, the existing level of funding is inadequate, so our nation's ability to identify and care for the severely mentally ill has been hamstrung.
In my own clinical work, I've seen individuals I've identified as being potentially at risk for future criminal behavior because of their mental illness. Very often, there are simply few to no resources for them until they come to the attention of the criminal-justice system. Obviously, the vast majority of the chronically mentally ill won't commit crimes, certainly not of the severity of the Sandy Hook shooting. But by leaving the mentally ill adrift to fend for themselves, we miss the opportunity to identify and treat some of these at-risk individuals before they escalate. Granted, neither gun control nor a well-funded mental-health system will prevent every mass homicide. But we leave ourselves — and more innocent children — vulnerable until we address both of those issues.
MORE: Erika Christakis: The Overwhelming Maleness of Mass Homicide


text:
Growing up, my pre-teens and teenage years were very much influenced by both the American and British cultures. Having been in and out of the States and American elementary schools around the world, I was rather unprepared for what awaited me at a private British high school. It was like the clash of the titans in many situations. As George Bernard Shaw said "England and America are two countries separated by the same language".
Imagine then, how my eleven year old ears burned and my crimson face blushed when a cute English boy in my class, the first week of school, asked me if he could borrow my pencil with the rubber on the end and that he had a bad habit of chewing the rubber off his own pencils. I was so horrified I dropped all the pencils I was holding. Or how perplexed I was when an older 6th Form student told me he wanted to smoke a few fags and was popping around the corner to get them. Then there was the most embarrassing moment when I got invited to my first party and announced to the group of new friends that I would be wearing my favorite pants on the evening. I failed to realize that I had just declared I would be wearing my favorite underpants! Trust me; many eyebrows were raised after my bold announcement.
What a rubber is to an American is a condom to a British person and if one talked about smoking fags where I grew up you'd be discussing killing a homosexual and not inhaling the nicotine filled cigarettes and pants to my British friends were underpants not trousers. After this bumpy beginning, where I had to learn to speak and write a whole new language that I thought I knew, I picked up the intricacies of the British language, finding the satire and dry sense of humor rather refreshing. I adapted myself quickly and ironically found my passion for British literature.
Although there were certain things that I did not like about the British way of life, like the excessive drinking, smoking and swearing, there were some things that got my attention very quickly. One of them was the chocolate variety Britain had to offer. Leaving the overly sweet Hershey bars, Babe Ruths, Reese's Butter Cups, 3 Muskateers bars behind my chocolate addiction found new divine richness to nibble on. Cadbury's Bournville, Crunchie or Flakes, Bassettts Wine Gums, Galaxy Caramel and Malteser's were just a few of the regular products I would spend my pocket money on. However there was one product that provided me with my chocolate satisfaction on a daily basis. I would indulge in its soothing malty and chocolaty caress, wrapped up in the rich, sweet aromas as I did my homework or chatted with my girlfriends on the phone. The warmth of the mug and the sweetness of the delicious scented milk would wash away most of the day's troubles and Ovaltine quickly became my favorite chocolate indulgence of choice.
For me Ovaltine was always an iconic British product that accompanied me through my teenage years and I believed this misconception for most of those years. I did not realize that it wasn't just me that had to make language adjustments. Apparently Ovomaltine is a product of Switzerland where it was developed in Berne. In the early 1900s Ovomaltine was exported to Great Britain where a misspelling in the trademark registration led to the product being called Ovaltine in English speaking countries. When I moved to Germany in my early twenties, making this discovery and finding my old – new Ovaltine / Ovomaltine in the stores helped me get through being in a foreign country alone for the first time. Like it did back then it eased and soothed me to adapt to a new strange foreign language I was struggling with.
Today I enjoy seeing Soeren sharing the same affinity for Ovomaltine as I did and still do. Breakfast is never quite the same for him without his warm mug of steaming Ovomaltine and when he said that he wished he could have a birthday cake with his two favorite chocolate treats Ovomaltine and Daim candy I thought why not? A birthday cake made of your favorite childhood candy – now that is a real treat one I hope he shall remember.
Printable version of recipe here
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
For the cake
- 150 g muscovado sugar
- 100g granulated sugar
- 3 eggs
- 150 g butter
- 175ml milk
- 2 tablespoons Ovomaltine
- 175g all-purpose flour
- 25g cocoa powder, sieved
- 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- For icing
- 250 g icing sugar
- 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
- 125g butter, softened
- 45g Ovomaltine
- 2 tablespoons hot water
- For decoration
- 1 packet of 300g Daim candy chocolates
- Preheat the oven to 170 degrees C. Butter and line 2 springform pans (approx. 20cm each) with baking paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the sugars and the eggs until light, creamy and frothy.
- Heat the milk, Ovomaltine powder and butter until butter melts and steaming. Make sure it does not boil. Then carefully pour the Ovomaltine mixture into the egg-sugar mixture in a steady stream beating all the while.
- Fold in the flour, cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder with a rubber spatula until all the ingredients are blended. Divide the cake batter into the springforms evenly and bake for approx. 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middles of the cakes comes out clean. The cakes will be springy and light. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes then turn out onto cake racks and let them cool completely before icing them.
- Put the sugar, cocoa and Ovomaltine in a food processor and pulse a few times to remove any lumps then and the softened butter and process. In between scrape down the sides then process again this time pouring a bit of the hot water through the funnel. Keep processing until you have a smooth and thick cream. You might not need the entire 2 tablespoons of water so add a little at a time.
- Reserve enough of the mini Daim candy bars to line the edge of the cake, then coarsely chop the rest.
- Spread half of the icing on one of the chocolate sponges, sprinkle with the chopped Daim bits, then gently sandwich with the other. Spread the remaining of the icing over the top swirling with the spatula.
- Line the edge of the cake with the reserved Daim candy bars, and sprinkle Daim praline buts in the center of the cake.
- Refrigerate until it's time to serve the cake.
A cake with triple the chocolate fun. A rich cocoa powder and the malty-chocolaty Ovomaltine added to the sponge cake is slathered with a creamy and smooth icing also with a sprinkling of Ovomaltine and finally the chopped mini Daim candy bars give the cake the instant praline crunch, making it a dangerous treat for adults too. Grab a slice!
What were your favorite childhood chocolate and candy?
We've got 24 days to go before Plate to Page Tuscany gets rolling. We're excited to say the least and thrilled to give you a peak behind the awesome sponsors supporting us!
You might like these chocolate ideas from WFLH:
Morello Cherry Chocolate and Cognac Teacakes | Chocolate Orange Cake with Salted Caramel Ganache | Chocolate Pavlova with Chocolate Mascarpone Mousse, Honey Roasted Peaches and Fresh Raspberries |
All photographs and written content on What's For Lunch, Honey? © 2006-2011 Meeta Khurana Wolff unless otherwise indicated. | All rights reserved | Please Ask First


text:
Norton Water Stone Kit
- Includes 4 Grits 220/1000 & 4000/8000 Combination Water Stones, plus a Flattening Stone
- Stones measure 8" long x 3" wide
- Save with the Water Stone Kit!
SAVE when you buy the Norton Water Stone Kit versus purchasing these stones separately.
Water stones have earned a loyal following because they sharpen very quickly and are available in extremely fine grits. This Water Stone Kit contains everything you will need for sharpening your tools and knives with water stones. The kit includes a 220/1000 Combination Water Stone, a 4000/8000 Combination Water Stone, and a Flattening Stone, all by Norton.
At 8" long and 3" wide, the Norton Combination Water Stones are large enough for just about any type of sharpening. And with four stone grits, you'll be ready for any sharpening job. The 220 grit is a very coarse stone that sharpens very quickly. The 1000 grit is a real workhorse in the shop because is takes a rough edge and refines it to a useable edge. The 4000 grit will create a very fine edge, and the 8000 grit side will polish the edge and ensure that you've sharpened your tool or knife to perfection. When used in conjunction, these stones make sharpening quick and easy.
The one thing that every water stone user needs is a way to flatten the stones when they become dished. The softness of water stones makes them cut very fast, but also causes the stone to dish. The Norton Flattening Stone is a fast and effective way of maintaining a flat surface on your water stone. Instructions on using the flattening stone are included.
Kit includes the following items:
Norton Part Number: 07660787943
Q. Do these Water Stones require a stone holder?
A. While some people prefer a stone holder, one is not required. The plastic cases of these Water Stones have 5 rubber feet along with a place for the stone on top and can hold the stone while sharpening. The bottom of the plastic case will act as a water reservoir.
Q. Do you store the stones wet?
A. Some people like to store the Water Stones in a bucket of water, however this isn't needed. Soaking the stones in water prior to use is all that is required. If you are storing the stones in the plastic cases, we do recommend that you let the stones dry prior to long term storage.
Q. I've heard that Water Stones wear faster, does that mean the stones will wear our quickly.
A. Water Stones do wear faster than harder oil stones. However, faster wear does not mean the stones will wear out quickly. For most people the stones will last years if not decades of use.


text:
OTHER/man Sebastien Jacket
Navy cotton jacket from OTHER/man AW15. Made in small manufacturers in the UK and exclusive to OTHER/shop.
– Boxy fit
– Horn button fastening on front and cuff
– Unlined with bound internal seams
– 2 front flap pockets
– Made in England
– 100% cotton
– Dry clean
Henry is 6'2'' / 187cm tall with a 32' waist and wears a size S
Our Men's Model is 6'2'' / 187cm tall with a 32' waist and wears a size M.
Our Women's Model is 5'10 / 178 cms tall a size UK 6 and wears a size S.
To read more about specific size information and fitting, view our size guide
Collect from our London Store: FREE
Express UK Delivery (orders £150 and over): FREE (Next Working Day)
Express UK Delivery (orders under £150): £4.95 (Next Working Day)
Express European Delivery (orders £150 and over): FREE (2-4 Working Days)
Express European Delivery (orders under £150): £12 (2-4 Working Days)
Express USA and Canada Delivery (orders £150 and over): FREE (2-3 Working Days)
Express USA and Canada Delivery: £15 (2-3 Working Days)
Rest of the World: £20 (2-5 Working Days)
Returns & Cancellation
You may cancel your purchase of goods by notifying OTHER/shop either by email or phone call strictly within fourteen days of your order being placed. In such cases a full refund will be made to the purchaser's Credit / Debit Card.
You may return your purchase of goods with proof of purchase within fourteen days of date of invoice to OTHER/shop's London store. You must then return the goods to OTHER/shop at your expense. The returned merchandise must be in new, unused, and unworn condition with garment tags still attached