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Zena F. Oglesby Jr., MSW, director of the Institute for Black Parenting (IBP) asserts that Black families face many of the same obstacles they did 35 years ago. Most agencies still operate under guidelines and practices developed from a White middle-class perspective. Outside of large cities, most public agency staff members are White. Some White workers are uncomfortable venturing into Black parts of town to recruit families, and some Black families are equally reluctant to approach a White agency.I posted on this issue back in October during the St. John's Adoption Conference -- click here for more.
Oglesby, a respected author, speaker and founder of (IBP) claims that the greatest barrier to adoption is workers' belief that Black families "don't have what it takes" to adopt from foster care.
He cited several studies including a 1988 federal study of 800 Black families targeted for recruitment as adoptive parents. Of these only two were approved. According to the study, the mostly White recruiters gave reasons for denial such as the applicants were 'obese or were of below average intelligence'.
Oglesby recalled a San Bernardino family was denied because the mother had to drive to her job in Los Angeles. "She had to get up too early." Another suggested a blown out light bulb in a home's hallway leading to the bedrooms signalled "a family culture of neglect".
The denials Oglesby said were largely based on a theory that you could not find minority families for minority children, a theory that lead to the formation of the nation's first licensed Black adoption agencies in the mid-1980s.
A student asked Oglesby 'what happened to those families'. "We turned around and approved many of them. We proved the system was beyond broken," he said.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
No Equity in Adoption for Black Children
3 comments:
- DannieA said...
whoever did the stupid denial of the commute from San Bernardino to LA was obviously smoking crack....socal people (yes I'm one of them and go from a neighboring city to another in LA county) COMMUTE as a way of life.
wow. that's all I can say...wow.
- February 15, 2011 at 9:12 PM
- JaeRan said...
Unfortunately I've experienced this first hand, when a youth on my case load identified a culturally similar family but the social workers thought the "neighborhood" that family lived in would be "too risky" for the child.
Social workers are so good at using coded language, however unsubtle, to discriminate.
- February 16, 2011 at 10:18 PM
IMHO, this man has an agenda and so he promotes the research that supports his assertions. (Which we are all guilty of, certainly). The only research he could find was from 1988? Nothing has changed since then? Sorry, I am not buying it. Most AP's who foster and adopt are parenting kids of diverse races, or hoping to... and there are long waiting lists to adopt babies, yes, even the allegedly unwanted African American males. The kids who have trouble getting placed are the older kids with troubling psychological diagnoses, and then there is certainly a racial component, but more along the lines of gender, I think. Look at all the people who adopt from China and pat themselves on the back for being so "open to another race", but when push comes to shove they only want a "cute baby girl" and get a referral for a boy and become indignant over it....
Gender discrimination is also the dirty little secret in adoption--the point gets raised every so often but then it goes away again til the next time, with no resolution as to why so many AP's want girls.
- February 17, 2011 at 7:36 AM


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Suspended in the middle of the Indian Ocean, the Rock Restaurant in Zanzibar is perched high to reveal a breathtaking sight that normally only birds can enjoy. This elevated eatery can't be reach by car, but rest assured that travel arrangements can be made to avoid a quick dip in the ocean.
Not willing to take the trip? The Rock Restaurant assures you that your experience will be memorable, priding itself as a place where "colours, relish and sensations blend together in unique magic." Choosing the freshest ingredients from the surrounding ocean, the menu provides you with an array of delicacies ranging from fish carpaccio to a savory penne pasta with prawns.
For anyone searching for a compelling dining experience, this rocky hideaway is simply one you cannot miss.
Exotic Elevated Eateries
More Stats +/-
Gemma del Est Zanzibar: Paradise in Africa
Luxuriously Remote Resorts
27 Appetizing Eco-Eateries
Exquisite Terrace Eateries
Funky Farmhouse Eateries
Get a Bird's-Eye View at the Rock Restaurant in Zanzibar
- By: Zoe PouliasSep 12, 2011
References: therockrestaurantzanzibar & therecraft
References: therockrestaurantzanzibar & therecraft

subset: commoncrawl


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|White skirt Zara - Blue boat neck top Charter Club - Red flats Stradivarius
|Grey circle hand bag vintage Salvatore Ferragamo
|White skirt Zara - Blue boat neck top Charter Club - Red flats Stradivarius
|Grey circle hand bag vintage Salvatore Ferragamo
How clever! The two colors are panache to your outfit. A winning touch.
What a fantastic idea! you look amazing, as always!
Lorena, this outfit is so cute! I've got to try this! I could do this with my white jeans as well. Love it!
That's such a clever idea! And I love the red, white and blue! Would have been perfect for the 4th of July here, haha
I've seen (and worn!) scarves as belts before but never two tied together like this. It's a lovely look Lorena. The print and colours are so nice against the white skirt.
Away From The Blue Blog
I will not lie to you first thing I said was "Oh Wow! I love this" I adore how you wore the hankys as belts. I have seen it before but the way you tied it and paired it with the whole look JUST FAB!
Life is just Rosie
I love what you did here! So genius! It's really perks up this chic look!
Oh wow what a clever idea, at first I thought you bought it this way. This came out great.
Allie of
I love this idea. You look simply stunning!
Kisses, Raysa
This is such a clever idea, I'd have never thought of doing this :)
Rosy | Sparkles of Light Blog
I LOVE This! Tying together two really creative and I love how Parisian chic the whole outfit looks in general. Beautiful!
Raindrops of Sapphire
¡Hola, Lorena! Me encanta la idea de los dos pañuelos en distinto color anudados a modo de cinturón, me parece un recurso que da mucha vida a cualquier estilismo en colores básicos. ¡Ideal!
Un saludo,
Le Style et Moi
Loving this outfit! What a clever idea! Creative and very very stylish!
So cool idea, Lorena!
Love the way you styled your hankies, the entire outfit looks very cool and classy! :D
Me gusta mucho! De seguro te copiarè la idea!
Fabulous outfit!
Have a nice evening!
Photographer Gil Zetbase
nice look!
Very good idea, looks fine but sunglasses are too small, without their it would be better.
Long time no see! Love this idea!! These classic handkerchieves are in my shopping list. They are a multipurpose piece.
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 I am currently editing the closet ! and as you can imagine after seeing ...


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Sunday, January 26, 2014
Beware of Schoolmasters
Thomas Nashe (1567-1601), "Summers Last Will and Testament," lines 1571-1582, in his Complete Works, ed. Alexander B. Grosart, Vol. VI (London: Hazell, Watson, and Viney, Ltd., 1885), pp. 148-149:Newer› ‹Older
Young men, yong boyes, beware of Schoolemasters,
They will infect you, marre you, bleare your eyes:
They seeke to lay the curse of God on you,
Namely confusion of languages,
Wherewith those that the towre of Babel built,
Accursed were in the worldes infancie.
Latin, it was the speech of Infidels.
Logique, hath nought to say in a true cause.
Philosophie is curiositie:
And Socrates was therefore put to death,
Onely for he was a Philosopher:
Abhorre, contemne, despise, these damned snares.


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Hampshire, UK (PRWEB UK) 5 June 2014
Launched as part of Bubbles campaign 'PRIDE' which looks at every part of a product's listing, to include its title, description and of course its images the marketplace aims to show how consumers are many times more likely to consider a product that is properly presented with every possible view available for their consideration.
The Orbitvu Alphashot 360 is an all-in-one compact, portable photographic studio, creating professional photographs in 2D, 3D or in 360 degrees. Images are set against a white background, allowing the focus to be entirely on the product with no distractions. Results can be 2D showing the product from one angle, 360 degrees creating a video of the product rotating from one level, or 3D giving the consumer the ability to rotate the product in any direction, giving them the full scope of the product from all angles.
LookUpBubbles.com met Aj's Studio, resellers of Orbitvu in the UK, at The Spring Fair International at the NEC in Birmingham in February this year. Bubbles then invited Aj's Studios to join their stand at the Internet Retailing Expo 2014 to showcase the Alphashot 360.
On talking about how Orbitvu can help Bubbles, Andrew Dibben of Aj's Studios, "Today, having an online presence is of key importance for both sales and branding. The Orbitvu system offers businesses the chance to quickly and easily create highly detailed and accurate representations of their products, resulting in more sales and fewer returns, all with a highly personalised customer service from AJ's Studios."
The introduction of the Alphashot 360 ties in with LookUpBubbles.com new PRIDE system, helping their retailers create attractive product listings which maximise sales. PRIDE stands for Product, Reviews, Information, Delivery and Engagement. Each product listing will get a score based on each of these areas. The Alphashot 360 will help retailers improve their score in the images part of the product section.
CEO of LookUpBubbles.com, Julian Fisher on the introduction of Orbitvu "When we saw the quality of images and the simplicity of the Orbitvu system we knew it was a perfect fit for PRIDE. Visitors to an online store will expect nothing less in terms of the quality of presentation than if they were to visit a shop in the high street."
The overall goal of this partnership is to help consumers to buy better. Product images taken using the Alphashot 360 provide high quality colour photographs and video, free from distracting backgrounds and watermarks. Helping and guiding retailers to achieve such high quality images and product listing place LookUpBubbles.com at the forefront of excellent marketplace listings.


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We have a critical need on our Transitions of Care (TOC) Clinical Information Model (CIM)/Vocabulary Workgroup for knowledge on data element mappings, specifically surrounding work done on the HITSP C154, also known as the HITSP Data Dictionary.
We want to be able to define the key care transition data elements for our four Data Element Groups deemed as critical to building our TOC CIM:
1. Demographics
2. Allergies and Adverse Reactions (Medication)
3. Active Problem List
4. Reconciled Medications
HITSP C154 expertise would be important to us as the C154 serves as an important reference source to use in determining what these key elements would be. We can also leverage general overall data element expertise in these areas (including participation from experts in the Clinical Care Classification (CCC), the Clinical Care Record (CCR) and the Continuity of Care Document (CCD))
If interested, please let me know and we will get you engaged in working with TOC CIM/Vocab Workgroup volunteers and leadership to support this effort.


text:
Weigh the pros and cons of technologies, products and projects you are considering.
Big data architecture
Red Hat's Operator Framework set to overhaul Kubernetes clusters
Operator Framework is designed to ease deployment and management of apps on top of Kubernetes clusters. We break it down with former CoreOS CEO Alex Polvi. Continue Reading
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Plenty of companies still use the Apache Ant tool in Java development cycles and as part of their continuous deployments. Here's why Apache Ant is still a great choice for CI/CD. Continue Reading
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The packaging of Java programs has taken an interesting turn, as the original JAR format becomes a favorite even for Java web apps deployed as microservices. Continue Reading
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How do Selenium, Junit, Grinder and other automated testing tools work? Here's a tool-centric guide to unit testing, integration testing, load testing and more. Continue Reading
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Java versioning: Why Java 10 maps to version 18.3 of the JDK
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The Issue of Incongruity – Actual or Artificial? Pt. 3
Warmest greetings again in the name of the Lord of lords and King of kings.
*If you have not read my previous two articles, I would recommend that you do so first in order to sufficiently grasp the issue I am addressing. Please refer to Part 1 & Part 2 of this series. But in a nutshell it is this:
"Does the Bible allow for an incongruity or difference between the CONTENT OF THE GOSPEL message which is to be faithfully PREACHED and the content of SAVING FAITH post-Calvary which must be BELIEVED in order to have eternal life today?"The second nail that hammers shut the coffin of incongruity is…
Nail #2: 1 Corinthians 15:3-11
For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time. For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. Therefore, whether it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.I would like to draw out and develop some more key principles from this passage.
1. The Gospel which Paul received and preached is of PRIMARY IMPORTANCE. (1 Corinthians 15:3a)
"For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received…""Delivered" indicates that Paul's teaching was authoritatively presented. He didn't design it but he did deliver it. He was not the manufacturer of his message; he was the distributer. But how did Paul obtain his message?
Paul "received" the essentials of the Gospel from Jesus Christ personally (Galatians 1:11-12), while some of the evidences of the Gospel (such as some of his post-resurrection appearances mentioned in this passage) he perhaps received from the apostles, etc. (Gal.2 visit).
The phrase "first of all" (en protois) communicates that the Gospel was "of primary importance; first and foremost." While the doctrine of creation is foundational, the Gospel is of primary importance. And if understanding the biblical doctrine of creationism does not ultimately lead someone to the Gospel of salvation, does it ultimately matter whether one goes to Hell as a creationist or as an evolutionist?
While prophecy is interesting and needful, the Gospel is the first and foremost message that Paul preached to the Corinthians. Is the Gospel the emphasis of our preaching and teaching? Is the Gospel of first and primary importance? It was with Paul!
The message of the Gospel is no secondary issue, but is of primary importance ("first of all") to God. As this passage indicates, the Gospel that Paul is explaining in these verses was of primary importance in order for these Corinthians to FIRST become justified before God so that he preached it evangelistically to them (15:1), as well as being of primary importance for these believers to THEN become practically sanctified in time (15:2). Thus, should the Gospel of grace not be of primary importance to you?
In writing to someone recently regarding the issue of the "Crossless" gospel (which I believe is an accurate description of this aberrant teaching as I still hold to the normative theological usage of the word "Gospel" being equivalent to the content of saving faith), I stated…
"It seems like you were hoping to relegate this discussion to some '5 Views' book for academic discussion hidden away in some seminary library, hoping it would go away. Can you imagine the apostle Paul proposing a 5 view book to the Galatian Christians to resolve the issues they were facing related to the Gospel?"Dear reader, the Gospel needs to be of primary importance in our thinking, in our teaching, and in our churches. And Paul practiced what he preached! This is why when addressing the problem of legalism that was plaguing the churches of Galatia, what did Paul do? He re-focused them on the Person and Work of Jesus Christ that he initially preached to them on his first missionary journey as the antidote for legalism.
O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? (Galatians 3:1)
The downward path of the compromising believer:
excuses error …
defends error …
condones error …
embraces error.
"…that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures," (1 Cor. 15:3-4).First of all, the Gospel of salvation centers in a specific PERSON: JESUS CHRIST... "how that CHRIST..." This is significant because of WHO Jesus Christ is.
"For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus," (1 Timothy 2:5).In the Gospel of John, the Holy Spirit directed the apostle to devote the prologue (1:1-18) to answering the question, "Who is Jesus Christ?" The answer:
Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me," (John 14:6).
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God," (John 1:1)In accomplishing this objective and developing this necessary frame-of-reference, the numerous salvation verses contained in this primarily evangelistic book (John 20:30-31), [1] would not be read or understood in a historical or doctrinal vacuum but with the recognition that Jesus Christ is the unique God–man, the "Son of God."
"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth," (John 1:14).
Paul, the apostle, lays the same frame-of-reference groundwork in the tremendous doctrinal treatise of the book of Romans.
"Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead," (Romans 1:1-4)According to these verses, an integral part of the Gospel Paul preached was the recognition of the person of Jesus Christ—God in human flesh.
Why is this the case? For being the unique God-man, Jesus Christ alone qualified to be our Redeemer as He was born and lived outside the slavemarket of sin. Furthermore, being deity assures us that His work on the cross is a perfect work. In addition, being born as a man, Jesus Christ then could not only reveal God to man (John 1:18), but could "die" in full payment for the sins of the entire world. (Heb.2:9, 14-15)
We must remember when preaching the Gospel, that we are not preaching a church (as no church can save); nor are we declaring a ritual to be performed (as no works are needed). Furthermore, we are not proclaiming an experience (as the Gospel involves historical facts). WE are heralding first all, a PERSON- the unique and eternal Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, the one and only Savior of the World.
"Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins," (John 8:24).Secondly, the Gospel of salvation centers in a specific WORK: "how that Christ DIED… and that He ROSE AGAIN..."
The word "died" underscores that Christ's death is a completed past event (aorist tense) that He voluntarily chose (active voice). It is a fact of history, not some religious myth (indicative mood).
Jesus had to die to provide salvation for mankind, as the penalty for our sin is "death" (Gen. 2:17; Rom. 5:12; 6:23). Furthermore, "without shedding of blood is no remission of sin." (Heb. 9:22)
Thus, Christ's sinless life, amazing miracles, flawless example, deep compassion, divine teaching, and royal birth line clearly indicated that He was nothing less than God manifested in the flesh and the rightful heir to the throne of David. Yet, it was only His death that could pay for our sins.
And what is the proof of His death? "…and that he was buried."
So when Paul came to Corinth to evangelize these lost pagans, he not only heralded the person of Christ but also His finished work as part of the Gospel.
"For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God," (1 Cor. 1:17-18).The second aspect of Christ's work is that He "rose again." This underscores for us the importance of Christ's bodily resurrection. The phrase "He rose again" (egegertai) is a perfect tense verb indicating past completed action with abiding present results. Jesus Christ was raised from the dead on the third day and He remains alive to this very day. He is a living Savior who got out of death and the grave alive!
"And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified," (1 Corinthians 2:1-2).
The passive voice of "rose again" indicates that God the Father raised Jesus Christ from the dead. This is the canceled check that Christ's death satisfied every holy demand of God relative to our sins so that He raised Jesus Christ from the dead (Rom. 4:25; 1 John 2:2, 4:10). The indicative mood again portrays Christ's resurrection as a historical fact, not a religious fable. And what is the proof that Christ was raised from the dead? "…and He was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve…" (1 Corinthians 15:5). [2] Thus, the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ was an integral part of Paul's evangelistic Gospel–preaching. This amazing biblical truth caused him to conclude in light of certain deniers at Corinth…
"And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise," (1 Cor. 15:14-15). [3]
Thirdly, the Gospel centers in a specific ACCOMPLISHMENT... "Christ died FOR OUR SINS...." Why is this significant? First of all, because it indicates a SUBSTITUTIONARY SACRIFICE. The Greek word "for" (huper) is one of three Greek prepositions that underscore the concept of substitution (huper; anti; peri?). "Huper" communicates how Christ died ON BEHALF OF our sins.
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just FOR the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit. (1 Peter 3:18)
The second reason "for our sins" is significant is because it reveals Christ's death as a COMPLETED SACRIFICE. Note how "for our sins" is only attached to Christ's death. Why? Because when He cried, "IT IS FINISHED" (John 19:30), the sins of all mankind for all time were PAID IN FULL on the cross. Jesus Christ was not "buried" for our sins or "raised" for our sins as His death fully accomplished the paying of our sin debt to God.
By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. (Hebrews 10:10-14)
What does all of this mean? It means that no mass, no fires of purgatory, no sacraments, no amount of good works, no personal suffering, no indulgences, etc. can atone for our sins. "IT IS FINISHED!"
This means that regardless of the nature or amount of sins that we have committed, God, by His grace, is willing and wanting to save us. And without compromising his holy character, God will save every sinner who places his/her faith in Jesus Christ and His finished work alone, since Christ died for all of their sins and rose again.
"Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood…," (Romans 3:24-25a)No wonder the Gospel is called GOOD NEWS!
"Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness," (Romans 4:4-5).
"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast," (Ephesians 2:8-9).
But you might be wondering, "But is the Gospel of Jesus Christ credible and verifiable?" Paul gave us three evidences from 1 Corinthians 15 to affirm its fruitfulness.
a. Proof #1: The Gospel is "ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES."
"According to the Scriptures" is underscored for us twice, once in verse 3 connected with Christ's death, and once in verse 4 attached to His resurrection. The person, work and accomplishment of the Lord Jesus Christ was predicted in the Old Testament Scriptures hundreds of years before these events actually happened. Over 100 specific prophecies were fulfilled in Christ's first coming, including the prediction of His death on the cross and His bodily resurrection. (Psalm 22, Isaiah 53, Zechariah 12:10)
b. Proof #2: The Gospel is HISTORICALLY CREDIBLE and VERIFIABLE.
"And that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time," (1 Cor. 15:5-8)Jesus Christ, after His bodily resurrection, made various appearances to actual people. One could call to the witness stand numerous individuals to testify that they saw the risen Christ. Those specifically mentioned here are…
• Peter (vs. 5), who was the chief apostle and previous thrice-denier of Jesus Christ.This is quite a large and valid group of eyewitnesses, wouldn't you say?
• The Twelve (vs. 5), who were the chief authorities of the early church and who previously deserted Jesus Christ.
• 500 believers (vs. 6), who saw the risen Christ at one time. Now that is a lot of witnesses! Ask any trial lawyer.
• James (vs. 7), the half-brother of Jesus, who had been an unbeliever prior to Christ's resurrection. (John 7:5)
• All the apostles (vs. 7), which included Thomas, the chief doubter. (John 20:26-31)
• Paul (vs. 8), who previously had been the chief persecutor of Christians. (Acts 8:3)
c. Proof #3: The Gospel is PERSONALLY TRANSFORMING.
"For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. Therefore, whether it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed," (1 Corinthians 15:9-11).How does one explain the conversion of Saul of Tarsus into the apostle Paul apart from the destiny-changing, life-transforming message of the Gospel?
"And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.Notice carefully that the Gospel of salvation is not the virgin birth of Christ, nor is it His present intercessory work in Heaven, nor is it the blessed hope of His coming again. If we are going to preach the Gospel of salvation accurately in our day, [4] we (like Paul) must be certain to teach the PERSON, WORK, and ACCOMPLISHMENT of JESUS CHRIST. And depending on the prior knowledge and beliefs of the person we are evangelizing, these Gospel truths need to be covered to a greater or lesser extent. As we do this, we can be assured that our message is ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES, HISTORICALLY CREDIBLE and VERIFIABLE, and has the power to be PERSONALLY TRANSFORMING in the lives of those who keep responding to it. And through preaching the Gospel, lost sinners will come to personally understand the amazing grace of God in truth. For though we deserve the judgment of God in Hell, God will forgive all of our sins and give us eternal life as a gift because of who God is and because of what Jesus Christ has done for us. Now that's grace!
And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.
However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen," (1 Timothy 1:12-17).
3. The Gospel demands a specific response: to BELIEVE it alone for one's eternal destiny. (1 Corinthians 15:11)
"Therefore, whether it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed."What does God require and how had the Corinthians responded to the Gospel that was preached to them? They simply BELIEVED it! Our word translated "believed " (pisteuo) means "to rely on, to trust in, to depend on, to believe." Being in the aorist tense (in verses 2 and 11) does not indicate a required on-going action (present tense), but a definite decision at a point in time. The active voice indicates that they chose of their own volition to believe the Gospel. The indicative mood reveals the reality of their decision to trust in Christ alone.
"And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty," (1 Corinthians 15:14)Now all of this exegesis and exposition prepares us to raise the all important question:
"For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins," (1 Corinthians 15:16-17)!
The answer: NO! NEVER!
Listen to it again: Therefore, whether it was I or they, so we preach (What? "the Gospel"- vs.1), and so you believed (what? "the Gospel" - vs.1). NO INCONGRUITY!
I have heard in response to this the explanation that this passage (1 Corinthians 15) does not spell out justification by faith, and that even a Roman Catholic can believe 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 and not be saved. As an ex-Roman Catholic who was saved at the age of 18, I can assure you that while a Roman Catholic may say they believe that Christ died for our sins and rose again, he/she normally does not understand the significance of the finished work of Christ. Thus his/her faith normally is still in Christ PLUS and not in Christ PERIOD. Thus, he/she does not yet truly grasp the CONTENT of the Gospel which must be BELIEVED to be saved!
Ironically, the Crossless gospel advocates, with their mantra of John 6:47, oftentimes gut the Gospel of the very essentials (the substitutionary sacrifice of Christ and victorious resurrection) that are the crucial and critical truths that can open a sinner's eyes to the reason why salvation is by grace alone in Christ alone and His work alone. For it's one thing to know that Christ's death was NECESSARY to pay for our sins to save us; it's another to believe that it is ENOUGH!
Can you hear the hammer hitting the nail of 1 Corinthians 15:3-11 as it sounds out loud and clear … NO INCONGRUITY!
Dennis Rokser
Please continue to Part 4 of this compelling series.
[1] The exception to this evangelistic thrust in the book of John is the Upper Room Discourse of John 13-17, which is devoted toward those who were already believers.
[2] Though the burial of Christ's body, as well as His being seen by others after His resurrection, are not integral components of the Gospel (as "according the Scriptures" are not attached to these statements), they do act as historical proofs of the reality of Jesus Christ's death and resurrection.
[3] The bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead was a major theme in the preaching of the Gospel by the Apostles in the book of Acts.
[4] While God's first promise of a Redeemer from sin and Satan was announced in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:15), and though certain pieces of God's redemptive plan unfold in the Old Testament, it is not until the New Testament that the details of the Gospel are expanded and clarified due to progressive revelation. Thus, the Holy Spirit directs Paul in defining the content of the Gospel as the person, finished work, and accomplishment of Jesus Christ which demands a response of simple faith alone apart from one's works in order to be eternally saved.


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Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Is Ryan Howard Worth $18 Million?
First baseman Ryan Howard and the Philadelphia Phillies are getting set for what looks like yet another ugly arbitration case. Last season, Howard won $10 million from an arbiter, a record for a player with only two years of service time. That arbitration case was ugly, but this year's case could get downright ridiculous.
Ryan Howard is asking for $18 million big ones.
I'll let everyone soak that in for a second...eighteen million dollars.
That's obviously a lot of money and if Howard wins the case, he will set yet another arbitration record (highest salary awarded) and remain, by far, the Phillies highest paid player.
This is a bold move by Howard. The Phillies offered him $14 million, a number that not too many people would shy away from. However, Howard obviously believes that he deserves to be one of the highest paid baseball players in the game based on his performance and probably his age. Remember that Howard is no spring chicken in baseball years, he is already 29 years old and will not be a free agent until he is 32. Now is the time for him to cash in.
So does Howard deserve the $18 million bucks?
Howard is a phenomenal player and a franchise player. He is one of the best power hitters in baseball and has hit over 45 home runs in each of the past three seasons. Howard absolutely crushed the ball in 2008 to the tune of 48 home runs and 146 RBI. The 2006 MVP has put up historic numbers over his first three full seasons in the major leagues and has shown no signs of slowing up...which is bad for the rest of the National League.
However, Howard's deficiencies are evident. Anyone watching the Phillies will tell you that Ryan Howard is a terrible fielding first baseman and makes even the most routine plays look very awkward.
Also, at the plate, Howard notoriously strikes out a lot, which is not surprising considering how many home runs he hits. But at the same token, Howard's on base percentage has been slipped from .425 in 2006 to a pedestrian .339 in 2008. The best power hitters usually produce an OBP of at least .380 and it is rather shocking how quickly Howard's OBP has fallen.
And finally, Howard has batting average has been a major source of criticism from fans and writers alike. For most of 2008, Howard's batting average hovered in the .220-.230 range before he exploded with a .352 batting average in September. Baseball people would love to see Howard's performance become more consistent because without a respectable batting average, Howard is no better than a very very very good version of Dave Kingman.
Harsh criticism I know, but that's the truth. The Phillies will need Howard's production in 2009 to be more consistent and will need their star to produce a batting average near .280 and an OBP near .400. Considering Howard's ability and potential, there is no reason why he should not be able to put up much better numbers in 2009.
So in conclusion, Ryan Howard is confusing. He is a immensely skilled, but flawed player who is a vital cog in the Phillies machine. Based on his 2008 numbers, I do not believe that he will be successful in getting $18 million bucks (perhaps they can settle somewhere in the $16 million dollar range). Even though his statistics are still great, there is no denying that Howard's numbers have declined in certain areas, which will ultimately weigh heavily in the arbiter's decision.
4 comments:
- tHeMARksMiTh said...
I can't imagine him getting the $18M. I think the Phillies win the case and shouldn't settle. Last year, they kind of low-balled him, but I think the $14M is a much better offer and the $18M is a little ridiculous. Had the Phillies offered $8M last season, they probably would have won last year.
- January 20, 2009 at 11:53 PM
- Josh said...
theMARkSmiTh: I don't think he'll get $18 million either. However, it says something about Howard's aspirations that he is asking for this much money. For so long, the Phillies seemed reluctant to play Howard because they had Jim Thome, but now that the Phillies need him, Howard is making sure that he maximizes his value, or at least tries to.
thanks for the comment.
- January 21, 2009 at 1:32 AM
- glenn said...
It's doubtful he'll get the 18MM. Since his rookie year (.313/.400 Avg./Obp.) he has dropped of significantly. Last year he was only really good in September, and the rest of the season he was atrocious. He can pound it, but he has absolutely zero plate discipline. His defensive metrics have him rated pretty much at the bottom of NL 1B, and that is not going to improve either. If the Arb awards him what he wants, then something is seriously wrong. Either way, Philly should look to trade him sometime around the deadline or next off-season. He is a DH just waiting to happen, and even then that's only for a few years before he's spent.
- January 21, 2009 at 11:06 PM
- Josh said...
glenn: I would be stunned if Howard gets $18 mil. He is an absolute beast, but the declining numbers have to be a source of concern. Let's hope the arbitrators look at the total package instead of just his robust offensive stats.
thanks for the comment.
- January 22, 2009 at 7:00 PM


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I have always wondered about translated reads. In fact, not only wondered but also enjoyed them a lot, I must say. Translated fiction has always beguiled me and there is something about such fiction that I cannot help but read. I don't know if it is the exotic nature of it all - reading something that was originally written and cherished by so many in another language which I will never get close to, or just the fact that it is now made available for me to savor and relish, page by page.
Right from the classics - thank God that Anna Karenina and Madame Bovary were translated to more contemporary fiction like that of Italo Calvino or fiction by Shanta Gokhale or Cobalt Blue by Sachin Kundalkar which was so beautifully translated by Jerry Pinto from Marathi. Coming to the point of a good translation: What makes a good translation? If you do not know the language in which it was originally written, then can you even gauge if the translation is good or not? How will you make sense of it? I think it is all about connecting with the book and the language or words just follow. The plot should be strong enough for you to feel something for the characters and how the book unfolds.
Translations open a whole new world - let's say - whole new cultures for readers to explore and that is why we need so many of them - time and time again - to make us sense that we are not living in a bubble of fiction written and read solely in the English language. While I appreciate and love fiction written in English, I strongly believe that a lot is missed out on when we do not pay attention to fiction in other languages.
Which brings me to the purpose of this blog.
The purpose of this blog for me is to read one translated book per week, starting next week, that is week ending 3rd of April 2016 (I have taken the week to start on a Monday and end on a Sunday) which means, I will read a total of 40 books which are translations.
I will review each of them, talk about them at length and also giveaway some of them.
So looking forward to this project. The first book I am going to start with will be "Ghachar Ghochar" by Vivek Shanbhag - Translated from the Kannada by Srinath Perur. You can also read with me.


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Kate Middleton's Romantic Updo At Prince Philip's Birthday Party
Kate looked flawless with a half-up hairdo and gorgeous makeup at a garden party celebrating Prince Philip's 93rd birthday in London on June 10. Get her hair look below!
Kate Middleton looked regal and splendid in a fabulous fascinator at a garden party at Buckingham Palace, hosted by Queen Elizabeth, on June 10. Kate re-wore a gold Alexander McQueen dress and looked fabulous from head to toe! Read below to get our tips on copying her hairstyle!
Kate Middleton At Prince Philip's Birthday — Garden Party Chic
Kate looked so pretty, as usual! Her makeup look was a bit more subtle than it was earlier in the day, with less eye makeup than she normally wears. She kept her bright blush for a flawless flush, the perfect look for an outdoor party.
Under her hat, her hair was pulled back. Perhaps she styled it that way because of the weather! Earlier in the day, Kate had a bit of a hair malfunction when it blew across her face!
Nevertheless, her hair was so shiny in the sunlight — stunning!
Kate Middleton's Updo — Get Her Look
To get a look similar to Kate, we love Goody's Simple Styles Mini Spin Pins. They easily hold hair without the bulk and messiness of a bunch of bobby pins. It can hold your hair half-up like Kate, or hold a chic chignon or top knot. They come in a variety of colors to blend with your hair — they are miracle workers! They are especially great for thin and fine hair.
Here's a tip: spray with hairspray before pinning into hair for extra hold and grip.
Do you love Kate's updo, HollywoodLifers?
— Dory Larrabee


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Why haven't I been updating the blog? One reason, two words: Toyland Trouble. That's the title of my belated (and re-belated) second album, which I've made available as a free download.
Get it here!
(Several songs from Toyland Trouble can also be heard on my YouTube channel, in case the immediate gratification of a free album download isn't quite immediate enough for you.)


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"I love u with all of my heart, b0dy and s0ul.
U complete me, U make my life worth living.
To have known u and to have l0ved u has been the m0st beautiful dream.
I can 0nly h0pe that I never wake up.
I noticed that being with u, I smile ^-^ more 0ften,
a anger a little quickly,
the sun shines a little brighter,
and life is s0 much sweeter.
For being with u takes me to a different place,
a place called l0ve. "
cikhaty: i l0ve her(m0m) him(ppa) and you(Yes!y0u!^-^) Kamsa Hamida for this <3.


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The Heritage Centre is pleased to announce that Rachel Allen's exquisite Kitchen Range is now available from the Craft Shop.
The acclaimed TV chef has collaborated with Tipperary Crystal to produce a charming collection of delicately decorated tableware. Also available are an assortment of pretty yet practical kitchen utensils and a variety of fragrant candles.
Also newly arrived in the Craft Shop is a fabulous selection of bags ranging from an elegant evening wear collection to tempting holdalls and casual shoulder bags. These are handsomely complimented by an assortment of new season shawls and scarves now on display.
If any (or many!) of these exciting new items tickles your fancy or seems like the perfect present for your nearest and dearest you may be interested in the Craft Shop Christmas Club.
Now open for business members can secure any item in the shop with a small deposit or save up for the festive season- an especially prudent move considering the Craft Shop's ever popular sale will be coming up in November!
To find out more, to buy or just to browse call into the Craft Shop any time.
To find out more, to buy or just to browse call into the Craft Shop any time.


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Friday, August 13, 2010
Our Visit With Baby Sofia (and her family)
I AM IN HEAVEN!! We got to meet Sofia and her wonderful family today. They happened to be spending a few days at Disneyland and we happened to have to be nearby for Ella's Dr. appointment today. We went over and met up with them in Downtown Disney for a little bit. I have been in love with Sofia since I first found her on Reece's Rainbow. I was so excited when I found out that a family from California was adopting her because I just knew that somehow, someday I would be able to meet her. I sure didn't realize that that day would come so soon. The only problem is that now I want more!!! She is so darn cuddly and affectionate and loving and smart!! The Sanchez family is truly blessed to have her. We also got to meet her big brothers, Joaquin, Mateo and Diego. Joaquin is the same age as Ella and also has Ds. He is a walking maniac!! Between him wanting to take off walking and Ella doing her walk/crawl thing, I am surprised that we got any pictures of the kids together.
****Update...I forgot to mention that Ella still isn't quite ready to start her next round of chemo yet. Today her ANC was 644 so she still has a little way to go.
I just love this picture because it shows how much Ella liked Sofia. First of all, she is tolerating her sitting on her in the stroller and also she put her arm around her.....sigh!!
Me with the girls.
Moms and kids
All the kids.....sitting down together and ALMOST all looking
Ella getting a kick out of Joaquin turning on his charms.
18 comments:
- Lori said...
What a great blessing!!!
All the kids look fantastic -- and Sophia is just beautiful!
What a fun way to spend the day :) - Well, I guess aside from the Dr. appt -- how did that go, BTW?
- August 13, 2010 at 7:17 PM
- Bulldogma said...
Awesome! I saw you on J.'s FaceBook post and thought, "I know HER!!" LOL! How great to get to meet the S. family! I follow their blog too. I love, love, love the pics of Ella and Sofia!! Such beautiful girls!
- August 13, 2010 at 8:16 PM
- mandd3 said...
What an awesome experience. Sofia is so beautiful. and Joaquin is darling, just what I imagine Tomas to look like in a few years. Keep climbing Ella!
- August 13, 2010 at 8:35 PM
- Lacey said...
I'm so jealous!! Lucky girl! Tanner watched his Ella video and got his fix for the day!
- August 13, 2010 at 8:48 PM
- The VW's said...
OH MY GOODNESS! That is way too much cuteness!!
- August 13, 2010 at 9:39 PM
- Heather said...
Oh my gosh!!I love these pictures and am so glad that you all could meet up,if only for a bit.Is Sofia not gorgeous,or what?
- August 13, 2010 at 10:53 PM
- Patti said...
Hi Denise, here I am commenting at midnight again:) Are you up?? Love the photos of Ella- she is a social butterfly! I was just wondering- we are going on the Buddy Walk in San Diego Oct. 16th..are you by chance?
- August 14, 2010 at 12:08 AM
- Rochelle said...
Oh Sofia is gorgeous, we fell in love with her watching her homecoming video! So glad you got to meet her & her super cute brothers.
Ella looks fantastic. I am so glad you are getting to enjoy life outside the hospital before her numbers get back up.
- August 14, 2010 at 5:24 AM
- Cammie Heflin said...
So so cute!!! Precious!
- August 14, 2010 at 5:57 AM
- my family said...
Little Miss Happy. So glad you all were able to meet,looks like a great time and what a nice looking bunch of kiddos :)
- August 14, 2010 at 8:13 AM
- Julie said...
Soooo jealous! I want to meet all of you, and squeeze both of those precious girls!
- August 14, 2010 at 10:10 AM
- Heidi said...
What a great opportunity to meet Sofia and her family!! Ella looks like she enjoyed the visit so much!
- August 14, 2010 at 1:40 PM
- To Love Endlessly said...
Looks like it was a wonderful day! The pictures are all fantastic and that little Sofia is too cute for words. I've been following her journey to her forever home for a while now. Love that you got the meet that princess.
- August 14, 2010 at 6:46 PM
- Kelli said...
Good luck with the ANC. How nice to get to meet up with both of them. Looks like Ella was thrilled with the company.
- August 14, 2010 at 11:29 PM
- Pallavi said...
Oh they look so cute together..
My full name is 'Pallavi Joshi'
And so happy to hear that we have our photo there on Ella's wall.. :)
- August 15, 2010 at 12:04 AM
- Monica said...
Sweet photos. Jen and her kids are great. I especially love Sofia's soft skin and Joaquin's smile. Ella and Sofia look so cute together! I hope we can meet sometime, too!
- August 16, 2010 at 10:32 PM
- The Sanchez Family said...
Oh Denise! It was such a sweet get together...just wish I could have spent way more time with you and Ella. LOVE you both and thank you soooo much for thinking of Sofia with her little homecoming gift! The pictures are perfect! I hope we can meet up again VERY soon! HUGS!!!
- August 16, 2010 at 10:39 PM
- Melissa M said...
I LOVE the picture where Ella has her arm around Sofia. Too cute!!
- August 20, 2010 at 10:51 AM


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|My very old friend Aletha. Some say the chemo is making her look younger. I say "bah, humbug".
Most of my travel this year on my free United pass has been for pleasure. But not all. My oldest friend (she's very, very old...3 months older than me) was diagnosed with breast cancer in the spring. Aletha and her husband of 46 years (told you she was old!) live in Tucson, Arizona. Thanks, Kyle Kincaid for the amazing gift of travel on United which allows me to visit so often. By the way, David has asked if you could rescind the pass.
|The skies during monsoon season are as dark
as my humor.
In July I went back to provide company and moral support as Aletha continued her chemo. This blog isn't a "here's how to do chemo" guide. It's just my experience of cancer treatment as an outsider. Aletha may wish to write a rebuttal, which I'll happily publish. By the way, some say I have a very dark, twisted sense of humor. If you don't appreciate that kind of thing you might wish to switch over to reading Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm. If you don't get that reference and don't know how to Google it, you're too young to be reading this.
Because I have the mental discipline of a hummingbird on speed, I'll just list my observations in random order:
|No cranky-pants in the chemo "room".
- The "chemo room" is not actually a room. I was expecting silence, dim lighting, televisions, privacy, Barcaloungers and snacks. And, like, a room. Nope, I was totally incorrect. There are a bunch of chairs (not recliners but comfortable, with ottomans) lining a couple of hallways surrounding a nurses' station. Florescent lights. Noise. Activity. And the only food was sequestered in the middle of the nurses station and was not available to patients. Or visitors, as I found out the hard way.
Actually, the donuts, cookies and trifle that were there that day seemed to have been brought by patients for the nurses. I love the naive optimism of the nurses. Think about it. You poke a hole in someone's chest (they call it a port but it's a chest) once, twice or more a week. Then you inject the patient with toxic stuff. Stuff guaranteed to have nasty side effects (nausea or hair loss anyone?) And then you happily chow down on food brought to you by the person you just tortured? I'm thinking you have to really have a craving for trifle to risk it.
- The "chemo room" is not sad. There was a lot of laughing going on. Patients were laughing, visitors and even the nurses were laughing. I was dozing off in a comfy chair while all around me was jocularity. Frankly, all those happy chemo patients made it hard for me to get my nap on. Good for them.
- Best line from a very sensitive receptionist. As a patient walked up to register at the cancer center, the receptionist looked up and said (with a straight face) "Oh, so you're not dead yet.". The patient laughed and responded "Not yet, but I'm working on it."
- Best t-shirt worn by a chemo patient: "I'm Available". Worn by a guy who appeared to be in his late 70's. He flirted like crazy with every woman in sight. I like his attitude.
- The waiting room at the cancer center was quiet and not nearly as fun as the area where patients were getting chemo. I suggested they could really use a few toddlers to liven the place up. Really, who doesn't smile when they see laughing, tiny, chubby, uncoordinated kids stumbling around? Aletha gave me a "look". The next day during chemo there was a toddler. Brightened up the whole room. I think daycare and cancer centers should partner up.
- Free wigs! There's a resource room in the cancer center. There were wigs, hats, scarves and books on display - all available to be checked out for free. But apparently only to cancer patients. Discrimination to non-cancer patients perhaps? Like I couldn't use a new look? They also had an accupuncturist, massage therapist and reiki master available. Not free but on a sliding cost scale to be accessible. They also offer yoga and support groups.
I was especially excited about the therapy dog that was there one day. How cool! It was a small standard poodle and I enjoyed petting her and chatting with her owner. It took me about 10 minutes to realize the therapy dog was there not for all the patients but she was her owner's therapy dog. Luckily the owner was happy to share the love.
- Cancer is not a hobby, people! Aletha's treatment involves a variety of appointments on a regular basis. I don't want to spill all the beans but let's just say that for your average patient getting chemo there are weekly blood draws, injections and the chemo itself. Now, wouldn't it be handy to coordinate those appointments in case, you know, you actually have a life to get on with? I guess they do the best they can. And, on the bright side - in between appointments there's time for ice cream and other important tasks.
- It is FREEZING in the "chemo room". I took a blanket. Aletha took a blanket. They had blankets available on site. But here's the deal. It's FREEZING in just about every air conditioned building in Tucson in the summer. I recommend just carrying a blanket with you to the grocery store, restaurants, etc. Tucsonans seem to think keeping the indoors cooled to 50 degrees will balance out the outside temp of 110 degrees.
- Chemo may cause hair loss. Or not, it depends on the drug and the patient. One thing I can tell you, chemo does NOT improve singing skills. After chemo one day we were driving home and Aletha decided for some bizarre reason to serenade me with a Tennessee Ernie Ford song (told you she was old). Her singing was exactly the same as it's always been. Chemo has not helped.
She's supposed to be eating a bland diet.
I kept dragging her to Mexican restaurants.
That's a cheese crisp with green chiles.
Why can you only get them in Tucson?
- Now here is the saddest news of all. Chemo is not a guaranteed weight loss program. Aletha was at a healthy weight when she started. Still is, although she may have lost a couple of pounds. I, however, haven't lost any weight at all. In fact, what with all the Mexican food, Jack in the Box and ice cream I "may" have gained a few pounds. I was "chemo adjacent". Shouldn't that mean the calories I ate while visiting Tucson didn't count? Unfair!
- "Chemo brain" is a myth. Aletha tried to convince me that when she'd forget something or pulled some doofus stunt that it was because of "chemo brain". Nope. Just age. And something else but I can't remember. And maybe it was me who pulled the doofus stunt.
|Jack in the Box tacos. The breakfast of champions.
And one of the causes of my big butt.
The thing about cancer and the treatment that comes with it is that it isn't your life. Your life goes on. Cancer is just another speed bump. All the other good (and bad) stuff in life still goes on. Traffic doesn't give way because you're on your way to chemo (which sucks, right?) Strangers are still kind...or not. Your friends don't let you win at Phase 10. When you tackle it like Aletha does, cancer is just another thing to beat. And unlike Phase 10, she's going to win this one.
|Schnapsie still only moves when he thinks there might be food involved.
|And life goes on.


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Full day ahead: Curriculum planning for younger child and middle school schedule pick up and orientation for older child (gulp!) My mind is divided between summer days and back to school, and while the calendar says September is nearly hear, my mind is in denial- we can't possibly be that close! Didn't summer begin a week ago or so? Surely we have time for a bit of puttering about! And our living area needs a good going over- all that planning can wait awhile . . .
So the work apron is tied on, and a bit of puttering occurs . . . -sorry curriculum, I can't hear you over the roar of the vacuum! School supplies, open houses, a.s.b. and p.t.s.a. fees- not yet, it's still summer! Or at least the house says summer can linger on . . .
I sit awhile, breathe in these last few moments . . . the light is pale and quiet; calm. May that calm remain as we wave good bye to summer and welcome in all that is to come . . .


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Yesterday I came back from a Quilter weekend. 20 quilt enthusiastic women from the Quiltfriends-Forum sewing, patching, talking and laughing alltogether a whole weekend long, wonderfull! It was a fantastic organisation from Ulla and I met unknown women und of course I saw friends again. I love it!!!
Diese tollen Sachen habe ich mit zurückgebracht:
These amazing things I brought back with me:


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"Before I go, I just want you two to know something, alright? The supercop story… was working. Okay? It was working, and you guys just messed it up. Okay? I'm trying to figure you guys out, but I haven't yet. But it's cool. You fuck up a perfectly good lie."
'Beverly Hills Cop', directed by Martin Brest in 1984, is an American action comedy starring Eddie Murphy. Murphy plays Axel Foley, a Detroit police officer who fails to operate by the rules. When his friend is murdered and the trail of his killers leads west, Foley travels to California and the genteel and opulent Beverly Hills, where he becomes embroiled in a local drug smuggling operation and is harassed by the local police. It's a film full of energy, style, and with an enigmatic central performance by Murphy, a stand-up comedian who adjusts to the role of action star without any sense of transitioning. Foley is foul-mouthed, fast talking and completely at odds with both the wealthy villains and the uptight Californian cops, and this conflict is the key the success, and the distinctiveness of the film. It's a concept that is later stretched and sanitised by the sitcom 'The Fresh Prince of Bel Air', but here it is balanced by a surprisingly gritty and, occasionally, insightful sense of social reality. Beyond the performances, the semi-improvised dialogue and the energetic gunfights, the surface details of this film are also an important factor. The electronic soundtrack for example, performed by performed by Harold Faltermeyer, was a massive independent success at the time and is a key part of the movie's identity. Somehow, this film seems insulated against the traditional hard-body action films of the time, featuring actors such as Stallone and Schwarzenegger. One reason for this is that it has dated well, but Murphy's approach and distinctive, laid-back charisma prevents 'Beverly Hills Cop' from being just another reflection of Ronald Reagan's muscular foreign policies.
Would I recommend it? I grew up on 'Beverly Hills Cop', from a time when the only version I had was a censored television recording. I'd definitely suggest watching it, but make sure you get the full sweary version.


text:
I missed out on Friday Fill-Ins on Friday. I was still pretty pain-free. Anyway, here they are:
1. It's cold and I shiver right after surgery.
2. Don't ever feed me tomatoes.
3. My favorite health and beauty product is Bath and Body Works shower gel.
4. Let's hop on our bikes and go for a nice long ride.
5. Well, first of all I have to catch up online, then I can play a bit.
6. Me, an ex, my daughters; those were the cast of characters in a recent dream and it was weird, very weird.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to painkillers, tomorrow my plans include finishing a project, holding the couch down and eating more "soft" foods and Sunday, I want to have my face back to normal size. I am tired of looking like the hunchback - er, ah I mean hunchface!


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WASHINGTON (CBSDC/AP) — House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi took a shot at Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum's stance on birth control during a taping of "The Colbert Report" Wednesday.
Talking about the politically charged contraception issue – an issue where Santorum has said that states should be free to ban birth control – Pelosi told Stephen Colbert that the presidential hopeful should learn about the "birds and the bees.
"I respect what Mr. Santorum thinks and believes for himself," Pelosi said. "I think that it would be wise for the gentleman to understand — maybe they need a lesson in the birds and the bees or whatever it is. There has to be another way."
Santorum's recent rise in the polls has focused new attention on social issues, especially abortion and birth control. Those topics fire up the religiously conservative crowds he often draws, but they might turn off more moderate voters worried about finding or keeping jobs for themselves and their families.
Meanwhile, there are signs that President Barack Obama may be benefiting from the increased GOP focus on social issues, at least a bit. A new Associated Press-GfK Poll found Obama with an 8-point lead over Mitt Romney, 9 points over Santorum and 10 points over Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul. The survey showed the president dominating among independents, a group central to his 2008 victory. Their support for Obama had faltered in recent months.
Obama is far from safe, of course, and any number of problems — starting with a possible economic dip — could undo him before November. But his supporters had to be happy with a two-hour Republican debate that often showed the candidates quarreling over congressional procedures, a distasteful topic to many Americans.
Last night's GOP presidential debate, which came six days ahead of the Arizona and Michigan primaries, was especially difficult for Santorum. The former Pennsylvania senator got pinned down trying to explain his now-regretted vote for President George W. Bush's "No Child Left Behind" education program.
"I have to admit, I voted for that," Santorum said. "It was against the principles I believed in, but, you know, when you're part of the team, sometimes you take one for the team."
Santorum also got bogged down explaining how he voted for a massive spending bill with funding for Planned Parenthood — a group he strongly opposes — because it was the only legislative vehicle to fund vital programs elsewhere. "I think I was making it clear that, while I have a personal moral objection to it — even though I don't support it — that I voted for bills that included it," Santorum said to scattered boos.
It was reminiscent of John Kerry's infamous 2004 remark, "I actually voted for the bill before I voted against it." Like Kerry, Santorum was trying to explain parliamentary realities that leave many voters cold.
The debate went much better for Romney, the former Massachusetts governor and the Republican establishment's preferred candidate. But Romney also spent precious time trying to explain why he supported bailouts for banks but not the auto industry, and why he attacks Santorum's congressional earmarks even though Romney successfully sought earmarks for the 2002 Winter Olympics.
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich chided Romney on that point. "I just think it's kind of silly for you to then turn around and run an ad attacking somebody else for getting what you got," Gingrich said.
Gingrich, who chose "cheerful" as the best word to describe himself, did not show his traditional bombast, and it's unclear whether he did anything to start gaining ground on Santorum and Romney. Paul, the Texas congressman, also did little to change his place in the field, sticking to his familiar libertarian themes.
Santorum's surge has forced all the candidates to talk more about social issues, with varying degrees of comfort. King asked Santorum to explain why he has talked in the past of the "dangers of contraception."
Santorum began discussing the decline of the American family and "the increasing number of children being born out of wedlock in America, teens who are sexually active."
It seemed an argument that might justify the use of birth control, but no one challenged Santorum on that point. Paul, who delivered many babies as a doctor, said birth control pills "can't be blamed for the immorality of our society."
For some GOP activists, the whole conversation was on the wrong track. Republican adviser and hostess Juleanna Glover said on her Facebook page that women will think all Republicans oppose birth control "and none but the 1 percent of Catholic women who never used birth control will vote for (the) GOP nominee."
Republican consultant Matt Mackowiak said it was the first debate "in which Santorum took the most attacks, and they did some real damage. Santorum was forced to explain his 'mistaken' vote in favor of No Child Left Behind, defend earmarks and explain his 2004 endorsement of liberal Republican Arlen Specter," a GOP senator from Pennsylvania who became a Democrat before losing his seat.
Even with 10 states voting in the March 6 "Super Tuesday" primary, the Republican contest shows no sign of wrapping up soon. The longer the candidates talk about birth control, No Child Left Behind and the wisdom of backing Arlen Specter, the longer Obama — who goes to Florida on Thursday to talk about energy and economic issues — will breathe a little easier.
(TM and © Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)


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Sunday, September 12, 2010
Armani Man, Wonder pony, and The Princess.
So we went back to visit Armani and Rumor, whose name i found out is actually spelled Roamer. But pronounced Rumor. If your confused please join the club.
Armani this summer was busy building muscles and teaching a hunter/jumper rider how to have contact with the bit. And i just have to throw this in, she did a very good job.
The first two days were spent perfecting canter-halt, halt-canter, halt-counter canter then do a simple change, and basically working on geometry. Ms E drug the arena and we got to make fun patterns in the sand. I made a ten meter circle four leaf flower thing. Working on geometry like that really helps one be aware of where they are in the arena. So once we could successfully navigate the arena she had us pick up counter canter from a halt then go across the diagonal and before we got to the other side do a .........drumroll please........flying change!!!
i can't even tell you how excited i was!! the first day we tried them poor Armani was so stiff he just barely got a couple clean ones, he needs his hocks injected again. But on the third day every single one we tried was clean and spot on when i asked. It was so cute he got so excited every time he did a change. This time was just so much better, i knew how to get him soft and waiting for me, and he just floated everywhere. I. Love. This. Horse.
Ms E cant ride herself because of a degenerative balance issue. Armani is her horsey-soulmate. The last day we were there after doing over 7 clean changes both directions she almost started crying, which made me almost cry. Overall it was just so much fun!!
We went out to dinner one night and i asked if she wanted a working student over the summer, she was a little hesitant until she found i can drive. We need to talk more to work some kinks out but i should be spending summer 2011 in mississippi, riding a schoolmaster in the morning and indie in the evening.
That Weekend there was a games clinic that my best friend was teaching, so i decided to ride too and got offered the ride on her own games pony Chino.
Anyone that has ever competed in advanced games east probably knows Chino. Because he's pretty much the best games pony ever. He knows the games better than his rider.
My inner dressage queen just died a little.
But apparently according to the best friend i'm really good at games, who knew!!
Did you know i can touch the ground from Chinos back?? its a little harder than it looks. And i'm really really good at the mug race, there are four poles every other pole has a mug on it and you have to pick up the mug from one pole and put it on the next pole, i like that race. The race i didn't like was the one where you have to put a tennis ball on a cone and then pick another ball off of another cone, every time i got close to the dang cone i'd knock it over.
My favorite race by far was the flag race. you run to the other side of the arena and put a flag into a cone and then go pick up a flag from another cone. I cantered that entire race and got the flag every time, except once but that one wasn't my fault!
Never fear dear readers i'm not switching to games. Dressage is still my first love. Friends dad was laughing at me the whole time because in the middle of a game i would be completely turned around in the saddle watching someone ride dressage on Winglet, the cute little mare that sometimes tries to throw you over her head because she has really really good brakes.
Alright so in India news, because we all know i can't have a blog without talking about the princess!!
All her lateral work is better and more expressive. Her gaits overall have improved ten times, she doesn't have those choppy short strides most ponies her size have, she is actually over-tracking which has never happened before ever. Her canter is bouncy and expressive. Her top-line is finally developing like it should and her neck has a slight arch to it now. The muscle that connects the shoulders to the neck is finally getting bigger and stronger. She is softer in the bridle and more flexible around her rib cage.
And i can't work on anything that takes collection!!! AHHH!!!
Driving me nuts. Oh well i guess we will just have to go visit Armani again.....damn. ;)
I've really been thinking hard about me and India because this year i become ineligible to ride in the FEI Pony and indie can't compete at FEI junior or Young Rider, which i would really like to compete in. So i've decided that i'm going to train indie up to FEI pony level and then find her a rider that is young enough to take her and i'll just have to work on FEI junior and Young rider on her and a bigger horse. Don't worry i'm NOT selling her. The only way someone will get indie from me is if they pry her out of my cold dead hands. But in a couple years make sure to look for Indies name at FEI pony!!
By the way i love indie so much she's my baby :)
1 comment:
Hey you! It has been ages! :D I am glad to see that you are active and up and about in the world. I have totally missed our blog-to-blog writing so we both need to get active and stay active once more.
Give the spotty princess lots of love from both me and the big red man!
- September 14, 2010 at 10:53 PM
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When I first read this I had no idea of the polemical context into which Warfield wrote, nor of the general state of liberal scholarship which Warfield deals with. At that level I read him very simply - and he still rewards reading in such a way. His concern is to show the nature of the Scriptures as breathed out by God, and does this first of all by the careful exegesis of 2 Timothy 3:16, 2 Peter 1:19-21 and John 10:34f, and concludes with the authoritative nature of Scripture, because of the nature of its author - 'What Scripture says, God says...'.
He goes on to posit an incredibly close relationship between God and Scripture, grounding it upon the fact that the NT is happy to assign to 'Scripture' what was actually said by God (e.g., Rom 9:17), and therefore to argue that what Scriptures says is what God says (not said).
However, Warfield then goes on to address the human nature of Scripture, and the reality of human authorship, all the while wanting to grasp a more organic, more intimate event than what is conveyed by the term 'dictation'. Here we return to the concept of the spiration of Scripture - the divine breathing out, through the totality of human agency, the very words of God.
Warfield spends some pages stressing God's total control in providence over the entirety of a person's life, so that what they (for example, Paul) write is exactly what God intends for them to write. Given this, Warfield goes one step further, grounding inspiration as a mode of revelation. Not just a record of revelatory acts, but as an act of redemptive revelation in and of itself.
As I noted earlier, I didn't understand all this when I first read it. And, to be fair, having skimmed the article to write this, I think there's a fair bit in there that I would want to spend some more time thinking about. But what did influence me particularly was the way in which I came away from reading the article realising that I could have confidence in the Bible, because to do so was really to have confidence in God. Not in the sense that I ascribed divine personality to the Scriptures themselves, but because through them I hear the voice of a loving and speaking and acting God. I could take confidence in what I read.
This was vitally important to me because when I first read this I had not long left a church which had implicitly (and at times explicitly) told me that I couldn't have confidence in the Bible. That it wasn't 'real' in the sense that it didn't all happen like it was written. And even I could see that if that was the case with certain miracles (which was the presenting issue), where did you stop? The virgin birth? The resurrection? My sinfulness? The cross? The reality of Jesus? My eternal salvation?
Warfield showed me that God told me I could trust the Bible. I could trust it because it was his word, and because it was his word, not only could I trust it, I must.


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Introducing Sandro, Max, Santosh, and Emily
Data Analyst Max Livingston comes to Knewton from the New York Fed, where he was working as a Research Analyst. An NYC native, Max graduated from Wesleyan University. His hobbies include playing the fiddle and cooking, and his favorite TV show is The West Wing. Marginal Revolution is his favorite website.
Software Engineer Santosh Thammana is also a New York City native. He graduated from Cornell and earned his masters at Columbia. His favorite TV show is The Big Bang Theory and his favorite website is GigaOm. He enjoys playing ping-pong in his free time (and will have plenty of opportunity to hone his skills on Knewton's table!).
Emily Litwin joins Knewton's Implementations team as a Client Manager. Originally from South Orange, New Jersey, she graduated from Carleton College and received her MBA from the University of Michigan. Her favorite book is The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, and her hobbies include playing soccer and biking. Emily's favorite website is Smitten Kitchen.
Sandro Cenni joins Knewton's London office as an Implementation Architect. A native of Treviso, Italy, Sandro has lived in London for the past 17 years. He studied Slavic and East European Studies at Venice University in Italy, and earned his MBA at Clemson University. Sandro is "into wine and all there is to know about it," plays the violin when no one is listening, and likes learning languages (in addition to English, he speaks Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and Russian).


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Merolilan of Rheims
Merolilian was an Irish preacher who is commemorated on May 18 and/or 31st. He was killed at Rheims, France. No tradition of him or his exact origins survived in Ireland, only a cult based at Rheims.
According to John O'Hanlon, "An account of St. Merolilanus is to be found, in the ancient Breviary of the Diocese of Rheims, in France; and, the accomplished Flodoard, in his history of that ancient church, sets forth several particulars, regarding the holy man. St. Merolilanus was of Irish race — indicated by the term Scotigena applied to him — and he travelled into France, with some companions, for the purpose of making a pilgrimage to Rome. Passing along the River Axona — now known as L'Aisne — some robbers set upon the travellers, and those freebooters killed Merolilanus. His companions brought the body of the holy man to Rheims, where it was interred in an ancient cemetery. For a long time, the very memory of St. Merolilanus seems to have been forgotten, in the place of his sepulture, until miracles revealed the spot where he was buried. It happened in the time of Hildegarius, a Priest of Rheims, as we are told in the History of that city, by Flodoard."
Translation of relicsEdit
Upon the restoration of Archbishop Artaud to Rheims in 935, the remains of Merolilanus were translated to the Church of the Holy Apostles and of St. Symphronien, Martyr, at Rheims. It seems probable, that either Archbishop Artaldus, or his successor Odalricus, took care to have this ceremony carried out, with due solemnity, and according to the requirement of St. Merolilanus.
- The Lives of the Irish Saints, Canon John O'Hanlon, 1873-1905.


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u loser what that picture 4
that is the second comment from that user. the first was just
u loser
he obviously wanted to elaborate on that comment and then proceeded to ask what that picture was for (4). apparently said commenter did not actually read the blogpost which stated that the money was going to charity. this would back up the claim from the commenter's profile which states: i don't read books.
i can only surmise then, that the commenter found my blog by typing in naked picture somewhere, and was sorely disappointed to find a pic of my bodkin rather than a naked picture of Britney Spears (see below).
|Is Bulboy a loser?
|Yes, a loser through and through
|No, Bulbboy is a winner
|Other (leave comment)
here is Britney without her panties (which i kindly drew in for her), the poor dear. once you get to a certain age your memory starts to go. =P


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Deals on products Cedric Soares likes
My Lists
My Likes
Replica Batmobile
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Electric DeLorean DMCEV
'Can you meet me at Twin Pines Mall tonight at 1:15? I've made a major breakthrough, I'll need your assistance.' No, it's not Doc Brown calling, it's Firebox because we've got hold of this amazing DeLorean car. With a top speed of 125mph it easily exceeds 88mph – incredible as this stupendous retro-modern vehicle is electric!
Jambox by Jawbone Wireless Speaker - Black Diamond
JAMBOX delivers stunning hi-fi audio in a portable wireless speaker so compact you won't believe it when you hear it. It's loud. With an output capacity of 85 decibels, JAMBOX fills even the largest rooms. Unlike other portable speakers, JAMBOX is powered by a pair of proprietary, highly sophisticated acoustic drivers, unmatched in their ability to produce extreme high (tweeter) and low (woofer) frequencies from a single, ultra-small dome speaker. JAMBOX is the only speaker in the world that gets smarter every time you plug it in. Just sync it with MyTALK, Jawbone's industry-first online platform to download apps, software upgrades, and the latest features - including LiveAudio, an immersive three-dimensional listening experience. Jambox's integrated intelligence allows you to personalize it to your specific preferences. JAMBOX gives you the freedom to bring pristine wireless audio to whatever you are doing, wherever you want. Carry it from room to room or just throw it in your bag - it's always ready to go. No more cords, docks or hassles. With JAMBOX, you can also enjoy streaming music, podcasts and sporting events while using your phone to do other things. Compatible with MyTalk, Windows 7, Vista, XP, Mac OSX 10.5 and higher. 1 speaker; 60 - 20,000Hz frequency range; 3.5mm line in connection; Plug and play. General information: Size H4, W5.7, D15.1cm; Mains AC adaptor; EAN/MPN/UPC/ISBN: 4710859559524.
'You Can Rarely See' Eye Chart Framed Print
'You Can Rarely See' Eye Chart Framed Print. These lovely hand pulled screen prints have been inspired by a vintage eye chart design. The print comes in a simple white painted frame. Made in uk. Comes ready to hang.
Star Wars Lightsaber Tie Clips (Darth Vader)
Modelled on the lightsaber hilts of Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker, these detailed plated brass clips are a great way to show your Star Wars allegiance.


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I love books.
I even love reading books.
But if I didn't love to read, I think I'd still love books.
There is so many reasons I love books, and this post isn't the time to list them.
But more specifically, I love the way they look on a shelf.
Which is why I love bookshelves.
Here are some photos I've been collecting:


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"We'll take Joey so I guess you guys get Burckhard", is what the captain of the other team said. Anyone who has ever played a game of kickball would recognize those as the last words before a game starts. If you had ever been picked last, those words might have been dreaded as you went out for recess each day. The way I looked at it, I still got picked and I was "on the team"! I even had a chance of telling my mom that my team won that day when I got home from school, even if that chance was less than 50% since I was on their team. Any of you who know of my athletic talents knew I was more likely to be the commissioner of the church league than to be a star in it! Being picked last still meant I got "picked".
Can you imagine what it would be like, however, to have your team say they don't want you in the game? That they feel their chances would be better "playing a man down", or 4 on 5? That's what I thought of when Paula started showing me page after page of the beautiful little faces on the Reese's Rainbow web site about two months ago. For the last eight years we have felt God preparing us for having another "link" added to our family circle. That's when I had what they called a "minor surgical procedure", but that's a topic for another day. Paula just reminded me that I am a guest blogger today, not a novel writer!
Christ chose us, not because we had done anything special or because we could help his team win. (We have read the book, his team does win!) Because he chose us, we feel lead to open our home to another of his children whose biological family felt their team stood a better chance without them. Many people have said they admire us for this adoption journey we have begun, or that they think we are being self-less or benevolent. We, however, feel God has called us to do this as a reminder that he "picked us" when we were "on waivers" and we are now and forever in his family. We can't not do this. Therefore, we've picked Bella!
By.......Daddy aka Kevin
Saturday, February 28, 2009
5 comments:
Yes, at least we are picked, doesn't matter if it's first or last, as long as we are picked.ReplyDelete
Amen, June!ReplyDelete
This is so exciting - to read a blog from someone in our hometown!! As new adoptive parents of 4 months, we are with you all the way. We pray that the bumps along the way will be little ones, few and far between. Give us a call if you need a shoulder to cry on or someone to scream at when the paperwork gets you down.ReplyDelete
Thanks for your encouragement & support. We will definitely be calling you.
God Bless.....Paula
Beautiful!!!! thanks for sharing!ReplyDelete
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Saturday, July 5, 2014
Answer Sheet for Mindless Question
by Gaurav Pandey on 9:08:00 PM
1 comment:
- AnonymousJuly 25, 2014 at 1:54 AM
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text:
My last full day in Brussels. My last full day of the trip. By London based co-workers took off mid-afternoon for the train back home. My flight back home was Friday around noon. I was hoping to duck out a little early, too.
That didn't happen.
I got out about 6:00, and made a break for it. I'm going to start loosing my light soon!
|Welcome to Belgium: Need social security benefits.
|But there were signs that either the Avengers or Anarchists are in town.
|This funky van was parked in front of the royal palace.
|Which I glanced over the fence.
|But it was protected by lions.
King Leopold, watching out over the palace, too.
|I was walking down this street by the palace, and got yelled at by police/ soldiers with automatic weapons.
Because I was literally walking down the street. Right down the middle. They wanted me over on the sidewalk, I guess.
Whatever, there was no traffic on the road. Maybe, just maybe, they should be less concerned about me, and more about people vandalizing the mail box they where standing in from of.
|Godfrey of Bouillon – The inventor of the bouillon cube.
|Musée Modern Museum – Museum of Fine Arts
|There's scaffolding around the Palace of Justice. So, the Palace of Justice is behind bars.
|I have no idea what is going on with these trees…
|SERIOUSLY, no idea.
|I turned the corner to find a crowd gathered to gawk at a little boy peeing.
Manneken-Pis is the mascot of the city. You find his image everywhere, from shirts
To larger than life sized chocolate statues
|I knew that going to Brussels, I would need to get Cora something Smurfy. After passing on the lunch box earlier, I found this Smurf shop right by
I mean, she dressed as a Smurf for Halloween when she was younger.
This is one time I wish I had some folding money on me. But I had my charge card, she got some Smurfs.
|I made my way back to the Grand Place…
|To get some shots before the sun set.
|Le Roy? Is that you, Le Roy? I didn't recognize you in the daylight.
|And then I started wandering the side streets…
|just to see what I could see.
|And to find more neon…
|and more neon…
|and neon with the red filter…
|and terrifying hostage taking rabbits.
|And this is Manneken-Pis's sister, Jeanneke Pis. She's peeing in jail.
|But she seems happy about it.
|She's actually located down this little alley
|Delirium Alley
|Beer Planet. Not Beer Asteroid. Not Beer Moon. Beer Planet.
|I found this cat highly disturbing…
|And a little exciting.
|I have no idea what they show at this cinema. Probably naked cowboys sitting around eating pudding.
|"A La Mort Subite" – "A Sudden Death". Like the beer from the night before. Named after the last round of a dice game some patrons used to play on their lunch hour.
|Back at the Cathedral. I a walking is circles around the Grand Place area. Snapping as many pictures as I can before I lose my light.
|Mooo! Mooo!
|As always, a few flowers for Cora
|And a few more for me.
|Back in the Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert. Le Pain Quotidien. Appears that there's one in my old neighborhood now.
Now that's an Easter egg. Hopefully not a Cadbury Creme Egg. Imagine all that goo.
|Easter bread with rabbits baked into the crust.
|Belgian Waffles. In Belgium. They did not have Brussels Sprouts shops.
|A nice jazz band grooving in Agora Square.
|Touching the mustache of Charles Buls, former mayor of Brussels.
|I remember this place. When I last visited about 25 years ago, the I was staying with my ex-girlfriend and her now ex-fiancée worked at that hotel at the time.
|There were some emotions here. Echoes of the old jealousy/hurt, but mostly relief. Cora was worth the wait.
|That's some name.
|Some beautiful stained glass in a store window.
|A guy playing the accordion on the far corner has a guy on the near corner dancing.
|I assume this means that it is okay to let your dog poop on the street.
|So, I had lost my light and was getting hungry, so I decided after wandering around for a while that Falstaff looked like a good place to eat.
Until I noticed the sign that said "Only cash today! Sorry"
Not having any cash, I kept walking, but not before taking a shot through the window. And the guy sitting there was well aware that his picture was being taken. And he was not happy about it.
|Out in front of the Brussels Stock Exchange, looking up at the lions.
|It sits on the Place de la Bourse. If this looks familiar, it was where Brussels gathered after the bombing. Freaked me out a little when I saw it on the Today show and I realized I WAS RIGHT THERE!
|These guys tried to sell me some "homemade" trinkets to help pay for their mission. I gave them a $1 (once again, no local currency). Still need to email them this picture.
|Ended up eating at Raphael's Restaurant. It was filled with these old religious statues. I could not find restaurants for Donatello, Leonardo, or Michelangelo.
|More inside on Raphael's.
|The staircase to the upper floor where the bathrooms were wound around and past this chandelier.
|I think the book says, "Bathrooms that way".
|And a nice light (bot not "light") beer.
|More neon. I told you. I fell in love with neon this trip.
|Maybe they have "Dogs Playing Polo"?
|I'm not certain this guy makes me want to try your frites.
Mont des Arts – Clock says you better bet back to the hotel and get packing.
|I think these kids are mocking me.
|Looking down the Mont des Arts toward the Grand Place. Even though I needed to get back, I lingered for a few minutes.
|Maybe that means something different in French or Flemish?
|I told the native French co-worker Lalie that this sign said, "Cheese Ball".
|And now I feel like I'm in any mall USA. But no Conan [LINK to blogpost]
|And one last blast of neon.
And with that, I called it a night. Packed, Skyped with Cora, and prepared to have one of the longer days of my life as I chased the sun across the Atlantic.
This part of the trip involved passing through the Brussels Airport. This is about 10 days before the bombing. I remember as I was walking through the airport, I think I went through 4 different security checks, how safe I felt. I didn't take many pictures inside. There were a lot of serious people with their fingers not far from triggers. I didn't want to draw any undo attention. But, as best as I can tell, I walked within a few feet of where the explosions happened. [Chills]
It was a long flight back, but I entertained myself by watching Star Wars: Phantom Menace (fell asleep during it), Ant Man, Man of Steel (it turned me off from wanting to see Batman V Superman), Star Wars: The Force Awakens. But even with that and all the ice cream sundae cart, I couldn't wait for the flight to get over.
Cora was waiting for me.


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It took Albany a little more than 24 hours this week to strip Mayor Bloomberg of his two "legacy" issues – congestion pricing and mayoral control of the public schools. Now the question is: How will Mike keep busy over the 630 days remaining in his term of office?
Oh, wait. Winners go to Orlando – and Mike right now is anything but.
To be sure, the mayor's a man with big ideas. He's very smart, and he surrounds himself with very smart people.
Odd, then, that the very best brains money can buy don't understand that Albany calls the shots for New York City, not the other way around.
The city is a constitutional construct of the state. This reality has roiled relations between generations of mayors and governors – and it is of particular significance in the power vacuum that has informed Albany since Eliot Spitzer's self-destruction.
Bloomberg moved heaven and earth on behalf of congestion pricing – but he couldn't move Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (nor, though it never came to that, the state Senate), and so congestion pricing died quietly on Monday.
Then, on Tuesday, the United Federation of Teachers made it perfectly clear who really controls the New York City public schools.
That would be UFT President Randi Weingarten – who long ago bought the state Legislature – and who has apparently made a downpayment on Spitzer's fledgling successor, David Paterson.
Nobody talks a stronger public-school reform game than Paterson, but there he was with Silver and Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno on Tuesday – conspiring to strip teacher-tenure decisions from the city Department of Education.
The details aren't important, but the point of the exercise is critical: When it comes to teacher accountability, the UFT – not Bloomberg, not Schools Chancellor Joel Klein – now runs the city schools.
And, as a practical matter, this brings to an end New York City's experiment with mayoral control of the schools.
Hurrah for the teachers.
To hell with the kids.
Bloomberg spent most of yesterday flailing about on the tenure issue, much as he railed against the loss of congestion pricing on Monday.
No surprise there.
As things now stand, history will note that he was a competent care-taker mayor – that in 2002 he took custody of Rudy Giuliani's epochal municipal reforms and passed them off, intact and unimproved upon, to a successor to be elected in 2009.
Think of it as Mike's no-fingerprints mayoralty.
But it needn't end that way.
If Bloomberg didn't fully understand in the beginning how powerless the city is relative to the state, he sure does now. So he needs to gravitate to the power.
He needs to quit flirting with the notion of a gubernatorial candidacy and to get on with it – full bore.
Just the establishment of a fully funded "exploratory" committee would grab the rapt attention of the bunglers and boodlers who populate Albany – doing wonders for Mike's current lame-duck status.
Bloomberg would bring intellect, imagination, ambition and resources to bear in a way that could achieve the reforms promised by Eliot Spitzer – the reforms overwhelming endorsed by New Yorker in 2006.
One thing's for sure: He's got nothing better to do these days.