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I would say the second chp of Russell Moore's The Kingdom of the Christ is the finest survey of how eschatology and kingdom have been studied by evangelicals, both dispensational and covenant, in the 20th Century. I lived through most of those days, and Moore's clearly-written and fairly-judged description is what many need to read — especially those who are in their 20s and 30s and who can't quite figure out why we think George Eldon Ladd is the bees-knees.
Blogging through a book is never easy, but blogging through a historical description is impossible, so I'll just make a few observations. Moore, as I said yesterday, is smitten with Carl Henry's works so much of this is both descriptive of debates about eschatology and how Henry saw the issues.
First, dispensationalism of a traditionist sort can be rightly chided, not without exception, for its cavalier attitude toward life in this world, and it springs from an inadequately shaped understanding of the kingdom of God. This led (and still leads some) to a "this world is not my home, I'm just apassin' through" attitude.
Second, progressive dispensationalists have dodged that criticism, not by repackaging the old by genuinely advancing in the direction of George Ladd, who spent decades of his life arguing that NT eschatology and the kingdom message were both "now" as well as a "not yet" thing. (I have observed before that settling this time question, and Ladd gets this right, does not go far enough. We also need to define what it is that is "now" and what is "not yet." I do some of this in A New Vision for Israel, even if not always in as clear as prose as I'd now like it to be.)
Third, old-fashioned covenant theologians had too much of a realized, spiritual view of kingdom, making kingdom not all that far from personal redemption. But the more recent covenantal folks, like Poythress and others, who have dipped into Gerhardus Vos and Abraham Kuyper for some new fuels, are revising that, and they, too, have come much closer to George Ladd's famous studies.
Fourth, which means we are now at a point where evangelicals, esp those of a more conservative orientation (which is those in the scope of Moore's book), are agreed that Ladd got it right — not in everything, but certainly in the big picture. If he got this right, then there is a new consensus for a new day for discussion how Christians can frame a kingdom theology and do so in such a way to engage the culture on the basis of that theology.
I want to say that I think Moore is right here; and I think this is the sort of thing that the emerging movement is also trying to do; and I hope many of my friends in the emerging movement will engage Russell Moore, even if they disagree with some of his proposals. What he wants is what they want: a robust theology of the kingdom shaping the Church.
Last, I wish Moore would address the moderate and left evangelical view of these matters, for not only is there a consensus now among conservative evangelicals, but with moderates there is also one: we, too, think of eschatology as both now and not yet. What I would say is that much of what Moore has done so far — and his own themes of the meaning of "kingdom now" will surely vary from what I'm about to say — is consistent with what he calls the evangelical left, and he points here to Sider and Wallis (and I'd not put Sider on the left; Wallis is left; Sider is a moderate on this issue). In other words, I firmly believe that many of us will say at the end of chp 2 this: "We've stood with Ladd all along." Now whether or not we will agree with Moore in the rest of his book, as he lays out a Laddian/Henryan theory of kingdom, the point needs to be made that some in the evangelical left and nearly all in the moderate evangelical camp have for a long time had a robust now and not-yet theology of the kingdom.
Which leads me to say that I'm excited again for what comes next in this book.
- Related Topics
- Books
- Kingdom of God


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Sonic Mega Collection Plus is perhaps one of the best compilations you could ask for. At a mere $20, gamers can enjoy 20 classic games. The majority of these games features Sega's icon, Sonic, though a few other Genesis gems are included to round out the deal. The youthful blue hedgehog was once more recognizable than Mickey Mouse (that's no lie) and though Sonic isn't quite as hip these days, he's still one of video game's most significant icons. This isn't a collection of mediocre old school games, this is a collection of every pre-Saturn sonic title. That's a heavy load of goodness any fan should be excited about.
Check out the complete offerings of Mega Collection Plus:
- Sonic The Hedgehog (Sega Genesis)
- Sonic The Hedgehog 2 (Sega Genesis)
- Sonic The Hedgehog 3 (Sega Genesis)
- Sonic & Knuckles (Sega Genesis)
- Sonic 3D Blast (Sega Genesis, Saturn)
- Sonic The Hedgehog Spinball (Sega Genesis)
- Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine (Sega Genesis)
- Sonic & Knuckles lock-on: Sonic The Hedgehog 2
- Sonic & Knuckles lock-on: Sonic The Hedgehog 3
- Sonic & Knuckles lock-on: Blue Spheres
- The Ooze (Sega Genesis)
- Comix Zone (Sega Genesis)
- Flicky (Sega Genesis)
- Ristar (Sega Genesis)
- Sonic the Hedgehog (Game Gear)
- Sonic Chaos (Game Gear)
- Sonic Drift (Game Gear)
- Sonic Labyrinth (Game Gear)
- Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine (Game Gear)
- Sonic Blast (Game Gear)
Each game is a perfect emulation of the original. There's no new content outside of some cool art galleries, but the games themselves remain pure. Sonic has always been a favorite of mine and playing the original Genesis games took me back to a time of acne and awkwardness -- but in a good way.
Sonic the Hedgehog is different than Mario for a number of reasons. Sonic has momentum. He starts at a walking pace and has to work his way up to full speed. One going, he can't just stop on a dime. For a 2D character, he feels somewhat real and the physics of Sonic make for some truly unique games. No one has ever made games like this since, not even Sega.
The addition of a few other classic Genesis games outside of the Sonic realm is what gives Mega Collection its Plus. Of these, fans will likely flip over The Ooze and my personal fave, Comix Zone. No, these aren't the best games, not even in the top 10 of all Genesis games, but they are certainly fan favorites and worth another nostalgic look
These are old titles and as such, you can't expect much in the way of graphics. The 16-bit days were pretty long ago, but now, especially on a big-screen TV, they don't look so hot. The Game Gear games are particularly gruesome to look at on a giant TV or even a modest 24-inch television. That's to be expected, since these titles were originally created for a very small monitor. The Game Gear titles would probably be better served as a GBA collection, but they are nice for nostalgic state and the earliest Sonic Game Gear titles are just as good as those from the Genesis. It just won't look very appealing on your TV.
Sega has managed to offer a very crisp looking version of its games, easily the best emulations on any console or handheld to date. Genesis games were colorful and Mega Collection Plus is a refreshing change from the grim, stark visuals found in many of today's console titles. The only strange visual fault I could see is some ghosting on parts of the background. Comparing the original Sonic to the Mega Collection version shows, pretty clearly, that the trees are actually sharper-looking on the Genesis. Otherwise, it's a prefect translation that removes some of the interlacing issues seen in split-screen two-player Sonic titles.
The Verdict
You can't find a better deal than 20 games for 20 dollars. While not every Sonic game is a winner, the majority are. These games, though old, are superior to Sega's more recent 3D Sonic offerings. Nothing has changed (though, for some reason, you can save your progress mid-game on Xbox), but that's okay. Sonic Mega Collection Plus offers gamers a chance to step back in time to look at games when they were a little simpler and in some ways a little better. I'm not a fan of the ugly border put around the screen, but otherwise there's nothing that should keep a Sonic fan from snagging this one up.

subset: commoncrawl


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UMB & DF/HCC Comprehensive Partnership to Advance Cancer Health Equity (CPACHE) (U54) Pilot Projects
January 31, 2017
SPONSOR: University of Massachusetts, Boston (UMass Boston) – Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center (DF/HCC) Comprehensive Partnership to Advance Cancer Health Equity (CPACHE) (U54) Grant
FUNDING SOURCE: Federal
AWARD LEVEL: Pilot Projects (up to $100,000 direct costs per year for two years)
Deadline for Application Submission: May 1, 2017 by 11:59 PM EST
Anticipated Award Date: June 1, 2017
Key Dates: TBD
**Oral presentations for internal feedback:
*By submitting a Letter of Intent (LOI) applicants will receive feedback prior to submitting a full application. Should you have questions or concerns about the LOI, please contact the Program Manager (please see below for contact information).
** Oral presentations are strongly encouraged and are intended to provide an opportunity to obtain feedback on proposal concepts. Oral presentations are 30mins long (Presentation: 20mins; Q&A: 10mins) and presentation templates will be provided. Applicants are limited to giving one oral presentation. Please note that you can give an oral presentation prior to submitting the LOI. To get into the queue for oral presentations please contact the Program Manager (please see below for contact information). Presentation slots will be allocated on a first-come basis.
Project selection in response to this RFA will prioritize Pilot Projects able to demonstrate evidence of being in a strong position to apply for a Full Project grant from the (CPACHE) (U54) mechanism and/or external funding sources (e.g. NIH, NSF, DOE) in two years.
The purpose of this joint grant between UMass Boston and DF/HCC is to foster and support intensive collaborations among investigators at UMass Boston (an institution that serves communities with cancer health disparities) and DF/HCC (an NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center). The NCI Comprehensive Partnerships to Advance Cancer Health Equity (CPACHE) (U54) Grant aims to develop stronger national cancer programs to understand the reasons behind the significant cancer disparities and related impacts on underserved communities and socio-economically disadvantaged populations. More specifically, the goal of the UMass Boston-DF/HCC Partnership is to improve cancer-related research, training, and outreach opportunities for under-represented minority (URM) students, fellows, and early stage investigators; and to develop information and resources toward closing the cancer health disparities gap. For more information about the Partnership please visit www.umb.edu/u54.
Projects based at UMass Boston may focus on any area of cancer research, including the general areas of environmental carcinogenesis, biological risk factors potentially contributing to cancer disparities, cancer biology, molecular epidemiology, and/or behavioral issues related to cancer prevention, treatment and control.
Projects based at DF/HCC must specifically address areas of cancer disparities among the underserved, racial/ethnic minorities and/or socio-economically disadvantaged populations.
NOTE: NCI is particularly interested in developing educational, outreach and research projects leading to increased biospecimen collection from underserved populations, a critical endeavor to potentially elucidate the biological and genetic factors associated with cancer health disparities.
All proposed research projects must illustrate collaboration between UMass Boston and DF/HCC scientists, and must focus on any aspect of cancer or cancer disparities. Additionally, all research projects must have high potential for leading to external funding through the NIH K-series, R03, R21, R01 mechanisms (for more information please see http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/oer.htm) or through foundation support; and should provide training opportunities for under-represented minority (URM) students and/or fellows. Interested faculty who do not have a partnership with a DF/HCC or UMass Boston scientist can receive assistance from the Partnership in finding a collaborator.
Prior to receiving funding from this mechanism, PIs involved must either be current members of the DF/HCC or should have submitted an application for DF/HCC membership. Faculty at DF/HCC institutions and at UMass Boston are eligible to become DF/HCC members. To apply for membership in the DF/HCC please go to www.dfhcc.harvard.edu/membership.
Investigators who have previously received or who are current recipients of funding from the UMass Boston-DF/HCC Partnership are eligible to apply in response to this RFA.
Inquiries regarding finding UMass Boston or DF/HCC collaborators should be submitted via email to firstname.lastname@example.com.
Specific requirements for applications focused on cancer research vs. cancer disparities research: If more than 50% of the proposed research will be performed at UMass Boston, the project can focus on any area of cancer research or cancer disparities research. If more than 50% of the proposed research will be performed at DF/HCC, the project must focus on cancer disparities research.
Specific requirements for applications focused on basic science, population sciences, outcomes and social science: Areas of interest: translational research, emerging technologies (emerging technologies include nanotechnology, proteomics, genomics and imaging) as well as research focusing on pediatric, adolescent and young adult cancers. Projects that evaluate biological risk factors that potentially contribute to cancer disparities or projects that include biospecimen procurement for such studies are strongly encouraged. In addition, one target area for the Partnership is cancer outreach. Applications focusing on cancer outreach must include hypothesis-driven research that may lead to increased use of and access to beneficial medical procedures, such as primary preventative measures. In addition, recruitment and retention of underserved and socio-economically disadvantaged populations into clinical trials such as prevention, early detection or treatment trials is encouraged.
Project budget allocation across UMass Boston and DF/HCC is up to the collaborators' discretion. However, allocations must be clearly justified.
Specific requirements for applications focused on community outreach, cancer education, and dissemination of evidenced-based programs: The proposed research project must focus on cancer disparities. Applications focusing on cancer outreach must include hypothesis-driven research that may lead to increased use of and access to beneficial medical procedures, such as primary preventative measures, e.g., smoking cessation and cancer vaccines, or early detection procedures, such as mammography, PAP smear, colorectal cancer screening, etc. Research studies may include focus groups and needs assessments. These efforts must effectively reach individuals and physicians and should lead to increased use of medical procedures that may result in decreasing cancer health disparities. In addition, recruitment and retention of underserved and socio-economically disadvantaged populations into clinical trials such as prevention, early detection, or treatment trials is encouraged. Project budget allocation across UMass Boston and DF/HCC is up to the collaborators' discretion. However, allocations must be clearly justified.
Submission of a LOI is required. LOIs are limited to two pages in length, should be numbered (if needed) and in PDF format. The LOI should include the following information: 1) a description of the proposed research; 2) specific aims; 3) a brief paragraph on the scientific significance and how it relates to the goals of the NCI (CPACHE) (U54) and UMass Boston – DF/HCC Partnership; 4) 2-3 bullet points on how the outcomes of the proposed work will position the project well for funding as a U54 Full Project and/or NIH (e.g. R01/R15/R21-level funding) mechanism; and 5) DF/HCC and UMass Boston faculty who are collaborating along with their contact information. Feedback will be provided on all LOIs in order to help investigators develop the strongest application possible. The LOI is not binding and does not enter the review process.
LOIs should be submitted via email to email@example.com.
LOI Deadline: 11:59:59 PM EST, Wednesday, February 22, 2017.
The application must include all sections outlined below.
Proposed Pilot Projects. Pilot Projects proposed for funding cannot exceed $100,000 in direct costs per year for up to two years. The description of these projects should be provided in the following format:
A. Title Page (limited to one page) including: Title of the project, names of co-leaders from both partner institutions and a brief abstract stating the specific aims of the project.
B. Research Strategy (limited to 6 pages inclusive of tables and figures. Appendix materials will not be accepted) to include the following items:
- Significance;
- Innovation;
- Preliminary Studies (encouraged but not required for pilot projects); and
- Approach.
As part of the research strategy, describe how this Pilot Project relates to the overall priorities of the (CPACHE) (U54) grant and UMass Boston – DF/HCC Partnership target area(s). Include any preliminary data (if available). Projects without preliminary data are expected to provide scientific rationale based on appropriate supporting literature. Describe, as appropriate for the nature of the project, experimental methods/study design, or education plans and objectives. Identify which aspects of the Pilot Project will be conducted primarily at UMass Boston and which at DF/HCC. Research projects conducted primarily at UMass Boston may be in any area of cancer research, but research projects conducted primarily at DF/HCC must specifically address cancer disparities research.
The research strategy must also include information on how the proposed project will lead to peer-reviewed funding (i.e. full project funding from the UMass Boston – DF/HCC Partnership or independent NIH R01/R15/R21-level funding); plans for inclusion of under-represented minority (URM) students/trainees; strategies for developing and maintaining an active collaboration between the DF/HCC and UMass Boston investigators, and cross-institutional integration of research labs/programs; and plans for career development and mentorship for less experienced/early stage investigators/co-leaders. For the purpose of this RFA, an early stage investigator is a new Investigator within 10 years of completing his/her terminal research degree or is within 10 years of completing medical residency (or the equivalent) with no prior independent research funding from NIH or equivalent agencies e.g. R01, P01, etc. awards. Small awards (e.g. R03, R21) and training (K awards) do not count.
Other Sections of PHS 398 Research Plan (Sections 4-15) must also be completed (but are excluded from page limitations). In particular, Research Plan sections pertaining to human subjects and vertebrate animals must be strictly followed. See note below.
NOTE: For Pilot Projects. Include names of UMass Boston and DF/HCC PIs in the header and insert page numbers on all pages. The PHS 398 Instructions for the Content of Research Plan, in particular sections pertaining to human subjects and/or vertebrate animals (listed below), must be strictly followed and appropriate documentation (described in PHS 398 instructions) attached as required.
- Section 6. Protection of Human Subjects;
- Section 7. Inclusion of Women and Minorities;
- Section 8. Targeted/Planned Enrollment Table;
- Section 9. Protection of Children; and
- Section 10. Vertebrate Animals.
Research components involving clinical trials must include a data and safety-monitoring plan as described in the PHS instructions. Funds should be budgeted for these activities and should be justified. The proposed provisions should not duplicate review and monitoring systems already in place at the institution. For any cancer treatment protocol supported directly or indirectly by the Comprehensive Partnership U54, early stopping rules and procedures to detect and monitor adverse drug reactions (ADR) must be provided in the application, or in the case of protocols subsequent to funding of a U54, to the NCI Program Director.
Available Resources to Pilot Projects for Compiling the Research Proposal - - Utilization of these cores is strongly recommended:
UMass Boston – DF/HCC U54 Research Education Core:
The U54 Research Education Core aims to increase the number of trainees, particularly those from under-represented minority (URM) backgrounds, who are interested in cancer/cancer disparities research. This core is available to investigators to assist with strategizing and developing a URM training program plan that suits the nature of their proposal. Additionally, this core can help investigators identify UMass Boston students to work as part of their research teams. To learn more about this core, please visit www.umb.edu/u54/cores/research_education_core. To request an appointment, please contact Diedra Wrighting at email@example.com.
Shared Resources: Research Design & Analysis, Genomics Core
The U54 Research Design and Analysis Core (RDAC) offers consultation to investigators who would like guidance regarding the design of their proposal. The RDAC can assist with research design, measure development, and general feedback on project feasibility. Population Science and Basic science research projects involving statistical analysis MUST consult with the RDAC to develop a strategy for study design and data analysis. To request an appointment, please contact the RDAC at U54 email address.
The U54 Genomics Core (GC) is partially funded to assist investigators who wish to incorporate high-throughput NextGen sequencing studies in their study design. Funds are available to help develop incubator projects responding to this RFA for consideration for pilot or full project funding. For further information please contact the GC at U54 email address.
UMass Boston – DF/HCC U54 Outreach Core:
The Outreach Core aims to maximize the dissemination and implementation of evidence-based strategies to promote cancer prevention behaviors in faith-based and other community settings, provide training opportunities for students in outreach research, and offer resources and support to U54 new and ongoing research projects. The Outreach Core participates in the NCI National Outreach Network (NON) activities, including cross-cutting activities in biobanking. To learn more about this core, please visit www.umb.edu/u54/cores/outreach_core. To request an appointment, please contact either Shoba Ramanadhan (firstname.lastname@example.com) or Tiffany Donaldson (firstname.lastname@example.com).
Biosketches: A current NIH Biosketch (this should include all other funding sources) is required for each participating PI. Biosketches should be submitted on the PHS 398 Biographical Sketch Format Page (https://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms/biosketch.htm).
Budget: In this joint application, the DF/HCC and UMass Boston PIs will complete separate budgets, which when combined do NOT EXCEED the award amount, i.e., Pilot Projects: up to $100,000 direct costs per year for two years. Funds can be utilized for PI salary, equipment and technician or post-doctoral fellow salary (RFA1). Funds (salaries/stipends) must be budgeted to facilitate training undergraduate and graduate students. Award amount for Pilot Projects is in direct costs, so the proposed budget should be outlined in direct costs only. If selected for funding, the negotiated indirect costs will be awarded in addition to the proposed budget. Budgets should be submitted on the NIH 398 Detailed Budget for Initial Budget Period Format Page (fp4) (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/phs398.html), and budget justifications should be submitted on the PHS 398 Budget for Entire Proposed Project Period Format Page (fp5) (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/phs398.html). Outline major divisions of funds (personnel, equipment, supplies, other, etc.); and include adequate rationale in the budget justification.
IRB approval (if applicable): If IRB approval is necessary for the proposed research, approval will be required prior to receiving funding.
Targeted/Planned Enrollment Tables and Inclusion Enrollment Reports: If required, these must be submitted on PHS 398 forms (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/phs398.html).
**Format: This is a joint application. All materials, i.e., project narrative, budget pages specific to UMass Boston, budget pages specific to DF/HCC and biosketches, must be compiled and submitted as a single PDF file. Please include the names of the UMass Boston and DF/HCC PIs in the header and insert page numbers on each page.
Applications should be submitted via email to firstname.lastname@example.com (please see below for contact information).
Application Deadline: 11:59:59 PM EST, Monday May 1, 2017.
All application submissions will be acknowledged via email. Should you not receive confirmation of your application submission please contact the U54 Program Office at firstname.lastname@example.com, all inquiries related to this RFA should be directed via email to firstname.lastname@example.com.
Application decisions will be made by June 1, 2017.
Applications will be reviewed by designated review committees. Reviewers will assign a score on the overall application based on the following review criteria:
Significance. The project addresses important problems or critical barriers to progress in cancer research or cancer disparities research. The aims of the project advance scientific knowledge, technical capability, and have near-term impact.
Innovation. The project utilizes novel theoretical concepts, approaches or methodologies, instrumentation, or interventions.
Investigator(s). The PIs, collaborators, and other key personnel have the necessary experience and expertise to accomplish the goals of the proposed research project. The investigators have complementary and integrated expertise.
Approach. The overall strategy, methodology, and analyses are well-reasoned and appropriate to accomplish the specific aims of the project, and cross-institutional integration of research labs/programs is clearly defined.
Career Development. There is a well thought-out and reasonable plan for career development of early stage investigator(s). Mentor(s) have been identified and the appropriate mechanisms are in place to achieve career development goals outlined.
Student Training. There will be significant opportunity for the training of URM students and fellows.
Potential for External Funding. There is a high likelihood that the proposed research project will lead to NIH K-series, R03, R21, R01 etc. mechanisms, or other types of foundation funding.
U54 Program Office
UMass Boston-DF/HCC U54 Partnership
University of Massachusetts, Boston
100 Morrissey Blvd.
Wheatley Building 3rd Floor, Room 60
Boston, MA 02125-3393


text:
They basically met me at the parliament. At least I didn't have to change my clothes since Tommy likes it when I dress like a teacher. Tommy told me that he intentionally tried to catch me at kindergarten with his phone call. Apparently it excited him to talk to me like that when he knew I was noiseless in the school building.
My little woman and I recently separated (1 week ago), so we could get some counseling and come back together stronger and more committed to each other. I initiated the separation. She was not happy about it but agreed. She told me that since I had my own place to be alone that she didn't crave me just dropping in on her at our house. She wants me to respect her isolation and ring before stopping by. I small amount it untypical, but told her I would oblige. A couple of days went by and I couldn't settlement it wrong of my head how energetic she was about me not just dropping by. My position began wondering and conjuring up thoughts of her fucking some guy. Complete of the reasons for our division is that she withholds sex for long periods at a but and is quite a prude. She is sexual at times we are doing it, but very straight laced hither what we do. She thinks fitting skill an orgasm most times we make love but nothing earth shattering because she won't enable to rent out me explore or try young things.
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text:
LIEGE holds firm. Exactly why I should be fool enough today to think that the war is over before it has begun I cannot analyze. And yet I do feel that way. Every one feels that way. When Madame placed my coffee on the zinc bar this morning, her face was smiling.
"My boys will soon be home," she said simply.
This took my breath away. I did not dare to contradict her. I have n't contradicted any one the whole day long. I started out not wanting to be a spoil sport. I have ended up by becoming intoxicated myself. This is Paris on the seventh day of August. From the depths of woe we have mounted to the heights of joy. It is only three days since the mad crowds besieged the grocery stores for provisions. Now we see on the walls at every street corner a proclamation of the Prefect of Police, urging the housewives to go to the Halles Centrales to buy the provisions that are spoiling there for want of purchasers. But Paris wants no green vegetables these days. The people are too busy eating up the rice and lentils and dried beans they laid in on Monday and Tuesday.' Foolish, is it not, to buy fresh vegetables when you have money invested in groceries for which there is no further need?
For Liége holds firm. LIEGE HOLDS FIRM. To walk down the Rue de Rennes, through the Rue de Seine, across the Pont des Arts, across the courtyard of the Louvre, and through the Rue Croix des Petits Champs towards the Bibliothèque Nationale this morning was like an Easter Sunday in Russia (with the regrettable omission of the privilege of receiving and bestowing kisses; for one sees a lot of pretty girls upon that walk). "Liége holds firm!" The cry is like,and I say it with all reverence the "Christ is Risen !" of the Russian Easter. For it is a resurrection of hope that was buried for the moment under the paralysis of fear. The Parisians see in the German check at Liége nothing less than salvation.
Small wonder that we read in the morning's papers a decree of the President of the Republic, bestowing upon the city of Liége the Cross of the Legion of Honor.
I could not force myself to get interested in Ottoman history of the fourteenth century at the library this morning. My engagement to lunch with the Artist was not until half past twelve. But I found myself turning in my books, handing my bulletin de sortie to the severe individual with the cocked hat who guards the door of the Salle de Travail, and hurrying out into the Rue Richelieuat eleven o'clock! Unfaithfulness in the pursuit of knowledge, this is, on the part of one who is posing as a research scholar.
Some impulse drove me to the nearest police station, where I wrote out a telegram to my wife, stating that Liége is the tomb of German pride. I received a smile of warm approval with the censor's rubber stamp. The same smile greeted me when I handed in my telegram at the post office. "Liége," I wired, "is the tomb of German pride." It is so. Paris is freed from the nightmare of a bloody war.
And then, I said to myself, "Is it so?" I thought of the laborious years of German preparation their methods and their army, of which I have been privileged to know and see so much. What will the sober political judgment, the keen intuition of a wife who knows Europe to the sub-subchancelleries think of such a telegram?
Feeling that I needed the opinion of a neutral, I dropped in upon the Lawyer. He was very busy with a desk full of important documents, and had no time to talk it over. But he had time to beam upon me for a brief moment.
"It is finished, finished, I tell you ! The Germans intended to fall on Paris like a whirlwind! Liége has fooled them. All the plans of the German General Staff gone up in smoke !" And he waved his pen aloft as he turned back in his swivel chair to his work.
"See you tonight, or tomorrow night, at five. We'll celebrate. To think of living forty-four years under an idle menace !"
As I walked through the Tuileries to my rendezvous with the Artist, I thought to myself that the Lawyer was a pretty poor sort of neutral to have gone to for an opinion. When it comes to Germans, his keen legal mind is worthless. For who insult or belittle or attack France are to him beyond the pale of civilization. Since the war started, he is the first whom I remember to have heard call the Germans by their now common name of Barbarians.
So, as I walked along the Rue du Bac, I thought of the Italian Grocer, whose Chianti and black olives have no equal in Paris. I found him slicing Yorkshire ham for an excited mite of a grandmother. She was pouring into his ears the virtues of the Belgian nation. He was agreeing with her, and there was a sincerity in his tone that bespoke more than the perfunctory assent of the seller to the buyer's whim.
As the little woman went out of the shop, clutching and waving her package of ham with the hand free of the stick, and still paeaning, the Italian Grocer turned from the till with an enquiring expression that took in all his attractive étalage, from the hams hanging on the rafters to the kegs of pickles and herrings nestling close to the sawdust.
"No, I want nothing today, Luigi. Madame is still in the country, and I am eating out. But, on the strength of our friendship begun so many years ago through the discovery of the fact that you could supply American canned sugar corn, I ask your opinion on the significance of the German check at Liége."
"I have served about two hundred customers this morning," he replied, "and you know how frequency of assent brings belief."
"There 's where I am," I complained. "I have got so enthusiastic about this Liége business that I telegraphed my wife this morning that it 's all up with the Germans."
"So it is," he cried.
"So it is," I echoed.
A crowd of half-grown boys was passing in the street, carrying Belgian flags and making a rather unsuccessful, but none the less hearty, attempt to sing the Brabançonne. The Italian Grocer and I parted with a warm handshake. A man of understanding, the Italian Grocer.


text:
Commenter #94, Miss Eboni Booth! I will be emailing you shortly with details, Eboni!
I can't tell you how much fun I've had the last 5 days reading all of your amazing comments, and finally hearing from many of you who have been reading Yummy Books for years but have never commented! If you didn't win, don't despair, I have lots more fun giveaways coming down the pike (and more literary meals, too!). Stay tuned!


text: WorldGate launches Internet over cable TV Published on April 21, 1998. Following a beta test, WorldGate Communications and Charter Communications will roll out Internet over cable TV to customers in St. Louis beginning April 21, adding several other major markets this summer, including Los Angeles. The service uses General Instrument's set-top terminal, and allows customers to jump from TV programming to the Internet using a remote control. The service has signed up more than 30 programming partners, including Showtime, the Weather Channel, HBO and other networks.Copyright April 1998, Crain Communications Inc. Most Popular In this article: News


text:
Wondering what kind of hardware muscle you'll need to run Valve's anticipated online shooter Left 4 Dead? Well, prepare for you curiosity to be sated, as Valve recently released the system requirements.
System Requirements
- OS: Windows Vista, XP, 2000
- CPU: 3.0GHz P4, Dual Core 2.0 or AMD64X2 (or higher)
- RAM: 1 GB for XP / 2 GB for Vista
- Disc Drive: DVD-ROM Drive
- Hard Drive: At least 7.5 GB of free space
- Video: DirectX 9 compatible video card (Video card must be 256 MB or more and should be a DirectX 9 compatible with support for pixel shader 2.0)
- Sound: DirectX 9.0c compatible sound card
This information was taken from a screen Valve sent over to us, slotted below.
Left 4 Dead is scheduled to ship on November 20th for PC and Xbox 360. For more on the game, see .


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8 Good Open Source Terminal ApplicationsReaders are requested to leave behind their comments/tools they use themselves to improve upon the list and make using the terminal even more easier...
Linux users know the vast functionality of the terminal. It lets you do so much with ease, only problem is it gets some time getting used to. A number of interesting tools exist that make the job easier for users. We have compiled 8 such tools that could help you bring the best out of the terminal.
1. Irssi
Irssi is an IRC client program for Linux, FreeBSD, Microsoft Windows, and Mac OS X. Irssi is written in the C programming language and in normal operation uses a text-mode user interface. Numerous modules and Perl scripts have been made available for Irssi to customise how it looks and operates.
LFTP is a command-line file transfer program (FTP client) for UNIX and Unix-like systems. Besides FTP, it also supports FTPS, HTTP, HTTPS, HFTP, FISH, and SFTP. The program also supports FXP, allowing for data transfers between two FTP servers bypassing the client machine. A simple BitTorrent client is also included via the torrent command.
3. OpenSSL
OpenSSL is an open-source implementation of the SSL and TLS protocols. The core library, written in the C programming language, implements basic cryptographic functions and provides various utility functions. Wrappers allowing the use of the OpenSSL library in a variety of computer languages are available.
4. nmap
Nmap (Network Mapper) is a security scanner used to discover hosts and services on a computer network, thus creating a "map" of the network. To accomplish its goal, Nmap sends specially crafted packets to the target host and then analyses the responses.
5. Netcat
Netcat is a computer networking service for reading from and writing to network connections using TCP or UDP. Netcat is designed to be a dependable back-end that can be used directly or easily driven by other programs and scripts. At the same time, it is a feature-rich network debugging and investigation tool, since it can produce almost any kind of correlation its user could need and has a number of built-in capabilities.
6. curl
curl is a command line tool for transferring data with URL syntax, supporting DICT, FILE, FTP, FTPS, Gopher, HTTP, HTTPS, IMAP, IMAPS, LDAP, LDAPS, POP3, POP3S, RTMP, RTSP, SCP, SFTP, SMTP, SMTPS, Telnet and TFTP. curl supports SSL certificates, HTTP POST, HTTP PUT, FTP uploading, HTTP form based upload, proxies, cookies, user+password authentication (Basic, Digest, NTLM, Negotiate, kerberos), file transfer resume, proxy tunneling etc.
7. multitail
MultiTail is a program for monitoring multiple log files, in the fashion of the original tail program. MultiTail splits the terminal window or the console of a Unix system into two or more subwindows into which it can merge log files and command outputs. It can also display (like the original tail) in a single window.
8. mtr
mtr combines the functionality of the 'traceroute' and 'ping' programs in a single network diagnostic tool. As mtr starts, it investigates the network connection between the host mtr runs on and a user-specified destination host. After it determines the address of each network hop between the machines, it sends a sequence ICMP ECHO requests to each one to determine the quality of the link to each machine. As it does this, it prints running statistics about each machine.
September 1, 2014


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2010 according to iain tait
I realise at this time of year (or the decade) everyone gets sick of predictions, but this presentation is worth checking out. it's very lightweight and quick. plus you can memorise it and make yourself look insightful.
i tried to embed the slides, but it didn't get on with blogger so just read it on his site.
2009 - My year in review
Along the way I've worked with a handful of great people and had the pleasure of meeting a few very interesting characters. The biggest lesson for me, has been about protecting myself and my career. It became apparent this year that I had submerged myself too far in to my agency and seperating myself from it was a sticky process.
Looking back it feels like a lot has happened. My perspective on my work and my friends has changed radically a number of times. But the year is ending on a massive high with a nice long break.
So this is my brief round up of the year...
My Best Bits from 2009
- Preview's 15th party
- Falling deeper in love with Apple's iphone
- Launching the lowcostholidays.com brand and seeing it on London buses
- Spotify
- Road tripping down the California 101
- Getting addicted to Nike+
- Reading the wave of positive responses to my news of leaving Preview. Friends are good.
My Worst Bits from 2009
- Constantly hearing about the recession and great agencies like BB/Saunders and Designers Republic going under, brings a dark cloud in to the design world.
- I got bullied in to signing up for a race, next year, which is not good.
- Leaving Preview was a pretty emotional and uncomfortable experience.
- A Disney Land (LA) was a big let down. Kids loved it though.
- Had some grotty clients (won't name any names).
Inspiring Things in 2009
- Aol rebrands and gets it right.
- Proud Creative's work for the SyFy rebrand.
- Landor's work on branding the City of Melbourne
- Matt Brown for Last.fm
- Watching Che (1&2)
- Karen O -writes and releases an amazing album with Yeah Yeah Yeahs, plays every festival on the planet, tours the world, makes headlines for her fashion style, writes and releases amazing solo album for Where the Wild Things Are movie and looks hot whilst doing it all.
- Coke gets its brand in order with new packaging and guidelines
- Mad Men Series 2
- Honda - Brawn - Mercedes: It seemed as though we may never get to see Ross Brawn as team leader and Jenson Button race a good car. But never count Ross Brawn out. He bought the team for £1, pulled in new investors and kept Honda's cash, released an amazing car, kept up development and won both championships, then he sold the team to Mercedes for (a reported) £30 million. The man is a genius. Fact
- Penguin Modern Classics series
Quotes of 2009
Kasper De Graff (AIG London):
"wayfinding is giving people the confidence to get lost, knowing they will be found again"
"it's not about the space between places. it's about the space between your ears"
Michael Wolff:
"1. appreciation - understanding users and businesses, 2. curiosity - questioning everything, 3. imagination - go beyond the obvious. Exercise these three muscles rigorously, tostay creatively fit"
Related news from 2009
- Attik pulls up its roots and moves to London
- TDR shuts and Golden opens
- Moving Brands takes on the Brand for London pitch
- Twitter gets used to source brand agencies
- Scott Thomas releases his book on Designing Obama
- The UK goes crazy for pop up shops
- The internet shows its power over TV by putting Rage Against the Machine at number one.
2010 - What next
'New' is the key word for 2010. New work (details to be unveiled soon). New location, new lifestyle, new challenges, new side projects, new travel plans. All exciting. I don't remember the last time i felt so excited by the new year. Thanks for watching, I'll see you in 2010
Why Brighton needs a rebrand
Why bother with a brand?
With the recent recession driving more holiday makers to British tourist spots, now is a perfect opportunity for Brighton to address its identity crisis. Over the past twenty years Brighton & Hove has undergone a massive cultural change. Development work and local communities have grown exponentially since it achieved city status in 2000. Tourism is still massive part of the local economy and with more than 8 million tourists visiting each year, it's vital that the city is able to compete with other seaside destinations.
Brighton's identity crisis
Brighton represents a melting pot of history and youth. You will find a blend of social and economic groups mixing together happily. However focus on the city's nightlife has damaged its reputation in recent years. From its middle class cafe culture, to its architectural flamboyance. From booming digital businesses to exuberant nightlife. There are many different sides to Brighton, but it strikes us that there is no powerful symbol that can unite these different aspects.
There are existing logos used by Brighton & Hove City Council, that have different amounts of success and recognition. However Brighton deserves an icon that can become internationally synonymous with the city. Something infectious, something worn with pride by the people of Brighton, something that visitors are drawn to.
What a brand can do for Brighton
If you want to see a city using branding to its full potential, then take a look at how the 'I heart NY' icon created an inspirational worldwide icon. By building a brand that people believe in, you can promote Brighton to businesses, domestic and international students, tourists and investors. All of which brings money in to the city council, which can be re-invested.
Engaging the people of Brighton
Iam excited by the power that the web can give communities. By connecting with Brighton's digital culture there is an opportunity to let anyone in Brighton have a say in how their home is portrayed. The deep pool of digital specialists can be used to develop a system for residents to rate, share, comment, discuss, record and respond to the city's culture. A shared brand that everyone has a stake in.
Creating the brand
Creating a brand for Brighton is a unique challenge and it would take a unique process to be successful. It's the designer to get as close to clients and their audience, as possible. This is where you would need experience of working with public sector organisations.
An open invitation
This is an open invitation to Brighton & Hove City Council, to talk about Brighton's future and how we can help to make it better.
I originally wrote this for the Preview news feed in Novemeber 2009, to follow up discussions with BHCC's communications team.
I've left Preview and I'm looking for new work - Update
Since my last post. Things have been moving pretty quickly.
So far, I've dodged shelf stacking or signing on and packed out my calendar with interviews and meetings. Last week I sent out an email to friends, explaining the situation. I've been blown away by the response so far. I had never expected so much support. In fact it makes me feel a bit slushy and soppy, when i think of how postively my friends have reacted.
Enough of the gushing shit. Here is a run down of what I've been up to:
- Updated website
- Updated PDF
- Updated CV
- Applied for creative lead at supermassive airline
- Applied for design lead at online brand
- Applied for art director at brighton agency
- Got my portfolio out of loft
- Redesigned my portfolio pages
- Cleaned and printed portfolio
- Got turned down for creative lead at supermassive airline
- Had a email exchange with Ben about freelancing in London
- Talked to father in law about accounting and being an Ltd
- Did a phone interview for design lead at online brand
- Did a face to face interview for design lead at online brand
- Met two recruitment agencies in central London
- Mailed CV and Samples to wickedbad Surrey agency
- Applied for design director role at bigtime brand agency
- Met Pete for beers and chats
- Met James for sarnies and chats
- Applied for design lead at audio brand in Brighton
- Met David for burgers and chats
- Went to JWT to see Michael Wolff in action
- Spent the day dragging portfolio round various bigtime London agencies
- Mailed PDF to my favourite Brighton agencies
- Mailed CV to best agency outside London
- Got call from and interview booked with best agency outside London
- Spoke to friends at SCDF about continuing to serve on committee
- Mailed Simon about his upcoming branding brief
- Replied to Simon's rates and availability questions
- Tried to arrange beers and chats with Mark. Failed.
- Got called back for second interview for design lead at online brand
- Set a task to present at second interview for design lead at online brand
- Attempted to move my desk in to spare room
- Moved desk, computer and books back when I realised it was freezing in there
- Called plumber re: freezing spare room
- Started work on interview task for design lead at online brand
- Giggled when I reviewed who had been looking at my website
- Arranged briefing with Simon in Dorset
- Checked map, wondered if Dorset has always been so far away
- Sketched ideas for interview task for design lead at online brand
- Started design work on interview task for design lead at online brand
- Turned down a creative lead offer at a gambling brand
- Written lots of lists. Lists make me happy
So that's week one. Bit hectic, but mostly great. Next week is going to be the crucial one though. So send your good vibes this way.
Poke is not a good agency
What makes it great?
Simple. Poke puts creativty at the heart of its business. It values design above all else and the results are plain to see. I've seen so many businesses lately that spend huge amounts of time, energy and money on running 'the business', without giving any thought to the 'product'. If you are in the business of design and creativity, then you must stay focussed on what your delivering and put quality above all else. The best sales team can't substitute good work.
Poke may not top all the tables for new business wins and it may not have an expansive global network behind it, but when it comes to recognition for their work. You'd do well to find a team that boasts so many accolades.
I realise this post is coming off a bit sycophantic, but be assured i know they have their share of troubles. However their formula clearly works.
Check out their new Hack Day. The whole agency will shut its doors to spend the day developing new ideas and basically getting creative. I know business people, that would pass out at the thought of shutting down for R&D, but Poke are fast becoming the best argument for putting the week to week financial forecasts down and thinking about the bigger picture.
If you haven't already. I suggest you go check them out.
I've left Preview and I'm looking for new work
After more than three years of hard work, fun, accomplishments, good friends, frustrations, optimism, pain, happiness, late nights, early mornings, pitch wins, parties, up and downs and a bit of design, I have left my agency Preview and I'm now looking for new work.
It's with a heavy heart, that I bid farewell to my team at Preview, but it's onwards and upwards from here.
I've brushed up the old portfolio, which you can see at www.martynreding.net and i'll be adding some more work to it soon.
My plans are open and I'm considering the next few months carefully. I'd like to take this chance to explore as many different options and projects as possible. Freelance work, collaborations, new jobs, lecturing, consultancy. Feel free to email me about anything and everything. I like emails.


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Monday, February 25, 2013
Two Great Picture Books...About Reading!
At the bookstore I often get customers lamenting the decline of print books. "I love to smell books," a customer said yesterday as she mimed holding a book in her hands. "I love the feel of books and just holding them," she said.
I love books too, and I want children to love books and reading. This last week I was delighted to discover two wonderful books that can help kids do just that.
In WILD ABOUT BOOKS a librarian named Mavis McGrew drives her bookmobile into the zoo by mistake. Not to waste an opportunity, she starts sharing books she loves, and the animals discover books that are of particular interest to them. The monkey chooses a banana cookbook, the hyena chooses a joke book. The animals enjoy reading so much that they also start writing. They start with haiku, with a scorpion as a tough editor.
There is much to enjoy here. The text is full of word plays and references that will be appreciated by adults as well as children. Children will enjoy the lively drawings as well as the text that is clever and lively.
I have a feeling we'll be choosing this book to give when we have an opportunity!
HOW ROCKET LEARNED TO READ is another wonderful book about learning to read and love books.
Rocket is an adorable dog who comes across a little yellow bird. The bird is looking for students. Rocket is at first reluctant to be a part of the little yellow bird's class. But the bird entices Rocket with a story. The bird's strategy works, Rockets is tantalized by the story, discovers that he does want to know how to read.
Rocket and the bird meet regularly, with Rocket starting with learning the alphabet and the sounds the letters. With the little yellow bird as his teacher, Rocket learns to put simple words together, and then on to reading and spelling everything. I really like how Rocket doesn't learn to read instantly. This book is great at showing that it's a process.
Both of these books would be GREAT additions to any home or preschool or kindergarten classroom. I might have read them to my third graders when I was teaching too!
Clicking on the book cover will take you to Amazon's page for the book. Clicking on the underlined book cover may take you to Barnes and Noble's web page for each book. Purchasing through these links helps support the blog. Thank you!
Posted by Bibliophile at 9:55 AM No comments:
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
February 2013 Book Giveaway!
Going with the theme of "two" for this month (second month of the year, blog posts featuring two books each this month, etc.), this month's book giveaway will have two winners!
Like in January, you get to choose which book you'd like to receive! The only requirement is that the book you choose has to have been mentioned at some point on this blog (I did receive an entry last month where the person wanted to receive a book that was not mentioned on the blog. That entry was disqualified.)
To enter the giveaway:
1. Look through the blog and find a book that you'd like to receive.
(Hint: the blog started in January 2010. At the end of each year, or beginning of a year, I list all the books I read that year. Scanning one of the annual lists to find a book you'd like might be easier than reading through each blog post.)
2. Add a comment here on the blog that includes your name and the title of the book you've chosen. Entries will not be received through the blog's facebook page.
3. Enter by the end of the day, Tuesday February 26, 2013.
That's it!
I will number the comments and randomly pick a number with a random number generator. I will send messages to the two winners and those winners will have five days to respond. If they don't respond, I'll pick another number. Once I have confirmed winners, I will get their shipping addresses via email or private message and send each of them the book they've chosen!*
*Note: I don't want you to put your personal contact information in the blog's comment space. This is protect you. However, you will need to enable your preferences so you see additional comments on the blog, or be sure to check back on the blog or the facebook page to see if you've won! One person was a winner in January and I was never able to get hold of him. (Richard? You are still a winner for January! You can contact me and still receive The Dog Stars!)
Entries for the giveaway need to be comments to this blog post. If you'd like to send a private message, do so via email: 2of3Rs(AT)gmail(DOT)com, or through a private message through the blog's facebook page, NOT The New York Times Book Review.
Thanks and good luck!
Posted by Bibliophile at 10:46 AM 18 comments:
Labels: February 2013 book giveaway, free book
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Two Stories About Women
Have you noticed a theme this month on the blog? The first post of the month went live on February 2. It was about two winners for January's book giveaway. The next post was about two excellent books. The last post was about two women dealing with cancer. AND, it's the second month of the year. This theming wasn't intentional, but I'm going with it!
To continue with February's theme of "two", in this post I am featuring two books, each about Jewish women.
In JUJITSU RABBI AND THE GODLESS BLOND, Rebecca Dana chronicles her love of all things New York - the fashion, the culture, the trend setters and the city itself. After coming out of a devastating break-up and moving into an apartment with a Russian rabbi, she examines her life - relationships, work, worshiping at the altar of New York - and tries to figure out if her chosen religion, following the guru Carrie Bradshaw, is what she needs to be doing with her life.
Self-indulgent? A little. She seemed compelled to name drop...celebrities she'd interviewed or famous people she'd seen at parties, and this got a little tiresome.
I mostly enjoyed her interactions with her rabbi roommate, Cosmo. He helped her reexamine her Jewish roots and delve more deeply into the Jewish faith. Dana wondered about the superficiality of her life and life choices. Is it enough to really love following fashion trends?
After her year of sharing an apartment with Cosmo, she came around to the New York life she'd chosen and was able to see it with new eyes and embrace it with new-found acceptance. And maybe a bit more appreciation for her Jewish roots as well.
In YOU WANT ME TO WHAT? THE DATING ADVENTURES AND LIFE LESSONS OF A NEWLY DIVORCED WOMAN, Nancy Lang chronicles "Ruthie's" story. (Ruthie may or may not be a thinly veiled - and I think unnecessary - cover for Nancy's own story.)
"Ruthie" signs up on a Jewish online dating service. "Ruthie" describes her dating experiences with men she met through the dating service as well as other men she's known and dated.
Sprinkled among her descriptions of often rather explicit dating exploits are Nancy's...uh, Ruthie's observations and insights that she learned through traversing the dating jungle. She shares the importance of trusting yourself, of being true to what you want, of communication, and not settling for second (or third or fourth!) best. Many of these seem to be hard won insights and life lessons. Learning the lessons the hard way seem to make them really hers.
She is honest and open about her mistakes as well as what she's gleaned from them.
She (Nancy) has a blog (http://www.nancytellsall.com/) that has the sub-heading: empowering and educating women and men with humor, revealing insights, and raw honesty. In the blog, she doesn't just focus on dating. She brings in examples from other parts of her life as well. Nancy is honest, open, and engaging, both in the book and on the blog, whether writing in Ruthie's voice or her own. The book - and the blog! - are definitely worth reading, even if you, like me, aren't actively dating.
I encourage you to check them out!
Stay tuned for information about February's book giveaway in an upcoming post!
Clicking on the book covers will take you to Amazon's web page for each book. Clicking on the underlined book title may take you to Barnes and Noble's page for the book. Purchasing through these links helps support the blog and these authors! You can send email to us: 2of3Rs(AT)gmail(DOT)com. Thanks for stopping by!
Posted by Bibliophile at 12:35 PM No comments:
Labels: Jewish women, Jujitsu Rabbi and the Godless Blond, Nancy Lang, Rebecca Dana, You Want Me to What?
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Telling Stories Their Own Way
I know two people who have dealt with cancer (okay, I know a lot more than that, but I am talking about two particular people here). They are both women, and both have dealt with, or are currently dealing with breast cancer. Both have undergone chemo. And they both have been sharing their battles with cancer in their own ways.
Kate Matthews is a cartoonist. In her LITTLE PINK BOOK OF CANCER CARTOONS, she, with insight that can only be gained from going through it herself, uses humor to deal with and deflect some of the awfulness of cancer and cancer treatment.*
Jacki Kane writes a blog.** It used to be about her stand-up comedy. Now it's about her run-in with cancer (who her daughter named Weird Cancer Guy). She fuses comedy, gratitude and the reality of cancer and cancer treatment into her blog posts, also including (at least!) Three Positives. (I love the Three Positives idea...I've been trying to incorporate Three Positives into my own life.)
Both of them share their harrowing experiences with cancer and cancer treatment (the hair loss! pain! chemo! surgery! medications! exhaustion!) with humor and insight. And both of their works are worth reading, whether you're dealing with cancer or not.
Not only am I glad to share in their journeys even in the most tangential of ways, I love seeing how each of them seems to have found a way that works for them to express themselves.
*Read my full blog post about Kate's book here:
**And go to Jacki's blog here:
Clicking on the book cover will take you to Amazon's page for the book. Please copy and paste the links to read more about Kate and Jacki and their work, which goes beyond addressing cancer. Thanks for stopping by!
Posted by Bibliophile at 9:53 AM No comments:
Labels: Jacki Kane, jackikane.com, Kate Matthews, Little Pink Book Cancer Cartoons, Weird Cancer Guy
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Two Excellent Books
I love it when books give me new eyes with which to see the world. Adam Black's THE PRANK was one of those books*.
THE PRANK was written as though the reader were finding out about a breaking news story through internet news sources. The way it was written as well as the story it told brought questions to my mind about the value of how we ingest media and how that informs how we perceive truth. I loved it.**
And now there's BILLY LYNN'S LONG HALFTIME WALK.
Billy Lynn is back on U.S. soil, traveling on a victory tour with his squad of fellow soldiers. This after a dangerous mission in which some of their company were killed. The Bravos are heroes. They are traveling with a movie producer who, while they are traveling, is trying to work a deal to get their story made into a movie. As the culmination of their victory tour, they are invited to participate in the spectacle of a Dallas Cowboys football halftime show.
Written from Billy's point of view, BLLHW juxtaposes the harshness of being a combat soldier with the comfort and excesses of American life.
How does a soldier fighting in Iraq, daily battling dirt and blood and fear and enemies, missing family and home, reconcile the lavishness of American life? How can civilians even partially conceive of the difficulties and challenges faced by soldiers in combat?
Fountain gets us inside Billy's head as he and the other Bravos travel together, and by so doing, exposes the stark contrasts between the life of a combat soldier and life in the U. S. of A.
BILLY LYNN'S LONG HALFTIME WALK is brilliant. Fountain gets us to examine soldiering and American life, which allows us to take a deeper look at our own lives. And isn't that ultimately the point?
*See my blog post about this most excellent book here (you'll have to copy and paste the link, but it's worth it):
**No, really, read the blog post about this book:
Clicking on the book covers will take you to Amazon's web page for each book. Clicking on the underlined title may take you to Barnes and Noble's web page for each book. Purchasing through these links helps support the blog! (Thank you!) You can also send us email: 2of3Rs(AT)gmail(DOT)com. Thanks for stopping by!
Posted by Bibliophile at 12:30 AM No comments:
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Book Giveaway Update...Winners, Come Forward!
I have done something wrong.
The blog post announcing January's book giveaway went live on Friday January 18. Several people followed the directions and entered the contest with comments on the blog post. That was great! At the end of the designated time period for entering the contest, I used a nifty random number generator and chose a winner. So far, so good.
As I said I would, I replied to the comment of the winner to tell them they won, and gave an email address where the winner could give me their mailing address and I would send them the book. This is the part where something didn't work.
I never heard from the winner. So I posted a comment on the facebook page telling people who entered the contest to check the comments on the blog and I posted another comment to the winner's comment, saying I needed to hear from them by a certain day or I'd have to choose another winner. And I never heard from the winner.
So I chose another winner, and the same thing happened. I never heard from that person either.
The first time made me think that the winner wasn't set up to receive replies to her comment. But two people? That seems unlikely.
It seems as though the ways I set up the communication about the contest were ineffective. And I apologize.
So here's what I'd like to do...Two winners have been named, Jodie Sohl, who requested Gillian Flynn's DARK PLACES, and Richard Derus, who requested THE DOG STARS. I would like to send both of them the books they requested. It isn't their fault that I didn't set up the contest well!
So Jodie and Richard, I need to hear from you! You can send me an email: 2of3Rs(AT)gmail(DOT)com. Or you can send me a private message through the facebook page for the blog: NOT The New York Times Book Review.
The rest of you? Keep an eye out for February's free book giveaway!
Thanks for stopping by the blog! You can send email to: 2of3Rs(AT)gmail(DOT)com. You can also "like" our facebook page, NOT The New York Times Book Review.
Posted by Bibliophile at 9:56 AM 1 comment:
Labels: book giveaway
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The bedroom is a place for rest and relaxation, and its function successfully is completed if it has space for a bed and quality lighting. However, there are some tricks to make a small room visually more.
Put a mirror on the wall or closet – if the mirror extends from floor to ceiling and is placed on the surface of the entire wall, visually, it will double the size of the bedroom. Let the natural light to enter – it will allow the bedroom during the day to look more spacious and. In small bedrooms often the headboard of the bed is next to the window. Choose a headboard that does not block the light, such as for example, the metal frame.
On the wall you can put shelves abova the headboard – shelves of books or decorative items to make small spaces more interesting and lively. Enter interesting motive – it is enough just a small space to be entered just an interesting motif that will be for example some wallpaper or carpet with interesting motif. We present you some interesting small bedroom ideas that will help you to decorate properly your small bedroom.
Title: 15 Adorable & Fully Functional Small Bedroom Design Ideas
Rating: 100% based on 99998 ratings. 10 user reviews.
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Rating: 100% based on 99998 ratings. 10 user reviews.
Post by 3:23 PM


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I Love The Way U Lie…(Episode 12)
That was really amazing…
The taste of ur mouth…the passion u put forth towards me…ur everything is just amazing for me twinkle..
Today u made me complete…. u have changed this aimless flirty Kunj to a Kunj who has the only aim in his life…n that is to love u…forever
We shared a long n passionate liplock…trust me I did that willingly… Becoz the feeling was just perfect…
Twinkle realized what we did a minute ago…
She keeled her head towards the floor…oh she even looks cute when she shies
"I m sorry" was the word she uttered in a whisper
What is she trying to say???…
"I m sorry kunj….it was by mistake" she continued…her glassy eyes were visible..
But her words gave me a shock…does she thinks that was a MISTAKE…
"What do u mean??" I said controlling my anger
"I mean to say that it was all a mistake…my mistake…I just got carried away with the situation" she says still her head down….preventing herself from making any eye contact "ARE U KIDDING ME TWINKLE??" I gave a shout in a hurt voice
She immediately looked u straight into my eyes with amazement…I was bowling in anger
"No I m not" she said in a whisper still looking into my eyes
This was too much for me now….today she insulted my love…our love…n I can't bear such insult for it…
I suddenly grabbed her by shoulder n gave up my full strength…which made her stand on her toe..
"So do u think that it was a mistake MISS TWINKLE TANEJA" I yelled leaving or rather say that pushing her hard which made her fall on the floor
I know it was wrong…but she is hurting me everyday with her every single word…so she is worthy of it…
I continued, " Wow twinkle wow…that was too good…today u proved that u r the MISS PRACTICAL Twinkle Taneja… N u r not worthy to be loved…loved by anyone…I thought some or the other day I will make u confess ur love for me…but now u know what I don't even give a damn…I hate u..I hate u to the core…n from now our ways r parted"
I know that it was too much…my words were harsh but it was literally needed becoz she have to understand my feelings…
I stormed out from the place…left her crying
My heart was feeling to run towards her…hug her…console her.. express my love for her…but no…she don't respect my love then why should I…I know its childish…
° ° ° ° ° °
The whole group gathered at the hotel canteen to have the breakfast
"Wow these pancakes r just yumm…n these strawberries r soo fresh…smells great" says Emma seeing the breakfast
"Yup…" says Aayan busy in plate
Suddenly Ankur noticed something
"Hey Twinkle…what…what happened to ur eyes…its swollen completely" Ankur says with concern
Kunj immediately saw her…which he was preventing earlier to do so…
Twinkle was seeing him….with her blood red eyes
"Seems that u have cried the entire night" Says Diya holding her shoulder
"Hey guys don't stare me like this…n there is nothing like that okay..so chill… Its just that something went in my eyes n due to rubbing it became like this" Twinkle lied faking her smile
"R u sure" Ankur says in a whisper..to which twinkle signed through her eyes
Kunj new that it was all becoz of him…but didn't utter a word becoz he too faced the same situation the entire night…
He walked off the canteen n motioned towards his room…
Twinkle saw him going…n followed him..
He banged the door of his room…in anger…guilt n what not
"How can i..how can I hurt twinkle..my Twinkle" kunj says breaking down in the floor in tears
"Kunj…u r not at fault…its all my mistake" twinkle says leaning down towards kunj
But kunj got up all of a sudden I was about to leave the room but twinkle made a hold on his wrist…
"Leave my hand twinkle" kunj says without looking at twinkle
"Twinkle I said just leave" kunj says irritated but suddenly had a look towards twinkle
His heart missed a beat…
Twinkle was still sitting on the floor n was nodding in NO…with tears in her swollen red eyes…
Kunj was all shocked to see her state…he suddenly cupped her face
They didn't say anything for long time…but their eyes…conveyed each n every feelings…( Khamoshiyan awaz h
Tum sunne to aao…plays)
Kunj can feel the pain in her eyes… N that was becoz of him
I m sorry Twinkle…how can I do this to my love..the love of my life..
I hate u KUNJ SARNA…just hate myself…
But Twinkle is the best girl I have ever seen…she deserves the best…atleast better than this spoilt Playboy…
I have to stop twinkle from spoiling her life…
Suddenly I left twinkles face n went towards the dior
"I HATE U TWINKLE" was the word I said …my words cracked…that was the most painful moment in my entire life..
"U can't do this to me…u can't…did u here that" at first she whispered but then yelled…she was hurt by my words but I have to do this twinkle..
"U r right… That I can't love anyone.." I said preventing my eyes to meet her…I can sense a pair of glassy eyes starring me with distrust, disbelief, pain…
I rushed from the room…it was suffocating… I felt like that I m a criminal…yes I m!!
Whenever my life seems to be stable something happens which makes it all up side down…
Ankur arrives at twinkles room…
All of a sudden he said
"Twinkle…kunj loves u a lot" gazing towards her..waiting for a reply
But twinkle didn't utter a single word
He continued, " Listen twinkle…I know that its ur personal matter n I m no one to interfere in it but please understand kunjs love…u know yesterday night I heard some sobbing noises from his room…so I went inside n I saw him crying..like a baby
I also know that u love him a lot…but u r afraid that he will ditch u…but its nothing like that…please try to understand once" Ankurs convincing words made her melt…n the thought that kunj cries every night gave her a great shock
Kunj I know that u love me…then why r u doing this to me…to us…our relationship
I know something is bothering u…n now I will find it out
I can live with the burden that my harsh words made u cry…but kunj how did u managed to be so…
Several thoughts were popping in my mind…but the answers were with kunj…
I know that he won't tell me..
But I will find it at any cost to save my love…our love
• ° • ° • ° • ° • ° •
Hellooo lovely ppl
How r u all??
Sorry Ritzi n Supriya…that I didnt replied as I saw my comments late night…sorry again
N thanks a lot Kruti n Anushka for helping them…it really means a lot
Syeda Farhana and Sayeeda that was really a nice try…
I know that today's episode is a sad one…sorry for that??
But can u all give me a suggestion… that tomorrow can I give 2 episodes…I just asked as u all will be bored reading 2 on single day…really need ur views
N thanks a lot all the readers
Love u all????


text:
'Black List Vol. 2'
EmptyHBO's distinctive and elegant follow-up to 2008's "The Black List Vol. 1" follows a similar minimalist path in gathering prominent black figures to reveal something candid and insightful about themselves or their take on the world.
Each vignette is a couple of minutes long, spoken against a plain background, the camera softly focused and their inquisitor — in this case, journalist-turned- filmmaker Elvis Mitchell — neither seen nor heard. The effect is at once distinctive and provocative yet ridiculously simple. All of the participants are black, but their stories aren't necessarily centered specifically on race. But all are poignant, to be sure.
The parties this time include Laurence Fishburne and Maya Rudolph, producer Suzanne de Passe, pastor T.D. Jakes, singer Charley Pride, filmmakers Tyler Perry and Melvin Van Peebles, artist Kara Walker, fashion designer Patrick Robinson, activist and academic Angela Davis and Anglican Bishop Barbara Harris.
The tapestry formed by the narrative is meant to offer a "unique look into the zeitgeist of black America," and that it does. Fishburne talks of the responsibility he's been made to feel as an onscreen father figure. Rudolph discusses the odd perceptions she fields as someone of mixed race. Veteran country crooner Pride shares the sense of purpose he felt as a black man singing white man's music.
A production collaboration between Mitchell and Timothy Greenfield-Sanders, who also directs, "Black List 2" is as visually stimulating as it is verbally astute. It's also an entertaining way to spend an hour. (partialdiff)


text:
Still Life I – Artist Statement
The fruits, photographs which I have taken, during a few minutes of exposure are in a strange state between ripeness and decay. That state is ambiguous. During the exposure the fruits seemed to be ripe and juicy, however there is something on the photographs that foreshadows their near decay. It is not possible to opt for either of the features since each one of them has some traits of the other.
Using a pinhole camera in this case was intentional. The unpredictability of what may happen in a frame was essential. I did not want to have absolute control. It was also important to me to have some inaccuracies in copying. I believe such an "inaccurate" viewing is closer to the human way of perceiving the word since often we are unable to define and name everything precisely.
The series includes 22 photographs were taken with the camera obscura. Prints are silver gelatin contact prints, 8×8 inches.
Still Life II – Artist Statement
"The pictures were taken with a pinhole camera. I have worked with daylight. For some of the motives I used a mirror to catch the sunlight and hightlighted certain elements of the composition."
The negatives are 20×20 inches size and the pictures are contact silver gelatin prints.
Edyta Wypierowska was born in Poland. She studied photography at Multimedia Communication Faculty at Academy of Fine Art in Poznan, Poland and achieved a MA degree in 2003.
As an artist Edyta skillfully utilizes the pinhole camera's distortions of space and scale in the image.
She builds a camera first and then, she constructs a still live. Final photographs exude a sense of adventure and mystery that challenge the viewer's notions of reality.
Edyta lives and works in Poland and Germany.


text:
June 29, 2011 06:32 ET
TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - June 29, 2011) - Federal and provincial government bureaucracies are taking more than two-and-a-half years on average to approve new prescription drugs, thereby depriving many Canadians of the latest in new medicines, finds a new report from the Fraser Institute, Canada's leading public policy think-tank.
"On average, it takes Health Canada nearly 16 months to approve new drugs as safe and effective. After that, the provinces typically spend another 15 months or more deciding whether new medicines will be eligible for public reimbursement under provincial drug plans," said Mark Rovere, Fraser Institute associate director of health policy studies and co-author of Access Delayed, Access Denied: Waiting for New Medicines in Canada.
Canada's drug approval process involves two separate stages: First, Health Canada must certify a drug is safe and effective, then provincial governments decide if the drug will be reimbursed under their public drug programs. This combination of federal and provincial decision-making creates delays or, more often, deprives patients of access to new medicines.
The study found that only 23 per cent of new drugs approved as safe and effective by Health Canada in 2004 had been approved for either full or partial reimbursement under provincial drug plans as of June 9, 2011, compared to 98 per cent that had been covered by at least one private insurer.
In addition, the study shows that, compared to its international counterparts, Health Canada takes longer to certify new drugs. From 2006 to 2009, Health Canada's performance was worse than that of the EMEA, Health Canada's European equivalent. Similarly, Health Canada's performance was worse than that of the American FDA in five of the last six years studied (2004 to 2009).
In the report, the authors suggest two specific policy changes to make new medicines more quickly available to Canadians:
Mutual recognition of drug approvals and cooperation with other jurisdictions
Canada could speed up its regulatory process by taking advantage of the regulatory knowledge and capacity of other jurisdictions, rather than attempting to duplicate the process of the FDA in the United States. If Canada entered into agreements of "mutual recognition" with other countries, new medications already approved in those jurisdictions could be introduced into the Canadian market far more rapidly, and vice-versa.
Replace government drug programs with means-tested subsidized access to private insurance
One way to make new medicines more readily available without increasing the burden on taxpayers is to replace existing public drug plans with a properly regulated and competitive private-sector insurance market in which universal access to catastrophic drug insurance would be facilitated through means-tested subsidies for those with low incomes.
Research shows that a very small percentage of Canadians actually face exorbitant drug costs. Between 1997 and 2002, only three per cent of Canadian households spent more than five per cent of their annual income on prescription drugs.
"Means-tested subsidies provided to those with low incomes, regardless of age, to purchase catastrophic drug insurance in a private, competitive insurance market benefits recipients by giving them the choice of selecting the drug plan that meets their individual medical needs and financial abilities," Rovere said.
Unlike the majority of public drug plans that have small, flat co-payments, most private drug insurance plans include co-payments that are linked to the full cost of the prescription, which encourage patients to make cost-efficient choices between alternative treatments. Consumer sensitivity to prices in turn creates incentives for physicians to prescribe treatment more efficiently and for drug manufacturers to invest efficiently in the development of new drugs.
"Allowing the private insurance market to compete through price and service, thus eliminating government monopolies on drug prices and coverage, is the best policy choice for improving access to the newest prescription drugs," Rovere said.
Follow the Fraser Institute on Twitter | Become a fan on Facebook
The Fraser Institute is an independent Canadian public policy research and educational organization with offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, and Montreal and ties to a global network of 80 think-tanks. Its mission is to measure, study, and communicate the impact of competitive markets and government intervention on the welfare of individuals. To protect the Institute's independence, it does not accept grants from governments or contracts for research. Visit www.fraserinstitute.org.
Fraser Institute - Media ContactMark RovereAssociate Director of Health Policy Studies(416) 363-6575 ext. firstname.lastname@example.com InstituteDean PelkeyDirector of Communications(604) email@example.com
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text:
=A script-teaching program from Rekhta.org: [site]
=A script-learning site maintained by Hugo Coolens: [site]
script-learning site, ukindia.com: [site]
=A Hindi/Urdu language
school in Delhi, "Zabaan": [site]; and the Landour
Language School in Mussoorie: [site]
=A script-teaching
video put together by our own Tyler Williams for his
students at Columbia: [site]
=Sean Pue's
up-to-the-minute Hindi/Urdu learning site that can be
viewed on cellphones and such: [site]
=A script-teaching
book, "Lessons in Urdu Script" by Mohammed Zakir,
1973: [on this site]
=Before you complain about the Urdu script, compare the one you'd have to learn for *Sindhi*, or the complexities of *Pushto*
=And if you're vexed
by Urdu spelling-- be glad you're not learning
English. Then you'd have spelling and pronunciation
problems like THROUGH -- THOUGH -- BOUGH -- OUGHT --
=And if you find our
current textbooks unsatisfactory-- take a look at this
one and see how much progress we've made since this *grammar
book from 1771*
=For ADVANCED students
only: a *handbook on
shikastah* and other more difficult script
=C. M. Naim: ==>*Naim's most important GRAMMAR and SCRIPT topics*<== from Introductory Urdu, Volume 1 (Chicago: South Asia Language and Area Center University of Chicago, 1999), online through DSAL and linked through this site
=FWP: ==>*my own informal Urdu script notes and Urdu/Hindi teaching notes*<==
=Rupert Snell's very
helpful presentation on *the
Hindi-Urdu verb*
=Akbar Illahabadi:
some of his satiric verses, translated and annotated
for students by Miriam Murtuza: [on this site]
=For fun, check out
the *Google
Urdu composer* and the *Google
translator*; there's also a *Hindi-Urdu
script transliteration site*
=Barker's wordlist:
Never out of print, and never should be: M. A. R.
Barker, et al., Urdu-English Vocabulary
(Ithaca, NY: Spoken Language Services, 1991 [1980]): [site]. The best part of it is
the frequency count that lets you know at once how
widely used a word is.
=A special website
devoted to intermediate-level Urdu readings, housed at
Washington University: [site]
=AIIS and Columbia
University video modules, 2016: [28 thematic
=M. A. R. Barker's
helpful overviews, from vol. 2 of A Course in Urdu
(1967), of the
Persian elements [on this site] and
Arabic elements
this site] used in Urdu.
=the Bible in Urdu:
beautiful script, interesting to see how they
translate things: [site]
=S. R. Faruqi, Urdu ki na'i kitab
(1986), a literary anthology for students, with
introductory material in simple, clear Urdu: [on this
=A manual on
letter-writing, full of useful examples, highly
recommended by Amy Bard: Asan khutut-navisi
(1979) [on this site]
="Fran's Favorites," a
set of study materials (Urdu texts, translations,
commentary, background material) for some important
literary and historical works: [on this
="The Great Glossary
Fair," through which we all help each other: [on
this site]
=Ahmad, Rizwan, "Urdu in Devanagari: Shifting orthographic practices and Muslim identity in Delhi," Language in Society 40,3: [site]
=Prof. Peter Hook offers us 'Some experiments in the English ghazal'. Unpublished; made available by the author here only, for classroom use and discussion: [on this site]
=Iqbaliana: "'Allamah Iqbal: ek mahbubah, tin biviyan, char shadiyan," by Dr. Khalid Sohail, an analysis of Iqbal as a "creative personality," in beautifully readable large nasta'liq, easy for script-learners: [site]
=Iqbaliana: An
elaborate visual and musical treatment of Iqbal's
famous nazm "Khizr-e rah," suitable for advanced
students: [site]
=Library of Congress
readings of their own work by six writers: [site]
=C. M. Naim, Introductory Urdu, Volume 2 (Chicago: South Asia Language and Area Center University of Chicago, 1999), online through DSAL: [site]; and in a *large-format PDF version*=C. M. Naim, Readings in Urdu: prose and poetry (Honolulu: East-West Center Press, [1965]), online through DSAL: [site]
=the Narang reader: Back in print and highly recommended as a basic reader: the famous "Narang reader" that my generation learned from: Gopi Chand Narang, Urdu: Readings in Literary Urdu Prose (New Delhi: National Council for the Promotion of Urdu Language, 2001 [Univ. of Wisconsin Press, 1968]). You can probably find it on Amazon. It has graded stories, beautiful nasta'liq, and facing-page serial glossaries. Despite the title, it's introductory and simplified rather than seriously "literary" in its scope. Here's an analysis of its good and bad features by C. M. Naim, c.1967: [on this site]. As an illustration of its structure, here's a little story from it, "Marrying a Mouse": [on this site]; with a version for Urdu script learners.
=For advanced students: a small book of the Persian verb forms, from an Urduized perspective: [on this site]
= John T. Platts, A Grammar of the Hindustani or Urdu Language (1874): [site]. And who could do without his peerless Dictionary of Urdu, Classical Hindi, and English (1884): [site]?
=D. C. Phillott (1860-1930) wrote a variety of useful and enjoyable books on Hindustani grammar and idiom: [site]
=Pratham Books provides a series of interesting children's stories, each read aloud in Hindi, Urdu, and English: [site].
=Yousufi, Mushtaq Ahmad, "The First Memorable Poetry Festival of Dhiraj Ganj," translated by Matt Reeck and Aftab Ahmad (with Urdu text and oral reading): Asymptote, Jan. 2013: [site]
="Islam" by Fazlur Rahman (1966; 2nd ed. 1979), the work of a distinguished Pakistani scholar who taught at the Univ. of Chicago, translated into Urdu by Muhammad Kazim (Mash'al Books): [site]
="M. de Tassy's History of Hindi Literature," by F.E.H. (1850); for illustrations of many and various ways to misread the Urdu script (including the conversion of a beggar into a donkey), see pp. 27ff.: [site]
=Walt Whitman in Urdu: "Ghas ki pattiyan," trans. by Qayyum Nazar, 1963 (English text and Urdu translation): [on this site]
=The BBC (listenable news, presented in sound files): [site]
=Pakistani national
anthem: It's surprisingly hard to find the text of the
Pakistani national anthem, so here it is: [on this
site]. It could almost be in Persian, but notice
the decisive ka that tips the balance.
Compare the popularly sung Iqbal ghazal "Indian Song":
[on this site].
And here is the Indian national anthem too, followed
by the notoriously controversial "Vande Mataram": [on this site].
=Sean Pue: "Mir in
Cyberspace," a great script and reading tool: [site]; and the *ONLINE GHAZAL READER*
created by Sean Pue and FWP
=Christopher Shackle
and Rupert Snell, Hindi-Urdu
Since 1800: A Common Reader (London: SOAS,
1990): [on
this site]
=John Shakespear, 1834, an early Urdu textbook: Muntakhabat-e Hindi vol. 2: [site]
==Platts, John T. (1830-1904). A Dictionary of Urdu, Classical Hindi, and English. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1930's impression, online through DSAL: [site]. Still peerless.
|-- HINDI/URDU index page -- FWP's main page --


text:
"We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed." 2 Corinthians 4:8-9
Paul describes his life as one that is very rough. It does not sound easy in any way. He was hard pressed, perplexed, persecuted, and struck down. Yet, with all of those bad things occurring he says that he still goes on. He is not destroyed in any way.
Every person has problems in this life. Each person's problems are slightly different then another person's problems, but all have many. These problems may be at different levels for each person. One person may have the problem of maintaining a 10,000 square foot house, while the other may have the same problem with a 1,100 square foot house. One makes seven digit figures annually, while the other is barely making $40,000/year. It is all a matter of perspective as to how big the problem is.
As a believer, many of the normal problems the world faces will be there, along with the troubles that come from the world because the person is a believer.
You may be hard pressed: having to pay the bills, work a job, and minister to others. Perplexed: not knowing what is next, not understanding why something is happening as it is, and not knowing how to reach someone who is lost. Persecuted: ridiculed for being a believer, overlooked for promotion as a believer, and physically persecuted. Struck down: this can be in word or the physical, and it includes all of the above problems.
Yet, in all of these problems of life, as a believer, you are not completely crushed, in despair, abandoned, or destroyed. God is with you. His Holy Spirit is in you. You have a hope that the world does not know. You have a future with a mansion in heaven some day. There is a reason and a purpose for everything you are going through.
Are you trusting God in your situations of life? Or are you giving up like the world does? Do not allow the problems of life to destroy you. God has overcome already and given you the victory. Keep your eyes on Jesus.
I pray today that you will know the hope you have in Jesus; that you will not be crushed, in despair, abandoned, or destroyed; that God's presence will be real to you; and that God will give you His favor, strength and blessings.