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Aaron Swinson FAQs: Facts, Rumors, Birthdate, Net Worth, Sexual Orientation and much more!
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Who is Aaron Swinson? Biography, gossip, facts?
Aaron Anthony Swinson (born January 9 1971 in Brunswick Georgia) is an American retired professional basketball player. A 6'5 (1.96 m) forward Swinson played college basketball at Auburn University. In 1994-95 Swinson played in nine games for the Phoenix Suns of the NBA.
When is Aaron Swinson's birthday?
Aaron Swinson was born on the , which was a Saturday. Aaron Swinson will be turning 53 in only 99 days from today.
How old is Aaron Swinson?
Aaron Swinson is 52 years old. To be more precise (and nerdy), the current age as of right now is 19003 days or (even more geeky) 456072 hours. That's a lot of hours!
Are there any books, DVDs or other memorabilia of Aaron Swinson? Is there a Aaron Swinson action figure?
We would think so. You can find a collection of items related to Aaron Swinson right here.
What is Aaron Swinson's zodiac sign and horoscope?
Aaron Swinson's zodiac sign is Capricorn.
♑The ruling planet of Capricorn is Saturn. Therefore, lucky days are Saturdays and lucky numbers are: 1, 4, 8, 10, 13, 17, 19, 22 and 26. Brown, Steel, Grey and Black are Aaron Swinson's lucky colors. Typical positive character traits of Capricorn include: Aspiring, Restrained, Firm, Dogged and Determined. Negative character traits could be: Shy, Pessimistic, Negative in thought and Awkward.
Is Aaron Swinson gay or straight?
Many people enjoy sharing rumors about the sexuality and sexual orientation of celebrities. We don't know for a fact whether Aaron Swinson is gay, bisexual or straight. However, feel free to tell us what you think! Vote by clicking below.
0% of all voters think that Aaron Swinson is gay (homosexual), 100% voted for straight (heterosexual), and 0% like to think that Aaron Swinson is actually bisexual.
Is Aaron Swinson still alive? Are there any death rumors?
Yes, according to our best knowledge, Aaron Swinson is still alive. And no, we are not aware of any death rumors. However, we don't know much about Aaron Swinson's health situation.
Where was Aaron Swinson born?
Aaron Swinson was born in Douglas Georgia.
How tall is Aaron Swinson?
Aaron Swinson is 1.96m tall, which is equivalent to 6feet and 5inches.
How heavy is Aaron Swinson? What is Aaron Swinson's weight?
Aaron Swinson does weigh 104.3kg, which is equivalent to 229.9lbs.
Does Aaron Swinson do drugs? Does Aaron Swinson smoke cigarettes or weed?
It is no secret that many celebrities have been caught with illegal drugs in the past. Some even openly admit their drug usuage. Do you think that Aaron Swinson does smoke cigarettes, weed or marijuhana? Or does Aaron Swinson do steroids, coke or even stronger drugs such as heroin? Tell us your opinion below.
Which position does Aaron Swinson play?
Aaron Swinson plays as a Power forward.
When did Aaron Swinson retire? When did Aaron Swinson end the active career?
Aaron Swinson retired in 2003, which is more than 20 years ago.
When did Aaron Swinson's career start? How long ago was that?
Aaron Swinson's career started in 1994. That is more than 29 years ago.
Who are similar basketball players to Aaron Swinson?
Kyle Fogg, Mirza Teletovi, Scholanda Dorrell, Pocholo Villanueva and Terry McKenzie are basketball players that are similar to Aaron Swinson. Click on their names to check out their FAQs.
What is Aaron Swinson doing now?
Supposedly, 2023 has been a busy year for Aaron Swinson. However, we do not have any detailed information on what Aaron Swinson is doing these days. Maybe you know more. Feel free to add the latest news, gossip, official contact information such as mangement phone number, cell phone number or email address, and your questions below.
Are there any photos of Aaron Swinson's hairstyle or shirtless?
There might be. But unfortunately we currently cannot access them from our system. We are working hard to fill that gap though, check back in tomorrow!
What is Aaron Swinson's net worth in 2023? How much does Aaron Swinson earn?
According to various sources, Aaron Swinson's net worth has grown significantly in 2023. However, the numbers vary depending on the source. If you have current knowledge about Aaron Swinson's net worth, please feel free to share the information below.


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Wishlist & Wanderings
News 2019
Wishlists and Wanderings
Travel tips, city guides, and inspiration
When I heard about there was such a thing as an anti theft back pack, I was curious. A video of the Bobby® popped up in my Instagram feed one day, and after seeing all the hidden compartments and concealed zips, I thought "Flip, that's cool. Why has no one done this before?!"
After a long Googling spree, it seemed like this little bag may be the answer to my fears. I was weeks away from a roadtrip through Spain, and had been warned repeatedly about pick pockets and bag snatchers.
While having my wallet or phone stolen would have been awful, I live abroad and was more concerned about being stranded without the passport and residence permit I needed to get back into Qatar. My current backpack was great, but I doubted its drawstring closure, unlockable zips and simple magnetic clip would dissuade any would-be thieves in Barcelona.
So I ordered a Bobby®.
To help anyone who is looking for new travel gear and faced with the same concerns about theft as I was, I thought I would put together my own review of this clever bag.
There are a number of other reviews out there, but I found that many of them focused on using the Bobby® for day-to-day commutes and life at home, which isn't what I bought it for. So this will be more about using the Bobby® on the road while travelling, when you usually have to carry different gear, walk longer daily distances, enter the "tourist areas" that are often pickpocket hot spots, and generally transport all your most important things around in a foreign country.
The Bobby® (yes, it's named after the slang term for the UK police) is a backpack that has been reconfigured to make it more difficult for thieves to get inside. It is made by a company called XD Design® and originated from a KickStarter project in 2016. The Bobby® has no zip pockets on the front, open pouches on the side, or any external openings that aren't securely resting against your back or concealed in some way.
The bag is different from others in that it basically opens backwards - the main zip runs along the back padding, and the front opens on a hinge. There are a few different models and colours with different features, but mine has:
• Two small pouches in the straps where you can store metro cards or bus passes
• Two triangular external hidden pockets at the base of the straps that can fit a phone, power bank, or snacks
• A larger external rectangular zipped pocket in the back lining that can fit a phone or small notebook
• A small inner pouch to hold a cylindrical power bank (and a built-in USB cord so you can charge your phone on the outside without taking off the bag)
• A rectangular zip pocket, with another open pouch behind it and pen-holding tabs on the front
• Two padded sleeves on the back to hold a tablet, Kindle, small laptop or notebooks.
• A strap on the back that slides over the handle of your luggage, so you can transport it easily.
• A waterproof cover that packs away into a small pouch in the base of the bag.
• A double, lockable main zip.
Additionally, the bag is made out of a lightweight fabric that has an inner layer to protect against slashing. The back and shoulder straps are also nicely padded to make it more comfortable to wear. By hugging close to your body, the bag also distributes the weight more effectively and doesn't put strain on your shoulders or back.
If you're wondering how this all played out on the road, you're in luck.
On the plane:
The Bobby® is quite firm and holds its shape well, which means it isn't easy to squish under the seat in front of you in economy class. This meant that I had to store it in the hat rack space.
I'm a bit paranoid (as you may have guessed already) and I didn't want to leave all my valuables and in-flight essentials in the overhead storage compartment. Fortunately, the main zip compartment on the bag is designed to be locked, so you can add a padlock and no one will be able to rummage around inside while you're sleeping on long flights.
But, if you're also cautious and are considering a Bobby®, keep in mind that you will have to bring an additional smaller bag that can fit by your feet on the plane.
On the go:
I wore the Bobby® pretty much all day for two weeks straight, and I never had sore shoulders or any back pain. It was comfortable to wear when filled with all my daily essentials (phone, DSLR camera and lens, wallet, two notebooks, power bank, snacks, sunglasses, pens, lip balm, water). Even when I added souvenirs or extra items on travel days, it was still easier to carry the weight than it was with my previous bag.
The Bobby® is more of a day pack than a "hey-all-my-life-is-inside bag", so it can get pretty full on days when it needs to carry extras like jerseys, a change of clothes, books, etc. It wasn't much of an issue for me, but if you want to travel with more tech (laptop, tablet, multiple camera lenses, etc) it could be constraining.
The inner compartments make it easy to organize and find things quickly, but can be an issue when what you have doesn't fit inside a pocket or pouch. For example, my power bank is rectangular, so I couldn't put it in the smaller cylindrical power bank space, so that spot was wasted and I had to use up another pocket. On the other hand, I think the card-sized pouches in the straps are a stroke of genius - I put my metro and hotel key card inside and it was so easy to access and stash them away while I was walking around.
While I loved all the hidden pockets, I missed having an external side-pouch where I could put a bottle of water. My other pack had one and while I know it's not secure, it would have freed up some interior space and saved me from having to stop and open the bag whenever I was thirsty. And really, I don't think a boring water bottle will be all that tempting to thieves anyway.
The Bobby®'s small size and back-hugging tendency makes it very compact and easy to wear in crowds and small spaces without knocking into things. I was very grateful for this in markets and small shops filled with breakable goods. It didn't pull down and away from my back, so I could even wear it while balancing on a segway during city tours.
On the anti-theft side, the bag definitely lived up to expectations. I added a combination lock to the hidden zip, so even if someone had figured it out and tried to get into the bag, they would have needed a lock cutter too. I was a bit cautious at the start of the trip, but after a few days, I put the Bobby® on and never thought about whether anyone was trying to rob me.
I walked down busy pedestrian streets, squashed myself into buses and metro carriages, filed into packed elevators and escalators, wandered through markets and stood on bustling sidewalks taking photos. The peace of mind it brought me was incredible - I didn't have to keep turning around to check if anyone was up to mischief, or wear the bag on my front like a kangaroo.
When you stop:
The Bobby® can stand up by itself, so you can put it on the floor under your table if you stop at a restaurant and it won't collapse and spill its guts all over your feet. Yay!
Because of all its clever anti-theft precautions, the backpack can be a bit difficult to open by the wearer too. With other backpacks, I could take one arm out of the straps and swing the bag around to get out my wallet when paying for things in a shop. Because the Bobby®'s hinge only creates a small gap by default, this meant I couldn't always open the bag easily without having to rest the backpack on a counter top (or stand awkwardly on one leg and put it on my other knee).
After a few days of struggling, I realised that it was easier just to put it down somewhere, undo the bottom clips/ velcro and open it fully if I was trying to get anything bulky in or out. But this wasn't always possible (or safe) in places like markets or food stalls - I would have to prop it up against a wall or crouch down and open it on the floor.
So, to sum it all up...
• How it made me stop worrying about being robbed, even in crowded areas
• The clever anti-theft design and useful hidden pockets
• Its comfortable padded straps and back section
• The modern look and cool colour options
• How difficult it was to open without putting it down / opening it flat
• Not having a water bottle pouch
Overall, I'm very happy that this little guy popped up in my life - it took some getting used to, but it saved me a lot of stress on the road. I'm excited to see how it holds up on future adventures!
By: Lauren
Source: https://wishlistsandwanderings.com/blog/bobby-back-pack-review-travelling-with-an-anti-theft-bag

subset: commoncrawl


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AfricanCraft.com Generating Pride and Publicity for Africa's Artisans:
A Case Study of Mohair Weavers in Lesotho
Written by Siiri Morley
and Manthabiseng Rammalane
This project is a collaboration on the parts of two separate organizations: the Elelloang Basali Weavers in Lesotho, and AfricanCraft.com, a website initiative in the United States.
AfricanCraft.com, launched by Louise Meyer and John Nash in 1999, is an effort that aims to bridge the gap between the two worlds of artisans and western consumers. By recognizing and giving publicity to the talent of African artisans, the site aspires to support efforts of fair trade, sustainable development, and women's empowerment; and additionally to instil pride and hope in disadvantaged craftspeople.
This innovative and original website showcases the work of craftspeople, artists, and designers and additionally hosts retail catalogs, all with an African theme. It brings together Ghanaians, Nigerians, Zimbabweans, Basotho and Americans and proudly displays their work next to photos of the creators. Providing full recognition to each individual and group, it seeks to stimulate collaboration between diverse parties, giving artisans the publicity they need to receive invitations to trade shows, conferences and workshops. As the mission states, the founders plan to expand the website to become "a venue for all African artisans to showcase their work".
Elelloang Basali (Be Aware Women), one group on the site, is a women's weaving business in Lesotho that specializes in fine hand-woven mohair bags, rugs, tablemats and wall hangings. Despite initial financial difficulties, they are now providing work to over forty women, who in turn support hundreds of children. Yet, Elelloang has had since its beginnings great difficulties with publicity, communication, and an inability to share their work with overseas customers.
For several years, the weavers have been working to build capacity in terms of product development, marketing, and exporting. With few overseas orders and limited local sales, they wanted to "find the market," but were unsure of how to specifically pursue and locate these abstract overseas clients. Without the use of the Internet, this was an enormous challenge. Thus, Elelloang pursued the connection with AfricanCraft.com in order to gain more visibility and to establish an online catalogue, which would allow the business and its projects to prosper and grow.
In November 2002, AfricanCraft.com established a website for the weavers for free (as all artisan pages are) that includes a homepage with introductory information, a portfolio with over thirty weavings that customers can order, a photo gallery of images of the weavers at work, their price list, a map, and Elelloang's contact information. The site also includes a mailing list, which aims to document consumer interest in the product.
Elelloang's website was created just over one year ago, yet they have already seen tremendous, tangible benefits. Since November 2002, they have received high praise for the site and inquiries and orders have been sent from individuals and shops around the world, including Sweden, Lebanon, the United States, Canada, Japan, South Africa and the United Kingdom. AfricanCraft.com has also facilitated new orders with Elelloang's old customers in Namibia, Scotland, South Africa and the United States. Without the site, Elelloang would struggle for visibility; with it they are linked to a wider network of customers and African art enthusiasts.
By helping Elelloang improve their sales, their business has strengthened and their many projects have led to women's economic empowerment, increased education, public health and HIV prevention initiatives, alternative building structures and solar energy, permaculture, improved nutrition, interest-free credit, the revival of indigenous Basotho designs, a strong women's support center, and a powerful example of truly grassroots, self-initiated sustainable development.
AfricanCraft.com has received similar feedback from diverse beneficiaries around the globe. The site has helped numerous artisan groups, individual artists, and designers build their export clientele, obtain international recognition, and receive invitations to trade fairs and workshops. For some artisans, AfricanCraft.com is their only source of publicity. Perhaps the most important result of the site is one that is difficult to quantify, that of increased pride. Throughout Africa handicraft work is often seen as a low-status occupation, despite the fact it is sustaining families and takes great skill. For artisans to see their work presented with so much respect in an international forum is an extraordinary thing.
While artisans around the world are in need of support to sustain and evolve their traditional crafts, most online craft venues focus on profit and sales alone. AfricanCraft.com is providing a forum for communication and discussion and is opening the way for artisans, development organizations and consumers to find their own solutions to the challenges facing African artisans. The site is humble in its efforts, yet it has created a venue for empowerment, fair trade, sustainable development, and links between often distant worlds.


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Pete Holmes, voice of the beloved E*Trade baby and host of the "You Made It Weird" podcast, is coming to TBS with a late-night comedy show, the network said Tuesday.
The as-yet-untitled series, which has received a four-week order, will premiere in the fall and will air at midnight following "Conan" Monday through Thursday.
Conan O'Brien is executive producing through Conaco LLC, which is producing the series. Jeff Ross, David Kissinger, Nick Bernstein and Dave Rath are also executive producing the show, which will be taped in front of a live audience.
The half-hour series will combine sketches, short films, live comedy, field pieces and in-studio guest interviews.
"The first half of my meeting with Conan was spent making sure this wasn't all part of a new TBS prank show called You Got Coned!" Holmes joked of the new gig. "The second half was spent expressing my sincerest enthusiasm and gratitude for this incredible dream come true."
"Pete Holmes is an enormously likable performer with an agile and innovative mind," OBrien added. "I'm really looking forward to his show, and I've already had my son program my DVR."
To get an idea of what might be in store, watch Holmes in action on his new boss' show below.


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Webroot SecureAnywhere is made by Webroot Inc. When this software is installed on your Mac using its default settings, you might notice these symptoms:
- Text that you dictate doesn't appear as expected.
- You don't see any accented characters when you hold down a letter key.
- You can't select items such as emoji in the Touch Bar of your MacBook Pro.
Follow these steps to fix the issue:
- Click the Webroot SecureAnywhere icon in the menu bar.
- Choose Pause Secure Keyboard Entry.
A Webroot support article provides more information about this solution.


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Interested in using multiple images? We have the perfect solution for small and big companies. Contact us today!
Picking your own apples is a treat, whether it is from a tree in your own yard or in a commercial orchard. Bring home plenty of extras for pies and cakes and turn the event into a family occasion.


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Intel + McAfee: Crazy, or Crazy Like a Fox?
When Intel revealed late last week that it was purchasing security software firm McAfee for a staggering $7.86 billion, the announcement was received with a collective "huh??" from industry insiders. Intel, the world's dominant chipmaker, and a company still embroiled in the kinds of antitrust issues that Microsoft left behind it years ago, seemingly has little in common with McAfee, which has fed, leech-like, on real and imagined PC security problems for decades. What kind of synergy could these two companies possibly offer?
The answer, amazingly, could make sense. I've argued for years that security isn't an application or service that PC users should buy, but that it is rather a feature of the software systems we use, and should thus be included, for free, with those systems. I've made this argument in terms of Windows, generally, because Windows is the dominant software platform on both the client and the server.
The thing is, the world is changing. Sure, PC makers will sell more PCs this year than last, and more again in 2011. But increasingly, users from around the globe are accessing computing resources on the go, using smart phones and other mobile devices. And while this may seem strange to someone who grew up in a connected, first-world country, for a growing generation of users, those mobile devices are, in fact, the only form computing they'll ever know.
Point being that the discussion around security and other safety protections needs to extend beyond the software OS that is currently found on the dominant computing platform. And that's exactly the bet that Intel is making, that it isn't only PCs that need to be protected, but also the aforementioned smart phones and mobile devices, TVs, cars, medical devices, and much, much more. As our planet becomes ever more connected, our need for integrated protection from electronic threats becomes ever more important.
My initial reaction to the McAfee purchase was one of shock, but the more I think about this ongoing industry direction, the more I start to see the sense in Intel's move, and the opportunity it represents. And rather than make snide jokes about annual McAfee security subscriptions for toasters and DVD players--an all-too real possibility, sadly--I'm trying to envision a future where Intel instead sells its integrated microprocessor and chipset systems based, in part, on their integrated security functionality. In other words, Intel will, hopefully, simply include McAfee-based protections in its products and use them as one of many selling points versus the competition.
This is, of course, a thrilling proposition. And if we limit this discussion solely to the PC desktop for a moment, even the possibilities there are interesting. Rather than today's situation, where consumers and businesses are expected to purchase expensive security software subscriptions, PCs should simply ship with low-level, hardware-based security features that are, in turn, leveraged by Windows and other software systems.
But wait, you say: Didn't Microsoft, Intel and others already try something like this with the Palladium technologies that became Next-Generation Secure Computing Base (NGSCB) and then were significantly detuned only to appear in more limited form as BitLocker and the Trusted Platform Module? Why yes, they did.
And while I feel somewhat lonely in this belief, it was a good idea then and it's an even better idea now because the security protections can be so much more wide-reaching. Indeed, coupled with the integrated security protections in non-PC devices, we could indeed finally be heading towards a future that is both more connected and more secure.
When the Intel/McAfee announcement came last week, I jokingly opined that Intel should do the world a favor and simply put down McAfee, saving us all from bloated and unnecessary software suites. But maybe that's exactly what Intel will do: Integrate the underlying McAfee technologies into its hardware products, and provide OS and software application makers like Microsoft with the hooks they need to take advantage of the new features. Then, over time, we won't need additional security software on PCs, and, in the future, on other connected devices.
This is an idealistic view, of course. But that doesn't mean it's not possible, or that it won't happen. And if it does, Intel's purchase of McAfee won't seem crazy at all. Indeed, it may be seen as an important turning point for the industry at large. Cross your fingers.
An edited version of this article appeared in the August 24, 2010 issue of Windows IT Pro UPDATE. --Paul


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ProCharger's New Blower Kit - Boosted Rocket
ProCharger's C6 Blower Package Is Ready For Blastoff
Related Video
A sign posted at entrance ramps feeding Interstate 35 near Overland Park, Kansas, bears the following injunction: No Animals Led, Ridden, or Driven
It's unclear whether the proscription extends to beasts of the metaphorical variety, but if so, we're likely looking at a 20-year joint in Leavenworth. The animal in question is a Victory Red '05 convertible, freshly fitted with ATI ProCharger's new C6 blower kit and making somewhere in the neighborhood of 615 hp. Pair that outsize thrust with the Vette's eye-catching outerwear, and staying on the sunny side of the Kansas Highway Patrol feels like an exercise in Jainian self-abnegation.
We'll blame ProCharger chief Dan Jones for our predicament, as it's Jones and his band of megalomaniacal merrymakers whose frenzied development of cutting-edge Corvette engine upgrades has landed us here in cow country for the second time in the last four months. Further culpability may be assigned to the Vette community's seemingly insatiable appetite for huge horsepower, which only seems to intensifywith each successive iteration of the car.
As we mentioned in our review of ProCharger's "Stage II" supercharger package for C5s ("Nasty, Brutish, and Short," Nov. '05), many of that kit's design improvements grew out of knowledge gained while developing an all-new blower setup for the C6. You'll recall that the car we testedfor that story, a black '04 Z06, gained 172 rear-wheel horsepower--for a total of 527--and ran consistent mid-11s at around 125 mph in miserable air. (Since then, the ProCharger team has made a few minor adjustments to the package, and the blown Z06 is now pumping out 552 rwhp.)Accordingly, our expectations for the new C6 package were high.
When it comes to performance hardware, the C6 kit deviates most radically from ProCharger's previous LS-engine offerings in the placement and configuration of its intercooler. Thanks to the comparatively generous dimensions of the new car's engine bay, engineers were able to specify a single 27x3.5-inch front-mount intercooler--thelargest such unit ever fitted to a regular-production ProCharger system. In addition to giving the C6 an aggressive new mien, the big FMIC offers slightly improved cooling performance when compared with the smaller twin 'coolers used on the '97-'04 cars.
Other departures are more subtle. With the Stage II C5 kit, tilting the top of the radiator rearward (toward the firewall) freed up enough space for ProCharger engineers to use larger-diameter blower-discharge and intake tubing than would otherwise have been possible. Whereas that package includes a custom cradle to achieve the necessary rearwardslant, the C6 kit comes with a set of billet-aluminum spacer blocks to serve essentially the same function. The radiator angle is therefore somewhat less dramatic on the C6, which may explain why the new car uses a slightly flattened discharge pipe. When asked, ProCharger ProjectEngineer Nick Jensen responded that the piece did not pose arestriction, but admitted that a larger-diameter replacement could potentially become part of a future Stage II package for the C6.
As it does with all of its Corvette-specific packages, ProCharger designed the C6 kit around the realization that irreversible modifications to the factory hardware are anathema to most Vette owners and should therefore be kept to an absolute minimum. According to Engineer Dorian Comeau, the finished product cleaves to that design goal, requiring that only one easily replaced coolant line be cut to complete the installation.
So the kit installs cleanly and uses proven technology, but how does it perform? Equipped with a modest 6-psi pulley, our test car's output jumped from a preternaturally healthy 373 hp in stock form to a downright spooky 523. Allowing for a 15 percent loss through the Vette's six-speed manual drivetrain, we can estimate that the ProCharged C6 is spinning up just over 615 horses at the flywheel.
Although a compressed test schedule didn't allow for drag testing this time around, we did have a chance to sample the ProCharged C6 on the highways and shunpikes around the company's suburban Kansas City headquarters. Compared with the blown Z06 we tested a few months back, the new car feels nearly as fast and is several furlongs ahead in terms of ride comfort, exhaust noise, and overall cush factor.
Low-speed roll-ons in Second gear will still send the car's tail slewing for the guardrail, but the overall impression is of a vehicle whose charms won't wear thin in the multifarious driving environments these cars typically face. Indeed, it's not difficult to imagine squiring this stylish all-rounder on a 1,000-mile interstate jaunt, then ducking into the local dragstrip for an ego-burnishing evening of Mustang mauling and Viper vivisection.
Just try to stay off I-35.
How the Other Half Drives
ProMotorsports Specializes In Conspicuous Consumption
With gas prices perched firmly in the ionosphere and hybrid hysteria spreading like the Ebola virus, one could be forgiven for assuming the demand for high-powered, high-glitz custom automobiles is currently in full Louganis mode.
According to Jim Lewis, such an assumption would be unfounded. Lewis, who owns ProMotorsports, in Springfield, Missouri, is in the fiscally ironclad business of keeping professional athletes, captains of industry, and other image-conscious quadrillionaires rolling on the cutting edge of automotive performance and style. Chalk it up to vanity, one-upmanship, or good ole bourgeois materialism, but the demand for cost-is-no-object personalized automobiles shows no signs of slowing down. "We started back in 1995 with just a few cars," says Lewis. "Last year, we did almost 50 vehicles, not counting the basic wheel-and-tire jobs."
Although a strict policy of client confidentiality prevents Lewis from naming names, when pressed, he'll divulge that the ProMotorsports client list includes members of the San Antonio Spurs, New England Patriots, Boston Red Sox, and numerous other pro ball teams "from coast to coast." If you've ever gazed longingly at the chromed-and-Dub-shod conveyances that fill the secure lot of any major sports complex on game day, chances are you've clapped eyes on a ProMotorsports creation.
In addition to slaking the sybaritic thirsts of private individuals, the company also mints many of the pimped-out, babe-draped bijoux that pack auditorium floors at large automotive- and electronics-industry trade shows. One of the company's more, ah, comprehensive projects was an '05Escalade that formed the centerpiece of the Sony display at last year's Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) and Consumer Electronics Show (CES) confabs.
Notable upgrades included a set of manhole-cover-sized DUB or Lowenhart wheels (depending on the venue), a ProCharger intercooled supercharger kit, and a custom "Powder Blue"paint scheme keyed to the hue of one of the electronics giant's latest cellular-telephone offerings. Finally, to ensure that none of the 'Slade's occupants was ever forced to undertake a task so prosaic as driving, ProMotorsports installed 17 televisions and enough stereo gear to induce tectonic migration. "We've actually taken it down to nine TVs since," says Lewis, sounding almost apologetic.
Considering the luxury sport-utility vehicle's status as the bucks-up chariot of choice among the glitterati, it should come as no surprise that heavily made-over Escalades, Hummers, and Range Rovers constitute the majority of ProMotorsports' business. But when it comes toperformance cars, the Corvette reigns supreme. Last year, the company built SEMA Vettes for ProCharger and Weld Wheels, and current projects include a supercharged C6 for one of the Kansas City Royals.
The red convertible featured in this article was recently sold to two-time NHRA record holder John Woods, who in his spare time operates Performance Auto, a successful racing-engine shop and drag-car-fabrication emporium in Oklahoma City. As the accompanying photos attest, ProMotorsports took a comparatively restrained approach when customizing the car, adding only the ProCharger kit and a set of upsized Weld BC10 Forged wheels.
Mercifully, no one suggested installing a television.


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Sometimes, the best way to illustrate a complicated philosophical concept is by framing it as a story or situation. Here are nine such thought experiments with downright disturbing implications.
Top image: Isaac Gutiérrez Pascual; published with permission.
1. Prisoner's Dilemma
This is the classic game theory problem in which a suspect is confronted with a rather difficult decision: Stay silent or confess to the crime. Trouble is, the suspect doesn't know how their accomplice will respond.
Here's the Prisoner's Dilemma in a nutshell, via the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy:
Tanya and Cinque have been arrested for robbing the Hibernia Savings Bank and placed in separate isolation cells. Both care much more about their personal freedom than about the welfare of their accomplice. A clever prosecutor makes the following offer to each. "You may choose to confess or remain silent. If you confess and your accomplice remains silent I will drop all charges against you and use your testimony to ensure that your accomplice does serious time. Likewise, if your accomplice confesses while you remain silent, they will go free while you do the time. If you both confess I get two convictions, but I'll see to it that you both get early parole. If you both remain silent, I'll have to settle for token sentences on firearms possession charges. If you wish to confess, you must leave a note with the jailer before my return tomorrow morning."
This thought experiment is troubling because it teaches us that we don't always make the "right" decisions when confronted with insufficient information and when other self-interested decision-making agents are thrown into the mix. The "dilemma" is that each suspect is better off confessing than staying silent — but the most ideal outcome would have been mutual silence.
This has implications to everything from the coordination of international cooperation (including the prevention of nuclear war) through to our potential contact and communication with extraterrestrial intelligences (i.e. despite the fact that all interstellar civilizations would benefit from cooperation, it would likely be more prudent to take the dominant strategy of unleashing self-replicating berserker probes against everyone else before they do it).
2. Mary the Colorblind Neuroscientist
Sometimes referred to as the Inverted Spectrum Problem or the Knowledge Argument, this thought experiment is meant to stimulate discussions against a purely physicalist view of the universe, namely the suggestion that the universe, including mental processes, is entirely physical. This thought experiment tries to show that there are indeed non-physical properties — and attainable knowledge — that can only be learned through conscious experience.
The originator of the concept, Frank Jackson, explains it this way:
Mary is a brilliant scientist who is, for whatever reason, forced to investigate the world from a black and white room via a black and white television monitor. She specializes in the neurophysiology of vision and acquires, let us suppose, all the physical information there is to obtain about what goes on when we see ripe tomatoes, or the sky, and use terms like 'red', 'blue', and so on. She discovers, for example, just which wavelength combinations from the sky stimulate the retina, and exactly how this produces via the central nervous system the contraction of the vocal cords and expulsion of air from the lungs that results in the uttering of the sentence 'The sky is blue'...What will happen when Mary is released from her black and white room or is given a color television monitor? Will she learn anything or not?
Put another way, Mary knows everything there is to know about color except for one crucial thing: She's never actually experienced color consciously. Her first experience of color was something that she couldn't possibly have anticipated; there's a world of difference between academically knowing something versus having actual experience of that thing.
This thought experiment teaches us that there will always be more to our perception of reality, including consciousness itself, than objective observation. It essentially shows us that we don't know what we don't know. The thought experiment also gives us hope for the future; should we augment our sensory capabilities and find ways to expand conscious awareness, we could open up entirely new avenues of psychological and subjective exploration.
3. The Beetle in the Box
This one's also known as the Private Language Argument and it's somewhat similar to Mary the Neuroscientist. In Wittgenstein's Philosophical Investigations, he proposed a thought experiment that challenged the way we look at introspection and how it informs the language we use to describe sensations.
For the thought experiment, Wittgenstein asks us to imagine a group of individuals, each of whom has a box containing something called a "beetle." No one can see into anyone else's box. Everyone is asked to describe their beetle — but each person only knows their own beetle. But each person can only talk about their own beetle, as there might be different things in each person's box. Consequently, Wittgenstein says the subsequent descriptions cannot have a part in the "language game." Over time, people will talk about what is in their boxes, but the word "beetle" simply ends up meaning "that thing that is in a person's box."
Why is this bizarre thought experiment disturbing? The mental experiment points out that the beetle is like our minds, and that we can't know exactly what it is like in another individual's mind. We can't know exactly what other people are experiencing, or the uniqueness of their perspective. It's an issue that's very much related to the so-called hard problem of consciousness and the phenomenon of qualia.
4. The Chinese Room
Philosopher John Searle asks us to imagine someone who knows only English, and they're sitting alone in a room following English instructions for manipulating strings of Chinese characters. So, for those outside of the room, it appears that the person inside the room understands Chinese.
(Credit: Elysium)
The argument is supposed to show that, while advanced computers may appear to understand and converse in natural language, they are not capable of understanding language. This is because computers are strictly limited to the exchange of symbolic strings. The Chinese Room was meant to be a killer argument against artificial intelligence, but it's a rather simplistic view of AI and where it's likely headed, including the advent of generalized, learning intelligence, (AGI) and the potential for artificial consciousness.
That said, Searle is right in his suggestion that there is the potential for an AI to act and behave as if there's conscious awareness and understanding. This is problematic because it may be convincing to us humans that true comprehension is going on where there is none. We best be careful, therefore, around seemingly "smart" machine minds.
5. The Experience Machine
Philosopher Robert Nozick's Experience Machine is a strong hint that we should probably just plug ourselves into a kind of hedonistic version of The Matrix.
From his book, Anarchy, State and Utopia (1974):
Suppose there were an experience machine that would give you any experience you desired. Superduper neuropsychologists could stimulate your brain so that you would think and feel you were writing a great novel, or making a friend, or reading an interesting book. All the time you would be floating in a tank, with electrodes attached to your brain. Should you plug into this machine for life, preprogramming your life experiences?...Of course, while in the tank you won't know that you're there; you'll think that it's all actually happening...Would you plug in?"
The basic idea, here, is that we have very good reasons to plug ourselves into such a machine. Because we live in a universe with no apparent purpose, and because our lives are often characterized by less-than-ideal conditions, like toil and suffering, we have no good reason to not opt for something substantially better — even if it is "artificial." But what about human dignity? And the satisfaction of our "true" desires? Nozick's thought experiment may appear easily dismissible, but it's one that's challenged philosophers for decades.
6. The Trolley Problem
Here's one for the ethicists — and you can blame the renowned moral philosopher Philippa Foot for this one. This thought experiment, of which there are now many variations, first appeared in Foot's 1967 paper, "Abortion and the Doctrine of Double Effect."
Imagine that you're at the controls of a railway switch and there's an out-of-control trolley coming. The tracks branch into two, one track that leads to a group of five people, and the other to one person. If you do nothing, the trolley will smash into the five people. But if you flip the switch, it'll change tracks and strike the lone person. What do you do?
(Credit: We Love Philosophy)
Utilitarians, who seek to maximize happiness, say that the single person should be killed. Kantians, because they see people as ends and not means, would argue that you can't treat the single person as a means for the benefit of the five. So you should do nothing.
A second variation of the problem involves a "fat man" and no second track — a man so large that, if you were to push him onto the tracks, his body would prevent the trolley from smashing into the group of five. So what do you do? Nothing? Or push him onto the tracks?
This thought experiment reveals the complexity of morality by distinguishing between killing a person and letting them die — a problem with implications to our laws, behavior, science, policing, and war. "Right" and "wrong" is not as simple as it's often made out to be.
7. The Spider in the Urinal
This one's reminiscent of Plato's Cave, another classic (and disturbing) thought experiment. Proposed by Thomas Nagel in his essay, "Birth, Death, and the Meaning of Life," it addresses issues of non-interference and the meaningfulness of life. He got the idea when he noticed a sad little spider living in a urinal in the men's bathroom at Princeton where he was teaching. The spider appeared to have an awful life, constantly getting peed on, and "he didn't seem to like it." He continues:
Gradually our encounters began to oppress me. Of course it might be his natural habitat, but because he was trapped by the smooth porcelain overhang, there was no way for him to get out even if he wanted to, and no way to tell whether he wanted to...So one day toward the end of the term I took a paper towel from the wall dispenser and extended it to him. His legs grasped the end of the towel and I lifted him out and deposited him on the tile floor.
He just sat there, not moving a muscle. I nudged him slightly with the towel, but nothing happened . . . . I left, but when I came back two hours later he hadn't moved.
The next day I found him in the same place, his legs shriveled in that way characteristic of dead spiders. His corpse stayed there for a week, until they finally swept the floor.
Nagel acted out of empathy, assuming that the spider would fare better — and perhaps even enjoy life — outside of its normal existence. But the exact opposite happened. In the end, he did the spider no good.
This thought experiment forces us to consider the quality and meaningfulness of not just animal lives, but our own as well. How can we ever know what anyone really wants? And do our lives actually do us any good? It also forces us to question our policies of intervention. Despite our best intentions, interference can sometimes inflict unanticipated harm. It's a lesson embedded within Star Trek's Prime Directive — but as the Trolley Problem illustrated, sometimes inaction can be morally problematic.
8. The Replacement Argument
In this thought experiment, we are asked to imagine a world in which humans don't care for the taste of meat. In such a scenario, there would be no animals raised as livestock. And by consequence, there would be a dramatic decrease in the number of animal lives, like pigs, cows, and chickens. As Virginia Woolf once wrote, "Of all the arguments for Vegetarianism none is so weak as the argument from humanity. The pig has a stronger interest than anyone in the demand for bacon. If all the world were Jewish, there would be no pigs at all."
This line of reasoning can lead to some bizarre, and even repugnant conclusions. For example, is it better to have 20 billion people on the planet in a poor standard of living than 10 billion in a higher standard of living? If the latter, then what about the 10 billion lives that never happened? But how can we feel bad about lives that never occurred?
9. Original Position
This thought experiment is why I'm a complete fanboy of John Rawls. He asks us to imagine ourselves in a situation in which we know nothing of our true lives — we are behind a "veil of ignorance" that prevents us from knowing the political system under which we live or the laws that are in place. Nor do we know anything about psychology, economics, biology, and other sciences. But along with a group of similarly situation-blind people, we are asked, in this original position, to review a comprehensive list of classic forms of justice drawn from various traditions of social and political philosophy. We are then given the task of selecting which system of justice we feel would best suit our needs in the absence of any information about our true selves and the situation we may actually be in in the real world.
So, for example, what if you came back to "real life" to find out that you live in a shanty town in India? Or a middle class neighborhood in Norway? What if you're a developmentally disabled person? A millionaire? (Or as I proposed in my paper, "All Together Now," a different species?)
According to Rawls, we would likely end up picking something that guarantees equal basic rights and liberties to secure our interests as free and equal citizens, and to pursue a wide range of conceptions for the good. He also speculated that we'd likely choose a system that ensures fair educational and employment opportunities.


text:
RENTON, Wash. – Brandon Browner was back in the Seattle Seahawks' locker room Wednesday, shaking hands and sitting just a few feet from fellow cornerback Richard Sherman.
For a time last month, no one was sure whether Browner and Sherman would be around at this point of the year with each facing four-game suspensions for using a banned substance. Browner eventually dropped his appeal and sat out the last four games of the regular season, while Sherman won his appeal and had his suspension overturned.
The result is that the Seahawks will go to Washington on Sunday for the opening round of the playoffs at nearly full strength.
"Getting Brandon Browner back is a big deal to us. He's been a big part of what we've done here and a significant factor in the style that we play," Seattle coach Pete Carroll said. "He comes back and (we'll) see how he does. It's been a month; we'll see how rusty he is. But we're very fortunate right now."
There are a few key players whose seasons ended early due to injuries. Offensive lineman James Carpenter, defensive tackle Jason Jones and cornerback Walter Thurmond are all players Seattle would like to have available when its faces the Redskins.
For the most part, what Seattle's starting lineup looked like for most of the season will be on the field against the Redskins. The only player listed on Seattle's injury report Wednesday was Marshawn Lynch, who continued with his trend of having a light practice early in the week to rest his back.
"Our confidence is sky high and we feel like we can match and scheme with anybody," Seattle linebacker Leroy Hill said.
The return of Browner is significant because of how the rest of Seattle's defense plays off the skills of its cornerbacks. Browner's size at 6-foot-4, combined with adequate speed has made it possible for the Seahawks to play press coverage with its cornerbacks and allow safeties Kam Chancellor and Earl Thomas to roam around and make plays in run support and the pass game.
Combined with Sherman on the other side, Seattle's pass defense ranked sixth in the league, allowing 203.1 yards per game. The Seahawks were ranked as high as No. 3 in the league against the pass during the regular season.
According to STATS, Inc., Browner and Sherman were among the best in the league at not getting burned. Browner was targeted 65 times and allowed 30 receptions with six passes defensed. Sherman was targeted 94 times and allowed 43 receptions, and led the NFL with 24 passes defensed according to STATS.
"It just adds along to all the ballers we have back there," Thomas said. "(I) don't want to take any credit away from the young guys that have been playing back there, but that's a Pro Bowl player and it's hard to replace that type of player. He's a physical guy, can cause fumbles and interceptions. We're just glad to have him back."
If there was a benefit to Seattle losing Browner for the final four games it was that some inexperienced players got an opportunity to play. Seattle initially went to Thurmond to take Browner's role until he was sidelined by a hamstring injury that landed him on injured reserve earlier this week. Thurmond going down required the Seahawks to give rookie Jeremy Lane and second-year defensive back Byron Maxwell their shots at filling the role and both played well. Lane was tested deep on the first play of the game against both Buffalo and San Francisco and each time was stride for stride in coverage. Maxwell regularly entered and played on the outside in passing situations with Lane moving inside to play against slot receivers.
Overall, the results give the Seahawks flexibility on how they run their schemes and playing time for their youngsters.
"That's just the outside perspective. We already knew how strong he was, we already knew how good he was," Sherman said about Lane. "It wasn't news for us, it was just him getting to show the world how talented he was and we knew the whole time. That's why he's on this team."
Along with the return of Browner, Hill practiced Wednesday after missing last Sunday's regular-season finale because of a hamstring injury. Malcolm Smith started last week against St. Louis and Carroll said he did not know who would start if Hill made it through the week. Hill has the second-most postseason experience of anyone on Seattle's roster with seven games.
"Like I said, we'll be ready," Hill said. "We've got our full confidence up and we have reliable backups. We know Malcolm can play. We know (Lane) and Byron can play."
Online: http://pro32.ap.org/poll and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL


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Omonadus floralis
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Phaedon cochleariae (Fabricius, 1792)
Tenebrionidae: Lagriini
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Metrogaleruca obscura (DeGeer, 1775) - introduced to Mauritius for biocontrol of the invasive Varronia curassavica (Cordia curassavica). Originally Neotropical.
Neolema cf. dorsalis. This species is very variable in its pattern.
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Dysis sp.


text:
The Greek of the New Testament has several words to describe the flow of time in the social order. The word aion, often translated as "age," refers to an indefinite period of time marked by certain moral or spiritual characteristics. The "age" we live in now is the time period between the First and Second Advents of the Lord Jesus Christ. The general character of this current age was outlined by Jesus for us in the Olivet Discourse (1). The age "which is to come" (Eph. 1:21, Matt. 12:32 Mark 10:30, Luke 18:30, Hebr. 6:5) will be the Millennium--the thousand-year reign of Christ on earth from the throne of His father David in Jerusalem. Between this age and the next there will be a violent seven-year transition known as "the tribulation period."
The New Testament also refers to time as measured in chronos and kairos--times and seasons. Chronos means quantity of time, space of time, duration, succession of moments, length of time, or a bounded period of time. To understand this word, it is helpful to read the passages of the New Testament where chronos is used. These include Matthew 2:7, Luke 4:5; 8:27; 20:9, Acts 20:18, Romans 16:25, and Mark 2:19. Kairos refers to the quality of time or season, the epoch characterized by certain events, the decisive quality of happening, an opportune time, or a fortuitous moment. Kairos is used in such passages as Romans 5:6, Galatians 6:10, Matthew 13:34, 26:18, Revelation 12:12, I Peter 1:11, and Luke 4:13. In the New Testament we have expressions like "times of refreshing" (Acts 3:19), "times of ignorance" (Acts 17:30), and "the times of the Gentiles" (Luke 21:24).
Before leaving earth after His resurrection from the dead Jesus reminded them, "It is not for you to know the times or seasons which the Father has fixed by his own authority." (Acts 1:7). What this means is that we can not set dates for the return of Jesus, nor can we unravel the past history of our planet with clarity. One reason we can not extrapolate the time scales of histories (either forward or backward in time) has to do with the internal "joints" in history which are determined by God alone:
"The 'seasons' are the critical epoch-making periods foreordained of God, when all that has been slowly, and often without observation, ripening through long ages is mature and comes to birth in grand decisive events, which constitute at once the close of one period and the commencement of another. Such, for example, was the passing away of the old Jewish dispensation; such, again, the recognition of Christianity as the religion of the Roman Empire; such the conversion of those outside; such the great revival which went along with the first institution of the Mendicant Orders; such, by still better right, the Reformation; such, above all others, the second coming of the Lord in glory." (Archbishop Trench)
God has never lost control over individuals and nations for even a nanosecond. Though He has not told us when, He will ultimately judge all of us against the standard of His Son. God is moving history inexorably towards the consummation He has chosen for us in advance. For history to be jolted and disturbed from time to time is what we ought to expect.
The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all men life and breath and everything. And he made from one every nation of men to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their habitation, that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel after him and find him. Yet he is not far from each one of us, for `In him we live and move and have our being'; as even some of your poets have said, `For we are indeed his offspring.' Being then God's offspring, we ought not to think that the Deity is like gold, or silver, or stone, a representation by the art and imagination of man. The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all men everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all men by raising him from the dead." (Acts 17:24-31)
America's horrendous national tragedy on September 11 seems to have been one of these mysterious "joints in time" when history turned and headed in a different direction. Many individual, national, and global values and priorities changed drastically in a matter of hours on September 11th. What is likely is that some major reconfigurations in the angelic realm (behind the scenes) took place on that particular day. Angels have more to do with events in the world than most of us imagine. Warfare between fallen and unfallen angels is ongoing, and angels have a lot to do with social behavior, the nature of cultural values and our quality of life. (2)
Israel is the key factor in understanding the age we live in now. A little over a hundred years ago God began to allow Jewish immigrants to return to their homeland after two millennia of Diaspora. National identity was restored to Israel in 1958 and the Jewish State has grown in numbers and in economic and military strength ever since. All this is consistent with the predictions of Israel's ancient prophets. In other words, the stage is being set in the Middle East for the Second Advent of Jesus Christ. Israel is as yet an unbelieving nation and their glorious future as head of the nations will only come after the "time of Jacob's trouble" when many millions of Jews will perish as World War III rages in their very midst. (Zechariah 12-14 has a number of details about these approaching events).
Only Israel has a covenant relationship with God among all the nations (3). We are Christians first and Americans second, "our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will change our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power which enables him even to subject all things to himself." (Philippians 3:20-21)
For two thousand years Jesus has been building His church. When the calling out of this special group is completed, Israel will again be center stage in world history. The church is multinational, multicultural, and made up of peoples from all the world. Anyone who is willing to allow Jesus to rule as Lord in his or heart is immediately a member of this universal family--the people of God. There is, however, no other way to come to God --Jesus said so Himself, "I am the way and the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except by me." (John 14:6)
There are a lot of things happening in our world which tell the discerning that the end of the age is near. Once slumbering background desert kingdoms in the Middle East surrounding Israel have sprung back to wealth and power and became major players on the world stage. Reconfiguration of the nations of Europe clearly speaks of a coalescing federation towards the ten nation "revived Roman Empire" spoken of in Bible prophecy. A clear movement towards one world government can be seen from the daily news. A world-religion is coalescing and drawing together all religious peoples who do not name the name of Jesus as Lord. As the age draws to a close we see more and more violence and evil coming to the surface as God releases restraints on the evil in the human heart.
Meantime there is much confusion about the role of the United States in all this. Some seem to thing that the U.S. is a nation which receives special favor from God, though the Bible gives no support for this view. Actually only 5% of the Christians in the world are Americans these days, and the number of true Christians within our country is a small fraction of the total population. American is one of the "gentile world powers" described in Daniel. We are, by and large, a fully pagan nation. And, what is worse, the church in America is presently weak and severely compromised by serious sins one of which is surely "worldliness." (4)
This is one reason why the wake-up call of September 11 has been much needed. Yet, whether the church will truly respond remains to be seen. The great need of the hour is a repentant church restored to the high calling God intended for her. (5) God told King Solomon when the First Temple was dedicated,
"When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:13,14)
Many years ago Ruth Bell Graham said, "If God does not judge America, he will have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah." I agree. It may well be that recent events are the first step in God's judgment of our nation for her grievous sins of gluttony, immorality, greed and pride. Nations do come and go in history! (6)
One of my big concerns for a whole generation of Christians is their superficial and shallow faith. I believe it is vitally important for us all to have a thoroughly-informed Christian world-view. Where did the universe come from and where are we heading? What about evil and what are God's solutions? Who is the real God and what is His program for our planet? How do we make responsible choices in an evil world? (7,8)
Christians today need to know at least the basics of the fastest growing religion in the world--Islam. A good friend of mine has written an introductory article for Christians, Understanding Muslims. (9) Glenn Miller is the author of "A Letter to my Muslim friends." (10) Muslim eschatology has some interesting parallels with Jewish and Christian beliefs about the end of the age, (11), and finally the web site Answering Islam is excellent (12).
Contrary to some of the popular statements we have been hearing about Islam, it is not a religion of peace. Islam spread initially in the Seventh Century by violent military conquest. "Islam" means "submission" (to the will of Allah) and that dominion may be accomplished by peaceful means or by war when necessary. Territory which once belonged to Islam in the past remains sacred to Islam and must be reclaimed at all costs. Allah is said to be merciful and compassionate, but unlike the God of the Bible, he is not a personal God and his attributes are far different from those of Yahweh. He is most assuredly not the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, King David, and Jesus Christ. (In practice Islam is not monolithic, but quite fragmented with many different sects and branches).
Our President has wisely called for a war against Terrorism, not against Muslims or Arabs. President Bush has also avoided elevating the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to the center of world attention. However, more than one Arab leader has seized the opportunity to call the Israelis "part of the world terrorism network." Other Muslims have insisted that there would be no end to international terrorism until the problem of the "occupied territories" is resolved once and for all. The latter statement is a thinly veiled call for the total elimination of all of Israel, not simply for the creation of an independent Palestinian state. Those of us who enjoy a personal relationship with the God of Israel through His Son Jesus know that it is Israel's God who is seen as mankind's ultimately enemy. It is the Lord whom men seek to dethrone once and for all. Psalm 2 gives us God's answer to the uproar of the nations clearly and succinctly.
Why do the nations conspire, and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and his anointed, saying, "Let us burst their bonds asunder, and cast their cords from us." He who sits in the heavens laughs; the LORD has them in derision. Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying, "I have set my king on Zion, my holy hill." I will tell of the decree of the LORD: He said to me, "You are my son, today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron, and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel." Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, with trembling kiss his feet, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way; for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him. (Psalm 2)
There have been wars in the world since Cain murdered Abel. As the age we live in draws to a close these wars will become more global and more terrible, culminating finally in the most terrible of all wars which will be fought in the land of Israel. The nations whose religion is Ishmael's (Islam) will surely be among the principals fighting in World War III. Caught right in the middle of this final conflict will be the tiny nation of Israel--but it is they who will emerge victorious. Their champion and protector will be Jesus Christ Himself. (13)
|The Norwegian Academy of Sciences has determined that since 3600 B.C. there have been 14,531 wars and only 292 years of peace. This is approximately 2.6 wars per year, and one year of "peace" out of every two decades, or a little over 36 hours of peace per month, or about one minute of peace every four hours.
The tenor of much of my daily email has changed a lot in the past two weeks. Quite a few Christians have written asking about the nature of war and the role of the Christian in society. (14) I also found that quite a few friends did not realize what our relationship to government is supposed to be. What is the church supposed to be doing in the world? For instance, teaching the Bible is the Number One priority for the local church, but the Number Two priority is for Corporate Prayer (15) by the local church, "that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, godly and respectful in every way." (1 Tim 2:1, 2).
For many of my friends life has been more uncertain than ever. This is actually the way things always have been--uncertain--could we but see things as they really are. Will there be more terrorism incidents? I, for one, would not be surprised. In addition to biological, chemical and nuclear weapons, there are such things as the E-Bomb, which is also a plausible terrorist weapon (16). It may well be that now is the time for America to fade as a world power of any real importance on the stage of history.
All thee perils which may face us in the days ahead are merely the long foreshadows of the incredible devastation of all of world civilization by the hand of God which are found in the last book of the Bible (17).
|"Enemy-occupied territory - that is what the world is. Christianity is the story of how the rightful King has landed in disguise, and is calling us to take part in a great campaign of sabotage." (C.S. Lewis)
Are we safe in this world? Hardly. The world is not our home. It is hostile, enemy-held territory. The Apostle Paul said, "If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all men most to be pitied." (1 Cor. 15:19)
...when so many thousands of the multitude had gathered together that they trod upon one another, Jesus began to say to his disciples first, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed upon the housetops. "I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear him! Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows. "And I tell you, every one who acknowledges me before men, the Son of man also will acknowledge before the angels of God; but he who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God." (Luke 12:1-9)
In the days before the great Flood of Noah there was only one appointed place of safety from the coming storms. Noah built a great boat and warned the world for decades that only inside the Ark was safety to be found. Only Noah and his three sons and their wives were in their quarters when God shut the door of the Ark--from the inside. Then the Flood came.
There is a greater Ark of safety offered by God to mankind now. This place of refuge is to be found "in Christ." We are freely invited to enter into Christ and find eternal safe harbor in Him.
"He has translated us [Christians] from the dominion of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." (Colossians 1:13,14)
Christ's invitation to come to Him is universal. It is offered to all men everywhere. Jesus said,
"All things have been delivered to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and any one to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:27-30)
But as to the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves know well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. When people say, "There is peace and security," then sudden destruction will come upon them as travail comes upon a woman with child, and there will be no escape. But you are not in darkness, brethren, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all sons of light and sons of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. For those who sleep sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. But, since we belong to the day, let us be sober, and put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we wake or sleep we might live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing." (1 Thessalonians 5:1-11)
1. For an excellent study of the Olivet Discourse by Ray Stedman see, http://pbc.org/dp/stedman/olivet/. See also Accidents and Disasters--Does God Care, http://ldolphin.org/disasters.html
2. For the role of the Christian in Spiritual Warfare see, http://ldolphin.org/spwarfare.html. The church has been given powerful weapons for changing the world. The answer to terrorism, for instance, lies with Christ's church and her calling to participate offensively and aggressively in spiritual warfare.
3. Israel, the Church and the United States Compared, http://ldolphin.org/IsChUS.html.
4. The Elements of the World, http://ldolphin.org/elements.html. The Christian's enemies are never people. Our enemies are the flesh, the devil and the world.
4. The book Thy Kingdom Come by Ron Graf and me, is available on my web page. This book is a step-by-step study of Bible prophecy (eschatology). We have had over 62,000 downloads so far. http://ldolphin.org/kingdom.
5. A Few Notes on Repentance, http://ldolphin.org/repent.html. Also, The Church at the End of the Age--and What to Do About It, http://ldolphin.org/church.html
6. Ray Stedman's Behind the Scenes of History, http://pbc.org/dp/stedman/behind/index.html for an analysis of how and why God has judged other nations down through the present age.
7. The Return of the Landlord, http://ldolphin.org/landlord.html. The universe was created by Jesus and FOR Him! It is not our world and our lives are not our own to do with as we please. "You are not your own, you are bought with a price"
8. The Church and the Tribulation: There's War on Folks, http://ldolphin.org/war-on.html
9. Understanding Muslims, http://ldolphin.org/islamprimer.html.
10. Glenn Miller, A Letter to my Muslim friends, http://ldolphin.org/glenn.html.
11. Muslim eschatology has some interesting parallels with Jewish and Christian beliefs about the end of the age, http://ldolphin.org/islam.shtml,
12. Answering Islam is excellent, http://www.answering-islam.org/. Chuck Missler is the best "intelligence gatherer" I know. I highly recommend his recent briefing packages, Strategic Trends and A Legacy of Hate: The Long War Against War Against Israel. Available from http://www.khouse.org.
13. Jesus, the Avenger of Blood and Kinsman Redeemer, http://ldolphin.org/avenger.html. Jesus has a special role in the final redemption of His own people, the Jews.
14. Ray Stedman wrote Ten Propositions Concerning War, http://ldolphin.org/warprinciples.html, in 1982 when our fears centered on possible nuclear war with Russia. I was surprised to see how very relevant Ray's remarks are to our present set of circumstances.
"The Christian view of life is (following the teachings of our Lord, himself) that the world is under satanic control. Jesus called the devil the 'prince of this world' and the 'god of this world.' The apostles reflect that same view. Jesus said the devil was a strong man who guards his house and its goods are helpless to do anything to deliver themselves. This indicates that if it were not for the intervening grace of God, all of life, every moment of it, would be filled with war, struggle, strife, anger and hostility. We'd be at one another's throats all the time. It's God's intervention in a godless world---a wicked world (if you want to use the biblical term) that allows any peace at all. Therefore, peace must always be regarded as a gift of the Spirit of God."
15.. Corporate Prayer in not an Option, http://ldolphin.org/prayoption.html. Also helpful are James Montgomery Boice's notes on Common Grace, http://ldolphin.org/common.html.
16. The E-Bomb, see http://popularmechanics.com/science/military/2001/9/e-bomb/print.phtml, http://infowar.com/mil_c4i/mil_c4i8.html-ssi, http://newsmax.com/archives/articles/2000/12/28/161114.shtml.
17. Expository Sermons on Revelation by Ray C. Stedman is and excellent and clear set of messages from the last book of the Bible, http://raystedman.org/revelation.
My Schedules: This fall I am teaching Colossians, Ephesians and First and Second Samuel. RealAudio recordings are on my web site for those interested, http://ldolphin.org/audio.html. Should you have questions or comments, needs or concerns, you are welcome to send them to my email partners at the Paraclete Forum http://paracleteforum.org. We try to answer every inquiry promptly. Friends who wish to contribute financially to my ministry may send checks addressed to Peninsula Bible Church (marked for my account). Address: 3505 Middlefield Rd., Palo Alto, CA 94306. Thank you very much! Previous newsletters are posted on my web site, http://ldolphin.org/news/ Recent articles are at the top of my library page, http://ldolphin.org/asstbib.shtml.
Sincerely, Lambert Dolphin.
September 30, 2001. Web Archive for these newsletters: http://ldolphin.org/news/


text: Visitors Social networking - staying in touch with friends or making new ones using electronic media - seems to be the theme of this decade. But what has happened to old fashioned, classic "visiting," where people actually come to your house and talk face to face? We've tried to get a portrait of everyone that has dropped by the house and shared even a brief conversation, from repair workers to family members. Click through to see a few favorites. Visit the Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Visitors/164465919117 Click HERE for a video of the first 100 portrait sessions. Come visit!


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Drop Me a Line
Let's grab a cup and collaborate!
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HACKENSACK – The blizzard attracts The Abominable Snowman to New Jersey!
The Yeti, commonly referred to as The Abominable Snowman, is normally thought to inhabit the mountainous regions of Asia. However, but due to Snowpocalypse the Yeti has come to Hackensack, New Jersey.
Many speculate that the species left its native Asia years ago due to humans encroaching on its territory and has since traveled across the Bering Strait seeking refuge in North America. Sightings, until now, have been seen as far east as Redwater, Canada.
"It is a popular misconception that there is only one yeti. The same misconception is applied to bigfoot," explains renowned cryptozoologist Dr. Simon Higenbottom. "How would we be able to have continued sightings if there was only one?"
Dr. Higenbottom further confirmed that not only do many yetis exist but that their mating season is in the fall and winter as well.
The conditions of today's blizzard are the ideal environments for the yeti mating rituals as the yeti relies on its sense of smell to find other yeti. The high winds associated with a blizzard aid the yeti in finding a suitable mate.
Bill Hunter, of Hackensack, happened to be at the right place at just the right time to capture this picture of the ever allusive yeti mating ritual.
"It was the most disgusting thing I have ever witnessed in my entire life. The sound was terribly disturbing and the smell, it was, it was…sorry I just threw up in my mouth a little from thinking about that putrid smell," stated Mr. Hunter.
Dr. Higenbottom will be interviewing Mr. Hunter and several others who were lucky enough to witness the mating of the yeti to help further his studies. Higenbottom hopes to have a paper published on the mating rituals of the yeti in the journal Cryptozoology Today in the coming months.
There's Yeti Love in New Jersey!
[PHOTOS taken by BOY MACK]


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Chapter 24
Balaam sees in vision and prophesies of the destiny of Israel—He prophesies of the Messiah: There will come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre will rise out of Israel.
1 And when Balaam saw that it apleased the Lord to bless Israel, he went not, as at other times, to seek for enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness.
2 And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel abiding in his tents according to their atribes; and the spirit of God came upon him.
3 And he took up his aparable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said:
4 He hath said, which heard the words of God, which saw the avision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:
5 How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy atabernacles, O Israel!
6 As the valleys are they spread forth, as gardens by the river's side, as the atrees of lign aloes which the Lord hath planted, and as cedar trees beside the waters.
7 aHe shall pour the water out of his buckets, and his seed shall be in many waters, and his king shall be higher than bAgag, and his kingdom shall be exalted.
8 God brought him forth out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn: he shall eat up the nations his enemies, and shall abreak their bones, and bpierce them through with his arrows.
9 He couched, he lay down as a alion, and as a great lion: who shall stir him up? Blessed is he that blesseth thee, and cursed is he that curseth thee.
10 ¶ And Balak's anger was kindled against Balaam, and he smote his hands together: and Balak said unto Balaam, I called thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast altogether blessed them these three times.
11 Therefore now flee thou to thy place: I thought to promote thee unto great honour; but, lo, the Lord hath kept thee back from honour.
12 And Balaam said unto Balak, Spake I not also to thy messengers which thou sentest unto me, saying,
13 If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the commandment of the Lord, to do either good or bad of mine own amind; but what the Lord saith, that will I bspeak?
14 And now, behold, I go unto my people: come therefore, and I will aadvertise thee what this people shall do to thy people in the latter days.
15 ¶ And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said:
16 He hath said, which heard the words of God, and knew the knowledge of the most High, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:
17 I shall see him, but anot now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a bStar out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of cMoab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.
18 And aEdom shall be a possession, Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies; and Israel shall do valiantly.
19 Out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion, and shall destroy him that remaineth of the city.
20 ¶ And when he looked on Amalek, he took up his parable, and said, aAmalek was the first of the nations; but his latter end shall be that he perish for ever.
21 And he looked on the Kenites, and took up his parable, and said, Strong is thy dwellingplace, and thou puttest thy nest in a rock.
22 Nevertheless the Kenite shall be wasted, until Asshur shall carry thee away captive.
23 And he took up his parable, and said, Alas, who shall live when God doeth this!
24 And ships shall come from the coast of aChittim, and shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict Eber, and he also shall perish for ever.
25 And Balaam rose up, and went and returned to his place: and Balak also went his way.


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This past weekend, LACMA hosted a panel, Building Collections of African American Art: Los Angeles Perspectives, which provided a great opportunity for collectors, curators, experts, and the public to examine why and how individuals and institutions collect African American art and to examine the significance of doing so. Janine and Lyndon Barrois (collectors for twelve years), Linda and Paul Gotskind (collectors for thirty-eight years), and Aryn Drake-Lee and Jesse Williams (collectors for three years) talked with Dr. Halima Taha about their collections and experiences—and their responsibilities as collectors to the art, the artists, and even to art history. The conversation not only illuminated their passion for African American art and artists and their desire to share their collections with the public in a variety of ways, but it also provided guidance and inspiration for beginning art collectors.
In opening remarks, LAMCA deputy director Brooke Davis Anderson addressed why we were focusing on African American art to begin with, noting that first and foremost African American artists make, and historically have made, great art, museum-worthy and therefore LACMA-worthy art that should be acquired and exhibited. Furthermore, she cited the fundamental necessity of focusing on historically marginalized artists, such as artists of African descent, to reinvigorate and transform traditional conceptions and collections of historical American art (my area of specialty), collections typically defined within museums and academia as art of the United States created from the colonial era through the mid-twentieth century. To bring this mission forward to the present day is also the responsibility of collectors and curators of contemporary art who, in the words of collector and panelist Janine Barrois, "need to work to preserve the history of African Americans figuratively and conceptually and document our time so that African American artists have a place at the table, and we will know what African American artists were saying." To provide a foundation for the museum's historical-to-contemporary collecting mission, contemporary art curator Franklin Sirmans and I offered a brief history of the building of LACMA's African American art collections, from the first acquisition in 1922 to the most recent, an ongoing process introduced in a previous post on the subject.
One important African American art acquisition we highlighted was a major collaborative effort between donors and the museum to acquire Extended Forms (1975) by Richard Hunt (b. 1935), one of America's foremost sculptors. A 1957 graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where he continues to live and work, Hunt was the first African American artist to have a major retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art in New York (1971). In celebration of LACMA's acquisition of Hunt's Extended Forms in 1980, the artist created a limited edition lithograph, Untitled, 1980, for the museum's then active Black Historical Advisory Group led by former trustee Robert Wilson.
The prints were sold to support the acquisition of additional works by African American artists. Though the group no longer exists, proceeds made possible acquisitions of works by John Biggers, Adrian Piper, and Therman Statom.
We announced on Saturday that the remaining thirty-nine prints have been made available again to benefit LACMA's African American Art Fund. (For more information, or to purchase, please call 323 857-6587 or email firstname.lastname@example.com.) We hope that the works we may be able to acquire with the African American Art Fund will inspire many more lively discussions like Saturday's panel, scholarship, and exhibitions of African American art at LACMA and beyond.


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Chicken fajitas
Fajitas, a dish from south of the border, have become very popular in restaurants here, where they are served in many variations. This simple version that the whole family will enjoy is a meal in itself.
¼ c. fresh lime juice
2 tsp. chili powder
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp. pepper
¼ tsp. ground cumin
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 2-inch by ¼-inch strips
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 red bell pepper, cut into 2-inch by ¼-inch strips
1 green bell pepper, cut into 2-inch by ¼-inch strips
1 onion, sliced (about 1 cup)
1 tbsp. minced jalapeño pepper, or to taste
Twelve 6- or 7-inch flour tortillas
Combine the lime juice, chili powder, garlic, pepper, and ground cumin in a medium bowl. Add the chicken strips and toss; set aside for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the bell peppers, onion, and jalapeño pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, for about 4 minutes, until the peppers are crisp-tender. Add the chicken mixture, with the lime juice marinade; cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are softened. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
Place the tortillas between 2 paper towels. Microwave on high for 15 to 20 seconds, or until they are moist and warm. (Or wrap the tortillas in aluminum foil; heat in a 350° F. oven for about 10 minutes.)
To serve, place the warm tortillas on a plate; cover to keep warm. Spoon the chicken-vegetable mixture into a bowl. Assemble the Chicken Fajitas as you eat by spooning some of the chicken mixture into the center third of each tortilla and rolling the sides.
Advance Preparation
This dish tastes best when served immediately; but, if necessary, the chicken mixture can be prepared several hours before serving, refrigerated, and reheated just prior to serving.


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You gotta either laugh or cry, you know?
Best comment ever. (Or at least today.)
I was reading an article this morning about the rioting kicked off as a result of someone somewhere burning a pile of Korans or Qurans or however it's spelled. My opinions about crazy people rioting -- whether it's over a supposed religious slight or the fact that your sports team won or didn't win -- notwithstanding, this comment thread made me laugh, so I figured I'd share. (Click to enlarge)
2 comments:
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SMS messaging with a mobile phone attached to the PC
If you plan to send and receive fewer than 15 000 SMS messages per day, you can use a suitable GSM device (phone or modem) attached to your computer with a phone-to-PC data cable. For information about suitable phones, check out the Supported Phones page. The GSM device has to be equipped with a SIM card that charges (preferably) low rates for SMS messages.
With this setup you can use a computer program such as Ozeki NG - SMS Gateway to send and receive SMS messages. In this case, the software uses the attached device to communicate with the GSM network. If a message is sent out by the gateway running on the computer, it is first sent to the attached GSM device. Then the GSM device transmits it to the SMS Center (SMSC) of the GSM service provider, using a wireless link (Figure 1).
How to configure a GSM phone or GSM modem connection
When a message is received, the GSM device stores the message in its memory or on the SIM card, and sends a notification to Ozeki NG - SMS Gateway. When the program receives this notification, it retrieves (reads) the message from the respective memory cell, and then deletes the message from the device to make room for the next incoming message.
The advantage of using a cellular modem is that you do not need Internet connection for SMS messaging. Sending an SMS message using a cellphone takes about 5-6 seconds. Receiving takes about the same time. Good software, such as Ozeki NG - SMS Gateway allows you to attach more than one device to your PC and to use them simultaneously to increase capacity.
The best option to connect a phone to the PC is to use a standard RS232 serial cable. USB cables, InfraRed and BlueTooth connections are not as reliable. You can read more about the connection methods on the following pages:
|Serial cable connection
|USB cable connection
|Infrared (IR) connection
|Bluetooth (BT) connection
|UCP Connection
|SMPP Connection
More information