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The following information is for patients with problems affecting the surface covering of the vocal folds. Benign mucosal disorders almost uniformly appear in vocal overdoers.
Common names for mucosal disorders includes vocal nodules, vocal polyps, vocal cysts. If you have been told you have vocal hyperfunction or plicae ventricularis and yet the following does not seem to apply to you, please read about vocal underdoers.
- Causes
- Symptoms
- Why did I get a mucosal disorder?
- Self-rating talkativeness scale
- Swelling tests
- How often should I check for swelling?
- Management program
- Benefits
- Overusage
- This is probably the most common factor causing injury to the surface covering of the vocal folds. On a self-rating scale of talkativeness, almost everyone with a benign mucosal injury rates themselves as a 5, 6, or 7, which means they innately enjoy talking. They are vocal overdoers. (This usually causes a swelling on both vocal cords in the form of nodules, but at times polyps form in the same way)
- While quantity is the primary driving factor, volume is clearly a secondary factor. The louder one uses the voice, the more trauma occurs on the lining of the vocal cords.
- Technique may play a role. There are ways of holding the vocal cords further apart that seems to allow for more traumatic collisions during vibration of the vocal cords.
- It is possible not to be a chronic vocal overdoer and yet injure the surface lining with one poorly timed vocal misuse such as a loud scream at sports event. (This usually causes a hemorrhage, a hemorrhagic polyp, or in the long term, a regular polyp on one vocal cord).
- Cyst formation
- A mucous gland may become plugged and form a cyst by trapping a pocket of material under the surface of the vocal fold. If present from birth this would be a congenital cyst. If this ruptures, an infolding of the surface may result called a sulcus. This type of mucosal disorder is not from overuse.
- Variability
- The patient with a mucosal disorder will complain of daily variability in the use of their voice.
- Huskiness
- The larger the vocal swelling, the further apart the vocal cords need to be held and the more air leak there is. Air leak is perceived as huskiness.
- Fatigue
- There may be vocal fatigue. If swellings are large enough, this may be a combined vocal and general fatigue.
- Discomfort
- A burning sensation may develop in the neck, usually bilateral or central. This is from the muscles outside of the vocal cord maintaining tension to hold the cords in a position to vibrate. The cords must be held apart to accomodate the swelling.
- Pitch range limitations
- Singers may note a loss of the upper end of their range, but only if they perform soft singing.
- Singers may note onset delays and a breathy quality in their mid to upper range.
- At times the loss is on a single note somewhere in the middle of the range and it is usually quite predictible and repeatable as to the note on which it occurs.
- Singers often attribute each symptom as it comes along to technique problems, thus delaying for some time their presentation to the laryngologist. Commonly, a singer will just sing louder to overcome the symptoms caused by swelling.
Why did I get a mucosal disorder?
The vocal folds are two folds of tissue narrowing the windpipe that can open widely for breathing and close for speaking and singing. These folds are covered with a tissue that is similar to the moist lining on the inside of the lip. When you speak the vocal folds move together in order to vibrate, but it is actually the lining that does most of the vibrating. The actual vocal ligament itself moves much less. This lining is designed to vibrate many times per day, but it does have limits. At some point, with extensive use, the vocal fold lining suffers much the same way that the skin of your hands suffers if you dig ditches all day with a shovel. The lining swells and may thicken with continued use. Nodules and polyps are basically callouses and blisters of the vocal cords. Like skin, if you rest your vocal folds, the acute swelling may resolve. More chronic swelling may not completely resolve.
Self-rating talkativeness scale
This is your ongoing tendency to talk, given the opportunity to talk.
Do not include the amount of talking required of you at work.
- quiet untalkative person
- averagely talkative person
- extremely talkative person
Where do you fall on this rating scale of innate talkativeness?
- If you have a mucosal disorder, most likely you are a 6 or a 7.
- Do not confuse being a 6 or a 7 with anything bad. This is a wonderful personality. You may typically find yourself the life of the party; the social engine.
- 6's and 7's make wonderful actors and singers since your personality is one that will engage the audience.
- However, being a 6 or 7 is a vocally expensive personality.
Swelling tests
Two tests have been developed that can help you monitor any swelling of your vocal folds. These are called the swelling tests.
- Soft singing
- Sing the first phrase of a well known tune such as Happy birthday.
- Use the softest voice possible (boy soprano pianissimo).
- Sing it (legatto) at progressively higher pitches.
- At some pitch you will begin to experience delays in the onset of your voice or you will be unable to produce a soft tone. Your voice will sound like air is passing through the voice box without causing a tone.
- This pitch is your vocal ceiling, caused by swelling. You will know it is caused by swelling because with a loud voice you will be able to overcome this onset delay and sing to a higher pitch ceiling.
- If you have no swelling, your soft and loud ceilings will be approximately the same (this is true whether or not you are a singer).
- There are exceptions. This test basically detects a gap in the vocal folds and any disorder that causes a gap may cause these onset delays. Once you have been diagnosed with a swelling then this test can reliably be used to monitor the degree of swelling.
- Staccato test
- Sing the following phrase using a ho sound and a staccato length tone.
- So So So So So Fa Mi Re Do.
- As for the soft singing test, sing at progressively higher pitches.
- Monitor the pitch at which only air comes out rather than a tone.
How often should I check for swelling?
If you are a 6 or 7 and have been diagnosed with vocal swellings, it is extremely unlikely that you will be able to change your personality and I, for one, would not wish to change your personality. However, you can learn to monitor your vocal overdoerness with daily performance of the swelling tests. After a few days of performing the swelling tests you will find a baseline pitch that you can reach. A lowering of the baseline means that your swellings have increased. You should take an introspective look at yesterday's vocal usage and I suspect you will discover that it was an overcommitted day. Now is your opportunity to rest and see the swelling tests recover.
Management program
- Swelling tests
- Perform the swelling tests every day of your life. Since most people cannot put an endoscope down their voice box every day to look at the swellings, this is the most reasonable way for you to monitor them.
- Respond to the swelling tests
- If the onset delay occurs at a lower pitch, ask yourself, what did you do to make it worse. Did you speak loudly in a bar the night before over all the background noise? Did you sing for several hours yesterday? Then you need extra voice rest today to allow the swelling to go down.
- Speech therapy
- To benefit the most, visit a speech pathologist (voice therapist) to review your speaking and/or singing techniques. They can review breath use, support and other technical issues.
- Manage your voice use
- Most vocal overdoers have a difficult time remaining quiet. In some instances vocal overdoers can consciously cut back their voice use to a 4 (an average talker). This may seem to you that you are being almost totally silent. You may need to ask those around you how you are doing. For example, at the end of dinner, you may ask your family how they perceive your speaking on the 1-7 scale above and see if they agree with your own perception. However, most vocal overdoers seem to be all or none talkers and they find it easiest to schedule time when they will be totally silent during the day and other times when they will speak freely. You might have to skip a party on a day with many work related talking commitments. Thus, you remain a 6 or a 7 when interacting with others, but you schedule talking times and resting times to reduce the overall amount of daily talking.
- Many vocal overdoers can manage their tendency for vocal fold swelling and keep the swelling down to a satisfactory and functional level.
- However, if you are dissatisfied with the functioning of your voice, there usually are other options, including surgically removing the swellings that may benefit your voice.


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When President Obama put forth his first offer on the fiscal cliff, House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) said, "You can't be serious." We could say the same thing to the Speaker after his counteroffer yesterday.
In a letter signed by House Republican leadership, including Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) and Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI), Boehner offered to raise taxes by $800 billion and cut spending by $1.4 trillion, with no substantive reforms to the entitlement programs that are driving U.S. spending and debt.
Heritage's Alison Fraser, director of the Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies, and J.D. Foster, the Norman B. Ture Senior Fellow in the Economics of Fiscal Policy, quickly responded that "the Republican counteroffer, to the extent it can be interpreted from the hazy details now available, is a dud. It is utterly unacceptable. It is bad policy, bad economics."
Boehner's letter to the President actually said that the Republicans were not going to make their more serious proposal, which has already passed the House.
If we were to take your Administration's proposal at face value, then we would counter with the House-passed Budget Resolution. It assumes an overhaul of our tax code with revenue remaining at historically normal levels and proposes structural reforms to preserve and protect the Nation's entitlement programs, ensuring they are sustainable for the long-term rather than continuing to grow out of control.
But, they said, "we recognize it would be counterproductive to publicly or privately propose entitlement reforms that you and the leaders of your party appear unwilling to support in the near-term."
This is precisely the time for laying out bold reforms, showing the nation the principles, vision and policies conservatives share to dig out of this budget mess, today and for the long term. Instead, the leadership pointed to a plan they said was suggested by Erskine Bowles, the co-chair of President Obama's debt commission and formerly Bill Clinton's White House Chief of Staff. It raises taxes, but not by raising tax rates—instead, by lowering the amount or number of tax deductions or exemptions available.
This misses the point of the tax reform America really needs, said Fraser and Foster:
While preferable in general to raising tax rates, this proposal largely dooms future efforts at tax reform based on the sound principle of broadening the tax base to lower the rates. Instead, this proposal would broaden the base, not to lower rates, but to raise revenues. So much for improved economic growth.
Essentially, it appears the Republican leadership caved on raising taxes and first steps toward fundamental entitlement reforms that are desperately needed to keep Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid going. To be sure, the Boehner letter is short on details. But, as Fraser and Foster put it, "Beyond disappointing, the House Republican counteroffer appears at best to suggest incremental tweaks to these programs. Without real entitlement reform—not just spending cuts—we will never fix the underlying problem."
Not only would this be the right course to take, but Americans polled just after the election have these priorities more in order than the President and Congress.
Just a few days after the election, Gallup asked people to rank a list of 12 issues by importance for the President's second term. Restoring "a strong economy and job market" was No. 1, with entitlement reform—"take major steps to ensure the long-term stability of Social Security and Medicare"—No. 2. "Make major cuts in federal spending" was No. 6 on the list, while raising taxes on people making more than $250,000 a year was way down the list at priority No. 10.
Now is the time for leaders to get serious. That means serious entitlement reforms that will deliver real savings and improve the programs. The President and House Republicans should both start over and work together toward solutions the nation truly needs.
Quick Hits:
- House Republican leaders stripped three conservatives from prominent committee assignments—retribution for bucking the GOP establishment, according to Roll Call.
- The IRS has released new rules for a couple of Obamacare's new taxes that will hit on January 1.
- New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (R) is asking the federal government to reimburse 100 percent of the state's emergency costs for at least the first 90 days after Hurricane Sandy.
- Catch up on all the latest news this morning—tune in to Istook Live! online. Former Congressman Ernest Istook broadcasts from The Heritage Foundation from 9 a.m.-noon ET every weekday.
- More from The Foundry: "Fiscal Cliff: House Republican Proposal Abandons Core Principles, Gains Little."

subset: commoncrawl


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Is Customer Service the New Marketing?
Is Customer Service the New Marketing?
In today's Yelpified-social media saturated world, consumers have become increasingly numb to traditional marketing efforts. This trend has caused diminished returns for advertising, PR and other marketing methods, while word of mouth and customer recommendations increase in value.
So, are we nearing a time when investing in a Zappos-level of customer service will become be seen as better spend for the marketing dollar?
Beagle Research Group CEO Denis Pombriant will explore this question later this month with a panel of experts in a live online debate. Software Advice is hosting the event in a Google+ Hangout.
The group will answer four scripted questions before the discussion is turned to the audience. The questions include:
- Zappos is widely recognized for making customer service central to their culture. Leadership sees support not as a cost, but as an opportunity to market through personal connections with customers. This success is largely attributable to customer loyalty and word of mouth. So based on this, is customer service the new marketing?
- And where doesn't this work? Who shouldn't slash marketing budgets and put the customer first at all costs?
- What do we have to do to make this happen? What do companies have to do to implement such a monumental shift in strategy and culture?
- Clearly this is a strategy that pays out over the long term. How can a business measure this shift to ensure they are getting the right return on their shifting investment and priorities?
The event will take place on November 28 at 1 p.m. CST. Add Analyst Ashley Furness (the moderator) to your circle on Google+ and she will send you an event invite with more details.
Speak Up
You must be logged in to post a comment.


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Become part of the show at this unique program, exclusive to Walkertown Branch.
First, poet and performer Carl Lombardi will offer his talents by engaging all ages--every person present--in sharing science-related songs and poems. His light-hearted, laughter-inducing strategies create a kind of fun that defies description; experience it for yourself in the first part of this program.
Following Carl's performance, Youth Services Librarian Margaret Adam and a few enthusiastic volunteers will present three stations of safe-to-try-at-home, hands-on science activities for ten minutes each. The activities are fun for groups of any size and can be replicated with low-cost, everyday materials. Take-home sheets featuring directions and facts about the science principles involved will also be available.
Target audience for Interactive Science and Poetry is ages 6 and up.
Monday, June 30th, 11 am - 12 noon
Walkertown Branch Library
2969 Main St. Walkertown, NC 27051
Call (336) 703-2990 for more info


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Weak Plot Works Against "Mission: Impossible 3"
- Christian Hamaker Contributing Film and Culture Writer
- 2006 5 May
Release Date: May 5, 2006
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Action
Run Time: 126 min.
Director: J.J. Abrams
Actors: Tom Cruise, Ving Rhames, Keri Russell, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Laurence Fishburne, Billy Crudup, Michelle Monaghan, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Maggie Q
"Mission: Impossible 3" director J.J. Abrams, in interviews promoting the latest entry in the "Mission Impossible" franchise, has said that he wanted the third film's stunts to serve the storyline, rather than the other way around. By that criterion, "M:I3" must be considered a failure. But if "M:I3," like its two predecessors, is evaluated primarily as a stunt-driven spectacle where plot is largely incidental, the film fills the bill for exciting summer entertainment.
Whether moviegoers want to see one more film that spares no expense in trying to outdo its forerunners comes down to a cold calculation: Do a few big set-piece scenes, plus a dose of underdeveloped romance, equal a worthwhile summer movie, or will one more less-than-satisfying script, and Tom Cruise's public antics, turn viewers against the franchise?
Tom Cruise once again gives a satisfying star performance as Ethan Hunt, an IMF team leader assisted once again by Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames) and two additional members (Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Maggie Q). Director Abrams wastes no time building viewer empathy for Ethan or his romantic interest, Julia, thrusting the audience into a climactic sequence before cutting away to tell the story from the beginning. Abram's calculation is a mistake. Viewers will have a built-in empathy for Ethan by this third film in the series, but the endangered woman is a mystery to us. We care for her because, we quickly realize, Ethan cares for her, but the rapid escalation of torture and violence in this scene is so horrifying some viewers may be tempted to flee the theater, if only until the sequence ends.
Following the startling conclusion of the first sequence, we're taken to an earlier scene that serves to establish Ethan's relationship with Julia. We learn that the two are engaged to be married, and that, crucially, Ethan can read lips—the odd sort of character trait certain to crop up again later in the film, at a critical moment.
Called into service once more by the IMF, Ethan leads his team in a rescue mission involving one of Ethan's protégés, who has disappeared after infiltrating the inner ring of Owen Davian (Phillip Seymour Hoffman), a shadowy international arms dealer. Herky-jerky camera movement substitutes for momentum during a first-of-its-kind helicopter chase through a wind farm, with the requisite explosions and mechanical destruction.
When things take an unexpected turn for the worse, Ethan commits to hunting down Davian. "You have to trust me," he tells Julia, after explaining that he won't be by her side for a few days. "I trust you," she replies—and it's off to the altar for an official "I do" before Ethan's departure.
Ethan's efforts to prevent Davian from obtaining the "rabbit's foot"—an unknown object that, Ethan is told, will be used by Davian for nefarious purposes—involve increasingly elaborate break-ins, first at the Vatican and then in a tightly guarded office complex in Shanghai ("makes Langley look like child's play" says Rhames, referring to the team's penetration of CIA headquarters in the first "Mission Impossible").
Those death-defying scenes—absurd but acceptably so in the "MI" world—deliver the expected thrills. And yet, Abrams brings no distinctive visual style to the series, unlike Brian De Palma and John Woo, who helmed the first two entries, respectively. The best Abrams can do is to mimic Woo's slow-motion gun ballets.
Instead of concentrating on visual grace, Abrams injects ever more adrenaline into the stunts and action scenes. When the approach works—and it does, more often than not—viewers will forget about the convoluted plot, with its agency moles, expertly made face masks (again) and unclear motives of the villain. By the time "M:I3" circles back to its opening sequence, it has offered a number of implausible but exciting scenes, and it has just enough gas in its tank to carry it to the final credits.
Viewers will go along for the ride, as long as they aren't inclined to catch their breath and start thinking about the plot. "M:I3" works as an adrenaline-fueled action film, but it's also a disturbing film on a moral level. Numerous individuals are killed by Ethan and his team. Torture is used to extract important information. Cars, helicopters and trucks are dispatched through missile strikes, gunfire and other explosive devices. The kinetic camerawork is overkill, and the central relationship between Ethan and Julia is sexual before the two are married.
Next to those weighty concerns, the film's pleasures are slight. It's acceptable summer-movie fare for older teens and up, but other than some skillful execution of elaborate stunts, "M:I3" offers little of value.
If viewers demonstrate a hunger for this type of film by turning out for it in large numbers, Hollywood will continue to serve up this high-priced, low-edification entertainment. Meanwhile, affirming films like "Akeelah and the Bee" are largely missed by audiences who say they want more family-friendly films.
Where will your family spend its entertainment dollars this weekend?
Audience: Older teens and up.
- Language: Numerous profanities; Lord's name taken in vain.
- Sex/Nudity: No nudity, but Ethan and Julia—engaged but not yet married—are shown lying in bed; some passionate kissing; one character explains that IMF team members can never sustain a lasting relationship; a supporting character asks whether Ethan ever slept with an IMF trainee.
- Violence: Intense sequences of brutality and torture; destruction of cars, trucks, helicopters and buildings; missile strikes; a grenade explodes; lots of gunfire and killing; explosive devices are inserted into the cranium and detonated; an adrenaline shot is bluntly administered; characters are killed, but with the expectation that they will be medically revived; corpses are displayed; some reckless driving.
- Drugs/Alcohol: Party scene includes both, and some brief dancing.


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As you can imagine, coming up with 52 new ideas every year for blog posts can be quite a challenge. So, I felt a sense of relief when I got the idea back in 2010 to do Elvis Movie 50th Anniversary Pictorials. The first was for G.I. Blues.
I knew I'd have three or four movies a year that would get the same treatment: lobby posters, stills from the film, publicity pictures, backstage photos, and screen grabs of some funny Elvis stuff in the movie. Like this:
Then in 2014, Graceland started their own blog.
I've read them all, and I'm kind of a fan. With all the resources and manpower that Graceland has, they do a good job. I didn't really see the Graceland Blog as a threat to ElvisBlog because I post stuff they would never think of.
Then, a year ago, with the 60th anniversary of Love Me Tender approaching, they did a blog post on it. A week later, Graceland Blog celebrated the 55th anniversary of Blue Hawaii.
I sensed a trend, and since then every 50th, 55th or 60th Elvis movie anniversary has been covered. Including Clambake last month. So I considered giving up on the ElvisBlog series… or finding a way to these pictorials that is completely different from Graceland Blog. I finally figured it out. Here's how I will feature Elvis movies 50th anniversaries from now on.
Cool Stuff to Look for the Next Time You Watch Clambake
Interesting shot, isn't it?
This is Will Hutchins who plays Elvis' buddy in the movie. He provides most of the comic relief, some good, some not so much. Here we are told he is hopping along because his spurs locked. But, he just out of a low sports car. I'm pretty sure you can't drive one wearing spurs.
This was better. He nearly burned his face with this six-inch lighter flame. But I especially like the look from the guy behind the registration desk. He made several more snide glances when Elvis showed up.
This is a publicity shot, and you will notice that Elvis is wearing the same suit as Will Hutchens in the previous picture. I'm sure you all remember how they switched identities early in the movie. Anyway, this has to be one of the worst wardrobe items Elvis ever had to wear. It is supposed to represent him as a rich guy from Texas. To me, the stitching looks like similar to how Dr. Frankenstein sewed up the monster.
I always look for bit parts by Elvis' buddies in his movies. Did you recognize Charlie Hodge as the barber?
And this is Red West playing an ice cream vendor at a kids' park where there's a lot of cowboys- and-Indians playing going on. Then Red joined in the fun by climbing on the monkey bars and fake shooting back with his finger.
Then he faked taking a hit and fell to the ground. You will see that he did the stunt himself, doing a somersault and landing flat on his back.
During the shoot-em-up scene, a few seconds of this Calvary charge flashed on the screen.
Even weirder was a longer sequence where, for no reason, the camera angle rotated around 180 degrees. The girl on the swing hops off and starts dancing. The upside-down choreography is actually a pretty neat visual. Then it rotated back to normal.
These are the other two main characters in Clambake. Bill Bixby played a rich business man who is a champion speedboat racer. Shelly Fabares is a young cutie trying to snag this prime catch. There is nothing unusual here, but the mood is much different later in the movie.
She also pals around with Elvis, who pretended to be a poor water ski instructor. Shelly pretended to not know how to water ski, but shows off for Bill Bixby to see. It was obvious that a stunt double did all the other tricky moves, but she really did this one. You'll see the difference.
This is the clambake scene which showed off lots of skimpily-clad girls dancing. And Elvis has a big song and dance production number, but the title song is certainly one of the worst he ever had to sing in a movie.
Two more Elvis buddies get short cameos in the party scene. This is Joe Esposito with a cocktail shaker in his hand. He tosses it to Richard Davis.
This is an unusual shot of Elvis. His character has a degree in engineering, not chemistry, but here he is trying to develop an extra-tough and durable coating for his speedboat's hull.
See the can? That contains GOOP, the coating Elvis invented. Six girls show up to help, but more dancing occurs that any work.
To thank the girls for their hard work(?), Elvis goes down the line and kisses each one. And they all swoon and fall back against the wall. Tough acting jobs, huh?
Toward the end of the movie, Bill Bixby's character shows that he is just after sex and starts putting unwelcome moves on Shelly Fabares.
Here he is in full Harvey Weinstein mode, and she's having trouble holding him off. Guess who knocks on the door and cools things off? Elvis, of course.
He has some flimsy excuse of delivering a water ski, but it works. Never mind that Elvis pulled a similar stunt to get Ann Margret away from the clutches of Cesare Denova in Viva Las Vegas.
After that, Elvis and Shelly share sparks of love. He wins the speedboat race, and they profess their love for each other. As they drive off into the sunset, two really strange things happen.
See the mountains in the background. The movie is set in Florida near Miami. It's pretty obvious that this scene was filmed in California. He tells her that he really is the rich son of the Texas oilman, and takes out his drivers' license to prove it.
How do you like that date of birth? I guess they wanted to present Elvis as 27 years old, not 32.
I've always ended these movie pictorials with a shot of Elvis kissing his leading ladies.
Watch for this when you next see Clambake. The kiss occurs after he has asked her to marry him and she said yes. But it is the first time they kiss. Has anybody ever proposed to someone he has never kissed? Oh, well. It's a fun movie.
© 2017 Philip R Arnold, Original Elvis Blogmeister All Rights Reserved www.ElvisBlog.net
Elvis, Elvis Presley, and Graceland are registered trademarks of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.


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Mortgage Rates, Home Sales, Prices Seen Rising In 2017
WASHINGTON (AP) – Nate Lowenstein has been shopping for a home in Los Angeles, on and off, for more than a year.
His search has been stymied by a stubbornly low roster of homes on the market and the hurdles that come with it: multiple competing bids and higher prices.
"It's not a great market, from a buyer's perspective," said Lowenstein, a lawyer. "The one good thing is that interest rates were quite low."
As recently as this summer, homebuyers had ultra-low mortgage rates on their side. Good news for any borrower, but especially for those in expensive housing markets like Los Angeles, Boston and Seattle.
But that was then. While mortgage rates remain low by historical standards, they've risen sharply over the past couple of months, pushing the average rate on a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage to 4.32 percent this week. That's the highest level since April 2014 and well above the year's average of 3.65 percent.
Economists predict mortgage rates will continue to climb next year, just one of the trends that suggest 2017 could be a more challenging year for homebuyers.
"With higher mortgage rates, you're increasing the cost, challenging the budgets, challenging the ability to qualify and, as a result, likely reducing somewhat the pool of potential buyers," said Jonathan Smoke, chief economist for Realtor.com.
So far, the rate increases have not begun to worry Lowenstein, who is in the market for a house with at least three bedrooms in L.A.'s affluent west side. His budget: Between $1.6 million and $1.8 million.
"We're not priced out yet," Lowenstein said. "But if it goes up to 5 percent or 6 percent, at some point we would be."
Long-term mortgage rates tend to track the yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note. The yield goes down when investors bid up bond prices, as they did following this summer's vote in Britain to exit the European Union. The move sent long-term mortgage rates tumbling as low as 3.41 percent.
The reverse happened after Election Day. Investors bet that a Republican-controlled White House and Congress will have a clear path to implement policies that will drive inflation and interest rates higher. A sell-off in U.S. bonds drove the yield on the 10-year Treasury note to the highest level in more than two years. Mortgage rates have been inching higher ever since.
But will they continue to do so?
Smoke predicts mortgage rates will reach 4.5 percent in 2017. Other economists expect rates will remain above 4 percent but not go beyond 5 percent next year.
That range would mean mortgage rates that would be low compared to the last decade.
Average long-term mortgage rates were above 6 percent during the height of the last housing boom and they hadn't hit 5 percent before 2008.
So someone looking to buy a home in the next few months doesn't need to panic, said Svenja Gudell, chief economist at Zillow, a real estate information company.
"My advice to buyers would be to not freak out and feel a sense of urgency," she said. "If you aren't able to buy a house at 4.5 percent, you probably weren't able to buy a house at 4 percent."
The stakes are a bit higher for buyers in expensive markets, where housing can eat up a much larger share of household income.
If mortgage rates continue to climb, there are moves would-be homebuyers can make to better offset some of the higher borrowing costs.
Consider lowering the interest rate by paying a fee to the lender up front, something known as buying down the interest rate. Or go with an adjustable-rate mortgage, which has a low, fixed-interest rate for a few years, typically five or 10, then adjusts to a higher rate.
Another move: Ask the seller to pay the buyer's closing costs. That can free up more cash for buyers to manage the higher borrowing costs.
Higher mortgage rates could have one silver lining: As some buyers are priced out, sellers may have to be more flexible on prices. Over time, that could help stem home prices.
Low inventory and strong demand helped push prices higher in 2016 at the fastest pace in 10 years, according to an analysis by Zillow. The company predicts that U.S. home prices increase about 3 percent in 2017, down from a gain of about 6.5 percent this year.
Declining affordability is one reason the National Association of Realtors predicts U.S. homes sales will rise 2 percent next year. Compare that to the 15 percent increase in sales through the first 11 months of 2016.
Even buyers who can weather higher mortgage rates may have to brace for a long home search next year.
The inventory of homes for sale is expected to be tighter in 2017 than it was this year. While it varies by market, nationally, fewer than 1.9 million homes were on the market in November, down 9 percent from a year earlier, according to the NAR.
Homebuilders are not building enough homes to make up for the shortage, citing a lack of ready-to-build land, labor shortages and rising building materials costs.
Homebuyers can also expect to face more competition in 2017 as millennials continue to transition from renting to homeownership, particularly in more affordable markets in the Midwest and South.
First-time buyers accounted for roughly 32 percent of home purchases through the first 11 months of 2016, up from 30 percent in the same period a year earlier, according to the NAR.
Affordability remains a hurdle for many first-time buyers, but qualifying for financing may get a bit more accessible in 2017.
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will increased the limit of the mortgages they will buy from lenders next year to $424,100 from $417,000. In more expensive markets, the mortgage giants will accept loans as high as $636,150, up from $625,500.
Banks may also have an incentive to loosen lending standards if rising mortgage rates continue to dampen demand for mortgage refinancing.
– by AP Reporter Alex Veiga


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Isaac could hinder GOP chance to define Romney at convention
TAMPA, Florida (CNN) -- A shortened Republican National Convention needs to overcome a threatening hurricane, as well as Democratic attacks and lingering internal rifts, to seize the best remaining chance to show America the real Mitt Romney before the November election, top Republicans said Sunday, August 26th.
CLICK HERE for FOX6Now.com's interactive "Hurricane Tracker" for the latest.
GOP officials already canceled Monday's planned first day of the convention because of Isaac, the tropical storm growing to hurricane strength in the Gulf of Mexico off Florida.
The now three-day convention starting Tuesday will still feature all of the major scheduled speeches, Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus told CNN Sunday.
That will be plenty of time to nominate the former Massachusetts governor, "tell the Mitt Romney story" and show why he is the right person to fix problems left unresolved by what Republicans called the failed policies of President Barack Obama, Priebus added.
Sen. John McCain, the Republican nominee in 2008 who had the first day of his nominating convention in Minneapolis, shortened because of a hurricane then threatening the Gulf Coast, agreed that losing one night is manageable.
However, McCain told NBC on Sunday that "it could be harmful if we lose more than that."
In a sign of how badly the party wants to hold the convention to showcase Romney, GOP officials have not ruled out extending it by a day to Friday if necessary, a Republican source told CNN.
"We're monitoring the situation, and we'll respond accordingly," convention press secretary Kyle Downey said when asked about a possible extension
Romney and his wife attended church on Sunday. The opening hymn, with its chorus of "onward, ever onward," reinforced the imagery of a tough struggle.
A new national survey illustrates the challenge Romney faces.
While the CNN/ORC International indicates a dead heat between Romney and President Barack Obama, new numbers released Sunday show that likely voters believe Obama is more in touch with their needs.
"The public gives Obama a big advantage over Romney on questions on caring about people and understanding their concerns," said CNN Polling Director Keating Holland, adding that Romney's strong points -- in the minds of poll respondents -- were his managerial skills and having a clear plan to solve the country's problems.
According to the poll, 53% of likely voters say Obama cares about the needs of people, with 39% feeling the same way about the former Massachusetts governor. Obama leads by an equal margin when it comes to being in touch with the middle class, and six in 10 say Obama is in touch with the problems facing women today, with just over three in 10 feeling the same way about Romney.
Romney has a 48%-44% margin over Obama on managing the government effectively and a 6-point advantage on having a clear plan for fixing the nation's problems. Both are within the survey's margin of error.
"The challenge facing Romney at the GOP convention is to build on those managerial strengths while at the same trying to convince average Americans that he is in touch with their problems. Obama's personal characteristics, for the moment, outshine Romney's," Holland said.
On specific issues, the poll results show a similar dynamic -- Obama is generally ahead on foreign policy and social issues while Romney is generally preferred on economic issues.
According to the survey, likely voters prefer Obama's policies on gay and lesbian issues by 59%-33% and choose Obama over Romney on abortion by 53%-40%. The president also has a 51%-44% advantage over Romney on foreign policy and a 50%-43% margin on terrorism.
The candidates were statistically even on the economy, with Romney's 50%-46% advantage within the survey's margin of error, and Romney holds a 10-point advantage on handling the federal deficit.
Priebus said Sunday that delaying the start of the convention was "the right thing to do," adding that that most of Monday's planned events would be folded into the remainder of the week's schedule.
"Everything is going to be back to normal on Tuesday," Priebus said, adding that some speeches might be shorter than originally planned.
The RNC chairman will open the convention on Monday, then quickly declare it in recess until the full proceedings begin on Tuesday afternoon, with Romney's formal nomination expected a few hours later, organizers said. Romney will close the convention with his acceptance speech on Thursday night, which was the original plan.
On Sunday talk shows, Republicans said the convention must focus on Romney's character and show how he can lead the nation to economic prosperity, which is the top issue with voters.
"It's the vision of Mitt Romney versus the record of Barack Obama, and facts just are stubborn things," Virginia Gov. Robert McDonnell told ABC, adding that "the middle class is hurting" and people want "results, not rhetoric."
The Obama campaign, anticipating the Romney branding effort by Republicans, released a movie trailer-style video Sunday that previewed a "do-over" moment for Romney.
In a statement accompanying the video, the Obama campaign said it is "presenting Americans with an epic cinematic preview of Mitt Romney's 'convention reinvention' -- the Do-Over moment that voters have grown to expect -- because they've seen this movie before."
Responding to the video, Romney's campaign said Sunday the president was relying on "negative attacks" as a way to distract from his own record.
However, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa told ABC that Romney is vulnerable to being portrayed as a political opportunist because of the right-wing positions he adopted during the rugged primary campaign against conservatives such as Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich.
"I suspect that they are not going to be able to Etch-a-Sketch their way out of this campaign," Villaraigosa, a Democrat, told CNN with a reference to a Romney aides comment earlier this year about resetting the campaign message. "They're not going to be able to put away all the things they said in the primary and all the things they have in their platform right now."
Last week, incendiary comments by conservative Republican Rep. Todd Akin of Missouri ignited a political firestorm about rape and abortion as the Romney team sought to build momentum up to the convention.
Akin, who won Missouri's Republican Senate primary to challenge Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill in November, told an interviewer that women have an undefined biological response to what he called "legitimate rape" that oftentimes prevents pregnancy.
Romney and a full spectrum of GOP politicians -- from the Republican National Committee to tea party groups -- condemned Akin's comments and called for him to drop out of a race considered crucial to Republican hopes of winning a Senate majority.
Akin apologized and called his remarks incorrect, but he has refused to end his Senate bid. The imbroglio has given new life to McCaskill, considered the most vulnerable Democratic senator running, and caused chagrin within the Republican establishment.
"I think that he should get out of the race," Priebus said of Akin. "He has time to get out of the race and he ought to put the mission of liberty and freedom ahead of himself."
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, told CBS that Akin's statements "make it much more difficult -- borderline impossible, perhaps -- for him to win that race."
A further concern is that Akin's comments focused attention on the volatile abortion issue in the run-up to the convention, when the Romney campaign wanted to talk about the candidate's prescriptions for high unemployment and slow economic growth under Obama.
Instead, Romney and running mate Paul Ryan, the conservative House Budget Committee chairman from Wisconsin, have been asked repeatedly about differences between their personal views on whether abortion should be banned in all cases or permitted only for pregnancies from rape, incest or that threaten the life of the mother.
Romney's Mormon faith supports the narrow exceptions, while Ryan -- a devout Catholic -- supports a blanket ban. The campaign has made clear the ticket supports Romney's stance, which also contrasts with the party platform that convention delegates are scheduled to vote on this week.
In an interview with Fox broadcast on Sunday, Romney again answered questions on the Akin comments, saying "it obviously is being used by Democrats to try and cast a shadow on our entire party, and it's not."
At the same time, Romney noted that Democrats were "wise enough to understand" that Akin's comments can hurt Republicans.
In addition, polls show Obama continuing to hold a big lead over Romney among Hispanic-Americans, the fastest-growing demographic group in the country.
Conservative opposition to immigration reforms -- such as the policy put in place by the Obama administration to stop deporting some young illegal immigrants who came to America as children -- prevents GOP gains with Hispanic-American voters, some Republicans say.
"Our demographics are changing, and we have to change not necessarily our core beliefs but the tone of our message and the message and the intensity of it for sure," former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush told NBC on Sunday. "Long-term conservative principles, if they're to be successful and implemented, there has to be a concerted effort to reach out to a much broader audience than we do today."
Bush noted that some Republicans benefit in their conservative districts by using immigration as a "wedge issue" to build right-wing opposition to Democrats.
"I don't think that's right for our country," he said. "You can't ask people to join your cause and then send a signal that you're really not wanted. It just doesn't work."
Al Cardenas, the chairman of the American Conservative Union, told CNN that Romney was still in "the early stages" of getting to be known by the Hispanic-American community.
"Can we get this done in 75 days? I think enough to win this election, and then it's a long-term project to do a lot better institutionally as a party," Cardenas said.
The CNN/ORC International poll shows more likely voters preferring Romney over Obama on handling illegal immigration.
Meanwhile, a new Romney ad Sunday continued his campaign's aggressive stance on another potentially vulnerable issue -- Medicare.
Like previous Romney spots, the new ad includes a claim that, "As president, Barack Obama cut $700 billion from Medicare to pay for Obamacare," the 2010 health care reform law despised by Republicans.
The claim cites a report from the Congressional Budget Office that shows repeal of the president's health care law would mean an additional $716 billion in spending on Medicare. However, it ignored the same report's finding that the additional spending would come from rising costs and inefficiencies that the health care law would have addressed, rather than restoring money cut from Medicare.
The Obama campaign has called the Romney claim on Medicare false, citing the CBO report, and repeatedly attacked the Medicare reform plan proposed by Ryan that would partially privatize the government-run health care program for senior citizens. Democrats claim the Republican proposal would "end Medicare as we know it," while Ryan says his plan is the kind of reform necessary to ensure Medicare's long-term solvency.
According to the poll results released Sunday, likely voters are evenly divided between the candidates on the Medicare issue.
CNN's Paul Steinhauser and Ashley Killough contributed to this report.
CLICK HERE for additional coverage on the GOP Convention 2012 via FOX6Now.com.
CLICK HERE for additional Tropical Storm Isaac coverage via FOX6Now.com.


text: The blood glucose level is the amount of glucose in the blood. Glucose is a sugar that comes from the foods we eat, and it's also formed and stored inside the body. It's the main source of energy for the cells of our body, and it's carried to each cell through the bloodstream.


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WEDNESDAY, Jan. 9, 2019 — Many doctors may worry about giving their hospital patients a flu shot, but a new study suggests they can relax.
"We know rates of inpatient flu vaccination are low, often due to physician concerns that the vaccine could complicate healing or delay hospital discharge," explained study author Sara Tartof, from the Kaiser Permanente Southern California department of research and evaluation.
"Our findings demonstrate that not vaccinating patients during a hospitalization may be a missed opportunity," Tartof said in a Kaiser news release. "Right now, only 28 percent of patients not already vaccinated prior to hospitalization are being vaccinated before they leave the hospital."
In the study, the researchers analyzed data from more than 250,000 patients, aged 6 months and older, who were hospitalized in a Kaiser Permanente hospital in Southern California during any of three flu seasons between 2011 and 2014.
People who received a flu shot while in the hospital had no increased risk of outpatient visits or hospital readmission within seven days after leaving the hospital. They also had no increased risk of fever or laboratory tests for infection, the findings showed.
The study also found that 74 percent of those weren't vaccinated before or during hospitalization remained unvaccinated throughout the flu season.
The report was published Jan. 8 in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
Dr. Bruno Lewin is a family practice physician at the Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center. He said, "This research backs up what many physicians have known intuitively for some time: Giving patients the flu vaccine while they are hospitalized is convenient and, most important, safe."
So, Lewin added, "Unless there are contraindications, physicians should have no hesitation to vaccinate patients with the flu vaccine while they are hospitalized."
Previous research has also found that surgical patients who received the flu vaccine during their hospital stay did not have increased risks of complications or delays in leaving the hospital.
In addition, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that hospitalized patients who are eligible receive the flu vaccine before discharge.
More information
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on flu vaccination.
Posted: January 2019
Source: Read Full Article


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LOS ANGELES (AP) – Confidence among U.S. homebuilders inched up this month, to the highest level in more than six and a half years, as builders reported the best market for newly built homes since the housing boom.
The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo builder sentiment index released Tuesday increased 2 points to 47 from a revised 45 in November. That's the highest reading since April 2006, just before the housing bubble burst.
Readings below 50 suggest negative sentiment about the housing market. The last time the index was at or above that level was in April 2006, with a reading of 51. It has been trending higher since October 2011, when it stood at 17.
The latest index, which is based on responses from 441 builders, reflects growing optimism that a turnaround in housing will endure after years of stagnation.
"While there is still much room for improvement, the consistent upward trend in builder confidence over the past year is indicative of the gradual recovery that has been taking place in housing markets nationwide and that we expect to continue in 2013," said David Crowe, the NAHB's chief economist.
A component of the latest builder confidence survey that measures current sales conditions rose 2 points to 51, the highest level since April 2006. A gauge of traffic by prospective buyers increased 1 point to 36, also the highest reading since April 2006.
However, the index tracking builders' outlook for sales over the next six months slipped 1 point to 51, back to where it was two months ago.
More people have started looking to buy homes, encouraged by a gradually improving economy, a steady rise in home values and mortgage rates that have been low all year. At the same time, the inventory of previously occupied homes available for sale has fallen sharply, reducing the competition for newly built homes.
Sales of new homes fell slightly last month, dragged lower by steep declines in the Northeast partly related to Superstorm Sandy. But they were still 17 percent higher in October than the same month a year ago.
Builders are locking up more land and ramping up construction. All told, builders broke ground on new homes and apartments in October at the fastest pace in more than four years.
Olson Homes, which builds homes in Southern California priced roughly from $300,000 to $700,000, said demand has picked up since February, and the company now projects sales will be up 45 percent for the year.
"We've had the best fourth quarter I've seen since probably 2005-2006," said Scott Laurie, Olson Homes' president. "Sales have been unbelievably strong."
Olson has been acquiring more land in coastal cities and making plans to open new communities before spring, which is traditionally the peak period in the year for home sales. The builder also has ramped up hiring. It has increased its work force 25 percent this year, to 70 employees.
The moves reflect Laurie's builder's belief that the housing recovery is now on a sustained track. "We think we're definitely past the worst of the market," he said.
At Houston-based David Weekley Homes, which builds homes in eight states, sales are up 40 percent from last year. That's allowed the builder, which sells homes priced from $150,000 to $1 million, to raise prices as much as 5 percent.
CEO John Johnson said that the market is better than it has been in the past five years, but he's not sold yet that housing is locked on course for a full recovery because unemployment remains high. "Long-term, that has to improve for the market to really come back to where it should be," Johnson said.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Copyright 1995 -
by The Daily News Publishing Co. Inc. - All Rights Reserved


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The Iran-Syria Axis of Assassins Dating From Medieval Times
Early August, Syria's rebels kidnapped 48 Iranian pilgrims in Damascus. The rebels claimed their prisoners were not pilgrims but in fact elite Iranian soldiers sent by Teheran to support the Assad government. A murderous sect known as the Assassins had a similar Iran-Syria partnership in the Middle Ages.
During the Middle Ages, the mountainous regions of Syria and Iran harbored the Ismailis, an esoteric Shi'a sect whose existence was marked by oppression and martyrdom. A radical branch known as the Assassins (Nizari Ismailis) were feared suicide attackers who terrorized the Muslim world from the 11th to the 13th centuries.
Although the Assassins are now considered predecessors of Islamic terrorists, the Christian Crusaders were lesser enemies to them than the Sunni principalities that they went after unrelentingly. Unlike "Twelvers" – the largest branch of Shi'a Muslims, who believe in 12 divinely ordained leaders, known as the Twelve Imams – the Ismailis, also known as the "Seveners," believe that the true successor to the 6th Imam in 765 CE was not Musa al Kazim but his brother Ismail, and that the latter will return when the world ends.
When the Ismaili Fatimid Caliphate in Cairo – which lasted from 909 to 1171 – fell apart, the Ismailis were forced underground. And then in the Alborz Mountains of Iran a charismatic religious leader named Hassan-i Sabbah (around 1034-1124) spurred vengeance. From his fort of Alamut he developed a strategy of calculated terror that brought sudden death to sovereigns, princes, generals and governors, as British historian Bernard Lewis, author of a book on the Assassins, writes.
The bloody deeds of the individuals who carried out these killings were supposed to open a direct door to heaven for them, initiates and successful murderers who no longer had a future on Earth. Their fanatical leader was also a missionary and soon had a growing group of followers, primarily in Syria, where so many battles between Muslims and Christians played out.
Hassan-i Sabbah's follower Rashid ad-Din Sinan (around 1133-1192), who was known as the Prince or Elder of the Mountain, began to terrorize Syria from his stronghold of Masyaf. While his name also became known in the West, most of his victims were among his Muslim neighbors.
It wasn't until Masyaf Castle was surrendered to the Mongols in 1260 and then claimed by the Cairo Mamluks that the Assassins were wiped out.
Today, Aga Khan IV is the 49th Nizari Ismaili Imam, and the Ismailis are among the most tolerant and peaceful of Muslim sects. But in the ongoing Syrian uprising, the Damascus-Teheran axis of terror harks back to the medieval tradition of the Assassins.


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Kathy from The Daily Marker is the creator of "The Daily Marker 30 Day Coloring Challenge". The Challenge is a great way to gain confidence with your coloring and join in a community of positivity and coloring enthusiasts. The challenge is also a great way to get full use of your stamps and coloring mediums.
30 Day Coloring Challenge Blog Hop
Kathy from The Daily Marker is the creator of "The Daily Marker 30 Day Coloring Challenge". The Challenge is a great way to gain confidence with your coloring and join in a community of positivity and coloring enthusiasts. The challenge is also a great way to get full use of your stamps and coloring mediums.
563 comments:
What a fun hop! I love seeing all this coloring!! :)ReplyDelete
Love to color!ReplyDelete
Love seeing all the color challenge projects :) and mama elephant stamps are some of my most favorite ❤❤❤ReplyDelete
Excited about the challenge! I only got 15 minutes in yesterday but maybe today I will get to do more!ReplyDelete
What a great card celebrating girlfriends! I've met so many nice people since I started making cards and joined Instagram in the fall. Such a supportive group!ReplyDelete
Super fun card!ReplyDelete
What a GREAT card!ReplyDelete
That's such a cute card! I love seeing all of the different coloring methods in this hop.ReplyDelete
The 30 day Challenge gives me the focus I need to sit down and have color time therapy 🙄 and I'm better for it !ReplyDelete
I'm picking up some great tips on this hop. Thanks!ReplyDelete
Yeah Girlfriends is right! Fabulous card and thank you for the video!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousMarch 2, 2017 at 10:14 AM
Adorable challege and sponsors. Thank you Mama Elephant! Thanks for the Beautiful card too!ReplyDelete
So cute, love the friends stamp.ReplyDelete
Love mama elephant and would love to win!!ReplyDelete
Lucy x
What a cute card! Perfect coloring on the girlfriends and the background!ReplyDelete
Your card is so beautifully colored and is absolutely adorable!!!ReplyDelete
This is very sweet! Pretty border too.ReplyDelete
Such a cute and colorful card!ReplyDelete
This card is really cute!ReplyDelete
What a fun and happy card! Love the bright colors and of course the fabulous coloring!ReplyDelete
Wow what a great idea... I love to color!!ReplyDelete
Nice coloring.ReplyDelete
I love how the blue background makes the rest of the card pop.ReplyDelete
Wow! Such adorable card!!!ReplyDelete
WOW! Awesome card, I love the bright colors!ReplyDelete
such a cute cute card!!!!!!!!!ReplyDelete
Girlfriend cards are the best❣ReplyDelete
All cards are the best!ReplyDelete
Very cute card!ReplyDelete
The card is so colorful!ReplyDelete
Gorgeous!! I love to color so accept the challenge!ReplyDelete
A happy card on a cold winter day! Yay!ReplyDelete
I absolutely LOVE your colorful and heartfelt collaboration! So sweet, and so true.ReplyDelete
Such a CUTE card!!! I love to color with my grandkids:)ReplyDelete
Very cute card and I totally agree that whether we are stamp companies or different nationalities, we are better together!ReplyDelete
Super cute! I love Mama Elephant!ReplyDelete
Such a cute card, love the meaning behind it. Although I am just a beginner I can see how this community comes together, there have been so many nice and encouraging comments on the cards for the challenge.ReplyDelete
Love your card but lol, that's the fastest video I've ever seen!ReplyDelete
What a darling card! I love how you framed up that sweet bunch!ReplyDelete
I LOVE this fresh and fun girlfriends card! Beautiful color, and I love how you created those blue edges--so pretty and flawless too!ReplyDelete
One of my very favorite stamp sets. You guys are the best! :)ReplyDelete
Great card - thanks for partipating!ReplyDelete
Adorable card! Love the inspiration behind your card. Girlfriends are so much fun!ReplyDelete
Super cute card! 😍ReplyDelete
Love Mama Elephant, this card is darling and I think I like to color with my copics the most!ReplyDelete
Wow this is really a wonderful card and the coloring so fantastic. Thanks for sharing us your inspiration.ReplyDelete
I like how you combined these stamp sets!ReplyDelete
Adorable card!! I can color all day its so relaxing.ReplyDelete
Its a fun adorable card !ReplyDelete
Where would we be without girlfriends! Cute card!ReplyDelete
Love this card!ReplyDelete
Love the stamps and this cute card!ReplyDelete
I learn so much! But have WAYYYY more to learn!ReplyDelete
Your stamps are so delightful!ReplyDelete
Love the card! TFS and for a chance to win.ReplyDelete
Love that card! What an fun inspiration for a young girl. Thanks for the opportunity to win!ReplyDelete
This card is soo cute and wonderfully colorful!!ReplyDelete
So sweet! Crafty friends are the best friends! Thanks for the inspiration and the chance to win :)ReplyDelete
The card is so cute! :)ReplyDelete
What an awesome cardReplyDelete
Such a fun card!ReplyDelete
Love this design! So colorful it makes me smile! Thanks for all you share wih us!ReplyDelete
Wonderful card, thank you for the chance to win. ThanksReplyDelete
Such a cute card and thank you for the video. Love the 30 Day Coloring Challenge; inspires and motivates me to get those color tools out from the drawers.ReplyDelete
Oh my gosh, this is such a cute card with fabulous coloring! I love that you mixed stamp sets and companies! The stamping community is such a generous place!ReplyDelete
Very cute card. I'm always looking for coloring inspiration!ReplyDelete
I've notice a lot of people on pinterest are using the idea to stamp around the card using different stamps to highlight the center main image. I have never done that myself, but will on one of my next cards. Thanks for the inspiration and for the chance to win.ReplyDelete
Yeah, Girlfriends, Mama Elephant is offering a $25 gift voucher as prize!!!!! - WOW and thanks for the chance/dream to win!!!! Have all my fingers and toes crossed!!!! LOVE your very cute card!!!ReplyDelete
Wondering if anyone has ever finished a coloring book? Love to color!!ReplyDelete
Oh my! What a fun scene you've created on this card!!! And I love how you colored it!!! So fabulous! Thanks for the inspiration!ReplyDelete
I love coloring and your images are so sweet!!ReplyDelete
Love the community and love the chance to win. Thanks.ReplyDelete
Ha ha I love this. Thanks to Kathy's 30days of colouring, I have a craftgang :) I think these stamps would make a perfect card for them. ClairexReplyDelete
Cute card!!!!ReplyDelete
This is AWESOME! I love those images and how perfect the card is for good friends.ReplyDelete
The Girlfriends Stamp Set is so adorable.ReplyDelete
super beautiful card, I lvoe all the color!ReplyDelete
What a fun card!ReplyDelete
Really love the coloring on this card.ReplyDelete
Love mama elephant!! :) seriously~~ReplyDelete
Really cuteReplyDelete
and fun card!
Carla from Utah
Beautiful card :o)ReplyDelete
Love your card. The 30 day challenge is fun, I am enjoying coloring but haven't shown anything yet, trying to gain confidence.ReplyDelete
this is just beautiful!ReplyDelete
Beautiful card!!!! thanks for the giveaway :)ReplyDelete
Aaaacckkkk - HOW CUTE IS THAT? Amazing coloring!!ReplyDelete
I think those girlfriends are darling!ReplyDelete
Gorgeous coloring on this awesome card! Love the girlfriends!!ReplyDelete
Goodness, I just realized I hadn't subscribed to your youtube channel!!!ReplyDelete
Beautiful card. And I love the spirit of friendship in the crafting industry. It is great to see a combination of stamps from some of my favorite brands.ReplyDelete
Love your card - most especially because it's really showcasing an inclusiveness that I believe we all should practice more of! Thanks so much!ReplyDelete
OH my goodness! That card is to die for cute! Love what it represents also!ReplyDelete
I love how. Right the color is on your card! Beautiful!!ReplyDelete
What a fun card with so much fabulous color!ReplyDelete
Super fun and cute card! Love how playful the whole scene is ♥ReplyDelete
WOW that was some super fast coloring and it turned out great. Love the little girlfriends.ReplyDelete
love this fun card -the coloring is awesome:)ReplyDelete
Haven't been to your blog before. Love it and put the link in my favorites. Glad you're participating so I can find new, fun, inspiring creators like me. I am loving this challenge, and learning so much. Thanks.ReplyDelete
I like the floral boarder around your card. I can't wait to colour in my mama elephant lunar animals!ReplyDelete
Great card, thanks for a chance to win :)ReplyDelete
This comment has been removed by the author.ReplyDelete
Such a fun card to color!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousMarch 2, 2017 at 1:52 PM
ADORABLE card-- really love the color choicesReplyDelete
Such a cute card. It would work great for a group of friends!ReplyDelete
What an adorable card! I YES - it is much more than just a craft industry - it is a community of friends! LOVE that!ReplyDelete
I love the combination of stamp sets together! They fit together so well!ReplyDelete
Aww.. such an adorable card! Loved it! Thank you so much for this generous giveaway!ReplyDelete
What a cute card and great stamp set :) It is fun to see different companies' sets being used together :)ReplyDelete
What a cute card! Love that stamp set!ReplyDelete
Adorable card!! Thanks for the great video too 😊ReplyDelete
I love the colors you've used on the card above! The layout is perfect too!ReplyDelete
Such a sweet card. The stamping all looks great together, and the colouring is fabulous. Thanks for the chance to win!ReplyDelete
Such a happy and cheery card. Thanks so much for sharing with us!ReplyDelete
Neat card! Very colorful!ReplyDelete
Goodness, I just realized I hadn't subscribed to your youtube channel!!!ReplyDelete
Goodness, I just realized I hadn't subscribed to your youtube channel!!!ReplyDelete
Stunning colouring. I love the vibrancy of the colours used and the positive sentiment. This is such a very happy, feel-good card. Thanks for your inspiration xxReplyDelete
Loving the hop, cute card.ReplyDelete
I so loved that card.ReplyDelete
Thanks for the inspiration
Cute card, Mama Elephant! TFS! And thank you so much for the chance to win!ReplyDelete
Such a sweet, cute card! Love the stamp and the coloring here!ReplyDelete
I love the card! My jaw dropped at how amazing it looked when I saw it!ReplyDelete
oh mama elephant your images are so cute.ReplyDelete
Love to see all of Kathy Racoosin's coloring tips and now this is so fun to hop along with all of her sponsors!! She is so delightful to follow along with and learn from. Love today's card and your coloring as well!!ReplyDelete
Love the Girlfriends card! So much collaboration and creativity brings so much inspiration! Thank you!ReplyDelete
Hello I love this stamp set very cute for us crafty gals.ReplyDelete
Saw this card on instagram and loved it! Sooo cute!ReplyDelete
Beautiful coloring!ReplyDelete
beautiful coloring. I love that you embrace the stamping community!ReplyDelete
I love the girlfriends this is perfect for m Ladies Night invitations.ReplyDelete
This card is so fun!ReplyDelete
Super adorable!ReplyDelete
What a fun card for a friend!ReplyDelete
You totally produce an experience for us cardmakers!!! Thank you so much fo it <3ReplyDelete
Super cute and fun card!ReplyDelete
This is such a fun and sweet card with great coloring! Thanks so much for sharing, it's so nice seeing the love these wonderful companies have for each other.ReplyDelete
Awesome card, the coloring is fabulous! Loving the challenge and this fun hop!ReplyDelete
Love the bright colors and cute images. I love coloring. I've loved it since I was a very young kid.. great hop and seeing others techniquesay.ReplyDelete
How have I missed this stamp set?! Must go rectify that right now! Thanks for sharing!ReplyDelete
Really cute card.ReplyDelete
Sweet card!! Beautiful vibrant colors!!ReplyDelete
CUTE card! I have been card making for a bunch of years and now my (almost) 87 year old Mom is making them too. She and her Gal Pals LOVE to color!!!ReplyDelete
Awesome hop! Great card!ReplyDelete
Such a sweet card, filled with great memories! My crafty friends have become such a special part of my life in recent years. Adding the blue background really made all of the images pop. I must remember to try that. It's so wonderful to see all of our favorite companies sharing products for this special Blog Hop! ♡firstname.lastname@example.com
I have always shied away from coloring but seeing all the amazing blogs has inspired me to try my hand at it. I recently purchased a handful of Copics and I am having so much fun learning how to use them. Thank you for the inspiration.ReplyDelete
Super card. Thanks for the chance to win in the blog hop xReplyDelete
Love the mix of products! :) So fun!ReplyDelete
Love the mix of products! :) So fun!ReplyDelete
I love the sentiments. The card-making crowd seem to be such amazing cheer-leaders for each other. It's almost like each one does what they like best and celebrate the fact that other companies do other things. One thing I have learned: no one company is best at everything that appeals to me. It's wonderful to witness such non-competetive cooperation. If I am wrong, please don't tell me!ReplyDelete
Very sweet card, creating cards for friends is one of my favorite things to do!ReplyDelete
I'm just in love with the cute Mama Elephant images and they would be so much fun to color!ReplyDelete
great card!ReplyDelete
Thank you for sharing. Mama Elephant has the cutest little stamps!ReplyDelete
This card is adorable! I love the vibrant colors :)ReplyDelete
Fantastic blog hop!Super inspiring!ReplyDelete
Cute, cute card!ReplyDelete
Thanks for the chance to win the giveaway!ReplyDelete
Very cute! I love all this coloring inspiration!ReplyDelete
Love the brightly colored people, so cute!ReplyDelete
Super cute card!!!😍😍😍ReplyDelete
This is so cute. I love all the inspiration here and you're right it is so much fun to get together with others as we create and color!ReplyDelete
Love the inspiration on how to use what I have to do amazing things!ReplyDelete
This image always makes me smile...such a fun card.ReplyDelete
Loving this blog hop. Thanks for the opportunity to enter this giveaway.ReplyDelete
just luv that stamp set. great job!ReplyDelete
tooooooooooooooooooo cute!ReplyDelete
Great card, with awesome coloring!!ReplyDelete
Soooo cute, love your girlfriends!ReplyDelete
This is such a fun blog hop! Cute card!ReplyDelete
Adorable card celebrating girlfriends! Thanks for an opportunity to win!ReplyDelete
This card is so bright and happy! I love how you've incorporated the different company's products together! Thank you for the opportunity to win some store credit! I've only recently learned about Mama Elephant, and really love what I've seen, but don't own any of your products yet! I have a birthday coming up in April, I may have to remedy that! lolReplyDelete
Such a cute card!ReplyDelete
Adorable card! Thanks for the chance :)ReplyDelete
I find coloring a great stress relief. Thank you for the chance to win.ReplyDelete
Oh super fun!ReplyDelete
Such a happy card! Love the coloring!ReplyDelete
Great hop! Love the card!ReplyDelete
Thank you for the chance to win!ReplyDelete
That's a really cool way to layout the stamps. Lovely colouring too!ReplyDelete
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Love the beautiful Copic coloring!ReplyDelete
Bev Thompson
Love the combination of elements on the card! So cute!ReplyDelete
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Such a happy card!ReplyDelete
This is such a vibrant card that really reflects the sentiment so well! Great colouring. Thanks for the chance toReplyDelete
win a prize. P.S. I love elephants. :)
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Thanks for being a sponsor on the hop.
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Very cute card like always.. Love it.ReplyDelete


text:
Mark 15 - Luke 1
King James Version
15 And straightway in the morning the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council, and bound Jesus, and carried him away, and delivered him to Pilate.
2 And Pilate asked him, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answering said unto them, Thou sayest it.
3 And the chief priests accused him of many things: but he answered nothing.
4 And Pilate asked him again, saying, Answerest thou nothing? behold how many things they witness against thee.
5 But Jesus yet answered nothing; so that Pilate marvelled.
6 Now at that feast he released unto them one prisoner, whomsoever they desired.
7 And there was one named Barabbas, which lay bound with them that had made insurrection with him, who had committed murder in the insurrection.
8 And the multitude crying aloud began to desire him to do as he had ever done unto them.
9 But Pilate answered them, saying, Will ye that I release unto you the King of the Jews?
10 For he knew that the chief priests had delivered him for envy.
11 But the chief priests moved the people, that he should rather release Barabbas unto them.
12 And Pilate answered and said again unto them, What will ye then that I shall do unto him whom ye call the King of the Jews?
13 And they cried out again, Crucify him.
14 Then Pilate said unto them, Why, what evil hath he done? And they cried out the more exceedingly, Crucify him.
15 And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified.
16 And the soldiers led him away into the hall, called Praetorium; and they call together the whole band.
17 And they clothed him with purple, and platted a crown of thorns, and put it about his head,
18 And began to salute him, Hail, King of the Jews!
19 And they smote him on the head with a reed, and did spit upon him, and bowing their knees worshipped him.
20 And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple from him, and put his own clothes on him, and led him out to crucify him.
21 And they compel one Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his cross.
22 And they bring him unto the place Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, The place of a skull.
23 And they gave him to drink wine mingled with myrrh: but he received it not.
24 And when they had crucified him, they parted his garments, casting lots upon them, what every man should take.
25 And it was the third hour, and they crucified him.
26 And the superscription of his accusation was written over, The King Of The Jews.
27 And with him they crucify two thieves; the one on his right hand, and the other on his left.
28 And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And he was numbered with the transgressors.
29 And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days,
30 Save thyself, and come down from the cross.
31 Likewise also the chief priests mocking said among themselves with the scribes, He saved others; himself he cannot save.
32 Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him reviled him.
33 And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.
34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
35 And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, he calleth Elias.
36 And one ran and filled a spunge full of vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, Let alone; let us see whether Elias will come to take him down.
37 And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost.
38 And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.
39 And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God.
40 There were also women looking on afar off: among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome;
41 (Who also, when he was in Galilee, followed him, and ministered unto him;) and many other women which came up with him unto Jerusalem.
42 And now when the even was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath,
43 Joseph of Arimathaea, an honourable counsellor, which also waited for the kingdom of God, came, and went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus.
44 And Pilate marvelled if he were already dead: and calling unto him the centurion, he asked him whether he had been any while dead.
45 And when he knew it of the centurion, he gave the body to Joseph.
46 And he bought fine linen, and took him down, and wrapped him in the linen, and laid him in a sepulchre which was hewn out of a rock, and rolled a stone unto the door of the sepulchre.
47 And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses beheld where he was laid.
16 And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.
2 And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.
3 And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?
4 And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great.
5 And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted.
6 And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him.
7 But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you.
8 And they went out quickly, and fled from the sepulchre; for they trembled and were amazed: neither said they any thing to any man; for they were afraid.
9 Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils.
10 And she went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept.
11 And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not.
12 After that he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country.
13 And they went and told it unto the residue: neither believed they them.
14 Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.
15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.
20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.
1 Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us,
2 Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word;
3 It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus,
4 That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.
5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.
6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.
7 And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.
8 And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course,
9 According to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.
10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense.
11 And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.
12 And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.
13 But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.
14 And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.
15 For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb.
16 And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.
17 And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
18 And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.
19 And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings.
20 And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season.
21 And the people waited for Zacharias, and marvelled that he tarried so long in the temple.
22 And when he came out, he could not speak unto them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: for he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless.
23 And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house.
24 And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying,
25 Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.
26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,
27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.
28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.
30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus.
32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
36 And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.
37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.
38 And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
39 And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda;
40 And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth.
41 And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:
42 And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.
43 And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44 For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.
45 And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.
46 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,
47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
48 For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
49 For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.
50 And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.
51 He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
52 He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.
53 He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.
54 He hath helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;
55 As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.
56 And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house.
57 Now Elisabeth's full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son.
58 And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her.
59 And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father.
60 And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John.
61 And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name.
62 And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called.
63 And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all.
64 And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God.
65 And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judaea.
66 And all they that heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, What manner of child shall this be! And the hand of the Lord was with him.
67 And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying,
68 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,
69 And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;
70 As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:
71 That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;
72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant;
73 The oath which he sware to our father Abraham,
74 That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear,
75 In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.
76 And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;
77 To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,
78 Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,
79 To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
80 And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel.


text:
Are You Now Or Have You Ever Been?
People like me have been saying that given the way the gay rights issue is playing out, today's traditional Christians will be tomorrow's segregationists. What I didn't foresee is that yesterday's traditional Christians would so quickly become today's segregationists. Here's Al Mohler:
A new chapter in America's moral revolution came today as Atlanta pastor Louie Giglio withdrew from giving the benediction at President Obama's second inaugural ceremony. In a statement released to the White House and the Presidential Inaugural Committee, Giglio said that he withdrew because of the furor that emerged yesterday after a liberal watchdog group revealed that almost twenty years ago he had preached a sermon in which he had stated that homosexuality is a sin and that the "only way out of a homosexual lifestyle … is through the healing power of Jesus."
In other words, a Christian pastor has been effectively disinvited from delivering an inaugural prayer because he believes and teaches Christian truth.
And not only that. As Mohler goes on to say, there's evidence that Pastor Giglio pretty much dropped the gay issue as part of his public ministry 15 years ago. Mohler concludes:
If you are a Christian, get ready for the question you will now undoubtedly face: "Do you now or have you ever believed that homosexuality is a sin?" There is nowhere to hide.
The blacklist is coming, and it will be justified by companies on the basis of avoiding the creation of a "hostile work environment." It will be based not on what people do, but based on what they believe. Or, it seems, once believed.
UPDATE: Here's Timothy Dalrymple on Patheos, writing about this thing. Excerpt:
While evangelicals have political power due to their sheer voting numbers, and while the worst (and therefore most-quoted) evangelical commentators can be terribly ungracious in their use of the power of the megaphone, it's nevertheless true that evangelicals are frequently mocked in popular culture, frequently given a raw deal in academia and elite media, and evangelicals who hold to traditional views of sexual ethics are — as the Louie Giglio affair shows — increasingly shoved to the side of the public square.
An evangelical pastor with a sterling record, who had developed strong relationships with President Obama and particularly his office of faith-based initiatives headed by Joshua DuBois, who had turned his enormously successful Passion conferences against the problem of human trafficking, was just publicly humiliated and shouted out of the public square for professing fairly standard Christian views on human sexuality and the possible redemption of our desires through the transformative power of the gospel of Christ. On the advice of the faith-based office, Giglio was invited to deliver the benediction, the LGBT community raised a hue and cry, and the White House quite obviously (see here and here) pressured him to step aside.
The message is loud and clear. It doesn't matter what else you have done. It doesn't matter how long ago it was. If you hold to traditional Christian views of human sexuality, or once did, you are no longer a citizen in good standing who is welcome to participate fully in the public square.
So, a wry congratulations to the LGBT community. You just chased an evangelical pastor widely known and celebrated for his anti-trafficking efforts out of the President's inaugural for the thought-crime of believing (or once believing) that homosexual sex is sinful, and homosexual desires can be controlled or cultivated in other ways. In so doing, however, you proved not only that you (unlike most oppressed minorities) wield immense political power, but you also proved that the oppressed can also be oppressors, the bullied bullies, and you proved too that evangelicals are right to have concerns that their religious conscience freedoms are in danger.
Was it worth it? It's hard to claim the place of the oppressed when you wield power like this.


text:
Hey friends,
So back in New York City things are … not so good. I mean, for myself and Chris–we're pretty lucky. We never lost power or internet, our apartment was never flooded and things have pretty much gone on as usual. However, less than a few miles away we know things are much, much different. My heart just pours out to everyone who has lost friends and loved ones, valued possessions or entire homes. It's just so horrible. Climate change–it's really something to think about, isn't it?
Chris has been working from home this whole week since the power is out at his office, but they hope to return on Monday. The New York City marathon, as of right now, will still happen Sunday and word on the street is the power will back on for everyone in Manhattan by Saturday evening.
In an effort to starting returning all things to normal, I thought I'd go ahead and blog about last weekend, when we were having a blast at JMU homecoming in Virginia.
So here's to happy, warm weather memories …
Last Friday Chris and I set off to La Guardia to pick up our rental car at around 6:30 in the morning. We had about a 6 hour drive ahead of us to Stanley, Virginia, and we were eager to get started. Since we couldn't check in to our log cabin (which was ahhhhmazing, by the way! More on that later!), the plan was for all of us to meet up at a local winery I had found, Wisteria, which was about a 10 minute drive away from where we'd be staying.
Chris, my cousin Alyssa, her boyfriend Jesse and myself were the first to arrive at the winery, and it was exactly as I would have wanted it to be. Cute. Charming. Low-key. Tasty wine. The owners–a retired husband and wife–opened the winery a few years back. Their two dogs, chickens, roosters and flock of sheep live on the property (which you know I loved), as well.
After our wine tasting ($12 per person for a tasting of 12 wines and a glass…gotta love VA!), we all congregated on a bench outside with some purchased bottles to take in the scenery and chat:
After our cute little vineyard tour, we all hopped in our cars and headed off to the cabin. Of course I had seen the photos on the website, and I had verified (multiple times) that the cabin we were getting was the one in the photos, but still, you can never be sure.
But let me tell you, my friends, we were not disappointed:
Our time at the cabin was mostly spent eating (we all took turns cooking), drinking, watching football, playing games in the game room, building fires in the fire pit, chilling in the hot tub (although somehow we only managed to do that Friday night) and playing beer pong and cards. It was an amazing time.
And on Saturday, Chris, Alyssa, Jesse and I headed to the JMU campus to catch the JMU football game and tailgate a bit.
Now I hadn't been back to the stadium since my first year out of school, but I knew they had done some remodeling. It was actually pretty impressive (as was our defeat to Georgia State!):
After the game we went to the book store and took a quick walk around campus, then headed back to the cabin, where we ate delicious shrimp fajitas, made a fire, played beer pong and cards, and where my sister and her friend Jenna had made a birthday cookie cake for Chris, whose birthday was last week.
On Sunday we were all pretty eager to head back to our homes as early as possible, since we all knew the storm was brewin'. So that was about it–our Virginia weekend in a nutshell. It was really fun, and I'd recommend this cabin to anyone looking for a quiet little retreat in the woods.
A word of caution though: if you do stay here, beware that the firewood bundles are $5 per bundle to use. Don't go ahead and use them all up on the first night assuming they are free. Like Chris did.
Bis bald, friends! And if you were in any way affected by the storm, we're thinking and praying for you!


text:
Have you ever wondered how life imitates nature? As a tribute to one of my favorite movies, the Karate Kid, I would like reference one of my first encounters of understanding posture and its relationship to nature through the lesson that was taught using the Bonsai tree. The ancient Japanese art form of growing Bonsai trees is fascinating. Bonsai trees are essentially normal shrubs that have been consistently stressed in a particular way for a long time to create a posture not naturally found in nature. Depending on how the tree is stressed while it grows, it may end up looking like a miniature version of a full-sized tree, or it may end up looking like a wild tangle of branches with twists and loops.
The Alignment Connection
To most people, "good posture" means sitting and standing up straight. Very few of us realize how important our posture is to our overall health and performance.
The human body craves alignment. When we are properly aligned, our bones, not our muscles, support our weight, reducing effort and strain on our nervous system.
The big payoff with proper posture is that we feel healthier, have more energy, plus we move and age more gracefully. So while the word "posture" may conjure up images of John Wayne in the old country and western classics or book-balancing school girls, it is not just about standing up straight. It's about being aware of and connected to every part of yourself.
Health Right From The Start
From the very beginning of our children's lives, we are always creating guidelines to help form and develop them into the healthy adults that they will become. As parents of this generation, we have encountered a new force that is creating bends and twists in our children's postures – the smartphones and electronic devices. This repetitive activity over time is now grooming our children's' postures to the predictable head forward posture and rolled shoulders. With the unhealthy bends, we see them all to clear results of back pain, headaches, short attention spans, depression, indigestion, reflux, high blood pressure, asthma and thyroid problems that are plaguing our youth.
It is important to remember that good posture should rank right up at the top of the list when you are talking about optimal health. It is as important as eating right, exercising, getting proper rest and avoiding potentially harmful substances like alcohol, drugs, and tobacco. Think of good posture as a way of doing things with more energy, less stress, and fatigue.
Did You Know?
- Without good posture, you cannot be physically, chemically or mentally fit.
- Without good posture, you can physically damage your spine every time you exercise.
- Without good posture, your nerves will not communicate properly with your glands and organs, resulting in all kinds of degeneration and potential chronic diseases.
Start Strong – Stay Strong!
As in nature, the earlier one begins a healthy lifestyle, the healthier and less dis-ease they will experience.
Is Chiropractic for children too? By all means. Miracles can occur every day in Chiropractic with the right adjustment, tailored to the individual's size, age, shape, and need.
What Does Your Posture Say About You?
Contact us today and schedule a posture exam. Your posture will be telling all of us more than you think!
For Your Health,
Dr. Frederick Savard