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Crazy Little Thing Called Mom
Yesterday, I did something foolish- as I do nearly every day.
I desperately tried to enjoy a meal out. At a restaurant. With my toddler.
What's that they say about the definition of insanity? I think I've caught it. A bad case of it. Because this mama keeps trying to enjoy her egg white omelet and almond milk latte out in peace- with her two-year-old in tow.
And yesterday, with no less than eight adult hands on deck- EIGHT- to help, I failed. Once again.
To say it was a challenging morning is an understatement- I simply wanted to finish a meal without my girl crawling on me; wailing; running out of the restaurant; throwing her head back in protest- of what, I'm not quite sure.
It was one of those mornings I wanted to get in my car and drive. Far away. I wanted to join the workforce- full time, outside the house- and leave this SAHM gig for good. I wanted to fast-forward time for a moment, to a different era; where she can sit, and talk, and not be all over me all the time.
But I didn't.
Because that's not what us moms do. I took a breath. Broke a much-needed sweat. And once the dust settled, the thought of her not needing me, or being older too fast made my heart twist into infinite knots; and I felt that familiar twinge of guilt for feeling that way, even for a second.
And, mostly, I didn't because there are glimpses of greatness in this insane season of our life; ones that make it overwhelmingly worthwhile to miss a meal in peace, or two. Or 100.
Like when we get rear-ended and my baby's first instinct is to ask me sweetly if I'm OK; when she gently pats my face as we cuddle before bed; when she dances like crazy with the toothiest grin on her face; when she tells me she loves me without me asking; when I see her making friends all on her own- with sweetness and giddiness and unwavering confidence; and when I see her growing into someone I'm so in love with, that I can't actually believe she's mine.
These moments keep me going, and fill me with the kind of love that makes me just mad enough to want another one.
Because I'd rather eat my eggs at home as mom, than in a restaurant without her any day.
And that's the crazy truth.


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Most patients feel immediate relief after treatment; this may be permanent but sometimes further treatment is necessary, depending on the nature of the problem and individual response to treatment.
However, some patients feel a little sore after treatment. This is normal and is simply your body's reaction to the osteopathic treatment. This soreness usually wears off after 24 to 48 hours. You may be cautioned that an after treatment reaction might occur by your osteopath and he or she will suggest measures to help. Your response will depend on your condition, length of time you have had symptoms, general health, stress levels etc.
If you are at all concerned about your symptoms please call the clinic and your osteopath will give you advise or discuss with you an earlier follow up appointment.

subset: commoncrawl


text: Pizo Meyer grew up in Webster, TX and began drawing cartoon advertisements for the Clear Creek High School newspaper. After graduating, he joined the Navy and began drawing gag cartoons on the USS Ranger's daily flight plan by request of the Air Boss. Once he left the service, he began working on his own strip called SICKNESS & IN HEALTH which was released in several issues of Roman Dirge's XENOPHOBE series in San Diego, California. After relocating back to Houston, he developed and created a new comic called SEED which previously had a limited release with Ghostfish Publishing. Pulp 21 has recently republished SEED with special packaging and in a larger format that contains a new narration by Chet Presley. In addition, it includes interviews, original sketches, and panels. Pizo is currently collaborating with James Roberts and working on a new stand alone series called DOMINE for Pulp 21.


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2013, creativity, culture, design, style
A throwback for my antique lovers…
A lively, dark royal blue enamel is the background for three bright antique rose cut diamonds of approximately two carats in weight. The stone settings are crimped around the gems in the 18th and 19th century manner. The center diamond, an elongated round, is the largest of the stones. The original shank is intact. c. 1790
Image via www.1stdibs.com


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New active for meeting male skincare needs
4MAN is a brand new multifunctional active from Chemyunion designed specifically forr male skincare. It reduces excessive oiliness, provides soothing effect while reducing the signs of aging and promoting moisturization. 4MAN is composed by the synergistic combination of hops, licorice, red algae extract, French rose, panthenol and menthol.


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Lighting up the Garden
The Tower Hill Gardeners got together for one last workday and created some holiday magic in the Garden. We're getting ready for the Winter Solstice Event we are co-hosting on Sunday, December 20th.
Twinkle lights in the pine tree,
Garland on the cabin and gold balls in the oak tree,
and presto ... Christmas magic!
No skating on the pond this year, but look at the reflection of the lights in the still, black water!
We went all out and put a Christmas tree on the big porch and the policeman is in the spirit too!
Join us on the 20th for some family fun and gather around our Winter Solstice bonfire to celebrate the longest night of the year and encourage the sun on its journey towards spring and summer!
Check our Events page for more details!


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The Center's history
The Center on Dispute Resolution focuses on integrating the theory and practice of dispute resolution. Since 1998, the center has created opportunities for both dispute resolution professionals and law students to engage in dialogue and attend training to develop knowledge and skills in this growing field. The center's founding director, Jennifer Gerarda Brown, is now dean of the School of Law. Furthermore, Quinnipiac's dispute resolution program was named 14th in the nation by U.S. News & World Report in its 2018 Best Graduate School rankings.


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About Me
"In wisdom gathered over time I have found that every experience is a form of exploration" -Ansel Adams
I believe that a passion for the subject is an essential pre-requisite for a successful photograph. If the photographer feels ambivalent about whatever is seen through the viewfinder how can they hope to have any impact on those who see the final photograph? Communicating mood and emotion are my most important motivators for making images. I've never been overly concerned with technical perfection or producing an accurate record of a subject or location. For me the heart of photography is to capture and communicate what I'm feeling, as much (if not more) than what I see at the time I release the shutter. If my photographs speak to the viewer on an emotional level then I have succeeded in my work.
I live in the lakes region of New Hampshire.
My favorite subject to photograph is landscape, in particular the sea, old architecture, and rock formations. These all will have a mood to convey and as in life these moods can shift from day to day and season to season, as does our perspective of the world we live in.
Most of my photographs were taken in New Hampshire; showing that you do not need to travel the world to see some of the most beautiful sites.
My preference is black and white because it is the first step out of reality and into emotion.
"there are no rules for good photography, there are only good photographs" -Ansel Adams
Most photographs shown are available for sale by contacting me through my email below.


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Lessons, near forgotten, guided my fingers:
at the back of the neck, a tense spot,
was that a murmur, or a sigh, or sheer comfort?
Down the spine, at the sides, up to the front,
a kiss here and there, a nibble once in a while.
How she loves it, certainly not an act;
her nipples rising to the touch, selfish ones,
forever seeking attention, ebb and flow of the tides;
down below, further and further, her eyes close.
Relax, relax, relax. Whispered words,
caressing touches, sucking, tasting, going on.
"My masseur", call me that I tell her,
but she does not wish to speak, not bothered.
In her mind, I suspect, thoughts far from that I wish;
In my mind, if she knew, she would cry rape.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
If she knew …
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A rough 2 days on the towpath
Wednesday: go out to ride in the rain jam stick in derailleur, blow up derailleur, have to call for a ride, making Robbie call his boss, leave work, and come get me mid-rush-hour because I was too darn far from home to walk it.
Thursday: get bike repaired, head out on towpath, stop at mid-way point to check my phone, get bit by what could only have been an enormous and angry spider, have to stop riding because it hurts, ask people on path to tell me if it looks really bad, make it home freaking out that spider senses are tingling.
Yet despite dropping a hefty amount on a new derailleur (though the guys at Kim's Bike Shop are awesome and hooked me up with great stuff and got it done super fast) and despite the fact that my back really hurts still, I'm feeling generally pretty happy with things.
Who knew that cycling could be so weirdly dangerous? I mean, crashes, yes, but spider bites!? Come on. It was probably the most awkward moment I've had during a ride when I had to flag down people running past me, pull off my jersey and pull down my bib shorts (not too far down, thank goodness) and ask if I had a big bite mark on my back. The worst part was when the girl said, "oh… yeah… it looks pretty bad. Want me to take a picture?" Iphones. Yeesh. That said, I said yes and saw the picture and it didn't look pleasant. And I had an hour and a half before I would make it home.
I spent the rest of the ride trying to decide whether my legs felt heavy and my stomach was hurting because I had venom spreading, or if it was a combination of fatigue and me being paranoid. I made it home, but felt pretty crappy the rest of the night. The bite mark is barely visible now, but my back still hurts. From what I can figure out with my Google.com-style of practicing medicine, I probably got bit by a wolf spider who fell onto my back (or was in my jersey from being on the apartment floor, eeeek) while I was riding, and when I went to reach into my pocket, I disturbed it, and it bit and jumped. The problem is, since it was on my back, I have no freaking idea. All I know is that despite my tomboyish nature (or as one person who shall remain nameless called it, my "boyish charm"), I am scared to death of spiders, especially bite-y ones. So maybe it's better if I didn't see it.
Enough about that, I've already looked at pages of bites and spiders and I'm feeling crawly, so a shift in topic is due.
You may remember Boris and Natasha, my two cyclocross bikes. I'm happy to report that Boris is totally fixed, with a shiny new derailluer (though his bar tape is slipping a little. Not because I suck and bar taping, but because… well, ok, I suck at bar taping.) Natasha is still in the process of being built but apparently it's going swimmingly so far. A word of caution: unless you're good at building bikes and know exactly what you need, I do not recommend building bikes from scratch. It was a bad, time/money-consuming idea. But, live and learn!
Anyway, my spider senses are tingling, so time for me to go get some work done.


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"Carlito's Way," adapted from two Edwin Torres novels ("Carlito's Way" and "After Hours"), sits somewhere in the middle. At times, this story about a Puerto Rican ex-con (Al Pacino) who's trying to make good in a world gone wrong is assured and brilliant. At other times, it loses the Way.
After five years in the pen, Pacino is released in 1975 on a fortuitous technicality -- thanks to the efforts of his tenacious lawyer, Sean Penn. The underworld Pacino used to know is long gone. Now, Spanish Harlem is overrun by young punks.
The former drug dealer decides to go for a legal dream this time: To reunite with his stripper girlfriend (Penelope Ann Miller), settle in the Bahamas and start a car rental agency. When Penn offers Pacino a job running his recently purchased nightclub, it seems like a legit way to go. Pacino plans to leave the club as soon as he earns the start-up cash.
But staying clean is impossible in this world, where strength is the only watchword and everyone's got a scheme. Pacino manages to stay out of trouble until Penn begs him for a favor, a harebrained, highly dangerous mission that could send him back up the river. Indebted to Penn, Pacino reluctantly agrees.
The best parts of "Carlito" are its cinematic set pieces. De Palma creates memorable tension during a drug-purchase scene in a pool hall, then later, in an extended pursuit scene in the subway and Grand Central Terminal, when Pacino tries to escape some very angry mobsters. Another plus: De Palma's trademark misogynism (in which he gets to skewer or stalk a beautiful woman) is refreshingly absent. Perhaps fatherhood and a second marriage has deepened his world view.
Despite explosive situations -- lives on the line, fidelity in a world of chaos and treachery -- this 140-minute melodrama is often slow and moribund. After making exhilarating headway though one scene, it flounders through another two. Many of these pacing problems can be thrown at the feet of screenwriter David Koepp, who has word-processed his share of dead spots in "Jurassic Park" and "Death Becomes Her."
Pacino has his moments but for the most part he's surprisingly underwhelming. He's a great actor but even I can do a better Puerto Rican accent. The production's biggest mistake is the casting of Miller. She's almost laughingly unbelievable as a cleancut WASP who strips by night and is involved with former heroin merchant Pacino. In her worst scene, she tearfully tells Pacino she doesn't want to see him in a body bag. Pacino listens, quietly seething, before smashing a bathroom mirror with his fist. It's unclear whether his character is upset or the actor can't take much more of this inept tirade.
Penn comes away with the best performance. Virtually unrecognizable in glasses and red, frizzy curls, he's wonderful scum, a coked-up yuppie gone over the edge. But below the attention-getting surface, there's no sense of humanity underneath. The day De Palma pulls away the masks from his characters, they'll start to breathe -- and so will his films.
© Copyright 1999 The Washington Post Company


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In the belief that music molds and captures the American spirit, NOTABLES USA brings a new side of our country's leaders to the forefront and applauds their musical achievements. Highlighting these accomplishments, "Hail To The Chief" is a new series of original and unique digital composites that combine presidential portraits and the instruments they played using a variety of mixed media techniques. NOTABLES USA also produces note cards, mugs and other accessory items using the same artistic theme together with presidential quotes about music.
Individual Note Cards – $4.95 each.
Quote inside. Available for all 6 presidents, Jefferson, FDR, Truman, Nixon, Reagan & Clinton.
Assorted Box Set/12– $19.95
Quote inside. 2 each of 6 presidents.
Individual Box Set/10 – $17.95
Quote inside. 10 of one president. Available for all six presidents.
11 oz. Ceramic Mugs – $14.95 each.
Quote on back. Available for all 6 presidents.
Original Archival Matted Prints/12
$75.00 each. Portraits are digital. Available for complete series of 12. Custom framing upon request.


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Graduate Recruitment Manager
- Recruiter
- Annapurna HR Ltd
- Location
- London, England
- Salary
- £38000.00 - £45000 per annum + Bonus & Benefits
- Posted
- 20 Feb 2018
- Closes
- 20 Mar 2018
- Ref
- Contact
- HR Jobs
- Job Type
- Recruitment & Resourcing
- Sector
- Contract Type
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full Time
Graduate Recruitment & Campaign Manager, FMCG
West London, £38,000 - £45,000 (Bens & Bonus)
Our client, a global FMCG organisation, are currently looking to enhance their high performing talent team with an experienced Graduate Recruitment Manager.
This role will be responsible managing and running the graduate and placement campaign for the business. It will work with the Emerging Talent Manager to shape the digital recruitment strategy from an EVP perspective
- Clear experience with Graduate recruitment, ideally within Retail or FMCG sector
- Responsible for running campaigns in graduate and experienced hires channels
- Drive external recognition of the graduate programme
- Responsible for reviewing, shaping and developing the graduate and placement campaigns
- Responsible for all on-campus activities
- Developing a CRM approach for placements and graduates
The ideal candidate will have a previous HR generalist or strong Resourcing background, with a passion for recruitment.
- Demonstrable experience in the graduate recruitment field
- Clear experience of successful Graduate placement schemes and programmes
- Able to establish effective and trusted relationships and campus partnerships
- Great communication skills and a pragmatic approach
If this role sounds of interest please contact Craig at firstname.lastname@example.com or call 02030312468 for more details.
Similar jobs


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Aug 2 2011
The Justin Timberlake Physical Fanlisting is now open. The physical fanlisting is for the singer/actor Justin Timberlake. Thanks to Vanessa for letting me adopt it. Please change the url if you are a member of this physical fanlisting. If you are not a member feel free to join the physical fanlisting.


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Andrew Funk
With a voice that is described as rich, warm, and a "resonant force", Andrew Funk has a successful singing career, performing with companies all over North America, including the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Metropolitan Opera, Seattle Opera, Los Angeles Opera, and San Francisco Opera. He appeared along with fellow Lyric Opera of Chicago Ryan Center graduate Alicia Berneche in the premiere of the Philip Glass opera Galileo Galilei, directed by Tony-award winning Mary Zimmerman. Andrew has been a frequent guest artist at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, debuting in the world premiere of Amistad, and later appearing in La Gioconda, Tosca, Falstaff, Die Frau ohne Schatten, the Magic Flute, Roméo et Juliette, Salome, and Aida. He has performed with many world-renowned conductors and directors, including Carmen in Santa Fe under Alan Gilbert, and Les Troyens at Chicago Symphony Orchestra under Zubin Mehta.
As a teacher, Andrew has had the opportunity to work with many kinds of singers, including Broadway, choral, jazz, and blues. He strives with each student to find ease and flexibility within their voice, and to discover their own unique instrument. His background as a successful performer as well as his extensive training gives Andrew a rare combination of skills that can help students of all levels, from beginning to advanced.
A Master's degree graduate of the Juilliard School, Andrew received his Bachelor's degree from UCLA, and is currently working on a doctorate from the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati.
Andrew lives in Evanston, IL with his wife Amy, his daughter Madeline, and their cat Willow.
Alicia Berneche
Alicia Berneche has sung on stages around the globe, bringing to them a unique, beautifully produced sound, an extraordinary acting talent, and an exquisite musicality. Often specializing in contemporary works, she appeared on the stages of the Lyric Opera of Chicago as Daisy Buchanan in The Great Gatsby, along with essaying Helen Niles in the new edition of Mourning Becomes Electra by Marvin David Levy, and appearing at The Goodman Theatre, The Barbican, and BAM in the world premiere of Philip Glass' and Mary Zimmerman's Galileo Galilei. She has also sung with celebrated conductors and ensembles, including Carmina Burana with the Minnesota Orchestra under Osmo Vänskä and Le nozze di Figaro under Zubin Mehta.
Her voice students have met with great success. Leah Crocetto won the José Iturbi Competition, the Met competition, was the American representative for the Cardiff Singer of the World competition in 2011, and a member of the Adler Fellowship. She now sings on the greatest opera stages across the world. Gregory Peebles is a member of the famed Chanticleer singers and anchors them in concerts across the world. Others perform across the country in opera and musical theatre.


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Lichenase (endo-1,3:1,4-β-D-Glucanase) (Bacillus subtilis)
High purity Lichenase (endo-1,3,1,4-β-Glucanase) (Bacillus subtilis) for use in research, biochemical enzyme assays and in vitro diagnostic analysis.
CAZy Family: GH16
licheninase; (1->3)-(1->4)-beta-D-glucan 4-glucanohydrolase
Highly purified. From Bacillus subtilis.
In 3.2 M ammonium sulphate.
Supplied at ~ 1,000 U/mL.
Specific activity:
~ 230 U/mg (40oC, pH 6.5 on barley β-glucan).
Stability: > 4 years at 4oC.
Lichenase (endo-1,3:1,4-β-D-Glucanase) (Bacillus subtilis)
CAZy Family: GH16
licheninase; (1->3)-(1->4)-beta-D-glucan 4-glucanohydrolase
In 3.2 M ammonium sulphate.
> 4 years at 4oC.
Specific activity:
~ 230 U/mg (40oC, pH 6.5 on barley β-glucan).
Unit definition:
One Unit of lichenase activity is defined as the amount of enzyme required to release one μmole of glucose reducing-sugar equivalents per minute from barley β-glucan (10 mg/mL) in sodium phosphate buffer (100mM), pH 6.5 at 40oC.
Hydrolysis of (1,4)-β-D-glucosidic linkages in β-D-glucans containing (1,3)- and (1,4)-bonds.
Applications in carbohydrate research and in the food and feeds, brewing and biofuels industries.
Novel approaches to the automated assay of β-glucanase and lichenase activity.
Measurement of (1→3)(1→4)-β-D-glucan in malt, wort and beer.
Enzymic quantification of (1→3) (1→4)-β-D-glucan in barley and malt.
Measurement of (1→3),(1→4)-β-D-glucan in barley and oats: A streamlined enzymic procedure.
Dietary fibers from mushroom sclerotia: 3. In vitro fermentability using human fecal microflora.
Improved quantitative analysis of oligosaccharides from lichenase-hydrolyzed water-soluble barley β-glucans by high-performance anion-exchange chromatography.
Enzymatic extraction of beta-glucan from oat bran cereals and oat crackers and optimization of viscosity measurement.
Textural and Bile Acid-Binding Properties of Muffins Impacted by Oat β-Glucan with Different Molecular Weights.
Identification of quantitative trait loci affecting hemicellulose characteristics based on cell wall composition in a wild and cultivated rice species.
Generic tools to assess genuine carbohydrate specific effects on in vitro immune modulation exemplified by β-glucans.
Mechanical and barrier properties of avenin, kafirin, and zein films.
Regulation of the cellulose synthase-like gene family by light in the maize mesocotyl.
Effects of barley and oat β-glucan structures on their rheological and thermal characteristics.
In vitro bile-acid binding and fermentation of high, medium, and low molecular weight β-glucan.
How cell wall complexity influences saccharification efficiency in Miscanthus sinensis.
Starch structure in developing barley endosperm.
Mixed‐Linkage Glucan Oligosaccharides Produced by Automated Glycan Assembly Serve as Tools to Determine the Substrate Specificity of Lichenase.
Improvement of enzyme activity of β-1,3-1,4-glucanase from Paenibacillus sp. X4 by error-prone PCR and structural insights of mutated residues.
Impact of hydrothermal and mechanical processing on dissolution kinetics and rheology of oat β-glucan.
The impact of oat structure and &beta-glucan on in vitro lipid digestion.
Below you will find a link to our dedicated frequently asked questions section. Within this section you will find common questions and answers on a range of topics about the product.FAQs


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The Lunch Club XIII: Craft Gourmet by Lou Baker
This month's Lunch Club was our first one in a restaurant this year, and we selected our current favorite restaurant in Lagos - Craft Gourmet by Lou Baker. Usually, it's split down the middle with new lunch club members overlap with old lunch club members. However, this time, there was only one person who had attended before so it was great to see so many new faces.
The menu was a labor of love between ourselves and the owners of Craft Gourmet. A huge thank you Lou and Tarek for having us, everything was lovely.
A big thank you to everyone who came through on Saturday, you were an awesome group. We're very excited by how the Lunch Club has grown and evolved over the past year. We've had 13 lunches now and we're still excited about it with every new month.
If you'd love to join our little club, sign up HERE. Also, we're trying to make our EDL Brunch Party a monthly affair, so we're having another one at the end of this month and as usual, Lunch Club members will get all the details first.


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Tzvi Fishman
I will let you in on a secret. I celebrate thanksgiving. That's right. I do it every day. That's how a Jew spends his entire life, thanking G-d for all of His constant goodness and blessings.
Just as Xmas celebrates the birth of a Jew, and Easter celebrates his death, Thanksgiving has Jewish origins too.
When it comes to celebrating the American holiday of Thanksgiving, there are halachic opinions that it is OK for a Jew to participate in the festivities and football games since the holiday is not associated today with any religious observances of the gentiles.
Ostensibly, Thanksgiving is a time, dating back to the Pilgrims, to thank G-d for providing disgruntled Englishman with a new place to observe their religion. This being the case, it is difficult for me to understand why a Jew would want to participate in this holiday. As my Grandmother used to say, "A curse on Columbus!" for having discovered America in the first place.
In a previous blog this week, we mentioned the many carving knives that bear-hugging America has wedged into the backs of the Jewish People while pretending to love us. In addition to the upcoming trap of Annapolis, we shouldn't forget that this sinister, pseudo-love is insidiously decimating our ranks through the holocaust of assimilation.
Nonetheless, for all of our schizophrenic brothers and sisters who celebrate Thanksgiving, they can at least claim that it has Jewish sources. After all, we are the people who taught mankind about the obligation to thank G-d for all of His infinite kindness. In Hebrew, the word "Hodo" means "expressing thanks" or "thanksgiving." This is how we begin our daily prayers, "Hodo l'Hashem…" – "Give thanks to Hashem, call out in His Name, make known His doings amongst the nations." In effect, a Jew celebrates thanksgiving every day. Interestingly, "Hodo" is also the Hebrew word for "turkey." So it is no coincidence that people celebrate Thanksgiving by stuffing their mouths with turkey. Just as Xmas celebrates the birth of a Jew, and Easter celebrates his death, Thanksgiving has Jewish origins too.
In fact, Columbus himself was a closet Jew. He received the money for his expedition from the great Rabbi, the Abarbanel, who was the acting Finance Minister of Spain. Doesn't 1492 ring a bell? It was also the year of the Spanish Inquisition, when all the Jews were expelled from Spain. It turns out that Columbus, who wrote on his epistles, the Hebrew letters, ב"ה, meaning "Bezrat Hashem," or "With the help of G-d," was looking for a safe haven for the Jews.
Too bad he didn't sail south a few days across the Mediterranean to Israel. That way he would have saved us from 500 years of wandering amongst the goyim, along with the wholesale slaughter and psychological trauma that has accompanied us throughout all of our exiles.
And it would have spared us the question of whether Jews should celebrate Thanksgiving once a year like the Americans, or be content with our daily thanksgivings to G-d in our prayers.
One way or the other, "Hodo l'Hashem ki tov, ki l'olam chasdo!"


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The leading
Understanding The FBI Name Check Policy That Is Causing Naturalization Delays
by Cyrus D. Mehta
A detailed internal memo from the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) explains the labyrinthine FBI name check procedure that has caused delays to many people applying for citizenship or other immigration benefits, such as permanent residence.
According to the memo, the expedite request has to be initiated by the USCIS official via fax and not by the applicant. It remains to be seen whether an applicant can prevail upon an officer to expedite the FBI name check claim. The memo specifically states that cases that are simply "old" or subject to a congressional inquiry do not qualify for an expedited name check unless one of the expedited criteria are met.
Details On Name Check Procedure
About The Author


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Samsung has blazed a trail with its highly popular lineup of Android smartphones, reportedly overtaking rival Apple as the world's most profitable handset vendor in the second quarter. But the boss of the company's electronics division says his biggest fear is to become complacent.
"My biggest worry is that we might get too full of ourselves for what we have achieved. About 20 of Samsung's products are number one in their respective category around the world. It's very important to remain humble," Boo-keun Yoon, CEO, Consumer Electronics Division at Samsung Electronics told CNBC.
"We need to continue to innovate and strive to be the best with the goal of producing top-notch products for the consumer," he added.
(Read more: Product ban? Samsung won't be sweating it)
In the second quarter, the maker of the Galaxy smartphone shipped over three times the number of mobile phones compared to Apple. Profits at Samsung's handset division also surpassed that of its rival's for the first time in that period, according to Strategy Analytics.
And, the South Korean electronics giant isn't backing down any time soon. The company is expected to launch its Galaxy Gear smartwatch - a smartphone device worn on the wrist - as early as next week to rival Apple's rumored iWatch, which could be unveiled in the next couple of weeks.


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The induction of Raghuram Rajan as Chief Economic Advisor seems to have injected a note of sobriety in the workings of the finance ministry. If last year's Economic Survey and the Union budget painted a rosier picture of the economy than was warranted, this year's survey, released today to Parliament, is more circumspect about its projections.
Last year Pranab Mukherjee airily projected GDP growth "in 2012-13 to be 7.6 percent, +/- 0.25 percent." We now know that it could be as low as 5 percent.
The finance ministry under P Chidambaram still does not think so, which is why it contested the Central Statistics Office's advance estimates of 5 percent earlier this month.
But the Economic Survey 2012-13 penned by Rajan is realistic and goes with the CSO's estimate of 5 percent. Rajan is clearly not one to have his head in the clouds, despite official compulsion to paint a bright picture.
For 2013-14, the survey makes a GDP projection in the range of 6.1-6.7 percent, and inflation for March 2013 at 6.2-6.6 percent.
While 6.7 percent would be a godsend, it would be more sensible to work on the lower estimate of 6.1 percent, unless P Chidambaram's budget seeks to give another fillip to growth against the odds in an election year. Clubbed together with the inflation estimate, 2013-14 will be reporting a nominal growth rate of around 12-12.5 percent.
Since the CSO's advance estimates placed current price GDP at Rs 9,461,979 crore, a 12-12.5 percent nominal growth would give us a GDP in the range of Rs 10,597,416-10,644,726 crore. A 4.8 percent fiscal deficit for 2013-14 on that GDP number would be more or less what Pranab Mukherjee had pencilled in last year - around Rs 5,08,000-5,10,000 crore. This gives the finance minister no room to manoeuvre on his fiscal deficit figures for 2013-14. He can manage it only if the steady increases in diesel prices are maintained or even fast-forwarded, and the food security bill does not hog another big chunk of subsidies next year.
Rajan's survey is thus both a warning and a call to action.
The second area where Rajan's hand is visible is in the survey's analysis of why growth is slowing, and why inflation has gone structural. It does not keep blaming only global factors and oil for our problems.
The survey lists three reasons for the slowdown.
First, it blames both the Finance Ministry and the Reserve Bank for it. The survey clearly holds that Mukherjee's post-Lehman stimulus was too much and stayed on for too long. It says: "The boost to demand given by monetary and fiscal stimulus following the crisis was large. Final consumption grew at an average of over 8 percent annually between 2009-10 and 2011-12. The result was strong inflation and a powerful monetary response that also slowed consumption demand."
Second, it indirectly points a finger at the policy paralysis for the slowdown, which, it says, resulted from "investment bottlenecks as well as the tighter monetary policy." The reference is obviously to the extraordinary delays in environmental clearances and government decision-making after the UPA got bogged down in corruption scams post 2010-11.
Third, it apportions some portion of the blame to the global slowdown and the initial weak spread of the monsoon this financial year.
Overall, the survey makes the simple point that India's economic malaise is as much home-grown as external. It notes: "While India's recent slowdown is partly rooted in external causes, domestic causes are also important."
The survey minces no words in telling us that due to the failures of policy and global headwinds, "the consequent slowdown, especially in 2012-13, has been across the board, with no sector of the economy unaffected."
For perhaps the first time in many surveys, Rajan makes a clear connection between policies that create high inflation, and how they ultimately result in a slowdown.
The survey notes that "part of the reason for the general slowdown in consumption could be that higher inflation tends to reduce the disposable incomes of households. Growth of durable goods consumption (under the assumption that growth of consumption for these items would not be significantly different from the growth in production) may have slowed even further recently, because high interest rates and resulting high monthly installments restrained purchases."
The Rajan-influenced survey also explodes another myth that Indians buy gold only for traditional reasons. In fact, it draws a direct link between gold imports and high inflation.
It says that "gold imports are positively correlated with inflation" as "high inflation reduces the return on other financial instruments."
An accompanying study by Rohit Lamba and Prachi Mishra is illuminating. Noting that consumption of gold has shifted steadily to non-jewellery items (which means the rising demand is largely investment-led), the survey says that this trend "is easily explained by the declining real returns on the gamut of financial instruments available to the investor and soaring ones on gold (23.7 percent annual average return between April 2007 and March 2012, versus 7.3 percent return on Nifty and 8.2 percent on savings deposits."
Clearly, while there may be a need to restrain gold imports in order to reduce the pressure on the current account deficit, asking for artificial cuts in interest rates will only worsen the problem and increase the preference for inflation-resistant instruments like gold.
Broadly speaking, Rajan's survey seems to underscore the point that reversing the slowdown calls for fiscal prudence as a first step, but also in pursuing long-delayed reforms that lie outside the budget. At the very least, the focus has to shift from consumption to saving and investment and ending the roadblocks to growth.
The survey says: "The way out (of the slowdown), and the hope for starting a virtuous circle, lies in shifting national spending from consumption to investment, removing the bottlenecks to investment, growth, and job creation, in part through structural reforms, combating inflation both through monetary and supply-side measures, reducing the costs for borrowers...and increasing the opportunities for savers to get strong real investment returns."
The way to ensuring real returns to savers while enabling borrowers to get lower rates lies in lower inflation. Which means curbing excess government spending. In practical terms for government policy, this translates into containing the fiscal deficit, especially by shrinking wasteful and distortionary subsidies. It means working on reducing the impediments to investment such as delays in getting permissions, clarifying difficult and non-transparent processes for land acquisition, and increasing access to good infrastructure such as power and roads. It warrants reworking the regulatory and incentive structure that keeps small businesses tiny and prevents them from creating good productive jobs. It calls for reducing the barriers to entry in various areas of business and allowing FDI, even while ensuring domestic companies are not disadvantaged. It entails providing the incentives and means for the farmer to increase production, even while improving the management and the logistics of food procurement and distribution."
In an indirect way, Raghuram Rajan is saying the government does not have too much leeway in Budget 2013 to throw freebies at the electorate. It also does not think the petroleum subsidies are sustainable, or that the government's Land Bill is any panacea.
Chidambaram may be willing to listen to Rajan, but will Sonia Gandhi?
Updated Date: Dec 20, 2014 16:13:16 IST


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You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free
Renette Vermeulen
We begin at the very beginning, to know what happened to humanity that they cannot be saved, redeemed, or blessed by any of their own efforts, and why they are completely reliant on finding, understanding, accepting, and following the Only Mediator between God and mankind, The Lord Jesus Christ of the Bible, (Gal. 2:21; 1 Tim. 2:5-6; Heb. 1:1-2):
1. God created humanity, as His entire creation, perfectly sinless and very good, to live in the Garden in Eden: (Gen. 1:31.)
2. God created both male and female humanity in His Own Image as 3-part beings, with (a) supernatural/unseen human spirits or "hearts," (b) souls or minds, with free will, intellect and emotions, (c) which live in human bodies: 1 Ths. 5:23.
· God then blessed "them" [both male and female humanity,] completely, (Gen. 1:28,) and gave them the responsibility to reign [not rule] as spiritual kings, [managers and custodians] over His entire creation, (verse 25.)
· Before the fall, they had a perfect relationship with God and could hear His voice clearly in the Garden, (Gen. 3:8.)
3. God immediately gave newly-created humanity only two commandments to keep:
· Paraphrased: "You have the Responsibility to Tend [look after] and Keep [protect] the Garden," (Gen. 2:15.) [In our modern day, "the Garden" pertains to our entire lives, as we still have the responsibility to look after and protect everything God had entrusted to us.]
· You must be obedient to the Word of God. There is the tree of the knowledge of good and evil planted in the Garden, of which "you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it, you will surely die," 1Gen. 2:17.)
4. Satan, in the form of a snake, deceived Adam and Eve; they disobeyed God and ate of the forbidden fruit from that tree. This proves, if we choose to believe a lie, (which is the twisting and/or omission of, and addition to God's Word, called "eisegesis" or own interpretation,) we are deceived. More disobedience to God always follows deception.
5. Through their disobedience to God, Adam and Eve instantly fell into spiritual death, which is a state/position/place of sin without God.
6. Being transported from spiritual life into spiritual death; their relationship with God was broken, (Gen. 3:9-24.)
7. Consequently:
· God cursed His entire creation because of them and spiritually, they fell into a State/Position/Spiritual Place of sin, cursedness, and spiritual death, although they still lived physically by means of their souls, or minds: (their will, intellect, and emotions.) Sin and cursedness is not just disobedience to God's Moral Law such as stealing and lying, or bad things that happen to us; it is a spiritual place in the kingdom of darkness, (Deuteronomy Chapter 28.)
· Cut off from God in a spiritual state of lostness and cursedness, they could not speak to God, Who is Spirit, but hid from Him to try and do all their sinful deeds in underhanded darkness.
· God evicted them from the Garden of Eden. This means, He sent them away from His holy presence and did not speak directly to them anymore.
The Bible is divided into two Testaments, Covenants, and Dispensations for the following reason:
Because God did not speak directly to fallen humanity after the fall in the Garden, during the Old Testament Covenant Dispensation, He chose only the Old Hebrew nation, Old Israel, to be His physical nation on earth, (Jn. 1:10-12. Mt. 15:24.)
· From the Hebrews, He called prophets like Moses and Elijah to speak through them to the Hebrew nation. (Heb. 1:1-2.)
· Everything under the Old Testament Covenant was physical: a physical nation, country, priesthood, temple, blood and other sacrifices, and ceremonial or ritual laws, to keep everything in the physical temple, and to tend to the physical and spiritual needs of this physical nation, the Old Hebrews, (Heb. 9:1-10.)
Because God, Who is Spirit, SO loved all of humanity, (John 3:16,) He wanted fallen humanity to again have the sinless, blessed relationship with Him, which they forfeited in the Garden, (Heb. 1:1-2.) He does not want humanity to worship Him in outward religious structures like temples, with outward religious rituals or ceremonies like during the Old Testament dispensation, (Acts 7:48; 17:24.) God desires that each of us, (as Adam and Eve did in the Garden before the fall,) worship Him through and in his or her own human spirit, or "spiritual heart," (which died in the Garden, being cut off from God, Who is Spirit,) and in the Truth of His Word, (John 4:21-24.)
· So, to reconcile humanity to Him, God gave, as a completely Free Gift to all humanity, His only begotten Son Jesus as The Ultimate, Final, and Free Sacrifice, to pay the entire price in full for our salvation, redemption, (complete spiritual freedom,) and blessing, (Gal. 3:10-15; 2:21.) This last, complete, and eternal Sacrifice to God fulfilled all the requirements of the Old Testament Law for us and in our place, once and for all, (Mt. 5:17.)
· Hence, Jesus made that entire Old Testament Covenant with all it's physical structures obsolete (Heb. 8:13) to establish His Final, Eternal, New Testament Covenant with His own blood, (Rev. 12:11.)
· So, we, by believing in Jesus, and by accepting Him and all He has done for us, can stand before God in a new relationship as if we have never sinned, (Col. 1:13-14; 2:9-10; 11-15.) This is Adam and Eve spiritually restored in this fallen dimension. Until Jesus' return, however, this world will be in the power of the evil one, (1 Jn. 5:19.) Until That Glorious Day, physically, we, as Jesus' disciples, must live as pilgrims and strangers in this chaotic world, (1 Pt. 2:9-12.)
· This means, Jesus, in the place of all humanity, through His perfect obedience to the entire Old Testament Covenant of the Law, (which no other human being could, can, or ever will achieve,) became the sinless Lamb, (or the most acceptable, ultimate and only sacrifice to God,) which could buy back the spiritual state/position, or place of salvation, redemption and blessedness, which Adam and Eve sold for a measly fruit in the Garden, (Gal. 3:10-14; 2:19-21.)
· Therefore, as sin entered the world through one disobedient man, (the first Adam,) so eternal spiritual life or salvation, a position of blessedness, and complete redemption (or complete spiritual freedom,) are freely available to humanity through the total obedience of the Second Adam, (Jesus,) Who bought back our relationship and spiritual place or position in God with His own life, (Mat. 5:17; Rom. 5:12-15; 1 Cor. 45-49.)
· Because cursed humanity died spiritually in the Garden through disobedience, Jesus commanded that they must become obedient to live, or to be "born again" spiritually by understanding, receiving, and occupying the full and total position or spiritual place of salvation, redemption and blessedness of God in Christ, (Jn. 3:3-5.)
· At the moment of our sincere acceptance of Christ, God Himself takes us completely "out of" spiritual death; (that place or position of darkness, lostness, bondage and cursedness without Him; Deuteronomy Chapter 28,) to be spiritually born again "into" His eternal Kingdom of Salvation, Redemption and Blessedness in Christ, (Jn. 1:12-13; 3:3-5.) Col. 1:13-14; "We were delivered [fully set free or saved from] the power of darkness and conveyed [wholly brought into] the Kingdom of God's Son; in Whom we have, [present tense,] redemption, [total deliverance] through His blood: the forgiveness of [all our] sins." Gal. 3:10-14, "For as many as are of [any of the] works of the [Old Testament] law is under the [entire state of] the curse, [Deut. 28,] for… Christ has redeemed, [already set us completely free] from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us… that the [entire state of blessedness] of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles, [all the believing non-Hebrew nations of the world,] that we might receive the promise of the [indwelling Holy] Spirit through faith," (1 Pet. 2:8-10 — and read how God, under the Old Testament, completely brought out the entire Hebrew nation in Ex. 20:1-2 as an example of our complete freedom in Christ! (1 Cor. 10:6-7; 11.)
· Salvation, redemption (or complete freedom) and blessing make for an entirely free, spiritual position and life in Christ, which we personally have to occupy through a constant, growing relationship with Jesus Christ Himself through the Truth of His entire Word, the Bible, (Jude 1:20.) There is no other way to be saved, redeemed, or blessed. Acquiring and maintaining our new life in Christ and everything that pertains to it, is our own, personal responsibility, (Mt. 7:7.)
What humanity must do to receive God's Free Gift in Christ
· We must understand and confess that, without accepting Jesus personally, all of us are lost in a cursed state/position of sin, and in complete bondage to the kingdom of darkness, (1 Jn. 5:18-19) Thus, as slaves of the deception of Satan and in bondage to sin, we can do absolutely nothing to save, redeem [free] and bless ourselves: (Rom. 3:10-18.)
· We must all understand that Jesus Christ Himself Is God, Who became a mere man, to pay in full for our state of spiritual death, lostness, bondage, and cursedness at the moment He died on that cross, and sighed, "It is finished." Col. 2:13-15, "You, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made [spiritually] alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses. Having wiped out the handwriting of requirements [our transgressions of His Moral Law,] that was against us, taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having, [on the cross,] disarmed [all the] principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it," (Col. 2:8-15; Rom. 3:21-26.)
· We must understand that the Only Way to enter into the "Kingdom of God," or the spiritual place of salvation, redemption and blessing, is through Jesus Himself, and His full atonement in our place, (Jn. 14:6.)
· Understanding what Jesus did in our place on Golgotha, (Jn. 3:16,) we must all, in obedience to Christ, personally decide to believe in Him and accept Him, and everything He has done for us in our place. In this way, all the requirements of the Old Testament Law, which humanity had broken since Adam and Eve fell in the Garden, are fully fulfilled for us in, and through the full atonement of Jesus, (Jn. 1:12-13; Rom. Chapters 2-3.)
· At the moment we sincerely accept Jesus fully into our human spirits, souls or minds, bodies and entire lives, God removes us spiritually from the kingdom of darkness, (with its state of spiritual death, lostness and cursedness), and places us completely inside His Kingdom of Light, Righteousness, Eternal Life, Redemption (or freedom) and Blessedness, (1 Pet. 2:9-10; Col. 1:13-14.)
· At this moment, we become spiritually born again children of Jesus, and He instantly gives us His Holy Spirit to indwell us fully as His spiritually, holy, saved, redeemed, blessed temple until He comes to take us to heaven — should we stay at His feet throughout our new life in Him, of course, (Acts 5:32; Gal. 4:4-7; Rom. 8:9-11; 1 Cor. 3:16; 6:18.)
· Once we are truly "born again" and Spirit filled through our personal faith in, and sincere acceptance of Jesus, and everything He had done for us in our place, [because the Holy Spirit completely indwells us at our rebirth and not at a later stage when we "manifest the gift of tongues," etcetera,] we must then become faithful followers or disciples of Jesus, to Love and Obey Him according to His Moral Law of Love, the Only New Testament/Covenant Law Jesus ever commanded, (Acts 5:32; Jn. 13:34; Mt. 22:37-40.) A temple of the Holy Spirit can never be empty. "If anyone does not have the [indwelling] Spirit of Christ, he is not His," (Rom. 8:9-11.)
· Then, knowing that we are Scripturally and personally born again follower/disciples of Christ, we must also follow Him and be baptized in water according to Jesus' own example, (Mt. 28:19-20.) Not because water baptism 'saves' us or 'adds' to our salvation. Obedience to the Scriptural water baptism of Jesus' disciples is the 'sign' that we have died spiritually and emotionally to our old life of sin, death, and cursedness, (when we are dunked or 'buried' under water,) and we have risen in a new life of forgiveness, eternal life, and a state of redemption and blessedness in Christ, (when we come up out of the water.) This is the only Scriptural meaning and way of water baptism, which Jesus illustrated and commanded, and it is only available to sincerely, personally, born again disciples of Christ, (Col. 2:11-15; Rom. 6:3-14.)
If you believe that Jesus is the Son of God, the Savior of the whole world, and if you sincerely and personally accept Him as your God and Lord, and believe and accept everything He did for you on the cross, please pray with me:
"Holy Father in heaven,
Just as I am, I come to You in the Name of Jesus Christ, Your Son. I confess that I am a sinner in need of the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. I believe and accept that Jesus Himself is God Himself, Who became a human being to suffer and die in my place, (Col. 2:9-10.) I believe that You raised Him from the dead, and that He will come again to take to heaven all those who truly believe in Him, and strive to follow Him in obedience to Your Moral Law of Love, (Jn. 13:34; Mt. 7:21-24.)
Please forgive all my sins and cleanse me from all unrighteousness, (1 Jn. 1:8-9; Col. 1:14.)
I also choose to forgive all those who have sinned against me, and I ask You to help me to make right with all those, whom I have abused and sinfully offended, (Jam. 5:16.) Help me to obey and follow You above all else, (Mr. 10:37-39.)
I now, by understanding Your Real Gospel of salvation, complete redemption and blessedness, choose Jesus, the Risen Christ as my personal God, Lord and Savior, and invite and accept You, Lord Jesus of the Bible, into my heart, (which is my own human spirit,) my soul, (which is my mind, will, and intellect,) my body, and my entire life. Please write my name in the Lamb's Book of Life in heaven, and send Your Holy Spirit to constantly live in me until You come to take me home, (1 Ths. 5:23; Rev. 20:15; Gal. 4:6-7; 1 Cor. 3:16-17; Rom. 8:9-11.)
I surrender and submit myself spirit, soul, and body to You Alone. From this moment on, Jesus Christ will be my only God, Savior, Redeemer, Blessor, Apostle and High Priest, the Author and Finisher of my faith and life — and Your Holy Spirit will be my Sovereign Guide, Strength, Teacher, Provider, Defender, and Comforter. I thank you that Your Holy Spirit now lives in me and that He will lead me into "all" truth. Please help me to always know His voice and to obey Him, because He will always speak to me according to the entire truth of Your Word, the Bible, (Jn. 16:13-14.) I believe that the "entirety of Your Word," the Bible, is Your truth, (Ps. 119:160.)
I reject all false teaching and renounce all false religion and false belief-systems. I choose to follow Jesus Himself in the truth of His Word from this day forward until You come to take me to heaven.
Thank You that I am now, by faith, living in Your spiritual Kingdom of truth, light, eternal life and Godly love, (1 Pt. 2:9-10.)
Thank You that I am now part of your spiritual, royal priesthood in Your eternal Kingdom, (1 Pt. 2:9-10.)
Thank You that the Holy Spirit gives me His spiritual gifts "as He wills;" and He will always lead me, to use them to glorify Your Name in everything I do, (1 Cor. 12:11; 4-10.) In the Name of Jesus Christ I take captive every thought and bring it into obedience to You above all else, (2 Cor. 10:4-5.)
Thank You I am now Your blood-cleansed spiritual temple; that the Holy Spirit constantly "abides [or lives] in me" to lead me in obedience to Your Moral Law of Love, (Jn. 16:13.)
I now, by Your grace, submit myself and everything in my life to You above all else, and ask that You will give me the grace to follow You in "spirit and in truth" until You take me home. Thank You that I already "have the Spirit's full anointing abiding in me," (2 Pt. 3:18; 1 Cor. 3:16; 6:15-20; Jn. 2:20; 27; 2 Cor. 1:21-22.)
Please, always protect me under the blood-covenant of Jesus and let Your mighty angels surround me, my loved ones and my entire life, and protect and help me to follow You in all Your ways, (Heb. 1:14; Ps. 91.)
Thank you that you always hear and answer me, just because I am Your born again child, (Eph. 5:30.)
In Jesus Name, Amen."
To be a true disciple of Jesus means to closely follow Jesus Himself by adhering attentively to all that He says in the full contextual truth of His Word, the Bible, (Mt. 28:19.) Everything we need to know about God and how to serve and love Him, is written in the full context of the Bible. God does a million or more things for us mystically and supernaturally, but our spiritual safety in Christ and our spiritual and emotional growth in Him is our own, personal responsibility to follow Jesus in the "all truth" of the Scriptures and in the leading of the Holy Spirit, (Jude 1:20-25.) The Holy Spirit will lead us and help us on our way, but we must obey Him always according to the real truth of His Word. Many deceivers, Jesus said, have gone out into the world, (Mt. 24:1-14.)
We must therefore flee from anything, which diverts our attention from Jesus Himself and from His Word. God commanded us not to "believe every spirit [speaking into our thoughts, or through 'prophets,' teachers, preachers and other people,] but to "test [all] the spirits to see if they are [really from God,] (1 Jn. 4:1-4.) God gave us this commandment to keep us safe in Him. This is why Paul also wrote, "Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from everything evil," (1 Ths. 5:21.) If anyone gives you a verse or two to sustain what they say, read the previous and following verses as well to find the true context. Consider whether it is written in the Old or New Testament, and interpret everything from the viewpoint of the New Covenant in Christ. Everything, even Scripture itself, must fit into the "entire" truth of the New Covenant to be true and relevant to our lives in Jesus, (Ps. 119:160.)
The rebirth of the human spirit occurs instantly when we sincerely accept Jesus as our personal Lord, God, Savior, Redeemer, and Blessor. However, the new life in Christ, which follows the rebirth, is a process wherein the fallen soul or mind of the believer is systematically "renewed" or also "born again" through growing knowledge of the Scriptures and in obedience to the indwelling Holy Spirit, (Jn. 1:11-13; 1 Ths. 5:23; 1 Pet. 1:23; Rom. 12:1-2.)
This rational, disciplined renewal of the mind is necessary, because the believer must increasingly understand and do the will of God until the soul/mind/thoughts, as the born again spirit, is under the total control of the Holy Spirit. Although God wrote all the requirements of His Royal Law of Love on the born again human spirit or "heart," these commandments need to flow to the conscious level of the soul. If we do not understand God's will, we will not be able to obey Him, and the main aim of our born again life on earth is to live a truly Scriptural, obedient life, which will glorify Jesus, (Heb. 8:10; 1 Jn. 2:3-6,10; 3:10.)
Consequently, Paul commanded in Rom. 12:1-2: "I beg of you to make a decisive dedication of your bodies… (and of course, your minds) as a living sacrifice… which is your rational, intelligent service to God. And be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may know what is that… perfect will of God."
This transformation or rebirth of the soul is therefore not the same as conformation. In fact, Scripture forbids conformation, which means to submit to man-made church religion, (Rom. 12:1-2.) Conformation pertains to artificial beliefs and the legalistic, religious acts of physical churches and other religions. Although catechetic church conformation might "hold a form of godliness," it is definitely a stranger to the spiritual Kingdom and power of God, (Mt. 15:6-9; Col 2:8; 2 Tim. 3:5.)
To simply join a church and to be 'converted' by the acceptance of their [mostly unscriptural, man-made] doctrines and rituals, is to follow "the recruitments of the world" and the "tradition of men." Hence, conversion can never bring the human spirit to experience the rebirth and conversion can never transform or save the human mind or soul.
Conversion consists of church-membership without a real relationship with Christ.
Nobody should therefore ever be 'converted to the faith,' but everyone must be spiritually and soulically transformed by true faith in, and obedience to Christ, as the rebirth or salvation of the soul is just as important as the rebirth of the spirit.
My websites are packed with free discussions and books that can help you grow in real Scriptural knowledge and in grace. Read all of these carefully, study the Bible verses in your own Bible, and ask God to reveal to you the truth of it all — and to place you in a fellowship of sincere, really Bible-believing believers.
Stay blessed in your born again position as a true child of Christ!
"For this reason I also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the Word of God, you welcomed it not as the word of men but as it is in truth, the Word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe…" (1 Ths. 1:13.)
So, "beware lest anyone cheats you through philosophy and empty [church] deceit, according to the tradition of men and the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ," (Col. 2:8.)
THE NEXT STEP OF OBEDIENCE TO JESUS: Repentance and the Biblical Water Baptism of Jesus' Sincere Disciples
What is the Difference Between the Kingdom of GOD and the Kingdom of HEAVEN?
How to be saved:
Understand the Complete Scriptural Gospel, and Accept and Follow Jesus in the Truth of His Word


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After some fun times exploring Bend, OR, Jessica and I took a day trip 30 minutes north to Smith Rock State Park.
Smith Rock State Park encompasses a section of the Crooked River as it weaves its way around enormous towering fins knows as Smith Rock. Smith Rock was formerly a portion of a calder rim (like Crater Lake). Portions of the crater are gone, but the portion that remains is now known as Smith Rock.
Having not hiked for a few days, Jessica and I were excited to arrive at the park. We had big plans to tackle the well-named Misery Ridge Trail, which climbs its way straight up and over Smith Rock. After descending the ridge, we planned to return to our car via a riverside trail. All in all, just a lovely 3.6 mile jaunt.
The views from the top of Misery Ridge were amazing. Bend and Smith Rock lie east of the Cascades Mountain Range, which contains many volcanoes. From high points of elevation, you can often see the snow-covered peaks. Upon claiming the summit of the ridge, Jessica and I cooled off and then traversed to the far side of the ridge. From there, we had our first view of the Cascades and of a famous rock formation known as The Monkey Face.
Besides being a beautiful and wonderful place to hike, Smith Rock is really well known as a destination for climbers. One portion of The Monkey Face (shown above) is famous for being the first 5.14 (a difficulty ranking) climbed in the United States. I certainly cannot climb things that difficult, but I hope to one day climb the much easier (5.8) side.
As Jessica and I walked around The Monkey Face, we noticed some climbers were working on the easier route to the summit. Jessica sped off down the trail, but I lingered to snap some shots of climbers taking down something on my bucket list.
Once we reached the far side of the park, the trail continued alongside the Crooked River. The trail itself was rather unexciting, but we were not left wanting things to look at. We saw hawks, ducks, and climbers traveling along the rivers and up the shear cliffs. At one point Jessica even ventured out onto a rock in the center of the river.
One of the highlights of this hike was spotting a Bald Eagle nest high above the river. Jessica and I heard the bald eagle call (recognizing it from the High Desert Museum) but couldn't spot the nest. Luckily, we passed a park ranger who was observing the nest, and he was able to point out the eagles' perch. He also explained that the nest contained three eaglets. It was hard to see them from the river plain, but he explained we could walk to the edge of the rim on our way out of the park. This was a MUST DO!
Once there, we could see directly into the nest. In the above photo you can see a bald eagle. The reason this one lacks the signature white head feathers is because it is actually just a juvenile–probably around 12 weeks old. This guy (or gal) is close to taking his first flight, but is still reliant on his/her parents to catch food.
After some serious
frustration and boredom patience, one of the adults arrived, and I was able to snap a quick picture of two of the eaglets with the adult. The adult didn't relax for long. After dropping of a quick snack, it was off to hunt for more food.
Jessica and I had seen a few bald eagles in southern Oregon, but this experience was different. Previously we had been driving in the car and spotted one only briefly or in the High Desert Museum. Here, we were able to observe wild ones in their natural habitat. They are incredibly beautiful and large. Really large! And, they are some seriously committed parents. The young eagles won't reach adulthood for up to four years, so these eagles have their work cut out for them.
After the adult bald eagle flew away, the action died down around the nest. Jessica and I began the trek back to our car. On the way, however, we passed a small bouldering wall, and Jessica got her climb on!


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Sesame Street: Count on Elmo DVD
This summer get ready to learn and count with your favorite furry red monster, Elmo! Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (WBHE) and Sesame Workshop have release Sesame Street: Count on Elmo on DVD and digital July 7, 2015. Read on to learn more and then enter this giveaway to win the DVD!
DVD Synopsis
Kids can rely on their Sesame Street friends for lots of fun, laughs and counting in Sesame Street: Count on Elmo.
When the Noble Counting Prize committee is looking for the World's Greatest Counter, Elmo knows that his friend The Count is perfect for the prize. Elmo, Grover, Abby and Cookie Monster try and capture The Count's amazing counting skills on camera so they can enter him in the contest, but everything goes awry! Will The Count win the prize or will it be a Count-astrophe?
Kids will learn about friendship and math concepts such as numbers, counting, and enumeration. With over 2 hours full of friendship and fun, kids will really enjoy counting along. Featuring the new song "Count on Friends," this DVD also includes the bonus video Pre-School is Cool: ABC's With Elmo.
"Warner Bros. Home Entertainment is thrilled to release Sesame Street: Count on Elmo as the next Sesame Street home video adventure," said Mary Ellen Thomas, WBHE Vice President Family & Animation Marketing. "Elmo has become one of the most loveable preschool characters of all time. We are very happy to be releasing Count on Elmo on DVD and digital, and helping Elmo continue to teach preschoolers in a fun and engaging way."
Celebrating its impressive 45th anniversary this season, Sesame Street is the longest-running program in children's television. The series has received more Emmy awards than any other show in television history, as well as a Lifetime Achievement Emmy Award.
- (1) of (3) Sesame Street: Count on Elmo DVD
Entries must be made on or before 11:59 p.m. December 13, 2015.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Winner will be selected by random.org. Giveaway entry must be completed before extra entries will count. Winner will be contacted by email and must respond within 24 hours or a new winner will be selected. Open to residents of the U.S. with a valid street address.


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Longford hurlers exit Lory Meagher Cup
Longford, the holders of the Lory Meagher Cup, made their exit from this year's All-Ireland Senior 'D' Hurling Championship but ran a strongly fancied South Down side close in the quarter-final at Fontenoy Park, Liatroim on Saturday last.
ALL-IRELAND SENIOR D HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP QUARTER FINAL - South Down 2-14, Longford 1-14
After losing the services of a number of key players from last year's successful team, most notably Gareth Ghee, this was always going to prove a difficult game at the northern venue and South Down produced a brilliant opening twenty minutes to lay the foundations for their eventual victory.
But only three points separated the sides at the final whistle and Longford were left to rue a missed penalty in the closing stages of the game while they were also guilty of shooting 11 wides when playing against the strong wind in the first half.
South Down started quickly with a point inside the opening minute from Liam Morgan and keeping up the pressure they had goals from Eoin McGuinness in the 2nd and 10th minutes. It was all South Down at this stage with Eoin Donnelly and Liam Morgan dominating mid field.
The brilliant Morgan, who scored ten of his side's points and Malachy Magee, lobbed over two points each as South Down led by 2-5 to 0-1 after twenty minutes. The Longford point was scored from a free by Eoin Donnellan.
Longford staged a mini revival before half-time with a goal from Paddy Cullen and three points from Eoin Donnellan while half -back Rory Donnellan and Karl Murray also added points. South Down replied with two Liam Morgan points to lead by 2-7 to 1-6 at half time.
With rain falling heavily the standard dropped in the second half. Liam Morgan kept South Down well ahead from frees but in the final quarter Longford found their form. Seamus Hannon and Eoin Donnellan with three points each left just two between the sides.
South Down again increased their lead with three points from Liam Morgan before Longford were awarded a penalty. Eoin Donnellan's effort was deflected over the bar as South Down held out for victory to book a place in the semi-final of the Lory Meagher Cup.
Best for the gallant losers Longford were defenders Rory Donnellan and Sean Browne; midfielder Seamus Hannon and centre-half-forward Eoin Donnellan, the chief marksman with eight points to his credit.
SOUTH DOWN: D. Kearns; C. Teague, J. McGrath, A. Brown; A. McGuinness, M. McCartan, G. Courtney; E. Donnelly (0-1), L. Morgan (0-10, 7 frees); M. Cunningham, E. Trainor, C. Beattie; P. McAleenan, E. McGuinness (2-0), M. Magee (0-3).
Subs: - P. Sheehan for C. Beattie (40 mins); N. Burns for P. McAleenan (42 mins); J. O'Kane for M. Cunningham (50 mins); A. Gough for N. Burns (68 mins); K. Fegan for E. Donnelly (70 mins).
LONGFORD: Eanna Daly; Ciaran Finnucane, Sean Browne, John O'Brien; Rory Donnellan (0-1), Benny Stakem, Stephen Lynam; Seamus Hannon (0-3), Fergal Daly; Karl Murray (0-1), Eoin Donnellan (0-8), John Newman; Joe O'Brien, John Minnock (0-1), Paddy Cullen (1-0).
Subs:- Eoin Kavanagh for S Lynam (52 mins); James Devine for K Murray (66 mins).
Referee: R. Matthews (Antrim).


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Sweat Patches Lose Matches
Sierra Leone, Day 7.
We drove through the jungle/rural land in a 4x4 today to a place that was nowhere (Locomasama) and there we found a St Thomas Academy of Hope school. We were met by a huge community dance/choir/band with drums and singing and much celebration. After checking our temperatures (standard for the Ebola risk) we were introduced to the class. Our temperatures seem to have varied wildly at the check points this week. Tim's has ranged between about 31 and 37.9 degrees this week which I am pretty sure means he should have either died or been in quarantine. The thermometers are a little dodgy. None of us have felt ill. Tim and Neil observed a class because they knew what they were doing (as teachers). Tim and Neil really rated the teaching. The man was being observed by about 30 locals (who were just curious), 2 of us, a band of drummers outside and half way through the lesson a chicken came in but still he managed to continue his lesson on the alphabet. Beej and I sang head shoulders knees and toes to another class and we all introduced ourselves. We considered teaching them "shine" but it's early days I think. We needed Joy.
We played a game of football for about 15 minutes with the kindly donated ball from Pilch. This is when the sweat really broke out and not only did I (and all of us) play extremely badly in the heat but I was sweating uncontrollably and soon began to look like I had a major personal hygiene problem (especially as Tim and Neil and Beej seemed fine). It was at this point that we presented the head teacher with the highly acclaimed St Thomas thermos mug (see awkward photo). In all seriousness we had an incredible day and were blessed by seeing two St Thomas schools in full swing and one Peter Lloyd academy soon to launch. The classes are already full and they need to expand and build toilets and a well. Let's hope this is a gift we can give them in the new year. What a privilege to see the difference your giving has made. These children would not have had the opportunity to go to school if it wasn't for your help. Thank you.


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SAN DIEGO, Feb. 4, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Entropic Communications, Inc. (Nasdaq:ENTR), a leading provider of silicon and software solutions to enable connected home entertainment, will be participating in the following upcoming events with the financial community:
|Stifel Nicolaus Technology, Communications & Internet Conference
|February 11, 2011
|The presentation will occur at 10:20 a.m. Pacific Time at The Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco, California.
|Morgan Stanley Technology, Media and Telecom Conference
|March 1, 2011
|The presentation will occur at 1:00 p.m. Pacific Time at The Palace Hotel in San Francisco, California.
|Pacific Crest Emerging Technology Summit
|March 2, 2011
|Entropic will participate on a Consumer Video Panel that will occur at 2:30 p.m. Pacific Time at the Westin, San Francisco, California
|Signal Hill Technology Conference
|March 9, 2011
|The presentation will occur at 11:30 a.m. Eastern Time at The Peninsula Hotel in New York City, New York.
|Lazard Capital Markets Annual Technology & Media Conference
|March 15, 2011
|The presentation will occur at 1:30 p.m. Eastern Time at The Four Seasons Hotel in Boston, Massachusetts
Interested parties can access the live or archived webcasts by visiting Entropic's Web site at http://ir.entropic.com/events.cfm . Entropic also maintains a current listing of its scheduled investor conferences in the Events & Presentations section of its website.
About Entropic Communications
Entropic Communications, Inc. (Nasdaq:ENTR) is a leading fabless semiconductor company that is engineering the future of connected home networking and entertainment by providing next-generation silicon and software technologies to the world's leading cable, telco and satellite service providers, OEMs and consumer electronics manufacturers. As a co-founder of MoCA (Multimedia over Coax Alliance), Entropic pioneered and continues to evolve the way high-definition television-quality video and other multimedia and digital content such as movies, music, games and photos are brought into and delivered throughout the home. For more information, visit Entropic at www.entropic.com .
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From a live performance at Merkin Hall in NYC.
An improvisation for Fender Rhodes and Ring Modulation.
Based on Tanchame-bushi, a Japanese Folk Song. Composition by Wang Jie.
The final movement from Arnold Schoenberg's pivotal work for solo piano.
written by Andrew Greenwald for the Blocks series (2008) by Ensemble Pamplemousse.
One of my favorite keyboard works by J.S. Bach