text:
Sunday, July 31, 2011
July 31 - Joseph of Arimathea, Disciple, Citizen of the Kingdom
Joseph was probably surprised that Jesus had been arrested. But, he probably expected it, as well, because of some of the challenging and revolutionary things that Jesus was doing and saying in pursuit of the Kingdom of God. Joseph's heart beat faster at the thought that the Kingdom of God might be thwarted by the machinations of mortals. Jesus was condemned to death and crucified by the orders of the Empire and the powers that be. In this, perhaps, Joseph saw the death of the coming Kingdom and wondered if his dreams had met an end on the cross spattered with Jesus' blood.
Out of his grief and desperation, he was moved to go to Pilate and beg for the body of Jesus. When he arrived, Pilate was unsure if Jesus was even dead yet. The centurion informed Pilate that Jesus had died and Pilate, with body to Joseph. He ran and bought fine linen and went to bury the body of Jesus in his own tomb. On his way, he metNicodemus who brought spices to take part in the burial. It would seem that the death of Jesus had moved both of these two men with much to lose to take a frightening step and demonstrate their allegiance to this now-dead crucified man.It was Jesus' death that finally brought these two men into the Kingdom.
little regard for those who had already died at thehands of Rome, released the
Joseph was a man of great wealth and had a rock-tomb that he had recently had carved for his personal--and preferably eventual--use. They wrapped the body in linen and spice and buried it there in a hurry because of the coming Sabbath. Consider the great number of people who would have watched in surprise as this man of respect and renown traded it all in for the privilege of burying a despised and disreputable man. Though it would have surprised many, it did not surprise Joseph who traded in anything and everything to finally be a citizen of the Kingdom that he had been searching for. Joseph had finally found the door to the Kingdom in the cross and sacrifice of Jesus. Indeed, Joseph found that he couldn't afford not to give all for the Kingdom.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
July 30 - Peter of Ravenna, Chrysologus, Doctor of the Church
Peter was not simply a gifted speaker because of the quality, pitch, or timbre of his voice. It wasn't because of a use of vocal techniques and attention-grabbing phrases.Rather, it came from two desires worthy of emulation: a desire not to bore those who listen and a desire to explain important things in comprehensible ways. Assuredly, any speaker can make subjects of difficulty sound challenging or obtuse--in point of fact, many do so because of the boost it grants their ego--but it takes a gifted speaker to make difficult subjects comprehensible. Peter devoted his life to making the faith accessible under the assumption that if it was accessible, then it would be interesting and it it would be accessed. Peter is so well remembered, then, not because of personal talent but because of a drive to communicate important teachings with precision. For preachers, Peter should be a role-model and mentor.
Beyond his speaking, though, Peter was committed to orthodox teaching and belief and the unity of the Church in the face of temptations to split and schism. When Eutyches was condemned at the synod of Constantinople, he appealed to Peter to intervene on his behalf with the pope and, yet, Peter refused the request on grounds of promoting unity within the Church. Peter advised Eutyches to prefer unity over argumentation. In doing this, Peter hoped to offer Eutyches a way to be welcomed back into the Church he was rejecting and hoped to offer the comforting embrace of the Church to another.
Additionally, he would preach and sensibly defend orthodoxy against Arianism and Monophysitism. In these sermons, he argued for the unity of the church in mercy and love behind a united and orthodox doctrine that would nourish and form Christians throughout the world. Peter had a great love for the Church and demonstrated it in the way he defended her while inviting people in.
Perhaps the best tribute to a man like Peter of Ravenna is to share some of his especially quotable words. These words, given to him by the Spirit, inspired many and fought for unity within a fracturing and struggling Church. Peter, worthy of emulation for all preachers and Christians, should be remembered alongside his words:
"[Jesus] is the bread sown in the Virgin, leavened in the Flesh, molded in his passion, baked in the furnace of the sepulchre, placed in the churches, and set upon the altars, which daily supplies heavenly food to the faithful."
"The devil does not wish to possess a man, but to destroy him. Why? Because he does not wish, he does not dare, he does not allow the man to arrive at the Heaven from which the devil fell. Jealousy, envy, pride and anger, to name only a few capital sins, rage in Lucifer, the prince of devils."
"There are three things, my brethren, which causes faith to stand firm, devotion to remain constant and virtue to endure. They are prayer, fasting and mercy. Prayer knocks at the door, fasting obtains and mercy receives. Prayer, mercy and fasting are one. They give life to each other."
"Brothers, let us be sinners by our own admission, so that with Christ's forgiveness we may be sinners no more."
"God receives sinners, but God does not allow those whom he receives to remain sinners. The approach of the sinner does no harm to God. God sanctifies the sinner who draws near to him. O Pharisee, Christ does not receive sins when he receives sinners, because God is the recipient not of the offense, but of the human being. So the Pharisee should not have been looking at the condition the sinners were in when they arrived, but at their condition upon their return."
Friday, July 29, 2011
July 29 - Martha of Bethany, Unafraid to Hope
Mary and Martha had sent word to their friend Jesus that Lazarus was sick and likely to die. They expected him to come quickly because of his dying friend and provide the healing that they had seen with their own eyes. At first, their anxiety was high but their hope remained fixed on Jesus' intervention. They had seen him heal strangers so, surely, he would heal a dear friend like Lazarus. Yet, he did not come immediately. Instead, he waited and conversed with his disciples. He took the moment to teach those close to him even if it involved anxiety and pain.
As the days passed, hope dwindled and confusion reigned in the minds of those close to Jesus. Martha must have wondered why Jesus delayed. Every passing traveler must have attracted her attention even as she cared for and served her brother. Finally, Lazarus died and with him Martha's hope. They buried him, they mourned him, and they wondered what could possibly have kept Jesus. They gave up hope. They wondered if Jesus had been waylaid by bandits. They wondered if Jesus had forgotten them.Martha--whom Jesus loved--was forced to deal with the anxiety and pain of the cold grip of grief.
Finally, Jesus arrived at the entrance to their land and somebody told Martha that he had come. She left her family and friends and ran out to meet him. Mary remained with the mourners. Who can know what thoughts flew through Martha's head as she ran? When she met him, she lamented: "Lord, if you had been here, Lazarus wouldn't have died."Feeling a faint glimmer of hope that begged to be believed in but demanded to be doubted she continued, "But, even now, I know that you can do anything..." Perhaps, she was just telling him that she still loved and trusted him even if he had let her down. Perhaps, she was asking for a miracle. And yet, perhaps, she didn't really know why she was saying it except that she had faith in this Jesus whom she loved--and whom loved her. She was asking for permission to hope.
"Lazarus will rise again," he said.
Martha, not wanting to fan the flames of hope if they would only die away again, replied, "Of course... on the last day--in the great resurrection." Martha had grown used to the saccharine sweet words of the mourners and friends who comforted her with anxious phrases.They saw her hopelessness and offered sickly assurance to replace it. She thought that Jesus was offering bland support because he didn't know what else to say.
Instead, Jesus said something shocking: "I am the resurrection. I am life. Whoever trusts me will live, even though they die. Death is not the end of all things for those who trust in me--I am life itself and I shall conquer death." Having said this, he asked her, "Do you trust me?"
Martha looked into his eyes and knew that hope and trust placed in this man--Jesus--is not misplaced. She replied, "Yes, Lord, I trust you. You are the Messiah. You are the Son of God.You are what happens when life takes a body."
In the story, Jesus goes to the tomb and calls Lazarus out of death. Jesus defies the powers of the world that say that death is the end and the ultimate threat. Instead, Jesus shows that those who place their trust and hope in the incarnation of life have nothing to fear in death. Jesus defied the hope-killers by offering life even in the presence of death. Lazarus comes out of the tomb and continues to live. This is an amazing scene but it is not the only amazing scene in the text. Before Jesus raises Lazarus from out of death, Jesus resurrected Martha's hope by assuring her that death is not the end and is not insurmountable--a point he would make again through his crucifixion. Jesus gave hope back to Martha and this is, perhaps, as amazing of a miracle as the raising of Lazarus from the dead.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
July 28 - Stanley Rother, Martyr, Priest, Shepherd of Guatemala
After some time, he had mastered the language of his flock: a Mayan dialect of the Tzutuhil. He was the first to translate the scripture into Tzutuhil. More than that, he offered services in the language of his flock and became greatly endeared to them. Soon, more than 3,300 people were attending the Sunday masses. Stanley did not accomplish this with flash and programs aimed at reaching the unreached but, rather, by slowly pouring his life our for those whom he comforted, baptized, buried, married, counseled, trained, taught, and assisted. When he wasn't busy about his priestly duties, he lent a hand in a field and offered love wherever he might be. Stanley did not see his life as something that was his own to hoard but, rather, a gift that he could gleefully spend on others to ease their pain and buoy them up in their distress. In short, Stanley Rother was much loved by the Guatemalan people because he loved them much. Because of this great love, he was honored with a Tzutuhil name: Padre A'plas.
Guatemala's history is rife with violence and kidnappings. Santiago Atitlán had, for many years, been a haven from this violence and the country's political distress had not stepped across the threshold of parish for some time. However, this peace would not hold once some politically minded people had determined to escalate the violence to accomplish their destructive goals. After all, the way of violence leads only to more violence and not into the way of life and peace. Stanley diagnosed the problem as such: "The country here is in rebellion and the government is taking it out on the church...The Church seems to be the only force that is trying to do something about the situation, and therefore the government is after us."
Stanley was urged to flee and return to the United States but Stanley refused saying, "At the first signs of danger, the shepherd can't run and leave the sheep to fend forthemselves." He stayed and, eventually, one of the lay leaders from the congregation was kidnapped during the day by armed men. One day, as he walked through the streets, he was accosted and informed that his name was on a list of those condemned to death by the powers.He resisted leaving but, upon the advice of his friends and parishioners, returned to Oklahoma so that his flock might not be harmed because of him.
Yet, being the shepherd that he was, he was unable to stay away from the place where he belonged and where he was, truly, home. He left the chalice his parents had gifted to him with his parents and said good-byes to his family and friends. Stanley knew well that he was likely walking back into his death. Yet, As Archbishop Salatka said, "Father Stanley Rother did not go back to Guatemala to die. He went back to help his people." He left Oklahoma near Holy Week and returned to Santiago Atitlán to celebrate the Gospel story: Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ will come again. In the early morning hours of July 28th, 1981, armed men broke into rectory and seized Stanley. Apparently, they were intending to kidnap him and torture him. Stanley did not beg for his life or cry out in fear or pain but, rather, told his would-be-abductors: "Kill me here." Stanley Rother died when one of the armed men shot him in the head twice. He died where he requested and where he had returned: among the people of Guatemala.
For Stanley Rother, there was no other place he'd rather be than in Guatemala among his flock whom he cared for. The powers could not stand that this one person would dare oppose them and help the people they couldn't help. With closed fists they had tried to aid the people not knowing that it was only with a peaceful and loving open hand that aid can be given to the broken. His body was returned to Oklahoma for burial but his heart was buried where it truly belonged: Santiago Atitlán.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
July 27 - St. Panteleimon, Martyr, Physician, Opponent of Death
Hermolaus connected the life and viewpoint of Pantaleon to that of his childhood and his mother's teachings. For Pantaleon, this resulted not only in the changing of his name to Panteleimon (meaning "mercy for everyone") but, also, the changing of his approach to medicine. By bridging the gap between Panteleimon's childhood and his identity,Hermolaus unleashed a great healer upon not only the persecuted Christians but, also, the sick and suffering. Panteleimon truly did offer mercy for anyone and everyone. Though he was employed by Maximian he offered healing and mercy even to the poorest of the poor.
Eventually, he was denounced to the authorities and charged with being a Christian. Given Panteleimon's incredible reputation as a healer and worker of good, the emperor Maximian hoped to convince Panteleimon to renounce his faith and become an apostate--a well-rewarded and highly-regarded apostate.Panteleimon refused to deny the faith he once had cast aside and, instead, he confessed it boldly regardless of what he stood to lose in doing so.
Further, he challenged the imperial delusions to a test. He challenged Maximian's best doctors to a challenge: there was a certain paralytic who was considered unable to be healed--Panteleimon invited this man in and gave the doctors sufficient time to try all that they knew to heal the man's paralysis. Though they were esteemed in imperial eyes, the doctors failed. Panteleimon offered prayer and requested healing and the man stood up free from paralysis. Perhaps Panteleimon expected to be released or to convert Maximian but this was not to be as hatred and shame had filled the heart of Maximian. Maximian--so lost in imperial delusions and unable truly to see life--labeled this healing as trickery and sorcery. He had the healed paralytic executed in a show of savage domination and power.
As punishment for healing the paralytic and being a Christian, Maximian brought some of Panteleimon's friends--including Hermolaus--before himself and threatened them with beheading if Panteleimon would not renounce his faith. These men were martyred as Panteleimon stood strong and proclaimed that there is more to life than a heartbeat and more to death than a grave. In doing this, Maximian made a statement about life and death and made the point that the empire's power was death and the control of it. However, even as he condemned Panteleimon--instrument of life and mercy to so many and his own personal physician--to death, his power of death could not restrain the power of life held by the God of Panteleimon.
In anger and desperation for power, Maximian ordered Panteleimon beheaded to make his point concerning death and power. As Panteleimon prayed, the blade failed to cut his neck. As he finished his prayer, Panteleimon heard a voice from heaven calling him home and he lovingly permitted the soldiers to execute him. Having shown the power of life over death and God over the empire, Panteleimon was beheaded and martyred as a servant of life and opponent of the power of death in the year 303.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
July 26 - Titus Brandsma, Martyr, Priest, Opponent of Nazi Germany
Titus was the Roman Catholic adviser to the Netherlands' several dozen Roman Catholic newspapers. This was a position of importance and one which Titus was equipped to do well. Holland was invaded by the Nazis in 1940 and tensions were high. Many Roman Catholics wanted to resist the Nazi occupation but were unsure of how much or how to do so. It is, most assuredly, a black mark that those bearing the banner of Jesus Christ--a crucified Lord--would compromise with the Nazi regime in trade for limited safety and security and, yet, that is often what happened. Many were willing to fight only for the safety and security of fellow Roman Catholics and felt that the Church should solely be concerned with the protection of its members. Titus disagreed and did so vocally. For Titus, there was no compromise to be had with those who dealt in death, destruction, torture, and pain.The Church has no room to join with others who promise only "controlled evil."
Referring to Nazism as "the new paganism," it was clear that Titus opposed the treachery and tragedy of the Nazi empire. Titus resisted the Nazi oppression of all people regardless of the religion, creed, race, or sex of those who were oppressed. After all, if oppression was evil, then it didn't matter who did it. He publicly denounced and fought a German law prohibiting students of Jewish lineage from attending Roman Catholic schools. This further drew the ire of the Nazi empire. In late 1941, a Nazi edict demanded that all newspapers run Nazi propaganda.Titus Brandsma organized an effort to refuse and resist this edict. This was, apparently, the last straw for an empire that depended upon domination, control, and fear.
January 19th, 1942, was the day that Titus was arrested and seized by the Nazi death machine. Eventually, he was transferred to Dachau to be with the nearly 3,000 other clergy who were swept up by the empire that accepted no resistance. He was beaten and tortured before being transferred to a "hospital" for execution.
On July 26th, 1942--66 years ago, today--Titus Brandsma was injected with acid and murdered.Though the Nazis felt that they were punishing him for his resistance to the empire, they only spread his influence and further proved their own savagery. They killed a sickly, 61-year-old man who offered no physical resistance with a needle to make it "clean" but acid to make it vindictive--observing their methods, one wonders if there wasn't the spark of fear in their hatred of Titus. They hoped to punish him for the state of his mind that offered resistance to their "new world order" but, instead, they crowned him as a martyr for the cause of a sacrificial and loving savior who resisted evil done to any and all people.
Monday, July 25, 2011
July 25 - St. James, Son of Zebedee, Apostle, Martyr
Growing up in Galilee, their family likely knew Jesus' family and, perhaps, were even distant relatives. As they grew older they engaged in the fishing trade of their father until, one day, Jesus came alongside the Sea of Galilee and called out to the brothers on the boat and proclaimed that if they would follow him, then he would make them "fishers of people." Along with his brother, James accepted the call and became one of "the twelve disciples." He abandoned the life of affluence that his father provided for the life of a wandering disciple of an itinerant teacher.This sacrifice should not be overlooked. After all, James would follow Jesus loyally for years forsaking his own life in pursuit of the Kingdom--even if he wasn't entirely sure what it might look like.
As Jesus and his disciples approached Jerusalem for the last time, Salome ambitiously decided to take some initiative and convince Jesus of her sons' worth as leaders in the new Kingdom. Salome said to Jesus, "Jesus, I want you to tell me that my sons can be your inner circle when you finally start this Kingdom you've been talking about." Oblivious that the Kingdom had already started and they were missing it in their ambition, her sons joined in with her and placed their hope in worldly gain and power. For a moment, James bought into the lie of success through power--a new kingdom just like the other kingdoms except with himself on top.They bought into that old lie that says, "The only thing wrong with this world's kingdoms is that I'm not the one in charge." Jesus, knowing how the Kingdom worked and hoping to get it through to them asked: "Can you drink the cup I'm getting ready to drink?" In their ambition, they exclaimed, "Yes!" Jesus knew they still didn't get it and so he said to them, somewhat cryptically, "Yes, you will drink the same cup but the Kingdom is not about power like you understand it. No, it's different--it's not about domination and control. It's about love and sacrifice."
James would, later, be present at the transfiguration of Jesus at Gethsemane. James, along with Peter and John, would see their Lord and Savior conversing with Moses and Elijah. The effect of this event for James' change of outlook and character should not be underestimated. Even as James gazed upon Jesus transfigured that night, parts of James were being transfigured.
Jesus would, of course, go on to lay down his life and die for the sins of the world. He would offer forgiveness to the death-dealers surrounding him and love to those intent on being his enemies. This frightening inauguration of a new Kingdom scattered the Twelve--including James. Perhaps the words of Jesus about the cup he would drink came back to haunt James. Regardless, James would help lead the disciples and early Christians in living into the Kingdom they understood so late. He who had been given much and who had come from an affluent family would give it all up for a chance to be a part of a new and different Kingdom--the Kingdom of God.
James was the first of the Twelve to be martyred and drink from the cup from which Jesus drank. He was brought before Herod and beheaded. Though, in the true spirit of the calling Jesus had placed on his life, he spoke with the guard who escorted him and helped bring him to conversion (and his own consequent martyrdom). In the end, James did indeed drink deeply from the cup of sacrifice and love--the cup of the Kingdom.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
July 24 - John Newton, Ex-Slaver and Lost Cause
His pain turned him to thought of suicide but he refrained from a quick death and tried to throw himself into a dark abyss one choice at a time instead. He requested to be transferred to a slave ship and made a servant of a slaver. His self-imposed punishment and exile was ended, however, when his father sent a crew to recover him. On his way back to
He would, eventually, become an Anglican priest—though not until June 17th, 1764—and experience God's grace and formation as he continued the process of conversion from who he was into what God was making him into. Throughout John Newton's story it is evident that his conversion was a slow and steady process that involved the persistent formation and repair of all that was broken about him. In fact, it was only after years of being a priest and continuing in relationship and conversation with other Christians that John eventually renounced the slavery that he had grown up under.
Some have criticized John Newton for dwelling in sin even as he claimed the mantle of Christian.Charges of hypocrisy are not unheard when telling the story of John Newton. Even though John later regretted his commitment to the slavery he had engaged in and supported, it cannot be simply overlooked. Yet, it only serves to strengthen the power of his story: conversion is a process that takes time whereby we are made more into the image God has for us. Though John's continued support of slavery is distasteful for us, it must be remembered that unlike many people who struggled with the issue he did renounce it--better late than never. Also, it makes the story more real and more honest because it so closely resembles the struggles of all Christians in the process of conversion away from the world's image and into God's image. Perhaps this is why so many Christians have connected with his hymn "Faith's review and expectation"—you might know it as "Amazing Grace." Perhaps, it is that Christians can sing along with John Newton confidently:
Thro' many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;
'Tis grace has brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
July 23 - St. Phocas, Martyr, Grave-digger
As is always the case for those who attract the hatred of the empire, Phocas was ordered to die by an imperial sword. For, you see, the power of the empire is ultimately rooted in the power to deprive you of your life. Diocletian sent soldiers to find and execute Phocas for his obedience to Jesus—a power besides
In the morning, the thankful soldiers awoke and prepared for the day. They were appreciative of Phocas' hospitality and kindness but were unprepared for Phocas' confession. Phocas agreed to show them the man they were looking for and lead them out of his home. As they approached Phocas' garden, he stood in front of the grave he had dug, turned to face them, and confessed to being the man they were looking for. The soldiers who had been tasked with killing Phocas—menace and rebel that he was—suddenly found their imperial resolve weakened. They offered to return to Diocletian and lie: "We couldn't find him."
Phocas knelt in the dirt, bared his neck, and refused to let the soldiers lie, sin, and risk their own lives to save his. He assured them that he was not afraid of death—a concept entirely foreign to the threats of the Empire—and, instead, eagerly anticipated his martyrdom. Having given permission to his executioners, they decapitated him and finished the burial he had started the night before.
Phocas denied the power of the Empire over him and left an indelible impression upon not only his executioners—the soldiers—but, also, all who would hear the story of the willing martyr and grave-digger. The great power of the Empire—the ability to deprive you of your life—had failed to convert Phocas and, yet, Phocas' seemingly incomprehensible willingness to love and die converted many.
Friday, July 22, 2011
July 22 - Mary Magdalene, Apostle to the Apostles
Arriving at the Cross, Mary waited with Jesus as He shed his blood and took away the sins of the World. She was present as they took the Lord God Almighty down from the Cross and buried Him in the tomb. It is inconceivable what pain went through her as she watched Jesus slowly suffer and die. Who can tell the fear and desperation that passed through her as they carried her Lord and placed him in a tomb?
She went with the other women to the tomb on the third day and found it empty. She ran for Peter and others and told them of the emptiness that she had discovered. The emptiness of the tomb must surely have symbolized to her the emptiness of hope for the once-exorcised and now seemingly abandoned disciple of Jesus. As she stood there, weeping for herself and for her lost Lord, she sees a man approaching. In her desperation, she takes Him to be the gardener and pleads with him to tell her where Jesus has been laid. The man, Jesus, only calls out her name and casts the fear, confusion, and emptiness out of her.
She cried out, "Teacher!" and is comforted again by His presence. He commissions her, again, and gives her an important message: "Go to my people and say them, 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God." She took this blessed charge and ran to tell them the blessed news. Mary had carried the Gospel message—Jesus has lived, died for our sins, and been raised from the dead—before any other and, thus, is well deserving of the title: Apostle to the Apostles.
Though others may overlook Mary and focus solely on the other disciples, there can be no doubt that this devoted follower of Jesus Christ was an apostle and citizen of the
Thursday, July 21, 2011
July 21 - St. Victor of Marseilles, Martyr, Opponent of Idolatry
And, yet, Victor—who served the empire—refused to offer sacrifice to the gods and values of Rome. Instead, Victor called the imperial gods what they were: idols. His opponents seized this opportunity and denounced him before the empire. Mighty Victor the intended role model of so many Roman citizens was brought before two prefects, Asterius and Eutychius, who recognized that such a notable man should instead appear before the emperor. And, so, Victor was brought before Emperor Maximian and given a chance to repent of his verbal sin against the empire—they asked him to deny the truth he had seen and proclaimed. They asked him to lie and become an idolater.
Surely, Victor knew the eventual cost of his truth-tellingand, yet, he endured Maximian's tortures. He was severely beaten and, still, would not deny the charge of idolatry. They put him on the rack and tortured him slowly in hopes that his resolve would crack and he would escape pain into the arms of poisonous agreement. They underestimated Victor's commitment. They drug him through the streets hoping, still, that humiliation and abuse would shake loose Victor's conviction and "bring him to his senses." Victor accepted their abuse and would not take part in their blindness—the one who had seen could not simply un-see like they were demanding of him.
Maximian threw him into prison under a guard of three soldiers thinking that isolation, abuse and brokenness would have the desired effect if left to simmer and stew. While in prison, Victor ministered to his guards and the three of them were converted. Longinus, Alexander and Felician were liberated from the imperial lie and brought into the Kingdom of God that day.
When Maximian heard this he had the three converts brought before him and beheaded. He had to stop the hemorrhaging while he still had a chance. Still, Victor would not participate in the imperial lie. Maximian was becoming enraged and confused at Victor's actions. Maximian could not understand how Victor could take such abuse and, yet, still be reaching out in mercy to his abusers. Maximian could not understand how the Kingdom of God's values differed from the Empire's.Maximian didn't understand the process of conversion—- all he understood was self-deception and a bland hope for security through domination. So, Maximian ordered Victor to the temple of Jupiter—perhaps hoping that the grandeur of the temple would change Victor's mind. Maximian hoped to woo Victor back to the comfortable lies of the Empire.
As Victor stood before the statue of Jupiter he was expected to burn incense to Jupiter and the Empire. Everybody held their breath as every eye was on Victor. As they watched, Victor kicked the statue of Jupiter and it fell over. In one defiant and powerful act, Victor reinforced what he had been saying all along: the gods and values of Rome are dead and useless. He was immediately seized by the shocked mob and Maximian ordered the offending foot cut off. After his foot was cut off, Maximian ordered the beaten and bloody Victor to be crushed to death by a millstone. And, so, Victor of Marseilles was martyred for refusing to believe and preach the imperial lie. St. Victor died for the Kingdom of Godin opposition to the damning self-deception of the imperial machine.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
July 20 - St. Elijah, Truth-Teller
Elijah was born nearly 2900 years ago. He is noted as a prophet but we must be clear not to call him a fortune-teller but, rather, a truth-teller. After all, there is no room within the faith of Moishe, Eliyahu, and Yeshua for sorcery and idle predictions of the future--the future is in Adonai's hands and not a matter of concern. Instead, Adonai (God) spoke with Elijah and told him about the evil acts of the King and Queen of Israel (Ahab and Jezebel). They had forgotten Adonai and begun worshiping idols of Baal because they thought it would bring them good rain and crops. The people had tried to make life for themselves not knowing that any life they could make for themselves wouldn't stand the test of time. In a haphazard pursuit of life, they had chosen a bland mockery of life because it was easy instead of pursuing life more abundant in Adonai.
As the flower wilts when removed from the soil and its life-giving moisture, so also go those created by Adonai when removed from God—the ground of their being—and the spiritual sustenance of Adonai—King of the Universe.
This truth, however, was missed by those who refused to see it. Instead of accepting their own complicity in their disconnection from Adonai, they blamed Elijah and, so, Elijah fled for his life. While fleeing from those who claimed to be the people of God, Elijah was provided for first by unclean birds and, then, by a poor widow. It is of no little importance that the prophet of Adonai was cared for not by the people who claimed such intimacy with God but, rather, by the least equipped and least likely of the world. For, you see, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob does not dwell only in a temple built with mortal hands—an idea that we must all relearn repeatedly.
Elijah would go on to do many other things including raise the widow's son from the dead, provide for her and her family, contest with the priests of Baal on Mt. Carmel, flee again from the wrath of Ahab and Jezebel, hear the "still small voice" of Adonai, be assumed into the presence of Adonai on a chariot of fire, and be present for the transfiguration of Jesus the Christ. Elijah was, truly, a prophet who spoke powerful truth about the nature of our lives and connection to the Lord God Almighty. His story speaks volumes about what intimacy with God looks like: life-giving as in the raising of the widow's son,sustaining as in the provision of oil and flour for the widow's family,among the unclean as in the ministrations of the ravens to Elijah,gentle, humble, and personal as in the still-small-voice,concerned with the weak and powerless as in Elijah's community with the widow, empowered but prayerful as in the contest with the priests of Baal, dependent as in Elijah's constant need for intimacy and affirmation from Adonai, and transfiguring.
Elijah reminds us all what it looks like to tell the truth in a powerful way. Elijah reminds us all of the life-sustaining-and-redeeming power of the still-small-voice of the Lord God Almighty.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
July 19 - St. Macrina, Devoted Sister
Monday, July 18, 2011
July 18 - The Great Burning of Rome
The fire burned for an entire week. Those who stood in its way were made to cower and flee or to be consumed and feed the horrific onslaught. There was little room to run given that of the fourteen districts of Rome, four were consumed entirely and seven more were crippled. Devastation had taken residence in great Rome. Rome! So many powers and principalities had quaked before it and acquiesced to its commands and demands. So many had bought into the gospel of "Pax Romana" that declared protection and security to be more valuable than free will and community. The great flames offered no quarter or peace to mighty Rome and, tragically, many lives were lost.
Where, then, did the fire come from? Some say Nero set it because of insanity--that the Pax Romana had prepared those who gave their lives to it to execute atrocity for insanity. Some say Nero set it because he wanted to remove the poor from around the Circus Maximus and rebuild it in a new and beautiful fashion--that the greed and lust of one man burned up the least of Rome. Some say Nero was nowhere near Rome when it happened and, instead, rushed back to fight the flames of an unquenchable destroyer--that bad things happen in this world and the flames of chance consume even those dear to us: Christian or Roman. Nero said it was the Christians. And the words of the Emperor are the gospel of the empire.
Nero, feeling the pain of accusation from the people he likely tried to save, shifted blame away from himself and toward another group. Tacitus writes, "Consequently, to get rid of the report, Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace." Christians were known as incestuous (even wife and husband called each other brother and sister) atheist (having denied the Roman Gods) cannibals (met at night and ate the body and blood of their leader). They were an easy target for the flames of Nero's vengeance. These people who refused to deny their Lord--Jesus Christ--were gathered together and punished for the great fire that stripped Rome of its greatest value: protection and security. They were commended to the flames of sacrifice to appease the quailing hearts of an empire that had realized--all too suddenly--that it could bring the "Pax Romana" but not peace.
And, so, Christians were crucified like their Lord. They were wrapped in animal skins and mauled by animals. They were wrapped in flammable garments and set ablaze to provide light for Nero and the people of Rome. They did not fight back. They did not deny their faith. Instead, they stepped forward and into the flames that had mastered Rome. They died in a different way that would be apparent to all who saw. While Nero capitalized on the loss and rebuilt Rome and a "golden palace," more Christians died--for some most certainly died in the fire--with the words of their Lord on their lips: "Father, forgive them for they don't know what they're doing."
They were right; Rome was fleeing from death in a panic and Christians proclaimed a different gospel with a different set of values: There is no peace in domination and control--there is only peace in love. The Empire cannot and does not want to save you. And, so, the flames of vengeance and retribution found no fuel and were suffocated. Yet, another fire was fueled: the fire of the Christian witness and the good news of redemption for all people.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
July 17 - Bartolome de las Casas, Priest, Bishop, Opponent of Slavery
Bartolome's father brought him a slave to be his servant and he developed a friendly relationship with the man. When Bartolome was eighteen, he went with his father and uncle to what we now know as Hispaniola aboard the ship captained by Nicolas de Ovando.Bartolome had spent years imagining that foreign land and it had become something mythical in his own imagination. Consequently, Bartolome was horrified to see the brutality and cruelty being perpetrated against the people of the island by virtue of their different appearance and different language. The Spanish settlers were given land to which they had no legitimate claim and slaves with which to work their ill-gotten gains. Bartolome was uncomfortable with the savage approach the Spaniards were taking and, as a Dominican priest, began to wonder if this wasn't a repudiation of Jesus' way of love and mercy. Columbus was sending native peoples back to Spain as currency to repay his debts to the crown and wealthy financiers. Bartolome began to question the rightness of such barbarism. Bartolome began ministering to the native people in whatever little ways he could but it never seemed to be enough. Then, one day, Bartolome heard a Dominican priest named Antonio de Montesinos preach about the evil being committed against the people and being called "progress." Antonio's preaching--he was the first clergy member to vocally oppose the Spanish actions in the colonies--seemed to give Bartolome permission to join the fight for liberation and love.
Bartolome's first decision was to free every slave on his settlement and to renounce the land he had been gifted. Having set an example of the way of the Kingdom of God he called upon other settlers to do the same, yet they refused and Bartolome was forced to travel back to Spain to seek reform. At his impassioned request he received permission to establish a settlement at Cumana in the northern portion of the region we call Venezuela. Bartolome imagined a settlement where native people and Spaniards would co-exist and help each other to live peacefully and comfortably. The problem, though, was the tension that had already developed between the Spaniards and the native people in the region. When Bartolome left the settlement, fighting would break out and people would die. Eventually, Bartolome left the settlement after Spanish raids took most of the native people as slaves and went to the Dominican monastery in Santo Domingo. From there he began to write accounts of the brutal murders of native people by Spaniards who claimed the yoke of Christ the Crucified. He lobbied Spain for laws that would protect the people upon whom they had intruded so much already. Meanwhile, he engaged in missionary work among native tribes and led many to place their faith in Jesus even though counter-arguments abounded in the colonists with whom they were acquainted. Though it meant defending himself against treason, Bartolome returned to Spain and was able to bring about new laws that abolished Columbus' way of doling out land for support and slaves for loyalty. When Bartolome died in July of 1566 he was in Madrid but his heart still rested with the people he had learned to love in a distant and fantastic world.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
July 16 - The Carmelite Martyrs of Compiegne
The women had once lived peaceful lives in a cloistered community of service and devotion. They fed the poor, treated the sick, and offered love to their enemies. But, in 1792 there had been a revolution in France that overthrew the absolute monarchy andaristocracy that strongly favored Roman Catholicclergy and monastics. In the aftermath of that upheaval, the new leaders had favored a viciously anti-religious government that discounted all expressions of faith regardless of their goodness or peacefulness. They ruled by more modern ideas and according to the teachings of those thinkers we call members of "the Enlightenment."The nuns of Compiegne had not fought against the revolutionaries and had, in fact, helped to reduce oppression upon the poor and hurting but in the aftermath of the revolution their vows of allegiance to Jesus Christ meant that they were targets for elimination. At first, they were simply outlawed but they continued to meet in secret in spite of the commands of the new government. Eventually, they were arrested and tried. In accordance with the demands of Robespierre, their trial and sentencing happened in less than twenty-four hours. The charges were trumped up and they were eventually found guilty of the catch-all crime for those the revolutionaries detested: "fanaticism."
As each woman climbed the steps that led to her death and martyrdom there was one less voice singing the hymns that sustained them and spoke beautifully of the faith that motivated their actions. The crowd remained silent as they watched each woman approach their death with courage and forgive their executioners. Their song became a trio and then a duet but it had lost none of its passion. Finally, it was a solo performance by Teresa, the prioress of a community of martyrs. Teresa ascended the stairs and followed in the footsteps of Constance and all the other faithful women who had died in the last few hours. She continued the song they had shared. When Teresa finished the song, she offered forgiveness to the executioner and surrendered her neck to the guillotine with a quiet prayer. The lever was pulled and the blade, having not grown tired of carnage, rushed to kill Teresa and reunite her with her sisters in the presence of God.With the death of the last nun, the crowd remained silent and began to leave that place with doubts in their mind--who would claim such savagery as enlightened when it was covered over in the blood of sixteen innocent and loving women? As they left the place, one of the crowd observed, "Look at them and see if they do not have the air of angels! By my faith, if these women did not all go straight to Paradise, then no one is there!" As the crowd left, perhaps some went away humming the hymn the women had sung and left behind for the crowd as an inheritance of a Kingdom-not-of-this-world.
Friday, July 15, 2011
July 15 - Julitta and Cyricus, Martyrs
Julitta had always known that her confession of Christ as Lord and Savior would likely cost her her life if she was ever identified and arrested but she had been too afraid to consider what might happen to her only son Cyricus. Perhaps Julitta assumed that Cyricus would escape her capture and be cared for by herChristian brothers and sisters. After all, she wanted Cyricus to be raised as a Christian but since he was only a very little child she knew that he had not yet made confession of his sins or profession of his faith and trust in Jesus. As the soldiers beat and tortured her she repeatedly insisted that she was a Christian and would never deny her faith in her Lord. But Julitta's mind and eyes drifted to Cyricus' face and while the lashes of her tormentors only made her bleed, fear for her son's soul caused her far more pain and suffering. Alexander refused to allow Cyricus to go to his mother as she bled and offered forgiveness to her torturers and, instead, decided to capitalize on Julitta's love for her son. Alexander sat the boy on his knee and tried to soothe him so that Julitta might look up and know that her son would be raised by those who outlawed the saving faith for which she was willing to die. Cyricus would be raised as a "good" Roman citizen before ever able to make a confession and profession of faith. Alexander wagered that Julitta was willing to die for her faith but that she might rethink her stance if it meant Cyricus would be raised by the deniers of Christ.
Cyricus continued to struggle to break free from Alexander's grasp and continued to cry out to his mother as she bled and prayed. Cyricus knew why they were torturing his mother: she trusted Jesus more than them--more than anybody. He had heard her many stories about Jesus and he loved every one of them. Cyricus had spent many days with adoptive uncles and aunts in the congregation where his mother worshiped and he knew the Christians to be a loving people devoted to a loving God. As he watched the soldiers beat his mother for her allegiance to Jesus he thought about what she had said it meant to be a Christian. Cyricus needed no more evangelism than to see the stark difference between the way of the Kingdom of God and the way of Rome. Cyricus pulled away from Alexander and yelled, "Let me go to my mother! I am a Christian, too." In this powerful statement of defiance, Cyricus made his first profession and officially placed his trust in the Lord that had led his mother to die while muttering her forgiveness for her executioners. Cyricus didn't understand everything about the faith of his mother but he knew the difference between Rome and the Kingdom of God and he knew whom he trusted. Alexander kicked Cyricus down the stone stairs and he bashed his head against the corner of one of the stairs. Cyricus died a martyr seconds after confessing Christ. Julitta rejoiced that his profession had come so easily and quickly and that she would be with Christ to welcome her in a few moments. Disgusted with the whole ordeal and the defiance of the child, Alexander ordered the soldiers to kill Julitta. They complied and sent her to rest in Christ with her beloved husband and son.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
July 14 - Camillus de Lellis, Neglected Child, Converted by Love, Caretaker of the Sick
After his military service he ended up serving in a hospital with patients deemed hopeless and incurable. He must have been able to see the face of his mother in the face of many of the ones he cared for in that hospital--people who had been labeled by the world as the walking dead and utterly without hope.He tried to care for them but he was no more able to pull them out of their despair and illness than one panicked and drowning shipwreck victim is able to save another flailing in the water beside him. Camillus had become a heavy drinker to deal with his own dark thoughts and fears and had taken up gambling as he traveled to and fro with the soldiers of his regiment.Somebody who had experienced so much "bad luck" must have thought that his luck would soon turn but it didn't. His compulsive gambling began to consume more and more of his life as any addiction will do if given the chance. Eventually, he was dismissed from his job at the hospital because he had become more and more aggressive and unreliable as the hooks of his addiction sank more deeply into his flesh. Shortly after losing his job he had incurred so many gambling debts that he had to find a job--any job--so that he might try to dig his way out of the hole he had dug for himself. He found a Capuchin monastery.
Camillus ended up at the monastery because he had taken a job in construction and the monastery was adding on to its buildings. He began listening to the monks when he took a break from his work and soon he found himself looking forward more and more to their prayers and readings and less and less to the games that had once consumed and ruled him. Camillus was soon converted to the Christian faith through the teaching and love of the monks and tried to take their vows upon himself as a monk, but he could not forget the time he had spent with those labeled hopeless and incurable. Furthermore, Camillus could not escape a leg injury he had incurred while serving in the military and this persistent pain prevented him from taking the Capuchin habit as his own. Instead, he returned to the hospital of years ago and began spending time with the sick and dying. Camillus prayed over their wounds and held out hope when everyone else said it was foolishness. Having found the dry land of the Faith, Camillus was able to help those still adrift in the shipwreck that he had once known and in the waters of addiction and sin in which he had once nearly drowned.After he was ordained to the priesthood, Camillus established an order of Christians devoted to the sick and dying known as the "Congregation of the Servants of the Sick." Their charge and goal was to treat each sick and dying person as they would treat Jesus himself and to do so with hopeful confidence in their recovery from sickness. In the end, the boy who had been abandoned by indifference and illness found his way through to redemption and a life of healing and service.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
July 13 - Silas, Missionary, Leader Among the Brothers, Companion of Paul
So, the leaders of the Church in Jerusalem decided to choose men from among themselves to go to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas to deliver a letter of blessing and encouragement. They did this with the reconciled and united consent of the whole congregation--none abstained because of hurt feelings but, instead, even those who had resisted placed greater faith in the ability of the whole Body of Christ to interpret the movements of the Holy Spirit than in their own individual abilities to sense God's movement among them. They sent Judas (the one they called Barsabbas) and Silas with the letter because these two were leaders among their brothers and sisters in the faith and would capably represent the whole body. The letter they carried with them read:
"To our Gentile brothers and sisters,
We've heard that some have left our congregation and have said things that disturbed and unsettled you--suggesting that you must first become a Jew to become a follower of Jesus the Crucified. Know that they did so not as representative of us but, instead, as representatives of themselves. The men who bring you this letter are our representatives and they come alongside Barnabas and Paul whom we love and who have risked their lives for the sake of our common Lord. These men are Judas and Silas and they will tell you all of what we have discussed and decided and you should understand them to represent each and every one of us. The Holy Spirit has taught us not to impose a further burden of faith upon you but only to ask you to abstain from a few things: food that has supported idolatry, consuming blood, consuming what has been strangled, and from illicit sex. If you will avoid these things then you will be fine. Farewell."
The congregations received the letter with much jubilation and were heartily encouraged by the unity and reconciliation that continued to sweep through Christ's Church like a mighty wind. Silas (and Judas) spoke not only for the congregation of Jerusalem but, also, for God and said much to edify, teach, and encourage the gentile believers who they encountered. There with Paul and Barnabas they taught and engaged in the ministry of the Church among both the converted and unconverted.
Paul and Barnabas split after a few more days over a dispute about whether or not John Mark should be brought along in their missionary journeys. Paul was unwilling to travel with him because he felt that John Mark had abandoned them in Pamphylia. So, Paul and Barnabas split. Silas joined Paul and began traveling alongside him as a missionary to the early Church in its many diverse and distant cities. He was arrested alongside Paul, he was beaten alongside Paul, and he sang hymns of praise while he sat in prison alongside Paul. They strengthened the Church wherever they traveled and encouraged the Body of Christ always to seek God's will and to be reconciled one to another. Silas had been selected to represent a congregation to a people they had been desperate to be reconciled to and had, in the process, become a missionary who worked with Paul to reconcile the world to God.


text:
What have I been doing? Well thank you for asking, I have been busy shredding my fingertips to the bone on my brand new Eko guitars. I bought two of them, these fine reproductions of Italian electric 6 strings from the 60s, with tiny orange amps to go along with them. One is treble and one is bass and they are sisters and they sound great together and apart. They are semi gothic, as one is called "the ghost", as the front of it is covered in textured pale plastic that gives it a white and shiny Casper look, perfect for covering "the monster mash" or other such novelties. The other is halloweenie pumpkin looking, with cut outs in the front that make the hollow body into a jack-o-lantern. I am ready for fall sounds and it's still summer so I am doing well. When the leaves turn, I will be ready to rock.
I have been spending days woodshedding – which is in musician terms – practicing intensely all alone in a woodshed. This I picked up from Jon Brion, who has spent a lifetime woodshedding and he knows those who have come from the shed and those who haven't by their sound. I have been playing for a long time now without getting better, but since my woodshed (actually my Atlanta apartment) isn't occupied during the day, I can play all I please without offending others.
My main focus has been playing Billy Bragg songs. Up now are "A New England" and "Saturday Boy". "St Swithin's Day" is up next. I have been going to see Billy Bragg since 1985 – many gigs in San Francisco, both solo affairs that he is best known for and with backing bands such as the Red Star Army. Later he would go on to much renown with the amazing Wilco – oh how I adore Jeff Tweedy – but the songs I long to play are his earliest, when it's just him, his estuary accent, his longing heart and progressive politics and his absolutely brilliant playing.
Mostly what billy bragg fans go on about is his lyricism, his poetic genius, which is true and pure and simple. We also marvel at his attention to the world at hand, looking to make it all better, for everyone. I know that when I was in London last year, he was spending lots of time at Occupy LSX – entertaining the people gathered to fight the establishment in the bitter cold of English fall. He's rallied for the miners, made songs to mobilize the union, and sang as only a lover can.
I spent a good deal of my youth thinking that I would marry Billy Bragg, but I ended up married to another and it's all turned out well anyway.
And I can finally play his songs, at least my own baby version, anyway.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The Telecommunication Regulatory Authority (TRA) was set up by government decree No. 3 of 2003. The TRA is a regulatory body that oversees the telecom sector and the licensees in the UAE in accordance with the terms of Legislative Decree no.3 of 2003, and implements the instructions of the Supreme Committee for Telecommunications.
Contact Information:
Hamdan Street, Al-Ghaith Tower
PO Box 26662
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates


text:
Mewlana Jalaluddin Rumi
Mewlana Jalaluddin Rumi [Rumi] (1207 - 1273 / Persia)
» Click to list general statistics » OR, select a date :
Description Of Love
A true lover is proved such by his pain of heart;
No sickness is there like sickness of heart.
The lover's ailment is different from all ailments;
read more >>
- Hits: Number of visitors who read the poem on the given date.
- Posts: Number of visitors who posted the poem to a friend (via e-mail) on the given date.
- Dates that have "0" hits may not be shown on the list.
- Dates, poems and poets that have "0" hits may not be shown on the list. Statistics are generated daily.


text:
November 8, 2012
Women with HIV may benefit from a vaccine for human papillomavirus (HPV), despite having already been exposed to HPV, a study finds. Although many may have been exposed to less serious forms of HPV, more than 45 percent of sexually active young women who have acquired HIV appear never to have been exposed to the most common high-risk forms of HPV, according to the study from a National Institutes of Health research network.
HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the world. The virus can infect the anal and genital areas, mouth and throat of males and females. High-risk forms of the virus can cause cancer, including cancer of the cervix.
The researchers noted that earlier studies had found many women with HIV were more likely than were women who did not have HIV to have conditions associated with HPV, such as precancerous conditions of the cervix, as well as for cervical cancer.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends HPV vaccination for girls ages 11-26. If an individual has not been exposed to the virus, approved HPV vaccines can protect against four types of the virus. Two HPV types, HPV-16 and HPV-18, cause 70 percent of cervical cancers. Two others, HPV-6 and HPV-11, cause 90 percent of genital warts.
At the time the women in the study received their first HPV vaccination, the researchers found that 12 percent had an existing HPV-16 infection and 5 percent had an HPV-18 infection. Because of their HIV status, these women may be more likely to develop cervical cancer or to develop a cancer that is hard to treat, the researchers said.
"Cervical cancer screening for sexually active young women is an important clinical priority, but our findings suggest it is especially so for women at risk of HIV," said study co-author Bill G. Kapogiannis, M.D., of the Pediatric, Adolescent and Maternal AIDS Branch of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), one of six NIH institutes supporting the study.
Drs. Kahn and Kapogiannis conducted the research in collaboration with colleagues at the NICHD and Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York City; Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia; New York University School of Medicine; Westat, Inc., Rockville, Md.; and the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
The research was conducted at a network of hospitals affiliated with the NICHD-funded Adolescent Medicine Trials Network for HIV/AIDS Interventions. Also supporting the study were the National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Cancer Institute and National Center for Research Resources.
The findings appear in the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes.
The researchers analyzed blood and tissue samples from 99 HIV-positive women between 16 and 23 years old who were given an initial vaccination for HPV. The researchers examined the samples for evidence of an existing HPV infection as well as previous exposure to the virus.
The researchers tested for the presence of 41 of more than 100 existing types of HPV virus, including 13 high-risk types. They found that 75 percent of the women had an existing HPV infection with at least one type, with 54 percent testing positive for a high-risk type. However, when examining the two types that cause 70 percent of cervical cancers (HPV-16 and HPV-18), the researchers found that nearly half of the women had no existing infection with either type and showed no evidence of exposure to them.
When the researchers tested for each type of HPV individually, they found that nearly 75 percent of the women had no current HPV-18 infection and no evidence of previous exposure. For HPV-16, 56 percent did not have a current infection or previous exposure.
"Even among women who test positive for one type of HPV, the vaccine may effectively prevent infection with others -- especially high-risk forms that cause cancer," Dr. Kahn said. "It's important that doctors don't withhold the vaccine in these cases, thinking that it's too late for a vaccine to be effective."
No comments have been made.
The content on this page is free of advertiser influence and was produced by our editorial team. See our content and advertising policies.


text:
Image from Colepike via Flickr
"One belongs to New York instantly; one belongs to it as much in five minutes as in five years."
~ Thomas Wolfe
I'll be there soon, my dears.
And I can't wait to see you. Yes, you, New York, but I also hope to meet some of my online friends in person too. Tea parties? Cupcake picnics? Dinner and adventures?
What'll it be?
May 14th - 19th
What should we do???


text:
8:00 pm
Reagan Presidency This detailed analysis features interviews with notable Reagan staff members, congressional leaders, scholars, journalists and presidential biographers. Part 1 of 3G
9:00 pm
Not In Our Town: Light in the Darkness In 2008 in Patchogue, New York, a series of attacks against Latino residents ended with the killing of 37-year-old Marcelo Lucero, an Ecuadorian immigrant who had lived there for 13 years. Seven local high school students arrested for the crime admitted they were "looking for a Mexican" to beat up. Over a two-year period, the film followed Patchogue Mayor Paul Pontieri as he led a diverse group of residents to confront the anti-immigrant bias in their town and repair the fabric of their community life.G
10:00 pm
Independent Lens "Men Who Swim" In 2009, Sweden's all-male synchronized swimming team, inspired by classical techniques used by 1950s-era swimmer Esther Williams, entered the first international championship for the sport. The move would require increased training for what started as a weekly escape from the daily grind - and in a year several of them turned 40.G
11:00 pm
Chatsworth House The Duke and Duchess of Devonshire are at home in the 300-room Chatsworth House on the estate which has been in the Duke's family for 450 years, and are preparing the house to be open to the public. Everyone has a role to play, and the duke and duchess join the annual litter clean up around the estate. Part 1 of 3G


text:
SALT LAKE CITY — Back in 1972 in Lanús, a small town in Argentina, Maria Roseto — the second oldest of four siblings — said goodbye to her family to go to America.
In 1976, Marta Roseto, the youngest of the four, left to serve a Mormon mission in Chile. Marta came to the United States three years later and her mother came a year after that.
It took 40 years before the family saw each other all together again. The emotional reunion occurred Thursday at the Salt Lake City International Airport.
"Last week I was crying all the time and I was happy," said Marta of the anticipation of seeing her siblings. "We are going to celebrate birthdays and Christmas and everything."
Ernestina Roseto, 91, the mother of the siblings sat in a wheelchair, fashionably dressed with a yellow blazer and a sun hat, waiting with her youngest daughter Marta for the rest of the family to arrive for what would be the reunion of all reunions for the Roseto family.
Minutes past noon, siblings Vicente, Rosa and Maria walked through the airport terminal toward their mother and sister who could not contain their emotions upon seeing their faces in person.
Rosa Roseto, 64, the spunkiest of the siblings, wore a River Plate jersey, a local soccer team in Buenos Aires. She skipped with a spring in her step as she sat on the side of her mother's wheelchair and give her an emotional kiss. She last visited her mother 12 years ago in 2000 when she came to celebrate her mother's 80th birthday.
Ernestina and Rosa celebrate both of their birthdays on Aug. 16. But because of financial difficulties, Rosa and her mother were only able to celebrate a limited number of those birthdays together.
Vicente Roseto, 69, the oldest of the four, had never visited the United States or left Argentina prior to his arrival Thursday. He walked in disbelief as he looked between his sisters and his mother at his side.
"I never thought that I would be here," Vicente said in Spanish.
The family could not afford the airfare to travel to see each other together. It wasn't until Vicente and Rosa, who also still lives in Argentina, retired and found time to travel. But loans were still needed to pay for the airfare that precluded the rest of the siblings' family in Argentina to miss the big reunion.
Marta, 58, said that she would never have recognized her older brother if not for pictures on Facebook. She had not seen Rosa in 12 years and had not seen Vicente in 20 years.
"Time flew so fast that I don't know why (it took) 40 years (for all to reunite)," Marta said.
Maria Roseto Algiere, who now lives in Houston, returned to Argentina last year. When she returned to Texas, she brought back photographs of the family and shared those photos to Marta, who was amazed that she did not recognize her brother.
"Who is the gentleman with Maria?" Algiere had asked when she saw the photos. "It must be one of our cousins and then when I saw the full face, (I recognized) that is my brother."
Algiere's arrival was kept a secret from her mother. Ernestina was only expecting Vicente and Rosa's arrival from Argentina. The surprise of all the siblings reunited after so many years brought tears of joy to their mom.
Once the siblings arrived, they quickly began reminiscing about the past. All had their father in mind. Nicola Roseto, an Italian native, was a sailor but tragically died when he was 33. The ship that he was on went down in 1956 near the Gulf of Pensa in Chile along with 56 other sailors.
After he was killed at sea, Ernestina said she had no desire to hear about religion.
"I didn't want to know anything about anything," she recalled in Spanish. "But, afterwards I said, 'No, how can I not? They took away my husband, but nobody is at fault.'"
Marta and her mother came to Utah in 1981 after joining The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the only Mormons in the Roseto family.
Ernestina is now known as "the Queen" in her Spanish-speaking ward, according to Marta. She joined to the church in 1978, shortly after Marta returned from her mission.
Now with the family reunited, Maria, Rosa and Vicente plan to spend the next two weeks in Salt Lake City. Then they will all fly to Houston, where they will spend another two weeks with Maria's family reliving memories and making new ones, together at last.
E-mail: [email protected]
Twitter: @_JulianReyes_


text:
On Day Seven of her new job, Kim Parahus, Hewlett-Woodmere's recently hired director of school facilities and operations, was on the roof of the Woodmere Education Center in high heels, inspecting a possible leak.
Parahus, 49, the only female director of facilities and operations in Nassau County, is responsible for maintaining school buildings and overseeing the Hewlett-Woodmere School District's maintenance and security staff. "Some guys are wary of me at first," she said, "but once they get to know me, they're able to get a sense of my background and knowledge, so it puts their fears at rest."
Parahus, who lives in Massapequa Park, began her career as an elevator mechanic in Long Island City. "I thought it was a good part-time job to have while in college," she said. "I ended up staying, and learned more about the field."
Over the past 30 years, she has worked for New York City and Plainview-Old Bethpage public schools. "I'm excited to meet the challenges Hewlett-Woodmere has to offer," she said. "Hewlett-Woodmere has a prestigious reputation, and once I heard Dennis Sheridan" — the former executive director of facilities and operations — "was retiring, I wanted to take on the challenge."
Parahus is currently overseeing the restoration of tennis and handball courts as well as the construction of a greenhouse and a Life Skills room at Woodmere Middle School, and partial window replacement at the Woodmere Education Center. "One of the biggest challenges that exists is coordination between contractors to ensure that all work is completed correctly and prior to the start of the new school year," she said. "On a positive note, the staff are dedicated and committed to the school district, and are bringing me up to speed very quickly. I'm extremely grateful for that."
More new faces
Parahus isn't the only new district employee. Mark Secaur will replace Laura Seinfeld as the assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction on Aug. 1. Secaur, 44, a Malverne resident, has been the principal at Oceanside High School since 2008. "I had a successful experience at Oceanside, and was able to work as part of a team," he said. "I have experience achieving goals and improving the measures that are imparted in schools and districts."
He said he aims to improve instruction in the district. "I intend to help teachers by providing them with the tools and training they need to implement the district's curriculum with fidelity," Secaur said.
In order to prepare for his new position, he added, he will learn as much about the district, its policies and culture as he can. "I've been very impressed by the people I've met thus far, and look forward to meeting a larger number of the district's staff," Secaur said. "I'm very excited to join a great educational team."
Elmont resident Anthony Murray is the new P-12 chairman of mathematics for the district. He has been the director of mathematics, computer education and technology for the West Hempstead School District since 2009. "I'm looking forward to being an integral member of my new team, and I hope to bring my years of curriculum, supervisory and teaching experience to this district," said Murray, who is in his 40s. "I think my years of experience and my personal and sincere belief in equity in education made me stand out against other applicants."
Murray said that Hewlett-Woodmere's "outstanding reputation" was one of the reasons he wanted to become a part of the district. "I hope to encourage and influence others to educate with passion and enthusiasm and to support students who are struggling," he said, "and motivate with creativity and humor."
Richard Mangeri takes over as an assistant principal at Hewlett High School, replacing Al Bauer, now the principal of Woodmere Middle School. Mangeri, an East Meadow resident in his 40s, was a social studies teacher, attendance coordinator and a varsity football coach at Hewlett High School, and an assistant football coach, head track coach and assistant track coach at the middle school.
Mangeri will work with ninth- and 11th-graders and schedule midterm, Advanced Placement and Regents exams, among other duties. "I anticipate my new role to be challenging, but a vital part of fostering the development of all students at Hewlett High School," he said.
Prior to coming to the district in 2001, Mangeri was a social studies teacher and then dean of students at Kellenberg Memorial High School in Uniondale. "I'm looking forward to the new and different challenges that I'll face on a daily basis as the assistant principal," he said. "I hope to continue to foster my relationship with the Hewlett-Woodmere community, and help our student body reach their full potential."
Have an opinion on this story? Send Letters to the Editor to email@example.com.


text:
- Inside Athletics
- Tickets
- Fan Zone
- Media Zone
- Social
- Shop
- Donate Now
BLACKSBURG, Va. (Jan. 12, 2012) – The ETSU track and field teams resume the indoor season this Friday and Saturday when they travel to Blacksburg, Va. for their first meet of the new year at the Virginia Tech Invitational.
The meet will begin at 5 p.m. on Friday with the 60m dash, 60m hurdles, mile run, 1000m, 500m and 300m, triple jump, pole vault and weight throw events to take place. Saturday, the meet will resume at 11 a.m. with the 5000m, 3000m, 800m, 400m, 200m, Distance Medley Relay, 4x4 relay, high jump, long jump and shot put.
The Buccaneers will compete against men's and women's teams from 28 institutions throughout the weekend, which include: Boston College, Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia and Virginia Tech.
"We as a staff are very excited to get the 2012 season underway," said ETSU assistant coach Eli Sunquist. "We have some new athletes joining us this spring and we are looking forward to seeing them compete. This weekend will be a good opportunity to see how everyone competes after a six-week break from the App State meet."
At the App State Invitational, the Bucs reeled in 14 top-five performances including a first place finish by freshman Filip Jalovy (Modrice, Czech Republic) in the mile run.
In last year's VT Invitational, junior Tim O'Dell (Palm Coast, Fla.) earned a top-10 finish in the 400m with a time 49.68. Meanwhile, redshirt senior Caitlyn Epps (Cookeville, Tenn.) clocked a third place result in the women's 5000m with a time of 18:20.71 and local junior Jasmine Foster (Johnson City, Tenn.) posted another ETSU top-10 in the women's weight throw.
Results for this weekend's meet will be posted on flashresults.com and hokiesports.com.
For more information on Buccaneer track and field, visit ETSUBucs.com


text:
EBC Stage 11 RK Greenstuff 2000 Brake Kit
- Includes EBC GreenStuff brake pads
- Includes EBC Premium OE brake rotors
- Ideal for the daily driver that want a little better stopping power
- Brake pads can improve brake effect up to 15%
- GreenStuff brake pads reduce wear and tear on rotors
- Premium OE brake rotors are an exact match for original parts
- OE brake rotors are precision machined and balanced for optimal braking power
Want to take a step up from your factory brakes, but don't need all the bells in whistles? EBC Stage 11 RK Greenstuff 2000 brake kit will improve brake power, while eliminating brake noise. You'll be riding to work in confidence.
EBC Greenstuff 2000 Series brake pads are specifically engineered for cars and light SUVs. Greenstuff 2000 pads deliver a brake effect improvement of around 15%. EBC pads are designed to extreme conditions without brake fatigue or "fall-off". Greenstuff 2000 brake pads have a medium dust level, which is far superior to the dust your factory pads are kicking out.
EBC Premium OEM rotors (RK Series) are built of a G3000 grey iron. EBC designed these rotors to be a 100% exact original equipment match. EBC precision machines, balances, and then inspects every single rotor that leaves their factory to ensure a blemish, distortion free rotor right out of the box.
Upgrade your pads and rotors with an EBC Stage 11 RK Greenstuff 2000 brake kit. You'll feel, hear, and see the difference immediately!
Limited warranty
EBC stage 11 RK Greenstuff brake pads are backed by a 12 month or 10,000 mile warranty and the stage 1 RK Greenstuff brake rotors are backed by a six month or 10,000mile warranty. The warranty is for replacement of similar product or refund of purchase value only excluding all labor and ancillary charges such as vehicle towing, fitting, inconvenience, purchasing of other manufacturers products and is valid for a period of six months from date of purchase or 10,000 miles of highway use. Warranty is invalid if product is used for racing, rally, drifting, track day experience driving, or any other form of competition. Drivers/users must assess the performance and durability or EBC Brakes products themselves if any EBC is to be used in racing.
EBC Stage 11 RK Greenstuff 2000 Brake Kits are specifically designed for your truck or SUV. EBC brake kits can be installed at home, or by a trusted local mechanic. Give RealTruck a call at 877-216-5446 if you have any questions or concerns.


text:
Design a Logo for apparel startup
Budjetti ₹1000000-2500000 INR
Design logo for upcoming women's apparel brand which would focus in traditional womeswear along with modern contemporary fashion as well.
The logo should reflect the ideology of the brand and should also represent and imbibe the vibe of the name in it.
6 freelanceria on tarjonnut keskimäärin %project_bid_stats_avg_sub_26% %project_currencyDetails_sign_sub_27% tähän työhön
Hi, https://www.freelancer.com/u/pixtualgraphics.html [login to view URL] [login to view URL] Regards Sushila Relevant Skills and Experience logo Proposed Mi Lisää
Hi, Good Day! We have read your post & would like to discuss further as we have a team of extensively experienced logo/ graphics designers who have delivered over 500+ captivating websites in last few years. Lisää
Hi Let's clarify the requirement in details also if you want us to share our previous work let us [login to view URL] have a few questions about your project, please send us message so that we can discuss more. Thanks & regards Lisää


text:
BBC News
- Brexit: Theresa May faces confidence vote after huge defeat
- Nairobi hotel: British man killed in attack
- Upskirting to be crime after Lords back bill
- Inflation falls to lowest level in nearly two years
- Woman arrested in Rebecca Hall cold case murder inquiry
- 'Fairy dust' head teacher Sue East's funeral to take place
- Wales 'highest prison rate' in western Europe
- Grace Millane: Man denies murdering British backpacker
- Ofsted pledges new ranking for schools in tough areas
- Brexit: Nicola Sturgeon says another EU referendum 'only credible option'
- Red Bull Tube poster banned over 'focus boost' claim
- London Uber fares go up after electric car charge
- Brexit: MPs vote 'no' to Theresa May's deal
- Brexit: MP Tulip Siddiq delays C-section for Brexit vote
- Brexit: What happens next?
- Clean air: Do low emission schemes improve children's lungs?
- Cumbria family ditched modern life to live off the grid
- Child refugee pianist plays in charity shop
- Rewriting the rules on Arabic calligraphy
- BBC Politics Live
- Stan and Ollie: Laurel and Hardy car back on the road
- 'Incredibly rare' find in Western Isles prehistoric forest
- Newspaper headlines: Theresa May's 'historic' Brexit vote defeat
- What is a no confidence motion? What time is it?
- Liver transplant 'game changing' treatment approved
- No escape as 'snow day' becomes 'e-learning day'
- Brexit: What could happen next?
- Brexit vote: Donald Tusk hints UK should stay in EU
- Danny Dyer: 'I like a chinwag about medieval history'
- Reality Check: What are the biggest government defeats?
- Pregnant MP reignites proxy voting debate
- Do young people feel pressured to have sex?
- Brexit: Passionate protests outside Parliament
- Managerial departures: Analysing the art of the club statement
- Watches: A Briton at the heart of a Swiss tradition
- The five Alex Salmond row inquiries
- 'Making pizzas used to be a hobby, now it's my business'
Our traditional ANY-Village websites can still be found at their original location:
Below we are listing some of the most popular UK property websites advertising homes for sale in the East-Carleton area:
Nestoria (EASTCARLETON Map Search)
Vebra.com (EASTCARLETON Map Search)
Rightmove (EASTCARLETON Map Search)
Zoopla (East-Carleton Map Search)
Homes for SALE / Flats for SALE in EASTCARLETON
Homes for RENT / Flats for RENT in EASTCARLETON


text:
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
The Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit invites applications from highly qualified candidates for the position of Bankruptcy Judge for the District of Arizona, Phoenix and Tucson Divisions. This position will be available on or after June and September 2014, upon the retirements of Judge Sarah S. Curley and Eileen W. Hollowell. Please visit http://judgeship.ce9.uscourts.gov/ for more information and to apply.


text:
DENVER After six years in the Legislature, Sen. Ellen Roberts is used to being outnumbered.
It happened again a week ago, twice.
In an emotional 24 hours when Colorado senators grabbed onto some of the hottest live wires of American politics gay rights, religion and womens health the Durango Republican found herself split first from most of her fellow Republicans and next from most of the women in the Senate.
Her isolation was on stark display April 27, when Roberts took the lead in arguing for a Republican resolution about womens health care and religious freedom. Democratic senators who opposed her unfurled a prop on a roll of paper that spanned the whole front of the Senate chamber. They held it in front of the podium, literally cutting off Roberts and her fellow Republican senator, Jean White of Hayden, from the rest of the Senate.
I feel shut out. I feel like there is a physical barrier that was attempted to be put between me and the rest of the world, and I reject it, Roberts said shortly after Democrats removed the prop.
She wasnt completely alone. The other two Republican women White and Nancy Spence of Centennial took her side during the debates about gay rights and womens health.
But Roberts took it upon herself to do the heavy lifting in the debate about Senate Memorial 3 by Sen. Tom Neville, R-Littleton. The symbolic measure supported a Republican bill in Congress that would have let health-care providers refuse to insure or care for patients based on religious objections.
The issue flared up early this year when President Barack Obamas administration told Catholic hospitals they have to provide insurance coverage for birth control to their employees.
In Washington, House Republicans held a hearing on the topic that featured all male witnesses. Conservative talk-show host Rush Limbaugh mocked a law student who wanted to testify, Sandra Fluke, calling her a slut.
National Democrats pushed back, saying conservatives were conducting a war on women. Fluke even visited Colorado and decried Senate Memorial 3.
Here in Colorado, it was a fight both sides were eager to have. Democrats had a chance to kill Nevilles measure in a committee, but they let it get to the Senate floor.
Roberts sees the issue as a matter of religious freedom, and she rejects the idea of a war on women as something ginned up to help Democrats win the fall election.
It is a horrible thing to divide women from women for political gain, she said.
Democratic women sharply disagreed.
Sen. Morgan Carroll, D-Aurora, called SM 3 an all-out assault on womens rights, saying it would support limiting access to birth control and gynecological services that specifically affect women.
If this isnt a war on women, what is it? Carroll said. This is government overreach into your bedroom, your body and your doctors office.
Democrats were happy to let the debate highlight differences between their caucus and the Republicans. Fourteen of the 20 Democratic senators are women, while just three of the 15 Republicans are.
Out of the 12 Republican co-sponsors of SM 3, Roberts was the only woman.
I knew the firestorm someone a woman who is pro-choice would encounter by signing on to this, Roberts said.
Roberts insisted to her male Republican colleagues that the GOP women do all the talking during the debate so Republicans could avoid the boys-vs.-girls scene that played out on the national stage earlier this year.
But she was pitted against the male Republicans just a day earlier. On April 26, the three women were the only Republicans to cast votes for Senate Bill 2, which would allow gay and lesbian couples to join in civil unions. All 20 Democrats voted yes, and all 12 Republican men voted no. That bill now is advancing in the House, thanks to support from two key Republicans.
The civil-unions bill respects the freedom of religion, Roberts said. She spoke about feeling punched in the stomach in 1992, when Colorado became known as the hate state after voters passed Amendment 2, which banned civil-rights protections for gays and lesbians.
Amendment 2 was thrown out by the Supreme Court, and the civil-unions bill helps heal the wound for Roberts.
It does restore some of my, your and Colorados collective soul that I believe we lost in the 1990s, Roberts said.
In addition to supporting civil unions, she is one of the few Republicans in the Legislature who supports abortion rights, and that has rubbed some senators the wrong way. A few Republican men in the Senate supported Roberts primary opponent, Dean Boehler of Norwood.
Its possible that Roberts will find herself more isolated next year. Spence is leaving the Senate because of term limits, and White, the Hayden senator, faces a primary challenge from Rep. Randy Baumgardner, R-Cowdrey, who is running as a conservative alternative to the more moderate White.


text:
scottaxa needed a new web page design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 44 designs submitted by 16 freelance designers.
We require:
1. Professional logo
2. Homepage
3. sub page
UKEcommerceSolutions.com will be a specialist web development company offering ecommerce solutions. It needs to look modern, clean and targeted to the UK consumer wishing to obtain a very good yet affordable ecommerce solution
We require:
1. Professional logo
2. Homepage
3. sub page
UKEcommerceSolutions.com will be a specialist web development company offering ecommerce solutions. It needs to look modern, clean and targeted to the UK consumer wishing to obtain a very good yet affordable ecommerce solution
Here are some of the benefits of our offerings which you may decide to put into the design: (feel free to change the wording to make it more easy to understand for the public and/or fit into your style of design / brand)
3 years free web hosting worth over £500
start uploading your products within 24 hours
Choice of over 10 popular payment gateway providers including paypal and google checkout
Multi-language (maybe an idea to have an area where we can put all the languages and the flags of those countries rotating in a nice flash image fade)
3 years unlimited warranty for total peace of mind
Search engine friendly url's
unlimited products and categories
Add/Edit/Remove categories, products, manufacturers, customers, and reviews
Support for physical (shippable) and virtual (downloadable) products
Contact customers directly via email or newsletters
Print invoices and packaging lists from the order screen
Statistics for products and customers
Multicurrency support
Automatically update currency exchange rates
Customers can view their order history and order statuses
Customers can maintain their accounts
Address book for multiple shipping and billing addresses
Temporary shopping cart for guests and permanent shopping cart for customers
Fast and friendly quick search and advanced search features
Product reviews for an interactive shopping experience
Global and per-category bestseller lists
Display what other customers have ordered with the current product shown
Breadcrumb trail for easy site navigation
Accept numerous offline payment processing (cheque, money orders, offline credit care processing, ..)
Tax Functionality
Fast turnaround
Fully customised visuals from professional graphic artists
Full copyright of all work we do
CD copy of all data we build
Free training
The aim of this site is to generate leads and payment direct from the site, ie visitors can email or telephone us or purchase via credit card online – we plan to make some nice flash showing the admin panel and the benefits so please leave a nice area in the header where we can swap it for flash, but please have this area looking how it would on the site loading up, ie don't leave a nasty white area
menu is:
about us
contact us
order now
We will develop this site for the screen res: 1024x768
Looking forward to seeing your thoughts and idea.
- slick, modern easy to use clean website
- something that makes us stand out from the norm
- cartoon / clipart style


text:
Let's say this right off the bat: Jane Fonda, in the opinion of this lowly journalist at least, is a perfectly fine choice for an AFI life achievement award. She's done remarkable film work going back a long way, whether in "On Golden Pond," "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" "Klute," "Coming Home" or many others.
She's a woman on a list that needs more women (only eight have been given the AFI honor in the award's 42-year history). And whether it's videos about exercise or getting conservatives exercised, Fonda has continually reinvented herself in ways that go well beyond the movies.
But the choice, which was announced by AFI Thursday night, also continues something of an unfortunate recent pattern.
SNEAKS: Movie trailers, full coverage
Consider the last seven honorees. They are, in order: Al Pacino, Warren Beatty, Michael Douglas, Mike Nichols, Morgan Freeman, Shirley MacLaine and Mel Brooks.
It's an amazingly diverse list in terms of achievement and Hollywood careers. But the honorees have one thing in common. None of them, with maybe the exception of MacLaine, has done their best or even especially notable film work in the decade previous to their receiving the prize. Even Freeman, who won a supporting-actor Oscar for "Million Dollar Baby" a few years before, took on many forgettable roles before and since.
Fonda continues this tradition. After sitting out the game for 15 years, she came back in 2005 to star in... "Georgia Rule." She followed that up with "Monster-in-Law," "All Together" and "Peace, Love and Misunderstanding." None of them is likely to make any of AFI's own best-of lists. Sure, she was fun as Nancy Reagan in "Lee Daniels' The Butler" this summer, but that was in the blink-and-you'll-miss-it category.
PHOTOS: Hollywood backlot moments
In fact, though AFI's life achievement honor is specifically designated for film, Fonda's most meaty role in recent years has been on TV, as the biting media mogul Leona Lansing on Aaron Sorkin's "The Newsroom," a part that mischievously riffs on her anti-corporate politics and her time spent as Mrs. Ted Turner.
It's a time when, as every nightly news report reminds, Americans are living longer and doing more. That's true for film personalities too, who are doing some of their best work in their 60s and 70s. But you wouldn't know it from looking at the recent AFI honorees.
But most candidates worthy of this kind of award have already entered a kind of semi-retirement by the time their number comes up, you say? Not necessarily. Here are a few accomplished veterans who are still doing great work but have never won the AFI life achievement award:
Helen Mirren, Ang Lee, Mike Leigh, Spike Lee, Sigourney Weaver, Woody Allen (OK, he wouldn't take it, but still), Terrence Malick (ditto, but how great would that be), Daniel Day-Lewis, Ron Howard, Judi Dench.
PHOTOS: Billion-dollar movie club
I'm not saying any one of these people deserves the award over any of these last seven winners; how do you compare careers of that magnitude? But all of them would be worthy additions to the AFI list, while also showing that a lifetime achievement award can be given to someone who not only once made great films but continues to do so. It would be encouraging for the people doing this work. And it might just gussy up the musty image of these types of prizes, sending the message that they aren't just valedictories for achievements long ago but tips of the hat for continued relevance.
It's not as if AFI has been unwilling to fete personalities near the top of their game, by the way. Tom Hanks was given the prize in 2002, and Meryl Streep was so honored in 2004. Each was no more than two years removed from an Oscar nomination, and had plenty of great turns still to come. They just don't appear to be willing to do it lately.
I know, I know, all this shouldn't be taken that seriously. These awards are just meant for some backslapping, to show some nice clips, and, oh yeah, to bring in some money. You'd be better off dissecting ESPY nominees. And who could begrudge Fonda this honor? She has a host of classic movies on her resume and is an icon by any definition. At some point she should get an award like this, and no time like the present.
But taken in context with this recent crop, the Fonda award lands a little awkwardly. AFI bills the prize as "America's Highest Honor for a Career in Film." With all the great veterans out there, it might not be the worst idea once in a while to honor someone who's still doing some of their highest-level work.
Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ZeitchikLAT


text:
Space Ranger
Added Mar 18, 2012
by katexxxxxx
Sittingbourne, U...
A Space Ranger uniform based on the 1950's Dan Dare, Pilot of the Future concept. Dan Dare's uniforms were based on RAF uniforms of the day. We had an RAF officer's tunic to copy for details like the pockets and the belt loops, the front reveres, and other structural idea.
This is another Jolly Dicey creation. Looking at the time sheets, Su and I spend the same number of hours onthis one. She did many of the main seams and the buttonholes and other bits. I did the zip, the pockets, the collar, the belt, and many other pieces as well as some main seams
Material Notes
We used an all wool Barathea, lined with Bremsilk, a cupro lining. It was tailored using fusible tailoring methods. The collar felt was cut from a very splendid off-cut of black 100% cashmire Melton!
6 Comments Sign in to add a post
Mar 25, 2012, 11.21 PMby nessys
This is fab Darl! The details of the pockets and belt are, once again, perfection! I bet she had a ball wearing this outfit and she looks like she just stepped out of one of Dr Who's adventures. It was nice you could use your Dad's uniform for direction.
1 Reply
Mar 26, 2012, 07.27 AMby katexxxxxx
Ta! It was greatly appreciated. She was looking for lots more opportunities to wear it. :)
Mar 21, 2012, 09.31 AMby bjr99
Great looking outfit! It's always nice to have a garment for design reference to work from. Using pictures in books is great but you can't peek around the back and see what it looks like as well!
1 Reply
Mar 21, 2012, 01.33 PMby katexxxxxx
Thanks. :) I couldn't have worked out the pocket construction from pictures alone. They are… Interesting! And having a bit of 'Gieves the Thieves'* artwork to follow was certainly a blessing!
*RAF nick-name for Gieves and Hawkes of 1, Saville Row.
Mar 20, 2012, 08.46 PMby Otto Schlunzenstück
Space Ranger? Or East German railroad conductor?
1 Reply
Mar 21, 2012, 01.43 PMby katexxxxxx
Nope, more RAF No 1 dress uniform a la Gieves & Hawkes: http://pics.livejournal.com/katexxxxxx/pic/004×1s46
Or as worn by HRH Wiils: http://topnews.in/light/files/Prince-William-propo.jpg
I do love her Killer Look in that pic, though. No prisoners there!
Yup, my dad went to HRH's tailors for his uniforms. :) http://pics.livejournal.com/katexxxxxx/pic/004xssbq/s640x480
Mar 20, 2012, 01.03 PMby tanuyadav
Waaw the dress looks great!!
1 Reply
Mar 20, 2012, 04.30 PMby katexxxxxx
Thanks. :)
Culottes are SO practical when you are a spaceship pilot! ;)
Mar 19, 2012, 01.01 PMby katexxxxxx
Thank you. 'Culottes' is the correct spelling, but since we were refering to them as the 'cool-ottes' by the end of fitting, I rather like your version. :)
The pattern was drafted from scratch for the whole outfit. As so many of our customers come in non-standard sizes and want 'different' or historically themed stuff, we usually find it easier just to draft.
Mar 19, 2012, 10.13 AMby SENEBOreally great outfit, nice detailing on jacket, love the coolottes( can't remember the correct spelling) were they self drafted or from a pattern? i can't find a pattern any where for some and being a larger lady these look fab
Add to Favorites 2 people added it


text:
Jamie Campbell Bower: Burberry Spring/Summer 2014 Campaign
Check out Jamie Campbell Bower looking smoldering in this brand new image from the Burberry Spring/Summer 2014 campaign!
The 25-year-old The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones actor is joined in the shot by fellow campaign stars including models Malaika Firth, Jean Campbell, Matilda Lowther, Neelam Johal, Callum Ball, and musician Leo Dobson.
"Introducing the @Burberry S/S14 campaign with a fresh new cast of young British talent," the brand announced on their Twitter account, along with the campaign picture.
Check out a first look video at the campaign below!
Bigger Burberry campaign picture inside…


text:
March 2, 2005
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - The Fall of 2004 started for the freshman lightweights with a large group of students interested in experiencing rowing at MIT. Over the course of the season, the team produced significant improvements over the previous year. At the New Hampshire Championships, MIT placed second in the open novice eight, while at the Foot of the Charles, Tech's B-unit defeated Harvard's second boat.
The Engineers carried this momentum into winter training and were able to take even more strides during its January trip to
The spring of 2005 promises to be a challenging season for the freshman lightweights but by relying on their teammates they are ready to face the challenge. The dual season begins on March 25, in
Following the conclusion of the dual season, MIT will have three weeks to prepare for the league championship, Eastern Sprints, in


text:
It appears your browser may be outdated. For the best website experience, we recommend updating your browser.
learn more
In the third round of the 2015 World Golf Championships - Cadillac Match Play, Jordan Spieth makes his birdie putt from 15 feet on the par-4 11th hole.
Don't Miss This
© 1995-2019 PGA TOUR, Inc | All Rights Reserved.
PGA TOUR, PGA TOUR Champions, Web.com Tour, and the Swinging Golfer design are registered trademarks.
Web.com is also a registered trademark used here with permission, and used in the Web.com Tour logo with permission.