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Blog Archives
Singing The Faith: A First Look
Singing The Faith is the first new official British Methodist hymn book for nearly thirty years, superseding the (in my opinion) deadly dull Hymns and Psalms. My copy arrived in the post on Friday, and I've been skimming through it for some first impressions.
Hymns and Psalms just had to go, and many churches were voting with their wallets. It had the misfortune to come out just before the explosion in contemporary worship music (twelve months too early even for Kendrick's 'The Servant King',
I seem to recall). But you got the feeling that even if it hadn't, that stuff would probably not have been included. It was published around the high water tide of liberal antipathy to evangelical and charismatic Christianity in Methodism. Furthermore, the musical arrangements were, as one friend put it kindly, 'for musicians by musicians, to interest musicians'. I can't judge the truth of that as a non-musician, but it may explain why they were largely deadly dull to me.
It had its bright spots – and I think particularly of the additional verse it includes in 'When I Survey The Wondrous Cross' (retained here) that I've never seen elsewhere, the scholarship applied to restoring original texts and the Scripture Index in the music edition.
Methodist Conference and the panel that put together Singing The Faith faced the implications of several cultural revolutions that have deeply affected how Christians, Methodists included, approach faith and sung worship. Revolutions in communications (especially the Internet), transport (you can more easily get to a church whose style you prefer) and ecumenism (people are exposed to other traditions more easily and frequently) mean that fewer Methodists will be easily satisfied with 'what we already know'. Some would argue (myself included) that technological changes and the fact that churches had already bought all sorts of supplementary books, such as Songs Of Fellowship, Mission Praise and The Source, meant that a new hymn book probably wasn't the answer, and another approach was needed. The moment of publication is the beginning of fossilisation today. However, Methodism is almost umbilically attached to hymn books, and so a new book it was.
Given that fact, the new book, then, would need to embrace a diversity of musical and theological styles. Centralised or hierarchical control of doctrine may technically be still present in our system, but for many people it is long gone. There is therefore a huge question here of how Methodism maintains her doctrine in this central aspect of our piety, our singing. It may be that the forthcoming additional resource Singing The Faith Plus will act as some kind of clearing house to reflect on which of the newer material that is published from now on is consonant with Methodist doctrine, but we'll see.
When it gets to the handling of theological diversity, there certainly is a spread in Singing The Faith. It embraces both the neo-Calvinist emphasis on the wrath of God at the Cross in Stuart Townend's 'In Christ Alone'
and at the other end we have Marty Haugen's 'Let Us Build A House (All Are Welcome)'
which some have criticised for allegedly extended the universal offer of salvation into universalism. So the issue of acceptable diversity is alive and well within the book!
It is also worth noting the considerable reduction in Charles Wesley hymns – very significant for Methodists, this. Hymns And Psalms was originally to be edited by an ecumenical committee, but when Methodist Conference insisted on at least two hundred Wesley hymns, the United Reformed Church pulled out. And for the URC to withdraw takes quite something! In the new book, at a quick count Wesley is down to seventy-nine contributions. Much as I love Wesleyan theology, I think this is the right move. Indeed, if many in our churches who have been most vocal about singing Wesley hymns had been as fervently aligned to his doctrine as to the music, Methodism might be more vibrant! Here is a prime example of the argument that allegiance to hymns, however central they are to Methodist spirituality, has not always maintained and fed our faith in the ways to which we might aspire.
Two more traditional-style contemporary Methodist hymn writers, Andrew Pratt and Marjorie Dobson, both participated in the STF committee, and both are represented in the final collection. Both have nine entries. With those numbers, I don't think anyone can accuse the compilers of favouritism. I imagine the STF panel did what the HAP committee did, and required authors who were members of the group to vacate when their potential contributions were being discussed.
On, then, to think about those writers who have come more out of the explosion in contemporary worship styles. Matt Redman (also) features nine times, and the observation that interests me here is how it isn't always his 'hits' that have been chosen. It looks to me like the committee has taken a real interest in what he writes about struggle and suffering. So as well as the popular 'Blessèd Be Your Name' we get 'When We Were In The Darkest Night' ('God Of Our Yesterdays')
and 'We Have Nothing To Give'. No sign of 'The Father's Song': one hopes that isn't about avoiding male language for God, in the way that Fred Pratt Green's 'For The Fruits Of His Creation' has been altered to 'For The Fruits Of All Creation'.
Having said that, the compilers are less confident that middle of the road Methodist congregations are ready for much by the late Delirious? Martin Smith and Stuart Garrard get in a couple each, but that's it. This might be about some of the slightly unusual ways the band expressed itself lyrically, or it is about the more performance-oriented style, or possibly some other reason.
There is also evidence of taking into account the effect of contemporary worship trends on older hymns. It has become popular, particularly under so-called 'Celtic' influences, to sing the afore-mentioned 'When I Survey The Wondrous Cross' to the tune 'O Waly Waly' as well as 'Rockingham'. This is recognised in Singing The Faith.
But beyond the contemporary worship movement, one area where I am particularly pleased to see innovation is in children's worship songs. Mark and Helen Johnson of Out Of The Ark Music have been producing worship songs for primary schools for many years. Indeed, that is how I was introduced to them – by a primary head teacher. It's a delight to see songs such as 'Everywhere Around Me'
included, along with songs about the Incarnation and the Crucifixion (which actually doesn't feature that often in their lyrics). Sadly, the wonderful 'Harvest Samba'Vodpod videos no longer available.
isn't in. Did it lose out because it has a middle eight, and that would confuse some older congregations? I wonder.
However, overall, as you will gather, for someone who stays on the fringes of the Methodist establishment, and who is usually quite uncomfortable about it, I greatly welcome Singing The Faith. I still think a new book wasn't the right approach in a fast-moving creative and digital world, but given that the decision was made, I think what has been produced is far better than many of us might have hoped.
'God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.' (verse 24)
That's an obvious verse to pick for this circuit service on the theme of worship. But sometimes, however much I like to be obscure, obvious is OK!
There are several valid ways you can read this verse. Worshipping in spirit and truth can be about the fact that you can worship God anywhere. That's true, and in the context, the woman has just raised the question of physical locations for worship.
You can also read the 'spirit' aspect as being about the need for the inspiration of the Holy Spirit in order to worship. That has some merit, too, because there is much in John's Gospel about the ministry of the Spirit.
Worshipping in 'truth' can be about the importance of basing our worship on the truth of God, rather than our own preferences or fantasies. That, too, would be valid.
But I want to offer a different – if complementary – approach to Jesus' teaching that we are to worship in spirit and in truth. I think it also means our worship is to be Christ-centred. Why? The work of the Spirit in John's Gospel is to point to Christ. And Jesus himself is the way, the truth and the life in John. Spirit and truth both focus on Christ. I'm going to use Christ as our framework for worship.
My sister is an Occupational Therapist. At the end of her college training in 1988, she had to take a final elective placement. With the support of her college Christian Union, she went out with a missionary society to Gahini Hospital in Rwanda.
One of her most interesting cultural experiences (apart from African driving!) was Sunday morning worship in the hospital's Anglican church. People were not called to worship by the ringing of bells, but by drums. All well and good.
But when worship began, it was the 1662 Book of Common Prayer. Seventeenth century England, transposed to twentieth century Africa. Crazy.
Why is that crazy? Jesus is the Word made flesh, who dwelt among us. He took on human flesh, and lived in his context as a first century Jew. Might it be that when it comes to worship, our worship has to live in the cultural forms in which we live, and of the people we desire to reach with the Gospel?
Can I bring that insight to the worship wars that often rip apart our churches? We need to drop the nonsense talk that hymns and choral music are somehow morally superior. And those who argue for contemporary music need to quit the notion that others are fuddy-duddies. The issue is this: who has God called us to reach?
The American pastor Rick Warren, who planted Saddleback Church in California, has a useful approach to this. He says that if you are going to plant a church, then the way you decide the musical style of the worship is this: find out what the most popular radio station in the area is, and model the musical aspect of your worship on that style of music.
So never mind what we like: incarnation demands we live in the culture of the people where God has placed us on mission. And that will shape our worship – from music to other elements, too.
In my last appointment, I was part of a team that put on a weekly Wednesday lunch-time prayer and worship event entitled Medway Celebrate. At one team meeting, I remember the founder of the event say he had asked all visiting worship leaders to put a particular emphasis on 'celebration' in the tone they set.
Inwardly, I winced. What about people suffering pain or troubles? How would they cope with relentless joy and happiness? And at first glance, anchoring our worship to the Cross of Christ would support my reaction. In worship, the Cross leads us to confession of sin. It puts us in touch with the pain of the world, and so it also informs our intercession. And the central act of Christian worship, Holy Communion, is directly linked to the Cross: 'This is my body … this is my blood.'
Not only that, something like one third of Israel's hymn book, the Psalms, are the so-called 'Psalms of Lament', where the psalmists bring their pain and complaints to God in worship. So surely it's right that worship is not persistently happy-clappy.
There must be room in worship to express pain. But – it's only half the story. Even when the Cross shows us our need to confess, we don't stop there: we receive forgiveness. When we intercede about the pain of the world, we do so expecting that God will answer. When by faith we take the tokens of Christ's body and blood in the sacrament, we are renewed.
I was once at a Good Friday united service at the Baptist Church in my home town. Our own minister was preaching. He had chosen a song that was popular at the time: 'I get so excited, Lord, every time I realise I'm forgiven'. As a congregation, we sang it in the most drab way. Michael stopped us and berated us. How could we not be excited that God had forgiven us in Christ?
As we come to the foot of the Cross in worship, yes we bring our pain at the sin that put Christ there. We also bring the pain of the world. But we come for healing and restoration. Making the Cross central to worship is a matter of joy as well as pain.
I referred to Holy Communion a moment ago when talking about the Cross and worship. But it's the Resurrection that makes sense of the sacrament.
'What? Isn't the Lord's Supper about the death of Christ?' you may object.
Yes, but it's OK to stop there if you only believe communion is a symbolic memorial of a past event. If it's remotely more than that, you need the Resurrection to explain it. How many memorial services have you attended where the deceased was present? How many funeral wakes have you been to where the one you were remembering served you the food? Jesus is alive! And our worship is filled with hope. Whatever discourages or depresses us, Jesus is risen from the dead and there is a new world coming.
So my friend who wanted celebratory worship had a point. Just so long as it wasn't escapism, celebration is the proper tone for those who know the Christian hope. We experience suffering and we witness suffering, but in the Resurrection we know it won't have the final word and our worship is an act of defiance based on Christian hope. In the words of Steve Winwood, we're 'talking back to the night'. But we talk back to the night because the dawn is coming.
And when the dawn comes, God will no longer feel distant or remote. God will always be close. Thus if Resurrection characterises worship in spirit and truth, our worship will have a sense of intimacy with God. We cannot use hymns about the majesty of God to make him distant, even if we also avoid songs that make Jesus sound like a boyfriend.
If there's one curse in all the worship wars that occur in church, it's the way we use sophisticated arguments to hide the fact that what we're really campaigning for is 'what we like'. The Ascension of Jesus puts paid to that.
Why? Because the Ascension is the enthronement of Jesus at the right hand of God. It is the confirmation that Jesus is King over all creation, including the Church. When we treat worship as what pleases us, worship becomes idolatry, for we worship ourselves. When we recognise the kingship of the ascended Christ, I cannot ask what pleases me. I can only ask, what pleases you, Lord?
It also means we must stop treating worship as spiritual escapism. When a steward prays in the vestry before the service about us 'turning aside from the world for an hour', I cringe. When we sing an old chorus like 'Turn your eyes upon Jesus' with its line about 'The things of earth will grow strangely dim', I wonder what some people are thinking when they sing those words.
If worship is in spirit and in truth – if that means it's Christ-centred – and if that includes the Ascension – then worship cannot be used to escape from the world. It can only be used in preparation to face the world. For the king of the Church is on the throne of creation.
There is a church building in Germany, which has over the exit doors these words: 'Servants' Entrance'. Worshipping the ascended Christ thrusts us into the world. It's why the Roman Catholic Mass is called the Mass – after the Latin 'Eta misse est': 'Get out!' Our feeble version is, 'Go in peace to love and serve the Lord': perhaps that should be 'Go in boldness to love and serve the Lord'! The test of worship isn't Hymns And Psalms versus Mission Praise versus Songs Of Fellowship. It's whether we continue to worship by our lifestyles in the world where Christ reigns.
Archbishop William Temple wrote a classic devotional commentary on John's Gospel. I can do no better in concluding this sermon than quoting some of his most potent words on this very verse:
For worship is the submission of all our nature to God. It is the quickening of conscience by His holiness; the nourishment of mind with His truth; the purifying of imagination by His beauty; the opening of the heart to His love; the surrender of will to HIs purpose – and all of this gathered up in adoration, the most selfless emotion of which our nature is capable and therefore the chief remedy for that self-centredness which is our original sin and the source of all actual sin. Yes – worship in spirit and truth is the way to the solution of perplexity and to the liberation from sin. [p 65]
May we worship like that.


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Board of Directors
Lindsay A. Rosenwald, MD
Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors
Dr. Rosenwald has served as our Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors since inception. He has been Chairman and CEO of Fortress Biotech since December 2013. Since November 2008, Dr. Rosenwald has served as Co-Portfolio Manager and Partner of Opus Point Partners Management, LLC ("Opus Point"), an asset management firm in the life sciences industry, which he joined in 2009. Prior to that, from 1991 to 2008, he served as the Chairman of Paramount BioCapital, Inc. Over the last 23 years, Dr. Rosenwald has acted as a biotechnology entrepreneur and has been involved in the founding and recapitalization of numerous public and private biotechnology and life sciences companies. Dr. Rosenwald received his B.S. in finance from Pennsylvania State University and his M.D. from Temple University School of Medicine.
Lucy Lu, MD
President and Chief Executive Officer
Dr. Lu has been our President and Chief Executive Officer since inception. From February 2012 to June 2017, Dr. Lu was the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Fortress Biotech, Inc. Prior to working in the biotech industry, Dr. Lu had 10 years of experience in healthcare-related equity research and investment banking. From February 2007 through January 2012, Dr. Lu was a senior biotechnology equity analyst with Citigroup Investment Research. From 2004 until joining Citigroup, she was with First Albany Capital, serving as Vice President from April 2004 until becoming a Principal of the firm in February 2006. Dr. Lu holds an M.D. degree from the New York University School of Medicine and an M.B.A. from the Leonard N. Stern School of Business at New York University. Dr. Lu obtained a B.A. from the University of Tennessee's College of Arts and Science.
Jaideep Gogtay, MD
Dr. Gogtay joined our Board of Directors in February 2019. Dr. Gogtay, 52, completed his medical graduation (M.B., B.S) from Grant Medical College and Sir J J Group of Hospitals in Mumbai. He then completed his M.D, in Pharmacology from Seth GS Medical College and KEM Hospital. During his post graduate days, he worked as a lecturer in pharmacology. Since 1994, he has been working with Cipla Ltd. where he currently serves as Global Chief Medical Officer. He has closely been involved in the development and introduction of several drugs in various therapeutic fields, particularly HIV/AIDS, infectious diseases and respiratory diseases. He has worked on several clinical trials in the field of asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and infectious diseases. He was involved in setting up the Chest Research Foundation (CRF). This Foundation is now an independent research center dedicated to conducting research in the field of respiratory medicine. He has participated and spoken at several national and international forums, and has been actively involved in educational activities. He was a member of the Association of Physicians of India guidelines 2005 on 'Antiretroviral Therapy' and has 40 publications and has presented at over 50 conferences. He has also participated in research methodology workshops with academic institutes.
Neil Herskowitz
Mr. Herskowitz joined our Board of Directors in December 2015. Mr. Herskowitz has served as the managing member of the ReGen Group of companies, located in New York, since 1998, which include ReGen Capital Investments LLC and Riverside Claims Investments LLC. He has also served as the President of its affiliate, Riverside Claims LLC, since June 2004. He also serves as Chairman of the board of directors of Starting Point Services for Children, a not-for-profit corporation. Mr. Herskowitz received a B.B.A. in Finance from Bernard M. Baruch College in 1978.
Jay Kranzler, MD, PhD
Dr. Kranzler joined our Board of Directors in February 2017. Dr. Kranzler has been a Founder, CEO, Board Member, and Advisor to leading life science companies for over 30 years. He is currently acting as Chief Executive Officer of Regenovation, a regenerative medicine company, and is a Board Member of Methylation Sciences, Pastorus, and ImmunoBrain Checkpoint, all companies focused on developing therapeutics for psychiatric or neurological disorders. Dr. Kranzler started his career at McKinsey & Company where he established the Firm's pharmaceutical practice. He served as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Cytel Corporation, a company focused on the development of immunomodulatory drugs. Following Cytel, Dr. Kranzler became the CEO of Cypress Bioscience, where he was credited for the development of Savella™ (milnacipran) for the treatment of fibromyalgia. Dr. Kranzler was also Vice President, Head of External R&D Innovation and Worldwide R&D Strategic Investments at Pfizer. During his career, Dr. Kranzler has developed drugs, medical devices, as well as diagnostics, and is the inventor on over 30 patents. Dr. Kranzler graduated from Yale University School of Medicine with MD and PhD degrees with a focus in psychopharmacology.
E. Garrett Ingram
Ms. Ingram joined our Board of Directors in July 2019. Ms. Ingram is a seasoned leader with more than twenty years of experience in pharmaceuticals, biotech, device strategy and marketing. Prior to her new role at Cipla, Ms. Ingram served as Chief Marketing Officer at MannKind Corporation, based in California. In addition, she has served in roles as Senior Vice President, Managed Markets at Dexcom and Vice President, Head of Market Access at Sanofi, where she had responsibility across four of the U.S. Business Units: Diabetes & Cardiovascular, General Medicines, Sanofi Genzyme Specialty Care, and Sanofi Pasteur from 2014 to 2016. Prior to joining Sanofi, she held the position of Vice President of Market Access Strategy at Bristol Myers Squibb, where she led the access, reimbursement, patient affordability and emerging customer strategy teams across the portfolio of diabetes, RA, cardiovascular, oncology, immunology, neuroscience and pipeline assets. Ms. Ingram holds a Bachelor of Science degree from East Carolina University, a Master's Degree in public health and community education from the University of South Carolina and has completed multiple post graduate studies at Wharton School of Business.
Thomas Moore, PharmD
Dr. Moore joined our Board of Directors in April 2019. He is a retired pharmaceutical industry executive with more than 35 years of strategic and operational experience including extensive knowledge of the acute care pharmaceutical business, strategic planning and business development based on his work at major public companies. Dr. Moore served as President of Hospira USA from 2009 until his retirement in 2014. He was President of Global Pharmaceuticals for Hospira Worldwide, Inc. from 2007 to 2009, and served as Vice President and General Manager of Specialty Pharmaceuticals for Hospira, Inc. from 2003 to 2007. Dr. Moore sits on the Board of Directors of Akorn Pharmaceuticals and the Board of Trustees for Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science. Dr. Moore received his undergraduate degree from Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, and his Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Southern California.

subset: commoncrawl


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Heather Christine Bowman, 27, went home to be with her Lord on Saturday following an automobile accident. Born on December 7, 1977 in Vincennes, Indiana, Heather lived in Durham for the past 20 years. She is the daughter of David L. Bowman and Susan L. Bowman.
Heather was an active member of New Horizon Church in Durham, where her father has been the Senior Pastor for 20 years. Heather blessed many people with her beautiful voice while singing on the NHC praise team. Heather was a loving daughter, mother and friend, who genuinely cared about people.
Along with her father and mother, Heather leaves behind two young daughters, Arianna and Jayden. She is also survived by her grandparents, Loris and Juanita Bowman and Rene and Donna Baillif; her husband, Jamie Wheeler; aunts, uncles and cousins; her best friend, Susan Peterson; and her NHC family and friends.
A funeral service celebrating Heather
Heather Christine Bowman


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Try diving for beginners
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Endless has built the first desktop operating system and computer to solve for cost and connectivity in emerging markets.
The Endless OS comes pre-installed with an ecosystem of apps for learning, working and playing. Endless also enables NGOs, businesses and governments to deliver their critical business and educational applications on a platform optimized for areas with little or no internet, collect sage data, and offer Endless computers to benefit their own goals.
Our physical product is called the Endless Enterprise which is specifically built to consume very little energy and is adaptable to extreme environments in rural disconnected communities.
Endless OS: The Operating System that comes with everything your family needs.
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text: When a Wound Won't Heal...Making Sense of Nonhealing Wounds We've all had them—those cuts or burns that just seem to linger forever. Most of them eventually heal on their own or with a little at-home care. But there is such a thing as a "nonhealing wound." A nonhealing wound is defined as a wound that hasn't healed within a month. When a cut, burn or other wound is lingering beyond that point, there's usually an underlying cause that needs to be treated. How can you know if your wound is actually "nonhealing" and needs specialized medical attention? Read on as we take a look. The Causes of Nonhealing Wounds In some cases, there's really no clear reason that a wound won't heal properly. But in many cases, the nonhealing wound is related to an underlying condition or issue. If you have a wound that won't seem to heal, it could be related to an infection caused by bacteria, poor nutrition, certain medications (including chemotherapy), poor circulation and repeated trauma to the wound. Those with diabetes are at a particularly high risk of developing nonhealing wounds due to elevated blood sugar, which negatively impacts circulation and the immune system. Damage to the nerves due to diabetes can also make it more likely that wounds won't be noticed until they've been around for a while. The Symptoms of Nonhealing Wounds You're familiar with what a wound looks like—depending on the cause and type, it may be red, irritated and even slightly swollen. But a nonhealing wound will have distinctive symptoms: No improvement within a 30-day period Numbness in the area around the wound Increased pain from the wound over time A change in color An odor Noticeable swelling A fever along with the wound Discharge from the wound No signs of healing, such as scabs or new tissue If you're experiencing any of these symptoms, it's important to seek medical attention. A doctor can examine the wound and determine if specialized treatment is necessary to help the wound heal. How Nonhealing Wounds Are Treated If you have a wound that just won't seem to heal, help is available. Wound care, through programs like the Saint Francis Advanced Wound Care & Hyperbaric Oxygen Center, provides individualized treatment using advanced techniques and technologies to promote wound healing. The wound care team will work alongside your primary care doctor to create a treatment plan for your specific needs. Wound care treatment may include a variety of treatment methods, including wound debridement (the removal of dead or infected skin), therapy to improve circulation, compression wraps, specialty wound dressings, skin and tissue grafting, negative pressure wound therapy, and the application of topical growth factors. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is also an option—this therapy enhances the body's natural healing process by exposing a person to 100 percent oxygen while lying in a total body chamber. Wounds need oxygen to heal, and this therapy is used to speed up the process. Your team will determine the right treatment method or combination of treatments to help achieve wound healing. If you or a loved one are dealing with a nonhealing wound, the Saint Francis Advanced Wound Care & Hyperbaric Oxygen Center can help. Your doctor can refer you for care, or you can call 302.575.8181 to get started. Categories: Blog Previous Post | Next Post


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Women Are The Same Everywhere: Middle Eastern Edition
We often hear about how foreign (usually meaning non-Western) women are different. There is some truth to this but it's not because non-Western women are different. It's because they have lacked the opportunities for all the pathologies we see from Western women. Sometimes you can see non-Western women be similar to Western women.
We are all aware of things like IMBRA that have been pushed by feminists to restrict the ability of men to have a wider choice in wives and women for relationships. You probably think there isn't a Middle Eastern equivalent. There is. Recently, some talks began for the purpose of having Jordan and Morocco join the GCC (the Gulf Cooperation Council), sort of an EU for the Middle East or gulf states. Women in the GCC were opposed to Morocco and Jordan joining the GCC because men living in the current GCC could find wives in Jordan and Morocco. Even in the Middle East women are trying to restrict men from meeting foreign women.
Women really are the same everywhere.
7 Responses to "Women Are The Same Everywhere: Middle Eastern Edition"
" Women in the GCC were opposed to Morocco and Jordan joining the GCC because men living in the current GCC could find wives in Jordan and Morocco. Even in the Middle East women are trying to restrict men from meeting foreign women."
The sisterhood is strong, till competition shows up for the eligible bachelors. Then, knives in the backs and all the feminine wiles.
Yes, I used to have some acquaintances from Morocco and they talked about how Moroccan women are considered highly desirable by many Mid East/North African men.
I suspect some behaviours just come instinctively to them. But culture plays a large part here, as do social systems that encourage or discourage the divorce industry and other abominations.
To use a personal analogy: My Chinese fiance was talking to a group of other Chinese girls. At the time I knew very little of the language, and was clearly cut out of the conversation. I drifted to one side to amuse myself, before she broke off to talk to me. I asked her why she did this, as she was clearly enjoying herself. She informed me that 'a man should be the centre of every conversation'. Now that's what I call service!
Nobody is claiming foreign women are genetically built to be better mates. It's purely becaue they've been spared the feminist propaganda that they are easier to have a relationship with. And make no mistake…They ARE easier to have a relationship with.
I don't think Jordanian and Moroccan MEN will like this either.
Middle eastern women ARE the same – I'm partially ME myself, have one parent from a muslim-majority country. I have tried posting the same in comments at the Spearhead before, but always got thumbs-down because no one wanted to hear it. Also, muslim men are NOT inherently alpha, if anything they are less alpha then average.
All women are like that anywhere in the world. I am no white knight, but a MGTOW who wants nothing to do with human women. By 2020 when VR girls become a reality, all this talk about FW being "good" will become much less common, they will become old news while VR girls will be all the rage.


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Technology Widgets had the good fortune to have a round of rapid-fire session with the CEO, Co-founder, and Creative Director of Fractal Ink Design Studio and knew what went in becoming one of the most prominent design studios of the country.
What started Fractal Ink?
Tanay Kumar, the mastermind behind Fractal Ink Design Studio started telling us how four designer friends coming across various junctures in life and the provoking thought that led to the start-up.
Tanay further went on telling how back in 2010 India was welcoming the changes in the online sector and the digital revolution that the country was witnessing.
The only urge to return to India for Tanay was to curate an online design company which is capable of preparing the Indian Brands to be digitally ready. Also, how a brand prospers from an online community, was the second thought which went down in the making of Fractal Ink Design Studios.
Staying in London for quite some time gave Tanay an idea about, how the overseas brands in the West World deal with the digital strategy and at the same time he praises about it as well.
What are the mission and vision for the Indian market scenario?
When asked about what was their plan for the Indian online marketing scenario, he answered that the prime notion was to assist Indian Brands and companies to be digitally advanced and make full use of the country's online marketing community.
Tanay told that we live in a digital society today where the age of experience matters a lot in every sector. The time is here when a client has become more vocal, demanding, discerning, and above all more aware. To put yourself one step ahead in the game you have to think differently, said Tanay.
Companies have to be more product-centric and evolve around policies that make a customer the heart of a business. To achieve this, a brand has to incorporate unique technologies and craft a customer experience like none other.
To briefly describe what customer experience means to him, he said that it is an experience that every organisation must provide to their clients through each service the organisation is providing.
Fractal Ink was brought up in the scenario for this very purpose where their foremost goal was to be a specialist in the field of designing User Experience, User Interface and other motion graphics like none other in the industry back in the time.
Initial Years:
Founded back in 2010, FI started when four designer friends were chasing a common ethos and a similar goal and vision. Three of the founding members are still in the works to make the brand grow more and cater to the developing client demands which are going to suffice the industry's needs.
Tanay also introduced us to the founding members by telling the names of the three others who were and still are the backbone of Fractal Ink. Tanay Kumar leads the team along with Priyanka Agarwal who is the COO and Chief Strategy Officer and Geeta Suthar who is COO and Chief Business Officer. Their fourth partner Hemant Suthar husband of Geeta who currently is retired was also one of the founding members for the company making them two designer couples with a shared vision in mind.
Today Fractal Ink is a renowned name for the achievements they have in user interface designs, user interface experience and offer digital design solutions to the clients hailing from several different domains.
Initially, the office started with six people working in a garage like office. The facilities were restricted and limited to a certain extent, but that didn't bother the intentions which were there in the mind.
Luckily for Fractal Ink, everything went for them. The country was witnessing rapid growth in digital technologies, and everything around was going mobile. The smartphone played such an essential role in everyone's lives that the use of it spread like wildfire.
The smartphone users demanded a mobile application for almost anything that was there online, and it was a challenge that Fractal Ink readily accepted, said Tanay. But to execute that flawlessly the company understood the client's behaviour and the business the company is dealing with.
How did Microsoft's Metro GUI affect the company's turning point?
FI had to face conflict as soon as Microsoft introduced their GUI known as Metro UI back in 2012. Microsoft was committed to improving its user interface to compete with the likes of Android and iOS. Soon after a sample project, Microsoft collaborated with Fractal Ink for a term of three years retaining six to eight people on an average for the project. During this period Fractal Ink was introduced to a wide range of corporates which were significant in figures and start-ups which were delightful to work with. Tanay also said that across the world user experience was gaining sufficient prominence and working with a massive brand like Microsoft helped them escalate the situation in the country real quick.
The growth factor:
India holds the potential of strong technology literature which is recognized across the world for its intrepidity in software construction. It is reasonably simple to reach and therefore gave firms an edge above the other. All elements being similar, it was design and user experience which stood out as the differentiator. "We realised this and shifted our importance to design and user experience. On 2013, the C suite began growing and was concerned in conversations and better Design aspects took the centre stage." said Tanay. Combining productivity and technology, FI evolved customer experiences over a period of 3 – 4 years. The brand was soon announced as one of the first organisations in the nation to concentrate on UI/UX perspective, FI developed a mature UX clientele over horizons like Finance and Banking, Entertainment and Media, e-commerce and lifestyle along with solutions for the industry needs.
Fractal Ink has come a long way over a measure of eight years since its inception. Fractal Ink has established themselves as the most prominent names in the design industry. The company plans to spread their branches in Gurgaon and Bangalore in the upcoming days.
Tanay also said that in the recent happenings of late 2016, the company was acquired by Dentsu Aegis Network and renamed to Fractal Ink Design Studio, linked with Isobar.
He further adds that this acquisition is going to open the doors for the company to endeavour even bigger projects now. The projected plans for growth and development of the company is concrete and with the company aggressively showing interest in new age technologies like VR, AI and sound designs to create a level of experience that is truly unmatchable.
We wish Tanay and his team at Fractal Ink all the very best for the time to come and may they continue with what they are doing best in the country right now.


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Bought in England in Oct 94. Earliest Sprint in Holland. Although of course not the earliest original Dutch one…Featured in Dutch magazine Automobiel Klassiek in Oct. 96. On the cover of my copy are the autographs of Dolomite Race and Rally drivers Tony Pond, Brian Culcheth and Tony Dron. I met them on the 75th anniversary meeting in 1998 in Gaydon, England. Restored by former owner in 1990. Still in good condtion. Original British registration was KNR 259L, later re-registered TNR 508L.
July 2005: After a new APK (Dutch MOT) problems start: The overdrive is only working whem it feels like it, and the ignition gives trouble, so I put the car in the garage for a couple of weeks, or at least that was my plan….
April 2006: The Sprint finally sees daylight again, after nearly 10 months the battery wasn't flat and the engine started almost immediately!! One happy Jan!! I brought the Sprint to a guy from the Dutch Club who has 3 Sprints and so has a lot of experience in working on them. And he works for a classic car garage and is a certified APK mechanic. He's going to sort it out. Let's hope for the best….
June 2006: Got the car back with new APK, cost a small fortune, but all the troubles it had for the last couple of years due to lack of maintenance have been solved. Now in the future some rust issues have to be dealt with, there's rust on the drivers side A post, a bit on the roof (underneath the vinyl) and the bottom of the boot is not as solid as it used to be……..But I save that for later………..Now it's time to enjoy it this coming summer……….
May 2007: on it's first outing it packed up with a broken fuel pump (I think). Put it in the garage and due to lack of time it it still there now with the tow rope still attached to the front, and it's now July 2008……….
It's now July 2011 and it's still in the garage with that towrope on the front…………
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Did you know that we run CPD short courses for professional development and training?
Course date: 22 October 2020
Cost: £198 (includes lunch and refreshments)
Find out more and book your place.
BOOK 2 OR MORE CPD COURSES AT THE SAME TIME AND RECEIVE 10% OFF. (specific categories, exclusions apply). Contact us at email@example.com to find out more.
Effective performance management helps foster motivation, staff retention, productivity and good working relationships.
The course will offer practical techniques to help participants take a dual-pronged approach: developing your employees via robust observation and incisive feedback – which then means your efforts to communicate and coach continuous improvement delivers desired outcomes. This approach is flexible enough for all performance management and appraisal processes as the focus is on developing your skills and approach to measuring and monitoring staff – regardless of personality or generation.
Managers and team leaders, whether they are new to a line management position, or are experienced and would like to refresh and improve their skills.
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We are located on Senghennydd Road in the centre of Cardiff, and close to train and bus stations.


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It's a scary thought when you think what could happen if your vehicle is unregistered. Making sure cars are roadworthy is a big part of the registration system. It's also about protecting people – every vehicle must be registered to be covered by compulsory third party insurance. This insurance makes sure that everyone is covered for personal injury if someone is hurt in a crash.
Driving an unregistered vehicle is a serious offence that can have far-reaching and catastrophic consequences; it also attracts on-the-spot fines and four demerit points.
We are your Authorised Registration Inspection Station – This is a safety inspection report that proves your car is roadworthy. In years gone by these inspection reports were handwritten on pink forms and were commonly called 'pink slips'. We currently perform E-Safety Checks which is a pink slip that has been sent electronically to the Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) – formally the RTA. This allows you to renew your rego online or by phone.
All vehicles over five years old require a safety inspection as a condition of registration renewal. Your registration renewal notice will advise you if your vehicle needs an inspection.
We can also provide inspection reports for LPG vehicles.
To get an inspection report or pink slip, you need to bring your vehicle to our workshop which is an Authorised Inspection Station (AIS) with your registration papers.
Bookings for inspection reports are essential, and can be made by phoning 49540744.


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Trump says he'll nominate Waller, Shelton to Federal Reserve
President Donald Trump said Tuesday he's planning to nominate Christopher Waller and Judy Shelton to serve on the Federal Reserve Board.
Waller, who is an executive vice president and the director of research at the St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank, previously served as a professor of economics at the University of Notre Dame.
Shelton, who has been an informal adviser to Trump, is the U.S. executive director for the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
Trump, who announced his picks on Twitter, has struggled to find candidates for the Fed who are acceptable to senators who vote on confirming nominees. Trump has named four people for the two open seats on the board of governors. None of them has made it through the Senate, raising questions about the White House vetting process for his picks.
The White House has conducted the search for Fed candidates as Trump has repeatedly blasted Fed Chairman Jerome Powell over the Fed's interest rate increases. The president has told confidants that he believes he has the authority to replace Powell as Fed chairman, demoting him to the level of board governor, according to people familiar with the matter. But Trump said he doesn't plan to do it.
Powell said he intends to serve his full four-year term and that "the law is clear" on that issue.
Earlier this year, Trump advanced two supporters for the Fed board, Stephen Moore and Herman Cain, but both withdrew their names after they came under criticism.
Waller is a Ph.D. economist whose key research focus has been on monetary and macroeconomic theory and the political economy. He's worked for a decade in his current role, according to his biography on the St. Louis Fed's website.
He's held positions at the University of Kentucky, the Center for European Integration Studies at University of Bonn, and Indiana University's Department of Economics.
Shelton has a doctorate in business administration from the University of Utah, with an emphasis on finance and international economics. She previously worked for the Sound Money Project, which was founded to promote awareness about monetary stability and financial privacy.
Her unorthodox views could attract opposition. In an interview with Bloomberg in May, she said she was "highly skeptical" that the goals for the Fed set by Congress — the pursuit of maximum employment, stable prices and moderate long-term interest rates — were relevant.


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First of all, I would like to greet my readers a Merry Christmas! I hope that Christmas is a joyful and meaningful season for you as you celebrate Christ.
I have two more posts for 2018, which has been a year of low writing output. I've just been really really really busy with my current startup life, which includes being a startup husband (2 years), a startup dad (1 year), and a startup CEO (3 years). Much of my last post, the 2018 Finale post, will be a synthesis of these experiences. The title of that post is The Light from a Soul Burning and the Brightness of a Thousand Different Sparks.
The other post is this one, at least the one that follows this introduction. It's is my Christmas post for the year.
I wrote it in on our trip to Taiwan last week, after listening to my father speak on the following verse:
"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."
Isaiah 9:6 ESV
As I listened to my dad's preaching about The Promise of Christmas; as he read the verse in Isaiah 9 describing Jesus as Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace; I remembered a recent article I wrote about what makes someone spiritual. I realized that the descriptions of Jesus in the verse, words describing the coming baby Jesus, speak of not just any baby, but a spiritual one. A Wonderful Counselor who would have transcendent wisdom, an Everlasting Father for an enteral horizon, and a Prince of Peace that values shalom, an amazing concept of spiritual harmony that comes from our restoration with God (sacred values).
But I missed one, like I miss a thousand things. I missed Mighty God, and that's an important thing to add. A truly spiritual person, has evidence of Supernatural Power, a power that comes from being deeply connected to God. It's not enough to have wisdom, to have eternal love, nor to pursue Shalom. We also need the power to put that wisdom into practice, to turn the love we get from God into love for others, and to achieve harmony in life. That's why I wanted to update my list of spiritual traits and add Supernatural Power.
Let me summarize it here:
Wonderful Counselor – Transcendent Wisdom
Mighty God – Supernatural Power
Everlasting Father – Eternal Love
Prince of Peace – Bringer of Shalom
It's no accident that Christmas has a spiritual feel to it. While the busy-ness of the season many times distract us, there's enough power in the tradition to bring families together, to cause some gratefulness and reflection that we sometimes simply think of as nostalgia. But it's more than just warm feelings for a time past. It's a yearly call to embrace the spiritual, to go beyond just the material here and now, to seek transcendent wisdom, to live for an eternal horizon, to pursue the sacred value of Shalom, and to be animated by the supernatural power of a Mighty God.
Here are some reflection questions to ask during this season:
Am I thinking and acting with eternity in mind? Or am I simply reacting to the here and now, and chasing temporary things?
Am I making decisions based on Transcendent Wisdom? Or am I simply relying on common sense, human knowledge, and my own feelings?
What is my source of strength? Is it a good night's sleep? A good meal? The compliments of others? My money? My body? My mind? Or am I finding strength by worshipping a Mighty God?
Personal Reflection
I asked myself these questions, and my honest assessment is that I haven't done a great job living a truly spiritual life, as defined by the criteria I listed. The most damning point being that I am many times more preoccupied with temporal things instead of sacred and eternal matters. Many times the day to day responsibilities suck up the spirituality from my life.
This is why personal reflections are important. It's beneficial to take yourself out of the busyness and recalibrate spiritually.
Christmas is a perfect time to do this.
Christmas is also a perfect time to worship. When my reflections reveal a man lacking in every way, I turn to God. I may not be the best model of spirituality, but I trust in someone who is more than a model. I follow the one the verses were talking about, my Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.
Taipei, Taiwan
Always, always, always make sure, that when you say goodbye, you left that life better than when you said hello.
– Lessons on Life, Loss, and Love
I'm working on my year-end finale for my blog, a practice I've been doing for years now, maybe as far back as 2012. I've been writing even longer than that. To be honest, some of my old writing makes me cringe, but it's interesting to see the development of both my perspectives and writing skills. Probably over a thousand pieces and millions of words later, I've managed to progress into a decent writer with a few works that I am proud of. Am I proud of most of my work? No, not at all. Most of my work remain as drafts, a lot of them I would say are ok, some of them are horrible (the ones that make me cringe), and a very few of them I would say bring me pride. Some people say I can be too hard on myself (and that's why I can be hard on others), but I've only understood where the difference.
When you have a true vision, not some made-up thing you wrote on a piece of paper because some workshop told you it was important, but a clearer and clearer picture of how things should be, and when you're a true artist, not just someone who has things to express, but someone who will stop at nothing to bring that true vision to life, then you are driven by a force beyond you. You're not driven to belong, to fit-in, to be accepted; you're not driven to be praised, to be acknowledged, nor respected; you're not driven simply by money (though that's always useful), by more and more stuff, and by vanity records. There is no success nor failure, they are only milestones on the journey. There are no consolation prizes, no "good enough".
There is only that picture. Like the image on a box puzzle that guides the puzzle master as he or she shuffles through the pieces to find what fits towards completion, a true vision guides us – and reminds us pieces are missing.
I'll write more about the idea of vision and true vision (because I want to make a distinction between the watered-down vision inspirational speakers use and true vision). For this post, I want to focus on the idea of Missing Pieces. When I look at the puzzle box image of my life, the true vision I want to achieve for the time and place I find myself a part of, I find so many missing pieces, so many gaps and empty spaces.
There are gaps in my character.
There are gaps in my resources.
There are gaps in my abilities.
There are gaps in my faith.
There are gaps in my promises.
There are gaps in my teams.
There are gaps in my marriage, gaps in my fatherhood, gaps in my health, in my relationships, in my service, and in so many other things.
In many of those gaps, while I know that the gap exists, I find that I am missing the piece or pieces to fill it in. It's not something I have with me currently. And this is many times a good thing, our missing pieces, our needs, our blanks, help guide our search. They clarify for us what we need to be seeking and working on.
Most people see their lack, their needs, and their incompleteness as a reason to feel inferior, to be discouraged, to be worried and fearful. Don't be like most people. Your missing pieces are guides, a million times better than 99% of the commercial mentors out there. They point you to what you should be seeking for, and as the verse says:
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
– Matthew 7:7
Many times, we don't find the missing pieces, because we're not actually looking for the missing pieces. We're looking for security, for comfort, for acceptance. We're looking for the benefit of the missing pieces, not the missing pieces themselves.
We want financial security, when the missing pieces are probably discipline and contentment.
We want spiritual security, when the missing pieces are probably a better understanding of God and community.
We want relational security, when the missing pieces are probably forgiveness and kindness.
We want a more comfortable and secure world, when the missing pieces are probably more selfless and more generous neighbours, starting with ourselves.
Let me summarize:
When you have a true vision, a picture in your head of what you're developing, you'll find gaps and missing pieces.
These missing pieces are guides, they tell us what to look for, what to seek.
Many times we're seeking for the benefits of the pieces, not the pieces themselves, then wonder why our situation isn't changing. We're still missing the pieces!
So look for the piece. Seek for that necessary piece. It's only that piece that can bring a more sustainable personal peace. (Now that ending sucked. That sounded like a cheesy preacher on a Sunday morning. But you get the point.)
Note: The opinions here are my own. They do not represent the views of my family nor any organisation I am affiliated with.
Before you react, before you say, "David is anti religion" or "David is criticizing pastors", please read on. I'm not. In fact, three of the highest quality people in my life are ministers! My father, my brother, and Pastor Paolo Punzalan are all very high value relationships to me and my family!
It's incredibly typical for people to read a title or the first few lines, or hear about an article, never actually read the whole thing, much less understand it, yet go on to share it and be part of the mindless mob spreading a message they don't really comprehend. Personally, I've seen some of my more viral posts get hundreds of likes and shares, only to find that the average time spent on the article was 2-3 minutes – for a 3000 word article…
… Unless most people are speed readers, the data shows that most people did NOT read my article including the many likers and sharers. Why would anyone share or like something they didn't read? No idea. But we do it a lot apparently.
So please read the WHOLE article before you share it.
It is this mindless following, mindless supporting, mindless liking, and mindless sharing that I am against. This mindlessness is not isolated to social media but is prevalent in many other areas of our lives, including religion.
What is mindlessness? It is the absence of critical thinking in one's thoughts, decisions, and actions.
Is it possible to be overly-critical? Yes! But even the idea of "overly-critical" needs defining, without which, the term will simply refer to any criticism we find uncomfortable or offensive. As soon as someone, anyone, criticizes us in a matter we don't like, we accuse them of being too critical – even if the validity of their point should be at the very least considered.
When we can't accept an idea simply because we find it offensive we hinge our beliefs not on truth but on what resonates with us. This is extremely proud. It is an extreme, even if subtle, kind of pride that makes one's feelings the arbiter of what makes something valuable or not. This is also a path to miscommunication and disagreement. When different people who feel differently lack common definition, there will be division not cooperation.
The point of that last paragraph is simply this: We need to be able to take criticism and be critical. In my opinion, the problem is not so much with the act of criticism but with the purpose of the criticism. Criticism for the sake of criticism is stupid. It's a waste of energy. Criticism for the sake of improvement, for the sake of progress is very very useful.
My goal with this post is to make two very obvious points:
1. Just because someone is "spiritual" doesn't mean they're high value and worth worth following as a leader.
2. One can and should evaluate spiritual leaders before following them.
Doesn't it make sense to be most critical, most discerning, of one of life's critical, if not most critical, dimensions, which is the Spirit? If spiritual life is so critical, why is it wrong to understand and determine what is a high quality "spiritual leader" and what is not? Just like there are good and bad lawyers, good and bad doctors, good and bad businessmen, good and bad parents, good and bad actors, and good and bad chefs, there are good and bad pastors, good and bad priests, good and bad leaders, good and bad worship leaders, good and bad small group leaders.
Think about this, a chef can get sued and go to jail if one of his customers gets poisoned and dies, regardless of whether the incident happened through malice or incompetence. At the very least, people will stop eating in his establishment if they don't like the food. In the religious world, this isn't the case. If you don't like their "food" you're unspiritual! It doesn't matter if they're boring, shallow, or if the message seems like it was rushed the night before, it's your fault if you're bored and disengaged. It doesn't matter if their advice was not effective, they meant well. It doesn't matter if they're not ultimately accountable to your life's results, you need to submit to them.
I have a problem with that kind of thinking. I have a problem with mindless submission to an authority that's not accountable to its followers. Even Scriptures are full of God telling us to "taste and see" His goodness, test him, and passages of Jesus saying "the blind see" and "the lame walk". Even Jesus proved Himself with results. Why is it wrong to seek results before following in a human leader?
So here's the interesting situation:
I'm taught that the most important dimension of a man is his spirit.
This spirit is governed by laws. These laws are taught and interpreted by so-called "spiritual leaders".
I cannot evaluate these "spiritual leaders" objectively because they're special, they're not in a profession but in a "calling".
The only person who can judge a "called person" is the one who called him or her, in other words, only God, or other "called people" who happen to be of greater ranking.
What are the rankings based on? Usually, it's tenure. Tenure in what? Tenure in the knowledge and practice of scripture? Tenure in actual effective service? Nope. Tenure in an organization.
So now the basis of ultimate credibility in many spiritual organizations is tenure in that organization. We default to someone being wiser, more skilled, and more effective simply because they've been around longer.
So for this highly critical dimension of my life, my spirit, I am entrusting it to individuals who are evaluated by higher ranking individuals who are not necessarily wiser, more skilled, nor more effective, and not even necessarily more experienced, but have survived longer in that specific organization.
And if I ever wonder whether this makes sense, if I ever ask if this is really wise, I am quickly dismissed as divisive or unbelieving.
This is why I'm not surprised that we're very easily swayed by different competing beliefs. When the reason for our following someone is their title and position NOT a principled understanding of what makes someone worth following, we will be easily swayed. So let's add some definitions, particularly, let's define:
While anyone with a follower can technically be called a leader, not all leaders are equal in their abilities. Just like in any category, there are good ones, bad ones, average ones (which I would great ones, and really horrible ones. If I had to wager on what percent each category is, I would bet that a very strong power law would be obvious, with very small percent of great leaders (5-10% of leaders), a still small percent of good leaders (10-20%), a large percent of bad leaders (20-30%), and the majority of people being horrible leaders (40-65%). Of course, this is a complete guess and not scientific at all. The basis of my opinion is that most "leaders" I've experienced, though going through the motions of what they think leaders should do, don't actually have (nor care to have in many circumstances) one, or two, or three of the most important characteristics of a great leader. A great leader is someone who has a track record of getting results through:
– Accountability to a Clear Purpose
– Evolving Competent Action
– Wise Stewardship of Capital / Resource (time, money, and energy)
When people comment things like, "This person is such a great spiritual leader.", I like to ask them, "Why do you think so?" And normally, at least in a religious setting, what I get is, "Oh, his preaching was so good" or "Oh, he's so kind" or "Oh, he has a lot of followers" or "Oh he's such a good husband" or "Oh, he's such a good father". These are all wonderful, but none of them answer why the person is a great spiritual leader. I can see that he may be a great preacher. I can see that he may be a kind person. I can see that he may be influential. I can see that he may be a great leader at home. But it's possible to be any of these, even all of these, and still not be a great spiritual leader.
For me, I don't pay too much attention to the sound bites and quotes of "leaders". I like to follow leaders with a very clear purpose and who significant skin in the game.
What is skin in the game?
It is being so accountable to the mission that failure to achieve it comes with great personal consequence.
This is why I would rather have an honest and open conversation with the mentors I have cultivated over time than to listen to some visiting speaker or traveling evangelist. It's easy to parachute into a situation and act wise, especially if there are no consequences, and especially if it comes with an honorarium. It's incredibly difficult to journey with someone. It's less glamorous too. And for most of my mentors, all they get is a cup of coffee or a meal. But the fact that they have skin in my life, by their investments in my life, make more likely to give wise, contextual, nuanced advice that is worth following.
When evaluating who to follow, when discerning who is credible, don't simply look at who has the position of authority or who is the most known. Instead, look for who are most accountable. This is why I, personally, go more to spiritual leaders who have responsibilities way beyond "encouraging the flock". I respect leaders who are building themselves and their teams to be more and more excellent, not settling, because they understand that they're actually accountable to results.
Ultimately, what marks a great leader are results. We'll talk about more what I think spiritual results are bellow, but for now it's important, when choosing who to follow, to really ask, "What are this person's results?"
If you're going to follow some business mentor's advice, look at what his own businesses have achieved.
Before following some financial advisor's advice, review his portfolio. Anyone can talk about saving and investing money. How many of them are truly financially savvy? How many of them are actually millionaires with no debt? How many of them actually make money from their own advice? How many of them make money from you falling for their talks? And while we're on the topic, why pay $100 to be told to save?
If you're going to follow a fitness trainer you better make sure they're actually healthy. How can someone generate sustained results for you when they can't even sustain their own results?
Now, if you're going to follow a spiritual leader, look at the fruit of their lives. By the way, nice is not a fruit. I've written about how dumb "nice" is as a quality because it simply means "agreeable". Agreeable doesn't mean truthful. It doesn't mean wise. It doesn't even mean kind. It's possible for someone to agree with someone else's foolishness. Just because some spiritual leader is charismatic, nice, and gets along well with people, it does not mean they have spiritual fruit. 99% of Filipinos are good at making friends. If 99% of Filipinos were truly spiritual, then why is our country so poor and corrupt? The true proof a great spiritual leader are results, and it's about time we defined what is "spiritual" and what are the "spiritual results" we should look for in a "spiritual leader.
A major concept we need to define clearly is the concept of spirituality. What actually makes someone or something spiritual? The easy answer is that anything that pertains to spiritual things is spiritual. This is obviously an unsatisfactory definition since it doesn't actually define what a spiritual thing is. Growing-up, I've witnessed people call all sorts of things spiritual. From the spirit of lust to the spirit of drugs to the spirit of intellectualism, it seems there's a spirit for everything.
I'm a simple guy with a very limited understanding on spiritual things. I'll leave the more complex ideas to the experts. Besides, I find a lot of what we call spiritual to be superstitious.
For me, when it comes to my own spirituality, I like to define it by three statements:
I know I am being "spiritual" when I am thinking, deciding, and acting based on Sacred Values, an Eternal Horizon, and Transcendent Wisdom. Let me explain each briefly.
The first mark of a spiritual person is someone who focuses on Sacred Values. Sacred Values refers to choosing to prioritise what the Bible calls valuable over my material needs and wants. What does the Bible value? There are a lot of different verses about what is important to God, but Jesus summed it up nicely: Love God and Love others. One way I can evaluate my own spirituality (and the spirituality of a "leader") is to look for an obvious signs of love for God and love for others over our material requirements.
The Bible is also very clear about what love is. It isn't simply someone who is nice to other people. It isn't simply someone who is always available to have coffee (usually that's a sign of lack of focus in my opinion). It isn't simply someone who isn't offensive. The Bible clearly says that love is "laying your life down for a friend". With that definition, love looks more like a selfless dad or mom than your favourite coffee buddy. You may feel like your buddy cares about you more, you may feel like your parents don't understand you, but the real proof of how much others love you is how much they lay themselves down for you. I wrote about why it's easy to take this real, almost boring, love for granted in this article, Goodbye Constants.
The point is this: A truly spiritual person is not someone who knows a bunch of chants, attends a bunch of events, or hangs out with a certain kind of guru. A truly spiritual person is actively laying their life down.
Why? Because they value what God values, even more than they value their own needs and wants.
By this definition alone, I find my own spirituality is grossly lacking. But I'd rather know the truth about my situation so that I can address it.
And when looking for someone to guide me spiritually, I am drawn to people who consistently design their life to love God and others better. What's a good sign of this kind of growing love? They are excellent in their service. They aren't serving to feel appreciated. They aren't simply hanging out. They aren't selectively more available and more gracious to the rich. They are evaluating their own service and looking for ways to improve the level of service they provide.
This is why I follow very few people when it comes to spirituality. Why should I follow a spiritual leader, regardless of title, who isn't exhibiting excellence in life-laying?
The next mark of a spiritual person is someone who lives with an Eternal Horizon over a Temporal one. An Eternal Horizon things of the lasting impact of his or her choices, and understands that what we do while alive, as Russell Crow in the Gladiator puts it, "Echoes through eternity".
A good way to understand this is through an example:
I like playing computer games (my wife would say too much). Is it wrong for me to play computer games? Nope. But is it most beneficial? If I were thinking with a shorter time frame, like the moment, I would say, "I should play! I'm stressed! I'm bored It's good for me to play!" If I stretch my time horizon a little bit, like what my wife does for me when she asks, "Do you really want to spend this time on your phone instead of playing with Elijah?" With that perspective, I am no longer simply judging based on the moment's stress or boredom but my longer term objective of collecting memories with my son. I can extend my horizon even more and imagine 10 years from now, "What type of activities would me and Elijah share?" So I realise I need to stay fit and healthy. I need to lessen my drinking. I need to save.
The time horizon you choose determines the decisions you'll make.
A spiritual person, a truly spiritual person, isn't simply deciding in the moment. He is also thinking about the implications down the road. He is also thinking about the implications on his soul.
Again, by this second mark, I eliminate myself and, I would think, most so-called spiritual people, from the list of truly spiritual. And again, it's better for us to know where we really are so we can journey towards a better spirituality. And it's better for us to have a way to evaluate spiritual leaders and cut-out those who may lead us astray.
Thirdly, for my own simple definition of spirituality, a truly spiritual person discovers and applies transcendent wisdom not simply immanent. These terms may not be the best, but they'll do. For our purposes, I am defining transcendent as "surpassing normal experience". Truly spiritual leaders have a transcendent quality about them, a level of excellence, of exceptionality, of incomparability, about them. When we think about this, we realise this should be obvious. Shouldn't someone who is spending a lot of time with God become more and more like God, and in the process become more and more transcendent? Conversely, how can we say that someone who is less dynamic, less exceptional, and less excellent is truly spiritual?
Now you know why I'm not a pastor or a minister or a spiritual leader. It's a very hard position. It's a very serious position. I am self-aware enough to know that I am not in a position to fulfil such an amazing responsibility. This is why I respect truly spiritual people so much – if they're truly spiritual.
Needless to say, I don't think most people I know are NOT credible to lead me spiritually. For most "spiritual leaders", I look at their life, I look at their choices, and I don't see Sacred Values as priority. I see Bible quotes. I see verses. I see pictures of events. But I don't see excellent life-laying. I also don't see an Eternal Horizon. I see a fear of hell. I see a hope for heaven. But I don't see a longterm thinking, much less longest term thinking, which is what eternity is. And I don't see transcendent wisdom. I see agreement with the collective. I see the parroting of "church positions". I see the execution of tracks. I don't see the exceptionality that should come from someone who truly spends time with God, from someone who is truly being refined by God into something glorious.
I do see this in the lives of the spiritual people I follow. That's why I follow them. Because they have much to impart to my very lacking spirituality.
In short, here's a good description of truly spiritual people:
They are in the world but not of it.
They are in the moment but not for it.
They are in the know but not limited by it.
Again, this filters out most so-called spiritual leaders. Now let's combine the idea of a Great Leader and a Truly Spiritual Person. The filter just gets more severe.
Putting the concept of a "great leader" and a "spiritual person" together, we find that we can evaluate a "great spiritual leader" by applying the 6 definitions (3 for Great Leader + 3 for Spiritual):
The spiritual leaders I choose to follow exhibit these six in their lives. I choose them because these are the traits I too want to exhibit someday for my own family. I want my family to have a great leader in all aspects, including spirituality. I don't want to be a bad husband, or a bad father, a bad provider, or a bad lover, or a bad anything. I want the people I love most to have the best I can offer. I'll never be the very best I can be if I mindlessly follow someone just because they're spiritual, just because God supposedly gives us points when we go to church, or because thousands, if not millions, of others follow them.
I guess, in short, when choosing a leader, spiritual or not, follow someone whom you've taken the time to truly get to know, and as you get to know them find a growing respect for their life's results.
If spirituality is truly critical, and it is, we should learn how to evaluate those who lead us spiritually. We should not teach that mindless following is a sign of greater faith. It isn't. Who has greater faith? The child who never asks questions because he trusts that his parents will take care of him anyway or the child who is always asking questions because he believes his parents have the answers? Maybe equal! That's not the issue here. The issue is this: When your faith is a passive faith then your "waiting on God" becomes a wonderful excuse for inaction. When your faith is an active faith, you are actively seeking more and seeking greater, not because you don't believe but because you believe God has more, than that leads you to action and work.
And faith without works is dead. No wonder many of us who would consider ourselves faithful have dead results.
Finally, is leadership important? Absolutely. This is why we honour them. This is why we respect them. This is also why we don't just let others lead us. This is why we evaluate them. Who you follow will determine your decisions and your decisions will determine your life's results.
I grew up in a religious environment, and maybe you did too. The reality for me has been this, the older I got, the more I understood, the less I respected many of the people I thought were great leaders and/or great spiritual people. At the same time, for a very few number of them, my respect and desire to follow them have grown. My increasing interactions with them had me taking notes on how to follow God better, just like them.
Truly, not all that glitters is gold, not all that leads is good, not all that preaches is God.


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Here Is My First Fondant Cake
Decorating By deliciabale Updated 14 Dec 2010 , 6:19pm by ConfectionsCC
Here is my first Fondant cake inside it is a zebra cake.
2 replies
Super job!!!!!!!!!!!
Yay!! I did the same exact cake as my first too you did a beautiful job! Keep it up!


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Association of the Representatives of Bunyoro-Kitara
The Association of Representatives of the Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom CLBG (ARKBK) is a non-profit charity and NGO in the West-Ugandan kingdom of Bunyoro-Kitara. It was established by royal charter on August 27, 2009[1] by Omukama ("King") Solomon Iguru I and is incorporated under the Ugandan Companies Act. Its purpose is to promote the Kingdom internationally and to support development programs for the region. The organisation aims to remain neutral in regards to political and religious matters.[1]
|29 August 2009
|Solomon Iguru I
|Development Aid / Charity
|Development, Education, Peace and Human Rights
Area served
|Bunyoro, Uganda
|Fundraising and active work in the region
Key people
|Royal Patron Solomon Iguru I and President Peter Gummersbach
|34 (September 2010)
The ARKBK's main director is the King of Bunyoro. The ARKBK is managed by its President and governed by its board of directors.
The primary objective of the ARKBK is to develop the Bunyoro-Kitara area into a prosperous region of Africa through public relations, active development work, support of other corporations' development work, promotion of the area's financial opportunities to encourage corporate investment and generally carry out tasks set out by the King of Bunyoro.[2]
Members of the association must be approved personally by the King of Bunyoro, must sign a 9-point declaration and must provide a clean police record, copy of their passport, curriculum vitae and other documents. Most members work alone in their home country to make contacts for the King and to obtain donations in cash and materials that can be used for developing the region.
There are several different ranks within the ARKBK, explained below and as can be seen in the adjacent diagram:[3]
- King - Royal Patron and top executive chief of the association
- Advisor to the King - Personal advisor and assistant for the King. (normally only President of the ARKBK or similar)
- Aide-de-Camp - Personal assistant for the King. Most representatives and above are Aide-de-Camps, should the King visit their home country
- President - Elected/appointed by the King and is in charge of daily management
- Special Councilor for the President - Assistant and advisor for the president
- Representative - The usual rank for persons who are members of the ARKBK and work alone in their own country. In larger countries the representative will be the main leader for the ARKBK in that nation, and may have several chiefs under his command
- County Chief
- Parish Chief
- Sub-Parish Chief
- Village Chief
Focal pointsEdit
The ARKBK seeks to help develop four main areas; Living conditions, Education, Accessibility (both physically in the Kingdom but also via internet) and Natural resources (e.g. exploitation of crude oil deposits, afforestation and farming). In these areas, the King has pointed out several areas of interest/focus:
|Current objectives[4]
|Planned action
|Protecting antiquities and renovation of historical sites
|Researching, developing and profiling sites
|24 royal tombs, 4 palaces and royal regalia
|Nutrition campaign
|Fish farming awareness
|1.2 million people
|Electronic communication
|Modern Internet facilities
|All youth
|Improvement of educational standards
|Scholarships, publishing of books, "Kabalega Education Fund"
|All youth and other eligible persons
|Pride in royal/traditional music
|Record CDs and DVDs of traditional music
|All persons
|Awareness and public information
|Opening a radio station
|All persons
|Opening a cattle education, research & development center and ranch
|130 square miles (340 km2) ranch
|Planting trees – 4,000 acres / 5.2 million trees
|Rural power supply
|Research and supply of solar panels
|All households
|Improved classroom environment
|Construction of 60 new classrooms
|All youth
|Ensure transport for royal staff
|Purchasing of four 4WD vehicles to ensure mobility of development officers
|Royal Court and Ministers
|Improve internal working environment
|Purchase of new office equipment and furniture
|Royal Court and Ministers
Awards and institutions of the ARKBKEdit
The ARKBK has several awards and institutions:
Medal of HonorEdit
The Medal of Honor may be awarded by the President to anyone within the organisation who has done a great deal of work to promote the Kingdom and the association.
Hospitality Industry AwardEdit
The Hospitality Industry Award[5] is a royal seal of approval given to companies that specialize in hospitality. The award is meant to encourage the Ugandan hospitality industry to continue its development and bring tourism to the Kingdom.
The award is not exclusive to Uganda but may be awarded to a member of the hospitality industry anywhere in the world. The award can also be given as an honorary award to companies with outstanding merit and who have done remarkable work to promote tourism.
The award plaque has the logo of the Hospitality Industry Award, a golden pineapple, and the motto of the award "Quality – Inspired".
Goodwill programEdit
The ARKBK, and also the Kingdom, has a goodwill program[6] primarily intended for public figures (e.g. politicians, actors) who actively wish to support the work of ARKBK and the development of the Kingdom. A goodwill officer of the Kingdom does not have any powers or responsibilities in the Kingdom. The title is an honor which may be used to promote oneself and the Kingdom. There are different ranks that may be applied for (e.g. Goodwill Ambassador, Goodwill Consul), each with its own processing fee that goes primarily to charity.
Royal OrdersEdit
Currently the Kingdom has three Royal Orders[7] and a hall of fame as listed below.
- The Royal Order of the Omujwaara Kondo is the highest Order of the Kingdom
- The Royal Order of the Engabu is the second highest order of the Kingdom and is only given for exceptional service
- The Most Honorable Order of Omukama Chwa II Kabalega is the third highest order of merit of the Kingdom and is given for service to the Kingdom
- The Hall of Fame of the Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom is a special honor that gives the recipient a special place in a royal museum (not yet constructed)
Royal Warrant Holder SocietyEdit
Royal Warrants[8] are a mark of recognition to regular suppliers of goods and services to the Royal Household of the Kingdom Bunyoro-Kitara. The decision to award Royal Warrants is made only by the King. All details regarding the use of the Royal Warrant are regulated by separate rules and contracts. The award is normally valid for 5 years and must then be re-awarded. The award is given to a specific person (Grantee) of a corporation, and this person is solely responsible for the proper use of the award.
Royal purveyors are entitled to use the Royal Coat of Arms and the text "By appointment to HM Omukama Rukirabasaija Agutamba Solomon Gafabusa Iguru I" on their products.
Royal Society of the Kingdom of Bunyoro-KitaraEdit
The Royal Society[9] is meant to bring together scientists of the world, and especially Uganda, to help improve the economy and living conditions of the Ugandan and Bunyoro people.
- ^ a b "ARKBK Overview","Kingdom of Bunyoro-Kitara"
- ^ "Objectives of the ARKBK"[permanent dead link], "Kingdom of Bunyoro-Kitara"
- ^ "Organisation of the ARKBK"[permanent dead link],"Kingdom of Bunyoro-Kitara"
- ^ "Current objectives","Kingdom of Bunyoro-Kitara"
- ^ "Hospitality Industry Award","Kingdom of Bunyoro-Kitara"
- ^ "Goodwill program,"Kingdom of Bunyoro-Kitara"
- ^ "Royal Orders","Kingdom of Bunyoro-Kitara"
- ^ "Royal Warrants","Kingdom of Bunyoro-Kitara"
- ^ "Royal Society","Kingdom of Bunyoro-Kitara"


text: Yes! Even the ones on your phone Were you affected by the recent Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp blackout? I've seen many people on my personal feed and in different groups trying to figure out why the images weren't loading, why they were not able to upload or download anything on the 3 platforms. ... READ the POST


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Ursula was born and raised under the blue skies of Brisbane, Australia and has been teaching pilates for over 10 years. No matter her location, one thing is for sure, she is passionate about educating students and encouraging clients in pursuing their physical and mental health goals.
At PLTS, you'll quickly notice Ursula's knowledgeable Physiologist background as she provides you a safe, enjoyable and positive environment to increase your strength, endurance and mobility, as well treating you to that endorphin-rush that has even more punch than coffee!


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A few days back when looking for plate solving applications I ran across a work in progress called uniMap. It looks like a promising piece of software. Even in its "infancy" (version 0.0.3 pre-alpha) it does plate solving well. The nice thing about the software is that it seems to work even on not-so-good images and use it really simple compared to some others I've tried. The reason I included the "+" in the heading, is that it is not only a plate solver, but promises to be much more.
I did some testing with uniMap on photos published on this blog previously. No additional processing was done and the images used were in jpg format. So the quality of the images were not that great.
Plate solving
uniMap has various catalogs to choose from including the SAO, Hipparchos and Tycho-2 catalogs. I used these three for testing. The SAO and Hipparchos catalogs contain a few hundred thousand stars but the Tycho-2 contains ~2.5 million.
- The SAO catalog seemed to work quite well in most cases
- Hipparchos did not produce any results on any of the plates
- Tycho-2 worked the fastest
The plate solving can be made faster by providing "hints" to the program. These hints can be given as common star names, Messier catalog items, NGC catalog items or by RA and DEC. The hint system is quite flexible so it is really easy to provide the approximate location.
These images show the extent of the Tycho-2 catalog. As you can see the quality of the images is not that good, but uniMap manages to solve the plate. For these I used M57 and M13 as the hints to narrow down the search.
DSOs are displayed by blue colored ovals and their respective catalog numbers on the images.
One thing I would like to see implemented are the cardinal directions marked on the results.
An equatorial grid can be added to the image if needed. All labels and overlays (or at least most) can be modified to suit your needs.
Image analysis and information
After solving the plate there are varius things you can do with the image. By double clicking on a star you can get information related to that specific star or target.
Below is an image of the information windows which opens. In additiona to providing lots of catalog IDs there are also references to literature, information analysed from the image, histogram and radial plot of the target in question.
Even though the image calibration was not done according to the needs for photometric analysis the results for the magnitude measurements were quite surprising. The magnitudes the software reported were actually quite close to the values reported by Stellarium (not the best reference, I know). In the image below depicts the values reported by uniMap on one occasion. The information for the same star can be seen in the Stellarium info and the uniMap info screen. UniMap even gave the magnitude for M57 correctly (again according to Stellarium) from the image shown above.
All in all uniMap looks like a very promising piece of software for platesolving and image analysis, due to its ease of use and functionalities. In addition to features not covered here, it includes, among other functions, calibration and stacking of images, weather information (with seeing predictions), 3D analysis of the image data and some post processing functions.
I suggest you give uniMap a try and see for yourself.
The developer is currently looking for help with the project, so people with needed skills could help him out. I for one unfortunately do not have the necessary skills to help out, so I need to leave that to other people.
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Hello Junkies, we're back! Sorry that we have been away for so long. We are moved into our new Headquarters (AFJHQ) and are in the process of setting up the new studio for our unboxing reviews and Facebook Live shows. We decided it was time to get out AFJHQ and see what our new area has in store for us (get it? "in store"). Now MJ, the Key Master, has been jonesing for the Tim Curry Pennywise (1990). The closest GameStop says, online, that they have him. Let's see if they do! #AFJ4LIFE
The Prey:
The Hunt:
End Result:
The Pennywise (1990) was not present. However, we met a super cool staff, who offered us the opportunity to order Pennywise through them. We did see a ton of great deals and learned that particular store has a ton of Star Wars: The Black Series items, Loyal Subjects blind bags, and always has Power Rangers items in stock. This GameStop just became a regular stop on our hunts! Remember to follow us on Instagram for more toy hunts and excursions!
Unexpected Find:
Think Geek Zombie Head Cookie Jar at 50% Off - Order one HERE.


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Snoring can be bad for your health—and not just because your partner may kick you or toss you out of bed! Snoring can be a sign of sleep apnea, a serious condition that is reaching epidemic proportions.
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Sleep apnea is a common disorder in which you have one or more pauses in breathing or shallow breaths during sleep. These breathing pauses can last from a few seconds to a few minutes and can happen 30 times or more per hour. Sleep quality is poor as a result and this often leads to daytime drowsiness.
Sleep apnea can often go undiagnosed as it is not something that is likely to come up during the course of a routine physical and many people are unaware of it since it occurs while they are asleep.
The most common type of sleep apnea is obstructive sleep apnea, which is when the airway is restricted. This causes the soft palate to vibrate, which is the sound of snoring.
Doctors diagnose sleep apnea based on medical and family histories, a physical exam, and sleep study results. Your primary care doctor will decide whether you need to consult a sleep specialist. Often your dentist will be the first medical professional to become aware of the disorder since he or she is usually in more frequent contact with you than your doctor is.
A dentist may suspect sleep apnea if you report lethargy, morning headaches, or dry mouth, which can be caused by open mouth breathing during sleep. Your dentist may send you to a sleep medicine specialist who will assess your condition. If you are diagnosed with the disorder, you may return to the dentist to receive a mandibular repositioning appliance.
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Other treatments range from behavioral changes such as losing weight, changing sleep positions or wearing a dental appliance while sleeping. The dental mandibular positioner looks like a retainer and works by pulling the jaw forward to open the airway. It can be effective for mild to moderate sleep apnea.
Sleep apnea can trigger the release of stress hormones, which change the way in which the body uses energy and makes you feel sleepy during the day. Additional side effects can be weight gain, memory loss, and your skin shows increased signs of aging. There is evidence that obstructive sleep apnea can increase the risk for high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, congestive heart failure, atrial fibrillation, diabetes, and of a sleep-related automobile accident.
If you snore, wake up tired, or find yourself falling asleep in the middle of the day let your physician or dentist know and get a sleep test.
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There are two ways to apply for the NYSC redeployment. You can read this to discover the 2 ways. If you want to apply for it online, then you should read on. We are in the era of the internet and the NYSC management has made redeployment as easy as …Read More »
NYSC Portal Relocation And Redeployment – Best Easy Guide
This NYSC Portal Relocation will show you the best and easy ways to process your redeployment that the NYSC Officials cannot deny. Read on to discover. So NYSC just posted you to a place you think you don't want. You don't need to panic or worry yourself. The Call-up letter …Read More »