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I've written a lot of deep, insightful posts about money and life on this site. I think this one may be the most important of them all.
Girl Scout cookies are back everyone. This is a magical time of the year for us all. Also, wave goodbye to your 2017 fitness resolution.
In all seriousness, I'm a big fan of the cookie sale. Very few people know this about me, but I'm actually an Eagle Scout, so I have a lot of respect for kids that I see out there hustling cookies and popcorn. I've also been trying to give back a little more lately since my income has risen pretty sharply, and supporting the kids in both organizations is a cool way to do it!
Related: January 2017 Online Income Report: $16,683.77
I want to share a quick (and awesome) Girl Scout entrepreneurial/hustle story
My wife and I were going to the grocery store the other day, and as we were pulling in to the parking lot I noticed that the Girl Scouts were posted up right outside of the entrance to the store.
Coral had previously bought a couple boxes of cookies for us, but when her mom found out that we had them and she didn't, she wasn't happy. My wife and her mom LOVE sweets. I'm not really into them as much, but I have to admit that the cookies are freakishly good.
So we told my mother-in-law that we would pick up a box the next time we saw them.
Unfortunately, I realized as we were walking up to the store that I didn't have any cash. Womp womp.
Time is wasting…
I can tell you from the interaction I'm about to describe, this trio of girls were experienced money hustlers. Before I started this site, I didn't really know how to sell jack. These three could sell circles around me.
The young ladies hit me and Coral with multiple sales tactics in less than a minute. It was freaking nuts. It was also awesome haha.
As we were walking up to the door, I had already mentioned to Coral that we should grab some cash after we were done shopping. Just as we were discussing, we heard the famous line:
"Would you like to buy some Girl Scout cookies?"
As I was trying to explain that we needed to pull cash after we were done shopping, one of the girls (the second in command from what I could tell), said: "We'll be GONE by the time you get cash."
So I immediately started thinking: "Holy crap I need to go figure out how to get cash right NOW." I honestly wasn't sure if they were actually going to leave soon, but that girl was putting on a clinic in creating urgency to make a sale.
Then…it happened.
The Hook
"We take credit cards."
Boom. That was it. Put a fork in us.
The lead hustler (and also the girl that handled the transactions) delivered the devastating sales blow as we were just walking into the store.
There are a few things I need to note here:
- They seriously had a freaking credit card reader attached to an iphone. I did not see that coming at all. I know it's 2017, but that was next level.
- The third girl never said a word during the entire deal. Maybe she was learning, or maybe she was there as the muscle…I couldn't tell.
- Their inventory was laid out masterfully on the table. There was no "let me see if we have any Thin Mints in stock" nonsense. Presentation and preparation = everything.
Related: How Many Millennials Use Credit Cards?
The up sell (this was brilliant)
We had picked up one box of cookies, and just as I was handing my credit card over to the leader, the second in command went to work on us.
This is verbatim what she said to us:
"Oh, I thought you were grabbing a second box so I could package them up really nicely for you in this bag!"
A few more things to note:
- Neither of us had even come close to reaching for a second box. Again, this was brilliant.
- As she was hitting us with the up sell, she was already reaching for the bag she had mentioned.
- I folded like a cheap lawn chair and picked up another box. I didn't even know how much they were charging, which is rare for me.
I've got to admit, I was pretty shocked about how well they did the whole thing. I made sure to give them props for the up sell, to which second in command said: "Well, I learned from the best."
I don't know who "the best" is, but I hope they aren't selling more expensive stuff.
The lesson? Support young entrepreneurs.
After running my own successful-ish business for the past year and a half, I really respect any program that teaches young people entrepreneurial skills. It's something they can always fall back on if they need to, and it just builds so much confidence for kids.
Even if you're crazy and don't like cookies, take some time to support the Girl Scouts in your area by gabbing a box or 7.


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Friday E Uboh
University of Calabar, Nigeria
Title: Protective effect of vitamins A and E against diesel fuel-induced hepatotoxicity in rats
Friday EUboh completed his Ph.D at the age of 35 from University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria, and is presently an Associate Professor of Biochemistry, with Toxicology as his area of research interest. He served as the acting Head of Biochemistry Department in the Department of Biochemistry University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria, from 2011 to 2013. Dr. Uboh is a member of Nigerian Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and Institute of Public Analysts of Nigeria. He has more than 60 papers published in reputable Journals, and is a reviewer and editorial board member of many Journals of repute. He has also presented many conference papers, locally and internationally.
Diesel fuel has been reported to cause hepatotoxicity in experimental animal models. This study assessed the protective effect of Vitamins A and E against diesel fuel-induced hepatotoxicity in rats. Vitamins A (retinol) and E(α-tocopherol), at prophylactic dosage (400 and 200 IU/kg/day, respectively) were orally administered, separately and as combined therapy, torats orally exposed to 4.0 ml/kg body weight of diesel fuel, once daily for 30 days. Serum lipid profile, including cholesterol, triglycerides, low density lipoproteins (LDL), very low density lipoproteins (VLDL) and high density lipoproteins (HDL); serum liver enzymes, including alanine and aspartate aminotransferases (ALT and AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and gamma glutamyltransferase (GGT) activities; and liver tissue oxidative stress bioindicators, including malondialdehyde, catalase and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities, were estimated using standard methods. A significant (p<0.05) increase in serum cholesterol, LDL, triglycerides, VLDL, liver tissue malondialdehyde levels, serum ALT, AST, ALP and GGT activities; and a significant decrease in serum HDL level,liver tissue catalase and SOD activities were recorded for rats orally exposure to diesel fuel, compared to control. Concomitant administration of vitamins A and E, respectively, to rats exposed to diesel fuel produced a significant (p<0.05) increase in serum HDL level, liver tissue catalase and SOD activities; decrease in serum cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL, VLDL, liver tissue malondialdehyde levels, serum ALT, AST, ALP and GGT activities; with vitamin E showing a higher potency than vitamin A. However, the effect of combined therapy of vitamins A and E was not significantly different (P>0.05) from that recorded for individual vitamins. The results of this study indicated that vitamins A and E provide protection against diesel fuel-induced hepatotoxicity; and that vitamin E is a more potent antioxidant than vitamin A in rats.
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Book Tee Times
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Below you will find great discount tee times for the Arizona National Golf Club in Tucson, Arizona. You may also view online tee times at other golf courses in the area of Arizona or other locations by using the search box. At Arizona National Golf Club, golfers tee off from the Black, Silver, White Or Gold tees at a maximum distance of 6,785 yards from the Black tees.


text: I know, I know, it's already late November! James and Nathan, In wanting to bring over or retain as much as possible the flavor of my original drawing, I do in fact project my drawings onto the canvas. Of course, there are certain pieces in which I don't have a study or drawing for, or I'm painting directly from life, and thus start immediately on the canvas. Toni, I don't purposely build up any texture if I'm putting down a primer coat – That would seem a bit contrived to me. Generally I use pre-primed linen, but in the case of the Mother and Daughter painting, I did prime the canvas using a large long palette knife, and though I tried up to a point to make it relatively smooth, there was some amount of texture that I found acceptable and went with. As far as my medium of choice, I primarily use Galkyd by Gamblin, which I love.


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Share Your World – Week 44November 6, 2014 at 4:04 pm | Posted in Australia, Family History, Gratitude, Health, Social Responsibility | 6 Comments
Tags: childhood memories, favourite relative, hair washing, homesick, kitchen sink
What is your most vivid memory of the kitchen in your childhood?
The sink! When I was five, we came to Australia from England. We lived in a small caravan for almost three years – six of us! Then Dad transported a tiny three-roomed house to the block of land he's bought. There was a lounge room, a kitchen and a bedroom – to house all of us. We thought we had moved into a palace!
The kitchen sink became an important part of the house, not just because we three girls always had to do the washing up, but the whole family also had to bathe there – not an easy task. The part of bathing I remember most was hair-washing. We would boil the electric jug – we had no hot water yet – and fill a bucket with warm water, which we sat on the draining board. Then we'd heat more water to put in the sink.
Standing at the sink, we'd wet our hair, rub on laundry bar soap and wash it, then pull the plug to let the soapy water drain out. The person who was strong enough to lift the bucket of water – usually Mum or Dad – would then pour it gradually over our head to rinse out the soap. Many a time we would all end up soaked when their hold slipped, or they poured too fast, or just because they wanted to tease.
Another reason I remember the kitchen sink so well is that when my little brother was three (I was thirteen), he was standing on a stool at the sink playing in the water with his little boats when he fell off it. He had contracted polio, the first of three in our family to get it during the epidemic that raged in our district during 1961.
I could not count how many times I have washed up at that sink. I took this photo last July, just after Dad died. It is the same sink that was in the house when I was about seven years old. The cupboards are also the same ones, and very much as they were back then.
As a child, who was your favourite relative?
I cannot remember much about being in England, and that includes my grandparents. I know they were special, but I guess I thought of them as just being there. In Australia, there was only Dad's sister and her family, and at the time, they weren't anything special.
In 1958 my mother's parents came out from England, and lived with us for a while. That's when I got to know Grandma. She was completely deaf, so communication was often difficult. However, she was loving and gentle, and had beautifully soft hands. She gave us children a shilling a week pocket money while she was with us, the only pocket money I ever received as a child. When my grandfather decided he hated Australia and took Grandma back to England in 1961, we were all devastated. Granddad died only two years later and Grandma, alone, made the journey back to Australia by ship. It was great to have her back.
What did you or did not like about the first apartment you ever rented?
When my first husband and I married, we were both posted as teachers to a country town eight hours' drive from my family home. The first flat we rented there had just one bedroom, but a large living area and a decent kitchen and bathroom – better than I was used to at home. It was in good condition too. Those were the best things about it.
The thing I liked least about it was how dark it was. Being an inner flat of a row of four, meant that there were windows only at the ends. To me it felt closed in and unfriendly, and added to my homesickness and depression.
What kind of TV commercial would you like to make? Describe it.
I wouldn't want to make an ad for a commercial product – we have too many as it is. "I'd like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony". BTW, I don't watch commercial TV because I cannot stand the ads.
I would like to re-make the ads that our government ran in the 1970s, called "Do the right thing". It was a tremendously successful campaign about getting people to put their rubbish in the bin and not trash our country. I would not change anything about them.
Bonus question: What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?
Gratitude: I am grateful for my husband who has been so patient with my depression over the last few weeks.
This week, I am looking forward to visiting a dear friend who is recovering in hospital after an operation for bowel cancer. She is 92, and the most delightful, funny, positive, talkative and caring little lady (under 5 ft short) I have ever known. Like my dad was, she is a real inspiration.
(c) Linda Visman
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NewsMax reports on June 18, 2010, that a new Gallup poll finds a majority of Americans do not want to see Obama reelected.
Gallup says that 51% of the registered voters surveyed say "no," 46% say "yes" and 3% are clueless, saying they "don't know."
What should worry Obama more is the fact that 53% of self-described non-partisan independents say Obama should not win another term in 2012, compared to 43% who say he should. That's almost a complete reversal of where independents stood on Obama's election in 2008, when swing vote moderates were the pivotal voting bloc that helped send Obama to the White House.
The defection of independents is part of a larger trend in which moderates have been expressing their dissatisfaction with the Democrats for months, with polls showing the group leaning strongly toward the GOP ahead of this November's midterm elections.
Read the entire poll at Gallup.com.
~Steve & Eowyn


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Oil Safety
General Guidelines
Oil safety is paramount when using essential oils. Get to know and use the information in this section to make sure you will get the most benefit from your essential oils.
- Keep essential oils out of the reach of children and pets
- Do not use undiluted (NEAT) on the skin unless directed by a professional trained at an appropriate clinical level*
- Do not use internally unless directed by a professional trained at an appropriate clinical level*
- Keep away from the eyes
- Do a skin patch test of diluted oils to check for sensitivity
- Avoid extended use of the same essential oil
- Use the minimal amount of essential oils (more is not better)
- Store essential oils properly – dark and cool storage
- If phototoxic oils are used on the skin, avoid sunlight and tanning beds for at least 24 hours
- Do not use essential oils on pets unless advised by a professional trained at an appropriate clinical level*
- If you have an irritation, stop using the oil
- Use high-quality essential oils that are free of additives, know your source
- Seek advice from a professional trained at an appropriate clinical level* before using essential oils if you are pregnant
- If you have health issues, consult with a professional trained in an appropriate clinical level* to see if certain essential oils should be avoided
- Avoid the technique known as the Rain Drop Therapy. It is not considered as a "best practice" by the Alliance of International Aromatherapists (AIA) or the National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy (NAHA)
Appropriate clinical level. An appropriate level of training must include chemistry, anatomy, diagnostics, physiology, formulation guidelines and safety issues regarding each specific internal route (oral, vaginal or rectal)
To practice as a clinical aromatherapist, the AIA (Alliance of International Aromatherapists) Education Committee has set the following guidelines:
- Attendance at a clinical level school or equivalent training (minimum of 400 contact hours collectively with a minimum of 50 hours in Anatomy & Physiology).
- Submittal of a case study with the initial application.
- Submittal of a copy of certificate(s) or diploma(s) awarded with the initial application.
- Submittal of a copy of your school transcript(s) with the initial application.
- CPR/First Aid Certificate submitted with the initial application and updated annually.
- Practitioner liability insurance coverage certificate submitted with the initial application and updated annually.
Oil Safety – DILUTION
Why should essential oils be diluted?
Essential oils are plant essences that are HIGHLY concentrated. It takes approximately 250 pounds of lavender to make just one pound of essential oil and it takes approximately 5000 pounds of rose petals to make one pound of rose oil. This shows just how concentrated essential oils are in comparison to the actual plant.
Dilution of essential oils in 30 ml. (1 ounce) of carrier oil
1% = 5 -6 drops
2% = 10 – 12 drops
3% = 15 – 18 drops
4% = 20 -24 drops
5% = 25 – 30 drops
Dilution of essential oils is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT! In almost all situations you want to make sure you dilute your essential oils. Why??? If you do not dilute, you are subjecting yourself to some undesired outcomes.
"Essential oil dilution is important for two safety reasons. One, to avoid skin reactions: irritation, sensitization, and phototoxicity. Two, to avoid systemic toxicity, such as fetotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, carcinogenicity, and neurotoxicity. Adverse skin reactions are obvious when they happen, but systemic toxicities may not be. Skin reactions are totally dilution-dependent, and safety guidelines exist to minimize risk. This does not mean of course that every time a person uses an undiluted oil there will be an adverse reaction. Many times there won't. But more is not always better, and minimizing risk is generally a good idea. A phototoxic reaction, for example, can be very, very nasty." – Robert Tisserand (a well-respected authority on essential oil safety)
Oil Safety – Application
Once you have your essential oils do you know how to use them?
ALWAYS Dilute Your Oils in a carrier oil except when using a diffuser or in an inhaler
- Diffuse your oil in distilled water in an electrical diffuser –the number of drops will be dictated by the size of your space
- Inhale – place essential oils in a nasal inhaler (easy to take with you) or put a drop or two on a tissue – Not all essential oils are recommended for inhalation – consult with a professional trained in an appropriate clinical level*
- Steam inhalation – in steaming water, place 2 -3 drops of essential oils in water and cover your head with a towel then breathe in the essence – Not all essential oils are recommended for inhalation – consult with a professional trained in an appropriate clinical level*
- Skin application (Always use diluted essential oils unless directed by professional trained in an appropriate clinical level*)
- In your bath, add 4 – 8 drops of essential oils into magnesium flakes or Epsom salts and then add the mixture to your bath
- Body Spray – essential oils mixed with distilled water, shake well before and spritzing
Oil Safety – Quality of Essential Oils
There are SO many companies selling essential oils, how can you tell which ones are quality oils? Buying essential oils should be done with a simple vetting process. The quality of your oils is of great importance. You want to make sure you are getting pure unadulterated oils and not fragrance oils or oils past their prime.
This can be done by asking a few very important questions. DO NOT use the size of a company to determine its value, many smaller companies are EXCELLENT choices. Be careful about companies that do not have a certified aromatherapist on staff. Any company that tells you they only use pure unadulterated oils, but is unwilling or unable to provide the information directly to you upon request, should cause you to step back. Ask yourself if you are ready to accept "trust me". I am not.
Here are some great questions to ask essential oil retailers:
- Do they test their oils with GC/MS (gas chromatography/mass spectrometry)? I know it is a big word. These tests can detect impurities and additives in the essential oils. The GC/MS report is an indication, although it is not 100% perfect, it is none the less important. If the company is willing to provide this report, you are on the right track. Make sure you can get your hands/eyes on the report rather than accepting the old "trust me", we test all our oils statement. The proof is in seeing the report yourself.
- Are the GC/MS reports batch specific? Each harvest of the plants that essential oils come from varies due to weather, soil conditions, and location. It is therefore important to see the report specific to the harvest of the essential oil you are buying.
- Does every bottle of essential oil have the date the essential oil was distilled? Essential oils DO have a lifespan. You want to make sure you know how old your oil is. The typical lifespan of the oil should also be available to you.
- Does the company purchase their essential oils from a distiller or a distributor? This can be a red flag. Adulterations are more apt to happen with a distributor.
- Are their oils organic, certified organic, or wildcrafted (grown in the wild and not typically sprayed)?
- VERY IMPORTANT – does the company provide the Latin name and common name), of their oils? This can make a significant difference in the essential oil's chemical constituents and performance since there are variations of many common named oils.
- Ask if the company provides samples. You can expect to pay a minimal but reasonable fee for a sample. Not all companies are willing to do this. This should not be a reason to pass on buying from the company if all other areas meet your approval.
- Cheap is not a bargain if you are looking for quality. Spending a competitive market price to get essential oils that will provide the benefits you are looking for is worth the price.


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Jeremy Steere – South Africa
From the extreme desolation of the arid mountain desert with minus degrees to the demented humid sweltering monsoon madness of downtown Delhi, this has been a trip of note. Back to the sophisticated quiet calm of Africa…never thought i'd say that… Well done guys you did a fantastic tour. Thanks! I look forward to the next one.


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Marco completed his BA and MA degrees in Archeology at the University of Seville (Spain). He also took a second MA in Quaternary and Prehistory at the University Rovira i Virgili (Tarragona, Spain) and the National Museum of Natural History (Paris, France). Currently, he is a Talentia Scholarship DPhil candidate at the University of Oxford.
Marco has been conducting archaeological research with the Gibraltar Caves Project since 2005 and in several of Iberia´s Palaeolithic cave sites. He is a member of AEQUA (Spanish Association of Quaternary Research). Marco is interested in lithic technology in relation to ecological conditions, climate change and landscape evolution. He recently participated in the survey and excavations work at Dawadmi.


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As one of the largest comprehensive health and human services organizations in the region, Catholic Charities, Diocese of Cleveland carries out Christ's healing mission here in Northeast Ohio. Catholic Charities delivers more than 150 services at 60 locations to over 400,000 individuals each year – providing help and creating hope for people of every race and religion throughout the eight counties in the Diocese of Cleveland (Ashland, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Summit and Wayne).
Family and Community Services: Whether the need is a loving home for foster care or help with substance abuse, Catholic Charities provides an integrated system of services to children and families, including early learning centers and Head Start programs with Early Childhood Educated Staff, parenting classes, job placement training and mental health counseling.
Persons with Disabilities: Catholic Charities provides services to children and adults with disabilities, enabling them to live to their fullest potential. Social and recreational activities, such as summer and day camp and monthly dances, provide opportunities for enrichment. Life skills training and in-home personal care help meet the challenges and triumphs of living independently.
Emergency and Specialized Services: Whether they are the working poor or unemployed and homeless, the number of people with emergency and transitional needs continue to grow. Grounded in Catholic social teaching, Catholic Charities is motivated to assist those with the most basic needs of food and shelter, but strives to help move people beyond permanent crisis. Additional services include job readiness training, mental health counseling, assisting refugees, and substance abuse support groups.
Elderly and Chronically Ill: Catholic Charities works with seniors to ensure they maintain their dignity of life with attention to emotional, social and spiritual needs. Catholic Charities offers a range of living options – from independent living to skilled nursing care, home visits, meal delivery, transportation services and adult day activities. Catholic Charities' hospice service extends its quality of care, compassion and support for those who enter life's final journey.
Treatment, Prevention, and Recovery Services: Catholic Charities provides a comprehensive system of services designed specifically for the mental health and chemical dependency needs of children, youth and adults. Many services are offered by bilingual, bi-cultural staff to specifically serve the Hispanic community. Programs are offered at multiple locations in Cuyahoga County.
Parish Outreach: The office works in partnership with parishes, community organizations, and other Diocesan offices to provide education, formation and training activities, and direct services to individuals and families, including youth and young adults, older adults, persons with disabilities, poor and vulnerable populations. The Office for Human Life and Dignity is also housed under this office.
Social Justice: The Diocesan Social Action Office (DSAO) was formed in 1989 to serve as the administrative/management arm of the five Catholic Commissions of the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland. The DSAO ensures that actions taken are consistent with the priorities of the Bishop of Cleveland, Catholic Charities, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Catholic Conference of Ohio and Catholic Charities USA.


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Summertime Madness
Yes, you read that right! Madness!! It's a common misconception that school is "out for the summer". What you don't know is that summer time is used for planning, prepping and tons of events and activities.
Even as I sit here typing (in an office...and not pool side....) there are lots of events, camps, trainings and planning meetings going on! Last week, Destination Imagination held their annual summer camp where students worked on their critical thinking, teamwork and creative reasoning skills. After seeing the pictures, I'm wishing that I could go back to being that age and go to camp! #justkidding #notreally
This week, the Elementary Summer Art Camp is happening and I can tell you from experience that this camp is ridiculously fun. I was also surprised by how advanced the art techniques that students are learning are. Students learn the basic principals of color, texture, scale, and proportion, as well as teamwork and collaboration.
Summer Art Camp 2015
Other events coming up this summer are the Summer Police Academy, held at the Greenville Sixth Grade Center, and the NJROTC mini-boot camp, which will be held in July. More details on those two later!
Our ACE program is also very active in the summer. It's one of our few programs that stays open on Fridays.
Next Friday, June 24, GISD ACE will be hosting their 4th Annual Summer Showcase at Lamar Elementary from 12-2 PM to show off all of their projects. Parents and students are invited to attend!
ACE Community Partners Drug Free Greenville, W. Walworth Harrison Public Library, The YMCA of Hunt County, and the North Texas Boys & Girls Club will also have displays. Cheer Performances, Movie Screenings, Robot Theater will have scheduled presentations from 12:30 on and displays will include Project Wild, Google CS Design, Raspberry Pi, Art, Dash, Dot and Ozo Robots, and Electrical Engineering. Our students from the ACE News Team will be filming the event as well.
Summer ACE students prepare to fly kites.
That's all for now!! Stay tuned for more updates throughout the summer.
Sydney Hanner is the Director of Community Relations for Greenville ISD in Greenville, TX.
January 2017


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Cheryl Pyrch
Summit Presbyterian Church
June 4, 2017
Genesis 11: 1-11; Acts 2: 1-21
For the Common Good
The tower of Babel is a puzzling story. In a way it's like other ancient myths, a kind of "just so story" that explains why people are scattered across the earth, speaking different languages. In the Biblical story, it helps move humankind from from the Garden where Adam and Eve and the snake talked with each other under the tree - - to the many languages and civilizations of the ancient world. But theologically, it's hard to defend or explain. Why did God confuse their language and interrupt their city-building project? They were doing so well! Some folks say it's because their project was too grand, they were trying to be God-like in building a tower to the heavens. Others have detected an anti-urban bias in the writers; throughout history, cities have been considered hotbeds of evil by those who don't live in them. Others say that God saw a rival in a united humanity: "this is only they beginning of what they will do," God says — "nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them."
I have my own theory, a kind of midrash, a story from the story. It'a based on a poignant detail in the text that I noticed for the first time this week. Those busy beavers in the land of Shinar were messing around with bitumen — a fossil fuel. Bitumen is a hydrocarbon, viscous and black, 83% carbon, 10 % hydrogen with smaller amounts oxygen and other elements. (That's my google factoid for the week. You know I always try and give you one!). It's a thick kind of petroleum, the product of very long dead plants. The United People of Shinar were using bitumen as mortar, as they built their tower of bricks fired in ovens. It was clever of them, for bitumen is very good at keeping water out of towers, something we know at Summit is extremely important. They hadn't yet discovered the use of bitumen — or related hydrocarbons - as fuels, but surely God knew it was only a matter of time. Only a matter of time before those humans figured out how to dig up the dead on a massive scale, drilling and mining fossils that had cooked underneath mud and water and stone for hundreds of millions of years, turning into oil and gas and coal even before dinosaurs roamed the earth. Surely God knew it was only a matter of time before human beings learned how to unleash the massive energy and also the massive danger held by those fossils. So when those humans on the plain of Shinar started messing with bitumen, perhaps God slowed them down in an act of wisdom and mercy. To give them time and space in order to gain knowledge, wisdom, spiritual and moral maturity. So God confused their language. Rather than one there were now many languages, each with its own beauty and precision. God led them throughout the world so they could build civilizations and cultures of all kinds, each with their own ingenious inventions, sculptures and paintings and music, writings and food and philosophy. God also showed God's self to them in many and various ways: speaking through the heavens, with the firmament proclaiming God's handiwork; giving the Torah to Moses on Mt. Sinai; sending Jesus the Son to live among them, to die and rise from the dead; revealing the Qu'ran to Muhammed; and more. Over time, these scattered peoples came together, in ways both violent and peaceful, constructive and destructive. They learned each other's languages and discovered new ones to share. The most important new language they learned was a way of investigating the universe: Observing. Developing an hypothesis about the way things worked. Testing the hypothesis with experiments. Repeating those experiments, sharing the results, asking for criticism, refining the theories, building on common knowledge. This way of learning - called science - proved to be very powerful, and when humans began to dig up the coal in earnest and discovered oil and gas and applied the science it was only the beginning of what humans could do. Indeed it seemed that nothing they proposed was impossible for them! Flying through the air. Diving to the bottom of the sea. Going to the moon. Finding cures for all kinds of diseases. Speaking and looking at each other even when they were were separated by vast oceans. Making life long and comfortable for billions of people who now finally had enough to eat. The marriage of fossil fuels and science didn't bring blessings only: their power was used for evil as well as good, as people continued to kill, enslave and oppress one another. But truly, human beings had made a name for themselves.
But the same method of investigation that had unleashed the power of those fossils began to warn of danger. After many, many observations, experiments and computer models, scientists around the world agreed: burning all those fossils was warming the earth. The release of all that long buried carbon and methane was changing the climate. Melting the ice at the poles and on the mountains. Raising sea levels. Bringing longer droughts, heavier rains, wilder storms, higher floods, stronger heat waves. Changing the chemistry of the ocean, killing life within it. Changing the timing of the seasons, bringing plants and animals to the edge of extinction. They warned of ecological collapse, of famine and floods and chaos that would threaten all cultures and civilizations, indeed, human life on earth. Scientists could only make well educated guesses as to how and how soon such collapse would come. But nearly all agreed that if humans kept burning those fossil fuels unchecked, catastrophe was coming. Not many days from now.
And so, after many delays, aborted meetings and lots of squabbling, the scientists and leaders of all the nations of the earth came together. Like those long-ago folks on the plain of Shinar, they gathered for common project. This time they were in Paris, creating an agreement that would lead the world away from fossil fuels. An agreement to unleash the power of wind and sun, water and atoms. Every nation came up with their own plan. All commitments were voluntary. Most everyone agreed that the plans weren't strong enough, that more would need to be done to avoid catastrophe, but it was a start. Every nation under heaven signed except two: Syria, who was engulfed in civil war; and Nicaragua, who wanted to go on record as saying it wasn't strong enough. The peoples of the world (along with lots of translators) came together in a common cause and hope.
But then a new leader of one of those nations, the nation that had released more carbon and methane in the air the any other nation; the richest nation in the world who had benefited the most from the blessings of fossil fuels; the most heavily armed nation in history; the one whose voluntary plan to turn from fossil fuels was really quite modest and would even be good for the economy; the leader of that nation said, "it's not fair." And he withdrew that nation from the common project.
So here we are. In middle of the story - or maybe near the end, we don't yet know. It's not yet clear if God's delaying tactic at Babel was enough. If we've been able to accumulate enough common wisdom and spiritual maturity and courage to do what needs to be done, with or without the President of the United States and his partners in congress. But the story of Babel, and my creative expansion of it, are not the only stories we have this morning. We also have the story of Pentecost, when people from every nation under heaven were gathered, and the power of the Holy Spirit led them to hear and understand all that the disciples prophesied. The miracle, the blessing, wasn't just linguistic. I wasn't just that they could all hear in their own language or speak in a different one. The miracle of Pentecost is that they all could hear and understand what the Spirit was saying. We don't have the exact words of the Apostles in Acts 2:1-11. But we know the good news they proclaimed. We've heard it and seen it and been transformed by it: that Christ offers the repentance that leads to life: that God forgives our sin, allowing us to let go of the guilt and shame that keeps us from doing the right thing. That Jesus rose from the dead, showing that nothing is impossible with God, that torture and death and military might do not have the last word. That the Holy Spirit is at work among all peoples, putting no nation first and no nation last. This is the good news that we hear on Pentecost.
And because of that good news, we have hope. We have hope — indeed confidence - that the world can turn away from fossil fuels and harness the power of the sun and the wind; we have have the technology and if we propose it together it will not be impossible. We have hope - indeed, confidence — that we can come together across divisions of nation and language and religion and class to care for creation and build a more just and peaceful world. We have hope, even confidence, that we can lose our lifestyle — what is wasteful and excessive in it - in order to gain life. We have hope because the Holy Spirit is among us, with a power and energy even greater than all the power locked up in fossil fuels or in atoms.
So, to work. Beginning with our baptismal vow to renounce evil and it's power in the world. Coming together for the common good in ways large and small: voting, calling our senators, marching peacefully in the streets, turning off the lights and adjusting our thermostats and making do with less. Gathering together with our differences and across divisions so we may work for the common good in our common home. Inspired by the power and the love of the Holy Spirit.


text:
400 grammes well cleaned goat offal
2 tablespoonfuls finely chopped spring onions
2 tablespoonfuls chopped d black pepper
1 medium sized red onion,diced
3 large tomatoes,diced
1 tablespoonful tomato paste
1 /2 tablespoonful veg etable oil
salt to taste
1.Start by simmering the sliced matumbo in about 2 cups ,with the dhania ,spring onions and black pepper added on medium low heat for about 45 minutes.
2.When water dries out add your red onion,oil and tomato paste and salt to taste,leave to simmer for 5 minutes,then add your tomatoes,stir them in and leave to cook on low heat for 5-7 minutes till tomatoes are softened.
3.Add about 1-11/4 cups of clean water/vegetable stock and simmer on low heat for 15-20 minutes.
4.Garnish with chopped dhania.
Serve hot with ugali and a vegetable salad or kachumbari.


text:
The seizure laws in CA are both convoluted while appearing specific, and they tend to work only for the government, and often the government will lie or get witnesses that end up lying, in order to push the seizure impound fees/costs.
For example, Penal Code Section 597.1– a postseizure hearing under this section was, in 2012, used for hearings concerning such administrative issues as the validity of the seizure or impoundment, the return of the animals, the liability for costs regarding the animals' seizure and care. The hearing is designed to take place quickly before any criminal proceedings are commenced and does not concern ultimate decision on the issue of abuse or neglect.
Where an appellant in CA [Shasta County] appealed a case claiming that a postseizure hearing under the same code section, was an administrative hearing with criminal implications and should have offered a right to counsel, the Appeals Court stated that in a postseizure civil administrative hearing involving property DEPRIVATION, due process is afforded where notice and opportunity to be heard on the seizure is afforded.
So we would think that if NO opportunity was ever afforded to be heard, then due process was NOT afforded, right?
HSUS in past several years, filed to have the law changed where NO postseizure hearing is required when a WARRANT (upon probable cause) has issued. NOW– why do we think HSUS wanted to get rid of that pesky postseizure hearing? We can tell you why.
Just in case the warrant was NOT any good– this would eliminate the owner's right to contest it in a CA administrative hearing, it would force the owner to get into criminal court, it would cost the owner more money, and by then the fees for impound will have already been levied– THAT'S why….!
Also note, from FN#4 in Mr. Painter's unpublished case at: http://www.courts.ca.gov/opinions/nonpub/C068408.PDF , involving horse seizure, that "Painter has also forfeited, for "[o}obvious reasons of fairness," his argument, raised for the first time in his REPLY BRIEF (our emphasis) — that the county failed to demonstrate exigency or any other basis, to excuse it from first obtaining a warrant before seizing Painter's horses."
[Mr. Painter is NOT the Susanville 70 horse owner;]
…..Painter took a plea deal and now cannot file a 42 USC 1983 claim since taking a plea is equal to a guilty plea; we were told he did not intend to enter a guilty plea + his judgment was deferred entry of judgment but that indicated he could not appeal anything since there was no judgment. The moral of the story is IF you have a good case of improper seizure by or for the seizing authority, you cannot take a plea deal and then sue the government in California. You must be either exonerated or win at trial first.
This area of law is fraught with exceptions and unless your case is extremely clear cut, the cases tend to take many years, like 5-10 years, and they are usually appealed. Also the discretionary equitable tolling rears its ugly head and in some cases, defendants believe they have X time to file their cases but in fact have Y time to file, and miss the statute of limitations [SOL]. See http://www.justia.com/trials-litigation/docs/caci/400/457.html general claims; and http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/cgi-bin/getcase.pl?court=US&navby=case&vol=000&invol=05-1240 for 42 USC 1983.
Also in government cases there is often a mandated tort claim statute of limitations which is very very short, it could be only several months. It does not hurt to file a claim early but it is deadly to miss the SOL.
This is EXACTLY why we keep harping on the "Susanville 70" horse case seizure:
1. Notorious Timothy M. Ryan of Irvine, Bank attorney for B of A and Wells Fargo,drafted+ filed the "Receiver's" motion to seize horses, but attorney Ryan termed it 'surrender horses' to Lassen County, and said there was medical exigency in court. Note that a "Receiver" is considered an arm of the Court, and must be NEUTRAL. Horse owner was never allowed to oppose a seizure nor present witnesses, even if termed surrender. Lassen County/Receiver left the horses on premises of owner for nearly a month, and there were no exigent medical conditions; had there been such conditions, the seizing parties would have had to address it very quickly, since they had no warrant.
1.1 Then Grace Fdn and others removed horses after banks purportedly paid Grace Fdn $40,000 to take them into what was allegedly, temporary custody. Owner had no abuse charges pending, no citations, no nothing. Owner filed bankruptcy to stop the banks and Lassen county. Although Lassen has alleged up to 65 or 70 counts– apparently now, the seized horses are not the horses that are counted in the alleged abuse?
It was at that point that attorney Ryan went to Bankruptcy Court, and gave court the idea that "the police power" was used to seize the owner's horses, when in FACT, Ryan himself drafted the "Receiver's" motion to seize/give horses purportedly, to Lassen County. Only Lassen County never took physical possession. It was not Lassen County filing the motion. It was allegedly Lassen County claiming they were just handing the property off? Really? Did Lassen County bother to check the law re seizure of animals? Did Ryan pretend his "Receiver" had actual authority to seize personal property due to medical exigency when there was no such thing? …Can one just start seizing property of another based upon contracts with "Receivers" who then are paid and further indemnified by the same seizing party, who already engaged in fraudulent and improper conduct in litigation?
1.2 As we can see, it was the attorney Timothy M. Ryan's MOTION to seize and remove the horses, and it was attorney Ryan that DRAFTED the "Receiver's" motion to do so, and it was attorney RYAN that filed and argued the seizure of the horses to the court, At all times, attorney Timothy M. Ryan controlled the "Receiver" which was only a rents and profits receiver, NOT an equity Receiver. AND Ryan also executed a written indemnification of the RECEIVER by signing a contract with her !! To best of our knowledge, that is illegal. Only an equity recovery receiver can normally start seizing property/assets.
1.3 In Lassen county Court, on cross examination, the "Receiver" admitted she had NEVER done a "receivership" in her life before, and that she got legal information from the Ryan firm and Eugene Chittock, Esq. Further, attorney Ryan and underling attorney Beardsley who no longer works for Ryan, actually prohibited the horse owner from EVER going to his own land to view or retrieve his OWN personal possessions inside the residence since 2011, PLUS the "Receiver" was instructed to call police if owner should try and even LOOK at his property, or be on the land. Thus horse owner's case was worsened after the Chapter 7 Trustee was replaced by the "Receiver" who then never allowed horse owner ANY access to anything he ever owned. Instead, Receiver allowed the ex girlfriend of horse owner to take whatever she claimed was hers from the property.
1.4 Nonetheless, the "Receiver" quietly sued the banks/Ryan last December 2012, and was paid off, and she dismissed the lawsuit. So what we have here, is a bank attorney (Ryan) committing fraud, then indemnifying the Receiver" who, on paper, is helping to do the fraud, then the banks pay off the "Receiver" or Ryan pays off "Receiver" for having helped do it. Does anyone see something very very wrong here? Would anyone be surprised if attorney Ryan had started selling off his own property in 2011 after client was forced into bankruptcy?
1.5 Remarkably, many of these facts are recorded into the Eastern District Bankruptcy Court file, Sacramento, documenting that this happened [fact that Ryan was actually acting as the Receiver himself– a puppeteer, no less] .. Ryan made no opposition. Also filed, were some of the choice "Facebook" postings done by Ryan re his personal dislike and disparagement of horse owner, while Ryan held out the horse owner's ex girlfriend to be a saint. That ex girlfriend "saint" who was seen by witnesses on horse owner's property in middle of night, when animals were being poisoned or killed? The same saint that threw out kittens she bred/then drowned to death, which she then threw in the trash??! That is the person that attorney Ryan took sides with. Yes, he took sides with the "ex girlfriend" to try and massacre the horse owner.
1.6 But Ryan did lie to the bankruptcy court, by filing a copy of an order from the state court, that had never been served on either owner or his bankruptcy attorney. Ryan claimed that Ryan got a signed order [for equitable lien/mortgage, morphed into reformation+first deed of security over the horse owner's land] from Nov- December 2011 from Judge—it is doubtful whether this order is any good, since the order was purportedly signed, but NEVER entered into the Superior Court official record. Many documents can be filed, but if not entered, they should be stamped filed but not entered or similar. Or received, but not entered,etc.
All State courts have an entry (received) file and an actual filed "file." A document can be entered which is not considered or allowed to be "filed" such as if it is late or has other issues. Instead, a naked proof of service of an order was filed by Ryan–which is not a judgment, nor did it have an order or judgment attached. Then in July 2012, the judgment for the same thing, was actually entered and filed, thereby giving horse owner the right to appeal. At that point Ryan or banks claimed it was too late for horse owner to appeal?
2. Lassen County AC filed nothing, issued nothing, drafted nothing, and did not give proper testimony, if any, nor did they issue a warrant, citation, or any other form of administrative document, to horse owner, that we are aware of, prior to seizure, during seizure or within 2 months of seizure.
3. Lassen County suddenly issued a warrant in October 2011, approximately 3 months after all animals had been seized and removed from the property, …and that's AFTER attorney Ryan GAVE the district Attorney–the "prosecution package" to nail the horse owner?
Ryan even handed over a FLASH DRIVE with all the data? Since when do bank attorneys produce prosecution packages for the government unless they are working some deal? There is a written document (letter) written by Ryan which goes along with the flash drive. Hard to believe but true. Do we have a copy ? Yep. There are thousands of pages submitted that really have nothing to do with any evidence in the case.
3.1 A witness came forward indicating that a certain attorney offered incentives to snitch or lie about horse owner, or otherwise engage owner's property via stealth. Another witness is purportedly in a local county jail under some kind of protective custody. It was later found that horse owner's friend (an attorney) had his email hacked and then the District Attorney ended up with confidential emails from and to horse owner and friends, and even owner's attorney in the litigation?
4. In current litigation, Lassen's attorneys are claiming they only followed the "Receiver's order" filed by the bank attorney Ryan. In other words, they had nothing to do with any seizure, they just followed Ryan's nonsense without even knowing what they were doing? Then more than 3 months later, Lassen files 70 counts of animal abuse? Had there been any "abuse" at all, it should have been noted and filed at the time it was discovered. Failing to do that indicates that AC would have been negligent and guilty of not doing anything–thus it is apparent that there was nothing to report.
Because there never was any animal "abuse" Lassen had never filed anything because there was nothing to file.
5. Instead, attorney Timothy M. Ryan the bank's attorney, simply seized upon USING the ANIMALS TO GET HIS FORECLOSURE DONE, TO TAKE OWNER'S LAND, TO MAKE MORE MONEY–AND TO BRAG ABOUT IT ON FACEBOOK AND wherever online.
The banks ADMIT they do NOT own the horse owner's 40 acres. They do not have anything proving colorable title, They pretend they do. But they do not have it. What they have is a strung-together-nightmare set up by attorney Ryan, and even the court clerks were involved (and likely paid off or were switching out documents or something) — as we were told that at least one clerk got laid off the job. We did not try and verify that. However it could easily be true.
6. Then Ryan got a "prosecution" package to the District Attorney, and bragged about that. The end result is that attorney Ryan is in some deep shit, is being sued, was taken off the case, the foreclosure was halted, an appeal was filed, and now the banks have to FIX whatever Ryan ruined. And we havent even started talking about violating the bankruptcy stay and other rules. Let's just say it's probably several million bucks (being nice–it's way more than several) and the fraud that Ryan created….. Now THAT'S legendary.
7. He (bank attorney Timothy M. Ryan) should go down in history as one of the most egotistical attorneys that ever lived, who could not stand to be confronted, and who would manage to do so many improper actions within one case that was covered up by more than several people, and then this attorney used his own personal vendetta to string up a horse owner so the banks could more easily take land that they did not own, using a fake "Receiver" who was indemnified personally by bank attorney and then paid off, all the while attorney Ryan is treated to his "free" malpractice attorney because he had "insurance." His insurance should not cover FRAUD. Especially the fraud appearing in the Lassen court case.