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The status of Java on Arm
The status of Java on Arm
The status of Java on Arm
January 15, 2019
Today, as Arm processors are primarily viewed as targeting the embedded market, and justifiably so, multiple hardware vendors are using this architecture to build server CPUs and to compete with Intel in the cloud and High Performance Computing (HPC) segment. This broadens the variety of Java applications that run on Arm CPUs and adds to the complexity of the Java Arm port itself, as it must support a segmented variety of CPU vendors and workloads.
In this post which follows the article written for the Java Magazine, I explore the status of Java and the Java ecosystem on Arm and its evolution. I also discuss some recent developments in Java Arm port features and performance, emphasizing both the server and IoT/embedded deployments.
Why Arm?
Leaving aside the embedded and mobile markets, where Arm dominates with 32-bit ARMv5, 6, 7 and 8 ISA, it’s no longer stretching the point to say that Arm provides a viable alternative to the markets that are currently dominated by x86 architecture. Unlike CPU vendors like Intel, which focus on shipping processors and evolve the x86 architecture to do so, Arm is primarily an architecture design company selling architectural and core licenses to its customers, which turn it into actual silicon. This allows a great variety of actual implementations of the same architecture to co-exist and compete in different market segments.
It is clearly visible from the recent developments of the Arm architecture itself that the focus has shifted to allow competitive Arm-based server CPU designs.
In 2016, Arm finalized a 64-bit and 32-bit capable ARMv8-A ISA, targeting both the embedded and server markets. ARMv8-A architecture, which added support for 64-bit and mandated the presence of NEON SIMD instructions, also introduced optional instructions for AES encryption, SHA-1, SHA-256 and CRC32, which some vendors implement to boost cryptographic and checksum performance.
Arm did not stop there. In 2017, Arm extended this architecture with the ARMv8.1-A update, most notably adding new atomic instructions. Later, ARMv8.2-A added half-precision floating-point data processing and dot product SIMD instructions. What’s more important, starting with ARMv8.2-A, optional SVE (Scalable Vector Extension) instructions introduced better support for vectorization compared to the NEON instruction set, making the ARMv8 architecture much better suitable for HPC. Recently, ARMv8.3-A added SIMD complex number support and weaker release consistency instructions.
The ARMv8 architecture leaves room for vendor design selection to achieve performance, complexity, and power goals. It adopts a relaxed hardware memory model which is weaker than x86-TSO. Thus, one can observe more out-of-order effects. Compared to ARMv7, there are useful concurrency primitives, including the load-acquire and store-release instructions, as well as weaker barrier instructions. But a cautious programmer who follows Java language memory model will not notice these differences, because the JVM hides it inside the implementation.
Several hardware vendors contend with Intel in the server market with their ARMv8-based processor designs, and this should already be taken seriously. Some hardware vendors are new to the Arm server ecosystem, such as Qualcomm with its Centriq 2400 offering, or the relaunched Ampere, which possesses assets from APM. Others, like Cavium, which was recently acquired by Marvell, are already established in the Arm server market and have a track record of delivering ThunderX production systems for several years now. They recently released the second generation ThunderX2 systems. ThunderX systems are readily available in the cloud from cloud providers such as Packet and Amazon.
The real competition for ARMv8-based server hardware vendors is not the ARMv8 vendors themselves. It is Intel who they all are trying to compete with. And there is more than just the cloud market for Arm: Cray and HPE are shipping HPC solutions based on ARMv8 architecture, making the HPC future of ARMv8 real. As part of the Vanguard program, Sandia National Labs is deploying its Arm-based supercomputer with a theoretical peak of more than 2.3 petaflops.
Aside from the CPU core design, ARMv8-based server vendors invest heavily in parallelism and memory bandwidth, while keeping the power consumption low. For example, Qualcomm Centriq 2400 platform is said to have 48 single-threaded cores and 6 channels of DDR4 memory per SoC. Marvell ThunderX2 has up to 64 four-threaded cores in dual-socket configuration (making the total number of hardware threads 256) and 8 channels of DDR4 memory per socket.
In the embedded segment, things are more traditional, and most chip makers license the Cortex-A core from Arm instead of building their own.
All major Linux distributions support Arm, including Debian, Oracle, Red Hat, SuSE, Ubuntu. All the tooling at the OS and kernel level is already there, stable and ready for production use.
Availability of Java on Arm
End users will find a good choice of providers of Java and OpenJDK binaries for Arm.
Both the ARMv7 and ARMv8 Java ports are fully functional and the sources are available from OpenJDK under the GPLv2.1 license with the classpath extension, which enabled most Linux distributions to include them in their package repository.
Sometimes using OpenJDK binaries provided by the Linux package management systems is for some reason not preferred. For instance, if your favorite Linux distribution does not contain the required packages or you are looking for commercial support, there is an excellent choice of different versions of Java/OpenJDK binaries provided by AdoptOpenJDK, Azul, BellSoft and Oracle. At the time this article was published, Oracle only provided JDK 8 binaries for ARMv8 and ARMv6/7, Azul provided binaries for JDK 8 and 11, while BellSoft offers binaries for JDK 8, 9,10 and 11 which, for the Raspberry Pi, include the OpenJFX and Device IO API modules. Azul, BellSoft and most notably Oracle provide supported binaries that comply with the Java SE specification and verify their binaries with the JCK test suite.
Features of the Java Arm ports
Java and OpenJDK Arm ports are mature for production use.
The minimum requirement for Java and OpenJDK implementations is seeking conformance with the Java SE Specification by passing the Java SE Compatibility Test Suite (JCK). Arm and ARMv8 ports have reached that level of compatibility long ago and are first-class citizens among Java-supported platforms, along with x86 and SPARC.
While it is very important to ensure compatibility of Java implementations, passing the JCK is not the only requirement for a successful Java port. To meet startup and throughput performance expectations, both ARMv7 and ARMv8 ports have C1 and C2 JIT compilers implemented, thus allowing them to produce optimized code that takes advantage of the underlying architecture specifics. On top of that, the -XX:+TieredCompilation is supported and turned on in the Server VM, which allows for leveraging from fast startup and achieving C2 throughput. A full set of GCs is supported in both ARMv7 and ARMv8 ports: ParallelGC, G1, SerialGC, CMS (Deprecated).
For embedded use-cases, the ARMv7 port seen in some bundles also carries a lightweight Minimal VM. For JDK 9 or higher, it allows building Java runtime images with a low static footprint using the Jigsaw feature. For example, running
bin/jlink --module-path jmods --compress=2 --add-modules java.base --output $OUTPUT
rm -r $OUTPUT/lib/client $OUTPUT/lib/server
echo "-minimal KNOWN" > $OUTPUT/lib/jvm.cfg
on BellSoft Arm JDK 10, which provides Minimal VM, produces a java runtime with the java.base module with a static footprint as small as 16 Mb. Surprisingly, java.base (maybe with the addition of several other modules) is sufficient for quite a number of Java applications targeted for constrained IoT gateways. For example, a runtime capable of running Apache Felix or Jetty fits into 32 Mb.
Over the years, the ARMv8 port received built-in optimized assembly intrinsics for CPU-intensive operations. At present, only several intrinsics present in the x86 port are absent in the ARMv8 port, and the gap is rapidly closing.
All the common features which appear in other ports work on Arm, and several specific to the JVM, such as Docker support, AppCDS v2 were ensured to work on Arm as well.
See Table 1 for a detailed comparison of major JVM features across upstream x86, ARMv8 64bit and 32bit Arm ports.
Table 1. Comparison of major upstream x86 and Arm JVM port features.
x86/64 AARCH64 ARM (32-bit)
VMs Client Yes No Yes
Server Yes Yes Yes
Minimal Yes (32 bit) Yes, since JDK 12 Yes
JIT C1 Yes Yes Yes
C2 Yes Yes Yes
TieredCompilation Yes Yes Yes
Graal JIT (Experimental) Yes, since JDK 10 Yes, since JDK 11 No
GC SerialGC Yes Yes Yes
ParallelGC Yes Yes Yes
CMS Yes, Deprecated Yes, Deprecated Yes, Deprecated
G1 Yes Yes Yes
ZGC Experimental In development No
Runtime Container support Yes Yes Yes
AppCDS Yes Yes, since JDK 10 Yes, since JDK 10
HugePages Yes Yes Yes
Numa Support Yes Yes No
Serviceability Java Flight Recorder Yes Yes, since JDK 11 Yes, since JDK 11
Performance of AARCH64 JVM port
Hardware, OS and the JVM all contribute to the performance of Java applications and benchmarks. Let's dive into the performance of the ARMv8 port, as the server market is where performance matters most. To make a good comparison, it is important to find x86 and Arm server equivalents. Luckily, the recently released Marvell ThunderX2 ARMv8 CPUs provides a comparable Intel equivalent for each SKU based on SPECint2017 rates. From this table, for studying performance, I selected the ThunderX2 CN9975 and its comparable Intel Xeon Gold 6140 single socket system, both equipped with DDR4-2666 memory and running Ubuntu 16.04. Dual socket systems with these CPUs are also available.
It’s interesting to note that ThunderX2 CN9975 CPU has 112 threads (28-core system with 4-way SMP), and the comparable Intel Xeon Gold 6140 has 36 threads (18-core system with Hyper-Threading).
To assess the performance of the JVM ARMv8 and x86 ports, I used the SPECjbb2015 1.01 and SPECjvm2008 1.01 benchmarks running the OpenJDK 11 EA build 18. All benchmarks were executed 20 times, and mean values were collected. The SPECjbb2015 benchmark was used to obtain an overall score, while the SPECjvm2008 provided additional insights into the performance of ARMv8 HotSpot JVM port.
Since this article is not intended to report the best score obtainable on a specific hardware system, but to study the performance of what a typical end user would see, I intentionally did not fine-tune low level JVM parameters or kernel settings on either system. Check the SPEC scores for the processors as reported by the hardware vendors to compare the highest achievable numbers with JVM options tuning.
SPECjbb2015 results
The SPECjbb2015 1.01 Composite results (Critical-jOPS and Max-jOPS) are presented in Figure 1. The JVM command line options used for these runs were very common for SPECjbb2015 runs:
-Xmx24G -Xms24G -Xmn16G -XX:+AlwaysPreTouch -XX:+UseParallelGC
-XX:+UseTransparentHugePages -XX:-UseBiasedLocking
for ARMv8 and
-XX:+UseTransparentHugePages -XX:+UseBiasedLocking
for x86. Switching biased locking off for ARMv8 and leaving it on for x86 gave both platforms slightly better results.
Figure 1
Figure 1. SPECjbb2015-Composite performance results on single-socket Xeon Gold 6140 and ThunderX2 CN9975 with DDR4-2666 memory running Ubuntu 16.04. Higher is better.
As can be seen from the results presented, OpenJDK 11 ARMv8 port running on ThunderX2 outperforms the x86 port on Xeon Gold 6140 by 33% in SPECjbb2015 Max-jOPS score and by 16% in SPECjbb2015 Critical-jOPS score. Long story short, the ThunderX2 system with ARMv8 JVM port is very well suitable for enterprise workloads represented by the SPECjbb2015 benchmark.
To assess the per-thread performance, I also limited the number of CPU threads on ThunderX2 to be the same as on Intel Xeon Gold 6140, which only used 32% of its CPU threads. Unsurprisingly, in this case SPECjbb2015 clearly favoured the Xeon Gold, giving it a 30% advantage.
SPECjvm2008 results
The SPECjvm2008 Base results for individual benchmarks together with the composite Base are presented in Figure 2. Since the SPECjvm2008 “compiler” benchmark has not worked since JDK 8, the composite geomean base score was manually calculated without a “compiler” benchmark result.
Figure 2
Figure 2. SPECjvm2008 performance results on single-socket Xeon Gold 6140 and ThunderX2 CN9975 with DDR4-2666 memory running Ubuntu 16.04. Higher is better.
As can be seen from the results presented, the OpenJDK 11 ARMv8 port running on ThunderX2 outperforms the x86 port on Xeon Gold 6140 by 28% in SPECjvm2008 benchmark composite Base score. There are two main reasons for the overall better ARMv8 system score. The first is that it has a higher memory bandwidth (8 channels compared to 6 channels on Intel). The second is related to the work done in the ARMv8 Java port that allowed for the full utilization of the CPU potential and extensions.
To gain additional insights, let's explore the scores for individual SPECjvm2008 workloads. In eight out of nine SPECjvm2008 benchmarks, the ARMv8 port outperformed x86, and for one the results were the opposite.
The Crypto benchmark clearly favors an ARMv8-based system, giving it a 62% advantage, which would not be reachable if the ARMv8 port didn’t fully utilize the AES and SHA extensions available on this chip.
The compress benchmark (where ARMv8-based system beats Intel by 12%) uses the CRC32C intrinsic. XML (ARMv8 beats Intel by 29%) and MpegAudio (by 44%) benchmarks use the java.lang.String and java.lang.Arrays intrinsics. Some of these intrinsics were recently improved in JDK 10 and in 11 for ARMv8 by BellSoft together with Cavium/Marvell.
It is also important to understand the results for the benchmark where x86 OpenJDK port did better: scimark.small (by 29%). The reason for that is the benchmark code: FFT, LU, SOR and SPARSE scimark subbenchmarks all contain heavy loops and matrix computation code. Over the years a lot of efforts have been made by Intel into loop unrolling and vectorization, which allowed for mapping such code sequences to AVX instructions on x86. This work has not yet been completed for the ARMv8 C2 port, and the absence of a good equivalent to AVX 512-bit is not helping (that gap will be closed when Arm delivers SVE). On top of that, the FFT scimark subbenchmark uses java.lang.Math functions (intrinsified for both x86 and ARMv8, the latter since JDK 11), which use the ARMv8 128-bit NEON SIMD. With scimark.large, this effect is mitigated because scimark.large does computations on a large dataset, which implies memory access, hence giving the ARMv8-based system the possibility to show a wider memory bandwidth.
There is definitely some work ahead in order to bring the ARMv8 port scientific workload performance up to par with x86. However, right now it already can be concluded that for regular server-side Java business application workloads (data processing, XML, crypto operations), the OpenJDK 11 ARMv8 port running on ThunderX2 SKUs provides better performance compared to the x86 equivalent.
Performance Diagnostics
Performance diagnostics tools are essential for understanding the bottlenecks of a Java application being developed or run in production.
Regular performance diagnostics through JMX and JVMTI API work on Arm just like they do on x86. For more thorough Java performance analysis, BellSoft also ported the AsyncProfiler and HonestProfiler to ARMv8 and contributed the changes back to the projects. This allowed for enhancing the performance of an application as complex as Hadoop on ARMv8. You can see a subset of the flamegraph from Hadoop Terasort benchmark collected from the Hadoop JVMs using AsyncProfiler on ARMv8 in Figure 3. If the reader is working on a complex Java application and would like to profile the JVM bottlenecks on Arm (or any other architecture), these are the open-source tools I would recommend.
Figure 3
Figure 3. Flamegraph built with AsyncProfiler data running Hadoop on ARMv8.
JFR, which was open-sourced by Oracle and contributed to OpenJDK 11 was also made available in Arm ports. Figure 4 shows method profiling output from JFR recording on JDK 11 ARMv8. As usual for JFR, the profiling overhead on ARMv8 was low (1-2%) and allowed to obtain detailed profiling information, which is very suitable for production system monitoring.
Figure 4
Figure 4. OpenJDK Java Mission Control view of a JFR profile collected from Map Hadoop task on ARMv8.
Java Ecosystem on Arm
In theory, all software written in Java should just be able to work on Java on Arm. That said, some big projects make specific tweaks that tie them to a specific architecture, such as using natively-built libraries (for example, snappy). The following popular projects, though not claiming official support for ARMv8, were tested to work well on Arm: Hadoop 3.1.0, Tomcat 9.0.8, Spark 2.3.0, Kafka 1.1.0, Cassandra 3.11.2, Lucene 7.3.0, Flink 1.4.2.
Future developments
A number of companies including Arm, BellSoft, Cavium/Marvell, Linaro, Oracle, Red Hat and others collaborate in the OpenJDK codebase to ensure the long-term future of upstream Arm ports. That includes gradual improvement in performance and stability, as well as working on a fully-supported Graal VM and Graal as a JIT compiler on ARMv8, ZGC, and such future projects as Valhalla and Panama. Aside from that, work is underway to ensure good use of the planned SVE instructions.
The upstream ARM 32-bit and ARMv8 Java ports are ready for production use, with all of the relevant features on par with x86.
The 32-bit Arm port provides all the necessary functionality for Embedded & IoT deployments, including C1 for fast startup, low dynamic memory footprint and Minimal VM which allows for producing Java Runtime images with a low static footprint (under 16 Mb). It works well on such popular devices as the Raspberry Pi and, after proper device and application specific tuning, it is possible to use the 32-bit Arm port in production under the GPL license.
The ARMv8 port which is aimed primarily at the server market, shows better performance results when compared to x86 on equivalent hardware (16% advantage in SPECjbb2015 Critical-jOPS, 33% advantage in SPECjbb2015 Max-jOPS and 28% advantage in SPECjvm2008 base composite compared to x86). As demonstrated by the SPECjvm2008 benchmarks for typical server-side Java business applications which would process and encrypt data and XMLs, the OpenJDK 11 ARMv8 port running on ThunderX2 is faster than the Intel SKU counterpart. The reasons why the SPECjvm2008 scimark.small performance is lower compared to Intel were analysed and should not be too difficult to improve.
Overall, the Java software ecosystem is ready for production deployments on Arm. For Embedded & IoT use cases, Arm is already the primary platform of choice, but why would the server market and major cloud providers consider moving to a different architecture if the performance advantage is only tens of percents? The answer to that is price for performance. Considering the performance of the JVM on Arm, and the price of the CPUs, this starts to make sense. And it becomes very easy to try, considering how small the efforts are to take existing Java applications to a new architecture, provided there is a fully functional, performing and stable Java.
Author image
Aleksei Voitylov
BellSoft CTO
BellSoft LTD [email protected] BellSoft LTD logo Liberica Committed to Freedom 199 Obvodnogo Kanala Emb. 190020 St. Petersburg RU +7 812-336-35-67 BellSoft LTD 199 Obvodnogo Kanala Emb. 190020 St. Petersburg RU +7 812-336-35-67 BellSoft LTD 111 North Market Street, Suite 300 CA 95113 San Jose US +1 702 213-59-59 | <urn:uuid:54518c6a-8715-4e1f-873c-09180144fc0c> | https://bell-sw.com/java/arm/performance/2019/01/15/the-status-of-java-on-arm/ | en | 0.904252 | 0.024916 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Scum Villain System: Chapter 20
Chapter 20
TN: Unedited. But at least this is ❤ chapter. ^_^
He immediately turned around: “Shizun, are there any other orders?”
Shen Qingqiu said: “The rooms are over there. Why are you walking in the opposite direction?”
Whether it’s the disciples’ dormitory or the woodshed, the exit is to the left. However, Luo Binghe went straight to the right.
Luo Binghe said: “This disciple wants to go to the kitchens and prepare for Shizun’s breakfast tomorrow.”
Shen Qingqiu felt a bit difficult.
He really wanted to eat the breakfast that Luo Binghe made, but letting a child stay up through most of the night without sleeping to make food for him was like Cinderella with her stepmother…… however it was put, it wasn’t humane.
In the end, conscience prevailed over appetite. He coughed once: “Nonsense. What do you mean by making a meal in the middle of the night? Go back and sleep.” [1]
Luo Binghe knew that he was worried that he wouldn’t rest well. He smiled, but didn’t plan to sleep. He was prepared to turn back and secretly go to the kitchens to ponder.
Shen Qingqiu originally wanted to ask him whether he was still sleeping in the woodshed. Young people have some pride and self-respect, so asking directly wouldn’t sound good. On the other hand, even if Luo Binghe was allowed to sleep in the disciples’ dormitory, he would only be excluded by the others under Ming Fan’s command. He felt he was strangely pitiful.
Shen Qingqiu thought for a moment, then said: “Tomorrow, gather your things and come over here.”
Luo Binghe didn’t understand what he meant: “? Shizun?
Shen Qingqiu said: “Outside my bamboo house is a room to the side. Starting from tomorrow, move over there to live.”
If he lived a bit closer, making breakfast for him and cleaning the rooms would be more convenient…… Shen Qingqiu felt that his own self-adjustment ability broke through the skies a bit. Earlier he faced Luo Binghe with serious trauma, but now he even dared to secretly rub his hands and plot to let the protagonist readily carry tea and serve water for him. Is it really fine like this?!
His imagination went wild in these flights of fancy and he didn’t notice the other person’s reaction. Suddenly, Luo Binghe leapt over and firmly hugged him.
Caught off guard, Shen Qingqiu was first shocked, then his old face turned red.
In the years left to him, he was finally given a bear hug and the result wasn’t a warm and fragrant jade-like sister but a young teenager with an overbearing aura, ahhh —
Luo Binghe was ecstatic, his arms wrapped around his neck and refused to let go, continuously calling by his ear: “Shifu! Shifu!
Shen Qingqiu held up his hand and didn’t where to put it. Tangled for a while, he laid it on Luo Binghe’s head and rubbed his hair: “All right. Aren’t you embarrassed, you’ve already become so big and aren’t a ten-year-old child anymore, what kind of appearance is this?” [2]
Originally, Luo Binghe wasn’t very aware. But after he said things like this, he was suddenly embarrassed. If he hadn’t been so happy and excited, how would he dare to be like this to the usually high and unattainable Shizun? Quickly but reluctantly, he peeled himself off from Shen Qingqiu’s body, his face completely red: “Yes, this disciple went beyond himself.”
Towards the matter of seeking to be hugged, a child under ten years old doing this kind of thing would be considered adorable. For the fifteen-year-old Luo Binghe to do this…… it was still adorable!
A small handsome boy with a face as tender as a still-growing stalk of young green onion, he would be adorable no matter what he did!
Luo Binghe was nervous and flustered for a while but suddenly realized that the color of Shen Qingqiu’s face wasn’t very good.
Even for an immortal body, having old injuries and strong poison present, followed by his involvement in the Dream Demon’s dream because of him, not resting well, and holding on despite being unable to, it was natural for Shen Qingqiu’s appearance to be somewhat wan and pallid. Luo Binghe didn’t dare to tarry Shen Qingqiu’s rest any longer and withdrew. He still didn’t return to the woodshed and specially went around to the kitchens.
He made up his mind: For a long time, he must pay great attention to Shizun’s recovery through nutritional meals!
Luo Binghe had just stepped out from the room when the system sounded a notice.
【Protagonist’s Coolness level +50! 】
Shen Qingqiu was baffled.
How come another 50 was added? Is the system delayed? Or did the system suddenly discover mercy and feel that it gave me too little earlier?
Forget it, he was too sleepy and deprived of strength to consider the reason why points were added. Anyway, it’s impossible that getting a hug caused this old man to be given more points, hahahahahaha……
The next day, Shen Qingqiu hadn’t fully slept until he woke up naturally when he was woken up by the light and delicious smell of fish and rice intermingling. Outside the bamboo house, Luo Binghe had already prepared the food. That fragrance wafted endlessly and drifted over to the Qing Jing Peak disciples who had only eaten plain meals, spying on the other side.
Ming Fan and the others were so angry that they were spying while biting the hems of their robes, especially when they saw Shen Qingqiu sitting to the left and lovingly praising Luo Binghe’s heartfelt handiwork, both of them smiling and their relations joyous and harmonious. Their aggrieved feelings reached the highest point.
Too shameless! So it was through these strange, despicable, and heretically clever schemes that he attracted Shizun’s happiness!
And after waiting till dusk, they saw Luo Binghe move to the shed outside Shen Qingqiu’s bamboo house. It struck like lightning from clear skies, striking the Qing Jing Peak disciples who’d grown used to bullying Luo Binghe into a field of corpses.
It was called “moving,” but only Luo Binghe the person actually moved over. Because he had nothing much to begin with.
Pillow? Bundling up the straw in the woodshed made for a pillow. Blanket? The outer robe he took off was enough to cover him…… and these things, Shen Qingqiu would naturally prepare for him.
Shen Qingqiu always felt that Luo Binghe’s life was filled with too much suffering, all of it a history of child abuse. Cang Qiong Mountain, whether good or bad, was also a large cultivation sect and wouldn’t be so blackhearted or lacking in resources to that degree.
That night was the first time in Luo Binghe’s life lying on a regular bed.
In the past, he had slept in a wood basin floating in the icy river, slept on the damp and cold ground, the loud and noisy streets, and even lain down in a mountain cave in a move of eating the wind and sleeping in the dew. [3] Right now, lying down in a soft and neat and large bed, his body felt buoyant all over and it felt unreal.
Especially when he thought of Shen Qingqiu sleeping just beyond a single wall.
The entire night, it could be that he thought too much. The Dream Demon did not appear in his dream.
Luo Binghe’s expression didn’t change. He patiently sat and waited. After a few days passed, the Dream Demon appeared again.
This time, the Dream Demon didn’t bother with whatever mysterious dream enchantment or concealment. He directly appeared in Luo Binghe’s dream……although he was in the form of a mass of black mist.
In front of Luo Binghe’s eyes, this mass of black mist gathered together, changing, and that old man’s voice came from inside: “Brat, how did you decide after these three days?”
Luo Binghe asked back: “How I’ve decided, can Elder Dream Demon not know?”
The Dream Demon laughed hei hei: “You’ve decided on something you definitely won’t regret. Brat, remember this day well. Today is the beginning of your meteoric rise!”
That young teenager didn’t have the dream of a meteoric rise. No matter how happily he said it, Luo Binghe wasn’t moved and only cupped his fist ceremonially and said: “This younger generation has one more request.”
“What else is there, it’s all been discussed! Quickly finish talking so you can pledge me as master.” The Dream Demon was still urging, but didn’t know that what he imagined was too beautiful……
Luo Binghe said: “What this younger generation requests is indeed regarding the matter of a master. Shizun’s grace to me is heavy as a mountain. I truly cannot disrespect his discipline and acknowledge someone else as a master……”
He hadn’t finished when the Dream Demon immediately spoke, driven beyond the limits of endurance: “Fine, fine, fine! This old man doesn’t want the disciple’s title, will that do?!”
Was there a high and mighty expert who had made more of a loss than him? Going forward to teach someone his own techniques and even letting that person not even call him shifu once. It was just as tragic as not being able to get the daughter-in-law who’d crossed the family threshold! [4]
Luo Binghe was satisfied: “Then many thanks to this Elder.”
He wasn’t in the least willing to call anyone other than Shen Qingqiu his shifu.
The Dream Demon saw his appearance: if he still had his body, he would have been so furious his nose turned crooked.
This Luo Binghe; in front of his Shizun, he was well-behaved and obedient, even more like a small white flower. How come in front of other people, he became so difficult to deal with! Completely two different impressions, just like becoming a different person!
Really going to anger this old man to death!
Time flew like an arrow, the sun and moon shuttling back and forth.
……Shen Qingqiu truly didn’t want to use such a terrible and widely known common saying, but other than these words, he really couldn’t find a more suitable phrase.
Every day at Qing Jing Peak, he played the qin, read books, wrote calligraphy, painted paintings, practiced martial arts, was picky about Luo Binghe not making a meal delicious enough, and even more occasionally bickered with Liu Qingge. Whether he went to Yue Qingyuan’s place to report for work, the days flew by and were very much in line with his life goal to ‘while away life and wait for death.’
Until the time came for the Immortal Alliance Conference.
This day finally came. His days were too leisurely to the point that Shen Qingqiu almost forgot this first great climax in the novel.
Left hanging as Luo Binghe climbed to the apex of life, married (countless) white beauties, also the first step towards the unremovable blackening…… he was actually able to forget it!
Therefore, upon receiving the bronze invitation, Shen Qingqiu was startled for a good while.
The Immortal Alliance Conference was the first climax and resolution in “Proud Immortal Demon Way.” At the same time, it was also a turning point in the book.
For four years, the Immortal Alliance Conference was a rookie selection offering great opportunities for fame and fortune. The form differed every year according to the major sect heads’ discussions, but there would definitely be a gold list.
Regardless of originating from which sect or from the Jianghu [5], as long as you performed well in the Conference, your name would be on the gold list and made famous throughout the world.
Previously, “Proud Immortal Demon Way” didn’t have a warm or hot reception. But with the Immortal Alliance Conference installment, the book’s reviews and subscriptions increased greatly, immediately soaring!
The reason for the rise didn’t just start from here. Great God Airplane Towards the Sky abandoned what original moral integrity he had left and sent up like a surging tide to readers a steel-wrought protagonist and sisters as graceful as water, great segments of presentable writing and all kinds of descriptions that let your face turn red in excitement, and also one important reason. It was also the important reason why Shen Qingqiu stuck through reading to the end.
That was the confusing setting!
Great God Airplane Towards the Sky, as a person who hadn’t even researched how to set up a cultivation world properly and who frequently couldn’t even get the Qi Refining or Nascent Soul periods straight, truly didn’t get a tsukkomi from most people for this because that wasn’t his novel’s selling point.
“Proud Immortal Demon Way” was a book that could be called a ‘cultivation’ novel, but would be better called a ‘supernatural’ novel. Most of the supernatural contents completely steamrolled over the ‘cultivation’ parts. As a cultivation text, it was a model novel to the letter, but it was also quite interesting as a supernatural novel.
That is to say, very soon, Shen Qingqiu would have to face all the different kinds of extremely fierce and cruel supernatural creatures described in the book.
More importantly, very soon, it would be time for him to personally handle the Luo Binghe who revealed his demonic heritage and cruelly strike him down into the Endless Abyss.
The wheel of fate (plot) had already started to slowly turn……
—End Chapter 20—
[1] Making a meal in the middle of the night…: I translated san geng (三更) as ‘middle of the night,’ but it’s an old phrasing for referring to the time between 11:00 PM and 1:00 AM. Before the invention of electric lights, people generally went to sleep at sundown and rose at sunrise… meaning 5:00-6:00 AM. Luo Binghe wouldn’t be getting much sleep (if he even got any) by staying up to prepare food.
[2] “All right. Aren’t you embarrassed…”: I can’t translate all the Chinese implications well to English, but Shen Qingqiu’s tone is actually very warm to Luo Binghe despite the meaning. It’s the sort of thing you’d expect your parents to say to you when they’re scolding you but being very fluffy about it. It’s like: ‘Look at you, you’re so big already but you’re still clinging onto me like this, how do you think this looks?’
[3] Eating the wind and sleeping in the dew: A saying meaning to ‘endure the hardships of an arduous journey.’ Or basically someone who just went through a lot of suffering.
[4] Daughter-in-law who’d entered the family gate…: Not sure if I translated this quite right. Original sentence is: 簡直和進了門還得不到名分的小媳婦一樣慘！
[5] Jianghu: Literally ‘rivers and lakes,’ but refers to the martial arts world. Note that there is a difference between the cultivation world (with immortals and such) and the martial arts world. Cultivators are considered an entire cut above regular martial artists and often look down on regular Jianghu people.
58 thoughts on “Scum Villain System: Chapter 20
1. Thank you very much for the update..👍😊🙏
Oh oh.. the first first climax.. I hope MC wont do or follow what the old Shen on the original novel did at that time towards ML.
And Shizun ah.. you might not know.. the route has become BL 😂😊😆
Liked by 14 people
2. Thanks for the chapter!! I guess SQ maternal instinct is skyrocketed after he saw LBH past. Poor him tho, didn’t know that he already got into BL route.
I can imagine LBH behave like an innocent pure being in front of his shifu and become black hearted sadist behind shifu’s back, lol.
I hope SQ follow him into the abyss instead of pushing him alone >.<
Liked by 7 people
3. Let me guess. You like this chapter because LBH feeds SQQ? I saw that post on NUF about food–what? I’m a stalker!? No… no… wh-what are you talking about… It’s just a coincidence I see you everywhere…! (No, but really, you’re everywhere in those spoiler threads.)
No but seriously this is the cutest chapter so far. I feel like LBH’s personality wasn’t that two faced before SY replaced SQQ, by the way? Am I crazy? He was a bit more earnest/straightforward before… But now there’s this aura of “no one matters but shizun!!!” So far my favorite moment is still when SY/SQQ smiled and LBH went !! but that hug, that food, that conversation, they’re all really touching and sooooo sweeeeeet.
Thanks for the chapter and all your hard work! I’ve been enjoying your translations to the point of refraining from MTL’ing so I don’t spoil myself. That said, don’t worry about how many chapters you owe? I think you’ve got a pretty good pace going already, the chapters are pretty meaty so every update is filling.
Liked by 2 people
4. Thank you so much for another chapter!
I would translate this as: Just as tragic as a daughter-in-law who did not receive the family name (get recognised as an official wife) after crossing the threshold.
Liked by 2 people
5. Too cute! I feel bad for the two of them though, the next arc with the conference is going to shove the story in an entirely new direction. But fret not! BL shall prevail!
Liked by 1 person
6. So happy to wake up and see this!! This really was a cute chapter xD especially when Luo Binghe jumped to hug his shizun *w* I’m sure he’ll do more than just hug in the future xD
Thank you so much for this chapter!!!
Liked by 1 person
7. Thank you for the update！
I am a Chinese fan of the book and I find that the chapter is the past version, the writer revised it so some words has changed.
[簡直和進了門還得不到名分的小媳婦一樣慘！]is the past version and the latest version is[和进了门亲含茹苦倾情奉献还得不到名分的小妾有什么区别！]
It means that a concubine pays a lot but does not receive any reward. [小媳婦] means wife, [小妾] means concubine.
I hope the new version can be translated because it has more episodes, you know, the difference between wife and concubine… lol
Liked by 1 person
8. Anyone else hoping that SQQ gets lucky and one of his other disciples gets jelly enough that he doesn’t need to push LB into the abyss. That’s the only thing I can think of if I was in his shoes…. 😫 Ahh I’m such an ostrich. 😅
Liked by 1 person
9. Aww sheng qingqiu.. please protect this smol bean, puppy seme from the blackening 😢 don’t let any harm come in his way and protect his innocence huhuhu… But we all know, those innocent eyes of luo binghe will wear off once the funky activities goes down 😉 I’m excited for the next chapp!
Liked by 1 person
10. The system is fixed! Fixed by a fujoshi that is! Why else would it give 50 points from a hug? SQQ, you were damn before you even entered this world. Not that I’m complaining, I’m with the system all the way! Burn LBH! Burn with the heated passion of BL!! *muahahhaha*
Liked by 1 person
11. Love the story so much, almost finish reading the story, I just want to say something: Thank you so much for the translation. Can’t wait for the climax, although where is the ML? I though he promise the MC that he would always cook for him. Maybe I just didn’t read correctly. Oh well….
Liked by 1 person
12. D day is approaching where SQQ has to throw LBH into the pit 👀 I wonder how he’s gonna pull it off without LBH coming back with the intention to kill him as revenge 😳😬
I see Ming Fan burning with jealousy … hope he doesn’t do anything to LBH 😮
Thank you for translating ~~ 😙💖
13. kekeke he swindled him out of shifu station! this is all so emotional
he’s finally save, he has his own room, staying next to his protector
how would Shizun handle this conference, dun dun dun!
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1. My warp request is for a FARM / TOWN / PLACE (select one) The X and Z co-ordinates for the place where I'd like the warp landing spot are 131824, -194679 My build is FINISHED (until 1.14) / IN PROGRESS (select one) I have read and understood the guideline & requirements thread: YES / NO (select one) (I don't have container access as public, instead I have it sub-claimed) * With this application I confirm that my build is SAFE and no mobs can spawn there. It is 100% claimed by me, with subclaims for appropriate areas. I have spent time and effort making it look nice, and I have placed signs to guide and inform visitors. * I promise to not pester staff in-game or here on the forums about this application. Instead I will be patient and wait for replies, and answer any questions asked. If any changes to my build are requested, I will work with staff to make them happen. * If my application is rejected, I won't complain or whine. Instead I will go back to working on my build and improve it so that it can be approved in the future, when it meets the requirements. * If my application is approved, I won't rest on my laurels but will continue to uphold the standard of my build and maintain the location. If it is a town, I will assist with any concerns the citizens raise and evict inactive or banned players. I may expand as need be, and I will design my spot in the warp hub to match my build.
2. Scetch
Kit Suggestions?
I feel like the reason that kits were so OP is because they were separate from eachother. I think if we made it so that you can *choose* between one of, say, 5 kits, kits like food, redstone stuff, etc, there would bee less balancing issues. Here's what I'm picturing: 1) You do /kit 2) A gui pops up that has 5 choices for kits 3) You choose a kit 4) You do /kit, again 5) You select a different kit 6) You get a message in chat that says "You have already claimed your kit for this week"
3. I feel as though, when putting so much time into this server, along with others not being banned for the same act, it doesn't warrant a 3 day ban. I haven't done anything to hurt the server in the past, I am really adamant about reporting bugs, fixing any accidental exploits, and making sure I'm not pushing the boundaries too far on your server. I working very, very hard and putting many hours into creating farms for other players on the server, I've given multiple players sets when they die while afk, I've been trying to think of ways to increase player engagement on the server through voting, discord rewards, etc. Realizing that what I did was pushing the boundary is punishment enough for me to know better in the future. I feel I should be unbanned because I would never mean to hurt the server in any negative way, and this just happened to slip my mind.
4. IGN: ScetchLScetch Ban Reason: Greifing//Building a vulgar structure at the boat race warp Reasoning: I was in a call with some people who had already made jokes by placing blocks at the start area of the boat race before, so I didn't see a problem with using the joke as well - The only difference is it totally slipped my mind to delete the block before we left. I ended up logging on this morning completely unaware of why I was banned, even with the ban message!
5. I've been discussing with a few people on ways we can improve and expand the playerbase on Diversity, and I have some thoughts. A lot of people are against having "loot crates" in Minecraft as it will take away from the free nature of the game, so I've devised a different solution. Instead of giving individual players in game advantages for voting, we make it collective. We should reward the whole of the players with collective perks for the month if they make the voting goal, in the same way that everybody wants to make the $300 donation goal at the end of the month. We could also add an in-game point system for voting that lets players slowly purchase their own trails - the same trails that Supporter+ players have access to. For example, every time a player votes on voting site, it'll give them a "token". You can then use, say, 150 "tokens" to purchase a block trail. This is a non-gameplay oriented way to encourage players to vote on the server.
6. I think this is a great way to get more players on the server. I think it's important that we make the tags on the vote tickets the same so they can be used in sorting systems - Other than that I'm basically on board!
7. Pretty sure this is impossible in vanilla.
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Youth Walt Disney World Personalized Blue Mickey Mouse Ear Hat
Youth Walt Disney World Personalized Blue Mickey Mouse Ear Hat
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Walt Disney World Mickey Mouse Ear Hat is crafted from blue felt with black plastic ears and a sewn-on embroidered Walt Disney World / Mickey Mouse patch. These are authentic Ear Hats direct from the Magic Kingdom in Florida!
We customize the back of each Ear Hat with a name or phrase of your choosing, using our own professional embroidery machines.
Yellow Gold, White, or Red thread looks best on this Ear Hat. For extra fun, choose Glow-in-the-Dark thread and watch the embroidery light up under black light!
We currently offer five basic fonts and four premium fonts, and are happy to try to match other fonts upon request.
For best results with the basic fonts, we recommend that you limit personalization to 10 characters and spaces. Longer names or phrases can be embroidered, but the font gets increasingly small with each additional letter.
The four premium fonts, Walt-o-Graph, Theme Park, Wonderland and Nightmare, each come in two sizes. See the photos for a comparison of each size. The Nameplate and Nightmare fonts have only capital letters; the other fonts have upper and lower case letters.
There is a limit of 10 characters and spaces using these premium fonts. For names or 6 letters or less, we have the option of the small or large font. For names longer than 6 letters, we can only use the smaller font.
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If we have any concerns about the way your chosen font looks with your name, we will send you a digital proof to approve before we embroider the hat.
We reserve the right to reject orders that include slang terms, profanity or epithets. Basically, if you could not wear it inside a Disney theme park, we won't embroider it.
Disney uses the "Toddler," "Youth," "Adult" sizing designation for some ears, but the descriptions are somewhat imprecise. The measurements below are based on the standard black ears, but sizes also vary slightly depending on the color and the factory where they were made.
In general, if you measure from the crown of the hat to the brim (edge), Adult ears measure 5 3/4", Youth ears measure 5 1/4" and Toddler ears measure 5" from crown to brim. Adult ears are 22" around the brim, Youth are 21" and Toddler are 20".
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Why don't you accept returns, exchanges, or cancellations?
Since orders are personalized for you, we can not accept returns or exchanges, and can not cancel an order once it has been created. However, if there is any problem with the item, please contact us and we will make every effort to resolve the issue.
Are other colors of embroidery thread available?
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Are other embroidery fonts available?
In a word: yes! We have an in-house library of over 300 embroidery fonts and over 100 monogram designs.
As with thread colors, we know it's overwhelming to have too many font choices. Our listings show just our most popular fonts and designs.
If you're looking for a specific font, please let us know and we'll let you know if we have it, or do our best to find it. We can also embroider using most TrueType fonts, and can digitize your own design or corporate logos for embroidery.
What are the rules for monograms? In what order do my initials go?
Monograms are personal, and even etiquette professionals disagree about "the rules." Here are some guidelines:
The traditional arrangement for a three-letter monogram is First, Last, Middle, with the last name being in the center and/or largest. Mary Jane Smith = MSJ. Alan Karl Jones = aJk
For one-letter monograms, the tradition is to use the first name initial for women, last name initial for men. For matching gifts for couples, use either first names or last initial.
There are situations where it's appropriate to break from tradition. People with multiple middle names, hyphenated last names, or who prefer a two-letter initial all present unique designs. Please feel free to Convo us for assistance in creating your perfect monogram.
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Came out great - thank you!
Turned out wonderful!! Thank you
The hat was perfect for our "public" pregnancy announcement at Disney World. The seller was a pleasure to work with and quickly responded to any questions I had. I would definitely recommend! | <urn:uuid:ac19f757-2753-49cc-b2d3-9b392634aa73> | https://mouseshoppe.com/listing/516555381/personalized-walt-disney-world-youth | en | 0.898998 | 0.045716 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Fermented Shredded Veggies
I remember when my mom made this and I just couldn’t wait to eat. Because of the mix of few veggies, it has a very delicious and interesting taste.
Now I makeit, it is easy and simple, I am happy to share the recipe with you all.
Prep: 30 min
Cook: /
Total: 30min
Servings: 1 Jar
1 Cabbage lead, large (set aside)
1 Cabbage head, shredded
1 lemon, peeled and sliced
1 bunch Kale, chopped
2-3 carrots, shredded
¼ cup of starter culture, prepare it according to the package directions
1 garlic clove (optional)
** Directions:
1. In a large bowl toss the veggies with the starter culture and lemon slices.
2. Mix with your hands and make sure that the veggies are well combined.
3. Layer the veggies in a jar. Pound and press down after adding each layer.
4. The veggies have to be thoroughly packed and the brine liquid is over them.
5. Place the cabbage leaf on top and press down with a fist. Close the jar.
6. Let the veggies ferment 5-6 days on room temperature and then store them in the fridge.
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Is Ultrasound Retraining the Whole Back Pain Cure?
Back Pain is Multifactorial
Lower back pain is a complex condition, especially if it has been present for some time. Retraining the Transversus Abdominis and Multifidus are significant milestones in the road to recovery. It is, however, often not the whole solution.
Depending on your needs, a comprehensive rehabilitation program will be designed for you by your physiotherapist. In addition to the Transversus Abdominis and Multifidus and core strengthening exercises, your rehabilitation will probably require other interventions. These techniques may include joint mobilisation, lumbopelvic alignment techniques, massage, muscle releases and stretches, leg and arm strengthening, posture correction and various other modalities to reduce your pain.
Your physiotherapist will discuss your treatment options specific to your needs during your consultation.
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Sunday, July 12, 2015
Why I Grieve For Boyd K. Packer
Previously: Where Did The Oracles Go?
When a beloved general authority dies, as happened last month with Apostle L. Tom Perry, the internet is flooded with an outpouring of love and fond recollections. But what to expect when a general authority passes away who was not so beloved? What then?
That's when we get the kind of reactions we saw following the death of Boyd K. Packer last week. As I write this, there are a mere 43 comments following Packer's obituary at the Deseret News. From the ones I've read, they tend to follow a certain pattern. "I got to shake Elder Packer's hand once" or "he came and spoke to us when I was on my mission." Not much there in the way of fond anecdotes that would tell us anything about the deceased man's character.
In contrast, over at the Salt Lake Tribune, a paper whose readership tends to be less deferential to Church leaders than those at the Church-owned news organ, I found well over two thousand comments, most of them arguing over just how much harm Boyd Packer caused individuals within the church while he was in office. Social media was even less forgiving, as the news of Packer's passing was met with a flurry of giddy celebrations. Many duplicated each other by sending around a video clip from The Wizard of Oz where the happy munchkins are joyfully dancing and singing "Ding Dong, The Witch is Dead."
One of the more reserved comments I read on Facebook following the announcement of Packer's passing was this one:
"Apparently it's rude to speak ill of the dead; maybe because they're not around to defend themselves. If we speak lovingly of them even if they were awful and caused great harm, then are we contributing to the delusion that they were above reproach or that their ideas weren't harmful and wrongheaded? Now that Boyd K. Packer is gone I can say that I'm just mostly relieved....I sure hope for my kids and their kids that the archaic, barbaric, and cruel ideals of this man will go to the grave with him. If I can say anything nice about Boyd K. Packer it's that he gave his greatest gift to the world when he died."
Another commenter summed up the feelings of many with this simple assessment:
"If he wanted to be remembered kindly after his death, he should have been kinder while he was alive."
Not A Packer Fan
For my part, I'm not known to be overly fond of Boyd K. Packer. It has been my shared opinion he may have done as much harm to the church in the 1980s and 90s as any single anti-Mormon activist in that period. Certainly he had a greater facility for offending and driving liberal-minded members out of the church than he had for keeping them in. He famously condemned and alienated an entire class of Mormons -three categories of Mormons, actually- when he declared that the three greatest threats to the church were homosexuals, feminists, and intellectuals."[1]
[1] Boyd K. Packer, To the All-Church Coordinating Council. I actually agreed with Packer's assessment at the time. Today I don't see any of these people as a threat to the church I love. I now recognize that homosexuals are human beings; the term "feminist" is a loaded label often misconstrued to mean anything its detractors want it to mean; and as for intellectuals...well believe it or not, some people are calling me an intellectual these days, so I'm no longer as prejudiced against that label as I used to be.
Paul Toscano, a passionate member who twenty years ago was expelled from the church for criticizing its leaders, was asked by an interviewer if he felt anyone had left the church because of something he wrote. He replied, "I'll stack my body count up against Boyd K. Packer's any day."
Though a prominent leader in the church for some 45 years, Packer somehow never seemed to engender the kind of accolades often showered upon his peers, and at times that seemed to bother him. He was the type of person of whom people might say "you either love him or you hate him."
But he was also the type of person of whom other people said, "you either hate him don't really hate him too much." Although most of the five million active members in the church probably held him in high regard, a significant number were either extremely passionate in their opinions against Boyd Packer, or they felt nothing for him. In the community of disaffected believers I was acquainted with, that was pretty much the length of the entire Packer Likeability Spectrum.
As for myself, I did not shed a tear at the news of Packer's passing. At one point I even joined in with the online criticism. Then later that day I read this comment from my friend Brian Bowler, which made me realize I was in need of an attitude adjustment:
"Boyd K Packer, in my feeling, began to change the last 7 years. He gave a talk in his ward in 2008 that was a change from what came before. Though some of his thoughts focused on the church, he spoke from the heart and I believe he was right about many things. I believe all of us, Including a Priest (Alma) can change. I will not be an accuser of a man. I believe President Packer was confused in many ways, but he also seemed to change at the last, and had moments when he did appear to see past the curtain.
"I believe the Church today will waver more and more. Packer at least had a moral compass, even if it was off at times."
Brian's words brought to mind something I had once heard from Maxine Hanks. Maxine had been among the so-called "September Six," a half dozen believing members who had been questioned and cast out of the church, it was alleged by some, at the request of Boyd K. Packer. At least one or two cases were linked to Packer.[2]
[2] The late Malcolm Jeppsen, a member of the Seventy and best friend of Boyd Packer since childhood, admitted in his unpublished memoirs to the role he played as agent for his friend Boyd Packer in engineering one of these disciplines, that of Avraham Gileadi. (Gileadi's expulsion was later ruled a mistake; he was reinstated, and all references to his excommunication expunged.)
According to Joseph Smith, it was a violation of Church law for any apostle to interfere with matters regarding members of a stake:
"The Twelve will have no right to go into Zion or any of its stakes and there undertake to regulate the affairs thereof where there is a standing High Council. But it is their duty to go abroad and regulate all matters relative to the different branches of the church." (quoted in
William Shepard and H. Michael Marquardt, Lost Apostles: Forgotten Members of Mormonism's Original Quorum of the Twelve, pg 85-86)
Maxine Hanks tells how, many years after her excommunication, she encountered the aging Boyd Packer on temple square, sitting in a wheelchair looking frail and weak. She said hello to him, and he smiled at her with a welcoming gesture. Yet Packer did not recognize the woman whose life he had affected nearly twenty years earlier. "I found myself feeling nothing but compassion and love for a man who had once seemed like an enemy," Maxine later recalled.
I sense that is the way Christ would have me react. Last week upon hearing of the passing of Brother Packer, Maxine wrote this on her Facebook page:
"His death is still hard to grasp; it feels monumental. When I saw myself at odds with him in the 1990s, our views seemed mutually exclusive; yet I thought I understood him. Later, over the years, I read him more closely, understood him better, saw things we actually agreed on, things I'd never noticed before. Ultimately, I'm grateful for a grace that enabled me to find some healing with him before he died. Whatever we all have learned from our relationship with him, I pray that our experiences will help us focus on healing wounds, no matter how deep, and moving forward in the Church."
There is an unexpected benefit to discovering common ground with someone we may have once thought of as our enemy, and I admire Maxine's grace in this instance. I have to admit that in spite of some of the major differences I've had with Boyd Packer over the years, I too have discovered positions of his, particularly in recent years, that I completely agree with. Last week I even quoted a statement by him in the appeal I submitted in response to my own excommunication. If you think it surprising that I would find something Boyd K. Packer said as a useful argument to bolster my own position...well, you're no more surprised than I am.[3]
[3] I will be posting that twelve page appeal in its entirety on this blog once the recipients have had sufficient opportunity to review and decide upon it.
Forgive and Forget?
Forgiveness is one of the most difficult things our Lord asks of us. It may be our privilege to fester in our anger and frustration over the iniquity of others, but it sure isn't healthy. It only serves to poison our souls. Thank goodness administering justice is above our pay grade. It is the Lord's to administer, not ours. So, no matter the harm we have received at the hands of another, we get to leave it in His hands to deal with. Jesus reminds us, "of you it is required to forgive all men."
Learning to forgive prevents us from remaining bitter about the actions of others that we can't control anyway. Forgiveness enables us to move on. But does forgiveness require us to ignore the harm someone has done us? Does it mean we condone the sins of another, particularly when those sins have detrimentally affected so many? Does it require us to act as though nothing ever happened?
I submit it does not.
My wife and I were close friends with another couple in our California ward. Some years ago the husband died. Fortunately for his widow, he left behind a sizable amount of life insurance, enough to support her and her young son for the rest of their lives.
This widow knew a trusted member of her stake who was a successful real estate developer, and he offered to help her invest that money. The money went into a local sure thing, a can't miss commercial development. Because of the man's status as an informed financial expert, and especially because he was also a respected member of the stake high council, our friend had complete confidence that her insurance money was safe with him, and trusted the man with nearly all of it. This was in 2007.
Well, you know what came next: 2008. The bottom completely fell out of the commercial real estate market, and our friend's money was gone. All of it. In spite of this, the widow continued to have every confidence that the man would find a way to repay her "because he's a good member of the church."
But the man couldn't possibly pay back her money. He didn't have it. He had lost his own money as well as hers because he had turned it all over to someone else, and that someone else lost it, too. The money was gone, plain and simple.
So here's the question: Is our friend required to forgive the man who lost her money? Of course she is. God requires it. And to her credit, she did forgive him.
But in so forgiving, is she required to pretend the loss never happened? Or to condone the damage done to her? No she is not.
Our friend suffered mightily because of that loss. She was thrown into poverty and forced to depend upon the government and church welfare systems just so she and her child could survive. So although she has forgiven the man and learned to move on, it doesn't change the harm he did to her life. How responsible to her future well-being and the well-being of her son would she be if she did not learn from the experience and resolve to be just a little bit more careful in the future? Shouldn't she do what she can to make certain such harm is never repeated, either to herself or to any other? Is there a lesson in there somewhere she could benefit from?
I'd say there is. And here it is: Just because a man is a member of the church with a high calling does not automatically mean he is incapable of making mistakes or doing harm. Even the most well-intentioned person may not always do right by you.
Repentance is a process that often requires we forgive ourselves as well as others. I have come to realize that sinning -falling short of the mark- is an essential part of what we were put on this earth to do, and most importantly to learn from. God is not surprised when we fall short; he fully expects it of us. He doesn't get angry or frustrated with us when it happens. (Unless we keep making the same dumb mistakes over and over that tend to bring harm to others. The scriptures show that does seem to irk him somewhat.)
I've found that when I have committed a mistake or a sin that I'm in need of repenting of, the Lord really has only one question for me: "Did you learn anything?"
If I can recognize the lesson and learn from it and apply what I learned, I'm usually able to move on and do better. If I can't -or won't- learn from the experience, I remain stuck in my sins.
How equally important is it then, when we are sinned against, as some trusting latter-day Saints undoubtedly were by the apostle Boyd K. Packer, to learn from his mistakes and ours, by resolving not to fall into the trap of trusting in the arm of flesh merely because the person attached to that arm holds high office and station in the Church, but to instead follow the light of Christ within ourselves? This protects us from gullibility and harm, but it also enables us to be healers instead of victims. Or enemies.
There are some faithful members reading this piece who may have never heard about any of the controversies surrounding Boyd K. Packer. All this will be news to them and they might wonder what great harm did Packer actually do? When I first set out to write this piece, I felt it important to list, document, and delineate the precise wrongs some church members suffered due to Boyd Packer's overbearing zealotry.
But I've changed my mind. I may lay it all out it in some future blog post, but not this week. Not today.
Boyd K. Packer has gone to his reward, whatever that reward is in God's Realm. But in our realm, we would do well to follow the tender example of Christ, who forgave those who sinned, and reminds us we are all sinners. Is it possible we can allow ourselves instead to feel compassion for Church leaders when they misjudge us or unjustly act against us? Could we use the truth of who we are in productive ways, rather than conflicted ways -to find common ground or solutions, rather than inflame mistrust?
This week, Brother Packer's family members are grieving his loss, while people they never knew about continue to grieve over the harm some of his words and actions once inflicted on them and their loved ones. There are plenty of reasons to grieve all around, so let's go ahead and grieve. And while we grieve, we might send sincere prayers to heaven on Brother Packer's behalf, recognizing that he was no more or less flawed than the rest of us are in our own ways. Maybe we can make a conscious effort to learn from the mistakes he made, by seeing the higher truth, about ourselves and him, rather than the lesser view we frequently buy into about each other.
The annual Sunstone Symposium takes place in Salt Lake City at the end of this month, and I will be one of the presenters there. I'll be speaking on Leaving the Church But Remaining a Mormon: The Rise of Uncorrelated Mormonism. Here's a description from the abstract:
Call them what you will: "Maverick Mormons," "Uncorrelated Mormons," "The Remnant," "Saints in the Wilderness," "Neo-Restorationists," or even "LDS Anarchists;" most Saints who find their spiritual nourishment outside the structure of the LDS Church have two common characteristics: 1.) A devotion to Christ and the principles of the Restoration, and 2.) A belief that contemporary Church leaders no longer receive revelation and are therefore spiritually irrelevant to the church. As their ranks swell, how might these unfaithful faithful affect the future of the church?
I'll be attending all three days, and presenting on Saturday, August 1st at 3:45 in the afternoon. For those who are unable to attend the full conference, tickets to individual presentations are available for only $10.00 each. Directly following me in the same conference room will be a panel that includes Daymon Smith and Denver Snuffer, so I would encourage you buy a second ticket and stick around and help make these young newcomers feel welcome.
A hastily arranged panel of recently branded ex-Mormons will also be featured, among them myself, Kate Kelly, John Dehlin, Carson and Marisa Calderwood, and whoever else happens to get caught in the net between now and the end of July.
I will also be hanging around after the conference hoping for the chance meet some of my readers at the Linger picnic at the end of the conference on Saturday. Tickets for that are ten bucks as well. I hope readers of this blog will come up and introduce themselves to me.
All information for the symposium is available at (a downloadable advance program is there also), or you can call 801-355-5926. I hope to see you there!
Diana said...
My journey away from correlated Mormonism has been rough, but I guess I didn't give enough attention to Packer to take offense. It is sad that his words hurt so many.
Jared Livesey said...
I am going to disagree on two points.
1. I think if you pass your section on what forgiveness requires through the golden rule, you might feel inclined to change it. All "damage" we suffer here has, as its purpose, teaching us the ways of wisdom and godliness.
2. I think you will be hard pressed to establish the leadership doesn't receive revelation - howsoever loosely defined - for the Church. There is a strategy in play and a function being fulfilled by the Church. Mother is a very good parent for small children and infants, though she is overbearing and controlling towards her growing teenagers who are beginning to assert themselves against her dictates. It's all part of the game.
Jon said...
The woman who lent her money to be invested is a poor example. She is just as responsible. Just a little bit of reading on how to invest your money should reveal that you don't put all your eggs in one basket. She is responsible to learn how to properly invest her money. Yes, the person she lent the money to is responsible also, but his same follies is the same exact follies she had.
Watermeloncrew 🍉 said...
What's done can never be undone. I agree, I think it is a disservice to sweep terrible situations under the rug and pretend like they didn't happen - No one benefits from that. To do so oft times ends up enabling the misaligned behavior to continue with the potential of injuring others still within their circle if influence. Repentance is never off the table, anyone can change. It's our lot to forgive and move forward in faith with the new knowledge and understanding we've acquired and to always deal with love. Our trespasses won't be forgiven if we can't forgive others. I love that you get that and convey the logic behind your thinking so well. Good post.
Good Will said...
In the temple film, some are assigned to play Elohim and Jehovah, while others fill the roles of Michael and Lucifer. After the filming is done, they all go out for bite to eat and maybe a rootbeer.
In the end we will see that each played his "part". We filled our purpose. The wisest among us "hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation" (Acts 17:26).
I have always felt a fondness for Boyd K. Packer. I still do for Russell M. Nelson (despite whatever role he played in my own excommunication). I cannot easily think of -- or find -- evil in those at the local level who were (and are) likewise complicit in my (continued) suffering. And that's a good thing. I have burdens enough. Why would I want to carry them and their sins on my shoulders as well? To each his own. Let's move on.
I liked your piece, Rock. You're an amazing "intellectual". ;o) I wish I could attend the Sunstone Symposium with you.
Alan Rock Waterman said...
Jon, I must not have been clear that when someone like an investor sins against us, it's important to look within and examine whether we might have been complicit in some way, or trusted him enough to turn over our personal judgment to him. Quite a few of the "bad" things that have happened to me can be traced to my not being aware, or handing my power to some other person.
Many of those who were hurt by Boyd Packer were hurt because to some extent they gave away their power to him. Boyd Packer misunderstood his role as an apostle of Christ. He saw himself as a watchman on the tower charged with keeping the Church pure. He was actually disobedient to his true charge, which was to follow the Golden Rule and apply it in every instance.
A member might assume that because of his calling and title, Packer had actual authority over them given to him by God. He did not. But if that member allows Packer that authority, he will use it against them. The appropriate response to a church leader overstepping the bounds of his authority and attempting control over you is to simply ignore him. He is not relevant, therefore he has only the amount of power you give him by believing he has a claim on you, your membership, or your standing with God.
Rob said...
I don't dare judge the brethren as individuals.
Although I cannot stand as a witness for Christ at all times and in all places without recognizing and trying to persuade against sin wherever I find it, and therefore MUST scrutinize their actions to judge if they are right or wrong, I do not judge them as sinners or saints.
The reason: I asked God about these men and what he thought of them. Instead of answering my question, he assisted me to consider the possibility that they are doing what they believe to be right. Although this does not excuse their actions or withhold God's judgement (see what Jesus had to say about the Sanhedrin, who were in the same place), it does raise a very important question.
Who is more evil, me who knows better and still sins, or they who may be sinning without knowing it?
I don't know all things, but I wouldn't be surprised if Boyd Packer remained much truer to his idea of what is right than many of his critics. We are judged according to our understanding and capacity.
DeeLyn said...
I remember one quote from Mr. Packer that I very much agreed with, "Everyone knows when they do wrong". But that would include him too, so it's sad that even though he understood right from wrong (and the real truth about the Church and his false authority) he still continued to hurt countless people, especially women, & lead members astray and away from Christ and continued to take advantage of & live off the widow's & poor's last mite.
I consider him a very false prophet who did not follow Christ and who didn't seem to keep hardly any of Christ's commandments, which is how Christ said we detect false prophets. Thus I don't have much hope for him in the next life unless Christ was not really serious about the things he taught.
While we should forgive people of their offenses, that doesn't mean we should not warn others about their falsehoods and misdeeds, as Christ did, so others don't continue to be harmed by them, even after they are gone, especially when the person didn't repent and make things right.
I agree that our sins are meant for our learning & growth, and the wiser we are in following Christ's commandments, then the fewer sins we have to commit and suffer from to learn.
I believe that in the hereafter, we must finally learn how to keep Christ's commandments & all the hard lessons of life that we refused to learn in this life, but it takes must longer and is much harder, for it's by personally experiencing all the evils we supported in this life and by experiencing how it feels to have done to us what we did or allowed to be done to others in this life.
So it's a positive thing that Mr. Packer will finally learn how the glory of God is intelligence and knowledge (not blind obedience), how women are equal to men in all things, including power, position and Priesthood, and how the poor are to be 'cared for' and 'given to', not 'lived off of' and 'taken from', and how it feels to be a woman abused in polygamy and never hardly see her husband for he's off running around living with multiple other women, or what it feels like be abandoned by a spouse and how the Church completely encourages, & supports your spouse to remarry & go off in the sunset with their new romance, leaving you alone to support, feed & raise the children all by yourself.
I believe it will be a long road for Mr. Packer before he comes to really understand & live Christ's teachings, for one in his high position must have been aware of a lot of suffering and evil that he had to ignore and harden himself against in order to maintain his perks and position.
Rebecca C. said...
Thanks for turning my mind toward forgiveness.
Tyler Jorgenson said...
I agree that this woman has a significant shared responsibility. Rock even stated that the crash of 2008 happened but still pointed he finger to the 'trusted' member of the church.
However the analogy can still work. Do we not have a shared responsibility when we are offended. It is, after all, vain to take offense when none was intended.
creeksalmon said...
Tom Irvine said...
I am here to defend President Boyd K. Packer, in a round about way. He taught a stunning truth in the October 2014 conference which was so ahead of current doctrinal understanding that few church members have begun to grasp its implications.
Actually, President Packer did not give this message directly, rather he delivered it via his understudy, Elder Lynn G. Robbins. The title was "Which Way do you Face?"
Elder Robbins immediately followed President Packer in the Saturday Morning session of that October conference. Elder Robbins explained that the subject of the talk originated in a conversation he had with President Packer, as if Elder Robbins' topic was given by way of assignment.
Here is quote from President Packer as relayed by Elder Robbins.
“A Seventy does not represent the people to the prophet but the prophet to the people. Never forget which way you face!"
Presumably the same could be said regarding all of the "Living Oracles."
Now here is a derivable point of illumination, whether intended or not. If the Brethren do not represent us to the prophet, then how can the prophet represent us unto the Lord? The answer is they cannot.
The Brethren at best are "True Messengers," but they are not mediators. There is only one Mediator, even Christ Jesus.
The following scripture has recently been referenced frequently by some current and former members of the LDS Church.
2 Nephi 9:41
O then, my beloved brethren, come unto the Lord, the Holy One. Remember that his paths are righteous. Behold, the way for man is narrow, but it lieth in a straight course before him, and the keeper of the gate is the Holy One of Israel; and he employeth no servant there; and there is none other way save it be by the gate; for he cannot be deceived, for the Lord God is his name.
* * *
Both the Tabernacle and the Temple in Jerusalem had an inner room called the “Holy of Holies” which had a thick curtain or veil that separated it from the outer room. This inner room was God’s special dwelling place in the midst of his people.
Once a year the high priest solemnly lifted a corner of this veil to enter the room bringing blood and holy incense. This occurred on a prescribed day called the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). The high priest then passed into the immediate presence of Jehovah.
But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the sins of the people. (Hebrews 9:7)
The tearing of the veil at the moment of Jesus’ death dramatically symbolized that His sacrifice, the shedding of His own blood, was a sufficient atonement for sins.
God’s presence is now directly accessible to all who humbly seek Him.
* * *
– Tom Irvine
Watermeloncrew 🍉 said...
Whatever... We're responsible for ourselves. Sure. Should we forgive others? Definitely. Can we come together in a unity of faith? That has yet to be seen. We have a long way to go.
Lester said...
Thank you for being an example of the humble followers of Jesus Christ, Rock. As the story of the September Six eventually emerged I sneered and raged for years at the sanctimonious petty tyrant that was Boyd Packer. Had you retold the story here again I undoubtedly would have sneered and raged a bit more with delight. But your choice to forego that telling in favor of actually following our Lord is the better, truer choice. Well done.
Good strength in your participation at Sunstone. With the late President Packer and his compadres in the chief seats looking more and more like the Jewish leadership at the time of Christ—over-confident in their positions of status and increasingly inclined to rely on the arm of flesh—folks who yet believe in Jesus Christ, Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon but not the leadership will become increasingly important to the Lord's plan of restoration.
Lena Hansen said...
Jon and Rock,
Going kinda off topic here, but I need to educate you all to what happens when someone is left widowed, especially if the passing was sudden and to a young spouse, and especially if there is money involved.
In the hours, days and months that follow the death, the grieving spouse is completely unable to rationally make decisions. People come at them continually wanting to "help". Some of these "helpers" "help" themselves more than they help the grieving family. Feeling pushed and pulled in many directions, and in their grieving stupor, the widow desires to be left alone. Unfortunately the widow feels powerless to the intrusions and does not have the capacity to recognize a "wolf in sheep's clothing". Often the widow listens to the loudest and most confident voice.
The investor in this story probably made more money off the widow and her child in the transaction than the widow used all year. Truly despicable. The financial advisor should have advised the widow to diversify.
For those of you who wish to avoid this situation in the event of your untimely demise, make sure you and your spouse hire your family's financial advisor ahead of time, and have a will/trust already established. Put your decisions in writing and show a trusted member in the extended family where the documents are in case of death. Trust me, your loved ones are busy just trying to remember to breathe.
Craig Morris said...
I am a member who has largely missed the controversy surrounding Elder Packer but wanted to share the following:
Today in High Priest's Group the lesson was on following the living prophet. The teacher started at the death of Joseph Smith and the schisms that followed and essentially asked us why our church was the one true schism. The answer was of course that Brigham Young was a prophet and no other schism had one. I impertinently pointed out that Brigham Young never claimed to be a prophet, but described himself as a Yankee guesser. To my surprise and relief another brother commented that years ago in a stake conference Elder Packer had described Brigham as a 'scalawag' but that he was the right man at that time to lead the church (which I can agree with).
Another brother brought up Brigham's pronouncements about blacks and the priesthood and it was asked how can we know that what is taught today won't be disavowed 10 years from now?
The class members included a judge and a doctor and the questions of performing gay marriages or prescribing end-of-life medications (both are legal in my state) were broached : Should they just follow the prophet or did they have personal responsibility when confronted with these decisions?
Finally someone (OK, it was me) said that a prophet's duty is to bring us to Christ, that once we have Him we have all we need and that at the judgement bar He and not the prophet will be our advocate, and to this every man in the room said Amen.
I share this anecdote because it involved Elder Packer and because my impertinent comment and final comment were only possible because I read this blog (I am very grateful for this blog; It has brought me closer to the Gospel and counter-intuitively to the church as well).
I have similar thoughts to Good Will, that all the world's a stage and some day when the plays is over we will appreciate even our tormentors for personifying "what ere thou art, act well thy part".
I struggled with the concept of forgiveness for years because as watermeloncrew2 says, what's done can't be undone. I finally realized that being forgiven by God doesn't undo what we did, it means that because of the Atonement He offers us a relationship with Him on condition that we change. Our offenses to others still exist, we still bear responsibility for them and those we have offended may or may not forgive us. But by the grace of God they might and we can hope to someday once again have the good will of those we have offended.
Lee said...
Elder Packer had just received his call as apostle when he and Marion Romney were assigned to clean up a mess in Belgium where a dozen or so missionaries apostatized and relocated to Mexico to establish Zion. The year was 1970. I had just been transferred to Brussels to be secretary to the mission president when Elder Packer visited for the first time. One the day before his arrival, the mission headquarters estate was burglarized. Calculators, cameras, typewriters, cash boxes all taken and loaded into a van and driven out the ornate iron gates of the property with only the gardener as witness. When Elder Packer arrived and learned of the theft, he was livid. I witnessed him loudly berate my mission president for not protecting Church property which he was steward of. Packer ordered him to get a security system, or a loud barking dog--- immediately. Prior to his return in three months the mission staff and president discussed options. We elders favored getting a puppy. My mission president declined our recommendation. A decision on security was tabled. Three months passed and Elder Packer would again arrive. We scheduled a late breakfast at the mission home for him the morning his plane landed. The event included zone leaders, two stake presidents, local ward bishops, the director of the European church distribution center, and the mission home staff. We were together downstairs in the grand dining room with Elder Packer at the head of the table. It was thrilling for all of us to have an Apostle of the Lord lifting a fork with us. But meanwhile---at the very same moment, burglars had placed a ladder against the outside wall, climbed up, and entered through a second floor window. They ferried our brand new calculators, cameras, typewriters and cash boxes down to a waiting van. Out of the dining room windows we watched a van suddenly speed by and race out the gates. No siren was heard and no puppy barked. I was not privy to the dressing down my mission president received behind closed doors from Elder Packer for not following his explicit instructions. I would later learn it was brutal. My mission president wore the look of a whipped animal for weeks until he would finally drive into Germany to identify and recover the stuff after the thieves were caught. The moral of the story: at our peril do we disregard direct and unequivocal instructions from a prophet, seer and revelator.
DeeLyn said...
True Prophets, seers and revelators don't berate people and they don't act like they have any authority over other people to tell them what to do. Christ said we can tell true prophets by their love.
Unknown said...
So you can see no love in his concern for the mission's well being and safety? Look a little deeper.
DeeLyn said...
No I do not, especially not in the way he treated the Mission Pres. But there are far more angles to this story then just how harsh he was. That he even considered spending tithing money on any mission needs rather then the needy is another huge red flag.
Taking care of the needy comes way before supporting missionary efforts, which can be easily done near to home so expensive missions are not needed, nor would mission pres. need to be paid, as they never should be.
If the Church leaders would just follow Christ instead of their own doctrines, the church would be flooded with new members, without any other missionary work needed. I think we need to study the teachings of Christ more to understand how to discern and identify true disciples of Christ. Christ taught that true prophets always keep all his commandments, as well as having love for others.
Sam said...
My grandma used to play with the Packers when she was a child living in Brigham City. Everyone in those circles always though he would make the Presidency.
I never got warm fuzzies from the guy but grateful for his administration and dedication.
LJn said...
The true moral of the story is that we disregard direct an unequivocal instructions from mean and nasty men at our peril. He could have been nice. If he'd been a true servant of God, serving God faithfully, he would have been kind.
@ Lena Hansen. I also want to add that men seeking money are overbearing, crafty, and ruthless. And women in the Church are taught to bow down to men because they know everything and women know very little. I absolutely would not find fault with the widow who was cheated (notice it was a man who accused her of being complicit in being robbed and cheated).
DeeLyn said... "True Prophets, seers and revelators don't berate people and they don't act like they have any authority over other people to tell them what to do."
Triple Amen to that, DeeLyn. But, I understand, one of the ways to get on the Church's ugly side is to mess with their stuff (money, property).
Tammy said...
I have experienced a few things here in Brigham City, Utah since the passing of Brother Packer that shows how we the people have set these men up for the lives they have led.
The funeral was here in the tabernacle and I saw many people sitting on the lawns waiting to perhaps get a glance at the Packer Family when they came out. I am part of the stake that was providing the luncheon.
I heard comments like," I feel so honored to be able to bake such and such for this. " Then this morning I saw a business board up that read ," welcome home President Packer". Because this is where he was raised and has now returned.
It felt like celebrity drooling and I thought to myself, " Well, he was a man who lived and died and did what he thought was what he ought.
And he has a family grieving their loss of husband and father. "
I think that to honor anything other than the common feelings one has at the loss of loved ones is sad and truly shows our idolatry.
I served as a helper with funeral luncheons for years and I never heard anyone say they were honored to bake such and such.
Jared Livesey said...
You had a good idea there. The lesson wasn't about ignoring prophetic counsel - the lesson was (pick one):
"People don't care what you know until they know that you care."
"You catch more flies with honey than vinegar."
"Even a broken clock is right twice a day."
"'If you love me,' said the greatest of all leaders, 'you will keep my commandments.' 'If you know what is good for you,' says the manager, 'you will keep my commandments and not make waves.'"
34 Behold, there are many called, but few are chosen. And why are they not chosen?
35 Because their hearts are set so much upon the things of this world, and aspire to the honors of men, that they do not learn this one lesson—
36 That the rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven, and that the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the principles of righteousness.
37 That they may be conferred upon us, it is true; but when we undertake to cover our sins, or to gratify our pride, our vain ambition, or to exercise control or dominion or compulsion upon the souls of the children of men, in any degree of unrighteousness, behold, the heavens withdraw themselves; the Spirit of the Lord is grieved; and when it is withdrawn, Amen to the priesthood or the authority of that man.
38 Behold, ere he is aware, he is left unto himself, to kick against the pricks, to persecute the saints, and to fight against God.
39 We have learned by sad experience that it is the nature and disposition of almost all men, as soon as they get a little authority, as they suppose, they will immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion.
40 Hence many are called, but few are chosen.
46 The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion, and thy scepter an unchanging scepter of righteousness and truth; and thy dominion shall be an everlasting dominion, and without compulsory means it shall flow unto thee forever and ever.
Diana said...
The story about Packer in Belgium is amusing to say the least. Why did Packer have to be so mean? The Church has billions of dollars. Thieves steal things, things get broken, disasters destroy assets, members abuse materials and meetinghouses and on and on and on. It's obvious which way Packer faced...toward the correlated incorporated Church and it's managers! Can you imagine Jesus setting up businesses to keep the coffers full, to compensate for flagging attendance and tithing receipts? I can't and don't. Let Packer and those like him fret and cry over "sacred funds." It's all for show anyway. If you only knew how your precious tithing money was spent...but maybe it doesn't matter to you since they're the stewards of the "sacred" and you are not.
Shana said...
Thank you so much for writing your blog. This post spoke to what I have felt in my heart, as well. Even though I don't much care for BKP's thoughts and interpretations, I know that he was doing the best he could with what he had. And I realize that I would want the same merciful attitude extended toward me in all of my personal shortcomings and flaws.
Even though I have fully left the Mormon church behind, and I don't believe Joseph Smith was what you still claim him to be, I have found peace and healing by reading your blog. When I left the LDS church, I found myself in a place of feeling so betrayed that it was my gut reaction to just eschew everything about the LDS church. And I found myself in no-man's land. Everything foundational to who I was was gone, and I didn't know how I was going to recreate myself.
Over time, I found myself returning to foundational spiritual truths that still resonated with me - but I knew that I could not return to the organization of the LDS faith. There were many things that were wrong with it, and I could not in good conscience, return to the flock.
But then I stumbled across your blog through And I found solace in your words, because you were able to find a balance in questioning the organization while still embracing eternal truths. I don't agree with you that J.S. was a prophet in the full sense of the word - but I do find some eternal truths that resonate with me from my upbringing as a member of the LDS church. We may not agree on everything, but I feel that I have found a kindred spirit in your writings.
Thank you for helping me to restore balance as I redefine who I am and what I believe. I will forever be grateful for your writings. Keep up the good work. Love to you and yours.
Lee said...
Elder Packer was keen on visiting Italy during his European assignment, although that country was not part of his official charge. The reason for Italy? He loved statuary. He would purchase small to medium sized works, package them up and send them to the Brussels mission home where he would pick up the art pieces prior to taking them with him on the plane home.
One early morning while I was yet sleeping, Elder Packer called. He could tell I was roused out of deep sleep and sharply berated me for sleeping in. I had justifiable reasons for it, but I kept those to myself. I was upset that one of the AP's didn't pick up the phone since they were movin' and groovin' in the office by then.
After the scolding, Elder Packer asked if his packages had arrived. I affirmed that they had—all 9 of them! End of phone call from Florence. Two days pass. Elder Packer arrives in Brussels following his tour. At the mission home on the dining room table he unpacks the sculptures. Most ALL of them were damaged or broken into pieces!
Elder Packer-- A: was heart-broken. B: was untroubled. C. upset with himself for his careless packaging skills. D: came unzipped. The answer: I quickly exited the room leaving Elder Packer alone with my again 'apostle-burdened' mission president.
Moral of the story? It is best to stay on the path that is narrow and that lieth in a straight course when on the Lord's errand. That way we don't end up in pieces on arrival.
Lester said...
Good on you for listening to foundational spiritual truths, Shana. Those are the meat of the gospel of Jesus Christ and transcend the people and politics of the Mormon church. One of the most profound eternal truths you never heard in Sunday School is found in the D&C and the Book of Mormon where Jesus defines his doctrine and church:
67 Behold, this is my doctrine—whosoever repenteth and cometh unto me, the same is my church.
68 Whosoever declareth more or less than this, the same is not of me, but is against me; therefore he is not of my church. (D&C 10:67-68)
By that definition you literally still might be a member in good standing of Jesus' church!
You might find the writing of Denver Snuffer interesting. While he claims that the Mormon church failed to complete the work of God's restoration begun in the 1830s, he also claims that God has once again set his hand to renew the restoration and prepare all who will to become a Zion people. Snuffer doesn't care if you believe he's seen and talked with Jesus Christ—he believes all of us have the right and the opportunity to see and talk with Jesus Christ.
LJn said...
Log said... " Toni,
I vote for the last one. If he had been kind, they may have listened to him and followed his advice. (And your reply/reaction was kinder than mine. Thank you for that.)
Diana said...
"Let Packer and those like him fret and cry over "sacred funds." It's all for show anyway"
You know, whenever I got help from the Church, it didn't really feel like sacred funds to me (I was too busy stressing over the fact that I had to get help), even when a bishop called it that (in an effort to make me feel guilty, I think - but am not sure).
On the other hand, whenever people who have chosen to pay their tithing by directly helping the poor decide to help me, I feel the sacredness of it. I feel I have an obligation to God in regards to that money.
Lee, that story is quite telling. Perhaps more than BP would like anyone to know, it shows his heart. (And maybe why he was so upset at the two break-ins).
LJn said...
I second what Lester said about reading Denver's blog.
He gave a series of 7 lectures that are, in essence, one talk. Both the audio and the transcripts are on his site (no charge). They make the best sense when listened to or read in order.
Alan Rock Waterman said...
You've fallen behind, LJn; it isn't 7 lectures, it's ten now. And they are essential.
I enjoyed Lee's story about Packer and the statuary. I feel bad for the statues; not so much for Packer's loss.
I do however take issue with Lee's conclusion in his original story, the moral of which he sees as "at our peril do we disregard direct and unequivocal instructions from a prophet, seer and revelator."
The instructions Packer gave to tighten security at the Mission Home did not require a revelation. Packer was operating as any company executive would: he was giving orders to underlings to take care of temporal affairs. As someone else above pointed out, had he been a more effective manager he would not have given those instructions in such an angry, bossy manner, and the assignment might have been willingly carried out.
a servant of the Lord (or, if you wish, a prophet, seer, and revelator) would not have given the command in such a cantankerous way as Packer did, who violated section 121 in the manner in which he gave the orders.
Alan Rock Waterman said...
Occasionally I am asked why I don't moderate this forum more closely to contain the types of arguments that filled much of last month's comment section. It's because I don't wish to shut out ANY voices, even those who disagree with me. Shutting down discussion is what people do who are losing the argument. Example:
Just yesterday I responded to some comments about me found on the Mormon Dialogue and Discussion board. This board is populated mostly by Brethrenites who cannot see beyond their unsupported belief that the leaders of the Church today hold all keys of authority, and that the line has been unbroken going back to Joseph Smith. I challenged someone to cite the date when Brigham Young was anointed prophet, seer, and revelator, and who anointed him. Here is the response by "Duncan."
"He was sustained on Dec 5, 1847 by the Twelve and three weeks later on the 27th sustained by the assembled saints. The new First pres. was later sustained by the saints in Salt Lake."
But I had not asked for the date when Brigham Young was sustained. A sustaining vote is a vote of approval by the people that comes AFTER the anointing. What I wanted to know was when had God called and anointed Brigham Young as he had Joseph Smith. This is key to the question of our time, since if we cannot verify that Brigham Young was anointed and given authority by God to lead, the authority of those who came after is also called into question. Everyone knows Brigham Young was elected to preside. But his election by the people is not an ordination.
Unfortunately, I find I am unable to respond on that forum to correct the record because the discussion has been locked. And this after another member asked me a direct question. I have the answer, but how am I supposed to give it? I have been locked out, not because I was rude, but because I asked the wrong question.
Of course, I shouldn't expect anyone at Mormon Dialogue and Discussion Board to be persuaded by facts. They rarely are. But this does illustrate the propensity we see everywhere in the church today toward those presenting uncomfortable truths or asking uncomfortable questions. They reaction is to silence them so they cannot be heard.
As I write this, four more people I know are being called into disciplinary councils for asking the wrong question, that question being distilled to "how can I sustain the current Church leaders as prophets, seers, and revelators when I can find no prophecies, no works of seership, and no revelations emanating from them?"
The response from those who THINK they hold authority over the questioner is to lock them out of the church. And so we see the purge continuing week after week.
This strategy will only work for so long. Eventually everyone will be asking questions.
Mark said...
You know Rock. I'm amazed that here you are leading this blog and you don't even understand basic principles of priesthood organization. The 12 hold the keys to the presidency. The keys went with the 12 to Utah. The 12 had the authority and the keys to designate, ordain, anoint, set up Brigham Young as the President of the Church and the office of Prophet seer and revelator. It was the same when Christ himself died because he was the designated lead apostle. Peter became the leader of the church after Christ because of the authority given him by Christ to be an Apostle, then by the Quorum of the 12 to be sustained and ordained after Christ died. I'm not quoting the scriptures but that is the basic logic according to LDS doctrine. Don't you understand Hebrews 5:4? Aaron was not called by God, he was called of God through the mortal man who held the keys to call him to that position.
Mark said...
You know Rock, I still can't find the Mormonism in your blogging. I think you've completely missed the beautiful points of the gospel. You speak of the ant hills and ignore the forest, the mountains, and the multi colored sunsets. I wrote to you many months ago and asked you where is the Mormonism in your blog. You later contacted me and called me friend and used my letter in your blog in a post entitled, "How to Argue with a Mormon". I thought it odd then that you were so excited about getting my permission for using my letter in the post and that you even exclaimed that we, “would be famous". I wouldn't give a hoot about being famous, but you seemed sincerely interested in my comments and you agreed to be fair, which I thought you ultimately were. I only mention that previous dealing with you now, because I still question your motivation for your blog and its spirit of discontent in the first place.
“PureMormonism’s” first purpose can't have been to educate the public on the attributes of being Mormon, or in the prophetic calling of Joseph Smith, or any number of other worthy doctrines or ideals that Mormonism espouses. It can't have been any of those things, because after all this time you still find more to complain about than praise, both in the gospel as taught in the church and in the leadership of the prophets including Joseph Smith. You claim to have a testimony of Joseph, yet I find from your blog that you are selective of which Joseph’s doctrines to believe, and deny the fulfillment of his vision of the expansion of the gospel of Christ through the church organization that he started.
Joseph never promised a perfect organization or that all subsequent leaders would be infallible. Your blog seems intent that the current leadership has faults therefore you infer that the organization by default must be in some state of apostasy itself therefore justifying separation from the church. By logic then you fail to accept that the Lord would rule his earthly kingdom by the weak of the earth, which is the Lord's direct decree (D&C 1:19 among other scriptures). It's like the old saying, that "Catholics teach the infallibility of the Pope, but none of the Catholics believe it. And the Mormons teach that the prophet is fallible, but none of the Mormons believe it". You seem to believe that the Lord can't use fallible leaders to fulfill His purposes. Or, you simply haven't the faith to follow imperfect leaders who you may disagree with from time to time. We have never been asked to follow blindly, but we have been asked to enlighten ourselves then remain faithful and follow. Its enlightened, or “unblinded” discipleship that is asked for, but it is still discipleship. It's often ultimately an act of total faith to follow our leaders, especially when you believe they have faults, or something they have said or done has offended us. And, I expect that none of us in the church, and very much including myself, have never been offended by a leader or at least by other members. It boils down to faith and testimony of the gospel and the priesthood organization of the church.
Mark said...
Your review of Boyd K Packer’s impact on the church callously only shows a perspective from those disaffected by very his direct style of counsel. Have you ever met someone that joined the church or who is still in the church specifically because of Boyd K Packer? I have. There are many members who appreciated his unbendable testimony and knowledge of the scriptures, and his efforts in putting out the LDS cross referenced version of the standard works among many other accomplishments. I also know of a missionary who was about to return home after a couple of months but stayed on his mission because his missionary companion read to him a talk by Boyd K Packer. You say that none of us are perfect, including yourself and including Boyd K Packer, and that forgiveness is in order. Yet in practice your very public blog turns every direction to find out and point out things you consider errors, making our leader’s human fallibility their major point rather than their minor. Whose measuring stick will you use to judge the effectiveness of the other apostles? Don’t you see irony in judging an apostle by his statistics on social media? You seem to not know that the gospel of Christ has never sought popularity especially in Christ’s own mortal lifetime, but has sought to bring the love of God and Christ and the benefits of the atonement and a life of repentance and striving to live God’s commandments to as many people as possible. I highly recommend you consider re-reading the talk by Boyd K Packer entitled, “The Candle of the Lord” written in 1983 which is the talk I mentioned that kept that missionary on his mission. Here is the link.
I once emailed you and recommended that you close your blog, because no matter what you felt it's qualities were or are, your blog wasn't (and still isn't) as important as your church membership. You chose not to. I assume your bishop and Stake President gave you similar counsel which you apparently declined to follow. From my many years in the church, I can tell you that 100% of people who left the church over doctrine, practice, or policy (not plain jack mormons) that I have had discussions with always claim that they didn’t leave the church, the church left them. But if they were honest, that excuse is more correctly stated that they let the church move on without them because they couldn’t swallow their own pride and bend to counsel. In one of your posts you mentioned that you love and think highly of your bishop and stake president. Apparently not enough to follow their counsel, respecting their calling no matter how imperfect their counsel may be. And, no matter how many symposiums on “uncorrelated Mormons” you may speak at about how to be excommunicated and remain “Mormon”, that speaking can never equal the importance of the good you may do someone from service in your own ward in humbly teaching a primary class or serving as assistant ward clerk. The heroes of the body of Christ have never been those who speak at symposiums, they’ve always been the average member doing their duty.
Mark said...
The intent of your blog has always appeared to me to be harmful to the purposes of the gospel and the spirit of Christ that fills it. I especially feel that way when I have read the comments of some of your followers that declare how great a motivator you were for them leaving activity of the body of Christ in the church. I know that you claim that your blog has done more good than bad, but I don't see it. It's a place for commiserating with other commiserators. Mormonism's doctrines of the atonement of Christ and of at-one-ment with Christ, a loving personal and caring God, and the glorious potential of eternal progression give people hope, encouragement, and promotes love, service, and compassion. These are things NOT found in your blog. I for one wish you would change the name of your blog. "Sour Grapes Mormonism" would be more accurate. Or, maybe the true goal of your blogging has never been to advocate or dissuade, but to be popular as your statement to me about being "famous" hinted. I think you know, or I hope you know that the fact that you have a popular blog, or that you are asked to speak at symposiums doesn’t mean you are right, or that you are justified in your dissent.
Your title of “Pure Mormonism” from the beginning days of your blog points at your ultimate direction. In naming your blog “pure Mormonism” you issued a subtle but telling prideful statement that “pure Mormonism” is found in your blog and not at or in the standard works, or the publications of the church. Is it any wonder that your blog has taken you to this point of being separated from the body of Christ? Come back. Close you blog. Do it for your love of God, or for what remains of your testimony of Joseph Smith. Do it for the brotherly love in your ward family that you are likely missing out on. It may injure your pride, but what is pride compared to love?
Jared Livesey said...
Because Rock can't possibly be doing what God has asked him to do, can he be?
DeeLyn said...
Love desires 'truth' more then membership in a church.
And in reverse, just because you may think you are, doesn't mean you are right either. We all have fallen for countless deceptions in and out of the Church. This life is to see who will awake to those deceptions and see the truth instead, which is what makes Rock's blog so powerful to those who seek the truth. For his blog teaches far more truth then the Church ever has. The Church doesn't seem to want to even talk about the truth, for it makes people wake up to all it's errors.
Just like long ago when Catholics started reading the Bible & thinking for themselves, how they began to see the errors & falsehoods in their Church and leaders. The internet & blogs like Rocks are serving that same vital purpose today, for those who have eyes to see.
It's unlikely that you will ever see how important Rock's blog is until you only believe in and follow Christ instead of men. Those who believe in following fallible men rarely want to follow Christ & hear the truth, for it's too hard and not pleasing to the carnal man like the Chruch's doctrines are.
I went to church for 50 years and listen to it's so called 'prophets' and I never learned how to really follow Christ until I studied his own words in the New Testament myself.
We all can worship & serve God far better by actually going out and serving the needy on Sunday for 3 hours then just talking & singing about it while sitting in church for those 3 hours. Sunday is often the only day many people have to actually go visit the needy at length, so God would never want it wasted by sitting in Church just talking about it just to make people feel good. Let alone giving church leaders our money thinking they will take care of the needy when it usually doesn't get used for such.
I left the Church because I realized that the Church does not and never did 'follow Christ' or even teach his doctrines. I don't know of one church leader, from top to bottom, who follows or even really believes in Christ, though they like to claim they do.
You seem to not have studied the teachings of Christ, or if you have you don't seem to believe in them, but you instead believe what men say who claim to be prophets, yet they don't prove it by keeping all of Christ's commandments, which is how Christ said we discern true prophets from false ones. Just because men may claim to be prophets doesn't mean they really are. Yet you want people to follow men who don't keep all the commandments. That is totally contrary to Christ and though it's easier it will not get you or us Eternal Life.
jjkrambule said...
Mark know not of what you speak. And perhaps you know not what true humility really is. And Rock, KEEP BLOGGING!!!! There are worse things than not being part "the church". Far worse would be separated from Christ himself. If he were to come today, he would be killed again. Sad...
DeeLyn said...
Mark, (Continued)
Rocks blog is infinitely more important then membership in the Church, for it teaches far more truth then going to Church will ever teach a person. I have learned more truth on Rock's blog in 3 years then I ever learned sitting in Church for 50 years. Membership is meaningless, even detrimental to our salvation, for it shows we fell for false prophets instead of following Christ.
Even Joseph Smith (who the Church doesn't even follow either) taught that we would lose our salvation if we fell for false prophets like the LDS leaders who teach & believe in things contrary to Christ, like polygamy for example. For if you study Christ's teachings you would know Christ completely condemned any and all polygamy, as did Joseph Smith. Did you know Joseph Smith didn't have confidence in BY? and it seems he was about to excommunicate him for adultery? or do you believe BY instead, a man who admittedly abuses women by polygamy? Is the kind of men you want us to have blind faith in? And not Christ or Joseph Smith who condemned any & all polygamy?
Only those who like the idea of polygamy & don't want to have to be totally faithful to a spouse would fall for men who practice, preach or believe in it. Those who love their spouse and have self-respect and who follow Christ & his Golden Rule would never believe in polygamy, or the many other doctrines in the Church that are contrary to Christ.
What thinking person would follow someone who wasn't infallible, who wasn't perfect? Especially if that person was a true follower of Christ. Why would a true follower of Christ follow a man or church that isn't following Christ? The thought makes reason stare.
With all of Christ's warnings about falling for false teachers, false prophets and false people who teach contrary to him, only the blindly obedient would follow & listen to counsel from imperfect leaders or people, for it 's much easier then following Christ.
All my adult life I have found that church leaders from top to bottom practice and preach contrary to Christ's teachings, but are too prideful to realize it. They didn't care how they might be wrong, they just wanted obedience, like you seem to.
At 1st I thought that it was just lots of cases of individual apostasy among leaders, but as I studied more I found that no LDS church leader follows Christ, at least none that I know of, and if they did it would be contrary to the Church's practices, so they would most likely lose their positions.
I also found that none of the early church presidents and leaders followed Christ either, though it seems Joseph was alot better person then Brigham, assuming Joseph was truly innocent of polygamy.
And yes, the church does require blind obedience, which they like to call 'faith' for it sounds better. If you think your leader is wrong and you refuse to follow them, you will likely be disciplined, as we see happening all around us. That is called requiring blind obedience and putting men ahead of God & Christ, which is contrary to the greatest commandment God ever gave, to obey only Him & Christ and never men.
I hope you can come to see how deceived you have been, like all of us are and have been, and come to only follow Christ's teachings instead.
Jared Livesey said...
Rock: Wait. On what date did God call and anoint Joseph as prophet, seer, revelator, and translator? With what was he anointed?
Double standards are no standards.
Your apparent anger, frustration, or disgust towards Rock might be justified if salvation consists of following the Brethren. They do indeed claim to be infallible whenever they agree, as Elder (now President, and maybe soon-to-be-Prophet) Nelson taught last October. We're having a rocking discussion about this, and its implications, over at . You might join it. Or not.
The united 15 have recently infallibly declared, in their letter on homogamy, that Jesus was a sinner by infallibly declaring that consumption of alcohol is contrary to the law of God. This, I think, is theologically problematic - but apparently when the Brethren teach "nobody's perfect," they mean it.
Alan Rock Waterman said...
Hi, Mark!
It's good to hear from you again, though I see there has been no softening of your opinion of me.
My remark to you that by allowing me to reprint your email conversations with me would make you famous was said facetiously; I regret you didn't get the joke.
The intent of that particular post was to show that even when to latter-day Saints seem to have divergent outlooks, they can still argue civilly and without acrimony. Your recent comments show that you and I are still 180 degrees on the propriety of my expressing my opinions, but hopefully neither one of us is prepared to throw firebombs.
At the risk of starting up another lengthy series of disputations that look to never be resolved between us, I wish to comment on a couple of your points:
Your assertion that the 12 hold the keys to authority that have been handed down from him is revisionist history that was tucked into the revised narrative decades later. At the time of Joseph's death, there was much confusion as to who held the keys and what they were for. (I would recommend "Passing the Heavenly Gift" for an accurate history of the leadership of the Church, but I don't hold out hope you will read it, as the author, Denver Snuffer, has no more credibility in your eyes than I do.)
Our D&C shows only three men holding the keys of prophet, seer, and revelator in the early church, and at the time of the succession two of those men were dead and the third was ailing. The members bought Brigham's temporary solution not because he proposed himself as president to replace Joseph, but that he proposed the Quorum of the Twelve AS A BODY to make the necessary preparations to lead the saints out west. Brigham proposed that with the deaths of Joseph and Hyrum, the First Presidency was dissolved. It was three years later when he proposed that he, Brigham, be elected to replace Sidney Rigdon as president of the church. And he was so elected.
What was missing was an appointment by God. None of the Twelve possessed the keys of prophet, seer, and revelator, so hard as we may try to want to believe they held those keys as a group, the facts just don't support it. Brigham wasn't even ordained to the priesthood by Joseph Smith. There simply is no connection. James Strang had a tighter claim to succession, because at least he produced what he claimed was a letter of authority from Joseph. Brigham had nothing going for him except a strong personality.
(Continued below)
Alan Rock Waterman said...
To Mark Foree (continued)
You bemoan my disagreement with the official narrative, convinced as you are that by dissenting from the conventional wisdom I am putting myself in jeopardy. But I am motivated to question the approved narrative precisely because I wish to keep myself out of jeopardy.
How certain are you that the story we've been handed is the true one? I certainly was. I was certain enough to testify boldly "with every fiber of my being" that the things I had been taught were true.
But not everything I had been taught WAS true. I continue to embrace the Book of Mormon and the doctrines of the restoration, but after looking CAREFULLY into the historical record, I find much of it was fabricated after the 1880s. The Documentary History of the Church was heavily doctored by Willard Richard under the direction of Brigham Young. This itself is a matter of historical record, as one of those assigned to doctor the record spilled the beans. We can still look to some of the original documents and see how they have been altered once they were published in the DHC.
So it is my desire to be meticulous about what I accept as gospel truth, especially regarding the claims of those who would claim authority to act in the name of God. I would expect most honest seekers of truth to want to make absolutely certain they were following the will of God when following the words of those who claim to speak for him. So I ask you, Mark: Can you testify to your beliefs from a perfect knowledge? Or have you folded your beliefs regarding authority into your testimony of Joseph Smith.
It is well that we obtain a testimony of the basic truths. But I think we do ourselves a great disservice by assuming that if something was true as regards Joseph Smith, it naturally follows everything else is true.
That is what motivates me to write: the realization that I can be wrong, and the recognition that I HAVE been wrong about many of my deeply held assumptions. This blog is not titled "Pure Mormonism" because I believe I am in possession of the truth of my religion. It's titled that way because I have found that there exists a "true" narrative about Mormonism, and a false one. I am searching for the truth within my religion and learning to let go of the false traditions handed down from the fathers.
(continued below)
Alan Rock Waterman said...
To Mark Foree (continued),
I well recall your patronizing counsel warning me that my membership in the Church is more important than any blog. I included that message in my book, "What To Expect When You're Excommunicated." I included it (without identifying you by your name)because I thought it was an interesting view into the workings of the mind of one wholly taken over by idolatry. As Log questioned you in his comment above, "because Rock can't possibly be doing what God has asked him to, can he be?"
My standing with the Lord is more important to me than membership in a Church that has been altered and corrupted by tradition almost beyond recognition. Membership in that body may be more important to you than life itself, Mark, but it is not to me. I remain a welcome member of the church of Jesus Christ as HE defined it in his own words in D&C 10:67, and I wholly reject the church he rejects in verse 68.
For the benefit of readers who have not seen that excerpt from my book, I'll reprint it below, with my response (Everything below is reprinted from that book):
Just the other day I received an email with “A Suggestion”
written in the subject line:
I was sorry to see your last post on your blog. I
suggest that you close down and take your blog off
line. It may be easier said than done but you won't
do anybody any good, especially not yourself, if you
are blogging as an ex-Mormon. You'll just be one of
those hundreds that couldn't take instruction from
priesthood leaders and left because of pride. Your
blog is not the most important thing in your life and
is not nearly as important as your membership.”
“Just a suggestion. You obviously can choose.
Well, isn't that the entire point of threatening to oust me
from the church? That I won't have credibility with active
Mormons if I'm blogging as an ex-Mormon?
Someone should introduce my friend Mark to the internet.
The more people who stumble across my blog and the
many others out there like it, the more they come to realize
they are not alone in their concerns with the direction the
modern LDS Church is heading. These people are not anti-
Mormon, and neither am I. I'm not going to suddenly turn
against the church of Christ just because they kick me out
of the corporate version; I'll simply go on as if nothing has changed. Because nothing will have changed.
As far as my blog being more important than my
membership in the church, of course it isn't. My
membership in the church of Jesus Christ is the most
valuable thing I possess. Which is why I'm glad no group
of men have the power to take it from me. I am satisfied
I'm currently in good standing in His church. What care I
for the anemic counterfeits of men?
It's interesting that my friend is concerned that if I don't
shut down my blog I'll just be “one of those hundreds that
couldn't take instruction from priesthood leaders and left
because of pride.”
But what instruction would that be? I have yet to hear from
anyone as to what errors of truth or doctrine I am guilty of
promulgating. Is it my incessant drumbeat echoing the
apostle Peter that “we ought to obey God rather than
men”? As far as I can tell, that seems to be the issue.
Someone in the Church hierarchy is clearly irked that I
would advocate following the admonitions of Christ over
their uninspired demands. If taking such a position is
contrary to revealed scriptures, please let me know. It’s my
blog; I can go back in any time and correct any errors.
And what's this about my leaving because of pride? Let me
say it again: I have no plans to leave. I suppose it would
seem a bit prideful if I got all huffy and took my ball and
went home. But that isn't the way this thing seems to be
playing out. I'm not turning my back on either my church
or my religion. All that has happened here is I've been
informed I'm not wanted.
Homo Kayakus said...
“Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.
“At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27 The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
“But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.
“His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’
“But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.
“Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
“This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
- - - - -
Has God forgiven you? Have you ever been forgiven?
If you've never experienced his forgiveness, maybe it's hard to turn around and forgive another. If you have, just remember that.
- - - - -
The Lord's prayer contains something like this: "Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors."
What a scary thought!
That we would invite God to forgive us to the same extent that we forgive other people!
DeeLyn said...
Forgiveness and trust are 2 very different things.
While God does want us to forgive people, he has commanded us to 'not' trust or listen to them if they have not proven worthy of our trust and have not repented and repaired what they have done.
Jared Livesey said...
If he has so commanded, I have been unable to locate where, when, or to whom he said it. What is your source?
Homo Kayakus said...
Log, were you addressing me? If so, here they are:
Peter asking how many times we should forgive
Matthew 18:21-22
The parable
Matthew 18:23-35
Matthew 6:12
My take-away: If you've sinned, if you've really sinned and blown it and you know it, and you know you are guilty before God … if you know that, and then KNOW that God has forgiven you, if you've really experienced that forgiveness and know that you don't deserve it, then it frees you up to forgive other people. For me it's not just words. When I reached that point where I knew I was a sinner, and then when I experienced God's mercy and forgiveness, knowing that I didn't deserve it, it made me more compassionate toward others. There has really been a change.
Can I share one more parable that I think relates? I won't be long winded about it. Just read it and see if it makes sense:
A Pharisee invited Jesus to have dinner with him. So Jesus went to the Pharisee’s home and got ready to eat.
When a sinful woman in that town found out that Jesus was there, she bought an expensive bottle of perfume. Then she came and stood behind Jesus. She cried and started washing his feet with her tears and drying them with her hair. The woman kissed his feet and poured the perfume on them.
The Pharisee who had invited Jesus saw this and said to himself, “If this man really were a prophet, he would know what kind of woman is touching him! He would know that she is a sinner.”
Jesus said to the Pharisee, “Simon, I have something to say to you.”
“Teacher, what is it?” Simon replied.
Jesus told him, “Two people were in debt to a moneylender. One of them owed him five hundred silver coins, and the other owed him fifty. Since neither of them could pay him back, the moneylender said that they didn’t have to pay him anything. Which one of them will like him more?”
Simon answered, “I suppose it would be the one who had owed more and didn’t have to pay it back.”
“You are right,” Jesus said.
He turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Have you noticed this woman? When I came into your home, you didn’t give me any water so I could wash my feet. But she has washed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. You didn’t greet me with a kiss, but from the time I came in, she has not stopped kissing my feet. You didn’t even pour olive oil on my head, but she has poured expensive perfume on my feet. So I tell you that all her sins are forgiven, and that is why she has shown great love. But anyone who has been forgiven for only a little will show only a little love.”
Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.” (Luke 7:36-48
Jared Livesey said...
To answer your question, "no."
Unknown said...
I don't know about you guys, but every answer opens up more questions. I guess for those who abandon the whole LDS church and just follow Jesus without it (or go to another church), there won't be as many. However, trying to figure out how it all works with the LDS church is pretty mind boggling. The implications of what people like Rock are saying is staggering.
It's mostly to do with priesthood authority. Again, for those who don't believe there is any authority in the LDS church or only certain manifestations exist and/or only in certain righteous people, there may not be as many questions. But I for one believe people in the church do have priesthood authority. I'm not going to bear my testimony here, but I felt it work from time to time, both through me and through another priesthood holder to me or a third person.
I don't know how the whole line of authority from Brigham Young works, if he was not righteous. I believe God has sorted it out somehow. As for a prophet, I believe God can call a prophet at any time from the ranks of apostles or anyone, for whatever tasks He asks of them.
So as I see it there are three problems that Rock talks about in his blog. They seem to interconnect and feed off each other.
1) A falling away, rejection or alteration of certain doctrines and practices (e.g. tithing, word of wisdom, marriage, the definition of the church.)
2) Individuals of various levels of the church hierarchy either making errors and blunders when they should know better or making the sort of changes mentioned in 1) or following the incorrect doctrines and traditions of men.
3) A change to the general nature and purpose of the church. While there is still a lot that is good and true, there have been big changes to the church such as being more about making money, not focusing on helping people as much, a hierarchical system instead of a flat organisation and unjust excommunications of faithful members.
I'll continue with my questions on my next post.
Unknown said...
So due to the three main problems, I have to wonder certain things.
Priesthood authority
In the view of the LDS church, It is what is needed to perform or authorise others to perform ordinances and provide others with access to Jesus Christ's teachings and His atonement. This includes the partaking of the sacrament and participating in temple ordinances.
Now, if people get unrighteously excommunicated, they won't be allowed to partake in the sacrament, baptize anyone or go to the temple. Rock said he continues to take the sacrament at home (or he said he will and I therefore assume he is). Even before his excommunication, he wasn't allowed (under the LDS church's view) to do that without the Bishop's permission. Of course, Rock believes he is still part of the church, according to the Lord's definition and therefore still holds the priesthood.
I'm not just picking on Rock, btw, but some of my concerns pertain to him and those like him who have been unfairly excommunicated.
So how about baptizing someone? Or going to the temple? I read about brother Kloosterman who was denied access to the temple for comments he made (basically congratulating a gay-couple who got married). I'm not in a position to say if it was a fair judgment to revoke his temple blessing, but I'm using him as an example of someone who was devastated to not be able to attend the temple.
So do we all have to fall in line and obey every counsel and commandment or lose our temple recommends/get excommunicated?
Those who have been unfairly treated cannot exercise their priesthood or attend the temple, under the eyes of the LDS church. So do they continue to teach and perform ordinances anyway? Do they ignore the temple? Or continue to desire to attend but realise they may not unless they fall in line and may not want to?
What if they have children? Do they bring them up in the church so they can have the essential ordinances before they get excommunicated (for example) for being like their parents?
How does one receive the priesthood anyway? Is it able to be given to another, if that bearer has been exed?
Lastly, just to clarify, I'm being, I suppose, hypothetical really. As in, if all of what people like Rock Waterman have said is true, then these are the implications and the concerns I have as I see it. There's no need for anyone (I mean my bishop for example) to question my membership status over this.
Hopefully, that's a clear disclaimer :)
Unknown said...
Homo Kayakus,
I believe Log was referring to DeeLyn's comment about God commanding us not to trust or follow those who have not proven worthy of our trust and repented of their wrong doing.
I too would like to see a source for this, if you please, DeeLyn. The closest thing to this that I can think of is when Jesus tells us not to do after the works of the Pharisees. To apply this to our day, we should not do the wrong things that others do, whether their political or religious leaders. So I can see how you can fit that around what you said about not following unrighteous leaders.
Unknown said...
I think everyone is assuming one must be worthy to have priesthood authority, priesthood authority has nothing to do with worthiness, it has to do with someone placing their hands on your head and giving you the priesthood authority. As an example, if a person is baptized by someone who has the authority but is unworthy, does it make the ordinance invalid? No because it was done with the authority of the priesthood. If someone blesses the sacrament who has the authority but is unworthy, does it make the ordinance invalid? No because it was done with the authority of the priesthood. Doesn’t have much to do with worthiness.
Now Power in the priesthood is something totally different, when one is worthy, has studied and fasted then they can heal the sick, raise the dead and move mountains with the power of the priesthood.
Jared Livesey said...
Where does any scripture say "priesthood power" is anything other than this?
D&C 107:18 The power and authority of the higher, or Melchizedek Priesthood, is to hold the keys of all the spiritual blessings of the church—
19 To have the privilege of receiving the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, to have the heavens opened unto them, to commune with the general assembly and church of the Firstborn, and to enjoy the communion and presence of God the Father, and Jesus the mediator of the new covenant.
20 The power and authority of the lesser, or Aaronic Priesthood, is to hold the keys of the ministering of angels, and to administer in outward ordinances, the letter of the gospel, the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, agreeable to the covenants and commandments.
In fact, what does the scripture say about priesthood and worthiness?
D&C 121:34 Behold, there are many called, but few are chosen. And why are they not chosen?
40 Hence many are called, but few are chosen.
So apparently worthiness is critically important to the priesthood.
The Catholics argued, and Dan Peterson (lately of FARMS, recently of the Mormon Interpreter) agreed, that worthiness doesn't matter to performing valid priesthood ordinances - but if it doesn't matter, the Catholics are the One True Hierarchy To Which One Must Submit In All Things To Be Saved. They, and not the Mormons, have The One Ring of Power, in that case.
I think y'all haven't thought this through, just as the United 15 Apostles didn't think through the content of their latest Encyclical.
I think y'all don't know what you're talking about.
Alan Rock Waterman said...
What is the latest encyclical you refer to?
(Not that it would be news they have declared something they haven't thought through. In recent months Church leaders seem to be tripping all over themselves.)
But I guess I'm out of the loop because I can't recall their latest declaration.
Mark said...
To Rock,
Ha. Ha. No fire bombs. These will be my last comments on your blog. You say that much of what you learned through the church was wrong. I assume you speak of the details of church history that you complain about in your blog posts. They are all minor issues compared to the beauty of the gospel. Brigham and prophets since haven't been perfect but the lord has done amazing things using them as tools. There is more substance and importance in one Gospel Principles chapter than in all your blog. The gospel of Christ, that He is the son of God and that we can look to him for salvation is what the church is all about. You are stomping on ant hills when you could be climbing the mountain.
To Deelyn
You were active in the church for 50 years and never read the New Testament? You probably were skipping Sunday school because we go through the New Testament every four years. I also read it for Seminary during high school where it was an assignment to read it front to back. I've read it several times since. The New Testament was a key building block to my testimony of the correctness of the gospel I learned through the programs of the church including baptism, faith, priesthood authority, miracles, resurrection, three heavens, new names given, baptism for the dead, the sealing power, the importance of charity, the apostasy and need for a restitution, two divisions of priesthood, and many others. Yes, I learned to follow Christ.
Jared Livesey said...
The latest Apostolic Encyclical from The Council of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve is this one.
It contains the following unfortunate, and short-sighted declaration, that "[t]he consumption of alcohol[ is] contrary to God’s law[.]"
This has the effect of rendering the Atonement null and void, as Jesus both produced and consumed alcohol and infallibly sinned thereby, and promotes the Orthodox Understanding of the Word of Wisdom pertaining to alcohol to both scripture and commandment, if we accept that the pronouncements of the United 15 constitute the revealed word, will, and law of God.
Corbin Volluz over at pointed out that it used to be that The Prophet couldn't lead us astray... until he did (polygamy, black priesthood ban), then the First Presidency couldn't lead us astray... until they did (black priesthood ban), and now it's the United 15 Apostles - the Council of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles - who cannot lead us astray. While declaring Jesus a sinner.
Oy vey.
The only way to play the infallibility card is to Shut. The. Hell. Up., particularly when, unlike the Catholics, you don't have the backing of the state to enforce your decrees against the heretics and infidels.
Alan Rock Waterman said...
Mark Foree, we seem to finally have found something to agree upon! Everything else does indeed pale in comparison to the beauty of the gospel of Christ.
I don't see myself complaining about Church history so much as showing that the flaws in the narrative most of us were taught growing up does not matter in the big scheme of things. We can easily reconcile the differences between "the Church" and the gospel by separating the two into their respective spheres.
The sad fact is that most of us were taught growing up to develop a testimony of the Church, when we should have focused on a testimony of the gospel of Christ. Once I learned the gospel and the earthly Church were not one and the same, it all began to make sense, and I was able to embrace the one without holding an unhealthy allegiance to the other.
All I'm about here on this blog is following the admonition of the apostle Paul: "Prove (investigate) ALL things; hold fast to that which is true."
If something the Church teaches does not gel with the gospel as revealed by Christ, it's okay to let it go. Don't be overly concerned about the Church or its leaders, but instead have an eye single to the glory of God.
Alan Rock Waterman said...
Thanks for that clarification. I recall you bringing that up here before. And I second your recommendation once again of Dee Volluz' essential piece on the current apostasy. Absolutely essential reading for anyone concerned about how wrong things are going in the corporate boardroom, and why.
The leaders have been painting themselves into corners for years. Now, in an attempt to figure a way out of their fix, they have adopted the very mechanism they once rightfully decried in the Catholic Church once it was clear revelation in that organizaton had long ceased. It's a trick that's bound to fail. Seems to me they're just painting themselves further and further into that corner they'll never be able to get out of.
Jared Livesey said...
It's like a husband who loves his wife and she's cheating on him. He sees the signs - lies and contradictions and inconsistencies - but, because of his love and faith in her, he doesn't connect the dots; he believes her excuses and doesn't press (all of this is perfectly sincere). He cannot conceive of her betraying him because he loves her.
Until one day, someone says to him that she's cheating on him. Then all the dots fall into place and the pattern becomes crystal clear - he realizes she's betrayed him, and oh, how he begins to hate her, as much as he loved her before.
That is the place many are being driven by the Church.
The leadership will not admit some of the Church's key claims are, and always have been, false. Those false claims - the appearance of faithfulness to her husband - are the key to her power.
And why won't they admit this?
Because they don't know it themselves. The leadership are the husbands whose eyes have not been opened, but these don't really have much love for her either; it's more of a marriage of convenience for them - so much time and effort invested. And they have a vested interest in the appearance of faithfulness of their wife, so rather than investigate contrary claims, they attack the messengers. Truth isn't their objective, but neither necessarily is lies, you see? As long as everything's kept discreet, of course. Willful blindness, more like.
Unknown said...
The consumption of alcohol could be against God's law and Jesus not be a sinner if that law was given only for us in our time and not before. In Jesus' time, it was against God's law to consume meat from certain animals, while that is not the law for us today. If Jesus was walking among us today in the flesh, he could eat, say, pork and not be in defiance of God's law. However, if He drank alcohol, he would be.
Now, there is the matter of whether it is God's law not to consume alcohol. Fairly early on in my membership in the church I've asked the question of how come beer (I think it was) came to be against the word of wisdom when Joseph Smith drank beer. It was explained to me that God did not give the word of wisdom as a commandment to begin with but afterwards did. He gives things line upon line and precept upon precept and He afterwards gave the commandment through a later prophet. I don't recall who that prophet was or whether I ever came across the name of him and it also begs the question of where is the revelation? Why would God give the instruction as a word of wisdom, and not a commandment, by revelation and cause it to be written down but not do this when He gave it as a commandment to a prophet later on? If He never gave it as a commandment, then why are people able to be barred from entering His holy house because they do not comply with a man-made law? I understand that God may let people make their mistakes even when others suffer, but for how long? I have no doubt that God will fix things eventually, but what are we to do in the meantime?
If this is all true, then I feel like I'm one of those people during the Great Apostasy waiting for a restoration to happen, while trying to make do with what we have at the moment.
Jared Livesey said...
There's always an excuse - a seemingly plausible alternative narrative - for the cheating wife's lies, inconsistencies, and contradictions.
In the end, it's "that was then, this is now, so get with the program and follow the Brethren; they cannot lead us astray."
No matter the discrepancies between what came before and what is being said now.
Because we got the keys, that's why. Two words: "we can damn you to hell."
You see, whether any prophet ever said it before, the United 15 Apostles have Infallibly Declared that consumption of alcohol is contrary to God's law. To even ask if it is God's law or not is to miss the point, brother. Get with the program and follow the current Brethren. What came before is no more.
Unknown said...
According to Jacob 5:73-74, the Lord's servants, laboring in the vineyard for the last time and the natural fruit began again to grow and thrive, plucked off and cast away the wild branches. They kept the root and the top thereof equal, accoring to the strength thereof. It was a process requiring time. If the wild branches were removed all at once, the root would become too strong for the natural branches. The Lord of the vineyard also explains that is for the roots themselves to gain strength. He says:
"59 And this I do that, perhaps, the roots thereof may take strength because of their goodness; and because of the change of the branches, that the good may overcome the evil."
I think the Lord has been fixing things in the church. We no longer have polygamy. Black men can hold the priesthood. God is taking out the wild branches, one by one.
But there was originally only ONE olive tree. The House of Israel. God's true church. After it became corrupted, the Lord of the vineyard caused grafts to be taken from this natural tree and put into other trees in the vineyard. They grew and produced fruit at first. The Nephites and Lamanites are represented by one of these trees. After they too became corrupted (during the Great Apostasy) the Lord caused the grafts to be put back into the mother tree and more branches for the mother tree to be grafted into the other trees (if I'm reading it right).
So, if one of those trees represented the Nephites and Lamanites earlier on, does it still do so now? What about the mother tree then? Have the grafts gone into it yet? Does it have something to do with the Gospel going to the House of Israel after the Gentiles have rejected the gospel (as Jesus taught in 3 Nephi 16:10-11)?
Unknown said...
Ah yes, of course. The United 15 Brethren can't go wrong, even when their words are contradicted by a future United 15 Brethren, because they were right at the time but not anymore because the future United 15 Brethren will speak and their words will be infallible, just as the words of the previous United 15 Brethren were (or "are" if we go back to the present.)
However, we are not to consider the words of previous United 15 Brethren unless the current United 15 Brethren quote them. We are also to be ever watchful in case any future United 15 Brethren quote these past United 15 Brethren, for we will be expected to abide by their words, which were the words of previous United 15 Brethren, even if they are not the words of our current United 15 Brethren.
Now to make things even more confusing, we are, every once in a while, expected by a leader somewhere in the church hierachy (or even a teacher in a class somewhere) to follow the words of a previous United 15 Brethren, even when they're not repeated by the current United 15 Brethren. This leader or teacher may also teach us to follow the words of any individual member of the current or past United 15 Brethren, even when his words weren't the words of the United 15 Brethren then or now.
Unknown said...
This image shows what an angel in Heaven thinks of this:
Jared Livesey said...
Just so.
Now, let us listen to one of the dead prophets explain HOW the vineyard became corrupt.
Jacob 5:6 And it came to pass that after many days [the tame olive tree] began to put forth somewhat a little, young and tender branches; but behold, the main top thereof began to perish.
The branches at the main top (a curious phrase, isn't that?) of the tame olive tree died. Oh, mystery of mysteries, who can explain to us what it means for the main top of the tree to die?
Jacob 5:48
48 And it came to pass that the servant said unto his master: Is it not the loftiness of thy vineyard—have not the branches thereof overcome the roots which are good? And because the branches have overcome the roots thereof, behold they grew faster than the strength of the roots, taking strength unto themselves. Behold, I say, is not this the cause that the trees of thy vineyard have become corrupted?
Branches "taking strength unto themselves," in excess of the capacity of the roots, caused the corruption of the vineyard, saith the Lord. Oh, whatever can this thing mean? It is oh so ever mysterious, isn't it?
"Who controls the past controls the future; who controls the present controls the past."
DeeLyn said...
Yes, I read the NT a few times through the years but didn't take it seriously because the Church pushed the BoM so much more and was telling us to let leaders think for us and they were excusing so many unChristlike doctrines and practices, even saying that some of Christ's teachings don't pertain to us today.
It wasn't until I couldn't excuse all the unChristlike practices and doctrines anymore that I realized how the Church leaders have never really followed Christ from the very beginning.
So I did an in-depth study of what Christ really taught and knew I had to choose to believe & follow Christ or the Church, who's teachings and practices are completely opposite Christ.
For one can't follow both the Church and Christ for they are opposites.
I have also since found that most members are like I was, and do not even realize what Christ actually taught and how contrary the Church is from his teachings. They, like me, just blindly believed whatever the Church claimed or explained away as truth.
For no matter how much time you spend in Sunday School the Church isn't about to admit & teach it's members where it and Christ differ. So it's not surprising that I never learned the truth at Church, until I saw the blatant hypocrisy in all the leaders, from bottom to top.
You may 'think' you follow Christ but the Gospel & Christ that the Church teaches are far different then the real deal.
DeeLyn said...
Log & Miguel,
Not sure exactly what you want a source on but in answer to your question about sources, For starters, I have provided a few scriptures below by mostly Christ and a few from his Apostles about discerning if someone is worthy to trust or listen to, especially as a leader, if you want to begin your own study on it.
But I'm a little perplexed why you would think it wise to trust or follow someone who has not proven worthy of that trust or proven they truly follow Christ or who hasn't proven they have repented & made restitution.
Christ warned us over and over to beware of being led astray and taken advantage of by false spirits, false prophets, false Christ's, false angels, false revelation, false teachers, false people, etc, that may feel or seem right or righteous on the surface but inwardly they are not.
For if we are led astray to believe or do 'contrary to Christ', we will probably not realize it, but yet we could lose out on Eternal Life. Reason enough to be very wary of who we trust, believe, listen to or follow.
Christ gave us some signs that help us to discern who to trust and believe is a true disciple or prophet of His. For example, they must have love, keep his commandments & teachings, serve others more then most do, not take money for their service or preaching, not be rich, etc.
Why would anyone trust or listen to anyone who doesn't keep Christ's commandments, let alone make them our leaders? Christ said he was the only one we should ever follow or make our leader.
"Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits." Matt. 7:15 (Fruits = if they keep his commandment & have love or not.)
"By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another". John 13:35.
"Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; The one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil." 1 John 3:6-8.
"If anyone loves me he will keep my word." John 14:23
"Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching." John 14:24
"Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits whether they are from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world." 1 John 4:1-6
"The people honor me with their lips but their hearts are far from me, in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrine the commandments of men." Mark 7:6-9.
"Not everyone who says "Lord Lord", will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but the one who does the will of the Father." Matt 7:21
"If ye continue in my words then are ye my disciples indeed." John 8:31
"Whoever says I know him but does not keep his commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him." John 2:4
"But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!" Gal. 1:8
Jared Livesey said...
I'm not sure where I said I would think it wise to trust anyone, ever, at all, for anyone to be perplexed. I was simply verifying that you did not have justification for this claim:
DeeLyn said...
I believe I did show plenty off justification for the claim that Christ commanded us to be wary of those who have not proved worthy of our trust. I'm sorry if you disagree though, and don't see it that way.
Jared Livesey said...
What you believe, and what you cited, are indeed two very different things; your citations cannot be reduced to your initial claim; your last claim here is also not reducible to your first claim; and your citations cannot be reduced even to your final claim.
And I haven't even factored in the fact that, to be consistent with other things you've said, you'd have to have omitted the citation to 1 John, as well as Galatians - since neither was a citation of Christ's words (though the only words of Christ we have in the scriptures are provided by his servants, the prophets and apostles).
Also, fruits are more likely words (Luke 6:45) than deeds. But that, too, is open to interpretation.
I would prefer it if you were internally self-consistent, and also consistent with the scriptures, but you have the right to teach whatever doctrines you find appealing, from whatever sources you choose to trust.
DeeLyn said...
We just disagree. For one will only believe what they are willing to live.
Jared Livesey said...
We do disagree. For example, I note that you are unwilling to withhold judgement - indeed, you preach the virtue of - nay, even necessity of - judgement. I gather, from this last statement of yours, you do not believe in withholding judgement because you are not willing to withhold judgement, even though Jesus said to not judge, using exactly those words.
Then the response is always "but he said judge righteous judgement!" (This response comes because the person does not wish for correction, but to justify what they're willing to live.) But righteous judgement means to withhold judgement - unless you wish to be judged just as rashly and as shallowly as you judge, and with as many double-standards, for that is the promised outcome.
Again, fruits are more likely words, for the reason I cite above (Luke 6:45), for it is someone's words which reveal the contents of the heart, and not necessarily one's actions. If a person tells you what is in their heart, they may be believed, for the alternative is that they are lying.
I grow tired of the same counter-scriptural gospel of distrust / disbelief / fear / judgement I hear from you continually under your many guises and screen names. I tire of hearing your condemnation of individuals and your unmerciful judgement of their discipleship - a matter strictly between them and Christ. It would be one thing if you were internally consistent, but you aren't. It would be one thing again if you were consistent with the scriptures, but you aren't. When you start with the scriptures and read your doctrine out of them, I am contented. When you start with your doctrines and read them into the scriptures, I am discontented.
But you're free to judge and condemn whomever you wish on whatever grounds you wish, and you are free to preach your gospel of distrust / disbelief / fear. Just understand that when people tend not to respond to you, it is not necessarily because they agree with you.
DeeLyn said...
As I said before, both you and I and all of us believe and interpret the scriptures according to what we are willing to live. And it doesn't matter how many agree with us or not, for this life is not a popularity contest, in fact, most people will not like the truth, that is to be expected.
You are right, I do believe Christ commanded us to judge, that's the only way to help ourselves and others not be led astray, He just wanted us to judge righteously and make sure we do it with love & have the beam out of our own eye 1st, then he said we will see clearly to help others.
If we take one isolated verse from all of his teachings, like 'Do not judge', then we can get the wrong idea of what he meant'. But when we look at the whole picture of what he was saying, including things like 'beware of false prophets & people & discern them by their fruits', which absolutely requires one to judge, then we get a better idea of what he was saying. We just need to make sure we are living the laws that we use to judge others, lest we ourselves become a false prophet or false teacher and don't know it.
And we should never judge to condemn people, but to help them & guide them to the truth and away from error.
And as far as fruits, I don't believe we can tell what a person is like by their 'words', for even the wicked can pretend & say all kinds of wonderful things & preach tons of truth and talk of Christ and sound more right then the righteous do.
False prophets say more pleasing things then true ones, for true ones teach hard doctrines that most people are not willing to live.
Thus most everyone thinks false prophets are true and true prophets are false, it's been that way since the beginning of the world.
For it's much easier & faster to judge someone by what they say then by what they do. Actions take longer to discern then words. But if you watch their actions & whether they keep the commandments or not, then that proves things, for words can be lies, but the wicked never pretend to keep all the commandments, for it's too hard, and if they did then they wouldn't be wicked anymore.
I hear people all the time saying how they think church leaders are righteous and true because they give such inspiring talks and teach so many true things. But most don't want to look closer and see how the leaders aren't really keeping the commandments of Christ and thus couldn't be true prophets.
Because if they did look closer and see how they were false prophets, then the people would have to take responsibility for their own salvation and that's alot harder, most people would rather let a prophet, true or false, lead them then have to lead themselves and follow Christ on their own.
Some of the most wicked people are the most inspiring and convincing to listen to and they know they can convince most people just by what they say, for few watch or care what they may do.
I have found this way to discern never fails. Those who keep Christ's commandments always pan out to be good and righteous trustworthy people, but those who only talk good but don't really keep his commandments prove not to be trustworthy or righteous.
Christ told us we will know if his words are true by'living them' & experimenting on them, and I have done this and found them to be true.
Unknown said...
As you may be aware, the verses you cited and the ones I cited were about the state of the vineyard at two different time periods. Your ones happened first. The branches taking strength unto themselves beyond the capacity of the roots happened before all the vineyard went corrupt. Afterwards come the events of the verses I cited, when the Lord of the vineyard sets about working on the vineyard one last time to obtain the desirable fruit, before the end comes.
Thus, your verses were about the Great Apostasy and mine are about the Restoration. The puzzling thing is that there wasn't one big fix overnight, it was a gradual pruning, of removing the bad branches one by one. But we are apt to think there was a restoration that happened all during Joseph Smith's time and then there was a decline after his death (or perhaps an apostasy). This latter-day apostasy isn't prophesied in Jacob chapter 5. It just says things are being fixed over time. Spencer W Kimball and the apostles of his time said they received a revelation to end the Priesthood ban on black people. Actually, it was black Africans. Apparently Aborigines or black people from Indian descent were able to receive the priesthood then. As Rock has said we have a statement from them saying they have received the revelation but not the revelation itself. Still, I believe this is an instance of a bad branch being cut off.
We have to look at other scriptures if we hope to understand what's going on with this restoration (after the Great Apostasy), then apostasy (by some) and then a restoration again, before the Millennium.
However, that's not to say i
Unknown said...
Sorry, that last little bit, the incomplete sentence, was thought by me to have been erased.
Jared Livesey said...
I'm simply pointing out the process of corruption starts at the top in Jacob 5, and is accomplished by exalting oneself and arrogating to oneself authority and power in excess of one's commission.
So, when we see this pattern, we know what's going on, don't we?
Ah, religion made of "newspapers, novels, notions of men and women sugared over with scripture." Where would we be without ye?
Unknown said...
By "ye" do you mean "you plural"? I don't remember quoting a newspaper. That must have been somebody else.
Maybe I should one up Lucifer by selling my philosophies of men, mingled with scripture for money, as he never indicated he would do that. I think Joseph Smith said his enemies were worse than the Devil, so it is possible to one up him as an evil villain.
Buy my book, "Tending the Vineyard," and you'll receive a free indulgence!
P.S Right after I wrote that, I searched "Tending the Vineyard" on Google and found that a Rabbi already wrote a book with that title. Meh, plagiarizing the title only adds to my evilness!
Jared Livesey said...
The deletions are because sometimes I think better of saying stuff.
I was referring to the old endowments. "Ye" is formal singular in Early Modern English.
ammon17 said...
This is Ammon Prolife from Idaho.
Decades ago, my parents left the church, upon discovering that the abortion policy had exceptions. We are always seeking conservative (ex)mormons, but they are few and far between. If you ever come across anyone who thinks the church it too 'liberal', yet retain their LDS view on the status of God, please let me know, as I would like to meet such individuals/families.
My email is: (ammonprolife at yahoodotcom)
Thanks, and God bless.
DeeLyn said...
That is a very good reason to leave the Church, for that one reason alone. Your parents were wise. For the Church shouldn't have any exceptions for abortion, and wouldn't if it were a true Church of Christ and followed his commandments.
I have left the Church for that reason too, and because of all the other things the Church and it's leaders preach and practice contrary to Christ.
Unknown said...
We have so many voices shouting how bad our leaders are, so many offended people, so many hurts our leaders have so consistently forced into our lives. It is very easy to lose focus on the only real doctrine that matters.
Article of faith 4 says
Then in 3rd Nephi Jesus Christ describe his Gospel/Doctrine
3rd Nephi 31 - 40
31 Behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, I will declare unto you my doctrine.
32 And this is my doctrine, and it is the doctrine which the Father hath given unto me; and I bear record of the Father, and the Father beareth record of me, and the Holy Ghost beareth record of the Father and me; and I bear record that the Father commandeth all men, everywhere, to repent and believe in me.
33 And whoso believeth in me, and is baptized, the same shall be saved; and they are they who shall inherit the kingdom of God.
34 And whoso believeth not in me, and is not baptized, shall be damned.
35 Verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my doctrine, and I bear record of it from the Father; and whoso believeth in me believeth in the Father also; and unto him will the Father bear record of me, for he will visit him with fire and with the Holy Ghost.
36 And thus will the Father bear record of me, and the Holy Ghost will bear record unto him of the Father and me; for the Father, and I, and the Holy Ghost are one.
37 And again I say unto you, ye must repent, and become as a little child, and be baptized in my name, or ye can in nowise receive these things.
38 And again I say unto you, ye must repent, and be baptized in my name, and become as a little child, or ye can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God.
39 Verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my doctrine, and whoso buildeth upon this buildeth upon my rock, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against them.
40 And whoso shall declare more or less than this, and establish it for my doctrine, the same cometh of evil, and is not built upon my rock; but he buildeth upon a sandy foundation, and the gates of hell stand open to receive such when the floods come and the winds beat upon them.
The Doctrine/Gospel of Jesus Christ is Faith, Repentance, Baptism, and the Gift of the Holy Ghost…period.
Ignore everything else, Satan wants us to have the spirit of contention, he wants us to rant and rave about the word of wisdom, chastity, abortion, endowments, gay marriage, poor leadership, polygamy, second comforters…it is all distraction. Focus on Faith, Repentance, Baptism, and the Gift of the Holy Ghost.
Jared Livesey said...
If you can teach us, Lightning, please do so. It would be a nice change to see someone else who understood those doctrines well enough to teach them effectively.
Jared Livesey said...
On a related topic, it seems to make very little sense for Joseph to institute the endowments, or for God to speak and cause to be written many more words than "faith, repentance, baptism, and the gift of the Holy Ghost," only to be told that we shouldn't pay any attention to them, would you not agree?
Jared Livesey said...
Indeed, the more I ponder on this, the more it seems... interesting... to consider "the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel" to be "the only real doctrine that matters." Granted, all are free to attach whatever importance they will to whatever they want, but to do so for everyone else?
There is, of course, an audience for whom faith, repentance, baptism by water, and baptism by fire and the Holy Ghost are of primary importance in reality, if not in their hearts. But I'm not sure what justifies declaring that these things are, or ought to be, the only things that matter to everyone.
Unknown said...
In the words of Admiral Ackbar....IT'S A TRAP! That is what your last comment feels like. I know the Book of Mormon to be the word of God, if you pay attention when you read it, you will find it testifying of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism, and the Holy Ghost on almost ever chapter, it truly is amazing. I know that Joseph Smith translated it and it doesn't bother me at all if he used a peep stone and a hat, it's content speaks for itself, and last of all I know Jesus Christ lives, he suffered in the garden, was crucified, was resurrected, and I know he will return soon. I KNOW all these things are true. Call me simple if you want, but the gospel is simple and that works for me.
Jared Livesey said...
Well, if you haven't progressed in your knowledge of the gospel beyond faith, repentance, baptism by water and the gift of the Holy Ghost, is it really working for you?
Isn't that kinda like perpetually studying arithmetic instead of progressing to algebra, and then calculus, and beyond?
Would you take math lessons from someone who declares arithmetic to be the only real topic of importance, and that everything else was merely a distraction from its purity?
Unknown said...
A very wise Man once told me that you could study those 4 principles your whole life and never be done. My point is that there really isn't anything more to the gospel than that. What more is there then to have faith like the brother of Jared and learn and know as he did?
Jared Livesey said...
Have you then the faith of the brother of Jared, and have you then learned and know as he did?
As Korihor said, "ye cannot know of things which ye do not see," and nobody actually contradicted him. I think indeed he's right; without handling something, said Joseph Smith, no man can truly say he knows God (and, notice, the Nephites handled something and could testify of God). Without sight, we believe, or at best have faith, having our belief answered by the power of heaven. While I understand that in LDS culture it is common to refer to faith, or, worse, belief, as knowledge, I kinda tire of that practice as well.
Jared Livesey said...
I will also note that there is quite a path from belief to the perfect faith necessary to be saved, which probably accounts for the rest of the words of the prophets in the scriptures which go beyond the first principles and ordinances, as well as the endowments.
But to each their own. There's more out there...
Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Jared Livesey said...
Well, whenever you feel to get around to answering the questions which have been posed to you, I would be interested to see the answers. Including the "trap," which does admit a correct answer.
Unknown said...
Do I have faith like the brother of Jared, not even close, but it gives me something to strive for.
DeeLyn said...
I believe that to focus on 'faith, repentance, baptism, & HG, is actually the trap and is why the Church is not progressing but digressing and following the same path as the world, for it keeps it's members focused on themselves & their own salvation.
But if we focus instead on the salvation and temporal needs of others, by lovingly relieving the needs & sufferings of the needy & afflicted around us, among our families, friends & neighbors, which is the main idea of Christ's Gospel, and a vital thing Christ said that will gain us Eternal Life, then we will naturally develop faith, repentance, & other essential traits in abundance without even thinking about it.
The Adversary would have us spend our time & Sundays sitting in Church & meetings just talking about the needy and give our money to a Bishop or Church to theoretically take care of the needy for us (which often or usually doesn't happen).
But only in actually visiting the needy ourselves & personally giving them money and help and a listening ear do we really grow, progress & gain love and come to understand their plight and how to choose right from wrong.
No amount of church or temple attendance, scripture reading or prayer will teach us true faith, cause repentance or gain the Holy Ghost until we actually visit & help the needy ourselves as much as we can.
Unknown said...
Where most of us get caught up is where we put our faith. The principal is Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, not faith in the church of Jesus Christ of latter day saints. The church exists for one purpose, to organize the priesthood so it can perform saving ordnances namely baptism and by extension the sacrament. Jesus Christ and the LDS Church are NOT the same thing. Most members of the LDS church don’t understand that principal.
When we are baptized we take upon ourselves the name of Christ and should try out best to follow his teachings, I think it is best stated by Alma in Mosiah 18:9
In trying to be Christlike we get caught up in the daily workings of the LDS church, 3 hours on Sunday, quorum socials , relief society craft days, Boy Scouts, mutual nights, tithing settlements, ward councils, primary teacher training meetings, etc..etc…etc, the list goes on and on and on and on and on and on, well you get the idea.
So when trials come, and they will come, our faith is based on a sandy foundation and we end up hurt, or offended or worse. If we base our faith in Jesus Christ try to live by his teachings, truly serve others, and give to the poor we build are foundation on the Rock of Jesus Christ.
I’m not saying the church is bad, I think MOST involved have very good intentions but are misplacing their faith. What I am saying we should do is put our faith in Christ, we should focus on him, we should live by his teachings, we should server our fellow beings, we should give to the poor. In short we should follow the admonitions of Nephi in 2 Nephi 31:17
17 Wherefore, do the things which I have told you I have seen that your Lord and your Redeemer should do; for, for this cause have they been shown unto me, that ye might know the gate by which ye should enter. For the gate by which ye should enter is repentance and baptism by water; and then cometh a remission of your sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost.
And then in verses 19-20
19 And now, my beloved brethren, after ye have gotten into this strait and narrow path, I would ask if all is done? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save.
Rebecca said...
This question/comment is for DeeLyn: (or anyone who has insight)
You mentioned a couple of times that the leaders aren't keeping the commandments and that they teach contrary to the teachings of Christ. As a genuine seeker of truth, can you provide specific examples of said teachings and/or actions of past or current leaders that support this claim? I am on a journey to discover truth...real truth, not just what sounds good. Not just what is easy to live. Quite honestly, being born and raised in the church, it would be easiest to just go with the herd. It's all I've ever known. But I also don't want to be deceived. Christ is who I want to follow. I know I must question everything that comes from man. I have been back and forth when it comes to questioning the leadership. Someone once said that the search for truth will break you, but once found (and excepted), you will be free! As of yet, I don't feel free. Most days I feel more confused. Research is not one of my strong suits, especially with ALL that can be accessed on the Internet. It's daunting to me. Maybe that's a cop-out. I have genuinely taken this to the Lord, and will continue to do so until it becomes clear. Maybe, just maybe, He led me here. When I hear the leaders speak, it sounds good, and they speak of Christ, and they teach the things He taught, etc. So, can you share with me specific things in their individual lives that are contrary to their teachings? Things that would point to them not being a true prophet? I know that a prophet is still a man and capable of mistakes, but what is it about them that shows us they aren't true prophets?
Sara Jo
LJn said...
Alan Rock Waterman said...
Oops. You caught me. I should have said 10 lectures.
Ilyan Kei Lavanway said...
Many of us have covenanted to avoid speaking (that also implies thinking and feeling) ill towards or about the Lord's chosen vessels. Nephi explained clearly:
"And it came to pass that I said unto them that I knew that I had spoken hard things against the wicked, according to the truth; and the righteous have I justified, and testified that they should be lifted up at the last day; wherefore, the guilty taketh the truth to be hard, for it cutteth them to the very center." - 1 Nephi 16:2
Nephi's younger brother, Jacob reiterates this:
"O, my beloved brethren, give ear to my words. Remember the greatness of the Holy One of Israel. Do not say that I have spoken hard things against you; for if ye do, ye will revile against the truth; for I have spoken the words of your Maker. I know that the words of truth are hard against all uncleanness; but the righteous fear them not, for they love the truth and are not shaken." - 2 Nephi 9:40
Truth is offensive to those who embrace error. Elder Boyd K. Packer is one of the most outspoken and clear witnesses this dispensation has ever seen. He is and will always be justified in speaking as boldly as he has. If there are those who are offended by him or by his words, I suppose such individuals must be in the gall of bitterness, and they persist in remaining among those who embrace error.
Why not just repent and cease to be offended? Elder Packer would not have been preserved by the Lord in an apostolic position if his efforts were in any way contradictory to the Lord's will.
Many of you have argued over Elder Poelman's edited conference talk given in October 1984. You have seen, in that case, an example of one of the Lord's servants promptly making a course correction after realizing something he had said may not have been clearly in line with the Lord's will.
Elder Packer has not needed to recant his remarks in any way, as far as I am aware. The Church has not published significantly revised editions of any of Elder Packer's talks. Therefore, we can safely rest our souls on the veracity of Elder Packer's words as they now stand, as bold as they may be.
Sometimes, the wicked and those in error will not come to or return to truth except by the bearing down in pure testimony against them. After Alma had given up the judgment seat to Nephihah in the ninth year of the reign of the judges, it was written of Alma, as it could also be said of Elder Packer:
"And this he did that he himself might go forth among his people, or among the people of Nephi, that he might preach the word of God unto them, to stir them up in remembrance of their duty, and that he might pull down, by the word of God, all the pride and craftiness and all the contentions which were among his people, seeing no way that he might reclaim them save it were in bearing down in pure testimony against them." - Alma 4:19
We ought to have nothing but profound love and admiration for Elder Packer and for all of his words. What a courageous man to have stayed the course in spite of so many in and out of the Church who have railed against him with all manner of insults and false accusations.
I testify boldly that Elder Boyd K. Packer is one of the Lord's duly appointed apostles and that he stands as a special witness of Jesus Christ, having as much authority as any of the apostles with whom he has served. I tell you this in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Jared Livesey said...
I reply: It implies no such thing. Such is simply imposition and presumption on your part, and we are in no way bound to accept your pronouncements as binding.
I reply: I shall enlighten you.
The Church has revised Packer's remarks at least twice, significantly, that I am aware of and have seen in my own lifetime. Elder Packer referred to the fact that the united 15 apostles agreed upon the Proclamation on the Family, and that by virtue of such agreement the Proclamation qualifies by definition as revelation. That statement, given at about 1:00 in the video, was redacted from the published version of his talk. View it here, and compare with the written version.
Elder Packer also questioned, in the same talk, why a loving God would create of his children gays in the same talk. That was also redacted from the published version of his talk. Apparently, even rhetorically allowing for the possibility that some are "born that way" was too much. That redacted material is at about 9:12 in the video.
I will admit that such redactions do not necessarily reflect Elder Packer's personal "need to recant his remarks," but certainly someone felt such a need about his remarks. They were redacted, after all.
And I will also admit that you may justly claim that such redactions are not "significant revisions." After all, you may feel differently about them; "significance" is purely subjective, and wisdom cares about that which foolishness pays no mind. But such redactions certainly seem significant to others, and they also strongly imply lack of inspiration in either Packer's original sentiments, or in his Correlation Department handlers which allowed them and / or redacted them for publication.
I reply: Being in a position from which one's needs are always comfortably met regardless of one's quality of performance does observably tend to breed arrogance and stubbornness in one's views and expressions thereof. And, given Packer's position that he was a servant to his betters, and the master of his lessors - that's what "Patriarchal Government," or "Priesthood" meant to him (Führerprinzip - "Remember which way you face!") - I'm not sure I would characterize his disregard towards the complaints of his underlings as courage.
You claim to testify boldly, but instead declare dogmatically.
Others claim to pray humbly.
I reject all such self-aggrandizing falsehoods.
On another topic, someone at produced this gem: "The Gospel is simple and the purpose of life is clear: find the prophet. Once you’ve found the prophet, the thinking is done. Just do 100% of what he says. No more and no less. And then you’re home free."
It hurts because it's true: that is the Gospel of Mormonism today. That is what is taught from the pulpits and in the classrooms and sung in the hymns.
Jared Livesey said...
I forgot this gem: Elder Packer would not have been preserved by the Lord in an apostolic position if his efforts were in any way contradictory to the Lord's will.
Well, you are free to believe that if you wish it. I do not know that the Lord said any such thing about any one or any office in any church ever, including but not limited to our own. But I am willing to accord this, which is clearly your faith, and which I summarize as Vox Apostoli, Vox Dei, as much respect as I would give a Catholic's faith, or a Muslim's faith. And that respect, summed up, is "Cool story, bro!"
It's simply not my faith.
Jared Livesey said...
What if we replaced Elder Packer's name with another apostle's name, and see if the claim seems reasonable?
Hmm. What do y'all think?
Jared Livesey said...
I mean, we have just as much evidence for this last as we do for the one offered by Ilyan Kei Lavanway. So if it works for Elder Packer, it has to work for Judas, right? And vice versa. Remember, kids, double standards are no standards!
Jared Livesey said...
Huh. From "Which Way Do You Face?" -
The scornful often accuse prophets of not living in the 21st century or of being bigoted. They attempt to persuade or even pressure the Church into lowering God’s standards to the level of their own inappropriate behavior, which in the words of Elder Neal A. Maxwell, will “develop self-contentment instead of seeking self-improvement”3 and repentance. Lowering the Lord’s standards to the level of a society’s inappropriate behavior is—apostasy. Many of the churches among the Nephites two centuries after the Savior’s visit to them began to “dumb down” the doctrine, borrowing a phrase from Elder Holland.4
Sometimes, I wonder if the kids these days have read their Nibley - "the poverty of our manuals defies belief!" Dumbing down the doctrine was the purpose of Priesthood Correlation.
As you listen to this passage from 4 Nephi, look for parallels in our day: “And it came to pass that when two hundred and ten years had passed away there were many churches in the land; yea, there were many churches which professed to know the Christ, and yet they did deny the more parts of his gospel, insomuch that they did receive all manner of wickedness, and did administer that which was sacred unto him to whom it had been forbidden because of unworthiness” (4 Nephi 1:27).
One such parallel - actually, NOT a parallel - is the administering of the sacrament to them who have not been baptized yet, which is in fact exactly what is being referred to in that verse.
Déjà vu in the latter days! Some members don’t realize they are falling into the same snare when they lobby for acceptance of local or ethnic “tradition[s] of their fathers” (D&C 93:39) that are not in harmony with the gospel culture.
You don't say.
Remember, kids, "It's apostasy when you do it, but continuing revelation when I do it, because I have the keys, that's why!"
Jared Livesey said...
And this idea that salvation consists solely in finding and obeying the prophet does seem to lead to self-contentment instead of self-improvement, eh?
Alma 60:23
23 Now I would that ye should remember that God has said that the inward vessel shall be cleansed first, and then shall the outer vessel be cleansed also.
Robin said...
I am impressed to remark As a HP in The Church, having spent the first 35 years of my Christianity in "orthodox Protestantism".
I travel through your article chronologically ... You noted a difference between the remarks found in 2 obits in the trib...I found them different, even inverse, to your take. There was no difference for the former than the latter (Perry vs. Packer) being a part of each conversation. Haters will be found intensely regardless of the departed Apostle. We only have a new inner circle of those most bitter. It seems all so new to them. Only if they were to gaze down at the seats where they sit and the paths they very worn.
Next, your remarks about forgiveness is more pop cultural than even Christian in origin...I am reflecting on the relative wisdom in it, as compared to the teachings of the Brethren and Savior on the subject (forgiveness). Your short excerpt of your coming discourse mentions that the utterances of the GAs is "irrelevant" (where you suppose them uninspired). Wrong. Few are skeptical to their precepts.... most of them are predisposed to that mindset. Nevertheless whatever your disposition, it would be intellectually honest to acknowledge their relevance to the organization they run. The Church is most certainly guided by them. Thus, they are most certainly relevant. That is a key distinction to orthodox Protestantism. There is no center to them , to their denominations...even within their denominations they require independence. All within the fold abide in reverence to their words.
There is now an ongoing procession of Apostles that as they pass-on will bring together another cycle of darkness each time.
Before your people can experience the true fruits of forgiveness, they need to leave it behind. The redeeming value of our individual lives is in moving forward in life with a view forward. Frankly, after so many years, why do you persist in strolling backwards through the rest of your life. Fundamentally, reflecting on your pop just blocks you. Right??
Robin said...
I hope my thoughts were clear enough to understand. I have a high regard for the Apostles, finding Packer with a clarity of thought next to McConkie, next to Brigham. But to make a distinction between them, living or dead, is odd. But you speak to your perceived differences. They speak as one as God is one.
Unknown said...
I used to live in Boyd K Packer's stake in Sandy, Utah. It was half of my area on the mission for 11 months. There's a long road going through the middle of the stake, as well as through a couple of others, right up to the Wasatch Mountains. A wall runs along the side of the road at the bottom end and on that road was some graffiti about Boyd K Packer. It wasn't nice. It was a drawing of him and some words about him being a child molester. I was surprised it remained there for so long and that it was just ignored. It's easy to miss while driving the first or first few times, but I used to cycle up and down that road a lot, and would notice it every time. I only heard people talk about it when I bought it up.
One of my first talks was in his ward and he was scheduled to be present there. So no pressure! I breathed a sigh of relief when I heard he couldn't be there. I think it was for health reasons, in which case I felt a little bad for said sigh of relief. Another missionary was not so lucky. His very first talk was given in his ward and President Packer was seated behind him. The young Elder could hear his heavy breathing the whole time. It ended well though. Apparently discerning the missionary's nervous disposition, Packer gave him a hug afterwards.
I heard about other Elders who rang his doorbell. Bad idea! President Packer came out and sharply reproved them for wasting the Lord's time as they didn't come for referrals. I told this to members over dinner and they said something about how everyone has their ways of avoiding giving referrals to missionaries and this was his. Haha.
I felt the Spirit strongly when he entered the room, as our mission waited to hear his words. I believe if he wasn't who he said he was, I wouldn't have got that feeling. A charlatan couldn't bring the Spirit into the room. I felt the Spirit when my mission president would enter the room too. Now, I love my mission president, but some missionaries had mixed feelings about him and one of these was a companion I had. He talked about some of his faults. See, the president before him was very loving and had great spiritual discernment, but wasn't very strict with the rules (while the one before that one, or two before the one I had, compiled a list of extra rules that the missionaries had to obey). This one (the one before my one) picked up the extra rule-book and stated that the missionaries didn't need it (I think he tore it up). He told them they had the missionary handbook and they had their brains. But he overlooked missionaries who broke some of the missionary handbook's rules, and was relaxed about some of them. As long as missionaries were still good over all and doing their job, he was fine with them. My mission president got stricter on the rules.
There have been mission presidents who got corrupted or carried away with personal matters instead of doing their duty. I believe this can happen to apostles too. It happened during Jesus' time and during Joseph Smith's. I wonder why so many were excommunicated during JS time but I've never heard of a single one getting exed since then.
Jared Livesey said...
There was at least one apostle ex'd during Brigham's reign - Amasa Lyman. John W. Taylor was ex'd, and Matthias Cowley had his "priesthood suspended."
Those are just the ones I know about.
Ayon said...
In response to my brother Ilyan Kei:
The wording specifically of that temple covenant is to avoid speaking ill of the Lord's anointed. One of the tacit assumption underlying your statement is that the general authorities of the LDS church are in fact the Lord's anointed. What if, after careful and even prayerful consideration, one were to arrive at the conclusion that they are not the Lord's anointed?
Jesus said to beware of false prophets. He also taught that we could distinguish prophets by their works. I posit that the many hateful discourses of Boyd Packer that have caused serious emotional and psychological damage to many of his fellow beings indicate that he was not one of the Lord's anointed. I understand Rock's post of trying to forgive as anger hurts the angered most, but I also think it's important to look at things with eyes wide open and see the effects of Packer's words on all kinds of people.
Another tacit assumption is that the covenant you allude to is a covenant that Jesus would have us make. Jesus himself denounced the Pharisees and "teachers of the law" in Matt 23. These were the religious leaders of the day, and yet they (and Herod) were the only people Jesus denounced or "spoke ill of".
Ayon said...
Another tacit assumption is that the temple ordinance where this covenant is required is revealed by god. This is a whole separate issue with regards to the masonic influence of the temple ordinances, the multiple changes in the ordinances, the requirement to pay tithing to be able to participate in supposed "essential" ordinances of salvation and exaltation...That's a big conversation that is tangential to this thread, so I'll save it.
The tacit assumption that you make by offering the quotes from Nephi and Jacob is that Packer spoke the words of the Lord. Which, if he did, why were some of them redacted as Log stated above. And again, would the words of the Lord be so exclusionary and cause such damage to so many?! Just because Packer said it, doesn't mean that we should "rest our souls on the veracity of [his] words". A truly believing Christian should only rest there souls on the words of Christ. This is something that Rock repeatedly attempts to establish in this blog. Compare Packer's rhetoric of exclusion and bigotry to Christ's words of inclusion and love and ask yourself if you really want to rest your soul on the words of this man Packer, or any man for that matter.
Your question of "Why not repent and cease to be offended" is rife with tacit assumptions too: the assumption that it's a sin to speak against Packer, the assumption that people who are offended by Packers aggressive divisiveness shouldn't be offended, the assumption that "repent" in this case means to accept Packer's aggressive divisiveness, or at least not be offended by it. I think that people should take offense at bigoted comments. You are trying to call people on what you think is mistaken thought processes. Packer's detractors have that same right.
Ayon said...
I do not understand the argument that "Elder Packer would not have been preserved by the Lord in an apostolic position if his efforts were in any way contradictory to the Lord's will". I know the assumption is that the Lord would remove any "prophet" from his place were he to lead the people astray, but that seems an illogical thought process on many levels. Would the Lord kill him? Wouldn't that constitute a violation of agency, which, according to Talmage the Lord jealously gaurds? Would he be removed from his post by the first presidency? Consider that pres David McKay found Bruce McKonkie's "Mormon Doctrine" to be so rife with error and false doctrine that he assigned two other GAs to see what would need to be redacted for the book to be accurate. They came back to him and stated that it was so full of error that it would have to be written again. And nothing happened to McKonkie because of the repercussions reprimand or disciplinary action against an apostle might have among the membership. The story is in "David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism" if you want to look it up. It is written by a believing member of the church using an extensive source of original material form McKay's longtime secretary. If you think the politics of power doesn't have place within the 15, think again. And what about Brigham Young's bigotry against blacks that cause an entire race of people to not be eligible for ordinances necessary to salvation? Was that not leading the people astray? Or Brigham's Adam/God Doctrine which Spencer Kimble denounced as false doctrine? Or Brigham's doctrine of Blood Atonement which essentially denied the universal efficacy of Christ's atonement? Or Ezra Taft Benson's involvement in the John Birch society and his statements about Martin Luther King being a communist? Or his question of if a democrat could actually be a member in good standing? There are so many examples of the 15 doing and saying things that lead people astray without being removed from their position that to hold to that misguided notion just baffles me!
I know that my words probably will have as much effect on you as yours do on me, and my aim in this reply is not to try to change your mind, but offer a counter argument to anyone who might be interested in it. I think it's ok if you truly believe what you have written here, but I also feel that it's ok for people to have opposing beliefs.
The whole point of Rock's post about Packer is to illustrate that we can find common ground despite our differences, and in honor of that sentiment I finish by saying this:
I love you my brother despite our differences.
Ayon said...
Actually, I hope that I can change your mind, but acknowledge that I probably won't. Also, I don't know that I think it's okay for people to hold false viewpoints if those opinions cause damage, but understand that I'm a peon and nobody has to listen to me:)
Unknown said...
I love your blog! I love that you have objective theories and proof to back them up. A lot of things that, to me don't ring true in common Mormon beliefs, and has made me uncomfortable for along time, has been addressed on your blog. I find this to be very supportive to my testimony. However I am uncomfortable around orthodox Mormon thinkers and wish to leave the church because I feel so alone in my thinking. thank you for all you do!
Unknown said...
@Carleen: It is difficult for me as well. Everyone at the local ward were complete "followers of the prophet" that it is not spiritually uplifting. We have been attending the ward from 1994. Our beliefs do not line up with most attendees.
There are others I think that may have similar beliefs . . . they do not attend either. You have to go seek these folks out. Lots of times, they are spouses that no longer attend the ward because they feel like I do.
Randy and Julie said...
I believe many, who think as the two above, feel the same way. It is one reason many come here to read things they haven't been exposed to or to express themselves where they would fear to do so in their home congregations.
I believe the corporate Church is being more forthcoming about many historical findings because not to do so is worse than the well-intentioned but foolish non disclosure of these facts was in previous decades. The proverbial cat is out of the bag. Time for some spin or damage control. That doesn't make the Church evil or its leaders anything but human. But it can be disappointing to those raised to venerate the Church and its leaders as representing the Kingdom of God. Milk before meat is now viewed as being manipulative. Critical thinking is taught in schools and expected of people at work. You jusy can't turn it off when its beome habitual.
Good luck in reconciling these conflicts. You are not alone in feeling this way. Its the reason I check in here as well despite occasional rants about pretensious topics such as Vox Dei, Vox Apostoli and other ripped off latin phrases or JR Tolkien themes about a ring of power. Such has litlle, if anything, to do with the topic at hand. But, its more entertaining than Gospel Doctrine class and the verbal sparring can be informative. Its more than what you will hear in your Ward, at least.
Waiting for your next blog article Rock. Hope you enjoyed or are enjoying Sunstone.
Jared Livesey said...
You summoned me, Randy. What is it you want?
Jared Livesey said...
For the record, I am willing to explain what I mean by Vox Apostoli, Vox Dei (ask Google where it was "ripped it off" from) and why the tight thematic correlation between this core doctrine of the modern LDS Church and J. R. R. Tolkien's One Ring of Power, as described in the Lord of the Rings series of books, is interesting.
Of course, not everyone will agree that it is interesting. And maybe such who do not find it interesting might choose to believe that I'm "attempting to impress by affecting greater importance, talent, culture, etc., than is actually possessed." But just because one person fails to see thematic connections and their application to the topic at hand, and also our real lives, it does not follow that all others will likewise so fail.
Surely the charge of pretentiousness doesn't arise from my having read the Lord of the Rings series? /:?
Randy and Julie said...
Nothing. Just a late night post. No summons, just writing. Relax.
Jared Livesey said...
Oh my gosh. I AM being derided as pretentious because I've read some books and, worse, saw connections between them and real life concerns.
desert dispatches said...
Not a fan of Packer, but I am a fan of you, Mr. Waterman, so I read the whole post. Still not a fan of Packer, but I did receive more confirmation of why I like you. Thanks for sharing with us!
Unknown said...
Hey Rock,
I hope you and yours are OK. There has been a quiet spell here and I thought the Sunstone event would have been a great source to blog about.
Good, bad etc give us a report. All most of want is a truthful report and for you and yours to be OK.
Take care,
Blogger said...
right away...
(VIDEO) Want your ex CRAWLING back to you...? | <urn:uuid:ef6f9e08-1697-4e2a-8681-54f8fb47b612> | https://puremormonism.blogspot.com/2015/07/why-i-grieve-for-boyd-k-packer.html | en | 0.979701 | 0.019039 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
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Motives for European Expansion to America
844 Words4 Pages
Prior to 1490s, Europeans had already sailed down to west coast Africa and were having a long-established trade in African Slaves. Moreover, European expansion basis was the ambition for the trade and resources of Asia. They tried to expand further to Asia motivated by ambition for the trade and resources of Asia. Three centuries after Columbus’s discovery of America, various Europeans which are Spanish, Portuguese, French, English and Dutch were dominating Native American. They were occupying the Western Hemisphere and imported African slaves to work them in plantations. To understand more about Europeans motive expansion to America, we need to observe their political, cultural and economical aspect, particularly Spanish, English and…show more content…
This caused further economic expansion and by 1600, the success of this mercantilism, merchant-oriented policies, helped to establish the foundation for overseas colonization. Thus, having a fine economic wealth, the English sent the merchant fleets to compete and challenge Spanish monopoly in the Western Hemisphere. This also helped the factor of growing nationalism among English people. Just like Spain at its prime, England had a strong morale and the pride for their country drove them to expand their empire. However many English noblemen suffered due to inflation because the Price Revolution hit England. As wealth and status of aristocracy declined, that of gentry and yeomen rose. The gentry, landholders, kept earning money by renting land at higher fee rates. Furthermore, Yeomen sold their wheat at higher prices. This caused peasants and landless farm laborers were affected. Moreover, countless peasants were dispossessed of their land because of to the Enclosure acts, which allowed owners to fence in open fields. Most peasants had no job, so many of them wanted to move to America to find a better place for their future generation. Another reason was cold weather that caused a series of crop failures affection a lot of yeomen families became really poor. This condition caused the society to be unsafe as many
Open Document | <urn:uuid:b68f277b-92d3-4b24-9184-b8a0d3fe9956> | https://www.bartleby.com/essay/Motives-for-European-Expansion-to-America-P3QT8CAX7KG4Z | en | 0.974865 | 0.425216 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
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World Motor Vehicle Production, Selected Countries
(Thousands of vehicles)
Dataset Excel:
Prior to 2000, the country of manufacture was recognized as the producing country. To conform with current OICA (International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers) practices, starting in 2000, the country of final assembly was recognized as the producing country. This explains the sudden change in trends across some countries from 1999 to 2000.
Numbers may not add to totals due to rounding. Also numbers may not add to totals due to the inclusion of small countries in the total.
Beginning in 1998, some smaller countries not listed in this table are included in the world totals.
KEY: U = data are not available.
a Does not include minivans, pickups, and sport utility vehicles.
b Formerly Czechoslovakia and Ward's does not report a number for Slovakia before 2005.
cYugoslavia no longer exists and Ward's does not report numbers for countries that were previously a part of Yugoslavia.
d Includes all trucks and buses. Light trucks, such as pickups, sport utility vehicles, and minivans are included under Commercial vehicles.
e The 2000 and 2005-2009 figures for Total passenger cars and commercial vehicles are revised by the source. However, the detailed information for each component in 2000 is not available, thus the details are not revised in this table and will not add up to the total for this year.
Source:, Motor Vehicle Facts & Figures (Southfield, MI: Annual Issues), p. 10 and similar pages in earlier editions. | <urn:uuid:b82d3711-5d08-405d-8577-080f07cfb64f> | https://www.bts.dot.gov/content/world-motor-vehicle-production-selected-countries | en | 0.932123 | 0.050992 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
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We Are Not Black
By Teodrose Fikre /
Mar 29, 2018
0.5 ·
We Are Not Black
What you are going to read in the next couple of minutes is a disavowal of a word that has been used to literally tar and belittle people from a continent we now refer to as Africa. This word I’m alluding to is “black”, a word that was never, ever ours and a label foisted upon a once free people. What I am attempting to do is to wash away a libel that has been affixed on a whole class of people by pernicious souls in the past in order to enslave people by ways of words and dehumanize by means of insults. But there is a wider message that applies to all of humanity; what has been done to people from the continent of mankind’s inception is something that has been done to people throughout the globe in order to colonize one nation after another.
Let us start off at the crux of this article. Understand that I too accepted the word black and referred to myself as such in the past. Though in all honesty, there was always a part of me that felt a tinge of repulsion whenever I used the word black to refer to myself or others. But repeated dogma can breed passive acceptance that overrides common sense. Think about this for a second; if you heard a random “white person” on TV refer to someone as “the blacks”, all of us would be taken aback. Yet we refer to ourselves as black without really thinking of the meaning of the word, the etymology of black, and why we were called black to begin with.
Let’s trace back through history for a second and inspect the word black. No need for me to use my own words, let me just copy and paste the meaning of the word according to good old Webster:
1) dirty, soiled <hands black with grime> 2) characterized by the absence of light <a black night>b : reflecting or transmitting little or no light <black water>c : served without milk or cream <black coffee> 3) thoroughly sinister or evil : wicked <a black deed>b : indicative of condemnation or discredit <got a blackmark for being late> 4) connected with or invoking the supernatural and especially the devil <black magic> <the black arts> 5) very sad, gloomy, or calamitous <black despair>b : marked by the occurrence of disaster <blackFriday> 6) characterized by hostility or angry discontent : sullen <blackresentment filled his heart> 7) characterized by grim, distorted, or grotesque satire <black humor>
The word black is rooted in Latin; the original meaning was that which did not have light. I want you to reflect on that for a minute; “that which does not have light”—I will circle back to that phrase soon enough. The word black and nigger have the same roots and the same meaning, both trace their origins to the word nigrum which is where the word negro, negra, nigger, and black came from. Nigrum is defined as “black, dark, sable, dusky, and figuratively gloomy, unlucky, bad, wicked.” If we reject the word nigger, it is for a good reason. The word has always been a means to libel us and in the process reduces our significance.. It was an attempt to literally paint us into a corner and “otherize” us. This is how divide and conquer works; by balkanizing humanity and making us see divisive labels instead of seeing fellow humans, a few are able to colonize billions.
We rightly reject the word nigger even though too many of us think it is somehow OK to call each other nigga—as if putting an “a” at the end of a word makes it less malicious. Those who understand the power of words are wise enough to say “brother” or “sister” instead of using the despicable “N word” to address their friends and strangers alike. Yet a bigger conundrum is before us, if we reject the word nigger how are we then accepting the word black when both words mean the same thing? This is like getting upset if someone calls you a snake but then you choose to go around saying you are a serpent. The truth is that both black and nigger are rooted in the word nigrum and both are insulting.
As noted before, the reason why “they” call us black is because they are saying we don’t have light in us. That is what black means, the absence of light. Moreover there is a reason why they referred to themselves as “white”, go ahead and look up the word white on Webster as well, no seriously look it up, this article won’t go anywhere…. welcome back, did you see how “white” is defined as “the full presence of light”. This was an attempt by some to say they had the full presence of light and we had no light at all. Go back and reread the definition of black and you will see just how insidious this word is. In Genesis, God created this universe by first creating light in the midst of darkness. It is said that God is the full presence of light; the absence of light is thus evil. Really reflect on this for a minute; by saying that we have no light in us, we are being told that we don’t have God’s light in us and by extension that they have the full presence of God in them.
Let me clarify something for a second, whey I say “they” I am not referring to the totality of our brethren and sistren who are two or five shades lighter than us—no I do not call them “white” for the same reason I do not refer to myself as black. When I say “they” I am referring with specificity to the noxious devils who invented these malicious words in order to dehumanize us. People like Scipio Africanus, Willie Lynch and the rest of their demonic denizens who understood all too well the power of words and knew that in words reside the power of life and death. The most powerful weapon that we humans have are not guns nor even the atomic bomb; the most powerful weapon we have at our disposal as humans are words. Words can either bury us or elevate us, what and who we say we has immeasurable impact on our lives.
Before I go too far, let’s take a group project. This excise you can take part in regardless of your complexion. See the picture to the right? If you identify yourself as “black” go ahead and put your skin up to the black section of the picture. Does your skin tone match that color? Of course not! In all honesty, have you met ANYONE whose skin complexion was that color? Even the darkest human being in the world is really just extra brown, want to know what the color black looks like? Close your eyes for a second. See that color that you could not see because all went dark? That is the true black, when light is not evident and black is omnipresent. Now are you beginning to see why they called us black? They are saying we do not exist. And if you refer to yourself as “white”, I bet the result was the same you matched up your skin to the white part of this picture right? Have you ever met ANYONE who is that complexion? Not even someone who is albino is that color. Want to see the color white? It does not exist because true white is invisible to the eyes.
So we got the eye test out of the way and proved that nobody in this world is black or white. Let me add another layer to this; before people from the continent of what we now refer to as “Africa” were captured and sold off into slavery, they did not refer to themselves as black. They couldn’t have—the word black is Latin. They referred to themselves by the names their parents gave them and by the names of the community they grew up in. The word black was imposed upon once free “Africans” by despicable interlopers who invaded the continent of humanity’s birth like cancers attacking life. These vile traders of men understood the power of words; they renamed people as a means of turning humans into property. Put it this way, when you adopt a pet you name him right? These contemptible monsters, who set about trading free men as chattel, were renaming people as a means of owning them.
Our names are powerful, I wrote in the past that our names are really our destinies. Think about it for a second and reflect on the meaning of your name and why your parents gave you that name. Most of you will realize that your names have had a tremendous influence on your lives; there is a certain aspect of you that fits the name that your parents gave you. The same way a blessed name can lead you to blessings, a cursed word can also lead you to a cursed existence. The word black was always meant to be a curse, a curse to belittle us and to define us as property of others. The first couple of generations of political prisoners refused to be renamed, they resisted enslavement for a man is not a slave as long as he does not accept the imposition of mental chains. But over time, political prisoners turned into slaves. Not because they had chains on their feet or because of the whips. It was the lashes of words repeated over and over again that turned a once free people into the assets of malignant slave owners.
In time, what was once rooted in insults became a source of pride. This is what happens when we accept the indoctrination of others instead of questioning the people who educate us. It was a group of “black intellectuals” in France around the turn of the 19th century who popularized the word black—the movement was called “negritude”. It was a way of taking power away from a malicious word and owning a word that was always meant to do harm. Sound familiar? This is exactly how we rationalize using the word “nigga”; we go around calling ourselves “people without God’s light” not understanding how malicious these words are. We keep trying to find pride in words that were given to us by outsiders yet we keep devolving into the chains of self-hatred. The history of trying to find our names and empower ourselves is as such: from nigger to negro to colored to Afro to African to now African-American. It’s like we are in a Chinese finger trap that has razors in it; the more we try to pull out, the more the blades of these virulent words bleed us into submission.
If you are in college, present this article to your “African-American history” professor and just ask him/her one thing: why do we call ourselves black? The problem is we let educators indoctrinate us and lead us right back into the arms of enslavement. Teachers who “teach” about ‘black history” are either unwitting tools who repeat dogma unquestioningly or knowing fools who value paychecks over telling truths. Add to these “educators” the pundit class who profit from the status quo and politicians who whisper grievance and victimization in our ears. The establishment only feign concern as they make us dependent and enslave us to their counterfeit “charity”. For hundreds of years, we have been accepting the definition of others and in the process accepting defamation as the source of our pride. This is one of the reasons the masses are mired in hopelessness—we celebrate a fraction who “make it” while a majority are stuck in enduring tribulation.
No, we are not black. We can’t claim pride in a word that was never ours to begin with and was always a pejorative. How can we not have light in us when both science and faith affirm that life started in the continent we presently call Africa? Let me add one last twist; remember how I said that Africa was named after Scipio Africanus? Scipio Africanus was a Roman general who defeated Hannibal in the Punic Wars and in the process subdued the continent using brutality that even Hitler would blanch at. Ponder this. Do you think Jews would ever call themselves Hitlerlian? Of course not! That would be the height of absurdity. Yet we call ourselves Africans to honor this monster Scipio. The truth is that the entire continent was called Ethiopia and so was the Atlantic Ocean. Do you know that Ethiopia is named in the bible more than any nation? Do you see now why some like to rename people and places? It is a blatant attempt to erase our significance.
What “they” attempted in the past to reduce our significance, we have taken the baton and nullified our significance into nothingness. We keep calling ourselves black not understanding the power of these words. Maybe we should be doing less protests and instead free ourselves first. Let us stop defining ourselves through the malicious word black and the endless labels we have been given in order to be divided from the rest of humanity. Ideally, all of humanity would just call ourselves human and put the noun of humanity above the endless adjectives we keep calling ourselves. But if that is not the case my fellow Ethiopian-Americans, can we at least not define ourselves as being absent of light and stop honoring Scipio’s deeds by calling ourselves African?
Like Bob Marley sang once in Redemption Song, “emancipate yourself from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds”. Harriet Tubman once noted that she freed a thousand slaves in her lifetime but that she could have saved a thousand more if only they knew they were slaves. It is high time for us to liberate ourselves from these corrosive and depraved words and instead take our rightful names. Centuries of doing the same thing over and over again is only leading us further and further into bondage. Instead of protesting outward and waiting for liberation from without, let us look within and free ourselves from the chains of the words we keep calling ourselves. There will not be a Moses coming to free us; we will have to free ourselves. Perhaps we can take modest steps towards redemption by first extricating ourselves from the word black.
These things I write of are not trivial nor are they inconsequential. As we proclaim pride in this word black, we are concurrently being bombarded with the endless negative connotation of the very same word. Not too long ago, I was in the kitchen making dinner when someone raised a pot that was dirty and said “look how black and dirty this pot it, we need to throw it away it’s useless”. This is the subliminal buzz saw we are being treated to on a regular basis. The whole of society associates black with death, debauchery and wickedness as we are wearing this same word as a badge of honor. I know that some will say “you are purveying a ‘Eurocentric conception of the word black’. This retort I find amusing, the word “black” is Eurocentric to begin with. But it’s not really amusing, it’s more deflating because we are raising our children to accept this treacherous word and in the process internalize this malicious label.
In order to prove that “separate but equal” was detrimental to “black children”, Thurgood Marshall and his team conducted a test between “white” and “black” children using “black” and “white” dolls. To no surprise, the “black” children again and again chose the “white” dolls over the ones that looked like them. This field study that the Marshall team conducted was presented as prime evidence of the pernicious aspects of segregation and was instrumental in overturning Jim Crow. Except we never escaped the shadow of Jim Crow because we keep holding on to odious words others gave us. The same study that Marshall conducted was undertaken a few years ago. Surprise surprise! The same results were manifested as “black” children still gravitated to the “white” dolls while disavowing their own. Is it any wonder; our children are being bombarded with infinite negative connotations of “black”. They end up internalizing the germ of that hateful word within their spirits. If the root of a tree is poisonous, no matter how we try to pretty up the leaves the leaves are toxic nonetheless. The same logic applies to the word black, the root is venomous no matter how we try to sweeten the leaves.
Be careful what you call yourself, you become what you say you are—words are potent and all powerful. Scroll back up and review one last time the meaning above for the word black. Is death, insignificance and inferiority what we wish upon ourselves? Endless poeple keep going around preaching about “white superiority” without understanding that they are at once debasing themselves with the world “black” while elevating others by calling them “white”. Our ancestors fought enslavement and suffered ceaseless pains to ward off and fight enslavement. I say “our ancestors” because the totality of people from the continent of Ethiopia are my people as well—our connection does not end based on artificial borders drawn by colonial monsters. What our ancestors fought against we now accept without nary a thought or a reflection. I am asking you to pause and reflect and then start the process of healing from the wounds and scars which have been programmed and seeded deep into our psyches over generations. Black no more. We are a blessed people, start thinking, acting, and living as one.
Next time someone asks”are you black”, respond back “no we are not black” and in the process fight ignorance with knowledge instead of fighting ignorance with ignorance. I know that what you read will take some time to process. It’s like opening your eyes after being stuck in the basement for years without light. I am not claiming the moral ground here my fellow Ethiopian-Americans, I am on the same journey of self-discovery. I’m just imparting the lessons that I learn to those who are walking towards the same journey of actualization and redemption. I humbly ask that we stop calling ourselves “black” and instead find pride in WHO we are not what others say we are. Defiance is not accepting the dogma of others; defiance is questioning conventional wisdom and refusing to accept indoctrination.
Let us start a new movement. Pass on this article on to others and use social media to start a broader conversation even if you don’t agree with everything you read here. It is ironic that I wrote this in the middle of February. For the record, February is not “black history month”; 365 days out of the year is our history since our story is the story of humanity. Get the conversation started and let us take part in questioning and rejecting the libelous lies that envelops us in darkness. Share this article on social media using #WeAreNotBlack and get the conversation started. Peace and God bless.
Liberation starts the minute we stop understanding ourselves through the definition of outsiders and learn the truth of our history from own.
The Ghion Journal is a reader and viewer funded endeavor. They disavow corporate contributions and depend only on the support of their audience to sustain them. Please consider making a small monthly pledge to support their work on Patreon. We believe that community media should be funded by the community. Thank you in advance for your kindness.
- Films For Action
Teodrose Fikre is the editor and founder of the Ghion Journal. A published author and prolific writer, a once defense consultant was profoundly changed by a two year journey of hardship and struggle. Going from a life of upper-middle class privilege to a time spent with the huddled masses taught Teodrose a valuable lesson in the essence of togetherness and the need to speak against injustice.
Originally from Ethiopia with roots to Atse Tewodros II,
Teodrose is a former community organizer whose writing was incorporated into Barack Obama's South Carolina primary victory speech in 2008. He pivoted away from politics and decided to stand for collective justice after experiencing the reality of the forgotten masses. His writing defies conventional wisdom and challenges readers to look outside the constraints of labels and ideologies that serve to splinter the people. Teodrose uses his pen to give a voice to the voiceless and to speak truth to power.
Must See Documentaries | July 2020
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Have a question or suggestion? Feel free to get in touch. | <urn:uuid:71805345-8a16-4b4c-807a-b08e3e341da6> | https://www.filmsforaction.org/articles/we-are-not-black/ | en | 0.956893 | 0.028748 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Health Line Tips and Tricks for your Practice:
By: Health Line Sales and Marketing- April 2016
ThinkstockPhotos 179306471 smaller
6 Signs You Shouldn’t Place a PICC Line
Complications from placing PICC lines are common, but if you know exactly when not to place a line, you will significantly reduce infections and complications.
Here are 6 signs you should NOT place a PICC line in your patient.
1. The presence of device related infection, bacteremia, or septicemia is known or suspected.
2. The patient's body size is insufficient to accommodate the size of the implanted device.
3. The patient is known or is suspected to be allergic to materials contained in the device.
4. There has been past irradiation of prospective insertion site.
5. There have been previous episodes of venous thrombosis or vascular surgical procedures at the prospective placement site.
6. There are local tissue factors that may prevent proper device stabilization and/or access. | <urn:uuid:ca0be4a2-423a-4a1a-b16d-407fec0884a4> | https://www.hlic.net/recent-news/13-picc-lines-tips-and-tricks.html | en | 0.921607 | 0.154963 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Do You Expect Us to Turn Back Now: Alice Paul and the Fight for Woman Suffrage
June 28th, 2020
55 mins 48 secs
Season 1
Your Host
About this Episode
Women in the United States began fighting for the right to vote in 1848, and by 1910 they had achieved a few hard-won victories. But success nationwide seemed out of reach. Then Alice Paul arrived on the scene with a playbook of radical protest strategies and an indomitable will. She focused in on one target: the president, Woodrow Wilson. How far would Paul and her fellow suffragists have to go to get Wilson's support?
Dora Lewis
Dora Lewis was the member of prominent Philadelphia family. She was dedicated fighter for the right of women to vote.
Burning Wilson speeches
In 1919, Lewis participated in the Watchfires protests, in which suffragists burned the speeches of Woodrow Wilson to reject his hypocricy of speaking about democracy and justice without protecting them for women at home.
Seneca Falls Convention
The woman suffrage movement in the United States is usually said to have begun at the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848. The Convention, organized by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and several friends and colleagues, produced a Declaration of Sentiments that called for women to "secure for themselves their right to the elective franchise."
Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony
Elizabeth Cady Stanton (left) and Susan B. Anthony (right) met in 1851 and become close friends and dedicated fighters for votes for women.
New Woman
The "New Woman" of the turn of the 19th century was educated, independent, and career-minded. These women were more demanding than previous generations and less concerned about upsetting gender norms.
New Woman and Her Bicycle
I joked in this episode about New Women and their bicycles, but this was actually an enormous breakthrough for women. For the first time, women had freedom of movement that opened up a world that been narrowly restricted for previous generations.
Alice Paul
Alice Paul was charismatic, magnetic, and impossible to refuse. She was willing to work herself into the hospital and expected the same level of effort from her friends. (She is also, in this photo, wearing an awesome hat.)
Suffragettes in the U.K.
Alice Paul spent the years between 1907 and 1909 in the United Kingdom, where she joined the radical suffragette movement. She learned the power of protest in England, as well as the power of her own will.
Force Feeding poster
In 1909, Paul went on a hunger strike in prison and was force fed. This was a horrifying, traumatic experience--a fact that the suffragettes didn't hesitate to leverage in their promotional material.
1913 Woman Suffrage Procession
Paul's first major action back in the United States was the Woman Suffrage Procession of 1913. Scheduled the day before Woodrow Wilson's inauguration, it achieved maximum publicity for the cause. This image was used as the cover of the official procession program.
1913 Woman Suffrage Procession
This photo shows the start of the procession, with attorney Inez Mulholland on horseback.
Ida B. Wells-Barnett marches in Suffrage Procession
Paul and other organizers intended to segregate African-American marchers to the end of the parade, but Ida B. Wells-Barnett had no intention of being segregated. She joined the Illinois delegation halfway along the route.
Woman Suffrage Procession breaks down
Massive crowds viewed the parade. Without adequate police monitoring, the crowd got out of control, spilled into the street, and began harassing the marchers.
Silent Sentinels
In 1917, the Silent Sentinels began protesting daily at the White House. They carried banners demanding the president take action on women's right to vote.
Police arrest Silent Sentinels
For several months, the protests were peaceful. But Paul began cranking up the tension in the summer, and D.C. police began arresting and detaining the protesters.
Protesters at Occoquan Workhouse
Eventually, suffragists were sentenced to time at Occoquan Workhouse a grim, remote facility. Here several suffragists, including Dora Lewis, pose in their prison uniforms.
Release from Occoquan
Suffragist prisoners began protests in prison, refusing to wear uniforms or do assigned work. Some, including Alice Paul, went on hunger strikes. Prison guards reacted with increasing violence. Here one of the suffragists has to be helped to a car after a harrowing stay at Occoquan.
New York Suffrage Referendum
At the same time the members of the NWP were protesting daily at the White House, members of the rival organization NAWSA were conducting a massive campaign for suffrage in New York. They won the vote for 2 million women and reinforced the nationwide conviction that the time had come for a federal amendment.
African-American Suffrage organization
The New York campaign was one of the most inclusive in suffrage history. NAWSA partnered with both the Wage Earner's Suffrage League and the New York City Colored Woman Suffrage Club. African-American suffrage clubs were popular in northern states; this image is of such a group. (I was unable to figure out exactly where these women were from.)
NAWSA Index Card
After the House of Representatives passed the federal woman suffrage amendment in 1918, the NWP and NAWSA set aside their differences and worked together to lobby Senators for votes for women. They developed an early form of a database in an index card system that tracked each Senator's friends, memberships, and donors. They also logged notes of each meeting with a Senator, as you can see in this card.
Watchfires protests in 1919
When the amendment failed to pass the Senate in 1918, the NWP began its Watchfires protests burning the president's speeches and even an effigy of the man himself. Crowds inevitably gathered, as seen in this photos, and often the women were arrested.
In the summer of 1919, Wilson finally took decisive action, and the House and Senate passed the woman suffrage amendment. The fight moved to the states for ratification. Eventually it all came down to Tennessee the vote of one man, Harry Burn. This is a photo of the letter from Burn's mother that was delivered to him the morning of the vote that made him decide to vote "aye" for suffrage, knowing his constituency would not approve.
Celebration of the 19th Amendment Passage
Women across the country celebrated the passage of the 19th Amendment.
League of Women Voters
NAWSA evolved into the League of Women Voters and devoted itself to the education of new voters. It continues in this role today.
Alice Paul in 1969
Alice Paul kept the National Woman's Party in operation and began advocating for the Equal Rights Amendment to remove all legal descrimination against woman. Here she is seen in 1969 with one of the original banners from the suffrage fight.
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Episode Links | <urn:uuid:78c40485-9344-4e6a-bd5e-7499452c3345> | https://www.theyearthatwaspodcast.com/s1e20-suffrage | en | 0.968494 | 0.076807 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
3 Surprising Tasks Virtual Receptionists Can Do For Medical Providers
The benefits of working with virtual receptionists at a live answering service are numerous for healthcare and medical providers. Some medical providers think that virtual receptionists simply answer calls and take messages. While this is a core service they provide, virtual receptionists can help healthcare practices operate efficiently in many other ways. Here are just 3 ways an answering service helps those in the medical field:
24/7 Presence For Patients
Yes, virtual receptionists answer calls and take messages, but the extent of this goes much deeper. With a live answering service, patients are greeted promptly by professional virtual receptionists who answer the phone with the name of their doctor’s practice, any time of the time of day or night. Patients have peace of mind knowing that someone will always be on the other end of the line when they reach out.
Virtual receptionists can handle a higher call volume and answer phones 24/7, and cost substantially less than employing someone to do the same job in person. The practice is spared the cost of benefits, employee taxes, or overhead expenses of an in-office receptionist, with call answering around the clock. Virtual receptionists work from a remote location at an answering service or call center and use software that’s linked to the medical practice’s computer and phone system so that incoming calls are routed to the operators.
Patients typically don’t know that the person on the other end of the line isn’t actually in the practice’s office. They feel cared for when their calls are answered, rather than being shuttled through voicemail prompts or put on hold for long periods of time.
Convenient Call Screening
Virtual receptionists can screen calls so that doctors and staff members are only notified of urgent issues or matters that need further attention.
Based on the practice’s priorities, calls are carefully screened so that if a call is urgent, the virtual receptionist directs it to the on-call doctor via phone or text. The virtual receptionists are notified when the message is read and can escalate communication efforts if the message isn’t read in a timely manner. If a call is not urgent, the patient’s question is answered courteously and professionally, and a message is forwarded to the practice for follow up if needed.
Staff Support & Scheduling
The virtual receptionists at a professionally trained, HIPAA-compliant answering service can provide staff support by gathering patients’ information prior to their first visit. They can also answer questions about insurance or what to expect for certain office visits or procedures, and help patients with billing and payment inquiries.
By accessing a practice’s online calendar management program, virtual receptionists can schedule, change, or cancel appointments for patients. Updates are immediately provided to doctors and staff so that they can plan accordingly. Virtual receptionists can also make outbound calls to remind patients about appointments, which boosts a practice’s efficiency.
These are just three ways that virtual receptionists at a live answering service can help medical practices operate as efficiently as possible. How your calls are handled reflects on the reputation of your practice, and using the right answering service can make the difference between losing or keeping a patient. Knowing that you care enough to provide full attention 24/7 while keeping their information confidential keeps your patients happy, which grows your practice.
Three decades of medical answering service call answering solutions have earned the virtual receptionists at Voice Link of Columbus, Inc. an 82% referral rate. We save our clients time and money while increasing patient loyalty.
Voice Link offers month-to-month service agreements to meet your unique needs, with no hidden fees. Our excellent reputation, expert staff, and state-of-the-art technology will exceed your expectations. Request information online or call us at (800) 262-2799 for a free consultation. | <urn:uuid:574c1863-400f-4e33-b9f1-ef743130ec5f> | https://yourvoicelink.com/3-surprising-tasks-virtual-receptionists-can-do-for-medical-providers/ | en | 0.924433 | 0.8148 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
16:14, 18 JAN 2012Updated13:56, 24 OCT 2012We are part of the
Birmingham Mail Top Ten: The best curry houses in BirminghamNOW you’ve shed the excess pounds from Christmas with the help of our guide to getting back in shape for the new year and have had chance to work your way through our list of Birmingham’s best beers, we bring you our latest Top Ten, which looks at the city’s curry houses.16:14 pendant for necklace, 18 JAN 2012Updated13:56, 24 OCT 2012We are part of the Trust ProjectGet daily updates directly to your inbox+ SubscribeThank you for subscribing!Could not subscribe, try again laterInvalid EmailNOW you’ve shed the excess pounds from Christmas with the help of our guide to getting back in shape for the new year and have had chance to work your way through our list of Birmingham’s best beers, we bring you our latest Top Ten, which looks at the city’s curry houses.Here are our Top Ten Curry Houses in Birmingham. Do you agree with the list? Let us know your views in the comments section.1. Lasan, Jewellery QuarterThis contemporary Indian award winner is a far cry from the cheap and cheerful curry houses that most of us are used to visiting.
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At Great Scott, TOLEDO and Penelope Isles prove alternative never died
Penelope Isles. Photo by Sabrina Ruiz for WRBB.
TOLEDO and Penelope Isles
October 17, 2019 at Great Scott
The meager amount of people at the Great Scott in Allston did not do performers TOLEDO and Penelope Isles justice. The few people lingering by the bar congregated to the front when the opening band stepped up to the stage. Instead of introducing themselves, the two guys immediately picked up their guitars: one opting for an acoustic, the other an electric. What was next to come cast a magical spell on the crowd of approximately 30 people. The duo’s music was like soothing medicine, with varied electric and acoustic tones blending beautifully. Together, the bandmates harmonized and remained in sync. Halfway through their set, the group introduced themselves as “TOLEDO,” an indie pop rock band from Newbury, Massachusetts. “Represent!” a member of the audience shouted out, just before their formal introduction was greeted with warm applause.
The smaller size of the crowd did not discourage the duo Daniel Alvarez and Jordan Dunn-Pilz as they continued to play their set with pride. The crowd, mainly consisting of adults between 20 and 30, stood listening, drinks in hand. TOLEDO played heartbreaking lullabies such as their songs “Knot” and “Song Without A Name” (literally). Dunn-Pilz messed around with the effects pedal as Alvarez cranked out mini solos on the electric, ending their set with a bang. The group was goofy and interacted with the audience frequently, providing a positive start to the show.
TOLEDO. Photo by Sabrina Ruiz for WRBB.
The main headliner, Penelope Isles, came on stage moments after TOLEDO said their goodbyes. Originally from Brighton, UK, this was the band’s first time performing in Boston, coming as part of their North American tour. The band, founded by siblings Lily and Jack Wolter, are still fairly new in the music industry. Their debut album, Until the Tide Creeps In, was released merely three months ago. The group launched their set with the eerie introduction to their track “Underwater Record Store,” with vocalist’s Lily Wolter’s lilting voice carrying the tune. Soon enough, the crowd was up and dancing, whether alone or with a partner. The front row waved their arms and swayed side to side carefreely as the band sang their most laid-back songs, “Cut Your Hair” and “Three.” The band switched up the mood halfway through the set, with drummer Jack Sowton producing an aggressive drumbeat. The band also opted for long lasting pedal effects, prolonging the ringing of the amps in songs like “Round” and “Leipzig.” The band’s chemistry was evident with the keyboardist, bassist, drummer, and guitarist working together seamlessly. The group members rocked the night away, letting the music surround them. Penelope Isles channeled their heart and soul into their instruments, showing a deep connection to music that they easily shared with the crowd.
After a few more headbangers, they resorted to their original chilled vibes, a staggering shift that required some recovery for the drunken and lively crowd that was now growing by the minute. The set concluded with pure instrumentals before ending abruptly. Soon, the magic of the night was over.
It would be no surprise if in due time, Penelope Isles amasses more fans throughout the states. The initial stage of creating a name is never easy for a musician, but Penelope Isles’ prominent heart and passion ensures that their music will one day be more widely appreciated.
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The reasons...
25 February 2012
Only three and a half years until my 40th birthday *screams* so here are all my reasons for losing weight before I hit the big one.
1. I was either pregnant or breastfeeding (or both) for 3.5 years and now I've got my body back to myself I want to make as good as it deserves
2. I want to be able to buy clothes from anywhere, not just plus size shops and websites
3. To feel fitter and not so knackered all the time
4. Not to ache all over when I get out of bed in the morning
5. When my children get older, I don't want them to look at other mums and wonder why their mum is so much bigger
6. To stop looking around and realising that I'm the fattest person in the room
7. To be able to climb around the playgym/play football/run around with the darlings and not get out of breath after 2 minutes... I want them to grow up with memories of a healthy and fit mum
8. To feel attractive and get noticed by people
9. When I look in the mirror I don't see a fat person (I'm in denial!) so I want my body to match what's in my head!
10. To be able to wear skirts (with tights and long boots in the winter)
1. I have denial issues! I think I am thin but my dress size disagrees...
Good luck, my diet started today it has gone rather well, tomorrow I am having dust for breakfast x x x
1. Good luck with your diet too, hope you enjoyed your dust! X
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The mother of four-year-old Themba died weeks after his birth. He is being raised by his grandmother Sophie
"She left me with so many children," says Sophie Hlophe*, as if thinking out loud. The 69-year-old is sitting in the living area of the two- bedroom RDP house in Katlehong, a township east of Johannesburg, that she shares with her husband and five grandchildren.
"What will I do with all these children? I can't even scold them – children nowadays are very naughty. They need someone who will be patient with them. What will I do?"
Four years ago, Hlophe was standing in front of the sink in her small kitchenette mixing formula powder with hot water in her grandson, Themba's* bottle. The infant was agitated because his mother had been admitted to Natalspruit hospital the previous day.
Before she could tend to the restless bundle squirming on her bed in the room just a few steps away, Hlophe's cellphone rang. It was a nurse from the hospital: "Your daughter is dead," she said.
Hlophe was shocked. The 37-year-old Sonto*, her youngest daughter, was fine just a few days before.
"I had no idea how this could have happened," she says.
Sonto had not had any health problems and seemed to be recovering well from her baby's birth.
But, three weeks after having Themba, she developed a cough that only got worse. Three days later, her brother and a relative who lived nearby offered to take her to the hospital in an old white bakkie.
With Sonto's toiletries packed, they helped her into the back. Hlophe and Themba joined them. Sonto's four other children stayed at home with their grandfather. The old car rushed through the crowded township streets to the nearby Natalspruit hospital where, Hlophe expected, her daughter would get well soon. Instead, the phone call.
Four years later
Today, on a cold winter's morning, Hlophe's home is filled with the sound of cartoons on the television and her grandchildren lazing around on the worn-out couches: Sonto's children are now four, nine, 12, 13 and 22 years old.
Putting on a brave face, Hlophe leans back against the rest of the steel-framed chair in the modest living space of her home.
Themba, now four years old, plays aimlessly on a red carpet. Shy eyes peep out from under long lashes as he pretends not to listen to his gran talking about his mother's death.
"Life has been very difficult since my daughter left us. Though she was not formally employed, she took care of her children with the money she made as a traditional healer," said Hlophe, taking a small black container of snuff out of the right pocket of her woollen jersey.
Years have passed but Hlophe is still uncertain of the cause of her daughter's death – nobody ever explained this to her.
"My daughter often complained of pain at the back of her neck, stress and high blood [pressure]."
On the day Sonto was hospitalised, Hlophe overheard doctors saying she died from "nerves".
Masechaba Lehoko is a social worker with a local home-based care organisation, Kwenele Place for New Hope. She has been helping Hlope to access social grants for her grandchildren. She suspects that Sonto died of pregnancy-related hypertension, also known as pre-eclampsia. She says in some cases maternal deaths are recorded as being from "natural causes" without specifying what the cause is.
Lehoko, who works with 20 families in the township, says hypertension is a major problem in the community, especially among pregnant women, because they often delayed going to antenatal clinics.
"This weekend, gogo's [Hlophe's] neighbours will be burying their 17-year-old daughter, who was seven months pregnant. She, too, died of pre-eclampsia," Lehoko explains. "The baby didn't make it either. She complained of high blood pressure, dizziness and her legs were swollen, but she never went to the clinic."
Health department statistics show that every year about 310 out of 100000 women die in South Africa during pregnancy, childbirth or within 42 days thereafter.
Last year, the department released a report on maternal deaths. At 14%, pre-eclampsia was the third most common cause of maternal mortality after HIV (40%) and excessive bleeding (28%).
Pregnancy a "dangerous" time
Maternal health specialist Eddie Mhlanga says pregnancy and childbirth are dangerous periods in a woman's life. Mhlanga says Sonto may have died of a heart condition caused by pre-eclampsia.
"The period before, during and after delivery is full of complications. High blood pressure can be lethal during this period, up to six weeks after delivery," he says. "It is crucial for women to be checked for high blood pressure even after childbirth."
According to Mhlanga pulmonary embolism, a blockage of the arteries in the lungs caused by a blood clot that moves from another part of the body such as the leg or pelvis, could also have caused Sonto's death. Lehoko says the impact of maternal deaths is most visible in homes where grandparents are left to take care of young children.
"It's a difficult situation because grannies don't work any more and they rely on their pension," she says. "The child support grant provided by government isn't enough to raise a child on, but most grandparents aren't aware of foster care grants."
The child support grant is a monthly payment of R290 to a child's primary carer. The foster care grant, which is R800 a month, requires court documents proving legal guardianship.
Because Themba's mother died before she could officially register his birth, Hlophe had the infant registered under her surname, which made it easier to access a foster care grant for him. But it took her almost three years after her daughter's death to access grants for her three other grandchildren.
"At first, the social workers couldn't understand that the children's mother had died and because we don't know where their father is, we get no assistance from him," she says. "But I got them registered, eventually. Now that I get their grant money things are looking better."
Survived by "God's grace"
Leaning forward in her seat, Hlophe puts pinches of the brown tobacco snuff powder into each of her nostrils.
"We survived by God's grace. He will never lead us astray. He does everything with a purpose," she says, blowing her nose into a piece of white cloth. "My children and I had it rough. I fed them pap, water and sugar. Now here they are, all grown up."
Despite having to sustain a family of seven on a combined income of R4200 a month, Hlophe doesn't compromise her grandchildren's wellbeing.
"Three days after I get paid I have no money left because we have to buy groceries and meat and polony and Danone [yoghurt] … All these things that make them happy."
Hlophe cranes her neck to peer through the tiny living room window. Her neighbours are awaiting the arrival of their daughter's corpse for the burial.
"Death is always hard to deal with," she says. Her own grandchildren are still battling to come to terms with their mother's death.
"They don't understand when I say she is with God – they don't go to church any more," says Hlophe as a glimmer of tears well up behind her thick-framed glasses. "When you pray, they leave the room saying ‘I wonder who will die now'."
* Names have been changed
For an in-depth look at the impact of HIV and public health system failures on maternal mortality, read one of our previous stories on the issue. | <urn:uuid:e36f0065-bc25-4c6d-bfec-9c69f471e443> | https://bhekisisa.org/article/2013-07-12-00-when-mother-is-snatched-awaygogo-picks-up-the-pieces/ | en | 0.983412 | 0.037433 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Germanic languages
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Worldwide, principally northern, western and central Europe, the Americas (Anglo-America, Caribbean Netherlands and Suriname), Southern Africa and Oceania
Linguistic classificationIndo-European
• Germanic
ISO 639-2 / 5gem
Linguasphere52- (phylozone)
world map showing countries where a Germanic language is the primary or official language
Countries where the first language of the majority of the population is a Germanic language
Countries or regions where a Germanic language is an official language but not a primary language
Countries or regions where a Germanic language is unofficial but recognised, used in some areas of life or spoken among a local minority
The Germanic languages are a branch of the Indo-European language family spoken natively by a population of about 515 million people[nb 1] mainly in Europe, North America, Oceania and Southern Africa. The most widely spoken Germanic language, English, is the world's most widely spoken language with an estimated 2 billion speakers. All Germanic languages are derived from Proto-Germanic, spoken in Iron Age Scandinavia.
The West Germanic languages include the three most widely spoken Germanic languages: English with around 360–400 million native speakers;[3][nb 2] German, with over 100 million native speakers;[4] and Dutch, with 24 million native speakers. Other West Germanic languages include Afrikaans, an offshoot of Dutch, with over 7.1 million native speakers;[5] Low German, considered a separate collection of unstandardized dialects, with roughly 0.3 million native speakers and probably 6.7–10 million people who can understand it[6][7] (at least 5 million in Germany[6] and 1.7 million in the Netherlands);[8] Yiddish, once used by approximately 13 million Jews in pre-World War II Europe,[9] and Scots, both with 1.5 million native speakers; Limburgish varieties with roughly 1.3 million speakers along the DutchBelgianGerman border; and the Frisian languages with over 0.5 million native speakers in the Netherlands and Germany.
The largest North Germanic languages are Danish, Norwegian and Swedish, which are mutually intelligible and have a combined total of about 20 million native speakers in the Nordic countries and an additional five million second language speakers; since the middle ages these languages have however been strongly influenced by the West Germanic language Middle Low German, and Low German words account for about 30–60% of their vocabularies according to various estimates. Other North Germanic languages are Faroese and Icelandic, which are more conservative languages with no significant Low German influence, more complex grammar and limited mutual intelligibility with the others today.[10]
The East Germanic branch included Gothic, Burgundian, and Vandalic, all of which are now extinct. The last to die off was Crimean Gothic, spoken until the late 18th century in some isolated areas of Crimea.[11]
The SIL Ethnologue lists 48 different living Germanic languages, 41 of which belong to the Western branch and six to the Northern branch; it places Riograndenser Hunsrückisch German in neither of the categories, but it is often considered a German dialect by linguists.[12] The total number of Germanic languages throughout history is unknown as some of them, especially the East Germanic languages, disappeared during or after the Migration Period. Some of the West Germanic languages also did not survive past the Migration Period, including Lombardic. As a result of World War II, the German language suffered a significant loss of Sprachraum, as well as moribundness and extinction of several of its dialects. In the 21st century, its dialects are dying out anyway[nb 3] due to Standard German gaining primacy.[13]
The common ancestor of all of the languages in this branch is called Proto-Germanic, also known as Common Germanic, which was spoken in about the middle of the 1st millennium BC in Iron Age Scandinavia. Proto-Germanic, along with all of its descendants, is characterised by a number of unique linguistic features, most famously the consonant change known as Grimm's law. Early varieties of Germanic entered history with the Germanic tribes moving south from Scandinavia in the 2nd century BC, to settle in the area of today's northern Germany and southern Denmark.
Modern status[edit]
The present-day distribution of the Germanic languages in Europe:
North Germanic languages
West Germanic languages
Dots indicate areas where multilingualism is common.
West Germanic languages[edit]
English is an official language of Belize, Canada, Nigeria, Falkland Islands, Malta, New Zealand, Ireland, South Africa, Philippines, Jamaica, Dominica, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, American Samoa, Palau, St. Lucia, Grenada, Barbados, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Puerto Rico, Guam, Hong Kong, Singapore, Pakistan, India, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands and former British colonies in Asia, Africa and Oceania. Furthermore, it is the de facto language of the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia. It is also a recognised language in Nicaragua[14] and Malaysia. American English-speakers make up the majority of all native Germanic speakers, including also making up the bulk of West Germanic speakers.
German is an official language of Austria, Belgium, Germany, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg and Switzerland and has regional status in Italy, Poland, Namibia and Denmark. German also continues to be spoken as a minority language by immigrant communities in North America, South America, Central America, Mexico and Australia. A German dialect, Pennsylvania German, is still present amongst Anabaptist populations in Pennsylvania in the United States.
Dutch is an official language of Aruba, Belgium, Curaçao, the Netherlands, Sint Maarten, and Suriname.[15] The Netherlands also colonised Indonesia, but Dutch was scrapped as an official language after Indonesian independence and today it is only used by older or traditionally educated people. Dutch was until 1984 an official language in South Africa but evolved in and was replaced by Afrikaans, a partially mutually intelligible[16] daughter language of Dutch.
Afrikaans is one of the 11 official languages in South Africa and is a lingua franca of Namibia. It is used in other Southern African nations, as well.
Low German is a collection of very diverse dialects spoken in the northeast of the Netherlands and northern Germany.
Scots is spoken in Lowland Scotland and parts of Ulster (where the local dialect is known as Ulster Scots).[17]
Frisian is spoken among half a million people who live on the southern fringes of the North Sea in the Netherlands, Germany, and Denmark.
Luxembourgish is a Moselle Franconian dialect that is spoken mainly in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, where it is considered to be an official language.[18] Similar varieties of Moselle Franconian are spoken in small parts of Belgium, France, and Germany.
Yiddish, once a native language of some 11 to 13 million people, remains in use by some 1.5 million speakers in Jewish communities around the world, mainly in North America, Europe, Israel, and other regions with Jewish populations.[9]
Limburgish varieties are spoken in the Limburg and Rhineland regions, along the Dutch–Belgian–German border.
North Germanic languages[edit]
In addition to being the official language in Sweden, Swedish is also spoken natively by the Swedish-speaking minority in Finland, which is a large part of the population along the coast of western and southern Finland. Swedish is also one of the two official languages in Finland, along with Finnish, and the only official language in the Åland Islands. Swedish is also spoken by some people in Estonia.
Danish is an official language of Denmark and in its overseas territory of the Faroe Islands, and it is a lingua franca and language of education in its other overseas territory of Greenland, where it was one of the official languages until 2009. Danish is also spoken natively by the Danish minority in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein, where it is recognised as a minority language.
Norwegian is the official language of Norway.
Icelandic is the official language of Iceland.
Faroese is the official language of the Faroe Islands, and it is also spoken by some people in Denmark.
Germanic languages by share (West Germanic in yellow-red shades and North Germanic in blue shades):[nb 4]
English (69.9%)
German (19.4%)
Dutch (4.5%)
Afrikaans (1.4%)
Other West Germanic (1%)
Swedish (1.8%)
Danish (1.1%)
Norwegian (1%)
Other North Germanic (0.1%)
Germanic languages by number of native speakers (million)
Language Native speakers[nb 5]
English 360–400[3]
German (Deutsch) 100[19][nb 6]
Dutch (Nederlands) 24[20]
Swedish (Svenska) 11.1[21]
Afrikaans (Afrikaans) 7.1[22]
Danish (Dansk) 5.5[23]
Norwegian (Norsk) 5.3[24]
Yiddish (ייִדיש) 1.5[25]
Scots (Scots) 1.5[26]
Limburgish (Lèmburgs) 1.3[27]
Frisian (Frysk/Noordfreesk/Seeltersk) 0.5[28]
Luxembourgish (Lëtzebuergesch) 0.4[29]
Low German (Platt/Neddersassch/Leegsaksies) 0.3[30]
Icelandic (Íslenska) 0.3[31]
Faroese (Føroyskt) 0.07[32]
Other Germanic languages 0.01[nb 7]
Total est. 515[nb 8]
Settlements before 750 BCE
New settlements by 500 BCE
New settlements by 250 BCE
New settlements by 1 CE
All Germanic languages are thought to be descended from a hypothetical Proto-Germanic, united by subjection to the sound shifts of Grimm's law and Verner's law. These probably took place during the Pre-Roman Iron Age of Northern Europe from c. 500 BC. Proto-Germanic itself was likely spoken after c. 500 BC,[33] and Proto-Norse from the 2nd century AD and later is still quite close to reconstructed Proto-Germanic, but other common innovations separating Germanic from Proto-Indo-European suggest a common history of pre-Proto-Germanic speakers throughout the Nordic Bronze Age.
From the time of their earliest attestation, the Germanic varieties are divided into three groups: West, East, and North Germanic. Their exact relation is difficult to determine from the sparse evidence of runic inscriptions.
The western group would have formed in the late Jastorf culture, and the eastern group may be derived from the 1st-century variety of Gotland, leaving southern Sweden as the original location of the northern group. The earliest period of Elder Futhark (2nd to 4th centuries) predates the division in regional script variants, and linguistically essentially still reflect the Common Germanic stage. The Vimose inscriptions include some of the oldest datable Germanic inscriptions, starting in c. 160 AD.
The earliest coherent Germanic text preserved is the 4th-century Gothic translation of the New Testament by Ulfilas. Early testimonies of West Germanic are in Old Frankish/Old Dutch (the 5th-century Bergakker inscription), Old High German (scattered words and sentences 6th century and coherent texts 9th century), and Old English (oldest texts 650, coherent texts 10th century). North Germanic is only attested in scattered runic inscriptions, as Proto-Norse, until it evolves into Old Norse by about 800.
Longer runic inscriptions survive from the 8th and 9th centuries (Eggjum stone, Rök stone), longer texts in the Latin alphabet survive from the 12th century (Íslendingabók), and some skaldic poetry dates back to as early as the 9th century.
By about the 10th century, the varieties had diverged enough to make inter-comprehensibility difficult. The linguistic contact of the Viking settlers of the Danelaw with the Anglo-Saxons left traces in the English language and is suspected to have facilitated the collapse of Old English grammar that resulted in Middle English from the 12th century.
The East Germanic languages were marginalized from the end of the Migration Period. The Burgundians, Goths, and Vandals became linguistically assimilated by their respective neighbors by about the 7th century, with only Crimean Gothic lingering on until the 18th century.
During the early Middle Ages, the West Germanic languages were separated by the insular development of Middle English on one hand and by the High German consonant shift on the continent on the other, resulting in Upper German and Low Saxon, with graded intermediate Central German varieties. By early modern times, the span had extended into considerable differences, ranging from Highest Alemannic in the South to Northern Low Saxon in the North, and, although both extremes are considered German, they are hardly mutually intelligible. The southernmost varieties had completed the second sound shift, while the northern varieties remained unaffected by the consonant shift.
The North Germanic languages, on the other hand, remained unified until well past 1000 AD, and in fact the mainland Scandinavian languages still largely retain mutual intelligibility into modern times. The main split in these languages is between the mainland languages and the island languages to the west, especially Icelandic, which has maintained the grammar of Old Norse virtually unchanged, while the mainland languages have diverged greatly.
Distinctive characteristics[edit]
Germanic languages possess a number of defining features compared with other Indo-European languages.
Some of the most well-known are the following:
1. The sound changes known as Grimm's Law and Verner's Law, which shifted the values of all the Indo-European stop consonants (for example, original */t d dʰ/ became Germanic */θ t d/ in most cases; compare three with Latin tres, two with Latin duo, do with Sanskrit dha-). The recognition of these two sound laws were seminal events in the understanding of the regular nature of linguistic sound change and the development of the comparative method, which forms the basis of modern historical linguistics.
2. The development of a strong stress on the first syllable of the word, which triggered significant phonological reduction of all other syllables. This is responsible for the reduction of most of the basic English, Norwegian, Danish and Swedish words into monosyllables, and the common impression of modern English and German as consonant-heavy languages. Examples are Proto-Germanic *strangiþōstrength, *aimaitijōant, *haubudąhead, *hauzijanąhear, *harubistaz → German Herbst "autumn, harvest", *hagatusjō → German Hexe "witch, hag".
3. A change known as Germanic umlaut, which modified vowel qualities when a high front vocalic segment (/i/, /iː/ or /j/) followed in the next syllable. Generally, back vowels were fronted, and front vowels were raised. In many languages, the modified vowels are indicated with a diaeresis (e.g., ä ö ü in German, pronounced /ɛ ø y/, respectively). This change resulted in pervasive alternations in related words — still extremely prominent in modern German but present only in remnants in modern English (e.g., mouse/mice, goose/geese, broad/breadth, tell/told, old/elder, foul/filth, gold/gild[34]).
4. Large numbers of vowel qualities. English is typical in this respect, with around 11–12 vowels in most dialects (not counting diphthongs). Standard Swedish has 17 pure vowels (monophthongs),[35] standard German and Dutch 14, and Danish at least 11.[36] The Amstetten dialect of Bavarian German has 13 distinctions among long vowels alone, one of the largest such inventories in the world.[37]
5. Verb second (V2) word order, which is uncommon cross-linguistically. Exactly one noun phrase or adverbial element must precede the verb; in particular, if an adverb or prepositional phrase precedes the verb, then the subject must immediately follow the finite verb. This is now largely absent in modern English, except in sentences beginning with "Here is," "There is," "Here comes," "There goes," and related expressions, as well as in a few relic sentences such as "Over went the boat" or "Pop Goes The Weasel", but is found in all other modern Germanic languages.
Other significant characteristics are:
1. The reduction of the various tense and aspect combinations of the Indo-European verbal system into only two: the present tense and the past tense (also called the preterite).
2. A large class of verbs that use a dental suffix (/d/ or /t/) instead of vowel alternation (Indo-European ablaut) to indicate past tense. These are called the Germanic weak verbs; the remaining verbs with vowel ablaut are the Germanic strong verbs.
3. A distinction in definiteness of a noun phrase that is marked by different sets of inflectional endings for adjectives, the so-called strong and weak adjectives. A similar development happened in the Balto-Slavic languages. This distinction has been lost in modern English but was present in Old English and remains in all other Germanic languages to various degrees.
4. Some words with etymologies that are difficult to link to other Indo-European families but with variants that appear in almost all Germanic languages. See Germanic substrate hypothesis.
Note that some of the above characteristics were not present in Proto-Germanic but developed later as areal features that spread from language to language:
• Germanic umlaut only affected the North and West Germanic languages (which represent all modern Germanic languages) but not the now-extinct East Germanic languages, such as Gothic, nor Proto-Germanic, the common ancestor of all Germanic languages.
• The large inventory of vowel qualities is a later development, due to a combination of Germanic umlaut and the tendency in many Germanic languages for pairs of long/short vowels of originally identical quality to develop distinct qualities, with the length distinction sometimes eventually lost. Proto-Germanic had only five distinct vowel qualities, although there were more actual vowel phonemes because length and possibly nasality were phonemic. In modern German, long-short vowel pairs still exist but are also distinct in quality.
• Proto-Germanic probably had a more general S-O-V-I word order. However, the tendency toward V2 order may have already been present in latent form and may be related to Wackernagel's Law, an Indo-European law dictating that sentence clitics must be placed second.[38]
Roughly speaking, Germanic languages differ in how conservative or how progressive each language is with respect to an overall trend toward analyticity. Some, such as Icelandic and, to a lesser extent, German, have preserved much of the complex inflectional morphology inherited from Proto-Germanic (and in turn from Proto-Indo-European). Others, such as English, Swedish, and Afrikaans, have moved toward a largely analytic type.
Linguistic developments[edit]
The subgroupings of the Germanic languages are defined by shared innovations. It is important to distinguish innovations from cases of linguistic conservatism. That is, if two languages in a family share a characteristic that is not observed in a third language, that is evidence of common ancestry of the two languages only if the characteristic is an innovation compared to the family's proto-language.
The following innovations are common to the Northwest Germanic languages (all but Gothic):
• The lowering of /u/ to /o/ in initial syllables before /a/ in the following syllable ("a-Umlaut", traditionally called Brechung)
• "Labial umlaut" in unstressed medial syllables (the conversion of /a/ to /u/ and /ō/ to /ū/ before /m/, or /u/ in the following syllable)[39]
• The conversion of /ē1/ into /ā/ (vs. Gothic /ē/) in stressed syllables.[40] In unstressed syllables, West Germanic also has this change, but North Germanic has shortened the vowel to /e/, then raised it to /i/. This suggests it was an areal change.
• The raising of final /ō/ to /u/ (Gothic lowers it to /a/). It is kept distinct from the nasal /ǭ/, which is not raised.
• The monophthongisation of /ai/ and /au/ to /ē/ and /ō/ in non-initial syllables (however, evidence for the development of /au/ in medial syllables is lacking).
• The development of an intensified demonstrative ending in /s/ (reflected in English "this" compared to "the")
• Introduction of a distinct ablaut grade in Class VII strong verbs, while Gothic uses reduplication (e.g. Gothic haihait; ON, OE hēt, preterite of the Gmc verb *haitan "to be called")[41] as part of a comprehensive reformation of the Gmc Class VII from a reduplicating to a new ablaut pattern, which presumably started in verbs beginning with vowel or /h/[42] (a development which continues the general trend of de-reduplication in Gmc[43]); there are forms (such as OE dial. heht instead of hēt) which retain traces of reduplication even in West and North Germanic
The following innovations are also common to the Northwest Germanic languages but represent areal changes:
• Proto-Germanic /z/ > /r/ (e.g. Gothic dius; ON dȳr, OHG tior, OE dēor, "wild animal"); note that this is not present in Proto-Norse and must be ordered after West Germanic loss of final /z/
• Germanic umlaut
The following innovations are common to the West Germanic languages:
• Loss of final /z/. In single-syllable words, Old High German retains it (as /r/), while it disappears in the other West Germanic languages.
• Change of [ð] (fricative allophone of /d/) to stop [d] in all environments.
• Change of /lþ/ to stop /ld/ (except word-finally).[44]
• West Germanic gemination of consonants, except r, before /j/. This only occurred in short-stemmed words due to Sievers' law. Gemination of /p/, /t/, /k/ and /h/ is also observed before liquids.
• Labiovelar consonants become plain velar when non-initial.
• A particular type of umlaut /e-u-i/ > /i-u-i/.
• Changes to the 2nd person singular past-tense: Replacement of the past-singular stem vowel with the past-plural stem vowel, and substitution of the ending -t with .
• Short forms (*stān, stēn, *gān, gēn) of the verbs for "stand" and "go"; but note that Crimean Gothic also has gēn.
• The development of a gerund.
The following innovations are common to the Ingvaeonic subgroup of the West Germanic languages, which includes English, Frisian, and in a few cases Dutch and Low German, but not High German:
• The so-called Ingvaeonic nasal spirant law, with loss of /n/ before voiceless fricatives: e.g. *munþ, *gans > Old English mūþ, gōs > "mouth, goose", but German Mund, Gans.
• The loss of the Germanic reflexive pronoun.
• The reduction of the three Germanic verbal plural forms into one form ending in .
• The development of Class III weak verbs into a relic class consisting of four verbs (*sagjan "to say", *hugjan "to think", *habjan "to have", *libjan "to live"; cf. the numerous Old High German verbs in -ēn).
• The split of the Class II weak verb ending *-ō- into *-ō-/-ōja- (cf. Old English -ian < -ōjan, but Old High German -ōn).
• Development of a plural ending *-ōs in a-stem nouns (note, Gothic also has -ōs, but this is an independent development, caused by terminal devoicing of *-ōz; Old Frisian has -ar, which is thought to be a late borrowing from Danish). Cf. modern English plural -(e)s, but German plural -e.
• Possibly, the monophthongization of Germanic *ai to ē/ā (this may represent independent changes in Old Saxon and Anglo-Frisian).
The following innovations are common to the Anglo-Frisian subgroup of the Ingvaeonic languages:
Common linguistic features[edit]
The oldest Germanic languages all share a number of features, which are assumed to be inherited from Proto-Germanic. Phonologically, it includes the important sound changes known as Grimm's Law and Verner's Law, which introduced a large number of fricatives; late Proto-Indo-European had only one, /s/.
The main vowel developments are the merging (in most circumstances) of long and short /a/ and /o/, producing short /a/ and long /ō/. That likewise affected the diphthongs, with PIE /ai/ and /oi/ merging into /ai/ and PIE /au/ and /ou/ merging into /au/. PIE /ei/ developed into long /ī/. PIE long /ē/ developed into a vowel denoted as /ē1/ (often assumed to be phonetically [æː]), while a new, fairly uncommon long vowel /ē2/ developed in varied and not completely understood circumstances. Proto-Germanic had no front rounded vowels, but all Germanic languages except for Gothic subsequently developed them through the process of i-umlaut.
Proto-Germanic developed a strong stress accent on the first syllable of the root, but remnants of the original free PIE accent are visible due to Verner's Law, which was sensitive to this accent. That caused a steady erosion of vowels in unstressed syllables. In Proto-Germanic, that had progressed only to the point that absolutely-final short vowels (other than /i/ and /u/) were lost and absolutely-final long vowels were shortened, but all of the early literary languages show a more advanced state of vowel loss. This ultimately resulted in some languages (like Modern English) losing practically all vowels following the main stress and the consequent rise of a very large number of monosyllabic words.
Table of outcomes[edit]
The following table shows the main outcomes of Proto-Germanic vowels and consonants in the various older languages. For vowels, only the outcomes in stressed syllables are shown. Outcomes in unstressed syllables are quite different, vary from language to language and depend on a number of other factors (such as whether the syllable was medial or final, whether the syllable was open or closed and (in some cases) whether the preceding syllable was light or heavy).
• C- means before a vowel (word-initially, or sometimes after a consonant).
• -C- means between vowels.
• -C means after a vowel (word-finally or before a consonant). Word-final outcomes generally occurred after deletion of final short vowels, which occurred shortly after Proto-Germanic and is reflected in the history of all written languages except for Proto-Norse.
• The above three are given in the order C-, -C-, -C. If one is omitted, the previous one applies. For example, f, -[v]- means that [v] occurs after a vowel regardless of what follows.
• Something like a(…u) means "a if /u/ occurs in the next syllable".
• Something like a(n) means "a if /n/ immediately follows".
• Something like (n)a means "a if /n/ immediately precedes".
Development of Germanic sounds
Proto-Germanic[45][2] (Pre-)Gothic[a][46][47] Old Norse[48] Old English[49][50][51][52][53][54][55] Old High German[56][57]
a a a, ɔ(…u)[b] æ, a(…a),[c] a/o(n), æ̆ă(h,rC,lC)[d] a
a(…i)[e] e, ø(…u)[b] e, æ, ĭy̆(h,rC,lC)[d] e, a(hs,ht,Cw)
ãː(…i)[e] æː äː
æː eː, ɛː(V) æː, æa(h)[d]
æː(…i)[e] æː æː äː
e i, ɛ(h,hʷ,r) ja,[f] jø(…u),[b] (w,r,l)e, (w,r,l)ø(…u)[b] e, ĕŏ(h,w,rC)[d] e, i(…u)
e(…i)[e] i, y(…w)[b] i i
eː, ɛː(V) ie
i i, ɛ(h,hʷ,r) i, y(…w)[b] i, ĭŭ(h,w,rC)[d] i
iː, iu(h)
oː, ɔː(V) uo
oː(…i)[e] øː üö
u u, ɔ(h,hʷ,r) u, o(…a)[c] u, o(…a)[c] u, o(…a)[c]
u(…i)[e] y y ü
uː, ɔː(V)
uː(…i)[e] üː
ai ai[a] ei, ey(…w),[b] aː(h,r)[g] ei, eː(r,h,w,#)[h]
ai(…i)[e] ei, æː(h,r) æː
au au[a] au, oː(h) æa ou, oː(h,T)[i]
au(…i)[e] ey, øː(h) iy öü, öː(h,T)[i]
eu iu juː, joː(T)[j] eo io, iu(…i/u)[c]
eu(…i)[e] iy
p p p p pf-, -ff-, -f
t t t t ts-, -ss-, -s[k]
k k k k, tʃ(i,e,æ)-, -k-, -(i)tʃ-, -tʃ(i)-[l] k-, -xx-, -x
kv, -k kw-, -k-, -(i)tʃ-, -tʃ(i)-[l] kw-, -xx-, -x
b-, -[β]-[m] b-, -[β]-, -f b-, -[v]- b-, -[v]-, -f b
d-, -[ð]-[m] d-, -[ð]-, -þ d-, -[ð]- d t
[ɣ]-, -[ɣ]-[m] g-, -[ɣ]-, -[x] g-, -[ɣ]- g-, j(æ,e,i)-, -[ɣ]-, -j(æ,e,i)-, -(æ,e,i)j-[l] g
f f f, -[v]- f, -[v]-, -f f
þ þ þ, -[ð]- þ, -[ð]-, -þ d
x h h, -∅- h, -∅-, -h h
xv, -∅- hw, -∅-, -h hw, -h-
s s s-, -[z]- s-, -[z]-, -s ṣ-, -[ẓ]-, -ṣ[k]
z -z-, -s r -r-, -∅ -r-, -∅
r[n] r r r r
l l l l l
n n n-, -∅(s,p,t,k),[o] -∅[p] n, -∅(f,s,þ)[o] n
m m m m m
j[q] j ∅-, -j-, -∅ j j
w[q] w ∅-, v-(a,e,i), -v-, -∅ w w
1. ^ a b c The Gothic writing system uses the spelling ⟨ai⟩ to represent vowels that derive primarily from four different sources:
1. Proto-Germanic /ai/
2. Proto-Germanic /eː/ and /æː/ before vowels
3. Proto-Germanic /e/ and /i/ before /h/, /hʷ/ and /r/
4. Greek /ɛ/.
The spelling ⟨au⟩ is similarly used to represent vowels primarily deriving from the following four sources:
1. Proto-Germanic /au/
2. Proto-Germanic /oː/ and /uː/ before vowels
3. Proto-Germanic /u/ before /h/, /hʷ/ and /r/
4. Greek /ɔ/.
It is generally agreed that the outcome of case 2 was pronounced [ɛː/ɔː] in Gothic, distinct from the vowels written ⟨e⟩ and ⟨o⟩, which were pronounced [eː/oː]. Likewise, it is generally agreed that the outcomes of cases 3 and 4 were pronounced [ɛ] and [ɔ] in Gothic. However, there is some argument over whether the outcomes of case 1 were still pronounced as diphthongs [ai/au], as in Proto-Germanic, or had merged with case 2 as monophthongs [ɛː/ɔː]. There is some historical evidence (particularly from Latin spelling variations of Gaut- vs. Gōt-, used to represent the name of the Goths) that the Proto-Germanic diphthongs had changed into monophthongs shortly before (i.e., within a century of) the time of Wulfila, who designed the Gothic alphabet and wrote the Gothic Bible c. 360 AD. This accords with the fact that Wulfila used the same symbols ⟨ai/au⟩ to represent all the outcomes, despite the fact that the spellings ⟨aj/aw⟩ were available to unambiguously represent diphthongs (and, in fact, alternate with ⟨ai/au⟩ in a number of nominal and verbal paradigms). The use of the spelling ⟨ai⟩ to represent a monophthong [ɛ(ː)] was evidently in imitation of 4th century Greek, where ⟨ai⟩ likewise stood for [ɛː], and ⟨au⟩ was apparently created by analogy. Consistent with many sources, such as Bennett (1980), the phonology described here is that of "Pre-Gothic" (i.e., the phonology of Gothic just before the monophthongization of /ai/ and /au/).
2. ^ a b c d e f g In Old Norse, non-rounded vowels become rounded when a /u/ or /w/ follows in the next syllable, in a process known as u-umlaut. Some vowels were affected similarly, but only by a following /w/; this process is sometimes termed w-umlaut. These processes operated after i-umlaut. U-umlaut (by a following /u/ or /w/) caused /a/, /ja/ (broken /e/), /aː/, and /e/ to round to /ɔ/ (written ), /jɔ/ (written jo̧), /ɔː/ (written ó̧ and later unrounded again to /aː/), and /ø/, respectively. The vowels /i/ and /ai/ rounded to /y/ and /ey/, respectively, only before /w/. Short /a/ become /ø/ by a combination of i-umlaut and w-umlaut.
3. ^ a b c d e A process known as a-mutation or a-umlaut caused short /u/ to lower to /o/ before a non-high vowel (usually /a/) in the following syllable. All languages except Gothic were affected, although there are various exceptions in all the languages. Two similar process later operated:
• In Old High German, /iu/ (from Proto-Germanic /eu/,/iu/) became /io/ before a non-high vowel in the next syllable.
• In Old English, /æ/ (from Proto-Germanic /a/) became /a/ before /a/ in the next syllable.
All of these processes were blocked in an i-umlaut context (i.e. by a following /j/).
4. ^ a b c d e The diphthongal results are due to Old English breaking. In general, front vowels break into diphthongs before some subset of h, w, rC, and lC, where C is a consonant. The diphthong /æa/ is written ea; /eo/ is written eo; /iu/ is written io; and /iy/ is written ie. All diphthongs umlaut to /iy/ ie. All diphthongs occur both long and short. Note that there is significant dispute about the actual pronunciation of io and (especially) ie. Their interpretation as /iu/ and /iy/, respectively, follows Lass (1994), Old English: A historical linguistic companion.
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j All languages except Gothic were affected by i-umlaut. This was the most significant of the various umlaut processes operating in the Germanic languages, and caused back vowels to become fronted, and front vowels to be raised, when /i/, /iː/ or /j/ followed in the next syllable. The term i-umlaut actually refers to two separate processes that both were triggered in the same environment. The earlier process raised /e/ and /eu/ to /i/ and /iu/, respectively, and may have operated still in Proto-Germanic (with its effects in Gothic obscured due to later changes). The later process affected all back vowels and some front vowels; it operated independently in the various languages, occurring at differing times with differing results. Old English was the earliest and most-affected language, with nearly all vowels affected. Old High German was the last language to be affected; the only written evidence of the process is with short /a/, which is umlauted to /e/. However, later evidence suggests that other back vowels were also affected, perhaps still sub-phonemically in Old High German times. These are indicated with a diaeresis or "umlaut" symbol (two dots) placed over the affected vowels.
6. ^ Proto-Germanic /e/ usually became Old Norse /ja/ by a process known as vowel breaking.
7. ^ Before Proto-Germanic /x/, /xʷ/ or /r/, but not before Proto-Germanic /z/ (which only merged with /r/ much later in North Germanic). Cf. Old Norse árr (masc.) "messenger" < PG *airuz, ár (fem.) "oar" < PG *airō, vs. eir (fem.) "honor" < PG *aizō, eir (neut.) "bronze" < PG *aizan. (All four become ār in Old English; in Gothic, they become, respectively, airus, (unattested), *aiza, *aiz.) Cf. Köbler, Gerhard. "Altenglisches Wörterbuch" (PDF).
8. ^ Before /r/, /h/ (including when derived from Proto-Germanic /xʷ/) or /w/, or word-finally.
9. ^ a b Before /h/ (including when derived from Proto-Germanic /xʷ/) or before any dental consonant, i.e. /s/,/z/,/þ/,/t/,/d/,/r/,/l/,/n/.
11. ^ a b The result of the High German consonant shift produced a different sort of s than the original Proto-Germanic s. The former was written ⟨z⟩ and the latter ⟨s⟩. It is thought that the former was a dental /s/, somewhat like in English, while the latter was an "apicoalveolar" sound as in modern European Spanish, sounding somewhere between English /s/ and /ʃ/.Joos (1952)) Modern standard German has /ʃ/ for this sound in some contexts, e.g. initially before a consonant (schlimm cf. English slim; Stand /ʃtant/, cf. English stand), and after /r/ (Arsch, cf. English arse). A number of modern southern German dialects have /ʃ/ for this sound before all consonants, whether or not word-initially.
12. ^ a b c Old English palatalizes /k,g,ɣ/ to /tʃ,dʒ,j/ near a front vowel. The sounds /k/ and /ɣ/ palatalized initially before any front vowel. Elsewhere /ɣ/ palatalized before /j/ or before or after any front vowel, where /k/ and /g/ (which occurred only in the combinations /gg/, /ng/) palatalized before /j/, or either before or after /i,iː/.
13. ^ a b c Voiced fricatives were originally allophones of voiced stops, when occurring after a vowel or after certain consonants (and for /g/, also initially — hard [g] occurred only in the combinations /gg/, /ng/). In Old Norse and Old English, voiceless fricatives became voiced between vowels (and finally after a vowel in Old Norse); as a result, voiced fricatives were reanalyzed as allophones of voiceless fricatives. In Old High German, all voiced fricatives hardened into stops.
14. ^ In the early periods of the various languages, the sound written /r/ may have been strongly velarized, as in modern American English (Lass 1994); this is one possible explanation for the various processes were triggered by h (probably [x]) and r.
15. ^ a b Old English and Old Norse lose /n/ before certain consonants, with the previous vowel lengthened (in Old Norse, the following consonant is also lengthened).
16. ^ /n/ lost finally and before /s,p,t,k/, but not before other consonants.
17. ^ a b Proto-Germanic /j/ and /w/ were often lost between vowels in all languages, often with /j/ or /w/ later reappearing to break the hiatus, and not always corresponding to the sound previously present. After a consonant, Gothic consistently preserved /j/ and /w/, but most languages deleted /j/ (after triggering i-umlaut), and /w/ sometimes disappeared. The loss of /j/ after a consonant occurred in the various languages at different times and to differing degrees. For example, /j/ was still present in most circumstances in written Old Saxon, and was still present in Old Norse when a short vowel preceded and a back vowel followed; but in Old English and Old High German, /j/ only remained after an /r/ preceded by a short vowel.
The oldest Germanic languages have the typical complex inflected morphology of old Indo-European languages, with four or five noun cases; verbs marked for person, number, tense and mood; multiple noun and verb classes; few or no articles; and rather free word order. The old Germanic languages are famous for having only two tenses (present and past), with three PIE past-tense aspects (imperfect, aorist, and perfect/stative) merged into one and no new tenses (future, pluperfect, etc.) developing. There were three moods: indicative, subjunctive (developed from the PIE optative mood) and imperative. Gothic verbs had a number of archaic features inherited from PIE that were lost in the other Germanic languages with few traces, including dual endings, an inflected passive voice (derived from the PIE mediopassive voice), and a class of verbs with reduplication in the past tense (derived from the PIE perfect). The complex tense system of modern English (e.g. In three months, the house will still be being built or If you had not acted so stupidly, we would never have been caught) is almost entirely due to subsequent developments (although paralleled in many of the other Germanic languages).
Among the primary innovations in Proto-Germanic are the preterite present verbs, a special set of verbs whose present tense looks like the past tense of other verbs and which is the origin of most modal verbs in English; a past-tense ending (in the so-called "weak verbs", marked with -ed in English) that appears variously as /d/ or /t/, often assumed to be derived from the verb "to do"; and two separate sets of adjective endings, originally corresponding to a distinction between indefinite semantics ("a man", with a combination of PIE adjective and pronoun endings) and definite semantics ("the man", with endings derived from PIE n-stem nouns).
Note that most modern Germanic languages have lost most of the inherited inflectional morphology as a result of the steady attrition of unstressed endings triggered by the strong initial stress. (Contrast, for example, the Balto-Slavic languages, which have largely kept the Indo-European pitch accent and consequently preserved much of the inherited morphology.) Icelandic and to a lesser extent modern German best preserve the Proto–Germanic inflectional system, with four noun cases, three genders, and well-marked verbs. English and Afrikaans are at the other extreme, with almost no remaining inflectional morphology.
The following shows a typical masculine a-stem noun, Proto-Germanic *fiskaz ("fish"), and its development in the various old literary languages:
Declension of a-stem noun *fiskaz "fish" in various languages[58][52][59]
Proto-Germanic Gothic Old Norse Old High German Middle High German Modern German Old English Old Saxon Old Frisian
Singular Nominative *fisk-az fisk-s fisk-r visk visch Fisch fisc fisc fisk
Vocative *fisk fisk
Accusative *fisk-ą fisk fisk
Genitive *fisk-as, -is fisk-is fisk-s visk-es visch-es Fisch-es[60] fisc-es < fisc-æs fisc-as, -es fisk-is, -es
Dative *fisk-ai fisk-a fisk-i visk-a visch-e Fisch-(e)[61] fisc-e < fisc-æ fisc-a, -e fisk-a, -i, -e
Instrumental *fisk-ō fisk-a visk-u fisc-e < fisc-i[62] fisc-u
Plural Nominative, Vocative *fisk-ôs, -ôz fisk-ōs fisk-ar visk-a visch-e Fisch-e fisc-as fisc-ōs, -ās fisk-ar, -a
Accusative *fisk-anz fisk-ans fisk-a visk-ā
Genitive *fisk-ǫ̂ fisk-ē fisk-a visk-ō fisc-a fisc-ō, -ā fisk-a
Dative *fisk-amaz fisk-am fisk-um, -om visk-um visch-en Fisch-en fisc-um fisc-un, -on fisk-um, -on, -em
Instrumental *fisk-amiz
Strong vs. weak nouns and adjectives[edit]
Originally, adjectives in Proto-Indo-European followed the same declensional classes as nouns. The most common class (the o/ā class) used a combination of o-stem endings for masculine and neuter genders and ā-stems ending for feminine genders, but other common classes (e.g. the i class and u class) used endings from a single vowel-stem declension for all genders, and various other classes existed that were based on other declensions. A quite different set of "pronominal" endings was used for pronouns, determiners, and words with related semantics (e.g., "all", "only").
An important innovation in Proto-Germanic was the development of two separate sets of adjective endings, originally corresponding to a distinction between indefinite semantics ("a man") and definite semantics ("the man"). The endings of indefinite adjectives were derived from a combination of pronominal endings with one of the common vowel-stem adjective declensions – usually the o/ā class (often termed the a/ō class in the specific context of the Germanic languages) but sometimes the i or u classes. Definite adjectives, however, had endings based on n-stem nouns. Originally both types of adjectives could be used by themselves, but already by Proto-Germanic times a pattern evolved whereby definite adjectives had to be accompanied by a determiner with definite semantics (e.g., a definite article, demonstrative pronoun, possessive pronoun, or the like), while indefinite adjectives were used in other circumstances (either accompanied by a word with indefinite semantics such as "a", "one", or "some" or unaccompanied).
In the 19th century, the two types of adjectives – indefinite and definite – were respectively termed "strong" and "weak", names which are still commonly used. These names were based on the appearance of the two sets of endings in modern German. In German, the distinctive case endings formerly present on nouns have largely disappeared, with the result that the load of distinguishing one case from another is almost entirely carried by determiners and adjectives. Furthermore, due to regular sound change, the various definite (n-stem) adjective endings coalesced to the point where only two endings (-e and -en) remain in modern German to express the sixteen possible inflectional categories of the language (masculine/feminine/neuter/plural crossed with nominative/accusative/dative/genitive – modern German merges all genders in the plural). The indefinite (a/ō-stem) adjective endings were less affected by sound change, with six endings remaining (-, -e, -es, -er, -em, -en), cleverly distributed in a way that is capable of expressing the various inflectional categories without too much ambiguity. As a result, the definite endings were thought of as too "weak" to carry inflectional meaning and in need of "strengthening" by the presence of an accompanying determiner, while the indefinite endings were viewed as "strong" enough to indicate the inflectional categories even when standing alone. (This view is enhanced by the fact that modern German largely uses weak-ending adjectives when accompanying an indefinite article, and hence the indefinite/definite distinction no longer clearly applies.) By analogy, the terms "strong" and "weak" were extended to the corresponding noun classes, with a-stem and ō-stem nouns termed "strong" and n-stem nouns termed "weak".
However, in Proto-Germanic – and still in Gothic, the most conservative Germanic language – the terms "strong" and "weak" are not clearly appropriate. For one thing, there were a large number of noun declensions. The a-stem, ō-stem, and n-stem declensions were the most common and represented targets into which the other declensions were eventually absorbed, but this process occurred only gradually. Originally the n-stem declension was not a single declension but a set of separate declensions (e.g., -an, -ōn, -īn) with related endings, and these endings were in no way any "weaker" than the endings of any other declensions. (For example, among the eight possible inflectional categories of a noun — singular/plural crossed with nominative/accusative/dative/genitive — masculine an-stem nouns in Gothic include seven endings, and feminine ōn-stem nouns include six endings, meaning there is very little ambiguity of "weakness" in these endings and in fact much less than in the German "strong" endings.) Although it is possible to group the various noun declensions into three basic categories — vowel-stem, n-stem, and other-consonant-stem (a.k.a. "minor declensions") — the vowel-stem nouns do not display any sort of unity in their endings that supports grouping them together with each other but separate from the n-stem endings.
It is only in later languages that the binary distinction between "strong" and "weak" nouns become more relevant. In Old English, the n-stem nouns form a single, clear class, but the masculine a-stem and feminine ō-stem nouns have little in common with each other, and neither has much similarity to the small class of u-stem nouns. Similarly, in Old Norse, the masculine a-stem and feminine ō-stem nouns have little in common with each other, and the continuations of the masculine an-stem and feminine ōn/īn-stem nouns are also quite distinct. It is only in Middle Dutch and modern German that the various vowel-stem nouns have merged to the point that a binary strong/weak distinction clearly applies.
As a result, newer grammatical descriptions of the Germanic languages often avoid the terms "strong" and "weak" except in conjunction with German itself, preferring instead to use the terms "indefinite" and "definite" for adjectives and to distinguish nouns by their actual stem class.
In English, both two sets of adjective endings were lost entirely in the late Middle English period.
Note that divisions between and among subfamilies of Germanic are rarely precisely defined; most form continuous clines, with adjacent varieties being mutually intelligible and more separated ones not. Within the Germanic language family is East Germanic, West Germanic, and North Germanic. However, East Germanic languages became extinct several centuries ago.
Pre-Roman Iron Age
500 – 100 BC
Roman Iron Age
100 BC – 100 AD
Roman Iron Age
100 – 300
Migration Period
300 – 600
Early Middle Ages
600 – 1100
Middle Ages
1100 – 1350
Late Middle Ages2
1350 – 1500
Early Modern Age
1500 – 1700
Modern Age
1700 to present
Proto-Germanic West Germanic Irminonic
(Elbe Germanic)
Primitive Upper German Old Upper German,
Middle Upper German Early
New Upper German
Upper German varieties
Standard German
(Weser-Rhine Germanic)
Primitive Frankish Old Frankish Old Central German Middle Central German Early
New Central German
Central German varieties
Old Low Franconian
(Old Dutch)
Early Limburgish
Middle Dutch
Late Limburgish
Middle Dutch
Early Limburgish Limburgish
Middle Dutch
Middle Dutch
Modern Dutch
Dutch varieties
(North Sea Germanic)
Primitive Saxon
(Southeast Ingvaeonic)
Old Saxon Middle Low German Low German varieties
Primitive Frisian Old Frisian Middle Frisian Frisian varieties
Primitive Anglic Old English
Middle English
Middle English
Modern English
English varieties
Early Scots3 Middle Scots Scots varieties
North Germanic Proto-Norse Runic
Old West Norse
Old Icelandic Late
Old Icelandic
Old Norwegian Old Faroese Faroese
Old Norn Norn extinct4
Middle Norwegian Norwegian
Old East Norse
Old Danish
Old Danish
Old Swedish
Old Swedish
Dalecarlian dialects
Old Gutnish
Old Gutnish
Old Gutnish
East Germanic Gothic (unattested Gothic dialects) Crimean Gothic extinct
Vandalic extinct
Burgundian extinct
• ^3 From Early Northern Middle English.[63] McClure gives Northumbrian Old English.[64] In the Oxford Companion to the English Language (p. 894) the 'sources' of Scots are described as "the Old English of the Kingdom of Bernicia" and "the Scandinavian-influenced English of immigrants from Northern and Midland England in the 12-13c [...]." The historical stages 'Early—Middle—Modern Scots' are used, for example, in the "Concise Scots Dictionary"[65] and "A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue".[66]
• ^4 The speakers of Norn were assimilated to speak Modern Scots varieties (Insular Scots).
• ^5 Modern Gutnish (Gutamål), the direct descendant of Old Gutnish (Gutniska), has been marginalized by the Gotlandic dialect/accent of Standard Swedish (Gotländska).
Germanic languages and main dialect groups
All living Germanic languages belong either to the West Germanic or to the North Germanic branch. The West Germanic group is the larger by far, further subdivided into Anglo-Frisian on one hand and Continental West Germanic on the other. Anglo-Frisian notably includes English and all its variants, while Continental West Germanic includes German (standard register and dialects), as well as Dutch (standard register and dialects).
Modern classification looks like this. For a full classification, see List of Germanic languages.
The earliest evidence of Germanic languages comes from names recorded in the 1st century by Tacitus (especially from his work Germania), but the earliest Germanic writing occurs in a single instance in the 2nd century BC on the Negau helmet.[67]
From roughly the 2nd century AD, certain speakers of early Germanic varieties developed the Elder Futhark, an early form of the runic alphabet. Early runic inscriptions also are largely limited to personal names and difficult to interpret. The Gothic language was written in the Gothic alphabet developed by Bishop Ulfilas for his translation of the Bible in the 4th century.[68] Later, Christian priests and monks who spoke and read Latin in addition to their native Germanic varieties began writing the Germanic languages with slightly modified Latin letters. However, throughout the Viking Age, runic alphabets remained in common use in Scandinavia.
In addition to the standard Latin script, many Germanic languages use a variety of accent marks and extra letters, including the ß (Eszett), IJ, Ø, Æ, Å, Ä, Ü, Ö, Ð, Ȝ, and the Latinized runes Þ and Ƿ (with its Latin counterpart W). In print, German used to be prevalently set in blackletter typefaces (e.g., fraktur or schwabacher) until the 1940s, when Kurrent and, since the early 20th century, Sütterlin were used for German handwriting.
Yiddish is written using an adapted Hebrew alphabet.
Vocabulary comparison[edit]
Several of the terms in the table below have had semantic drift. For example, the form Sterben and other terms for die are cognates with the English word starve. There is also at least three examples of a common borrowing from a non-Germanic source (ounce and devil and their cognates from Latin, church and its cognates from Greek).
English Scots[69] West Frisian Afrikaans Dutch Limburgish Low German Central
German Yiddish Gothic Icelandic Faroese Swedish Danish Norwegian
apple aipple apel appel appel appel Appel Apel Apfel עפּל
epli epli[70] äpple æble eple eple
bear beir bear beer beer bear Baar Bier Bär בער
𐌱𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌰 (Baira) björn bjørn björn bjørn bjørn bjørn
beech beech boeke beuk beuk beuk Böök Bich Buche ביטש
beyki bók
bok bøg bok bok, bøk
blood bluid bloed bloed bloed blood Blood, Bloot Blutt Blut בלוט
blóð blóð blod blod blod blod
board buird board bord boord bórdj Boord Briet Brett[72] ברעט
borð borð bord bord bord bord
book beuk boek boek boek book Book Buch Buch בוך
bók bók bok bog bok bok
breast breest boarst bors borst boors Bost Broscht Brust ברוסט
brjóst bróst, bringa bröst bryst bryst bryst
brown broon brún bruin bruin bruun broen brong braun ברוין
brúnn brúnur brun brun brun brun
church kirk tsjerke kerk kerk kèrk Kark Kierch Kirche קירך
kirkja kirkja kyrka kirke kirke kyrkje
day day dei dag dag daag Dag Dag Tag טאָג
dagur dagur dag dag dag dag
daughter dochter dochter dogter dochter dóchter Dochter Duechter Tochter טאָכטער
dóttir dóttir dotter datter datter dotter
dead deid dea dood dood doed doot dout tot טויט
dauður deyður död død død daud
die, starve dee, stairve stjerre sterf sterven stèrve staarven stierwen sterben שטאַרבן
deyja doyggja døy, starva
devil deevil, deil duvel duiwel duivel duvel Düwel Däiwel Teufel טײַוול
djöfull djevul djävel, djävul djævel djevel djevel
eight aicht acht agt acht ach acht aacht acht אַכט
átta átta åtta otte åtte åtte
enough eneuch genôch genoeg genoeg genóg noog genuch, genug genug גענוג
nóg nóg, nógmikið nog nok nok nok
finger finger finger vinger vinger veenger Finger Fanger Finger פֿינגער
fingur fingur finger finger finger finger
five five fiif vyf vijf vief fiev fënnef fünf פֿינף
fimm fimm fem fem fem fem
give gie jaan gee geven geve geven ginn geben געבן
gefa geva ge, giva give gi gje(va)
glass gless glês glas glas glaas Glas Glas Glas גלאָז
glas glas glas glas glass glas
gold gowd, goold goud goud goud goud, góldj Gold, Guld Gold Gold גאָלד
gull gull guld, gull guld gull gull
good guid goed goed goed good goot gutt gut גוט
góð(ur), gott góð(ur), gott god god god god
English Scots West Frisian Afrikaans Dutch Limburgish Low German Central
German Yiddish Gothic Icelandic Faroese Swedish Danish Norwegian
hand haund hân hand hand hand Hand Hand Hand האַנט
hönd hond hand hånd hånd hand
head heid holle, haad hoof,[73] kop[74] hoofd, kop[74] kop[74] Hööft, Kopp[74] Kopp,[74] Kapp[74] Haupt, Kopf[74] הויפט, קאָפּ
(hoypt, kop)[74]
höfuð høvd, høvur huvud hoved hode hovud
high heich heech hoog hoog hoeg hooch héich hoch הויך
hár høg, ur hög høj høy, høg høg
home hame hiem heim,[75] tuis[76] heem, heim,[75] thuis[76] thoes[76] Tohuus,[76] Heem Heem Heim(at) היים
heim heim hem hjem hjem, heim heim
hook, crook heuk heak haak haak haok Haak Krop, Kramp, Hoken Haken האַק
haki, krókur krókur, ongul hake, krok hage, krog hake, krok hake, krok[77]
house hoose hûs huis huis hoes Huus Haus Haus הויז
(razn), -𐌷𐌿𐍃
hús hús hus hus hus hus
ice ice iis ys ijs ies Ies Äis Eis אײַז
ís ísur is is is is
many mony mannich, mennich baie, menige veel, menig minnig veel, männig vill manch, viel מאַנכע
margir mangir, nógvir många mange mange mange
milk milk molke melk melk mèlk Melk Mëllech Milch מילך
mjólk mjólk mjölk mælk melk, mjølk mjølk
moon muin moanne maan maan maon Maan Mound Mond לבנה
máni, tungl máni måne måne måne måne
mouse moose mûs muis muis moes Muus Maus Maus מויז
mús mús mus mus mus mus
night nicht nacht nag nacht nach Nacht Nuecht Nacht נאַכט
nótt nátt natt nat natt natt
no, nay nae nee nee nee(n) nei nee nee(n) na, nee, nein, nö ניין
nei nei nej, nä nej, næ nei nei
old (but elder, eldest) auld âld oud oud aajt (old), gammel (decayed) oolt (old), gammelig (decayed) aal alt אַלט
gamall (but eldri, elstur), aldinn gamal (but eldri, elstur) gammal (but äldre, äldst) gammel (but ældre, ældst) gammel (but eldre, eldst) gam(m)al (but eldre, eldst)
one ane ien een één ein een eent eins איין
einn ein en en en ein
ounce unce ûns ons ons óns Ons Eng kéier, Eemol Unze אונס
únsa únsa uns unse unse unse, unsa
right richt rjocht reg recht rèch recht riicht, riets recht, Recht רעכט
réttur rættur rätt, rät ret rett rett
seven seiven sân sewe zeven zeve söven siwen Sieben זיבן
sjö sjey sju syv sju, syv[78] sju
shoe shae skoech skoen schoen sjoon Schoh Schong Schuh שוך
skór skógvur sko sko sko sko
snow snaw snie sneeu sneeuw sjnie Snee Schnéi Schnee שניי
snjór kavi, snjógvur snö sne snø snø
English Scots West Frisian Afrikaans Dutch Limburgish Low German Central
German Yiddish Gothic Icelandic Faroese Swedish Danish Norwegian
stone stane stien steen steen stein Steen Steen Stein שטיין
steinn steinur sten sten stein stein
that that dat daardie, dit dat, die dat, tot dat, dü dat das דאָס
það tað det det det det
two, twain twa twa twee twee twie twee zoo, zwou, zwéin, zwee zwei, zwo צוויי
tveir, tvær, tvö tveir, tvey, tvær, tvá två, tu to to to[79]
way wey wei weg weg waeg Weg Wee Weg וועג
vegur vegur väg vej veg, vei veg
who wha wa wie wie wee wokeen wien, ween wer ווער
hver hvør vem hvem hvem kven
word wird wurd woord woord waord Woord Wuert Wort וואָרט
orð orð ord ord ord ord
worm wirm wjirm wurm worm weurm Worm Wuerm, Mued Wurm, Made וואָרעם
maðkur, ormur maðkur, ormur mask, orm [80] orm makk, mark, orm [80] makk, mark, orm[80]
year year jier jaar jaar jaor Johr Joer Jahr יאָר
ár ár år år år år
English Scots West Frisian Afrikaans Dutch Limburgish Low German Central
German Yiddish Gothic Icelandic Faroese Swedish Danish Norwegian
See also[edit]
1. ^ Estimates of native speakers of the Germanic languages vary from 450 million[2] through 500 million and up to more than 520 million. Much of the uncertainty is caused by the rapid spread of the English language and conflicting estimates of its native speakers. Here used is the most probable estimate (currently 515 million) as determined by Statistics section below.
2. ^ There are various conflicting estimates of L1/native users of English, from 360 million up to 430 million and more. English is a current lingua franca, which is spreading rapidly, often replacing other languages throughout the world, thus making it difficult to provide one definitive number. It is a rare case of a language with many more secondary speakers than natives.
3. ^ This phenomenon is not restricted to German, but constitutes a common linguistic development affecting all modern day living major languages with a complex set of dialects. As local dialects increasingly cease to be used, they are usually being replaced by a standardized version of the language.
4. ^ It uses the lowest estimate for English (360 million).
5. ^ Estimates for English, German and Dutch are less precise than these for the rest of the Germanic languages. These three languages are the most widely spoken ones; the rest are largely concentrated in specific places (excluding Yiddish and Afrikaans), so precise estimates are easier to get.
6. ^ Estimate includes most High German dialects classified into the German language spectrum, while leaves some out like the Yiddish language. Low German is regarded separately.
7. ^ All other Germanic languages, including Gutnish, Dalecarlian dialects (among them Elfdalian) and any other minor languages.
1. ^ Hammarström, Harald; Forkel, Robert; Haspelmath, Martin, eds. (2017). "Germanic". Glottolog 3.0. Jena, Germany: Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History.
2. ^ a b c König & van der Auwera (1994).
4. ^ SIL Ethnologue (2006). 95 million speakers of Standard German; 105 million including Middle and Upper German dialects; 120 million including Low German and Yiddish.
5. ^ "Afrikaans". Retrieved 2016-08-03.
6. ^ a b "Gechattet wird auf Plattdeusch". Retrieved 2014-03-14.
7. ^ Saxon, Low Ethnologue.
9. ^ a b Dovid Katz. "YIDDISH" (PDF). YIVO. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 22, 2012. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
11. ^ "1 Cor. 13:1–12". Retrieved 2016-08-03.
12. ^ "Germanic". Retrieved 2016-08-03.
13. ^ Heine, Matthias (16 November 2017). "Sprache und Mundart: Das Aussterben der deutschen Dialekte" – via
14. ^ The Miskito Coast used to be a part of British Empire
15. ^ "Feiten en cijfers – Taalunieversum".
16. ^ Dutch-speakers can understand Afrikaans with some difficulty, but Afrikaans-speakers have a harder time understanding Dutch because of the simplified grammar of Afrikaans, compared to that of Dutch,
17. ^ "List of declarations made with respect to treaty No. 148". Retrieved 9 September 2012.
18. ^ "Lëtzebuergesch – the national language". Retrieved 2018-02-14.
19. ^ Vasagar, Jeevan (18 June 2013). "German 'should be a working language of EU', says Merkel's party" – via
20. ^ "Nederlands, wereldtaal". Nederlandse Taalunie. 2010. Retrieved 2011-04-07.
23. ^ "Danish".
24. ^ "Befolkningen". (in Norwegian).
25. ^ Jacobs (2005).
26. ^ "Scots".
27. ^ "Limburgish".
28. ^ "Frisian".
29. ^ See Luxembourgish language.
30. ^ "Low German". Ethnologue.
31. ^ "Statistics Iceland". Statistics Iceland.
32. ^ "Faroese".
33. ^ Ringe (2006), p. 67.
34. ^ These alternations are no longer easily distinguishable from vowel alternations due to earlier changes (e.g. Indo-European ablaut, as in write/wrote/written, sing/sang/sung, hold/held) or later changes (e.g. vowel shortening in Middle English, as in wide/width, lead/led).
35. ^ Wang et al. (2012), p. 657.
36. ^ Basbøll & Jacobsen (2003).
38. ^ According to Donald Ringe, cf. Ringe (2006:295)
39. ^ Campbell (1983), p. 139.
40. ^ But see Cercignani (1972)
41. ^ See also Cercignani (1979)
42. ^ Bethge (1900), p. 361.
43. ^ Schumacher (2005), p. 603f.
44. ^ Campbell (1983), p. 169.
45. ^ Ringe (2009).
46. ^ Bennett (1980).
47. ^ Wright (1919).
48. ^ Gordon (1927).
49. ^ Campbell (1959).
50. ^ Diamond (1970).
51. ^ Lass & Anderson (1975).
52. ^ a b Lass (1994).
53. ^ Mitchell & Robinson (1992).
54. ^ Robinson (1992).
55. ^ Wright & Wright (1925).
56. ^ Wright (1906).
57. ^ Waterman (1976).
58. ^ Ringe (2006).
59. ^ Helfenstein (1870).
60. ^ In speech, the genitive is usually replaced with vom + dative, or with the dative alone after prepositions.
61. ^ The use of -e in the dative has become increasingly uncommon, and is found only in a few fixed phrases (e.g. zu Hause "at home") and in certain archaizing literary styles.
62. ^ Of questionable etymology. Possibly an old locative.
67. ^ Todd (1992).
68. ^ Cercignani, Fausto, The Elaboration of the Gothic Alphabet and Orthography, in "Indogermanische Forschungen", 93, 1988, pp. 168–185.
69. ^ The spellings used are those based on the prestigious literary conventions described in the article Modern Scots. Others spelling variants may be encountered in written Scots, e.g. aipil (apple), buik (book), huik (hook), houss (house) and monie (many).
70. ^ The cognate means 'potato'. The word for "apple" is 'Súrepli'.
71. ^ Attested meaning 'letter', but also means beech in other Germanic languages, cf. Russian buk 'beech', bukva 'letter', maybe from Gothic.
72. ^ Brett is used in the South, Bord is used additionally in the North
73. ^ Now only used in compound words such as hoofpyn (headache) and metaphorically, such as hoofstad (capital city).
74. ^ a b c d e f g h From an old Latin borrowing, akin to "cup".
75. ^ a b Archaic: now only used in compound words such as 'heimwee' (homesickness).
76. ^ a b c d From a compound phrase akin to "to house"
77. ^ ongel is also used for fishing hook.
78. ^ syv was inherited from the Danish language from which Bokmål is partially derived, but was replaced in the official language norm by its Norwegian cognate sju in 1951. However, the Danish form remained in use alongside the Norwegian form and was reintroduced as an alternative spelling in 2005. This form is therefore linked to a more conservative and/or formal style of writing and is more likely to be used by writers who retain other Danish forms (e.g. hverken, tyve, tredve and efter)
79. ^ Dialectally tvo, två, tvei
(m), tvæ
(f), tvau
80. ^ a b c The cognate orm usually means 'snake'.
Germanic languages in general[edit]
• Ringe, Don (2006). A linguistic history of English: From Proto-Indo-European to Proto-Germanic. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Bennett, William H. (1980). An introduction to the Gothic language. New York: Modern Language Association of America.
• Wright, Joseph C. (1919). Grammar of the Gothic language. London: Oxford University Press.
Old Norse[edit]
• Gordon, E.V. (1927). An introduction to Old Norse. London: Oxford University Press.
• Zoëga, Geir T. (2004). A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
Old English[edit]
• Campbell, A. (1959). Old English grammar. London: Oxford University Press.
• Campbell, Alistair (1983). Old English Grammar. Clarendon Press. ISBN 9780198119432.
• Diamond, Robert E. (1970). Old English grammar and reader. Detroit: Wayne State University Press.
• Hall, J.R. (1984). A concise Anglo–Saxon dictionary, 4th edition. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
• Lass, Roger; Anderson, John M. (1975). Old English phonology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Mitchell, Bruce; Robinson, Fred C. (1992). A guide to Old English, 5th edition. Cambridge: Blackwell.
• Robinson, Orrin (1992). Old English and its closest relatives. Stanford: Stanford University Press.
• Wright, Joseph; Wright, Mary Elizabeth (1925). Old English grammar, 3rd edition. London: Oxford University Press.
Old High German[edit]
• Wright, Joseph (1906). An Old High German primer, 2nd edition. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
• Waterman, John C. (1976). A history of the German language. Prospect Heights, Illinois: Waveland Press.
External links[edit] | <urn:uuid:8bd39fd1-bd7e-4828-8fa7-18ef250aa29a> | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germanic_languages | en | 0.858484 | 0.061823 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
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Watercolor Paris
Want to learn more about watercolors in Paris? Read our guide for facts and info on the history of watercolor in Paris…
Watercolor in Paris was popularized during the time of the Renaissance, which was the time of the great cultural achievements in France. One of the most highly regarded pieces of watercolor in Paris known in history is lbrecht Durer’s insightful study of nature created in watercolor and is dated as far back as the 1490′s.
Although watercolor is a firm part of the French culture, it is traditionally considered a Western art form and became popular in Britain during the 18th and 19th century.
Watercolor Paris was utilized to sketch illustrations and strong drawings were prepared in either graphite or ink. The plain wash of color which is translucent can be credited to English artists of the 18th century.
Watercolor- History of Techniques
Watercolor makes for a delightful wash of paint which is soothing to the eyes and creates atmospheric effects, sets the tone and mood and gives depth to the painting. Ramrod was famous for making the stained artwork and overlaid them with watercolor wash.
The main reason this watercolor technique became popular was because it was easy to carry the paint and a few paintbrushes and simply use water to create stunning masterpieces. However, this technique presents its own challenge because it is not easy to cover up a mistake. The best technique to create a watercolor piece is to work over the illustration and gradually add light layers of the washes to get the tint. Also, you can keep a blotting cloth to quickly absorb the liquid paint in areas where you have used a heavy hand, made a mistake or splashed water. The base of watercolor Paris is created using either a hard pencil or India Ink which must dry before you can start painting.
Watercolor– Surfaces and Media
Watercolor art work is best created on watercolor paper. The reason for this is that you do not want the ink and watercolor to run on a non-absorbent paper. Watercolor Paris is created from the top and worked towards the bottom, to avoid smearing the paint that is still wet. A French artist traditionally used to lay light strokes and washes of paint and then use the solid and opaque paints. The reason for this is the dark hues would not be erased completely if required.
Watercolor can be created with stunning results if the painter lets the layer of paint dry before putting on another wash of color. Another technique is to work quickly and add solid colors one on top of the other and blend them with swift strokes.
The Romantics of the time appreciated watercolors ability to create atmospheric affects, and to capture natural lighting as did the Impressionists, with their Pein Air interests, in the later part of the century.
By the late 19th century the British had firmly established their expertise in the tradition of watercolor. This medium of artwork became very popular with the Romantics of the time along with the Impressionists, since it could create atmospheric effects and allow them to capture natural light and create an effect of surrealism through washes of color in the watercolor Paris.
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How to trust someone again who has consistently lied?
210 Answers
Last Updated: 07/01/2020 at 3:22am
How to trust someone again who has consistently lied?
1 Tip to Feel Better
United States
Moderated by
Hisham Tawfik, M.S.W.
Top Rated Answers
- Expert in Alcohol/Drug Use
December 25th, 2014 12:12am
Trusting someone who has been known to lie and consistently do so is always a difficult thing to do by nature. It's difficult to do so again after losing the trust but sometimes it is necessary. A good way to gain the trust back in the relationship is to not only see them as "a liar" but as a human too and to slowly build the trust up with small things leading up to big things. This technique is called the foot in the door technique, often described as a way to persuade someone of something it is when you use something small then build it into something bigger. This works because it allows you to gauge how trust worthy they are and as you trust them with bigger things if they maintain their promise then you will know if they have changed. That's just my two cents, hope it helps someone! (:
Anonymous - Expert in Alcohol/Drug Use
May 6th, 2015 11:57am
Rebuilding trust after a betrayal is one of the greatest challenges a relationship can face. When we trust someone, we’re not afraid to be goofy and quirky, and we freely share our hopes and our fears. Ultimately, it's trust that allows us to give and receive love. When trust is violated, we become self-conscious and hesitant for fear of another humiliation. But if the relationship is truly valuable and your love runs deep, trust can be re-established and relationships that survive disharmony often emerge stronger and more rewarding for the experience. In order to regain trust in someone else, you need to heal. Quite possibly, this other person hurt you dearly. You'll want to grow from this situation by turning lemons into lemonade, but to do so, you should take a little time for yourself. In the heat of the moment, your emotions can cloud your judgment. That means that it's hard to think straight, and you could end up saying things that aren't exactly helpful in fixing the situation. How you feel is very important, and it's a big part of regaining trust, but it's also not productive if you don't step away for a little bit. It's going to be hard not to think about what happened, but try to. At least for a little while. Do something so engaging that you become completely enthralled in the now — go away to a cabin by the lake with your friends, go rock climbing and sweat a little, or have a great conversation with a total stranger. For the time being, forget what happened.
- Expert in Alcohol/Drug Use
October 28th, 2015 1:33pm
Don't. The thing about people who do things constantly is that they don't change. If someone lies to you all the time, odds are they're going to keep lying to you. Personality psychology has taught us that, although people mature, their main personalities stay fairly consistent throughout their life. Unless someone has undergone a serious, life-altering event, it's safe to assume they haven't changed. If they constantly lie, just take everything they say with a grain of salt.
- Expert in Alcohol/Drug Use
February 10th, 2016 6:06am
I believe trust is to be earned and not freely given. Once that trust is broken, it can be difficult to repair. If the lying is consistent, then I'm sorry, but I believe at that point the person that lies feels comfortable breaking your trust without consequences. It would be in your best interest to let that person go. You can only do so much for someone else before they become toxic for you.
November 18th, 2015 7:12pm
Realise that everyone is only human. Look into their eyes, and if you see love there, do not hesitate to trust.
September 24th, 2015 2:49pm
Very hard to completely trust them again. Once you or someone else lies or is caught in a lie, the is always a question mark in the other persons mind.
September 27th, 2015 10:23pm
I don't think that once trust has been broken it ever fully recovers, be it a family member or a friend. You will most probably be agitated,upset and question anything unusual that happens
January 15th, 2016 4:11pm
It's hard to trust people who consistently lie but it is important to try and identify the reasons why they lied. More often than not people who lie consistently are insecure and it arises out of fear. Sometimes it's better to work on building up your relationship with them and making sure they know that you would like to be able to trust them and value them. When people lie a lot they tend to live in fear of being "found out" and rejected so maybe telling them that it's not that your upset they lied your upset that you can't trust them. It doesn't work in every case because every situation is different but more often than not if they start to trust you too then the lying will reduce.
March 23rd, 2016 7:47am
When someone proves time and time again that they are untrustworthy and lies to you it would be beneficial to perhaps examine why you require that person in your life. Is it worth your time and energy to constantly prepare for when that person lets you down? Or, is it better to have a fresh start? Sometimes the answer is a little extra heartbreak now is much better than a lot more and long term heartbreak later on in life.
December 4th, 2014 7:51am
My answer - you don't have to. There is a significant difference between forgiveness and trust. Once trust has been burned, it must be re-earned. But no one is obligated to give it.
January 8th, 2016 6:42pm
Once a person loses your trust it can be hard to trust them again. From personal experience I learned that a person who has lied consistently in the past will most likely lie again. I suggest that you just stop talking to them.
December 17th, 2015 1:01pm
for how long and how often, if you care to tell me. and how are you related to the person who lied to you?
December 28th, 2014 9:33am
Depending on the severity of the lies you can simply try to slowly build up the trust again by building an honest relationship with them. If their lies are severe (I know that severity has greatly different meanings for people) you can put them on a probationary period so to speak. Try having them be honest with you about everything, if they lie and you are able to catch it than you could draw attention to that. Let them know how it makes you feel when they lie. If the relationship is only causing you pain than you might want to look for another option such as distancing yourself from that person. I do not like to suggest this simply because that is just the way that some people are, sometimes people don't even realize that they are lying or that it cant hurt to lie about a specific thing. If this is a relationship such as boyfriend/girlfriend or husband and wife, than I would suggest that you two go to couples counseling. It will help you both in the long term. You can suggest that they go to counseling and or make an active effort to fix what they have done. Often times compulsive lying is a result of anxiety and/or depression. They may have issues that manifest in this way so it is key to have an open relationship and make sure that all of the problems are laid out if they are willing to do so.
November 30th, 2014 3:29pm
Don't fully trust them right off hand . Work on your relationship. be honest and tell the person hey have to work for your trust. Let time heal you guys if that is what is meant to be
October 2nd, 2015 2:50pm
It takes time and the person who lied to you needs to understand that too. Think of it like this: Take a hand mirror, now throw it on the ground, now try to reconstruct the mirror. That's what it's like. It takes all but a few seconds, a few words, to break someone's trust. To rebuild that trust with someone, to learn to trust that person who lied, it will take an enormous amount of time. The first step is to forgive, but not to forget.
September 23rd, 2015 7:57am
i dont see the point of trusting , its as simple as that - go away from the once who dont know how they are treating you and seeking benefit from you . leave them ! Make peace with yourself .
January 15th, 2016 9:12pm
Unfortunately, re-gaining trust is not an easy thing to do. I think it takes a lot of forgiveness, acceptance of wrong doing, time & hard work on BOTH sides. I do believe that you should only forgive those that are repentant. And always trust what heart says.
December 19th, 2015 1:38am
why do you want to trust the person again? if the person consistently lied to you and you gave him/her enough chances? then disconnect with the person. sometimes you can't take it all. that won't make you a Mother Theresa. Don't waste time.
October 28th, 2015 6:21pm
The truth is that one can never fully trust such a person again, no matter how much one loves that said person. However, if the person in question is visibly regretful and terribly guilty, then you can probably give him/her the benefit of the doubt. Sometimes the best way out is to see things from their perspective as well. Empathizing helps understand the context in which the person made such a decision. Also, a lot depends on what the person is lying about usually.
November 6th, 2015 12:27am
The burden of proof does not lie with you, the person who has been wronged. The person who lied needs to regain your trust by proving that they are trustworthy and honest.
October 24th, 2015 11:51am
Take your time to think carefully whether you still want this person in or life or not. If you do, remember that we're only human, people make mistakes. The first step to trust a person is to forgive what this person did. Another thing to a successful relationship is communication. Be honest. Tell the person how you feel, let them know that they need to work to gain your trust completely. Hope everything will work out for you!
January 3rd, 2016 4:59am
They have to earn your trust. Of course every situation is different, but they need to prove to you that they are worthy of your trust. If they can't do that or don't know how, maybe they aren't meant to be a part of your life again.
September 10th, 2015 9:27am
Sit down and talk about the stuff. We are human, and we all make mistakes. We are not perfect. peace
October 29th, 2015 1:02pm
First of all. It depends on what they lied about beacause it makes a difference if you lied about stealing something rather than lying about sleeping with another person. Second of all ... If they lied about something huge you dont need that stress in your life. Third of all ... How many times have they lied. You see ... It all depends on who the person is and what they lied about before. If its little lies and there willing to earn up to there mistakes I think you can really trust that person because there trying to change themselves for you. If its a big lie its gonna take time to trust that person again. They have to really proove it again. Thats really all. Have an amazing day people and stay possitive and happy. 😌😊
November 19th, 2015 7:06pm
Trust is not given, it is earned therefore the person can hopefully regain it once again. If they do not try to regain back your trust then they did not value you in the first place. There are also white lies which a person can tell in order to protect you, some people can overlook lies like these while others cannot. I think trust depends on the person because some person are also more forgiving than others. It also depends on the nature of the lie and one's ability to accept the lie which was told and if they can move on from it.
December 2nd, 2015 6:28pm
To be honest, I believe this question should be asked to the "liar" and bear thae responsibility on their shoulders. This clearly is impacting the relationship between yourself and this person; if there is any hope in repairing or maintaining a relationship (whether it's a friendship, intimate relationship, etc), it starts with open communication. Depending on their answer, you either will or will not be satisfied; without some sort of satisfaction, trusting will be a difficult task. . Good luck!
November 4th, 2015 9:22pm
I have a best friend who lies very consistently to me. We both have a love hate relationship going on. There are times where i love to bits and the only thing i could think off when i'm off doing something fun but there are times where i wished i hadnt knew her since the start. We are both very competitive individuals and we always want to be the best among our peers. I know as a fact that she lies to me very consistently with her lifestyle, relationship status or results in that matter but i choose to forgive and forget. I still love her no matter what because i know deep down inside my heart, she's the only person who would ever get me to crawl out of my bed at 3am just to fetch her a blanket so she could stay warm :D thats how much i love her
November 26th, 2014 6:07am
Forgiveness is a gift and its worth nothing unless you use it. Betrayal hurts but it helps you grow as a person.
January 8th, 2015 12:48am
People wins the trust with many factors and it needs time to do it but first at all you need to forgive for begin again.
November 1st, 2015 6:13pm
its about talking it out with them opening up about how you feel or how they made you feel., but its entirely up to you. Whenever you're ready. Remember forgiveness shows strength. | <urn:uuid:fb923fca-d929-40cf-911e-6b4fe6bd718f> | https://www.7cups.com/qa-alcohol-drug-use-22/how-to-trust-someone-again-who-has-consistently-lied-551/ | en | 0.974969 | 0.135843 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
The Perils of Test Taxonomy
Ryan James Spencer
December 8 2019, 2:53PM
You are wasting your time by classifying tests. Instead of discerning what defines a test we'll hone in on tests to avoid. If a test is:
• slow
• flaky
• or subject to churn as new features are added
then delete the offending test right now.
For testing to work your test suites can't be grounds for noise pollution. Nor can they be a museum for specimens fit for dissection. Decide on what you want to guarantee and work to achieve that guarantee within contraint. Tests themselves are un-tested chunks of code. Tests that exhibit any of the characteristics listed above lose local reasoning and are, therefore, hard for a human to verify.
Slow and flaky tests mean you can't form a feedback loop with them. It means people will stop running the test suites to drive development. I often will chalk up work in CI for build bots to test and also test things locally at the same time, racing the two to get feedback as soon as possible. Tags and simple test names provide a handle to hone in on specific areas of functionality that can be verified as new features are added. Fast tests also mean people will add more tests and while a test suite might continue to increase in time needed to finish, it is arguably a point to break test suites up into new test suites and, possibly, separate libraries and programs that have their own test suites. Decomposition shows its beautiful face once again.
A non-deterministic (i.e. flaky) test may seem to sometimes provide a guarantee but the reality is much bleaker: a non-deterministic test tests nothing. I am not talking about tests that fail because of the occasional third-party service going down or network issue. I know you will be accordingly play-fighting with swords if that happens. What I am referring to is the situation where tests are known to occasionally but the reason is unclear. Is it configuration with a database? A third party library? Some state setup or internals of the subject of the test? Flaky tests are white noise. Devs start to ignore them and must waste time determining what is at fault if they are to ascertain if the test failure is because of something they should truly be concerned about or "just because".
It is also a waste of time when a new feature is birthed into the system only to lead a dev on a surgery process of fixing an array of tests that now fail. This is distinct from intentional changes: a test might need fixing because you are intentionally migrating away from some older behaviour into a new one and doing so in-place. But tests should have isolation: bringing in new functionality shouldn't necessarily mean overlap on older functionality and, therefore, older tests.
It's helpful to delete tests and see if you would passionately defend against their deletion in the process. If there is no passionate defense you will not likely miss them when they are gone. A giant wall of tests is also a giant wall of maintenance burden and there is only so much energy a group of persons can apply to maintaining something they don't care about whatsoever.
Tests and types provide a degree of confidence, one that allows us to assuredly tell others something is more likely to be correct, such that is to say it is aligned with some specification or set of requirements. Lacing your codebase with questions that can be quickly answered with a clear yes or no helps aid confidence. Debating if something is truly a unit test or integration test or whatever test is the equivalent of the art communities cliché of "but is it art?"; humorous but not useful. Along with foundations such as quality release and deployment engineering, operations, visibility into running systems, and so forth, pushing things out to production becomes trivial with time. I obviously and hand-waving away from the concern of scale here. Scale drastically impacts trust and confidence, but many organisations are still paving a path forward and charting new territory in this space to still make shipping code something sane. Whatever you take from the above, the most important aspect about any kind of testing is to make sure you are asking yourself one primary question when writing tests: What will you assert?
Join the Newsletter | <urn:uuid:674a8a69-0eb7-467e-a6a3-58de66ab580e> | https://www.justanotherdot.com/posts/the-perils-of-test-taxonomy.html | en | 0.958614 | 0.119831 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
American leaders consistently hector the global body, challenging it to live up to its charter
Obama UN - Pablo Martinez Monsivais AP - banner.jpg
Then the U.N. team had an idea. Whether they coordinated it with President Obama's Secret Service detail or advance team is unknown. Right off the floor, the president of the General Assembly had an office. For some reason--probably security, but no one really knew--it could be locked from the outside. As Obama began to speak, Qaddafi was ushered into the room. It was a ... a gesture of respect, recalls one person who was there. The Libyan strongman could then watch the speech in private, in comfort.
In his address to the inaugural United Nations General Assembly, President Harry S. Truman called the U.N. "a world organization for the enforcement of peace." Whether it is serving that mission now is one of the great perennials of global debate.
One reason why Obama appointed his close friend, Susan Rice, to be his ambassador there is because he agreed with Bush's conclusion about the U.N.'s effectiveness but not with his prescription. Rice's main charge has been to light a fire under the world body, to push it to live the values its charter represents. This reflects Obama's view that the U.S. cannot solve all the world's problems by itself, and by holding other large countries to account for their own promises, the U.N. could become more proactive and less reactive. Implicitly, the United States wants to check--or at least shape--the growing influence of China on world affairs. Obama thinks the U.S. can do so through strong and enforceable U.N. resolutions.
Even as there has been a partisan divide in the way U.S. presidents deal with the U.N., there has been a remarkably consistent tone in their speeches. Virtually every presidential speech since 1945 has called for world behavior appropriate to an "era of interdependence" (Ford, 1974), a "global community in the sense that we face common problems" (Carter, 1977), the endorsement of a "resort to force reluctantly and only when they must" (Reagan, 1982), and the call for a "welcome shift from polemics to peacekeeping" (Bush, 1989).
U.S. presidents praise the U.N.--and then bury it with responsibility and warnings of its irrelevance if it refuses to act. Ronald Reagan noted in 1982 that the U.N. charter's "influence has weakened" because it refused to take sides against the Soviet Union's "ruthless repression" and proxy wars across the globe. "In these times when more and more lawless acts are going unpunished--as some members of this very body show a growing disregard for the U.N. charter ... let us finally make the charter live."
George W. Bush made it clear that "other multilateral institutions" were speaking up where the U.N. wasn't, a direct challenge to the body's regard for itself. Internally, his administration found the U.N. impossible to deal with, believing it to be a colossal collection of sinecures for do-gooders whose expiration date had long since passed. But so did Barack Obama, in his first address to the U.N., when he called for a future "forged by deeds, and not simply words." While noting that the U.S. once again was fully participating in the United Nations' more symbolic endeavors and had fully paid its dues, "We can be remembered as a generation that chose to drag the arguments of the 20th century into the 21st, that put off hard choices, refused to look ahead, failed to keep pace because we defined ourselves by what we were against instead of what we were for." Or, he said, the U.N. can finally give "meaning to the promise embedded in the name given to this institution: the United Nations."
The U.S.'s legacy of hectoring, however, is predicated on the U.S.'s being able to lead. Obama's first speech promised that the U.S. was well on its way toward comprehensive energy reform, a promise he abandoned--or was forced to abandon--when the economy collapsed. He said he would work quickly to bring Israel and Palestinians back to the bargaining table directly, and has failed to do so.
As much as the legitimacy of the United Nations is at stake when it fails to fulfill the vision of its charter, the U.S.'s influence is limited when it cannot make good on its own promises.
Image credit: Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP
| <urn:uuid:1186f9f8-481b-4737-a2d1-c1cedf24af19> | https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2011/09/why-us-presidents-lecture-the-un/245430/ | en | 0.975918 | 0.024769 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Tag Archives: employee advocacy
Social media gives us the ability to stay connected like never before. From personal relationships to workplace inclusivity, the power and importance of social tools has never been more evident or necessary. For companies life LifeWorks, which works to help employees feel loved by providing businesses with a global employee wellbeing platform, this ideology around social media and connectivity is what the technology company is built on. Research by the McKinsey Global Institute found that using social tools to boost communications can raise productivity by 25%. Social media has the potential to empower employees by helping them collaborate and work effectively together. If used properly, social tools have the potential to completely transform workplace morale, attitudes and overall performance. | <urn:uuid:4ee4b4d6-6a42-427d-afce-ecda4183ebaa> | http://smbp.uwaterloo.ca/tag/employee-advocacy/ | en | 0.952425 | 0.021821 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
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DNA Analysis Reveals Hidden Fungal Species
Our ability to assess biological diversity, ecosystem health, ecological interactions, and a wide range of other important processes is largely dependent on accurately recognizing species. However, identifying and describing species is not always a straightforward task. In some cases, a single species may show a high level of morphological variation, while in other cases, multiple morphologically similar species may be hidden under a single species name. Cryptic species, two or more distinct species that are erroneously classified under a single species name, are found in all major groups of living things. As an alternative to traditional morphology-based species delimitation, an international research group, including scientists from Germany, Iran, Spain, and the USA, describes five new species of lichen-forming fungi from what was traditionally considered a single species using differences in DNA sequence data. The authors state that "the effective use of genetic data appears to be essential to appropriately and practically identify natural groups in some phenotypically cryptic lichen-forming fungal lineages." The study was published online on May 9, 2013 in the open access journal MycoKeys. The scientists also provide a reference DNA sequence database for specimen identification using DNA barcoding, making specimen identification more accessible and more reliable at the same time. The application of DNA-based identification can potentially be used as a way for both specialists and nonspecialists alike to recognize species that are otherwise difficult to identify. Lichens are commonly used to monitor ecosystem health and the impact of atmospheric pollution. In addition, some lichens are potentially valuable sources of pharmaceutical products, including antibiotics, antioxidants, etc. In spite of their occurrence in all terrestrial ecosystems and overall ecological importance, lichens are commonly overlooked. DNA barcode identification can be performed in a variety of ecological, pharmaceutical, and biomonitoring studies in order to quickly sort specimens into the correct species. The authors argue that the use of molecular sequence data in identifying species will likely become increasingly important and routinely applied. Other disciplines such as ecology, conservation, and physiology will benefit from a more objectively based species circumscription, enabling us to interpret distribution and ecological patterns more precisely, while more accurately monitoring environmental disturbance and climate change. The authors predict that this approach will prove to be an important tool in making critical conservation-related decisions. Image shows colorful lichens growing on rock (photo by Dr. Steve Leavitt). [Press release] [MycoKeys abstract] | <urn:uuid:c9ed1829-327e-4fb0-ba1b-f3fcb277a8e1> | http://www.bioquicknews.com/node/1184 | en | 0.920848 | 0.310606 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Why Can't Oakland Compete With San Francisco's Lowell High?
Back from my long absence, I'm still thinking about schools in Oakland.
Some months ago, I wrote a post about magnet schools in Oakland. For the most part I was ignored, save for one person who took the time to inform me that such programs are illegal in California.
I didn't do too much research after receiving this comment. Then, I ran across the following links:
So, San Francisco has a fantastic, high-performing magnet high school that requires students meet certain academic requirements.
Why can't Oakland do the same thing? For starters, this seems like something the teacher union would like. This school would not be a charter school, so its teachers would be in the union.
And, such a project would pull dollars back into the Oakland school district as parents shifted back to public school from private school. It's common knowledge that parents with high-achieving kids in Oakland send them to private school if they can afford it.
I'm sure many parents would breathe a sigh of relief to have such an option available in this economy.
And, Oakland clearly has the facilities to spare to implement such a project. My understanding is that flight from the Oakland schools to charters and private schools has left many schools half-full.
I recently read on Katy Murphy's blog about how the union is planning a strike over wages. Maybe they could add a unionized magnet middle and high school to their list of demands.
I also saw a video where the superintendent of schools, Tony Smith, indicated that he wants to look for ways to fix the schools budget crisis. Maybe attracting back students with a magnet school could be part of the solution?
What's the rationale for the city to have no magnet school anyway? It can't be just liberalism -- since San Francisco is plenty liberal and has Lowell. What's going on here?
Oh and one other thing. If Oakland had better options for high-performing middle and high school students, that would increase property values (just look at the values in Piedmont). That would improve the city's tax base, which would help schools as well.
Isn't this a win-win?
1. I think a lot of people over on Katy's blog are of the opinion that OUSD and/or the union are against a magnet school because a) it goes against a perceived belief that all students are equally able and therefore should receive an equal education, and b) there is a perceived worry that a magnet school would be predominated by certain racial and/or class groups. When I say "perceived" I mean that the posters on Katy's blog perceive that OUSD and/or the union have that belief and worry. They don't actually know if it's true. But they do regularly skewer OUSD's "one size fits all" education. And they also pillory the perceived beliefs as being based on ideology rather than fact.
Whatever the case may be, and despite what the cheerleaders over at OUSD might try to convince the public of, the only thing I can actually make heads or tails of is the fact that OUSD has terrible schools. High performing, low performing, rich or poor, Oakland parents try to claw their way out of OUSD with interdistrict transfers, charter schools, Catholic schools, or private schools.
2. a selective Lowell/Stuyvesant type high school would cost way more in the short and mid run, and maybe long term, than it would add to overall city revenue. Labs, math and science teachers, history/language teachers with advanced degrees are big bucks. The state per capita reimbursement rate to ousd wouldn't cover it.
Perceptions of parents who have used private schools for pre high school years, are not good guide for high school performance for top performing students. Tech and Skyline and possibly OH, actually take very good care of their top students. They don't do well for the many students below that narrow top tier. If those programs for top tier students are cut, yes, you would see a white, asian, indian, ethiopian fire drill to the doors of the ousd high schools, and that many more more families moving out of oakland.
Would expect that if OUSD schools at the bottom and the top were raised to just state average, residential property tax revenues would increase. could take years for that effect. How much so, without dramatic sustained drop in crime also is hard to say.
-len raphael | <urn:uuid:7e7b3d4f-dec4-4c77-aa8e-2b4c18ed8c18> | http://www.eastbayconservative.com/2010/04/why-can-oakland-compete-with-san.html?showComment=1272375068000 | en | 0.978413 | 0.628915 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Help me to thank the person who helped my son on Tuesday, May 7th, 2014!
My son called me yesterday morning. He is 21. Right at the dead of rush hour in Ottawa, he is at the split on the 417 and his car simply shuts down. He has no power, so he cannot open the power doors. The car behind him honks their horn and passes him by. The driver of the second car decides not to do the same. With car whizzing by, he gets out of his car and approaches my son and guides him on how to open his door. My son gets out of his car and the gentleman says “What’s going on buddy?” My son replies, “Don’t know – it just died.” And with numerous speeding by, on a busy highway, they proceed to push the car to the side of the road. Reminder to everyone, when you stop and help someone, you ARE helping someone’s child, no matter how old he or she is.
I hope this reaches the kind man who took a risk and came to the aid of my son Josh, whose Royal Blue 2003 Honda Civic died on the 417 on Tuesday, May 7th, 2014. | <urn:uuid:9869bfa7-d864-494a-ba4e-8e16f17eb849> | http://www.man-kindness.com/blog/act-26-174-altenator/ | en | 0.976573 | 0.020307 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Magazine Archive
Talking MIDI (Part 6)
Part 6. Resident software specialist Jay Chapman clears up some misleading terminology first, then moves on to relate how the MIDI protocol organises such matters as Program Changes in those humble synthesizers we all take for granted.
How are synthesizer program numbers defined internally by MIDI? Why the confusion today between 'patch' and 'program'? These points and more are answered in this sixth part of Jay Chapman's revealing series on the bits and bytes of MIDI.
This month it's time to look at the three Channel Voice messages we've not yet considered in the series ie. those with the most significant nybbles of their status bytes set to &C, &D, and &E (& signifies hexadecimal code by the way). We'll then move on to discuss the System messages whose status bytes start with &F.
The first thing I'd like to do - if only for my own benefit - is to get the terminology straight. These days I often hear the following three words used interchangeably: voice, program, patch. My understanding of these words may be different to yours so I will define them so that you know what I mean in the context of this article.
A synthesizer voice is (generally) a combination of analogue circuitry and computer hardware/software that produces a sound. A monophonic synthesizer has exactly one voice; a polyphonic synthesizer has several voices whether they must all sound the same (mono-timbral) or not (multi-timbral). The voice is directed by such controllers as the ubiquitous keyboard and pitch wheel which define various dynamic performance parameters such as pitch, trigger and/or gate. The actual timbre (tonal characteristic) of the sound produced by a voice and the degree of response to the performance controllers just mentioned is defined by the voice's program.
A program is one set of stored parameters which can be selected via front panel switches, or via MIDI; these parameters, in the simplest case, correspond to a given sound eg. 'Funky Warthog' or 'Twanged Pretzel'. Many synthesizers will offer a combination of preset and programmable parameter stores. In the latter case you will be able to edit the individual parameters making up a program. The parameters correspond to the settings of the multitude of knobs, switches and sliders that usually don't appear on the front panel of the synthesizer these days! On a multi-timbral synth, the program may also be responsible for selecting which sub-programs are selected simultaneously to define each of the different voices although this may be selected on a per-channel basis if the synth is used in Omni Off/Mono On mode.
A patch refers to the tangle of patch cords that used to look like a miniature telephone exchange on the front of Moog and Roland modular synthesizer systems. On most modern synths all of the components of the voice circuitry are permanently connected though some of the program parameters may be responsible for saying whether or not one component is allowed to influence another. The Matrix Modulation system of the Oberheim Xpander and Matrix 6 synthesizers takes this 'conceptual patching' closest to the old understanding of a 'patch' by allowing you to connect up components in a fairly arbitrary manner with the flexibility afforded by patch cords but without actually needing the cords!
So, in some senses, the word patch does not usually apply to non-modular systems. Most people manage to use this term as a synonym for program, however, which is quite understandable. The term voice is quite different from the other two, however, and this is where confusion often arises. MIDI can send the parameters forming a program from one synthesizer to another as we shall see later. If the receiving synthesizer 'understands' the details of the program's parameters (for example, a DX7 program sent to a TX7 will be 'understood'), then the actual sound produced by the voices in both synthesizers using these same program parameters will be identical at both ends. In most cases, one synthesizer can't understand the internal program details of another and there would be no point in transmitting such information between synthesizers (although computers can be used to absorb, edit and regurgitate it!).
There is often a situation where the musician wishes to use complementary voices in two or three synthesizers during a performance. For example, a particular song in the set requires Synth 1 to sound like a 'slap bass' and Synth 2 'organ'. The next song then needs 'string pad' plus 'brass stabs'. If Synth 1 is set up with 'slap bass' and 'string pad' in program memories 1 and 2 respectively, and Synth 2 with 'organ' and 'brass stabs' in its program memories 1 and 2, then life is getting a little organised for our musician. If we now connect MIDI Out on Synth 1 to MIDI In on Synth 2 and set up the synthesizers properly, we can use the Program Change message to do the dirty work of changing the programs in synchronisation for us.
In other words we should be able to select a program memory number on Synth 1 and this fact would be transmitted over MIDI via a Program Change (&Cn) message. Table 2 in last month's article suffered a slight alignment problem so I'll point out that this message is made up of two bytes of the form %1100nnnn %0ppppppp where %nnnn is the MIDI channel number (internally 0 to 15, externally 1 to 16 as usual) and %ppppppp is the program number that has just been selected on the transmitting synthesizer. So, if we select program memory number 1 the message sent out might look like %11000000 %00000001 (ie. &C0 &01) if we were transmitting on MIDI channel 1 (internal channel %0000).
When another synthesizer receives this message it will (if so enabled) select the same program. In our Synth 1/Synth 2 example above, we made sure that the contents of the program memories corresponded to the sound we required for the songs. In this way, if we select program memory 1 on Synth 1 then Synth 2 will follow suit and select its program memory 1; if we select program memory 2 on Synth 1 we obtain program memory 2 on Synth 2 and so on. With a bit of foresight and planning at least part of the live control of a bank of synthesizers during a performance is simplified. A sequencer should be able to organise program changes using the same messages of course.
There is one slight complication in the world of the MIDI Program Change message that we need to worry about for a moment or two. The new program number is held in the %ppppppp data byte which means that it can take on the values %0000000 to %1111111 (or 0 to 127 decimal). Now, I very much doubt that your synthesizer has program memories numbered 0 to 127 (or even 1 to 128...) so we need to discover the correspondence between whatever it does have and our range of data values. Briefly, a combination of reading the synthesizer's manual and a bit of experimentation is needed!
Looking at the Yamaha TX7 Expander manual as an example, we are told that we should ignore the first two bits (giving us %ppppp rather than %ppppppp) and that the remaining five bits select program numbers 1 to 32. Since we know that %00000 to %11111 represent decimal 0 to 31, we I can guess that internal program number 0 (%00000) corresponds to the external (displayed) program number 1, continuing with 1 to 2,2 to 3, ... and 31 to 32 in exactly the same manner as the coding of the MIDI channel numbers. Experimentation in this case might consist of sending &C0 &03 to the TX7 which has been set to receive on MIDI channel 1 and observing that the TX7 display shows that program 4 (think about it!) has been selected. If you are using a DX7 to drive a TX7 then selecting program number 4 on the DX7 will result in a data byte value of 3 being transmitted since there is the same conversion from external to internal numbering. As I have said before, we computer scientists count from zero and not from one like everybody else!
On quite a few synthesizers the program memories are split into banks. You might have 16 preset programs stored in each of two banks named A and B, say, and two lots of 16 programmable memories referred to as banks C and D. Typically all 64 programs will be referred to internally as program numbers 0 to 63 whereas the display will show A1, B2, or D16. With a little concentration we can guess that selecting A1 on this synthesizer would select program number 1 on a TX7 that was suitably connected over MIDI. B2 would select 18 and D16 would select 64 - if the TX7 had that many programs! In fact, the TX7 would probably select 32 when the other synth selected D16 - see if you can work out why before I give an answer at the end of the article...
The important point here is that it doesn't matter which way the correspondence works as long as you can work out what it is by experimentation. If A1 selects 16 and B16 selects 17 (unlikely, but it could happen!) then you use A1/16 and B16/17 as 'paired' memories. If in doubt connect the synthesizers via MIDI, press the program select buttons on the master instrument and note down what gets selected on the slave.
Channel Pressure is generally referred to as After-Touch. This is not wrong - but needs some qualification since Polyphonic Key Pressure (&An) is also referred to as After-Touch. In both cases there is measurement of pressure applied to the keyboard after a key/chord has been played. After-Touch permits quite a sensitive method of control and might be used to add varying amounts of vibrato or to fade in a string voice over a held piano chord, for example. Such measurement is totally unrelated to key velocity in theory, but in practice if you play a very 'heavy' (fast velocity) chord your keyboard pressure 'on arrival' maybe quite sufficient to register as After-Touch as well!
The difference between Channel and Polyphonic Pressure is well defined by their names. In the Polyphonic case it is the pressure that is exerted on individual keys that is communicated over MIDI; the relevant message (discussed last month) therefore needs a data byte to say which key is being pressed and a second byte to give the pressure measurement value. In the Channel case, only one pressure measurement over the whole keyboard is taken, so only one data byte for the one pressure value is required. For example, %11010000 %00000010 (&D0 &02) would indicate a fairly weak pressure on MIDI channel 1. There are no prizes for guessing why you will find Channel Pressure on lots of synthesizers and Polyphonic Pressure on hardly any...
A word of warning here. If you are using a sequencer to record the activity on a MIDI keyboard, watch out for hundreds of extra bytes being stored if Channel (or Polyphonic) Pressure is being transmitted. Some synthesizers, such as the DX7, transmit Channel Pressure messages even when they themselves are not at that moment programmed to respond to them. This is not a fault, by the way, because it increases the DX7's usefulness as a master keyboard; it would still have been useful to be able to disable this feature though! Having said that, most decent sequencers (eg. UMI-2B), MIDI processors (eg. Yamaha MEP4) and even some interfaces (eg. Hinton Instruments' MIDIC) will filter out extraneous messages upon request.
There is an obvious problem in terms of using up space but it is also worth considering the fact that 300 extra bytes take up a tenth of a second slot in your MIDI transmission. Other messages, such as key on/offs from the same keyboard will be interleaved with the After-Touch messages and will not themselves be badly delayed but if you have ten synthesizers under a sequencer's control and you had to send out a combination of After-Touch, Pitch-Bend, and a few Continuous Controller movements, then MIDI may get a bit overloaded. The moral of this story is: if you don't need them, don't send them; if you can't prevent sending them, filter them out along the way!
Out of all the possible controllers, the pitch wheel was considered sufficiently ubiquitous to merit a MIDI message of its own. The three byte message takes the form %1110nnnn %01111111 %0mmmmmmm where %nnnn is the MIDI channel and %1111111 and %mmmmmmm are the least and most significant bytes respectively of the latest pitch wheel position. The actual position is calculated as %mmmmmmm x 128 + %1111111 as discussed for the controllers last month. As with any Continuous Controller, the position of the wheel is sent when it changes and this means that a single pitch-bend can send hundreds of bytes flying over MIDI - see SPACE/TIME WARNING above.
Unlike other Continuous Controllers it is assumed that the pitch wheel's default position is in the centre of its possible range of movement. This is for the obvious reason that you will be able to bend up or down from the rest position. You will find that some synthesizers actually send out a Pitch Wheel Change message of &En &00 &40 when they power up to ensure that any slave synthesizers start with their pitch-bend capability set to 'centred'.
As with all Continuous Controllers the sensitivity of the slave synthesizer to controller changes is actually set in the slave synthesizer. It would be possible for the slave to allow a full pitch-bend up (final message &En &7F &7F) to cause a whole tone bend or an octave bend depending on their 'response' setting. Many synthesizers ignore the least significant byte of a Pitch Wheel Change completely.
All the messages that we have considered so far have contained a channel number as part of the status byte so that the messages could be 'routed' to devices listening on the specified channel. As we already know, all messages transmitted on one MIDI daisy chain will be heard by all devices connected to that daisy chain (unless some device filters messages out). Any device (or part-device) that hears a message whose channel number does not correspond to its own simply ignores the message. Similarly, if a message is on the correct channel but the synthesizer cannot respond (because it doesn't 'understand' Polyphonic Pressure messages for example), then it also ignores the message.
System messages are those that all devices on the MIDI network need to listen for and respond to if they can. Their transmission and reception is quite independent of the 'routing' mechanism provided by MIDI channels so they do not have the least significant nybble (LSN) encoded as a channel number - this field acts as the message type instead. All the System messages start with a most significant nybble of &F and are divided into two groups according to the state of the left-most bit of the LSN. Table 1 shows those with this bit turned off (System Common messages).
Status Byte Data Bytes Description
(&F0) %11110000 %0iiiiiii Start of System Exclusive - see text
(&F1) %11110001 (........undefined)
(&F2) %11110010 %0lllllll Song Position Pointer - least significant
%0hhhhhhh Song Position Pointer - most significant
(&F3) %11110011 %0sssssss Song Select
(&F4) %11110100 (........undefined)
(&F5) %11110101 (........undefined)
(&F6) %11110110 (none) Tune Request
(&F7) %11110111 (none) End of System Exclusive
As can be seen from Table 1, three of the possible eight combinations of bit patterns (from %11110xxx) are undefined. It is probably not a good idea to use these patterns for your own nefarious purposes, however, because they may be used in a later MIDI specification. If you need some messages of your own then use the spare Controller messages (see last month's article) intended for such use.
Tune Request is intended to be used where there are analogue synthesizers on the MIDI network which may need to be told to retune their oscillators every now and again. Perhaps a sequencer could send out Tune Request commands at sensible intervals when such synthesizers were going to be unused in the song for the necessary amount of time.
The Song Select message is used when some devices on the MIDI network may be capable of storing information about several different 'songs'. Typical devices would be sequencers and drum machines. A drum machine may have songs which define different groups and sequences of internally recorded drum patterns for example. Before starting a song, a master sequencer (or even a human performer!) can cause all such devices to select the same song information by sending a Song Select message with the song number encoded in the single data byte eg. %11110011 %00000010 would select the third song (0,1,2,...).
Having selected the song, it may not be the case that we want to commence playing from the start. Time is measured in MIDI terms at 24 clocks per crotchet and the current position within a song is measured in terms of intervals called MIDI beats, each made up of 6 MIDI clocks (more on MIDI timing next month). MIDI beats therefore correspond musically to sixteenth notes. Any device that understands song positions will have an internal register that counts MIDI beats during recording or playback so that any point in a song can be identified to a resolution of one sixteenth note. The Song Position Pointer message simply allows the contents of the internal song pointer register to be set to some value which is encoded in the pair of data bytes. The maximum size of a song can be easily calculated: the smallest Song Position Pointer is 0 and the largest is 127 x 128 + 127 (two seven bit data bytes) = 16383, which is more than 4000 bars of rock 'n' roll!
The System Exclusive Start and End messages are proving to be a very powerful feature of the MIDI protocol and deserve more space than there is available this month, so you'll have to fork out for next month's Sound On Sound to find out what they're all about! We'll also look at the last set of MIDI messages that we haven't yet dealt with: System Real-Time.
P.S. The following explains why the Yamaha TX7 selects program 32. Selecting D16 on the master synthesizer would cause a Program Change message of the form %11000000 %00111111 to be sent to the TX7. The second byte holds the value 63 which is the internal coding of the 64th program number on the master synthesizer. That is, assuming the programs are stored in the order: A1 to A16, B1 to B16, C1 to C16, D1 to D16, then D16 is the 64th program. The TX7 ignores all but the least significant five bits so that the bit patterns %00000000 to %00011111, %00100000 to %00111111 and %01000000 to %01111111 all appear to the TX7 as %00000 to %11111. In other words, any program number greater than 31 will effectively have 32 subtracted from it until it is in the range 0 to 31. Thus program D16 becomes internal 63 which is sent out as a 'change program to 63' message. The TX7 interprets this as 'change to internal 31 ' (ie. 63-32 = 31) and displays it as program number 32. So now you know!
International MIDI Association
If you would like to keep up to date with all aspects of MIDI and related products available worldwide, we recommend that you join the International MIDI Association.
The IMA was originally formed in the summer of 1983 by a group of American MIDI enthusiasts who foresaw the tremendous influence the interface would have on music creation. The Association is now firmly established with members worldwide and is recognised by the leading equipment manufacturers.
Membership includes the monthly newsletter, The IMA Bulletin, which contains advance warning, of all new MIDI products, software releases and updates, detailed technical info on machines and, most importantly, feedback from its members on the use/applications of the products. A database network is also in operation and the IMA hold numerous seminars and conventions.
Full details of how to join, what it costs and how to set up a local IMA chapter in your region are available from:
(Contact Details)
Read the next part in this series:
Talking MIDI (Part 7)
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Sound On Sound - Copyright: SOS Publications Ltd.
Sound On Sound - Jun 1986
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Talking MIDI
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Feature by Jay Chapman
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I’m Here for Dinner! (hope in suffering)
Once upon a time there was a rich and powerful king who lived in a massive castle and had a vast kingdom. He decided to invite peasants from the farthest villages to his castle for a feast at the close of the harvest. Heralds were sent and announced the banquet, gave directions and warmly invited everyone to come.
None of these people had ever seen the castle or the king—although they’d heard stories since they were little. Nothing like this had ever happened before. You would think that the kingdom would be bursting with joy.
The reaction was mixed.
Some were nice to the heralds and assured them they would come (although they knew darn well they wouldn’t). Others were excited and wanted to come. However, they more they thought about it their hesitancy grew—it would be a long journey and dangerous and expensive. Some didn’t believe the invitation was legit. Why would the king invite us to his castle? How do we know this isn’t some sort of joke by rogue heralds? Maybe this isn’t a joke at all but a means to lure us off our land for others to steal. Still, there were some who were excited and counted the days with enthusiasm.
After the harvest many left on the journey. It was a hard one. The way was hard and far and none of them had ever been this way before. It was also getting colder. Nevertheless they (mostly) persevered. Many hard and long weeks later the castle came into view and they were in awe. For most, their excitement grew. Others became very afraid. They felt so backward and poor and inadequately dressed. Why would we be invited here? Some left in fear; the rest carried on. They came to the castle and it was overwhelming. They came in through the gate and there was a vast courtyard with many beautiful pavilions. These pavilions had abundant appetizers of a quality that these people had never even imagined. However, by the time they got there most of the pavilions were full of people who lived closer and were just hoarding the food for themselves. So, most waited in the courtyard with only scant food. However, castle servants assured them that dinner was coming and soon they would be ushered through the huge double doors into the castle proper for the feast. Groups had been entering for days (remember, the whole kingdom had been invited). They may have to camp here for a while before it was their turn.
Many were excited and didn’t mind the wait. Those few who had access to the pavilions with abundant hors d’ouvres were happy to wait—in fact most of them hoped they’d never be called in. Life was great in the pavilions. Most were camping off to the side though (although occasionally a few from the pavilions would share a little bit).
Rumors were stirring in the camp. Some said that the dinner would be awesome beyond anyone’s wildest imagination–well worth the trip and the wait. Others said this whole thing was like the candy house of Hansel & Gretel. There was no dinner behind the doors—only death and suffering awaited. Some left scared. Others just hunkered down in the pavilions and tried not to think about it.
It is odd that on the threshold of their greatest opportunity for joy and satisfaction, the mood of the campers was rather heavy. Many who were so tired, cold and hungry after such a hard journey were sorry they came and wished they were back at their cottage in the country. They were a bit ticked that they had come all this way just to camp in the cold while they watched small packs of gluttons devour most of the snacks. The more they thought about it the more their negative emotions grew. The castle with its big imposing door and massive walls and armed guards was nothing but fear-producing. Even the folks in the appetizer-intensive pavilions had fears–they didn’t want to give up their “bird in the hand” for whatever was “in the bush” (it was probably bad). Interestingly, some of the most optimistic and joyful folks never made it to the crab dip in the pavilions. They were just as tired and hungry and cold from the long journey, but they sincerely believed that they were going to see the King and have dinner in the castle! They waited joyfully in hope.
In the midst of this scary pandemic I’ve heard so many Christians (in rather light, glib, dismissive tones with smiles on their faces) say things like, “Don’t worry. God is in control.” “God’s got this!” “It’s all according to God’s good plan.” Sometimes they will go on to quote scriptures—particularly Matthew 6:25-34:
This passage is the word of God to us. It is true and important and relevant. HOWEVER, when we proclaim it I think we need to proclaim it like we would in a battered women’s shelter, or a Syrian refugee camp or a slum in Calcutta. These are truly words of life and cause for great joy! Nevertheless, they are spoken into a post-Genesis-3 world that is full of suffering. I mean SERIOUS, AGONIZING, DESPAIR-INDUCING, TERRIFYING suffering. So when we see even more dark clouds on the horizon we need to speak life and hope and truth and joy with the tone and attitude and heaviness appropriate for the occasion or we will end up communicating something far different than God desires and people desperately need.
My little parable helps me keep perspective. I’m not afraid of going into the castle for dinner. I look forward to it! Yes, I have been truly born again. What does scare me, I must sadly confess, is losing my primo spot in the pavilion where there are abundant appetizers. I don’t want to camp hungry and cold in the courtyard. Why does that scare me so much!? Why is my “bird in the hand” held with white knuckles? I don’t know how to camp! What would happen if I ever have to look my wife in the eyes and tell her I don’t know how to get food or toilet paper while we’re literally starving!? I know what to do in the shrimp cocktail pavilion, but I have no clue how to camp rough in the courtyard.
What if the people who know how to camp rough in the courtyard only help me as much as I’ve helped them?
Do I believe that the King has invited me? Do I believe that this is the King’s courtyard? Do I believe that the King cares more about the people in the pavilions? Am I 100% confident that dinner in the King’s hall is worth any amount of suffering on the hard narrow hard way that leads to life that few find (Matt 7:13)? Does a review of my life suggest that I’m laying up treasures in heaven or on earth? Why, then, am I scared of (and even surprised by!) moths and rust and thieves? (Matt 6:19)
So I exhort you, brethren, stand fast in hope! I say this with absolutely no glibness or lightness or saccharine-sweet smile. Let’s pray for each other. Let’s encourage each other. Let’s help each other. I’m not the only one who needs it.
This is the King’s courtyard! We are invited to the King’s dinner! This light momentary affliction is producing an eternal weight of glory beyond what we can image! (2 Cor 4:17)
However, let us always remember that the same apostle who described his affliction as “light momentary” also wrote three chapters earlier, “For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself.” (2 Cor 1:8).
There is no room for a glib, saccharine-sweet dismissal of that kind of agony. However, there is room to offer hope and encouragement. Paul continued, “Indeed we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.” (2 Cor 1:9-11)
God delivered Paul again and again and again and again. And then the Romans chopped off his head.
I’m not here for appetizers in the pavilion. I’m here for dinner!
May God help us all remember why we are here.
On How We Do Things
I didn’t write either of these parables. I have no idea who did or where I heard them. I would gladly credit the authors if I knew. Nevertheless, I share them here because they are two of my favorites. The first vividly illustrates that how we obey God has a profound impact on the value of the obedience. The second illustrates that how we do things can be terribly influenced by the way we prefer to do them.
Once upon a time there was a king of a small kingdom. He had 50 knights. His people loved him and they prospered under his leadership. One day an evil king came to his border with his 200 knights. He and his bodyguard rode to the castle to negotiate surrender. The good king received him in his throne room at the top of his tower.
After some discussions the good king told him that he would not surrender under any circumstances. The invading king said, “Don’t be ridiculous! My army of 200 knights is awaiting my command on your border. I know for a fact that you only have 50 knights!”
The good king paused. He turned to the large, heavily-armored knight standing at his side and said, “Jump out the window.” Without a split second of hesitation, the man dropped his spear and shield, sprinted to the window and dove out of it without breaking stride.
The invader was stunned for a moment and without thinking walked to the window and looked down. He saw the broken body stories below and then turned to the king with his mouth slightly open. The good king looked him dead in the eye and said, “You are mistaken. I have 49 knights.”
The invader withdrew.
On a cold, foggy, drizzly night, a man was walking down a city street. Rare street lamps cast small pools of light on an otherwise dark and deserted street. He heard the man before he saw him—on his hands and knees crying near the base of a lamp on the other side of the street. He ran over to him and asked what was wrong.
“I lost my wedding ring! I was fiddling with it on my hand as I was walking down the street and it fell off. I can’t tell you how much that ring means to me!”
The man felt great pity for him and he offered to help. He got on his hands and knees beside him and began looking. After about 15 minutes, his pants were stained and he’d cut his hand on some glass. He was tired and wet and couldn’t imagine how they both could have missed it after searching so carefully for so long.
“Are you sure this is where you dropped it?”
“No I dropped it over there,” the man said pointing into the darkness down the other side of the street.
“Then why in the world are we looking over here!!!!!”
The man looked at him like he was a total idiot and replied, “Because the light’s better.” | <urn:uuid:0555d94f-cd72-4007-a9ac-3b769e9db899> | https://convivialnarwhals.org/2020/ | en | 0.973403 | 0.145729 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
The wishlist name can't be left blank
George Keith (c. 1692-1778) 10th Earl Marischal of Scotland
£ 2,000
Artist: James Ferguson
8.3 cm (3 1/4")
Wearing armour and full-bottomed powdered wig
plumbago on vellum
Set in the original turned wood frame
George Keith was a Scottish and Prussian army officer and diplomat. He served under the Duke of Marlborough in Flanders from 1708 to 1711. As a Jacobite he fought to return the Stuarts to the throne of England during the Jacobite Uprings, but was captured for treason by the Hanoverian government and his estates were given to the crown. He fled to the continent and went to serve the Jacobite court at Avignon before serving as their ambassador in Spain and then in Prussia. He served Frederick the Great as Ambassador to Spain from 1759 to 1761, informing the Hanoverian government of Spanish preparations to enter the war as an ally of France, which gained him a pardon by George II in May He was a friend and patron of Jean-Jacques Rousseau. His brother James Francis Edward Keith also served Prussia as a field marshal. George was Captain and Colonel of the 2nd Troop Horse Grenadier Guards 1713–1715 and Earl Marischal 1712-1715
8.3 cm (3 1/4")
More Information
Year circa 1734.
Medium plumbago on vellum,
Condition Good
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New Investigation Into Plastic Surgery Deaths Spotlights One Miami Business
Feb 6, 2019
Originally published on February 5, 2019 9:01 pm
South Florida has long been an international hotspot for plastic surgery. But it's also been plagued by issues around safety. According to a new USA Today investigation, there were eight deaths in Miami related to surgeries from one plastic surgery business over the course of six years. Although the business has changed its name multiple times, it continues to be run by the same man, Dr. Ismael Labrador.
USA Today reporter Michael Sallah spoke with customers, victims' family members and doctors to better understand how many of the clinics in South Florida operate. Often, the doctors responsible for highly dangerous procedures were not board certified, he found.
One of the most popular operations in South Florida, the Brazilian butt lift, has an average of one death per every 3,000.
We spoke with Sallah about the investigation, tactics used to find customers out-of-state and how consumers can be smart about where to get procedures.
WLRN: What was the catalyst for doing this investigation?
SALLAH: We were noticing the numbers of deaths that were being reported. We wanted to step back and kind of look at what was behind these clinics and what we found was this is one of about 15 ... "factory clinics." They do multiple surgeries every day, most of the doctors are not board certified and most of the patients come in from out-of-state. These are national facilities. Essentially they're bringing people from all over the country and we thought this was a good time to do a deep dive and see what's behind these entities and how they work.
Why is Miami the hotspot for plastic surgeries?
I think part of it is you're dealing with a state government that doesn't provide very aggressive oversight. And you're in Miami, you know 'body beautiful.' That's the culture. So it's going to breed a lot of plastic surgery and it's always had a long tradition there. But these new facilities are driven largely by social media. They have found a niche down there where they can operate without a lot of oversight and with the combination of discount prices, social media and the real popularity of what they call the "Brazilian butt lift." It's a very popular procedure. So these very savvy marketing entities are now going out and advertising across the country and Miami has become kind of the hotspot. Also you can practice here without medical malpractice insurance. It's almost the perfect storm and it's allowed these entities to thrive and to grow and they're not slowing down in the investigation.
You found a series of clinics run by this one specific person. Eight patients died over six years. Do you see this as a fundamental systemic problem across this industry or is it just about a few bad actors like this doctor?
There are about a dozen to 15. The reason why we profile [Dr. Labrador's] clinic to start with was because he had the highest number of deaths. There are other facilities that have had deaths and multiple untold injuries. So all of these places are dangerous because of the high volume of surgeries they do and by doctors that are not board certified. But to kind of categorize it as just a few bad apples doesn't quite capture the measure of the breadth and scope of these businesses.
They are literally servicing tens of thousands of patients every year ... flying in from all over the country. And this one particular entity we found -- we did a study of the business model and found that after one or two deaths they would change [the clinic's] name ... they would change the corporate structure, they bring in other presidents of the company but it was always one person behind it, Dr. Labrador. And by changing the names they can make sure that it was more difficult.
| <urn:uuid:fbda038f-e82f-4f82-a0a9-dd188683e8e5> | https://health.wusf.usf.edu/post/new-investigation-plastic-surgery-deaths-spotlights-one-miami-business | en | 0.978765 | 0.033697 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Cyberinfrastructure for the Large Hadron Collider
We lead the ATLAS Midwest Tier2 Center, providing 30 000 CPU-cores, 10 PB of storage, integrated into the worldwide LHC computing grid, accessible by every member of the international collaboration.
We also provide a large and fast analytics cluster for the ATLAS Distributed Computing operations team using the “ELK stack” (Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana), and a machine learning platform with access to approximately 30 GPU cards in the Lab.
Computing for the South Pole Telescope
MANIAC Lab operates cyberinfrastructure at the South Pole and SPT analysis facilities in Chicago | <urn:uuid:c57b01f5-948e-4219-8a49-061e7220a141> | https://maniaclab.uchicago.edu/collaborations/atlas/ | en | 0.857934 | 0.163348 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Lottery Lessons
If you’re decently competent in the area of probability, you might know that your chances of winning fall below things like “death from a vending machine” and “having identical quadruplets.” This doesn’t stop many people from playing. I think playing the lottery is more about the chance to dream of what our lives would be like with that much money rather than actually believing we could win.
In the UK, the lottery consists of picking 6 numbers between 1 and 49. Any player to match all 6 numbers is the grand prize winner. The chances of this are certainly astronomically low. A fun question to ask a class of students: If we bought a lottery ticket for every different combination of 6 numbers to ensure we’d win, how high would that stack of tickets reach?
In the task Do You Feel Lucky, Nrich tackles the idea of evaluating advice given on raising your chances of winning this seemingly impossible lottery. Students are asked to comment on the validity of the advice given and one in particular caught my eye:
When picking lottery numbers, choose numbers that sum between 100 and 200 because the total is rarely outside this range.
Whoa. There are so many ways we could evaluate the validity of that claim. So I sent my students off to the races. Most of them wanted to use a random integer selector and then gather the data from the class’s trials.
GeoGebra Results:
Lots for them to talk about here. Lots of questions for them to ask as well. Does the range seem too wide? Do we have enough trials? What do we make of the dip in the middle? Should we change the bar graph to have different class sizes? Would a box plot have been more appropriate? What about the descriptive statistics? Would those help us out?
I’m hoping next year to extend this into more of a class activity rather than an impromptu discussion.
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Connecting to %s | <urn:uuid:d3ddc901-ef2a-44d6-8188-12e1e537f875> | https://mathybeagle.com/2014/05/05/lottery-lessons/ | en | 0.912653 | 0.096178 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Haron Dikajev sentenced to 12 years in prison ({{contentCtrl.commentsTotal}})
Haron Dikajev in the courtroom at Harju County Court.
Haron Dikajev in the courtroom at Harju County Court. Source: ERR
Harju County Court on Wednesday found Haron Dikajev, a figure in Estonia's criminal world, guilty of leading a criminal organization and sentenced him to 12 years in prison.
State Prosecutor Vahur Verte said that the defendant's guilt in leading a criminal organization had been proven; he had sought a 12-year sentence for Dikajev.
Defense lawyer Alar Neiland, however, had found that Dikajev must be acquitted of this charge, and sought minimum sentencing if sentencing could not be avoided.
The prosecution sought terms ranging from six years and six months to up to 13 years in length for seven other individuals charged with being members of the organization allegedly led by Dikajev — Sergei Džavakjan, 46, Tanel Mandelkorn, 36, Grigori Bagatoi, 39, Vitali Kaer, 32, Eduard Oleinik, 51, Dmitri Sidorenko, 47, and Jevgeni Podolinski, 39.
Prosecutors also sought for the seizure of some €54,000 from Dikajev, €42,800 from Džavakjan, €158,000 from Mandelkorn, €64,000 from Bagatoi, €41,000 from Kaer, €25,600 from Podolinski, €6,600 from Sidorenko, and €2,990 from Oleinik.
The court found Dikajev and the other defendants guilty, sentencing them to prison terms of varying length.
In summer 2017, former co-defendants Sergei Primak, Sergei Niinemets, Artur-Ažari Simonov, Aleksandr Dmitruk, Robert Raag, Alexander Nikolajev, Valeri Dementjev and Aleksandr Varlamov accepted plea deals and received sentences ranging from a suspended prison sentence to four years in prison. The investigation regarding Andrei Jermolajev, who was accused of aiding tax evasion on a large scale, was discontinued due to a lack of proportionality as Jermolajev is already currently serving an eight-year sentence.
The Prosecutor's Office initially sent 18 people to court, most of them accused of membership of a criminal organization led by Dikajev.
At the beginning of the trial, Dikajev pleaded not guilty to leading a criminal organization, however he pleaded partially guilty to a charge of physical abuse.
Organization members faced various charges
According to charges, the criminal organization in question financed its activities by means of committing various economic crimes and crimes against property. Among other things, VAT fraud was committed that caused hundreds of thousands of euros in damages against Latvia and Lithuania.
According to information gathered in the course of the pretrial investigation, the organization was also financed by means of fraud committed in Estonia, for which people were used who agreed to have their names used in deferred payment and loan agreements; the organization obtained technical equipment and cash as a result of such actions.
The defendants also allegedly committed acts of physical abuse, unauthorized entry, embezzlement, counterfeiting of a document, the use of a counterfeited document, unlawful handling of a firearm silencer, handling of narcotics in a large amount, and traffic offenses.
Five persons who were not members of the alleged criminal organization were accused of aiding members of said organization in the committing of various crimes.
Based on the information gathered in the course of the pretrial investigation, it can be said that the criminal organization had a permanent structure and clear hierarchy, and its aim was to commit various crimes acting under strict conspiracy rules, Verte noted.
"According to the information gathered during the investigation, the organization took care of its members, financed them as well as provided them with housing if necessary," he described. "At the same time, in the event of disobedience or non-fulfillment of orders, members of the organization were punished physically, and the punishment was endured without putting up any resistance."
Ago Leis, director of the Organized Crime Department of the Central Criminal Police, said that the investigation in this criminal case lasted for more than three years.
"In this time, the specific role and actions of each member of the criminal organization had to be determined separately," Leis said. "To prove various criminal activities, evidence was gathered piece by piece, and each piece of evidence was analyzed. In the case of tax crime, we cooperated closely with Latvian and Lithuanian authorities, and all of this took time."
Arrests begin in 2015
Central Criminal Police arrested most of the members of the alleged group in April and June 2015. Dikajev was arrested late last June, and Harju County Court took him into custody on July 1.
Led by the Central Criminal Police and supervised by the Office of the Prosecutor General, the criminal investigation was launched at the end of 2012.
Dikajev has stood trial for serious offenses on several previous occasions, but had been cleared of the most serious charges against him.
In 1995, he stood trial for his alleged role in the disappearance of three members of the so-called Krasnodar gang in a turf war between the Krasnodar and Chechen gangs in Estonia. Two of the missing men were later found dead; the third remains missing. Dikajev, who was accused of organizing their killing, was eventually sentenced to two years in prison for illegal possession of a firearm, as charges of organizing the killing could not be upheld in court. He was released early for good conduct.
In 1999, Dikajev was tried again for his alleged role in the 1995 turf war and found guilty of hooliganism by a first-tier court. The verdict was overturned in a second-tier court, however.
In late September 2002, Dikajev was arrested as a suspect in organizing the killing of media businessman Vitali Haitov, but was later released due to lack of evidence.
In December 2005, a court found Dikajev and five other defendants guilty of blackmailing a businessman for 100,000 kroons (€6,400); they were sentenced to four years in prison.
Dikajev is a board member of the Chechen Youth Association and the owner and board member of OÜ Emir Invest.
Editor: Aili Vahtla
| <urn:uuid:6e4a4acf-c3d2-4ab7-a3cf-9629138609d7> | https://news.err.ee/972441/haron-dikajev-sentenced-to-12-years-in-prison | en | 0.967281 | 0.020629 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Self-styled presidential ‘climate change candidate’ would wean U.S. off fossil fuels
by Reuters
Monday, 24 June 2019 17:04 GMT
Democratic presidential candidate and Washington State Governor Jay Inslee speaks during the California Democratic Convention in San Francisco, California, U.S. June 1, 2019. REUTERS/Stephen Lam
Image Caption and Rights Information
Inslee said contrary to President Donald Trump's view that fossil fuel production is an economic driver, an aggressive shift toward clean energy would be an economic boon
By Valerie Volcovici
WASHINGTON, June 24 (Reuters) - The Democrat running as the "climate change candidate" in the 2020 presidential election laid out a strategy in Florida's Everglades on Monday for weaning the United States off fossil fuels that includes banning drilling on public lands and ending crude oil exports just as the country is poised to become the world's biggest producer.
Washington State Governor Jay Inslee released what he called his "Freedom from Fossil Fuels" plan, the fourth part of a multi-pronged policy platform that details how he would tackle climate change through clean energy jobs, foreign diplomacy and recalibrating the U.S. economy.
The plan takes aims at one of the centerpieces of the Trump administration, its "energy dominance" agenda, which has loosened environmental regulations to spur more oil, gas and coal development on private and federal land and encouraged exports.
"We are for the jobs of the future. Trump wants to chase the phantoms of past," Inslee told Reuters.
Inslee's plan outlines 16 initiatives that would form his national energy policy and aim to weaken the fossil fuel industry that he says has been "driving the climate crisis."
Among his key policies include restoring the decades-old ban on crude oil exports, which was lifted in the waning days of the Obama administration and has led to the United States being on track to become a net energy exporter by next year, and extending export restrictions to coal and liquified natural gas.
He said restricting fossil fuel exports is essential because it "poses an overwhelming risk to the global climate."
He also wants to end subsidies for fossil fuel companies that total over $26 billion annually through tax credit repeals and raising royalty rates and lease payments for federal land energy production, as well as a ban on new leases for drilling on federal land and offshore waters and the phasing out existing ones with the aim of ending fracking across the country.
In addition to banning extraction on federal lands, Inslee proposes preventing drilling and mining in areas that are adjacent to national parks and monuments, such as the Everglades and Bears Ears National Monument in Utah with oil, gas and coal potential.
Inslee's plan would also strengthen environmental enforcement of polluters and ban the construction of new infrastructure such as oil pipelines that would lead to an increase in greenhouse gas emissions, and impose a climate pollution fee for emitters of carbon dioxide, F-gases and methane.
In a bid to offset the impact on jobs of an aggressive fossil fuel phase out, Inslee also proposes to protect the healthcare and pension benefits of fossil fuel workers, provide stipends for training workers in new fields, and create funds to stimulate investment in areas affected by job losses.
"It is time to challenge the legacy of subsidized pollution, delayed action and political obstruction that threatens our country with tremendous human and financial costs of a diminished future," Inslee's plan said. (Reporting by Valerie Volcovici; Editing by Daniel Wallis)
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. | <urn:uuid:f98ff5e2-7c8c-4d54-8cb9-e1c222452a58> | https://news.trust.org/item/20190624164607-7pgh5/ | en | 0.956803 | 0.020813 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
PEIR Digital Library
Home / Keywords radiationx + radiologyx + headx /
00134075.jpg 00134076Thumbnails00134076Thumbnails
RADIOLOGY: HEAD: Case# 33667: INTRACRANIAL NEOPLASM. Patient is a 50 yo gentleman with a history of a medulloblastoma. Patient was intrathecally administered 80 mCi of an I-131 labeled monoclonal Fab fragment directed against a tumor antigen. A pretreatment and a 1 month post-treatment PET study were performed. In each study, the patient was injected with 10 mCi of 18-FDG IV and after allowing 30 min. for localization, emission PET data was acquired. A focus of hypermetabolic activity in the cerebellum suggesting active tumor. One month post therapy markedly diminished metabolism of the tumor focus is noted. In this case 18-FDG-PET studies have been used to evaluate tumor therapy and differentiate tumor expansion from radiation necrosis. Typically, T1 gadolinium-enhanced MRI images often demonstrate enhancement around the relatively vascular expanding margins of tumors but a similar appearance can be seen with radiation necrosis. Additionally, PET can direct biopsies toward more metabolically active tumor sites thus reducing sampling error and improving pathological diagnosis. Serial studies can also detect transformation of low grade astrocytomas to higher grades. Careful registration of PET with anatomical studies such as CT/ MRI is vital to proper interpretation because; 1) variations in metabolism seen commonly within tumors can complicate edge definition between normal and abnormal tissue on PET images; and 2) metabolic activity of a tumor is graded relative to the surrounding normal tissue which is better depicted with MRI/CT. Metabolism is often graded on relative intensity using a scale of 1 to 5. 1 is grey (1). The lesions seen in the first study were graded as 5.
Peter Anderson
head, radiation, radiology | <urn:uuid:13f3e49b-1bf6-46da-b995-14ca725aa969> | https://peir.path.uab.edu/library/picture.php?/14060/tags/56-radiation/73-radiology/329-head | en | 0.914981 | 0.029153 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Heavy Rain’s Follow Up Act
French development studio Quantic Dream, the guys behind the critically (and commercially) successful game Heavy Rain, is apparently working on two new titles both set to break videogame boundaries once more. The word “Horizon” was floating about in the great rumour machine that is the internet, and it was supposedly the working title for one of Quantic Dream’s approaching titles.
Now David Cage (the game’s Director) has claimed that “Horizon” was an improvised codename for the script given to new hopeful actors and actresses in casting sessions. But Cage only states that there is no project by the name of Horizon currently development at Quantic, implying there is a title hiding away in his experimental workshop.
Now seeing as Heavy Rain hit the shelves in late February, and considering it was first announced at E3 in 2006, does this mean Quantic Dream’s next creative vision will not be ready to play for several years at best? Some fans could argue that the foundation technology they will most likely use has been established and become familiar to the team so they should be able to cut down production time by a hefty chunk. But this point should be countered with understanding the situation Quantic Dream are now in. How do you follow up a game like Heavy Rain?
Those of you, who were curious enough about this bizarre game and bought it, will recognize that the developers created Heavy Rain with punching a huge hole in the preconceptions and trash stereotypes of videogames clearly in mind. Some of the standout and most praised features of the game were things like the shockingly powerful voice acting, the dark and chillingly believable plot, the innovative control scheme, the multiple endings, and an experience that was completely unheard of. But many of us are aware that Heavy Rain did so well, largely because it was a rebellious title surrounded by otherwise polished gaming clichés (not to discredit some fantastic games released during this period).
But has the novelty of Quantic’s quirky style of gameplay set-up and presentation burnt out the hype wheels that fundamentally drove the games sales? I for one certainly hope not because it’s developers like David Cage and his team that take gaming a step forward. As for what ideas they could be cooking up behind closed doors remains to be seen, but will they need to deliver quite as much innovation in their second and third titles to get the reception they are enjoying at the moment, in the near future?
If the project with the ‘unknown name’ can produce a journey on the emotional, moral, and allegorical scope of Quantic Dream’s first title then I can tell you now, it will be a day one purchase for millions.
All Posts | <urn:uuid:c4204efa-6559-41aa-9412-fc8a47f3ec5d> | https://wegotthiscovered.com/gaming/heavy-rains-follow-up-act/ | en | 0.967843 | 0.034884 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Whistling Bird Creative Whistling Bird Creative
SeatShare: NYC
Our graphics team created a logo for the NYC SeatShare. The SeatShare program helps empower people with invisible disabilities a seat on public transportation in an explicitly discreet manner. This is contextualized by interpreting forms and colors associated with city mass transportation systems (subways, buses, and ferries). The sharing spirit is captured by the overlapping unity of the highly identifiable iconic seating typology. The color palette is informed from NYC’s established metro signage, and is bold and illuminating to be easily spotted. The “SeatShare” san-serif font was embellished by adding secondary line weights expressing transportation. The “NYC” graffiti stroke represents urbanism.
Share Project : | <urn:uuid:792b4a17-9cad-4661-a9a4-11bd8cf950c8> | https://whistlingbirdcreative.com/portfolio/items/seatshare-nyc/ | en | 0.919938 | 0.087037 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Exclusive: Serial rapist Robert John Fardon shaves off beard
Serial rapist Robert John Fardon has changed his appearance, shaving off his long beard, since a supervision order dictating his living arrangements was lifted.
Fardon, who has a long history of rapes and assaults dating back to the 1960s, was moved into a quiet suburban street in Wacol a week ago. Although police are aware of his whereabouts, he is not required to wear an electronic tracking device.
Police have declined to reveal detail about how he will be monitored.
Robert John Fardon has shaved off his beard. (9NEWS )
Although it is difficult to see in this image, Fardon is now clean-shaven. (9NEWS)
Fardon had previously been living in state-sponsored housing near the prison in Wacol under strict supervision since his release in 2013.
The order to end his supervision a week ago was only made public yesterday morning.
He would now be living free from police scrutiny if the state government had not rushed through law changes as a backup plan to its failed last-minute Supreme Court bid to extend his monitoring.
Even before the suppression order was lifted, Fardon was filmed attending appointments in Brisbane city and catching the train home; a journey during which he repeatedly took a keen interest in his female passengers.
In this footage he has short hair and a long beard. 9News has since filmed him clean-shaven.
Robert Fardon had a long beard when filmed weeks ago while under a supervision order. (9NEWS)
He is now free to move about the community. (9NEWS)
He is required to tell police if he moves address but does not have to wear an electronic monitoring device. (9NEWS)
Fardon was later moved out of the Wacol street after authorities became aware that 9News knew of his location.
Fardon was first convicted in 1967, then aged 18, for sexual abuse offences against a 10-year-old girl, and over two decades he committed a series of rapes and sexual assaults.
In 2003, he became the first person to be jailed in Queensland indefinitely under new laws targeting repeat sex offenders.
To the knowledge of authorities, he has not offended while living in the community since 2013.
Send your photos, videos and stories to 9News
| <urn:uuid:2b3c7faa-15cc-4c77-bcdb-c3be18bc4ecd> | https://www.9news.com.au/national/serial-rapist-robert-john-fardon-shaves-off-beard/e6a70bb4-c762-4418-9d5f-8aa0de429cd7 | en | 0.98182 | 0.02026 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Send an SMS using Nexmo and Azure Logic Apps
. 5 min read
Every once in a while I have to send an SMS to someone for some reason, and I need to be able to do it programmatically.
I know that SMS is an "old school" approach, but it just works. Especially nowadays when we're bombarded by a zillion of Internet-connected apps, SMS (and phone calls) is something that stands out. Another "selling point" is that an SMS doesn't need an Internet connection to be delivered, meaning that the recipient can either have a "dumb" phone or be somewhere with a lousy Internet connection.
Those situations aren't even rare. Take me for example - I live in a village that's 10 km away from the center of Zagreb, the capital of Croatia. Although we have 4G/LTE, there are some spots while I'm driving home without an Internet connection, sometimes the cell tower goes nuts, etc. An additional problem is that sometimes I leave my iPhone at home or in my car, enjoying some time in the nature, carrying only a "dumb" phone. At those moments, the only way for a client or a system alert to reach me is by sending an SMS or calling me.
Why Nexmo
For my "whole" life I've been using Twilio because "everyone" is using it, and it just works. When I've decided to start writing about all the little helper tools that I've built, I've started making them again to take screenshots, and then I saw that there are new contestants available in Logic Apps. After some research, I've decided to start playing with Nexmo, because it seemed more usable than Plivo and TxtSync, and unlike Infobip, you can get an account right away.
Keep in mind that these Logic Apps that I'm describing are helper functions. I'm not using them in large scale production. I'm only using two service providers for large scale production - Twilio (look at the reasons above) and Infobip. Infobip is a really cool multinational company but based in Croatia (the country I'm from). Their SMS service is superb, but since they're targeting larger businesses, you won't be able to get an account without going through the sales channel.
Get a Nexmo account
The first step is to go to Nexmo site, get an account, and add some money it.
Once you're done with that, go to the "Getting started" page because you're going to need the API Key and the API Secret to connect Nexmo with Logic Apps.
Create a new Logic App
You'll need a new Logic App which responds to HTTP(S) POST requests. Since that's a common requirement in general and a common requirement in this series of blog posts, I've extracted the steps into a separate blog post available here.
Please go there, follow the steps, and then come back here. You're going to need to paste a JSON sample payload specific to this blog post, so here it is:
"recipientPhoneNumber": "+385912345678",
"smsBody": "Hello world"
Add the next step
Once you're done with the previous step, click on the "+ New step" button, and select "Nexmo Send an SMS".
The first time you add something that's connecting to Nexmo, you're going to need to create a connection to it. The "Connection name" field expects you to give a name to the connection and it can basically be anything. The "API Key" and "API Secret" fields are the ones where you should paste the values from the Nexmo Getting Started web page. Once you're done with it, click "Create", and you'll land on a "Send an SMS" window.
What you're expected to do here is fill out the three fields - "Sender Id", "To Phone Number", and "Text". Luckily, those are the values that have been sent to us in a JSON through the HTTP(S) POST request and we've deserialized them in the previous step. Because of that, when you click on one of those fields, a new window will pop up on the right offering you to select content available from the previous step. Once you're done with filling out the fields, hit the "Save" button.
When you first hit the "Save" button on a new Logic App, the HTTP(S) POST URL gets generated, so expend the first step - the window named "When a HTTP request is received", and copy paste the URL.
Testing using Postman
If you're not using Postman, perhaps you could give it a run. It has a free tier, it makes testing your APIs extremely easy, and it allows you to create collections of HTTP(S) requests, so that you can define them once, save them, and then reuse them whenever needed.
First of all, change the HTTP(S) verb into POST. Paste the URL from the previous step into the address bar. Click on "Body" beneath the address bar, select "raw" in the radio buttons section beneath the "Body" tab, and select "JSON (application/json)" from the drop-down at the right side of the radio buttons section.
Once you've configured that, paste a JSON into the body text field, and hit the "Send" button.
"recipientPhoneNumber": "+385912345678",
"smsBody": "Hello world"
It should take less than a second to finish, and if successful you should see the "Status: 202 Accepted", and in a couple of seconds the phone which has the phone number you've entered should receive a message.
That's it... enjoy sending SMS messages :)
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Everything posted by Improbability
1. NZ atheists are too hardcore for Americans to compete with.
2. This launched today and runs through 11/22. It aims to produce insights about secular Americans that could be used to improve advocacy. https://www.secularsurvey.org/
3. Stolen from my local humanist group's newsletter: "Turning vegan would be a big missed steak." Some of the principles are compelling though difficult to independently assess. Actually making principled choices is hard when it affects something that's so ingrained into lifestyle and day-to-day experience. I've had that experience (years back for weight loss), but there was a gun to my head in terms of health. It's easy to look around at all the other ambiguities and ills in our supply chains and lose a sense of urgency about it. We have to compartmentalize to live. This is an area where we really need leadership from our agencies to do the hard work about the science and sustainability and put forth suggestions that are realistic on a societal scale. And sadly, corporate interests along with a fingers-in-ears mentality from the populous all but guarantees that won't happen.
4. As a great theologian from the 23rd century put it, "what does god need with a starship"?
5. They're all tragic. Even success stories have to look back on years of wasted potential and private mental struggle and suffering.
6. I think that gets you in trouble with Zeno's Paradox if you try to use it as a physical explanation. An event horizon may be an apt metaphor for this conceptual barrier that we can't imagine the other side of, and in my own mind I don't have a better image for it, but it can't be a physical thing without breaking our intuition of time; not that such an intuition does us much good on a cosmic scale. I just want to be able to lounge in The Restaurant at the End of the Universe and ogle the annihilation of the cosmos while sipping something fruity. That elevation to godlike status goes far beyond whatever piddly self awareness we got from the Tree of Life, and if there's an appeal to the theistic view of the world, it's that there's a chance to know what to our limited, ephemeral minds is always going to be hopelessly out of reach. There's a trippy little game called Everything that takes on the preposterous challenge of representing the entire scale of the universe from subatomic to intergalactic, and the clever bit is that the inconceivably big loops around to the inconceivably small through a weird, incomprehensible bridging phase where the scale stops mattering and you realize that the existential mechanics you've been learning all along mean the same thing no matter what modality you're currently inhabiting.
7. You might be on to something. It's probably important to distinguish between contextual nothing and absolute nothing. Contextual nothing is defined relative to the lack of something. It requires an observer to make that distinction which implies a context where there is not nothing. Absolute nothing on the other hand is total nihility. This is less useful for finding a basis for understanding because it precludes us or anything resembling us; even a single atom is not absolute nothing. Contextual nothing is the only nothing we have a hope of bending our minds to really understand, but it doesn't answer the question of where the context came from which loops back around to the beginning and makes me wonder if there's any potential for the question itself to have meaning.
8. It's just the classic head scratcher of how you could ever get to "now" if time recedes infinitely back into the past. From our time-bound perspective, there has to be some kind of "beginning", but even if such a transcendental event occurred, it's still not something we're really equipped to understand.
9. This is the fundamental question of the human condition. There isn’t a perfect answer. In religion, there are doors to open, but they don’t lead anywhere. Outside of it, there’s only the sky above your head, but you’re free to find your own purpose. Time helps. Relationships help, but it can be hard to find the same sense of community outside of faith which is more self-organizing. What satisfies you is going to be individual. It may be an intellectual pursuit or just a set of comforts and distractions. It’s okay, because it’s yours, and that growing, unapologetic identity will become one of your biggest anchors. Looking back, you’ll realize ways that your old worldview was small, and there’s just no going to it even if the new perspective is more challenging. If you’re still working free of the wreckage of your old life, definitely give it time. Work on living for this life instead of in spite of it.
10. Perhaps for some definitions of time and nothing. The interior of a black hole is effectively lost to our frame of reference, its contents trending asymptotically towards nothingness, but that’s a different kind of nothing than nothing at all. Verses like Rev. 10:6 are evocative (though it requires some cherry picking from the surrounding lunacy). If time can end by divine fiat just like it supposedly began, then so called eternal life is nothing like our mortal conception. But there’s no evidence that the universe works that way.
11. That was tongue in cheek, but it’s true that we can’t even conclude that there was a prior state, let alone what it might have looked like, or whether it’s even something that could be considered past tense according to our mortally bound conception of time. But we can’t extrapolate what we know about where we are without paradox either, so I don’t know what to suggest other than some kind of exotic state change or that there’s something fundamental that we still don’t understand about the nature of space and time. I’m a lot happier with the theories of modern physics than the millennia old musings of early thinkers who didn’t have the evidence we now do.
12. So convenient! In the analogy I stubbed out earlier (was traveling), the fallen tree is the something we can perceive. The forest is nothing, or more specifically what is outside our possible frame of reference. We can’t rationalize the achievement of existence in our own terms; it’s an unreachable temporal paradox, but we can put in a placeholder for that thing we can’t express and treat it abstractly. The question is not whether the falling tree made a sound (could be observed without an observer); it’s how it came into that state to begin with. If there is a god, then it is an observer or perhaps an agent of that change, but they’re more part of the forest than the tree. We weren’t there, and all we know is that there is something, a fallen tree, probably. Our mind dismisses the tree/sound question format as pointless. Maybe something weird happened, but it probably didn’t, and I think the same goes for god. The notion of contextual layers we can’t access also reminds me of monads in Category Theory. They’re like a semantic container that doesn’t expose the concept directly, but can process it indirectly. I don’t think there’s an algebraic solution for “god”, but maybe mathematical abstraction can be a logical tool sometimes. ...huh, guess the math follows from the philosophy in this case.
13. This reminds me of the “if a tree falls in the forest” question, though I’m not sure offhand if there’s a useful way to phrase it in those terms.
14. I don’t think this is a question we as a species have the capacity to answer. We are temporal beings, but time is about frame of reference, and that implies the contrasted something. If there’s nothing, then there’s no time, and there’s no us. Just being there to observe it violates the definition. We can imagine a higher dimension than our own, but we can’t access or even perceive it. So we can fantasize about outside mechanisms and causality, but it’s unlikely to ever be a matter of provable science. I can’t say what we can’t know, and wouldn’t discourage the pursuit; but it’s not something I lose much sleep over. I don’t think the human unknowability is a satisfying argument for a creator. Such a creature might be outside of our frame of reference, but if so, then who is god’s god? Or, more directly, why wouldn’t they have a context of their own? It’s lazy to use the argument to go out a level, but then deny that there could be further ones. And any such mechanical concept of god argues against the personal relationship that Christianity preaches. Such a being is beyond our comprehension and rational concern. (And if god had a god, what would it mean for us if he rejected that being’s version of redemption?)
15. It's a memed clip from a 2004 debate. Hovind gish gallops through some pseudoscientific gibberish where the central point is that god is bigger than the perceivable universe...because he says so. Q.E.D.
16. I relate to some of this. I think it's important to remember that Christianity has a pretty grim perspective of the human condition and fatalistic view of civilization. I was raised in it and have remained in its shadow long into my adult life. My ability to orient and relate in the world has been compromised by this upbringing, and I have compassion for anyone dealing with the same thing. Sociopathy isn't the answer, but it can be hard to see how anything matters until you've gotten some distance and matured in your own post-religious identity. After years of being broken down by manipulation and dogma, selfishness is not a simple thing to relearn how to healthily accept and balance.
17. Again, thanks for the encouraging replies. I tried to give some more detail mid-week because I didn't want to completely ghost, but it's hard to make the time to think about difficult things amid the stress of day-to-day life, and though quiet introspection can also be very difficult, I've been looking forward to the opportunity this weekend to continue to mull things over because it does feel like progress even if it's slow. I appreciate the "pull the ripcord" responses because that's eventually going to be the impetus I need. But it's not in my nature to make hasty decisions, and there are a number of reasons to stay the course for at least a little while. Health insurance, for one thing is a lot simpler when you're still employed, and I have some upcoming maintenance that it's better (for me at least) to address first. There is a clock on the overall situation, so even if I do procrastinate it won't be forever. It's true that I ultimately need to do what's best for me and that I've wasted a lot of time already, but I don't want to leave a smoking crater in my wake. It's not a good look professionally, and it's not who I want to be. @Margee, you're so right that moderation, pragmatism and self-care are all important. There's an impulse to push away hard, but it's not really my character to be dogmatic (in either direction), and especially when it comes to relationships there's a risk of forcing the issue unnecessarily or in a hurtful way because I'm just reacting and not really grounded yet. I've had years to adjust to the fact that I didn't believe, but because I stayed I wasn't forced to confront the uncomfortable task of really replacing it. Self-flagellation (metaphorical) is going to be a tough habit to shake. I've always been of two minds, nurturing an inner pride and willfulness while also seeing myself in a generally negative way. It's healthy to keep a grounded self view, but I do hope to be rid of some of this baggage eventually. @MOHO, it's interesting being in a position of long-closeted disbelief. I never had much interest in the rigorous theological aspects, and I got to the point of concluding that it just wasn't workable (or real) more though experience than exhaustive study. Coming from a fundamentalist background, I think I'm conditioned by teaching and circumstance to not want to look too closely. But I've changed over the years, and the availability and accessibility of information has changed, and though it's easy to protest that I'm not an academic equipped to plumb the depths, I don't have much excuse beyond laziness and avoidance. I spent some time today watching a video series from Bart Ehrman about how Christ came to be seen as God that I saw linked from somewhere, and it really shed light for me on how narrow and insular the fundamentalist view I've been exposed to is. I did have a meeting with a therapist this week. In some ways it was as I expected, and in some ways it wasn't. There is definitely a structure of expectation that I'm not just there to vent but to be realistic about what I need to accomplish so he can help me. The thought process of trying to answer some of those questions has been constructive. I'm there to learn, and I may learn that it's not a channel that I actually need much of, but as an exercise it's already playing the facilitating role that I hoped it might, and I'm feeling a little more confidence that if the time comes that I need to represent myself to specific people in difficult ways that I'll be able to do so. It is also a novel and refreshing experience to be able to have an open and unobfuscated conversation about these things. This is stuff that I've never told anyone in person, and being able to say it and realize I felt confident saying it was validating. There may not be much regular progress to relate. I have a road map, but I don't know exactly where it's going, and I'm taking this a week at a time. Over the past few weeks, I've felt very deadlocked, and while I still have a great deal to do, I'm not feeling as conflicted about it. I won't turn this into a diary, but I will follow up as it seems appropriate.
18. Hey all, thanks for the replies. There are things I've been vague about because my story is unusual enough that I don't think someone in this sphere would have much trouble putting it together. It's probably delusional, but part of living this life is an outsized fear of discovery. ("Your sin will find you out.") The day will come when I'll be able to be more open about it, and hopefully look back on all of this with a very different perspective. Writing this out is absolutely a therapeutic exercise. I won't go into detail, but there's a precipitating factor I became aware of a few weeks ago that broke through my walls and reminded me of the precariousness of my position. Since then I've spent a great deal of time reflecting and adjusting, but I've felt paralyzed from taking any real action. Talking about it can be a form of procrastination (to which I'm prone), but it also removes some of the power it holds. I don't quite know yet what I'm going to do or how this is going to go, but I feel a little closer having put it out there than when it was all in my head, and the understanding replies mean a lot. I'm used to being self-sufficient, and it's surreal to face a decision that's bigger than I know how to make on my own. I wanted to communicate circumstance and emotion, but spelling it all out comes across a bit dramatic. It's sincere and largely necessary, but it's not my whole mind. There's a part of me that's stuck on the hamster wheel of doubt and worry, but also a part that's detached and methodical and going through business as usual while trying to work constructively on the problem. Staying the course right now is not difficult, and external circumstances are not going to force me to make any drastic decision for a while; it's just that it's become clear now that there's a clock on it. My background is in software, and I don't expect that interest to change. Part of that skill set is extremely fungible. But after all these years in one place, a large part of it is also very proprietary, and seeing over the horizon to where I'm able to be accepted and productive in a different setting is intimidating. I have many avenues to explore on that front; I know it's just a matter of time and conviction which will come. The loss of all the applied knowledge and history and purpose I have now may be the harder thing to come to terms with. I have to remind myself that being able to play that role in the first place is such a unique privilege of this moment in history and not something I should take for granted. I think my most important struggle right now is with foundation. I've lived for so long in a context that all of my decisions and intuition were oriented to. Now that it's being challenged, I'm realizing my vulnerability. Much of that is circumstantial. I was never in so deep that religion became my whole identity, though it did perturb it. But I may need better answers for "why" before the "what" comes into focus. And while I may not have to justify myself to anyone, if it comes to it, I want to be better prepared to express who I am and what I do or don't believe. Getting this out emboldened me to connect with a local secular therapist who I'll be meeting with soon. I don't know quite what to expect from that. It may or may not be something that I really need, but it will be a learning experience either way.
19. I've struggled with writing (and rewriting) this post. I'm not sure that I should. I'm not sure how specific I can be. I'm not sure this is the right place or the right time. I'm not sure if there's much point to it. I'm embarrassed and discouraged by my own failure and inadequacy, even as I wish I could avoid having to change. I know I don't belong in my current life, but it's hard to imagine finding a place of belonging outside of it either. I don't have a story of deep trauma or abuse or misfortune, but I'm living a stilted half-life of wasted potential. It feels self-indulgent to elevate my own hardship amidst so much other privilege and in comparison to what others have experienced. Even with accommodating internet strangers, I'm afraid to be honest because the reflection is something I don't want to confront. Part of me understands that I probably need to seek counseling or therapy, but that's the start of a journey that I'm afraid to begin (and a tangent to what I really need to do). Meanwhile I'm stuck in my own head writing self-exploratory pablum to try to break the paralysis. I'm a closeted non-believer working faithlessly at a well-known fundamentalist Christian institution in the bible belt. I've been here for many years, but I'm single, socially isolated and have had very little responsibility or direct expectation in spiritual matters in my role which has made my apostasy practical to conceal and the cognitive burden of my deception and hypocrisy easier to compartmentalize and avoid. I came as a student because I had no ambition or direction in my life and it satisfied the expectations of my family and church community. I remained as an employee because it was an effortless transition that continued a vocational purpose I'd already established through internship and was the easiest way to maintain a religious facade for my geographically-distant home life when in my heart the struggle with the cycle of sin, guilt and repentance was all but abandoned. I didn't find a personal relationship with god here, but in maintaining the lie I didn't find myself either. I stayed through the years that followed because it's what I knew, even as local friends moved away leaving me in an improbable but stable position as someone who is diligent, valued and trusted, but spends most of the rest of their time in deliberate obscurity and isolation pursuing private secular interests. I'm in my 40s. I have a technical degree and many years of experience applying those skills in a strategically important role for a commercial subsidiary of this place. But my longevity has become a liability. I'm gifted and dedicated with incomparable knowledge in my area, but that uniqueness makes me dangerous because I would be disastrously expensive to have to suddenly replace. And for my part, the mental and emotional toll of leaving my life's work and a position of agency and facility has reached a point that is profoundly intimidating. I can't do exactly what I'm doing here anywhere else, and it will take significant time and effort to rebuild myself professionally. That's assuming my unaccredited degree is worth a damn, I have any sort of reputation (this is the only meaningful thing on a resume that I've never actually had to use) and that I have the acuity in my middle years to retool and adapt. I have confidence in what I've achieved, but I've always felt a sense of impostor's syndrome in my field, and I know the weight what I have now exerts in my sense of day-to-day purpose and emotional stability. But moving on is unavoidable. Whatever influences lodged me here, the decision to stay so long is my own. Every year I sign a statement of faith I don't believe, and though it rarely comes up in a practical way, I'm misrepresenting myself and creating an operational risk. (I'm not bitter against this place and don't want to hurt it.) The last few years I've become more politically conscious, and I can't avoid the fact that I'm working (sacrificially no less) for a creationist, pro-life, conservative organization when my own beliefs are diametrically opposed. Finally, it's likely that my ability to fly under the radar with my lack of personal religious observance is going to end soon forcing me to double down on hypocrisy and impersonation of a persona I'm deeply uncomfortable with if I want to remain. Ethically, mentally and professionally, this was never okay and can't continue in its current form. I still have time (months, perhaps) to make the move on my own terms, but it's surreal and difficult to even begin to confront. At some point, I'm going to have to sit in someone's office and explain how in this one, stupid, irrelevant area of my life I've been a fraud and a traitor. I no longer struggle meaningfully with faith. I was raised in this culture and believed (in fear) through my adolescent and college years. I made public professions. I sought a relationship with god. But I'm also an introvert, and guilt over my failings as a sinner always included guilt that I didn't want to be seen, didn't love the company of other believers (or people in general) and was afraid of discipleship, accountability and integration. Following the teachings of Christ goes against not just my human nature but my individual one, and I never found the spiritual connection or psycho-social reinforcement to make it work, even though it might be easier in so many ways if I had. But it's difficult to exorcise such an established part of your upbringing and education and circumstances. My rejection of the dogma is a reaction, not successful replacement of it. And fundamentalist thinking is so disciplined and refined that I'm never going to be completely free of the viewpoint. This background adds its own complexity to the prospect of having to decouple my life from this place. Even in my disbelief and distance, I find comfort in the known and familiar and fear leaving it. I don't have many significant human relationships, and they're all tainted by this lie and by the insulation it creates. My father has passed, but my mother is devout, even more so since she retired. She's perceived that I'm disengaged from faith, but it's different to be non-confrontational and still serving than to actively walk away. Explaining whatever happens is going to be hard. I know it will hurt her if she becomes convinced that I'm going to burn for eternity in hell, and I don't know if I can ultimately spare her that. My best friend lives hours away and still clings to faith even as his life is imploding due to unemployment, alcoholism and domestic dysfunction. I can't challenge his hope in the hereafter when the rest of his life is going to shit. So I'm alone as I confront this decision, though it tests the limits of my independence and self-reliance. One of the sad things about fundamentalism is that the doctrine of separation discourages honesty; there is help and forgiveness for the contrite, but what you admit has consequences that may lead to exclusion, so there is no counseling that isn't adversarial and no truth that isn't also potentially punitive. Ultimately, I don't know what I hope for in life. I enjoy entertainments and distractions, but I know they don't ultimately satisfy. I'm typical in my sexual orientation, but I've never had a serious relationship or wanted children. I'm not incapable of empathy or socialization, but I don't have a well-developed social life or presence and feel more comfortable on my own. I'm not wealthy, but I'm established enough that I can get by until I figure out what's next, wherever that ends up being. I know the universe doesn't owe me anything, but I'd like to think that the next chapter can be more than a joyless, purposeless slog to retirement. I've experienced radical lifestyle change (a decade ago when I realized that if life was worth living then it was worth not being morbidly obese), but there's a difference between the practical solution to a physical crisis and an existential one. Stepping out into the world, I don't know where I fit in, and I've managed to avoid so much life experience (good and bad) while sheltered in this unnatural bubble. I kind of hate every word of this, and I'm not sure what I'm hoping to accomplish. I'm going to go back to work tomorrow and spend another week trying to avoid thinking about this problem. And then another weekend is going to come when I'll be left alone with my thoughts. It's going to take me time to figure this out and accept what I need to accept, but I need to stop whining to myself and take some constructive steps, which hopefully this will be one of. So "hi", I guess. This is where I am. I appreciate anyone with criticism, constructive or otherwise. I have a hard time engaging online sometimes because I wonder what the point is and feel self-conscious even in anonymous interactions. But I recognize the gift that it is to show kindness to someone else, and I've been impressed by the examples of that that I've seen in this community.
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A Pair of Blue Eyes, by Thomas Hardy
Part 3 out of 9
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of her. She'd most likely have died an old maid if you hadn't
turned up.'
'All nonsense,' said Stephen, but not aloud.
'A nice little thing she is,' Mrs. Smith went on in a more
complacent tone now that Stephen had been talked down; 'there's
not a word to say against her, I'll own. I see her sometimes
decked out like a horse going to fair, and I admire her for't. A
perfect little lady. But people can't help their thoughts, and if
she'd learnt to make figures instead of letters when she was at
school 'twould have been better for her pocket; for as I said,
there never were worse times for such as she than now.'
'Now, now, mother!' said Stephen with smiling deprecation.
'But I will!' said his mother with asperity. 'I don't read the
papers for nothing, and I know men all move up a stage by
marriage. Men of her class, that is, parsons, marry squires'
daughters; squires marry lords' daughters; lords marry dukes'
daughters; dukes marry queens' daughters. All stages of gentlemen
mate a stage higher; and the lowest stage of gentlewomen are left
single, or marry out of their class.'
'But you said just now, dear mother----' retorted Stephen, unable
to resist the temptation of showing his mother her inconsistency.
Then he paused.
'Well, what did I say?' And Mrs. Smith prepared her lips for a new
Stephen, regretting that he had begun, since a volcano might be
the consequence, was obliged to go on.
'You said I wasn't out of her class just before.'
'Yes, there, there! That's you; that's my own flesh and blood.
I'll warrant that you'll pick holes in everything your mother
says, if you can, Stephen. You are just like your father for
that; take anybody's part but mine. Whilst I am speaking and
talking and trying and slaving away for your good, you are waiting
to catch me out in that way. So you are in her class, but 'tis
what HER people would CALL marrying out of her class. Don't be so
quarrelsome, Stephen!'
Stephen preserved a discreet silence, in which he was imitated by
his father, and for several minutes nothing was heard but the
ticking of the green-faced case-clock against the wall.
'I'm sure,' added Mrs. Smith in a more philosophic tone, and as a
terminative speech, 'if there'd been so much trouble to get a
husband in my time as there is in these days--when you must make a
god-almighty of a man to get en to hae ye--I'd have trod clay for
bricks before I'd ever have lowered my dignity to marry, or
there's no bread in nine loaves.'
The discussion now dropped, and as it was getting late, Stephen
bade his parents farewell for the evening, his mother none the
less warmly for their sparring; for although Mrs. Smith and
Stephen were always contending, they were never at enmity.
'And possibly,' said Stephen, 'I may leave here altogether to-
morrow; I don't know. So that if I shouldn't call again before
returning to London, don't be alarmed, will you?'
'But didn't you come for a fortnight?' said his mother. 'And
haven't you a month's holiday altogether? They are going to turn
you out, then?'
'Not at all. I may stay longer; I may go. If I go, you had
better say nothing about my having been here, for her sake. At
what time of the morning does the carrier pass Endelstow lane?'
'Seven o'clock.'
And then he left them. His thoughts were, that should the vicar
permit him to become engaged, to hope for an engagement, or in any
way to think of his beloved Elfride, he might stay longer. Should
he be forbidden to think of any such thing, he resolved to go at
once. And the latter, even to young hopefulness, seemed the more
probable alternative.
Stephen walked back to the vicarage through the meadows, as he had
come, surrounded by the soft musical purl of the water through
little weirs, the modest light of the moon, the freshening smell
of the dews out-spread around. It was a time when mere seeing is
meditation, and meditation peace. Stephen was hardly philosopher
enough to avail himself of Nature's offer. His constitution was
made up of very simple particulars; was one which, rare in the
spring-time of civilizations, seems to grow abundant as a nation
gets older, individuality fades, and education spreads; that is,
his brain had extraordinary receptive powers, and no great
creativeness. Quickly acquiring any kind of knowledge he saw
around him, and having a plastic adaptability more common in woman
than in man, he changed colour like a chameleon as the society he
found himself in assumed a higher and more artificial tone. He
had not many original ideas, and yet there was scarcely an idea to
which, under proper training, he could not have added a
respectable co-ordinate.
He saw nothing outside himself to-night; and what he saw within
was a weariness to his flesh. Yet to a dispassionate observer,
his pretensions to Elfride, though rather premature, were far from
absurd as marriages go, unless the accidental proximity of simple
but honest parents could be said to make them so.
The clock struck eleven when he entered the house. Elfride had
been waiting with scarcely a movement since he departed. Before
he had spoken to her she caught sight of him passing into the
study with her father. She saw that he had by some means obtained
the private interview he desired.
A nervous headache had been growing on the excitable girl during
the absence of Stephen, and now she could do nothing beyond going
up again to her room as she had done before. Instead of lying
down she sat again in the darkness without closing the door, and
listened with a beating heart to every sound from downstairs. The
servants had gone to bed. She ultimately heard the two men come
from the study and cross to the dining-room, where supper had been
lingering for more than an hour. The door was left open, and she
found that the meal, such as it was, passed off between her father
and her lover without any remark, save commonplaces as to
cucumbers and melons, their wholesomeness and culture, uttered in
a stiff and formal way. It seemed to prefigure failure.
Shortly afterwards Stephen came upstairs to his bedroom, and was
almost immediately followed by her father, who also retired for
the night. Not inclined to get a light, she partly undressed and
sat on the bed, where she remained in pained thought for some
time, possibly an hour. Then rising to close her door previously
to fully unrobing, she saw a streak of light shining across the
landing. Her father's door was shut, and he could be heard
snoring regularly. The light came from Stephen's room, and the
slight sounds also coming thence emphatically denoted what he was
doing. In the perfect silence she could hear the closing of a lid
and the clicking of a lock,--he was fastening his hat-box. Then
the buckling of straps and the click of another key,--he was
securing his portmanteau. With trebled foreboding she opened her
door softly, and went towards his. One sensation pervaded her to
distraction. Stephen, her handsome youth and darling, was going
away, and she might never see him again except in secret and in
sadness--perhaps never more. At any rate, she could no longer
wait till the morning to hear the result of the interview, as she
had intended. She flung her dressing-gown round her, tapped
lightly at his door, and whispered 'Stephen!' He came instantly,
opened the door, and stepped out.
'Tell me; are we to hope?'
He replied in a disturbed whisper, and a tear approached its
outlet, though none fell.
'I am not to think of such a preposterous thing--that's what he
said. And I am going to-morrow. I should have called you up to
bid you good-bye.'
'But he didn't say you were to go--O Stephen, he didn't say that?'
'No; not in words. But I cannot stay.'
'Oh, don't, don't go! Do come and let us talk. Let us come down
to the drawing-room for a few minutes; he will hear us here.'
She preceded him down the staircase with the taper light in her
hand, looking unnaturally tall and thin in the long dove-coloured
dressing-gown she wore. She did not stop to think of the
propriety or otherwise of this midnight interview under such
circumstances. She thought that the tragedy of her life was
beginning, and, for the first time almost, felt that her existence
might have a grave side, the shade of which enveloped and rendered
invisible the delicate gradations of custom and punctilio.
Elfride softly opened the drawing-room door and they both went in.
When she had placed the candle on the table, he enclosed her with
his arms, dried her eyes with his handkerchief, and kissed their
'Stephen, it is over--happy love is over; and there is no more
sunshine now!'
'I will make a fortune, and come to you, and have you. Yes, I
'Papa will never hear of it--never--never! You don't know him. I
do. He is either biassed in favour of a thing, or prejudiced
against it. Argument is powerless against either feeling.'
'No; I won't think of him so,' said Stephen. 'If I appear before
him some time hence as a man of established name, he will accept
me--I know he will. He is not a wicked man.'
'No, he is not wicked. But you say "some time hence," as if it
were no time. To you, among bustle and excitement, it will be
comparatively a short time, perhaps; oh, to me, it will be its
real length trebled! Every summer will be a year--autumn a year--
winter a year! O Stephen! and you may forget me!'
Forget: that was, and is, the real sting of waiting to fond-
hearted woman. The remark awoke in Stephen the converse fear.
'You, too, may be persuaded to give me up, when time has made me
fainter in your memory. For, remember, your love for me must be
nourished in secret; there will be no long visits from me to
support you. Circumstances will always tend to obliterate me.'
'Stephen,' she said, filled with her own misgivings, and unheeding
his last words, 'there are beautiful women where you live--of
course I know there are--and they may win you away from me.' Her
tears came visibly as she drew a mental picture of his
faithlessness. 'And it won't be your fault,' she continued,
looking into the candle with doleful eyes. 'No! You will think
that our family don't want you, and get to include me with them.
And there will be a vacancy in your heart, and some others will be
let in.'
'I could not, I would not. Elfie, do not be so full of
'Oh yes, they will,' she replied. 'And you will look at them, not
caring at first, and then you will look and be interested, and
after a while you will think, "Ah, they know all about city life,
and assemblies, and coteries, and the manners of the titled, and
poor little Elfie, with all the fuss that's made about her having
me, doesn't know about anything but a little house and a few
cliffs and a space of sea, far away." And then you'll be more
interested in them, and they'll make you have them instead of me,
on purpose to be cruel to me because I am silly, and they are
clever and hate me. And I hate them, too; yes, I do!'
Her impulsive words had power to impress him at any rate with the
recognition of the uncertainty of all that is not accomplished.
And, worse than that general feeling, there of course remained the
sadness which arose from the special features of his own case.
However remote a desired issue may be, the mere fact of having
entered the groove which leads to it, cheers to some extent with a
sense of accomplishment. Had Mr. Swancourt consented to an
engagement of no less length than ten years, Stephen would have
been comparatively cheerful in waiting; they would have felt that
they were somewhere on the road to Cupid's garden. But, with a
possibility of a shorter probation, they had not as yet any
prospect of the beginning; the zero of hope had yet to be reached.
Mr. Swancourt would have to revoke his formidable words before the
waiting for marriage could even set in. And this was despair.
'I wish we could marry now,' murmured Stephen, as an impossible
'So do I,' said she also, as if regarding an idle dream. ''Tis
the only thing that ever does sweethearts good!'
'Secretly would do, would it not, Elfie?'
'Yes, secretly would do; secretly would indeed be best,' she said,
and went on reflectively: 'All we want is to render it absolutely
impossible for any future circumstance to upset our future
intention of being happy together; not to begin being happy now.'
'Exactly,' he murmured in a voice and manner the counterpart of
hers. 'To marry and part secretly, and live on as we are living
now; merely to put it out of anybody's power to force you away
from me, dearest.'
'Or you away from me, Stephen.'
'Or me from you. It is possible to conceive a force of
circumstance strong enough to make any woman in the world marry
against her will: no conceivable pressure, up to torture or
starvation, can make a woman once married to her lover anybody
else's wife.'
Now up to this point the idea of an immediate secret marriage had
been held by both as an untenable hypothesis, wherewith simply to
beguile a miserable moment. During a pause which followed
Stephen's last remark, a fascinating perception, then an alluring
conviction, flashed along the brain of both. The perception was
that an immediate marriage COULD be contrived; the conviction that
such an act, in spite of its daring, its fathomless results, its
deceptiveness, would be preferred by each to the life they must
lead under any other conditions.
The youth spoke first, and his voice trembled with the magnitude
of the conception he was cherishing. 'How strong we should feel,
Elfride! going on our separate courses as before, without the fear
of ultimate separation! O Elfride! think of it; think of it!'
It is certain that the young girl's love for Stephen received a
fanning from her father's opposition which made it blaze with a
dozen times the intensity it would have exhibited if left alone.
Never were conditions more favourable for developing a girl's
first passing fancy for a handsome boyish face--a fancy rooted in
inexperience and nourished by seclusion--into a wild unreflecting
passion fervid enough for anything. All the elements of such a
development were there, the chief one being hopelessness--a
necessary ingredient always to perfect the mixture of feelings
united under the name of loving to distraction.
'We would tell papa soon, would we not?' she inquired timidly.
'Nobody else need know. He would then be convinced that hearts
cannot be played with; love encouraged be ready to grow, love
discouraged be ready to die, at a moment's notice. Stephen, do
you not think that if marriages against a parent's consent are
ever justifiable, they are when young people have been favoured up
to a point, as we have, and then have had that favour suddenly
'Yes. It is not as if we had from the beginning acted in
opposition to your papa's wishes. Only think, Elfie, how pleasant
he was towards me but six hours ago! He liked me, praised me,
never objected to my being alone with you.'
'I believe he MUST like you now,' she cried. 'And if he found
that you irremediably belonged to me, he would own it and help
you. 'O Stephen, Stephen,' she burst out again, as the
remembrance of his packing came afresh to her mind, 'I cannot bear
your going away like this! It is too dreadful. All I have been
expecting miserably killed within me like this!'
Stephen flushed hot with impulse. 'I will not be a doubt to you--
thought of you shall not be a misery to me!' he said. 'We will be
wife and husband before we part for long!'
She hid her face on his shoulder. 'Anything to make SURE!' she
'I did not like to propose it immediately,' continued Stephen.
'It seemed to me--it seems to me now--like trying to catch you--a
girl better in the world than I.'
'Not that, indeed! And am I better in worldly station? What's the
use of have beens? We may have been something once; we are nothing
Then they whispered long and earnestly together; Stephen
hesitatingly proposing this and that plan, Elfride modifying them,
with quick breathings, and hectic flush, and unnaturally bright
eyes. It was two o'clock before an arrangement was finally
She then told him to leave her, giving him his light to go up to
his own room. They parted with an agreement not to meet again in
the morning. After his door had been some time closed he heard
her softly gliding into her chamber.
Chapter XI
'Journeys end in lovers meeting.'
Stephen lay watching the Great Bear; Elfride was regarding a
monotonous parallelogram of window blind. Neither slept that
Early the next morning--that is to say, four hours after their
stolen interview, and just as the earliest servant was heard
moving about--Stephen Smith went downstairs, portmanteau in hand.
Throughout the night he had intended to see Mr. Swancourt again,
but the sharp rebuff of the previous evening rendered such an
interview particularly distasteful. Perhaps there was another and
less honest reason. He decided to put it off. Whatever of moral
timidity or obliquity may have lain in such a decision, no
perception of it was strong enough to detain him. He wrote a note
in his room, which stated simply that he did not feel happy in the
house after Mr. Swancourt's sudden veto on what he had favoured a
few hours before; but that he hoped a time would come, and that
soon, when his original feelings of pleasure as Mr. Swancourt's
guest might be recovered.
He expected to find the downstairs rooms wearing the gray and
cheerless aspect that early morning gives to everything out of the
sun. He found in the dining room a breakfast laid, of which
somebody had just partaken.
Stephen gave the maid-servant his note of adieu. She stated that
Mr. Swancourt had risen early that morning, and made an early
breakfast. He was not going away that she knew of.
Stephen took a cup of coffee, left the house of his love, and
turned into the lane. It was so early that the shaded places
still smelt like night time, and the sunny spots had hardly felt
the sun. The horizontal rays made every shallow dip in the ground
to show as a well-marked hollow. Even the channel of the path was
enough to throw shade, and the very stones of the road cast
tapering dashes of darkness westward, as long as Jael's tent-nail.
At a spot not more than a hundred yards from the vicar's residence
the lane leading thence crossed the high road. Stephen reached
the point of intersection, stood still and listened. Nothing
could be heard save the lengthy, murmuring line of the sea upon
the adjacent shore. He looked at his watch, and then mounted a
gate upon which he seated himself, to await the arrival of the
carrier. Whilst he sat he heard wheels coming in two directions.
The vehicle approaching on his right he soon recognized as the
carrier's. There were the accompanying sounds of the owner's
voice and the smack of his whip, distinct in the still morning
air, by which he encouraged his horses up the hill.
The other set of wheels sounded from the lane Stephen had just
traversed. On closer observation, he perceived that they were
moving from the precincts of the ancient manor-house adjoining the
vicarage grounds. A carriage then left the entrance gates of the
house, and wheeling round came fully in sight. It was a plain
travelling carriage, with a small quantity of luggage, apparently
a lady's. The vehicle came to the junction of the four ways half-
a-minute before the carrier reached the same spot, and crossed
directly in his front, proceeding by the lane on the other side.
Inside the carriage Stephen could just discern an elderly lady
with a younger woman, who seemed to be her maid. The road they
had taken led to Stratleigh, a small watering-place sixteen miles
He heard the manor-house gates swing again, and looking up saw
another person leaving them, and walking off in the direction of
the parsonage. 'Ah, how much I wish I were moving that way!' felt
he parenthetically. The gentleman was tall, and resembled Mr.
Swancourt in outline and attire. He opened the vicarage gate and
went in. Mr. Swancourt, then, it certainly was. Instead of
remaining in bed that morning Mr. Swancourt must have taken it
into his head to see his new neighbour off on a journey. He must
have been greatly interested in that neighbour to do such an
unusual thing.
The carrier's conveyance had pulled up, and Stephen now handed in
his portmanteau and mounted the shafts. 'Who is that lady in the
carriage?' he inquired indifferently of Lickpan the carrier.
'That, sir, is Mrs. Troyton, a widder wi' a mint o' money. She's
the owner of all that part of Endelstow that is not Lord
Luxellian's. Only been here a short time; she came into it by
law. The owner formerly was a terrible mysterious party--never
lived here--hardly ever was seen here except in the month of
September, as I might say.'
The horses were started again, and noise rendered further
discourse a matter of too great exertion. Stephen crept inside
under the tilt, and was soon lost in reverie.
Three hours and a half of straining up hills and jogging down
brought them to St. Launce's, the market town and railway station
nearest to Endelstow, and the place from which Stephen Smith had
journeyed over the downs on the, to him, memorable winter evening
at the beginning of the same year. The carrier's van was so timed
as to meet a starting up-train, which Stephen entered. Two or
three hours' railway travel through vertical cuttings in
metamorphic rock, through oak copses rich and green, stretching
over slopes and down delightful valleys, glens, and ravines,
sparkling with water like many-rilled Ida, and he plunged amid the
hundred and fifty thousand people composing the town of Plymouth.
There being some time upon his hands he left his luggage at the
cloak-room, and went on foot along Bedford Street to the nearest
church. Here Stephen wandered among the multifarious tombstones
and looked in at the chancel window, dreaming of something that
was likely to happen by the altar there in the course of the
coming month. He turned away and ascended the Hoe, viewed the
magnificent stretch of sea and massive promontories of land, but
without particularly discerning one feature of the varied
perspective. He still saw that inner prospect--the event he hoped
for in yonder church. The wide Sound, the Breakwater, the light-
house on far-off Eddystone, the dark steam vessels, brigs,
barques, and schooners, either floating stilly, or gliding with
tiniest motion, were as the dream, then; the dreamed-of event was
as the reality.
Soon Stephen went down from the Hoe, and returned to the railway
station. He took his ticket, and entered the London train.
That day was an irksome time at Endelstow vicarage. Neither
father nor daughter alluded to the departure of Stephen. Mr.
Swancourt's manner towards her partook of the compunctious
kindness that arises from a misgiving as to the justice of some
previous act.
Either from lack of the capacity to grasp the whole coup d'oeil,
or from a natural endowment for certain kinds of stoicism, women
are cooler than men in critical situations of the passive form.
Probably, in Elfride's case at least, it was blindness to the
greater contingencies of the future she was preparing for herself,
which enabled her to ask her father in a quiet voice if he could
give her a holiday soon, to ride to St. Launce's and go on to
Now, she had only once before gone alone to Plymouth, and that was
in consequence of some unavoidable difficulty. Being a country
girl, and a good, not to say a wild, horsewoman, it had been her
delight to canter, without the ghost of an attendant, over the
fourteen or sixteen miles of hard road intervening between their
home and the station at St. Launce's, put up the horse, and go on
the remainder of the distance by train, returning in the same
manner in the evening. It was then resolved that, though she had
successfully accomplished this journey once, it was not to be
repeated without some attendance.
But Elfride must not be confounded with ordinary young feminine
equestrians. The circumstances of her lonely and narrow life made
it imperative that in trotting about the neighbourhood she must
trot alone or else not at all. Usage soon rendered this perfectly
natural to herself. Her father, who had had other experiences,
did not much like the idea of a Swancourt, whose pedigree could be
as distinctly traced as a thread in a skein of silk, scampering
over the hills like a farmer's daughter, even though he could
habitually neglect her. But what with his not being able to
afford her a regular attendant, and his inveterate habit of
letting anything be to save himself trouble, the circumstance grew
customary. And so there arose a chronic notion in the villagers'
minds that all ladies rode without an attendant, like Miss
Swancourt, except a few who were sometimes visiting at Lord
'I don't like your going to Plymouth alone, particularly going to
St. Launce's on horseback. Why not drive, and take the man?'
'It is not nice to be so overlooked.' Worm's company would not
seriously have interfered with her plans, but it was her humour to
go without him.
'When do you want to go?' said her father.
She only answered, 'Soon.'
'I will consider,' he said.
Only a few days elapsed before she asked again. A letter had
reached her from Stephen. It had been timed to come on that day
by special arrangement between them. In it he named the earliest
morning on which he could meet her at Plymouth. Her father had
been on a journey to Stratleigh, and returned in unusual buoyancy
of spirit. It was a good opportunity; and since the dismissal of
Stephen her father had been generally in a mood to make small
concessions, that he might steer clear of large ones connected
with that outcast lover of hers.
'Next Thursday week I am going from home in a different
direction,' said her father. 'In fact, I shall leave home the
night before. You might choose the same day, for they wish to
take up the carpets, or some such thing, I think. As I said, I
don't like you to be seen in a town on horseback alone; but go if
you will.'
Thursday week. Her father had named the very day that Stephen
also had named that morning as the earliest on which it would be
of any use to meet her; that was, about fifteen days from the day
on which he had left Endelstow. Fifteen days--that fragment of
duration which has acquired such an interesting individuality from
its connection with the English marriage law.
She involuntarily looked at her father so strangely, that on
becoming conscious of the look she paled with embarrassment. Her
father, too, looked confused. What was he thinking of?
There seemed to be a special facility offered her by a power
external to herself in the circumstance that Mr. Swancourt had
proposed to leave home the night previous to her wished-for day.
Her father seldom took long journeys; seldom slept from home
except perhaps on the night following a remote Visitation. Well,
she would not inquire too curiously into the reason of the
opportunity, nor did he, as would have been natural, proceed to
explain it of his own accord. In matters of fact there had
hitherto been no reserve between them, though they were not
usually confidential in its full sense. But the divergence of
their emotions on Stephen's account had produced an estrangement
which just at present went even to the extent of reticence on the
most ordinary household topics.
Elfride was almost unconsciously relieved, persuading herself that
her father's reserve on his business justified her in secrecy as
regarded her own--a secrecy which was necessarily a foregone
decision with her. So anxious is a young conscience to discover a
palliative, that the ex post facto nature of a reason is of no
account in excluding it.
The intervening fortnight was spent by her mostly in walking by
herself among the shrubs and trees, indulging sometimes in
sanguine anticipations; more, far more frequently, in misgivings.
All her flowers seemed dull of hue; her pets seemed to look
wistfully into her eyes, as if they no longer stood in the same
friendly relation to her as formerly. She wore melancholy
jewellery, gazed at sunsets, and talked to old men and women. It
was the first time that she had had an inner and private world
apart from the visible one about her. She wished that her father,
instead of neglecting her even more than usual, would make some
advance--just one word; she would then tell all, and risk
Stephen's displeasure. Thus brought round to the youth again, she
saw him in her fancy, standing, touching her, his eyes full of sad
affection, hopelessly renouncing his attempt because she had
renounced hers; and she could not recede.
On the Wednesday she was to receive another letter. She had
resolved to let her father see the arrival of this one, be the
consequences what they might: the dread of losing her lover by
this deed of honesty prevented her acting upon the resolve. Five
minutes before the postman's expected arrival she slipped out, and
down the lane to meet him. She met him immediately upon turning a
sharp angle, which hid her from view in the direction of the
vicarage. The man smilingly handed one missive, and was going on
to hand another, a circular from some tradesman.
'No,' she said; 'take that on to the house.'
'Why, miss, you are doing what your father has done for the last
She did not comprehend.
'Why, come to this corner, and take a letter of me every morning,
all writ in the same handwriting, and letting any others for him
go on to the house.' And on the postman went.
No sooner had he turned the corner behind her back than she heard
her father meet and address the man. She had saved her letter by
two minutes. Her father audibly went through precisely the same
performance as she had just been guilty of herself.
This stealthy conduct of his was, to say the least, peculiar.
Given an impulsive inconsequent girl, neglected as to her inner
life by her only parent, and the following forces alive within
her; to determine a resultant:
First love acted upon by a deadly fear of separation from its
object: inexperience, guiding onward a frantic wish to prevent the
above-named issue: misgivings as to propriety, met by hope of
ultimate exoneration: indignation at parental inconsistency in
first encouraging, then forbidding: a chilling sense of
disobedience, overpowered by a conscientious inability to brook a
breaking of plighted faith with a man who, in essentials, had
remained unaltered from the beginning: a blessed hope that
opposition would turn an erroneous judgement: a bright faith that
things would mend thereby, and wind up well.
Probably the result would, after all, have been nil, had not the
following few remarks been made one day at breakfast.
Her father was in his old hearty spirits. He smiled to himself at
stories too bad to tell, and called Elfride a little scamp for
surreptitiously preserving some blind kittens that ought to have
been drowned. After this expression, she said to him suddenly:
If Mr. Smith had been already in the family, you would not have
been made wretched by discovering he had poor relations?'
'Do you mean in the family by marriage?' he replied inattentively,
and continuing to peel his egg.
The accumulating scarlet told that was her meaning, as much as the
affirmative reply.
'I should have put up with it, no doubt,' Mr. Swancourt observed.
'So that you would not have been driven into hopeless melancholy,
but have made the best of him?'
Elfride's erratic mind had from her youth upwards been constantly
in the habit of perplexing her father by hypothetical questions,
based on absurd conditions. The present seemed to be cast so
precisely in the mould of previous ones that, not being given to
syntheses of circumstances, he answered it with customary
'If he were allied to us irretrievably, of course I, or any
sensible man, should accept conditions that could not be altered;
certainly not be hopelessly melancholy about it. I don't believe
anything in the world would make me hopelessly melancholy. And
don't let anything make you so, either.'
'I won't, papa,' she cried, with a serene brightness that pleased
Certainly Mr. Swancourt must have been far from thinking that the
brightness came from an exhilarating intention to hold back no
longer from the mad action she had planned.
In the evening he drove away towards Stratleigh, quite alone. It
was an unusual course for him. At the door Elfride had been again
almost impelled by her feelings to pour out all.
'Why are you going to Stratleigh, papa?' she said, and looked at
him longingly.
'I will tell you to-morrow when I come back,' he said cheerily;
'not before then, Elfride. Thou wilt not utter what thou dost not
know, and so far will I trust thee, gentle Elfride.'
She was repressed and hurt.
'I will tell you my errand to Plymouth, too, when I come back,'
she murmured.
He went away. His jocularity made her intention seem the lighter,
as his indifference made her more resolved to do as she liked.
It was a familiar September sunset, dark-blue fragments of cloud
upon an orange-yellow sky. These sunsets used to tempt her to
walk towards them, as any beautiful thing tempts a near approach.
She went through the field to the privet hedge, clambered into the
middle of it, and reclined upon the thick boughs. After looking
westward for a considerable time, she blamed herself for not
looking eastward to where Stephen was, and turned round.
Ultimately her eyes fell upon the ground.
A peculiarity was observable beneath her. A green field spread
itself on each side of the hedge, one belonging to the glebe, the
other being a part of the land attached to the manor-house
adjoining. On the vicarage side she saw a little footpath, the
distinctive and altogether exceptional feature of which consisted
in its being only about ten yards long; it terminated abruptly at
each end.
A footpath, suddenly beginning and suddenly ending, coming from
nowhere and leading nowhere, she had never seen before.
Yes, she had, on second thoughts. She had seen exactly such a
path trodden in the front of barracks by the sentry.
And this recollection explained the origin of the path here. Her
father had trodden it by pacing up and down, as she had once seen
him doing.
Sitting on the hedge as she sat now, her eyes commanded a view of
both sides of it. And a few minutes later, Elfride looked over to
the manor side.
Here was another sentry path. It was like the first in length,
and it began and ended exactly opposite the beginning and ending
of its neighbour, but it was thinner, and less distinct.
Two reasons existed for the difference. This one might have been
trodden by a similar weight of tread to the other, exercised a
less number of times; or it might have been walked just as
frequently, but by lighter feet.
Probably a gentleman from Scotland-yard, had he been passing at
the time, might have considered the latter alternative as the more
probable. Elfride thought otherwise, so far as she thought at
all. But her own great To-Morrow was now imminent; all thoughts
inspired by casual sights of the eye were only allowed to exercise
themselves in inferior corners of her brain, previously to being
banished altogether.
Elfride was at length compelled to reason practically upon her
undertaking. All her definite perceptions thereon, when the
emotion accompanying them was abstracted, amounted to no more than
'Say an hour and three-quarters to ride to St. Launce's.
'Say half an hour at the Falcon to change my dress.
'Say two hours waiting for some train and getting to Plymouth.
'Say an hour to spare before twelve o'clock.
'Total time from leaving Endelstow till twelve o'clock, five
'Therefore I shall have to start at seven.'
No surprise or sense of unwontedness entered the minds of the
servants at her early ride. The monotony of life we associate
with people of small incomes in districts out of the sound of the
railway whistle, has one exception, which puts into shade the
experience of dwellers about the great centres of population--that
is, in travelling. Every journey there is more or less an
adventure; adventurous hours are necessarily chosen for the most
commonplace outing. Miss Elfride had to leave early--that was
Elfride never went out on horseback but she brought home
something--something found, or something bought. If she trotted
to town or village, her burden was books. If to hills, woods, or
the seashore, it was wonderful mosses, abnormal twigs, a
handkerchief of wet shells or seaweed.
Once, in muddy weather, when Pansy was walking with her down the
street of Castle Boterel, on a fair-day, a packet in front of her
and a packet under her arm, an accident befell the packets, and
they slipped down. On one side of her, three volumes of fiction
lay kissing the mud; on the other numerous skeins of polychromatic
wools lay absorbing it. Unpleasant women smiled through windows
at the mishap, the men all looked round, and a boy, who was
minding a ginger-bread stall whilst the owner had gone to get
drunk, laughed loudly. The blue eyes turned to sapphires, and the
cheeks crimsoned with vexation.
After that misadventure she set her wits to work, and was
ingenious enough to invent an arrangement of small straps about
the saddle, by which a great deal could be safely carried thereon,
in a small compass. Here she now spread out and fastened a plain
dark walking-dress and a few other trifles of apparel. Worm
opened the gate for her, and she vanished away.
One of the brightest mornings of late summer shone upon her. The
heather was at its purplest, the furze at its yellowest, the
grasshoppers chirped loud enough for birds, the snakes hissed like
little engines, and Elfride at first felt lively. Sitting at ease
upon Pansy, in her orthodox riding-habit and nondescript hat, she
looked what she felt. But the mercury of those days had a trick
of falling unexpectedly. First, only for one minute in ten had
she a sense of depression. Then a large cloud, that had been
hanging in the north like a black fleece, came and placed itself
between her and the sun. It helped on what was already
inevitable, and she sank into a uniformity of sadness.
She turned in the saddle and looked back. They were now on an
open table-land, whose altitude still gave her a view of the sea
by Endelstow. She looked longingly at that spot.
During this little revulsion of feeling Pansy had been still
advancing, and Elfride felt it would be absurd to turn her little
mare's head the other way. 'Still,' she thought, 'if I had a
mamma at home I WOULD go back!'
And making one of those stealthy movements by which women let
their hearts juggle with their brains, she did put the horse's
head about, as if unconsciously, and went at a hand-gallop towards
home for more than a mile. By this time, from the inveterate
habit of valuing what we have renounced directly the alternative
is chosen, the thought of her forsaken Stephen recalled her, and
she turned about, and cantered on to St. Launce's again.
This miserable strife of thought now began to rage in all its
wildness. Overwrought and trembling, she dropped the rein upon
Pansy's shoulders, and vowed she would be led whither the horse
would take her.
Pansy slackened her pace to a walk, and walked on with her
agitated burden for three or four minutes. At the expiration of
this time they had come to a little by-way on the right, leading
down a slope to a pool of water. The pony stopped, looked towards
the pool, and then advanced and stooped to drink.
Elfride looked at her watch and discovered that if she were going
to reach St. Launce's early enough to change her dress at the
Falcon, and get a chance of some early train to Plymouth--there
were only two available--it was necessary to proceed at once.
She was impatient. It seemed as if Pansy would never stop
drinking; and the repose of the pool, the idle motions of the
insects and flies upon it, the placid waving of the flags, the
leaf-skeletons, like Genoese filigree, placidly sleeping at the
bottom, by their contrast with her own turmoil made her impatience
Pansy did turn at last, and went up the slope again to the high-
road. The pony came upon it, and stood cross-wise, looking up and
down. Elfride's heart throbbed erratically, and she thought,
'Horses, if left to themselves, make for where they are best fed.
Pansy will go home.'
Pansy turned and walked on towards St. Launce's
Pansy at home, during summer, had little but grass to live on.
After a run to St. Launce's she always had a feed of corn to
support her on the return journey. Therefore, being now more than
half way, she preferred St. Launce's.
But Elfride did not remember this now. All she cared to recognize
was a dreamy fancy that to-day's rash action was not her own. She
was disabled by her moods, and it seemed indispensable to adhere
to the programme. So strangely involved are motives that, more
than by her promise to Stephen, more even than by her love, she
was forced on by a sense of the necessity of keeping faith with
herself, as promised in the inane vow of ten minutes ago.
She hesitated no longer. Pansy went, like the steed of Adonis, as
if she told the steps. Presently the quaint gables and jumbled
roofs of St. Launce's were spread beneath her, and going down the
hill she entered the courtyard of the Falcon. Mrs. Buckle, the
landlady, came to the door to meet her.
The Swancourts were well known here. The transition from
equestrian to the ordinary guise of railway travellers had been
more than once performed by father and daughter in this
In less than a quarter of an hour Elfride emerged from the door in
her walking dress, and went to the railway. She had not told Mrs.
Buckle anything as to her intentions, and was supposed to have
gone out shopping.
An hour and forty minutes later, and she was in Stephen's arms at
the Plymouth station. Not upon the platform--in the secret
retreat of a deserted waiting-room.
Stephen's face boded ill. He was pale and despondent.
What is the matter?' she asked.
'We cannot be married here to-day, my Elfie! I ought to have known
it and stayed here. In my ignorance I did not. I have the
licence, but it can only be used in my parish in London. I only
came down last night, as you know.'
'What shall we do?' she said blankly.
'There's only one thing we can do, darling.'
'What's that?'
'Go on to London by a train just starting, and be married there
'Passengers for the 11.5 up-train take their seats!' said a
guard's voice on the platform.
'Will you go, Elfride?'
'I will.'
In three minutes the train had moved off, bearing away with it
Stephen and Elfride.
Chapter XII
'Adieu! she cries, and waved her lily hand.'
The few tattered clouds of the morning enlarged and united, the
sun withdrew behind them to emerge no more that day, and the
evening drew to a close in drifts of rain. The water-drops beat
like duck shot against the window of the railway-carriage
containing Stephen and Elfride.
The journey from Plymouth to Paddington, by even the most headlong
express, allows quite enough leisure for passion of any sort to
cool. Elfride's excitement had passed off, and she sat in a kind
of stupor during the latter half of the journey. She was aroused
by the clanging of the maze of rails over which they traced their
way at the entrance to the station.
Is this London?' she said.
'Yes, darling,' said Stephen in a tone of assurance he was far
from feeling. To him, no less than to her, the reality so greatly
differed from the prefiguring.
She peered out as well as the window, beaded with drops, would
allow her, and saw only the lamps, which had just been lit,
blinking in the wet atmosphere, and rows of hideous zinc chimney-
pipes in dim relief against the sky. She writhed uneasily, as
when a thought is swelling in the mind which must cause much pain
at its deliverance in words. Elfride had known no more about the
stings of evil report than the native wild-fowl knew of the
effects of Crusoe's first shot. Now she saw a little further, and
a little further still.
The train stopped. Stephen relinquished the soft hand he had held
all the day, and proceeded to assist her on to the platform.
This act of alighting upon strange ground seemed all that was
wanted to complete a resolution within her.
She looked at her betrothed with despairing eyes.
'O Stephen,' she exclaimed, 'I am so miserable! I must go home
again--I must--I must! Forgive my wretched vacillation. I don't
like it here--nor myself--nor you!'
Stephen looked bewildered, and did not speak.
'Will you allow me to go home?' she implored. 'I won't trouble
you to go with me. I will not be any weight upon you; only say
you will agree to my returning; that you will not hate me for it,
Stephen! It is better that I should return again; indeed it is,
'But we can't return now,' he said in a deprecatory tone.
'I must! I will!'
'How? When do you want to go?'
'Now. Can we go at once?'
The lad looked hopelessly along the platform.
'If you must go, and think it wrong to remain, dearest,' said he
sadly, 'you shall. You shall do whatever you like, my Elfride.
But would you in reality rather go now than stay till to-morrow,
and go as my wife?'
'Yes, yes--much--anything to go now. I must; I must!' she cried.
'We ought to have done one of two things,' he answered gloomily.
'Never to have started, or not to have returned without being
married. I don't like to say it, Elfride--indeed I don't; but you
must be told this, that going back unmarried may compromise your
good name in the eyes of people who may hear of it.'
'They will not; and I must go.'
'O Elfride! I am to blame for bringing you away.'
'Not at all. I am the elder.'
'By a month; and what's that? But never mind that now.' He looked
around. 'Is there a train for Plymouth to-night?' he inquired of
a guard. The guard passed on and did not speak.
'Is there a train for Plymouth to-night?' said Elfride to another.
'Yes, miss; the 8.10--leaves in ten minutes. You have come to the
wrong platform; it is the other side. Change at Bristol into the
night mail. Down that staircase, and under the line.'
They ran down the staircase--Elfride first--to the booking-office,
and into a carriage with an official standing beside the door.
'Show your tickets, please.' They are locked in--men about the
platform accelerate their velocities till they fly up and down
like shuttles in a loom--a whistle--the waving of a flag--a human
cry--a steam groan--and away they go to Plymouth again, just
catching these words as they glide off:
'Those two youngsters had a near run for it, and no mistake!'
Elfride found her breath.
'And have you come too, Stephen? Why did you?'
'I shall not leave you till I see you safe at St. Launce's. Do
not think worse of me than I am, Elfride.'
And then they rattled along through the night, back again by the
way they had come. The weather cleared, and the stars shone in
upon them. Their two or three fellow-passengers sat for most of
the time with closed eyes. Stephen sometimes slept; Elfride alone
was wakeful and palpitating hour after hour.
The day began to break, and revealed that they were by the sea.
Red rocks overhung them, and, receding into distance, grew livid
in the blue grey atmosphere. The sun rose, and sent penetrating
shafts of light in upon their weary faces. Another hour, and the
world began to be busy. They waited yet a little, and the train
slackened its speed in view of the platform at St. Launce's.
She shivered, and mused sadly.
'I did not see all the consequences,' she said. 'Appearances are
wofully against me. If anybody finds me out, I am, I suppose,
'Then appearances will speak falsely; and how can that matter,
even if they do? I shall be your husband sooner or later, for
certain, and so prove your purity.'
'Stephen, once in London I ought to have married you,' she said
firmly. 'It was my only safe defence. I see more things now than
I did yesterday. My only remaining chance is not to be
discovered; and that we must fight for most desperately.'
They stepped out. Elfride pulled a thick veil over her face.
A woman with red and scaly eyelids and glistening eyes was sitting
on a bench just inside the office-door. She fixed her eyes upon
Elfride with an expression whose force it was impossible to doubt,
but the meaning of which was not clear; then upon the carriage
they had left. She seemed to read a sinister story in the scene.
Elfride shrank back, and turned the other way.
'Who is that woman?' said Stephen. 'She looked hard at you.'
'Mrs. Jethway--a widow, and mother of that young man whose tomb we
sat on the other night. Stephen, she is my enemy. Would that God
had had mercy enough upon me to have hidden this from HER!'
'Do not talk so hopelessly,' he remonstrated. 'I don't think she
recognized us.'
'I pray that she did not.'
He put on a more vigorous mood.
'Now, we will go and get some breakfast.'
'No, no!' she begged. 'I cannot eat. I MUST get back to
Elfride was as if she had grown years older than Stephen now.
'But you have had nothing since last night but that cup of tea at
'I can't eat, Stephen.'
'Wine and biscuit?'
'Nor tea, nor coffee?'
'A glass of water?'
'No. I want something that makes people strong and energetic for
the present, that borrows the strength of to-morrow for use to-
day--leaving to-morrow without any at all for that matter; or even
that would take all life away to-morrow, so long as it enabled me
to get home again now. Brandy, that's what I want. That woman's
eyes have eaten my heart away!'
'You are wild; and you grieve me, darling. Must it be brandy?'
'Yes, if you please.'
'How much?'
'I don't know. I have never drunk more than a teaspoonful at
once. All I know is that I want it. Don't get it at the Falcon.'
He left her in the fields, and went to the nearest inn in that
direction. Presently he returned with a small flask nearly full,
and some slices of bread-and-butter, thin as wafers, in a paper-
bag. Elfride took a sip or two.
'It goes into my eyes,' she said wearily. 'I can't take any more.
Yes, I will; I will close my eyes. Ah, it goes to them by an
inside route. I don't want it; throw it away.'
However, she could eat, and did eat. Her chief attention was
concentrated upon how to get the horse from the Falcon stables
without suspicion. Stephen was not allowed to accompany her into
the town. She acted now upon conclusions reached without any aid
from him: his power over her seemed to have departed.
'You had better not be seen with me, even here where I am so
little known. We have begun stealthily as thieves, and we must
end stealthily as thieves, at all hazards. Until papa has been
told by me myself, a discovery would be terrible.'
Walking and gloomily talking thus they waited till nearly nine
o'clock, at which time Elfride thought she might call at the
Falcon without creating much surprise. Behind the railway-station
was the river, spanned by an old Tudor bridge, whence the road
diverged in two directions, one skirting the suburbs of the town,
and winding round again into the high-road to Endelstow. Beside
this road Stephen sat, and awaited her return from the Falcon.
He sat as one sitting for a portrait, motionless, watching the
chequered lights and shades on the tree-trunks, the children
playing opposite the school previous to entering for the morning
lesson, the reapers in a field afar off. The certainty of
possession had not come, and there was nothing to mitigate the
youth's gloom, that increased with the thought of the parting now
so near.
At length she came trotting round to him, in appearance much as on
the romantic morning of their visit to the cliff, but shorn of the
radiance which glistened about her then. However, her comparative
immunity from further risk and trouble had considerably composed
her. Elfride's capacity for being wounded was only surpassed by
her capacity for healing, which rightly or wrongly is by some
considered an index of transientness of feeling in general.
'Elfride, what did they say at the Falcon?'
'Nothing. Nobody seemed curious about me. They knew I went to
Plymouth, and I have stayed there a night now and then with Miss
Bicknell. I rather calculated upon that.'
And now parting arose like a death to these children, for it was
imperative that she should start at once. Stephen walked beside
her for nearly a mile. During the walk he said sadly:
'Elfride, four-and-twenty hours have passed, and the thing is not
'But you have insured that it shall be done.'
'How have I?'
'O Stephen, you ask how! Do you think I could marry another man on
earth after having gone thus far with you? Have I not shown beyond
possibility of doubt that I can be nobody else's? Have I not
irretrievably committed myself?--pride has stood for nothing in
the face of my great love. You misunderstood my turning back, and
I cannot explain it. It was wrong to go with you at all; and
though it would have been worse to go further, it would have been
better policy, perhaps. Be assured of this, that whenever you
have a home for me--however poor and humble--and come and claim
me, I am ready.' She added bitterly, 'When my father knows of this
day's work, he may be only too glad to let me go.'
'Perhaps he may, then, insist upon our marriage at once!' Stephen
answered, seeing a ray of hope in the very focus of her remorse.
'I hope he may, even if we had still to part till I am ready for
you, as we intended.'
Elfride did not reply.
'You don't seem the same woman, Elfie, that you were yesterday.'
'Nor am I. But good-bye. Go back now.' And she reined the horse
for parting. 'O Stephen,' she cried, 'I feel so weak! I don't
know how to meet him. Cannot you, after all, come back with me?'
'Shall I come?'
Elfride paused to think.
'No; it will not do. It is my utter foolishness that makes me say
such words. But he will send for you.'
'Say to him,' continued Stephen, 'that we did this in the absolute
despair of our minds. Tell him we don't wish him to favour us--
only to deal justly with us. If he says, marry now, so much the
better. If not, say that all may be put right by his promise to
allow me to have you when I am good enough for you--which may be
soon. Say I have nothing to offer him in exchange for his
treasure--the more sorry I; but all the love, and all the life,
and all the labour of an honest man shall be yours. As to when
this had better be told, I leave you to judge.'
His words made her cheerful enough to toy with her position.
'And if ill report should come, Stephen,' she said smiling, 'why,
the orange-tree must save me, as it saved virgins in St. George's
time from the poisonous breath of the dragon. There, forgive me
for forwardness: I am going.'
Then the boy and girl beguiled themselves with words of half-
parting only.
'Own wifie, God bless you till we meet again!'
'Till we meet again, good-bye!'
And the pony went on, and she spoke to him no more. He saw her
figure diminish and her blue veil grow gray--saw it with the
agonizing sensations of a slow death.
After thus parting from a man than whom she had known none greater
as yet, Elfride rode rapidly onwards, a tear being occasionally
shaken from her eyes into the road. What yesterday had seemed so
desirable, so promising, even trifling, had now acquired the
complexion of a tragedy.
She saw the rocks and sea in the neighbourhood of Endelstow, and
heaved a sigh of relief
When she passed a field behind the vicarage she heard the voices
of Unity and William Worm. They were hanging a carpet upon a
line. Unity was uttering a sentence that concluded with 'when
Miss Elfride comes.'
'When d'ye expect her?'
'Not till evening now. She's safe enough at Miss Bicknell's,
bless ye.'
Elfride went round to the door. She did not knock or ring; and
seeing nobody to take the horse, Elfride led her round to the
yard, slipped off the bridle and saddle, drove her towards the
paddock, and turned her in. Then Elfride crept indoors, and
looked into all the ground-floor rooms. Her father was not there.
On the mantelpiece of the drawing-room stood a letter addressed to
her in his handwriting. She took it and read it as she went
upstairs to change her habit.
'DEAR ELFRIDE,--On second thoughts I will not return to-day, but
only come as far as Wadcombe. I shall be at home by to-morrow
afternoon, and bring a friend with me.--Yours, in haste,
C. S.'
After making a quick toilet she felt more revived, though still
suffering from a headache. On going out of the door she met Unity
at the top of the stair.
'O Miss Elfride! I said to myself 'tis her sperrit! We didn't
dream o' you not coming home last night. You didn't say anything
about staying.'
'I intended to come home the same evening, but altered my plan. I
wished I hadn't afterwards. Papa will be angry, I suppose?'
'Better not tell him, miss,' said Unity.
'I do fear to,' she murmured. 'Unity, would you just begin
telling him when he comes home?'
'What! and get you into trouble?'
'I deserve it.'
'No, indeed, I won't,' said Unity. 'It is not such a mighty
matter, Miss Elfride. I says to myself, master's taking a
hollerday, and because he's not been kind lately to Miss Elfride,
'Is imitating him. Well, do as you like. And will you now bring
me some luncheon?'
After satisfying an appetite which the fresh marine air had given
her in its victory over an agitated mind, she put on her hat and
went to the garden and summer-house. She sat down, and leant with
her head in a corner. Here she fell asleep.
Half-awake, she hurriedly looked at the time. She had been there
three hours. At the same moment she heard the outer gate swing
together, and wheels sweep round the entrance; some prior noise
from the same source having probably been the cause of her
awaking. Next her father's voice was heard calling to Worm.
Elfride passed along a walk towards the house behind a belt of
shrubs. She heard a tongue holding converse with her father,
which was not that of either of the servants. Her father and the
stranger were laughing together. Then there was a rustling of
silk, and Mr. Swancourt and his companion, or companions, to all
seeming entered the door of the house, for nothing more of them
was audible. Elfride had turned back to meditate on what friends
these could be, when she heard footsteps, and her father
exclaiming behind her:
'O Elfride, here you are! I hope you got on well?'
Elfride's heart smote her, and she did not speak.
'Come back to the summer-house a minute,' continued Mr. Swancourt;
'I have to tell you of that I promised to.'
They entered the summer-house, and stood leaning over the knotty
woodwork of the balustrade.
'Now,' said her father radiantly, 'guess what I have to say.' He
seemed to be regarding his own existence so intently, that he took
no interest in nor even saw the complexion of hers.
'I cannot, papa,' she said sadly.
'Try, dear.'
'I would rather not, indeed.'
'You are tired. You look worn. The ride was too much for you.
Well, this is what I went away for. I went to be married!'
'Married!' she faltered, and could hardly check an involuntary 'So
did I.' A moment after and her resolve to confess perished like a
'Yes; to whom do you think? Mrs. Troyton, the new owner of the
estate over the hedge, and of the old manor-house. It was only
finally settled between us when I went to Stratleigh a few days
ago.' He lowered his voice to a sly tone of merriment. 'Now, as
to your stepmother, you'll find she is not much to look at, though
a good deal to listen to. She is twenty years older than myself,
for one thing.'
'You forget that I know her. She called here once, after we had
been, and found her away from home.'
'Of course, of course. Well, whatever her looks are, she's as
excellent a woman as ever breathed. She has had lately left her
as absolute property three thousand five hundred a year, besides
the devise of this estate--and, by the way, a large legacy came to
her in satisfaction of dower, as it is called.'
'Three thousand five hundred a year!'
'And a large--well, a fair-sized--mansion in town, and a pedigree
as long as my walking-stick; though that bears evidence of being
rather a raked-up affair--done since the family got rich--people
do those things now as they build ruins on maiden estates and cast
antiques at Birmingham.'
Elfride merely listened and said nothing.
He continued more quietly and impressively. 'Yes, Elfride, she is
wealthy in comparison with us, though with few connections.
However, she will introduce you to the world a little. We are
going to exchange her house in Baker Street for one at Kensington,
for your sake. Everybody is going there now, she says. At
Easters we shall fly to town for the usual three months--I shall
have a curate of course by that time. Elfride, I am past love,
you know, and I honestly confess that I married her for your sake.
Why a woman of her standing should have thrown herself away upon
me, God knows. But I suppose her age and plainness were too
pronounced for a town man. With your good looks, if you now play
your cards well, you may marry anybody. Of course, a little
contrivance will be necessary; but there's nothing to stand
between you and a husband with a title, that I can see. Lady
Luxellian was only a squire's daughter. Now, don't you see how
foolish the old fancy was? But come, she is indoors waiting to see
you. It is as good as a play, too,' continued the vicar, as they
walked towards the house. 'I courted her through the privet hedge
yonder: not entirely, you know, but we used to walk there of an
evening--nearly every evening at last. But I needn't tell you
details now; everything was terribly matter-of-fact, I assure you.
At last, that day I saw her at Stratleigh, we determined to settle
it off-hand.'
'And you never said a word to me,' replied Elfride, not
reproachfully either in tone or thought. Indeed, her feeling was
the very reverse of reproachful. She felt relieved and even
thankful. Where confidence had not been given, how could
confidence be expected?
Her father mistook her dispassionateness for a veil of politeness
over a sense of ill-usage. 'I am not altogether to blame,' he
said. 'There were two or three reasons for secrecy. One was the
recent death of her relative the testator, though that did not
apply to you. But remember, Elfride,' he continued in a stiffer
tone, 'you had mixed yourself up so foolishly with those low
people, the Smiths--and it was just, too, when Mrs. Troyton and
myself were beginning to understand each other--that I resolved to
say nothing even to you. How did I know how far you had gone with
them and their son? You might have made a point of taking tea with
them every day, for all that I knew.'
Elfride swallowed her feelings as she best could, and languidly
though flatly asked a question.
'Did you kiss Mrs. Troyton on the lawn about three weeks ago? That
evening I came into the study and found you had just had candles
Mr. Swancourt looked rather red and abashed, as middle-aged lovers
are apt to do when caught in the tricks of younger ones.
'Well, yes; I think I did,' he stammered; 'just to please her, you
know.' And then recovering himself he laughed heartily.
'And was this what your Horatian quotation referred to?'
'It was, Elfride.'
They stepped into the drawing-room from the verandah. At that
moment Mrs. Swancourt came downstairs, and entered the same room
by the door.
'Here, Charlotte, is my little Elfride,' said Mr. Swancourt, with
the increased affection of tone often adopted towards relations
when newly produced.
Poor Elfride, not knowing what to do, did nothing at all; but
stood receptive of all that came to her by sight, hearing, and
Mrs. Swancourt moved forward, took her step-daughter's hand, then
kissed her.
'Ah, darling!' she exclaimed good-humouredly, 'you didn't think
when you showed a strange old woman over the conservatory a month
or two ago, and explained the flowers to her so prettily, that she
would so soon be here in new colours. Nor did she, I am sure.'
The new mother had been truthfully enough described by Mr.
Swancourt. She was not physically attractive. She was dark--very
dark--in complexion, portly in figure, and with a plentiful
residuum of hair in the proportion of half a dozen white ones to
half a dozen black ones, though the latter were black indeed. No
further observed, she was not a woman to like. But there was more
to see. To the most superficial critic it was apparent that she
made no attempt to disguise her age. She looked sixty at the
first glance, and close acquaintanceship never proved her older.
Another and still more winning trait was one attaching to the
corners of her mouth. Before she made a remark these often
twitched gently: not backwards and forwards, the index of
nervousness; not down upon the jaw, the sign of determination; but
palpably upwards, in precisely the curve adopted to represent
mirth in the broad caricatures of schoolboys. Only this element
in her face was expressive of anything within the woman, but it
was unmistakable. It expressed humour subjective as well as
objective--which could survey the peculiarities of self in as
whimsical a light as those of other people.
This is not all of Mrs. Swancourt. She had held out to Elfride
hands whose fingers were literally stiff with rings, signis
auroque rigentes, like Helen's robe. These rows of rings were not
worn in vanity apparently. They were mostly antique and dull,
though a few were the reverse.
1st. Plainly set oval onyx, representing a devil's head. 2nd.
Green jasper intaglio, with red veins. 3rd. Entirely gold,
bearing figure of a hideous griffin. 4th. A sea-green monster
diamond, with small diamonds round it. 5th. Antique cornelian
intaglio of dancing figure of a satyr. 6th. An angular band
chased with dragons' heads. 7th. A facetted carbuncle accompanied
by ten little twinkling emeralds; &c. &c.
1st. A reddish-yellow toadstone. 2nd. A heavy ring enamelled in
colours, and bearing a jacynth. 3rd. An amethystine sapphire.
4th. A polished ruby, surrounded by diamonds. 5th. The engraved
ring of an abbess. 6th. A gloomy intaglio; &c. &c.
Beyond this rather quaint array of stone and metal Mrs. Swancourt
wore no ornament whatever.
Elfride had been favourably impressed with Mrs. Troyton at their
meeting about two months earlier; but to be pleased with a woman
as a momentary acquaintance was different from being taken with
her as a stepmother. However, the suspension of feeling was but
for a moment. Elfride decided to like her still.
Mrs. Swancourt was a woman of the world as to knowledge, the
reverse as to action, as her marriage suggested. Elfride and the
lady were soon inextricably involved in conversation, and Mr.
Swancourt left them to themselves.
'And what do you find to do with yourself here?' Mrs. Swancourt
said, after a few remarks about the wedding. 'You ride, I know.'
'Yes, I ride. But not much, because papa doesn't like my going
'You must have somebody to look after you.'
'And I read, and write a little.'
'You should write a novel. The regular resource of people who
don't go enough into the world to live a novel is to write one.'
'I have done it,' said Elfride, looking dubiously at Mrs.
Swancourt, as if in doubt whether she would meet with ridicule
'That's right. Now, then, what is it about, dear?'
'About--well, it is a romance of the Middle Ages.'
'Knowing nothing of the present age, which everybody knows about,
for safety you chose an age known neither to you nor other people.
That's it, eh? No, no; I don't mean it, dear.'
'Well, I have had some opportunities of studying mediaeval art and
manners in the library and private museum at Endelstow House, and
I thought I should like to try my hand upon a fiction. I know the
time for these tales is past; but I was interested in it, very
much interested.'
'When is it to appear?'
'Oh, never, I suppose.'
'Nonsense, my dear girl. Publish it, by all means. All ladies do
that sort of thing now; not for profit, you know, but as a
guarantee of mental respectability to their future husbands.'
'An excellent idea of us ladies.'
'Though I am afraid it rather resembles the melancholy ruse of
throwing loaves over castle-walls at besiegers, and suggests
desperation rather than plenty inside.'
'Did you ever try it?'
'No; I was too far gone even for that.'
'Papa says no publisher will take my book.'
'That remains to be proved. I'll give my word, my dear, that by
this time next year it shall be printed.'
'Will you, indeed?' said Elfride, partially brightening with
pleasure, though she was sad enough in her depths. 'I thought
brains were the indispensable, even if the only, qualification for
admission to the republic of letters. A mere commonplace creature
like me will soon be turned out again.'
'Oh no; once you are there you'll be like a drop of water in a
piece of rock-crystal--your medium will dignify your commonness.'
'It will be a great satisfaction,' Elfride murmured, and thought
of Stephen, and wished she could make a great fortune by writing
romances, and marry him and live happily.
'And then we'll go to London, and then to Paris,' said Mrs.
Swancourt. 'I have been talking to your father about it. But we
have first to move into the manor-house, and we think of staying
at Torquay whilst that is going on. Meanwhile, instead of going
on a honeymoon scamper by ourselves, we have come home to fetch
you, and go all together to Bath for two or three weeks.'
Elfride assented pleasantly, even gladly; but she saw that, by
this marriage, her father and herself had ceased for ever to be
the close relations they had been up to a few weeks ago. It was
impossible now to tell him the tale of her wild elopement with
Stephen Smith.
He was still snugly housed in her heart. His absence had regained
for him much of that aureola of saintship which had been nearly
abstracted during her reproachful mood on that miserable journey
from London. Rapture is often cooled by contact with its cause,
especially if under awkward conditions. And that last experience
with Stephen had done anything but make him shine in her eyes.
His very kindness in letting her return was his offence. Elfride
had her sex's love of sheer force in a man, however ill-directed;
and at that critical juncture in London Stephen's only chance of
retaining the ascendancy over her that his face and not his parts
had acquired for him, would have been by doing what, for one
thing, he was too youthful to undertake--that was, dragging her by
the wrist to the rails of some altar, and peremptorily marrying
her. Decisive action is seen by appreciative minds to be
frequently objectless, and sometimes fatal; but decision, however
suicidal, has more charm for a woman than the most unequivocal
Fabian success.
However, some of the unpleasant accessories of that occasion were
now out of sight again, and Stephen had resumed not a few of his
fancy colours.
Chapter XIII
'He set in order many proverbs.'
It is London in October--two months further on in the story.
Bede's Inn has this peculiarity, that it faces, receives from, and
discharges into a bustling thoroughfare speaking only of wealth
and respectability, whilst its postern abuts on as crowded and
poverty-stricken a network of alleys as are to be found anywhere
in the metropolis. The moral consequences are, first, that those
who occupy chambers in the Inn may see a great deal of shirtless
humanity's habits and enjoyments without doing more than look down
from a back window; and second they may hear wholesome though
unpleasant social reminders through the medium of a harsh voice,
an unequal footstep, the echo of a blow or a fall, which
originates in the person of some drunkard or wife-beater, as he
crosses and interferes with the quiet of the square. Characters
of this kind frequently pass through the Inn from a little foxhole
of an alley at the back, but they never loiter there.
It is hardly necessary to state that all the sights and movements
proper to the Inn are most orderly. On the fine October evening
on which we follow Stephen Smith to this place, a placid porter is
sitting on a stool under a sycamore-tree in the midst, with a
little cane in his hand. We notice the thick coat of soot upon
the branches, hanging underneath them in flakes, as in a chimney.
The blackness of these boughs does not at present improve the
tree--nearly forsaken by its leaves as it is--but in the spring
their green fresh beauty is made doubly beautiful by the contrast.
Within the railings is a flower-garden of respectable dahlias and
chrysanthemums, where a man is sweeping the leaves from the grass.
Stephen selects a doorway, and ascends an old though wide wooden
staircase, with moulded balusters and handrail, which in a country
manor-house would be considered a noteworthy specimen of
Renaissance workmanship. He reaches a door on the first floor,
over which is painted, in black letters, 'Mr. Henry Knight'--
'Barrister-at-law' being understood but not expressed. The wall
is thick, and there is a door at its outer and inner face. The
outer one happens to be ajar: Stephen goes to the other, and taps.
'Come in!' from distant penetralia.
First was a small anteroom, divided from the inner apartment by a
wainscoted archway two or three yards wide. Across this archway
hung a pair of dark-green curtains, making a mystery of all within
the arch except the spasmodic scratching of a quill pen. Here was
grouped a chaotic assemblage of articles--mainly old framed prints
and paintings--leaning edgewise against the wall, like roofing
slates in a builder's yard. All the books visible here were
folios too big to be stolen--some lying on a heavy oak table in
one corner, some on the floor among the pictures, the whole
intermingled with old coats, hats, umbrellas, and walking-sticks.
Stephen pushed aside the curtain, and before him sat a man writing
away as if his life depended upon it--which it did.
A man of thirty in a speckled coat, with dark brown hair, curly
beard, and crisp moustache: the latter running into the beard on
each side of the mouth, and, as usual, hiding the real expression
of that organ under a chronic aspect of impassivity.
'Ah, my dear fellow, I knew 'twas you,' said Knight, looking up
with a smile, and holding out his hand.
Knight's mouth and eyes came to view now. Both features were
good, and had the peculiarity of appearing younger and fresher
than the brow and face they belonged to, which were getting
sicklied o'er by the unmistakable pale cast. The mouth had not
quite relinquished rotundity of curve for the firm angularities of
middle life; and the eyes, though keen, permeated rather than
penetrated: what they had lost of their boy-time brightness by a
dozen years of hard reading lending a quietness to their gaze
which suited them well.
A lady would have said there was a smell of tobacco in the room: a
man that there was not.
Knight did not rise. He looked at a timepiece on the mantelshelf,
then turned again to his letters, pointing to a chair.
'Well, I am glad you have come. I only returned to town
yesterday; now, don't speak, Stephen, for ten minutes; I have just
that time to the late post. At the eleventh minute, I'm your man.'
Stephen sat down as if this kind of reception was by no means new,
and away went Knight's pen, beating up and down like a ship in a
Cicero called the library the soul of the house; here the house
was all soul. Portions of the floor, and half the wall-space,
were taken up by book-shelves ordinary and extraordinary; the
remaining parts, together with brackets, side-tables, &c., being
occupied by casts, statuettes, medallions, and plaques of various
descriptions, picked up by the owner in his wanderings through
France and Italy.
One stream only of evening sunlight came into the room from a
window quite in the corner, overlooking a court. An aquarium
stood in the window. It was a dull parallelopipedon enough for
living creatures at most hours of the day; but for a few minutes
in the evening, as now, an errant, kindly ray lighted up and
warmed the little world therein, when the many-coloured zoophytes
opened and put forth their arms, the weeds acquired a rich
transparency, the shells gleamed of a more golden yellow, and the
timid community expressed gladness more plainly than in words.
Within the prescribed ten minutes Knight flung down his pen, rang
for the boy to take the letters to the post, and at the closing of
the door exclaimed, 'There; thank God, that's done. Now, Stephen,
pull your chair round, and tell me what you have been doing all
this time. Have you kept up your Greek?'
'How's that?'
'I haven't enough spare time.'
'That's nonsense.'
'Well, I have done a great many things, if not that. And I have
done one extraordinary thing.'
Knight turned full upon Stephen. 'Ah-ha! Now, then, let me look
into your face, put two and two together, and make a shrewd
Stephen changed to a redder colour.
'Why, Smith,' said Knight, after holding him rigidly by the
shoulders, and keenly scrutinising his countenance for a minute in
silence, 'you have fallen in love.'
'Well--the fact is----'
'Now, out with it.' But seeing that Stephen looked rather
distressed, he changed to a kindly tone. 'Now Smith, my lad, you
know me well enough by this time, or you ought to; and you know
very well that if you choose to give me a detailed account of the
phenomenon within you, I shall listen; if you don't, I am the last
man in the world to care to hear it.'
'I'll tell this much: I HAVE fallen in love, and I want to be
Knight looked ominous as this passed Stephen's lips.
'Don't judge me before you have heard more,' cried Stephen
anxiously, seeing the change in his friend's countenance.
'I don't judge. Does your mother know about it?'
'Nothing definite.'
'No. But I'll tell you. The young person----'
'Come, that's dreadfully ungallant. But perhaps I understand the
frame of mind a little, so go on. Your sweetheart----'
'She is rather higher in the world than I am.'
'As it should be.'
'And her father won't hear of it, as I now stand.'
'Not an uncommon case.'
'And now comes what I want your advice upon. Something has
happened at her house which makes it out of the question for us to
ask her father again now. So we are keeping silent. In the
meantime an architect in India has just written to Mr. Hewby to
ask whether he can find for him a young assistant willing to go
over to Bombay to prepare drawings for work formerly done by the
engineers. The salary he offers is 350 rupees a month, or about
35 Pounds. Hewby has mentioned it to me, and I have been to Dr.
Wray, who says I shall acclimatise without much illness. Now,
would you go?'
'You mean to say, because it is a possible road to the young
'Yes; I was thinking I could go over and make a little money, and
then come back and ask for her. I have the option of practising
for myself after a year.'
'Would she be staunch?'
'Oh yes! For ever--to the end of her life!'
'How do you know?'
'Why, how do people know? Of course, she will.'
Knight leant back in his chair. 'Now, though I know her
thoroughly as she exists in your heart, Stephen, I don't know her
in the flesh. All I want to ask is, is this idea of going to
India based entirely upon a belief in her fidelity?'
'Yes; I should not go if it were not for her.'
'Well, Stephen, you have put me in rather an awkward position. If
I give my true sentiments, I shall hurt your feelings; if I don't,
I shall hurt my own judgment. And remember, I don't know much
about women.'
'But you have had attachments, although you tell me very little
about them.'
'And I only hope you'll continue to prosper till I tell you more.'
Stephen winced at this rap. 'I have never formed a deep
attachment,' continued Knight. 'I never have found a woman worth
it. Nor have I been once engaged to be married.'
'You write as if you had been engaged a hundred times, if I may be
allowed to say so,' said Stephen in an injured tone.
'Yes, that may be. But, my dear Stephen, it is only those who
half know a thing that write about it. Those who know it
thoroughly don't take the trouble. All I know about women, or men
either, is a mass of generalities. I plod along, and occasionally
lift my eyes and skim the weltering surface of mankind lying
between me and the horizon, as a crow might; no more.'
Knight stopped as if he had fallen into a train of thought, and
Stephen looked with affectionate awe at a master whose mind, he
believed, could swallow up at one meal all that his own head
There was affective sympathy, but no great intellectual
fellowship, between Knight and Stephen Smith. Knight had seen his
young friend when the latter was a cherry-cheeked happy boy, had
been interested in him, had kept his eye upon him, and generously
helped the lad to books, till the mere connection of patronage
grew to acquaintance, and that ripened to friendship. And so,
though Smith was not at all the man Knight would have deliberately
chosen as a friend--or even for one of a group of a dozen friends--
he somehow was his friend. Circumstance, as usual, did it all.
How many of us can say of our most intimate alter ego, leaving
alone friends of the outer circle, that he is the man we should
have chosen, as embodying the net result after adding up all the
points in human nature that we love, and principles we hold, and
subtracting all that we hate? The man is really somebody we got to
know by mere physical juxtaposition long maintained, and was taken
into our confidence, and even heart, as a makeshift.
'And what do you think of her?' Stephen ventured to say, after a
'Taking her merits on trust from you,' said Knight, 'as we do
those of the Roman poets of whom we know nothing but that they
lived, I still think she will not stick to you through, say, three
years of absence in India.'
'But she will!' cried Stephen desperately. 'She is a girl all
delicacy and honour. And no woman of that kind, who has committed
herself so into a man's hands as she has into mine, could possibly
marry another.'
'How has she committed herself?' asked Knight cunously.
Stephen did not answer. Knight had looked on his love so
sceptically that it would not do to say all that he had intended
to say by any means.
'Well, don't tell,' said Knight. 'But you are begging the
question, which is, I suppose, inevitable in love.'
'And I'll tell you another thing,' the younger man pleaded. 'You
remember what you said to me once about women receiving a kiss.
Don't you? Why, that instead of our being charmed by the
fascination of their bearing at such a time, we should immediately
doubt them if their confusion has any GRACE in it--that awkward
bungling was the true charm of the occasion, implying that we are
the first who has played such a part with them.'
'It is true, quite,' said Knight musingly.
It often happened that the disciple thus remembered the lessons of
the master long after the master himself had forgotten them.
'Well, that was like her!' cried Stephen triumphantly. 'She was
in such a flurry that she didn't know what she was doing.'
'Splendid, splendid!' said Knight soothingly. 'So that all I have
to say is, that if you see a good opening in Bombay there's no
reason why you should not go without troubling to draw fine
distinctions as to reasons. No man fully realizes what opinions
he acts upon, or what his actions mean.'
'Yes; I go to Bombay. I'll write a note here, if you don't mind.'
'Sleep over it--it is the best plan--and write to-morrow.
Meantime, go there to that window and sit down, and look at my
Humanity Show. I am going to dine out this evening, and have to
dress here out of my portmanteau. I bring up my things like this
to save the trouble of going down to my place at Richmond and back
Knight then went to the middle of the room and flung open his
portmanteau, and Stephen drew near the window. The streak of
sunlight had crept upward, edged away, and vanished; the zoophytes
slept: a dusky gloom pervaded the room. And now another volume of
light shone over the window.
'There!' said Knight, 'where is there in England a spectacle to
equal that? I sit there and watch them every night before I go
home. Softly open the sash.'
Beneath them was an alley running up to the wall, and thence
turning sideways and passing under an arch, so that Knight's back
window was immediately over the angle, and commanded a view of the
alley lengthwise. Crowds--mostly of women--were surging,
bustling, and pacing up and down. Gaslights glared from butchers'
stalls, illuminating the lumps of flesh to splotches of orange and
vermilion, like the wild colouring of Turner's later pictures,
whilst the purl and babble of tongues of every pitch and mood was
to this human wild-wood what the ripple of a brook is to the
natural forest.
Nearly ten minutes passed. Then Knight also came to the window.
'Well, now, I call a cab and vanish down the street in the
direction of Berkeley Square,' he said, buttoning his waistcoat
and kicking his morning suit into a corner. Stephen rose to
'What a heap of literature!' remarked the young man, taking a
final longing survey round the room, as if to abide there for ever
would be the great pleasure of his life, yet feeling that he had
almost outstayed his welcome-while. His eyes rested upon an arm-
chair piled full of newspapers, magazines, and bright new volumes
in green and red.
'Yes,' said Knight, also looking at them and breathing a sigh of
weariness; 'something must be done with several of them soon, I
suppose. Stephen, you needn't hurry away for a few minutes, you
know, if you want to stay; I am not quite ready. Overhaul those
volumes whilst I put on my coat, and I'll walk a little way with
Stephen sat down beside the arm-chair and began to tumble the
books about. Among the rest he found a novelette in one volume,
'Are you going to review this?' inquired Stephen with apparent
unconcern, and holding up Elfride's effusion.
'Which? Oh, that! I may--though I don't do much light reviewing
now. But it is reviewable.'
'How do you mean?'
Knight never liked to be asked what he meant. 'Mean! I mean that
the majority of books published are neither good enough nor bad
enough to provoke criticism, and that that book does provoke it.'
'By its goodness or its badness?' Stephen said with some anxiety
on poor little Elfride's score.
'Its badness. It seems to be written by some girl in her teens.'
Stephen said not another word. He did not care to speak plainly
of Elfride after that unfortunate slip his tongue had made in
respect of her having committed herself; and, apart from that,
Knight's severe--almost dogged and self-willed--honesty in
criticizing was unassailable by the humble wish of a youthful
friend like Stephen.
Knight was now ready. Turning off the gas, and slamming together
the door, they went downstairs and into the street.
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Hayes Davidson
Magic and music.
Magic and music.
Music is the product of sound. The sound began the universe. Sounds constantly haunt us. You cannot escape and hide about them.
Even before people learned to speak, they were looking for any way to extract sounds: the sound of a stick on a tree, the sound of a stone falling into water, etc. So the first musical instruments appeared. It is not surprising that not a single ancient magic ritual is complete without music.
Music can evoke various emotions, thanks to which the magic ritual will be more effective. Music can also help with fortune-telling: Tibetan sages fell into a trance and saw the future, thanks to a certain combination of sounds. Shamans used the sound of a tambourine to communicate with higher powers, to call spirits and ask for their help.
Sounds can both contribute to magic, and reduce its effect to nothing. For example, some ceremonies require strict silence. As a rule, these rituals are associated with fortune telling, since an incorrect sound can “frighten off” the image of the future. The call of the spirit cannot do without sound, since the spirit must find by the sounds the one who calls it.
Because of this, many rock music performers were once accused of evil spirits. Indeed, some of them slightly remade ritual music in a modern way. Such music aroused strange sensations in people. Since each person’s body has its own structure, these feelings were frightening to some, but to others, on the contrary, they enjoyed it. If a person feels discomfort when listening to such music, this activity should be stopped immediately. In the opposite case, exacerbations of chronic diseases, decline in immunity, slow destruction of the body are possible.
As you know, music helps in the treatment of diseases. In many hospitals, the so-called “music therapy” has been put into practice. It consists in the fact that patients are taken to a special room, where they listen to classical music for a certain time. A favorable result can be noticed after two weeks: the heart rate normalizes, the kidneys start working better, the energy of the whole body is activated. Perhaps that is why Druids and shamans once loved music so much.
Music is part of a magical ritual. It can have both favorable and negative effects on: a magical ritual, on a person. Use music with caution, as the consequences of improper use of it often haunt people all their lives. vip-popki.net/prostitutka-odessa | <urn:uuid:5eb58b6f-6200-4de1-8e07-1fd55ddc5cc9> | https://www.hayesdavidson.com/includes/pages/magiya_i_muzyka.html | en | 0.96076 | 0.376489 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Why does the filter holder overflow?
1. Check that you placed the filter holder into the appliance properly.
If the filter holder is not in the correct position, the drip stop does
not work, which may cause the filter holder to overflow.
2. If you remove the jug from the appliance for more than
20 seconds during the brewing process, the filter holder starts to
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Link Roundup, 2/15/2020
From Law and Crime: Republican Federal Judge accuses Justice Department of “banana republic” tactics.
From The Washington Post: McCabe quietly exonerated by Federal Prosecutors.
From The New York Times: Border Patrol goons being deployed deep inside US borders to intimidate “sanctuary cities.”
From TechCrunch: A look at the AI startup stockpiling billions of private photos.
From The Tampa Bay Times: Climate change becomes an issue in city council races.
1. Two Links back at you if I may.
Why the smashed guardrails may not be repaired when Trump leaves:
Lastly, with all the Pearl clutching of nominating a gay man or a socialist, I give you this; regardless of who the Dems nominate, Trump is still the MOST radical candidate running. Besides even if Bernie wins the nomination and the office do you really think Mitch would negotiate or compromise with any Dem? No, any policy changes would be DOA in the Senate.
1. Donald Trump’s in the WH, so Anything Can Happen in Politics, but I’ll plant my flag down on this one argument. Absent absolute economic cataclysm, Sanders is the absolute worst match-up to pit against someone like Trump and he cannot win.
Florida is a bygone thought if he’s the nominee (shame on him if he wastes so as a single dollar trying to win here) and the fecal tsunami of blistering ads that will play in every other conceivable swing state will be enough to make ’16 look positively mundane by comparison. It would be awful.
1. EJ
According to polling data, Sanders is one of the *best* candidates against Trump, ahead of Warren and significantly ahead of Buttigieg. Quinnipac predicts +8% nationally, which (if he pulls it off) is a bigger landslide victory than Obama in 2008 and almost as big as Clinton in 1996.
Detail here, as of 10 February:
There’ll be a lot of Right-wing propaganda about whichever candidate runs: if Ayn Rand herself stood on the democrat ticket she’d be accused of being a socialist, and if St Paul himself stood he’d be accused of not being Christian enough. Sanders at least has the advantage of both of those accusations being objectively true about him.
2. EJ, I’ve had this conversation with Bernie Bros so many times it makes me embarrassed that I wasted so much time on it.
Polling at this point *means nothing*. Clinton was taking a steel-toed boot to Trump in polling at exactly this point in ’16 and for several months afterwards, regularly up by high single-digits and even double-digits. But then the actual general election happened and her numbers started dropping… and dropping… and dropping some more.
And then November 2016 happened.
Sanders is a proverbial handbag of issues that Trump and merciless Republican ad makers are ready to unleash a political storm of hellfire on, and I’ve no faith that the man is ready to respond.
Here’s one example. Pennsylvania employs hundreds of thousands in the fracking business, and Sanders wants to ban any and all fracking. If that ain’t an issue to ram down voters’ throats in a critical swing state every damn day, I don’t know what is.
At this point, you’d think the sensible political choice would be to recognize one’s mistake, retract said position and look for an alternative, right? Au contraire, not in the pure ‘progressive’ world of AOC and Bernie Sanders. They decided to revive the issue ONLY 3 DAYS ago.
2. A comment on something from the previous post that I overlooked, since people move on to the latest thread:
“ All the supposed courage Democrats display in confronting Trump melts into a “reasonable compromise” when it comes time to do something hard, something that would place their personal ambitions at risk.”
I’ve always classified myself as an Indy, even though at this point I am functionally a Dem since the GOP has gone full batshit crazy off the rails and has nothing to offer me. But I reserve the right to say “Oh HELL NO!” when a party fields an unacceptable/ unqualified candidate. In our situation it’s the GOP that got the infection first. But I have done the thought experiment from the other side. What if Trump has run as a D, promising liberal judges and green new jobs, but still with all the corruption, lying, cruelty, and bigotry. Under what situations would I have taken the Hamilton option and voted R? For Jeb, Rubio, and Christie, I would have held my nose and voted for them over Trump as a Dem. But I admit that Cruz vs Trump would have made me vote for Johnson. That’s a red line for me.
1. CNN posted an opinion piece today that echoed much of what you said.
This is not ground breaking: The tyrant now controls the fascist party.
The upcoming almost 5 years (actually, as long as the tyrant lives) of devastation is no longer unimaginable. It is laying out the road map it plans to follow as the pearl clutchers moan.
My solution is the ONLY solution that has any logic attached to it anymore. Many totalitarian regimes are so entrenched now (read as Poland, Hungary, Russia, China as the frontrunners), that executing the de facto leader will have zero impact on the direction that country is going.
But others still operate more under the cult of personality (U.S., UK, Philippines, Italy, Brazil) where decapitating the serpent will still have a positive impact.
I will say it for the 15 millionth time: Targeted violence works, in many cases. One is presented to the planet every day.
1. But you could volunteer with a campaign, couldn’t you? I’ll defend your 1A right to the DebbieDowner schtick, but I’ll also say that it is both tiresome and premature. We’ve had only one non-peaceful transition of power between parties since we adopted our current system. We may indeed have a second instance this year, but it is not inevitable, not yet.
2. “How about because I am a lousy shot, and can’t make a bomb.”
There are plenty of gun ranges or you could learn how in the military.
But since you have done none of those things I am going with “cowardice”.
3. Looking for joy in your list of articles, and the only glimmer I see is from Judge Walton. I guess there is also some positive in that Floridians are accepting the water is rising. But they are saying it does not matter why! How do you treat a disease if you do not identify the cause? Yes you can treat the symptoms, but not treating the source, only means no cure in sight. They are hoping evolution provides them with gills?
Happy Saturday.
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Preschool Program
november 2018
The children have been interested in the element of surprise in relation to the colour mixing experiences that we have been exploring in our room.
Today we decided to take the colour mixing to our water table in a different way.
The children were given 4 pods with baking soda in them. We added food colouring to the different pods; some with a single colour, the others with 2 colours.
The children were then given some “Magic Potion” (vinegar) to add to the baking soda mixture with a small eye dropper.
As they added the vinegar no words were spoken by the children, they were fully immersed in the wonderment of what was happening within the pods in front of them.
They each took their time adding more and more vinegar, possibly seeing if they could achieve the same results.
Natasha Agostino RECE
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Wholesale Lot: Amethyst Slice Pendants/Earrings - 10 Pairs
This is a wholesale lot of 10 pairs of druzy amethyst/quartz earrings or pendants. Depending on what finding is added they can be used as either large earrings or pendants. The amethyst which is mined near Artigas, Uruguay varies in color and the metal is 100% silver electroplated copper.
You will receive the exact ten pendants pictured. At the wholesale price of $120, each pair costs $12 or $6 per piece. These are excellent for either resale or gifts.
Quartz var. Amethyst
Artigas, Uruguay
10 pairs, Each piece about .75" tall | <urn:uuid:92709cc9-c013-457b-92bb-921b0bcc4774> | http://assets3.fossilera.com/fossils/wholesale-lot-amethyst-slice-pendants-earrings-10-pairs--14 | en | 0.871282 | 0.256659 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
1. It is your event – live, broadcasting to a global audience.
4. Increases your audience which means increased support, fund-raising and sponsorship opportunities for your organization.
5. It’s fun.
6. Allows you to dive deeper into the social media community and opens opportunities for social media networking and marketing.
7. Creates a sense of “I wish I was there”.
8. Creates a permanent archive of your event.
9. Provides fresh, current and relevant content to your audience.
10. Develops a resource for marketing down the road. | <urn:uuid:6f48eb48-2476-4970-b6f7-be973d35df82> | http://theshowpros.com/top-10-reasons-live-streaming-events/ | en | 0.89791 | 0.028932 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Sunday 12th July 2020 - 14:45:48
Previously On Johns-Jokes
NO Pictures - Just Jokes
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Naming the Baby
After watching a young maternity ward patient earnestly thumb through the telephone directory for several minutes, a hospital orderly finally asked if he could be of some help.
"No thanks," the young mother said. "I am just looking for a name for my baby."
"But the hospital supplies a booklet that lists every first name and its meaning," said the orderly.
"That will not help," the mother said. "My baby already has a first name."
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Old Love
A husband in his back yard is trying to fly a kite. He throws the kite up in the air, the wind catches it for a few seconds, then it comes crashing back down to earth. He tries this a few more times with no success.
She opens the window and yells to her husband, "You need a piece of tail".
"Make up your mind. Last night, you told me to go fly a kite".
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Back in the Good Old Days when Rawpower
...was in the habit of whooping it up, he was standing at a bar when a lady of enticing appearance approached him and suggested that they have a drink.
RawPower said, 'Well. I'm no John D: Rockefeller, but I'll buy:
After developing a slight buzz, she suggested a dance.
RawPower smiled and said, 'I'm no Fred Astaire. but I'll give it a whirl:
Later, she suggested that they go up to her room. 'I'm no Cary Grant,' he replied. 'but I'll follow you up there:
They then went to the lady's apartment, where they had another drink. then did what had been on their minds all evening, anyway. Afterwards, the lady said, 'What about some money?'
RawPower shot back. 'Well, I'm no gigolo, but I'll take it:
Courtesy of: <Sheetstir>
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I Would So Kill My Husband!
Well, you can imagine her disappointment.
“Why didn’t you get me a birthday present!” she asks angrily?
“Are you kidding me?” He replies, “You didn’t use what I got you last year”!
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Two Vampires Were Sitting - a Groaner
their castle in Transylvania talking about how they were tired of the local food. Both of them were of the opinion that Italian food would be a nice change.
So, they changed into bats and winged there way over to Italy. They set themselves down in Venice and went looking for their dinner. Soon, they found a nice dark bridge over a canal to have their meal. They hunkered down and waited. In no time, an Italian couple came floating down the waterway. As they passed under the bridge, the vampires grabbed them, sucked them dry and tossed them into the water.
As they licked their lips, they discussed how good Italian food was and they both decided it was so good that they wanted seconds. Again, they hid and waited. As before another young Italian couple came floating down the canal. Also as before, the vampires grabbed them, sucked every drop of blood from their bodies and tossed them over the side of the bridge.
Now, the vampires were feeling pretty full, but they decided to make it a really special night and to have some dessert. Waiting in the dark, they soon spied another couple approaching their bridge. When they got there, this couple also found themselves subdued and their bodies sucked dry. The vampires then tossed the dead couple into the canal. Satiated, the vampires prepared to change form and fly home before they were caught by the coming dawn.
They stopped however, when they heard singing. Not wanting to be seen, they searched for the source.
A quick glance proved that they were the only ones on the bridge. The sound however was coming from the canal.
Slowly they approached the rail and looked over. Sure enough there in the water they spied a crocodile. He was munching on the bodies singing, "Drained wops keep falling on my head..."
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Proper Grammar
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A Duke Was Hunting in the Forest
A Duke was hunting in the forest with his men-at-arms and servants when he came across a tree. Upon it, archery targets were painted and smack in the middle of each was an arrow.
"Who is this incredibly fine archer"? cried the duke. "I must find him"!
"You didn't just walk up to the targets and hammer the arrows into the middle, did you"? asked the duke worriedly.
"That is truly astonishing," said the duke. "I hereby admit you into my service".
The boy thanked him profusely.
"Well," said the boy, "first I fire the arrow at the tree...
...and then I paint the target around it".
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How to Get 3 Days Off?
The CO was so impressed, he asked "How did you do it"?
The Arab said "Yes of course".
So we exchanged tanks"!
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The Current Financial Crisis
If the global crisis continues at the present rate, by the end of this year only two banks will be left operational ... the Blood Bank and the Sperm Bank!
And don't you just know that when these two banks merge it will be staffed by bloody wankers.............
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Sister Mary and the Priest
Sister Mary burst into the office of the principal of a parochial school in a very advanced state of agitation.
"Father!" she cried, "just wait until you hear this"!
The priest led the sister to a chair, and said, "Now just calm down and tell me what has you so excited"?
"Well, Father" the nun began, "I was just walking down the hall to the chapel and I heard some of the older boys wagering money"!
"A serious infraction, indeed" said the priest!
"But that's not what has me so shocked, Father", replied the nun, "it was what they were wagering on! They had wagered on a contest to see who could urinate the highest on the wall"!
"What an incredible wager" exclaimed the priest, "What did you do"?
"Well, I hit the ceiling, father".
To which the priest replied.... "How much did you win"?
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Old Jokes 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 Latest
Build your own satellite and have it launched into Space.
The idea is to die young as late as possible
Don't worry about old age, it doesn't last that long.
Fuelled by: CodeIgniter - ver: 3.1.9 Debug: / 826,704Mb / 14:45:48 / 200 / No Errors | <urn:uuid:c9e0dab7-5de0-4887-838d-2e67e113ccd6> | http://www.johns-jokes.com/jotd/1180 | en | 0.973245 | 0.018788 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Insecticidal soaps kill pests in different ways. One way is by penetration through the insect’s outer skin (the cuticle) and causing cells to rupture, resulting in severe dehydration. Another way is by suffocation. (Lack of respiration is a quick recipe for death.) This type of control can be used on all kinds of insects: aphids, scales, mealybugs, lace bugs and whiteflies. It also kills spider mites.
Florida wax scale
Scale insects, which don’t resemble insects at all, can be controlled with horticultural soaps.
Photo Credit: ©2006 Buglady Consulting
As great as they are, insecticidal soaps are not a cure-all – they do have limitations. One of the biggest is that the soap MUST come in direct contact with the pest in order for the product to kill. You can’t spray insecticidal soap on the top of a leaf expecting to kill the pest hanging out on the bottom of it. And dried soap residue on the leaves has almost no impact on pests. So once the soap dries, there’s no residual activity.
Another limitation can be phytotoxicity issues: Soaps can burn foliage if not applied at the correct rate or if a plant is under stress. Symptoms can include yellow or brown spotting on the foliage, burned tips or leaf scorch. And plants are just plain sensitive to soaps. If you’re uncertain about using an insecticidal soap on a particular plant, spot-treat a portion of the plant and wait at least 24 hours to see if any phytotoxic symptoms develop.
Soaps can also be affected by water quality. If you buy insecticidal soap concentrate, you’ll have to mix it up. If your water is hard, it can result in a chemical change, producing insoluble soaps. (You know this in the shower as soap scum.) This can reduce the effectiveness of the soap.
Despite these limitations insecticidal soaps may have, their benefits make them worthwhile. One nice feature is they’re very friendly to beneficial insects and predatory mites. Once the soap solution dries on a plant, these good guys can crawl or land back on the leaves safely. Insecticidal soaps can be a great tool in a pest management program, too. They kill a wide range of pests, are relatively inexpensive and are soft on birds and the environment.
When treating plants with insecticidal soap, follow these tips:
1. Make sure the plant has been well-watered and isn’t wilted.
2. Don’t treat during the heat of the day. Early morning or evenings are the best times.
3. Wear protective gloves or any other gear recommended on the label.
4. If you purchase concentrated insecticidal soap, use the proper rates on the label when mixing. (If mixed too strong, the product can damage plants. If you mix below the labeled rates, you can make the spray ineffective.)
5. Try to only mix as much soap as you need at a time.
6. Don’t spray on a windy day. (This could cause your pesticides to drift and end up where you don’t want them.)
7. Apply your spray until the insecticidal soap just starts to drip off the foliage or stems.
8. Follow directions on the label for cleanup. If you have leftover mixed product when you’re finished spraying, read the label to learn how to dispose of it properly. | <urn:uuid:ff08ad5b-9c0f-4ce2-b3f0-95a1e2cde369> | http://www.learn2grow.com/problemsolvers/insectsanimals/insectdamagecontrol/insecticidalsoapuse.aspx | en | 0.922222 | 0.023712 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
5. Theoretical Physics (CSN4)
The window for preferred axion models
by Enrico Nardi (LNF)
Aula A1 (LNF)
Aula A1
Via Enrico Fermi, 40 00044 Frascati (Roma)
A major goal of axion searches is to reach inside the parameter space region of realistic axion models. Currently, the boundaries of this region depend on somewhat arbitrary criteria, and it would be desirable to specify them in terms of precise phenomenological requirements. I will start with a brief description of the strong CP problem, of the Peccei-Quinn solution predicting the existence of the axion, and of axions as cold Dark Matter. I will then consider the hadronic axion models which involve new heavy quarks Q. By requiring that i) the Q are sufficiently short lived to avoid issues with long lived strongly interacting relics, ii) no Landau poles are induced below the Planck scale, fifteen cases are selected, which define a phenomenologically preferred axion window. | <urn:uuid:cdf3c14b-9af4-4918-91b0-3668320f7937> | https://agenda.infn.it/event/12519/ | en | 0.834632 | 0.059898 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Dizziness During Pregnancy: Causes and Prevention
Dizziness or feeling faint is a normal symptom during pregnancy. It is more common in the first trimester, but you may experience it throughout your pregnancy.
What causes dizziness during pregnancy?
Dizziness is also caused by low blood sugar levels that may occur as your body adapts to changes in your metabolism. Women who are anemic or who have varicose veins may be more susceptible to dizziness than others. During the second trimester, dizziness may be caused because your growing uterus puts pressure on blood vessels.
How can I prevent dizziness when you are pregnant?
There are a number of tips you can follow to reduce the frequency of dizziness during your pregnancy.
Here are some helpful suggestions to reduce dizziness:
• Avoid hot baths or showers
• Wear loose, comfortable clothing to avoid restricting circulation
What do to do if you feel faint when you are pregnant?
There are a few steps you can follow to help relieve the feeling that you are going to faint. It is common to faint during pregnancy, so be cautious.
• Avoid getting up quickly from sitting or lying down positions. This is a common reason for dizziness, lightheadedness, and fainting.
If you feel faint, try the following things:
• sit or lie down and lower your head
• take deep breaths
• loosen any tight clothing
• open windows and move towards circulating air
• eat foods rich in iron
When to contact your health care provider:
You should contact your health care provider immediately if your dizziness is accompanied by vaginal bleeding and/or pain in your abdomen. This could be a sign of an ectopic pregnancy, a low-lying placenta, or placental abruption.
You should also contact your health care provider immediately if you have persistent dizziness or dizziness accompanied by blurred vision, headaches, or palpitations. This may be a symptom of severe anemia or some other illness that could have a negative effect on your pregnancy.
Want to Know More?
Compiled using information from the following source:
| <urn:uuid:15790999-fcce-4c04-b31b-b3ceda2378d9> | https://americanpregnancy.org/pregnancy-health/dizziness-during-pregnancy/ | en | 0.906036 | 0.075674 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Cannonballs are a weapon in Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, exclusive to the map Sideshow. At random times throughout the match, the large clown animatronic in the center of the map will shoot cannonballs into the air towards random areas of the map, to which players can pick up by walking over them. Cannonballs can be traced by their trail of rainbow smoke. They have a fuse and will explode after a set time, whether on the ground or in a player's hands. If a player is killed while carrying a Cannonball, it will explode withing a few seconds. When thrown, they will explode on impact in a cloud of rainbow smoke, accompanied by the sound of children cheering. Cannonballs have a very large blast radius, larger than a typical grenade. Cannonballs are useful in objective gamemodes requiring the player to capture a certain point on the map, such as Domination, as it can be used to clear any enemies capturing the objectives.
Exo SurvivalEdit
Cannonballs also appear in Exo Survival, being randomly shot throughout the match. They are a viable option if the player is not using the Demolitions Exo class, as the large blast radius and high damage compensate for the lack of available launchers. If used correctly on packed groups of enemies, Cannonballs can be devastating to the opposition, and can help the player(s) reach a higher round. If a player has joined a game in progress, and cannot purchase a weapon, the Cannonballs (if available) can be utilised for a short period of time to gain points which can be used to purchase a weapon. In early rounds, Cannonballs can be highly effective, allowing the player to gain points rather quickly.
| <urn:uuid:4820f82d-7db6-4515-816b-e469b2dfcd7d> | https://callofduty.fandom.com/wiki/Cannonball?oldid=2255608 | en | 0.928621 | 0.489639 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
NASA Is Planning A Big Mission To Venus
(Shutterstock/Vadim Sadovski)
Daily Caller News Foundation logo
Andrew Follett Energy and Science Reporter
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NASA has spent $3.6 million to build 12 small satellites to explore the planet Venus in search of a mysterious substance that absorbs half the planet’s light.
The CubeSat UV Experiment (CUVE) mission will launch the satellites to investigate atmospheric processes on Venus. The 12 satellites vary in size. One is less than four inches across and weighs a few ounces. Another weighs 400 pounds.
“CUVE will use remote sensing instruments to study the distribution of energy in Earth’s sister planet Venus,” Dr. Valeria Cottini, a NASA scientist at the University of Maryland in College Park, told “The mission is also designed to address the role of the cloud-top dynamics and chemistry in global energy balance. These results will constrain theories that describe the evolutionary processes of Venus.”
CUVE is a relatively new idea, coming out of a March conference in Texas between NASA an several universities. There is not yet a scheduled launch date for the satellites. NASA only recently begun funding the mission, but the probes will be one of the first projects to use miniaturized cube satellites for space research.
“These small but mighty satellites have the potential to enable transformational science,” Jim Green, director of NASA’s Planetary Science Division, said in a press statement. “They will provide valuable information to assist in planning future Announcements of Opportunity, and to guide NASA’s development of small spacecraft technologies for deep space science investigation.”
None of the probes will actually land on Venus, since the average surface temperature there is typically 864 degrees Fahrenheit. Most electronics can’t operate in that heat, and any probes landing on the planet must have thermal and pressure-resistant shells. But that technology is expensive and only lasts a few hours, limiting the amount of scientific work that can be done on the planet.
Venus may have supported some kind of life in a 2 billion year period before it became too inhospitable, according to a NASA co-authored study.
Researchers created computer simulations to show how Venus may have had ancient oceans that covered half the planet for most of its history. If that’s the case, Venus’s average surface temperature would have been around 65 degrees Fahrenheit.
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| <urn:uuid:baad7a77-ef09-4257-8772-bcd82100e32c> | https://dailycaller.com/2017/04/11/nasa-launching-12-satellites-destination-venus/ | en | 0.895108 | 0.036987 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
, , , , ,
That question was recently asked by what could have been a younger, curious version of myself.
A few times each month, I spend three hours of bliss volunteering in a small bookshop.
I get to meet interesting people, stroke and skim through the latest items placed on the shelves. Not a month goes by without me purchasing something of interest to me or someone I love. I like the fact that sales revenues go towards purchasing new books and supporting programs for our local libraries. Being in that book shop is the closest I can get to working in a library – for now 🙂
My recent volunteer shift was graced by the usual lingering regulars and families attending events nearby. It warms my heart when children express delight as they find a book or two that they want their parents to buy.
One particular tot caught my attention while exploring books with her older sister, parents and grandmother. She approached the front desk, her blonde head barely above the counter, her blue eyes peering at me.
“What’s your name?” she asked in a sweet and barely audible voice.
I responded with a smile and asked about hers. Her Mother responded on her behalf due to the child’s limited conversation skills.
Then the child asked, “Why are you here?”
“Why am I here? Well… I like books, I like meeting new people and selling them books.”
Then she skittered away to explore the shelves with her family.
Soon she returned to ask again “Why are you here?”.
After I repeated my previous response I wanted to ask the wee thing if she was being philosophical about the big picture but I decided it would just confuse matters.
It was cute. It was thought-provoking in a naive kind of way.
I think that was a helpful experience for those basic queries we should ask ourselves often, like “Why am I here?”.
If we cannot answer the why, we could at least ask, “What am I doing during my time here?”. | <urn:uuid:bf9743ec-b50d-44bd-b121-6ab3d7b2e09c> | https://deep-blonde-thoughts.com/2016/11/20/why-are-you-here/ | en | 0.975963 | 0.022612 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
StarOcean guild would like to have a meeting with all the guild currently active in the server. Both Red and Blue guilds are welcome. It will be to discuss newbie introduction and also manpower. We need more people to make more money for the server. But we also want to come here for fun and get some new friends. Other people like the challenge, but what challenge can we get if we reach the top and theres almost nobody around except for us?
I have aquired more SP purchasing power and will also do my best to even share some SP related items with other guilds, however I need some help from everyone to start being more positive and helping accomplish the goal of gaining and maintaining manpower on the server.
Currently I am sitting at 50k SP. I don't plan on spending much atm except for some expansions so I can hold more items to make for the new people. That and trying to make a gem storehouse for when I grind at 85 so I can support you all with lvl 3 gems.
The main thing I want to point out is that, I cannot do this all alone. I'm asking for help, and while I plan on getting 100k SP this month on top of the 50k I just got, money at this point doesn't mean much if we don't have the heart to take care of our people. So those in guilds who are not active that are RED, StarOcean is active. And for those who have blue guilds that are not active, I hope we can get a blue guild rep to come and start leading the charge in recruiting and maintaining a friendly presence in the server so we can an overall combat effective friendly server ^^.
My main problem with the execution of the mission is the Administration and Logistics. Logistics handles your beans, bullets, badguys, and bandaids. Beans- would be whatever items you need to keep people fed, like in this case it would be exp, AP, Skillpoints, food for buffs, items for buffs. Bullets -would be things like armor and weapons (even though buff items do buff your points, I know it could almost be considered a bullet, but its not because you eat and drink food and potions). Badguys- simply means the bosses or other guilds you will be fighting.
Side Note:
(My job as a tank is to be an outstanding leader of a party and known my limits and also understand what I am capable of as a tank to control bosses and mobs. You must also seek to understand the capabilities of your friends as well in a party so you have a general idea what effect you will have. Don't go to a party expecting a Holy Barrier, if you got only a Cleric. A well built tank has more opportunity to see what is going on and respond to almost every kind of situation. Also paladin gets a group heal that almost rivals group heal, so you will have the ability to do more than just be a meat shield. I firmly believe that no tank is complete unless you have a main gun. Attract circle is not a main gun, and if you get caught without a weapon, you can grab a whole map, but your efforts are minimal if not vain.
Bandaids- Making sure your boys are taken care of. This is more than just adding heals and other stuff as such. Its being there to help people to the point you would save their life. Potions and healers take care of keeping your HP up. But what if someone is sick or injured in real life on here? Support your friends and try to heal their wounds that are both mental and physical. If you cant be their physically, show them you care in some kind of way. Even GM Alectronas has to take care of things in real life, and if his mom died, we can't have people laughing at him or complaining about why the EXP isn't turned on. We need people who can console his broken heart and help him on his feet rather then kick him while hes down.
Finally, there are enemies out there that is fighting against everyone here in the server. So far the biggest enemies are extreme apathy, trolls, and people who are just plain malicious. Whether friend or foe, I try my best and will even offer a foe an entire stack of potions and be with them to the last minute being friendly, until I know I need to do my job and eliminate the target by whatever means I am allowed to use within the capabilities of this server. Everyone gets mad in the game sometimes, but if you are seriously evil to the heart to the point you need to go see a doctor, while I'm mostly nice, I will become unglued and do my very best to throw you into nearest trashcan. If I mess up, I expect you guys to help correct me too. I am not immune to giving instruction and not following it. Being angry at something is not wrong, but purposely making it up in your heart that all you want to do is grief and bully people is. If you can't help people, do not hurt them.
Lead, follow, or GET OUT OF THE WAY! We all need to make a decision now! | <urn:uuid:f5e267f5-10ec-4cc5-bb35-0b9d43e6bb5d> | https://forum.subagames.com/showthread.php?t=90565&s=73974de75a49659b8eda3c7ba2ba10d5&p=869300&mode=threaded | en | 0.975491 | 0.195434 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
With the first anniversary of Occupy looming, it’s not hard to see social media springing to life, igniting people’s inner political fires once again. Twitter and Facebook feeds are now full of first-person retrospectives or gritty videos that relive those first few days of the Occupy and the police attack on protesters.
It would seem that despite a nearly year-long “protester-fatigue” by many mainstream pro-democracy supporters, people are now becoming energised once again to commemorate this significant anniversary.
Photo: HKFP.
And why not? If you were part of the estimated 1.2million people who visited and supported the Occupy sites, why wouldn’t you take the time out to commemorate this coming Monday September 28?
There is now an official silent protest that people can attend outside of Legco at 17:58, to mark the time the first tear gas canisters were fired. Let’s not forget, this first cannister was followed by a further 86 more, aimed at protesters who were essentially non-violent. If witnessing this crime moved you to action a year ago, then why wouldn’t it move you one year on? It is time to show this government that Hong Kongers will never forget this unwarranted attack on political expression and our desire for a fair election system remains as strong as ever.
Photo: HKFP.
The end note of the months-long occupation was dominated by the slogan, “We’ll be back” and maybe now is time for everyone to make good on that promise. Not that “We’ll be back” means creating another extended camping trip on a freeway. No one wants to see those sort of shenanigans happen again. But, if you were one of the 100,000 people who came out on the 29th September and filled Harcourt Road, and then spent the entire Autumn living the Occupies, then when will that promise of “We’ll be back” become a reality if not on Monday?
In tatters
In fact, if Hong Kongers can motivate themselves to honour the “We’ll be back” promise, they could even go one step further and engage in a period of “We are back” weekly protests. The silent protest outside Legco is a perfect blueprint protest to put pressure on this government once again.
One Country Two Systems is in tatters. Billion-dollar, white elephant projects swallow up Hong Kong’s reserves with no end in sight. Lead water scandals poison the population and the New Territories are riddled with smugglers. Hong Kong is so devastated by this unelected, unaccountable government, yet still we let them get away with it unfettered and unchallenged!
Ex-Occupy leaders now talk about another mass incident happening again, in maybe two, five or even ten years time. Caused by some ‘igniting’ scandal. But look around you. Hong Kong is already engulfed in scandal. How bad does it have to get? Is the only plan we have to tolerate the degeneration of the city until it becomes utterly intolerable?
Photo: HKFP.
One year on, the lesson from Occupy is that camping trips don’t change government policies. But if Hong Kong can put 100,000+ people outside Legco every Sunday night until Christmas, like we saw on Harcourt Road on September 29th, then this government would come under immense local and international pressure to change its ways and listen to the voice of the people.
Seriously, can you not give up one night a week to help this city and make your voice heard once again? What other choice is there? To stay home and shout at the TV?
Richard Scotford
Richard is a freelance writer and long term resident of Hong Kong. He has a Master's Degree in Chinese Studies from CUHK and describes himself as a noisy muser on all things China. He has travelled extensively in Western China and once owned a trekking lodge high on the Tibetan border. He has a raw style of Opinion Journalism, with special interests in the South China Seas and deciphering Hong Kong's Localist/Independence groups. | <urn:uuid:a2684073-6143-4eb6-b01e-f61c32d3846b> | https://hongkongfp.com/2015/09/23/protest-fatigue-hong-kongs-pro-democracy-activists-are-awakening-ahead-of-occupy-anniversary/ | en | 0.951196 | 0.040504 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
This essentially means that you need to understand your market – and the territories within it – well enough that you can pinpoint where the efforts of your sales team should be most concentrated. In the end, your territories should be designed in a way that you capitalize on the spaces in your market that are most likely to convert into the most revenue for your organization.
This will be the first article in a series where I will guide you through the major steps of a process that will allow you to optimize and align your sales territories in a way that will in reaching key goals.
Step 1: Understand Your Current Performance
It’s impossible to know which direction to take your sales territory design strategy in the future if you don’t know where it’s been in the past, or where it currently is in the present. This is the very first step in the process, and without a thorough analysis and understanding of your current performance, the rest of the steps are basically useless.
Some of the best practices when analyzing current performance are to track and measure against the following metrics:
1. Customer win Rate. What percentage of opportunities are you closing in each territory? What could account for the differences, and how can you capitalize on them?
2. Number of Leads and Opportunities – The quantity of leads that you are converting in specific territories can be a key indicator of how much demand your product or service is generating in that market. Furthermore, by analyzing the number of those leads that become opportunities, you can often get an even more accurate picture of how much overall market potential exists in that space for your organization.
3. Average and Median Opportunity Age – By analyzing the amount of time that sales opportunities are open for differnet products, sales teams, reps and even geographies, you can more accurately understand the market potential. For example, this analysis can illustrate if a sales rep is claiming sales opportunities for the purpose of stats, or if he is actively taking that opportunity through the selling process towards an ultimate conversion. These indicate two very different things about market potential. Additionally, this analysis can also help significantly with financial forecasting.
4. Existing Pipeline and Forecast. What type of revenue potential exists in your current pipeline? How much did you forecast? Do the two align? If not, it is easy to make some very quick discoveries about the market potential in those territories.
By spending the time to understand the current state of your market, you will be better prepared to amend or construct sales territories that accurately align effort with market potential.
Sales Territory Optimization
Step 2: Analyze Existing Customer Spend
The next step in this process is to analyze the existing customer base. How do they spend? Why do they spend? When do they spend?
These customers should be segmented and analyzed according to key criteria. Several of the most common are:
• Revenue
• Industry
• Geography
• Number of Employees
• Number of Locations
• Credit Risk
Following your account segmentation, you need to analyze and determine which of the firmographic elements drives your customers to spend on your business. Reference historical customer billings to analyze the customer spend by segment. The main spend drivers could fall into any of the categories listed above (these are the most common) or a different one. Either way, the key is to find the trend in customer spending.
Once you have determined what motivates the overall customer spend, a framework for your ideal customer profile will manifest itself. Many organizations spend huge chunks of time pouring over their ideal customer profile. And don’t get me wrong, it will need to be perfected over time, but by performing the analysis suggested above you’ll have accomplished two key steps in understanding your ideal customer. This is a major step in the territory design process.
sales territory process
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Tag Archives: Jews
Without question, Israel is currently facing an increasingly coordinated and concerted effort by Europe and the Arab world, to delegitimise and cripple her.
Barack Obama is presiding over seismic shifts in geopolitical alliances instigated by a foreign policy that is foreign to everything America has said they stand for till now.
It is not coincidental that China and India are strenuously courting the tiny Jewish state as it becomes increasingly clear that liberal democrat America does not have Israel’s best interests at heart.
Consider the present administration’s full-throated support of “Palestinian” statehood and its increasingly strident efforts to accommodate a landscape-changing Iranian nuclear deal.
Both developments would seriously affect Israel’s ability to adequately protect itself without using the nuclear option if the Arab world continues to see as its primary foreign policy objective, the removal of the Jewish state from the Middle East.
But are Europe and America barking up the wrong tree? Do the Chinese and Indian governments more accurately evaluate the danger of spreading radical Islam given the chaos Muslim minorities cause in their respective countries? Does Russia, whose propaganda campaign is responsible for much of the European shift towards delegitimisation of Israel, also know what the Israelis know: that radical Islam unchecked today will rapidly convert significant sections of European cities into expanding Sharia-controlled no-go Muslim enclaves? Will Muslim terror stop once the world recognises the illegality of the Zionist enterprise in the Middle East. Is the foundation of the state of Israel illegal under international law?
The short answer is that the formation of the State of Israel is completely legal under international law, even if Arab backed European politically motivated communities would like to revise the fact.
There is a reason, in international law, there has been no “Palestinian” state these past 66 years.
And as long as there are those who would delegitimise a UN member state, there will always be those who will make sure that petty, genocidal, religious dogma neither changes the facts of history nor subverts international law which has at its very core, the objective of limiting the institutionalised violence we call war.
Israel is a sovereign state under international law. International law is a set of rules that are generally accepted in relations between states (Glick, 2014). International law is based on consent, and states follow the rules of international law to which they consent.
International law comprises two strands: treaties and custom. Treaties may be bilateral, based on international conventions like the 1948 Geneva Convention, or they may be multilateral such as is the case with the NATO treaty.
However, while treaties are binding under international law, institutions created by the treaties cannot make new law. Thus international bodies such as the UNGA can only pass resolutions which are recommendations. The UNSC may pass binding resolutions, but exercise of that power is limited to situations that are 1) threats to peace, 2) breaches of peace, 3) and acts of aggression against UN member states. Clearly, in the case of the Israeli Arab conflict as regards “Palestine”, “Palestinian” Arabs, hyperbole notwithstanding, have no legal leg to stand on. They have continuously threatened the peace, breached innumerable ceasefires, and often attacked a UN member state.
On the other hand, treaties do not carry the same weight as legislation, and states only have to obey treaties to which they are parties. In other words, no consent, no law.
Does this mean that a would-be “Palestinian” ‘nation’ could refuse to honour a treaty to which they were not party?
The brief legal answer is no.
International law permits self-determination claims to be satisfied by incorporation into the ruling state, by sovereign independence, or by anything in between.
In order to abide by its international obligations as a member of the family of nations to respect the self-determination rights of “Palestinians”, Israel is required to take good-faith negotiations with the “Palestinians” in a bid to satisfy these self-determination rights.
Nobody would dispute that the two unprecedentedly generous Israeli peace offers to Arafat and Abbas, in attempts to reach a peace settlement over the past 20 years, in addition to the commencement of the Oslo Accords which recognised the PLO as official representative of the “Palestinian” people, do not constitute good-faith efforts by the Israelis to satisfy “Palestinian” self-determination rights. The remarkable Barak and Olmert offers are historically documented proof of that.
Thus, Israel has fulfilled its obligations in this sphere as well.
Unlike Israel, there has never been a polity/state called “Palestine”. Thus not agreeing to international law has never been an option for them, despite their bombast and continuous claims of victimhood over the years.
And finally in this section about the legality of the Israeli negotiating position under international law, the prospect of the PA unilaterally approaching the UN for membership and thus statehood, would be a grave violation of the PLO’s signed agreement with Israel, under international aegis, which specifically barred such unilateral actions. Under international law, this agreement was witnessed by outside parties including the United States, Russia, Norway, the EU and so on.
This means that any material violations of agreements that were witnessed by the EU or similar, would irreversibly jeopardise the worth of such agreements in international law and the worth of such witnessing, and would free Israel to act in its best interests without fear or favour. A scenario fraught with potential for untold violence anyway you care to look at it.
Custom in international law, on the other hand, is different in that it results from general and consistent practice of states followed by them from a sense of legal obligation.
International law requires states to follow customary law even when the states have not explicitly consented to the custom (Glick, 2014). However, because customary law is also based on implied consent, a state that consistently objects to an international custom, is not bound by that custom.
Once again, in the absence of there ever being a sovereign “Palestinian” state to even invoke customary law and thus invoke consistent objection to the legal establishment of the State of Israel, in the light of the point blank refusal of three offers of “Palestinian” statehood 1947-2014 thus abrogating its rights to sovereignty in PA controlled “West Bank”, and in the absence of any codification of rules and charters minimising violence against Jews by the current “unity” government as per the requirement of an intending member of the United Nations, “Palestinian” claims that they are a people living in a non-self-governing territory and thus have a right to self determination is belied by the fact that the “Palestinians” have been exercising self rule over inhabited parts of Judea and Samaria since 1994 when PA was formed…….
Thus, the PA’s invocation of even this tenet of international law is baseless.
In light of the above, understanding “Palestinian” Arab violence towards the State of Israel becomes even more difficult to accept in any form, because of the documented incidents of a violent minority which proffers its own apocalyptic Islamic interpretation of how the world should be, and what should replace western interpretations of law and order.
In Gaza, and further afield, the rebirth of Islamic imperialism and violence post 9/11, from the World Trade Center, to a discothèque in Bali, to beheadings in the barren stony lands around Dabiq and Raqqa point to what Buruma and Margalit (2004) have termed Occidentalism.
Like Orientalism, which was perceived as a general patronizing Western attitude towards Middle Eastern, Asian and North African societies, Occidentalism sees the West as something less than human, something to be destroyed, something that goes beyond Wall Street, Hollywood, capitalism or the all-too-convenient catch-cry of “US imperialism”.
The current crop of jihadis see western liberalism as a threat to their religious fundamentalism, self-appointed caliphs and religiously inspired “pure” and “authentic” cleansing of the kuffar through blood letting, because it deflates the pretensions of their own brand of heroic Islamic utopianism.
Wherever it occurs, this Occidentalism is fed by an inflated Muslim perception of humiliation, of defeat.
The current wave of Islamic Occidentalism seeks to right a perceived historical wrong. And nothing matches the perceived Arab Muslim sense of failure and humiliation as much as the perception that a once glorious civilization has been left behind in every respect by the post-Enlightenment West.
This over-indulged perception of humiliation, historically redolent of the Arab psyche, can easily turn into a self-aggrandising cult of the pure and the authentic. And it is when “purity” or “authenticity”, of faith or race, leads to purges of the supposedly inauthentic, of the allegedly impure, that mass murder begins. The fact that anti-Americanism, anti-Zionism, anti-Semitism, and a general hostility to the West currently overlaps is no coincidence. (Buruma & Margalit, 2004).
However, in a modern world dominated by the spread and take up of western values of business and culture, copied and practised skilfully by the very people who would kill you for it, international law remains the final fragile red barrier “authenticity” and “purity” of Islamic thought must breach in order to imprint its brand of religious fundamentalism on a wide swathe of the world’s peoples.
To that extent, I submit that Muslim violence today against the west is not the fault of anyone else except irrational, inverted Muslim Quranic interpretation and thought, and a willingness to shed as much blood (of others) as it takes to spread a violent, radical brand of Islam.
This vision radical Islam has of itself as an antidote to “Westoxification”, is a mixture of the universal and the pure: “universal” because all people can/should, in the eyes of the believers, become orthodox Muslims; and “pure” because those who refuse the call are not simply lost souls but savages who must be removed from this earth.
Thus the “pure” and/or “authentic” Occidental hero is the one, whether he is a Nazi or an Islamist, who is just as ready to destroy those who sully the purity of his race or creed. It is indeed his duty to do so. When the West is seen as the threat to authenticity, then it is the duty of all “holy warriors” to destroy anything to do with the “Zionist Crusaders,” whether it is a U.S. battleship, a British embassy, a Jewish cemetery, or a Bali discotheque; even unto the extreme of beheading well-meaning western aid workers and journos in Dabiq and Raqqa as a terror tactic to induce compliance (Buruma & Margalit, 2004).
But, whatever the rest of the world might be comfortable acceding to in appeasing Muslim violence by permitting Sharia police no-go zones in European cities and towns, with regards to the Israeli- “Palestinian” conflict, there is always the question of international law.
It is the source of greatest frustration to large hostile bodies such as the Arab League and their enablers in the European Union that, since their inception in 1945, they have never been able to either militarily extract a territorial concession from Israel in all the wars they have initiated, nor circumvent the rule of international law in their efforts to financially and socially/legally cripple the sovereign Jewish state these past 66 years….
The sovereignty of the Jewish state became a legal issue in 1917 with the demise of 400 years of Ottoman Muslim rule in the Levant.
Whereas the Levant Arabs, now freed from the oppressive yoke of the Ottomans, agreed to League of Nations mandates to create Muslim entities in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Gaza in return for supporting the British and the French, those self-same Arabs did not see their way clear to the same League of Nations establishing the Jewish state of Israel in what was called the British Mandate for Mesopotamia……
Thus, with the disintegration of the despotic Ottoman rule in the region, the Arabs accepted international law in the creation of five more Muslim entities along national ethno-religious lines, but just not a single Jewish one.
Fortunately for Israel, its creation has always been anchored in international law both through treaty and through custom as described above. For example, Israel is well within its international legal rights in building as it sees fit in Judea and Samaria. Yehuda and Shomron were always included territory in the intended Jewish state under both the League of Nations and the legally approved British Mandate, despite the illegal invasion and occupation of the area (euphemistically called the West Bank [of the Jordan]) by Jordan in 1948. In 1967, Judea and Samaria were returned to Jewish sovereignty in a defensive war where Egypt, Syria, Jordan and Iraq combined to try and wipe out (again) the tiny Jewish state.
Forty years previously, the 1937 Peel Commission succumbed to Arab violence and recommended the partition of the remainder of the Mandate, now not including Jordan, into a further division of Jewish and Arab land. The Jews were now to receive a mere 19% of the truncated Mandated lands, with 81% going to the creation of yet another Muslim Arab state. The Jewish Agency accepted even this disappointing breach of promise. The Arabs rejected the compromise.
The records will always show the facts of the matter: Arab intransigence and religious racism are the only reasons there is no “Palestine” today. The Arab-Israeli conflict never had anything to do with land. It was always a war of religion.
Clearly, as it has always done since 1917, international law will always back up the Israeli position on any future negotiated settlement.
International law (and an innate sense of fairness in other nations around the world that is difficult to legislate for) remained the major stumbling block in MENA and the EU preventing the dismemberment of the Jewish state.
But, in the end, all of history shows that people do not like continuous change or violent upheaval. The average person in the street does not approve of murder and mayhem, be they from Dubai or Donetsk. The average person just wants to get on with life and make the most of their time while alive.
For this reason alone, the current orgy of Islamic violence will splutter and die as the internet continues to interleave the commonality of the human condition, race, religion or creed notwithstanding.
And because of this, the State of Israel will continue to survive and prosper.
Because of this, and international law……….
Shalom Dublin?? – viewing Irish anti-Israeli sentiment through the lens of the IRA’s former Nazi collaboration
I write this blog to layout for myself, the antecedents to what many puzzled Israelis and Jews see as an uncalled-for Irish antipathy to the Jewish state, and to say again that peace will only come when the current pro-Palestinian orthodoxy and exhortation to violence and martyrdom is challenged everywhere and always. I hope you find it of interest. (h/t: @clairefinn54)
Israel has been demonized by an Irish media slavishly dancing to the Palestinian drumbeat for decades… – [yet] Israel has a far better and more progressive record on human rights than any of its neighbors…The truth must be told.” Fine Gael chairman Charlie Flanagan., 2014.
In his article “Why Are the Irish Increasingly Siding With Palestine Over Israel?” written for the New Republic in May 2014, Jason Walsh recounts the time he wrote a feature article for the Irish Times on Ireland’s Jewry. He interviewed retired Belfast businessman Adrian Levey, who is Jewish. Levey was “…keen to point out that anti-Semitism as such is not a problem, even on the divided streets of Belfast.
“Northern Protestants support Israel and Catholics support Palestine, it doesn’t really play out on the streets,” he said.
When you understand that Protestant and Catholic are not actually religious terms, but stand-ins for pro-British unionists and pro-Irish republicans the statement makes perfect sense. For Irish republicans have long felt they were, as much as Palestinians, living in occupied territory. Hearing Northern Ireland described as the “Occupied Six Counties” was not uncommon in my youth during the 1990s. “
What Walsh is saying is embedded in an Irish take on the colonial antecedents of Ireland, Israel, and a would-be “Palestinian” Muslim state.
He explains that Israel’s struggle against the British during the Mandate years resonated with an Irish (Roman Catholic) public subjugated for centuries by brutal British domination of their national aspirations and what they called “colonisation” and “occupation” of the six Counties which make up (Protestant) Northern Ireland today.
But as Israel became more successful, the Irish psyche projected its experience of (essentially Protestant) Britain onto Israel’s failure to decide the “Palestinian” question definitively, and the narrative of a “dispossessed” and “disenfranchised” “Palestinian” struggle for “freedom” blossomed. Israel thus began to function as a surrogate for Britain because it was too “imperial, imperious and, above all, modern.” This view, together with Brian Hanley’s exploration of the IRA’s collaboration with Nazi Germany in the Republic’s struggles against Britain form the core of this piece.
The ongoing support and collaboration between Hamas and Sinn Fein, Irish Republic politicians and the Palestinian Authority, and historical ideological and notional links between the PLO, Arafat and the Republic of Ireland are well documented, if not always in the public eye.
Certainly the links between the IRA and Arafat’s PLO have been well documented. This connection is due to historic circumstance, where the British were wrongly perceived as pro-Jewish. And this affinity went north of the border with Northern Ireland and infused the culture and politics of both the Republic of Ireland and the positions held by the IRA in Northern Ireland and its political wing Sinn Fein.
Sinn Fein, the IRA’s political wing, which has elected representatives in the Irish and British parliaments and shares power in Northern Ireland, has continued to be a virulent critic of Israel. In 2006, Aengus Ó Snodaigh, then the party’s international affairs and human rights spokesperson in the Dublin parliament, described Israel as “one of the most abhorrent and despicable regimes on the planet.” In May 2014, he was one of three Irish politicians prevented by authorities from leaving Cyprus to join the Gaza-bound flotilla headed by the Mavi Marmara….
Arthur Griffith, who founded the original Sinn Fein movement in 1905, used the pages of his newspaper to rail against “Jew Swindledom” (9/10ths of all Jews were, he proclaimed, “usurers and parasites“) and the Dreyfusards.
There were similar prejudices commonplace in all the political parties which broke off from his organization, but only the eponymous rump which remained after the splits of 1921 and 1926 habitually preached Jew-hatred, culminating in a demand for an Irish-German alliance in 1939.
The newly formed “new” IRA, itself soaked in anti-Semitism, took a similar view and attempted to forge, as we will see, a working relationship with the Germans.
As noted in the republican newspaper The United Irishman of October 1951, Seán Russell, the then IRA chief of staff and a registered representative of the Irish Republic, spent the summer of 1940 in a ‘very large’ villa in the leafy Grunewald, near Berlin, surrounded by extensive grounds and parks, enjoying all the privileges of a diplomat with regard to access to food, petrol and other rationed goods.
Russell met leading Nazis such as Nazi Foreign Minister Ribbentrop. Following the fall of France, Russell urged that the German high command make use of the IRA to strike at British forces in Northern Ireland as part of a general attack on Britain. His plans were accepted and incorporated into Operation Sealion (the plan for the invasion of Britain) as a mark of the ‘respect and esteem’ in which Russell was held by the German military leadership.
The IRA’s main publication, War News, became increasingly pro-Nazi in tone, but more worryingly, it began to ape anti-Semitic arguments. The paper expressed satisfaction that the ‘cleansing fire’ of the German armies was driving the Jews from Europe. British war minister Hore Belisha was described as a ‘wealthy Jew’ only interested in ‘profits’. War News condemned the arrival in Ireland of ‘so-called Jewish refugees’.
Even though pre-war Ireland was united in its dislike of the British, there were at least four discernible factions in the IRA.
The majority leadership grouping was sympathetic to social radicalism but primarily concerned with developing the IRA as a military force. An important section of the leadership was socialist, while a third section—of which Russell was probably the best example—were committed entirely to armed force and uninterested in political debate.
A fourth smaller group was attracted to Sinn Féin’s espousal of right-wing ‘Christian social’ policies even as further differences existed over the relationship between the IRA in Northern Ireland and its much larger and more influential southern counterpart.
Much of the northern IRA together with Sinn Fein, their political arm, were attracted to Russell’s position, because they felt marginalised and ignored by their southern comrades, even as Russell’s own isolation in, and disillusionment with, the Republic led him to forge now-embarrassing ties with the Nazis.
Putting the efforts of IRA leaders like Russell into context, Brian Hanley notes that “…the IRA in 1940 was under severe pressure and in decline. Hundreds of its members were jailed or interned in the Curragh camp. Undoubtedly a measure of desperation contributed to its thinking. Similarly, …much of what was written in the [War News] was fantasy, especially the claims that the IRA was playing a major role in the German war effort….Furthermore, War News was illegal and therefore written and distributed surreptitiously. [Only a] small number of people were responsible for its content and only a few IRA members could have had any input into it. Despite the violence of some of the anti-Jewish rhetoric in War News the IRA did not attempt to physically attack Irish Jews.”
Even so, with the partition of Ireland by the British into the (Catholic) Republic of Ireland and (largely Protestant Ulster ‘Loyalist’) Northern Ireland in 1921, the Provisional IRA and Sinn Fein in Northern Ireland imported a deep hostility towards partition as a solution to territorial conflict.
This in turn led to consistent support for the Palestinian cause some fifty years later. The “Provos” received weapons and training from Arafat’s PLO around the early 1970s; today, the IRA allegedly provides sophisticated bomb-making materials and know-how to terror group Hamas in war-ravaged Gaza.
And so, because the Irish Republican Army and Sinn Fein made common anti-colonialist cause with the Palestinian Liberation Organization, with the PLO allegedly providing arms and training for the IRA as early as the 1970s, Irish Protestant leaders, for their part, allied themselves with the Israelis and their struggle against a genocidal Muslim enemy.
Ironically, in March 1945, a correspondent for The Bell, a leading Irish magazine, raged about current events in Mandated Palestine: “Never let it be forgotten that the Irish people … have experienced all that the Jewish people in Palestine are suffering from the trained ‘thugs’ ‘gunning tarzans’ and British ‘terrorists’ that the Mandatory power have imposed upon the country.
But once the Zionist movement accepted the partition of Palestine, the Irish began to draw unflattering parallels between Israeli policies and their own divided existence.
To many, the Jewish state now looked less like a besieged religious-national community struggling valiantly for its natural rights and more like a colony illegitimately established by British force of arms and intent on imposing itself on an “indigenous” population.
As a result, Ireland only extended de jure recognition to Israel in 1963, 15 years after its declaration of independence.
After Ireland joined the European Union in 1973, successive governments in Dublin took the lead in championing the Palestinian cause within Europe.
In February 1980, Ireland was the first EU member to call for the establishment of a Palestinian state. It was also the last to allow Israel to open a residential embassy, in December 1993.
Throughout the Oslo Accords era and the post-Oslo era a decade later, Irish governments continued to provide the Palestinian cause with valuable, if not unlimited, support.
Thus, in June 2003, Brian Cowen, then Ireland’s foreign minister, visited Yasir Arafat during the height of the Second Intifada.
It was during the Second Intifada that 887 (78%) of the 1,137 Israelis killed in Arab terrorist attacks from September 2000 – 2005 were civilian casualties. Another 8,341 Israelis were wounded during this period, of which 5,676 were civilians while 2,665 were security forces.
The majority of Jewish casualties during Cowen’s visit and lauding of Arafat were caused by suicide bombings, bombs, shootings, stonings, stabbings, lynchings, rockets on civilian population centres, and other methods of attack.
And, inexplicably, Cowen spoke for many in Ireland when he described Arafat as “the symbol of the hope of self-determination of the Palestinian people” and praised him for his “outstanding work … tenacity, and persistence.”
This feting and legitimising of terror and destruction still continues in an unbroken line and the words of Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams who, in 1983, laid down a blueprint which remains the playbook for the PA and Hamas in the international arena.
Back in a May 1983 interview with Britain’s Sunday Times, Adams’ stated aim was “…to confront the British with an ongoing armed struggle which is enjoying popular support and a principled political party which refuses to compromise on the basic issue of British involvement in Northern Ireland.”
The aim of such a policy of confrontation, he added, was so that the British “…would be unable to govern.”
Thus, as Adams put it, the political role of Sinn Fein was merely to “broaden and popularise the struggle. For in the end the movement will have to depend on whatever armed pressure the IRA can bring.
If that sounds eerily familiar today, it is only because, if Hamas/PA is substituted for IRA, we have a copybook re-enactment of Sinn Fein strategy being perniciously played out by Hamas against Israel forty years later.
The parallels with the actions of Hamas are too striking to be ignored: continued confrontation, no negotiations, active endangering of civilian populations, an internationally supported political wing in Ramallah and no compromise on borders or choice of capital.
This ongoing tacit Irish apologism for Palestinian wrongdoing, together with a disdainful disregard of the Jews’ unbroken connection with the country going back to one thousand years before the Arab conquest of an indigenous Jewish peoples and land, is an inversion of Orwellian proportions, the scale of which the British author himself did not envision.
It is, therefore, this peculiar Irish post-colonialist pathology which continues to nurture to a recurrent Arab psychology of intransigence, intolerance and a refusal to take responsibility for actions, which lethally endanger a new generation of Jew and Arab alike.
And, as with all dictatorships of the mind, distrust and fear of other feed periodic outbursts of pointless, near gratuitous, violence.
In Belfast in 2014, upon his arrest for alleged involvement in the grisly 1972 IRA murder of widowed mother of ten, Jean McConville, Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams said “….I have never disassociated myself from the IRA and I never will…”
In Israel in 2014, Jews today continue to pay the price, through murder and wanton destruction, for a frightening foreign ideology of hate and segregation whose time we thought had long passed.
Muslim anti-semitism – mammon versus allah?
This core of this blog is the intellectual property of Salim Mansur, Distinguished Senior Fellow at the Gatestone Institute. His full article, Arab and Muslim Antisemitism: a Muslim Perspective, together with a full reference list, may be found here. This opinion piece, together with information I have added, represents my interpretation and rendering of his article.
“Judgment Day will be brought upon us only once the Muslims have killed all of the Jews,” – Third Intifada Facebook page, 2013.
“Among the Jews, there have always been those who killed God’s prophets. … it was said that they were the source for such deadly diseases as the plague and typhus. This is because the Jews are very filthy people. For a time, people also said that they poisoned water wells belonging to the Christians and thus killed them.” – former Ahmadinejad’s media advisor, Mohammad Ali Ramin, June 9, 2006.
“One should fight the Jews and vanquish them so that the conditions for the advent of the Hidden Imam will be met.” – Ayatollah Nouri-Hamedani, April, 2005.
“[Muslim]Palestine is under occupation; the basic rights of the Palestinian {Muslims] are tragically violated, and they are deprived of the right of return and access to their homes, birthplace and homeland.” currrent Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, 25 September, 2013.
While those most forceful in spewing their bigotry against Jews are Palestinian Arabs and their religious, political and intellectual leaders, much of the modern antecedents to this olden hatred can be sheeted home to the Mufti of Jerusalem, Haj Amin al-Husseini, as Hitler’s collaborator in importing European anti-Semitism into the Middle East.
The Mufti’s ideology of hate-mongering against the Jews and the Zionist project has been emulated by an array of other leading Arab and Muslim intellectuals, activists, and religious leaders. These include Hasan al-Banna, the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood; Syed Qutb, the intellectual heavyweight of the Muslim Brothers; Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, the late founder of Hamas; the rulers and imams of Saudi Arabia; Abul A’la Mawdudi, the Indo-Pakistani founder of the Jamaat-i-Islami; Iranian Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, current Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and, notably, the current Iranian president Hassan Rouhani.
Virulent European-style anti-semitism is also emulated by the leaders of Hizbullah in Lebanon, the leadership and ranks of other “jihadi” (holy war) organizations, such as the Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and non-clerical or secular Muslim leaders like Mahathir Mohamad, the former prime minister of Malaysia. Clearly, the front of Muslim anti-Semitism is wide and deep. But is this genocidally inspired hate sanctioned by Islam? For this we need to turn to the source.
All texts are open to many readings.
Reading the Bible was one of the triggers of the struggle Martin Luther initiated as he declared defiantly, “Here I stand.” In other words, the stand he took was in reading and interpreting the Bible according to his intelligence and conscience – contrary to that of the Vatican.
Reading the Quran, it quickly becomes clear that the hate-speech of Muslim clerics and the on-going Muslim vilification of Jews has its roots in the theology of Islam.
Mohammad’s relationship with Jews was always a quarrelsome one. Born in approximately 517 C.E. in Mecca, then the leading religious centre of pagan Arabia, Mohammad was approximately forty years old when he became convinced that God had spoken to him through the angel Gabriel.
Jews, with their monotheistic beliefs, had lived in and around Mecca, which was located on a route that linked Yemen in the south of the Arab peninsula, to Egypt and Damascus in the North, for centuries. While some historians say that Jews lived in the region even before the destruction of the first Temple, others say that Jews only settled the peninsula after the destruction of the second Temple. In any event, all agree that the Jews were the majority of the population in that area at the time of Mohammad and were organized into three tribes: Banu el nadir, Banu Kurayza and Banu Kaynuqa; the first two mentioned being descendants of the priests.
Ostracised and persecuted by his Arab brethren in Mecca for his monotheistic beliefs, Mohammad fled to Medina, a city which had been settled by Jews centuries before his arrival.
When the Jewish leaders of Medina first heard of the coming of a prophet preaching belief in one God in the Arabian peninsula, they were intrigued. They did not immediately accept or reject Mohammad, but they wanted to know more. Relations began to deteriorate as the Jews discovered Muhammad was not very familiar with their scriptures and traditions. The rabbis would taunt him with questions he could not answer, and in the end, they rejected his message that he was a Jewish prophet.
The Jews’ rejection of Muhammad’s message must have disappointed him greatly. He saw himself preaching the same monotheism to which the Jews subscribed – why then wouldn’t they accept him as a prophet?
To establish his affinity with the Jews, he even borrowed some Jewish practices and prescribed them to his followers. Thus, Muslims were to meet for prayer on Friday afternoon as Jews prepare for the Sabbath, they were to face Jerusalem in prayer as Jews do, they were to observe some of the Jewish dietary laws, as well as the fast on the Day of Atonement. Muslims called this the fast of Ashura, meaning “tenth,” (Asara in Hebrew) since the Day of Atonement falls on the tenth of the Jewish month of Tishri. When the Jews rejected his prophecy in spite of these practices, Muhammad changed them, and fixed the qibla (direction of prayer) to Mecca in place of Jerusalem.
According to the Quran, Muhammad is then said to have received the following revelation:
Say to those who disbelieve: “You will be vanquished and gathered to Hell, an evil resting place. You have already had a sign in the two forces which met”; i.e. the apostle’s companions at Badr and the Quraysh. “One force fought in the way of God; the other, disbelievers, thought they saw double their own force with their very eyes. God strengthens with His help whom He will. Verily in that is an example for the discerning.” (Qur’an, 3:12-13)
Thus, after settling in Medina, about five hundred kilometres further north of Mecca, and after his revelations by the angel Gabriel in a cave, his rejection by the Jews of Medina as a Jewish prophet, meant that as his influence in the region grew, he meted out harsh punishment for two of the three Jewish tribes of Medina whom he “subdued” and exiled.
For the destruction of the third Jewish tribe in Medina, Mohammad now received a further angelic revelation directing him to attack the Jewish Bnei Quraiza tribe of Medina:
After their defeat and capture for the transgression of not physically supporting him against the pagan Arab Meccans who were attacking him, Muhammad went to the market in Medina and dug trenches. Then the men of the Jewish Quraiza tribe were brought out in batches, and Muhammad and his followers cut off their heads. According to Ibn Ishaq (690), the number of dead ranged between 600 and 900. Afterwards Muhammad divided their property, their women, and their children among his followers.
And it is now that the following hadith (report of the teachings, deeds and sayings of Mohammad), one of the most widely quoted today to justify anti-Semitic hatred, was attributed to the man:
Mohammad next marched on the rich Jewish settlement of Khaybar defeating them, taking their wealth and forcing them to pay jizya (tax) so that “… they might feel themselves subdued”.
In today’s parlance, Mohammad engaged in the practice of beheading his enemies, as well as forcing large-scale exile. That same Muslim tradition is verifiably evident today by some of today’s Arab/Muslim terrorists who claim to follow the prophet. Today, however, there is a name for forced large-scale exile. It is called ethnic cleansing. And there is a name for the extermination of an entire tribe. Civilised societies call it genocide, not a revelation from “god”.
This tradition of violence against, and vilification of, Jews is, arguably, continued from the days of Mohammad through to today.
Sheikh Mohamed Sayyid Tantawi – the former Grand Imam and rector of al-Azhar University, who died in 2010, is an example of a contemporary Muslim anti-Semite who validated his bigotry by appealing to traditional Muslim Judeophobia based on negative references to the Jews in the Quran and the traditions of the Prophet.
Tantawi’s reading of the Quran ascribes to the Jews a slew of unflattering characteristics, including wanton envy, lasciviousness, religious fanaticism, murderousness, and a tendency toward “semantic bickering.” Using a phrase referring to a verse in the Quran (2:65), in a 2002 sermon, Tantawi describes Jews, collectively, as “descendants of apes and pigs” and accuses Jews of corrupting Allah’s word, consuming people’s wealth and murdering Allah’s prophets.
This is one way in which such references to the Quran and early Muslim history facilitated the Islamization of European anti-Semitism. This could occur because Judeophobia/anti-semitism was present in early Islamic history, just as it was in early European history. Genocidal anti-Semitism, however, remained a specifically European, primarily German, disease that never existed in Islam before the twentieth century.
Together with that, it should be remembered that the modern fusion of traditional Muslim Judeophobia and fierce European anti-Semitism occurred during the years between the World Wars, when the victors of World War I were precariously positioned in the Middle East as the “Mandatory” powers, in the terminology of the League of Nations, while the former subjects of the Ottoman Empire restlessly aspired to their own independence and statehood.
With the abolition of the Caliphate by Turkish leader Kamal Atatturk, Muslims now faced the problem not only of how to acquire eventual independence from European colonial rule, but also of how to restore the Caliphate in some form or other, to create a Shariah-based, Islamic state. These questions became the distinguishing features of political Islam, or Islamism, and the ideology of political movements such as the Muslim Brotherhood.
But more than that, the modern antecedents of Arab/Muslim antisemitism and genocidal declarations of war may be attributed to Muslim distress over the long decline of Islamic rule and the loss of lands to European powers, and, especially among Arabs, the partition of Palestine, and the birth of Israel.
The establishment of the state of Israel, in the very centre of the Arab core of the Islamic world, the inclusion of the ancient Jewish city of Jerusalem and the repeated defeats suffered by Arabs in their wars against the Jews created a sense of insufferable and deep humiliation that find expression in the vilest denunciation of the Jews as enemies of Islam and Muslims.
Most of all, the sense of outrage, as is clearly shown in the modern Arab/Muslim anti-semitism, was aroused by the identity of those who inflicted these dramatic defeats on Muslim and Arab armies and imposed their rule on Muslim Arab populations.
For the victors were not the followers of a world religion, or the armies of a mighty imperial power, by which one could be conquered without undue shame – nor the Catholic kings of Spain, not the far-flung British Empire, nor the immense and ruthless might of Russia – but the Jews – historically few, scattered, and powerless, whose previous humility made their triumphs especially humiliating.
This recent history partly explains the nature of contemporary Arab and Muslim anti-Semitism, which continues to be ratcheted up in inverse relation to the repeated failures by Arabs to defeat Israel and Israel’s continued success in all fields of human endeavour and compassion.
The current pretext of the Israeli-“Palestinian” conflict is nothing but a proxy war by the nation of Islam in retaliation against Jews for losing both an international legal decision in the 1947 Partition Plan and losing physical wars in 1948, 1967 and 1973. And those non-Muslim enablers in Europe’s organisations who unceasingly censure Israel, are but self-serving business entities content to promote a basically religious propaganda in return for a cut of the largesse of petrodollars.
Together with current seismic politico-cultural shifts in the Arab Muslim world due to a very violent unravelling of the Sykes-Picot agreement of 1915, the continuing discord over the nature of Islamic society and the sectarian conflicts that have spilled over into civil war across the Middle East and into the wider Muslim world have fostered an unwillingness on the part of Muslims worldwide to examine any internal causes for their malaise.
It has created a culture of denial that by now is a part of Muslim culture and history that manifests itself by a Muslim refusal to take responsibility for their own role in history, and leads to a pathological proclivity to blame others – especially the Jews – for misfortunes that are really of their own making.
Thus, just as a few drops of lemon juice curdle a bowl of milk, Judeophobia sanctioned by the Quran and the Prophet would mean that Islam as a religion of peace/mercy is, arguably, a falsehood.
The words of Bernard Lewis in 1984 in his book The Jews of Islam remain as poignant today as when they were originally written:
“Islamists have shredded their “thin veneer of Islam” and displayed their “jihad” as a neo-pagan belief in a capricious tribal god governing a cult of violence. It was from such a pagan belief that Muhammad sought to lift the Arabs of the desert by having Islam bear the universal message of belief in one God, merciful and compassionate; but it is precisely this pagan cult of tribal violence that Islamists have resurrected or which, it might be said, they never really renounced.”
On this basis, it is easy to see why John Kerry’s “messianical” mission to bring peace to the Middle East was always going to fail and how the narrative of the bigoted Palestinian/Muslim/Arab religious, political and intellectual leadership will continue to perpetuate the cycle of violence against Jews in or out of Israel.
The Quran makes it so.
With Truth Over All Else
In the last few weeks, Australia and the Arabs in the West Bank of the Jordan River have been linked in hitherto not-seen ways.
Specifically, on May 10 the Murdoch owned national broadsheet, The Australian, published a piece about South Australian senator Nick Xenophon’s visit to Hebron in the West Bank of the Jordan River.
In the article, Xenophon is quoted as saying, “What I saw in Hebron was heartbreaking — the division, the segregation, the palpable fear in the community.”
Xenophon was invited by the Australian Friends of Palestine Association (in Adelaide) to tour the West Bank of the Jordan River.
The Australian Friends of Palestine Association promotes itself as a South Australia not-for-profit organisation which has as “…its main aim the promotion of peace and justice in Palestine based on International Law and the relevant UN resolutions.”
One of the ways that the Australian Friends of Palestine Association has promoted peace and justice in “Palestine” is through a recent boycott attempt of Israel’s internationally acclaimed Bat Sheva dance company.
While I remain confident that the Australian Friends of Palestine officials will be able to muster some sort of logical explanation as to how boycotting an Israeli dance company based in Tel Aviv will promote peace in “Palestine”, I will at the same time refrain from drawing any parallels between the close connection of the Australian Friends of Palestine and the local BDS movement which also championed the boycott and which has as its published aim, the de-legitimisation of a sovereign country and its demise as the sole Jewish state.
My concern, rather, is Mr Xenophon’s statement to The Australian where he “…would urge [Australian Liberal] Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and [Australian Labor] Opposition Leader Bill Shorten to have a good look at the International Court of Justice’s statement on Israeli settlements. The ICJ statement is crystal clear — all settlements are illegal under international law.”
Those who are familiar with Australian politics, and South Australian politics in particular, will know that Mr Xenophon is a caring human being, with a well-developed sense of justice who made his name as the “no-pokies” Minister of Parliament. May 2104 was his first ever visit to the Middle East.
To that extent, as a champion of the underdog and the under-represented, Mr Xenophon is entitled to his own opinion.
However, not even Mr Xenophon is entitled to his own facts.
Fortunately, Mr. Xenophon states that he is supportive of international law as it relates to Israeli settlements in an ostensibly “Palestinian” West Bank. This is as well, because under international law, all of the West Bank of the Jordan River was designated as a homeland of the Jews.
In this context, then, it is unusual that a South Australian senator who is allegedly supportive of aboriginal rights for aboriginal peoples in Australia can, on the one hand stand up for indigenous peoples’ land rights as morally and legally justifiable, yet decry those same land rights when those indigenous peoples are Jews.
This contextualising and understanding of those land rights, and legal codification of that understanding under international law, dates back to the San Remo Conference of 1920, that same conference which eventually led to the establishment of the generally mainly sunni Arab states of Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Iraq [and the Jewish state of Israel].
As it was in the beginning….
At the San Remo Conference, the entire land mass between the Jordan River and the Sea, the so-called “Palestinian” West Bank, was assigned to the Jewish people. This is verifiable, and in writing, and was agreed to by the Hashemite King of the Hedjaz (later part of Saudi Arabia) who was party to the 1920 Sevres Treaty that explicitly stipulated that there would be “a national home for the Jewish people” in British Mandated Palestine.
In the east, the land, not including Jersualem, Judea and Samaria, was given to the Arabs as a present to the colonising Hashemites of Saudi Arabia in return for supporting Britain and France against Turkey during the breakup of the Ottoman Caliphate. It was called Transjordan, later re-named Jordan.
In the west, the land now named the “West Bank” [but legally known as Palestine prior to 1948 and designated under international law as a Jewish homeland], was given to the Jews and included Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria. And Hebron.
The ancient Jewish town of Hebron, is the home and burial place of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sarah, Rebecca and Leah as mentioned in the Bible and accepted by both Christians and Muslims (in that chronological order) some 1,800 years before Islam began its conquest, occupation and subjugation of the near and middle east.
And while it is true that these Jewish biblical Patriarchs are also recognised by Islam as “friends of God” [in Arabic, Al-Khalil is a direct translation from the ancient Hebrew word “Haver”: friend], it is also incontrovertible that these were figures of religious importance to a Jewish nation, religion and history which had established itself and survived for one and a half millennia before even the birth of Islam.
In other words, if we are to stand by that same international law which is of importance to Mr Xenophon, then Article 6 of the Mandate, charged Britain with the duty to facilitate Jewish immigration and close settlement by Jews in the territory which then included Transjordan, as called for in the Balfour declaration, that had already been adopted by the other Allied Powers. As a trustee, Britain had a fiduciary duty to act in good faith in carrying out the duties imposed by the Mandate.
This was reiterated by the League of Nations, 1922, and incorporated into the UN Charter, Article 80, which prohibited the UN to tamper with the League of Nations decisions related to the matter discussed.
More than that, the 1920 agreement incorporated the previous 1915 McMahon-Hussein agreement between Britain and Sherif Hussein of Mecca, where Britain separated the territory east of the Jordan River namely Transjordan (since renamed Jordan) from Palestine west of the Jordan which it had designated, under internationally codified regulations as a home for the Jewish people.
And so, under international law, as the San Remo resolution has never been abrogated, it was and continues to be legally binding between the several parties who signed it.
This would make the claim of an occupied “Palestine” and an “Arab-Muslim West Bank, one of the most important public-relation put-overs by those who wish to de-legitimise and demonise the State of Israel in recent times.
To add insult to the injury of canvassing that Israel occupies “Palestine” as a brutal apartheid regime, it was Arab Muslims under the Hashemite king of Jordan who made a land grab in 1948 of the west bank of the land slated for a Jewish state under international law as I have iterated above. The Jordanians also illegally took east Jerusalem at the same time and annexed East Jerusalem and the West Bank in 1949 in a measured dis-regard of international law.
Between 1948 and 1967, the Muslim Arabs ethnically cleansed East Jerusalem and the West Bank of Jews.
This was the only time in three millennia of recorded history that Jews did not live in East Jerusalem, putting the current Arab Muslim narrative of Israeli “apartheid”, a country with 2 million voting and working Arabs, into perspective…….
…is now and….
As many now know, East Jerusalem was taken back by Israel in 1967. Under international law, in a defensive military action.
Therefore, this makes the current claim of the “Palestinians” a curious one under international law, and is a major reason there is no “Palestinian” State today on the west bank of the river: Jordan is “Palestine”.
I agree with Mr Xenophon that disputes between peoples should be settled under international law.
It is now time that those who would make pronouncements on “occupation” “heartbreak”, “division” and “legal right” in Israel and the Middle East, temper their comments with observation of the facts.
The Muslim Arab narrative of an “occupied” “Palestine” under an apartheid Jewish regime which has “stolen” Arab land is a remarkably successful public relations coup for the Arabs.
However, it will never be able to spin or circumvent international law which designated land west of the Jordan River to be the homeland of the Jewish people, and land east of the Jordan River, to be the Arab Muslim State of Palestine.
… ever shall be…
To this end, Israel exists as a legal entity in a string of international understandings and treaties codified by international law going back as far as the 1915 McMahon-Hussein agreement between Britain and Sherif Hussein of Mecca regarding the division of the Ottoman Caliphate [see above].
This was further reinforced by the 1916 Sykes-Picot agreement between Britain and France and supported in principle by the 1917 Balfour Declaration as a statement of intent on the creation of a Jewish state in Mandated Palestine.
To that is added the legal agreements of the April 1920 San Remo Conference which entrenched under international law the principles of the Balfour Declaration.
Later that same year, the August 1920 Treaty of Sèvres, abolished the Ottoman Empire and obliged Turkey to renounce all rights over Arab Asia and North Africa. Apart from the major powers, the Treaty was attended and signed by the Hashemite King of the Hedjaz as representative of Arab interests in the region who was a signatory to the explicit stipulation of the Treaty that there would be “a national home for the Jewish people” in British Mandated Palestine so long as he could lay claim to a British-supported Arab kingdom in Transjordan [in addition to the creation of the Arab states of Syria, Lebanon and Iraq…].
Even though history is said to be written by the victors, the importance and legal standing of the 1920 San Remo conference can never be wished away by those who wish for the demise of the Jewish state. If we allowed that to happen, it would open the floodgates of terror and violence.
That is why, in the April 2010 commemoration of the San Remo Conference which was attended by politicians and others from Europe, the U.S. and Canada in San Remo, participants felt it incumbent upon themselves to make the following statement that:
“Recalling that such a seminal event as the San Remo Conference of 1920 has been forgotten or ignored by the community of nations, and that the rights it conferred upon the Jewish people have been unlawfully dismissed, curtailed and denied.
“Asserting that a just and lasting peace, leading to the acceptance of secure and recognized borders between all States in the region, can only be achieved by recognizing the long established rights of the Jewish people under international law.”
Truth without end. Amen
Mr Xenophon is an understandably busy person, with perhaps insufficient time to devote to reading all about the ins and outs of the Arab-Israeli conflict. He was invited by a special interest group to visit a part of the world he would not normally consider visiting, and he accepted.
However, in the name of that same international law which he invokes so eloquently on behalf of the “Palestinians”, it behoves Mr Xenophon to pay as much attention to those legal principles which enshrine the right of the Middle East’s aboriginal/indigenous Jewish people to a state of their own before they were overrun, colonised, occupied and dispersed by waves of Muslim conquest in the 7th century C.E., some nearly two millennia after the Jews were already established in the Land of Israel.
In other words, if Mr Xenophon believes land rights based on principles of continuous occupation and recorded history (but not any international law) of an indigenous people were good enough for Eddie Mabo in Australia, then those same principles (with the added legitimacy of international law) must also be good enough for the indigenous Jewish people in the State of Israel today.
It is time to stop sugar-coating this four-decade campaign with euphemisms.
It is time to recognise that much of the current mainstream media support of an Arab boycott of a legal Jewish entity in the Middle East is symptomatic of a resurgent anti-semitism: same canards; different actors.
It is time to realise that Israel will remain implacably opposed to all those entities who would force her to build a peace on a foundation of historically refuted lies.
Israel has every legal, moral and historical right to exist, because the alternative does not bear thinking about.
Let us call this campaign, which hijacks the energies of myriad well-intentioned people like Mr Xenophon, by its real name: a virulent middle eastern anti-semitism of the kind the world has already seen in a different time and a different place………….. | <urn:uuid:6cc7fad5-49ff-46da-b132-56d1932e8aab> | https://salveveritas.wordpress.com/tag/jews/ | en | 0.962679 | 0.024332 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Summer harvest 2020 & ice-box watermelons........here
Thursday, December 19, 2019
Eddie J's 80th Birthday
Anonymous said...
Notice a lot of flying crews passes in their 60s.Managers ,always at higher age like 80 and beyond.Does it proves that CC job on board is loaded for earlier expiry date due to nature of job etc,radiation,being overseas and diet,lifestyle and pressure cooker ambiance.Big fish eat small fish,highest rank took it out on juniors,bullying due to their ranking system,impossible kpi per crew and top service ranking at all cost per every flight ?Of course,there are exemplary IFM,even worse committing molest under guise of supervision,those that dont get away got reported.Sigh,such occupational hazards,experience crews goes along the system to pay the bill,dont expect justice or rights when customer is always right.The safest and shortest resolution when got complain is for experienced to state your case against the over entitled and misguided pax complaint.Especially when sops were predominately gay or lassie in control,longer ways instead of short and sharp,at time brainless.Karma will catch up,thru prayers for the good and none for the bad.We can discount bad behavior like drink problems and savings for retirement,or smoking which is self inflicted,or cosmic and radiation causing long term gene damage.Should be rather an IA industry,doing online then CC.Proves me wrong.
Anonymous said...
Don't know what you are rambling on about. Gives me a headache trying to understand what you are trying to say.
Anonymous said...
Ok,T.Roll,now that you asked.Since only Man proposes,#od dispose,we can use expiry date to indicate recall as in useby date.Thinks rude to use any other terms.The peasants slogged,the master,im comfort,and more lips and less physical power to earn higher and ,in other words leach.In NS term,saikang.Worse,like like Annabelle,took the worse way out,due to personal conflicts.Of course,one can help resolve management ranks to short term liquidity crisis like Franky case,or like Blacky case,no help ,so that all look good.In EDMW forum,one could get cancer by the english spouted,missspelled and words association,if this comments can cause headace,then it seems to be working,and probably take a chill pill,if will go away.Its getting harder to be funny and entertaining without getting pofma,so bless you boomer. | <urn:uuid:5f825313-b533-4d88-a2d7-69af9a0bfbda> | https://www.bohtong.org/2019/12/eddie-js-80th-birthday.html | en | 0.905542 | 0.227729 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
The path of secure software
DevSecOps Boston Speaker - Katy Anton (Application Security Consultant)
11 Sep 2017
11:25 - 12:15
The path of secure software
Cyber attacks are a real and growing threat to businesses and an increasing number of attacks take place at application layer. The best defence is to develop applications where security is incorporated as part of the software development life cycle.
How can developers write more secure applications? What are the security techniques they can use while writing the software that will help them produce more secure applications?
This talk will present the main steps that will guide developers down the path of secure software. The presentation will describe each of the security controls that can be incorporated within software development life cycle and will provide real world examples on how to solve some of the most prevalent security problems on the internet.
Recommended to all builders and security professionals interested in incorporating security techniques as part of software development cycle and building more secure applications. | <urn:uuid:3a31fc36-2ca3-4a26-89b1-b1918f5fb151> | https://www.devseccon.com/boston-2017/session/the-path-of-secure-software/ | en | 0.909378 | 0.100137 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Beyond HumanBig PictureCatalystsConnected WorldExchangeMarketing MixNew MoneyNew SchoolPeople SciencePulse
Why IoT security needs to grow up quickly
Dale Drew
The IoT ecosystem is starting from scratch when it comes to cyber security. That creates a huge challenge for Internet Service Providers.
The bad guys trying to compromise Internet networks can do so starting with a single IoT device. And given the IoT industry doesn’t have the wealth of security experience to call upon that traditional devices do, it is particularly vulnerable to attack.
Combine this ease with the increasingly complex and powerful nature of DDoS attacks, and you have a large ecosystem of devices that could quite easily be turned against users to create a frighteningly powerful threat ecosystem. | <urn:uuid:a8c7b4c0-e717-4fda-9457-3ee60130680a> | https://www.hottopics.ht/28274/iot-botnets-making-ddos-attacks-harder-stop/ | en | 0.913744 | 0.102273 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
The professional Bournemouth chimney sweep service you can trust
The professional Bournemouth chimney sweep service you can trust
Professional chimney sweep service for Bournemouth, Poole, Christchurch & Dorset
Friday, 3 November 2017
Softwood vs Hardwood - Bournemouth Chimney Sweep Advise
Hardwood is denser than softwood and contains a higher amount of energy per log. The heat content of softwood is around half the amount of hardwood.
Softwood vs Hardwood - Chimney sweep advise
Softwood vs Hardwood
Typical heat content
Hardwood: 2300kWh/m3
Softwood: 1300kWh/m3
Generally speaking, it would take around double the amount of softwood to attain the same heat output as hardwood. The frequency of refuelling and the amount of logs required to gain the heat will also be a lot higher.
So what's the benefit of softwood?
It tends to set alight a lot more easily than hardwood and burns quicker because of its resin content. This provides better immediate heat therefore is good for
kindling and initial burning.
Use Softwood for kindling and once the fire has started keep the fire going using Hardwood.
Bournemouth Chimney Sweep
This article was written by Jim Chim-in-ey
An insurance approved chimney sweep
JC sweeps all open fires, wood burners and stoves.
Covering Bournemouth, Poole, Blandford Forum and Dorset.
Want to have your chimney swept?
Contact JC Today! | <urn:uuid:b0894afe-db51-4f5d-a272-182d4cacbeec> | https://www.jimchimney.co/2017/11/softwood-vs-hardwood-bournemouth-chimney-sweep-advise-dorset.html | en | 0.836231 | 0.057172 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
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Erdogan’s invasion of Syria may come back to haunt him
Oct 15,2019 - Last updated at Oct 15,2019
Less than a week after Turkish troops and Syrian allies moved into northern Syria, much of what pundits predicted would happen had already come true. More than 130,000 Syrians have been displaced so far as a result of the invasion while reports confirmed that Syrian militias, fighting under the banner of the Syrian Free Army (SFA), have carried out extrajudicial executions of Kurdish fighters, including a key political leader. Hundreds of captured Daesh fighters have escaped as most American Special Forces were ordered to leave.
The Turkish operation, aimed at creating a 400-kilometre-long and 32-kilometre-deep safe zone inside Syrian territory, was sanctioned by President Donald Trump following a telephone call with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan last week. Trump’s move had shocked Syrian Kurdish allies as well as Pentagon officials and Congressional lawmakers from both sides of the aisle. Turkey’s goals are clear: To crush the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and drive them deep into the desert. But Erdogan’s gambit is likely to backfire.
Here is a view of how developments may unfold in the coming days and weeks:
Turkey and Syrian Kurds: Feeling betrayed by the Americans, the Kurdish self-rule administration in northeastern Syria moved quickly to reconcile with the Syrian government, announcing on Monday that it would allow regime forces to enter its territory to confront the Turkish invasion. SDF fighters would now fight with the regime and hopefully benefit from Russian air cover. There were reports that regime forces had managed to deploy near Ain Aissa, a strategic town that Turkey was trying to reach. Interestingly, that town is located about 45 kilometers south of the border, well beyond the 32 kilometer target set by Erdogan.
Turkey had warned Damascus against deploying its troops in Kurdish-run areas and the question now is how Ankara will justify clashing with Russian and Iranian backed government forces and how Moscow and Tehran will react to such a possibility.
Aside from world condemnation of the Turkish operation, the move is risky for Erdogan for a number of reasons. The Turkish president had exaggerated the Kurdish threat to his country, and his determination to invade northern Syria has a lot to do with his personal and grandeur ambitions and less with Turkey’s national security. Even if his troops manage to control vast swathes of Syrian territory, securing it will prove to be a major and costly challenge.
The Russians: President Vladimir Putin’s initial response to the Turkish invasion was tactical. Moscow must have been relieved to see US forces withdrawing from northern Syria, but giving Turkey a free pass into that territory is another matter. The loose alliance between Ankara and Moscow will be tested in the coming days. As Syrian government forces try to take over Kurdish-run territory, Moscow will have to decide whether to back Damascus or allow the Turkish army to fill the void left by the Americans.
The regime: Initially the Damascus government refused to talk to the self-rule Kurdish administration, accusing it of being a US puppet. But allowing Turkey to occupy northern Syria and perhaps stay there permanently is something else. Its decision to deploy forces in Kurdish-run areas could not have taken place without Moscow’s consent. In the eyes of the world, the Syrian government is defending its sovereignty and territory against a foreign invasion. Erdogan’s justification for fighting regime forces will be compromised as Iran and Russia, not to mention the rest of the world, move to condemn the Turkish operation.
The Arab world: Not since the eruption of the Syrian crisis in 2011 have Arab countries, Qatar and Libya excluded, displayed rare unity over Syria. An Arab League statement on Saturday condemned the “Turkish aggression” and defended Syria’s territorial integrity. But words are not enough to dissuade Erdogan from carrying out a scheme that most likely will include ethnic cleansing by displacing local inhabitants with Syrian refugees along the borders. He has done exactly that in Afrin and Jarablus when his troops took over few years ago.
Arab countries must do more to confront Erdogan’s plans in northern Syria, especially as Syrian government forces move to extend their grip over Kurdish-run areas. The time has come to engage Damascus diplomatically and support the political process to end the Syrian civil war.
Daesh: As expected, hundreds of Daesh fighters have escaped from Kurdish detention centres in the wake of the Turkish operation and the quick US withdrawal, and most will try to regroup and revive the terrorist organisation’s gruesome agenda. That is bad news for the region and the rest of the world. Turkey’s role in enabling foreign jihadists to enter Syria in the past is questionable at best.
The US and the region: Trump’s justification for US pullout from Syria as fulfilling his pledge to withdraw from “endless and ridiculous wars” is a major geopolitical event that comes at a time when American influence in the region is waning. Regional allies should be worried and the question is what ramifications Trump’s decision will have on the region as a whole. The US pullout is good news for Iran and Russia, two countries that seek to enhance their presence and influence in the region.
Osama Al Sharif is a journalist and political commentator based in Amman
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Day One ; / ; lettering by Keetra Dean Dixon
Jessica Walsh
Read Learning Ios Programming From Xcode To App Store 2013
by Jeremiah 4.8
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Day One ; / ; lettering by ROANNE ADAMS / RoAndCo
Timothy Goodman
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Day Two ; / ; lettering by John Passafiume
Jessica Walsh
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Day Two ; / ; lettering by Jon Contino
Timothy Goodman
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Day Three ; / ; lettering by Darren Newman
Jessica Walsh
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Day Three ; / ; lettering by Sam Potts
Timothy Goodman
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Jones Fracture
• A “Jones’ fracture” is a transverse fracture at the base of the fifth metatarsal, 1.5 to 3 cm distal to the proximal tuberosity at the metadiaphyseal junction, without distal extension.
• Activities that repetitively load the foot (for example sports with running) may lead to a Jones’ fracture.
• Tend to occur in people that have a high arched foot shape or a leg shape that results in increased loading on the lateral aspect of the foot.
• The fracture is believed to occur as a result of significant adduction force to the forefoot with the ankle in plantar flexion.
Diagnostic tips
1. Pain and swelling distal to the styloid process.
2. Difficulty walking.
3. Difficulty bearing weight.
4. History of pain prior the actual break.
5. High arched feet.
Tests and Imaging
1. History and physical examination of the feet.
2. Plain x-rays of foot will identify a Jones’ fracture. (can be seen in area where more flexible bone at the base of the metatarsal meets the more rigid bone of the shaft of the metatarsal).
Immediate Treatment
1. Advise non-weight bearing for 6-8 weeks (or more) until the fracture heals.
2. Consider crutches.
3. May prescribe protective boot.
Possible Referral
1. Podiatry for immobilisation cam walker, footwear advice and orthoses following return to weightbearing.
2. Foot and ankle surgery for internal fixation. | <urn:uuid:35d504d0-6b0b-4a84-b0dc-1872f7f1e972> | http://view.yourfootpain.com.au/jones-fracture/ | en | 0.867703 | 0.319322 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Gregoire (2017)
Loosely based on real life events, Gregoire follows four young adults and the choices they make when put at a crossroads of their life. As they struggle to make choices, their paths cross with one another and their choices affect not only themselves, but their friends, and their families. | <urn:uuid:f1a19ff1-2e1a-4b5f-96a4-7222f08f4b90> | https://1234movies.best/tag/gregoire-sockshare/ | en | 0.981094 | 0.874197 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
الأندلس (Arabic)
Andalucía (Castilian)
Andaluzia (Portuguese)
Andalusia (Catalan)<
Andalusia or Vandalitia (Latin)
Timeline: Spain Divided
OTL equivalent: Al-Andalus and Balearic Islands
Iberian Peninsula later 13th century
Location of Al-Andalus
Capital Qurṭubah (Cordoba)
Largest city Qurṭubah (Cordoba)
Other cities Ishbiliya (Sevilla), Tulaytulah (Toledo), Ġarnāṭah (Granada) and Mursiyah (Murcia)
others Berber, Mozarabic, Castilian and Judeo-Spanish
Religion Islam
Population App. 5,000,000
Currency Andalusian Dinar
Al-Andalus ( (Arabic: الأندلس) also known as Muslim Spain or Islamic Iberia, is the Muslim territory and cultural domain occupying southern half of the Iberian Peninsula.
The name also generally describes parts of the Iberian Peninsula governed by Muslims (given the generic name of Moors) at various times after 711 (92–93 AH), though the boundaries changed constantly as the Christian Reconquista progressed. After the Battle of of Las Navas de Tolosa (1212 AD / 609 AH) the frontier between Christian north and Muslim south permanently settled along the Tagus River and Toledo. To the south of Aragon and along the Júcar river the boundary is less settled as shifted sides several times during the Reconquista.
As a political domain, it successively constituted a province of the Umayyad Caliphate, initiated by the Caliph Al-Walid I (711–750); the Emirate of Córdoba (c. 750–929); the Caliphate of Córdoba (929–1031); and the Caliphate of Córdoba's taifa (successor) kingdoms. Later the invasion of Berber imperial dynasties of Morocco, Almoravids (1040–1147), Almohad (1121–...) made Al-Andalus part of their territory. Briefly in the 12th century before the Almohad consolidation there was a Second taifa period of Arabic, Berber and Muladi polities.
Spain (circa 1210)
For the northern half of the Iberian Peninsula see Spain
Historical polities of Al-Andalus
• *Flag of Morocco 1147 1269 Almohad Caliphate. Besides Al-Andalus it also includes the territories of Maghreb (Morocco) and Ifriqiya. | <urn:uuid:4dd72170-db89-4a05-9006-d1436f587505> | https://althistory.fandom.com/wiki/Al-Andalus_(Of_Lions_and_Falcons)?oldid=1332770 | en | 0.851798 | 0.407938 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
At Sea Level
I arrive early, just after sunrise. Later there will be others; local families, the children dabbling and splashing with their screams and cries of glee, watchful parents sittingand sipping in the shade, moms arranging towels and table clothes, dads grilling meat and popping beer cans. Tourists will come and stand for a moment, looking at the ocean, not really seeing anything, before snapping a few pictures to prove they were here, then piloting their immaculate white runners and fancy slippers back to their air conditioned rental cars and moving on around the big circle of the Big Island. But that’s later. For now I am alone with nature which means that I am not really alone at all.
The horizon ends in a flat line at a distance indeterminable because there is no other reference. Just the line. That is where today’s world ends. In front of me the deep blue of the mid-Pacific right next to the powder blue sky. Puffy cotton balls rise and float away off the edge. Behind me Mauna Loa stands, steadfast in its majesty, the misty morning clouds disappearing to reveal its pointy peak. Reality and common science of the era tells me that there is no edge, that the world is not flat where things simply fall off the edge, but round like basket ball with no end. A world with no end, where time is not important because distance is endless.
I ponder this for a moment; the importance of time as it pertains to my place in it. A camera flash goes off, but I blink and miss it. That, I believe, is my importance in time today. Tomorrow I may actually see the flash and it will be as instantly meaningless as my entire place in time. Soon I will pass to another realm and won’t be remembered beyond a thought or two. I am ok with this because I am ok with this moment. My entire life has been devoted to creating the ability for me to be at peace in this moment and what I do today may or may not advance my enjoyment of tomorrow.
Today, at this moment, the end is where the water meets the sky. This I can see. So I believe the half of it since I learned long ago to believe only half of what I see and none of what I hear. But this truth also confuses me. I do hear a few things. Myna birds gurgle and chortle. Brazilian Cardinals twitter and flutter about, showing off their bright red hats and black and white tuxedos. Japanese White eyes come and go and shoreline terns dart amongst the rocks near the water, looking for their favourite bits of nourishment.
The surf, breaking on the lava shoreline provides a constant and pleasant background of ambient noise. I check my decimetre. The level is a constant 57 decibels. About the same level as that of an average quiet street, it suggests.
I sit in the shade of a common shore tree while the sun shines in its full glory, thinking how much more pleasant this natural setting is than an average quiet street.
The word ‘bliss’ comes to mind. Some might define these moments of this day in this endless place as the meaning of bliss. I would tend to agree that it comes very close. To me, this is as blissful as honeymoon moments and the raising of small children. But I am also cognizant of the possibility that it is an illusion, my illusion and interpretation of these moments in time. Either way I will enjoy each and every one of the moments which, when strung together produce a memory. Whether an illusion, a delusion or a speck in the space/time continuum, I am entirely happy with it.
A whale spouts half a kilometer off shore. I watch the spot where I last saw it, my gaze so fixed and still that the periphery begins to seem hallucinogenic. It spouts again and raises a flipper above the surface. Then, right beside it I see a smaller and weaker spout. So mama has a calf. Another spout farther to the right and another in the distance tell me that these Humpbacks are almost ready to make the long passage back to the mainland, some north to the frigid waters of Alaska and others south to the cold Chilean coast where, in both areas their mainstay, krill, is so far, still in abundance. I wonder how the changing climate will effect the sustainability of these marvelous sea mammals. In some places around the globe, whales are flinging themselves on shore in what some describe as a death dance, seemingly in protest to the doings of man. But for this moment, in this place their winter business of calving and breeding is winding down. A huge splash is followed by the sight of an enormous tail waving at me. Or was that just an illusion? I marvel at the amount of energy it takes to raise this huge behemoth completely out of the water. It is equivalent, I reckon, to the amount of energy it takes to power the average SUV a few city blocks.
Today the water is flat on the south coast of the Big Island of Hawaii. The wind changed about a week ago from the northeast to the southwest. Usually by midday on the Kau, coast there is a 30 to 40 knot gale blowing steadily which stirs up the ocean and makes sitting in the open much like riding in a convertible on the freeway. The scenery is great but the experience wears you down.
I am sitting in Whittington County Park. The site was once used as a loading facility for the shipping and receiving of supplies related to the sugar industry. All that remains of this once thriving industry are a few concrete slabs and footings of the warehouses, a few house foundations and some elderly cane field workers. The pillars of a concrete jetty where ships would unload supplies and take on sugar jut forlornly into the surf. It would have withstood the elements mostly entact but for being partially demolished during WWII in fear of it being used to land enemy troops.
Inside the shore break there is a long saltwater pond filled with small colourful fish which dart about endlessly. Farther inland there is a large brackish pond where other creatures dwell in and about the murky water and muddy bottom. Fresh water flows down from Mauna Loa through the porous lava before making its way into the ocean at various places along the seashore. The cooler fresh water mixes with the warm ocean making for an interesting swimming experience.
A pod of Spinner Dolphins frolics just off the reef. I see perhaps fifty in their group. As they breach, they turn over several times. They swim in rhythm. Synchronized, their dorsal fins break the surface simultaneously as the group bobs up and down. The odd recalcitrant swims on his own, breaching and flipping and as happy as, well, a dolphin. They hang around for half an hour, taking care of whatever business they are about, then move off into the distance, finally disappearing from view over the edge.
It is now noon and Ms Sun has moved into her high position, almost directly above as she passes through March on her way north to make summer. Now there is a grand illusion. Ms Sun does not pass anywhere. She sits there motionless and radiates. An enormous nuclear reactor, cooking everything close to her, toasting that which is further away and baking those things at a distance of ninety three million miles. Her influence reaches considerably further and I only guess what effect she has on distant planets and other celestial objects. I know she exists because I can see her in my half believable way. I can feel her baking my feet which are directly exposed to her rays. I sincerely hope that her radio logical capabilities have been quelled by the distance between her and my feet since I wouldn’t want to grow any new toes or perhaps, an eyeball where a toenail should be.
A warm salty breeze stirs the trees and cools the skin. A few families occupy the picnic facilities and the tourists come and go. The tide comes in and washes away some kids pants and sandals. The mother fusses and scolds as the dad tries unsuccessfully to retrieve the floating slippers as they head for Tahiti.
A few days ago I drove up a mountain road to the five thousand foot level. It was a clear day and I had an unobstructed view of the ocean. The shoreline was about ten miles away and from my vantage point I took in the great expanse of empty ocean. Well, it was empty of anything floating that I could see. I’m sure there were thousands of living things just under the surface. I didn’t work out distances, but from where I was I could likely see about fifty miles. There was a lot of water in that fifty miles. I looked around me at the enormity of Mauna Loa and the Big Island: from sea floor to the top of the mountain it is the highest mountain in the world. It’s mass is greater than the entire Sierra Mountain range in California. But it’s size pales in comparison to the water that surrounds it. The Hawaiian chain of islands are mere specks on the surface of the mid-Pacific . That is a lot of water.
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| <urn:uuid:fd2363d2-67eb-46dd-8391-414f519b99fe> | https://bobkinnear.com/2014/03/05/at-sea-level/ | en | 0.96032 | 0.034098 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Assassinate (3.5e Feat)
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Author: Ghostwheel (talk)
Date Created: January 8, 2019
Status: Complete
Editing: Clarity edits only please
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Assassinate [General] Prerequisites: Sneak Attack +3d6Benefit: If you study a target for 3 rounds while they are unaware that you are potentially hostile and then make a sneak attack that successfully deals sneak attack damage while they are flatfooted, the target must immediately make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 hit dice + your Intelligence modifier) or immediately die. This is considered a [Death] effect, and even if the target succeeds on their Fortitude save the attack is considered a confirmed critical hit that also doubles the amount of sneak attack dice you deal. While studying the victim, you can undertake other actions so long as your attention stays focused on the target and the target does not detect you or recognize you as an enemy. Once you have completed the 3 rounds of study, you must make use of this feat within the next 3 rounds. Special: You may reduce the time required to study the target at the end of each round of study by making a Spot check with a DC equal to 20 + the target's hit dice + their Wisdom modifier. If you succeed on the check, you count as having studied the target for 3 rounds for the purpose of this feat, and may continue studying the target on a failed check. If you make the assassination attempt before 3 rounds end, a successful saving throw does not result in an automatic critical strike nor in doubled sneak attack dice.
Back to Main Page3.5e HomebrewCharacter OptionsFeats
Ghostwheel's Homebrew (373 Articles)
Article BalanceHigh +
AuthorGhostwheel +
Identifier3.5e Feat +
PrerequisiteSneak Attack +3d6 +
RatingUndiscussed +
SummaryYou can study a target to find its weak point before exploiting it to have a chance of immediately killing them. +
TitleAssassinate +
TypeGeneral + | <urn:uuid:2024257f-9a73-4e40-b9ab-66d7c5ef72de> | https://dnd-wiki.org/wiki/Assassinate_(3.5e_Feat) | en | 0.899688 | 0.05347 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
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Portland Artist Matthew Hopkins
Portland Artist Matthew Hopkins
Photo by Mercy McNab
Matthew Hopkins is one of those people who is just easy to like, and his puppets follow suit. Actually, after I spent a few moments around him, I was starting to ask myself: what’s not to like? Again, same for the puppets. ELEVEN was invited into his artist studio to discover a whole world created by Matthew. There was a John Lennon gargoyle in the room guarding over us, so I felt safe to ask anything that came to mind. To call Matthew a mere puppeteer would never do him justice. He is a man with the insight of a modern storyteller and the savvy of an authentically creative and intuitive individual.
ELEVEN: What is your medium? What materials are you using?
Matthew Hopkins: Foam, faux fur, faux leather, some repurposed leather. . . I try not to incorporate animal products, but sometimes I do. I started out doing puppets and it turned into these sort of taxidermy creatures, so it’s somewhere between sculpture and puppetry. I call my company Nightmerriment because the creatures are frighteningly cute. I got really frustrated after like a year of trying to think of a name. And then one afternoon as the sun was setting last september, it just snapped into my head and was all like “Knock knock knock I’m here!”
11: Where did you go to school?
MH: I went to Western Washington University and majored in theater and film.
11: What helped you make the transition between puppetry and taxidermy?
VAfullMH: An art show. I was going to be part of an art show, and I was going to paint these pictures. It just wasn’t coming out right, and so I decided to take the idea of a puppet and stretch it over a board. So it was basically these monster puppets that I just stretched over squares. I don’t have any more of those unfortunately, because they all sold.
11:What drew you to puppets and puppetry?
MH: I have always really liked puppets. I grew up with Jim Henson and The Muppets. But to me as a kid those were always characters. I mean, like Kermit was—well, that was Kermit. I think the first time I realized puppets were puppets was I was watching a video by Genesis called “Land of Confusion.” The characters are of the band and of Ronald Reagan and of pop culture icons of the ‘80s, and that was the first time that I saw that [and thought], “Oh, hey! Those are puppets.” I became fascinated with how they were made. That’s what kind of got me started liking puppets as an art form. I really got into puppet making in earnest with a company here in town called Action Adventure Theater. They were going to have these puppets made, and I said, “I can do that.” I made these alien puppets for a show called Captured By Aliens. That’s really how the ball started really rolling.
11:What is different about three-dimensional art versus two-dimensional art, like painting or drawing?
MH: It’s easier [laughing]. I find it easier, anyway. It’s easier for me to wrap my head around something in 3D rather than on a 2D surface.
11: Tell us where we can view your work! I think people really need to see this!
MH: I have pieces going up at Paxton Gate on June 12. It’s going to be up for I think a month. I also have work going up in The Maker’s Dozen show at the Peoples Art Gallery downtown. You can view some stuff online
11: How are monsters significant to you?
MH: You can kind of express different ideas and different emotions through the monsters. Especially within the puppetry, and in some of the puppet shows I’ve done with them. It makes it easier and more palatable for an audience to explore harder topics with something that’s not “real” (living, breathing). There is a puppet show that I am currently creating where all the monsters sort of live on the fringes of society. They take the sort of garbage of human culture and create their own culture. They’re very hidden from society—I mean from human society. During the course of the show, the monsters are faced with the conundrum of staying hidden, being persecuted, or coming out to live freely and like “normal” people. So themes of acceptance and accepting yourself. Sometimes monsters just don’t cooperate [laughing]. They really just will be and do what they want to do. Sometimes if I’m creating something, it just turns into its own thing. A fish will suddenly have wings and then it is a bird. Sometimes they are uncooperative, but at least they are always true to themselves. So the art shows contain characters that could potentially develop into a full-blown puppet show. Art shows for me are almost like a staging ground for what I might create and put into a puppet show.
11: Almost like a practice round for character development?
MH: Yeah, Exactly! I get to see what’s possible and what an audience responds to. People respond to different monsters for different reasons. A lot of people might connect to one or another because [they’ll think], “This looks like my dog,” or “This one just looks oh so cute and innocent.” Or, “I like this one because it has big teeth and it’s scary.” So yeah. . . it’s all different things and I think you get to see parts of different people’s personalities by seeing what they relate to.
11: Is there a puppet that stands out as a crowd pleaser?
MH: Agnar. He has sort of a Cheshire grin. He’s the first picture that you see on my website. There is something that people like about him a lot. That one, and the bird creature people really like a lot. My personal favorite is my puppet Greg. I can introduce you if you’d like to meet him. I have a hard time saying he’s my favorite because they are all kind of like my kids, you know, but really Greg is the favorite. He was in a benefit show until recently. He read some poetry with some of his friends.
11: Puppets reading poetry. This night just got so much better! If you could be doing anything with your puppetry, what would you be doing?
MH: If I could do anything with the puppets, I would love to have a television show. Like a puppet show. I might make a movie—I don’t know. I think it’s a great medium, and it reaches a lot of people. I mean, the puppets just want to be stars!
11: Do you have a favorite mythological creature or story of folklore?
See Also
MH: Ah yes, well I always really liked Bigfoot because it’s, you know, regional. I always really liked Baba Yaga too. That’s a Russian folktale about a witch that rides around in a house with chicken legs. It’s so weird and so good though. Mermaids are good too. I haven’t made any mermaid puppets yet, though.
11:Because they all grow wings and turn into birds, right?
MH: Haha yeah, that’s right! Oh, I forgot about the Brownies. Are you familiar with those creatures?
11: Nope, what are those?
MH: They are a little house-type creature that if you’re kind to them and leave them goodies, they will clean your house for you. If you’re rude to them, they will do terrible things like eat your cat and steal your things. I believe they are Scottish or Norse. Sometimes there is a carry-over with folklore in that area.
Puppet111: What’s your experience being an artist in Portland?
MH: It’s an amazingly accepting and responsive community. Everybody is so nice and warm and welcoming and kind. I lived in Seattle for many years before I moved here about 8½ years ago. It was fine, but it wasn’t nearly as kind as Portland is. Also, there are a lot of truly amazing artists here.
11: Shout out time, Matthew! Anybody who deserves special recognition?
MH: Tim Oakley is the name that comes to mind. He is one of the reasons that I’m doing what I do now. He’s been so supportive and so generous letting me come in and work on his different projects. He works in film and television, and I got to do a lot of great things because of him. I also want to give a shout out to the universe—or the muse, or whatever it is, because it really helps me so much when I put out what I want and it mysteriously comes back to me. I feel weird taking credit for all of my ideas, because they truly are coming from somewhere unknown. »
– Veronica Greene | <urn:uuid:f8f4d5ec-f587-477b-b767-ae39b0e7a5bd> | https://elevenpdx.com/community/visual-arts/portland-artist-matthew-hopkins/ | en | 0.976646 | 0.021225 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
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Also receive a hobby you will enjoy, it may be anything. If your hobby is sketching get a course on the way to imitate faces, if your hobby is football go outside and play football or become a part of the team. Try to keep learning how to keep yourself occupied.
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Tim would like to perform this relationship thing, but he doesn't know a lot. So let us see about the idea of horrendously huge amounts. It is how you go about finishing your destitute deficiency of quantity" ten" relationship content by implementing three or four digit large amounts in the look for her. Tim looks to get a supermarket location to shop for meals. He finds one. Something of extreme importance happens whenever Tormented Tim comes to the purpose of taking possession of the food he has bought. For a few minutes he is within eye- sight of the checkout lady. He moves into his pocket to get the dough. While busily bagging food while doing this he can be perused by cashier local sluts who like to fuck Porters Lake NS. He notes her title tag. For a couple of minutes she can see him. Shopping takes twoo online dating Porters Lake NS a couple of times a week. This may mean twelve times every month. The cashier would eventually get to know the face of Tim, we surmise. She does. In these circumstances, over the span of time, the two of them may even have to mention a word or two about was he able to find everything OK. In this situation we conveniently take advantage of this idea of utilizing passing as a way to fulfill more Porters Lake NS through online. It is one good example. The idea is that any will steer for a specific naked local sluts Porters Lake. In this manner the Porters Lake Nova Scotia local sluts ready to fuck develops a history of its own. ENTER HUMOR What Tormented Tim also does while she's busily passing cereal on the scanner, will be to demonstrate an element of comfy fun. In this exercise he is unquestionably a stay loose kind of personality. The grocery checker relaxed each time since he brings with him our date guy comes through the checkout stage unlike the others paying for groceries. The element of pleasure in this situation is that each time he moves through he will relate some joke that is current from a talk show seen the night before. He does this every time he comes through. He tells it to her in fashion shooting all of half an hour. She laughs. The relief is needed by her. They are delightfully vulnerable, As soon as you can make them laugh. She has a fantastic time every time Tormented Tim shows up ready to test out, because, as you can well imagine, cashiering in a grocery store counter can become a total bore.
While we were speaking, I was increasingly convinced that I'd finally found the man or woman who'd help me to acquire MY REVENGE on all those men and women who had been unworthy of living a life full of successes in my personal view, the shallow and popular leaders, to be clear.
Porters Lake Find Local Sluts Pics
Sluts Who Like To Be On Top
Last Thoughts on Dating a Game Player I've never been somebody who plays with games in relationships and have been. As a result when it comes to players of this approach, I have noticed a hypocrisy in men. I have heard my whole life how men simply can't handle girls who" cause play" or even" play games. " But as soon as they get together with somebody who has better things to do with her period they do not know how to behave. They begin playing their games in the connection to the point at which they ruin it. Months later, you will see them hooked up with a hot local sluts Porters Lake Nova Scotia that a psychopath is called by everybody in city.
College Sluts See Who Can Stuff Pussy Around Porters Lake Nova Scotia
This isn't a fantastic attitude to have if you want to attract a girl. Asking how a date will sends the wrong messages to you woman and on top of that it puts her. It shows her thatyou're worried that she does not like you. | <urn:uuid:c8343732-e4cd-4a65-88f5-75424a53734a> | https://gioulamirushton.net/local-sluts-nova-scotia/porters-lake-ns | en | 0.963643 | 0.036035 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Hudson, a conceptual union between graphic and product design
Hudson, containers collection designed by Shane Goldberg. Born in the United Kingdom, he was graduated on the Industrial and Product Design Master by Sheffield Hallam University. His constant work has led him to acquire experience in graphic, packaging and digital design areas. His abilities and knowledge have been improving since then, thanks also to a contact with the branding companies Flourish and Design Bridge. Shane is actually working at Pearlfisher, where he works as a 3D designer, turning structural concepts into reality.
Shane feels really comfortable when working with close business, always keeping in mind the results and the final users. His knowledge in all that concern the areas of 2D and 3D design makes him a versatile and multifunctional creative, able of covering total projects. And that’s how Hudson was born, combining the experience of conceptualizing products and developing brand identities together.
Hudson is a Brand of containers, quotidian and simple. The shapes don’t have a unique function, blurring frontiers to the consumer.
A project based on a personal briefing, trying to push out his own limits. Shane creates a Brand and his own line of products in order to prove and pole his creative abilities. Experimenting with the concepts of the fields he is working, graphic design and branding. The whole collections are based on basic shapes, to whom we are used to seeing in 2D, giving them a certain and distinguishing personality.
The containers have been produced in ABS plastic. Their concept is about not limiting their use, having a whole modular and stackable collection. It is led to the client imagination the final use, desk tidy’s, eating or drinking vessels, vases… Generating the possibility of playing and interacting with them.
Hudson’s packaging also matches its genuine aesthetic. Maintaining the same vibrant colors. In order to differentiate between containers the packaging is designed with a distinguishing color, and the basic planimetry also. The logo was created in the same way, making reference to the visual aesthetic of the vessels, unifying all the concepts. | <urn:uuid:c6e84eb1-eba4-4d39-a4fa-c57dab8aa7f4> | https://morewithlessdesign.com/en/hudson/ | en | 0.962635 | 0.036537 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Immune Checkpoints
The amplitude and quality of the immune response of T cells is controlled by an equilibrium between costimulatory and inhibitory signals, called immune checkpoints. Under normal physiological conditions, immune checkpoints are crucial for the maintenance of self-tolerance and to protect tissues from damage during pathogenic infection. Manipulations of the inhibitory immune checkpoints using monoclonal antibodies or soluble receptors may provide therapeutic strategies for autoimmune diseases, tumor growth, infectious diseases and transplantation by enhancing T cell activity.
Some immune checkpoints have been actively studied for clinical immunotherapies:
• CTLA-4 (Cytotoxic T Lymphocyte Antigen-4) shares sequence homology and ligands (CD80/B7-1 or CD86/B7-2) with the costimulatory molecule CD28, but differs by delivering inhibitory signals to the T cells on which it is expressed as a receptor.
• PD-1 (Programmed Cell Death Protein-1) is a negative costimulatory molecule with two ligands, PD-L1 (also known as B7-H1; CD274) and PD-L2 (B7-DC; CD273). Antagonistic monoclonal antibodies to CTLA-4 or PD-1 and soluble CTLA- 4 or PD-1 receptors fused to the Fc region of immunoglobulin (Ig) are used for the enhancement of T cell cytotoxicity against tumor cells.
• LAG-3 (Lymphocyte Activation Gene-3 Protein) is a CD4-like negative regulatory protein with a high affinity binding to MHC Class II that leads to tolerance of T cell proliferation and homeostasis. Blockade of the LAG-3/Class II interaction using a LAG-3-Ig fusion protein enhances antitumor immune responses. Combinatorial blockade of PD-1 and LAG-3 synergistically reduces the growth of established tumors.
In addition, blockade of other inhibitory receptors, such as BTLA (B- and T-lymphocyte attenuator), KIR (killer immunoglobulin-like receptors), TIM-3 (T cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain-containing protein 3), A2aR (adenosine 2A receptor), B7-H3 or H4 (B7 family members) either alone or in combination with a second immune checkpoint inhibitor has also been shown to enhance antitumor immunity. Costimulatory signaling proteins such as ICOS (inducible T cell costimulator), CD28 or the TNF family members 4-1BB (CD137), OX40, CD27 or CD40, have been shown to be involved in allergy, autoimmune or inflammatory diseases.
Regulation and activation of T lymphocytes depend on signaling by the T cell receptor (TCR) and also by cosignaling receptors that deliver negative (–) or positive (+) signals.
The B7-CD28 Superfamily
The B7 family consists of structurally related, cell-surface protein ligands, which bind to receptors on lymphocytes that regulate immune responses. Activation of T and B lymphocytes is initiated by engagement of cell-surface, antigen-specific T cell or B cell receptors, but additional signals delivered simultaneously by B7 ligands determine the ultimate immune response. These “costimulatory” or “coinhibitory” signals are delivered by B7 ligands through the CD28 family of receptors on lymphocytes, resulting also in the modulation of interleukin production. Interaction of B7-family members with costimulatory receptors augments immune responses and interaction with coinhibitory receptors attenuates immune responses. There are currently seven known members of the B7 family: B7.1 (CD80), B7.2 (CD86), inducible costimulator ligand (ICOS-L), programmed death-1 ligand (PD-L1), programmed death-2 ligand (PD-L2), B7-H3, and B7-H4 and four known members of the CD28 family: CD28, CTLA-4 (CD152), ICOS, PD-1. The importance of the family in regulating immune responses is shown by the development of immunodeficiency and autoimmune diseases. Manipulation of the signals delivered by B7 ligands has shown potential in the treatment of autoimmunity, inflammatory diseases and cancer.
The TIM Family of Co-signaling Receptors
The TIM (T cell/transmembrane, immunoglobulin and mucin) family plays a critical role in regulating immune responses, including allergy, asthma, transplant tolerance, autoimmunity and the response to viral infections. The unique structure of TIM immunoglobulin variable region domains allows highly specific recognition of phosphatidylserine (PtdSer), exposed on the surface of apoptotic cells. TIM-1, important for asthma and allergy, is preferentially expressed on T-helper 2 (Th2) cells and functions as a potent costimulatory molecule for T cell activation. TIM-3 is preferentially expressed on Th1 and Tc1 cells and generates an inhibitory signal resulting in apoptosis of Th1 and Tc1 cells. TIM-3 is also expressed on some dendritic cells and can mediate phagocytosis of apoptotic cells and cross-presentation of antigen. TIM-4 is exclusively expressed on antigen-presenting cells, where it mediates phagocytosis of apoptotic cells and plays an important role in maintaining tolerance. | <urn:uuid:dc83c6e8-5033-4550-be05-7d7338604a48> | https://www.biomol.com/resources/biomol-blog/immune-checkpoints | en | 0.895872 | 0.200885 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
A shocked householder had to call the police after returning home to find an intruder taking a soak in his bathtub.
Staffordshire Police said officers were called to the address in Stoke-on-Trent, but that the "naked man fled the property" as they arrived. He was arrested shortly afterwards.
The force said the householder, from the Longton area of the city, had also reported that the man "had made himself a drink and was drinking it" while in the tub, in an upstairs bathroom.
A 36-year-old man of no fixed address was arrested on suspicion of burglary following what police called a "highly unusual episode", but was later released without charge.
The force added: "The man's safeguarding needs were addressed."
Chief Inspector Karen Stevenson, commander of the Stoke south local policing team, said: "This was a highly unusual episode and not one we see every day.
"I'd like to reassure local residents that this was a completely isolated incident and there's no reason to be alarmed." | <urn:uuid:75d1e20f-ecb4-48fb-9d9f-d29e08ea199d> | https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/naked-stranger-arrested-after-man-14500237 | en | 0.993769 | 0.508328 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Health and Wellness
Fearful memories reinforced by the stress hormone cortisol.
PTSD, stress, cortisol, memory
Fearful memories are reinforced by the stress hormone cortisol.
We’re all more likely to remember events that have great emotional significance: the birth of a child or the first time you met the love of your life.
But bad memories seem to stick more than good.
Memories of emotional experiences usually fade over time
Strong memories of stressful experiences tend to decline over time. But people suffering from anxiety or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) are affected by terrifying memories that haunt them again and again. In these instances the memory trace remains strong, leading to clinical symptoms such as intrusive thoughts, re-experiencing (reliving the event vividly) and fear.
Therapy can extinguish traumatic memories
Any new memory is initially fragile and susceptible to interruption until they become ‘consolidated’. But reactivated memories can also be brought once again to a temporary fragile state. During this period, the reactivated memory can be enhanced, impaired, or otherwise updated by various pharmacological or behavioural interventions.
Although therapy can lead to formation of a new, safe memory (e.g., in exposure therapy), the original aversive memory is not affected which is why many people with PTSD relapse after treatment. It’s been suggested that if the original emotional memory itself could be weakened, the return of fear after successful treatment might be prevented.
Cortisol, the amygdala and memory formation
Cortisol is a potent modulator of learning and memory processes. It acts on neurons in the amygdala to enhance memory consolidation for emotional events. Interestingly, its effective not only while the memory is being formed for the first time, but also later when people look back at an experience while the memory reconsolidates.
To investigate how cortisol affects the reconsolidation of fear memories in humans, cognition psychologists from the Ruhr-Universität Bochum undertook a cortisol-stress experience. The results published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology might explain the persistence of strong emotional memories occurring in anxiety and PTSD.
The stress-cortisol experiment
Cortisol enhances reactivated fear memories.
The researchers demonstrated that cortisol impacts memories in humans during memory reconsolidation.
“The results may explain why certain undesirable memories don’t fade, for example in anxiety and PTSD sufferers,”
says Prof Dr Oliver Wolf.
“Reconsolidation processes are triggered by a brief memory reactivation. The reactivated memory then becomes labile for a limited period of time, and—if not interrupted—reconsolidates and remains intact. Interrupting the re-activated memory at this fragile state might change (impair, enhance, or update) the original memory trace, potentially preventing the return of fear in anxiety disorders and PTSD.”
“Put together with previous studies, our results suggest cortisol to be of potential benefit in exposure-based (but not reconsolidation-based) therapies.”
Drexler et al, Neuropsychopharmacology. 2015 Jun 10. doi: 10.1038/npp.2015.160. [Epub ahead of print] Effects of Cortisol on Reconsolidation of Reactivated Fear Memories.
Story Source: materials provided by Ruhr-Universitaet-Bochum.
The post Fearful memories reinforced by the stress hormone cortisol. appeared first on Your Brain Health.
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Russian forces seize second Ukraine navy base in Crimea
Russian forces seize second Ukraine navy base in Crimea
SEVASTOPOL - Agence France-Presse
Russian forces seize second Ukraine navy base in Crimea
An armed member of the Russian forces waits outside as Ukrainian soldiers stand guard inside the Ukrainian Navy headquarters in Simferopol on March 18. AFP Photo
Russian forces seized control of a second Ukrainian navy base in western Crimea on March 19, AFP reporters saw, hours after capturing the main navy headquarters in Sevastopol.
Some 50 Ukrainian servicemen were seen filing out of the base at Novoozerne as Russian soldiers stood by, while pro-Moscow militants raised the Russian flag over the base.
Earlier on March 19, Pro-Russian forces captured Ukraine's naval commander after seizing his headquarters in Crimea as Moscow's grip tightened on the peninsula despite Western warnings its "annexation" would not go unpunished.
Kiev said it was dispatching its defence minister but Crimea's regional leader said he would be barred from entry amid mounting tensions in a region at the epicentre of the worst East-West standoff since the Cold War.
Dozens of despondent Ukrainian soldiers -- one of them in tears -- filed out of the Ukraine's main navy base in the Black Sea port city of Sevastopol after its storming by hundreds of pro-Kremlin protesters and Russian troops.
"We have been temporarily disbanded," a Ukrainian lieutenant who identified himself only as Vlad told AFP.
"I was born here and I grew up here and I have been serving for 20 years," he said as a Russian flag went up over the base without a single shot being fired in its defence. "Where am I going to go?" A Russian forces' representative said that Ukraine's navy commander Sergiy Gayduk -- appointed after his predecessor switched allegiance in favour of Crimea's pro-Kremlin authorities at the start of the month -- had been detained.
"He was blocked and he had nowhere to go. He was forced out and he has been taken away," Igor Yeskin told reporters.
A defence ministry spokesman in Crimea said pro-Russian forces also seized the checkpoint set up in front of a Ukrainian military base in the region's western port town of Novoozerne.
He said they used a tractor to ram open the gate and were now in a standoff with Ukrainian troops.
The Ukrainian government dispatched acting Defence Minister Igor Tenyukh and First Deputy Prime Minister Vitaliy Yarema to the region for urgent mediation talks.
But Crimea's self-declared prime minister Sergei Aksyonov told the Interfax news agency while on a visit to Moscow that "no one will let them into Crimea and they will be sent back."
A defiant President Vladimir Putin had brushed aside global indignation and Western sanctions on Tuesday to sign a treaty absorbing Crimea and expanding Russia's borders for the first time since World War II.
Russia's Constitutional Court ruled unanimously on Wednesday that the "treaty complies with the Russian Constitution."
The historic and hugely controversial moment came less than a month after the ouster in Kiev of a Moscow-backed regime by leaders who spearheaded three months of deadly protests aimed at pulling Ukraine out of the Kremlin's orbit for the first time.
Putin responded by winning the right to use force against his ex-Soviet neighbour and then using the help of local militias to seize Crimea -- a heavily Russified region the size of Belgium that home to two million people.
The explosive security crisis on the EU's eastern frontier now threatens to reopen a diplomatic and ideological chasm between Russia and Western powers not seen since the tension-fraught decades preceding the 1989 fall of the Berlin Wall.
"Russia's political and economic isolation will only increase if it continues down this path and it will in fact see additional sanctions by the United States and the EU," US Vice President Joe Biden warned on Tuesday while paying a visit to Poland aimed at reassuring former Soviet satellites of Washington's backing.
The greatest fear facing Kiev's new leaders and the West is that Putin will push huge forces massed along the Ukrainian border into the Russian-speaking southeastern swathes of the country in a self-professed effort to "protect" compatriots who he claims are coming under increasing attack from violent ultranationalists.
"We are not speaking about military actions in the eastern regions of Ukraine," Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the BBC.
"But Russia will do whatever is possible... to protect and to extend a hand of help to Russians living in eastern regions of Ukraine."
Putin had signed the Crimea treaty -- recognised by no nation besides Russia -- after stressing the move was done "without firing a single shot and with no loss of life."
But the first bloodshed came to the rugged peninsula of two million people only hours later when a group of gunmen wearing masks but no military insignia stormed a Ukrainian military centre in Simferopol on Tuesday.
The Ukrainian defence ministry said one of its soldier died from a neck wound and another suffered various injuries.
The pro-Russia Crimean police said a member of the local militias had also been killed. A spokeswoman blamed both casualties on shooting by unidentified assailants from a nearby location.
But the violence prompted Ukraine's Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk to warn an emergency government meeting that "the conflict is shifting from a political to a military stage".
The Ukrainian defence ministry soon authorised its soldiers in Crimea to open fire in self defence for the first time.
Ukraine had previously forbidden its troops from shooting -- in some cases forcing them to stand guard at their bases with empty rifles -- to avoid provoking a fully-fledged Russian offensive.
Reports of the crisis turning deadly and fears what Biden called a further "land grab" by Putin prompted both expressions of concern and recollections of the horrors of prior European conflicts.
NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said he was "deeply concerned" and urged all sides to "take all possible steps to avoid further escalation."
And German Chancellor Angela Merkel -- seen as the most important potential powerbroker in the crisis -- said Russia was guilty of repeatedly breaking international law.
Moscow already risks expulsion from the G8 group of top nations and the promise of new US sanctions on top of Russian travel bans and asset freezes unveiled by the European Union and Washington on Monday.
Diplomats in Brussels said EU and Ukrainian leaders would on Friday sign the political portion of a landmark pact whose rejection by Yanukovych in November sparked the protests that led to his fall. | <urn:uuid:32c12a46-bfed-4cd3-a9a8-9c75da758ced> | https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/russian-forces-seize-second-ukraine-navy-base-in-crimea-63789 | en | 0.948026 | 0.027015 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
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Saints and Feasts of July 11
Monday, July 1, 2013
The Passion of Homosexuality According to St. John Chrysostom
By Archimandrite Sarantis Sarantou, Parish Priest of the Holy Church of the Dormition of the Theotokos in Marousi
"Because of this did God give them up to dishonorable passions, for even their females did change their natural function into that which is against nature; and in like manner also the males having left the natural use of the female, did burn in their longing toward one another...." (Romans 1:26-27)
The golden words of Chrysostom are remarkably balanced. His unshakable logic, which he uses to spiritually support his flock, is universally acknowledged to be inspired by the Holy Spirit. Not even foreign rationalist Protestant researchers challenge him. Such a rock of faith in Christ and deep love in Christ for people are needed in our difficult days that we are going through, and we should very carefully listen to him. Here is the order he chose for his compelling argument:
1. The Apostle Paul first places the entire problem of homosexuality on a spiritual basis. In the twenty-fifth verse of the Epistle to the Romans of chapter one, he writes: "They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator...." The divine Chrysostom points out that there was a distortion in the creation of God. God did not prevent the natural relationship between the sexes, so they "justifiably" fall into the strange madness of "males having left the natural use of the female." In the deep psyche of the homosexual world there is an autonomy of individual and selfish choice against the truth of God that prefers falsehood. This is why the way they display and advertise their "diversity" is very provocative. Arrogant attitudes and cocky appearances are displayed on television, and inaccuracies and falsehoods are spread about their demonic way of life. This is why Chrysostom boldly states: "Their ideology is satanic, and their life demonic." Therefore does God abandon those people who twist the truth concerning the creation of man and present falsehood with offensive boldness, namely that their perversion is an issue of genes or free sexual choice. "When God abandons, everything is turned upside down." Ones entire mentality is flipped, the entire psychology, the entire physical physiology, and it turns into psychopathology. Therefore, the problem is primarily spiritual.
2. Moreover, says St. John Chrysostom, God put before them, the homosexuals, the world and the mind of man. The vast majority of people accept, admit and deterministically are given over to the physical attraction between sexes and enjoy a lawful and proper relationship. This is what "world" means. The "mind of man" archetypically, from his initial creation, can distinguish the natural relationship of man and woman and take rest in it. The other mental choice is to intentionally misunderstand, and so the result is tragic. Man is dragged into the most dishonorable passion, rejecting the natural relationship with a woman and frantically seeking to be satisfied autonomously, selfishly, without preconditions, and entirely unblessed with a man. This is why according to the holy Father this passion is unforgivable, because homosexuals do not consider common human experience and the God-given gift of the mind.
It is very sad today that young boys and girls are lured into silly and provocative so-called "homosexual programs" on television that selfishly allege to want to "break away", as they say, from their traditional parents, some of whom cannot hide the panic before such havoc "choices" of their son or daughter. No news channel lately mentions, however, the ever lurking danger of the sickness of AIDS.
3. What is even more disgraceful for people is that this degrading passion appeared also among women. Even though they should be ashamed, today under the propaganda of the New Age, they are more empowered than men, becoming confused and callous, at the same time insisting on the God-creating power of motherhood. The divine Father relies on the archetypal creation of the couple, as is divinely inspired and emphatically recorded in Genesis of the Old Testament, that man first, as the wise head, ought to help woman think correctly and act correctly. Instead he drags her to the godless and inhuman passion of Sodomy. From the outset in Paradise he degenerates this blessed relationship with abominable hostility. Though man was appointed a teacher of woman, and woman a helpmate of man, in the end they ended up outside the Church and outside the blessing of God, hostile on many levels in the works of darkness and shame.
4. The divine Chrysostom claims that prudence according to Christ dictated that the Apostle Paul was to speak chastely, but also to sting the hearer. The divine Father says: "He does not say that they were enamored of, and lusted after one another, but, 'they burned in their lust one toward another'." The verb "burned" does not denote a strong erotic desire, but indicates an unrestrained and unsatisfied burning. This vague verb is passively used to signify the constant unsatisfied erotic homosexual desire among women. Later he uses it towards men to complete the word "unseemly" to indicate the violation of God's law and the insult done to the same sex and the opposite sex. Both demean, for these relationships are completely perverted. They transgress the elect laws of God for natural eroticism, bringing shame to their own sex and to the opposite sex which they despise, and for this reason they are completely abandoned by God, reaching the worst, the most unheard of and lamentable, supposedly erotic sexual behaviors.
According to divine Chrysostom, not even wild animals go beyond their heterosexual boundaries. They live according to their erotic nature and compulsion which was given to them by the Creator God, for the purpose of perpetuating the species. A relative reduction in their ferocity is achieved during commingling, a certain intimacy, tameness and relief.
5. According to the "in the image and likeness" creation of the first couple by the personal will of God, they should have lived in perfect marital unity. This most philanthropic will of the Triadic God was envied by the devil and, when given the chance, since the time of the fall of man he has enabled obstacles in every married couple with the purpose of overwhelming this blessed union. As an extreme consequence of this hatred, there has appeared among men and women this disgraceful and ingrained passion of homosexuality, with the result that they do not come forward to the blessed Mystery of Marriage and participate in the divine plan of creation, which is fulfilled in the birth of children.
6. According to St. John Chrysostom, these people should be the most unhappy of people and the most pitiable, even if they were successful in all other levels of life. But their self-awareness is so deficient and their conceit so inflated, that they consider themselves and put themselves forward as the happiest of people, while others, those who live normally, are according to them ill and oppressed. St. John Chrysostom unequivocally argues that they already live hell existentially and certainly the fire of Gehenna awaits them. He has the deep and broad experience of the sacred confessional, in which, no matter how much they want to pretend, eventually they cannot hide their deep pain and blood which drips from every section of their heart. At a certain time they are found to be sincere, that this deceptive homosexual companionship has proven to be impossible and unrealizable. So that the Saint becomes more believable, he describes two examples of very strange people. Suppose I saw, he says, a young man running around naked besmeared with mire and exulting that he is clean and well washed. He also spoke of a young virgin, if she was enclosed in a house and condemned to have intercourse with an animal, and afterwards rejoiced in it. The one who compelled her, argued the Saint, is worse than a murderer because he ruined her soul and her body. How twisted man becomes when he distances himself from the true Triadic God and His saving Church!
Young people today are trapped in mindless ways, but also other age groups in the nets of charming people, who sneakily lead them into Sodomy. There is no more terrible thing than such an attack, says the Saint. "And that you may learn what the real force of this is, if any one were to come and assure you that he would make you a dog instead of being a man, would you not flee from him as a plague? But, lo! you have not made yourself a dog, but an animal more disgraceful than this. For a dog is useful for service, but he that has thus given himself up is serviceable for nothing." If somebody threatened men that they could be able to conceive, to become pregnant, to give birth, to go through the time of postpartum, what would you do, how would you react? Would you turn yourself upside down with your screams due to the strangeness of it, or would you bask passively, with fears and complexes?
7. In the inspired Old Testament there is described articulately and vividly the terrible situation that was created in the society of Sodom and Gomorrah, just before the pouring out of the just wrath of God and the complete destruction of these ancient cities that once flourished. Below we will provide excerpts that show how alienated an individual is the homosexual, their erotic companion, and the entire area which tolerates, accepts or admits with every comfort communication with them at all levels of life. The defilement of it is contagious, if it is accepted for reasons of "politeness" so that we are not considered bigots. The "immune system" in Christ is sickened, the psychology of our youth is affected, and the demonic convention finds grounding to corrupt places, souls, mentalities, and easy companions.
Genesis 19:1-11
Saint John Chrysostom persistently stands before the exemplary catastrophe of Sodom and Gomorrah, and guides his flock through education to strengthen their immune system in Christ on time so that his spiritual children escape this defilement before it takes on epidemic proportions. The fiery rain was so catastrophic that it made their land barren and unable to produce anything that could contribute to new life flourishing, a new human society, a new civilization.
8. For educative purposes we should distinguish homosexuals who have not fallen into carnal sin, and those men or women who have "freed themselves from the taboos of the past" and are having carnal relations and perhaps have even entered a modern homosexual cohabitation. The first struggle very hard to get rid of the demon of homosexuality, that tries in the end with strong thoughts in the mind of the struggling homosexual to blacken his soul and thus tear down his competitor. The second, who have entangled themselves by consent in carnal homosexual sin should ask with inner pain for the mercy of God, should go to confession frequently and with honesty, and eventually they will benefit from Divine mercy. They will accomplish, together with the Lord, in disbanding the "machinations of the enemy" and shake off the abominable carnal homosexual sin and thus annul the wiles of the devil. The support of a spiritual father is needed beside them, guiding them in Christ until they are able to understand that correction and the straight path is not impossible, for "what is impossible with man, is possible with God."
I humbly agree that in this contemporary "sinful and adulterous" generation in which homosexuality seems to be celebrated, spiritual guides are the only ones who show true understanding to those who sin heavily, and they help them come to the knowledge of their situation, to repent, and to become living members of the Church and be saved.
9. It is understood that in the circle of priests homosexuality is unthinkable. Even the simplest carnal sins are obstacles to the Priesthood. The Saints of our Church believe that even the smallest hair in the eye of a person causes tingling and pain and it takes many tears to remove it from the eye. So also the candidate for the clergy, and much more the active clergyman, cannot rest in his priestly ministry, but is tormented and suffers, if there is the slightest carnal sin.
Homosexuality is the heaviest sin, which irrevocably and definitely prevents one entering the Priesthood (and of course the Church does not allow any homosexual to be elevated to the priesthood, even if he has stopped the sin for years). Basil the Great considers homosexuality or lesbianism a beastly sin: "Abusers of themselves with mankind and with beasts, as also murderers, wizards, adulterers, and idolaters, are deserving of the same punishment" (Canon 7 of Basil the Great). Saint Gregory of Nyssa characterizes homosexuality as "unnatural" in his 4th Canon. Saint John the Faster observes in his 19th Canon, according to the compilation of The Rudder by Saint Nikodemos the Hagiorite, the following: "A boy who has been ruined by any man cannot come into the holy priesthood. For although on account of his immature age he did not sin himself, yet the vessel of his body was rent and became useless in connection with the sacred priesthood."
10. Unfortunately there exists within our Holy Orthodox Church an organized group of homosexual clergy, who by their provocative behavior and by their obscene insistence on mortally sinning, take others by the neck and drag them to hell from this life, preparing them, alas, for eternal hell, even though they ought to grab them from the abyss of destruction and reconcile them once again with Christ.
The psychology of clergy possessed by the deadly passion of homosexuality mutates essentially into having a persecution mentality by the Church. The residual or inherent faint voice of their conscience cries out for them being on the wrong course and for their daily augmented personality which they form. Incredible nervousness bifurcates their personality, and there is obsessive antipathy towards specific individuals, terrible negligence in their liturgical and pastoral duties, disregard for their family if by chance they are married, and a substantial annihilation of their angelic schema if they are unmarried. Manic to the gut with various sophistries regarding the Sacred Canons, together with hypocritical and pious excuses, they try to modernize the Church.
Unfortunately within such a group of homosexual clergymen there has developed an illusory and deceptive climate of supposed love and support for one another. Young inexperienced candidate clergy, if not guided spiritually and maturely by an experienced spiritual and pious Orthodox mindset, are likely to be ensnared by the exaggerated zealous protectionism indicated above. They are bound emotionally and in a friendly manner with these patrons of theirs, and if there is some tendency towards homosexuality, they basically become victims of this network with devastating consequences, ultimately for the former and the latter. The evil of the above groups, or with others who are more individualized, continues with scenarios and pitfalls set up across the world by the wicked and cunning serpent, the devil.
If the candidate or young clergyman eventually joins and stays within the circles of the homosexuals, he will certainly suffer the consequences of being a particular type as well as terrible alienation against the measures and molds, which experienced and knowledgeable homosexual patrons are imposing.
There are also rare exceptions of repentant or remorseful homosexual clergymen, who are suffering spiritually, psychologically, existentially and perhaps physically, and with nothing can they find rest and quiet from the relentless torture of their conscience. If they do not deeply repent and give up their high pastoral office, they will never rest and acquire the inner experience of complete forgiveness by God.
11. The holy elder Paisios often spoke of the power of spiritual laws. Because homosexuality is an abominable sin before the Triune God and offends His all-wise and personal creative care for people, the counsel of God allows, in the operation of spiritual laws, to deregulate the immune system of the human body, resulting in dire consequences with health, which in time leads to death. Why does the media minimize the high risk of AIDS and over-advertise homosexuality? Or do they not know the exponential increase of bearers and patients of AIDS across the world?
Disappointing are the descriptions made to us in Holy Confession by homosexual patients with AIDS. Dissolved personalities, sad ruins struggling to survive, alternating heavy treatments, remorseful for reckless impassioned homosexual intercourse that have brought them down to pathetic skeletons. Avid seekers of perversion, they lured into demonic pleasure others as their supposed erotic partners, whom they initially completely trusted and in the end were left miserably cheated, all alone, in their existential loneliness.
For all of the above corruption to not occur, with its terrible pathogenesis and unimaginably tragic side-effects, St. John Chrysostom suggests active use of spiritual drugs in Christ. His primary therapeutic guideline is awareness of the omnipresence of God. Nothing destroys people more than unawareness and the criminal forgetfulness of God. But nothing saves him more than seeing the All-good Lord noetically, Who was Crucified for us and Rose from the dead, and to call upon His All-holy Name. Only in this way will the corruption of homosexuality no longer be an unforgivable sin.
Source: Published on the official website of the Holy Metropolis of Kifisia, Amoros and Oropos on June 16, 2013. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
Thank you!
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Bed Bugs
Does Baking Soda Kill Bed Bugs?
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Are you sleeping on your comfortable bed but couldn’t sleep. If the reason is that something is biting you and you can’t sleep, be aware! You got bed bugs to your home. Now you are finding all the possible ways to get rid of them.
Is your option to use baking soda against bed bugs? You should first know some facts about the bugs and baking soda to conclude your answer.
Facts about baking soda and Bed bugs
Baking soda is a commonly used product at any home. It is also known as sodium bicarbonate, and it has leavening effects that make it popular in baking many delicious food items like cakes, muffins, pastries, and bread, etc. So it is well known by you too surely. Sodium bicarbonate is alkaline and produces carbon dioxide when mixed with some acids like vinegar, yogurt, or lemon, etc. It is also used for cleaning purposes as it removes stains from surfaces like the refrigerator, oven, and many others.
It is a fine white powder that has antifungal properties in it. That’s why you think it is a bug killer or insecticide. Bed bugs are one of the pests that are not easy to tackle and you. They are most active when you are resting, especially night time. This is the actual issue that at that time, you are tired enough to kill them on the spot. You even can’t kill them so easily, so you have to find another solution for treating them efficiently.
Can baking soda really kill bed bugs?
If you are finding the ways to kill them, and you already used some methods for them at home. Now you are thinking of using baking soda against them, and you should know first that it really works or not. There are some facts to find out the exact answer.
1. It can kill germs and remove stains we all know, but kills bugs there is no strong evidence to prove this.
2. Baking soda can adopt the odors but don’t spread more to suffocate them. So it is used to clean a refrigerator and removes smell from it. For killing bugs, it should have some strong aroma to kill them.
3. They will die if they ingest baking soda directly, but bugs only feed on blood accept any other thing.
How is it possible to eat baking soda when they are not made for them naturally.
4. Baking soda may cause internal skin issues for them but couldn’t kill them completely. So relying on this as a treatment is not good for you, because when you are trusting on this, your problem is increasing instead of finishing or decreasing.
5. They can multiply soon when feeling comfort at your home, so use of baking soda and wait for it is a useless trial to you, so if you have a large number of them, never wait.
Bed bugs are the pests that not easy to find and kill. If you have an effective treatment to do at home, you should try like some scents or oils like tea tree or lavender, but only when you can handle the situation. We are not suggesting you use baking soda for this purpose. Although it has some positive effects in other ways, so don’t use it as a bug repellent. If you have a larger attack by bugs at home, call the pest control experts to work for it more efficiently.
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Contractor / Freelancer Management
Do you work with freelancers on a regular basis and have faced issues organizing all the jobs you’ve outsourced? If your answer is yes, Pipefy’s Free Contractor/Freelancer Management Template is the perfect tool for you!
This template is focused on helping allocate resources and easily track who’s working on each project. It makes it a lot easier for you to keep track of all the job’s information and centralize the process’ documents, such as contracts, payment receipts, etc.
Use template now
Template structure
These are all the contractors/freelancers available. Allocate and prioritize your resources to start working!
1. Which project will this contractor/freelancer work on?
2. What’s this project’s priority?
3. Who’s responsible for this project?
Show time! These are all the projects with contractors/freelancers assigned.
1. Describe the project/job
2. How big is this project?
3. What’ll the contractor/freelancer’s activities be?
Centralize all documents and information for better contractor/freelancer management.
1. Attach the service contracts here
2. What are the payment arrangements?
3. Attach the payment receipt(s)
4. How would you rate this job?
Contact list
A good freelancer is a catch! Keep a record of the ones you’d hire again!
Oops…I think our profiles didn’t fit. These contractors/freelancers have been archived!
Welcome aboard
Use this template | <urn:uuid:7e0dd033-558c-45ec-9434-e361144edecc> | https://www.pipefy.com/templates/contractor-freelancer-management/ | en | 0.857305 | 0.749009 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Why The Stock Market Isn’t Always The Economy
Ben Strubel’s letter to investors for the month of June 2020, titled, “why the stock market isn’t always the economy.”
Get The Full Ray Dalio Series in PDF
Q1 2020 hedge fund letters, conferences and more
Dear Investors,
First, some good news. Lancaster County is now in the “yellow phase.” That means my physical office location is allowed to open and I am back in the office. I will be working on mailing out the delayed quarterly newsletters.
The Stock Market Is Not The Economy
The stock market is basically back to where it started the year. One thing I’ve discovered everyday investors struggle to understand is that the stock market is not the economy. Yes, the stock market generally moves along with the economy, but there are some very big, very important differences. The current COVID crisis is exposing one of the big key differences.
The stock market roughly represents the 500 largest companies, if you look at the S&P 500, or a selection of 30 of the largest most important companies, if you look at the Dow Jones average. The stock market is just the biggest corporations in the US. That means, it doesn’t reflect the environment for small businesses.
People see the 13-16% unemployment rate (depending on the measure). Then, they see a friend laid off or furloughed. They see on Facebook that their favorite local restaurant is closing permanently. They think things are in bad shape. When they check the stock market, it’s down only 1% for the year! How can that be? That’s crazy! It must be a bubble. They think, there is going to be a crash. Doesn’t the stock market know businesses are closing and people are unemployed?
Darden's Balance Sheet Can Support Being Closed
Well, yes. The market knows, but sometimes it doesn’t care. Sometimes big companies aren’t affected as much as you might think. Let’s look at Darden Restaurants (DRI) the owner of several chains, including Olive Garden and Longhorn Steakhouse. Darden has a strong enough balance sheet to support being closed 6-12 months.
Let’s say your neighborhood has three restaurants: two local independent places and one Longhorn Steakhouse (Darden). There were usually 50 diners at each restaurant per night pre-COVID. That is 150 total customers split equally between three restaurants.
Now, the pandemic hits. For economic reasons, one of the local restaurants shuts down permanently. Unemployment is 20% (we’ll use 20% to make the numbers easy) so obviously those without a job will not be dining out. So, we subtract 20% of 150 and now have 120 total diners. With just two restaurants left, each one gets 60 diners. Darden’s restaurant just got 10 more customers despite high unemployment and a local business shutting down.
Oh course, this is a made-up example to just show how the math can work. You can imagine this happening, perhaps not in the restaurant industry, but more easily with large retailers like Home Depot, Wal-Mart, Costco, and Amazon. These chains have been allowed to remain open and have certainly taken business from smaller local establishments.
Airlines And Travel Stocks Hit Hard
I’m not saying this is happening in every sector in the economy. Airlines and travel stocks have been hit hard regardless of size or locale. My example just shows you how sometimes what you see in your area and your industry and what happens in the market are not the same.
Currently, the government’s response to the economic crisis has been adequate enough to support the stock market. I’m not saying the government’s response has been perfect. But it’s done enough to keep the prospect of a strong recovery realistic as things begin to open up around the country. There is one area of concern, and that is state and local government budgets. (Remember, with the shutdowns, economic activity all but ceased, so many state and local governments are missing several months of tax receipts.) Up until now, the current economic stimulus measures have largely been targeted toward helping individuals and corporations. If nothing is done to patch up state and local finances, then layoffs at the state and local government level will act as a drag on job gains and slow the recovery just like we saw post-2009.
As I’ve stated in past newsletters, recoveries from these types of events historically have been quick. I still believe we are on track for matching similar events in history with a rather quick, efficient recovery (subject to some variability due to the issues at the state and local government levels).
I’ll end this newsletter with two words that I think sum things up as we move forward: Cautious Optimism.
The performance data presented prior to 2011:
• Performance is calculated using a holding period return formula.
• Reflect the reinvestment of capital gains and dividends.
Performance data presented for 2011 and after:
• Reflect the reinvestment of capital gains and dividends.
| <urn:uuid:c1398d4d-de36-4161-baf7-134eff4e15ed> | https://www.valuewalk.com/2020/06/stock-market-economy-coronavirus-pandemic/ | en | 0.939641 | 0.067715 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Schengen Agreement
The Schengen Treaty, which was signed the 14th June 1985 on-board the MS Princesse Marie-Astrid on the Luxembourg shores of the Moselle, has come into full effect in 1995. It formalises the agreement of what were initially five EU countries (France, Germany and the Benelux states) to abolish border controls between them. Visas delivered by one of the Schengen member states are valid for the entire territory covered by the treaty (the so-called “Schengen Area”).
The initial treaty from 1985 was signed by the following Secretaries of State:
for Luxembourg: Robert Goebbels
for the Netherlands: Wim F. van Eekelen
for Belgium: Paul de Keersmaeker
for France: Catherine Lalumière
for Germany: Waldemar Schreckenberger
On the 19th June 1990 a second treaty was signed on the same premises. The so-called “Schengen Implementation Treaty” defines the legal and technical framework for the implementation of the agreement. With the treaty of Amsterdam, which entered into force on 1 May 1999, the Schengen agreements were incorporated into the legal system of the EU.
Meanwhile a total number of 26 countries have joined the treaty by this day, which includes all EU member states (with the exception of Ireland, the United Kingdom, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania and Croatia) as well as Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Travel visa issued by a Schengen member state are valid throughout the entire Schengen Area.
Read the complete text of the Schengen convention here:
Schengen agreement | <urn:uuid:99a83573-f749-4285-b1a3-fe9cf76ee6f1> | https://www.visitschengen.lu/en/schengen-agreement/ | en | 0.940053 | 0.162226 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Florida Blueberries on TV
From the video we learn:
Thirty years ago, you’d be hard pressed to find fresh blueberries in most parts of Florida. Today, the produce aisle at the grocery store has been transformed. Florida has a thriving blueberry industry worth almost $100-million a year and growing. Where did all those blueberries come from? In “Seeds of Change”, Melissa Klinzing looks at how scientists and farmers worked together to breed new crops adapted to Florida’s climate, and how today’s breeding programs continue to improve specialty crops like blueberries, strawberries, tomatoes and more.
Florida Blueberries - Seeds of Change | <urn:uuid:469194e2-67e9-41f1-865c-55d368f5c4fc> | http://blueberriesfromflorida.com/florida-blueberries-tv/ | en | 0.90829 | 0.067845 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Backpage Escorts Dawson YT, How To Choose Backpage Escorts Yukon
The most private thing I'm willing to acknowledge: Let's be backpage escorts Wishart SK: nobody is admitting anything horribly private here. Again, it's a place. Make shit up. In newport news hookers you have some deep and dark secret that people will need to understand, then it is far better to talk about that in a message so that they can make up their mind before the both of you meet in person.
Your real love went and came. There is an atmosphere on your enthusiast of mystery and intrigue. He was a swashbuckler, if a guy. If a dating apps service, she was an expert seductress and charmer. They could have belonged to somebody else and was part of the moment. They could not give their entire attention to you. That belonged to their Dawson Yukon backpage escorts down reddit, their kids.
We had been on a night outside; my'fairly' friends would be the ones approached by men and of course they had boyfriends. So, picture this, us girls standing in a row, in order of prettiest to non- pretty( I was about the non- pretty finish) . The men would only work their way down the line chatting up each one, beginning with the most pretty, when they found out they had a boyfriend, and moving on the following. Just to end up at me, without saying a word they'd provide me a quick look down and up and walk away. Great for your own self- esteem, hey? ! I felt that my only saving grace for picking up a man was my own body contour; I was slender with an hourglass shape on flaunting it as much as I could to attract a 46, and I put a great deal of emphasis. I had been so convinced in my own body that I felt that no man could withstand. Can it work? I got laid, therefore in my mind at the time it worked. Nevertheless I hadbeen'easy'. Desperate is probably a word. Sex was being handed out by me on a platter because I thought this is what it supposed to gain the affection of a guy and that I would then wonder why they didn't fall for me as if I wanted them to.
How To Tell A Story On Online Dating Profile
INTERNET DATING is just a convention that you meet someone and be familiar with concerning each various other and also think of coming together and also caring each other. The other hand PARTNERSHIP means when you've devoted to a specific person as well as you aren't solitary any were do you check reviews backpage escorts Dawson Yukon, so if you remain in a relationship you can not date due to the fact that you already allow someone in your life, Yet once again that relationship will proceed and you will certainly remain with each other forever, NO that is not the warranty, take it as CONNECTION is the next step of dating. SENIOR DAYS ARE RELAVENT DUE TO THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE THE EXPERIENCE TO DISCOVER TRUE LOVE AND ALSO FIND WA +HAT IS Dawson YT fucking backpage escorts FOR YOU.
The better you present yourself, the more others will view you as a man of value. Not only on what you wear on a date, or profiles and your photos. Most important of all, is the way you hire escorts backpage Dawson and pose yourself as a human being.
Practicing acceptance doesn't mean you can not hope for change in locations that are some specific or even ask for it. But if not the switch is forthcoming, your spouse must be respected by you as an individual with free will. There are some places where you and your spouse can be flexible, and others but you deserve love and approval.
What Dating Sites Offer Asexual And Demi Sexual Options
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There is A lady if she chooses to feel little and what a woman feels, she doesn't come across as being more than a mere mortal attempting to survive to people. However, when she grasps that feminine side of her character and reveals the planet it, everybody would like to be like her. Everybody would like to feel that feeling of harmony. A girl who feels and adventures that this is a treasure to behold.
As women, we have a tendency to do some things when dating which make a man become distant and finally eliminate interest in us. In fact, depending on how silly your mistake was, a man can just decide to put you inthe'just friends- zone', or worse, the friends.
As we wrap up, allow me to ask you this backpage escorts mmf Goldstream Station BC: " That is a more potent instrument to propel you ahead with this trip- - a negative or positive mindset? " You local online dating sites Dawson YT the answer. It is a good mindset! It's the mindset which will permit you to express your true capacities and not hold you back.
Sites Where Dating Sites Are Sold By Hackers
( Questions /Quizzes) Regardless of which dating website you choose, it will almost always have a collection of questions or personality quizzes to choose. The answers you give here to mathematically deduce who your potential soul mates all are will be used by websites. By way of instance, you will be given an enemy percentage and a game percentage by OkCupid. Take these numbers with a grain of salt and maybe some pepper.
Have experienced this. Being" in condition" is a real phenomenon, and it might involve leaping up on bar counters or crowd- surfing in a concert. Whenyou're having a good deal of fun, doing things, talking to everybody you see, it is- - and you simply don't care. It's frequently influenced by alcohol, and most men when they input" state" end up waking up the next day in some odd girl's bedroom.
So the important things you need to pay attention to is when an individual posts on their account that they are a homeowner, and also they are independent. This is one of the main tricks of those that execute acts of catfishing.
Girls Who Have A Kik On Eastern Backpage Escorts
Where are you from and where you currently are( don't include the complete address! ) Your experience in relationship are you as a boyfriend. Inside this section, make certain to be fair. Do not go giving false information or a false character to them.
That is the reason some guys get rejected during approach while others get what they want. Women eliminate respect for feeble guys. Since attraction isn't an option, a man can be powerful when he wants to and that may require learning how women self- development and operate.
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Finally Big Bad John suggested we try one of those mall restaurants. He excused himself for a minute, after we had been seated, and I got the chance to call Brooke. I told her to phone me figuring that would give me a while to eat and kind of segue from there.
How Have Other Dating Apps Responded To Tinder
Rejection and guilt are closely tied to feelings of self- worth and self- love, which we'll discuss further up the trail. You'll discover that as you enhance your feelings of self- worth and self love, life rejections will less devastate you.
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Why People Use Ashley Madison
Be certain you are as receptive as possible. Ladies want to be certain they are casual sex dysfunctional Saint-Donat-de-Montcalm a real men. Having a pleasant profile picture makes you memorable if they see your face 19, in order that you can be recognised by them. You can add photos of you. They can be men or women but please use some common sense. Don't insert images of you. Put appropriate images to demonstrate that you are a person that is social- able. You need to come across.
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Let's not argue about that. What we do best fuck buddy Deloraine MB though, is how people stay like they have been. Can this man change? Individuals will never change, barely, and many don't wish to, we've found.
Movie Where Prostitutes Turn
These are gifts when you've become exclusive but nevertheless do not understand each other well. Consider saving gifts that are extravagant for later on if the connection continues to grow to a long- term commitment.
Prices For Prostitutes Dawson
You're someone whomay be dumb sometimes, laughs a good deal and's not afraid to be yourself. You're independent, enjoy daring music and film and someone who has plenty of love to give.
Where Did The Backpage Escorts Go
There are a lot of guys there and a great deal of guys that are straight. I believe it is hard to tell. You have to get a body. Black is basic. If you want to wear clothing, black leather pants, black boots, and a long black duster jacket are nice. Wear a few Johnny Depp- style eyeliner, ifyou're adventuresome. It is pretty much impossible to be on the top. You'll stick out in a way in case you have not pushed far enough and turn up in coaches of any sort jeans of any sort, or even a t- shirt /button up top of any kind.
What this indicates is that they are willing to read books. They then do not deny themselves that chance if the writing on the wall is that they need to grow. They'll at least make an attempt, while it is hard breaking from things like bad habits.
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Since Sylvester pointed out, selfishness was partly to blame for how my connection ended. They view themselves as superior to other people and do not believe that the same rules apply to them. These folks are unable completely grasp how hurtful their behavior is or to empathize with their partner.
I said, " What is wrong now? " Between sobs she said" I came like that after ever before and my boyfriend didn't like it. With that, I proceeded around and using my Dawson backpage crack down on escorts I slid my middle two fingers into her, she had been stretched a little by my cock, but as soon as those fingers were at her pussy clamped down about them. Before she could thing as I could I started to move my hand up and down as hard and barbarous. Her entire cunt wobbled and stretched with my palms as the palm of my hand squashed my fingers and her clit massaged her indoors, roughly.
What Will Replace Backpage For Escorts
Without delving deeper in the origin of the status so if you have hookers house bourbon, the doctor Dawson casual sex nyt prescribe a cream or lotion to address the surface- level symptoms. Two people can have a rash or spots and have different symptoms. An individual may gain from nothing more than the cream, but another individual might have something more insidious like a food allergy.
I remember once going out with a guy whom I was not especially attracted to, so I gave it a try, but he seemed like a guy. Well as we went out for a day of sushi, I discovered this guy to be damaging. From that point, I made my excuses to do all within my powers, anything and everything out of prolonging to stop the date and to cut the day short.
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That's why I'm placing a great deal of backpage escorts to focus on surrounding yourself with girls before you enter into an exclusive connection. Getting used to the" reduction of a unique person" is extremely important.
They feel around their peers may vary. In one community we discovered about, divorce was so widespread that when one boy told his school friends that his parents were getting a divorce, another child said, " Your parents are finally getting together, are not they? " In another area, however, divorce may be so uncommon your son or daughter might be the only child of divorce in the grade. | <urn:uuid:4563393f-1c95-48d9-803d-b718822e574d> | https://btignitesolutions.com/backpage-escorts-yukon/dawson-yt | en | 0.96566 | 0.071236 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Yellow Topaz
Yellow Topaz
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Facts about Yellow Topaz
The yellow Topaz, named after “fire” has been fancied due to its sparkling yellow colour which is attractive enough to capture the hearts of jewelry enthusiasts. The symbolism and its importance in the astrological field has made it an eminent gemstone that is loved by many.
What are the properties of Topaz?
Color: Yellow, Blue, Pink, Green
Hardness: 8 (In Mohs Scale)
Nature of solid: orthorhombic crystal
Refractive Index: 1.604 to 1.643
Birefringence: 0.008 to 0.16
Specific Gravity: 3.4 to 3.6
What is the most desirable color of Yellow Topaz gemstone?
The color of yellow topaz varies from golden yellow to brown. However, the color and texture of a yellow Topaz gemstone can be influenced by various chemical treatments. The most desirable color of this gemstone is sparkling golden
What is the price of Yellow Topaz?
The price of Yellow Topaz is determined by the quality, size, color, cut, origin and weight of the gemstone. Usually the price of Yellow Topaz varies from ₨ 350 to ₨ 450 per carat. The color and the luster play a great role in ricing of the gemstone. A natural Yellow Topaz stone renders a greater price than a chemically treated synthetic one.
What are the benefits of Yellow Topaz?
The significance of a yellow topaz stone lies in its beneficial effects on human body.
• Healing Power: Adorning a yellow Topaz can aid health issues like joint pain, lower backache, elimination problems, obesity, constipation, anorexia, and poor immune system function.
It is especially helpful for people suffering from diabetes, hypoglycemia, gallstones, nervousness, low energy, muscle cramps, stomach problems, lumbar spine, liver disorders.
• Prosperity: Wearing a yellow Topaz gemstone can bring abundance and prosperity in the life of the wearer.
• Aid to Spirituality: Adorning this gemstone can enhance the faith and help people to bring to your side to achieve your intention and thus, boosts spirituality.
• Yellow Topaz is believed to bring peace in the life of the wearer.
• It is said to enhance the physical and mental strength of the wearer.
• A yellow Topaz can help in maintaining a good and healthy relationship.
The golden color of the Topaz symbolizes stability and comfort of home. It has been regarded as a sign of strength and protection throughout the history. It can bring harmony and balance in the life of the wearer. It is also known to enhance emotional stability and hence bring life-long prosperity. It is also said to be lucky stone as it attracts good luck. | <urn:uuid:7d86df98-99fd-493b-bedb-bdf44304df1b> | https://dhanshreegems.com/yellow-topaz.html | en | 0.922005 | 0.022419 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Steps to a great 60 second self-introduction speech
August 31, 2016 by
self-introduction speech to a group - reduced shutterstock_370498442
Many Chambers of Commerce and other business associations around the country have groups which help other members market products and/or services. The most common name I've seen for these is "Lead Groups". They are basically networking groups intended to generate leads for the members.
The meetings of these groups are often informal and generally last about an hour, during which time the people attending have an opportunity to give a brief presentation about their business.
Several types of these presentations exist, each with a specific intent. They may be called:
- a Center of Attention/Focus/Spotlight
- an Elevator pitch
- a Self-introduction/Icebreaker
Each of these is basically a different type of speech.
Many people don't feel comfortable giving a speech - maybe because they don't know how. They feel it's another stressor in life they don't need.
Here, I'll concentrate on the content for a one-minute (60-second) self-introduction. This may actually range from 45 to 60 seconds, depending on the size of the group and its rules. I may cover something on the other types in later blogs.
Essentially this self-introduction speech is to inform the audience about you and your business. How else would you expect to let someone know what you do - or what your company does?
But it's also a sales pitch.
I'll present some guidelines or suggestions here to help you present the best image you can in these speeches. Maybe reading this and thinking about your business will help you put something together to get your message across.
Take the following sequence of steps as an initial suggestion.
1) give a greeting to the group (a simple "Hi" will do)
2) state your name ("I'm ...")
3) state your business name, your position/relationship with the business. and what you or your business do
4) do one (and only one) of these - briefly: (If you present to the same group on multiple occasions, you can vary from one time to another. Variety helps.)
(And when I say briefly, I mean briefly. Some people think a minute is a long time when you're standing up in front of a group, but it's not. You only have 60 seconds. People will be turned off if you ramble on and on.)
A - tell an interesting story - what you have done or something that has happened related to your business
B - give a testimonial from one of your customers who provided a glowing report due to the product or service you provided
C - tell what differentiates you from others in the same type of business
D - quote someone on a topic you can relate to your business
E - ask a leading/interesting question. This may throw a little variety and arouse more interest or curiosity to make you more memorable
- try to make it related to your business
- have the answer backed up by a link or other reference.
5) spout a slogan/tag line/other - something for people to easily remember you by
6) state your name and company name again
7) ask if you can help anyone or if anyone in the group knows someone who needs your help
- to meet with you after the meeting
8) if time permits and if acceptable at that meeting, offer your business card
That's a lot of things to cover in one minute. Like I said, it's not a lot of time.
Now that you have a sequence and the material, you need to practice - both for timing and to get your rhythm down - before you present to the group.
Some final thoughts here.
1 - Humor can be a great attention grabber and memory maker, but you have to be careful. Not everyone's reaction to intended humor is the same.
2 - You probably don't have time to use any graphics unless they are immediately obvious
3 - Don't be negative. Keep your speech positive.
4 - Each business can be different, and sometimes variations of the above might be advisable.
5 - Take a deep breath before beginning to speak. It'll help you relax.
I can't provide a list of approaches for every business, but some thoughts for different types of businesses to make you stand out:
- HVAC - better materials, more experience, more efficient units, longer guarantee - and why ...
- financial - charge lower rates to manage funds, provide better return, more personal service
- food - better quality, more organic/natural, unique types, less expensive
- insurance - more/better coverage for same or less, more personal service
- computer supplies and/or services - lower prices, more personal service
- manufacturing - how your product can be used by members of the group
Remember, you know your company and maybe your competition better than anyone else in the room.
Now GO FOR IT. The more you do it, the better you'll get.
If I can help you, let me know.
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Athma (Soul) and Paramathma (Supersoul)- Differences!
Athma (Soul) and Paramathma (Supersoul)- Differences!
Yashoda Devi Dasi asked like this:
“I dont understand then why the Supersoul looks like Visnu? And Paramatma is a person with four hands?
(i) Śyāmasundara: And Paramātmā—is Paramātmā a person?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Paramātmā is a person. Every expansion—just like we are also expansion, atomic expansion of Kṛṣṇa. So we are persons. Every individual soul is a person. But we are expansion of Kṛṣṇa. Paramātmā is another expansion, viṣṇu-tattva. Rāmādi mūrtiṣu. That is another expansion, different kinds of expansions.
(ii) The Supersoul, the Paramatma, has legs and hands everywhere, but the individual soul does not. (The purport for BG, 13.23)”
Let us discuss in detail about Athma (Soul) and Paramathma (Supersoul) in this Post. After reading, you can understand how the mayavadic concept of “Athma (Soul) and Paramathma (Supersoul) are the same” is baseless and false.
The above mentioned quote in the question comes in the 13th chapter that speaks about the Supreme enjoyer, Nature, Consciousness, etc.
Actually, Krishna mentions Himself, ie, Supreme Person as Paramathma or supersoul here.
Paramathma is a person, but, He is pervading like a Formless Person inside our hearts. We mention Paramathma as formless because He is so subtle that He can not be seen by our eyes. Nothing else.
Since He can not pervade as Krishna Himself, He has spread in a subtle form as Paramathma inside our body. He is existing as a Person in His kingdom.
The major doubt here is that Paramathma is said to have hands and legs, but, Jeevathma does not have.
This is to be seen as explained below:
Athma (Soul) has limited potency and freedom.
(Why Krishna does not correct us if He is within our hearts? READ HERE!)
Paramathma (Supersoul) has unlimited potency and freedom that can pervade everywhere.
The God, ie, The Absolute Truth exists in three Phases:
Brahman, Paramatama, and Bhagavan.
Out of these three, Paramathma and Bhagavan are the Persons.
(When Krishna instructs a person to help others, how can we say that Krishna does not direct us as Paramathma from heart? Read Here!)
Paramathma is the form of Krishna who is living along with the athma, ie, individual soul, inside the heart of every living being. That is, Paramatma is the Krishna’s expansion as the Supersoul within our heart.
Bhagavan is the form that we call as Krishna who is living in His kingdom.
Brahman is not a person. It is Nirguna, ie, No Gunas. It is the space of light coming from the body of Krishna. So, it is clear that Brahman does not have any interactions with the athma, ie, soul, ie ourselves.
Since Paramathma and Bhagavan have forms and live within our heart and Goloka Vrindavana, there is a difference between athma and Paramathma (or) Soul and Supersoul.
Bhagavan can be directly seen by us when we are qualified to go to His kingdom.
Whereas, the form of Paramathma of the Supreme Person exists within us just as a sakshi, ie, witness for all our actions.
Krishna simultaneously exists both in Goloka Vrindavana as bhagavan as well as our heart as Paramathma (Supersoul).
So, Paramathma is a person though invisible for our eyes. He is closely watching our activities and remaining as a witness for all our activities.
He is encouraging and expecting every individual soul to think of coming back to Himself.
But, since the individual soul has some limited freedom to decide his course of actions, getting induced by maya, ie, material elements, he conditions himself in materialistic enjoyments to have limited pleasures and pains.
When he feels pains, he is longing for pleasures. When he feels pleasures, he forgets the pains. Thus, he is wasting this rare opportunity to think of the highest eternal status he can achieve as a servant of Krishna in His own Kingdom.
So, Krishna, as Paramathma gives him from within what he wants to enjoy this material pleasures and pains.
When that soul thinks of Krishna after facing the reality of this material life, Krishna takes him to Himself by helping him to get prepared to think of Krishna all the time.
(Nature Of Athma (Soul): Can the athma (Soul) feel, see, speak and work? READ HERE!)
Krishna, while describing about the Supreme Person, He calls Himself as Paramathma (Supersoul).
Even while describing the vishvarupa darshan of Krishna, Sanjaya too saw so many legs, hands, etc in the in the fearful darshan of Krishna.
In Bhagavad Gita 13.14 also, Krishna Himself says the same thing that the Paramathma has legs, hands, etc EVERYWHERE, whereas, the individual soul does not have any leg or hands that can be spread all over. Literally this verse means that the Supersoul can expand His potency all over the creations by being in a place like the sun spreads rays all over.
Individual soul can not exist as Paramathma. So, an individual soul can not spread his hands or legs all over. Its features are limited.
Paramathma (Supersoul) is unlimited in his capability and features. He is pervading everywhere including in the living beings like Brahma deva and small ants.
Krishna, who is the Paramathma (Supersoul), spreads His many features all over.
This is what mentioned in this chapter of Bhagavad Gita.
An individual soul can not have legs, hands, etc that pervaded everywhere.
(If Krishna directs us as Paramathma from our heart as per Gita, does He direct our bad deeds also? READ HERE!)
A soul can accept a body from the material elements according to his needs and the purpose for which he has been given birth. A soul can not act himself as a body.
But, Supersoul can ACTIUALLY SHOW Himself as Paramathma as well as an acting person. He does not require a material body like we have.
Ok, individual soul is visible when it accepts a body of material elements.
Why don’t the supersoul appear for our eyes?
Interestingly, in this same 13th chapter, Krishna says in the verse 16:
“The Supreme truth exists outside and inside of all living beings, the moving and non moving. Because He is subtle, He is beyond the Power of the material senses to see or to know. ALTHOUGH FAR FAR AWAY, HE IS ALSO NEAR TO ALL”
(My father being a sunyavadi discourages me from Krishna Consciousness. What to do? READ HERE!)
Interesting. The Paramathma (Supersoul) is far far away from us, ie in Goloka vrindavana. At the same time, He is near to all as Paramathma who is living in our hearts.
This establishes that Krishna and Paramathma (Supersoul) are the same. He is Paramathma (Supersoul) when He is within our body itself. He is Krishna when He is residing in Goloka Vrindavana.
This differentiates Paramathma from Brahman.
Simply, Brahman is not a person.
But, Paramathma is Krishna Himself who has pervaded within our hearts.
Paramathma (Supersoul) can pervade His hands and legs everywhere; Athma, the soul can not.
That’s all. Simple.
Hope you enjoyed the analysis of the 13th chapter of Bhagavad Gita and knew the differences between Athma (Soul) and Paramathma (Supersoul).
(Krishna, Paramathma and Brahmam – Who is the Origin? A-Z Details! READ HERE!)
Author: RAJAN
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Writing a Moment, Creating a Scene
Why write? Why try to find the invisible words, thoughts, feelings, and perceptions?
Why spend hours searching for ways to express that which you see in moments and landscapes
unseen by the human eye?
Why bring forward a piece of art, movement of the artistic, finely tuned creative processes?
Of what value is it to search the world over for textures and colours
mitigating the interiors of perception?
As writer and artist, these are the questions.
Gazing through the open door of infinite possibilities, the reason to accompany the unseen into vision,
and the unformed into form is to become aware of what it feels like to brush up against
moving particles of substance
and the energetic essences of light that are constantly swirling around us.
In order to experience ourselves more fully, integrated and centred
in the inner and outer worlds of existence.
To be in relationship to this middle point, I like to call the wellspring of Living Wisdom,
is to be in relationship with
our hearts and minds and bodies as a whole,
the seen and unseen, the inner environments of life and the outer presence of life.
Practicing how to express this wholeness of being human offers awakening into the vastness of being.
It also offers a multitude of ways to share this quintessential-ness with others.
Dipping into timelessness and displaying it to share openly with others, fosters inquiry.
The art of accompaniment, by nature, opens possibilities to feel
the flowing etheric waters and the breaths of life, while perceiving waves of new impulses,
as they are embodied and brought into the present moment
through a continuous expression of creative renewal.
To brush up against this invisible infinity and bring it into being is vital,
but to share it with others and feel them experience something of its presence
through arduous search, discovery, and practice,
is to find one’s signature in life and a voice in the art of conversation with the many.
Whether we see something in front of our eyes and search for insightful words,
or hear intuitive words that inspire a painting,
whether we feel something swirling within and around us beckoning our attention to lift the veil,
writing a moment, creating a scene, and living a life out of the wellspring of an integrated living wisdom
allows our wings to spread into the larger realities and experiences of being human
allows our feet to walk gently upon the Earth aware of the presence and vibrancy of life and the living
and allows us to create an embodied life full of awe, wonder, beauty and loveliness.
To beauty in existing.
Jill LaBelle Sophie
Welcoming your thoughts....
| <urn:uuid:a2ca4c47-e2cf-4902-9570-688d9c075f30> | https://livingwisdom.ca/writing-a-moment-creating-a-scene/ | en | 0.928193 | 0.236672 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
Edward Snowden
Rep. John Lewis Praises Snowden's Act of 'Civil Disobedience'
Civil rights leader sees him following in footsteps of MLK, Gandhi, others
John Lewis, one of America's most revered civil rights leaders, says the NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden was continuing the tradition of civil disobedience by revealing details of classified US surveillance programs.
Lewis, a 73-year-old congressman and the last surviving lieutenant of Martin Luther King, said Snowden could claim he was appealing to "a higher law" when he disclosed top secret documents showing the extent of NSA surveillance of both Americans and foreigners.
| <urn:uuid:bc1f9fc2-5913-4c5b-8581-c0c048ebd722> | https://reason.com/2013/08/07/rep-john-lewis-praises-snowdens-act-of-c/ | en | 0.945403 | 0.035997 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
McLaren Racing self-defends against cyber-attacks with Darktrace’s AI in new partnership
Darktrace, the world’s leading cyber AI company, has announced a multi-year partnership with McLaren Racing, as its AI Cyber Security Partner.
The partnership will involve a technical integration of Darktrace’s cyber artificial intelligence across the McLaren Group, as well as across McLaren Racing to protect the Formula 1 team against cyber-attacks.
McLaren Racing was founded by New Zealand racing driver Bruce McLaren in 1963. Today, technology and innovation is at the heart of everything McLaren does, allowing the team to compete at their best in one of the most technologically advanced sports in the world.
McLaren Racing competes in the 2020 FIA Formula 1 World Championship with Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris, and the IndyCar Series in North America with Oliver Askew and Pato O’Ward.
Darktrace’s Cyber AI technology will empower McLaren to gain complete visibility across its entire digital infrastructure — from IoT sensors on each Formula 1 car to the cloud-based software that fuels their operations — and identify threats as they emerge. With strategists and engineers making critical split-second decisions, time is of the essence for McLaren. As such, they will be using Darktrace’s ‘machine fights back’ innovation — a Cyber AI technology that can automatically block cyber-attacks at a speed and scale beyond human capabilities.
As part of the partnership, the Darktrace brand will be represented on the rear wing of the McLaren MCL35 race car and on the race suits of the team’s race drivers, Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris.
Zak Brown, Chief Executive Officer at McLaren Racing said “we’re proud to welcome Darktrace for the first time into the fast-moving world of Formula 1 and to the McLaren Racing partner family. Data is the lifeblood of our racing strategy and so strong cyber resilience is key to our success on the tracks. We look forward to starting our partnership together this season as Darktrace’s Cyber AI will, for the first time, allow our infrastructure to be self-defending.”
“We are excited to be partnering with McLaren, a company with innovation at its core,” commented Poppy Gustafsson, CEO, Darktrace. “Cyber-attacks that seek to cause disruption to global events, as well as attacks that subtly steal coveted IP, are on the rise. We are proud that our technology is being trusted to automatically protect the McLaren team, enabling them to race to the finish line in the knowledge that their systems are secured by world-leading Cyber AI.”
Darktrace is the world's leading AI company for cyber security. | <urn:uuid:34a1982b-dd3b-4cc8-8f3b-564522151128> | https://www.cambridgenetwork.co.uk/news/600280 | en | 0.929851 | 0.025346 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
award award
award award
What a weekend for British sport!
In F1 there was Lewis Hamilton’s dominant win at the French Grand Prix, and the big cricket story is England’s historic one day international whitewash over Australia - but of course, Gareth Southgate’s men steal the headlines with an extraordinary 6-1 defeat of Panama.
Have England got one hand on the trophy, or was it just an inevitable humiliation of a tiny team on a huge stage?
Our reviewer of this match is Kae Travis of MoveSelf - that’s the online ‘pay as you go’ agency that he founded a year ago.
Here’s his terrific, comprehensive review of yesterday’s game with some crucial questions at the end - is England only flattering to deceive?
We’ll have another agent’s review on Friday morning after England’s final match in this phase of the tournament, against Belgium.
Here’s Kae’s critique:
Preparations for the Panama game didn't go as smoothly as anticipated with Gareth Southgate dislocating his shoulder and his assistant potentially unveiling England’s starting line-up prior to kick off.
But regardless of these comical preparations - which wouldn't have looked out of place in the "Mike Bassett: England Manager" film - the game against Panama provided a huge platform to send a message out to every other team in the tournament.
And boy, did England do that.
Panama are nicknamed the "Canal Men" and after 8 minutes they found themselves up the creek without a paddle.
After a lovely floated corner by Trippier, sprinkled with some shambolic defending from Panama, John Stones rose up like a young salmon to power home a header into the bottom corner.
England’s offensive play began to gain momentum and 19 minutes into the game, after a deft through-ball from Trippier, Lingard was pulled down by the bungling Escobar for a clear penalty. Up stepped England’s main marksman Harry Kane to emphatically dispatch the penalty for a 2-0 lead.
The match became more and more one-sided as England dominated possession and on 36 minutes we witnessed a potential goal of the tournament when Lingard cut in from the left hand side, played a one-two with Sterling, and curled a 25 yard shot into the top right hand corner. This truly wonderful strike put England 3-0 up and comfortably in the driving seat.
A flurry of attacks followed, and in the 40th minute England were awarded a free kick from a central location around 40 yards out. Trippier knocked a short pass to Henderson, who floated an angled cross to the far post. The cross was met by Harry Kane who unselfishly nodded the ball across goal only for Sterling – desperate to regain his confidence – to fluff his lines from four yards out, but luckily for him John Stones pounced on the rebound to put England 4-0 up.
It was party time. Every England goal was greeted by the “Three Lions” chorus inside the stadium, and even I started to envisage Harry Kane lifting aloft the glorious Jules Rimet Trophy.
The onslaught continued on the brink of half time, when what can only be described as GBH on Harry Kane led the referee to point to the spot. Same taker, same result. Harry Kane was turning the fixture into a rout as England took a commanding 5-0 lead before the interval.
The second half commenced at a slower pace, yet England kept pressing and continued to probe.
In the 61st minute a speculative effort from Ruben Loftus-Cheek was deflected in off the heel of Harry Kane. If Achilles' heel was his weakness, then Kane’s heel was his strength as he fired himself to the summit of the golden boot contenders.
At 6-0 up it was a great opportunity to conserve energy and demonstrate what many refer to as ‘game management’ and by the 70th minute our three most influential players had been substituted.
Kane was replaced by Vardy, Lingard was replaced by Delph and Trippier was replaced by Rose.
A relaxed England team started to knock the ball around nonchalantly but in the 71st minute - against the run of play - England conceded a free-kick and were about to be tested for the first time.
The defensive line was high and ragged, and a whipped in free-kick fell to Felipe Baloy whose out-stretched leg turned the ball into the net. England had conceded a disappointing consolation goal to make it 6-1.
Yet still the margin of victory was a new record for England in any major tournament.
As England fans we should be mindful that Panama are a side who have now only won once in their last eight games; they are debutants in the World Cup, and their best-known player plies his trade in the MLS - a league where ageing English players are put out to pasture.
Whilst the England side look well-balanced and electrifying in attack, they do seem to switch off in periods of the game defensively and at this level England will surely be punished against better opposition.
It’s evident that England have the personnel to go far in this tournament.
But we must not forget that in Southgate we have a manager whose only managerial credentials prior to managing the England senior team are relegating Middlesbrough to the Championship and guiding the England U21 team to last place in the group phase of the European Under-21 Championship.
Can Southgate make the big decisions, and most importantly the right decisions, when it matters most? Or will he evoke dreadful memories of previous England managers, void of any ideas, crumbling under the pressure of a nation full of expectation?
Prove me wrong, Gareth. For the sake of the nation, prove me wrong...
Thanks for that Kae. If readers missed our industry review of England's game against Tunisia, you can see it here.
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90s Teenagers Explain Which Piece Of Technology Took The Longest To Adapt To
New tech isn't always the easiest thing to get used to. Sometimes it's really cool, and it seems like it would be useful, but taking the extra step to actually learn how to use it is just too much.
Reddit user u/DradByDawn93 asked:
"Those who were teenagers in the 90's, what piece of technology took you a long time to adapt to during the turn of the century?"
Bluetooth, strangely. I was a "you can take my headphone jack when you pry it from my cold dead hands" type of person but now I use Bluetooth exclusively, even when I still had a headphone jack in my phone
Not tech, but assuming someone knocking on your door is a stranger starting in the 2000's versus a friend visiting your house in the 90's. Life used to be simple.
Knock on my door? What kind of heathen are you? Text me from the driveway like a civilized person, pls.
Born in 79. I dont know if it counts as technology really, but apps like Doordash and Ubereats. Part of it is because I think the idea of McDs being delivered to me is the epitome of laziness, but also because I just dont want cold french fries. Also, in the 90s, going to McDs or any other restaurant was a treat for us. Having it delivered cold to your door just doesnt have the same appeal.
iPods. I got a Zune instead.
Creative Zen! It was a brick but it played videos and had 120gb of storage! It was going strong 10 years later until I ran over it with a rolling chair.
Constant, normalized surveillance. I'm still not accustomed to it, and I never will be. My kid is 11 and it blows her mind to hear that there didn't use to be video cameras all over schools, stores, and stop lights. Or that we could go shopping in the airport mall, or walk right to the gate to meet someone coming in on a flight. We didn't have to worry about data dragnets or deep fakes, full body scanners or the long term implication of biometrics and how that data could be weaponized in the future.
I think that's the biggest thing teens and early twenties now will never be able to grasp- just how different everything was pre-9/11. Not just the technology, but also the sociological blowback. We use to trust each other so much more, weren't as suspicious of strangers motivations, etc. It makes me really sad to think about how normalized it's all become and how there is no going back.
Man. Nowadays it's the lack of chat rooms. When I was a teen in the late 90s chat rooms were cool! I use to go on one (alamak) and there was an RP chat room that was always full of people, a teens chat room one for 20s and use to always be full with hundreds of people, now if you go there it's only like 50 or so people online all in the same lobby. And yahoo use to have a chat room sorted by major cities and you could meet people and find people to hook up with on there,or just find new strangers to talk to and maybe make friends in the area. There are basically no chat rooms anymore and the ones that are still around are super small compared to their hay days
Streaming media vs owning a copy. Software as a service in general.
Touchscreens. I kept a phone with a hard keyboard for a long time.
Stored cc#s on websites, I remember when you could get a one-time number for special transactions.
I'm still against cash apps like venmo, everyone that says I need it takes cash.
Being (overly) social.
I've now seen every single social networking iteration since the Internet started and I've tried to engage with most of them in meaningful ways.
I still don't like taking pictures of myself or most of what I do.
I would still rather lurk and absorb info from the Internet as opposed to posting and sharing.
While I appreciate the technology used and markets created by things like Twitch streams or MMOs and Battle Royales, I'd still rather solo an epic RPG by myself for some story.
Leave the other people out. Leave the inane lobby chat out. Turn off the mic.
Leaving all that aside, social networking is screwing UP the political, social, and economic parts of life.
Of all the new "stuff" that's come with "Living in the Future," social networking baffles, amazes, and frustrates me the most.
Social media has been my only hurdle. The fact that people are so willing to put their faces and real identifying information out to the public on the internet just frightens me. The blind trust that consumers put into these corporations is astounding.
I waited to get a smartphone until almost everyone else my age had one. I always used to say that I don't need to have the Internet with me all the time. Once I made the switch though, there was no looking back.
Echo Show 5
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Voice recognition actually being good and usable is the thing I'm still getting used to.
This is a good one. I still assume its complete garbage as many early implementations were.
For me its stuff like linkedin and building a professional social media and networking presence. Im not really into regular social media so its something I never did or built.
I find it incredibly draining to create content to cultivate a social media presence.
I don't mind doing it casually, and see immense value in staying connected with people that I'd otherwise not have the ease of access to, but when it comes to being intentional about posts to grow followers, I find it hard to be motivated.
Same, the whole ”building your own personal brand” for the sake of your career in Linkedin for example is something I really dislike.
The thing about social media is that it is so fake and superficial as it is, and I feel like this is just adding to the issue.
The constant availability of a seemingly endless stream of entertainment, in any form. I still can't adapt. I should be sleeping right now.
Fire TV Stick 4K with Alexa Voice Remote
Available here
The concept of not hiding your identity online. "Always lie when asked ASL [age, sex, location]" was drilled into me. So the idea that someone can just mosey on over to Facebook and find your personal information is wild to me.
I've gotten so comfortable with typing my social security number into a form on a site I've never been to before. There was a time when I would get grounded for telling people on a message board what state I lived in.
Video calling / Skype/ Facetime.. whatever it's called these days.
Just.. well I still haven't "adapted". My younger siblings insist every call must be a video call.
Nah dawg, I'm good.
Edit: And I'm generally on the front lines, keeping up with the tech, recommending them products, troubleshooting their problems etc.
I didn't want a cellphone because "I didn't want to be reachable, all the time."
Well, that's no longer allowed.
This is why all of my work vacations involve wilderness camping.
Even when they don't.
I remember the old ones my dad would have for work, and how they really sucked compared to the desktop we had. Once they started having them in schools, I still thought they sucked. I guess I knew that they would naturally get better, but the idea that a laptop would ever be powerful enough for things like gaming, serious computing ability, or small enough to be carried conveniently? Yeah right. Not any time soon.
Looking back, I know how dumb it was, considering people have had the same feelings for everything from electricity to the telephone. But at the time, my aversion to em and being dismissive about them really put me at a disadvantage for a few years.
Took me a long time to get onboard with texting.
I remember telling one of my buddies “why would I text you when I can just call you? It’s much faster”
And I now I never pick up a call unless it’s family or work.
I can't pick a specific item, but I used to use a tape player a lot in the 80s to 90s. I would record radio songs and pretend to be a DJ in between.
When CDs came out I just didnt care for them. I couldn't record to them (yet) and they were expensive. I think we owned a Mozart CD as our only CD for the first 5 years. It wasn't until I had a CD player in my own car that I even bought them.
The concept of filling out a job application online was hard to deal with. I was a teen through the late 90's when you still had to go to the physical location of a place to apply for a job. After graduation, I joined the Army and served for 8 years. When I got out and started job hunting again, being told to "go to our website" to fill out an application completely threw me for a loop.
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Last updated Jan 14 2020
Analyzing and measuring the customer experience
Whether your company is large or small, gaining a competitive advantage starts with measuring your customers’ experience and analyzing the results, so you can use the insight to improve your CX strategy. Let’s take a look at what you need to get started.
Start improving your CX today
3 things you need to get started
To measure and analyze the customer experience, you need three things in place. You need to have:
• Identified your ideal customers whose experience you want to measure and analyze
• Identified the key touchpoints in their journey where you want the experience to be measured
• Collected customer feedback and insights
1. Identify your ideal customers
Ideal customers are those who would get the most value from your products or services if given the opportunity to buy them—and also the ones who, if offered an amazing experience, will keep coming back again. They’re the backbone of your customer base.
If you’re not entirely sure who those customers are, don’t worry: you can find them by launching a simple on-page survey that asks your website visitors who they are, what they do, and how they use your products or services. You can then narrow your focus on the customers who purchase at the highest frequency, have done so recently, and spend the most money.
Once you’ve got some general idea of who your ideal customers are, you can start digging deeper and build the user personas that will guide you through the rest of the steps.
2. Identify key customer touchpoints
There’s nothing wrong with collecting random, unstructured feedback from your customers—feedback is feedback, after all—but if you’re trying to fix and improve things, you’ll need to be laser-focused. There are certain touchpoints that demand special attention (even if your customers don’t pinpoint them as problem spots):
• Point-of-sale/immediately following purchase
• New customer onboarding
• Lost deals
• Customer renewals
• Customer cancellations
• First-time website visits
• Product returns
• Closed support tickets (20 mins after)
3. Collect customer feedback and insights
There are several ways you can go about collecting feedback and insights from your customer—let’s show you six:
Run customer experience surveys
Once you’ve identified the main checkpoints you want to investigate, you can set up customer experience surveys there. Common CX surveys include:
• Net Promoter Score® (NPS): NPS measures the likelihood that customers will recommend you to friends or colleagues, and it’s an excellent predictor of future growth.
• Customer Satisfaction (CSAT): CSAT questions are used to determine whether a customer is satisfied with a specific element of their experience (e.g., the support they received).
• Customer Effort Score (CES): CES evaluates the effort required for a customer to achieve a goal (e.g., fix a problem, place an order).
• Milestone surveys: companies send out these surveys at key touch-points throughout the customer lifecycle (e.g., 2 weeks after the initial purchase, or immediately following the completion of onboarding).
Pro tip: start small. When setting up surveys for the first time, choose a single checkpoint instead of going all in and setting up surveys everywhere. This will help you contextualize the feedback first; later on, the more surveys you run, the better you’ll become at gathering data. You can read more about creating and launching a CX survey in a separate chapter of this guide.
Conduct unscripted interviews
Interviews are more labor-intensive than setting up an on-page survey on your website, but there are some powerful insights to be gained by sitting down with some of your ideal customers and hearing them tell their unique stories: not only will you gain greater empathy for them—you’re almost guaranteed to stumble across needs, drivers, and barriers to purchase you never knew existed.
The expert's corner
Adele Revella, Founder and CEO of the Buyer Persona Institute, believes that a great customer interview begins with a single question:
“What happened the day you first discovered you needed to solve this kind of problem or achieve this kind of goal?”
You’re not asking about the day they chose to buy your product: you want them to talk about the day they discovered a compelling need to spend money and solve a problem or achieve a goal.
Follow that thread, asking for more detail when appropriate, and you’ll discover things about their experience you typically won’t learn from a survey. What makes interviews so effective is that they might hit upon things that the customers weren’t consciously aware of themselves.
Pro tip: invite your CEO and other execs to sit in on the interviews (or, at least, listen to recordings). That way they’ll come to better empathize with the customers, and they’ll have a stronger appreciation for what you’re trying to accomplish.
Explore your web analytics data
Web analytics is the collection, reporting, measurement, and analysis of website data. It enables you to view aggregate website activity and even map out your entire website ecosystem.
Web analytics is not about collecting feedback but will give you plenty of contextual insight. By observing page views, drop-off rates, traffic patterns, and traffic sources in Google Analytics (or any other analytics software), you’ll be able to figure out which customer stories represent larger patterns. For example, if one user reports struggling when ordering a specific product, you can look at that order page and see how many others dropped off as well.
Hire mystery shoppers (if you have a physical store)
In addition to an online presence, you might have a brick-and-mortar store: if that’s the case, consider hiring mystery shoppers to experience the customer journey and report back. They’ll help you determine whether your staff is helpful, your products are easy to find, and if the whole process is effortless. If you discover an issue, you can redesign processes and train your staff accordingly.
Track user sentiment (for larger companies)
Whether you have tens or hundreds of social media followers, you can use sentiment analysis to gauge how customers view your brand. At its most advanced, sentiment analysis (also known as ‘opinion mining’) uses Natural Language Processing (NLP) to classify public sentiment as positive, neutral, or negative; at its most basic, it’s about keeping a spreadsheet record of the comments you receive. Later, you will crunch the numbers and figure out which products and processes are impacting your customer experience.
How to analyze customer experience
Once all the data points are in your hand, it’s important to address both the individual complaint (the micro-level) and the company processes, policies, product issues, and/or cultural mindset that created the problem in the first place (the macro-level).
Address the micro-level issues
Have a supervisor or manager reach out to the customer who made the complaint. Let them share their story and vent if they need to, then work to make things right wherever possible:
• If the issue stems from a failure on the part of an employee, a manager can commit to educating them on the proper approach.
• If the issue stems from a company policy, the manager can offer to explain the rationale behind the policy (without defending it), assuming the customer seems receptive. And while the manager should never commit to changing the policy on the spot, they can commit to discussing it with the policymakers to explore other alternatives.
Address the macro-level issues
Take a look at the big picture and identify where, in the customer journey, the largest complaints occur from your ideal customers. Remember, not all feedback is created equal, and you don’t want to bend over backward trying to please users who will never become paying customers.
To ensure your improvement projects have the highest impact, consider the following two factors:
• How common is the experience? Does it affect 4% or of your users? Or 40%?
• How serious is the issue? Does it keep people from converting? Or is it a minor annoyance?
Once you’ve identified the most common, serious problems, you can address them by changing company policies, training staff, redesigning your website, making changes and running usability testing sessions, and rethinking your processes in ways that optimize the customer experience.
Pro tip: when it comes to converting ideal prospects, we suggest you gather feedback from visitors who almost failed to convert—they’ll help you figure out what you need to do to win over the ones who would make great customers, but need more convincing.
A real commitment to customer experience means taking regular measurements at those crucial checkpoints identified above.
Whether you want to study and discuss the trends weekly or monthly is up to you, but regular customer experience analysis is vital because it tells you whether your efforts are paying off. If you notice a downward trend, you’ve got to look deeper and identify the root cause.
5 customer experience metrics to track
1. Net Promoter Score (NPS): NPS measures customer engagement by asking how likely customers are to recommend your company to colleagues and friends.
Why track it? Tracking your NPS is important because, as a predictor of company growth, this metric can help you observe trends and evaluate the impact of your efforts, so you can double down on what works and fix what seems to be causing problems.
2. Customer Satisfaction (CSAT): CSAT typically uses a binary scale (Yes/No, Thumbs up/Thumbs down) or a 5- to 7-point scale (1: very difficult and 7: very easy) to ask customers whether they’re satisfied with their experience.
Why track it? A sudden drop in CSAT scores likely means you’ve got a problem that needs immediate attention.
3. Customer Effort Score (CES): CES tells you how much effort your customers need to make in order to achieve a goal or solve a problem.
Why track it? A fluctuation in CES means your customers are struggling to get their needs met. It’s important to quickly identify the issue (e.g., a website glitch, an ineffective policy, a product flaw) and fix it ASAP.
4. Response Time: Response time is the amount of time it takes for a customer to receive a response to a request for help.
Why track it? It’s easy to fixate on revenue as you watch your numbers grow, but as your company scales, you’ll need to scale your support team as well—otherwise, you’ll risk losing a healthy portion of your gains. When you notice that customer response time is on the rise, it’s usually time to hire more Customer Support staff or look into internal processes that might need re-optimizing.
5. Sentiment: sentiment analysis uses machine learning to determine how people feel about your brand and your products based on what they post on social media. It only really works for larger brands with thousands of social media mentions per day, so if you’re not there yet... keep it in mind for the future!
Why track it? Companies live and die by their reputations. Struggling brands can rise from the ashes to achieve greatness, but your best bet is to address complaints before they come to define your brand.
Use customer feedback to improve CX
Free forever. Get started! | <urn:uuid:966101c9-6690-424f-aa34-e9e44f4dac33> | https://www.hotjar.com/customer-experience/analyze/ | en | 0.930766 | 0.116628 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
O'Reilly To Black Guest: Confederate Battle Flag “Represents Bravery”
Bill O'Reilly: Flag “Represents, To Some, Bravery In The Civil War Because The Confederates Fought Hard”
From the June 22 edition of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor:
Video file
JUAN WILLIAMS: You know, I just wanted to say we are having a difficult conversation here this evening. But I just wanted to end on this note. You saw Mitt Romney say we should take that flag down.
O'REILLY: The Confederate flag.
WILLIAMS: The Confederate flag, symbol of hate. You saw people like Tim Scott, Reverend Goff, the man who spoke in the church yesterday. They talked about he wanted a race war and, in fact, somehow, this is bringing black and white people together. I think we sometimes don't celebrate when people come together.
O'REILLY: That's a positive and I just -- got to go. You say the Confederate flag is a symbol of hate and you believe that.
WILLIAMS: That's the way I feel when I see it.
O'REILLY: Okay, okay. And absolutely 100 percent legitimate. For some other people who see it in a historical context --
WILLIAMS: What's the historical context?
O'REILLY: It represents bravery.
WILLIAMS: Oh get out of town.
O'REILLY: In war.
WILLIAMS: They put it up in anger when they were trying to mass resist the Civil Rights Movement in the 60's.
O'REILLY: You know as well as I do that it represents, to some, bravery in the Civil War because the Confederates fought hard.
But that's what it represents. You're right historically, but in their minds, that's what it represents. And in your mind it represents hate. So, and everybody should know what the two sides are believing. (emphasis added)
Fox & Friends Hides Hillary Clinton's Condemnation Of South Carolina Flying Confederate Flag
NY Times' Helene Cooper Explains The Problem With The Confederate Battle Flag Being Displayed By Southern States
Radio Host Michael Berry Defends Confederate Flag As Simply Representing South Carolina's “Heritage”
UPDATE: This headline has been updated for clarity. | <urn:uuid:72be6c1f-7c61-4e48-a549-a0b584d6d77a> | https://www.mediamatters.org/fox-nation/oreilly-black-guest-confederate-battle-flag-represents-bravery | en | 0.914918 | 0.055786 | mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0-parquet |
A Break-in, My Foot!
There is a knock on the door, and when I draw back the curtains I see my friend and neighbour Jane. Jane lives on the first floor while I live on the second and highest floor in our flat. I met her through my hubby a month ago; our husbands were colleagues not so long ago.She is a mother of twins and often escapes the chaos in her house by coming to my house to clear her head. She’s the reason I now have deep respect for mothers with twins. Not at all easy!
I can immediately see that Jane is not her usual jovial self. She looks a little disturbed and I learn why when she tells me why she visited. She’s here to tell me that something is wrong with her neighbour, a guy who lives in the apartment to the left of her house.
Apparently, the guy lives alone. His family is back in the countryside. The wife has been trying unsuccessfully to reach him the whole day. Fearing for the worst and not knowing what else to do, the wife decides to call our landlady, who lives on the ground floor, to go to her husband’s house and see whether all is well.
After knocking for a long time and getting no answer, the landlady tries the door and realizes, to her horror, that the door is not locked. She is tempted to go in, but she’s scared. She therefore goes to Jane’s house for advice. Should she just go in or should she find a man to go in with her? Jane tells her that the second option is a lot better. With that, my friend does what any good housewife would do, she rushes to my house to tell me the story.
As I listen to the story, I can’t help but think that this feels a lot like a Medical Detectives episode. The feeling becomes stronger when Jane shares something else. You see, her twins are 5 months old. This means that she is up 22 hours a day. Last night was no different. She was nursing one of her sons at around 11PM while sitting on her bed in the dark when she saw the guy in question pass by her window. With her bedroom lights off and the floodlights outside on and bright, she was able to identify the guy as he walked along the veranda towards his house. But he was not alone. Behind him was a lady.
But why is the door unlocked and why is he not picking up the calls or answering the knocks? Jane and I discuss all the possible explanations like it’s our business. The detective in me tells me that the lady is still inside and the guy is afraid to let her be seen, seeing that he is a married guy. I therefore dismiss the story and finally forget all about it.
“They finally found the guy,” Jane announces the following morning when I let her into the house.
“What guy?” I ask. I have already forgotten what we talked about yesterday. Before she answers though, I recall and tell her, “Your neighbour?” She nods.
They found him in his bed, disoriented and missing a front tooth. His laptop, phone and cash were missing. Curiously though, his simcard was on the table. His friends came and took him to the hospital after which he told a story that even my 2 year old could never believe.
According to the man, he got home at 11PM and started working on his laptop. That is when they broke/came in. The thieves! I’m not yet sure whether he had left the door open or what happened; I could have asked him if I was present when he told his story. Unfortunately, I was not. The thieves had a drink and they forced him to drink it lest he be killed. (I am rolling my eyes at this point.) So he obliged and took the drink. That is all he remembers.
When he was told to go record a statement with the police, the man refused.
I don’t need a degree in forensics to know that this was another case of mchele spiking. What I do not know and would like to know is whether the lady drugged him before they got to the house or in the house. I would also like to know at what point and how he lost his tooth.
Until we see each other again,
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Green Cleaners: How Green Are They?
green household cleaners,eco-friendly household cleaners,alternative cleaners,Earth Friendly Products,Green Works,Mrs. Meyers,Method,Naturally Yours,Seventh GenerationGreen household cleaners are supposed to be green. So what exactly does that mean? Well, one problem I discovered right up front is that there are NO environmental standards or single entity that determines which manufacturers are or are not green (although an independent non-profit group, Green Seal, has established comprehensive standards to determine environmentally-safe cleaners, only a few manufacturer’s have applied for certification. Unfortunately, those who have applied for certification do not include any of the manufacturer’s examined here). Terms such as eco-friendly, earth friendly, natural, nontoxic, or environmentally safe, mean nothing. Moreover, just because a product states that on their label doesn’t mean the products green, organic, or manufacturered cruelty-free.
Products that are “green” can also contain ingredients that may not be “natural” or even safe. For instance, they sometimes contain synthetic or petroleum-based ingredients, or they can contain fragrances and scents rather than essential oils. Surfactants, such as Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) may also be used. Health concerns related to SLS have been raised because when it is in the air it can turn into particles and cause a person to choke. It can also cause skin problems (dermatitis to be exact). SLES is supposedly less harsh than SLS; however, it contains 1,4-dioxane, which is a known carcinogenic, but the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) claims it would have to be used constantly and daily to ever result in cancer. Nevertheless, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) encourages manufacturers to eliminate it from their products, and many companies have moved in that direction.
The six “green” household cleaning manufacturer’s I looked at are Earth Friendly Products, Green Works (by Clorox), Mrs. Meyers, Method, Naturally Yours, and Seventh Generation.
Green Manufacturer’s Comparison of Cleaning Products
Standard Earth
Method Naturally
Biodegradable √ Some
Cruelty-free √ √
Essential Oils
Formeldehyde Traces Most
or Scent
Gluten-free * * *
Organic Some
Peanut-Free √
99% free Some
Phthalates * Some * Most
SLS Some Some Some
SLES Some Some Some
Solvents * Some
Synthetics * Most
Wheat-free √ Some
* indicates the manufacturer did not specifically state the ingredient was excluded.
(Additionally, if a manufacturer used something such as artificial colors, synthetics, SLS, SLES, etc., it doesn’t mean every single product contains it, although they could. To be sure you would still need to read the product label for each particular product, as this list is generalized.)
Based on the comparison, I would say Earth Friendly Products wins. You can see their product line by clicking on their link in the table. (Another thing, I sent them a note asking if their cleaning products were wheat, peanut, and gluten-free, ,lickety split they replied, so they have good customer service too!). Even though Earth Friendly Products won, the other products are a big improvement over conventionally manufactured cleaning products, and they are basically considered “safe.” Most are also concerned about the environment because they use recyclable packaging and safer ingredients than conventional products.
The New American Dream, a website dedicated to helping Americans consume responsibly, while also protecting the environment, suggests you DO NOT use commercial products that contain the following ingredients:
• Ammonia
• Antibacterials or Disinfectants
• Chlorine Bleach
• Corrosives
• Petroleums
• Phosphates
If you really want to help the environment and protect yourself, many environmental sites claim the best cleaners can by made by you in your own kitchen. Homemade cleaners are also considered highly effective, although they may require soaking time or a little more elbow grease than their commercial counterparts. Additionally, most homemade cleaning recipes require simple basic ingredients such as white vinegar, baking soda, borax, salt, lemon juice, or olive oil, which means they’re quick, easy, and cheap to make. If you’re interested in making your own cleaning products there are several recipes in my article Green Cleaners. If you’re interested in learning more, here’s some great books that may help:
• Clean House Clean Planet. Karen Logan, an environmentalist with years of experience, reveals the secrets of using simple, ordinary ingredients—baking soda, vinegar, soap, lemon juice, and salt to make safe, inexpensive cleaners.
• The Naturally Clean Home: 100 Safe and Easy Herbal Formulas for Non-Toxic Cleansers. This book by Karen Siegel-Maier relies on the antiseptic and antiviral properties of herbs and essential oils. Recipes include laundry and dish washing detergent, bathroom cleaners, wood, glass, and metal cleaners, air and carpet fresheners, car and pet care products, and insect repellents.
• The Naturally Clean Home. This second book by Karen Siegel-Maier contains 150 all-natural recipes for cleaning every area of the home—from bathrooms to bedding and from carpets to cabinetry.
• The Safe Shopper’s Bible: A Consumer’s Guide to Nontoxic Household Products, Cosmetics, and Food. This book rates thousands of foods, beverages, and household and personal care products. You can look up products by brand name and find out their short-term and long-term health consequences. Additionally, there are recommendations for the safest foods, personal care products, and household items.
1. Just one thought on the ‘don’t use because it’s not green’ thing.
Chlorine bleach may not be green…but it DOES kill viruses. Before we throw the baby out with the bathwater on that one, I’d strongly recommend evaluating whether there’s a situation when it’s needed. Some use of bleach may well be a boon in a household where someone has an undeveloped or weak immune system.
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