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The Diane Modahl Sports Foundation (DMSF) has announced the three Manchester icons who will receive its City of Champions accolade this year.
Manchester United hero Rio Ferdinand, Sir Howard Bernstein and Sir Richard<|fim_middle|> of Sport in Manchester.
"I am delighted that these Manchester icons will be inducted at our second City of Champions dinner and hope we'll once again attract the best of Manchester's sporting, business and cultural talents on the night."
Lawrence Jones, CEO of Manchester-based technology firm UKFast, who are sponsors of the City of Champions Gala Dinner, said: "Having supported DMSF for a long time now, we're excited to see the Foundation recognizing the icons of the city who are helping to develop the champions of the future.
"Last year's event was a truly special occasion and we're delighted to once again be involved." | Leese - Chief Executive and Leader of Manchester City Council respectively - will receive their awards at the prestigious City of Champions Gala Dinner, sponsored by UKFast, in the autumn. They'll become the second wave of City Champions after the inaugural accolade was bestowed upon Britain's most decorated Olympian, Sir Chris Hoy, in 2013.
The news coincides with Ferdinand's return to football from injury, after he rejoined the Manchester United team on 12th February in a game against Arsenal. He has enjoyed a glittering career since joining the reigning Premiership champions in 2002 and has also notched up an impressive 81 England caps and three goals for his country.
In an obvious synergy with the DMSF, Ferdinand also boasts his own foundation which helps create opportunities for young people. He explained: "It's an honour to be recognised by the Diane Modahl Sports Foundation, an organisation with which I share so many values. I've always strived to put something back into the community and it's fantastic to see athletes like Diane doing the same.
"I am thrilled to have been chosen as a recipient of this year's City of Champions award and to have my efforts in the city recognised."
The other recipients, Sir Howard Bernstein and Sir Richard Leese, are longstanding friends and supporters of the DMSF. Sir Howard has played a pivotal role in the development of Manchester and one of his earliest achievements was the establishment of the Manchester Airports Group, almost 30 years ago. Working with Sir Richard in the 1990s, the pair has played a crucial role in the development of the city, securing the Commonwealth Games and presiding over the development of the necessary infrastructure that came with it.
Speaking of the announcement, Sir Howard said: "Manchester is a vibrant and diverse city and we have created so many champions in various disciplines - so it's an honour to have been chosen against the vast pool of candidates eligible for recognition in this way!"
Sir Howard was instrumental in the preparations for the inaugural 2013 City of Champions dinner which he hosted at the Town Hall. His first hand experience means he's looking forward to it continuing into its second year: "The dinner is a fantastic way of putting the spotlight on the city, celebrating the great and the good within it and most importantly raising funds for a fantastic cause."
Sir Richard Leese, whose knighthood was bestowed upon him in 2006 following his commitment to regenerating Manchester after the 1996 IRA bomb, added: "I am thrilled to join the list of City Champions and to accept this year's award with my colleague Sir Howard and Mr Ferdinand. We've each contributed to this great City in different ways and I am looking forward to celebrating that in September."
The Diane Modahl Sports Foundation, a registered charity set up by the former international athlete after whom it is named. It gives young people access to world class coaching and coaches, with the aim of creating further Champions of the future, whether they are in the arena of sport, business, culture, politics or any other. She is especially committed to working with young people and schools in disadvantaged areas.
Last year, Modahl launched the City of Champions concept to help further raise the charity's profile and funds. It is now an annual celebration of the many great sporting, business and cultural Champions the city has developed and nurtured. A plaque of the inductees will hang in the City of Champions Hall of Fame at the English Institute | 713 |
Truth Behind Gospel of Judas Revealed in Ancient Inks
By Stephanie Pappas
The Gospel of Judas, a text dated to about A.D. 280, tells the story of Judas as a collaborator with Jesus instead of a betrayer. (Image credit: Joseph Barabe, McCrone Associates, Inc)
A long-lost gospel that casts Judas as a co-conspirator of Jesus, rather than a betrayer, was ruled most likely authentic in 2006. Now, scientists reveal they couldn't have made the call without a series of far more mundane documents, including Ancient Egyptian marriage licenses and property contracts.
The Gospel of Judas is a fragmented Coptic (Egyptian)-language text that portrays Judas in a far more sympathetic light than did the gospels that made it into the Bible. In this version of the story, Judas turns Jesus over to the authorities for execution upon Jesus' request, as part of a plan to release his spirit from his body. In the accepted biblical version of the tale, Judas betrays Jesus for 30 pieces of silver.
As part of a 2006 National Geographic Society (the Society) investigation of the document, microscopist Joseph Barabe of McCrone Associates in Illinois and a team of researchers analyzed the ink on the tattered gospel to find out if it was real or forged. Some of the chemicals in the ink raised red flags — until Barabe and his colleagues found, at the Louvre Museum, a study of Egyptian documents from the third century A.D., the same time period of the Gospal of Judas.
"What the French study told us is that ink technology was undergoing a transition," Barabe told LiveScience. The Gospel of Judas' odd ink suddenly fit into place. [Religious Mysteries: 8 Alleged Relics of Jesus]
CSI: Ancient Egypt
Barabe and his colleagues specialize in thorough investigations of old — or supposedly old — documents and artwork. The chemical composition of inks used can reveal the difference between something authentically ancient and a forgery. In 2009, Barabe helped expose a gospel called the "Archaic Mark," which some claimed was a 14th-century manuscript, as a modern forgery. He's also worked with the Federal Bureau of Investigation to detect forged paintings.
A call from National Geographic, however, was a "big deal," Barabe said. "It was both thrilling and an honor," he added.
The Society wanted to find out if the Gospel of Judas, discovered in the 1970s, really dated back to early days of Christianity or whether it was, like Archaic Mark, a fake. Barabe brought together a team of scientists with a variety of specialties, and they ran the Gospel through an intensive analysis of microscopy and spectroscopy. [See Images of the Ancient 'Gospel' Documents]
A fragment of the Gospel of Judas with writing. (Image credit: Joseph Barabe, McCrone Associates, Inc)
At first, their findings offered little hope that the Gospel of Judas was real. The document was written in two inks — black and brown — mixed together. The black was an ink called "lamp black," which was consistent with the inks used in Egyptian writings from ancient times and into the third century, Barabe said.
But the brown ink was more mysterious. It was an iron-rich ink called iron gall, but it lacked the sulfur usually found in inks of this sort. The pressure was on to explain the difference.
"One thing that made this<|fim_middle|> of approximately A.D. 280. (Barabe and his colleagues caution that this finding doesn't prove beyond doubt that the document is authentic, but rather that there are no red flags proving it's a forgery.)
"There was definitely a point where, all of the sudden, I just kind of relaxed and said, 'This is probably just fine,'" Barabe said.
Barabe presented the behind-the-scenes story of the Gospel of Judas investigation today (April 8) at the annual meeting of the American Chemical Society in New Orleans. After the National Geographic investigation of the Gospel of Judas, the document was returned to the Coptic Museum in Cairo.
Follow Stephanie Pappas on Twitter and Google+. Follow us @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on LiveScience.com.
Stephanie Pappas
Stephanie Pappas is a contributing writer for Live Science, covering topics ranging from geoscience to archaeology to the human brain and behavior. She was previously a senior writer for Live Science but is now a freelancer based in Denver, Colorado, and regularly contributes to Scientific American and The Monitor, the monthly magazine of the American Psychological Association. Stephanie received a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of South Carolina and a graduate certificate in science communication from the University of California, Santa Cruz. | a little bit more dramatic than we would have liked is, we did the sampling in the third week of January of 2006, and the press conference was already scheduled for the third week in April of that same year," Barabe said. "So we had three months to turn this critter around with a conclusion, and it really put an enormous amount of pressure on us, because we were faced with what was essentially a three-month rush project."
Authenticating the gospel
Some facets of the document did suggest authenticity. The most promising of these characteristics, Barabe said, was that the ink wasn't piled up in the warped papyrus, suggesting the document was written before the warping happened. Had someone tried to write on a pre-warped papyrus, the ink would have gathered in crevices and dips — a sure sign someone had intentionally tried to make new papyrus look old. Instead, the Gospel seems to have been written on flat papyrus and aged naturally. National Geographic also commissioned other analyses of the Gospel, including radiocarbon dating, script analysis and linguistic style.
Barabe hit the books, looking for other studies on early Egyptian inks. The study of Egyptian marriage certificates and land documents from the Louvre proved to be the clincher.
That study found that contracts in Egypt in the mid-third century were written in lamp black ink, in the traditional Egyptian style. But they were officially registered in the traditional Greek style, using brown iron gall ink.
The Louvre study findings suggested to the teamthat the presence of both inks was consistent with an early date for the Gospel of Judas, Barabe said.
What's more, the Louvre study found that the metal-based inks from this time period contained little sulfur, just like the ink on the Gospel of Judas.
The discovery gave the researchers the confidence to declare the document consistent with a date | 383 |
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Mending Broken Promises
Posted on June 20, 2009 by David J Edery | 5 Comments
The Wii is a funny thing. When it comes up in conversation, half the time I find myself arguing with people who claim it's just a fad. The other half the time, I'm arguing with people who seem to think that Nintendo is beyond reproach or that anyone who criticizes the Wii simply can't see past their own hardcore biases.
I think the fundamental issue at play is far more subtle than "the Wii is a fad" vs. "hardcore gamers don't get it." You can't rationally argue against Nintendo's success at this point… too many units of the Wii and games like Wii Fit have been sold to call this a fad. And you can't deny that the Wii was a strategically brilliant move on Nintendo's part. At the same time, it's troubling to see how many people — casual OR hardcore — are allowing their Wii to collect dust. Why is that the case?
I have a hypothesis. Nintendo's brilliant advertisements (plus the miracle of Wii Sports) have done a great job of conveying a simple, compelling promise to consumers. Actually, it's more like a series of mini-promises: buy the Wii, and you can wield a sword like an honest-to-goodness samurai; buy a Wii, and you can play a realistic round of golf anytime you want; buy Wii Fit, and you can enjoy a fun, legitimate aerobic workout.
Except you can't. The original Wiimote simply doesn't offer the level of accuracy and position-sensitivity necessary to live up to these promises. There are a<|fim_middle|> and casual consumers — if not on a conscious level then perhaps a subconscious level? Will those consumers approach future Nintendo titles and innovations with the same level of eagerness?
Personally, I think the answer to that question largely depends on Motion Plus. If it enables a golf game that feels just like playing real golf — unlike the pale substitute in Wii Sports — that's something. If it enables a lightsaber game that makes you feel like Darth Vader — not like Darth Vader's retarded cousin — that's something. A marriage of compelling subject matter, plus thoughtful game design, plus reliable hardware — this is the Wii as it was always meant to be — the Wii as it always should have been!
…if only people notice. A surprising number of my casual gamer friends have never even heard of Motion Plus. I guess we'll be hearing about the success of titles like Wii Sports Resort soon enough, and then we'll really know how many people heard the siren's call. Either way, Nintendo has a good year to get the message out — to get people excited about the Wii all over again. And there's plenty of room for a price cut on the Wii, too. That should give it a very serious shot in the arm.
And if not, there's always Natal, right?
Update, 6.21.09: Kim has pointed out a nice post of his own on the same subject. Worth a read.
This entry was posted in Platforms. Bookmark the permalink.
5 responses to "Mending Broken Promises" | ton of games featuring sword combat, but none of them make you feel like you're actually wielding a sword; not even close. Golf games feel OK… when you're playing for distance; the act of putting (especially in Wii Sports) feels about as natural and enjoyable as a root canal. And Wii Fit, as I noted when it first launched, is brilliant in many ways but ultimately a failure as a long-term, engaging cardiovascular exercise experience. (To be fair: Wii Fit Plus may well address this, as may third party products.)
Long story short, Nintendo has made a bunch of promises, explicitly and implicitly, and has failed to actually keep many of those promises. This hasn't hurt sales of the Wii or games like Wii Fit because:
Experiences like tennis and bowling in Wii Sports are such incredible (but apparently rare) showcases of the Wii's value,
The idea of the Wii is so compelling,
There's nothing else like it on the market (yet),
The price is right, and,
Nintendo's marketing team is firing on all cylinders.
But long term, you have to ask: do the broken promises have any impact on Nintendo's credibility with hardcore | 235 |
Yellow Cab Co.<|fim_middle|> the team Amanda and wish you many years of profitable success while making a difference in the communities we serve. Thank you, Yellow Cab Kitsap. | of Kitsap County is a premier taxi service company who provides multiple transportation solutions for all of your transportation needs.
Whether you're staying in town or need to safely get to the airport on time, no matter the situation, you can depend on us to get you there.
Yellow Cab Co. of Poulsbo welcomes Michael Young to the Kitsap team. With over 30 years of local driving experience he is sure to make an impression and deliver service consistent with Yellow Cab Kitsap standards. Keep a look out for one of the best cabbies serving the Bainbridge Island and Poulsbo area. His personal modal is safety and convenience, so as you will see he will be a perfect fit here in Kitsap County!
In honor of Memorial Day. Yellow Cab Co. of Kitsap County will be providing free rides for all veterans, active duty and retired military in the Bremerton WA area on Memorial Day. If you are interested in a free ride please call and make a reservation as soon as possible. We fill up really fast, so please do call today!
Yellow Cab Co of Poulsbo and Kitsap County would like to welcome Amanda Morgan to the yellow team in North Kitsap County. Amanda has over a year of direct taxi experience in Bainbridge Island and comes from a quality taxi company in Poulsbo and that's why she will be directly serving Poulsbo, Bainbridge Island and all of North Kitsap County. Amanda's passion is the experience for her customers and believes in safety first. I appreciate having you a part of the team Amanda and wish you many years of profitable success while making a difference in the communities we serve. Thank you, Yellow Cab Kitsap.
Yellow Cab Co of Poulsbo would like to welcome Amanda Morgan to the yellow team in Poulsbo and Bainbridge Island. Amanda has over a year of direct taxi experience in Kitsap County and comes from a quality taxi company in Poulsbo. She will be directly serving Poulsbo, Bainbridge Island and all of North Kitsap County. Amanda's passion is the experience for her customers and believes in safety first. I appreciate having you a part of the team Amanda and wish you many years of profitable success while making a difference in the communities of Bainbridge Island and Poulsbo. Thank you, Yellow Cab Kitsap.
Yellow Cab Co of Bremerton would like to welcome Amanda Morgan to the yellow team in Bremerton. Amanda has over a year of direct taxi experience in Kitsap County and comes from a quality taxi company in Poulsbo and that's why she will be directly serving Poulsbo, Bainbridge Island and all of North Kitsap County. Amanda's passion is the experience for her customers and believes in safety first. I appreciate having you a part of | 563 |
ARC Linkage Programs
ARC Special Research Initiative in Excellence in Antarctic Science (2021)
Special Research Initiative grant
Dr Jan Zika and Prof Darryn Waugh (with M. England, J. Church, L. Menviel, A. Sen Gupta, and others).
The Australian Centre for Excellence in Antarctic Science. The Centre will revolutionise predictions of the future of East Antarctica and the Southern Ocean. Changes in the Antarctic will be profoundly costly to Australia, including sea-level and fisheries impacts; but the speed and scale of future change remains poorly understood. A new national-scale and interdisciplinary Centre is required to understand the complex interactions of the ocean, ice sheets, atmosphere and ecosystems that will govern Antarctica's future. The Centre will combine new field data with innovative models to address Australia's Antarctic science priorities, train graduate students, develop leaders, engage the public, and enable major economic benefit as Australia adapts to climate change in the coming years and beyond.
Fast Disk Storage to Enable Big Data Science in Weather, Oceans and Climate (2020)
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities grant
Dr Jan Zika (with M. Reeder, J. Arblaster, J. Brown, B. Evans, A. Hogg, N. Holbrook, C. Jakob, F. Johnson, M. Kay, T. Lane, C. Shakespeare, S. Sherwood, C. Vincent, P. Strutton)
This project aims to expand Australia's capacity to<|fim_middle|> Medicine, New York. Adelle Coster has a joint appointment with the Garvan Institute for Medical Research and works on the link between insulin receptor signalling and glucose uptake into muscle and fat cells.
There are considerable opportunities for PhD and honours projects with a number of these in collaboration with biomedical research institutes. Scholarships for PhD study may be available. For details please contact Adelle, Bruce, or John.
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Bad connection. Try again later. | do high-impact innovative climate, weather and oceanographic science. Science of this kind relies on massive data coupled to computationally highly intensive and complex analysis. Therefore, the project will purchase fast disk storage and install it at the National Computing Infrastructure. It is anticipated that the project will benefit the nation through better understanding of the climate system, including extremes; improvements in our capacity to make predictions; and through applications of the science to forecasting, the management of resources among other many other things.
An end-to-end ocean weather information system for the blue economy (2018-2020)
Linkage Project grant
Industry Partner: MetOcean Solutions Ltd and Oceanographic Field Services Pty Ltd
Prof Moninya Roughan and Dr Shane Keating (with C. Kerry, C. Holden, B. Powell, D. Johnson)
This project aims to develop a state-of-the-art ocean weather information system for marine industries. The project will design an end-to-end solution that integrates ocean observations, operational forecasting, and data delivery. By addressing industry needs, this project will provide a rapid pathway from research to economic benefit.
Remote sensing to improve structural efficiency of high-speed catamarans (2018-2021)
Industry Partner: Revolution Design Pty Ltd
A/Prof Spiro Penev and Prof Pierre Del Moral (with J. Lavroff, D. Holloway, D. Dessi, G. Thomas, G. Davidson, T. Roberts)
This project aims to develop a monitoring system to remotely measure ship motions, loads and ride control activity under commercial operations. Data will be analysed using advanced statistical methods to inform evidence-based design to improve both structural efficiency and passenger comfort. The research will impact on design rules used worldwide, reducing weight and increasing payload and transport efficiency for this class of vessel. A "Smart" semi-autonomous interface will be developed to provide on-board seakeeping guidance to the ship captain. This technology will have significant benefits such as increased ship safety, vessel longevity and improving passenger comfort for all types of vessels worldwide including high-speed catamarans.
Resolving the impact of the warming East Australian Current on a coastal marine food web (2016-2019) (led out of Macquarie University)
Industry Partner: Zoological Parks Board of NSW; Australian Antarctic Division; Office of Environment and Heritage.
Prof Moninya Roughan (with Dr Ian Jonsen; Professor Robert Harcourt; Professor Iain Suthers; Associate Professor Martina Doblin; Dr David Slip; Dr Martin Cox)
This project aims to understand the effects of climate change on marine food webs, from plankton production to predation by iconic marine fauna, by integrating data on oceanographic conditions and fish distribution with the foraging patterns and breeding success of seabirds. Warming waters due to strengthening western boundary currents have unknown consequences for coastal marine food webs. Innovative prey capture signatures from accelerometers, and advanced movement models from satellite locations will show how predators locate and prey upon fish schools. Anticipated outcomes are insight into how changing resource availability in the oceans affects ecosystem resilience; improved viability for coastal industries; and ecosystem-based conservation management strategies.
A unique integrated approach to predicting fisheries recruitment (2015-2018)
Industry Partner: Department of Primary Industries; NSW Rock Lobster Association.
Prof Moninya Roughan (with Prof Andrew Jeffs, University of Auckland; Dr Geoffrey Liggins and Dr Melinda Coleman, Dept. Primary Industries).
This project plans to explore the causes of the worldwide decline in the highly lucrative spiny lobster fisheries that has occurred in recent decades. This decline has been attributed to ocean warming, however, the exact mechanism contributing to the demise of lobsters is not known. This project will use a hierarchy of oceanic models of increasing complexity combined with a unique spiny lobster data set to investigate the relationship between larval health, physiology and environmental variables and how this affects survival and successful recruitment into the fishery. An understanding of these complex relationships is expected to enable the first predictions of larval survival and settlement in a region of accelerated ocean warming, and provide critical information for sustainable fisheries management.
Advancing vegetation classification and mapping to meet conservation needs (2015-2018)
Industry Partner: NSW Office of Environment and Heritage/National Parks and Wildlife Service
Prof David Warton (with Prof David Keith, UNSW; Prof Stuart Phinn, UQ; Dr Jane Elith, Melbourne; Mr Daniel Connolly, OEH).
Classifications and maps of vegetation are part of the fundamental information infrastructure needed for planning, management and regulatory decisions for biodiversity conservation in Australia, and worldwide. A key requirement for such applications is for classifications and maps to accurately represent the distribution of biota. In this project we will develop modern, advanced statistical and modelling techniques to classify and map vegetation over very large areas, using the most extensive and detailed vegetation data set in Australia, and new methods to evaluate these classifications.
Innovative mathematical modelling to determine incorporation of gene therapy in different cell lineages; Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) as a model setting (2013-2016)
Industry Partner: Calimmune
Gene therapy is a promising therapeutic that is being developed to address genetic diseases and viral infections such as Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). This project, involving collaboration between Prof John Murray from the School and Dr Geoff Symonds of Calimmune, will produce mathematical models of how gene therapy delivered to one type of cell can differentiate into the desired end target and impact disease.
The trophic ecosystem of a purpose-built, offshore artificial reef: do coastal currents supply sufficient nutrients for the local production of fish? (2012-2015)
Industry Partner: NSW Department of Primary Industries (Fisheries NSW).
Prof Moninya Roughan (with Prof Iain Suthers and Prof Emma Johnston, UNSW, and Michael Lowry, Matthew Taylor and Charles Gray, Dept. Primary Industries).
Artificial reefs are increasingly used for the growing tourism and recreational fishing sectors, but do these reefs simply attract fish or do they support an ecosystem that sustainably produces fish? We will determine if the recreational catch of fish around artificial reefs is based on the flow of nutrients and plankton through the complex structure, compared to the boundary layer flow over natural reef. Reef surface area, flow disturbance and residence time of fish may be the key ecosystem parameters. The deployment of such reefs in video range of the Sydney cliffs, in the midst of an existing ocean observing system, will provide a scientific basis for the 12 reefs proposed off our coast and elsewhere around Australia.
Innovative approaches to identifying regional responses of biodiversity to climate change (2010-2013)
Industry Partner: The Australian Museum
Prof David Warton (with Dr Daniel Ramp, Dr Kim Jenkins, Dr Mick Ashcroft, Dr John Gollan, Dr Patrick Driver). Prof Warton and Australian Museum collaborators are developing innovative methods of mapping biodiversity and how biodiversity may respond to climate change at the regional scale. This project will produce climate models that are more detailed and which better reflect the climate experienced in species habitats than was previously possible, using new field measurements and novel modelling approaches. Novel biodiversity modelling approaches will then be used to study the potential threats of climate change to biodiversity in unique World Heritage Areas in the Sydney region.
Can an anti-HIV gene in blood stem cells protect from immune depletion by HIV? (2010-2012)
Calimmune is developing a gene therapy that suppresses the expression of the HIV co-receptor CCR5, so that when administered to a person with HIV infection their immune cells will be protected. Prof John Murray from the School and Dr Geoff Symonds of Calimmune obtained a Linkage Grant to investigate the effectiveness of this therapy in the laboratory, and to estimate the impact such a gene therapy could have in an HIV-infected individual. This collaboration between Prof Murray and Dr Symonds follows on from previous joint work related to another anti-HIV gene therapy developed and tested in a clinical trial by Johnson & Johnson Research Australia. Mathematical modeling will play an important role in this project, as it has done in their previous work.
Optimisation Projects with Industry
Prof Gary Froyland has led several optimisation projects with industry and government.
BHP Billiton: Two ARC Linkage Projects (with Prof. Natashia Boland, Prof. Peter Taylor, Mr Peter Stone, Dr Merab Menabde, and Dr Mark Zuckerberg) and an externally funded project developed a suite of novel optimisation methodologies to improve BHP Billiton's strategic planning of open pit mining projects. These improvements included the development of long-term plans to maximise project Net Present Value (NPV), the development of optimisation methods to optimise NPV when presented with uncertain geological information, and improved algorithms to optimise long-term plans using huge geological models of very high resolution over several decades.
Patrick Corporation: Development of new scheduling algorithms for Patrick Corporation's new container exchange facility at Port Botany (with Dr Thorsten Koch, Dr Nicole Megow, and Mr Howard Wren). The optimisation algorithms produced a gantry crane schedules that completely eliminated wasteful rehandling moves of containers, and were incorporated into the Port Botany operations.
Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTO): Research project (with Dr Jez Gray and Dr Therese Keane) to optimally schedule landing operations of amphibious vehicles deployed from navy ships, and to most efficiently pack vehicles and other supplies on multi-decked ships with multiple unloading modes.
NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics: Undertook collaborative research (with Dr Don Weatherburn) to model the dynamics of prison populations and the effects of government policy decisions. We showed that significant reductions in prison populations could be achieved by lowering recidivism, particularly when the recidivism rate is very high.
Hunter Valley Coal Chain Logistics Team: Studied the coal supply chain at the Port of Newcastle to better understand the supply chain dynamics and reduce inefficiencies and ship queue lengths off Newcastle (with Dr Peter Pudney and Dr Palitha Welgama).
Biomedical Applications of Mathematical Modelling
Adelle Coster, Bruce Henry and John Murray work in the area of mathematical biology. John Murray has a joint appointment with the National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research, holds NHMRC grants and grants with pharmaceutical companies, and provides consulting to the pharmaceutical industry on mathematical modelling. Bruce Henry works on a number of projects funded by NIH and ARC grants with the Computational Neurobiology and Imaging Center, Mount Sinai School of | 2,158 |
West Bromwich Albion manager Tony Mowbr<|fim_middle|> However, Mowbray said he would consider all options.
"I know the type of players I'd like in an ideal world," said Mowbray. | ay has praised the Baggies fans for their unwavering support, despite the side's return of one point from seven games.
Supporters have had little to cheer in that run as Albion have scored just three goals and have slipped to the bottom of the Premier League, but fans have stuck by Mowbray's side and chanted the Albion manager's name.
Mowbray believes the club's heritage of attractive football has been a factor as the fans can see and appreciate what Mowbray and his men are trying to achieve, and he said he hopes they will continue to support his philosophy.
"I think that it is right it is publicly said and the fans are praised for their support," Mowbray said. "It is important the fans stay with the team. I know they don't enjoy losing, we don't enjoy losing, but I hope they enjoy the football.
Albion have come through a tough sequence with games at Manchester United, Newcastle United and Liverpool, and a home clash with Chelsea, but now they face a sequence that provide a more realistic test, starting at Wigan Athletic on Saturday.
Mowbray admits the run-up to Christmas could be a vital period and he is confident that the patience of the supporters will be rewarded. "We had a couple of half chances against Chelsea before they scored," he recalled.
"For us to get in front against those teams is something we need to strive for. Once we are in front the game can change course rather than having to chase the game.
"I think even when we were 3-0 down in the last 15 minutes the whole stadium was still singing and supporting the team. Hopefully that shows a positive mind-set from the fans, that they are sticking with the team.
"They appreciate it is going to be a long, hard season and the only way we are going to come out with a positive outcome is for us all to stick together.
Mowbray is preparing to bolster his squad during the January transfer window and has revealed he may look to recruit experienced Premier League players on loan, rather than taking a gamble on young, promising talent, with a striker and a defensive midfielder top of his list. | 448 |
To be self-sufficient a person using any knife should know how to keep his tool sharp.
It is actually more involving than it appears and some people can not sharpen their tools while some other can do it extremely well. This blog gives an explanation to all this mystery.
1. Knowing the original capability of the tool.
The makers of tools usually know quite well how to bring out the best capabilities of their tools, a user can rarely bring any tool to a better state than provided by its maker when new.
For this reason it would be futile for the owner of a kitchen knife to attempt to make it as sharp as an expensive razor blade. If it can be done, the maker of the knife would have done it to advertise his products.
2. The material of a knife determines its practical sharpness.
2a- The sharpness of a knife depends on its materials. The materials of the knife blades are mostly metals. Any metal is made up of grains which adhere together firmly and closely. Atoms inside each grain arrange themselves into geometric pattern fitting the chemical bond configuration of the metal. The arrangement of atoms in each grain determines all (including physical) properties of that grain (For example, in one arrangement each atom may have twelve closest neighboring atoms while in another arrangement each may have only eight neighbors.). The bond configuration depends on and may even change drastically with the introduction of foreign (solute) atoms into the host (solvent) atoms of the grains. The change from one arrangement into another of atoms in a grain is called a phase transformation by metallurgists.
When metal solidifies multitude of crystallization centers form simultaneously and they are randomly oriented. Each crystallization center gives rise to one grain. The boundary of each grain is where its orientation is terminated by meeting different orientations from neighbor grains.
2b- If the grains cannot be shaped, cut and cannot adhere together to hold the shape of a thin edge then no thin knife edge can be formed. If the grains of a knife blade deform, crack easily or don't adhere together there is no way of making a sharp edge for the knife. The boundaries between grains in a metal are the weak points of that metal. Cracks in a metal usually develop and propagate along grain boundaries. Corrosion also begins at grain boundaries.
2c- Any knife blade made of a single grain would be stronger and more corrosion resistant but it is uneconomical to make such knives from single large grains. Practical knife blades are made of metal with multitude of randomly oriented tiny grains. Finer grains give blades with better resistance to cracking.
2d- If the grains of a knife edge are heterogeneous then the blade can crack easily: Cast iron has heterogeneous grains and it is very hard to make any good cutting edge out of cast iron.
2e- When tougher grains of steel are gouged by the sharp particles of a grinding wheel their debris fly off at higher speeds. For this reason, high strength carbon steels give off the longest sparks when ground by a grinding wheel while mild steel and cast iron give off shorter sparks. For carbon steels knives it can be said that only blades that give off long sparks can make sharp knives (This observation does not apply to stainless steel knives as stainless steel debris don't burn in air to make sparks).
2f- If the grains are flattened in the same plane as the knife edge then they can adhere together better: Forged knives hold their sharpness better than non-forged knives.
3. Application to the proper usage and care of knives.
Do not leave sharp kitchen knives made of high-carbon steel wet. Corrosion by water can damage it overnight resulting in the cutting edge being serrated.
4. Sharpening of a knife edge.
4a- Preserve the original shapes angles of the knives. The angles of the sharp edges have been chosen by the knife makers to give optimal sharpness and durability: Thin razor blades are sharp but are not impact resistant, thick axe blades are not that sharp but are impact resistant.
4b- When sharpening a knife blade, the grains of the sharpening stone should be finer than the required thin edge of the blade.
4c- All carbon and alloy steel tools can be ground and sharpened by Aluminum oxide sharpening stones.
4d- Quality alloy steel items (made of "tool steel" having higher hardness and can be used to cut other types of steel) such as "high speed steel" drill bits and lathe cutting bits should be sharpened by "silicon carbide" sharpening stones.
Applying higher pressure between a silicon carbide stone and the steel does not make the grinding any faster but make the binding matrix of the stone break and wear down the stone.
Therefore suitable (matching) type of grinding stones should be used for each type of steel.
Any flat back of a hard ceramic tile.
Any piece of<|fim_middle|> is ready to be served. Each eater may add soy sauce, red vinegar, ground pepper, sliced hot chilly to his individual bowl to suit his taste.
In authentic recipes for this dish, there is no premixing of pepper or chilly to force their consumption.
11. Small amounts of usual common ingredients can be added. They include chopped green chives (Hẹ) and fried slices of spring onion (Hành Lá).
3. Noodle soup with Barbecue Pork (Mì Xá Xíu).
1. Buy 100g of barbecue pork from a Chinese "Roast Pork, Barbecue Pork, Roast Ducks" kitchen or restaurant.
2. Cut it into thin slices of 2mm (3/32 inch) thick.
3. Jump to step 5 of Authentic recipe for Noodle Soup with Pork Ribs.
Additional types of Noodle Soups.
Figure: Noodle soup with egg pasta wrapped minced prawns (Mì Xủi Cảo) which is similarly prepared. The ingredients in this photo reveal the recipe.
Figure: So called "Noodle Soup with Prawns, and Pork", (Mì Tôm Thịt) in 300 ml bowl with its small bowl of soup broth served from a Vietnamese restaurant in Australia. Various ingredients are simply added into the bowl. This is only partially similar to an authentic Noodle Soup with Pork. A transparent broth indicates that it may have been made by dissolving mono-sodium glutamate in water!
The broth in the figure for Noodle Soup with Prawns, and Pork is too transparent. This is a sign that it may have been non-authentically prepared by simply dissolving mono-sodium glutamate in water! I found that I had suffered the MSG syndromes after eating it.
Pork ribs or ready made barbecue pork.
Dried fish for making soup (Khô Cá Lẹp in Vietnamese) supplied by Vietnamese and Chinese grocery stores.
Green chives (Hẹ in Vietnamese) and crispy fried slices of spring onions (Hành Lá in Vietnamese).
Tiny pieces of crispy fried lard.
1. Cooks using non-authentic recipes may put in a lot of monosodium glutamate to fool customers. Traditional, authentic recipes have no such modern ingredient.
In the short term, mono-sodium glutamate may cause extreme headache, throat congestion, prolong thirst and swelling of your ankles and feet. Do NOT eat any non-authentic dish prepared with such ingredient.
2. Do NOT eat any dish if you suspect that it has been prepared using borax.
Borax is banned as a food ingredient. Borax is mainly used as a Welding Flux (for goldsmith welding and for industrial brazing using Acetylene-Oxygen Gas Torches), in Photo-chemistry (as a Stopper Solution), in Pest Control (the mixture of Borax and Icing Sugar is an Ant Poison). Its Vietnamese name is Hàn The (Hàn=for welding, The=sour taste).
5. Where to find it.
It is a common favorite dish (costing 30000VND =$2.00 US in 2017) in Vietnam (in Saigon). In Australia, it cost $12 AU.
I don't know how much it would cost in a Vietnamese restaurant outside Vietnam. It may cost you $6.00 US (?).
Good approximation to solar declination by a watch face , Navigating with an AM MW radio receiver, The Scorpius constellation, Quick fire making using sunlight.,The Orion constellation, Rice as emergency food , Using GPS in off-grid situations, Identifying moderately bright navigational stars, Slide Sky-Map for displaying tropical stars,…all.
Climbing onto your own roof.
During a recession, the cost of periodic roof inspections may be high for you. If your house is a single-storey one and its roof is neither steep nor slippery then you may be able to climb onto it to carry out the inspections yourself. This will save you money and will also save you from scams on unnecessary repairs carried out by dishonest tradesmen.
This blog shows the essential safety points in getting onto your own roof.
You need shoes with non-slip soft rubber soles.
2. Secure setup of the ladder.
Your climbing ladder must be securely set up.
The ladder should be inclined at the slope of 4 up 1 across. Its top must rest against a firm surface, its base must be on firm ground to stop it from tipping over.
The ladder may additionally need ropes tying it down at 45° to ground pegs on both sides to stop its top from sliding sideways and tipping over.
The top rung of the ladder should be nearly level to the roof surface you intend to climb onto. The two rails of the ladder should be higher than the roof top so that you can hold onto them to get onto or down from the roof top.
3. Safety line from a high point of the roof.
To avoid accidental falling to the ground you need a safety line tied from a high point of the roof to your body.
The other end of the safety line must be tied to a higher point of the roof.
A taut rope thrown across the horizontal ridge line and tied to a heavy sand bag on the ground on the other side of the roof may serve as a safety rope.
To lay such a safety rope, you may need to first throw a ball of feed line across the ridge then use the so laid feed line to pull up the safety rope.
4. Safe climbing onto your roof.
With the above 3 conditions satisfied, you may safely climb onto the non-steep, non-slippery roof of your single storey house.
Make sure that the safety rope has little slack, is strong enough to hold twice your weight and your roof is non-steep, non-slippery, then you can climb onto it.
If necessary, move on your roof with all your two hands and two feet. This will spread your weight evenly and effectively prevent slips.
When you have got onto the roof, stick to the load bearing lines of your roof. The load bearing lines are along the nail lines of metal sheet roofs or along the horizontal toes lines of European terracotta tile roofs.
Some roofs (such as brittle tile roofs, thin plastic roofs, glass roofs) have NO LOAD BEARING LINES AT ALL and you must have specialist equipment to safely access them.
Makes good points. In my younger years, I walked rooftops of structural fire buildings, and there's more to it. The mattress feeling under your feet. Foreign matter on the roof that can cause slipping. Sub-roof structurally compromised, and collapse under your bodyweight, and I have seen firefighters fall through more than once. There's a lot to it. | abrasive paper wrapped around a firm flat surface.
4g- A liquid lubricant helps removing metal and stone debris from the grinding location and keep the grinding points cool. This makes faster grinding. Kerosene or light machine oil can be used as grinding, sharpening lubricant on proper sharpening stones. Using water as lubricant may cause corrosion on some types of steel.
4h. When sharpening the cutting edge of a knife by rubbing it against a stone that edge should be trailing behind the knife and kept at right angle to the direction of motion (the direction of the grinding stroke). Tiny grooves made at right angle to the cutting edge by this method of sharpening may serve as serration and may make the knife cut better.
Rubbing a block of cheese against a cheese grafter would give you some visualization of the effect of grinding steel grains against a sharpening stone.
Figure: Direction of grinding: The blade is rubbed against the sharpening stone by pulling it towards the user with his right hand; the small aluminium oxide sharpening stone is mounted on a flat plastic bar which is held by his left hand.
Figure: Direction of grinding: The blade is rubbed against the sharpening stone by pushing it away from the user with his right hand; the small aluminium oxide sharpening stone is mounted on a flat plastic bar which is held by his left hand.
4i. Pulling lengthwise the thin cutting edge of a sharp knife against a grinding stone will make it lose its shape and may destroy its toughness. Pulling lengthwise is only acceptable for axes and chopping knives with thick blades.
Pulling lengthwise against a sharpening stone may leave lengthwise grooves and lines of residual stress which may curl a thin blade.
4j. Circular grinding motion may be a compromise motion for sharpening a long knife blade.
4k. Sharpening by a powered grinding wheel may bring the steel of the knife blade to too high a temperature and may change its material as well as creating residual stresses in it. High speed steel is again the exception.
Sharpening a thin knife is not hard and is a satisfying experience when adhering to all the above instructions.
So it is worthwhile to inform people this little-known fact that some types of beautiful color glass do fade under sunlight while some other do not.
1. Some types of color glass fade under sunlight.
Figure: A diamond shaped glass object placed on top of a prism of colorless clear glass. The diamond shaped object is now almost colorless and retains only a faint taint of its former deep orange color.
Some diamond shaped decorative glass objects of red, yellow, pink colors have not faded while similar objects (bought from the same shop at the same price) of orange, green colors have faded significantly.
The fading is in the bulk of the color glass, not in its surface coating (None of my glass items had any color coating).
To know why the colors fade we have to know why some types of glass have colors.
2. Why do some types of glass have colors ?
Glass makers mix compounds of transitional metals into clear glass to give it colors. The atoms of transitional metals have many unfilled outermost shells of electrons. Electrons can jump between those unfiĺled outermost shells absorbing or emitting light with the exact visible wavelengths corresponding to the differences between discrete energy levels of the shells (Those atoms act like resonating antennas placed in the beam of incoming electromagnetic waves having those wavelengths.).
The energy levels between unfilled shells and the number of electrons in those shells of the transitional elements change with the electronic configuration of their atoms. That is why a single transitional element may have different colors in its different compounds.
3. Practical effects of change of colors in the bulk of glass.
Figure: Colorful object of glass art such as this should be kept away from sunlight when its fade resistance has not been ascertained.
Effectively, some change in the bonding of transition metal atoms with its surrounding atoms is enough to change the color of the glass. Heat, sunlight and irradiation can all cause this change.
Some dishonest antique collectors subjected their antique glass items to irradiation to change their colors. The items are then sold on at higher prices as antique items with rare colors.
" Fakers and forgers are now using a new method to alter the color of antique and collectible glassware. It is called irradiation. … irradiation changes glass internally within the very atoms of the glass ." This precaution also applies to gemstones .
Prized glass items of beautiful colors are usually made by reputable glass makers from non-fading glass. Similarly gemstones are appreciated because theirs color are non-fading.
Stained glass windows should be made from only time-proven non-fading types of glass as sunlight may bleach any untested new type of color glass.
It is little -known but sunlight and irradiation can change (bleach or deepen) the colors of many glass items. Consequently only glass and gemstone items of proven non-fading types be displayed under sunlight.
As sunlight can bleach many types of color glass, stained glass windows should be made from only time-proven non-fading types of glass.
Indian mariners had first use of magnetic navigational compasses.
The magnetic navigational compasses may have been first used by Indian people and may not have been first invented by Chinese people as often claimed.
1. Claims that China invented the compasses.
So the compasses are used in China after 206 BC, but it was initially only for geomancy.
So the written records on the use of compasses for navigation in China are made after year 960 CE.
Note that there were South-pointing chariots used in ancient China before year 235 CE [2b, 2c, 2d] but their operation was not based on magnetism. Their operation relied on the differential between the numbers of rotations of the left and right wheels (of same size) of each chariot to give its total yawing angle since departure.
Those chariots may have even been "first constructed by the Duke of Zhou (beginning of the 1st millennium BC) as a means of conducting homewards certain envoys who had arrived from a great distance beyond the frontiers." [2b].
by Author Andy Dingley, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license.
2. Appropriate places to look for records.
Many people look for easily read records. China certainly has many records which have been translated into English and are easily understood by readers in the World.
However, China is a land conquering empire, requiring little use of compasses while India is a sea faring trading empire which may benefit a lot from compasses. The logical place to look for records of first use of navigational compasses should therefore be India, an outreaching seafaring trading empire (as necessity is the mother of inventions). Indian influence is obvious over the vast area of Indian Ocean, Polynesian nations and (mostly South) Pacific Ocean [2e].
Any discovery of earlier use of magnetic navigational compass predating Chinese use should not surprise/disappoint investigators as the people of the trading Olmec nation (on the side of the Gulf of Mexico) has even used lodestones, hematite, magnetite since 1500 BC, one thousand year before any record of Chinese first use of lodestones , .
It is to be noted that China is on the East of India while Arab countries, Spain, Olmec are spread to its West.
3. Many evidences pointing to ancient use of compasses by Indian people .
The literature of the out reaching, sea faring nation India have many evidence to support its first use of the magnetic navigation compass.
However, no evidence have been given in to support the claim of "around 1800 BC".
4. Evidence on knowledge of magnetic attraction by Indian people since 500BC.
In Vedas, there is reference to "ayas" implying Iron and "Akarshan" attaction, thus, pointing to Iron-magnet relationship.
The date of 500 BCE assigned for Kalidasa quoted by may be in error. Wikipedia stated that Kalidasa's works cannot be dated with precision, but they were most likely authored within the 4th-5th century CE. In any event, it is not important, only the date of 550BCE assigned to Kanada is pivotal to the thesis of this article.
5. Evidence on compass use by Indian people since 500CE.
"Milindapanho (VII.2.16) composed during 4th-5th centuries CE, mentions about an instrument used by the pilot of a ship for steering the ship.
"And again, O King, as the pilot put a seal on the steering apparatus, lest any one should touch it".
Rhys Davis translates the term as "steering apparatus" and it Sanskrit it is "yantra", a mechanical devise, just like "matsya yantra" working on mechanical and accompanied with other principles.
Mookerji points out a compass on one of the ships in which Hindus of the early Christian era sailed out to colonize Java and other islands in the Indian ocean. The Hindu compass was an iron fish (called in Sanskrit matsya-yantra or fish machine). It floated in a vessel of oil and point to the north (History of Indian Shipping, London, 1912) .
The following is what Mr. J.L. Reid, who was a member of the Institute of Naval Architects and Shipbuilders in England, has said in the Bombay Gazetteer, vol. xiii., Part ii., Appendix A.
The thesis of this article is Indian mariners have already used magnetic navigation compass at least since 500 CE while Chinese had recorded usage of them only after 900 CE, a long four hundred years later.
It appears that the out reaching Indian seafarers had the first use of magnetic navigational compasses. Since necessity is the mother of inventions, it is natural to expect this as India had been an ancient seafaring trading nation.
[2b]. Needham, Joseph (1986). Science and Civilization in China: Volume 4, Part 2. Taipei: Caves Books, Ltd., pages 286, 289, 291, 298.
A guide to some hard to obtain knowledge.
These are the contents of HOW TO sub-page re-organized in book order for coherent reading.
Was New Year night chosen to have Sirius highest at midnight?
These are the contents of this site re-organized in book order for coherent reading.
Copy of the heading of SITE.
Select your chosen category of topics by clicking one of the above buttons or read all by clicking one of the following buttons.
Furthermore, each beam is highly directional, with a wave length of only 300÷200,000 = 1.5mm.
The ears of the victim is the non-linear medium producing the beat frequency right inside the ears of the victim.
Earmuffs equipped with ultrasound sound meters may be effective.
Alarm: Using AMP may kill your website.
Google Search engine offers an Accelerated Mobile Project. However, if you enable that AMP feature for your site, your traffic will be diverted to the cached site of AMP, the menu bar of your WordPress site is not displayed and your site loses any traffic diverted to AMP cache site.
1. The damages caused to your site.
AMP diverts your visitors to its own site. There is only a tiny chain link with tiny characters for them to click on to see your original site.
Although the numbers of site visitors may (or may not?) be credited to your original site, pictures and figures from your original site may not receive their due numbers of traffic and clicks.
This will degrade the rating of your site and make it loses any potential.
2. Restoring your WordPress site settings.
You have to go to Web Admin site to manually nodify the settings of each of your blogs. It is labor intensive to undo the terrible setting.
1. Log in to WordPress.com on a Desk Computer.
3. Click on VIEW ADMIN.
5. Click on your POSTS to list all your blogs.
6. Click on EDIT next to your selected individual blog post.
7. On the right hand side column of the new editing screen, search for Publish/AMP.If AMP has already been Disabled, you don't need to Edit it. Click EDIT next to the box Enabled to reveal the box Disabled for AMP.
8. Click on the box DISABLED for AMP.
9. Click OK button near to AMP to confirm that it is to be disabled.
10. Click UPDATE and wait for the blog post to be updated and see that AMP is now Disabled.
11. The selected blog post has been AMP Disabled, you may now click on the back arrow on the top left of the screen to see all your POSTINGS to modify the next post.
This is a laborious process to get out of a traffic starvation trap.
You have lost the ratings of your figures and components in the blog posts.
As usual, there is no free meal. Do not participate in anything offered if you don't know it fully.
. Just do a Google search on "AMP steals traffic" and see the results.
Authentic Noodle Soup with Pork Ribs or Barbecue Pork (Mì Sườn Heo hay Xá Xíu Chánh Gốc).
We are lucky to learn from Mr. Mach Van Cuong an AUTHENTIC recipes for making Noodle Soup with Pork Ribs (Mì Sườn Heo) and Noodle Soup with Barbecue Pork (Mì Thịt Heo Xá Xíu). Mr Cuong is a food connoisseur who wants to preserve and disseminate Oriental knowledge. Oriental recipes have usually been closely guarded as family secrets.
Mr Cuong had been working for his parents' business in various types of activities (importing and exporting of electronic parts, jewelers tools, and herbal food supplies). He enjoys applying traditional herbal knowledge.
Figure: Mr Mach Van Cuong who teaches the Authentic Recipes presented here .
Noodle Soup with Pork Ribs or Barbecue Pork (Mì Sườn Heo hay Xá Xíu Chánh Gốc) originated from Cantonese recipes. Either of them is a delicious, tasty, nutritious, non-odored dish and is well liked in Saigon. They are basic ordinary noodle soup dishes from which many variations such as Noodle Soup with egg pasta Wrapped Minced Prawns (Mi Xui Cao), Noodle Soup with Prawns and Pork (Mì Tôm Thịt), Noodle Soup with Sea Food (Mì Đồ Biẻn) are built upon.
Non-odored dish means a dish that does not make your body have its aroma (smell) after eating.
1. Noodle soup with Pork Ribs.
Figure: Noodle Soup with Barbecue Pork, (Mì Xá Xíu) in 300 ml bowl with its barbecue pork on a separate dish ss served from a Vietnamese restaurant in Australia. A cloudy broth indicates the high probability that it may have been made by a traditional method.
Noodle Soup with Pork Ribs (Mì Sườn Heo), Noodle Soup with Barbecue Pork (Mì Xá Xíu Thịt Heo) and Noodle Soup with Prawns and Pork (Mì Tôm Thịt) are often served with an accompanying Fried Prawn Pancake.
1. A nutritious, healthy dish may become a harmful dish if the traditional recipies are not observed.
2. Authentic Recipes for Noodle Soup with Pork Ribs.
1. Marinate 100g of pork ribs in oyster sauce.
2. Fry the marinated pork ribs in hot oil, with added chopped green spring onion, until cooked (its outside becomes hard and brown).
4. Take the pork ribs out of the stew. After the pork ribs have been taken out, the broth is then used in the next step.
5. Make a soup broth by adding water to the broth of the previous step and bring it to boil in a big pot for more than 15 minutes with leg bones of pork, dried prawns, dried squids and a kind of dried fish for making soup supplied by Vietnamese or Chinese (Asian) grocery stores (Khô Cá Lẹp, in Vietnamese).
6. Separately boil about 200ml of water. Dip 50g of egg noodle into this boiling water for 20 seconds. The noodle is now cooked and softened. Take the noodle out of boiling water and immediately wash it with cold water to stop noodle lengths from sticking together. A restaurant cook may boil egg noodle by dipping it in the pot of boiling broth for 10 seconds using a wire ladle.
7. Cut the stewed fried pork ribs and place it on top of a bowl containing boiled egg noodle and the broth.
8. Add one or two lettuce leaves, some chopped green chives and some boiled mung bean sprouts to the bowl.
9. A (non-essential) fried prawn pancake may be added to the top of the bowl.
10. The bowl | 3,567 |
In cooperation with the U.S. and Canadian Consumer Product Safety Commission, Cervelo and 3T Cycling have voluntarily issued a safety recall on the 2012/2013 model-year Cervélo P5 bicycles with 3T Aduro aero handlebars because the forward extension mounts can detach from the base bar while riding causing the rider to lose control, posing a risk of injury. Shown below are the recalled bikes and bars (click to enlarge).
The 3T Aduro aero bars need to be disassembled in order to identify if they are affected by the safety measures. It's best if you bring your Cervelo P5 in to the shop so we can perform the check, but if you do it yourself, here's what you need to know.
The recalled 3T Aduros were manufactured<|fim_middle|> the base bar under the stem cap on the rear wall.
The serial number is the seven-digit number following "FM78-Basebar-." The manufacture date code is the first four digits of the serial number in the MMYY format. Date codes for the defective handlebars range from 1201 to 1207. Note that Cervelo P5 bicycles which have already been inspected and passed at retailers are distinguished by a green sticker with an "é" on the underside of the Aduro base bars.
If you have one of the recalled 3T Aduro handlebars on your Cervelo P5 bicycle, please stop riding your bicycle immediately and return it to us. The recalled handlebars will be replaced free of charge with a modified set of 3T Aduro aero handlebars installed with the high or low mount.
Note that if you also purchased the ultra-low mount, you can receive a full refund for the ultra-low mount and a free modified Aduro aero base bar for use with the originally purchased low mount or replacement of the Aduro aero handlebars with 3T Mistral aero handlebars with a low-position mount, which places riders in a position similar to the Aduro ultra-low position mount.
For more information, click 3T Cycling, call the Aduro Recall Hotline toll-free at 855-225-7226 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or email 3T. | between January 2012 and July 2012. Serial numbers for the handlebars are on a label inside | 26 |
I woke up today at 5 am and only had to look at my first email to feel like saying "Oh brother, here goes my day"… Didn't even get the coffee brewing to feel slightly agitated. I was mad at the paper delivery person for not having my paper here by 5:30 since I already felt rushed to read it. It did come minutes later but it felt like forever when I kept looking out the door. I then proceeded to wake my girls up to get them ready to school, make breakfast and wave goodbye. But my mind was racing in so many directions by the time 7:15 came about. I am sure the vast majority of readers are small, independent craftsmen (and craftswomen too – need to be politically correct, LOL). Anyone ever have a similar "get out of bed, read an email or listen to a voice mail, then feel behind before you start the day feeling"?
But then I reminded myself that THIS FEELING IS EXACTLY what a Entrepreneur and Business Person is supposed to feel. An Entrepreneur should be excited about the opportunities they face – whether positive or negative. A Business Person should be able to think out the right course of action, which gets better and better as time and experience passes. Life events try to pull me back even when I try to push ahead.
UNFORTUNATELY many contractors look at their day first as a Craftsman and then maybe as a Business Person but rarely as an Entrepreneur. A lot can be said with how you feel as a contractor if you wake up in the morning with the Spirit of an Entrepreneur who then says I am a Business Person who<|fim_middle|> email I got before 5AM was an alert that my servers were down, but there was also another email that I did not see saying an auto-update was installed and the servers were already rebooted and back to normal. So my original "Oh brother, here goes my day" was a wasted emotion. There was nothing for me to do in the first place, and I should have known better to scan my emails before getting upset. I made a mistake even with all my experience.
So at the start of each day, I ask all contractors to just consider every day like an Entrepreneur who is going to do their best being a great Business Person who happens to be running a company that specialize in being a Craftsman. It doesn't matter where you left off when you went to sleep, what matters is how you will approach your day based on the commitments you have already made and the future opportunities and relationships you are looking to pursue. I hope this helps inspire just one fellow passionate Entrepreneur and Business Person who happens to be a Craftsman.
Good luck with your day!
Need help getting more leads ??? Check out our marketing education for Contractor Websites.
Need help managing the job ??? Check our our Contractor Software. | happens to be a Craftsman – whether they be a remodeler, painter, plumber, electrician, roofer or handyman or any other service provider.
THE WONDERFUL THING OF BEING A CONTRACTOR is that it doesn't take much to stand out amongst the majority. There is many times a negative stigma that can easily be used to a contractor's advantage. Simply waking up with a great attitude is a start. Answering the phone with a nice demeanor every time goes a long way. Leaving a polite message and avoiding the automatic "You've reached 123-4567 please leave a message" or "Yo, you know what to do" messages will bring in a few better leads over time. Looking professional and showing up on time will give you an edge towards closing more sales. Knowing a little about marketing and basic organizational skills will give you an advantage to promoting yourself better as well as having the time to stay focused on what you like to do most – your actual craft.
Of course being a good craftsman is important – but it is equally important to being a Good Business Person so you are as effective as possible in getting more work and making as much money as you deserve. And being a good business person is a trait that can be learned over time. And the best way to learn is to be inspired, and that inspirational spirit is within the inherent nature of a Entrepreneur.
Every person reading this has an objective to find good customers and make good money. That always seems to happen when you have a good customer with the same objective as yourself. And even better is when you have a great relationship. All of this goes hand in hand.
Many people ask me why I write so many inspirational stories. Many ask me why I create so many inspirational educational videos for contractor marketing education. Many ask why do I volunteer at local schools to teach Entrepreneurialism. Many ask how do I find the time to also coach both my girls' soccer teams. The answer is the same "I get inspired and it feels great to help inspire other people to reach their goals". Sure, some of them come full circle for business opportunities, and why not, since an inspired customer always leads to a win-win success story. And others just provide a feel-good-feeling. With that feeling I am able to achieve whatever it is I am faced with during the day – planned for or not – good or bad. But regardless, it is all an entrepreneurial opportunity to take business advantage of the day to the best I can.
Oh – I forgot to tell you, the | 522 |
Eva Koch (Denmark) 'Evergreen' Opening Night
Eva Koch (Denmark) at RAYGUN, Toowoomba.
Internationally renowned and award winning Danish Video Artist Eva Koch presented her work 'Evergreen' to our local community. 'Evergreen' was shot on location in the Faroe Islands, Denmark, where Eva lived as a young child. The video installation is about the power of the group and about the cruelty inherent in us that can mercilessly exclude an individual from the group. A single circular line, simple and precise, the work defines an almost archetypical memory, which is enacted among humans at other levels all through our lives. The work is representative of the overarching theme within her work: that compassion is the paramount value that demonstrates our humanity.
Eva studied Fine Arts at the University of Barcelona, Spain and at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, Copenhagen, Denmark. She has held both solo and group shows consistently for over 25 years and her work is held in public and private collections around the world including Denmark, Sweden, Spain, and USA. She is a recipient of multiple awards including the prestigious Thorvaldsen Medal, being the highest award and distinction in the visual arts in Denmark<|fim_middle|> its contribution on Cockatoo Island
On Friday night we had Eva Koch's opening, RAYGUN was transformed into a screening room showing the video work 'Evergreen'. Since being in Australia, Eva has given a presentation about her work at RMIT, in Melbourne, visited Uluru, spoken about her work at the University of Southern Queensland and Dogwood Crossing in Miles, installed her video Evergreen, which has also been screened publicly courtesy of Ric's Outdoor Flicks.
Below is a visual summary.
Eva Koch speaking about her work Evergreen at RAYGUN PROJECTS
Filed under: Events, Exhibitions, People, Projects | . Eva has exhibited at various Biennales including Venice and Sydney and in 2014 her video installation I Am A River was highly celebrated for | 31 |
Can you believe it's that time again? Only 360 days have passed since we left the Las Vegas Convention Center. In that time manufacturers have come up with brand new products for the aftermarket, and car builders have managed to put them on more spanking new project vehicles. It's only Monday and the doors have yet to open on the biggest day of the year for gearheads, but we've already seen enough to blow our minds—and our feet. There's over 1.9 million square feet of space in the LVCC, but that's still not enough to contain all the cool stuff that spills outside.
Hot rodders will be particularly interested in seeing what's in the Central Hall—otherwise known as Hot Rod Alley. That's where you'll find '32 Fords, Camaros, Chargers, Mustangs, and all varieties of muscle cars—not to mention the parts to go with them. Don't pack your bags just yet, as the SEMA show is not for the general public. Only trade (manufacturers, buyers,<|fim_middle|>, late-models, trucks, mid-week reveals, and brand-specific sets). If you get tired before seeing all 400+ images, check out the accompanying time-lapse video tour of the Central Hall. Stay in the loop and check for more updates with the #MTSEMA18 hashtag! | and media) are allowed inside, but don't fret, we have you covered right here without having to leave the house.
We hit the ground early this morning, starting with the throng of vehicles parked just outside the convention center. The Ford folks were putting the finishing touches on their "Ford Out Front" display, including a combination drift / off-road track. That's where you'll find outfits like Roush, Shell, Mattel, Mothers, and our very own Motor Trend Stage. This is the one place where the outside public can get a glimpse of SEMA, and it's also the place that SEMA will transform from exhibitor space to spectator bleachers come Friday afternoon. As the show cars roll out of the convention on Friday, fans can watch the grand finale called SEMA Ignited. This you don't want to miss!
We'll be coming at you throughout the week to bring you the daily action, new products, and various specialty galleries (engines, freaks | 201 |
The I-Genesis Starter Kit combines two essential products from the I-Genesis Collection.
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Tower Hill Barns is a family run wedding and events venue oozing beauty and rustic charm. A magical location set on a backdrop of rolling hills in North Wales, a true hidden gem.
Our brief was to create a new brand which conveyed this sense of history, occasion and grandeur, even before guests have stepped inside. To capture the stylish majesty of Tower Hill Barns and to convey its fairy-tale-like character. The owners approached us with high expectations. Their objectives were to create a new visual branding, increase their website traffic, architecture and content, as well as improve their conversion rate in terms of website visitors to confirmed bookings.
Over the years, elements had been added to their old website, which made the user experience cumbersome and unintuitive. With that in mind, we agreed that a complete redesign of content architecture was essential. Previously, Tower Hill Barns had also commisioned a variety of photographers, which led to stylistic inconsistency of their branding materials, and digital channels. We were tasked with developing a new suite of photography that would fit all marketing purposes and reflect the character of the venue and its aura of romantic, luxurious grandeur.
Our task was to modernise Tower Hill Barns brand identity and web presence to reflect the different areas of the business, while showing off the venue itself as one of the North Wales leading wedding venues. Our aim was to help increase bookings for potential weddings, corporate events, birthdays, anniversaries and course family get togethers.
Working closely with Tower Hill Barn was key in the development of this versatile marketing project where the main goal was to directly address their business needs. What better way to do so than by igniting the imaginations of potential visitors, with an enhanced user experience around the website with ample, yet carefully crafted, content and photography.
The re-imagined brand needed to convey the intricacies and beauty this historic venue has to offer potential guests. We presented the Tower Hill Barns Team with a clear vision and strategy – to revitalise their promotional material and online marketing channels by introducing a brand new bespoke design and to boost the visibility of the venue. Our brand rejuvenation journey started with a thorough analysis of their existing website behaviour – who were the targeted customers and what were their needs.
After extensive research into the way the business worked, we conducted interviews with various members of the team. The results threw up some fascinating insights, giving us a platform on which to devise a brand strategy for growth. Once we had established a clear brand positioning, the focus was on a more modern approach to communications. The new brand identity was applied across all channels of communication, raising the profile of the venue and providing it with a greater sense of identity.
Our team devised a simplified and more intelligent navigation structure for the<|fim_middle|> Tower Hill Barns is powered by a WordPress CMS. This allows them to update every aspect of the website to keep content fresh and relevant.
The spirit of the venue is apparent at every turn, and through a considered balance between user journey and visual design, we have achieved a website that is not only faithful to the brand, but effective in conversion.
"Phil and his team were fantastic to work with and truly creative. The real difference is the creativity coupled with the ability to deliver and execute a beautifully crafted brand, web site with superb functionality.
They also completed a full re-brand for our company which has resulted in a quantifiable increase in brand recognition and positive brand identity. Every piece of work is extremely high quality and meticulously thought out in order to appeal to our target audience. I would recommend Wahoo to any business with ambitious growth plans.
Discover how Fotofire can help your business. | website, helping to highlight the different areas of the business. This is supported by carefully selected photography and information about the venue and it's offerings, highlighting the rustic charm and beautiful surroundings. The clever use of photographical navigation to complement the primary and secondary navigation for deeper internal pages, allows both flexibility for the client while always displaying the best content for the end user. Throughout the site, we then implemented widespread, bold calls-to-action, ensuring that as user reaches the point of enquiry, they know exactly where to look. Our primary aim was to take visitors on an emotive journey, to feel an affinity with Tower Hill Barns as the perfect wedding venue, business event or special occasion.
Our responsive solution allows visitors to browse through the sites content and image galleries on any device with ease. Like all our websites, the fully responsive solution we developed for | 170 |
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Pearls– Royal splendour– Modern design
Home / Projects / Pearls– Royal splendour– Modern design
Rosenborg Castle, Copenhagen 2012
Joining this exhibition, Diana Holstein chose to challenge herself taking the "pearl necklace" category to the next level while designing a pearl piece made for modern life, not conservative nostalgia. As such, Diana Holstein's pearl set can be worn in several ways and for several purposes just as modern life demands: Everyday, cocktail and gala. The golden parts of the pearl design are inspired by the beams in the star decorations found at the treasury of Rosenborg Castle.
The Mega Chic set is composed by fresh water pearls with parts of 14 carats gold. The graduated pearls consist of four fresh water pearls and four South Sea pearls. The total length of the design is 130 cm long.
See the collection
Joining this exhibition, Diana Holstein chose to challenge herself taking the "pearl necklace" category to the next level while designing a pearl piece made for modern life, not conservative nostalgia. As such, Diana Holstein's pearl set can be worn in several ways and<|fim_middle|> and the Pea" thus creating a collection of silver and gold jewellery each with a small gold ball or pearl hidden inside the creases of the metal.
was last modified: February 19th, 2018
For the exhibition and his final exam at Academy of Precious Metal Arts in 2004, Hanan Emquies chose to investigate the common notion of the ring, asking himself questions about the way we traditionally perceive the ring today. The ring is per se defined as a circular shape with a hole to be placed and kept at the finger.
From the charming goldsmith studio in the heart of Copenhagen Emquies-Holstein makes personal jewellery with a modern twist and a keen eye on tradition. | for several purposes just as modern life demands: Everyday, cocktail and gala.
was last modified: July 13th, 2017
The Art Association of August 14th
The Art Association of August 14th has twice invested in works by Hanan Emquies. In 2006 a Lady Chocolate ring in 18 carat gold and in 2012 a 3-in-1 ring in polished silver. The pieces were exhibited alongside the rest of the association's purchases at Designmuseum Denmark the same year, 2006 and 2012.
Tiara – Queen of Jewels, Jewel of Queens
Diana Holstein was invited to join the exhibition "Tiara – Queen of Jewels, Jewel of Queens"– at the Amalienborg Museum and entered with one of the three crowns, she designed for her final exam at the Academy of Precious Metal Arts. The exhibition set to investigate the tiara in a contemporary setting inviting several of Denmark's finest goldsmiths and jewellery designers to make a modern interpretation of the tiara.
Anniversary Exhibition
In order to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Galerie Metal, all members of the collective joined an exhibition. Hanan Emquies showcased the eternity ring and was praised by Rector of Design School Kolding and previous Minister of Culture, Elizabeth Gerner Nielsen: "Hanan Emquies's eternity ring symbolizes the perception of love throughout time. Relationships rarely last for life. We live in serial monogamy. His design underlines the meaning of interpersonal relations, so crucial to man.
Kill your Darling
Hanan Emquies joined Galerie Metal in 2008 and the first exhibition he took part in was Kill Your Darling. The topic of which was to define one piece of jewellery – your darling – and deconstruct it. The solving of this artistic and aesthetic assignment defined the exhibition.
Shoulder Jewellery
Goldsmith Trine Neersø was a close friend and colleague, but alas not for long. In 2005 she died at a young age, leaving behind her loved ones and a great gap. In her honour and memory, the design collective byUs, which Trine belonged to, staged an exhibition at Officinet, with friends and colleagues paying homage to Trine while designing a piece of jewellery for the shoulders – Trine's preferred place to wear her jewellery.
Klassisk Update
The archetypes and classics of the jewellery sphere were challenged, reinterpreted and retold, when byUs presented the design collective's newest designs at the exhibition "CLASSIC UPDATE". The exhibition focused on traditional and conservative perceptions of jewellery and the desire to rebel against it. For the exhibition, Hanan Emquies chose to work with the eternity ring.
Final exhibition at Academy of Precious Metal Arts
For her final exam, Diana Holstein chose to work with the concept of the divine and the earthly. She wrote in her thesis:
I have always been fascinated by existentialistic questions such as "why do we exist" and "how do we exist", "where do we come from" and "where do we go from here". It is like a search for the meaning of life. In order to define a clear and simple approach to the topic, I decided to work around the principle of contrast – light and darkness – and the graphical symbols circle and square.
A Girls Best Friend
For the exhibition A Girl's Best Friend the design collective byUs was inspired by Marilyn Monroe's famous song. However, Hanan Emquies found chocolate not diamonds (!) to be a woman's best friend. The explanation is simple:
"I attended a dinner party at a friend's house with several people I didn't know. After a delicious meal, we moved into the soft chairs, had coffee – and the conversation totally stopped…
In the event of Hand Christian Andersen's 200th anniversary in 2005, byUs staged a jewellery exhibition evolving around the famous poet's life and fairy tales. For the exhibition, Hanan Emquies chose the fairy tale "The Princess | 849 |
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Another customer asked for a price for two replacement doors. The customer was in the 'parking business' managing a dozen or so high profile high rise buildings 'down town'. We had been doing all their work for the previous decade and had a good working relationship. Normally they relied on us to recommend repairs, replacements and improvements. This time they came to me with a specification for a very expensive alternative to anything they had been using previously. The product choice was a good one but the cost was such the existing doors could be replaced almost three times for the same money. I found out later a consultant had brought them some ideas on automating the ticket process and included the door changes.
There wasn't much of a specification just the Make and Model number – we did our own measuring and layout of interfaces as part of our bid. My contact – the president of the parking company – also mentioned the new doors would be 'high speed'. I knew this brand had a 'standard speed' power unit and another power unit that operated about 'twice as fast' as their 'standard speed' unit. However their 'faster speed' unit was way slower than the 'industry standard' for 'high speed' doors by about half. The second power unit was significantly more expensive than their standard speed unit as well. I tried to convey the nuances of the speed offerings and the industry standards, but was told the other bidder (affiliated to the consultant) was bidding 'high speed' doors.
My bid was around $98,000.00 for two doors and I included the specified brand's 'faster power unit'. I was told I lost the job being about $5000.00 higher. It was disappointing but I didn't have a close relationship to the specified manufacturer and figured I didn't get their best price.
About six months later my contact – the president of the parking company – called me to the job with concerns. The installation was adequate but sloppy especially the control mounting and electrical wiring. But the main problem was the speed. One of the primary reasons for this product selection was the 'high speed' promise and these new doors were 'standard speed' doors. I had quoted the better, faster power units this brand offered thus my higher bid. Retrofitting the faster power units now was cost prohibitive – about another twenty thousand dollars! I advised the parking company president to go back to the low bidder and demand the correct unit. He had already and they told him the new doors were faster than his old doors although not by much. Since there was no actual specified speed they had fulfilled the requirement. I didn't bring up the fact that I had tried to clarify this issue before bidding, but I did confirm 'in writing' that my bid included the specified brand's faster option which would have been twice as fast as what they ended up with.
Getting a customer's attention can be very difficult – most don't want to take the time or feel the salesman is trying to rig the game. We have been servicing these two slow 'high speed' doors for more than last 20 years.
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The properties at Resorts World Las Vegas Include:
Hilton (Las Vegas Hilton at Resorts World)
Conrad (Conrad Las Vegas)
LXR Hotels & Resorts (Crockfords Las Vegas)
All of the properties will have their own porte-cochère, with Crockfords having a gated porte-cochère. This is similar to Aria Sky Suites. Hilton rooms and suites will include wifi for eight devices. The Conrad will be on floors 5 to 58'ish, which Crockfords is only 236 luxury rooms and suites on floors 58 to 65.
Check out the TravelZork video previewing some of the Las Vegas Hilton at Resorts World and Conrad Las Vegas Room products.
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MORE Las Vegas Entertainment
Out here with @deadmau5! We've missed this feeling and all 10,000 of you.#Vegas is BACK and better than ever. 🎶@insomniacevents pic.twitter.com/lKN2BPF1ah
— DLV Events Center (@DLVEC) May 22, 2021
Some entertainment is back and more will return later this year and next year. About 10,000 people watched Deadmau5 dropping beats in downtown Las Vegas on Friday.
Here's some more Vegas entertainment coming sooner and later:
Celine Dion's residency starts this year. Resorts World already announced more shows for next year.
Resorts World announced more Carrie Underwood shows for next year too if you can't make it to the shows in December during NFR (National Finals Rodeo).
Resorts World is also planning a day to night party at Ayu Dayclub on July 4 weekend.
Wynn has a slew of standup comedy coming to the Encore Theater beginning in June. See dates for the funny people here.
Lionel Richie is back at Wynn Las Vegas in September.
Concerts at Mandalay Bay Beach start on July 4 weekend. See the full lineup here.
Daylight Beach Club at Mandalay Bay has a party slated for Memorial Day weekend.
Drai's Beach Club at The Cromwell has some hames you may be familiar with appearing on opening weekend.
The Las Vegas Raiders will play their first home game in Las Vegas with fans in attendance on Aug. 18. You can see the whole preseason schedule here. The other games are not in Las Vegas so there's no reason to care.
Psycho Las Vegas returns to Mandalay Bay in August. The lineup is something else. I think I still have a video of Black Joe Lewis and the Honey Bears at Book & Stage at the Cosmopolitan on my old flip cam.
Casino and Vegas Quick Hits
Las Vegas Quick Hits
That's a lot of concert news. Over the past year, I've been sharing how casinos will be trying to maximize revenue when they're back to full capacity. Last week we saw Caesars dumping a slew of smaller shows to cut expenses. This week we see Westgate stepping out with something new at its sportsbook.
Sportsbooks can be great but they're typically dark in Las Vegas after 10-11 pm since the games are over. Westgate now has karaoke in the massive SuperBook. The video makes it look as though it has the largest screen ever for karaoke. This should help the casino sell a few more beers in a space that doesn't serve much of a purpose when the games are over.
Super Karaoke in the @SuperBookSports after the big #Knight. pic.twitter.com/hHp8gCsHEw
— Jay Kornegay (@JayKornegay) May 21, 2021
Semi-related, the Stadia sports bar is under construction at Caesars Palace. Vital Vegas shares a rumor that the poker room will move to this part of the casino later this year. I wouldn't be surprised to see Caesars try to save money by consolidating the sportsbook too. There are lots of possible layout options on the casino floor between the existing sportsbook at Stadia/Food Court area.
The Museum of Selfies opens at The Linq on June 1. The whole world should be your museum of selfies but that's another story. Read about it here.
Fiesta casinos at Henderson and Rancho along with Texas Station will remain closed for the rest of the year. I'll be surprised if they don't reopen under new ownership next year. Read more here.
Resorts World Las Vegas received approval to open on June 24. Read more here.
Tags: Ayu Dayclub, Buffets, Caesars Entertainment, Caesars Palace, Carie Underwood, Celine Dion, Comedy, Concerts, Cosmopolitan, Daylight Beach Club, Deadmau5, Drai's Beachclub, Las Vegas COVID-19, Las Vegas Raiders, Lionel Richie, mandalay bay, mgm grand, Museum Of Selfies, Psycho Las Vegas, Residencies, Resorts World Hilton Room Tour, Resorts World Las Vegas, Resorts World Las Vegas Hilton Brands, The Linq, Vegas Covid Restrictions Loosen - Las Vegas Covid Restrictions Loosen, Vegas Covid Updates - Vegas Capacity Updates, Vegas News May 2021 - Las Vegas News May 2021, Westgate, Whiskey, Wynn Las Vegas
Marc grew up on the mean streets of the South Bronx. He's the rare combination of Yankees and Jets fan which explains his often contrarian point of view. He learned about gambling at a young age working down the street from a bookie who took action on anything from the mainstream sports to the last three digits of the purse for certain horse races. Yeah, that's a thing. Today Marc is a freelance writer and social media consultant which allows him to work anywhere there's a wifi signal. This allows him to work from the sportsbook at Red Rock Resort or the food court at The Venetian where you'll find fast and free wifi. Writing about steak, booze, gambling and Las Vegas is a tough job but somebody has to do it.
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Vegas News | Everything Is Back in Vegas, Pod Over + Resorts World Hilton Room Tour
Posted by: Marc , May 23, 2021
Vegas News May 23, 2021
TravelZork Las Vegas News
Everything Is Back in Vegas
Every week there's something new to report about the Great Vegas Comeback (™). Things in Las Vegas are almost back to pre-COVID days. Clark County is removing all COVID restrictions on June 1. Las Vegas will essentially be operating at the same capacity of February 2020. It is worth repeating: Everything Is Back in Vegas.
Las Vegas is pretty much here already but I guess this makes it official. It was odd not having to wear my mask walking the 12 steps from my car into the bar this week. That's a joke. It wasn't odd at all. I'll be visiting various casinos this week. I'll attempt to enjoy casinos similar to how I did before the pandemic. I'll have a mask on hand in case I feel like I should wear it. If nothing else, I can wear it to reduce the amount of smoke in my face.
Enjoy Las Vegas In Different Ways
The COVID pandemic forced a lot of people to enjoy Las Vegas in different ways. This writer from the New York Times was able to fit some non-casino travel info around covering their friend's art installations at Area 15. It's not all that surprising that it took a global pandemic for non-locals to explore what Las Vegas has outside of the casinos.
As I mentioned, I'll be spending most of the week in and around casinos. I also spent much of the past year finding things to do outside of casinos. I'll never forget all those coffee walks last year.
It looks as though there are plenty of people who don't read TravelZork (GASP!) are looking for what's happening.
I've been doing the Beating The Book Las Vegas lifestyle podcast since its first episode many moons ago. My concise response saying "everything is back" is mostly true although technically false.
Not Back? Don't Worry. They'll Be Back Soon
If the things people love in Las Vegas pre-COVID aren't back, they'll be back soon. The buffet at Caesars Palace opened this week. The MGM Grand buffet will reopen this week. I'm told a value buffet opening on the Vegas Strip will be announced this week.
Not all buffets will return to Las Vegas. However, there's something comforting to many visitors who still see buffets as a staple of Las Vegas. Personally, I'm comforted by things like this Whiskey Festival at The Cosmopolitan. This is the normal kind of event I enjoy.
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Most Casinos At 100% Capacity
Not everything is back to normal right now. Most casinos are at 100% capacity with no plexiglass. Not South Point. For the time being, this is still home to one of the few poker rooms with plexiglass dividers.
New Property, Many New Hiltons
Lots of excitement about the opening of Resorts World Las Vegas. What is also exciting are the three new Hilton Properties that will be opening at Resorts World. This includes the largest Conrad Hotel in the world, | 710 |
Data Cubed Takes Second-Place in Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Opioid Challenge For Video Game App that Fights Addiction
Brooklyn Health Tech Start-Up Harnesses Gaming Technology for Gathering Data To Help Prevent Relapse in People Recovering from Opioid Addiction
Data Cubed
Sep 17, 2018, 08:00 ET
BROOKLYN, N.Y., Sept. 17, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Data Cubed, a life-sciences technology company, won second place in the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Opioid Challenge for its Resilience IQ (ResQ) platform, the company announced today at the 1<|fim_middle|> patient support to clinical trials. Its products can also optimize patient health and compliance. With Data Cubed as a partner, organizations can select just what they need from a wealth of information to help create or test effective medications and precisely timed interventions, help patients stay on track and develop new research strategies. By tapping into what makes humans human, Data Cubed is changing how healthcare approaches big data to create a healthier world.
Find out more about Data Cubed and the ResQ app by visiting datacubed.com. Follow Data Cubed on LinkedIn and Twitter @Data_Cubed.
SOURCE Data Cubed
http://datacubed.com | 2th Annual Health 2.0 Conference in Santa Clara, California. The app highlights the use of video game technology to help prevent relapse in people recovering from opioid addiction. It was selected from among 97 entrants.
The ResQ app dashboard interface. The app includes fully customizable surveys and avatars in a gamified environment. ResQ also taps uploaded support users such as family, friends and caregivers when the recovering user is at risk based on smart data.
The ResQ app mobilizes an individual's social support network to intervene at times when the risk of relapse is greatest through a novel propriety method that taps into big data. It was awarded the position by a panel of judges in the Opioid Challenge, a call to innovation intended to find technology-enabled tools to support and connect individuals affected by opioid addiction. The cash prize was $15,000. The company plans to use the funds to help make the ResQ app available in the Apple and Google app stores in the coming months.
In the final round of the competition, three entrants competed in a live pitch presentation contest before the judges at the Health 2.0 Conference. The winners were awarded cash prizes and promotional opportunities to showcase their top-ranking solutions and gain visibility in the health tech space.
"We are highly honored to be selected as a finalist in this important competition," said Paul Glimcher, the Chief Executive Officer of Data Cubed. "The opioid crisis has evolved into one of the darkest chapters in the history of American public health. This competition highlights the fact that technology can play a key role in supporting recovery. With the right collection tools, such as the ResQ app, it is possible for a patient and his/her close supporters to monitor progress, assess needs and strengthen the recovery process. ResQ does this by using clinical-grade tools to assess vulnerabilities to relapse every day, and lets patients share that data with the people who they feel can help, helping keep individuals on track towards recovery."
ResQ is an application for mobile devices that seeks to better understand people struggling with addiction through the use of surveys and games derived from gold standard clinical assessments and decision-making tasks. It also uses state-of-the-art techniques taken from the video gaming industry for high-levels of user engagement and retention. These include a gamified user experience, a colorful user-friendly dashboard and personalized support resources. The app's algorithms prompt people in recovery and their supporters with key social messages and behavioral nudges.
Of the roughly 10 million Americans struggling with opioid addiction, perhaps 1.2 million are in treatment programs, and even those who are in treatment typically have limited contact with clinicians. The ResQ app offers daily, ongoing support for those struggling with addiction and can work in conjunction with other treatment options.
The winner of the competition was Sober Grid. The third-place position was occupied by HashTag.
About Data Cubed
Data Cubed is a pioneering healthcare technology company with the power to unlock the mysteries of what it is to be human. With colorful apps, engaging games, illuminating surveys and keen wearable and in-home sensors, Data Cubed collects accurate real-world data that is relevant and actionable, tailored to everything from | 648 |
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Rusty Shannon
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In my family's spiritual tradition of Quakerism, queries are often used to help frame a particular session of corporate worship. In stillness and silence members wait for ministry from God relating to the questions at hand. Like the koans of Zen Buddhism, these queries are statements used to help focus one's attention rather than questions to be answered. And so it is that I begin this discussion of Montessori pedagogy and the life of the teacher.
Are we aware of what it is that calls us to attend to the needs of the child?
internalize the core of Montessori's vision?
Have we examined our own spiritual practice<|fim_middle|> they needed to, if there had been more time to talk with them about emotions and stress in their bodies, I think things could have gone a lot better. I ended up leaving the Montessori school and moved on to an arts school, where the job is less stressful, but where I have yet to be assigned to a teacher who desires or who understands how to establish a classroom atmosphere where each child can express and grow into his/her unique self. I find the arts allows some of this to happen for children. And yet, the hurried atmosphere of the school gets in the way there as well!
Didn't mean to write so much, but your comments triggered a strong response. Thanks, Seth!
not just of the content being studied, or skills being practiced. Rather, a profound and richly grounded sense of self. Perhaps that is too much to expect within our current educational model, and suite of predominant parental druthers and concerns. I still say, however, that teaching is like parenting: guiding children to find their own true Light. | so to encourage it in others?
Are we mindful of our limits to affect change?
I am drawn to this topic as I have wrestled with feeling unsettled in my teaching practice of late. We each chose this profession because the work resonated deeply within us. For me, it has been a passion-filled existence, one of great creativity and learning. I have embraced Montessori's philosophy and continually work to clarify what her original intensions were. Recently, however, I have often have asked myself how long such dedication is sustainable. With competing priorities from multiple stakeholders pulling me in directions, at times, at odds to my understanding of child development and Montessori's calling, how does one keep up with the internal and external demands of a teaching life?
Remembering ourselves and our power can lead to revolution, but it requires more than recalling a few facts. Re-membering involves putting ourselves back together, recovering identity and integrity, reclaiming the wholeness of our lives (p. 20).
I am deeply moved by Palmer's acknowledgment of the grief a teacher might feel as he sees his beliefs and his life's work grow apart, and am likewise inspired by his call to action through caring for one's soul. Our great work today is to listen deeply to the entirely of who we are now, without attachment or alarm.
At present I feel my self divided, seeking an inner calm that will come from balancing my inner commitment to Montessori's pedagogy and its outward, realized expression. It is the peace that comes through joining the many forces in one's life to create one's true identity (Ibid.).
Walt Whitman, in his "A Noiseless Patient Spider", points to this quest to find the connections that resolve in the formation of one's spiritual self.
Till the gossamer thread you fling catch somewhere, O my soul. (Miller, J., p. 314).
This deep journey of self-understanding is what brings teachers closer to their work's original mission. It is"[t]hrough maintaining awareness of our spiritual natures, we can facilitate the children's expressions of their spiritual natures" (McFarland, p. 3). Allowing for our and the child's spiritual self to be actualized is how we connect in deep meaningful ways. The "[o]ne thing that will forge true human unity is love" (Montessori, p. 22).
Because of the intimate nature of our work, teachers often tightly wrap our own identities into how our students perform: if the child does well, we do well; if the child struggles and falls down, we sink too. If not done mindfully, we can lose ourselves in our work – confusing the work for living fully. To deepen our teaching practices means to transcend educational pedagogy to a place beyond curriculum, assessment and instruction. This is an inward journey that can prepare us for our very outward lives. Living mindfully, we can then better connect with the children, families and colleagues with whom we work. Little will change in education until teachers face these inner conflicts and proceed with humility (Standing, p. 300).
I contend that in placing major emphasis on the unique equipment present in Montessori classrooms we run the risk of creating the image that Montessori education is all about curricular content, rigor and mastery. In fact, it is the process by which concepts are learned in the Montessori environment that truly sets it apart. The specific tools that Montessori developed are, indeed, critical components: they provide sensorial pathways to learning, as well as control of error promoting independence. What is normalization if not living authentically as a supported spiritual being? Through honoring the developmental needs of each child, knowing when to support and when to extend, we realign each student with their spiritual centers. The materials are the mantras, the walking meditations that bring the child to peace.
The crossover between the spiritual underpinnings of Montessori's pedagogy and that of Quaker education is remarkable. Whereas Montessori spoke of the "spiritual embryo" (Montessori, 1995, p. 70), of a child's unfolding potentialities, Quakers too believe that a "divine seed animates every human soul, and they understand their primary mission to be nourishing it so that all people may reach their intellectual, social, moral and spiritual potential" (Miller, R., 2002, p.4). Quaker philosophy, as a religious practice, may serve as a potent backdrop to this discussion as we look to find again and articulate the spiritual underpinnings of Montessori's movement.
The spiritual practice of Quakerism grew out of the religious autocracy of seventeenth century England. Faced with an imperious and dogmatic Church, Christians, led by George Fox, left to discover a more personal connection with the Divine. Quakers believed that there was that of God in everyone, and that it was that through listening in silence for this presence that an authentic communion might be formed. So moved were some of the early Quakers that they were seen to quake when receiving ministry from the Spirit, creating the name Quaker. Though initially a derogatory term, the followers of this practice later reclaimed the title as their own. Early followers of Fox referred to their growing religious organization as the Children of the Light, Friends of Truth, and later the Society of Friends. In modern parlance to be a Quaker is to be a member of the Religious Society of Friends.
What set Quakerism apart from the prominent religious practices of the time was its placement of the individual in direct contact with the Divine. Ministers and other intermediaries were not necessary. Quakers believed that because we were of God, we had God within us. They called this the Inner Light. As such, everyone had the ability to communicate directly with the Divine. This empowerment is what gave Quakerism is particular mystical quality, that through significant "contemplation and self-surrender"(Oxford American Dictionaries, 2005) spiritual enlightenment could be attained. "Progress in this mystic quest is indicated as time and space and matter recede and then disappear. In the void, God may have a chance to speak" (Sibley, 1985, p. 5).
Quaker practice wasn't then, nor is it today, a solitary one. That is, it is not an ascetic meditation that one does alone. Quakers meet to worship together in silence. Fox believed that Quakerism was a "religion of experience"(Ibid., p. 7), that it was the Divine communication itself that legitimized the practice, not just a reliance of Christian scripture. Where "the genius of Quakerism…is to be found [is] in the notion that authority arises out of the Light Within reflected in the religious consciousness of each individual soul in the Meeting of Souls"(Ibid., p. 10). It is through "the promotion of the personal experience of God within the individual as he/she interacts with and within the group"(Thorne, 2006, p. 16) that the mystical dimension of Quakerism can be realized.
The history of Quakerism is one intimately linked to service in the care of others. Friends believe that "the sacred is always within us as potentiality, waiting to be addressed, answered, called into fuller being" (Lacey, 1998, p. 3).
When this inner light is found, recognized, and kindled it not only shines forth, but it is reflected in the people and communities in which we live. It is "the bond linking all human beings"(Miller, R., 2002a, p. 3). When you care for others, Quakers believe, you are identifying with the Light, that of God, in them.
When Quakers speak of education it is necessarily "spiritually rooted…concerned with the creative evolution of new consciousness" (Miller, R., 2000, p. 6) and not simply driven towards individual academic success. Much like the mystical relationship an individual in Quaker worship can have with God, Friends schools are designed with great deference to the will and desires of the learner. "[T] hey maintain that first-hand, experiential knowledge, refined by the exercise of judgment and reason, enables people to discern deeper truths"(Ibid., p. 5). Ones' education is not, however, accomplished in a vacuum; rather, "it is an encounter between an active, aspiring, evolving being and the larger world with which we are co-evolving" (Ibid., p. 9). So is it that Quaker education embraces the fellowship of scholarship. The deep knowledge attained in such an educational practice comes not from the mere transmission of information flowing from the teacher to the child; instead, profound learning occurs because the student is first trusted and nourished as a spiritual being, and then is led towards truth.
Montessori, too, believed that "we are created in order to evolve the cosmos" (Montessori, 2007, p. 22). In fact, "she was a tireless crusader for the spiritual renewal of humanity, which she believed could only occur by nourishing the divine creative power within the children of the world" (Miller, R., 2002b, p. 3). In worship, Quakers speak of centering down to find that place of deep attention and receptivity. In a similar way "Montessori sought, above all, to cultivate [such] inner discipline through purposeful activity [after which] the child becomes 'normalized' – capable of acting responsibly, independently – through concentration" (Miller, R., 2002b, p. 11). The role of the Montessori teacher is to guide the child to aspects of the prepared environment to allow for said immersion.
We have natural aptitudes for the spiritual life, just as we have for walking and talking, but in each case the natural aptitudes and longings can only be fully realized with the caring support of others. That process of encouragement and nurture is the teaching-learning process, education. Our work, as educators, as parents, as humans, is to help nourish the spiritual life in ourselves and in others (p. 2).
On the one hand, it suggests creativity, the ongoing possibility that no matter our age, we can help co-create the world. On the other hand, it suggests the endless emergence of generations, with its implied imperative that the elders look back toward the young and help them find a future that the elders will not see. Put these two images together, and generativity becomes "creativity in the service of the young" – a way in which the elders serve not only the young but also their own well-being (p. 49).
We have before focused on the idea of integrity - that intimate and deliberate coupling of our inner and outer lives such that dissonance is diminished, or at least less frequent. Perhaps the "way of renewal" (Ibid.) lies in having the ability to view our work as part of a greater story – that of building and reshaping humanity.
1. Lacey, P. (1993). Running on empty. Philadelphia, PA: Friends Council on Education.
2. Lacey, P. (1998). Growing into goodness: Essays on Quaker education. Wallingford, PA: Pendle Hill.
3. McFarland, S. (2009). Shining through: A teacher's handbook of transformation. Buena Vista: Shining Mountain Press.
4. Miller, Jr., J. (Ed.). (1959). Complete Poetry and Selected Prose by Walt Whitman. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
5. Miller, R. (2000). Education and evolution of the cosmos. In R. Miller Caring for new life: Essays on holistic education. Brandon, VT: Foundation for Educational Renewal.
6. Miller, R. (2002a). "That of God in everyone": The spiritual basis of Quaker education. In J. Miller and Y. Nakagawa (Eds.), Nurturing our wholeness: Perspectives on spirituality in education. Brandon, VT: Foundation for Educational Renewal.
7. Miller, R. (2002b). Nourishing the spiritual embryo: The educational vision of Maria Montessori. In J. Miller and Y. Nakagawa (Eds.), Nurturing our wholeness: Perspectives on spirituality in education. Brandon, VT: Foundation for Educational Renewal.
8. Montessori, M. (1992). Education and Peace. Oxford, England: Clio Press.
9. Montessori, M. (1995). The absorbent mind. New York, New York: Henry Holt.
10. Montessori, M. (2007). Education for a new world. Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Montessori-Pierson.
11. Oxford american dictionaries. (2005). Dictionary [computer software}. Apple Computer, Inc.
12. Palmer, P. (1998). The courage to teach: Exploring the inner landscape of a teacher's life. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
14. Standing, E.M. (1998). Maria Montessori: Her life and work. New York: Plume.
16. Wolf, A. (1996) Nurturing the spirit in non-sectarian classrooms. Holidaysburg, PA: Parent Child Press.
This is terrific, Seth! Not exactly about pumpkins and Halloween.... I was delighted to see that you're on the Quaker LinkedIn Network. Hope your life is going well—from this, and the LinkedIn photo, I think it must be. Hugs from Baltimore!
Thanks Alice. Great to hear from you. Yes, this profession does lead one to delve deeply into our own stuff. With so much riding on it, how can we not? Blessings.
Glad I found a few moments to read this, Seth. It is very cogently written, explaining well the similarities between the Quaker way and Montessori education. I especially like the queries you propose, and hope that you will somehow get them published for Montessori teachers to read them.
While not a Montessori teacher, I spent a couple of years working in a public Montessori school as an instructional assistant in a large urban district. I was eager to work in one of the Montessori schools, hoping I would more likely be assigned to a teacher who would value my background as a school-based peace educator and social-emotional learning specialist (as well as my sensitivities as a Quaker singer/songwriter who had visited many Quaker schools sharing songs on these themes.) Unfortunately, I had to deal with major disappointments. As you suggest, the pressure on Montessori teachers in the public schools to meet the state standards and teach to the test was very high, so that many of the ideals of Montessori education, like having three grade levels in one class, only meant much more work for each teacher. Also, so many of the children had such difficulties staying calm and focused, that a positive learning environment was very hard to maintain. As the person in charge of keeping children on task while the teacher gave lessons with one small group at a time, I often felt like I was a foreman in a factory. This feeling was amplified by the constant use of the term "work" in Montessori language. Everything the children did was considered "work," so I had to direct them back to their work all the time. :) I can't help but think that your queries would have helped these teachers and could serve as reminders for them to "sink down to the seed" in themselves, but also to teach children how to center.
A lot of these children were dealing with fears and unshed grief over family losses and insecurities in their young urban lives. If I'd been allowed to give them some attention around their feelings, if they'd been allowed to cry when | 3,374 |
Penzance Wheelers Club Runs take place every Sunday at 9:00 am, starting from the car park by Jordan's Cafe (click for map) between Marazion and Long Rock (about 200m up the road from our old meeting place at Long Rock Memorial Institute).
Normally there are 3 groups. The 1st group is for fitter, experienced cyclists, the 2nd group for experienced cyclists wanting to ride at a steadier pace, the 3rd group steadier still and who prefer a more leisurely pace or<|fim_middle|> by whoever that happens to be. Everyone on a club ride must wear a helmet.
If you'd like more information, send us an e-mail the club at pzwheelers@gmail.com. | are finding their feet in cycling, discovering how to ride in a group and the craft of the sport.
The runs are usually around 40 - 65 miles, and a café stop is always included. With each group, the route and café destination are announced before the ride begins. No-one is dropped, and we wait for riders in the event of a puncture or mechanical trouble.
There are also mid-week rides for those lucky enough not to be working. These meet at 9:30am on and Thursdays (usually well attended) also at Jordans Cafe (as above), these rides normally aim to do 35-45 miles.
Insurance.......do you have any specific cycling insurance?
All members are welcome to take part in these group rides. Prospective members are always welcome on a Wheelers Club Run, as are people from other clubs and cyclists down in the area on holiday. If you are new to cycling, suitable warm and weatherproof clothing, especially in winter, is recommended. Bring your own pump, spare tubes, drink, money and a mobile phone if you have one. In winter, mudguards will help to keep you and your kit clean and dry and are highly recommended - Cornish lanes can be very mucky! Fitting an additional mudflap to the rear guard will prevent splashing the rider behind and will be very much appreciated | 281 |
Yufuin No Mori and the JR Pass
Yufuin no Mori is a luxurious express train that travels in Kyushu between Fukuoka (Hakata station) – Yufuin and Beppu. The train ride is well worth making on its own but best combined with an Onsen stay at Yufuin or Beppu. The Japan Rail Pass and JR Kyushu Passes completely cover the train ride.
Getting your tickets, Yufuin no Mori makes 3 daily trips from Hakata – Yufuin and 2 trips back from Yufuin to Hakata. The train is very popular and we recommended reserving seats at least a couple of days in advance. There are no non-reserved seats, so reservations beforehand are mandatory.
Yufuin no Mori service 1 – 3 – 5 travel from Hakata – Yufuin
Yufuin no Mori service 2 – 4 travel from Yufuin to Hakata
The train starts at Hakata station, this is also the Shinkansen station for Fukuoka. Most passengers will arrive here coming from Tokyo or Kansai. From there it stops at bigger stations like Tosu, Kurume, Hira and completes the trip to Yufuin in a little over 2 hours.
The interior of the train is mostly decorated in a traditional wooden style with green carpet and seats, to reflect the relaxing nature of Yufuin and the surrounding mountain forests. There's a lounge and bar on board, where you can enjoy viewing the landscape pass by or try one of the exclusive drinks and snacks sold on the train. For those who fancy a larger meal, Yufuin themed Bento boxes are sold on board as well.
The train operates a 2×<|fim_middle|>ara
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Wooden interior of the train, made to feel like you are already in an Onsen resort. Passengers in the front car can have a look in the operator's cabin.
Onboard bar with special snacks and drinks. Try the Yufuin green tea!
The view of the Kyushu landscape is wonderful. Once the train is past Kurume station, the landscape becomes a background of rolling hills that turn into the blue Minou Mountains. Once the train enters mountainous terrain, it follows a riverbed that provides many scenic views, including the Jion-no-taki Waterfalls. Keep your camera ready!
Arrival at Yufuin
Yufuin station is very small but centrally located at the southern part of town. Many Ryokan and local accommodations offer free pick-up from the station. There are also taxis and a limited bus service available. For those who can't wait to try an Onsen, the station also has its own foot onsen.
Getting to Beppu
Yufuin no Mori service 3 is the only Yufuin no Mori service that travels onto Beppu. Passengers on the other services can use a local train from Yufuin to Beppu or use the Yufu ltd. train service instead. We do recommend using the Yufuin no Mori train, because it simply is much better experience all round.
Walk around the train using google maps.
Official website and timetables:
Yufuin no Mori – JR Kyushu
jrpass Yufuin no mori Yufuin Hakata Kyushu Onsen
Day Trip To N | 351 |
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A study released earlier this month by the Little Hoover Commission, an independent state advisory committee charged with examining California's public health and welfare systems, points a finger at San Diego County in a brief, yet eye-grabbing sidebar embedded within the 80-page report. The study, which examines the efficacy of the state's substance-abuse-treatment programs, targets San Diego County for making it tough to provide much-needed services to the area's share of the 2.3 million Californians addicted to drugs or alcohol.
Headlined "NIMBYism in San Diego"-the acronym stands for "not in my back yard"-the sidebar highlights the reality that county-contracted treatment facilities not only lack beds for voluntary residential treatment, but the 350 beds added with the implementation of Proposition 36 two years ago have also proven inadequate. Passed in November of 2000 by 61 percent of California voters, Prop. 36 allows first-time drug offenders with no other pending charges to seek treatment rather than jail time.
The adverse economic impact of substance abuse, the report points out-which covers treatment services, prevention programs and the criminal justice system-adds up to an estimated $32.7 billion annually. San Diego County is responsible for an estimated $3.9 billion of that total. It's an overwhelming amount of money for a problem that many people seem to believe doesn't affect their community. Of the above noted 2.3 million Californians in need of treatment, last year only 360,000-or 15 percent-actually received treatment. As several studies have pointed out, successful treatment saves the public $7 for every $1 spent.
McAlister had done its research and presented the community with information that showed how the facility would serve people in their community-the local need for residential treatment in that area was significant. The proposal received no political support, said Lloyd, and McAlister was denied the permit necessary to open the treatment center. "If it wasn't so sad, it would be kind of humorous," McAlister<|fim_middle|>, private hospital treatment in San Diego County has plummeted from 15 programs to only two. | Institute Deputy Director Mike Franz said of the overwhelming community-driven campaign to bar the facility.
On Monday, the eighth annual San Diego County Substance Abuse Summit, held in Mission Valley, opened with a community forum that included a panel organized to address NIMBYism. On the panel were Escondido mayor Lori Pfeiler, whose city is held up as a model for its progressive stance on treatment facilities; Chula Vista Assistant Planning Director Jim Sandoval; and parent Jim Miller, whose daughter is currently enrolled in residential treatment.
Sandoval's position is that growing cities like Chula Vista need to see residential drug-and-alcohol-treatment facilities as vital infrastructure rather than a blight on a community. Treatment facilities, he noted, are "akin to affordable housing that also has a stigma programmed in." Community planners, then, need to be proactive and get facilities built in areas that are still developing, Sandoval said.
Miller, who works with parents of children in recovery, stressed the importance of locating adolescent treatment centers close to home-the Little Hoover Commission had also underscored the shortage of such facilities-and said it's not uncommon for desperate parents of addicted teens to plant drugs in the teen's backpack and call the school to request the backpack be searched. For some parents, especially those whose insurance won't cover treatment, it's the only way to get their child into a county-run juvenile drug-treatment program.
Deborah Parker, who co-directs the Solutions for Treatment Expansion Project (STEP), a county-funded program that advocates increased residential treatment programs locally, said the mention of San Diego County in the Little Hoover Commission report generated more than a few calls to her office, most of them concerned.
The commission mention, she noted, was spawned by the county's honesty-when Little Hoover was collecting its data, San Diego County admitted it had a severe shortage of slots in residential treatment programs. But, said Parker, the commission "didn't stress what we're doing about it." And though San Diego County was singled out, she doesn't see it as too much of a negative. Clearly other counties will admit to being in the same position, she said, and San Diego is no different from most other counties in community perceptions of drug-and-alcohol treatment facilities, Parker noted. But what she'd like to see is less polarized battle and more collaborative effort between community residents, decision makers and the treatment providers. The first step in doing so is dispelling myths that surround treatment centers-something that's best done through the collection of hard data.
* Property values around residential treatment facilities are rarely, if at all, affected. A survey of eight state-licensed facilities revealed that only in one instance did the treatment center appear to affect land values. For the most part, property values around such facilities were higher than expected.
* Private health care insurance rarely covers substance abuse treatment-a point emphasized at the summit's community forum by an audience member who painfully described how she's been unable to get her son the treatment he needs because of lack of insurance coverage. Many people in need of treatment don't qualify for county funded treatment because they have private health insurance.
* County funded treatment is, as STEP reports, right now "the only game in town"-during the past 10 years | 660 |
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Culture / Film
Who is in the running for the 2022 Oscars? Find a guide to the films here
WORDS Jasmine Pirovic PHOTOGRAPHY Pinterest PUBLISHED Wed, 5 Jan 2022 - 1:30 pm
Awards Season is upon us. Do you know what that means? Yes, the Oscars are just around the corner. Taking place on Sunday, March 27, 2022, the 94th Oscars will be sieving out the best in film from the past year. Which, as far as 2021 is concerned, is a hard task considering the quality of movies that surfaced was outstanding and eventually became the only thing that kept us afloat.
As we keep our eyes peeled for the official voting process, and thus the nominations to come, we're plucking out the films that have caught our attention over the past year. Below, find the movies that according to the nominations shortlist released by the Academy, are set to bring home the bacon come the 2022 Oscars. From Dune, Licorice Pizza, Spencer and House of Gucci...
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Dune is a vision of humanity set in the far off future. It charts a hero's journey centred on Paul Atriedes played by Timothee Chalamet. In it, Paul must travel t0 the most dangerous planet in the solar system named Arrakis, also known as Dune. On this hazardous country lies the only source of the most precious resource in existence called melange or "the spice" which Paul must locate to ensure the future of his family and his people.
2. The Eyes of Tammy Faye
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Jessica Chastain and Andrew Garfield star in this film based on the 'Barbie and Ken of TV evangelism', Tammy Faye and Jim Bakker. Together the couple created the world's largest religious TV network over the course of the 70s and 80s, amassing great wealth and power only to be toppled by scandal.
3. House of Gucci
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The highly-anticipated film follows the true tale of the Gucci dynasty and its subsequent momentary downfall – following the assassination of Maurizio Gucci in 1995. The former head of fashion at the luxury fashion house, and grandson of Guccio Gucci is being portrayed by Driver; while Gaga takes on the role of Patrizia Reggiani – his ex-wife. It's a tale of ambition, greed, family ties, one that will leave you feeling queasy and forlorn at the finish line.
4. West Side Story
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An old classic remade and remade again. Grounded in the star-crossed lovers trope of Romeo and Juliet, Steven Spielberg reimagines the 1961 musical for a modern audience. Here, the Sharks and rival gang, the Jets come up against one another in New York City. That is until love and loss bring them together. Although, the latest iteration of West Side Story is not without its own controversy. Audiences are concerned that the sexual assault allegations levelled against Ansel Elgort have been swept under the proverbial rug.
5. Being the Ricardos
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Being the Ricardos follows the iconic duo, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz played by Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem respectively, tumultuous on and off-screen relationship over the course of a week of production for I Love Lucy. Beginning with a table read of the 1950s sitcom on Monday morning, to the live-audience filming that Friday, Deadline teases that amongst the chaos, the pair will "face a crisis that could end their careers and another that could end their marriage."
6. The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun
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A film based on the New Yorker was always bound the capture the attention of the Academy, but throw in Wes Anderson and his usual cast of Hollywood heavyweights like Frances McDormand, Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton, Benicio Del Toro, Léa Seydoux, Timothée Chalamet, Adrien Brody, Owen Wilson, Willem Dafoe, Saoirse Ronan and honestly, a whole heap more, and you've got a love letter to journalists during a time when few appreciate their spark.
7. King Richard
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Years on, Will Smith is still tugging at our heart strings. This time, it's in the film, King Richard, an inspirational and true story covering the life of Richard Williams, the father of Serena and Venus Williams. Smith plays the sister's undeterred father, who was instrumental in raising Venus, played by Saniyya Sidney and Serena Williams, played by Demi Singleton, who are now, as we know, some of the most influential tennis players in history.
8. Parallel Mothers
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Parallel Mothers is a celebration of Penelope Cruz's ongoing work with director Pedro Almodóvar; a relationship that first began with the 1997 film, Live Flesh and has since spanned eight more films, including this movie. As the title suggests, the film focuses on two single mothers at different stages in their lives, as their paths collide in the final moments of their pregnancies. What follows is an extremely honest and evocative exploration of their two journeys and how they navigate the circumstances in front of them.
9. The Power of the Dog
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Director Jane Campion takes us to the dusty plains and outcrops of Montana, or in this case New Zealand - where the film was shot - and into the lives of two wealthy ranchers and brothers, Phil and George Burbank played by Benedict Cumberbatch and Jesse Plemons from Olive Kitteridge and Netflix's mind-contorting I'm Thinking About Ending Things. When George marries Rose, played by Kirsten Dunst, he also becomes father to her thoughtful and sweet-natured teenage son, Peter. At first his brother Phil is disapproving, responding to Peter's more 'feminine' traits with cruelty and hazing tactics. But as the film develops Phil has a change of heart, a reality that could leave Peter more exposed than he thought.
10. Spencer
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While the is much that could be said on the seemingly endless on screen portrayals of Princess Diana's life, admittedly we are excited to see what Kristen Stewart can bring to the table in Pablo Larraín's Spencer. Opening with Christmas festivities at Sandringham estate in 1994, the film covers the weekend when Diana decides to leave her marriage.
11. The Tragedy of Macbeth
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A monumental marriage of Denzel Washington, Frances McDormand and Joel Coen — one half of the directing duo the 'Coen brothers' — is what's needed when tackling one of Shakespeare's most loved plays and doing so in ways unseen before. Shot in black and white, the film opens with the Macbeths notably in the winter of their lives, as they vie for the crown<|fim_middle|> over to the Oscars website. Voting for nominations begins on Thursday, January 27, 2022, and concludes on Tuesday, February 1, 2022. From here the official nominations for each category will be released on Tuesday, February 8, 2022.
Image: Pinterest
Art in January: your guide to the Australian shows and exhibitions taking place this month
Forever muse Charlotte Gainsbourg stars in Michel Franco's new film 'Sundown' | in a last chance for glory.
12. CODA
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From the outset, CODA will strike a chord of familiarity in some more than others with its very name. CODA is the acronym used to describe the specific and yet individual experience of being a 'Child Of Deaf Adults'. Adapted from the 2014 french film La Famille Bélier, CODA follows the Rossi family, all three of whom are Deaf, except for the 17-year-old daughter Ruby. We shadow Ruby, who, in her final years of high school is negotiating her desire to attend college for singing and the impact she knows leaving her hometown of Gloucester, Massachusetts will have on her family. After all, Ruby is an important link between her community and her brother and parents. CODA is monumental in that the main three characters are played by deaf actors.
13. Belfast
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Written and directed by the hunky Kenneth Branagh, Belfast follows the young and spirited Buddy. Set in late 1960s Northern Ireland, the film jolts from its sense of childhood ease as Buddy's parents, played by Caitriona Balfe and Jamie Dornan, are forced to decide whether to leave the city and inevitably their culture or to stay put and wait out what would become The Troubles. Drenched in familial love, culture and community, Ciaran Hinds and Dame Judi Dench add colour and humour to a devastating period in living memory.
14. Don't Look Up
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It would seem that everyone we are obsessed with (plus a few add ons) have been cast to star in the film. Namely Jennifer Lawrence, Timothée Chalamet, Ariana Grande, Leonardo DiCaprio, Meryl Streep, Matthew Perry, Kid Cudi, Jonah Hill, Himesh Patel, Cate Blanchett and Rob Morgan. Available on Netflix, the film offers social commentary on the climate crisis and the pandemic, when the characters within discover that a 'planet killer' asteroid is on route to hit earth, and thus destroy humanity as we know it.
15. The Worst Person in the World
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A frontrunner in the International Feature Film category. The World Person in the World, delivered to us by Norwegian director Joachim Trier, traces a Fleabag-type character on the cusp of her thirties, attempting to make sense of the mess that engulfs her. Leading lady, Renate Reinsve, won Best Actress at Cannes 2021.
16. Billie Eilish: The World's a Little Blurry
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From the moment the world welcomed musician Billie Eilish back in 2016, it was clear that her tenure in the industry, and the zeitgeist, would be a long one. While the 20-year-old has typically reserved her personal life as just that – personal – her highly-anticipated documentary, The World's A Little Blurry offers us an uncommonly intimate insight into her meteoric rise to fame.
For a complete list of the nominations shortlist head | 716 |
<|fim_middle|> hanging out.
For brunch, I really liked Pig 'N Pancake, a diner started by a married couple in 1961 that has since expanded to several locations in Oregon. I ordered buckwheat pancakes with a dungeness crab and cheese omelette. The buckwheat sat heavily, and I didn't need to order the omelette to get full, but indulge I did.
Receive post updates via email. | After we moved out of Vancouver, we spent a week traveling through Oregon. We drove to our first stop, Astoria, home of such major motion picture locations as "The Goonies." If you ever find yourself in this coastal city, I recommend getting a riverfront room at The Hampton Inn. You'll have a lovely view of the Columbia River and an easy walk to downtown.
Astoria has a charming small town feel, with many stately homes dotting its hillsides. Climb one hill high enough and you'll reach the Astoria Column, known as the "crowning monument" among 12 historical markers located between St. Paul, Minnesota, and Astoria, Oregon. The column commemorates Astoria's early explorers—Captains Robert Gray, William Clark and Meriwether Lewis. You can take the stairs inside the column to the top for a bird's-eye view of the coast.
For food and craft beer, try Fort George Brewery + Public House. I was quite happy with my burrito and the stout (my favorite type of beer) from our tasting flight the night we stayed in town. It's a two-floor eatery/bar with a lively scene and live music. You'll see a good mix of folks, from young singles to families | 259 |
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The Dark Side of Flow (2/2)
Dr. Brent Hogarth | Press
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The Science of Mystical Experiences
Clare Sarah Goodridge
What Is A Mystical Experience?
Like flow, mystical experiences play a role in paradigm-shifting breakthroughs.
Big wave surfers become one with their wave. Painters experience phenomenal creativity. Scientists are finding that our brains are wired for mystical experiences.
Untapped potential is at the crossroads of science and spirituality.
These moments of ecstasis are psychologically and biologically real.
Profound trance states and mystical experiences are common in flow.
Decoding them is the cutting edge of peak performance.
Characteristics of a Mystical Experience
Mystical experiences are moments of higher consciousness that carry tremendous personal insight.
Science has shown they have the ability to rewrite someone's brain chemistry.
While the circumstances of each experience varies, they seem to correlate with:
A feeling of surrender.
A sense of oneness.
A profound intensity.
Extreme clarity.
New perspectives.
Enlightenment — either as a lasting experience or being "in" it for a moment.
The enlightenment that comes from a mystical experience can lead to incredible mastery.
The Study of Mystical States of Consciousness
Have you ever had a profound experience of a spiritual nature? What did it feel like? Intense energy? Laser focus? All-consuming love? An encounter with God?
Have you ever wondered what happened in your brain during and even after that experience?
The first person that attempted to define mystical experiences was William James.
James was a late 19th-century philosopher and psychologist who wrote "The Varieties of Religious Experience." The book describes a mystical experience as having four characteristics.
Ineffability — they defy expression. A mystical state must be experienced to be fully understood.
Noetic — they include the mind as well as the intellect. These states carry revelations of deep truth that have authority.
Transient — they don't last long. Mystical experiences are brief. Even the memory of them may be flawed.
Passive — a person having a mystical experience feels like they are being steered by unseen powers.
James was ahead of his time. He taught the first psychology course anywhere in the world at Harvard in 1876. For "The Varieties" he studied Buddists, Muslims, and Christians. When it came to the religious, he looked for the outliers. "These experiences we can only find in individuals for whom religion exists not as a dull habit, but as an acute fever," he says in the book's introduction.
Shockingly, James' ideas wouldn't resonate again for another hundred years. That's when Wilder Penfield came along.
Penfield was a neurosurgeon who developed a new surgery for epilepsy. While trying to cure seizures, he mapped the functions of different brain regions. While Penfield tried to pinpoint the source of a seizure, he discovered even more. He said, "The brain is the organ of destiny. It holds within its humming mechanism secrets that will determine the future of the human race." One of his findings showed that dreams and memory happen in the brain region as mystical experiences. In other words, we experience spirituality through our biology.
The God Gene
The traits of many specific genes are still unknown. What if there was a genetic link to spiritual experiences? Molecular biologist Dean Hamer believes he found it. In his book, "The God Gene: How Faith is Hardwired Into Our Genes" Hamer identifies a gene called VMAT2. The way it transports certain neurochemicals can produce intense mystical experiences. It's also what helps create the magic effect in psilocybin mushrooms.
The mystical isn't only found in traditional religions. It might include:
States of Awe.
Flow states.
Meditative states.
Trances.
Out-of-body experiences.
Near-death experiences.
Speaking in tongues.
Finding the "god gene" doesn't disprove religion or diminish spiritual experiences. It enhances them.
The Rise of Neurotheology
Aldous Huxley, the English writer and psychonaut, wrote his final novel "Island" in 1962. The story is about an ideal society under threat from a dark conspiracy. Huxley makes a reference to this society using "neurotheology" but never defines it. It seems like a dream Huxley wished for the future. A line in the novel reads, "The more a man knows about himself in relation to every kind of experience, the greater his chance of suddenly, one fine morning, realizing who in fact he is…"
Dr. Andrew Newberg is a neuroscientist pioneering the science of neurotheology today. He defines Neurotheology as "a field that seeks to understand the link between our brain and our religious or spiritual selves."
The "neuro" part includes neuroscience and neuroimaging, psychology and the health sciences. Traditional spirituality, meditation, prayer, and other aspects of human beliefs comprise theology. To practice neurotheology right requires respect for both sides.
Newberg has studied the brains of Brazilian psychics, Sufi mystics, and Franciscan nuns. In "How Enlightenment Changes Your Brain" he explains how brain imaging can be used to study the experiences common to members of these groups. He's seen brain changes that altered a person's perception of the world. In surveying thousands of people who have experienced enlightenment, Newberg found lasting benefits.
These life-changing transformations might include:
Being permanently less-stressed.
Losing bad habits.
Becoming better at collaboration and creativity.
Feeling happier and more self-satisfied.
This is an empathetic science with many parts. "It's about learning to understand your inner subjective experience," Newberg says.
The below video is a great place to start for an overview on Neurotheology. You'll get a breakdown of its history, my take on it and how it all circles back to ultimate human performance.
Big "E" or Little "e"?
The highest level of consciousness. That's how Eastern philosophers look at enlightenment. The word itself comes from two latin words that put together mean "into the light." Newberg has found enlightenment can have different levels. He distinguishes between what he calls "Big E" versus little "e" experiences. A little "e" isn't going to change everything about you. A big "E" is going to rock your world to its core—shifting everything you thought you knew about purpose, health, spirituality, and death. Big E's can happen through a daily meditation practice or in a blink while walking down the street. That's what makes enlightenment's potential for human development so exciting. It's not confined to certain religions or beliefs. It can give you the clarity to understand the world in a way you never have before.
The Benefits of Mystical Experiences
When a video game character unlocks an achievement, they get new skills. Mystical experiences may hold the real key to permanent power-ups for all humans. Some of the achievements worth working towards are:
Accelerated learning.
Better problem-solving.
Deeper empathy and understanding.
Enhanced creativity and communication.
Increased happiness and self-satisfaction.
Who knows what's possible when we're all primed to get the most out of these experiences?
Want to learn more about the two-way street between the spiritual and the brain?
Check out episode 4 of Flow Research Collective Radio "Flow States & Unlocking Permanent Enlightenment."
We talk with Andrew Newberg about the permanent changes created by the transient state of enlightenment. Newberg also reveals the amazing discovery he made about dopamine during a brain scan study of attendees at a spiritual retreat.
Listen to the full episode now --->
Get More Flow:
Our flagship flow training, Zero to Dangerous helps you accomplish your wildest professional goals while reclaiming time, space, and freedom in your personal life.
If you want 500% boosts in productivity and a lot more time spent deep in flow, start here.
BOOK YOUR CONS | 1,615 |
Love the duet Such a nice song.
Just won tickets to see waitress tomorrow night wtf Best get booking a hotel!
Got Andre Chenier in May. Tosca in June. Then Nozze Di Figaro in July and Swan lake in August.
Incidentally - if anyone does ever fancy a trip to the opera - I've got early access booking now. 4-6 weeks ahead of general booking for each season. Take a gander at the ROH website and if there's anything you fancy - drop me a pm. I'm allowed upto 9 tickets for each show.
These are at the ROH in Covent Garden.
Any you would particularly recommend?
The Tchaikovsky and Kapustin on march 31st.
Or the violin virtuoso on the 1st April.
The first one sounds nice as well.
They look the most accessible. The others might be a little more niche.
Thanks man, will check at least one<|fim_middle|> out of this world.
It's funny how some songs sound better live and some worse. | out.
That was strawberry floating unbelievable. I think they're good in the studio but they really take it beyond when playing live, had seen them in a large venue before but to see a tiny hall packed and bouncing with them was crazy. Fantastic.
Lion King is SO strawberry floating good.
I went to see Sundara Karma live recently, and they were amazing, especially Flame. They synced the lights so well to the beat of the song, it looked amazing.
But anyways this band Whenyoung was supporting them and the last song they played was so good, it's one of those songs that doesn't sound too extraordinary with headphones but live it just sounds | 132 |
* Concert X – Thursday, October 24, 2019 *
Sonata for Violin and<|fim_middle|> no one can understand it on first hearing." | Piano in A minor D. 385 – Franz Schubert (1816)
II. Andante
III. Menuetto: Allegro
IV. Allegro
If the first of Schubert's 1816 trilogy of violin and piano sonatas, the D major Sonata D. 384 seemed a trifle lightweight, the second sonata is altogether a more expansive and serious affair. It begins with keyboard alone but is soon joined by the violin playing a harmonically extraordinary sequence of notes that jumps between the lowest and the top strings. As Abram Loft commented in his book Violin and Keyboard: The duo repertoire about this passage: "a strange whiff of serial music begins to fill the air!" The notes eventually resolve themselves into more conventional harmonies but even so, the effect of this introduction is quite an eye opener! The rest of the movement is more accustomed while lyrically absorbing.
The alluring F major Andante that follows has been likened to the minuet finale of Mozart's F major Violin Sonata, K. 377 though Schubert wanders off on some adventurous harmonic explorations halfway through. The lively third movement, a short Menuetto in the key of D minor, serves as a preface for the more substantial rondo finale which features a quietly melancholic opening theme. Stormier episodes in which the instruments exchange rising scales intercept before we are brought to a sudden halt: the plaintive melody reappears one final time and then with no resolution to the bleakness in sight two power chords announce the end.
Sonata for Violin and Piano in E flat major K. 481 – Mozart (1785)
I. Molto Allegro
II. Adagio
III. Allegretto
Much less is known about the origins of this Sonata in E flat than the Sonata in B flat K. 454. It appears to have been completed in Vienna in December 1785, just four days before Mozart's famous Piano Concerto No. 23 in the same key of E flat K. 482 was written. Although he had done much to make the two instruments more as equal partners compared with his early sonatas, K. 482 was still published as a "sonata for fortepiano, or harpsichord, with violin accompaniment."
This framing is perhaps reflected in the first two movements where the piano presents the main ideas first, though in each case, the violin gets its opportunity to be in the spotlight later. The development section in the first movement is notable for featuring a four-note motif that sounds like a pre-echo of the tune used in the finale of Mozart's Jupiter Symphony No. 41 in C major K. 551 written in 1788. The slow movement is also notable for its surprising harmonic excursions that entail violin and piano being briefly notated in different key signatures.
The last movement Allegretto is in the form of theme and variations. The theme itself is rather simple and stated boldly by both violin and piano in octaves with a single-line accompaniment in the pianist's left hand. The first variation is a much more lyrical version that gives the violin a special moment of glory. Later variations present some considerable contrasts rendering the movement, according to biographer Alfred Einstein, as one of Mozart's most Beethovenian. Keen listeners may also notice in the final variation of this Violin Sonata a hint at the hunting theme used in the last movement of the contemporaneous E flat Piano Concerto, quoted in the movie Amadeus.
Sonata No. 9 for Violin and Piano in A major Op. 47 "Kreutzer" – Beethoven (1803)
I. Adagio sostenuto – Presto
II. Andante con Variazioni
III. Presto
It's hard to think of a more deserving recipient for the honour of having one's name immortalized by a Beethoven sonata than the 19th century French violinist and composer Rudolphe Kreutzer. The "Kreutzer", perhaps the most famous of Beethoven's violin sonatas, was commissioned by a different violinist – George Bridgetower, a man of Euro-African descent with whom Beethoven was originally great friends. Beethoven even added a flippant but well intended dedication "Sonata per un mulattico lunatico". Inspired by the man's outstanding playing, Beethoven wrote this sonata in, as he declared in the work's subtitle, "a concertante style – almost as a concerto". In order to finish the work, Beethoven incorporated a finale he had originally written for an earlier violin sonata but had then discarded. The first performance given by Bridgetower and the composer took place so close to the work's completion that Bridgetower was obliged to play some parts by looking over Beethoven's shoulder. The concert, nevertheless, was a tremendous success.
Unfortunately for Bridgetower, he and the composer had a falling-out. While the two were drinking, Bridgetower apparently insulted a woman whom Beethoven regarded as a good friend. Enraged, Beethoven removed the dedication of the piece, and re-dedicated it instead to Rodolphe Kreutzer, who was considered one of the finest violinists of the day. Yet, ironically, Kreutzer, who met the composer just once, never cared for Beethoven's music and remarked that the sonata, which he decided was too difficult to play, was "outrageously unintelligible". Leo Tolstoy's novella The Kreutzer Sonata published in 1889 may have also helped to consolidate the reputation of the name and one wonders whether he would have done the same for "The Bridgetower Sonata". Kreutzer's chief claim to fame without the benefit of Beethoven's dedication remains to be his 42 Études or Capriccios, still much used by violinists today as a pedagogical tool.
The Sonata begins with an imposing slow introduction in A major in which the solo violin sets the stage with a sequence of double, triple, and quadruple stopped chords soon answered vigorously by the piano. The introduction leads to the movement's main Presto cast in A minor, a dynamic torrent of melodic material wrapped in vigorously virtuosic style. Often there is a sense in which each instrument does not merely answer back but actually tries to outdo the other. The slow movement in F major features an elegant theme and an impressively expansive set of four variations, two of which are both full of challenging yet beautiful filigree and ornament. The last movement, another lively Presto, though it was rescued from an earlier sonata, fits this sonata remarkably well. Beethoven had decided the movement was too brilliant for its original destination, so this transplant actually proved felicitous. The main theme of the movement consists of a repeated phrase of long-short-long-short notes that is typical of a tarantella dance form. It's one Beethoven builds into a mighty edifice that concludes with a rousing climax, a suitable testament to the composer's so-called heroic middle period.
* Concert XI – Tuesday, November 19, 2019 *
Duo for Violin and Piano in A major D. 574 – Franz Schubert (1817)
II. Scherzo: Presto
III. Andantino
IV. Allegro Vivace
Composed in 1817, a year after the three works dubiously labelled as Sonatinas, the title "Duo" of this work rather than "Sonata" represents the composer's now overt mission to equalise the importance of both instruments. Finally banished was the idea of these works being for "keyboard with violin accompaniment." Even so, like many of Schubert works the Duo was not published until after his death – in fact, this work had to wait until 1851 before it saw the light of day.
The first movement opens amiably with a gentle rocking rhythm on the piano over which the violin plays an extended song without words. There is a carefree quality to this beginning that is interrupted by more dramatic interludes where the emotional heat is elevated. However, generally the movement maintains a relaxed composure, albeit one that makes more technical demands on the players than Schubert's previous violin sonatas.
The second movement scherzo, gives the impression that Schubert has by now taken on board at least some of what Beethoven had been composing for violin and piano duo. The opening Presto has some of the energy, pizzazz, and wit we associate with Beethoven's own scherzos while the contrasting central trio is much more relaxed though full of chromatic adventure. The slow movement Andante begins with a simple theme that, after some harmonic searching, is interrupted by some dramatic outbursts but eventually returns to its opening calm. In the short last movement Allegro vivace, we return to the energy of the Scherzo particularly in its opening gestures of upward arpeggios, chords, leaps, and runs which alternate between each instrument. Some more relaxed genial passages intervene before we are brought to the final flourish.
Sonata for Violin and Piano in A major K. 526 – Mozart (1787)
This work, the second to last of Mozart's violin sonatas, is one of his finest creations in this genre. It belongs to his last three great sonatas that started with the B-flat K. 454 of 1784 and continued with the E-flat violin Sonata from December 1785. The Sonata in A for Violin and Keyboard, K. 526, was written in 1787 and appears in the Köchel catalogue, which represents a chronological listing of Mozart's works, between two of the composer's best known works, the string serenade Eine kleine Nachtmusik (K. 525) and the opera Don Giovanni (K. 527). In fact, Mozart delayed the completion of his opera, despite pressing deadlines, to compose this sonata and its companion serenade.
Technically one of Mozart's most challenging violin sonatas, this work returns to a more even assignment of importance between the two instruments than was the case in the E-flat Sonata with the interweaving of the parts achieving a similar level to that found in the B-flat Sonata. The first movement is a lively Molto allegro in 6/8, in which piano and violin lines overlap and intersect in rhythmically engaging ways. The slow movement is a beautiful, tender dialogue that achieves a new level of hymn-like intimacy as it wanders through a series of impressive harmonic changes. After this respite, the finale Presto, reignites the sense of momentum reminiscent of the opening movement with its virtuoso runs and sense of perpetual motion in the piano but it is by no means lacking in warmth with the lovely melodies and a particularly intense violin theme in the central section.
According to one theory the finale was based on a sonata by Carl Friedrich Abel, a composer and gamba player famous in his own day, whom Mozart had met as a child in London. Abel died two months before this sonata was written and Mozart may have been writing this final movement as a tribute.
Sonata No. 4 for Cello and Piano in C major Op. 102 No. 1 – Beethoven (1812-1817)
I. Andante – Allegro Vivace
II. Adagio – Tempo D'andante – Allegro Vivace
Though there's not really a strict boundary, the two cello sonatas published as Opus 102, are regarded along with the preceding piano sonata Op. 101, as the beginning of Beethoven's visionary third or "late" period, characterised by increasingly complex structures that broke away from the formal models of the past. Composed between the end of 1812 and 1817, Beethoven was now profoundly deaf and increasingly beset by ailments that had slowed down his productivity considerably. His deafness caused him to withdraw from society and a symptom of that may be found in the profound intimacy of these last two cello sonatas.
His abandonment of conventional forms is particularly evident in the first of the two Opus 102 sonatas, which Beethoven entitled a "Free Sonata." One unusual feature is that the work is in two fast movements each beginning with a slow introduction. The first introduction starts in C major featuring an elegiac untroubled theme but then in the Allegro vivace, the key suddenly switches to the relative minor, A minor, and the mood becomes much more turbulent.
The slow Adagio to the second movement serves more as an Intermezzo like the brief middle movement of the "Waldstein" Piano Sonata Op. 53. In another shake up of usual formalities, Beethoven reprises the theme from the first movement introduction in an almost ecstatic form before launching into the main part of the second movement that reverts to the tonic key of C major. Leading up to the fast Allegro vivace the piano plays a short fragment of what will be the main theme and the cello follows with the same fragment in imitation. Once the faster section is underway, everything feels like it's rollicking along nicely but then Beethoven stops the music abruptly and after a brief pause, deploys the same stop-and-start routine with cello and piano never quite agreeing on who is playing the fragment first. It's a delightfully comical touch enhanced by the bagpipe drone effect Beethoven gives to the cello, with the piano playing what could half pass for a Scottish dance on top. For the ending, Beethoven cannot resist more humour and brings these ideas to a gradual slowdown with the music fading to silence, and then a sudden forte flourish to bring the house down. As a result, audiences were initially baffled by this sonata, with one critic declaring "It is so unusual | 2,932 |
The Best Weather Apps
Filed to:App battle
I don't watch TV weather forecasts for the same reason that I don't own a wristwatch: I have a smartphone, a tablet, and a computer. Here are the best apps for knowing what it's like outside, without actually going outside.
GOLD MEDAL: Weatherbug
My earliest memories of Weatherbug are cleaning it from relatives' spyware-riddled Compaqs. Weatherbug for iPhone is sort of like and apology, relatively clear of the bloat that characterized the company's desktop software, and most importantly, focused on the stuff that we most want from our weather apps: forecasts, local maps, and local video. It's a straightforward all-arounder, and the only weather app I use every day. Weatherbug for iPhone is free and comes with ads, while Weatherbug Elite, ad-free, is $1. Weatherbug Elite is free for the iPad. [iPhone and iPad
SILVER MEDAL: Outside
An iPhone-only app that deserves a spot here for presentation alone. Weather data is displayed through a virtual window, rendered beautifully with forecast-appropriate flourishes, and animated in a smooth, cartoonish-but-not-too-cartoonish aesthetic. Navigation is novel and simple, and the data is just comprehensive enough for most people. Push notifications cost extra. iPhone, $3.
BRONZE MEDAL: Seasonality Go
An iPad app with a singular purpose, Seasonality Go draws from and displays as much weather data as possible. If stuff like barometric pressure, astronomical data and dewpoints doesn't matter to you you'll probably want to skip this one. If it does, though, and if you want all this stuff shown to you in an overwhelming matrix of graphs, well, you won't find a better app—this is for hardcore weather nerds. iPad, $10.
GOLD MEDAL: The Weather Channel
The Weather Channel app on Android isn't the most feature packed, but its the easiest to use. We love it because we can hit all the important features, like the "What It Feels Like" temperature, the 10-day forecast and hourly temperature, faster than any other app. If you need the "expertise" of a meteorologist, the short and sweet video forecasts will get you up to speed in no time. Downsides? The radar map can get a bit wonky, their widgets won't win any beauty pageants and for hardcore weather junkies, the data might not be enough. Free, Android.
SILVER MEDAL: Weather Bug
Depending on your weather needs, Weather<|fim_middle|> because it costs $5 and isn't available in Android Market. $5, Android. | Bug could just as well be the Gold Medal winner. It has more features than The Weather Channel app, like sunrise/sunset times, pollen information, and rain data but we find ourselves bombarded with data that isn't exactly necessary everyday. The UI works well, tap here, swipe there, but each panel is information overload—turns out, there is such thing as too much good stuff. On the bright side, Weather Bug's widget trumps The Weather Channel's. Free, Android.
BRONZE MEDAL: Palmary Weather
Palmary Weather is the weather app Google would make for Android. It's clean, simple and fits in, design-wise, with the most Android-ish of apps. Minus points | 146 |
Ravi just informed me by email that the previous Open Thread, started last year, had reached 5,000 comments, and that it was refusing to take any more.
Please continue all your discussions here.
Posted by David Godman at 9:33 AM
An excerpt from 'In the Hours of Meditation' by F J Alexander:
"THERE are hours when one forgets the
world. There are hours when one
approaches that region of blessedness in
which the soul is Self-contained and in the
presence of the Highest. Then is silenced
all clamouring of desire ; all sound of
sense is stilled. Only God IS.
There is no holier sanctuary than a
purified mind, a mind concentrated upon
God. There is no more sacred place than
the region of peace into which the mind
enters when it becomes fixed in the Lord.
No more sweet-odorous and holy incense
is there than the rising of thought unto
Purity, bliss, blessedness, peace !
Purity, bliss, blessedness, peace ! These
make up the atmosphere of the state of
The spiritual consciousness dawns in
these silent, sacred hours. The soul Is
close to its source. The streamlet of
personality expands in these hours, becom-
ing a mighty, swift-moving river, flowing
in the direction of that true and permanent
individuality which is the Oceanic
Consciousness of God. And this is one
and only.
In the hours of meditation the soul
draws from On High those true qualifica-
tions which are of its nature fearlessness,
the sense of reality, the sense of death-
lessness.
Draw within thy Self, O soul ! Seek
thou the silent hour with truth. Know
thou thy Self to be of the substance of
truth, the substance of divinity ! Verily
within the heart doth God dwell !
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Namaskar.
Subramanian. R said...
Siva temples sung about in Saiva Canons:
(Lesser known temples.)
Vriddhachalam is known to many only as a railway junction, in the Chennai-Thanjavur rail track. But it is a great ancient Siva kshetram. In Saiva Canons, it is called tiru mudhu kunRam. mudhu - old, vriddha; kunRam - mountian; So Vriddchalam in the classical Tamizh is tiru mudhu kunRam.
Siva is called Pazhamalai Nathar. It is again the name to denote old hill. Uma is called Periya Nayaki ammai.
The tirtham (holy waters) is a river called maNimuthARu. The Sthala Viruksham (temple tree) is vanni tree.
Saint Tiru Jnana Sambandhar has mentioned this temple in 72 of his verses in Canon 1. Saint Tiru Navukkarasar has mentioned this temple in 10 of his verses in Canon 6. Saint Sundaramurti has mentioned this temple in 11 of his verses in Canon 7.
Sundaramurti obtained gold from Siva in this temple. Siva came in his dream and told him that a pouch of gold had been dropped in the river manimuthARu and the saint got it in the tank of Tiruvarur.
The gods Brahma, Sage Swethan and Sage Agasthya are said to have prayed to Siva here. Like Kasi, this place also is said to confer mukti on dying here. Uma is said to fan the dying devotee with her sari and chant Siva Panchkaksharam, and make them reach Siva' Abode on dying in this town.
When one Hyde an Englishman was a collector of this district, he had donated the chains for drawing the Car, as he was blessed by Siva in the matter of some disease!
pAmpAtti Siddhar, one of the 18 Tamizh Siddhas is said to have his Samadhi here.
EFFORTLESS MEDITATION:
Swami Madhurananada:
Deepam 2006. Mountain Path:
(continued from the previous Open
Thread.)
One of the wonderful you will notice, if you diligently pursue this meditation, is that though the words elicited by the mind may refer to the past, there will be a sense of liveliness about them. For example, words may come, 'I should not have worried so much about the incident which happened ten years ago!'. Even though these words arise because of the thought of the past, if you perceive them as a spontaneous upsurge from within, they will be animated and alive. What make you aware of what happened in the past are not the words, but something you try to do in the present moment. Words related to the past cannot deprive you of Effortless Meditation.
Labeling of Words:
It may happen that suddenly this effortless Stillness will bring thoughts and words with negative associations to which we react or to which we are allergic due to painful memories. In order to rescue ourselves from such painful states of mind, we instinctively cut off the spontaneous flow of words and associations. Though we may suppose we have saved ourselves from unwanted suffering, we have also diverted ourselves from Effortless Meditation. In this context, let us review the relationship between thoughts, words and consequent emotions.
What is thought? Thought is the act of conceptualization of that which initially appears to be nebulous and unknown. This first occurs in the extremely subtle realm where the thought is pure concept and has no defining form. From its minute and innocuous beginning, a thought expands into a recognizable, ostensible independent object, however subtle. Thoughts then develop into concrete expressions, what we normally call 'ideas' or 'impulses' and these are related to objects in the external world.
Thoughts are manufactured and have no individual existence apart from entity that originally created by them, Thought is a thinking that happens in spite of us, but we can sense thought without words coming into the picture. A word is the verbal expression of thought and comes after the original thought.
continued......
EFFORTLESS MEDITATION;
continues.......
When we feel that a thought coming to us, we know in the deepest core of our being, much before the thought has formed into words, that this is a thought we are experiencing. For example, when the thought, 'I am feeling restless' shows up, I will know I am having this thought before it expresses itself. A powerful thought can create pleasurable or painful feeling instantly. We sense the nature of thoughts as good or bad or as neutral much before we know them through the faculty of words.
If we allow words to flow spontaneously then whatever emotion comes along with the thought just fades away because we do not give it undue attention. In this way, we deprive it of its energy (which is none other than our attention). On the other hand, if we have labeled the words as good or bad, and then we will never allow those thoughts to express themselves as a spontaneous flow of words. This labeling and classification of words immediately puts us in the state of either indulging or fighting them, which in turn creates pleasure or pain. This is what is called reaction. This reaction will certainly lose its hold if we revert to the effortless meditative state.
Now you may say that it is impossible not to label words, therefore, this so called Effortless Meditation is impossible. Though it is true that we are trained to label words since birth, once you start experimenting with this meditation, there will be many moments of peace despite the variety of words. Soon the clarity grows that words are not the factors which create mischief and their power to disturb will start to diminish. That in turn will lessen the tendency to react and stop the impersonal word-flow. The day will come when you will discover that you don't resist any loaded words at all, however dangerous or terrible they may at first appear.
You have started to enter into pure Effortless Meditation where there is no more resistance.
CONCLUDED.
Encounters with Sri Bhagavan:
Part I : A Vision of Lord Subrahmanya:
Smt. T.R. Kanakammal:
(Aradhana, 2006, Mountain Path:)
In the old days, upon stepping into Sri Ramanasramam, one could easily be reminded of Kalidasa's immortal verse:
S'antam idam Asramam
Peaceful is this Asramam!
Indeed, upon entering, the visitor immediately sensed a deep peace and tranquility.
Hugging the lower southern spur of Arunachala, as if resting comfortably on the lap of the Hill, near the banks of placid waters of Pali tirtham, surrounded by majestic trees and lush gardens where peacocks danced sprightly here and there, the Asramam setting would capture the heart of every beholder, transporting him to holy sites of ages gone by. The monkeys from the Hill, being a perennial source amusement for children, would often surprise their young admirers with playful pranks. In the days of Sri Bhagavan, they enjoyed unlimited liberty, as though it were their exclusive privilege.
In this setting it was common for sadhakas to come from far and wide to prostrate humbly before Sri Bhagavan, pose questions about sadhana, and in due course, leave again, fully satisfied with the answers they received. Others had the experience of silent seeing, simple darshan where no words were exchanged.
One day a visitor came to the darshan hall. Since his youth, he had been an upasaka of Lord Subrahmanya and had been faithful in following all the practices enjoined in the scriptures regarding worship of Lord Subrahmanya.
continues.....
This gentleman entered the darshan hall and spoke plaintively to Sri Bhagavan in this vein: 'O Swami, all my life since my childhood, I've devoted myself to Muruga and yet, in all this time, I've not been blessed with a vision of the Lord.' Sri Bhagavan sat in silence, merely gazing upon this devotee before Him.
Meanwhile the poet Muruganar was sitting nearby, listening to this. Normally Muruganar never spoke to or even acknowledged anyone least of all short term visitors. Even when devotees challenged him, prodded him or tried to rouse him in some way, he would simply remain quiet. But this day was different. Upon hearing the man's pleas, Muruganar interrupted him and with uplifted hands emphatically directed toward Sri Bhagavan and said:
"You've been waiting for the day to have Lord Subrahmanya's darshan. Why, dear man, he day you have been waiting for has arrived!"
Then, without least hesitation, he gestured toward Sri Bhagavan's regal form reclining on the sofa before them, and with words that seemed to pierce the very air itself, he cried out:
"Who else do you think this is here front of you? Can you not see Him sitting right before you?"
As if in response to a lifelong yearning, Sri Bhagavan's form was evidently transformed before this visitor's eyes and indeed shone as Lord Subrahmnaya. The man stood still, speechless, transfixed. Then he began to rub his eyes, as if to be sure that what he was seeing was real and not some trick of sight. Finally with eyes open wide, mouth agape and a countenance full of wonder, profuse tears began to stream down the man's cheeks. His voice quivered and cracked as he shouted out loud before the entire gathering, Aamaam, Aamaam - Yes. Yes.
Part II - July_Oct. 2006, Mountain Path:
Once an earnest seeker came, prostrated in all humility to Sri Bhagavan and asked Him:
"Bhagavan said that the real nature of the Self can be attained only by constant dhyana. But how is it possible for one like me saddled with official responsibilities and the management of household affairs? If a major part of one's life is spent managing these, where is the time for Atma Vichara, much less uninterrupted dhyana? What is the way out? I beseech Bhagavan to enlighten me on this."
Looking at him compassionately, Sri Bhagavan said:
"Suppose you leave your house with the intention of coming to the Asramam and on the way you meet a friend. You greet him, exchange pleasantries and then take leave of him, proceeding to the Asramam while your friend goes his way. Now you don't go away with your friend but rather continue toward the Asramam, do you not? The thought of coming to the Asramam is so fixed in your mind that whomsoever you happen to meet on the way, is spoken to in the proper way, and parted with in order that you may fulfill your original intention. Likewise if the mind is deeply engaged in meditation after doing whatever has to be done, the mind will return to to meditation. By engaging the mind before starting work and after finishing it, even while working, it will automatically acquire the ability to do the necessary while inhering in its natural state. In the course of time, this becomes in built, habitual and natural, and one no longer feels the lack of being engaged in constant meditation."
Another time, in the Jubilee Hall, a Telugu devotee came to Bhagavan and complained about the pallavi of Atma Vidya where there is mention of release being easy.
"O Bhagavan, how can someone such as I get release? Release may be easy for one like you but how is it possible for an ordinary person like me?"
Bhagavan said: "If it is easy for me how can it be difficult for you?"
Bhagavan said, "If you were to have to carry something too heavy for yo to pick up, what would you do?"
"I would seek the help of others," the devotee responded.
"In the same way, seek the help of
the Divine or simply surrender to Him," Bhagavan said.
"That is one thing that is just impossible for me. Today, I will say I have surrendered but the next day my ego will rise up and dance with abandon."
Bhagavan replied: "In that case, d one thing, pray to Him to help you surrender. If you cannot do even that, then simply suffer what comes your way!
continued.......
Smt.T.R. Kanakammal:
continues......
One day, the attendant Venkataratnam, was accompanying Sri Bhagavan up the Hill. There is a steep stretch with steps at one particular place on the path from the Asramam to Skandasramam. While climbing down Sri Bhgagavan would often manoeuvre this inclined portion by bracing Himself on a big rock, planting His stick firmly on the ledge and descending slowly. One day, some devotee evidently asked a young boy to wait at this place and approach Sri Bhagavan as He passed, and take hold of His feet. The youngster said to him, 'Bhagavan, if you do not grant me mukti, I will not let go of Your feet." Apparently the devotees were hiding themselves behind the nearby bushes. Bracing Himself with His stick, Bhagavan said, 'Adei! It is 'you' who are in a position to give me mukti because if you don't let me go off my feet, I am going to fall and attain complete release in this very moment."
As these words the boy became frightened and took to his heels. Astonished by this strange happening Venkataratnam asked who the boy could have been and what this unusual episode could mean. Bhagavan' ready reply was, "Oh! It was all well staged!"
How can anyone ever succeed in hoodwinking Sri Bhagavan?
A devotee once asked why the impure world of maya came forth from pure Brahman. Sri Bhagavan said - Everything is pure. It is only the MIND that comes in between that is impure!
BREATH CONTROL:
For the purpose of concentration, pranayama is suggested to be practiced in various yoga sastras. Bhagavan Sri Ramana says pranayama in its entirety is not necessary. Referring to breath control as aid for concentration, He said, Bahih pranayama (external control of breath) is for one not endowed with strength to control the mind. There is no way so sure as or a Sage's company. The external practice must be resorted to by the wise man if he does not enjoy a Sages' company. If in a Sage's company, the Sage provides the needed strength though unseen by others. If engaged in Japa, dhyana, bhakti, etc., just a little control of breath will suffice to control the mind. (Talks No. 54).
Concentration of mind on the Heart destroys Vasanas and make the mind pure. Pure Mind or Suddha Manas in Vedantic parlance is mind free from
thoughts. (Thoughts may be pure or impure).
Technique of Maha Yoga - N.R. NARAYANA AIYER.
The mind by nature is wandering, propelled by the innate vasanas. How to keep the mind concentrated on
Heart is the crux of the sadhana. From the ancient days, breath control is advocated. Sri Bhagavan says in Upadesa Undiyar that since the source of breath and mind is the same, if the breath is controlled, mind is automatically controlled. And during the breath restraint if the mind is fixed on the Heart, the mind gets gradually defunct. So long as the mind is turned towards and fixed in the Heart, mind is non receptive to vasanas which in turn relax their efforts.
Discussing Sage Patanjali's Raja Yoga. about the subjugation of the mind, Sri Bhagavan says that 'chitta vritti nirodha (control of activities of the mind) is brought about in sleep, swoon, or by starvation; but with the withdrawal of the cause of such torpor, mind gets active again. But in Maha Yoga, the practice consists in withdrawal of the mind into the Self. (Talks no. 495).
A Technique of Maha Yoga - N.R. Narayana Aiyar.
Soorya said...
Many thanks for posting the excerpt from ' In the the hours of Meditation'
folks: in case you haven't seen it already, you may find it useful to see another beautiful blog on bhagavAn (some wonderful posts):
http://bhagavan-sri-ramana-maharshi.blogspot.in/
soorya,
'In the Hours of Meditation' was published anonymously as a series of articles in Prabuddha bharata.
This is the brief note on the author in the preface to this wonderful little book:
The present book, originally published under a modest pseudonym, came from the pen of F.J. Alexander, whose promising career has been cut short by the cruel hand of death. His early years were spent in the nunnery of Omaha in Nebraska, U.S.A., where he received his first education. But the cloistered atmosphere of an old-world nunnery became too much for a boy of his spirits, and he made good his escape to enjoy the freedom of the wider world. He began life as a bell-boy at a hotel in an American city, and after various turns of fortunes entered a newspaper office, where he showed himself as a good and impressive writer. But all along he had been seized with a great spiritual unrest, which knew no quietude till he came across, by chance, some writings of the Swami Vivekananda, which opened the vista of a new world before him. The call of his Master-The Swami Vivekananda was henceforth regarded by him as such-was so strong that he afterwards sailed for India to consecrate himself to the service of the Order founded by him.
Mr. Alexander came to the Math at Belur in 1911, and the joined the Advaita Ashram at Mayavati. Here he threw himself heart and soul into work and rendered invaluable help in bringing out a Life of the Swami Vivekananda, by which his name will be immortalised. He was also an attractive writer-anonymously or under various pseudonyms-to the Prabudha Bharata, from which these pages have been reprinted. From Mayavati he went to Almora to live a more intense spiritual life. After two years of stay there, he went back to America to recuperate his failing health, and there succumbed to tuberculosis in 1917.
Whoever came in contact with him was struck by his vigorous mind and childlike heart, and it is wonderful to see how deeply he was imbued with the Indian spirit and ideals. The following pages, clearly reflecting his inner life, show depth of his spiritual fervour.
May this Disciple's thoughts rising "in hours of meditation" serve as a beacon-light to thousands of kindred spirits struggling for Realization".
Soorya/Friends,
An excerpt from 'In the Hours of Meditation':
In the hour of meditation the soul speaking to itself sayeth :
"Peace dwelleth in the Silence. And to gain Peace thou must be strong ; and
the silence cometh when the tumult of sense has been drowned in the Powerful
Stillness of Renunciation. Thou art a wanderer in the desert of this world.
Tarry not lest thou dost perish by the wayside. Make thy caravan of good
thoughts and provide thyself with the Waters of a Living Faith. Beware of all
mirages. The goal is not there. Be thou not deceived by the attraction of externals.
Renouncing all, go thou by those paths which lead thee into the solitude of thine
own insight. Follow thou not the many caught within the net of manifoldness.
Go thou along the paths whereby saints journey singly and separately to the Goal or Oneness.
Dare to be brave. Conquest lies in making the initial effort. Do not
waver. Plunge into sanctity. With one mad leap drown thyself in the Ocean of
God. Divinity is the End. In the nature of things there could be none other for
thee thou shining ray of the Effulgent One!
"Make haste, lest thou repent. Whip up the steeds of religious earnestness and
powerful faith. Crush thyself if need be. Let nothing stand in thy path. Thine is
no chance destiny. March thou on with surety and strength of soul, for thy destina
tion is Reality. Verily, thou thyself art the Real. Be thou Free ! Be thou Free !
In all the language of Self-realisation none such valuable word is there as Strength.
First last-^and always, be thou strong. Fearing neither heavens nor hells, neither
gods nor demons, go thou forth ! Nothing shall conquer thee. God Himself is bound
to serve thee ; for He is attracted by That which is Himself in thee ! And thus One
ness is the Essence of Sublime Insight for That which is in thee, That which is thee
is God. Verily thou thyself art Divine.
Tat Tvam Asi ! Hari Om Tat Sat !
Those interested in reading this heartfelt and earnest words of this great devotee may refer here:
http://ia600504.us.archive.org/16/items/inthehoursofme00unknuoft/inthehoursofme00unknuoft_djvu.txt
Thank you :-)
One cant help feeling envious of these noble souls of the kind of lives they lived, neverthless reading about them is not too bad either! :-)
Sometimes while reading through one of Swamiji's letters like the last one he wrote to Josephine Macleod -
After all, Joe, I am only the boy who used to listen with rapt wonderment to the wonderful words of Ramakrishna under the Banyan at Dakshineswar. That is my true nature; works and activities, doing good and so forth are all superimpositions.
- gives us a peek into that 'world'.
I expect that you should have been to Kamarpukur and other places, maybe several times(?), but for me the desire is yet to materialize...hope some day..
I love this short video and the Bengali song in the background.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jpcBypYaSM&feature=relmfu
Siva temples sung about in Saiva
Canons:
tiruvAlankadu - 631 210.
This temple is on the rail route of Chennai - Arakkonam. There is a railway station for tiruvAlankadu and one has to get down here and walk about 1 km. There are buses also from Chennai.
This is one of the five Sabhas of Nataraja (dancing halls) - and it is called Ratna Sabha. The dance is called Oordhva tandavam, where Nataraja keeps one leg up straight towards the sky! When Karaikal Amma went to Kailas walking with her head, Siva came a little distance and called her Amma. Karaikal Amma called her Appa. When asked, she expressed her desire to see His dance in tiruvalankAdu. Siva agreed and the Oorthva tandavam was shown to her.
Karaikal Amma is one of the most ancient of 63 Saints, earlier to Jnana Sambandha and others. Her songs are available in Canon 11.
1. The Elder Decad of tiruvAlankadu. I. 12 Verses.
2. The Elder Decad of tiruvAlankadu. II. 11 verses
3. Tiru Irattai Mani Malai - 20 verses.
4. Adhbudha tiru andAdi - 101 verses.
Siva is called OorthvathAnda PerumAn. Uma is called Vandar Kuzhali Ammai. The tirtham (holy waters) is the tank called Moorthi Tirtham. The temple tree (Sthala Viruksham) is Banyan Tree.
Saint Tiru Jnana Sambandhar has mentioned this temple in 12 of his verses in Canon 1. Saint Tiru Navukkarasar has mentioned this temple in 20 of his verses, in Canon 4. Saint Sundaramurti has mentioned this temple in 10 of his verses, in Canon 7.
'I' is a door:
Philip Renard:
Part II:
Aradhana 2004 of Mountain Path:
(Part I is in Jayanti 2004 issue of Mountain Path, the issue that is not available.)
Nisargadatta Maharaj:
In the first part of 'I' is a door, I described the striking phenomenon that in Advaita Vedanta, the term 'I' is maintained to indicate even the higher levels of reality, the levels 'beyond the person'. By maintaining this consistency it assists the seeker to understand that the notion 'I', so obvious for experiencing the person per se, is in fact, deeper than the person temporarily presenting itself. This notion 'I' is already here and now and always continuous. To be able to get in contact with That which you really are, nothing needs to be first eliminated or excluded. In the first part I examined the approach of Sri Ramana Maharshi, and this time I should like to pay attention to the way Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj (1897-1981) articulated this matter.
In my opinion Nisargadatta Maharaj was one of the greatest teachers of the twentieth century. What in particular makes him so great is his remarkable ability to show that everything that was asked of him is made up concepts, and to annihilate these concepts by exposing their uselessness. Whatever question or response the visitor or disciple came up with. Nisargadatta pointed out that it boiled down to clinging to patterns of thought or concepts and he referred to its origin, its seed. Everything, everything really was undermined as being a concept and consequently not true, and that included also something he had himself just said. As he emphasized, the only true thing is the conceptless.
Since he is not alive anymore, the only way to learn from him is by reading his books (apart from a few moments of darshan through some video fragments). And while reading, it becomes evident and in fact it can be called humorous, that he himself, the greatest underminer of concepts, is continuously offering concepts! He jumped from level to level, used numerous Sanskrit terms for a certain level, used the same or closely related terms for another level, and then had the whole matter dissolved in what he called 'the deep dark blue state of non experience'.
Unfortunately, this resulted in many seekers who have caught a glimpse already of who they really are, to continue their search, because the message 'you are only the Absolute'. The assiduously claim that they 'know consciousness already' but they also express frustration that they have failed to take the 'next step'.
Part II - continues.....
I dare to say here: THERE IS NO NEXT STEP.
It is all about going to the limit of what can be experienced, and to remain still there. One should not be led astray by any comments exactly on the Absolute and be lured to go in search of it.
But, as can be argued, Nisargadatta is making comments exactly on the Absolute all the time, and shows again and again that everything else is unreal! This surely is the impasse: to hear that we are That, and not be able to experience It, let alone search for It. That is the paradox Maharaj is presenting us with all the time. How are we supposed to deal with this paradox?
Maharaj himself answered this question -- and that by offering a concept. One specific concept, which is indicated by using the term 'the knowledge I am' or 'I Am-ness'. Earlier, in this article, Nisargadatta Maharaj was called 'great' especially because he fearlessly undermined each and every concept. But really he can be called so because in turn this one concept. He considered this concept, 'I Am-ness' as something to be digested, swallowed, dissolved. And so he described it as 'the ultimate medicine'. It is true he called it 'the disease itself' at least as often, or even 'itself a misery', but in the same respect he indicates in many places the very same concept is exactly the medicine, and is the indicator to freedom. So again, we are facing here with a paradox. Something being a disease yet in its essential nature it is the medicine itself.
There is a quote that holds the key to the entrance of this paradox. In my opinion it is the most beautiful quote there is, because the whole mystery of existence is described in a few sentences, including a handle to enter the mystery. Everything is in it, and all further texts of Maharaj can be interpreted form this perspective.
"This touch of 'I Amness' is in each being. This beingness has that touch of love for the Absolute, and it is a representation of the Absolute. (...) Only the Absolute prevails. The truth is total Brahman (Para Brahman) only, nothing else but Brahman. In a total Brahman state the touch of beingness, 'I Am' is not just a small principle. That itself is the Mula-Maya, the primary illusion. (...) The great Maya principle is making you do all her tricks, and you are also abiding in what she says, and finally, that light of yours, that beingness, gets extinguished.(...) That Maya is so powerful that it gets you completely wrapped up in it. Maya means 'I Am", 'I love to be'. It has no identity except love. That knowledge of 'I Am' is the greatest foe and the greatest friend. Although it might be your greatest enemy, if you propitiate it properly, it will turn around and lead you to the highest level. (Prior to Consciousness, ed. Jean Dunn.).
continued.....
Yes,I have been to Kamarpukur,Birth place of Sri Ramakrishna and jayarambAti,birth place of our Holy Mother Sri Saradamani Devi.It was in 1979 when I was in calcutta on official work for a duration of 3 Months.On weekends I will be mostly in Dakshineswar and thAkur's small room used to be my favourite haunt after paying obeisance to Divine Mother KAli.An absolutely charming Place,although crowded and the path leading to the temple is as dusty and dirty and crowded as well.Yet who cares about all that -to sit in the place haloed by the feet of the Great Master is a Great boon.It was during that time I decided to visit Kamarpukur and Jayarambati.I boarded a Rickety bus that took me to kamarpukur -what a privilege to see the Master's birthplace and his parental house!After spending 2 hours in that place I proceeded to Jayarambati reaching there around 18:30 hrs when the evening Arati(vespers)was going on.(In this place,and it is the only one in which the Arati is performed not for Sri Ramakrishna but to The Holy Mother.)I just sat in front of the Mother's temple after the vespers were over and decided to spend the night there.Jayarambati and kamarpukur are small villages with mud houses.
The Swamiji who was in charge of the Ramakrishna Mutt noticed my sitting there and asked me about my whereabouts.I simply told him that I have come to visist Holy Mother's birthplace and do not mind spending the Night in the temple.I told him that I would return the next day.The Swamiji was all kindness and took me inside the ashram opposite the Shrine and gave me a room and I took it as Holy Mother's blessing .The swamiji gave me some fruits and sweets and that was my dinner.In the Morning ,after a bath I asked to be shown Holy Mother's hut made of clay and Haystack!What a magical place and what a joy to visit the Birthplace of our Simple and Beloved Holy Mother!One of her Great grand nephew was there and how lovingly he touched my chin and kissed.This is how Our Holy Mother would greet her children.What a simple setting and how blessed is that place!I Returned to calcutta after this wonderful trip.
Yes I have visisted Belur Math and Dakshineswar .As you say,the very remembrance is purifying and in itself is sadhana.My earliest recollection of Thakur goes back to 1960 when I was a boy of 5 and my father was posted in Calcutta and had taken me to Dakshineswar and Belur Mutt.We were in calcutta for 2 years then.I remember how I called him as Ramakrishna paramahimsa and this became a joke:-)
Thanks very much for that video clip.
Thank you very much for the beautiful narrative, it was as if one was there physically!
Yes, I expect Dakshineshwar would be crowded as it is in Calcutta, but Kamarpukur and Jayarambati would be more peaceful and calm. My brother had been to Belur Math , Dakshineshwar couple of years back but I think he hasnt been to Sri Ramakrishna's and mother's homes at Kamarpukur and Jayarambati.
A short video on mother's home at Jayarambati :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9Mtc_BGyQk&feature=relmfu
Part II - continues......
The sense of 'I AM' is a universal principle, in exactly the same way present in each being, prior to interpretation, 'I am John' or 'I am Ann'. In other words, 'I am this person'. Nisargadatta (that is his translators) used to indicate this sense of 'I Am' with the term 'consciousness' (chetana). It makes sense to linger over the meaning Nisargadatta ascribed to this term, just because he often called this consciousness illusory and because the term 'consciousness' has been used by other teachers to indicate exactly the Ultimate (indeed as the translation of the term Chit instead of chetana. See for instance, ('I' is a door Part I). He supplied numerous synonyms for it like 'knowingness' 'Krishna state', 'child consciousness', 'seed', 'Witness', 'God', 'being' 'beingness', 'sattva','the chemical', 'Saguna Brahman', 'the manifest', 'the supreme principle'. They all come down to the same. It is about a 'touch'. Without any reason, something arises spontaneously, within something that is no experience, no knowledge, no form, not a 'thing' whatsoever. Only when you notice it, you can say 'something arises', not before. So manifestation and the noticing of it are one and the same. This is called the 'touch'. It is this very first vibration, this most subtle form of touch which Nisargadatta called 'consciousness', the principle 'I Am'.
The crucial element of this quote is to be found in the last paragraph: "The knowledge of 'I Am' is the greatest foe and the greatest friend." It includes everything -- and consequently you can be left here with an overwhelming feeling of disorientation. Very often, this disorientation is only reinforced in other passages, by the emphasis on the illusory element ('the greatest enemy') because that which indeed is real, the Absolute, is described as 'something that can not be experienced.' However here it is most strongly said that indeed you would do well to fully worship it, although it might be your greatest enemy. So whether illusion or not, at this moment, it does not matter at all, because ultimately it is only God, the ever creating principle that brings about everything. It is true this means that you can be seduced to cling to a form, but also by the same token you can be LIBERATED from this clinging by the same principle.
In one of the Puranas, of Hinduism, we find a passage that bears resemblance to the quote: 'She, when pleased, becomes propitious and the cause of the freedom of man. (Devi Mahatmayam). It is about worshipping this principle as totally as possible, to pay attention to it, to please it. The sense of 'you are' is so common, so ordinary that you overlook it easily and hence Nisargadatta strongly emphasizes not to do so, but on the contrary to fully honor precisely this. To worship it as the highest God. He keeps hammering at it uninterruptedly to keep quiet here and not to devote yourself fully to this consciousness, to this 'touch'.
"Worship atman ('you are') as the God. There is nothing else. You worship this principle only; nothing else needs to be done. This very knowledge 'you are' will lead to the highest, to the Ultimate. This 'you are' is there so long as the vital breath is present. And when you worship that 'you are' as
the manifest Brahman (Saguna Brahman) only, you reach immortality. (....) You must continually remember,, 'chew the cud'. (...) You must continually think about it. (The Experience of Nothingness ed. Robert Powell).
We wonder what exactly may be 'worship', because the rise of a verbal prayer is associated with this word. In fact, worship is 'paying attention continuously to something with your whole heart.' The best example of this in the world is being in love. If you are in love, your attention is totally towards your beloved, whether you 'want' to do so or not. You are full of it and everything that is going in the direction of the beloved occurs effortlessly. This you may all worship. So now we are invited to practice this worship, this being in love in regard to our ordinary consciousness itself, to formless experience as such, 'the truth of beingness' 'the feeling of beingness'. How are we supposed to put this worship into practice?
It means that you totally merge with this beingness, with this primal vibration, and do not be worried about the fact, that this is still a form of duality, a form of energy, or 'corporality'. Worship Her, cheer Her, do not hold back anything, give yourself totally to Her, so that you may melt with Her. Then She shows you, within the merging, that 'two' ceases to exist. She being an enemy can only the case if you let yourself be carried along by Her temptation. "The very source of all happiness is your beingness. Be there. If you get involved with the flow of Maya there will be misery. (...) Be still in your beingness."
(Prior to Consciousness.)
continued........
GURU:
God, Guru and the inner Self are the same.
It is stated in all the Hindu scriptures that a Guru is always necessary. Ordinarily, anyone cannot start practice of Jnana Yoga without the aid of a Jnana Guru. The Bhagavad Gita iv. 34 states a Brahma Jnani alone can initiate one in Brahma Jnana or at least it implies that.
Bhagavan Sri Ramana in Vichara Sangraha (Self Inquiry) says that as a result of motiveless actions in dedication to God done in several births, mind getting purified, an aspirant meets his Guru, gets Upadesa (instructions) from him, and by intense and incessant practice of which for a long time gets liberation.
Sometimes in the case of a few earnest aspirants some great souls suggest any emblem as a photo or a figure of their chosen Guru and start the practice as mentioned in their teachings with great faith and devotion. The story of Ekalavya, the hunter, is cited as an instance.
When Dronacharya, the archery Guru of Arjuna declined to take Ekalavya as his disciple and teach him archery. Ekalavya instead of being discouraged made a figure of Dronacharya in the forest near his abode, worshipped the figure with great devotion as if it was the real embodiment of his Guru, and started practicing archery in front of it and became an expert and an equal of Arjuna in archery.
Once when Arjuna with Dronacharya, with Arjuna's dog preceding them, was passing through the forest where Ekalavya was practicing, Ekalavya aimed an arrow at the dog which piercing through the face of the dog, got stuck up in its hind parts. The dog being hit ran towards its master who seeing the dog, in that condition, asked his master, 'You taught me this kind of archery and said you had taught to none else. Here we see someone else also an adept.' Dronacharya said, 'Let us proceed and see who it is.'
When they came up on Ekalavya he fell prostrate before his guru in bodily form with great trepidation. When Dronacharya asked him who taught him archery, he pointed out to the figure and said, 'Yourself!'
As the master was nonplussed and finding a rival to Arjuna asked Ekalavya, 'Where is the guru dakshina (offering)?' Ekalavya replied that he was prepared to give whatever was demanded. Dronacharya then demanded him his right thumb and Ekalavya without the least hesitation drew his hunting knife, severed his right thumb and offered it to Guru with great humility. This is replete with great morals, namely, practice with faith leading to attainment, devotion and sacrifice to the Guru of his thumb without which he cannot be an archer at all.
continues....
In the various puranas and stories of saints, it is said that when the aspirant is ripe, God arranges for him to meet a Guru. And even a casual word uttered by Guru is treasured and acted upon which leads him to liberation.
When Sage Thayumanavar was ripe, a teacher appeared before him and they were together for a short time. When up to the time of parting he was not given any instruction and was importuning him while leaving, the Guru said, 'Keep Quiet'. The disciple considered it as guru's upadesa and practiced 'keeping quiet' meaning mental quiescence. Anyone else would have taken the parting words as said in disgust to an importunate man. But in ripe Thayumanavar, it acted differently and he took those words as real Upadess and practiced mental quiescence and became a great Sage.
Again certain ripe souls having had the necessary Upadesa in their previous birth and left their sadhana incomplete, start from where they left off and complete their sadhana without the aid of a personal Guru and obtain liberation.
Others again who in their previous lives have attained the maturity to look upon their Inner Self as their Guru and were getting their instructions therefrom needed no outer Guru and recognized their Inner Self as their Guru from the start. During their sadhana in the deep stillness of thought free consciousness, the Inner Voice speaks and guides them. This also occurs in mature sadhakas when they lose personal contact with their Guru for any reason and they do not go about searching for a new Guru.
Sri Bhagavan in reply to an American businessman's request for a message which he might treasure and carry with him when away from Sri Bhagavan said, 'The guru is not outside you as you seem to think. He is inside you and is in fact the Self. Recognize this truth. Seek within you and find him there. Then you will have constant communion with him. The message is always there. It is never silent. It can never forsake you. Nor can you move away from the Guru. (Talks No,. 503).
With the progress of sadhana in this Maha Yoga, one naturally develops the habit of looking upon the Inner Self as the Guru and his photo or any symbol loses its original significance thereafter. His prayer, if any, is always directed to the Self within and he does not differentiate between God, Guru and the Self.
(Technique of Maha Yoga - N.R. Narayana Aiyar.)
Today's evening Bhajan at R K Mutt,Chennai after Arati to Sri Ramakrishna:
1.vinAyakar Agaval by Avvaiyar(Tamizh)
2.Akshara maNa mAlai of Sri BhagavAn(Tamizh)
3.sadAnandamayee kALi mahAkAlermanomOhini-song by kamalakAntha(BengAli)
4.rAmachandra Raghuveera rAmachandra raNa dheera-nAmAvaLi
5.tumak tumak bak kumak kunja mak
chapala charana hari aayey-kwaji ashraf mehmood(song on Lord Sri Krishna in Hindi)
6.harivarAsanam viswa mOhanam(a song on Hariharaputra-ayyappan)
7.Tamizh song on Sri rAmakrishna
8.Tamizh song on Sri sAradAmani mA
9.Tamizh song on swAmi vivekAnanda
I warmly recommend the Arati and bhajan program on sundays at R K Mutt,chennai.The SwAmiji who performs the Arati(vespers) is a treat to watch-a perfect picture of stillness in motion where the ritual of waving of lights and chAmara(fan) is raised to the pinnacle of aesthetics, worship and offering.These are well attended by devotees from all walks of life.
Siva temple sung about in Saiva Canons:
ilambayaiam kottur - 631 553.
This temple can be reached from Chennai city in city buses that go via tiruviRkolam. The Siva Lingam has formed on its own. There are 16 angles on Siva Lingam.
The shrine of Sri Dakshinamurti is quite famous and rare. Here, He is showing chinmudra on His Heart Center! In two hands He adorns trident and rudraksha mala. The fourth hand is resting on the ground. Devotees come and do pradakshina for this Dakshinamurti 21 times on each day to get all benefits.
Siva is called Chandrasekhareswarar. Uma is called Kadir mulai ammai. The tirtham (holy waters) is a tank called Chandra tirtham. The Sthala Viruksham (temple tree) is Jasmine plant.
Saint Tiru Jnana Sambandhar has mentioned this temple in 11 of his verses, in canon 1.
It is here Nisargadatta points out how in the 'supreme principle', the 'I am' principle, the liberating element can be distinguished from the seducing, binding element. Sometimes, I compare this with a fountain in a pond. The 'I am' principle is the mouth of the fountain. At that point the water is powerfully sprouting up high, causing thousands of drops being shaped to form together what is called a 'fountain'. The fountain's mouth has hardly taken form yet; there is only the experience of the propelling force to be, the drive towards form. Then the advice is: stay at the fountain's mouth, abide there, and surrender to its formless vibration. Do not try in any way to manipulate the force itself. 'What natural processes can you stop? Everything is spontaneous. Presently you are in the consciousness, which is stirring, vibrant. Don't think you are something separate from this stirring, vibrant consciousness.' ( Consciousness and the Absolute). By staying at the fountain's mouth, worshipping That which is giving all this unfoldment, you are set free.
Part II - continues...
"The devotee with his firm determination and God by his fascination for devotion are attracted towards each other, and the moment they come face to face they merge, the one in the other. The devotee loses his phenomenal consciousness automatically, and when it returns, he finds he has lost his identity - lost into that of God which cannot be separated again. (Self Knowledge and Self Realization, Tr. V.M. Kulkarni.) And I am the God, I the devotee, and I am worshipping; all the same, one common principle. (Prior to Consciousness).
God's character of Maya, Seducer, fades away as soon as you understand that you need not let yourself be carried away by Her to Her forms of creation. You just have to notice WHAT is seeing Her. "Meditate on that which KNOWS you are sitting here. You feeling that your body is here is identification with the body, but that which knows that this body is sitting here is the expression of the Absolute." (ibid.)
'I' id s door:
The liberating character of 'I am'
principle is present as much in the knowing aspect as in the aspect of Surrender. At this point, the approaches of Jnana (knowingness, understanding) and the bhakti (Devotion) are blending totally into one another. Sometimes this means that surrender shows discrimination is no longer necessary. And sometimes this means that understanding prevents you from making error that your surrender is submission to manifestation itself, to the transient forms themselves. Surrender is right only when it is
surrender to That which is permanent. 'First, I have seduced Maya and once the Maya surrendered to me, I had no use for Maya so I threw her out." (The Experience of Nothingmess.)
Noticing for instance, the body sitting here could be called 'knowigness'. This 'knowningness',
is in fact, Knowing as Such, and this is the liberating element, because it literally the expression of the Absolute, as said before in a quote. Absolute Consciousness or Knowing expresses itself as 'knowing something. So 'consciousness and Absolute are not two different things,, as is often imagined on the basis of many Nisargadatta's statements.
There is only one Consciousness (or Awareness). It depends on the language framework of the speaker or translator which term is considered 'right'. It has been Absolute aspect and a dynamic and living, experiencing aspect, the 'touch'. The only thing needed to see is that a certain vibration is always the knowing of that vibration, and that Knowing Itself is Absolute Knowing. That there is
no separation in there. Within the Absolute there is just nothing to Know, hence Nisaragadatta calls this the 'state of know knowingness' or 'no mind', the state in which attention is dissolved in itself.
"There is only one state, not two. Wnen the 'I amness' is there, in that Consciousness you will have many experiences, but the 'I Am' and the Absolute are not two. In the Absolute the I Am ness comes and then the experience takes place.
tiruk kuduvai karaip puthur:
612 904.
This temple in on the bus route of Kudvavasal and Valangaiman. The river kuduvur (nowadays called Kudamurutti, a branch of Kaveir) passes near the temple.
Sage Kasyapa is said to have prayed to Siva here.
Siva is called Swarnapuriswarar. Uma is called Sivambika. The tirtham (holy waters) is a tank called Trisula Ganga. The temple tree (Sthala Viruksham) is vanni tree.
Saint Tirunavukkarasar has mentioned this temple in 10 of his verses, in Canon 5.
One could say that 'letting you be carried away by the Seducer' comes down to giving credence to the power of your past, to the power of the tendencies, the vasanas', instead of remaining in the here and now so you don't go beyond the 'present touch', the 'present form'. The binding aspect of the 'I am' principle consists in the creation of a personal history, the creation of a 'subtle body', an 'I' figure, a form that has to persist. The binding force itself cold be called the 'causal body' which is the storehouse of the latent tendencies, and the primordial beginning of an individuality, of a
Jiva. (See Sri Ramana Maharshi's Vichara Sanghraham). The 'causal body is a definition for the principle in us which causes NOW the creation of a form, and which seduces us to maintain and consolidate this form. It seduces us into not recognizing this form
as a 'mere present form of Consciousness', as something which dies immediately afterwards and is replaced again by another form. So this is what is meant by the term 'causal'. The causal body brings about your losing sight of the fact that you are always new, unborn, now, now, now. And this 'bringing about' occurs through the latent tendencies, which make you cling to the manifestations as soon as they are there, so that the form can continue to exist. Owing to its veiling and binding character, the causal body has in the Advaitic tradition been equated with ignorance (ajnana also avidya).
Being strongly influenced in his linguistic usage by the Samkhya tradition, an ancient Indian School of Dualism, Nisargadatta sometimes explained this process of becoming bound using the terms sattva, rajas, and tamas, borrowed from Samkhya. These are the three gunas, the qualities determining and coloring all our actions (rajas is the exciting, the restless, that which incites to activity; tamas the inert, the solidifying, obscuring; and sattva the quality of beingness, knowingness and lucidity.)
Nisargadattta described the transition proceeding from sattva as follows: "During the waking state, to know that you are satva is itself a misery. But since you are preoccupied with so many other things, you are able to sustain that waking state. This quality of beingness (sattva), the knowledge of 'I am', cannot tolerate itself. It cannot stand there itself, alone, just knowing itself. Therefore rajas guna is there. It takes the beingness for a ride in various activities, so that it does not dwell not upon only itself.It is very to sustain that state. And tamas-guna is the basest quality, What it is doing is that provides one with the facility to claim authorship for all the activities - the feeling of I am the doer. Rajas guna takes one into all the activities, and tamas guna claims authorship or doership for those activities. (The Ultimate Medicne - Ed.Robert Powell.)
One could say, that in fact, the power of rajas originally is a rather free power, which in itself does not necessarily need to hook on to something. It is only the effect of tamas that makes things glue together. This quality causes us to be fixated, that we are attached to something, that we isolate ourselves, that we worry, a history into a spontaneous activity.
One could interpret Nisargadatta's advice as follows: You can not but allow rajas to arise, because it is inherent to the spontaneous creative power; but welcome her and keep on recognizing the starting point,, the very first 'touch". Nisargadata called this touch also
pinprick. That is sattva. That is also the term 'consciousness' as it is used by Nisargadatta, the 'pinprick', 'the experiencing the touch'. That is what I called 'the mouth of the fountain.' Here you are witnessing as it were the marriage of sattva and rajas. Remain in stillness (sattva) in the splashing power of rajas.
BY dedicating yourself to this, by honoring this pinprick, this 'consciousness', you search ceases to exist. Here you can let go of 'the doing', of the attempt to let yourself pass beyond this consciousness. because really that don't help. "You can never isolate yourself from Consciousness unless Consciousness is pleased with you and get rid of you,
Consciousness opens the gate for you to transcend the Consciousness. Even the concept 'I am' is not there. Conceptual, qualitative Brahman (Saguna Brahman), the one that is full of concepts and is qualitative, is the outcome of the (reflection of Awareness (Nirguna Brahman) in the functioning body.
So although it is originally important and correct to distinguish between Consciousness (Chetana) and Consciousness (or Awareness; Chit, it makes sense at a certain moment just to embrace
Consciousness in its being 'the touch'. So that all resistance, melts away, and with it all duality. The touch is the Helper which anoints you in your and Her Surrender. It shows that you have always been unaffected and unimpaired, free and unseparated, without the need to strive for it. So on the one hand Maharaj emphasizes: "I, the Absolute, an not this 'I am ness' " but on the other hand: "Understand that this 'I' is not different at different levels. As the Absolute 'I' becomes the manifested 'I', and in the manifested 'I' it is the Consciousness, which is the source of everything. In the manifested state it is the Absolute with Consciousness.
It is striking that here, as in many other places, Maharaj keeps on using the word 'I' as a word for the Ultimate. Apart from calling himself very often "I, the Absolute" he says for instance, "Nothing exists except me. Only I exist." and " When the state of of beinginess is totally swallowed , whatever remains is that eternal "I".
So "I" appears to be a term for us on all three levels: the person thinks and feels 'I', the touch of beingness is the experience of 'I' without thinking (without mine), and the Ultimate is "I", without experiencing it. This means that the Real which we are, is always, so already, and now already. Also, in the midst of identification with a certain form, there is the identification to recognize the most nearby namely "I", in its essential nature.
Is 'I' a door? The Teacher answers: There are no doors to Parabrahman, dear son."
Part II - concluded.
(Tr. from Dutch by Johan Veldman.)
Part III - Atmananda:
In the two preceding parts of 'I' is a door' attention was paid to the remarkable phenomenon that the word "I' may refer to a limited and bound entity, as well as to That which is Infinite Light, sheer Freedom. The preceding articles discussed what Sri Ramana Maharshi and Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj said about this phenomenon. Now we will discuss the third of the Great Three (the three truly great Advaitic teachers of the twentieth century): Sri Atmananda, or Sri Krishna Menon.
Philip Renard the author of these articles was born in Amsterdam. He founded in 2000 Advaya Foundation, www.advaya.nl. In 2005, he published in Dutch Non Dualism, The Direct Way of Liberation.
Sri P. Krishna Menon was born in 1883, in Peringara, near Tiruvalla in the state of Travancore, now a part of today's Kerala. After completing a study of Law he became a Government Advocate, and Inspector and District Superintendent of Police. He once said that in his early life he prayed at length to encounter a Sadguru, a Teacher, in the true sense of the word. One day in 1919, he met such a teacher one Swami Yogananda, who lived in Caluttta. (This is not the Paramamsa Yogananda nor the Swami Yogananda who was one of the direct disciples of Sri Ramakrishna.)
They met during the course of one night only. Krishna Menon was particularly touched by the utmost humility of this teacher. He later stated: "This paralyzed my ego."
Because of this encounter, he started a sadhana, which contained both bhakti and raja yoga as well as pure Jnana. Later on, having become a teacher himself, he would
pass on to others, only the Jnana aspect, and even criticized both the bhakti and raja yoga aspects. (See Notes on Spiritual Discourses of Sri Atmananda).
In 1923, he came to realize his true nature. He assumed the name of Sri Atmananda and began teaching. He continued to work in Police Department up to 1939. Later on, he once said that a profession within the police or the military offers an ideal foundation for a spiritual sadhana, because such a profession offers in particular the maximum obstacles and temptations.
In 1959, Atmananda died at Trivandrum, the capital of Kerala.
Part III - continues.....
One of the ways by which Atmananda's approach became known in the West was through the book The Nature of Man according to the Vedanta, by John Levy. He was an English pupil of Atmananda who had stayed regularly with him. Levy rephrased Atmananda's typical approach in a somewhat more Western style, though he id not retain Atmananda's particular and unique way dealing with logic.
Atmananda once phrased his specific kind of logic as follows: 'They (the Grecian philosophers go by logic and I go also by logic. But there is much difference between the logic employed by them and the logic employed by me. The logic employed by me is something subjective. The logic employed by them is something objective. That is the difference.
I got to know of Atmananda while a pupil of the late Alexander Smit, a Dutchman who had a pupil of Atmanahnda's pupil, Wolter Keers. Alexander gave me a copy of two small books by Atmananda, Atma Darshan and Atma Nirvriti. (Atna Darshan, at the Ultimate, by S. Krishna Menon, Atmananda, Sri Vidya Samiti, Tiruvannamalai, 1946).
These books are Atmananda's brief summary of his teachings: they have
been written in his mother tongue Malayalam and translated into English by himself. For two years, Alexander Smit thoroughly dealt with these books. I am grateful for having had the the privilege to attend these meetings. Owing to this opportunity I became familiar with Atmananda's specific approach.
Many thanks to Subramanian R for posting such precious teachings from Nisargadutta and Sri Atmananda krishna Menon.
Just wanted to share a piece from a novel of Somerset Maugham which I read years back - 'Of Human Bondage'. When I first read it, it impressed greatly but I didnt know why. It is not so directly illumining as a spiritual text but one relates to it from day to day life. Maugham is the English author who came over to meet Bhagavan and also wrote the novel 'The Razor's edge' which had Bhagavan as a character.
*** Of Human Bondage***
Thinking of Cronshaw, Philip remembered the Persian rug which he had given him, telling him that it offered an answer to his question upon the meaning of life; and suddenly the answer occurred to him: he chuckled: now that he had it, it was like one of the puzzles which you worry over till you are shown the solution and then cannot imagine how it could ever have escaped you. The answer was obvious. Life had no meaning. On the earth, satellite of a star speeding through space, living things had arisen under the influence of conditions which were part of the planet's history; and as there had been a beginning of life upon it so, under the influence of other conditions, there would be an end: man, no more significant than other forms of life, had come not as the climax of creation but as a physical reaction to the environment. Philip remembered the story of the Eastern King who, desiring to know the history of man, was brought by a sage five hundred volumes; busy with affairs of state, he bade him go and condense it; in twenty years the sage returned and his history now was in no more than fifty volumes, but the King, too old then to read so many ponderous tomes, bade him go and shorten it once more; twenty years passed again and the sage, old and gray, brought a single book in which was the knowledge the King had sought; but the King lay on his death-bed, and he had no time to read even that; and then the sage gave him the history of man in a single line; it was this: he was born, he suffered, and he died.
There was no meaning in life, and man by living served no end. It was immaterial whether he was born or not born, whether he lived or ceased to live. Life was insignificant and death without consequence. Philip exulted, as he had exulted in his boyhood when the weight of a belief in God was lifted from his shoulders: it seemed to him that the last burden of responsibility was taken from him; and for the first time he was utterly free. His insignificance was turned to power, and he felt himself suddenly equal with the cruel fate which had seemed to persecute him; for, if life was meaningless, the world was robbed of its cruelty. What he did or left undone did not matter. Failure was unimportant and success amounted to nothing. He was the most inconsiderate creature in that swarming mass of mankind which for a brief space occupied the surface of the earth; and he was almighty because he had wrenched from chaos the secret of its nothingness. Thoughts came tumbling over one another in Philip's eager fancy, and he took long breaths of joyous satisfaction. He felt inclined to leap and sing. He had not been so happy for months.
"Oh, life," he cried in his heart, "Oh life, where is thy sting?"
For the same uprush of fancy which had shown him with all the force of mathematical demonstration that life had no meaning, brought with it another idea; and that was why Cronshaw, he imagined, had given him the Persian rug. As the weaver elaborated his pattern for no end but the pleasure of his aesthetic sense, so might a man live his life, or if one was forced to believe that his actions were outside his choosing, so might a man look at his life, that it made a pattern. There was as little need to do this as there was use. It was merely something he did for his own pleasure. Out of the manifold events of his life, his deeds, his feelings, his thoughts, he might make a design, regular, elaborate, complicated, or beautiful; and though it might be no more than an illusion that he had the power of selection, though it might be no more than a fantastic legerdemain in which appearances were interwoven with moonbeams, that did not matter: it seemed, and so to him it was. In the vast warp of life (a river arising from no spring and flowing endlessly to no sea), with the background to his fancies that there was no meaning and that nothing was important, a man might get a personal satisfaction in selecting the various strands that worked out the pattern. There was one pattern, the most obvious, perfect, and beautiful, in which a man was born, grew to manhood, married, produced children, toiled for his bread, and died; but there were others, intricate and wonderful, in which happiness did not enter and in which success was not attempted; and in them might be discovered a more troubling grace.
Some lives, and Hayward's was among them, the blind indifference of chance cut off while the design was still imperfect; and then the solace was comfortable that it did not matter; other lives, such as Cronshaw's, offered a pattern which was difficult to follow, the point of view had to be shifted and old standards had to be altered before one could understand that such a life was its own justification. Philip thought that in throwing over the desire for happiness he was casting aside the last of his illusions. His life had seemed horrible when it was measured by its happiness, but now he seemed to gather strength as he realised that it might be measured by something else. Happiness mattered as little as pain. They came in, both of them, as all the other details of his life came in, to the elaboration of the design. He seemed for an instant to stand above the accidents of his existence, and he felt that they could not affect him again as they had done before. Whatever happened to him now would be one more motive to add to the complexity of the pattern, and when the end approached he would rejoice in its completion. It would be a work of art, and it would be none the less beautiful because he alone knew of its existence, and with his death it would at once cease to be.
Philip was happy.
SAMADHI:
Real Atma Vichara begin only when one
is off the mental waves and abides in the Heart. By unswerving constancy in the Self like the ceaseless unbroken
filamentay flow of oil is generated
the Nirvilapa Samadhi. (Talks No 349. Every Yogi's aim is to achieve the Nirvikalpa Samadhi for its beneficial spiritual effects.
Samadhi is a sort of trance. Sri Rama in Rama Gita tells Hanuman there are over a hundred samadhis. They are all treated in their respective treatises. But in Maha Yoga the samadhis an aspirant meets with during the course of the sadhana are: 1. Kevala Nirvikalpa
Samadhi 2. Savikalpa Samadhi 3. Nirvikalpa Samadhi and 4. Sahaja Samadhi.
Kevala Nirvikalpa Samadhi is experienced during Tanumanasi or the advanced stages of Step 4. In
Kevala Nirvikalpa Samadhi the mind is immersed in the Light of of Consciousness for a short while and is pulled back by the Vasanas that have not been destroyed. In this state, awareness with calmness of the mind is experienced.
Mind holding on to the Self with effort is Savikalpa Samadhi. In other words, when the mind is fixed on the object of meditation for a particular length of time unobstructed by the least ripple of thought it is Savikalpa Samadhi.
Savikalpa means with differentiation of the subject and object i.e. the meditator and the object of meditation.
Constant practice of Savikalpa Samadhi leads to Nirvikalpa Samadhi. Mind merged in Reality and remaining unaware of the world is Nirvikalpa Samadhi. In this state, the subject and object fuse into a mass of Consciousness. On coming out of this Samadhi the meditator recalls the Samadhi experience and remembering what he has read in the scriptures to be identical with his experience he realizes himself as I am That. This recollection of the Samadhi experiences and his identification as I am That is called Prathyabhijna Jnanam. It is only this Prathyabhijna Jnanam that completely destroys ignorance i.e.
duality. This is fully explained in Chapter XVII of Tripura Rahasya.
(The Technique of Maha Yoga. N.R. Narayana Aiyar.)
Dear soorya,
I found that the article on Nisargadatta was a little tough, because Maharaj used such words or translators used such words. However,
one more reading of that article made me understand Maharaj somewhat. I find a little uneasy when he used Maya as a Seducer. In Saiva Siddhantam, Maya or Uma is considered full of grace and mercy and it is she despite her initial sports with Jiva finally guides him to the Sivam. Manikkavachagar brings this aspect in Kovil Mootha Tirupadigam, Verse I.
David, a request for you. The first part of 'I' is a door, dealing with Sri Bhagavan is missing. Once you had told me that Jayanti issue of 2004 ran out of stock quickly due to an article by you. If you could post this Part I,
in your blog soon, it will benefit all readers and the trilogy of the article would be complete.
Subramanian. R
"There was no meaning in life, and man by living served no end. It was immaterial whether he was born or not born, whether he lived or ceased to live. Life was insignificant and death without consequence. Philip exulted, as he had exulted in his boyhood when the weight of a belief in God was lifted from his shoulders: it seemed to him that the last burden of responsibility was taken from him; and for the first time he was utterly free."
This reminds me of the 'Microsoft' Joke.Here it is:
God was fed up. In a crash of thunder he yanked up to Heaven three influential humans: Bill Clinton, Boris Yeltsin and Bill Gates. "The human race is a complete disappointment," God boomed. "You each have one week to prepare your followers for the end of the world." With another crash of thunder they found themselves back on Earth.
Clinton immediately called his cabinet. "I have good news and bad news," he announced grimly. "The good news is that there is a god. The bad news is, God's really mad and plans to end the world in a week."
In Russia, Yeltsin announced to parliament, "Comrades, I have bad news and worse news. The bad news is that we were wrong: there is a god after all. The worse news is God's mad and is
going to end the world in a week."
Meanwhile, Bill Gates called a meeting of his top engineers. "I have good news and better news. The good news is that God considers me one of the three most influential men on Earth," he
beamed. "The better news is we don't have to fix the bugs in Windows"
Mind is in no position to guage the 'meaning' of existence.I came across this poem by Rumi posted by a devotee in another Blog:
"I was a secret treasure of kindness and generosity,
and I wished this treasure to be known,
so I created a mirror: its shining face, the heart;
its darkened back, the world;
The back would please you if you've never seen the face.
Has anyone ever produced a mirror out of mud and straw?
Yet clean away the mud and straw,
and a mirror might be revealed.
Until the juice ferments a while in the cask,
it isn't wine. If you wish your heart to be bright,
you must do a little work."
Here is the poem by Rumi:
Be Lost In The Call
Lord, said David, since you do not need us,
why did you create these two worlds?
Reality replied: O prisoner of time,
I was a secret treasure of kindness and generosity,
you must do a little work.
My King addressed the soul of my flesh:
You return just as you left.
Where are the traces of my gifts?
We know that alchemy transforms copper into gold.
This Sun doesn't want a crown or robe from God's grace.
He is a hat to a hundred bald men,
a covering for ten who were naked.
Jesus sat humbly on the back of an ass, my child!
How could a zephyr ride an ass?
Spirit, find your way, in seeking lowness like a stream.
Reason, tread the path of selflessness into eternity.
Remember God so much that you are forgotten.
Let the caller and the called disappear;
be lost in the Call".
Thanks Ravi.
Yes the mind cannot find the 'meaning' of existence, the farthest it can go is I believe where Maugham has stretched it...I also feel the mind feels life is meaningless when it doesnt find the supremacy it wants or if it did get that, it finds it useless or hollow after sometime...I have a thought that the meaning Jnani's find in life is not at all what we can describe as 'meaningful' from a mental stance - what is meaningful to the mind? Probably a life which had some achievements to it's credit, or some usefulness to it's fellow beings...
The belief in God as per conventional religion becomes a burden because a thinking honest person will be in conflict with what he experiences and what he is supposed to believe. Besides,there are some nuggets in those paras of Maugham like :
"Philip thought that in throwing over the desire for happiness he was casting aside the last of his illusions. His life had seemed horrible when it was measured by its happiness, but now he seemed to gather strength as he realised that it might be measured by something else. Happiness mattered as little as pain."
- Throwing away the desire for happiness is a learning for a sadhaka too, an advanced learning perhaps. All masters teach to accept whatever that comes, but our minds unconsciously welcome happenings which are expected to bring pleasure and not otherwise.
Thanks for the joke, think I have read it before. Beautiful poem by Rumi.
Worthy to be done is self-enquiry;
worthy to be gained is the glory of Self;
worthy to be given up is the ego-sense;
worthy to be merged into is one's
own source, so that cares and anxieties dies.
"Throwing away the desire for happiness is a learning for a sadhaka too"
The spiritual quest is a search for happiness only.The mind turns this into a pursuit of an 'Idea',an idea of what happiness is and forever pursuing this 'idea'.
Happiness is something that is one's very nature so it cannot be dispensed with.A new born baby is a bundle of joy and expresses this very Truth.Over a period of time this natural gift is lost or covered by acquired ideas,stances,desires,cares and worries.
The 'Doing good' is also an expression of this happiness.Only the mind pursues it as an 'Exercise' and is baulked by its own insufficiency.Yet ,it is an attitude change that can easily bring this out-Like in Mark Twain's The adventures of Tom sawyer ,everyone willingly gave whatever he or she carried to Tom as an exchange for whitewashing the Fence.
'Work is that which one is obligedto do' says Mark Twain.It becomes play or worship if one does not feel so 'Obliged' or 'Duty bound'.
Three writings on a wall of a College
The first day:
1. God is dead - Nietzhe.
The second day:
2. Nietzhe is dead - God.
The third day:
3. Both God and Nietzhe are not dead; They are not even born!
(Lesser known temples).
tiruvarur paravaiyuL maNdali -
This temple is also called thulA nAyanar Kovil. This is the temple to which Paravai, one of the two wives of Sundaramurti was praying to Siva. This small temple is outside the main temple of Tiruvarur, on the street where the Car of the main temple is stationed.
Siva is called thulAyanAr Nathar. Uma is called panchin melladi ammai, the one whose legs are softer than cotton.
Saint Sundaramurti has mentioned this temple in 10 of his verses in Canon 7.
One of the ways by which Atmananda's approach became known in the West was through the book The Nature of Man According to the Vedanta by John Levy. He as an English pupil of Atmananda who had stayed regularly with him. Levy rephrased Atmananda's typical approach in a somewhat more Western style; though he did retain Atmananda's particular and unique way of dealing with logic.
I got to know of Atmananda while a pupil of the late Alexander Smit, a Dutchman who had been a pupil of Atmananda's pupil Wolter Keers. Alexander gave me a copy of two small books by Atmananda, Atma Darshan and Atma Nirvriti. These books are Atmananda's brief summary of his teachings; they have been written in his mother tongue Malayalam and translated into English by himself. For two years Alexander Smit thoroughly dealt with these books. I am grateful for having had the privilege to attend these meetings; owing to this opportunity I became familiar with Atmananda's specific approach.
What is specific to his approach?
It is his own special linguistic usage, his particular logic (or 'subjective' logic), his way of reducing all things to their ultimate nature, and in particular his emphasis on what he called the 'I'-Principle.'
To him, this 'I'-Principle was a synonym for Ultimate Reality, the Absolute -- there is nothing which precedes it; it is what is truly meant with the word 'I'. He said for instance" "Pure Consciousness and deep peace are your real nature. Having understood this in the right manner, you can well give up the use of the words,
'Consciousness' and 'Happiness' and invariably use 'I' to denote the Reality. Don't be satisfied with only reducing objects into Consciousness. Don't stop there. Reduce them further into the 'I'-Principle'. So also reduce all feelings into pure Happiness and then reduce them into the 'I'-Principle.
Although Atmananda loved to use words like Consciousness and Happiness in order to refer to the Ultimate, a quote like this shows that ultimately he preferred the term 'I'-Principle (he once said that compared to the "I"-Principle,
the term Consciousness can be called theory!). He did so because he considered that the word 'I' has the least chance of being misunderstood. Everything that can be perceived can be subject to misunderstanding, however that which can be called 'yourself', that which cannot be perceived, 'I' cannot cause misunderstanding. he considered the 'I'-Principle to be everybody's true goal, because it is in fact contained in each endeavor.
'I' is the door -
Part III - continues......
The use of the word 'Principle' by Atmananada should not be considered a mental or philosophical attempt to understand or frame the 'I'. It is his way of using a word for what 'I' is in itself, I as such. What 'I' as such really is, precisely, is prior to each mental movement or framing. With expressions like 'in itself' and 'as such' language stops short. Here language arrives at its limits. Something is referring to itself. Something as such does not change the next moment into something else. It is the constant factor in the ever changing, it is its own true nature. It does not rely on anything else. Atmananda frequently used the Sanskrit word SWARUPA, true nature, which referred to this constant factor. He used it together with a number of words that he considered its synonym such as 'background', 'content', 'substrate', 'pure state' and 'natural state' Atmananda used these various words as indications for one and the same thing.
The trouble with language is that each attempt to refer to the essential nature of something can, as quick as a flash, be misunderstood. For instance, a term like 'the essence' can suggest the presence of a tiny 'being' or 'core' within a more coarse form. As if you might discover something's essence by enlarging it more and more using a microscope, continuously searching for what is INSIDE the core. Something of this suggestion repeatedly arises in popular commentaries of the famous 'You Are That' passage in Chandogya Upanishad in which Uddalaka teaches his son by splitting a fruit further and further.
Atmananda was a master in emphasizing the mistake that can lie in this short-sightedness. For this kind of inquiry will always get trapped in what he called the 'objective'. Atmananda used the terms 'objective' and 'subjective' in a way that is uncommon in the West. To him objective was not an indication for the impartial, but for everything that can be observed, everything for the senses and thoughts. The same goes for 'subjective'; here he did not mean a view or opinion colored by a person, but that which is merely Subject, -- that which cannot be observed by definition, and which by Itself constantly illumines whatever is the object.
subramanian,
"Three writings on a wall of a College
3. Both God and Nietzhe are not dead; They are not even born!"
The Fourth day:
4.Ignore the writings on the wall.Attend to what you came here for!:-)
Graffitis are indeed interesting and very creative as well.
I happen to see one in the Notice Board of IIT Kanpur computer Department.
A Professor had put up a notice that During Thesis Presentation by M Tech Students ,no eatables should be served.
A Student wrote on that :'What about Tea'?
The Professor who happened to notice this responded:
'You do not eat Tea;you should know better'
The Student responded:'I am a Bong(slang for BengAli);i eat Tea'!(In Bengali they ask -chAi kAbey?kAbey means 'Eating' in general.
The last sentence says 'Philip was happy.'.
How did he become happy? He got rid of all concepts, of life, of success and failure, of happiness and pain - their relative relevance etc etc. What remains when everything that can be discarded is discarded? That is oneself which is happiness. I find the situation allegorical to the traditional 'neti neti' process in a way. Nisargadutaa Maharaj used to yell 'GET RID OF ALL CONCEPTS' :)). And I used to love reading about his yelling :).
I agree that we begin spiritual journey with the mind 'searching' for happiness, but later on the Satguru points out that as long as one searches one is unable to stay still and unable to be that happiness. That is what I meant by 'throwing away the search for happiness'.Even the desire for liberation(which is also concept for which the mind toils) goes away.
Part III - continues....
This means that the inquiry into something 'inside' as a findable 'essence' or 'core' is incommensurate with any insight regarding the Ultimate. Hence, one cannot say that modern research in physics and true self-inquiry are one and the same thing, as is suggested nowadays in some advaitic circles. Physics will always remain a field of the 'objective'. (It is something like discovering God's particle in CERN laboratory!)
This is likewise the case when the concept 'all-encompassing' is used to express notions such as Cosmos, Space, or the Infinite. Atmananda gave us a useful indication or insight.
"Space (Akasa), though not perceptible to the senses, is certainly conceivable by the mind. So it is really objective in nature. If we take our of Space this last taint of objectivity, it ceases to be dead and inert, become self luminous and it immediately shines as its background, the Reality."
Everything in Atmananda's teaching is about the Subject. It refers exclusively to That which knows. That which knows is not a Knower (not a He or She) but Knowing as such (Jnana). He named this 'Knowing as such' also Experience (anubhava), meaning 'Experiencing as such', and also 'Feeling as such' (rasa). All the three are synonyms for the Wonder which is in fact "I" am. Take for instance the following:
"The 'I'-Principle is the only Experience that one can have. Even though he be an ignorant man, he can only experience Himself. (...) If the experience has many objects, it is no Experience. You are superimposing objects upon your Experience. Your Experience is one and the same, always."; and "I have already proved to you that no one can know nor experience anything other than one's own Self., the 'I' Principle. (....) The only experience is "I" and "I" is the only word which denotes experience"; and 'The I Principle is the only thing that exists. 'I' requires no proof either. The objective cannot exist independent of this 'I' and therefore the 'I' -Principle is the only Ultimate Reality."
This radical way of speaking, in which virtually everything can be reduced to That which knows, implies that objects need not be ignored or removed, but they can be considered pointers to Reality. In order to recognize the Self, most texts in Advaita tradition consider it a must for a student to learn not to pay attention to the sensory objects. However, Atmananda made it clear that nothing is an obstacle. One is never really swallowed by an object, or hindered by an obstacle. Nothing needs to removed. 'Nothing hides Consciousness.'
The so called ego too, is not an enemy; on the contrary, Atmananda said it is a help. 'Even the much despised ego is a great help to the realization of the Truth. The presence of the ego in man, though in a distorted form, is definitely better than absence of of it, as for example, in a tree. And 'It is the whole ego that seeks liberation and strives for it. When it is directed to the Ultimate Reality, the material part automatically drops away, and the Consciousness
part alone remains over as the real 'I' principle. This is liberation.
Atmananda's emphasis on radical non duality does not mean that he assumed that in the day to day contact between people, the ego has already totally dissolved, and that this was also the case in the contact his students had with him as their teacher. In other words, he did not have the illusion that which he outlined to be ultimately true, was already true for his students, or readers in their activities. Thus, he did not think it helpful to honor 'differencelessness' or non duality in his actual activities as teacher and police officer. He considered it a pitfall to shout all too soon that 'everything is Consciousness' in a worldly or relational environment. And he continued pointing out 'difference' as long as this was the true state of affairs to the student. Thus he considered advaita, non duality, not applicable to the relationship between teacher and student. 'Think of your Guru only in the dualistic sphere,' he said, 'apply your heart wholly to it and get lost in the Guru. Then the Ultimate dances like a child before you.' And moreover' 'Advaita is only a pointer to the Guru. You do not reach Advaita completely until you reach the egoless state. Never even think that you are one with Guru. It will never take you to the Ultimate. On the contrary, that thought will only drown you. Advaita points only to the Ultimate.
An excerpt from Swami Vivekananda's 'Inspired Talks':
"Ingersoll once said to me: "I believe in making the most out of this world, in squeezing the orange dry, because this world is all we are sure of." I replied: "I know a better way to squeeze the orange of this world than you do, and I get more out of it. I know I cannot die, so I am not in a hurry; I know there is no fear, so I enjoy the squeezing. I have no duty, no bondage of wife and children and property; I can love all men and women. Everyone is God to me. Think of the joy of loving man as God! Squeeze your orange this way and get ten thousandfold more out of it. Get every single drop."
"That which seems to be the will is the Atman behind, it is really free."
tiru usAthAnam - 614 704.
This temple is nowadays called Muthup pettai or Kovilur. This can be reached by bus from Thanjavur. Sri Rama, Lakshmana, Sugriva, Hanuman and Jambavan are said to have prayed to Siva here. Sri Rama is also said to have learnt Vedas' purport from Siva here.
The Lingam is born on its own and not sculpted by any sculptor. It is in white form. Only camphor is applied on the lingam and there are no oblations of any other kind.
There is also a large Siva Lingam outside in the portal. It is in a tub and people fill in water whenever there is no rain, so that with that filling of water, it is believed that rains would come. There is no navagraha in the temple.
Siva is called Mantrapuriswarar. Uma is called Periya Nayaki. The tirtham (holy waters) is a tank called Nirmala tirtham. Saint Tiru Jnana Sambandhar has mentioned this temple in 9 of his verses in Canon 3.
Atmananda considered a devotional attitude to be a great help. But in an instruction he made it clear, that such an attitude is only appropriate towards your own Guru. "That particular Person through whom one had he proud privilege of being enlightened, that is the ONLY FORM which one may adore and do Puja to, to one's heart content, as the person of one's Guru. It is true that ALL is the Sadguru, but 'only when the name and form disappear' and not otherwise. Therefore the true aspirant should beware of being deluded into any similar devotional advance to any other form, be it of God or the man." In another statement he reveals how strict and dualistic he was in respect to the student and guru relationship. 'A disciple should never bow allegiance to two Gurus at the same time'; to which he added that 'accepting more than one Guru at a time is even more dangerous than having none at all.'
The following story illustrates how in his daily life Atmananda showed that each of the levels (the Absolute and the relative) requires its own approach, and that consequently, one does not apply the non dualistic approach to the relative level of being. At the beginning of his career, as a station inspector of the Police Department, Atmananda once interrogated a man he suspected of having stolen something. The man had constantly denied it. Them Atmananda told him: 'If you have really committed the theft, as I believe you have, it will be better that you confess it and admit your mistake. If on the other hand, you want to hide the truth from me, you may be able to do so for the time being, but that Principle in you which is watching all your actions will make you suffer throughout the rest of your life for having lied once. You will never be able to hide the Truth from the Principle in you.'
This shows the sensitivity required to live the truth, and not peremptorily claim that untruth is simply Consciousness as well. Imagine the implication of Atmananda's statement: to lie once would end in lifelong suffering! If you realize that this statement is made by a truly radical non dualistic teacher, it simulates us to consider the apparent paradox between what Atmananda teaches at the highest level of understanding and the recognition of the consequences of the actions made by individuals in their day to day activities. If we are identified with the dualistic world we will experience the effects of our actions.
"Space (Akasha), though not perceptible to the senses, is certainly conceivable by the mind. So it is really objective in nature. If we take out of Space this last taint of objectivity, it ceases to be dead and inert, becomes self-luminous and it immediately shines as its background, the Reality."
A question on this statement - does he mean removal of the last taint of objectivity by the removal of the thought of space being an object and external? Sri Bhagavan has answered to some questions in the 'Talks' to that effect.When someone asked him 'How to know that I am all pervading' He replied, 'By removing the thought that I am not all pervading now'. Sri Atmananda has described how everything can be reduced to the subjective consciousness - the thoughts, sense perceptions, feelings etc etc. It is more like resolving it to it's origin/real nature - still contemplating on this...
In spite of this accurate handling of 'difference;, on the level where differences simply have to be handled, Atmananda was a truly radical non dualist. His radicality made him use a style of writing in which he does not speak ABOUT an 'I' or an 'I'Principle, but FROM the perspective of that. In Atma Dsrshan he wrote some passages in
which Consciousness itself is speaking, in which "I" is speaking, not one so called Atmananda.' It invites the reader to look at things from this 'I' - point of view, as the one and only Realty.
"I am that Consciousness that remains over after the removal of everything objective from Me. (...) Realizing that every object wherever placed is asserting Me, I enjoy Myself everywhere and in everything.' And: 'It is in Me that thoughts and feelings rise and set, I am their changelsss Witness I am the Light of Consciousness in all thoughts and perceptions and the Light of Love in all feelings.'
A couple of years later he continued this style of writing in Atma Nirvritti: 'The world shines because of my Light: without Me, nothing is. I am the light in the perception of the world'; and: 'How can thoughts which rise and set in Me, be other than Myself? When there is thought. I am seeing Myself; when there is no thought, I am remaining in My own glory.'
These are beautiful texts, which through their originality can bring about a shock of recognition even more so than traditional texts abut 'the Self' The Self, after all, remains an indication for something in the third person. Whilst speaking about the Self, the suggestion can liner that that is something else than 'me' who is after all, simply I first person. No. I am already That. I am That. 'The 'I' is not That. It is about the recognition of the fact, that I am already That, Consciousness Itself, and that, therefore, I am allowed to speak as such about Myself. The author is giving us, the readers, the example of how to recognize Yourself, and then speak from that perspective as a consequence. The reader is likewise invited in the following passage to experience this recognition.
'I am pure Happiness. All the activities of the sense organs and the mind aim at happiness. Thus all their activities are puja done to Me. I am ever in repose, disinterestedly perceiving this puja. Again and again they touch Me unawares and lapse into passivity. Coming out of it, they continue their puja again. Once they understand that by their activities they are doing puja to Me and in passivity they lie touching Me, all their suffering ceases. Thereafter, actions done will be no action. And passivity will be no passivity, because ignorance has been rooted out.;
Alaric jones said...
i had a dream a couple of nights ago that there was a snake in the Ashram. It stood in front of me - a cobra - but I remembered the stories of Ramana allowing snakes to move over him, and I wasn't scared. It didn't bite, and moved away.
Whenever I dream of the Ashram, or of Ramana, a strange calmness and clarity descends. I always value these dreams and hope I can return again someday.
Atmananda deftly conveys in these texts the understanding that in our
thinking and speaking about ourselves a reversal can occur. We are already looking FROM that which we are looking FOR, we really need not go anywhere. Many authors describe thinking and feeling as enemies. But actually these faculties express the celebration of Us. All my thinking is 'heading' in MY direction in order to arrive at a dissolution in the peace that I am, and this movement in MY direction is not an assault but a natural homecoming. The wrong supposition that thoughts or feelings have to be removed first, results, from the identification with someone who suffers --- a someone who is disturbed by these thoughts and feelings. Atmananda justly calls this a puja because That towards which this worship is
directed is to totally No-thing, that it can only be devoured Therein. It is, therefore, appropriate to say that I, being No-thing, am the only true direction for all thoughts and feelings -- they form a plea to be dissolved, to be ultimately to rest inn Me.
'The real nature of thought is Consciousness, and the true nature of feeling is Happiness. Whenever a thought or feeling arises, you are in your Real Nature as Consciousness and Happiness.' And when you are in deep sleep, you are in your Real Nature. When you are in deep sorrow, you are in your Real Nature. When you are in extreme dispassion or when you are terror stricken, you are in your
Real Nature. When you come to the end of all activity - i.e, death, you are in Your Real Nature. In all these experiences you stand divested of even the idea of body or mind, and when you transcend the mind, you are always in your Real
This passage really covers ALL states we can experience, there is no more to be said. I am never deprived of my Real Nature, I can never escape It. This 'I' which everybody experiences, which everybody speaks of, -- exactly the same word -- as always pointing to Itself, which everybody experiences as 'Myself', is my Real Nature. Every state or feeling of separateness has been devoured in Me. 'I' is no door anymore, but the Devourer Itself.
I have not read Nisargadatta in detail and I have not read Atmananda at all before reading this article in 3 parts. I am of the personal view, that these two gurus, use a lot of
words, their own usages and jargons with the result the Direct Path made simple by Sri Bhagavan, with no jargons, manipulated usages, gets complicated.
I would like to confine my reading to the teachings of Sri Bhagavan, His elegant and direct conversations, than to read such matters of these two gurus, which
is like linear algebra and fluid dynamics!
Subramanian R,
:)). Yes these two gurus cause the intellect to work more with their terms and methods, because they give it more food, whereas Sri Bhagavan is very stingy in that :). It seems ideally the guru should keep it as simple as possible and not encourage the intellect of the seeker to grow more than is bare minimum necessary :). I too feel that Sri Bhagavan is smarter in leading one to the goal :)
Reminded of a beautiful incident from Swami Vivekananda's life, just love it for his childlike nature and directness! :
Mrs. Edith Allan described a teacher-student exchange in one of Swami Vivekananda's San Francisco classes:
SWAMI VIVEKANANDA: I am the disciple of a man who could not write his own name, and I am not worthy to undo his shoes. How often have I wished I could take my intellect and throw it into the Ganges!
STUDENT: But, Swami, that is the part of you I like best.
SWAMI VIVEKANANDA: That is because you are a fool, Madam — like I am.
MAYA:
John Grimes:
The cornerstone of any philosophical system is that 'key concept' upon which the system revolves. The key-concept of Advaita is Maya. This entails a little elaboration in order
that a possible misunderstanding does not result. According to Advaitins, Maya does mean 'illusion' as is ordinarily understood in English. Nor does it mean that 'nothing exists'. Maya is an appearance -- and the only person who inquires into this experience, to explain it, is someone under the sway of the appearance. To ask where it came from or if the world is real necessarily implies that the person is presently bewitched by Maya. First one assumes duality is there, and then one wants to investigate it. The snake is not a snake at all. It is a rope and always has been a rope. The Sun does not move, yet one sees it moving. The Sun is self effulgent, like shining on all alike. The Sun has never seen, nor will know darkness. Yet, how wonderful, as soon as one moves out of the sunlight, one discovers darkness. The Sun did not produce the darkness. The Absolute Reality is what is and never is otherwise. How is it conceivably possible for someone to escape to a place where it is not? Yet, that is exactly one's condition. One experiences distance, separation from what which one eternally is!
MAYA ;
continued....
That this misinterpretation / misunderstanding arises is borne out by the fact that the critics sometimes label Advaita as Mayavada and Advaitins are called Mayavadins. These terms are used
disparagingly and yet there is a grain of truth in the matter. What is it? Maya cannot exist or function independent of the Absolute Reality (Brahman) and it ceases to betwitch when Brahman is realized. Still, Maya is the linguistic device by which Advaitin explains how the non dual Brahman appears as multitudinous. Strictly speaking Brahman is the be all and end all of Advaita, and if anything, Advaita should be called Brahma Vada. This is so because Advaita never loses sight of its central doctrine that Brahman is real, the world is non real and the individual is non different from Brahman.
What the critics have done is to mistake the means for the end. The reality of the great Inner Self is Advaita's sole concern. The Advaitin is not interested in proving the existence of Maya. Nonetheless, though Maya is not ultimately real, its importance cannot be exaggerated for the role that it plays in Advaita philosophy. Yet, as real illumined sages know, Advaita is not essentially a philosophy but a state of Being. No one would deny that individuals perceive multiplicity and distinctions. How does this happen? 'Atman, the self luminous, through the power of one's own Maya imagines in oneself, by oneself (all objects that the subject experiences within or without).' This unborn, (changeless, non dual Brahman) appears to undergo modifications only on account of Maya and not otherwise.'
According to Advaita, the real is that which lasts, which suffers no sublation, which is eternal. Appearances are perceived and thus they are not unreal (asat). According to Advaita, the unreal can never appear, not even in one's wildest dreams, e.g square circle or the child of a barren woman. The real (Sat) never changes and thus appearances cannot be real. Yet, miraculously, mysteriously, inscrutably, distinction / multiplicity, all that is perceived as 'other than you' (seemingly) is perceived. Thus, appearances are called 'what is other than the real or the unreal (sad asat vilakshana), illusory, (mithya), indescribable (anirvachaniya), maya. How wonderful!
A wonderful quote by Sri Nisargadutta Maharaj:
Be true to your own self, love your self absolutely. Do not pretend that you love others as yourself. Unless you have realized them as one with yourself, you cannot love them. Don't pretend to be what you are not, don't refuse to be what you are. Your love of others is the result of self-knowledge, not its cause. Without self-realization, no virtue is genuine. When you know beyond all doubting that the same life flows through all that is and you are that life, you will love all naturally and spontaneously.
It is by means of this concept that Advaita delineates its epistemology, metaphysics, and practical teachings. For instance, epistemology presupposes a subject who knows, the object which is known, and the resulting knowledge. The justification and elucidation of this triple form (triputis) is accounted by maya. Similarly with error, maya is material cause. Superimposition (adhyasa) and the theory of appearance (vivara vada), which both help to explain the problem of error, presupposes maya. An inert, material mind needs the help of consciousness for knowledge to arise. Knowledge exists in and through a conscious experience of multiplicity. And it is maya which is the cause of all these empirical distinctions. The Advaitins contends that the very possibility of empirical distinctions rests upon the existence of maya.
According to the metaphysics of Advaita, the Absolute is One and non dual. Thus arises the apparent problem of the One and the many. What is the relationship between the One and the many, between the Absolute and the relative? The Adivaitin must account for the seeming plurality of the universe if the Reality is One and non dual.
An explanation is called for in regard to the distinction which the Advaitin makes between the Reality with form and the formless Reality.
Learn to swim before you jump into the water.Otherwise you will drown!
An excerpt from 'I am That':
Q: Which desires are cogent?
M: Desires that destroy their subjects, or objects, or do not subside on satisfaction are self-contradictory and cannot be fulfilled. Only desires motivated by love, goodwill and compassion are beneficial to both the subject and object and can be fully satisfied.
Q: All desires are painful, the holy as well as the unholy.
M: They are not the same and pain is not the same. Passion is painful, compassion -- never. The entire universe strives to fulfil a desire born of compassion.
One needs to get into the water at least once in order to learn swimming ,rt? :))
We learn/unlearn by trying and testing various methods, accepting what fits us and rejecting what doesnt. A sadhaka is never embarassed of his/her feeling of imperfection, he may question it but he/she never runs away from it.
John Grimes.
The seeming difference between the individual self and the Absolute needs to be explained. The place of God (Iswara) as well as the creation of the world, must be accounted for. Every Indian metaphysical system endeavors to explain these three entities. i.e the Reality, the individual self, and the physical universe. Advaita must explain how these three entities are really one. And this Advaita does by elucidating how the concept of Maya is presupposed in each of these three issues.
Finally, the entire practical teachings of Advaita presuppose the concept of Maya. The bondage of the individual, as well as his liberation, hinges upon Maya. Maya is the root cause of bondage and knowledge is the direct means of its removal. Ethics, aesthetics, and values all have meaning only within the context of Maya. Likewise, all disciplines prescribed for attaining release only become meaningful within the context of maya. By this criterion Brahman alone is real, absolutely Real, never being subject to contradiction. All else will called 'real' only by courtesy. The distinction between one individual and another, the existence of plurality of things, the attribution of attributes to the Absolute are all concessions to the Truth made from the relative point of view.
Thus, maya has a special place is Advaita. It is a philosophical, methodological device to provide an explanation for the inexpressible. There is no water in a mirage. There never has been. Nor ever will be. And yet water is seen! How wonderful. To experience something does not necessarily imply it is real. Appearances appear and believers believe. But that does not make them Real.
The Seven Stages of Jnana Yoga:
There are seven Bhumikas or stages in Jnana Yoga:
1. Subeccha.
2. Vicharana.
3. ThanumAnasi.
4. Sattvapatti.
5. Asamsakti.
6. PadharthAbhavana.
7. Turiya.
Sri Bhagavan has explained this in one of His Conversations.
The Swami and Dosas:
A Swami sat under a tree in meditation and minding his own business. Along came an abrasive villager, who, for some reason, was enraged by the sight of this peaceful man and he started to goad him.
'What good are you doing by sitting like that?', he demanded,
The Swami did not reply.
'Have you nothing to say for yourself> Can't you justify your actions? Do you suppose that any one is better off for your behavior?'
Still no word from Swami who sat as though the man who was shouting at him did not exist. This aggravated the villager even more. From being annoying, he started to become very rude. Terrible invective was hurled at the silent Swami and he was called the worst and insulting names. Even the crowd that had naturally gathered around was shocked and remonstrated with angry villager, to no effect. He now treated it as a challenge and his foul language and abuse grew wilder and more and more vulgar.
At last Swami opened his eyes and decided to respond. Every time the man called him a bad name, the Swami replied by naming some delicious food.
The man called him a filthy pig. The Swami said Masala Dosa,
The man called him a dog, The Swami
said, Payasam.
The man called him the son of donkey. The Swami said Vadai.
The crowd became fascinated. They asked Swami: Why O Swamji? When that man calls you such bad names why do you reply by naming tasty food?
The Swami replied, 'Whatver that man says he has to swallow. Whatever I say I have to swallow!'
(Aradhana 2004
Mountain Path)
"One needs to get into the water at least once in order to learn swimming ,rt? :)).We learn/unlearn by trying and testing various methods, accepting what fits us and rejecting what doesnt."
Quite true.We learn to love and serve others the same way.
To say that one has to be realized to serve or love others???This is the point in my statement!
This is what the Great Grandma of a Sage Avvayyar says:
சித்திரமும் கைப்பழக்கம் செந்தமிழும் நாப்பழக்கம்
வைத்ததொரு கல்வி மனப்பழக்கம் நித்தம்
நடையும் நடைப்பழக்கம் நட்பும் தயையும்
கொடையும் பிறவிக் குணம்
Chithiramum Kai Pazhakkam Senthamizhum Naapazhakkam
Vaithadhor Kalviyum Manappazhakkam Niththam
Nadaiyum Nadaipazhakkam Natpum Dhayaiyum
Kodaiyum Piravi Gunam
meaning, The finest art is the practice of the hand; The eloquence in Tamil literature is the practice of the tongue; The greatness of knowledge is the practice of the mind; The nobility of behaviour is by the practice of being nobly behaved. The ones that are inborn are - friendly attitude,Compassion and Benevolence.
The More we express these inborn qualities,the more and more they manifest and take us to the very source of these qualities,the Self.
This is the way of SanAtana Dharma.
If good qualities come spontaneously to anyone, then what can be better? The point was only against forced pretense of exhibiting good qualities.
For a sage, all virtues come in full and spontaneously. My understanding is, that is what Nisargadutta Maharaj meant. Remember Swamiji once remarked 'What do worldly people know about love,they only make a show of it; the master alone loved'. There is obviously a wide difference in our feelings of compassion/love for fellow beings when compared to that of a self-realized sage.
The Spontaneousness has to be discovered.Nothing happens out of the Blue.Here even a pretence can open the door to the Real.
This is the very Basis of samskAras.
This is how Sri Ramakrishna puts it:
"Parable of the false ascetic
"One night a fisherman went into a garden and cast his net into the lake in order to steal
some fish. The owner heard him and surrounded him with his servants. They brought
lighted torches and began to search for him. In the mean time the fisherman smeared his
body with ashes and sat under a tree, pretending to be a holy man. The owner and his men
searched a great deal but could not find the thief. All they saw was a holy man covered with
ashes, meditating under a tree. The next day the news spread in the neighbourhood that a
great sage was staying in the garden. People gathered there and saluted him with offerings
of fruit, flowers, and sweets. Many also offered silver and copper coins. 'How strange!'
thought the fisherman. 'I am not a genuine holy man, and still people show such devotion to
me. I shall certainly realize God if I become a true sadhu. There is no doubt about it.'
"If a mere pretence of religious life can bring such spiritual awakening, you can imagine
the effect of real sadhana. In that state you will surely realize what is real and what is
unreal. God alone is real, and the world is illusory."
We are not talking about people in general but about seekers.
'The More we express these inborn qualities,the more and more they manifest and take us to the very source of these qualities,the Self.'
- We are always the Self, the only thing needed is to keep quiet with the mind. We dont need to earn Self realization, we are already that.
"Truth is not a reward for good behaviour, nor a prize for passing some tests. It cannot be brought about. It is the primary, the unborn, the ancient source of all that is. You are eligible because you are. You need not merit truth. It is your own. Just stop running away by running after. Stand still, be quiet."
- Sri Nisargdatta Maharaj
I too thought like you do sometime back, one of the many ideas that dropped away after reaching Sri Bhagavan was the idea of qualifying oneself for the Self :)
It is a different matter where goodness starts to manifest in someone as he drops many of his false identifications, goodness is a byproduct of sadhana,of a honest and sincere life - not a pre-requisite/path to it.
Siva temples sung about in
Saiva Canons:
maruntheesar kovil - 603204.
This temple can be reached from Sri Perumputhur to Singaperumal Kovil,
near Chennai.
To satisfy the appetite of Saint
Sundaramurti, Siva begged food from house to house and fed him here.
Siva is called Maruntheeswarar. Uma is called IruL neeki ammai. Saint Sundaramurti has mentioned this temple in 10 of his verses in Canon 7.
The shrine of Chandikeswara is worth seeing inside the temple. He has got four faces.
Inner Guidance:
Mountain Path, April-June 2007.
For devotees of Sri Ramana Maharshi, who sincerely follow His teachings, there is a conviction that they are subtly and actively guided by the invisible influence of the Guru. It is difficult for those who do not feel this umbilical connection, to comprehend and accept this fact and until they too experience it for themselves, explanations are inadequate.
Ever since the physical demise of Sri Bhagavan, devotees have adjusted to this new reality with varying degrees of success. Sri Bhagavan was aware that after His departure from this world, many would feel lost because they had attached overwhelming importance to His physical presence. He joked once when a statue of Him had been created, that those who were enamored of His form could worship it.
If Sri Bhagavan is not there to be worshipped in a physical form anymore then how is it that we even communicate in our hearts with this mysterious presence?
Though it is difficult to understand, we should realize that Sri Bhagavan's original nature is an expression of our own heart. A devotee who sat before Him once explained to me that when he was graced by a long direct look from Sri Bhagavan, he felt and understood that it was his own self looking at himself. The impact of this revelation, surely the essence of non duality, opened his eyes, to the understanding that he should seek Sri Bhagavan in his own heart, and not to be attached to the external form of the Guru.
We all have felt at least once the overwhelming certainty that Sri Bhagavan is guiding us. People in general do not continue following a line of thought or action, unless there is something in it for them. We are all driven by our own hunger to know the truth, and though we may be fooled some of the time, we stick to that which satisfies a deep craving for fulfillment within us. The fact that so many people continue to have an implicit faith in Sri Bhagavan testifies to the truth of this fact. There is something alive and available we call Ramana, which nourishes us, and on some subtle level we intuitively understand this miracle.
The innumerable questions our mind throws up can only be resolved by a decisive experience and our purpose in practicing the teaching is to be at one with this pure beingness exemplified by Sri Bhagavan. Until we make the effort we shall never know the truth. We have been instructed time and again that Sri Bhagavan is nothing but the expression of our own heart. As the inner guru, He pulls us into the source and as the external guru, He
pushes us back to the point from where we came. Being in touch with Sri Bhagavan is being in touch with our true self. We spend our lives endeavoring to achieve harmony and eventually realize that the truth is embodied in this simple statement.
When we recognize that our minds are limited and our emotions confused, how then do we focus our attention on Sri Bhagavan in order to gain His attention? How do we create a permanent line of of trust
and communication with that which eludes our heavy handed grasp? If we cannot see nor clutch this elusive being, then of what use is it to us?
There are many pitfalls and delusions to transcend before we arrive at a point of pure consciousness. If we trust the Guru we will be guided aright, but to do what we must first deliberately surrender our own will and wholeheartedly trust the power and sagacity of the teacher. We can do that either by careful reasoning, emotional resonance or more likely a combination of both; but most importantly there must be a living act of mutual recognition between the guru and the seeker which normally occurs in an unexpected moment of transcendent silence. This crucial event is as unmistakable as it is decisive. There may be doubts about many things, but this moment is irrefutable and not even the busy mind can explain it away. We just know. On this basis we start the journey.
It is our inner yearning for the truth about ourselves which brings us into contact with Sri Bhagavan. No prayer is unheard; no call for help is unanswered. We may not be aware of the forces we have set in motion and it may be many years before our wishes reach fulfillment and even then it is often in a way we had not envisaged. But that is no reason not to place our faith in a higher power. After all, what other choice do we have? When we know that we are incapable of comprehending all the events which act on us, it seems logical to recognize that a greater intelligence is at work. For our lives do reveal moments of epiphany
which lessen, at least temporarily, the crushing burden of ignorance we carry. They open up for an instant the wide horizons of peace and at-oneness. They give us hope that we are not alone and forgotten. They give us the strength and conviction to renew the contract initiated by Sri Bhagavan, when He recognized our sincerity and reached out to us after we took that first, the significant step.
We come into touch with the grace of the Guru by admitting to ourselves that really we do not know who we are. We sincerely ask for help. This simple procedure diminishes the grip of our sense of narrow identification (samskaras) f only for a second, and allows a chink of light to penetrate the barriers of conceit. We have unconsciously developed strategies to protect our false self from every event, thought or emotions which we are afraid might interfere with our sense of apparent well being. A sure sign of ignorance is the inability to be open and flexible. Suppleness of mind and heart is not a weakness but a mark of intelligence.
After the initial burst of spontaneous grace diminishes we slowly begin to realize that, having once stated it, we naturally want to repeat it, until we live constantly with that lightness of being. We begin to focus if but a moment, on our sense of I-ness, by using that neat tool, atma vichara, or we remember the form of the Guru, which in this case is Sri Ramana. Holding our attention on His compassionate countenance purifies the mind and heart and lessens the gap between the wayward fantasies in which we indulge and which have no basis in the reality, and the stillness where expect nothing, where we live in the present, the only moment there is.
To make the connection permanent calls for dedication, sincerity and perseverance. We bear responsibility for our own actions. And the road is long - a lifetime's worth of effort lies before us. There is no easy course and no short cuts. When we do encounter the Guru, be it inner or external, it gives us a powerful and irresistible impetus to live. To discover who we are in the midst of life's uncertainties. Who has not looked up at the stars at night and wondered the mystery of life and at our purpose in being alive? The Guru is like those distant stars, which fascinate us. In that calm, vast silence of outer space, we see the universe before which our minds have no choice but to surrender in wonder and we hear our minds have no choice but to surrender in wonder and we hear the deep resonance of measureless time which swallows up all our petty notions.
When we realize that this grace is so subtle that we cannot grasp it with our ordinary minds, we learn to purify our thoughts and emotions so that we may 'listen' with the spirit. The answer is not to be found in books, or in this magazine, or in visions, or in journeys, or in people. But unfortunately one or more of these can be a signpost along the path. These are aids which seek to catch that which, according to the Upanishads, eludes all knowledge. The Guru is not in these conceptions but is like the unexpected breeze which brushes us and effortlessly disappears despite out attempts to hold on to it. We are always too slow, not from lack of effort but the reverse, --- because we are not endeavoring to catch the wind. If only we could learn to remain truly still in order to flow with wind! The inner Guru is not separate from us and can touch us at any moment.
Unfortunately we are held captive by the apparent reality of this body and mind, but if we can learn how to hear the deep inner throb of the heart, it tells us we are alive and free. Our sincere and persistent efforts eventually enable us to stop for a moment and we see that, despite the evidence to the contrary, we can hover as birds do on the winds of change, fearless and curious.
When we realize there is no solid ground to clutch and rest in naked space, we see too that, like the wind, we can move through life without any notion that can bind us. When we are still, we naturally listen and become a vehicle for the sound of that silence.
Arthur Osborne wrote some wonderful lines in a poem entitled The Wind which illustrates this:
I am the pipe the wind blows
through,
Be still, it is the wind that
sings.
The course of my life and the
things that I do
And the seeming false and the
seeming true
Are the tune of the wind that
neither knows
Good and ill, nor joys and woes.
But the ultimate awe is deeper yet
Than the song or pipe or storm;
For the pipe and tune are the form-
less wind
That seemed for a while to take
form.
And words are good to escape from
And strife to escape from strife,
But silence drinks in all the waves
Of song and death and life.
I have said-"'The More we express these inborn qualities,the more and more they manifest and take us to the very source of these qualities,the Self"
I did not mean by this that these are pre-qualifications towards achieving of a Goal.It is to say that we only start living when we express these qualities;Without these one is not even fit to be called a Human being.
I have also said that this does lead one back to the source-The core of our being.
Otherwise we will only be talking about 'Self' and imagine we are there.
You are saying:"I too thought like you do sometime back".
I am not at all sure of this-For I can say that I too once thought like you do at the moment,just minding one's business!(however much one may think of this as a spiritual certitude).It is clear that this will not lead us anywhere in this discussion.
I can understand that if one does not feel inspired to live this way but to state that 'This is not the way' is Dogmatic to me,and not founded on either Practice or experience.
There is no dogma involved, all are free to follow their convictions, by the way we started the discussions over few words of Nisargadutta Maharaj wherein you seemed to find something you didnt agree with. It is perfectly fine not to agree with something you are not convinced of, either it is me or you or anyone else :)
Tattvs Jnana:
From the beginning of the sadhana, simultaneously with the practice of Self Inquiry, the bhavana (the mental visualisation) of: 'The whole manifestation including the world is Atman. That Atman alone is I.' should be daily practiced, as ultimately after realization one sees all objects as superimpositions on the substratum, the Atman. Sage Vasishta, and Sri Rama instructing Hanuman in Muktikopanishad say: The practice of Tattva Jnana of he extinctions of the vasanas and of the mind, all the three should be simultaneous. They should not be taken up at different periods and done separately.
The practice of the above bhavana has another beneficial effect. The sastras say and Sri Bhagavan has also said 'The practice of the bhavana of 'I am the Self' is the highest virtue. Even a moment's dhayana to the effect is enough to destroy all the sanchita karma. It works like the sun before whom darkness is dispelled. If one remains always in such dhayana, can any sin however heinous it may, be survive this dhayana? (Talks, 536).
The smritis state that even a moment's Atma Vichara has the effect of the bath in all the sacred rivers, of the merit of performance of a thousand yagnas and of having liberated one's ancestors from births.
Even prarabdha for one practicing Maha Yoga is much mitigated in its effects and the individual does not feel it much, though the on looker it may appear that he is suffering.
Sri Krishna extolling the path of Jnana to Arjuna in BG ch. IV 35-37 says: 'Of all the sinners, if you happen to be the worst, get over the sins by Jnana. Just as a burning fire turns the wood to ashes, the fire of Jnana reduces all karmas to ashes.
(The Technique of Maha Yoga,.
N.R. Narayana Aiyar.)
Soorya/Ravi/Others:
a good friend recently made an interesting remark: "is it that we copy more, read less; read more, think less, talk more, listen less; discuss more, do less; recite more, pray less?" hmmm... guess more time indeed is spent in showing off how good a devotee or genuine a seeker one is than actually being one! :-)))
True, you maybe right :)
Just wanted to share two songs since some time:
A version of Vaidyanatha ashtakam compiled on Bhagavan :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrQL7zBw4CA
Here is alaipayuthe by Yesudas:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DngurpPulvM
Many thanks to Subramanian R for posting the gems from Mountain Path.
"by the way we started the discussions over few words of Nisargadutta Maharaj "
No friend.The discussion started over Swami Vivekananda and his multi dimensional approach,which is wrongly perceived as 'Activism'.Swamiji clearly perceived that a vast Majority are steeped in Tamas ,mistaking it for Satvva.He always encouraged a multidimensional approach to spiritual sadhana.
This is how he puts it:
"Each soul is potentially divine. The goal is to manifest this divinity within by controlling nature, external and internal. Do this either by work, or worship or psychic control, or philosophy, by one, or more or all of these - and be free. This is the whole of religion. Doctrines, dogmas; rituals, or books, or temples, or forms, are but secondary details."
Again he said:
"One sidedness is the bane of the world. The more sides you can develop, the more souls you have and you can see the universe through all souls"
"WHAT you only grasp intellectually may be overthrown by a new argument, but what you realize is yours forever. Talking, talking religion is but little good. Put God behind everything, man, animal, food, work; make this a habit".
This is how Sri Ramakrishna expresses this in this excerpt from The Gospel:
MASTER :"Please cure my illness. I cannot chant the name and glories of God."
DOCTOR: "Meditation is enough."(Here is someone like us advising the Master-'self-enquiry' is enough!:-)Ravi)
MASTER: "What do you mean? Why should I lead a monotonous life? I enjoy my fish in a
variety of dishes: curried fish, fried fish, pickled fish, and so forth! Sometimes I worship
God with rituals, sometimes I repeat His name, sometimes I meditate on Him, sometimes I
sing His name and glories, sometime I dance in His name."
continued...
One of the dimensions that Swamiji introduced as an equally effective sadhana is service to people,which has always been part and parcel of sanAthana Dharma;towards this he set up the Mutt and Mission and these are doing Great service -physical,medical,Educational,as well as spiritual.
I understand that for you this may be like what you have called- 'it stinks' but I have a radically different view on this.My point is that if we can work in organizations to earn our living and all this is not going to affect our 'Ego'(poor thing:-))and is perfectly compatible with spiritual Sadhana,how is it that when it comes to the idea of 'Service'(not even the doing,only the 'idea' of it)brings out an immediate reaction -'This will only serve to feed the 'Ego''???
I find this trait only in those who think or claim that they are pursuing the path of 'JnAna' or 'Self-enquiry'.
I do not find this in devotees who pursue the path of Devotion.
The interesting thing to me is that these people are wary of the same 'Ego' that they deem as unreal.
Ravi/Soorya:
["...My point is that if we can work in organizations to earn our living and all this is not going to affect our 'Ego'(poor thing:-)) and is perfectly compatible with spiritual Sadhana,how is it that when it comes to the idea of 'Service'(not even the doing,only the 'idea' of it) brings out an immediate reaction -'This will only serve to feed the 'Ego''???..."]
very nicely said :-) and i can't agree more :-) those who find the idea of 'service' inhibiting ought to also necessarily cease serving another for receiving a wage! justifying the latter in the name of 'to support kith & kin' while viewing 'sEvA' as a hindrance is dignified hypocrisy. at least people genuinely engaged in some sort of 'sEvA' do something; on the other hand, we neither do service to men nor attend to the self :-(. as a very good friend shared withe me "everyone who works as an employee for the explicit purpose of receiving a wage from an employer is only a sUdra!".
it's known that many a time bhagavAn had dissuaded grhasthAs from becoming sannyAsis when they came to him seeking his consent but that only meant that householders need not relinquish hearth & home and that they can continue their sAdhanA amidst providing for their family, not that one has to amass money or hoard wealth far beyond all necessities! but that's exactly most of us do, don't we? - work for money, most of which might be found extravagant on second thought!!! service when rendered with a modicum of good intention is indeed one of the most natural ways to learn that which is sine qua non to all sAdhanA - renunciation - in the well-known words of the kaivalyOpanishad - "na karmaNA na prajayA dhanena tyAgenaike amrtatvamAnashuH; pareNa nAkaM nihitaM guhAyAM vibhrAjate yadyatayo vishanti"... :-)
naKarmana naPrajaya is the oft repeated and mostly mis-understood.
Here is the Ratha-Vinita Sutta which most beautifully puts it.
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.024.than.html
Zee,
That was very useful, thank you :)
Please summarize for me what is your understanding of 'na karmanA na prajayA dhanAy na' and how is it linked to what is stated in that sutta's chariot's analogy,or anything else said in that discourse.
An excerpt from a nice article by Sri Bimal Mohanty:
"It is said: 'only through man God fulfils Himself'
That is why they say 'narajanma durlabhatama'. Rare is this human birth. If wasted away, who knows, after how many thousand births and deaths one will get this opportunity again?
And what type of karma or action one should keep on doing? Is it just being busy all the while? Being active does not necessarily means doing karma. The word karma in our scriptures has always been differentiated. There is karma- the right actions, as different from vikarma, the wrong actions and akarma or the state of being actionless.
Karmanah hi api boddhavyam boddhavyam cha vikarmanah;
Akarmanashcha boddhavyam gahanA karmano gatih
It is necessary to discriminate between the correct action (as enjoined by the scriptures), forbidden (or unlawful) action, and also about inaction. It is indeed difficult to understand the nature of action.
Again in another place The Bhagavad Gita says:
SaktAh karmany avidwAnsah yathA kurvanti bhArata;
KuryAt vidwAn tathA asaktah chikirshuh lokasangraham
The ignorants act out of attachment. They remain simply busy. But the enlightened ones, engage in work which is aimed at the common good or welfare of all.
The 'good' or 'welfare' can not come by blind action, not by akarmah or vikarmah, but by karmah or conscious action, dictated by the intellect with right end and means of action. So the correct action or karma is differentiated by enlightenment. Enlightenment or knowledge is the characteristic of karma and therefore, the life itself.
So the simple instruction is that, be ever engaged in action that will lead to higher knowledge of Brahman- not once in while, but all the time, atandritah.
This is not an empty instruction, which one may or may not follow as per his sweet will. It is imperative. Even The Lord himself does this, himself setting the right example before us, lest in our foolishness we may quickly take the easy way out.
Yadi hi aham na varteyam jAtu karmani atandritah
Mama vartma anuvartante manushyAh pArtha sarvashah
I put even myself into relentless action all the time, so that men will not shirk away from action by citing my example.
The moot question is, 'are we in action?' And if we are in action, are we in right action?
If we are, then we are already on our way to realize immortality, the satchidAnanda. We are already on our way to truth, its realization and the everlasting bliss that flows from this realization.
But then, why the majority of us can not do so? Why we are unable to lift ourselves from this world of perpetual darkness?
The Kaivalya Upanishad gives some answer
Na karmanA na prajayA dhanena tyAgena eke amrtattvam Anasuh
Parena nAkam nihitam guhAyAm vibhrAjate yat yatyah visanti
This sloka from The Kaivalya Upanishad not only reiterates the importance of knowledge as life's goal, but also gives some guidelines to all those who have understood and seek this goal.
It says: None can seek to attain this state of gnosis by just any activity or endevour- (na karmanA). The greatest of all social workers or Samaritans are not necessarily possessor of this knowledge. It is also not obtained as a hereditary gift-( na prajayA). Children of sages and seers are not necessarily knowledge conscious. You can not buy this knowledge with wealth- (na dhanena). This only is achievable by practice of renunciation in true sense- (tyAgena eke-This to me does not mean Renuniciation.It means supreme abandonment). This state which the real practitioners of penance (yatyah), attain, is higher than the concept of the heavenly bliss- (parena nAkam). It shines as the most profound realization within them (nihitam guhAyAm vibhrAjate)"
Those interested may refer:
http://www.ahwan.org/article50.htm
It has some very good articles presented in a cogent simple fashion.Warmly recommended.
kacchur - 603 204.
This is the twin temple with Maruntheeswarar temple. The story of Siva begging food for Sundaramurti is also attributed to this temple.
Siva is called Virunthitta Iswarar, the one who served feast! Uma is called Anjanakshi. The tirtham (holy waters) is called Amai tirtham (?). The Sthala Viruksham (temple tree) is Banyan tree. Saint Sundaramurti has mentioned this temple in 10 of his verses (along with Maruntheeswarar) in Canon 7.
With this the long list of lesser known Siva temples comes to a close.
An Excerpt from the same series of articles by Sri Bimal Mohanty:
"One can acquire knowledge only being engaged in action. Those who while away time without being active do not gather knowledge and not being in action is as good as being dead. Life is characterized by action and death is characterized by inaction. That is how knowledge- the true knowledge of essential truth of things- and action are linked to life and not death. This is equally applicable to spiritual life as well.
The importance of karma or action in spiritual life is so great that in sanatan philosophy, karma has been lifted up as a path in itself for Brahman realization and has been identified for its own right as karmayoga. Not many philosophies outside sanatan dharma give this status to karma.
But do all actions lead to truth consciousness? The answer is obviously negative. The orientation of our actions must be rightly aimed at truth. If God is equated with truth, then all actions need to be God oriented and God-possessed so that God is revealed through them. If the connection with the divine is constantly remembered, and the divine purpose is sought out to be the purpose behind all our actions, then the quality of all our actions shall acquire a much higher plane of satisfaction. Gita says yogastha kuru karmani. When we are yogastha i.e. established in yoga or in other words yukta or linked with God, our actions are not likely to go wrong and meet failure. Done with a sense of Yoga, the actions automatically attain refinement and astuteness (kaushalya as Gita puts it). When performed with astuteness and crowned with success, the true knowledge dawns.
In success and failure, in pain and pleasure, in comfort and adversity, God has to be the central focus. God has to be the recipient of all the service that we put in life. A poet put it quite nicely: In times of happiness, let the happiness in me be like the 'shiuli' flower in winter mornings, falling down gladly at the feet of you my Lord with sincere gratefulness. In times of misery let my misery be like the wick in the candle burning itself out so that by its own burning, the light reveals your face.
The Lord leaves no scope for doubt at all in this regard, when he advises to Arjuna:
Yat karosi, yat asnAsi yat juhosi dadAsi yat
Yat tapasyasi kaunteya tat kurusva madArpanam
What so ever you do, whatever you take or whatever you offer or give away, even your very sAdhanA ought to be performed with me, the Lord as the recipient.
'All for God in every way'- and that is the key behind all success.
That is the concept of tyaga or sacrifice in sanAtan philosophy. Everything has to be for the Lord, offered to the Lord. My own personal desires, my own attachment to the fruits of my actions should not contaminate the action itself. If an iota of self expectation is mixed with the action, it will entangle me more and more. It will bind me in knots after knots because I do not know, no one has ever been able to fathom, the limits of one's expectations. And with that kind of load in the mind how can the clarity of knowledge be expected?
So our ancient seers gave us the solution. If Brahman is what you want to know and if Brahman is He, who holds the door to knowledge, then offer your actions to Him only. Do not mix any of your own demands. As greater gifts await you, detach yourself from expectations of minor benefits. That is niskAma karma or action without attachment. That is the underlying principle of tyaga or sacrifice.
To orient one's mind to this kind of attitude to action, is within the capability of every individual, in small or large measure. One need not be a recluse, need not run to forests nor close one's eyes to the happenings around. A true Yogi, a true tyagi, simply has a different attitude towards living life. That is all there is to it.
Maha Deepam - The Inner Path:
Upahar.
(April - June 2007).
In a moment unknown to time,
between the setting and rising of
the worlds,
the Lord of all hearts
has crowned Himself
with His single, unthinkable Fire!
He lets fall His cloak of night,
raises up the flowering moon
and unrolls beneath these ever-
willing feet
the naked path of adoration
Auspicious on high the dancing
constellation;
by ancient silent-most rocks
and mirrored in rare, enchanted
the pilgrim dreams the way
From a well trod outer way
adorned with many a shrine
the chorus of a million circling
floats on the breeze;
and an inner laughing knowledge
that not even one step is taken
on the heart's round road......
And though at times falling among
shadows,
as if pursued, or haunted --
yet in a sudden, absent recognition
aloneness overtakes the traveler
and night becomes a solitary Flame
Nameless You are;
even Your most beloved Name
returns this night to the
unspeakable ---
Formless You shine,
for who is here apart from You
to trace your beloved outlines?
All being now is honored and
illumined,
all things prosper and delight;
Creation wonders and wonders
every atom sings Your glory
You stand forever still,
You burn for pure Joy,
You burn at the core of all,
Your burn the core.
The Names of Siva:
Ramesh Menon:
(Aradhana - 2007; Mountain Path):
Auspicious One,
miraculous Siva,
purer than starlight.
The ancient munis,
older than the spinning world,
Brahma's first children,
heard it whispered among stars,
that you, Aja, are Unborn.
Among all currents,
you are the deepest eddy
in the silent heart;
plumbless Mahahrada,
vortex of eternity.
Your body of light
was once the night of void,
dark Vishwamurti;
spiral nebulae bright pores,
upon your black, velvet skin.
With dance and with fire,
he recalls the universe
into the void;
to the end of time and place,
of dark and light, O Hara.
Khaga, you cross the
sea of of the sky with a stride,
one shore to the other;
but, more, you traverse sorrow,
make the living from the dead.
Unshakeable one,
master of intricate fate,
Dridha of ages.
We infer you are,
by rumor of your lustre,
because there is light;
Alokasambhavya,
our eyes have not seen your face.
The quark's blush you are,
Heartbeat's heart, breath of
breath;
light of the moonbeam
blazing in on sleep's dreamscape,
Sukshma, most subtle one.
You smear yourself with
ashes from the ghats of death,
grave Smasana-nilaya;
where heartbreak do you root for,
that you spend all your nights
here?
Source of the rivers
of serenity you are,
which flow through the stars;
Shanta on your white mountainh,
quiescent one, O Peace!
In Prayer:
Sheela Arundale
(Deepam, 2007, Mountain Path:)
O Lord Almighty!
I bow to Thee with folded hands.
In gratitude I pray
Thy kindness and blessings
Thy Prasadam to me!
What is mine
That is not yours to offer?
This heart full of love pledged
to thee at birth.
I am in pursuit of a noble goal
Not connected with the world;
Make me worthy of Thy Grace.
Let me always be near
And dear to Thee
take and keep me to Thy Goodness.
Make my mind full of Thee
Make my heart wise
Make my foolish tongue sing
praises of Thee!
Steer me from confusion that will
retard me
I want not to be lost to Thee
But ache in desire for Thee.
In the tranquil hour of dawn
Nature's beauty profound
I perceive Thy refection all around
My day then begins In Prayer.
Thy thousand Holy Names I chant
All senses turned to Thee to
purify my heart
I remain in your Paradise!
Peace is what I reap
In Prayer
this priceless gem so rare.
O Lord you read my mind
It's hollow like a bamboo stick
You see my heart it's emptied of
Oh how I like to be In Prayer
All of me; heart and mind
Body and soul simple resting in
Thee.
In prayer I feel You O Lord,
Closer than my breath, I feel
I am in Thy sweet embrace.
Within my Self I dwell!
The space of infinity, yet
Without prayer I am dull!
Like a magic fountain
I spring to life being in Thee
In Prayer.
Sheela Arundale: continues.....
In dreams I soar and rise in Thee
I Pray! Let this state
Be an unending dream.
In prayer I'm neither this nor
I am nothing
But become the Prayer to Thee.
When in distress I turn to Thee
Without delay Thy goodwill comes
In response to my distress.
Past fades away In Prayer
Future not mine to worry
Present is the gift I offer to
Thee In Prayer.
Faith is Thy Blessing
It grows more and more
I feel the power of Prayer each
day of my life
Moving the unmoving
This is the Glory of the Divine.
Bless me, Lord! Let my day be full
of prayer
So I remain
In companionship with Thee.
O Lord! Be praised
Thy Holy Name on my lips
Hari Om Hari!
In humble reverence
I raise my hands and eyes to Thee
And place this prayer at Thy Feet.
Wow, my ego(whatever that is) is getting a huuge boost by all the attention it is being showered with - so many lengthy posts, direct quotations from the scriptures...This is really amazing, that mere expressing of my thoughts/inferences of an aspect of Swami Vivekananda's teachings has the potential to bring me into the limelite. This is the ultimate treat an ego can ever dream of.
I am infinitely thankful for your sharing an alternative definition of what a 'sUdra' is! Just wondering if the fact of earning and making money from an employer for the sake of family and yourself(and thereby becoming a sUdra) is making you feel apologetic that you need to support people doing service to get the better of it?
Guys, if you are pouring so much of attention on my ignorant one-sided babblings out of compassion, please stop it, because it's producing the opposite effect, ignore me and let my ego wither and perish. :-(
Heart and Head:
Arthur Osborne:
In my heart pure being, pure self
of me:
The world a form it takes - unreal;
Happenings a form it takes, people
come and go,
All things.
In my head a mind that cannot stand
alone;
Watches and clings but cannot
stand alone.
Two ways it yearns:
Outward to the world, seeing it a
real thing
Outside itself, full of regrets
and wants,
Tormenting;
Inward to pure being - then again
Appears unreal, a form, in me, its
sting drawn.
How escape the torment
Of an enslaved mind?
Two way:
Mind gone, absorbed in Self -
pure radiance;
Mind re-arisen - then let it
Not outward to the world but to
the Self -
Warm surge of love, ecstatic bliss.
Both ways are good - world torment
World-clinging mind that cannot
stand alone --
The world withdrawn at death:
what will it do?
Fears. Will not face it,
Will not face
The thought of it.
With dangling tentacles, the world
to which it clung
Gone all away;
Ivy without a tree
Mind outward turned that seems to
stand alone,
Ghost stiffened into semblance of
a man,
Forgets pure being, forgets its
inner Self,
Forgets, denies,
Knows death ahead.
Catches some glimmer of the Self
behind,
Sees it as other, sees itself
foredoomed,
Frustrated by the world, then
flung away,
Broken at last, bruised, crushed,
devoured,
By that which it thinks other.
The more it fights is broken more,
Crunched against the bars,
Caught in a rat trap.
Catches some glimmer; then the
silent voice
Mellifluous,
Faint perfume hinting of ancestral
Victory in defeat, total defeat,
Total surrender, brings it home
Will it rest now --
Female at last -
Rest and no longer rove,
Rest in the deep clasp of love,
Will it rest now?
Learning To Say Goodbye:
Kevan Myers:
(Jayanti 2007, Mountain Path:)
The other day
I stole my laptop from myself.
I don't know why,
or why I had to wear the clothes
and flesh
of some Tibetan, teenage dope head
as my own disguise.
Why did I do it?
Do I need this test
of my reactions
to this kind of stress?
Why, when I found the broken lock
and empty desk,
was I so calm,
when other times would have me
wail and beat my breast?
Was it because I knew
the hand that carried out this
was just as truly mine
as this, which guides the pen
that writes these words,
or that, which grabs my arm,
and whines, 'bhaksheesh',
which makes this other hand a fist
to threaten this intruder
that has barged into its bliss?
My much beloved, expensive tool
is gone,
and though I miss its music
and the satsanghs I would hear
each day,
its pages of my poetry, its games,
and photos of my family and
I do not think that anything is
I cannot live without,
and anything that matters
can be found somewhere
inside my mind, if need is there.
And thus I carry on,
waiting to see the consequence and
why,
I should have removed this precious
toy from I.
Yet still I must confess
to feeling vexed and insecure.
not knowing when I'll come back
next to steal more.
Compassion:
(Jayanti - 2007, Mountain Path.)
Grunting upwards, lazy legs,
unused to mountain paths,
weighed double my bag,
and short of gasping breath,
I step aside, to let the faster
of this Tibetan girl go past.
But she, instead stops by my side,
and smiling takes in hand
one handle from my bag
and slows her stride to match my
pace.
And so we walk up hand in hand,
with me, inadequate to speak
the thanks I feel, but most of all,
the joy that there can be
in this humility
that puts me in my place,
confronted by this sister from
the human race.
Where The Eyes May Lie:
(Kevan Myers: Jayanti 2007:
Mountain Path.)
Fool, I am, unsafe
and loud, when faced
by loveliness, whose shine
creates these shadows,
which appear to be
the X-rays of the horrid side of me.
If it were possible, I'd hide
behind a mask.
which has no holes for eyes,
because it's so much safer
when there is no one to see.
But here outside, I laugh
at these dramatic thoughts that wed
these visions
of an overactive head.
For all the time
the me, that chose these roles
is seen, by I,
who merely moves about
so deeply touched by all it finds
that no words need come out.
A Question of Identity:
I guess I love to rave about
my spiritual affairs,
but still I have to ask myself,
'Who cares?'
Hollowed by by Shiva:
Ana Callan:
(April-June 2011, Mountain Path:)
Holy Mountain is eating my face
from the inside, peeling its
clean away until what is left
is luxurious, unmoving space.
until the quiet inside
is all heart overflowing
soft as snow and still
growing until it consumes
the whole world, thought,
emotion useless now
in its thrall. Once
there was an image
of me, a grand, trumped
up story, and now there
is only That, love's
seamless sanctuary.
Billy Doyle.
(April-June 2011, Mountain Path.)
it's before you see
it's before you hear
it's before you think
how can you doubt it
it's nearer than the nearest
it needs no eyes to see it
it needs no ears to hear it
it needs no mind to think it.
Ever Present:
Billy Doyle:
(Jan-Mar. 2011, Mountain Path:)
it's strange how we identity our-
selves
with the discontinuity
the I-image that manifests
intermittently
ignoring the continuity
ever present Awareness
it's strange how we identify
with the contents
the ever changing images of the
ignoring the container
consciousness itself
we're taken by the beads on the
ignoring the supporting string.
First of September:
(Jan-Mar. 2007, Mountain Path)
The packet of sweets,
the dhoti, coins
all attachments tossed
to the breeze
when he came
to the feet of his Father.
Bearing only the love
in his heart, limitless,
o so much larger
than anything
that can be owned.
Ghost:
(on the occasion of Venkataraman's
awakening.)
(Julu-Sept. 2011)
The boy leaping off a train,
racing through the streets,
his wind whipped hair
a nest of coal and sapphire
is just an apparition;
the rice he almost starves for
and then spills, the teeming
rain, the thousand angels
singing are mere phantoms'
conjured in our hearts
to know what's real:
the ruby rings exchanged
for water, belonging tossed
aside are all illusion
guiding us as he was led
to the magnetic tide of love
swept towards itself --
boy to hill
sage to mountain
god to guru --
leaving us the one
uncompromising signature
of truth.
A Hillside Lesson:
Cheenu Srinivasan:
(July - Sept. 2011 - Mountain Path.)
I trvelled to my native land
with no expectations or plans in
But only family and friends in mind
And a few visits, music and books
to find.
My wife and I an exception did make
To a holy place for our soul's sake
The travel hours our senses
We finally arrived expectant and
drained.
A hillside trek to a holy abode
On blistered feet I bravely strode
Pain caressed by His eternal
I reflected over His teachings
essence.
Inside the sage's cottage on this
Is where perhaps His time stood
Oh what solace this to my mind
Bereft of material and worldly
things!
My musings broken by a hawker's
I'm beckoned towards a hillside
Not just an elephant god for cash
I got
A lesson is contentment was also
taught.
Shiva:
(July - Sept. 2011, Mountain Path)
My Lord of the shimmering limbs
My Candle-lit Lord
My Lord of Divine Composition
You are the bird in my hand
when the hand is crushed.
You are my freedom, my truth,
you're my undefiled love.
All the bells in my heart
and the chains in my gut
are clamouring for you,
for one-life giving touch.
My love is a flood of long nights,
of wild tears and blood.
It is a fire, a fury of flowers
in bud, erupting
in blossom through
the pores of my skin.
Where o where
can I hide now,
My Lord of the Mountain,
My One Lord of White Light?
Ramana Dying:
July - Seot. 2007 - Mountain Path:
The pain of nations tucked
under His arm, swelling
just below the elbow,
pus and blood and bone
could ruin any one
but Him, who welcomes
all suffering inside His
perfect skin, which ripples
now in breathlike tides
over the rim of
separation, flooding
nothing but the dream
flesh, His holy heart wide
open to the predicament
of human wedded
to a form that does not
exist, as He will slowly,
quietly slip out of His
phantom robes, arms
luminous and limp,
the heavens trailing
silver tears in the wake
of His ascension.
Rama appears To Me As A Wild Animal:
Ana Callan -
(April - June 2011, Mountain Path)
as a sleek mountain lion traversing
the road,
jewel eyes drinking me in, or me
winking back
at the vast fountain of his love,
and true, and we feast on each
until both are subsumed in the fire
that rips through all separation,
until all rules of me and you
are shredded, eaten alive,
both stalker and prey
leaving nothing but holiest grace,
nothing but cinders, dying
into the light, in its wake.
Let Go:
Samarender Reddy:
(Jan. - Mar. 2011, Mountain Path.)
What is this attachment to life
When in death we do not taste the
absence of life.
Do we not sleep every night
Die to this world we hold dear.
It is a different matter
We wake up again to the same world.
do we not also every night
Dream up of life for ourselves
But so easily let go of it upon
waking.
When we can renounce without
grief the dream world
Why are we hung up on this waking
Soorya:
you seem to be taking things too personally! guess as long as one has an opinion, a strong one at that, one ought to be also prepared to face strong disagreements, isn't it? if one finds it cumbersome to encounter even politely expressed potent disagreements, wonder if there is any meaning at all in talking about high-brow things like annihilating the ego etc.! :-)
laughed well on reading your mail, especially ["...is making you feel apologetic that you need to support people doing service to get the better of it? ..."], for that's how most people often react when cornered :-), no such thing was ever intended though! no need for this kind of 'kutarkam' because the simple point was - if doing a job (primarily for money) isn't a hindrance then why is service seen as as an ego-fattening exercise? - that's all :-) as far as the 'sUdra' reference is concerned, for me, 'brahma jAnAti brAhmaNaH'; everybody else is a sUdra with all other compromising concessions given only to pacify weaklings :-)
regarding your ["...because it's producing the opposite effect, ignore me and let my ego wither and perish..."], why do you want others to ignore you? why not do the easier thing - ignore yourself! :-))) - please don't mind but if getting hurt, the best thing is to keep calm and attend to oneself :-)
Ana Callan's verses on Sri Bhagavan are so simple yet captivating like a ballad.They make him come alive in Flesh and Blood.Vivid,sensitive and Wonderful.
Thanks very much for posting.
Dear Ravi,
Today, I was feeling posting of
comments, instead of articles. The idea came only after I sat before comp. I just went through 2007 and 2011 issues of MP and I found a good
collection of good poems, So I posted them, Ana Callan Ram's poems are from a book that he wrote under the title 'The boy who would be the Sage. This is priced at $ 20.00 but
the Asramam got 10 copies to be sold at reasonably good Indian price. The Asramam was selling at Rs 200 each. All the 10 copies got sold out on the same day. I couldn't get my copy!
The Chant of Dawn:
1. Dawn is rising on Aruna Hill
Sweet Ramana, come!
Lord Arunachala, come!
2, In the bush the koel sings,
Dear Master Ramana, come!
Lord of Knowledge, come!
3. The conch blows, the stars are
Lord God of gods, come!
4. The cocks crow, the birds chirp
It's already time, come!
The dark night has fled, come!
5. The trumpets blow, the drums
beat,
Gold-bright Ramana, come!
Knowledge awake, come!
6. The crows caw, it is morn
Snake decked Lord, come!
Blue throated Lord, come!
7. Ignorance has fled, the
lotuses blossom,
Wise Lord Ramana, come!
Crown of the Vedas, come!
8. Untainted by qualities, Lord
of liberation
Benevolent Ramana, come!
Lord of Peace, come!
9. Sage and Lord, One with Being
Lord dancing in joy, come!
10. Love on the summit of
Beyond pleasure and pain,
Blissful Silence, come.
(Kalai Pattu; Satyamangalam Venkataramana Iyer.)
Ramana Stuti panchakam rivals Arunachala Pancha Ratnam!I have to say that in terms of sweetness and ease of flow,it is unrivalled.
An excerpt from The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna:
As evening came on, the temples were lighted up. Sri Ramakrishna was seated on his small
couch, meditating on the Divine Mother. Then he chanted the names of God. Incense was
burnt in the room, where an oil lamp had been lighted. Sounds of conch-shells and gongs
came floating on the air as the evening worship began in the temple of Kali. The light of the
moon flooded all the quarters. The Master again spoke to M.
God and worldly duties
MASTER: "Perform your duties in an unselfish spirit. The work that Vidyasagar is engaged
in is very good. Always try to perform your duties without desiring any result."
M: "Yes, sir. But may I know if one can realize God while performing one's duties? Can
'Rama' and 'desire' coexist? The other day I read in a Hindi couplet: 'Where Rama is, there
desire cannot be; where desire is, there Rama cannot be.' "
MASTER: "All, without exception, perform work. Even to chant the name and glories of
God is work, as is the meditation of the non-dualist on 'I am He'. Breathing is also an
activity. There is no way of renouncing work altogether. So do your work, but surrender the
result to God."
M: "Sir, may I make an effort to earn more money?"
MASTER: "It is permissible to do so to maintain a religious family. You may try to
increase your income, but in an honest way. The goal of life is not the earning of money,
but the service of God. Money is not harmful if it is devoted to the service of God."
M: "How long should a man feel obliged to do his duty toward his wife and children?"
MASTER: "As long as they feel pinched for food and clothing. But one need not take the
responsibility of a son when he is able to support himself. When the young fledgling learns
to pick its own food, its mother pecks it if it comes to her for food."
M: "How long must one do one's duty?"
MASTER: "The blossom drops off when the fruit appears. One doesn't have to do one's
duty after the attainment of God, nor does one feel like doing it then.
"If a drunkard takes too much liquor he cannot retain consciousness. If he takes only two
or three glasses, he can go on with his work. As you advance nearer and nearer to God, He
will reduce your activities little by little. Have no fear.
"Finish the few duties you have at hand, and then you will have peace. When the mistress
of the house goes to bathe after finishing her cooking and other household duties, she won't
come back, however you may shout after her."
Here the Master is categorical that 'duties' have to be done until one is established in God-Realization.He is also clearly advising what is immensely practical that they can be done with an attitude of surrender to God.
What happens after the Realization of God?What happens to 'work or action' in the world?
I will share what the Master has said, in another post.
(To M. and Prankrishna) "Many people talk of Brahmajnana, but their minds are always
preoccupied with lower things: house, buildings, money, name, and sense pleasures. As
long as you stand at the foot of the Monument, so long do you see horses, carriages,
Englishmen, and Englishwomen. But when you climb to its top, you behold the sky and the
ocean stretching to infinity. Then you do not enjoy buildings, carriages, horses, or men.
They look like ants.
"All such things as attachment to the world and enthusiasm for 'woman and gold' disappear
after the attainment of the Knowledge of Brahman. Then comes the cessation of all
passions. When the log burns, it makes a crackling noise and one sees the flame. But when
the burning is over and only ash remains, then no more noise is heard. Thirst disappears
with the destruction of attachment. Finally comes peace.
"The nearer you come to God, the more you feel peace. Peace, peace, peace-supreme
peace! The nearer you come to the Ganges, the more you feel its coolness. You will feel
completely soothed when you plunge into the river".
"But the universe and its created beings, and the twenty-four cosmic principles, all exist
because God exists. Nothing remains if God is eliminated. The number increases if you put
many zeros after the figure one; but the zeros don't have any value if the one is not there."
The Master continued: "There are some who come down, as it were, after attaining the
Knowledge of Brahman-after samadhi-and retain the 'ego of Knowledge' or the 'ego of
Devotion', just as there are people who, of their own sweet will, stay in the market-place
after the market breaks up. This was the case with sages like Narada. They kept the 'ego of
Devotion' for the purpose of teaching men. Sankaracharya kept the 'ego of Knowledge' for
the same purpose.
"God cannot be realized if there is the slightest attachment to the things of the world. A
thread cannot pass through the eye of a needle if the tiniest fibre sticks out.
"The anger and lust of a man who has realized God are only appearances. They are like a
burnt string. It looks like a string, but a mere puff blows it away".
Nature of Brahman cannot he described
"What Brahman is cannot be described. Even he who knows It cannot talk about It. There is
a saying that a boat, once reaching the 'black waters' of the ocean, cannot come back.
Parable of the four friends
"Once four friends, in the course of a walk, saw a place enclosed by a wall. The wall was
very high. They all became eager to know what was inside. One of them climbed to the top
of the wall. What he saw on looking inside made him speechless with wonder. He only
cried,'Ah! Ah!' and dropped in. He could not give any information about what he saw. The
others, too, climbed the wall, uttered the same cry, 'Ah! Ah!', and jumped in. Now who
could tell what was inside?
"Sages like Jadabharata and Dattatreya, after realizing Brahman, could not describe It. A
man's 'I' completely disappears when he goes into samadhi after attaining the Knowledge of
Brahman. That is why Ramprasad sang, addressing his mind:
If you should find the task too hard, Call upon Ramprasad for help.
The mind must completely merge itself in Knowledge. But that is not enough. 'Ramprasad',
that is, the principle of 'I', must vanish too. Then alone does one get the Knowledge of
Brahman."
A DEVOTEE: "Sir, is it possible then that Sukadeva did not have the ultimate
Knowledge?"
MASTER: "According to some people, Sukadeva only saw and touched the Ocean of
Brahman; he did not dive into It. That is why he could return to the world and impart
religious instruction. According to others, he returned to the world of name and form, after
attaining the Knowledge of Brahman, for the purpose of teaching others. He had to recite
the Bhagavata to King Parikshit and had to teach people in various ways; therefore God did
not destroy his 'I' altogether. God kept in him the 'ego of Knowledge.' "
God and religious organization
DEVOTEE: "Can one keep up an organization after attaining the Knowledge of Brahman?"
MASTER: "Once I talked to Keshab Sen about the Knowledge of Brahman. He asked me
to explain it further. I said, 'If I proceed further, then you won't be able to preserve your
organization and following.' 'Then please stop here!' replied Keshab. (All laugh.) But still I
said to Keshab: ' "I" and "mine" indicate ignorance. Without ignorance one cannot have
such a feeling as "I am the doer; these are my wife, children, possessions, name and
fame".' Thereupon Keshab said, 'Sir, if one gave up the "I", nothing whatsoever would
remain.' I reassured him and said: 'I am not asking you to give up all of the "I". You should
give up only the "unripe I". The "unripe I" makes one feel: "I am the doer. These are my
wife and children. I am a teacher." Renounce this. "unripe I" and keep the "ripe I", which
will make you feel that you are the servant of God, His devotee, and that God is the Doer
and you are His instrument.' "
The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna continued...
DEVOTEE: "Can the 'ripe I' form an organization?"
Two kinds of ego
MASTER: "I said to Keshab Sen that the 'I' that says, 'I am a leader, I have formed this
party, I am teaching people', is the 'unripe I'. It is very difficult to preach religion. It is not
possible to do so without receiving the commandment of God. The permission of God is
necessary. Sukadeva had a command from God to recite the Bhagavata. If, after realizing
God, a man gets His command and becomes a preacher or teacher, then that preaching or
teaching does no harm. His 'I' is not 'unripe'; it is 'ripe'.
Narendra was recognized by the Master as one such eternally free soul who was born to teach, when he met Narendra who was then a lad of 19!One day, towards the end of his life,the Master, wrote on a piece of paper, 'Naren will teach
people.'" When Narendra said,'I won't do such a thing',the Master said 'Your very bones will do it'.
Later on as Swami Vivekananda said to a Disciple:'My son, there is no rest for me. That which Sri Ramakrishna called "Kali" took possession of my body and soul three or four days before his passing away. That makes me work and work and never lets me keep still or look to my personal comfort".
I have posted this not for our friend soorya,but for those who like him may have been intrigued about Swamiji's life and teachings.
Suri Nagamma:
Monika Alder
(April - June 2007, Mountain Path.)
When I first entered the gates of Sri Ramanasramam, six years ago, I knew very little about Sri Ramana Maharshi and His teachings. But after a few hours I realized that the most important event of my life was happening. In the bookshop of the Asramam, I later picked up the
book Letters from Sri Ramanasramam by Suri Nagamma. I read her letters with a mixture of astonishment and excitement and felt they were addressed to me - one woman speaking to another woman. She was speaking about feelings and doubts similar to those that I had. All her words took me a step closer to Sri Bhagavan and almost made me forget that I lived sixty years later. While reading the book I had the strange feeling of hearing Sri Bhagavan's voice talking to Nagamma who was affectionately called as 'the Asramam daughter' by many.
Last November on the first day of my annual visit to Sri Ramanasramam some people greeted me with the warm words 'Welcome home'. Am I worthy of such warm welcome? Yes, I said to myself, I am Sri Bhagavan's daughter too. His fatherly love and divine grace accompanied me from the first moment, but my personal experiences were varied. All these years I have been sitting for some weeks each year in the various halls of the Asramam, experiencing the extremities of ecstasy and despair. Every time I return home, something changes in my life, usually, momentarily, for the worse. But if I look back on these years I cherish every moment. Sri Bhagavan is there in all my happiness and sorrow.
As Nagamma remembers in one of her letters, Sri Bhagavan kept saying:
"The Jnani weeps with the weeping, laughs with the laughing, plays with the playful, sings with those who sing, keeping time to the songs. What does he lose? His Presence is like a pure, transparent mirror. If reflects our image as exactly we are."
Monika Alder:
Sri Bhagavan demonstrated fatherly love and care for Nagamma and I feel His guidance in all my endeavors. Why? Because for me Sri Bhagavan became father, guru and god at the very moment I stepped into the Asramam.
In the following pages, I would like to give a short biographical sketch of Nagamma, the asramam daughter. I offer this article with gratitude to my beloved Father, Sri Ramana and my beloved Sister, Suri Nagamma.
One of the most well known biographers of Sri Ramana Maharshi, Suri Nagamma recorded in her book Letters from Sri Ramanasramam, events, discussions and personal experiences that happened around Sri Bhagavan between 1945 and the Brahma Nirvana.
Although the family didn't waste money on the education of the early-widowed young girl, Nagamma, became familiar with Telugu poetry and became a Sadhaka who soared to spiritual heights. She took each word of Sri Bhagavan's for gospel and once He had revealed to Nagamma that cobras may be highly developed spiritual beings who disguise themselves in this way, so that they can participate in the worship of gods. She was 52 years old when, putting her life into Sri Bhagavan's hands, she kindly asked a giant cobra that came near her in a shrine to leave. By Sri Ramana Maharshi's grace, Suri Nagamma ca,e from the deepest bottom of despair to the place where each spiritual seeker wants to arrive, the feet of a Sadguru.
Darshan in Dream:
Her life took a sad turn already at the age of four, when her father died in 1906. She was ten when she lost her mother. At the age of eleven she got married and a year later, she became a widow. To be a widow at such young age was a life long tragedy at the time because local customs prohibited the remarriage of widows.
She didn't leave her room for months, she hardly ate, and became extremely weak. After a while, however, she began to read religious books, such as the holy sciptures: Bhagavatam, Bhagavad Gita, and Mahabharata. She wept through many a night. An intense desire awoke in her to meet a Guru who would accept her as a disciple. One night in a dream she had the darshan of a sage, who was seated in lotus posture on a two meter high pedestal facing south, with his hands in mounamudra like Lord Dakshinamurti. When she saw this brilliant figure a thrill went down her spine. But she wanted to stand up and pay reverence to him, the dram disappeared. This vision left a vivid mark on her mind and every time she recalled it she prayed to God with passionate yearning to grant her the grace to serve a Guru within her present life time.
Her prayer was granted when her brother, having visited Sri Ramanasramam during a pilgrimage, immediately advised her to visit Tiruvannamalai where a saint was living.
The Second Darshan of Sri Ramana Maharshi:
When somebody goes to a sage for darshan it is usual to take flowers, fruits and sweets, as an offering. It came into Nagamma's mind at the last minute, that she was arriving with empty hands. At that moment, however, an earlier poem of hers flashed through her mind:
"A realized soul does not desire wealth from those who approach him. So give him the flower of your mind and obtain his benediction by devotion and service."
She sat down at the place designated for women in the Old Hall where the Maharshi lived and closed her eyes. Ten minutes later, raising her eyes, she saw that Sri Bhagavan was looking intensely at her. His look penetrated into the deeper core of her existence, and all her worries vanished.
At that moment, she knew that her prayers had been granted and that she had arrived at the place she had been longing for all her life. Her search had ended and as she used to say, she had found her haven. Shortly after her first visit, she moved to Tiruvannamalai, and spent the following nine years of her life with Sri Bhagavan.
The Origin of the Letters:
Nagamme considered her poems and writings a private matter so even her family members knew nothing about them. Taking courage because Sri Ramana understood Nagamma's mother tongue Telugu, she wrote eight verses titled Saranagati (Surrender) and handed them to Sri Bhagavan, who had read them with interest. "Look! Her name is Nagamma, it seems. These are verses on Saranagati. Paste them in the book!" This was Sri Bhagavan's first encouragement to the shy Nagamma to pursue writing.
Encouraged by her brother, Nagamma began to write letters to her family in 1945, in which she recorded what happened in Sri Bhagavan's presence. When Bhagavan learnt this He asked Nagamma to read out her letters in the Hall. At that moment she knew that His blessings were on her letters. She put aside her previous doubts as to whether she was worthy of this task and she worked through the nights to record what she heard and saw during the days.
During her work, she had to face serious difficulties too. All of a sudden the Sarvadhikari of the Asramam, Sri Niranjananda Swami forbade her to continue writing letters and ordered her to hand them all over to him. Crying bitterly, Nagamma handed over all her unpublished letters. However, her brother had wisely taken the originals with him to Madras. Sri Ramana usually did not intervene in personal conflicts in the Asramam. But His invisible help restored Nagamma's hope. She did not enter the Asramam for ten days, but sent Sri Bhagavan a poem in which she begged for His help. When the closest disciples of Sri Bhagavan, among them, Kunju Swami and Muruganar, encouraged her to continue writing her letters. Gathering her courage, Nagamma went to the Asramam again. Sri Bhagavan received her warmly with a smile and He recounted her for an hour what had happened while she was absent. He gave details of what devotees and visitors had asked and what He had answered. Nagamma could not have received stronger encouragement to continue her job.
Some of her letters were published in a book form during Sri Bhagavan's lifetime and later all her letters came out in a five volume Telugu edition. A distant cousin of the author D.S. Sastri, translated the letters into English and 241 of them were published in the book entitled Letters From Sri
Ramanasramam.
The letters give a true description of Sri Ramana's everyday life, His extraordinary being and the guidance He gave to seekers who turned to Him. Through a woman's eyes, we get an insight into everyday life in the Asramam. Numerous books and memoirs about the life and teaching of the sage have been published. However, Nagamma's writings are unique because of her personal tone, her sensitivity and her focus on detail. All her words are soaked with her love for Sri Bhagavan.
Life in the Asramam:
Women, particularly single women, had to face many obstacles at that time. They were neither allowed to travel without chaperones nor to live their own. They also weren't allowed to stay in the Asramam after 6.00 pm. They had to sit behind men, at the end of the Hall, where it was more difficult to see and hear Sri Bhagavan. Though Nagamma was reserved and shy, her silent resolve and her unlimited love and devotion for Sri Bhagavan aroused respect and recognition among several of the other residents of the Asramam.
Having arrived in Tiruvannamalai, she first shared a home with Echammmal who had taken food for Sri Bhagavan for thirty eight years on each and every day. She listened to Echammal's stories about the early days of the Asramam. She got up at 3.00 a.m., had a wash, cleaned the room and cooked her food. She spent the whole day in the Asramam. In the evening she wrote down what had happened during the day.
Besides her letters, Nagamma had other responsibilities in the Asramam. She became the Telugu expert of the Asramam and if poems had to be transcribed or notes had to be taken in this language, it was Nagamma's responsibility. Sri Bhagavan had her read out all her poems which were written in Telugu. During one period, she looked after the Asramam library and later on assisted women and children visiting the Asramam. She often accompanied visitors on giri pradakshina.
Sometimes she visited her brother and sisters but she was never away from Sri Bhagavan for more than a few days. Sri Bhagavan was both mother and father to her, and the
residents of the Asramam became the family for the woman who had lost her parents so early. The older generation still describes her as the daughter of the Asramam.
Guru and Disciple:
Though Nagamma knew from the first moment that she saw Sri Bhagavan that she had come home, in the beginning she was shy to approach Sri Bhagavan and was afraid of talking to Him. However, encouraged by Echammal, she once went to Sri Bhagavan and in shaky voice said: "Please help me to attain liberation." Sri Ramana gave her a compassionate look to her and nodded. Nagamma understood that Sri Bhagavan had taken her in His protection:
"Sri Bhagavan's grace thus began flowing through a dry land and making it flower and blossom. I started my Sadhana by inquiring into the origin of thoughts. My mind however used to be led away involuntarily through misconceptions and illusions. On such occasions, Sri Bhagavan would look at me pointedly as if to scare off such thoughts."
Though never in an obvious way, Sri Bhagavan followed carefully and with deep love the spiritual development of all the disciples who lived around Him. Sri Bhagavan showed the love of a father towards Nagamma. If she wssn't there, at the usual time, Sri Bhagavan immediately asked: 'Where is Nagamma?' Once when they were preparing for a special occasion, Sri Bhagavan kept saying during that day: Nagamma will certainly be here. Nagamma wouldn't miss it."
Sri Bhagavan was sometimes strict with her, bringing her focus back towards the goal, namely attaining Jnana. According to Nagamma, her experience of the Guru's Grace, as in Advaitic parable, was like an elephant seeing a lion in its dream and being afraid of falling asleep again lest it appear again.
Suri nAgamma's Letters from Sri Ramanasramam is one of the Best accounts of Life with Sri Bhagavan.Reading it puts one right at the feet of Bhagavan.It captures the wonderful ambience and the day to day happenings in Sri Bhagavan's presence in a graphic and vivid portrayal.
Monika Alder.
Life Away From the Asramam
Sri Bhagavan's sickness and suffering were a great trauma for
each of His disciples who begged Him in tears to transmit the disease to them. They would have died for His recovery. Sri Bhagavan bore even the most painful treatments and operations with peace and detachment, giving His disciples upadesa even through His sickness. He explained to them that the body was like a heavy burden for a Jnani and it was a relief to put it down at the end of the path. Anyway, where could He go? He would be here forever - He assured them.
Sri Bhagavan gave His beloved devotee, Nagamma a teaching even on the day of His passing away. During the last darshan Nagamma read out the following message from His eyes: 'Look at me! How long do you want to keep me in this injured body? When will you give up clinging to this body?' Nagamma understood this and sent Sri Bhagavan a message with her eyes: 'You don't need to bear this burden for us any longer.' It was a farewell of the beloved daughter to her Father. Sri Bhagavan left His body a few hours later.
Following the Brahmanirvana, Nagamma spent three more years in Tiruvannamalai. Then she became seriously ill and needed her family to look after her. After she recovered she lived alone with her beloved guru in her heart. Visitors often came to her and she used read out her letters to them. Once a year she visited the Asramam, usually on Sri Bhagavan's Jayanti Day.
One of her last messages to the present generation is as follows:
"We should therefore pursue Self Inquiry and find out our reality. Among innumerable living beings, man is the only one endowed with spiritual apprehension. So it must be made proper use of to bring about the freedom from the endless cycle of births and deaths. Sages like Ramana Bhagavan come into this world only to help people find out their reality. Taking this to heart, let us all press on and stop not until the goal is reached."
I agree. Suri Nagamma's accounts were a simple narration but full of her intense love and surrender to Sri Bhagavan. I do not know about her original Telugu version, but the recently rendered Tamizh version (by one Visaka directly from Telugu) captures these wonderful moments lucidly.
(Christopher Quilkey)
Jan-Mar. 2007, Mountain Path:
Arthur Osborne's birth centenary was on the 25th September 2006. It was typical of this self effacing man that we did not notice this significant date at the time and were only told by a devotee after the fact.
Arthur's life in this world was relatively short. He died at the age of 64. Probably the hardships and deprivations he suffered as a captive in Bangkok during the Second World War contributed.
He left us a legacy of writing about Sri Ramana which will live on as long as there are people who read about Sri Bhagavan. He wrote in a simple, straightforward style. There were neither literary effects nor for that matter any superfluous words. He thought the message was more important than the messenger.
As the founder editor of Mountain Path, he opened up a new world for many, particularly in the West who had trouble with Sanskrit terminology and Indian philosophical terms in general. As in his life, he went right to the heart of an argument and said what was absolutely necessary so readers could quickly and easily grasp the essentials.
When I write an editorial it is composed in part with the spirit of Arthur's style in mind. His was the first work I read on Sri Bhagavan and through the language of his booklet Ramana Arunachala looked deceptively plain and approachable, one instinctively felt that there were layers of deeper understanding which eluded comprehension. Sometimes I look at his editorials for inspiration but try not to read too much, otherwise my editorial wouldn't get written at all! Arthur in his inimitable way has said all that is necessary to clarify the path of Sri Ramana. The best one can do while doggedly following in his steps is to be true to the teaching and try to leave no individual tracks.
Christopher Quilkey:
He was one of the few people I actually wanted to meet when, on first arriving at Arunachala in 1975, it was with deep disappointment that I heard he was dead. He had worked extremely hard creating Mountain Path with a bare minimum of facilities along with V. Ganesan, the managing editor who was a big help to him. It is hard to us in this computer age to realize the amount of labor required to type and proof-read each draft which originally he did almost entirely single-handedly. He created a highly respected journal which became internationally known and one can easily imagine Sri Bhagavan's Grace was solidly behind the enterprise. In 1968, with perhaps intimations that his time in this world was limited, because an operation was planned which had only a fair chance of success, he wrote ten editorials, one after another. He had a tidy mind and so, in order to leave things properly arranged for whoever would follow him, he planned and executed over two years magazine material and then put down his pen. The final period of his life was spent mainly in silence. His final editorial was in April 1970. The next month, he died at Bangalore on the 7th May. His body was brought back to Tiruvannamalai by his adoring wife and courageous fellow traveler Lucia Osborne. His grave lies in a quite spot under some trees in the Osborne Compound and one can sense,
if the trouble is taken to be still in that tranquil atmosphere, a serene peace that is quiet subtle. It doesn't hit you in the eye with raw power but nonetheless there is delicate undertone of acceptance and support. His discreet presence permeates the resting place.
continues...
When we read accounts of Arthur there is no doubt that he was a gentleman of the old school. He was emotionally undemonstrative but naturally polite and reserved, not out of arrogance but more out of respect for whosoever he was with. He never uttered a word more than necessary and was content to remain perfectly quiet for any length of time, much to the discomfort of those who came to seek his company and hoped for a string of wise statements from him. He had no small talk. This was apparently quite a contrast to his younger University days when he was gregarious; a member of a debating team and various other societies which were part of the normal activities available at Oxford. But he always retained his wit and an unexpectedly delightful dry sense of humor.
Unless one knew it from his writings or his acquaintances, his placid demeanor would disguise his powerful and unrelenting dedication to the teachings of his guru. Arthur did not believe in half measures and though he was married and had three children, his heart and soul was dedicated to the quest for truth. Like an Arthurian knight, once he had committed his life, there was no slackening nor turning back.
We could guess that from the fact that he and his wife came to the East seeking knowledge at a time when such behavior was not only fashionable, but considered by family and friends in Europe as, at best eccentric, at worst mad. Arthur had a brilliant academic career and was being groomed as don for All Souls, the elite college at Oxford, when he returned his back on that scholastic tradition.
He saw early that the world of the mind was inadequate for the task of understanding the meaning of life. He searched for a position which would aid him to find the time and leisure to pursue his own interests. He had two offers. The first at an archaelogical college in Palestine, and the second, with the British Council in Poland. He took up the latter. It was destiny as it was there he met and married Ludka Lipszyc, as Lucia was then known. She was a kindred spirit and was fortunately endowed with many qualities which he lacked. Where he was an idealist and a scholar, she was practical and down to earth. She came from a line of Jewish scholars and deeply respected Arthur's fine intellect.She was fluent in six languages and he in at least four, including
Arabic. Together they forged a bond that gave them the strength to face and accept all the vicissitudes to which they were subjected in the next thirty years.
Christopher Quikey:
Arthur was released from prison in 1945, and came to Arunachala to be with his family and Sri Bhagavan who blessed him. Arthur had known about Sri Bhagavan's greatness for many years but due to his association with Rene Guenon had thought that though Sri Bhagavan was a Jivan Mukta, he did not teach and therefore could not guide seekers. It was only when he came to Tiruvannamalai he realized Sri Bhagavan was a guide. Sometime after his arrival at Arunachala, he showed Sri Bhagavan a letter he had composed to Guenon stating that Sri Bhagavan was a guru. Sri Bhagavan read it carefully and gave His consent for the letter to be sent. Arthur cut his ties with Sufi tradition which he had hitherto practiced and from then on exclusively followed the teachings of Sri Bhagavan. The subsequent passing of Sri Bhagavan from this world in no way diminished his faith, for he knew with implicit trust and experience that Sri Bhagavan was always available to help and guide all who sincerely ask.
He was employed as an editor at the Indian Express newspaper in Madras, and learnt to pare down his writing to what was exact and indispensable. He later became headmaster of the Hindi School at Calcutta and in 1958, he and Lucia finally settled for good at Tiruvannalai when barely enough savings had been accumulated for them to live simply and even this was due almost entirely to his wife's practical nature. Arthur then devoted the rest of his life to writing about which he loved best. The life and teachings of Sri Ramana. He wrote a biography Ramana
Maharshi and the Path of
Self Knowledge which is the best biography on Sri Bhagavan. Ramana Arunachala; The Teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi in His Own Words; Buddhism and Christianity in the Light of Hinduism. Many of his articles from Mountain Path are collected in For Those with Little Dust and Be Still, It is the Wind that Sings. Both collections reveal his range of knowledge as well as an unusual depth of insight.
He was a loyal and humble man. When he and his wife left Calcutta for the last time, his former students and teachers crowded Howrah Railway Station to say goodbye. He was astonished at their enthusiastic send off. The railway carriage was filled with flowers and other gifts. I think that today too, if he was aware of it, he would be amazed that his memory is held in such deep reverence. But it is nonetheless true that he inspires our respect, not with extravagant praise but quiet affection for someone who never expected adulation but who gave himself sincerely to all that he thought best and lived his life with the utmost integrity at the highest possible standard to which he could aspire.
Oh dear, did you think I wrote that in seriousness, that is a kind of dirty black black humour :P
I was thoroughly enjoying the war of concepts each of our egos(or maybe it is one projecting as many) were entertaining themselves with. You know when there are no concepts to personally defend there is no 'me' :)))
Did you for a moment feel I was against 'service' or 'for' it, for that matter? :)) If one feels with all his heart that he has to serve, he will not have peace of mind until he does that, same with rituals and ceremonies etc etc - there will always be a feeling of imperfection at having failed one's duties etc etc - and that feeling exactly is Maya!But for one ignorant of such concepts, none of them exists - thats all. The One who actually performs and doesnt perform is not this 'me' at all. There is of course a spontaneous feeling of love arising in one because of the ultimate unity of life in all beings, when this arises one feels for the 'other' and does things for the 'other' as he would for himself. That is called 'love' - service is an outdated word, there is no separation in love.
And for the brahmana/sudra ideas, I was just pulling your leg :)))) What have we gained by believing in all these identifications of the body/mind? Permit me to quote Sri Bhagavan 'throw aside the veils and see your Self in all it's majesty'. Now you guys please dont come back with stories of how Sri Bhagavan followed all the ways and customs/rituals, respected the sentiments of the Brahmins and so on...all this may have it's place.But our goal is to that which is rid of all concepts, is it not? So carrying this whole burden of concepts will never ever get us anywhere. As said in Zee's link, practice of virtue is to get to the next chariot of clearer vision and so on..dont stop at the first chariot, keep going. Also do not go back to the first chariot after crossing over to the third.When Sri Bhagavan says us to 'remain without thoughts' he actually is saying 'remain without concepts', for thoughts arise out of concepts. If I dont have a concept that I am a humanbeing, that I am so and so, then there is nothing for me to think about!
Hope this made sense, after reading both of your responses so far it occured to me that none of you understood what I wanted to convey, perhaps I am a very bad communicator :((((( .
Remembering Sri Bhagavan:
(Jayanti - 2007, Mountain Path):
Early Day in the Kitchen:
During the initial days of the Asramam, conditions were very simple. And the facilities meager. It was hand to mouth existence. Cooking in the kitchen, was done in turn by lady cooks.
One day when Skandasramam had just finished preparing sufficient food only for the Asramam inmates, a party of dozen or so guests, eager to have Sri Bhagavan's darshan, showed up. It was a hot day and the Asramam in those days being on the outskirts of town, was far from nearest public place to eat. The approach of the lunch bell was imminent, and Shantammal was in quandary. What she had cooked would not suffice for both inmates and the newly arrived guests. Neither was there enough time to cook additional food. Even if none of the guests asked permission to have lunch at the Asramam, Shantammal ws pretty sure that Sri Bhagavan, in His characteristic way, would wave them into the dining hall, with His stick at the sound of the bell. After mustering up the courage, she approached Sri Bhagavan, "Bhagavan! Food has only been prepared for the inmates." But Sri Bhagavan did not appear to have heard her. Shantammal went back to the kitchen and wrung her hands in despair, expressing her predicament to Madhava Swami. The latter replied instantly, 'Don't worry. We will lay out leaves for everyone but serve only a little food as prasad to each."
The bell rang and all were seated before leaf plates. Every time Shantammal went to the rice pot to take out rice, trepidation seized her. But lo and behold! The supply was inexhaustible. All ate to their hearts' content and every body was served liberally. Enough was left in the pot to feed a dozen over and above and those who had eaten.
During the early evenings, when few people were about, Sri Bhagavan would normally sit in a chair in the verandah outside the hall. On the evening of the same day, Shantammal approached Him reverentially and said: Wonder of wonders! Bhagavan! Today there was only enough food for inmates. Yet it turned out to be sufficient for a dozen visitors in addition and there was enough left to feed even a dozen more. What a great siddhi Sri Bhagavan displayed today! Sri Bhagavan answered; Oh, I remember your saying something about food before lunch.
Then seemingly in a casual manner, He asked, 'Who did the cooking today?' Taking it to be routine question, one and that He often asked, she unsuspectingly said, 'I did Bhagavan.' At once He replied;
'Then the siddhi is yours!'
Dont know about the validity of this story, but impressive neverthless:
A story about Abraham Lincoln. According to the story, Lincoln was riding with a friend in a carriage on a rainy evening. As they rode, Lincoln told the friend that he believed in what economists would call the utility-maximizing theory of behavior, that people always act so as to maximize their own happiness, and for no other reason. Just then, the carriage crossed a bridge, and Lincoln saw a pig stuck in the muddy riverbank. Telling the carriage driver to stop, Lincoln struggled through the rain and mud, picked up the pig, and carried it to safety. When the muddy Lincoln returned to the carriage, his friend naturally pointed out that he had just disproved his own hypothesis by putting himself to great trouble and discomfort to save a pig. "Not at all," said Lincoln. "What I did is perfectly consistent with my theory. If I hadn't saved that pig, I would have felt terrible."
Please interpret it as you want and please dont think I posted it to prove something :P . It is just a nice story worth sharing, and thats it.
"If one feels with all his heart that he has to serve, he will not have peace of mind until he does that, same with rituals and ceremonies etc etc - there will always be a feeling of imperfection at having failed one's duties etc etc - and that feeling exactly is Maya"
What you are referring to is not service,it is self indulgence.This is not what I have referred to.All acts are done as an offering only.There is no accumulation of Virtue and punya aimed for or any sense of Gratification;Hence no regrets or misgivings.Service is not to assuage our sentiments
.It is not a concept.It is as you have said,simple recognition that we brought nothing when we came into this world,and whatever we have got here is a Gift from the Divine and we need to share this to whatever degree we can in a spirit of worship,with a simple recognition that if the divine is in us,it is as much in others as well.
There need not be anything to be wary of in this.You may call it Love,another may call it compassion ,another may call it seva,yet another may call it worship.some may prefer to call it simply as sharing.
This is pretty elementary.
I am positively sure I didnt mean self indulgence :). But it doesnt matter.
I fully respect your views on the importance of goodness. It seems the only thing to be wary of is identification with good ideas/ bad ideas as the case might be. Like we all know the story of the great Ganapathi Muni, Bhagavan himself has said 'where can one find another like him', and yet this great tapasvin didnt attain liberation(as confirmed by Bhagavan) probably because of his identification with ideals of uplifting his motherland and bringing in a golden vedic age in Bharat etc...To the onlooker, he let go of the ultimate freedom for the sake of his love for his country. Now it will be a good question if we ask is all this really in one's hands(getting rid of vasanas and all the rest) ...and to what extent we have a say, we can argue either way and it can continue endlessly.It is like walking on a Razor's edge, one cannot go to either extremes but only along a narrow invisible thin line. From my experience whenever I let go of attachment/identification with whatever ideas I was so fond of, there has been an increasing sense of clarity and abidance in Self.The Self starts pulling an empty mind to itself at once.
Any idea has a great potential to bind us unto eternity, lets hold on to the one beyond ideas.
For me it is downright simple and I do not find any complication in it at all.No Razor or its edge in this.
"Like we all know the story of the great Ganapathi Muni, Bhagavan himself has said 'where can one find another like him', and yet this great tapasvin didnt attain liberation(as confirmed by Bhagavan) "
I do not know how you got this impression that Sri Bhagavan said this.I am pretty sure that sri Bhagavan would never ever have said this!
The Sixth Kosa:
It was an unusually cold winter and this particular day among the coldest. Manavasi Ramaswamy Iyer had two shirts made because he wanted Sri Bhagavan to be warm with something more adequate to protect
Him from the biting cold than the usual loin cloth and the occasional cotton dhoti over His top. Lacking the courage to present them personally, he placed them on the stool in front of Sri Bhagavan's sofa while Sri Bhagavan was taking a walk on the Hill. Upon His return, Sri Bhagavan was saw them and questioned the attendant. Just then Manavasi put in his appearance
and murmured inaudibly, "Bhagavan, it was I who put them there. It is very clod Bhagavan... and 'But Sri Bhagavan interrupted saying, 'Did I complain that it was cold?'
'No, Bhagavan, I took the initiative. I thought Sri Bhagavan should protect Himself.'
But Sri Bhagavan would not hear of it: "No, take them away."
Manavasi persisted and yet nothing could make Sri Bhagavan accept them. Finally, with a tinge of frustration, Bhagavan said, I am already wearing five shirts, referring to the panchakosa, Is a sixth one necessary?
Details and Consistency:
Devsraja Mudaliar was a lawyer by profession. He had a highly developed legal mind which railed against inconsistency in an form. He also liked to have every detail accounted for.
When Tamizh poets such as Manikkkavachagar and Jnana Sambandhar alluded to their renunciation in verse, they would
write something like, 'I gave my spirit, my body and my personal possessions.' But Sri Bhagavan in one of his verses, does not include 'personal possessions' among the list of the items which He renounced. Devaraja Mudaliar took Him to task on this point wanting to know why Sri Bhagavan did not mention giving up His personal belongings.
Sri Bhagavan replied, " I did not have any belongings. How can I give up what I don't have?" But Devaraja Mudaliar was not satisfied. 'So Bhagavan! you mean Manikkavachagar and Jnana Sambandhar had possessions?'
Sri Bhagavan: "I don't know about them. But I didn't have any so I didn't write it that way!
Soorya claims ["..."Like we all know the story of the great Ganapathi Muni, Bhagavan himself has said 'where can one find another like him', and yet this great tapasvin didnt attain liberation (as confirmed by Bhagavan)..."]
here is an extract from page 94 of sri gaNEsan's 'The Human Gospel of Ramana Maharshi' (pdf version):-
["...When I went to Ramanashram some people, for whom I had respect, often spoke ill of Kavyakantha. They claimed that his accounts were figments of his imagination. I was influenced by their views on the genius. Even today there is a lot of literature that portrays Kavyakantha in a poor light. I approached Munagala Venkataramaia, a distinguished scholar and one of the recorders of the talks with Bhagavan. Now, Munagala had not seen Kavyakantha and was therefore neutral about him. "Why do people pull down Kavyakantha so much?" I enquired, listing out all the transgressions he is rumored to have made. "Ganesan, stop!" he exclaimed. "How did you know all this?" I revealed the names of the people who told me this. He replied, "They have given an opinion and you have received it. Are you sure it is the Truth?" I was puzzled. "How can we know which opinion is correct?" I asked. Munagala then said, "Whatever Bhagavan says is trustworthy." I was still not satisfied. I had read a tiff that Kavyakantha was not a Self-realized soul because he had so many sankalpas. His detractors often quoted this too, and I was convinced by this logic. I put forth my argument to Munagala. He told me, "I asked Bhagavan the same thing — how come it is written in such and such a book that Kavyakantha was not Self-realized. Bhagavan told me, "That is not what I said, but what the recorder must have expected me to say." Munagala then advised me, "Go by whatever Bhagavan has said, and you will be near the Truth. Do not go by opinions, particularly if they divide people—whether saints or anyone else. Do not pay heed to them. Aspirants should never be carried away by negative statements made about any sage or saint. In order to progress, this is the first guideline to remember. What detractors say are just opinions and if we believe them, we fall victim to the mind." It is true that Kavyakantha had very high ideals. However, they are not merely sankalpas, but satya sankalpas. A sankalpa is a concentrated desire of wanting to achieve something. A satya sankalpa is that sankalpa which comes to you—not that you have a desire for it. Kavyakantha had three satya sankalpas...]"
in continuation of the above passage on kAvyakaNTha, whenever people make this absurd claim there a nice response in english slang - "bull" :-))) since we, pretty much everyone here, have seen neither bhagavAn nor kAvyakaNTha, it implies that whatever we know about them is only from whatever we have got to read, right? if this can be taken as a safe premise then i wouldn't mind postulating that if indeed a one as kAvyakaNTha wasn't realised, as a few of us tend to believe, then may be no one who went to bhagavAn ever got this thing what we use so casually - self-realisation!!! for that matter, why not say that perhaps bhagavAn himself lived under a delusory condition of self-hallucination that persisted for half a century! :-))). rather weird must be the case of that self-realised 'master' the best of whose 'students' remained in 'supreme-ignorance'!!
many a time in the past i'd disagreed with ravi but i must admit that ravi may be right on one thing, i.e., unlike those in the bhakti mArga, most people who claim to be in the jnAna mArga end up parroting a lot of words used by bhagavAn or samkara about which they most probably have a clue which is next to nothing (classic examples - 'abidance', 'emptiness', 'eternal', 'self', 'ego' etc.!) :-). further, unlike the path of genuine 'yoga' where there are clear indicators of progress, or the path of true 'bhakti' where the notion of progress hardly ever arises, it's oft seen only in the path of jnAna where one not only assumes to be progressing on the basis of flimsy grounds but also that the progress itself is "square-root of -1" (btw, it's called the "i") :-))) here is where one finds the curious case of a head that can't think high enough (it's all the ego, isn't it???) & the heart can't melt deep enough (it's all sentiment, isn't it???) - as it's said in hindi "dhobi kA kutthA nA ghar kA na ghAt kA"...
I read in one instance(but dont remember where) that Bhagavan responded to someone's question/remark if Kavyakantha was liberated[this was soon after his death], and Bhagavan remarked 'How could he, he had so many sankalpa's/vasanas'. I dont know what a Satya sankalpa is. But I do realize that it is not the same thing to say one is Self realized and that one is liberated. Self-realization is when the mind merges into the Self temporarily or permanently, but the ego if not divested of vasanas will come back into the ignorant state - this is what Bhagavan says many times. So Ganapathi muni could very well maybe a Self-realized sage but not necessarily a liberated one. I have only Bhagavan's quote saying Kavyakantha was not liberated. I for one dont think it necessarily means to speak ill of Kavyakantha, infact anybody can only have the utmost respect for such a soul. He reminds me of Swami Vivekananda due to his love for his motherland. In various Bhagavan literature, we find him questioning about the future of India, if she will win freedom and regain her past glory etc and Bhagavan replies to the effect that if one gains Self realization, all issues/questions are thereby taken care of.
One can of course go on keep arguing for the sake of it :).
Having a sankalpa for the welfare of the world does not speak ill of a person, but a sankalpa can stand in the way of liberation, however elevated it can be. This is my understanding.
soorya/s/Friends,
"Any idea has a great potential to bind us unto eternity, lets hold on to the one beyond ideas"
I am reminded of this amusing incident from The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna:
One day Keshab sen was delivering a lecture. He said, 'O Lord, grant us that we may
dive into the river of divine love and go straight to the Ocean of Satchidananda.'
The ladies were seated behind the screen. I said to Keshab, 'How can you all dive once for all?' Pointing to the ladies, I said: 'Then what would
happen to them? Every now and then you must return to dry land. You must dive and rise
alternately.'
Keshab and the others laughed.
Taking a leaf from the Master,atleast once a day we must descend to the world of ideas and rush to the market and buy vegetables ,rice ,milk to last us for that day atleast :-)
"Bondage is of the mind, and freedom is also of the mind. A man is free if he constantly
thinks: 'I am a free soul. How can I be bound, whether I live in the world or in the forest? I
am a child of God, the King of Kings. Who can bind me?' If bitten by a snake, a man may
get rid of its venom by saying emphatically, 'There is no poison in me.' In the same way, by
repeating with grit and determination, 'I am not bound, I am free', one really becomes free".
"The Pure Mind and the Pure Atman are one and the same thing. Whatever comes up in the
Pure Mind is the voice of God".
Just remembered that someone advised me not to trust Munagala and his talks as he could have put down what he understood and it need not be the truth! :-( . You are right, we unrealized ones cannot really verify this :). Only one thing, I dont need verification about Bhagavan because he drew me to his feet through an experience rather than through theory/texts, all this textual jargon I got into my head afterwards :)))
When you mentioned the neo-advaitins parroting things from books, just wanted to share a super hilarious video which we all can enjoy! :)
http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/7262997/watch_movie
- Yes sir, thank you for bringing this deluded soul to the world :)[No I am not joking this time, really loved your post:) ]
I see so many quotes and unquotes, so many words in the blog. For one who is not so well informed about Ramana's life, his works, Tamil writings, etc. it would seem that self-realisation is a tough one since there is so much to learn and I have a long way to go. The one thing which stops me from feeling depressed is when I read Bhagavan's simple answers to questions in "Talks" and other books. I want to ask a simple question, is so much knowledge about books and theology needed for self-realisation. What do we gain by quoting another work? Isnt it helpful if we contribute our personal experiences and clarify each other's queries? I find Self-enquiry a very lonely search. It is very easy to get deluded in this and many times very frustrating. Sometimes I feel whether I am just fooling myself. Any advice or tip from a fellow traveler through this blog will surely be welcome...
from your comment, wonder if you read gaNEsan's talk with venkatarAmaia that i'd pasted earlier! the very statement that you (& many others in this blog) attribute it to bhagavAn is what bhagavAn, according to venkatarAmaia, is denying!!! please remember that if you chose to dismiss venkatarAmaia, which you are free to do so, you will also have to perforce jettison that thing called the "Talks"! now where does bhagavAn say, as you claim, "realisation is not the same as liberation" - WHERE? please quote appropriate sources...
'sankalpa' of a mahAtma doesn't appear to me to have anything much in common with the sankalpas of say someone like me! if 'sankalpa' is a problem then the same applies to the likes of vyAsa to suka to samkara to thAkur to bhagavAn - now to say that 'bhagavAn didn't have any sankalpa, all that was done was done by the 'self', this is just lame substitution! just like not all things in samskrtam is necessarily holy (you can abuse in samskrtam too!) likewise using the word 'self' doesn't render it free of nonsense! :-). if not having 'sankalpa' is the key, then the 'self' exercising a 'sankalpa' is a contradiction, for the self is reduced to a non-self through this sankalpa! :-). who asked bhagavAn to stay put 50+ years at aruNAchala? the 'self'?? if so, what prevents the same self from also serving as the primal impetus to a kAvyakaNTha or a vivEkAnanda?? personally, i know nothing of this 'self' that you people keep talking about as if it's there in one's backyard (to me, it's a meaningless word i don't have the slightest clue)! all i know with some clarity is this thing called the 'i', or the 'ego' :-)))
Wonder what Soorya would say to these words:
"I have set out in quest of my Father in accordance with his command. This (meaning his person) has only embarked on a virtuous enterprise. Therefore, no one need grieve over this act. And no money need be spent in search of this. Your college fee has not been paid. Herewith rupees two."
Does this mean that the Boy Ramana had only realized the self at this point in time.Perhaps the liberation(without any sankalpas) happened later.Perhaps the Peter Holleran's article is right and we are mistaken:-)
Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi,Talk 273.
Dr. Syed asked: I have been reading the Five Hymns. I find that the hymns are addressed to Arunachala by you. You are an Advaitin. How do you then address God as a separate Being?
M.: The devotee, God and the Hymns are all the Self.
D.: But you are addressing God. You are specifying this Arunachala Hill as God.
M.: You can identify the Self with the body. Should not the devotee identify the Self with Arunachala?
D.: If Arunachala be the Self why should it be specially picked out among so many other hills? God is everywhere. Why do you specify Him as Arunachala?
M.: What has attracted you from Allahabad to this place? What has attracted all these people around?
D.: Sri Bhagavan.
M.: How was I attracted here? By Arunachala. The Power cannot be denied. Again Arunachala is within and not without. The Self is Arunachala.
If Bhagavan was attracted to arunachala what is incongruent about swamiji or kavyakanta being attracted to Bharata Shakti?Is there any square kilometre limit beyond which the 'liberation' would be irrevocably compromised?:-)
I am being perfectly honest when I said I read it in some authentic source, like perhaps one of David's Power of the Presence - but need to verify as it was long back and dont remember.Will surely post it here if I find it, we can then cross check who had made that report about Bhagavan's words. Dont make a mistake and think I am trying to prove Ganapati Muni was not liberated! Whatever has I got against him! As you said none of us have ever met him, know only what others wrote about him. I spoke about someone's comments under the name 'anonymous', this person suggested that we cannot be 100% sure what Munagala wrote is always what Bhagavan intended as he may have written down things as per his understanding also, in some cases. Again I didnt say I dont trust Munagala or that I trust him. Talks seem good enough to me for my sadhana - not much complaints except maybe language could have been a bit more simpler perhaps.
About samskaras - how does a samskara stand in the way of liberation. In my understanding, a samskara is a predisposition which results in a desire/aversion to an occuring/circumstance. In the case of jnani's their will is in accordance with what already is destined to happen - they dont make an attempt to change anything unless that change and it's attempt was also pre-destined, of which they are already aware. Bhagavan speaks of how jnani's wont interfere in the karmic processes of the world which can also be destruction or degradation. When an individual entity seems to have a different desire from what is supposed to happen at a time, he stands apart from the ultimate reality's scheme and missed complete union with it. Going on these lines, one can deduce how ones with noble samskaras like Ganapathi muni miss liberation when Bhagavan's mother who was not an intellectual like him, got it. It is easy to confuse the functioning of avataras, in my understanding their appearance in the world scheme and working here is pre-destined, not the same as our samskaras. After reading the accounts of Ganapati Muni praying to Bhagavan for peace of mind after so much Tapas, gives an impression that he was also a seeker, not an avatara who was self sufficient.
Shrini:
you said ["...I want to ask a simple question, is so much knowledge about books and theology needed for self-realisation...I find Self-enquiry a very lonely search. It is very easy to get deluded in this and many times very frustrating...Any tip from a fellow traveler through this blog will surely be welcome... ..."]
:-))) there could be exceptions but isn't much of our book-knowledge only for parading one's ignorance and refuting others' ignorant ignorance through our knowledgeable ignorance? hahahahaha...by the way, who ever said that books are essential to know oneself? :-)
coming to the 'lonely' part of the 'search', isn't all search lonely? is there at all something like a mass search or a mob search, collective search or a combined search? :-)... now, do i find the enquiry lonely? - yes; then, why does one do it? - immodestly speaking, though i'm far from doing any enquiry that's even remotely reasonable yet whatever i do in the name of vichAra is because i'm yet to find something more intriguing & captivating than this! :-). the frustration you referred to is pretty genuine but what do you think is the cause of this frustration? - isn't it the fear that life will ebb away before realising the self? what's the worst that could happen? - die? who knows whether the 'self' is there or not? but as long as it's this search that's the dominant interest, why not simply die trying? this is how i tend to view it. does it make any sense to you?...
"After reading the accounts of Ganapati Muni praying to Bhagavan for peace of mind after so much Tapas, gives an impression that he was also a seeker, not an avatara who was self sufficient".
Going by this yardstick,Lord Rama also was not an avatar,as he was also a seeker who was taught by vasishta.Sri Ramakrishna has openly said that he was an avatara to Narendra-yet he was taught by bhairavi Brahmani and Totapuri;it is another matter that they learnt more from the Disciple!
Over the past few posts ,please review what all you have said-They are all just beliefs,preconceived notions,blind spots that Nisargadatta Maharaj ,whom you seem to love(especially when he used to shout 'Kalpana' 'Kalpana')asks one to dismiss.
shrini,
I do not follow the path of self-enquiry.You may read Sri Bhagavan's 'who am I'.This is the only book that Sri Bhagavan was particular that the asramam should publish and make available at a cheap price to all seekers.I do not think that you require anything more than this.I suggest that you read a portion from this book and pray to Sri Bhagavan to guide you.
I also warmly Recommend The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna.Personally ,I have not come across a better companion than this.There is nothing that is not covered in this marvellous work.It is the Srimad Bhagavatham of this age.
Wish you the Very Best.
yes, this is the advaita trap :)))
If you have read 'Nothing ever happened', Papaji says that Sri Rama was attached to his wife, that he was not free of attachment. He says same of Sri Krishna too, infact he says these Gods themselves are attached to beautiful women :)). If you read Arthur Osborne's book 'Be still it is the wind that sings', he raises the same question about Sri Ramakrishna having to perform intense often violent Sadhana against his devotees saying he was an avatara, who was born enlightened. Please please note that it is not poor ignorant me who said all this :))). I am just pointing out that there is lot of inconsistency and as someone told to Bhagavan after discussing the different creation theories and said 'surely Bhagavan all this cannot be true!' and he said 'yes the truth is only one, all these theories are only to suit the capacity of different seekers'. Last but not the least why give up Peter Holleran, why couldnt he and V.S Iyer have been right and perhaps Bhagavan lived in a delusion as S pointed out :)))
Everything goes up in smoke and now there is peace :)))
"Everything goes up in smoke and now there is peace :)))
This reminds me of another amusing incident from The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna:
"There was a man who was a great
liar; but, on the other hand, he used to say he had the Knowledge of Brahman. When
someone took him to task for telling lies, he said: 'Why, this world is truly like a dream. If
everything is unreal, then can truth itself be real? Truth is as unreal as falsehood.'" (All
laugh.)"
By the way,I do not count arthur osborne's writings as anything authentic.It is no better than Romain Rolland's writings on Sri Ramakrishna and Vivekananda.
He suddenly took a fancy for Sri Shirdi sai Baba and wrote 'The Incredible Sai Baba'.I have not come across a single devotee of sai Baba who even knows about the existence of this Book!I can say confidently that I know more about Sri Ramakrishna and swami Vivekananda than Arthur Osborne.What he has written in the passage that you have quoted is quite like Peter Holleran's article on Sri Bhagavan!
Nice story :)
But does none of you question things like I do? :P
Or all are following bhakti maarga? Honestly sometimes devotion does appear to be sweet than getting entangled in Jnana(or Ajnana) traps :)
I do realize that everything wont come to a state where the intellect is wholly satisfied :).
Regarding Arthur Osborne's comment, yes he is not a good authority - just mentioned the reference since you spoke about him.
You have raised a few deep questions.I will answer them some other time.I wish to share this excerpt from The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna:
Master's prayer
The devotees seated in the room looked at Sri Ramakrishna as he began to chant the sweet
name of the Divine Mother. After the chanting he began to pray. What was the need of
prayer to a soul in constant communion with God? Did he not rather want to teach erring
mortals how to pray? Addressing the Divine Mother, he said, "O Mother, I throw myself on
Thy mercy; I take shelter at Thy Hallowed Feet. I do not want bodily comforts; I do not
crave name and fame; I do not seek the eight occult powers. Be gracious and grant that I
may have pure love for Thee, a love unsmitten by desire, untainted by any selfish ends-a
love craved by the devotee for the sake of love alone. And grant me the favour, O mother,
that I may not be deluded by Thy world-bewitching maya, that I may never be attached to
the world, to 'woman and gold', conjured up by Thy inscrutable maya! O mother, there is no
one but thee whom I may call my own. Mother, I do not know how to worship; I am
without austerity; I have neither devotion nor knowledge. Be gracious, Mother, and out of
Thy infinite mercy grant me love for Thy Lotus Feet." Every word of this prayer, uttered
from the depths of his soul, stirred the minds of the devotees. The melody of his voice and
the childlike simplicity of his face touched their hearts very deeply."
These sort of passages in the Gospel stir our depths and leave us speechless,extinguishing thoughts.
One thing I have noticed throughout here and elsewhere is that devotees of different masters unconsciously turn fanatics such that they cant even hear a question/criticism regarding their master or their teachings. It is natural that one feels a lot of love and devotion for a great being, but we can just ponder over the question of whether these masters need our approbation or approval for their attainment? Does a Swami Vivekananda or Ramana Maharshi or Sri Ramakrishna need their devotees to defend them? I do not think they are that fragile, in the least. It is funny that 'S' first advised me to not shy away from strong disagreements, and later came pouncing upon like a tiger when he thought I was questioning Ganapati Muni's Self Realization , got irritated to such an extent that even his smileys interspersed couldnt hide them :))). We always end up worshipping idols and miss their message, the same old story! When someone raises a question, at once he/she is termed an egoist and such :). And to think all masters taught to question and accept only after total conviction not exempting the Buddha, Swami Vivekananda, Sri Ramakrishna etc etc. But will their fanatical devotees allow that, no way!!! They will bite tooth and nail against anyone who dares to, with the result the message of the master is lost in due time and only a cult remains in it's place - on the lines of what happened to Christianity.
Truth will not become untruth based on what you or me think about Ramana Maharshi or Swami Vivekananda or Sri Ramakrishna or Ganapathi Muni - but who cares about truth? :))
Murali said...
Ravi wrote quoting from the Gospel:
The "unripe I" makes one feel: "I am the doer. These are my
Ravi: Did Thakur write anywhere how to renounce this "unripe I"? Is it by constanly repeating that God is the doer? Or is it only after Self Realization - a dark prospect indeed:-(
Regards Murali
"One thing I have noticed throughout here and elsewhere is that devotees of different masters unconsciously turn fanatics such that they cant even hear a question/criticism regarding their master or their teachings"
I have observed this too and tend to agree with this.
"Does a Swami Vivekananda or Ramana Maharshi or Sri Ramakrishna need their devotees to defend them"?
Absolutely No!Then why is it that I carry on a discussion and contest?I think you may be interested,and volunteer this response.If a man in the street who is a fan(I recall your using this word that you are a fan of swamiji)of some film star or politician,says that all these Gurus,sAmiArs are frauds,good for nothing fellows,etc and dismisses them outright,I do not Respond.
On the other hand,if a seeker is expressing his 'opinion' based on something that is a pure notion,I tend to contest that.One thing I find these days is free availability of advaitic literature -and this has caused a huge deal of confusion.I find that anything intensely Human is dubbed as weakness and incompatible with advaitic realization.This is totally bizarre.The Interesting thing is that while the demands of the Body are admitted as legitimate and compatible with Advaitic Realization and in no way detracts from it,any expression of sorrow or anger or expression of regret-all purely human qualities are viewed as clear indicators of unattainment of the Final stage,which one imagines to be utterly devoid of these 'vacilations' of the mind!Immediately the 'advanced seeker' will notice these aberrations and declare that they are incompatible with the 'Realized State'!
Little do we even imagine that Freedom,to be Total need not be Freedom devoid of Human qualities but Freedom that is not tainted with human qualities!If it is true Freedom,one should have the Freedom to be sorrowful,to be happy,to be angry as well.
I tend to contest these notions,in the hope that it may be seen by the participants as such and give them an opportunity to view these things in a fresh perspective.
I will give some examples from the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna that brings out the Freedom of the kind that I have talked about.
The other thing that I have observed is that many books are published,like the Talks of Ramana Maharshi,'Iam That'(talks of Nisargadatta Maharaj)and these are gulped as authoritative and 'quotations' that favour one aspect or the other are made from these.Without the contextual setup and the background of the questioner,these quotations are not of much help!They tend to mislead and the reader of these talks often understand it in their own way,and paralyse themselves unconsciously!
The Reason why I place 'The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna' above all these books is that the contextual setting is wonderfully preserved and the message of the Master comes out in a crystal clear fashion-We know for whom it is intended,just what it is and more importantly what it is not and all this with an anecdotal background that enlivens it.
I can give clear examples of this as well,where the Master may be saying one thing to a seeker and a diametrically opposite thing to another seeker and in this way wonderfully tailor it to their immediate need.
I am not undermining the worth of these other books,but sound a note of caution that they have been shorn of their contextual background,and the words there need to be used with discrimination.I would rate 'Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi' as much better than the Rest.
For those who want quotes on 'sankalpa',
From David Godman's 'Power of the Presence' Part One, chapter on Akhilandamma, page 81 - foot note:
'Sankalpa' can be translated as 'will' or 'intention'.Bhagavan, along with many other Masters, held that jnanis have no sankalpa, In this state, the Self makes the body behave in a particular way and makes it say whatever needs to be said, but there is no individual choice involved in any of these words or actions. Narayana Iyer once had a mast illuminating exchange with Bhagavan on this topic, an exhcnage that gave a rare insight into the way a jnani's power functions:
'One day when I was sitting by the side of Bhagvan I felt so miserable that I put the following question to him: "Is the sankalpa of the jnani not capable of warding off the destinies of the devotees?"
'Bhagavan smiled and said : "Does the jnani have a sankalpa at all? The jivanmukta[liberated being] can have no sankalpas whatsoever. It is just impossible."
'I continued: "Then what is the fate of all of us who pray to you to have grace on us and save us? Will we not be benefitted or saved by sitting in front of you, or by coming to you?.."
'Bhagavan turned graciously to me and said:.."a person's bad karma will be considerably reduced while he is in the presence of a jnani. A jnani has no sankalpas but his sannidhi[presence] which is the most powerful force, can do wonders: save souls, give peace of mind, even give liberation to ripe souls. Your prayers are not answered by him but absorbed by his presence. His presence saves you, wards off the Karma and gives you the boons as the case maybe, but involuntarily. The jnani does save the devotees, but not by sankalpa, which is non-existent in him, only through his presiding presence, his sannidhi
These are different terminologies and we should not be confused by the words.
Elsewhere it is said that there is no jnAni but only jnAna;if that be so where is the question of sankalpa or sannidhi,from this perspective.
The 'Sankalpa' that is referred to is the 'Egoistic' will which is absent.
How then Sri Bhagavan wrote some of the verses which he was trying to suppress and dismiss?They kept coming to him until he submitted to this satya sankalpa that they have to be expressed and made available for the benefit of the world.
I recall a story when Sri Bhagavan decided to go without food for the day(what else is this but Sankalpa!)and ended up eating thrice the quantity of food!
Bhagavan also was eating Betel leaf and became used to that Habit.One day he waited for the Betel leaf after meals,and the attendant did not turn up on time.Bhagavan moved away and did not take to Betel Leaf ever again.The Attendant thought that Sri Bhagavan had given it up on account of his negligence.Sri Bhagavan assuaged his misgiving saying that Betel chewing was a needless Habit that he had acquired somehow and had given it up.
These things in no way detract from the jnAna that one is ever aware of.
And here is one instance of Bhagavan said to be remarking on Ganapati Muni's state at death, from 'Ramana Maharshi and Path of Self Knowledge' by Arhur Osborne :
About 1934 Ganapati Sastri settled down in the village of
Nimpura near Kharagpur with a group of followers and from
then until his death some two years later devoted himself wholly
to tapas (asceticism). Sri Bhagavan was asked once, after Sastri's
death, whether he could have attained Realization during this
life, and he replied: "How could he? His sankalpas (inherent
tendencies) were too strong."
There is one more reference to the above remark by Bhagavan, where there is a more elaborate description of the spiritual experiences of Kavyakantha and again a footnote which said that 'even after all these spiritual experiences Bhagavan declared that Kavyakantha was not liberated'. Will post it when I find it. Again I have nothing to gain or lose by proving a case against Kavyakantha's liberation! And I didnt concoct a story from imagination :). The Self is not something in our backyard, it is what we are :). There is no need to feel frustrated at attempts at Enquiry.
Agree with most of what you said :))). Well, you know what the more I discuss/argue with you people I feel more convinced that 'each of us sees things as we want them to be' or even 'each of us sees ourselves in everything'.This doesnt limit to me or you or S but might even extend to Munagala, Arthur osborne, Peter Holleran, V.S Iyer etc etc. This should go to prove Bhagavan's saying that 'the world is as you are' [according to your perception of it.]
I have long lost interest in this chain of conversations we have been having, for nothing has come out of it for want of a liberal attitude from all of us :( . Will end it here for good, peace and light.
Some preceding passages from the same book[I can mentally see how everyone will want to hate Osborne now :)))]
Ganapati Sastri also liked to refer to Sri Bhagavan as a
manifestation of Lord Subrahmanya; however in this the devotees
rightly refused to follow him, feeling that to regard Sri Bhagavan
as a manifestation of any one divine aspect was to attempt to
limit the illimitable. Nor did Sri Bhagavan countenance the
identification. A visitor once said to him, "If Bhagavan is an
avatar of Subrahmanya, as some people say, why does he not tell
us so openly instead of leaving us to guess?"
And he replied, "What is an avatar? An avatar is only a
manifestation of one aspect of God, whereas a Jnani is God Himself."
About a year after his meeting with Sri Bhagavan, Ganapati
Sastri experienced a remarkable outflow of his Grace. While he
was sitting in meditation in the temple of Ganapati at
Tiruvothiyur he felt distracted and longed intensely for the
presence and guidance of Sri Bhagavan. At that moment Sri
Bhagavan entered the temple. Ganapati Sastri prostrated himself
before him and, as he was about to rise, he felt Sri Bhagavan's
hand upon his head and a terrifically vital force coursing through
his body from the touch, so that he also received Grace by touch
from the Master.
Speaking about this incident in later years, Sri Bhagavan
said: "One day, some years ago I was lying down and awake
when I distinctly felt my body rise higher and higher. I could
see the physical objects below growing smaller and smaller until
they disappeared and all around me was a limitless expanse of
dazzling light. After some time I felt the body slowly descend
and the physical objects below began to appear. I was so fully
aware of this incident that I finally concluded that it must be by
such means that Siddhas (Sages with powers) travel over vast
distances in a short time and appear and disappear in such a
mysterious manner. While the body thus descended to the
ground it occurred to me that I was at Tiruvothiyur though I
had never seen the place before. I found myself on a highroad
and walked along it. At some distance from the roadside was a
temple of Ganapati and I entered it."
....contd
Your quotation from Osborne or other sources are quite in order.How do we check the authenticity of these sources.This is the moot question.
Did Osborne hear it from Bhagavan?
Did Munagala who wrote the Talks hear it?
What did Bhagavan say in 'Tamizh',since that is the language he spoke mostly although he knew telungu and MalayALam as well.
It is unlikely that Sri Bhagavan would have said sucha thing.
Please read with a calm mind what I have posted,then you may get what I have expressed.
This incident is very characteristic of Sri Bhagavan. It is
characteristic that the distress or devotion of one of his people
should call forth an involuntary response and intervention in
a form that can only be called miraculous, and it is also
characteristic that Sri Bhagavan, with all powers at his feet,
should be no more interested to use powers of the subtle than
of the physical world, and when some such thing happened in
response to the appeal of a devotee should say with the
simplicity of a child, "I suppose that is what Siddhas do."
It was just this indifference that Ganapati Sastri failed to
attain. He asked once, "Is seeking the source of the I-thought
sufficient for the attainment of all my aims or is mantra dhyana
(incantation) needed?" Always the same: his aims, his ambitions,
the regeneration of the country, the revitalisation of religion.
Sri Bhagavan replied curtly, "The former will suffice." And
when Sastri continued about his aims and ideals he added: "It will
be better if you throw the entire burden on the Lord. He will carry
all the burdens and you will be free from them. He will do his part."
In 1917 Ganapati Sastri and other devotees put a number
of questions to Sri Bhagavan and the questions and answers have
been recorded in a book entitled Sri Ramana Gita, more erudite
and doctrinal than most of the books. Characteristically, one of
the questions that Ganapati Sastri asked was whether someone
who attained Jnana (Self-realization), as it were, by the way while
seeking some specific powers would find his original desires
fulfilled. And nowhere is Sri Bhagavan's swift and subtle humour
better illustrated than in the reply he gave, "If the Yogi, though
starting upon Yoga for the fulfilment of his desires, gained
Knowledge in the meantime he would not be unduly elated even
though his desires were likewise fulfilled."
I am no fan of Osborne, but please please dont behave like Christian fanatics who break all hell loose if any Tom, Dick or Harry questions the divinity of the Christ, whether he was of virgin birth or not, whether he married Mary Magdalene or not etc etc. It seems like one is so insecure that one has to fight until death than have one's beliefs questioned!
"I am no fan of Osborne, but please please dont behave like Christian fanatics who break all hell loose if any Tom, Dick or Harry questions the divinity of the Christ, whether he was of virgin birth or not, whether he married Mary Magdalene or not etc etc. It seems like one is so insecure that one has to fight until death than have one's beliefs questioned!"
Please do not mind my saying this:-)
I see that you are now reacting and not responding.
We will continue our discussion ,if at all you are interested when you come out of this.
I am only contesting that Sri Bhagavan said that Sri Ganapathi Muni was not liberated.I do not know why you should bring that incident of Sri Bhagavan going to his rescue.That is indeed a story that I have read and I do not question that.
Sri Oruganti Ramachandraiah:
V. Dwarakanath Reddy:
July-Sept. 2007, Mountain Path:
Sri Oruganti Ramachanraiagh's father, Oruganti Venkata Subbaiah of Kavali, Nellore District, in Andhra Pradesh, had been an ardent follower of Mahatma Gandhi, and participated in India's freedom struggle from its beginning. He was jailed, (so was his spirited wife) by the British rulers of the time. He had three daughters and four sons of which Ramachandraiah was the youngest, born in 1912. As school-boys he and a brother used to walk the streets shouting anti-British slogans and were lodged in jails for minors (delinquents).
While studying to complete the B.A. Honours course of the Andhra University, he was implicated in a serious criminal case amounting to treason against the British rulers.
It was known famously as the Kakinada Conspiracy (Bomb) case and from April 1933, till September 1935, he was in central jails and courts as the noose cast its ominous shadow on him. Then he was acquitted for want of proof and he returned to his studies taking his degree and achieving first in his class. After India gained her freedom, the sacrifices of persons like him and his parents finally bore fruit.
Self-enquiry, or whatever I understand it, is fraught with danger of reinforcing the ego. It is very easy to use this as a tool for making another feel that I am superior or worst, believe myself to be superior. Another reason for feeling lonely is that unlike Bhakti Marga, the mind tends to reason out anything associated with pleasure or joy. This makes the practitioner not a happy person to be associated with.Thirdly, realising that not there are very few fellow travelers, one really do not know if the road taken is the right one. How do you know if the route is just a trick of your mind? I see the only way out is to hold fast Bhagavan and trust him to lead us. Nothing else will work. And unless we discriminate about what to read and what to ignore, we will be like a dog trying to catch its tail..
Ravi, Regarding reading Gospal, it has been my reference point for more than 2 decades. But I refer to it to enjoy the sweet nature of Paramahamsa more than following his advice. He is a mother whose lap you love to sleep on even when you are old and belong to another.
Hope I am still responding :-)
That other story was not posted to contest it's validity. It was just inorder to post the comments of Osborne in it's context where he says 'it is just this indifference Ganapati Satri failed to get'. At first glance it seems like Osborne is making personal assumptions and didnt approve of Ganapati Muni's desires and ambitions for the nation etc. But as you pointed out, Osborne must have heard of this last remark about Muni from Bhagavan and put two and two together, coming up with a reason for his not being liberated[assuming he trusted his source or for the second option he was biased against Ganapati Muni and wanted to believe he was not liberated and hence falsely quoting Bhagavan:))].
To tell you the truth, I do find all this a bit funny - this hair splitting one has to do when one goes enquiring of authenticity :). Of course one doesnt need to go counting the leaves and twigs to eat the mangoes , as Sri Ramakrishna aptly puts it. But you see, when we question one thing, another comes up, and then another and in the end virtually everything is subject to question :) I kind of love this result, I can almost hear Bhagavan say 'Do you know you exist' :) 'Find out who you are'. After all its not bad to conclude it at that, isnt it?
It gave me soo much joy to read you describing about the 'loneliness' experienced on the path of Jnana, which is exactly same in my case. And when such questions/issues taunt, I switch to Bhakti then and like you said enjoy the lap of the Lord. You are also right about enquiry reinforcing the ego if the practice goes awry and of the doubts that come up :)
To me it demands a hundred percent sincerity and honesty to myself as well, because in Self enquiry we dont even have the comfort of a 'God'
His political background created many obstacles to his career rendering him ineligible for government service, and for over ten years, he worked as a teacher of English at Birla Trust High School, Pilani. In 1944, he became a lecturer in Andhra University as the Head of the Department of History. In 1972, he retired as a professor and Head of the Department of Archaeology and History. In between he went to England and had the field training under pioneering archaeologists like Sir Mortimer Wheeler, Prof. Childe and Frederic Zeuner at the London Institute of Archaeology. Back in India he directed the famous excavations, including Harappa, Salihundam, and Jami.
Of greater relevance to Sri Ramana devotees is how he came to Sri Bhagavan, the universal Excavator, who was lying bare the deep debris of ruined egos, to break and transcend the fallacious dictum that history must repeat itself. For what if Time itself were an untrue phantom?
Among the early devotees of Sri Bhagavan, was Sri Munagala Venkataramiah. He was a scholar to whom we are forever indebted for his assiduous and accurate compilation of Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi, the veritable gospel of Sri Bhagavan. He also many Sanskrit texts for the benefit of future generations, which include Tripura Rahasya and Kaivalya Navaneeta.
Kamakshi was his little daughter, and she was permitted a child's indulgence of being allowed to play with Sri Bhagavan. She received His loving guidance and parental care. Picking flowers in the Asramam, chanting and singing before the compassionate Master, privileged or petulant, impish or indulgent, the child grew into girlhood, and then into a prospective bride. It is said that at an appropriate age, Sri Bhagavan prompted her to learn Telugu. Though of Andhra lineage, and Telugu her mother tongue, she had been brought up in Tamizh Nadu and had never been taught Telugu. Sri Bhagavan personally helped her to learn the language. To some ti might have seemed a casual act but soon in real import dawned, and a year or so later, Ramachandraiah who also had Telugu as his native language, entered the scene as the prospective groom! With Sri Bhagavan's warm approval and even intervention to smooth over obstacles, the wedding was sanctified in 1938.
Time out:-)As Lord Rama said(please take that you Rama and I am rAvana,lest this should lead to another side contest!):inRu pOi nALai vA(Go back this day!come tommorrow!).
I wish to post what M has said about his writing the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna,which is relevant to our discussion on what is authentic.I need to dig it out.I will be back.
Shrinin/Murali,
Thanks for your response.I will respond to you in a shaort while.Good to see that this Blog is bustling again.As Sri Ramakrishna says humorously 'Jatilas and Kutilas liven up proceedings':-
Here it is,how M came to write the kathAmrita(The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna):
'M' as he styled himself was Mahendranath Gupta,a Householder Disciple of Sri Ramakrishna who came to the Master when he was 27 of Age.He was working as a Teacher in the High School started by the Famous Philanthrophist Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar.How M came to the garden at Dakshineswar lead by his nephew sidhu is a wonderful story by itself.Sidhu tells him that a paramahamsa lives there and together they land up in the Garden temple of Dakshinewar one evening .Actually M was quite depressed and had even contemplated suicide!It was here that they meet Sri Ramakrishna and the Kathamrita starts.M is captivated by the suka like appearance of Sri Ramakrishna and his words of nectar that in an instant put him on track and made him wanting to seek the company of the master and listen to his words more and more.M being a family man could visit the Master only During weekends and holidays.How to spend the time away from the Master?M started noting down the happenings and conversations with the master in a Diary and used to time in contemplating it.Like Annamalai swami for Bhagavan,M Just Lived and breathed and spoke only the words of sri Ramakrishna-"What can I speak of but his words"!Even after the passing away of sri Ramakrishna this diary was with M and he had not intended it to be published.However after he happened to write a few conversations for a local magazine,people realized what a Gold mine was there and M was persuaded to write the complete work covering a period of 5 years by all his brother disciples.M yielded to this and brought out the final of the 5 part work and just after proof reading and sending it to the press ,M passed away in 1932.
Okay :))
Please let me exchange the roles, maybe I fit the role of Ravana better and you of Rama ;) [ just kidding]
Kamakshi proved a willing partner for the six more years of penury that Ramachandraiah had to pay for the price of his high moral stand, his patriotic zeal and courage of character. After 1943, he was appointed a lecturer in Andhra University but contact with the Asramam, was sustained. When he retired as a professor and head of his department in 1972, the couple settled in their house near the Asramam. The Samadhi of Kamakshi's illustrious father is in the family compound.
It has been recorded that in the 1940s, when Kamakshi came to the Asramam, to stay for a couple of months, she walked one morning into Sri Bhagavan's presence. It was 4.00 am. and Sri Bhagavan was alone. He gave her a slip of paper on which He had written Om Namo Bhagavate Sri Ramanaya saying, 'You chant this all your life.'. What solace ans strength it must have been through the crucifixion of her health a few years later.....And also, what a gift of assurance in the years to come.
For Kamakshi's health had deteriorated while she was in Visakapatnam in the norther Andhra Pradesh and uncertain treatments had rendered her enfeebled. Too late, she was diagnosed with bone cancer of a virulent type, with no skeletal rigidity she suffered great distress and total disability. Till her demise in 1975, Ramachandraiah cared for her and nursed her night and day through the prolonged and painful confinement, with quiet dedication and love.
M,KathAmritA ,The Three classes of Evidence continued...
Here is an interesting conversation where M tells Jagabandhu (later Swami Nityatmananda) how Kathamrita was written.Swami Nityatmananda was trained by 'M' to keep a similiar diary and this was brought out as a series of 15 volumes or so-recording conversations of M with other devotees.This conversation is from one such volumes:
M. is reading the proofs while Jagabandhu is holding the copy. In between he converses. Some bhaktas are coming, while the others leave. During the conversation, the subject
of three kinds of evidences of Thakur's words comes up. So many people write about Thakur. Among these writings, how far each is valuable is commented upon.
M. (to Antevasi) – The first class of evidence is that which is recorded by the writer on the same day after seeing with his own eyes, and hearing with his own ears what
Thakur said or did. The second class is that which is recorded much later though it was heard and seen by the author himself. And the third class is that which was
collected by hearing from others. Along with it there is another class of evidence which one comes across at times. It can be termed as fourth class of evidence. The writer
has mixed up what he himself What the writer himself heard and saw, but did not write it immediately, he has mixed it up with what he heard from somebody else
M. (to Antevasi) – The Kathamrita is the first class evidence. What I saw Thakur doing with my own eyes and what great sayings I heard from my own ears, I recorded
them in my diary on the same day on returning home. Sometimes I wrote for days together, for there were long conversations on some particular days. I have recorded all
these divine sights and divine words in the Kathamrita. In the main part of the book, I was present in all the scenes narrated therein.
Antevasi – The reminiscences of Ashwini Dutt and the story of Baranagar Math etc. have also found a place in the Kathamrita.
M. – Not in the main text. They are written in the appendices. In the main book, there are all such direct evidences that I saw with my own eyes and heard with my own
ears.
"It is very valuable for the lawyers. They are cultured men, you see. Haven't you seen what Ashwini Dutt has written? He says, 'Am I so fortunate as M. that I could write
about Thakur giving the day of the week, the date and the position of the stars?' Before writing about Thakur he has offered his apology by saying so. Please bring the
Kathamrita."
M. reads out what Ashwini Dutt, a devotee of God and a patriot, has written about Thakur. It forms the appendix to part I of the Kathamrita.
M. (to Jagabandhu) – Just hear what he says. He writes, 'But I have not come with a fortune such as M that I should be able to write the day, the date and the time of the
darshan of his holy feet and record exactly all that fell from his blessed lips. I am writing as far as I can remember. It is possible that I may assign the talk of one day to
some other day. Besides, I have forgotten so much.'
A Certain Bhakta – Swami Bhumananda said, 'Master Mahashay has given three kinds of evidences to dishonour Sarat Maharaj's Lila Prasanga (Sri Ramakrishna the
Great Master).'
M. (wonder-struck and sad) – What is this? How does he know why it was written? I don't accept what he says. Let him say what he wants. Who can stop him?
Once, seeing her sad state, our present Asramam president, Sundara Ramanan, then 40 years old, said with flowing tears, 'Dear Auntie, why has Sri Bhagavan let you down like this?' Eyes flashing and with sudden energy flowing, Kamakshi responded from her bed, 'How dare you say Sri Bhagavan has at anytime failed to take care of me?'
Death took her body but not her spirit which lives on in memory.
Ramachandraiah stayed on in Tiruvannamalai never straying from his surrender to Sri Bhagavan. A poet at heart, a scholar in Telugu literature, an awakened spiritual seeker, a lover of music, he poured his energies into authorship. He rendered into pure and melodious
Telugu the cardinal writings on and of Sri Bhagavan. He has left for future generations translations of Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi, Maha Yoga, Ramana Stuti Panchakam, Guru Ramana Vachana Mala and other texts.
His love for Sri Bhagavan mixed seamlessly with his profound understanding of Sri Bhagavan's teaching. With his heart yearning for liberation, he wrote and indeed often set to music more than one thousand poems and songs.
M' on Kathamrita continued....
M. (to a devotee) – No other Aavatara had [a record] like this. It is not in the world history .
"Swami Vivekananda knew it. He wrote to me, 'The move is quite original and never was the life of a great teacher brought before the public untarnished by the writer's
mind as you are doing.'
"The other books which are coming out are all confusing because they contain second and third class evidences.
"This book is the first record in the world containing such an account of the conversations and life of an avatara.
"The coming out of the Kathamrita has done another big good. In future, whosoever writes a diary or a book shall be greatly benefited by knowing about these three classes
of evidences. While writing on any subject, they will be very careful while offering their opinion on it.
"Since 'the Kathamrita' has been written on the basis of first class evidence, the lawyers, the scientists and then the wWesterners will be able to appreciate the real value
of this book."
M. (to Antevasi) – Just read the page where these three classes of evidences are talked about.
Antevasi (reads) – (The main portions are).
"First — Direct and recorded on the same day... this kind of version is obtained by direct seeing and hearing — along with the year, the date, the day of the week and the
lunar date.
"Second — Direct but unrecorded at the time of the Master... this kind of version is also very good. The record of the other avataras is generally of this kind..... Herein
there is a greater possibility of mistakes than what is recorded immediately.
"Third — Hearsay and unrecorded at the time of the Master... what one hears about the life from the devotees, all belongs to the third class.
"At the time of the writing Sri Sri Kathamrita M. relied on the first class evidence…"
M. – All these volumes (of the Kathamrita) were written after so much of seeing and hearing. I had to read the Law of Evidence. They do not know it. If there is a slight
mistake in the evidence the whole value of it goes down.
M. (to Antevasi) – Haven't you read the Law of Evidence, and the Criminal Procedure Code?
Antevasi – Yes Sir, I have read them the way one studies in colleges. I read in broad outlines.
M. – You have seen it. A slight mistake is detected in the evidence and it almost spoils the whole case. The lawyer says to the judge, 'My Lord, he is not reliable.'
"The force that direct evidence has is not there in what one has heard from somebody. That is why, the judge asks, 'Did you see it yourself? By seeing and hearing oneself
there is a greater force. And if one says, 'I have heard it so,' it has no force.
"I visited the court so often. By seeing and hearing all this I have arrived on this conclusion. (Laughing) W.C. Bannerji once said, 'My Lord, he is an English speaking
witness.' Such persons enjoy more respect. They are very reliable because when it goes into the hands of a translator some difference creeps in. It is not exactly the same."
This is what authenticity is all about.It is about seeing,Listening and Recording it without a time gap in the very same Language and words with stenographic precision.
I do not know any other book that matches the kathAmrita in this regard.I am not making a dogmatic assertion.There may still be one more doubt.Okay,M may claim all this,yet how are we to validate his claim!I will cover this next.
M and kathAmrita continued....
We may ask whether anyone checked what 'M' had written.
The Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi,consort of Sri Ramakrishna was very much pleased to hear parts of the diary read to her in Bengali, wrote to M.: "When I heard the Kathāmrita, (Bengali name of the book) I felt as if it was he, the Master, who was saying all that."
The following are for your consideration:
1.M wrote it in Bengali and with stenographic precision,using the exact words that Sri Ramakrishna used.This has been the unanimous
view of all those who had been part of the scenes and who have seen Sri Ramakrishna and moved with him.
2.You will find Sri Ramakrishna repeating many of his sayings and these were exactly captured without any censoring.We even find Sri Ramakrishna telling 'm"to clean his tongue.'M' did not omit even this trivial detail because he felt that no word of his master should be left out.If not anything ,it will help to recollect that day's events and keep the memory fresh with the master's presence for ever.
3.Even as a boy of about thirteen, while he was a student in the 3rd class of the Hare School, he was in the habit of keeping a diary. "Today on rising," he wrote inhis diary, "I greeted my father and mother, prostrating on the ground before them".At another place he wrote, "Today, while on my way to school, Ivisited, as usual, the temples of Kāli, the Mother at Tharitharia, and of Mother Sitala, and paid my obeisance tothem." About twenty-five years after, when he met the Great Master in the spring of 1882, it was the sameinstinct of a born diary-writer that made him begin his book, 'unique in the literature of hagiography', with thememorable words: "When hearing the name of Hari or Rāma once, you shed tears and your hair stands on end,then you may know for certain that you do not have to perform devotions such as Sandhya any more."
4.Sri Ramakrishna knew that he was maintaining this diary and used to call him over and repeat what all he told the others in his absence,or he sent someone to call 'M' whenever he felt that 'M' needs to be there and not miss anything!When Ramachandra Datta and Tarak(Swami Shivananda)started keeping diary,Sri Ramakrishna had expressly told them not to maintain such records.Ramachandra datta had infact published the 'sayings of Sri Ramakrishna' in the lifetime of the Master but the Master asked him to desist from doing so.
5.Sri Ramakrishna told 'M':" Mother has told me that you have to do a little of Her work you will haveto teach Bhagavata, the word of God to humanity. The Mother keeps a Bhagavata Pandit with a bondage in theworld!"
M and the KathAmrita continued...
6.Besides undergoing spiritual disciplines at the feet of the Master, M. used to go to holy places during the Master's life-time itself and afterwards too as a part of his Sādhanā. He was one of the earliest of the disciples to visitKamarpukur, the birthplace of the Master, in the latter's life-time itself; for he wished to practise contemplation onthe Master's early life in its true original setting. His experience there is described as follows by SwamiNityatmananda: "By the grace of the Master, he saw the entire Kamarpukur as a holy place bathed in an effulgentLight. Trees and creepers, beasts and birds and men all were made of effulgence. So he prostrated to all on theroad. He saw a torn cat, which appeared to him luminous with the Light of Consciousness. Immediately he fell tothe ground and saluted it".
7.Swami Vivekananda had also read the Kathamrita(not all the volumes)and was overjoyed.He wrote to 'M':
It is indeed wonderful. The move is quite original,and never was the life of a Great Teacher brought before the public untarnished by the writer's mind, as you aredoing. The language also is beyond all praise, so fresh, so pointed, and withal so plain and easy. I cannot expressin adequate terms how I have enjoyed them. I am really in a transport when I read them. Strange, isn't it? OurTeacher and Lord was so original, and each one of us will have to be original or nothing. I now understand whynone of us attempted His life before. It has been reserved for you, this great work. He is with you evidently."
Most of the Disciples of Sri Ramakrishna have gone though the kathAmrita;it has been translated by SwAmi AbhedAnanda as well.There has not been a single instance of any dissent or disagreement as to what has been captured by M,including the Master asking M to scrape his tongue!!!M considered all words as sancrosanct and did not edit at all!
What a man he was! The imagery, perceptivity, vocabulary, and cadence of his verse will thrill all devotees. He wrote with tears in his eyes. We cannot but read them with tears in our eyes.
Though I had known him for over ten years, and though he generously and genuinely accepted me as an earnest and intense seeker, I had not been able to plumb the depths behind that humble, unassuming facade which the perceptive Sandhya, my spiritual daughter, had instinctively felt known.
The first of July 1994: 'Today is my official birthday, Amma,' he was to say that morning, meaning the day entered in official records as such. He said this to Sandhya, 'amma' is the endearing term addressed to young ones to mean daughter or child or 'little mother'. Ramachandraiah's affinity and affection for her were full to the brim since we met in 1983. These two shared an intense love of spiritual literature from ancient puranic classics to Sri Bhagavan Ramana's compositions. Reading, chanting, and singing them almost daily for years had been the love of their lives -- often including Sri Balarama Reddy, the celebrated Asramite. Sandhya could read the Telugu and Sanskrit verses fluently and melodiously, with feeling and understanding, and thus the affinity grew.
"Please let me exchange the roles, maybe I fit the role of Ravana better and you of Rama ;) [ just kidding]"
They were pre-assigned and not reversible:-)You may have noticed the Demonic intensity and passion in my 'stubborn,Dogmatic' defence of what is authentic!:-)So let me continue to be the rAvaNA and continue to question when ,where and to whom Sri Bhagavan said that 'kAvyakanTa was not liberated' in Tamizh,telungu or malayALam.
By now it should be clear to what class of evidence Osborne's writings belong to!:-)I doubt if he reviews again what he has written whether he would approve its publication,more so if he happens to read what M has said!
Later on that same fateful day, he was in physical distress. He was sweating profusely, and was sitting rubbing a balm on his chest. He tried to make light of the situation. All the same, with a premonition inspired by the wisdom of the age, he started calmly to tell Sandhya the where and what of his modest possessions -- the money in the drawer, the passbook on the shelf, the address book on the table.... Sandhya, with permitted, and even pleasing immunity and impishness, said: 'Ayya if you believe you are to 'depart' we should be chanting Sri Bhagavan's Aksharamana Malai, the divine glory of Arunachala.' To which he replied calmly, 'You are right, my child, and who will chant it for me but you? Right now, I am not acting out of any fear, amma, I just want others to have no problems later.'
The then Asramam doctor, Sri Ganesan, came, and after an examination, declared that the cardiac problem was acute, and that Ramachandraiah should be admitted immediately to a hospital.
We took him to Rangammal hospital, then on the other side of the Hill from us, near the Pradakshina Road. The patient sat composed and calm. The doctor on duty, put him as close to intensive care as the semi urban institution could provide. Ramachandraiah while waiting for his room said to Sandhya: 'Twamatma natham Ramanam Bhajami: ( I worship Ramana, who is the Lord of my Self.) -- is it not so, child?'
In the allotted room, Sandhya opened up the curtains, and to reveal that the holy Hill Arunachala was close behind outlined darkly against the gathering dawn. 'Ayya,' she said<|fim_middle|> dismissed as an ignorant one who didnt review/research his material well, one reason being there is literature wherein it is said he had glimpses of the Self, also towards the end of the life, people around him have been reported to have experienced a peace that one associates with that of a jnani"
That peace was in them.People also say that they find peace when they visit some temple.So that arguement is stretching it too far.
If Osborne had done research,what were the materials he referred to,how authentic they were.Forget about his writings on Bhagavan.If he wrote about Ramakrishna or Vivekananda,did he even visit R K mutt and talk to a few who were disciples of the Disciples of thAkur or swAmiji?Did he refer any book and how much he had read and how much he assimilated?
I have been reading the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna for over 35 years and I can only say that I know very little.With that little,I can clearly perceive almost instantly whether another person has read it or not.I can definitely say Arthur Osborne has not read it.Period.
Let us not discuss arthur Osborne,and the fact that he is a jnani or otherwise is not going to alter whether what he wrote is authentic or not.I may be a great Chef but if the Raw materials are not there,I can cook nothing.I will only end cooking up something else!
We have to find what Sri Bhagavan had said-Where,when and to whom and in what Language.Not just that,but also whether someone else has also validated that.
Knowing Bhagavan,he will never say these things. | , 'Arunachala is right behind you.' 'Yes child,' Ramachandraiah said, a catch in his voice, 'Arunachala has always been behind me.,' Those were almost his last words. Moments later, life departed.
All that I have known of him posthumously fills me with admiration and reverence. Alone, but never lonely, he walked the arduous Hill Path, his gaze penetrating the mists to focus on the sunny peak. If he went away from us, where else could he be abiding? Farewell noble soul, silence is your last song.......
Thanks for the posts on classes of evidences, very useful and we can all agree about the degrees.
However one thing, Arthur Osborne cannot be simply dismissed as an ignorant one who didnt review/research his material well, one reason being there is literature wherein it is said he had glimpses of the Self, also towards the end of the life, people around him have been reported to have experienced a peace that one associates with that of a jnani(to quote Bhagavan again :)). We cannot simply dismiss someone because he is saying something which contradicts what our beloved masters said[here infact the dispute is indeed what the master actually said!], if you remember when I originally posted the query about V.S Iyer's comments about first examining what the world is instead of who am I, this was exactly what I had in mind. As much as I am convinced about Bhagavan's words, who knows V.S Iyer maybe pointing to something which we have missed and maybe calling attention to it...I was trying to find opinion from the readers of the blog about Iyer's statements, then you posted the link to his works, the material of which honestly put me off due to it's shallowness/childishness(as per my impression), I have to admit :).
And last not the least like in popular horror stories, there is one more reference to that controversial remark of Bhagavan regarding Ganapati Muni which is not from Arthur Osborne(if I remember correctly).Will post it if I find it :).
I think I have given V S Iyer due credit where it is due.Please review your post wherein you have dismissed him saying that even westerners have a better grasp of Vedanta.
Let us leave aside V S Iyer.The main topic is not about defending 'Beloved Masters' but to examine their Teachings and see what is not resilient or consistent there.Is the
perceived' weakness a Strength in actual Terms?
Instead ,we are trying to prove that these teachings emanated from their being 'Advanced seeker' or 'Less than Perfect' etc.
You do not seem to apply the yardstick that you are advocating to your own stance,especially Swami Vivekananda.
I am okay with discussing the merit and demerit of the teachings but not by reference to the Teaching of another Master who has said something different in our perception.Let us not ride on any master's teachings.Let us discuss this on the strength of our own experience and understanding,and see what is not adnmissible and why.
Coming to 'service',forget what Bhagavan or Nisargadatta have said.What is it that you have found wanting or is detrimental to SAdhana?
Let us discuss this.
Stories About Sri Bhagavan:
Sadhu Om:
(Advent, 2007, Mountain Path.)
The Judgement:
Once, when Sri Bhagavan was going for His usual stroll on the Hill, everyone suddenly saw a dove falling at His Feet, half stunned.
When they looked ahead, there was a boy was had hit the bird with a stone and was now standing trembling.
Sri Bhagavan was seeing the boy and turning to the devotees following Him said, 'If two annas were avaialable, his hunger would subside.' On hearing this, one of them ran down to the Asramam took two annas and rushed back to where Sri Bhagavan was attending to the bird.
At Sri Bhagavan's request the two annas were given to the boy who was very pleased and left. The bird was still stunned. Then Sri Bhagavan said, 'If someone brings grapes, and if the grape juice is poured over the head of the bird, it should recover.'
At that moment, a devotee, not seeing Sri Bhagavan in the Old Hall, was coming up to the Hill searching for Him, with grapes as his offering.
Seeing him with grapes in his hands, Sri Bhagavan exclaimed 'The grapes have arrived.' Squeezing the grapes on the bird's head, Sri Bhagavan watched and waited for a reaction. Slowly it started to regain consciousness and after some time, it flew away!
"Arthur Osborne cannot be simply | 986 |
Toy Insider's Chief Toy Officer Laurie Schacht stopped by The Wendy Williams Show to show off the hottest toys of 2019. For more on the items featured in this segment, check out the product notes below, and for the complete rundown of the best toys of the holiday season, be sure to check our complete Toy Insider Holiday Gift Guide.
Arcade1Up game cabinets look, feel and<|fim_middle|> Hot Toys for the New Year on The Wendy Williams Show? | play just like the classic arcade games you remember.
These 3:4 scale Arcade Cabinets let you play seated or standing (Gaming Stool and/or Riser add-on available).
The classic upright cabinet design has authentic arcade controls and gameplay, such as joysticks, trackballs, buttons, and sounds.
The 17-inch screen features multiplayer controls and no quarters are required for play.
She's the latest in American Girl's long line of inspiring characters that encourage girls to think about who they want to be and how they want to make their mark in the world—no matter the challenges they may face.
In her story, Luciana knows she has the skills and smarts to become an astronaut and reach Mars one day. But she also learns that being a good leader and team player right here on Earth is the best first step to achieving her goal.
Luciana is a character that can bring visibility and valuable lessons to girls at a time in their lives when they're learning about their infinite potential to change the world.
The ultra-modern and innovative KidKraft Uptown Espresso Play Kitchen with EZ Kraft Assembly creates hours of sizzlin' fun for aspiring little chefs!
Kids can pretend to boil, sauté, and simmer delicious imaginative meals with the all-new cooktop and griddle with light and sound motion sensors.
Kids also have the option to cook play food in the microwave with lights and sounds.
After cooking up imaginative meals, kids can learn practical skills as they rinse off dishes in the sink using the faucet's red and blue labels to indicate hot and cold water.
Dishes can then be neatly stacked in the spacious dishwasher.
Innovative EZ Kraft Assembly technology speeds up assembly time, which means less building time and more playing time!
Available: KidKraft.com, Amazon.com, Walmart.com and Target.com.
Bring uptown charm to classic playtime with the KidKraft Brooklyn's Loft Dollhouse.
Standing over three feet tall, with three levels and six unique rooms, kids will love this urban retreat.
Dolls access the third-floor attic loft via the exquisitely-detailed fire escape stairs.
Below the living area and bathroom, three little shops await.
Brooklyn's Loft features a boutique, a salon and a café with a fabric awning, walk-up window, and an impressive 25-piece accessory kit with lights and sounds to outfit them.
Innovative items in this set include a magnetic dress form with different outfits, a cake for the café, and a cute little cat.
Kids and their 12-inch dolls will never run out of things to do in this fantastic addition to any playroom.
Get Massive! Armor up like your favorite Massive Monster to join the battle for planet Earth.
Extra-Large inflatable head gear and fists let you battle out the outrageous scenes from the series.
From the hit TV series on Nicktoons (US) and Family Channel (Canada), Extra-Large inflatable head gear and fists let you battle out the outrageous scenes from the hit show.
These wearable head gear and fists are perfect for parties, games and will sure turn heads! The Armor includes head gear and two fists.
Special Notes: Requires inflation – Be sure to inflate so that it is smooth, taut and wrinkle free.
Get ready for tons of outdoor fun with a Razor Electric Dirt Quad.
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In response to the overwhelming demand for an adult sized version of the award-winning Crazy Cart, feast your eyes on the Razor cart DLX: a full-size, high-powered drift cart for the kid in all of us.
With a high-torque motor and steel frame, full size outrigger stability casters, brodie knob, and vertical drift bar, this machine is built to last.
It comes with a high-impact pneumatic front tire, wheels and caster wheels for added durability.
You are sure to enjoy the variable speed foot pedal throttle and extra high-torque variations.
The patented steering allows unique drifting, turning and stopping and sit comfortably due to a raised, bucket style seat.
Let your kids get mobile with the Razor Ground Force Drifter Fury.
It features a go-kart style frame and Super Slider POM rear wheels for added mobility.
The front tires are made from molded rubber to hug the curves.
This Razor Drifter Fury features a unique spark bar that leaves a fun shower of light in its wake.
It has a variable speed, thumb-trigger acceleration control and a hand-operated rear brake to give the driver maximum drifting control.
With powerful speeds up to 12 miles per hour and a run time of up to 40 minutes of continuous use, your kids will be the envy of the neighborhood.
This ground drifter is powered by a 24V (two 12V) sealed lead acid, rechargeable battery system.
The frame is a strong, powder-coated steel for durability. The Razor Ground Force Drifter Fury is a stylish and fun toy for your active kids.
Good content, but it would be better if in future you can talk about more about this subject.
Loving the Crazy Cart. Out of my price range though.
What do you think about | 1,206 |
Shining Lights Awards handed out to West Suffolk Hospital staff
Russell Cook
Members of the radiotherapy room one team who won the Service Improvement Award
Caring staff and people who work at the West Suffolk Hospital, in Bury St Edmunds, have been honoured and celebrated at the annual Shining Lights awards.
Tracy Green who won the Employee of the Year Award
It included the dedication of a mortuary and bereavement services manager towards deceased families, a team which led the hospital towards becoming top in the UK for its treatment to patients treated for a hip fracture and a volunteer who came in on Christmas Day dressed as Father Christmas.
The ceremony was held in the hospital restaurant with 17 awards handed out following more than 250 nominations being received from hospital, community staff and the public.
They were given to individuals or teams who have shown particularly outstanding dedication and excellence in the care of their patients, or the initiative to drive through service improvements in the hospital or out in the community.
Among the awards presented at the ceremony, held last Thursday, were Employee of the Year, Clinical Team of the Year, Non-Clinical Team of the Year, Inspirational Leadership, Community Team of the Year and My WiSH Charity Champion and Volunteer of the Year.
Representatives of the Clinical Team of the Year Award for Excellence from the hip fracture team.
The Employee of the Year Award of Excellence went to Tracey Green, mortuary and bereavement services manager. Her colleagues described her care towards the deceased and their families as "second to none" and that she demonstrates completely how health services care for people from the beginning of their life to the very end.
The Clinical Team of the Year Award of Excellence went to the multi-disciplinary hip fracture team who led the West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust to becoming the top hospital in England, Wales and Northern Ireland for meeting best practice criteria for patients treated for a hip fracture as rated by The National Hip Fracture Database.
Mick Mellon received the Volunteer of the Year Award of excellence.
He volunteers on ward G8, the ward that predominantly treats patients who have had a stroke.
Mick Mellon, who won the Volunteer of the Year Award
Staff that Mick works alongside said he is "a great tonic for patients and staff" and that the contribution he makes is "invaluable."
He even came in to the hospital on Christmas Day dressed as Father Christmas to hand out presents and cards to patients on the ward.
Sheila Childerhouse, chair of West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, said: "I have been with the Trust for a relatively short period of time having joined only in January this year, however, I've already witnessed countless occasions where colleagues have gone above and beyond in their line of work.
"I think what really stands out from the event is that it's both the small things, as well as the big things, that should be celebrated in the NHS.
"Our hip fracture team's quality care has transformed the lives of many of their patients who have needed their services, something to be rightly proud of.
"One of our volunteers who<|fim_middle|>.
Lifetime Achievement: Sarah Gull.
Inspirational Leadership: Gylda Nunn.
Non-Clinical Team of the Year: Housekeeper team.
Clinical Team of the Year: Hip fracture team.
Community Team of the Year: Sudbury community team.
The David Dumbleton Porter of the Year: Jorge Costa.
Outstanding Contribution to Education: Helen Ballam.
Living Our Values: Dale Boustead.
Service Improvement: Radiology room one team.
Innovation Award: Dr Alex Brown.
Excellent Contribution in a Non-Clinical Area: Angela Price.
Outstanding Contribution to Quality of Care: Dr Andy McBride.
Rising Star: Liz Patrick.
Volunteer of the Year: Mick Mellon.
Patient Choice: Ros Burrows.
My WiSH Charity Champion: Tonie Armstrong.
West Suffolk Hospital | found a teddy bear to comfort a patient with dementia, went that extra mile with compassion and made the world of difference to that individual. It all counts, individuals, teams, small or large gestures, all add up to a Trust which really is outstanding."
The full list of award winners are:
Employee of The Year: Tracey Green | 68 |
Exile: From starving garage band to 'Kiss You All Over' rock stars, country innovators
Exile, known for songs including "Kiss You All Over" and "She's a Miracle," will play Franklin Theatre Friday.
Exile: From starving garage band to 'Kiss You All Over' rock stars, country innovators Exile, known for songs including "Kiss You All Over" and "She's a Miracle," will play Franklin Theatre Friday. Check out this story on jacksonsun.com: https://www.tennessean.com/story/entertainment/music/2019/02/13/exile-band-kiss-you-all-over-tour-franklin-tn/2801768002/
Cindy Watts, Nashville Tennessean Published 7:00 a.m. CT Feb. 13, 2019
Music City Sessions featuring Exile
Marlon Hargis joined Exile in 1973 — 10 years after the band's inception and five years before they hit it big. At most, his paycheck was $<|fim_middle|> $37-$47 by calling 615.538.2076
Read or Share this story: https://www.tennessean.com/story/entertainment/music/2019/02/13/exile-band-kiss-you-all-over-tour-franklin-tn/2801768002/
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Oct. 9, 2015, 4:42 p.m. | 75 a week — a pay cut of about $425 but he didn't care. Although band members were literal starving artists, Exile was the most talked about group in their area. When singer J.P. Pennington asked Hargis to come on as Exile's keyboard player, he didn't blink.
"I never thought twice about joining," he recalls. "It was the band in that part of the country."
Exile performs for the Fan Fair attendees in the CBS Records Show at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds June 13, 1985. (Photo: Kevin Grace / The Tennessean)
They weren't starving for much longer. In 1978, "Kiss You All Over" catapulted Exile from bar gigs in Lexington, Kentucky, to the national spotlight. They appeared on NBC's popular late-night music variety series "The Midnight Special" in California then jumped on tour with Aerosmith and Fleetwood Mac.
More than 55 years since the band's creation and 40 years since the release of "Kiss You All Over," Exile is celebrating the music that made them among America's longest running bands. Members Hargis, Pennington, Les Taylor (guitar/vocals), Sonny Lemaire (bass/vocals) and Steve Goetzman (drums) re-recorded the band's 11 No. 1 hits along with a few of its Top 10 songs to mark the milestone. Dubbed "Hits," the album includes "Woke Up in Love," "She's a Miracle," "Give Me One More Chance" and is available now. Exile will bring those hit songs and more to Franklin Theatre 8 p.m. Friday. Tickets start at $37.
"When we get on stage, we really enjoy playing together," Hargis said. "Usually from the first few bars of a soundcheck, it just clicks. There's something about the combination of the five of us that works. It really does make all the other b******t bearable."
The current line-up has played together off and on for 46 years. In the group's 55-plus year history, dozens of members have passed through the ranks. But the men in the band today are the same people who played on the bulk of Exile's hit songs. Lemaire and Goetzman were on all of them while Hargis, Pennington and Taylor each left the group and then rejoined in 2008 when Exile reconfigured its most hit-friendly line-up.
Exile isn't aware of any other crossover bands with a 55-year history, of which Lemaire said members are "very proud."
Before "Kiss You All Over," the band often recorded music in a converted garage and toured in a broken-down Winnebago. They wrote songs including "Take Me Down," "The Closer You Get" and "Heart and Soul" that were hits for other artists and recorded versions of them in the little studio. Hargis worked there so the band had access to it when it wasn't in use.
He said it was members' dedication to original music that kept them hungry for more than a decade. While other groups in the area were happy to play covers to gain club gigs, Exile was determined to forge a path with its own songs.
Country rockers Exile, with members Les Taylor, left, J.P. Pennington and Sonny Lemaire, is entertain a large crowd at Riverfront Park. (Photo: Robert Johnson / The Tennessean)
"Nightclubs wouldn't hire us because it wasn't what people wanted to hear," Hargis said. "The band made a conscious effort, instead of going for the money, thinking long term of the bigger picture. I think that's one thing that set us apart from other bands. We always thought of the bigger picture and we always thought we could do something on a worldwide level and we were willing to sacrifice for a long time."
One of the garage tapes found its way to songwriter/producer Nicky Chinn. Chinn co-wrote "Kiss You All Over" with Mike Chapman. The tape sparked the relationship that led Exile to the amorous multi-platinum selling hit.
Exile performs its hit "She's A Miracle" during the National Songwriter Awards show at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center on Jan. 13, 1986. (Photo: Kathleen Smith / The Tennessean)
In the years that followed, songs that Exile members wrote and recorded found success with other artists. When country group Alabama took "The Closer You Get" and "Take Me Down" to the top of the country radio charts, Exile members thought there might be interest in the country genre for more of their music.
In 1984, Exile scored its first country hit with "Woke Up in Love." "I Don't Want to Be a Memory," "Hang On to Your Heart," "She's a Miracle," "Super Love" and "She's Too Good to be True" followed.
Later this year, Exile plans to release a collection called "The Garage Tapes" that Hargis explained will be seldom-to-never heard recordings the group made – and thought they lost – in the converted garage studio. The tapes include variations of their popular songs in the writing and recording process as well as tunes that haven't been heard since the group was playing club gigs in the Bluegrass State decades ago.
"We were pretty amazed at how well they sounded," Hargis said. "What's kind of cool is that there are some early demo versions of hits. It shows the development of a song in the band, which is kind of unusual to have. It was a transitional period, and that's an interesting thing. It's not rock 'n' roll or country, it's in between."
Exile hopes to become a member of The Grand Ole Opry. (Photo: John Partipilo / The Tennessean)
Pennington said Exile never gives any thought to slowing down or speeding up its schedule. Hargis explained there's at least one thing that keeps them going: Exile wants to become members of the Grand Ole Opry.
While the men have played the show more than 100 times and their songs are in the bedrock of modern country music, membership into the esteemed Opry has been elusive.
"We did a lot of innovative things," Hargis explained. "We were the first group to play on our own records. We were one of the first really successful crossover groups. We'd like to be remembered as important. We want to be Opry members really badly. That's one thing that keeps us going, like, 'What the hell? Maybe it will happen this year.'"
Reach Cindy Watts at 615-664-2227, ciwatts@tennessean.com or on Twitter @CindyNWatts.
What: Exile
When: 8 p.m. Friday
Where: Franklin Theatre, 419 Main Street in Franklin
Tickets: | 1,488 |
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If you are trying to pick between a digital and an analog multimeter, then you may be confused about these goods are all about in the first location!
A multimeter, whichever option you go for, is utilized to assess the power of an item or appliance you are working with.
They are mainly used by men and women who work in the electric sector. Together with the work prognosis for electricians moving up by about 14 percent (to over 600,000 jobs in the USA independently) more people than ever are purchasing and using multimeters. Find out more about multimeters information and help you decide.
Although the fantastic majority of people nowadays use digital multimeters to acquire the maximum instant and precise readings, that does not indicate that analog multimeters are not common.
Digital multimeters are very popular because of this. Let us take a peek at a few of the most frequent reasons why folks select digital multimeters.
They frequently provide more accurate readings compared to analog multimeters.
The chance for misreading your dimension is diminished since the electronic display displays precise amounts.
They have an auto-polarity function. It follows that if you are linking a test circuit along with your meter, then you won't inadvertently pick the incorrect polarity. Again, this works to offer you a more precise reading. A Parallax error happens when you see the pointer of an analog multimeter from a different angle and then misinterpret the dimension. This is only because they do not have moving parts, such as the needle of an analog reader, so that can readily be altered in their proper location.
You aren't required to possess zero modification — yet another time-saver.
Digital multimeters are a lot less expensive than you may think. In reality, you will find many choices under $50.
Due to innovations like integrated circuits, electronic multimeters will not weigh you down. They also don't need as much electricity as you may anticipate.
The digital output can allow you to boost the selection of applications which are run by computers.
You'll be able to lock your dimension on the display of an electronic reader. As a result, that you don't need to stop every 2 seconds to write off your dimension.
Your electronic tool can often supply you with additional choices than an analog multimeter. As a consequence, that you won't need to purchase and change between multiple gears while still working.
Digital choices normally arrive with an auto-range attribute. It follows that, since you are able to decide on the ranges that you would like to operate inside, your meter will not get damaged as easily.
While electronic multimeters certainly offer you a lot of benefits, it is not all perfect. Continue reading to learn why an electronic alternative might not be the best match for you.
Despite all of the advantages listed above, you still might want to steer clear of electronic choices. Why? Have a peek at this list to learn.
The electronic screen can definitely wear out the battery life of the electronic choice. Additionally, since many electronic choices have auto-brightness attributes, the display can get dim fast. If you are working out, this may be a real pain to see. Additionally, even if your choice is plugged into an outside source of electricity, it may still be a severe drain on provides.
Though lots of choices are cheap, digital multimeters are still frequently more expensive than an analog multitool.
Errors can on occasion be listed, such as if transients or striking alterations happen.
The electronic meter can occasionally get overheated, particularly if it's in use outside for long intervals. Even if it works, you might see occasional mistakes in reading. To keep this from happening, let your plate cool for a couple of minutes every few hours.
If you are attempting to summit tunable answers or fix your tuning circuits, then an analog multimeter is probably the better choice. Exceeding it may mean badly damaging your instrument.
There's a word length limitation in an A/D Converter. From time to time, this may increase the chance of mistakes when reading your display.
Even though it may look like going electronic is your clear option, depending on the type of project you are handling, analog could be the better alternative for you.
If you are coping with studying varying signs, and require a range, analog would be the thing to do. Digital options frequently provide you with an ordinary, which might throw off you.
You do not need a power supply to use an optical speaker! If you are going to be operating on longer jobs, this is particularly valuable. That is almost always a fantastic thing!
They won't get overheated, meaning that they are a better choice for outside jobs, particularly when you're operating in warmer climates or days of the year.
When you have inadvertently hooked your analog reader into the incorrect polarity, or when your voltage reading is obviously off, then you don' need to rely on a display to inform you. The needle will peg by itself, alerting you that you have probably made a mistake. and max.
They are perfect for jobs where you truly don't have a demand for over three settlement digits. If you do not require complete allowable dimensions, there is no reason to pay more to receive them.
They are Ideal for a fast Diode Test or fundamental problem-solving. If precision is not the most vital thing right now, they are a fantastic alternative.
They endure for quite a while! In reality, go in any forum and you will probably see people proudly displaying pictures of the analog multimeters from years back!
However, like its electronic counterpart, an analog multimeter is going to have a few advantages. Let us take a peek at a few of the most frequent one's today.
It is a lot simpler to harm an analog tool since the needle is indeed brittle. If you fall it after, it is very likely that you have thrown off the precision of this needle, and ought to buy a new instrument.
They cause you to do a whole lot more mental mathematics! As you might need to do some conversions by yourself, it can be simple to make careless mistakes which may throw away the dimensions for the remainder of your undertaking.
Due to this succinct, plain-English manual on both chief varieties of multimeters on the market, you are all set to generate an educated choice about what sort of instrument is the best alternative for you.
When there are benefits and disadvantages to both analog and digital multimeters, finally the version you proceed with depends upon what attributes and readings will be the most crucial to the job you've got available.
Should you want more help deciding which kind of multimeter to purchase, we welcome you to have a look at our site.
Not only do we show you where you can purchase a few of the very common multitool versions in the marketplace nowadays, but we also provide you with reviews of those products!
This way, you understand you're going to be receiving the best instrument for the particular job you are working on. Forget about running back into the shop and waiting in line for an hour just so that you may return an item which didn't get the job done.
Your eyes can not show you exactly what's happening within a circuit, however, a meter may.
You will also discover a red-coded socket, tagged with the letter V and an ohm symbol to inform you it measures resistance and voltage. When it's also tagged mA, it is going to quantify current in milliamps (mA) — however, a distinct socket might have that objective. Still another socket is put aside for large currents as much as 10 or 20 amps.
Connect your red probe into the proper socket and turn the selector dial into the components which you wish to measure before you reach the probes anywhere.
Twist the black probe to the side of this electricity source, touch with the red probe into some other place in a circuit, and you're going to track the voltage (electrical pressure) between these. In case you've got an auto-ranging meter, then it requires a minute to react. A manual meter is quicker, but you need to flip the dial to define the upper limit of this voltage range.
Assessing voltage is the most elementary approach to purge a circuit — you may search for bad relations, burned-out parts, or even a dead battery.
Present includes a stream of electrons. Pass it through the tube carefully, as a lot of current will blow off the internal fuse. When seeking to measure present, not attach the meter right to a power supply (as seen previously). Take a look for more multimeters review to help you decide on what to buy.
To assess the resistance of a part, disconnect it in a circuit. The value in ohms informs you how ardently apart will withstand present.
Several have an AC-DC button, however, a few have AC choices on the selection dial.
Costlier meters will probably be precise, will perform auto-ranging, will have a replaceable internal fuse, and also their change contacts will last longer. They'll also have additional features, like measuring the worth of a capacitor or the frequency of a flow of pulses in the microcontroller. They will also conduct continuity testing, emitting a beep when cables are correctly connected or a change is closed.
You would not believe that something as straightforward as knitting could really have many health benefits, but it will. In my view, doing something that focuses your attention on the present moment and gets you participated in some kind of enjoyable task will do wonders for your physical and mental well-being. Such activities operate in a similar manner as meditation, that has been demonstrated to boost gray matter in the brain and elicit the "relaxation response," that subsequently was proven to have an extremely positive effect on gastrointestinal ailments.
By way of instance, this is exactly what a dad of a prematurely born kid said about his encounter with knitting during his infant's five weeks at the intensive care unit.
Carrie Barron, a psychologist in the Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons, also worries that artwork, art, and 'handiwork' are terrific tools for relieving depression and anxiety.
After knitting, just 1 percentage stayed depressed, and 81 percent described their feelings as 'a tiny joyful' to 'really pleased.
Should you experience anxiety, anxiety, or depression, go do something you like, find some principles, or do something else which will concentrate your mind about the gift instead of on things that happened before or matters which may (or might not) happen in the foreseeable future. Knitting information got us here.
A 2007 newspaper looked in the neurological basis for how hobbies and activities such as knitting link to well-being and wellness. Since the Washington Post reports they discovered that engaging in such activities stimulates the brain, slows cognitive decline, also reduces the ramifications of thyroid diseases.
There are not any studies or mathematically significant proofs for this particular stage, however, as I hinted at earlier in the guide, the fantastic thing about performing tasks that we like is they put us straight in the current instant. All of a sudden, your ideas vanish, your mind quiets down, and you're just focused on what you're doing in that instant. That is the reason I believe so many men and women report that knitting and related actions help with their tension and anxiety.
I think whatever puts you at the present moment may have exactly the very same outcomes. Sports are a terrific example, or essentially anything else that supplies you with some kind of pleasure or stimulation. The ability of existence is really remarkable.
With the speed of smartphone development moving so quickly, there is always something waiting in the wings. No sooner have you ever spied the newest handset, then there is the anticipation of something else, the upcoming big thing.
We have rounded up the best smartphones for 2017, people we believe are the best across all platforms, and we have consistently updated that record as the smartphone universe has developed.
Here we are looking at these telephones which have not yet found, the best forthcoming phones for 2017 and 2018. We'll be updating this list on a regular basis, together with these apparatus rumors we believe are exciting and credible, and apparatus just announced but yet to hit the shelves.
That is correct, Nokia's next smartphone is thought to be known as the Nokia 9 and it is thought to be more superior compared to recently-announced Nokia 8. That might observe the screen adopt curved borders with an 18:9 facet, see the debut of waterproofing and maintain that metallic body.
Nokia is also certain to maintain the Zeiss venture going and it is going to likely offer you the bothie function of this Nokia 8 – though we suspect that this newer flagship are also about superior functionality. Rumours suggested that the Nokia 9 would surface in 2017, but with all the month running off, it is doubtful whether it'll be established this year.
Smartphone giants never sleep and it was not long after the initiation of the Galaxy S8 and S8+ (pictured) that we began to hear about Samsung's potential programs. The Samsung Galaxy S9 is considered to be coming in 2 dimensions once more and sticking together with the Infinity Screen. Having seen the introduction of Samsung's double camera in the Note 8, we are also hoping to find such zoom skills coming into the S9 too.
Rumours are a small light on the floor, but there is already chatter that it'll be operating Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 and we would be hoping to see it launching approximately April 2018.
Sony churns telephones more frequently that you go for sushi. Having declared the Xperia XZ1, XZ1 Compact and XA1, fresh afterward emerged indicating that Sony would like to alter its own smartphone layout. That is big news, since we have basically had the exact same OmniBalance layout in Sony Xperia mobiles because of the Xperia Z.
There is no word about what we could see or if we may see it, but it is safe to imply that MWC 2018 are a probable place, though Sony has also used CES to establish apparatus previously. In any event, expect to see something ancient in 2018.
The Note 8 has barely gone on the market, but Samsung is currently speaking about the Note 9. In a meeting, the development group affirmed that they had moved directly into preparation for another Note version, such as focusing on improving notable features, such as the S Pen.
So there are no company details right now, but we would expect Samsung to be unveiling the Galaxy Notice 9 in late August 2018, using much more enhanced S Pen attributes.
HTC has included the HTC U11+ into its 2018 line-up, changing into an 18:9 screen and fostering lots of regions of the telephone. It comes at an odd time and seems just like the base of the 2018 flagship. We would not be surprised to observe that a similar apparatus on new hardware using a few additional attributes launching in April 2018.
Rumours are mild on the floor in the moment (such as the title), however, HTC has come forward and stated that it's going to be making a return to double cameras from 2018. HTC was the first to place two cameras to the rear part of its cell phone from the HTC One M8, and we all can not help feeling that this is really a bid to compete on the spec sheet together with competitions such as LG and Huawei.
The iPhone X is now a party of 10-years of iPhone. Additionally, it is super-premium and grand. However, Apple has verified that this phone sets the bases for the subsequent 10 decades of this iPhone and we guess that the 2018 iPhone upgrade will require a whole lot in the iPhone X.
There is currently no understanding what Apple will phone the new iPhone, but we guess it'll move from stainless steel straight back to aluminum to bring the cost down, while still keeping that 19:9 screen and utilizing Face ID instead of Touch ID at a house button. We would expect Apple to offer you a few sizes in this design, which makes some distinction between the two since it does with all the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus now. Right now, however, there isn't any evidence to say exactly what could happen.
We can anticipate the iPhone 9 to start in October 2018.
Thanks for Reading, for more interesting news, check out this article on tech and gadgets.
With all these alternatives, it can be hard deciding on which kind of humidifier to purchase.
Some are conventional humidifiers and many others are outfitted with the latest modern technology.
Before buying your humidifier you need to consider which variables will be important for you when using the appliance.
Are you currently more so worried about upgrading, efficacy or child security? When you narrow down your listing of everything you're on the market for, then you can know what sort of humidifiers to look for.
While both hot and cool moisture humidifiers are intended to purify air and raise humidity levels, they function quite differently.
You ought to have the ability to select which humidifier is appropriate for you by employing your listing of variables. Let us take a peek at a few of the benefits and pitfalls of hot mist and cool mist humidifiers.
Warm mist humidifiers are designed to make a warm moisture out of heated water.
Since this sort of humidifier works with warm water rather than cold, it may fight off any bacteria or mould which may begin to grow or grow in areas of the humidifier.
This really is only one reason why the hot mist humidifier is thought to be among the healthiest humidifiers on the market.
Warm mist humidifiers will accumulate any minerals which are left from the heated water.
Warm humidifiers may also function without needing to replace the filters.
Vaporizers can have a tendency to be healthy since they can create steam with more minerals compared to other humidifiers. This kind of humidifier is ideal to use throughout the winter.
Cool mist humidifiers are ordered to disperse a trendy spray/mist to the atmosphere.
This mist is generally released at room temperature and will raise the humidity level on your property.
The two humidifiers produce exactly the very same outcomes but operate very differently compared to the other.
For instance, an evaporative humidifier raises humidity using its enthusiast and wick filter.
Minerals which are accumulated and published in ultrasonic humidifiers may become "white dust", which may finally float on your furniture.
White dust isn't a threat to your health and may be avoided by using distilled water.
Ultrasonic humidifiers will also be available with hot mist attributes.
Cool mist humidifiers are an ideal alternative for humidifying massive areas in your house or building.
Okay to use in houses with kids, much less poisonous as warm mist humidifiers.
While cool mist humidifiers are more susceptible to growing mould and germs, both may create fungi and needs to be washed regularly.
When using cool mist humidifiers that call for a fan for example evaporative humidifiers, then you need to replace its own filter frequently.
Both cool and warm mist humidifiers need regular cleaning maintenance.
This kind of humidifier is generally simpler than cool mist humidifiers since it doesn't come equipped with a buff.
Can marginally warm up a space if it's chilly.
Warm mist humidifiers have a tendency to use more power due to its warmth.
Not suggested for use in houses with kids. This is principally because the water from the humidifier can access into a brewed hot temperatures and may be a severe hazard for kids.
Notice: When a hot mist humidifier is employed in a house with kids | 4,096 |
https://www.chron.com/news/article/Outstanding-Houston-area-nurses-honored-at-annual-13822496.php
Outstanding Houston-area nurses honored at annual Salute to Nurses luncheon
By Emilia Benton, Correspondent
Updated 11:57 am CDT, Monday, May 6, 2019
Nurse winners in the crowd were asked to stand and be acknowledged for their service.
Once again, the Houston Chronicle's annual Salute to Nurses Top 10 nurse award nominations poured in from all across the greater Houston area, with nominations coming in from medical professionals from the Texas Medical Center, specialty clinics, community health care centers and suburban hospitals, as well as from numerous schools and facilities in the region. This event is traditionally held during National Nurses Week, which is May 6-12, to mark the birthday of "nursing founder" Florence Nightingale.
The luncheon was Thursday, May 2, at the Omni Hotel, 4 Riverway, and was presented by<|fim_middle|>: San Jacinto College
Top 15 Nurses: UHCON
Dessert: CHI St. Luke's Health | the Houston Chronicle. The Top 15 Nurses received an award and a $250 gift card, and three nursing students received a $1,000 scholarship at the luncheon.
The Chronicle's program works to collaborate with area hospitals, clinics, schools and patients who are eager to recognize the most dedicated nurses in Houston's expanding health care community. The top 150 nurses were selected by a panel of educators and leaders in the field, and the top 10 received special recognition as guests at the awards luncheon.
"Every day, Nurses respond to a calling to not only help heal the body, but also the heart, mind and soul while offering hope to their patients," said Cindy Mitchell, director of advertising sales at the Houston Chronicle. "This year, The Houston Chronicle is proud to partner with major hospitals, schools and other health care providers to recognize these dedicated individuals who have chosen to serve others through their careers."
For additional information about the annual event, visit online at https://www.chron.com/jobs/salute-to-nurses/.
Gold: UT Physicians
Presenting: Houston Methodist
Diamond: Harris Health
Gift Bag: Texas Children's Hospital
Silver: MD Anderson Cancer Center
Education | 249 |
Stimulating debate: ethics in a multidisciplinary functional neurosurgery committee
Paul J Ford1,
Cynthia S Kubu2
1Department of Bioethics, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation; CCF Lerner College of Medicine of CWRU
2Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, USA
Correspondence to:
Paul J Ford
PhD, Department of Bioethics/JJ60, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, 9500 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA; fordp{at}ccf.org
Multidisciplinary healthcare committees meet regularly to discuss patients' candidacy for emerging functional neurosurgical procedures, such as Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS). Through debate and discussion around the surgical candidacy of particular patients, functional neurosurgery programs begin to mold practice and policy supported both by scientific evidence and clear value choices. These neurosurgical decisions have special considerations not found in non-neurologic committees. The professional time used to resolve these conflicts provides opportunities for the emergence of careful, ethical practices simultaneous with the expansion of therapy applications
DBS, Deep<|fim_middle|>018
Effects of deep brain stimulation of dorsal versus ventral subthalamic nucleus regions on gait and balance in Parkinson 's disease
M E McNeely et al., Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, 2011
Deep brain stimulation: a return journey from psychiatry to neurology
Keyoumars Ashkan et al., Postgraduate Medical Journal, 2013 | Brian Simulation
http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/jme.200X.013151
Increasingly, multidisciplinary committees review the candidacy of complex patients under evaluation for functional neurosurgical procedures. As with other types of multidisciplinary health care committees, such as transplant selection committees,1 considerable debate arises concerning the appropriate application of emerging treatment modalities. Through debate and discussion about the surgical candidacy of particular patients, a functional neurosurgery committee begins to mold practice and policy supported both by scientific evidence and value choices. We describe a number of ethical questions faced by functional neurosurgery committees in determining the appropriateness of surgical intervention for specific patient groups. These interactive team meetings often result in guidelines for patient care, while leaving open the possibility of special accommodations for unusual cases. We largely limit our discussion to clinical decision-making regarding candidacy for Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) for the treatment of Parkinson's disease in order to more fully highlight the specific ethical challenges inherent in this emerging technology and to discuss the values that can be made explicit through dialogue in such committees. Although practices vary between institutions, it is important for similar functional neurosurgery patient management committees to recognise the basic value considerations in these deliberations. Further, these committees have special considerations not found in non-neurologic committees that go beyond inter-disciplinary conflicts. Functional neurosurgery has the potential to alter essential features of a patient's personhood, including mood, personality, and cognitive abilities. The professional time used to resolve conflicts in these committees provides the opportunity for the emergence of careful practice guidelines informed by both science and values, while therapy applications for functional neurosurgery, such as DBS, expand.
The emergence of multi-disciplinary patient management teams for neurosurgical procedures such as Gamma Knife Surgery, Resective Epilepsy Surgery, and DBS arise from the need for cross-disciplinary expertise to establish good practices and to confer regarding complex cases.2–4 Much of the need for these committees arises from the relatively limited understanding of the potential impact of the proposed neurosurgical procedure on the brain, including the neural underpinnings of mood, personality, and cognitive abilities. In addition, functional neurosurgical patients frequently present unique challenges regarding peri-operative and post-operative management. For instance, many functional neurosurgeons prefer to have the patient awake during specific procedures—for example, DBS placement and epilepsy resections near eloquent cortex. The patient's cooperation during surgery allows the surgeon to complete functional mapping studies such that the surgery is individually tailored to provide maximum benefit with minimal side-effects. Awake neurosurgical procedures can present unique challenges to the surgical team as patients with psychiatric disorders, such as anxiety, and/or cognitive deficits might have significant difficulties complying with the demands of surgery and may even revoke consent intra-operatively. Functional neurosurgical patients can also provide unique management challenges following surgery. Unlike resective surgery for intractable epilepsy that is potentially curative, DBS for Parkinson's disease is palliative and aimed at improving the patient's quality of life and reducing motor symptoms. Appropriately titrating stimulation settings and medications in patients with ongoing neurodegenerative disorders with potentially significant neuropsychiatric symptoms can be challenging and require a committed multidisciplinary team. We contend that this commitment to the long-term care of patients must be made explicit prior to offering surgery.
These elements feed into the uncertainties inherent in and reliance on professional judgements, including value judgements, in discerning good courses of therapy. As noted above, the issues confronting functional neurosurgical committees differ from those facing other surgical multi-disciplinary team conferences in that they must consider potential cognitive, personality, and psychiatric risks that may not be reversible. Unlike neurology or psychiatry, neurosurgical practice can result in non-reversible destructive brain procedures and/or the implantation of brain devices in which the precise neurophysiological mechanisms are not fully understood.5 Further, the history of abuses in the application of neurosurgical procedures, such as frontal lobotomy, and the common fear of mind control provide a backdrop of anxiety.6–8 An additional concern, unique to functional neurosurgery teams, is the reliance on neuroimaging technologies in guiding clinical decision-making. The thorny ethical issues inherent in the interpretation of neuroimaging have been well identified by others and will not be explicitly addressed here.2,9,10 As noted above, the range of ethical challenges in functional neurosurgery extend much beyond concerns about imaging.5
Although this list of complexities and concerns may appear daunting, there are many patients who undergo surgery with little need for special consideration because they fall well within the accepted practices. The decision to proceed in these cases relies on good patient-doctor communication about risks and benefits and established practices. The neurosurgical multidisciplinary committee serves its most important function when some element of the patient's situation deviates significantly from established guidelines making the patient's candidacy uncertain. When this occurs, all of the before mentioned complexities and considerations are open for discussion and debate from the varieties of professional and personal perspectives serving on the committee.
DBS COMMITTEE AND PATIENT CANDIDACY
Before discussing the ethical challenges further, it is important to understand the context of a functional neurosurgical committee. This necessitates a brief discussion of the therapy, indications, and committee composition. DBS refers to the placement of electrodes in brain structures deep within the brain. Most often the electrodes are placed in specific nuclei of the basal ganglia or thalamus. The electrodes are connected by wires, tunneled beneath the skin, to an electrical generator that is implanted in the chest or abdomen, much like a generator for a heart pacemaker or defibulator. The known complications related to the implantation of the leads include hemorrhage, stroke, and infection. The rate of significant complications is relatively low, but for those few patients unfortunate enough to have complications, the sequelae can be significant.11,12
DBS has been approved for treatment of idiopathic Parkinsonism and essential tremor. It is also used for dystonia and chronic pain. The technology is being studied, or being considered for study, in a number of non-movement disorder diseases such as depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, Tourette's disorder, epilepsy, minimally conscious states, chemical addiction, and even weight loss. Even among the class of movement disorders for which the therapy has become an accepted intervention, there continues to be uncertainties surrounding the mechanism of action, cognitive risks, neuroprotective properties, and long-term outcomes. Contraindications for surgery vary, but usually include significant dementia or psychiatric illness.
DBS patient management committees uniformly include neurologists, neurosurgeons, and advanced care nurses/physician assistants. Many programs also include a neuropsychologist or psychiatrist in the evaluation process and in committee deliberations. Occasionally, a bioethicist may be consulted or actually be a full member of the committee. In the case of our institution's DBS patient management committee, a neuropsychologist and bioethicist regularly attend the meetings as committee members.
At our institution, the committee discusses surgical candidacy and concerns regarding postoperative management of patients with movement disorders. The meetings provide opportunities to have focused discussions about which therapies should be offered to particular patients and the boundaries of good practice. Generally, a patient's movement disorder neurologist is the first to present the patient's information. The presenting neurologist raises concerns and gives an opinion about the patient's surgical candidacy. This is followed by the neurosurgeon's comments and further group discussion. Finally, the neuropsychologist presents the patient's results and her opinion regarding the patient's candidacy for surgery. All patients complete a pre-operative neuropsychological assessment that includes evaluation of the patient's current cognitive abilities, psychiatric status, goals for surgery, and level of family support. The other members of the committee comment during these presentations when appropriate. Since the bioethicist on the committee only rarely meets the patients, there is seldom a formal ethics report. The discussion ends with either a final decision regarding surgery or a proposal that further evaluations should be undertaken and/or conditions (see section below, "Healthcare team considerations") be met before a surgical decision can be made. A committee member is designated to contact the patient about the team's decision and recommendations. The team seeks consensus decisions with participation from a variety of viewpoints. Although all committee members have the opportunity to voice concerns, there are various roles and levels of responsibility. Clearly, if the surgeon believes that the surgery should not be done, the committee cannot (and should not) compel her/him to perform the operation. However, the situation becomes more interesting when there is a lack of consensus among the committee and the surgeon believes the surgery is ethically permissible. In these cases, the surgeon and movement disorder neurologists have the strongest voices. However, even in the case of an overwhelming majority decisions, reasonable attempts are made to address the concerns of the minority through additional safeguards. This strong push to find consensus and to alleviate concerns in cases where consensus cannot be reached finds its roots in the physicians' belief in the committee process. They hold themselves accountable to the group as colleagues striving for good patient care decisions. Though the committee does not wield a legally binding power on the procedure, it does have a strong professional force to encourage careful reflection. The final decision regarding whether or not to proceed with surgery must rest with the surgeon, as the surgeon is the team member who is primarily responsible for the patient's care during surgery.
PATIENT AND FAMILY/CAREGIVER CONCERNS
During the committee meeting, considerable discussion occurs regarding the patient and the patient's support structure, both social and caretaker. One of the sticking points about surgery is the potential to fundamentally altering the way in which a patient understands the world. It can be argued that end stage Parkinson's disease patients have already undergone a change in their self-identities due to the significant unpredictability in their motor symptoms that profoundly alters both their ability to interact with the world around them and their reliance on others for basic care. Despite these presumed changes, DBS has the potential to alter the brain itself that results in a more fundamental change in the self and being. These changes may include risks to memory, executive function, language, or personality variables. In difficult cases, in which there are concerns that patients might be more vulnerable to neurocognitive or neuropsychiatric risks, patients may be asked to weigh the high probability of an improvement in physical movement—for example, increased control over one's body and interaction with the environment—in light of potentially significant risks to cognition. Many patients indicate that they would risk anything in order to improve physical function. The physical symptoms may be so incapacitating and prominent that the patient is unable to fully appreciate the potential cognitive and neuropsychiatric ramifications of the decision. The presence of cognitive deficits, including limited insight, can further complicate this decision-making process further. In such situations, it is essential that patients receive guidance in avoiding unacceptable risks through assistance from the health care team as part if it's fiduciary responsibility and from those who are relationally close, such as family members.
It is also important to recognise that families and caregivers have a great deal at stake personally in these types of surgeries. The surgery may not only give the patient greater freedom to act volitionally in her world, but also relieve caregivers from assisting the patient with basic personal care tasks throughout the day. Some family members specifically mention reduced caregiver burden among their goals for the patient's surgery. This goal might skew the caregiver's advice toward influencing the patient to take more risks for the caregiver's benefit.13 Conversely, if the surgery holds a risk of exacerbating executive dysfunction or if the family member enjoys the caregiver role, a spouse may have significant interest in dissuading the patient from undergoing the surgery because of the harm it could do to the family and/or the caregiver's identity. These various interests in the patient's life should be carefully considered.
HEALTHCARE TEAM CONSIDERATIONS
The fundamental challenge to team members during the patient management meeting is whether the implantation of the DBS electrode(s) will likely result in greater disability than that evident prior to surgery. This is particularly relevant in the borderline cases in which there are significant concerns regarding pre-operative cognitive function or neuropsychiatric status but the concerns are not sufficiently severe to be absolute contraindications to surgery. Although the committee embraces a model of patient centered care with shared decision making, there are also clear limits regarding the types of risks/harms at which the team is willing to place the patient. Patients cannot demand to receive a therapy from a physician if the physician believes the risks and benefits do not balance. Finding this boundary can be very difficult in patients with late stage disease who have exhausted all other treatment modalities and are desperate for a final therapeutic attempt.
These clinical decisions are very challenging as there are clear data supporting the efficacy of DBS in improving motor disability.11 Unfortunately, there are limited outcome data describing cognitive and neuropsychiatric effects in borderline patients who go on to surgery. Consequently, the literature provides no conclusive data that these patients will inevitably have greater neuropsychiatric difficulties following surgery.
Often in borderline cases, the team stipulates a series of interventions including psychiatric care, further evaluations, and very close monitoring in order to protect the patient and avoid unnecessary future health risks. These requirements raise a number of thorny questions about shifts in relationships and obligations. If the patient and family members comply with the team's request, is the team then obligated to provide surgery? How much can be asked of a patient in participating in this decision-making process in order to allay the healthcare team's concerns regarding the patient's surgical candidacy? One could compare this to the requirement in Liver Transplantation of enrollment in a drug rehabilitation program prior to being listed.
The implantation of a DBS electrode and stimulator is only a first step in the effective application of DBS. Since the stimulators need to be programmed in order to optimize the settings initially and throughout the patient's life, the surgery commits the team to the patient's long-term care. During stimulation, current may spread to non-motor circuits in the brain and potentially influence cognitive or psychiatric behaviours. This presents challenges since some effects of a particular stimulator setting may be identified as problematic by the neurologist and family, but viewed as a benefit to the patient. For example, some patients may have longstanding problems with impulsivity that predated surgery. The impulsivity might be exacerbated following surgery. Whether this is due to disease progression, surgery, stimulation or medication effects is unknown. DBS surgery may successfully improve the patient's motor status such that the patient is much more mobile, but unfortunately the combination of impulsivity and greater mobility results in increased risk for falls and injuries. This highlights the continued challenges through the course of a patient's life with respect to the stimulator. What is the team's obligation to the patient and family members when the stimulator may be causing social harm? Is it ethical to reduce the motor benefits by reducing the stimulation in order to protect the patient or patient's relatives from future injury? Finally, the device is not self-sustaining and, at the current time, the batteries are not rechargeable. Consequently, future surgeries to replace worn out generators are required. This necessitates guidelines for potentially refusing to replace the generator because of harmful patient behaviour.
As an increasing number of centres begin to offer DBS to patients, other ethical challenges arise. Best practices and expansion of a technology in non-specialised settings and the commitment of centres to patients must be addressed. Given the expertise required to program and manage these patients, it is not appropriate to assume that local community physicians can, or should, manage their care. Furthermore, many local physicians are uneasy assuming care of patients with implantable brain devices and insist that the patients be followed for most of their health care needs by the surgery team. If a patient does not have the means for adequate follow-up, a surgical centre could put the patient at surgical risks for little or no benefit.
Another major ethical challenge for health care workers caring for functional neurosurgery patients is the importance of balancing their roles as health care providers versus researchers. Functional neurosurgery patients offer unique opportunities to better understand the brain. Ethical conflicts can arise between health care providers' desire to further explore the limits of a technology and better understand how the brain functions all the while ensuring patient safety. Innovative patient care and technologies inherently involve risk as outcome data are not always available. The lines between innovative clinical care and research can be easily blurred. For some health care providers it might be difficult to be cognizant of their own intellectual interests and values and how they might influence clinical decision-making. Again the multi-disciplinary committee functions to help the entire team remain focused on patient care and distinguish between research and care issues.
In order to bring these elements together, it is useful to give a generic example of the type of patient who might engender considerable discussion at such a committee meeting. The following case example represents an amalgamation of different patients and is not specific to any one patient. The patient is a 65 year old, man with a 15 year history of Parkinson's disease characterised by bilateral tremor (right sided worse than left), stiffness, gait problems, and medication-induced dyskinesias. His symptoms were well controlled with medication for several years; however, more recently his symptoms have increased and he is experiencing wearing off of medication benefit every two hours. The neuropsychological assessment reveals a poor memory and other cognitive deficits suggestive of mild dementia. In addition, marked impulse control problems are apparent. There is a remote history of depression that remitted following Electro-Convulsive Therapy. More recently, the patient has experienced a recurrence of depression that he attributes to his increased motor disability. His ex-wife accompanies him to his appointments and indicates that he has occasional panic attacks. The patient has adult children, all of who live out of state. His ex-wife is his only support locally, and she lives an hour away from him.
In this case, the committee might be concerned that the patient's quality of life would decrease significantly if his cognition were further harmed. There are also concerns regarding poor impulse control and potentially poor judgment. These cognitive limitations might result in the patient participating in unsafe activities. These concerns are heightened given the limited social support. He does not have family available to help during the post-operative recovery period and to monitor his behaviour to help ensure safety. He may be at risk of falling during months where there is an attempt to optimise stimulator settings. In this case, the question arises as to whether the team should risk what quality of life the patient currently has, for a potential improvement in quality of life he might obtain from the DBS. This more paternal response to protecting the patient from undue risk hinges partially on the fact that the patient has some cognitive dysfunction and may not be in a good position to carefully balance risks and benefits. This process is understood as a collaborative decision making between patient and team, but with significant limits. Given that DBS is an elective surgical procedure and not an emergency or life saving procedure, the team has a responsibility to ensure that the proper social, psychological, psychiatric supports are in place before proceeding. The DBS team's primary value is to avoid undue risk/burden on the patient while allowing patients access to surgery for those patients who might benefit significantly.
CONCLUSION/SUMMARY
The previous discussion has highlighted many of the ethical dilemmas facing DBS multidisciplinary teams on a regular basis. As more patients undergo this procedure and we continue to learn more about the technology and outcome following surgery, patient eligibility criteria, and guidelines regarding clinical decision-making develop. Clinical decision-making is inherently an evolving process as more and more information is available to help guide clinical decision making. The role of health care providers as clinician researchers, whose practice is informed by the current literature, is well recognised in health care settings. What is less well emphasised is the role that values play in clinical decision making and the importance of multi-disciplinary committees in uncovering these values in particularly complex cases. Explicit recognition that all clinical decisions are made within a value-laden framework improve decision-making guidelines for borderline cases. Over time, the various members of a team can develop a cohesive set of values that help define patient care standards. Inclusion of a bioethicist in these team meetings helps focus the discussion in a bioethical framework and can assist in identifying and prioritising the values that are important to the team. Given the chequered history of psychosurgery and the significant follow-up needed for patients with stimulators, an ongoing multidisciplinary conversation around patient selection and care provides an important avenue for establishing good practice.
We would like to thank the Cleveland Clinic Center for Neurological Restoration for their continued support. In particular the support of the co-directors, Ali Rezai, MD and Jerold Vitek, MD PhD has been important to our work.
Wright L, Ross K. Daar AS. The Roles of a Bioethicist on an Organ Transplantation Service. Amer J Trans2005;5:821–6.
Simon CM. Images and Image: technology and the social politics of revealing disorder in a North American hospital. Med Anthropol Q1999;13:141–62.
Ogden-Epker M, Cullum CM. Quantitative and qualitative interpretations of neuropsychological data in the assessment of temporal lobectomy candidates. Clin Neuropsychol2001;15:183–95.
Sanghera MK, Desaloms JM, Stewart RM. High-frequency stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus for the treatment of Parkinson's disease—a team perspective. J Neurosci Nurs2004;36:301–11.
Ford PJ, Henderson J. Neuroethics in the operating room: functional neurosurgical interventions. In: Illes J, ed. Neuroethics in the 21st century: defining the issues in theory, practice and policy. New York: Oxford University Press, 2005, :213–28.
Cosgrove GR. Deep brain stimulation and psychosurgery. J Neurosurg2004;101:574–75.
Fins JJ. From psychosurgery to neuromodulation and palliation: history's lessons for the ethical conduct and regulation of neuropsychiatric research. Neurosurg Clin N Am2003;14:303–19.
Pressman JD. Last Resort: Psychosurgery and the Limits of Medicine. New York: NY, Cambridge University Press 1998.
Illes J, Racine E. Imaging or imagining? A neuroethics challenge informed by genetics. Am J Bioeth2005;5:5–18.
Ford PJ, Kubu CS. Caution in leaping from neuroimaging to neuromodulation. Am J Bioeth2005;5:23.
Krack P, Batir A, Blercom NV, et al. Five-year follow-up of bilateral stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus in advanced Parkinson's disease. N Engl J Med2003;349:1925–34.
Umemura A, Jaggi JL, Hurtig HI, et al. Deep brain stimulation for movement disorders: morbidity and mortality in 109 patients. J Neurosurg2003;98:779–84.
Neil-Dwyer G, Dorthey L, Garfield J. The Realities of Postoperative Disability and the Carer's Burden. Ann R Coll Surg Engl2001;83:2145–48.
Competing interests: none declared
Copyright 2006 by the Journal of Medical Ethics
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Alappuzha also known as Alleppey is the Venice of the East and rightly so. Swaying palms, silver beaches, charming lagoons and canals make it a charming sight. Not surprisingly, it is one of Kerala's most popular tourist destination and attracts a steady inflow of tourists all around the year.
Alappuzha has a fascinating history. According to legend, coastal areas in and around Alappuzha used to be under water. In time, silt and sand came together to form it. In the ancient times, Alappuzha was under the reign of the powerful Chera rulers. It was an important centre of religion and culture in the 9th to 12th century A.D.
It was around this time that the Portuguese settlers arrived. They built a lot of magnificent churches in Alappuzha. Trade and commerce flourished. In fact, even in those days, Alappuzha traded with Arabs in coir products - coirn yarn and fibre as well as pepper.
Today, Alappuzha is a leading exporter of coconut oil, arecanut, cardamom, sugar and pepper. Probably the only thing that can match its exports is its picturesque beach. Fringed by imposing buildings, remnants of the colonial past with a 140 year old pier that extends into the sea, it is a rare sight indeed. Alappuzha has two parks with boating facility available in both. Make it a point to cruise along the backwaters. It's a great way to get a first hand glimpse of Alappuzha's riverside life!
Of course, no mention of Alappuzha is complete without its famous boat races. During the monsoon months of August and September, the<|fim_middle|> dusk when lights turn the palace into a work of art.
Here you can witness the 11th century statue of the Buddha. It is the source of many historical legends. Just two miles east of Alleppy, a visit to this site is worth a quick stop, as the atmosphere is positively magical. | backwaters come alive to witness the human marvel - the snake boat races. Thousands of spectators gather along the banks to cheer the teams on. The boat crews practice for months before the event, a fact that is evident in their smooth, well co-ordinated moves. Do try and catch this glorious event!
The highlight of this magnificent temple is its massive oil lamp made from granite. This lamp can hold up to 1,000 wicks. When they are lit together, it truly creates an unforgettable sight. The best time to visit the temple is February and March when a special festival is held for the Bhadrakali deity who is known with her miraculous healing powers.
Located in the Ambukuthis hills, these caves were formed by a massive split in the side of a cliff. The two natural rock formations that resulted are a repository of well-preserved pictographs dating back to ancient times. These caves are considered to be among the finest in the world. You have to hike about half a mile along a trail to reach them.
The Travencore Kings lived in this spectacular palace dating from the 1800s. It has crystal chandeliers and ornate furniture that take you back to these regal times. It has a red brick exterior and has gables and pagoda shape. The palace comes alive at | 271 |
Customers are the greatest asset to your business, which means customer experience should be a focus in your company. If your customers are happy with the services that are provided, then they will keep coming back in the future. But, a bad experience can get in the way of potential sales, and even cause the person to spread negative information about your company.
When a customer decides to buy your product or service, then it means that you have helped them see the benefits that your company offers. Often, the purchase point is the last step after the customer moved through a marketing funnel. At the same time, the sale is also the first step to building a long-term relationship with that person.
By understanding what your<|fim_middle|>keeping, inventory, and profit and loss reports that the customers are neglected, then your business won't achieve the long-term success that you desire.
One option you might consider is to outsource the busy work so that you can focus on the important tasks that will help you connect with the customers. For example, hiring a bookkeeping and accounting team is a great way to free up your time, because you don't have to focus on data entry and number-crunching. Instead, you can look at the front-line interactions to see how the customers are responding to your marketing and outreach efforts.
Most people buy because they are looking for an effective way to solve a problem they are facing. For example, someone buys a toy when they need a gift for a party. Or, a visit to a hair salon happens when a person wants to have a boost in their confidence. Whether you are selling services or physical products, you need to understand the psychology behind WHY people choose to spend money on the things that you are selling.
Before you have the opportunity to interact with a customer, they need to have the self-realization that they are looking for the product or service in the first place. Bringing awareness to the topic will increase their interest in the industry, making it easier to bring the person to the point of sale.
Once the awareness is present, then that person might come across your company on social media, in a Google search, or through an in-person interaction. Then, your branding efforts increase the possibility of business recognition when they are ready to make a purchase.
In most situations, the customer will not purchase at the first point of contact. Just because they found your website online, doesn't mean that they are ready to pull out their credit card. So, you can't make sales projections for your accounting reports based on the website visitors that are coming through. Instead, you need to continue collecting information to see the trends and conversion rates that can be expected.
Collecting the customer's information at the point of contact is a great way to increase the chances of a future purchase. This information could be in the form of adding their email to your newsletter or connecting through a social media account. Then, you can share helpful information through these platforms to continue building trust and a long-term relationship with that person.
When the customer is looking for a solution, they will remember the Instagram post or recent newsletter that talked about how your service could help with their issue. Since you previously focused on the problems that people are trying to solve, then the content that is shared can be catered to match their needs. This consistency increases the chances that they will pay attention to your messages, and reach out when they want to buy something.
Just because someone made a purchase, doesn't mean that they don't need coaxing to come back again in the future. There are many industries with stiff competition, which means that you need to step up your game if you want to stay ahead of the pack. You can improve your business success and boost the bottom line by helping current customers see why they need to come back and buy again.
Compare the cost of marketing and bringing a new customer in with the expenses that you might put into outreach for current customers. You will see that it is much cheaper to get a repeat sale than it is to bring in a new customer. Be wise with your marketing spending, and make sure that you don't neglect the people who are already on your list.
This process allows you to manage your marketing expenses, which in turn helps to boost cash flow and minimize costs. At the same time, you can increase sales by bringing people through the door over and over again. The final result is exactly what you desired: financial strength in your company and a business that thrives for many years.
If you make a promise or guarantee about your product, then make sure that your communication is clear about what the customer can expect from your company. One important aspect of customer experience is ensuring that you have a solid customer service plan in place, to help before, during, and after the purchase. Don't be worried if concerns or problems come up with the purchase because it is easy to make things right when you have a proactive customer service team.
In fact, high-quality customer service is one of the best things that you can do to improve customer experience. People want to feel like they are noticed and heard. This hands-on approach in your business will make it easy for you to improve customer satisfaction. Even if your product is a little more expensive compared to the competitors, customers will keep coming back because they felt good when they interacted with your company.
Not only will that person come back to buy again in the future, but they will gladly share information about your company with their friends and family. Personal recommendations are a powerful way to boost business success, helping to increase sales and improve your results.
But, you can't focus on referrals without offering the highest level of customer service. People will only make referrals to your company if they felt like they had a good experience. Being genuine in your interactions with customers can be a great way for you to grow your company naturally.
In addition to the current efforts for customer outreach and quality customer service, also look for ways that your company can grow and expand. It can be helpful to have an experienced accounting team who will provide the right reports to guide your spending decisions. You can refer to your cash standing and outlook for the future when you are deciding on important factors such as investments, inventory, hiring employees, and more.
It can be hard to understand the financial standing of your company without talking to an accounting professional. Instead of crunching the numbers and trying to generate the reports, you need to focus on the daily activities that improve customer experience. Our team can offer the financial guidance that you need to maximize tax write-offs, evaluate profitability reports, and plan for the future success of your company.
Are you ready for the right accounting help so that you can stay ahead of the changes in your business? If you are working to build the company and expand for future success, then you need to talk to our experienced team for more information.
Here at Easier Accounting, we understand the common financial roadblocks that many small business owners face. We are specialized in small business and entrepreneur accounting techniques, and our team will gladly help with your company. We offer the advice that you need to stay ahead of the financial details so that you can focus on customer service without worrying about cash flow or tax issues in your company. | customers want, you can adjust your sales points to cater to their needs. This journey is a process that leads them to make a purchase. Getting clarity on the decision points will help you engage customers more effectively, which in turn boosts sales and improves your bottom line.
As a business owner, you should be looking at the tasks that can help you improve your cash flow and profit. Which means that you need to take it back to the basics by providing the services that the customer needs. If you are so caught up in book | 105 |
The Ford Ranger, a mid-size pickup that we offer at Suntrup Ford, may be a great investment if you're looking for a durable truck. It offers a smooth ride during your regular commute, and when you're interested in having some adventures, it's ready for that as well.
The truck is built with a high-strength steel frame, and it has heavy-duty bumpers that<|fim_middle|>'t know where the path may lead. | are mounted onto the frame along with off-road chassis components. When you need more traction, you can switch into a 4x4 mode (high or low) with a turn of a dial. The electronic shift-on-the-fly system allows for quick transitions.
To make the truck a bit more rugged, it can come with the FX4 Off-Road Package. In addition to all-terrain tires, off-road monotone shocks, and a heavy-duty front skid plate, it includes Trail Control and the Terrain Management System. Both of these features allow for better control when you don | 117 |
Maximus 2
Joel Thoman January 5, 2023
Maximus 2 title screen
Maximus 2 is a beat-em-up game published and developed by FourFats. It is set to come out January 5, 2023 on Nintendo Switch eShop for $4.99. The game had been previously released on Android and iOS. FourFats is comprised of four people who are based out of Hong Kong. I would like to thank FourFats for the review code for this game.
FourFats developed and published Maximus 2. They are a group of four people from Hong Kong and London. They were heavily influenced by Japanese and American culture. Maximus 2 shows this cultural influence in the characters and settings. If you look closely at some of the enemies and backgrounds you can see nods to different fandoms. I saw nods to Five Nights at Freddies, Lord of the Rings, and Friday the 13th. I am sure there are more that I missed.
Maximus 2 Char Select
Maximus 2 places you as one of eight characters. You must rescue the Duke who was kidnapped by a gang of ruffians. The game is a beat-em-up at its core, and it also has some rogue-lite features.
The rogue-lite features in Maximus 2 include the ability to build up your character. Each run your character maintains the level, buffs, and items. Other than that you will be mashing the A button to fight the hordes of enemies that you encounter.
Maximus 2 Riding Lizard
You don't have to fight alone. One of the abilities you have early on is to create a scarecrow person to help you out. You also will encounter enemies who are riding different creatures, and you can knock them off the creature and proceed to ride the creature and utilize its special attack. If you prefer players controlled by humans, then you can play with up to 3 other players. If you are trying to speed run the game, it does keep track of how many times you died, and how long you have taken during your current run. Speaking of dying, I died quite a bit. The nice thing is that you are given 25 continues to use during your run. When your character is killed, you have the option of using one of those continues, or restarting from the last checkpoint.
Maximus 2 Continues
Maximus 2 has a fairly simple graphical style, but it works for the game. The game can throw a lot of enemies at you at once, and despite that I don't see any signs of slowdown, or frame drops. The enemies are detailed in the simple style, and there are a number of varieties of them you will encounter. The one disappointment that I had with graphics in the game is that your characters appearance doesn't change with different armor you buy during your run. The only way you can change your appearance is to buy a different skin on the character select screen.
Maximus 2 Large Enemies
The music in Maximus 2 is well designed. I found it blended into the back ground during a big fight, and other times it was grand and was cheering me on to victory. I will have to play a run with headphones next time to fully experience the sound.
This is a beat-em-up game, so there isn't much of a story here. The basic<|fim_middle|> the price. You may tell me that the game is free on the Android and Apple App Stores, however version has ads. I downloaded the free app on Android. You would have to spend $4.99 to permanently remove the ads from the game. I may be in the minority, but I don't like using touchscreen controls. The Nintendo Switch release allows you to use the physical controller. While the game is short, you can still find plenty to do. Also there are a few branches of the progression that you may not take every time.
Maximus 2 Mobile Port still costs 4.99 if you don't want ads and other premium features
Maximus 2 is on the Nintendo eShop for $4.99 as of January 5th 2023. You can also pick it up on the Android Play Store, and Apple App Store. This game is perfect for pick up and play. You can start a game and complete it in as little as an hour. The game looks great, runs great, and is a lot of fun to play. I like it when good phone games come to the eShop with the in app purchases taken out. Combine that with the ease of using a physical controller, you can't go wrong.
Maximus 2 is developed and published by FourFats. You play as one of 8 heroes who will set out to rescue the Duke. This is a fun inexpensive game. It is one of a number of games who came from the mobile phone environment, and got all of the free-to-play elements taken out. If you like beat-em-ups, then this game is well worth the $4.99.
Fast Action
Bright Graphics
Lots of nods to pop culture
Each Playthrough will be short
Graphics - 8.5
Gameplay - 8
Sound - 8
Value - 9
Joel Thoman
My interest in handheld gaming started when I was in high school. I was obsessed with getting a Game Gear. I was so excited to have a relatively high quality gaming experience (for the time) with me wherever I went! As I became an adult, handheld gaming always maintained an important part in my life. I was thrilled to take my handheld gaming to the next level when I got a Playstation Vita, and later a Nintendo Switch. My go-to genres are arcade racers, and RPGs. While I don't really like games like Minecraft, the Dragon Quest Builders series compelled me so much. I spent over 200 hours between the two entries.
Angry Video Game Nerd 1&2 Deluxe
Ghost Grab 3000
One Person Story
Introduction Maximus 2 title screen Maximus 2 is a beat-em-up game published and developed by FourFats. It is set to come out January 5, 2023 on Nintendo Switch eShop for $4.99. The game had been previously released on Android and iO...
Genre:Action, Adventure, Beat 'Em Up
Developed By:FourFats
Publisher:FourFats | premise is a bunch of bad guys kidnapped the duke, and your job as the hero is to rescue the duke. My first run through of the game was done in under an hour, so I don't think you can reasonably expect narrative magic.
Maximus 2 Variety of Locations
Maximus 2 is 4.99 on the Nintendo eShop, and I think it is well worth | 80 |
In this workshop, media<|fim_middle|> to 6 participants! | artist Alex MacKenzie will present a closer look at the original engine of expanded cinema: the projector. Specifically, participants will explore how to work with 16mm projection devices to allow an extension of their potential and a re-purposing of their function. Discussion and examination of the various elements of projection: light, lens, focal plane, film gate, speed, shutter, motor, bulb, and screen will all be explored with live examples and an up-close and hands-on approach. The work of contemporary media artists as well as historically significant artists will be discussed. Participants will be given the opportunity to try out various techniques, and will leave with a better understanding of how these elements work both separately and in tandem, as well as with a demystification of the primary instrument of the motion picture.
Workshop is limited | 166 |
Dell Lindsey
Department of Housing and Community<|fim_middle|> went to a big accounting firm, but soon realized that she wasn't using both her degrees. So she made a move to the Department of Housing and Community Development for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. There, she's a management analyst, handling state and federal grants for numerous state agencies.
Now that she's got the degrees, the job—and the confidence—what's next for this former Navy culinary specialist and gunner's mate? She's thinking about going for a PhD and becoming an adjunct professor.
"Suffolk matured me in a way the military couldn't, that my family didn't," Lindsey said. "I got it there."
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MS in Finance | Development, Commonwealth of Massachusetts
MBA, 2016
She was in the Navy for nine years. She's a wife and mother of three. And she worked (full time) at MassDOT while attending (full time) the Sawyer Business School to earn two degrees simultaneously: a Master of Science in Business Administration and a Master of Science in Accounting.
Yet with all that drive and focus, the biggest thing Dell Lindsey MBA '16, MSA '16, got from her time at Suffolk was something you'd think she already had: confidence. "I learned the ability to promote my best self and embrace my god-given talents," Lindsey said.
After graduation, she | 140 |
Patrick Arief Anderson was born in Rockville Centre, New York to Sydney Ray Anderson and Erna Suyudi Anderson on January 11, 1983. In his early years he attended St. Martha's Catholic School and later attended and graduated from The Waldorf School of Garden City in 2001 where he made many dear friends. He had fond memories from childhood of travel to visit family and close friends in Indonesia and St. Vincent. Patrick graduated from Carnegie Mellon with a B.A. in language and communication in architecture in 2005. He went on to continue his studies in Europe. He obtained an MFA in graphic design from Ecole Nation Superiéure de Création Industrielle in Paris and an MFA in scenography from Central Saint Martins in London. Patrick's career led him to design with fashion giants like Joie, ADAM, Haute Hippie, VPL, Lanvin, Alexander Wang, Helmut Lang, Jayne Pierson, Johannes Faktotum, and Alexander McQueen. He had an attention to detail and eye for fashion that transcended most of us. Patrick will be remembered and missed by all of us as a unique, warm, and generous spirit. He had a dry sense of humor, and an amazing love of animals. In many ways, this world was too harsh for a spirit as creative, gentle, and generous as his... Patrick died peacefully and surrounded by family on Friday, March 30, 2018 in the ICU at the Penn Princeton Hospital in Plainsboro, New Jersey. His final weeks of life were a blessing to our family - filled with joyous moments and reunion. We believe that our prayers and your prayers brought us this. And we all believe that Patrick is celebrating his life on this earth with us from a kinder and gentler place where he feels at home.
Patrick is survived by his mother, Erna Suyudi<|fim_middle|>, and Ayela Austin of Bismarck, North Dakota, and by his dear friend, Alex Moore and beloved dog, Auggie of Skillman, New Jersey, and many, many more family and friends around the world. | Anderson of East Meadow, New York, father, Sydney Ray Anderson of Inverness, Florida, sister Kathy Anderson, brother-in-law Marcus Austin, 3 nieces, Ava Austin, Aaliyah Austin | 42 |
Barely 24 hours have passed since the European Space<|fim_middle|>," says Bibring. | Agency's Philae spacecraft made history as the first probe to touch down on a comet. Now ESA researchers are racing to gather the maximum amount of scientific data from comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko before Philae shuts down and they lose contact for good.
Eight of the ten instruments aboard Philae have already sent back scientific data, and ESA already considers the mission a huge success. Senior mission staff were moved to tears of joy during today's press conference.
But efforts to squeeze as much data as possible from the mission are still under way here at the European Space Operations Centre in Darmstadt, Germany. Holger Sierks, who is charge of the OSIRIS camera on Rosetta, has two teams desperately scanning images by eye for Philae's final landing spot. The lander occupies just a 3 by 3 grid of pixels in the OSIRIS images, so this really is searching for a needle in a comet.
"We're working our eyes off," Sierks told New Scientist. It's an entirely manual process, because the complex and bizarre landscape of comet 67P defies any kind of automated search. "We don't have an algorithm for this," he says.
ESA is also considering attempting to move Philae to a more favourable spot, but with no propulsion system on board this is a risky and untested plan. Philae has four instruments and systems that involve motion, and each has the potential to move the probe, so its solar panels get more light. "If we can move a few degrees it might be sufficient," Philae scientist Jean-Pierre Bibring told New Scientist.
They are planning to deploy the instruments in order of increasing risk, starting with a probe called MUPUS this evening. MUPUS has a small hammer, and the up and down motion could give Philae the jolt it needs. The craft's harpoon, drill and cold gas thruster could also be repurposed into a makeshift crutch to drag, push or boost Philae into the light.
Senior ESA staff have already worked through the night to determine Philae's status, and they continue to meet every 2 hours to decide the best course of action.
But hopes that Philae will survive until March next year, when it would finally succumb to increasing heat from the sun, are fading fast, meaning ESA may not get a chance to touch and taste the comet as it heats up. "The long-term science is most at risk | 508 |
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You are<|fim_middle|> and one of the largest convention facilities in the nation.
Over 68 million domestic and international visitors each year.
Most visited destination in the United States.
More information is available at Visit Orlando.
Orange County Government Administration Center
201 S Rosalind Ave., 5th Floor
Email: EconomicDevelopment@ocfl.net | here: Economic Development | Key Industries
Investing in
A Well-Balanced Base
Orange County is home to a number of key industry sectors in various stages of maturation.
From the established industry sectors such as Travel & Tourism, Modeling, Simulation & Training and Optics & Photonics, to the new and emerging industry sectors such as Life Sciences, Clean Technology, and Digital Media, Orange County has a well-balanced economic base that is poised for future growth.
With so many diverse industries calling Orange County home, the opportunities for new technologies forming from the convergence of existing technologies are endless.
Orange County's thriving digital media sector has developed from the collaboration between established and emerging industries such as modeling, simulation and training, film and television production, theme park rides and shows, and interactive and immersive entertainment.
Modeling, Simulation & Training
Orange County has the largest modeling, simulation & training cluster in the country, serving aviation and aerospace, healthcare and medical technologies, emergency services, entertainment, homeland security, information technology, education, microelectronics, optics and photonics and transportation.
Digital Media Resources
UCF's Florida's Interactive Entertainment Academy
Orlando's Creative Village Project
Electronic Arts Tiburon Studio
and Health Care Resources
Florida Hospital/Adventist Health System
Lake Nona Medical City
University of Central Florida College of Medicine
Nemours Children's Hospital
Orlando VA Medical Center
University of Florida Academic and Research Center
Modeling, Simulation & Training Resources
National Center for Simulation
Nicholson Center for Surgical Advancement
Veteran Affairs Medical Simulation Center of Excellence
Premier travel destination, with world-famous theme parks, attractions, accommodations, airports | 339 |
If I Ever Get Out of Here
Eric Gansworth (Author)
FORMAT <div class="flex flex-wrap space-x-1"><span>Paperback</span><span class='line-through ml-2 text-primary'>$10.99</span><b>$10.11</b><<|fim_middle|> Gansworth fearlessly lays down the truth about what it's like to grow up poor, and the strength it takes to hold your head high and find a way out. -- Laurie Halse Anderson, author of The Impossible Knife of Memory and Forge
* Gansworth, himself an enrolled member of the Onondaga Nation, explores the boys' organic relationship with generosity and tenderness and unflinching clarity, sidestepping stereotypes to offer two genuine characters navigating the unlikely intersection of two fully realized worlds.... And although Gansworth manages the weighty themes of racism and poverty with nuance and finesse, at its heart, this is a rare and freehearted portrait of true friendship. -- Booklist, starred review
If I Ever Get Out of Here rings true with a sophisticated look at what it's like to be an outsider and what it takes to be a true friend.... More than just engaging, [it] is the sort of book that can spark all kinds of meaningful conversation. -- Los Angeles Times
Readers will appreciate the teenager's sharp insights into being an outsider and Gansworth's intimate knowledge of the prejudices and injustices inherent to Lewis's life. -- Publishers Weekly
A heart-healing, mocs-on-the-ground story of music, family and friendship. -- Cynthia Leitich Smith, author of Tantalize and Rain Is Not My Indian Name
#Own Voices; Read Indigenous VIEW LIST (69 BOOKS) | span>(English)</span></div> <div class="flex flex-wrap space-x-1"><span>Hardcover</span><span class='line-through ml-2 text-primary'>$19.99</span><b>$18.39</b><span>(English)</span></div>
A heart-healing, mocs-on-the-ground story of music, family and friendship. -- Cynthia Leitich Smith, author of Tantalize and Rain is Not My Indian Name.
Lewis Shoe Blake is used to the joys and difficulties of life on the Tuscarora Indian reservation in 1975: the joking, the Fireball games, the snow blowing through his roof. What he's not used to is white people being nice to him -- people like George Haddonfield, whose family recently moved to town with the Air Force. As the boys connect through their mutual passion for music, especially the Beatles, Lewis has to lie more and more to hide the reality of his family's poverty from George. He also has to deal with the vicious Evan Reininger, who makes Lewis the special target of his wrath. But when everyone else is on Evan's side, how can he be defeated? And if George finds out the truth about Lewis's home -- will he still be his friend? Acclaimed adult author Eric Gansworth makes his YA debut with this wry and powerful novel about friendship, memory, and the joy of rock 'n' roll.
5.7 X 8.3 X 1.3 inches | 1.05 pounds
People & Places - United States - Native American
Social Themes - Friendship
Social Themes - Bullying
Eric Gansworth is Lowery Writer-in-Residence and Professor of English at Canisius College in Buffalo, New York, and was recently NEH Distinguished Visiting Professor at Colgate University. An enrolled Onondaga, he was born and raised at the Tuscarora Indian Nation, just outside Niagara Falls, New York. His debut novel for young readers, If I Ever Get Out of Here, was a YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults pick and an American Indian Library Association Young Adult Honor selection, and he is the author of numerous acclaimed books for adults. Eric is also a visual artist, generally incorporating paintings as integral elements into his written work. His work has been widely shown and anthologized and has appeared in Iroquois Art: Power and History, The Kenyon Review, and Shenandoah, among other places, and he was recently selected for inclusion in Lit City, a Just Buffalo Literary Center public arts project celebrating Buffalo's literary legacy. Please visit his website at ericgansworth.com.
[A] funny, poignant young-adult debut. -- Washington Post
Eric | 569 |
Directions: Carolina Sandhills<|fim_middle|> drinking water. | National Wildlife Refuge is located approximately 70 miles northeast of Columbia, South Carolina, and 75 miles southeast of Charlotte, North Carolina. The main entrance is on US Highway 1, about 4 miles northeast from the small town of McBee, S.C. The nearest larger town with full services is Hartsville, S.C.
The refuge's paved Visitors Drive, along with 100 + miles of sand and gravel roads, provides access for wildlife observation and photography.
Lake Bee Area: Picnic shelters and tables, along with restrooms, are available. The lake edge provides good birding, and red-cockaded woodpeckers are usually seen and heard here. Notable plants and animals found in this area include brown-headed nuthatches, several carnivorous plants, and the rare Pine Barrens tree frog. Nearby Pool H and Triple Lakes host wood ducks and other waterfowl in appropriate seasons.
Oxpen Area: Home to white tailed deer, turkey, hawks, waterfowl, and small mammals. It is also a popular fishing area and home to a variety of wildflowers. The seepage bog near Oxpen Lake includes a large population of carnivorous plants. An observation tower provides a scenic view.
Martin's Lake Area: The terminus of Tate's Trail, Martin's Lake has ample parking and a few picnic tables on the south side of the lake. On the north side of the lake, the short Tripod Trail leads to a photography blind where you may get candid shots of wildlife without alerting them of your presence. This area provides a good view of diverse habitats, including wetlands, bottomland hardwoods, upland pine-scrub oaks, and open areas. Migrating waterfowl such as teal, black ducks, mallards, and Canada geese are commonly seen on Martin's Lake during winter months.
The refuge is open (except designated closed areas) from one hour before sunrise until one hour after sunset.
Pets should be leashed or under voice command. Please clean up after your pet.
Fishing is permitted in all lakes except Martin's Lake in accordance with State and refuge regulations. A South Carolina fishing license is required.
Only boats with electric motors are permitted; gas motors are prohibited.
Swimming and wading are prohibited.
Hunting is permitted during specific seasons in accordance with applicable State regulations and specific refuge regulations. A free refuge permit is required for all hunts and must be carried while hunting, and is not valid until signed. Permits are non-transferable.
Camping, overnight parking, open fires, alcoholic beverages, and littering are prohibited.
Federal law protects all government property, including natural, historical, and archaeological features. Searching for or removing objects of antiquity or other value is strictly prohibited.
Please do not pick flowers or remove any vegetation.
Trails are designated for foot traffic only.
To make your visit more enjoyable, you may wish to bring insect repellent and | 602 |
Lack of control over work conditions. Schedules, workflow patterns,<|fim_middle|> and the number of stressors multiplies.
Healthcare is unpredictable. Emergencies arise and demands shift without notice. Preset schedules, staffing, and productivity targets prohibit an urgent realignment of priorities, even when absolutely necessary. And within the chaos is the reality that a caregiver must move onto the next patient, often without coping with the most recent crisis.
Use templates, scribes, and software to reduce documentation time and complexity within the EHR.
Communicate with leadership regularly to discuss work conditions, scheduling, and culture. This assumes that leadership is engaged and committed to improving the work environment and promoting work–life balance.
Change. Whether it be a new position, a new organization, or a break from work, change can help you recharge and refocus on YOU.
Develop resilience. This is a huge! Resilience is the process of bouncing back from difficult or stressful experiences and can be a learned skill. Mindfulness exercises have been shown to improve resilience.
Let's talk about that last item. When I first heard of mindfulness while at a conference, I was hooked by the science of the entire process. It's super cool and basically interrupts your body's stress response and does sort of a "CTRL-ALT-DEL" to your brain. I called my daughter and asked her if she had ever heard of mindfulness. She said, "Funny you should ask mom, our director of residency is making all of us go to an all-day retreat on mindfulness next week." My daughter went to the retreat and is now the Chair of the Physician Wellness Committee at the hospital where she is in her residency. Is she out of the woods as far as burnout? Probably not, but I feel better knowing that she has skills in her tool box now to promote resilience, which is a step in the right direction!
What has your organization done to combat physician burnout? Share your experiences in the comments below.
Shanafelt T, Dyrbye L, West C. Addressing physician burnout: the way forward. JAMA. 2017;317(9):901-902. | pace, organizational culture, reimbursement constraints, and resources are determined by others, who are often far removed from the bedside.
Family responsibilities. Children and/or aging parents can add extra stress to a healthcare provider's day. Add overtime (voluntary or mandated), | 51 |
Systems and Support Services comprises two teams, led by Graham Millar, Head of Systems and<|fim_middle|> Support. | Support Services.
The Infrastructure Development team will design and develop emerging and existing core on premise and cloud IT infrastructure in support of research, learning and teaching and university business. The team will build on the recent work to produce highly available, resilient and intuitive systems incorporating security, communications, servers, data storage and processing, wired and wireless networks, IT client management and learning technologies.
The Operational Support team will be responsible for the routine enhancement, maintenance and support of existing and emerging core systems. The team will support the infrastructure service during the implementation and commissioning of systems, undertake the ongoing administration and will support the customer service teams in the delivery of services to the user communities. The Graphics and Print Service is also part of Operational | 143 |
Congratulations to Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe for taking the high road when so many<|fim_middle|> time. They're civil, respectful and totally focused on giving their children the best possible experience when the family spends time together. These caring parents do not confide their frustrations to their children and, most important of all, they limit venting their anger and distain about the former spouse to conversations with other adults.
Congratulations again to Reese and Ryan. Their efforts are to be commended. | in Hollywood choose another path. These two are rising above resentment and vindictiveness for the sake of their children – and in the process they're setting an example that's worth public mention.
Three months after their split this couple was seen together attending a school function with their young children. The significance of spending time together with Mom and Dad when kids are experiencing the drama of their parent's divorce can't be overstated. It provides support, security and stability at a time when the children's world is falling apart.
It takes mature parents to move in this direction. Many therapists call it Child-Centered Divorce. These parents are consciously aware of the emotional, psychological and spiritual needs of their children at this challenging time. They are willing to transcend the personal drama in their own relationship to help ease the way for their kids during and after the divorce.
Witherspoon asked for joint legal custody and primary physical custody of the children.
create times together as a family unit. Besides the obvious holidays and birthdays, parents in a child-centered divorce keep the door open to other activities, such as sporting events, school programs, recitals, parties, Open School Night, etc.
Parents in a child-centered divorce put their differences behind them when it comes to "family" | 252 |
NASA/Bill Ingalls/Public Domain
<|fim_middle|> here and I'm ready to rock." Watch the full clip below.
Hmm … Sheer Heart Attack eh ? Well, I think I always worried a little bit about that album title. I wondered if it might upset some people who had actually had heart attacks. I'm actually quite relieved now that I'm in that club – and I don't find it upsetting at all ! Take. care folks. And … why did those discs in my spine get so squished? Well I think 50 years of running around with a guitar strap over my left shoulder holding a heavy guitar might have something to do with it ! But it probably WAS all worth it ! Bri
A post shared by Brian Harold May (@brianmayforreal) on May 24, 2020 at 7:42pm PDT
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Photo: NASA/Bill Ingalls/Public Domain
Brian MayQueen
Sam Meier
Ed Sheeran Drops Surprise New Track 'Afterglow': Listen
Indie Venues To Receive $15 Billion In New COVID Relief Bill
Citizen Queen Shares Original 'Call Me Queen': Listen + Watch
Watch Dua Lipa Talk New Album, Obsession With Hiphop, and Body Image | Queen's Brian May Recovers From Heart Attack
Queen's guitarist, Brian May, recently revealed that he's recovering from a heart attack which he described as a "near-death experience."
In a video posted to Instagram on Sunday night, the Rock music legend shared details about a series of health scares that began last month after he injured himself in a gardening accident. The incident left him with unspeakable pain for a week before seeking medical help. There, doctors discovered May had a "quite severely" compressed sciatic nerve. "That's why I had this feeling that someone was putting a screwdriver in my back," he said. Looking back on how it happened, he noted, "Well I think 50 years of running around with a guitar strap over my left shoulder holding a heavy guitar might have something to do with it ! But it probably WAS all worth it!"
To make matters worse, shortly therafter, the UK native suffered a heart attack due to three congested arteries. In Sunday's address, May said that he considers himself a "healthy guy" and was shocked by his condition. He encouraged everyone over the age of 60 to have an angiogram whether or not they have heart issues. To wrap it up, the 72-year-old stayed thankful: "I'm very grateful that I now have a life to lead again…. But I'm good and I'm | 282 |
Home > News and events > News > 26Oct-Italian
Benvenuto as the Italian Ambassador is Welcomed to the University
His Excellency Giancarlo Aragona, the Italian Ambassador, made an official visit to the University last week at the invitation of the Department<|fim_middle|> students within the department and learn about the current initiatives in teaching and research here at the University. He ended his visit with a guided visit to the University's prestigious art gallery, the Barber Institute of Fine Arts. | of Italian Studies.
The Ambassador was welcomed to Birmingham by the Vice-Chancellor. He then made his way to the European Research Institute where he was met by the Dean, Professor Adrian Randall, Professor Ron Speirs, Head of the School of Humanities and the Director of the Graduate Centre for Europe, who hosted yesterday's lecture, Dr Nicholas Martin.
At the ERI, Ambassador Aragona gave a public lecture, entitled "Italian Foreign Policy: The Future of Europe and Transatlantic relation", before taking questions from students and staff who had attended.
Mr Aragona is one of Italy's most senior diplomats and was posted to London in 2004. During his address he spoke of the University of Birmingham's remarkable achievements both in the UK and globally.
Professor Michael Caesar, from the Department of Italian Studies said: "We are absolutely delighted to welcome the Italian Ambassador to Birmingham. He has come in recognition that the department is one of the leading centres for the study of Italian and Italian Culture. It is a huge honour."
The visit provided the opportunity for the Ambassador to meet staff and | 220 |
There's a growing movement in the RCRC community<|fim_middle|>15.
QUESTIONS: Feel free to contact Tanya Allain at tallain@brandeis.edu or any members of our selection committee with questions.
Organizational change is often top-down, with negative consequences for engagement and sustainability. While much of our knowledge about change tacitly assumes a top-down approach, such an approach is unlikely to succeed, particularly when changes in work relationships are required.
A relational coordination approach to change typically begins with an initial assessment to understand the organizational context as well as the range of interests and perspectives present in this context. This assessment is followed by a scoping process in which stakeholders are collectively engaged to identify a work process in need of coordination. Participants use a range of tools including relational mapping to identify the core set of roles that must coordinate to produce the desired performance outcomes. Subsequent stages involve communication planning, deployment of the RC Survey, followed by presentation and sense-making of findings with key stakeholders to generate dialogue about the strengths and opportunities that exist in a particular context, inclusive of senior leaders and front-line staff. Participants then design and implement interventions, assessing progress with periodic assessments of relational coordination and desired outcomes.
This change process is often led by a change team representing key stakeholders. But how to create and lead a successful change team? This cafe will bring together change leaders from education and healthcare sectors to share their setbacks and successes. | to use RC methods not only to create value but also to create equity and leverage diversity.
RC and equity. Last week's RC cafe focused on Relational Coordination in Organizational Networks: Managing for Coordination and Equity facilitated by Gabriela Corbera (Global Social Innovation). Dana Minbaeva (Copenhagen Business School), Vasilica Margalina (Universidad Tecnica de Ambato) and John Paul Stephens (Case Western Reserve) showed how RC can be strengthened to create value in product supply chains and construction supply networks, and they described interventions for doing this.
But how to ensure the most powerful players do not capture all the value created by RC? The Fissured Workplace by David Weil (Heller School, Brandeis) helps us to understand the power dynamics in distributed supply networks. And RC provides a methodology to make visible how weak and strong players coordinate to create value, thus helping to build relationships of shared goals, shared knowledge and mutual respect to foster a more equitable distribution of value (see Transforming Relationships by yours truly).
How to get more powerful players to the table? Christine Bishop (Heller School, Brandeis) described the partnership built between nursing homes and their workers in New York State that succeeded in increasing reimbursements from the state legislature in order to increase pay for workers and quality of care for residents. Erik Nicholson (United Farm Workers) described a UFW demonstration at the Starbucks annual shareholders meeting last week to pressure Starbucks to stop sourcing milk from dairy farmers who exploit dairy workers, and showed how workers and small producers are organizing together to gain greater parity with the big brands.
Maybe what's needed is a combination of soft power (building relational coordination with the dominant player) and hard power (building relational coordination against the dominant player) - and an ability to move back and forth easily between the two to redistribute value. Listen to the RC Cafe here if you missed it!
RC and diversity. New findings on Workforce Diversity and Firm Performance: Relational Coordination as a Mediator and Structural Empowerment and Multisource Feedback as Moderators will be published by Hun Whee Lee (Michigan State University) and Eunhee Kim (Cornell University) in a forthcoming issue of Human Resource Management. They found that certain organizational practices can leverage diversity as a positive force for RC, leading to increased operational and financial performance.
Read on for more partner updates. Also check out the Call for Abstracts for our Annual Roundtable in October - Designing the Future Using the Science of Relational Change. The RCRC team and our Denver host committee are hoping to see you there!
We are thrilled to welcome many individual partners who've joined this month from the Veterans Health Administration, a new RCRC organizational partner. We also welcome new student partners Raveendra Wagh (TISS, India), Nathan Woods (Antioch University, Ethiopia), Emily MacIntyre (Simmons University, USA), and Deborah Strod (Brandeis University, USA).
Please give a big welcome to Dr. Callie Watkins Liu, an RCRC faculty partner who has become a Visiting Research Scholar at the Heller School at Brandeis, sponsored by the RCRC and the Office of the Dean. Dr. Watkins Liu is an intersectional and critical race scholar-activist, whose research focuses on social structures, social movements, race, ethnicity, policy, pedagogy, research and knowledge production. Some of you have met Callie at previous Roundtables in NYC and Boston, and we're hoping she will join us again in October!
Team Working Life just received a long sought after grant from the Danish Work Environment Research Fund to develop and study an RC intervention to improve work processes and worker outcomes in construction projects. Congrats to Inger-Marie Weigman, Karen Albertsen and their colleagues!
Last week an international group of RCRC partners gathered at a workshop at BI Norwegian Business School called "Boundary Conditions for High-Quality Work Relationships in Inter-Organizational Contexts" including Ragnhild Kvaushagen, John Paul Stephens and Daniel Massie.
Also last week Jenny Rudolph (Center for Medical Simulation), Victoria Brazil (Bond University) and Eve Purdy (Queen's University/University of North Texas), presented "Learning to Be Better, Together" at SMACC Sydney - a huge conference on simulation drawing 3,000 people - sharing about their RC interventions at the Gold Coast Health System!
Change is happening all the time. But we are often overwhelmed by its unintended consequences. Can we get better at creating positive change intentionally, as individuals, organizations, communities, institutions, and countries, through mindful attention to the consequences of our actions? How can we embrace unintended consequences that add value, and better anticipate those that destroy value? To do so may require more inclusive approaches - systems thinking, design thinking, collective action, etc. - supported by relational coordination.
At this year's RCRC Roundtable, we will explore how to use intentional change to solve the most pressing challenges we face by building relationships of shared goals, shared knowledge and mutual respect with all relevant stakeholders, both visible and invisible.
Join us October 11 and 12 in Denver, Colorado where innovation and change are the new normal. Our local host committee will welcome us and show us the best of Colorado, both old and new!
We are requesting abstracts relating to research, practice or education, based on work that is either completed or in progress. We welcome submissions from multiple disciplines and methodologies.
Research abstracts can include projects that are either completed or in progress. Practice abstracts may include an intervention that is either completed or in progress. Teaching abstracts can include methods for teaching about relational coordination at an undergraduate or graduate level, including for example MBA, MD, RN or other professional programs, or as a theory or research method in a PhD program. Presentations will be given in a presentation format with opportunities for interaction and discussion. RCRC Student Partners who have abstracts accepted will be eligible for complimentary Roundtable registration as well as a small amount of funding for travel support.
NOTIFICATION OF ACCEPTANCE, AND REGISTRATION FOR ROUNDTABLE: You will be notified by June 30 at latest whether your project has been selected for presentation. Early registration ends July | 1,271 |
First Solar Enters Residential Market with Investment in Clean Energy Collective
Publicado el 11 dic. 2014
First Solar, Inc. and Clean Energy Collective (CEC) today announced that they have formed a strategic partnership to develop and market community solar offerings to residential customers and businesses directly on behalf of client utilities. Through the agreement, the two companies will jointly pursue opportunities in the community solar market to offer an affordable and convenient alternative to rooftop generation. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
"Distributed generation in the form of community solar expands the addressable market dramatically beyond the traditional residential or commercial sectors, and CEC has led the way in making that happen," said Jim Hughes, First Solar's CEO. "This deal<|fim_middle|> that leverages CEC's residential experience on the ground with First Solar's expertise in utility-scale generation and panel technology. This innovative and cost-competitive approach will further establish solar, and specifically community solar, as a critical part of the global energy mix for all markets."
"Community solar is affecting a major shift in the broader solar industry," said Paul Spencer, Founder and CEO of Clean Energy Collective. "Joining forces with First Solar further validates community solar and provides us the opportunity jointly to accelerate this shift with the combined power of our proven model and the economics and efficiency of First Solar as a world-class R&D, manufacturing and construction partner. This collaboration will allow us to accelerate our expansion to new markets and customers, and will provide both customers and our utility partners with the added confidence that CEC and our community solar projects will deliver long-term, scalable energy solutions at the most cost-effective pricing."
Fuente: First Solar
CEC (Instaladores): https://es.enfsolar.com/cec-1 | is a natural fit | 4 |
Check out this article from Breaking Muscle on<|fim_middle|> continue browsing our website for more information and our trial program. | the Top 5 Benefits of Muay Thai Training.
Muay Thai is a striking art that utilizes attacks from the fists, elbows, knees, and feet. Strikes can be thrown from long, mid, or close range. There is also an element of grappling in muay thai referred to as the clinch. Very different from the grappling techniques used in Brazilian jiu jitsu, clinch maneuvers are used to set up knee and elbow strikes or to throw your opponent to the ground. Since the sport requires that practitioners possess a large number of athletic qualities, the benefits that accompany learning Muay Thai are numerous.
To sum it all up, muay Thai can benefit just about anyone. Just make sure you adapt the workout to your level of fitness when you're starting out. There is absolutely no shame in taking a break or modifying a drill to make it fit for you. Also remember when practicing any sport there is always a risk of injury. Make sure to consult your healthcare professional when beginning any new type of physical endeavor and let your coach know of any injury or physical condition that you may have prior to practice. For those of you choosing to explore the art of muay Thai, I wish you all the best in your training.
If you're in the West Chester, Exton, or Downingtown area and interested in Muay Thai Kickboxing Classes, | 273 |
St John's Halifax Street<|fim_middle|> to see and tell that Jesus loves us all December 11, 2022
God wants our true selves to shine out December 4, 2022
Called to hope November 27, 2022
Praise and Glory to Christ our King! November 20, 2022
Prayer is God, Christ and the Spirit at work through us November 13, 2022
Seek to grasp the various ways resurrection life is reflected in scripture November 6, 2022
All Saints Day – Who's a Saint? October 30, 2022
Address for St John's Dedication Festival October 23, 2022
Pray always and don't lose heart October 16, 2022
Jesus challenges the distinction between the in-crowd and the untouchables October 9, 2022
The clarion call to a spirit of gratitude October 2, 2022
The parable of the rich man and the sick beggar at his gate September 25, 2022
The parable of the dishonest manager September 18, 2022
The parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin September 11, 2022
Anglican Parish of St John's Adelaide
Year C 20th after Pentecost – Rev'd Christy Capper
Pentecost + 19 – The Poor Widow
180th Dedication of St John's Halifax Street
Celebrate the vulnerable and defend the poor
Season of Creation: Cosmos Sunday
Season of Creation: Storm Sunday
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THE VOICE OF CREATION
CENTRING PRAYER MEDITATION
How did you come to relationship with the Risen Jesus?
May 1, 2022 Judy
Canon Bill Goodes
Easter 3C 2022 Acts 9:1 – 16, Rev 5:6 – 14, John 21:1 – 19
There once was a man who fell down a well, and, as he fell towards the inky-black, death-dealing water, he called out to the Risen Christ, "save me!" Miraculously, his overalls caught on a spike that was protruding from the well's wall, his descent was arrested, and he was able to find other such spikes at strategic intervals, and to climb out. "Thank you, Jesus; I'll always be your missionary!", he exclaimed, and spent the rest of his life pushing people down wells.
Today's three readings point to a different truth, because they show three different ways that particular people have come into relationship with the Risen Christ. Each of these different ways is seen to be a genuine path, and none may be played down as of less importance than others. Two of the stories are so familiar that we may not have noticed this significant thread running through them – Saint Paul's Conversion, and the Restoration of Peter are rarely set next to one another – even on the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul. Then, the vision in Revelation 5 seems so removed from our realities that we can easily discount it altogether, but it too has a story to tell about relationship with the Risen Jesus.
Saint Paul's relationship with the Risen Jesus is in this story one of "claiming". Paul had been running around on the edge of Jesus' community, harrying it. Perhaps he was seeing it as a threat to his established way of understanding life. In keeping with his "hands-on" approach to things, he held the coats of the people who were stoning Stephen, he saw to the arrest and condemnation of those who were following what people at that time referred to as "The Way" and then even following them to foreign places in order to see that this global threat was being controlled, even destroyed. A relationship of a sort, but not calculated to bear much fruit for the Risen Jesus. So, on the road to Damascus, Jesus said to him, "You may not recognize me, but I am Jesus whom you are persecuting! I claim you for my own!" Does this story resonate with your own walk in faith? Has the Risen Lord placed a hand on you and said, "I claim you for my own!"? Certainly Saul of Tarsus, Saint Paul as he became, is not the only one down the ages who has experienced the Risen Jesus in this life-changing way.
Saint Peter's relationship with the Risen Jesus took a different path. He had become a leading figure in the community of Jesus' followers during his earthly ministry. He had been in the inner circle of three among the twelve known as apostles. But spectacularly he had lost that position, three times denying that he even knew Jesus, or had kept company with him. Deeply troubled, in the uncertain times which immediately followed news of the resurrection, he decided to "go fishing". Perhaps it was in case Peter might be going to follow in the footsteps of that other betrayer, and harm himself, his companions said, "We will come with you!" And Jesus, in that lovely story, alluding to Peter's three times denial, three times had Peter assert his continuing love for Jesus. Peter's story could be spoken of as "forgiving" or "restoring". Does that shed light on your relationship with the Risen One? Certainly there have been many others down the Christian ages, who have related to Jesus in this way.
Then, in the dream-like or even nightmare-like atmosphere of the reading from Revelation, there is a story of "worshipping". In this passage, there is a gathering around the throne. Now in the previous chapter this throne is described as having one seated on it looking like jasper and carnelian and surrounded by a rainbow that looks like an emerald. Before this throne of God is placed the "lamb standing as though it had been slaughtered". In the code language used in this document, carefully concealed from the authorities of the day, the slaughtered Lamb stands for the Risen Jesus, who sends out his Spirit in sevenfold form into the world. The "four living creatures" have traditionally been taken to refer to the four Gospel writers, and they have the form of a lion, an ox, a human, and an eagle — the usual symbols for Mark, Matthew, Luke and John.
Before these powerful symbols of the Divine Presence there seems to be happening a concelebrated pontifical High Mass – twenty-four described as "elders", with golden mitres, multiple bowls of incense symbolising the prayers of the saints, a magnificent choir singing "Worthy is the Lamb", and "Blessing and honour and glory and power are yours for ever and ever". These are the representative worshippers, but they represent before God "every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth".
You notice how many references there are to what we are doing here this morning, with our more limited resources! The Gospel, the prayers, the singing, the words, the divine presence brought to us under different symbols. And we are invited into this worshipping to come into relationship with the Risen Jesus. I wonder how many have been drawn to Jesus by the experience of worship, with all that that represents?
How did you come into relationship with the Risen Jesus? Here are three ways set out – claiming, restoring, worshipping – and each is set out as a legitimate way of coming into this relationship.
But did you also notice that each of these ways comes with a commission. Saul is told, "Go into the city and you will be told what you are to do" — and we know that he was subsequently "told"; told that he was to be the apostle, the one sent out, to the Gentile world. Peter is restored, with the three-fold commission, "Feed my lambs, Feed my sheep, Tend my sheep", and as a leading figure in the early Church he proclaimed and lived the gospel and cared for the flock. The great catch of fish taken at Jesus' direction, was to be a sign of the abundance that might follow that restoration. Even the worshippers in Revelation are encouraged to take this good news into a hostile world, as the sealed scrolls of the revealing of God's purposes were to be opened by the Lamb.
The Risen Jesus calls each of us into relationship with himself, each in our own different ways. This relationship is to be enjoyed both for its own sake, and also at the same time as a commission to bring others to him — not expecting that these others will come to him in the same way that we have experienced, but in ways that are appropriate for them, and to be celebrated. Of the four Gospel writers, Matthew most clearly puts the connection between our own relationship with Jesus, and our mission towards others. Remember that he concludes his account of the Good news by having Jesus say, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…and remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
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Follow Jesus anew January 22, 2023
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This feast of Epiphany is all about inclusion! January 8, 2023
We celebrate the naming and circumcision of our Lord, Jesus Christ. January 1, 2023
Christmas – God's grace as seen through Jesus December 25, 2022
Waiting for Jesus December 18, 2022
We are called | 1,685 |
Amazon Creates 300 New Machine Learning, Software Development, Digital Entertainment, Cloud Computing Jobs in San Diego
Sep 07, 2018 by John Heerdink in Current Coverage View Disclaimer
Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN), the world's largest retailer, has announced its expansion of its San Diego Tech Hub and its intentions to develop 300 new high tech jobs in fields that include machine learning, software development, digital entertainment, and cloud computing.
Amazon's new 85,000 square foot office expansion resides Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc.'s Campus Pointe in the University Town Center neighborhood of San Diego. With the opening of the new office, Amazon can now more than double its tech workforce in the area. Since 2011, the company has created over 39,0<|fim_middle|> doubling our investment in the area, and hiring local talent to fill exciting roles across Amazon. Thank you to all our partners across the city and the state for helping us create these new jobs, and contributing to the already vibrant innovation economy in San Diego."
Amazon tops LinkedIn's 2018 Top Companies list with the #1 spot. The company is renowned for providing comprehensive benefits to all its employees.
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Amazon expands San Diego Tech Hub and announces plans to create 300 high tech jobs
(AMZN)— Amazon today announced an expansion of its San Diego Tech Hub and plans to create 300 new high tech jobs in fields including software development, machine learning, cloud computing, and digital entertainment. To accommodate the job creation, Amazon has opened a new 85,000 square foot office.. | 00 jobs in the state of California and invested more than $19 billion in the state.
The Tech Hub in San Diego is just one of the 17 Tech Hubs beyond Seattle. The Tech Hubs employ over 17,500 people all across North America who invent and create new products and services for Amazon customers. San Diego's teams work to develop software systems that drive AmazonFresh, PrimeNow, Amazon Web Services, supply chain tech, and prevention of fraud and abuse on Amazon.
The company will celebrate its latest California investment by hosting Mayor Faulconer, Assemblymember Gloria, and other community leaders on September 6th for the grand opening event of its new San Diego Office.
Nate Wiger, General Manager of Amazon's new San Diego office stated, "Amazon is excited to create more tech jobs in San Diego – a city with terrific talent and a culture of innovation. We look forward to more than | 190 |
For the past few days I have spent time on set of a major feature film being shot in Wellington. Everything about this project is impressive, inspiring and beautiful - including the people who work on it. The amount of dedication and enthusiasm in every department and on every rung of the movie ladder was wonderful. Despite about a gazillion people working on set at all times, it felt like a cohesive whole, very much like a very large family gathering. The level of skill present in the tiniest details in costumes, props, and set as well as the speed with which the techies worked their magic are a real testament to the talent of the people working in the Wellington film industry.
I have only done a couple of extras gigs since starting out as an actress. The first one I did because I wanted to know what a feature film set feels like, the other couple of gigs I did as a favour to friends. Extras work is not what I want to be doing professionally or even regularly. It's hardly ever paid, and most people seem to think you're an idiot for working as an extra. I also want to be acting in the centre of a film's story, not at the periphery.
But once in a while a major movie project comes along that is able to pay its extras okay wages and more importantly is so SO exciting that I'd be an extra any day just to be part of it. So, I jumped at the opportunity to be part of this particular film.
It was the biggest film I have ever worked on and the film I spent the most time on. Over four long and full-on days I learned to have some major respect for people who work extras gig. They are awesome!
They work long days and nights, often with broken turnaround. They put up with incredibly long waiting periods, heat and cold, difficult costumes, wigs and head-dresses to drive you crazy, probably the lowest pay and respect of anyone on set, and no credit to their name at all. And the overwhelming majority of extras do so without moaning, with saintly patience, and incredible enthusiasm. Of course you have the odd pushy person - sometimes quite literally - but most extras a genuinely nice, interesting and generous people - awesome through and through.
I must say that on this particular film, the extras department pulled out all the stops to make the experience<|fim_middle|> as an actress. Knowing that I can work around scarce information and result direction and switch it on on demand has been a big confidence boost.
Make no mistake, extras work is hard and unglamorous but without your background talent your movie illusion will fall apart like a house of cards.
So, the next time you feel like saying extras work isn't 'real acting' and turn up your nose at those who give your their time and dedication to work as your extras, think again. If your extras don't do 'real acting', if they are not actually living in the moment but putting on a show, your film will look in part pretty ridiculous. So, you better hope that the people you choose for the background have the talent to switch on emotions again and again even though you give them hardly anything to work with. And you better hope they are as enthusiastic, hard-working, and undemanding as the great bunch of people I had the pleasure to work with over the last few days.
Treat your extras well and they will make you and your story look real. They are the backbone of your movie illusion. Treat them respect. | for us a really positive one. They took very good care of us - the catering was fantastic, everyone was friendly and respectful, and we got as much information about the goings on as humanly possible.
There are however things about extra work that I will always find difficult. Apart from keeping up your energy over long waiting periods and after 20 takes of the same scene, the most difficult part of being an extra for me is the following.
Extras don't get any information about the story or the scene that they're in until they step on set. So, no time for preparation. Then the direction given is most often completely result-oriented, like, 'Now, be really really deliriously happy!' and 'Be so scared you're close to a heart attack!' Being asked to feel a certain emotion is difficult for most actors in any circumstances but without any knowledge about the story and without any chance for preparation it can be super stressful.
Do you remember the last time someone asked you to feel a certain emotion at the push of a button? 'Feel' not 'look as if' because the camera knows the difference and will expose you. It took me a few tries to get in the groove of things and work with what I was given but it was hard work, man!
Looking around me though, there were a whole heap of extras who did an incredible job of turning it on and really feeling the emotions required from them, all the time and all day long. These are the people that make a scene come to life. You can have the most incredible set and costumes, and the most talented actors if the background talent wouldn't do their job and do it well, the whole illusion would fall apart.
Even though I want to be more than 'just' an extra, this experience in extras acting has been pretty great for my development | 372 |
He let me drive his car today. Nobody ever lets me drive their car (with good reason). I picked him up and took off my seat belt so I could switch to the passenger side, but he said I could keep driving. He must've had a stroke or something, but I stayed in the driver's seat. We got to the store and chose the most wobbly shopping cart ever. It filled the silence as we walked up and down the aisles, stopping to grab only the necessities off the shelves. "My," he'd say. I'd look up to see other carts trying to get through and me just blocking the aisle while I stood there distracted by all the different laundry detergents. He took over driving the cart after that. We tested air fresheners for a while. "Do you like this one?" he'd ask. "Barf," I'd say. "Try this one." By the time he had decided on Freshmatic Morning Rain, we both smelled like the fragrance department at Penney's. I didn't care, though…I had a good time with him today. We're so comfortable now<|fim_middle|> Erin McCarley at Soma last night with Chel and Shi. I think she is so amazingly talented and underrated. She reminds me of one of my favorite Stella Im Hultberg paintings, Until the Day—beautiful, but painfully sad.
Don't repeat chapters; the ending of the story will never change. | , I almost forget about what happened between us over the summer. Almost.
I miss having someone to do everyday things with.
The way I give up my heart.
Is enough of me out?
I went to see | 43 |
NEWS / TELEVISION / TELEVISION NEWS
'24: Legacy' Cancelled; Anthology Series Being Considered
Image credit: Ray Mickshaw/FOX
The clock has stopped ticking on Fox's 24: Legacy.
The network has chosen not to new the rebooted series for a second season, the result of dwindling ratings as the first season progressed. The Corey Hawkins-starring 24: Legacy began with an average 17.6 million viewers in the U.S., thanks to Fox's decision to launch the season in the coveted post-Super Bowl slot. By the end of the season, U.S. viewership numbers had dropped to 6.3 million.
A THR states that producer Howard Gordon flew to the U.S.<|fim_middle|> on 24: Legacy, last month had his ABC drama Designated Survivor renewed for a second season.
Image credit: Fox
Tagged2424: LegacyCorey HawkinsFoxGuillermo TroncosoKiefer SutherlandTelevision News
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While 24: Legacy may be no more, don't expect the franchise to be done. Fox is looking at how to continue on the 24 brand, and an anthology series could be the answer.
The report also reveals that Fox is in talks with the franchise's producers, which includes Gordon and Brian Grazer, to develop an anthology take on the show's real-time storytelling concept. Each run would focus on a different story and different characters, with the overall format kept across the board.
There's no word as to whether Kiefer Sutherland could reprise his role as Bauer in the future. The actor, who was executive producer | 147 |
Homeshake's Red Hot Night for POP Montreal
October 4 2018 // Raphaël Pirro // Magazine // Concert Reviews
On Saturday night, a sold-out Rialto was hot and ready for one of Montreal's finest indie singers of his generation. After two opening acts, first Cherry Monday, followed by Guy's#, the young faces in the crowd started chanting and hollering at Homeshake as he was preparing his equipment on the stage.
Homeshake is the stage name of Peter Sagar, a superbly mellow fellow hailing from Edmonton, but based<|fim_middle|> to come back on stage. While many thought the show ended too early at around 50 minutes, there was no question that the quality of a Homeshake live set will make the fans come back for more.
Short, sweet, and sexy. | in Montreal's Mile End. Homeshake was the headliner of POP Montreal's main Saturday night show. Sagar is also known for being part of Mac DeMarco's band up until 2014, the same year he released his first album.
What it magic about Homeshake's music is that it doesn't need any kind of artifice, or over-the-top decoration and such that is ubiquitous on the indie scene. Its strength lies in its stripped-down intimacy, something that is sometimes hard to recreate performing in a concert hall.
The first few guitar notes from Hello Welcome, the intro to Homeshake's latest album Fresh Air, were enough to understand the depth of what we were getting into. A true feeling of intimacy was instantaneous. People looking at each other, happy of having made the choice of coming out and probably seeing Homeshake for the first or second time.
The show took on higher dimension when Every Single Thing came up, one of his biggest singles to date. The live interpretation did not let down. The falsetto hook was followed by an enthusiastic public on the fast-tempo cut.The tremolo guitar in Getting Down Pt II set a very drowsy Mac DeMarco vibe, just as Chowder did right after.
Another high moment was reached when the succulent Call Me Up made it to our ears. Cue the falsetto again, cue the sexyness again. The synth line, imitated by Sagar's voice later in the song, made for one of the moments where the public hummed happily with closed eyes. Give It To Me, arguably Homeshake's most well known song, was played differently than on the album, but to great effect. A slowed-down version of the already slow song was pure, open and again - sexy as hell.
At the outset, Sagar promised a set of fifteen songs. That is exactly what happened - no more, no less. No bonus for a crowd that begged for the four-man band | 404 |
The following is based on various research and years of observing mites decimate untreated colonies. I do not claim to have all the answers nor do I wish to give the impression that my recommended methods are absolute doctrine. I only wish to share experience with the bee keeping community in order to show that there are ways to combat this parasite without the use of poisons within the hive.
Making simple assumptions for this scenario, assume the colony went into the winter healthy OR we have a new package, first season colony. At this point, the colony is assumed to be healthy! This colony is not treated with anything.
The colony population is a cycle of rises and declines in both Bee and mite. Starting in spring; the time of year when the colony is building up its work force, the queen begins to lay eggs in the core brood nest as cells are emptied of honey and become available. At this time worker bees are preparing these cells for the queen to lay in which includes cleansing debris and any lingering pests! The mite population for a healthy colony is in check at this point. Looking at the graph you can see the bees maintain a relatively higher population than the mites. This is the<|fim_middle|>.
There are several treatment options that do not require the use of synthetic miticides, such as organic acids, sugar dusting and 'shook swarm'. While organic acids (such as formic, lactic, acetic and oxalic) are widely regarded as effective and 'natural' compared with synthetics (such as pyrethroids and organo-phosphates) they nevertheless pose a health risk for the beekeeper and are not entirely benign towards the bees. Sugar dusting is, we believe, entirely harmless for the bees and has a significant knock-down effect on mites, caused by interference with their ability to cling to their hosts. The bees clean the powdered sugar from each other and thus may physically assist in the mite drop.
Shook swarm has been practiced for many years by beekeepers as a control for European Foul Brood. Done at the right time - in spring, as the colony is building up strongly and may be making swarm preparations - it can be an effective way to both radically reduce the mite load and to propel the bees into 'new swarm' mode, when they will work with renewed vigor as if they had, in fact, swarmed. Nevertheless, there are risks with this procedure and if the timing is wrong, the bees may abscond or fail to thrive.
Overall, it is important to remember that we, as beekeepers, can be the primary cause of stress to the bees in our care and that it is an important part of good husbandry to strike the right balance between correct monitoring and too much interference. The bees know what they are doing: our job is mostly to keep out of the way.
The signal that it is time to do something is an increase in natural mite fall. This signals a stressor that the colony encountered and cannot handle at this point. A smart chemical free beekeeper should break out the powdered sugar and dust each frame, repeating two weeks later to ensure you get as much of the mite cycle you can! Should you have a bar of capped drone brood you can pull it out, freeze it, and return it to the colony to be cleaned.
Why is the TBH hive conducive to bee sustainability?
A proven contributor to the survival of the colony is natural comb. Natural comb allows the free building of comb by bees at the bees will. This in turn allows the construction of "the core brood nest" this is the part of the nest constructed with smaller cells. It is the part of the nest that is reserved and cleaned for periods of reduced brood rearing. This is why "small cell' worked so well. The theory of small cell (first mentioned by the Lusbys) was just never thought through to the end until Dennis Murrell came along and finished it. We have Dennis to thank for all the references to the core brood nest contained here in. The cleaning of this part of the brood nest keeps the mite load in check at crucial times of colony development.
Anything extraneous added by the beekeeper i.e. foundation, frames and artificial feed can be grouped into the category of stressors. So use a Varroa screen w/sticky board to monitor mites and remember it was never intended to be a ventilation device!
Anything you do that decreases the mite population keeps the two lines on the graph from crossing which translates to maintaining a higher bee population. Using sugar dusting and drone comb trapping methods are the "softest" non chemical approaches available today. The most efficient times to treat are the periods just before the mite population reaches the bee population or "the economic threshold" A colony just beyond this point can be saved, however, the chances for survival decrease every day left untreated there after. | host parasite ratio the colony CAN exist with, provided there are no additional stressors placed on it. A stressor can be anything from pesticide problems to bee keepers that need to play with their bees every chance they get!
In this scenario after mid April the converging lines show what can happen if an additional stressor is placed on the colony. This can happen anywhere along the time line! Proceeding along the time line the two populations are beginning to close in on each other, this is where the danger begins.
A probable cause is the bees change in focus to preparing for the winter. Part of their preparation is a reduction in colony population to optimize their use of winter stores. The mite population is still increasing No longer are they picky about drone cells now, it's a matter of survival, so any cell will do for mite reproduction. Where the two lines cross marks the economic threshold (the point at which the host can no longer support itself and the parasite.) After this point has been reached, you will see bees emerge from the colony with deformed wings (DWV) deformed wing virus and a host of other nasty viruses known as PMS (parasitic mite syndrome) as the mites parasitize what little brood is left. As long as there is brood this will continue and eventually result in the failure of the colony.
A decrease in bee population in a colony occurs naturally on two occasions, the first being reproductive swarming and the latter being preparation for winter. This change in focus is marked by a decrease in laying by the queen and the back filling of the brood nest with nectar/honey. When we treat a hive we knock down the mite population and keep the two lines from crossing thus maintaining the host parasite ratio the colony can sustain!
Our aim is to create conditions in which our bees can attain a state of sustainable, dynamic balance with the mites and other invaders that will always be present in and around a colony. One way in which we can help them is to reduce the mite load at critical points using a treatment that has significant impact on the mites and minimal impact on the bees | 435 |
> Sheridan Smith, Dara O Briain and Mel Giedroyc settle into the Crackanory chair
Sheridan Smith, Dara O Briain and Mel Giedroyc settle into the Crackanory chair
Award-winning hit Crackanory returns to Dave on Monday 30th January at 10pm, with just one narrator per episode and some of Britian's best comedy actors bringing each story to life. The new series, in partnership with Audible, will welcome Sheridan Smith, Dara O Briain, Doc Brown, Anna Friel, Mackenzie Crook, Miriam Margolyes, Bob Mortimer and Mel Giedroyc into the famous Crackanory chair.
To celebrate the brand new series, Doc Brown will host a live reading of his story 'Devil's Haircut' at the Central London location on Sunday 29th January at 12pm. For more information on how to get tickets, please visit Dave.
Crackanory, produced by Tiger Aspect Productions (Drunk History, Murder in Successville), has seen success in recent years on Dave with the likes of Back to the Future star Christopher Lloyd, Taskmaster giant Greg Davies, Star Wars legend Carrie Fisher and northern funny woman Sarah Millican each taking their turn to sit in the famous chair. Series two also featured the much-missed comedy legend Rik Mayall in his final television appearance, reciting "The Weatherman".
The critically-acclaimed show will return to Dave from Monday to Thursday at 10pm across two weeks, with eight new and original stories. Crackanory has won a coveted Broadcasting Press Guild Award and been nominated at the Monte Carlo Television Festival, Broadcast Awards and Broadcast Digital Awards.
Live action<|fim_middle|> to deliver inspired channels to audiences through Freeview, Sky, Virgin Media, BT, TalkTalk, YouView, Freesat, Amazon Fire and UKTV Play, and distributes its highly valued original programmes to 200 territories.
Now celebrating its 23rd year at the forefront of digital television, UKTV - an independent commercial joint venture between BBC Worldwide and Scripps Networks Interactive, Inc. (SNI) - is proud to be the only British television broadcaster in The Sunday Times top 100 companies list.
corporate.uktv.co.uk / press.uktv.co.uk / @uktv_press | features throughout the series and stars previous Crackanory actors Steve Oram, Alex Kirk, Rebecca Humphries and Matthew Steer plus brilliant appearances from Ken Collard, Jamie Demetriou, Ritu Ayra and Nicholas Burns. The dark and twisted original stories spawn from some of Britain's best comedy writers including Kevin Eldon, Tony Way, Nico Tatarowicz, Arnold Widdowson, Katherine Jakeways, Sarah Morgan and Toby Davies.
Crackanory, in partnership with Audible, airs for two weeks across Monday to Thursday at 10pm from Monday 30th January
Catch up on all three series on UKTV Play and preview episode one of series four, starring Dara O'Briain, from Monday 23rd January.
For tickets to the Doc Brown live storytelling event on Sunday 29th January please contact Gem Pinkney or Jessica Molyneux
Press pack interviews with all the narrators can be downloaded here
For more information please contact Gem Pinkney or Iain McCallum, Head of Press and PR, Tiger Aspect - IainMccallum@tigeraspect.co.uk
What the press said...
"This anti-Jackanory format keeps getting better, attracting ever more famous readers and giving a platform to sketch writers and comedians who deal in short form gags." The Sunday Times Culture"...delectably creepy tales." Radio Times
"Crackanory is a simple idea executed with skill and off-the-wall-imagination..... The stories which are completely mesmerising, are illustrated with actors and animations." The Times
"Crackanory added deliciously dark twists into its tales for grownups." Metro
Sky 111/246, Virgin 128/194, Freeview 12, BT & TalkTalk 12
On demand on Sky, Virgin and UKTV Play
Dave's had a haircut and shave in recent years as it grows from awkward teenager to fully-fledged commissioner of new and original shows. And it's not just comedy these days but entertainment and even some knock-out live sport. Hit UKTV Original commissions include Taskmaster, Dave Gorman Modern Life is Goodish, Alan Davies: As Yet Untitled and Crackanory, all laden with the biggest names in British comedy. Dave enjoyed critical success with two series of the International Emmy award-winning Hoff the Record, a mockumentary ensemble comedy led by the living legend David Hasselhoff.
As well as home-grown delights Dave also goes stateside, cherry-picking cult US Shows including the sharp-witted and sharp-suited Suits and much-loved Parks and Recreation along with Emmy-nominated The Last Man on Earth. This all contributed to Dave's award win at the 2016 Broadcast Digital Awards for Best Entertainment Channel.
Dave is the UK's most watched non-PSB channel broadcasting to over 27 million people per month, and viewers continue to enjoy the ludicrously addictive American Pickers and UK remake of Storage Hunters. The channel continues to grow its original commissioning slate with political show Unspun With Matt Forde, Red Dwarf XI, Dara O Briain's Go8Bit, fantasy comedy Zapped and Celebrity Storage Hunters airing later this year.
UKTV is the biggest multichannel broadcaster in the UK. The award-winning independent has eleven imaginative brands - UKTV Play, Dave, W, Gold, Alibi, Yesterday, Drama, Really, Home, Eden and Good Food. These include the two most popular non-PSB channels in the UK and account for 9.31% of the British commercial TV market. The company's most recent financial results showed record-breaking year-end revenue of £319m and EBITDA of £82m. It invested £148m in programming and related launches last year, and is becoming an increasingly significant investor in UK creativity.
UKTV has a truly innovative model, curating brand-defining commissions, high-profile acquisitions and the very best of BBC, alongside programmes originally shown on ITV and Channel 4. The network embraces technology | 841 |
'"Children's Hour"' in Series
Tyger's Hart (1951 Radio)
Children's Hour
Peggy Bacon
A television play about William Shakespeare and his family written by David Scott Daniell and produced for broadcasting by Peggy Bacon. Alan Wheatley is Shakespeare. Madrigals sung by boys of George Dixon...
Scenes from 'Richard II' (1949 Radio)
Entertainment programme for children. Scenes from Shakespeare's play are selected and produced as a dramatic reading for radio to help with the Shakespeare set book for School Certificate.<|fim_middle|> written by L. du Garde Peach and produced by Derek McCullough. The plot which encompasses the lives of Burbage, Shakespeare, Francis Drake, and Ben Jonson, touches on themes commonly...
Behind the Curtain (1948 Radio)
In this BBC Children's Hour programme presenter James Pestridge takes two Midland children on a tour of some of Shakespeare's boyhood possible haunts in Stratford-upon-Avon. At the Shakespeare Memorial...
Scenes from 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' (1948 Radio)
Nan MacDonald
In this entertainment programme for children, scenes from Shakespeare's play were selected and produced for radio by Nan MacDonald.
Scenes from Shakespeare's 'Julius Caesar' (1948 Radio)
In this entertainment programme for children, scenes from Shakespeare's play were selected and produced as a dramatic reading for radio by Nan Macdonald to help with the Shakespeare set book for School...
Scenes from Shakespeare's 'The Merchant of Venice' (1946 Radio)
In this entertainment programme for children, scenes from Shakespeare's play were selected and produced for radio. No further information known (4/2008).
Scenes from Shakespeare's 'The Tempest' (1945 Radio)
In this entertainment programme for children, scenes from Shakespeare's play were selected and produced as a dramatic reading for radio by Nan Macdonald. With music by Sibelius (Tempest Suite).
Scenes from 'Twelfth Night' (1945 Radio)
In this entertainment programme for children, scenes from Shakespeare's play were selected and produced for radio. No further information known (11/2008).
Will Shakespeare of Stratford (1938 Radio)
Children's Hour, The
Radio play about Shakespeare written by Lawrence du Garde Peach for the BBC Children's Hour programme. According to the Radio Times programme description, the plot encompasses both young Shakespeare's...
You are currently searching in Shakespeare. Search all the BUFVC's collections for '"Children's Hour"' in All fields. | No further...
Saint George's Day (1948 Radio)
Derek McCulloch
Radio play for children | 24 |
DevraDoWrite
Music, books, good works, and other reasons for living.
A Week of Monday Nights
I love living in California, really I do. But there are moments when I truly wish I could beam myself to New York City just for an evening or three. I would dearly loved to have been at The Village Vanguard every night last week — a whole week of the band now known at the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra is a a rarity. Ever since 1965 this band — then known as The Thad Jones – Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra — has held forth on Monday nights, missing only a few here and there when the band was on tour.
My personal memories of the band don't go back quite that far; I became acquainted with the band about five years in. I loved to descend those steep stairs into the smoky basement club. It was always crowded, the band barely fit on the tiny stage, and the music filled the room so, that you thought it would bust through the walls and spill up into the street. I remember the plaintive sounds of Bob Brookmeyer's arrangement of Willow Weep for Me<|fim_middle|>007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005
GalleyCat
Jazz Lives
JazzWax
JerryJazzMusician
Overgrown Path
Rifftides
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DevraDoWrite Proudly powered by WordPress | , and a tune called Pensive Miss that, being a brooding teenager, I felt was written just for me. I listened to old timers Cliff Heather and Butterball Jackson mix it up with a young woman named Janice Robinson in trombone section. The saxes I recall included Jerry Dodgion, Pepper Adams, Billy Harper and Jimmy Heath, with Thad Jones standing just inches in front of them waving his arms like no conductor I had ever seen before. He played the band as if it were as much an extension of his being as was his own flugelhorn. The high note of the trumpets was the band's youngest member, a kid named Jon Faddis on whom I had a tremendous crush, and there was a girl singer, just starting out, who sang two songs each set. Thad knew this young lady was destined for success…and he was right about Dee Dee Bridgewater.
My favorite male singer has always been Joe Williams. I never got to hear him sing live with the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra, but one of my favorite recordings from the days of yore was an early morning session they did with Joe in 1966. When I say early morning, I don't mean the wee small hours — which might have been preferable as the band had been playing the night before until one or two o'clock in the morning. With a recording session just a few hours off, most of them didn't bother to go home. They just hung out, had few drinks, ate some breakfast and showed up at the studio ready to play some more. Presenting Joe Williams & Thad Jones/Mel Lewis was originally recorded live in the studio to a 4-track machine for Solid State records; Blue Note Records reissued it on CD in 1994. Reviewer Scott Yanow wrote,
"Many of the selections (half of which have been in the singer's repertoire ever since) are given definitive treatment on this set (particularly a humorous "Evil Man Blues," "Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You," and "Smack Dab in the Middle"), and Williams scats at his best on "It Don't Mean a Thing." Get this one."
If Dee Dee had recorded with the band, I would send you right out to get that one too; alas, not. But if you are not yet acquainted with this lady's talents, you should check her out. Try Keeping Tradition, an album full of mostly standards recorded in 1992, or Live at Yoshi's which was recorded in 1998 though not released until 2000.
And don't forget the band! The tradition lives on, so if you're ever in New York on a Monday night, give yourself a present and catch the band at The Village Vanguard.
Author Devra Hall LevyPosted on May 16, 2005 June 2, 2005 Categories I'm All Ears, Jazz Ears
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Jewel is my 100 pound rescue dog, a mix breed consisting of Rottweiler, Sheppard, and perhaps a bit of Chow. Jewel is a beautiful, happy, and sweet dog; however, she unfortunately suffers from many health issues. When we first met Melanie, Jewel was recovering from spinal surgery that was performed less than 3<|fim_middle|> and graduated, and currently still attend training. Due to Cooper's behavior, and my Veterinarian not wanting to put him on medication, it was suggested that I might speak with Ms Melanie of Serenity Pet Massage. I was very skeptical but definitely at the end of my rope. After Cooper's third session with Ms Melanie, we began to notice signs of improvement. He is more receptive to petting and love from his family and others. He seems more relaxed and an overall happier dog. We are very grateful for Serenity Pet Massage and Ms Melanie. | weeks before. Jewel could not walk on her back legs and her left leg had no feeling in it whatsoever. Jewel was going to rehab everyday which consisted of acupuncture, electrical stimulation, cold laser, and physical therapy massage just on her back legs. While Jewel was being a trooper through all of this, she still did not seem comfortable enough to get restful sleep - which was important to assist with her recovery from surgery. Then we were fortunate enough to meet Melanie.
Before Jewel's massage began, Melanie patiently listened to all of Jewel's medical history which also includes corrective knee surgery (TPLO) on both knees and severe hip dysplasia in both hips. It was easy to explain all of this considering Melanie is a certified Vet Tech with over 30 years of experience. Then to begin the massage, Melanie and I lifted Jewel onto the very soft and comfortable massage table. Melanie turned off the lights and turned on very soothing music. At first Jewel was uncertain about what was going on, but as Melanie started to rub soothingly, Jewel started to relax. Within 10 minutes Jewel was asleep and more relaxed than I had seen her in weeks! Melanie took her time to ensure each part of Jewel's body was massaged thoroughly, and Melanie proceeded very carefully around Jewel's incision in her back. Jewel let out some significant sighs of relief when Melanie worked out a particularly tight area. I know that Jewel was disappointed when Melanie was finished as she didn't want to wake up and get down off the table. I think Jewel would have let Melanie go on all day!
The night after Melanie's massage, Jewel slept soundly and peacefully. It was the first night that we both got to sleep through the night since I brought her home after surgery. It was wonderful!!! Jewel noticeably moved around better the next day, and her spirits had improved as well. Jewel is walking more and more on her right leg now that some of the "kinks" are out. Her left leg is still lagging a bit, but it has shown improvement and increased feeling after the massage as well. I can't fully express how much this experience really helped with Jewel's healing. Melanie has a wonderful gift, and I can't thank her enough for sharing it with us. Jewel and I cannot wait for the next massage!
My 7 year old male Boston Terrier was recently diagnosed with cervical issues. He could not lie in his favorite position (on his belly, like a frog) while holding a stuffed animal. He could only sleep and find comfort on his side. He was also exhibiting intermittent lameness and lethargy. With only one 50 minute massage, he is able to lie in his favorite position and is very "frisky" and playful! I do not know who is more anxious for the next massage; me or Cole!
I have a Golden Retriever that is one year old and continues to lack confidence, is easily frustrated, and is a very reactive dog. We attended a puppy starter class | 609 |
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yen0axx2qCc[/embedyt]
The Islamic call to prayer can be heard to begin around 17 seconds into the video clip and ending around the 4:13 min mark. According to the Sunni version of the call, which is officially called Adhan, the Muezzin recited the following while Francis was speaking (based on Wikipedia):
"Allah is the greatest." (4 times) "I acknowledge that there is no god but Allah." (2 times) "I acknowledge that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah." (2 times) "Hasten to prayer." (2 times) "Hasten to success." (2 times) "Allah is greatest." (2 times) "There is no god but Allah." (1 time)
Of course, when Francis says things like, "We venerate the Holy Cross", he is lying through his teeth. The truth is, as he has demonstrated time and time again, that he preaches not the true Gospel of Jesus Christ but the false gospel of man, as we just proved once more in a recent post. He encourages Muslims to continue to be Muslims, and even in his very speech to clergy and seminarians today, he implied that the schismatic and heretical so-called Orthodox are part of the true Church: "I am pleased to greet you, the priests and consecrated men and women of the small Catholic flock in Egypt, as the 'leaven' which God is preparing for this blessed land, so that, together with our Orthodox brothers and sisters, his Kingdom may increase in this place" (source). This is heresy -- although it fits perfectly what he said a few months ago when he proclaimed that converting the Orthodox is a "great sin against ecumenism". Francis has been busy preaching not conversion to Jesus Christ in His true Church as the only way of salvation (cf. Jn 14:6; Heb 11:6; 1 Tim 3:15), but a false gospel where we all supposedly worship the same god, and the highest good is peace in this world and food for the hungry. It is the "coexist" gospel, where individual conscience reigns supreme, all who mean well go to Heaven, and the greatest evil in the world is the unemployment of the youth and the loneliness of the elderly. Well, at least now Francis knows what his false coexist gospel sounds like in Egypt. Image source: Wikimedia Commons License: public domainSame old bunk, different location...
The Francis Show in Egypt
From Apr. 28-29, 2017, the man who likes to see himself called the "Pope of Peace" visited Egypt in order to preach the Gospel the Masonic doctrines of natural brotherhood, dialogue, and encounter to the people there. If you missed it, you didn't -- miss anything, that is. It was a rerun of the same old show, simply adapted to a different setting. Francis gave his usual speeches regurgitating insufferable, lowest-common-denominator Naturalist and ecumenical platitudes before an interreligious audience. Not surprisingly, Francis brought up his heretical concept of an "ecumenism of blood" once again.
The logo of the trip, displayed above, tells the story well enough: "Coexist" is the message, Christianity and Islam are basically just two flavors of the same religion adoring the same God, and peace is the highest good because this earthly life is, de facto, all that matters. We had already lambasted this heretical and blasphemous logo back in March:
Official Logo for Francis Visit to Egypt puts Christian Cross on par with Mohammedan Crescent
Below you will find plenty of links to all the essential content regarding this "Apostolic Journey" to Egypt, and then some.
Official Vatican Links
Official Itinerary & Schedule of Francis' Visit to Egypt
Francis' Speeches
Remarks to Press on Flight to Cairo
Speech to Participants of International Peace Conference at Al-Azhar University
Address to Government Authorities and the Diplomatic Corps
Address of Francis to Heretico-Schismatic Coptic Leader Tawadros II
Document: Common Declaration on Baptism signed by Francis & Tawadros II
Impromptu Remarks to Young People
Sermon given during "Holy Mass" on Apr. 29
Speech during Meeting & Prayer with Clergy, Religious, and Seminarians
Q&A with Press on Return Flight to Rome
Visit to Egyptian President and to the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar
Meeting with participants of the International Conference on Peace
Meeting with Political and Civil Authorities
Visit to Tawadros II with Ecumenical Prayer & Signing of Common Declaration
Novus Ordo Worship Service - "Holy Mass"
Prayer Meeting with Clergy, Religious and Seminarians
Farewell Ceremony
Background to Francis' Egypt Visit
"The Egypt of Pope Francis, Between Reality and Fantasy" (Sandro Magister)
"The Pope heads to Egypt to defend Islam" (Robert Spencer)
"Pope to Egyptians: Let papal visit be sign of friendship, peace" (Catholic News Service)
"Pope in Egypt: Strengthening weary Christians, reaching out to all" (Catholic News Service)
"Past popes combated the errors of Muhammad. Francis praises them" (Spectator)
"Francis goes to Egypt" (Commonweal)
"Find out what Pope Francis' Trip to Egypt means" (Salt + Light)
"Pope Francis on Friday begins brief but dicey trip to Egypt" (Crux)
"Pope Francis faces another delicate — and dangerous — task in Egypt trip" (Religion News Service)
"Francis, a Dhimmi on the Chair of Peter" (Maureen Mullarkey) Caution: Immodesty
"Pope Francis sends video message ahead of Egypt visit" (Vatican Radio)
Facepalm Alert...
A "Revolution of Tenderness": Francis delivers Video Message to TED Conference
No matter what happens in the world, you can bet your bottom dollar that "Pope Francis" (Jorge Bergoglio) has something to say about it. (Unless it's the 100th anniversary of the death of Pope Saint Pius X, then Francis mysteriously falls silent.) Thus, the "Pope" sent a video message to the 2017 TED conference in Vancouver, Canada. The meeting was held from Apr. 24-28 under the vacuous motto, "The Future You", so it was clear that the world's most talkative Jesuit would be tempted to contribute his own Naturalist tripe to the conference. And boy, did he! Almost maxing out the TED talk time limit of 18 minutes, Francis graced his hapless listeners with the usual blather about inclusion, encounter, solidarity, and all the rest, culminating in an idiotic call for a "revolution of tenderness"! The video can be watched here:
The "Pope" spoke in Italian, but transcripts are available in numerous different languages, including English, at the following link:
"Why the only Future worth building includes Everyone" (TED Talk 2017)
There is no need for you to slog through it -- we have already done that for you. Below you will find the most -- shall we say -- "notable" quotes from Francis' video message (keep in mind that the world out there believes this man is the head of the Roman Catholic Church, the successor of St. Peter, the Vicar of Jesus Christ):
"[T]he future is made of you's, it is made of encounters, because life flows through our relations with others." "I, myself, was born in a family of migrants; my father, my grandparents, like many other Italians, left for Argentina and met the fate of those who are left with nothing. I could have very well ended up among today's 'discarded' people. And that's why I always ask myself, deep in my heart: 'Why them and not me?'" "Happiness can only be discovered as a gift of harmony between the whole and each single component." "Only by educating people to a true solidarity will we be able to overcome the 'culture of waste,' which doesn't concern only food and goods but, first and foremost, the people who are cast aside by our techno-economic systems which, without even realizing it, are now putting products at their core, instead of people." "To Christians, the future does have a name, and its name is Hope. Feeling hopeful does not mean to be optimistically naïve and ignore the tragedy humanity is facing. Hope is the virtue of a heart that doesn't lock itself into darkness, that doesn't dwell on the past, does not simply get by in the present, but is able to see a tomorrow. Hope is the door that opens onto the future. Hope is a humble, hidden seed of lifethat, with time, will develop into a large tree. It is like some invisible yeast that allows the whole dough to grow, that brings flavor to all aspects of life. And it can do so much, because a tiny flicker of light that feeds on hope is enough to shatter the shield of darkness. A single individual is enough for hope to exist,and that individual can be you. And then there will be another 'you,' and another 'you,' and it turns into an 'us.' And so, does hope begin when we have an 'us?' No. Hope began with one 'you.' When there is an 'us,' there begins a revolution." "The third message I would like to share today is, indeed, about revolution: the revolution of tenderness.And what is tenderness? It is the love that comes close and becomes real. It is a movement that starts from our heart and reaches the eyes, the ears and the hands. Tenderness means to use our eyes to see the other, our ears to hear the other, to listen to the children, the poor, those who are afraid of the future. To listen also to the silent cry of our common home, of our sick and polluted earth. Tenderness means to use our hands and our heart to comfort the other, to take care of those in need." "This is tenderness: being on the same level as the other. God himself descended into Jesus to be on our level." "But the future is, most of all, in the hands of those people who recognize the other as a 'you' and themselves as part of an 'us.' We all need each other." "And so, please, think of me as well with tenderness, so that I can fulfill the task I have been given for the good of the other, of each and every one, of all of you, of all of us."
[We pause for a moment as your head hits the desk.] In Francis' message, the word "tenderness" made a record number of appearances. During the last 5 minutes of the video, he managed to mention it 11 times. His ghostwriter -- the "bishop" who once wrote a book on the art of kissing -- must be proud. As always, so too in this talk, Francis' emphasis is entirely on man, on people, never on God. Yes, he does invoke our Blessed Lord several times in this talk, but only as a prop for his gospel of man. The core of Francis' message might as well have been delivered by the Dalai Lama, the U.N. Secretary General, or the Grand Master of any Masonic Lodge. There is nothing distinctively Catholic about it at all. In fact, Francis' twaddle sounds eerily like the existentialism of the Jewish philosopher Martin Buber (1878-1965), who "worked upon the premise of existence as encounter" (Wikipedia). Buber's most famous work, entitled I and Thou, argues that "human life finds its meaningfulness in relationships" (Wikipedia), which is basically the thesis Francis promotes in his glorious TED video message. At World Youth Day 2016 in Cracow, Francis told a multitude of youngsters to be a "new humanity" -- not, mind you, a humanity regenerated in the grace of Jesus Christ (cf. Ez 36:25-27; Jn 3:5; Gal 6:15; Eph 4:20-24; 1 Cor 5:7; 2 Cor 5:17), but rather the same old natural humanity that, however, now "rejects hatred between peoples, one that refuses to see borders as barriers and can cherish its own traditions without being self-centred or small-minded" (Homily at Campus Misericordiae, July 31, 2016). By contrast, Pope St. Pius X set out to restore all things in Christ (cf. Eph 1:10), meaning, to convert all to Christ so that Christ would be all and in all (cf. Col 3:11). He laid out his program in his inaugural encyclical, E Supremi (1903), in which he made clear that his only interest was the interest of God, which is, first and foremost, His glory and the salvation of souls:
Some will certainly be found who, measuring Divine things by human standards will seek to discover secret aims of Ours, distorting them to an earthly scope and to partisan designs. To eliminate all vain delusions for such, We say to them with emphasis that We do not wish to be, and with the Divine assistance never shall be aught before human society but the Minister of God, of whose authority We are the depositary. The interests of God shall be Our interest, and for these We are resolved to spend all Our strength and Our very life. Hence, should anyone ask Us for a symbol as the expression of Our will, We will give this and no other: "To renew all things in Christ." (Pope Pius X, Encyclical E Supremi, n. 4)
Francis seeks to restore all things in man, not in Christ. His message is not spiritual and heavenly but carnal and mundane. His concern is for a merely natural happiness, found in a world where religious differences are of no genuine importance, and all men simply live in peace and harmony, overcoming strife and conflict, hunger, and misery by means of encounter, dialogue, solidarity, and all the rest of the familiar Bergoglian buzzwords. To be clear: It is not wrong to seek peace, end hunger, or stamp out disease -- of course not. In fact, these are things every true follower of Christ must work towards (cf. 1 Jn 3:17; Mt 25:31-46; 2 Cor 13:11; Rom 12:20). But the point is that such earthly goals, however laudable in themselves, are not the ultimate aim for a Catholic, much less for a Pope. There is something much more serious and more lasting than the natural, temporal world -- there is eternity, and it is for eternity that we were created. All of us will be in eternity at one point, and we will spend it either separated from God or in possession of God. The former will mean eternal misery; the latter will be everlasting bliss. Hence, all we do on earth must be ordered towards the attainment of this eternal happiness with God, which is called the Beatific Vision. That is what ought to be Francis' essential concern, not the world's carbon output or a laundry service for the homeless. Living peacefully in this world is not the purpose of our existence. We may satisfy hunger on this planet for ever, but Christ told us not to labor "for the meat which perisheth, but for that which endureth unto life everlasting" (Jn 6:27). We may have clean water for all, but "[w]hosoever drinketh of this water, shall thirst again; but he that shall drink of the water that I will give him, shall not thirst for ever" (Jn 4:13). We may rid ourselves of all diseases and physical evils, but death is still sure to come: "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, and after this the judgment" (Heb 9:27). Is Francis preparing the world for God's judgment by preaching the true Gospel to men? He is not. In fact, he is on record telling people not to worry about the Last Judgment! Not only is Francis driving souls towards hell through his false gospel, he is also, ironically, causing great sorrow even in this world because he is setting people up to fail, and this will drive them to despair. Naturalist means will never bring about peace, and the history of the world proves it. Yet Francis is giving people hope about a project that is guaranteed to fail, if for no other reason than that before long it will necessarily end in death: "For what things a man shall sow, those also shall he reap. For he that soweth in his flesh, of the flesh also shall reap corruption. But he that soweth in the spirit, of the spirit shall reap life everlasting" (Gal 6:8). Is Francis distributing seeds of corruption or seeds of everlasting life? The answer is manifest. On the other hand, those who preach the true, supernatural Gospel of Jesus Christ thereby also help bring about true peace even in this world. For men to be able to enjoy true and lasting peace, divine grace is needed, and grace is essentially supernatural. All grace derives from the merits of our Blessed Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ: "And of his fulness we all have received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses; grace and truth came by Jesus Christ" (Jn 1:16-17). This is why Pope Pius XI taught:
...true peace, the peace of Christ, is impossible unless we are willing and ready to accept the fundamental principles of Christianity, unless we are willing to observe the teachings and obey the law of Christ, both in public and private life. If this were done, then society being placed at last on a sound foundation, the Church would be able, in the exercise of its divinely given ministry and by means of the teaching authority which results therefrom, to protect all the rights of God over men and nations. It is possible to sum up all We have said in one word, "the Kingdom of Christ." For Jesus Christ reigns over the minds of individuals by His teachings, in their hearts by His love, in each one's life by the living according to His law and the imitating of His example. Jesus reigns over the family when it, modeled after the holy ideals of the sacrament of matrimony instituted by Christ, maintains unspotted its true character of sanctuary. In such a sanctuary of love, parental authority is fashioned after the authority of God, the Father, from Whom, as a matter of fact, it originates and after which even it is named. (Ephesians iii, 15) The obedience of the children imitates that of the Divine Child of Nazareth, and the whole family life is inspired by the sacred ideals of the Holy Family. Finally, Jesus Christ reigns over society when men recognize and reverence the sovereignty of Christ, when they accept the divine origin and control over all social forces, a recognition which is the basis of the right to command for those in authority and of the duty to obey for those who are subjects, a duty which cannot but ennoble all who live up to its demands. Christ reigns where the position in society which He Himself has assigned to His Church is recognized, for He bestowed on the Church the status and the constitution of a society which, by reason of the perfect ends which it is called upon to attain, must be held to be supreme in its own sphere; He also made her the depository and interpreter of His divine teachings, and, by consequence, the teacher and guide of every other society whatsoever, not of course in the sense that she should abstract in the least from their authority, each in its own sphere supreme, but that she should really perfect their authority, just as divine grace perfects human nature, and should give to them the assistance necessary for men to attain their true final end, eternal happiness, and by that very fact make them the more deserving and certain promoters of their happiness here below. It is, therefore, a fact which cannot be questioned that the true peace of Christ can only exist in the Kingdom of Christ -- "the peace of Christ in the Kingdom of Christ." It is no less unquestionable that, in doing all we can to bring about the re-establishment of Christ's kingdom, we will be working most effectively toward a lasting world peace. Pius X in taking as his motto "To restore all things in Christ" was inspired from on High to lay the foundations of that "work of peace" which became the program and principal task of Benedict XV. These two programs of Our Predecessors We desire to unite in one -- the re-establishment of the Kingdom of Christ by peace in Christ -- "the peace of Christ in the Kingdom of Christ." With might and main We shall ever strive to bring about this peace, putting Our trust in God, Who when He called Us to the Chair of Peter, promised that the divine assistance would never fail Us. (Pope Pius XI, Encyclical Ubi Arcano, nn. 47-49)
When we read these beautiful words of Pius XI, we can see clearly how different of a gospel is being preached by the Vatican II Church. Have you ever heard Francis speak about "protect[ing] all the rights of God over men and nations"? No? That's because he doesn't give a hoot about God and His rights! All he cares about is the rights of man, and now perhaps also of the planet, but certainly not the rights of the One who made man and the world in the first place! But, as Pope Leo XIII so memorably remarked: "The world has heard enough of the so-called 'rights of man.' Let it hear something of the rights of God" (Encyclical Tametsi Futura, n. 13). Thus, if the true Gospel is preached and sinners are converted, not only are souls saved for eternity, but genuine peace is made possible even for this temporal world: "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, do I give unto you" (Jn 14:27). In his video message, Francis lamented "the silent cry of our common home", by which he meant "our sick and polluted earth." The truth, however, is that this planet is not our home, it is merely a temporary dwelling. Our true home is Heaven; for we were created for Heaven and not for the world. This was clearly pointed out by none other than St. Francis of Assisi, the very saint whom "Pope" Francis falsely uses as a prop for his Laudato Sii environmental nonsense. In his beautiful meditation for the Fourteenth Station of the Cross, St. Francis of Assisi prays:
O Jesus, Thou hast set me apart from the world; what, then, shall I seek therein? Thou hast created me for heaven; what, then, have I to do with the world? Depart from me, deceitful world, with Thy vanities! Henceforth I will follow the way of the cross traced out for me by my Redeemer, and journey onward to my heavenly home, there to dwell for ever and ever. (St. Francis of Assisi, The Way of the Cross, Fourteenth Station; from General Catholic Devotions)
What a contrast to the mundane tripe promoted by Bergoglio! Francis focuses all his energies on this world because he is of the world. Fitting are the words of St. John the Evangelist here: "They are of the world: therefore of the world they speak, and the world heareth them" (1 Jn 4:5). The true disciples of Jesus Christ, however, are not of the world, merely in it: "I have given them thy word, and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world; as I also am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldst take them out of the world, but that thou shouldst keep them from evil" (Jn 17:14-15). To lend support to his false earthly gospel, Francis is even willing to grossly distort the Incarnation of our Blessed Lord. He does so by reducing it, like everything else, to the natural. He wants us to think that God became man in order to show solidarity with us by subjecting Himself to the human condition. While this is certainly an aspect or effect of the Incarnation, it is not its main purpose at all, which is supernatural: God became man in order to redeem the human race. As God, Jesus Christ was able to redeem it, offering an infinite propitiatory Sacrifice to appease the Most Holy Trinity. As man, Jesus Christ was able to redeem the human race. It is this mysterious union of the divine and human natures of our Lord in one Divine Person that is beautifully prophesied in the Old Testament: "Drop down dew, ye heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain the just: let the earth be opened, and bud forth a saviour..." (Is 45:8). The Second Person of the Trinity took on a human nature in order to redeem us from sin and save us from hell! Here we see that the true significance and beauty of the Incarnation infinitely excels Francis' soup kitchen gospel! Francis' constant promotion of Naturalism demonstrates that he does not believe in original sin and its effects upon man. But if there is no original sin (and thus also no actual sin), then neither is there any need for the Redemption. Robert Zollitsch, the former "archbishop" of Freiburg, Germany, had already figured out as much, and so in a televised interview on Good Friday 2009 he explicitly denied that Christ died to render a sin-atoning Sacrifice to the Father, claiming instead that our Blessed Lord wanted to show solidarity with our misery and died on the Cross in order to offer all our suffering and death to the Father. Slowly but surely, the Vatican II Modernists are dissolving every Christian dogma. They are working hard to prepare the way for the Antichrist: "And every spirit that dissolveth Jesus, is not of God: and this is Antichrist, of whom you have heard that he cometh, and he is now already in the world" (1 Jn 4:3). Some people may wonder why, if Francis is so evil, he nevertheless says and does many nice and good things and enjoys great popularity. To answer this question, we need but recall the warning of St. Paul the Apostle: "Satan himself transformeth himself into an angel of light" (2 Cor 11:14). Francis is so dangerous because he casts souls into hell with a smile and a kiss, a caress and a hug (cf. Lk 12:5). Does this surprise you? It shouldn't: The forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden was pleasant to behold, after all; the glutton succumbs to food that tastes good; the philanderer lusts after beautiful women. Sin is committed because it presents itself as attractive. Thus, the nature of seduction lies precisely in making evil look good. This is why St. Paul warned St. Timothy that there would "be a time, when they will not endure sound doctrine; but, according to their own desires, they will heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears" (2 Tim 4:3). Never has this prophecy been fulfilled more clearly than in our own time. So "Pope" Francis has challenged the world to a "revolution of tenderness." Who would have ever thought that the Great Apostasy would turn out to be so idiotic?Time to see the elephant in the living room...
Anything but Sedevacantism! Analysis of a curious Phenomenon
We have said a number of times on this blog that in the world of the semi-traditionalists, the blind are leading the blind. This is not just rhetoric, it simply describes reality. Whether it be people arguing that there is no point to having the correct diagnosis of a problem if one does not have the cure -- as though a correct diagnosis were not at least the indispensable starting point for any remedial action; whether it be Christopher Ferrara promoting the idea of an "Anti-Catholic Pope"; whether it be one blogger's argument that the Pope need not be submitted to "if he's an idiot"; or whether it be "Bp." Athanasius Schneider's bizarre thesis that while being in union with the Pope one could nevertheless be in schism with Christ: No thesis is too absurd or anti-Catholic for adherents of the recognize-and-resist position not to entertain it as a possible explanation for the current state of the Church, as long as that thesis does not require them to hold the position that the Vatican II Church is not the true Catholic Church and its head is not a valid Catholic Pope (commonly known as "Sedevacantism"). On July 10, 2016, we published a post entitled, "The Trouble with Jorge: Semi-Trads at the Breaking Point". Since then, things have only gotten worse -- lots worse -- for people who try to be good and faithful Catholics but nevertheless accept the world's worst apostate as the Vicar of Christ and remain inside an ostensibly Catholic establishment which, however, opposes Catholic Faith, morals, and piety at every turn. Why is it that so many people are bending over backwards to avoid the sedevacantist position? In early 2015, Fr. Anthony Cekada spoke of an unreasonable fear of Sedevacantism in the semi-traditionalist camp, which was, of course, immediately denied by people of that persuasion. But this veritable phobia of Sedevacantism -- we may want to term it "sedevacantophobia" -- is anything but illusory. Even if we do not want to term it a phobia, it is nevertheless, quite objectively, an unreasonable systematic and compulsive refusal to consider Sedevacantism as even so much as a possibility to explain the situation in the Catholic Church today. Anything but that! appears to be the battle cry of the semi-traditionalists in this respect.
The Latest Idea: Practical Sedevacantism
Anything indeed, as we already saw above, and as exemplified in the recent post "Stand Fast. The Storm Will Break", found on the One Peter Five web site. It was written by Steve Skojec, who argues for a practical (but not theoretical!) Sedevacantism as the right position to take. It is this post we will now examine. That is, we will touch upon those parts of Skojec's article that are particularly troublesome and are virtually "begging", as it were, for a sedevacantist reply. The first such part is a comment written by a One Peter Five reader who identifies himself as "Theodosius". Skojec quotes it at length and quite approvingly:
I think really for all intents and purposes we must be practical sedevacantists. I myself am not one formally, but the daily business of working out our salvation and picking up the pieces of faith and moving on is one which must decidedly exclude any place for Francis in our lives, other than the nod that he is the one in Peter's see. With John Paul II I could spin most of what he said as orthodox. Much the same with Benedict XVI. But this guy…I got nothing. And so all I can do is render him nothing in my life. For me, the see is empty practically speaking because it is devoid of what ought to be there – orthodox catholic leadership. It really is up to us finding good priests on our own, if possible, and God bless the small remnant who can find a Catholic Bishop in America who stands by tradition. There are a few, but not in my life. The See may be possessed physically, but my heart is vacant, devoid of any earthly shepherd and must rely on the one true shepherd and bishop of our souls. I don't know whether to thank God that I have lived to see such times or to curse the darkness for the confusion it rains upon millions who want to be of goodwill. I don't know whether I will ever see the Church restored to her former glory, or if I am doomed to watch the bishops all topple like bowling pins, the fall of each spinning and knocking over his fellows. When did we imagine that we would look upon a Pope and wish that God would take him from our lives? When did we imagine that we would cringe to hear the voice of Peter, knowing it was Judas, fearing to say it aloud. This is what it must have been like to be gathered around the campfire in the courtyard on that dark night, knowing Peter, waiting for him to defend his master, and to hear him not once, not twice but three times deny the man he swore he would die for. "Get behind me Satan, for you are an obstacle to me." Get behind me Francis. You are an obstacle to me. Your thoughts are not his thoughts neither are your ways his ways. I want to be Catholic and you want me to sing the praises of Luther, I want to be Catholic and you would hand me over to the Greeks, I want to be Catholic and you will not genuflect before the eucharist, I want to be Catholic and you curse the Roman Rite, you mock the faithful, you call us heretics, you open the doors of heaven to unrepentant Jews and grant the grace of baptism to those who have separated themselves from Holy Mother Church. What have I to do with you? And what can you be to me? How can I help but be tempted to declare the see vacant when you have vacated Christ? What is there in you or the exercise of your office that would inspire the faithful to greater fidelity? But sweetest Christ, though you hang dead upon the cross, lifeless in the arms of your mother I believe, I believe, I believe and confess that there is no flesh but this flesh that will grant us life, that there is no body but this which will be our salvation and that only in the tear stained face of your Immaculate Mother will my tears find their purpose. (Comment of "Theodosius" at One Peter Five, Apr. 2, 2017)
Rarely has the absurdity of the recognize-and-resist position been manifested more vividly than in this comment. We are not concerned here with the commenter himself, who is no doubt a good-willed, pious man who is completely lost in the confusion engendered by the Vatican II Sect on the one hand, and the propaganda of the false opposition (such as the SSPX) on the other. But personal culpability considerations of the commenter aside, the position he lays out must be exposed for the utter anti-Catholic nonsense it is, especially because a lot of non-sedevacantists think, or at least act, in much the same fashion. First, it is relieving to see that someone is finally willing to admit what Fr. Anthony Cekada has been saying for a long time: The recognize-and-resist people are sedevacantists in practice. Indeed they are. The problem is, however, that to be a sedevacantist in practice while verbally acknowledging Francis as Pope, does grave violence to the Catholic teaching on the Papacy, precisely because "Pope" is not simply an honorary title with no substantial meaning (as in Theodosius' mere "nod that he is the one in Peter's see"), as though nothing of consequence followed from holding the papal office. Indeed, to ascribe the Papacy to someone is to affirm of him all that Catholic doctrine affirms of the Papacy -- and that is a lot more than simply the charism of infallibility when making ex cathedra statements, as we will see shortly. So, beware, Theodosius: Your "nod" has consequences! Secondly, if, as the commenter notes, the Holy See "is devoid of what ought to be there – orthodox catholic leadership", then he must conclude that the Holy See is vacant. He must conclude this because it follows with strict logical necessity from what the Church teaches about the Papacy and his own admitted premise that there is currently no Catholic leadership there. It seems that people often do not realize how serious these matters are. They act as though they could just play around with Catholic doctrine and simply "do their own thing", as it were, as long as they pay lipservice to the belief that Francis is the Vicar of Christ. And where does this carefree attitude come from? It comes from their totally unreasonable but nevertheless firmly-held first premise, which is always that Sedevacantism cannot be admitted. And there we see it in action: that veritable phobia of Sedevacantism. Reducing the Papacy to meaninglessness? Not a problem! Saying that Jorge Bergoglio isn't the Vicar of Christ? Perish the thought! And yet, which of these two alternatives is incompatible with Catholic teaching? Does Theodosius really think that Catholic teaching on the Papacy consists, essentially, in nothing more than a "nod" of verbal affirmation that a particular man is Pope? Was Pope Boniface VIII talking about a mere nod when he proclaimed that submission to the Pope is necessary for salvation? "Furthermore, we declare, say, define, and proclaim to every human creature that they by necessity for salvation are entirely subject to the Roman Pontiff" (Bull Unam Sanctam; Denz. 469).
Resistance Clergy to the Rescue
The commenter then proceeds to state: "It really is up to us finding good priests on our own, if possible...." Of course, what constitutes a good priest is ultimately left to each self-styled "traditionalist" to decide. Which is not to say that an arbitrary or self-serving standard would be used; but no matter what standard is chosen, it will certainly not be the traditional Catholic standard, namely, that the priest be in submission to and good standing with the Holy See:
For any man to be able to prove his Catholic faith and affirm that he is truly a Catholic, he must be able to convince the Apostolic See of this. For this See is predominant and with it the faithful of the whole Church should agree. And the man who abandons the See of Peter can only be falsely confident that he is in the Church. As a result, that man is already a schismatic and a sinner who establishes a see in opposition to the unique See of the blessed Peter from which the rights of sacred communion derive for all men. (Pope Pius IX, Encyclical Quartus Supra, n. 8)
In the same encyclical, Pope Pius IX adds that in order to be considered an orthodox Catholic, a man must "hasten to satisfy the Roman See before all others. For when this See has been satisfied, all men everywhere will join in declaring him pious and orthodox" for the simple reason that only "the Apostolic See has been granted the command, authority and power of binding and loosing for all God's holy churches in the entire world" (St. Maximus; qtd. by Pius IX, Encyclical Quartus Supra, n. 9). And if this applies to any Catholic, how much more does it apply to priests! The recognize-and-resist camp has plenty of its own alternate "approved clergy", if you will, and it is to them that people submit rather than to what they verbally affirm to be the Pope and the Holy See. Thus, for example, we have the SSPX-affiliated Fr. Albert Kallio, O.P., who is apparently now the go-to priest to give theological direction to followers of the Fatima Center and is part of their advisory council of priests (see p. 29 here). Currently replacing the late "Fr." Nicholas Gruner in his "Ask Father" role, Fr. Albert answers questions about the usual recognize-and-resist topics, such as what to think of Novus Ordo annulments or whether SSPX sacraments are valid and licit. Of course, people are expected to prefer Fr. Albert's judgment over that of the "Pope" (remember, diabolical disorientation!). Because they affirm that Francis is Pope, they think they are not judging the Pope! Yet, the contrary is true: They are subjectively guilty precisely of judging the Pope because they adhere to their own judgment and dismiss the one of the man they insist is a true and legitimate Pope! However, the First Vatican Council taught: "...the judgment of the Apostolic See, whose authority is not surpassed, is to be disclaimed by no one, nor is anyone permitted to pass judgment on its judgment" (Denz. 1830). So it is actually they who are "judging the Pope", not sedevacantists. (A detailed treatment of this whole "judging the Pope issue" can be found here.) On the other hand, if the "Holy See" happens to agree with their position on something, it is invoked as an authority to be followed. This charade has the tail wagging the dog!
St. Peter or Judas? The Difference it makes
Returning to the commenter Theodosius, we observe that he proceeds to utter -- unwittingly, no doubt, but no less egregiously -- an incredible blasphemy, asking rhetorically: "When did we imagine that we would cringe to hear the voice of Peter, knowing it was Judas, fearing to say it aloud?" Such a scenario is entirely at odds with the traditional Catholic teaching on the Papacy, which we must now quote at some length:
This chair [of Peter] is the center of Catholic truth and unity, that is, the head, mother, and teacher of all the Churches to which all honor and obedience must be offered. Every church must agree with it because of its greater preeminence — that is, those people who are in all respects faithful…. Now you know well that the most deadly foes of the Catholic religion have always waged a fierce war, but without success, against this Chair; they are by no means ignorant of the fact that religion itself can never totter and fall while this Chair remains intact, the Chair which rests on the rock which the proud gates of hell cannot overthrow and in which there is the whole and perfect solidity of the Christian religion. Therefore, because of your special faith in the Church and special piety toward the same Chair of Peter, We exhort you to direct your constant efforts so that the faithful people of France may avoid the crafty deceptions and errors of these plotters and develop a more filial affection and obedience to this Apostolic See. Be vigilant in act and word, so that the faithful may grow in love for this Holy See, venerate it, and accept it with complete obedience; they should execute whatever the See itself teaches, determines, and decrees. (Pope Pius IX, Encyclical Inter Multiplices, nn. 1,7; underlining added.) In the Catholic Church Christianity is incarnate. It identifies itself with that perfect, spiritual, and, in its own order, sovereign society, which is the mystical body of Jesus Christ and which has for its visible head the Roman Pontiff, successor of the Prince of the Apostles. It is the continuation of the mission of the Saviour, the daughter and the heiress of His redemption. It has preached the Gospel, and has defended it at the price of its blood, and strong in the Divine assistance, and of that immortality which have been promised it, it makes no terms with error, but remains faithful to the commands which it has received to carry the doctrine of Jesus Christ to the uttermost limits of the world and to the end of time and to protect it in its inviolable integrity. (Pope Leo XIII, Apostolic Letter Annum Ingressi; underlining added.) For the fathers of the fourth council of Constantinople, adhering to the ways of the former ones, published this solemn profession: "Our first salvation is to guard the rule of right faith [. . .]. And since the sentiment of our Lord Jesus Christ cannot be passed over when He says: 'Thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church' [Matt. 16:18], these words which were spoken are proven true by actual results, since in the Apostolic See the Catholic religion has always been preserved untainted, and holy doctrine celebrated. Desiring, then, least of all to be separated from the faith and teaching of this [Apostolic See], We hope that We may deserve to be in the one communion which the Apostolic<|fim_middle|> against so-called "transgenderism", lamenting its spread and once even calling it "demonic". But, as we all know, actions speak louder than words.
On Jan. 24, 2015, Francis received at the Vatican a Spanish woman (Neria Lejárraga) who had undergone genital mutilation and other surgical aberrations in order to make herself look like a man (she now calls herself "Diego"). This meeting took place at the express invitation of the "Pope", after Lejárraga had written to him to complain about how horribly she had been treated by her Novus Ordo pastor in Spain. So Francis invited her and her (likewise female) "fiancée" to a private audience, at which time he confirmed the sexually-confused woman in her delusion of being a man: "God loves all his children, however they are; you are a son [!] of God, who accepts you exactly as you are. Of course you are a son [!] of the Church!" (source). A photograph of the encounter can be found here, and of course Neria has since published a book about her struggle and her meeting with the "Pope", which she talks about in this video. When he was "Cardinal" Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Francis permitted a homo-perverted couple who had purchased two children, to have them baptized in the Basilica of the Most Holy Sacrament. One of the two sodomites is another one of those artificially sex-changed "women", and the pictures of the scandalous event speak volumes:
Homosexual Ceremony in a Basilica of Buenos Aires
So, the next time you hear Francis lamenting or denouncing transgendernism, remember that it's just words, words he happily contradicts with his actions. He may call it "integration" after "case-by-case discernment"; but regardless of what label he uses, it is still a de facto acceptance of an unacceptable evil, an evil entirely incompatible with human dignity. One of the big buzzwords these days is "accompany." But the mission of the Church, given to her by Christ (see Mt 28:19-20), is to convert sinners from their sinful ways, not to accompany them on the way to hell. On Nov. 1, 1900, Pope Leo XIII protested: "The world has heard enough of the so-called 'rights of man.' Let it hear something of the rights of God" (Encyclical Tametsi, n. 13). There's an idea for the Vatican II Sect, one it definitely hasn't tried before. How about it, James Martin? Image sources: americamagazine.org / twitter.com (screenshot) Licenses: fair use / fair useJohn Daly destroys a foundational pillar of false traditionalism
Faith and Authority: When is Disobedience Legitimate?
(Sueddeutsche Zeitung Photo / Alamy Stock Photo)
One of the foundational pillars of the popular "recognize-and-resist" position of the Society of St. Pius X and their theological cousins is the idea that whenever a lawful ecclesiastical authority, such as the Pope, abuses his office by giving a command that ought not to be given, then his inferiors have the right, perhaps even the duty, to resist it, that is, they are permitted or required to disobey by refusing to carry it out. Conversely, the recognize-and-resist adherents maintain that if an action is laudable and profitable to the Church or to souls and yet it is being forbidden by a legitimate Catholic authority for an unjust or insufficiently good reason, then it is licit to carry it out anyway, despite the superior's prohibition. The pseudo-traditionalist pioneer and SSPX apologist Michael Davies (1936-2004) was one of the greatest promoters of this idea. There is only one problem with it: It is entirely false. While it is true that one is not permitted to obey a superior's directive that would require the inferior to commit a sin, that is an entirely different matter altogether. The semi-trad resistance position, however, thrives on a confusion of these concepts, and thus it is necessary to set the record straight. What follows below is an explanation of the true traditional Catholic teaching on the interplay between faith and authority, on licit commands and obedience, on resistance and disobedience. It is an excerpt from Chapter 8 of the book Michael Davies: An Evaluation by John S. Daly (2nd ed., 2015). The entire book is available for free download electronically here, and it can be purchased as a hardcopy in paperback here. —————
When is Disobedience Legitimate?
Now it is true that there can be occasions which justify a Catholic in disobeying instructions given by legitimately constituted ecclesiastical authority concerning even those matters which fall within its competence; it is true that such disobedience can be morally permissible and indeed of moral obligation. But these occasions fall into but a single category, namely when the authority in question gives an instruction which it is impossible to obey without committing definite sin. Then disobedience to the ecclesiastical superior is no more than an accidental effect of an act of obedience to a higher authority. To suggest that, outside that one exceptional category already envisaged and recognized by the Church, there are further categories in which, in order to retain the Faith, it is necessary for us to disobey legitimate authority, or, as is often claimed in traditionalist circles, that one is entitled to disobey any command coming from a legitimate authority which is, despite its legitimacy, engaged in actions harmful to the Church, is to postulate an impossibility. There is simply no Catholic answer to the question of whether one should choose the virtue of faith without obedience, or the virtue of obedience without faith; for the true Catholic knows that he must have both together and that any apparent need to sacrifice one to the other must result from a misreading of the situation. Faced with such a dilemma, he re-examines the circumstances which appear to present such a dilemma for as long as it takes him to ascertain what factor he is overlooking; knowing, by faith, that such a factor there must definitely be. And in the case we are considering, the solution he must eventually arrive at – a solution which is seen to be more than fully supported by independent evidence as soon as he starts looking in the right direction – is of course that the authorities of the Conciliar Church [=Novus Ordo Sect] are not lawfully constituted Catholic authorities at all, and are therefore entitled to no obedience whatsoever, even in respect of commands and laws which would have been binding had they been imposed by legitimate pastors. In short, when we examine the position of Michael Davies on the subject of the obedience owed by Catholics to ecclesiastical authority, we encounter the tragic result of a refusal to re-examine the assumptions which had produced an impossible dilemma – a refusal which in turn leads to the abandonment of obedience in a vain attempt to preserve the Faith. Before proceeding to analyse Davies's position on the obligation of obedience to the laws and commands of Catholic authority, it must be made clear that, for the purposes of this examination, we shall once again have to assume as valid Davies's false premise that the members of the Conciliar Church's hierarchy hold legitimate authority in the Catholic Church. This is, obviously, because Davies himself believes they are legitimate and argues that Catholics may disobey them despite this presumed legitimacy. Normally it would be sufficient for a Catholic to reply to that they are not legitimate, and that they therefore have no entitlement to the obedience of anyone who wishes to be a Catholic. But for the purpose of analysing Davies's doctrinal errors, it must be shown that even if the authorities of the Conciliar Church were, as he considers them, Catholic authorities, retaining their offices and jurisdiction but abusing them by issuing inexpedient commands and promulgating undesirable laws, his conclusion that one is entitled to disobey them at whim [5] and with impunity is certainly not a conclusion which is compatible with Catholic teaching. Let us begin by establishing what Catholic doctrine on this subject is, an exercise which need not take us long. A good summary of the attitude of Catholics to the laws of the Church is presented by St. Robert Bellarmine in his De Romano Pontifice, lib. IV, cap. 15:
In the Catholic Church it has always been believed that bishops in their dioceses and the Roman Pontiff in the whole Church are the ecclesiastical rulers ['principes'] who can, by their own authority and without the consent of the people or advice of the priests, pass laws which bind in conscience, give judgements in ecclesiastical trials after the manner of other judges, and, finally, impose punishment.
That is clear enough, and the principle should be almost instinctive to all Catholics. But of course, as has already been indicated, while this is what every Catholic should know from his Catechism-learning days, and is a truth which there can be no excuse for ignorance of, it is nevertheless true that the matter is more complicated than this. It is equally true that – as St. Robert himself makes clear in the same chapter – there are times when Catholics are entitled, and even obliged, to disobey the commands and conceivably even the laws of legitimate authority. In the case of laws only a brief summary is necessary, for the possibility of a law (i.e. a universal and permanent command) conflicting with a Catholic doctrine or requiring Catholics to perform some action which is not conducive to their spiritual welfare could only exist at local level. The Holy Ghost protects the supreme authority of the Church from promulgating such a law. This is what one famous nineteenth century theologian, Fr. H. Hürter, has to say on this subject – and his teaching is confirmed by every Catholic theologian who addresses the same point. In his Compendium of Dogmatic Theology, Vol. I, p. 277, he informs us that "the Church cannot approve a general and universally obligatory discipline which is contrary to faith or morals or which causes grave harm to religion." Thus the only three occasions when it is permissible to disobey a universal law of the Church which has not been revoked are:
(i) When the law is physically or morally impossible to comply with. Moral impossibility, in this case, would mean that obedience to the ecclesiastical law would require disobedience to a higher law, as, for instance, if, to comply with the law requiring assistance at Mass on Sunday, one had to abandon a sick person in need of continual attention.
(ii) Automatic cessation of the law. This occurs whenever supervening circumstances make it impossible for a law to achieve any of the good ends for which the legislator instituted it. (It may also occur by virtue of a contrary custom where this custom is known and approved of by the legislator.)
(iii) Epikeia. This is the principle according to which a law which remains generally in force may cease to bind a particular individual in a particular case because wholly extraordinary circumstances render the law either harmful or excessively burdensome to that individual in that case. Since epikeia may never be invoked when recourse to the legislative authority is possible, it is evident that epikeia cannot be a sufficient pretext to justify traditionalists in withholding obedience from those whom they (erroneously) consider to be the legitimate authorities of the Catholic Church.
In the case of commands – that is, instructions given by ecclesiastical authority to particular groups or to individuals on particular occasions, as opposed to laws, which are general and permanent instructions – evidently epikeia and automatic cessation cannot apply, since the one giving the command will be aware of the circumstances at the time of giving it. Moral and physical impossibility, however, will continue to excuse, and there is in addition one other occasion when disobedience becomes permissible and indeed mandatory, an occasion which, it must be emphasized, does not affect ecclesiastical laws but only commands. This is when the authority gives a command compliance with which would involve a definite sin on the part of the person obeying. Let us examine this exception in a little more depth. It is expressed succinctly in the Penny Catechism, question-and-answer number 197, where we read:
By the fourth Commandment we are commanded to love, reverence, and obey our parents in all that is not sin .... We are commanded to obey, not only our parents, but also our bishops and pastors, the civil authorities and our lawful superiors. (Emphasis added)
Similarly, Fr. Patrick Murray in his De Ecclesia, Disputatio XVII, Sectio IV, n. 90, teaches that "one is always bound to obey the (Roman) pontiff when he gives an absolute command, whether he does so infallibly or not, in everything which does not involve manifest sin." And of course what must be particularly noticed for our present purposes is that the duty of obeying our parents and lawful superiors, whether ecclesiastical or secular, is a binding obligation except where such obedience would be sinful for us. Thus it follows that if a case were to arise in which a lawful superior gave a command which it was sinful for him to command, but which involved no sin in obeying it, one would be bound to comply with it.[6] When, for instance, King David arranged for the command to be given to Urias the Hethite to stand in front of the battle line, mortal sin was undoubtedly committed by King David, since his purpose was to ensure that Urias would be killed in order that he, David, might continue his unlawful relationship with Urias's wife. But on the part of Urias no sin whatever was involved in his complying with the sinfully given command, because it is the duty of a soldier – obliged like everyone else to obey, not only his parents, "but also his bishops and pastors, the civil authorities and," as in this case, "his lawful superiors" – to take whatever position in battle his commanders assign to him. On the contrary, therefore, his obedience to the instruction was correct and virtuous and indeed it would have been sinful for him not to have obeyed. In considering the subject of when it is permissible to disobey ecclesiastical authorities, it is of the highest importance to bear in mind this distinction: if one would sin by obeying a command, one may and must disobey it; but if the superior sinned by commanding something that the subject can nonetheless obey without sinning himself, obedience remains obligatory. One other fine point needs to be considered before this summary of relevant Catholic doctrine will be complete, namely the question of how a Catholic should conduct himself if he is in doubt as to whether obedience to the instruction of a lawful superior is or is not sinful. The answer of the Church on this point is clear and definite – one is obliged to obey. The reason for this is that the presumption is in favour of the superior, so that any doubt as to whether compliance with his command is sinful or not should be resolved by presuming that it is not sinful. Moreover, this, it must be stressed, applies even when compliance with a command appears to be probably sinful. Only when definite sin is involved is one entitled, and obliged, to disobey, as is clearly stated by St. Ignatius Loyola when he writes:
When, in my opinion and judgement, the Superior bids me to do something which is against my conscience, or sinful, and the Superior thinks the contrary, I ought to believe him unless he is manifestly wrong. (Monumenta Ignatiana, series 1a, XII, 660)
And the same doctrine is taught by St. Bernard, St. Bonaventure, St. Benedict, and especially by St. Augustine, who makes it clear that it applies even in relation to the obedience due to temporal rulers – "to obey them [temporal rulers] with a good conscience, it is not necessary to have evidence that their commands are lawful, but it is sufficient that the contrary is not recognized with certainty." (Contra Faustum Manichæum, book 22, chapter 75) This teaching of St. Augustine's, St. Thomas Aquinas explains, is based on the fact that "it does not belong to the subject to decide whether a thing is possible or not, but to the Superior alone ...." (Summa Theologiæ, I, II, Q. 13, A. 5) Finally, although there is no need to consider the case of immoral or unjust laws promulgated by the pope to be of general application in the Church, this does not necessarily apply to ecclesiastical laws of more restricted scope, such as diocesan laws. It is not impossible that a bishop might promulgate a law for his diocese which manifestly required a sinful act, such as would be the case if he demanded that priests take less than fifteen minutes in the celebration of Mass.[7] In such a case he should evidently be disobeyed. Nor is it impossible that he should promulgate a law which could be obeyed without sin but which was manifestly contrary to justice, for instance by forbidding priests of the Dominican order to write in public on theological matters, or by making clerics born in the month of April ineligible for certain ecclesiastical offices. In such a case, St. Robert Bellarmine teaches that the law would be invalid and not strictly binding in conscience, but he adds that it ought nevertheless to be obeyed if scandal would arise from disobedience to it. (De Romano Pontifice, lib. IV, cap. 15)[8] The proper course for the victim of such an injustice is, of course, if necessary, to appeal to the Holy See, but meanwhile to follow Our Lord's counsel: " ... if a man will contend with thee in judgement and take away thy coat, let go thy cloak also unto him." (Matthew 5:40) What must never be forgotten is that the permission to disobey an unjust but not sinful instruction does not apply to general laws of the Church, for they are protected from such abuses; does not apply to particular commands given to individuals by popes or bishops, for here the only question is whether the person commanding has authority over the person being commanded in the matter of the command (a law must, by its nature, be just and useful, which is not so, however, of a command, which looks to the individual rather than to the community); and does not apply to cases where the instruction seems unjust, but only where it is manifestly and undeniably so, for it is the business of the superior to assess the justice of his commands, not of the inferior. ____________ Footnotes: [5] The words "at whim" are not a gratuitous rhetorical flourish. On p. 6 of this Evaluation a statement by Dietrich von Hildebrand, quoted and approved by Davies, was analysed, to the effect that prelates who are guilty of certain misdemeanours "lose the right to claim obedience in disciplinary matters." If they have entirely lost the right to be obeyed, in Davies's view, evidently it is no injustice to say that he holds that they may be disobeyed at whim, for there can be no reason for granting or refusing obedience to those who have no right to it except personal preference. [6] Cf. the following extract from Pope Leo XIII's encyclical Diuturnum Illud: "The only reason which men have for not obeying is when anything is demanded of them which is openly repugnant to the natural or Divine law, for it is equally unlawful to command to do anything in which the law of nature or the will of God is violated." (Acta Sanctæ Sedis, XIV, 3 et seq.) [7] Moral theologians agree that to say Mass in less than fifteen minutes is impossible without gravely sinful irreverence. [8] "For if the Pope were to order the Lenten fast to be observed alike by children and adults, by weak and strong, by the sick and the healthy, the law would be unjust [and therefore, as has been pointed out two paragraphs earlier, no law at all]. The same would apply if he ordered that only rich men and nobles might be admitted to the episcopate, excluding the poor and commoners even if they were more learned and virtuous. This would be unjust absolutely speaking, even though it might be just in some particular place and time on account of some special circumstance. And although an unjust law is no law at all and hence does not of itself bind in conscience, yet a distinction must be made according to the kind of law involved. For when a law is unjust by its subject matter, i.e. it is contrary to divine law (whether natural or positive), not only does it not oblige but it must on no account be observed, in accordance with the words of Acts V 'We ought to obey God rather than men.' (…) But when a law is unjust by virtue of its end, its author, or its form, it ought to be obeyed whenever scandal would follow if it were not." ————— This was an excerpt of pp. 293-300 of John Daly's book Michael Davies: An Evaluation (2nd ed., 2015). Italics in original. The entire book is available for free electronically or for purchase in hardcopy:
Paperback: Michael Davies - An Evaluation by John S. Daly (588 pages)
Free PDF Download: Michael Davies - An Evaluation by John S. Daly (3.5 MB)
We express our gratitude to Mr. Daly for kindly permitting us to provide these excerpts and for making the electronic version of his book available to the public for free. Image source: alamy.com (Sueddeutsche Zeitung Photo / Alamy Stock Photo) License: rights-managedNinety years of Joseph Ratzinger
"Pope Emeritus" Benedict XVI turns 90
April 16 of this year marks the 90th birthday of Joseph Alois Ratzinger, more commonly known by his stage name, "Pope Emeritus" Benedict XVI. As Novus Ordo, semi-traditionalist, and secular TV and print media, web sites, and blogs will probably try to surpass each other in heaping praise upon the "orthodox, conservative Pope", that "Great Restorer of Tradition", we will use the occasion to remind people that Father Joseph Ratzinger -- for that is all he is, never having received a valid consecration as bishop, much less the Papacy -- has been a Modernist from his earliest days and is one of the most dangerous enemies of the Faith the Catholic Church has ever known. Unlike his successor, the verbally inept "Pope" Francis, the intellectually-gifted Benedict XVI uses smooth and elegant language, wrapped in a veneer of orthodoxy and Tradition, to inject his subversive ideas into the minds of the unsuspecting masses.
Few people are aware that as far back as the 1950s, Ratzinger was already branded "suspect of heresy" by the Holy Office under Pope Pius XII; that at the Second Vatican Council, the peritus Ratzinger was called by some a "heretic who denies [the dogma of] hell"; that at Vatican II, Ratzinger complained that the council texts relied too much on Teilhard de Chardin and not enough on Martin Luther; that in 1968, his blockbuster book Introduction to Christianity was banned in the archdiocese of Warsaw by Cardinal Wyszynski for being Modernist; that in 1972, Ratzinger argued that it was possible in some cases to permit unrepentant public adulterers to "Holy Communion"; that Ratzinger is on record denying dogmas such as the Bodily Resurrection of Christ, papal primacy, and infant baptism; that Ratzinger told a Protestant woman working in the Vatican not to convert to Catholicism; that it was Ratzinger who "saved" the heretical so-called Lutheran-Catholic Accord; and so forth, ad nauseam.
What follows is a select collection of links that document the Modernistic mind of the man unjustly reputed to be a stalwart orthodox Roman Catholic:
Ratzinger was branded "Suspect of Heresy" under Pope Pius XII
"Cardinal" Ratzinger: A Prefect for the Destruction of the Faith
Memories of a Destructive Mind -- Ratzinger's Milestones (Part 1)
Ratzinger: Demolish the Holy Office!
Ratzinger's Introduction to Christianity Banned in Warsaw Diocese by Cardinal Wyszynski for being too Liberal
Ratzinger: "Raze the Catholic Bastions!"
Ratzinger denies Dogma of Infant Baptism
Ratzinger denies Dogma of No Salvation outside the Catholic Church
Ratzinger says Jews' Wait for Messiah not in vain
Ratzinger denies Dogma of Papal Primacy
Ratzinger denies Catholic Teaching on Original Sin
Ratzinger Personally Consecrates Neo-Modernist "Bishop" Bruno Forte
Benedict XVI says of deceased Lutheran minister that "this faithful servant" has "attained eternal joy"!
Benedict XVI repudiates Nothing of his Work at Vatican II
The false "Pontificate" of Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI and the "Prophetic Mission of Fatima"
Benedict XVI is No Friend of Fatima
1972 Ratzinger Essay argues for Allowing Divorced/"Remarried" to Receive Sacraments
Ratzinger says because of World Wars, Auschwitz, and Hiroshima, we can no longer speak of the time since Christ's Birth as a "time of salvation"
Ratzinger writes to Hans Küng, notes "Great Agreement of Views" with Francis
Ratzinger told Lutheran Worker in Vatican NOT to become a Catholic
Faith Imperiled by Ratzinger: Benedict XVI's Hermeneutics
Benedict XVI, Judaism, and the Church
Karl Rahner Testimony reveals Ratzinger called "heretic who denies hell"
The Fideism of "Cardinal" Ratzinger
At Vatican II, Fr. Ratzinger complained Gaudium et Spes relied too much on Teilhard de Chardin, not enough on Martin Luther!
"Cardinal" Ratzinger rejects Scholastic Theology
"Cardinal" Ratzinger gave Communion to Known Protestant
"God is entirely Relationship" -- St. Thomas not Ratzinger's Master
In 1968 Book, Ratzinger defends "Anonymous Christianity" of Karl Rahner
Fr. Ratzinger on the Papacy (1965)
Ratzinger Denies Fundamental Dogma of the Church
The True Colors of Benedict XVI
Ratzinger in Favor of Decentralizing the Papacy
More Collegiality with Benedict XVI?
Ratzinger's Dream for the Future Church
Protestant Theologian Admits Ratzinger was known as "Radical Progressivist"
In 2001, Ratzinger's Congregation Declared Pope Leo XIII's Condemnation of 40 Rosmini Errors as Time-Conditioned and Falsely Interpreting Rosmini's Thought
The Progressivist Orientation of Joseph Ratzinger
NYT Reports Ratzinger a Long-Time Admirer of Martin Luther
Ratzinger Approved "Mass" without Consecration! "...the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith on January 17th, 2001 concluded that this Anaphora can be considered valid."
Ratzinger - "99% Protestant"
Ratzinger Called Vatican II Document Gaudium Et Spes "Counter-Syllabus" to Pope Pius IX's Syllabus of Errors, Said Vatican II Presents Attempt at Reconciliation with French Revolution
Ratzinger Reportedly Said Jews' Rejection of Jesus Christ not a Rejection of God
Ratzinger's Dominus Iesus Document - a Critical Analysis
Ratzinger Credited with Saving Lutheran Agreement
Ratzinger's 1993 Program for an Ecumenical Church
How Benedict XVI's Summorum Pontificum destroys the Traditional Latin Mass
Even more links and information on Fr. Ratzinger can be found on our Benedict XVI topical page.
Joseph Ratzinger is entirely a man of Vatican II. In fact, in a book first published in 1982, he made clear what he thinks of those who oppose the council: "...they represent a sectarian zealotry that is the antithesis of Catholicity. We cannot resist them too firmly" (Joseph Ratzinger, Principles of Catholic Theology [San Francisco, CA Ignatius Press, 1987], pp. 389-90).
So, for all those semi-traditionalists who were throwing a birthday party for that "Great Restorer of Tradition" today: The party is over.
He kneels before man but not before God...
The Francis Show, Holy Thursday Edition
He kisses tenderly because he can...
[UPDATE 15-APR-17 17:07 UTC: It has come to our attention that in the foot-washing rite in use before Pope Pius XII's restoration in 1955, the rubrics mandated the kissing of the feet that were washed. We apologize for not being aware of this and have revised this post accordingly. It changes nothing, however, in our essential critique of Francis' actions, since he is obviously not trying to restore traditional practice and the Novus Ordo rubrics do not mandate kissing.]
Holy Thursday is one of the most beautiful days of the liturgical year. It was on Holy Thursday, the eve of Good Friday, that our Blessed Lord Jesus Christ celebrated the Last Supper with His Twelve Apostles. When He did so, He offered the First Catholic Mass, He instituted the Holy Eucharist, He established the Sacred Priesthood by consecrating His Apostles bishops, and He gave the commandment of brotherly love by washing the feet of His disciples, which is recounted by St. John the Evangelist as follows:
He riseth from supper, and layeth aside his garments, and having taken a towel, girded himself. After that, he putteth water into a basin, and began to wash the feet of the disciples, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. He cometh therefore to Simon Peter. And Peter saith to him: Lord, dost thou wash my feet? Jesus answered, and said to him: What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter. Peter saith to him: Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him: If I wash thee not, thou shalt have no part with me. Simon Peter saith to him: Lord, not only my feet, but also my hands and my head. Jesus saith to him: He that is washed, needeth not but to wash his feet, but is clean wholly. And you are clean, but not all. For he knew who he was that would betray him; therefore he said: You are not all clean. Then after he had washed their feet, and taken his garments, being set down again, he said to them: Know you what I have done to you? You call me Master, and Lord; and you say well, for so I am. If then I being your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that as I have done to you, so you do also. Amen, amen I say to you: The servant is not greater than his lord; neither is the apostle greater than he that sent him. If you know these things, you shall be blessed if you do them. A new commandment I give unto you: That you love one another, as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one for another. (John 13:4-17,34-35)
This beautiful example of utmost humility, the washing of His disciples' feet as an act of brotherly charity and humbleness, He commanded us to imitate. Hence this ceremony, sometimes called Pedilavium ("washing of feet"), is repeated in Catholic churches annually on Holy Thursday and is also known as the Mandatum ("commandment"; see Jn 13:34). It is from the Mandatum that the alternate name "Maundy Thursday" is derived. Although the custom of Christians washing each other's feet as a sign of brotherly love and humility is not per se restricted only to priests or even men, the liturgical foot-washing ceremony is restricted to men. The reason for this is that the Sacred Liturgy of Holy Thursday commemorates the Last Supper, at which our Lord washed only the feet of His Apostles, whom He had just ordained priests (and bishops). On Holy Thursday there is, then, an intimate connection between the Last Supper, the washing of the feet, and the Sacred Priesthood, which can only validly be conferred on men. "Pope" Francis, of course, has no regard for the Holy Eucharist, the Sacred Priesthood, or any other things divine. All that matters to him is man, and when he invokes or talks about God, it is usually in the context of serving man (e.g., God forgiving people's sins, God solving people's problems, God showing us how to serve our neighbor, etc.). It really all goes back to the Second Vatican Council, during which "Pope" Paul VI proclaimed in St. Peter's Basilica:
Secular humanism, revealing itself in its horrible anti-clerical reality has, in a certain sense, defied the council. The religion of the God who became man has met the religion (for such it is) of man who makes himself God. And what happened? Was there a clash, a battle, a condemnation? There could have been, but there was none. The old story of the Samaritan has been the model of the spirituality of the council. A feeling of boundless sympathy has permeated the whole of it. The attention of our council has been absorbed by the discovery of human needs (and these needs grow in proportion to the greatness which the son of the earth claims for himself). But we call upon those who term themselves modern humanists, and who have renounced the transcendent value of the highest realities, to give the council credit at least for one quality and to recognize our own new type of humanism: we, too, in fact, we more than any others, honor mankind. (Antipope Paul VI, Closing Speech at Fourth General Assembly of Vatican II, Dec. 7, 1965)
The last sentence is particularly striking. Paul VI, delivering his speech in Latin, said verbatim: "hominis sumus cultores" (source). As above, it can be rendered as "we honor mankind." It is somewhat ambiguous, however, and can also be translated as "we worship man" or "we are worshippers of man". Whether the ambiguity was intentional or not is not clear, but it was certainly quite fitting because the worship of man is exactly what the Vatican II religion engages in -- although always, of course, in a way that leaves room for plausible deniability. Yet oftentimes it is not necessary to actually state a heresy in order for people to take heresy from one's words. Quite often it is sufficient to exaggerate a truth, to emphasize only certain parts of it while ignoring or minimizing other parts, and to repeat such a distortion again and again. Francis is a prime example of this. He constantly exaggerates the importance of our temporal life and earthly needs to the point of eclipsing the ultimate purpose of our lives: attaining salvation (the Beatific Vision) by the help of God's sanctifying grace through Faith and works (cf. Mk 16:16; Heb 11:6; Jas 2:24). Francis constantly and consistently subordinates religion to the service of man. For this reason, he can encourage Muslims to read the Koran for a deeper "faith" and tell them he hopes they will derive "abundant spiritual fruit" from observing Ramadan. This is why he does not care what religion children are educated in as long as they get an education. It is why he puts all religions on the same level, blasphemously proclaiming that our only certainty in religious matters is that we are all children of God! It is why he refers to "true religions" (in the plural!) and defines them as "the development of the capacity that humanity has to transcend itself towards the absolute" (source). All this also explains why he kneels before man but not (usually) before God. Indeed, he is on record saying that we ought to kneel before the poor! Francis preaches the gospel of man, not the Gospel of Jesus Christ (cf. Gal 1:8-9). It should not be surprising, then, that over the last four years Jorge Bergoglio has managed to turn the focus of Holy Thursday away from a commemoration of the institution of the Blessed Sacrament and the Holy Priesthood and to the washing of feet -- not priests' or Catholics' or men's feet, mind you, but the feet of anyone he deems sufficiently "marginalized". This he did in 2014 (the handicapped), in 2015 (prisoners), and in 2016 (refugees), all as part of the Novus Ordo liturgy commemorating the Last Supper. Of course, he did it again this year, for the fourth time in a row. What is officially called the "Mass of the Lord's Supper" (Missa in Coena Domini) has thus been turned into the "Mass of the Politically-Correct Feet". This time, the foot-washing circus took place at a prison of former Mafiosi at Paliano, Italy: "Pope Francis visited a fortress prison holding mafia turncoats on [Holy] Thursday and again included a Muslim and women in a traditional Holy Week foot-washing ritual that previous popes had limited to Catholic men" (Philip Pullella, "Pope makes Easter visit to fortress prison holding ex-mafiosi", Reuters, Apr. 13, 2017). Here are some video clips showing the washing of the feet that took place yesterday:
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Xhul-lBV38[/embedyt]
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYhA9MfGaaM[/embedyt]
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4z5T_u34cM[/embedyt]
Additional news reports on Francis' distortion of Holy Thursday can be found here:
"Pope washes feet of 12 prison inmates at Holy Thursday Mass"
"Pope Washes Feet of Detainees at Holy Thursday Mass"
"At mafia prison, Francis says Holy Thursday is not 'folklore'"
The effect of Francis' change of the meaning of the Holy Thursday foot-washing ritual has been a complete shifting of emphasis in the ceremonies. While the main focus used to be on the Son of God, Jesus Christ, and the two wonderful Sacraments He instituted at the Last Supper, there is now this obsessive focus on man, specifically on Francis and the people whose feet he washes. "Whose feet will the Pope wash this year?" is the question that dominates Lent now as journalists, pundits, and bloggers around the globe wonder aloud whether Francis can top the prior year's choice of feet. God has been eclipsed by man, who now holds the prominent place. But the only time our Blessed Lord washed anyone's feet was at the Last Supper, and those were the feet of His Apostles, His first Priests and Bishops, not of anyone else: not of tax collectors, not of prisoners, not of exploited workers, not of the sick, not of the poor, not of the outcast, not of migrants, and not of prostitutes. There is another difference between what our Lord did and commanded us to do, and what Bergoglio does: Jesus Christ did not kiss the feet of His disciples, He merely washed them (at least the biblical text does not mention anything about kissing). While the traditional rubrics of the Roman rite did prescribe kissing of the right foot after washing it, this practice was abolished by Pope Pius XII in 1955: "In the restored rite the celebrant does not kiss the feet of the twelve men" (Rev. Frederick R. McManus, The Rites of Holy Week [Patterson, NJ: Saint Anthony Guild Press, 1956], p. 75, fn. 12). The Novus Ordo rubrics, which Francis uses and which he has not changed even in his 2016 decree on the washing of feet, have not reinstated the kiss (see The Roman Missal, 3rd. ed. [2011], p. 300, nn. 10-12). Franics' kissing of the feet is therefore something he adds on his own, and not because he's so traditional and wants to go back to the Holy Week rites in use before 1955, but because he loves to kiss, as we will show in a moment. And why shouldn't he? He is, after all, another Judas: "As [Jesus] was yet speaking, behold a multitude; and he that was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them, and drew near to Jesus, for to kiss him. And Jesus said to him: Judas, dost thou betray the Son of man with a kiss?" (Lk 22:47-48). No, kissing is not wrong per se. That's not the point. In fact, there is a "kiss of peace" in the Sacred Liturgy, and servers kiss the priest's hand and the cruets during Holy Mass. However, liturgical kisses are simulations of kisses more than anything, and they are most certainly not meant as expressions of tenderness: The so-called kiss of peace is really not much of a kiss at all but more like a brief embrace; and altar servers kissing the priest's hand upon handing him or taking from him his biretta or the cruets of water and wine, are instructed to barely allow their lips to touch anything at all. Yet when Francis kisses, he kisses, and he kisses tenderly. He also kisses when he isn't supposed to. For example, Francis kisses youngsters -- both male and female -- after conferring upon them the Novus Ordo version of the sacrament of confirmation. There is video available of it here:
The "Kissing Pope" administers Confirmations
Note well: Kissing is not prescribed in the Novus Ordo ritual; and in the traditional Roman rite of confirmation, confirmands are instead slapped on the cheek by the bishop as a sign that they are now soldiers of Christ and must be willing to face any adversity for the sake of Christ and must battle bravely in the spiritual combat. From a manly slap to an effeminate kiss -- how far the Novus Ordo religion has sunk! Then, Francis is known to constanly kiss children instead of blessing them -- babies and toddlers at audiences, for example, but also older children, such as altar servers, which is wholly uncalled-for. You can see him kiss two altar boys in this video clip, beginning at the 0:23 min mark. Even adults (at least females), including heads of state, are not safe from the Bergoglian lips, as can be seen here and here. In this regard, Francis' actions match his words. As is evident in his endless writings, homilies, interviews, speeches, etc., Francis has a real obsession with the concepts of "tenderness" and "caressing". Somehow he always manages to sneak these ideas in, even where they are totally out of place, and he has a history of doing so. For example, when in 2004 God-hating atheist Leon Ferrari opened a blasphemous "art" exhibit in Buenos Aires, then-"Cardinal" Bergoglio counseled his people to respond -- you guessed it -- with "tenderness":
Bergoglio: Respond to Blasphemy with Tenderness
An internet search for the words "Pope Francis tenderness" will demonstrate just on how many occasions he uses the term. Here are some few examples:
In Amoris Laetitia, n. 308, Francis talks about "the power of tenderness" (Mar. 19, 2016)
Law, order, tenderness: Francis outlines traits of Vatican police (!) (Sep. 18, 2016)
Francis calls for 'revolution of tenderness' towards refugees (Oct. 31, 2016)
Francis describes St. Joseph as a "man of tenderness" (Mar. 20, 2017)
Not that tenderness is something that is bad or wrong in and of itself. Even a man ought to be tender in certain circumstances, and Holy Scripture speaks of God's "tender mercies" (Ps 50:3). But that's not the point. The point is the overemphasis, the exaggeration, and the apparent obsession with the concept, as well as applying it to situations and ideas where it is totally out of place. The same goes for his constant use of the term "caress":
In Laudato Si', n. 84, Francis says creation is "a caress of God" (May 24, 2015)
Francis: "We always must transmit the caress of God, because God has caressed us with his mercy" (Feb. 23, 2016)
Francis wants God to "caress us gently" (Apr. 11, 2016)
Francis says sin is where we feel God's caress (June 9, 2016)
Francis says God "introduce[s] the caress of compassion that brings inclusion" (Dec. 31, 2016)
Francis says woman "teaches us to caress" (Feb. 9, 2017)
Is it any surprise, then, that Francis chose as his theological advisor and ghostwriter his Argentinian buddy Victor Manuel Fernandez, who in 1995 published a book whose title translates into English as Heal Me With Your Mouth: The Art of Kissing? This is so insane, you cannot make it up! No, there isn't some misunderstanding here. The author's description of the book, as released by the publisher, reads as follows:
I want to clarify that this book was not written based on my personal experience but based on the lives of those who kiss. In these pages I want to synthesize the popular feeling, what people feel when they think of a kiss, what they experience when they kiss. For that I chatted at length with many people who have abundant experience in this area, and also with many young people learning in what manner to kiss. I also consulted many books, and I wanted to show how the poets talk about kissing. So, trying to synthesize the immense richness of life, these pages emerged in favor of kissing. I hope that they help you kiss better, that they motivate you to release the best of yourself in a kiss. (source)
Clearly, this man had what it takes to become a Novus Ordo archbishop, and this must be why Francis appointed him one on May 13, 2013! For more information on Fernandez and his influence on Francis, please see the following post:
The Jorge Whisperer: Key Texts in Amoris Laetitia found in "Abp." Fernandez's Theological Articles from 10 Years Ago
This explains a lot, does it not? Amazingly enough, for this year's Holy Thursday foot-washing stunt, Francis was once again quite able to kneel, and not just for a few moments but for the entire ritual. This is quite an accomplishment for someone who habitually "cannot" genuflect after the (supposed) consecration at "Mass" -- not to mention kneeling for what he claims to believe is the Blessed Sacrament exposed:
No one around to have their feet washed? Then Francis needs a chair — VIDEO HERE
Francis is able and willing to kneel before man but not before God (yes, there are exceptions, but they're precisely that -- exceptions). He tenderly (!) washes the feet of men on his knees, but jokes about the Crucifixion of the Son of God. By this he tells you -- more eloquently than Paul VI ever did -- whom he really worships. Image source: youtube.com (screenshot) / youtube.com (screenshot) License: fair use / fair useJust act surprised...
Ugly as Sin: The Vatican's 2017 Easter Card
It's that time of the year again when Jorge Bergoglio sends out greeting cards, and it's not pretty -- literally. For Easter this year, Francis chose a design by the same artist whose work was featured on the 2014 Christmas card, which drew everybody's immediate attention to a donkey's rump, which was the most prominently featured part of the card. Victor Delhez is the man's name, and a picture of his Risurrezione engraving is displayed on the front of Francis' official Easter card. Here is what it looks like (click picture to enlarge, at your own risk):
(image source: Twitter)
The inside of the card looks as follows:
Out of all the beautiful paintings of the Resurrection and the Resurrected Christ they could have chosen, the Vatican under "Pope" Francis chose, of course, one of the ugliest designs they could find. Perhaps we should be thankful that they did not choose a photo of the hideous "Resurrection" sculpture that "adorns" the Vatican's Paul VI audience hall, designed by Pericle Fazzini (click photo to enlarge):
(image source: Wikimedia Commons / public domain)
Yes, this diabolical piece of "art" has been sitting there as the backdrop for indoor "papal" audiences since 1977. It is all out there in the open for those who bother to look. All this matches perfectly with the ugly croziers (pastoral staffs) the papal pretenders have liked to use, in particular Paul VI's "Broken Cross" and Francis' "Millipede Christ" and his "Dental Pick". Still, we have to give credit where credit is due: This is all perhaps simply part of a 'Truth in Advertising' campaign. After all, the ghastly appearance of these works of "art" certainly reflects the ugliness of the Novus Ordo religion and the many "papal" blasphemies that constantly pour forth from Bergoglio's impious mouth.
Novus Ordo Watch NEWS DIGEST April 11, 2017
Reason no. 4822 why you're not Novus Ordo anymore...
In new interview, "Cardinal" Burke says "it is not clear yet" if there will be a public formal correction of Francis -- Look, just wake us all up when it happens, ok? This is becoming a drama like that of the SSPX-Rome reconciliation...
Blasphemy and Heresy on Day 2: Barely elected, Francis in 2013 called the Holy Ghost an "Apostle of Babel", claimed God Himself creates doctrinal differences between Catholics and heretics!
"Ecumenism of Blood" will once again be the focus: "The Pope of Rome will present himself [in Egypt] more as a brother of the [heretical] Coptic Pope Tawadros II, and a friend to Islam that condemns violence, rather than a Western leader coming to invoke protection for the Christian minority." -- No surprise there...
A special service for the homeless, "The Pope's Laundry" opens in Rome -- As far as Francis' own dirty laundry goes, we've got that chronicled here...
Sign of the What? At Lutheran church, Francis gives Trinitarian blessing without Sign of the Cross (Video) -- All the while he tells people to pay attention when making the Sign of the Cross...
You can't make this stuff up: Francis explains that St. Peter was crucified upside down "so that God could wash his feet"!
But conversion to what, Francis? "May the Lord convert the heart of all those persons that sow terror, violence and death, and also the heart of those that produce and traffic arms"
Put on your surprise face: Top Vatican and U.S. Church Officials back new Pervert-Friendly Book
Dancing Novus Ordo priests and bishops is so yesterday... Here's the dancing "Cardinal"!
Watch the same "Cardinal" Tagle sing a Love Song by The Real Thing -- Lyrics include the line, "if it takes my heart and soul, you know I'd pay the price"
This guy has figured it out! Novus Ordo priest recommends more Vatican II as best approach to Muslims
The Austrian Diocese of Linz makes it possible: Spiritual Director of Novus Ordo Seminary dances in Ballerina Outfit with yellow Duck Feet -- Why don't we just leave that uncommented...
Bergoglio now on speech patrol: Francis wants you to stop using the word "illegal" for "migrant"
"Papal" Preacher devotes Lenten Sermon to Protestant Reformation -- makes sense, considering that it's coming from a Protestant and is being preached to a bunch of Protestants...
"It's another piece of candy": Vatican official's candid admission on Francis' latest offering to the SSPX -- Checkmate now?
Documentary on Swedish Television charges Cover-Up of Sexual Abuse by Society of St. Pius X and Bp. Williamson's Resistance group -- Additional information here
This comes as a surprise only to those who have had their heads in the sand about Benedict XVI: New Book Honoring Benedict XVI Includes Essay from Defender of "Remarriage" -- We have an informative Reality Check on Joseph Ratzinger here
"Gmail Mass"? No, it's "Freemason Day" at a Novus Ordo church in Brazil!
Bizarre episode at the Casa Santa Marta: Out of nowhere, Francis attacks the paralyzed man cured by Christ, accuses him of "sloth" and "living his life because oxygen is free"...
Speaking of the Casa Santa Marta: Francis the Brilliant warns of "Catholic Atheists" -- Beyond the cute metaphors, we note that it is HERESY to say that a Catholic in mortal sin is not a Christian: "If any one saith, that, grace being lost through sin, faith also is always lost with it; or, that the faith which remains, though it be not a lively faith, is not a true faith; or, that he, who has faith without charity, is not a Christian; let him be anathema" (Council of Trent, Session 6, Canon 28)
Beyond Walls and Bridges: Now we need Doors for Migrants! -- For future headlines, we suggest windows, stairs, escalators, elevators, slides, etc.
Guess who just gave another interview! Topic: The Salvation of Souls On the Struggles of Migrants and Refugees
In 2014, we were mocked and lambasted for suggesting that an intra-NovusOrdo schism was on the horizon -- Now: "The Catholic Church is in De Facto Schism"
If only he would take his own advice: "Pope" Francis invites people to Five Minutes of Silence
Sheamless: Mark Shea vs. Ed Feser on Capital Punishment -- Since then, Shea has at least apologized to Feser
You know things are really, really bad when a "Catholic" Patheos blogger says Francis is wrong!
Who can out-Francis Francis? The annual foot-washing competition has begun -- As Holy Thursday nears, it will once again be all about feet, not about Jesus Christ, the Holy Eucharist, or the Sacred Priesthood
A quick rundown: Francis' Porn-Related Scandals
Yawn... Another Rome Conference against Amoris Laetitia that will have exactly zero impact
"Cardinal" Sarah has noticed that the Novus Ordo liturgy is a "Disaster" -- They've been saying these things for decades, they just never do anything about it... Consider, for example, what "Cardinal" Joseph Ratzinger said over 30 years ago: "The revolt against what has been described as 'the old rubricist rigidity', which was accused of stifling 'creativity', has in fact made the liturgy into a do-it-yourself patchwork and trivialized it, adapting it to our mediocrity" (The Ratzinger Report [1985], pp. 126-127)
That's it: "It takes a Sinner" to understand Francis! -- Why do people keep acting as though vices like adultery and habitual drunkenness are somehow "new" that the Church never knew how to address until Francis came around? The vices are old, and so are the remedies!
It's for Lent, you know: Apparently the SSPX has joined the Ecumenical Zoo in India
Francis is working hard to save his sheeple from an "ideological faith" that consists of "closed and defined thought" -- Heaven forbid you should not just believe but actually believe in what God has revealed!
3,127 words and not a single mention of Jesus Christ; "God" appears once in passing: Francis' Address to European Heads of State -- This is not surprising, since he wants Man at the center of the European project
Oh great, now Francis might make him a "cardinal": General Superior of Jesuits accused of Heresy
Sounds about right: American Novus Ordo Bishops don't know who wrote the Gospel of St. Matthew -- USCCB really stands for Underlings of Satan Creating Chaos for Bergoglio
Inconvenient History down the Memory Hole? Francis, Luther, and John Paul II's "Purification of Memory"
Straining a gnat while swallowing a camel: Some people still think that what made Francis' Election invalid isn't his public apostasy but an alleged violation of some canonical details in a document written by John Paul II
Public Perverts are a-okay at the Vatican: Bergoglio receives Prime Minister of Luxembourg and his "Husband"
Francis ranks third among Fortune's "Greatest Leaders" -- He's definitely the greatest leader to hell...
Another Modernist Giant is called to Judgment: "Cardinal" William Keeler dead at 86
Benedictine Monastery Hosts "Drag Show" -- Hey, it's only fair, since they had to cancel that naked retreat...
"Cardinal" Marx has a brilliant idea: Have Laymen lead Parishes! -- If only he knew that that's already the case, except they call themselves priests...
If there's ever been a bully in the Vatican, Bergoglio is it: Francis uses Bully Pulpit in Milan
The state of "Catholicism" in Belgium, 2017: "Catholic" University investigates Professor for calling Abortion 'Murder'
No Mercy there! Vatican Journalists complain about overpriced Airfare on "Papal" Trips
A Reality Check for Novus Ordos: Benefit of the Doubt presumes Doubt
Now available in English for the first time ever: St. Robert Bellarmine's On Councils as well as St. Alphonsus Liguori's Moral Theology (vol. 1)
An Overview for Newbies: Vatican II, "Pope" Francis, and Sedevacantism
And one for the road...
It's John 7:13 all over again...
The Crucified Christ Betrayed: The Novus Ordo Good Friday Prayer for the Jews
The Roman Catholic Church, in her loving kindness and care, having been entrusted by the Son of God with the mission to preach the Gospel and convert all men to the true Faith (see Mk 16:15-16), greatly desires the salvation of all people. Knowing that man was not made for this world, but for eternal beatitude in Heaven, she lovingly seeks to detach him from the state of sin he finds himself in and lift him up to the life of Faith and virtue through the grace merited by our Lord Jesus Christ, who declared: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No man cometh to the Father, but by me" (Jn 14:6). Alas, to this day, the Jews do not acknowledge our Lord Jesus Christ, their own Messias who came to redeem them, to whom all the prophets in the Old Testament point, and whose very Passion was foretold so beautifully in so many ways, most strikingly by the prophet Isaias and also in the book of Wisdom:
Let us therefore lie in wait for the just, because he is not for our turn, and he is contrary to our doings, and upbraideth us with transgressions of the law, and divulgeth against us the sins of our way of life. He boasteth that he hath the knowledge of God, and calleth himself the son of God. He is become a censurer of our thoughts. He is grievous unto us, even to behold: for his life is not like other men' s, and his ways are very different. We are esteemed by him as triflers, and he abstaineth from our ways as from filthiness, and he preferreth the latter end of the just, and glorieth that he hath God for his father. Let us see then if his words be true, and let us prove what shall happen to him, and we shall know what his end shall be. For if he be the true son of God, he will defend him, and will deliver him from the hands of his enemies. Let us examine him by outrages and tortures, that we may know his meekness and try his patience. Let us condemn him to a most shameful death: for there shall be respect had unto him by his words. These things they thought, and were deceived: for their own malice blinded them. And they knew not the secrets of God, nor hoped for the wages of justice, nor esteemed the honour of holy souls. For God created man incorruptible, and to the image of his own likeness he made him. But by the envy of the devil, death came into the world: And they follow him that are of his side. (Wisdom 2:12-25)
In his First Epistle to the Corinthians, St. Paul the Apostle, himself a convert from Judaism, said: "But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews indeed a stumblingblock, and unto the Gentiles foolishness: But unto them that are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God" (1 Cor 1:23-24). Our Divine Lord Himself emphasized that His coming was, in the first instance, for the Jews, since they had been chosen by God as the people to whom He would entrust His law, His teaching, and His prophecies: "I was not sent but to the sheep that are lost of the house of Israel" (Mt 15:24; cf. Jn 4:22). He greatly lamented the fact that His own stubbornly denied Him: "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered together thy children, as the hen doth gather her chickens under her wings, and thou wouldest not?" (Mt 23:37). With the Death of our Lord Jesus Christ and His Holy Resurrection, the Old Covenant came to an end, because its mission, its purpose, had been fulfilled, and the New Covenant was now established in the Blood of Christ. This was strikingly represented by the tearing of the temple veil when Christ breathed His last upon the Cross: "And Jesus again crying with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And behold the veil of the temple was rent in two from the top even to the bottom, and the earth quaked, and the rocks were rent" (Mt 27:50-51). St. Paul very clearly stated that with the introduction of the New Covenant, the Old Covenant ended: "in Christ it is made void" (2 Cor 3:14); "he taketh away the first, that he may establish that which followeth" (Heb 10:9).
The temple veil is torn asunder.
The 15th century Council of Florence echoes this in its own teaching:
[This council] firmly believes, professes, and teaches that the matter pertaining to the law of the Old Testament, of the Mosiac law, which are divided into ceremonies, sacred rites, sacrifices, and sacraments, because they were established to signify something in the future, although they were suited to the divine worship at that time, after our Lord's coming had been signified by them, ceased, and the sacraments of the New Testament began; and that whoever, even after the passion, placed hope in these matters of the law and submitted himself to them as necessary for salvation, as if faith in Christ could not save without them, sinned mortally. Yet it does not deny that after the passion of Christ up to the promulgation of the Gospel they could have been observed until they were believed to be in no way necessary for salvation; but after the promulgation of the Gospel it asserts that they cannot be observed without the loss of eternal salvation. All, therefore, who after that time observe circumcision and the Sabbath and the other requirements of the law, it declares alien to the Christian faith and not in the least fit to participate in eternal salvation, unless someday they recover from these errors. (Council of Florence, Decree Cantate Domino; Denz. 712; underlining added.)
Catholic teaching on this matter is really not difficult to understand: Christ established the New Covenant to fulfill the Old; by means of this, the Old Covenant ceased, and salvation can now only be had in this New Covenant through Jesus Christ. For this very reason, Holy Mother Church offers public solemn prayers every year on Good Friday for the conversion of all non-Catholics to the True Faith. This includes not only schismatics and heretics but also Jews and pagans. Even people who are not Catholic and disagree with the Catholic Church can nevertheless easily see that it makes perfect sense for an institution that proclaims itself to be the only Ark of Salvation to offer public prayers for the conversion of all those who are not yet her members. In the Vatican II Sect, however, things are a bit different. Since "Pope" John XXIII and the Second Vatican Council, the institution masquerading as the "Catholic Church" has embraced a different gospel, one in which the Jews of our day -- that is, the members of apostate Judaism -- are at least de facto exempt from the obligation to convert to Christ and His Church, and instead may find salvation in their own (alleged) covenant with God. This new teaching, this heresy, is found not only in various Novus Ordo documents but also, and most importantly, in the New Church's praxis with regard to the Jews. This is clearly seen by the fact that the Catholic Good Friday prayer for the conversion of the Jews has been replaced by the Novus Ordo Sect with a prayer that asks God to bless them so they would continue faithfully [sic] on their path. Let's take a look at how the Catholic Good Friday prayer for the conversion of the Jews differs from the Novus Ordo prayer:
CATHOLIC PRAYER (before Vatican II): Let us pray likewise for the faithless Jews: that the Lord our God may remove from their hearts the veil of unbelief: and that they may come to the knowledge of Jesus Christ our Lord. Let us pray. Almighty and eternal God, who drivest not away from Thy mercy even the faithless Jews: hear our prayers, which we offer for the blindness of that people: that acknowledging the light of Thy truth, which is Christ, they may be delivered from their darkness. Through the same Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God. world without end. R. Amen.
What a beautiful, charitable petition to Almighty God -- that the Jews, who so far have failed to recognize their Savior, would, by the assistance of God's grace, come to embrace Him, so that they may also become partakers of Eternal Life. Why would anyone seek to change it? Now let's look at the Modernist Novus Ordo prayer:
NOVUS ORDO PRAYER (after Vatican II): Let us pray For the Jewish people, The first to hear the word of God, That they may continue to grow in the love of his name And in faithfulness to his covenant. Almighty and eternal God, Long ago you gave your promise to Abraham and his posterity. Listen to your Church as we pray That the people you first made your own May arrive at the fullness of redemption. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. (Source)
The contrast is striking. The Novus Ordo prayer has completely falsified the Catholic understanding of the Old and New Covenants and distorted the position of apostate Judaism. The "faithless Jews" (perfidis Judaeis) are no longer represented as lacking the very Faith which alone can allow them to participate in the Redemption and Eternal Life (cf. Jn 8:24; Heb 11:6). Instead, they are now presented as that people to whom God first revealed Himself, which, though correct from a carnal-historical perspective (today's Jews being the fleshly descendants of Abraham), is not true from the more important, spiritual-theological perspective (today's Jews not being the spiritual successors of Abraham and the people of the Old Testament). St. John the Baptist warned the Jews of his day not to think of themselves as being on the path to salvation simply because they are the seed of Abraham: "Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of penance; and do not begin to say, We have Abraham for our father. For I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children to Abraham" (Lk 3:8). And our Blessed Lord Himself added: "It is the spirit that quickeneth: the flesh profiteth nothing" (Jn 6:64). It is, therefore, terribly misleading to present today's Jews as though their mere fleshly status of being the descendants of Abraham gave them any sort of spiritual favor. St. Paul underscores this in his letter to the Romans by drawing an analogy with an olive tree: "The branches were broken off ... because of unbelief they were broken off" (Rom 11:19-20). And he adds a warning that just as the Jews "were broken off", so too the Gentiles will be if they do not abide in sanctifying grace in the New Covenant: "otherwise thou also shalt be cut off" (v. 22). But the novel Novus Ordo prayer for the Jews isn't finished yet. It proceeds to express unmistakable heresy, petitioning God to allow today's Jews to "continue to grow ... in faithfulness to His covenant." What covenant? There is no covenant between God and today's Jews to which they could possibly be faithful, much less continue to do so. But this Modernist prayer implies the opposite: that the Jews do have a covenant, and that they are already faithful to it up to a certain extent (perhaps through "elements" of fidelity?), and that Catholics merely pray that they will grow in this faithfulness. But is this so? Not at all. This case in point shows the difference in theology between the Catholic Church and the Novus Ordo Sect. Of course, if you talk to a "conservative" Novus Ordo apologist, you will be told that you must simply "understand" this prayer in the "right" way, and that is (so they will say) that we pray that the Jews, who believe themselves to be in the Old Covenant, simply become truly faithful to it, because this is the very Covenant that points to Christ and the New Covenant as its own fulfillment, and so it is in being truly faithful to the Old that they will come to realize the validity of the New. Thus, they argue, there is really no difference between the old and the new Good Friday prayer for the Jews. Masterful! Alas, it has nothing to do with reality. First, if there is no difference between the old and the new prayer, why is it that the Jews have vigorously condemned the traditional Catholic petition but not the Modernist Novus Ordo one? See the following link for a reality check:
"Insulting to Jews": Leading German Rabbi condemns Benedict XVI's Good Friday Prayer
Second, if the Jews do not currently have a covenant with God, objectively speaking and regardless of whether they "believe" themselves to have one, how can we ask God to have them continue to be faithful to that non-existing covenant? It will not do to say that they have a covenant with God "in one sense" but not in another. For you either have a covenant with God or you don't; you can't have it both ways. Third, how is it that we went from "faithless" Jews to Jews being "faithful"? These two terms are opposites, which means they cannot both be true. Are the Jews, or are they not, faithful to God's teachings and revelation? Fourth, if the Novus Ordo Good Friday prayer is soo Catholic and soo traditional, how come the Novus Ordo Sect does not have a mission to the Jews? Why is it that no one in the Vatican ever seeks to convert Jews (least of all Francis)? In fact, Francis' own advisor on Judaism, the German Gregor Maria Hoff, has stated explicitly: "The Catholic Church operates no mission to the Jews" (source). In 2006, "Pope" Benedict XVI stated that the Jews are blest with "the favor of the God of the Covenant" (which covenant, by the way?) and that they, together with Christians, have a mission "to transmit the torch of the Ten Commandments and of hope to the younger generations" (source). Hope? What hope does Judaism offer? The theological virtue of hope is only found in the True Religion, and that is the Catholic Church. There is no hope in false religions (cf. Pope Pius IX, Syllabus of Errors, n. 17), which should be rather obvious when you think about it. That's precisely why God revealed Himself to us in the true religion, first in the Old, then in the New Covenant. On top of all this, of course, we must also consider the question why the Good Friday prayer for the Jews was changed in the first place. The answer, of course, is because it needed to be brought in line with the New Theology (=New Religion) of Vatican II. In its declaration Nostra Aetate, the Modernist council claimed that "the Jews should not be presented as rejected or accursed by God, as if this followed from the Holy Scriptures (Vatican II, Nostra Aetate, n. 4). Not rejected by God? Really? "Therefore I say to you, that the kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and shall be given to a nation yielding the fruits thereof" (Mt 21:43); "...because of unbelief they were broken off... For if God hath not spared the natural branches, fear lest perhaps he also spare not thee. See then the goodness and the severity of God: towards them indeed that are fallen, the severity; but towards thee, the goodness of God, if thou abide in goodness, otherwise thou also shalt be cut off" (Rom 11:20-22). So, yes, this really does follow from the Holy Scriptures. As far as being accursed, apparently Vatican II forgot that the human race itself has been an accursed race since sin entered into the world (see Gen 3:18; Rom 5:12), and that the only way out of this predicament is through the Redemption of Jesus Christ in the New Covenant. This is very basic stuff! Additional proof from Holy Scripture and Catholic doctrine regarding God's rejection of the Jews as a people can be found in the following posts:
Heresy: Francis claims today's Jews Still God's Chosen People
Benedict XVI: No Mission to the Jews, just Dialogue
The "Chosen People" No More: Pope Pius XI clarifies Catholic Teaching on the Jews
Finally, it is very telling that not only is there no mission to the Jews in the Novus Ordo Church, it even includes its interreligious dealings with Jews as part of its so-called Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian [!] Unity:
Relations with the Jews On 22nd October 1974, Pope Paul VI established a Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews as an office distinct from but closely linked with the PCPCU [Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity]. In fact, the Cardinal President of the PCPCU presides over this Commission; the Secretary of the PCPCU is similarly its Vice-President. A full-time executive Secretary ensures the day-to-day running of the Commission. In order to implement the guidelines of the Second Vatican Council, the Commission published Guidelines and Suggestions for Implementing the Conciliar Declaration "Nostra aetate" n. 4, (1974) and Notes on the Correct Way to Present the Jews and Judaism in Preaching and Catechesis in the Roman Catholic Church (1985). ("The Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity", Profile at Vatican.va)
So, for the Vatican II Church, interreligious co-operation with Jews somehow falls under "promoting Christian unity." Figure that one out. All this is in striking contrast to the Church before Vatican II, which is nothing but the true and authentic Roman Catholic Church, which cannot change in her essence, and which, being the infallible, indefectible, and spotless Bride of Christ, cannot fail in her essential mission, which is leading all to Christ through her, for she is His Mystical Body:
...Christ our Lord instituted His Church as a perfect society, external of its nature and perceptible to the senses, which should carry on in the future the work of the salvation of the human race, under the leadership of one head, with an authority teaching by word of mouth, and by the ministry of the sacraments, the founts of heavenly grace…. This Church, after being so wonderfully instituted, could not, on the removal by death of its Founder and of the Apostles who were the pioneers in propagating it, be entirely extinguished and cease to be, for to it was given the commandment to lead all men, without distinction of time or place, to eternal salvation: "Going therefore, teach ye all nations."[Mt 28:19] In the continual carrying out of this task, will any element of strength and efficiency be wanting to the Church, when Christ Himself is perpetually present to it, according to His solemn promise: "Behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world?"[Mt 28:20] It follows then that the Church of Christ not only exists to-day and always, but is also exactly the same as it was in the time of the Apostles, unless we were to say, which God forbid, either that Christ our Lord could not effect His purpose, or that He erred when He asserted that the gates of hell should never prevail against it. [Mt 16:18] (Pope Pius XI, Encyclical Mortalium Animos, n. 6; underlining and paragraph breaks added.)
For the Catholic Church to abandon her mission would be to say that Christ either lied or erred in His divine promise, both of which are impossible. Consider also the following from Popes Pius IX, Leo XIII, and Pius XII on this point (all underlining added):
…[R]eligion itself can never totter and fall while this Chair [of St. Peter] remains intact, the Chair which rests on the rock which the proud gates of hell cannot overthrow and in which there is the whole and perfect solidity of the Christian religion. (Pope Pius IX, Encyclical Inter Multiplices, n. 7) For He who is the Spirit of Truth, inasmuch as He proceedeth both from the Father, who is the eternally True, and from the Son, who is the substantial Truth, receiveth from each both His essence and the fullness of all truth. This truth He communicates to His Church, guarding her by His all powerful help from ever falling into error, and aiding her to foster daily more and more the germs of divine doctrine and to make them fruitful for the welfare of the peoples. And since the welfare of the peoples, for which the Church was established, absolutely requires that this office should be continued for all time, the Holy Ghost perpetually supplies life and strength to preserve and increase the Church. "I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Paraclete, that He may abide with you for ever, the Spirit of Truth" John xiv., 16, 17). (Pope Leo XIII, Encyclical Divinum Illud, n. 5) Mother Church, Catholic, Roman, which has remained faithful to the constitution received from her Divine Founder, which still stands firm today on the solidity of the rock on which his will erected her, possesses in the primacy of Peter and of his legitimate [note well! —N.O.W.] successors the assurance, guaranteed by the divine promises, of keeping and transmitting inviolate and in all its integrity through centuries and millennia to the very end of time, the entire sum of truth and grace contained in the redemptive mission of Christ. (Pope Pius XII, Allocution to the Consistory, June 2, 1944)
Clearly, the Church cannot fail in her divine mandate; she cannot suddenly — whether mistakenly or deliberately — reverse course and abandon her God-given duty to evangelize and seek the conversion and salvation of all human beings throughout the world until the end of time. Even the Novus Ordo Sect itself admits that it is the Catholic Church's essential mission to evangelize and convert all who are not yet her members: "'...the task of evangelizing all people constitutes the essential mission of the Church.' …Evangelizing is in fact the grace and vocation proper to the Church, her deepest identity. She exists in order to evangelize…" ("Pope" Paul VI, "Apostolic Exhortation" Evangelii Nuntiandi, n. 14; italics added). But if the Church's essential task is to lead all men to Christ by converting all to a life of grace in her, the Mystical Body, then this obviously includes also the Jews, those who were "broken off" from the tree because of their rejection of Christ (cf. Rom 11:19). This is why Catholics pray for the conversion also of the Jews in specific, not only in the Good Friday liturgy, but also in the beautiful Act of Consecration of the Human Race to the Sacred Heart of Jesus: "Turn Thine eyes of mercy towards the children of the race, once Thy chosen people: of old they called down upon themselves the Blood of the Savior; may it now descend upon them a laver of redemption and of life" (source). To deny them this greatest of graces, to keep from them the Good News of our Lord Jesus Christ and to pretend that they need not abandon their current false religion, their non-existing "covenant" with God, is the greatest disservice one can possibly render to the Jewish people, for whom our Blessed Lord died as well, whom He lovingly desires to save (cf. Mk 4:21; 1 Tim 2:4), and whose eventual conversion to Christ has been foretold by St. Paul (see Rom 11:25-32). And so we once again see the stark contrast between the Catholic Church, faithful Bride of Christ, and the Modernist Vatican II Sect, the unfaithful harlot. The latter has replaced the Catholic prayer for the conversion of the Jews with a heretical petition to make them grow in their supposed "faith" and "covenant with God." By doing so, it has succumbed to the political correctness of our time, which sees every opposition to the Jewish religion as an unpardonable insult against the Jewish race. In this manner, we can apply the words of St. John the Evangelist from 2,000 years ago to the false Modernist church in our day: "Yet no man spoke openly of [Jesus], for fear of the Jews" (Jn 7:13). Image sources: Wikimedia Commons / goodsalt.com Licenses: public domain / paid (single use)Francis' homily of April 4, 2017
Bergoglio blasphemes again: Jesus Christ "made Himself the Devil"!
Only the horns and the tail are missing: The Vatican's Blasphemer-in-Chief Jorge Bergoglio
The blasphemies of Jorge Bergoglio ("Pope Francis") are becoming ever more frightful. Just the other day we reported on his joke about the Most Holy Trinity (see here) during a private audience, and today we have another blasphemy to add to the ever-growing list: In his homily of April 4, 2017, Francis said that our Blessed Lord Jesus Christ "made himself the devil" for us! To clarify right from the outset: Yes, he really said it (it's on the Vatican web site). No, it's not a mistranslation. And no, it's not a misunderstanding either. In Italy, this is front-page news already: The April 6 edition of the Italian daily secular newspaper Libero mentions it on page 1 with an article by Vatican journalist and author Antonio Socci -- the man who once set out to debunk the idea that the Third Secret of Fatima had still not been fully released but in the course of his research discovered that it was indeed so. Here is a snapshot of the entire front page and the beginning of the Socci article in particular (click on each image for a larger version): Socci, who is a native Italian speaker, also called attention to the matter on his Facebook page. His article in Libero is entitled,"'That Devil Jesus'. Words of Bergoglio." This article itself is not available online but the author just posted a follow-up article that was published in Libero today, Apr. 6:
"Bergoglio Arriva Ad Affermare in Chiesa Che "gesu' Si E' Fatto Diavolo" E Tutti Fanno Finta Di Nulla. Ecco La Sua Strategia" (Antonio Socci)
What exactly did Francis say? The official summary (with copious verbatim quotes) of his April 4, 2017 sermon at the Casa Santa Marta appears in the Vatican's own newspaper, Osservatore Romano, vol. CLVII, n. 79 (Apr. 5, 2017). It is also found on the Vatican web site:
"Nel segno della croce" (Vatican.va)
An official and complete English translation of the text has not been released, but Vatican Radio has published an English summary, which, however, omits the most explosive portion of the homily and does not do justice to the original Italian text found on the Vatican web site:
"Pope: 'the Cross is not a badge of belonging'" (Vatican Radio)
In this homily, Francis continually emphasizes how Christ "became sin" for us (mentioning this phrase as many as seven times), and he exaggerates it beyond its orthodox meaning. It appears he enjoys doing so by the sheer repetition and undue emphasis of this phrase. This isn't new for him -- he has done it before, as for example in his homily of June 15, 2013, in which he claimed that Christ "became the sinner" for us, and in his sermon of March 15, 2016, in which he asserted that our Lord "became sin" and "a serpent". This time, however, Francis managed to outdo himself, virtually eclipsing his prior utterances. Speaking of the Cross, the Crucifix, as the badge of the Christian, Francis called it "the memory of him who has made himself sin, who has made himself the devil, the serpent, for us; he has humbled himself to the point of complete annihilation." The exact Italian reads: "come memoria di colui che si è fatto peccato, che si è fatto diavolo, serpente, per noi; si è abbassato fino ad annientarsi totalmente". These words are printed on the Vatican web site as linked above. Under the cloak of admiring God's humility, Francis claims that Jesus Christ Himself is the devil! Once again, Bergoglio shows himself firmly ensconced in the camp of his real masters, the apostate Jews, for this was the same insult the unbelieving Pharisees hurled at our Lord, as He lamented: "they have called the goodman of the house Beelzebub" (Mt 10:25; cf. Mt 12:24-30; Jn 8:52). A more staggering blasphemy than to say that God is Satan cannot be imagined! And yet there it is, right there on the various web sites of the Vatican. Of course we can expect that the Francis Exoneration Machine of the professional (and not-so-professional) Novus Ordo apologists will quickly be fired up and shifted into overdrive. We will try to pre-empt any such attempts by means of the following considerations. As far as context goes, it is clear that to give a veener of justification for his blasphemous drivel, Francis is alluding to two scriptural passages, the first of which was part of the "Mass" readings for the day:
"Wherefore the Lord sent among the people fiery serpents, which bit them and killed many of them. Upon which they came to Moses, and said: We have sinned, because we have spoken against the Lord and thee: pray that he may take away these serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said to him: Make brazen serpent, and set it up for a sign: whosoever being struck shall look on it, shall live. Moses therefore made a brazen serpent, and set it up for a sign: which when they that were bitten looked upon, they were healed." (Num 21:6-9) "Him, who knew no sin, [God] hath made sin for us, that we might be made the justice of God in him." (2 Cor 5:21)
What is the correct understanding of these passages, according to traditional Catholic Scripture scholarship? First, let's have a look at that bronze serpent mentioned in Num 21:9. The traditional Catholic Haydock Commentary, which synthesizes the interpretations given by the Church's best authorities on the biblical text, says the following:
A brazen serpent. This was a figure of Christ crucified, and of the efficacy of a lively faith in him, against the bites of the hellish serpent, John iii. 14. (Challoner) (St. Ambrose; Apol. i. 3.) As the old serpent infected the whole human race, Jesus Christ gives life to those that look at him with entire confidence. (Theodoret, q. 38.) The brazen serpent was destitute of poison, though it resembled a most noxious animal; so Jesus Christ assumed our nature, yet without sin. (Calmet) (Haydock Commentary on Num 21:9; underlining added.)
Did you notice? No mention of Jesus Christ being a serpent or quasi-devil. Rather, the brazen serpent was an image (or type) of Christ in the sense that He took on our human nature, yet remained without sin, and was lifted up on the tree of the cross. This had been signified by the bronze serpent, which was without poison and placed on a pole: "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of man be lifted up" (Jn 3:14). As regards 2 Cor 5:21, the Haydock Commentary gives the following explanations:
Him (Christ) who knew no sin, (who had never sinned, nor was capable of sinning) he (God) hath made sin for us. I had translated, with some French translators, he hath made a sacrifice for sin, as it is expounded by St. Augustine and many others, and grounded upon the authority of the Scriptures, in which the sacrifices for sins are divers times called sins, as Osee iv. 8. and in several places in Leviticus, by the Hebrew word Chattat, which signifies a sin, and is translated a victim for sin. But as this is not the only interpretation, and that my design is always a literal translation of the text, not a paraphrase, upon second thoughts I judged it better to follow the very words of the Greek, as well as of the Latin text. For besides the exposition already mentioned, others expound these words, him he hath made sin for us, to signify that he made Christ like unto sinners, a mortal man, with the similitude of sin. Others that he made he reputed [sic] a sinner; with the wicked was he reputed;(Mark xv. 28.) God having laid upon him all our iniquities.(Isaias liii. 6.) --- That we might be made the justice of God in him; that is, that we might be justified and sanctified by God's sanctifying grace, and the justice we receive from him. (Witham) --- Sin for us. That is, to be a sin-offering, a victim for sin. (Challoner) (Haydock Commentary on 2 Cor 5:21; underlining added.)
Another traditional Catholic Bible commentary observes:
'Hath made sin': i.e. 'Has made Christ to be sin', a saying deliberately meant to be startling. God allowed Christ to suffer a punishment fit only for sinners, and in that sense made him a sinner. There may be some further meaning. (Bernard Orchard, OSB, ed., A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture [London: Thomas Nelson and Sons, 1953], n. 888a, p. 1105; underlining and italics added.)
Here we can see what the true meaning of these passages is. Our Lord Jesus Christ most certainly did not literally become sin, and even figuratively He only "became sin" in the senses explained above, i.e., by taking on our human nature (and thus bearing the likeness of sin; cf. Heb 4:15), by being reputed with the wicked on account of His Crucifixion (cf. Mk 15:28), and above all by offering Himself as a Perfect Sacrifice for sin (cf. Heb 7:27; 10:12). It is ironic that Francis should preach on the Sign of the Cross, as it is precisely this sign and this Cross that he likes to avoid as much as he can. We recall his shameful hiding of his pectoral cross before the Jewish chief rabbis of Jersualem, his unmistakable efforts to avoid showing his cross in his "Pope Videos", and his persistent refusal to bless people with the Sign of the Cross (usually he "blesses" people by laying his hands on their heads or touching them in some other way, but almost never with the sign of the Cross), his complete omission of the Sign of the Cross during a liturgical "blessing", and his infamous "silent blessing" in 2013, which he performed without the Sign of the Cross in order to "respect the consciences" of those present who were not Catholic. Despite his occasional flowery words, Bergoglio hates the Cross. He hates God. This is manifest. Hatred of God is the greatest sin that can possibly be committed because it is directly opposed to the greatest and first commandment (Mk 12:30: "thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind, and with thy whole strength"). Love of God is the greatest virtue, hence hatred of God is the most damnable vice. This is the clear teaching of the Angelic Doctor: "The best is opposite to the worst, according to the Philosopher [Aristotle] (Ethic. viii, 10). But hatred of God is contrary to the love of God, wherein man's best consists. Therefore hatred of God is man's worst sin" (St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, II-II, q. 34, art. 2). Yes, hatred of God, which often expresses itself in blasphemy, is even worse than heresy:
Even unbelief is not sinful unless it be voluntary: wherefore the more voluntary it is, the more it is sinful. Now it becomes voluntary by the fact that a man hates the truth that is proposed to him. Wherefore it is evident that unbelief derives its sinfulness from hatred of God, Whose truth is the object of faith; and hence just as a cause is greater than its effect, so hatred of God is a greater sin than unbelief. (Aquinas, Summa Theologica, II-II, q. 34, art. 2, ad 2)
Thus we see that "Pope" Francis' words and actions make perfect sense: His heresies and blasphemies go hand in hand, as they both have their origin in the same depraved mind. The man simply hates God and His Truth. After these past four years, can anyone seriously doubt it? For those who still haven't seen it, here's a stock list of Bergoglio's spiritual junkyard. To those who still refuse to be convinced and claim it's all a matter of "ambiguity" or "misunderstanding" (Tom Hoopes maybe? Or Jimmy Akin?), we pose one final question: Why is it that this man continually expresses himself in such a way that his words are taken for blasphemy and heresy? Is he not capable of speaking in a clear, edifying, and devout manner? Is this not his duty, given the exalted and unique office he claims to hold? The truth is: He is quite capable of speaking properly, he is simply unwilling to do so because he -- not our Blessed Lord -- is a devil. "Let no evil speech proceed from your mouth; but that which is good, to the edification of faith, that it may administer grace to the hearers" (Eph 4:29).1,461 days of field hospitals, tenderness, and peripheries
Four Years of Chaos Frank: A Press Review
It was on March 13, 2013, that most people heard of the Argentinian Jesuit Jorge Mario Bergoglio for the very first time. He was presented to the world as "Pope Francis". Presumably, most who witnessed the first appearance on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica will never forget the unusual experience: There he was, the first papal claimant to take the name "Francis", clad entirely in white, without the customary red stole for the urbi et orbi blessing, looking at a jubilant crowd. His initial words of buona sera -- "good evening" -- and his subsequent request for the people gathered in St. Peter's Square to pray over him before he would "bless" them, were an ominous harbinger of what was to come. From the very beginning, we have chronicled the major scandals, errors, heresies, gaffes, blasphemies, and other outrages committed by "Pope" Francis. To catalogue them all would be a virtually impossible task, as the Bergoglian jaw has been moving nonstop since that fateful evening. Our coverage of the 2013 conclave, by the way, is still accessible here. On April 3, 2013 -- a mere 21 days after his election, while people like Michael Voris were busy trying to tell you what a wonderfully "conservative Pope" the world had been blessed with -- we predicted on Twitter that Francis would eventually be known as the "Chaos Pope" (see original tweet here). We were denounced by all sorts of people then, but guess what: We were right. For the big four-year anniversary a month ago, lots of Novus Ordo, semi-traditionalist, and secular web sites, of course, had something to say about these past 1,461 days of Francis. We present to you a number of them in the list of links below, without commentary. Now that people both inside and outside the Novus Ordo Sect are talking about the possibility of an intra-NovusOrdo schism due to the chaos created and maintained by Francis, it is perhaps more interesting than ever to see how the various factions within the Modernist establishment assess the state of things at this time.
Four Years of Francis - A Press Review
Press Review: The first four years of a very controversial pontificate
The Eco-Pope at Year Four
Assessing Francis
So Much to Do, So Little Time: Four Years Into His Papacy Pope Francis May Be Looking to Increase the Pace of Change
Memorable Moments of Francis' first Four Years
Pope's first term: Clear wins, mixed verdicts and unfinished business
Four Years Later: Reflections on an Unprecedented Pontificate
Four years later. The gift of a "fallible" Pope
4 years of Francis. Hummes: "Every reform raises resistances"
Perspectives Differ on Pope Francis' Pontificate After 4 Years
The faith of the simple and the anti-Francis operations
Is Pope Francis Really Facing a Coup? Or Just 'Fake News'?
For those who are interested in a genuine and hard-hitting traditional Catholic critique of Francis' false pontificate, we highly recommend the popular podcast program "Francis Watch", produced by our friends at True Restoration (the more recent episodes require a paid subscription but a good number of the earlier episodes are entirely free). Each episode of Francis Watch is typically between 1-2 hours long and features Bp. Donald Sanborn and Fr. Anthony Cekada, both of whom dismantle the Bergoglian sophisms in light of the doctrines and principles of the Catholic Faith of the ages. Image source: Wikimedia Commons License: public domainLong-time Editor of "Catholic Family News"
John Vennari has died
Mr. John Vennari (1958-2017)
Mr. John Vennari, the long-time editor of the recognize-and-resist flagship publication Catholic Family News, has died at the age of 59. This was reported by his family on Mr. Vennari's Facebook page. The indult blog Rorate Caeli also posted a notification. Vennari passed away on April 4, 2017, after a difficult battle with cancer, which had only been discovered about a year ago. He is survived by his wife Susan and their children. Mr. Vennari's death comes less than 2 years after the sudden passing of "Fr." Nicholas Gruner, head of the Fatima Center in Fort Erie, Canada. Gruner and Vennari worked closely together, Catholic Family News actually being owned by the Fatima Center. We pray that Vennari repented of all his sins, died in the state of sanctifying grace, and received a merciful judgment. Please pray for the repose of his soul. Death is always a good reminder to all of us that we too have a day and time appointed at which we will be called to judgment, to render an account to the Almighty Judge (see Heb 9:27). The circumstances of our own death are entirely unknown to us, and will probably be quite different from what we may expect. Pray for final perseverance always. St. John Vianney has remarked that he who does not pray for final perseverance will not receive it. Ponder also the questions presented in the following post — this is a good reminder that all these issues we discuss every day at this web site are extremely serious:
When Death comes for you, how will you choose?
Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us.
Mosque's Call to Prayer intrudes on "Pope" Francis' Sermon in Cairo
Don't you hate it when that happens?
Coexist: Mosque's Call to Prayer intrudes on Francis' Sermon in Cairo
Sometimes things just don't go as planned. During a visit with clergy and seminarians in Cairo as part of his "Apostolic Journey" to Egypt, Francis on Saturday, Apr. 29, gave a homily that was interrupted by the Muezzin's call to prayer at the neighboring Al-Nour mosque. Francis, noticing the untimely surprise, checked his watch and simply carried on.
Curiously, the Muezzin's call came just as Francis read the words: "We venerate the Holy Cross, the instrument and sign of our salvation. When we flee the Cross, we flee the resurrection!"
in Novus Ordo Wire Ecumenism, Francis, Heresy, Interreligious Dialogue, Islam 4
Same old bunk, different location…
From Apr. 28-29, 2017, the man who likes to see himself called the "Pope of Peace" visited Egypt in order to preach the Gospel the Masonic doctrines of natural brotherhood, dialogue, and encounter to the people there. If you missed it, you didn't — miss anything, that is. It was a rerun of the same old show, simply adapted to a different setting. Francis gave his usual speeches regurgitating insufferable, lowest-common-denominator Naturalist and ecumenical platitudes before an interreligious audience. Not surprisingly, Francis brought up his heretical concept of an "ecumenism of blood" once again.
in Novus Ordo Wire Ecumenism, Francis, Heresy, Islam, Naturalism 5
A "Revolution of Tenderness": Francis' Video Message to TED Conference
Facepalm Alert…
A "Revolution of Tenderness":
Francis delivers Video Message to TED Conference
No matter what happens in the world, you can bet your bottom dollar that "Pope Francis" (Jorge Bergoglio) has something to say about it. (Unless it's the 100th anniversary of the death of Pope Saint Pius X, then Francis mysteriously falls silent.)
Thus, the "Pope" sent a video message to the 2017 TED conference in Vancouver, Canada. The meeting was held from Apr. 24-28 under the vacuous motto, "The Future You", so it was clear that the world's most talkative Jesuit would be tempted to contribute his own Naturalist tripe to the conference.
in Novus Ordo Wire Antichrist, Existentialism, Francis, Heresy, Laudato Si, Martin Buber, Naturalism, Robert Zollitsch, St. Francis of Assisi 14
Time to see the elephant in the living room…
Anything but Sedevacantism!
Analysis of a curious Phenomenon
We have said a number of times on this blog that in the world of the semi-traditionalists, the blind are leading the blind. This is not just rhetoric, it simply describes reality. Whether it be people arguing that there is no point to having the correct diagnosis of a problem if one does not have the cure — as though a correct diagnosis were not at least the indispensable starting point for any remedial action; whether it be Christopher Ferrara promoting the idea of an "Anti-Catholic Pope"; whether it be one blogger's argument that the Pope need not be submitted to "if he's an idiot"; or whether it be "Bp."
in Novus Ordo Wire Albert Kallio, Anthony Cekada, Henry Edward Manning, Heresy, Judas, Papacy, Schism, Sedevacantism, SSPX, Steve Skojec 51
All the Men behind the Opus Dei Curtain
The rest of the story?
[UPDATE 16-JUL-2017: Randy Engel's reponse to E. Michael Jones added]
In July of 2016, Novus Ordo editor and author E. Michael Jones published a sordid tell-all book against Church Militant and its frontman, Michael Voris, entitled The Man behind the Curtain: Michael Voris and the Homosexual Vortex. The official description of the publication reads as follows:
The Man Behind the Curtain: Michael Voris and the Homosexual Vortex by E. Michael Jones. In April 2016 Michael Voris's homosexual past finally caught up with him.
in Novus Ordo Wire Church Militant, E. Michael Jones, Homosexuality, Michael Voris, Opus Dei, Randy Engel, SSPX 11
Francis appoints "Fr." James Martin Consultor for Vatican Communications
Anyone who was still under the impression that "Pope" Francis was a tough opponent of the homosexualist agenda, will definitively be disabused of this illusion now: On April 12, 2017, the Vatican announced that "Pope" Francis had appointed the notorious Jesuit LGBT-sensitive "Fr." James Martin a consultant for the Vatican Secretariat for Communications, along with 12 other people. The secretariat was created by the "Pope" in 2015 and includes the Holy See Press Office, Vatican Radio, the Vatican Television Center, the Vatican Publishing House, and the Vatican Internet Service, among others.
in Novus Ordo Wire Amoris Laetitia, Francis, Homosexuality, James Martin, Transgender 22
John Daly destroys a foundational pillar of false traditionalism
Faith and Authority:
One of the foundational pillars of the popular "recognize-and-resist" position of the Society of St. Pius X and their theological cousins is the idea that whenever a lawful ecclesiastical authority, such as the Pope, abuses his office by giving a command that ought not to be given, then his inferiors have the right, perhaps even the duty, to resist it, that is, they are permitted or required to disobey by refusing to carry it out. Conversely, the recognize-and-resist adherents maintain that if an action is laudable and profitable to the Church or to souls and yet it is being forbidden by a legitimate Catholic authority for an unjust or insufficiently good reason, then it is licit to carry it out anyway, despite the superior's prohibition.
in Novus Ordo Wire John Daly, Michael Davies, Papacy, Schism, Sedevacantism, SSPX 36
"Pope Emeritus" Benedict XVI turns 90
Ninety years of Joseph Ratzinger
April 16 of this year marks the 90th birthday of Joseph Alois Ratzinger, more commonly known by his stage name, "Pope Emeritus" Benedict XVI. As Novus Ordo, semi-traditionalist, and secular TV and print media, web sites, and blogs will probably try to surpass each other in heaping praise upon the "orthodox, conservative Pope", that "Great Restorer of Tradition", we will use the occasion to remind people that Father Joseph Ratzinger — for that is all he is, never having received a valid consecration as bishop, much less the Papacy — has been a Modernist from his earliest days and is one of the most dangerous enemies of the Faith the Catholic Church has ever known.
in Novus Ordo Wire Benedict XVI 20
He kneels before man but not before God…
He kisses tenderly because he can…
[UPDATE 15-APR-17 17:07 UTC: It has come to our attention that in the foot-washing rite in use before Pope Pius XII's restoration in 1955, the rubrics mandated the kissing of the feet that were washed. We apologize for not being aware of this and have revised this post accordingly. It changes nothing, however, in our essential critique of Francis' actions, since he is obviously not trying to restore traditional practice and the Novus Ordo rubrics do not mandate kissing.]
in Novus Ordo Wire Francis, Homosexuality, Naturalism, New Sacraments, Paul VI, Vatican II, Victor Manuel Fernandez 8
Ugly as Sin: The Vatican's 2017 Easter Card
Just act surprised…
It's that time of the year again when Jorge Bergoglio sends out greeting cards, and it's not pretty — literally.
For Easter this year, Francis chose a design by the same artist whose work was featured on the 2014 Christmas card, which drew everybody's immediate attention to a donkey's rump, which was the most prominently featured part of the card.
Victor Delhez is the man's name, and a picture of his Risurrezione engraving is displayed on the front of Francis' official Easter card. Here is what it looks like (click picture to enlarge, at your own risk):
Out of all the beautiful paintings of the Resurrection and the Resurrected Christ they could have chosen, the Vatican under "Pope" Francis chose, of course, one of the ugliest designs they could find.
in Novus Ordo Wire Blasphemy, Francis, Vatican 20
News Digest April 11, 2017
Novus Ordo Watch NEWS DIGEST
Reason no. 4822 why you're not Novus Ordo anymore…
In new interview, "Cardinal" Burke says "it is not clear yet" if there will be a public formal correction of Francis — Look, just wake us all up when it happens, ok? This is becoming a drama like that of the SSPX-Rome reconciliation…
Blasphemy and Heresy on Day 2: Barely elected, Francis in 2013 called the Holy Ghost an "Apostle of Babel", claimed God Himself creates doctrinal differences between Catholics and heretics!
"Ecumenism of Blood" will once again be the focus: "The Pope of Rome will present himself [in Egypt] more as a brother of the [heretical] Coptic Pope Tawadros II, and a friend to Islam that condemns violence, rather than a Western leader coming to invoke protection for the Christian minority."
in Novus Ordo Wire News Digest 14
It's John 7:13 all over again…
The Crucified Christ Betrayed:
The Novus Ordo Good Friday Prayer for the Jews
The Roman Catholic Church, in her loving kindness and care, having been entrusted by the Son of God with the mission to preach the Gospel and convert all men to the true Faith (see Mk 16:15-16), greatly desires the salvation of all people. Knowing that man was not made for this world, but for eternal beatitude in Heaven, she lovingly seeks to detach him from the state of sin he finds himself in and lift him up to the life of Faith and virtue through the grace merited by our Lord Jesus Christ, who declared: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life.
in Novus Ordo Wire Benedict XVI, Ecumenism, Heresy, Indult Mass, Interreligious Dialogue, John XXIII, Judaism, New Mass, Paul VI, Vatican II 35
Bergoglio blasphemes again: Jesus Christ "made Himself the Devil"!
Francis' homily of April 4, 2017
Bergoglio blasphemes again:
Jesus Christ "made Himself the Devil"!
Only the horns and the tail are missing:
The Vatican's Blasphemer-in-Chief Jorge Bergoglio
The blasphemies of Jorge Bergoglio ("Pope Francis") are becoming ever more frightful. Just the other day we reported on his joke about the Most Holy Trinity (see here) during a private audience, and today we have another blasphemy to add to the ever-growing list: In his homily of April 4, 2017, Francis said that our Blessed Lord Jesus Christ "made himself the devil" for us!
To clarify right from the outset: Yes, he really said it (it's on the Vatican web site).
in Novus Ordo Wire Antichrist, Antonio Socci, Blasphemy, Francis, Heresy 93
Four Years of Chaos Frank – A Press Review
1,461 days of field hospitals, tenderness, and peripheries
Four Years of Chaos Frank:
A Press Review
It was on March 13, 2013, that most people heard of the Argentinian Jesuit Jorge Mario Bergoglio for the very first time. He was presented to the world as "Pope Francis".
Presumably, most who witnessed the first appearance on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica will never forget the unusual experience: There he was, the first papal claimant to take the name "Francis", clad entirely in white, without the customary red stole for the urbi et orbi blessing, looking at a jubilant crowd. His initial words of buona sera — "good evening" — and his subsequent request for the people gathered in St.
in Novus Ordo Wire Conclave 2013, Francis, Michael Voris 7
Long-time Editor of "Catholic Family News"
Mr. John Vennari, the long-time editor of the recognize-and-resist flagship publication Catholic Family News, has died at the age of 59. This was reported by his family on Mr. Vennari's Facebook page. The indult blog Rorate Caeli also posted a notification.
Vennari passed away on April 4, 2017, after a difficult battle with cancer, which had only been discovered about a year ago. He is survived by his wife Susan and their children.
Mr. Vennari's death comes less than 2 years after the sudden passing of "Fr."
in Novus Ordo Wire John Vennari 27 | See proclaims, in which the solidarity of the Christian religion is whole and true".... To satisfy this pastoral duty, our predecessors always gave tireless attention that the saving doctrine of Christ be spread among all the peoples of the earth, and with equal care they watched that, wherever it was received, it was preserved sound and pure. Therefore, the bishops of the whole world, now individually, now gathered in Synods, following a long custom of the churches and the formula of the ancient rule, referred to this Holy See those dangers particularly which emerged in the affairs of faith, that there especially the damages to faith might be repaired where faith cannot experience a failure. The Roman Pontiffs, moreover, according as the condition of the times and affairs advised, sometimes by calling ecumenical Councils or by examining the opinion of the Church spread throughout the world; sometimes by particular synods, sometimes by employing other helps which divine Providence supplied, have defined that those matters must be held which with God's help they have recognized as in agreement with Sacred Scripture and apostolic tradition. For, the Holy Spirit was not promised to the successors of Peter that by His revelation they might disclose new doctrine, but that by His help they might guard sacredly the revelation transmitted through the apostles and the deposit of faith, and might faithfully set it forth. Indeed, all the venerable fathers have embraced their apostolic doctrine, and the holy orthodox Doctors have venerated and followed it, knowing full well that the See of St. Peter always remains unimpaired by any error, according to the divine promise of our Lord the Savior made to the chief of His disciples: "I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and thou, being once converted, confirm thy brethren" [Luke 22:32]. So, this gift of truth and a never failing faith was divinely conferred upon Peter and his successors in this chair, that they might administer their high duty for the salvation of all; that the entire flock of Christ, turned away by them from the poisonous food of error, might be nourished on the sustenance of heavenly doctrine, that with the occasion of schism removed the whole Church might be saved as one, and relying on her foundation might stay firm against the gates of hell. (First Vatican Council, Dogmatic Constitution Pastor Aeternus; Denz. 1833, 1836-37; underlining added.)
No, the Chair of St. Peter cannot turn into the Chair of Judas. The Bride of Christ cannot become unfaithful to her Divine Spouse. That is the whole reason why Christ instituted the Papacy: so that His Church would always be "the pillar and ground of the truth" (1 Tim 3:15); so that people would always be able to rely entirely on her and not "tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine" (Eph 4:14). To this end, our Lord founded the Church on the rock of St. Peter and not on Judas. The See of St. Peter cannot fail because "I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not" (Lk 22:32), and Christ's prayer is infallibly effective. Thus God Himself guarantees that the Catholic Church will always stand firm against the gates of hell. A betrayal like that of Judas -- or of the Vatican II "popes" -- is out of the question. What is not out of the question, however, is the emergence of false shepherds, whose voice the sheep do not recognize: "But a stranger they follow not, but fly from him, because they know not the voice of strangers" (Jn 10:5). Our Blessed Lord specifically warned us about those "who say they are apostles, and are not" (Apoc 2:2), and St. Paul pronounced a clear anathema against them: "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach a gospel to you besides that which we have preached to you, let him be anathema" (Gal 1:8). Nor will it do, as the One Peter Five commenter proceeds to do, to invoke the "St. Peter denied Christ three times and was still Pope" argument. He says: "This is what it must have been like to be gathered around the campfire in the courtyard on that dark night, knowing Peter, waiting for him to defend his master, and to hear him not once, not twice but three times deny the man he swore he would die for." Quite simply, the truth is that when St. Peter denied Christ, the Papacy had not yet been conferred upon him; it had only been promised to him ("upon this rock I will build My church" [Mt. 16:18]). The Papacy was actually conferred on St. Peter after the Resurrection when our Lord gave him the charge with the words, "Feed my lambs": "And upon Simon Peter alone Jesus after His resurrection conferred the jurisdiction of the highest pastor and rector over his entire fold, saying: 'Feed my lambs,' 'Feed my sheep' [Jn 21:15ff.]" (Vatican I, Pastor Aeternus; Denz. 1822; underlining added). Towards the end of his comment, Theodosius lists some of Francis' heresies, blasphemies, and other outrages and then asks rhetorically:
What have I to do with you [Francis]? And what can you be to me? How can I help but be tempted to declare the see vacant when you have vacated Christ? What is there in you or the exercise of your office that would inspire the faithful to greater fidelity?
To which we must respond:
Indeed, Sir, what has Francis to do with you? Nothing! And why, then, do you have anything to do with him? Anathema to Francis! (cf. Gal 1:8-9) What is it that keeps you from accepting that a public apostate cannot at the same time be the Vicar of Christ, who guarantees the true Faith and the unity of the Church? Why are you more willing to deny the Papacy than to deny that Bergoglio possesses it? Why do you recognize in Francis the voice of a hireling and still consider him your true and legitimate shepherd?
Thus far our analysis of the comment by Theodosius quoted approvingly by Steve Skojec in the One Peter Five post, "Stand Fast. The Storm Will Break".
Practical vs. Real Sedevacantism
We will now turn to some of the observations Skojec himself offers, beginning with his clarification of the term "practical sedevacantist", since he naturally has to make absolutely clear to his readers that he would never countenance being an actual or real sedevacantist:
Note the important qualifier, "practical." We are not sedevacantists. Not sedeprivationists. These things would be easier. It is a far less traumatic thing to believe that the reason a pope is doing these things is because he is not really a pope at all than to believe that somehow he can be the legitimate successor of Peter but take on the mantle of Judas. We are instead forced to accept that there is an emptiness in the See of Peter that the formal reality of papal legitimacy cannot wipe away. (Steve Skojec, "Stand Fast. The Storm Will Break", One Peter Five, Apr. 3, 2017)
Ah yes, the "Sedevacantism is too easy" argument. It is very popular these days, especially among those who prefer to go by emotion rather than reason or Faith, or who desperately look for anything at all to justify not being a sedevacantist (there we go again!). In response, the first question one must ask is: What does easy or difficult have to do with any of this? The only concern we should have is not whether Sedevacantism is easy or difficult but whether it is true: "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (Jn 8:32). Since when is the level of difficulty an indicator of truth? One might say that the equation 1+1=2 is "easy", but is it not true nonetheless? Secondly, we have shown again and again, and also in this post, that Sedevacantism is based upon Catholic doctrine (unlike that merely Practical Sedevacantism). We have not at all appealed to anything emotional, much less told people to choose the "easier" path. It is not the easy path you must choose, but the one that is compatible with Catholic teaching; whether this be easy or difficult for you is, frankly, irrelevant. So, while Skojec may pride himself on courageously accepting the "difficult" idea that the Ark of Salvation can turn into an Ark of Damnation, we must reject it nonetheless because the "easy" truth is that such a scenario is excluded by the divine promises. Thirdly, if we want to talk about what's easier, isn't it simply easier to affirm the Vatican II Sect is the Catholic Church (hey, you get a complete and very visible hierarchy!) and Francis the Pope (none of those pesky problems the sedevacantists have!)? You get to accept countless ordinations as valid (if you want -- depends on you!), and you also get to pick and choose what teaching and directives from the Vatican you will accept (Drive-thru annulments? No way! Sins against ecumenism? Forget about it! Francisco Marto declared a Saint? Awesome! Valid SSPX confessions? Love it!). Chances are your closest "traditional Mass" is just around the corner, and it's a lot easier to explain your religion to your co-workers, who won't look down on you as being one of those wacky sedevacantists! So, it is clear that both sides can play this silly game of "easy vs. difficult", because something can be easy in one respect but difficult in another. Ultimately, this whole objection of "it can't be true because it would be too easy" must be dismissed as an irrelevant non sequitur.
Walking by Faith, not by Sight
Later on in his post, Skojec states:
I wish I had wisdom to offer you. I wish I had answers. I wish I could tell you what is next. But the fog of war has grown so thick that we are stumbling forward in total darkness. We are being forced to "walk by faith, and not by sight." (2 Cor. 5:7)
This candid assessment is very well put; but it is puzzling to see why Skojec will not accept this same answer from sedevacantists. Somehow, sedevacantists are expected to have all the answers, else their position "must" be rejected as false (and even if we did have all the answers, we would still be lambasted precisely for claiming to have all the answers and, especially, such easy answers!). We are criticized for not having a clear answer on how a new Pope would be elected or chosen. We are criticized for not being able to point to a living Magisterium today. We are criticized for not being able to explain exactly how such a situation of near-total defection in the Church could come about in the first place. We are criticized for struggling to explain the existence of ordinary jurisdiction in the Church. And yet, the recognize-and-resisters will not permit us to simply say, "I don't know." But "I don't know" is an acceptable answer if you really do not know and if you do not need to know. And we do not need to know, strictly speaking. We are like the disciples waiting and wailing at the tomb on Holy Saturday. We do not know how God will resolve the situation, but we know that He can and that He will. As Cardinal Henry Edward Manning explained in a lecture given in 1861:
As the wicked did not prevail against Him [our Lord Jesus Christ] even when they bound Him with cords, dragged Him to the judgment, blindfolded His eyes, mocked Him as a false King, smote Him on the head as a false Prophet, led Him away, crucified Him, and in the mastery of their power seemed to have absolute dominion over Him, so that He lay ground down and almost annihilated under their feet; and as, at that very time when He was dead and buried out of their sight, He was conqueror over all, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven, and was crowned, glorified, and invested with His royalty, and reigns supreme, King of kings and Lord of lords,— even so shall it be with His Church: though for a time persecuted, and, to the eyes of man, overthrown and trampled on, dethroned, despoiled, mocked, and crushed, yet in that high time of triumph the gates of hell shall not prevail. There is in store for the Church of God a resurrection and an ascension, a royalty and a dominion, a recompense of glory for all it has endured. Like Jesus, it needs must suffer on the way to its crown; yet crowned it shall be with Him eternally. (Excerpted in "The Pope and the Antichrist: The Great Apostasy Foretold", Novus Ordo Wire, Apr. 23, 2015; underlining added.)
"Practical Sedevacantism" is simply trying to have your cake and eating it too. It is a best-of-both-worlds position that harvests all the pleasant fruits from Sedevacantism (you get to dump all the Novus Ordo junk!) while rejecting its bitter chalice (where is the hierarchy? where to go to Mass? how will we get a Pope back? how do we settle disagreements?). It adds the pleasant sedevacantist fruits to everything positive it decides to retain from the Novus Ordo Sect (validity of Novus Ordo ordinations! my marriage annulment! convenient Mass locations! dinner with the bishop!). The result is perhaps a most interesting fruit salad but certainly not Catholicism.
Engendering Cognitive Dissonance
Thus, while "practical sedevacantists" may very well think of themselves as retaining the traditional Catholic faith, the truth is that they have long rejected it -- keeping in mind that rejecting even one dogma rejects the Faith entirely, since the Faith exists only as a whole and not in parts or degrees. This has frightening consequences, because, as Pope Leo XIII taught, we "hold as outside Catholic communion, and alien to the Church, whoever would recede in the least degree from any point of doctrine proposed by her authoritative Magisterium" (Encyclical Satis Cognitum, n. 9). Certainly, the "practical sedevacantist" may perhaps pay lipservice to the traditional Catholic teaching while contradicting it in practice, but such a course of action would not only be dishonest and hypocritical, it would also amount to cognitive dissonance, a state in which one's actions deny -- or at least do not match -- one's thoughts or stated beliefs. Such a state cannot last long for a sane human being. The discrepancy between one's thoughts and one's actions will quickly resolve itself into either changing one's actions to align with the thoughts, or changing one's thoughts to correspond with the actions. Since he refuses to abandon the belief that Francis is a true Pope, no matter the consequences, the "practical sedevacantist" thus forces himself to either submit to Francis and become Novus Ordo, or else deny the traditional Catholic teaching on the Papacy. We are reminded of these words of St. Jerome: "...every schism fabricates a heresy for itself to justify its withdrawal from the Church" (qtd. by Pope Pius IX, Encylical Quartus Supra, n. 13). And so it is.
The Papacy has Consequences
That people in the recognize-and-resist camp have long given up belief in the Catholic teachings on the Papacy is made evident again and again. One of the most candid displays of this was John Vennari's declaration in 2013: "I would never allow Pope Francis to teach religion to my children"! Of course the sentiment is entirely justified: Jorge Bergoglio should never be allowed to teach religion to anyone's children. As soon as we give that "nod" of the Papacy to the man, however, a conundrum arises because the Pope enjoys the divine right to teach all Catholics:
"The Holy Apostolic See and the Roman Pontiff have primacy in the entire world. The Roman Pontiff is the Successor of Blessed Peter, the Prince of the Apostles, true Vicar of Christ, Head of the whole Church, Father and Teacher of all Christians." (Pope Benedict XIV, Apostolic Constitution Etsi Pastoralis, May 26, 1742; excerpted in Papal Teachings: The Church, p. 32; underlining added.) "If anyone thus speaks, that the Roman Pontiff has only the office of inspection or direction, but not the full and supreme power of jurisdiction over the universal Church, not only in things which pertain to faith and morals, but also in those which pertain to the discipline and government of the Church spread over the whole world; or, that he possesses only the more important parts, but not the whole plenitude of this supreme power; or that this power of his is not ordinary and immediate, or over the churches altogether and individually, and over the pastors and the faithful altogether and individually: let him be anathema." (First Vatican Council, Dogmatic Constitution Pastor Aeternus, Chp. 3; Denzinger 1831; underlining added.)
Yes, the Papacy has consequences!
Like Christ, the Church must suffer
Tragically, the recognize-and-resisters will never be able to restore traditional Catholicism because they themselves do not adhere to it. It is sheer folly to think that one can restore real Catholicism by advancing a corrupted version of it. It is simply not possible to keep the Faith by denying it -- one might as well try to borrow one's way out of debt. This is not to say that there are no difficulties with the sedevacantist position, and we have already touched upon them. There are unanswered questions, there is mystery, and there is confusion and disagreement about some matters; but there are no impossibilities and there are no genuine contradictions, unlike what we see in resistance land. Having no answers is better than having wrong answers, and we know that the answers given by the recognize-and-resist position are wrong because they cannot be reconciled with Catholic doctrine. We must accept the fact that we live in a period of Church history in which Almighty God has seen fit to eclipse the Church and to keep hidden from us the answers we so much desire. This, however, is no excuse for us not to keep the Faith. In fact, it is part of Sacred Tradition that before Christ returns, there will be an apparent "death" of the Church and an "operation of error" to make us "believe lying" (2 Thess 2:10). Let us once again turn to Cardinal Manning for an explanation:
The history of the Church, and the history of our Lord on earth, run as it were in parallel. For three-and-thirty years the Son of God incarnate was in the world, and no man could lay hand upon Him. No man could take Him, because His "hour was not yet come." There was an hour foreordained when the Son of God would be delivered into the hand of sinners. He foreknew it; He foretold it. He held it in his own hand, for He surrounded His person with a circle of His own Divine power. No man could break through that circle of omnipotence until the hour came, when by His own will He opened the way for the powers of evil…. In like manner with His Church. Until the hour is come when the barrier [=a valid Pope] shall, by the Divine will, be taken out of the way, no one has power to lay a hand upon it. The gates of hell may war against it; they may strive and wrestle, as they struggle now with the Vicar of our Lord; but no one has the power to move Him one step, until the hour shall come when the Son of God shall permit, for a time, the powers of evil to prevail. That He will permit it for a time stands in the book of prophecy…. We have need, then, to be upon our guard. It shall happen once more with some, as it did when the Son of God was in His Passion — they saw Him betrayed, bound, carried away, buffeted, blindfolded, and scourged; they saw Him carrying His Cross to Calvary, then nailed upon it, and lifted up to the scorn of the world; and they said, "If he be the king of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him" [Mt 27:42]. So in like manner they say now, "See this Catholic Church, this Church of God, feeble and weak, rejected even by the very nations called Catholic. There is Catholic France, and Catholic Germany, and Catholic Sicily, and Catholic Italy, giving up this exploded figment of the temporal power of the Vicar of Jesus Christ." And so, because the Church seems weak, and the Vicar of the Son of God is renewing the Passion of his Master upon earth, therefore we are scandalised, therefore we turn our faces from him. When then, is our faith? But the Son of God foretold these things when He said, "And now I have told you before it come to pass; that when it shall come to pass, you may believe" [Jn 14:29]. (Excerpted in "The Pope and the Antichrist: The Great Apostasy Foretold", Novus Ordo Wire, Apr. 23, 2015; underlining added.)
His Eminence wrote these words in 1861. What was still in the future for him, has since come to pass: The Pope was taken out of the way in 1958, when Pius XII died and a false pope -- John XXIII, the first in a series of charlatans -- was installed during a turbulent conclave that possibly first elected and then suppressed a true successor of Pius XII. The Novus Ordo "popes" are thus successors of John XXIII, not successors of St. Peter. Francis is simply the latest in this series of pseudo-papal charlatans. How much longer the succession of false popes will go on, we do not know. But we do know that it will end. For more information on the Church's traditional teaching regarding the eclipsing of the Church and the Great Apostasy, we have made available a riveting talk in audio and as a transcript. It is entitled "The Papacy and the Passion of the Church" and can be accessed here. With regard to this Mystical Passion of the Church, we must never cease to point out, as Cardinal Manning does, that "the Vicar of the Son of God is renewing the Passion of his Master upon earth". Whether this refers to a possible true Pope who is impeded from the exercise of his office, or whether it is in reference to a future Pope, we do not know. But it is certainly yet another clue that the Vatican II "popes" are not true Popes, because they did not suffer from this apostasy but imposed it. The Great Apostasy is an apostasy from the Vicar of Christ, not of the Vicar of Christ! Our Lady of Fatima, which practically all recognize-and-resisters are devoted to, said to Sr. Lucy: "The Holy Father will have much to suffer." It is a line they love to repeat, apparently forgetting that the Novus Ordo "popes" did not have much to suffer but caused much suffering. Let us not confuse the victim with the perpetrator. Concluding Thoughts It is tragic to see so many good-willed people eschew Sedevacantism for no sufficient reason. They have been deceived into rejecting it even as a possibility. Decades of SSPX/resistance propaganda has taught them to put greater importance on having someone to fill the papal office than even the very meaning of the papal office itself. Thus we now have hundreds of thousands -- perhaps millions -- of "traditional Catholics" who would rather reduce the Papacy to utter meaninglessness and have its divinely-guaranteed purpose of ensuring the orthodoxy of the entire Church overturned, rather than maintain that the Papacy is indeed the bulwark "which the proud gates of hell cannot overthrow and in which there is the whole and perfect solidity of the Christian religion" but currently unoccupied! Such people have sacrificed the Papacy for the sake of having a "Pope". Oh, the irony! But it does not stop there. Semi-Traditionalists have no problem speaking of a fake Church, a fake Mass, fake sacraments, fake theology, fake saints, even an altogether fake religion -- but it never occurs to them that perhaps all of this is possible only because there's a fake Pope. No, this could not be! And so they are forced to attribute to a true Church with a true Vicar of Christ a false religion, false theology, false sacraments, and so forth, all as part of a forlorn attempt to make sense of a situation whose true nature they have excluded a priori as being even a possibility. We have seen that the Papacy has consequences. So does a denial of the Papacy. The cognitive dissonance of a "practical sedevacantism" will be coming home to roost.The rest of the story?
All the Men behind the Opus Dei Curtain: Randy Engel weighs in on the Drama surrounding Church Militant
[UPDATE 16-JUL-2017: Randy Engel's reponse to E. Michael Jones added] In July of 2016, Novus Ordo editor and author E. Michael Jones published a sordid tell-all book against Church Militant and its frontman, Michael Voris, entitled The Man behind the Curtain: Michael Voris and the Homosexual Vortex. The official description of the publication reads as follows:
The Man Behind the Curtain: Michael Voris and the Homosexual Vortex by E. Michael Jones. In April 2016 Michael Voris's homosexual past finally caught up with him. The crusading on-camera face of Church Militant TV who had been the scourge of homosexuals in the Catholic Church turned out to be a homosexual himself and tried to bring closure to the scandal by outing himself. But even if damage control brought about a quick fix, many questions remained unanswered. The Man Behind the Curtain addresses all of those questions. (Source: "The Fidelity Press E-Book Collection", Culture Wars; bold print replaced with italics.)
Apparently there were many more unanswered questions than the ones addressed by Jones, however. In a lengthy new monograph, author and researcher Randy Engel endeavors to open the curtain a bit further to expose what she argues are connections tying not just Michael Voris, "Fr." Paul Nicholson, and others behind the scenes but also the very E. Michael Jones to the secretive elite Novus Ordo prelature of Opus Dei. Engel's 45-page exposé can be read here:
"All the Men behind the Opus Dei Curtain" by Randy Engel (Apr. 19, 2017)
It is no secret that Michael Voris is a big fan of Opus Dei, as he endorsed them directly in a Vortex episode of Mar. 25, 2010, which can be watched here. The issue Engel strives to shed light on is the influence the cult-like Opus Dei has on various organs of the Novus Ordo Church and in particular on the movers and shakers behind the scenes at Church Militant, and why these connections are not mentioned by E. Michael Jones in a book that claims to address "all of those" unanswered questions. Her monograph thus endeavors to fill the reader in on the rest of the story, so to speak. Randy Engel is not a sedevacantist. To our knowledge, she accepts Francis as the Vicar of Christ and the Vatican II Sect in Rome as the Roman Catholic Church. She is, however, a credible researcher and investigative journalist, as can be gleaned from her many writings and her biographical blurb at Renew America. Engel is the author of the 5-volume The Rite of Sodomy, a detailed and explicit exposé of homosexuality in the Vatican II Sect. She has also written against the so-called "Theology of the Body" of "Pope" John Paul II. In 2013, she published a scathing open letter to "Pope" Francis about homosexuality and pederasty. A day after Engel released her "All the Men behind the Opus Dei Curtain", Jones posted a reaction on his web site, in which he disavows all connections to Opus Dei:
Response to Randy Engel by E. Michael Jones (Apr. 20, 2017)
Response to E. Michael Jones by Randy Engel (July 10, 2017)
Needless to say, we're not going to get involved in the dispute between Jones and Engel. This is basically an internal argument between members of the Novus Ordo Sect. However, since both Engel and Jones are big names in the English-speaking circles of the Vatican II Church, and since Opus Dei is a controversial group even among Novus Ordos, the matter is certainly newsworthy. In addition, this topic should be of special concern to anyone who outsources his understanding of Catholicism to Church Militant. Image source: callmejorgebergoglio.blogspot.com License: fair useBirds of a feather...
Francis appoints notorious Jesuit James Martin as Consultant for Vatican Secretariat for Communications
Anyone who was still under the impression that "Pope" Francis was a tough opponent of the homosexualist agenda, will definitively be disabused of this illusion now: On April 12, 2017, the Vatican announced that "Pope" Francis had appointed the notorious Jesuit LGBT-sensitive "Fr." James Martin a consultant for the Vatican Secretariat for Communications, along with 12 other people. The secretariat was created by the "Pope" in 2015 and includes the Holy See Press Office, Vatican Radio, the Vatican Television Center, the Vatican Publishing House, and the Vatican Internet Service, among others.
Detailed information regarding the Martin appointment and its significance can be found in the following links:
Official Vatican Announcement (Italian)
Dissident Father James Martin Appointed By Pope Francis To Foul Up The Vatican Communications Office
Vatican names pro-gay Fr. James Martin as communications consultant
Father James Martin appointed by Pope Francis to Vatican department for communications
Pope taps James Martin and EWTN chief as communications consultants
Fr. James Martin's Vatican appointment will only embolden LGBT activists
Who is James Martin?
"Fr." James Martin (b. 1960) entered the Jesuit order in 1988 and has been a Novus Ordo presbyter since 1999. He is currently the editor-at-large of the apostate Jesuit review America. Over the years Martin has made a name for himself as a cheerleader for typical leftist causes, such as standing up for illegal immigration and furthering social acceptance of various forms of sexual perversion. His Facebook page has over half a million followers, and roughly 120,000 people follow him on the micro-blogging platform Twitter.
He is the author of numerous books, and his latest is entitled, Building A Bridge: How the Catholic Church and the LGBT Community Can Enter into a Relationship of Respect, Compassion, and Sensitivity. This right there tells you all you need to know. The book has already, of course, received the endorsement of Vatican "Cardinal" Kevin Farrell, Francis' new frontman for family and life issues.
On Oct. 30, 2016, Martin received the Bridge Building Award of the perversion-promoting New Ways Ministry, an organization so at odds with Catholicism that it has been condemned even by the Novus Ordo Sect. Martin, of course, happily accepted the award -- his acceptance speech can be watched here (written version available here).
Martin has been very active on the popular micro-blogging platform Twitter. As this article shows, Martin has tweeted how "moving" he found the story of two elderly "Catholic" lesbians who were "forced" to pretend being sisters so that society wouldn't reject them for their sexual perversion; he has also blasphemously claimed that our Blessed Lord Jesus Christ was "challenged" by the Canaanite woman (see Mt 15:21-28), on account of which He "change[d] his mind, learning from a wise woman". It is not known whether Martin has imitated his boss yet by declaring that Christ made Himself Satan, but one can clearly see a kindred spirit between the two Jesuits -- and it's not the Holy Spirit.
But this is not all. Martin is also fearless in standing up for the sexually-confused: In February of this year, he sent out tweets advocating for the "rights" of so-called "transsexuals" or "transgenders" (basically, cross-dressers or worse) to enter any bathroom they choose, on account of their "dignity as human beings" (reportedly, the tweets have since been removed):
Ah yes, the secular notion of "human rights". It has always been a philosophically-bankrupt free-for-all, and this has never been more apparent than today, where anyone can demand anything simply by appealing to their "dignity" (precisely what this dignity is derived from or grounded in, however, is always left unsaid): Whether it be a "right" to practice in public any religion of one's choosing, a "right" to blaspheme, a "right" to abortion, a "right" to sin against the Sixth or Ninth Commandments, or now, with Sensitive Jimmy's support, a man's "right" to enter a woman's bathroom and a woman's "right" to enter a men's room, anyone can claim it now, because... dignity!
In other words, unless you agree that a 45-year-old male should be allowed to pee next to your 5-year-old daughter, you are denying people a basic right! As though it were too much to expect of a man that he do his business in the men's room! Somehow this has worked perfectly fine since time immemorial, long before any James Martins ever came around. But requiring such a modicum of decency is now condemned by this Jesuit as an unacceptable affront to human dignity!
With this kind of theology, you can expect that Novus Ordo confessions will soon get even more colorful: "Bless me, Father, for I have sinned: I offended my neighbor's dignity by interfering with a man's attempt to enter a women's bathroom, once. Then I sinned three times against ecumenism by trying to convert a Lutheran, and my air conditioning unit at home is set to 68 ºF."
One would hate to imagine what sort of "penance" a James Martin would impose. Helping out at the next Gay Pride Parade? Unscrewing some light bulbs for a while? Leading a petition drive for LGBT rights? Contributing to someone's sex-change surgery fundraiser?
Sounds like we just found a topic for another Vatican synod.
Francis and Transgenderism
So, why would "Pope" Francis appoint someone like James Martin as a consultant to the Vatican Communications Office? Quite simply, because Martin is a man after Bergoglio's own heart.
Yes, it is true that every so often, Francis likes to talk tough | 7,612 |
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Campbell Smith: The Legacy of a Hero
by CCAA | Apr 16, 2018
From helping an elderly couple involved<|fim_middle|> Day Eastern Caribbean Cruise – SOLD OUT
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Follow Us:Stay Connected | in a collision on Ontario's Highway 401 to visiting a fire station in Miami before a cruise ship vacation, or leading a mock disaster scenario during one of his courses, Anne Smith says her son, Campbell Smith, took pride in being a quasi-firefighter from the moment he started Centennial College's Pre-Service Firefighter Education Training program. But much more than that, she says the experience gave Campbell, who died suddenly in an accident in 2015, a purpose.
"He was transformed from a nice, fun loving 22-year old kid to a career-focused man," says Anne of Campbell, who graduated from Centennial mere months before he passed away. "It was a program that fundamentally changed my son's life."
Growing up in Toronto's Leaside neighbourhood, Campbell was more sociable than he was studious — until he joined the program, his mother says. He had completed two years of history at Brock University and was working as a bartender when he unexpectedly decided to enrol at Centennial. With only three spots remaining, Anne says Campbell was uncertain whether he would be accepted.
"The possibility of not getting in made him work harder," she says. "He aced his math and English assessment tests and was off to the races. He was so excited. I remember the first week of the program he didn't get his fire suit and had to go to the manufacturer to pick it up. He was so committed he was willing to do anything it took. When he got it, he always carried it in a green Steam Whistle hockey bag."
The profound impact the program had on her son's life has inspired her to keep Campbell's memory alive at Centennial by contributing to the college in various ways. At the time of Campbell's death, she says, the program's faculty approached her about creating an award in his name.
"The instructors described Campbell as someone who had evolved. But even very early on in his training, he was already showing signs of professionalism," she says. "For example, during simulations, he was not just worried about his own safety, but also the safety of the guy behind him."
Anne has decided to pledge a bequest that will go directly to the Pre-Service Firefighter Education Training program in the form of a scholarship. The Cam Smith Memorial Award will be given annually to a student who demonstrates re professionalism. Beyond the award, Anne and her family have also made a donation towards honour-guard ceremonial accessories, which adorn students' uniforms during graduation and other official events.
"I wanted to recognize how important this program had been to my son's life by making a significant difference at Centennial College," she says.
"I was a single mother to him for 15 years and our life had been the two of us. It was his time in the program that really showed me who he was and I am so happy I met that side of him before he passed."
"All of the students, instructors, and firefighters who had the pleasure of spending time with Cam will always carry him with us in our hearts and on the re ground. The re service is missing one very dedicated firefighter." – Michael Wood, Faculty
Toby Wong on April 22, 2018 at 11:22 am
Beautiful tribute to a beautiful soul. Campbell represents the best of what Centennial College can do to help shape our future leaders. His mother, Anne, raised such an amazing young man. Here's to the 1st recipient of the Campbell Smith Memorisl Award as Campbell's legacy lives on. ❤️????????????????????
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Monday again! I only have a few pictures to<|fim_middle|> came out and it warmed up really nicely. I will definitely do this race again in the future, it was a beautiful course, a well run race, and a really great local cause! | share, but hopefully in a couple days I'll have a Trolley Run race recap to share! I'm going to share a fun little sentence per picture for you this week! Also, 1 month until my birthday!
Jazzy had quite the fun time playing like a little hunter in the jungle.
Wednesday night, I had a really great run, and I wrote about it here.
He always keeps me entertained.
Friday night I had a dinner date with this little boy.
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Saturday I had a very difficult 9 mile long run, but I survived, and celebrated with Chick-fil-a!
Sunday I had a fantastic Trolley Run, and PR'd by 21 seconds!
Last night, I watched the premiere of season 6 of Game of Thrones! Did you watch? What did you think?
This morning was the Trolley Run! I have been looking forward to this race for quite a while, and I've heard great things about it! My Mom drove down for the weekend, and we had a great weekend visit and ran the race this morning.
The Trolley Run is one of the largest 4 mile road races in the US, and this year was the 27th year of the race. The Trolley Run is the largest annual fund raiser for Children's Center for the Visually Impaired.
The course is unique because is a point to point course, beginning on 75th and Wornall in Waldo, and ending on the Plaza. We met up with my Mom's cousin, Kim, and my running buddy Amy, and took the bus from the Plaza to the starting line. It was a dreary and chilly morning, but luckily, the rain held off!
We tried to stay warm around the start line, and listened to a beautiful Star Spangled Banner, and then the race began! Each wave had about 5 minutes between it, and there were 6 waves of runners. I think I heard someone say there were nearly 10,000 runners and walkers, which was a great turnout!
My strategy for the race, which was mostly flat and fast, with some nice downhill stretches, and only a couple small uphills, was to just go out strong and steady and try to hang on! There were some fun signs, one said "Running 4 miles is easy, getting up early on Sunday morning is HARD!" So true. There was also a really cute family grilling bacon and the little kids were holding plates of bacon out for the runners!
I finished the race about 3 and a half minutes faster than my previous best 4 mile race (last spring in Hays). I was really happy with my race, I felt like I left it all on the course, and now I have a shiny new PR! In looking at my mile times, I negative split the race perfectly, meaning the second half of the ride was faster than the first half. Each of my mile splits was faster than the previous!
If any race photos turn out (there were a TON of runners all around!) I will edit the post and add them later this week.
Mom, Kim, Amy and I all met up again after the race, and we enjoyed some of the finish festival, but it was pretty chilly, especially since we all ran hard! Another buddy from our running group also found us after the race, so of course we had to get some photos with John!
All in all, it was a fantastic race!! Amy and I both PR'd, the weather held off, no rain! Later this afternoon, the sun | 737 |
Eurovisions 5th Edition
Music & Public Value in the Context of
Television Public Service
10 & 11 May 2022 | 10:00 - 13:30
FREE ACCESS live in Turin or online!
Check out our Science Slam!
"Adding value: Music & Public Television"
Since the beginning of television broadcasting, music has occupied an important place n TV scheduling. From live performances to videoclips, music content is one of<|fim_middle|>achhochschule des Mittelstands Hannover, Germany)
Jérôme Zahn (Fachhochschule des Mittelstands Hannover, Germany)
Con il patrocinio di / under the patronage of
In collaborazione con StudiUm – Dipartimento di Studi Umanistici – Università di Torino | the most efficient audience aggregators. In Europe, public television broadcasting has been used to develop a shared European identity and the Eurovision Song Contest is the best example of how music can create a sense of inclusion and belonging.
This fifth edition of the EUROVISIONS International Conference wants to bring to the centre of the discussion the added value of music in the setting of public television broadcasting. At a time when the Eurovision brand is extending to the American continent, which is predominantly covered by private broadcasters, EUROVISIONS wants to highlight the challenges that public service faces and the way in which music can be a content capable of aggregating vast and heterogeneous audiences.
Very glad to assemble inspirational speakers from across the world
SALA LAUREE, Centro Aldo Moro
Via Verdi - 10124 Torino
Centralino +39 011 6706111
Corriere Torino / Corriere della Sera
Can't come in person? Join us online!
People involved in this year's conference
Carla Figueira (ICCE, Goldsmiths, University of London, UK)
Irving Wolther (Fachhochschule des Mittelstands Hannover, Germany)
Isabel Campêlo (INET-md, FCSH | NOVA University of Lisbon, Portugal)
Jacopo Tomatis (Dipartimento di Studi Umanistici | Università degli Studi di Torino, Italy)
João Soeiro de Carvalho (INET-md, FCSH | NOVA University of Lisbon, Portugal)
Maria de São José Côrte-Real (INET-md, FCSH | NOVA University of Lisbon, Portugal)
Salwa Castelo-Branco (INET-md, FCSH | NOVA University of Lisbon, Portugal)
Sofia Vieira Lopes (INET-md, FCSH | NOVA University of Lisbon, Portugal)
Gonçalo Antunes de Oliveira (INET-md, FCSH | NOVA University of Lisbon, Portugal)
Giulia Muggeo (Università degli Studi di Torino, Italy)
Biarne Betz (Fachhochschule des Mittelstands Hannover, Germany)
Sandra Sophie Großmann (Fachhochschule des Mittelstands Hannover, Germany)
Ceren Önder (Fachhochschule des Mittelstands Hannover, Germany)
Lea Maria Werner (F | 524 |
just today i heard about this website since it was voted the<|fim_middle|> there seems to be an automatic review rating if the site owner doesn't do it in time. i also found out that if someone signs up from the link i posted above, i get one point when that person submits their first review.
in summary, it hasn't actually been very useful to me so far, but i'm going to keep using it at least for now. | site of the month in the originality category for october by my web host. well, technically the votes come from my fellow customers of said web host.
it's called feedback roulette because once you sign up and submit your own site, they randomly pick another submitted site for you to anonymously review. once you review that site you can immediately review another, also randomly chosen. your site is in the pool to be randomly chosen provided you have some feedback points remaining (you get a point for reviewing a site). when someone reviews your site you rate the review on how useful and detailed it is. they say your site is more likely to be chosen for someone whose reviews are rated similarly to your own, so the better reviews you write the better reviews you should get.
That's pretty cool. I'd like to get my site more up to date before doing something like that, but good for reference for sure, and anyone else reading this topic!
i've now had 5 reviews (and also written 5 reviews). unfortunately all of the reviews have been brief and maybe gave me one thing to consider improving. so far i've been getting more enjoyment out of giving feedback to others than in reading the feedback others have written for my site, but i keep hoping for a detailed, thoughtful review.
your account has a certain number of feedback points. it costs one point to get a review, which happens automatically if you have at least one point. when you write a review and it gets rated by the person who offered that site up for review, you get up to one feedback point. when the reviews i wrote were rated 5/5 i got one point, and the one that was rated 4/5 got me 0.8 points. | 351 |
Remembering Russert: Bohrman — "He Made Us All Better"
NEXT:Remembering Russert: The Wikipedia Question
PREVIOUS:Remembering Russert: The Meet the Press Tribute
By SteveK on Jun. 15, 2008 - 10:52 AM
Tim Russert's CNN counterpart, Washington bureau chief David Bohrman, appeared this morning on Reliable Sources to discuss competing against, and working with, Russert (Bohrman formerly worked at NBC). "It was like being at a sporting event," said Bohrman, "He was excited. And it was just fun working with him and covering politics."
On Friday night, TVNewser obtained this note sent from Bohrman to the CNN staff around 9:30pmET:
<|fim_middle|> waiting for NBC to be the first to issue the first bulletin. For those of us who have worked with him at NBC, or just competed against him, it is inadequate to say that he will be missed. He made us all better. As we learn of any DC services we will let you know where and when. On a personal note, I was lucky enough to work with Tim, to produce many special reports and even an election night with him and Tom Brokaw, as well as to compete against him as one of the 5 network bureau chiefs in DC. I hope we all can live up to the legacy he has left us. DB
TVNewser will have more later today on how all the Sunday morning shows remembered Russert. | I want to thank all of you in the bureau for the sensitivity and professionalism shown today in the reporting on the death of our colleague Tim Russert. It is never easy to report on the death of a friend and competitor. We made the right decision in | 51 |
A Guildford property<|fim_middle|> our Belmont Showroom.
Our doors have all the features and innovations giving you a beautiful, durable, functional and long lasting door. | transformed with a contemporary timber front door and feature glazing.
Our modern, solid wood front door is your premium solution for adding luxury and quality to the front of your house.
This particular front door in deep black colour features a solid design with obscure glazed slide panels with slim meeting rails. The door is minimalist with a central door pull and chrome cylinder with escutcheon pull. At the base of the doors is a matching timber cill.
Above the doors is a large feature apex in grey power coated aluminium with grey surround and obscure toughened glass.
A gorgeous front entrance to this Surry home providing a contemporary feature entrance door and screen within a traditional property.
If you would like our help creating the perfect statement entrance for your home, contact us today or visit | 152 |
bill crosby
singer, songwriter and musician
"random pandemonium"
"smile all day"
"turtles are home"
"boomerang orangutan<|fim_middle|>2020 bill crosby. All Rights Reserved. Designed by Themes by bavotasan.com. | "
"peanut butter fish"
"i have a pet snail"
"Nashville-based, multi-talented Bill Crosby combines wit, terrific musicality and story-filled lyrics in 10 outstanding songs for kids. Crosby's vocals are reminiscent of Randy Newman on the title track 'I have a pet snail,' a clever rhyming song youngsters (especially boys) will love. Other outstanding cuts include the big band sound of 'Cat's Pajama's,' and 'It was my brother' — a raucous testament to how kids pass the blame to the other guy. Top-notch musicians guest spot; Crosby, we want to hear more from you!"
— Nashville Parent
Two 'big fans' in Northern California wrote, "I'm typing with one hand because my 4-month-old is sitting on my lap as I write. We're listening to your fantastic CD and she keeps squealing with delight. She's never reacted like this to music before. Now I don't have to listen to boring music with annoying lyrics. Keep up the great work."
To read the lyrics, click here.
[audio:http://www.billcrosbymusic.com/wp-content/uploads/mp3s/pet_snail.mp3]
[audio:http://www.billcrosbymusic.com/wp-content/uploads/mp3s/big_pig.mp3]
Mosquito From Toledo
[audio:http://www.billcrosbymusic.com/wp-content/uploads/mp3s/mosquito.mp3]
[audio:http://www.billcrosbymusic.com/wp-content/uploads/mp3s/porcupine.mp3]
[audio:http://www.billcrosbymusic.com/wp-content/uploads/mp3s/honeybun.mp3]
It Was My Brother
[audio:http://www.billcrosbymusic.com/wp-content/uploads/mp3s/brother.mp3]
Cats Pajamas
[audio:http://www.billcrosbymusic.com/wp-content/uploads/mp3s/cats_pjs.mp3]
I'll Be Sleeping In The Car
[audio:http://www.billcrosbymusic.com/wp-content/uploads/mp3s/sleeping_car.mp3]
Sleeptown
[audio:http://www.billcrosbymusic.com/wp-content/uploads/mp3s/sleeptown.mp3]
Buy "i have a pet snail" now from these fine retailers:
Amazon.com CDBaby.com iTunes
Get on my mailing list!
Know when and where I'll be playing near you!
Kidney, you not.
Meat Friday Theme and the Dan Patrick Show
"Random" Notes about my new album of kid's songs.
Take the reverb off the monkey
Musicians on "Random Pandemonium"
My musical mentor : Gary Holt
Dreamland and the magic of songwriting
Buy My Music
Follow @billcrosbymusic
Copyright © | 594 |
The EU and the UK have agreed a post-Brexit Trade and Cooperation Agreement which means changes to citizens, businesses and travel to and from the EU. The new agreement took effect on 1 January 2021. Details on the new relationship can be found here.
The Government's central hub for guidance on what businesses need to do to prepare for the changes can be found here.
Guidance for DCMS sectors during the transition period and after 1 January 2021
Information for DCMS sectors now that the UK has left the EU. The guidance can be read in full here.
Using personal data in your business or other organisation after the transition period
What action you need to take regarding data protection and data flows with the EU/EEA after the end of the transition period. The guidance can be read in full here.
Intellectual Property and the Transition Period
Information on trade marks, designs, patents, copyright, and exhaustion of IP rights during the transition period. The link to the full guidance can be found here.
The Government have also provided guidance on the key changes to expect at the end of the transition period. It can be read in full here.
The changes will impact:
Trade Marks and Designs
Parallel trade from the UK to the EEA
Unregistered Designs
Consider carefully where to disclose your designs to ensure they have adequate protection in their most important market;
If you export IP-protected goods on the secondary or parallel market, contact the rights holder in the EEA to see if you have permission to continue to parallel export.
Consider if you want exports to continue if you are a business that owns the IP rights for goods currently parallel exported from the UK to the EEA.
You can find out what other actions you may need to take by using the checker tool at gov.uk/transition and signing up for business readiness updates.
Data Protection at the End of the Transition Period
The guidance can be accessed in full here.
If you receive personal data from a company based in an EU/EEA country, you should map your data flows and put in place alternative transfer mechanisms, such as Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs), with any relevant EU organisations (the EU has yet to make a decision as to whether they accept that the UK's data protection regime is still adequate).
A Standard Contractual Clause will need to be put in place to ensure data can flow freely from the 1st January 20201. This is separate from a trade deal with the EU and will have to be done in any scenario.
Immigration Rules
Immigration rules for visitors can be accessed here.
Employing from the EU after 1 January 2021
The Secretary of State for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has provided further information and guidance on hiring from the EU after the end of the transition period.
You can find out what actions you may need to take by visiting gov.uk/transition and using the checker tool.
From 1 January 2021, the UK will introduce a points-based immigration system that is designed to treat EU and non-EU citizens equally and transform the way in which employers recruit internationally. The new system will not apply to hiring Irish citizens, or EU citizens already living and working in the UK who are eligible under the EU Settlement Scheme.
Regardless of the nature of our future trading relationship with the EU, from 1 January there will be guaranteed changes for businesses:
You will need to be a licensed sponsor to hire eligible workers from outside the UK. This normally takes 8 weeks and fees apply. Check your business is eligible and read the accompanying sponsorship guidance.
New job, salary and language requirements will apply to anyone that you want to hire from outside the<|fim_middle|>
Local Compliance S0000
NE98 1ZZ
Include your VAT registration number and the name and postal address of your business.
TIGA's Post-Brexit Updates
The Government publishes written answer on Turing Scheme – 19 January 2021 – link.
The Minister of State for Universities responds to a written question on Turing Scheme – 28 January 2021 – link.
TIGA welcomes the European Commission's draft data adequacy decisions – 22 February 2021 – link.
EU adopts adequacy decisions allowing data to flow freely to the UK – 28 June 2021 – link. | UK. Check that the people you want to hire will meet the requirements for coming to the UK for work.
The Government will continue to provide sector-specific webinars to walk you through the actions you need to take. All previously recorded webinars are also available on demand now.
Imports and Exports: Guidance
Send a question about imports, exports and customs reliefs
Speak to an adviser online about general import and export queries.
Call HMRC for help with questions about:
customs reliefs
Find out how to claim a repayment of customs charges if you think you have been charged too much.
Textphone:
Closed on Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays.
You can also find out information in:
the official HMRC app
your personal tax account or business tax account using HMRC online services
Write to HMRC for help with questions about importing, exporting and customs reliefs.
HM Revenue and Customs – CITEX Written Enquiry Team | 188 |
Discerning drivers will appreciate the<|fim_middle|> dealership or give us a call for more information. | 2019 Volvo XC90. It features an automatic transmission, all-wheel drive, and a 2 liter 4 cylinder engine. Turbocharger technology provides forced air induction, enhancing performance while preserving fuel economy. Volvo prioritized comfort and style by including: power front seats, an automatic dimming rear-view mirror, power moon roof, a power rear cargo door, lane departure warning, blind spot sensor, and 1-touch window functionality. Volvo also prioritized safety and security by including: head curtain airbags, front side impact airbags, traction control, brake assist, anti-whiplash front head restraints, a security system, an emergency communication system, and 4 wheel disc brakes with ABS. You'll never lose visibility with rain sensing wipers, which activate automatically when the drops start to fall. We pride ourselves on providing excellent customer service. Stop by our | 178 |
The Indiana Hoosiers managed to slip by the Ohio State women's swimming and diving team Saturday, winning the meet<|fim_middle|>.m. | 130-111. The meet came down to the last event, with every event influencing the outcome. Nicole Maglich, a junior from Sarasota, Fla. (Sarasota) won both the 500- and 1,000-yard freestyle events, clocking lifetime bests in each. In the 500-yard freestyle Maglich touched the wall in 4:55.48, while in the 1,000-yard freestyle she turned in a time of 10:04.82.
Rebekah Rychvalsky (So., Sydney, Australia/Castle Hill) dominated the 200-yard breaststroke, reaching the wall four seconds before any other swimmer. Her time was 2:21.12, a season best time. Griet Buelens (Fr., Kapelle, Belgium/Ursulinen Mechelen) won the 200-yard butterfly with a time of 2:02.54. The Buckeye relay teams out-raced the Hoosiers, winning both the 400-yard medley relay and the 200-yard freestyle relay.
Buckeye diver Julie Broms (So., Springfield, Ind./Springfield) scored 315.23 points on the 3-meter board, placing first on the event.
Ohio State will travel to Athens, Ohio, Jan. 15 to face the Ohio University Bobcats at 1 p | 316 |
Study reveals how a bioterrorism attack could spread to several continents before it's even detected
By Hayley Peterson
Published: 22:48 EST, 24 July 2013 | Updated: 05:28 EST, 25 July 2013
A bioterrorism attack could spread to several continents before it is even detected, according to a startling new scientific<|fim_middle|>.
'A deliberate smallpox release is likely to assume an international dimension even before the epidemic is identified,' the researchers wrote in the study, which was published in this month's Scientific Reports, a trade publication.
In the case that a biological attack were released in London, this map shows the level of probability that certain areas would become immediately infected
'We show through large-scale individual-based simulations that biological targeted attacks on a single city can result in the presence of exposed individuals in several countries before the health system is aware of the release and the ensuing outbreak.'
Developed nations have contingency plans to contain biological attacks, but the study points out that the pathogens could rapidly overtake less developed nations that don't have the same resources.
'Some of the countries that could be affected may not have health infrastructures able to timely cope efficiently with the emergency dictated by a highly pathogenic virus outbreak,' the study notes.
The researchers who conducted the study recommend that international health organizations better prepare for the possibility of a biological attack that originates in a remote location.
This map shows the probability of infection globally two weeks after an attack originating in London
'They need to think about sharing resources,' one of the researchers, Alessandro Vespignani, told Quartz. Vespignani is a health sciences professor at Northeastern University.
Parts of the study were not published due to international security concerns.
'According to the comments of biosafety reviewers, we have removed quantitative data on risk probability and outbreak size in different scenarios,' the researchers wrote. 'Those additional outputs can be shared with government officials and biosecurity researchers upon request.'
Bioterrorism: Study reveals how an attack could spread to several continents before it's even detected | study.
The study found that if a small group of terrorists infected themselves with a disease such as smallpox and walked around London, then the pathogens could spread to up to four nations before doctors managed to diagnose it | 43 |
You must be<|fim_middle|> Assessment Solutions, Inc, please contact us. | logged in to download this content. Please log in or register.
The IH Data Analyst (IHDA) is an innovative, unique product especially designed to assist the industrial hygienist in interpreting datasets where the sample size is small. In addition to calculating standard descriptive and compliance statistics, as well as goodness-of-fit procedures, the IHDA allows the user to select from a array of Censored Data Analysis techniques – useful whenever the dataset contains measurements reported as <LOD – as well as apply the newly developed Bayesian Decision Analysis methods.
EAS Inc. has experience developing computer simulation software for designing Corporate Sampling Strategies or a Sampling Strategy for a specific process. EAS Inc. works with the client to determine the existing Sampling Strategy and to set the initial strategy design goals, and then designs a customized strategy simulator which the client (with EAS Inc. assistance if necessary) uses to design a new or fine tune an existing Sampling Strategy.
The Baseline Survey Simulator is basically a computer game designed to demonstrate that exposure assessment decisions can vary depending on the Sampling Strategy, the statistical interpretation of the OEL, as well as the selection of the OEL. It was originally designed to demonstrate the need for "performance-based" exposure assessment strategies and was intended for use in a graduate classroom setting.
The Exposure Assessment Strategy Simulator was designed to demonstrate the weaknesses of several "off-the-shelf" Sampling Strategies, and to show how virtually any strategy can be tweaked and improved to achieve the desired level of performance.
The student version of the IH Data Analyst (IHDA-Student) is intended for EHS professionals in training and those taking training courses on IH data analysis. It provides nearly all of the features of the popular Excel spreadsheet IHStats.xls (freeware) in addition to Censored Data Analysis (i.e., analysis of datasets containing non-detects) and Bayesian Decision Analysis (limited to datasets without non-detects). It is limited to 25 measurements. Statistical output and graphs can be copied and pasted into a wordprocessor. The IHDA-Student is provided as a courtesy to attendees of the Exposure Assessment Solutions web PDCs and courses who have not yet purchased the IHDA. No customer support is provided.
Your privacy is very important to us. All customer information is kept strictly confidential. We do not sell, reuse, rent, disclose, or loan to any outside party. Any information we collect is used to deliver products accurately, affect funds transfers, to maintain the highest level of customer service, and to inform you of updates to current products.
© Exposure Assessment Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved. All content included in this website, such as documentation, independent research, text, personal quotes, graphics, photographs, logos, button icons, images, audio files, video files, digital downloads, data compilations, and software, is the property of Exposure Assessment Solutions, Inc and are protected by United States and international copyright laws. Unless otherwise noted, no part of this site may be reproduced, reverse engineered, stored in a retrieval system, redistributed, sourced for file sharing or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, printing, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the specific, prior written permission of Exposure Assessment Solutions, Inc.
Please understand that even if credit is given with the publication (including electronic publication) of a copyrighted material, it remains a copyright violation if the material has been used without express permission of the copyright owner.
If you have any questions on the use or reproduction of any of the content, the trademarks, or the copyrights belonging to Exposure | 723 |
You are currently browsing the tag archive for the 'Mobile Business Intelligence' tag.
For most people involved with business intelligence (BI), these are exciting times. Using BI to improve business processes continues to motivate organizations to invest in BI. The focus on BI also empowers business analytics and can be rented in the cloud computing model of accessing software. New technologies are adding dimensions to BI and creating both excitement and confusion for enterprises implementing them. We offer a variety of accomplished research that can help organizations overcome the hype and understand how to use these technologies to improve business decision-making, and we're planning new research in 2012 on these topics.
Big data continues to be one of hottest topics in the market. Every vendor wants to claim it has a solution for managing it. Multiple approaches exist to tackle the proliferation of huge volumes of data at accelerated paces, which we addressed recently in our Big Data benchmark research. We also see the pace of business forcing organizations to analyze data more frequently; one-fourth of research participants now analyze data hourly or even more often. In 2012 we will continue our<|fim_middle|> that can help you reduce the costs, time and risk of making the wrong choices or being uninformed of this strategic imperative. | research by exploring specific vendor offerings in big-data analytics. We'll also be conducting new benchmark research into operational intelligence to explore how streaming data and event-based data impact organizations.
The march to add mobile capabilities across smart-phones and tablets to business intelligence is becoming a stampede. Nearly every vendor I cover has added such capabilities or significantly enhanced those it already has. However, questions remain on the best ways to utilize mobile capabilities and which parts of the organization really need them. Our upcoming Next-Generation BI benchmark research will look at how businesses are utilizing mobile BI or intend to. In addition, it will examine how collaborative technologies are influencing BI processes and organizational decision-making. We've already seen the consumerization of collaborative BI. This research will explore how well businesses understand the intersection of collaborative technologies and social media with BI. Vendors such as QlikTech, Tibco Spotfire and Yellowfin recently enhanced their products with collaborative capabilities joining others like IBM and SAP who have advanced in collaboration capabilities with BI. As you consider your organization's requirements, the best practices identified in this research will help you plan to incorporate these capabilities into your business processes.
We also continue to explore the role of analytics, closely associated with BI. Next week we will share the results of our Predictive Analytics benchmark research Our published business analytics research shows only one-quarter of organizations using planning and forecasting and only 13 percent using predictive analytics. Yet nearly 80 percent said both of these capabilities are important or very important. Organizations need to address that gap to enhance their business decision-making abilities.
Because business intelligence also is closely entwined with information management, I encourage you to review our Information Management research agenda as well. Almost one-third of organizations have more than 10 sources of data they have to integrate, and more than two-thirds spend more time preparing data than analyzing it. Without addressing these issues, no organization is likely to realize the full potential of business intelligence.
Business intelligence continues to be a strategic business imperative. Our research will deliver education and best practices | 408 |
The business club meets the first Monday of each month from 6.00 p.m. onwards at The Rochdale Rugby Union Football Club Moorgate Avenue<|fim_middle|>.
All business club members receive a free memberhip to the Rugby Club and a business club members table is reserved for the pre-match lunch at all home games. | , Bamford, Rochdale OL11 5LU.
A buffet is provided at every meeting together with tea, coffee and a fully licensed bar.
Each member has a 2 minute slot to promote their business and 1 member per meeting has a 10 minute presentation slot with the use of an overhead projector if required.
We welcome new members. Come along to a meeting as a Guest and if you like what you experience, you will be made more than welcome to join our business club.
Being a member of our business club brings more than just the monthly networking meeting. We run social functions and events including golf days, race meetings, activity days, barbecues, dinner and dancing, parties and other enjoyable occasions… socialising can really enhance business, as well as being a lot of fun.
For more information on how to become a member click the link…..
We are proud to be associated with the Rochdale RUFC. Our meetings take place at the very well presented clubhouse, which is an ideal venue for business meetings | 209 |
Critical Insights: Isaac Asimov
Editor: Keith M. Booker, University of Arkansas
Tags: 4 Critical Context Essays10 In<|fim_middle|>, and also influential, name in speculative fiction, a wide field that includes not only science fiction and even fantasy but also horror, the "weird tale," and works of that ilk. | -Depth EssaysCurrent Critical Analysis by Top Literary ScholarsIntroductory Essay by the EditorChronology of Author's LifeList of Author's WorksPublication Dates of WorksBio of EditorGeneral BibliographySubject Index
Isaac Asimov is widely considered to be one of the founding figures of American science fiction. This volume contains a general introduction to Asimov's work and explores his towering status among American science fiction writers, with special emphasis on the Foundation trilogy and the Robot novels and stories.
An actual scientist in the field of biochemistry, Asimov utilized his expertise to become one of the most successful popular science writers of all time. He began his writing career as a teenager in 1939, moving forward to influence not only science fiction, but also the genres of detective fiction, fantasy, children's science fiction, pulp fiction, memoir, and many other subgenres of nonfiction.
In this edition of Critical Insights the cultural and historical influence present in Asimov's works will be examined, as well as the author's own influence on the evolution of literature and culture in the "Golden Age of Science Fiction."Within the fourteen essays on this volume, readers will encounter analysis of Asimov's texts according to traditional critical theories, as well as fresh new insight to comparative works and the genre of science fiction.
This volume begins with a series of discussions of Asimov's work within specific critical contexts. M. Keith Booker's overview of Asimov's career, "On Isaac Asimov," seeks to introduce readers to the unusual volume and variety of writing produced by Asimov in his long and illustrious career.
Four critical context essays offer top notch-scholarship on an impressive range of Asimov's works, including consideration of both the social and political events that impacted Asimov's career and the developments within American culture that influenced his writing - and on which Asimov's work, in turn, exercised an influence.
This main section of the book provides ten in-depth essays that offer an examination of all aspects of the author. Each essay is 2,500-5,000 words in length, and all essays conclude with a list of "works Cited" along with endnotes.
" "The essays are interesting and informational, doing an admirable job of exploring a variety of perspectives."
Critical Insights: Isaac Asimov Review
Critical Insights: Joseph Conrad
A great starting point for students seeking an introduction to Joseph Conrad and the critical discussions surrounding his work.
Critical Insights: Robert A. Heinlein
Considered the "Dean of Science Fiction," Robert A. Heinlein helped define the genre of science fiction-and more specifically, speculative fiction-as a serious form of social, political, and cultural commentary during the mid-20th century. Titles discussed in this volume include Heinlein's novels The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, Stranger in a Strange Land, and Podkayne of Mars, as well as a variety of his short stories and early pulp magazine appearances.
Critical Insights: Ray Bradbury
Critical Insights: Ray Bradbury explores the work of perhaps the most immediately recognizable | 634 |
Longtime SCRAMP Volunteer Ed Magner Leaves<|fim_middle|> community and the success of the iconic road course that hosts world-class motorsport events. Along with his service he brought joy and camaraderie to his peers. | Lasting Legacy
The Sports Car Racing Association of the Monterey Peninsula is saddened by the passing of one of its longest serving volunteers, Mr. Ed Magner, who succumbed to health complications today, Aug 24. He was 84.
With more than 50 years of dedicated service to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and the Monterey community, Magner was a pillar of the organization in its early formative years. He began volunteering at the facility in 1962, selling tickets at the Highway 68 entrance as a member of the 20/30 Club before becoming the SCRAMP admissions director in the mid-1960s. He was a five-time president of the SCRAMP Board of Directors, including in 1974 when the Federal Government turned the facility over to the County of Monterey. He continued his involvement with the organization until his retirement in 2016.
Magner also was president of the Parks Foundation of Monterey County, an organization that helps ensure the quality of county parks, and was an active volunteer at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am and a longtime member of the Monterey Lions Club.
"Ed was a mentor to me and his smile, wit and influence in the community allowed SCRAMP and Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca to flourish. There is no replacing what Ed accomplished for the many charitable organizations in Monterey. He did it for the love of the community. He often joked that he didn't even care for motor racing all that much, and yet he volunteered thousands of hours because of the people and the organizations that benefitted," said Gill Campbell, general manager of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. "He is going to be greatly missed."
Magner leaves behind a legacy of volunteerism and loyalty that have been essential to the Monterey Peninsula | 371 |
The Apothecary collection is proving to be a bit hit with customers, so much so they've added new scents. The range now boast three fragrances across candles, reed diffusers and room sprays. It's no surprise the Marks and Spencer candles, priced at just £7.50, are growing more popular with each collection!
The luxurious new Calm range of home spa products is just the thing to transform homes into restful retreats.
The new range encourages homeowners to transform their homes in a calming oasis, filled with signature spa scents. The range of bath, body and home fragrances are all at highly affordable prices.
The allure of the new home fragrance range will be the prices. The candles are just £<|fim_middle|> of rich aroma can instantly awaken the scenes with, completely changing the mood of a room.
One spritz of this new Calm spray will ensure a truly tranquil ambience in any room.
The Apothecary range launched with the Balance and Restore fragrances. This popular Balance scent is expertly infused with essential oils including fresh florals such as jasmine and geranium, with notes of black pepper and cinnamon leaf.
The Apothecary collection now features three different scents Calm, Balance or Restore. For each fragrance there is a candle, reed diffuser, room spray, hand wash and hand lotion. | 7.50, compared to £36 by spa favourite Elemis.
A room spray is the unspoken hero of the home. One quick spritz | 32 |
Make sure your ice cream maker insert bowl is frozen! I always keep mine in the freezer so when I want to make homemade ice cream, it is ready to go. If yours is not in the freezer, you will need to freeze<|fim_middle|> in the crumble oreos. You may have to do this in stages if your ice cream maker is very full. Once thoroughly mixed in, turn off the maker and transfer the ice cream to a freezer safe bowl. Freeze for at least 3 or 4 hours, until the ice cream is firmed up and scoopable.
Creamy and Delicious. Now go make some!
And if you don't have one, go buy an ice cream maker already! Spring is officially here and summer is coming!
Yum! As a Leland, when I hear the word "ice-cream" my mouth begins to water. Your icecream is right up there with Brighams!
Buying an ice cream maker is on my to-do list for this spring! I'm glad you posted the one you have, I was going to ask you which one you recommended. | it at least overnight before you can use it.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the milk and sugar, until the sugar dissolves. Add the vanilla extract and the heavy cream. Assemble your ice cream maker, and turn it on, adding in your mixture.
Let the ice cream maker spin for about 25 minutes and then add | 69 |
You could fill a very big<|fim_middle|> this book. I may need to check it out.
This sounds like a book I need to read. | boat with books like this one, about creativity and overcoming creative challenges. . . . [T]hose books seem to share a couple of troubling qualities that defeat the purpose of encouraging creativity and habits. Those useless qualities are cheerleading and hand-waving.
-- From the author's Introduction to Make It Mighty Ugly: Exercises & Advice for Getting Creative Even When It Ain't Pretty: A Handbook for Vanquishing Creative Demons by Kim Piper Werker.
I make ugly things on purpose.
– From "Part 1: Name the Demons."
Make It Mighty Ugly is about overcoming "demons" like procrastination, self-doubt, and perfectionism to be more creative. I usually associate creativity with arts-and-crafts, DIY projects, and maybe fiction writing. But I think Werker's book can help me in my law practice because I think the same demons restrict creative thinking in the workplace.
This is one of the great books in the Sasquatch Books fall catalog.
This sounds really interesting, and I love the cover art!
This sounds like a terrific book, assuming it offers practical advice. I'll definitely look into it.
I really like the cover of the book!
Sound like one that might really help with creativity.
I like the idea. Sounds interesting.
I have a feeling that this book might be picking up on the issues I have with self-help or creative books. I never am able to make things quite as beautiful as those in the book so then I feel terrible! Thanks for hosting:) Hope you have a good weekend!
What drew you to this book?
Fridays are such fun. I love seeing all the different books folks feature.
I like the look of | 346 |
We were kindly invited to Bluestone Wales for a long weekend (Friday – Monday) and we were so excited to see what it offers families. Bluestone is apparently a similar theme to Centre Parcs – we had not been to either so we really didn't know what to expect.
Bluestone literally didn't disappoint, it was one of the best family breaks we have ever had. It genuinely does offer everything a family could ever want or need for the perfect family holiday, I can now see why so many of my friends adore Bluestone.
Most of our breaks offer either fun activities or chilled out relaxation. What is so unique about Bluestone is that it offers you both at the same time – if that's even possible!
Out of all the holidays we have had with the children none have been easier than this getaway, less than an hour's drive from our home.
You check into the park via a simple drive-thru where we had a warm Welsh welcome (you don't even need to get out of your car) to get your key cards for your lodge and information pack.
As we booked the St David's lodge which can sleep 8, we invited the grandparents along to experience Bluestone with us, which made our trip even more exciting for Chloe 10 and Holly 8.
You can take your car down to your lodge to unpack and the resort is car free (after midnight) with cars parked at the large car park near to the entrance of Bluestone.
Once we dropped off our car we collected our pre-booked golf buggy (£95 for the weekend) which I would highly recommend. Not only was it the most convenient way to get around Bluestone the buggy was one of the many highlights for Chloe and Holly during our weekend.
We loved the serenity offered at Bluestone, with no cars on the streets it's really family friendly and safe, it's so much more than a holiday resort – you enter what feels like a magical bubble – providing a little escape from everyday life.
Bluestone is set within 500 acres of the beautiful Pembrokeshire countryside containing 300 luxury lodges<|fim_middle|> air that snakes around the centre and is perfect for children) and the Wall (climbing wall).
I was so proud of both of them as they confidently completed the Sky Trail before climbing to nearly the height of the building when scaling the wall.
It was only when they realised how high they actually were they got a little anxious but the activities are supervised by trained staff who were very patient, helpful and encouraging and boosted their confidence to allow them to complete the climb.
You could spend your whole weekend here and on our return visit the following day we got competitive with a family game of crazy golf (free activity). There was also a Circus Zone soft play room which looked great for families with younger children, messy play, ball pools and a bouncy castle – basically it is a dream location for kids and best of all its undercover and can't be affected by the Welsh weather.
The best part above and beyond was all the quality time we had with each other, Bluestone is the perfect place for a multi-generational family break. Ian and I managed a few hours alone in the Well Spa whilst the girls had fun with their grandparents. It was great to spend time as a couple, particularly at a spa as usually we have to take it in turns to watch the children.
I booked us their flagship seaweed bath treatment (£25 each), the only one of its kind in Wales. Here we both got to unwind in a hot bath full of seaweed and infused with bath salts by candlelight and I would really recommend it.
We were told that seaweed detoxified your body whilst enriching it with over 85 minerals and vitamins and my skin did feel amazing after. When I saw Ian after his treatment I joked that he looked younger – it must have been the anti-ageing properties of the seaweed – ha!
After our treatment, we took advantage of being child free and relaxed at the outdoor hydro pool – my favourite area of the spa.
The spa also has herbal and marine steam rooms, ice cave, rainfall showers, salt room and celtic and brick saunas all of which were really impressive and certainly helped us feel soothed and relaxed, don't miss out visiting here.
The next day the girls had their own spa experience as they were booked into the Mythical Makeover Pamper Party at the Well Spa (£20 per child and runs until the 22nd April). There will be similar packages offered after this date.
This is a new package at Bluestone designed for children and based on the reaction from Chloe and Holly after their experience it's going to be really popular. The excited look on their faces as they were given their kimonos ready for their pamper party was a picture.
Over the next hour they had their hair braided, nails painted and the most amazing glitter art on their faces. Chloe and Holly certainly felt like princesses ready for the Myths and Legends parade later that evening and finished their visit with the coolest colour fairy inspired mocktail – they loved it.
That's not all, as our visit coincided with the Myths and Legends festival (March 29 –June 2nd) there were lots more free activities on offer.
On our last night we caught the Legends parade followed by the jousting tournament, which felt we had stepped back into medieval times through the great theming and the countryside surroundings.
Here we got to meet legendary knights who were showcasing their skills on horseback as they joust with lances to see who becomes the ultimate warrior – the kids loved it.
What I didn't expect from Bluestone were the amazing walking trails on offer in some of the most beautiful surroundings in the country.
Determined to experience as much as we could we picked up a Legends map as part of the Legends Trail and came across fairytale houses, looked for nature in the woodland, crossed bridges and Holly had the chance to build more dens, so she was in her element.
There is so much to keep you occupied it's impossible to experience it all. We missed out the knight school, where you could practice your sword fighting skills and Black Barts Dinner Show where you can learn about Pembrokeshire's famous pirate, Black Bart in a fun dinner. Craft workshops were also available but these were fully booked, but there were plenty of other activities to keep the girls busy.
For us one of the most memorable areas of Bluestone was at Camp Smokey – a rustic woodland hut nestled in the most gorgeous woodland setting next to a stream. As we walked down the boardwalk we could hear the violin playing country music coming from the hut which set the scene for an amazing afternoon.
S'mores are one of our favourite activities so when the girls spotted the giant open log fire we were soon roasting marshmallows to create these delicious snacks. Sitting in this woodland setting and watching the girls faces as they concentrated on cooking their perfect s'more is what a family holiday is all about – creating memories.
We came across Smokey Joe who was taking other guests panning for gold whilst we got closer to nature building dens and constructing make-shift bridges over the stream – good old fashioned fun activities that we seem to overlook in our normal everyday lives – Holly in particular loved it.
At the Deep Ravine is the adventure zone where you can take part in activities from tree climbing and high ropes to the sky wire – a series of four zip lines ranging from 20 to 75m long running through the tree tops of the woods. We will have to book this in for our next visit as it looked brilliant fun.
After busy days enjoying all of the activities on offer at Bluestone it was great to come home to our luxury lodge each day – a luxurious home away from home with every mod con (apart from a washing machine) that a family would need.
We stayed in the four bedroom St David's lodge, which had a Master bedroom with en-suite, three twin rooms, two bathrooms and a fab playroom for the kids.
A huge open plan kitchen, dining area and lounge provided us with all the space we needed – it really was home from home.
One of my favourite things to do each morning was to open our French doors of the bedroom, looking over the gorgeous countryside with nothing but birds tweeting around you – bliss. It's the perfect place to escape to for a family break.
The lodges come with digital TV's, DVD players, dishwasher, microwave, fridge freezer and wifi. When you check in you are given a welcome pack (containing two dishwasher tablets, scourer, cloth, recycling bags, a toilet roll and hand soap in each of the bathrooms) but it's worth bringing essentials like anti-bacterial spray, kitchen roll, tin foil, extra dishwasher tablets and toilet roll with you.
If you do forget something the well-stocked shop in the village was great. If you forget anything like I did (teabags) you could get it at the shop. It had a lovely range of Welsh products (Welsh cakes, local cakes, Welsh beer and Whiskey) and it wasn't as pricey as we had imagined it would be.
With such great self-catering facilities on offer in our lodge we cooked and ate in each evening which was the perfect way to relax after busy days enjoying the resort. We did have dinner on our last evening at Farmhouse Grill which we booked in advance and was a nice treat and opposite the play park which the girls enjoyed afterwards.
The level of service received during our stay was exceptional and this high level of customer service is a credit to the management of Bluestone because it really does make a difference during your stay.
We all had such a great time that we didn't want to leave on Monday morning, we really did fall in love with Bluestone. We'll definitely be back. | , cottages and studio apartments which surround its own private village and lake.
The village is an authentic recreation of something you would find at many towns in Pembrokeshire such as Tenby and Saundersfoot with gorgeous pastel painted buildings.
In the Bluestone village is everything you need including a shop, supermarket, spa, coffee shop, two restaurants, chippie, pub and a great playpark which was a regular stop off for us.
The beauty of a stay at Bluestone is that you can make your stay as affordable as you want, if you don't want to pay for the paid-for activities there are plenty of free activities to also explore.
The girls favourite was the amazing Blue Lagoon waterpark which we visited each day of our stay – they would have stayed here all weekend if they could have as they were in their element.
The zero-entry beach style pool is perfect for children and the wave machine makes swimming here even more fun with six different wave patterns to contend with. There was a lazy river which took us outside into the cold spring air, a pirates shipwreck and a separate water play area for toddlers.
Our highlights were the four water flumes, each offering different experiences especially the falls – an open flume which took us outside to two relaxation pools before it re-entered the Blue Lagoon via a plunge pool.
There are over 100 paid for activities that families can choose from, many of which I would recommend pre-booking online before you arrive. We tried to add more activities whilst we were there and many of the most popular activities were fully booked.
We also spent a lot of time at Bluestone's Adventure Centre, the girls loved it here. This giant indoor space had a café and a huge indoor adventure play area (free activity) with plenty of comfy seating for adults to relax taking advantage of the wifi whilst the children play and burn off excess energy.
We purchased an adventure pass for the girls (£25) so they could each try out the Sky Trail (a high ropes course 20 feet in the | 420 |
Randolph-Macon Earns Loyalty with Revamped Program
Posted by Dean Asher on 6/13/16 5:00 AM
Topics: college store stories, customer loyalty
Like many stores, the Randolph-Macon Campus<|fim_middle|> GVSU Laker Store Has a Social Media Strategy That Works
What Do Customers Love About DVU Bookstore?
Spotlight: How the Volshop Shows Students It Is More Than Retail | Store had a loyalty program. Students earned points on applicable purchases, which they could use to go online within a year of earning the points to create an order for gift cards, in $5 increments. The store would then create the gift certificate in-store on its POS, which they'd either mail to students or send the students an email letting them to know they could pick it up themselves. Those gift cards also had a one-year shelf life before expiring.
Sound complicated? R-MC Store agrees. That's why they revamped the Yellow Jacket Loyalty Rewards program and simplified it immensely. Students' loyalty points now never expire, and the customer can either redeem their points right at the register from the time of purchase or use them to buy a gift certificate online.
Taking advantage of inSite
"When Operations and Textbook Manager Rebecca Bowles and I went to MBS for training last fall, I attended a session on MBS Systems inSite," said Terri Church Briest, bookstore inventory control specialist. "There, someone from Towson University Store told me that their loyalty points never expire, because students and new alumni don't have as much money to spend and their points often expire just when they're entering the workforce. That really hit home for me: I've seen the students scramble at the end of the semesters to redeem their points for gift certificates and heard the complaints about only having one year to use them."
Now when students earn loyalty points, a message appears on the POS screen telling them their point values and asking if the customer would like to spend their points now or save them to redeem later. Briest said that most of her customers really like the new program and continue to participate.
"The whole process has been streamlined and made it easier to use for customers and for store employees," she said. "Having the pop-up message at the POS helps keep the customer thinking about the points, how they should be spent and if they should be saved to use for a big purchase. All reasons to come back to the campus store and shop!"
Debuting the new and improved loyalty program
After taking advantage of some inSite enhancements, R-MC Store unveiled its updated program during Buyback Week. Briest said the timing couldn't have been better.
"Students brought their cash from books right into the store," Briest said. "When the pop-up messages started appearing, most students applied them to the purchase then went and shopped more because they had cash left over. Our student cashiers really enjoyed the reactions customers had when they'd say 'you have X number of dollars available in Loyalty Reward Points. Would you like to use them now?' It was great!"
Briest said staff have promoted the changes through social media and word of mouth. While it's proven popular with current students, the new and improved rewards program has already helped the R-MC Store woo future generations of Yellow Jackets and build long-time customers from the moment they step foot on campus.
"It was also very well received at the New Student (Freshman) Orientations," Briest noted. "We had some families register before their students even graduated from high school, so they'll take advantage of the points not expiring this year."
Spotlight: | 653 |
Matria Healthcare, Inc. History
1850 Parkway Place
Incorporated: 1995 as Matria Healthcare, Inc.
Sales: $87.5 million (199<|fim_middle|> of Tokos Medical and Healthdyne was expected to save Matria roughly $30 million, providing a much-needed lift for a new company charting its plans for the future.
Allgood, Lyn, "Is Healthdyne Rebounding?," Atlanta Business Chronicle, May 20, 1985, p. 1A.
Byrne, Harlan S., "Healthdyne Inc.: It Stands To Prosper in Home Infusion," Barron's, September 10, 1990, p. 54.
Greene, Jay, "Four Executives Laid Off from Tokos Medical, Healthdyne To Share $8.5 Million," Knight-Ridder/Tribune Business News, February 14, 1996, p. 21.
Marcial, Gene G., "Bringing Home Hospital Care," Business Week, May 7, 1990, p. 136.
Miller, Andy, "Marietta-Based Healthdyne To Merge with Its Rival Santa Ana-Based Tokos," Knight-Ridder/Tribune Business News, October 3, 1995, p. 1.
Neumier, Shelley, "Tokos Medical," Fortune, March 23, 1992, p. 109.
Palmeri, Christopher, "Born Again," Forbes, December 23, 1991, p. 64.
------, "Emmett's Guardian Angel," Forbes, December 23, 1991, p. 66.
Zipser, Andy, "Taken with Tokos," Barron's, April 1, 1991, p. 34. | 5)
Stock Exchanges: NASDAQ
SICs: 8082 Home Health Care Services; 3845 Electromedical Equipment
Company Perspectives:
We will carry on our tradition of innovation and working relationships in all areas of our business: clinical services, information systems, diagnostic products and managed care programs. All of which can now be provided with greater efficiency as the result of our merger. Many factors will influence our business, most especially, the way our healthcare delivery system is transformed and financed. However, the consequences and costs of poor birth outcomes have become a higher priority on the national agenda. And Matria will be on the forefront with the most experience, capabilities, qualifications and outcome data.
As the leading provider of high-risk, home health care obstetrical services in the United States, Matria Healthcare, Inc. offers services and provides products that assist physicians in the management of high-risk pregnancies, as well as providing home health care services for the management of other obstetrical and gynecological conditions. Matria, which was formed in 1995 through the merger of Healthdyne, Inc. and Tokos Medical Corporation, produced the only home uterine activity monitors approved to be marketed for earlier detection of preterm labor.
Origin of Eldest Predecessor
Although Matria did not officially exist until late 1995, the company's corporate roots date to 1971, when one of its predecessor organizations first emerged on the business scene. That company, the elder of the two entities that merged to form Matria, was Healthdyne, Inc., a business created out of the deep despair of its founder, Parker (Pete) H. Petit. Petit's life changed forever in 1970 when his six-month-old son Brett died from sudden infant death syndrome. As would be expected, the loss of his infant son shattered Petit, 30 years old at the time. But the young Georgia Tech-educated aerospace engineer did not sit home lamenting Brett's arbitrary death. Instead, Petit did what he could to keep other parents from suffering from the same tragedy. As he later explained to a reporter from Forbes magazine, "Everybody deals with grief in different ways." Petit's catharsis occurred with the formation of Healthdyne and the development of a device that trimmed the number of deaths resulting from sudden infant death syndrome.
Following his son's death, Petit worked furiously to develop a monitoring device that would sound an alarm if the heartbeat or breathing of a sleeping child stopped. Within weeks, Petit's efforts paid off and a marketable monitoring device had been discovered, prompting him to solicit financial help from friends and business acquaintances to bring his creation to market. Toward this goal, Petit once again was successful, obtaining enough money ($60,000) to allow him to quit his job at Lockheed in Atlanta in 1971 and establish Healthdyne, the company that for the ensuing decade would derive its sales from Petit's invention.
A year after his son's death, Petit found himself in a new line of work and sitting atop a fledgling enterprise that had a product to market but little else. Initially, the infant monitors were marketed through a network of independent medical products distributors, enabling the company to develop a customer base that soon provided the means for survival. Healthdyne operated as such, marketing its infant monitors through distributors, throughout its inaugural decade of business, developing, during that time, into a flourishing concern. By 1981, the company had exceeded Petit's highest expectations, evolving from the all-consuming need of a father to recover from the loss of his son into a thriving enterprise that had carved a new niche in the medical equipment industry and helped curb the number of deaths resulting from sudden infant death syndrome. Ahead were years of rapid growth and tumultuous change, as the success achieved during the 1970s spawned a decade of diversification that widened Healthdyne's business scope and then sent the company reeling from the frenetic pace of expansion.
1980s Diversification by Healthdyne
At the time of Healthdyne's tenth anniversary in 1981, it stood as an unqualified success, with annual sales eclipsing the $10 million mark for the first time and the infant monitor business expanding at a 70 percent annual rate. Despite the vibrancy of Healthdyne's business and its industry, Petit decided early in the decade that to continue Healthdyne's steady pace of financial growth he needed to diversify the company's business interests. To reduce the company's reliance on infant monitor sales and enter new business lines, Petit first needed the money to fund Healthdyne's diversification. Accordingly, in late 1981 he sold 26 percent of Healthdyne to the public and raised $11 million to mount an ambitious acquisition program. Additional public offerings of Healthdyne stock in 1982 and 1983 yielded $74 million, bolstering the company's ability to acquire a collection of companies and immediately diversify its business mix. This the company did in an aggressive fashion, acquiring more than 20 medical-related companies during the early 1980s that transformed Healthdyne in a matter of months into a diversified health care company.
The spate of acquisitions brought Healthdyne into a number of different business fields and expanded its product line dramatically to include medical equipment such as surgical instruments, incubators, and oxygen concentrators, which turned room air into pure oxygen for people suffering from respiratory problems. Along with the acquired businesses came an enormous boost for the company's revenue volume, with the financial figures recorded during the early 1980s providing tangible evidence that the push was on at Healthdyne headquarters in Marietta, Georgia. Sales, which exceeded $10 million in 1981 after a decade of growth, tripled the following year, and rose even more the next year, soaring to $133 million in 1983. Company executives were exuberant, with Petit leading the way. In two short years, Healthdyne had transformed itself from small player in its industry to a diversified, rising force evidently on its way toward greatness. Petit noted as much in the company's 1983 annual report containing the financial figures charting Healthdyne's exponential sales gain from $30 million to $133 million. "It's always been our goal," Petit wrote, "to become a major health care company." Quickly, however, that lofty aspiration would fade from the minds of Petit and other executives. Ahead were the most difficult years in Healthdyne's history.
Healthdyne's Mid-1980s Tailspin
In the best of times, the efficient assimilation of more than 20 acquisitions completed during a two-year period would be a difficult task for any company, but Healthdyne quickly found itself in the unfortunate position of having to orchestrate the organization of its new businesses at the worst of times. First, changes in Medicaid's reimbursement policies significantly weakened the company's formerly stalwart position. In October 1983, when the state- and federally-funded health care program altered its reimbursement policies, hospitals responded by drastically slashing their medical product budgets, thereby directly affecting companies like Healthdyne that relied on the business derived from health care institutions. To make matters worse, the Health Care Financing Administration made budget cuts of its own, sharply reducing the amount it would reimburse for Healthdyne's oxygen concentrators. Perhaps the most damaging development, however, was yet to come, and for this the company could not point fingers at federal or state officials. In its attempt to build around its mainstay infant monitor business, the company, as one industry pundit charged, was distracted from the development of its second-generation infant monitor and put the new product on the market with a serious design flaw. Sales of the infant monitor plunged, dropping by 80 percent. The company's stock responded in kind, dropping in value as investors grew wary of tying their investments to a company suffering from the effects of rapid, ill-timed expansion.
Financial figures again told the tale of Healthdyne's fortunes, as they had during the company's rise during the early 1980s. Between 1984 and 1988, Healthdyne recorded $66 million in losses, with each new year adding to the woes of a company whose financial health had taken a turn for the worse. In response to the company's floundering status, Petit divested all of the hospital supply businesses, shedding most of what had been gained during the early 1980s, and refocused the company's energies on the fast-growing home health care industry. Further, Petit invested $35 million in a line of fetal monitors and a nationwide service operation for women with high-risk pregnancies. With these moves, the stage was set for the company's recovery, giving it the product lines that would record the greatest growth during the 1990s. There was, however, still one more hurdle Petit had to clear before Healthdyne could embark on the path toward full recovery.
Although the company was on the mend, the very fact that it had once struggled and then showed signs of recovery made Healthdyne an attractive acquisition for corporate suitors. During the late 1980s, companies were on the lookout for weakened but resurging prey, and Healthdyne fit the description perfectly. In 1988, Englewood, New Jersey-based Continental Health Affiliates aped the prevailing trend of the day and attempted a hostile takeover of Healthdyne. Petit was adamant in his refusal to give up Healthdyne's independence, and after persuading the company's board to fight off Continental Affiliates' unsolicited offer, he succeeded, leaving Healthdyne on its own to pursue its course.
As Healthdyne exited the 1980s, the path ahead looked promising. Considering the sweeping changes the company underwent during the decade, Healthdyne entered the 1990s as a company much different from what it had been as it entered the 1980s. As a result of Medicaid's change in reimbursement rules for hospitals, Petit had shed a division that sold equipment to hospitals in 1986, one of a series of divestments made during the years of staggering financial losses. Another was made in late 1989 when the company's health care services group, which was primarily involved in rentals of medical equipment and supplies through a dealer network, was sold. Consequently, after a decade that saw Healthdyne's operations expand and contract like an accordion, the company was reshaped for the 1990s, its primary focus on certain areas of the rapidly expanding market for home health care products, including infusion services and high-technology home health systems and equipment.
Healthdyne in the Early 1990s
Of the businesses composing Healthdyne as it entered the 1990s, the most instrumental operating company was Home Nutritional Services, one of the vestiges of Petit's acquisition spree during the early 1980s that survived to see the 1990s. The primary contributor to Healthdyne's sales and earnings growth, Home Nutritional Services ranked as the third largest provider of home infusion therapies, a business that was experiencing rapid growth as hospital costs soared by offering services such as sterile nutritional solutions, antibiotic therapies, and chemotherapy, along with a range of other infusion programs. Although not as strong a contributor to the company's financial growth as Home Nutritional Services, Healthdyne's manufacturing arm, Healthdyne Technologies, was recording a faster rate of earnings growth than was Home Nutritional Services. Healthdyne Technologies produced equipment for monitoring and treating sleep and respiratory disorders and focused its efforts on four segments of the market for home care products: respiratory disorders, sleep disorders, sudden infant death syndrome, and high-risk pregnancies. Aside from the oxygen concentrators and infant monitors Healthdyne Technologies manufactured (which brought in close to $40 million a year), the manufacturing division's work was also highlighted by the introduction in 1990 of a device that pumped air through face masks for sufferers of sleep apnea, a chronic closing of the throat that afflicted roughly two million generally overweight adult males. Rounding out the company's operations was perhaps the most promising aspect of its business: Healthdyne's Perinatal Services division, a business formed in 1987 that provided home monitoring of women with high-risk pregnancies.
Healthdyne's Perinatal Services division represented the future of the company, and like the company as a whole, was recording encouraging financial growth as the 1990s began. Healthdyne's financial health was invigorated in December 1989 when the company raised more than $60 million by selling to the public a one-third interest in Home Nutritional Services. Buoyed by the infusion of this cash, which was used to reduce bank debt and strengthen working capital, Healthdyne once again took on the luster lost during the mid-1980s. After recording losses of $21.3 million, $5.5 million, and $5.4 million in 1986, 1987, and 1988, respectively, Healthdyne posted a promising $7.1 million gain in 1989. Revenues, meanwhile, had also surged ahead, increasing from $48.3 million in 1987 to $103.4 million by the end of 1989. Further financial growth was expected in the years ahead, particularly from the company's Perinatal Services division, which was expected to record a strong sales gain from the introduction of what the company called "System 37," a device for home monitoring of uterine activity. The only hitch in the company's plan to realize what was expected to be an 80 percent increase in Perinatal Services' sales total was approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to put System 37 on the market. While awaiting the nod from federal officials, Healthdyne was beaten to the punch by a rival home health care services company that took its name from the Greek word for "childbirth," Tokos Medical Corporation, Healthdyne's future partner.
Tokos Medical During the 1990s
The nation's leading provider of home health care services to women at risk of premature labor, Santa Ana, California-based Tokos Medical Corporation pioneered the market of home obstetrical care in 1983 and, as the 1990s began, stood as the only company in the country to boast a uterine monitor approved for home use by the FDA. Healthdyne failed in January 1991 to get FDA approval for its own uterine monitor version, making Tokos Medical the industry leader and Healthdyne a distant second, with the two companies controlling 60 percent and 30 percent of the perinatal services market in the United States, respectively. Tokos Medical's uterine monitor, which was worn like a belt, could detect premature labor long before its wearer could and early enough to allow medical intervention to delay delivery, alerting medical personnel through readings transmitted via modem. The device was used on an outpatient basis, thereby eliminating the need for costly hospital observation. The financial merits of the device to health care insurance companies were easily discernible. As one investment analyst noted in Barron's magazine, "The company [Tokos Medical] is providing a service at $100 a day to which the alternative, if they don't provide that service, is $1,000 a day."
Much the same could be said of the financial benefits realized from using Healthdyne's services, which held the company in good stead as health care costs soared during the early 1990s and insurance companies increasingly sought cheaper alternatives to lengthy hospital stays. During the years leading up to its merger with Tokos Medical, Healthdyne once again took on the accordion-like behavior that characterized its movements during the 1980s by gradually stripping itself of business interests to leave only its core Perinatal Services holdings. In 1993, Healthdyne sold 19 percent of its Healthdyne Technologies subsidiary in an initial public offering, which produced a pretax gain of $9.5 million. Two years later Healthdyne completely spun off its manufacturing arm. Home Nutritional Services, meanwhile, was sold to W.R. Grace Co., leaving Healthdyne as strictly a services and software company by the mid-1990s. Against the backdrop of Healthdyne's waning stature, Tokos Medical struggled financially, recording a $5.8 million loss in 1994 on revenues of $100.7 million. "Both companies," Petit confided as Healthdyne and Tokos Medical were contemplating their union, "have struggled the last three years."
1995: Matria Is Created
In October 1995, the merger between Healthdyne and Tokos Medical was announced, paving the way for the creation of a $160 million maternity-management company. Expected to create a more efficient company, the merger was applauded by industry pundits who perceived the corporate marriage of the two industry leaders as a prudent strategic move. "These are, by far, the two major players in the field," one analyst noted, "it's sort of like Coke and Pepsi merging."
The merger was completed on March 8, 1996, creating Matria Healthcare, Inc., a leading provider of specialized obstetrical home health care services. Retaining the headquarter offices that were formerly occupied by Healthdyne in Marietta, Georgia, Matria took its two top executive positions from Healthdyne and Tokos Medical, with Petit named as chairman and Robert F. Byrnes, Tokos Medical's chairman and chief executive officer, selected as Matria's president and chief executive officer. As the company headed toward the late 1990s, the integration | 3,792 |
The CV is usually the first point of call for potential employers, so make yours stand out from the<|fim_middle|> are relevant to each vacancy and that will interest the employer.
Remember that your CV is the first thing a potential employer will see and it will have seconds to impress. At Pip Consultancy we can not only help you prepare your CV, but because we recommend you the employer is aware of your potential before they even receive it. This will ensure that you get more consideration than other applicants and are therefore more likely to get an interview.
and let us start you on your path to a new career. | rest.
Most potential employers will review hundreds of CVs before drafting the interview shortlist. Of course, at Pip Consultancy we ensure that our candidates get more attention because clients are confident that we only submit the best-suited applicants. However, your CV is still important so we have prepared a few tips for you to follow.
Presentation: Keep your CV to two sides of A4. On average a potential employer will spend just 15 seconds reviewing a CV before either accepting or rejecting it. Keep it short, informative and concise. Make sure it is well presented and if using a hard-copy use good quality, white paper.
Personal Details: Include your name, postal address, telephone and email address. You can also include your DOB, driving licence and nationality if this information is relevant.
Work Experience: Most recent first and descending chronologically. Use short sentences and highlight key achievements.
Education: List all your academic and professional qualifications with the greatest first and then in descending order. Specify the dates and grades attained.
Skills: List all skills including languages, computer skills and training not already mentioned. State your level of proficiency and where applicable the date attained.
Hobbies: Add these but keep it brief. You won't get an interview because of your hobbies but they will want to know what makes you tick.
References: Don't specify your referees but rather state that the details of these are available upon request. Use reliable sources and ask them first.
Whilst it may seem tedious it is often beneficial to modify your CV for each separate application. This allows you to bring out those qualities and experience that | 321 |
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<|fim_middle|> plan and its relevance to the region, Emiel de Bruijne, Consultant at BiPRO GmbH says:
"From a waste management perspective, the EU Circular Economy Package provides various actions and legal amendments which can help Middle Eastern countries reflect on their own targets, policy instruments and recycling standards which suit local circumstances and ambitions."
Emiel de Bruijne, Consultant at BiPRO GmbH
Further insight at the summit will focus on decentralized waste management, solutions for food waste, as well as benchmarking energy, water and waste performance in a retail environment, among others.
A platform for building positive business relationships and sourcing the latest industry products and services, FM EXPO will host more than 70 exhibitors representing 11 exhibiting countries. FM leaders such as Imdaad, Serve-U and Etisalat will be displaying Computer Aided Facility Management (CAFM) systems, FM software, Total Facilities Management, access to waste consultants and more.
Organized by dmg events, FM EXPO 2018 is sponsored by Advanced Facilities Management (Titanium Sponsor), Imdaad (Strategic Content Sponsor) and Farnek, Emrill and Enova by Veolia (Conference Session Sponsors). The event is free to all registered visitors and will be co-located with the Windows, Doors and Facades Event.
To know more, visit www.fm-expo.com
For press registration, Click here
For visitor registration, Click here
Elisha Dessurne Public Relations Executive, dmg events Middle East, Asia & Africa
elishadessurne@dmgeventsme.com
About FM EXPO
14 - 16 September 2020, Dubai wWorld Trade Centre
Transforming the Facilities Management Landscape
In its 15th edition, FM EXPO is the Middle East's dedicated, asset management event connecting over 5,000 professionals from the facilities management, cleaning, building maintenance, community management, hygiene, health and safety, energy and environment industries.
Featuring CPD certified workshops by industry leaders, the event not only provides the opportunity to source products and services but free access to learning, along with unparalleled networking with regional and international leaders.
The event is organised by dmg events and will run at the Dubai World Trade Centre from 14 - 16 September 2020.
About dmg events
dmg events is a leading organiser of face-to-face events and a publisher of trade magazines.
We aim to keep businesses informed and connect them with relevant communities to create vibrant marketplaces and to accelerate their business through face-to-face events.
dmg events organises more than 80 events across 25 countries, attracting over 425,000 attendees and delegates every year. The company's portfolio of products includes many industry-leading events in the energy, construction, hospitality & design, coatings and transportation sectors. ADIPEC, The Big 5, Gastech, EGYPS, The Hotel Show and INDEX are the company's flagship events. For more information visit www.dmgevents.com.
Founded in 1989, the company is headquartered in Dubai, UAE, and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Daily Mail and General Trust plc (DMGT, www.dmgt.co.uk), one of the largest media companies in the United Kingdom.
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Event Updates Exhibitor News Industry News Innovation Interviews
UAE'S STRATEGY FOR WASTE REDUCTION AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY IN THE SPOTLIGHT AT FM EXPO
Waste & Recycling Summit to kick off on final day of FM EXPO in Hall 5 at Dubai World Trade Centre.
From 23-25 September, FM EXPO will host host more than 70 exhibitors representing 11 exhibiting countries.
Professionals from across the regional facilities management (FM) industry will convene at Dubai World Trade Centre from 23 - 25 September 2018 for FM EXPO - the Middle East's premier event for the facilities management sector.
Portfolio Director for FM EXPO, Nathan Waugh says:
"Once again, FM EXPO commands centre stage as the only dedicated event that brings the region's building owners, operators, and FM professionals together. As the GCC FM market continues to demonstrate resilience and growth, driven by new build projects, new technologies and modernization of existing stock, FM EXPO is the perfect setting to facilitate further growth in the industry,"
Portfolio Director for FM EXPO, Nathan Waugh
With a core focus on enhancing professional knowledge, the event will host 21 free-to-attend education sessions grouped into the FM Forum series. The sessions will be CPD (Continuing Professional Development) certified and are set to stimulate the exchange of ideas across topics such as The Influence of Smart Cities and Harnessing the Digital Government World.
To further address major issues within the FM industry, this year's edition will also host the high-level Middle East Waste & Recycling Summit 2018 on the final day. According to summit Chairman Zack Abdi, Managing Director at Provectus Middle East:
"The need for innovation to reduce landfill stress, address water stress and reduce water footprint solutions, the concept of sustainability to address shift to Green Economy and the idea of legacy for sustainable human resources are all core considerations for today's FM professionals. The Waste & Recycling Summit will play a crucial role in inspiring progressive new approaches to waste management in the region."
Zack Abdi, Managing Director at Provectus Middle East
Much of the discussion at the summit will centre on the UAE's strategy for waste reduction and environmental sustainability and, in particular, how this can be supported by the adoption of a Circular Economy.
Speaking specifically about the European Circular Economy action | 517 |
Well I have been posting a lot of travel stories which becomes more or less the same and monotonous to read. So instead of concentrating more about the journey I would rather focus more on what ensemble I picked out.
So the fun part about this trip was planning outfits for each day. Never have I planned outfits for two weeks straight. Like usually if I am out to my home town I would be rather hanging out in my pjs and staying in bed most of the time (highly unlikely) but when you are off to a place which is appallingly beautiful (not that my home town isn't beautiful but hey come on it is Europe for god's sake!) I would rather jump off the bridge into a lake full of crocodiles then be anything but dressed up. So yes took me about a week of mental preparation and some last minute procrastination to come up with this ensemble which by the way is again one of my favourites.
Anyways coming back to this outfit, I picked out this beautiful lace crop top from Brussels which is slightly navy-blackish in colour. The best thing about it is the floral lace work which absolutely looks stunning. It is neither too fancy nor too casual, right at the middle. Also crop tops looks remarkable when paired up with a skirt. In this case I picked out above the knee length skater skirt. Burgundy color is absolutely my favourite and now that I think about it my wardrobe is full of this colour and black of course! Since Autumn is just around the corner a combination of burgundy and black would look breathtaking. Since the weather in Europe is colder I wore a pair of classic black leggings underneath with black boots. If you are not confident to wear mini-length skirts, black stocking or leggings would be a good choice. But then again depends upon the colour of your skirt.
Wi-Fi is free around everywhere!<|fim_middle|> | God knows why am I mentioning this but trust me. Being the Internet freaks that we are, this surely makes it a plus point.
The most memorable moment of my trip to Amsterdam was meeting this local farmer who worked at cheese and wooden shoes factory. It doesn't happen often when you meet a person who becomes etched to your memory. In this case it was this man. Usually I am bad with names so I apologise in advance for not remembering his name but I remember absolutely everything when it comes to him. Might be head over heels in love haha. Sense of humour and a genuine soul touching smile are just one of the few things that I adore about him. Also he knew Hindi pretty fluently which of course made me squirm haha!
The cheese is absolutely delish and a must try! The best thing I love about Amsterdan is that you could go grab your lunch real quick and sit near the canals. Imagine spending a fun evening with your friends, chatting about absolutely nothing and everything and looking at the pretty sunset. Dream come true.
That's all for my post. Hope you'll enjoyed my story. Be sure to comment down below and let me know what you think. | 242 |
A nationwide test is taking place Wednesday, testing the emergency alert system. It is a test that starts with three<|fim_middle|> the video portion, TV stations have created special graphics to indicate the warning is a nationwide test.
Beyond Amber Alerts and severe weather warnings, the nationwide test will ensure the system could be used in national emergencies like 9/11, or in statewide emergencies like the 2007 Greensburg tornado. | beeps and a long tone and has the ability to warn everyone near a television or radio of an emergency situation.
Emergency Alert System tests are usually enacted separately. At 1 p.m. Wednesday, the test will be seen and heard simultaneously across the nation.
Whether you are watching cable or satellite TV or listening to AM/FM or satellite radio, you will receive the one minute warning test.
The audio portion of the test will clearly indicate that it is indeed a test, for | 96 |
Q:<|fim_middle|> | Neo4j query taking long time I am currently working on a social media site which exactly the same in terms of users' timeline, like user can follow, create, share the posts, block, unblock, etc. So for that, we have created 2 types of labels "User" and "Post" and have several relations like follow, block, private, etc.
currently, we have approximately 41000 nodes and 650000 relationships.
Hardware conf:
8 gb ram
2 core
50 GB HDD
1 Master and 2 Slave
and using the following query to get the users' timeline
MATCH (n:User {user_id:'12129bca-9b90-44c9-aae8-d80e61f9c342',is_active:'1'}),(p:Post{is_deleted:'0'}),(po:User{user_id:p.owner_id})
WHERE (p.post_type = '1' OR p.post_type = '4') WITH n,p,po
WHERE po.is_active='1' AND (n)-[:CREATED{own_status:'1'}]->(p) OR
(n)-[:FOLLOWS{follow_status:'1'}]->(:User{is_active:'1'})-[:CREATED{own_status:'1'}]->(p)
OR (n)-[:FOLLOWS{follow_status:'1'}]->(:Keyword{is_deleted:'0'})-[:KEYWORD]->(p)
WITH n,p,po
OPTIONAL MATCH (n)-[fr:FOLLOWS]->(po)
WHERE fr.follow_status='1' WITH p,n,po,fr
WHERE NOT ((n)-[:FOLLOWS{is_blocked:true}]->(po) OR (n)-[:FOLLOWS{is_mute:true}]->(po)) WITH p,n,po,fr
WHERE NOT (n)<-[:FOLLOWS{is_blocked:true}]-(po) WITH p,n,po,fr
WHERE (fr is not null and toInteger(po.is_private) <= 1 AND po.user_id <> n.user_id)
OR (toInteger(po.is_private) <= 1 AND po.user_id = n.user_id)
OR (toInteger(po.is_private) = 0 AND po.user_id <> n.user_id) WITH p,n,po
RETURN p,po,SIZE(()-[:LIKED]->(p)) as likecount,
SIZE((n)-[:LIKED]->(p)) as likestatus,count(*) as postcount
ORDER BY p.created_at DESC
SKIP 0 LIMIT 10
This query takes more than 10 sec. which is too high
Here is Profile of the above query
Here is the index list
Can anybody suggest where am I doing wrong?
A: If you're trying to get a user's timeline, I would think you'd start with the specific user, then connect to other nodes via the relationships you're interested in. The current query isn't taking advantage of pattern matching or the connected nature of a graph database.
The first match statement of the query as it's currently written finds a specific user, then all Post nodes that have the property is_deleted:'0' and then all User nodes that are connected to any of the Post nodes. Searching this way is giving you more database hits (54,984) in the first middle Expand(All) than there are nodes in the database (41,000).
Where you should get the most lift in optimizing this query is to focus your search on the single user then expand out from there using the relationships:
MATCH (n:User {user_id:'12129bca-9b90-44c9-aae8-d80e61f9c342',is_active:'1'})-[r]-(p:Post{is_deleted:'0'})
This will match the user and all qualifying posts connected to the user via a relationship. Note, if a user isn't connected to any qualifying posts, there won't be any matches even if that user does exist in the database.
If you only want to include certain relationship types, you can specify that in this first MATCH statement like this:
MATCH (n:User {user_id:'12129bca-9b90-44c9-aae8-d80e61f9c342',is_active:'1'})-[r:CREATED|FOLLOWS|KEYWORD]-(p:Post{is_deleted:'0'})
Or you can put it in the WHERE clause like this:
MATCH (n:User {user_id:'12129bca-9b90-44c9-aae8-d80e61f9c342',is_active:'1'})-[r]-(p:Post{is_deleted:'0'})
WHERE type(r) in ['CREATED', 'FOLLOWS' , 'KEYWORD']
I didn't follow all your conditional statements (and I think you might be able to remove some of them once you convert it to pattern matching), but once you have your initial pattern you can add in whatever conditional statements you need. Example:
WHERE (p.post_type = '1' OR p.post_type = '4')
AND (r.own_status = '1' OR r.follow_status = '1')
AND NOT r.is_blocked = true
For more on pattern matching, check out section 2.9 of the Neo4j Cypher Manual.
| 1,191 |
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