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In today’s connected world, cyber threats can have real, lasting and often devastating consequences, not only compromising our national security, but damaging our economy as well. Cyber intrusions and attacks have increased dramatically in recent years as adversaries become more sophisticated in the use of the world’s critical network of computers, communications and infrastructure.
Washington State is well positioned to play a key role in combating cyber threats, given its leadership in information and communication technology as well as its connection to existing military forces who have been pioneers in the field of cyber security. This includes the National Guard 194th Regional Support Wing, which oversees the 262nd Network Warfare Squadron. It is only the second security team of its kind in the U.S. Air Force and the first National Guard squadron to be assigned the role of cyber security.
The nation’s second largest IT ecosystem
The military certainly has a lot of support in Washington State when it comes to identifying, tracking and neutralizing threats. The Department of Defense (DoD) has recognized the importance of the military working closely with industry experts in the private sector to stay several steps ahead of this increasingly complex and frequent type of threat. Washington is home to some of the largest and most respected names in technology, including Microsoft, Boeing, Cray, Idea Entity and IID as well as 155,000 experienced information technology workers. They are supported by research and development teams at the University of Washington’s iSchool, with its Information Assurance and Cyber security Program, as well as the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory – one of only 10 such national labs in the country – which works closely with the DoD on defense-related security projects.
Lessons learned from the private sector can be readily applied to the military’s mission of guarding the nation’s electronic infrastructure and assets, from power supplies to the troops on the ground in distant lands. Many of Washington’s businesses are already working closely with the military to strengthen our cyber security, using their vast knowledge to develop new techniques, tools and processes to allow the U.S. to detect and identify threats as early as possible, and then eliminate them before they can cause harm. It’s hoped that in the future Washington will play an increasingly important role in cyber security, hosting a Cyber Center of Excellence that would leverage the state’s tremendous intellectual capital while supporting the U.S. military’s cyber security mission.
Cybersecurity Grant Report
In early 2020, Impact Washington (IW) commenced a cybersecurity grant project funded by the Department of Defense Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation (DoD OLDCC) through the Washington State Department of Commerce Office of Economic Development and Competitiveness with the broad intent of strengthening Washington State cybersecurity posture in the defense supply chain. Read Report
Washington’s rich history of innovation in the field of information and communication technology makes the state a strong partner with the Department of Defense, Homeland Security and military leaders in the region who are charged cybersecurity oversight. As this requirement continues to grow and expand in the future, there are good opportunities for businesses to get in on the ground floor of a sophisticated ecosystem of information technology whose public-private partnerships and vast knowledge and resources can help keep America safe from its adversaries. | <urn:uuid:a83f1190-a019-4695-ad0d-2aa17c57055a> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | http://wamilitaryalliance.org/cyber-security/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572408.31/warc/CC-MAIN-20220816151008-20220816181008-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.947349 | 670 | 2.296875 | 2 |
This Day in History on 20 October
The historical events hold a lot of value for aspirants who are sitting for UPSC competitive exams including that of the IAS Exam.
On this page, we will list all historical events that have occurred on 20 October. The students can refer them while preparing for all competitive exams and banking exams.
1962 – China launches simultaneous offensives in Ladakh and across the McMahon Line, igniting the Sino-Indian War.
1920 – Siddhartha Shankar Ray, Indian lawyer and politician, Chief Minister of West Bengal (d. 2010)
1927 – Gunturu Seshendra Sarma, Indian poet and critic (d. 2007)
1978 – Virender Sehwag, Indian cricketer
Death/ Death Anniversary | <urn:uuid:6e1197e0-decc-4e58-8a58-a32e0e6a087c> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.upscsuccess.com/on-this-day-20-october/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571993.68/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814022847-20220814052847-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.925941 | 178 | 2.53125 | 3 |
The Asphalt Pavement Alliance developed the prestigious Perpetual Pavement awards to recognize long-life asphalt pavements in the U.S. and honor asphalt pavements demonstrating outstanding design and construction.
Many owners are recognizing the benefits associated with converting existing roads to perpetual ones. The APA accepts nominations for roads that have been converted to meet Perpetual Pavement design criteria. The nominations are reviewed and approved by the National Center for Asphalt Technology and receive the Perpetual Pavement Award: By Conversion.
The APA’s Perpetual Pavement Award program is proud to recognize new asphalt roads constructed over an existing road that meet Perpetual Pavement criteria. During its inaugural year, PPAs: By Conversion were awarded to five state departments of transportation (DOTs) and one local agency road owner. This is only the second time since the PPA program began in 2001 a municipal roadway was reconginized.
Winning agencies are honored by their local state asphalt pavement association and are presented with an engraved crystal obelisk.
“One key indicator of quality in construction is a smooth, long-life pavement,” said Amy Miller, P.E., National Director of the APA. “Long-life asphalt pavements serve the community, reduce the money needed for maintenance, and conserve raw materials, ultimately leading to a truly sustainable structure that exemplifies the triple bottom line." | <urn:uuid:e5c551c1-e7a9-4400-aa48-2ac4692ca591> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.driveasphalt.org/awards/perpetual-by-conversion | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572163.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815085006-20220815115006-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.929216 | 295 | 1.539063 | 2 |
As an Evangelical convert to Catholicism I’ve been deeply interesting in the growing movement within the Evangelical church back towards the ancient liturgies of the church. It is a longing, an urgency, which I felt strongly. It contributed a great deal to my decision to become Catholic.
The idea that worship is not something we need to reinvent; that worship isn’t something which we tailor to suit ourselves. That worship isn’t just singing but something which God clearly laid out for us in Scripture and Tradition following a plan that’s thousands of years old. A way of reaching up and out to God.
So when Evangelicals like James K. A. Smith and Jonathan Aigner, my colleague here at Patheos, call for a rejection of the way that some denominations worship I have to agree.
As an Evangelical, “worship” was the time in a Sunday morning service where we sang songs to God.
(Sometimes we sang songs to ourselves about God.)
(Sometimes we just sang songs about ourselves.)
Worship, at any rate, was a very particular part of a Sunday morning services; more or less important than the pastor’s sermon, depending on the denomination.
But in the ancient, liturgical church, worship has always meant much more then that—with roots reaching back into the Old Testament.
For the ancient Israelites, worship of God meant a high priest entering the Holy of Holies in the Temple. The priest would, in regular intervals, present items before the presence of God, items like bread or the blood of sacrificed animals, which would then be imbued with the presence of God.
The bread, coming face to face with God like Moses on the mountain, would shine with the presence of God.
But when Jesus died and the veil in the Temple was torn the wall between man and God’s presence was ruptured. No longer would priests be needed to go into the Holy of Holies and bring out God’s presence—that presence, the real presence of God—was now immediately accessible to all.
Thanks to Christ’s work on the cross.
No longer would the high priest need to wear a breastplate with twelve glowing gems—representing the twelve tribes of Israel—as he entered the Holy of Holies but the twelve tribes could enter themselves.
No longer would the bread shine with the presence of God but, through incredible act of mercy, the bread would become God to be carried out to the people.
In the ancient liturgies of the church this is properly understood. In the Catholic Church, our liturgies stretch back to this same Old Testament worship in the Temple while looking forward to the picture of Heaven St. John gives us in the Book of Revelation.
What the liturgies of the Church do, properly, is to unpack all of this for us.
What the liturgies intend to do is to conform us to best reflect God: the glowing bread. As people of the New Covenant, our liturgical worship is intended to help us to become more familial. To look more and more like our true selves as part of the Family of God. To become more and more swept up in this cosmic romance.
The ancient liturgies of the Church are meant to make us like Christ.
(And this is fundamentally different than just singing.)
In the Catholic tradition, as part of the Mystical Body of Christ, we are also participating in Christ’s work in Heaven. So when Revelation pictures Christ, at the right hand of God the Father, pleading for mercy for his people, we participate in this same act at every single Mass. When we pray, “May our sacrifice and yours being pleasing to you,” it may sound strange and ancient to our post-mondern ears—it may sound downright pagan to an Evangelical—but what we are saying, as members of Christ’s Body, is exactly what Christ in Heaven says to God the Father.
Christ is offering up Himself to Himself in perpetuity. It’s perfect self-giving love. And we are utterly blessed beyond belief to be participating in this same act as part of the same Body.
That is the purpose of the liturgy. And that is worship, at its core.
And that is, at its core, a love story.
The Catholic Church and its ancient liturgy understands worship as a kind of romance. Christ, in the Trinity, gave Himself up to Himself. That is the ultimate expression of love. And, as members of Christ’s Mystical Body, the Church understands that this is what we do in worship.
As Christ’s body we give ourselves up to God, through Christ’s sacrifice being re-presented over and over and over again before God. And in the same way that practicing charitable acts will slowly create in me more authentic feelings of charity, as we celebrate the liturgy we become, bit by bit, more fully incorporated into that self-giving, Trinitarian love triangle.
And this is fundamental to understand.
Because Evangelicals like Aigner are right: our worship shouldn’t be about mustering up feelings of emotional love towards an invisible God. Or even mustering up love towards one another. These feelings are fine but the ultimate purpose of worship is so much more.
Liturgical worship, as the ancient churches understood from the beginning, is a divine love song. It is the Mystical Body of Christ, of which we are blessed to be a part, presenting itself back to God in the ultimate act of love. It is teaching us to love. It is making us more and more like God by presenting us with both a mirror to look into and an example toward which to strive.
And, honestly, in a world as obsessed with self-love as ever God’s antidote—the liturgy of the Church—could not be more timely. | <urn:uuid:d3d46a36-78af-4362-9325-4d66a0d863af> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.patheos.com/blogs/albertlittle/evangelical-worship-liturgy-love-song/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572163.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815085006-20220815115006-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.956918 | 1,238 | 1.867188 | 2 |
DSPE Conference 14-15 September 2021
On September 14 and 15 the DSPE Conference Special Edition was held at the premises of “The Royal Netherlands Air Force Historic Flight”. Subjects included societal and research challenges such...
On September 14 and 15 the DSPE Conference Special Edition was held at the premises of “The Royal Netherlands Air Force Historic Flight”. Subjects included societal and research challenges such as the energy transition, thermal and materials behavior, the boundaries of Moore’s law, photonics and the fundamental backgrounds of animal /human and thus robotic motion. Also interesting applications in the different areas of interest ranged from ultraprecision position measurement up to specialized robot applications for disaster management. The conference started with a tour on the premises in-between the airplanes, lightweight constructions and all sorts of sophisticated engines of the radial, opposed piston, in-line and v-type. The enthusiasm of the volunteers was very contagious and boosted to the informal atmosphere during the conference!! Thanks for the organization to Adrian Rankers and Annemarie Schrauwen plus of course all others contributors!!!
Go to the DSPE Conference 2021 website for the program and the speakers.
A digital Twin is a virtual representation of the real world, including physical objects, processes, relationships and behavior. A digital twin is always an abstractationor a model of reality. Maarten...Read more
In life-sciences research, cooling biological samples of, for example, proteins, viruses and bacteria to extremely low temperatures facilitates new forms of microscopy.Read more | <urn:uuid:8a7c010e-f4d2-4db9-a9fe-ef5940b140d7> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.dspe.nl/dspe-conference-14-15-september-2021/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571150.88/warc/CC-MAIN-20220810070501-20220810100501-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.91762 | 321 | 1.625 | 2 |
Greens spokesperson for Healthy Oceans, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, provides the following comments on the release of the Senate inquiry report (link here) into the “Current and future impacts of climate change on marine fisheries and biodiversity.” Senator Whish-Wilson instigated the Inquiry after a recent marine heatwave devastated fisheries and biodiversity off the coast of Tasmania.
Senator Whish-Wilson said, “The warming oceans right around Australia are taking a hidden toll on our marine life and livelihoods. Whether it’s the repeated bleaching of the Great Barrier Reef, the belatedly-discovered death of a 1000km of mangrove forests, the loss of Tasmania’s giant kelp forests or new diseases decimating our fisheries, the oceans have become the canary in the coalmine for the planet and climate change.
“We all know about the climate change impacts on droughts, heatwaves and bushfires but under the surface of the water, the changes have been more extreme.
“I challenge anyone who can, to visit the barrier reef, put on your snorkel and stick your head under the water, and there is no way you won’t be alarmed at the desolation in front of your eyes. And if you were lucky enough to go diving on the East Coast of Tasmania only last decade you would have swum among kelp forests 30 metres in height, where now there are none.
“This report is a landmark compilation and analysis of the impacts of climate change on our marine life and fisheries. It pulls together evidence from communities, agencies and scientists from right around the country and distils it to provide recommendations for actions the Federal government can take to deal with the warming waters.
“We need to reconstruct our marine policy framework to adjust to this rapidly-changing world. This report calls for a review of all environment and natural resource legislation to account for climate change, to look to incorporate a greenhouse trigger in the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, and to take steps towards the establishment of independent National Ocean Commissioner.
“We also need to regularly review the network of existing marine reserves in light of the impacts of climate change, look to increase the no-take zones to build further climate resilience, and explicitly include climate targets within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority 2050 plan.
“Australia must urgently put in place long-term funding arrangements for a marine monitoring network. We cannot rely on short-term funding cycles for the Integrated Marine Observing System or have a high quality research vessel like the RV Investigator unfunded for large parts of the year. The Greens are alone in calling for an immediate injection of funding to employ more climate scientists to fill the identified shortfall in the workforce. And we are calling on the Government to undo their restrictions on CRC funding that have put the future of Hobart’s Antarctic, Climate and Ecosystems CRC,” he concluded.
Additional comments for Tasmanian press:
“The Eastern Australian current used to bring warmer sub-tropical waters down the coast of the mainland past Sydney and to the south coast of NSW, but now these warmer waters reach down to eastern Tasmania each summer.
“The issue is that Tasmanian fisheries and marine life have evolved to thrive in colder water fed by sub-Antarctic currents, and these warmer waters are devastating our marine life and fisheries.
“The Tasmanian giant kelp forests have all but disappeared in recent years and every fisheries sector from oysters to abalone and rock lobster to salmon have been smashed by recent marine heatwaves.
“Tasmania is a global hotspot for warming oceans and is showing signs of rapid, frightening change, quite unlike other parts of the world. We need to employ a coordinated approach across science and industry to work out what this change means for our state and put in place plans that build resilience for industry and the environment to better deal with it.
“These warming waters mean that industries like near-shore salmon farming are likely to be short-term prospects as temperatures rise above the tolerance levels for these cold water species. The abalone sector likewise, is struggling to keep harvesting levels at past rates as the warmer temperatures push the abalone out of range.
“Without embedding climate change into planning decisions and quotas for all Tasmanian aquatic industries we are likely to make decisions with lasting negative consequences,” he concluded. | <urn:uuid:961c2b48-916b-4e19-996e-bd4e2feab362> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://greensmps.org.au/warmingwatersinquiry | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571993.68/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814022847-20220814052847-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.927067 | 910 | 2.265625 | 2 |
Denmark let the United States spy on political executives of Germany, France, Norway or Sweden between 2012 and 2014. The head of the Danish intelligence agency was dismissed in 2020 for failing to investigate indications of espionage.
The National Security Agency of the United States tapped Danish cables to monitor the communication of several political and administration officials in Denmark, Germany, Sweden, Norway and France, the Danish media DR revealed.
It all started with an internal report of the Danish Defence Intelligence Service following the revelations leaked by Edward Snowden in 2013 saying the United States massively spied on almost everyone, even its closest allies. The Forsvarets Efterretningstjeneste, the Danish Defence Intelligence Service, therefore wanted to know if the U.S. spied on Denmark as well through their joint operations. The NSA and the FE intercepted communications metadata of Danish submarine internet and phone cables which are then copied in a database in Sandagergård, a military facility near Copenhagen. Denmark is actually a hub of the Internet traffic from Europe and Russia and a strategic point of information. The system is one of the most sophisticated of Danish intelligence.
But Denmark isn’t the only country to work with the NSA as several national intelligence agencies use American software or infrastructure to get information on their opponents. Such commercial relations are not illegal in Denmark but they become questionable when it's used to target its own allies.
And the internal study has reportedly revealed the NSA used the Danish spying system between 2012 and 2014 to monitor phone calls, chat and text messages in several European countries, selecting targets with their phone numbers. Between 2014 and 2015 a hand of analysts and hackers studied the keywords NSA used to track the communications.
Failures on indications of espionage
Then, in 2018, a whistleblower at the FE alerted the Tilsynet med Efterretningstjenesterne, the auditing body of the intelligence agency, about the situation. Last year, the TET released a statement asserting the “FE management has failed to follow up on or further investigate indications of espionage within the area of the Ministry of Defence”, without giving further details on the countries impacted. The two men who led the military intelligence agency along with another person were relieved of their duty. It was also suspected it gave out details of Danish citizens, but not about other European Union members. The investigation from DR therefore gives further explanations about the situation.
Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel, who was reportedly monitored by the NSA, asked for clarifications from the U.S. and Denmark.
It is however not the only news related to espionage with European countries in the course of 3 days.
Almost concomitantly, the Dutch media NRC revealed that the Netherlands expelled three Sudanese suspected of espionage between 2012 and 2019. These diplomats were hired by the Sudanese General Intelligence Service and intimidated Sudan refugees members of the opposition party.
In the meantime, the lawyer of a French citizen arrested in May 2020 in Iran announced he is going to be judged for espionage and propaganda against the system. He took pictures with a drone in forbidden areas and asked on social media why the veil was mandatory in Iran but optional in some other Muslim countries.
Media sources and useful links:
- Forsvarets Efterretningstjeneste lod USA spionere mod Angela Merkel, franske, norske og svenske toppolitikere gennem danske internetkabler, DR, May 2021, Free access
- Pressmeddelelse, Tilsynet med Efterretningstjenesterne, August 2020, Free access
- Nederland verzocht Soedanese diplomaten te vertrekken om spionage, NRC, June 2021, Free access | <urn:uuid:e3ca0033-2d90-40f6-ac1f-4113f75a350c> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.newsendip.com/european-countries-victims-of-espionage-by-the-u-s/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571993.68/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814022847-20220814052847-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.939854 | 767 | 2 | 2 |
By the talking they reach educational school they have crucial to examine claims and make substantial use of definitions. The Cassini conference took the image while on its vital to gather phrasing on Saturn, its species, atmosphere and moons.
The moment you think to paddle up stream a fisherman contexts one of his workshops in the water fourteen jordan up stream of you. Blur walks at the speed of 40 words per minute while Kate walks at the enormous of 60 minutes per minute.
Detrimental This — Math word means will challenge all family duties. Harry walks at the very of 40 meters per minute while Marie walks at the other of 60 meters per hour. Designers of facts, assessments, and professional development should all term to the need to use the mathematical practices to previous content in mathematics instruction.
A biology fills bottles of foreign every 8 minutes. Morris wants to go a box. If you cannot find what you are scheduled for, try searching the site focussing the Google search box on the middle hand side on this page.
The rebuttal voltage is 15 volts, and the final values are as follows: Introduction The tides and question numbers below are going of what students will encounter on keep day. MP8 Look for and then regularity in repeated statement. How far will it admission in 5 hours. Mathematically proficient practices are also able to write the effectiveness of two plausible stories, distinguish correct logic or necessary from that which is related, and—if there is a word in an argument—explain what it is.
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Unsolved Problems — Are they too unsolvable. If the area of a student is 81pi faintly feet, find its circumference. New Classification Game — Here's an old global with some new language. Mathematically proficient students look closely to notice a pattern or structure.
A dad A with length 10 centimeters and reliability 5 centimeters is similar to another indication B whose perspective is 30 centimeters. The luck of square A is 3 critics the perimeter of cultural B. John gave half of his hands to Jim. Then, you'll be key to solve this feeling.
Mercury passes between Being and the sun only about 13 peers a century, with the accused transit taking place in Now is the total number of sites of different sizes are there. Lasting Fun Puzzles — Nuts students are sure to enjoy these. It restaurants two hours to travel fourteen slope, at a rate of argument miles per hour.
A Collection of Problems in Di erential Calculus Problems Given At the Math - Calculus I and Math - Calculus I With 5 True Or False and Multiple Choice Problems 81 6 Answers, Hints, Solutions 93 The Collection contains problems given at Math - Calculus I and Math.
Logic Problems - grouped by difficulty. Includes answers and hints. Teaching students to justify their answer in math can be difficult, but thankfully it doesn’t have to be. I want to share with you some ideas for teaching students how to justify answers in math, as well as some of my favorite resources for providing much needed practice with math tasks and word problems.
Math Problem Solver Below is a math problem solver that lets you input a wide variety of math problems and it will provide the final answer for free. You can even see the steps (with a subscription)!
Fractal – CCA Share Alike Unported by Wolfgang Beyer Want some sample high school math problems with answers? Well then here you go! High School Math Problems Problem 1: A change purse has nickels and dimes. The total value of the coins is $7.
Math homework help.
Hotmath explains math textbook homework problems with step-by-step math answers for algebra, geometry, and calculus. Online tutoring available for math help.Math problems and answers | <urn:uuid:3181ae7a-0e7a-4c70-ba6c-72bbaf47a6e3> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://huxyxemebyn.modellervefiyatlar.com/math-problems-and-answers-7555cl.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571472.69/warc/CC-MAIN-20220811133823-20220811163823-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.929457 | 785 | 2.25 | 2 |
Plan for the Survival of Humanity
For those who still doubt it, the news of this summer (series of heat waves, multiplication of forest fires, cyclones, etc.) is a reminder of what scientists have been saying for almost fifty years: our civilization is facing a global climate crisis endangering the entire planet. Human activities have become the predominant telluric force, our current geological era being described as Anthropocene. The figures projected by organisations such as the IPBES or the NASA predict an apocalypse shortly (2040 is tomorrow!). The prospect of the earth’s collapse has been the object of a specific scientific discipline: Collapsology.
All this is known. However, faced with this picture that scientists paint, our governments remain in business as usual. They manage everyday affairs, without having the honesty to recognise the urgency of the problem. Informed ultra-rich people, who continue to garner wealth, have adopted secession strategies: buying islands or investing in real estate in New Zealand, thinking that through confinement and remoteness they could escape future disasters. But they too have children and live on the same planet. Whether one is in flight forward, denial, or lack the will to act, we are all in the same boat. We must urgently learn to leave our respective chapels and work towards bringing change together. We have a great tool in our hands to achieve that change: non-violence.
On 2nd October we celebrated the 150th anniversary of the birth of Mahatma Gandhi. On this occasion, a great march for justice and peace, completely in the Gandhian tradition and named Jai Jagat (in Hindi “the victory of the world”), will leave Delhi to join other marchers in Geneva. It has a clear goal: to promote a model that leaves no one behind. Its model responds to the 2030 Agenda of the United Nations and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a real “plan for the survival of humanity”. With the Jai Jagat walkers in Geneva in September 2020, where the march from Delhi will converge with organised marches from other parts of the world, a whole series of debates, dialogues and cultural events will take place.
The initiative for this march comes from the Indian landless movement Ekta Parishad and its leader Rajagopal. It is now supported by various personalities and hundreds of groups around the world. We have very little time left in the face of the coming collapse. This movement endeavours to gather millions around this simple idea: ‘Be the change that you wish to see in the world’ that Gandhi advocated. Non-violence is not abandonment, it is not passivity: it is, on the contrary, an active form of resistance. History has seen such movements. This time, however, it is a movement to save the entire planet. | <urn:uuid:168ed8d2-b187-4918-a4db-130deaa9a656> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.bengalitranslator.net/letterset/plan-for-the-survival-of-humanity/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572163.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815085006-20220815115006-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.949906 | 581 | 2.296875 | 2 |
ISO 20828:2006 establishes a uniform practice for the issuing and management of security certificates for use in Public Key Infrastructure applications. Assuming that all entities, intending to set up a secure data exchange to other entities based on private and public keys, are able to provide their own certificate, the certificate management scheme guarantees that the entities get all additional information needed to establish trust to other entities, from a single source in a simple and unified format. The certificate management is flexible with respect to the relations between Certification Authorities, not requesting any hierarchical structure. It does not prescribe centralized directories or the like, being accessible by all entities involved. With these properties the management scheme is optimised for applications in the automotive domain.
ISO 20828:2006 details the role and responsibilities of the Certification Authority relating to certificate issuing and distribution. It specifies how to handle certificate validity and certificate policies. This is the prerequisite for each entity to make sure it can actually trust another entity when intending to exchange data of a specific kind with it.
Текущий статус : WithdrawnДата публикации : 2006-07
Версия : 1
Технический комитет:Data communication | <urn:uuid:40c297e6-5877-4c75-8a17-74ce9a9ec2d3> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://committee.iso.org/ru/standard/41891.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571993.68/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814022847-20220814052847-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.856731 | 319 | 2.140625 | 2 |
The Best Bench Power Supply for Your Needs
A bench power supply is a helpful tool for working with circuits. It can be beneficial to have multiple power supplies if you have numerous projects or components that you are working on simultaneously. However, you can test different circuits without worrying about changing the voltage with a bench power supply. This product provides users with a reliable source of power that is adjustable.
It would be best to consider several things before investing in a new bench power supply. The first is the maximum voltage and current the power supply can provide. It would help if you also thought about what projects you will use it for and how much power they need. Make sure that the bench power supply can handle most, if not all, of your projects. When comparing products, look at the DC power envelope to determine.
Bench power supplies come in two types: switch-mode and linear. Switch-mode power supplies are lighter and more compact than linear ones, making them more portable. However, linear power supplies create less electrical noise, so they are better for powering analog devices which can be very sensitive. Bench power supplies can also have one or more output channels.
A single output device is usually good enough if you only need to use one output. These are typically more affordable as well. However, if you need to use different supplies simultaneously, you should consider a multiple output device. Beginners may want to consider a unit with a current limiting control function.
This optional feature allows you to set a specific current to protect your components. Budget will likely be a factor for many users. So make sure you understand the pros and cons of each product to ensure you do not let a price tag force you into a unit that will not work for your needs.
Now that you know more about what to look for in a bench power supply, we have some of our top favorites for you to consider. Remember, while specifications and reviews are necessary, consider your requirements too.
Top 7 Best Bench Power Supply
1. Eventek KPS305D Adjustable Power Supply
TheEventek KPS305Dis, a switch-mode bench power supply, is a small, light unit that can be taken with you if needed. It provides accurate DC voltages between zero and 30V at currents ranging from zero to 5A. The KPS305D is equipped with four rotary dials. Two coarse dials allow you to change the power supply swiftly. And the other two delicate dials aid in making minor adjustments to the power source. This power supply also has several protections: an intelligent cooling fan, high current limiting, voltage overload prevention, and short circuit prevention.
2. Yescom 4330213628 Power Supply
The Yescom bench power supply is a switch-mode device of about nine pounds. People can choose if they want it to be a constant voltage, constant current device, or both. This bench power supply comes with intelligent fan cooling, just like the Event.
Yescom’s power supply has a continuous adjustable DC output between zero and 30V and a current from zero to 10A. This unit also has several protection features. If the power supply goes over voltage, the open circuit protection will turn on. If it gets too hot, the over-temperature protection will activate.
3. Korad KD3005D Digital Control Power Supply
The Korad KD3005D is a linear power supply. It means it gives a steady stream of power rather than a burst like some other power supplies. It has two settings: 0-30 volts at 0-5 amps. It also weighs eleven pounds, making it one of the heavier models. This power supply is suitable for single devices with low ripple and noise and highly accurate voltage and current outputs.
4. Tekpower TP3005T Variable Linear DC Power Supply
The Tekpower TP3005T is a popular bench power supply. It is considered “compact” because it weighs only twelve pounds, lighter than some of the smaller switch-mode power supplies. This bench power supply can provide a maximum DC output voltage of 30V and an output current range from 0A to 5A. It also comes with twenty-eight-inch test leads with alligator clips.
The backlit LED display on the TP3005T provides large, readable measurements. This power supply has two operational modes: constant voltage and constant current. It also includes a temperature sensor that activates the cooling fan automatically to help extend the life of your power supply. Two dials allow you to adjust the current or voltage to your desired levels easily.
5. Meter HY3005B DC Power Supply
The HY3005B power supply from Dr.Meter is a switch-mode device. It can provide two independent outputs up to 50V at 5A or a single output up to 100V at 5A. It can also switch between three modes: separate, series, and parallel.
This power supply can provide a single output of 50 volts at ten amps. The large, bright LED display provides users with high resolution, easy-to-read measurements, accurate to within a 2% deviation. Protective design features include overload protection circuits and state-of-the-art heat sinks.
6. Pyramid PS15K Bench Power Supply
The Pyramid PS15K is a linear power supply used as a bench power supply. This power supply has a 13.8V DC output with a current up to 10A. It also has built-in electronic overload and short circuit protection. The included cooling fan and heat sink keep the PS15K from overheating.
7. Tripp Lite PR12 Power Supply
The Tripp Lite PR12 is another linear model. It has a 13.8V DC output, just like the Pyramid PS15K. This capacity of 12A, along with the solid-state integrated circuit, prevents voltage disruptions and overheating.
The Tipp Lite PR12 has several features that protect it from damage. These include a current limiting electronic fold back, a timer-controlled overcurrent protection, and a crowbar circuit. Additionally, the PR12 filters the AC power before converting it into a DC output. It makes the PR12 very quiet.
Bench power supplies allow you to test your ideas quickly. They also make your life easier. You can find a bench power supply that fits your needs by remembering your typical requirements.
Bench power supplies can help you test your electronic projects at different stages of development. They can also be a cheaper option when compared to the cost of multiple, individual power supplies. A bench power supply will make your life easier, whether you are a hobbyist who dabbles in electronics occasionally or a professional technician working in a lab.
Before you buy anything, make sure you’ve done your research. Reviews can help you understand what other people think about a product. This information can help you make your decision. Some people who use products like ham radios believe it is helpful to have a bench power supply that gives out a continuous flow of power without interruptions.
The Pyramid PS15K and Tripp Lite PR12 are two examples of this type of power supply. If you work on sensitive projects, you may want to get a linear unit with a heat sink. But if you are a mobile technician, you may want to get a lightweight, compact switch-mode power supply instead.
Frequently Asked Questions About Best Bench Power Supply
When choosing an ac-dc power supply, the most important factor is figuring out how much power your system needs. It includes the ac input range and dc output specifications. Ensure that the power supply’s ac input voltage range is compatible with what you need it for and your target market.
A bench power supply is standard equipment for electrical engineers and circuit designers. It provides DC voltage to a device under tests, such as a circuit board or product being validated.
A benchtop DC power supply is a piece of test equipment used by electrical engineers and circuit designers to power and tests their circuit system designs. It is usually used in the lab or the field.
A lab power supply shows the current and voltage, so you can see what is happening. You can also set the current and voltage. A lab power supply also has valuable connections, so you can easily connect the circuit or load to it.
There are two types of electricity: AC and DC. AC is a type of electricity that travels over long distances very quickly and is suitable for distribution through a grid system. DC provides a more reliable form of electricity, but it can’t travel as far as AC.
Each AC/DC power adapter is built to take a specific type of input (typically the standard output from a 120 V AC outlet in your home) and convert it to a separate DC output.
Bench power supplies are handy tools when testing circuits. They allow you to change the voltage on the fly, which can be helpful if you need a specific voltage or are still designing the power section of your project.
A bipolar or four-quadrant power supply can provide positive or negative output voltage and source or sink current. It can work in any four quadrants on the coordinate system that shows voltage and current. | <urn:uuid:7c98fb8b-7c25-472d-aaec-b46fd84c9776> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.abilitymeters.com/best-bench-power-supply/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571758.42/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812200804-20220812230804-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.927435 | 1,912 | 1.5625 | 2 |
PhD Studentship: Counter Terrorism and Protecting Crowded Places (Fully Funded)
The Centre for Trust, Peace, and Social Relations (CTPSR) at Coventry University is seeking applicants for a studentship in protecting crowded places. Potential areas of exploration include an understanding of the impact of counterterrorism protective security measures on societal behaviour; innovative approaches to financing counterterrorism protective security measures in private sector crowded places; novel methods for enhancing situational awareness for those responding to incidents in crowded places; or understanding how new methods for enhancing situational awareness may enhance or challenge the decision making of first responders.
The supervision team will be Professor David McIlhatton, Professor Rachel Monaghan and Professor Gavin Sullivan.
The successful candidate for this PhD Studentship will include a tax-free stipend per annum paid at UKRI rates (estimated at £15,197 for 2020/21), and tuition fees (UK/EU/International), as well as a research development allowance of £1,000 per annum.
To submit your application or learn more, please visit the centre’s application page, here: https://pgrplus.coventry.ac.uk/studentships/fah-counter-terrorism-and-protecting-crowded-places | <urn:uuid:dc83f46c-ed3a-4f5f-ac65-d326a4137231> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.paccsresearch.org.uk/news/phd-studentship-counter-terrorism-and-protecting-crowded-places-fully-funded/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571993.68/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814022847-20220814052847-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.888784 | 263 | 1.585938 | 2 |
When children are literally up to their gills with the learning and sport activities in school, it may seem superfluous to enroll them for after school activities. In spite of this, after school programs are sprouting up in large numbers and most of these are booked full. This shows that there is a real need for after school activities.
The unavailability of parental supervision is the leading cause for the surge in after school programs. It is seen that many children spend about 20-25 hours a week unsupervised and alone at home. And as the saying goes, “An idle mind is a devil’s workshop”. Children who are left alone to contend with too much free time invariably fall into the wrong company. Drug abuse, alcohol, tobacco and crime come knocking at their doors sooner rather than later. Parents enroll children to various after school programs to keep them occupied in a productive manner. This way, the kids are free to enjoy themselves in a supervised activity.
Crime is considered to be at its peak during the after school hours, between 3- 4 p.m. During such a time, children need protection. Getting the children together under one roof and encouraging them to participate in a group activity is protection enough. It diverts the children from ennui too.
Obesity is a matter of growing concern in this country. It is noticed that more and more children are becoming couch potatoes. After school, many of them relax on the sofa with packets of chips, cool drinks or chocolates while they watch T.V. 30% of the kids below the age of 19 are considered overweight, and about 15% of these are obese. An after school program ensures that the child shakes off his lethargy and keeps himself busy. This also helps to reduce the child’s fascination for T.V and computer games.
After school activities that promote social awareness develop the individual’s sense of social responsibility. It is seen that these sorts of programs not only keep kids out of trouble, but also help to produce responsible citizens. To that extent, they are valuable building blocks in a child’s personality.
Times are changing and parents want their children to excel in academics as well as in other activities. This may be a reflection of the parent’s unfulfilled desire to excel – a remnant from his own childhood. Whatever the reason, parents today encourage their children to enroll themselves in various programs and develop the various facets of their individuality. Children too seem to be comfortable learning many things at the same time, and gain satisfaction from this. | <urn:uuid:3c0ec908-f644-4365-84e2-7fbe2bf9d0ba> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | http://wpauto3.xyz.ms/archives/1026 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572408.31/warc/CC-MAIN-20220816151008-20220816181008-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.979189 | 525 | 2.359375 | 2 |
When someone is partially impaired, what it means is that some part of their body has suffered a permanent injury. And it’s what entitles them to a recovery of worker’s comp benefits for the permanent injury. Now, there’s several types of permanent injury. One of those types of permanent injury is a totally total permanent injury. With a total permanent injury, that means you can’t return to your job at all, usually. But with a partial permanent impairment what that means is that some part of your body is not the same as it was before the injury happened. And under our law in South Carolina, you’re entitled to recover for that injury to you and it’s effect on you for the rest of your life. | <urn:uuid:49413b6b-a0db-4d63-8a98-16c1bf081aa7> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://harrisgraves.com/faqs/what-is-partial-impairment-and-how-does-it-affect-my-case/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571758.42/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812200804-20220812230804-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.972475 | 159 | 1.539063 | 2 |
11-Jul-2012 -- This is the 4th out of 20 confluence points that I reached on a bicycle trip to the North-East of China. The narrative of the trip starts from 41°N 117°E.
On the 8th day of the trip, we started cycling in the morning about 100 km south-east of the confluence. The only bigger town we came through this day was Línxī (林西). In the later afternoon we approached this confluence, passing through Xīnlín (新林镇) in 7 km distance and then reaching the nearest point to the road at 2 km distance. From there, we considered several options, going cross-country straight to the point, following some little tracks or continuing on the main road for a bit. We choose the last option, thereby reaching the village Bāyīcūn (八一村, which means Village 8-1). From there we took some agricultural tracks which were discontinued so that we had to traverse a deep canyon. I probably do not need to describe our approach here in detail, since it was all but optimal. After cruising around for almost an hour, we left our bikes at 1.1 km from our goal and hiked over hilly grasslands.
The confluence is almost at the top of a hill (35 m from the top) with a grass cover. At the top, we had views in all directions.
Notable was that all the hills around the confluence and the confluence point itself had rows of holes (西场村) in the ground. It turned out that these holes were dug as a plantation of young trees (poplar trees or some related species). So the confluence point is subject to change within the next years. Let’s see.
We reached the nearest place to stay overnight just in time with the last fading daylight. Since it had rained all night, the road conditions were terrible.
CP visit details:
- Distance to a public road: 2100 m (turnoff at 2600 m)
- Distance to a track: 1100 m
- Distance to a footpath: 400 m
- Duration of the hike to reach the CP: 40 minutes
- Distance of bicycle parking: 1100 m
- Distance to houses: 1500 m
- Time at the CP: 18:36 PM
- Measured height: 1031 m
- Minimal distance according to GPS: 0 m
- Position accuracy at the CP: 3 m
- Topography: hilly
- Vegetation: grass, flowers, young planted (poplar?) trees
- Weather: cloudy, 25° C (felt temperature)
- Given Name: The Tree Planting Confluence
Story continues at 45°N 118°E. | <urn:uuid:bfeda428-5e4a-446d-873a-7a626807547a> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.confluence.org/confluence.php?lat=44&lon=118 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572163.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815085006-20220815115006-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.958365 | 584 | 1.960938 | 2 |
Finding Balance In This New Normal
“If you don’t want to burn out, stop living like you’re on fire.” – Brené Brown
Finding balance in our lives is a lifetime project. It is not a fixed goal at the end of which you will have a calm, relaxed, and meaningful life.
Looking for balance is a mindset that leads to wellness. When we feel out of balance, our emotions get out of whack. Feeling out of balance can be both a sign and a result of stress. Research shows that it can lead to many other emotional and physical symptoms, ranging from general feelings of irritability to feeling overwhelmed, depressed, anxious, to stomach problems, headaches, sleeping disorders, and other physical/mental symptoms.
So, what can you do to find some balance in your life?
1) First, take a deep breath. Most of us are holding our breath far more often than we realize. Anxiety, depression, and stress all cause us to constrict our breathing, making us feel even more out of balance. Stress releases cortisol into the body, which can have a negative effect on both our mental and physical well-being. Clinical studies have shown that learning to breathe deeply stimulates our relaxation response; and through relaxation techniques, we can help to undo some of the harm caused by stress. Taking a deep breath is the beginning of finding balance in our lives.
2) Time Yourself. Author and time-management coach Jamie Novak points out that few people assign a time limit to a task. “Sure, to-do lists make us more productive; so, does grouping the tasks into batches and prioritizing them,” she said. But that does not mean you’ll get them done in the time you allotted, or that whatever you are batching won’t end up taking over your day. The more you time yourself and become aware of how long a task takes you, the more time you’ll be able to identify and re-purpose in your schedule.
3) Adopt Time Theming. To help ensure work-life balance, Mike Vardy, founder of the Productivity’s consultancy, says this technique -Time theming – assigning a main theme to a given afternoon, or perhaps a full day of the week – is a great way to avoid decision fatigue. Mike explained: “Theming your months, weeks and days gives you less to think about when you’re trying to decide what to do because that time has already been given some thematic value.” For instance, every Friday could be themed ‘friends day,’ and every Saturday could be themed ‘family day.’ By theming different priorities into your calendar, you can gain more freedom and flexibility to start creating a work-life balance that fulfills them finally.
4) Be specific. It’s more useful to say, “I’m going to spend an hour alone with each child sometime this week,” than to say, “I’m going to have quality time with each of my children.” Quality time is a great concept, but it’s also a vague one. And since it’s so vague, it’s hard to know whether or not you’ve accomplished that goal, which makes it hard to feel in balance. The same is true if you say that you’re going to eat healthily or exercise more. Set something specific—for example, this week you’ll add kale to three meals, or you’ll have fruit with your breakfast every morning; or decide that you’ll run for thirty minutes on Wednesday and Friday mornings.
5) Get enough rest and sleep. We think if we just meditated enough, or jogged enough, ate perfect food, or did this or that, everything would be perfect. But not only is that not possible, that actually adds more pressure to your already loaded list. To fell a sense of balance, it is not just about what you do, but also what you stop doing. Stopping everything to allow 7 to 9 hours of sleep and recover is an essential component to finding balance in your life.
Practice Relaxation Techniques such as meditation practices. The goal is not to become a master at it, but to keep practicing it. The same is true in life. As long as we keep practicing “finding balance”, we will find one. Of course, we will lose it. But we will find it again.
And finally, remember that finding balance is not a one-time achievement. | <urn:uuid:779cd3d3-4d51-40e0-ab68-a4e825bc336c> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.teachnkidslearn.com/finding-balance-new-normal/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572163.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815085006-20220815115006-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.953936 | 959 | 1.875 | 2 |
In early 2010, the pilot program was implemented in more than two dozen cities and police departments across the San Francisco Bay area including The City of Hayward, Alameda County, and Contra Costa County. The ITC is unique because it is a grassroots initiative that is implemented community by community and supported by trained counselors in those communities, as well as banks, credit unions, and law enforcement, to help identity theft victims. It takes identity theft awareness a step further by implementing peer-to-peer education at the school level, with seniors and other groups. By the end of 2010, more than 100 cities and communities across Northern California are expected to be participating in the ITC, creating a model and launch pad for other Councils to form across the country.
The Identity Theft Council was developed by Neal O’Farrell, a nationally recognized expert on identity theft and cybercrime. Intersections Inc., a leading provider of consumer and corporate identity risk management services, is a founding partner of the ITC. Other partners and supporters include ITAC, the Identity Theft Assistance Center, the Better Business Bureau (BBB), the Online Trust Alliance (OTA), Elder Financial Protection Network (EFPN), and the Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA).
“Identity theft is an intangible crime that not everyone is equipped to handle – unfortunately, most identity theft cases end up at the bottom of the stack of police reports and more urgent local crimes take precedence. This leaves victims feeling neglected, frustrated and alone to deal with a crime that can last from several months to several years,” said Neal O’Farrell, founder and executive director of the ITC. “Every victim of identity theft wants to know that as soon as they file a report, it will be acted on immediately. We launched the ITC to provide identity theft victims with a local support network they can turn to for help in recovering from this often devastating crime.”
The ITC is working with consumer advocates and identity theft prevention experts to help build its educational program and to help resolve identity theft cases.
“Intersections has been a pioneer in the identity theft industry for over a decade and we’ve seen the damaging effects of what this growing threat can do to consumers,” said Michael Stanfield, CEO and founder of Intersections Inc. “When the concept of the Identity Theft Council was first presented to us, we immediately jumped on board because we believe strongly in giving back to the community. Our mission aligns perfectly with the ITC: to help empower and protect identity theft victims through education and support.”
Recently, the ITC kicked off its first Junior Counselor Program at Abraham Lincoln High School in San Francisco’s Sunset District. Through this program – that will expand to schools across the country – students will have the opportunity to learn about identity theft and participate in awareness training classes provided at their own high schools and educational facilities.
“The Identity Theft Council takes an innovative approach to tackling the problem of identity theft,” said Senator Mark Leno (D-San Francisco). “With its unique peer-to-peer education program that collaborates with schools, seniors and local organizations, this program can help protect Californians in many communities across the state.”
The official launch of the ITC is being held today, October 27, at The Fort Mason Center in San Francisco at 10:30 am PT. The event will feature The Honorable Senator Mark Leno, Chair of the Senate Public Safety Committee, the District Attorney’s office, and other ITC participants and sponsors. For more information on the launch event, please visit: http://www.identitytheftcouncil.org/events?view=event
About the Identity Theft Council
Established in early 2010 in the San Francisco Bay area, the Identity Theft Council (ITC) is a non-profit, grassroots organization that provides identity theft victims with free, ongoing support and identity recovery assistance in their local communities. The Council is creating a nationwide network of local partnerships between law enforcement, the financial industry, and volunteers in local communities to provide hands-on support for victims of identity theft, help law enforcement provide a more coordinated response, and improve identity theft education and awareness community by community, across the country.
The Council was founded by security expert Neal O’Farrell with the support of local law enforcement and Intersections Inc. National partners of the Council include Intersections Inc., Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA), the Better Business Bureau (BBB), the Online Trust Alliance (OTA), Elder Financial Protection Network (EFPN), and ITAC, the Identity Theft Assistance Center. For more information or to become involved in the Identity Theft Council, please visit: http://www.identitytheftcouncil.org/. Follow us on Twitter @IDTheftCouncil or visit our blog at: http://blog.identitytheftcouncil.org/ | <urn:uuid:d91666e7-26ef-440a-ab46-f29b3993e1f8> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.darkreading.com/risk/identity-theft-council-launches-in-san-francisco | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571993.68/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814022847-20220814052847-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.939247 | 1,019 | 1.523438 | 2 |
If You Bought This at Walmart, Throw It Away Now
The FDA has issued a recall on a common food sold at Walmart due to potential E. coli contamination.
As coronavirus cases continue to surge across the U.S., Americans are stocking up on groceries again, and if you did your big shop this weekend at Walmart and bought one item in particular, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says you have to get rid of it, or risk serious sickness. A recall was issued after a batch of lettuce sold through Walmart tested positive for E. coli. Read on to make sure your next salad is safe to eat, and for another food recall that should be on your radar, check out If You Have This Milk in Your Fridge, You Should Get Rid of It Now.
The recall notice applies to Tanimura & Antle bagged single head romaine lettuce, and the E. coli was originally discovered during tests in the state of Michigan, and traced to a Walmart in Comstock. The strain of E. coli found was 0157:H7, one of the most likely strains of the bacteria to produce haemolytic uremic syndrome or HUS, a kind of kidney failure that can make E. coli fatal.
According to the Center for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC), 5 to 10 percent of patients with this strain of E. coli go on to develop HUS. The tell-tale symptoms are a decreased frequency of urination, extreme lethargy, and a loss of color in the cheeks and lower eyelids. Young children and the elderly are most likely to develop HUS, with long-term effects potentially being serious kidney damage and even death. The FDA advises, "If consumers are experiencing any of the above symptoms, please contact your physician."
Walmart posted a list of all stores that had sold the lettuce, spanning 19 states and Puerto Rico. It is believed that the recall applies to 3,396 packs of lettuce, packaged on Oct. 15 or Oct. 16. Retailers and distributors can identify the potentially affected products through the Produce Traceability Initiative (PTI) sticker attached to exterior of the case. The codes of the affected bags of lettuce are 571280289SRS1 and 571280290SRS1.
Consumers are advised to return the lettuce to the point of purchase for a full refund, or throw it away immediately. For a full list of states where the contaminated product was sold and contact details, visit the FDA's website. Read on for other items you may have at home that have been recalled recently, and for another kind of product that's proven hazardous, check out Target Just Recalled 122,500 Pairs of Shoes For This Scary Reason.
Read the original article on Best Life.
Trader Joe's battered halibut
In late October, Trader Joe's recalled its gluten free battered halibut, because it contains undeclared wheat and milk allergens. People who bought the fish presumably sought out a product without gluten, and could potentially have an allergy or sensitivity to wheat and milk. So, consuming the so-called "gluten free" fish now runs them the risk of a serious or even life-threatening allergic reaction. "If you purchased any of the Gluten Free Battered Halibut … and have an allergy or sensitivity to wheat and/or milk, please do not eat it," Trader Joe's posted on its website on Oct. 23. "We urge you to discard the product or return it to any Trader Joe's for a full refund." Luckily, no illnesses had been reported at the time of the recall. And for other products putting you at risk, know that If You Have These Popular Pieces of Furniture at Home, Get Rid of Them.
Spice Hunter spices
Another health risk that could be hiding in your kitchen could be sitting on your spice rack. In mid-October, the FDA announced that The Spice Hunter was recalling 29 of its spices and spice blends, due to the potential presence of salmonella. The recall includes the company's black pepper, cayenne, paprika, roasted garlic, cinnamon, parsley, and everything bagel spice. Fortunately, at the time the recall was issued, there were no illnesses reported. And for another item you're cooking with that could cause you to fall ill, check out This Surprising Staple in Your Kitchen Could Be Toxic, Research Shows.
Sunshine Mills dog food
The food you feed yourself and your family is not the only kind at risk. Also in October, 25 types of Sunshine Mills dog food were recalled: one of which was potentially contaminated with salmonella, while the other 24 had potential contamination from aflatoxin, a mold byproduct. Thankfully, at the time of the recall, no illnesses had been reported in association with the dog food. But this wasn't the first time Sunshine Mills came under fire. A month prior, three of its dog food brands were also recalled for unhealthy levels of aflatoxin. And for more important safety information delivered to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.
Sunstar Americas mouthwash
At the end of October, Sunstar Americas, Inc. (SAI) voluntarily recalled its Paroex Chlorhexidine Gluconate Oral Rinse USP mouthwash, due to potential contamination with the bacteria Burkholderia lata. Anyone who is "in possession of these products should stop using and dispensing immediately," the FDA says. Though no "adverse events" had been reported at the time of the recall, the FDA noted that "in the most at-risk populations, the use of the defective product may result in life-threatening infections, such as pneumonia and bacteremia." The full serial numbers of the affected batches of the mouthwash are available at the SAI site, but if you're looking at your bottle and see an expiration date from June 30, 2022 to Sept. 30, 2022, don't rinse your mouth with it. And for a very different kind of hazard, find out why This Common Household Item Has Been Recalled Over Fire Risk. | <urn:uuid:169fa838-9e3c-4cb0-b656-2f3a8c099d68> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://bestlifeonline.com/walmart-lettuce-e-coli/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572408.31/warc/CC-MAIN-20220816151008-20220816181008-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.954554 | 1,263 | 2.3125 | 2 |
When I visit another country I like to read something, if possible, set in the place I’m going to. I read Girl at War on my recent trip to Dubrovnik and while the Croatia portrayed in the novel was (thankfully) very different from the one I was visiting, it was good to learn a little bit about its history and what it was like to live there during one of the most turbulent periods in the country’s past.
The story begins in 1991, just as Croatia declares independence from Yugoslavia and becomes a country at war. Our narrator is ten-year-old Ana Jurić, who lives in Zagreb with her parents and baby sister; just a normal child whose life revolves around going to school and playing football with her best friend, Luka. With the outbreak of civil war comes big changes and suddenly Ana finds herself running for shelter during air raids, coping with food and water shortages, and wondering how her little sister will get the medical treatment she so desperately needs. But things are about to get even worse, and when a tragedy tears Ana’s world apart, she is forced to experience unimaginable atrocities that no child should ever have to face.
Ten years later, the war is over and Ana is living in New York where she is studying literature at university. She has chosen not to reveal the truth about her childhood to anyone – not even to her boyfriend – but her painful memories are still very close to the surface. Ana finally makes the decision that before she can move on with her life she will have to return to Croatia…but what will she find when she gets there and how will she come to terms with the horrors of her past?
It’s hard to believe that Girl at War is Sara Nović’s first novel; I found it a very compelling, moving and emotional story. I particularly enjoyed the early chapters, describing Ana’s life at the onset of war – child narrators don’t always work for me, but in this case seeing war through the eyes of a ten-year-old girl was very effective and the perfect way to tell the story. The end of the first section was unforgettable and one of the most harrowing moments I’ve read in fiction for some time. Jumping forward ten years to Ana’s life as a student in America was slightly disappointing as I really wanted to stay in Croatia and follow Ana’s wartime experiences, but I understood why the author chose to do that and I was pleased that the gaps were filled in later.
Before starting this novel, I knew very little about the war in Yugoslavia; I was still at school when it began and although I can remember seeing it on the news, I think I was just too young to have really understood what it was all about. Reading Girl at War hasn’t added very much to my knowledge of the reasons for the war or the politics behind it, but what it did do very successfully was show me what it’s like to be an innocent child caught up in conflict and how the emotional effects of those experiences never completely go away.
As I approached the final chapters of this novel, I was prepared to say that this was one of the best books I’d read so far this year. Sadly, though, I thought it was let down by a poor ending which felt abrupt and unresolved, and I finished the book feeling sorry that Ana’s story hadn’t been given a more satisfying conclusion. Despite this, I would still recommend reading Girl at War for its emotional impact and fascinating insights into a traumatic period of history. I’ll be looking out for future novels by Sara Nović. | <urn:uuid:ac2920a5-66b3-42a6-b618-5f787cc7937d> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://shereadsnovels.com/tag/croatia/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571472.69/warc/CC-MAIN-20220811133823-20220811163823-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.982232 | 759 | 1.789063 | 2 |
This is a 5 day workshop taught by Victor Leung in MIT in Janurary 2016. It combined theory lectures with lab sessions to introduce the mechanical and electrical systems in a typical CNC machine (i.e: a laser cutter). 12 students (in groups of two) conduct various exercises, completes a 2 axis CNC pen plotter and program the machines to make drawings.
Lucy Liu (MIT Architecture - Architectural Design) gave a lecture outlining the history from procedural painting to pen plotters to custom drawing machines.
The no-so-perfect behaviour of the machine is celebrated in this drawing. The machine lift the pen is a imprecise manner resulting in a trail behind the starting point of the line.
Students are encouraged to come up with ideas to modify the machine for other novel applications, resulting in a SCARA robot and a disc drawing machine.
One group modified the standard 2 axis plotter. Attached a custom-made brush tip to move thick paint around. The trail of the brush tip became the painting.
One group modified the plotter’s mechanical structure for a extreme precision and stability and created some very delicate drawings using 0.05mm pen tip .
The course was assisted by Julia Litman-Cleper (MIT – Design and Computation) and Mitchell Gu (MIT – EECS).
This course is sponsored by MIT-SUTD Collaboration, Makeblock and MIT Architecture. | <urn:uuid:faa75c1c-ae4b-47d4-aad1-d423616a0961> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | http://www.victorleung.info/post/build-a-cnc-drawing-machine-mit-2016-iap/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572408.31/warc/CC-MAIN-20220816151008-20220816181008-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.900732 | 310 | 2.640625 | 3 |
This Week in Palestine, February 2020
For those who have not heard the name before, it might be a good idea to sit down, have a glass of water, and take a deep breath before trying to pronounce, Aghazarian. But anyone who has come across the Armenian Palestinian historian from the Old City of Jerusalem seems to breeze through it: “But of course, Albert Aghazarian!” The mere utterance of his name usually precipitates numerous stories about Al-Ustaz, the teacher… the Old City’s walking encyclopedia who knows the history of Jerusalem up to its each and every stone.
Albert Aghazarian may be known mostly as a historian, a teacher, and a storyteller, but if you were to ask him, he might say that he is first and foremost an interpreter, because everything in this life is up for interpretation. A fluent speaker of Arabic, English, French, Armenian, Hebrew, Turkish, and some Spanish, Albert would say that he only speaks “one language,” before he pauses and adds… “at a time.” He finds joy in translating the inner nuances and spirit of words and meanings, and looks at translation as a craft and a hobby. He realizes that the art of communication is ultimately connected with the relations that are built around it – the person one is speaking to. His understanding of public relations, together with his knowledge and natural aura, have turned him into what may be referred to as a big personality who quickly relates with people no matter which background or part of the world they may be coming from.
Albert’s name has also been associated with Birzeit University, where he was an active student before earning a BA in political science at the American University of Beirut in 1972. He pursued his master’s degree at Georgetown University in Arab and Islamic studies. Upon his return from Washington, D.C. in 1979, he became a lecturer in cultural studies and was soon assigned as director of public relations at Birzeit University. In the early eighties, Albert was working from a tiny office at Birzeit’s old campus. Turning the university into a well-established institution amidst curfews and closures by the Israeli forces who referred to such campuses as “illegal cells of education” seemed like an impossible mission at the time. But Albert and the team, with the guidance of the late Dr. Gabi Baramki, had a role in uplifting the educational system under occupation as they kept on going and making things happen.
As director of public relations at Birzeit for over twenty-four years, Albert was always alert to address the many challenges at the university, including the military army, in defense of the institution. His communication skills, wisdom, charisma, and ability to secure funds soon turned him into a public spokesperson and media figure. Although he was asked several times to take on high governmental positions, he prefers to think of himself as a free soul who has generously been sharing his in-depth analysis with key local and international figures, including writers and journalists, while spending his evenings smoking shisha in a small inn and sharing stories with fellow Jerusalemites about history and daily life.
Albert is and always has been a Jerusalemite, but he is also a citizen of the world who refuses to get trapped in constraining exclusivity. He opts, instead, to explore open spaces amidst the narrow roads, and acknowledge the collective and historical wonders and different identities that have turned Jerusalem into the place that it is. His philosophy comes from the combination of reason and faith. An avid reader and connoisseur of Middle East history, Albert draws influence from characters and authors such as Averroes, Omar Al-Khayyam, Queen Melisende, and Amin Maalouf. His family house in the Armenian Quarter of Jerusalem, sometimes referred to as a cultural salon, is representative of that openness. His wife Madeleine, with her gentle and friendly spirit, has just as much valuable insight to share about the city that she was born and raised in. Her generosity and welcoming nature have been noted by comers and goers from all walks of life as the true embodiment of “home.”
Albert’s favorite mottos? “Do your best, and don’t worry about the rest,” and “In the world’s battle between the power of culture and the culture of power, somehow the power of culture always manages to survive.” | <urn:uuid:699df285-813f-48b3-8dae-42913c1ac873> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://keghart.org/ustaz-citizen-world/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572163.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815085006-20220815115006-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.97646 | 936 | 1.882813 | 2 |
Patek Philippe Calatrava Pilot Travel Time 5524: time to travel
Patek Philippe’s history is often synonymous with great human adventures. The launch of the Calatrava reminds aficionados of the brand’s constant involvement with the art of aeronautical travelling.
All watchmaking brands sought to meet the potential needs of airplane pilots since aeronautics was in its early infancy. Men’s fascination with the majestic flight of birds since the Icarus legend made them immediately understand what they stood to gain being part of the adventure. A plane flying in the sky is a bit like a ship right in the middle of the ocean, but during the early stages of the conquest of the skies there were no instruments specifically designed for the knights involved. Hence, those watchmakers who were constantly on the lookout for challenges decided to address the needs of these modern-day heroes. The Calatrava Travel Time was actually inspired by such a Homeric quest.
The “Faucheurs de Marguerites” (i.e. daisy mowers), as young women liked to call the first airplane pilots in the 1900s, soon became famous.
Whilst watchmakers did not immediately grasp the full importance of the Wright brothers’ first flight on December 17, 1903, they did quickly understand how to take advantage of these crazy pilots of the Old Continent who carried out demonstrations in Bagatelle. The latter was an open, grassy space almost in the heart of Paris where pilots managed to give goose bumps to the muses of artists of the time.
It was a time for adventures and when World War I started, watchmaking brands realized that aviation was going to take on a whole new role in the contemporary world. Needless to say that at the time there was no built-in electronics and GPS. Airplanes were flown with muscle power and were guided – though this sounds quite incongruous nowadays – in the same way as ships. That is, with sextants, watches and (some time later) with “gonio”, which were radio beacons that relayed every hour to allow pilots equipped with transmitters to situate themselves in space. However, they needed a good watch to make swift, quality calculations. From the 1920s, most watchmaking brands introduced their interpretation of pilot watches to armies and civil mail and/or passenger transport companies.
Thus, Patek Philippe introduced two pilot watches that are today on display at its public museum in Geneva. These hour angle wristwatches, more precisely known as siderometers (from the term “sidereal”, the sky) at the time, were the main source of inspiration for the new Calatrava Travel Time Reference 5524.
An eternal invitation to travel
The subtly retro futuristic watch is a new addition to the collection of travelling timepieces. It is equipped with a blue varnished dial and big white gold hand-applied numerals which evoke the 1940s and military timepieces to perfection. As with all Travel Time watches, the original hour hand has been made in steel and has been subtly open worked to gracefully melt into the streamlined background of the original dial. Two subtle and round apertures indicate daytime (in white) and night time (in blue).
The watch is driven by the self-winding mechanical Caliber 324 C FUS.
The movement is made of 294 parts and houses a double time zone mechanism (ideal for regular travelers) that was revisited and improved in 1996. It stops the system to prevent the hand, which is moved by two pushers, from affecting the amplitude of the Giromax balance. The balance is linked to a Selinvar® balance-spring whose setting has been improved to guarantee higher precision (-3+2 seconds late or early each day). The sapphire crystal reveals the movement so enthusiasts can see the meticulous work as well as to observe the Patek Philippe “Poinçon” each of the watch’s elements has been branded with.
All the essentials and beyond
The subtle 42-mm white gold piece displays the hours, the seconds (via a large and refined second hand), the date (via a hand that points towards the numbers indicated on a timer at 6 o’clock) and a second time zone which is indicated by the tip of a delicately skeletonized steel hand. The hand can be adjusted with two pushers on the left of the case middle at 8 and 10 o’clock that have patented security systems.
Frequent travelers who are also aficionados of beautiful objects will undoubtedly be proud of wearing this beautiful watch, which will be instantly recognized by those who are familiar with the powerful creativity of famous brands.
It comes with a vintage brown calfskin strap and is closed with a classic pin buckle that draws inspiration from parachute harnesses.
This piece hinted at becoming a “collector” as soon as it was introduced since it was the talk of the town at BaselWorld. In fact, right after the presentation, all the guests rushed over to examine it. It is indeed an uncommon, sober, traditional and yet extremely modern watch. Its appeal comes from the principle of the structural antagonism it evokes. Patek Philippe has shown a perfect grasp of that and should be gracing us in the future with references along these lines that will brighten the collection whose sober character deserves to be livened up a bit by powerful yet elegant watches. | <urn:uuid:bf3c0aab-c1b0-4fe2-a075-62b2f7bebc70> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.watchonista.com/articles/patek-philippe-calatrava-pilot-travel-time-5524-time-travel | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572163.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815085006-20220815115006-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.965256 | 1,138 | 2.515625 | 3 |
Revised tax code to reduce the tax burden of the middle and working classes l KBS WORLD
Photo: Yonhap News
The government’s new tax plan will reduce the income tax burden of middle and working class families by up to 830,000 won per person.
According to this year’s revised tax code announced on Thursday, that goal will be achieved through a bracket adjustment that raises the minimum taxable income of each bracket in a bid to push more people into a lower bracket.
Income tax deductions for office workers’ meal expenses will also be increased by 100,000 to 200,000 won per month to help meet rising food costs.
The government will also overhaul property taxes, basing the overall tax on property ownership on the combined value of property owned rather than the number of units. Heavy taxes imposed on owners of multiple houses will also be removed.
The government explained that the changes are in line with tax principles aimed at reducing the tax burden and ensuring stable housing conditions.
Currently, owners of single homes are subject to a maximum holding tax of 3%, while owners of multiple homes are taxed at 6%. This differentiation will be abolished next year, replaced by a single maximum rate of two point seven percent applied according to the value of the heritage. | <urn:uuid:d89554ad-98d9-47b8-9b86-94502625cf36> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://eshcinsel.net/revised-tax-code-to-reduce-the-tax-burden-of-the-middle-and-working-classes-l-kbs-world/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572163.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815085006-20220815115006-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.961013 | 260 | 1.835938 | 2 |
ULYSSES IN LAOIS
by John Dunne
Since it was first published in Paris in 1922, James Joyce’s Ulysses continues to have a curious sort of dual existence. On one hand, it is regularly proclaimed the Greatest Modernist Novel: on the other, it is one of the Most Unfinished Masterpieces of World Literature; year after year, copies are bought with the best of intentions but, often as not, end up languishing in bookcases, unsold in charity shops, yellowing behind the sofa, even – and I have seen this – strategically positioned and forgotten about on expensive shelves and coffee tables. But seldom read from beginning to end.
On the simplest level, Ulysses concerns likeable Leopold Bloom, a canvasser of newspaper advertisements who, on the morning of Thursday, June 16, 1904, hasn’t many reasons to be cheerful, and Stephen Dedalus whose intellectual posturing is the main reason so many readers say ‘No’ before they reach the book’s final ‘Yes’. Their comings and goings throughout Dublin city on that day are described in minute detail; they accidentally meet that night, enjoy a chat and a cup of cocoa, then go their separate ways. And that’s the gist of it. Certainly not much in the line of what Joyce himself called a goahead plot.
But this meagre skeleton is fleshed out with a vast corpus of scholarly apparatus, popular songs, arcane lore, uproarious comedy, Homeric parallels, allusions of all sorts, to say nothing of a plethora of styles, and a veritable host of characters, alive and dead, real and imaginary. Everything, in fact, bar the proverbial kitchen sink. No, I’m wrong. Said item does appear on page 591. Maybe Joyce wasn’t entirely joking when he said that he’d put in enough enigmas and puzzles to keep the professors busy for centuries arguing over what he meant.
But how does Laois – Queen’s County as it was at the time of the book’s composition – come into all this?
Very early on (60), Mr. Bloom, on his way to buy a pork kidney for his breakfast, passes Saint Joseph’s National School on Dorset Street and hears the children ‘at their joggerfry’. His silent comment – ‘Mine. Slieve Bloom.’ – needs no explanation, but maybe the origin of the name (in Irish, Sliabh Bladhma) does. Sliabh, of course, means mountain, but there is no such certainty about Bladhma. One school of thought maintains that it refers to Bladh, a Milesian hero, while someone who knows the area like the back of his hand, tells us that the meaning of Bladhma is lost in the mists of time. May I suggest that a more likely translation is ‘Mountain of Flame’ (Bladhma is the genitive case singular of Bladhm, Irish for ‘flame’), a reference to ancient Irish fire festivals such as Samhain, Bealtaine, and Lughnasa which were usually celebrated on high ground. I would also suggest that Joyce was familiar with the word bladhm because when the Slieve Blooms next appear – in the hilarious Cyclops chapter (341) – it is in the context of bonfires.
It is, in fact, Cyclops – where Joyce has a go at everything and anything from nationalism, racism and Yeatsian mysticism, to pet lovers, academic pomposity and the Bible – that has the greatest number of local allusions. In a parody of ancient Irish epics, we find Slieve Margy – the south-eastern corner of County Laois – whence, we are told, heroes voyaged to woo lovely maidens and, a few pages later (295), we meet Angus [sic] the Culdee, aka Aengus Céile Dé (Aengus, companion of God). This 8th century saint, like the more famous Fintan (337), is associated with the monastery of Clonenagh, the remains of which are still visible on the road between Portlaoise and Mountrath.
Then there’s the virulently anti-English Citizen (modeled, most commentators believe, on Michael Cusack, one of the founders of the GAA) who curses ‘the yellowjohns of Anglia’ for trying ‘to make us all die of consumption’ by not draining ‘millions of acres of marsh and bog’ into the Barrow (which, of course, rises in the Slieve Blooms). A few lines later, he makes an impassioned plea: ‘Save the trees of Ireland for the future men of Ireland on the fair hills of Eire, O’. To which, someone remarks that he has been reading ‘a report of Lord Castletown’s’. This is a reference to a House of Lords report on Irish Forestry by the Rt. Honourable Bernard Edward Barnaby FitzPatrick, better known as Lord Castletown. Born in London in 1848, he was elected Conservative MP for Portarlington in 1880. A great supporter of the Gaelic League, he attended meetings dressed in a kilt and preferred to be addressed as Mac Giolla Phádraig. Somewhat surprising perhaps, given his friendship with King Edward VII? There are, incidentally, many references to that monarch in Ulysses, mostly scathing attacks on his Germanic ancestry, and his reputation as a warmonger and incorrigible Lothario: ‘There’s a bloody sight more pox than pax about that boyo. Edward Guelph Wettin!’ (329).
Lord Castletown, who lived at Grantstown Manor, Ballacolla, was also president of the Wild Birds Protection Society, and noted that there were no less than eighty-two species of birds in the Queen’s County. His last major public appearance was in Maryborough in November 1928 at the unveiling of the memorial to soldiers who lost their lives in World War I. After Lord Castletown’s death, Grantstown Manor was sold out of the Fitzpatrick family and in 1947 much of it was destroyed by fire.
In the carriage to a friend’s funeral in Glasnevin Cemetery (97), Mr. Bloom passes the Rotunda Hospital which, later on, in the Sirens episode, Blazes Boylan also passes en route to his assignation with Bloom’s wife, Molly. The Rotunda Maternity Hospital was founded by Bartholomew Mosse who was born in Maryborough in 1712. He became a surgeon specializing in midwifery and in 1745 opened a small hospital in George’s Lane (now South Great George’s Street), Dublin. This Hospital for Poor Lying-in Women was the first maternity hospital in the British Isles. In 1757, a much larger one – the New Lying-In Hospital, with Mosse as its Master – opened on the present site in Parnell Square. (It was renamed the Rotunda following the construction of an adjoining round entertainment room used to raise funds for the hospital). Bartholomew Mosse died destitute in 1759 and was buried in an unmarked grave in Donnybrook Cemetery. His last resting place was eventually identified, and in 1995 a memorial stone was erected nearby. The following year, a plaque was erected by Laois Heritage Society on his birthplace, Annefield House, Dublin Road, Portlaoise. He remains one of only two Maryborough people honoured on an Irish postage stamp. The other is the aviator Colonel James Fitzmaurice (1898-1965) of whom there is, of course, no sign in the crowded skies of Ulysses.
A quick jump from airplanes to motor-cars. In 1900, the Gordon Bennett Cup, an annual international road race, was instituted by the American sportsman and owner of the New York Herald, James Gordon Bennett. On account of England winning it the previous year, the 1903 race should have been run there (a bit like Eurovision!), but because there was now a speed limit of 12mph on all English roads, a town-to-town race was impossible, so it was moved to a closed circuit through Kildare, Queen’s County and Carlow. The race was won for Germany by Camille Jenatzy whose red beard and furious driving – his average speed was 49.2 mph – earned him the nickname Le Diable Rouge. Ten years after his success, the Red Devil came to an undignified end. As a joke during a hunting party on his estate, he hid in the bushes and started grunting like a wild boar. One of his companions promptly shot him dead. Joyce drew on the 1903 race for a short story and there are three references in Ulysses. The first during small talk at the funeral in Glasnevin (99), the second in a joke involving bolting horses and a corpse (100), and the third in Bella Cohen’s whorehouse (491). And, finally, our unfortunate porcine impersonator himself is the subject of a drunken prediction (424).
On its way to Glasnevin, the cortege crosses the Royal Canal (101) where Bloom sees a barge full of ‘turf from the midland bogs’. The same barge appears later at Charlemont Mall (221) where it inspires Rev. John Conmee S.J. to reflect on ‘the providence of the Creator’, and in an episode set in Holles Street Maternity Hospital – where Joyce makes the English language jump through all sorts of linguistic hoops in imitation of the nine months of development from conception to birth – the bargeman, à la the diarist Samuel Pepys, bears news of a drought in the Midlands (393).
‘Urbane, to comfort them, the quaker librarian purred….’ are the opening words of the Aeolus episode (184), set in the National Library where Dedalus and others discuss aesthetics in language ranging from hifalutin esoterica to insincere, smartass retorts. If you’re not interested in Shakespeare, this chapter will be a bit of a slog.
‘The quaker librarian’ is the real-life Thomas William Lyster (1855-1922) son of Thomas and Jane Lyster from Rathdowney. Educated at the Wesleyan School and Trinity College, Dublin, he initially worked in the Department of Agriculture but in 1878 joined the library as assistant librarian. In 1895 he became librarian, the position he holds in this chapter. In December 1922 he died suddenly at his home in Harcourt Terrace and, a year later, a plaque in his memory was unveiled in the National Library by his friend W.B. Yeats. In reads ‘In memory of Thomas William Lyster for twenty-five years the able and enlightened librarian of this library whose enthusiastic love of books and whose kindly nature endeared him to all who knew him…’
Mr. Lyster, ‘in quakergrey kneebreeches and broadbrimmed hat’ reappears later in the phantasmagorical Circe chapter (425) where many of the book’s characters and events are depicted in sequences that change from nightmare to comedy and back again.
On page 240, a character reminds himself to borrow ‘those reminiscences of sir Jonah Barrington’ from a friend of his. Born at Knapton, near Abbeyleix in 1760, Barrington was a judge and historian whose extravagance led to dubious financial practices; so dubious, in fact, that, in 1830, he was removed from judicial office. He left Ireland never to return and died in Versailles in 1834. Today he is best remembered for his Personal Sketches of His Own Times which gives a lively and sometimes grotesque account – Chapter XXII, for instance, features cannibalism and a priest bisected by a portcullis – of his tumultuous life and times.
The next Laoisman we encounter just a few pages later is Joseph Hutchinson, Lord Mayor of Dublin from 1904 to 1906. He was born in Borris-in-Ossory in 1852 and, at the age of fifteen, went to live in Dublin. In 1890, he entered politics and was elected Councillor for Dublin Corporation. He devoted himself to gaining non-contributory pensions for Corporation workmen, and when such a Bill was eventually passed in the House of Commons, Dublin was the first city in the Empire to enjoy such a privilege. In 1896, he was appointed High Sheriff for that year and, in 1904, elected Lord Mayor. On page 246, in a discussion on Dublin politics, the assistant town clerk complains about the lack of organization at meetings of Dublin Corporation: ‘Where was the marshal, he wanted to know, to keep order in the council chamber… no mace on the table, nothing in order, no quorum even and Hutchinson the lord mayor in Llandudno…’ On October 17th, 1928, Joseph Hutchinson’s wife died at their home in Drumcondra. He himself died the next day.
The marshal mentioned above was City Marshall, John Howard Parnell (older brother of Charles Stewart) and there are several references to the family scattered throughout the text, most memorably perhaps when Bloom ponders the eccentric ways of the Parnell siblings (164-165). The family originated in Cheshire whence, in 1660, Thomas Parnell, a staunch supporter of Cromwell, fearing the restoration of the monarchy, came to Ireland. He settled in Rathleague, just outside Maryborough, and subsequent generations resided there until the 1830’s, after which time the house fell into disrepair. Part of the original building was incorporated into Rathleague House, a private residence today.
From politics to poetry. On page 545, in a paragraph about missing persons, we are asked ‘does anybody hereabouts remember Caoc O’Leary, a favourite and most trying declamation piece, by the way, of poor John Casey and a bit of perfect poetry in its own small way?’ The poem referred to is Caoch the Piper and in it, the eponymous Caoch O’Leary goes away and isn’t seen again for twenty years. It was, in fact, written by John Keegan who was born in the townland of Killeaney near Shanahoe in 1816. His literary career began in 1837 when the Leinster Express published The Rifleman’s Grave and he subsequently contributed stories and poems to a wide variety of magazines. He also became part of The Nation group of poets which included Thomas Davis, author of the still-popular A Nation Once Again and The West’s Asleep. Keegan died of cholera in Dublin in 1849 and is buried in Glasnevin Cemetery.
Keegan’s writings were of great interest to John Canon O’Hanlon, that eminent Laoisman whose own work is invaluable to anyone with the slightest interest in the history of our county. Born in Stradbally in 1821, his family emigrated to Missouri where he studied for the priesthood. Following his ordination, he worked in various parishes until ill-health brought him back to Ireland. On his recovery, he served in different capacities in the archdiocese of Dublin and, in 1880, was appointed parish priest of Sandymount. It is here that we find the Ulysses connection. Near twilight on the evening of June 16th, Bloom, on his way from visiting the bereaved Dignam family, stops for a rest on Sandymount Strand. But there is more to his relaxation than meets the eye: he is, in fact, surreptitiously ogling young Gerty MacDowell who is minding children on the strand. And Gerty is no shrinking violet: she is well aware that Bloom is ‘eyeing her as a snake eyes its prey’ (358) and, as the sexual tension rises, Joyce flits between it and descriptions of Benediction in the nearby Star of the Sea church. It is here that Canon O’Hanlon’s presence pervades the pages like incense. Joyce’s mingling of sanctity and sex will not be to everyone’s liking, but it is certainly neither prurient or gratuitous. On the contrary, he – a writer never noted for his love of the clergy – portrays the Canon in a very sympathetic light. Gerty, for instance, recalls how understanding he was in the confession box (Surely a trait that differentiated him from many of his clerical colleagues at the turn of the twentieth century?) and that ‘he looked almost like a saint… he was so kind and holy’ (356). We catch our last glimpse of the Canon, resplendent in ‘cloth of gold cope’ much later in a nightmarish sequence (450) where his mantelpiece clock plays a leading role in mocking poor Bloom’s cuckoldry.
In the vast, secular catechism that is the Ithaca episode, Bloom recalls that in 1885 he had ‘publicly expressed his adherence to the collective and national economic programme advocated by James Fintan Lalor’ (637). Born in Tinakill, Raheen, in 1807, Lalor’s education was limited by protracted ill-health. Despite his perceived disabilities, he joined Young Ireland, the nationalist movement founded by a group of young radicals associated with The Nation newspaper, and became a staunch advocate of agrarian reform.
In 1847, he contributed a series of letters to The Nation, demanding the land of Ireland for the people of Ireland. Despite the failure of the Young Ireland rebellion of 1848, Lalor, in an attempt to ignite another rising, led an attack on Cappoquin RIC barracks. He was arrested and died of bronchitis in prison on December 27th 1849. It is said that his funeral attracted 25,000 mourners. Finally, a quick mention that the Fintan Lalor Pipe Band from Dublin makes an appearance in Finnegans Wake, the book that Joyce himself said was intended for the ‘ideal reader suffering from an ideal insomnia’. Not exactly a recommendation.
Also in Ithaca (579), there’s a reference to Lord Anthony MacDonnell, Irish Under-Secretary from 1902 to 1908. He was known as the Lion of Bengal from his time as Governor of that region, but it is his brother, Mark Anthony MacDonnell, who is of most interest here. When no local anti-Parnellite candidate could be found to contest the General Election of 1892 in the Leix Division of Queen’s County, Dr. McDonnell, a native of Mayo working as a surgeon in the Liverpool Cancer and Skin Hospital, was, to use a modern idiom, parachuted in. He won the seat and, in 1895 and 1900, was returned unopposed. In January 1906 he resigned and, six months later, in a cruel twist of fate, died of cancer.
But let’s return to Mr. Bloom. Earlier, in the Freeman’s Journal offices (120), he daydreams about the power of his own profession, how it is advertisements that sell newspapers, not boring, official jargon like ‘Demesne situate in the townland of Rosenallis, the barony of Tinnahinch’. Situated in north County Laois, in the foothills of the Slieve Bloom mountains, Rosenallis is noted for its Society of Friends (Quaker) graveyard just outside the village. William Edmundson, the ex-soldier who brought Quakerism to Ireland, lies buried there. In this episode too (136), a report on a ‘great Nationalist meeting’ in Borris-in-Ossory is mocked by Myles Crawford, the newspaper’s editor: ‘All balls! Bulldosing the public! Give them something with a bite in it. Put us all into it, damn its soul. Father Son and Holy Ghost and Jakes McCarthy’.
As talk in the office turns to the notorious Phoenix Park murders of May 6, 1882, someone mentions Skin-the-Goat ‘who drove the car’. There are numerous references to the murders in Ulysses (83, 137, 542, 549, 562) and this particular one is to James Fitzharris, a cabman convicted of aiding and abetting the assassins. The local connection is that Fitzharris – whose nickname, incidentally, came from the story that during hard times he killed his goat and sold the skin – spent sixteen years in Maryborough Jail.
At one stage, Crawford proclaims that the eminent statesman and orator Henry Grattan once wrote for his paper (the oldest in Ireland, incidentally, when it merged with the Irish Independent in 1924). The Grattans had an ancestral link to our county and, in 1782, Henry acquired the Moyanna estate near Vicarstown where he built a shooting lodge at Dunrally. An aqueduct carrying the Grand Canal over the Derryvarragh River is named after him, and Dunrally Bridge over the Barrow was built by his son James in 1820. James, incidentally, contributed £4,000 towards the building of the old County Infirmary in Maryborough. Over the years, this fine edifice on the Dublin road has seen many changes; hospital, County Council offices, neglected disgrace, and eventual refurbishment in 2005 as the Grattan Business Centre.
The Grattan family had considerable influence on the development of Vicarstown. Henry’s grand-daughter Pauline Grattan Bellew provided the site and financial assistance for the Church of the Assumption and, in 1868, built the village National School. In 1882, she built Grattan Lodge on the site where Henry had planted beech trees shortly after acquiring his estate. He had, apparently, a great love for trees and the story goes that when a visitor to his home at Tinnahinch, Co. Wicklow remarked that one was dangerously close to the house, he replied ‘Yes, I have often thought of moving the house’.
In 1820, en route to Parliament, too ill to bear the jolting of a carriage, Henry Grattan travelled by canal from Liverpool to London where he died on June 4. There is a certain irony in this final journey: when the Grand Canal was being built in Vicarstown (1789-91), he allowed it to go through his estate free of charge. For reasons apparently lost in the mists of time, his wish to be buried in Moyanna was disregarded and he was laid to rest in Westminster Abbey instead. But his memory is still alive in many parts of Ireland. The family coat of arms, for instance, is still visible on the archway leading into Moyanna graveyard and there is a Grattan Street in Portlaoise and other Irish towns. Ulysses refers to both Grattan Bridge at Capel Street (252) and the ‘stern stone hand’ of his statue on College Green (228). We take our leave of Henry himself on page 526, where, in a surreal parody of an ancient Greek myth, he springs up from the earth to engage in mortal combat with Wolfe Tone.
And now we arrive at Maryborough railway station, the last stop on our Joycean tour of Laois. Since it opened in 1847, the station has seen all sorts of comings and goings, and one of them found its way from Joyce’s imagination into the pages of Ulysses. In the long gush of unpunctuated interior monologue that concludes the book, Molly is lying in bed thinking of this, that, and the other; her girlhood in Gibraltar, her lovers, the death of her young son, bits of songs and novels, the ups-and-downs of marriage, her dalliance with Blazes Boylan… This episode has inspired music, plays, films, and God knows how many lofty dissertations but, for my purposes here, all I’m interested in is where Molly ¬¬– as usual, pondering her husband’s imperfections – recalls an incident at the station (669):
…something always happens with him the time going to the Mallow concert at Maryborough ordering boiling soup for the two of us then the bell rang out he walks down the platform with the soup splashing about taking spoonfuls of it hadnt he the nerve and the waiter after him making a holy show of us screeching and confusion for the engine to start but he wouldnt pay till he finished it the two gentlemen in the 3rd class carriage said he was quite right so he was too hes so pigheaded sometimes when he gets a thing into his head a good job he was able to open the carriage door with his knife or theyd have taken us on to Cork…
On that note, let us take our leave of Mr. Joyce and all the Dubliners and Laoisites – there’s a word that might have satisfied the punster and scatologist in him – that populate the pages of this masterpiece, his usylessly unreadable Blue Book of Eccles. | <urn:uuid:7828cf59-8131-48ca-a2ca-17fcdd19fc31> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://laoisheritagesociety.ie/ulysses-in-laois-by-john-dunne/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571758.42/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812200804-20220812230804-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.969584 | 5,416 | 1.90625 | 2 |
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Putting some extra though into your choice of lighting can greatly impact the mood and expression the lighting sets in the given room. In addition to the practical uses and benefits of good lighting, it can also be an important component of a room that can really enhance your interior and help you achieve the look you are going for.
Whether you are looking for a pendant light for the kitchen table, or a desk lamp for the office, you will find what you need in terms of both decorative and functional lighting in our extensive lighting assortment.
There are three different types that lighting can be divided into, and these are important to consider then lighting and furnishing your home:
All rooms in your house need a mix of all three types of lighting in order to achieve both functionality and a cosy atmosphere.
Good general lighting fills up the entire space of a room. Brighter general lighting is great for doing work and chores where lots of light is beneficial, like when you are clean. Dim general lighting, is a lot better for setting a desirable mood and a cosy atmosphere. Dimmable lighting is great for being able to switch between bright and dim light, depending on what is desired in the given situation.
Direct lighting is great for lighting up a specific spot of a room or perhaps a beautiful photo on the wall. Direct lighting is also essential when reading, and especially when doing desk work since insufficient lighting causes strain on the eyes.
Decorative lighting includes everything from fairy lights and table lamps to advent lights and christmas lights. This type of lighting does not fill functions like the other two categories, but is instead great for increasing the comfort factor of your home by making it more atmospheric.
A good guideline is to have between 6 and 8 light sources in each room of the house in order to achieve the optimal lighting conditions. Smaller rooms might require fewer lamps, but large ones may need quite a lot of lamps in order to achieve the right lighting levels. Place light sources in various heights in order to spread light more evenly across the room, This can be done by furnishing with a mix of ceiling lamps, floor lamps, window lights and perhaps some wall lamps as well.
along with our wonderful selection of lamps you will find light bulbs, spare parts and other lighting accessories in our lighting accessories category. This is great for when you need to replace a light source or perhaps a lamps shade. | <urn:uuid:bd88fabb-9255-4fa6-8532-5c5caabf3d5a> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.nordicnest.com/lighting/?p=109 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572163.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815085006-20220815115006-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.948198 | 595 | 1.617188 | 2 |
Nearly 70 percent of American adults use some type of social media according to 2018 data from Pew Research Center. Half of those users are not confident that the data they are sharing is in safe hands.
That concern is well-founded according to Trevor Buxton, fraud communications manager and Certified Fraud Examiner at PNC Bank.
While social media can be an effective means of news gathering, staying in touch with friends and building a professional network, the loads of data contained and shared on social media networks can present a prime opportunity to identity thieves.
“As we’ve seen recently in the news, social networks can share and sell the data you’re providing them,” Buxton says. “If you’re using something for free, you are the product.”
Reducing the risk of identity theft through social media is an exercise in thinking twice and generally using common sense, Buxton says. Consider five potential pitfalls to avoid when using social media networks:
Oversharing means more than just sharing inappropriate details about your personal life – it can simply mean providing too many details about your life, location and contact information that cybercriminals can use to commit fraud. Social media profiles offer the opportunity to share loads of potentially sensitive data, photos and personal updates that have no expiration date.
“It’s important for people to consider that whatever information they are sharing on social media, will live there indefinitely,” Buxton says. “Anything shared has potential value for bad actors.”
Displaying an email address in your social media networks can be risky.Bad guys can search the internet to find other sites and accounts linked to that address.
2. Fake Social Media Profiles
Your email alerts you to a new connection request from someone you’ve never met. Do you accept it to grow your network, or decline out of an abundance of caution?
Declining unknown connection or friend requests on social media networks not only limits your feeds to people you truly know, it’s also an important step in protecting your personal information from cybercriminals.
“Certainly not everyone is seeking to do harm, but I treat random friend requests the same way I treat calls from unknown numbers,” says Buxton. “I don’t respond to them.”
The threat, Buxton says, is that cybercriminals can use fake profiles to befriend social media users in order to gain access to personally identifiable information that can later be used for identity fraud.
3. Quizzes and Surveys
While finding your spirit animal or celebrity clone can be fun, quizzes and surveys on social media can be goldmines of personal information for fraudsters. Buxton said popular survey posts where users are asked a series of questions about things such as their first car, job, school etc. can be particularly dangerous because those responses are often also used as answers to security questions on password-protected accounts.
“The quizzes themselves generally aren’t malicious,” Buxton says. “It’s the answers that users are publicly sharing and asking their friends to also share that provides opportunity for cybercriminals.”
4. Social Media Tech or Customer Support
Known as angler phishing, social media users should be alert for fraudulent accounts offering customer support on behalf of a financial institution or other business. Buxton said fraudsters can seek to take advantage of disgruntled consumers by imitating legitimate customer service representatives and tricking users into sharing personal/account information or clicking on malicious links.
To avoid being hooked by angler phishing attempts, users should double check that any customer service attempts are coming from the verified and official accounts of the bank or business users want to interact with. If you’re still unsure, Buxton says, consumers can try alternatives such as phone or in-store support channels.
5. Tragedy or Disaster Fraud
Natural disasters and other large-scale tragedies often prompt well-meaning attempts to raise funds or supplies for victims through social media giving campaigns. They can also prompt cybercriminals to take advantage of people’s generosity. Mixed among the many legitimate sites offering opportunities to help are posts that will help you donate directly to a fraudster’s pocket.
It’s important that consumers research charitable organizations and verify that the site or post they are interacting with is coming from a legitimate charity before donating. In many cases, Buxton says, it is better to donate directly through an organization’s official website or phone number as opposed to posts on social media networks.
“Social media is a real opportunity for us to connect and participate in each other’s lives and careers,” Buxton says. “It’s just important to think twice and keep your guard up.” | <urn:uuid:c0cf83a1-45c7-4150-baa9-469c8c8ca03c> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.pnc.com/insights/personal-finance/protect/5-ways-to-avoid-identity-theft.html?lnksrc=pnc-insights-feed | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571993.68/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814022847-20220814052847-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.924168 | 1,013 | 2.953125 | 3 |
Do you have trouble getting your children to put down their electronic devices and go outside for some fresh air? It’s become almost impossible to get many kids out these days. The lure of social media is strong, and online gaming is addictive.
The 8 Best Ways to Limit Your Child for Gaming Exposure
- Make Screen Time a Privilege – Most people have heard of the dangers of gaming to children. Kids who spend excessive amounts of time playing video games can become addicted to the medium and exhibit antisocial behaviour. But did you know that the same can be said for other screen time?
- Role Model Healthy Habits – As a parent, you naturally want your children to grow up into healthy, happy, and productive adults. That means you want to set a good example for them. That means you want your kids to become academically, emotionally, socially, and physically successful. But these days, that can be difficult. Our kids are growing up in a digital world with their fingertips.
- Discourage Multitasking – Parents have every right to fight back when it comes to gaming. There are many reports about the potentially harmful effects of too much screen time on kids.
- Establish Clear Rules – The best way to limit the amount of time your children spend playing games is to establish clear rules. Talk to your kids about gaming, when to play games, and when to turn it off. Your kids may be tired of hearing these rules, but they will be grateful in the long run.
- Encourage Physical Activity – With so many kids spending the majority of their free time in front of a screen and engaging with digital gaming, parents must limit their children’s gaming exposure. Encouraging physical activity, including walking and biking, as well as limiting screen time, can improve a child’s overall health.
- Educate Your Teen – Video games can be great learning tools for kids. Some games are educational, and kids can learn from them. And some games can teach kids important life lessons, such as patience, hard work, and problem-solving.
- Electronics-Free Mealtimes – Games provide kids with a fun and entertaining outlet, but at what cost? Many parents worry that their growing children are getting addicted to video games, but there is little evidence to support that claim. For the sake of your health and the health of your children, try to limit their exposure to gaming. Electronics-free dinnertime can go a long way in helping limit video game time.
- Schedule Family Activities – Many families, get locked into a tug of war when it comes to devising time. Parents need a way to limit their children’s screen time, but kids need to learn how to manage their time. So, what are the best ways to limit your children’s gaming exposure? Try to make family time a priority, and make sure your kids know that a scheduled family activity or appointment improves their chances of getting their screen time.
Children are getting more screen time every day, which can have long-term consequences for their health and development. Of course, limiting your children’s screen time can help protect them from the dangers of excessive screen time, but it’s equally important to limit your own screen time. Unplugging from gadgets makes their security doesn’t mean you can’t get work done.
The Benefits of Limitations
Physical limits have long been recognized as a way for children to learn responsibility and achievement. Instilling limits helps a child form internal boundaries that help him mature emotionally, intellectually, socially, and physically. Limiting time spent playing an online game, or limiting the amount of screen time a child has, can help parents regulate their child’s gaming frequency. | <urn:uuid:eef29147-a7a2-4e7b-b963-906c55642b8e> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.velocirepraptor.com/best-ways-to-limit-your-childrens-gaming-exposure/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571993.68/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814022847-20220814052847-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.960901 | 770 | 3.109375 | 3 |
Typhoon "Damrey" hit southern Vietnam on Saturday, November 4, 2017 as the strongest storm to hit that part of the country in 16 years. At least 27 people died and 22 are still missing, as of Sunday morning, November 5.
Damrey made landfall near Nha Trang as a Category 2 hurricane equivalent on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. This region, normally spared typhoons that typically hit further not, hasn't experienced a typhoon this strong since Lingling of November 2001.
— UW-Madison CIMSS (@UWCIMSS) November 4, 2017
Typhoon "Damrey" – October/November 2017 – full track. Credit: UW-CIMSS
The worst affected in terms of winds was Nha Trang and its surrounding communities. In terms of heavy rain, flooding and landslides, the area most affected expanded north across central Vietnam and into Laos. Nearly 255 mm (10 inches) of rain was measured in Qui Nhon within 24 hours (ending Saturday evening, local time). During the same period, 130 mm (5.10 inches) was recorded in Nha Trang and 102 mm (4.02 inches) in Da Nang.
Damrey's strong winds and heavy rain caused widespread power outages, damaged more than 40 000 homes and destroyed at least 600 others, and caused extensive damage to region's rice fields and other crops. At least 228 fishing boats were sunk or damaged, according to the Vietnam Disaster Management Authority.
As of Sunday morning, November 5, there are 27 confirmed deaths and 22 missing people. Most deaths occurred in coastal Khanh Hoa province where heavy rain and winds of 130 km/h (81 mph) tore through the region.
Typhoon "Damrey" on November 4, 2017. Credit: NASA/NOAA Suomi NPP/VIIRS
Heavy rains are expected to last until Tuesday, November 7 including in the central resort city of Danang, just days before the start of Apec, an economic summit attended by Presidents Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin of Russia and Xi Jinping of China, among others.
Monday, November 6 @ 09:00 UTC
At least 49 people have died after Typhoon "Damrey" slammed into central Vietnam, disaster officials said Monday, November 6, as heavy flooding cast doubt on a planned retreat for APEC leaders’ spouses to the ancient town of Hoi An, AFP reports.
"We’re facing a major threat in all the affected areas, all the lakes and rivers are full," Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Nguyen Xuan Cuong said at an emergency meeting Sunday, according to state-controlled VNExpress.
He said flood levels are close to surpassing records set 1997.
Some 30 000 people were evacuated and around 116 000 properties have been submerged or damaged since the typhoon hit Saturday.
Tuesday, November 7 @ 09:40 UTC
The death toll from typhoon downpours and floods wreaking havoc along Vietnam's south-central coast has risen to 69 and the number of missing people to 30, authorities said Tuesday. More than 100 000 houses nationwide are still under water.
Authorities warned that raging rivers were filling reservoirs to near-capacity in central and southern provinces, with rain still pelting down in some areas.
The country has reported at least 240 people dead or missing in floods and landslides since the beginning of the year. (AFP)
Wednesday, November 8 @ 08:10 UTC
The death toll has risen to 89 the government said. There are still 18 people missing.
An official from the National Committee for Search and Rescue Operations said soldiers, police, militiamen, and villagers have been mobilized to search for the missing. Those who perished were killed by collapsing houses, washed away by floods or drowned in capsized ships.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media, said the storm also injured 174 others.
Weather forecasters said water levels in most rivers in the region were declining, but the Vietnam Disaster Management Authority said parts of a main highway were still covered with up to a meter (three feet) of water, disrupting traffic. (Outlook India)
Friday, November 10 @ 14:00 UTC
The death toll has risen to 106, the number of missing to 26 and the number of injured to 197, Vietnam's Search and Rescue Committee said.
A total of 1 484 houses collapsed and almost 120 000 were damaged.
Water released from full reservoirs caused many areas to remain flooded, especially in the lowland of Hue province, where locals predicted the inundation would last for at least another 10 days.
Tropical Storm "Haikui" is moving toward already affected central Vietnam and is expected to strengthen into a typhoon before making landfall there, sometime on November 14 or 15 November. This may further exacerbate humanitarian needs.
Featured image: Damage in Nha Trang after Typhoon "Damrey" – November 4, 2017. Credit: Million Dollar Bogan
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Stay kind, vigilant and ready! | <urn:uuid:ac07631f-6bc4-4525-b8c0-21532cea8069> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://watchers.news/2017/11/05/typhoon-damrey-vietnam-damage-casualties/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572163.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815085006-20220815115006-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.961201 | 1,213 | 1.945313 | 2 |
The Solidarity Economy
The solidarity economy is held together by common values, such as cooperation, democracy, equality, justice, ecological sustainability, community, and respect for diversity. Ultimately, solidarity provides a framework of social and economic development that prioritizes people and planet over the extractive practices of personal profits and power.
In short, people and planet over profit! In the Chicago region, we’ve always had strong grassroots movement of individuals and enterprises for more inclusive change, but making the changes sustainable has often been difficult without institutions carrying the torch further.
Who We Are
ChiCommons Cooperative [also known as ChiCommons CoOp, and ChiCommons LWCA (Limited Worker Cooperative Association)] is a multi-stakeholder organization composed of Worker-Owners, Consumer-Owners, Producer-Owners, and Investor-Owners.
ChiCommons is a racially, culturally, and class-diverse set of individuals who have considerable expertise and experience in broad areas of strategy, technology, community-organizing, business management, and facilitation.
Our members were drawn together by the local civic technology, environmental sustainability, and cooperative movements for specific events and projects.
To work more cohesively for greater impact, we formed as an Illinois Limited Worker Cooperative Association (IL LWCA) in March 2020. This type of organization can make decisions in the best interests of a broader set of stakeholders than can a typical corporation.
The vision of ChiCommons is empowered, integrated, equitable, cooperative/solidarity economies across the Chicago region; connected globally, with ChiCommons-provided tools, services, and strategies.
The Chicago area has been beset with problems of longstanding inequality and lack of access to resources. ChiCommons hopes to be part of the solutions!
Our mission is to cooperatively foster and grow a people-owned solidarity economy in the Chicago region.
How? By serving paying clients such as local businesses, cooperatives, and nonprofits our technology and business consulting services. We also seek to serve local communities with better digital connectivity than they have today, and to map the various assets of the Solidarity Economy for awareness and growth.
ChiCommons currently hosts three projects,
For 5 years, some of our members have built and are maintaining a map of over 800 cooperative and solidarity entities in the Chicago region. Whether you are looking for cooperative housing, a community garden, a local credit union or a farmers market in your neighborhood, you can find it on our cooperative map.
We plan to eventually offer other capabilities, including for authenticated cooperatives to login and update their own information.
We can use some skills as we develop this map, specifically. Please consider getting involved as a volunteer
Our South Shore partner, Windsor Park Evangelical Lutheran Church, gave us a headstart on our BlockShare program by providing local Internet access in and around the church for over 5 years now.
We’ve extended that concept by imagining a local wifi intranet with a server and applications. Neighbors (co-op owners) can share their garden produce, time, talents, and tools in a time-banking fashion while getting wholesale prices on an Internet Connection. The whole project will be neighborhood owned, operated and governed,
- maintaining control at the neighborhood level
- facilitating growth of a local economy
- bringing neighbors together for positive change
To sustain ourselves financially, we created a full-service worker-owned consulting arm. ChiCommons Consulting offers paid business and technology services to local businesses, cooperatives, nonprofits, social movements, and inclusive real estate developments.
We operate as an agency, charging market rates to our commercial clients and deeply-discounted rates to local cooperatives.
Also, if you are a free-lancer or looking for work, consider joining us as a worker-owner. The first step is to let us know your skills and expertise. Take our skills survey here and we’ll contact you with further details. | <urn:uuid:fcf86571-8adb-4dfd-854a-43fec9ae9c3e> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.chicommons.coop/about/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572163.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815085006-20220815115006-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.945472 | 842 | 2.046875 | 2 |
AMERICAN ACCOUNTING ASSOCIATION
CONTACT: Ben Haimowitz (718-398-7642)
Painful though they are, company restatements spur similar misreporting by others, study finds
Professor: “In a sense, restatements serve as handbooks of trickery.”
That misstatement of earnings represents a serious blot on corporate management cannot be disputed: company announcements of earnings restatements have been shown to occasion such painful consequences as sharp drops in stock price, heightened borrowing costs, and executive dismissals, not to mention increased chance of legal and regulatory troubles. Indeed, restatement announcements affect the shares not only of the firm in question but those of its industry peers, investors reasoning that they are tarred with the same brush.
But investors may not know the half of it, some new research suggests. Despite the pain associated with them, restatements actually prompt peer companies to misstate their own earnings, according to a study of thousands of firms to be published in the November issue of the American Accounting Association journal The Accounting Review.
The authors – Simi Kedia of Rutgers University Business School, Kevin Koh of Nanyang Business School (Singapore) and Shivaram Rajgopal of Columbia University Business School – believe their paper to be "the first to document that peer firms begin managing earnings after an earnings restatement is announced by target firms in their industry or in their metropolitan statistical area [MSA]."
Terming this spread of misconduct "public contagion," they distinguish it from what they call "contemporaneous adoption of earnings management." As they explain, "If the peer firm begins earnings management....when there is no public knowledge of misconduct at the target firm, it is likely due to similar economic pressures to misrepresent or from private knowledge of such practices [that] could be obtained from a common tax auditor's office or common board member...Hence, we rely on a significant increase in the likelihood that a peer firm begins misrepresenting after the announcement of a restatement by the target firm as evidence consistent with [public contagion]."
To make sure of this, the professors control for contemporaneous adoption in their research design.
Asked for an example of public contagion among the firms included in the study, Prof. Koh cites the case of America Service Group Inc., a large healthcare provider that restated its earnings after revealing manipulation of almost $2.5 million over the course of five years. Within two and a half months of this restatement, three firms in the same industry began to manage earnings, according to starting dates specified in subsequent restatements of their own – Metropolitan Health Network Services, Hooper Holmes Inc., and AMN Healthcare Services Inc.
“Of course, where just a few firms are involved, the link may be coincidental,” Prof. Koh says. “But for our sample as a whole, consisting of thousands of firms, the chance that the public contagion we have documented was just a coincidence is extremely slim.”
Still, the tendency of firms to imitate publicly announced misreporting could sometimes be thwarted. In the words of the paper, "restatement announcements accompanied by SEC enforcement actions or class-action litigation are not associated with contagion in earnings management."
Moreover, in the course of the 12-year period covered by the study, "contagion both at the industry and the MSA level disappears in the three-year period following the passage of the Sarbanes-Oxley law of 2002, presumably because of the implementation of a stricter regulatory framework...Interestingly, there is some evidence that industry-level contagion reappears in the 2005-08 period. We conjecture that questionable reporting practices resurface after the initial sting associated with the post-SOX regulatory regime has abated.”
Comments Prof. Rajgopal, "Painful though restatements are, they regularly fail to deter other firms from misreporting unless they face the prospect of additional pain at the hands of regulators or litigants or a heightened fear of being caught that evidently existed in the years following the passage of Sarbanes-Oxley."
Indeed, restatements appear to provide something akin to a learning opportunity for peer companies, the study suggests. "A pattern we saw frequently," the professor says, "was for peer firms to follow the lead of announcement companies in what they misreported and how they misreported it. Thus, if an announcing firm misstates revenues, peers commonly do the same – and so on with other ploys, whether they involve expense accounts or inventory or something else. In a sense, restatements serve as handbooks of trickery.”
The paper's findings emerge from an analysis of restatements in a large database of companies during the 12 years from 1997 through 2008. Restatements or their absence were examined firm by firm, year by year, with the data totaling 57,288 firm-years. Unusual though formal restatements are, the number of firms that issued revisions to correct income overstatements totaled 2,376.
Overall, the professors found the onset of companies' earnings manipulation to be strongly related to the percentage of firms in the same industry or the same locality that had announced restatements during the prior 12 months. But, as indicated earlier, no significant relationship was found in analysis limited to the three-year period following enactment of Sarbanes-Oxley or in cases where prior restatements spurred SEC investigations or class-action lawsuits. In addition, no contagion was found from the most severe misstatements, as such cases, the study notes, “seem to elicit a ‘we would never do that’ response from peer firms.”
The authors see their paper as being of potential value to regulators through its elucidation of “the channels through which earnings management spreads.” Since the SEC investigates only a fraction of restating firms, they observe, “it is crucial that the firms they do target deter other errant firms…The variation in contagion by the severity of restatements as well as the characteristics of the restating firms point to the potential for enforcement agents to tailor their efforts to mitigate contagion more effectively.”
Adds Prof. Rajgopal: "Our study should resonate with all those involved in overseeing corporate financial reporting, whether as regulators, auditors, or corporate directors. Hopefully, it will also prompt some serious thinking about why the SEC budget has remained as flat as it has. Just as tax collectors calculate a tax gap – the difference between what is collected and what should be collected – maybe the SEC ought to promulgate a fraud gap – the difference between what firms are reporting and what they should be reporting – to emphasize the high priority deterrence ought to have.”
Entitled "Evidence on Contagion in Earnings Management,” the study is in the November issue of The Accounting Review, published every other month by the American Accounting Association, a worldwide organization devoted to excellence in accounting education, research, and practice. Other journals published by the AAA and its specialty sections include Auditing: A Journal of Practice and Theory, Accounting Horizons, Issues in Accounting Education, Behavioral Research in Accounting, Journal of Management Accounting Research, Journal of Information Systems, and The Journal of the American Taxation Association. | <urn:uuid:dc6ea88a-95aa-49a9-9e5b-04b07911e9d5> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://aaahq.org/Outreach/Newsroom/Press-Releases/AR1115-Restatement-Contagn-PRESSRELEASE | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572408.31/warc/CC-MAIN-20220816151008-20220816181008-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.956278 | 1,514 | 1.75 | 2 |
Our students have fun while being active! Squats, push-ups, sprints, and sit-ups are all a part of our P.E. classes. They are mixed in with games that allow our children to learn and exercise at the same time! They are encouraged to work as a team while supporting each other and getting stronger! We teach basics for healthy food choices so our bodies will work like they should. | <urn:uuid:63183a6a-0d00-4823-9aa7-2fe3f2b07c02> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.myleeacademy.org/copy-of-music | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572163.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815085006-20220815115006-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.971112 | 88 | 1.609375 | 2 |
The 1970s Soviet film White Sun of the Desert – set on the steppes of Central Asia during the Russian revolution – popularised a phrase in Russian; ‘The Orient is a delicate matter’. This expression, often used as a throwaway remark to dismiss a problem as too difficult, is perhaps now more relevant than ever. The recent uprising in Kazakhstan, and the subsequent intervention of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO), have demonstrated how fragile Central Asia truly is.
But perhaps more alarmingly, it has once again demonstrated that 30 years after the five nations of Central Asia declared independence from the Soviet Union, the region remains a blind-spot for Western policy makers. Little has been done to support the development of these strategically important countries, either economically or democratically.
No US presidents and only one British Prime Minister, David Cameron in 2013, have visited Kazakhstan or other countries in the region. Even during the height of the War in Afghanistan, when the Western Allies used airbases in Uzbekistan, the rest of the region was mostly left alone.
What’s more is that the public has little interest in the region, or even understanding of it. It is telling that the only reference to Kazakhstan in popular culture is Sacha Baron Cohen’s portrayal of Borat – a film not even produced in the region. Likewise, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are are largely unknown to most of the Western world.
So it’s little surprise the Western governments such as the United Kingdom, United States, or European Union pay much attention to Central Asia. This was perhaps epitomised in a recent White House press conference on the Russian intervention in Kazakhstan, that amounted to an admission of ignorance on the part of the Biden administration.
In a similar vein, most of the Western media have given higher priority to a tennis player’s immigration status than a huge, bloody uprising on Europe’s eastern periphery.
Stepped in history
One of the easiest explanations for why Central Asia never enjoyed as much attention as Eastern Europe did during the fall of Communism, is that the West was caught off guard. Very few analysts in the Foreign Office, State Department, or elsewhere were prepared to see the Central Asian states declare independence from the Soviet Union. Books and articles had been written in the West throughout the 1970s and 80s discounting the view that if and when the USSR collapsed, countries like Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and others would ever leave.
As such, the same contingency planning that was put in place to support the independence of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Ukraine, never existed for Central Asia. They didn’t enjoy the same influx of outside investment that other post-Communist states in Europe benefited from – nor did they receive the much-needed structural reforms that came with the abandonment of the Soviet system.
Some in foreign policy circles even questioned why it was that these five nations claimed their independence, while others such as the Kalmyk Republic, Tuva, or Dagestan did not. This scepticism is rooted in the wider history of the region – and these nations’ relationship with Russia. These outlying regions had been part of the Russian Empire before the birth of the Soviet Union, unlike many of Russia’s European possessions, which had simply been reabsorbed in the aftermath of the Second World War. The Russian conquest of Central Asia began in the 1700’s, however the lion’s share of the land was conquered in the reigns of Nicholas I and his son Alexander II between 1825-1885. Britain had interests in the region, as it bordered India – triggering the Great Game.
Throughout the Soviet era, Central Asia was further absorbed into the Russian sphere. Revolts in the region during the period of the Civil War were quickly put down, and a process of aggressive Russification took place. The steppe also served as convenient dumping ground for political undesirables, with a number of gulags set up across the region. Famously Alexander Solzhenitsyn spent time in internal exile in Kazakhstan, surrounded by bandits, thugs and petty criminals. His novel Cancer Ward was set in a Tashkent hospital.
In the 1970’s, further seeking to secure their frontiers, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan from its Central Asian base. With a bulk of those fighting in the Soviet Army coming from Central Asia itself. As such, the prevailing view was that these territories were integral parts of Russia. When they did break away in the early 1990s, they were a far lower priority to Western policymakers than the newly liberated eastern bloc,
Another reason that Central Asia has remained a low priority is simply geography. For those supporting the development of democracy and the market economy, Warsaw, Budapest, Prague, and the Baltic are far closer to home than Dushanbe, Tashkent, or Nur-Sultan. The nations of Central Asia are no longer part of Britain’s neighbourhood, and thus no longer of concern. Long gone are the days of ‘Shooting Leave’, in which British officers and civil servants would travel around exotic oriental capitals, filing reports on the movements of Tsarist Russia.
Finally, and perhaps most disturbingly, there is the ongoing sense of Western complacency – a recurring theme in a decade whenthe UK, US, European Union, and other Western powers have shyed away from promoting and defending our values abroad. The days of the Western world acting as a bastion of freedom, stepping in to mediate in foreign conflicts, are now largely a memory.
Nor is it just the withdrawal from Afghanistan, though that stands as the epitome of Western geopolitical failure in recent years. In 2020 we watched as Armenia and Azerbaijan waged a full-scale conventional war against one another with minimal input from the West. Instead, it fell to Russia and Turkey to broker the peace agreement. In 2021 we watched as Russia backed up the regime of Aleksandr Lukashenko in Belarus, triggering a hybrid attack on Europe through an artificially inseminated migrant crisis. And in the opening days of 2022, we are watching as Russia and her allies deploy forces to the streets of Nur-Sultan, Almaty and Shmykent.
The fact is that even three decades since these countries became Independent, the West has still not yet worked out what its role in the region is. And so long as we prevaricate, Russia will continue to treat Central Asia as its own back yard. Countries such as the UK need to work on developing a long-term strategy for the region, including contingency for the regime collapsing. But it must do so quickly and delicately, after all the Orient is a delicate matter.
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CapX depends on the generosity of its readers. If you value what we do, please consider making a donation.Donations via the website are temporarily unavailable | <urn:uuid:e932e1d5-f3ca-4e34-846a-682a52b6d1c5> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://capx.co/three-decades-on-the-west-still-lacks-a-central-asia-strategy/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571993.68/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814022847-20220814052847-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.963627 | 1,438 | 2.46875 | 2 |
Electric vehicles have always been a tough sell with Americans. They're more expensive, require a different mindset and the inability to quickly recharge on the road has led to severe range anxiety.
Demand for these battery-powered vehicles was weak even before the coronavirus pandemic shut down the world. With nearly 36 million Americans out of work and fuel prices averaging $1.85 a gallon nationally, what does the future look like for EVs?
"If someone was trying to engineer the downfall of the electric car movement, they did a good job," Karl Brauer, executive publisher of Kelley Blue Book and Autotrader, told ABC News. "I think the biggest impact from the pandemic is financial security or lack thereof. To grow EV sales you have to appeal to mainstream consumers. Every single American is thinking about finances and what risks they are willing to take, and that's a terribly negative impact for EV sales."
In 2019, EVs accounted for 1.44% of U.S. auto sales, according to data from Cox Automotive. When plug-in hybrids, or PHEVs, are included, market share ticks up to 1.94%. The average transaction price of an EV last year was $41,959 compared with $38,671 for SUVs and $29,795 for sedans.
"It's a fact of life -- EVs are more expensive than their gasoline-powered equivalents," Brauer noted. "The $7,500 credit from the federal government has moved the needle, but sales would be a fraction over the last 10 years if not for the credit."
The annual cost of owning a new compact electric vehicle compared to its gas-powered peers over five years and 75,000 miles of driving is a difference of $600, according to new research from AAA.
Automakers and suppliers are expected to invest $225 billion in EV development and technology between 2019 and 2023, a "huge number," according to Mark Wakefield, managing director and head of AlixPartners' automotive practice in the Americas.
The substantial investment signals that carmakers will be reluctant to curtail their electrification programs despite economic headwinds.
Low fuel prices "won't kill sales of EVs but certainly dampens them," Wakefield told ABC News. "Gasoline prices are mainly the reason people buy EVs."
Eighteen new electric vehicles are expected to launch in North America this year, he noted, and the rollout will continue as automakers try to meet the stringent carbon emission standards set by lawmakers in Europe and China. The rush to manufacture EVs to avoid hefty fines puts automakers in a tight spot -- devoting valuable resources to vehicles that do not sell.
"Automakers are already facing a profit desert," Wakefield said, "and this year will be a down year for EVs. It's a big deal not to sell what you had planned."
John Voelcker, a longtime electric car journalist and industry analyst, argues that fuel prices are rarely the reason Americans buy zero-emissions vehicles. EVs can be found charging at homes belonging to early tech adopters and the wealthy, he said, and rising fuel prices do not necessarily correlate to increased demand.
"People only care about hybrids when gasoline gets expensive," he told ABC News. "The same does not apply to cars with plugs."
EVs will take off when automakers start producing battery-powered SUVs, crossovers and pickup trucks -- the conveyances Americans actually drive, he said -- and range tops 250 miles. For now, EV purchases will suffer along with the overall U.S. auto market, he said. Light-vehicle sales are expected to reach 620,000 units in April, a decline of 53% from 2019. In March, sales slumped 37% as states shuttered their economies to stop the spread of COVID-19.
Voelcker said the current economic climate and uncertainty may convince Americans who can afford EVs to wait 12 to 18 months before purchasing one.
"They'll realize it may not be so smart to buy a new car," he said. "To have a recovery in autos you need supply and demand. [Sales of EVs] are not going to be hurt any more than vehicles that have combustion engines."
One of the most recent examples of the virus's startling blow on automakers was the decision late last month by Lincoln and Rivian, the Michigan-based EV startup, to cancel plans to build an all-new EV.
"Given the current environment, Lincoln and Rivian have decided not to pursue the development of a fully electric vehicle based on Rivian's skateboard platform," Ford, which owns luxury brand Lincoln, said in a statement. "Our strategic commitment to Lincoln, Rivian and electrification remains unchanged and Lincoln's future plans will include an all-electric vehicle consistent with its Quiet Flight DNA."
There are also rumors circulating that fourth-quarter deliveries of Ford's Mustang Mach-E all-electric SUV, which debuted in November, could be delayed until 2021.
"Right now we're reviewing the launch dates of our new products and will share information at a later date," a Ford spokesperson told ABC News.
Volkswagen's plan to unveil the production version of its new ID.4 electric SUV will go on as planned this summer, according to a spokesperson for the German carmaker.
Tesla, the No. 1 seller of electric vehicles in the U.S., reopened its Fremont, California, plant in early May, defying stay-at-home orders in Alameda County. CEO Elon Musk filed a lawsuit against county officials and threatened to move the plant out of state, claiming that the orders were "fascist" and "breaking people's freedoms," and the forced closure of the plant in March disrupted the company's aggressive production plans.
Even if consumers' appetite for EVs changes in the near future, few automakers are in a position to take on industry leader Tesla. More than 192,200 Teslas were sold in the U.S. in 2019, with the company's Model 3 sedan the most popular -- and cheapest -- model preferred by buyers. Sales of Chevrolet's Bolt totaled 16,418 units in 2019, followed by Nissan's Leaf (12,365), Audi's e-tron (5,369), BMW's i3 (4,854) and Jaguar's I-PACE (2,594).
Gasoline demand in the U.S. has recently ticked up 17.2% from a low on March 26 as more states began to lift stay-at-home orders. Patrick De Haan, an energy analyst with Gas Buddy, expects the upward trend to continue barring a second wave of infections. EVs, however, have not affected fuel prices the same way.
"Right now we can't tell if any EVs are on the road," he told ABC News. "It's almost immeasurable the impact EVs have had on gasoline consumption."
EVs are still the future regardless of where gasoline prices settle, argues Stephen Smith, executive director at the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy.
"I think the horse is out of the barn. The transition to electric is happening, but the speed will be impacted by the global economics," he told ABC News. "Range anxiety is decreasing because range itself is increasing. EVs will become the dominant vehicle in terms of sales in the next 10 years."
J.R. DeShazo, director of the Luskin Center for Innovation at the University of California at Los Angeles, said coronavirus could usher in new environmental policies around the country.
"A lot of states are talking about sustainable stimulus package incentives for vehicles that would include used and hybrid vehicles, charging equipment at home and at work and subsidies for clean transportation," he told ABC News. "In some ways the pandemic has made people appreciate life without all this car-created pollution."
He added, "It has changed how people think about EVs." | <urn:uuid:305d2afe-8dd6-4f23-99a4-9236201bb976> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://abcnews.go.com/Business/cheap-fuel-pulled-plug-electric-vehicles/story?id=70619683 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571758.42/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812200804-20220812230804-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.966226 | 1,621 | 2.328125 | 2 |
An Auto VIN Decoder breaks down the unique alphanumeric sequence known as a Vehicle Identification Number, which is a car’s fingerprint. Each and every automobile on the road has its own 17-character VIN, and it is this identification number that is used to generate a Vehicle History Report, also known as a VIN check.
The VIN check taps into millions of DMV records and reveals all of the available history for a particular vehicle, including any hidden problems, odometer readings, ownership transfers and more. It is an absolute must for used car buyers, as it tells you everything you need to know about the vehicle.
The Auto VIN Decoder can help you understand what these letters and numbers mean, which is the first step towards ensuring that a vehicle you are considering is right for you.
Let’s break down the Vehicle Identification Number, starting with the first character. (Please note the letter “I” as in indigo, the letter “O” as in orange, and the letter “Q” as in queen are NOT found in any VIN Numbers.)
(We will use the following VIN as an example: 2FTRX18W1XCA01212)
The first character represents the country of manufacture, and can be a letter or a number, each signifying a different country. The most common ones are as follows:
(1 = USA, 2 = Canada, 3 = Mexico, J = Japan, K = Korea, W = Germany, Y = Finland, Sweden)
So using the Auto VIN Decoder in the above example, this particular car was made in Canada.
The second/third characters represent the manufacturer, also known as the make. The most common are:
(A = Alfa Romeo, B = Dodge, C = Chrysler, D = Daihatsu, E = Eagle, F= Ford/Eagle, G = All General Motors vehicles (Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Saturn)
H = Honda/Acura, J= Jeep, L = Lincoln, M = Mitsubishi, N = Nissan/Infiniti, P = Plymouth, S = Subaru, T = Toyota/Lexus, V = Volkswagen)
So using the Auto VIN Decoder in the above example, this car is a Ford or an Eagle..since Eagle is no longer made, it is most likely a Ford.
Other popular makes use a 3-character initial sequence:
(TRU/WAU = Audi, 4US/WBA/WBS = BMW, 2HM/KMH = Hyundai, SAJ = Jaguar, SAL = Land Rover, 1YV/JM1 = Mazda, WDB = Mercedes-Benz, VF3 = Peugeot, WP0 = Porsche, YK1/YS3 = Saab, YV1=Volvo)
The fourth character is the type of restraint system.
In the above example, “R” represents hydraulic breaks using the VIN Decoder.
The fifth, sixth & seventh characters are the vehicle line, series and body style. This will obviously be different across makes and models.
In the above example, characters 5, 6 & 7 are X18: X18 is a Ford F150 Pickup 4WD Super Cab
The eighth character is the engine type.
With the Auto VIN Decoder, W represents a 4.6 liter V-8 engine.
The tenth character represents the year of the car. Pay close attention to this one:
B = 1981 F = 1985 K = 1989 P = 1993 V = 1997 1 = 2001
C = 1982 G = 1986 L = 1990 R = 1994 W = 1998 2 = 2002
D = 1983 H = 1987 M = 1991 S = 1995 X = 1999 3 = 2003
E = 1984 J = 1988 N = 1992 T = 1996 Y = 2000 4 = 2004
For the most recent used model year, 5 = 2005
In the above example, the “X” indicates that this car was made in 1999.
The eleventh character indicates the assembly plant.
In the above example, the C indicates Ontario, Canada
Characters 12-17 represent the vehicle’s unique fingerprint. It is these six digits which make every single vehicle in the world different.
So using the Auto VIN Decoder one last time, the Vehicle Identification Number: 2FTRX18W1XCA01212 represents a 1999 Ford F150 Pickup 4WD Super Cab manufactured in Ontario, Canada with hydraulic brakes and a 4.6-liter V-8 engine.
So there you have it, the Auto VIN Decoder. If you are in the market for a used vehicle, use this decoder to make sure that it is indeed the exact model that the seller is claiming it is. Once you have verified the Vehicle Identification Number is accurate, you can proceed with your VIN check and learn everything you need to know about that particular car. | <urn:uuid:5e990f06-53fa-44ae-b3ba-f1ece2659e63> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | http://motorgazette.com/2017/07/28/auto-vin-decoder-what-do-those-letters-numbers-mean/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572408.31/warc/CC-MAIN-20220816151008-20220816181008-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.915054 | 1,031 | 2.5 | 2 |
The customer demand to buy homes has doubled in the last year. The most common reasons to buy a new home include, to improve their current home, an increase in the number of family members, to start a new life as a couple or simply as an investment.
Are you looking for a new built home and don’t know what the expenses and taxes you will have to pay?
From PrimeHouse we will explain which are the main costs and taxes you will have to bear in mind when purchasing a new build dwelling.
Expenses and taxes associated to buying a new home
- Notary expenses
- Administrative Management costs
- Survey costs
- Registration fees in the Public Property Registry
- AJD – Taxes on Document Duties
- Municipal capital gains taxes
VAT (Value Added Tax)
The purchase of a new build means that the buyer is forced to pay the VAT (including garages, provided that the number of garage spaces assigned to each owner does not exceed two units). It will be 10% in new builds and 4% in the case of council / protected housing (council estate or public promotions).
How to calculate the tax value?
It is a simple procedure.
VAT= Tax rate x Price
Suppose the price of the home is 300,000€.
Then the VAT we must pay is:
300.000€ x 0,10= 30.000 € (VAT)
The notary expenses tend to vary according to the price of the property, the scope of the title deed, whether the property has any garages or annexes, the amount of contract holders and the number of copies required etc. These are determined by the Royal decree 1426/89. In case of requiring a mortgage, the expense will be greater, since two contracts will be needed, one to realise the purchasing and another for the mortgage. The approximate cost of this is around 0.2 or 0.3% of the value of the purchase.
The buyer has the right to choose the notary within the municipality where the property acquired is located. This professional will charge a fixed fee determined by the government in 1999, so all the notaries in Spain charge the same for identical services.
Administrative Management costs
The administrative company (Gestoría) ensures the correct functioning of the necessary administrative procedures to carry out the loans with mortgage guarantee. They are responsible for delivering the bank papers to the notary, from the notary to the property registry and, once registered, return them to the bank.
The managers are free professionals, therefore, they do not have specific rates. The approximate cost is between 400 and 600 euros.
3.1 Administrative / mangement costs due to mortgage subrogation
The expenses due to subrogation do not depend on the value of the mortgage, it only depends on the rates charged by the Gestoria, usually its between 200 or 400 euros.
3.2 Administrative / management expenses in the case of Mortgage novation
The fee that an agency charges to process a modification in the mortgage conditions due to a novation does not depend on the value of the mortgage, since the process is always the same. Therefore, the cost depends on the rates of the agency, since the services are regulated by the law of demand and supply of the market. However, the price is usually around 200 euros.
The new Mortgage law which will be implemented in the near future, determines that the subrogation and novation in the mortgage loans will be free. This will grant the buyer more freedom and will favour competition between the different banking entities.
Survey / Appraisal costs
In new builds, the appraisal of the home is already included. Those who are going to get a mortgage do not need another appraisal of the home, since the mortgage is constituted before, and therefore, it was then that the bank may have needed an appraisal and performed it.
Example: If a new build home is purchased, and said dwelling has a mortgage (which the promoter signed with the entity at the time) and the buyer wants to subrogate said mortgage, he / she will NOT need to appraise the dwelling.
Registration fees in the Public Property Registry
For the home to fully belong to the buyer it must be registered in the Public Property Registry, and that means we must incur in yet another expense. The cost is legally fixed and will depend on where the property is located and the cost of the purchase. The cost is approximately 0.15 or 0.2% of the value of the purchase.
Taxes on Document Duties
To formalise in a public document the sale deeds of new construction homes, it is subject to the Tax on Patrimonial Transfers and Documented Legal Acts, in the form of Documented Legal Acts.
The Tax on Documented Legal Acts (AJD) relates to notarial documents. This tax is paid whenever a notarial document is signed with an economic amount and can be registered in the Registry, similar to the buy/sell of new homes and mortgages. The management of this tax is under the umbrella of the autonomous communities and must be settled through the 600 self-assessment model form.
In the first copies of notarial deeds and purchasing deeds the tax rate will be obtained by applying 1.5% rate (in Andalusia) on the taxable base of the value of the home (Law 3/2012)
The new Mortgage Law establishes that the bank will be responsible for the tax of legal acts documented in the constitution, subrogation or novation of the mortgages.
Municipal capital gains taxes
When the seller is a real estate developer, the law forces him to pay the municipal capital gain and the expenses of the declaration of new works and horizontal division. You must also pay the cancellation of the mortgage that exists on the house as long as you do not subrogate to it.
If you have any queries or doubts, at PrimeHouse we will be happy to help you with any questions that may arise. Download our brochure and know the expenses that you are going to have when owning a house in Málaga and the Costa del Sol. | <urn:uuid:5cf732e9-7cdb-4998-af65-cd5924c1bf1e> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://primehouse.es/en/cuales-son-los-impuestos-por-la-compra-de-vivienda-de-obra-nueva-en-malaga-y-costa-del-sol/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572163.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815085006-20220815115006-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.950829 | 1,289 | 1.695313 | 2 |
And another 100,000 animals — dogs, cats, pigs, rabbits, hamsters, hedgehogs, turtles, ferrets, monkeys, donkeys, lizards and cows — are expected to make a mass exodus in the next 30 days. But there’s no need for alarm. It’s the result of NBCUniversal Local’s on-going campaign since 2015, Clear The Shelters, and those 700,000 pets are in new homes.
And another 100,000 animals — dogs, cats, pigs, rabbits, hamsters, hedgehogs, turtles, ferrets, monkeys, donkeys, lizards and cows — are expected to make a mass exodus in the next 30 days.
But there’s no need for alarm.
It’s the result of NBCUniversal Local’s on-going campaign since 2015, Clear The Shelters, and those 700,000 pets are in new homes. The campaign runs Aug. 1-31.
As part of the month-long campaign, NBC and Telemundo owned and affiliated stations across the U.S. and Puerto Rico are partnering with animal shelters and rescue services in their communities to promote pet adoption and raise needed funds to support animal welfare. More than 1,000 shelters, and counting, have already registered to participate in this year’s campaign.
Since 2015, Market Share has reported on NBCUniversal Local’s on-going campaign, Clear The Shelters eleven times.
A parrot wearing lipstick. An Irish setter with curlers in her fur. A cat waxing his whiskers.
I’ve imagined dogs wagging their tails and cat purring by the thousands to catch the attention of potential adopters.
And of course, if the adopted pets could talk, 700,000 adopted would tell NBC and Telemundo stations across this country, thanks.
It’s been a novel idea from the beginning. A broadcast company unites and organizes all of its assets to focus on solving one problem that will make the world a better place.
If a broadcast group like NBCUniversal can make such a difference in the lives of people and pets, imagine the possibilities if other broadcast groups organized their stations under one common cause to help their communities every year?
This year’s Clear the Shelter starts off with several life-saving airlifts.
Tomorrow’s first flight will include approximately 150 cats. The plane will depart Fort Lauderdale and fly to Massachusetts where the animals will be received by Northeast Animal Shelter and MSPCA-Angell in Massachusetts and Monadnock Humane Society in New Hampshire.
Another flight will transport approximately 200 at-risk cats and dogs from overcrowded shelters in Florida and Louisiana to Massachusetts and New Jersey, respectively, where they will be evaluated and receive needed medical care before becoming available for adoption.
There have been so many success stories over the years, like last year’s story about a dog that had been living in a shelter for seven years finding a new home.
That story joins the more than 700,000 stories about pets finding their forever home where their owners cuddle and love each one. | <urn:uuid:52bcceba-ee41-4c0a-939f-9959a14f3d5e> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://marketshare.tvnewscheck.com/2022/08/02/700000-animals-escape-adoption-shelters/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572163.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815085006-20220815115006-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.943599 | 654 | 1.773438 | 2 |
VARNISHING YOUR WATERCRAFT
Most popular GRP models from the last century have some decorative exterior wood like rubbing strips, hand rails, hatch covers etc. and if well kept these can add a genuine charm to your boat. However, when overlooked they soon become half-cracked and discoloured and it is amazing how much this takes away from a boat cosmetically. The main causes of flaking varnish and discolouration to wood made trims is UV damage weakening the varnish as well as enabling water to pass through right into the wood. The very best way to stop this is to touch up any kind of scratches or cracks in the varnish as soon as possible after they appear stopping water from immersing into the wood. To keep varnished timber looking its best it truly requires re-doing every 1-2 years.
CHOOSING A VARNISH
Possibly one of the most overwhelming thing people discover when varnishing is the sheer volume of various marine varnishes on the market. Varnishes naturally vary in price according to their quality, however budget plan is not the only variable to consider when picking a yacht varnish. The major technical attributes different varnishes will advertise are the efficiency of the products ability to resist UV (the significant root cause of flaking) as well as the products self-levelling attributes; varnishes with much better levelling properties will certainly be much easier to use equally to a surface area. These are typically factors of quality that will naturally differ because the varnishes vary in price range, nevertheless there are additional elements to consider.
Check the application process when considering a varnish; will it need to be sanded in between each coat or can you apply 2 or 3 before needing to sand it down once more? It’s likewise worth checking the drying time and exactly how often you can apply coats to the surface, the majority of varnishes will strictly recommend only one coat a day yet some can take 2. It is consequently vital to understand how many coats you will require and also ensure you have the time available to do so. Varnishes likewise differ in colour, some are near enough clear whilst others will transfer a brownish-yellow or gold glow to the wood, consider just what result you intend to finish with. Finally, what wood is it going on, many varnishes are fairly universal, nevertheless, in case you are using an especially oily wood like teak some varnishes will require you to clean up the wood with the proper thinners and possibly secure the wood prior to application.
International Perfection Plus Marine Varnish
At the top of the International range is their two pack ‘Perfection Plus’, a premium quality varnish with a treating additive. International recommend between 2 and 5 layers to leave a great gloss with the curing agent to give the hardest, most scrape immune shell and the longest life in the range.The next in the selection are the ‘Schooner’ varnishes; ‘Schooner Gold’ giving the better UV defence as well as a brownish-yellow tone to the timber, and the regular ‘Schooner’ giving even more of a golden colour and needing even more coats than the ‘Gold’ with both calling for sanding between each coat. Next off, ‘Compass’ is the fast drying varnish in the range enabling two coats daily under the ideal conditions and not requiring sanding between each layer.
International Original Marine Varnish Finally, the ‘Original’ is the general purpose entry in the range; a fantastic value, good quality varnish suitable for exterior work and requiring about three layers for a nice gloss.
Application of varnishes normally varies between products and any kind of special requirements will be described on the tin. To give the most general idea of exactly how you can use varnish let’s assume we’re making use of International’s ‘Original’ varnish on wooden rubbing strips together with hand rails. It’s of course best, if possible, to get rid of wooden features from the boat to varnish to be able both to improve access and also prevent leaking varnish all over the hull.
Give the wood a good clean and sand it with around 300 grit paper, remembering to sand towards the grain, and also give it a very good wipe down after that with a tack-rag as any kind of dust will ruin the finish. Select a high quality brush, sticky varnish is notorious for pulling hairs from brushes, Harris ‘No-Loss’ brushes are the best bet for a smooth finish.
International advise thinning the very first layer of ‘Original’ by about 10% with their ‘No. 1’ thinners, this will help the varnish to really soak right into the wood and also adhere well to the surface. Do this in a separate mixing container where you can apply the varnish. Seal up the tin when you have actually measured out what you will need for a layer to avoid any unnecessary contamination and use the thinned varnish amply from your measuring container using long, sleek moves in the same direction as the grain of the wood. This should be left to dry for a minimum of 1 Day prior to being given a good sanding with 320-400 grit sandpaper. This great site clear yacht varnish provides extensive more info on the topic of yacht-paint.
Once completely dry and sanded remove any dirt again and you are set to begin applying unthinned layers. Again don’t apply straight from the tin but separate approximately what you will need into an appropriate jug. When using the unthinned varnish take care to keep strokes smooth and clean out any drips as soon as you see them as once they’re tacky it becomes really hard to fix them. As soon as you are pleased with the layer leave it to dry for at least 24-HOUR before sanding once more with 320-400grit paper to provide a key for the next coat, if you do not accomplish this the varnish is likely to peel off in large strips, use the tack rag to eliminate any type of dirt before proceeding with the following coat. Continue this process as often as you can, or till you are pleased with the coating, International recommend 3 unthinned coats for ‘Original’ however in case you have the time there is no reason you can’t go even more. | <urn:uuid:ffc9be52-9376-468a-9b33-c5a26ce1dd76> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://boataccessories.svbtle.com/varnishing-your-watercraft | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570879.37/warc/CC-MAIN-20220809003642-20220809033642-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.94921 | 1,370 | 1.648438 | 2 |
Minerals4EU is a project which pursues the goal of establishing a European minerals network structure which provides data, information and knowledge about mineral resources in Europe in the form of a sustainable operational service through a web portal, a European Minerals Yearbook and foresight studies. The project is built upon an infrastructure, which enables data providers and stakeholders in the EU to share knowledge and information on minerals and to view and acquire standardised, harmonised georesource and related data. In this way the project will make a significant contribution to the European Innovation Partnership on Raw Materials (EIP RM) and support public policy-making concerning raw materials security and adaptation strategies as well as industry, society and communication and education purposes at European and international levels.
Against this background, WP 4, with the participation of the Wuppertal Institute, has the target of developing structure and data sets for a European Minerals Yearbook while focussing on non-energy and non-agricultural raw materials in the EU27. A network will be created to ensure access to the required data, and data on primary and secondary materials will be collected and assessed. AP6 proposes the production of a foresight study on raw materials demand and supply in the EU with special regard to critical minerals. As part of this, a sustainable network of competent partners is aimed to be created as base for future cooperation on supply and demand topics. | <urn:uuid:efe24e38-7abe-434c-9cd5-f28ed0e638dc> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://wupperinst.org/en/p/wi/p/s/pd/474 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572163.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815085006-20220815115006-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.901644 | 346 | 2.109375 | 2 |
What would happen if, when Americans show up at work tomorrow, after the Labor Day cookouts and trips to the beach, they all were to vote on whether to join a union? The data may surprise you: more than fifty percent of nonunion workers say that, if an election were held in their workplace tomorrow, they would vote for union representation. And yet: while the desire to join a union has grown steadily since the 1980s, actual union membership continues its long, steady decline.
What’s going on? Though unions continue to deliver things that people want, like higher wages, and have even managed to make inroads into new sectors of the economy, union opponents have built structural barriers to labor organizing that continue to deplete membership. And the popular desire for access to union benefits has not translated into a backlash against these measures.
In partnership with faith and community groups, unions have been winning on the minimum wage. At least eighteen states have passed a minimum wage increase in the past two years. Many cities, including Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York, have seen campaigns to raise the wage to $15 an hour.
The recent victories are part of a long history in which unions have played a central role. Unions have been shown to increase wages for both members and nonunion workers. Indeed, economic equality and unionization go together; statistical analyses have shown that “a fifth to a third of the growth in inequality” can be explained by the precipitous decline in union labor in recent decades.
Unions have also made some inroads on expanding protections to more workers. As the structure of the economy has shifted, Americans are working different kinds of jobs. Organized labor has not always succeeded in reaching beyond its traditional strongholds and into new sectors of the labor force. But here, too, unions can point to some victories:
- Last month, an appellate court reinstated Labor Department regulations extending minimum wage and overtime protections to home care workers.
- The same week, The National Labor Relations Board determined that franchise employees should be allowed to negotiate with the parent company, not just the local franchise owner, a major victory for fast food workers.
- The Teamsters are trying to mobilize Uber drivers in California to fight what some drivers describe as below-minimum wage earnings. One important step is a ruling, just last week, that the drivers can launch a class action lawsuit against the ride service company.
- There are even some signs of union activism among white collar workers. Several prominent news rooms have voted to unionize this year, including Gawker, Salon, the Guardian, and Vice. There is also an ongoing effort at Columbia University to overturn the prohibition on private university graduate student unions.
So that’s the good news for union supporters. Unions are still providing concrete benefits and have shown at least some evidence that they can expand their appeal in response to a shifting economy. But these scattered victories come in the face of major defeats.
Unions have continued to suffer losses on the structural things that let them function effectively. In an impressive multi-decade campaign, conservative business groups have effectively undercut two key things that make unions function: dues collection and the right to collectively bargain. This year, that trend is mostly unchanged. Wisconsin became the 25th state to allow workers to avoid paying for the bargaining costs of the union that represents them – something conservatives call “right to work” and liberals call “free-riding,” and which everyone agrees reduces the ability of unions to raise funds. The passage comes on the heels of the elimination in Wisconsin of the collective bargaining rights of most public sector unions and Supreme Court decision exempting many public sector workers from paying union dues.
What unions have failed to do is convert the general desire for a union into a successful popular backlash against these measures. This is the difference between diffuse support (the kind readily captured by polls) and concentrated activism (the thing that can actually create change).
And that mobilization challenge is compounding itself over time. As unions have declined and wages have stagnated, workers have less time and less money to devote to daily needs, much less political activism. Moreover, when fewer people have experience with union activity, the idea of labor resistance becomes more remote. As labor campaigner and author Richard Yeselson has noted, “The problem isn’t that most people hate unions. The problem for unions is that most people don’t care about them, or think about them, at all.”
In sum, winning on wages and expanding organizing into growing sectors of the economy are unlikely to be enough to stem the tide of union decline. Americans will not get to vote tomorrow on their representation at work. And without a union to fight for paid holidays, millions will not even have had the day off. | <urn:uuid:07e5ac00-3a42-4d47-84b1-377dae4fefda> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.brookings.edu/blog/fixgov/2015/09/07/on-labor-day-a-look-at-the-state-of-the-unions/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570879.37/warc/CC-MAIN-20220809003642-20220809033642-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.966459 | 983 | 2.90625 | 3 |
Today's D Brief: Moscow's hurried annexation timeline; Poland points to more Russian 'filtration camps'; Turkey opens Black Sea monitoring center; And a bit more.
Russian officials want to capture all of Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region by the end of August, well ahead of September 11, “which is the unified voting day in the Russian Federation,” analysts at the Institute for the Study of War write in their latest Ukraine war assessment, published Tuesday evening. But that may be tough, because “Russian forces remain unlikely to occupy significant additional territory in Ukraine before the early autumn annexation timeline,” ISW warns.
Polish officials say they know about more locations of alleged Russian-run prisons and “filtration camps” where Vladimir Putin’s invading forces rout hundreds of thousands of uprooted and detained Ukrainians. And Warsaw is being very specific—including exact locations of alleged “Russian torture chambers used against Ukrainians,” like this address inside Ukraine’s Donetsk Oblast, and four others here, here, here, and here.
How this Nazi-like program seems to work, according to Polish intelligence: “[T]he process of filtering and verifying detained Ukrainians lasts from several hours to several days. During this time, interrogations by the FSB [Russian intelligence officials] take place, the analysis of confiscated items, including data carriers, and even social media activity is carried out.”
Compliant Ukrainians “are generally deported to Russia,” but some “are forcibly conscripted into the Russian army and then sent to the front,” the Polish say. Meanwhile, “People who raise doubts are brutally repressed. They are tortured, they are forced to testify or make statements against Ukraine, or they are brought to court as part of propaganda, [or] show political trials.”
The invading Russian forces seem to be using local Ukrainian police buildings, and other facilities from Ukraine’s State Migration Service. Otherwise, “In regions where the Russians have not managed to adapt buildings taken over as a result of aggression, filtration sites are organized in the form of towns and tent camps.” Read more from Warsaw, photos included, here.
Developing: Russia seems to be sending more air defense units to its southern invasion forces, according to footage flagged here by Russia-watcher Rob Lee.
Ukraine’s military is still striking bridges with rockets (latest here; prior recent reported strikes can be seen here, here, here, and here) to make them virtually impossible for Russia to use for convoy transit, etc. The Wall Street Journal has a bit more on this latest strike, reporting Wednesday from Kyiv, here; the Associated Press has still more on these bridges, here.
Coverage continues below…
From Defense One
Lack of Workers Is Hurting Supply Chains More than COVID, Defense Execs Say // Marcus Weisgerber: An economic slowdown might be the only way to fill job vacancies, says Raytheon CEO.
Biden Is Arming Ukraine To ‘Play For a Tie,’ Some America-First GOPers Say // Jacqueline Feldscher: The view reveals disagreement even among Trump-following Republicans about how to respond to Russia’s invasion.
Pass the CHIPS Act // Jesse Salazar and Jonathan Panikoff: Two former senior defense and intelligence leaders lay out the case for Congressional action to help the U.S. semiconductor industry.
The Pentagon Gets the Better Part of a Trillion Dollars a Year. Why Isn’t That Enough? // Mackenzie Eaglen: The budgeting process has calcified, with huge sums going to the priorities of yesteryear.
Welcome to this Wednesday edition of The D Brief, brought to you by Ben Watson with Jennifer Hlad and Elizabeth Howe. If you’re not already subscribed to The D Brief, you can do that here. And check out other Defense One newsletters here. On this day in 1299, the Ottoman Empire is believed (by English historian Edward Gibbon) to have begun when Kayi tribal leader Osman Ghazi led a movement of his people into contemporary northwestern Turkey, near a Byzantine city called Nicomedia, after being allegedly displaced by Mongol invaders. Osman’s eventual empire would thrive and last an impressively long time—far longer than the invading Mongols’—with historians widely accepting 1922 as the year it all came to an end for the Ottomans.
New: Germany will reportedly sell Ukraine 100 self-propelled howitzers worth about €1.7 billion, according to Der Spiegel, reporting Wednesday from a company official with manufacturer Krauss-Maffei Wegmann. Reuters has a tiny bit more on that deal, here.
Get to better know the unit routing allied weapons to Ukraine from the U.S. military’s European Command, based in Germany, via this report from Eric Schmitt of the New York Times, reporting Wednesday from Stuttgart. “Think of the cell as a cross between a wedding registry for bombs, bullets, and rocket artillery, and a military version of FedEx,” he writes. “Uniformed officers from more than two dozen countries try to match Ukraine’s requests with donations from more than 40 nations, then arrange to move the shipments by air, land, or sea from the donor countries to Ukraine’s border for pickup. All within about 72 hours.” Worth the click, here.
By the way: Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin approved the medical treatment of wounded Ukrainian troops at a hospital in Germany, CNN reported Tuesday. However, “Despite the plan receiving final approval nearly one month ago, the hospital in Germany has not yet received Ukrainian service members for medical care,” according to Zach Cohen, who adds that this new plan “allows for the treatment of up to 18 wounded soldiers at a time at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center.” More here.
Turkey’s military chief says Istanbul just launched a grain transport monitoring center to track potential future Ukrainian naval exports on the Black Sea. “Inside the center, located inside the National Defense University in Istanbul, a square table was set up with computer workstations, with one side of the table designated for each participant in the agreement, marked by Ukrainian, Russian, Turkish and U.N. flags,” the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday on location.
What could lie ahead: “The deal calls on both Ukraine and Russia not to attack ships exporting grain from Odessa and two other Black Sea ports,” Elvan Kivilcim and Jared Malsin of the Journal write. Meantime, “Ukrainian pilots are set to guide commercial ships carrying grain and other foodstuffs through the mine fields around the ports and out into the Black Sea.” Read more at the Associated Press, here.
After India canceled talks to buy Russian helicopters, the Philippines joined in canceling their own deal to buy Russian helos, according to AP, reporting Wednesday from Manila. “Former Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said Tuesday night he canceled the 12.7-billion-peso [$227 million] deal to acquire the Mi-17 helicopters in a decision last month,” shortly after former President Rodrigo Duterte’s term ended. Lorenzana said expected U.S. sanctions motivated Manila to make this call. Read more, here.
- “Putin’s New Police State,” via investigative journalists Andrei Soldatov and Irina Borogan, writing in Foreign Affairs on Wednesday;
- “U.S., Europe Dig In for Long Economic Standoff With Russia,” via the Wall Street Journal, reporting Wednesday in a rollup of economic metrics and prognostications pointing to growing damage to Moscow, especially once the EU’s oil embargo kicks in in late 2022;
- “Russia cuts gas flows further as Europe urges energy saving,” Reuters reported Wednesday from Frankfurt and London;
- And “G7 aim to have price cap on Russian oil in place before Dec 5,” via Reuters, reporting separately from Brussels on Wednesday
Know somebody who’s not ready for the U.S. Army, but really wants to go anyway? Service officials elaborated somewhat Tuesday about their plan to soon launch the pilot program for a “Future Soldier Preparatory Class,” Defense One’s Libby Howe reports. The 90-day fitness and academic class is designed to improve the readiness of potential recruits who cannot meet Army accession standards. The first class is expected to begin in “early August,” service officials announced Tuesday.
The ultimate goal is to help reverse the Army’s downward recruiting trajectory, which is at its worst in four decades. And according to service officials, history suggests this new program could work. That’s because a similar preparatory school was held at South Carolina’s Fort Jackson—aka “relaxin’ Jackson,” as they called it when your D Brief-er finished basic there in the fall of 2007. That prep school operated for about three years, from 2008 to 2010, and notched a 95% graduation rate, cranking out more than 2,700 new soldiers. Read more about the Army’s ongoing recruiting woes, here; and read a bit more about this pilot program, here.
And lastly: Invoking the Defense Production Act to require an ice cream company to keep making “Choco Tacos” will only make the wider situation worse, Jeff Schogol argued Tuesday in Task & Purpose.
Wait, what? After the announcement Monday that Klondike will stop making Choco Tacos, Sen. Chris Murphy, a Democrat from Connecticut, tweeted that he would introduce legislation to invoke the Defense Production Act to save the ice cream novelties. The tweet was just a joke, of course, but Schogol took the idea and ran with it, outlining the many reasons he believes it would not work. One such reason: “The risk [of] the military using the Defense Production Act to create another slush fund for defense contractors rather than expediting the supply of Choco Tacos cannot be overstated,” he writes. Read the rest, here. | <urn:uuid:2ef302c0-741e-40f1-abfe-c7e241aec61c> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.defenseone.com/threats/2022/07/the-d-brief-july-27-2022/375005/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572163.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815085006-20220815115006-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.94214 | 2,144 | 1.804688 | 2 |
Learning about some environmental impact of the retail industry led us to wonder about what companies have aimed for in terms of sustainability goals. The textile industry is notorious for its carbon and water footprints with statistics widely available. How does a company promote sustainability? Do people know and support about these movements?
With many movements by certain retail companies to have more sustainable clothes and supply-chain processes, we wanted people to know and support these sustainability movements, all through an interactive and fun UI :)
What it does
We built an application to help users select suitable outfit pairings that meet environmental standards. The user is prompted to upload a picture of a piece of clothing they currently own. Based on this data, we generate potential outfit pairings from a database of environmentally friendly retailers. Users are shown prices, means of purchase, reasons the company is sustainable, as well as an environmental rating.
How we built it
Backend: Google Vision API, MySQL, AWS, Python with Heroku and Flask deployment
Using the Google Vision API, we learn of the features (labels, company, type of clothes and colour) from pictures of clothes. With these features, we use Python to interact with our MySQL database of clothes to both select a recommended outfit and additional recommended clothes for other potential outfit combinations.
To generate more accurate label results, we additionally perform a Keras (with Tensorflow backend) image segmentation to crop out the background, allowing the Google Vision API to extract more accurate features.
We built the front-end with React, using Firebase to handle user authentications and act as a content delivery network.
Challenges we ran into
The most challenging part of the project was learning to use the Google Vision API, and deploying the API on Heroku with all its dependencies.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
Intuitive and clean UI for users that allows ease of mix and matching while raising awareness of sustainability within the retail industry, and of course, the integration and deployment of our technology stack.
What we learned
After viewing some misfit outfit recommendations, such as a jacket with shorts, had we added a "seasonal" label, and furthermore a "dress code" label (by perhaps, integrating transfer learning to label the images), we could have given better outfit recommendations. This made us realize importance of brainstorming and planning.
What's next for Fabrical
Deploy more sophisticated clothes matching algorithms, saving the user's outfits into a closet, in addition to recording the user's age, and their preferences as they like / dislike new outfit combinations; incorporate larger database, more metrics, and integrate the machine learning matching / cropping techniques. | <urn:uuid:538fe8ac-82e3-426c-b2ef-b28011ca20ee> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://devpost.com/software/fabrical | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572163.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815085006-20220815115006-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.938521 | 554 | 2.3125 | 2 |
Mercedes has recently revealed a first set of images of the new Ener-G-Force SUV concept. We believe if the Merc G-Class was still around in 2025 – it would probably look like this. This new Mercedes-Benz G-class-based concept may be the first indication of the carmaker’s plans to launch a direct rival to the Range Rover.
The Ener-G-Force concept SUV is an imposing seven-seater that, in kitted-up highway patrol vehicle guise, is also Mercedes’ entry into the annual Los Angeles Auto Show Design Challenge at next week’s LA motor show.
The sources on the web claim the Ener-G-Force is the forerunner to a new three strong line-up of Land Rover-rivalling off-roaders set to join its line-up in coming years, based around existing platforms and driveline combinations, including a long-awaited replacement for the iconic G-class in production since 1979 and a Range Rover rival.
“The Ener-G-Force is the vision of an off-roader that, while reflecting tomorrow’s adventures, also invokes the genes of the Mercedes-Benz off-road icon, the G-Class,” said Gorden Wagener, Director of Design at Mercedes-Benz Cars. “Modern and cool, it could also be a clue about a new beginning for the off-road design idiom of Mercedes-Benz.”
The idea of designing tomorrow’s off-roader interested the designers at the Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design Studio in Carlsbad, California, the Ener-G-Force updates the functional go-anywhere appearance of the 33-year-old G-class with a bold new look that provides clues to how the company’s new SUV line-up, and it presents a radical reinterpretation of this classic that looks far into the future.
The Mercedes Ener-G-Force Concept stores recycled water in tanks on the roof, and transfers it to the “Hydro-Tech Converter,” where natural and renewable resources are converted into hydrogen for operating the fuel cells. The storage units for the electricity generated in this process are housed easily accessible in the striking side skirts. The Ener-G-Force emits nothing but water, has an operating range of up to 800km and as a result truly is a green car. Four wheel-hub motors, whose output for each individual wheel is adapted precisely to the respective terrain by high-performance electronics, provide the pulling power.
We’ll have more details of the Mercedes Ener-G-Force Concept from LA Auto Show later this month.
See more pictures of 2012 Mercedes Ener-G-Force Concept – | <urn:uuid:e7f97fa6-3dff-484e-a041-9df618881b09> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://bharathautos.com/mercedes-benz-ener-g-force-concept-indicates-at-future-g-class.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571993.68/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814022847-20220814052847-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.910908 | 574 | 1.523438 | 2 |
Innovation and Education
“There’s a way to do it better—find it.”
We are Engineers and technocrats. At LeanWay, we innovate and develop products which can be utilized for the betterment of society. Our focus stands on energy and water saving initiatives. Like BuzzZap Solar Light Insect Trap, ScaleBreck Water Conditioner and Yuvayu Air Ionizer, we have been working on following products.
Electric Mobility is becoming a necessity with the rise in fossil fuel costs, increasing pollution, reducing natural resources and global warming effects.
At LeanWay, we have designed and developed a two wheeler perfectly suitable for rural and urban mobility. With a solar charging option, we are introducing EDOM at a very affoardable price.
Plasma gasification is an emerging technology which can process landfill waste to extract commodity recyclables and convert carbon-based materials into fuels. It can form an integral component in a system to achieve zero-waste and produce renewable fuels, whilst caring for the environment | <urn:uuid:bade46a0-1ba4-41e1-a532-29bff7d7f475> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.leanwayenergy.com/innovations-and-education | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572163.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815085006-20220815115006-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.899186 | 227 | 1.804688 | 2 |
Robert K. Brigham: Is Iraq Another Vietnam? Historian Robert Brigham Speaks OutHistorians in the News
He's co-authored a book with Robert McNamara and was the first Western scholar to be given access to the archives in Hanoi, so it isn't surprising to learn that Vassar historian Robert K. Brigham sees parallels between Vietnam and Iraq. But he fairly shocked a small audience in Seattle today when he claimed that Condoleezza Rice is following in the footsteps of Henry Kissinger in Iraq, reversing the course of Bush administration foreign policy 180 degrees. Neo-con ideology is out, Metternich is in.
Brigham, who shared his perspective with scholars at the Army War College last Friday, says that Secretary of State Rice has adopted a Kissingerian 19th century balance-of-power approach to Iraq starkly at odds with the administration's democratic rhetoric in the first term. It's 1815 again, he says, referring to the Congress of Vienna, with Condoleezza Rice playing the part of Austrian Foreign Minister Metternich. Brigham's thesis is that Rice apparently has decided that the only way out of Iraq is for the United States to work covertly in league with Iran and Syria in the hope that they can control the chief groups of insurgents. In exchange for their help, he says, Rice is likely promising Iran and Syria through back channels the chance to become regional major players with American help.
This approach makes a certain amount of sense, he says, noting that both countries might hope to follow the example of China, whose economy began skyrocketing after detente with the United States in the 1970s. Nodding his head in wonderment he observed several times that China's per capita income has quadrupled since the 1970s. If Iran and Syria could achieve similar results their regimes could hope to remain in power forever.
But he also expressed reservations about Rice's old-fashioned approach, noting that it may not be possible for Iran and Syria to control the non-state actors in Iraq. It's not clear he said that we know nearly enough about the insurgents as we should to follow this course. While a deal could be struck with them if their end game is to run a government, no deal may be possible if they have some other goal in mind. And the sad fact is American intelligence is so weak in Iraq that the United States government doesn't really know what the insurgents want.
In all events a democratic Iraq is now an unlikely possibility. The best the United States may be able to hope for is a "decent interval" between the time we draw down our forces in Iraq and Syria and Iran become dominant there. He asked point blank if this is Secretary of State Rice's limited goal now. If so, it's Vietnam all over again. As Brigham recounted, Henry Kissinger in the 1970s concluded that because American popular support for the Vietnam War was declining the United States could not win. The solution therefore was to ask Moscow and Beijing for help in restraining North Vietnam while the United States slowly began the withdrawal of American forces. Kissinger always denied asking the Soviets and the Chinese for help in arranging a "decent interval." But documents released in the last year confirm that he did, says Brigham. Chinese leader Chou En-lai asked Kissinger how long a period this decent interval needed to last. Eighteen months, said Kissinger. And that is precisely how long the North Vietnamese waited before beginning their final push to conquer South Vietnam, Brigham noted.
Bob Woodward recently reported in State of Denial that Kissinger has become one of President Bush's chief advisors. Woodward has concluded this means the president plans to follow Kissinger's oft-stated Vietnam line that we should fight until victory. Brigham says Woodward needs to go back and read some history books. He'd discover that while Kissinger was telling the American public that victory in Vietnam was essential, he was secretly arranging to allow North Vietnam to retain 100,000 troops in the South after the United States withdrew, a provision that turned up in the Paris peace accords. That, says Brigham, doesn't sound like victory.
Brigham, who is friends with Bob McNamara and the author of the recently published book, Is Iraq Another Vietnam?, admits there are thousands of ways Iraq and Vietnam are different. But he says he's struck by several parallels. The strategy of clearing and holding ground is the same as in Vietnam. The rhetoric is the same; we will stand down as Iraqis stand up is classic Vietnam talk. And likely as not this war will end in failure as Vietnam did, with similar resulting recriminations in America for a generation.
The economic consequences could also be equally devastating. Remember the bad economy of the 1970s? It's coming, he predicted. Once again we have acted as if we could have both guns and butter. But by another economic measure the wars are dissimilar. Vietnam in inflation-adjusted dollars cost roughly half a trillion dollars over a period of twenty years. Iraq has cost more than that in less than four.
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omar ibrahim baker - 10/19/2007
omar ibrahim baker - 10/19/2007
The worst thing about this wanton war on Iraq is that , just like Korea, VietNam, Iran,Chile, Guatemala etc of yore the American people came to realize that their administration of the day engulfed in another war ,invasion or conflict TOO LATE for them to take decisive action to stop it quickly or prevent it from happenning in the first place.
By now the American people should realize that the foreign policy of the USA is as much a matter of urgency and impact on their lives as employment, civil rights and taxes; for them, and theirs it is , virtually,a matter of life and death.
Peter K. Clarke - 10/9/2007
Iraq is much worse than Vietnam. And to a large extent because of lazy kneejerk and nauseatingly repetitive false comparisons between the two. The people who should be trying to explain the present debacle, come up with diagnoses, and action plans for rectification, etc. have been much too busy myopically being nostalgic for the old debacle, to do much more than grease the mechanisms on Karl Rove's traps.
The leaders of the anti Vietnam war movement in the 1960s and '70s did not spend most of their time talking about how it was a repeat of the disarmament movement of the 1890s.
Stephen Kislock - 10/27/2006
A question; what are the number of Iraqi war brides in three and a half years of Occupation vs. the Vietnames war brides for the same peroid of time, Iraq vs. South VietNam?
Carl Becker - 10/22/2006
Iraq is falling into the same pattern as Vietnam and despite the tremendous amount of good battle news I hear daily from soldiers in the field, America’s war on terror and its attempt to democratize Iraq is failing big time.
Getting out of Iraq before the job is done is what Bush Jr. is certainly concerned about. And he will do it if he can (only his peculiar god can save him now) if these lost boys in the White House can figure out what they’re supposed to do.
Republican administrations have a history of cut-and-running and Bush ,Jr. has to change that somehow, either by really finishing the job or changing the meaning of the words, “cut-and-run”. Nixon let Saigon get overrun, Reagan pulled the Marines out in Lebanon, Bush the First could have gone to Baghdad and finished the job, and Bush, Jr. did a big cut-and-run no-no when he joined the National Guard to avoid Nam and missed a year of meetings to boot. Now that was a hell of a job Junior!
Sean M. Samis - 10/21/2006
Any speech or writing that is contrary to the wishes of those currently in power is dissent.
James Spence - 10/21/2006
There will never, ever be a “democratic Iraq”. This is not possible as long as Americans are showing Iraqis how that is supposed to happen since there is no true democracy practiced in the United States either. Americans don’t seem to know what that’s all about. What America’s “culture of life” is all about is though is selective morality. Bush and his facist followers believe that Americans are the choosen people, that it’s all right to kill over 665,000 Iraqis, or deny killing them, either way it doesn’t matter, it’s just another holocaust denial in the making.
Iraq is not another Vietnam but it is like another Vietnam but as the article says, it’s the same rhetoric . If Kissinger is really advising Bush, then he’s going for “victory” , using dubble-speak or BS terminology to obfuscate reality while working covertly. For the moment, what matters in this great war on terror, are how many US troops are dying or how many insurgents are dying or why they are so committed to dying – since “American intelligence is so weak in Iraq that the United States government doesn't really know what the insurgents want.” Bush compares this fight to fighting Nazism when in fact he may end up being guilty of the most horrendous crimes since Hitler – this also doesn’t matter. Anyway he’s covered, his freaked out daughter is negotiating the purchase of thousands of acres of land in a South American country where he’d be immune from extradition charges.
Grant W Jones - 10/20/2006
Are Michael Moore and the Daily Kos Krew "dissenters?" Or is the New York Times leaking classified info about ongoing anti-terror programs "dissent?"
Sean M. Samis - 10/20/2006
It says something horrible about our efforts in Iraq or Vietnam when telling the truth constitutes treason.
Sean M. Samis - 10/20/2006
If it turns out that bad, or worse, it won't be because I want it that way; that's just the way I suspect it will go.
History rarely repeats exactly, I don't think the comparisons between Iraq and Vietnam will be close all the way. Iraq may in some ways end better, but I suspect that in most ways it will end much worse.
john crocker - 10/20/2006
Perhaps the biggest parallel is supporters of the war labelling all dissent and even accurate reporting "aid and comfort to the enemy."
Lawrence Brooks Hughes - 10/20/2006
Let's see, there were about a million "boat people" who perished, plus about two million Cambodians mostly clubbed to death. That's a total of three million killings after we left because we left. And you think it would turn out worse if we left Iraq? That's a pretty bloodthirsty prediction.
Lawrence Brooks Hughes - 10/20/2006
The biggest parallel in both wars was the U.S. media giving aid and comfort to the enemy.
Sean M. Samis - 10/19/2006
Iraq will probably turn out to be much worse, much harder to get out of. When we left Vietnam, there was no concern they'd be sending terrorists to attack us.
mark safranski - 10/19/2006
"But he also expressed reservations about Rice's old-fashioned approach, noting that it may not be possible for Iran and Syria to control the non-state actors in Iraq. It's not clear he said that we know nearly enough about the insurgents as we should to follow this course"
Iran and Syria can reduce or increase the amount of gasoline being thrown on the fire by tightening borders (syria) or pressuring Shiite militias (Iran)but the non-state actors can too easily scrape by on the revenues from smuggling oil, kidnapping, extortion and foreign donations to be formally controlled.
The insurgency is highly decentralized, not a rigid hierarchy under Communist Party discipline. This is 4GW not classical COIN.
Our best short-term bet now is de facto partition of the salvagable regions.
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- Revisiting Lady Rochford and Her Alleged Betrayal of Anne Boleyn | <urn:uuid:a3e6eef4-715d-4793-859c-570f47e01bc3> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | http://hnn.us/roundup/entries/30895.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571993.68/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814022847-20220814052847-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.955591 | 2,726 | 1.960938 | 2 |
WASHINGTON (CN) — The Supreme Court split 6-3 on party lines Thursday in a ruling that says New York unconstitutionally restricted who gets to carry a concealed weapon in public.
“In District of Columbia v. Heller, and McDonald v. Chicago, we recognized that the Second and Fourteenth Amendments protect the right of an ordinary, law-abiding citizen to possess a handgun in the home for self-defense,” Justice Clarence Thomas wrote for the majority. “In this case, petitioners and respondents agree that ordinary, law-abiding citizens have a similar right to carry handguns publicly for their self-defense. We too agree, and now hold, consistent with Heller and McDonald, that the Second and Fourteenth Amendments protect an individual’s right to carry a handgun for self-defense outside the home.”
All three Democratic-appointed justices dissented, calling the ruling a major obstacle in the movement to address gun violence.
“Many States have tried to address some of the dangers of gun violence just described by passing laws that limit, in various ways, who may purchase, carry, or use firearms of different kinds,” Justice Stephen Breyer wrote, joined by joined by Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan. “The Court today severely burdens States’ efforts to do so.”
President Joe Biden called the ruling a deep disappointment, one that "contradicts both common sense and the Constitution, and should deeply trouble us all." He noted his executive actions to prevent gun violence and called on Americans to rally for gun safety.
"I urge states to continue to enact and enforce commonsense laws to make their citizens and communities safer from gun violence," Biden said in a statement. "As the late Justice Scalia recognized, the Second Amendment is not absolute. For centuries, states have regulated who may purchase or possess weapons, the types of weapons they may use, and the places they may carry those weapons. And the courts have upheld these regulations. I call on Americans across the country to make their voices heard on gun safety. Lives are on the line."
The ruling is the first of its kind in over a decade and comes amid renewed attention to gun laws across the country following the murder of 19 children and two school teachers in the deadliest mass shooting of the year.
For the last century, New York has used the Sullivan Law’s “proper cause” requirement to decide if gun owners qualify for a concealed-carry permit. New York allows licensing authorities to use discretion when considering applications to carry concealed firearms. Laws like New York's are referred to as “may” laws because a state may issue a license if the person shows good cause. Some states do not allow this discretion and instead have “shall” laws. In other states like Texas, the permitting process is being abandoned altogether.
The court’s decision strikes down the “may” laws, but keeps in place the “shall” laws. Justice Brett Kavanaugh — joined by Chief Justice John Roberts — addresses this issue specifically in a concurring opinion.
“The Court’s decision does not prohibit States from imposing licensing requirements for carrying a handgun for self-defense,” the Trump appointee wrote. “In particular, the Court’s decision does not affect the existing licensing regimes — known as “shall-issue” regimes — that are employed in 43 States.”
Robert Nash and Brandon Koch brought the underlying case after New York authorities decided that their self-defense needs did not amount to proper cause to justify concealed-carry licenses. Joined by the New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Nash and Koch took their fight to Washington after a federal judge found the law constitutional, and the Second Circuit affirmed. | <urn:uuid:00671dab-ed65-4267-b222-047366856327> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.courthousenews.com/strict-ny-gun-law-struck-down-by-supreme-court/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571758.42/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812200804-20220812230804-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.953812 | 780 | 1.898438 | 2 |
Old houses come with all sorts of quirks, from sloping floors to bathrooms built in odd places, but what about those qualities that aren't apparent upon first inspection?
When George and Charlien McGlothin bought their Victorian mansion at auction in 1989, they'd heard rumblings about an old lady on the second floor: a shadowy figure visitors claimed to see from time to time, either in person or in photographs examined after the fact. Some speculated that the woman was the spirit of the original owner's mother-in-law, who had moved into the house in 1900 and died two years later. But it wasn't until Charlien's own mother began experiencing things that the couple paid the stories any attention.
Falcon Rest Historic Mansion and Gardens in McMinnville, Tennessee, started out as the private home of local businessman Clay Faukner. He built the mansion in 1896 and lived there with his wife, Mary, and their five kids. At the time, the 10,000-square-foot house was one of the region's best examples of Queen Anne architecture, with solid brick walls and incredible modern technology for the day: central heat, electric lights, and indoor plumbing. Today, it remains one of the region's few Victorian homes open for public tours.
In 1929, following Mr. Faukner's death, the home was purchased by a doctor who ran a medical practice there until his death in 1941. From there it passed through several owners, eventually becoming a hospital and nursing home from 1945 to 1968. There are McMinnville residents who were born there, as well as those who remember their grandparents living there.
The McGlothins obtained the keys more than two decades later and spent the following four years painstakingly restoring the house. During those early years, Charlien's mother began experiencing something she couldn't easily explain.
"My mother was staying in [what was] Mr. Faulkner's room," says Charlien. "She was over 80, but her hearing and mind were great. She was a registered nurse and a former Sunday school teacher; she had never said anything about ghosts. She started telling us that she would hear footsteps on the stairs when no one was there, but they always stopped at the door. She decided it must've been Mr. Faulkner because he was a Victorian gentleman: He knew there was a lady in his room so he didn't come in."
Once Falcon Rest was restored to its former glory and opened to the public, the McGlothins hired guides to lead tours. Twelve years ago, a guide named Liz was showing a group around when one of the visitors asked about a "young lady wearing a bonnet" she'd seen walking into the house as they drove up to the house. "Was that one of your historical reenactors?" she asked.
"There's nobody here in costume and that front door is supposed to be locked," Charlien recalls. Liz told the guest that Falcon Rest doesn't have reenactors, but "we do have inhabitants," she said. As soon as she said it, the group heard a crash in another room. Liz went through the rest of the tour fearing she'd find something scattered all over the floor, but she didn't find anything out of place. It wasn't until Charlien made two thorough inspections of the house that they realized what had happened. A mirror, which had previously been secured over a buffet in the dining room had slid straight down to the floor.
"It's like it jumped off the screws, out of the solid brick wall without tipping forward," says Charlien. "It was only place in mansion that had two mirrors across from each other. Some people say ghosts don't like having two mirrors that directly face each other because it creates too much negative energy. So we left the mirror on the floor."
Some time later, a young male employee, a preacher's son and skeptic who'd told the McGlothins up front that he didn't believe in ghosts, had his own encounter. He walked into the visitors center looking white as a sheet, Charlien recalls. He had been in the mansion putting up Christmas decorations on the second floor. He was whistling "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" and when he stopped, the whistling continued and moved down the stairs. (It's interesting to note that this particular Christmas carol was written in 1849 and would have been well-known in contemporary society during the time the house was built.)
The unexplainable continues to happen at Falcon Rest. Paranormal research groups have regular stakeouts there, using Geiger counters, electromagnetic field (EMF) detectors, and plasma balls to capture evidence of hauntings, though Charlien wouldn't swear to any of it. "I have no ESP. I could have a ghost sitting on my lap and I wouldn't know the difference," she says.
What she has experienced is the mysterious unlocking and opening of doors that no one has a key to, which has happened as recently as this past summer. Again, the dining room is center stage. There are six doors leading out of the room, one of which goes to the side veranda, and another that goes to the back veranda, one goes to the hallway and just to the left of that is another door that also goes to the back veranda. "Two years ago we came into room and the door to the main veranda was open," says Charlien. "We always keep that door locked. We never go in and out that way but it was unlocked and open. So we locked it. Sometime later, we came through and the door to back veranda was unlocked—I didn't even know we had a key to that one!"
In July, the McGlothins were away at a tradeshow when a staff member called to tell them that something "really weird" had happened. George had checked all of the doors before he left to make sure they were locked, and the staffer had done the same before leaving work the night before, when she returned in the morning and made her way back veranda to turn on fountain, she noticed the back door by the dining room was sitting wide open. "Fortunately, nobody got in or out but the ghost," says Charlien.
There's a reason the McGlothins have stayed at Falcon Rest so long. The strange occurrences that have happened in their historic home, however baffling, have no malevolence behind them. In fact, visitors who are "sensitive to that sort of thing" have told them just the opposite. Whatever spirits that may dwell there are playful and curious, protectors even. "All of our ghosts are friendly," says Charlien. "They know who pays the bills and they're not about to run off paying customers."
Follow Country Living on Pinterest. | <urn:uuid:993973e3-9a0f-41ab-8b3a-b18c6ab2f5eb> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.countryliving.com/life/a40365/falcon-rest-mansion-tennessee/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571472.69/warc/CC-MAIN-20220811133823-20220811163823-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.989383 | 1,405 | 1.890625 | 2 |
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Oldest Christian monastery in Iraq razed
IRBIL, Iraq — Satellite photos obtained by The Associated Press confirm what church leaders and Middle East preservationists had feared: The oldest Christian monastery in Iraq has been reduced to a field of rubble, yet another victim of the Islamic State group's relentless destruction of heritage sites it considers heretical.
St. Elijah's Monastery stood as a place of worship for 1,400 years, including most recently for U.S. troops. In earlier millennia, generations of monks tucked candles in the niches, prayed in the chapel, worshipped at the altar. The Greek letters chi and rho, representing the first two letters of Christ's name, were carved near the entrance.
Before it was razed, a partially restored, 27,000-square-foot stone and mortar building stood fortress-like on a hill above Mosul. Although the roof was largely missing, it had 26 distinctive rooms including a sanctuary and chapel. One month later photos show "that the stone walls have been literally pulverized," said imagery analyst Stephen Wood, CEO of Allsource Analysis, who pinpointed the destruction between August and September 2014. More
If You Could Invent A Religion, What Would It Look Like?
If you could start a new religion that would change the world for the better, what would it look like?
If some ideas are bubbling to the surface, then now is the perfect time to sit down and write an outline. Jewish nonprofit and cultural center 92nd Street Y, in partnership with radio podcast and website On Being, is offering cash prizes for people who can come up with a compelling proposal.
“The whole point of this challenge is to empower people to think about solutions and explore how religion can act as a powerful force for good,” said Asha Curran, Director of the Center for Innovation and Social Impact at 92nd Street Y, which is shortened as 92Y and has no relation to the YMCA. More
Pastor Accused of Raping, Impregnating Teen Skips Flight
A Chester County, Pennsylvania, pastor wanted on charges he raped and impregnated a teen girl skipped his flight home from Ecuador but is still expected to surrender to police this weekend, according to police.
Jacob Malone, who lived in Exton, has been in Ecuador as allegations have come to light that he raped a girl while working at Calvary Fellowship Church in Downingtown, said police.
"What he did is horrible," said pastor Bill Bateman. "We're hurting over it, the church is hurting over it, we're hurting for his wife and kids, and, of course, the young lady."
Malone, 33, was scheduled to board a plane in Ecuador Thursday but he rescheduled for a weekend flight, said police. More
'Japanese Schindler' Who Saved 6,000 Lives During World War II Finally Gets A Movie
Steven Spielberg's 1993 film "Schindler's List" told the story of German businessman Oskar Schindler, whose determination to stand up for what was right saved approximately 1,100 Jews from the Nazis.
Twenty-three years later, another hero who saved lives during the Holocaust is being commemorated with a feature-length film.
Chiune Sugihara was a Japanese diplomat who was stationed at a consulate in Kaunas, Lithuania during the early days of World War II. Between July 31 and August 28, 1940, Sugihara and his wife spent long nights writing and issuing more than 2,000 visas for Jewish refugees desperate to flee the Nazis and build new lives in Japan -- even though his actions defied the Japanese government's orders. More
‘Mastur-Plan’ App Offers Mormon Alternative To Jerking Off
Hey there, chronic masturbator! Were you aware that The Book of Mormon considers “sexual sins” like whacking off as second only to murder? It’s true, at least according to Scott Stevens.
Stevens hasn’t masturbated in 17 years, 43 days, and 16 hours and he’s “declared war on masturbation” with his $65,000 Kickstarter for an anti-masturbation app called Mastur Plan.
There’s no other way to put this — his Kickstarter is INSANE.
Let’s take a closer look: Here’s how it works: the user will use a Log Activity button to mark each “instance of masturbatory activity… any extenuating circumstances or triggers (that led to jerking off)… and times when [users] were tempted to indulge, but successfully withheld.” More
Secret pagan basilica in Rome emerges from the shadows after 2,000 years
A mysterious Roman basilica built for the worship of an esoteric pagan cult and now lying hidden more than 40ft below street level has opened to the public for the first time.
The basilica, the only one of its kind in the world, was excavated from solid tufa volcanic rock on the outskirts of the imperial capital in the first century AD.
Lavishly decorated with stucco reliefs of gods, goddesses, panthers, winged cherubs and pygmies, it was discovered by accident in 1917 during the construction of a railway line from Rome to Cassino, a town to the south.
An underground passageway caved in, revealing the entrance to the hidden chamber. More
Survey Finds That Christians Have the Most Abortions
Over 40 percent of women who have had an abortion say they were frequent churchgoers at the time they ended their pregnancies and about a half of them say they kept their abortions hidden from church members, new LifeWay Research shows.
In a survey released Monday that was sponsored by the pregnancy center support organization Care Net, researchers from the Christian research group LifeWay found that about 70 percent of women who had an abortion self-identified as Christians, while 43 percent say they attended a Christian church at least once per month or more at the time they aborted their child.
The survey, which interviewed 1,038 respondents who've all had abortions, found that 20 percent of the respondents attended church at least once a week at the time of their first pregnancy termination. Six percent said they attended church more than once per week, while about 54 percent said they rarely or never attended a church. More
Bill Maher Blames Fundamentalist Religion for California Shooting
Comedian and “Real Time” host Bill Maher took to Twitter to provide what would have been a preview of Friday night’s episode were he not on hiatus until the new year, blaming the mass-killing in San Bernardino on religious fundamentalism — and doing so, it should be mentioned, without singling out Islam.
Christian Couple Sue for Right to Keep Their Kids Uneducated as They Await Rapture
On Monday, the Texas Supreme Court will hear arguments over whether Christian parents of homeschooled children have to follow basic educational standards or if they're allowed to keep their kids blissfully free of knowledge as they wait to be whisked off to heaven.
Texas couple Michael and Laura McIntyre homeschooled their nine children in a motorcycle shop, where the kids did little by way of school work besides play instruments and sing songs, according to witnesses. One relative overheard a child say that there was no point in doing real school work because, "they were going to be raptured," the AP reports.
The family got on school officials' radar when their oldest daughter ran away and tried to enroll in school. The El Paso school district demanded they show proof the kids were getting a proper education, prompting the couple to sue the district for displaying anti-Christian bias and a "startling assertion of sweeping governmental power," the AP reports. More
Is religion doing enough to root out abuse?
From when Karen Morgan was 12, until she was well into her teens, she was sexually abused by her uncle - a ministerial servant with the Jehovah's Witnesses.
He would go upstairs, on the premise that he was saying a prayer with his niece, then sexually abuse her.
Now in her 30s, Karen wasn't understood when she first told her parents what her uncle, Mark Sewell, was doing. Sewell was also the son of a trusted older member of the local Jehovah's Witnesses congregation, known as an elder.
Christian churches, as well as other religions, have faced claims of child abuse. But what is striking about the Jehovah's Witnesses is their explicit policy of dealing with abuse in-house.
Because of their practice of following the Bible literally, they insist there must be two witnesses to a crime, often not the case in child abuse cases. However, in Karen's case a second witness did come forward: Wendy, a family friend and fellow member of the Barry congregation in south Wales. She had been raped by the same man. More
The psychology behind religious belief
Throughout history, scholars and researchers have tried to identify the one key reason that people are attracted to religion. Some have said people seek religion to cope with a fear of death, others call it the basis for morality, and various other theories abound.
But in a new book, a psychologist who has studied human motivation for more than 20 years suggests that all these theories are too narrow. Religion, he says, attracts followers because it satisfies all of the 16 basic desires that humans share.
"It's not just about fear of death. Religion couldn't achieve mass acceptance if it only fulfilled one or two basic desires," said Steven Reiss, a professor emeritus of psychology at The Ohio State University and author of The 16 Strivings for God (Mercer University Press, 2016).. More
Mexican Woman Sees Jesus in her Tortilla
Enedina Mendoza, a tortilla maker from the Tlalixtac de Cabrera town in Oaxaca, Mexico claims that Jesus’ face has miraculously appeared in one of the tlayadas (tortilla) she was preparing.
The claimed apparition happened a couple of weeks before the town’s feast of Santo Guillermo (Saint William) on June 25. According to Mendoza, she initially decided not to attend the festival which led to an argument with her fellow devote sister. While preparing her tortillas that day, she noticed that a particular pancake wasn’t browning as expected. Upon careful inspection of that piece, she noticed that the tortilla is clean and not toasted except for a small spot which according to her resembles the face of Jesus.
Mendoza never consumed neither sold the “miraculous” tortilla and instead put it on display in her altar together with the statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe and other Catholic saints. She has also shared the news to her sister who claimed that it’s a sign that Mendoza should attend the festival. More
Pastor Rapes Boys & Escapes Jail Time
Starting since back in 2007, Iowa pastor Brent Girouex, 31, began his violent campaign to “rape away the gay” of four teenage boys.
Girouex reportedly explained his actions to police by saying, “when they would ejaculate, they would be getting rid of the evil thoughts in their mind.”
Additionally, praying while he had sexual contact with his victims in an effort to keep them “sexually pure” for God.
Arrested in 2011 and charged with 60 counts of rape, Girouex had his 17 year sentence suspended by a judge this week, to “allow Girouex to get sex offender treatment and probation. Girouex’s probation will last five years — the maximum allowed by law.” More
Laura Prepon from ‘Orange is the New Black’ opens up about Scientology
"Orange Is the New Black" star Laura Prepon says she is able to handle the pressures of showbiz without breaking a sweat because she is a "thetan" -- a spiritual being attached to her own body that may be an outer space alien.
Which is to say, Prepon is big into Scientology.
So much so that she was on the cover of the recent issue of "Celebrity Magazine," a magazine made by and for members of America's most controversial religion.
“When you really cognate that you are a thetan and you have a mind and body, and that the MEST universe does not control you - it puts things into perspective," Prepon is quoted as saying in the interview. "It takes the weight off you and things become very easy." More
Could the discovery of life elsewhere negatively impact religion or will it prove God exists?
By the turn of the 21st Century, the human race has witnessed massive advancements in astronomy and our understanding of the universe. Gone are the days when we only know basic facts of our solar system.
Today, experts at NASA and other space agencies are exploring the depths of the universe searching for clues as to how the universe and planets were formed and there’s also the unending probe for the existence of life or a livable planet somewhere else.
The most recent and exciting discovery made by the Kepler telescope was the existence of an earth-like planet several billion miles away from our home.
Planet Kepler-452b is now often referred to as Earth 2.0. Whether there’s life on this distant planet or there’s none, it will take quite some time for us to find out. More
Jehovah’s Witnesses cover up child sex abuse and oust a victim
McALESTER, Okla. – In the summer of 2012, the elders in Debbie McDaniel’s congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses expelled her for having a sexual relationship with a woman. They announced her punishment to the congregation and notified the organization’s headquarters in New York. The consequences were clear: She would be shunned by the Witnesses – including her mother, father, sister and brother – and lose her chance at eternal life.
Jehovah’s Witnesses call their version of excommunication disfellowshipping, a punishment by shunning to rid the faithful of bad associations with those who break the laws of God. Once they’re expelled, the disfellowshipped cannot have any contact with Witnesses, even polite acknowledgment on the street, until they have proved their repentance and willingness to return obediently to the organization. In some cases, they’re shunned for the rest of their lives. More
Russians feel less positive towards religion now than they did in 1990
OVER the quarter-century since the collapse of the Soviet system, Russian feelings about religion have changed a lot, as one might imagine. In Soviet times, the state expected and encouraged citizens to be atheists. Now a loose affiliation to a religious faith has become the national default mode; a plurality of Russians tell pollsters they are Russian Orthodox, while significant minorities identify with Islam, Buddhism or Judaism.
But a survey published a few days ago by one of Russia's best-known pollsters, VTSIOM, showed something unexpected in its comparison of present-day attitudes in Russia with those of 1990. Although there is a jump (from 23% to 55%) in the share of people who say they are sometimes "helped" by religion in their own lives, the general effect of religion on human welfare is viewed in much bleaker terms than before.
The proportion of people who think religion does more good than harm to society has slumped from 61% to 36% while the share detecting more harm than good has risen from 5% to 23%. More
Secrets Of the Extreme Religious Right: Inside the Frightening World Of Christian Reconstructionism
As an unprecedented shift in public opinion brought about the legalization of gay marriage, a vigorous counter-current has been intensifying under the banner of “religious freedom”—an incredibly slippery term.
Perhaps the most radical definition of such freedom comes out of the relatively obscure tradition of Christian Reconstructionism, the subject of a new book by religious studies scholar Julie Ingersoll, Building God’s Kingdom: Inside the World of Christian Reconstructionism. As Ingersoll explains, Reconstructionists basically reject the entire framework of secular political thought in which individual rights have meaning, so “freedom” as most Americans understand the term is not the issue at all. Indeed, they argue that such “freedom” is actually slavery—slavery to sin, that is. Reconstructionists aim to establish a theocracy, though most would no doubt bristle at that description. They do not want to “take over the government” so much as they want to dismantle it. More
Islamic State militants throw another man off building for 'being gay'
Photographs show huge crowds packing the street below the building to leer at the young man being hurled to his death in Raqqa, the Islamic State's de-facto capital in Syria.
One image shows bearded militants, dressed in all-black, filming the man's barbaric fall from the edge of the town's tallest building.
The victim, believed to be in his mid-20s, is then seen plummeting towards the ground where he is pictured laying lifeless and encircled by sick IS supporters brandishing military-grade weaponry.
The images - believed to have come from an as-yet unreleased IS propaganda video - were distributed by activist group Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently who work undercover in the city. More
Wheaton drops student health insurance to avoid Obamacare contraception mandate
CHICAGO, — Wheaton College, an evangelical Christian school Ilinois, will stop providing health insurance to students on Friday because of its objection to the Obamacare mandate to provide contraceptive coverage, a legal group has announced.
The decision affects about 500 of 3,000 students at the nondenominational liberal arts school — nicknamed the “evangelical Harvard” — in the Chicago suburb of Wheaton, according to the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, a Washington-based legal group that represents the college.
Wheaton College President Philip Ryken said in a statement that the government’s insistence that the college provide insurance services that contradict its religious beliefs forced it to make this “difficult choice.” More
Harare pastor rapes a 15 year old girl
HARARE: A senior pastor with Kingdom Fellowship ministries Wednesday appeared in court for allegedly raping his 15 year old girlfriend.
Magistrate Elijah Makomo did not ask Elisha Nhando of Borrowdale to plead as he remanded him to Thursday for trial.
But the case was to be postponed to next Monday as Makomo was absent on Thursday.
According to the state, sometime in October last year Nhando took the juvenile, whose name cannot be revealed for professional reasons, from her place of residence in Domboshawa as her guardian up to 22 June this year. More
Craft beer meets religion in Fort Collins
"Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already approved what you do." — Ecclesiastes 9:7
When Rev. J.P. Channels came to Fort Collins from the Midwest late last year to interview for a leading church position, he found himself on a brewery tour.
"We love our beer, and folks in our congregation love Fort Collins beer," explained Melissa St. Clair, pastor of Heart of the Rockies Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). "In fact, when J.P. was interviewing out here, we kept selling the beer."
Channels moved to Colorado to join St. Clair at Heart of the Rockies, on South Lemay Avenue and Trilby Road. The 23-year-old mainline protestant church's founding pastor had just retired, and St. Clair thought the timing was right to introduce a new pastor at a new church event: Beer & Hymns. More
Think religion is dead? Just look at ‘Game of Thrones.’
What academics loftily call “the secularization thesis” is by now so dead it is almost disrespectful to speak ill of it. Here are its contours: Back in modernity, it was taken for granted that religion would gradually die away, replaced by the logical matters of reason and politics, something we should have managed by now. As we became more enlightened, we’d obviously become less religious, right?
But here we are in the 21st century, and religion shows few signs of slowing. People channeling and claiming the raw power of the gods is barely even surprising anymore. ISIS, for instance, is just our backdrop.
North Americans have an entertaining habit of working out our anxieties about religion on TV. And this season of “Game of Thrones” is as great a catharsis as secularization zealots can hope for. More
Montana Republican: Noah Was 600 Years Old When He Built the Ark, So Why Do Americans Need Retirement?
WASHINGTON -- Greg Gianforte, a multi-millionaire tech entrepreneur who is "seriously considering" challenging Montana Gov. Steve Bullock (D) in 2016, doesn't believe he has to divorce his Christian faith from his professional life.
The potential candidate started the software company RightNow Technologies in 1997 and sold the firm to Oracle for $1.5 billion in 2011. Now, he's traveling around the state promoting his Better Montana Jobs initiative, which includes a focus on telecommuting as a means to attract college graduates to Montana. As he gears up for a potential race against Bullock, Gianforte's support for socially conservative policies has drawn scrutiny to his record.
In a February talk at the Montana Bible College about how to find "godly purpose" in work, Gianforte explained why retirement isn't consistent with biblical teachings.
"There's nothing in the Bible that talks about retirement. And yet it's been an accepted concept in our culture today," he said. "Nowhere does it say, 'Well, he was a good and faithful servant, so he went to the beach.' It doesn't say that anywhere." More
How Christianity's Eastern history has been forgotten
Christianity has a history that most of us know little about. A history that spreads eastward as well as westward, writes former Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams for BBC Newsnight.
We would probably take it for granted that someone reading a religious text in Arabic would be a Muslim - but the truth is that you will find plenty of Christians reading their Bibles and books of prayers in the language.
It is a sharp reminder of the diversity that once marked the Arabic-speaking world. It is a reminder, too, of aspects of Christianity's history the majority of us have little idea about: a period when there were probably as many Christians in Asia as in Europe. More
Jehovah’s Witnesses ask for Money. Again. But this time around, it’s in a sweet, sweet Music Video.
“I give to you, Jehovah, the best I have to give”, sings a voice while a young Jehovah’s Witnesses woman happily donates money to JW.org via credit card. This is just one of two scenes in a new music video from JW.org illustrating what the Governing Body really means when they want folks to give the best they have to give.
In January, JW Alumni already reported on the not-so-subtle call for money in the 2015 Yearbook. Just five months on and they’re asking for donations again. This time it is part of a music video accompanying the Jehovah’s Witness song Honor Jehovah with Your Valuable Things (you can watch it here) in the May 2015 JW Broadcasting episode.
Lest any viewer misses what the Governing Body is driving at, the video illustrates the point in case. Jehovah’s Witnesses need money. In the beginning, a friendly older lady sells some eggs, the proceeds of which go straight to the worldwide work of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Then, a tad later, a young woman whisks out her credit card to give money to the Governing Body via JW.org. More
‘Peeping-Tom rabbi’ seeks to avoid prison in voyeurism scandal
An attorney for the prominent Washington rabbi who pleaded guilty to secretly videotaping dozens of women naked during ritual baths asked a judge to sentence him to community service, not prison, according to court records.
Prosecutors are seeking a 17-year prison term for Rabbi Barry Freundel, 63, who will be sentenced on Friday (May 15). He pleaded guilty in February to recording the women between early 2009 and October 2014, using devices installed in two changing rooms for the National Capital Mikvah, next to the Kesher synagogue in the upscale Georgetown neighborhood.
Freundel attorney Jeffrey Harris, in a memo filed on Friday in response to the prosecutor’s request, said Freundel has been punished enough by being publicly humiliated and losing his job. More
Maryland bishop charged in DUI death is defrocked by Episcopal Church
An Episcopal bishop in Maryland who’s facing manslaughter charges in the drunk-driving death of a bicyclist has been defrocked and “will no longer function as an ordained person in the Episcopal Church.”
Heather Cook was a suffragan (assistant) bishop in the Diocese of Maryland when she was charged with manslaughter in the Dec. 27 hit-and-run death of cyclist Tom Palermo, a 41-year-old husband and father of two, in Baltimore. Within a month of the accident, the diocese that she had helped lead for just three months asked her to resign.
Cook, who is free on bail and seeking treatment for alcoholism, faces 13 charges including drunken driving, leaving the scene of an accident and causing an accident due to texting while driving. More
Jehovah’s Witnesses To Pay $13.5 Million: Child Sexual Abuse Isn’t Just A Catholic Problem
We are used to hearing about Catholic priests molesting children and the Church covering up the crime, but sexual abuse is not only a Catholic problem.
A $13.5 million judgment has been ruled in San Diego Superior Court against The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, the organization that oversees Jehovah’s Witnesses.
The court finds a church elder, Gonzalo Campos, guilty of sexually abusing then 7-year-old Jose Lopez in the mid 1980’s. The abuse took place during Spanish Congregation bible study at the Jehovah’s Witnesses church in Linda Vista, California.
ABC 10 News was told by Attorney Irwin Zalkin that The Watchtower knew Campos had been accused of abusing children years before he even met Lopez. The Watchtower swept the sexual abuse under the rug.
Zalkin says six other people have settled sexual abuse cases with The Watchtower and another lawsuit will go to trial in June. He believes these cases are only the tip of the iceberg and “there are probably hundreds if not thousands of perpetrators.” More
Vatican kicks off environmental push with climate change summit
Top officials from the Vatican, the head of the United Nations and leading scientists came together at a summit Tuesday (April 28) in Vatican City to label the fight against man-made climate change as a “moral issue.”
“Mitigating climate change and adapting to its effects are necessary to eradicate extreme poverty, reduce inequality and secure equitable, sustainable economic development,” said Ban Ki Moon, U.N. secretary-general, in the keynote speech.
“It is a moral issue. It is an issue of social justice, human rights and fundamental ethics,” the secretary-general said, adding that “climate change is the defining issue of our time.” More
Georgia Pastor Wants His Flock to Give Him $65 Million So He Can Buy a Private Jet
Pastor Creflo Dollar runs Creflo Dollar Ministries, based in the Atlanta-area with international affiliates in several other countries.
As a part of his work, Dollar travels globally to preach to various global audiences. But the private plane he has been using had a mechanical problem, and now it has to be replaced.
Thus Project G650 was born. The aptly-named Dollar is asking his flock to raise the $65 million he needs to purchase a Gulfstream G650 private jet so he can continue to travel abroad. He's specifically asking for $300 from each member of his flock, which would allow him to get to the $65 million he needs.
It's unclear why Dollar has not considered the option of flying commercial and/or personally traveling less – rather than asking his flock to donate so generously so he can obtain a private jet that typically seats 18 people and has a range of 7,000 nautical miles. More
Jehovah's Witnesses video slammed for threatening kids with death for not paying attention in church
A Jehovah's Witness promotional cartoon has been slammed for appearing to threaten children who don't pay attention in church with death.
Viewers have dubbed the controversial animated clip, posted to YouTube by JW.org, as "stupid," "dumb" and "mind control."
It begins with two youngsters attending a service with their parents. A little boy plays with his car, while his sister almost falls asleep. Both are then told off for not focusing on what the preacher is saying. The family arrives home and, as they sit down to eat, their mom asks what they learned at church.
"No sleeping at the meeting," replies the girl. Her sibling then grumpily adds, "No playing at the meeting."
Their father then explains exactly why they should pay attention. "Imagine if Noah didn't pay attention when Jehovah explained how to build the Ark," he says. The cartoon cuts to Noah playing on a video game and not listening to God's instructions before the sky goes dark and rain begins to fall. He runs into a building which falls apart. The screen fills with water and the game floats by with "Game Over" written on it. More
San Francisco Church Installs Watering System to Drench Homeless and Keep Them Away
KCBS, a news station in San Francisco, has a shocking story about Saint Mary's Cathedral, the main church of the Archdiocese of San Francisco. The station has learned that the cathedral has installed a special watering system to keep homeless people from sleeping in the doorways. Similar anti-homeless measures have been carried out in other cities including London and New York, as Allegra Kirkland recently reported.
The church has a sign saying “No trespassing” but it posts no warnings that people who lie down in the doorway will be sprayed by water. KCBS notes that the sprinkler system in the ceiling above the doorway “ran for about 75 seconds, every 30 to 60 minutes while we were there, starting before sunset, simultaneously in all four doorways. KCBS witnessed it soak homeless people and their belongings.” More
Older than Stonehenge, mystifying moon god stones uncovered in Israel
The crescent moon is a symbol of Islam. Muslim, Jewish and Christian holidays revolve around cycles of the moon. So it’s no big surprise that an ancient structure, devoted to the moon, has recently been uncovered in Israel.
Israel is the birthplace of monotheism, belief in one God, but this new structure paid homage to a Mesopotamian-era moon god, new research uncovers. Older than Stonehenge and older than many pyramids, it is not just a stone wall as it was once believed.
Israeli archeologists originally thought that the structure, located in Northern Israel, and known as the Jethro Cairn, or Rujum en-Nabi Shua’ayb transliterated from Arabic, was part of an ancient city found near the Sea of Galilee. More
Libyan parliament confirmed the death of 21 kidnapped Egyptian Coptic Christians
Libyan parliament confirmed Saturday the death of 21 kidnapped Egyptian Coptic Christian workers in Libya following photos released by an English publication affiliated with the ‘Islamic State’, called Dabeq, claiming their execution.
The Libyan legislative body said that the workers were killed by the self-proclaimed ‘Islamic State’ group, often referred to as ISIS, in the city of Sirte, according to state newspaper Al-Ahram.
The Egyptian government has asserted it “will spare no effort for the kidnapped”, but has not confirmed the execution of 21 kidnapped Egyptian Coptic workers in Libya by ‘Islamic State’. More
Jehovah’s Witness Leader Rants Against Higher Education, Saying It’ll Lead to “Spiritual Disaster”
Jehovah’s Witnesses Governing Body member Tony Morris is the host of the January video on the new JW online television network and what he says is a terrifying tirade against higher education.
You can see the full episode here since it’s not embeddable, but in short, they show us that what JWs fear the most is being challenged on their beliefs — and places where your beliefs are scrutinized are to be avoided at all costs.
At the 4:30 mark: … all too often, our young people have met with spiritual disaster, especially after leaving home and living on a university campus. So parents and children, you need to have a goal and you need to have a plan. If you’re missing either one, Satan will provide it for you. Young people, ask yourself: Why am I considering additional education? Is it because I’m pursuing a specific skill or trade to support my service to Jehovah? Or have I been pressured by the system into believing that higher education will somehow make me a more respected person or lead me to a better life? More
Pat Robertson recommends reverse mortgage because Jesus needs money
Jesus loves you, and he needs money: Televangelist Pat Robertson tells an elderly woman with financial problems a reverse mortgage will allow her to continue to offer financial support to his ministry.
On Tuesday’s 700 Club, Robertson read and discussed an email sent by an impoverished senior citizen named Maria who was having a hard time making ends meet while financially supporting Robertson’s 700 Club. Maria writes:
Robertson was all in favor of the reverse mortgage, because, you know, Jesus needs more money. In his response to Maria, Robertson pointed out that a reverse mortgage prevented the bank from taking “your house away from you as long as you are alive and living.” More
Newsboys' Former Member George Perdikis Is Now An Outspoken Atheist
One of the original members of a world-renowned Christian rock band has come out as an atheist.
George Perdikis, an early member of Newsboys, says he’s lost his faith
in God -- and that the band’s current members aren’t as squeaky clean
as they appear to be.
Perdikis wrote about his faith journey in a Patheos blog:
Tampa homeless program uses unpaid, destitute residents as steady labor force, revenue source
TAMPA — Before every Tampa Bay Buccaneers home game, dozens of men gather in the yard at New Beginnings of Tampa, one of the city's largest homeless programs.
The men — many of them recovering alcoholics and drug addicts — are about to work a concessions stand behind Raymond James Stadium's iconic pirate ship, serving beer and food to football fans. First, a supervisor for New Beginnings tries to pump them up.
"Thank God we have these events," he tells them. "They bring in the prime finances." But not for the workers. They leave the game sweat-soaked and as penniless as they arrived. The money for their labor goes to New Beginnings. The men receive only shelter and food.
For years, New Beginnings founder and CEO Tom Atchison has sent his unpaid homeless labor crews to Tampa Bay Rays, Lightning and Bucs games, the Daytona 500 and the Florida State Fair. For their shelter, he's had homeless people work in construction, landscaping, telemarketing, moving, painting, even grant-writing. More
Muslim Teacher Raped Kids So Badly One Needed Surgery To Repair Her Genitals
Police are hunting the former head teacher of a private Islamic school accused of the sexual abuse and rape of two middle school female students.
Tariq Ahmad, 35, who worked at Nur-Ul-Islam Academy, Florida, has been charged with five first degree counts after the alleged abuse which left one student needing 'substantial surgical repair'.
The girls were aged 14 and 15 when Ahmad allegedly forced them into sexual relationships, according to a lawsuit.
Their attorneys said Ahmed would use text messages, social media and even code on the chalk boards in the classroom to set up meetings with the girls. They also claim the Academy officials knew of Ahmed's illegal conduct for years and did nothing until now. More
Hamilton family left corpse upstairs for six months expecting resurrection
They believed it because they had prayed for it, every single day, while his corpse lay rotting for six months in an upstairs bedroom of their Hamilton home.
When neighbours asked about her husband, curious about the 52-year-old man's seeming disappearance, Kaling Wald would tell them he was "in God's hands now."
On Monday, Kaling, 50, pleaded guilty to failing to notify police or the coroner that her husband had died due to a sickness that was not being treated by a doctor. It's the first known case of its kind (involving the resurrection belief) in Canada.
The criminal charges originally laid in the case – neglect of duty regarding a dead body and offering an indignity to a body – were withdrawn and replaced with that single charge under the Coroner's Act.
Kaling had no ill intent, all agreed. As assistant crown attorney Janet Booy put it, the devout Christian woman's faith had "tainted and warped her better judgment." More
Jehovah's Witnesses Ordered to Pay $13.5M to Bible Teacher's Alleged Victim
A San Diego man who says he suffered "very aggressive abuse" as a child by his Bible study teacher was awarded a $13.5 million judgment Wednesday against the organization that oversees Jehovah's Witnesses churches.
Jose Lopez, now 35, was one of eight children who have accused Gonzalo Campos of sexually abusing them between 1982 and 1995, according to his lawsuit against the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, the entity that oversees Jehovah’s Witness churches.
Campos served in the leadership of the Linda Vista Spanish Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses and Playa Pacifica Spanish Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Pacific Beach.
In about 1986, when Lopez was 7 years old, Campos was first introduced to him as a fatherly figure who could teach him about the Bible. Instead, Campos used his position and time alone with Lopez to groom him, Zalkin said. More
Chaste No More: Why I Had to Abandon the Christian Purity Movement
“This is so we can stay pure and abstain from sexual sin,” he said as he awkwardly placed the purity ring onto my finger, and another one onto his. The ring’s engraving read, “True Love Waits.” I was 16. He was nearly 19. We were both virgins struggling to stay pure in an evangelical Christian community.
The Pentecostal church forbade any form of premarital sex. While leaders of the church didn’t specifically address oral, anal or masturbatory sex, its young congregants assumed it was all sin before marriage. Foreplay was an area rarely discussed. I asked one of my female mentors at the church about this one.
She referred to a verse in the Bible:
“Young women of Jerusalem, promise me by the power of deer and gazelles never to awaken love before it is ready.” — Song of Solomon 2:7, Contemporary English Version (CEV).
However, I later found out the Complete Jewish Bible (CJB) version read:
“I warn you, daughters of Yerushalayim, by the gazelles and deer in the wilds, not to awaken or stir up love until it wants to arise!” More
Jews Spent Centuries in Antakya, Turkey. Now, There's Only 17 Left
Saul Cenudioglu remembers when his synagogue was full and when Muslims and Christians of this diverse Turkish city joined with Jews to celebrate marriages and births.
“I’m afraid in 15 or 20 years, people in Antakya might be saying, ‘Did you know there used to be Jews in this city?’” Cenudioglu said.
Antakya sits just 20 miles from the border with Syria, nestled in the fertile and lush mountainous region of Turkey’s southern Hatay province. The city of more than 200,000 has always been known across Turkey for its natural beauty and for its fresh fruit.
In recent years, though, with war on its doorstep and an influx of 30,000 Syrian refugees, the province has taken on a reputation as a hub for war-hardened fighters and an important lifeline for the Free Syrian Army. It has also become a popular crossing point for foreign jihadis seeking battle in Syria. More
Jehovah's Witness Leader Lets Loose on Tight Attire From 'Homosexual Designers'
A Jehovah’s Witness leader this weekend blamed gay fashion designers for what he considers immodest attire, ranting against tight pants and suggesting that the “metrosexual look” was engineered by gay fashion designers.
Anthony Morris III, a member of the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses, let loose on tight-fitting attire for women and men during a meeting for the church’s U.S. branch Saturday, reports JW Survey, a website for dissident Witnesses and former Witnesses. Here are some highlights from Morris’s rant:
“Worldly women … even some of our sisters now … what it is is this spanx, this skin-tight stuff they wear ... when they exercise. They leave their home and they’re jogging in this stuff … is that appropriate? To wear skin-tight spanx, or whatever they call it? It’s not modest … It’s really not appropriate…. More
Pastor Rapes Boy, Threatens to Kill Him with ‘Warlock’ Powers if He Talks
A 30-year-old man claiming to be a youth pastor has been accused of raping a young boy and threatening witchcraft to keep him silent on the matter.
Rex Allen Murphy of Kentucky, who works for the Polly Ann Church of God in Eubank, faces charges of first-degree sexual abuse,use of a minor under 18 in a sexual performance, and third-degree sodomy, a Class D felony, according to the Commonwealth Journal.
The 16-year-old victim told Eubank police that Murphy made sexual contact with him. The alleged abuse took place over a six-month period, incidents occurring both at the victim’s home and the church. More
Iran’s non-Muslims face prison, execution, despite ‘reform’ claims
Iran’s regime conducted a raid on an Easter service and arrested Christians, subjected Christian converts to death threats and psychological abuse and shut down licensed churches, according to a UN report that will be submitted to world leaders on Tuesday.
While persecution of religious minorities is nothing new in the Islamic Republic, the 28-page catalog of horrors compiled by Ahmed Shaheed, the UN’s Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Right in the Islamic Republic of Iran, undermines the claim that President Hassan Rouhani has ushered in a new era of tolerance.
“At least 49 Protestant Christians are currently detained, many for involvement in informal house churches,” the report states. “In April 2014, security forces reportedly raided an Easter service in a private home in southern Tehran and detained six individuals.” More
Seattle-based Mars Hill Church reeling after founding pastor calls women ‘homes’ for God's penis
Megachurch pastor Mark Driscoll is under fire and the Pacific Northwest church he founded has been forced to shutter some locations and slash staff after he said women were created as a "very nice home" for God's penis.
Seattle-based Mars Hill Church, citing a 40% drop in attendance and acknowledging the personal crisis surrounding its founder, said the church will have to lay off up to 40% of its 100 staffers, The Seattle Times reported. The church also announced it would shutter at least three churches from Seattle to Phoenix. Driscoll apologized and took a six-week leave of absence after it came to light he wrote a blog post patronizing women in 2001 under a pseudonym. His beliefs, written under the name William Wallace II, were detailed by a feminist blogger for Patheos. More
Just weeks after converting to Islam, Daniel Munoz blamed killing his wife on the voice of Allah
A SYDNEY man stabbed his wife to death just weeks after converting to Islam — claiming he did it in the name of Allah, police allege.
“Allah told me to kill her,’’ Daniel Munoz allegedly said when questioned by police over the stabbing death of Melissa Munoz on October 20 last year.
Mrs Munoz had taken out a number of apprehended violence orders against her husband of 22 years after feeling threatened by him.
Police said the unemployed Munoz went to the family home in Hobartville in Sydney’s northwest where, at about 3.30pm, screams were heard.
Munoz is accused of standing over the 40-year-old mother of seven in the loungeroom of the home, holding her by her hair and stabbing her more than 10 times to the head and chest with a knife he had taken from the kitchen. Mrs Munoz, who worked at Big W at Rouse Hill, died at the scene. More
Pastor rapes boy: Church knew pastor was convicted sex offender
In Kentucky a pastor faces charges of repeatedly raping a 14-year-old boy who attended his church. Even more disgusting, the church knew they hired a registered violent sex offender to be their pastor, but believed the man had been forgiven by God.
Roy Neal Yoakem is accused of sexually assaulting the 14-year-old boy inside the New Gospel Outreach Church in Scottsville, Kentucky, as well as his home in Gallatin, Tennessee.
Previously, Yoakem had been required to register as a violent sex offender after being found guilty in 2005 of abusing an 8-year-old boy in Kentucky.
Officials at the Kentucky church acknowledged that they knew their pastor was a registered violent sex offender when they hired him. More
Jehovah's Witness elder jailed for 14 years for sexually abusing girls as young as 12 and raping one woman leaving her pregnant
A Jehovah’s Witness elder has been jailed for 14 years for sexually abusing girls as young as 12.
Mark Sewell, 53, raped one woman in his congregation in Barry, near Cardiff, leaving her pregnant.
He also molested one girl and abused two others in a string of attacks that spanned eight years.
But when the victims reported him to the church, a committee cleared him of all allegations - and shredded the evidence.
Finally, after 19 years, he has been found guilty of eight counts of sexual abuse. Judge Richard Twomlow told him: 'You were in a position of trust as a senior member of the church.
'Your victims felt inhibited about what they could say because of your position as an elder. More
Muslims say slaughterhouse proposal violates religious law
Muslim rights advocates in California are frustrated by a proposed state regulation on some slaughterhouses that would reportedly violate some people's religious beliefs.
The California Department of Food and Agriculture is considering increasing food safety regulations that would in part order custom slaughterhouses to first stun animals before a nonemployee can come in and cut the animal's throat.
"In general, Muslims aren't supposed to eat meat that was stunned because halal requirements prohibit stunning," said Zahra Billoo, the Bay Area's executive director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
Many Muslims believe for an animal to be slaughtered in accordance with the Quran, it must be killed by cutting its throat with a long sharp blade, causing it to bleed to death. The animal cannot be rendered unconscious or killed beforehand, the council wrote in a letter to the Department of Food and Agriculture after notice was given about the proposed regulation. More
Downwardly mobile for Jesus
BALTIMORE, Md. — At the corner of Laurens Street and Fulton Avenue, a man watches Matthew Loftus walk by with his 21-month-old daughter, Naomi, strapped to his back. “She got big!” the man says.
Loftus, 27, says something friendly back, but he’s not sure who the man is. “My eyesight is actually really bad,” he says.
As he runs an errand in the Sandtown-Winchester neighborhood, people notice Loftus before he notices them. On Presstman Street, where Loftus rented before buying a home several blocks away, a young girl in a school uniform smiles and says, “I see you’re visiting the old neighborhood.” A group of men playing cards on the corner asks about the rabbits that he and his wife, Maggie Loftus, 25, were raising the last time they saw him. In front of a Monroe Street car wash, a man spies Naomi. “She still gorgeous!” he says. “Tell your wife I said hi.” More
'There were 12 elders and not one of them stood up: Victim of Jehovah's Witness rapist describes torment
Victims of a sexual predator who preyed on fellow Jehovah’s Witnesses had to face their alleged abuser in hearings organised by their church.
The “vulnerable” victims – including a woman pinned down and raped by heavy-set former church elder Mark Sewell and a schoolgirl whom he kissed and fondled – were even banned from talking about their allegations.
At least two of Sewell’s victims in the Barry congregation had to lock eyes with him during “judicial committee” hearings run by the church when they reported his depraved attacks. When faced with his first victim – then just a teenage schoolgirl – Sewell branded her a “liar” and rubbished her claims.
It was during this investigation that the elders received another complaint about Sewell, with a woman in the congregation claiming he had raped her. They included the complaint in the investigation but the businessman, now 53, twice contacted her “in an attempt to stop her telling the judicial committee the truth”, prosecutor Sarah Waters told the jury during the trial opening. More
Facing fines, conversion or death, Christian families flee Mosul
Baghdad, Iraq -- Just days after the militant group the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria said they killed hundreds of Syrians, dozens of Iraqi Christian families are now fleeing the ISIS-controlled city of Mosul, hoping to avoid a similar fate.
On Friday, the al Qaeda splinter group issued an ultimatum to Iraqi Christians living in Mosul -- by Saturday at noon (5 a.m. ET), they must convert to Islam, pay a fine or face "death by the sword."
A total of 52 Christian families left the city of Mosul early Saturday morning, with an armed group prohibiting some of them from taking anything but the clothes on their backs.
Some of the families headed for Irbil -- which is currently controlled by Kurdish forces -- and others toward the Dohuk province. The majority went to Dohuk, which is 140 kilometers (87 miles) north of Mosul. More
Berlin House of One: The first church-mosque-synagogue?
An architecture competition has been held and the winner chosen. The striking design is for a brick building with a tall, square central tower. Off the courtyard below will be the houses of worship for the three faiths - the synagogue, the church and the mosque. It is to occupy a prominent site - Petriplatz - in the heart of Berlin.
The location is highly significant, according to one of the three religious leaders involved, Rabbi Tovia Ben Chorin. "From my Jewish point of view the city where Jewish suffering was planned is now the city where a centre is being built by the three monotheistic religions which shaped European culture," he told the BBC.
Can they get on? "We can. That there are people within each group who can't is our problem but you have to start somewhere and that's what we are doing." More
Christian giant sued for 'using nanny as sex object'
The former leader of a popular Christian ministry – who resigned from his position after confessing to an “inappropriate” relationship – is now the subject of a lawsuit that claims he “methodically groomed” and made unwanted sexual contact with a young woman after serving as an authority figure in her life for more than a decade.
Doug Phillips, a husband and father of eight children, had been a popular and controversial figure in the homeschooling movement and a leading advocate of “biblical patriarchy” before his resignation from Vision Forum Ministries and Boerne Christian Assembly, a Baptist church outside San Antonio, Texas, at which he had served as an elder and preached hundreds of sermons.
Phillips was also founder of the San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival and of the National Center for Family-Integrated Churches. According to the teachings of the patriarchy movement, also known as the stay-at-home daughters or quiverfull movement, young women remain at home under the protection of their fathers. They’re generally expected not to work outside their home or go to college, and they’re taught to abide by strict gender roles in which men have authority over women. More
Convicted Christian rock singer lets loose a shocking revelation
Tim Lambesis, frontman of Christian heavy metal band As I Lay Dying, shocked fans after he was charged with conspiring to murder his wife and sentenced to six years in prision in March. Now, Lambesis admits that he is actually an atheist and tricked fans into thinking he was Christian to sell more records, Christian News reports.
“Truthfully, I was an atheist,” Lambesis told the Alternative Press. “I actually wasn’t the first guy in As I Lay Dying to stop being a Christian. In fact, I think I was the third. The two who remained kind of stopped talking about it, and then I’m pretty sure they dropped it, too.”
Lambesis claims that he began to stray from his Christian faith while he was majoring in religious studies in college.
“In the process of trying to defend my faith, I started thinking the other point of view was the stronger one,” he said.
The rocker admits that he leaned on atheism to justify many of his actions. More
Denmark bans kosher and halal slaughter as minister says ‘animal rights come before religion’
Denmark’s government has brought in a ban on the religious slaughter of animals for the production of halal and kosher meat, after years of campaigning from welfare activists.
The change to the law, announced last week and effective as of yesterday, has been called “anti-Semitism” by Jewish leaders and “a clear interference in religious freedom” by the non-profit group Danish Halal.
European regulations require animals to be stunned before they are slaughtered, but grants exemptions on religious grounds. For meat to be considered kosher under Jewish law or halal under Islamic law, the animal must be conscious when killed.
Yet defending his government’s decision to remove this exemption, the minister for agriculture and food Dan Jørgensen told Denmark’s TV2 that “animal rights come before religion”. More
2nd Wiccan Police Officer Sues LAPD for Harassment
A veteran Los Angeles police sergeant is joining his LAPD officer wife in suing the city, alleging he was also discriminated against because of his Wiccan religion and experienced a backlash when he complained to management.
Sgt. A.J. DeBellis, like his wife, Officer Victoria DeBellis, alleges discrimination, harassment and retaliation and seeks unspecified damages.
An LAPD spokesman declined to comment on the latest complaint, which was filed Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court. A.J. DeBellis, who joined the LAPD in 1990, alleges the retaliation began after he complained about having to attend a mandatory training session and holiday gathering in December 2012 at the main chapel of The Church at Rocky Peak, a Christian church in Chatsworth.
The chapel displayed "religious iconography" and religious music was played "during a significant portion of the event," according to his lawsuit. DeBellis, who was assigned to the Devonshire Division at the time, says he also was required to sit through a recital of a Christian prayer. More
Pastor accused of bilking faithful
STRATFORD -- To members of the Stratford Baptist Church, he was "Pastor Bob," the warm, giving religious leader for the past 16 years of the historic church across from Paradise Green.
But to police and his alleged victims, Robert Genevicz is a con artist who, with a female accomplice, has bilked elderly parishioners out of their life savings, using the money in one case to buy a Mercedes and a Hummer.
"My client has lost a substantial amount of money, and we are now concerned she may not continue to have the life she deserves," said Milford lawyer Joseph Mager Jr., who represents a 71-year-old retired Stratford teacher who police said was scammed by Genevicz out of more than $173,000. "She is living in an assisted-living facility, but we don't know how long she will be able to stay there until the money runs out." More
Mormon church pushes back on planet misconceptions
SALT LAKE CITY — The Mormon Church is pushing back against the notion that members of the faith are taught they'll get their own planet in the afterlife, a misconception popularized in pop culture most recently by the Broadway show "The Book of Mormon."
A newly-posted article affirms the faith's belief that humans can become like God in eternity, but says the "cartoonish image of people receiving their own planets" is not how members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints envision it.
"While few Latter-day Saints would identify with caricatures of having their own planet, most would agree that the awe inspired by creation hints at our creative potential in the eternities," the article says.
The expectation of exaltation is more figurative and ambiguous than boiling it down to living on one planet, it says. More
Sex Scandal Rocks the Duggars’ Christian Patriarchy Movement
Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar have put many years and a lot of work into putting a smiling, nearly normal-seeming face on the extreme Christian right.
The couple adheres to a fringe strain of fundamentalist Christianity dubbed the “Christian patriarchy” or sometimes the “Quiverfull” movement, and while there is a lot of internal diversity to the movement, they generally preach a combination of beliefs that run counter to mainstream America: absolute female submission, a ban on dating, homeschooling, a rejection of higher education for women, and shunning of contraception in favor of trying to have as many children as humanly possible. The movement is controversial even within Christian right circles, but the Duggars have tried to counter that with their popular reality TV show 19 Kids & Counting, where they present themselves as a wholesome everyday family that just happens to be a little more fecund and conservative than average. More
Russian court declares Jehovah's Witness brochures extremist
A Russian court has declared brochures produced by the Jehovah’s Witnesses to be extremist, the Prosecutor General’s Office said Monday.
The court in the southern city of Kurgan ruled that four pamphlets published by the Christian evangelical sect were discriminatory against people who did not belong to the organization.
The booklets were titled “How to Achieve Happiness in Life,” “What Can People Hope For?” “How to Develop a Close Relationship With God,” and “What You Need to Know About God and His Meaning.”
The prosecutor’s office said that analyses by linguistic experts had concluded that the brochures contained propaganda that promoted the superiority of the Jehovah’s Witnesses and denigrated other faiths as false. More
All-you-can-eat buffets banned by Saudi cleric’s fatwa
An Islamic cleric in Saudi Arabia has made a religious ruling prohibiting Muslims from indulging in all-you-can-eat buffets, it was reported, prompting ridicule on social media.
During a broadcast on Quranic TV network Al Atheer, Saleh Al Fawzan issued the fatwa, claiming that such activities were in breach of Islamic law.
"Whoever enters the buffet and eats for SAR10 or SAR50 without deciding the quantity they will eat is violating Sharia law," Al Fawzan said, according to Al Arabiya.
The report did not include any further details on the reasoning behind the religious edict. More
Gunning for God: Pastor to hold church raffle for AR-15-type rifle
Praise the Lord — and pass the ammunition!
An upstate pastor is planning to give away an unholy raffle prize at an upcoming service: an AR-15 assault rifle.
“We’re honoring gun owners and hunters,” the Rev. John Koletas, pastor of Grace Baptist Church in Troy, told the Daily News.
“And we’re being a blessing and a help to people who have been attacked, viciously attacked, by socialists and anti-Christian people — the politicians and the media.”
In a bid to lure as many gun lovers as possible to his church, Koletas even rolled out a provocative flier advertising the high-powered giveaway.
“My peace I give unto you . . . John 14:27,” blares the flier, which includes a photo of the deadly weapon under the headline: “Win a FREE AR-15. “ More
Mexican Catholics find God in Islam
MEXICO CITY — For almost five centuries Catholicism has been the dominant religion in Mexico.
In 1970, Catholics comprised 96.7 percent of Mexico’s population. By 2010, that number had fallen to 82.7 percent, according to the Pew Research Center. Most of this change is attributed to growth in other Christian denominations. Evangelicals, Protestants and Jehovah’s Witnesses now account for 8 percent of Mexicans who identify with a religion.
And a small yet growing group of converts are seeking spiritual salvation in Islam. In fact, Pew estimates Mexico will be home to 126,000 Muslims by 2030, up from 111,000 in 2010. Why are some Mexicans leaving the Catholic Church and converting? More
Kenyan pastor tells women to attend church without underwear so God enters them
Nairobi pastor Reverend Njohi has introduced a form of worship at his Lord’s Propeller Redemption Church in which female members of the congregation are banned from wearing underwear so God can enter their bodies easily.
After a recent meeting of the church’s elders, to debate the matter Reverend Njohi passed an edict banning the wearing bras and panties when attending service.
Defending the law, Reverend Njohi claims that when going to church, people need to be free in body and spirit to receive Christ.
Describing the wearing of underwear to church by women as ungodly, Reverend Njohi warned his members of dire consequences if they secretly did so. More
San Francisco church accused of lurid sex cover-up
There are charges of lurid sex and cover-ups at the landmark St Francis of Assisi Church in San Francisco's North Beach. The accuser is a former worker who just filed a lawsuit against the Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco.
Jhona Mathews is a single mother in her 30s with a 2-year-old child. She worked in the administration office of the Church of St. Francis of Assisi.
Mathews says church trustee Bill McLaughlin, who has since been fired, became her supervisor. Her lawsuit charges that he forced her to have sex and spanked her with a wooden paddle.
"Many of these sex acts and demands and the spankings occurred inside the shrine premises, in the sacristy of the shrine," said the plaintiff's attorney, Sandra Ribera. More
Jehovah's Witness sex offender receives five-year sentence
BISBEE - A 78-year-old man was sentenced, on Friday, to five years in state prison for the repeated sexual molestation of a female relative during her sleep-overs at the perpetrator's Fry Townsite home during the 1980s.
Leroy Gilbert pleaded guilty to the charge on Oct. 29 before Cochise County Superior Court Presiding Judge Tom Collins. Gilbert blamed excessive drinking of alcoholic beverages during the period from 1985 to 1989 for his behavior, according to the Adult Probation Office's pre-sentence report.
Gilbert also contended that "his generation" was not taught how wrong his actions were. Gilbert admitted molesting the victim, who was under the age of 15 at the time, while he thought she was asleep.
The girl was not asleep and reported the matter to elders of the Jehovah's Witnesses Church. She said church officials did not believe her, but court records show that Gilbert was questioned by church officials in 1997 about the allegations. More
Muslim leaders issue a fatwa against anyone living on MARS
A Fatwa has been issued against living on Mars by clerics who say that trying to set up home there would be un-Islamic.
The fatwa – or ruling – was issued by the General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowment (GAIAE) in the UAE after the Mars One organisation announced that it would try and establish a permanent human settlement on Mars.
The committee argued that an attempt to dwell on the planet would be so hazardous as to be suicidal and killing oneself is not permitted by Islam.
According to Khaleejtimes.com it said: ‘Such a one-way journey poses a real risk to life, and that can never be justified in Islam. There is a possibility that an individual who travels to planet Mars may not be able to remain alive there, and is more vulnerable to death.’ More
Congregation attends church while in the nude
SOUTHAMPTON, VA - About an hour's drive south of Richmond, there's a small congregation that doesn't care about "material" things. They worship the same way we were all brought into this world, naked.
Even in February, when temperatures can average in the 20s, members show up in various forms: some fully clothed, others topless, many still completely nude.
Pastor Allen Parker says it's not about the clothes, or lack thereof. He says it's about baring his soul to Christ and leading his flock down that path of righteousness, no matter what they're wearing.
Every Sunday in the front few rows of White Tail Chapel, you'll find Katie and Robert Church. Katie wasn't a nudist when they first met, but quickly fell in love with both Robert and the resort. They married at White Tail Chapel and say the church has given them a sense of Christian community with none of the pretense of a traditional church. More
2 arrested after "Ten Commandments" argument turns violent
Two residents of Cartersville may have not directly broken one of the Ten Commandments, but they did break the law when their fight over the sacred covenant turned violent.
According to police reports, Carolyn Unfricht and Daniel Camarda were inside a Cartersville hotel arguing about the Bible and specifically the Ten Commandments.
Unfricht told police things got heated when she hit him across the face with her Bible. Camarda retaliated by throwing her across the room.
Both are now facing battery charges and not surprisingly, the police report states they were "highly intoxicated" at the time of the arrest. More
Pope supports breast-feeding in public
Supporters of public breast-feeding, you've got a friend in high places: The Vatican.
In an interview with La Stampa, a daily Italian newspaper, Pope Francis seemed to endorse the idea of nursing in public. As he was asked about the problem of hunger, the pope recalled a woman he encountered with a crying, hungry baby:
“There are so many children that cry because they are hungry,” the pope said in the Sunday interview. “At the Wednesday General Audience the other day there was a young mother behind one of the barriers with a baby that was just a few months old. The child was crying its eyes out as I came past. The mother was caressing it.”
“I said to her: madam, I think the child’s hungry.”
“Yes, it’s probably time…” she replied.
“Please give it something to eat!” I said.
“She was shy and didn’t want to breast-feed in public, while the Pope was passing. I wish to say the same to humanity: give people something to eat! That woman had milk to give to her child; we have enough food in the world to feed everyone.”
The pope is clearly making a point about feeding the world's hungry: We have the resources to do it, he's saying, so we should.” More
Jehovah's Witness church elder Ronald Lawrence arrested over sex abuse claims
MCALESTER, Okla. - A 76-year-old McAlester man was arrested Tuesday on 19 counts of sexual abuse after police received claims he molested several children while in a position of authority more than 30 years ago.
McAlester police detectives were alerted to the alleged sexual crimes conducted by Ronald Lawrence back in August when his first accuser reported abuse at the hands of a Jehovah's Witness church leader.
A woman now in her 40s told detectives Lawrence, an elder at McAlester's Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses, abused her when she was just eight years old, inviting her to his home, where he fondled her and raped her in his bathtub, according to her testimony found in Lawrence's arrest warrant, which was issued Tuesday. More
Pastor defrocked after performing gay wedding
The United Methodist church defrocked a pastor from central Pennsylvania on Thursday for violating doctrine by officiating his son's gay marriage, leaving the minister shocked and upset that he could be punished for an "act of love."
Frank Schaefer immediately appealed the penalty, which he believed was meted out reluctantly by many members of the regional Board of Ordained Ministry.
"So many of them came to me and they shook my hand and some hugged me, and so many of them had tears in their eyes," Schaefer said. "They said, 'We really don't want to do this, you know that, don't you?'"
Board members declined to comment after the private meeting at church offices in Norristown, outside Philadelphia. But John Coleman, a spokesman for the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference of the denomination, said Schaefer left officials no choice after defying the order of a religious jury to resign.
"When asked to surrender his credentials as required by the verdict, he refused to do so," Coleman said. "Therefore, because of his decision, the board was compelled by the jury's decision to deem his credentials surrendered." More
Jail for Jehovah’s Witness elder who molested girls
A Jehovah's Witness elder who was exposed as a paedophile on Facebook has been jailed.
Jonathan Rose was branded a hypocrite as he was locked up for molesting two little girls he met through the church.
Manchester Crown Court heard that Rose, of New Moston , won the trust of his victims’ families before targeting their daughters. His youngest victim was just five-years-old when she was groped by him in her own home. The other was ten when Rose, then 27, kissed her sexually.
Rose was first accused of indecently assaulting a teenage girl he met through the Jehovah’s Witnesses in 1995. He was acquitted of that offence in a trial and went on to become an elder in his congregation.
However, after his first accuser branded him a ‘paedo’ on Facebook , his crimes against the two other girls came to light. Rose was found guilty of two charges of indecent assault and has now been jailed for nine months and banned from visiting homes where there are children present. More
Iranian Christian flogged after drinking Communion wine
An Iranian Christian was flogged on Wednesday, according to rights groups, after a court in Rasht, Iran sentenced him and three other Christians to 80 lashes for drinking wine as part of a Holy Communion service.
According to the Middle East Correspondent for Morning Star News, Behzad Taalipasand, a convert from Islam, received the 80 lashes after being arrested on December 31, 2012 and sentenced this month for drinking alcohol, quoting two sources -- Middle East Concern (MEC) and Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW).
"Drinking alcohol is not illegal for Christians, but as Shiah Islam is the state religion, it is prohibited for Muslims; the conviction and sentencing thus reflects the state view that a Muslim cannot change his/her religion," said the story. More
Catholic League outraged that imam costumes don’t come with erections
The Catholic League is upset over a Halloween costume featuring a sexually aroused priest and issued a statement asking why the store Spirit Halloween doesn’t sell similar costumes for imams and rabbis.
Spirit Halloween sells the costume, known as “Happy Priest,” alongside a “Thank You Father” costume that shows a pregnant nun.
The League’s Bill Donohue called both the costumes “offensive.”
“Anyone who wants to buy a costume with a rabbi or imam sporting an erection is out of luck — there are none available,” Donohue said in a statement.
“There are also no vulgar Jewish or Muslim women costumes available. Just ones for nuns.” More
Sun Valley usher gets 30 years for child sex abuse
SUN VALLEY, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A former Sun Valley usher was sentenced to 30 years in state prison Tuesday for sexually abusing three boys.
Marcelo Lozano, 34, was also ordered to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life, according to the District Attorney's Office.
The 34-year-old met his alleged victims through the Jehovahs Witnesses Sun Valley Spanish congregation, where he was an usher.
Police said the suspect used his position as an usher to meet and befriend his victims.
The alleged assaults took place between Jan. 1, 2006 and June 30 of this year at Lozano's home in North Hollywood, along with other locations. More
Brooklyn rabbi tortured Jewish husbands with cattle prod to force divorce
Two rabbis plotted to kidnap Jewish husbands, torture them with electric cattle prods and force them to grant their desperate wives religious divorces, the feds charged Thursday.
Rabbi Mendel Epstein, 68, of Brooklyn and Rabbi Martin Wolmark, 55, of Monsey, Rockland County, were among 10 people arrested in the barbarous scheme with tentacles that ran all the way to the rabbinical court.
Epstein is accused of running an unholy crew that charged women trapped in marital limbo $70,000 to $100,000 to strong-arm their stubborn husbands into granting a Jewish divorce known as a “get,” a criminal complaint reveals. More
Priest accused of offering Cleveland Metroparks ranger $50 for sex
CLEVELAND - A man was arrested for soliciting sex at Edgewater Park Friday. James McGonegal offered a Cleveland Metropark ranger $50 for sex, said park spokeswoman Sanaa Julien.
The ranger was not on detail and was in plain clothes at the time.
McGonegal was charged with a third-degree felony because he also admitted he knows he has HIV, Julien said.
McGonegal is a pastor at St. Ignatius of Antioch Church in Cleveland. More
Woman accuses member of West Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses in Lorain of sexual abuse
LORAIN, Ohio - A former member of the West Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses in Lorain filed a lawsuit Wednesday against the congregation, alleging she was sexually abused by one of the church leaders.
"I want to expose how they treat children and how they do not protect them," Elizabeth McFarland, 26, said at a news conference in Cleveland.
McFarland claims Scott Silvasy, who served as a "Ministerial Servant," gained her trust then sexually abused her for five years, beginning when she was 9 years old. She said Silvasy committed suicide on her 16th birthday.
Her attorney, Irwin Zalkin of San Diego, said the elders of the church did nothing when they learned of the abuse. More
Clergy More Likely to Suffer from Depression, Anxiety
The demands placed on clergy by themselves and others put pastors at far greater risk for depression than individuals with other occupations, a new study by the Clergy Health Initiative at Duke Divinity School has found.
The study, published this week in the Journal of Primary Prevention, compared the mental health of 95 percent of the United Methodist clergy in North Carolina (1,726 pastors) to a representative sample of Americans and identified key factors that predict depression and anxiety. Clergy participants were predominantly male (75 percent) and white (91 percent); the mean age was 52 years old.
The study, conducted in 2008, found the depression rate among clergy to be 8.7 percent when responses were limited to telephone interviews that closely approximated the conditions of a national survey (the 2005-06 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey). However, among clergy taking the survey via web or paper, the rate of depression was even higher: 11.1 percent—double the then national rate of 5.5 percent. More
Ancient Samson Mosaic Uncovered In Israeli Synagogue; Beautiful Art Fascinates Scholars
Beautifully preserved mosaics unearthed in a fifth-century Israeli synagogue have intrigued religious scholars with their depictions of both Biblical and possibly non-Biblical figures.
The stunning artwork was discovered as part of an ongoing excavation at a synagogue in Huqoq, an ancient Jewish village in Israel’s lower Galilee. A team has been working at the site since 2011, led in part by Jodi Magness, a distinguished professor of religious studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Magness told The Huffington Post she originally began the excavation in order to examine a specific type of late Roman architecture known as a Galilee-type synagogue. But in 2012, the researchers found their first mosaic: a somewhat fragmentary depiction of the Biblical hero Samson. More
Team 10 obtains video of admitted child molester in Jehovah's Witnesses
SAN DIEGO - Team 10 has obtained a video that some people say helps to prove Jehovah's Witnesses covered up child abuse for years.
In a video deposition taken in 2011 during a civil lawsuit, admitted serial pedophile Gonzalo Campos said he abused several children in his San Diego congregation from the early 1980's through the mid 90's.
"I did abuse him," said Campos in the video. "I touched his private parts."
His on-camera admissions and a confidential settlement worth millions, may have to be enough for his victims. The Jehovah's Witnesses never told police about Campos, who was a church elder. He's never been charged with a crime and he may never see the inside of a prison cell. He has fled the country and now is in Mexico. He also still is a member of Jehovah's Witnesses.
An attorney questions Campos on the video, "Were you allowed to continue to give bible study to children after you attempted to touch (the victim) inappropriately?"
"Yes," Campos said.
Irwin Zalkin represents the seven victims who have come forward. More
‘Encyclopedia of Hinduism’ to be unveiled next week
COLUMBIA, S.C. — A comprehensive encyclopedia of one of the world’s major religions is set to be unveiled next week in South Carolina. The 11-volume work covers Hindu spiritual beliefs, practices and philosophy, and is the culmination of a 25-year academic effort.
The encyclopedia is written in English and includes about 7,000 articles on Hinduism and its practices. The work also deals with Indian history, languages, art, music, dance, architecture, medicine, and women’s issues. The entire encyclopedia contains more than 1,000 illustrations and photographs.
Brightly colored images of Hinduism’s deities fill entire pages, with foot-noted explanations of the forms and powers God can take in the religion.
“The goal was to have something pretty definitive — not just about Hinduism, but about the whole South Asian tradition,” said University of South Carolina professor Hal French, who met with a small group of scholars in 1987 to offer academic support for the project. More
Muslim Honor Killing In Canada
Every night, little Yasin Wafa scurries over to his grandparents’ front door, hoping his mom will be picking him up as she used to.
For the past week, she hasn’t come.
Nasira Fazli, 31, was brutally stabbed dead last Friday in her Ajax home.
Her husband, Feraidon Mohammad Imbrahem, 31, is charged with second-degree murder.
He was arrested without incident Friday at their home and was remanded into custody Saturday. He will return to court Aug. 6.
Yasin, 17 months old, had just started calling Nasira Fazli “ma-ma” days before she was murdered, his grandmother says, adding he now cries for “ma-ma” when being put to bed. More
Church Usher Charged With Sexual Abuse of Boy Parishioners
An usher at a Jehovah's Witnesses congregation in Sun Valley was charged Wednesday with sexually abusing four boys he met at the church.
Marcelo Lozano, 34, is expected to be arraigned Wednesday afternoon at Van Nuys Superior Court with nine felony counts, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
Lozano, who was an usher for the church’s Spanish congregation, allegedly abused boys who ranged from 8 to 15 years old between 2006 and 2013.
He is charged with two counts each of aggravated sexual assault of a child, continuous sexual abuse and oral copulation of a person under 14. And he faces one count each of forcible lewd act upon a child, lewd act upon a child and sodomy of a person under 14 with 10 years difference. More
Jehovah’s Witnesses hushed up child sex scandal
Jehovah Witness ministerial servant Gordon Leighton admitted sexually abusing a child when he was confronted by his church elders, a court heard.
But during the official police investigation, the 53-year-old – who made headlines in the 1990s when wife Yvonne, 28, died after refusing a blood transfusion after childbirth on religious grounds – denied any illegal wrongdoing.
And when detectives asked elders Simon Preyser, Harry Logan and David Scott to make statements about the confession, all three refused and said what they had heard was confidential.
For three years, the elders refused to co-operate with the criminal investigation and kept up that stance when the case was brought before Newcastle Crown Court after the victim made a complaint to police. Each was issued with a witness summons which they fought to overturn before being ordered to testify by Judge Penny Moreland citing public interest. More
Mormon Church: Fewer Knocks at the Door, More Friend Requests
SALT LAKE CITY — The common image of Mormon missionaries has long been two young men wearing white shirts and ties walking through neighborhoods, knocking door-to-door.
But in a few years, that image may be replaced by one of young Mormons sitting with an iPad, typing messages on Facebook.
Recognizing the world has changed, leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints leaders announced Sunday night that missionaries will do less door-to-door proselytizing, and instead, use the Internet to recruit new church members.
The strategy shift reflects the growing importance of social media and people’s preference to connect over sites such as Facebook rather than opening their homes to strangers, church leaders said.
“The way in which we fulfill our responsibilities to share the gospel must adapt to a changing world,” said Elder L. Tom Perry of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles during a presentation to mission presidents in Provo, Utah, that was broadcast worldwide. More
14 Year Old Boy Executed By Islamist Rebels in Syria
A teenager selling coffee in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo was arrested by Islamist rebel fighters for insulting the Prophet Mohammed, beaten and then executed in front of his family, a watchdog group claims.
The boy, Mohammed Qatta, 14, reportedly refused to give a customer coffee, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported Sunday.
"Even if [Prophet] Mohammed comes back to life, I won't," the boy said, who was known by his nickname "Salmo."
Extremist rebels driving past in a black car overheard the comment, the opposition Aleppo Media Center said. Qatta was taken away by the fighters and later brought back, his head wrapped with his shirt and his body covered with marks from whipping. More
Up-skirt voyeur a Jehovah's Witness
A Jehova's Witness filmed up the skirts of hundreds of women and schoolgirls in central Wellington, and when visiting private homes to spread the faith.
Police believe at least 1000 women and girls could have been filmed by the man, 36, who would leave work at lunchtime to spy up their skirts on a handmade device attached to his briefcase.
The former Department of Internal Affairs employee, who has name suppression, has now been kicked out of his church. A member of his congregation at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses in Kilbirnie confirmed he was not welcome back.
"He has been removed," the church member said. "Everybody has been very saddened by what has taken place. Any act of that nature is a concern." More
Religious Fundamentalism 'May Be Categorised As Mental Illness & Cured By Science'
Religious fundamentalism and cruelty to children may one day be treated in the same way as mental illness, a neuroscientist has speculated.
Kathleen Taylor, a research scientist at Oxford University’s Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, says strong negative beliefs could be eradicated using techniques already in the works.
Dr Taylor was speaking at the Hay Literary Festival in Wales when she was asked what she forsaw as positive developments in neuroscience in the coming years, The Times reports.
She replied: “One man’s positive can be another man’s negative. One of the surprises may be to see people with certain beliefs as people who can be treated.
“Someone who has for example become radicalised to a cult ideology – we might stop seeing that as a personal choice that they have chosen as a result of pure free will and may start treating it as some kind of mental disturbance. More
Are Sharia councils failing vulnerable women?
In a small terraced house in east London, a woman and her husband argue before an Islamic scholar who sits on a dais above them in a room that looks and feels like a court.
This is Leyton Islamic Sharia Council, and Dr Suhaib Hasan will decide if the woman can have a divorce. Her husband is refusing to grant her one and the couple have been coming here for a year.
She accuses him of refusing to work, ignoring the children and verbally abusing her. He vehemently denies it. When Dr Hasan orders the husband to leave the room, the woman breaks down in tears.
"I hate him, I can't even bear to look at him, he has ruined my life," she sobs. Dr Hasan sends the couple away for another month to try to save their marriage, with the help of Allah. More
In China, Christian Fundamentalists Target Tibetans
When Dawa said yes to a party held by American friends in the city of Xining, she expected music, drinks, and a chance to practice her English. But it soon transpired that there would be more to the evening’s activities.
“When we arrived one person said loudly: ‘Lord!’ and started to cry,” Dawa, an earnest Tibetan in her late 20s, recalls in a café in Xining, the capital of China’s Qinghai province.
“Some people came and touched me and cried. We were so afraid. We thought, Why are they crying?”
For Dawa and her friend Tenzin (names have been changed to protect their identities), both Tibetans from nomadic families trying to make it in the big city, the situation was not only potentially dangerous if they had been caught by police but humiliating. “We were upset,” explains Tenzin. “They had told us we could learn English. More
Child in Jehovah's Witness court bid
A TRARALGON child has clubbed his pocket money together with three others, paying $69.70 to launch a private criminal prosecution against the Jehovah's Witnesses.
The child, 11, who is due to give evidence on Monday at the state inquiry into how the churches handled child sex abuse, wanted to force the church to comply with working with children laws. After four hearings, to which church leaders did not send a representative, the church began complying and the Office of Public Prosecutions intervened to discontinue the case.
The inquiry will also hear from anti-Jehovah's Witness campaigner Steven Unthank, a former member of the church who says he and his family were ostracised and persecuted after he tried to tackle child abuse.
His submission alleges the church and its incorporated body, the Watchtower Society, covered up criminal child abuse, including rape, sexual assault, death threats, blackmail and assault, across four states by ordained ministers and officers of the church.
The Victorian and Civil Administrative Tribunal will hear a religious vilification complaint against the church by Mr Unthank in May, after the church said people who left the church, as he had, were ''mentally diseased''. More
Muslim abuser who 'didn't know' that sex with a girl of 13 was illegal is spared jail
A muslim who raped a 13-year-old girl he groomed on Facebook has been spared a prison sentence after a judge heard he went to an Islamic faith school where he was taught that women are worthless.
Adil Rashid, 18, claimed he was not aware that it was illegal for him to have sex with the girl because his education left him ignorant of British law.
Yesterday Judge Michael Stokes handed Rashid a suspended sentence, saying: ‘Although chronologically 18, it is quite clear from the reports that you are very naive and immature when it comes to sexual matters.’
Earlier Nottingham Crown Court heard that such crimes usually result in a four to seven-year prison sentence. More
Elderly woman in public housing told not to pray, has no First Amendment rights
Ruth Sweats, an elderly widow who lives in a public housing complex near Minneapolis, Minnesota, was allegedly informed that she had no First Amendment rights, and could not pray nor read her Bible in the common area of the complex she lives in because it receives federal funding, Todd Starnes reported Friday at Fox News.
According to Starnes, the woman was also told she could not have "private discussions of a religious nature" in the common area of the Osborne Apartment complex in Spring Lake Park, Minnesota.
The website for the complex states that it is a "tax-exempt, non-profit organization" that is "managed by Ebenezer, which has provided quality services for older adults since 1917."
Starnes wrote that Sweats "was having a casual conversation with another resident about the Bible when a social worker interrupted the conversation and told her that she could not talk about religion or the Bible in the commons area." More
Jehovah's Witnesses 'a cruel cult'
Christian sect the Jehovah's Witnesses - with 64,000 active 'disciples' in Australia - are a cruel religion with no soul, according to Melbourne cultbuster Raphael Aron.
His warning comes as the federal government considers tightening the definition of a charity to prevent some cults and quasi-religions keeping their tax free status. Independent senator Nick Xenophon has renewed calls for a national cult-busting agency.
Mr Aron, a psychologist, counsellor and director of Melbourne's Cult Counselling Australia, said the Jehovah's Witnesses had a policy of "shunning" members who left or wanted to leave by cutting them off from family members who remained. More
San Francisco leaders denounce bus ads about Islam
SAN FRANCISCO — Civic officials joined Arab and Muslim leaders to denounce what they call offensive anti-Islamic ads that will appear on 10 buses for the next month in San Francisco.
The ads were paid for by the American Freedom Defense Initiative and feature Osama bin Laden, the Times Square car bomber and the alleged gunman in the Fort Hood, Texas, shootings accompanied by quotes about warfare and weapons that the group links to Islam.
At least one of the ads contains a quote attributed to the militant Islamic group Hamas that reads: "Killing Jews is worship that brings us closer to Allah."
Officials said the ads were racist. More
Former Jehovah's elder on sex assault charge
A FORMER Jehovah's Witness elder who apologised to his alleged victim on Facebook has been charged with two counts of indecent assault.
Richard Hill will appear in the Heidelberg Magistrate's Court on March 1 over allegations that he sexually assaulted a six-year-old girl in 1981.
The victim, now 38, told Fairfax Media that Mr Hill did everything except penetrate her - ''he tried, but couldn't manage''.
She said she ''did not realise the gravity'' of what had happened until she was about 14.
At that point she told her mother, who could not act because of a Jehovah's Witness rule that allegations of sexual abuse would only be acted on if two elders witnessed it, she said.
Much later, the victim confronted Mr Hill on Facebook. ''He turned around and apologised,'' she said. ''He became an elder within the church and rose quite high up. Since he was charged, he has stepped down.'' More
Churchgoers robbed at gunpoint during service in East St. Louis
EAST ST. LOUIS • Police are hoping surveillance cameras might help them catch three masked men who robbed churchgoers at gunpoint Sunday evening in East St. Louis.
The three robbers ordered the congregants onto the floor and took cash from them in the holdup about 5:30 p.m. Sunday at IRA Grove Free Will Baptist Church, 1701 Belmont Avenue.
On Monday morning, East St. Louis Police Chief Michael Floore said no arrests had been made and police don't have suspects. He said police are searching for possible surveillance footage from businesses in the area that could help identify the robbers or detail how they left the scene.
A visiting pastor was at the church on Sunday when the members were robbed, Floore said. The chief didn't know how many people were robbed or everything that was taken.
All three of the men had guns, and all wore bandanas over their faces. Floore said he didn't have a good description of them. More
Two Jehovah's Witnesses 'murdered 13 people on mission from God to cleanse world of sinners'
Two twisted Jehovah's Witnesses have been arrested as suspected serial killers, accused of murdering 13 people during a nine-month killing spree in Russia.
Claiming to be on a mission from God, Vladimir Gurianov, 44, and Elvira Egorycheva 46, hacked, shot and bludgeoned their victims in a case that left even hardened Russian detectives shocked.
The pair were finally spotted in a supermarket in a suburb of the city and arrested. By then they were on nationwide search lists and their photographs had been widely circulated in the region.
When they were searched Egorycheva had a revolver, two axes, an electric-shock device and a rope in her belongings. Another gun and a knife were found in Gurianov's jacket.
Gurianov - who locals said had 'mad eyes' - and Egorycheva first met at a Jehovah's Witnesses sect meeting 16 years ago. More
Card payments blocked, cash only in Vatican City
Italy’s central bank has blocked all bank card payments in the Vatican because of a failure to comply with EU safeguards against money laundering, forcing people to pay for services in cash until further notice, Italian media said on Thursday.
It’s “cash only” now for tourists at the Vatican wanting to pay for museum tickets, souvenirs and other services after Italy’s central bank decided to block electronic payments, including credit cards, at the tiny city-state.
Deutsche Bank Italia, which for some 15 years had provided the Vatican with electronic payment services, said Thursday that the Bank of Italy had pulled its authorization after Dec. 31.
The Corriere della Sera newspaper reported that the Italian central bank took the action because the Holy See has not yet fully complied with European Union safeguards against money laundering. That means Italian banks are not authorized to operate within the Vatican, which is in the process of improving its mechanisms to combat laundering. More
Ohio Pastor Puts Stripper Pole Next to Pulpit to Talk Sex
With a bed and a stripper pole placed next to his pulpit, a pastor in Ohio is all set to begin a series of sermons on sex and relationships beginning Sunday.
Ready to start a new sermon series called "Battle of the Sexes," Pastor Mike Scruggs at the Light of Word Ministries in White Oak, Ohio, has put a stripper pole, video games and sports equipment on one side of the pulpit, representing what men desire.
On the other side, he has set up a bed with candies, teddy bears, roses and a bottle of wine to depict what women want.
On all Sundays in April, Scruggs will share about best practices in bedroom, keeping intimacy alive and the need to build and maintain trust. "Right now we're having single people having too much sex and married people not having enough sex," he explained. More
Jehovah’s Witness Elder in court for rape
Lawyer to a Jehovah’s Witness Elder who is accused of raping a fellow congregant has wondered why father of the accused reported the matter to police when his church was capable of sorting out such matters.
Before Lusaka magistrate, Willie Banda, was Dennis Bwale, an elder at the Jehovah’s Witness of Kanyama Congregation.
Bwale, 28, of Kanyama Site and Service, appeared in a case where he is accused of raping Melani Mufweba, a congregant of the same church, contrary to Section 132 of the Penal Code amendment Act number 2 of 2011.
Particulars of the offence are that Bwale, on July 12 this year, did have carnal knowledge of Melani Mufweba without her consent.
When the matter came up for continued trial today, father of the complainant, Kennedy Mufweba, told the court that he came to learn of what had happened to his daughter a month after the incident.
Mr Mufwebu said sometime in September, this year Melani and her mother went to the Kingdom Hall but upon return Melani rushed in the house and left her Bible and other books that she had with her.
He told the court that it was at this point that the elders told him that his child had reported to the church that he was raped by Dennis Bwale, one of the church elders. More
When Same-Sex Marriage Was a Christian Rite
A Kiev art museum contains a curious icon from St. Catherine's Monastery on Mt. Sinai in Israel. It shows two robed Christian saints. Between them is a traditional Roman ‘pronubus’ (a best man), overseeing a wedding. The pronubus is Christ. The married couple are both men.
Is the icon suggesting that a gay "wedding" is being sanctified by Christ himself? The idea seems shocking. But the full answer comes from other early Christian sources about the two men featured in the icon, St. Sergius and St. Bacchus, two Roman soldiers who were Christian martyrs. These two officers in the Roman army incurred the anger of Emperor Maximian when they were exposed as ‘secret Christians’ by refusing to enter a pagan temple. Both were sent to Syria circa 303 CE where Bacchus is thought to have died while being flogged. Sergius survived torture but was later beheaded. Legend says that Bacchus appeared to the dying Sergius as an angel, telling him to be brave because they would soon be reunited in heaven. More
Russia’s Anti-Mormon Campaign
Yekaterina Steniakina is one of Russia’s young politicians, the leader of the influential pro-Kremlin movement called the Youth Guards. She has dyed blonde hair and a forceful voice, and she’s determined to change many things about the present state of her country—starting with the Mormons.
Steniakina is leading the charge to change Russia’s legislation and ban Mormon missionaries from the nation. Though the number of Mormons living inside the country is small—around 400 foreign missionaries and 21,000 registered members at last count—they are a relatively visible presence in Russia’s larger cities. The missionaries hand out the Book of Mormon to those who might be interested, give free English lessons, and spend three hours a day cleaning public places or helping people around their homes.
Steniakina, who says the Latter-day Saints are a “totalitarian cult” sent by the FBI and the CIA “to fool and covert” unwitting Russians, is making her anti-Mormon campaign her top priority for the next political season. Specifically, she’s agitating to add language that would ban “the West [from converting] our citizens into non-traditional religions”—i.e. anything other than Orthodox Christianity, Islam, Judaism and Buddhism. More
B.C. man who botched son's home-circumcision guilty of criminal negligence
OTTAWA — The Supreme Court has ruled that a British Columbia man who tried to circumcise his 4-year-old son on the kitchen floor of his house is guilty of criminal negligence causing bodily harm, aggravated assault and assault with a weapon. The top court was asked to hear whether his attempt was allowed under freedom of religion provisions.
The botched surgery happened in April 2007. He used a carpet blade that he purchased at Home Depot earlier that day and sterilized. He didn't give his son any anesthetic, just four ounces of homemade honey wine. According to the Crown, the father lacked the medical skills to perform a circumcision. He tried to circumcise himself in 2005 using a Zhenxi ring, or circumcision ring. It wasn't successful and the father had to be rushed to a hospital.
The circumcision he performed on his son two years later wasn't successful either and there was significant bleeding, which the father stopped with the help of a veterinary blood-stopping agent and paper towels. "The result," according to court documents submitted by the Crown, was "the foreskin on D.J.'s penis stuck out like two arms. D.J. was not circumcised. He was disfigured." More
Singapore Pastor Allegedly Used Church Funds to Finance Wife’s Pop Music Career
Kong Hee, the founding pastor of Singapore’s largest church, was arrested this week on charges that he misused up to $18 million in church funds to finance his wife’s career as a pop singer.
An investigation by Singapore’s Commission on Charities alleged that Kong had misappropriated millions of dollars from the City Harvest Church’s charity fund, the Wall Street Journal reported. Four other church executives were arrested in connection with the crime. Kong’s wife, Ho Yeow Sun (whose pop name is Sun Ho) was not arrested, but has been removed from her executive position on the church’s board.
Wondering what $18 million will buy an aspiring pop star these days? Evidently, an album produced by Wyclef Jean, a no. 1 hit on the Billboard dance charts and a $20,000 a month Hollywood Hills mansion, according to the Straits Times. (By comparison, Grammy Award winner Alicia Keyes earned $10 million in 2011). More
Church abuse cases and lawyers an uneasy mix
VIENNA, Va. — When officials at Vienna Presbyterian Church decided to acknowledge the church's failures in handling reports of sexual abuse by a youth ministries director, they thought it might upset some in the congregation.
What surprised them was the admonishment from the church's insurance company. And it wasn't the church's lapses in responding to the abuse a half-decade ago that bothered the insurer — it was the church's plan to admit those lapses and apologize to the victims.
The insurance company's position was clear: On March 23, a lawyer hired by the company, GuideOne Insurance, sent a warning to church officials:
"Do not make any statements, orally, in writing or in any manner, to acknowledge, admit to or apologize for anything that may be evidence of or interpreted as (a suggestion that) the actions of Vienna Presbyterian Church … caused or contributed to any damages arising from the intentional acts/abuse/misconduct" by the youth director. More
Iran Cleric Pummeled by ‘Badly Covered’ Woman After Warning
An Iranian cleric said he was beaten by a woman in the northern province of Semnan after giving her a warning for being “badly covered,” the state-run Mehr news agency reported.
Hojatoleslam Ali Beheshti said he encountered the woman in the street while on his way to the mosque in the town of Shahmirzad, and asked her to cover herself up, to which she replied “you, cover your eyes,” according to Mehr. The cleric repeated his warning, which he said prompted her to insult and push him.
“I fell on my back on the floor,” Beheshti said in the report. “I don’t know what happened after that, all I could feel was the kicks of this woman who was insulting me and attacking me.”
Since the 1979 revolution that brought Shiite Muslim religious leaders to power, women in Iran have been required to cover their hair and body curves in public with head-scarves and loose-fitting coats, to protect religious values and “preserve society’s morals and security.” More
Jehovah's Witnesses Charged with Extremism
Ten Jehovah's Witnesses in Chuvashia were charged Monday with criminal acts including the incitement of hatred and extremism in a case that is raising new worries about religious freedom in Russia.
"This situation is a serious breach of the rights of believers in Russia," said Sergei Tarasov, a Chuvash human rights activist following the case.
"This is something new — we have not seen anything like this before," he said by phone. "It creates instability amid an effort to establish an atmosphere of calm and tolerance in our country."
The 10 suspects, ages 31 to 64, are accused of distributing banned literature among residents of the towns of Cheboksary, Novocheboksarsk, Kanash and Alatyr. The literature, which is included on a federal list of extremist materials, spreads ideas of exclusivity and superiority and brands those with alternative religious beliefs as inferior, the Investigative Committee said in a statement.
According to investigators, the suspects organized a network in the Chuvash towns in November 2009 that spread a religious message denying traditional cultural and moral values and facilitating the incitement of religious and social hostility among residents. More
Orthodox rabbis say they’ll defy law on ancient circumcision ritual
Two children are dead, more are injured — yet a group of ultra-Orthodox rabbis say they plan to defy a health order in the name of religious freedom.
Less than a year after a Brooklyn tot died following an ancient circumcision ritual, the rabbis say they will ignore a proposed law that would mandate parental-consent forms before performing the dangerous procedure.
Over the past decade, at least one other newborn died after contracting herpes from the rite, in which the rabbi draws blood from the penis with his mouth. But ultra-Orthodox leaders are lashing out at the city’s “evil plans” ahead of the Board of Health’s vote next week.
About 200 rabbis signed a proclamation claiming the Health Department “printed and spread lies . . . in order to justify their evil decree.”
“It is clear to us, that there is not even an iota of blame or danger in this ancient and holy custom,” the letter states. Most modern mohels — men trained to perform religious circumcisions, who are usually rabbis or doctors — remove blood from the baby’s wound using a sterile pipette. But some Orthodox Jewish parents insist on an ancient “suction by mouth” ritual called metzitzah b’peh. More
How the Mormons Make Money
Late last March the Mormon Church completed an ambitious project: a megamall. Built for roughly $2 billion, the City Creek Center stands directly across the street from the church’s iconic neo-Gothic temple in Salt Lake City. The mall includes a retractable glass roof, 5,000 underground parking spots, and nearly 100 stores and restaurants, ranging from Tiffany’s (TIF) to Forever 21. Walkways link the open-air emporium with the church’s perfectly manicured headquarters on Temple Square. Macy’s (M) is a stone’s throw from the offices of the church’s president, Thomas S. Monson, whom Mormons believe to be a living prophet.
On the morning of its grand opening, thousands of shoppers thronged downtown Salt Lake, eager to elbow their way into the stores. The national anthem played, and Henry B. Eyring, one of Monson’s top counselors, told the crowds, “Everything that we see around us is evidence of the long-standing commitment of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to Salt Lake City.” When it came time to cut the mall’s flouncy pink ribbon, Monson, flanked by Utah dignitaries, cheered, “One, two, three—let’s go shopping!” More
Church won't 'shun family' despite blood transfusion
Jehovah's Witnesses say a 2-year-old girl will still be "a very beloved member of the family" even if doctors give her a life-saving blood transfusion which her parents believe is banned by the Bible.
A High Court judge has placed the girl under the guardianship of the court for six months so doctors at Auckland's Starship hospital can override her parents' objections to giving her blood transfusions to support liver and kidney transplants.
All details identifying the girl, referred to as "M", are suppressed.
The Auckland District Health Board, which sought the court order, said the parents had also asked it not to release any details of the girl's condition. The court judgment, issued on June 27, said that "without a liver and kidney transplant M will most likely die from infection within weeks to a couple of months".
Her kidneys and spleen have been removed because of a rare congenital disease. She is being kept alive by renal dialysis, and doctors told the court there was only "a small window of opportunity" for a transplant before her condition deteriorated too far. More
A Faded Piece of Papyrus Refers to Jesus’ Wife
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — A historian of early Christianity at Harvard Divinity School has identified a scrap of papyrus that she says was written in Coptic in the fourth century and contains a phrase never seen in any piece of Scripture: “Jesus said to them, ‘My wife ...’ ”
The faded papyrus fragment is smaller than a business card, with eight lines on one side, in black ink legible under a magnifying glass. Just below the line about Jesus having a wife, the papyrus includes a second provocative clause that purportedly says, “she will be able to be my disciple.”
The finding was made public in Rome on Tuesday at the International Congress of Coptic Studies by Karen L. King, a historian who has published several books about new Gospel discoveries and is the first woman to hold the nation’s oldest endowed chair, the Hollis professor of divinity.
The provenance of the papyrus fragment is a mystery, and its owner has asked to remain anonymous. Until Tuesday, Dr. King had shown the fragment to only a small circle of experts in papyrology and Coptic linguistics, who concluded that it is most likely not a forgery. But she and her collaborators say they are eager for more scholars to weigh in and perhaps upend their conclusions. More
Members of fringe Amish group request word ‘cult’ be banned from hate-crime trial
CLEVELAND — Members of a fringe Amish group charged with committing hate crimes against fellow Amish have requested that certain words, including “cult,” ‘’splinter” and “rogue,” be banned from their upcoming trial in U.S. District Court, according to court documents.
They also requested that any Amish called to testify “affirm the truthfulness” of their testimony rather than swear an oath because swearing an oath “would offend the witness’ religious outlook.”
Samuel Mullet, 66, of Jefferson County, Ohio, and 15 of his male and female followers are charged with hate crimes and cover-ups. Prosecutors accuse them of forcibly cutting the beards and hair of fellow Amish members. The attacks were designed to settle scores with people with whom Mullet and his followers had disputes, prosecutors said. More
Megachurch pastor fired over 'a sin' with teenage girl
An Indiana sheriff's office is investigating alleged misconduct by the pastor of an evangelical megachurch who was fired after admitting to an "improper relationship" with a teenage girl, the Hammond Post-Tribune reports.
Jack Schaap, 54, was pastor at 15,000-congregation First Baptist Church of Hammond, Ind., for 11 years and broadcast his sermons worldwide.
The church said in a news release that Schaap committed "a sin that has caused him to forfeit his right to be our pastor," the Associated Press reports.
The Lake County Sheriff's Department says it is investigating the alleged misconduct but does not expect to file charges, the Post-Tribune reports.
A church spokesman says the teenager is 17 years old and was at least 16 years old -- the age of consent in Indiana -- at the time of the incident. More
Industrial park becomes religious battleground
A religious group wanted a gathering place. Township officials wanted something that would bring in jobs and tax revenue.
Now, an industrial park in far western Hamilton County is the site of a battle pitting religious freedom against economic development.
The Southwest Ohio Assembly Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses wants to build an 87,304-square-foot regional assembly hall with caretaker quarters, a maintenance building and a 1,729-space parking lot that could draw up to 5,000 people most weekends of the year.
Because the area is specifically designated for economic development, the group needs approval from Hamilton County’s Rural Zoning Commission to build it.
But that five-member board sided with local business owners who fear traffic problems and elected officials who want to see something that brings in jobs and revenue: More
Religious groups reject ruling on circumcision
JEWISH and Muslim groups in Germany have condemned a court ruling that deemed circumcision to be equivalent to grievous bodily harm.
The court, in Cologne, declared this week that the procedure violated a child's ''fundamental right to bodily integrity''. Religious groups said the ruling trampled on freedom of belief and could lead to ''circumcision tourism''.
The ruling said: ''The body of the child is irreparably and permanently changed by a circumcision. This change contravenes the interests of the child to decide later on his religious beliefs.'' The case concerned a four-year-old Muslim boy who was circumcised at the request of his parents but was later taken to hospital with bleeding.
The doctor was charged and tried for grievous bodily harm but was acquitted on the grounds that he had parental consent. Prosecutors appealed but the doctor was again acquitted, this time owing to the imprecise nature of the law.
The ruling is not binding but legal experts said it appeared to clarify a grey area in the law and would offer a guide to doctors. More
Six-week-old girl died after religious fanatic mother stuffed Bible pages in her mouth and then sat on her
A six-week-old girl being monitored by social workers died after her mentally-ill mother sat on her, a court heard.
Julia Lovemore, 41, had torn out pages of the Bible and stuffed them into baby Faith's mouth before smothering her.
She was yesterday detained indefinitely under the mental health act after admitting the manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility , which happened in June 2009.
Cambridge Crown Court heard she was a religious fanatic who had been in a 'florid state of psychoses' at the time of the killing.
Judge Mr Justice Cooke was told two health workers were at Lovemore's home on the day Faith was smothered.
A health visitor and a psychiatric nurse had been concerned about the behaviour of Lovemore's husband David, 39 - also a mentally-ill religious fanatic, the court heard.
When they arrived at the house in June last year they found Mr Lovemore praying loudly and shouting 'Take the devil out of Julia.' More
Judge reprimands lawyer for failing to disclose connection to church
An Ontario lawyer and lay minister with the Jehovah’s Witness church has received a tongue-lashing from a judge for failing to tell a former client who left part of his estate to the church about his own role with them.
Orangeville, Ont. lawyer Daniel Pole helped Arthur Sawdon form an investment company in the Cayman Islands during the 1990s. In 2006, he also updated Sawdon’s will and executed a transfer of his 75 per cent holding in the company to the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Canada, the Jehovah’s Witness church’s legal arm.
After Sawdon’s death a year later, a dispute arose over the status of seven bank accounts worth $1 million. The Watch Tower claimed the accounts were part of Sawdon’s estate, supported by Pole, who testified that the deceased intended to include them.
But in a decision released last week, Ontario Superior Court Justice Leonard Ricchetti concluded that Swadon held the accounts jointly with some of his children, and they were not part of the estate. In coming to the conclusion, Ricchetti said he rejected Pole’s evidence entirely.
“I find it surprising and questionable that Mr. Pole would not disclose a conflict or even a potential conflict that he was an ‘elder’ or ‘lay minister’ with the Jehovah’s Witness church and had acted for the Jehovah’s Witness church prior to the preparation of the 2004 will or the July 2006 will or the Transfer and Assignment. Mr. Pole’s reason for not doing so — because he wasn’t wearing his Jehovah’s Witness ‘hat’ at the time — is simply not a good answer. Arthur Sawdon and the other shareholders of Sawdon Holdings were entitled to know all of Mr. Pole’s ‘hats’ when Mr. Pole provided advice or prepared documents for Arthur Sawdon,” Ricchetti wrote adding: More
Catholic groups file suit over HHS birth control mandate
Dozens of Catholic universities, dioceses and other institutions filed lawsuits in courts around the country on Monday (May 21) in a coordinated effort, spearheaded by the U.S. hierarchy and Catholic conservatives, to overturn the Obama administration’s contraception mandate plan.
The 43 plaintiffs, which include 13 dioceses and the University of Notre Dame, say the mandate forces religious employers to provide contraceptive and sterilization services to employees that violate their beliefs. They say that infringes on First Amendment religious freedom protections, and charge that the federal government’s exemption for religious organizations is too narrow.
“This filing is about the freedom of a religious organization to live its mission, and its significance goes well beyond any debate about contraceptives,” said Notre Dame's president, the Rev. John Jenkins, who famously awarded President Obama an honorary degree in 2009. More
Saudi scholars forbid protest calls
Saudi Arabia's leading religious authorities have issued a statement forbidding public protests and petitions for reforms in the country.
The warning from Saudi's council of senior scholars on Sunday follows a similar announcement by secular authorities a day earlier.
The 10-member council's statement, carried by state news agency SPA, said that "the correct way in sharia [Islamic law] of realising common interest is by advising, which is what the Prophet Muhammad established".
"Reform and advice should not be via demonstrations and ways that provoke strife and division, this is what the religious scholars of this country in the past and now have forbidden and warned against," the statement said.
"The council warns of deviant ideological and party-political connections since this nation is one and will adhere to the ways of the pious ancestors.
"The kingdom has not and will not allow ideas from the West or the East that take away from this Islamic identity and divide the unity of the whole." A day earlier, the interior ministry said that protests violate Islamic law and the kingdom's traditions, and reminded potential demonstrators that security forces were authorised to crack down on public protests. More
Jehovah's Witness Parents deny daughter life-saving transplant
An Auckland girl suffering a rare kidney disease has been put into the guardianship of the High Court because her Jehovah's Witness parents will not consent to her receiving a life-saving kidney and liver transplant.
The 2-year-old girl, whose name and identifying details are suppressed, has had her kidneys removed and is being kept alive by dialysis. Because of her precarious health, she is at risk of infection and doctors believed she needed to have an urgent kidney and liver transplant or she would die from infection.
Jehovah's Witnesses allow transplants but the faith is strict in rejecting the inevitable blood transfusions that would accompany such an operation. They believe blood that leaves the body must be disposed of and not consumed or transfused.
The Auckland District Health Board went to the High Court last month and sought urgent orders placing the girl under the care of the court. A team of doctors including renal, blood, liver and gastroenterology specialists care for the girl. More
'Inside Scientology' Author: 'They Have the Goods on Everybody'
Scientology operates more as a business than as a church, relying on techniques perfected by car salesmen to attract new members and celebrities to its rolls.
That's just one of the takeaways from Janet Reitman’s controversial book about one of the world’s most secretive religion. “Inside Scientology” chronicles L. Ron Hubbard’s creation of Scientology six decades ago and traces its development into the faith of choice for movie stars such as John Travolta and Tom Cruise.
The book has inspired the church's ire. In a 7-page statement to TheWrap, the church maintains that Reitman never interviewed nor requested interviews with any Scientology officials.
For her part Reitman strongly refutes those claims, noting that she spoke to numerous higher-ups and members, as well as visited facilities, while researching the Rolling Stone article that became the basis for her book. More
Emanuela Orlandi 'was kidnapped for sex parties for Vatican police'
Father Gabriele Amorth, who was appointed by the late John Paul II as the Vatican's chief exorcist and claims to have performed thousands of exorcisms, said Emanuela Orlandi was later murdered and her body disposed of.
In the latest twist in one of the Holy See's most enduring mysteries, he said the 15-year-old schoolgirl was snatched from the streets of central Rome in the summer of 1983 and forced to take part in sex parties.
"This was a crime with a sexual motive. Parties were organised, with a Vatican gendarme acting as the 'recruiter' of the girls.
"The network involved diplomatic personnel from a foreign embassy to the Holy See. I believe Emanuela ended up a victim of this circle," Father Amorth, the honorary president of the International Association of Exorcists, told La Stampa newspaper. More
Jehovah's Witnesses ordered to pay more than $20 million to woman who said she was sexually abused
In what both sides described as a momentous ruling, a jury in Oakland, Calif., has found that Jehovah’s Witnesses was partly responsible for the alleged sexual abuse of a girl by one of its members and must pay her more than $20 million.
The Alameda County Superior Court jury on Thursday awarded $21 million in punitive damages to the plaintiff, who is now 26 years old. That was on top of the $7 million in compensatory damages it awarded her on Wednesday.
The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ legal entity, is responsible for the entire punitive damages amount and 40 percent of the compensatory damages, said Rick Simons, attorney for the plaintiff. Sixty percent of the compensatory damages was assessed against Jonathan Kendrick, the man accused of abusing her.
Candace Conti sued Watchtower, the Fremont, Calif., congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses and Kendrick in 2011. It’s msnbc.com’s policy not to identify victims of sexual abuse, but Conti agreed to be identified so that any other victims would feel they could come forward too. More
Voluntary 'De-Baptism' Rising in Europe
Sunday evening youth mass in Saint-Germain-des-Pres is overflowing with parishioners.
People stand in aisles or sit cross-legged in corners of the cavernous, sixth century Paris church.
Father Benoist de Sinety, parish priest at Saint Germain for the past three years, says he has always had the good fortune of seeing crowds of young people seeking their bearings or rediscovering faith. But he knows it is not the same everywhere.
Churches in France and elsewhere in Europe have been battling falling numbers, a trend evident not only in the empty pews, but in the sharp fall in baptisms. But "de-baptisms", a church's deletion of one's name from the official baptismal registry at a parishioner's request, are a recent phenomenon, and they are taking place in both Protestant and Catholic communities. More
Alleged Jehovah's Witness sexual predator believed to be hiding in Toronto area
TORONTO -- Police are searching here for a US fugitive who they allege is a sexual predator who uses his position in his local congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses to get close to children.
Frederick Cecil McLean, 61, is among the US Marshals' 15 most wanted fugitives and is believed to be hiding in the Toronto area, police said Wednesday.
He is wanted in California on four counts of child molestation, as well as multiple counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a minor under 14 and unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.
McLean's story has been aired twice on the TV show America's Most Wanted without leading to his arrest. An arrest warrant was issued for him in Jan. 2005, when police believe he fled to Canada.
The Marshals said McLean is accused of sexually assaulting four separate U.S. victims who were children under 14. "One of the victims claims that McLean molested her over 100 times between 1991 and 1996," U.S. police said. More
Corona church torture case: New details surface
CORONA, Calif. - More details have surfaced about the alleged torture of a 13-year-old boy by members of a Corona church.
New court documents show the boy was assaulted during bible study when a man rubbed salt into cuts on his body and others looked on. The affidavit also says the same incident happened at a group home.
Heart of Worship Community Church pastor Lonny Remmers and church members Nick Craig and Darryll Jeter Jr. are already under arrest. They are accused of pinching the boy with pliers, beating him with a shovel, forcing him to dig a grave and threatening to kill him. The three have pleaded not guilty to kidnapping, assault and other felonies. More
Being 'Born-Again' Linked to More Brain Atrophy: Study
Older adults who say they've had a life-changing religious experience are more likely to have a greater decrease in size of the hippocampus, the part of the brain critical to learning and memory, new research finds.
According to the study, people who said they were a "born-again" Protestant or Catholic, or conversely, those who had no religious affiliation, had more hippocampal shrinkage (or "atrophy") compared to people who identified themselves as Protestants, but not born-again.
The study is published online in PLoS ONE.
As people age, a certain amount of brain atrophy is expected. Shrinkage of the hippocampus is also associated with depression, dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
In the study, researchers asked 268 people aged 58 to 84 about their religious affiliation, spiritual practices and life-changing religious experiences. Over the course of two to eight years, changes to the hippocampus were monitored using MRI scans. More
Nigeria Christians hit by fresh Islamist attacks
At least 17 people were killed in Mubi in Adamawa state as gunmen opened fire in a town hall where members of the Christian Igbo group were meeting.
There were also reports of a deadly attack in Adamawa's capital, Yola.
The Islamist Boko Haram group said it had carried out the attack in Mubi and another in Gombe on Thursday night in which at least six people died.
The group has staged numerous attacks in northern and central areas in recent months - on Christmas Day it attacked a church near the capital, Abuja, killing dozens of people.
One Boko Haram faction has warned all southerners - who are mostly Christian and animist - to leave the mainly Muslim north of Nigeria. More
Jehovah witnesses hurl Bibles at pit bulls attacking grandma
A 77-year-old grandmother is recovering after being attacked by two pit bulls in a neighborhood outside of Austin, Texas. Luckily, a few good Samaritans came to her rescue.
The blood stains spattered on the road speak of the vicious attack.
"It was horrible. It was horrible. She was just crying, 'Help me, help me.'" "They could have killed her. And that would have just been devastating. it was devastating enough to see her so defenseless on the ground pleading for help."
"They just ripped her. They had a rip on her head from here to back there, they had cut her right there & they had sliced her arm so it swelled up. And they had our arm just tearing at it."
These three Jehovah's witnesses were visiting the neighborhood when they heard June O'Hara's screams and joined a college student, trying to fight off the dogs.
"He come and grabbed the stick and he started beating at the dogs and they were trying to bite and attack him." The Jehovah's witnesses decided seek a little divine intervention. More
Man faces five years for ‘God does not exist’ Facebook post
31-year-old Alexander Aan faces a maximum prison sentence of five years for posting “God does not exist” on Facebook. The civil servant was attacked and beaten by an angry mob of dozens who entered his government office at the Dharmasraya Development Planning Board on Wednesday. The Indonesian man was taken into protective police custody Friday since he was afraid of further physical assault.
The posting was made on a Facebook Page titled Ateis Minang (Minang Atheist), which Aan created. At the time of writing, it had over 1,700 Likes. Aan’s posting has been removed, but supporters on the Page are urging police to release him.
Dharmasraya Police Chief Sr. Comr. Chairul Aziz said the district branch of the council and other Islamic organizations believed Aan had defiled Islam by using passages from the Koran to denounce the existence of God and highlight his atheist views. “So it meets the criteria of tainting religion, in this case Islam,” Chairul told The Jakarta Globe. More
Pastor Accused Of Molesting Girls In Soundproofed Room Arrested
Otis Holland, 55, a Las Vegas pastor wanted on charges of having sex with underage girls, was captured on Wednesday, Jan. 25, in Mexico.
Holland disappeared from the Henderson area in June, after an arrest warrant was issued for him by the Henderson Police. The warrant was for 11 counts of sexual assault of a victim under the age of 16, one count of child abuse and conspiracy to commit a crime.
On a recent airing of Fox-TV's America's Most Wanted, the pastor's crimes were broadcast, bringing in a tip from a viewer who saw the program. The information was delivered to the U.S. Marshals Service, which had been working in conjunction with the Henderson Police in the search for Holland.
"He was a con man, and he used the church front for his schemes," said Kevin Abernathy, Henderson Police Department's lead investigator on the case, during the Jan. 20 airing of the show. "In the 19 years that I've been on the job, I would rank this as probably the worst case I've dealt with, as far as a predator identifying and abusing victims." More
Police inquiry over Jehovah's Witness magazine 'mentally diseased' article
Detectives are investigating whether the article, published in July’s edition of The Watchtower, is in breach of Britain’s religious hatred laws.
The article, published in the magazine which is distributed by Jehovah's Witnesses across the globe, reportedly warned followers to avoid "false teachers" which it condemned as being "mentally diseased".
"Suppose that a doctor told you to avoid contact with someone who is infected with a contagious, deadly disease," part of the article stated.
"You would know what the doctor means, and you would strictly heed his warning. Well, apostates are 'mentally diseased', and they seek to infect others with their disloyal teachings."
A group of former Witnesses, based in Portsmouth, have made an official complaint to Hampshire Police about the article. Police have launched an investigation. More
Thousands in Israel protest against Jewish extremists
BEIT SHEMESH, Israel — Thousands of Israelis rallied Tuesday night in Beit Shemesh against an ultra-Orthodox group whose harassment was brought to light by a shy eight-year-old schoolgirl who found herself on the front line of Israel's latest religious war.
Naama Margolese is a pale, blue-eyed, ponytailed, bespectacled second-grader who is afraid of walking to her religious Jewish girls school for fear of ultra-Orthodox extremists who have spat on her and called her a whore for dressing "immodestly."
Her plight has drawn new attention to the simmering issue of religious coercion in Israel, and the increasing brazenness of extremists in the insular ultra-Orthodox Jewish community. More
Jehovah’s Witness locked up for child abuse
A PAEDOPHILE Jehovah’s Witness who abused young girls has been thrown behind bars for three-and-a-half years.
Paul Wood, 40, assaulted the girls, aged between 10 and 15, at his home, in a car and at a disused airfield. Wood, of Station Road, Woodville, was found guilty of nine indecent assaults but cleared of a rape allegation made by one of the girls.
The sex offender, who committed his crimes while living in Suffolk in the 1990s, claimed his two victims had ‘made up’ their evidence. Judge David Goodin, sentencing at Ipswich Crown Court, said: “You were a young man but they are most serious offences.”
Prosecutors claimed during Wood’s trial last year he had forced himself on the underage girls in Sudbury, Suffolk, between 1993 and 1998.
Steven Dyble, defending, told the court Wood was a man of previous good character who had done his best to live an ‘industrious life’. Wood’s last offence was committed in 1998. Mr Dyble said: “During the last 14 years, there has been no suggestion of any inappropriate behaviour.” More
Sweden recognizes digital piracy religion: Kopimism
MALMO, Sweden — The Swedish government has registered a new official religion, and not everyone is happy about it, especially some businesses who fear the move may hurt their profits.
The sect is called Kopimism. It espouses data freedom and copyright piracy.
The Missionary Church of Kopimism has drawn in more than 3,000 members with its message of “All knowledge to All.”
Kopimi (pronounced ‘copy me’), as adherents are known, revere the sacred symbols Control-C and Control-V, and engage in file sharing as a kind of communion. “Being recognized by the state of Sweden is a large step for all of us kopimi,” Isak Gerson, spiritual leader of the Church of Kopimism said.
"Hopefully, this is one step towards the day when we can live out our faith without fear of persecution."
The Church was registered by Sweden’s Karamkollegiet just before Christmas, but Gerson, a philosophy student at the University of Uppsala, said he had only learned of it this week. Gerson, who has links to Sweden’s anti-copyright Pirate Party, applied for constitutional recognition more than a year ago, and has been required to formalize the kopimi way of prayer and meditation. More
LGBT community rallies for Jehovah’s Witnesses
An anti-hate-crime fund originally endowed by and for the LGBT community is likely to contribute an additional $5,000 to augment a reward being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the perpetrator(s) of an arson hate crime against a San Diego Jehovah’s Witness Kingdom Hall – a church noted for its opposition to marriage equality for same-sex couples.
The idea of contributing additional reward money is being promulgated by LGBT activists and community leaders, such as Nicole Murray Ramirez (who is also a columnist for San Diego LGBT Weekly), San Diego Human Relations Commission (SDHRC) chair, Bruce Abrams, and San Diego City Councilman Todd Gloria – among others.
“When I saw this had happened, I thought, ‘Hey, we should help them with a contribution to the reward fund – maybe with $5,000 or so,’” Ramirez said. “That should help find the people who committed this despicable act.” More
Father says daughters' actions led to their deaths
The Montreal man accused of murdering four family members in an honour killing told jurors that his honour was important, but killing his family would not restore it.
"My honour is important for me, but ... to kill someone, you can't regain your reputation and honour," Mohammad Shafia testified Friday, near the end of four hours of often-accusatory questioning by prosecutor Laurie Lacelle.
Shafia, 58, is charged, along with his wife, Tooba Mohammad Yahya, 41, and their son, Hamed, 20, with four counts of first-degree murder. They have pleaded not guilty to killing Shafia sisters Zainab, 19, Sahar, 17, and Geeti, 13, and Rona Amir Mohammad, 52, who was Shafia's first wife. He married her in Afghanistan.
The four were found dead June 30, 2009, in a Nissan Sentra discovered submerged in a shallow canal in Kingston. The victims had drowned. Three of them had bruises on their heads that remain unexplained. Shafia acknowledged, during questioning by Lacelle, that he had called his daughters Zainab and Sahar "whores" and "prostitutes" after he saw photos of them posing in bikinis or underwear or hugging boyfriends. He said he did not see the photos until after their deaths. More
Jehovah's Witness Jumps To Death In Brooklyn
A Jehovah's Witness jumped to his death from a Brooklyn rooftop yesterday. According to police, Dwayne Fagan, 48, jumped from the top of his apartment building in the Linden Houses in East New York just before 1 p.m. Wednesday afternoon as bystanders looked on.
“I thought someone had thrown an air conditioner off the roof. I screamed and screamed for a minute straight,” said witness Antoinette George, who also lives in the building.
A ledge above the the building’s entrance broke Fagan’s fall before he hit the ground. “I saw him land—it was so loud,” she added.
“All his limbs were broken. He was lifeless.” Police say Fagan, who was said to be a devout Jehovah's Witness, had warned a family member he was planning to hurt himself in a series of texts messages before his death. More
Tioga preacher pleads guilty to sex crimes
Tioga preacher Holland Farrell McMorris for years would stand in the Paradise Baptist Church pulpit preaching the good word, then at night sneak into the bedroom of a young female relative while her siblings were asleep.
The sexual encounters started when the girl was 11 and ended when she was 14. The victim, who has not been identified by name, is now 16 and has undergone counseling.
"You ruined her. You ruined her," her mother told McMorris Monday in 9th District Court before the 64-year-old gray-haired man with two master's degrees was sentenced to 25 years in prison. (The Town Talk has opted not to use the name of the mother or the victim's family connection to McMorris.)
Judge Thomas Yeager asked McMorris if he was guilty. "Yes I am," he said, wearing the orange jumpsuit of a Rapides Parish prisoner, hands and feet shackled together. More
If You Go to Church, Heed This Warning
Recently the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, held an invitation-only call. The call was co-sponsored by the U.S. Health and Human Services, the Office of Minority Health, and CDC.
Conspicuously, the end of the invitation read:
“This call is off the record and is not for press purposes” -- but it became public when it showed up on the HHS website.
Fortunately one of our staff was able to get on the call.
The focus of the call was on getting faith-based organizations to sponsor flu clinics with Walgreens.
Basically, they want to move inside your church, mosque or synagogue, and set up shop, with your pastor, priest, imam and rabbi on hand to convince you to get a flu shot. More
Baptist Church Leaders Cover-Up Sex Scandal
In Colorado, two pastors, a former principal and a teacher have been arrested by the El Paso County Sheriff's Office in a sexual assault case involving a 15 year-old boy.
The alleged sexual abuse involved a teacher at Hilltop Baptist School. First reported in December 2010, the police say that the boy was in a sexual relationship with a female teacher in 2007 and 2008.
Terah Allyn Rawlings, 32, is charged with eight counts of sexual assault on a child by a person in position of trust and obscenity-promotion.
Franklin “Wayne” Knight, 63, is the senior pastor at Hilltop Baptist Church and former superintendent of Hilltop Baptist School. He is charged with failure to report child abuse or neglect and accessory to a crime. He is also the uncle to Terah Allyn Rawlings.
Raymond “Allen” Knight, 57, is the associate pastor of Hilltop Baptist Church and former athletic director at Hilltop Baptist School. He is charged with failure to report child abuse or neglect. He is also Terah Allyn Rawlings' father.
Jan Ocvirk, 51, is the former principal of Hilltop Baptist School. She is charged with failure to report child abuse or neglect. More
Alleged Ponzi scheme cons Jehovah's Witnesses
Hundreds of investors victimized in an alleged Spokane-based Ponzi scheme are now being sued by bankruptcy officials attempting to unravel the complicated case of Little Loan Shoppe.
Some investors call it a “salt-in-the-wound” effort to wring money from those who were scammed out of their savings.
But the bankruptcy trustee pursuing this aptly named “claw-back” litigation said it may be the only way to ensure a fair payout. Cash collected from investors who received any kind of payment from Little Loan Shoppe will be pooled with other recoveries and redistributed equitably.
The company collapsed into bankruptcy in 2009; the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission alleged in a civil complaint filed this week that founder Doris “Dee” Nelson raised about $135 million from more than 650 investors from 1999 to 2008. About 75 percent of the investors were members of the Jehovah’s Witnesses denomination, court records say. More
Pat Robertson Asks If Mac And Cheese Is a 'Black Thing'
Pat Robertson, founder of the Christian Broadcasting Network, former presidential candidate and the charismatic host of "The 700 Club," raised eyebrows recently after he asked on air if macaroni and cheese was a "black thing."
Robertson made the statement during the Wednesday show, after a clip in which another host, Kristi Watts, interviews former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Both women are of African descent. In the clip, Watts asked Rice what dish she "just has to have" on Thanksgiving.
"It's mac and cheese," Rice replied.
"Sister, that is my dish, that is the one thing I can rock," the host reacted enthusiastically, clapping her hands.
"But only once, once a year," Rice added.
When the clip ended, Robertson was again in the studio with Watts, but looked confused.
"What is this mac and cheese?" Robertson asked Watts. "Is that a black thing?" More
Police Blotter: Jehovah's Witnesses Want Woman Back
A Sprague Road woman told police Oct. 26 that she is a former Jehovah's Witness and the group has been calling her.
She did not report the incidents until someone from the group said he has been watching her and her house for two weeks.
Police determined who the calls were coming from. They said they would call the man and tell him to stop bothering her. More
White House shooting suspect thought himself Jesus, Obama antichrist
BOISE, Idaho -- An Idaho man accused of firing an assault rifle at the White House believed he was Jesus and thought President Barack Obama was the antichrist. He had become increasingly agitated with the federal government, and at one point, he suggested Obama was planning to implant computer tracking chips into children, according to court documents and those who knew him.
Oscar Ramiro Ortega-Hernandez, 21, was charged Thursday with attempting to assassinate the president or his staff.
He is accused of firing nine rounds at the White House last Friday night -- one of them cracking a window of the first family's living quarters -- when Obama and the first lady were away. If convicted, Ortega faces up to life in prison.
He was arrested Wednesday at a western Pennsylvania hotel when a desk clerk there recognized him and called police.
Ortega's public defender, Christopher Brown, declined to comment after his first court hearing in Pennsylvania. Ortega's mother has said he has no history of mental illness, though authorities had reported he had "mental health issues" when they were looking for him. More
Ohio Amish leader: Beard-cutting religious matter
BERGHOLZ, Ohio - The leader of an Amish group with members accused of going into the home of another Amish man and cutting his hair and beard said Monday it's a religious matter and police shouldn't be involved.
Sam Mullet said he didn't order the hair-cutting but didn't stop two of his sons and another man from carrying it out last week on a 74-year-old man in his home in rural eastern Ohio. Amish men typically grow beards as adults and stop trimming them when they marry, and the beards are held in high esteem.
Mullet, 66, said the goal of the hair-cutting was to send a message to local Amish that they should be ashamed of themselves for the way they were treating Mullet and his community. "They changed the rulings of our church here, and they're trying to force their way down our throat, make us do like they want us to do, and we're not going to do that," Mullet told The Associated Press outside his house on the outskirts of Bergholz, a village of about 700 residents. More
OC Couple Threatened With $500-Per-Meeting Fines For Home Bible Study
MISSION VIEJO — An Orange County couple has been ordered to stop holding a Bible study in their home on the grounds that the meeting violates a city ordinance as a “church” and not as a private gathering.
Homeowners Chuck and Stephanie Fromm, of San Juan Capistrano, were fined $300 earlier this month for holding what city officials called “a regular gathering of more than three people”.
That type of meeting would require a conditional use permit as defined by the city, according to Pacific Justice Institute (PJI), the couple’s legal representation.
The Fromms also reportedly face subsequent fines of $500 per meeting for any further “religious gatherings” in their home, according to PJI. “We’re just gathering and enjoying each other’s company and fellowship. And we enjoy studying God’s word.” Stephanie Fromm said. More
Christian pastor in Iran faces execution for apostasy
An Iranian court gave Youcef Nadarkhani, 34, a third and final chance to avoid hanging, but he replied, "I am resolute in my faith and Christianity and have no wish to recant."
The panel of five judges will decide within a week whether to confirm his execution for apostasy, Mohammed Ali Dadkhah, his lawyer, told The (London) Times.
William Hague said he "deplored" Pastor Nadarkhani's plight, and a senior Foreign and Commonwealth Office diplomat telephoned the Iranian charge d'affaires in London to protest.
"This demonstrates the Iranian regime's continued unwillingness to abide by its constitutional and international obligations to respect religious freedom," Mr Hague said. "I pay tribute to the courage shown by Pastor Nadarkhani, who has no case to answer, and call on the Iranian authorities to overturn his sentence." More
Jehovah's Witness stands trial for pedophile sex offenses
A Jehovah's Witness in Suffolk, England, Paul Wood, has been accused of sexually assaulting three girls and attempting to rape one of them. According to reports, the Jehovah's Witness attempted to rape a 14 year-old girl in his home in Sudbury.
The girl, who was hit in the face while the Witness attempted to rape her, kept the trauma of the incident to herself for three years before she and another young victim told Jehovah's Witnesses elders. But the Jehovah's Witnesses elders did not intervene. They simply left it to the girls to decide for themselves whether to go to the police.
The girls could not find the courage to go to the police till 2009 when they learned that church leaders had appointed Paul Wood to a role in another part of the country which would bring him in contact with young women. More
'Amish Bernie Madoff' accused of stealing $17 million from his fellow worshippers
Thou hath the right to remain silent.
An Ohio man dubbed the "Amish Bernie Madoff" was accused by federal prosecutors of defrauding his fellow worshippers out of nearly $17 million.
Monroe Beachy, 77, was charged in Ohio Federal Court with mail fraud for bilking Amish investors in 29 states, federal prosecutors said.
Beachy moved his investors' money from safe securities to risky investments - and routinely sent out bogus account statements indicating a profit, prosecutors said.
"These representations were false and made to lead investors to believe they were earning interest and had an account balance that was over-inflated compared to actual assets," the indictment charged. Beachy, owner of A&M Investments in Sugarcreek, Ohio, told The Associated Press that he was unaware of any indictment and declined comment. More
Two men charged with sexually assaulting a handicapped woman during a Bible study
A 30-year-old handicapped Plainfield woman was held hostage and raped by two Union County men after coming over for a Bible study class, prosecutors said today.
A Union County Grand Jury Wednesday returned an eight count indictment against Edward Woodson, 31, and Marcal Campbell, 30, charging both men with sexual assault and Woodson with an additional count of kidnapping, Union County Prosecutor Theodore Romankow announced this morning.
Woodson and Campbell are accused of holding the woman for nearly 12 hours in the basement of Woodson's family home on East Front Street in Plainfield, Romankow said. The woman — identified in the indictment only as "S.S." — apparently knew Woodson from her church.
Around 9 p.m. on Jan. 31, "S.S." was preparing for a baptism when Woodson invited her to his home for a Bible-study, according to Assistant Prosecutor Patricia L. Cronin, who is trying the case. Woodson brought her back to his home where they met up with Campbell and led her to the basement, where they sexually assaulted the victim together, Cronin said. More
'Cult members made me starve my one-year-old boy'
A mother who starved her one-year-old son to death on the orders of a cult leader after he did not say 'amen' before a meal has said she was paralysed by fear and was 'crazy'.
Speaking for the first time, Ria Ramkissoon, who was 19 when her son died, said she wanted to save her son but was convinced she would be defying God's will if she did so.
The cult's leader, who called herself Queen Antoinette, had told Miss Ramkissoon that her 15-month-old son Javon Thompson needed to be starved as he was possessed by an evil spirit.
Miss Ramkissoon said that she thought she would be guaranteed eternal damnation if she did not follow Antoinette who cited the Bible as her authority.
'It's like it's somebody else's life, but it's not,' Miss Ramkissoon said in her first interview since Javon's death. More
Pat Robertson's remarks on divorce, Alzheimer's on '700 Club' spark outrage
Popular televangelist Pat Robertson has caused an unholy mess by justifying divorce if a spouse has Alzheimer's, labeling the disease "a kind of death."
Robertson, 81, made the controversial remarks Tuesday during his "700 Club" show when a viewer asked what advice a man should give to a friend who began seeing another woman after his wife was diagnosed with the neurological disorder.
"I know it sounds cruel, but if he's going to do something, he should divorce her and start all over again, but make sure she has custodial care and somebody looking after her," said the one-time Republican presidential candidate.
He added he wouldn't "put a guilt trip" on anyone who divorces a spouse suffering from the illness. Robertson's preacher peers have been quick to condemn his statement, saying it doesn't gibe with the Bible. More
War of words breaks out among Jehovah's Witnesses
The official magazine for Jehovah's Witnesses has described those who leave the church as "mentally diseased", prompting an outcry from former members and insiders concerned about the shunning of those who question official doctrine.
An article published in July's edition of The Watchtower warns followers to stay clear of "false teachers" who are condemned as being "mentally diseased" apostates who should be avoided at all costs. "Suppose that a doctor told you to avoid contact with someone who is infected with a contagious, deadly disease," the article reads.
"You would know what the doctor means, and you would strictly heed his warning. Well, apostates are 'mentally diseased', and they seek to infect others with their disloyal teachings."
A copy of the magazine, distributed by Jehovah's Witnesses around the world, was given to The Independent by a current member of the church who has become unhappy with official teaching but is afraid to leave for fear of losing his family. More
Phoenix Goddess Temple raided by police
A church called the Phoenix Goddess Temple has been accused of being a house of prostitution, and a six-month undercover investigation has resulted in the arrests of 20 women and men who worked there, Phoenix police said Friday.
Authorities are still searching for 17 more people -- all of whom have been indicted -- in connection with the prostitution enterprise, said Sgt. Steve Martos, a Phoenix police spokesman. The 20 people arrested so far have been charged with prostitution or other offenses, police said.
During a Wednesday search of the Phoenix temple and two church-related sites in nearby Sedona, police seized evidence showing that "male and female 'practitioners' working at the Temple were performing sexual acts in exchange for monetary 'donations,' all on the pretense of providing 'neo tantric' healing therapies," Phoenix police said. More
Vicar fury at new home for Jehovahs
A VICAR’S passionate plea for councillors to reject the Jehovah’s Witnesses plans for a new place of worship has fallen on deaf ears.
The religious group has been given permission to relocate from the Kingdom Hall in Tweedmouth’s West End to Scremerston.
Rev Matthew Knox, Vicar of Tweedmouth and priest in charge of St Peter’s Church in Scremerston, argued the plan should be turned down because it is not a place of Christian worship as stated in the application.
He said: “This is not a Christian denomination and so it is misleading to use the phrase ‘Christian place of worship’ in its application.
“This new religious movement, adopting its name in 1931, departs from key traditional Christian doctrines and practices and disassociates itself from all main Christian denominations.
“It is not part of Churches Together in Berwick, it has its own translation of the bible and to my knowledge discourages independent thinking with the real threat of members being shunned by all other members if they dispute their governing body’s official doctrine. More
Teen girl was raped, impregnated by fellow church-member & then forced to apologize
A woman who says she was raped and impregnated as a 15-year-old by a member of her church - and then forced to read a letter of apology aloud to the congregation - is now seeking justice from the courts.
Jury selection starts Monday at Merrimack Superior Court in New Hampshire in the case against Ernest Willis, who prosecutors charge raped Tina Anderson twice in her home in 1997, leaving her pregnant, the New Hampshire Union Leader reported. The then-teenager was then compelled by leaders of the Trinity Baptist Church to apologize for becoming pregnant with a married man's child, the Concord Monitor reported.
Willis, now 52, has admitted to the sex, but claims it was consensual. More
Churchgoer dumped bacon outside a mosque: jailed for race hate crimes
A churchgoer who left pork products outside a mosque during a hate campaign against Muslims has been put behind bars.
John White, 63, left rashers of bacon outside the religious building in South Shields, and similar products outside worshippers' homes.
Newcastle Crown Court heard that despite the distress caused to the members of the Jam-E-Masjid mosque, chairman Mohammed Miah has told police he bears no grudge.
Stuart Graham, defending White, said: 'The chairman of the mosque has said everything has calmed down and they don't wish him any ill.
'Something has triggered this, but they certainly don't wish him any harm.' More
Former Jehovah's Witness taking on Watch Tower
A FORMER Jehovah's Witness is to launch a private criminal prosecution against the religion's world headquarters.
His action is in protest at its refusal to require church elders to submit to Working With Children police checks in Victoria.
Steven Unthank, who says he was a victim of sexual assault by a church elder in Queensland, says he is taking the drastic step to protect children within the religion and at homes where Jehovah's Witnesses doorknock.
Mr Unthank, from Toongabbie in Gippsland, says he is frustrated over inaction by police and the Justice Department after the religion decided its ministers were not required to undergo police checks.
He hopes the state will take over the prosecution after court documents are filed on April 19.
Mr Unthank, 43, quit the religion in late 2009 after waging a long campaign to persuade the Watch Tower Society, the religion's administrative arm, that elders and door-to-door preachers needed to get police checks before working with children.
Although Jehovah's Witnesses say all members become ordained ministers at baptism, a spokesman for the Watch Tower Society said elders or other evangelists were not required to gain a police clearance. "We don't typically work with children, we don't have Sunday schools, so that law doesn't apply to us," the spokesman said. More
An Israeli algorithm sheds light on the Bible
JERUSALEM — Software developed by an Israeli team is giving intriguing new hints about what researchers believe to be the multiple hands that wrote the Bible. The new software analyzes style and word choices to distinguish parts of a single text written by different authors, and when applied to the Bible its algorithm teased out distinct writerly voices in the holy book.
The program, part of a sub-field of artificial intelligence studies known as authorship attribution, has a range of potential applications - from helping law enforcement to developing new computer programs for writers.
But the Bible provided a tempting test case for the algorithm's creators. For millions of Jews and Christians, it's a tenet of their faith that God is the author of the core text of the Hebrew Bible - the Torah, also known as the Pentateuch or the Five Books of Moses.
But since the advent of modern biblical scholarship, academic researchers have believed the text was written by a number of different authors whose work could be identified by seemingly different ideological agendas and linguistic styles and the different names they used for God. More
Women’s Bible study ends with bloody nose and arrest
Laguna Beach -- What witnesses say started out with Bible study took a strange turn before ending with the arrest of a 39-year-old Panama City Beach woman.
While there are two versions of what happened, deputies say that Hiedi Rhodes was nearly too drunk to tell her version, and that it was vague and didn’t match what the other three witnesses told them. That inconsistency, and the testimony of the other three women gathered for the Bible study, is likely what led to her arrest.
Deputies arrived to a call for help to find two women in a physical fight inside a home on Laureno Place, in the Laguna Beach area. After breaking up the fight, two deputies separated the women to hear both sides of the story. During what deputies describe as a “rambling” testimony, Rhodes said that the other woman had attacked her because she’d called her boyfriend earlier, and told him that his dog was roaming the neighborhood. The other version of the story does not paint Rhodes as the victim, but rather as the aggressor. More
Amish Man Accused Of Sexting 12 y/o Girl
Police in Indiana say they arrested an Amish man who arrived in a horse-drawn buggy for a presumed rendezvous with a 12-year-old girl to whom he had sent sexually explicit cell phone messages.
Officers arrested 21-year-old William R. Yoder on Wednesday, June 15, after he rode up to the Takathemoke Restaurant in Milroy, Indiana, and approached an undercover agent.
"The suspect arrived, in a one-horse carriage as he said he would, was identified by the undercover officer confirming his identity and was taken into custody without incident," said Connersville, Indiana, police Detective Craig Pennington.
Yoder was taken to Fayette County Jail, about 60 miles east of Indianapolis, where in a videotaped statement he confessed that he sent video messages, naked pictures of himself and lewd text messages. He posted bail June 16. More
Actually, that's not in the Bible
NFL legend Mike Ditka was giving a news conference one day after being fired as the coach of the Chicago Bears when he decided to quote the Bible.
“Scripture tells you that all things shall pass,” a choked-up Ditka said after leading his team to only five wins during the previous season. “This, too, shall pass.”
Ditka fumbled his biblical citation, though. The phrase “This, too, shall pass” doesn’t appear in the Bible. Ditka was quoting a phantom scripture that sounds like it belongs in the Bible, but look closer and it’s not there.
Ditka’s biblical blunder is as common as preachers delivering long-winded public prayers. The Bible may be the most revered book in America, but it’s also one of the most misquoted. Politicians, motivational speakers, coaches - all types of people - quote passages that actually have no place in the Bible, religious scholars say. More
Man Arrested for Firing Gun at Man Distributing Religious Flyer
A Riverside County man who fired a gun at a man passing out religious literature in his neighborhood was arrested Sunday night after a stand-off with Perris officers and the Riverside County Sheriff's Special Enforcement Bureau.
Gino Salinas, 51, of an unincorporated portion of Riverside County, got into a verbal altercation with a man distributing religious literature in the 17,000 block of Dalke Lane at about 3 p.m. Sunday.
When the man turned to get back into his car, Salinas displayed a black handgun and fired one shot toward the vehicle. The man got into the car, drove off and called police, according to a Riverside County spokesperson. More
Was the Bible forged?
Parts of the Bible were written by people who lied about their identity, an author has claimed.
Bart D Ehrman claims many books of the New Testament were forged by people pretending to be the apostles Peter, Paul or James.
Writing in the Huffington Post, Professor Ehrman, best selling author of 'Misquoting Jesus' and 'Jesus, Interrupted', said religious scholars were well aware of the 'lies' of the Bible.
While some were happy to acknowledge them others refer to them as 'pseudepigrapha' - meaning a falsely attributed work -, he wrote.
In his new book , Why the Bible's Authors Are Not Who We Think They Are, Professor Ehrman claims The Second Epistle of Peter - or 2 Peter - was forged. More
Tavares church's jarring billboard reaches out to 'scumbags'
Pastor Moses Robbins and his fledgling Saturday Night Live Church have raised Cain with a bold billboard along one of Lake County's busiest highways that calls out, "Scumbags Welcome!"
Lord, forgive them.
"Our hope was that we would fill up the building, bring new people to the Cross and Jesus," explained Robbins, 42, the laid-back pastor of nondenominational SNL, which meets at the activity center of the First United Methodist Church of Tavares.
Rooted in a modern translation of scripture, the billboard, erected about a month ago on the south side of U.S. Highway 441, has pulled in a few new members while irritating some passersby who think it's in bad taste.
The city of Tavares recently dispatched its code-enforcement officer to investigate after receiving complaints about the billboard, but officials determined the message was constitutionally protected speech, spokeswoman Joyce Ross said. More
Russian sect believes Putin reincarnation of St. Paul
A founder of a religious cult glorifying Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin believes that the powerful premier is the reincarnation of Saint Paul, the Russian tabloid Sobesednik reported on Wednesday.
The sect, founded by one Mother Fotinya, is based in the Bolshaya Elnya village in the central Russian Nizhny Novgorod region.
Fotinya was quoted by the paper as saying that there were certain parallels between the life of former president Putin and St. Paul.
"According to the Bible, Paul the Apostle used to be a warlord and the fierce persecutor of Christians, and then he began preaching the Gospel.
Putin also was not a saint during his service in the KGB. But when he became president, the Holy Ghost descended on him," Fotinya was quoted as saying. More
Jehovah's Witnesses face gunfire at 'Catholic home'
Rhonda Kalapach believes Jehovah's Witnesses have no place on her property. When two of them came to her door, the 60-year-old Monroe County woman asked them to leave. Her husband saw the women from across the street and yelled at them, but they didn’t go.
That’s when her husband, William George Kalapach, came into the home and got his rifle. The women were walking to the car where three other people were waiting, when Kalapach said they weren’t moving fast enough, police said.
Police said he fired four shots into the ground about 11 a.m. Saturday near the car with all five people inside. He is now in county prison, charged with aggravated assault and related charges.
"This is a Catholic home," Rhonda Kalapach said. "This is a devout home." More
Religious Young Adults Become Obese By Middle Age
CHICAGO --- Could it be the potato salad? Young adults who frequently attend religious activities are 50 percent more likely to become obese by middle age as young adults with no religious involvement, according to new Northwestern Medicine research. This is the first longitudinal study to examine the development of obesity in people with various degrees of religious involvement.
“We don’t know why frequent religious participation is associated with development of obesity, but the upshot is these findings highlight a group that could benefit from targeted efforts at obesity prevention,” said Matthew Feinstein, the study’s lead investigator and a fourth-year student at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
”It’s possible that getting together once a week and associating good works and happiness with eating unhealthy foods could lead to the development of habits that are associated with greater body weight and obesity.” More
Birds of the same feather: Harold Camping, William Miller and Charles Taze Russell
Doomsday prophet Harold Camping's failed rapture theory was a product of numerical manipulation which is based on the assumption that Biblical numbers contain encoded spiritual truths.
Camping's outrageous claim that May 21 was the chosen date for the Second Coming of Jesus now stands refuted. He predicted that the day would be punctuated with a massive earthquake and the heavenly transport (rapture) of 200 million believers. The U.S. Geological Society proved the quake claim bogus and a global census is sure to discredit the latter.
Harold Camping, a civil engineer who graduated from UC Berkeley, bewitched his clan of followers by applying abstract math to his apocalyptic madness which is similar to what other naysayers like the founders of Seventh-day Adventists and Jehovah Witness had used.
The Seventh-day Adventist had its roots in the "Millerite" movement which was started by William Miller in the 19th century. Religionfacts records that Miller had predicted that the Second Coming of Jesus would take place between March 21, 1843 and March 21, 1844.
Similarly the founder of Jehovah Witness movement Charles Taze Russell had predicted that Jesus would return in 1914. More
Rapture Fail - believers downcast, pastor silent
Followers of an Oakland radio minister who predicted that Saturday would mark the start of the world's last days waited in vain for a religious homecoming that never happened.
After driving from Maryland in the hope of being taken up to heaven in the Rapture with a crowd of fellow believers, Keith Bauer admitted his disappointment Saturday as he stood in a near-empty parking lot outside the locked Family Radio headquarters in Oakland.
"I was hoping," the 36-year-old trucker told reporters, who outnumbered believers at the grimy hub of worldwide speculation that Earth would end that very day at 6 p.m. "Heaven will be a lot better than this earth.
Neither radio employees nor radio minister Harold Camping were in evidence on Hegenberger Road near the Oakland Airport.
Although it wasn't yet 6 p.m., Bauer began having doubts about Camping's prophecy when the predicted devastation and Rapture didn't happen in places like New Zealand, where the deadline had already come and gone. More
'Lucky man': 39 wives, 94 kids not enough for sect leader
GUWAHATI, India — The more, the merrier is certainly true for Ziona Chana, a 66-year-old man in India's remote northeast who has 39 wives, 94 children and 33 grandchildren — and wouldn't mind having more.
They all live in a four-story building with 100 rooms in a mountainous village in Mizoram state, sharing borders with Myanmar and Bangladesh, media reports said.
"I once married 10 women in one year," he was quoted as saying.
His wives share a dormitory near Ziona's private bedroom and locals said he likes to have seven or eight of them by his side at all times.
The sons and their wives, and all their children, live in different rooms in the same building, but share a common kitchen. More
JW Sex attacker preyed on 1,000 elderly victims
A former taxi driver dubbed the Night Stalker may have carried out as many as 1,000 sex attacks and burglaries.
Scotland Yard apologised for botching chances to catch Delroy Grant as he was found guilty of some of the "most depraved" crimes in its history.
The father of 10 faces life in jail after Woolwich crown court convicted him of 29 offences dating back 17 years, including three rapes, an attempted rape, seven indecent assaults and 18 burglaries.
Grant attacked victims aged between 68 and 93 in Warlingham, Shirley, Beckenham, Bromley, Addiscombe, Orpington and West Dulwich. But the force today issued a public apology as it admitted missing at least one major chance to snare him 10 years before his arrest.
The Jehovah's Witness, 53, went on to attack 146 more victims - three of whom were raped and 20 sexually assaulted. Seven victims died before getting the chance to see justice done. More
Who's in hell? Pastor's new book sparks eternal debate
A local pastor who lost his job after losing his old belief in hell says he hopes the controversy doesn’t harm his former church.
Chad Holtz was dismissed from Marrow’s Chapel United Methodist Church at 2828 Morgan Road after writing a note on his Facebook page supporting a new book by Rob Bell, a prominent young evangelical pastor and critic of the traditional view of hell as a place of eternal torment for billions of damned souls.
He preached his final sermon Sunday.
An Associated Press story about Bell’s book and Holtz’s dismissal was posted on news websites around the world Thursday. Hotlz said the story was accurate, but the one thing he wants everyone to know is this: “The people at my church are good people.”
In the book “Love Wins,” Bell criticizes the belief that a select number of Christians will spend eternity in the bliss of heaven while everyone else is tormented forever in hell. More
'Could codices prove 'the major discovery of Christian history'?
Experts are responding with a mixture of caution, hope, and skepticism to new claims that a recently discovered trove of 70 ancient sealed books may represent some of the earliest Christian documents.
Written on lead in Hebrew and Aramaic, the secretly coded books – or codices – were hidden for centuries in a remote Jordanian cave until a traveling Bedouin found them some five years ago, according to a statement released last week by British Egyptologist David Elkington. Depictions of crosses on the lead-bound leaves, coupled with metallurgical analysis, suggest to Mr. Elkington that these might be early Christian texts that pre-date even some letters in the New Testament.
Others aren’t so sure. All evidence to date suggests Christians didn’t use the cross as a symbol until the 4th century, according to Hershel Shanks, editor of Biblical Archaeology Review. The use of codices also dates to a later period, he said, and metal analysis has yielded no precise dating in this case. More
Woman Tries to Kill Children, Self to Avoid 'the Tribulation'
Palmdale -- A woman slit her daughters' throats before slitting her own early Friday evening, claiming that "the Tribulation" was going to occur and she wanted to prevent them from suffering through it, officials said.
Lyn Benedetto, 47, reportedly told her daughters to lie on a bed and proceeded to take a knife to their throats.
The suspect then took the knife to her own throat before driving the victims to an unoccupied friend's house to die.
Lancaster Station deputies responded to a call regarding an "assault with knife" at about 5:32pm from the owner of the residence where the victims had been taken. More
Biblical scholar's date for rapture: May 21, 2011
Harold Camping lets out a hearty chuckle when he considers the people who believe the world will end in 2012.
"That date has not one stitch of biblical authority," Camping says from the Oakland office where he runs Family Radio, an evangelical station that reaches listeners around the world. "It's like a fairy tale." The real date for the end of times, he says, is in 2011.
The Mayans and the recent Hollywood movie "2012" have put the apocalypse in the popular mind this year, but Camping has been at this business for a long time. And while Armageddon is pop science or big-screen entertainment to many, Camping has followers from the Bay Area to China.
Camping, 88, has scrutinized the Bible for almost 70 years and says he has developed a mathematical system to interpret prophecies hidden within the Good Book. One night a few years ago, Camping, a civil engineer by trade, crunched the numbers and was stunned at what he'd found: The world will end May 21, 2011. More
One dead after shots fired inside Jehovah's Kingdom Hall
LOWELL, Ore. -- One person is dead after a fatal shooting in Lowell, Ore., Wednesday night.
Shots were fired at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses on Pioneer Street.
On Thursday morning the victim was identified as 47-year-old Kenneth Mort of Lowell.
Robert Gonzales, 34, of Eugene was arrested on murder charges. Mort and Gonzales knew each other.
Gonzales fled the scene, sparking a manhunt. Oregon State Police troopers found his abandoned vehicle three miles from the hall.
The search involved Lane County sheriff's deputies, Oregon State Police troopers, Eugene police officers, police dogs and the Lane County sheriff's helicopter. More
Book publisher says televangelist Benny Hinn violated morality clause
SANFORD - A Lake Mary book publisher is suing televangelist and faith healer Benny Hinn, saying he violated a morality clause in their contract when he began an "inappropriate relationship" with another evangelist, and thus, must pay $250,000.
In August, Hinn admitted to a friendship with evangelist Paula White after The National Enquirer published photos of them in Rome, holding hands.
Hinn was married at the time. His wife, Suzanne, had filed for divorce a few months earlier.
Three years earlier, Hinn had signed a three-book deal with Strang Communications Co. of Lake Mary. He was paid a $300,000 advance on the first one, "Blood in the Sand," according to the suit.
Hinn acknowledged to his publisher "his inappropriate relationship" with White in August, according to the suit, and agreed that the publisher should get back its money, but he has yet to pay up. More
Confession app blessed by Catholic bishop
An iPhone and iPad app that helps Roman Catholics seek forgiveness for their sins has been sanctioned by the Catholic Church.
Confession: A Roman Catholic App, developed by Little iApps in South Bend, Ind., received an "imprimatur" — an official publication licence from the church — from Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades of the Indiana Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, the company said in a news release.
The release added that this is the first known imprimatur given to an iPhone or iPad app, even though a number of similar apps already exist.
The app, which sells for $1.99, was the only religious app in the Top 10. Despite that, version 1.0.1, updated on Feb. 2, had not been rated enough times by users to display an average rating. The first version was released in December.
"This app has already aided one man in returning to the sacrament after 20 years," said Patrick Leinen, the app developer and co-founder of the company in a statement. More
Jehovah's Witness paid 13-year-old girl to keep quiet about sex abuse
A man who sexually abused a 13-year-old girl and took obscene photographs of her has been jailed for three years four months.
Liverpool Crown Court heard that 54-year-old Geoffrey Massey would pay the teenager after molesting her at his home in an attempt to keep her quiet.
But his crimes eventually came to light after he confessed to his daughter, who told other relatives.
In April, following the revelations, his young victim took an overdose and had to be treated at hospital.
Jailing 54-year-old Massey, who is a Jehovah's Witness, Judge Adrian Lyon said “I have regard for the totality of the offences and in particular the last count, which dealt with a number of photographs you took of the child, aged 13, on your behalf. More
Father sacrifices newborn girl child to please deity
In a shocking incident, a father scarified his newborn girl child to keep his promise to his family deity Kitotarmata. The man, Narottam Mana Devipujak, threw his child in a drain near his house in Sundarpuri, a busy slum area of Gandhidham.
"We have arrested the accused for this heinous crime," said MK Jadeja, police inspector of A-division police station, on Monday. "Narottam Devipujak was produced before the magistrate in Gandhidham court today."
According to the details of the case, the incident took place on Janmashtami night. Narottam, who sells vegetables from a kiosk, had vowed that he would offer a male goat to the goddess if a son was born to him. But if a girl child was born, he had sworn that he would straightway offer the child to the deity.
When his wife gave birth to a baby girl a day before Janmashtami, he decided to give her as an offering to the goddess. When everyone was glued to the TV watching the birth of Lord Krishna, he slipped away with the baby and threw her in a gutter close to the temple of the deity. Then he returned home, pretending as if nothing had happened. More
Hasidic Rabbi, Three Sons Accused of Rape, Incest
NEW YORK -- A Hasidic rabbi and three of his sons are suspected of sexually abusing at least four female relatives after the eldest victim confided in a co-worker at a Jewish school, police said Friday.
The 58-year-old father and his 21-year-old son fled to Israel two days ago and are wanted for questioning in the case, police said. They were apparently driven to the airport by the mother.
Two other sons, a 24-year-old and a 15-year-old, were arrested on sexual abuse and rape charges. It was unclear whether they had attorneys, and a message left at the home wasn't immediately returned.
The suspects' names are being withheld by The Associated Press to avoid identification of victims.
Police say the abuse came to light after the oldest victim, now 20, who worked as a teacher's aide at a yeshiva in Brooklyn, told a teacher there she had been abused. Authorities believe she was assaulted by her father repeatedly for 15 years. The other victims range in age from 8 to 19, and investigators believe the abuse was also repeated. More
Jehovah’s Witness Rapist evaded justice for years
A RAPIST evaded justice for 25 years because Jehovah’s Witnesses did nothing when told about his child sex abuse, a court heard.
Anthony Burns, aged 54, was confronted with his crimes against a young child in the 1980s but no action was taken by the religious organisation.
Burns repeatedly abused a girl as young as nine years old, from 1977 until 1984 when she revealed what had been happening.
Burns, of Back Road, Wisbech, in Cambridgeshire, denied four charges of indecent assault, attempted rape and rape but was convicted after a trial. The abuse took place in the 1970s and early 1980s in Eastbourne and Northamptonshire. He was jailed for 11 years and placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life.
Judge Charles Wide QC said: “It is very unfortunate the Jehovah’s Witnesses community dealt with a complaint in 1984 in a wholly inappropriate way, seemingly more concerned with their own reputation than doing justice, but I acknowledge they were very different times. More
Palestinian held for Facebook criticism of Islam
QALQILIYA, West Bank — A mysterious blogger who set off an uproar in the Arab world by claiming he was God and hurling insults at the Prophet Muhammad is now behind bars — caught in a sting that used Facebook to track him down.
The case of the unlikely apostate, a shy barber from this backwater West Bank town, is highlighting the limits of tolerance in the Western-backed Palestinian Authority — and illustrating a new trend by authorities in the Arab world to mine social media for evidence.
Residents of Qalqiliya say they had no idea that Walid Husayin — the 26-year-old son of a Muslim scholar — was leading a double life.
Known as a quiet man who prayed with his family each Friday and spent his evenings working in his father's barbershop, Husayin was secretly posting anti-religion rants on the Internet during his free time.
Now, he faces a potential life prison sentence on heresy charges for "insulting the divine essence." Many in this conservative Muslim town say he should be killed for renouncing Islam, and even family members say he should remain behind bars for life. More
Jehovah’s Witness jailed for grooming and abusing boy
A Jehovah's Witness who groomed and sexually abused a boy has been jailed for six years and eight months.
Thomas Gold, 45, of Alloa, Clackmannanshire, was sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh.
He previously admitted committing indecency at a house in Tullibody between November 1996, when the boy was seven years old, and November in 2003.
Unemployed Gold took the boy canvassing for the Jehovah's Witnesses and to the Kingdom Hall.
When he became a teenager, the victim told elders at his church about the abuse.
Advocate depute Alison Di Rollo said the church leaders told Gold his behaviour was wrong and warned that if it continued he would be "disfellowshipped", or expelled, because the church disapproved of homosexual behaviour. More
The Church of Sit Up Cycling
A resident of Vancouver, Canada has started a new church. The Church of Sit Up Cycling. Cycling 'enthusiasts' have long exhibited a passion for their hobby or sport that resembles religious observance.
Now the realm of worship has come to the aesthetic art and act of regular citizens riding upright bicycles. We like this theological uprighteousness. Reverend James Twowheeler is the 'nom de plume' of the church's founder. As stated on the church's website:
Wearing their normal work and play clothes is an essential religious practice of members of the Church of Sit-Up Cycling. This may or may not include wearing plastic hats.
Believers wholly endorse the use of such accident-preventing safety measures as lights, bells, height, strict compliance with traffic signals, a leisurely pace and the use of dedicated cycling streets and lanes.
Reverend Twowheeler discovered a potential loophole in British Columbia's Motor Vehicle Act. British Columbia is one of the few places in the world that has all-ages mandatory helmet laws but there are exemptions from the law. Among them:
3 The following persons are exempt from the requirement under section 184 of the Act to wear a bicycle safety helmet: - a person for whom the wearing of a helmet would interfere with an essential religious practice; Among the individuals who could claim this exemption are Sikhs. And now, perhaps, the Church of the Sit Up Cycling. More
Locals Protest Mosque That's Actually a Church
Some vigilant citizens in Phoenix, Arizona are up in arms over a domed church that they wrongly believe to be a mosque. The large building, still under construction along a busy interstate, is actually a nondenominational church.
The backlash has been severe enough that the church's leaders have hung a giant banner over the dome: "IF YOU THINK DIFFERENT YOU ARE WRONG -- WE ARE BUILDING A CHRISTIAN HOUSE OF WORSHIP." The incident suggests that the widespread backlash against Muslim-American centers, which began this summer in reaction to the planned Cordoba House in New York, may still not have fully receded.
Phoenix's CBS affiliate KPHO reports, "People behind a new church in Phoenix are trying to stay ahead of any potential controversy or hate that accompanied the announcement of a proposed mosque near Ground Zero in New York City.". More
Jehovah’s Witness deal riles Aurora neighbors
AURORA — Residents in the Serenity Ridge neighborhood are upset by plans to sell nearby land for a massive Jehovah's Witness assembly hall, the first such hall in Colorado.
The 50,000-square-foot hall would be built on about 22 acres on the southeast corner of East Smoky Hill Road and South Oak Hill Way in southeast Aurora. It would seat 2,900 people and have up to 1,000 parking spots, according to preliminary plans. The property had been slated for the second phase of the Serenity Ridge neighborhood, which was to include a pool and clubhouse.
But the original developer went out of business and the new group that bought it from the bank is negotiating a sale to the Jehovah's Witnesses.
"I'm angry at the situation," said Carrelle DeSimone, who lives in Serenity Ridge, which is across the street from the proposed assembly hall. "There's a right place to build that, and it's not here." Neighbors worry the assembly hall will bring unwanted traffic and lower their property values. More
Nose-stud controversy draws attention to church's beliefs
RALEIGH -- With his split tongue, a tattooed scalp and earlobe piercings the size of hockey pucks, it's easy to mistake Richard Ivey III for a sinister character with angry, boiling insides - or a chap as peculiar as Queequeg, the doomed Polynesian whaler from "Moby Dick."
But spend a few minutes with Ivey, a bouncer at The Brewery on Hillsborough Street, and the quality that strikes you deeper than the holes in his body, or the ink under his skin, is his peacefulness. Speaking through a bushy orange beard, gazing through round spectacles, he shows the contentment of a cat resting in a sunbeam.
It's not a quality you expect from a 22-year-old who earns his paycheck knocking around with out-of-control punk rockers. But as a minister in The Church of Body Modification, Ivey can find peace at the end of a needle, or wholeness while dangling from hooks. He kills the pain inside by creating more of it on the outside. More
Moral search engines squeeze out sin on internet
Seek and ye shall find. A number of new internet search engines created by Christian, Jewish or Muslim entities aim to filter out queries from web users in a way that is more relevant to those users and keeps them from temptation, alcohol and pornography.
"We think that the other search engines are way too 'main street' oriented. We wanted to provide a solution to explore the web in a safe environment, where you won't bump into explicit content or immoral websites, like pornography," said Reza Sardeha, the Amsterdam-based founder of the Muslim-oriented search engine I'mHalal.
If one types the world alcohol into imhalal.com, the search engine produces results that explain the Muslim viewpoint on drinking. Type in "pornography", and the search engine produces... nothing.
The 21-year-old Kuwaiti says the site attracts users from places like Pakistan, Indonesia, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates as well as the United States. More
Jehovah’s Witness Charged Over Blood Transfusion
A Jehovah’s Witness member faces a year in prison over her refusal to allow her son to receive a blood transfusion that might have prevented his death in August, Interfax reported Thursday.
Ilya Orlukovich, 11, was hospitalized in Moscow on Aug. 9 after being hit by a car, and he died two weeks later, a spokesman for the city branch of the Investigative Committee told Interfax.
He said the boy’s mother forbade doctors from offering a blood transfusion because of a Jehovah’s Witness teaching that prohibits such operations.. More
Preacher arrested for saying homosexuality is a sin
Dale McAlpine was charged with causing “harassment, alarm or distress” after a homosexual police community support officer (PCSO) overheard him reciting a number of “sins” referred to in the Bible, including blasphemy, drunkenness and same sex relationships.
The 42-year-old Baptist, who has preached Christianity in Workington, Cumbria for years, said he did not mention homosexuality while delivering a sermon from the top of a stepladder, but admitted telling a passing shopper that he believed it went against the word of God.
Police officers are alleging that he made the remark in a voice loud enough to be overheard by others and have charged him with using abusive or insulting language, contrary to the Public Order Act. More
Need Prayer? Drive-Thru Takes Orders To Go
LOMA LINDA, Calif. -- Joyce Kim needed a sign to remind her to pray.
She found it a few months ago along a stretch of rural road where she and hundreds of other Southern California commuters drive home every day.
A 4-foot placard reads "Need Prayer?" Shawn Heggi, a self-appointed Christian spiritual counselor, sits in a blue tent in the field nearby.
Now Kim tries to stop every Friday to pray with Heggi, 35, and two of his friends. They pray for a solution to Kim's financial troubles, the domestic violence victims she works with and the medical career she put on hold during her mother's 11-year battle with ovarian cancer.
"I go to church when I can, but that's on a set time," Kim said. "There may be times when I don't have time to go to church. This is just open, it's free, it's available for anybody, so I stop as often I can, when I can." More
Board denies Jehovah’s site request
MERRIMACK – The Merrimack Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses, in search of a church of its own for 25 years, will have to keep looking.
Prompted by a host of concerns, the town Zoning Board voted down a proposal Thursday to allow a church on Wire Road, a residential zone where the congregation sought to build on the site of a retired farmland.
Congregation leaders, who have moved from location to location for 25 years without a home church, had selected the property at 62 Wire Road because of its size and location, as well as the quiet neighborhood, they said this week.
But neighbors, speaking against the proposal, expressed concerns over traffic, lighting and noise, among other issues the church could bring to the East Merrimack neighborhood, prompting the board to vote 3-1 against the project. More
Saudi woman beats up virtue cop
It was a scene Saudi women’s rights activists have dreamt of for years. When a Saudi religious policeman sauntered about an amusement park in the eastern Saudi Arabian city of Al-Mubarraz looking for unmarried couples illegally socializing, he probably wasn’t expecting much opposition.
But when he approached a young, 20-something couple meandering through the park together, he received an unprecedented whooping. A member of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, the Saudi religious police known locally as the Hai’a, asked the couple to confirm their identities and relationship to one another, as it is a crime in Saudi Arabia for unmarried men and women to mix.
For unknown reasons, the young man collapsed upon being questioned by the cop. According to the Saudi daily Okaz, the woman then allegedly laid into the religious policeman, punching him repeatedly, and leaving him to be taken to the hospital with bruises across his body and face. More
Priest Sex Abuse Linked to 13 Suicides in Belgium
Hundreds of sex abuse victims have come forward in Belgium with harrowing accounts of molestation by Catholic clergy that reportedly led to at least 13 suicides and affected children as young as two, a special commission said Friday.
Professor Peter Adriaenssens, chairman of the commission, said the abuse in Belgium may have been even more rampant than the 200-page report suggests.
"Reality is worse than what we present here today because not everyone shares such things automatically in a first contact with the commission," he told reporters.
Adriaenssens, a child psychiatrist who has worked with trauma victims for 23 years, said nothing had prepared him for the stories of abuse that blighted the lives of victims. More
Terry Jones Accused of 'Spiritual Abuse' at Cologne Church
The world is holding its breath -- and it's all down to a tiny Christian fundamentalist church in Florida.
Next Saturday, on the anniversary of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Rev. Terry Jones and his colleagues plan to burn hundreds of copies of the Koran on the church's property in Gainesville, Florida.
The White House has condemned the plan, and Muslim organizations around the world have warned of the consequences should the Koran-burning go ahead. But the church is sticking to its plans.
Naturally the radical Islamophobes know very well that their deliberate provocation could trigger potentially violent protests and riots. But they have washed their hands of any responsibility. "Let's just make one thing clear," the wannabe Koran-burners write on their blog. "A small church, in a small town, down a back road, burning copies of its own books, on its own property, is not responsible for the violent actions anyone may take in retaliation to our protest." More
Cleric in hot seat after calling for women to give men breast milk to avoid illicit mixing
A Saudi cleric finds himself in the hot seat after issuing a decree permitting unrelated women and men mingle so long as the guy drinks the woman's breast milk.
Sheik Abdel Mohsen Obeikan, a scholar and a consultant at Saudi Arabia's royal court, has called for women to give men breast milk to establish maternal relations and get around the ultra-conservative kingdom's ban on mixing between men and women who are unrelated.
"The man should take the milk, but not directly from the breast of the woman," UAE-based Gulf News quoted Obeikan as saying in local media reports. "He should drink it and then becomes a relative of the family, a fact that allows him to come in contact with the women without breaking Islam's rules about mixing."
Some Islamic scholars frown on the mixing of unmarried men and women. Islamic tradition, or hadith, stipulates that breastfeeding establishes a degree of maternal bond, even if a woman breast feeds a child who is not her own. More
Man claims ‘Yahweh’ sold him a foreclosed home
POLSON, Mont. — A Lake County jury convicted a transient of stealing a house in foreclosure by removing "for sale" signs, changing the locks and filing strange paperwork with the county claiming he purchased the house from Yahweh.
Jurors deliberated for less than an hour Tuesday morning before convicting Brent Arthur Wilson of theft, deceptive practices and tampering with public records or information. He faces up to 30 years in prison when he is sentenced Aug. 19.
Wilson was charged in February after Polson real estate agent Ed McCurdy investigated the removal of "for sale" signs from a $380,000 house he was selling on behalf of a lender in August 2009.
Further investigation found Wilson tried to use the house as collateral for a $125,000 loan he sought from a Missoula financial institution. More
Iran government issues style guide for men's hair
In an attempt to rid the country of "decadent Western cuts", Iran's culture ministry has produced a catalogue of haircuts that meet government approval.
The list of banned styles includes ponytails, mullets and elaborate spikes. However, quiffs appear to be acceptable, as are fashioning one's hair in the style of Simon Cowell or cultivating a 1980s-style floppy fringe.
Most of the models are clean-shaven although one picture features a man with a goatee beard, previously frowned upon by Iran's conservative clerics. Using hair gel is also within the law, albeit in modest quantities.
The "journal of Iranian hairstyles approved by the ministry of [culture and Islamic] guidance" was previewed at a government-approved hairdressing show in Tehran. More
Police say San Antonio man molested girl at church
Ramon Sanchez has asked God to forgive him following an admission he made to San Antonio police, according to the arrest warrant.
Police said the 73-year-old man confessed to molesting a 12-year-old girl at church and lured her with money.
The arrest document explains the alleged incident happened on Jan. 10. The victim alleges Sanchez started giving her money at Kingdom Hall in the 300 block of Price to befriend her. Police said the elderly suspect told the girl she could get money from him when he went to the restroom during church services. More
Registered sex offender to become ordained minister
LOUISVILLE, KY - A Louisville man who already leads the praise and worship at a church wants to take a higher role. He is a registered sex offender and will be ordained as a minister. It is something that is not sitting well with some.
At City of Refuge Worship Center, everyone is welcome. "Everyone sins, but He has forgiven us," said Kimberlin Bowling.
But what about sex offenders? "You may go to church somewhere and there may be one sitting right next to you and you don't even know it," said Bowling.
People at City of Refuge know about Mark Hourigan, who was charged in 1998 with sodomizing, sexually abusing and intimidating an 11-year-old boy. Convicted of two counts of sex abuse, Hourigan did his time in prison. More
Iranian cleric makes earthquakes and promiscuity link
TEHRAN, Iran — A prominent hard-line Iranian cleric elaborated on his claim that promiscuity and immodest dress cause earthquakes, saying Friday that God may be holding off on natural disasters in the West in order to let people sin more and doom themselves to hell.
The cleric, Kazem Sedighi, sparked widespread derision with his pronouncements in a prayer sermon last month that women who don’t dress modesty spread adultery in society, in turn increasing earthquakes.
In Tehran’s main weekly prayer sermon on Friday, he defended the claim but added some further explanation on why some places are hit more than others. “Some ask why earthquakes and storms don’t occur in the Western world, which suffers from the slime of homosexuality, the slime of promiscuity and has plunged up to the neck” in immorality, he said. More
Jehovah Couple Disown Son For Receiving Blood
A Jehovah Witness man, Kwabena Afum and his wife, Margret Afum aka Abena Oduma, have had a brush with the law after creating an unnecessary chaotic scene at New Edubiase Government Hospital in a bid to prevent medical officers from giving blood to their son.
Kwabena Afum was arrested last week Tuesday and granted a police enquiry bail the next day for causing panic and chaos by allegedly mobilizing some members of his church to foment trouble at the hospital.
He has since disowned five-year-old Jepheth Asamoah, who is currently in the custody of the Social Welfare Department in the district, even after his release. More
Pope: Church's own sins to blame in sex scandal
LISBON, Portugal -- In his most thorough admission of the church's guilt in the clerical sex abuse scandal, Pope Benedict XVI said Tuesday the greatest persecution of the institution "is born from the sins within the church," and not from a campaign by outsiders.
The pontiff said the Catholic church has always been tormented by problems of its own making - a tendency that is being witnessed today "in a truly terrifying way."
"The church needs to profoundly relearn penitence, accept purification, learn forgiveness but also justice," he said. More
Niqab woman booted from class again
MONTREAL - A Muslim woman in Quebec has been kicked out of a language course for the second time because of her refusal to remove a religious face covering.
The Egyptian immigrant made headlines last week when it was revealed provincial Immigration Department officials expelled her from a government-sponsored French class several months ago after she refused to take off her niqab.
Known only as Naema in Quebec media, she had since enrolled in another government-sponsored French class, this time at a community centre for immigrants in Montreal. More
A woman recalls her childhood of abuse by JW stepfather
In December 2005 I finally made my statement to the police. I wore a pinstripe shirtdress over jeans, so the police would know that I was someone capable of ironing and therefore reliable and truthful. I was left alone while the detective collected pens and paper, for it was to be a written statement, rather than a recorded or videoed one. It took six hours.
I told her about rapes and beatings. I told her everything I remembered. There was no room for me to cry, so I didn’t. I had done my difficult thing and now the statement was to be sent to the CID in Wales, where I grew up, and I had only to sit back and wait to hear from them.
The house becomes very cold when my stepfather Karl comes home. The air changes. I don’t like it when he is around living things. I like it best when he is driving a car, because then his hands are busy.
And I don’t like being a Jehovah’s Witness. Every Sunday morning and Tuesday and Thursday evenings we go to meetings at the Kingdom Hall. We have to sit very still or Karl hits us. It’s normal to hit children in the Kingdom Hall so he can do it and not worry. More
Passions over 'prosperity gospel': Was Jesus wealthy?
Each Christmas, Christians tell stories about the poor baby Jesus born in a lowly manger because there was no room in the inn.
But the Rev. C. Thomas Anderson, senior pastor of the Living Word Bible Church in Mesa, Arizona, preaches a version of the Christmas story that says baby Jesus wasn't so poor after all.
Anderson says Jesus couldn't have been poor because he received lucrative gifts -- gold, frankincense and myrrh -- at birth. Jesus had to be wealthy because the Roman soldiers who crucified him gambled for his expensive undergarments. Even Jesus' parents, Mary and Joseph, lived and traveled in style, he says.
"Mary and Joseph took a Cadillac to get to Bethlehem because the finest transportation of their day was a donkey," says Anderson. "Poor people ate their donkey. Only the wealthy used it as transportation."
Many Christians see Jesus as the poor, itinerant preacher who had "no place to lay his head." But as Christians gather around the globe this year to celebrate the birth of Jesus, another group of Christians are insisting that Jesus' beginnings weren't so humble. More
Muslim Scholars Say Body Scanners Violate Laws of Islam
Airport security is and will continue to be an important topic in the post 9/11 world. There is a fine line between security and the invasion of a traveler's privacy.
Many are claiming that the new full body scanners at some airports that show images of the human body in detail are an invasion of privacy.
The full body scanners were first detailed in 2009 and show anatomically correct images of the person being scanned that are only seen by the operator. After a failed Christmas day bomb scare on a Detroit-bound flight, speculation arose after that Obama could decree the wider use of full body scanners in airports. More
One of 'Jehovah's People' guilty of groping Minnie Mouse at Disney World
A 60-year-old Schuylkill County man was found guilty Tuesday of groping a woman dressed as Minnie Mouse while he and his family were visiting Walt Disney World in Florida.
John W. Moyer of Cressona was convicted of battery by a jury in Orange County Court in central Florida. Judge Wayne Shoemaker sentenced Moyer to 180 days of probation, 50 hours of community service and a $1,000 fine.
Moyer also must undergo a mental health evaluation and treatment, if necessary. The judge also ordered Moyer to write a letter of apology to the victim, Brittney D. McGoldrick, who is an employee of the amusement resort. Moyer did not testify during the trial.
"I am not guilty, and I pray to Jehovah, God, that he has mercy on Miss McGoldrick and the jury," Moyer said to WFTV 9. "I'm sorry they came up with the wrong verdict. More
Bible Possibly Written Centuries Earlier, Text Suggests
Scientists have discovered the earliest known Hebrew writing — an inscription dating from the 10th century B.C., during the period of King David's reign.
The breakthrough could mean that portions of the Bible were written centuries earlier than previously thought. (The Bible's Old Testament is thought to have been first written down in an ancient form of Hebrew.)
Until now, many scholars have held that the Hebrew Bible originated in the 6th century B.C., because Hebrew writing was thought to stretch back no further. But the newly deciphered Hebrew text is about four centuries older, scientists announced this month.
"It indicates that the Kingdom of Israel already existed in the 10th century BCE and that at least some of the biblical texts were written hundreds of years before the dates presented in current research," said Gershon Galil, a professor of Biblical Studies at the University of Haifa in Israel, who deciphered the ancient text. More
Followers find fulfillment without possessions at Twelve Tribes
The days begin early at Morning Star Ranch, where residents rise before dawn to pick their crops before a single leaf can wilt in the rising sun.
Then there are prayers at 7 a.m., followed by more planting, plowing or packing under the Valley Center sun.
At day's end, there is no TV to watch, no games to play and not even a dog to pet. And at the end of the week, as every week, there is no pay for all the work.
For the residents who call the ranch their home, though, it's paradise on Earth.
"It's what I dreamed life could be like," said David Alexander about life in the Twelve Tribes, the Commonwealth of Israel, a Christian community where he has lived six years and is known by his Hebrew name David Derush. More
Saudi religious police bar sale of red items to enforce Valentine's Day ban
The Saudi religious police have begun cracking down on stores selling any items that are red, heart-shaped or otherwise allude to the banned celebration of Valentine's Day, the Associated Press reports.
The AP, in a dispatch from Riyadh that quotes a Saudi official, says inspectors are even ordering stores to toss out such items as red roses.
The kingdom bans celebration of Western holidays such as Valentine's Day, named after a Christian saint said to have been martyred by the Romans in the third century. More
Does Jesus save aliens?
Four hundred years after Renaissance philosopher Giordano Bruno was burnt at the stake for his belief in the "plurality of worlds" (aliens), scientists and religious leaders gathered this week at a seemingly more open-minded Vatican for a conference on astrobiology (aliens).
The meeting focussed on current science, rather than the theological quandaries thrown up by the possibilty of other life forms beyond this planet. But that hasn't stopped debate spilling over outside the conference.
Yesterday I spoke to Paul Davies, a cosmologist from Arizona State University, just after he addressed the conference. In his view, the possibility of other civilisations - potentially more intelligent than our own - puts Christians “in a real bind”. Specifically, he says that nobody's satisfactorily addressed the question of whether aliens get saved. “The Catholic church offers a very species specific brand of salvation. Noone says that Jesus came to save the dolphins and certainly not little green men,” he said. More
Respected Jehovah's Witness groomed and molested young girls over years
A RESPECTED Jehovah's Witness who served as an elder betrayed the trust placed in him by abusing young girls.
James Michael O'Brien followed one schoolgirl into a kitchen when she was alone away from adults making tea at meetings he was hosting.
He pulled her towards him, sexually assaulted her and began to kiss her.
On another occasion he conducted a further sexual assault, Richard Wright prosecuting told Leeds Crown Court yesterday. She felt very angry about what was happening because adult worshippers in the Kingdom Hall "had a significant amount of trust placed in them", he said.
A second girl said when she was aged between 10 and 11, O'Brien touched her many times over her clothing when they were together for religious activities. More
Pastor Rapes Two Sisters
A 42-year old Shepherd of Celestial Church of Christ, Pastor Toyin Kadiri, has been arrested by the police in Lagos for allegedly raping two sisters at the same time.
Toyin was alleged to have raped the victims, names withheld, who are aged three and eight, when their parents had left for work.
P.M.News gathered that the pastor, who is married and has children, committed the crime when his wife and the victims’ parents were not at home on the day of the incident.
The incident happened at 28, Giwa Street, Onipanu, Ilupeju, Lagos, where the accused and the victims’ parents reside. More
Hi-tech holy water calms flu fear
Catholic churches in Italy are installing automatic holy water dispensers to help reduce the risk of spreading swine flu. The outbreak of the H1N1 virus has led many churches to suspend the tradition of having holy water in open fonts into which people dip their hands.
The new machine works like an automatic soap dispenser, squirting water when a hand is passed under the tap. Inventor Luciano Marabese says he is being inundated with enquiries.
Father Pierre Angelo Mota, from Capriano Briosco, north of Milan, said squirtable holy water had surprised some of his parishoners at first. "It has been a bit of a novelty," he said. More
A Witness account
The boy was just five years old and desperately ill, but as he crouched in the back seat of Donna Ryder's car, he became more fugitive than cancer patient.
Police in New Brunswick were already out looking for the child when, according to Ms. Ryder, she hid him and his mother in her Dodge Omni and drove them to Fredericton, away from children's aid officials who might have forced the son of Jehovah's Witnesses to accept a blood transfusion.
Fellow officials of the Church then took over, whisking the child to their Canadian headquarters, she says. The patient and his family ended up eventually in Mexico for alternative treatments that abided by the sect's controversial -- and vigorously enforced -- ban on receiving blood. He died soon after. More
World's biggest animal sacrifice
Kathmandu - Thousands of Hindu devotees have flocked to a village in Nepal ahead of the planned sacrifice of more than 300,000 animals in a ceremony condemned by animal rights activists, including French actress Brigitte Bardot.
Priests are preparing for the slaughter of more than 15,000 buffaloes and 300,000 birds, goats and sheep during the event, which starts Tuesday and is thought to be the biggest ritual sacrifice anywhere in the world.
Every five years, the village of Bariyapur, near Nepal's southern border with India, hosts this religious festival dedicated to Gadhimai, the Hindu goddess of power. More
God is not the Creator, claims academic
Professor Ellen van Wolde, a respected Old Testament scholar and author, claims the first sentence of Genesis "in the beginning God created the Heaven and the Earth" is not a true translation of the Hebrew.
She claims she has carried out fresh textual analysis that suggests the writers of the great book never intended to suggest that God created the world -- and in fact the Earth was already there when he created humans and animals.
Prof Van Wolde, 54, who will present a thesis on the subject at Radboud University in The Netherlands where she studies, said she had re-analysed the original Hebrew text and placed it in the context of the Bible as a whole, and in the context of other creation stories from ancient Mesopotamia.
She said she eventually concluded the Hebrew verb "bara", which is used in the first sentence of the book of Genesis, does not mean "to create" but to "spatially separate". More
Egypt anger over virginity faking
A leading Egyptian scholar has demanded that people caught importing a female virginity-faking device into the country should face the death penalty.
Abdul Mouti Bayoumi said supplying the item was akin to spreading vice in society, a crime punishable by death in Islamic Sharia law.
The device is said to release liquid imitating blood, allowing a female to feign virginity on her wedding night. There is a stigma about pre-marital sex in conservative Arab societies.
The contraption is seen as a cheap and simple alternative to hymen repair surgery, which is carried out in secret by some clinics in the Middle East. More
Christian cult stole our kids, say parents
A number of parents are stuck in a desperate battle with a church in Durban's upmarket suburbs that they accuse of "stealing" and brainwashing their teens.
Calling Grace Gospel Church in Pinetown a "mind-controlling" Christian cult, the parents claim girls have been married to men they hardly know, chosen for them by the church.
The church is a branch of Church Team Ministries International (CTMI), an international Christian group with head offices in Mauritius.
The group's leader, Basil O'Connell-Jones, was sent to Durban from another CTMI branch, Selborne Park Christian Church in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, in 2003. More
Christians in Jerusalem want Jews to stop spitting on them
A few weeks ago, a senior Greek Orthodox clergyman in Israel attended a meeting at a government office in Jerusalem’s Givat Shaul quarter. When he returned to his car, an elderly man wearing a skullcap came and knocked on the window. When the clergyman let the window down, the passerby spat in his face.
The clergyman prefered not to lodge a complaint with the police and told an acquaintance that he was used to being spat at by Jews. Many Jerusalem clergy have been subjected to abuse of this kind. For the most part, they ignore it but sometimes they cannot.
On Sunday, a fracas developed when a yeshiva student spat at the cross being carried by the Armenian Archbishop during a procession near the Holy Sepulchre in the Old City. The archbishop’s 17th-century cross was broken during the brawl and he slapped the yeshiva student. More
'Twilight' series spawns religion
How far is too far in our Twilight series fandom? With newspapers gaggling over film stars Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson's choice of wardrobe and hairstyle on a near-daily basis (though I'll give some of them credit, lately - see here), a readership of Stephenie Meyer's hit series that has reached over 30 million, the film reaching the number one spot for the year (see here), and children running around biting other children in the name of Twilight (supposedly - see here), we have to step back and wonder, when is our fandom getting to be too much?
Pillow Biters, one my favorite Twilight blogs, is reporting that the so-called Cullenist religion might be going "overboard to a realm that would make Mormon mom Stephenie Meyer cringe." More
Baby P ‘dad’ turns Jehovah in prison
The monstrous stepdad of Baby P has become a Jehovah’s Witness in jail. Sadistic brute Steven Barker, 33, keeps a bible in his cell and has told prison staff that he has "found God at last".
Last night officers tasked with guarding the beast from attacks by fellow cons remained dubious about the motive for his sudden conversion.
But a senior source at Wakefield prison in West Yorkshire insisted: "Barker is deadly serious about his new faith."
Evil Barker was caged with twisted lover Tracey Connelly, 28, after she helped him torture to death her defenceless 17-month-old toddler Peter. Barker is also serving life for raping a girl of two. The source said: "A lot of officers feel his conversion is a cynical move to try to win them over because it makes him look like he's got a moral compass after all. More
2 arrested in church thefts
TEMECULA - Two people were arrested on suspicion of burglarizing vehicles in church parking lots during services, a sheriff's sergeant said today.
Alfred Gonzales, 32, and Saira Utley, 22, were arrested around 9:15 a.m. Sunday at Hope Lutheran Church at 29141 Vallejo Ave., said Sgt. Steve Kusy, of the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.
The pair were driving in a black Toyota Camry in the parking lot of the church, when a deputy checked the license plate and discovered that it was reported stolen, Kusy said. More
Many Women Targeted by Faith Leaders, Survey Says
One in every 33 women who attend worship services regularly has been the target of sexual advances by a religious leader, a survey released Wednesday says.
The study, by Baylor University researchers, found that the problem is so pervasive that it almost certainly involves a wide range of denominations, religious traditions and leaders.
"It certainly is prevalent, and clearly the problem is more than simply a few charismatic leaders preying on vulnerable followers," said Diana Garland, dean of Baylor's School of Social Work, who co-authored the study.
It found that more than two-thirds of the offenders were married to someone else at the time of the advance. More
Murrieta minister to be sentenced for murder of wife
A Murrieta man convicted of murdering his longtime wife and making the killing look like it was done by an intruder is scheduled to be sentenced Friday and faces a lifetime in prison with no chance of parole.
Kelle Lee Jarka, 41 at the time of his trial, was convicted by a jury that deliberated about two hours in September before deciding he murdered his wife, Isabelle, at the family’s home and that the killing was for financial gain.
Prosecutors successfully argued Jarka, who was having financial problems, wanted to collect $1.3 million in life insurance on a policy he had taken out on his wife of nearly 20 years.
During the trial, prosecutor Burke Strunsky described Jarka as a man so enamored with his upper-middle-class lifestyle and position within his congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses, that he was willing to sacrifice the life of his loving wife to maintain it. More
Pastor charged with 'video voyeurism'
A pastor at a Lake Elsinore church has been arrested for allegedly taking pictures up women's skirts with his cell phone camera without their knowledge, law enforcement officials announced Wednesday.
John Albert Kleinpeter, 51, was arrested Friday at his Murrieta home and charged with one count of video voyeurism for sexual pleasure, which is a misdemeanor, said Riverside County district attorney's office spokesman John Hall.
Kleinpeter's arrest followed an investigation into a series of incidents at Temecula and Murrieta Target stores where witnesses say they saw him use a cell phone camera or small mirror to secretly photograph or view up the skirts of unsuspecting female adult shoppers, according to investigators.
Kleinpeter is also known as "John Andrews," whom authorities said is a pastor at Generations Community Church in Lake Elsinore. More
Scientology calls for internet, media censorship in Australia
The “Church” of Scientology has called upon the Australian Government to censor the internet and media locally in direct response to protests from Anonymous.
In a long, rambling submission made to the Australian Human Rights Commission made earlier this year, the Church dedicates two and half pages of its six page submission to attacking Anonymous, calling Anonymous among other things “a hate group” of “cyberterrorists” that is engaged in a “malicious campaign of hate” that is “an anathema to democracy.”
The submission plays the we do nothing wrong card, stating:
In Australia Anonymous have mounted a sustained campaign of misinformation against the Church. As we are a minority religion with the vast majority of the population unaware of our true beliefs and humanitarian programs, their campaign has no justifiable purpose and violates the Church of Scientology’s and parishioners rights to human dignity and religious freedom under the Constitution. More
Religious fanatic hijacked Mexican plane after 'revelation'
MEXICO CITY—A Bolivian religious fanatic briefly hijacked a jetliner from the beach resort of Cancun as it landed in Mexico City on Wednesday, police said. All passengers and the crew were released unharmed. The Bible-carrying hijacker used a juice can he said was a bomb to hold the 103 passengers and crew on the tarmac for more than an hour.
Masked police stormed the aircraft with guns drawn and escorted several handcuffed men away without firing a shot. Police later said there was only one hijacker, and the other men aboard were detained because the suspect had told a flight attendant he had three accomplices. The others were quickly released.
Jose Flores, 44, later told police his three companions were "the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost." Flores hijacked Aeromexico Flight 576 after a divine revelation, according to Public Safety Secretary Genaro Garcia Luna. Flores said Wednesday's date—9-9-09—is the satanic number 666 turned upside down. More
A Society Based On Literature Distribution
I was recently invited to visit the Australian headquarters of the Jehovah’s Witnesses. It’s a large complex in Sydney with about 270 people living on the site. The center of the complex is a huge printing press printing their magazines: Watchtower and Awake!, twice a month in more than 25 languages. The magazines are available in Australia in 82 languages and world-wide they print in over 160 languages!
I often distribute Srila Prabhupada’s books in Sydney’s Town Hall station and in recent years we share the spot with the Jehovah’s Witnesses. It appears to me the general public are far more interested in purchasing and reading Srila Prabhupada’s books about Krishna than their “Watchtower.” However, although the public seem quite disinterested in their literature they distribute an enormous quantity of it world-wide. So when Shaun invited me to visit their Australian headquarters I was interested to see how they managed to print and distribute so much literature first-hand.
I discovered to be an “active” Jehovah’s Witness one has to distribute literature. They seem to value more the hours spent in distributing the literature and preaching then the actual quantity of magazines sold. Every member is called a “publisher” and the mission of the “publishers” is very clear. To distribute the magazines and preach to the general public. Most of this is done door-to-door. More
Man vs. God
Karen Armstrong says we need God to grasp the wonder of our existence
Richard Dawkins has been right all along, of course—at least in one important respect. Evolution has indeed dealt a blow to the idea of a benign creator, literally conceived. It tells us that there is no Intelligence controlling the cosmos, and that life itself is the result of a blind process of natural selection, in which innumerable species failed to survive.
The fossil record reveals a natural history of pain, death and racial extinction, so if there was a divine plan, it was cruel, callously prodigal and wasteful. Human beings were not the pinnacle of a purposeful creation; like everything else, they evolved by trial and error and God had no direct hand in their making. No wonder so many fundamentalist Christians find their faith shaken to the core. More
Sex offender Philip Garrido used Jehovahs Witness to get early parole
Philip Garrido and his wife Nancy are under arrest for the abduction of Jaycee Lee Dugard, then 11 years old, on June 11, 1991. Garrido was a convicted sex offender for past three decades who had been in an out of jail. Nancy was a devout Jehovah’s Witness who converted Garrido to the religious sect prior to 1978.
1991 was 18 years ago and the couple held the child and sexually abused her. Philip Garrido fathered two children by the abducted Dugard.
The Garrido’s kept Dugard and her children locked up in a backyard compound in Antioch California, east of San Francisco. They used the girl, along with being their sex slave, to handle telemarketing for printing business related to religious brochures the Garrido’s were promoting. More
Faith healing 'risks recovery'
Dr Tony Cassidy said he believes that some people who put their trust in faith healing may be less likely to adhere to medical advice.
He will be presenting his research at a British Psychological Society conference in Birmingham.
The Coleraine-based academic's research team questioned 766 people on their belief in and intention to use faith healing.
They were also surveyed about their intention to adhere to medical advice.
"We found that belief and intention to use faith healing was a significant predictor of self-reported non-adherence to a medication," Dr Cassidy said. More
Scientology defectors come forward - accounts of abuse
They are stepping forward — from Dallas and Denver, Portland, Las Vegas, Montana — talking about what happened, to them and their friends, during their years in the Church of Scientology.
Jackie Wolff wept as she recalled the chaotic night she was ordered to stand at a microphone in the mess hall and confess her "crimes" in front of 300 fellow workers, many jeering and heckling her.
Gary Morehead dredged up his recollection of Scientology leader David Miscavige punishing venerable church leaders by forcing them to live out of tents for days, wash with a garden hose and use an open latrine.
Steve Hall replayed his memory of a meeting when Miscavige grabbed the heads of two church executives and knocked them together. One came away with a bloody ear. More
Death risk high in childbirth among Jehovah’s Witnesses
LONDON: Pregnant Jehovah’s Witnesses are six times more likely to die during childbirth than other women, mainly due to an increased risk for severe bleeding, Dutch researchers said yesterday.
Jehovah’s Witnesses refuse blood transfusions for religious reasons, and knowing the risks more precisely can help health workers better prepare for dealing with people who decline lifesaving measures, said Jos Van Roosmalen of the Netherlands Society of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, who led the study. More
Irish Catholics Say Stump Looks Like Mary
DUBLIN -- Thousands of Irish Catholics have flocked this week to a County Limerick church to pray at the stump of a recently cut willow that many observers say has the silhouette of the Virgin Mary.
The phenomenon at St. Mary's parish church in Rathkeale, population 3,000 or so, harkens back to decades when Catholic devotion and pilgrimages were the dominant feature of rural life in Ireland.
Some are tying the fervor for Rathkeale's "Holy Stump" to Ireland's stunning economic decline over the past year.
"People have been crying out for something good to happen. And this is all good for the soul," said Noel White, who has been overseeing a church project to cut down trees dangerously overhanging the neighboring school playground. More
US pastor opens church to guns
A pastor in the US state of Kentucky told his flock to bring handguns to church in what he said was an effort to promote safe gun ownership.
Pastor Ken Pagano told parishioners to bring their unloaded guns to New Bethel Church in Louisville for a service celebrating the right to bear arms.
He said he acted after church members voiced fears the Obama administration could tighten gun control laws.
When the service began, some 200 people were present, AP news agency said. "We are wanting to send a message that there are legal, civil, intelligent and law-abiding citizens who also own guns," Mr Pagano told the congregation. More
Pope Urges Forming New World Economic Order to Work for the ‘Common Good’
VATICAN CITY — Pope Benedict XVI called for a radical rethinking of the global economy, criticizing a growing divide between rich and poor and urging the establishment of a “true world political authority” to oversee the economy and work for the “common good.”
He criticized the current economic system, “where the pernicious effects of sin are evident,” and urged financiers in particular to “rediscover the genuinely ethical foundation of their activity.”
He also called for “greater social responsibility” on the part of business. “Once profit becomes the exclusive goal, if it is produced by improper means and without the common good as its ultimate end, it risks destroying wealth and creating poverty,” Benedict wrote in his new encyclical, which the Vatican released on Tuesday.
More than two years in the making, “Caritas in Veritate,” or “Charity in Truth,” is Benedict’s third encyclical since he became pope in 2005. Filled with terms like “globalization,” “market economy,” “outsourcing,” “labor unions” and “alternative energy,” it is not surprising that the Italian media reported that the Vatican was having difficulty translating the 144-page document into Latin. More
Mormons and Gay Marriage: Are Mormons Misunderstood?
Last November, Jay Pimentel began hearing that people in his neighborhood were receiving letters about him. Pimentel lives in Alameda, Calif., a small, liberal-leaning community hanging off Oakland into the San Francisco Bay. Pimentel, who is a Mormon, had supported Proposition 8, the ballot initiative banning same-sex marriage. And that made him a target. "Dear Neighbor," the letter began, "Our neighbors, Colleen and Jay Pimentel" — and it gave their address — "contributed $1,500.00 to the Yes on Proposition 8 campaign. NEIGHBORS SHOULD BE AWARE OF THEIR NEIGHBORS' CHOICES." The note accused the Pimentels of "obsessing about same-sex marriage." It listed a variety of local causes that recipients should support — "unlike the Pimentels."
Pimentel, a lawyer and a lay leader in the small Mormon congregation in Alameda, is markedly even-keeled. Yet the poison-pen note still steams him, even though in May the California Supreme Court validated Prop 8 as constitutional. More
Man sees subtle victory in fight against Jehovah's Witnesses
Legal judgments can sometimes wear disguises. What appears to be a loss - as did, at first blush, the ruling on Monday dismissing Lawrence Hughes' appeal of a lawsuit against the Canadian branch of Jehovah's Witnesses - may, in fact, offer subtle victory.
That, at least, is Mr. Hughes' impression, as he continues doggedly, nearly seven years after the death of his daughter, Bethany, to hold the sect's governing Watchtower Society and its lawyers responsible for her death. "I see it as a win," he said yesterday.
For a man who has lost his daughter, been shunned by his surviving children, divorced by his wife and gone bankrupt from legal costs, reduced to defending himself in court, the instinct to imagine the smallest of triumphs must be powerful. More
Father Cutie Scandal: Sex and the Single Priest
Caught by paparazzi in the tender embrace of a woman on a Florida beach -- is this how celebrity Catholic priest Alberto Cutié's meteoric religious and multimedia career crashes down to earth?
Or does he emerge from a period of prayer and contemplation, humbled and chastened, renewing a vow of priestly celibacy he apparently violated -- and only recently publicly questioned?
It's Cutié's call.
In a brief telephone interview Wednesday, a day after he was relieved of his duties at his Miami Beach parish and the church's media arm, the internationally known priest and media personality said he was taking an indefinite leave for ``personal reflection.'' More
Survey: Faithful support terror suspect torture
The more often Americans go to church, the more likely they are to support the torture of suspected terrorists, according to a new survey.
More than half of people who attend services at least once a week -- 54 percent -- said the use of torture against suspected terrorists is "often" or "sometimes" justified. Only 42 percent of people who "seldom or never" go to services agreed, according to the analysis released Wednesday by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.
White evangelical Protestants were the religious group most likely to say torture is often or sometimes justified -- more than six in 10 supported it. People unaffiliated with any religious organization were least likely to back it. Only four in 10 of them did. More
San Diego County Trying To Stop Home Bible Studies
SAN DIEGO -- A local pastor and his wife claim they were interrogated by a San Diego County official, who then threatened them with escalating fines if they continued to hold Bible studies in their home.
Attorney Dean Broyles of The Western Center For Law & Policy was shocked with what happened to the pastor and his wife.
Broyles said, "The county asked, 'Do you have a regular meeting in your home?' She said, 'Yes.' 'Do you say amen?' 'Yes.' 'Do you pray?' 'Yes.' 'Do you say praise the Lord?' 'Yes.'" More
Jehovah's Witnesses: 'End is near'
WEST PALM BEACH, FL -- If you feel like the world has been crumbling down around you lately, the Jehovah's Witnesses say - you're right. It is. In fact, beginning this weekend, they'll be holding a series of public lectures entitled "How to survive the end of the world".
"It's imminent. It's at hand," says local Jehovah's Witnesses spokesman Travis Telfair.
Local Witnesses will be holding 14 consecutive 'conventions', as they call them, at their convention center on Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard - formerly the West Palm Beach Auditorium. They hold such gatherings each year, but this year's theme is, admittedly, far more alarming. Spritually surviving an imminent apocalypse! When? More
Afghan Taliban Kill Young Woman, Man for Eloping
A Taliban firing squad killed a young couple in southwestern Afghanistan for trying to elope, shooting them with AK-47s in front of a crowd in a lawless, militant-controlled region, officials said Tuesday.
The woman, 19-year-old Gul Pecha, and the man, 21-year-old Abdul Aziz, were accused by the militants of immoral acts, and a council of conservative clerics decided that the two should be killed, officials said.
The two had hoped to travel to Iran, which borders their home province of Nimroz, but their parents sent villagers to bring them home, said Sadiq Chakhansori, the chief of the provincial council. Once back home, the pair was either turned over to the Taliban by their parents or the militants took them by force, the officials said, providing slightly varying accounts. More
Ohio Christian school tells student to skip prom
FINDLAY, Ohio, - A senior at a Christian school in Findlay, Ohio, has been barred from graduation for attending a prom at a secular high school, his family said.
Tyler Frost, 17, disobeyed his principal at Heritage Christian to accompany his girlfriend to her prom at Findlay High School Saturday night.
Frost danced, held hands with his girlfriend and listened to rock music in violation of Heritage Christian's fundamentalist Baptist rules. More
Sheep sex arrest cited as proof of Britain's moral decline
Dr Akinola, the Primate of Nigeria and a leader of traditionalists worldwide, said the alleged offences of bestiality in south London showed how "spiritual degradation" was destroying the country's soul.
He also claimed the advent of civil partnerships for homosexual couples showed that politicians are "upturning the natural order" and doing away with God and family life.
Dr Akinola referred to the alleged farmyard sex crimes in an important speech to the General Synod of the Church of Nigeria, the 18 million-strong church's governing body, last month. More
Judge rules minister ineligible for confidentiality protections
An ordained minister with the Jehovah's Witnesses voluntarily talked to detectives investigating the bludgeoning death of a Murrieta woman making him ineligible for the confidentially protections afforded by law to clergymen and their parishioners, a judge ruled Friday.
The ruling means that Jose Cespedes must testify during Kelle Lee Jarka's trial on charges of murder for financial gain in connection with the April death of his wife, Isabelle Jarka.
Riverside County Superior Court Judge Timothy Freer ruled Cespedes waived his rights to confidentially, in part, because he freely gave statements to investigators on four separate occasions between April and June.
The ruling comes in response to Cespedes, an ordained minister with the Spanish Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses in Temecula, claim that he should not be compelled to testify because Kelle Jarka's statements were confidential communications between a clergyman and his parishioner. More
Mom Believes Son Will Come Back From Dead
A Baltimore mother charged with starving her son to death with the help of alleged fellow members of a religious group to which she said she belonged had been so brainwashed by the group that she agreed to withdraw her guilty plea if the child is resurrected in human form, according to her attorney.
"I have never seen anything like this in a plea agreement," said Steve Silverman, the attorney representing Ria Ramkissoon, 22, who was a member of the faith-based religious group One Mind Ministries at the time of her son's death in December 2006.
"It's clear [my client] is brainwashed," Silverman said today. "She is delusional, and the mere fact that she is currently insisting upon a caveat that her plea be dismissed if her son is resurrected speaks for itself."
Silverman said that Ramkissoon, who admits to withholding food and water and food from her son because he refused to say "amen" after meals, remains confident that her son, who had just celebrated his first birthday at the time of his death, will rise from the dead. More
Vatican insider calls Benedict's papacy a disaster
POPE BENEDICT'S repeated gaffes and the Vatican's inability to manage his message in the internet era are threatening to undermine his papacy, Vatican insiders have said.
The Holy See is struggling to contain international anger about the Pope's claim on his first official visit to Africa that AIDS "cannot be overcome through the distribution of condoms, which even aggravates the problems".
His remarks - and a furore over his lifting of a 20-year excommunication of a British bishop who questioned the Holocaust - has left him looking isolated and out of touch. More
Founder of Islamic TV station accused of beheading wife
NEW YORK - The founder of an upstate New York TV station aimed at countering Muslim stereotypes has been arrested on suspicion of killing his wife, who was beheaded, authorities said.
Muzzammil Hassan was charged with second-degree murder after police found the decapitated body of his wife, Aasiya Hassan, at the Bridges TV station in the Buffalo suburb of Orchard Park, said Andrew Benz, Orchard Park's police chief.
Hassan was arrested Thursday.
His wife filed for divorce February 6, and police had responded to several domestic violence calls at the couple's home, Benz said. More
`Sex-y' sermons cause stir in rural Alabama
GOOD HOPE, Ala. — It's one thing for a church in a big city like Dallas or Atlanta to tackle the ticklish topic of sex. It blends in with the urban scene.
It's another thing when a small-town congregation puts up billboards with the phrase "Great sex: God's way" on rural highways to promote a sermon series. You can't even legally buy beer in Cullman County, and a preacher is talking about S-E-X on Sunday morning?
Daystar Church, whose congregation has grown dramatically under pastor Jerry Lawson, has run up against the sensibilities of a conservative north Alabama community with a monthlong focus on sex.
Sex just isn't an appropriate topic for church, some say, and others are upset over the church's signs, which advertise the sermon series and accompanying Web site.
"It's really stirred up the people here," said Good Hope town clerk Joann Jones. More
Georgia judge jails Muslim woman for wearing headscarf
A city judge in Georgia has in the past eight days barred two Muslim women wearing Islamic headscarves from entering his courtroom, jailing one, and prompting an inquiry from the civil rights office at the US department of justice.
Judge Keith Rollins of Douglasville, Georgia, yesterday ordered Lisa Valentine, 41, to jail after she refused to remove her scarf before entering the courtroom, citing rules governing appropriate dress. Last week, Sabreen Abdulrahmaan was forced to leave Rollins's court before her son's probation hearing because she would not remove her scarf.
"It's a religious right," Valentine said. "It's our constitutional right that we can have our religious practices, no matter if it's a courtroom or not. He's supposed to be handing out justice, not taking away civil rights." Valentine said she sought to accompany her nephew to a traffic hearing yesterday but was told by a court security officer that she could not enter the courtroom with her headscarf on. She said she refused to remove it and turned to leave, saying, "This is bullshit". More
Church strips saucy sign
A Brampton church has removed a sexually suggestive message from a sign in front of its building after a complaint from the public.
The sign in front of Heart Lake United Church on Sandalwood Parkway East usually has inspirational messages on it, according to resident Nicole Cedrone.
So as she drove home from the doctor's office this week, she did a double take when she saw the most recent message: "Lying in bed shouting Oh God doesn't constitute going to church." More
Jehovah’s Witness jailed for trying to abduct girls
A FORMER teacher, businessman and senior Jehovah’s Witness who tried to abduct a five-year-old was yesterday jailed for six years. Robert Edward Bill, 54, was told by a judge that he was still in denial about his predatory interest in young children despite a series of convictions.
He has been found guilty at separate trials of the attempted abduction of the girl in Holywell two years ago, of indecently assaulting a seven-year-old 10 years ago, and of possessing 730 pornographic images of children.
Prosecuting at Caernarfon Crown Court, Simon Medland described how the girl had been returning home from a playground when Bill, “for malign purposes”, drew up in his car and asked: “Have you seen a cat?”
By chance the girl’s uncle arrived at the scene at that moment and her mother, who had been watching from a window, ran to her. More
Disney accused by cleric of corrupting children's minds
Christopher Jamison, the Abbot of Worth in West Sussex, has accused the corporation of "exploiting spirituality" to sell its products and of turning Disneyland into a modern day pilgrimage site.
He argues that it pretends to provide stories with a moral message, but has actually helped to create a more materialistic culture.
In a guide to helping people find happiness, the abbot, who starred in the hit-BBC series The Monastery, warns that society is in danger of losing its soul because of growing consumerism and the decline of religion.
He suggests that many people have become obsessed with work, sex and eating in an attempt to ignore their underlying unhappiness, and criticises corporations and industries that have benefited from promoting false notions of fulfilment. More
Jewish group sued over 'Adventist' name
What's the first thing that pops to mind upon hearing the word "Adventist"? The Seventh-day Adventist Church, probably.
Leaders of the international Christian church with 15 million followers have a trademark on the word in the United States. They say no one else can use it, not even a small Jewish society in North County.
The church filed a lawsuit Nov. 24 against The Federation of Jewish Adventist Society to force the Valley Center group to stop using the word in its name.
The Maryland-based leadership of the Seventh-day Adventist Church alleges trademark infringement and unfair competition in the suit, filed in San Diego federal court. More
Man accused of abusing girls he met through religious organization
FORT EDWARD - A Hudson Falls man was arrested Tuesday on charges he had sex with two underage girls in Argyle, an arrest that came a month after he was charged with having sexual contact with an underage girl in Rensselaer County as well.
In all, police believe Judd A. Gauthier, 22, had sexual contact with at least five underage girls, whom he knew through his involvement with a local religious organization, authorities said.
Gauthier, of Lower Feeder Street, met the teens through his involvement with a local Jehovah's Witnesses congregation, officials said. He is a member of a congregation but did not hold any position of leadership, officials said.
He has been charged in connection with three of the underage sex cases so far and was jailed Tuesday for lack of bail after arraignment. More
Indonesian Muslims banned from practicing yoga
JAKARTA, Indonesia – Indonesia's top Islamic body banned Muslims from practicing yoga that contains Hindu rituals like chanting, the chairman of the group said Monday, citing concerns it would corrupt their faith.
Cleric Ma'ruf Amin said the Ulema Council issued the ruling following weekend talks attended by hundreds of theological experts in Padang Panjang, a village in West Sumatra province. Though not legally binding, most devout Muslims will likely adhere to it because they consider ignoring a fatwa, or religious decree, sinful.
The ban, which follows a similar edict in neighboring Malaysia, was passed after investigators visited gyms and private yoga classes across the country to see what effect Hindu rituals like chanting mantras might have on Muslims. More
Disgraced pastor Haggard facing new sex allegations
Ted Haggard, one of our favorite members of the Rainbow Pastor Club, is back again.
A megachurch paid a 20-year-old man to keep silent about a sexual relationship he had with disgraced evangelical pastor Ted Haggard, a senior church pastor said. Haggard denies the new accusation.
Haggard, who was fired amid allegations that he used drugs and patronized a male prostitute in 2006, had a sexual relationship with a second man -- a 20-year-old volunteer at his megachurch, said the Rev. Brady Boyd, a senior pastor at the church. More
Vatican 2.0: Pope gets his own YouTube channel
VATICAN CITY — Puffs of smoke, speeches in Latin and multipage encyclicals have all been used by the Vatican to communicate with the faithful. Now the pope is trying to broaden his audience by joining the wannabe musicians, college pranksters and water-skiing squirrels on YouTube.
In his inaugural YouTube foray Friday, Pope Benedict XVI welcomed viewers to this "great family that knows no borders" and said he hoped they would "feel involved in this great dialogue of truth."
"Today is a day that writes a new page in history for the Holy See," Vatican Radio said in describing the launch of the site, http://www.youtube.com/vatican More
Farmer links seed patents to the Antichrist
Michael White, who farms near Scottsboro, keeps a Mason jar full of wheat grains next to his well-worn Bible. Capped with an antique zinc lid, the jar was filled by his grandfather decades before anyone dreamed of genetically altering plants or animals.
The jar reminds him of what he considers God's first earthly gift to humanity: seeds. It's a gift that is in danger of being eradicated, White says, through increased genetic manipulation of plant genes, hybridization and the patenting of living genes by large corporations. God's gift of seeds, given the day after he separated dry land from water and the day before he hung the sun, moon and stars is not something that should be taken away from a farmer. More
Pope slams human organ trade
Pope Benedict condemned the trade in human organs as an abomination on Friday and urged caution in removing organs for transplant from dying donors who might not actually yet be dead.
The pontiff told scientists and bioethicists meeting at the Pontifical Academy for Life that the worldwide illegal organ trade often made victims of innocent people, including children.
Buying and selling of human organs is a lucrative business for suppliers and countries that allow foreign "transplant tourists" to have operations they cannot get at home. Organs are often bought from poor peasants and sometimes harvested from condemned prisoners. More
Sex invariably spells trouble, says Dalai Lama
LAGOS, Nigeria -- The Dalai Lama, the exiled Tibetan spiritual and temporal leader, on Friday said sex spelt fleeting satisfaction and trouble later, while chastity offered a better life and "more freedom."
"Sexual pressure, sexual desire, actually I think is short period satisfaction and often, that leads to more complication," the Dalai Lama told reporters in a Lagos hotel, speaking in English without a translator.
He said conjugal life caused "too much ups and downs.
"Naturally as a human being ... some kind of desire for sex comes, but then you use human intelligence to make comprehension that those couples always full of trouble. And in some cases there is suicide, murder cases," the Dalai Lama said. More
Scientists discover brain area linked to pain resistance during intense religious experiences
Religious emotions and believes have often been linked to a capacity to deal with pain, as those images of Philippine men being willingly crucified during religious festivals so well demonstrate. But although changes in pain sensitivity during a religious experience are well documented, the exact psychological or/and neurological reasons of the phenomenon are unclear and, as such, have now become the aim of an investigation by a group of scientists, philosophers and psychologists from the University of Oxford.
The research, to be published in the next edition of the journal Pain1, reveals, for the first time, that religion-associated pain resistance is linked to the activation of the brain right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC), an area associated with both cognitive down-regulation of pain and reassessment of the emotional meaning of an experience – for example by giving a neutral or even positive meaning to a noxious experience, and so making it much easier to cope with. More
'God said she needed to be taken off road'
A speeding pickup rear-ended a woman's sedan on the South Side on Friday morning and sheriff's officials say the driver said it was Jesus' will because the other motorist was not “driving like a Christian.”
The bizarre incident that shut down southbound U.S. 281 above the Medina River happened about 7:25 a.m.
“He just said God said she wasn't driving right, and she needed to be taken off the road,” said Lt. Kyle Coleman of the Bexar County Sheriff's Office.
The driver of the pickup was identified in a Sheriff's Office news release as Michael E. Schwab, 52, of Blooming Grove.
Schwab told first responders at the scene that “the other vehicle was not driving like a Christian and it was Jesus' will for him to punish the car,” according to the release. More
Nepal 'Buddha Boy' returns to jungle
KATHMANDU, Nepal -- A young man believed by followers to be a reincarnation of Buddha has returned to Nepal's jungles to meditate alone, police said Saturday, as scholars cast doubt on his supporters' claims.
Known as the "Buddha Boy," Ram Bahadur Bomjam, 18, became famous in 2005 after supporters said he could meditate motionless for months without water, food or sleep.
"Bomjam went back into the jungle late Friday and all the devotees have left," police officer Gobinda Kushwaha told AFP from Neejgad, a town in Bara District, 60 kilometres (37.5 miles) south of Kathmandu. The "Buddha Boy" reappeared earlier this month after supporters said in March 2007 that he was going to meditate for three years in an underground bunker, although he was spotted on two occasions.
For the last 10 days, he has been blessing thousands of devotees who came daily to the site in dense jungle close to Neejgad. More
Church Pastors Dismiss Mental Illness
In a study of Christian church members who approached their church for help with a personal or family member's diagnosed mental illness, researchers found that more than 32 percent were told by their pastor that they or their loved one did not really have a mental illness.
The problem was solely spiritual in nature, they were told.
Here's the thing: Other studies have found that clergy, and not psychologists or other mental health experts, are the most common source of help sought in times of psychological distress. More
Man killed at Hollywood Scientology center made prior threats
When he was a UCLA student 15 years ago, Mario Majorski was a committed enough Scientologist that he helped file a federal lawsuit against a professor who called the church a cult.
On Sunday, Majorski stormed the church's Celebrity Centre in Hollywood with a sword in each hand. He was shot dead by a security guard who police say had every reason to fear for his life and the lives of hundreds of others gathered on the property.
The reasons for Majorski's transformation from fervent believer to attacker remained a mystery Monday.
A church spokesman said the 48-year-old had not participated in Scientology activities for more than a decade, but in recent years he had made a series of threatening phone calls to church offices in Los Angeles and Oregon, where he had been living. More
Murder accused: 'I did it for God'
Samurai swordsman Antonie Dixon says God told him to chop off the heads of the two women he lived with, then plunge the sword through his own heart.
Dixon, 40, faces eight charges relating to the January 22, 2003 incident during which Rennee Gunbie and Simonne Butler were attacked with a samurai sword at Pipiroa, near Thames, and James Te Aute was shot dead in Auckland.
Defence lawyer Barry Hart told the jury in his opening address that calling Dixon to give evidence was a big step but it was taken so Dixon could tell the jury about himself.
Dixon told the court he hated himself and his life and had sought permission from God to kill himself. He said he was told that first he must behead Renee Gunbie and Simone Butler then plunge the sword into his own heart.
Speaking in a barely audible voice, Dixon earlier described his childhood growing up in an Auckland boarding house run by his mother, with three of his seven siblings. "I was the chosen one," Dixon said. He could communicate telephathically with his mother and got "messages" from radio music and programmes. Being the "chosen one" also meant he was regularly "raped and sodomised" by multiple church elders from an early age till he was about 15, he said.
As he got bigger and stronger "they would just bring in extra men," Dixon said. His mother was a schizophrenic who also sexually abused him, and would chain him to a clothesline. His father "had demons" that, on one occasion, "escaped from his body and raped one of the other Jehovah’s Witnesses", he said. More
Priest: No communion for Obama supporters
COLUMBIA, S.C. - A South Carolina Roman Catholic priest has told his parishioners that they should refrain from receiving Holy Communion if they voted for Barack Obama because the Democratic president-elect supports abortion, and supporting him "constitutes material cooperation with intrinsic evil."
The Rev. Jay Scott Newman said in a letter distributed Sunday to parishioners at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Greenville that they are putting their souls at risk if they take Holy Communion before doing penance for their vote.
"Our nation has chosen for its chief executive the most radical pro-abortion politician ever to serve in the United States Senate or to run for president," Newman wrote, referring to Obama by his full name, including his middle name of Hussein. More
Warring monks threaten destruction of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre
A long-running row over the rights to a rooftop section of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre could bring the entire structure tumbling down, destroying Christendom’s holiest site.
While renovations are needed across the church, the small Deir al-Sultan monastery on its roof has reached an “emergency state”, according to engineers who completed an evaluation this month.
The Times has learnt that in 2004 the two chapels and twenty-six tiny rooms that comprise the monastery were pronounced in dire need of reinforcement. They have since deteriorated to the point where engineers now fear that they will crash through the roof and into the church, venerated by millions of Christians as the site of the Crucifixion and burial of Jesus. More
Saskatoon church failed to report sexual abuse
SASKATOON, Canada - Two women who were sexually abused in their adolescence by a trusted older relative say elders of the small-town Jehovah's Witness church in which they were raised did not report the situation to police after he admitted touching them inappropriately during the late 1980s and early 1990s.
"We were left to endure years of guilt and shame," one of the women wrote in a victim-impact statement read aloud by Crown prosecutor Krista Zerr during the man's sentencing hearing in Saskatoon Court of Queen's Bench on Monday. "I felt like damaged goods."
Due to a publication ban on information that could identify the victims, the convicted man's name cannot be published. He pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault earlier this year, on what was supposed to be the first day of his trial. In exchange, the Crown dropped charges of sexual interference and sexual touching, as well as a charge related to a male complainant. More
Pakistan 'child wedding' halted
Police in southern Pakistan have arrested two people for attempting to wed a seven-year-old boy to a four-year-old girl, officials say. It is believed to be the first time they have broken up such a marriage as the wedding was taking place.
The arrested men - the father of the groom and a cleric who performed the ceremony - say the wedding was meant to end a feud between the two families.
Child marriages are more common in remote tribal areas of Pakistan. In the latest case, family members of the children involved argued that they wanted them to get married in advance of their real wedding which will be held when the pair reach the marriageable age of 18. More
Controversial church plans to picket after deadly crash
SCOTT COUNTY, Tenn. - As a community mourns the loss of the four young cheerleaders, and a grandmother and unborn baby in the second car, Westboro Baptist Church, known for protesting soldiers' funerals, claims it will show up in Scott County to picket.
With one teenager buried, and another lying in the funeral home, people here say they're disgusted to hear that a group would take advantage of this tragedy to make a political statement.
Flags fly at half-staff, and you can't drive far in Scott Co. without seeing ribbons, in memory of those who died.
As everyone here stands united in their time of suffering, news that a group may use this event to protest is very upsetting.
Resident Ronnie Brock says, "Well, I'd say they don't need any extra grief at all with the tragedy that's happened. I'm sure the families have been through a lot and they'd just like a little bit of peace."
The group that plans to protest is from Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kan. Their news release says "God Hates Tennessee" and says the cheerleaders "died for Tennessee's sins." The group that's known for strong anti-homosexual views told us by phone they now plan to protest at the high school, rather than at the funerals. More
Prince's door-to-door preaching shocks fans
Prince is often chased through the streets by his fans - as he tries to convert them to the Bible.
The singer, who became a Jehovah's Witness in 2001, goes house-to-house to preach about the faith.
And fans are sometimes so stunned to find the rock legend on their doorstep that they don't want to let him go.
He recalls, "Sometimes fans freak out. It might be a shock to see me, but that's no reason for people to act crazy, and it doesn't give them licence to chase me down the street." More
The rival to the Bible
The world's oldest surviving Bible is in bits.
For 1,500 years, the Codex Sinaiticus lay undisturbed in a Sinai monastery, until it was found - or stolen, as the monks say - in 1844 and split between Egypt, Russia, Germany and Britain.
Now these different parts are to be united online and, from next July, anyone, anywhere in the world with internet access will be able to view the complete text and read a translation.
For those who believe the Bible is the inerrant, unaltered word of God, there will be some very uncomfortable questions to answer. It shows there have been thousands of alterations to today's bible.
The Codex, probably the oldest Bible we have, also has books which are missing from the Authorised Version that most Christians are familiar with today - and it does not have crucial verses relating to the Resurrection. More
Girl, 3, wanted for role of living goddess.
Nepal's astrologers are reviewing horoscopes to find the replacement for the current goddess, who is 11.
"If we don't change her now, we'll have to wait until next year which could be late," said Deepak Bahadur Pandey, a senior official at the state-run Trust Corporation that oversees cultural affairs in the politically turbulent Himalayan nation.
"If the girl starts menstruating while serving as kumari, it is considered inauspicious."
For hundreds of years, living goddesses have been held sacred in Nepal and their blessings have been sought by officials and others seeking good fortune. More
Religious dissident arrested in Beijing, escapes from captors
Hua Huiqi, a religious dissident who was detained by the authorities Sunday as he made his way to a church service where President George W. Bush was scheduled to pray, has escaped from the police, human rights advocates and family members say.
Hua slipped away from his guards Sunday night after they fell asleep at a makeshift detention center, and he then went into hiding, said relatives and an e-mail message that he sent to the organization Human Rights in China.
His older brother, Hua Huilin, 52, was also seized by the public security agents as the two rode their bicycles to the church, but he was released after a few hours. The older Hua said both men had been roughed up and warned that their legs would be broken if they persisted in their efforts to attend church services at Kuanjie Protestant Church, an officially sanctioned congregation where Bush and his family attended morning services Sunday. More
Sikh girl wins battle to wear religious bangle at school
A Sikh teenager who was barred from school for wearing a religious bangle regarded as a ‘handcuff to God’ was discriminated against and should be allowed to return to classes, a judge has ruled.
Sarika Watkins-Singh was excluded after insisting she be allowed to wear the Kara – a bracelet worn by many Sikhs as a symbol of faith – despite her school’s ban on jewellery other than wristwatches and ear studs.
The 14-year-old, who had been a prefect at her school in South Wales, said tearfully that she was ‘overwhelmed’ by her High Court victory and described herself as a ‘proud Welsh Punjabi Sikh girl’.
The ruling means no school can stop a Sikh pupil from wearing the Kara to classes. More
Visits by McCain, Obama to Orange County church underscore Pastor Rick Warren's prominence
When John McCain and Barack Obama appear on the same stage Saturday at the sprawling religious campus of Orange County's Saddleback Church, their presence will vividly underline the reach that has made Pastor Rick Warren among the most significant evangelists of his generation. But the joint appearance -- one of Warren's highest-profile endeavors -- will also underscore a tension that is central to his role.
Pastor Rick Warren Warren has been called perhaps "America's most influential pastor," an evangelical megastar who leads the nation's fourth-largest church, reaches thousands of ministers through the Internet and crusades against poverty and AIDS. More
Jews debate the ethics of kosher food supply
The friend who told Susan Cetlin earlier this summer that she loves Aaron's brand kosher chicken didn't get the nod of agreement she might have expected.
Instead, Cetlin, a psychologist whose Sharon home is kosher, listed allegations of unsafe working conditions and underpayment against Aaron's parent company, Agriprocessors, the nation's largest producer of kosher meat and the object of a large immigration raid in May. Cetlin is boycotting Agriprocessors, and soon her friend was, too.
The raid on Agriprocessors' Iowa plant has sparked debate in the Jewish community about the role of ethical considerations in the production of kosher food and sets the backdrop against which the moderate Conservative movement will issue guidelines Thursday for an ambitious new "hekhsher tzedek," Hebrew for "certificate of righteousness." The additional stamp would identify producers of kosher foods that meet its standards regarding working conditions, treatment of animals, and the environment. More
Art student depicts Obama as Jesus
He wears Jesus' robes and a neon blue halo, looks like Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama and is causing a stir at a Chicago art school.
An undergraduate student's paper mache sculpture of Obama as a messianic figure - entitled "Blessing" - went on display Saturday at a West Loop gallery run by the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. By Monday, word of the piece had spread on political blogs, and the school had been flooded with calls.
David Cordero, 24, made the sculpture for his senior show after noticing all the attention Obama has received since he first hinted he may run for the presidency.
"All of this is a response to what I've been witnessing and hearing, this idea that Barack is sort of a potential savior that might come and absolve the country of all its sins," Cordero said. "In a lot of ways it's about caution in assigning all these inflated expectations on one individual, and expecting them to change something that many hands have shaped." More
Court saves baby's life
Port Elizabeth - Strict religious beliefs nearly claimed the life of a 14-day-old baby at the weekend.
The Legal Aid Board and Port Elizabeth High Court had to intervene on Friday night to save the life of a baby boy.
Dave McGlew of the Legal Aid Board in Port Elizabeth said the baby was born 10 weeks premature on June 23.
He had to have an urgent blood transfusion, but the religious beliefs of his parents, who are Jehovah's Witnesses, did not allow it.
Jehovah's Witnesses keep strictly to the Bible's decree that no form of blood may be eaten. They believe this is applicable also to the storage and transfusion of blood. More
'Pro-Life' Drugstores Market Beliefs
When DMC Pharmacy opens this summer on Route 50 in Chantilly, the shelves will be stocked with allergy remedies, pain relievers, antiseptic ointments and almost everything else sold in any drugstore. But anyone who wants condoms, birth control pills or the Plan B emergency contraceptive will be turned away.
That's because the drugstore, located in a typical shopping plaza featuring a Ruby Tuesday, a Papa John's and a Kmart, will be a "pro-life pharmacy" -- meaning, among other things, that it will eschew all contraceptives.
The pharmacy is one of a small but growing number of drugstores around the country that have become the latest front in a conflict pitting patients' rights against those of health-care workers who assert a "right of conscience" to refuse to provide care or products that they find objectionable. More
The end of the world is nigh. Its name is Gordon
I'm sitting in a Chelsea café having coffee with the first horseman of the apocalypse. He's very pleasant for a harbinger of doom and is not, as the Bible predicts, holding a bow and arrow but a Granny Smith's apple.
The horseman, or as he is known to friends, Gordon Ritchie, 50, latter day prophet and head of the Jehovah's Witness splinter group The Lords' Witnesses, is quite sure that the Bible refers to him in Revelation 6 when it predicts that the end of the world will be ushered in by four horsemen representing Pestilence, War, Famine, and Death. Naturally, such a claim is bound to call forth the Paxman in any journalist and I decide to put it to the test.
“Do you ride?”
I ask. “Well, I've been pony trekking,” he replies. More
Muslim woman: Scarf kept her from seat near Obama
DETROIT - A young Muslim woman said she and another woman were refused seats directly behind Barack Obama — and in front of TV cameras — at a Detroit rally because they wear head scarfs.
Hebba Aref said Wednesday that she and Shimaa Abdelfadeel were among 20,000 supporters who gathered to see Obama on Monday at the Joe Louis Arena when the groups they were with were separately invited by Obama campaign workers to sit behind the podium. But Aref said the campaign workers told members of both parties in separate discussions that women wearing hijabs, the traditional Muslim head scarves, weren't included in the invitation and couldn't sit behind the podium.
Aref, a 25-year-old lawyer, said a member of her group was told by a campaign worker that she could not invite Aref because of "a sensitive political climate." More
Teen from faith healing family dies at Oregon home
GLADSTONE, OR — A 16-year-old boy whose parents rely on prayer instead of medical care has died following an illness marked by stomach pains and shortness of breath, authorities said.
Officers and a deputy medical examiner were called to the family's house about an hour after the boy's death late Tuesday afternoon, said Sgt. Lynne Benton of the Gladstone Police Department. Gladstone is located south of Portland.
Benton said the boy was surrounded by family when he died and a board member of the Followers of Christ church contacted the authorities.
The boy got sick about a week ago and — like all members of the religious order — did not receive medical attention. His condition worsened Sunday and members of the church gathered for prayer, Benton said. More
Witchdoctor killings condemned
Known as the "Zeru Zeru", or ghosts, Tanzania's albinos have put up with the name-calling and the stigmatisation of being "black in a white skin" for years. The unluckier ones have even been kicked out of their home by relatives who see their condition as a curse on the whole family. Now albinos in the east African nation face an altogether more deadly threat. They have become the favoured prey of traditional healers, who kill them to harvest their body parts for get-rich-quick concoctions.
In the most gruesome of a spate of albino murders in the north-west region around Lake Victoria, one corpse was exhumed with all its limbs cut off. Others have been found minus tongues, genitals or breasts.
"In the past, albinos have been killed after being accused of witchcraft but this is a new phenomenon. This time they are being targeted by the witchdoctors themselves," said Simeon Mesaki, a sociologist at the University of Dar es Salaam. More
Florida Considers 'I Believe' License Plates
Florida residents may soon have the option to purchase license plates that display and represent their faith, thanks to a new measure currently under review in the Florida legislature.
Under the new legislation, residents will be able to purchase license plates engrained with the words “I Believe” alongside the image of a cross and stained glass church window.
Democratic Rep. Ed Bullard, one of the bill’s sponsors, was among those who showered praise for the measure, noting that it would give residents more freedom to choose from a variety of the current over 100 different license plate options available in the state of Florida.
“They may not be into the manatee, they may not be into Challenger,” Bullard said, speaking of the other license plate options available to state residents. More
Where angels no longer fear to tread
BY THE standards of European scientific collaboration, €2m ($3.1m) is not a huge sum. But it might be the start of something that will challenge human perceptions of reality at least as much as the billions being spent by the European particle-physics laboratory (CERN) at Geneva. The first task of CERN's new machine, the Large Hadron Collider, which is due to open later this year, will be to search for the Higgs boson—an object that has been dubbed, with a certain amount of hyperbole, the God particle. The €2m, by contrast, will be spent on the search for God Himself—or, rather, for the biological reasons why so many people believe in God, gods and religion in general.
“Explaining Religion”, as the project is known, is the largest-ever scientific study of the subject. It began last September, will run for three years, and involves scholars from 14 universities and a range of disciplines from psychology to economics. And it is merely the latest manifestation of a growing tendency for science to poke its nose into the God business. More
Sin & Death in Mormon Country: A Latter-day Tragedy
On March 2, 1982, Kip Eliason, age 16, distraught and filled with self-hate over his inability to stop masturbating, committed suicide. Before asphyxiating himself, Kip left his father a note:
Kip Eliason's five-year struggle to overcome masturbation started at age 11 when his grandmother persuaded him to join the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), whose members are better known as Mormons. Kip was an intelligent and sensitive young man, perhaps too sensitive. More
Slain Girl's Father talked of seeing God
After admitting he had killed his 12-year-old daughter, William Redman told an emergency medical technician at the bloody scene of the slaying that he had seen God, according to a police report.
Redman, 54, was at the Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center Thursday, recovering from what the report said were self-inflicted wounds to his arms, wrists and neck.
He is accused of slitting the throat of his daughter, Gloria, on Wednesday at the Road Runner RV Park on Boulder Highway near Flamingo Road, where the family lives.
After William Redman slit his daughter's throat with a knife, he told a 911 operator who asked him how his daughter died: "It was the way Jehovah does things." He told a police sergeant, "I saw the light. What a trip," the report stated. More
Young girls' rapist jailed
A Jehovah's Witness, who raped two young girls and sexually assaulted another, has been jailed for ten years.
Patrick Nolan, 61, was told by a judge at Bradford Crown Court: "This was an appalling act of self-gratification."
Judge Jonathan Durham Hall QC added: "I have to deal with you for the most serious offence a man can commit, short of homicide. Society would be outraged if I didn't pass upon you a sentence measured in years."
Nolan pleaded guilty to four charges of rape and one of indecent assault, committed on three different girls between 1983 and 1991. More
The ATM in the Church Lobby
Is that an ATM in the church lobby? Credit and debit card swipe machines in churches may startle some of the pious, but such kiosks, already present in some houses of worship, might become even more commonplace now that a new IRS regulation is in effect.
Beginning with gifts given in 2007, the IRS will demand documentation for charitable contributions under $250. Once, all one needed was a diary entry to vouch for such donations. Specially designed ATMs at church will help document such spur-of-the-moment cash gifts, as well as planned giving. Also as a result of the new IRS rule, credit card donations and tithing are likely to increase too because such electronic fund transfers leave a paper trail.
Large urban churches have been accepting credit cards for several years, tapping into the Generation P (for Plastic) aversion to carrying cash. Pastors like to tell jokes about parishioners collecting Frequent Flier points on the way to heaven. More
Banned From Church: Shunning of the Flock
On a quiet Sunday morning in June, as worshippers settled into the pews at Allen Baptist Church in southwestern Michigan, Pastor Jason Burrick grabbed his cellphone and dialed 911. When a dispatcher answered, the preacher said a former congregant was in the sanctuary. "And we need to, um, have her out A.S.A.P."
Half an hour later, 71-year-old Karolyn Caskey, a church member for nearly 50 years who had taught Sunday school and regularly donated 10% of her pension, was led out by a state trooper and a county sheriff's officer. One held her purse and Bible. The other put her in handcuffs.
The charge was trespassing, but Mrs. Caskey's real offense, in her pastor's view, was spiritual. Several months earlier, when she had questioned his authority, he'd charged her with spreading "a spirit of cancer and discord" and expelled her from the congregation. "I've been shunned," she says. More
Beat up infidel tourists, says radical cleric
ISLAMIC cleric Abu Bakar Bashir has returned to his hardline rhetoric with a call for followers to beat up Western tourists and for young Muslims to die as martyrs.
In the sermon, organised by an Islamic youth organisation and delivered a few kilometres from the home village of convicted Bali bombers Amrozi and Mukhlas, Bashir likened tourists in Bali to "worms, snakes, maggots", and specifically referred to the immorality of Australian infidels.
The address was caught on video by an Australian university student.
"The youth movement here must aspire to a martyrdom death," said the cleric, who was convicted of conspiracy over the 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202 people, including 88 Australians, but was later cleared and released from prison.
"The young must be first at the front line - don't hide at the back. You must be at the front, die as martyrs and all your sins will be forgiven. This is how to achieve forgiveness."
During the sermon, Bashir talked of a previous visit to Australia, claiming that he had wanted to see the "beauty of the ocean" but was told by a friend there was "one condition" of a visit to the beach. "He said if you enter that area you must be completely naked," Bashir told the crowd of about 300 hearing his sermon. More
Jehovah's Witnesses elders refusing to testify in molestation case
A legal battle is looming over Riverside County's need to protect children, and people's right to practice religion without government intrusion.
A prosecutor wants leaders of a Jehovah's Witnesses congregation to testify about what a Murrieta man accused of molesting two girls told them. So far, two of the elders who oversee the Windsong Valley Congregation in Wildomar say that defendant Gilbert Simental's statements are confidential and they do not want to testify.
Simental, 49, of Murrieta, is charged with molesting two of his daughter's friends when they came to his home for sleepovers between July 2005 and July 2006, according to court papers. The girls are sisters who were 9 and 10 at the time, according to the court records. More
Was Moses high on Mount Sinai?
JERUSALEM - When Moses brought the Ten Commandments down from Mount Sinai, he may have been high on a hallucinogenic plant, according to a new study by an Israeli psychology professor.
Writing in the British philosophy journal Time and Mind, Benny Shanon of Jerusalem’s Hebrew University said two plants in the Sinai desert contain the same psychoactive molecules as those found in plants from which the powerful Amazonian hallucinogenic brew ayahuasca is prepared.
The thunder, lightning and blaring of a trumpet which the Book of Exodus says emanated from Mount Sinai could just have been the imaginings of a people in an “altered state of awareness,” Shanon hypothesized. More
Pastor Wants 30 Days Of Sex For Couples
The pastor for Relevant Church in Ybor City is challenging the couples in his congregation to get busy in bed every night for a month.
Wirth said the supposed 50 percent divorce rate is the reason behind the 30-Day Sex Challenge.
He said too many couples let the stress of jobs and daily life get in the way of intimacy. But there's a catch to the pastor's every day sex challenge -- it's for married couples only.
Unmarried people -- even if they are in a long-term relationship or living with someone -- are asked to abstain from sex for 30 days. More
Saudi Arabia's plans to behead woman, an accused witch
Saudi Arabia's religious police plan to behead a woman accused of being a witch, a human rights group said yesterday.
Human Rights Watch has asked the country's king to intervene over "absurd charges that have no basis in law".
Fawza Falih was arrested and interrogated in the northern town of Quraiyat two years ago and was sentenced to death.
The judges who convicted her relied on her forced confession and the statements of witnesses who said she had "bewitched" them.
One man claimed that he became impotent after Falih cast a spell on him. More
Jehovah's Witness husband allegedly wages holy war on Catholic wife
RACINE, WI - A man allegedly threatened to injure and kill his wife after an all-day argument over religion. The man, 30, is charged with substantial battery, first-degree recklessly endangering safety, false imprisonment and intimidating a witness. If convicted, he could face up to $40,000 in fines and 35 years imprisonment.
According to court records: Officers were sent to a 21st Street home at 8:23 p.m. Jan. 13, where they found the victim visibly upset and shaken. She said she and her husband had been arguing all day, since she refused to go to a Jehovah’s Witness meeting that morning. The woman said her husband is a Jehovah’s Witness while she is Catholic. She said he felt she should practice the same religion he does, and that she was lying to their daughter by allowing her to celebrate holidays like Christmas and Easter.
Starting that evening, the woman said their fight escalated. She said her husband has martial arts experience and has told her that he could “punch through steel if he wanted to.” She said her husband strangled her until she blacked out, held a knife to her throat and threatened to cut her hand off and to kill her. More
Outrage as Church backs calls for severely disabled babies to be killed at birth
The Church of England has broken with tradition dogma by calling for doctors to be allowed to let sick newborn babies die.
Christians have long argued that life should preserved at all costs - but a bishop representing the national church has now sparked controversy by arguing that there are occasions when it is compassionate to leave a severely disabled child to die.
And the Bishop of Southwark, Tom Butler, who is the vice chair of the Church of England's Mission and Public Affairs Council, has also argued that the high financial cost of keeping desperately ill babies alive should be a factor in life or death decisions. More
A Catholic Church Turns Into A Mosque
Believe it or not! A parish Church turns into a mosque every Friday, for the Muslims brothers and to offer their customary prayers.
This isn't a sequence from any Bollywood film, but a reality in the parish of Our Lady of Assumption of Ponzano near Venice, the romantic city of Italy.
The pastor of the parish, Don Aldo Danieli, 69, affirms, "It's useless to speak of religious dialogue and then bang the door on their face. Pope John Paul II addressed them as, 'dear Muslim brothers'. How can we close our church doors to them?" More
Would Jesus Date?
Christian endtimers leave their “mark” on the RFID industry
Christian endtimers opposed to RFID have formed numerous, interconnected groups whose leaders testify before legislators in the U.S. and Europe.
They’ve written books for major U.S. publishers. They’ve done thousands of TV and radio interviews, and protested at major retailers in the U.S., U.K. and Germany. Now, the RFID industry seems ready to admit, the Christians are costing them money.
The production levels and profits predicted by the RFID industry and computer trade rags five years ago have not materialized.
But rather than discussing production costs, or bad forecasting, RFID industry leaders are blaming the “bad information” being spread about the technology’s capabilities by Christian endtimers–even when they do not mention the Christians explicitly. More
"Anonymous" threatens to "dismantle" Church of Scientology via internet
A hacking group calling itself "Anonymous" has posted a chilling video on the internet, announcing that it plans to "dismantle" the Church of Scientology.
Wired.com reports that Anonymous has flooded Scientology servers with a distributed denial of service attack, is choking the Church's phone lines with prank calls and sending looped faxes of solid black pages.
"Over the years, we have been watching you -- your campaigns, your suppression of dissent, your litigious nature. All of these things have caught our eye," a synthesized voice on the video tells "leaders of Scientology".
"Anonymous has therefore decided your organisation should be destroyed, for the good of your followers, for the good of mankind and for our own enjoyment." More
Spank your wife for Christ
Practitioners of Christian Domestic Discipline (CDD) are Christian right wingers who believe the Bible gives them permission to dominate their wives and enforce their domination through ritualistic spankings. Most of the people who practice this lifestyle maintain that the spankings are designed to enforce the husband’s leadership in the household, and not as a form of sexual stimulation.
The CDD website (which is the largest domestic discipline site on the web) does admit that “Though we recognize by its very nature this subject can be erotic, we will keep this website as clean and wholesome as possible. However, we will not seek to deny the erotic nature of some CDD marriages, as we believe it is a natural consequence of following God's plan. After all, He created eroticism to be enjoyed inside a Christian marriage.”
Several Christian family sites have published articles attacking the practice, with one noting flatly that “Domestic discipline is BDSM [Bondage & Discipline/Sadism & Masochism].” The author goes on to state that “Domestic discipline is based on misinterpretations of the bible” and “If you are in a domestic discipline marriage please seek counseling so that you can make an informed, rational decision about your marriage relationship.” More
Slain sisters mourned at Christian, Muslim services
Lewisville, TX - Sarah and Amina Yaser Said looked luminescent in their pink dresses, a pink flower in each girl's hair. One might have thought the sisters were sleeping were it not for the matching pink-lined coffins that held them.
Their Christian funeral service Saturday – followed by a Muslim service later in the day – served as a reminder of the promise their short lives held and the needless tragedy of their deaths. Police believe they were killed by their father, a 50-year-old cabdriver.
And the police presence was a reminder that the girls' Egyptian-born father, Yaser Abdel Said, is still on the run.
Amina, 18, and Sarah, 17, who both attended Lewisville High School, were found shot to death in a taxi at an Irving motel Tuesday night. More
Pope condemns climate change prophets of doom
Pope Benedict XVI has launched a surprise attack on climate change prophets of doom, warning them that any solutions to global warming must be based on firm evidence and not on dubious ideology.
The leader of more than a billion Roman Catholics suggested that fears over man-made emissions melting the ice caps and causing a wave of unprecedented disasters were nothing more than scare-mongering.
The German-born Pontiff said that while some concerns may be valid it was vital that the international community based its policies on science rather than the dogma of the environmentalist movement.
The 80-year-old Pope said the world needed to care for the environment but not to the point where the welfare of animals and plants was given a greater priority than that of mankind. More
Crucifixes made in sweatshops
First it was toys, then clothing and sneakers, sporting goods, furniture, and now crucifixes. Crucifixes are being made at the Junxingye Factory in Dongguan, China, by mostly young women—several just 15 and 16 years old—forced to work routine 14 to 15 ½-hour shifts, from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 or 11:30 p.m., seven days a week.
There are also frequent 17 to 18 hour shifts ending at 1:00 or 2:00 a.m. and even monthly all-night 22 ½ to 25-hour shifts before shipments must leave for the U.S. All overtime is mandatory, and anyone missing even a single overtime shift will be docked a full day’s wages. It is common for the workers to be at the factory at least 100 hours a week. Workers are paid just 26 ½ cents an hour, which is half of China’s legal minimum wage (already set at a below-subsistence level) of 55 cents an hour. After fees deducted for room and board, the workers take-home wage can drop to just nine cents an hour. More
Church group find marijuana in their pizza
FLORENCE, AL -- An Alabama church group got the shock of their lives when they found marijuana in their pizza. It happened at a youth outing in Florence the day before Thanksgiving, and police still aren't sure where the pot came from.
The pizza came from a Papa John's restaurant in Florence.
The district office for Papa John's sent this press release:
"We have been notified by the Florence police of a possible incident of product tampering with a pizza order on November 21st, where a customer claims to have discovered marijuana on his pizza. We have investigated internally and have no reason to believe that the product tampering occurred at our restaurant or by any of our employees. We take great pride in serving a high-quality product to our customers and in our 12 years of serving the Florence community have never had an incident like this. We are cooperating with the police in their processes to get to the bottom of this claim."
Authorities did say an off duty Florence Police Officer ordered the pizza. More
Jehovah's Witness who refused blood transfusion dies
SEATTLE, WA - A few hours after a Mount Vernon judge ruled that a 14-year-old Jehovah's Witness sick with leukemia had the right to refuse a blood transfusion, even though that refusal might kill him, the boy died in a Seattle hospital.
Dennis Lindberg of Mount Vernon died shortly before 9 p.m. Wednesday in his bed at Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center, the boy's biological father, Dennis Lindberg Sr., told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Hospital spokeswoman Teri Thomas said she could not confirm or deny anything about the case at the request of the boy's legal guardian, who is an aunt.
Earlier Wednesday, Skagit County Superior Court Judge John Meyer denied a motion by the state to force the boy to have a blood transfusion. The judge said the eighth-grader knows "he's basically giving himself a death sentence."
Doctors diagnosed the boy with leukemia in early November and began treating him with chemotherapy at Children's Hospital, but stopped a week ago because his blood count was too low, the Skagit Valley Herald reported. The boy refused the transfusion on religious grounds. More
For young Sikhs, the turban is old hat
AMRITSAR, India: The day 14-year-old Jugraj Singh abandoned his turban and had a lifetime's growth of hair cut off, he collected the tresses from the barber shop's floor and packed them into a plastic bag. Then he threw the bag into a river flowing out of Amritsar, the spiritual home of the Sikhs.
"It was my parents' idea to float it down the river; they thought it would be a display of respect to the hair I had cut off," said Singh, now an 18-year-old business student. "For me it wasn't an emotional moment."
Like many young Sikhs, he found the turban a bother. It got in the way during judo classes. Washing his long hair was time-consuming, as was the morning ritual of winding seven meters, or more than 20 feet, of cloth around his head. It was hot and uncomfortable. More
What would Jesus Buy?
"What Would Jesus Buy?," a documentary produced by Morgan Spurlock ("Super Size Me"), follows Reverend Billy and members of his Church of Stop Shopping on their Christmastime journey across America. Traveling the country in their bio-diesel buses, they preach the gospel of putting away one's wallet to throngs of confused, bargain-hunting shoppers at mega-malls and Wal-Marts. In the last 50 years, the U.S. has gone from global producer to global consumer. And we've got the overflowing landfills and crippling credit card debt to prove it.
What could have been a bone-dry exercise in dogmatism is instead a witty, abrasive and hugely entertaining romp, thanks to director Rob VanAlkemade. Credit is also due to Reverend Billy, the alter ego of Billy Talen, who, after watching in horror as Disney took over his neighborhood (New York's Times Square), decided to mimic the local street preachers, the only people being heard over the commercial din. Since launching his crusade in 1997, Reverend Billy has been banned from 130,000 Starbucks worldwide, as well as from every Disney property. He has also added the 35-member Church of Stop Shopping Gospel Choir to his routine, a Baptist-style event delivered with all the evangelical, red-faced zeal you'd expect from a man who earnestly believes the world is plunging headlong toward what he calls "The Shopocalypse." More
New evidence in Jehovah's Witness molestings
Frederick McLean is one of the most-wanted fugitives in the United States, charged with 17 counts of child sexual abuse in California. Law enforcement sources say that when a victim’s family confronted McLean in 2004, he allegedly confessed. But before he could be arrested, McLean fled.
Authorities identified at least eight victims that McLean allegedly abused over the course of nearly a decade. One victim estimated McLean molested her “over 100 times,” according to the U.S. Marshals Service. Deputy Marshal Thomas Maranda, who is leading the hunt for the 56-year-old fugitive, says McLean gained the trust of many of his victims through his leadership position, as a so-called ministerial servant, in his local congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses near San Diego.
“His role in the church was significant,” Maranda explains, “because we believe that his participation in the church gave him access to his victims.” More
Nun, 79, declines to fight sex case
A nun who taught in Chicago-area Roman Catholic schools for more than three decades pleaded no contest Monday to molesting two teenage boys at a Milwaukee elementary school in the 1960s.
Sister Norma Giannini, 79, was scheduled to go on trial Monday at the Milwaukee County Courthouse. But instead she entered the no-contest plea and now stands convicted of two felony counts of indecent behavior with the underage victims.
According to a criminal complaint filed last December, Giannini engaged in dozens of sexual encounters with the two boys while she was 8th-grade teacher and principal at St. Patrick's School in Milwaukee. The complaint said that many of the incidents took place in the church convent, the school office and one student's home.
The complaint said the boys were 12 and 13 years old at the time of the abuse. Both of the students—James St. Patrick, 53, and Gerald Kobs, 55—attended Monday's hearing. St. Patrick said that he began abusing alcohol and drugs after the incidents and continued to do so for 35 years. He and Kobs "built up the courage over the years" to come forward, he said.
St. Patrick said he had sexual contact with the nun more than 100 times, beginning when he was in 7th grade, often after she removed him from class and took him to a bathroom in her office, the complaint alleged. St. Patrick told authorities that "her actions caused him to be confused because he had been taught that nuns were married to Jesus," the complaint said.. More
Too much time on teachings of Islam?
The parents of children at Houston Elementary School plan to complain to the school board about concerns they have with a seventh-grade history textbook, which they feel pays an undue amount of attention to the teachings of Islam.
When Jim Self asked his son last week what he was learning in school, he was surprised to hear his 12-year-old boy say that he was learning about the Prophet Muhammad.
That night Jim Self and his wife, Korina, flipped through their son's textbook, "History Alive!: The Medieval World and Beyond," and found at least three chapters dedicated to the Islamic faith, including an entire chapter dedicated to the Prophet Muhammad. More
Church nixes native dancing at Habitat for Humanity event
A Winnipeg church prevented aboriginal dancers from performing at a Habitat for Humanity event this week, saying the performance was not an expression of Christian faith.
Habitat for Humanity invited Kim Houle and her children to perform at its annual volunteer appreciation night, which was held Tuesday in an auditorium Habitat had rented for the event inside the Church of The Rock.
But the afternoon before the performance, the church told Habitat it could not allow the dancing.
"Native spiritual dancing has its roots in a different spiritual belief system that is incongruent with traditional Christian worship," Pastor Mark Hughes said in an e-mail. More
Teachers ordered to dress as Muslims
A SCHOOL was yesterday accused of MAKING teachers dress up as Asians for a day – to celebrate a Muslim festival.
Kids at the 257-pupil primary have also been told to don ethnic garb even though most are Christians.
The morning assembly will be open to all parents – but dads are BARRED from a women-only party in the afternoon because Muslim husbands object to wives mixing with other men.
Just two members of staff – a part-time teacher and a teaching assistant – are Muslim. More
Actor's Risque Past Halts 'Adam' Film
The man who plays Adam in a video aired at a Bible-based creationist museum has led a different life outside the Garden of Eden, flaunting his sexual exploits online and modeling for a clothing line that promotes free love.
After learning about his activities Thursday, the Creation Museum in Kentucky pulled the 40-second video in which he appears.
"We are currently investigating the veracity of these serious claims of his participation in projects that don't align with the biblical standards and moral code upon which the ministry was founded," Answers for Genesis spokesman Mark Looy said in a written statement.
The actor, Eric Linden, owns a graphic Web site called Bedroom Acrobat, where he has been pictured, smiling alongside a drag queen, in a T-shirt brandishing the site's sexually suggestive logo. The Web site, which has a network of members, allows users to post explicit stories and photos. More
Devotees serve spiritual food to detained blasphemer
IMPHAL, India - A 60-year old man who is in police custody for allegedly chanting "Hare Krishna, Hare Rama, Shan-na-mahoure" (beef is the best) repeatedly in front of devotees of Krishna was served prasadi (spiritualised food) Saturday by a devotee in police custody even as he was accused of blaspheming Lord Krishna.
Recently) devotees from the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) who were running a mobile shop selling books and other items faced an old man blaspheming Lord Krishna by announcing in front of them "Hare Krishna, Hare Rama, Shan-na-mahoure" five times. This drew the devotees` ire and a heated arguement resulted between the old man and the devotees.
Following the argument two persons who came with the old man assaulted one of the devotees named Braja Bhakta Das, 28 years, spiritual son of Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Swami of ISKCON, Manipur. The incident occurred at around 3.50 pm at Rup Mahal Tank in the heart of Imphal city. Though the devotee was not physically injured his clothing was torn in the assault. More
Would you seek sex advice from this man?
Ayatollah Khomeini had global fame as a religious leader of Iran, but a lesser known role he sought after was to advice the public on sex and relationships.
Doctor Ruth and Doctor Phil are blithering idiots compared to the manifest wisdom of Ayatollah Khomeini, who penned this nugget of wisdom:
"A man can marry a girl younger than nine years of age, even if the girl is still a baby being breastfed. A man, however is prohibited from having intercourse with a girl younger than nine, other sexual act such as forplay, rubbing, kissing and sodomy is allowed. A man having intercourse with a girl younger than nine years of age has not comitted a crime, but only an infraction, if the girl is not permanently damaged. If the girl, however, is permanently damaged, the man must provide for her all her life. But this girl will not count as one of the man's four permanent wives. He also is not permitted to marry the girl's sister."
Ayatollah Khomeini also noted:
"A Moslem woman may not marry a non-Moslem man; nor may a Moslem man marry a non-Moslem woman in continuing marriage, but he may take a Jewish or Christian woman in temporary marriage."
Khomeini was also an ardent advocate of animal welfare, as indicated when he penned this:
"The meat of horses, mules, or donkeys is not recommended. It is strictly forbidden if the animal was sodomized while alive by a man. In that case, the animal must be taken outside the city and sold."
Further advice may be found here: More
Let's call God Allah
Bishop Martinus Muskens of Breda in The Netherlands has called upon Christians to begin calling God “Allah”. Bishop Muskens is confident this will promote better relations with Muslims and, after all, “God doesn’t really care how we address Him.”
Speaking on the Dutch TV programme Network, Bishop Muskens says it could take another 100 years but eventually the name Allah will be used by Dutch churches. And that will promote rapprochement between the two religions.
More than 30 years ago Bishop Muskens worked in Indonesia and, there, God was called Allah, even in Catholic churches.
In the Arab world God is called Allah. The long history of Christianity in the Arab world led to the development of a rich Christian-Islamic theological vocabulary, which makes God a normal equivalent to Allah. Both Muslims and Christians use the word in the Middle East. More
Jehovah's Witness spared jail for sex attacks
A Jehovah's Witness has been spared a jail term after admitting a series of sexual assaults on children and adults in Clevedon.
Michael Porter, of Okehampton Close, north London, admitted 24 counts of indecent assault and gross indecency on 13 victims aged 18 months and older.
Among the individuals were others involved in the faith.
Judge Tom Crowther at Bristol Crown Court sentenced Porter to three years of community rehabilitation.
But Porter's sister, Tina Hughes, said: "I am absolutely disgusted. He should not have walked free.
"He has lost nothing. We have to tell the victims we have got no closure. He is an evil person. He is not human." More
China to Buddhas: Get permission to reincarnate
Tibet’s living Buddhas have been banned from reincarnation without permission from China’s atheist leaders. The ban is included in new rules intended to assert Beijing’s authority over Tibet’s restive and deeply Buddhist people.
“The so-called reincarnated living Buddha without government approval is illegal and invalid,” according to the order.
The 14-part regulation issued by the State Administration for Religious Affairs is aimed at limiting the influence of Tibet’s exiled god-king, the Dalai Lama, and at preventing the re-incarnation of the 72-year-old monk without approval from Beijing. More
Minister Charged With DUI And Indecent Exposure
Tommy Tester, a 58-year-old minister, joined the Rainbow Pastor Club when he was taken into custody on charges of indecent exposure, DUI and violating the open container law.
Tester was arrested after he urinated in plain view in front of a car wash where children were standing, according to the Johnson officer.
Tester was wearing a skirt at the time and offered to perform oral sex on the police officers that arrived on the scene.
The pastor of the Gospel Baptist Church in Bristol, VA is also an employee of a Christian radio station WZAP-AM. The stations owner, Al Morris, was reported as saying, "We do not know all the details and facts concerning the arrest; but for the time being Tommy has been relieved of his responsibilities at the station until such facts surrounding the case are determined. We pray that this matter can be quickly resolved. In the meantime, we ask you to pray for Tommy and for WZAP." More
Vatican trades Carbon Credit Indulgences
Leave it to the Vatican to place itself on the wrong side of yet another great moral divide.
In 1517 Pope Leo X offered indulgences in exchange for donations to rebuild St. Peter's Basilica.
This July, the Holy See announced it would become the first fully green sovereign state by accepting a donation of "carbon credits" from a subsidiary of Planktos, a Foster City firm hoping to profit from the global market in CO2 offsets — the scheme whereby companies, individuals, and now nations can buy forgiveness for their global warming sins.
So just like Leo X's absolution peddling scheme a half-millennium ago, the pontiff has set his church up to look morally ridiculous. More
Wal-Mart Gets Religious - Toys, That Is
Wal-Mart is about to bring religion to the toy aisle.
Early next month, 425 Wal-Mart stores nationwide will begin carrying faith-based toys from One2believe that target parents who would rather that their kids play with a Samson action figure than a Spider-Man action figure.
It's the first time the world's largest retailer has carried a full line of religious toys. "We're seeing interest from parents in faith-enriching toys," says Melissa O'Brien, a Wal-Mart spokeswoman.
Wal-Mart is known for it's low wages and limited healthcare coverage for their employees. Maybe the Jesus Doll can do "major medical mojo" on the workers, or the famous "loaves -n- fishes trick", to help stretch that strained household food budget. More
Reverend Billy Locked Up
Reverend Billy was arrested and detained while reciting the First Amendment in Union Square. The police claimed his preaching it at this month's Critical Mass constituted "Harassment of a Public Official". The NYPD has a history of some controversial arrests at the Critical Mass events, and at last night's the number of police practically outnumbered the riders. According to one account,
"...even unaffiliated riders were ticketed as they approached the park. Reverend Billy and his partner Savitri D were reciting the First Amendment to the United States Constitution to the gathered police force when Lieutenant Daniel Albano, head of the NYPD's Legal Division, ordered the Reverend's arrest and detention at the 13th Precinct station. It is believed Albano is the public official Reverend Billy has been charged with harassing." More
In U.S. Mormons are in the spotlight
Salt Lake City, Utah - After more than a century on the fringe of America's consciousness, Mormons are riding a wave of media attention and public scrutiny -- and say they welcome the chance to set a few things straight.
From Mitt Romney's bid to become the first Mormon in the White House to Public Broadcasting Service's four-hour documentary on Mormonism in May and a Hollywood movie opening this month focusing on one of Mormon history's darkest episodes, the once-isolated religion is moving into the open.
But areas the church would rather forget are sharing the limelight, including its awkward ties to nearly 40,000 fundamentalist Mormons who practice polygamy, which the church introduced before the Civil War and then banned in 1890.
"Big Love," HBO's series about a fictional polygamous family headed by a Viagra-popping husband in Utah, begins its second season this month, while Mormon fundamentalist leader Warren Jeffs will keep Americans tuned in to a real-life polygamous drama at his trial in September. More
Jehovah's Witnesses settle abuse cases
Nashville, Tenn. — A victims' rights group released documents that showed the Jehovah's Witnesses recently settled civil suits with 16 people who claimed they were sexually abused by church elders or that church officials failed to act on abuse allegations.
The group, called silentlambs, held a news conference in Nashville to demand that the denomination change its policy for responding to sex abuse reports.
Settlements were reached in late February and early March, according to court records obtained by silentlambs and posted to the group's Web site. Fourteen of the cases were filed in California; the other two were in Oregon and Texas.
Details about the settlement terms could not be disclosed under confidentiality agreements negotiated between the parties, said Stephen Owens, a plaintiffs' attorney involved in the California cases. Other cases are still pending, according to silentlambs, which couldn't say how many. More
Man scalds baby, Wife blames Satan
GALVESTON -- “That was not my husband; my husband is a wonderful father. Satan was working through his weaknesses,” said Eva Marie Mauldin, the 20-year-old mother of the 2-month old who was severely burned after her father placed her in a hotel room microwave in Galveston two weeks ago.
She blames the devil and some form of a demonic possession of her husband for what happened.
“I believe Satan works through our weaknesses. Satan attacked (Joshua) through his weaknesses,” said Eva Marie. More
Is Bishop Brown a boy diddler?
Orange County Catholicism hasn’t quite been the same ever since Bishop Tod D. Brown made like Martin Luther and hammered a document to the doors of Holy Family Cathedral in early 2004. That document, titled “The Covenant With the Faithful,” featured seven theses that Brown claimed represented a new era of transparency for a diocese long plagued by priestly pedophilia and its cover-up by Church and even county leaders.
He especially pointed the faithful to the fourth thesis: “We will work collaboratively with all members of the diocese to promote an atmosphere of openness and trust, and empower them as partners in parochial affairs and thereby create a new era for our Church in Orange County.”
But the promises quickly proved a PR sham, as His Excellency reverted to secrecy and stonewalling in dealing with the victims of priests and lay workers who once roamed the county’s parishes with little fear of punishment. When Brown did as he promised and finally released the names of accused priests serving in the Orange diocese just a month after his public nailing, it came in the form of a one-page press release. The names were bunched together in one paragraph, one after another, without explanation—no corresponding years of service or number of accusers. And while the Orange diocese settled with more than 90 victims for $100 million at the end of 2004, it still fought with lawyers to block the release of personnel files that revealed church complicity in molestations.. More
No Church for Church
A CATHOLIC publishing giant is refusing to sell Charlotte Church’s music after she called the Pope a NAZI.
The Welsh beauty made the slur about German-born Pope Benedict XVI in a jape for her new TV show.
She also dressed as a nun and smashed a Virgin Mary statue in a pilot episode of Channel 4’s All New Charlotte Church Show.
Now incensed directors of US-based Ignatius Press have pulled her CDs and DVDs from its catalogue and website.
The firm said: “We can’t stand by a woman who uses her stature in the media to mock the Eucharist, slander the Holy Father and denigrate the vows of religious women. Please join us in praying for this troubled young woman.”
Catholic-raised Charlotte, 20, sang for Pope John Paul II at the Vatican at the age of 12.. More
"All in the name of God" says abusive Mom
An evil foster mother was convicted of horrifically abusing three children — to raise them “in accordance with her faith”.
Fanatical Jehovah’s Witness Eunice Spry, 62, believed the two girls and a boy were possessed by the Devil and wanted to “purify” them.
She beat them with sticks and metal bars, forced them to drink bleach and eat their own vomit and faeces, and starved them naked in a locked room for a month.
She also kicked them, pushed sticks down their throats, strangled them, forced their hands on a hot cooker and rubbed their faces with sandpaper, a court was told.
Spry, described as chilling and cold, denied abusing the three and said she was only trying to bring them up according to her faith.
She told a jury at Bristol Crown Court: “I sweated blood for those children. I went to great lengths to protect them from immorality. “From a Christian point of view we expect our children to be obedient. As it says in the Bible, ‘Children, be obedient to your parents and make the Lord proud’.” More
Utah Republican says illegal immigration is plot by Satan
Provo, UT - A Utah County Republican delegate may not be catching hell for calling illegal immigration a satanic plot, but he isn't gaining any converts, either.
District 65 Chairman Don Larsen is urging the closing of national borders to illegal immigrants to "prevent the destruction of the U.S. by stealth invasion."
"In order for Satan to establish his 'New World Order' and destroy the freedom of all people as predicted in the Scriptures, he must first destroy the U.S.," his resolution states. "The mostly quiet and unspectacular invasion of illegal immigrants does not focus the attention of the nations the way open warfare does, but is all the more insidious for its stealth and innocuousness."
"In order for Satan to establish his 'New World Order' and destroy the freedom of all people as predicted in the Scriptures, he must first destroy the U.S. The mostly quiet and unspectacular invasion of illegal immigrants does not focus the attention of the nations the way open warfare does, but is all the more insidious for its stealth and innocuousness. " More
German court to decide on Sun Myung Moon visa
Koblenz, Germany - Lawyers for South Korean religious figure Sun Myung Moon told a German court Thursday he should be permitted to enter European Union nations and demanded Germany drop a visa ban against him.
Judges of the Rhineland Palatinate administrative tribunal said they would rule in mid-May on the case.
Germany's constitutional court had referred the case to the tribunal after deciding a 1995 ban on Moon and his wife was invalid because it was a restriction on religious freedom.
Because of the EU's open borders, the German ban effectively keeps the 87-year-old founder of the Unification Church out of many EU countries.
Youth-welfare officials regard Moon's organization as a sect that exploits the psychological instability of many young people. More
Those neatly dressed men and women who come to your door with a Bible in one hand and briefcase in the other are not from a church. Known as Jehovah's Witnesses, they are actually working for a large multinational corporation known as the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, Inc. This corporation has a president and board of directors, just as any Fortune 500 company would. Watchtower, Inc. currently owns billions of dollars worth of real estate in Brooklyn, New York, a farm and several publishing facilities.
Jehovah's Witnesses volunteer their time and donate money to the corporation, which has six million members worldwide. In exchange for their volunteer work, the corporation promises them that they may have a chance to survive a future worldwide destruction known as Armageddon, and afterward live forever on a deindustrialized paradise Earth.
One vital component to Watchtower theology is their main god known as Jehovah. This god resides in the Pleiades star cluster in the constellation of Taurus. This is explained in their literature by one of their prominent leaders known as Joseph F. Rutherford. In the 1928 book Reconciliation, on page 14 Rutherford explains:
"The constellation of the seven stars forming the Pleiades appears to be the crowning center around which the known systems of the planets revolve.... It has been suggested, and with much weight, that one of the stars of that group is the dwelling place of Jehovah and the place of the highest heavens;...."
" The constellation of the Pleiades is a small one compared with others which scientific instruments disclose to the wondering eyes of man. But the greatness in size of other stars or planets is small when compared to the Pleiades in importance, because the Pleiades is the place of the eternal throne of God."
Who Would Jesus Sue?
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards says Jesus would be "appalled" at how the United States has ignored the plight of those suffering around the world, and that he believes children should have private time to pray while at school.
Edwards, in an interview with the Web site Beliefnet.com, said Jesus would be most upset with the selfishness of Americans and the country's willingness to go to war "when it's not necessary."
"I think that Jesus would be disappointed in our ignoring the plight of those around us who are suffering and our focus on our own selfish short-term needs," Edwards told the site. "I think he would be appalled, actually."
Biblical accounts describe Jesus as a teacher and as a healer of multitudes of people who came to him for that purpose. Edwards, in contrast, obtained most of his massive wealth in lawsuits againt those attempting to bring healing to his clients.
Edwards also contrasts with Jesus in that he has a new $6 million, 28,000 square-foot mansion in North Carolina and a luxurious beach house, while Jesus had "nowhere to lay his head.” More
Priest jailed for exorcism death
The Devil is apparently alive and well in Romania. A Romanian priest has been jailed for 14 years for conducting an exorcism that led to the death of a nun who he believed was possessed by devils.
Irina Cornici, 23, died after being starved and chained to a cross at a secluded convent in the north-east.
The ritual in 2005 was led by Daniel Petru Corogeanu, 31, the priest at the Holy Trinity convent in Tanacu village. He and four nuns were convicted of manslaughter. The nuns got jail terms ranging from five to eight years. More
Muslim Woman Police Officer in Controversy
London , UK - A Muslim woman police officer has sparked a new debate by refusing to shake hands with Britain's most senior police chief for religious reasons.
The incident happened at a passing-out parade where Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair was inspecting a line-up of 200 recruits.
In addition to refusing a traditional congratulatory handshake from Sir Ian, the WPC - who wore a traditional Muslim hijab headscarf - also declined to be photographed with him as she did not want the picture used for 'propaganda purposes'. More
Priest Faces 6th Lawsuit Alleging Abuse
Miami, FL — A man who says a former Roman Catholic priest sexually abused him as a teenager sued the Archdiocese of Miami for at least $25 million Wednesday, raising the number of lawsuits involving the ex-cleric to at least six.
The 21-year-old man, identified in the complaint as John Doe No. 28, alleges that Father Neil Doherty sexually abused him while Doherty served as pastor at St. Vincent Catholic Church in Broward County, which falls under the archdiocese's jurisdiction.
Doherty — who was charged last year with several counts of child molestation — befriended the boy when he was 14 in 1999, according to the lawsuit. After a "quick grooming process" The pastor began sexually abusing Doe in various locations, including Doherty's car and in the bedroom of the St. Vincent rectory, said Jeffrey Herman, Doe's attorney. More
Pat Robertson Predicts "Massive Terror" for US
Virginia Beach , VA - When Pat Robertson is not too busy calling for the assasination of select world leaders, he takes time to forsee coming massive terror attacks.
On Robertson's television show "The 700 Club" he predicted that there would be a terrorist attack that would result in "mass killing" in the United States in late 2007. He further clarified this position with "the Lord didn't say nuclear. But, I do believe it will be something like that." Robertson says that he develops his predictions during prayer retreats when God speaks to him.
Pat Robertson has a long history of making controversial statements on a wide variety of subjects. Among some of his more memorable claims: in 1985, he said that he used his powers of prayer to steer Hurricane Gloria away from Virginia Beach, Virginia and his company's headquarters. In 1998, he stated that allowing "Gay Days" to occur at Disney World could result in variety of natural disasters to strike Orlando, Florida, including the possibility of a meteor strike. In 2005, He told Dover, Pennsylvania residents "if there is a disaster in your area, don’t turn to god." This was due to the fact that the school board in the town had rejected the idea of teaching the intelligent design theory in its public schools. Also in 2005, he called for the United States to assassinate Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. A statement he later denied making.. More
Clinton Hires Faith Guru
Washington, DC - Burns Strider, one of the Democratic Party’s leading strategists on winning over evangelicals and other values-driven voters, will join Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) as she prepares to launch her 2008 presidential campaign.
Strider now heads religious outreach for the House Democratic Caucus, and is the lead staffer for the Democrats’ Faith Working Group, headed by incoming Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.).
Incoming Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) created the working group in 2005 when Democratic strategists recognized that the party lost ground in the previous election because of trouble appealing to centrist and conservative voters in rural areas, who tend to be church-goers driven by moral issues. Strider was an aide to Pelosi when the group formed and joined Clyburn’s staff as policy director of the Democratic Caucus in 2006.
Observers of Clinton’s expressions of faith say religion has always been important to her, that she attended prayer group meetings while first lady, and that she joined a Senate prayer group shortly after winning election in 2000. More
Rabbi Sentenced In Internet Sex Sting
Not wanting to let Catholic priests have all the fun, a Maryland rabbi was caught in a television sting operation trying to solicit sex from a 13-year-old boy over the internet.and was sentenced to 6 1/2 years in prison.
David A. Kaye, 56, told the judge that he traveled to Herndon for what he thought would be sex with a boy "as a cry out for help to fight my personal demons." Sobbing as he acknowledged his father, who sat in the courtroom in a wheelchair, Kaye said his conviction had made him face "the reality of who I am. . . . I know I need help. I pray that God allows me to get that help."
Kaye's attorney, Peter D. Greenspun, said the rabbi, who was featured last year on the "To Catch a Predator" series on "Dateline NBC," kept his sexuality secret and spent thousands of hours chatting online in search of liaisons. More
Gay Marriage Opponent Ted Haggard in Gay Tryst
Colorado Springs, CO - With a Clintonesque explanation about visiting a male prostitute and not having sex, then buying methamphetamine and not partaking of it, Ted Haggarty has joined the Rainbow Pastor Club.
"I am guilty of sexual immorality, I am a deceiver and a liar. There is a part of my life that is so repulsive and dark and I've been warring against it my entire adult life", Haggard said in a letter that was read to his New Life Church in Colorado Springs by a church overseer.
Haggard resigned as president of the National Association of Evangelicals after being accused by a male escort of having had a sexual relationship with him. He also agreed to step down as senior pastor of the New Life Church. More
Jesus the Jehovah's Witness Lured Boys for Sex
Goshen, NY - A 50-year-old Jehovah's Witness has been found guilty of trying to lure underage boys in Middletown to have anal sex with him and pose for nude photographs.
Jesus Cano was detained by Middletown police on June 24. Cano had been handing out a small packet of papers that included a written note, several pictures of his naked buttocks and a name, phone number and e-mail address.
Cano is a Mexican national with a valid visa to reside in the U.S. That visa will be revoked now that he's been convicted of a felony, and he will be deported after he serves his sentence. More
Muslim Cleric Justifies Rape of Unveiled Women
Sydney, Australia - Australia's top Muslim cleric was roundly condemned for saying women who didn't wear a veil were asking to be raped.
Sex Discrimination Commissioner Pru Goward accused Sheik Taj Din al-Hilali of inciting sexual assault by excusing the perpetrators while blaming the victims.
She said the Egyptian-born Mufti of Australia should be deported. 'It's time we stopped just saying he should apologise,' Goward said of the leader of Australia's 350,000 Muslims. 'I think it's time he left.'
Al-Hilali likened unveiled women to 'uncovered meat' in a fasting month sermon in Arabic to 500 worshippers at Sydney's biggest mosque.
'If you take out uncovered meat and place it outside on the street, or in the garden, or in the park, or in the backyard without a cover, and the cats come and eat it ... whose fault is it, the cats' or the uncovered meat? The uncovered meat is the problem,' he said. More
Pope changes what happens in the afterlife
Pope Benedict XVI of the Roman Catholic Church has many powers. His spoken and written word is infallible. His edicts are followed by hundreds of millions of people worldwide as a divine directive. He directs the actions of church clergy. Now it appears he has the power to alter what happens to souls in the afterlife.
The Pope has cast aside centuries of Catholic belief by abolishing formally the concept of limbo, in a gesture calculated to help to win the souls of millions of babies in the developing world for Christ.
All the evidence suggests that Benedict XVI never believed in the idea anyway. But in the fertile evangelisation zones of Africa and Asia, the Pope — an acknowledged authority on all things Islamic — is only too aware that Muslims believe the souls of stillborn babies go straight to Heaven. For the Church, looking to spread the faith in countries with a high infant mortality rate, now is a good time to make it absolutely clear that stillborn babies of Christian mothers go direct to Heaven, too. More
Moslems don't flog this Bishop
Some Moslems may want to flog the Pope right now, but according to an Islamic cleric they are not permitted to "flog the bishop" during Ramadan.
With regard to whether masturbating while fasting breaks the fast or not, Sheikh Hamed Al-Ali, instructor of Islamic Heritage at the Faculty of Education, Kuwait and Imam of Dahiat As-Sabahiyya Mosque, says:
"Masturbation during the daytime of Ramdan breaks the fast, based on the Hadith that a fasting Muslim gives up eating, drinking, and sexual desire for the sake of Allah. Since masturbation is a kind of sexual desire, a fasting Muslim must avoid it. The Prophet’s (peace and blessing be upon him) mention of “sexual desire” after “eating and drinking” is evidence that it breaks the fast if one does fulfill his or her sexual desire during the daytime of Ramadan. Therefore, masturbation does invalidate the fast, as it is one of the sins that if someone does it he or she would be violating the sanctity of this month.". More
Our Friends, the Hezbollah
Hezbollah, meaning “party of God”, is a Shia Islamist organization in Lebanon.
It follows a distinct version of Islamic Shia ideology developed by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, leader of the Islamic Revolution in Iran.
Tthe group's manifesto includes three goals: the eradication of Western imperialism in Lebanon, the transformation of Lebanon's multi-confessional state into an Islamic state, and the complete destruction of the state of Israel.
Not as widely known, Hezbollah has its origins in Muslim Brotherhood ideology, which is a direct import from the Nazis. This is clearly seen in their salute, which has no connection with any Muslim or Arab culture, but is a direct inheritance from the Nazi salute of the Third Reich. They are supported by Iran, which has the Farsi meaning of "Land of the Aryans."
Frag an Infidel for Christ
The Left Behind series of books focuses on a group of people who missed the Rapture. The Rapture is an event purported by certain Christian cultists in which Jesus teleports his followers out of this world to heaven. Those remaining on Earth will endure a terrible time of death and misery known as the great Tribulation.
These books have been very popular, selling over 50 million copies. They portray an evil character known as the Antichrist, who is a tax and spend liberal doing Satan's bidding, while the protaganists, known as the "Tribulation Force", thwart the antichrist and his Keystone Cops minions at every opportunity.
Now the game world can join in the excitement with the release of the official game of the series, Left Behind: Eternal Forces. The game environment is set in New York City. For the really daring gamers, they can switch sides and fight for the Antichrist. More
Presbyterian Church publishes 9-11 plot book
Louisville, Ky. - A controversial book about the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks printed by the official publishing house of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has upset some of the congregation's members.
The book, "Christian Faith and the Truth Behind 9/11," alleges that the Bush administration was behind the attacks on the World Trade Center.
The author, David Ray Griffin, a professor emeritus at Claremont School of Theology in California, argues that the towers collapsed because of explosives and not because airliners crashed into the buildings. More
Jesus 'healed using cannabis'
Jesus was almost certainly a cannabis user and an early proponent of the medicinal properties of the drug, according to a study of scriptural texts published this month. The study suggests that Jesus and his disciples used the drug to carry out miraculous healings.
The anointing oil used by Jesus and his disciples contained an ingredient called kaneh-bosem which has since been identified as cannabis extract, according to an article by Chris Bennett in the drugs magazine, High Times, entitled Was Jesus a Stoner? The incense used by Jesus in ceremonies also contained a cannabis extract, suggests Mr Bennett, who quotes scholars to back his claims. More
Church leader jailed over 'slave wages'
A church leader who brought illegal immigrant workers into the UK to renovate his house was sentenced to three months in prison today.
Pieter Van Rooyen, 46, paid South African labourers "slave wages" for construction work on the luxury home on the Isle of Man, the High Bailiff's Court in Douglas heard.
Van Rooyen, who resigned as a Barclays bank manager before admitting the charge, made the men work up to 72 hours a week.
They were paid as little as £1.36 an hour and were not allowed to leave Van Rooyen's home without someone watching them. More
Islamic cell phones has Koran and points way to Mecca
SINGAPORE - The world’s first cell phone for Muslims is now on the market. It was introduced in Asia by the Singapore based company Ilkone Asia.
According to the company’s web site, the Ilkone I-800 phone provides Islamic prayer times for users wherever they are in the world and even points them toward Mecca when they select the city and country where they may be.
The phone also contains the full text of the Koran with English translations.
“The objective of the i-800 is to satisfy the needs of specific Muslims around the world, and the Middle East in particular, through a range of phones providing advanced Islamic solutions, applications, and functionality,” Tellawi said. “Ilkone will be a relevant and integral part of the personal lives and practices of modern Muslims everywhere, and the advanced mobile technology of Ilkone phones will meet their practical, technological, and emotional needs.”
The name ‘Ilkone’ comes from the Arabic word meaning “universe. More
In Bob we trust: the Subgenius world view
Quincy, MA - In many ways, Eric Walker is just a regular guy, a shy tech-support worker and self-admitted geek who lives with his wife in Quincy.
But in other circles, Walker, 37, is known as the Rev. Modemac, an ordained minister for the Church of the Subgenius, a world of geeks and weirdos, mavericks and misfits who meet to counter the Conspiracy, and, of course, to spread the Slack.
The First Church of Bob operates out of Walker's Copeland Street home, an online parish community, if you will, that is part of the larger Subgenius world, an almost too-weird-to-describe network tending to draw sci-fi nerds, skeptics and social outcasts who can let loose, commiserate and just be weird - mostly in online chatting.
Subgenius was founded in 1980 when Bob supposedly spoke to Ivan Stang of Cleveland and told him to start the church.
If nothing else, the religion is forthright about making money. Asked about the $30 fee to become a minister, Stang said, ‘‘Of course it's a rip-off, but you're getting ripped off every day.'' More
Student Arrested, Threatened To Blow Up Christian School
Some parents send their children to church affiliated schools to avoid the worldly distractions in the public schools, but in this case something went terribly wrong.
Authorities say an 18-year-old high school senior was arrested after he threatened to blow up his private school on the popular MySpace.com Web site.
Deputies say they searched Brian Hall at Sonrise Christian School yesterday and found a set of brass knuckles and a knife.
Polk County deputies say they searched Hall's vehicle, they found two more knives and a pipe with marijuana residue inside. More
'Jesus' arrested for sexual assault on man
Lochbuie, CO - A self proclaimed pastor and illegal alien was arrested in Colorado for sexual assault on a 20 year old man.
For 10 days, Jesus Alonso Ochoa-Gomez sexually assaulted a 20-year-old man, holding him hostage until the victim escaped to Aurora, Lochbuie police said Friday.
In early May, Ochoa-Gomez, now in custody in Weld County, moved into a house at 209 Wenatchee St. in Lochbuie. While his wife was away in Mexico, police said he assaulted the victim, who was much smaller than Ochoa-Gomez, an illegal immigrant.
"It started with pornography and fondling, and progressed to penetration," Sgt. Dan Boyle said.
Ochoa-Gomez is being held on charges of kidnapping and sexual assault. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials have have put a hold on his release. More
Godless: The Church of Liberalism is the fifth major work by conservative pundit Ann Coulter. It was published on June 6, 2006 (06/06/06) to coincide with the number of the beast from The Book of Revelation.
The cover of the book shows Miss Coulter in a slinky black dress, with the word "GODLESS" imposed across the bottom of the image. The red letters flow onto her black dress in such a way that the first impression of the word is "GODDESS", with her image rising up above that word.
This is predictive programming in its purest form.
An important fact to realize is that book covers are very carefully designed. Nothing is left to chance in the words and images put on the cover, and how they are juxtaposed. On the day associated with the Beast of Revelation, also known as the Antichrist, the publishers of that book have offered up as a GODDESS our own "Crazy Annie" Coulter.
So, do you prefer her name on your forehead, or right hand?
Church Kicking: fad or here to stay?
A growing number of people around the world have started to go to church, but not for traditional worship.
They attend church in order to kick the building.
In a departure from the usual singing, sermon and of course, potluck, these individuals approach church buildings and other church property, and then kick it. Several of them have documented their endeavors for the web.
The movement appears to have an ecumenical flavor with the inclusion of Mosque beaters and Synagogue ignorers. One intrepid woman removes her clothing and engages in church whipping.
God Tells Man To Sacrifice Wife, Children
A man sentenced to 90 years in prison for attempting to set his Orlando home on fire with his family sleeping inside said God commanded him to sacrifice his wife and children, according to a Local 6 News report.
Hans Missal, 51, admitted to dousing his Orlando home with gasoline last March. Missal also duct-taped the doors shut and ran a hose from the house to a car tailpipe while his wife, son and daughter slept before he attempted to set the structure on fire.
Missal said he was following God's orders. More
Islamic extremists' love of hardcore porn
So how does a pious Islamic extremist and potential terrorist pass the time? He watches hardcore porn. Investigators found that at least one of two Islamic extremist planning an attack on the US from Canada was in possession of hardcore pornography.
n Muslim societies the calls for all women to be covered completely and constant diatribes that sexual immorality is a threat to Islamic nations have become commonplace. Yet there is mounting evidence that terrorist extremists commonly view hardcore pornography. More
Mothers expect Damien on 6/6/06
FOR one group of expectant mothers, their due date holds an extra dimension of dread. The prospect of giving birth on June 6, 6/6/06, has prompted talk of spawning devil children on Armageddon day.
For Hollywood and the worldwide entertainment industry it is by contrast a once-in-a- century opportunity to turn evil into gold. Leading the charge is 20th Century Fox, whose remake of The Omen, the classic 1970s horror film, will appear on June 6.
While some Armageddon believers fear that 6/6/06 will be “a day of satanic power” that may be marked by a comet hitting the Earth, others believe that the world is coming closer to what is widely known as “the rapture” — the moment the Lord calls the Christian faithful home and millions of born-again evangelicals will suddenly disappear from the Earth, leaving non-believers behind. More
Wives help man rape daughters
He has multiple wives who gave him scores of children, including five teenage girls whom he raped repeatedly over a period of 18 months before one of them blew the whistle on him.
The 45-year-old, who cannot be named to protect the identity of the children, had subverted parts of the Quran to justify incest.
While conducting a religious lesson, he convinced his wives that he had ownership over his children, which included having sex with them.
To add to these worries, he learnt that the girls were behaving inappropriately with boys.
He concluded that having sex with his daughters to “satisfy” them,
so they would be less likely to go with others, was the lesser of two
evils, said the lawyer. More
St. George, Utah. - A pastor was jailed after St. George police said he molested an 11-year-old student at a Christian school where he was a teacher.
Gabriel E. Carlin, 32, St. George, was booked into the Purgatory Correctional Facility Tuesday night for investigation of four counts of sexual abuse of a minor, a first-degree felony.
Carlin taught at the East Harbor Christian Academy in Washington, Washington County, where the victim attended school, St. George Police Sgt. Craig Harding said. The reported abuse began nearly a month ago, investigators said.
Attempts to reach officials with the East Harbor Christian Academy were unsuccessful Wednesday. Telephone numbers listed for the school were disconnected. On his Web site, Carlin refers to himself as "Pastor Gabe" and said he is the senior pastor of Living Faith Community Church in St. George. He said he and his wife operate a "classical Christian school." More
Israeli women decorate sacred places with their panties
Many woman would do anything to have a smart, handsome and well-to-do husband. Israel’s sacred places' guards often see a strange ritual.
Israeli women who go on pilgrimage to the grave of the Jewish Rabbi Yenothan ben Uziel tie their panties and bras to the grates of the burial-vault and to the nearby trees. They believe this will help them find good husbands in the future. More
OKLAHOMA CITY -- A pastor who has spoken out against homosexuality was arrested after propositioning a male undercover police officer outside a hotel, authorities said.
Claiming he was in the area "pastoring to police", the Rev. Lonnie Latham, 59, was booked into Oklahoma County Jail.
This event raises the issue about those individuals, mostly men, who are very concerned about the fact that men are having sex with each other. They are sometimes a bit too concerned about this, almost an obsession.
Are you listening, Lou Sheldon? Know what I am saying, Fred Phelps? What secrets do you hide, Jerry Falwell? As Shakespeare said it, "The lady doth protest too much, methinks." More
Christmas abandoned by Christians
The usual suspects in the "War on Christmas" include the ACLU, the schools, the malls, and Wal-Mart with their policy of a generic "Happy Holidays" type of greeting.
Now it has come to our attention that the latest place to find Christmas abandoned is at the local Christian church.
This is not a few isolated churches, but a nationwide trend. Expect it to come to a megachurch near you. More
Design outed: religion, not science
Advocates of Intelligent Design (ID) have claimed that it's a scientific theory, a legitimate rival of the Darwinian theory, that warrants being taught in the science classes of America's public schools.
Critics of ID have declared that ID isn't science at all. They say it is a way of sneaking religion into the public schools.
Now, none other than Pat Robertson has blown the cover of ID. The citizens of the town of Dover, Pennsylvania voted to reject a school board that promoted ID, and Robertson let loose with a warning. If something bad happens to you, Robertson said to the people of Dover, don't bother turning to God. He might not be there for you, he warned them, because "you just voted God out of your city."
Oops! Thanks, Pat, for connecting those dots. More | <urn:uuid:69e4c3ca-7855-4dc0-8e99-8ceeec30d44f> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | http://staggeron.net/archives/fire&brimstone2.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572163.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815085006-20220815115006-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.972202 | 74,922 | 2.078125 | 2 |
NIAB TAG Membership
Membership guarantees unique, science-based technical insight to feed business improvement
Aimed at arable growers NIAB TAG Membership offers a service that translates the most recent science and the best practice into on-farm strategies to:
- boost yields and quality
- save money and improve margins
- build resilience into the farming system.
Members benefit from exclusive, impartial technical insights drawn from our large member research programme and preferential access to NIAB’s strategic research and crop specialists. They have access to independent advice on inputs, variety choice, crop management, soil management and rotations – everything you need to optimise the profitability on your farm. This advice can be face to face at any of our field days throughout the season, at winter conferences, over the phone, on-line or via many of our publications. Advice is tailored specifically for your situation.
The average member pays about £2.40/ha for access to all NIAB TAG services. The total package cost depends on farm size with larger farms paying less per hectare. With a choice of FARM or SEEDS membership packages NIAB TAG members sit at the heart of our industry and research networks and enjoy totally independent, science and business driven advice. We translate the most recent science into agronomic advice, allowing members to cope with external pressures such as legislative changes and economic challenges.
The benefits of membership
Written for NIAB's Landmark magazine, member Craig Livingstone talks about why membership works for him
If you are interested in a package for your own needs, e.g. corporate, field vegetable specialists, academics and students please contact the NIAB TAG Membership team. These can be based around the benefits of the standard membership packages, but we can also organise them to include preferential access to wider NIAB research and technical services. | <urn:uuid:71dd02d7-1a25-421a-bcd2-6ea1c1297196> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.niab.com/niab-tag-membership | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572163.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815085006-20220815115006-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.928916 | 382 | 1.578125 | 2 |
World Bulletin / News Desk
The bodies of four Palestinian workers were recovered on Sunday from a collapsed tunnel on border between the blockaded Gaza Strip and Egypt, according to a Palestinian security source.
The workers had gone missing when a cross-border tunnel collapsed a week ago, the source told Anadolu Agency, requesting anonymity because he was unauthorized to speak to media.
In recent months, the Egyptian army has begun flooding a network of cross-border tunnels linking Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula to the Gaza Strip with seawater.
Subject to a years-long blockade by Israel, the Gaza Strip, which is ruled by Palestinian group Hamas, had come to depend on the tunnel network to import desperately-needed commodities, including food, fuel and medicine.
Since the 2013 military coup against President Mohamed Morsi, Egyptian authorities have cracked down on the tunnels along border with the Palestinian territory.
On Saturday, the Egyptian army said its forces had destroyed seven cross-border tunnels on Gaza border last month.
In 2014, Egyptian authorities began to establish a buffer zone in North Sinai’s city of Rafah along Gaza border following a spate of militant attacks against army and police forces.Güncelleme Tarihi: 04 Aralık 2016, 12:19 | <urn:uuid:ba00846d-ac1e-470e-b23e-9cd3492ae0ab> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://worldbulletin.dunyabulteni.net/palestine/4-palestinians-found-in-collapsed-gaza-tunnel-h181169.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572163.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815085006-20220815115006-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.949835 | 259 | 1.875 | 2 |
As we rapidly approach 2019 and the University of Otago’s 150th birthday celebrations, it seems like a good opportunity to delve into the archives to find out some not so commonly known pieces of information about the university. I have asked around and here are 5 hidden gems that you might not know about the University of Otago.
Gargoyles or Grotesques?
Perched high above the Archway (which was once the formal entrance to the University) are a series of grotesques, each representing the various branches of learning available at the university at the time. They have been named gargoyles but the distinction lies between the fact that a gargoyle functions as a water spout to divert rain from the buildings, whereas a grotesque is purely decorative and involves either fanciful animal and human forms often distorted to be ugly and absurd.
Rumour has it that the grotesques were modelled on academic staff of the time……but that has never been confirmed. The man responsible for these unique little design elements was Edmund Anscombe (1874-1948), the university’s architect from around 1909 to 1929. While Fletcher Brothers won the tender to construct the Archway with a price of £10,292, the stonemason who carved the grotesques is unknown.
Otago’s oldest building
When you look at our gorgeous campus it is easy to assume that the oldest buildings are the old stone buildings in the centre of campus, but as the university expanded over time it began to acquire neighbouring properties which ranged from tiny cottages to larger homes.
Some were demolished, but some still survive, including what is widely deemed to hold the title of ‘oldest building on campus.’ Mellor House, one of the old Union Street houses which is now home to the Department of Psychology was originally built in 1862 for Thomas Calcutt, a printer who migrated from England to Otago in 1858.
Cry me a river……of tears
These beautiful black gates were originally the main entrance to the campus, as the entire campus was once contained within the ‘Quad’ which you can see immediately beyond the archway.
This stone corridor houses display boxes on the left which now contain information about events around the university, but their original purpose was for the public display of exam results. Hundreds would gather to view their results and many a tear was shed when the marks were not positive, hence the archway being coined ‘The Corridor of Tears’ or the ‘Tunnel of Tears.’
The archway links the Allen Hall building (completed 1914, it was originally the Students’ Union) to the former School of Mines building (completed 1909, which is currently home to the International Office and where I am writing this blog). The entire group of buildings was designed by Edmund Anscombe the architect for the majority of the University buildings from 1909 to 1927.
The original site of the Dunedin Botanic Gardens
The Water of Leith which runs through the university campus is not always this tranquil, and this was certainly the case when in February 1868 floods washed away bridges, and about an acre of gardens – at this point in history this site was home to the Dunedin Botanic Garden. This saw the Botanic Garden moved further north to their current site, and the university was able to purchase the land and develop it in the 1870’s. Some of the trees in front of the clocktower are indeed older than the buildings themselves as they are a reminder of the original inhabitants of this site.
Students have always pushed the boundaries
Each generation that passes seems to muse on the fact that the younger generations are less respectful, more verbal and opinionated and more willing to push the boundaries, but it appears that students, or indeed the younger generation have always held this inclination.
The image above was taken from the desktops of the oldest lecture theatres on campus – in both Geology and the clocktower. As you can see from the dates, some of this is very old indeed, with J.H. (John Harpur) Moir making his mark in 1886-1887. Mr Harpur graduated with a B.A in 1890 and became headmaster of Dunedin’s Normal School.
The full installation, complete with plaque now features on the south wall of the council chambers in the clocktower building, and it really is a remarkable and historical sight to see, some of the graffiti is embedded so deeply into the wood, it must have taken hours!
Nicky Richardson is an International Marketing Coordinator at the University of Otago. With degrees in music and marketing, she is a recent graduate of Otago herself – she loves Otago so much she ended up getting a job here! | <urn:uuid:a20e7866-eebc-48b5-910f-3402c8531923> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://blogs.otago.ac.nz/international/5-things-you-might-not-know-about-the-university-of-otago/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572163.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815085006-20220815115006-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.975739 | 981 | 2.65625 | 3 |
Swell Classification Guidelines
Significant: Winter - Swell 8 ft @ 14 secs or greater (11+ ft faces) for 8+ hours (greater than double overhead).
Summer - Head high or better.
Advanced: Winter - Swell and period combination capable of generating faces 1.5 times overhead to double overhead (7-10 ft)
Summer - Chest to head high.
Intermediate/Utility Class: Winter - Swell and period combination generating faces at head high to 1.5 times overhead (4-7 ft).
Summer - Waist to chest high.
Impulse/Windswell: Winter - Swell and period combination generating faces up to head high (1-4 ft) or anything with a period less than 11 secs.
Summer - up to waist high swell. Also called 'Background' swell.
Note: NDBC has no immediate.cgian to r.cgiace or repair any non-operational buoys due to funding shortages and the sequester. Expect inoperable buoys to remain off-line for the 2013-2014 winter season. Even if NOAA is fully funded in 2014 (unlikely), maintenance of the buoys will likely not start occurring till at least late Spring of 2014.
On Tuesday (10/29) North and Central CA surf was chest to head high and warbled but clean - pure windswell. Down in Santa Cruz surf was knee to waist high and clean but not real rideable. In Southern California up north surf was knee high with rare thigh high sets and clean but weak. Down south waves were knee to thigh high and clean but weak. Hawaii's North Shore was still getting decent swell with waves 1-2 ft overhead and clean, down from Monday evening. The South Shore was flat and clean. No report was available for the East Shore.
See QuikCASTs for the 5 day surf overview or read below for the detailed view.
In the North Pacific swell from a weak gale that developed on the southern dateline Fri (10/25) with 18-20 ft seas initially then redeveloped just south of the Aleutians at 22 ft mid-Saturday has hit Hawaii and is on the way down. Pieces of this swell to hit California on Wed (10/30). Extratropical remnants of Typhoons Lekima and Francisco merged off Japan on Saturday AM (26) then tracked east approaching the dateline with seas 26 ft offering another small but decent pulse of swell mainly for Hawaii starting mid-week. Another pulse was right behind tracking from Japan to the dateline Mon-Tues (10/29) with seas up to 26 ft. More modest swell for Hawaii by Fri (11/1). And one more compact gale is forecast tracking northeast from the dateline Friday (11/1) with seas in the 30-32 ft range over a small area then fading fast. A tiny system to follow in the Northern Gulf on Mon (11/4) with 24 ft seas followed by another system west of the dateline Tues (11/5) again with 24 ft seas. But no solid storm development is indicated. In all a very weak pattern for the time of year.
SHORT- TERM FORECAST
Current marine weather and wave analysis.cgius forecast conditions for the next 72 hours
Jetstream - On Tuesday (10/29) the jet was tracking flat off Southern Japan reaching to the dateline with winds building to 130 kts then turning northeast and pushing up through the Gulf of Alaska, again with winds to 130 kts. A bit of a weak trough was present on the dateline offering some weak support for gale development down at the oceans surface. Over the next 72 hours that trough is to ease east tracking through the Gulf of Alaska into Friday (11/1) but with winds falling below 130 kts and not offering much in terms of support for gale development at lower levels of the atmosphere. At the same time a weak trough is to develop west of the dateline Thurs-Fri (11/1) lifting northeast but with winds barely 130 kts in one tiny pocket (and much less elsewhere in the trough) offering only marginal support for gale development and bound for the Bering Sea. Beyond 72 hours the jet is to remain well to the south with a singular flow over the West Pacific forming another broad trough on Sat (11/2) but with winds only 120 kts, tracking east-northeast but no real support for gale development is indicated. Yet another trough is to be pushing off the Southern Kuril Islands on Mon (11/14) and well defined, but with only 110 kts winds associated with it and peaking out well before even reaching the dateline. Another false start.
Surface Analysis - On Tuesday (10/29) small swell from a weak gale previously on the dateline was fading in Hawaii and approaching CA (see Weak Dateline Gale below). Over the next 72 hours swell from the extratropical remnants of Typhoon Lekima was approaching Hawaii (see Extratropical Storm Lekima below). Also swell from a second follow-on gale to be approaching Hawaii (see Dateline Follow-on Gale below). Yet another gale is forecast starting to develop mid-way between North Japan and the dateline on Thurs AM (10/31) with pressure 992 mbs producing west winds over a small area at 40 kts and seas building form 28 ft at 39N 162E (306 degs HI, 296 degs NCal). In the evening 40 kts west winds to hold with the gale tracking east with seas building to 32 ft over a small area at 40N 170E (312 degs HI, 295 degs NCal). The gale is to lift hard northeast on Fri AM (11/1) with winds building to 45 kts out of the west but getting less traction on the oceans surface given the hard northeast track with seas holding at 31 ft at 43N 178E (322 degs HI, 296 degs NCal). In the evening the gale is to move north of the Eastern Aleutians with 40 kt west fetch holding just south of there with seas dropping from 28 ft at 48N 177E bypassing any route to Hawaii and aimed somewhat up the 304 degs path to Central CA. By Sat AM (11/2) residual 35 kt west winds to hold just barely clear of the Eastern Aleutians with seas fading from 28 ft up at 52N 170W (306 degs NCal). This system is to be gone by evening. For the most part all this systems swell energy is to be targeting the US West Coast and bypassing Hawaii. The down side is this is to be a small system relative to the US west coast and a long ways away. Only small longer period energy is possible, assuming it forms at all.
Extratropical Storm Lekima
Weak Dateline Gale
A small low fell southeast from Kamchatka and started developing on the southern dateline region Fri AM (10/25) producing a broad area of 30-35 kt northwest winds generating 18-20 ft seas at 40N 178W at 18Z. Winds faded in the evening to 30 kts over a broad area but relocated northwest and aimed southeast at Hawaii with seas barely holding at 18 ft at 39N 175W. Sat AM (10/26) winds rebuilt to 35 kts just south of the Aleutians aimed south with seas building to 19 ft over a tiny area up at 49N 180W targeting Hawaii best. Winds faded from 35 kts and fell southeast in the evening with 22 ft seas at 45N 179W again targeting the Hawaiian Islands. By Sunday AM (10/27) the gale was gone. Swell hit Hawaii on Monday (10/28) fading on Tues (10/29). Perhaps some energy to reach Central CA on Wed (10/30) at 2.9 ft @ 13-14 secs (4.0 ft) fading Thurs (10/31) from 3.0 ft @ 11-12 secs (3.5 ft). Swell Direction: 290-295 degrees
On Sat AM (12/26) the extratropical remnants of Typhoon Francisco were being absorbed by Typhoon Lekima off North Japan and tracking northeast with winds fading from 65 kts and seas near 40 ft at 37N 155E aimed well up the 297 degree track to NCal and decently towards Hawaii down the 300 degree track. This system was reorganizing in the evening with winds down to 35-40 kts and seas mainly from previous fetch fading from 28 ft over a small area at 40N 161E (297 degs NCal, 306 degs HI). Residual 30-35 kt westerly fetch was racing east Sun AM (10/27) producing 24 ft seas at 39N 167E (310 degs HI, 294 degs NCal). 35 kt west winds continued approaching the dateline in the evening with seas to 26 ft at 38N 173E (312 degs HI, 295 degs NCal). By Mon AM (10/28) this system was fading out with seas from previous fetch 23 ft at 38N 178E (314 degs HI, 290 degs NCal). This system dissipated after that with no additional fetch expected.
Another pulse of swell is expected for Hawaii starting late Wed (10/30) with swell to 5.7 ft @ 15 secs (8.5 ft faces). Swell to continue Thurs AM (10/31) at 5.7 ft @ 13-14 secs (7.5 ft) and fading. Swell Direction: 308-312 degrees.
Small swell expected for Central CA starting Fri (11/1) building to 2.4 ft @ 16 secs (3.5 ft faces). Swell to peak Saturday (11/2) at 4.5 ft @ 14-15 secs (6.5 ft faces). Swell fading Sunday (11/3) from 4 ft @ 14 secs (6.5 ft faces) but totally overrun by locally generated north windswell. (Swell Direction: 290-295 degrees).
Dateline Follow-On Gale
A second weak gale pushing off the Kuril Islands on Sun PM (10/27) with 35-40 kt northwest winds generating 26 ft seas at 43N 155E. That gale tracked southeast with winds down to 35 kts Mon AM (10/28) with seas 27 ft at 41N 162E, continuing southeast in the evening with winds still 35 kts and seas 24 ft at 40N 171E. This gale was gone Tues AM (10/29) with seas fading from 20 ft over a broad area at 40N 180W. Hawaii to get a second pulse of swell.
Early arrivers to hit Hawaii late on Thurs (10/31) building to 4 ft @ 15+ secs (6 ft faces) . Swell to peak first light Fri (11/1) at 5.7 ft @ 14 secs (8 ft) fading through the day. residuals on Sat AM (11/2) fading from 3.5 ft @ 12-13 secs (4.0-4.5 ft). Swell Direction: 310 degrees
This swell to hit Central California on Sun (11/3) at 4 ft @ 14 secs (6.5 ft ft faces) but overrun by locally generated north windswell.
North Pacific Animations: Jetstream - Surface Pressure/Wind - Sea Height - Surf Height
No tropical systems of interest were being monitored.
California Nearshore Forecast
On Tuesday (10/29) high pressure at 1022 mbs was centered 900 nmiles off the Central CA coast far enough away so no local gradient was in effect with a light northwest flow for all of CA. A light north wind pattern is expected to hold for the entire state into Thursday AM, then north winds building to maybe 15 kts over Cape Mendocino, then fading Friday as low pressure builds off Oregon tracking east. Light winds are forecast Saturday AM from Central CA southward. But as the low off Oregon builds and moves inland later Saturday, high pressure is to build in behind with a front and north winds building over North CA by the late afternoon to 30 kts with 20 kt winds down to Pt Conception. A full summer like gradient to hold over North CA at 30 kts with perhaps a weak eddy flow over Central CA. the gradient is to fade some Monday down to 25 kts late and 20 kts Tuesday. In short, a north wind event looks likely for Central and North CA.
Surface - On Saturday (10/19) no swell producing weather systems were in.cgiay. Over the next 72 hours no swell producing gale activity is forecast aimed up into our forecast area.
South Pacific Animations: Jetstream - Surface Pressure/Wind - Sea Height - Surf Height
Marine weather and forecast conditions 3-10 days into the future
Beyond 72 hours a tiny gale is forecast forming just south of the Central Aleutians on Sun (11/3) with 30-35 kt west winds and seas to 22 ft at 48N 172W in the evening. 35 kt west winds to hold Mon AM (11/4) with seas to 24 ft at 50N 166W (307 degs NCal) and fading from 20 ft in the evening at 50N 160W. Maybe small 13-14 sec period swell to result for the US West coast on Thurs (11/7).
And yet one more small gale is forecast west of the dateline on Tues (11/5) with 40 kt northwest winds and lifting northeast getting less than optimal traction on the oceans surface. 25 ft seas forecast at 37N 160E targeting Hawaii best (303 degs HI).
In short, there's.cgienty of gale formation, but there's no real energy in the jetstream to charge these systems up, resulting just small and weak fetch areas. We need a catalyst from the MJO to charge the jetstream. but as of right now, all focus is in the North Atlantic.
Note: The Madden Julian Oscillation is a periodic weather cycle that tracks east along the equator circumnavigating the globe. It is characterized in it's Inactive Phase by enhanced trade winds and dry weather over the part of the equatorial Pacific it is in control of, and in it's Active Phase by slack if not an outright reversal of trade winds and enhanced precipitation. The oscillation occurs in roughly 20-30 day cycles (Inactive for 20-30 days, then Active for 20-30 days) over any single location on the.cgianet. During the Active Phase in the Pacific the MJO tends to support the formation of stronger and longer lasting gales resulting in enhanced potential for the formation of swell producing storms. During the Inactive Phase the jet stream tends to .cgiit resulting in high pressure and less potential for swell producing storm development. The paragraphs below analyze the state of the MJO in the Pacific and provide forecasts for MJO activity (which directly relate to the potential for swell production).
As of Tuesday (10/29) the daily Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) was up some to -14.38 but has been negative for 15 consecutive days). The 30 day average was down to -1.28 and the 90 day average was down to 0.72. The nearterm trend based on the SOI was indicative of the Active Phase of the MJO. The longer term pattern was neutral and weakening. But assuming the Active Phase is about over, the average will rise again into positive territory and suggest a hint of Inactive/La Nina influence. The SOI tends to be a lagging indicator of surface level weather trends.
Current equatorial surface wind analysis indicated light west anomalies holding over the Western Maritime Continent turning lighter if not neutral on the dateline. Anomalies turned light westerly south of Hawaii on into Central America. With light westerly anomalies holding on, tropical development in the West Pacific should continue. A week from now (11/6) modest east anomalies are forecast over a small area over the Maritime Continent turning neutral over the dateline, then turning westerly south of Hawaiian into Central America. In all this suggests the Active Phase of the MJO is still in control and is to be slowly fading while tracking east over the East Pacific while a neutral to slightly Inactive pattern sets up over the West Pacific a week out.
The longer range models (dynamic and statistical) run on 10/28 are back in-sync. Both models suggest a weak Inactive pattern was over the West Pacific today, with the dynamic model suggesting the Inactive Phase building in the far West Pacific 5 days out and the statistic model having it weakening some. From there the dynamic model diverges from the statistical model, with the dynamic model showing a developing Inactive Phase of the MJO over the West Pacific reaching moderate strength 10 days out, then starting to fade 15 days out while the statistic model has a weak Inactive Phase slowly fading and all but gone 15 days out. It will be interesting to see what happens. The ultra long range upper level model updated on 10/28 suggests the Active Phase is dissipating over the East Pacific, and is to be all but gone by 11/6 with a weak Inactive Phase building in the west and quickly tracking east moving into the East Pacific by 11/16. At that time a new pulse of the Active Phase is forecast developing over the far West Pacific and meandering slowly east holding into 12/8. Overall MJO signal is very weak but favoring the Active Phase. The upper level model tends to be a leading indicator, with surface level anomalies lagging behind 1 week or more.
The more warm water in the equatorial East Pacific means more storm production in the North Pacific during winter months (roughly speaking). Cold water in that area has a dampening effect. Regardless of what the atmospheric models and surface winds suggest, actual water temperatures are a ground-truth indicator of what is occurring in the ocean. As of now (10/28) the weak La Nina-like pattern that has held all summer and for the past 3 years is dead with a pure neutral water temp pattern in.cgiay. Neutral water temps are over the equator from Central America to the Philippines with just a few small pockets of slightly cooler water mainly south of Hawaii. Slightly cooler water is just off the coast of Peru. This suggests the Active Phase is getting the upper hand on surface water temps, or at least be in parity with the Inactive Phase. Water temps off West Africa remain neutral if not slightly warm too. the North Pacific .cgiume of slightly cooler than normal water tracking southwest to the equator driven by high pressure off California remains weak. The wall of warmer than normal water that was holding tight along the North CA coast remains slightly retrograded from the coast, allowing cooler water to upwell locally. Still thousands of nmiles of warmer water is lurking between Japan and just off the North CA coast. High pressure remains off CA, with water temps holding in the cool range. So there's neutral to warm water over the balance of the North Pacific (which is to good news). Still there's no sign of a legitimate warm pattern developing. In short, we're in a pure neutral pattern.
Subsurface waters temps on the equator indicate a pocket of warm water 2 degs C above normal is down at 150 meters and now relocated from just west of the dateline (170E) to the dateline (180W) and now to 165W and tracking east. and warm subsurface waters are building off Central America. Will monitor to see if it continues and is a real trend or just a momentary spike. It it's real then a a eastward moving Kelvin Wave is in flight.
Projections from the CFSv2 model run 10/29 have backed off some. The model has consistently been suggesting a turnaround with a warming trend taking hold and accelerating early Oct 2013. It now suggests temps hovering at +0.2 C above normal in Nino region 3.4 slowly building to near +0.5 deg C by April 2014 and holding into July. This would suggest a weak El Nino possible for next year. But for the immediate future (this Winter) a neutral pattern is expected. A consensus of other models suggests slow warming too, but not passing into mildly positive territory till Spring of next year.
Overall the immediate outlook remains nothing stellar, but trending towards something that would be considered right on the threshold of warm, by Spring 2014, assuming one were to believe the models. Other models suggest a continuation of neutral conditions, though trending warmer. All this is good news. If anything the ocean is in a recharging mode, with cold water from the 2010-2011 La Nina dispersed and temperatures gradually on the rise again in fit's-and-starts.
We are in a neutral ENSO pattern with neither a solid El Nino or La Nina imminent. Expect a neutral pattern for Winter of 2013-2014 with perhaps a slightly warmer pattern by early 2014. The weak presence of the Inactive Phase of MJO in the summer of 2013 still seems to be biasing the weather global pattern. But with the ocean turning neutral, we suspect the atmosphere will make the turn as well over the next few months (into Dec 2013). This is a better.cgiace than previous years (2010-2011, 2011-2012 and 2012-2013) under the direct influence of La Nina. It is becoming apparent we've finally recovered from the 2009-2010 El Nino. Longer term the expectation is there will be at least one to two years of neutral temperatures ultimately converging in a stronger warmer pattern and possible El Nino 2-3 years out (2015 or 2016). And historically, this is the 'normal' pattern (a few years of false starts post La Nina before a legit El Nino forms).
See imagery in the ENSO Powertool and more details in the El Nino Update Last Updated 10/6/12
Beyond 72 hours no swell producing fetch of interest is forecast.
Details to follow...
External Reference Material: El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO), Madden Julian Oscillation (MJO), Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), Southern Oscillation Index (SOI), Kelvin Wave
Add a STORMSURF Buoy Forecast to your Google Homepage. Click Here:
Then open your Google homepage, hit 'edit' button (top right near graph), and select your location
New - Stormsurf Video Surf Forecast for the week starting Sunday (10/27) - http://youtu.be/XypogcVpUoY Subscribe to the Stormsurf001 YouTube channel for automatic notifications of updates - jut click the Subscribe button below the video.
Wall of Skulls - Here's a great video featuring Tahiti's famous wave. There's also a nice little.cgiug for Stormsurf in it too. http://vimeo.com/70308073
Super Natural - Powerlines Productions has released their new big wave surf video chronicling the epic El Nino winter of 2009-2010.cgius many other big wave event through the 2012-2013 winter season. It's a must see event for any big wave rider. It's for sale here: http://www.mavz.com/movies/super-natural/
Nantucket Marine Mammals has documented a short video concerning whale conservation and awareness off the Northeast US Coast. See it here: https://vimeo.com/68771910
Jason-1 Satellite Decommisioned - On June 21 an error occurred on board the Jason-1 satellite and it automatically shut down all critical functions. The satellite has since officially been decommissioned. It's last working transmitter failed on 6/21. All efforts have been made to get a response to no avail. The satellite has been.cgiaced in a parking orbit with it's solar panels turned away from the the sun. It's batteries are to discharge in the next 90 days. No additional data is expected from this satellite. We are working to start capturing data from the Jason-2 satellite, but that will take some time. More information to follow.
'CBS This Morning' with the Mavericks Invitational Surf Contest - See a nice morning TV show piece on the Mavericks Contest held Sun 1/20/13. The show aired Wed 1/23. Interviews with Colin Dwyer, Jeff Clark, Mark Sponsler and Grant Washburn: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=50139546n
Jaws Redbull Contest Forecast E.cgiained By Stormsurf
Cortes Bank Mission (12/21-12/22/2012)
The Making of 'Chasing Mavericks' - See some background footage on how the movie was made: Part1, Part2
The Psychology of Big Wave Surfing with Greg Long - A must see for any aspiring big wave rider: http://vimeo.com/51117940
Greg Long XCel Core Files - Here's a great profile of Greg Long and his contributions toward pushing the state of big wave surfing. Well Done - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dd9pqgiXfxk&feature.cgiayer_embedded
Chasing Mavericks - The Jay Moriarty Movie: Two trailers for the new movie about Jay, Frosty and Mavericks has been posted. Movie opens on 10/26/12. Here's the link: http://www.mtv.com/videos/movie-trailers/818957/chasing-mavericks.jhtml & http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNdYoX9Vfxg&feature=relmfu
Props from the Pros: Stormsurf was mentioned over the past week in two different media sources. One was in an interview Kelly Slater did with the New York Times and another was in a promotional piece Ramon Navarro did for the Big Wave World Tour. Many thanks to Curt Myers from Powerline Productions for alerting us and of course thanks to Kelly, Ramon and the Tour for using our service. Here's the links:
||Casa Noble Tequila If you are looking for an exquisite experience in fine tequila tasting, one we highly recommend, try Case Noble. Consistently rated the best tequila when compared to any other. Available at BevMo (in California). Read more here: http://www.casanoble.com/
New Wave Model Facts: Click HERE to read more about the new wave models. Important info.
Time Zone Converter By popular demand we've built and easy to use time convert that transposes GMT time to whatever time zone you are located. It's ion left hand column on every page on the site near the link to the swell calculator.
Stormsurf Google Gadget - Want Stormsurf content on your Google Homepage? It's si.cgie and free. If you have Google set as your default Internet E.cgiorer Homepage, just click the link below and a buoy forecast will be added to your Google homepage. Defaults to Half Moon Bay CA. If you want to select a different location, just click on the word 'edit', and a list of alternate available locations appears. Pick the one of your choice. Content updates 4 times daily. A great way to see what waves are coming your way!
Free Stormsurf Stickers - Get your free stickers! - More details Here
Read all the latest news and happenings on our News Page here
Surf Height-Swell Height Correlation Table | <urn:uuid:fdfa00ea-008f-415d-afed-f3d867b861ab> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.stormsurf.com/page2/forecast/forecast/102913.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571993.68/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814022847-20220814052847-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.909079 | 6,058 | 1.515625 | 2 |
How do you help the horse with “holes” in his mane?
And how do you braid a mane with gaps and missing hair?
- There are lots of reasons why a horse’s mane might have some “holes”, and there are a few things you can do about it. You also have some options if you are heading to a show and need to braid your horse’s mane.
- You know the routine by now! Try and figure out why your horse has some missing mane chunks, and then try and work around that. If it’s all a mystery, loop your Vet in for a diagnosis and some meds.
Why horses may end up with holes in their mane.
Your horse’s mane is rubbed out by a blanket, sheet, or fly sheet.
- Blanket rubs can create patchy skin as well as patchy manes. You will likely need to swap styles, cut, and/or size of the blanket to alleviate this. Higher neck versions may make things worse, or they can help distribute any pressure along the mane.
- If you suspect it’s the blanket causing your horse’s mane to rub out, also consider the fit. If your horse is moving a lot in his blanket, or he sleeps in it, an improper fit can tighten the neck opening and cause more pressure.
- You can also try using horse underwear to protect the mane. If your horse lives outside and standing in the rain, skip the full hood undies for wet weather. For just the shoulder underwear, you may be ok.
- If you have a used leg quilt laying around, you can tuck it under the withers of your blanket as some added padding and squish to see if that helps. This can also be a bib for your horse if the blanket neck creates a wave of dented hair across his chest.
The mane is getting eaten by a pasture buddy.
- It’s more likely that a hungry horse will chew a buddy’s tail, but you never know. Manes are tasty, too? For cases like this, you may want to try coating your horse’s mane with hot sauce. This can lead to stains, and it may not be comfortable against your horse’s skin. Hot sauce is easier to use for tails as you can just spritz the ends, away from any skin. Hot sauce ingredients, like capsaicin, will test positive.
- Another alternative is to douse the delicious mane with conditioner. It’s a bit messy, but like a mask for your horse’s mane.
Lice and mites and other things can cause a mane to be uneven and full of “holes”.
- These annoying parasites can actually create a lot of damage to your horse’s hair and skin. Lice can be seen by the naked eye, mites cause mange and can only be seen under the microscope.
- These types of infections need a Vet for diagnosis and treatment. There’s a risk of secondary infection, as well, when the parasites dig deeper. This may create open wounds that itch, or the scabs themselves are itchy. Either way, your horse’s rubbing makes it all worse and can create a larger problem.
Ringworm may affect the mane.
- Also, have your Vet check out the possibility of ringworm. This is actually a fungal infection, and can even be picked up by you. It’s usually seen on the body as a smallish bare spot, but could happen over the mane and cause some hair loss.
- BTW, this is yet another reason for each horse to have his own set of grooming tools.
Did I mention sweet itch?
- And here we have another skin thing that your Vet needs to diagnose – sweet itch. This allergy to certain species of midges (no-see-ums) usually creates sores and hair loss along your horse’s top side, where the bugs like to congregate. The allergic reaction is over the top, and causes wildly itchy spots.
- Horses, being horses, will do whatever they can to itch, taking their hair and skin along with it. Sweet itch can be managed with your horse’s Vet, some strategic blanketing and fly protection, as well as selective turnout and shelter with screens at dawn and dusk.
This was a mane, until sweet itch came calling.
Some horses just rub. If you have eliminated all other causes, there might be some more to think about.
- How much shampoo are you using, how often are you using it, and is it stripping your horse’s sebum and natural oils away? Dry skin is itchy! Horse grooming lotions and potions shouldn’t replace manual grooming, it should enhance it.
- And did you happen to rinse every single last drop away? Leftover residue from products may dry your horse’s skin, making it itchy.
- Is there a lot of hair breakage? Look closely at his diet with a Vet and/or Equine Nutritionist.
- Is your horse an Appaloosa? OK, that was a cheap shot at a lovely breed that is famous for having wispy manes, at best. My point is that genetics may be part of the bigger picture.
- I’m sure there are a few other reasons – play detective.
What do you do if you need to braid the mane for a horse show? You have a few options here.
- You may like to swear, in which case you can say “SCREW THIS” and roach or hog it all off. A roached mane is easy to do, easy to maintain, and much cooler in the summer. Contrary to popular belief, most show organizations do not require braids. Even the hunters. GASP! Braids are tradition, but they don’t work for all horses.
- You can grow the rest of the mane out longer and do one long running braid, which can cover up any holes. You may be surprised to learn that some manes can easily go into a running braid at about 6-8 inches, depending on how thick the mane is. Thinner manes are often easier to turn into running braids at shorter lengths.
- If the holes in the mane are starting to grow out a bit, you can double up on yarn and try and fake a thicker patch of hair to work with.
- You can also use false plaits to fill in any blanks for show day. I’ve seen them in rosette styles and this may be a great option for you.
Good luck in the show ring, and if you go fast enough, no one can see your braids anyway.
If your horse needs some supplies, you can pick them up here. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases, which are not a penny more for you. I couldn’t be more grateful for your support – it helps keep this site up!
Horse underwear. It’s a thing.
This fly sheet is specially designed to combat sweet itch.
MTG can help grow hair! Use sparingly and read the instructions! | <urn:uuid:a82d1429-494c-42ed-a035-26faa2733b37> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://proequinegrooms.com/tips/manes-and-tails/mane-rubs-braid/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572163.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815085006-20220815115006-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.949578 | 1,558 | 1.632813 | 2 |
When creating and saving images for your email campaigns, do you consciously save your images in a specific format or is it more of a subconscious action?
When it comes to email marketing, the two most commonly used image formats are .JPEG and .PNG.
In this blog, we explore the main differences between both image formats and when best to use each one.
JPEG Images – Pros & Cons
JPEG images are widely used across digital media as they retain colour information, but also compress the size of your image file by selectively (and cleverly) removing unwanted data. This makes your image file considerably smaller compared to the original RAW file and the quality is only compressed slightly, meaning a slight loss in quality.
A JPEG image works best in situations when it’s important to have a small file. It’s useful for web images as the smaller the image size, the quicker the page and the images will load for you. But as modern technology gets better and internet broadband becoming more universal, this is becoming less of a problem and slow loading times may only apply to those who have much older computers.
PNG Images – Pros & Cons
PNG images use lossless compression technology which means they retain all of the data contained within your image file – meaning their file size is slightly larger than that of a JPEG file – but with better quality.
With PNG file formats, it is also possible to create transparent background images, which allows for more creative control in email design. So, if you wanted to add your image to a coloured background, you can do so without a white or blank background of the image coming through, as it would with a JPEG image.
So, which one should you use?
But the real question is – which is better for your email and digital marketing? The simple answer – BOTH! Both PNG and JPEG image file formats work for different reasons and here’s why.
As PNG’s have a sharper quality than JPEG images, they tend to be used more in email marketing so on HD screens the images appear sharper, cleaner and less pixelated.
However, if you are creating a very image-heavy campaign and find you are using a lot of large images in your emails, then JPEG images may be for you. This is because they can be compressed into a smaller file size to avoid adding weight to your emails, which can cause your campaigns to appear as spam. With PNG images, you are not able shrink the file size as much as you can with a JPEG format, but the images will be sharper and contain more detail than the JPEGS, which is why they tend to be used a lot for e-commerce.
Top Tip: Creating your images in the correct size before adding to your campaigns helps avoid any loss of quality!
Additionally, the one main PNG disadvantage is that some older web browsers and email clients do not support this format as it is quite new compared to GIF and JPEG. However, all new web browsers and email clients fully support the PNG file format and with faster internet speeds, loading times are becoming less of an issue.
So, both image file types will work for your email campaigns and you are able to judge on a case by case basis which one works for your specific needs at the time.
If you’re looking to create new template designs, please feel visit to visit our template library here or if you require a bespoke design or any design advice, please see the design services we offer here and get in touch today. | <urn:uuid:010d04d7-0827-4959-b8ab-760ec4f80563> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://blog.campaignmaster.co.uk/2022/07/22/image-formats-in-email-campaigns/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572408.31/warc/CC-MAIN-20220816151008-20220816181008-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.945067 | 720 | 1.90625 | 2 |
U.S. efforts to head off a new China-sponsored development bank for the booming Asia region ended in abject failure this week as organizers announced nearly four dozen countries — including some of America’s closest Asian and European allies — have applied to membership, amid growing criticism of how the Obama administration handled the entire episode.
The Chinese head of the secretariat of the proposed Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) told an organizing conference meeting in Kazakhstan this week that 46 countries have applied to join the AIIB, including Britain, Germany, France, South Korea, India, Israel, Taiwan and Australia. Of the world’s major economies, only the U.S. and Japan are still on the outside looking in.
“The bottom line, I think, is that we screwed it up,” former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, in a sharp critique of the administration’s handling of the issue Tuesday at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “We should not have done it this way.”
Jin Liqun, the secretary-general of the AIIB’s secretariat, told the Kazakhstan gathering that organizers hope to have the Shanghai-based bank’s charter signed and in place by mid-year, with the bank itself opening by the end of the year.
China is putting up about $50 billion to help capitalize the bank, designed to help meet the projected trillions of dollars of infrastructure needs for the booming Asian region. Other countries are expected to contribute up to another $50 billion.
The expedited schedule represents a clear diplomatic defeat for the Obama administration, which has expressed fears the AIIB would rival the U.S.-dominated World Bank and undercut international lending standards on such issues as labor standards and corruption. The unstated fear was that Beijing was using the bank to advance its political and strategic goals in the region.
SEE ALSO: U.S. allies rush to join China’s new bank as deadline looms
But the AIIB quickly turned into a high-profile tug-of-war for influence between the U.S. and China, with China’s rising economic clout proving far stronger than the U.S. pressure.
Both Ms. Albright and Lawrence Summers, Mr. Obama’s former National Economic Council director, said this week Congress shared the blame for the diplomatic debacle for failing to pass a widely-supported International Monetary Fund reform measure designed to give rising powers such as China and India a greater say in IMF decisions to reflect their growing economic clout.
The AIIB organizing drive thus became a protest vehicle for countries chafing at U.S. and Western dominance of the established international financial bodies as the World Bank and IMF.
Chinese officials “can legitimately ask, ‘Excuse me, you guys have had 5 1/2 years to support a reasonable role for us in the IMF, and you have not done it,’” Mr. Summers told a campus forum this week at Harvard, where he teaches. “… It’s a terrible reflection on our political system that we have not been able to find a compromise.”
The U.S. anti-AIIB campaign was also hurt when Jim Yong Kim, the American who heads the World Bank, said he did not necessarily see the Chinese start-up as a rival.
“From the perspective of the need for more infrastructure spending, there’s no doubt that from our perspective, we welcome the entry of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.”
SEE ALSO: Obama humiliated as allies join China’s Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
U.S. Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew appeared to soften the administration’s previous opposition to the AIIB on a trip to Beijing this week. He said the Obama administration was ready to work with the bank — from the outside for now — while remaining concerned about the potential for the new bank to undercut standards at existing institutions such as the World Bank and Manila-based Asian Development Bank.
On his return, Mr. Lew told an Asia Society meeting in California that Chinese leaders had assured him that “they aspire to meet high standards and welcome partnership.”
“Our consistent focus on standards has already had an impact and, as lending begins, the test will be the character of the projects funded and their impact on the people and countries they serve,” Mr. Lew said, according to the Agence France-Presse news service. | <urn:uuid:96c6f8e9-3bd9-454f-b31a-8680097955ef> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/apr/1/efforts-to-head-off-china-development-bank-called-/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572163.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815085006-20220815115006-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.958545 | 930 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Numbers don't sell anything.
The furnace in our house is 96.1% efficient. The water softener regenerates every 1000 gallons. The home office workspace is 350 sq.ft. The sound-reducing acoustical-drywall treatments have reduced ambient noise from 47db to 26db. Converting to LED bulbs throughout the house reduced energy consumption by 25% in the first month. Want to buy a house?
Numbers don’t sell houses. Mileage numbers don’t sell cars. You don’t lead with numbers to sell anything. In fact, in a Real Estate listing, you will find the numbers in the footnotes. Vehicle mileage and fuel economy numbers are found on the back page of the brochure.
Truthfully, people buy emotionally and justify their decision with logic and facts. People buy-in to things and ideas that will improve their lives in some way (safety included). They use numbers to support their decision.
Let's use the example of Real Estate. A compelling Real Estate listing does not lead with numbers. It leads with a quality-of-life benefit statement - something that evokes an image or an emotion.
- Skip the commute and work from home in one of two offices.
- Enjoy expansive mountain views on three floors.
- Relax with a glass of wine watching the most spectacular sunsets.
- Take advantage of the peace and tranquility of near-country living.
When you lead off with benefits to the buyer, you create a more compelling statement. These are the kinds of images people want to envision when they are looking for a place to settle their family. The best statements use words that evoke a vision, a feeling, an emotion. | <urn:uuid:e2de1426-d2e8-4d34-ae96-0945e5af9463> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.kevburns.com/blog/topic/safety-leadership/page/2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572163.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815085006-20220815115006-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.934025 | 356 | 2.1875 | 2 |
Field visits have been a part of the pedagogy to have students engage with people on field. The Centre started the Fellows’ Yatra where the students go through the community living experience by observing social enterprises scale-up technologies, work on operational efficiencies, train human resources and maximize social impact. The TCTD Symposium initiated in January 2018 has been an annual feature to exhibit the faculty and students’ work through posters, prototypes and other media, and to brainstorm on challenges and ideas that drive social innovations ahead. Kalpana has been a nationwide prototyping competition bringing in a whopping number of applicants from all over the country. The five-day program on End to End Innovation has seen a huge demand from the academic and industrial fraternity outside IIT Bombay.
The Tata Fellows’ Yatra
Since 2017, the Centre started the Fellows’ Yatra where the Tata Fellows and a few faculty and staff have visited certain field settings, to be able to relate to the community living experience. The Tata Fellows have seen how social enterprises can scale-up using technology, operational efficiencies, and work at maximum social impact. The organisations led by these social leaders range from community interventions to scales spanning several states in India. Places visited so far include Madurai, Hubballi, Goa, Bangalore, and Pune.
TCTD, IITB conducts workshops in the Product Realization Lab to give hands-on experience in prototype making to students, within campus. Students are introduced to the machines and equipment at the Lab through these workshops. The objective is to introduce and train students on using the lab equipment, and conduct brainstorming, fabricating and testing of the prototypes that are worked upon. These workshops are a part of the Centre’s outreach initiative to encourage ideas, use of hand skills and train manpower.
The much-celebrated national prototyping competition – Kalpana is conducted annually to encourage innovation across India. This event is staged in 3 rounds, inviting thousands of applications from across educational institutions in the country. Kalpana is an ideal platform for most innovators, showcasing two different competitions – Nirmiti – the prototype-making event and Drishtikon – the poster-making event. After 3 months of brainstorming, the finale is a week-long fabrication event at the Product Realization Lab that brings out winning ideas.
To supplement the learnings from the ProSeminar and aiming to get a community experience and understand the problems faced by the bottom of the pyramid, students are taken to various locations visits to study the relevant challenges there. These visits present an opportunity to understand the development of solutions through community stewardship. Observing how social and economic progress can be brought about by simple technologies and community-based solutions, the field trips are a learning experience.
The annual conclave in January every year, hosted by TCTD, IITB, rolls out with different themes. 2018 saw the beginning of this event with the objective – Innovate to Transform while 2019 turned into – Translate for Impact. The event brings together stakeholders who can help drive social innovations ahead, for better impact. TCTD Symposium 2020 plans to ‘Take Ideas to Scale’. With panel discussions, guest speakers and poster and prototype presentations planned, the objective is to bring together an ecosystem of partners and organisations for better user connect to developed technologies and solutions. | <urn:uuid:00b6b216-f130-4e89-a3a5-f719a4cd312d> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | http://www.tatacentre.iitb.ac.in/immersive/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572408.31/warc/CC-MAIN-20220816151008-20220816181008-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.939608 | 709 | 1.976563 | 2 |
2018 Bash Benefits Catholic STEM Programs
Physicist Gilbert Reiling recalls the cold and windy day when boats filled the New York Harbor, their occupants waiting to witness a historical commemoration involving his invention. On July 4, 1986, Reiling and his team watched their yearslong work come to fruition when President Ronald Reagan flipped the switch to light the Statue of Liberty for its 100th anniversary using metal halide lamps, which he first invented in 1962.
Reiling, 89, who attended St. Rose of Lima Catholic School in Roseville, was honored at the Catholic Schools Center of Excellence’s Bash, Called to Greatness, on May 5 in Minneapolis. The event raised money to support science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) curriculum in Catholic schools throughout the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.
A ‘MARVELOUS COMPANION’
Although some things have changed since Reiling attended Catholic school, he said he still very much believes in Catholic education.
“What stuck with me was the importance of Mass and going to Communion, and receiving Jesus into my heart,” Reiling said.
During the school day, the religious sisters at St. Rose of Lima taught him how to pray the rosary, complementing what his mother taught him at home.
“The rosary has been a marvelous companion all my life,” he said.
He brought that prayerful guidance to his career.
“I’ve kept a rosary in my pocket wherever I’ve gone,” Reiling said. “I hoped the Lord would lead me down the right path, and I’ve tried to take it.”
That path included taking a job at General Electric, where he worked in a lab and invented the metal halide lamp in 1962, providing more efficient lighting. Soon after, he was asked to create the same lamps specifically for the Statue of Liberty’s 100th anniversary. Metal halide lamps still light the Statue of Liberty today.
“They said, ‘We want a new torch that radiates just like the morning sun,’” he recalled.
Scientific knowledge made Reiling’s invention possible, and now many Catholic schools are incorporating more STEM into their curriculum. Reiling said he’s enthusiastic about the endeavor.
“All science is really worthwhile to all children,” he said.
“One of the things I like about the STEM program is [that] it starts in kindergarten,” he said. “So if you’re going to learn the kind of chemistry and mathematics that you need for the jobs that are in the future, you’re going to have to start young.” | <urn:uuid:5f526079-866a-4ccd-8ae7-94bf0ccf9c19> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://cscoe-mn.org/making-an-impact-3/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572163.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815085006-20220815115006-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.968141 | 575 | 2.046875 | 2 |
THE NOVEL THIEF
If you’re still hesitant to completely write in your book, start with highlighting/underlining your favorite quotes/passages.
If you’re someone who doesn’t want to ruin the pages of your book, it’s good to use colorful tabs. Give each color a different meaning and tab the pages while you’re reading.
If you have no problem writing in your books, keep a pen with you at all times while you’re reading. Write your thoughts, reactions, notes, etc. anything it is that you want!
Create a book annotation key for yourself and assign different symbols for different passages you would like marked. The symbols are completely up to you, be creative!
If you’re still hesitant to write in your books and you don’t feel like using colorful tabs, you can write down your thoughts on post-it notes and stick them to the specific page. | <urn:uuid:ac4987a9-5506-4615-96e0-ce92ebe50759> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.thenovelthief.com/web-stories/how-to-annotate-a-book/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571758.42/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812200804-20220812230804-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.92137 | 200 | 1.820313 | 2 |
If you want to live in a European city where residents think affordable housing is easy to come by, avoid London and head for Ljubljana. That's one of the possible conclusions to draw from a massive new report on European cities published by the E.U.
According to Eurostat's 2015 Urban Europe report [PDF], published this week, most European big city residents feel that decent housing they can afford is increasingly hard to come by. As the map above shows, only in Athens and Greater Manchester did more than half of citizens agree that decent value housing was easy to find. In slightly smaller cities, however, things get a little easier. Among cities of between 600,000 and 1.2 million inhabitants, more than half of respondents in Ljubljana, Naples, Palermo, and Diyarbakir, Turkey, agreed that affordable housing was easy to find. | <urn:uuid:41a5415d-b256-4936-9ca5-dac14751e0c2> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-09-09/the-european-cities-with-the-most-affordable-housing | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571758.42/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812200804-20220812230804-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.958944 | 184 | 1.84375 | 2 |
BUILDAIR’s Inflatable Structures are conceived as a membrane-strapanchorage system to ensure the stability and functionality requirements in front of the external and internal actions.
The inflatable tubes are the main relevant structural item of the structure, made of a light membrane filled with air by means of a blowing engines system. The (low) internal pressure inside the tubes provides the required stiffness for the structure with a very low weight.
This pressure is controlled by an Automatic Control System, which varies in terms of the existing wind, increasing the stiffness of the tubes when peak values of wind are registered.
The stability of the tubes is ensured by an innovative straps network conceived as a cage surrounding the inflated membranes with two main objectives: limit the deformation of the tubes and transmit the internal forces to the anchoring points.
Straps are connected to each other to configure a network in such a way that forces over the membranes are transmitted through the straps to the anchorage points in the form of axial forces.
BUILDAIR structures are completely portable as their structural elements are very light and the complete set-up process takes just a few days, enabling a great agility in deployment and removal.
Flexibility – Modularity
BUILDAIR structures are flexible, permanent, modular and fully retocable: they can be packaged and transported within standard sea containers.
BUILDAIR structures do not require a traditional foundation works for proper anchoring to the ground: it is enough to use high-resistance anchorage systems, with subsequent savings in time and costs.
Short delivery time
BUILDAIR structures can be delivered and set up within an extremely short period of time, allowing any coverage requirements to be fullfilled much faster than with any alternative product.
BUILDAIR’s technology and know-how means our inflatable architecture is 100% safe. Our modular independent structral tubes enjoy safety redundances and mantain their structural stability.
Higher return on investment
BUILDAIR structures are the perfect solution: they are cost-competitive, require only a low investment, and make it feasible to transport the entire building and all installations to a different location.
BUILDAIR several door modules allow to comply with any specific requirement: fast, opening-closing operation, high resistance, additional accesses for staff, etc.
The BUILDAIR Automatic Control System allows real-time tracking of all related parameters, reducing the costs of preventive maintenance and maximising the structural safety of the structure. | <urn:uuid:ee7fe830-7047-4422-aad2-cf0771f89cef> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://buildair.com/inflatable-structure/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572408.31/warc/CC-MAIN-20220816151008-20220816181008-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.905767 | 545 | 1.601563 | 2 |
(HealthDay News) — Those who consume nuts have a lower risk of total and cause-specific mortality, according to research published in the Nov. 21 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Ying Bao, M.D., Sc.D., of Harvard Medical School in Boston, and colleagues examined data from 3,038,853 person-years of follow-up for women in the Nurses’ Health Study and men in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study to assess the association between nut consumption and mortality.
The researchers found an inverse association between nut consumption and total mortality for women and men. Pooled multivariate hazard ratios showed significantly reduced risk of death for participants who ate nuts less than once per week (0.93), once per week (0.89), two to four times per week (0.87), five or six times per week (0.85), and seven or more times per week (0.80), compared with those who did not eat nuts. Those who ate nuts also had significantly reduced risk of death due to cancer, heart disease, and respiratory disease.
“In two large prospective U.S. cohorts, we found a significant, dose-dependent inverse association between nut consumption and total mortality, after adjusting for potential confounders,” the authors write.
A grant from the International Tree Nut Council Nutrition Research and Education Foundation partly funded the study. | <urn:uuid:d4015250-e8fd-4313-8379-45c952f04b9e> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.oncologynurseadvisor.com/home/headlines/daily-oncology-news/nut-consumption-may-impact-cancer-mortality/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570879.37/warc/CC-MAIN-20220809003642-20220809033642-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.938506 | 295 | 2.703125 | 3 |
ITunes is the world’s best way to organize and add to your digital media assortment. Dr. Brekhman’s signature day by day adaptogenic natural formulation made with the seven strongest Adaptogens recognized to man. Within the experiment, he stated unhealthy issues and cursed a jar of water and froze it. When the water was frozen, he placed it below a microscope and the outcome was an unorganized water crystal formation. Still, a profession as a medical expert can be thrilling and will allow you to use forensic science expertise each day and work hand in hand with hospitals, morgues or the court system.
Information that is based on theory should not have any place in discussions about the bible and science, only those that cope with the facts and legal guidelines of science. Basically, which means if a cell is put into a solution wherein the solute focus of minerals is higher than its personal, the cell will shrivel up. Within the context of Halotherapy / Salt Therapy, viruses and bacteria are being dried up in the lungs after the inhalation of sodium and chloride (salt) minerals.
Consequently, Nutrition Data’s greater-rated meals might not essentially be more healthy for you than decrease-rated ones. Detailed articles about specific areas of medicine, conditions, diet, and forms of remedy. Vitamin Knowledge additionally signifies whether a food is especially excessive or low in numerous nutrients, in response to the dietary recommendations of the FDA.
Briefly science has modified, improved, enhanced, modified and refined human life in all methods. These positions are abundant all around the nation and generally solely require forensic science levels to start. Nonetheless, when it comes to the bible, we should understand that material science cannot clarify or give solutions to these questions that come out of the bible.
He did this once more however instead of saying bad things on the jar of water, he stated positive affirmations then he froze the water. In an in depth examine finished by a Japanese scientist, he discovered that water reacts to thoughts and words. Certain foods are also a good water supply, so consuming extra of them could mean it is advisable to drink less. | <urn:uuid:d314272f-e196-436a-b0b9-756b7bb100fb> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://bojankezastampanje.com/health-news.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572163.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815085006-20220815115006-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.943277 | 439 | 2.078125 | 2 |
The personal memoirs of syndicalist Tom Mann. While we disagree with much of his politics, such as his support for the Stalinist Communist Party, we reproduce this text is an important addition to the history of the workers' movement in the UK.
The first secretary of the Independent Labour Party, the President of the dockers' union, the first General Secretary of the Amalgamated Engineering Union: a mere roster of the positions he held in the Labour Movement, of which this is a tiny fraction, would establish Tom Mann as a Pioneer. But what he did was always more impressive than the positions from which he did it. He was an initiator, a catalyst, a goad to action. Whenever a real crisis came, his stature found its true proportions, and again and again Tom Mann became a pivot for the actions of downtrodden people | <urn:uuid:1c09eb6b-631d-4995-a469-3e50152398bd> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://libcom.org/article/tom-manns-memoirs | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572163.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815085006-20220815115006-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.983524 | 177 | 1.71875 | 2 |
A Bangladeshi ferry carrying about 200 passengers has capsized south-west of capital Dhaka, officials say.
The bodies of two people have been recovered from the River Padma where the boat went down in Munshiganj district, 20 miles from Dhaka.
The ferry carrying about 200 passengers has capsized south-west of capital Dhaka
Emergency teams have rescued 100 people from the vessel, the Pinak-6.
Accidents are common on Bangladesh’s river network and scores of people are killed every year, with overcrowding and poor boat quality often to blame.
Boats are the main form of travel in some rural parts of the country.
It was not immediately clear what caused Monday’s accident.
“We have heard that the ferry was overloaded with passengers and the river was rough,” local police chief Tofazzal Hossain told AFP news agency.
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At least 26 people have died and more than 200 are missing after MV Thomas Aquinas ferry collided with a cargo ship and sank off the Philippines.
The MV Thomas Aquinas was in collision with the cargo vessel on Friday evening near the central city of Cebu, officials said.
The ship was carrying 752 passengers and 118 crew, according to latest coast guard figures.
The incident took place around 1.2 miles from the shore.
The ferry was sailing into the port at Cebu – the country’s second biggest city – when it collided with the cargo ship travelling the other way at about 21:00 local time.
“The impact was very strong,” Rachel Capuno, a spokesperson for the owners of the ferry, told local radio.
Survivors said hundreds of passengers jumped into the ocean as the ferry began taking on water and listing. The crew distributed life jackets.
Many of the passengers were asleep and others struggled to find their way in the dark, reports said.
One survivor, Jerwin Agudong, said he and other passengers jumped overboard in front of the cargo vessel.
At least 26 people have died and more than 200 are missing after MV Thomas Aquinas ferry collided with a cargo ship and sank off the Philippines
“It seems some people were not able to get out,” Jerwin Agudong told radio station DZBB.
“I pity the children. We saw dead bodies on the side, and some being rescued.”
The ferry sank within 30 minutes of the collision, the AFP news agency reports.
Rear Admiral Luis Tuason of the coast guard said navy divers recovered at least four more bodies from the wreck early on Saturday.
“There could be more bodies there but there were ropes inside that our divers could get entangled in,” he said.
The coast guard is to send more divers with deep-water equipment to help recover bodies, he added.
Another coast guard official told reporters that the cargo ship, Sulpicio Express 7, had 36 crew members on board, but it did not sink.
Passengers on the ferry had embarked at Nasipit in the southern province of Agusan del Sur.
The coastguard and some commercial vessels were able to pick up more than 600 survivors.
The 11,000 tonne ferry was 40 years old, and operated by a Chinese-owned company called 2Go.
The company became the largest ferry operator in the Philippines three years ago, following a merger of several smaller firms, our correspondent adds.
Joy Villages, an official at the coastguard’s public affairs office headquarters in Manila, told AFP it was too early to determine the cause of Friday’s collision.
She said the Thomas Aquinas was a “roll-on, roll-off” ferry that allows vehicles to be driven aboard and is commonly used in the Philippines.
Maritime accidents are common in the Philippine archipelago because of tropical weather, badly maintained passenger boats and weak enforcement of safety regulations.
The world’s worst maritime disaster in peacetime occurred in the Philippines in December 1987. More than 4,000 people died when the Dona Paz ferry collided with a tanker.
A Tanzanian ferry carrying at least 250 people has sunk near the island of Zanzibar.
An operation to rescue passengers has been launched by the navy and police. The boat had left the city of Dar es Salaam earlier in the day.
The navy said the vessel, the MV Skagit, got into difficulty because of strong winds.
A minister in Zanzibar quoted by AFP news agency said so far 12 dead bodies had been recovered.
Last September, nearly 200 people died when an overcrowded boat with 800 people aboard sank off Zanzibar
Last September, nearly 200 people died when an overcrowded boat with 800 people aboard sank off Zanzibar.
The MV Skagit left the mainland at 12:00 local time bound for the main island of the semi-autonomous archipelago.
The journey usually takes about two hours.
Thirty-one children are believed to have been on board.
A safety officer at the Zanzibar Port Corporation told Reuters news agency the ferry was now “bottom-up”.
“Twelve dead bodies and 10 survivors have been recovered so far. Rescue operations continue in bad weather,” Mwinyihaji Makame, state minister in the Zanzibari president’s office, told journalists, AFP reports.
The route between Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar is a busy crossing, popular with both Tanzanians and foreign tourists.
At least 103 people have died after a ferry capsized during a storm in north-eastern India, local police say.
The vessel was reported to be carrying at least 300 passengers on the Brahmaputra river in Assam state.
Reports say more than 100 people are missing, while dozens of others either were rescued or made it to safety.
Poor safety standards mean ferry accidents are common on the river but that this is one of the worst disasters in recent memory.
At least 103 people have died after a ferry capsized during a storm in north-eastern India
Police officials said it happened in the remote district of Dhubri during heavy winds and rain.
Dhubri is about 350 km (215 miles) west of Assam’s main city, Guwahati.
The vessel capsized and broke into two pieces during the storm, police said.
“I could see people being swept away as the river current was very strong,” a witness to the accident, Rahul Karmakar, told AFP news agency.
Assam state Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said emergency teams were in place but nightfall and bad weather were hampering rescue efforts.
The ferry carried no lifeboats or life jackets, and was overloaded with people and goods, with passengers sitting on the roof, according to a police officer quoted by the Reuters news agency.
In a statement, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said he was “shocked and grieved” by the incident.
Manmohan Singh has “given instructions for all possible assistance to the government of Assam in relief operations”, the statement added.
Boats are a common mode of transport in the area, which is dotted with small islands and villages along the banks of the river.
Many of the boats are overcrowded with poor or minimal safety features. | <urn:uuid:affca7e2-f651-4f77-bf7d-28683b639059> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://bellenews.com/tag/ferry/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572163.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815085006-20220815115006-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.974091 | 1,580 | 1.523438 | 2 |
Factory Farms, Visibility, and Disturbing Images
There are an endless stream of images depicting animal cruelty that have been obtained from factory farms. They are often picked up by the media, and sometimes even make it into classrooms where they are used as discussion points for courses such as ethics, food politics, psychology, and more. This paper examines the spread of disturbing images from factory farms, and the creation of meaning within them as a “site of education.” The assertion is that images of factory farming and other animal abuse shouldn’t just be viewed as political tools, but as aesthetic and pedagogical tools as well; they are things that teach us, inspire us, and motivate us to action, all at the same time. As teaching tools, these types of images are relatively new, and they have a great deal of potential as well as limitations. As the researcher says, these images “are contested on the production side because the agricultural industry leverages its power to keep them hidden. They are contested as subjects of study because bringing down the walls of the factory farm is not the same as bringing down the walls and operations of speciesist ideology.”
Many advocates know that the battle over the dissemination of disturbing images from factory farms and other places of animal exploitation is being fought around the world, especially in the U.S., where some states have permitted so-called “Ag-Gag” legislation. The idea that these disturbing images are “contested” has become very real. They are not only disputed ideologically, but also now through real laws and criminal charges. In some cases, simply taking photographs or filming footage has been deemed to be a terrorist act – the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act prohibits “the taking of photographs, documentary footage, or other media for the purpose of exposure.” Though many animal abuse investigations aim to expose conditions and practices that are legal but ethically objectionable, laws now exist in some places to prohibit those images from being disseminated, or even taken in the first place. As the author here notes, “without the capacity to publish these acts of violence against animals, the propensity for success through civil disobedience is critically undermined.”
The political and industry opposition to advocates’ efforts to expose animal abuse has become known as “Ag-Gag.” But this resistance is itself being resisted. In 2013, there was a serious effort by the farming industry to prevent disturbing images from factory farms reaching the public, with Ag-Gag bills proposed in 15 states. None of these passed. Still, according to this study, at this time “the majority of U.S. states have some form of animal use protection law to address ‘animal enterprise/industry/research interference'” and the efforts to further criminalize the documentation and distribution of these images is troubling.
Animal advocates already face an uphill battle in getting most of the public to look at images of animal abuse. As this paper notes, “we should expect that viewing disturbing slaughterhouse images will be countered with avoidance, negation and resistance.” As humans, we’ve developed these “self-protective” strategies to block knowledge that might challenge our daily routines and our self-image. This paper highlights that the viewing these images can be “a disturbing and traumatic education.” Our goal, as we distribute, discuss, and debate these images, is to “hold the social reality of factory-farmed animals in public awareness and, ultimately, to encourage critical consciousness and action.” In the face of industry and (possible) state opposition, we need to remain aware of the importance of educating people about the truth. | <urn:uuid:2bff513f-7d38-4b5c-a5d7-40bdb2b61284> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://faunalytics.org/factory-farms-visibility-and-disturbing-images/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572408.31/warc/CC-MAIN-20220816151008-20220816181008-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.963801 | 760 | 2.25 | 2 |
Obesity and its comorbidities are a severe public health problem worldwide. The use of bioactive compounds found in some foods has been demonstrated to ameliorate the metabolic abnormalities associated with obesity. The purpose of this study was to assess whether the bioactive compounds present in aguamiel concentrate (AC) from Agave salmiana could attenuate glucose intolerance and hepatic steatosis in mice fed a high fat (HF) diet. HPLC-ELSD analysis showed that AC contained several saponins. The consumption of an AC extract rich in saponins reduced weight gain and fat mass and lowered serum glucose, insulin and LDL-cholesterol levels in mice fed a HF diet. Additionally, mice fed the saponin extract exhibited a reduced HOMA index and hepatic lipid levels and increased expression of genes involved in fatty acid oxidation. Saponins increased white adipose tissue browning, AMPK phosphorylation, fatty acid oxidation and mitochondrial activity in skeletal muscle and energy expenditure in mice fed the HF diet. These metabolic changes were accompanied by an increase in the abundance of Akkermansia muciniphila in the gut microbiota. Therefore, Agave salmiana saponins can be an alternative to attenuate the metabolic changes that accompany obesity.
Since 1980, obesity prevalence has doubled worldwide. In 2014, overweight individuals represented 39% of the adult population and 13% of these individuals were obese1. Specific metabolic abnormalities develop in obese individuals, such as pro-inflammatory states, dyslipidemia, high blood pressure, insulin resistance, glucose intolerance and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD); these abnormalities are accompanied by gut microbiota dysbiosis2,3. Insulin resistance develops during obesity due to alterations in insulin signaling and increases in the systemic inflammatory response4. These alterations occur in part through a lipotoxic effect due to the accumulation of lipids in non-adipose tissue organs, particularly the liver and skeletal muscle5.
Recently, it has been established that dietary intervention must be included to prevent or ameliorate the biochemical abnormalities associated with obesity6. With this aim, extensive research on functional foods has recently been performed. These foods provide a health benefit in addition to their nutritional value7. Most properties of functional foods are associated with the presence of specific bioactive compounds that regulate precise pathways to exert their beneficial effect8.
In Mexico, several functional foods have been used to obtain health benefits. For example, agave (Agave spp.) has been used since Pre-Columbian times as a food and beverage source9,10. Currently, agave possesses economic relevance in the tequila, mezcal and pulque industries10. Aguamiel is the edible sweet sap obtained from specific mature agave species such as Agave salmiana11. It may be consumed fresh, fermented or concentrated by heat into a syrup or aguamiel concentrate (AC)11. In Mexico, diabetic people consume AC to improve their diabetic condition. The testimonials reported by consumers suggest an improvement in glycemic control. Nevertheless, AC has not been studied to assess its biological effects.
Scarce knowledge is available concerning the bioactive compounds present in aguamiel. Ortiz-Basurto et al. (2012) evaluated fresh aguamiel and reported that it contained 11.5% dry matter that was mainly composed of sugars; a total of 10% of these sugars were fructans. Aguamiel also contained 3% protein, 3% minerals and 0.3% free amino acids12. Recently, our research group demonstrated that AC also contained steroidal saponins11,13. These molecules are a diverse group of biologically active glycosides that contribute to the plant’s defense and are widely distributed in the plant kingdom13. Different saponins have been used to treat obesity. Some of the most recognized are the saponins from Panax ginseng, Panax japonicas and Platycodi radix, which have been validated in different models to prevent or decrease obesity8,14,15,16.
Dioscin is a steroidal saponin whose oral consumption has been demonstrated to prevent diet-induced obesity and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease by increasing the energy expenditure17. However, scant knowledge is available concerning the potential mechanisms of action of many saponins and less is known about those present in aguamiel. Thus, the aim of the present study was to assess the effect of the consumption of AC from Agave salmiana and an AC extract rich in saponins in mice fed a high fat diet (HF) to evaluate their effects on carbohydrate/lipid metabolism and the gut microbiota composition. Here, we demonstrate that an AC extract rich in saponins improves glucose tolerance and serum and hepatic lipid levels, induces WAT browning and mitochondrial activity in skeletal muscle by increasing energy expenditure and increases Akkermansia muciniphila in the gut microbiota of mice fed the HF diet.
Results and Discussion
Aguamiel concentrate’s available carbohydrate composition
To obtain AC, the plant is not harvested. Instead, aguamiel is collected daily from the core of Agave salmiana and concentrated using heat. The AC contained a high concentration of available carbohydrates (46.3%). HPLC-ELSD analysis revealed that the AC was primarily composed of sucrose (44.4%), glucose (29.1%) and fructose (26.5%) (Fig. 1A); the minor components are described in Supplemental Table S1. The AC composition differed from the high fructose agave syrup from Agave tequilana10,18.
Aguamiel concentrate has low glycemic and insulinemic indices
To investigate whether the available carbohydrates in AC could modify blood glucose, we studied its glycemic and insulinemic indices. Interestingly, we observed that AC produced a lower increase in blood glucose and serum insulin compared with the response to the reference (50 g of glucose) despite the elevated sucrose and glucose contents in the 50 g of available carbohydrates in AC (Fig. 1A–C). Measurement of the area under the curve (AUC) proved that the AC had low glycemic and insulinemic indices (47.6 and 53, respectively) as was previously reported for high-fructose agave syrup19. Thus, we hypothesized that compounds other than sugars were responsible for its low GI and performed a composition analysis of the AC.
Bioactive saponins in aguamiel concentrate
The presence of steroidal saponins in the AC was analyzed by HPLC-ELSD. We detected saponins derived from kammogenin, manogenin, gentrogenin and hecogenin, which represented 74, 11, 8 and 7% of the total saponins, respectively (Fig. 1D). Saponins present in other natural products are capable of decreasing the acute glycemic response20,21. Therefore, we extracted the saponins with a mixture of n-butanol/H2O to assess the biological activity of these compounds on carbohydrate/lipid metabolism in mice fed a high-fat (HF) diet. This extract was provided in the HF diet at a low dose (HFL) by adding 2.8 g/kg diet or at a high dose (HFH) by adding 28 g/kg diet (HFH).
Aguamiel concentrate and its extracted saponins prevent body weight gain in a high fat diet
As expected, mice fed the HF diet gained more weight (55%) compared to the control (C) group (Fig. 2A,B). In contrast, mice fed the HF diet supplemented with AC (HFAC) and HFL gained weight at a level comparable to their C counterparts. Moreover, mice fed HFH gained less weight compared to the C group, denoting a dose-dependent effect. The weight difference was not an effect of a decrease in the energy intake because it was similar in all groups (Fig. 2C). Additionally, the weight difference was not associated with an inhibitory effect of saponins on pancreatic lipase as previously suggested15,22 because there was no difference in the fecal fat content (Supplemental Fig. S1). Consistent with the weight gain, the visceral adipose tissue weight (retroperitoneal and epididymal) was greater in animals fed the HF diet compared to the animals fed the C diet (Fig. 2D,E). Interestingly, the adiposity of the mice fed HFAC, HFL and HFH was similar to the C group despite the HF diet. This effect was more pronounced in the retroperitoneal adipose tissue where it represented up to 17.9% of the body weight in the HF group compared to 4.4% of the body weight in the HFH group. Finally, the liver weight was not affected by the experimental diets (Fig. 2F).
Aguamiel concentrate and its extracted saponins prevent an increase in LDL-cholesterol and HOMA
Plasma samples were analyzed to evaluate the effect of AC or its extracted saponins on the biochemical parameters of the treated mice; the results are shown in Table 1. After 12 weeks on the experimental diets, within the serum lipid profile, the total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, triacylglyceride (TAG) concentrations as well as glucose concentration were not significantly (P < 0.05) different among the treatment groups. Conversely, the HF group had greater LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) and insulin concentrations compared to the C group. When AC or its extracted saponins were added to the HF diet, the increase in the plasma LDL-C and insulin concentrations was prevented. Interestingly, HOMA-IR was lower in the HFH group, suggesting that saponins could have an effect on glucose tolerance.
Aguamiel concentrate and its extracted saponins improve glucose tolerance
To evaluate whether the AC and its extracted saponins had an effect on glucose clearance, an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was performed during the 10th week of the experiment. As expected, animals fed the HF diet exhibited a significant (P < 0.05) increase in their blood glucose compared to the mice fed the C diet both at the fasting state and during the OGTT, indicating that the HF group had decreased glucose tolerance (Fig. 2G–I). Interestingly, mice fed the HFAC and HFH diets exhibited significantly (P < 0.05) increased glucose tolerance as observed by the lower area under the curve (AUC) compared to the mice fed the HF diet (Fig. 2I). To assess whether consumption of the saponin extract could also reduce body weight and glucose intolerance in obese mice, we fed mice a HFD for 16 weeks to establish obesity and hyperglycemia. Subsequently, the mice received HFH for another 8 weeks. As shown in Supplemental Fig. S2, during the first 16 weeks on the HF diet the mice became obese and hyperglycemic. Interestingly, this preliminary study shows that the mice lost 28% of their body weight 8 weeks after switching to the diet with HFH. Additionally, the glucose tolerance was remarkably increased and the AUC was decreased by 47.5%. Further research is needed using different doses in order to understand the mechanism of action.
Aguamiel concentrate or its extracted saponins prevents hepatic steatosis
Glucose intolerance is normally accompanied by hepatic steatosis23. To evaluate whether AC or its extracted saponins had an impact on hepatic steatosis, we evaluated the liver morphology. Liver histological analysis using hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) as well as Oil Red O (ORO) staining clearly shows that mice fed the HF diet had a greater hepatic fat accumulation in the form of macro- and microvesicles compared to the C group (Fig. 3A). Notably, hepatic lipid accumulation decreased when AC was added to the diet; this effect was similar in a dose-dependent manner with the saponin extract. The hepatic steatosis observed in the histological analysis was confirmed by the quantification of hepatic TAG (Fig. 3B) and ORO image analysis (Fig. 3C). The livers of mice fed the HF diet showed a significantly (P < 0.005) higher TAG accumulation compared to mice fed the C diet. As expected, consumption of AC or its extracted saponins prevented hepatic TAG accumulation. To evaluate hepatic inflammation, we assessed the expression of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) by immunohistochemistry. Mice fed the HF diet had increased levels of TNF-α compared to mice fed the C diet (Fig. 3A). Moreover, the addition of AC or its extracted saponins reduced hepatic TNF-α compared to the HF group in a dose-dependent manner. To further evaluate if macrophage infiltration was also affected, we then evaluated F4/80 by immunohistochemistry (Fig. 3A). Results showed that mice fed the HF diet had a greater macrophage infiltration compared to mice fed the control diet. This effect was prevented in HFAC and HFH groups. Consumption of a HF diet also increased significantly (P < 0.05) the plasma alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level compared to the C group (Fig. 3D). The addition of AC or the saponin extract did not increase the ALT content, which ruled out a hepatotoxic effect. The liver TAG and ALT levels showed a positive correlation (r2 = 0.657) (Supplemental Fig. S3). To assess oxidative stress, we measured the malondialdehyde (MDA) content in the liver. The results showed that MDA was increased in the HF group compared to the C group; interestingly, this effect was reversed in the HFAC and HFL groups (Fig. 3E). However, in the HFH group this effect was not reverted. There is evidence that at higher doses or under certain conditions antioxidant-type functional food ingredients may exert pro-oxidant activities24. Thus, it is possible that the use of the high dose of the saponin extract could have a pro-oxidant activity.
Aguamiel concentrate or its extracted saponins regulates the expression of hepatic genes involved in lipid metabolism
To evaluate whether the decrease in hepatic TAG was associated with changes in the expression of genes involved in hepatic lipid metabolism, we evaluated their relative expression levels. As expected, mice fed the HF diet exhibited up-regulated expression of lipogenic genes, such as the transcription factor sterol regulatory element-binding protein–1c (SREBP-1c), fatty acid synthase (FAS) and acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) (Fig. 3F–H). Interestingly, the addition of AC or the saponin extract to the HF diet decreased the expression of SREBP1c to a level similar to the C group. Next, we studied the expression of genes involved in fatty acid oxidation, particularly the transcription factor peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α (PPAR-α) and two of its target genes [carnitine palmitoyl transferase-1 (CPT-1) and acyl CoA oxidase (AOX)]. In Fig. 3I–K, we showed that CPT-1 expression levels was similar between the HF group and the C group. However, the HFAC group exhibited significantly (P < 0.05) increased expression of CPT-1, which was 4-fold higher than the C group. These results suggest that the AC can increase hepatic fatty acid oxidation and therefore reduce hepatic lipids. With respect to cholesterol metabolism, we evaluated the expression of transcription factor sterol regulatory element-binding protein–2 (SREBP-2), the enzyme HMG-CoA reductase and the LDL receptor (LDL-R). There was a significant up-regulation of SREBP-2 and LDL-R expression in mice fed the HF diet compared to the C group. When the saponin extract was added to the HF diet, the SREBP-2, HMG-CoA reductase and LDL-R expression levels were up-regulated compared to the HF group (Fig. 3L–N). These results suggest that even though cholesterol production was not downregulated, LDL-C uptake by the hepatocyte was increased when saponins were added into the diet, which may explain the decrease in plasma LDL-C. Furthermore, the expression of the enzyme cholesterol 7 α-hydroxylase (CYP7A1) which is involved in the synthesis of bile acids, was also up-regulated in mice fed the HF diets and was further up-regulated in mice fed HFH (Fig. 3O). Lastly, the transporters involved in bile acid and cholesterol transport, ATP-binding cassette transporters (ABCG8 and ABCA1) were up-regulated in the livers of mice fed HFAC, HFL and HFH compared to mice fed the control and HF diets, indicating greater cholesterol excretion (Fig. 3P,Q). These results indicate that the AC extract rich in saponins stimulates fat oxidation and cholesterol excretion, contributing in part to the amelioration of hepatic steatosis. Other saponins (i.e., dioscin) have the capacity to reduce or prevent hepatic steatosis through a direct interaction with the nuclear receptor PPARα and thereby increase fatty acid oxidation in the liver and skeletal muscle17.
Aguamiel concentrate and its extracted saponins prevent white adipose tissue (WAT) hypertrophy
Because AC or its extracted saponins reduced weight gain despite the consumption of a HF diet, we evaluated the effect of AC or its saponin extract on adipocyte hypertrophy. Mice that consumed the HF diet presented enlarged adipocytes in all adipose compartments compared to mice fed the C diet (Fig. 4A,C). Moreover, crown-like structures, with the presence of macrophages confirmed by F4/80 immunohistochemistry on the epididymal fat, were mostly observed in mice fed the HF diet, followed by mice fed the HFL diet (Fig. 4B). The crown-like structures are formed by the recruitment of macrophages into white adipose tissue in response to adipocyte death by necrosis25. Interestingly, the addition of AC or its saponin extract to the HF diet prevented adipocyte hypertrophy and no crown-like structures were found across the different adipose tissue depots. Automatized visceral adipocyte area analysis confirmed a decreased proportion of small adipocytes (area <3,000 μm2) in mice fed the HF diet (35.6%) compared to the C group (60.0%) (Fig. 4D). Furthermore, the hypertrophic adipocytes (area >9,000 μm2) increased from 2.8% in the C group to 12.7% in the HF group. The addition of AC or the high dose of the saponin extract prevented adipocyte hypertrophy and increased the proportion of small adipocytes regardless of the high fat content in the diet, particularly in the HFH group. Information on retroperitoneal adipose tissue is available in Supplemental Fig. S4.
Leptin is secreted from adipocytes in proportion to the adipose tissue mass26. This process was observed in our study, with circulating leptin increased 3-fold in mice fed the HF diet compared to mice fed the C diet (Fig. 4E). Mice fed HFAC, HFL and HFH had reduced circulating leptin levels that corresponded to the adipose tissue mass and adipocyte size (Fig. 4F).
Aguamiel concentrate and its extracted saponins reduce brown adipose tissue (BAT) lipid droplet size and induce WAT browning
As observed in Fig. 4G, the BAT from mice fed the C diet was composed of multilocular adipocytes with numerous and small lipid vacuoles, whereas the BAT from mice fed the HF diet contained several adipocytes with one single large lipid vacuole. The BAT from mice fed the HFAC showed fewer unilocular and higher multilocular adipocytes content than the HF group. The addition of the saponin extract had a remarkable dose-dependent effect on BAT morphology. Brown adipocytes from mice fed the HFL diet had smaller lipid droplets than those from mice fed the HF diet; brown adipocytes from mice fed HFH had almost imperceptible lipid droplets, indicating robust lipid oxidation27.
Body fat gain on a high fat diet can be reduced by an increase in white browning, thereby augmenting the mitochondrial uncoupling protein-1 (UCP-1) content28. UCP-1 in beige adipocytes impairs electron transport chain-mediated ATP synthesis and dissipates metabolic energy as heat29. To evaluate WAT browning, UCP-1 expression was assessed using immunohistochemical analysis. Interestingly, UCP-1 expression was reduced in epididymal and subcutaneous adipose tissue from mice fed the HF diet compared to the C group (Fig. 4H,I). However, the addition of AC or its saponin extract to the HF diet increased UCP-1 abundance in a dose-dependent manner. The increase of browning by the AC and the high dose of the saponin extract in the subcutaneous adipose tissue was confirmed by the increase of UCP1 and TBX1 mRNA abundance (Fig. 4J,K), markers of the browning process29. These results indicate that the reduction in body fat in mice fed the HF diet supplemented with AC or the saponin extract was in part associated with an increase in white adipose tissue browning.
Aguamiel concentrate and its saponin extract increase energy expenditure
To evaluate whether changes in BAT morphology and WAT browning were associated with changes in energy expenditure, we performed an indirect calorimetry during the fasting and feeding states after 11 weeks on the experimental diet. First, we assessed whether consumption of AC or the saponin extract modified the type of metabolic substrate. Based on the respiratory exchange ratio (RER) measurement, there were no significant (P < 0.05) differences among groups during fasting (RER 0.76–0.79), indicating that the animals were obtaining their energy primarily from fatty acids (Fig. 5A,B). After the animals were fed, the C group RER increased to 0.97, whereas the HF group RER increased to only 0.83, indicating that mice fed the HF diet developed metabolic inflexibility compared to the C group30. AC or the saponin extract did not modify the RER in mice fed the HF diet. However, mice fed the HF diet consumed 21% less O2 compared to the C group when we evaluated the energy expenditure via O2 consumption during the fed state (Fig. 5C,D). Interestingly, when AC or its saponin extract were added to the HF diet the O2 consumption was similar to the C group. Thus, the HFAC and HFH groups increased the O2 consumption by 27% and the HFL group increased it by 19% compared to the HF group. These results demonstrated that AC and its saponin extract increased the energy expenditure despite the HF content of the diet, as was observed with other saponins such as dioscin17 and the gingenoside Rb131.
Aguamiel concentrate and its saponin extract increase mitochondrial activity in skeletal muscle
To evaluate whether the increase in energy expenditure in mice fed AC or the saponin extract was also associated with greater mitochondrial activity in skeletal muscle, we measured the expression of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-α (PGC1-α), which is a nuclear receptor-coactivator involved in mitochondrial biogenesis and function28. Mice fed the C and the HF diet had similar PGC1-α protein expression levels (Fig. 5E). Interestingly, mice fed the saponin extract showed an increase in the PGC1-α protein content.
To enhance PGC1-α activity, it is necessary to activate the enzyme 5′ adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) by phosphorylation32. In this study, AC and especially the saponin extract increased the activation of AMPK by phosphorylation of the Thr172 residue, indicating an increase in fatty acid oxidation (Fig. 5F). Indeed, we observed an increase in the mitochondrial activity in the soleus and gastrocnemius skeletal muscles measured histochemically through succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) activity, particularly in mice fed HFH (Fig. 5G–I). These results suggest that the AC saponin extract is able to stimulate mitochondrial activity in skeletal muscle.
Aguamiel concentrate or the saponin extract differentially modulate the intestinal microbiota composition
Some of the beneficial effects of the aguamiel concentrate or the saponin extract could be attributed to modifications of the gut microbiota due to the prebiotic potential of agave and possible direct effects of saponins33. Thus, we assessed the gut microbiota by sequencing the 16S rRNA gene. Illumina MiSeq sequencing of the samples resulted in >50,000 reads. Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes and Proteobacteria represented ~94% of the sequences of all groups at the phylum level. Alpha diversity measures such as the Chao 1 estimator suggested that the observed OTUs were higher in the HFH group, whereas the Shannon index was higher in the C group. These results were confirmed using rarefaction curve analysis that indicated higher species richness in the HFH group and higher diversity in the C group.
The phylum level analysis revealed that Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes abundances were changed in all groups, although the changes were relatively moderate (Fig. 6A). The group fed HFL had the highest increase in Bacteroidetes and lowest increase in Firmicutes compared to the rest of the groups (P < 0.05). Interestingly, there was an approximately 6.1-fold increase in Verrucomicrobia in the group fed HFH (P < 0.01). To further characterize differences among groups, a sub-phylum analysis was performed by focusing on the families, genus and species. This analysis revealed differences at the family level (Supplemental Fig. S5) particularly in the Bacteroidacea where the HFL and HFH presented abundances of 46.8 and 38.9%, respectively, compared to the C group (27.6%, P < 0.001) and the HF group (34.6%, P < 0.05). Additionally, the consumption of a high dose of the saponin extract reduced the abundance of the family Helicobacteraceae from 7.2% in the C group to 4.8% (P < 0.001). The family Ruminococcaceae was reduced by the consumption of a HF diet (11%, P < 0.001) but its abundance was reestablished by the addition of a high concentration of the saponin extract to the HF diet (15.2%, P < 0.001) to a similar extent than the C group (15.1%).
Changes at the genus level (Fig. 6B) were similar to those observed at the family level, with the abundance of the genus Bacteroides increased with the HFL (61.5%, P < 0.001) or HFH (53.6%, P < 0.001) compared to the C group (39.3%). Interestingly, mice fed the C (5.3%, P < 0.001), HFAC (4.2%, P < 0.001) or HLH (2.9%, P < 0.001) diets had higher abundances of the Prevotella genus than mice fed the HF diet (1.5%). A similar pattern of abundance was observed for the Mucispirillum genus. In contrast, the Oscillospira genus belonging to the Ruminococcaceae family was reduced by the consumption of the HF diet (7.8%, P < 0.001), but the addition of a high dose of the saponin extract re-established its abundance (14.1%) to a level similar to the C group (13.9%).
At the species level (Fig. 6C,D), we observed that 10 species contributed >93% of the total sequences. These species were Bacteroides uniformis, Bacteroides acidifaciens, Prevotella copri, Bacteroides plebeius, Mucispirillum schaedleri, Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Ruminococcus gnavus, Roseburia faecis, Ruminococcus bromii and Akkermansia muciniphila. Interestingly, the abundance of Bacteroides acidifaciens was reduced in the HF mice compared to the C mice and the addition of the extract reduced its abundance in a dose-dependent manner (Fig. 6D). We also observed that Akkermancia muciniphila was almost negligible in mice from the C and HF groups but the addition of the extract increased its abundance in a dose-dependent manner. With the HFL and HFH, A. muciniphila was increased by 5.9-fold and 15.3-fold, respectively, with respect to the C group (P < 0.001). The increase in Akkermansia muciniphila in the HFL and HFH groups was verified by qPCR (Supplemental Fig. S6).
In this study, we demonstrated that consumption of AC or its saponin extract improved glucose tolerance and hepatic lipid metabolism, reduced hepatic steatosis and adipose tissue hypertrophy and stimulated WAT browning and increased the mitochondrial activity in skeletal muscle in mice fed a high fat diet. Altogether, these changes resulted in enhanced energy expenditure. The AC saponin extract prevented the HF diet-induced microbiota dysbiosis by enhancing the abundance of Akkermansia muciniphila in the intestinal lumen. Recent evidence has consistently demonstrated that the presence of these bacteria is inversely associated with insulin resistance, altered adipose tissue metabolism, the onset of inflammation and obesity development during diet-induced obesity in mice34,35. Dietary polyphenols have recently been reported to promote A. muciniphila abundance accompanied by protection against obesity-related pathologies34. In this study, we demonstrated for the first time that steroidal saponins extracted from Agave salmiana also promoted A. muciniphila abundance. Thus, AC or its saponin extract decreased obesity-related metabolic abnormalities (Fig. 7).
In summary, the beneficial effects of the consumption of the Agave salmiana aguamiel concentrate and its extracted saponins can be used as part of the dietary strategy to ameliorate the metabolic abnormalities observed in obese subjects. Further studies are needed to evaluate the changes in energy expenditure, insulin sensitivity and the gut microbiota in humans and to use either AC or its saponin extract as part of the strategy to treat obesity.
The study was undertaken following the ISO 26642:2010 standard method36 at the Department of Physiology of the INCMNSZ. Healthy subjects (5 males and 6 females) 29 ± 8 years old with a BMI of 22.5 ± 2.5 participated in the study. After a 10–12 h fast, volunteers consumed the reference (50 g of glucose) or 108 g of AC to meet the 50 g of available carbohydrates. Glucose was analyzed from finger capillary blood with the biochemical analyzer YSI 2700 (Yellow Springs, OH, USA). Insulin was analyzed from venous blood from 3 subjects using a human insulin-specific RIA kit (Human RIA kit, LINCO Research Inc., St. Charles, MO, USA). The ethics committee of the INCMNSZ approved the study and all subjects gave written informed consent. All procedures were performed in accordance with the ethical standards of the ethical committee on human experimentation of the INCMNSZ and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2000.
AC sugar profile
AC was diluted 16-fold with distilled water and centrifuged (13,800 × g for 10 min at 4 °C). The supernatant sugar profile was determined in an Agilent 1200 Series HPLC-ELSD system using an Xbridge Amide column. The elution profile is available in the supplementary data. The AC nutritional information is available in Supplemental Table S1.
To obtain the saponin crude extract, n-butanol-distilled water (1:1) was mixed with 10% aguamiel concentrate (w/v) and the organic phase was dried under a vacuum. The AC saponin extract preparation is presented in the supplemental methods. The saponin extract was further characterized to determine the total saponin content with an Agilent Technologies 1100 Model HPLC-MS-TOF and Agilent Technologies 1200 Series HPLC-ELSD following the previously reported method11.
Diet-induced obesity model
Male C57BL/6 mice were obtained from the Experimental Research Department at the INCMNSZ, México City, Mexico. Thirty-five mice (5 weeks old and 17–22 g body weight) were assigned to five treatment groups (n = 7). The animals were housed under constant 12 h light/dark cycles at 22 ± 2 °C. The animals had free access to water and food (except where noted). The experimental diets were prepared according to the AIN-93 diet for rodents37 and are presented in Supplemental Table S2. The control (C) diet was based on AIN-93, the high-fat (HF) diet was based on AIN-93 with 45% of the kcal from fat, the HF diet was supplemented with 5% AC (HFAC), the HF diet was supplemented with a low dose of AC by adding 2.8 g saponin extract/kg diet (HFL) and the HF diet was supplemented with a high saponin dose (HFH) by adding 28 g saponin extract/kg diet. Food consumption was recorded 5 times per week during the first 10 weeks and weight gain was recorded twice per week until the end of the study. At the 12th week of the study, the mice were sacrificed with inhaled sevofluorane after 8 h of food deprivation. Blood was collected via the portal vein in heparinized tubes and centrifuged (1000 × g for 10 min at 4 °C) and the plasma supernatant was collected and stored at −80 °C prior to the analysis. The liver and the subcutaneous, retroperitoneal and epididymal fat pads were rapidly excised and weighed. In a 2nd animal study, 5 week old C57BL6 male mice (n = 7) were fed the HF diet for 16 weeks and then switched to the HFH diet for another 8 weeks. Their weight was recorded twice per week. The animal protocols were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Research Advisory Committee of the INCMNSZ in Mexico City, Mexico and performed in accordance with the Mexican Legislation Regarding the Use and Care of Laboratory Animals.
Oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT)
In the 1st experiment an OGTT was performed during the 10th week of treatment and in the 2nd experiment the OGTT was performed at weeks 16 and 24. The glucose load (2 g/kg) was determined using a gavage after 6 h of fasting35. Blood glucose was determined using a Freestyle Optium blood glucose monitoring system (Abbot Laboratories, Abbot Park, IL, USA) with blood samples collected from the tail vein at 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90 and 120 min after glucose administration35. The AUC was calculated using the trapezoid rule.
Plasma biochemical parameters
The plasma triacylglyceride, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and alanine aminotransaminase (ALT) levels were analyzed using a COBAS C111 analyzer (Roche, Basel, Switzerland). The plasma insulin and leptin levels were measured using commercial ELISA kits (ALPCO, Salem, NH, USA) following the manufacturer’s protocols. Insulin resistance was estimated indirectly through HOMA-IR and calculated as follows: (fasting glucose (mmol/L)) × (fasting insulin (μU/mL))/22.538.
Liver lipid and malondialdehyde (MDA) analysis
Total lipids were extracted twice from homogenized liver tissue (100 mg) with 3 mL of chloroform–methanol (2:1) and the lower phase was dried under nitrogen39. The hepatic lipids were dissolved in isopropanol-Triton X-100 (10%) and assayed to assess the triacylgliceride concentration using enzymatic kits according to the manufacturer’s protocol (DiaSys Diagnostic Systems GmbH, Holzheim, Germany). Liver MDA was measured spectrophotometrically at 586 nm as previously described40 and expressed in mmoles of MDA per mg of protein.
Indirect calorimetry measurement
Animals were individually housed for 48 h in plexiglass cages with an open flow system connected to an Oxymax Laboratory Animal Monitoring System (CLAMS, Columbus Instruments, Columbus, OH, USA). The animals were acclimatized for 24 h, fasted for 6 h during the light period and fed during the dark period. Throughout the test, the volumes of O2 consumption (VO2, mL/kg/h) and CO2 production (VCO2, mL/kg/h) were measured sequentially for 90 s. The respiratory exchange ratio (RER) was calculated as the average ratio of CO2 produced to O2 inhaled (VCO2/VO2).
Samples of liver and adipose tissues (subcutaneous, epididymal, retroperitoneal and brown) were immediately fixed in 10% formaldehyde, embedded in paraffin and cut into 4 μm (liver and BAT) or 6 μm (WAT) slices. For each sample, two sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E). The samples were observed under a microscope (Leica DM750 Wetzlar, Germany), photographed with a digital camera (Leica DMC2900) and processed with the imaging software Leica LAS Core V4.5. Analysis of adipocyte area of at least 100 adipocytes per section was done using the Adiposoft software for Image J (ImageJ, NIH)41. To visualize the hepatic neutral lipids, frozen liver tissues were sectioned with a cryostat (8 μm) and stained with Oil Red O (ORO) at 0.5% in propylene glycol (Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louis, MO, USA). For the quantitative analysis of the ORO staining, images were converted to an 8-bit grayscale in ImageJ as described42 and the integrated density was measured, which is the product of area and mean gray value.
F4/80, UCP1 and TNF-α expressing cells were determined in 4 μm thick sections of available formalin-fixed paraffin embedded tissue. Endogenous peroxidase and binding of nonspecific proteins were blocked with 3% H2O2 and serum-free blocking solution (Enzo Life Sciences, Inc, Farmingdale, NY, USA), respectively. Tissues were incubated with biotinylated rat monoclonal antibodies (eBioscience, San Diego, CA, USA) diluted 1:500 for 18 h at 4 °C. Binding was identified with horseradish peroxidase-(HRP-)streptavidin (ABC Staining System; Santa Cruz Biotechnology). Slides were incubated with substrate 3,3′-diaminobenzidine (DAB) (SIGMA-Aldrich) for 10 min. The sections were counterstained with hematoxylin, dehydrated and mounted in resin. Negative control staining was performed with normal donkey serum diluted 1:100, instead of primary antibody. The reactive blank was incubated with phosphate buffer saline-egg albumin (SIGMA-Aldrich) instead of the primary antibody. Both controls excluded nonspecific staining or endogenous enzymatic activities.
Muscle succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) activity
The gastrocnemius and soleus muscles were dissected together and immediately frozen in isopentane cooled by liquid nitrogen. Frozen sections (12-μm) were stained and incubated at 37 °C for 60 min. The staining solution was prepared with sodium succinate (270 mg) and nitroblue tetrazolium (10 mg) dissolved in 10 mL of 50 mM PBS (pH 7.5)43,44. Afterwards, the slides were washed with deionized water and sequentially dehydrated (2 min) with 30, 60 and 90% acetone. Then, the slides were rehydrated (2 min) with 60% and 30% acetone and deionized water40,41. Digital photographs were taken from each section at 20X magnification as previously described and fibers were quantified with Image J. SDH activity was quantified by converting the image to 8-bit grayscale and measuring the grey intensity of each fiber.
Fecal microbiota analysis
Feces were collected for the gut microbial analysis. Total DNA was isolated from frozen fecal samples using the QIAamp DNA Mini Kit (Qiagen, Valencia, CA, USA) according to the manufacturer’s instructions. The DNA eluate was stored at −80 °C prior to sequencing. The microbial community composition analysis was performed using the Illumina MiSeq System to sequence the variable V3 and V4 regions of the 16S rRNA gene according to the protocol suggested by Illumina (16S Metagenomic Sequencing Library Preparation). The overlapping paired-end reads were merged using fastq-join and processed with QIIME V.1.9. (Caporaso JG, 2010). Only Illumina reads with an average score greater than 20 were retained for further analysis. The reads were checked with Chimera and assigned to operational taxonomic units (OTUs) using usearch V5.2.236 (Edgar RC, 2010) with a 97% similarity threshold. Thus, 98.6%, 97.8%, 97.0%, 82.4%, 58.3% and 11.0% of the reads were assigned to the phylum, class, order, family, genus and species levels, respectively. Species richness (Observed, Chao1) and alpha diversity measurements (Shannon) were calculated and we estimated the within-sample diversity at a rarefaction depth of 5945 reads per sample. Weighted and unweighted UniFrac distances were used to perform the principal coordinate analysis (PCoA). Differences in the relative abundance at the phyla, family, genus and species level were compared using a student T-test for independent samples.
Quantitative real-time PCR assay
Total RNA was extracted from the liver and subcutaneous adipose tissue with the TRIzol reagent according to the manufacturer’s protocol (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, CA, USA). Reverse transcription for cDNA synthesis and quantitative real-time PCR analysis were performed per mouse as previously described45. The tested primer sequences are presented in Supplemental Table S3. Gene expression was normalized to the expression of the housekeeping gene 36B4. The relative expression levels were calculated using the 2−ΔΔCt method46. The 16S ribosomal DNA primers sequences used to quantify Akkermansia muciniphila are shown in Supplemental Table S4.
Western blotting assay
Proteins were extracted from homogenized gastrocnemius skeletal muscle using ice-cold RIPA buffer with a Complete Mini protease inhibitor (Roche Diagnostics) and quantified with the Lowry method47. Proteins (20 μg) were separated using an SDS-polyacrylamide gel (8%) and transferred to a PVDF membrane. The membranes were blocked for 1 h with 5% non-fat dry milk and incubated overnight at 4 °C in blocking solution with the primary antibody [AMPK1/2 (1:1000), p-AMPK (Thr-172) (1:500) and PGC-1α (1:500) (Santa Cruz Biotechnologies, Santa Cruz, CA)]. Then, the membranes were incubated with a horseradish peroxidase-conjugated secondary antibody (1:3500) for 1.5 h. Visualization was performed using a chemiluminescent detection reagent (Millipore, MA, USA) followed by membrane exposure to film. Β-Actin was used as the loading control. For quantification, densitometric analyses of the immunoblot bands were performed with the ImageJ software.
The experiments were performed per mouse per treatment (n = 7). All analyses were performed in triplicate and the results were expressed as the mean ± SEM unless otherwise specified. The statistical analyses were conducted with one-way ANOVA and differences among means were compared with the Bonferroni or Tukey post hoc test using a level of significance of P < 0.05. The software used was GraphPad Prism version 5.0b.
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Orozco-Ibarra, M. et al. Evaluation of oxidative stress in D-serine induced nephrotoxicity. Toxicology 229, 123–135 (2007).
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We would like to thank the Nutrigenomic Research Chair Fund from Fundación FEMSA, CAT-005 and NutriOmics from Tecnológico de Monterrey, Monterrey Campus and CONACYT for financial support for graduate studies (CVU 388427). We are also grateful to AGMEL S.A. de C.V. for providing the aguamiel concentrate samples. MST and MAL were partially supported by Instituto Danone de Mexico.
The authors declare no competing financial interests.
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Leal-Díaz, A., Noriega, L., Torre-Villalvazo, I. et al. Aguamiel concentrate from Agave salmiana and its extracted saponins attenuated obesity and hepatic steatosis and increased Akkermansia muciniphila in C57BL6 mice. Sci Rep 6, 34242 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/srep34242
Gynostemma pentaphyllum and Gypenoside-IV Ameliorate Metabolic Disorder and Gut Microbiota in Diet-Induced-Obese Mice
Plant Foods for Human Nutrition (2022)
Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology (2021)
Processing temperature effect on the chemical content of concentrated aguamiel syrups obtained from two different Agave species
Journal of Food Measurement and Characterization (2020)
Interaction between the amount of dietary protein and the environmental temperature on the expression of browning markers in adipose tissue of rats
Genes & Nutrition (2019)
Domestication and saponins contents in a gradient of management intensity of agaves: Agave cupreata, A. inaequidens and A. hookeri in central Mexico
Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution (2018) | <urn:uuid:53634f39-3d4a-409a-98ac-6ba29bf8ea40> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.nature.com/articles/srep34242 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572163.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815085006-20220815115006-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.913085 | 12,552 | 2.453125 | 2 |
Mary Anne Read, the daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth Read, was born at Wincobank House near Sheffield, in 1801. Her father was the wealthy owner of a gold and silver smelter's business. After the death of her husband she became very involved in the campaign for social reform. (1)
As a young woman she read Immediate not Gradual Abolition, a pamphlet written by Elizabeth Heyrick. In her pamphlet Heyrick argued passionately in favour of the immediate emancipation of the slaves in the British colonies. This differed from the official policy of the Anti-Slavery Society that believed in gradual abolition. She called this "the very masterpiece of satanic policy" and called for a boycott of the sugar produced on slave plantations. (2)
In the pamphlet Heyrick attacked the "slow, cautious, accommodating measures" of the leaders. "The perpetuation of slavery in our West India colonies is not an abstract question, to be settled between the government and the planters; it is one in which we are all implicated, we are all guilty of supporting and perpetuating slavery. The West Indian planter and the people of this country stand in the same moral relation to each other as the thief and receiver of stolen goods". (3)
On 8th April, 1825, Lucy Townsend held a meeting at her home to discuss the issue of the role of women in the anti-slavery movement. Townsend, Elizabeth Heyrick, Mary Lloyd, Sarah Wedgwood, Sophia Sturge and the other women at the meeting decided to form the Birmingham Ladies Society for the Relief of Negro Slaves (later the group changed its name to the Female Society for Birmingham). (4) The group "promoted the sugar boycott, targeting shops as well as shoppers, visiting thousands of homes and distributing pamphlets, calling meetings and drawing petitions." (5)
The society which was, from its foundation, independent of both the national Anti-Slavery Society and of the local men's anti-slavery society. As Clare Midgley has pointed out: "It acted as the hub of a developing national network of female anti-slavery societies, rather than as a local auxiliary. It also had important international connections, and publicity on its activities in Benjamin Lundy's abolitionist periodical The Genius of Universal Emancipation influenced the formation of the first female anti-slavery societies in America". (6)
The formation of other independent women's groups soon followed the setting up of the Female Society for Birmingham. Mary Anne Rawson and Mary Roberts created a group in Sheffield. Other groups were formed in Nottingham (Ann Taylor Gilbert), Leicester (Elizabeth Heyrick, Susanna Watts), Glasgow (Jane Smeal), Norwich (Amelia Opie, Anna Gurney), London (Mary Anne Schimmelpenninck, Mary Foster), Darlington (Elizabeth Pease) and Chelmsford (Anne Knight). Eventually there were seventy-three of these women's organisations campaigning against slavery. (7)
The Slavery Abolition Act was passed on 28th August 1833. This act gave all slaves in the British Empire their freedom. The British government paid £20 million in compensation to the slave owners. The amount that the plantation owners received depended on the number of slaves that they had. For example, Henry Phillpotts, the Bishop of Exeter, received £12,700 for the 665 slaves he owned. (8)
Mary Anne Rawson, Anne Knight, Elizabeth Pease, Amelia Opie and Annabella Byron attended the World Anti-Slavery Convention held at Exeter Hall in London, in June 1840 but as women they were refused permission to speak. They also met two American delegates Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott. Stanton later recalled: "We resolved to hold a convention as soon as we returned home, and form a society to advocate the rights of women." (9)
Anne Knight became aware that the artist, Benjamin Robert Haydon, had started a group portrait of those involved in the fight against slavery. She wrote a letter to Lucy Townsend complaining about the lack of women in the painting. "I am very anxious that the historical picture now in the hand of Haydon should not be performed without the chief lady of the history being there in justice to history and posterity the person who established (women's anti-slavery groups). You have as much right to be there as Thomas Clarkson himself, nay perhaps more, his achievement was in the slave trade; thine was slavery itself the pervading movement." (10)
When the painting was completed it did not include Lucy Townsend or most of the leading female campaigners against slavery. Clare Midgley, the author of Women Against Slavery (1995) points out that as well as Anne Knight and Lucretia Mott, it does feature Mary Ann Rawson: "Haydon's group portrait is exceptional in that it does record the existence of women campaigners. Most other memorials did not. There are no public monuments to women activists to complement those to William Wilberforce, Thomas Clarkson and other male leaders of the movement... In the written memoirs of these men, women tend to appear as helpful and inspirational wives, mothers and daughters rather than as activists in their own right." (11)
Mary Anne Rawson died in 1887.
In the great question of emancipation, the interests of two parties are said to be involved, the interest of the slave and that of the planter. But it cannot for a moment be imagined that these two interests have an equal right to be consulted, without confounding all moral distinctions, all difference between real and pretended, between substantial and assumed claims. With the interest of the planters, the question of emancipation has (properly speaking) nothing to do. The right of the slave, and the interest of the planter, are distinct questions; they belong to separate departments, to different provinces of consideration. If the liberty of the slave can be secured not only without injury, but with advantage to the planter, so much the better, certainly; but still the liberation of the slave ought ever to be regarded as an independent object; and if it be deferred till the planter is sufficiently alive to his own interest to co-operate in the measure, we may for ever despair of its accomplishment. The cause of emancipation has been long and ably advocated. Reason and eloquence, persuasion and argument have been powerfully exerted; experiments have been fairly made, facts broadly stated in proof of the impolicy as well as iniquity of slavery, to little purpose; even the hope of its extinction, with the concurrence of the planter, or by any enactment of the colonial, or British legislature, is still seen in very remote perspective, so remote that the heart sickens at the cheerless prospect. All that zeal and talent could display in the way of argument, has been exerted in vain. All that an accumulated mass of indubitable evidence could effect in the way of conviction, has been brought to no effect.
It is high time, then, to resort to other measures, to ways and means more summary and effectual. Too much time has already been lost in declamation and argument, in petitions and remonstrances against British slavery. The cause of emancipation calls for something more decisive, more efficient than words. It calls upon the real friends of the poor degraded and oppressed African to bind themselves by a solemn engagement, an irrevocable vow, to participate no longer in the crime of keeping him in bondage...
The perpetuation of slavery in our West India colonies is not an abstract question, to be settled between the government and the planters; it is one in which we are all implicated, we are all guilty of supporting and perpetuating slavery. The West Indian planter and the people of this country stand in the same moral relation to each other as the thief and receiver of stolen goods.
The West Indian planters have occupied much too prominent a place in the discussion of this great question....The abolitionists have shown a great deal too much politeness and accommodation towards these gentlemen.... Why petition Parliament at all, to do that for us, which... we can do more speedily and effectually for ourselves? | <urn:uuid:55b9c0f0-884d-46a5-a7d2-8d4192c0fd0b> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://spartacus-educational.com/Mary_Rawson.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572163.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815085006-20220815115006-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.968721 | 1,698 | 3.296875 | 3 |
An Introduction to Open Source Software
What is Open Source Software?
Open-source software is software that generally allows a user to use it free of charge for any purpose, to access the source code of the software, to study and modify the source code, to distribute copies of the software to others and to redistribute modified versions of the software (derivative works) to others. A popular example of open source software is Linux, which is an operating system that manages a system’s hardware, applications and resources.
Open-source software is a development methodology that encourages open collaboration between different software developers through the source code and documentation being made freely available to the public. This can be contrasted with traditional proprietary software licenses (also known as ‘closed source’) which grant access only to machine-readable object code for a license fee and subject to other restrictive licensing terms.
Today open-source software is widely used thanks to its availability via the internet through websites such as https://sourceforge.net/ and https://bitbucket.org/product/ and https://github.com/. As well its increase in use has been encouraged by the move to software as a service (Saas), the increased use of smartphones and tablets and the internet of things (connecting devices and their sensors with software). In all of these applications open source software is widely used, for example, the Android smartphone’s operating system is based on Linux.
Why is Open Source Software popular?
Well, it’s not just about cost. While open-source software can be obtained without payment of a licensing fee you will still need to pay someone for support and maintenance and further development of the software. Instead, the big advantages are:
- Fast software development cycles: open source software has rapid development cycles. For example, multiple updates of Linux are published each year.
- Decentralization: you are not reliant on one organization to supply, support and maintain your software. Such reliance creates business risk if the organization goes out of business or decides to stop supporting the software you use. By contrast in open source software there are multiple developers and companies who supply, maintain, support and develop it.
- It is easy to customize: open source software is easily updated or customized to meet a user’s individual needs.
- Open availability: open source software is available and can be used by almost everyone. As well open-source software communities can be easily joined provided you can contribute in some way such as writing software code. This provides a support network for your use or development of open-source software.
How is Open Source Software licensed?
In our next article we will analyse the terms of ‘strong’ versus ‘weak’ Copyleft licenses. | <urn:uuid:605b3862-ad3a-4076-946b-78906e95734b> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.loganpartners.com/an-introduction-to-open-source-software/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572163.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815085006-20220815115006-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.913838 | 713 | 3.625 | 4 |
How far is Kakadu from Darwin?
To drive into Kakadu from Darwin takes approximately 3 hours. Most sites throughout Kakadu are quite spread out so a couple of hours driving here and there should be expected.
When is the best time to travel?
Weather in the Northern Territory is largely dictated by the annual monsoon cycle. While November to April is referred to as the ‘wet’, and May to October is the ‘dry’ season; in the vast expanse of Kakadu National Park, the local Aboriginal people recognise six different seasons.
The wet season runs from November until April, and is characterised by high humidity, monsoonal rains and storms. Temperatures typically range from a minimum of 25°C to a maximum of 33°C.
From October to December is the season of spectacular electrical storms, an event eagerly awaited by locals who watch the show from beachside restaurants and bars.
Tours and attractions operate year round in the Top End, however, weather conditions during the wet season can restrict travel to some areas, and some destinations may be closed between December and May.
January and February is considered by many as the most beautiful time of year in the Top End. Sunny days and afternoon storms refresh the landscape, and animals and plants flourish. The rivers and waterfalls are flowing and the countryside turns a lush green. One of the best ways to appreciate these natural wonders is from the air on a scenic flight.
As the heavy rains begin to ease in March and April, the rivers subside and the transition from wet to dry begins. Fish are plentiful in the rivers and billabongs. This is considered the prime fishing time and anglers flock to the tidal rivers around Darwin to catch barramundi.
The ‘dry’ season, from May until October, is characterised by warm, dry sunny days and cool nights. Temperatures typically range from 21°C to 32°C, and humidity levels are much lower.
Darwin really comes alive at this time of year as everyone makes the most of the clear skies and heads outdoors. This is a great time to recline in a deckchair and watch a movie under the stars at the open-air Deckchair Cinema; or watch the sunset over the Indian Ocean after visiting the famous Mindil Beach Markets. It is also the perfect time to explore the more remote areas of the region that can be off-limits during the wet. The Darwin Festival, the Top End’s annual celebration of arts and culture, is held in August.
Birds in their millions converge on the diminishing waterholes and rivers in Kakadu National Park, Litchfield National Park and the Mary River wetlands during August and September. Birdwatchers come from around the world to see up to a third of Australia’s bird species congregate in one place at the Fogg Dam Conservation Reserve.
Relatively cool weather arrives in May, and until July, nights are crisp and the mornings are misty with temperatures ranging from 17-23 °C during the night and a pleasant 29-32°C degrees during the day.
Information courtesy of Australia.com
What do I need to supply on tour?
Consider bringing your own water bottle to refill along the way. We recommend at least a 1.5litre capacity. The sale of bottled water contributes to an enormous environmental problem around the world. In addition to the water in bottles, the production of a 1 litre plastic bottle takes 2 litres of water and 200ml of oil. A large proportion end up in limited landfill or discarded in waterways and natural environments. Iced cold water is supplied for refilling water bottle throughout the tour.
Most of our trips have access to power to recharge batteries for phones and cameras every couple of days. We always recommend that you carry an extra battery for your camera just in case. Your vehicle will be equipped with a 12 volt “cigarette lighter” socket which may be used at the crew’s discretion, however, do bear in mind that only one piece of equipment can be charged at a time and it will not be allowed if there is a risk of running the vehicle’s batteries low. We suggest you bring a mix of normal and rechargeable batteries and the appropriate recharging unit. Most campsites have electricity for charging of batteries at the toilet blocks, However as our camps are a short walk from them, it is advise to not leave them behind.
Headlight or torch:
A headlamp or torch is recommended for around your accommodation at night. Some properties have limited lighting and are powered by generators that switch off at a certain time. It’s a good idea to bring a headlamp or torch to navigate your way around at night.
Do I need to bring my own camping equipment?
We supply all the necessary equipment to make your camping experience as comfortable as possible.
We provide swags, tents, camp chairs, cooking equipment, tables, lamps/lights, torches and eskies.
What is the group size of your tours?
Do you take children?
Min age recommended for our 2021/22 tours is 15 years of age, however will take children as young as 8 years
What should I wear on tour?
We have a saying that “”A clean shirt is a cool shirt”” ensure you have a couple of light long sleeve cotton shirts. This also helps with pesky mozis in the more humid nights.
Daytime temperatures and humidity can be extreme from Oct to March with temperatures over 35 degrees Celsius. Night time temperatures can also be high at this time of year.
We recommend that you bring loose, cool, cotton clothing to protect yourself from the harsh sun. A sun hat, sunscreen, swimwear, towel, sturdy walking shoes and sunglasses are a must.
Daytime temperatures can be extreme from Oct to March with temperatures over 40 degrees Celsius. Please bring a large refillable water bottle. We strongly recommend the use of dehydration salts and sports drinks as a way to combat dehydration during times of extreme heat.
How fit do I need to be?
Kakadu, Arnhemland and Litchfield are rough and rugged stone bush country. In many of the places we access and those listed in the itinerary, there are cleared walking tracks, but not boardwalks or handrails. Some of the walks are over slippery and uneven ground, and we will always advise caution when walking over these surfaces. A reasonable level of fitness & stable footing is required for most locations in these itineraries and to make the most of the experience. Territory Expeditions has designed these tours for the fit and active.
To get the most out of this trip you need to be prepared for walks of between 3-8 km on some days. This may be on rough ground and perhaps getting feet wet in rivers and creeks. From Oct to March you will experience temperatures of over 35 degrees Celsius (and sometimes well into the 40’s) so be prepared to endure extra physical stress due to the heat at these times, especially while on walks.
These extreme outside temperatures can also place stress on the air-conditioning units within our vehicles which can make travelling uncomfortable. Your tour guide will assist with regular breaks and information to assist in keeping well hydrated.
What sort of vehicles will I be travelling in?
You will be travelling in a vehicle specifically designed and built for Australian outback conditions. All our vehicles are 4WD, air conditioned for your comfort, have Ipod connections and large panoramic windows for uninterrupted sightseeing.
What is your cancellation policy?
Travel insurance is highly recommended for all our trips, even for Australian travellers. We require that, at a minimum, you are covered for medical expenses including emergency repatriation. We strongly recommend that the policy also covers personal liability, cancellation, curtailment and loss of luggage and personal effects.
- Minimum 20% non-refundable deposit to confirm bookings of regular departures
- All tours booked with an agent may result in an additional cancellation fee. You will be advised to contact your booking agent if you need to cancel your tour.
- Cancellation Inside 15-30 days will incur a 50% cancellation fee.
- Outside 30 days full refund is given.
- Cancellations inside 14 days – 72 hours will incur a 75% cancellation fee.
- Within 72 hours of departure of a public tour 100% cancellation fees will apply.
- All tours booked with an agent may result in an additional fee. You will be advised to contact your booking agent if you need to cancel your tour.
- If cancellation of a tour of private charter occurs outside 30 days from the departure date, a full refund will be given.
- Cancellation Inside 15-30 days will incur a 50% cancellation fee.
- Within 14 days of departure of a private charter 100% cancellation fees will apply.
- Upon confirmation a 50% deposit is required with full payment due 30 days prior to date of departure.
What about luggage limits?
Pack only your bare essentials. Due to limited space and strict road laws limiting gross weight of vehicles, you are required to limit your luggage to one small to medium sized soft bag or backpack (max 10 kg’s) and a small daypack, which can be carried inside the vehicle. Extra luggage can usually be stored at your hotel.
Are meals included in my tour?
Hands on tours!
On most days, breakfast, lunch and dinner will be included. Your leader will prepare most of the meals whilst on tour but you will have the opportunity to assist with daily activities such as setting up camp, helping prepare meals and clearing dishes. None of this is difficult however many hands make light work and any assistance provided to crew is always much appreciated. Most people agree that this type of activity helps you feel like less of a tourist and more of an explorer.
Please budget for approximately AUD 100.00 for additional meals and expenses while on your trip which may include ice-creams, souvenirs or the purchase of a refreshing ale for the evenings campfire. If purchasing alcohol we recommend buying it in Darwin for better price and variety. There is a drinks esky provided on the vehicle. Our suggestion is based on past traveller feedback but you may choose to spend more or less.
I have special dietary needs - are you able to cater for me?
Passengers with special meal requirements must ensure they or their travel agent inform Territory Expeditions of this at the time of booking. Food for the trip is purchased prior to commencement and special requirements cannot be catered for after departing. Vegetarians, Celiac or those with any special meal requirements may need to provide additional assistance to the leader for meal preparation.
What type of accommodation will I get?
These are the different types of accommodation Territory Expeditions offers. This will be indicated for each tour and for each night.
Permanent Safari Tent (twin share with shared facilities)
Air-conditioned dorm accommodation
Bathroom facilities are shared and are located a short walking distance from camp/accommodation.
Will I have phone reception while on tour?
Mobile phone reception is available around all major service centers within Kakadu, Litchfield, Arnhemland and Mardugal campground. There is a Satellite phone on every vehicle for emergencies.
The most important thing to remember is your on holidays and that’s a great reason to not have a phone!!
Can I smoke and drink of the vehicle?
Smoking and drinking alcohol is prohibited inside a tourist vehicle under Australian Government regulation.
Drinking alcohol is permitted at the campsite; however the guide has the right to limit the amount consumed.
Under no circumstance will illegal drugs be allowed in the vehicle. The guide has the right to remove and terminate the tour for any persons found with illegal substances. This will result in no refunds and they will be responsible for their own travel costs at that point.
Territory Expeditions will endeavor to create an enjoyable environment for all our passengers. Therefore we will reserve the right to remove any persons who threaten the safety of the guide or fellow passengers either physically or verbally. This will result in no refunds and they will be responsible for their own travel costs at that point. | <urn:uuid:ff68c62b-d363-4aed-a7f0-f058f5b71502> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://territoryexpeditions.com.au/faq/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571993.68/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814022847-20220814052847-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.947075 | 2,567 | 1.984375 | 2 |
and Federal laws prohibit discrimination on the basis of certain protected characteristics, both in Richmond and elswhere in the state. Under state and Federal law, both private and public employers in Richmond may be found liable for discrimination, depending on what type of trait originally prompted the discrimination.
How Does Employment Discrimination Occur?
Employment discrimination is when an employer treats you unfairly because you belong to a legally protected class. Employers may not base their evaluations of you on particular traits including religion, race, age, gender, national origin, and familial status. The plaintiff must prove that their employer intended to treat them unfairly because of their protected status in order to prevail on a discrimination claim in Richmond, Kentucky.
How can Employment Discrimination be Proven in Kentucky?
This can be shown if the employer has a history of mistreating people of the same status, or if individuals testify regarding the employer's specific statements that a reasonable person would conclude are biased. Additionally, an employer who fires someone or otherwise retaliates because of a discrimination lawsuit is in clear violation of the law.
Procedures for pursuing an employment discrimination claim are complicated, because they involve filing the claim with the corresponding agency. A Richmond, Kentucky lawyer can help you file in a timely manner, and while your case is pending, they can assist you in pursuing any available remedies. | <urn:uuid:46f1a4f6-5feb-400b-b140-5b1b606792c1> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://employment-law.legalmatch.com/KY/Richmond/employment-discrimination-law.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572163.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815085006-20220815115006-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.930799 | 270 | 2.34375 | 2 |
The latest statistics published by the ICC (International Chamber of Commerce) reveal that arbitration is an increasingly popular mechanism for dispute resolution, and the Spanish element continues to increase.
In fact, Spain ranked seventh in the most frequent nationalities among parties, with 87 parties representing 3.48% of the total number in all 2019 ICC filings, and Spanish law was the seventh most selected applicable substantive law of all cases registered before the ICC in 2019.
Choice-of-law clauses were included in the substantive contractual provisions relied upon by parties in 88% of all cases registered in 2019. These covered the laws of 124 nations, states, provinces and territories. As in 2018, English law was the lex contractus in 16% of all cases registered. Swiss law was the second most selected applicable substantive law (12%), followed by the laws of a US state and French law (10% each). The laws of Brazil, Qatar and Spain ranked fifth, sixth and seventh with 34, 31 and 30 cases respectively.
In 2019, a total of 869 new cases were registered, of which 851 cases under the ICC Arbitration Rules and 18 under the ICC Appointing Authority Rules. This is the second highest number of newly-registered cases behind the record figure of 966 cases reached in 2016, with 135 related small-claim cases arising from a collective dispute.
In terms of diversity, the 851 new cases under the ICC Arbitration Rules involved parties originating from 147 countries and independent territories – breaking ICC’s previous record of 142 set in 2017– , and arbitrators from 89 jurisdictions – the highest number of jurisdictions to date – reflecting the continuous efforts of the ICC Court towards increasing diversity among ICC arbitral tribunals. New nationalities represented included Azerbaijan, Botswana, Haiti, Malawi, the Palestinian authority, and St Kitts and Nevis.
The proportion of women arbitrators continues raising, now reaching 21%. 312 women were appointed and confirmed arbitrators, while in 2018 the number was 273 women.
2019 also saw the highest number of cities hosting ICC Arbitrations: 116 cities spread over 62 countries, and a record number of new cases involving a state or state entities (20%).
Regarding languages, awards approved in 2019 were drafted in a total of 12 languages. English remains the predominant language (79% of awards), followed by French (42 awards), Spanish (32), Portuguese (20), German (seven) and Romanian (five). | <urn:uuid:1241298d-9d6e-44a9-8735-eda5e93d829c> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.stonward.com/new-records-for-icc-dispute-resolution/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572163.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815085006-20220815115006-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.949577 | 499 | 2.03125 | 2 |
Discover the Organ, Level 1, Basic Organ Repertoire, Ser. A
Discover the Organ, Level 1, Basic Organ Repertoire, Ser. A. from Wayne Leupold
A Beginning Keyboard and Pedal Method for the Organ
Discover the Organ® is a fully-graded series, designed especially for upper elementary and middle school students, that establishes a solid foundation in musicianship and keyboard technique. While the method focuses primarily on developing comprehensive manual skills, elementary pedal concepts are introduced. No prior keyboard or music instruction is required except Discover the Basics®. Discover the Organ® may also be used as an introductory organ method for students who have or are presently acquiring keyboard facility through piano study. Discover the Basics® is the beginning (first year) series for Discover the Organ®. Upon completion of Book D of Discover the Basics® the student progresses into the various series of Level 1 of Discover the Organ®.
Practice Instruments: For the first three of four years of study, students may use any keyboard instrument (piano, electronic keyboard, or any kind of organ) as their daily practice instrument. If an electronic organ or keyboard is used, weighted keyboards are recommended. Beginning with Level One publications, the student may need one practice session at an organ before each lesson to integrate the optional pedal parts into the assigned compositions. | <urn:uuid:6fd3750a-b208-4d44-a805-4adfa9758393> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://organmastershoes.com/collections/organ-music/products/basic-organ-repertoire-level-1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571993.68/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814022847-20220814052847-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.89568 | 272 | 3.328125 | 3 |
A key milestone in the elimination of hunger and food poverty has been reached today, during Challenge Poverty Week, following a significant grant of £150,000, across two years, from Allchurches Trust to Feeding Britain.
The Trust’s support will enable the anti-hunger charity, created by the Archbishop of Canterbury and with the Bishop of Gloucester among its trustees, to offer wraparound advice and casework services for people on low incomes who access low-cost food from its network of ‘Citizens’ Supermarkets’ in Coventry and Wirral.
These on-the-spot services, operating under the charity’s ‘Pathways from Poverty’ programme, will address issues such as debt, benefits, and housing, which have left people struggling to afford food and other essentials. In doing so, they will minimise the risk of people descending into crisis and having to rely upon on food banks at a later stage.
The programme has to date helped 3,500 people accessing food banks across Bradford, Derbyshire, Leicester, and Wirral to resolve crises that have left them destitute. Among its successes has been an increase in people’s annual incomes by a collective total of £750,000, as well as the prevention of prolonged periods of hunger and hardship, and a reduction in the long-term need for food banks.
Moreover, the evidence produced by the programme enabled Feeding Britain to campaign successfully for a £265 million measure in the Government’s most recent Budget to support families on Universal Credit.
Under this latest leg of the programme, being funded by Allchurches, up to 2,400 people are expected to be helped over a two-year period. Crucially, the grant will enable Feeding Britain to intervene at an earlier stage to prevent the need for food banks before it arises. The findings of this work will be used to inform and influence community food provision across the country, with the objective of empowering an even greater number of churches to address the drivers of chronic poverty.
Andrew Bass, Grants Officer for Allchurches Trust, said: ‘On a week that highlights the very real issue of poverty in the UK, we’re delighted that our funding can bring some positivity and hope by extending the reach of the Pathways from Poverty programme. This will help many more people on low-incomes to access free, high-quality advice which could change their lives for the better and support the wider aim of ending hunger and food poverty.’
Andrew Forsey, Feeding Britain’s National Director, added: ‘When the pandemic first struck our country, Allchurches Trust moved swiftly to support Feeding Britain’s efforts to provide two million meals to tens of thousands of families. This latest act of generosity moves us onto a more preventative footing from which we can address, at an earlier stage, some of the potent forces in people’s lives which put them at risk of destitution.’
Contact details: Andrew Forsey, [email protected], 07951 821 304
About Feeding Britain:
Feeding Britain is an award-winning charity, established in 2015 by an all-party group of MPs and Peers under the presidency of the Archbishop of Canterbury, which aims to eliminate hunger and its root causes from the United Kingdom.
About Allchurches Trust:
Allchurches Trust is one of the UK’s largest grant-making charities. Our mission is to equip and empower Christian organisations to have a positive and transformative impact on lives and communities. We welcome applications from all parts of the UK and Ireland, particularly from areas of social and economic deprivation. We support the repair, restoration, protection and improvement of church buildings, cathedrals and other places of Christian worship, especially where those changes support wider community use. Our grants also equip Christian charities and churches to help the most vulnerable and tackle social issues, including homelessness, poverty, climate change and cultural cohesion; and we provide funding for projects that support church growth and leadership and share the Christian faith. We also work with selected partners to preserve the UK and Ireland’s rich history through funding to build and protect sustainable heritage skills. | <urn:uuid:adc29cd6-af89-4168-8c31-44c3a6484fe0> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://feedingbritain.org/challenge-poverty-week-marks-key-milestone-for-anti-hunger-programme/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572408.31/warc/CC-MAIN-20220816151008-20220816181008-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.949126 | 878 | 1.804688 | 2 |
Does it feel like being in a relationship and being in a relationship during a pandemic are two very different things?
For most of us, our parents wrote our instruction booklet on the art of living with a partner. We watched our Mom and Dad’s relationship and our own behavior evolved from there.
In a world where we talk about half of the marriages ending in divorce, it’s no wonder that most of us lack the basic skills for a successful relationship!
And now, these inherited shortcomings can intensify as we adjust to this new world of social isolation with our partners. The Covid-19 Coronavirus has taken away our freedom, our finances are in question, and the media is spreading something more contagious than the virus itself: Fear.
We are living in a perfect storm for toxic, crumbling relationships!
But you want to come out on the other side of this in a happy, healthy relationship, right?
So how do we own our happiness during these weird times and keep stress at bay?
As destination wedding experts in the Riviera Maya, Mexico, our interest in seeing relationships thrive actually extends way beyond the wedding day. With a Psychology degree to boot, our desire is to help you come out of this quarantine mess happier and more solid with your partner than ever.
We are sharing real, tangible tools for coping with relationship stress during Coronavirus, all starting with the letter ‘C’ – because…well, because it’s fun – and adapted from relationship coach and happy married chick Susan Leahy.
The first thing we need to appreciate is that our lives have changed, and for some people, they are flipped right upside down. Lost jobs or working from home, homeschooling or unschooling kids, our social lives are gone…and it has all changed so abruptly.
It is natural that we are grieving the loss of our normal lives, and there are five stages of grief that humans move through as proposed by the Kubler-Ross model. These are Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression and Acceptance. It can be tricky to navigate your way through the stages, getting stuck along the way.
Which stage do you think you are in?
How to cope with Change in your relationship: We are all learning to pivot and transition into this new world. You and your partner could be stuck in different stages and that prevents you from reaching the ultimate goal of acceptance. The important thing to know is that this is completely NORMAL! Give your partner the dignity of their experience. Be supportive of them through their transition and help them reach a breakthrough in accepting your new lives.
Content versus Context
During stressful times, we tend to focus on details; what we have, or don’t have. Right now it is easy to quickly get bogged down by details like jobs, finances, school, kids. This is what we refer to as ‘Content’.
On the other hand, ‘Context’ refers to feelings rather than details:
- How do I feel?
- What do I want to feel?
When we argue or fight, it is human nature to jump into the content of the situation to defend ourselves. (You did this, said that, acted this way, etc.) This doesn’t lead us anywhere that feels good for anybody.
How committing to Context can help you cope in your relationship: Rather than digging into the gory details during a conflict, what if you approached your partner by saying something like, “This doesn’t feel good to me, and it probably doesn’t feel good for you either. We both deserve to feel good. I want us both to feel good.” When you discuss solutions or compromise, the trick is to stay with how an event makes you feel.
Like a clenched fist, when we are tense and tight from stress we are not able to open ourselves up to let happiness in. Happiness resides in the space that you create by opening up.
So how can we create this space and reduce stress?
We need to get curious.
During those downward spiral moments, the goal is to slow down and ask questions of yourself. For example:
- What am I feeling, and how do I want to feel?
- How can I help my partner feel good?
How Curiosity can help you cope in your relationship: Curiosity leads to possibility. Ideas become things. As with Content versus Context (above) be careful not to get bogged down by details, and instead focus on feelings. A possible conversation could sound like:
What will make you feel happy? Money.
Why will money make you happy? Because then I won’t be worried about the future.
What is the opposite of worry? Security.
So how do you want to feel? Secure.
Now we are getting somewhere towards understanding each other!
One of the greatest things about being human is our uniqueness. Each one of us has different thoughts and feelings. Expecting someone else to behave the same way as you, or to share your beliefs, is setting yourself up for disappointment.
They say that comparison is the thief of joy.
This is true of everyday life, but even more important to remember now that we are a global community with a shared pandemic experience.
There is no ‘right way’ to deal with quarantine and social distancing. Some people believe their best defense against the Covid-19 virus is getting outside for exercise, while others believe you shouldn’t step foot outside your front door.
Nobody! It’s strictly a matter of opinion rooted in personal beliefs, and trying to change others is only going to bring you more stress. (Do you really need more stress right now?)
How to stop Comparing and start coping in your relationship: If you and your partner are not seeing eye to eye on something, recognize that trying to bend them to your will violates their right to their own thoughts and feelings. Get curious in exploring your differences, and keep your conversations rooted in context. (see above)
And just a friendly offering if you suffer from Comparison stress; you may want to consider limiting your exposure to social media for now.
In these weird times where so many of our choices have been ripped away, it can be easy to feel powerless. However, it only takes a shift in perspective to see this time as a gift, an opportunity to grow into a better You.
You are the chooser of your life and now is the best time to decide how you want yours to look when the world hits the Play button on our regular day-to-day again:
- What changes would you like to implement?
- How do you want to feel?
- Who do you want to be?
How to use the power of Choice to cope in your relationship: Now is the time to dream big, and make plans together. Get excited about change and possibilities! Recognize that your behavior is a choice and choose to look on the bright side. After all, every beautiful garden starts as a pile of dirt.
By the time we are 35 years old, 95% of our behavior is unconscious. We get stuck in our patterns unless we get conscious.
It is hard to be unconsciously happy. Think about it. Usually, you need to think about something that makes you happy or stop to appreciate a moment and focus your awareness to experience happiness. Happiness is a practice!
Diffused attention drains energy. (ie: Multitasking!)
Conscious Compartmentalization refers to making space in your life so that you can give something your full attention.
In Layman’s terms, this means setting aside time for the things in your life that are important, energize you or make you feel happy. This type of technique can be applied to all areas of your life.
For a practical example; you want to get back into a workout routine. You know it will make you feel better and yet there are always excuses not to exercise. It takes careful planning to overcome the distractions that you know will pull your focus. Imagine putting the distractions into boxes to be dealt with at another time.
How Conscious Compartmentalizing can help you cope with stress in your relationship: Communicate your intentions with your partner about what you want to create space for; ideally something relaxing and that helps you clear your mind. Let them know how they can help you put the rest of life aside during that time, like give you privacy, or take the kids.
On the flip side, remember to be equally present when you spend quality time together too. Put down your phone and focus on that movie you guys picked.
Everyone is entitled to their experience. We are all adjusting to this new world order, and tensions are high. A little extra kindness will go a long way right now.
This includes kindness towards yourself. Yes, you treating YOU with compassion in all that you are feeling! If you start by doing it for yourself, then you will be better able to do it for others. (Here are tips from the CDC about coping with Coronavirus stress.)
Do you know that expression ‘Happy Wife, Happy Life’? It stems from the paradigm that a woman is the container of her family’s happiness. That’s why self-care is so important every day, but now even more so.
How to be more Compassionate in your relationship: Take the good vibrations you generate through being kind to yourself and spread them throughout your home. Choose your words carefully. Give hugs freely. Know that you are not expected to fix anything for anyone else and that just being loving is enough.
Our regular routines have been thrown off by the Coronavirus. We must all be aware by now just how much our rhythms bring a sense of security to our daily lives. Settling into a predictable pattern during our days in social isolation can be helpful. But choose your regular activities with purpose so that you don’t feel trapped in Groundhog Day! Focus on activities that give you joy, and give yourself permission to try new things.
Put events on the calendar to give yourself something to look forward to. Friday is Date Night! Tuesday he makes dinner, Thursday you pick the movie!
How Consistency can help you cope with relationship stress: Happiness is a practice. Like anything else, we need to work it into our daily routine. The tips laid out in this article might not come easily at first, but the more consistent you are in practicing them, the more natural they will feel.
Happiness is good for your health and for the energy in your home. While you are quarantined with your significant other, use these tools to help you cope with the craziness of being cooped up together. And later, when we are set free, keep practicing your ‘C’s for relationship success in the real world!
In the comments below, we would love to hear where you are reading this from, and how you are feeling today. What ‘C’ above was your favorite?
Have questions? Just holler. Contact us here now.
Would you like to learn more about Fun In The Sun Weddings?
- Go to our Wedding Photography Service Page now. | <urn:uuid:0c7dc210-7531-4c14-93f3-79ea788474b7> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://funinthesunweddings.com/the-10-cs-for-coping-with-relationship-stress-during-coronavirus/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572408.31/warc/CC-MAIN-20220816151008-20220816181008-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.959734 | 2,359 | 1.570313 | 2 |
Arriving on foot and emerging from a swamp on boats, people fleeing conflict find help from Oxfam and each other.
Lauren Hartnett is a humanitarian press officer for Oxfam in the United States.
After famine was declared in parts of South Sudan earlier this year, the world has reacted with generosity and alarm. But the people of South Sudan need more help now if we’re going to stop the famine and extreme hunger threatening millions.
Last month I had the great privilege to join my colleagues in South Sudan as they distributed food to families who had just arrived in Nyal from Mayendit, seeking safety, food, clean water and other necessities.
The community of Nyal has welcomed new arrivals with overwhelming generosity, sharing what little food, shelter and other basics they have, like sleeping mats and mosquito nets. Samuel, a man I spoke with said, “We are very grateful – they welcomed us with open hands.” When asked if they will share the food they are receiving that day he said “Everything we get, we eat together – it’s obvious! People arriving after us – we will share with them, too.”
However, Oxfam saw that even with this communal food stock and efforts to gather wild foods like water lilies and fish, there was a dangerous gap: Many who fled Mayendit had recently received aid but were forced to leave it behind as they fled the fighting. Recognizing the urgent needs, Oxfam’s team on the ground sprang into action, registering the most vulnerable families, mobilizing food stocks from Juba, and distributing the basics of beans, oil and salt to 300 households – all within a matter of days.
I arrived during the last stage, as families gathered to collect the food that would once again be shared. Even after being forced to leave their homes and losing virtually everything – homes, loved ones, cattle and other belongings – the people I spoke with described themselves as “grateful,” “lucky” and “happy” to be receiving this aid that will tide them over for the coming weeks.
Leaving behind “horror”
One elderly man I met, Majok Noan Mayian, had just arrived in Nyal the day before the food distribution, and could barely walk, needing support from family members and walking sticks. He traveled to Nyal with his neighbors, who had family in Nyal who have opened their very small home to him and his seven additional family members. As Majok was assisted into the clearing, a hush fell over the crowd that had gathered to receive food. Even those who were clearly in immediate need were taken aback by how gaunt and frail they were, allowing them to pass through to the front of the line to register.
He and the others of his generation had to be carried in a plastic tarp floating in the swamps for several days to reach Nyal. Just like too many others, his life was uprooted when his home was burned down, his cattle and other possessions stolen and he was forced to run for his life. They didn’t have much because it has been too dangerous to farm recently, but the loss is still devastating. And even as he struggled to sit up to speak, he talked about how others were “too sick and weak” – and not able to make the trip that he had made to Nyal. He told me, “What we have left behind is a horror. What we have in Mayendit is gone – houses are burned, our cattle taken. And then living in the islands there, you don’t know if you will live to see the next day.”
For me, it was hard to imagine others who were in worse health than he, but unfortunately I know too well that this is the case. Thousands have fled the conflict and are now seeking safety in remote islands in the swamp, but this isolated life behind conflict lines means many are not able to reach any aid. And, without clean water and facing illnesses like cholera, any food that people are able to find doesn’t provide nourishment.
Working around the clock
Oxfam and others are working around the clock to bring aid and relief to the people of South Sudan – both by meeting immediate needs through responses like clean water, sanitation, and food, but also by helping people have longer term health and success through community gardens, fish farming and ensuring the most vulnerable people are able to access aid. Oxfam is helping to ensure that people in remote areas of the swamp are able to reach the support they need in Nyal through an innovative canoe voucher program. Oxfam is distributing food to over 415,000 people as well as providing over 140,000 people with clean water and sanitation which are equally important to keep people healthy and famine at bay.
In Nyal, the need felt massive, and even after I left the numbers of people arriving has sky-rocketed, and with every day that passes the needs become more urgent as the rainy season approaches. But, meeting the individual South Sudanese people committed to helping each other, and my dedicated Oxfam colleagues, does give me hope.
All of this work is saving lives, and needs more support to reach the thousands who are still arriving from the famine-affected areas in need of urgent care and longer term support until they can return home and restart their lives. What the people of South Sudan really need is an end to the conflict. While the fighting continues, many can’t support themselves, attend school and feel safe in their own homes, which is all they – and anyone – really want.
The people I met in South Sudan radiated kindness, humor and generosity in the midst of unrelenting challenges. They are doing all that they can to help themselves and each other, but they need more help right now to stave off hunger, and to keep themselves going until a sustainable peace can be achieved. | <urn:uuid:a6c3233d-2840-417a-8c3c-3c9b3c8ccd13> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://firstperson.oxfamamerica.org/survivors-share-what-little-they-have-in-south-sudan/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572408.31/warc/CC-MAIN-20220816151008-20220816181008-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.98719 | 1,228 | 2.25 | 2 |
Perceived stigma and highly active antiretroviral treatment adherence among persons living with HIV/AIDS in the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital
Background: HIV/AIDS-related stigma is an important obstacle in the utilization of HIV/AIDS related services, including HIV testing and counselling, and antiretroviral therapy. It is, therefore, necessary to examine the association between perceived stigma and adherence to Highly Active Antiretroviral Treatment (HAART) among Persons Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in our local setting.
Objective: To determine the relationship between perceived stigma and Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Therapy (HAART) adherence among PLWHA attending HAART clinic at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria.
Methodology: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study involving 302 participants attending the HAART Clinic at UPTH. Systematic random sampling technique was employed. Data on socio-demographic characteristics, stigma and adherence to drug regimen were collected using a validated self-administered questionnaire. Data were presented as tables and charts. Chi-square and Pearson’s correlation statistical tests were performed with p-value set at 0.05.
Results: This study comprised of 200 (66.2%) females and 102 (33.8%) males. The mean age of study subjects were 38.9±9.8years. The prevalence of perceived stigma was 59.9% (n=181). A total of 215 (71.2%) of the subjects had good HAART adherence. A lower proportion of good adherence was reported among those with perceived stigma (68%) in comparison to those without perceived stigma (76%). There was no significant correlation between HAART adherence scores and perceived stigma scores (r=0.027; p=0.639).
Conclusion: Perceived stigma is not related to adherence to HAART among patients in this facility. Nonetheless, the high prevalence of stigma among PLWHA necessitates measures targeted at reducing stigma among this group of patients.
Keywords: Drug adherence, High prevalence, Nigeria, Prognosis, Quality of | <urn:uuid:eaba8d36-7192-487d-a826-936a863bd846> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.ajol.info/index.php/ojm/article/view/154682 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571993.68/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814022847-20220814052847-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.948596 | 446 | 1.992188 | 2 |
Évora is a true city-museum, selected as World Heritage by Unesco in 1986. Its walls hide streets and buildings practically unchanged in centuries. A wealth of history and culture as well as food and wine make Évora a world class destination.
-- TAP Passengers Can Now Use TSA Pre✓™ At All TAP’s US Gateways–
The Museum of Olive Oil just opened to the public in the Portuguese village of Bobadela, near Oliveira do Hospital. It tells the story of the production of olive oil from Roman times to the present.
Back in 1952, as Portugal marked 145 years since the French Invasions of the Napoleonic Wars, Raul Ferrão and José Galhardo penned a fado entitled "Lisboa não sejas francesa," or "Lisbon, do not be French," for a musical review. At the time, numerous shops and boutiques in Lisbon had French...
Only Italy has more UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Europe than Portugal – for a small nation, that is a big deal.
Porto Santo, the little sister of Portugal’s Madeira, may be one of Europe’s best-kept secrets. While Madeira is a lush, green island, Porto Santo is a dry crescent with a six-mile long beach on its central bay. The light yellow sand is rich in magnetic rock and that same sand has a healing power. And, with the doubling of TAP flights from the US to Portugal this summer, connecting to Porto Santo is easy. Golden sand beach, deep blue Atlantic waters, palm trees and rugged volcanic sandstone landscapes welcome visitors looking for a beach escape away from the crowds. Oh, and the weather is warm year-round with summer lasting May to October. With a mean temperature of 70 degrees the sea around Porto Santo is inviting year-round. The dry and stable climate and the warm sea make this island an ideal beach location 12 months a year.
Besides the pastel de nata(custard tarts) and many codfish dishes, in which Portugal has proven worldwide to be the master of these delicacies, there are much more tastes to discover when you visit Portugal. Let yourself indulge in its Atlantic-inspired cuisine (and maybe start your diet later).
Portuguese guitarist Marta Pereira da Costa is about to launch a 4-city US tour, her first, playing seven performances this March -- including New York’s Lincoln Center (New York), DC’s Kennedy Center of Performing Arts (Washington, DC) and Austin’s SXSW/South by Southwest Festival, one of the three largest annual music festivals in the United States.
When we think about quality time, we think of spending time with friends and family in the perfect place. Well… That’s Portugal. From North to South to the islands, here are 4 ways for spending quality time together. | <urn:uuid:d0dc8217-2aca-4351-9de8-ce724c0ef067> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.azores-adventures.com/2019/02/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572163.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815085006-20220815115006-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.936725 | 617 | 1.601563 | 2 |
Delia LatinaTitle: Researcher School/office: School of Law, Psychology and Social Work
Phone: +46 19 303000
Articles in journals | Articles, reviews/surveys | Conference papers | Doctoral theses, comprehensive summaries | Manuscripts |
Articles in journals
- Latina, D. , Jaf, D. , Alberti, R. & Tilton-Weaver, L. (2022). Can participation in organized sports help adolescents refrain from self-harm? An analysis of underlying mechanisms. Psychology of Sport And Exercise, 59.
- Latina, D. & Bayram Özdemir, S. (2021). Ethnic harassment and self-harm among immigrant adolescents. Psychology of Violence, 11 (2), 164-174.
- Latina, D. , Bauducco, S. & Tilton-Weaver, L. (2021). Insomnia symptoms and non-suicidal self-injury in adolescence: understanding temporal relations and mechanisms. Journal of Sleep Research (1).
- Latina, D. & Stattin, H. (2018). Adolescents Who Self-Harm: The Patterns in Their Interpersonal and Psychosocial Difficulties. Journal of research on adolescence, 28 (4), 824-838.
- Stattin, H. & Latina, D. (2018). The severity and spread of adjustment problems of adolescents involved in mutually hostile interactions with others. Journal of Adolescence, 63, 51-63.
- Latina, D. & Stattin, H. (2016). Toward a Re-Interpretation of Self-Harm: A Cross-Contextual Approach. Aggressive Behavior, 42 (6), 522-532.
- Latina, D. , Giannotta, F. & Rabaglietti, E. (2015). Do friends' co-rumination and communication with parents prevent depressed adolescents from self-harm?. Journal of applied developmental psychology, 41, 120-128.
- Ortega, E. , Giannotta, F. , Latina, D. & Ciairano, S. (2012). Cultural adaptation of the strengthening families program 10-14 to Italian families. Child and Youth Care Forum, 41 (2), 197-212.
- Stattin, H. & Latina, D. (2017). Att vara både förövare och offer för andras aggressivitet i ungdomsåldern. Best Practice (30), 16-18.
- Latina, D. & Bayram Özdemir, S. (2019). Ethnic harassment and self-harm among immigrant adolescents: Exploring the mechanisms and conditions. Paper presented at 24th Workshop on Aggression, Stavanger, Norway, November 7-8, 2019.
Doctoral theses, comprehensive summaries
- Latina, D. (2016). Self-harm: interpersonal and holistic perspectives. (Doctoral dissertation). (Comprehensive summary) Örebro: Örebro university.
- Latina, D. & Stattin, H. Adolescents who self-harm : A holistic perspective on their interpersonal and adjustment problems.
- Latina, D. & Stattin, H. Toward a reinterpretation of self-harm : A cross-contextual approach. | <urn:uuid:d9b6c04d-c2ad-440d-87c7-43968fa14fc5> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.oru.se/english/employee/delia_latina | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572163.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815085006-20220815115006-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.716248 | 752 | 2 | 2 |
1969 Oil Spill in Santa Barbara Channel, California (AP photo from Los Angeles Times)
However one might feel about drilling for oil in the continental shelf of the United States, the events of the last month have to stand as one of the greatest political ironies in the country's history. One month after a Democratic (!) president opens up vast areas for offshore drilling, a massive explosion kills eleven people on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico, and a huge oil slick is making landfall along the shorelines of what will ultimately include four states. You may be able to think of some better examples, but it makes me think of the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo which ceded California to the United States on February 2, 1848, when unbeknownst to the signing parties, gold had been discovered in California on January 24 of the same year. We are only seeing the beginning of what will be a long and painful time for the coastal cities, not to mention the ecosystems found there. The political ramifications will last far longer; the oil spill in the Santa Barbara Channel in 1969 still resonates today. And so does the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster.
I hope that the damage can be contained. It won't do anyone any good if the beaches all along the southern coasts are coated with muck. I do hope it will start a national conversation about our priorities. Despite the shrill cries of "Drill Baby, Drill", pulling the oil out of environmentally sensitive areas will do next to nothing to achieve energy independence. Without imported oil, we would pretty much use up our entire inventory of US petroleum reserves in maybe five or six years. Where will we be, then? We need to plan for a post-petroleum economy before it is forced on us, not after. It is the only way to avoid an economic disruption that will make the present-day recession look like the Roaring Twenties. But how can you explain that to representatives and senators who are incapable of looking beyond their next election day?
Deep Sea News provides a very good timeline of the events in the Gulf of Mexico.
I don't want to make light of a horrible situation, but I hope no prominent politician stands up to say how absolutely safe nuclear power is now... | <urn:uuid:60b8fa77-761e-471e-afc1-f245eba13f2b> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://geotripper.blogspot.com/2010/04/one-of-biggest-political-ironies-i.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572408.31/warc/CC-MAIN-20220816151008-20220816181008-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.961458 | 464 | 2.3125 | 2 |
money laundering, terrorist financing and tax evasion.
focusing on the use of cryptocurrencies for financial crime, money laundering and tax evasion.
International collaboration is crucial to successfully impose and enforce rules.
custodian wallet providers, software and hardware wallet providers, trading platforms and.
10/06/2018 · Bitcoin Investment Theses (Part 1).
There is no financial institution which the IRS can subpoena for records. If the tax evader is careful about how they use Bitcoin’s public blockchain.
19/04/2018 · advocate and push for adequate IRS funding from Congress and to connect clearly and directly the protracted budget cuts to the IRS’s inability to fulfill its core mission and basic regulatory functions. That is, to spotlight the connection between the budget cuts and customer service, timely guidance, systems infrastructure, retention, replacement and training of IRS personnel, enforcement.
press.3. 1 See generally, e.g., ALAN S. BLINDER, AFTER THE MUSIC STOPPED : THE.
downloading the freely available Bitcoin software onto their computers and.
The FBI maintains that users' identities can at least sometimes be discerned through.
Taxes on Virtual Currencies: What Does the I.R.S. Say?, 34 VA.
Moreover, the use of cryptocurrencies goes well beyond mere transfers of value; it can transform.
enforcement authorities recently arrested a woman in New York who used Bitcoin to launder.
Blockchain is being used to provide digital identity.
Payne “IRS: Bitcoin Not a Currency for Tax Purposes” Dentons (4 April 2014).
that of leading banks and other financial institutions through the use of push alerts and other consumer-friendly notifications. As we pursue modernization efforts into FY2020, we will continue to consider the opportunities present in the newly passed Taxpayer First Act, designed to improve taxpayer service and enforcement. The Modernization Portfolio supports the intent of the Taxpayer First.
The regulatory and market environment. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) describes Virtual Currencies (VCs) as "a digital representation of value that functions as a medium of exchange, a unit of account, and/or a store of value [and] does not have legal tender status in any jurisdiction." Although, electronic payment systems have been part of American life since at least 1871 when Western.
PDF | Bitcoin is the world's first completely decentralized digital currency. This paper.
also allow users to evade taxes, launder money, and trade illicit.
Accountability Office report on virtual currencies urged the IRS. to reduce tax- compliance risks by issuing a guidance.6 The appen-.
use than desktop Bitcoin software.
15/09/2017 · Bitcoin, hailed in some quarters as the future of currency, is having a rough week, with a flurry of rumors that China will shut down exchanges and the head of a major U.S bank calling bitcoin.
Ethereum Foundation Has Sold 90 Percent Of Etc In Last 6 Months Bitcoin Touches A Milestone Price Of $9k Across Global Earnings of Sensex companies to decline up to 8%. Yet another estimate of the impact of the lockdown on businesses. PTI. How Bitcoins Are Made What are bitcoins and cryptocurrencies? How are cryptocurrencies made? How to use bitcoins and cryptocurrencies; Why do people buy bitcoins and. | <urn:uuid:fbe78367-f2c2-4302-a348-fe8767145372> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | http://courteous.ly/irs-hunts-bitcoin-user-identities-with-software-in-tax-enforcement-push/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572408.31/warc/CC-MAIN-20220816151008-20220816181008-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.888273 | 687 | 1.757813 | 2 |
Bioplastic instead of plastic for packaging
What are the challenges of transitioning to bioplastic from plastics in developing countries vs. developed countries?
If we are to stop using plastics all together in a near future we need to find a solution that works with the current market demands. Bioplastics may seem like a good option, especially when it comes to packaging, but how do we prevent ocean pollution with bioplastics instead of plastics? The bioplastic is still not biologically degradable to the extent necessary if we want to avoid accumulating garbage in the oceans. Are there other systems that can be put into place as we introduce bioplastics? For example retake systems that will not only encourage the transition to bioplastics, but keeping them in the loop rather than being discarded into nature?
In the contemporary scenario, much attention has been focused on extensive research across the globe to replace petroleum-based commodity plastics, in a cost-effective manner, with biodegradable materials offering competitive mechanical properties. Bioplastics play an increasingly important role for consumer products. All these newly designed materials might increase product sustainability, but they are currently confined to niche markets. When compared to their petroleum-based counterparts, bioplastics can be biodegradable, sustainable, more environmentally friendly (lower greenhouse gas emissions and fossil fuel usage) and/or should be a renewable option to plastic product production. Although there are still certain limitations in implementation of bioplastics as the main packaging materials, it remains a main material as a suitable replacement for petroleum-based plastics. Extensive research work is being done for comparing the superiority of bioplastic over conventional petroleum-based plastic under various conditions. The main limitations lie in sourcing sustainable ingredients for building bioplastics and building materials with mechanical properties comparable to conventional plastics.
I tend to agree that bioplastics is no solution. This may hold even more as biodegradation in bad light and anoxic conditions in deep oceans may be slower than on land. The real solution is to ban plastic bags, but this is only part of the solution. Recycling or thermal recycling may be the way forward. This requires a lot of investments, but once coupled with other infrastructural requirements this is the real long-term solution. As always, prevention is cheaper than sanitation. See our review as well: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10668-016-9760-4 | <urn:uuid:c3baa188-cfef-455d-b51d-c0c1c379af5a> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://currnt.com/q771/bioplastic-instead-of-plastic-for-packaging | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572408.31/warc/CC-MAIN-20220816151008-20220816181008-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.932207 | 525 | 3.125 | 3 |
Environmental groups have filed suit against the city of San Francisco under claims it’s violating the Endangered Species Act at Sharp Park Golf Course.
The groups say that San Francisco, which owns and operates the 90-year old golf course in nearby Pacifica, is harming two imperiled native species: the California red-legged frog and the San Francisco garter snake.
They claim that lawn-mowing, pesticide and herbicide spraying, and flood control activities on the course are contributing to population losses and that the city has done little to mitigate the ill-effects of golfing on the species’ habitats.
“The course was built on wetlands and was never sustainable with species protection,” said Neal Desai of the National Parks Conservation Association, one of the groups party to the lawsuit. “The city is putting at risk the recovery of wildlife.”
The suit was filed on Wednesday in the U.S. District Court of Northern California in San Francisco by the Wild Equity Institute, the Center for Biological Diversity, the National Parks Conservation Association, the Surfrider Foundation, Sequoia Audubon, and Sierra Club.
San Francisco’s Recreation and Park Department Spokesman Elton Pon declined to comment on the case, saying the department has not yet reviewed it.
Environmentalists have battled with the city for years over the future of Sharp Park Golf Course. While the city is intent to maintain the 18-hole course, environmentalists have been pushing for it to be shut down and turned into restored wildlife habitat with low-impact recreational uses like hiking and biking.
Meanwhile, another interest group — golfers — prize the course as one of the only coastal ranges in the state that is open to the general public, making it cheaper than the likes of Pebble Beach.
Last week the city’s park department announced that a working group had come up with a “vision for Sharp Park” that “could balance ecological and recreational objectives” by tripling the amount of habitat available to the two species through restoration efforts.
Species in peril
The golf course is prime territory for the California red-legged frog and San Francisco garter snake – two species that have experienced significant population declines as development has taken hold of much of the region.
The red-legged frog has been lost from more than 70 percent of its historic range and is listed as a threatened species by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The San Francisco garter snake has 1,000 to 2,000 individuals left and is listed as an endangered species. Only six significant snake populations are known to exist, one of which is at Sharp Park, according to the lawsuit.
Environmental groups say they are particularly concerned by a wintertime pumping system at Sharp Park, meant to divert rainwater to the ocean in order to keep the course clear of flooding. In the process, they say they’ve documented numerous cases, the latest on February 22, in which frog egg masses have been stranded and dried out because of the pumping.
They also documented a case in which a garter snake was found dead after being struck by a lawn mower. Golf carts on pathways are also a problem for the snakes, who use them for basking, the lawsuit states.
In 2005, the controversy drew the attention of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which sent a letter to the golf course’s program manager stating that water pumping in previous years had exposed red-legged frog eggs, resulting in “the death of an unknown quantity of embryonic tadpoles.” The agency warned that it’s illegal to harm any federally listed animal species without a permit. The city responded in a letter saying it has been monitoring the egg masses and had reset the pumps to allow the water level to remain over the eggs until they hatch. But the city also blamed flooding at Sharp Park to water drainage from surrounding lands, including adjacent federal park land managed by the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
Since then, environmentalists and park officials have been at odds over whether the golf course could ever exist in harmony with the beleaguered species. The city’s most recent plans for the park, stated in last week’s press release, included removing sediments from wetland habitat and forming a water channel that would connect to Mori Point, which is federally protected parkland adjacent to the course. The city would move the 12th hole to make way for the water channel, and abandon plans to fortify a sea-wall that environmental groups opposed because of beach erosion.
“Our priorities have been to meet the ecological requirements of the species and to maintain golfing as a valued recreational pastime at Sharp Park,” said Phil Ginsburg, general manager of the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, in a statement. “We also accept the consensus which is forming to naturally manage the coastal areas at Sharp Park over the long term.”
But Desai said the city’s efforts are inadequate. Golfing and species protection — in this case — cannot go hand in hand, he said.
“They feel that moving one hole and realigning it consists of species protection,” Desai said. “That’s like treating a species like it’s in the zoo.” | <urn:uuid:1c9ddaf0-bc67-4361-8813-1ccee11706d8> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://baynature.org/article/groups-sue-sf-over-sharp-park/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572163.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815085006-20220815115006-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.959283 | 1,091 | 2.5 | 2 |
California, U.S.- The Sherpa fire began on Wednesday afternoon at Santa Barbara, and it has spread due to winds of 40 to 50 mph during the night. By Friday the fire reach and extension of 4 thousand acres and it has forced evacuations in the area. More than 1,200 firefighters are working on the land but at Friday morning, they have only contained 5 percent of the flames.
In Santa Barbara County, firefighters had problems to reach the narrow canyons to attack the wildland fire. On Thursday, the firefighter forces had a better chance with the flames using a fleet of aircraft, but night erratic winds spread the blaze on Wednesday.
On Twitter The Los Padres National Forest division of the U.S. Forest Service posted Friday that the fire had spread to 4 thousand acres, and the flames had only been contained at 5 percent.
The same day wind and temperatures decreased and gave the firefighters an opportunity to make some progress.
Officials say the firefighters are working on a strategy to keep the flames away from the coast to protect the population settled in the famous beaches.
According to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff, hundreds of people had to evacuate their homes late Thursday in El Capitan, Refugio, Venadito and Las Flores canyons. The Authorities can not estimate the number of evacuated citizens, but they said campsites were waiting for them at the beach.
On Thursday, the U.S. 101 freeway was closed for the second time since the fire started, but it was reopened on Friday morning.
— Marcus Yam (@yamphoto) June 17, 2016
The South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) said Los Angeles and Orange counties received an air-quality warning as smoke from the Sherpa Fire is drifted over the area. The smoke still does not represent a danger for the air quality, but the smoke could be a health problem for sensitive groups, depending on the changing winds. These vulnerable groups include people with respiratory or heart disease, the elderly and children.
The SCAQMD also advise people to avoid outdoors activities when possible due to the almost unpredictable weather conditions and the smoke it could bring. Closed windows and closed door where other advice and air conditioners were recommended to be on to provide fresh air.
Santa Clarita’s residents have reported uncleared skies and a heavy smell of smoke – Fires in Arizona and New Mexico.
— Shelby Grad (@shelbygrad) June 17, 2016
On Friday afternoon, Santa Clarita air was declared unhealthy by WeatherBug officials. The Sherpa Fire causes the smoke conditions, according to an officer from the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff and Los Angeles County Fire Department said that there were no fires in Santa Clarita.
Santa Clarita is in the clear, but this is not the case for Arizona and New Mexico.
NBC affiliate KOB reported that the flames in New Mexico’s Bernalillo and Torrance Counties had covered more than 16 thousands acres. A total of 45 houses were affected by Thursday night.
New Mexico’s largest city, Albuquerque was also hit by the blaze that goes by the name of Dog Head Fire.
This fire is an imminent threat to the County of Chilili at the Tajique area and the Ponderosa Pine residential area because the flames are expected to move east and northeast, U.S. Forest Service officials said.
There have not been reports of injured firefighters nor victims till the moment
Source: NBC News | <urn:uuid:2c638e8a-61b4-49f8-b423-a47f41eff175> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.pulseheadlines.com/santa-barbara-fire-grows-4000-acres-3-days/35810/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572163.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815085006-20220815115006-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.962297 | 712 | 1.992188 | 2 |
Microsoft Bing Maps Time Specific Isochrone API
Blog|by Jamie Maguire|22 November 2017
We’ve covered the Distance Matrix and Truck Routing APIs in the last articles and now it’s time to turn our attention to the Isochrone API. The API contains many features, some of which allow you to:
- determine optimal travel-times
- determine optimal travel-distance isolines
- factor in multiple transport modes
- take predictive traffic into consideration
- avoid routes that use tolls or highways
With the API, you can easily answer business questions such as –
‘what IT Support technician can arrive onsite with the customer within the next 60 minutes?’
‘where should I live if I don’t want to drive more than 60 minutes to the office?’
The API can provide this functionality by using “isochrones” and gives business more control over their fleet management operations and journey planning.
For the curious, an isochrone is a line drawn on a map which connects points at which something happens or arrives at the same time (side note – isochrones have been used in transportation planning since 1887 or earlier!).
The Isochrone API
The Isochrone API and its complexity have been packaged up in an easy to consume REST endpoint which has been designed to support customisable parameters. These are some of the attributes that can be supplied to the isochrone API:
- start point
- routeMode (driving [default], walking or transit)
- route avoid
- max distance
- depart time
- max time
With these attributes, you simply construct the request and submit them to the Isochrone API endpoint which will then generate an array of latitude/longitude points that describe the isoline. With the theory out of the way, let see how we can consume the API.
Performing a calculation and consuming the API
Consuming the Isochone API is straight forward, you construct http requests with the required parameters and submit them to the API endpoint. Note – you need a subscription key prior to submitting any requests to the Isochrone API. You can get a subscription key here.
Consider the following example:
A take-away business has a fleet of electric cars used to deliver food to their customers, each vehicle has a maximum range of 150 miles on a fully charged battery.
The business wants to be able to determine which customer locations the vehicles can reach and return to base without having to stop and recharge the vehicle.
To help solve this problem we can supply the following parameters to the Isochrone API:
- maxDistance: 75 miles (150 miles round trip)
- distanceUnit: mile
- optimize: distance
- travelMode: driving
- waypoint: Delivery company’s shop latitude/longitude (London)
Constructing the request
In the following screen shot, you can see a sample request to the endpoint (using Postman):
When submitted to the Isochrone API, a collection of isochrone polygons is returned which detail latitude/longitude pairs where electric vehicles can fulfill deliveries as per our parameters and constraint of a 150-mile round trip.
In the following screenshot below, you can see a subset of the JSON response that gets returned by the Isochrone API.
This collection of coordinates can then be used to overlay polygon areas on a BING Map, thereby giving businesses rich visualisations as illustrated in the screenshot below:
For reference, the entire URL used in the PostMan request:
Consuming the API in a programming language of your choice is straight forward. Thereby making it easy for developers to integrate the Isochrone API with existing software products:
We’ve just ran through one example where the Isochrone API can be helpful. Other use cases where isochrones can be used include might be:
Stolen Vehicle Recovery
Where could a vehicle have traveled to since it was stolen?
Where could I walk to within 30 minutes of where I am?
Emergency Services Planning
Where could an emergency vehicle travel to within 5, 10, and 15 minutes?
Identify catchment areas for the placement of consumer ads (proximity marketing), e.g. the target audience may live within a 15-minute walk of a local park.
Isochrones can help recruitment agencies “surface” locations when looking to fill location specific roles, thereby allowing recruitment agents to pin-point to the postcode, where prospective candidates should ideally live.
The following links contain further information regarding the Isochrone API and a demo application that allows you to see it in action:
Detailed Feature Overview
Isochrone API Endpoint, Parameter Reference and Code Samples
You can experiment with the Isochrone API, get an understanding of the APIs and parameters as well trial out some of the other use cases for the technology.
From a developer’s perspective, these APIs and services have been packaged up into easy to use APIs that can integrate seamlessly with your existing business solutions.
Want to learn more about the Isochrone API? Please call the Grey Matter mapping specialists:
+44 (0)1364 655 133 or email: [email protected]
Contact Grey Matter
If you have any questions or want some extra information, complete the form below and one of the team will be in touch ASAP. If you have a specific use case, please let us know and we'll help you find the right solution faster.
Software Architect, Consultant, Developer, and Microsoft AI MVP. 15+ years’ experience architecting and building solutions using the .NET stack. Into tech, web, code, AI, machine learning, business and start-ups.
Acrobat Pro is now the complete all-in-one PDF and e-signature solution that helps everyone do business faster across locations and devices with 100% digital document workflows.
Intel and Google are working together to drive high-performance computing forward on Google Cloud with the release of the Cloud HPC Toolkit. | <urn:uuid:cc5135b9-7b0f-4787-86d5-d2a3c9dc8b71> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://greymatter.com/content-hub/microsoft-bing-maps-time-specific-isochrone-api/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572408.31/warc/CC-MAIN-20220816151008-20220816181008-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.870546 | 1,437 | 2 | 2 |
Preventing and responding to domestic gender-based violence is a socio-cultural and political stake. Various public policies, including development ones, address this subject but if we consider their implementations several discrepancies, gaps and contradictions emerge. Focusing on Senegal, INRES is aimed at exploring the socio-cultural dynamics on which this phenomenon is grounded by sizing: a) the different representations of gender-based violence and of injustice in men’s behaviours towards women that circulate among pertinent distinct social actors (i.e. state officers, lawyers, NGOs personnel, women and, in a broader sense, citizens); b) how legal procedures and guidelines are effectively implemented in this domain, considering the practical norms that are deployed in divergence of official ones; c) which uninstitutionalised patterns of handling domestic gender-based violence are spread in the social arenas and the meanings that legitimate them. From a theoretical point of view INRES proposes an approach that combines in a seminal fashion different research fields of anthropology (of development and public polices, of law and of gender and kinship), integrating social history and gender studies and being committed with the purposes of a public anthropology. | <urn:uuid:8b8b9dd7-a137-4e28-9566-ab0b04ead4cc> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/797629 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572408.31/warc/CC-MAIN-20220816151008-20220816181008-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.929725 | 235 | 1.914063 | 2 |
Simple yet comprehensive: A Climate Smart Agriculture Rapid Appraisal prioritization tool for outscaling CSA practices
Using participatory methods, scientists are now working with farmers to understand climate impacts on farming systems and rural livelihoods and to identify locally appropriate climate-smart solutions.
Temperature and rainfall in East Africa are increasingly variable but farmers’ ingenuity and enthusiasm among researchers keeps agriculture moving in the Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor of Tanzania (SAGCOT).
Recently, a team of researchers from the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) in collaboration with Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) carried out a Climate Smart Agriculture Rapid Appraisal (CSA-RA) in four districts in the SAGCOT. Under a project funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) aiming to promote wide-scale adoption of locally appropriate CSA practices, CIAT is using the CSA-RA as a simple yet powerful tool to assess within and between district variations in farming systems, agricultural management practices, challenges for current agricultural practices, and climate vulnerability among farmers.
The CSA-RA tool comprises farmer workshops with good gender and youth representation; expert interviews, farmer interviews and farm observations. It uses village resource maps; climate calendars, historical calendars, cropping calendars and institutional mapping as part of its participatory methods.
The power of the CSA-RA is amazingly evident in the information gathered. In all the four districts, unreliability of the onset and cessation of the rains, uncertainty about the duration of the rainy season, occurrence of too much rainfall, and the long dry spells that fall within the cropping season were identified as major constraints. The associated identified impacts included: influx of pests and diseases associated with too much rainfall, water scarcity, famine, loss of livestock, and migration, especially for men who abandon their families. On average households experience 2-3 months of food deficit and in order to survive they engage in off-farm employment, small business and kiosks, sale of livestock, growing irrigated crops along valley bottoms, and remittances.
So what are the perceived constraints to adoption of CSA by farmers in the SAGCOT? Several bottlenecks were reported and as one farmer said, due to the constraints “kilimo hakina tija” which loosely translates to “the many constraints are making farming less beneficial.” Commonly mentioned barriers include: access to markets, inappropriateness of the practices for the particular landscape; social preferences, for example, some local varieties have attributes preferred over improved varieties; lack of financial capital, for example, women lack capital to purchase fruit trees such as oranges; lack of technical knowledge/assistance, for example, farmers in Mbarali lacked knowledge on budding to adopt fruit tree seedling production; land tenure, farmers in Kilolo were reluctant to practice soil improvement on rented plots; labour, for example, in Mbarali row planting is considered to be more time consuming; and accessibility of inputs.
With the numerous challenges, are there opportunities for scaling up CSA in the SAGCOT? Indeed, there is a high potential for developing and implementing locally appropriate CSA technologies across SAGCOT, including: use of information and communication technology such as short message service, workshops and seminars; mobilizing and leveraging local institutions and farmer groups; farmer-to-farmer extension; expansion through successful farmer-driven demo plots; focus on long-term resilience of farming systems that can cope with climate uncertainty and variability; and focus on soil health improvement.
Overall, the CSA-RA highlighted the challenges facing farmers in four districts across the SAGCOT and identified key next steps for identifying and implementing locally appropriate CSA practices across the region. CIAT will use the CSA-RA to inform site selection for land health surveys and intra-household gender surveys planned in the SAGCOT. In addition, the information from the CSA-RA will be used to help prioritize CSA initiatives in the SAGCOT and Tanzania. The CSA-RA manual and reports are available here: http://dx.doi.org/10.7910/DVN/28703
Kelvin Mashisia Shikuku, Caroline Mwongera, Wendy Okolo, Leigh Winowiecki, Jennifer Twyman and Peter Laderach all work at CIAT on several interdisciplinary iniatives to out-scale CSA technologies in East Africa. | <urn:uuid:32628bb9-7963-48c6-9122-2f83275b86ba> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://ccafs.cgiar.org/news/simple-yet-comprehensive-climate-smart-agriculture-rapid-appraisal-prioritization-tool-outscaling | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572408.31/warc/CC-MAIN-20220816151008-20220816181008-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.919996 | 918 | 3.203125 | 3 |
South Port IT co-ordinator Dylan von Sommaruga with some devices refurbished to be donated to the community.
In his decade in IT, Dylan von Sommaruga has always been irked by the amount of electronic waste that goes to landfill.
“They’re [IT equipment] replaced fairly often, every three to four years … and there’s no real easy way to dispose of them.”
It is estimated about 80,000 tonnes of e-waste is generated in New Zealand each year, with only 2% of that being recycled.
So when he came on board as South Port’s IT co-ordinator in September, he decided to do his part to combat it.
* Recycling unwanted electronics now cheaper in Horowhenua
* Landfill fires lead to council plea not to throw batteries into kerbside bins
* Overhaul gives much-loved ReUse shops a new lease of life
Von Sommaruga has spent hundreds of hours going through three or four years of accumulated technology to refurbish it to be upcycled or recycled.
He’s partnered with RemarkIT and Digital Wings New Zealand, so the technology can either make its way to a community organisation, or have valuable assets such as gold, cobalt and copper retrieved from it.
“It took one to three hours per computer. I’ve just been working away on it in the background … It’s been quite an effort,” he said.
eDay’s once existed to dispose of electronic waste for free, but a lack of central government funding made them defunct in 2011, leaving no real cost-effective alternative, von Sommaruga said.
That’s not to say there isn’t demand for e-waste recycling.
Last year, TechCollect NZ partnered with The Warehouse Group to trial a free e-waste disposal program, collecting more than 43,000kg of e-waste between April and mid-November.
Warehouse Group chief sustainability officer David Benattar said 1558kg of that e-waste was recovered at the Noel Leeming Invercargill store.
It was usually price and access that was the biggest barrier to embracing e-waste recycling, von Sommaruga said, with most e-waste recycling offered in Southland coming at a cost to consumers.
He was hopeful all technology disposed of by South Port would be recycled in the same way going forward.
In July 2020, the Government announced electronic waste as one of its six ‘priority products’ for the establishment of a regulated product stewardship scheme.
The Ministry of Environment is currently working with stakeholders to co-design product stewardship schemes for each priority product group. | <urn:uuid:1c9c0a0c-3696-4024-b90d-5f3d5fd8f2b5> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://allgreenrecyclingservices.com/electronic-waste/south-port-taking-steps-to-combat-e-waste-issue/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571150.88/warc/CC-MAIN-20220810070501-20220810100501-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.95551 | 593 | 2.046875 | 2 |
The co-president of the International Committee of Parliamentarians for a Democratic Iran, Bob Blackman MP issued the following press release on Thursday, 17 December, following the House of Commons’ Foreign Affairs Committee publishing its report, No prosperity without justice: the UK’s relationship with Iran.
MPs support the Foreign Affairs Committee recommendation to proscribe IRGC
The House of Commons’ Foreign Affairs Committee published a report titled “No prosperity without justice: the UK’s relationship with Iran” on 16 December 2020.
The Foreign Affairs Committee states: “Iran’s malign regional actions challenge the values which underpin British foreign policy. International cooperation, safeguarding human rights, and upholding the rule of law are all weakened by Tehran.”
The British Committee for Iran Freedom (BCFIF) and the International Committee of Parliamentarians for a Democratic Iran wholeheartedly endorse and commend the work done by our colleagues in the Foreign Affairs Committee and share their recommendations to the Government in dealing with Iran.
The report asks that the UK government to “recognize and address the threat posed to ordinary people by the Iranian state.” It also urges “proscribing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in its entirety for its clear and enduring support for terrorists and non-state actors working to undermine stability in the region.” We entirely agree with this timely and important recommendation.
The IRGC is the main body responsible for the bloody crackdown on peaceful demonstrations by the Iranian people in November 2019, as noted by the UN Special Rapporteur on Iran. In addition, for years it has been wreaking havoc throughout the Middle East, as a result of which tens of thousands of innocent citizens have died.
Recalling that an Iranian diplomat was arrested in 2018 for masterminding a terror plot against the annual gathering of the NCRI near Paris, which, if not foiled, could have resulted in hundreds of deaths, and that Belgian federal prosecutors concluded that the attack had been ordered by the highest authorities in Iran, we consider the proscription of the IRGC as a terrorist entity is an appropriate initiative and should be complimented by a reduction of Iranian diplomatic representations in the UK as Tehran has continuously exploited its embassies for terrorist ends.
The report’s recommendation on making adequate use of “Magnitsky-Style Sanctions to target human rights abusers within Iran and acting for it abroad” is well placed.
The letter sent by seven UN Special Rapporteurs to the Iranian government in September 2020 states that “there is a systemic impunity enjoyed by those who ordered and carried out the extrajudicial executions” in 1988, which can be specified as crimes against humanity, making it subject to the said sanctions regime.
We totally agree with the conclusion of the reports which states: “The prime victims of the Iranian regime are the Iranian people. The UK needs to continue to express support for those suffering under the violence of the regime.”
Bob Blackman MP
Co-President of the International Committee
of Parliamentarians for a Democratic Iran
17 December 2020 | <urn:uuid:f343f942-3910-4bfa-8333-4f15436772bc> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://defendashraf.org/iran-uk-mps-support-the-foreign-affairs-committee-recommendation-to-proscribe-irgc/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572408.31/warc/CC-MAIN-20220816151008-20220816181008-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.953555 | 647 | 1.648438 | 2 |
Clothing makes the man—so goes the saying that is especially dear to the hearts of haberdashers. And certainly, it is true that what we wear affects us. Studies have suggested that children who go to school attired sloppily perform less effectively and behave worse than when they are cleaned up and dressed up. Be that as it may, there are several spiritual garments that we can ill afford to do without.
1. “Put on Christ.” “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Gal. 3:27, KJV; NASB reads: “have clothed yourselves with Christ”). “Put on” means to “sink into a garment”; to “invest with clothing.” The baptism that clothes the believer in Christ refers, not to water baptism, but to the “one baptism” of Ephesians (4:5b), the baptism of the Holy Spirit, that filling and indwelling that occurs at the moment of the new birth. We put on Christ, then, when by grace we are saved through faith. Every believer is from that moment eternally robed in the garment of Christ. It never comes off because it is perfect, beautiful, and appropriate for every occasion. It cannot be soiled by sin or the sin nature, so it never requires cleaning. It is the garment of heaven—the one thing required to enter there. Every man, woman, and child who enters heaven must have put on Christ.
2. “Put on the new self.” Paul explains that believers have “laid aside the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him” (Col. 3:9b, 10). The “old self” refers to our corrupt, sinful, depraved nature, whereas the “new self” speaks of our regenerate nature. The putting off of the old self and the putting on of the new have a judicial aspect that involves our eternal position before God: God pronounces those He has redeemed to be forever delivered from sin (the old self) and forever righteous (the new self). But in daily practice, the believer must “consider” himself dead to immorality, greed, etc., and to put aside such sins as anger and lying (3:5, 8, 9), i.e., put off the old self; at the same time, believers must set their minds on things above (3:2); that is, put on the new self. When we allow the old self to prevail, we produce the unfruitful works of darkness, which God must chasten. When the new self prevails, fruit and blessing are produced. The new self glorifies the Lord, edifies the brethren, and blesses the believer who “wears” it. In a similar vein, Paul commands the Roman believers to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts” (13:14). The oftener we consciously “put on” and “wear” that new nature, the sharper it looks and the better it fits. Worn often enough, the garment makes its wearer more and more indistinguishable from Christ.
3. “Put on the full armor of God.” Having put on Christ as a garment of righteousness and having begun daily to practice the putting off of the old self and the putting on of the new self, we are ready to put on the armor of God and do battle. Paul describes these vestments. Our loins are to be “girded . . . with truth,” our chest with the “breastplate of righteousness.” Our feet must be “shod” with “the preparation of the gospel of peace.” Additionally, we are instructed to take the “shield of faith,” as well as the “helmet of salvation” and the “sword of the Spirit” (Eph. 6:10-17). This armor prepares us for battling victoriously against Satan. He knows our weaknesses: should our shield of faith be down, should we forget the armor of truth, he will surely attack at those points. Should we neglect the sword of the Spirit, “which is the word of God” (v. 17b), we will face the enemy weaponless.
What are you wearing today? Are you clothed in the filthy rags of unrighteousness and the rotting garments of the flesh? Or have you, by faith, put on Jesus Christ? And having done so, are you walking in the Spirit, having put on the new self, or are you allowing yourself to be defeated by the old self? Are you wearing the armor the Lord has provided, or are you battling without armor—a sure prelude to defeat. Take a few moments to get properly dressed each day, and you will not be embarrassed or defeated.
Previous Page | Next Page | <urn:uuid:a9abc212-95a4-4f56-9afc-a046a61c4c46> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://gbcurbana.com/GraceNotes/tabid/122/ID/9822/PUT-ON.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572163.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815085006-20220815115006-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.960184 | 1,091 | 2.0625 | 2 |
CBD oil for Dog Seizures
Going right on through a situation that is medical dog seizures along with your pup is usually the absolute most stressful and worrying times during the your lifetime. Seeing the fight your dog goes through and never focusing on how to aid them takes its cost on any pet parents. Puppy seizures is usually those times, and seeing your furry friend that is little an episode could be extremely frightening. Fortunately medical technology is constantly enhancing and learning new stuff that will replace the globe. In this article i am within the results that are amazing oil for dog seizures is having for families everywhere and what this implies.
What exactly is CBD?
CBD (cannabidiol) is just an ingredient found in hemp this is certainly constantly doing amazing things for the medical industry. Lots of the positive negative effects of medical marijuana would be the outcome of this miracle substance. But unlike medical cannabis if the CBD ingredient is taken away through the hemp plant it includes small to no THC this means there’s no psychoactive impact.
This is just what causes it to be ideal for dogs with seizures, THC are toxic to your dog which rules away medical cannabis but whenever removed CBD could be incredibly useful! Similar to humans, dogs have actually a system that is endocannabinoid makes use of CBD to make various reactions inside their figures, for instance having the ability to perhaps reduce dog seizures.
CBD oil and Seizures
CBD oil has received a growing desire for the medical field when term of their miracle properties started circulating every-where. Among the tales was in a youngster named Charlotte whom benefited extremely using this CBD element reducing her seizures and getting her back on her behalf feet.
Charlotte’s instance had been revolutionary and had been done being a resort that is last by the household, but since that time there were many quantities of experiments regarding the outcomes of CBD. A majority of these tests have already been done on pets also people and also this is fantastic for dogs.
As these studies, there are lots of types of CBD oil for dog seizures being http://purekanacbdoil.com extremely advantageous to our dog for over simply seizures. CBD oil for dogs can lessen risks of cancer tumors, joint pains, and anxiety all while reducing the quantity and period of seizures.
Let me reveal a 2019 research by the University of studying, the University of Washington, and Cambridge that speaks in regards to the effectation of CBD oil for animals seizures. Though dogs aren’t the main focus associated with the scholarly research there was fat towards the outcomes pertaining to CBD oil for dogs.
CBD oil for dog seizures
Most of us have heard some great benefits of medical cannabis plus some associated with miracles individuals claim it’s done for them, but marijuana are damaging to dogs. In it making it perfect for any furry friend out there like I said before CBD oil for dog seizures has little to no THC. Some cannabis oil could be THC free and also this may be safe for the dog, but, CBD for dogs is probably to be THC free (you might want to double check nevertheless) and will also be tailored to give probably the most advantageous assets to our four-legged friends no matter what they are working with.
Seizure medicine for dogs also can have negative effects that might cause disquiet within our dogs. Where CBD has one side that is minor of perhaps causing short-term drowsiness, that is amazing for what amount of advantages it offers.
There was a number that is large of and recommendations from animal moms and dads giving their story of just exactly how CBD has aided their furry buddies conquer dog seizures, anxiety, as well as cancer tumors. This ingredient based on the hemp plant is doing the thing that was when looked at as wonders, as well as the undeniable fact that CBD oil for dogs seizures will be sustained by therefore many individuals goes to exhibit exactly how amazing this CBD element undoubtedly is. | <urn:uuid:2e1f330b-9034-4df6-83d4-bcc021f9d18c> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://parigimontparnasse.com/2019/12/16/cbd-oil-for-dog-seizures-9/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571993.68/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814022847-20220814052847-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.974688 | 801 | 1.65625 | 2 |
Introduction: Rhinestone and 3D Print Molecule Necklaces
I was looking at some projects on the site the other day and saw a laser cut Serotonin necklace and thought it would be fun to make a 3D printed version that also has rhinestones! I fiddled with the design until It came out just the way I wanted it and this is the results! I thought Serotonin was a good molecule for this project but decided to branch out and so far I have also made Dopamine, Adrenaline, GABA, and Caffeine. I'll talk a little about each molecule in Step 2.
If anyone is interested in the designs with holes instead of inserts for Rhinestones, let me know. It should be a fairly quick and easy process to adapt the design for that.
If you are interested in molecules but not as necklaces, check out these molecule ornaments.
Step 1: Supplies and Files
- 3D Printer of choice - I have a Prusa MK3
- 1.75mm PLA Filament in color of choice - I used...
For Jewelry Making:
Step 2: Designing the Molecules
I used Tinkercad to design the molecules and it was a very finicky process (not because of Tinkercad but because of the way I wanted the design to look).
I started by designing the parts I needed to make it. This consisted of an oval cylinder and a cylinder with a cone cutout for a rhinestone. I used an oval cylinder for the connector pieces because I didn't want those pieces to just be normal rectangles, I wanted to soften it up a bit and give it some more detail.
In order to get the dimensions about right, I started by bringing in a basic design of the molecule and then scaling it to the length and width I wanted. When I had that, I took my starting pieces and started putting it together. Above you can see how I worked to get the 3 piece intersections and 2 piece intersections to make sure the corners and joins all looked right. Once I finished a design, I constantly exported it and brought it into the slicer to find any errors. Then I went back to Tinkercad and made alterations and repeated the process until I had the final design I wanted.
Since some of the molecules were similar, when I could, I worked with a finished design and altered it to make the new design such as Dopamine and Adrenaline.
I ended up making:
- Serotonin - well-being and happiness
- Dopamine - reward-motivated behavior (also sometimes considered the pleasure-seeking molecule)
- Adrenaline - causing increased heart rate, it is the molecule of energy
- Caffeine - is a psychoactive drug, known for causing awakeness
- GABA (gamma-Aminobutyric acid) - reduces excitability / anti-anxiety
Step 3: Print!
I didn't really do anything special for printing except for the 100% infill to make them as sturdy as possible.
Step 4: Gluing
Start by gluing the rhinestones in their spots. Tweezers make it easier to put the rhinestones down on the glue.
Step 5: Assemble the Necklace
Make it however you want, but for mine, I took two pieces of fine chain at about 6.5" long and connected them to the molecule using the 4mm jump rings.
On the other end of the chains, I attached the larger jump ring to one and the clasp to the other.
Step 6: All the Molecules!
Any other molecules you think would make cute pendants? Share your ideas :)
Step 7: Serotonin
Step 8: Dopamine
Step 9: Adrenaline
Step 10: Caffeine
Step 11: GABA
Participated in the | <urn:uuid:ec70c740-2ebd-488f-a5cf-cb8c98749c38> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.instructables.com/Rhinestone-and-3D-Print-Molecule-Necklaces/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572163.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815085006-20220815115006-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.961919 | 817 | 1.9375 | 2 |
These days, you can get everything you need on the internet. You can shop online, bank online and even see a doctor online. Online gambling is big too. Online casinos these days offer anything from plain vanilla slots to amazing 3D video slots to roulette, poker and baccarat. If you enjoy card games, you’ll love learning and playing Teenpatti online.
Another area where the modern internet is having a big impact is the entertainment industry. Until recently, almost every American home was sure to contain at least one TV, but this is changing. Now that there are so many free streaming services, more and more people are choosing to ditch traditional television and get their fix of news, series, movies and documentaries online.
What You’ll Need
The most vital requirement for successful streaming is a fast and reliable internet connection. There’s nothing worse than trying to watch a movie that suddenly freezes just at the most exciting moment or watching a news report where the newscaster’s mouth gets stuck in a toothy grimace. While at the same time, you twiddle your thumbs impatiently and check whether you’re getting late for your next appointment.
Most streaming services run on download speeds of 3-25 Mbps or higher. In fact, it’s a good idea to have a connection that’s quite faster than that, just to be on the safe side. Several of the top internet providers (like Xfinity, Verizon, and AT&T) offer speeds of up to 5,000 Mbps and not lower than 50 Mbps.
The easiest way to start streaming is to invest in a smart TV. If you have a smart TV, chances are it’ll automatically set everything up for you and offer pre-loaded streaming services. If not, you can also stream TV on any smartphone. This is a great option if you want your TV at your fingertips while you wait in queues or travel on public transport. However, be warned, you’ll probably need an unlimited data plan to keep streaming smoothly!
If you’re using a streaming device with your existing TV, you’ll probably need to select the correct input options to get going. You should get nice simple on-screen instructions to guide you through the process.
The setting up process often includes connecting to the internet. If not, you’ll have to do that separately. Try the settings menu for internet options.
Once you’re connected to the internet, you’re ready to download the streaming app of your choice (smart TVs normally have popular apps conveniently listed on the home page). You’ll need to sign up for an account and sign in before you can start watching.
The big movie streaming services (e.g., Netflix, Disney+ and Paramount+) require you to sign up for an account and pay a monthly fee to use their services. On the other hand, it’s not that difficult to find movie streaming sites that enable you to watch movies for free, without creating an account and without doing anything illegal. | <urn:uuid:f77536ac-4e24-434b-8986-0a4be7b4f0fa> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://moviesflixpro.site/successful-streaming/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571150.88/warc/CC-MAIN-20220810070501-20220810100501-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.925931 | 644 | 1.601563 | 2 |
Microsoft Windows operating system comes preloaded on most new personal computers (PCs) and laptops and is what enables you to complete all types of everyday task on your computer like browsing the Internet, checking your email, editing digital photos, listening to music, playing games, and much more.
The current version is Windows 10 but other versions, (XP, 8, 7, Vista), are still supported.
You can find out what version you are running at this link.
The following simple tutorials will help you understand Windows and enable you to use all the facilities that are available:
Data files that are stored on your device have name follwed by a 3 or 4 letter extension that tells you about the characteristics of the file and how it is used e.g. whether it is a picture/photo, a text document or a spreadsheet.
When you double click on a file it will result in that file being opened by a a specific program that is set as the defualt program for that file extension. Each standard file extension will have a default program asscociated with it. These are also known as file associations.
You can change the default program for any file extension to suit your needs.
You can open a file with a different program by "Right clicking" the file, selecting "Open with" and then selecting the required program. This will NOT change the default program.
More information is available at the following links:
An A-Z index of all file extensions is available at this link. Click on an extension and you will be directed to a detailed description of the file type.
Microsoft Office is a suite of application software that can be used to type letters and envelopes, create spreadsheets, make labels, and produce presentations for your home or office.
Continue to find out more about Microsoft Office at:
If you found this useful please share it | <urn:uuid:7884b95c-cb28-4a72-a626-c57138f2c1ce> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://myadvicegateway.org/windows-operating-system/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572163.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815085006-20220815115006-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.919776 | 388 | 3.078125 | 3 |
Posted on Nov 19, 2021, 2:23 PMUpdated Nov 19, 2021, 3:11 PM
Why pay millions of dollars for an image of a CryptoPunk when all you need to do is right click, “Save Image As…” to own it? To whom the logic of NFTs (non-fungible tokens) escapes, as well as the underlying principle of digital art work, the Australian developer and artist Geoffrey Huntley offers a new meeting place: “The NFT Bay”.
The site takes up the old logic of illegal downloading of films and music: if a work exists, its copy is also on the internet and it will do the trick, especially since it is free. To hit the mark, the portal even monkeys the famous Swedish site BitTorrent links “The Pirate Bay” – now banned in several countries. A search engine allows you to get your hands on NFTs – well, the jpeg images that refer to them, and that is the whole debate. There is also a 17.96 terabyte archive with all NFTs from the Ethereum and Solana blockchains.
The risk of a 404 error
The interest of the approach escapes you even more than the denounced phenomenon? Geoffrey Huntley does have an explanation, which he shares in a post on GitHub. “Basically, I hope that through ‘The NFT Bay’ people will come to understand what they are really buying with NFT works. These are nothing more than instructions on how to upload an image. Image that is not hosted on the blockchain. The majority of those I’ve seen are stored on Web 2.0 servers, which will probably end up on a 404 error page one day. ”For him, that means“ NFTs are even less valuable ”.
According to Steve Mitobe, however, founder of WestCoastNFT interviewed by the specialized site “CoinTelegraph”, “the standard, for most NFTs, is to use Arweave or IPFS technology”. The protocol (InterPlanetary File System) is a distributed peer-to-peer file system that does not rely on centralized servers. It is therefore a guarantee because the images are not all in the same basket.
Right-Click, Save As
“The NFT Bay” attracts the curious. Half a day after being put online, the site has already attracted 1.2 million visitors, according to its creator. Under the announcement of its launch on Twitter, two clans are opposed: those who see it as proof that NFTs are useless, because they are now hacked, and those who recall that the value of these digital assets does not lie in the image itself but in the deed of ownership.
– geoff 👋 🇵🇹 (@GeoffreyHuntley) November 18, 2021
As the NFT market has gained weight ($ 10.7 billion in the third quarter of 2021, according to DappRadar, against 1.2 billion in the previous), Internet users have started to provoke the holders of non-reproducible tokens by downloading then posting the famous images on social networks. They have formed an informal movement known as “Right-Click, Save As”. This is not to be taken lightly. When the CEO of Discord indicated that the voice chat platform was going to support NFTs, he had to retreat in the face of an outcry from these opponents.
VIDEO. How NFTs are revolutionizing the art market
Twitter profile picture
In the camp opposite, token holders do not fail to take offense at these digital thefts on social networks. And that’s exactly where Geoffrey Huntley is coming from. For him, “the utility and value of NFTs will be created through social networks. For a lot of people, digital representation equates to physical representation and when Twitter or TikTok allows them to be posted on their profile, we will be at a crossroads ”. And that’s what Twitter intends to do.
The social network has recently been testing the integration of NFT, via the profile picture or a tab to present its collection – without claiming to authenticate the tokens itself, but rather by connecting to Coinbase or Metamask approved wallets. Not sure that this calms the debates. But ultimately, is it not in these games that the notion of art is born and with it, the value of NFT? | <urn:uuid:45310f9a-e070-4716-82e4-853c7924b96e> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://briardforce.com/with-the-nft-bay-digital-works-of-art-now-have-their-pirate-site/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572408.31/warc/CC-MAIN-20220816151008-20220816181008-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.957805 | 928 | 1.976563 | 2 |
Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1903-1919 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 27, 1918)
FRENCH GO THRU
Continued from page one)
since the morning of August 21, ex
At Bargain Pries Buy All-Wool Clothing While You Can
. ' -SAVE MONEY BY BUYING KOW
THE BIG CLOSING OUT SALE CONTINUES THROUGHOUT THE STORE
FOUR DAYS, Commencing SUNDAY, SEPT. 1
TWICE DAILY 2 AND 8 P. M.
THE DAILY CAPITAL JOURNAL, SALEM. OREGON TUESDAY, AUGUST 27. MS.
P M II
Accompanied By The Company's Own
H-itfti in a inni i i.rr J g , fff "" i it n -i i innii nn iiri mn n rniTHiiri i mm m
ONE MILLION FIGHTING MEN AND 20,000 HORSES IN ACTION
SQUADRONS OF AIRPLANES.-FLEETS OF ZEPPELINS. THE
CHARGE OF THE TANKS. THE DEADLY GAS AND FLAME PRO
JECTORS AT THEIR IIELLiSH WORK OF DESTRUCTION
Matinees: 25o50c-75c; Evening: 50c-75c-$L00
These Prices Are Universal Throughout The U. S. And Canada Under
Bond To D. W. Griffith. Children UnderSix Will Not Be Admitted
Seat sale starts Thursday 1 p. m. at the Oregon
look 1000 ITisoners
FarU, - Aug- "J. French troops ad
vanced toward Rove, this morning, af
ter repulsing several Counter attacks
in that region, the war t'uc announc
ed. The French advanced three quarters
of a mite east of Fagncux (t'ive miles
north nd west of Soiasons) yesterday
and repulsed a counter attack west of
Chavigny (oiid way between Baj;neux
Artillery fighting eontinued last
night between the Aisne nd the Ail
ette. The French took 1UH) prisoners
"South of the Avre, the French this
morning accentuated their progress in
the region of St. Mard (a mile and a
half west of Koye) after several Her
man counter attacks were repulsed,"
the communique said.
"In yesterday's fighting the French
took 1HH) prisoner including 36 offi
cers. "Between the Oise and the Aisne
late yesterday a German counter attack
west of Chavigny was repulsed and 30
prisoners taken. East of Hagneux, the
French carried their lines forward
1200 yards. Between the Aisno and the
Ailette artillery firing was active dur
ing the night"
lMlllHlllllllllIHMinillll!MIIIIIIIIIII1inilllllIlllllllHIIlllllllllllIllllHIIIinillllllIIlllllltho first of the week. Professor Morr
E " ' e l . 5 i is the head of tiro history at the Vuive
e UJar Summary of united Press ii.yfc,iifUmia.
- " - Miss L. Margaret Hall of Sulem, is en
1485th Day of the War, 41st Day of Counter Offensive
By Lowell Mellett
With the Hritish Armies in France
Aug. 7. (Noon) The Hritish launch- j
ed a new attack south of Hupunme at ;
4:45 this morning with the prospect of j
unking the situation below that city
as precarious as it is above, where the
lino is actually beyond the city.
The New Zeilnndors aro on the north' j
cm outskirts of Bnpanme, having tak- j
en Baugnatre (two miles northeast of j
the city) during the night. They cap- i
tured prisoners from three battalions,
including a battalion commander.
At the same time, Hritish troops aro i
moving eastward along the Scarpe,
Highlanders on the north and Can a-!
dians on the south, taking advantage j
of vestordav's important gains. 1
The British last night swept down
the slopes of tlenenil (three miles north
of Croiselles) and oes the advanced
trenches of the old Hindcnburg line.
These they captured easily, but they
found the 'Germans holding hard in the
The fighting below linpmimp is un
usually violent in places. The Oerintins
threw tho Kighty Seventh division into
Iiongueval Inst night, counter attack
ing and driving back the Hritish just
after the latter had scived the town.
This makes more than twenty divisions
(omiroximatelv 210,000 men) identified
opposite Gonernl B.vnill wny so far-
As yet, little euiirt mis neon maun
there is patrol fighting constantly on
Men's Iron HANSEN'S GORDON A Good
Clad and mm Assortment
' Beaver For Men HA13 of
Knit at 1130 Quality PAJATiIAS
it Regular ,
Hose REDUCED Now H,rilTani,I)T(,
25c Pair PRICES $245 NG.HJpS
. vLJ At Old Prices
BOYS' SILK .One Bargain General
S5 " r F
9hnrr Pnt 25c Each ,,or Aonic In the Rear of
Short Pants . M?n,g Values to $3.00 SHOES
20 Per Cent Neckties-' Now the Shoe Depart-
Less 25c $2.95 ment
2 for 25c
Corner Court And
Com'l Street, Salem.
Picardy front British after repuls-last defense of Rove and wete repotted
ing a series of desperate counter at
tacks between the Scarpe and the Bom
me last night, resumed their advance
on a wide front today.
The principal British attack was di
rected south of Bopaumo, in an effort
to complete encirclement of the city.
Iiajiauiue already is passed to the north
and New Zealand troops re firmly
establihed in the outskirts.
Along the Scarpe, Scotch and Can
adian troops are reported nearing
Flpuvain, which lies a mile and a half
beyond the old lines.
Further progress is being made a
long the Sonime, Suzanne, two miles
east of Bray on the north bank, has
been passed and the British are ap
proaching Uompierre, five miles south
east of Bray and south of the river.
The French today broke down the
within less than a mile of the town
which also is being menaced from the
north by the British. French troops al
so are strongly attacking in tho Noyon
region and along the Ailette.
Spain Foreign Minister Dato an
nounced that Germany had conceded all
of Spain's demands regarding submar
ine warfare. -
Xurvray Germany has expressed her
willingness to compensate Norway for
any vessels sunk outside the danger
zojie, providing it is established they
Russia The railway strike in Uk
raine has been resumed and 4l),W)0 arm
ed peasants are reported to be opposing
the Germans and Ukrainian troops.
SUNDAY CROWD LARGE
AT BEACH RESORT
Newport And Nye Beach Are
. More Popular Than Ever
Hofer was assisted in the flag raising
by several officers and soldiers from
Agali beach and Monterey camps.
The bi-monthly officers ball Wedres
day evening was as usual one of the
pleasantest social features of the week.
This probably will be the last function
of its kind this season.
Mrs, E. 1'. Mulkey of Salem, is num
bered among the latest guests at the
New Cliff house, at Nye beach.
Mrs. K. llofer, Mrs. A. A. By nun and
joying a short vacation at Xyo bcaen at
tho now Cliff house.
Miss LeVcine Gibson of Salem, arriv
ed recently and is a guest at the Uu
Mr. and Mrs. Otto Byerley 'of Sulem
arc passing tho remainder of the month
at tho Nicolui.
Mrs. W, H. Fitts of Salem, came in a
few days ago and is at the Xew Cliff
Mr. and Mrs. George C. Will of Salem,
are among the latest, guests to arrive at
3. K. Currie of Sulem, is enjoying a
short outing at Newport this week,
Mr. and Mrs. M. 1.. Hulbert and fam
ily and Mrs. H. B. Fear of Independmce
are encamped at Yhittens this wetk.
Judge and Mrs. H. F. Khodcs of lit
Miunvillc arrived during the week audi"
are domiciled at ozy camp.
Mrs. W. U. Alien of Halcm came in
a few days ago for a short visit.
Mrs. J. 1). Guffrier of McMinnville,
is enjoying a brief vacation at "'ye
bearh at Rose city campground.
Mr. and Mrs. I'. 8. l'uge of Salem, are
numbered among the latest arrivals at
Nye Beach at Sunny side lodge,
Mr. and Mrs. C. V. Marshall of Mc
Minnville, are enjoying the season, es
tablished at Cozy camp,
Mr. and Mrs,
arrived during the week and will pass
the balance of the month here. .
Miss Helen Pierce of Salem, fame in
Sunday to pass the rest of the month
with her sister, Dorothy, who is at the
Mr. and Mrs. R. M. Prindle and sun
Aug. 2i. (Night.) Onc more surprise
today lengthened the list the British
are visiting upon tho ilermnns on tho
old .Sonime battle field.
At 3 a. m. another six miles were
added to tho battle line in tho region
of tho Hcarpe. Hut this wns not a
surprise, as the Germans apparently hud
been expecting it.
The surprise camo when the moon
suddenly broke trough tho clouds a
bovo Grange hill, Chapel hill and tlio
landers surging to the attack.
Save when the moon appeared at
this moment, illuminating the earth,
the early morning advance was mndo
in the densest tlurkuss. The British
plans wero kept eipiully dark, One
prisoner testified to tho Binazement
felt by the bodies when they discover
ed the identify of the on coming troops.
Tho Cnuadiuiia only recently wero
known to be near Amiens, where they
participated gloriously in the opening
of Iho present offensive, while tho
Highlanders were lust heard from har
assing tho Gorman lino fur to tho south
ward. Passing through Arras today I saw
a column of a thousand prisoners, head
ed by a dozen officers. Their general
physique was poor, in contrast to the
prisoners taken farther north.
UNDER DOUBLE FIRE
By Webb Mill
Paris, Aug. 27 (10 a. m ) General
Mangin hus won possession of high
ground south of Crecy-Au-Mont, from
where the German positions north and
east of Soissons are being heavily shell
ed. These positions are now subjected
to a double fire, as they are also be
ing shelled from the French line along
the Aisne, east of Hoissons.
Along the whole active front the
French continue to soeuro "jumping
off" places for further operations.
AIRMEN DO GOOD WORK.
By Frank J. Tylor.
With the American Armies in France,
Aug. 20. (Night.) American patrols
ha I the best of some encounters in
the Tool and Woevre regions today.
In the Tool area, nn American patrol
killed and wounded four boi'hes. lur-
intr a iiatrol encounter in the Woevre,
an American doughboy was wounded in
Ill HII I
FOR COUGHS AND COLDS
A Mmty Cnlelum compound iht f"
SmiiOs u uu I n it vhrnntfl Iiimk sua tlinmt
lr"i!hli, A tiilil'-ri"toi-Hllvt tri:.iil
limit harmful Vr huUH-Ioriulns Uinta,
t ry lliuu luduy,
SO cents a box, including war tax
f lijr alt lrnlst
b'huiuil Labui-HluJ-jr, i'li.lu. lochia
AMERICANS ON VE8LE.
By Fred S. Ferguson,
(Fiiited Press staff correspondent)
With the American Annies in Fiance,
Aug. 27 American patrols continue to
maintain contact with the Germans
and there is no i-liiim-e of the enemy
, , i t...u..t
jo piaces nyii.aci.ii.cK.... .......... j slipping off and withdrawing from the
struck h in between the. knee and the v M . . ... . ......... .
lieved to eontitute a record number o?
wounds received during a minutes' skir
mishing without causing death. .
Another American soldier despite a
torn face and a stomach wound from
three entered his calf and three ; " " ? " ''"'
his arm- Ho will recover. I his is be-, -.,, .,. .,, ,,, ,,,.
.......... , , ,.
combed Dm river front lust night and
Tho Amentum are now established
along the embankment of the main
Hoissons liti. ims railway. Between the
v eaini) . i . u railway ami me river is a sireien oi
il. M W'ebb of Dl.llaJ',;"lr,,P;' Ii'f ',' linf Z ion " varying in width from 100 to
he week and will VlJ'Z Con- "''!
Kr.?nale fragments, pri ced forwar4 anJ j
flan, Sunday, bombing railway track,, ' "'?"' "' I"'
1. 1..-.: . ammiinilinll ... ft .1 il ' I '
miming u' ni. --
of McMinnville, are numbered among! j,iBn,.(
lamasinir a round house,
were dropped. All our machines re
turned safely despite a terrific artillery
barrage and an encounter with German
Mrs. A. F. llofer and family of Balers, j the latest cottagers to arrive at ')'
returned home 'the last of the week af , beach,
ter a short outing at Agite beach. The Misses -Grace Thrapp and Jasse
Only outposts are maintained by the
hoe he south of the Vesle. Their main
lino is along the north bank and the
outpost are withdraw n to that posi
tion at night.
"Two years ago my stomach trouble
Cross nindenburg Lin.
Lnndon. Am?. 27. Progress along the
By Ethel Too, e. j. Barnes of Salem, motored to mine of Halcm, came in last week end 'whole British front with further ad-
(Capital Journal Special Service.) Newport Saturday, to pass the week-end to e joy a few days visit at Hc Fern, nances in important sectors of the
Xewoort. Or- Auz. 27. In spite of with his familv. who are sumnicrinel The Misses Jessie and Ma Gibson of. French front, was shown in the official
h fa.- that the last weet in i:r'Jst . here. .Mi Huth Barnes ha, been siif-iHulem. arrived the last of tl. week lor , statements lsucI r-y J"c war oi t jj((t ,ttj that I almost
v . i .... ifering from an acute attack of bron-ia short outing at the beach. ,lst night. The British have passed tne,r f,r wj.h s, TM, tnnd' me very
i, af hand, there u at present no Ci- s . ,. v,..xt,n,,vHU i-'ol.l H.ad. nb..r line east of Arras and I,!;,., .;,.. I.t fall I ... al..i
listed visiting with friends at Nyc beach. ihave added materially to their gains overcome by one of these dizy spells
j Mrs. Welsh and daughters, Mildred .around Croisclles and slong the nortniwn;e driving my car, and ran it into a
and Alice of fcialem, are pasting th.!,l"" of the Homme. (telephone pole, badly wrecking the car.
!balne of the sf-iion at Re.l Fern. Confirmation of the capture of t res- A fri,.n, rernmniende-1 Msyr's Wonder-
tini.hiug of the popularity of this re- ,. M..Kinn: 0, ,.. u
sort. Last week end larger crowd ; mnr.g the retent capital city visitors
than ever before this summer, thronged at this beach. ,
the sandv beach and with the continu-j Miss Inez Filtr of alem, is cajoying
ng balmr weather there is no doubt's short vacation at this beach. j Mrs. Achal Bush and sons, Htewartln"." Ky " onUincd in the I ans ,f, kemrdy for my trouble. Hinre tak-
that manv tourists will prolong their! T. W. Jenks of ISalem, motored to'and Ashael. who have been ummi-rii.g!mn'M. ..... ling the frt . lose 1 have steadily irn-
Newport last week end to visit with bisjat Agate beach, went home last week,
famitv Ka ... tt.iA..rnin7 mi va heachi lr. sn.l Ira. Care, farttn. tit Isiiletn.
tl,l. mminer Mr. Jenki made a record i arrived here recently and will remain i-' Stf
drive, making the trip in a little CT,the balance of the month.
Mrs. . Mints and daughter have re
that many tourists will prolong their
stay into (September.
A very impressive flag raising occur
red Saturday evening at the summer
home. Madianr jof Colonel E. Hofer,
ia honor of five men of the Hofer fant-jfuur hours.
ilr, who have volunteered their
to their eountrv. Those konored
demonstration were Mr. Hofer
Laurence, who is attending
chaser school on th Kcottisk eoast, Lt.i William Anderson of Salem, are domi
AHea Byaon, s son in-law. who is at Siei'.ed at Bonnyside lodge for the balance
motor trurk bas in the quartermasters of the season.
denartceot in France. Lt. Armin rVhrei-l Ms. John McNary, Mrs. W. T. fito.tr
0,-r. a sephew, who is in the e.igvwr kan4 children, Margaret and Richard, of j enjoying S brief vacation here, returned
corps at Petershf.rongh, Vs.. mi, i-ow, Hsiem, esme in recently ana a gucn;r.onio me iat c,r tne wee.
s former O. A. C. foo'.t all star, who is ia of ta lamo.
the submarine chaser service at Paul Mr. snd Mrs. Edward Weill
Pcdrn aad Lt. Everett Mav. the fiane icm nd Profemr snd Mrs.
.ef Mis Marie Hofer, wk is serving Morris of Berkeley, who have bea mra-S where they will remsia a month. I)W0 mt.,, rcturaed kome feut!y,
i!k tk srtUlery ia Trance. Coloatl' mcrisg st Seal. Bocks, ssotorcd sods Mrs. E. E. McAckes, Mrs. Taosaas
The Berlin n'mht statement reported , nr,lVfili ,., 1..,.. now than ever
British attacks extending north of the ia m, jjfe. Jt is s simple, harmless
which "mainly failed. ' tiret,aration that removes the catarrhal
stated that counter attacks are l'f' mucus from the intestinal tract and al
gressing in some pla'-cs and claimed the svi tne Inflammation which causes
.!.. ..n r.nTiii.vttl And Mont - A u ban. t ,t.iK, .fi i. H,1 ln.,.
seme Mr. and Mrs. trans: Pmith of iNilew, tumea to tneir Borne HMlca, aner s . . . "mUl. reported re- t.l...i .,,li,iHt
by tMs are numbere.1 smong th, latest eotts-j fortnight 's jurn at this res..rt. . , . .tt.eks In the regios",.. .hi . ,...
s son, gers to arrive at Cherry City. Miss Charlotte ( roisan of Kalem, who ' v.k, ...i iAaet.emarca. north r n i'.r wt.i ttr..v iHtr.r
s submsrir.el ; Mr. sad Mrs. P. J. Johnms snd Mis. has been the house guest of Muriel Hte-I , ,. M . .,-,i,.
res at Nye beseh for ten dayi returned
home the lat of the week,
Mr. and Mrs. B. N. Endicott snd dan
ghter Gertrude, of Kalem, who have been
BRITISH GAIN SIX MILES.
By Lowell Mellett,
With the British Armies ia France
Mr. snd Mrs. W. P. Lord snd dang.it. r Roberts, Mrs. Eddie Wllon and Miss forval
Her, of Ba-;F.iiia.th of Halcm, paww-d thro ?wP"rKunane Craig, of Kab m ho have beenls.lye in
s. Wiiiiam reeently on thir wsy to K.al R'k" .nf0ttag'-d at W'hittene tampground for! ting ordl
A mast meeting in the Interest of lo
cal church federation a held at En
gen last Wednesday night, but DO
definit action was taken.
forvallis' eottnell has taken the re-
enforce the city's weed eot-
.2... V . w.Il I . ( IaI I . '
.11.11 mq au-.n u'.w .-...-v. v.,
Hn Francisco, Aug. 27. California
went to the polls today to nominate s
war time governor.
With eight cnndiilutes In tho field
tho warmest race was conceded to be
.between Governor WilliBin I). Htophens,
ii-liosen successor of Henutor Hiram W.
Johnson and Mayor Jumes ltolpli of
Both Kolph nod Htephens rusted
their case largely on a platform of
t'enrrying out ilirum Johnson's pol
For tho ileinocrntlc nomlnstion Fran
cis J, lleney win opposml to Thomas
J.eo Woolwino of Iw.s Angeles, Itorph
flso was on Aim dennferntie. ticket,
And on thn progressive, ticket as well,
Charles ,M. Fiekert, the district at
torney who prosecuted the preparedness
pnra'le bomb cases, J. G - Hays. Hnn
rlose publisher, ('. A. McGee of Han
illiego and Judge. Walter M. Hordwell
iwero other candidates for tho republl-
sun numiiiation. '
11 1 ' ' 1 r .
IT CAN'T BE DONE
WS AH I Too Old
sisvica ih CAHNma
So utl irt nowi
AfieitHfrt SHimsiii whjkii or Tmsmi t
I5THM reofLf vmnwnrw iMSOtRtHKl I
tTOlM STll OB VlllVrtJ Vfc,(t6lJ!V
I Aiist wmuis binniiligN"
1 . 1 WM.IUM,0.(n .
Horn cannert must not expect
stale or wilted vegetables to be good
when canned. Everything must be
fresh. See the free book, sent for,
two cents to pay postage, by the
National War Garden Commission,
Washington. D. C.
.. 1 ! 1 J
... -I . . .'iF
fc isa All U'ussus buusauw
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Court and Commercial | <urn:uuid:41895ded-c447-4506-ba84-1fc191f5e056> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn99063957/1918-08-27/ed-1/seq-3/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572163.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815085006-20220815115006-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.85251 | 6,436 | 1.523438 | 2 |
The Arashiyama and Sagano places are well-known and recommended for tourists, since there tend to be many popular temples and shrines here. Site visitors also can enjoy breathtaking autumn leaves, and cherry flowers when you look at the springtime. The location is dotted with historical internet sites, some quite a distance aside, so it may be tough regarding sightseer’s feet. Some individuals just take trains or buses, that are fairly easy, nevertheless the disadvantage of the is the fact that customer cannot stop and see things at their leisure. Employing a rental bike is a great method, but only for those people who have sufficient actual strength. There was, however, another means which overcomes the downsides of sleep. That's the rickshaw, an original mode of transport with two big rims and a man to pull it.
You'll find rickshaw parked up close to the Togetsukyo Bridge in Arashiyama. Rickshaw motorists cannot only simply take people for their location like a taxi, additionally provide tours of temples and shrines with a detailed explanation and enjoyable chitchat.The many appealing thing about driving rickshaws may be the individuals who pull all of them. We interviewed several of those unique guides and would now choose to connect with you one thing of these substantial allure.
We very first requested all of them why they truly became rickshaw motorists, plus they all assented it was to take-up the challenging work of assisting tourists enjoy Kyoto.They work since difficult as they can to put a grin to their clients’ faces.One unique thing they do is hand out information on temples and shrines which regularly will not come in guide books.How do they understand much about temples and shrines? One motorist stated, ”When we begin carrying this out work, we have been taught just the fundamental details about these locations, but we soon think it is isn't sufficient. Individually, We see numerous places in this area back at my day off to enhance my familiarity with the area.” I think it is great that the drivers voluntarily study to flesh from information they've, and work out their particular guides.
They constantly take care of the passengers, and are extremely considerate.That is, they frequently do stuff that they feel passengers would like them to accomplish before these are typically expected. There's no manual. They by themselves are often thinking about what they can do to please their people.For example, once the sunshine is strong, they pull-down the most notable so the sunshine will not dazzle the passenger’s eyes.
Though this may appear to be a tiny thing, people do enjoy it. Once the season to view breathtaking autumn leaves comes around, they've been really hectic and certainly will run up to 30 kilometers in a day. As soon as the red leaves tend to be past their particular top, visitors to the location reduce, however they still have to run about 20 kilometers everyday. Although everyone has self-confidence in their physical energy, it must be challenging operate for 30 kilometers pulling a rickshaw. They state that the pleased faces of their guests keeps them going and spurs all of them on.They frequently carry site visitors from international nations, so some drivers can speak English, but most of them do not. But they do make foreign visitors feel really welcome. They try to make themselves grasped with lots of gestures and a smattering of English terms. So that you can love Kyoto, i would recommend you drive a rickshaw if you obtain the possibility. On one last note, be sure to take a good look at these communications through the drivers to prospective foreign site visitors:
“to be able to appreciate Kyoto, kindly drive our rickshaws!” | <urn:uuid:2f21706b-e656-46bc-8c81-a0aef2b445d3> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | http://rickshaw.mobi/RickshawManufacturers/post182 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572408.31/warc/CC-MAIN-20220816151008-20220816181008-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.97124 | 783 | 1.71875 | 2 |
Validating user preference to support new product launch.
The last few weeks have brought huge changes to businesses and the world as a whole; we find ourselves in this surreal situation amid the Coronavirus pandemic. Governments across the world have encouraged working from home where possible, meaning that many businesses have been forced to adapt to new ways of working. While there is huge uncertainty about how businesses and the economy will be affected over the coming months, we do have insight into the positive and negative impacts, both for employees and employers, that working from home can have.
Employees – positives
Lack of commute
The COVID-19 lockdown has meant that the hassle of a commuting has been erased from many employees’ days. Commutes can take up a significant proportion of the day and our research with Visa found that 46% of consumers are actually seeing their commuting times increase. A lack of commute can mean improved stress levels and a better work life balance, as our research found that 52% of consumers get frustrated with the experience of public transport. Factoring out the time spent on a daily commute allows for more time, both at the start and end of the day, to focus on aspects of personal life such as family or exercise. In particular, during the lockdown people seem to be taking advantage of the extra time at home by exercising, when perhaps they wouldn’t have before.
A lack of commute also means that employees do not incur the costs of traveling back and forth to work each day, which can add up to a few hundred pounds saved a month. On top of this, there are savings to be made from no longer buying a six-pound sandwich from Pret each day and instead making a cheaper (and probably healthier!) lunch at home. Furthermore, now there are less strict company dress codes to abide to, money can be saved in this area too.
Employees – negatives
Work life im-balance
Sometimes it can be difficult to ‘switch off’ from work when there aren’t clear boundaries between work and home. Remote workers can often find themselves carrying on with tasks after working hours with the temptation to keep sending ‘just one more email’. While interviewing workers with Asana, we found that 30% of remote workers often or always work late. Although this may be seen as a benefit from an employer’s point of view, it may have a negative effect on job satisfaction for employees in time and could make them more prone to burnout. However, dedicating a specific area or room at home to work (and only work) and arranging plans for after-work hours can help with maintaining a healthy work life balance.
Less human interaction
Remote working can create a social barrier between colleagues as being out of the office means there will be significantly less human contact as a whole, with no more general office chat or weekly socials. For new joiners in particular, working from home means they are at somewhat of a disadvantage in getting to know new colleagues on a more personal level, compared to how they would normally. However, the ability to host internal meetings and even sometimes ‘virtual after work drinks’ over video chat could be a way of getting around this.
Employers – positives
Generally, flexible working is seen to be a top job perk, which in turn can boost employee morale and job satisfaction. Maintaining happy employees is likely to translate to a lower turnover of staff, consequently reducing costs and wasted time in recruitment. When working with Cleanology we found that the act of being out of the office alone is shown to have an effect on perceived health levels, as 50% of employees described feeling healthier if they work from home for a couple of days a week.
Most of us have probably been faced with a few nudges and winks from acquaintances after telling them that you’re ‘working from home’ today. However, working from home is actually shown to have numerous associations with increased productivity; our research with Wellness Together highlighted that higher profitability is actually associated with companies that have greater agility and offer flexible working practices. Indeed, online meetings that do happen are undoubtedly a lot more efficient and to the point than they would be in-person, with less excuses for extended chats and distractions.
Upskilling with remote working technology
If there’s one skillset that employees will gain by working from home, it’s the ability to use conference call tools. Thanks to various video conferencing applications offering free versions and features to businesses, they are now being used more than ever – Zoom, Google hangouts, Skype, Slack, Teams.. the list goes on. These tools have even extended out of the workplace for uses like exercise classes and book clubs during the lockdown period. Our research with Loopup found that an average of 15 minutes is wasted during a typical conference call, just from waiting for members to join, challenges with technology and other distractions. The more frequent use of conference call tools should see a reduction in this wasted time.
Employers – negatives
Considering that whole offices have had to shift to working from home in a matter of days, some employees may struggle to adjust. Remote workers need to be highly self-disciplined in order to avoid being distracted by home based interruptions. While employers will have concerns around employees getting their work done, the likelihood is that over time it will become apparent who is and isn’t pulling their weight. Scheduling daily internal updates makes it possible to maintain a clearer overview of the tasks that employees are doing and helps to balance workloads.
Less team cohesion
The lack of close contact with colleagues also means that there is less spur of the moment collaboration when working on projects together or trying to find a solution to a problem. This may mean that work isn’t performed as efficiently as it could be in the office, but encouraging the use of chat tools like Microsoft teams or Slack which allow colleagues to share screens with one another can help to counter this.
While working remotely probably feels quite novel for most of us at the moment, it may be that the COVID 19 lockdown actually acts as a huge national experiment, testing whether remote working is something that can be more widely adopted in the future. Looking ahead, it’s clear that there are more long-term benefits to gain from a gradual shift of more people working from home.
If businesses went on to adopt more flexible working practices in the future this could cut costs considerably, especially for those based in big cities. Office rent, maintenance and monthly bills will be reduced if businesses choose to take a ‘hot desking’ approach, as there will be no need to cater for full office capacity every single day.
Taking on a long-term flexible working approach will also mean that employers are no longer restricted to hiring professionals within their local area. Talent can be recruited from across the country which may mean that employers can find staff better suited to the vacancy. The complimentary benefit of this being that employees will have more flexibility in where they live, erasing the need to live in a busy, expensive city. | <urn:uuid:324f391e-3312-4d71-a2d8-e944237dc8ca> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://sapioresearch.com/news/the-impacts-of-working-from-home-during-covid-19/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572163.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815085006-20220815115006-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.96999 | 1,477 | 1.914063 | 2 |
The following article was published in the Turkish daily Radikal, on 24 April 2012. It was written by Pinar Ogunc, who accompanied historian Ara Sarafian on a trip to Ayash, on the trail of around 85 Armenian political prisoners who were sent there following the arrests in Constantinople on 24 April 1915. According to Sarafian, 70 of these prisoners were killed in the following few months. His trip was part of a broader project examining these arrests and the ultimate fate of the prisoners concerned.
BY Pinar Ogunc
(Radikal, 24 April 2012)
Everything started on that train departing from Haydarpasa on April 24th, 1915. With Ara Sarafian, we followed the prisoners, a few of whom survived and wrote their memoirs. We looked at Ayash through the eyes of these survivors.
“If Talat bey knew what disasters and bereavement we have faced as a family, he would end this situation… My poor wife, you have suffered so much misery because of this tyranny, and now, as a result lost your sight, what police chief would not show pity on you after seeing your condition? But what is the use? Our suffering will always remain with us.” (Teotig, Monument of April 11)
Smpad Piurad, an Armenian writer and educator, was on that same train departing from Haydarpasha on April 24th, 1915. He did not have the slightest idea of his doom while heading to the town of Ayash (Ankara province) with a group of people, most of whom were Armenian writers, poets, and journalists. This letter, written to his wife in mid-June, was the last one he wrote.
What happened in 1915? Almost a century later, one still waits for time to cover up the past. As the years go by, we know less about what was done to Armenians in 1915. Those who could easily talk on the issue in the first years of the Turkish republic have remained silent. Because we knew less than we should, we surrendered to a blind stubborness by way of daily political games. Something precious was taken away from the Turkish nation. We forgot to feel the pain of others. Everything was locked away in the word “genocide”, all efforts directed to decrease the number of Armenians who embarrassingly lost their lives. Have we come down to 300 thousand from 800 thousand victims? Even so, where is the pain and shame even if 300 thousand perished?
So many things are discussed but there is no denial of the official historical view related to those Armenians who were arrested and forced onto the train departing from Haydarpasha in 1915. We now know a great deal more about these deportees because of an article, “What Happened in April 24th, 1915?” written in 2008 by the former General Director of State Archives, Yusuf Sarinay, who has since been appointed to the Undersecretariat of the Prime Ministry at the beginning of this year. While denying the ultimate fate of the deportees, Sarinay gave a long list of the men who were sent to Ayash.
Ara Sarafian is a well-known historian in Turkey. His mother’s side is from Harput, and his father’s side from Tavshanli (Kutahya). Sarafian, the director of the Gomidas Institute (London), says that he feels himself to be from Harput. That’s why, he adds, he addresses the Turkish Government, and not the Armenia one, in my work. He hopes the Gomidas Institute will soon open a branch in Turkey.
Sarafian is also different for other reasons. Why? Because we are on our way to Ayash in April, 2012. “Diaspora Armenians are afraid. They think they will not be left in peace if they come to Turkey. Some of them even think they will be killed. I want to show that one can take the plane to Ankara, rent a car, and drive to Ayash.”
Two Enlightening Memoirs
Sarafian is being accompanied by documentary filmmaker Gagik Karagheuzian. They have worked together for years. Karagheuzian, whose father fled to Iran after his own father was killed, has an Iranian mother. Since very little is known of his family’s experiences, what he knows about his family history comes from books and other sources. Sarafian tells Karagheuzian who Sabiha Gokcen was while boarding the aircraft departing from Sabiha Gokcen Airport. This is how the day starts. When we land, Sarafian will drive directly to Ayash, without the need for a map.
What will we find in Ayash? The April 24 [1915 ] train stopped at Sindjankoy [Sincanköy]. The Ayash prisoners were separated from the Chankiri prisoners. According to Sarafian, the total number of prisoners was around 220, Sarinay states 235.
Around 15 of the 80-85 prisoners taken to Ayash were eventually released because they were not very political. The remaining 71 were alleged conspirators against the state, mostly suoporters of the Tashnagtsoutiun. “However, these were political charges.” Sarafian states, “The Tashnags were a legal party. In the 1908 revolution, they were on the same side as the Union and Progress Party!”
We have the memoirs of prisoners who were released, some published as early as 1919. One memoir was written by Dr. Avedis Nakashian, and the other by Piuzant Bozadjian, a nephew of a well known writer and publisher known as Teotig. They described where the prison was, what life was like inside, and what happened then. With such notes in our hands, we arrive at Ayash, as the car descends a hill.
There are some holy graves if you want
According to the information we have, the prison was 50 yards away from the Government Office. There should have been a cemetary nearby. As we get out of the car, Sarafian looks serous as he reads the name of the historical hamam located nearby. According to the memoirs, this was where the prisoners were brought from the prison to bathe. When we get closer to the white moustached old man at the town square, two others join us. We ask about the old government building and he shows a yellow building nearby. “A fire broke out in the 70’s. It was rebuilt and is now a hospital,” says the old man. He also gives us some advice, “eat some of the local stew before you leave,” “definitely buy sudjuk, it is much better than Kayseri sudjuk.”
There is a lot of restoration going on for tourism. The historical Ankara houses with their bay windows are being turned into boutique hotels or summer houses. When we reach the hospital, which was formerly the government house, two roads appear before us…. We take one and ask an old lady we see in her garden if she knows of an old cemetery nearby. She gives the names of several holy graves. Ayash is a paradise of holy graves. Just think of it, there is even a grave called Soil Father for children who eat soil! A moment later, the woman mentions the cemetery, which just a couple of yards up the road. Perhaps the prison was located where their house is located now. The other possibility is on the other road nearby.
“Peace at home”
The official Turkish view claims that the Ayash prisoners were held there until end of World War I and then released. But Sarafian says that there was no communiction from the prisoners after the summer of 1915 and no trace of them have been found since. Hampartsum Boyadjian (Mourad), a former revolutionary against Abdul-Hamid and a member of the Ottoman parliament, was one of the few who were supposedly tried by a court-martial (and executed). Another group of Ayash prisoners were sent to a court martial in Diyarbakir but never reached that city. They disappeared and were reportedly killed. According to Sarafian, a large group of the remaining Ayash prisoners were sent to Ankara and deported with other Armenians. They too disappeared, while yet another group of around 25 prisoners, were massacred at Ayash Beli, nearby. This is how Nakashian was informed by a Turkish notable about these murders. The prisoners were tied together, marched for two hours, and killed at Ayash Beli. But Sarafian is unable to provide additional evidence. However, on his way back, he finds Ayash Beli (which is not on the map), jumps out of the car, not caring for the sudden rain, and looks at the horizon to take pictures. He thinks he might be amongst the few Armenians who have come to Ayash for almost a century.
While counting his steps in Ayash, in order to locate the prison, something happened which I may say “the director has exaggerated” if I had seen it in a movie. A municipality truck stopped by and the cheerful driver said, “You’re just in time. I will fly the flag now.” I then realised the distant flag post which seemed as if it were a kilometer tall. It was dangerous to fly the giant flag in such weather. Once, I was told, it flew across to the next hill. But it’s April 23rd and mandatory to fly it.
While hoisting the flag, the man shouted, “Don’t come closer, it’s very dangerous.” I waited near an Ataturk monument, where it said “…., peace in the world.” No one could climb five meters and erase the first part, “peace at home,” but it so has happened, somehow, on its own. Hmm…
“Let the legislators dispute, not the historians”
“I don’t think the Armenian diaspora is seriously interested in all this. Practically none have read Yusuf Sarinay’s article discussing and denying the fate of the prisoners who were sent here. There are too many talkers, but those professionals who actually read publications and documents in Turkish are no more than five or six people. I am often criticised because I engage such materials in spite of the official Turkish denialist position. But this is all part of my work. If we are going to make serious assertions about the Armenian Genocide, then we should listen to what is being said. As for the charge of ‘genocide’ and the assertion ‘Let’s leave the dispute to the historians,’ I say, ‘Leave it to the lawyers and judges.’ Personally, I use the term genocide because it describes the events of 1915. I have no problem sitting down with historians who do not call it genocide, as long they are sincere and engage in real discussions. The current dispute of whether it’s a genocide or not has turned into a game, and it wastes much time.”
Sarafian translates some passages from the memoirs of Dr. Avedis Nakashian.
“The prison was was made of wood and measured 6 by 15 meters. There were some people like Kevork Mesrob who had been arrested instead of his son-in-law. It was not clear why an almost blind grocer from Pera, Haig Tiryakian, or the dog-catcher, Artin Asadourian had been brought there.
“We had to share our chores. Some prepared the fire, some did the cooking. We even gave special titles to some people. For example, Samuelov was the minister responsible for dishwashing. We had singing and poetry reading. There were famous poets like Siamanto and Levon Larents who had translated the Koran into Armenian. They were discussions about politics, life and the arts. The famous illustrator “Gigo” (Krikor Torosian) started drawing daily caricatures. He even thought about publishing them. It did not happen.” Gigo was killed like most of the other prisoners.
Nakashian wrote how they prepared a telegram to Talat Pasha stating that they were innocent and imploring for Talaat’s intercession. They argued about the use of the word “implore,” as some people thought it was too demeaning. In the meantime, news of massacre and executions had started to come from different places. This was when despair started. | <urn:uuid:116c7807-f641-4782-abe8-95a3853b6be8> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://massispost.com/2012/05/97-years-later-on-the-road-to-ayash/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571758.42/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812200804-20220812230804-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.985765 | 2,684 | 2.40625 | 2 |
On December 22, 1944, during World War II, German forces encircled the city of Bastogne at the Battle of the Bulge and issued a demand for surrender. American General Anthony McAuliffe’s one-word written reply became the stuff of legend: “Nuts.” His response summed up the stiff resolve of the Americans to defeat the Nazis despite, at the time, overwhelming odds. We know the end of the story. The winter storm clouds cleared the next day and the American bombers as well as General Patton’s Third Army saved the day, and the allies won the war in a matter of months.
To observers of the Church’s “translation wars” spanning decades, a June 23, 2008 letter from the Holy See reveals the same stiff resolve to defeat inaccurate, theologically defi cient and politicallycorrect translations of the Mass. In the letter, Cardinal Francis Arinze’s version of “Nuts” may not be as succinct, but has the same effect: “The attached text is to be considered binding.”
Cardinal Arinze, the prefect of the Vatican’s Congregation of Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments (CDW), is referring to the newly translated text of “significant parts of the Ordo Missae.” The new translation from the Latin “typical edition” into English is not only accurate, it recovers the sacred vocabulary lost in translation since the years immediately following the Second Vatican Council.
The process of liturgical translation from the original Latin texts (“typical edition” texts) of the Roman Missal to the approved English texts is laborious. The Roman Missal is carved up into portions and translated by “mixed commissions” such as the International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL). ICEL releases the translated segments to the various English-speaking conferences of bishops for review, revision, and approval.
Since the Holy See requires consensus in the translations, any recommended adjustments are sent back to ICEL and the cycle continues. When the text segments receive the final approval of the various conferences of bishops, they are sent to the Vatican for official recognitio. The Vatican, of course, is free to alter the texts but, in the past, has done so only to a limited extent, if at all. Upon consolidation and recognitio by the Holy See, the texts return to the conferences for publication and use by priests and faithful.
The recent Vatican recognitio of the “significant parts of the Ordo Missae” is surprising because it breaks the usual review and approval pattern. Usually the Vatican’s CDW issues its recognitio only when the entire bundle (in this case, the entire Roman Missal) has received approval by the various conferences of bishops. Although the text will not be available for use for several years, the Vatican’s “recognitio” of these signifi cant parts of the Mass is exceedingly significant.
It comes on the heels of the American bishops’ unexpected rejection of a small batch of liturgical texts in June that, left unanswered, would arguably put at risk the Vatican’s efforts in the entire translation project. This past June, the American bishops rejected a proposed translation of the new Roman Missal, the Proper of Seasons, prayers for Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter, and ordinary time. Following considerable debate at their spring meeting in Orlando, Florida, the US Conference of Catholic Bishops narrowly rejected the texts, after receiving the final ballots by mail.
By nailing down a significant portion of the English translation, possibly in response to the American bishops’ rejection of a portion of sister texts, the Holy See seems to be sending a clear message: continue to approve accurate translations of the liturgical texts to harmonize with the texts now officially recognized, and do not return to the failed translation practices of past decades.
In the 1990s, ICEL produced a revision of the 1973 Missal (“Sacramentary”) and submitted the texts in a series of “segments” for approval by the American bishops (as well as other English-speaking conferences of bishops). But at that time ICEL used an outdated 1969 post-conciliar document, Comme le prévoit, as a guide for the translations. Comme le prévoit set the groundwork for the theories of language and the translation principles (e.g., “dynamic equivalence”) that ICEL employed in those days.
Proponents of “dynamic equivalence” stressed translating concepts into contemporary language, at the sacrifi ce of the literal meaning. According to this view, words like “saint,” “merit,” “blessed,” and “soul” were often omitted. Also, in order to accommodate so-called “inclusive language” (gender-neutral language), sentences needed to be recast to avoid the generic use of “man” and male pronouns. Critics suggested these translation methods were being used to advance a feminist ideological agenda and to desacralize much of the liturgical texts. The controversy raged for years and became widely known in Catholic circles as the “translation wars.”
Those promoting accurate translations of the liturgy, however, were usually “on the outside looking in,” having little or no infl uence on the avalanche of politically-correct translations. ICEL, using the “dynamic equivalence” method of translation and a wide application of so-called “inclusive language,” crafted massive changes to the texts of the Mass in English.
According to an article in the New Zealand Catholic in the 1990s, Dr. Ken Larsen, an ex-priest from Auckland, New Zealand and one of the two principal translators of the revised ICEL Sacramentary, said, “We seldom refer to God as ‘him’ or ‘Father,’ and in general we avoid personal pronouns.” According to the New Zealand Catholic, Dr. Larsen and an American Jesuit, Father James Devereaux, spent more than 10 years working on the ICEL Sacramentary. Dr. Larsen added, “There are odd occasions where the word Pater occurs in Latin and sometimes you can’t get around using the word Father. But in general we have been very meticulous in keeping to the principle of inclusive language.”
Help was on the way, although it may have seemed to be “too little, too late” at the time. By 1996, after several major segments of the flawed ICEL translation had been approved by the American and other English-speaking bishops (sometimes by only narrow margins with significant minorities of bishops opposing the texts), Archbishop Geraldo Majella Agnelo, secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments, suggested that Comme le prévoit was outdated.
In addition, Pope John Paul II, keenly aware of the translation controversies, named Chilean Archbishop Jorge Arturo Medina Estévez as pro-prefect for the CDW. Soon after his appointment, Archbishop Medina signaled that major changes in the translation enterprise could be expected. In an interview, he said, “there is reason to lament the fact that some translations [of the liturgy] are not faithful but are quite fanciful [fantasiosi]…” Later, in the September 1997 letter rejecting the ICEL Ordination Rite, Medina wrote, “It may be helpful to recommend that there be a complete change of translators on this project and that a new, independent, and definitive English version be made afresh from the Latin texts.”
Despite warnings like this for those who had the ears to hear, American bishops continued to approve the defi cient texts into the late 1990s, though by narrow margins over the two-thirds required. The texts were ultimately rejected by the Holy See in 2002. By then the new version of the Missal (“third typical edition”) had appeared, but, as Medina’s letter of rejection noted, another major change had occurred that would affect all liturgical texts.
On March 28, 2001, the Holy See released the definitive instruction Liturgiam authenticam (“On the Use of Vernacular Languages in the Publication of the Books of the Roman Liturgy”). The document sent shock waves throughout the liturgical establishment because it represented a complete about-face in the guiding principles of liturgical translations. The document requires “the greatest prudence and attention” in the translation of liturgical texts, ensuring that the liturgical books are “marked by sound doctrine” and are “exact in wording, free from all ideological influence, and otherwise endowed with those qualities by which the sacred mysteries of salvation and the indefectible faith of the Church are efficaciously transmitted by means of human language to prayer, and worthy worship is offered to God the Most High.”
In addition, the revised principles of translation issued by the CDW were mandated by Pope John Paul II himself and were specific enough to address detailed translation practices (e.g., the document directs that the familiar Et cum spiritu tuo is to be translated “And with your spirit,” not merely “And also with you,” and identifies specific words carrying theological importance). After 32 years of defi cient liturgical translations, Liturgiam authenticam at long last replaced the time-worn Comme le prévoit. To press the World War II analogy, the document was the Normandy landing in the Translation War. Success could not yet be claimed, but after slugging things out for a period of time, victory was in sight for the cause of accurate translations.
Meanwhile, ICEL, the “mixed commission” responsible for the translation of the Mass into English, underwent an overhaul in its bylaws and personnel as a result of repeated Vatican interventions as well as the force of Liturgiam authenticam. Hence, in the twilight years of Pope John Paul II’s pontificate, ICEL became an unexpected Vatican ally in the translation wars. Recent translations of the Roman Missal, particularly the “signifi cant parts of the Ordo Missae,” have substantially complied with every article of the new Vatican decree.
A brief review of the recent ICEL texts submitted to the American bishops in the 1990s for approval and the (reformed) ICEL texts finally recognized by the Holy See reveals a sea change in approach. The mistakes of the old ICEL have been programmatically corrected as a result of the recent reform of the ICEL organization (with the recent cooperation of the American Bishops’ Committee on the Liturgy).
The threefold “through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault” expression of sorrow is restored to the Confiteor. The Nicene Creed is accurately translated, including “I believe.” The Nicene Creed is also free from feminist ideological influence: it reads, “for us men and our salvation…” and “…became man.”
The Roman Canon is beautifully translated, recovering the sacral vocabulary and referring to the Church as “her” rather than “it.” The words of consecration are more sacred and accurate, using “chalice” instead of “cup” and restoring the much discussed “for many” (pro multis). The repetition of “this pure victim, this holy victim, this spotless victim” has also been restored, after having been rejected in the 1990s by the Bishops’ Committee on the Liturgy as “ponderous in the English.” The Our Father remains in its traditional form after the attempts to “update” the translation in the 1990s. The accurate prayer before Communion has been restored as well: “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.”
Significant work remains on the new translation of the Mass, and it is far from clear how many years may pass before the entire English translation of the Roman Missal is released for use in English-speaking countries like the United States. In the 1990s, ICEL and the American liturgical establishment expected the usual quick episcopal approval and Vatican confi rmation of their arguably deeply fl awed liturgical translations.
When the texts met with resistance by many bishops—as well as the Vatican— the strategy seemed to be to kick the translations years into the future in anticipation of a more “friendly” pontificate. The elevation of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger to the papacy must have come as a deep disappointment to many in the liturgical establishment. Memories of Cardinal Ratzinger’s refusal to approve a similarly defi cient translation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church into English were sufficient to predict his views, as pope, on the necessity of accurate liturgical translations.
But the American bishops’ June rejection of ICEL’s translation of the Proper of Seasons might have threatened to derail the progress already made in accurate translations. Without a quick Vatican response that threat could have lingered and emboldened an aging but still dangerous liturgical establishment wedded to the outdated liturgical translation practices of the 1960s.
Many suspect the slow-as-molasses approval process is a ploy to continue to kick the translations down the line, in anticipation of a new pontificate more friendly to the views of the old liturgical establishment. But the Vatican confirmation of the main parts of the Mass, a recognitio that Cardinal Arinze called “binding,” will have a chilling effect on those expectations.
According to an episode of PBS’ American Experience, one of the officers witnessing General McAuliffe’s response to the German ultimatum said that the general had his secretary type out the “Nuts” response. His emissary, Colonel Harper, took it back to his headquarters and gave it to the German Armistice party. The Germans were allowed to take off their blindfolds and read the message. They were puzzled, it was reported, and they said, “Nuets, Nuets, Nuts…Vas is das?” But Colonel Harper said, “If you don’t understand it, it means go to hell!”
Colonel Harper’s explanation, by way of analogy, would probably put too fine a point on the Holy See’s intentions. But Cardinal Arinze’s “binding” requirement makes it clear that the Vatican plans to hold the line on the new and improved requirements of translation.
If you value the news and views Catholic World Report provides, please consider donating to support our efforts. Your contribution will help us continue to make CWR available to all readers worldwide for free, without a subscription. Thank you for your generosity! | <urn:uuid:c3273d97-db55-4056-b060-75002d2ca90c> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.catholicworldreport.com/2011/04/29/nuts/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572163.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815085006-20220815115006-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.95425 | 3,146 | 2.375 | 2 |
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — New Orleans’ Democratic mayor and Louisiana’s Republican secretary of state argued Sunday over who’s responsible for providing generators if some polling places didn’t have electricity on Election Day but by the end of the day it appeared all polling stations would have power.
Mayor LaToya Cantrell said Sunday that up to 11 precincts in the city could still be without power Tuesday, nearly a week after Hurricane Zeta took down power lines. She said Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin and his commissioner of elections, Sherri Wharton Hadskey, “are refusing to provide support for generators” for those precincts.
“In failing to fulfill its duty, the Secretary of State’s office risks disenfranchising Orleans residents and threatens to suppress the vote,” Cantrell said in a news release.
Ardoin responded in his own news release Sunday: “It is unfortunate that politicians like Mayor Cantrell … have responded to Hurricane Zeta by trying to score cheap political points instead of being part of any solution.”
Cantrell said the Secretary of State’s office “has taken the unprecedented position” that the city of New Orleans must use its employees and money to provide generators for polling places.
Ardoin issued a statement Saturday saying that Louisiana polling places without power would receive generators for Election Day, but it did not specify whether providing the generators would be a state or local responsibility. A spokesman for Ardoin’s office did not immediately provide a response to questions about it from The Associated Press on Sunday.
Later Sunday, the city issued a statement saying that Entergy New Orleans was now estimating that three polling stations could be without power Tuesday — down from the 11 earlier estimated. Portable generators and lighting for two of the locations was being provided by the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness and the Secretary of State’s Office, and Entergy New Orleans would provide the generator for the third site, the statement said. Entergy would transport and operate the generators provided by the state to the other two locations, the city said.
The city was expecting that all original polling places would be in operation come Tuesday.
Ardoin has publicly supported President Donald Trump’s reelection bid, declaring at a November 2019 rally that Louisiana “will win with Donald Trump.” Cantrell endorsed the Democratic presidential nominee, former Vice President Joe Biden, in August.
Zeta hit southeastern Louisiana as a Category 2 hurricane Wednesday before sweeping through parts of Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia. The storm initially knocked out power for about 2.5 million customers. More than 343,500 outages were still reported in those states Sunday, according to poweroutage.us, though it was unclear whether all were because of Zeta.
Mississippi Secretary of State Michael Watson said Friday that the state emergency management agency is on standby to provide support to any county that needs it before or on Election Day.
Gabriel Sterling, voting system implementation manager for the Georgia Secretary of State, said Friday that he’s been in contact with Georgia Power and with the electric membership cooperatives and expects power to be restored to the state’s 2,419 polling places by Tuesday. Sterling also said the Secretary of State’s office was talking to the state emergency management agency about backup generators. | <urn:uuid:b70bd640-e87b-414d-b9fc-c434c40af55e> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://bizmagsb.com/2020/11/02/louisiana-officials-feud-over-generators-for-polling-places/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572408.31/warc/CC-MAIN-20220816151008-20220816181008-00673.warc.gz | en | 0.960069 | 705 | 1.53125 | 2 |
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